#Fangtastic fun

[lavandamichelle]

How to Plan a Fangtastic Halloween Party: 31 Treats That Will Have Your Guests Spellbound!

Planning a fangtastic Halloween party is all about creating an unforgettable experience that leaves your guests spellbound. With a carefully curated menu of 31 treats, you’ll have all the ingredients for a spooktacular event. In this guide, we’ll take you through the steps to make your Halloween party a night to remember. From eerie appetizers to devilish desserts, our comprehensive plan will…

[pianta]

theyre finally home!! big day for annoying people (me) i finally get to hold it in my hands 💞 watching spelldon go from just a concept in my head to a fully realized character (especially after all these years!!) has been such a fun ride and i feel very lucky to have been a part of it. the comic is so so fun and everyone who worked on it did a fangtastic job. I'm so excited for folks to be able to pick this one up and hopefully feel seen or heard. happy pride! out now in your local comic shop 💕🌈

[mothwingwritings]

Sanctuary

F!Reader X Kaoru Hanayama

Hello my little ghost, goblins, ghoulies, and all around babes! By some miracle I was actually able to churn out a lil Halloween fic feat. Vampire Hanayama for you guys to sink your teeth into ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) this hallow's eve. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you all enjoy! Have a FANGtastic and funky Halloween tomorrow, my little morsels~!

(And yes, I realize I am posting two blood-centric fics in a row, I promise I don't have a thing for this heh heh heh)

WARNINGS!: Death, gore, blood, a horny and possessive vampire lord, an elderly couple having the worst day of their lives and terrible things happen to them, mentions of kidnapping and imprisonment/being held against your will.

There was a convenience store at the foot of the hill, the last stop right before you start heading into the mountains.

It didn’t have a name, the weather worn, paint chipped sign simply reading ‘GOODS AND SUPPLIES’. The building was so small it didn’t have a dedicated parking lot, and it had a touch of dilapidation that made the rare passerby wonder if it was even still in business.

But the old building’s lights always shined so bright through its foggy windows, drawing any would be customers to the warm luminosity. Though scant, the shelves were always stocked, and the older couple that had ran the place for the last 50 years always gave you a pleasant and warm greeting when you walked through its creaking door.

Though you were sure you must look like a strung out, malnourished, vagabond they never batted an eye at your appearance. They also never questioned why you came around on a somewhat consistent basis, even though all that surrounded you was endless forest and towering mountains, the nearest town miles and miles away. This shop survived solely by being the only accessible place for campers to grab necessities before starting their trek into true wilderness. Places like this didn’t have regulars, at least not until you started coming around.

Maybe they felt sorry for you, thinking you were some poor homeless girl that had holed up in the mountains somewhere just trying to get by. Each time you entered their establishment you wondered if they were concerned you may pilfer from their limited shelves. Not that you could blame them if they did, by all accounts you appeared sketchy. Donned in ratty hoodies, your shifty eyes and general downtrodden persona would have had anyone keeping an eye on you. However, your appearance never alarmed them. If anything they seemed genuinely pleased to see you, their eyes lighting up in recognition whenever they saw you meandering down their aisles.

If they were troubled by your presentation, ever sickened by the bruises that dotted your body or appalled by the shoddily hidden bite marks that trailed your neck, they never spoke of it. You wished you could tell them how thankful you were for that. The reminders on your body were bad enough to deal with on your own, someone else nit picking you about them would be too cruel of a reminder of just how futile your situation was.

This little Podunk store had become your lifeline, your only beacon of normalcy since Kaoru Hanayama had claimed you.  You couldn’t slip away to it often, having to rely on the security of the sun’s rays to protect you from the great vampire lord, but when you could escape his estate you always ended up finding your way here.  Often times you didn’t even have money, coming and going with no purchases made.  Yet still you were welcome here, and you readily sought solace within its fluorescently lit walls, a reminder to yourself that you weren’t the last human alive on this god forsaken planet. It had become your sanctuary.

… Up until today.

You knew something was off the moment you stepped through the front door. The lights were all on, the glow of the welcome sign beckoning you with a brightness that cut through the shade of the setting sun. When you pushed open the door the same familiar chime announced your arrival, and the same old TV in the corner was playing whatever sport happened to be in season (right now it was baseball, and judging by the cheering, a player had just done something good). As usual, the radio was playing outdated pop songs softly over the speaker system, a bit of static barely noticeable as it blended with the jaunty tune.

For the most part, the store looked as it normally did. There wasn’t anything alarming about the old metal shelves holding new merchandise, and the coolers filled with varying beverages lining the back wall all hummed along as they typically did. The aisles were tidy, the floors clean, the racks orderly.  If any other customer had stopped by to shop, they would be thoroughly convinced it was business as usual.

But you were the only regular they had, and you were savvier on how they ran their business. Someone was always at the counter, but today the position sat eerily vacant. Even when they had to step away for a moment, one of the two would call out a greeting as soon as you stepped through the door. Your arrival was always announced, but today no cheery voice welcomed you, there was no warm smile cast your way as you made your way inside.

The absence filled you with unease, a cold dread seeping into your bones.      

Tentatively, you stepped closer to the counter, part of you wanting to call out to see if you get a response. Maybe you had caught them unawares-you did show up at a much later time than you typically did. Perhaps at this time of the day they are busy in back taking inventory or getting ready to restock. Was it really so strange that a small store like this didn’t have staff front and center at all times? It was just the two of them, after all. You can’t expect them to be stationed front and center 24/7.

But you couldn’t shake the feeling nestled deep in your gut that something was very, very wrong. The closer you inched toward the checkout counter, the more unsettled you felt. After a few steps in, a foreign noise came to your ear, growing clearer with every step. At first it was barely audible, a small and drawn out wheezing that sounded in weird intervals. It came from around the corner, near the back where the store room was located. You wondered if maybe the heating system was about to bite it, or an old cooler may be on its last leg.

However, a dying refrigerator didn’t explain the sudden wet sputter that rang out from just beyond your view, followed by a low, agonized groan.

Instinct took over. Propelling your body into action as you leapt across the counter, your legs taking out various snacks and energy supplements as you vaulted yourself towards the backroom. What if the owners had fallen, or something fell on them and they were trapped? Concern surged through you for the elderly couple. Surely there was a good chance if an accident occurred they wouldn’t have the means to pull themselves out of it. If they were in a compromising situation, who knows how long they had been stuck like that, who knows what position they may be in.

Nothing could prepare you for the sight that assaulted you as you rounded the corner.

Red was the first thing your eyes caught. It covered the floor, splattered the walls, coating the world around you. Its source was the kindly old woman whose warm smile you were greatly missing just moments ago. Her gentle, pleasant face was void of happiness for the first time since you met her, instead twisted into a look of abject horror and excruciating pain. She had a pallor that damn near made her look like a corpse, and you supposed that wasn’t too surprising judging from the amount of blood that was gushing from her neck, trailing in angry streaks down her body as it dripped down to the floor, adding to the mass puddle of human gore where her husbands decimated corpse was discarded.

You stifled a gasp, your hands flying to your mouth to muffle any cries or vomit that threatened to spill. Your body shook violently, a mix of disgust, fear, and anguish urging you to flee the scene, leave and never come back. Abandon your sanctuary, save yourself. They were beyond saving. They were beyond hope.

But you remained frozen in place, incapacitated by not only the shock of the situation, but also by the presence of the man that perpetrated it.

The woman hung limply from his mouth, much like how a dog dangles a toy when it’s trying to coax you into playing. His jaw latched to her small throat in a death grip, white fangs peeking through his snarled lips as his eyes caught yours. The only thing supporting the woman’s body was his bite, the ferocity with which he clamped down, the bob of his Adams apple as he greedily gulped down her essence, was quickly and efficiently stealing her life away. With her final burst of strength, her glazed over eyes looked your way. She raised a shaky hand towards you, one final rasp sputtering from her torn throat. Was it a cry for help, or a plea for you to run? Maybe she was cursing you for leading her to this fate. Whatever it was you would never know, as one final bone shattering chomp broke the woman’s neck, effectively ending her life.

Hanayama looked so out of place here in your secret spot, standing center stage as if he belonged here and wasn’t a blight on the ounce of freedom you had left. The whole scene was so surreal you felt as if you were trapped in a nightmare, your mind struggled to accept the horrors laid out plainly before you.

His imposing form nearly took up the entire store room, his height making his head graze the ceiling. Looking akin to a caged bear he was panting, his eyes wild as he released his grip letting the woman’s body fall limply to the floor, joining her husband. He was high from his meal, though you couldn’t imagine it being much of a thrilling hunt. The excitement surely stemmed from you catching him in the act. If you knew Hanayama at all, you knew the look of sheer dread plastered across your face was sure to send excitement coursing through him.

He was dressed to the nines in his tailored designer suit, shiny Italian leather shoes clicking away on the scuffed tiles of the floor as he started to approach you, each step adding a splatter of blood to his previously immaculate ensemble. His feral look had waned as he approached, giving him a more composed air. You imagined this is how he must have looked when he entered the building, his stony face littered with scars, inhumanly red eyes boring holes at the cashier, a dramatic shadow cast across his face from his swanky brimmed hat. He would have definitely caught the older couple off guard with how out of place he looked. Such a strange gentleman wandering into their quaint shop must have entranced them. These good-natured and trusting hosts were probably intrigued with his outlandish presence, interested in his story and what brought him so deep into the woods.

They would have never guessed what he truly was until it was too late. You just hoped that it had been quick for the husband, and that the woman’s suffering was not lengthy.

“So this is where you have been slinking off to.” His voice was smooth as he languidly wiped the blood from his lips, smearing the brilliant red across the once pristine white sleeve of his suit. You shuddered as he addressed you, and he instantly picked up on the quiver, though it was only momentary. He knew you like the back of his hand, all your quirks and fears, it was foolish to think he wouldn’t be able to ascertain that you were sneaking off when he explicitly ordered you not to leave the mansion’s grounds.

“I try and avoid the elderly. Past a certain age and the blood loses much of its flavor and vitality.” His eyes bore into yours, a cold smile tugged at his lips, “But these two were surprisingly delectable, even past their prime. Maybe it was their fondness for you that made them so delicious?”

“I didn’t…” the words died in your throat, burning as you choked them out. You cast your gaze towards the dead couple, the shop keepers glazed over eyes soullessly staring at you. They were still wet with tears.

“You didn’t think,” Kaoru seethed, taking another step forward, crowding your personal space. The coppery smell of blood was radiating from him in such intense waves that you could taste the tang of it on your tongue.  “You made a decision, one that I warned you against time and time again, and now you must face the consequences of that decision.”

He grabbed your chin in a tight pinch, the blood on his hands still warm as it smudged your skin. Stepping aside slightly, his hand guided your head, forcing your attention back on the couple. His steady grip kept your head in place as he spoke in your ear.

“You caused this, (name). If you had listened to me and done as you were told, their untimely death would have been avoidable. You only have yourself to blame. May the weight of their deaths hinder you from making anymore foolish decisions in the future, little one.”

He sighed heavily, releasing your chin, “I took a huge gamble coming out here at this time of day. Even with the sun low in the sky it still poses a threat to my kind. I compromised my safety to bring you home.” His gaze softened, his hand relinquishing its hold on your chin in favor of dragging his cold knuckles softly against the back of your cheek.

“It’s good I came when I did. If I had taken even a moment longer, it was sure to cause issues. Before I entered the store I heard them discussing you, talking about their concern for you. It seems they misunderstood your living situation, seeing you as some form of victim, believing that you had some manner of backwater husband that was abusing you.”

He spat the words with disdain, casting a brief disgusted glance towards the corpses on the floor. “They were trying to formulate plans to ‘save’ you, even mentioning they wanted to bring the police into it. Ridiculous.”

A sob erupted past your lips at the revelation, tears blurring your vision as they began to torrent down your cheeks. Hanayama lowered his voice, placing his hands on either side of your shoulders as he pivoted your focus to him, holding you in place. “This is why you must stay inside, my love. They don’t understand us. Most humans have small, closed minds. They don’t have the capability to understand the nature of our love. They only seek to tear us apart, hell bent on placing an end to something beautiful.”

He scooped you up before your legs could give way, nestling you against his chest in a restraining hold. He pressed a rough kiss to the crown of your head as he stepped through the door, beginning the long trek back to the cold, dank halls of the mansion.

“It has been a trying day, and you need rest,” Darkness had overtaken the sky, the chill of the nights air stinging your wet cheeks. The brilliance of the full moon was your only guiding light as it shone down upon the two of you, making Hanayama’s pale flesh appear to glow.

“But the night is young, my love, and you have a lot of making up to do for the transgressions you have made against me this day,” There was a huskiness to his voice, the words were meant as a threat, but the underlying hint of lust made their true meaning crystal clear. “You are mine (Name), and I will enjoy taking my time engraving that reminder into your soul for as long as it takes, until you finally realize your place.”

[maribatserver]

Maribat Mix & Match Monster Mash 2024

We're back! September hasn't quite begun yet, but we're so excited for this year's spooky season that we decided to give you a little extra time to prepare your frightful fics and dreadful drawings, especially as this year we're mixing things up more than usual.

You may have noticed that this year, the prompts we've given you to start are a bit longer than they have been before. That's because we thought incantations would be more inspiring.

"I am not supposed to be the Final Girl!" "I'll kill you either way." "I'm hunting cryptids." "Has anyone ever told you how creepy you are?" "Not a fan of surprises?" "Oh, bite me." "Turn the lights off."

But as some of you may know, those aren't all we're giving you! From October 25th-31st, each night at the perfect time for necromancy (also known as Midnight EST) a tombstone will reveal a new ingredient for you to mix into your creations. If all goes to plan, your muse will be resurrected in plenty of time for Halloween. Ahahahahaha!

All you have to do is Mix and Match our incantation prompts with the tombstone ingredients to give life to your abominations, then post them so that we can all enjoy the scares! Feel free to use other calendars and prompts while you're at it, as we all know that October has several fangtastic challenges that you don't need us to tell you about.

While we wait for Halloween though, we'll be counting down with gruesome graphics for our incantations, posted each Friday until our event begins. The order of our countdown will be decided by our very own server members, so if you haven't joined the dark side already, send us a message and get an invite. We promise we'll only bite if you ask us too.

When your spooktacular submissions are finished, you can post them on tumblr with the tag #mm&mmm2024 and we’ll reblog them here, or you can submit them to our Ao3 collection, Maribat Mix & Match Monster Mash (Maribat_Mix_Match). Just make sure that you’ve tagged and rated your work accurately, and that any sensitive content is under a cut. Halloween may be the season for scares, but we want to keep our frightful fun safe for everyone!

Special thanks to @newdog14 for designing our calendar and prompts, to @nottesilhouette for helping to brainstorming our prompts and giving Newsie access to Canva Pro, and to @izanae for helping with logistics and for returning to us just in time to enable Newsie during her favorite event!

[bhaal-battle-beer-bard]

Astarion x Tav

📜🪶📜🪶💙🎻🫧🌹🌸🌹🫧🎻💙🪶📜🪶📜

request: for @aristenfromwarsaw

Fangtastic days of our lives

➹summary: a comforting day/evening in the life of Astarion and his love Aristen after post-game settling down, takes an unexpected turn as Astarion while enjoying his new found life and love, sees something of interest…

➹pairing: Spawn Astarion x F!Tav (Aristen by @aristenfromwarsaw)

➹content/tags: fluff, comfort, romance, smuty flirting, fun, slice of life, little tiny bit of angst and guilt

➹word count: 5,036

➹cameos: @evander-jane Devana Lysander @alpydk Ragnar @goromimii @pinkberrytea (by order)

➹a/n: another belated birthday present for @aristenfromwarsaw  Thank you very much for all the great photoshoots you always did for me, just like that. Such things really fill my heart with joy. I hope you like it. Thank you for trusting me with your Tav Aristen. I take writing other OCs really serious, because an OC is very personal thing and it is way harder to get them in character. I used the infos/backstory you gave me once about Aristen for the best I could.

📜🪶📜🪶💙🎻🫧🌹🌸🌹🫧🎻💙🪶📜🪶📜

Fangtastic days of our lives

Teak, mahogany, oakwood, dried tobacco with the hidden essence of vanilla. From somewhere the sweetness of honey and roasted nutmeg.

These were impressions of antique wood, boiling kettles, clanging beer mugs and laughing voices that filled the Elfsong tavern.

It was like a honey-colored, subterranean, starless sea.

A sea of ​​people, scents, voices and music.

A sea of ​​life that would envelop the coming evening when the sun would have completely disappeared, making way for the aurora again after the starry night.

Astarion was acutely aware of his surroundings. Perception meant survival.

But not today…not anymore.

He could simply explore and enjoy his surroundings while he waited for his beloved:

Aristen the storm sorceress and former daughter of Bhaal. She was able to walk in the sun and as a vampire spawn he had to wait until the sun had made the rays that were fatal to him disappear.

That didn't matter to Astarion. He was used to the night.

But he never wanted to go back to that cold, lonely life.

The Sorceress, along with the other companions, had freed him from slavery once and for all. But it was she alone who had given him back the vision of his eyes, of his entire senses. Astarion could sit in the tavern and just be, taking in the surroundings of life.

No more looking for victims. No more fear. Never again.

The Elfsong Tavern was full of life and he was part of it.

So after hundreds of years, Astarion could finally taste life again. See it. Hearing it with his pointy ears and feeling and smelling it warmly with the scent of pumpkin, butterscotch and spicy beer.

A quite pretty bard with white freckly tattoos on her face and braided crimson hair beneath her Tiefling horns played the lyre on the Elfsong stage. Astarion noticed dagger-shaped earrings on her pointed ears. The Avernus fire of her origins blazed in her blue eyes as she sang:

“Empty kisses, shallow words,

Fiery passion only hurts

When the sorrow takes an oblivion hint

Will you cure and begone with the wind…”

Astarion continued to look around while the sadly whispering voice reached his elf ears.

“I hope someone sings a song like that for me too. Such expressions of love really manage to make me weak,” sighed a tall black-haired woman, whose face bore at least as many tales of adventure as freckles.

"Me too. But I really hope that the ballad has a happy ending,” replied a long-haired beauty at her table. The human woman's wavy, light hair framed a gentle face with captivating blue eyes.

“Oh you heard that? Oh no! ", the adventuress, ashamed, put her hands on her head with her side-braided hair and covered cringing with embarrassment one of the green eyes. "I should stop talking loudly to myself."

The other woman laughed a little and her wavy hair swayed on the shoulders of the long, light dress with floral embroidery: “It’s all good. I won’t tell anyone else.”

She winked briefly.

“But tell me…” she took her hands away from her face with the little different eyes, “…you’re not from Baldur’s Gate either, right? You also speak with a different accent than me.”

"Correct. I come from the East..."

“What did she say? Sêlune guide me?”

Astarion was distracted by an almost desperate voice that sounded at least as concentrated and angry as it was beer-soaked.

He saw a barbarian sitting at the next table, holding his beer mug almost too tightly.

The raised dark blonde hair did not distract from the piercings and black war paint, which Lae'zel would certainly have approved of.

“Okay, can I memorize this Sêlune prayer or not?” he muttered to himself and downed the beer in one gulp.

Astarion had seen him before and that evening he had stared at Shadowheart the whole time. Was the barbarian building up – or drinking up - the courage to speak to Shadowheart next time?

The vampire was distracted from the barbarian when a pale woman walked past his table accompanied by a brown-haired man. He noticed them because they both had scars on their faces. But no, that wasn't it at all. Something else drew his attention to them...they smelled somehow, almost reeked of...swamp? No magic.

That same hidden scent of feymagic that came from the black haired adventuress with the freckles.

The woman's pale face was friendly, almost cheerful. She enjoyed the music and the sad ballad. Did she know the feelings and sad love that the Tiefling woman sang about?

Astarion was all the more struck by the face of the dark-clothed man with the scarred hands who accompanied her: he was rigid and joyless and his eyes had an almost malicious shimmer. He didn't seem to suit her. He walked rigidly like an aristocrat or a trained soldier, or was he rigid because of the blade - that was clearly visible to the Rogue - that he wore under his clothes?

The man's gaze fell on the bard's dagger earrings. But not only the brown-haired human looked at the earrings, but also a white-skinned, tall elf who walked behind him. Astarion didn't know what was more noticeable: his large deadly sword, the long white hair, the black tattoos on his face, or...or the earrings in the shape of a dagger that hung from his ears.

He nodded almost imperceptibly to the bard and she returned his nod briefly.

Frowning, Astarion averted his gaze and looked around the taproom.

Many of the guests listened attentively to the ballad. Couples in love held each other tightly and some wiped a tear from their face.

“…in the dark of the night I see your tears

Rubies glisten full of pain

Rage and misery

Don’t get lost in brandy, bergamot and rosemary”

The ballad finished gently and the bard stood up.

"Thanks! And now for the bard duet!”

With a wave of her hand, she invited her partner onto the stage.

Wild white hair adorned the scarred drow face. It looked like survival for Astarion.

She could be young and old at the same time, that's how it was always with the elves. Young pretty faces and centuries behind them. Sorrow, suffering, joy. Everything was possible.

The narrow waist with the subsequent curved hips and thighs with short pants was adorned with a weapon belt with a sword and a flute.

The skilled hand whirled out a shiny silver flute and the duo began to play:

„Two bards do the trick, because bards do it better

Drow or Tiefling, it doesn’t matter

Shiny white hair, or wagging tail

Their persuasion will never fail“

They quickly changed the melancholic mood and the silver flute had a captivating sound, as if it were a homage to a goddess.

“One plays the flute, the other smashes lutes

Buy us a drink and we’ll tell you who is who“

A Tiefling whose rosé colored hair matched her white pink frilly clothing cheered enthusiastically to the tavern song.

Astarion heard her applaud with a giggling laugh. Cute little laughs with a sweet smile upon her light face.

It was that kind of sweet laugh that told the vampire how innocent, unspoiled, kind and naive the person was.

Yes, the delicate Tiefling woman was a sweet, innocent thing, Astarion could tell that with just a sideways glance of his red eyes. The sweet and naive kind of girl that immediately fell for him. Who he easily ensnared and seduced for Cazador. Or was she one of the people he would have avoided because they were so naive...innocent, undeserving of it? He would probably have avoided her if possible because such a sweet, lovely person didn't deserve to fall victim to the vampires.

Astarion closed his eyes briefly and grimaced at the emerging memories that he immediately wanted to repress.

Thanks to his beloved Aristen, he no longer had to do this.

He was free.

Cazador dead.

All of Baldur's Gate saved, saved from the Empire of the Netherbrain and the Mind Flayers.

Yes, thanks to the blonde adventuress whose fate was forever intertwined with his and all her other companions, he had escaped his fate as a slave. Their courage and their determination, with the help of the other fighters, allowed him to defeat Cazador.

But not only that, the storm sorceress had also given him love and patience. And the confidence to be better than Cazador. He didn't need blood-soaked, soul-eating power to be safe, to be worth anything.

Astarion would never have to hurt innocent people against his will again.

All thanks to her.

And yet Aristen did not consider herself to be good, nor to be lovable.

She loathed herself for her actions as a born Bhaalspawn, which she only dimly remembered. No one could hate her more than she hates herself.

And perhaps it was even worse for her, imagining every day what atrocities she had committed in the name of the God of Murder instead of knowing for sure.

She didn't see herself as a lovable hero, a savior. Astarion wished so much that she could see herself through his eyes just once. Then she would finally forgive herself.

The problem was that the sarcastic vampire had never said that to her and perhaps never would. There would always be something gnawing inside him, at his battered heart, that would prevent him from casually revealing his innermost, deepest feelings. What if he did lose her to someone else one day?  If it would not be an arrow or observer to steal her from him? How could he then pretend that his vain heart had not been destroyed for all eternity?

Darkness crossed Astarion's face at all the thoughts and he shook his head with his white curls to drive them away.

Once again he let his gaze wander over the audience, while his pointy elven ears only casually listened to the singing of the bards. It was only thanks to his beloved Aristen that he was able to recognize the diversity of the guests gathered. To be recognized again.

It had once been a faceless mass. At some point, after all the years of slavery under Cazador, the people in the taverns had become nothing more than a uniform mush to him. Victims, cattle like sheep, to his master. Criminals who hurt him and whom he hurt in return and they became victims of the vampire lord.

Dark, blank faces.

Without eyes, without soul. Just like Astarion himself had felt.

But after Aristen came into his life - with the craziest tentacle adventure of his life - everything had gradually changed.

First he recognized her blue eyes, then her face. The smile of her lips plagued by guilt and bloody ghosts of the past. The same smile as his own.

Then he saw all the faces, the people, their stories and lives again.

He saw the colors. The differences and the similarities. He heard the voices, the laughter, the music. He noticed the scents and smells again. Astarion saw joy and life again.

A scent that stood out from the rest of the tavern's smells suddenly tickled Astarion's nose.

Orchid drifted discreetly from the front door.

A slightly tickling shiver ran over the tips of his elf ears, while Astarion was already peering towards the door with large, round eyes.

Like the true epiphany she was, a blonde woman made her way through the elven song. Her appearance truly stood out from the rest of the tavern's audience:

Her delicately pinned hair and a ladylike, sweeping blue dress made her truly look like a lady of name and rank.

Astarion smiled as he looked at Aristen's appearance.

She always made an effort to look chic and beautiful, no matter what the circumstances. Like a true lady who belonged in a ballroom and not a tavern.

A ballroom, not a bhaalroom.

But Aristen loved all facets of life and also sat in the meadow under a tree in the forest with her fancy dress on.

If Astarion had his way, then very soon she would be pressed into the grass beneath him with the dress rumpled.

He chuckled dirtyly to himself as he couldn't help but think of that thought. And before he even thought about the first visit to his grave together, he shook his head and pushed it all away from his white curls.

"Darling..." Astarion stood up after Aristen made her way to him, having spotted him with a smile beaming with joy, "...you give me all sorts of ideas as always."

“What do you mean?” the high elf asked in surprise and blinked in confusion because she couldn’t follow him.

“Nevermind little love,” Astarion grinned mischievously and briefly kissed her delicate hand in greeting. He gently stroked Aristen's hand again as he slowly lowered it.

“The sun has already set enough for you to go out, Astarion,” his lover informed him. She would pick him up when it was safe for him outside.

"I've already run errands from a few merchants," Aristen spoke as the two left the tavern.

"Nice. Then we can now buy the rest together. Have you got everything so far?” asked Astarion.

The blonde nodded as they stepped outside.

Astarion sucked the air outside the elfsong into his lungs. Had breathing changed since he became a vampire? After all, he was undead.

Astarion didn't know. He couldn't remember, it had been too long.

In addition, the past no longer counted - smiling, he glanced furtively at Aristen who was carrying the basket with the purchases - only the present and the future counted.

“Yes, I did the grocery shopping that wasn’t of interest to you,” the blonde laughed and winked knowingly. “There was wonderful blossom honey, I couldn't resist,” enthused the sorceress, rolling her eyes heavenly at the thought of it and licking her lips in anticipation of the taste of the honey.

“Then I can taste it from your lips and tongue,” Astarion whispered seductively.

"What?"

“Oh, nothing…” the pale elf just grinned again.

His pointed ears were suddenly tickled by the brush of her lips as she leaned in very close to him.

“I heard you very well, my dear,” she whispered to him, her blue eyes sparkling meaningfully at him after she leaned back and gave him a knowing smile.

The vampire laughed. It was a serious laugh. It went from its sonorous, seductive, dirty murmur to a deep rumble before dying out in a high-pitched spike.

“I saw such a beautiful pair of earrings in the window at the Glitter Gala,” sighed Aristen languidly after she continued the story.

“So why didn’t you buy it, darling?”

Aristen shook her head: “Because it’s not necessary. I prefer to save our money for important things. After all, magical artifacts are expensive and the most important thing is that we find something that makes you immune to the sun.”

Yes, that was the ambition and current mission of Aristen and Astarion: to find a way for the vampire spawn to walk in the sun again.

Their friends also kept their ears and eyes open.

Gale read every book that might contain useful information.

Shadowheart, as well as Lae'zel on her travels through the astral planes, always sent them messages when they heard about mysterious artifacts.

And Halsin and Jaheira also reached out to all their acquaintances from near and far.

"If you hadn't used so much of our gold to rebuild the city and help its people, then you could afford any jewelry you wanted," Astarion nudged her with his shoulder and winked knowingly. The slightly accusatory tone was just an act.

“You know I wanted to try to somehow make amends for my actions when I was under Bhaal's control. This will never work, I know that. I can't bring back the people I killed. But I can at least try to help those left behind. It's too little. It’s no consolation…but at least it’s something.”

There was sadness in the blonde's voice. The look in her blue eyes was sincere before they slid slightly to the ground.

Astarion didn't like that, so he decided to cover up the whole thing: "I don't know what you're doing with this penance and compensation anyway."

He casually folded his arms behind his head and sounded as indifferent as he could.

“But…” he grinned playfully at the blonde Sorceress, “we could visit The Counting House again with Minsc. Then we have enough money to play benefactors and buy jewelry and beautiful clothes.”

Aristen raised an eyebrow with an amused grin: "You want to volunteer to do something with Minsc, really?"

“Now that you mention it…argh…better not. You may find him amusing, but he's always bursting in to chatter about his hamster at the most inopportune times. The guard almost caught me picking the lock of the Tabernacle when he suddenly stood loudly behind me, screaming my name and his hug almost broke every bone in my body.”

“What did you want at the Stormshore Tabernacle outside of opening hours?” Aristen asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing!” Astarion quickly dismissed the topic. Too fast.

“What’s next on the list for today?”

“We really have to go to the Devil's Fee. It has finally opened since the devastating battle against the Netherbrain and the reprocessing. If there are special artifacts or information about them anywhere, it’s there!”

Astarion nodded eagerly and the two elves walked quickly through the streets of Baldur's Gate.

"Oh no! No no no!” Helsik shouted from afar as her eyes saw Aristen.

The Sorceress blinked in confusion at the violent reaction and she looked around to see if anyone else was behind her, as the shopkeeper thought she might be.

“Not you!”

"I? But…"

“Nothing but!” Helsik cut her off. “After last time, I already told you that it was too hot to be seen with you and that the store was off limits for now. After the fuss you caused with your little friend and the black-haired fuzzy head.”

Astarion grinned briefly. He knew exactly who the saleswoman was talking about. After all, they had learned of Bhaal's daughter's past and how she had been involved in the Grand Design.

“I have new business partners, so I don’t need loud attention, after all, hell operates quietly.”

“We don’t want to cause any problems, I swear!”

The vampire let his eyes wander over the lavish and devilishly mysterious display while Aristen soothed Helsik.

“We just want to buy an artifact or information. Nothing improper, nothing complicated, nothing dangerous. Just good old Mammon.”

“Child, you will never have as much gold as I want from you so that I can burn my fingers again because of you.”

"Are you sure? I'll pay any price...whether it's gold or otherwise. We're just looking for a way to break the vampire curse of being vulnerable to the sun. Please."

Helsik laughed briefly, compassionately, not maliciously: “Deary, at the Devil’s Fee we don’t break curses, it’s more about the other way. That should be clear to you from the name.”

“My Love…” Astarion slowly tore his eyes away from the display cases and stood next to Aristen again, “…let me talk to her. I think I can convince them better with less…emotional involvement based on old stories.”

“Are you sure?” Aristen asked, unconvinced.

“Of course, baby…” he was already pushed the Sorceress toward the exit, “…you go do the other errands in the meantime and leave this to me.”

Aristen left the devilish business and made her way to the large square of the lower city wall. She visited the arms dealers and her thoughts continued to dwell on the fact that if even devils couldn't find a way to free Astarion from his curse, who would?

She would never give up hope. Anyway, Helsik was probably right: if it was about help, then hell wouldn't be a good negotiating partner.

Maybe they should trust in nature, magic and clerics. The gods may not have heard Astarion then, but perhaps they could now request divine intervention?

The vampire could walk in the light of the Moon Maiden, perhaps Dame Aylin and Shadowheart could ask even more of Sêlune. Maybe she could expand her moonlight.

Perhaps…

“STOP IMMEDIATELY!”

Aristen was snapped out of her thoughts and the blacksmith who was stationed across from Sorcerous Sundries just handed her back Astarion's freshly sharpened dagger.

“COME BACK IMMEDIATELY!”

From the direction of the Devil's fee came rumbling, loud voices and, above all, lightning and sparks.

“Stop the criminal scum!” shouted a city guard. “Subject, let him stand still!”

“Where for?”

“That way!”

“Or rather there?”

“I thought I saw something in that direction…”

“Then I here, you there,” the steel armored guards rumbled.

The clatter of steel armor slowly faded from the blonde Sorceress's ears, but a perfume that differed from her own scent of orchid and rose reached her nose.

Aristen smelled cherries, musk, palmarosa, black pepper and…

“Does this belong to you, little mouse?”

…sulfur.

Raphael's slightly tanned complexion stood before her. His brown hair was done to perfection with meticulous work, as were his clothes. Large, sparkling brown eyes regarded her, both sublime and mischievous.

The devil in human disguise had the white-haired vampire in tow, holding him by the collar like a naughty schoolboy.

"Raphael..."

“So you still know my name. Ah…very good. Tell the wizard of yours that too. Hopefully he’s still looking for my crown?”

Aristen nodded: “We defeat the brain. The crown will then be at your disposal. That’s how it was settled.”

“Excuse me…” the vampire groused

The devil released Astarion, who grumbled and moved his shoulders.

“Stealing from a shop that has connections straight to hell, very very naughty.”

As was his style, Raphael moved his hands theatrically while his voice whispered mellifluously. The reprimand was more than just played as amusing.

“Anyway, you were there in vain. There is nothing to buy there that could solve the vampire's little “problem”. Otherwise they would all be walking around here freely in the sunlight. Or not?”

The devil made a sweeping gesture and looked around ostentatiously before laughing.

“I'll talk to Helsik and smooth things over, after all you don't sleep well in unmade beds like in clover. But tell your magician that it is my crown. When he finds it, he has agreed to hand it over to me immediately. Not to Mystra and he certainly shouldn’t get the foolish idea of ​​using it himself.”

“He is not my magician,” Aristen clarified briefly, “Gale belongs to no one but himself. Mystra also has nothing to command him.”

“Does he see it that way too? Or does he like to be walked on a leash? He always just does what others tell him. After all, his own decisions are the stupidest I've ever seen...and I've literally seen it all."

“You mean as stupid as wanting to rule the crown of Karsus?”

“Haha…careful, little mouse,” laughed Raphael. “Just make sure I get the crown as quickly as possible.”

“When Gale finds it, you get the crown. That was the deal. We stick to that. But you'll have to be patient. It wasn't intended that the crown and the stones would be lost again, but it was hard to prevent it when the Netherbrain fell into the sea during the fight."

“I'm surprised you're so relaxed about this. You can't put me on a leash as easily as you can put the vampire spawn on a leash. Or was it rather the other way around and you Astarion put the former Bhaalspawn on a docile short leash?”

Mischief sparkled in the brown eyes of the human-shaped Cambion. There was a subtle, biting, malicious provocation in his words, which he spoke with a sonorous purr, as always.

Astarion's face contorted a little and the vampire barely suppressed a roll of his ruby-colored eyes. For a moment he seemed like a disgruntled cat.

"I think I liked you better when you just rhymed all the time," Astarion replied sassy.

Raphael laughed briefly, unimpressed: “Whatever. Less dawdling and making long fingers, but more diving for the crown,” reprimanded the devil with a raised eyebrow.

The devil wrinkled his nose slightly at the vampire spawn before turning back to Aristen and giving her his full attention.

“By the way, greetings from your fiery friend Karlach and her rapier-wielding colleague Wyll Ravengard.”

“Why are you ordering greetings from Karlach and Wyll? Have you met them?”

“Well, those two made themselves quite a name all around Avernus,” Raphael smiled in his smug way, “furthermore, I greatly welcome their actions against Zariel’s forces.”

He made one of his swinging hand movements with his manicured fingers: “I would like to invite you all to my House of Hope to linger, relax and chat. So you can catch up. You know, the Crown of Karsus is the key that grants you access. And until that happens…fare thee well, little mouse. I hope I will see you soon, knocking on the door of my house.”

As was his style, Raphael bowed expansively and his scent of leather, cedar, lily, rose, oud, vanilla and sandalwood disappeared into a swirl of sparks and sulphur.

“He hasn’t forgotten his flair for great performances. I don't know whether I should admire it or whether he's starting to get on my nerves with it," Astarion sighed briefly before straightening his shoulders and straightening his doublet with a quick tug.

"Anyways..." the vampire turned to another topic, "...I think it would be a good idea if we get out of the immediate area while the city guards are wandering around here."

The elf touched Aristen's elbow to encourage her to leave.

“What did you want to take from the store anyway, in the first place?” Aristen wanted to know from Astarion, curious and skeptical.

“Well…” he started to press and scratched the back of his white curls, “…I saw something…”

"And what was so terribly interesting that you would risk to be arrested by the Flaming Fist?"

“Well...it reminded me of you...and...I thought you should have it. But Helsik is really a cutthroat bitch with exorbitant prices.”

Aristen smiled good-naturedly: “Oh Astarion…”

“However…here…”

The vampire held out a white silk scarf to the storm sorceress.

Aristen's eyes widened. You could see from the shimmer and the way the fabric fell that it wasn't just silk that was woven there. It was definitely the weave itself and more that was at work there. Depending on how it fell and how you moved it, a golden blue shimmered.

“The scarf reminded me of the one you told me about. You know, the scarf with your name on it that you were found wearing as a baby in the Bhaal Temple. It’s one of the few memories you have left.”

The vampire took out a borealis blue thread from his pocket and began to embroider “Aristen” into the scarf.

“I wanted you to have something that you could never lose, that could never be destroyed, that had your name on it. Because if something ever happened again that made you forget...that made you forget yourself, at least you would always have your name with you. Then you know that you are Aristen. Not the daughter of the murder god. Not the chosen one of Bhaal. No Bhaalspawn. Just you. You are Aristen.”

The vampire began to embroider an “&” sign into the scarf.

“And well…” Astarion began to shuffle uncomfortably again and focused entirely on his work so that he didn’t have to look his lover in the eyes, “…if you ever forget something again, then you’ll know that we belong together. I don't want you to ever forget me. And so you also always carry my name with you.”

The vampire finished his work and the white scarf now embroidered with new memories read: "Aristen & Astarion"

“There is nothing in the world that would ever make me forget you, Astarion,” the high elf spoke softly.

She closed the distance between the two of them and kissed Astarion. The elf slowly closed his eyes as their lips met. His cool, hers warm. He felt her breathing life into him as they kissed.

"Thank you so much," the blonde said after they pulled away from each other, "you can't imagine how much this means to me. I love you, Astarion."

Aristen held the silky, white and blue scarf in her hands, stroked the pale elf's blue embroidery and smiled. "I think this used to be the color of your eyes too."

She smiled softly, as soft as the silky fabric of the scarf felt on her soft hands. Hands too soft for the crimes they had probably committed earlier in the name of Bhaal. In a previous life.

Aristen raised her eyes, which were also blue, and caught Astarion by surprise. Speechless.

That rarely happened.

Very rarely did the vampire find himself without words.

“Ah, I…” he took a breath to say something, but he lacked a suitable response, so he could only hold his breath, taken aback.

The gentle look in his lover's eyes and her words had triggered something in Astarion that he still couldn't handle: affection, sincere love.

Towards him and in his own heart.

The white-haired vampire exhaled and smiled just as gently at his beloved Aristen.

He reached out his cool hand to her and placed it against her rosy cheek. The blonde nestled herself a little in the vampire's hand and her gaze lingered lovingly in Astarion's now ruby-colored eyes.

“You never stop surprising me,” his whispering voice sounded sincere and just as genuine was the smile he continued to give her.

It was a smile that acknowledged how happy he was, partly surprised, partly just realizing that he wasn't really surprised anymore. And perhaps that was what surprised Astarion the most.

It was a day like any other.

A day like any other.

One day in the rest of their life.

Their life together.

And it was beautiful.

And he would never want it any other way.

📜🪶📜🪶💙🎻🫧🌹🌸🌹🫧🎻💙🪶📜🪶📜

➹a/n: i just gave my own Tav Saulus a little cameo guest appearance  😉 in the style of AU I also inserted aristenfromwarsaws other OC Devana, like a little, what are all the other tavs doing when not being the main character

the great Tavs of my lovely mutuals also did a tiny cameo:

Nala Hartwick of @evander-jane

Thomas Rosewood and Nana of @alpydk

Lovely Vierith of @goromimii jamming with my Saulus, best bardic duo

Mavka of @pinkberrytea

I hope I did the slice of life good justice and you all could taste, feel, smell, hear the life through all the description of scents, etc.

[thebramblewood]

Lilith and Caleb Vatore cordially invite you to a bloody fangtastic vampire fete, hosted at the finest underground establishment in Forgotten Hollow. Guests are encouraged to bring their own human snacks, but at the special request of Mr. Vatore vegetarian options will begrudgingly be provided. Dust off your most extravagant attire for a night of plasma, pipe organ, and partying the way only the undead know how!

I'll soon be in need of a cast of vampire extras for a future scene in my story, Helena Zhao Is Dead, and I thought it would be fun to ask for submissions. There are only a few guidelines, but they're listed below the cut.

Please consider sharing this post for visibility! I'd love to see as many vampires as possible.

GUIDELINES:

Your Sim can be of any gender, color, age, era, etc. but please submit vampires only! (If you don't have the Vampires pack, you can still participate. I'll turn them into a true occult in my game.)

Be as extensive or vague with their biography as you'd like! It probably won't make it into the story, but I always love good lore.

Preferably Maxis match or mix (no alpha hairs, please). CC is fine, as long as it's provided. Only one outfit is necessary, but make sure it's party-worthy!

Bonus points for a dark form, ideally in the same outfit, just as their most fully-realized vamp self (blood is welcome).

Be sure to include a download link! If you don't want to share the Sim publicly, you can send the link to me privately.

I'll try to maintain your vision as much as possible, but I may make small changes to better suit the scene/my Sim style.

Tag me in your post and use the hashtag #bramblewoodvamps.

Submission deadline for guaranteed inclusion is August 31st. I may be able to include late submissions, but try to get in early to be sure!

Any other questions? Don't hesitate to ask.

If you need some inspiration, here are a few guests who have already RSVP'd.

[wydownaspiider]

#MonsterHighMarch2024

Howl

Fangtastic

Voltageous

Jekyll & Hyde

Love Letter

Tombmates

Animal Friends

Pink

Egyptian Jewels

Zombie Games

Black, White, & Red

Underwater

Meeeow!

Making Music

Free Space - You’re halfway there!

Unlucky

Vacation

Purple

Snake Eyes

Creepy Crawlies

Día de Muertos

Steam or Electric?

Fashion Show

Arts & Crafts

Roller Skates

Pep Rally

Wingspan

Scene Hair

Glasses

Green

Year of the Dragon

my notes under the cut:

first of all, graphic design is my weakness lol

secondly yeah i did some more vague prompts this year! i encourage any artistic liberties you may take (as long as its nothing inappropriate ofc)

some of them are definitely referencing a specific character, but take the prompt however you want to. And have fun!

[runsintheblood]

It's family kink bingo time!! We're proud to announce another fanwork event for the vamp fam ♡ Fanged Four Family Bingo is a month long prompt based event all about wholesome and kinky vampire-family friendly fun.

On the 1st of August we'll be revealing a card with 5 x 5 squares, each containing a small selection of kink prompts (including a sfw-friendly alternative) you can pick between. Your task is to, using the prompts, create something for five consecutive squares in a line (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) to get a bingo and be feted as a fangtastic winner!

Or just go for as many as you can... or go nuts and go for a whole board blackout - there's no cash prizes (we spent all our funds on David Boreanaz photos) and no penalties, and no signups needed either. Anyone can play!

Get ready, we'll be posting full rules soon and revealing the bingo board.

Dates Board reveal: 1st August Posting begins: 1st September Posting ends: 30 September

[bird-likes-to-fandom]

My part of a collaboration with the lovely @idk-tbh-idk! The St. Cassians' Chamber Choir as Monster High characters!

you can find my partner's fangtastic (get it?) designs for Constance, Mischa, and Noel here!

This collab was so fun!!!!

design notes under the cut!

I gave Janey earrings shaped like teddy bear heads to resemble Bearemy, the stuffed bear Em Flosi (chance theater) used during their rehearsals! Similarly, the bunny heads on the doll's dress are made to represent the bunny Michaela Dukes (4chairs) used during her own rehearsals! The lambs on her shoes are obviously a nod to Penny Lamb, and since Janey has (a little less than) half of Penny's head, I think she can remember some parts of being Penny. She also has Penny's left brain, so she remembers all her animal facts, and probably quite a bit of her past life - or one of them, at least.

Savannah gave me SO much trouble. At first, I had her as Ricky and was going to go full SABM on him, but that ended up terrible, and then her design just took me forever to get right. Especially her facial markings. Her purse is born out of me messing up on a second crutch, but I really like how the purse turned out. I imagine that her doll is sold and her character is animated with both crutches, but I couldn't include the second one in the drawing ksjhfdkfjgh (protip to avoid this: always sketch EVERYTHING out in pencil and go over a mental checklist of what you need to include before you ink and color) Savannah is holding up an I Love You sign in the picture! Because Janey's mouth is the porcelain part of her, I imagine she signs as well. Also, she's based off of actual Savannah cats!

Ocean's design is the simplest, rip. I gave her a fish tank over her head because Uranium CIty is almost completely surrounded by lakes, and in the show freshwater monsters like Gil need them to breathe on land! Her heels are supposed to resemble quarter notes, but I think they just look like regular heels. I find it ironic that her parents, freshwater monsters, named her Ocean. Even in this au they wanted something else entirely.

[ladyduellist]

WIP Thursday

Tagged by the ever cool @verbenaa @elinorbard @xxnashiraxx @inkymoonbunny @roguishcat! You guys spoil me with your tags. Thank you always for thinking of me.

Here's the opener for Chapter 20 of Epistles of Saints & Sinners. Just some fun Shadowheart and Astarion interaction. I really believe these two goofs would be huge gossipers with each other.

Frankincense faintly wafted from the aging copper coin as it flipped round and round in the air like an aerialist, attempting to dazzle its one person audience despite an oxidizing teal grime coating its shine. It landed, as intended, on top of Astarion’s knuckles. He rolled the coin off each one, descending it as if his fingers were a set of moving stairs. When it finally reached its destination on his last knotted joint, he snatched it betwixt his thumb and index, putting into the funnel he created with his other hand. With an engaging grin and a maestro’s fluidity to his fingers, it was gone! Snap. Clap. Disappeared!  “Do those parlor tricks actually work on wowing people?” Shadowheart snickered, offering him a meager handclap for his demonstration.  He showed her the front and back of his hands, proving it was out of sight. “When you’re one of Cazador’s spawn forbidden to have any pastimes that invigorate visible delight, you have to get creative.” Rubbing his fingers together, he reached behind his ear to make the coin reappear, giving it a dramatic toss back into the air before letting it plop into his palm. “Unsuspecting street rubes were never the wiser. I emptied their pockets for my own amusement, while they were beguiled by my sleight of hand for theirs. An equivalent exchange, if I do say so.” Astarion flicked the coin back into the dried up fountain they discovered, tucked away in an alcove outside the monastery, from whence it came. Shadowheart mentioned it was likely to have once run with fragrant oiled waters, anointed by Rosymorn monks for those that wished to pay a coinage tithe to sprinkle upon their foreheads for renewed baptismal covenant. “Worshippers of Shar have similar traditions we uphold to the dark mistress,” she had told him, “except it’s typically paid in blood.”  “What hobbies did you have aside from your fangtastic follies?” she jested. “Another person that’s failed their comedic audition I see,” he sneered, turning his nose up at her as he remembered both Gale and Tav’s poorly executed jokes at his expense. “Though, if you must know, hand-stitching and books became silent pleasures that my master paid little attention to.”

I think everyone else has been tagged, but if not, pretend I tagged you and show your WIP.

[malin-moon]

Hey Mal👋

Sleep has evaded me and so my brain has the urge bother other people about it.

Since there are "Top 5" polls going around, I was wondering: 1) Who are your current top 5 Thai GL pairs?

2) As a fellow BounPrem enjoyer, now that they're with GMM, what top 5 genres/tropes would you like to see from them in regards to future projects?

Please never feel pressured to answer anything I send lol I'm just a curious bean.

Also

Thank you for tagging me in the poll thingy, I just have weird social anxiety where I think no one care about my opinions so I didn't do it ❤️

-GASP- Have I made it into the inner circle? 👋🏻 Hey Sammi!

Who are your top 5 Thai GL pairs?

Faye/Yoko's chemistry in "Blank" is off the charts. Say what you want about the show, but you cannot deny their talent. It would be great to see them star in something that hasn't been shrouded in controversy so that more people will support them. It's what they deserve!

I enjoyed watching June/View play together in 23.5. They really stole the show for me! I don't know if GMMTV has plans to put them together in another series, but I would not object.

I know "Dream" isn't everyone's favorite series right now -there seems to be a pattern-, but I am very much enjoying Fay/May and their characters. Kim/Wan's relationship is super flawed, and I like how they have conveyed that so far. I happen to have a huge crush on May Yada lol and I feel bad that they seem to get overlooked whenever they have events together with Billy/Babe.

You can't mention Thai GL without mentioning Freen/Beck. @hallowpen is really fond of them, and they've shared stories and interviews in the GC that make it pretty clear how much the girls value and cherish one another. It's really beautiful to see such a strong female bond. I'm eager to watch "The Loyal Pin" because "GAP" felt like a chore to watch -it's just my opinion, don't come for me lol-

I loved Milk/Love as Ink/Pa in "Bad Buddy". I didn't feel as attached to them as Ongsa/Sun. I think they should get another go as GL leads, in a series that's a bit more challenging for them. I know Milk can ACT and I don't think we've seen all there is to see from Love.

As a fellow BounPrem enjoyer, what top 5 genres/tropes would you like to see from them in regard to future projects?

I'm a horror girlie! Anything in that wheelhouse would be super fun! I don't count "Long Khong", Boun was barely in it lol We've seen bits of them flexing this particular acting muscle with Prem in "The Box" and future Boun -if he's still a part of it- in "Zomvivor". But I want to see them really go for it.

Boun achieved his Vampire dream, now let him have his mafia, action, crime drama fantasy. I think Prem would dig action, too. Make it enemies to lovers, mayhaps? This one's for you Sammi!

Boun/Prem do longing really well! Let's upgrade them from a side couple in someone else's fated love story to starring in their own.

I won't say no to another -or several more- fantasy series after "Revamp". I know in my gut that it will be fangtastic -insert corny smile here-

Take a page from Zee/NuNew and have Boun/Prem do a royalty romance! "The Prince and Me" gay Thai version. Hell yeah! *Put them in anything with a GMMTV GL pair. Let them interact with the lovely female talent that is so often underused over there.

[vampirefest]

And that's a wrap on our glorious fortnight of vampire romance!

Thank you so much to the wonderful artists and writers who participated and also to everyone who shared, reblogged, left kudos and comments.

We are, once again, so grateful to have had a large turnout from both the AMC IWTV and the VC fandoms. It was a lot of fun organizing this event and we hope you all enjoyed it as much we as did.

You can browse the Bloody Valentine ♥︎AO3 Collection♥︎ to read all the wonderful fics written for the event. And as usual, the collection will remain open for any late submissions.

You can also take a look at our account @vampirefest under the tag ♥︎#Bloodyvalentine♥︎ to see all the other submissions for the event.

We wish you all a happy rest of the month and we'll see you again very soon for some more fangtastic events.

xoxo,

The Vampire Fest team ♥︎

[stephaniebrownslover]

Insanity won— Draculaura and Batwoman(Kate) talking about Drac's love life

"GUYS WHAT IF DRACULAURA IS CRYING ABOUT HER BOYFRIEND CLAWD TO BATWOMAN AND SHE'S LIKE GIVING VERY BAD ADVICE ABOUT BOYS BCS SHE'S A LESBIAN ICON OFC AND LIKE LIKE"

Note: This is so ooc but I don't care bcs it was fun and ignore my lack of my Monster High words using(ghoul, fangtastic etc.)

–On the rooftop at 2 AM–

Draculaura: Sometimes I don't understand Clawd at all! He gives me mixed signals! Does he like me or not? I mean, I know he likes me fangs over heels but... sometimes it doesn't feel like!

Kate: Hold on a second, what does make you think like that?

Draculaura: He thinks I'm short! He thinks I'm a ghoul who can't get her books! Why would he think I'm short? I'm not short! He's short!

Kate: Alright, kiddo, just calm down. Is there anything else I should know?

Draculaura: He literally carved a platform for my sweet 1600th birthday!

Kate: *stands up* Oh, that @#₺hole. I think I've heard enough about this wolf-boy. It's time to teach him a lesson about how to treat a girl right.

Draculaura: Wait, what're you gonna do to him?

Kate: *smiling* Nothing, we'll just have a nice little chat.

Draculaura: Oh no, please don't punch his face, I like his stupid undead eyes!

Kate: Punching? I think you get me wrong, sweetheart. I'll just teach him a thing or two about girls.

Draculaura: Oohhh, because you have a ghoulfriend too, right? Sometimes I forget you have a partner because... You know, you work alone. How is your relationship? What is she like? Is she cute? Can I meet-

Kate: Yes, Draculaura, I have a ghoulfriend.

Draculaura: Sorry. ( her face is like irl :3 )

Kate: *about the jump off the rooftop but turns back for a second with a slight smile*

Kate: And yes, she's cute.

Kate: *jumps*

Draculaura: *yells and waves hands behind Kate* Kiss her for me!

[tragantia]

Spending Halloween with Severen Van Sickle

As suggested by @rock-n-macabre 🖤 turned out a bit more general but it covers some scenarios 😌

- Oh boy is he gonna have some fun.

- It goes without saying that Halloween is Severen's favourite holiday. There are not many things that warm up this psycho´s dark little heart, but during Halloween, he´s got everything he wants in life: you, his family, and the perfect excuse to cause mayhem.

- When someone suggested going to a haunted house, or a maze, Severen's eyes filled up with excitement at the possibilities.

- Everyone in the clan was on board with the idea, but it was mainly Severen who got hyped up like a kid. Only he is not a kid. He is a very bad man with very bad ideas.

- I headcanon him as filing his teeth like in the original script, but only sometimes when he is feeling a bit extra – and during Halloween, of course.

- He will be his usual chaotic self, but if certain things bother you or are too much, he won't be a dick about it. He wants you to live the ✨fantasy✨ despite being in the company of the most dangerous people in all the Southern states. Sure, darlin', let's go into this haunted house, we'll have a blast.

- But being the real deal, he may also scoff or laugh at the actors for what he considers to be poor attempts at being scary.

- God forbid he sees someone dressed up in full Dracula gear. Will have a bit of a Crocodile Dundee moment. 'You call those fangs? These are fangs', before showing off his filed teeth and chewing off their face.

- Is that Severen using someone's guts as a lasso to hunt down some other unfortunate soul? Oh yes, it is.

- Homer is cheering on him.

- Also, you know that guy that usually chases you with a chainsaw at the end of the maze?

- Well, good fucking luck because Sev's killed the guy, stolen his chainsaw, and is having an excellent time chasing people with it as he goes whooohooooo.

- Jesse is an indulgent patriarch, but he´s starting to get a bloody headache.

- In terms of dressing up, Severen would probably pull a Patrick Bateman and turn up wearing his usual clothes, only completely drenched in real blood. May or may not carry a body part as an accessory. If he's in the mood, he's dressed up in proper cowboy clothes. Drenched in blood, of course.

- Now, if you wear a sexy costume – you know it's roleplay night.

- Will demand that both of you stay in character during sex. Will also make up silly names for the lowbudget porno film that you could both be starring in. Wearing a sexy nun costume? Let´s call it 'Fangtastic night at the convent', all this whilst he cackles and is already getting into it. I hope you share his sense of humor because he's gonna be like this during the entire session.

- If there's enough time, he may also go trick-or-treating with Homer. When someone opens the door, it's feeding time.

- If it's the first Halloween you spend together, he may go a bit soft and tell you is the best one he's ever had. He loves it when you watch him do his thing, and being able to openly display his antics in public really does it for his ego.

- At the end, on the way back to the motel, he may walk a bit slower with you and ask you if you've had fun. Wrapping his arm around your waist and kissing you, smearing blood all over you.

- Once the night is over and you are cuddling up with him in bed, he will turn the TV on so you can watch old horror films together – and will try to find the worst possible ones you can imagine. 'Sev, are we really watching Death Bed: The Bed That Eats?' Shhhh just watch the film, Darlin'.

- In short, he genuinely loves it and can't wait for next Halloween.

[taybatwo2]

Lenore Loomington Doll Review Part 2 of 2

Let’s finally take a look at her dress (the post before this one looked at her accessories and in box photos)! Ugh, that belt thing just keeps getting in the way of everything and will NOT sit well on her torso.

Lets remove the offending piece to actually look at her dress…

Much better (I was so afraid of breaking her clip, I had her hanging from her neck for many of my photos). I love that the cut of the dress is WAY different to any other Monster High dolls I’ve seen, and I like the idea (I assume) behind it: looking at silhouettes of plants and animals on a night sky.

Buuuuut I feel like it could have been elevated a bit more for such an expensive doll. Give us some glow in the dark/sparkly dots acting as stars going up her skirt, finish her sleeves and dress train with some lace, oh, or maybe sew some “vine like” ribbon/fabric hanging off of the train or sleeves. Oh! And I feel like her short black lacy piece is kinda a second thought, I’d have made it longer in the back or give it a more ragged cut (so it’s not so reminiscent of a tutu or petticoat). I say this all, because both the color and the cut was honestly better executed by:

The one you got vs the one you ordered. Yeahhh, it very closely resembles Moonlight B.B’s dress (shirt/skirt), but feels like a poor rip off due too MGA’s looking a lot more tailored (and use of multiple fabrics) and a more expensive clothing piece. more review and doll comparisons under the cut:

Aaaand here it is off the doll:

The dress is not hemmed around the bottom of the dress or sleeves, but I don’t see them fraying any time soon. I like how thin and flow-y the fabric is it makes it look a bit ethereal. And oh? But what’s this?? A secret secondary dress/slip??

What a cute little surprise. It’s fully hemmed, has a little lace on the bottom, and has a bit of a stretch to it. Also, Lenora’s arms are wrapped in plastic to prevent staining.

Here it is off the doll. Be forewarned, I low key struggled redressing her. That larger dress didn’t want to nicely slide back over her smaller dress.

Let’s finally take a look at Lenore’s face.

My Lenore’s eyes are printed up a bit too high and her lipstick is both smudged and incorrectly filled in in the top left side. 😬 At least a little bit of acrylic paint can fix her lips….

Her glitter tears are really pretty and seem pretty well attached and her “ghost mask” is a lovely addition to her face (it’s a nice gradient).

It took me awhile to notice she has cute little pink eyelashes mixed in with her black ones.

Her side profile and lightly pointed ears (by the way, the back of her head is marked as 2023). I do wish her eyebrows were a bit darker and looked like Rochelle’s worried ones (@mistyxxart’s, on instagram, drawing of Lenore is what I WISH her eyebrows looked like).

This artwork is fangtastic and has given me so many fun ideas on how I want to upgrade my Lenore.

Lenore is pretty well covered now; let’s look at how she compares to come other ghouls (I apologize for many of these photos being a bit blown out - the lighting in my kitchen is kinda sucky).

The OG Spectra!!! Two very different ghostie ghouls. Monster High’s oldest vs MH’s newest. Spectra has clear body parts, no ghost mask, and colored sclera. She also has kanekalon hair vs Lenore’s saran. I think they stand on their own as pretty different characters honestly.

Let’s let a few more come across the veil.

So many ghosts!!! Ari, Ari, what are you looking at?!? Sweetie. Stop longingly staring at Spectra.

Okay, so they actually don’t seem to have very much in common with Lenore either. Ari has a milky/shimmery body (much more akin to the Haunted releases of ghosts) and Lenore has a shimmery body without looking like she has milky skin. Her shimmer has more of a blue tinge than the yellow tinge that Ari’s has.

The Create a Monster Ghost (I always forget how hard they went on her outfit: skulls amassed behind a fence with a blood-dripping belt; I love it when MH sneaks in stuff like that), has the ghost eye mask (I don’t like hers as much as Lenore’s) and uncolored sclera like Lenore, but her pupils are black - like Ari’s. Both CAM ghost and Spectra have clear limbs.

There is something these ghouls all share in common:

Mother of PINK! The Monster World must have very limited shoe material that ghosts can wear and it’s all in similar shades of pink and magenta.

I wonder how she compares to the Haunted dolls…? POOF!

Ask and you shall receive! Technically River is a grim reaper and Kiyomi is the daughter of a noppera-bō, so not just comparing “ghost ghosts,”but why not throw them in here too?? Porter, Vandala and Kiyomi all have very milky skin, Lenore’s plastic is very opaque in comparison with that pearl/shimmer finish.

~shimmer shimmer~ Porter has colored sclera like Spectra and Vandala doesn’t have black pupils, like Lenore. I wonder if there is a reason for some ghosts to have colored/regular sclera and pupils. Maybe it’s a ghost genetic trait like attached ear lobes….

River was wondering what all the hubbub was about in comparing them to this new ghost. Well, until I told River how much Lenore cost compared to them. River couldn’t say much, but just proudly showed off her clear limbs: “I cost less than a third of that and I have clear limbs!” ….I wonder how she’ll react when I tell her the ghoul that received her original head sculpt idea cost double Lenore’s price.

And POOF!

What a lovely menagerie of MH ghosts (pretend like my Symphanee got here quick enough to also be in the photos).

Perfect! Can’t even tell….

Oh! And Vandala brought her girlfriend Sirena along so I could compare Sirena’s skin tone to Lenore’s. Her skin glitter is not as fine as Lenore’s and she has a yellow tint to her skin….I wonder if Ari’s and Sirena’s is due to age.

Hand splat in face.

Before I wrap up, let’s compare Lenore to some MH dolls that look like the main ingredients they blended up to create Lenore.

Your progenitors!!! (my G1 Twyla has been de-glued with LA’s Totally Awesome, but her bangs are discolored and are waiting to be retrobrighted this summer). Hmmm, a dash Twyla’s skin color, a major helping of Vandala’s face mold and monster type, and an inspirational sprinkle of Amanita’s outfit and pieces.

I can see the comparisons with G1 Twyla (more in person than in a photo). Lenore’s skin has a purple hue from the pearly finish. Also, Lenore’s hair streaks are more baby blue than the minty green of Twyla’s hair color. They both have pink eyes, and wear dark colored clothing.

Now, Lenors and Amanita, look like they could have been in the same line (when I actually have Lenore fully dressed). Amanita believes that she would have still been the only deluxe, store exclusive of the line. “Maybe you could have been like the Big Lots or CVS exclusive to Gloom and Bloom.” Amanita! That is uncalled for! “You’re right, how about a K-Mart exclusive because they’re as dead as she is.” Lenore thinks this is one plant she doesn’t want in her garden.

They both have long wavy hair, flower shoe clips (but Amanita’s is sculpted to be a lot more three dimensional and it’s painted).

Both have extra make-up around the eyes, a hair decoration/accessory, and a thin, slightly see through dress covering a surprise mini dress (I still feel like Amanita’s has more detail, but that pleather portion will rot off someday).

Yeah, she is more than welcome to pose. I think that Amanita might have pulled off the look a bit better…. :/

And a face comparison!

Similar, but Amanita’s/CAM Vampire Girl’s head sculpt is not the same.

Avast ye!! We might have a match! Vandala’s face does look closely the same (I should have taken out Vandala’s earring for all of these photos)…

Hmmm…..

Hmmmmmmm…..

HMMMM, Lenore’s ear looks a little bit more defined (when I don’t have the light GLARING right ONTO it).

Man, Vandala, I need to de-glue your head whenever I get more LA’s Totally Awesome in. You are a grease ball!

Well, Lenore might have used Vandala’s head sculpt base, but they went in and refined some parts…like her chin being a bit blunter, her nose and ears being a bit more defined, her lips might be a bit bigger (or they were just over painted).

Whelp anyways….Lenore…Lenore….I am glad I bought her, as she has some cute surprises, a lovely face, soft hair, but she’s very overpriced from the get-go and would have (in my opinion) not gotten such backlash had she been released to stores and Mattel creations as a 40-55 dollar G1 release and if she had not been SO HYPED UP!!

What are your thoughts? Would you buy her? What would you change?? Do you think Mattel has a huge wheel in their board room to spin and assign value to their dolls? Should I double check pictures to make sure they turned out alright before I put all my dolls away?? (Yes, yes I should).

[via-the-ghoul]

So I’ve decided to join Monster High March, but plot twist, I’m gonna make all but two drawings related to my “infection” AU! Days 1 and 2 are below the cut, I’m posting day 2 today since I’m participating in March 2nd’s full shutdown for Palestine. Anyways TW for blood, gore, implied death, and characters from a children’s franchise in a horror scenario.

[Image ID 1: two individuals sitting in front of a light blue wall, on a dark brown floor with a pink rug. There is a dark brown door beside them on the right, while a dark brown self with a flower vase and a clock is on their left. They both have wolf ears, yellow eyes, fangs, and freckles. The one on the left has dusky skin, short but wild orange and pink hair, and multiple golden face piercings. They wear a blue hoodie, black pants with multiple patches, pink fingerless gloves, and blue shoes. They look worried. The one on the right is much smaller, with frizzy dark brown hair kept in two buns and darker skin, and their mouth is opened. They wear a blue striped shirt, a purple skirt, and no shoes. A purple cat is on the right side of the smaller one. Yellow text at the body reads “Pawla: Do you think Clawd and mom will be ok?” End ID.]

First up, we have day 1, Howl, where we reveal what happened to Clawdeen’s family!

Howleen and Clawd went to their parents house for some family event, Clawdeen had to stay at school for Fearleading reasons, and then the infection hit. It started in the catacombs, which go practically everywhere in the Monster world if you wander around mindlessly enough!

Also, since I’m using my redesigns anyway, I decided to let myself use characters from other gens, so that’s why Pawla is there. I will say, these three aren’t the only survivors at the wolf household…

*Image ID: one figure has cornered the other at a stone wall in a dark night. Blood stains the grey ground. The cornered figure is sobbing, hands in the air. They are fat, have pale pink skin, black-and-pink hair cut short, pink-purple eyes, and a black heart symbol next to their mouth. They have a bite mark in their right arm, and blood on their left hand. They wear a white sweater, a black vest, pink pants, and pink-purple boots. The cornering figure has pale blue skin covered in wrinkles and short messy turquoise hair. They wear a red shirt and have bloodstained fingers. End ID.]

And here’s day 2, fangtastic! Except no one’s doing fangtastic, I, I interpreted this one as “draw a vampire” and drew two. Fun fact that infected is based on one of the Belfy Prep backgrounders.