#because i want slasher rep and i want it to be one of my favorites

[cjs-booknook]

Gothtober Readathon

(source)

This year I've decided to join the gothtober reading challenge. Since this year's theme is final girls and the set up of the challenge is so beautiful, I just had to join.

The readathon is hosted by Olivia of Olivia's Catastrophe, Hannah of LadetteM, and Tish of Little Wolf over on youtube.

There's a RPG set up as a choose your own adventure questionnaire type of game. It can be used to generate a list of prompts for your tbr. You can find it here.

I 100% recommend playing the game because it's really well done, it only takes a few minutes, and it's totally customized to your choices. However, you could also just follow along with my prompts down below.

Now for the good stuff...

My Generated Prompts

read a gothic mood read book

read a book you've been avoiding

read a slasher

read a book with multiple deaths or mass casualties

read a book by a BIPOC author

read a book with LGBTQIA+ rep

read a book with disability rep

read a book with blood on the cover or in the title

read a book with an isolated setting

read a book with a plot twist

Can I just say I absolutely love this prompt list?

My TBR List

As I am joining a bit late and there are no rules against doubling up on prompts, that's exactly what I did. Even still, with work and school, I am being a bit ambitious in my reading plans.

But here it goes:

For a gothic book, I picked Kill Creek by Scott Thomas.

For a book I've been avoiding, I picked Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney. While, yes, she is my all time favorite author, it's been a genre that I haven't been looking to read right now. (I've been reading more romance novels.) Thus, it's a book I've been avoiding. But, we're throwing myself into scarier and more suspenseful reads this month. So, why not start with a 5 star prediction?

For a slasher, I picked Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare.

For a book with multiple deaths, I doubled up and chose Clown in a Cornfield.

For a book by a BIPOC author, I picked Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero.

For a book with LGBTQIA+ rep, I picked Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp.

For a book with disability rep, I picked Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant.

For a book with blood on the cover or in the title, I doubled up and picked Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant.

For a book with an isolated setting, I doubled up here as well and chose Kill Creek.

For a book with a plot twist, I chose Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall. I can't definitively say this has a plot twist, so I'm crossing my fingers that it fulfills the prompt as I really want to read it. If it doesn't, I'm assuming one of the other books is bound to fulfill the prompt instead.

Suggested Alternatives

Because I am doubling up on prompts, I am also including some alternative picks just to offer some variety.

NOTE: A lot of these books, I have not read and cannot personally vouch for. However, I have heard great things about them either from reviews on Storygraph or YouTube.

Gothic: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, or White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

Slasher: Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez, Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, or My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Multiple deaths: Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones, Final Girls by Riley Sager, or The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

BIPOC author: The Hole by Hye-young Pyun, The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong, or The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

LGBTQIA+ rep: The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, or Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Disability rep: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp, Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes, or Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Blood on the cover or in the title: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey, A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, Tips for Living by Renée Shafransky

Isolated Setting: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, The Hole by Hye-young Pyun, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Plot twist: Summer's Edge by Dana Mele, Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney, I'm Thinking Of Ending Things by Iain Reid

[applesontheground]

i take your ‘Doc Halloran's brief mention of Leslie being in Reno’ and raise you a ‘the man's a Nevadan/has family ties in Nevada’.

you shall take this headcanon out of my cold dead hands.

[therefugeofbooks]

I read so many amazing books in September! It was a bit difficult to choose my favorites of the month. Also, I think I always go for comics and manga when I'm close to a reading slump or just in a weird mood, and I had my fair share of them in September.

Talking about all the books I read in September under the cut.

In reading order:

Oh! My Assistant by Mila with Aengmon

I have been reading this for a while and only finished it now on tapas. It's a cute and lighthearted romance with some smut scenes, and I loved it!

Read if you want: lighthearted and funny romance with some smut scenes.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

The story is beautiful, and the writing style is also beautiful! I loved the theme of drag, and the sense of belonging the main character finds in the drag society!

Read if you want: a coming-of-age novel, a verse novel, exploration of identity, the power of drag.

The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun with Sora Kim-Russell (Translator)

The Hole is a very slow-paced story, but just like other Asian horror and psychological thrillers, it builds a very suffocating atmosphere. I think this is not for everyone, but the ending was totally worth it!

Read if you want: slow-paced psychological thrillers.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

I didn't know much about this book, and it was an amazing read! The atmosphere is spooky, and the romance is cute, and the big reveal was surprising!

Read if you want: small-town drama, dark atmosphere, sapphic couple, ya horror.

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

I loved the main character, Perveen Mistry, and the atmosphere the book creates! The mystery is engaging and I enjoyed the overall experience!I hope to read more of this author soon!

Read if you want: cozy mysteries, historical mystery, strong women main characters, books set in India.

Fifteen Hundred Miles From The Sun by Jonny Garza Villa

This story deals with some heavy topics, but it is also full of platonic and romantic love. I enjoyed the long-distance relationship, the close group of friends, and how the main character navigates his Mexican American identity.

Read if you want: mlm ya, distance relationships, found family.

The Tea Dragon Society #1 by K. O'Neill

I think this comic is one of my favorite comics now! I love the art style so much! And the story is so heartwarming! The story has little conflict, so it has a very slice-of-life vibe. The relationships are the cutest! And everything just warmed my heart!!!

Read if you want: slice-of-life comics, focus on relationships, magical atmosphere.

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill

I fell in love with The Tea Dragon Society, and this story is also fluffy and full of the cute magical atmosphere from the first one. The first story is still my favorite, but this one is lovely as well.

Read if you want: dragons!!, slice-of-life comics, focus on relationships, magical atmosphere.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

I thought this book would be more of a rom-com because of the reality show theme. And there're some funny scenes, but it focuses on both main characters' mental health issues. However, I loved their main couple and the reality show background! There're many sweet scenes, and the ending is straight-out from a cheesy reality show. I also loved the ace rep!

Read if you want: mlm adult romance, focus on mental health, behind the scenes of reality show tv.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe with Phoebe Kobabe

I enjoyed this memoir a lot! It reminded me a lot of Fun House. My favorite part was the childhood and teenage years. Also, it was nice that I could relate to some of Kobabe's feelings navigating their asexuality. I need more ace protagonists!

Read if you want: something like Fun House, LGBTQIA+ memoirs.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

So many feelings about this book! I liked the main character for most of the book and her inner conflicts, but sometimes she was a bit too much. Nevertheless, this book is an ode to slasher movies and I liked the mega-story aspects!

Read if you want: old slasher movies vibes, very unreliable narrators, small-town drama.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (x) (x)

I can see the appeal of this book! It's engaging, and I was interested in the mystery and wanted to know what happened! However, I didn't like the characters, and the ending was so anti-climatic!

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

I think I'm into family sagas lately, and this is an amazing one! Orquídea Divina's story and the magical realism are fascinating. The characters are so interesting, and the adventure they go to understand their matriarch, their family's history, and their powers is beautiful!

Read if you want: family sagas and magical realism.

Princess Princess Ever After by K. O'Neill

What a sweet story! I'm in love with O'Neil's art style, and I'll probably read everything by them if I can! I loved the princess saving a princess from the tower! And the ending is the cutest possible!

Read if you want: sweet wlw story, quick graphic novel, cute art style.

Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know by Samira Ahmed

This was so good! The main character goes on an adventure trying to uncover the story of a forgotten historical woman tied to famous writers. I loved how the main character's story and the one she's trying to uncover intertwine, and how the main character tries so hard to put on a spotlight in this hidden figure. The mystery is interesting, and the message is so powerful!

Read if you want: modern mysteries dealing with historical topics, strong historical women, mysteries about art and literature.

Reread

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (x)

The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 1 by Nagabe (x)

Disponível em PT:

A Sucessora by Carolina Nabuco (x) (x)

Vozes Trans de Vários Autores (x)

Marcas de São João em Mim by Lucas Vieira (x)

Read in: Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July |Aug

☆Book Photography ☆ Storygraph ☆ Scribd ☆

[og-danny-dorito]

Favorite Foods Of Some Horror Characters! [P1]

I have no explanation for myself BUT i really like food so i was like “let me use my limited space in my primitive monkey brain to produce a headcanon list on one of the only things I know anything about; food.” Lemme know if you want part 2 👀

Update: part 2 is a go! Check the end of the post for it if you like!

Michael Myers :

- he doesnt really have a favorite, having scrounged off of the shitty stock food the inmates were given at Smith’s Grove and the occasional dog, but when they had potlucks the patients were allowed to have home cooked stuff from some of the people who brought it

- there was a male nurse he remembered who always brought a big dish of Macaroni and Cheese with beef and tomatoes in it, and Michael was one of the only people who actually ate it. In fact, most of the time it was gone before anyone else could get any cause hes a Big Boy

- overall that might be his favorite, but it turns out he just really likes anything home cooked and might drink an entire pot of chicken noodle soup that you’ve just made if left unsupervised

Jason Vorhees :

- so after some discussion with my lover @zovatm, we concluded that it was most likely that Jason would like home cooked foods for a number of reasons. Like most stay-at-home mothers in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s, Pamela would've most likely had an annotated cook book fit to meet her baby’s tastes because she loves her son very much and would definitely put those shiny star stickers next to the ones he liked the most and write little alterations to enhance the dishes a little bit

- according to Zova people from New Jersey (we’re fairly certain that it takes place in New Jersey but can remember) are also more likely to have a taste for dinner foods, to which i concluded that its most likely that he likes really hearty foods like pot roast and shepherd’s pie, preferring there to be a little more potatoes in each of the previous

- he likes things with substance because he too, like Michael, is a Big Boy who eats like hes stil growing. It makes sense considering there has to be some way he retains that bulk, and its not magic i can tell you that shit. (Ive concluded that the jason’s workout plan is to eat a fuckton of food meant for like 10 grown ass men and bench press a tree for 50 reps)

Freddy Krueger :

- this man had no regard for his health in the physical life and doesnt to this day, meaning that he defintely consumed and did things that would eventually speed up his death if he hadn't, yknow, gotten trapped in a burning building

- so, ironically enough, he probably really likes fried foods. They're full of calories and would give him clogged arteries if he was alive, therefore they bring him a sense of innate joy and spite when scarfing down a fried porkchop or a fried chicken tendie

- alternatively hereally likes junk food and stuff with a lot of grease in it like burgers and fries or smoked ribs. He doesn't make any of these foods himself because he's a bit pyrophobic, but will 100% sneak pieces of the food yo’ure making if you're the one doing the cooking. How can he resist himself? It just looks so good!

- (he cant eat too much though, otherwise he either feels queasy or just falls asleep as soon as he gets into a chair. He’s not nearly as big as the two former slashers and you can see it both in his appetite and how he’s phsycially not really build like that.)

I decided to do part 2, so if you liked these you can check out some more if you’d like! I’ll do a part 3 soon as well =w=

[ P2 ] : https://og-danny-dorito.tumblr.com/post/621858898492686336/favorite-foods-of-some-slashers-p2

[student-film-lying-piece-of-shit]

What are ur favorite horror movies and horror movie characters? Both slashers and non slashers lol

OH.... ANON U OPENED A CAN OF WORMS BC THIS IS..... OKAY *CRACKS KNUCKLES*

I really like the saw films! Half of them are objectively bad but I really liked amanada as a character and she's fantastic. Also I'm a slut for gore and adam

Hereditary????? Fucking fantastic film and the director did a short film called There's Something Wrong With The Johnsons that genuinely scared me (GIANT tw for r/pe and incest in that film) and you can watch it om the Tube! and it handled a very taboo role reverse well. ANYTHING by ALTER on YouTube too is fucking great!!!!!!!! And CRYPT TV..... OH FUCK ME I LOVE CRYPT TV!!!! The Quiet Place was something I enjoyed too, again it wasn't perfect but I liked the opening scene a fucking TON! The Shining is also a classic....fucken....amazing visuals in that film my LORD and Carrie!!!!! IDK IF CARRIES A SLASHER BUT CARRIE!!!

The Boy has been a favorite of mine too and my love for it has been rekindled recently, I feel bad I completely forgot about it! The twist is such a subverison and it's really well written. I love the character of Brahm and I CANNOT wait for the sequel!!!! In December!!!!! It makes me happy stim

AND FOR MY FAVORITE SLASHER FILMS?????????? BABY I JUST WATCHED THE FIRST FRIDAY FILMS, BRIDE OF CHUCKY, REWATCHED FIRST NIGHTMARE...... BUT TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE!!!!!!!!!

BUBBA IS SUCH A SYMPATHIC VILLAN AND..... G/D HE'S SO WELL WRITTEN AND THR FIRST AND SECOND ARE MY FAVES!!!!! ESP THE SECOND, THE DARK COMEDY WAS GREAT AND IT HAD A LOT OF MY FAVORITE BUBBA

LOOK AT MY BABY!!!!!!!! EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!! AND CHOP TOP IS A BATSHIT ICON AND DRAYTON IS A DICK BUT HES COOL TOO. IT MAKES ME UPSET NUBBINS ISN'T ALIVE IN IT THOUGH BC HES A BABY TOO

LOOK AT THIS CHAOTIC FUCK. HES ABSOLUTELY SICKO MODE I LOVE HIM.

AND IT ALSO HAS ONE OF MY TOP FIVE IF NOT MY FAVORITE FINAL GIRLS!!!! STRETCH IS SUCH A BADASS FUCKING PROTAG.....LEFTY IS COOL TOO BUT STRETCH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ELEMENTS INTO WHY THIS FILM WORKS SO WELL!!!!

A LOT OF SLASHER FILMS HAVE THROWN IN PROTAGS I FEEL LIKE (OF COURSE WE HAVE NANCY AND PAM AND JAMIE(??????? IF U CONSIDER HER THAT WHO ARE NICE) BUT STRETCH IS A FUCKING BADASS. AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH BUBBA IS CONFLICTING BUT IT REALLY SHOWS A HUAMANE SIDE TO HIM AND HOW HES GENUINELY A HEART OF GOLD BOY WHO JUST WANTS TO DO WHAT HES SUPPOSED TOO...... LIKE JASON IS A BABY TOO DONT GET ME WRONG BUT OUT OF ALL THE SLASHERS BUBBA IS THE MOST SYMPATHIC. HE'S THE ONLY ONE REALLY WHO DOESN'T KILL BECAUSE HE WANTS TO. THE ONLY OTHER SLASHER WHO HAS THIS KINDA SHEER PANIC IS PROBABLY BILLY LENZ IN THE FIRST BLACK CHRISTMAS.......... BUBBA IS SUCH A BABY.... HES JUST A BOY.... THEY DID HIM DIRTY

THE REBOOT WAS COOL TOO I JUST. THOMAS IS NICE I JUST DON'T THINK HE CAPTURES THE TRUE LEATHERFACE AS WELL. FUCK ME. TCM GETS SUCH A WEIRD REP???? THE FIRST AND SECOND ARENT AS BAD AS YOUD THINK???? ESP THE FIRST????? ITS NOT SAW WORTHY AND IT WAS A FILM THAT SHAPED HORROR HISTORY AND SAME WITH BLACK CHRISTMAS BUT NOOOOOOOOO WE ALL SUCK MICHAEL MYERS DICK!!!!!!! YES THE SCORES GOOD AND YES PPL LIKES MYERS BUT FUCK ME BUBBA AND BILLY ARE GOOD TOO

[stella-monstrum]

“Cult King of Haunts & Certified Cool Dad”; Bobby Roe (Interview)

Admittedly, I’m quite behind the times.

        Though, it’s never too late to sink your teeth into a new-to-you horror film, past or present. Specifically for this article, I’d recommend taking a look at The Houses October Built, directed, produced, written, and acted in by Bobby Roe.

This 2014 film started a franchise continued (and topped by) the 2017 sequel, aptly named The Houses October Built 2. Over the past seven years the franchise has become a cult hit, especially with films like The Blue Skeleton, which has been kept very much alive through word of mouth and the internet. (Listen, it’s freaky levels of fourth wall breakage.)

For the October film fraternal twins, Roe not only blurred the line between the frights, scares, and shit-yourself experiences that millions seek every Halloween season in haunted attractions across the US—he also flipped the norm on its head through the first person experience of found-footage films. Both films not only make you feel like you’ll be grabbed right through the screen, but also make you feel like you’re a part of the thrill seeking gang. 

The found-film genre has been around for quite some time, popularized in 1999 with films like The Blair Witch Project. Every film under that genre has to constantly find new and innovative ways (sometimes actually getting police involved) to convince filmgoers to give it a shot. Roe not only sought out real haunted attractions within the deep south of Texas and Louisiana but also marketed the first film by creating a very real list of the attractions and making it available to the potential viewing public. By the second, the haunts literally came to them, with park reps and others reaching out to Bobby in hopes of showing the range that the holiday haunts had to offer.

(Bobby Roe; source - IMDB)

(Article & Interview cont. below)

As of this writing in 2021, Roe is working along with eleven others to form a new anthology horror series called Isolation. As producer Nathan Crooker describes it to Variety:

“Isolation explores the human condition through a genre lens, weaved together in an anthology experience. The films live under a banner of survival and deal with relatable themes such as human connection, paranoia, hope, love, escapism, fear of the unknown, abandonment and opportunism. Like any good horror film, the themes transcend the genre.” (Source)

The filmmakers were only allowed to use whatever resources that they had within their own homes. As for Roe? He got his two children involved in the project.

(The “Isolation” film poster [Created by Christopher Shy, source bloody-disgusting.com])

───────────────

On top of that, he also wrote a children’s book titled Narah the Whale and has multiple projects in the works currently put on hold due to the pandemic.

As an aspiring indie horror screenplay writer, I was so incredibly impressed by the methodical mind of Bobby Roe. I had the opportunity to write up this interview that I held with the Cult King of Haunts and certified Cool Dad.

━━━━━━━━━

1.)  You’re a very involved filmmaker, producer, writer, and father. What was becoming a dad like for you? Also, what was the “a-ha” moment that led your kids, to them becoming involved in the Isolation project?

[Roe: Becoming a father inevitably makes you question some content for better or worse in the horror film business.  My children love Halloween, not sure if that is a hereditary trait or not, but there are enough masks in the house to be infectious. The A-Ha moment was making a film with them.  Initially I was turning the opportunity down.  They are young, and as hard as the lockdown was it gave me an opportunity to spend more time with them in formative years.  I knew how time consuming ISOLATION would be, so I worked backwards and Zack Andrews and I came up with a more Lord of the Flies approach that could involve the whole family.  I'm so proud of my kids on what they pulled off, my daughter in particular was only 5 and she improved a monologue for 7 minutes that I obviously couldn't fully use, but I was blown away.]

Bobby Roe’s twitter photo of his two children [Source])

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2.) When you were in the process of writing your children’s book, Narah The Whale (alongside friend and fellow RV tourist, Zach Andrews), what wonder from your own childhood did you use as inspiration?

[Roe:  It always bothered me since I was a kid that most people thought Narwhals were mythical creatures.  Just because they weren't in aquariums, people were unaware. I know there is a craze now, but I started this book for my unborn daughter in 2014 to hopefully talk to many children and give them an origin story for their favorite animal.]

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3.) Let’s go back to 2014, during the early success of the Houses franchise. Blurring the lines of what people seek yet also fear came across as a breath of reimagined fresh air.

Question; How long was the actual process of finding the six or so haunts, and did you realize how incredibly accurate the escalating fear was where people actually want to scuffle with the haunt actors? 

[Roe:  If people don't feel terrified in a haunt, they think they were ripped off.  We wanted to make the most real found footage movie you could at the time.  I just wanted you to argue what was real and what was fake after leaving the theater.]

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4.) During quarantine, obviously everyone’s plans are put on hold. 

Question; What is your current most anticipated project that you’ve got in the chamber, and has quarantine at all changed your view on the horror genre?

[Roe: I'm very proud of what was pulled off with ISOLATION in the height of quarantine with zero crew. It was a kick in the teeth to not be able to film A WICKED TALE in June.  It was postponed with lockdown so I am really looking forward to 2021 to get that in the can. Zack and I have worked almost 3 years on it.]   

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5.) In slow burn storytelling, what is the biggest obstacle you face as far as keeping a viewer like myself glued to the screen while producing gut churning visuals without blood?

[Roe: It gets harder everyday. Especially with streaming.  I need you to hang around for HOB 1 & 2 for both endings. But if you don't take the slow burn it won’t work.  We knew people would be rude, go to their phones, so I made sure every place and interview you could look up that it was 100% real.  I think that adds to the terror.]

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6.)  In the first Houses film, there are so many hilarious breather moments—from making clown dick jokes, rapping around a campfire, and you even scaring the hell out of Mikey in a mask. 

Question: Were there any other hilarious (maybe improvised) moments that we didn’t get to see? And is there any prank competitiveness between you and your brother Mikey?

[Roe: You try to have waves. Goal #1 before scaring you, was to make sure you wanted to be in this RV and on the road trip with us.  I hope that was pulled off. Tried to buck the formula a tad. There is almost no blood and everyone is platonic (despite what people think with Zack and Brandy in bed scene).  That was designed to show lack of bed options and she is like our sister that we protect. Brandy is so good in these movies to me, she is my secret weapon. As far as Mike and I, we compete more with the creative than we do on jokes. Most pranks we are in on it together.]

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7.) What non-horror genre literature character would you personally take from any era and turn into a one-sentence pitch for a horror film?

[Roe: Edmond Dantes. The Count of Monte Cristo (wouldn't have to change the title).  But Edmond is murdered but saved as a vampire.  The Count comes back and tears the fucking town apart. Only he and Mercedes are left in the entire town after he stacks the bodies.  They live happily ever after...forever.]

(”The Count of Monte Cristo, 1888 illustrated edition) (Source; Amazon)

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8.) If you could create anything into a “horror film trope” that isn’t already existent, what would it be?

[Roe: Honestly, I want a new kill I've never dreamed of in every horror movie.  So sick of the same shit over and over.  Prerequisite is every slasher needs a new kill or be gone.]

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9.) What is the one subject/hobby outside of filmmaking would people be surprised that you’re fascinated by?

[Roe: Scuba Diving. It's very much like horror. You have no fucking idea what's over that reef or abyss.  I love that feeling.  They also say there is 8 billion in undiscovered treasure out there.  That doesn't hurt the adventure.]

It was such a cool experience to bring a fresh perspective from the mind of Bobby Roe. Stay tuned for what he’s got planned for 2021!

[gabbaray]

if you can’t handle me in my bonnet

a/n: black!reader x superhero!iwaizumi. rep👏🏾re👏🏾sen👏🏾ta👏🏾tion👏🏾mat👏🏾ters👏🏾 empowered by @haiknbs​ and her black!reader x iwa fic and probably highly influenced by this. super self-indulgent. i have no regrets. (for clarity: italics is reader speaking english)

mood board: x x x 

You banged on Iwaizumi’s door. You waited a moment and banged again.

He said he was home.

You grumbled returning to your apartment next door to retrieve the key he gave you to water his plants on the weekends he had business trips.

“Business trips”, you laughed.

<   <   <

You remembered when you found out.

Your roommate, Mitsuki, was visiting family and you were in your apartment alone. You heard a crash, a loud one, not the kind you could dismiss as your imagination or gravity. After a year, you knew your apartment well enough. That was a whole person.

You texted Iwaizumi and waited five minutes before calling him. He didn’t pick up.

Guess I’ll have to do this alone. You grabbed your baseball bat (the one Iwaizumi made you and Mitsuki buy -- you had a matching pair) and headed for where you heard the noise.

Noises.

Someone was definitely in your apartment. You gripped the bat tighter.

If I die and they show me on the 6 o clock news in my bonnet, I’m going to haunt Iwaizumi and Mitsuki.

You pushed the bathroom door open with your toe and raised the bat to hit the burglar and paused.

“Iwaizumi?”

He whipped around. He had been crouching in front of the cabinet under the sink searching for something.

“What the heck are you doing? You gave me a heart attack?”

Wait. You lowered the bat.

He had a massive cut across his chest.

You frowned, processing what you saw.

Iwaizumi was in what looked like a Zoom costume and had peeled it down around his waist. A mask around his neck.

“Iwaizumi, what the heck?”

“I thought I was in my apartment. No wonder I couldn’t find anything I needed.”

You glared at him. Don’t be slick, Iwaizumi. You remembered your hair was wrapped and you were in pajamas. You grew flustered. “Explain.”

“I came in through the window because I couldn’t walk in through the front door in my alter ego. I thought it was my apartment but I was off by one.”

“And?” You crossed your arms, feeling more like your mother.

He huffed sitting on the closed toilet. “I may be Zoom and may have gotten injured fighting a train slasher.”

You look at the cut. “How can I help?”

“I use disinfectant spray to help speed up the healing.”

You looked in your medicine cabinet above the sink. “I don’t have any. Where is it in your apartment?”

“Under the sink,” he leaned back grimacing.

“I still have the key from your business trip-“ you looked at him. “There was no business trip.”

“My life is a shack of lies,” he deadpanned.

You sucked your teeth. “This is gonna be a long night.”

Iwaizumi explained everything when you came back. His powers -- his strength, flight, and unnatural recovery time -- and how he’d always just had them. He said his best friend, Oikawa, was convinced he was an alien. He’d been running around as Zoom for four years.

By the time, he’d finish the cut was gone.

You couldn’t believe it — no you couldn’t comprehend it. You had the proof before your eyes. And you hadn’t noticed for the past two years your next door neighbor was a superhero.

“Who else knows?” The two of you had moved to the living room.

“You, Oikawa, and my government liaison. They give me a small stipend for my help.”

“Holy cow, this is so massive,” You frowned.

Iwaizumi shrugged. He looked up at your hair, or rather the bonnet, for the third time. “Can I ask you a question?”

You fought a smile, guessing what it would be. “Sure.”

“What...why?” He pointed at his head and made a circle.

“The scarf keeps my hair moisturized. Cotton takes out the moisture and this is made of satin.” You’d learned how to explain the differences of your Black beauty routine after years of being one of a few in majority White settings. Thank goodness it translated perfectly for your time in Japan.

He nodded although you were certain he didn’t quite understand.

“Well I’ve let you live after seeing me in my bonnet. I guess I’ll have to keep your secret.”

>   >   >

You returned with the key to his apartment.

“What the heck were you thinking?” You screamed, slamming his door behind you. You realize afterwards you yelled in English and not Japanese. Oh now, you’ve done it, Iwaizumi.

You scanned his apartment for Iwaizumi and saw him slumped on the couch. Your anger roared back.

“Are you an idiot?” You stormed towards him. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I was doing my job.” Iwaizumi doesn’t bother to open his eyes. He groaned shifting to sit straight.

“Don’t even try it, Iwaizumi.” You whipped a finger in his direction. “Stop moving so much. God, what makes you think that your job involves doing stupid reckless things.” You take in the cuts and bruises over his face and arms, knowing only more littered his torso and legs.

“There were hostages involved, (y/n)-san.”

“Oh, drop the honorifics, Iwa-chan. You think you are so strong and you do stupid things like this. You know you have a limit right?”

He groaned again. “Apparently.”

You huffed. “Do you need water? Are you hungry?”

“Please, water would be nice.”

You walk into the kitchen and open his fridge pulling out a water bottle and looking for something to reheat for Iwaizumi to eat.

“Are you healing?” You asked, sticking leftovers in the microwave. You glanced over and found him turned around, watching you. “What did I say about moving,” you snapped, looking for a glass to pour the water into. Heat spread in your neck.

“Yes, I am.”

You took your time filling the cup, willing your embarrassment away.

You remember your first month in the apartment building and how often you noticed Iwaizumi staring at you. Mitsuki would wiggle her eyebrows and say it was because he found you beautiful. And, as satisfying as that would be, you were aware how often the stares were because of your russet skin tone and not much more.

You easily found yourself falling for Iwaizumi. (I mean c’mon.) Then, you two started having conversations by the mailbox or in the elevators and it’d been down hill from then.

You brought Iwaizumi the water and food.

“Eat.” You sat on the couch.

“Thank you.”

You hummed, watching him drink half the cup and take a couple bites.

He yawned.

“If you’re tired, you should sleep in your bed and not on your couch.”

He set the cup and bowl on the coffee table and leaned back. “I might just take a nap here and finish healing then sleep in my bed.” He closed his eyes.

“I’m still mad at you.”

Iwaizumi grunted.

“They turned on the news at the office and you were falling. I almost screamed.” You stopped to collect your thoughts. “For Pete’s sake, I was freaking out and I had to try and act casual. The news kept replaying everything: you flying through the window, you falling out, you stopping and you getting back in through bullet fire. You can’t do that. You can’t just put yourself in danger like that.”

“I had to save them,” he slurred. “Everyone’s safe. Iss okay.”

You frowned. He looked like he fell asleep. You reached over to smooth the hairs along his temple.

Iwaizumi barely got his eyes open.

“Go to sleep,” you commanded, softly, yourself tired.

He closed his eyes again.

You waited for his breathing to slow before you reaching over and resuming.

“You can’t...you can’t do that to me. I was so worried. What am I supposed to do if something happens to you, Iwa? You matter to me. Please for me,” you pleaded. “Take care of yourself.”

You sighed before getting up. You put his leftovers on the island and refilled his cup of water before returning to your apartment.

+

Iwaizumi texted you saying he did eat dinner so you left for work without kicking his door down again to make sure he was ok.

You looked up at the tapping on your office door.

“Flowers for (y/n)-san.” The delivery man held a bouquet of your favorite flowers in your favorite colors.

You blinked before standing up and looking for a place to put them. “Here is fine. Thank you!”

You looked for a card. Who would send flowers? On a Thursday?

“Oooo, (y/n)-san,” your coworkers poked their heads through the door. “Flowers~”

You grinned.

“Who are they from?”

You shook your head. “There’s no card.”

“Oooo, secret admirer.”

You shrugged, turning back to your work.

The day felt better than yesterday. You nailed your presentation and got a client to stay with the company after weeks of back and forth to get them off the fence about switching. You were walking on clouds.

“Pretty flowers.” Mitsuki dropped her bag on the dining room table.

“Thanks.”

“Who are they from?”

You shrugged, stirring dinner.

She hummed and you turned to find her smirking.

“You look like a fox who got into the henhouse. What did you do?”

“Nothing~”

You narrowed your eyes but ignored it knowing it would reveal itself in time.

You were nursing a glass of wine when someone knocked on your door. You checked before opening the door.

“Iwaizumi,” you smiled at him. “Are you coming in?”

He nodded.

“Do you want something to drink? We have wine.” You walked back into the kitchen assuming he’d follow. 

“No, thank you. I’m ok.”

You turned around and found his eyes traveling up your legs. You’d changed into pajama shorts.

“How are you feeling?” You asked, taking a sip and turning back around.

“Better.”

“Good.” You smiled.

“How was your day?”

You sat down at the island. “Better,” you laughed. “No emergencies.” 

“You like the flowers?” Iwaizumi looked at the ones you’d brought home from work.

“They’re beautiful — you sent them?”

He nodded, running his fingers through the back of his hair.

You wrinkled your nose. “Why didn’t you send a card with it?”

“So, I wouldn’t chicken out.”

“Hmm?” You swirled your wine.

“They’re a thank you for yesterday.”

“I hardly did anything worth flowers yesterday.”

Iwaizumi walked over to you and reached out to stroke back hair off of your face. “It’s more what you said.”

“The scolding?”

He shook his head.

Your jaw went slack. “You were still awake?”

“Yea.”

You needed a full glass of wine. “I meant it.” You leaned back and looked at the ground instead of Iwaizumi standing over you. “I’ve watched enough television shows with superheroes to know it is so irrational to fall for a superhero but here I am.” You knocked back the rest of your wine. 

“It was nice,” He said slowly, “to have someone to come home to. For someone to care if I came home. I liked it a lot.”

You eyes snapped up and he was watching you.

“I...I’ve been trying to figure out how to say that I think you’re beautiful for the past year and a half. And,” he reached back up. “I didn’t include the card so I would finally tell you. That I think your beautiful and,” he caresses your cheek.

“And...” you prompted, pressing your cheek into his hand.

Iwaizumi looked down at your lips and you felt warmth in your chest. Your eyelids lowered as he leaned forward.

He kissed you. You let out a little moan. He held your hips and pressed closer. You wrapped your arms around his neck. Your head was swimming.

He pulled back and the look on his face made you smile dopily.

Iwaizumi leaned his forehead against yours, “Can I make you breakfast tomorrow morning?”

You snorted, “Make me breakfast?”

“It’s the only time that works in both of our schedules. And I owe you one.”

You could already hear Mitsuki teasing you.

“It’s that or I fall through your bathroom window again at 2 in the morning.”

You laughed, “Ok, okay.”

He kissed your forehead. “Tomorrow then.” He moved back.

“For breakfast,” you hoped down and followed him to the door.

“Iwaizumi-san,” Mitsuki greeted him walking to the fridge.

“Mitsuki-san, good night.”

She waved at him filling her glass with wine.

“Good night,” he gave you a peck on the cheek.

“Good night.”

The door was closed with a click.

“I told you so,” Mitsuki singsonged, popping up behind you and filling your glass with more wine.

a/n: the professionals