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theelvenhaven · 3 years

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Feanor’s Daughter

I’ve had several people encourage me that I take Fëanor’s Daughter a step further and outside of just a readers perspective and go ahead and make her an OC.

If y’all have any questions about her I’m happy to have a discussion about her 💖

So I present to you Vanifinwë (q. Beautiful Finwe). It’s her Ataresse q. Father Name. I guarantee you that Fëanor would ABSOLUTELY keep Finwë in his daughters name.

Anamartindë (q. Long Fate). Her Amilisse q. Mother Name, it was given to her not long after she was born as Nerdanel had a vision of her. Though she never told anyone what it was about, and Feanor begrudgingly relinquished to his equally as stubborn wife about why she chose it. Though Vanifinwë would eventually understand the meaning of her name.

Failendis (q. Fair Minded/Just/Generous) Her Epesse q. After Name, given to her by not only by her brothers, but those around her who got to know her. Happily she adopted it, though Vanifinwë was her Cilmesse q. Chosen Name

Though when she arrived in Middle Earth she stuck with the Sinda version of Failendis which would be Faeleth (s. Just/Generous One).

* * * Things About Vanifinwë and Coming to Middle Earth* * *

1. She is the youngest and completely unplanned and unexpected Feanorian, and was born unusually close to Amrod and Amras. So they all three grew up together.

2. Vanifinwë idolized her amille and out does Makalaure in being most tempered like her. Though she does have an explosive temper, it just takes a lot to push her there.

- She’s a renaissance elf when it comes to the arts, always doing what Nerdanel or Makalaure were doing. So she has a broad range of artistic abilities.

- Nerdanel highly encouraged her natural abilities in the arts, as did Makalaurë. The two taking the time to tutor her diligently when she showed interest.

3. Like her parents, she has an incredible will and is very stubborn. She’s not unreasonable unless she see’s that there’s an injustice happening, no matter how minute it seems to someone else. Vanifinwë takes them very seriously.

4. It is how she got Failendis as her epesse, as she was constantly mediating all the brotherly bickering and arguments. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t any of her business, she very stubbornly made it her business.

- Even when she was a little elfling, she’d butt in and tell everyone to stop or point out who was being unfair.

- Much to Tyelkormo’s and Curufinwe’s distaste despite their good relationship, it was utterly annoying as she got older, when she caught wind of them antagonizing Carnistir.

- Tyelperinquar was her closest companion even despite being so close in age with Ambarussa. Even as she got older she had a close bond with him, the two spending lots of time together.

- Each of her brother’s spent copious amounts of time with her to build a strong bond and relationship with her.

- Her closest relationships with her brothers were with Maedhros, Maglor and Caranthir.

5. When Feanor and her brothers first went to Formenos, she stayed behind with Nerdanel for a considerable amount of time before rejoining them there. Nerdanel seemed saddened, but didn’t argue nor discourage her.

- While there she saw the severity of the state her father was in, and the tension that he seemed to wear constantly.

- Vanifinwë had been in the Fortress with Finwe when he had been killed, and was the first to find him after hearing all the commotion.

6. When her father made the oath, and her brothers took it up- they all heavily anticipated for Vanifinwë to take up the oath too.

- Considering she saw what Melkor had done to their grandfather, and what they had stolen and the further division he had caused. Yet she didn’t take it and refused to take it.

- This was heavily disliked between her brothers and father alike and Feanor very harshly voiced this to her.

- Fëanor heavily came to the verge of disowning her, and told her to her face. Considering this was his daughter and viewed her just as capable as her brothers.

- That almost made her take the oath, but she stuck her ground even if it stung badly.

- Those words also had tasted a little too bitter for Fëanor’s taste and he left it all up in the air. Never clarifying further whether he had decided too or not.

- Though Vanifinwë took his inability to push things further as him fully disowning her. It devastated her.

- Vanifinwë almost got the twins to reconsider for Nerdanel’s sake, almost. But Feanor was too adamant and managed to keep a hold over them.

- She decided at that point if her brothers were going to leave, that she was going to follow too as she wanted to be able to make sure she could help.

- Fëanor absolutely denied her from following them, straight up telling her if she’d betray him then she had no purpose following.

- Vanifinwë followed anyways, though she joined the host of Fingolfin.

7. When the kinslaying took place, it was Fingolfin that kept her from reacting against her father as he demanded the ships from the Teleri.

- She also didn’t participate at all in the kinslaying, only watching much to her horror how easily her family slaughtered innocent people.

- It was a defining moment that permanently changed her view on her father, and for a time her feelings wavered for her brothers.

- The thing that further set things in stone for the change in heart of her father was when he stranded them in Valinor, and left them no choice but to cross the Helcaraxë.

8. Vanifinwë stuck very close with her cousins and uncle through the duration of the crossing and rarely spoke.

- With as long as it took to cross it gave her plenty of time to fester about her feelings for her father and brothers actions.

- In the rare time she spoke, it was to Fingon about what had happened. Fingon swayed her to at least reconsider her feelings about her brothers, though he validated her feelings about her father.

- Other times she spoke was when she’d speak with Fingolfin apologizing for what her family had done. But Fingolfin only explained she wasn’t responsible for her siblings and fathers actions.

- Though she’d clam up when Fingolfin would ask how it was she felt, the wounds of everything that transpired running too deep and too fresh.

9. When they arrived in Middle Earth and she was reunited with her siblings things were naturally not very warm, even despite their surprise and excitement to see her.

- It was Vanifinwë that kept things so cold, as she knew didn’t know what to expect from her brothers. Whether they’d be made or sad or happy, but even at their happiness she didn’t fall back into the familial groove.

- When they told her Fëanor had died, Vanifinwë didn’t shed a tear nor did she mourn her fathers loss.

- She felt it only fitting for all the chaos and destruction he caused over some gems. Much to her brothers dismay she openly voiced this.

- This very much surprised her brothers, as they had mourned the loss of their father, they had thought she’d do the same.

- But when they told her how Maedhros had been captured by Melkor and they hadn’t seen him since, Vanifinwë wept for him.

- They told her how Amrod has passed in the burning of the ships at Losgar, she flipped into a verbal rage against them. Completely losing her temper against them. Most took her tongue lashing in silence.

- It was Celebrimbor and Maglor who finally got her to calm down and manage to keep Curufin and Caranthir from rebutting angrily in return. Curufin being on edge already for her lack of mourning for Fëanor.

- Once she was calm enough it was then they told her about how Thingol had banned Quenyan, and that she must choose a Sindarin version of her names.

- For a considerable time Vanifinwë went nameless mulling it over, though she told her siblings she refused to use her father name- much to Curufins displeasure.

- It was Maglor who helped her, and merely accepted that she wanted to go by her Epesse mainly. Both drawing to Faeleth.

* * *

Tags: @saviorsong @lilmelily @dicksoutformtl @fandomhoe101 @icarus-fell-in-spring @allinwonderlands @red-riding @eluriel-undomiel

A/N: I made her on ArtBreeder, then sent her through a couple editing apps to get the freckles and her hair dark enough.

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thesevenumbrellas · 4 years

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Do you have any head-canons for the siblings going to pride together or separately?

EDIT: Sorry for the way this is formatted, Tumblr won’t let me change it even though I’ve tried.

I've been thinking of something like this! In this AU all siblings are LGBT+ but I won't be specific because people deserve to use their own headcanons and see themselves in whatever character they want. I also bold the names so you can read which character part you want.

The Pride AU

Aka Klaus Brings His Siblings to Pride

Klaus starts going to pride at 16. He'd sneak out of the house the day before and stay with a friend/ girlfriend/ boyfriend/ anyone Reggie didn't know about. He'd get dressed up, wear glitter, the whole thing. He never misses it.

It's a few years after they've all moved out and he's 22. He's barely spoken to any of his siblings other than Diego. Not that that's on purpose. He's pretty sure Diegos stalking him. He just wants to forget his "family." He wants to drink and smoke and snort and inject himself into a world where ghosts and superpowers and abuse don't exist... He's in a bad place of his life.

That's when he runs into Vanya. It's totally on accident. He sees a small woman waving a flag from the other side of the parade and thinks "huh that looks like my sister." Then she meets his eyes and he realizes "THAT'S MY SISTER!"

He doesn't know what possesses him but he gestures for her to wait. He doesn't know why but she nods. He waits for a break in the parade and shoots over, ignoring the cries of his "friends" he's with. (They're not his friends. He can barely remember their names. He doesn't think they know his either.)

The day that Vanya and Klaus have together would take up so much room to write I might as well type up a whole other post. But pretty much they don't actually talk much about sexuality/ gender. Sure it starts off as a few awkward questions about it but Vanya sees the far away look in Klaus' eyes same as he sees it in hers. For the first time they have a conversation not about their dad or superpowers. They just talk about everything else. What they're doing, how they're doing, their interests, their lives.... By the end of it Vanya offers to take Klaus back to her place. He says no. He can't bring himself to accept her help. Not yet. But they agree to meet up next year for Pride. He never has to put up with nameless strangers friends again. He always goes with her.

He never goes with Ben when he's alive and Klaus is disssapointed about that. But the first pride they go to together... It opens Ben's eyes to a whole new world. He always knew other LGBT+ people existed of course, but anyone outside his family felt so far removed from Ben's reality... But this is real. There are so so so many people. Thousands? Tens of thousands? It feels like a million people are around them laughing and cheering. They're all proud of their sexualities and genders and they're all so happy. He wishes he could've been part of it... When he was alive...

Diego is definitely not stalking Klaus. It's not his fault he has to check out every police call about a junkie. He could never forgive himself if Klaus-- well... He's just being a good brother!

It's the day before Pride when Diego finds Klaus is a gross motel room. There had been 3 calls complaining about the noise amongst other things, but by the time the police arrived everyone had scattered. Well... Mostly everyone.

Diego wouldn't have even usually gone. He was a vigilante, what was he going to do? Stab their speakers because they had bad music taste? But it had been a slow night. And something about the call had made his stomach turn. It was just a feeling.

There were three people left in (or around) the room. All passed out. And of course one of them was Klaus. Luckily Diego managed to sneak him out after a few words with Eudora and a promise to bring coffee next time he crashed a crime scene.

He took Klaus to their usual diner and fed him whatever he wanted and offered him a place to stay. It was the usual song a dance. Fifty fifty Klaus would take him up on the offer, although his brother would always disappear after a night or two. But this time Klaus shook his head and said “I’m meeting Vanya in a few hours anyway.”

Wait what? Since when did those two hangout??

This was before Vanya wrote her book so he had nothing against Vanya but he’d also never imagined her and Klaus... hanging out.

Diego was curious enough that he tagged along. To... whatever the heck this was.

“This” was Pride.

His response was similar to Ben’s. He’d never really thought that something like this could exist. Sure, he’d seen it on the news and such but he’d never thought to join in.

It takes him a few hours to get over the crowds and heat because obviously it’s Diego but once he starts to relax... he starts to enjoy himself. He starts to really love it. This was where he belonged. This was the “lgbt community.” Right here in front of him. And he was part of it.

He joins Vanya and Klaus (and Ben) every year.

It’s after the apocalypse when the others join. Klaus mentions it to Luther first because... okay he feels bad for the big guy. He just looks so sorry for himself all the time and Klaus takes pity on him. Luther mentions it to Allison and asks her to come along because he’s nervous to go with the others. And then of course Allison invites Five because they are NOT leaving him by himself he’d either finish off all the alcohol or commit a crime or both.

And thus all the Hargreeves go to pride.

Luther instantly loves it as soon as he gets a few drinks down him. And at pride that’s pretty easy to do. (God bless people selling Jell-O shots and water on the street.) He’s been needing a feeling of belonging, a purpose... and this is it. He talks to everyone and makes new friends quicker than even Klaus does.

Allison is recognized because of course she is. At first she’s kind of slightly annoyed but then she notices the looks in her fans eyes because they’re not amazed she’s Allison Hargreeves, she’s amazed that she’s HERE AT PRIDE! And you can imagine their extra amazement when she tells them she’s not here as an ally, she’s LGBT+! She ends up taking pictures and signing things all morning and gets invited to speak at loads of meetings even after Pride is done. And in the end she goes to all of them.

And then there’s Five. Five had given as much thought to his “labels” as he did to his name. He was who he was and he didn’t need to define it. There were always more important things to do like survive and save the world.... but sometimes he forgets exactly what he’s saving. And he realizes... this is it. THESE are the people he worked so hard to save.

And they still need saving.

Later he won’t say it “all started there” but... in a way it did. Because of course he needs a mission, a goal. And helping the LGBT+ community becomes that goal.

There is always a world to save after all.

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #tua #tua mini stories #tua au #mini story #klaus hargreeves #ben hargreeves #luther hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #allison hargreeves #number five #five hargreeves #diego hargreeves #pride

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brujoenlafrontera · 4 years

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hi!!! I’m a puertorriqueño/nicaragüense enby looking into resources for learning bruja stuff, any good place you know to start?

I’ve gotten a couple of asks about this lately, and i’m so happy to know there are more latinos finding their way to the practice, tumblr’s brujeria tag often gives the impression that theres so little of us out there reclaiming our practices but getting asks like these brings me a lot of faith that thats not true :) first and foremost:

GETTING INTO BRUJERIA IS HARD.

it really is. baby brujos like us know that better than anyone- getting started, is often the hardest part of doing anything, and its no different with brujeria. it can feel so overwhelming and feeling lost is natural. from my experience, although i am still a newbie ive been able to find a lot of information out there, here are the best places to find info, sorted by priority:

FAMILY! a little self explanatory, but brujeria at its best is truly is an inherited, familial practice. If you can, before delving into internet resources, definitely connect w your family if you’re able to and ask them for guidance and about their experiences!

Your family is always the best resource over anything you can find online; theres so much misinformation out there or information not relevant to your region and if someone in your family already has established practices, always trust them first

Do some thinking back to all your cultural traditions, quirks, stories, and superstitions that you’ve learned from your family across time and never thought too much about- and rediscover them under a new light

KEEP IN MIND: brujeria is NOT a singular , concrete practice w concrete rules in itself, the term blankets a lot of traditions across latam, the caribbean, mexico, but imo its always best to stick with brujeria related to your heritage and where your connection is.

this can be hard for people (like me!) with huge family taboos toward brujeria that make it unsafe to ask around about, and/or limitations in family connections (also like me unfortunately). I personally can really only get the tidbits and stories that my family accidentally slips out when I occasionally see them. i try to write them down as much as possible, but the info i can get is limited... and thats where the following comes in.

ONLINE COMMUNITIES. i.e, youtube, tumblr, instagram brujx communities. notice I haven’t said “internet” in general- the reason why i trust community based social media more than random individual websites you find on google is because, in the case of brujeria and honestly any non-european craft, you’re often gonna find a LOT of white people writing blogs, books, etc about their “spiritual experiences” in latam countries and wrongly/incorrectly taking ATR or indigenous traditions (like with smudging). I know, with social media, although those same white people are also on insta and tumblr, it’s a LOT easier to see the face behind the accounts and differentiate who to trust, who’s legit and has real experience to share, rather than a nameless, faceless, website that is actually some colonizer sharing colonized ideas who thinks theyre on a spiritual journey taking traditions all willy nilly. And the fact that in social media, its much easier to find a lot of good brujas at once bc they tend to follow each other lmao.what ive personally done to find information tho is essentially SCOUR tumblrs, insta accs, and watching tons of youtube videos for posts, accounts, videos, etc, and narrowing down good info from there through , namely:

CHECKING WHO YOUR SOURCE IS!!!

ASKING YOURSELF FROM WHAT EXPERIENCE THEYRE SPEAKING FROM

ALWAYS TAKING EVERYTHING WITH A GRAIN OF SALT

AND STICKING TO INFO FROM CULTURES OPEN AND RELEVANT TO ME.

again, brujería is different depending on where your family is from in latam, and if you have an established connection to indigenous and/or black roots, so it’s useful to use keywords relating to that when searching (like if ur black, you can look into ATRs(african traditional religions) which tend to mix deeply with brujeria, if ur indigenous, finding other people from your tribe is great, and if youre not pursuing your already learned traditions you can think about connecting to them more deeply(altho indigenous traditions are their own thing, sometimes they do mix with brujeria too), and apart from familial roots, if ur catholic/christian and/or want to explore it, saint work/catholic brujeria might be a good fit for you!)

tumblr: there are a couple of fantastic brujxs on this site with great blogs and resources who have sadly left the site, but i still go through their posts heavily for spells, rituals, scraps of info! etting started w brujería is hard bc there’s really not that much info out there right now, but i compile as many good brujeria posts i find on my acc.

@brujeria-n-bongs great for catholic brujeria, now at @Upliftherbs on instagram

@brujeria-lost @barberwitch @reina-morada @highbrujita

@naomi121406 is by far the most active and informative tumblr resource ive found, shes an afro-indigenous diaguita curandera from argentina so shes also really helpful if ATRs are in your path!

Im not black myself and dont follow ATRs so i don’t really know many good blogs for afrolatine brujxs out there but if anyone would like to tag some in the replies thatd be awesome!

instagram: Ive found that instagram #brujeria tags has a pretty healthy active stream of posts. You’re gonna have to sift through a lot of them to get to the good stuff though- imo a lot of hispanics use the brujería tag not to mean “latine brujería” but just the spanish word for witchcraft, so a lot of white hispanics will put wicca/neo witchcraft in the tag. imo that’s really not something i’m personally interested in bc it’s not true to brujeria’s traditional nature, is very white/eruropean , and that wicca shit basically just got here. its a relatively a recent thing😭 so i try to stick to bruja accounts that aren’t influenced by that.

youtube: The youtube brujería tag is hit or miss? and again, contains a lot of wicca. But there are some good practitioners on there like The Mexican Witch! You just gonna look around, and dont be afraid to click on videos by really really small youtubers; they often are the ones with the most informative and legit things to say!

Everyone’s path as a bruja/o/x (sjdf trying to be inclusive w gendered language is difficult) is different but here are some topics i think are great to look into as a beginner!

ancestors: start at the bottom and figure out who they are, where theyre from, and set up an altar. it’ll help you a lot with figuring out your identity and path as a bruja later on.

setting up a grimoire

divination: tarot is actually what got me into brujeria at first! tarot isnt strictly traditional and is european in itself but its a wonderful tool for connecting to dieties, saints, etc as well as super fun and helps a lot with introspection

ritual abrecaminos, aka road opening spells!

amarres (love spells... proceed with caution)

limpias, mal de ojo

saint work: even if you’re not catholic (im ex catholic), a growing number of us (especially lgbt latines like @/upliftherbs on instagram) are starting to take back and decolonize our view of saints like La Virgen Maria and removing her from the rigid european/colonized interpretation thats been forced into us

candle spells in general (i fucking love candles tbh, cheap, easy, fun, and WORKS)

spiritual colognes, how to cleanse

finally, here are some helpful posts yall should definitely read and think about moving forward!

about using tumblr as a resource

about looking into brujeria as a part-white part latine

bruja psa + about reclaiming lost indiginety

honestly naomi’s entire brujeria tag is great and super informative for beginners and basically holds answers for almost anything at this point

hope this post helps yall out!

EDIT: oh lord now that this is posted the outline format i tried to use is all kinds of fucked up please dont mind the odd numbering lmfao tumbr hates organized formats

#brujeria #witchblr #POC Witches #witchcraft #baby witch #mine #basics

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sir-phineas-lost · 4 years

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Yes, Ezran is a hypocrite

You ever browse through the TDP-tag and come across something that you take issue with, only to find out it is from someone who already blocked you and you think: “Great, this guy is back on his BS”. Well, situations like that are what the screendump is for.

So yeah, this post is going to be about Ezran and his decisions, and how some segments of the fandom defends said decisions.

Yeah, this much is accurate. Ezran does indeed remain consistent in his desire for peace with Xadia, but as we will see his idea of peace and what is required for it remains decidedly biased in Xadia’s favor.

So here we have the first spectacular example of hypocrisy. Acts of violence in self-defense should indeed be considered acceptable, but what this person neglects to bring up here is that this is something the show, and Ezran in particular, has outright condemned in the past.

Remember Pyrrha? That red dragon from season 2? What was she doing in Katollis in the first place? That's right, terrorizing a town and scouting for Xadia. Soren fires a bolt at her, but it misses and until this point, no actual violence has occurred. Then Pyrrha decides that she has all the excuse she needs to not only attack the watchtower but the entire town full of civilians. Claudia uses dark magic to shoot her down and if we go by this person’s logic, this must surely be an acceptable act of self-defense.

The show really doesn't see it that way though. Ezran doesn’t see it that way. At no point while watching this play out does he ever voice any concern for the people who were attacked or any condemnation of Pyrrha’s actions. And when it is over he does not run into town to make sure everyone there is all right, he runs to Pyrrha to make sure she is ok.

I will probably hear someone argue that at that point Pyrrha was the one who was down and needed the most immediate help in order to stop more death on both sides, but that just highlights my point. His desire to stop the violence on “both” sides conveniently only appears when one side needs it the most. It’s like watching a bully beat up a weaker kid for 5 minutes and then when the victim gets 1 good hit in you suddenly decide that it is time to call for a time-out. The show also goes the extra mile to lay all the blame for this horrible war-crime at Soren’s feet because he “made” Pyrrha attack.

The show clearly didn’t think acts of self-defense were all that different from other acts of violence before so why are we supposed to think it is different when Ezran immolates his own people for the sake of saving Xadia?

No, you don’t have to oppose violence in every circumstance to love peace, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a clear pattern in which situations Ezran decides it is finally time to “stand his ground”.

You can indeed make a great point about the need to fight a battle now and show your resolve in order to avoid greater suffering later, but this is once again a philosophy that both the show and this person has decided to twist in Xadia’s favor. See, this very same idea is at the core of Viren’s plan as well. That humanity must fight and take back their rights now in order to not fall back into a status-quo that leaves them suffering and dying in the long-term.

You cannot argue for this position and need to “fight for peace” without also examining the current relationship between the nations and what that “peace” will actually look like.

Yes, Ezran is very noble for accepting this deal for the sake of the soldiers, but it is once again something that only lasts until it affects someone he actually cares about, namely Zym and Rayla. And all that humanizing of the otherwise nameless and faceless soldiers will go straight out the window.

And here is where this person tries to make all of these contradictions into some kind of cohesive arc for Ezran. That his willingness to kill humans is somethng he has learned as part of his “positive” character growth, but it doesn’t work for one very simple reason. It is completely made up of wishful thinking. I see how someone could hear Soren say this and come to the conclusion that they have acted poorly in the past, but Ezran never has that moment of realization. There is never a scene where he admits fault or that he was naive to think he could stop the slaughter by burying his head in the sand. His decision to abdicate is never treated as anything other than a noble sacrifice and it ultimately turns out to save the day as the soldiers he negotiated to be let go come back as reinforcements along with Duren to kill off the soldiers who followed Viren.

More importantly, if the point was actually that Ezran has learned a valuable lesson about maybe having to do a horribly tragic thing now (like fighting a bloody battle) to prevent a larger tragedy later as this person suggests, then the narrative should still treat this choice to slaughter humans as a tragedy, and it just doesn’t. Instead of treating it as a somber affair they treat it as a clear battle of good vs evil and they make sure to literally dehumanize the soldiers as much as possible to make sure that we don’t feel bad for them. All that “empathy” Ezran felt for these same men and women before can conveniently be ignored in this case. They have once again been reduced to faceless puppets on a board.

But that’s just it, he doesn’t break the cycle, he perpetuates it. This is no longer a conflict that only his ancestors have killed in. There are people who would be alive today if not for decisions he made. Aanya killed Kasef, a boy of 19 with an injured dad and (supposedly) a younger sibling left at home. Should they take the murder of their family without complaint? Does anyone think they will not have a genuine grievance with the child queen who took his life? The same queen who swore to King Ahling that she would not send her troops to die in someone else’s war? Sounds to me like Ezran’s way of breaking the cycle is to kill when it is convenient for his friends and then expect the people he hurt to just let it go. No doubt the show will make Ahling out to be the bad guy for not being the bigger man and forcing Ezran to kill him too. It will always be “necessary” to break with pacifism when Ezran needs it to protect his magical friends.

Ezran will fight for his peace alright, but it is an uneven peace if ever there was one. He will not “stand up” to bullies, he will coddle them and shelter them from the consequences of their actions in the name of this “peace”. The next time Rayla says something bigoted about humans he will let it slide, or laugh at how funny it is. When Zubeia decides to get rid of some humans who practice dark magic in the name of “peace” he will certainly not fight for them half as hard as he fought for the dragon who committed a war-crime right in front of him. Not once has Ezran ever confronted the imbalance of power that started this war in the first place and he has given me no reason to think he will do so now that his “peace” is finally within reach. His new status quo will kill just as many humans as the previous one did, but things will be better for Xadia so why should he care?

That’s funny because it also mirrors every pretentious asshat who thinks they are deep because they can quote something in Latin.

Edit: I bolded the text because it was botheing me how it sometimes blended into the text from the other post.

#the dragon prince #tdp #tdp meta #tdp critical #meta

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noxsden · 6 years

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The Underside of Bliss

My longest story to date, it took a lot of work to get it done but I’m really impressed with how it turned out. Broken up into chapters of sort but I wanted to keep it as one post. Special thanks to @lesleylycan for proofreading and helping me edit. Sorry about the drought in my posts but anyone that enjoys reading them thank you it means a lot. <3 <3 <3

The most dangerous weapon is not the mind or knowledge, but the absence of them. There was a time when darkness was a threat to everyday life. When the tales were raw, and dripping with the vitriol that we hide now. We forgot it is a part of us, that we aren’t above it. We were afraid of the dark, afraid of what lurked in the forests, and for good reason. Now, from our heightened awareness, fear is for savages, it is strange and wrong, unless it’s used it the right way. We forget its lessons, we forgot why the tales were important. They are all based on something true.

Snow clung to the dark, damp bark of the innumerable trees that made up the forest that surrounded the lone figure. Crunching sounds echoed out as bare feet cleaved into the fallen ground, the heat difference leaving a lingering stain. The figure’s head tilted up and darted back and forth, ears flicking to the low pulsing sound in the air. Dancing to the deep throbbing bass sounds that pulsed like a heartbeat, a heartbeat loud enough to be carried along the wind. Also carried along the wind was a heat that betrayed the nature of the brisk air, with a heavy stench to it, one of life. Motivated as if the true path through the labyrinth was discovered, the figure bounded off in that direction.

The figure’s silhouette flashed between the trees, without caring for the distance. It seemed to cover it with a single stride. Limbs telescoped out to bridge the gaps it needed, with only a rustling sound accompanied the movements. The disturbance of the ground left prints of an impossibly large stride, lingering until they returned to nature with the snowfall that brought innocence once more, only the silent gaze of the pale moon knew its secrets. The striding form grew hunched, lowering itself down, bobbing with its leaping movements to gather momentum forward. It turned into a blur of motion as it sought a relief from the pale scrutiny behind the trees that grew closer.

Jagged and twisted shadows sprouted out of the figure’s head, curling into a cresting bramble crown upon the figure’s head from behind its tree cover. Bounding from tree to tree the figure tried to escape the looming darkness that cast its merciless shadow over all that had once lived in the now barren waste of a forest. Tree branches appeared more like bones seeking to scratch and tear away at life that wandered too close, hoping to reclaim their splendor from the verdant daydreams plants have. The winter stretched ever onwards, it had become all that was known. Pale skin barely phased by the frost, and breath that passed unseen, suited for the environment it passed through. Footsteps elongated, weighted more on the toes that curled into the ground and tore away the dirt, blood pooling in the desperate tracks it created. The looming shadow of the horizon nipped at its heels at a steady pace as the pale moon was seduced into its gravity.

The figure was directionless among the trunks, fingernails scraped for purchase, leaving more of itself behind with each movement. The monster’s arms reached forward, stretching to grab at the trees as if they were rungs on a ladder propelling just enough to keep their head above the encroaching tide. It had to keep moving, as warmth beat down on it’s back, a warm glow to cast upon its fragile looking shadow. It had been caught. Sweat formed on its bare skin, heated by the light and seeming to be peeled away as the droplets trailed down. Pain couldn’t be a hindrance, if one gives up from pain the only option is death. A new form became visible in the distance, walking slowly back and forth. Its eyes bore a soft spark of amber, and its grin was hideously white. A cruel taunt of a beckon from the creature before its arms went out awaiting an embrace.

Then with an apocalyptic crash the world shifted. Golden sunlight rained down upon the figures, basking the two in heat. The ground shook beneath them and trees began to flake away under the soft breeze. Blinking the creature found itself in stasis and airborne with no purchase left to give, the being let out a primal roar, shattering what remained of the winter illusion and letting nothing but the shadow remain. With the bolstering glow upon it, the umbra swallowed them. Like searing tar it covered every inch of the misshapen body until it was in nothing but abyss. Bones reached out, clawing where the air had been, searching and seeking, but there was nothing to grab hold of. The fingernails twisted and grew into fine points in a desperate attempt to stay above the surface. The beasts’ efforts were futile and they were dragged into infinity.

************

A series of loud repetitive noises sounded until a frustrated hand came down to knock the alarm away. A routine was hard to break, not having a job was something she had gotten used to,and it wasn’t something she was going to let change her. Coated in a sheen of sweat that was glistening under the light her sliver of a window provided, she begged herself for just five more minutes. Begrudgingly getting up from the bed and walking about the apartment, she was up hours early but there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. She looked back at the bed for a few moments of study, furrowing her features at how it called out to her. Another noise from behind her broke the trance she had, and this time the stubborn alarm was just kicked across the room for its startling cry.

The mirror was the next thing to catch her focus. Hands ran along her arms and then down her stomach as she turned to inspect herself from another angle. She traced the muscle lines of her abs and hips that disappeared into her underwear, the act accompanied by a grumbling sigh. The rest of the morning went on by routine, a small breakfast and shower with clothes picked out for the day. Getting dressed in a leisurely fashion and opening the door to step out when a temperate breeze coasted back in. She looked back at the mirror and caught sight of the many layers she had put on, dressed as if she was stepping out into the middle of winter rather than the artificial season that awaited her.

A silver expanse was what greeted her when she stepped outside, shimmering in the sunlight that kept the snow forever melting from the walls, making every building look as if it was glistening with sweat. Off in the distance, the spires cast their shadows over all buildings and streets and onto the perpetual lines of patrons that sought their healing and soothsaying from on high, delivered by the voices of their idols. Every morning she swore that if she squinted just right she could see them, foregoing work or other important activities to be told how to live by those that claimed to be greater than themselves. As she turned to leave, she spotted an unusual bit of paper, something that stood apart from the routine and had found its way inside the local news. Colorful and bright font drew her eye from the drab it was surrounded by. As she looked it over a chuckle burst forth, loud enough that she swore she heard her neighbors take fright. On the cover it read ‘The Real and Only Truth’.

Pulling out what she assumed was a religious pamphlet from its sanctuary, the grin rose on her face. It was a great pleasure to her, reading the garbage that the organizations tried to shove down people’s throats. Though, as her eyes read over the text she beheld a much different message.

‘The golden city lies in ruins. Barriers broken down, angels brought to ground. The lies unveiled for all to see. Heroes thanked for their deeds. Equality.’

So it was some kind of joke. News of the sister city falling would not be able to be held back. Just some poor fool trying to ruffle feathers. Things were never equal, that was just a word used to make you look the other way. To placate the masses into thinking what they have is the right amount of it. She tossed the pamphlet over the railing and began her descent to the bustling streets of the metropolis.

She enjoyed having a place in the higher levels, snow just barely clung to the railing at her level. Each layer down the concept of the weather seemed to grow more and more faint, fading back into memory. The idea of a jacket seemed to almost fall to the wayside as well, until that breeze came up. She smiled to herself at its predictability. Sometimes it wasn’t so bad. She passed by neighbors with nothing more than a nod, and only sometimes a smile was given in return. What luxury it was to part of the nameless group of her apartment building. Ottilia, It was either a cruel curse or a blessing by her parents to plaster someone with a unique tag, perhaps that was why she was so comfortable keeping it to herself.

She pushed open the door to the chime that announced her number ‘134’, it was much more apt in the bustle of gears than a personalized name. A cog seeking its proper place. As she stepped out onto the street she was greeted with a gust of air, the linger of melted snow brought a damp but fresh aroma to it. Earthy undertones that seemed to spike in her mind clung in the bouquet. It didn’t take her long to run into one of the many lines, having to elbow her way through the disgruntled people to get to her transit.

With time to kill before her interview, she took a detour before arriving, stopping at a few of the parks and picking up a small dish of food from a street vendor at her favorite one. It was relaxing. At times she could close her eyes while sitting on a bench and imagine feeding animals like those old stories talked about. The sounds of bells and machinery became machinations of the organic for just a brief moment until it was snatched away from her grasp as a rude individual bumped into her foot and started shouting at her. Anger was not found on her face as she realized that she had lost her food in the process. The man hadn’t even stopped, instead just continuing to walk and mumbling curses at her without even looking back.

Growling and clenching her fists, she took a couple steps to follow him before a ringing of her alarm went off. The cogs would have to fit back into place. She had to hurry to the interview. Most of the landscape was neutral. Nothing really drew any attention as far as separation from one building to the next. That was until the goliath of a skyscraper towered over all other surrounding buildings came into view. Constructed with arcing and rounded lines, it was built to stand out. They were always hiring, and they always had spots open if the risk was worth the attempt. Never enough at a time for flood gates, but this was her lucky day.

Waiting for the meeting was the toughest part, she had already seen a few turned away with expedient solutions. All the mistakes that could be had, she closed her eyes and did her best to relax. The darkness of her closed eyes gave way to white. Snow, it was so white and fluffy in this place, where she could frolic and wander about the trees. At home, it felt like she was at home. Soon the land was in turmoil as if it was all within a snowglobe that was being shaken to reveal it’s hidden tricks. She woke with a start and looked up to see an assistant sitting there and tapping a pen against a clipboard. An apology every step of the way before she was led into a large office where a man sat behind a large desk with his hands entangled and covering his face. Ominous was the large window sat behind him and could see over the entire city, a sight that seemed impossible had she not been there at this moment. She tried to answer all the questions as honestly as she could, but something in her just wanted to be outside.

The questions had finished quickly and he stood then to walk around the desk and lean in close to Ottilia. Her eyes going wide for a few moments as beads of sweat began to form. This business was always hiring. She watched the assistant leave the room and the man stood back up straight, adjusting to lean against the desk. The climate had shifted dramatically, this city was slowing down and no one quite understood why. Every naysayer had their purpose, but this all watching tower continued to grow. To claim all that was around it and consume the businesses that dared to step out of line. It sold the image well, sell the word they want to hear, and keep them from doing harm, cutting edge indeed.

There were no more questions to be had, no more qualifications to be read off from rehearsal. Time stretched on and the assistant made a few notes just in time for Ottilia to come back into the room and look to her. A keycard given to the quiet woman and she was sent on her way to return tomorrow. A satisfied CEO turned on a dime and went back out to the overlook perch. The door to his office shutting with a slam.

*******

Her days became hectic after that, morning routines were rushed and the scenery became a blur. Colors seemed to drain away as she slogged through her work, even if they were never strong to start. It was an honor to work there, to be given such a high station so quickly. That’s what they kept telling her, watching the unfortunate mob in endless progression, optimism into crushing defeat. Perhaps if they turned to the summit, the words were like poison in her mouth. Poison that she had to drink on regular basis. It kept her mind in balance, in regularity, knowing that the passage of time had happened and that it wasn’t some prolonged instant. It was brief, but the only respite away from the world of four confining walls she had.

Days turned into weeks easily enough, flowing into each other with no real break for breathing. Her mornings had turned more restless and she found her eyes increasingly discerning of her figure. She missed the walking that she had been afforded in her times of freedom, now only sleep was her release. Even then, as evenings became plague with small periods of rest, she woke up just as frazzled. She saw it calling to her, in darkened woods where sound was foreign. She swore her feet were cold with the clinging droplets of melted snow, but there was never any proof. Her mornings grew frantic, the next wake up under more increased stress than the last. The shadow loomed closer, heated breath on her neck, swatting at figures that weren’t there.

In transit she swore she caught scent of that earthy fresh embodiment, but as she sought it out all she received was strange looks. Stepping too far out of her place, back in the line or back of the line were the only options. She was lucky to be afforded such courtesy, imagine what it would be like to have nothing at all. That thought became a daydream that she had to keep secret, smiling behind a false face. Retreating to that paradise where she could knock down her walls and be free, free from the consumption of her being.

At the end of the week she spotted another newspaper, and inside it a small pamphlet, reading the same thing it did so many months ago. Clearly it was mistaken, a cruel joke, nothing would change. The brief look of colors had her transfixed, she dropped it to the ground and let a smile creep over her face. Before she realized it her feet had carried her back to the small park, the warm and inviting food once again in her lap and she sat down to savor. Again her eyes grew heavy and closed, the warmth and aroma carrying her away to lands full of what this park represented. The world that had to be out there, perhaps even just at the city limits, she had never been that far out before. A sense of pressure in the back of her nose, this had all happened before.

Her eyes darted open but they were too late, and she was forced to watch the man bump into her. His hand intentionally knocking her food from her hands. Berating curses were spewed from him, equal parts hot air and vile the man did his best to enact a volcano’s eruption. His footsteps echoed in her mind compelling her to stand up. She could get a better look at the man, in a suit too small for him, dirty with a sense that all others walked on eggshells around him. He reeked of it, physically, mentally, nothing but consumption and rot. Of taking from those around him. Her footsteps echoed his own as she followed him, just a few paces behind. Her mind wild with ideas of what she could do if she caught up, instead she was just a shadow extending from his own. The more time that dragged on the more her will flaked away, she became tempered with each step until she had stopped and watched his offensive figure disappear into the horizon.

*****

Starting off the week on the right foot she got up well rested and free of the shimmering sweat that plagued her so often. Her body seemed to fight her commands, slogging over to the mirror where she felt her hand move along the growing curve. She needed more exercise, I’m sure they’d approve of small breaks if they saw how it was affecting her, she thought to herself. Her production value would go down if she deteriorated any further. Just a slice of what had been the norm, maybe she was just still waking up.

It hadn’t taken long for her day to shift on axis, she hadn’t thought that missing a small amount of time would cause such a stir. Called to the bosses office as soon as she had stepped into the building, her shoulders drawing back and inwards. Soft steps made their way passed the large double doors, finding the boss standing up and overlooking the city. His back was to her, not speaking or turning until she had sat down at the other side of his desk. Hearing the creak of the wood as he walked up to place his hands on the desk. Looking up from her seated position her gaze angled to see the various trophies that lined the ceiling. How had she not noticed them before, staring back at her with their dark empty pits.

An impressive set of antlers seemed to almost frame his head as he loomed over her. It was a speech she had heard all her life, how she needed to be a cog like everyone else. These rules were in place for a reason, smooth and steady meant happy. The leering and angry demeanor seemed to cool and heavy steps carried him around the obstacle his desk had become with a sure and confident pace. Leaning against it and eyeing her up and down, hand reaching out to take her by the chin and tilt her head towards him. There was a feeling of cold sweat that beaded at the back of her head, her eyes never meeting his, simply looking down and accepting the words as they were said. The words were true, but spoken cruelly for laughs. She didn’t need to ask for time, she already knew the answer.

After the uncomfortable amount of time had passed she walked carefully from the office and made her way back down to her own. She didn’t have a choice, one person couldn’t bring down the machine. It would just swallow her up, never to be heard from again, like the lives they ruined everyday. Money was easy to hold over someone, it was easy to bait them down the aisle. The welcome mat like a tongue disguised as a red carpet sweeping away their dreams and leaving nothing left. That was life, especially out here where this city is all that is and all that was. We all accept that snow never finds its way to the streets as normal, she thought to herself, hands coming up to her cheeks as if they could stop her strong features from breaking.

Her cold sweat and unrelenting mornings came back the next day, she could barely get out of bed, let alone walk. Legs aren’t needed to get to where you are going when the will is there to succeed, to survive. The saying rattled in her mind, she couldn’t afford to be sent away. Hurrying through the rest of the routine she barely caught a glimpse of her form’s curves. The sayings were jeering now, ‘if you don’t work you might as well be dead.’ Colorful expressions from something that boasted the best business in the land. She was merely a spec in its towering form. Opening the door she stood still, a mound of snow had seemingly piled up in her doorway.

*****

It was impossible, there hadn’t been a snowfall recorded in some time. Her room still seemed the same as her confused features gave it a thorough look over. Slow steps backwards, a troubled look on her face as she watched the world around her twist and distort. A flicker of light at her side had her turning to look at her mirror. Her normal mirror was gone and had been replaced by a cruel warped funhouse mirror, normally something played for laughs. Yet this one looked on with abject terror, her face pale and cracking away. The sound of rustling and pounding feet grew closer and closer, until it was more like thunder threatening to break open the sky. She had awoke, but not in the bed she remembered. Slowly getting out of but instead prying herself up from the floor. Her eyes immediately widened as they caught sight of her mirror, fractured glass split the one image into many, and all were staring back at her.

Her hands clutched her belly before she backed up into the wall. Her reflection was there, but it was surrounded by emptiness, the manmade structure of her home had vanished. With another step back she found herself in freefall. Her surroundings drifted away until it was all void. She tumbled through it, seeing nothing but black except for the small blips of white in the form of snowflakes. The flakes stilled in time as she spun about, blinking she found that fear didn’t hold grip on her heart. Below her the white ground grew closer, a relaxed pace even as trees came into view they were far away from her landing.

Just before time lost meaning impact was made. The snowflakes started to fall onto her face and bare skin, a heated breath escaped from her body with a laugh, she felt no danger. It was still, quiet, cold, it seeped into her being. It couldn’t be true and she knew that, but boy did she want it to be. If only she was so lucky, pain shot from her stomach causing her to curl into a ball, clutching at herself. Crimson stained the snow, silvered glints of claws flashed out to either side of her form. She started to crawl, until her progress was halted as a force yanked at her ankle. A set of ruby wings burst forth to frame her crippled being. Humiliation increased by a deep bellowing laugh that was followed by pressure on her chest. The weight increasing until the strain was too much and she found her ribs breaking so catastrophically that it echoed out around her.

Suddenly the forest that had only moments ago been a refuge grew tight as many eyes focused on her struggle from all around, staring in the silence, unmoving. Unblinking the judging lights watched her in that position as if it was meant for her. Above her battered form, the dark vision took shape, large and horned, its bellowing laughed carried out in place of her pain. Twisting its leg back and forth, grinding her deeper into the melting snow. She sunk into the ground until the eyes could no longer be seen, until warmth took hold, until her senses were slowly overtaken by pain. Then there was nothing, she was nothing, the abyss had found her again with no horizon or playful sight of snowflakes only existing in her memory.

Twisting into focus the darkness was cut by twisting orange shapes. Curling thorns built into an outline that bathed her broken being in light. Her arms could move, touching her body as the wounds stitched themselves back together. She was made whole in the strange natural and familiar light. A smile crept onto her face, watching the blood return into her pale form giving life. Pleasant pops of joints as her limbs stretched caused her laugh to ring out, louder and louder until it shattered the abyss. Her eyes opened up and she sat up from her bed with a grin.

******

Confident steps had her leave her home as quickly as she had awoken, not even a moment spared to look at herself in the mirror. Quiet became a distant memory, now where her feet fell drew only noise and attention. Even the innumerable lines turned and looked in terror, tripping over themselves to get closer to the opulent gates, and put as much buffer between them as possible. Those glorious gates of faith had fallen closed in their time of need. Neighbors in queue had become enemies as they clawed at each other as if it garnered them freedom from a raging fire. Still she only laughed and continued forward.

Confidence really was the key to getting everything you wanted in the world, that’s how those grand buildings got all their fuel. The vendor still gave her food, double portions even, of which she was able to enjoy and savor in peace for what seemed to be the first time in her life. The streets had grown abandoned around her, the bustle had fled, leaving her victorious. Music came to her ears in the form of a high pitch sound that rained down from above. Familiar sounding that beckon to arms had her standing with a bow towards the vendor she was off to work. One couldn’t be late for such importance.

Each step of stone walkway seemed reminiscent of stepping over tombstones, chills running up her spin from the palpable excitement that lingered around her. The lobby was still lit, rows of white lights and tiles like an open maw, inviting the populace to come wandering into their dooms, one by one. Soon the soft padding of her feet joined the fray that the city had become. The shadows had faded away, with all of their secrets revealed, whether they wanted to look on them or not. She climbed the floors with a purpose, pushing through the bile that tried to flood over her until she would burst free from the bloated corpse reborn. No one ever said a phoenix had to be pretty.

The large man scrambled from station to station, trying to keep the machine working along the tracks as it naturally belonged. The secretary’s station was empty, signs of a struggle was clear enough. Dark crimson covered the room like a coat of fresh paint left to dry, making the fate of the woman obvious as the silhouette of her boss paced back and forth. Even at the top all it did was feed on itself, a glorious city indeed. Soft footfalls might as well have been thunder to the man with the startled look on his face as it turned to look her way. Brandishing a gun to bear down on his creation, and all that he had orchestrated come for the harvest..

*****

The first shot barely registered to her, and even as the next ones rang out, sinking into her chest, the dark little marks with crimson filling was all the reaction her body gave. Her hand lifted up to point to his window, a look of glee on her face as snowflakes fell. From the looks of it, the city had already begun to be coated by the triumphant snow, losing that innocent shine. All of his hard work, vanished in an instant as she laughed at him. There was no pain in her, just rage. Her muscles tightened, lines of definition she didn’t know she had began to fill in. Sickening pops sounded out as her bones extended, limbs curling out and bending in, nails coming to points of claws. That scent, sharp and poignant, left no trace of the gunsmoke, sweat or decay.

She looked to those claws, earthy remnants of bark and dirt underneath them. Pain finally took hold next, spreading form her stomach rather than her chest where the wounds had been. A pulsing expanse and surge of growth under her skin before it burst outward, spilling her throbbing insides. Intestines dangled out of her torso with some dragging along the floor she stumbled towards him. Shock wasn’t on her face as a newly formed claw reached down to test the organs, pushing them back in as much as she could. Her cackling was still heard above the sloshing squish of misplaced entrails and clicking toenails that curved out from bloodied stumps. It was no more than an orchestral accompaniment to her laughter, the shrill sound like nails on a chalkboard.

He backed up, tumbling over the desk sending the termination papers scattering about, fluttering down like the picturesque fresh snowfall that taunted him. Standing up against the backdrop, those antlers again framing his silhouette as her hunched body crept closer. Laughing turned to a roar as pain overcame her again, the pulsing throb returned now located on her face instead of her stomach. He watched in horror as it expanded, bursting through the fragile skin that folded back to reveal the deer skull beneath. Dark pits blotted the surface where the eyes and nose had been, sharpened teeth where molars should be, jagged and serrated while gnashing together. The skin still clung to the skull as if yanked back by the scalp, wandering eyes blinking without a sense of direction. Legs sprouted next, bones extending until the muscles ripped and fluttered about the new limb like ribbons. All the while the inhuman wallow grew louder as she now towered over him.

The gun dropped to the ground, followed by his knees as he started pleading for forgiveness, for his endeavors to be forgotten, praised for the ambition it had taken for him to get this far. Another bellow, anger taking root and spreading up as her visage grew twisted horns from her head, pushing forth from bone to grow into imposing gnarls like twisting roots grasping for new life. The window shattering outward at the shock, cold air whipping through the room and nearly taking him with it. Stumbling backwards, he crawled away, towards the orifice that lead to the city below where the wind and snow blustered at his back, hoping for his luck to change with a swift fall. There was no solace in nature, the desk was sent flying as one heavy hand tossed it aside. Step, his hand reached back and gored its soft palm upon the broken glass. Step, his suit shredded as he scurried across the ground, seeking asylum with as much distance that he could create. Step, he was out of places to go. Step, out of excuses to give. Step, her ominous shadow extended out across him, enveloping the cowering figure. Her form bent forward, creeping closer and closer until her hot breath could be felt along his features, drowning out the cold bluster with all but her presence. Sheened in cold sweat, he pleaded through clenched teeth, before her jaws snapped closed.

From her vantage point the city seemed quiet, it seemed magical given the shimmer of melting snow across the rooftops. Her breathing was haggard, the bulky form lifted with each inhale. The warm colors of the sunset bathed over her, melting away the broken features of the beast to reveal her own once again. Steam released from her as a laugh crept out pushing herself up to her feet and beginning the long trek out of the building. Leaving the building stripped to its bones and tall like a monument to the decay that spread to the city. Bastions of faith tried to keep the masses at bay but they were all swept clean in the end, truth winning out.

Her feet slowly carried her along with little input from her mind. The streets littered with those colorful pamphlets, and a freshness had come in with the breeze. It might be a good time for layers, she thought to herself. A smile tugging at her features as they became hers once more, softening to the embrace the light gave her. The sky opening like a veil being pulled back, nature being let into the city that had forgotten it. She could still feel a lingering presence as her eyes began to close, but it was free of shadows. With the monuments of gluttony torn down, cogs returned to flesh, and people back to living. The wind picked up, carrying her tired body with it, refreshing the odorous stench that had soaked into every crack. It continued to blow, lifting up the fetid cannibalism that had called to the spirits for vengeance. Only by exhuming the cancer could the place be restored.

Without bells or alarms it was hard to wake up, her body was heavy, and the views of this dream was so charming. The snow at her feet melted even more with green able to be seen in the footprints. The bark and buds, so this is what blossoming looked like. A shadow crept up on her, sporting an impressive antler crown and she turned to smile up at it. She awoke and lifted slowly, clutching a cloak that had been laid out across her. Her eyes flicking over to the bright sunlight, before her nostrils began flaring as she caught hold of a familiar scent. She looked to her right and spotted a small container of food sat next to her on the bench. She needed her strength, there was places to go.

#original #horror #my writing #writing

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plutoandpolaris · 7 years

Text

So this is just a random fic I came up with inspired by an ask I sent @markired about the older youtube demons taking Dark Ethan under their wing so to speak. Here he is meeting them all for the first time. I wrote and edited this in the span of an hour last night, so I’m sorry if it’s not of the quality you expect of me. Also, I do consider this canon to the Checkmate/You Brought this on Yourself universe, if anyone’s curious. Since Tumblr is glitching out and not letting me have a title, I’ll just put it here.

Fledgling

The space was dark and cavernous, yet filled with voices. The fledgling stood in the center, nervously glancing around to find the source of the noise but seeing nothing. “Is it a fledging?” “Oooo it is!” “Have you ever seen him before?” “No, have you?” “He seems nervous.” “No shit.” He couldn’t make out anything more than short phrases, all of them regarding him as if he wasn’t even there. That was, however, until they all went silent at once. It only took a quick glance behind him to figure out why. There stood one of the most intimidating people he’d ever seen in his life, dressed impeccably in a three piece suit, dark hair parted neatly to to the right and a rigid sense of professionalism literally emanating off of him. But it was the eyes that caught his attention, the dark pits that regarded him curiously with a sharp malicious tint. “Hey Dark, are you just gonna stand there lookin’ pretty or are we actually going to turn the lights on in this shithole.” The man sighed audibly, the red blue aura around him seeming to shift and twist like gnarled claws. All at once the lights turned on, revealing them to be in a nicely furnished sitting room. The couches were all occupied by a myriad of strange looking characters, all of them staring at him with varying levels of interest. “I apologize. I wanted this to be slightly professional, as I haven’t had the honor of welcoming a new fledgling in many a century. However, someone had to interrupt.” He sent a sharp glance towards one of the people on the couch, a wiry man sitting on his haunches against the arm of the love seat. His hair was a dark and muddy green, a sharp toothed smile playing on his face. He was also bleeding, a lot. Blood poured from the deep gash on his neck, staining his shirt and hands. He didn’t seem to notice or care. “Glad I could oblige, Darkipoo.” The voice that came from him matched his looks perfectly. Sharp and grating, unruly. “If you ever call me that again I swear on the seven pits of hell I will make the rest of your immortal life a living torment.” That seemed to shut him up, even though the fledgling could still hear him giggling under his breath. The man before him, Dark, as he was called, continued. “As I was saying, this could have gone smoother than it did. Regardless, as is customary of fledglings that enter into this unique line of work, I’d like to introduce you to some demons you’ll be seeing around quite often.” He motioned to a figure leaning against the back of the right most couch. He was tall, extremely so, dressed completely in black to the point he was nearly invisible. A shadowy aura surrounded him, shrouding his features in darkness. “That is Tenebris, or Daniel.” Another voice spoke up in a distinctly British accent, one of the only human accents the fledgling could recognize. “That really was a stupid name choice. Really, Daniel? You couldn’t think of anything else?” The man snorted slightly, crossing his arms. “Really now, Ablazing Phil?” “Point taken.” Dark continued on, ignoring their banter. “That’s Ignavus, or-” The fledging could tell he was holding back laughter as he continued"-Ablazing Phil.“ The man Dark pointed to was just as tall as Daniel but besides that, he had nearly nothing in common. Unlike Daniel’s black aura, this man was literally glowing a soft orange, casting a slight tint on the rest of the couch. His eyes were also a pure yellowish red, twisting and bending like a candle flame. "Don’t judge me ok, I had to think it up on the spot.” Dark rolled his eyes, moving on. “That’s Mendax, or Antisepticeye. He’s a self absorbed imbecile who plays with knives, that’s all you need to know.”

The bloodied demon sat up so fast he almost fell off of the couch, huffing in indignation. “Hey, I could have introduced myself asshole.”

“I think you’ve interrupted enough for one night.” Dark shot him down quickly, his tone making it clear that this wasn’t up for discussion. Anti slumped back down in the couch, casting a seething glare Dark’s way. They locked eyes for a moment before Dark moved on. “That is Aranea, or Peevils.” The woman he was referring to looked up, regarding him as one would an interesting piece of roadkill. She was dressed in black satin and velvet, complete with matching nails so sharp they looked like they could easily poke his eyes out. Everything about her was soricticated and dark colored except for her hair, which curled to her shoulders in hot pink waves. “It’s a pleasure. So you picked the Nestor boy, did you? Interesting choice, not one I would have made but interesting nevertheless. I suppose we’ll be seeing each other quite frequently as our vessels are collegues. Funny how that works.” With that she turned her attention back to her wine glass, clearly done with the conversation. “Indeed. Anyway, that-” He motioned to the woman beside Peevils, who was sitting cross legged on the couch and digging into the stuffing with her claws. “Is Saevire, or Darkiishu.” She didn’t look up from her work on the couch, clearly invested in ripping it to shreds. “Sup.” “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t dig up the upholstery.” Dark sighed, clearly exasperated with all of them. Darkiishu continued like she didn’t even hear him. “Look, Anti hid my dagger in this couch last time I was here and I had to go back to Downworld to get a new one. I’m not stopping until I fucking find it.” Dark didn’t seem in the mood to argue, so he continued on instead. “And finally, that is Petram, or Apocalypse.” The last man almost rivaled Dark in how imposing he was. He stood near the corner completely still, watching the fledgling with calculating and cold eyes, expression otherwise emotionless. He didn’t speak or even move in the slightest, his stillness unnatural and jarring. “Does the little fledgie have a name?” This was Darkiishu, pulled away from her tireless assault on the couch. “Um, yeah? It’s Tempus.” “No, she means your stupid cringey fandom name.” Anti stood up from where he was slumped on the couch, circling Tempus like a vulture. “How about Creepygameplays! Yeah, that’s a good one.” Audible groans could be heard from almost everyone else in the room. “Fucking hell Anti, you’re almost as bad at this whole name thing as Mr. Lava Lamp over there,” Darkiishu said, once again letting up her assault on the couch.

Ignavus jerked up, clearly offended. “Oh come on guys, Ablazing Phil isn’t that bad a name!” Daniel chuckled under his breath. “Yes it is. It’s the worst name I’ve ever heard in my 600 years of life.” “Well we had better come up with a name soon because I am not calling him Creepygameplays until that idiot cult Ethan calls a fanbase comes up with a suitable title.” Peevils sipped the last of her wine, pushing some hot pink strands of hair out of her eyes. Dark rubbed his temples, clearly at the end of his patience. “I propose we just call him Tempus until a proper name is chosen.” Anti rolled his eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh, leaning back against the couches. “You guys just don’t appreciate my creative genius.” Darkiishu laughed again, sneering at him from across the room. “I don’t think anyone does.” “Enough.” Dark didn’t yell, but his change in tone shut them all up immediately. He turned back to Tempus, straightening his tie and attempting to smooth the anger from his expression. “I apologize on behalf of these idiots for their complete lack of professionalism or tact. Regardless, I have yet to introduce myself. I am Ducius, or as I am referred to as of recently, Darkiplier.” Dark held out his hand for a handshake and Tempus took it, slightly taken aback by how freezing cold his skin was. The handshake was strong and formal, Dark had clearly done this many many times before. “Welcome.”

So there it is. It's mediocre at best but for something written in about an hour it's not bad. Tagging some other peepos who might find this interesting.

@fear-is-nameless @hufflepufftrax @mysteriousdogduo

#antisepticeye #darkiplier #antisepticeye fanfiction #darkiplier fanfiction #markiplier #jacksepticeye #fanfiction #Pluto's writings

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theradioghost · 7 years

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Audio Drama Podcast Recs

EDIT: well jesus this thing is getting old! If you’re looking for podcast recommendations I would recommend checking some of the newer posts I’ve made. I’ve expanded my subscription list from about 30 to over 150 in the years since I posted this, & at at this point it’s a pretty inadequate rec list.

Because I’ve gotten a few questions over time about podcast recs, both from people who are curious about audio drama, and fellow denizens of Podcast Hell™ who need something new, I wanted to put together this list so I could go a bit more into detail about why I love and recommend each of these amazing audio dramas.

Rather than trying to rank them, I tried to organize this list roughly based on popularity, at least based on my dash! More well-known shows are listed first, and then my faves that I don’t see getting nearly the love that they deserve. Especially with the volume of new innovative audio drama being created, there’s some really good stuff out there not getting nearly enough attention. Which is not to say that, if you’re a new podcast fan, you have to start with the most popular – but those shows are more likely to have an active fandom. (Of course, there are a ton of great podcasts out there, and plenty (both popular and obscure) that I don’t listen to yet.)

I also have a podcast rec tag and a very long list of audio dramas, if you want to go hunting for something beyond these recommendations here. Additionally, if you want more details or content warnings about any of these shows, feel free to message me on or off anon and I’ll do my best to answer! This post really focuses on the positives of each show and who I think might enjoy them.

WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE – Community radio from a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, the dog park is forbidden, the mayoral candidates aren’t human, the weather is a mystery, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep.

If you know anything about audio drama podcasts, there’s like a 99.99% chance you know about Night Vale already. If not, just go listen. It’s weird and amazing and beautiful and helped to make a lot of this possible. Or if 100+ episodes plus live shows is overwhelming, don’t (but come back to it someday. It is magical).

For people who like: surrealism, humor, ‘radio show’ format, somewhat less emphasis on plot, diversity, indie music, experimental storytelling, a large back catalog of episodes, a fandom considered large by regular standards and not just podcast standards.

ALICE ISN’T DEAD – As she travels across America, a trucker tells the story of her search for the missing wife she had presumed dead, of the mysterious danger stalking her down freeways and backroads, and of the much bigger – and more terrifying – mystery she is uncovering.

The first and most popular of Night Vale Presents’ other podcasts. Gothic Americana soft horror lesbians! The writing, atmosphere, and orchestration are all superb, as is Jasika Nicole’s monologue performance. I personally recommend car/transit listening. (Also, you can get the whole soundtrack for free, and you should definitely do that.)

For people who like: surrealism, horror, Americana, female leads, lesbians, atmosphere, introspection, mystery, great music, something to drive to.

WOLF 359 – Doug Eiffel doesn’t want to do his job, Hera is a friendly but faulty AI, Dr. Hilbert is probably a mad scientist, Commander Minkowski wishes she wasn’t in charge of these idiots, and together, the four of them make up the entire crew of the USS Hephaestus space station. It’s not a picnic at the best of times: they’re isolated in a constantly malfunctioning tin can, orbiting a red dwarf star eight light years from Earth, and working for a shady corporation with coworkers they can’t stand. Then Eiffel starts to receive inexplicable transmissions from deep space – and everything gets so, so much worse.

It’s a hilarious office sitcom! It’s a character-driven deep-space sci-fi thriller! It’s a tragic, thematically powerful story about personhood, communication, and isolation! It’s all of those things, often within three lines of one another and frequently all at once! Wolf 359 is probably a masterpiece and now, heading into its fourth and final season, it continues to surprise and impress me every single time. Alan Rodi’s music is evocative and superb and the cast and writing are top-notch. One of the best. Listen to it.

For people who like: excellent character-driven writing, great music, well-written women, a gender-balanced ensemble cast, intimate sci-fi, hilarious and often referential humor, scary corporate overlords, cerebus syndrome.

THE PENUMBRA PODCAST – In Hyperion City, metropolis of a far-future Mars, a private eye named Juno Steel is pulled into life-threatening criminal conspiracies, and tangles with an even more dangerous, nameless thief – who could be his worst enemy or the love of his life. Within the Second Citadel, human civilization is protected by knights who venture out into the jungles to fight the monsters that threaten them – but some knights are discovering monsters who seem just a bit different. On the Painted Plains, a train-robbing bandit steals away a schoolteacher – and her heart. All of these and more are stories waiting to be heard behind the doors of the Penumbra, the grandest hotel this side of Nowhere. And absolutely none of them are straight.

Fabulously written genre-bending “queer AF” anthology show. The best is the Juno Steel series, about a bisexual, nonbinary sci-fi PI, which remains eminently and hilariously quotable even as it wrenches your heart out with genre-deconstructive depictions of mental illness and one of the most believable and emotional romances I’ve seen in ages . The Second Citadel fantasy series is also starting to come into its own in the second season and the standalone stories from the first season are a pretty damn good listen (LISTEN TO THE GAY WESTERN. DO IT.) I love this show, I love everyone from this show, I love everyone associated with this show, and I love Mick Mercury.

For people who like: playing with genre tropes, OTR, noir fiction, diversity, romantic chemistry, a variety of stories, suspense, heartache.

THE BRIGHT SESSIONS – Dr. Joan Bright isn’t an ordinary therapist, but her patients aren’t ordinary patients. Sam’s panic attacks bring on bouts of involuntary time travel; Caleb has it hard enough negotiating teenage emotions without also experiencing the feelings of everyone around him; Chloe can’t escape hearing other people’s thoughts; and the less said about Damien, the better. But Dr. Bright, too, is more than she first appears.

It’s a hard-hitting and poignant show about mental illness and people recovering from deep traumas, and also it is about superpowers. As the concept implies, the show is highly character-driven, and it develops an ensemble cast incredibly well. These guys are friends with the Wolf 359 crew and apparently have taken lessons from one another in how to ramp up a plot from “fun” to “oh god why,” but let’s be honest: that’s what we’re here for. Also, unjustifiably sweet gay teen romance, really cute friendships between ladies, at least one cat.

For people who like: highly character-focused narrative, superpowers, moral questions, ensemble casts, cool female leads, shady government activities, great acting.

ARS PARADOXICA – One minute, Dr. Sally Grissom is conducting cutting-edge physics research in her lab in early-21st-century Texas. A single mistake later, she’s on the deck of the U.S.S. Eldridge, in Philadelphia, 1943, smack dab in the middle of a classified WWII weapons experiment. She’s accidentally put time travel into the hands of the US government just as the nuclear era kicks off. And she can’t ever go back.

I assume everyone has heard of ars P because I assume that everyone knows Mischa Stanton. (They work on what must be like 50% of all podcasts that exist at this point, including The Bright Sessions.) Everything they do is pretty much a must-listen, but especially ars p, the “sad time show” to Wolf 359’s “sad space show.” The writing sticks out to me for its sense of consequence; it’s a major theme of the show that everything that happens will have serious and cumulative effects. Deservedly award-winning sound design. As a bonus, it crossed over with The Bright Sessions; if you like one, you might like the other.

For people who like: sci-fi, period settings, cold war thrillers, cool female leads, time travel with rules, complex and grey moralities, science lesbians, diverse ensemble casts.

EOS 10 – Dr. Ryan Dalias has enough to deal with just as the new head surgeon on a massive space station (alien aphrodisiacs, space anti-vaxxers, mind-controlling plants…) But as if that weren’t enough, his boss is an alcoholic misanthrope who has received an unwelcome ultimatum about his drinking; the nurse may or may not be inclined to bite people; there’s a deposed alien prince in the examination room who won’t put his pants back on; and an intergalactic terrorist who wants his name cleared is hiding in the cargo bay. And those are the people on his side.

I have my issues with EOS 10, not least of which is that it is still mired in a two-year hiatus (though Season Three is finally going into production soon? FINGERS CROSSED). I usually forget those issues when I listen because it’s still a frankly hilarious space comedy and the entire main plot is kicked off because of a potentially deadly boner. Think of it as the strange offspring of DS9 and Scrubs. Come for wild space shenanigans, stay for surprisingly heartfelt storylines about addiction (and even wilder space shenanigans). If W359 sounds cool but maybe a little heavy for you (or if the first season was your favorite), EOS 10 might be more up your alley.

For people who like: Star Trek, comedy, space scifi adventures, alien characters, gay space pirate cowboys, waiting.

THE THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR – “America’s favorite new time podcast in the style of old time radio.”

An anthology show like The Penumbra which takes a comedic approach to its old time radio inspiration instead (and it is very OTR inspired – not just playing with the same genres). Has a lot of segments, not all of which are created equal; two are standouts. Sparks Nevada: Marshall on Mars (which has a continuous plot) follows a deadpan robot-fighting lawman, the Martian tracker who provides him with somewhat vitriolic companionship, and their various allies across the sci-fi-comedy-western landscape of Space Future Mars. Beyond Belief (which is episodic) stars alcoholic socialites Frank and Sadie Doyle, who may be world-renowned paranormal experts, but who mostly just combat supernatural evils so they can get back to their two greatest loves: booze and one another. It was recorded live, often featuring celebrity guest stars (most notably and frequently Nathan Fillion), and recently ended its many-year run.

For people who like: OTR, forties/fifties culture, really REALLY cute couple chemistry (Beyond Belief), humor, much more lighthearted content, a large back catalog, great music, corpsing.

GREATER BOSTON – Leon Stamatis’s perfectly organized life abruptly ends one day at the top of the first hill of a roller coaster – and that’s where the real story begins. His death will start a domino effect of change rippling through a Boston where activists agitate for subway lines to form their own city, shadowy executives watch over offices where magazine editors predict the future, and Google Calendars are updated from beyond the grave.

Guys, I am never gonna shut up about this show. At this point it’s probably my favorite podcast. Experimental fiction, a sort of regional-gothic-slice-of-life, with a plot that builds into the story of an interconnecting community of people, all of them growing and learning and changing and interacting, even the dead ones. And it plays more brilliantly and hilariously and beautifully and poignantly with format and writing and character than you’d think possible. I sometimes see it compared to WTNV (the “weird town” angle), but I think it’s likely to appeal to fans of The Bright Sessions: its characters may be dealing with incredibly strange situations, but the focus (and the appeal) is the development of those characters and their relationships with one another. Alternately, just literally everyone should listen. It’s that good.

For people who like: ensemble casts, experimental fiction, awesome women, strong character development, lesbians, playing with format, characters named Extinction Event, political intrigue, great music, Boston.

WOODEN OVERCOATS – Siblings Rudyard and Antigone Funn, along with their assistant Georgie, run a funeral home on the tiny Channel island of Piffling. It’s the only one, which is how they remain in business even though Rudyard is a punctuality-obsessed misanthrope and Antigone hasn’t left the morgue in daylight for 17 years. Then the world’s most perfect man, Eric Chapman, opens another funeral parlor directly across the street.

A British sitcom about rival funeral directors in a small town, with all of the dry, witty black humor that implies. "British” does always feel like the best adjective to convey the distinct sense of humor here. Also, it has amazingly high production values. Like, it just sounds really, really good. Also, it’s narrated by a talking mouse. The third season was just announced, so now is a really great time to catch up.

For people who like: black comedy, British comedies, rivalries of both business and sibling kinds, mysterious backstories, just a whole lot of dead people jokes, a more episodic structure.

THE BRIDGE – Once, you could drive all the way across the Atlantic in luxury and style, using the Transcontinental Bridge. Now, the Bridge is virtually abandoned. The employees of its Watchtowers are the only people left to tell its stories: stories about ghosts, about curses and illusions, about vanished and abandoned people and places, about the monsters whose places these were before the Bridge, and the strange and dangerous people who came there to find them.

IMHO, possibly the highlight of the writng for The Bridge is that they can create atmosphere like nobody’s business, and the show has a gorgeous soundtrack to boot. The characters are charming, the plot is intriguing, and the world they are building is like absolutely nothing else. Like Archive 81 below, it might appeal to those who’d enjoy Lovecraft if he didn’t suck so much in every possible way, although it’s much softer on the scary factor.

For people who like: atmosphere, storytelling, great character dynamics, sea monsters, spookiness, really fun ladies, ghost stories, mysteries, the bottomless depths and siren’s call of the ocean.

THE STRANGE CASE OF STARSHIP IRIS and UNDER PRESSURE – Starship Iris is the story of Violet Liu, a biologist forced by circumstance to join up with a ragtag crew of spacefarers to determine whether the explosion which killed every other person onboard her spaceship was really an accident. Under Pressure presents the notes of Jamie McMillan-Barrie, a researcher whose literary background did not prepare her to negotiate the kind of office drama that takes place on a research station at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Both of these are part of Procyon Podcasting Network, which also has more upcoming shows which I am beyond thrilled about; both are also incredibly diverse, both in-universe and behind the scenes. Both are charming and very, very gay as well as racially diverse; I’m particularly fond of Starship Iris, but everything that comes out of Procyon is more than worth a listen. They’ve started pretty recently and have only a few episodes each.

For people who like: space scifi, found family tropes, workplace drama, human/genderless alien romance, space lesbians, diversity, cool female leads.

THE ORBITING HUMAN CIRCUS (OF THE AIR) – The dreamy, accident-prone janitor of the Eiffel Tower does his best to get himself a place in the fantastical, impossible radio variety show being broadcast from the tower every night. Will he ever be successful? Will the show survive his attempts? And just where do the mysterious and magical acts come from?

Considering it’s a Night Vale Presents podcast and stars an A-list of my favorite underappreciated creatives I was kind of shocked at how little discussion I see. OHC is so charming and dreamlike and heartwarming; it’s like recapturing the feeling of a particularly magical bedtime story. It features Mandy Patinkin singing Cheap Trick and you need that in your life. Also, it has a platypus in it.

For people who like: OTR, John Cameron Mitchell/The Music Tapes/Neutral Milk Hotel, a gentler weirdness than other NVP podcasts, Paris, charm, experimental storytelling.

WITHIN THE WIRES – You are a patient at the Institute. You have been instructed to listen to this series of relaxation tapes to aid in your treatment. You must trust my voice. You must trust only my voice.

NVP’s other highly underappreciated show. WTW manages to tell a narrative in a format (self-help relaxation tapes) I would have never thought possible, and though it’s difficult to say much about what makes it so good without spoiling the effect of that excellence, it’s a great choice if you’re weird-fiction-inclined. Like Alice Isn’t Dead, it also features lesbians. (It may not be good for anyone who has trouble with unreality, disturbing second-person commands, or depictions of institutionalization.)

For people who like: experimental storytelling, WLW love stories, surrealism, dystopic fiction, suspense.

INKWYRM – Mella Sonder was hired to work with a recalcitrant AI, not to be personal assistant to Annie Inkwyrm, head of outer space’s premiere fashion magazine – and the two of them will probably be fighting about that, along with all of the other disasters they get tangled up in, until the star they’re orbiting explodes. Or until they fall in love.

My money’s on the latter (fingers crossed please make it happen), but this show just finished a really fun first season and I absolutely cannot wait for more of it. I’m a sucker for dysfunctional coworker comedy, and an even bigger sucker for girls falling in love; this offers both and is excellent, and is just incredibly done for an amateur podcast. The peeps making it are inspiring and badass and really, really talented.

For people who like: The Devil Wears Prada, scifi, diversity, vitriolic romantic tension, cool female leads, alien characters, wlw romance, incompetently homicidal AIs.

THE BEEF AND DAIRY NETWORK – The number one podcast for those involved – or just interested! – in the production of beef animals and dairy herds.

Honestly almost impossible to describe. What really gets me is the hilarity of how it somehow perfectly imitates the public radio/industry podcast style, delivering you important updates from the world of cattle products, except not from a world anything like ours. Endless beefy fun times with the occasional sharp right turn into body horror and potent unreality played for comedy. This and Alice Isn’t Dead are my dad’s favorite podcasts, which probably says something about him.

For people who like: Wooden Overcoats (it’s by the same folks!), weirdness, humor, much less of a focus on narrative, ‘radio show’ format, satire, rich beef sausages.

ARCHIVE 81 – Dan Powell is missing. He was hired, so he thought, for a simple job cataloguing an archive of tapes for the New York state government: a series of interviews that a woman named Melody Pendras conducted with the tenants of an odd apartment building. Then the story on the tapes becomes impossibly strange and terrifying, and so does Dan’s life.

Another one where I’m not sure whether everyone knows about it and just isn’t talking, but they should be. It’s probably a sign of how fantastic A81 is that it’s one of my favorites even though I ordinarily can’t stand horror. This post really extolls its virtues in a better way than I can. This show has some of the most incredible sound design I’ve heard yet, so if visceral body horror conveyed solely through the audio medium isn’t for you, then neither is Archive 81. On the other hand, if you like extradimensional lesbian apotheosis and the nickname “Boombox Fuckboy,” listen to this. On top of that, the acting is superb. (The creators, Dead Signals, also did an apocalyptic scifi survival-horror miniseries thing called The Deep Vault, which is similarly beyond well-made.)

For people who like: horror, weirdness, found footage format, great music, absolutely stellar atmospheric and action sound design, excellent and realistic acting, The King in Yellow, a ‘Lovecraftian’ feel not based on hatred of anyone who isn’t straight/white.

JIM ROBBIE AND THE WANDERERS – Three trouble-seeking wandering musicians (one brash and upbeat, one an argumentative engineer, and one a grumpy robot brought to life from a radio and assorted cutlery) wander a post-apocalyptic America populated by strange towns and fantasy beings, some friendly, others dangerous.

This is another show that really charmed me right out of the box. Not to mention that it’s a take on “post-apocalyptic” that I’d never seen before – why have grim ruins or cannibalistic societies when you can have giant friendly genderless bees, an NYC inhabited by partying undead, towns full of squid-people, and desert-dwelling leprechauns? It’s much more of a fantasy take on the genre and the characters are incredibly sweet. I was also really impressed by the quality bump it’s undergone over its run so far.

For people who like: fantasy, more lighthearted narratives, fun and creative concepts, a villain called “The Fig-Wasp King,” great music, friendship, cool female leads, diversity.

THE HIDDEN ALMANAC – A thrice-weekly, four-minute show hosted by the plague doctor Reverend Mord, offering historical anecdotes from another world, the feast days of unlikely saints, and useful gardening advice.

Tired of that one analogy from every news article of the 2013 Night Vale boom (“like Stephen King/H.P. Lovecraft wrote A Prairie Home Companion”), writer/artist Ursula Vernon decided to take a crack at recreating Garrison Keillor’s other show, The Writer’s Almanac, in a similar fashion. Compared to WTNV, it comes off as less ‘weird’ and more fantastical, and is on the light side continuity-wise, though both the historical events and the frame show have arcs. In the past couple of years there have been a lot more story arcs, many lasting months, and a lot more appearances from guest character Pastor Drom and other characters. I find it incredibly charming and relaxing.

For people who like: fantasy weirdness, the actual Writer’s Almanac, WTNV, gardening, vitriolic friendships, worldbuilding, short runtimes, less of a focus on plot, large back catalogs, worldbuilding, crows.

#my posts #podcast recs #podcast recommendations #hey! here's that thing ive been doing #also before u ask about taz: im only to pttm and will probably add it once ive caught up #bobbie recommends things

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ridiculousn3sswrites · 7 years

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One School

*Justin Laboy (21 Chump Street) x Reader

*Summary: The reader takes a break from telling her story, speculating about things to come, and finally gets to the moment Naomi asked for the drugs.

*Warnings: Mention of drugs? Does that count? Possibly swearing

*A/N: Part 2 of that Justin Laboy fic. I’ve been binging Law & Order lately and kinda forget to write... oops. This one is also way shorter than the last one, and I’m trying to do a part based on each song of the musical, so look forward to that!

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five

Just as you were starting to doze off, images of your arrest and your story playing behind your eyelids, the door opened again. “(Y/n)?” The same man from before softly asked, making you slowly open your eyes. You saw a look of sympathy flash across his face, so you knew you must have looked tired. It was refreshing to see someone so expressive, especially when your arresting officers had been so crass the entire time.

“That’s my name,” you joked, smiling. You saw he had a fast food bag in his hand and a soda cup in the other, definitely a step up from the water and chips you’d requested. He placed the items down in front of you, motioning that you could eat if you wanted to.

“An apology for the lack earlier,” he explained as you opened the bag and found a burger and fries.

“Thank you,” you said, pulling out the food and flattening the bag so you could place the food on top of it. “Hey, do you mind if we just talk while I eat? Like, I’ll get back to my story, but I kinda want to ask some questions myself.”

“Of course,” he nodded, pulling out his notepad and pen from earlier. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, what’s Naomi’s real name?” You asked, eating a fry.

“I can’t tell you that,” he replied.

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t be able to, but I thought I’d give it a shot. You gotta protect your UCs, right?” You asked as a bit of a joke, but you knew it was true. Again, you’d watched enough Law & Order to know how these things go. “I’m gonna have to take a plea if the DA offers one, aren’t I?”

“That’d probably be the best option, but I’m not a lawyer,” the man told you with a bit of a shrug. “It wasn’t a lot, but you still sold.”

“I know. You know, I understand this entire thing. Like, politicians swear that high school is when all the kids are getting addicted to the hard stuff, but that’s not really the case. A lot of the time when high schoolers do drugs, they’re just trying to catch a high and chill, maybe get the munchies,” you said. “High school drugs are generally just pills and weed. Like, it’s crazy easy to get pills and weed if you know where to look.”

“You know the drug scene at your school, but you said they. Why is that?” He questioned gently, trying to make it seem like he wasn’t actually questioning you. You rolled your eyes at his poor attempt, but you knew he was just doing his job.

“I talk to people, I know some people that smoke. It’s not even that they’re bad people, they just enjoy the high. I also knew some people who deal, and that I found out on accident. You know, I walked into the bathroom at school during finals once and caught two girls about to smoke out. They just looked at me, offered me a hit, and wished me luck on my finals when I said no thanks. Anyways, I said they because I’ve never done drugs, and Naomi was the only reason for me dealing. I’m not even a dealer, she was the only reason they got me on that,” you explained. “You know, when I was waiting to make my statement, I started wondering about something.”

“And what would that be?” The man asked. He wasn’t really talking, just responding when it was necessary. You weren’t sure if you like that or not, but you did know that you liked this guy enough. He was nice, not too overbearing.

“I wondered if Naomi ever feels bad for doing stuff like this. Like, she would have set up Justin if I didn’t take the fall, and that would’ve been just because he liked her. It’s kinda messed up, especially since she started pushing the whole weed thing, asking Justin to get her some,” you said. “That’s part of the story, by the way.”

“You didn’t like Naomi, I’ll take it,” he encouraged you to continue.

“No, not really. She came in, charmed the dude I’d liked since freshman year, and then she wanted him to get in some major trouble for her. It didn’t feel right to me,” you admitted. “See, Justin has a future. He’s honor roll, works harder than anyone else I know, and got accepted into multiple colleges. I knew if he got caught with that weed, he would’ve thrown that all away.”

“What about your own future? Weren’t you worried about that?” he asked.

“I wasn’t planning on going to college anyways,” you told him. “I was going to take a gap year and then try to be a freelance photographer for magazines and stuff. If that didn’t work out, then I’d go to trade school.” Throughout the conversation, you’d been eating, and you’d finished about half of the food. You took a drink of the soda and contemplated whether you were ready to continue your story or not. “I think I’m ready to continue.”

“Go right ahead,” he prompted.

It had been nearly a week since Justin had asked Naomi to the prom. She’d been giving every excuse in the book: it was too expensive (which you weren’t arguing since you struggled to pay for yourself), she was just a transfer and wouldn’t feel comfortable with Justin’s friends, the list went on and on. You knew the spiel; it was the same one you used to avoid going to homecoming with someone you weren’t interested in. You were hanging out at Justin’s house when he got the text that set off your alarm. “Naomi just asked me if I smoke,” he said, not looking up from his phone.

“What?” You asked, tumbling from where you were sitting on his bed. “That’s sketch.”

“Yeah, she just asked if I smoke weed. What should I say?” he asked, looking for guidance. He’d been bummed lately since Naomi still hadn’t given him an answer, but anytime he talked to her he still held hope.

“You don’t, just tell her that,” you replied, going to sit back on the bed, book in hand. “Why’s she asking anyways?”

“Maybe she’s looking for a supply?” Justin responded, texting away.

“What’re you telling her?” You asked, curious. Normally the dealers were able to find the people looking for weed within a month of them coming to the school. It was odd that she hadn’t found one yet if she was honestly looking for a high.

“That I can find her some,” Justin replied with ease, like that sentence wasn’t the stupidest thing you had heard all day. And that was including the guy in photography asking you if the teacher would notice if he edited in a small Shrek into one of his projects.

“Do you even know where to get drugs?” You asked, brow raised.

“How hard can it be?” Justin asked.

“I don’t know,” you said, shaking your head. “Why are you agreeing to this? It can hurt you big time.”

“Maybe this is my in with her. Maybe she’ll finally like me back, and go to prom with me,” Justin insisted, the look in his eyes letting you know he wasn’t going to let this go. “C’mon, (y/n), this is my chance.”

“It’s just… I don’t trust her. Do you know how much trouble you’ll be in if you get caught?” You continued, needing him to see just how crazy he sounded. “And, again, you don’t even know where to get drugs! You don’t hang out with guys like that!”

“I don’t know, maybe I can ask Andrew if he knows a guy,” Justin trailed off, on his phone again as he texted. “Nope, Andrew just said ‘why the hell would I know?’ Maybe I can call one of my cousins, see if he knows anyone.”

You sat, watching as Justin tried to call anyone he knew, searching for that little bit of weed to get for Naomi. It made you sick, seeing how he was willing to do anything for her, even things he knew to be illegal. You pulled out your own phone, texting to call in a favor you’d held since the previous year. You also texted one of Justin’s cousins, giving them instructions to not go through with a deal for Justin’s own good. You received replies to both of your texts within minutes, faster than the whole mess Justin was going through.

“So, what are you thinking as you watch Justin trying to get the pot to sell her?” The man asked. You still didn’t know his name, but you liked having him as a nameless listener. Then you couldn’t name an enemy, even though you didn’t consider him to be that.

“I’m thinking, what the heck is he doing? Cuz he doesn’t do things like that for anyone, and he doesn’t hang out with guys like that. Trust me, I should know,” you replied.

“So what did you do?” He asked. You took a moment to collect your thoughts, finally getting into the meat of the story.

Tag List: @pearltheartist, @holycoldcoffee

#justin laboy x reader #justin laboy imagine #21 chump street imagine #anthony ramos x reader

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geektified · 7 years

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The Raw Exposé: The Beast vs. The Black Sheep of the Samoan Dynasty Edition (6-12-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Lafayette Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana. After Samoa Joe choked out Paul Heyman on last week’s show, Heyman vowed that The Beast would be unleashed and Joe will cower in fear. Did Lesnar deliver the goods or did he stand in the ring like a statue per his usual cameo appearances? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

Samoa Joe proved that he was man enough to take on Brock Lesnar when he attacked The Beast head on to kick off the opening segment of Raw.

The Lesnar-Joe brawl was pretty good as both men got some licks in before Kurt Angle called for security. Both men quickly got rid of the extra muscle and resumed their fight until the rest of the locker room came out to break things up for good.

Joe got the last shot when he kicked Lesnar in the face as the opening segment came to an end.

Paul Heyman set things up beautifully as he cut a fiery promo about how he took Joe too lightly by heaping him with praise only to get choked out for his efforts.

Because of Joe’s actions, The Beast was unleashed and there would be hell to pay. Heyman blasted Joe for being a punk and mutt who gave his Samoan brethren a bad name because he was considered the black sheep of the family. Heyman claimed that Joe wasn’t man enough to put Brock Lesnar in the Coquina Clutch which caused Joe test that theory by going toe-to-toe with The Beast.

He didn’t lock in his submission hold, but the Samoan Badass proved that he wasn’t afraid to knock Lesnar on his ass and live to tell the tale.

Overall, this was a hot way to start the show. The Joe-Lesnar brawl was similar to the epic fight between Lesnar and The Undertaker from a couple of years ago. This didn’t pack the same punch, but it was a solid pull-apart scuffle that built anticipation for their Universal Championship match at the July PPV That Shall Remain Nameless Unless Absolutely Necessary.

Elias Samson defeated Dean Ambrose with a Swinging Neckbreaker after The Miz and Maryse came out to provide the distraction down the stretch. The Drifter continues to get heat by sucking as a singer, but his in-ring work is very basic which caused some fans to shower him with “You Can’t Wrestle” chants midway through the match. I hope he can work out the kinks because his gimmick has the potential to get over if it’s handled properly.

This was a nice way to forward the never ending Intercontinental Championship feud between Miz and Ambrose. Let’s hope both stars part ways at next month’s PPV because it’s time for them to move on to bigger and better things.

Cedric Alexander made quick work of Noam Dar when he pinned him with the Lumbar Check. Alicia Fox facetiming Dar before and during his match was very annoying.

“Why be a king when you can be a God?” – Eminem.

That quote from the song “Rap God” sums up the promo exchange between Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins. Anyone who used Wyatt’s name in vain would be judged accordingly. Rollins was amused that Wyatt took offense to his false prophet and wannabe martyr comment from last week. He challenged Wyatt to prove him wrong, but Wyatt pulled a Houdini by disappearing into thin air and cutting the rest of his promo from the big screen. He told Rollins that it was easy to slay a king while killing a God is an impossible feat to pull off. Wyatt told Rollins to run as the segment came to an end.

It’s hard to take Wyatt seriously after he lost to Roman Reigns last week. He takes a good game, but he can’t back up in the ring on a consistent basis. Wyatt feuding with Rollins is more nay than yay when it comes to history repeating itself. We shall see if I’m proven wrong in the weeks to come.

Apollo Crews defeated Kalisto with a Spinout Powerbomb in a decent match. It wasn’t as good as their kickoff bout at Extreme Rules last Sunday, but the action was solid for the most part.

Mickie James, Dana Brooke, & Sasha Bank defeated Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, & Emma when Banks made Emma tap out to the Bank Statement. The match was decent as Alexa Bliss continued to look out for herself after she left her team high and dry down the stretch.

The promo exchange leading up to the six-woman tag team match was fine, but it was nothing to write home about. At least Banks was over with the crowd which added heat to the segment.

Corey Graves’s interview with Bayley covered a lot of ground as Bayley was honest about why she didn’t get extreme during her Kendo Stick on a Pole match against Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules. Bayley vowed to stay true to herself in order to walk into next year’s WrestleMania as the Raw Women’s Champion.

The Hugger Extraordinaire spoke with humility and confidence which helped repair some of the damage done to her character over the past few weeks. Hopefully is this the start of Bayley’s redemption arc because she has a lot to offer as a performer if she isn’t booked like shit.

Corey Graves saying that he needed a cigarette after hugging Bayley was awesome. I’m surprised they didn’t break character because Graves’ deadpan delivery had me rolling.

Heath Slater and Rhyno defeated The Miz and The Mysterious Dancing Bear when Dean Ambrose did a switcheroo with the bear after Miz’s paranoia got the best of him once again. The distraction caused Miz to knock Maryse off the ring apron which allowed Ambrose to nail him with Dirty Deeds. Ambrose dragged Slater on top of Miz to pick up the win for his team.

The match as pure comedy as the announcers traded bear jokes that were so corny that I couldn’t even crack a smile at how dumb they were. Ambrose continues to make Miz look like chump which is entertaining, but it’s not making me long for their feud to continue.

Neville vs. Rich Swann never got underway as Neville attacked Swann from behind. He slammed Swann into the barricade before putting him in the Rings of Saturn. Neville took pleasure in destroying Austin Aries, TJP, and Swann and blew off Akira Tozawa as a viable challenger for his Cruiserweight Championship. It appears that Titus O’Neil is trying to push his new client on Twitter, but he might be doing more harm than good by kicking the hornet’s nest. At least there’s a storyline reason as to why O’Neil is stirring up trouble on 205 Live.

Big Cass was attacked backstage by a mystery assailant, but he still tagged with Enzo Amore as they took on Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Cass tried to compete, but Enzo had to do the heavy lifting for his team. It wasn’t enough as Anderson and Gallows laid him out with The Magic Killer for the win.

Anderson and Gallows continued to attack Enzo until The Big Show made the save. Cass didn’t look happy as Enzo embraced Big Show in the ring. Cass remains my top suspect in the backstage attacks.

Big Show calling Big Cass S-A-W-F-T pretty much says it all.

The 2-out-of-3 falls match featuring The Hardy Boyz vs. Sheamus and Cesaro for the Raw Tag Team Championship ended in a tie when both teams didn’t make it back in the ring before the count of ten during the deciding fall. This was a smart way to prolong the feud while keeping both teams strong heading into the July PPV That Shall Remain Nameless Unless Absolutely Necessary.

This was a very good main event match that featured hard-hitting action throughout. Both teams work well together which makes their feud still feel fresh despite the multiple rematches. I can’t knock the monotony if the wrestling is up to par. Let’s hope they can keep the momentum going heading into The Fire with Great Balls.

Overall, I thought this was a serviceable episode of Monday Night Raw. It was clear from the start that WWE wanted to get their best stuff out of the way before Game 5 of the NBA Finals featuring the Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers tipped off at 9:00 p.m. Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe took care of business with their pull-apart brawl while the show was bookended by The Hardy Boyz vs. Cesaro and Sheamus in a 2-out-3 falls match for the Raw Tag Team Titles.

The rest of the show was filled with a lot of fluff, but there was an interesting development in the form of a Roman Reigns video package. Michael Cole announced that Reigns would reveal his plans for SummerSlam on next week’s show. It appears that Reigns won’t be a part of the Raw exclusive PPV next month and will focus on the biggest party of the summer instead. His promo will be newsworthy, to say the least.

Finn Bálor was also kept tonight’s show, but he was given the video package treatment as well. Bálor not having a viable feud at the moment sucks, but I don’t want him on television unless he has a clear purpose. The creative team better live up to their name because Bálor is too talented to be sitting on the sidelines without anything meaningful to do.

Raw should be locked in for the rest of the summer because they no longer face competition from the NBA Playoffs. The television real estate is light on content and it’s important that WWE strikes while the iron is hot. If not, let the summertime sadness commence.

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls!

#Bray Wyatt #Brock Lesnar #Cesaro #Dean Ambrose #Monday Night Raw #Paul Heyman #Samoa Joe #Seth Rollins #Sheamus #The Hardy Boyz #The Miz #WWE #WWE Universe

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