#also for real I love The Cellar as a setting and the people there and it's exactly the kind of place that Daphne needs in her life now

[belethlegwen]

The Faerie Spell - Chp 8

Chapter One: Click Here

Previous Chapter: Click Here

Chapter Directory: Click Here

Words: 10,339

Summary: Daphne slowly comes to the realization she isn't dead, but she's in an unfamiliar place with people she doesn't know: A literal nightmare. Who are these people? Where have they taken her? How hurt is she, and how is she going to get home? As she gets help with her injuries, Daphne begins to get a peek at what kind of help and treatment she *needs*, and hasn't been getting.

Content Warning: Blood, mentions of pain and physical injury.

[Major MAJOR thanks to @adjacentperception for the RP that was used to write this chapter, and for the use of their characters and setting <3 You are wonderful.]

Death had more smells than I was expecting. 

Probably should've been my first hint, huh? 

But nope, before anything else hit me-- before any other experience or feeling or thought of the idea of existing had managed to make it's way through my thick skull, smells were what was doing it. 

I mostly just noticed that the overwhelmingly nauseating smell of garbage was suddenly… gone. Everything else in terms of smell was just a game of 'is this better, or it is just less?', which, either way, was a relief of some kind or another. 

That thick skull started to pound as I managed to identify the familiar smell of the pews back in the church at home, and then I realized I probably wasn't actually dead. Only probably, though-- if I had any amount of a body at all, it sure as hell wasn't interested in moving. Maybe I didn't have a body? That'd be a pretty novel experience, honestly. I hated that even body-less though, my head was pounding away like there was a hand inside of it, gripping my brain directly with sharp-nailed fingers. 

It took a moment to figure out what had happened. I had been flying before I crashed into solid concrete. I had been hit by a car-- weird car, lots of colors-- before I had been flying. I had been running before I had been hit by a weird car. I had been-- 

Oh fuck 

I had been grabbed and tossed around by a kid before I had been running.

It wasn’t a car that hit me, it was a foot. 

I was shrunk again, and I was in a lot of fucking danger. 

Or... I mean, I had been in a lot of danger. I was still only probably not-dead right now, so, maybe those were problems that didn't actually matter. Sounds. Sounds were a part of being alive, right? I only just now was tuning into the extreme humming and ringing in my ears. Did I have ears? I still couldn't tell if I had limbs, at this point, so trying to touch my pounding head to see if there were ears on it was out.

Noises were slowly… slowly coming back to me. It was mostly just a droning sound beyond the high-pitched ringing, the pounding of my own pulse— I guess, anyway— putting little hiccups in it. The droning was interesting, changing pitch, changing rhythm, changing volume a little…

I was just finally accepting that I was very probably alive, wondering when the very very slow return of feeling to my limbs would finish happening, when... well... 

To be fair, it was cold. Whatever had touched my face was wet and textured and cold and weird, and considering I had only just come to the full conclusion that when last I left my mortal coil, it was extremely and dangerously tiny, I think I can be forgiven for my reaction to something that my brain immediately told me was the tongue of a rat or a raccoon or a bird or a bug or something trying to eat me. 

Oh hey look, limbs. We have those, might as well flail them, I guess? 

I was screaming-- as much as I could in the moment anyway-- as my voice tried to come back to life, my eyes snapping open blearily and just seeing this... horrifying shape of an inhuman colour coming toward my face again. My legs started kicking to try and scramble away, but I was on something soft that just shifted under my efforts, and all I managed to do was to twist and flop my body onto it's stomach as noises-- massive, indecipherable noises for the first few seconds-- surrounded me. 

Great. Basically deaf, practically blind, and as I tried to reach forward to grab whatever I was on for purchase to launch myself forward and run away, one of my shoulders seized in so much pain that I fell back onto that side with new, more expressive yelling. 

Something shifted, the light above me being blocked out as I fell onto my back, hoping that the pressure of my weight on that shoulder-- on whatever I was lying on-- would ease some of the pain, and all my body could do as I looked hopelessly up was pant through my attempts to process the only things I seemed to know, now: Hurt. 

Hurt, and a giant, unfamiliar face.

Initially, before my focus really came back through the blur of pain and panic, I thought it might be Mak, only because the skin was similar in color; a brown I probably would’ve thought was beautiful if it wasn’t, y’know, the size of a billboard. The hair wasn’t dark enough and… I mean I couldn’t really make a guess on the eyebrows. I never really got to look at Mak’s face much while I was zonked. Knowing now that it was because he was… weirded out is the nicest way to put it, about my whole thing, if I hadn’t already guessed it wasn’t him by the hair, I would’ve guessed the second two gargantuan hands had started to put up a wall around me as I was scrambling around.

Didn’t know how I felt about any of that. Kind of a bummer to have Mak come up at all in my mind, honestly, in the middle of all of this, now that I think about it. Thanks, brain.

The massive, blurry hands coming into focus as they dropped around me were enough to make me yell again, though I wasn't sure if the yelling was the first reaction, or if it was in response to the first reaction of me trying to squirm away again. A lot was happening, ok? Like... you try it and see if you would've done any better. Nowhere to run to, I just lay still again.

Another gargantuan form slid into view over me from somewhere behind. Not like... directly over, thank god, but my eyes jumped up all the same to stare at it and try to determine what the fuck it was doing. God I wish they hadn't. Beyond the big round shades and the messy hair, the guy looked like he had fallen face-first through a barbed-wire and broken glass factory. 

Why did they seem so much bigger right now? Stars, my heart was practically choking me and every rapid beat made my vision go slightly fuzzier as my head pounded more.

The first one, the one with their arms making a wall around me, started talking and between the heavy breaths and my brain screaming two thousand different instructions at me at once, I could barely make out what she was telling me. Somethingsomething, scare, it's fine, not monsters, my eyes shut tightly to try and focus on the words though it just made my panic scream more inside of me to not be watching whatever the hell was happening. 'You're safe, just want to help.' 

I took in a gasping deep breath as yet another voice entered the ringing, exceedingly loud soundscape, and while I was trying to figure out why a ‘sewing kit’ was being talked about I started to realize that everything seemed to be coming from my left. Was my right ear deaf or just... worse than the left one? No idea. 

"Wait, wait--" God, would they even be able to hear me? My voice was wrecked, and I could barely push words out past the pain in my... shit, can everything hurt? I'm pretty sure every single thing was hurt, somehow, especially my ribs. They were the next part of me to wake up to this fun, fresh hell. "Wait, I-- Ah!" 

A shout of pain left me as I tried to sit up to get a better look at what-- and who-- was around me, but my ribs weren't having it. I collapsed back, uselessly, my eyes watering as I stared up at the closest face again. Maybe I should just focus on her until I could work out some actual words, maybe just pretending there's only one person looking at me while I'm like this would make me feel better. 

Blinking caused my whole vision to become an abstract painting. I felt hot tears start streaking down my face. Hahahaha, of course I wouldn't feel better. Great. Fantastic. I should've aimed to fall into the trashcan or something. Death would've been so much simpler than this, right? 

"Sorry, I'm so sorry you have to wake up to this, oh no..."

Her voice was so quiet compared to everything else. Like, it was still big, everything about everything that was happening was big, but… she was trying? The guy with the glasses and the intense scarring dipped back while it was too blurry to see if he was making a face, and I was just… alone, with whoever this was, the memories of that horrid screeching the kid had made, or all of the other noises I had gone through kind of just fading.

"Tell me what you need, it's okay, we're here to help." A deep breath entered me, like I was gasping for it, as her words hit me. There were a lot of questions, but those weren’t as important as everything else my brain was screaming about, apparently.

Do we really have to be crying at a time like this?! I thought to myself, trying to force the damn tears out of my eyes faster with hard, squinting blinks-- my eyelids probably the only part of my body not too hurt to move, honestly. 

I was panting, trying to assess if every part of me was online yet or if I was going to need to expect more pain as other parts woke up. She was waiting... god why did that seem like so much? Why did that feel like the greatest gift in the world that I had managed to stammer out a 'wait' between shouts of pain and that this person listened? If I wasn't so mad about the crying I was already doing, I'd probably do more just for that.

Between the blinks, I saw her moving, getting lower and my stomach did flips at the idea of her coming closer. I don't know why the idea upset me, it was already too late-- this person was extremely aware that I was this pathetic lump of idiot laying on a...

Turning my head only enough to look at what I was on-- whatever primal animal-part of my brain was trying to take over not wanting to take my eyes off of this person in case she... I have no idea. Wanted to eat me? Probably not, I probably looked like shit. I certainly felt like it. Either way-- I turned my head to take in that I was on a green sweater or something, and the other half of my brain that was not trying to consider how fast we'd be able to bite someone if they tried to touch us right now just felt incredibly guilty; there was a damp piece of napkin or paper towel or something that had some blood on it, and as I looked down at my sleeves to assess, it was pretty obvious it had been my blood. This person was trying to help, she was trying to help me and I shouldn't need help, this should never have happened.

"Wh-where am... Where a-am I?" I stammered out, gritting my teeth as I tried to look around what I could see past her incredibly massive form, both of my hands rubbing on the soft clothing I'd been laid on. My voice was pathetically quiet, I knew that, I couldn't summon the energy or the focus to try and shout loud enough for her to hear, and I was trying to restrain as much of the pained shouting as possible. Why did I even start with that question? There was so many more pressing things, but my brain couldn't bring any of them up at the moment to try and prioritize.

One of my hands, stiff and sore, started to try and reach into my pocket, digging for my stone so I could try to talk louder, fingers greeted by whatever remained of my shielding stone, I presumed. Great, finally have pocket-sand on hand and I'm too small and battered to actually use it effectively. Digging further, I just grunted and grimaced with the pain of the movements, trying to fish out anything useful that I might still have.

"You're in a bar. I mean, it's closed right now, there aren't like... people here or anything. Customers. No patrons. Just me and the owners, and we want to help." 

She was so… reassuring? Comforting? Hard to say I fully felt either of those things in the moment, but it was definitely something that was helping immensely in the meantime.

Trying to curl my fingers enough to scrape out the stones was proving too hard, and I'll be honest-- the fact the woman seemed to be able to hear me well enough without it seemed like a blessing. Thank god it was quiet here, in--

"A bar?" I choked out, trying to sit up as another wave of panic came over me. I managed to get myself propped up on my least-janked elbow this time, at least, so I wasn't completely flat, but my heart felt like it was going to be the straw that breaks the camel's ribs as it took a moment to calm down, even as I focused on the information that she had given me that it was at least a closed bar. 

I didn’t even really flinch too much as this giant woman’s hand slid in from behind somewhere and pressed fingers lightly to my back. It was too much of a relief to pass up, though I couldn’t bring myself to really lean my weight against it fully out of fear it was some kind of trap.

My eyes managed to catch a glimpse of the other two gigantic strangers from around her fingertips as she mentioned them, but that primal rat-brain panic-mode was still telling me to keep watching her, and what she was doing, as the most immediate threat.

"My name is Zora, so you don't have to think of me as a stranger. Could you please tell us where you're hurt, or do you need another minute?"

I just stared for a while, trying to click into what she was saying. "Zora?" I asked, trying to manage enough energy to shout and just flinching from the effort. Did she look like a ‘Zora’? Her hair was short, wild and styled, and she had piercings in her nose and an eyebrow. One of her earrings kept catching the light when she moved. I shook my head quickly, getting back on track. "I... shoulder is bad... just feels hot and I can't like... move it very much? Ribs also bad, this whole general--" I used what limited movement I had of my bad arm to gesture at the whole front of my torso, taking a moment to pant from the effort. "I'm Daphne," I tried to speak slowly so I hopefully wouldn't have to repeat, or try to shout again.

"Daphne. I'm glad to meet you Daphne,” she hummed, nodding along and repeating what I said quietly. It took me a second to clue in— literally until she looked at them— that she was doing it for the other people in the bar and not for me. "Okay, hot shoulder doesn't want to move, ribs aren't feeling great, general much pain all over."

I heard the other two start moving and doing things behind me… I think one of them left the room, but I was too busy focusing on Zora.

"You were in the stairwell,” she said quietly, “or that's where I found you. I have no idea how you got there, but I can't imagine it could have been easy." I watched her wince as she thought about it. ‘Oh you have no idea,’ I thought. "I don't want to crowd you, but I also don't want you to hurt yourself more, so my hand is behind you if you need to lean back on it.”

'Stars, am I smaller than usual?' I kept thinking as the presence of her hand just kept setting my cardio into a state like I was Usain Bolt or something. It didn't look much bigger? Was it just because it's a different hand? One I don't know? Was it because the last hand that had touched me damn near killed me? I had a thought to just fall back on it after she had moved it there. It was tempting, god I could use it, but that stupid rat-panic brain was still envisioning us touching it and the thing snapping closed around us like a bear trap, crushing us.

I didn't even have a shield spell anymore. What would that even feel like now? How fast would I break? I--

'She's just trying to help, she's just trying to help, she's just trying to help...'

Yeah, sure, toss a mantra or something in here. Maybe that'll help. My brain was just throwing things at the wall at this point to see if anything would stick. 

 "I was kicked," I stammered out. I don't know why I needed to say it, why I was compelled to tell this woman what happened, but... there it was. "They didn't see me, they-- it just... happened."

Her massive face winced again, sympathy all over her face. "I'm so sorry you went through that. That's terrible and should never have happened." She said softly. God, I felt like such an idiot for having this happen and having to bother this woman with it, and everything else. She was being so kind; she had no idea how this all happened.

The pain of it all was making me just want to hide somewhere. Disappear until I was big enough to walk out of here and either take myself to a hospital or throw myself in a river, whichever came first. I don’t know if it was because she saw I was spiraling or anything, but she spoke again and took my mind out of it. At least… for a little bit.

“My friends are good people, they're already working on helping us out here, okay? Do you need us to call someone for you?”

I grunted through pain as my hand went instinctively to check my pockets, patting them, my eyes finally tearing away from the woman to look around me. I didn't have my phone. It wasn't here. It had been in my hand and then I got kicked, so it could be anywhere, smashed into dust with no one even able to tell what it might've been.

And who? Who would I call? My family? They still had no idea this was a fuckin' thing with me, I refused to tell them! I was supposed to have this cured or broken or whatever months ago now and they were never supposed to find out about it. Sheridan? Absolutely not, she'd tell Gem, who was also very much a 'no, never' right now because I could only imagine the reaming I would get from her. No, no way, I couldn't let either of them know. Mak wanted nothing to do with me like this. That left Cal, and I-- oh my god I don't know anyone's number.

All of their numbers were just... in my phone, I had never memorized any number but my own and my job!

It had happened without me even realizing, my body leaning back until it had made contact with one of her fingers, and it was just kind of... automatic from there. Her fingers moved closer, pressing me up. My body sagged from the relief of not having to try and hold myself up on limbs and ribs that, for all I fuckin' knew, would've hurt less if they had been broken. 

"I don't... I can't call an-anyone..." I choked out, tears already coming out like I'd turned on a faucet. "I l-lost my ph-phone, and-- I don't know a-anybody's n-number..."

"It's okay, it's going to be totally okay." She cooed, fingers twitching around me, like they wanted to wrap tighter or hold me up more but wouldn’t. 

She was so gentle. 

She was so gentle, and that just made this all so much... harder to handle, honestly.

She was gentle and she cared, and my brain was telling me right now that she was the only person I knew who would be like this with me, after I had been such a colossal fucking moron.

You know that feeling when you start to cry, and you really, really don't want to be crying over whatever it is you're crying about? Or when you're crying about it? Or where you're crying about it? Or who you're crying in front of? And you know how that all compiles and just makes you cry harder and want to crawl into a hole and die? 

There was a moment, right when I started to bawl my eyes out, where I felt like that was going to happen. Where my stupid panicked brain, splintered into a thousand different stupid voices all trying to tell me different things and all but the stupid rat-brain getting drowned out in the confusion and the headache and everything else, wanted to do nothing but scream and thrash and go run until I found a crawlspace where no one could reach me and I could just cry until this was all over. 

But when I realized that her fingers weren't snapping shut around me... 

...when I realized that they weren't disgusted by me and wanting to get away from me...

...when I realized that they were just there, supporting me, the way I needed without trying to just do what they thought I needed, then it really hit me that I was safe. 

So, I just let myself cry. She let me cry, soothing me quietly-- as quietly as she could-- and just telling me everything was going to be ok. I had every reason to believe it wasn't going to be ok; I was an idiot, after all, and I'd manage to fuck up everything for everyone already this much and the day probably wasn't even over yet, but... something about the way she said it made me actually kind of believe it. 

Zora didn't know me. Zora had no idea what a moron I was, but I don't know... I didn't want to argue with her and tell her she was wrong or anything. She was being so nice, and she had no reason to be. I could've just been left, but she decided to let me fuck up her day too.

That felt like it should be worth at least me not arguing with her... at least for a moment. 

"We'll circle back around to the calls, for now we're gonna get you cleaned up and put back together alright? It's gonna be fine," she continued to soothe me while I just… sobbed. Her eyes glanced up to someone somewhere behind me, and I heard another woman whisper something but was too wrecked to try and turn around and watch.

"Is everything okay?" The stranger was asking.

"She lost her phone. No idea where it is." Zora whispered in reply.

"You said you found her by the bins?"

"Yeah, but she was kicked down from the street by someone who didn't see her, so there's no telling."

"I'll take a look,” the unknown woman said before suddenly she was leaning into my periphery to put something on the… I guess the bar, that I was on top of. A glass vial most of the size of my body. "I'm going to tell Arthur we don't need the ice. We thought we were out, but this is the stuff you can just rub on the spot to numb it out."

"Oooo" Zora grinned, "We love that stuff here. Thank you Madge."

Madge. I had a Great Aunt named Madge, rest her soul. Everyone always called her the family weirdo and ever since I was young, I always kind of wanted to be the next Great Aunt Madge on the family tree. This woman was obviously much younger, and still very much alive, but something about the way her smile had tugged up one side of her mouth more than the other made me feel like if she wasn't 60-odd feet tall, I'd really really like her.

God it was so nice to be around quiet people, holy shit. Even aside from the screaming banshee hell-spawn child that waved me like a flag earlier, nobody ever bothered to whisper around me before. While I was wiping the snot and tears off of my face, Madge  locked eyes with me a moment as she nodded, the wall of hand still doing a good job of making me feel safe, protected. 

Also warm, which I very much appreciated. 

Madge slipped away and I could kind of make out what she was saying to Arthur-- I guess the guy with the uh... the face from earlier-- if I focused hard enough, but mostly I just turned my sniffling, sore face back to Zora as she fiddled with the bottle with her free hand. I was finally getting to the 'everything-is-less-jarringly-huge' stage of my Small Self Bullshit, but it was still hard for me not to fixate on her working with the thing. 

"Madge is good at finding stuff,” the voice just above me got my attention again as I wiped at my eyes more. “I spent an hour looking for an earring once and she found it within five minutes of me asking for help." 

Zora smiled, using her free hand to uncork the bottle and glance inside, "You okay with using this, or would you prefer the ice? I personally love the cold goo, but I know not everyone is happy and willing to just apply random potions to their skin."

Fucking hell. A potion? A real-ass magic potion? Normally I'd say no, normally I'd prefer to be like... a trip-sitter and see how everyone else handled a 'potion' first before I dove in, but I was less than six-inches tall and bawling my eyes out in a bar with a bunch of strangers and I was very, very hurt. 

Also, ice sounded horrible. Rat-brain told me if I had ice put on me, they'd harvest my organs. 

Me and rat-brain are not friends. 

"I... yeah, I, um..." I stammered, sniffling myself stupid as the crying finally started to slow down a little. My head felt better, at least. The release really did help a lot, though something told me I might actually be far from done. "I don't think things can get much worse than this, so... so long as it doesn't make me smaller, I'll be fine." 

Couldn't even bring myself to laugh. Guess my head wasn't feeling better enough for a joke. Oh well.

"I can promise you, they wouldn't keep a shrinking potion in the first aid box. This'll just numb the area you rub it in. Keeps it cold, helps with inflammation without having to hold an ice pack." Zora chattered quietly, using one hand to tip the little vial onto the end of her finger, a small bit of light silvery blue goo oozing out onto the digit.

"It looks like toothpaste," I blurted out, though almost as a mutter as it wound up on her finger. It was a bit more watery than toothpaste? But just barely. The chatting was actually helping calm me down more than I probably would've wanted to admit. Explaining what the goo was gonna do to me also helped. She put the vial aside carefully and then went right back to helping me. It just… it seemed so natural to her. It reminded me of how I used to think of Gem, for a flash, before she distracted me out of that particular bubble of thoughts.

"Here, let me know if you need help with any of it. I've used this stuff on people here more times than I can count at this point." She offered, holding the little blob out for me. "It takes a few minutes to settle in, so you've got time to get it off of your hands before they go cold, and we've still got the wet napkin handy."

My eyes moved again to the damp napkin with my blood on it, shuddering a little.

"Sorry about that by the way, that probably wasn't a nice way to wake up. We were just trying to clean you off and figure out what we could do."

"I... didn't know I was bleeding," I said, looking down at my sleeves and seeing the tear-watered stains on them faintly. It looked like she had gotten most of it before I woke up, and touching my face I found my nose was tender and my lip had definitely been split. Great, must've landed on my face. Bet I looked stellar right now. I sighed and nodded, trying to flash a smile as I focused on her saying that they were just trying to clean me up. "Thanks," I managed, trying not to show my disappointment as I thought back to how great I had felt after getting a haircut. 

It was just a stupid haircut. Why did I have to take this stupid gamble for a stupid haircut? 

I stared down the blue goo and nodded to myself. Couldn't be worse than this, right?

Again, I felt like I could trust her. It was... it was nice to have something to cling to, honestly, and I think that might've been the whole deal. It wasn't that I believed her because there was a lot of reason to, I just needed to have something to keep me afloat instead of going completely rat-brain, and trusting someone else was a good place to start on that. 

Leaning away from the fingers behind me was rough enough, but as I tried to figure out where I'd need to put the goo, I realized it was the least of my problems in the immediate moment. Slowly I started to try and work my way out of my jacket, and honestly? Probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Between the pathetic grunting and the urge to cry, I managed to get my bad arm out but couldn't use that arm to help me shrug off the rest.

"I don't... I don't want to bug you..." I managed to grunt out, looking up at her and her very, very concerned face. The words died in my throat, and I just kind of vaguely turned my body as much as I could to let the coat hang off of me. 

Not going to lie, this was one of my nightmares. Like, literally-- since this stupid bullshit had happened with this stupid faerie, the idea that I'd be picked up and handled like a doll and stripped was something that would have me wake up sweating in the middle of the night. Especially since that shit with Gem. My stomach was preemptively rolling at the idea as her hand started to move, and I fought the urge to close my eyes simply because I'd rather be aware of what was happening to me. 

I can't describe the relief; the absolute rush of almost elation as her fingers pinched the coat-- just the coat-- and just kind of... held it for me while I wiggled out. Once the tiny jacket was in her hands, it seemed like without even thinking about it Zora used the fingers of her free hand to fold it, setting it delicately to the side when finished.

I'm so glad she didn't know what kind of a person I was. Glad she didn't know what kind of massive, stupid idiot I was. It was nice to be treated like someone who deserved this level of just... gentleness? No, beyond that. It was like she trusted me to just... know what I needed. 

"Thank you," I said, louder than I had been now that I was feeling just a little more put-together, and I didn't want her to get sick of like, straining to hear me or whatever. 

"You don't need to shout." She stated simply, tilting her head to the side and using her pinky to point towards her ears, the cold little blob still at the end of her finger. I watched such a massive, fluid motion and shivered, feeling pathetic that this was still just... shit I wasn't used to. Would it have been better if I was used to this by now? I had been intentionally trying not to feel like this shit was normal, I didn't want it to be normal but now it just made me feel worse and worse. I blushed, hoping my shouting didn't come off as rude. 

 "I've got really good hearing, there's no need to worry about that,” she continued. “I haven't had trouble this entire time." She slid her hand back toward me with the blob extended, and I caught myself staring at her. I blushed so much I felt a bit dizzy. I was so caught up in the idea that someone was just... handling me (ugh) but not like... staring at me like I was a toy or a weird bug or something like Gem and Cal did, that I didn't really pick up on how I was just kind of... zoned-in on her face so intensely. I went back to dealing with the goo and my bruises as best as I could, feeling a little guilty about taking up so much of her time with how slow I was going.

I had just been wearing a tanktop underneath the jacket, which was good for needing to smear magic goo all over me I guess, but also showed me exactly how red my shoulder and arm was, and how bruised it was starting to get. Jesus, I felt like the last apple at the grocery store. 

"I'm sorry if I ruined your day."

The words just kind of fell out of me as I dipped my fingers into a god damn magic potion and moved to lean my less-hurt side against her hand again while it was here, spreading it with some pained and uncomfortable grunts over the shoulder and under the back of the tank top. "I... I really didn't think this was gonna happen, today, and I just... I'm sorry."

"You haven't ruined my day at all." She said quickly, nearly cutting off my apology as her eyes went wide and her eyebrows began to knit together, "It's not like I'm pressed, I was only here to pick up a check for working last week. Even if I had big plans though, I still wouldn't consider helping someone to be something that ruins my day. I'm more than happy to assist, and I can safely say the same for my friends." The hand behind me straightened a bit, and I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not but it gave me the support I needed to help me reach certain angles with less strain, but she was still careful not to jostle or move me too much. 

"Please don't be sorry. You need help. Everyone needs it sometimes. I'm more than happy to offer mine, however you might need it."

"Yeah, but--" I stuttered out, taking more of the goo and finishing smearing it as far as I could reach on my shoulder, knowing it was just... all over my shirt and my bra. "I... I'm glad you want to help, but you shouldn't need to. This shouldn't have happened and I shouldn't have done any of this." 

Waterworks were building up again, god, this day though. I lifted my shirt and started to smear the potion on my abs, hoping to warm it up before I put it on the very, very sore ribs, as much as I could reach. I grunted and-- unintentionally-- leaned back a bit more against her hand. I was happy it was here. I was happy that she was here, doing all of this for me, but... I don't know, my brain also turned to Gem a bit? Like, I was so happy to be treated so much more gently by Gem and then it just kind of became... weird. 

Was this woman going to resent me for getting all of this help if I wasn't going to give her what she wanted after? At least she didn't seem like... fixated on me, outside of the concern, which was a nice change if I really really had to be honest about it. I guess that's why I felt I should be honest about my own stupidity. "This is all my fault."

"I doubt that very much."

Well, shit.

I don’t know if I had ever had someone disagree with me so nicely before. I honestly don’t know if, in the entirety of my whole life, if anyone had just been this kind to me before when I needed it like this. I was sniffling like a pathetic little baby and this person, despite how weird this whole situation had to be, was just… helping like it was the only thing they knew how to do.

"No one does anything with the intention of getting kicked through the air,” her voice continued as I went about the continued smearing, blinking back tears with red and sore eyelids. “I imagine you would avoid that scenario if you could. In any case, should vs. shouldn't really doesn't mean a lot. It did happen, you need help, you deserve it as much as anyone else. That doesn't equate to a burden."

I took the edge of the napkin as she nudged it toward me while she spoke, letting me wipe my hands off as I opened my mouth to try and reply to her. "You're really good at this," I said, probably a bit bluntly. It was true-- she was really good at making me feel less like I was bothering her, at the very least, though I was still pretty set on the fact that this never would've happened if I had just followed the plans everyone had made for me and didn't take such a stupid risk for a bit of fun. Fun and freedom. And a really good coffee-- god, I wish I hadn't spilled that coffee.

"Thanks, I have no idea what I'm doing." Zora laughed while she recorked the bottle of magic potion. The laugh was quiet, like she was really trying her hardest to hold it back. I actually laughed myself at the admission. I suppose that might explain it; she hadn't grabbed me, or seemed comfortable with just doing what needed to be done with me. I guess that was the kind of shit that came with familiarity of dealing with this sort of stuff. 

I appreciated it. If that was the case, god I hope she never got an idea of what she was doing. I liked this, for all the horrible shit that was surrounding it.

I was going to elaborate as I rolled my shirt back down, when the sounds of someone reentering the room caught my attention. The guy with the scarred face was making an exit, or... he was going to, before I guess his wife stopped him. 

"Where do you think you are going?" Madge asked.

"Jasper's putting some medicine together for us." Arthur responded simply, the deep quality of his voice would’ve probably made it impossible for him to ever actually whisper, but I could tell he was trying to be quiet. "I was going to run over to grab it." 

"No, no no no you are not." Madge chattered, and I could see her shaking her head and nudging his arm to turn him back towards the bar. "You'll get over there and talk to Jasper for 45 minutes before you remember there was a reason you were going. You do this every time."

Arthur was already grumbling some sort of muttered response to her, but he didn't ultimately argue with her.

"Give this to her,” Madge instructed, handing him something. “Be incredibly careful with it. Six steps from the corner. I'll be back in a mo'." And just like that, within the span of a second, Madge was already spinning around and whooshing out the door and up unseen stairs with rapid, echoing footsteps while Arthur lumbered back over to where he had been directed, palm out and ready.

"Special delivery. No tip necessary." His voice was flat, not necessarily loud but with a timber that sent a shiver up my spine from this close. He rested the back of his hand on the counter, sliding it forward until Zora intercepted.

"You are most appreciated. I'm sorry you don't get to play with Jasper today." Zora laughed, delicately taking something out of his palm and placed what was, unmistakably, my phone next to me. My hands picked it up, multiple cracks across the screen, and trying to press any buttons seemed to elicit no response. I didn't know if the screen was broken, if the battery was dead, or if the whole thing was toast and I felt like I was curling in on myself a bit as the realization of how well and truly I had fucked up started to set in.

"Eh. He'll be around after he closes up tonight," Arthur shrugged, as the two of them continued to banter above me. "Need anything?"

"We might need a drink here shortly. Standby." Zora smiled, redirecting her attention back to me for the moment and squinting her eyes at the busted shape of my phone. Obviously, it was too small for her to tell what was up. "Is that it? Is it alright?"

I shifted uncomfortably as Arthur drummed his fingers on the wooden surface I was on, the sound and feeling making me jump. I didn’t know how to feel about the fact that he seemed… notably blind? Is that the nicest way to say that? I was glad Zora was here to keep his attention, and only kind of glad he probably couldn’t see what kind of a state I was in. I was considering mentioning the finger drumming being a bit much— I mean, neither of them likely knew it was huge to me, or anything— when he suddenly ducked out of view, I guess getting something from under the bar.

"It's uh..." I stammered, looking up at her. "I don't know if it's broken or the battery is dead. What... what time is it?"

Zora whipped out her own phone, unlocking it as her eyes danced around the screen as it shone some light up at her features.  "We're at about 3 o'clock,” she said, and I felt my mouth open a little as it went slack.

Three fucking PM. 

"Oh god I was... I was out for hours," I breathed, cold chills coming over me. My hand slipped in to fetch my two remaining stones and came back out covered in glittery sand. The loud-stone was still bright and I could feel something with it, but the minor invisibility stone-- opaque white quartz-- had gone from bright white to a dull, dreary gray and felt almost... not cold but dead? Does that make sense? Was I just imagining that because I knew it was out of magic or mana or charge or whatever? 

"Zora," came the flat, muffled voice of Arthur from below the counter, making my jaw snap shut again and my body tense with a pained grunt. It was then that the magic goo started to really hit, and I was happy it did. The cold, numbing feeling was very needed. "Which set does your friend need?" 

"Which set..." Zora muttered quietly to herself, her eyes dashing up and away from her phone while she thought. "Oh! Oh, box three is probably about right."

"Got it. Thank you," he replied, followed by the sound of cardboard scooting around below like he was casually just moving boulders around.

Set? Box three? 

Probably surgical tools to harvest my organs. 

I shook my head with an annoyed grunt I hoped neither of them could hear. Fuck off, rat-brain. We're fine.

Zora’s eyes had moved back to her phone when it seemed like an idea had struck her. "Do you remember any logins for like... social media, messenger app, anything? Do you think that could work?"

I shoved the dead invisibility stone back into my pocket but kept the loud-stone out and not activated if only to use as a worrystone for the time being as Zora asked for my logins. Oh god yes, I knew my passwords-- it was so risky to try and like, stick those on notes around. 

"Yeah, yeah, I can log in to basically everything. I'm good with password memorization, I do individual salts for each login on a pretty long base-- I work in CompSec." 

...Why did we tell her that? Why was that suddenly a brag? God damn it, brain. Don't make me let rat-brain back in here, rat-brain wouldn't brag about our stupid boring deskjob.

Embarrassing info-dump aside, I could see the giant woman brighten significantly at the news that I could log into my stuff. She started tapping away on her phone screen, and before my pounding head could piece together what exactly was going on, she turned the thing around for me, propping it up. 

"Log in to whatever, tell me if you need help. I don't you to strain anything further with sweeping arm movements, and I can promise you my memory is garbage enough to never remember whatever you tell me to type in."

She smiled at me, and I felt such a wave of like… hope. Arthur had reemerged from underneath me and was rooting around in a box, but I was busy pushing myself to stand.

You know what's dumb? How comforting a phone the size of myself was. God. I managed to push myself to my feet with a few grunts and took a second to catch my breath before approaching it and starting to tap away on the screen. 

This. This I was used to. 

I pulled up the messenger app, using a few extra seconds between a few letter-smacks to rest and to also just... hesitate. It's 3pm. If Cal swung by the apartment before they went to work, or if Sheridan decided to take an early exit for the afternoon, they might already know that I was gone. I mean... car was gone. They'd know I had dodged out. Someone would've tried to message me maybe, might've tried to call me... 

Shit. If it was Cal, or if someone had flagged Cal, they had access to my Find My Phone services. They might've tried to ping it, maybe they had gotten a read on the area I was in before the phone died? God... if I logged in now and they were actively looking for me I'd be fucking in for it. So, I felt it best to take it slow with the typing. 

"Seeing as you work CompSec, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that this isn't an always thing for you," Zora muttered gently to me from above, her eyes drifting back down to meet with mine. I blushed a little, nodding. 

"Yeah," I admitted, shifting my weight on my legs. They were... well, they were less hurt than the rest of my body. Sore and bruised around the knees obviously, but... y'know. "This is a... uh... relatively new development, for me. Three months, off and on. Guess it's pretty obvious that this isn't... normal, hey?" 

Might as well fess up to some of this. I mean... they had potions, probably weren't totally out of the loop on magic stuff and curses. What were those things I was supposed to say did this? Curse Bitches? Curse Hags? 

"You'll have to tell me if this looks okay,” Arthur’s voice interrupted me as he held something up for Zora to try and look at. I couldn’t make it out from here and just went back to typing in my login. 

"You've got it my man,” she had replied.

"Water. If you need it." The bartender's voice almost made me duck, I just hadn't been paying attention while I was lost in App UI. “I can get you something stronger but.. yknow. Something something, hydration is key.” Shivers came up my spine as his hand slid closer and closer until it bumped the hoodie, then he lifted up a glass of water. Just... a regular glass. A regular glass for me, anyway.

"Thanks," I said, almost in awe as I took it, looking the thing over. It was... basically perfect. God, it was cold, and fuck, did you know bodies need water? Apparently my ass had forgotten. I chuckled at the offer of something stronger. "I might take you up on it once I'm a bit more sure I don't have like, a frontal-lobe bleed or something happening," I replied, looking up at him just in case he could see me. I didn't want to be rude. "I hope you're ok with small bills." 

A chuckle bubbled up in Arthur at the 'small bills' comment, deep and low and caught in his throat, though still perceptible in its reverberations. I smiled as wide I could manage with my lip busted, the barkeep seemed like an alright guy, despite the pretty cool demeanor. Maybe it was because I was standing and felt-- don't laugh-- bigger, but I was feeling a lot better about this situation despite, y'know, The Horrors.

"Don't worry about that." He chuckled with a gargantuan wave of his hand, moving now to get Zora a similar glass of water. "We're not here to exploit someone in a situation for needing a stiff drink." 

"Even if they weren't going to cover you, I would have you taken care of." Zora nodded, her hand still stiff on its side behind me.

"Listen, you don't have to foot any bills, this is more than enough," I said, finally finishing my email address and moving on to the twenty-four character password, Christ why do I do this to myself? "Besides, you don't know, maybe I'm an expensive drunk." 

I hoped my laugh didn't sound as nervous as it actually was as I tried to cover my worries regarding what might be waiting for me beyond the login screen with humor. I took a moment a few characters in-- I had to alternate to the numbers and special characters keyboard, and varying amounts of capital letters-- to step back and just lean against Zora's hand again. It was still there, just waiting, and I figured she was being nice enough about it, it seemed awkward if I kind of just ignored it. 

I couldn't tell if it might be like, cologne or something she put on her wrist, or if she had some kind of lotion... maybe it was just a really nice soap? Her hands smelled nice. 

Hey, look, I found the new weirdest thing I could notice about a person. This stupid curse was a fresh hell every single moment, huh? I made the easy decision to never say it out loud as she offered genuine sympathy for my stupid condition. I took another drink of water.

I was going to comment on it. I was going to just straight up say it was nice to have a glass my size. 

Then I realized what it obviously meant. 

Beyond just... magic potions in the first aid kit, this place was obviously the kind of bar that might cater to uh... well. 

They might know a guy who's neck I wanna wrap my hands around and squeeze. 

Probably not the best time to bring that up, though.

I continued to type, taking breaks to let the throbbing in my hand and shoulder subside a little before going back for more. Above me, Zora looped back around to my earlier comments.

"Three months of sporadic shifting sounds like an intense pain," she said. "It's only really obvious in that you have a phone and don't seem to have wings or pointed ears or... anything else that would set you apart from just being a human person. Well, that and that you probably hadn't planned your day around ending up in a footpath." 

"I'd be way less mad about it if I had wings as a trade-off," I muttered with a dark chuckle, moving back to hammer in the rest of the password. "Shifting is probably a better word for it. Me and my friends call it zonking, it happens kinda fast. I didn't know there was like, a term for it." 

"Mm, the words we use are important." Zora nodded, being pretty polite about but it still watching me punch in letters kind of intently. I guess I couldn’t blame her, Cal and Gem also loved watching me do things. "Zonk feels like a shot fired at you. Something that yanks you down and keeps you there. Shifting would imply that it's a state of being you go back and forth between. It probably feels more like the former, but language used will eventually shift your perspective."

Arthur's voice caught my attention fully as I slapped the log-in button, only remembering afterwards that it probably was disrespectful to do that to someone else's phone. 

"We've got a few people who kick around here with similar problems." Arthur added in, sliding a frosty tumbler of water over to Zora, the vibrations and movement causing me to tense and shiver. "I mean, different reasons as to why they have those problems, but same general flavor none the less. Either way, you're welcome to join the Set 3 club if you want." 

"A few?" I asked, blurting it out as the rumble of the glass of water sent another shiver up my spine. He had good aim at least, for a blind guy. "I... I had no idea anyone else had ever gone through something like this." 

Shit, maybe they really didn't have this glass for faeries or whatever. Maybe there were people dealing with bullshit like me! Maybe there's a whole damn support group of Completely Innocent People Victimized by Faerie Bullshit just hanging out in this bar on the reg! 

"Are you really trying to businessman yourself into having a new regular?" Zora was kind of scolding him.

"Never in my life," He responded flatly, unamused by the implication, "-but I can understand the value of knowing there's a place out there with a chair ready for me if I need it." 

I had no idea how to take the information, honestly, but I didn’t have a lot of time to try and make a road map to what I wanted to say before Arthur seemed to clue into what I had said.

 "Wait, you didn't know anyone else went through things like this?" He asked, head tilting a slight as he considered that idea. "Shrinking and variations thereof is like.... there are a good number of curses that will have that in as an element if not the main show. I'm not saying you see it every day but we've got.... what... maybe three? ..Is it three?" 

"Four if you count that temporary thing that happened to Yancey,” Zora chimed in.

"I don't. He got over that quickly, but... yeah he was happy for set three." Arthur chuckled, "It's not a formal club though, I think only two of them even know each other."

"We could put you in touch if you needed someone to talk to." Zora added in, "Knowing people who are similarly afflicted can be a real godsend.”

I stared up between Arthur and Zora as the little spinning loading wheel kept doing it's thing alongside me, my neck benefiting greatly from all the cold magic goo I smeared on it earlier. "It... I mean... if there's a club of people who have to deal with this horseshit, yeah I'll happily sign up. He can businessman me into being a regular all he wants, though I might need to look into carpooling." 

“Welcome to Nakahara’s Cellar, then,” he replied flatly but with a faint hint of a smile. I smiled back, even if he couldn’t see it, and then the thought really slammed into me.

"Aw, shit," I swore, groaning loudly. "My car. Oh damn, she's not getting home today." Poor BillTron was sitting in the work car garage-- at least it was free parking, I guess?-- and the keys were about 12 times too small for the ignition. Damn it. "I'll need to find a way back downtown once I'm not small anymore and--" 

The sudden, aggressive vibrating of the giant phone next to me sent me jumping back against Zora's hand with a gasp and a few uncomfortable grunts of the force of the, admittedly soft, impact. 

My absence from the apartment had uh... been noted.

"I am... I am so sorry about that. I'm usually so much better at leaving the thing on mute,” Zora said, her own voice sounding like it was coming down from the fright of the phone going off as well as her arm reached over me carefully, the other hand curling around me protectively as she muted the phone entirely.

"Explains a lot." Arthur muttered, prompting a snap and unseen point response from Zora.

"Are you always this wildly popular or... is it to do with the obvious?" Zora asked me.

I stared at the screen from the comfort of her hand, not even really aware that I was just... letting it hold me like that. If I had had a moment to get my senses about it, I might've realized that I was being super awkward to her or something, but instead I just... stared. 

The notifications just kept rolling one after the other as this phone dealt with the new log in and trying to catch up. The group chat had 47 new messages, I had dozens in each of the individual chats from Cal, Sheri and Gem-- Cal and Gem really racing for the top there, apparently-- and even had a handful of messages from Mak, which was... I think it might've been the first time Mak's ever private messaged me outside of a group chat. 

"It's... uh... I--" 

I felt myself just sinking back into her hand more, my legs just wanting to give out underneath me. They were pissed. They were already pissed and they were going to be so much more pissed when they found out what happened.

 I didn't even want to go back to the phone to read any of the messages, the short couple-of-word previews were... more than enough. 

"I... didn't tell anyone I was going out today," I managed to admit after rattling my tongue uselessly around my mouth for a little while. My mouth had had no interest in forming any words and my mind didn't seem to want to try and let our thoughts out. 

For a second, anyway. 

Then... 

"I didn't think-- It's been months and I really didn't feel like I needed to because normally this doesn't happen again so fast after the curse ends and I thought I had at least some days before this happened again, but I just-- It only ended this morning, I should've had time! I should've been able to just go get my haircut," I started blurting out, staring at the stupid bubble icons of my friends' faces and the stupid meme we had used for the groupchat like they were all about to start yelling at me personally.

"I should've had time to be able to just go out and be normal and not need some babysitter who doesn't even want to deal with me or something and this-- and I know! I know it happened anyway! I know I fucked up but like... I thought I could have just like, one day, you know? But they-- they don't get it they don't know what this is like, they all just feel annoyed-- I know it!-- they're all annoyed that they have just deal with this and they don't even think about how bad it actually is."

 I reached up to wipe tears away out of instinct, only to find they weren't there. Maybe I was finally done, maybe I was finally out. 

"The fucking bastard that did this to me better be choking," I snapped bitterly, stepping forward to switch myself to 'appear offline' as fast as I could before they all saw me online. They were apparently out looking? Or at least Cal was. Cal's message preview mentioned something about 'heading there as soon as...' so I could only assume. 

My body sagged, eyes finally dropping to the bartop as I wrapped my arms around myself. I had had so many questions and so many other things to ask. For a brief, beautiful flash, the idea that these people might know something or actually know somebody who might know anything about what I'm going through and could maybe help... hell, even knowing this place might be someplace I could come even if this happened again?? 

But now I was staring at the static faces and one dumbass pixelated meme of the people who were going to spend the next eon yelling at me about what an idiot I was. 

And I felt like I deserved it.

-------

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

Okay I just watch digital circus because of your post and it was a blast and I love the character and the idea of a scenario came to me

Caine, Pomni, Jax, Ragatha, with an actor reader who loves to play into the adventures and play NPCs to set up the immersion maybe even write up some ideas for Adventures to make things more fun

Anyways have a great day night whatever and thanks for the fun writings

Thank you! Hope I did your ask justice!

Caine, Pomni, Jax and Ragatha x Reader who makes NPCs and writes

Caine

★ He really appreciates your help! It's hard work making up games for everyone to play while taking into account everyone's preferences. No matter how much you protest, he will use each and every idea you come up with.

★ Caine sets up a little studio for you to work in. It's filled with paper, multiple typewriterband all sorts of art supplies. Maybe some clay for you to build some models of a character you want to create?

★ You're NPCs are always great and often end up being a hit with the others. By that I mean the gang tolerates them more than his NPCs. You manage to give them more personally than he could have ever given.

★ If you somehow get Zooble to join in the fun he will congratulate you for doing a good job. His hat is off to you, you did something he thought was impossible. Now only if you could get Zooble to stop trying to swear...

★ I know the NPCs don't have any ai but Gooseworx confirmed that Bubble is a much simpler AI created by Caine. Therefore, he can theoretically make one of your characters come to life.

Pomni

★ At first she thought that the characters you make were real people. Once you told her that they were nothing but glorified puppets she had to question the sentience of everyone she's met so far.

★ You gotta make this girl a therapist. Aside from that it doesn't take her long to start asking questions about why you like to make different characters and stories.

★ She's not as creative as you, doesn't really understand the appeal of creating something like you do. The most she can do is come up with a few names.

★ Despite knowing that they aren't real people, Pomni still apologizes to the NPCs. It's force of habit. Maybe you could add some dialogue for if/when someone apologizes for something?

★ If we're being completely honest, she doesn't really like any of the NPCs. It just feels wrong when she needs to talk to them for something. It's like speaking to one of those robotic pre-recorded messages over the phone.

Jax

★ He's extra mean to the NPCs you make, just because he can. He knows that they can't get offended or upset but he doesn't care. They will be getting pushed into the mud.

★ When you decide to scrap an old character he gladly helps. The moment you say you need to get rid of it he's reaching for the nearest baseball bat. No need to worry about cleaning up 👍

Jax when the NPC starts to annoy him

★ Jax thinks it's funny when you get upset over him being mean to a NPC because you've grown attached to some of them.

★After that he asks you what you plan to make next. Can you blame him for being curious? Jax wants to know what you're planning before anyone else. Don't worry, he can keep a secret.

★ As a "joke" he told you to try and make a NPC that Caine would need to heavily censor. Just to see what the ringmaster would do. Whatever you made that day was thrown into the cellar.

Ragatha

★ She likes to watch you make different characters for certain situations. Caine wants to set up a fishing adventure? Best believe you are making an NPC who's a fisherman to set up the immersion.

★ You might overwork yourself while trying to come up with a game for everyone to play. Ragatha sometimes needs to step in to tell you to take a break. There's no use overworking yourself, go take a break!

★ She really wants everyone to have fun with the adventures you put together. There's no doubt that she loves them. Also she's the first person to yell at Jax for being mean to the NPCs.

[taevbears]

To Be Loved - 03

Please be our guest

⤑ pairing: namjoon x reader (a bit of reader x jungkook) ⤑ genre: hybrid au, romance, hurt/comfort ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 6.3k ⤑ warnings: hybrids are seen as sub-human, brief descriptions of abuse throughout the chapter, a bit of angst, the boys are very guarded and kind of mean toward the reader, reader is stress lol ⤑ note: sorry for the delay in this chapter, it's been really hectic these past few weeks being sick and super busy. i'm curious what your thoughts are and what you guys think namjoon is! also, i hope you all have a safe and warm holiday full of delicious food!

Chapters 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 (End)

Dinner is served.

Laid out across the table is a small feast consisting of homegrown vegetables from their garden, hand-picked fruits of the season, grilled fish caught from a nearby river, roasted poultry and cooked eggs, and homemade brew that’s been aging in their cellar. Food that’s clearly been hunted and gathered from around the manor.

“You two are our guests,” Rap Monster says to you and Jungkook from the head of the table, sitting directly across from you. “Please feel free to help yourselves.”

He glances over at the wolf hybrid and gives him a tiny nod. The eldest among the pack picks up his utensils and begins to put food on his plate, and the others soon follow suit, reaching for whatever appeals to their appetites. Even Jungkook begins to pile up on the food he’s been eyeing since they’ve been set down before him, and then passes the dish to you, starving after everything you’ve both been through since you’ve ventured off the main roads.

“This is seriously so good!” Jungkook praises between bites. His eyebrows are furrowed together, as if he’s angry at how incredibly tasty everything is.

“You’re just hungry,” the leopard hybrid remarks, shoulders raising a bit as he puts some fish on his plate.

“Thank you for cooking,” you add softly, though you’re not really sure who to direct it to. Jimin had mentioned that someone named Seokjin and someone named Yoongi prepared tonight’s meal. The deer hybrid only stares at you with a frown, the leopard hybrid doesn’t even bother to make eye-contact with you, and the wolf hybrid merely nods his head without saying anything back.

The table is relatively quiet, but you can tell that it’s a level of silence they’re not used to. Although the pack of hybrids try not to make it too obvious, you can tell they’re all observing you closely.

It starts to make you feel self-conscious as you bite into an apple, not really tasting the food but going through the motions of it.

You hate attention. You’ve always had.

The pressure of everyone’s eyes on you, watching your every move, and judging your every word and action makes your skin crawl, constricts your breath, and knots your stomach. Whenever you’re forced into the spotlight – Kangdae dangling you around like a pretty thing to envy – you keep your gaze on the ground. Your voice starts to tremble. You hear people asking what’s wrong with you.

As your eyes burn on the plate, you realize that’s what’s happening now. The hybrids are making you as nervous as you’re probably making them.

Humans, after all, are the most dangerous threat to them.

“My name is Jimin.”

To your right, opposite of Jungkook, the swan hybrid speaks. He seems to sense your uneasiness and then gestures for the others to follow.

Next to him, the bear hybrid grunts, “Taehyung.”

“Seokjin,” says the wolf hybrid, gnawing on a bone.

“I’m Hoseok,” the deer hybrid pipes up from the other side of the table, across the wolf.

“Yoongi,” the leopard hybrid calls himself, sitting between Hoseok and Jungkook.

Across from you, at the other end of the table, the one you know as Rap Monster merely smiles. The dimples on his cheeks are deep as he looks at his pack fondly before his colorful eyes meet your gaze. “I don’t go by Rap Monster anymore, so you can call me by my real name. It’s Namjoon.”

Namjoon.

Finally, you have the name of the mysterious rapper.

You tell them your name, and Jungkook finishes the round of introductions with his. With one question answered, another one pops up. This time, from you. “How do you all know each other?”

The air shifts with a sudden tension, and you instantly regret the words leaving your mouth. It feels like you’ve come across a taboo topic. Information that, perhaps, none of them feel comfortable sharing with a human. You can see, by some of the emotions that cross their faces, that it hadn’t been easy for them to get here.

“The short story is that I took them all in,” Namjoon explains lightly. “Society isn’t exactly kind to creatures like us. Humans only see us as abominations. A lot of them can be unnecessarily cruel to the things they’re afraid of. To the things they don’t understand. I found them and I offered them a place in my home.”

“Which brings us to question,” Seokjin interrupts, his yellow eyes practically glowing when he looks at you, “what brought you into our territory?”

It’s a question they all seem to be wondering. Even before the car accident in the woods.

The words get stuck in your throat. 

Taehyung crosses his arms. He looks broader when he does that. More intimidating. “We don’t allow humans to come anywhere near this place.”

“But she’s not like other humans!” Jungkook speaks up on your behalf, eyes wide as if that would help convince them of his plight. “She’s really nice, and she’s my friend.”

“Jungkook,” you start, your voice barely above a whisper. You want to stop him. To tell him that he doesn’t need to defend you. That you understand their hostility, and that you swear you’ll be gone as soon as the storm stops.

His ear twitches toward you, showing that he’s heard you, but he decides to ignore you.

“I was in bad shape when I met her, but she helped me. She treated my wounds after my owner nearly…” He shudders, unable to finish his sentence. Given the bruises and cuts on his face, and the welts and scars on his body, it’s not hard to imagine what could’ve happened. Or how far his owner would’ve gone to hurt him. “She fed me too. And bought me ice cream and banana milk.”

Seokjin snorts at that. For a brief second, Hoseok and Taehyung look a little amused by his last comment. Whereas Yoongi and Jimin visibly frown as they look more closely at Jungkook’s wounds. Namjoon’s eyes meet yours for a moment, and you feel your heart flutter before he turns to Jungkook and gives him a nod, encouraging him to go on.

“And she’s been trying to find a safe place to take me to,” he continues, turning to look at you. There’s gratitude in his eyes when he does. “We were trying to take a shortcut through the woods, but it was raining so hard and we could barely see where we were going. We’re both just trying to get away from our bad humans.”

By the silence that follows, you’re not entirely sure if they believe you’re a good person yet. That, despite Jungkook trying to defend your honor, there’s still a bit of skepticism over a human helping a hybrid out of the goodness from their heart. After everything they must have gone through by the hands of those who try to control them, you can’t blame them at all for feeling jaded.

“I believe it,” is all Namjoon says. His gaze is fixed on you now, and again, you start to feel nervous at the attention. But… not in an entirely unwanted way. “You were kind to me once before, too.”

For years, the old manor has been something straight out of a storybook. A beautiful, old home, stuck in time, untouched by humans. Deep in the woods and hard to find unless you know your way to it. Forgotten, but with a timeless and enchanting charm.

It begins with Namjoon, who discovers it. And then Yoongi, who helps him rebuild and restore it. Then, they find Hoseok, and for a while, it��s just the three of them. But that all changes when they meet Jimin and Taehyung and take them in at the same time. And finally, Seokjin joins their pack.

One by one, the hybrids have contributed and worked together to make this abandoned place their own. You see the way they protect each other, how they take care of each other. Humans haven’t stepped near their secret haven for years, and yet, here you are – an intruding threat to their sanctuary. A walking reminder of what they’ve run away from.

Yoongi, captured and thrown into a cage, about to be sent overseas in cargo to be auctioned off had he not managed to escape from his captives.

Hoseok, left for dead by the hands of hunters, antlers forcibly cut by the time Namjoon and Yoongi find him barely breathing.

Jimin and Taehyung running away from a shelter that was abusing the hybrids, starving them out, depriving them of basic essentials, and throwing them into tiny, cramped spaces before they’re next in line to be euthanized.

And Seokjin, forced to become a lone wolf after violently losing his home, family, and everything he knows to the greed of humans until he finally found the others.

“If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask,” Namjoon assures you, clearing the plates away from dinner to wash. “I want you to feel comfortable while you’re here.”

“I appreciate it, Namjoon. Thank you,” you tell him sincerely. He grins at you, practically beaming as his name rolls off your tongue. You can’t help but smile back at him, although shyly.

It’s strange how flustered you feel around him.

“Can we look around?” Jungkook asks, coming up between you and Namjoon. He looks at him curiously as the two of you finally look away from each other.

“Of course. Jimin? Mind showing them around?” Namjoon asks the swan hybrid, who just finishes up wiping down the table.

He looks a bit surprised, but nods his head. “Oh. Sure. Let me finish this up and I’ll be right with you guys.”

“I’ll go with you guys,” Taehyung offers, glancing at you for a brief moment before he finishes up sweeping.

“What about you?” you ask. Not that you don’t mind Jimin. He’s been nice to you. Taehyung as well, though out of obligation.

You were just hoping to spend more time with Namjoon.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” he promises as he looks at the other hybrids, all pretending they aren’t listening to the conversation. “I need to make sure no one else followed you here.”

As requested, Jimin and Taehyung show you and Jungkook around the manor.

The east wing is where you’ll be staying. The room that you woke up in is yours, and Jungkook has his own room near you. Dinner is at the same time every evening, and it is expected that the two of you will join the rest of the pack. There are many rooms that make this place feel like a modern castle: a ballroom with a grand piano, a lounge room with board games, puzzles, a pool table, and old gaming consoles, a conservatory with curtainless windows, table tennis, a seating area, and a greenhouse.

You can see that Jungkook is fascinated with the manor as much as you are. Maybe even more so. His eyes practically sparkle with excitement when he sees a familiar game that he played as a child, or that cheeky smile on his face when he asks if you can dance or play any instruments in the ballroom. You see Jimin and Taehyung eager to show him the cool stuff around the manor too, and you suspect that at one point, they’ve forgotten you’re on this tour as well.

Still, it’s so nice to see Jungkook smiling and laughing. Despite everything he’s been through, there’s still an endearing, childlike innocence to him. A shy, friendly aura that makes him so approachable and well-liked.

You can see him being very happy here. Even if you’re not in the picture.

“What’s over there?” Jungkook asks, curious as he nods toward the west wing.

“Oh, that place is off-limits,” Taehyung explains without giving it a second glance. “No one is allowed to go there.”

You’re a bit surprised by that. The west wing looks completely normal from where you stand. “Why not?”

“It just is,” Taehyung cuts in a little harshly as he glares at you. Your mouth immediately snaps shut, a bit hurt and taken aback by the outburst.

“You’re free to go anywhere else in the manor,” Jimin adds, trying to drop the topic. His voice is gentler as he shoots his companion a warning glance. “Just not the west wing. Understand?”

You merely nod your head, not trusting your voice at this point.

While the hybrids like Jungkook, it’s clear that they don’t feel the same about you. And you’re not certain they ever will.

As the tour continues, you can’t help but notice the other hybrids’ reactions when you come within their personal spaces in the manor. Yoongi stares at you from the high wooden beams on the ceiling. His spotted tail slowly swishes back and forth in distrust as his glaring, feline eyes never leave yours. Hoseok hides from you whenever he hears you approaching. He’s so scared, he’s trembling as you catch his wide-eyed, petrified gaze, and the guilt of almost hurting him weighs more heavily on you. Seokjin covers his mouth to hold back a low growl when you come near his room. His body is tense and his lips are curled back into a snarl. Even Taehyung is only accompanying you to make sure that Jimin is safe. That you won’t harm his dear friend.

Rain continues to heavily pour outside. You wish that the storm would die down already. Clearly, you’re not welcomed here.

A hand touches the small of your back, and you raise your head to see Jungkook giving you a tiny, comforting smile. Just like at the motel stop with the scary men, he subtly assures you that he has your back.

You give him a wry smile back, squeezing his arm in appreciation. It’s a silent exchange that doesn’t go unnoticed by the other two hybrids with you.

“This is our last stop,” Jimin announces as he and Taehyung open the double-doors. Your eyes widen in awe at the sight before you.

A library.

There are two levels, and both have standing shelves full of books. Art pieces that look like they belong in museums decorate the room as well, from busts of philosophers to exquisite paintings hung on the walls. In the center is a large couch that looks cozy enough to sink into, curled up with a good book. It’s a place much bigger and prettier than the tiny book nook in your town.

“Wow…” You step inside, mood instantly lifting as you marvel at the sight before you. You could spend months here, just trying to read through the massive collection. “This is amazing!”

Jungkook looks surprised. “You think so?”

“Is it okay if I look around?”

Jimin and Taehyung exchange looks with each other, but they nod their heads. You disappear into the nearest aisle, browsing around. Your fingers run across the spines of books and their printed titles before landing on the ones that catch your interest. Things that were in your to-read list, things that you’ve just discovered now, things that you fondly remember reading before.

To the two residential hybrids, it’s probably one of the more boring parts of the manor, yet you’re absolutely enthralled by the room.

“Are there any comics?” Jungkook shyly asks, and Taehyung’s eyes brighten a bit as he takes his wrist and shows him where they are. The two leave Jimin alone as he watches you with curiosity.

“That’s funny,” he says to himself before he follows after the other hybrids. “This is his favorite room too.”

Sleep doesn’t come easy for you. Not tonight, at least.

After everything you’ve been through – running away from Kangdae, being on the road for days, looking for the perfect home for Jungkook, being careful to cover your tracks and not get caught, and finally ending up here – you’d think you would’ve been knocked out by now, exhausted from everything.

But as you turn to face the window, the relentless storm outside seems to reflect the turmoil you feel.

The storm won’t last forever. You’ll probably be here for two or three nights. Maybe a week at most. Then, as soon as the rainy days clear up, you’ll be out of here.

But Jungkook should stay.

As you toured around the manor with Jimin and Taehyung, it’s so clear to you that this place could be exactly what you two were hoping to find for him. A place to call home.

The hybrids provide for each other. They take care of each other. And they’ve clearly taken a liking to Jungkook. He’ll have his meals, a warm bed in his own room, plenty of fun things to do, friends to talk to. He’ll be happy here with them.

You turn to face the ceiling, already dreading the inevitable conversation you’ll have to have with him. He’s become your friend, and someone you care a lot about. You just hope he won’t be so stubborn and make it harder for you to let him go.

Especially since the other hybrids don’t like you as much. Or rather, at all. In fact, you’re pretty sure they’re eager for the storm to pass as much as you are so that you can leave their secret haven.

The mean looks some of them give you. The way they snarl and hiss and tremble at your presence. It feels like there isn’t anything you can do about it. Even if Namjoon allows you to stay, even if Jungkook is there to vouch for you, they’ll just hate you no matter what, simply because you’re human.

You sigh. You can’t force them to like you, of course, and you don’t blame them for being weary of you. But the bigger problem seems to be how you’re going to get out of the woods without a car. With your face all over the news. With Kangdae’s family exhausting all their efforts to look for you.

And as you roll to face the door, you think about Namjoon.

He’s as much of a mystery to you now as he was back then. He has a charisma that commands the room, that makes it obvious that he’s the leader of the pack. That alone has all the hybrids respect him and look up to him. And to top it off, he’s also so kind for letting you and Jungkook in, for making you both feel comfortable in his home.

You can’t remember the last time Kangdae treated you as nicely. He was always so selfish and cruel, and you feel foolish to think that’s what love was.

When in reality, ever since you finally left him, you realize you know nothing about love at all. You thought, if you stayed with him long enough, you could learn to love him. That you could learn how to be loved back.

But the pitiful ache in your heart only makes you realize that, at least with Kangdae, there was never any love at all. 

And yet, Namjoon…

With a finality, you throw the covers off of you. Since you can’t sleep, you decide to do something else to force your thoughts away.

You try your best to avoid the creaks on the floor as you quietly sneak out of the room. The halls of the east wing are dark, but luckily, you aren’t met with any grumpy hybrids just yet. As quietly as possible, you shut the door to your room and try to navigate through the shadowy hall, trying to remember where exactly the library is located in the huge manor.

However, your endeavor is halted when you hear voices at the end of the hall.

“You could be a little nicer to her,” Jimin begins, standing near a window where the moonlight illuminates his face. The tone in his voice sounds like he’s disappointed.

Standing before him is no one other than Taehyung. “She’s human.”

“She could be—” Jimin starts, but lowers his voice. You barely hear him as he tells Taehyung, “I think she’s it.”

His eyes widen a little, seeming to know exactly what he’s talking about.

“You think she’s—” An abrupt silence follows when they sense they’re not alone. Both of them turn to you. Even in the darkness, you think they can still see you. Then, Taehyung confirms they can when he asks, “Little human, where do you think you’re going?”

“I can’t sleep,” you reply honestly. On cue, the rumble of thunder ominously rolls in, sounding like the roar of a beast. You’re vaguely reminded of the sound that spooked Jungkook right before the accident, and you wonder if whatever it was is still out there.

“Are you afraid of the storm?” Jimin asks with a tilt of his head.

“It’s not that.” You don’t mind the rain or the sound of thunder, especially if you can stay safe and cozy indoors, sheltered from the bad weather. Under other circumstances, you might even enjoy the ambiance it brings in the background of a good book. “I think I just want to read something before I go to bed.”

“Are you afraid of us?” Taehyung suddenly asks you. His eyes glowering as he waits for your response.

But you look confused. “What do you mean?”

“Do you think we’re monsters?”

“Taehyung,” Jimin warns with a frown. He turns back to you, opening his mouth as if he’s about to tell you to just forget about his friend’s question.

“You’re not monsters,” you tell him seriously, without hesitation, without looking away. Your answer surprises not just the two hybrids before you, but also the ones in the shadows, listening in. “None of you are.”

You love books.

From the stories that your parents would read you to sleep, to the short stories full of childlike adventure and wonder, and later opening up to genres of drama, horror, fantasy, and romance. Even now, you love immersing yourself in the worlds of writers, escaping and overcoming trails that aren’t your own, and imagining yourself as the main character with every page you turn. It’s something that you can’t get enough of.

You love the weight of a book in your hand, the smooth texture of paper beneath your fingertips, and the earthy, musty smell of aged and worn pages that’ve been sitting on their shelves. You love being so captured by a story, you forget everything else around you, hung to every inked word across the page until the final conclusion.

Entering the library for the first time, surrounded by one of your favorite things, brings you a comfort that you haven’t felt in a long time.

Kangdae never understood your fascination with books. He couldn’t relate to that interest at all, finding it boring and a waste of time. It got harder to indulge in reading when you were with him. There were always chores to do after a long day at work that he never bothered to help with, or spontaneous trips and outings that he’d drag you to just so he can ignore you for his friends and other pretty women throughout the night. Even the books you do own, Kangdae never respected them – he never did with any of your belongings – throwing them when he was mad until the pages were bent and torn from the bindings, or using them as coasters or to spill his drinks on.

Finding yourself in a place like this brings you back to a time before you ever met Kangdae. Where no one really knew you, and you could quietly indulge yourself in the stories you’ve always loved.

Of all the books in the library, one of them catches your eye.

It’s your favorite one. The one about a far-off place with daring sword fights and a prince in disguise.

Your eyes widen in disbelief as you hold the book in your hands, flipping through the pages. It’s been well-kept, as have all the other books here. Unlike the copy you had at your home, ruined beyond repair. As you skim through the pages, the story immediately jumps out at you. The descriptions make it easy to imagine, and the flow of words make it hard to put the book down.

Even though you’ve read this story countless times, it never gets old. Because within the pages, entwined with all the action, adventure, and drama, is a love story.

To be loved and to be loved in return.

You’ve always wished for something like that for yourself.

All you’ve ever known about love is from Kangdae. The misery, the arguments, the fear, the anger. You think that’s just the reality of what love is supposed to be. But at least in this story, love seems nice. Even if it’s only fiction.

“That’s a good one.”

You’re startled when Namjoon appears beside you, looking at the book that you have in your hands. He looks wet, as if he’s been outside. Water drips from his soaked clothes, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it at all.

You smile at him sheepishly and admit, “It’s actually my favorite.”

He returns your smile. Those deep dimples pop up on his cheeks as he offers, “If you want it, it’s yours.”

“Oh! Thank you, I appreciate it, but I really can’t,” you decline, although very touched and almost tempted by the gift. “I don’t know how I can repay you for letting us stay here until the storm passes.”

“You don’t need to repay me anything,” he assures you sincerely. Perhaps to him, he’s just returning the favor you did for him years ago.

“I should at least give you money or something.” You don’t have much on you, though. Just whatever is left of what you’ve been secretly saving up.

Namjoon seems to consider it, but then, almost a bit shyly, he asks, “What about a date instead?”

You’re not entirely sure what Namjoon is thinking when he asks you on a date.

It’s still raining outside. Thunder, lightning, strong winds, and all. Even if you could leave the old manor, there isn’t anywhere to go. You’re surrounded by a thick forest in the middle of nowhere.

Still, Namjoon has you close your eyes.

His big, strong, and incredibly warm hands take yours in his, as he guides you to wherever he plans to take you. He smells like rain, and his clothes are still slightly damp from patrolling outside.

Your footsteps echo together in the quiet manor as he leads you out of the library. You can feel his gaze on your face, making sure you don’t ruin his surprise, and taking in all your features up close. And you bite back a giggle when you hear him bump into things every now and then before quickly assuring you that he’s okay and reminding you not to open your eyes yet.

“Watch your step,” he warns as he takes you somewhere colder. You clumsily stumble over the step anyway, nearly falling if it isn’t for his hands steadying you.

“Namjoon, where—?”

“Okay,” he says with a baited breath. “Open your eyes.”

Connected to the curtainless sunroom with the tennis table and the comfortable seating area is a greenhouse. You noticed it when Jimin and Taehyung showed you around earlier, but you didn’t have a chance to look inside. Namjoon smiles eagerly as he shows you his private, indoor garden: the bonsai trees that are starting to bloom with flowers, monstera plants standing tall with giant leaves, and bundles of flowers like roses, snapdragons, and lilies.

“Wow, Namjoon,” you say in awe, looking around. It feels like walking into the library for the first time, marveling at the magic the room brings. “These are beautiful.”

“I grew them myself,” Namjoon proudly states, rubbing his neck shyly. “They’re nothing compared to Hoseok and Jimin’s garden, but I thought I should still show you this place. I like coming here when I have a lot on my mind.”

“I can see why,” you remark. It’s nice here. All the flowers and plants look like they’re well-taken care of, healthy and thriving despite the ominous weather conditions. You come across a flower that you’ve never seen before. It looks like a cross between a lily and a rose, iridescent in color but with a thing of blue and purple. Their leaves and stems shine green like emeralds. “What are these?”

“Pretty, right? I call them smeraldo flowers,” he explains. His eyes light up with the way you admire them. “In the language of flowers, they mean non potevo dire la verità – the truth that couldn’t be told.”

“I’ve never seen anything like them.” You carefully touch the soft, delicate petal of the flower. They almost look like they’re made of magic.

“They’re beautiful like you.”

You look up at Namjoon just then, a bit surprised by the compliment. He seems a bit embarrassed, trying to hide his face as if he hadn’t meant to say those words out loud.

You’ve been called beautiful before. Sometimes, you think your natural beauty is all that Kangdae sees in you. It’s the only reason he ever tried to pursue you. But hearing it from Namjoon, who seems sincere with his words and intentions, it feels different.

It feels nice.

“I don’t know about that. These are very beautiful flowers,” you reply with a shy smile. “But thank you, Namjoon. You’re really kind.”

“I know the other guys are having a… difficult time adjusting to you. We haven’t had a guest here in a long time, especially a human one,” Namjoon tries to justify on their behalf. “They’re not bad, though. None of us are. So, you don’t need to be afraid while you’re here. But if you ever feel lost or scared, you can always come here. This place, these flowers, they bring me comfort. I hope they do the same for you.”

“Thanks Namjoon,” you repeat with a small smile. He really is so kind to you. “And I get it. Don’t worry. I don’t know what any of them have been through, but I don’t blame them for being cautious of me.”

Although you haven’t had many encounters with hybrids before, you know of the mistreatment they’ve endured from humans. How they’re treated like outcasts, and are constantly on the threat of being enslaved as laborers, entertainers, or pets. You see them protesting for their rights, and how laws constantly change to their disadvantage. 

But if you’ve learned anything while being with Jungkook, it’s that he isn’t too different from you. He likes to sing and dance to music while you’re driving, he snores in his sleep, he loves the taste of banana milk and ice cream.

It hurts a little, but you understand why they’re weary of you. Why the hybrids aren’t able to easily trust you the way they can trust Jungkook, even though he’s just as much of a stranger to them as you are.

“You really are different from other humans,” Namjoon states with intrigue. The look in his colorful eyes is full of warmth and sincerity.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything different than what any decent person would do.”

“It’s because not a lot of humans treat us like decent people,” Namjoon explains again with a sad smile. “You know, you humans are so fascinating to me. You build grand cities with tall skyscrapers, you create beautiful art pieces that evoke feelings and different interpretations to your work, you write countless moving stories of wisdom, fantasy, and poetry. I wanted to be a rapper because I felt like I needed my voice to be heard in this world. All the anger I felt about being born a hybrid, all the sadness and loneliness I felt from being shunned away, all the fear of never being able to be heard or accepted. I went to the underground to prove that I can be as good as the humans are. That my voice is just as worthy to be heard as theirs.”

“It is worthy,” you tell him firmly. “I still remember the night I saw you perform so clearly. You were the best one out of all of them. Even better than some professional rappers in the industry these days.”

He looks away bashfully, but quietly replies, “Thank you. I’m glad you think so.”

“After the incident,” you start, both of you recalling that night when people discovered that he was a hybrid, “I was hoping that I’d see you again.”

“I had hoped to see you too.”

The confession is soft, but you still hear it over the sound of rain and thunder. In the greenhouse, standing in the garden where loneliness is in full bloom, you feel something stir inside you. Something warm. Something real.

You can’t place your finger on why. But you start to think about the meaning of love.

And you have to wonder, has Namjoon been thinking about you this whole time? Does he remember that night he met you as clearly as you do? Is that why he’s so welcoming to bring you into his home? Is that why he’s been so kind to you?

“Namjoon?”

“Yes?”

His eyes are so mesmerizing, you don’t realize the rain has stopped. That the roars of thunder and flashes of lightning have suddenly died down. That all you can hear is your own heartbeat in your chest as you look up at the handsome man before you.

“What kind of hybrid are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

For the other hybrids, it’s obvious what they are: Seokjin is a wolf, Yoongi is a leopard, Hoseok is a deer, Jimin is a swan, Taehyung is a bear, and Jungkook is a bunny. But Namjoon, who mostly looks human, you have a hard time figuring out what he could be.

“I’m a beast. A miserable, ugly beast.”

Your brows furrow slightly. “I don’t think you’re—”

“But I am,” he interrupts with a frown. He looks at you seriously. “Trust me. You don’t want to see me in that form. You’ll be scared.”

You want to disagree. But you can tell that he doesn’t want to talk about the side of himself that he seems to hate so much, so you drop it. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, it’s okay. I knew you’d be curious.” He sighs and rubs his neck again, seeming a bit torn with himself. A clash of thunder sounds from the distance, as if the storm is about to pick up again. As if the anger and sadness in the skies reflect Namjoon himself. “It’s just… if I had it my way, you’d never have to see it. You’ll always remember me the way that you see me now.”

You nod your head in understanding. Perhaps that’s why you’re also forbidden to go into the west wing. Maybe the truth of what kind of beast he is lies in that area.

Your gaze turns back to the smeraldo flowers. Under the moonlight, they almost look like they’re glowing with an ethereal and tragic beauty Flowers that mean an untold truth. Somehow, that makes you feel a little sad.

“Whether you’re a beast or a human, you’re not a monster, Namjoon.”

He smiles at you sadly. “I wish I could believe that. But thank you.”

The spontaneous “date” comes to an end, and like a gentleman, Namjoon walks you up to the east wing and stops in front of your bedroom.

Before you go inside, you turn to face him. “I had a nice time, Namjoon.”

You mean it, too. Quiet nights in, looking at beautiful flowers in the garden, sharing book recommendations in the library. It’s the perfect night for you.

“You don’t have to go after the storm ends,” Namjoon suddenly tells you. “You can stay here if you want. Both you and Jungkook.”

“I don’t know, Namjoon. Your pack—”

“I’ll talk to them. I’m sure they’ll come around to the idea,” he starts, looking like he wants to add more to it. Because, for some reason, you’re very special to him.

“It’s not just that.”

He’s already done so much for you already. There’s no way you’ll be able to repay him.

“How about we make a deal?”

You pause, looking at him with hesitance. “What kind of deal?”

“I don’t want your money, or do anything that you won’t feel comfortable with,” he quickly assures you. “The woods are dangerous, and the storm isn’t going to stop anytime soon. At least here, you’ll be safe. You’ll have your own room, you can have dinner with us, you’re free to wander the east wing and use the common rooms. All I ask is that you go on another date with me tomorrow night. And the night after, if you still decide to stay.”

You think about it. It seems like the best option for now.

You’ll still be hidden from Kangdae and the people looking for you. You’ll be safe from the wolves and other predators lurking in the deep, dark woods. You won’t have to say goodbye to Jungkook so soon, and you can spend another night like this with Namjoon.

“Why would you want me to stay when I’m human?” you ask him.

“Humans are fascinating. You’re fascinating,” Namjoon admits with a shy smile. “I just want to get to know you more.”

“I don’t think I’m that interesting of a human.” You can’t build skyscrapers, you can’t create masterpieces, and you can’t write stories the way your favorite authors do. “You’ll be disappointed.”

“I won’t. Because you’re you.” He seems so sure of that.

You smile a little at that.

“I’ll consider it,” you decide, heart fluttering as you half-joke, “I feel like you’re trying to make me fall in love with you.”

“You won’t,” Namjoon softly says, also just as sure. The way he looks at you makes your heart ache. “Why would someone as beautiful as you ever love a beast like me?”

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

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[nexility-sims]

𝐍𝐎. 𝟖 (𝟐/𝟑)   ❛ 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 ❜   |   EARLY OCTOBER 1991

❧  𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲  /  𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠  /  𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬  /  𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭.

→ 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍 The performance lineup was long, mixing dilettante regulars with real, true artists. Renzo hadn’t told her in advance what he planned to do; she knew he would be accompanying Fluke at some point, but his turns at the front were rare and unpredictable. Tonight, he used his voice, one that Leonor found impressive if not astonishing, to serenade the room. That was the illusion, anyway. He held her gaze the entire time, which was enough to convey intent. The songs announced were all covers—music from her aunt’s milieu, or quite possibly her discography. While Leonor didn’t recognize the song and rapidly became unable to hear the lyrics as words with a meaning, the unmistakable mood gripped her. It wasn’t a caress so much as a stroke, a fondle, a pinch. It made her skin crawl in the best way.

❧ "venus in furs" won the poll but "time of the season" ended up fitting better (and also the clapping in this performance was compelling dsfsjg) ... anyway, i am SO pleased with this post specifically

𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 & 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 ↓

The performance lineup was long, mixing dilettante regulars with real, true artists. Renzo hadn’t told her in advance what he planned to do; she knew he would be accompanying Fluke at some point, but his turns at the front were rare and unpredictable. Tonight, he used his voice, one that Leonor found impressive if not astonishing, to serenade the room. That was the illusion, anyway. He held her gaze the entire time, which was enough to convey intent. The songs announced were all covers—music from her aunt’s milieu, or quite possibly her discography. While Leonor didn’t recognize the song and rapidly became unable to hear the lyrics as words with a meaning, the unmistakable mood gripped her. It wasn’t a caress so much as a stroke, a fondle, a pinch. It made her skin crawl in the best way.

The Den possessed an unexpected number of quiet backrooms beyond the bustle of its main space. People who were just passing through experienced the stage, the bar, the shadowy corners that ringed them both. Friends got to see the enviable wine cellar and the room where the gambling happened; although less exciting, they might also see the liquor storage or the disorganized mess that barely warranted the title of “office.” Leonor had probably jiggled most of the doorknobs before she went onto the roof. Of course, Renzo’s favorite backroom wasn’t in the basement with the others. It was the small section cordoned off from the main space, drenched in red lighting, with a sectional on which he could sprawl. It was where Leonor had first met him, and it was where they tended to retreat as any given night progressed. Tonight had been no exception. It was a place to fully crawl out of her skin, and the knotted satin of her costume, and the nervous confines of her mind. 

With delusional buoyancy setting it, an urgent question had bubbled up unbidden. It force itself out like a hiccup. Renzo caught it, if with surprise, rolling along with her as she wondered aloud. ‘Do you love me?’ A terrible question, this one. Had she not already felt so much, had she not been overflowing with shapeless and blooming euphoria, she would have felt ashamed. He didn’t recoil. Against her fingers, he answered, ‘I love ... the idea of you.’ She didn’t recoil from the honesty either. It wasn’t a wave; it was a rainfall that soaked, heavy, gentle, to the bone. She followed up with the same earnestness, ‘Do I love you?’ He swirled his tongue around her thumb as he considered it. Then, ‘You love who you think I am.’ Did she? ‘Really?’ ‘Really.’ It was settled. She did. Otherwise, it had to be a fleeting concern, one sinking beneath the surface again, that couldn’t really matter.

TRANSCRIPT:

[Music, overlapping conversation, laughter]

RENZO | Come on, don’t be shy. Look, all of this—live plants, the murals, fucking real rabbits to play with—all courtesy of Nora. She’s been busy employing artisans and patronizing florists and shit. Did you know she came up with the theme, too? Can’t forget that. Because she loves this place. She loves all of us. My moon goddess.

[Music, conversation, laughter continues]

[Crowd cheering]

[Music, crowd singing along]

[Discordant, playful strumming]

[Music begins, Renzo singing]

[Rhythmic clapping]

No, no, too much! No? Yes! Fuck. It’s fine. Yeah? Too late now. Oh, baby—

[Laughter, echoing]

[Muffled music, Leonor sighs]

Do you love me? I love ... the idea of you. Do I love you? You love who you think I am. Really? Really.

Is that real? The rabbit? The fur? It’s so ... That’s a lot. Poor rabbits, huh? Yes, but ... It’s soft! Oh, it’s soft. You have to leave the, um, the—[laughs] The chaps? Yes! It’s so important. I love them. If you want. Please! I do.

[Urinating, sink running, door opening and closing]

?1 | —such a cute theme, though. Little bunnies? I look so good. ?2 | Yeah, but can you believe what she did? No one else is yellow. ?1 | Not surprised. Princess has to be the center of attention, duh.

?2 | It’s so weird. Because … why? ?1 | Why? What do you mean, why? ?2 | Why does he let her do that. It’s kind of unfair. ?1 | [Laughs] Jealous? ?2 | No. She has nothing to contribute! Money? Or, you know—

?2 | But, I would be so fucking bored if I were him. ?1 | I only talked to her once, and I’m still bored. [Snickers] ?2 | Blah, blah, my mom is dead, blah, blah, blah, I do government stuff. Where’s the camera, look at me, I’m a Reyes, blah, blah, blah. ?1 | [Laughs] So dumb! That’s it, though.

?1 | Maybe she’s just hot, in a cute way? She’s new. Doesn’t know how to do anything fun. A "yes" girl. Ooh. We’ve been there. ?2 | Yeah, I don’t get it, but, oh, well—Okay! [Smacks lips] Let’s go! [Footsteps, door opens and closes]

[Door closes]

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Holy crap I’m loving your writing! Im especially obsessed with Ken and the ranch owner

I’m wondering if you’d be willing to do an fem human reader x Ken where the reader gets a bit sick, nothing too serious but Ken absolutely freaks out and thinks the reader is dying or sum (he learned about death from Stero Barbie. Also spiders. He’s terrified of both) and the reader thinks it’s a bit funny so she’s like “yeah I’m dying” but then he gives her the most terrified and sad kicked puppy look and she has to explain that it’s just a cold lol

Awh thank you!! Im glad that ppl still love my barbie movie stuff even though barbie summer has come and gone 💔

........

There were only two things that Ken feared after beginning his new life in the Real World:

One is the mortality of humans, as Barbie told him all about how fragile their lives were and the two paths they were given: either growing old and dying peacefully in their beds, or some terrible occurrence cutting it short long before their time on this earth was up.

The second was spiders.

He especially hated the spiders.

You only recently discovered he had that fear after finding one of those 8-legged critters in your house--or more specifically in his room, where he came barreling out from as though he accidentally set something on fire.

At first, you thought he really did start a fire until he dragged you back into there, begging you to get rid of the "strange beast".

You had no clue what he could possibly be referring to....and then he pointed to the corner, where a little cellar spider sat completely unbothered, weaving its web.

In that moment, you realized you may have turned him arachnophobic, considering you did show him one insect-themed horror movie this past Halloween. He kept freaking out over it potentially growing horse-sized or injecting venom into his bloodstream when he was asleep.

But despite you assuring him neither of those things could happen (and insisting that the spider was more afraid of him), Ken refused to go into the room until it was gone.

You find it hard to fathom that this same doll who led an entire revolt, came to terms with his own identity crisis, and bravely made the transition to humanity....was totally inconsolable in the presence of a tiny bug.

Then again, maybe showing him that movie--and allowing Barbie to explain why arachnophobia was among the top fears humans had--was a huge mistake.

Regardless, you made it your mission to get rid of the critter.

Oddly enough Ken insisted that you didn't actually kill it, but you found you it sweet that he valued its life despite it scaring the shit out of him. So you contained it in a cup, putting a napkin underneath it before releasing it outside.

After that, you mentioned how most people usually killed spiders and other pests that invaded their home.

He looked wildly uncomfortable at that fact, before he began talking about some rather... concerning things: like if the spider knew how short its lifespan was, how easily it could have been crushed, if it feared death or if it was even aware of it at all-

Before he could derail and start rambling about death itself too much, you stopped him, asking if he was feeling alright.

And he went quiet for a moment, before smiling and giving you a kiss, reassuring you he felt better.

Yet even as he left the room, he still appeared awful tense.

It was that day where you worried that it's more than just spiders he feared..

.......

"Babe, what's wrong? Are you sick??"

"...unfortunately, but it's nothing serious. Just a stupid cold I caught at work." Sighing tiredly, you sat up in bed, seeing Ken walk into the room.

He looked nothing short of horrified at how drained and exhausted you sounded this morning. "A-Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I don't want you to catch anything, so I'm sorry...but no kisses today."

"Then..what about tomorrow?"

You just rolled your eyes, drinking some tea you made for yourself. "Maybe, but we'll see if I wake up."

Although it was meant to be a little joke, your foggy brain forgot how seriously the blond often took jokes, and he rushed to your bedside, kneeling down.

His eyes were wide as he took your hand. "If you wake up??? Are you dying??"

Putting down your mug, you sighed once more, trying to figure out a way to remedy this situation before you upset him too much. "No....I mean I just feel like I'm dying, but.." You paused, noticing the tears coming to his eyes. "Ken?"

Now that he was a lot closer, you could see the utterly terrified look on his face--as though you kicked a puppy right in front of him.

Yep, it was already much too late. He was upset.

"I-I know tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone, but you have to get through this, [y/n]! Please..I can't lose you, too...not when you've done so much to help me." He was extremely close to crying, his lips trembling.

Your heart sunk as you placed a hand ober his own. "Oh honey, I was only kidding around when I say-"

"Why do humans joke about death so much? Don't they know y-you...you can't come back? That they have such short lives?? O-Or sure, some believe you can be reincarnated but that doesn't make it any-"

At this point, he was just blubbering nonsense, so you took him into your arms. And for a moment he fell silent, before burying his face into your chest, trying to calm himself down. "I-I'm sorry.."

"No, no..I'm sorry. You're right..I shouldn't be joking about death around you." Frowning slightly, you stroked his hair. "I promise I'm not dying. Not today, or tomorrow..not for a long, long time. This cold will pass and I'll feel better soon enough."

".....a-are these the irrepressible thoughts of death Barbie had?"

'Oh.'

It finally hit you.

He was going through the same thing she once did.

"Ken.." You had him sit up so you could see his face. Aside from it being a little red and his eyes puffy and watery, there were tear marks trailing down to the stubble that had formed along his jaw and chin. "Why didn't you tell me you were having those thoughts?"

Sniffling, he just shrugged. "I don't know. And... I don't know why I'm thinking them. Barbie could blame it on somebody who was playing with her, but...I can't. Because I'm not a doll anymore, I'm human....a-and...those were my thoughts alone." He shuddered, terrified at that realization. "I guess I just..didn't wanna scare you, b-but obviously it's too late for that..."

A small chuckle came from him, although it dissolved into a small sob as he wiped his eyes. "S-Sorry, I....I want these thoughts to just pass already."

"And they will." You nodded, squeezing his free hand reassuringly. "It looks like you're just experiencing them for the first time, and that's okay. They won't be all you think about. And you don't have to apologize for how you're feeling, as long as you're honest with me."

"Th-Thank you.." He sniffled. "I should be taking care of you, not the other way around. Do you need you anything? More tea? Meds? Anything at all?"

You smiled fondly, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead. "You're all I need right now, sweetheart."

That response seemed to bring Ken's giddy old self back, as he smiled bashfully in return. He melted back into your arms when you wrapped them around him, and he listened to your heartbeat: the only assurance he needed that you were still living.

Eventually...those thoughts of death did pass him by, and he felt okay again.

[simspaghetti]

Simblr Gratitude Day!

Hello! Sorry this is a day late because I was really busy with deadlines over the last few days - I didn't even know this event was going on until I was tagged! 😭😭

I still want to express my love for some wonderful simblrs, and hopefully give you some new recommendations on some great blogs you should be following!! 🥰🥰 rather than clogging up everyone's inboxes a day late, I thought I'd just tag you all here (in no particular order!) <3

@kevinvoncrastenburg - you're such a lovely positive light in this community, I also love your scenery posts, the architecture of your builds looks so realistic and is really inspiring to me!

@erasabledinosaur - you always have such beautiful screenshots, I'm so inspired by your gameplay! Thank you for the work you do on creating reshade presets as well they're always so gorgeous!

@llamaheart - I love how alive your sims feel, they all have really in-depth personalities, I recently read through the Halen lepacy from start to finish and it made me want to start my own!! I'm so inspired by the way that you play :)

@sushiikinsss - you're always so supportive of my blog, if you ever post simblr content i know i would love it, you're so creative!! love you lots 💞💞

@appellosimae - i love the style of your gameplay! it feels so cosy and cute, and i've been reading your lepacy recently and loving it! I really like the fact that you include the premades in your gameplay, it leads to so much drama which is so entertaining!

@hiddengnomes - I'm so so inspired by your gameplay and screenshots, your interior design skills specifically are so on point I'm always striving to make my interiors as good as yours! The way you take screenshots could be an ad for sims 3 honestly, reading through the Maldanos makes me want to play my own game!

@twinsimming - thank you for your hard work making mods they're always such great additions to my game!! I specifically really really loved the acne mod, it's a feature that I'd always wanted in sims 3, I used to roll the chance it would occur and manually place it on my sims before your mod came along, so it really revolutionised the way that I play in such a good way! haha

@thesweetsimmer111 - you have created some of my favourite mods for sims 3, I'm so grateful for the work that you do and I use all of them in my game!! I specifically love how fluid the animations are and how they all feel like a really natural addition to the base game <3

@horusmenhosetix - there's not many cc creators like you making maxis-match content for sims 3 anymore, and I use so much of your cc in my game because I LOVE the way it looks! I really appreciate the work that you do for the community!! thank you for your hard work and your beautiful creations <3

@nectar-cellar - thank you for your beautiful cc and tutorials, i've learned so much from your tutorials on how to take good looking screenshots and set up amazing looking lighting, I also love the way that you create sims! They always look like real people because of how unique and detailed their faces are, I'm so inspired by your style!

@faeriefrolic - your sims are SO cute omg, i'm loving reading the jam legacy and the way that you create so much drama with your sims, it's something I'm trying to incorporate more of in my gameplay because I feel like I stray away from having any conflict, but I love how there's deaths, romance and so many emotions flying around in your gameplay! It makes it feel so much more real, dynamic and entertaining to read! <3

@obscurus-noctem - every time a post of yours pops up it looks like a totally different game than sims 3, I'm so in awe of the way that you're able to create sims to be so detailed and compose screenshots to be so beautiful - i LOVE deb belinski as well she's such an icon

@sim-songs - thank you for your gorgeous maxis-match cc, i also love your gameplay style, the composition of colours on your screenshots makes them feel like a cosy warm hug and i love that your sims have such unique faces, it makes them feel like real people!

@magiclabs - i love the way that you take screenshots, they're always so colourful and cosy - I love the Fitch legacy, your gameplay is so maxis match and cute it always makes me wanna go on a cc shopping spree and then go play my own game! The way that you decorate lots is also so detailed and inspiring <3

@papermint-airplane - your scenery screenshots are just so incredibly beautiful, i also love the dialogue on your gameplay posts it feels so realistic and is always so funny! you're such a warm light in the community <3

@mosneakers - the Darling legacy will always be such a big inspiration behind my gameplay - the way that your sims look so eccentric and your screenshots feeling so magical has always been something that i strive for in my own gameplay - your incredible storytelling abilities are also unmatched, whenever i read through your stories they always manage to pull at every different emotion in me! <3

@frostedshore - i LOVE your sims style and your gameplay screenshots are always so well composed, i also really like how when you makeover sims you keep their original personalities shining through, your version of Bella Goth specifically is probably my favourite makeover I've ever seen of her - I love how you captured her essence as a femme fatale which is what I've always imagined her as!

@thepettymachine - your gameplay inspires me so much, the trout legacy and the day legacy are some of my favourite gameplays on simblr to sit and read through! Your sims are also always GORGEOUS and I love love love your sims style!

I'm really sorry if I left anyone out, I'm bad at remembering names! But I just wanted to say a really big thank you and send lots of love to anyone who has interacted with my blog at all this year, even though the sims 3 community is small, it has the support and love of so many people it feels so full of joy, I'm sending hugs to all the people who are a part of this wonderful community and am grateful for anyone who enjoys my gameplay / blog in whatever form that takes 💞💞💞

[blackkatmagic]

Just gotta tell you that it is breaking my heart to know that A'Sharad has been a captive for who knows how long, with his captors choosing a name that will hurt him (did they do it on purpose? Choose a name that will not only inspire fear but also hurt their captive, when they already have so much leverage to hurt him. When they further trampe the name of the Tuskens, when A'Sharad has never been anything but a Tusken).

There are very few characters I project more soft than hurtful headcanons on. A'Sharad is one of them. Him having to fight for his life against Anakin, the way the handled the bigotry that's been thrown at him all his life, how he still chose to believe in the good of Anakin (believing he would feel guilty and tell the truth to the council) even after Anakin gloated to him about murdering babies. How after all that he came to the conclusion that it was him that needed to change, that he had to take off his mask (his face for the world really) to be treated humanly. It just broke something in me.

And now he is there, chained up like an animal in a cellar that he couldn't escape even if he had the opportunity (because how when the real shackles are the two small children, when he has no healthy legs to carry them out with him), starved and bruised and finally feeling hope again. Allowing himself to grasp onto it, because now it is real, because Agen is there.

Agen who is unfaltering and steady and loyal. Who has found him in this unlikely place. Who has promised to save them. Who will not do the practical thing and leave A'Sharad behind. Even if A'Sharad is so thin that he can see the bones in his arms, even if A'Sharad has no idea if his legs will carry him at all. Even if Mandalorians are coming.

Because for all that they both despised the saying, there was a reason that Agen was viewed as the councils attack dog. Because once Agen had set his mind to something, he was like a dog with a bone. Who followed the orders he was given without ever faltering, without ever needing an explanation (in front of others) for what he was to do. Who was sensitive to the slightest changes around him, even if he couldn't always discern why there was change. Who tried his best to help in any way he could, no matter who needed it. Who was protective of anyone under his responsibility. Who was a council member, acutely aware of his responsibility. To the world around them and to the order.

There is a Jedi on Taris.

And he has come to save A'Shard.

...can you tell that I love both Agen and A'Sharad so so much? Eastward is breaking my heart and I love it. I am so emotionally invested in this fic. And the thought that another Jedi inspired the hope in A'Sharad that used to bloom everywhere in the galaxy when the order was still open and thriving.

A'Sharad is one of the characters who gives me the most emotions, even with all of the many characters in SW who deserved better. I think it's especially jarring because canon never acknowledges that he deserves better, in a way that's deeply depressing. And he's always paid back for his faith in the very worst ways, from Ki-Adi-Mundi to Dark Woman to Anakin to even XoXaan when he meets her. And the fact that he falls to the Dark Side over guilt from what Anakin did, when Anakin turned around and vaguely sort of said sorry and became a peaceful Force ghost....idk man. It just hurts.

That said! I was very much going for that exact vibe with Agen and A'Sharad's meeting - Agen's been struggling, but A'Sharad has quite literally lost all hope because of what happened to put him in that cell. All he has left are the two kids who make it impossible to escape, and then Agen appears, exactly like a Jedi would in a story kids on Tatooine would tell.

Agen and A'Sharad here are both people who've struggled with their own identities and their places as Jedi, but Agen is just...generally steadier and less. Hm. Cerebral? I think that's the word. He trusts the Force and his place in it more easily than A'Sharad, at least partially because he had T'ra as a master instead of the world's worst tag-team by Ki-Adi-Mundi and Dark Woman. So there's backstory between the two of them, and lots of feelings about Being Jedi, and Agen is probably the absolute best possible person to rescue A'Sharad.

(I will say that A'Sharad has not been there for as long as you may think, at least. It's still bad, but not quite as bad as it could be.)

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

My Favorite New-To-Me Movies of 2023

Women Talking

This movie won the Oscar of Best Adapted Screenplay and deservedly so...it's scenes are so tightly written and delivered so beautifully by the incredible cast of actresses, that it held my attention for the entire runtime. Every performance was fantastic, and I wish at least one of them had received recognition from the Academy...personally my vote would have been for Claire Foy, but any one of them could have walked away with a nomination.

Pearl

This was such an interesting horror flick...the saturated color palette, the extreme bursts of violence and of course, the magnificent performance by Mia Goth. She was absolutely fascinating to watch...the character of Pearl is so desperate to leave her home and to become a star that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

While I consider this to be one of the best movies I've seen this year...it's not necessarily one I'd ever want to watch again. At least not in the near future...because this movie is bleak. During the Great Depression, a group of people sign up for a dance marathon with the hope of winning the prize money. All the characters are so compelling and interesting to watch. Absolutely recommend watching it, especially for Jane Fonda's outstanding performance...but you might finish the movie a bit depressed.

Deathtrap

Man, this movie is fun. It's the kind of movie that I can't say too much about, because the plot is so full of twists...but the basic idea is: A famous playwright, coming off a string of flops, learns that his former student has written a surefire hit play, and he conspires to murder his student and take the play as his own. And you have Christopher Reeve wearing some fantastic sweaters.

Sweet Smell of Success

This movie is so good, I don't even know where to start. The performances, the writing, the cinematography...it's such a perfect example of a noir film (especially one that doesn't focus on a murder or a detective). I wasn't sure what to expect when I started, but from the moment I pressed play, I was completely engrossed.

The Last of Sheila

I really caught up on my murder mysteries this year...and The Last of Sheila is a really great one. Another movie that I can't say too much about because of it's twisty plot...but I will say you can definitely see how it influenced Rian Johnson for his Knives Out films. Also, this was co-written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim!

Catch-22

I blind bought this one after Alan Arkin's death...I had never seen it, but thought it seemed like a fun enough film to take the gamble on. And boy, was I right! While I can see why some critics didn't love it back then, this movie is so wonderfully bonkers, I can't help but love it! The witty dialogue, clever shot composition and excellent performances by a massive cast make this movie a real treat!

Home Before Dark

This was a very random find for me...I actually just came across it on TV when it was starting and decided to stick with it (just like the olden days, get off my lawn). And while the movie itself isn't perfect, I was completely drawn in by Jean Simmons' performance. Her character has just returned home from a stay at an asylum, and while she tries to reacclimate to life at home, we start to see her lose it again...but we aren't sure if she is actually being pushed towards that breakdown intentionally. It has a few shades of the movie Gaslight, for sure.

The Collector

This may have been my favorite new-to-me movie of the year! It is such an intense and uncomfortable film, with amazing performances by the two lead actors and an ending that I did not see coming. Given the story and the setting, I could almost see this easily being turned into a stage play...I'd love to see a theater try and capture the claustrophobic feeling you get when Miranda is trapped in that cellar.

A few honorable mentions are: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Thin Man, Sound of Metal, Persona and Somewhere in Time (this one mostly for the melodrama, lol)

Here's to more movies in 2024!

[half-dead-ham]

GUYS GUYS GUYS

(Tw: talk of sacrifice, death by burning, starvation, and asphyxiation, knives, cults, and skeletons)

Y'know how the Batpham community has made all these great headcanons about the Spirit of Gotham? How she's either this regal heiress from the city's founding or a pretty flapper from the 20's? Well I got some news for you!

Meet Dominique!

I was reading the Batman comics to figure out when Tim came onto the scene (for curiosity) and stumbled onto this dame in issue #454!

Behold, the Spirit of Gotham!

So, for those not interested in reading this lovely little piece, Batman is on the way to stop the Riddler, who has been making Batsy do some weird things for clues; Mouth to mouth on a hanged man, Dancing with a corpse, Dancing in front of a horned goat, to name a few.

And why is he doing this you ask? Why to summon the Demon Barbathos, of course! And the book that good ol' Eddie got has been telling him (yes telling him, the creepy black magic book is telling him that batman is the perfect sacrifice and he's just going with it) that to summon Barbathos he needs a "Human bat", and ofc Bruce fits that pretty damn well.

And then he pulls this out!

He says "the first Bat", as in, someone who has been put through this ritual before. Except, she didn't get to complete the right either (and from what I know about Barbathos, thank the gods for that). Just before the people who were using her to preform the ritual were gonna actually, y'know, they got spooked, sealed the cellar they were doing the ritual in, and moved to Canada.

Leaving her in the cellar to die of either oxygen deprivation or starvation. (There is a panel I the comic for that, but she's nude and I ain't gonna show that here.) And until the Riddler opens that cellar to preform the summoning with Batsy, it was sealed for 200 years (her being in there from 1765, a lot older than that flapper ver of her.)

Now, why do I bring all this up when she's just a memory and a skeleton for the Riddler to base his plans off of? Because she and Bruce talk. And she calls herself the Spirit of Gotham.

She's been trapped in that cellar for 200 years, waiting for Batman to free her from it. And as Riddler sets fore to the warehouse under it she tells him of how she died in there.

Now, all this is really cool in of itself. Batman knows the spirit of Gotham is real, and has talked to her. But the kicker? Bruce feels a kinship with her. When Bruce is seeing these images of her they become real. And the spirit tells batman they are "brother and sister of the bat."

(Also Dominique asks if Bruce's a demon, and I find that just a little funny.)

So they get out with a little help from Alfred, and Bruce is holding Dominique's skeleton. Kinda melancholy way to end. But what does Bruce do to honor this girl and spirit? He puts her next to his parents in their family mausoleum.

And that's pretty sweet, right? Letting her rest with the Wayne's so she could have a proper grave?? But wait, it gets better. Bruce decides to put this on her stone:

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH Holy flying furballs Batman! You just called Dominique your sister! The spirit of Gotham is Bruce's spiritual sister and its confirmed canon! This has so much fukkin potential and we as a community have been sleeping on it!

Just. Please. I need to see Dominique the spirit of Gotham and spiritual aunt to the Batkids in a fic, please!

Thank you for coming to my 1:30 am ted talk.

[raviosrupees]

LINKED UNIVERSE ZOMBIESS

woooft hey friends, its been a while but LU never left my brain or my heart and i stumbled across a very interesting idea

Zombie Apocalypse AU for Linked Universe.

It could either be modern world or in their world, personally I like the modern world, it offers a lot of interesting tropes.

So minor CW for mention of hospitals, zombies, potential gore, guns and violence, all the stuff that comes with zombie apocalypses, ya know? :P

Hyrule I see being one of the ones closest to the outbreak when it happens, so he's been in survival mode for a while. He's eating anything edible he comes across. Old moldy fruit, dog kibble and water still in toilets are all on his menu. He never stays in any area for long, and often travels through the wilderness from town to town. Extremely skittish, doesn't trust anyone.

Wild woke up in a hospital after being in a coma for a while, and was just completely out of it, barely remembers a thing, and wakes up in a completely empty hospital. Since he basically had no real recovery period, he just goes absolutely feral from day one. Has secret worries he's actually a zombie.

Time works an office job, and has been beaten down with the stresses of modern life for a while now, and as soon as the outbreak happened he left work and headed to his nephews ranch out in Ordon. He feels a bit guilty for relishing in the freedom of it all, how he doesnt have to go to work everyday. Exhausted from trying to keep all these kids alive.

Twilight is out in the middle of nowhere, on his ranch, and wouldn't have even known there was an apocalypse until his uncle came over. Generally completely at peace with the whole thing, with some concern for loved ones, but passive. Until dem blasted zombers went for his goats. Adopts all the stray pets that no longer had homes and takes care of them. Has a full backup generator.

Sky seems like just a silly guy who bumbled his way to safety. Really good at helping the others open up and talk through their issues. When it comes to hand to hand combat though he takes the zombies down easily, and always comes through without a scratch. He's the guy that you'd think would be harmless but is actually a beast. Can tell when danger is coming by reading the signals wild birds give.

Four is an exhausted mechanic, the voice of reason, and is very excited to get to use their skills for more interesting things, ie. hotwiring cars, making bullets, and the creation and repair of other such weapons. Hard to keep track of, has a tendency to disappear and reappear like nothing happened.

Legend is a full on apocalypse prepper. There is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. His uncle was also a knight/military man, so I think of Legend as a kind of begrudging army brat. He's got the full army bunker with floor to ceiling shelves of medicine, canned food, water bottles, and likely a lot of firearms. Legend strikes me as pretty trigger happy, he's also super paranoid and doesn't really want to share with anyone. Has to be coaxed out of his super secure storm cellar. More scared of losing anyone he tries to protect that anything. Give us more redneck conspiracy theorist comic relief legend.

Warriors is a former military man who lost his squadron in the outbreak and now will do anything to keep his new family alive. He joined military school really young, and it kind of messed him up because it hadn't been what he wanted, so he's really protective of Wind. Always feels insanely bad about killing the zombies, because he still sees them as people.

Wind is a feral child, who said fuck middle school and all this, stole some knives and set off. He's hell bent on finding his sister who ended up at one of the refugee camps. Really good at swiping stuff off other people. Doesn't trust anyone besides War. Helps Legend makes maps of the areas around them, devises neat traps to kill zombies. Surprisingly cold blooded when fighting.

BONUS: They find Ravio after they found themselves in need of supplies and Legend is like, "I know a guy" and takes them to an outpost sort of place where Ravio has a little shop tent set up. Super sleazy, salesman chatting them up for a couple extra caps. Legend is really good at bargaining.

[spookykestrel]

tell me about bugs ! /lhnp

Aah ty for the ask this is so general there’s so many facts and things um (edit I didn’t mean to write a whole essay you don’t have to read the whole thing)

Recently I’ve been enjoying learning about spiders which is ever so slightly ironic considering how afraid I was of them and how I still am a bit scared to come across ones I’m not familiar with. Learning about them makes them so much less scary though. A lot of the most venomous and scariest spiders are actually relatively docile and won’t bite unless threatened or they’re a mother with babies. In the US there hasn’t been a death from a black widow bite in 40 years bc their bites are rare and able to be treated. A lot of venomous spiders can actually administer dry bites too or control the amount of venom they inject which is super cool. Since their venom is used to kill prey, when they bite a human it’s usually just in self defense so a lot of bites from deadly spiders aren’t actually that dangerous. Ofc it’s still imperative to seek treatment just in case you have a reaction or they did inject venom (although you’d be able to tell there’s some nasty symptoms). Most cases are able to be treated, too, with anti-venom and while not a pleasant experience they’re rarely deadly.

I feel like there needs to be a picture here to break up this post so uhhhhh here’s a bunch of bees on a clover ( and a Yellowjacket)

One of my other interests rn is misconceptions/misidentifications. Which ig ties into spider bites. One common myth is that daddy longlegs spiders are super venomous but their fangs are too small to bite humans. This is very wrong for several reason uhh first is that daddy longlegs is a super broad term used to refer to cellar spiders (actual spiders of the araneae order), harvestmen (arachnids in the opilione order so Not Spiders), and crane flies (these are literally flies as the name suggests. They…. They aren’t spiders they have wings they aren’t venomous. Although they do have long legs). Cellar spiders are a little venomous but their venom poses little harm to humans (just a typical insect bite yk) and they rarely bite humans. Harvestmen actually don’t have venom and don’t have fangs just hollow claws used to grip. Which can’t harm people.

anyway harvestman are the absolute silliest guys I love seeing them bounce around

(Photo credit evanaturalist on inat <3)

Another quickl thing (I promise I’ll stop soon you invoked a topic I’m incapable of being normal about and gave me no limitations or anything so I’m on a ramble there’ll be no survivors etcetc) is also about flies. A lot of people assume those itty bitty sweat bees that hover around you at the park or whatever are actually more likely to be hoverflies (instead of a real sweatbee)! They only have one set of wings (unlike a bee) and no they can’t sting. I told this all to my friend at a concert who was being very annoyed by the one following her around and after explaining them and marveling over the super cool patterning of the calligrapher flies (specific type of hoverfly) they actually came around and admitted they’re very cool and it was a lovely moment bc once you know more about something then you can accept it more yay woohoo.

^ the black and yellow is deceiving it only has the one set of wings. If you cared the one pictured is a maize calligrapher specifically . Very common in the US and Canada.

Oh and I got a millipede tatto did you see :]

[magnumdays]

Magnum PI 5.01+02 - ‘The Passenger’ + ‘The Breaking Point’ review

It’s been a while... an epic season finale, cancellation, a whole new network, lots of promotions and two amazing episodes to start the season off with. And boy did it deliver! This was the perfect start to Magnum PI and hopefully everyone felt just how fun, smart and just all around good-feel the show is and we got some new people tuning in to watch next week!

The Miggy

Let’s just start with the best part. I mean, there were a lot of great parts but for the die hard shipper, this was like dying and going to heaven. Only maybe better because I get to go back and re-watch it :P No but honestly, I was prepared to be annoyed we didn’t get some build up to actually *devil’s tango* because mostly, I think, I figured there would be a time jump. Like I thought it would have been like a week or two and we’d just not get them having their little morning after talk.

Also Magnum and Higgy in the shower bantering and kissing... I’m dead. Like did I hit my head and this is just a wild coma dream I’m having. 

(Soft morning after Higgy is just so adorable!)

My favourite part was probably them after talking “I would like to set out a few ground rules!” so Higgy. The 5.02 with Magnum making fancy toast and then Rick showing up... also a good moment. Magnum being all ‘come to the win cellar’ and prepping a date - why is there not a Thomas Magnum in my life doing stuff like this for me? I live on an island with a military base and everything!

Or maybe the whole post- sun screen lady talk “the fact that you’re bothered that I’m not bothered is starting to bother me” is so them. And the discussion ending with “I think your ego was ever so slightly bruised bruised because I trust you, implicitly’ which I think was really interesting and good point.  (And Perdie’s American accent just always cracks me up, especially when she does it to mock someone else...)

Especially with the bit we got from Jay and Perdie talking about jealously and stuff. So far Juliet is not doing anything green-eyed-monster-ish, even if there was some vibes about the manicurist but that was more of a... not surprised since I know you, is this going to be weird for us? thing but I do still feel like Thomas Magnum would be a bit jelly, him being the emotional one and all. So we shall see, perhaps it was all misdirect in that interview and we will get jealous Magnum. (Perhaps Ethan could come back for a minute and be like ‘Hi babe, I’m back, what’s up’. That would be peek drama... I mean a girl can dream right?)

Also, why was there no scene of Miggy buying the baby car seat? I need that scene and if my muse permits I will be writing the ‘deleted scene’ fic for that.

Gordon’s ‘I deserve nothing’ feels

I get where our stand up guy Gordy was coming from with this and I felt pretty good about how it’s going so far. I do hope for some dark-depressed Gordon going down the wrong path before the Ohana saves the day and makes him see what he’s doing because I do love that shit, but him deciding he want to fight to be a cop was real nice too there at the end.

The Ohana 

I was a little worried they wouldn’t nail the dynamic between everyone but so far I think it’s pretty great. Jin and TC in 5.02 was a little unexpected but I like them as weird as them as a duo was for me somehow. Jin always having new schemes is fun, but I have been wishing since like last season (I do believe It was one of my season 4 hopes) for him to actually find something he likes and is sort of midly legal and he enjoys. Like actual character development for the goofy sidekick? I know, it might be too big of an ask.

But everything from Magnum calling favours while Rick is with the baby, Kumu bartending at La Marina to give him some time, Gordon getting them their undercover gigs with the coast guard, Jin suggesting he and Juliet make babies for the good of the world, just all around the fun and good feels they all bring. I’m just hoping for some Cade too, he is coming back this season right?

The Green / Someone Out to Get the Gang storyline

Yes. 

So far that is the only thing I have to say. Just a big Yes. Someone is out the get the guys, we’re getting some seriously bad guys killing a character we’ve actually spent time with (and kind of like even if he did send our favorit boi off to get killed...)

It seems were getting straight into this if the summary for next week is anything to go by, with Magnum starting to look into Green’s death.

Just a question

My one mild dislike/question mark was the fact that the cases started off so very similar. With the whole client wanting to know the truth about their dead loved one who has died accidentally / by her own hand and then it turns out ‘wham’ not so accidental and then our favourite PIs have to find the truth.

It’s not a bad formula and we’ve had it before on the show a couple of times to be sure. Just a tiny bit weird that they were just right after each other and being so alike. Maybe they could have varied them a little by meeting the client somewhere else? Like IDK, it was just something that felt a bit same-same at the start, probably extra so because I watched them back to back.

Anyways, other than that, no complaints. 

Passenger case/story-line

This one was nice, lots of twists and turns and it all came together so very nicely at the end. New cop guy whose name escapes me seems kind of fun. Like clearly he’s going to use his two new PI ‘friends’ to do stuff he can’t get done, while also seeming like a hardass. So yeah, I’m excited. 

(So many more fun ways they could have combined Miggy and handcuffs... just saying).

I did feel like Higgy (or Perdie) was very passionate about the abused lady and I might have enjoyed that if there was some personal antidot with her helping some friend or other situation. Just to anchor it or something. It didn’t need it, it’s just I love Higgy backstory.

The lifeguard on duty case/story-line

So is there anything better than seeing Magnum squirm after putting sun screen on a random woman at the beach. Maybe seeing our babies show up rocking red swim suits, ready to save the day.

Did not 100% see the whole ‘killed to keep the secret because the boss is in on it’ thing, though boss guy seemed shady from first second on screen. Still, this one was more about just them being undercover (even if it didn’t cover that much...)

Side note: Did I sort of almost get one of my wishes with the lifeguard thing with the call back to ‘Blood in the Water’? I feel like I did, even if there was no heartfelt feels about it, I might still count it.

Next week

The promo and the summary makes me pretty sure we’re getting the Rick and Juliet kidnapped episode. Which you know, feels to me like it should be the episode everyone finds out about Miggy. Maybe. Like at the same time, sneaking around sexy-times also fun. I do really hope we get some little bit of anxious BF Magnum screen time. Because if not, then what was it all for???

Rick trying to get Juliet to spill the beans on who TM’s new GF might be - that is going to be so hilarious. But I feel like he must already know, because Thomas did confess to feels for Juliet back in season 4. Even if baby induced amnesia could be a thing, I feel like it’s just him having figured it out, trying to get her to tell him. So he can win the bet on ‘when will Magnum and Higgins get together’ which don’t tell me there isn’t a bet? If there is a text chain there is a bet.

So yeah, I want it to be a week from now, thank you! 

(Also nextepisode.net says 17 episodes for this season and the scrip seen to sugest the same... does that mean 17+10 or 17 +3 or just 17 or 17 + 100 more eps. because our show is the best and they realised and are going to keep making season until the end of time? Asking for a friend...)

[emily-explains]

Just finished Inside man on netflix. I was excited to watch it because I love mysteries and David Tennant, or rather I was excited to watch until I saw that it was by Steven Moffat. When I realised that I was interested but nervous. Moffat in my experience (and in the observations of others) is great at concepts and terrible at execution.

Inside Man was the same story - the concept a good man turns violent due to an untenable situation and ‘everyone can be a murderer it just takes a good reason and a bad day’ is interesting but the show itself hinges on an initial plot hole and ongoing ridiculous writing that has always been an issue

Spoilers below the cut

First the initial plot hole - the misunderstanding that sets the whole thing in motion is that Janice finds what she thinks is Ben’s CSEM on a USB. She then doesn’t believe Ben’s father when he tries to explain that it isn’t Ben’s but rather a troubled man from his church (or even the father’s himself as he tries to tell a more believable lie in lieu of the unbelievable truth.) However, Janice was handed that USB by Ben himself, its insane that a woman as clever as Janice (and she is clever the rest of the show - successfully manipulating her captors into making mistakes) would assume and then unshakeably believe that the teen boy who casually handed her a USB full of CSEM was aware that the “porn” on the usb was that kind of porn. It might have crossed her mind, but when she talked to the father there should have been more confusion, or she should have accepted the father’s believable lie that it was his USB and not his son’s. But  no that would have left room for normal adult discussion, and would have halted the plot. So in order for the plot to start a very clever woman must be incredibly dumb for the 15 minutes it takes for her to find CSEM and then end up imprisoned in the cellar.

Second the ridiculous writing - it’s present in a couple of things - the fact that a freelance journalist has enough resources to fly from the UK to the US to do an interview that may not even pan out into an article - she could have done that via video call (as we unrealistically see the Grier and the Vicar doing at the end of the series) but that would have meant that would couldn’t have her prove her worth (read: low-morals) to the death row detective that she is trying to interview by being his person on the ground to solve one of his cases. Which is something that does nothing in the plot but impress upon us just how smart Grier is (and just how dumb the journalist can be).

However it is mainly present in the way that Grier himself works - he is another example of one of Moffat’s leading men that mysteriously have control over the world and people in it with no logical explanation. I can accept that a criminal who was also a professor of criminology can solve crimes from his prison cell. What is ridiculous is that he seems to have devotees scattered around the world ready to put his every whim into action. Do serial killers get fangirls - yes, would this character if he was real have fangirls - probably BUT he would not have the resources to be mastermind whole espionage ordeals from his cell - even with “special” access to a phone. It reminds me of doctor who under Moffat where the doctor could win battles just by saying he was the doctor the most uber-special man in the universe. Or Sherlock that totally jumped the shark until it became an utterly ridiculous show down of very special men with their very special brains (oh and their very special sisters.)

The show would have been much better is Grier had been a bit more realistic - solving crimes in his cell without a network of devotees and his very special grasp on things, and if the Journalist had been a bit smarter and used her investigator journalist skills to locate Janice’s flat herself for example.

All in all and impressive acting from the whole cast a decently interesting concept and terrible execution (but then it is a Moffat show)

[aidanchaser]

Hello! Here are my questions for the tag you posted: 5, 23 and 32! I hope you had a nice weekend!

5. Fanfic pet peeves

I hate to be an English teacher about this but improper grammar, punctuation, and paragraph breaks KILL me in fanfic. I know fic is a space for writers to learn and grow but oh man I can't stand it. Sometimes it's not so bad and I literally just rewrite it in my head as I read but especially with dialogue if it's not punctuated properly I will nope out of it.

I also don't care much for first person, and will often nope out of a fic if it's in first person. I really couldn't tell you why. It's like a cat touching a bathtub. I open it, I see the wet, and I get out. I'll only read a first person POV if it comes highly recommended by a trusted friend.

23. Favorite trope to write

It's probably no surprise, but I love an AU. I love taking characters from one setting and putting them into a new setting with new problems.

I used to love high school AUs when I was in school but now writing a high school AU feels like going to work. Even college AUs don't appeal to me. Harry Potter AUs were this super cool blend of school AU and magical AU and I used to love sorting characters but now those have a bad taste, too, so my favorite is probably fairy tale AUs, which I've done for Percy Jackson and am working on for Ladybug.

Funnily enough, I don't read alternate setting AUs too often? When it comes to reading I often prefer like, alternate timelines, more small changes in line with the Harry Potter Everyone Lives AU or other fun potential breaking points from canon.

32. Copy and paste your top three favorite lines/jokes/sentences you’ve ever written. What fics do they come from?

TY for this question bc it forced me to go back through the depths of my AO3 and reread some of my favorite pieces.

“You know,” she says, “I suppose I never really expected Black to be gay, but I definitely pegged Lupin.”

But the worried boy she glimpsed is long gone.

Potter quirks an eyebrow, and there’s nothing but pride and boyish joy in it. “You’ve pegged Lupin?”

Heat flushes into her cheeks and she grabs a pillow off of the bed and throws it at his head. He laughs and ducks. It lands on the door with a heavy thump and falls to the floor.

from Accidental Reindeer, a modern Jily Holiday Romcom AU

If he thinks about — if he really sits down and thinks about his relationship with Evans, whatever that is exactly — he doesn’t mind that she knows he and Remus are together. He doesn’t mind that she knows he’s gay. But it wasn’t James’ secret to share, and Sirius is so protective of his secrets.

He’s not embarrassed or ashamed; it’s the opposite, really. Sirius has, ever since he was a child, intentionally hidden all the best parts of himself. He buries a tender heart under the roar of a motorcycle. He buries his unshakeable loyalty under harsh, cutting swears. He buries his love for his friends and Remus under layers of thick skin and carefully sharpened barbs.

James, Remus, and Peter have all, in intonations ranging from tender to desperate, asked him why he’s such an arsehole all the time, and he doesn’t really have an answer. At least, not a real answer. He’s buried that truth so deeply that even he can’t reach it.

While Sirius buries all the better parts of himself and flaunts his bad habits like the final sale items in a shuttering shop, Remus displays only his very best habits on carefully dusted shelves and buries his anger, his grief, and his desire in the coldest, darkest of cellars.

from the sequel to Accidental Reindeer, a WIP about Sirius recovering from the holiday with Remus and James accidentally outing him and Remus to Lily

Maybe Regulus and Dumbledore alike did not deserve forgiveness, but love was not always about what people deserved.

from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Everyone Lives AU

[sins-of-the-sea]

With that said, the Seven REALLY DO NOT APPRECIATE anyone bringing up what happened in their childhoods to bring upon pity, belittlement, and especially derision. Not only because much of them were out of their control (especially if it's a historical event), but because it insinuates that these grown-ass adults never 'grew up', so to speak. It doesn't just deprive them of their dignity, but their autonomy--which is already incredibly limited due to their souls belonging to the Master. There are some notes to take with a few.

This is especially true for Giovanni, who, as far as everyone knows, is still stuck in the cellar and struggling to survive against the yearly acqua alta for ten. cold. dark, and lonely years. And modern day therapy, counselling, and medication does not exist during the 1500s-1700s. While he has a loving and caring support system now, they--especially Josep--have a nasty habit of infantilizing him. Even Ruixiong, his biggest advocate and proponent on him becoming his own man, treats him more like a little baby brother instead of acknowledging the fact Giovanni is over 100 years older chronologically and 2 physically. The only reason Giovanni allows this is because, by becoming the Crew morality pet, it discourages them from wanting to abandon him as he fulfills a role absent in many of their lives. But GOD, he can't stand being coddled and treated like a kid, or worse--a prisoner. He's not even allowed to grow a beard, so his babyface is somewhat enforced.

Rashid is the only one without any notable childhood trauma--his anguishes based on childhood were all slow-burn sadness and regrets from not having developed better relationships with his father and brothers rather than any real life-changing event or events. The youngest you can go to something 'life-changing' is when he first met Sukhbir at around 16 and then deciding to obssess and devote his life to just around her. But he would tell you that was a joyous event, not a traumatic one. The Fucked Up Moment (TM) was ten-ish years after marrying her, and it was that point that everything turned for the worst.

Of the rest of the Crew, the most emotionally well-adjusted from their childhood traumas are Abena and Phoebus. Though this comes with an OOC precedent. Besides balancing out the number of people among the Seven with debilitating childhood trauma, this is also to try to have their Sin Stories come from their personal, human, autonomous actions rather than JUST on being victims of the Atlantic Slave Trade and antisemitism in Renaissance Avignon. In other words, their Envy and Sloth is NOT just on being black or Jewish. It's their actions--or lackthereof--that set their Sins in stone, with their traumas as a contributing factor but not the dominant one.

Really, the only characters whose childhood traumas RULED their lives is Ruixiong and Josep. And in their defenses--Ruixiong was still very young when he sold his soul to the Master and lived on his own without any real parental figures throughout much of his life until he met Rashid at age 19. Josep, meanwhile, is subjected to the most mistreatment by the Master, who gets his jollies tormenting him (as Captain) if the Crew fucks up in their missions, so the trauma is frequently reinforced. In the modern day, Josep would have been diagnosed with C-PTSD and likely would require regular visits with his health professional team for the rest of his life.

.....so that leaves out Guy, lmao. Well, he IS the most (literally) volatile member of the Crew, arguably more than Josep, and Josep’s Sin is Wrath. I suppose he’s a little bit of all of the above--childhood trauma based on his identity and historical events, never given a chance to heal or grow. Poor, Jewish, AND gay. It’s no wonder he burned down an entire mansion full of rich partying people with little provocation. Josep may be angry and ready to throw down a fight at any given moment, but Guy won’t hesitate to incinerate anyone for seeing him lesser than human. We can laugh at him being 100% Horny on Main, but there are times and places for it. Guy’s volatility is no different from that of a rutting animal who can’t find release and relief. No release? No relief? No way of having a healthy means of simple human needs met? You get a man who’ll explode at any given moment, and I don’t mean through a sexual climax.

[ecsundance]

The Evil Dead (1981)

WHAT OTHER REVIEWERS ARE SAYING: https://www.stevepulaski.com/2023/04/11/the-evil-dead-1981-review/

If you've ever wanted to feel like you were a demon hunting down a group of people, The Evil Dead (1981) is exactly what you need. From its opening scene this film utilizes POV shots from an unknown observer that is pursuing our unlucky protagonist and his friends with the intent to taunt, torment, and terminate.

Sami Raimi's successful cult classic follows five friends who decided to take a trip to a cabin in the woods. It sounds like a lovely idea really. Maybe they cross the Tennessee border, stay up in the mountains, reminisce of good times, and sing Kumbaya. The look of the cabin and the use of POV shots to represent an ever watching observer quickly put this idea of a calm vacation to rest.

As they approach the cabin, specifically Scott (Richard DeManincor), the porch swing is repetitiously banging itself against the walls of the cabin. Now to me this does not seem very inviting, and even less inviting when it immediately stops as Scott reaches the door. However, this is a horror movie, so of course Scott and his friends will continue inside, they have yet to tell scary ghost stories!

Once inside the mystery gang begins to investigate for clues! They find a really not at all suspicious cellar that is pitch black when they look down into it, a table that someone had clearly been chained onto with all the necessary tools for a bloody disembodiment placed within hands reach! How inviting! Of course nobody has any concerns about what they are witnessing which seems typical of a horror film.

Scott being the curious young fella he is decides to go down into the cellar alone with just his flashlight, which he totally doesn't even turn on as he's walking down. I don't know if it was just me or what but he didn't turn that thing on. Anyway, the gang looks down into the cellar with anticipation, which then turns to worry as a few moments go by of absolute silence. Worried by this, Ashley (Bruce Campbell), decides to investigate. One thing this film does pretty well is the suspense, and this scene was a perfect example of that. It is a rather silent and eerie scene as he descends into the unknown. You're left questioning yourself. Will he find Scott or not? What happened to Scott. What if... Oh there's Scott he's fine just pulling a little joke haha! I knew that.

Okay I'm running out of words here, so I'll speed run the rest of this real quick. Scott and Ash find a recorder from some old dude that was investigating demons. They also find the book of the dead which is bound by human flesh and inked in human blood (so says the movie but I'm a bit skeptical on its legitimacy). Since the two are geniuses they play the recording out loud which summons demons who are pissed because they were enjoying their nap in hell. One of the women on the trip, who is also a genius, goes outside alone in the middle of the night and gets sexually assaulted by the trees (not an exaggeration even in the slightest). This scene is rather disturbing, but it does set up an important plot point, which is the fact that this group of people is stuck in that cabin unless they want to be killed by the possessed woods.

That woman then turns into a literal demon and begins to pick each of the lucky campers off one by one who also turn into demons, leaving our lucky contestant Ashley to defend himself while also EXCERCISING THE DEMONS. He does while getting the tar kicked out of him, but I mean how often can you practice for this sort of thing. Eventually he realizes that the book of the dead has control over the demons, so he hucks it into the fireplace. If you have no desire to watch this movie just watch this ending scene, I insist. They utilize stop motion to highlight the slow decay of the demons and it's so creative and interesting.

"Wow, so Ash has no friends now. Had to kill his girlfriend too. Jeez at least this closing scene has a beautiful sunset and he can finally get out of here." At least that's what I thought until that notorious POV shot return, which then tracks directly into Ash and seemingly possesses him before cutting to the credits. Like many Indie films we are left without closure as this brief ending scene implies that Ash has not successfully gotten rid of his demon problem.

This is a classic horror film done in indie fashion. It is a formally unique film, stylistically impressive considering its limited budget, and it uses the tropes of the horror genre in a classic fashion. The practical effects are a sight to behold and I couldn't help but be impressed by the lighting in most scenes, but especially in a few stand out scenes. Overall, Bruce Campbell is cool.

Thank you,

Ben Wilson