#beware the black rainbow

[eldridgecandell]

😈 Summon a demon

Stone should never reflect light, but in the dank basement of Juniper Brant the candles did just trick in the damp room. The dirt floor mixed with the odd mildew scent from the walls to give an earthy aroma which could be enough unpleasant to cause one to know there was a leak somewhere. Of course the burning incense and myrrh splattered about did everything it could to aid in the smell.

The wax trickled slow and low among their wicks as the yellow flames danced only from the breath of the occupants within the cellar. A circle of chalk and animal fat had been draw in the center of the room, the occupants resting calmly within it as they did their best to hold still in the dark. Two figures sat naked and shivering in the homemade circle, bodies painted with lines to match the circle they had created earlier. The white lines of thick chalk paint traced shapes over their skin in odd patterns of proud, if not crude, symmetry. Each set of hands resting gently upon the other's knees as with heads bowed to sit in awkward silence with the odd box between them.

It didn't bear the same patterns as the drawings of their flesh or carry the glint of gold. It was just a small wooden box, perfectly square and made of the deepest red wood.

The box sat still.

"Tides this stuff stinks," Juniper muttered softly, her body shaking slightly from the cold.

"Shh," Robert, her companion, whispered back harshly though his eyes never left the box.

The woman wanted to apologize, but she bit her lip instead in fear of upsetting their fifth attempt any more. For the three months, Juniper Brant and her childhood beau Robert Salmin had been gathering in the basement of her family home in hopes of fixing the foul luck that had befallen their former fertile farmland. The summer's drought had come swift and terrible upon the weary pilgrims after a summer of unending sun with little to no rain to help what should be a thriving crop. Curses were not uncommon in this part of the world, but this was nothing of any witch's touch or warlock scorned. This was just simply nature punishing them.

And that had to change.

Robert had been the one to find the old book in the peddler's cart, a normal tome of sorts had only cost the young farmer a few silver pieces. The peddler none the wiser or caring for what was within it's pages. Salvation is what Robert called it upon combing through it's yellowed pages with hope and hunger in his heart as he read of the powers within. This could save them. Save the farms. Their families. Make him a hero. He just needed a partner.

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and the old flames we hold in our hearts for first loves may dim but never fade. So when Juniper buried her husband among those dry fields, Robert had been at her side immediately. What likely should have been a coy and long courtship ended up with the pair finding sync in the dark not hours after the passing of the man Juniper thought would be her only one. She found herself to be quite lucky Robert felt the same.

A few weeks later and the book was revealed to Juniper who though skeptical felt entitled to help her new lover in his quest to save the farm. She listened to his teachings, read what passages he offered, and praised his process. He in turn gave her what her former husband could hardly ever give her when he was alive. It was a mutual and vibrant partnership.

But now was the time to act.

The first attempt had been a mess all around. The wrong chalk, too much blood, and far to much talking.

The second attempt had been nearly the same amount of mess, but they figured blood wasn't needed anymore after the last calf had stunk so bad.

The third attempt was half heart-ed for success and more about getting at each other, the book having been right about warning of 'carnal overload'.

Time had been the only thing that mixed up the fourth time as the window had closed with the dawning of the accursed sun.

Here was now the fifth. They had followed it to the letter. Beginning in earnest, keeping in rhythm, and reaching the point of no return as they sat among themselves painted the most base of mortal needs.

Now the box needed to merely open.

A soft sigh broke the silence.

"Robert?" Juni asked quietly as she brought her fingers to gently scratch at the skin upon his knees.

The man shook his head softly. "This isn't going to work."

"But we did everything right."

"I know, but I," Robert sighed again feeling the weight of his attempts drag down at his shoulders. "I don't think I'm strong enough to do this."

Juni's hand would lift gently from his knee now to touch his face, her touch warm to his cold skin as the cheek was stroked.

"You are so strong, my love," she spoke soothingly to him as she felt his skin beneath hers still as she smiled. "And brave. You have done so much for me and this community, no one can fault you."

"Or know to be honest," Juniper laughed as she continued to stroke his face, but he would not raise his eyes to hers. The laugh died as quickly as it came before she leaned forward from her spot, her face coming to nestle among his dark sweat damp hair. She breathed him and sighed, drought be damned she was in love with him. It was all she really needed.

He was all she wanted.

"Come on, Rob," Juni pressed her lips to his head again as she began to rise, her heart fluttering a bit as she did her best to coax him to his feet with the contours of her body. "We'll wash up and have a bit of fun before tomorrow. You'll feel better."

Rob's hand gently came to grab her hand, squeezing gently as he kept his face hidden.

Juni tilted her head softly as he grabbed her, his grip tight though not unnerving as she spoke again. "Rob?"

The grip grew tighter, as it moved up from her hand to her wrist. His thumb coming to press at the soft center space.

"Rob," Juni asked again, worry now growing her voice as she spoke quickly. "Rob you're hurting me."

The thumb pressed harder, his nail sharp and poking into the skin as he pressed harder. "Robert stop. Robert!"

Pain flashed through Juniper's arm as she reeled back from him, soft flecks of crimson floating through the air as she backed away from him. Her other hand flying to her wrist as she felt the warmth of her own blood coat the palm of her hand. "What the hell, Robert?!"

Robert's hand sat shaking in the air between them, his thumb dripping with the few droplets of Juni's blood as he slowly brought it down to the box.

The wooden box drank greedily.

"Robert?"

"I'm sorry," Robert whispered. "I love thee."

"Thee?" Juni asked softly as she held her wrist tight still. "What do you mean?"

It was then she found her feet past the circle and alone beyond him. Her skin growing colder. Her heart beating faster. "Robert?"

"I love thee," Robert repeated again. There was sorrow in the three words, but the power of them wasn't meant for her. His eyes were only for the box.

Again he said the three magic words. "I love thee."

The box began to twist, it's red wood glistening and writhing as it's shape expanded and stretched.

"I love thee," the words still filled with sorrow but triumph and pride hidden in plain sight. The crimson wood stretching more as protruding digits beckoned from the quickly thinning panels of the box, coaxing to him. Begging to him. Taunting to him. Applauding him.

Where once fingers had been now with the growing box, a jaw pushed forward among the creaking red. There was no sound yet, but the lips of stretched lumber could clearly be read.

Feed me.

Juniper never got to see what horrors her lover had planned, her body having already since slumped in the cold dark of her cellar. Mouth agape and drawn to match the empty sockets of her once soft brown eyes in frozen terror. The last words of Robert though would haunt the corpse of Juniper Brant for all eternity.

I love thee.

@nixalegos

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Random Thoughts/Blurbs/and miscellaneous stuff

Claudia's Eddie thoughts

Fanfics

Paint It Black (SFW)

When Worlds Collide (SFW)

Not So Freaky After All (SFW)

Daring To Be Truthful (SFW)

Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (SFW)

Beach Baby (SFW)

After All This Time (SFW)

New Ink (SFW)

Through The Echoes (SFW)

The Boy Is Mine (Claudia’s Edition)

Birthday Gifts (SFW) Birthday gift fic for slutty-thevampireslayer

Rainbow Sprinkles (SFW) Birthday gift fic for penguinsandpotterheads

Eddie and Argyle:Hell or High Water - Operation Mary-Jane (Eddie x Argyle fluff)

Young Dumb Thrills (18+)

Morning Coffee (18+)

Do Ya Wanna Taste It? (18+)

These Bonds That Tie Us (18+)

Mr. and Mrs. (18+)

Love Me Like This (Just For Tonight) (18+)

Ultimate Fantasy (18+)

Blood Orange (18+)

Down Memory Lane (So Much Has Changed...)

Creatures Of The Night (Steddie/18+)

Sweetheart and Honey (Steddie/18+)

Part 1: From Me To You (SFW) Part 2:Sugar, Pretty Baby (18+)

Lipstick Kisses and Tattoos (Headcanon/Blurb/SFW)

Cozy Thunderstorms (Blurb/SFW)

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Blurb/NSFW)

Because The Night Belongs To Lovers (Vampire/Kas!Eddie x Reader Blurb)

Beware Of The Dog (Werewolf/Fuckboy!Eddie x Reader Blurb)

Riding Eddie (Blurb/18+)

Can I Watch You? (Blurb/18+)

Leather and Lace (Blurb/18+)

Short Steddie Fic (Blurb/18+)

First Christmas Gifts (Answered Ask/SFW)

Eddie Munson X Cheerleader!Reader (A collection of loosely related drabbles)

Masterlist

Apartment Apparitions - Just Like Heaven AU (Series) [Completed]

Masterlist

Teenage Dreams - 13 Going On 30 AU (Series) [Completed]

Masterlist

A Cut Above The Rest (Series) [Completed]

Masterlist

Cowboy!Eddie Munson x Reader

Masterlist

[vintagerpg]

Best beware when you’re walking on the nightside! This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we chat with Gavriel Quiroga about his new game, Black Rainbow Society. A sequel of sorts to Hell Night, this game doesn’t feature players in the roles of fiends from hell, but rather normal humans grappling with the knowledge that there is more to existence than the mundane world (a staple theme of ’90s RPGs, many of which are clear inspirations here). Gavriel brings his signature intensity to the project, with heaps of random tables, gnarly zine art and buckets of blood. Now on Kickstarter!

[epickiya722]

If you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top favorite fics that you've written (feel free how much that you want to list)? Why they're special to you? Is there a specific inspiration when you wrote them?

Thanks if you want to answer....

I'll tell you, all my fics are special to me and most of the time, I find myself having fun writing them. Writing isn't just a hobby, but a way for me to release pent up feelings I have or express an idea that came to me.

To name a couple...

Beware of the Bunnies - It's the first fic I wrote for "if Miruko was Midoriya's mentor". It was fun writing that fic, especially when it's a fic for my two #1 faves. I honestly didn't expect the amount of attention I got for it!

Not Red, Black - I sometimes like branching out from writing warm-hearted, funny fics and this is one of those times. Another AU idea I had, but if Miruko and Midoriya were eldritch-like creatures and related. Unlike its prequel, this one stepped more in horror imagery and I think the direction the fic took.

Forbid a Woman from Being Great - Yes, another Miruko fic and one I actually wrote out of spite. When it comes to this fandom (as with any), is how double standard they can get. With Miruko, I have seem people hate her for being "too aggressive" or "too mean", but praise other characters for those same traits or even give excuses for their behavior. Or with fanservice, the same people who complain about it also thirst over the male characters getting bloody and shirtless. I don't hate characters like Dabi, Shigaraki or Hawks but I can't stomach how their fans act when it comes to Miruko or any other character really. It was actually a Hawks fan that irritated me enough to write this fic as well as get me out of the writing funk I was in.

An Absolute Menace - This is a fun little fic. It's part of a series of Class A and occasionally B partaking in antics. With this one, writing Koda as this troll was new, but fun.

Let's SK8 Over the Rainbow - This is actually a SK8 series that I wrote and it's still one of my favorites. It started off as a headcanon (Reki allowing Koyomi to paint his nails) and then spiraled into a collection of short stories themed around colors and I love colors so much. One of the fics, You're Lime Green Jell-O, I dove into expanding a character that only appeared once in SK8. Her name is Miki and she has green hair and I remember seeing her and going "You, you're getting some personality, a story, etc." Best decision ever. I just loved writing Miki and I think it was the first time I wrote a whole story for a character that only had two lines in canon.

Tu es le Moment Auquel J'appartiens - Another series I adore. I wanted to write some jealous Vanitas since I don't think I had seen a lot of Vanoé fics where he was the jealous one while Noé was more oblivious. Not at the time, I don't know about now since I haven't read a VNC fic in a long time. The title translates to "You are the moment I belong to" which is a line of lyrics from the anime's first ending song that I love so much.

It's the Pink Hair, Isn't It? - Do not get me wrong! I do love the AUs I see where Sukuna and Yuji are brothers, but the idea of this fic came from what if they were identical strangers and not related in the slightest. Even funnier, in the fic, Kenjaku and Suguru are siblings that look like twins, but Kenjaku is older. My favorite scenes probably have to be Kenjaku and Yuji interacting and Sukuna and Yuji meeting. I've also been cooking up a sequel so I can write more of Kenjaku and Suguru being siblings and Yuji's brothers and I do mean all nine older brothers. (I relate to Choso so much.)

Your Heartbeat Is My Comfort - Ever see a beautiful piece of fanart and you want to write a fic about it? That's what happened here. I saw this FushiIta art post here and it was like BAM! I had to write a fic. It was also another I didn't write something comedic, but more somber, bit of tragedy yet comfort in there.

Maybe Someday We'll Meet Again - I'm all for the Teacher Geto AU! However, this fic came from a what if scenario had Suguru and Yuji had met when they were younger and I always how Kenjaku was even aware of Suguru's technique. So I put both ideas together and thus this fic was born. It isn't dark, but little less comedic than others and I tried my hand at focusing on more of Yuji's strangeness and innocence here along with Suguru's character before he became a curse user.

You Are My Special - Again, another time I went for less comedy and fluff and tried with something else. I actually don't know how to categorize this one in terms of genre. SPECIALZ was stuck in my head for a long time and it got when I really started thinking about the lyrics and decided why not try writing something from Kenjaku's POV about Yuji? It may have took forever to write, but I'm glad I did. I actually wanted to write a companion piece of sorts but from Sukuna's POV about Yuji.

The Pink Sky and Cherry Blossoms - I actually just posted this fic and I'm glad I waited to answer this ask because of it. I was rereading the manga and came to Uro's fight with Ryu and Yuta and instantly fell in love with her character and thought about how would it have been like if Uro met my other favorite, Yuji? They have some similarities going on there and it was eye-opening writing those into this fic, especially with Uro's character. I wasn't around when that arc came out, so I didn't know how the fandom acted towards her, but for me, I just felt there's more to her than the surface. She's the Miruko of JJK to me as Yuji is the Izuku. Just as I would love for Miruko and Izuku to be a duo in a big sis-lil bro/mentor-mentee way, I love the same for Uro and Yuji.

The Craving That Paints Your Lips Red - The last fic I wrote for 2023 and a sequel to another fic, I wanted to try my hand at the horror again. But more tame, but still "Oh my gosh". I'm writing a post about it, but I have thoughts about Yuji and Sukuna's relationship and sometimes I have this feeling that Sukuna wants to corrupt Yuji, kind of like shape him to be the next him almost. Not for certain, but it's an idea that kind of struck me. For this fic, I wanted to explore a more horror fic side of Yuji housing the King of Curses. The best part of this fic for me is how I unintentionally stuck with the idea that Yuji keeps getting back up no matter how many times Sukuna tries to break him.

That list got longer than intended, but again, I have a lot of fics I have enjoyed writing! I'm glad to have talked about them and I thank you for asking! 💜

[imsparky2002]

Ghoul Squad Reboot: Mylenetasma

Mylene Haprele - Phantom of the Opera

Age - 14

Species - Phantom

Appearance - Short, plus-sized, rainbow dreadlocks, light brown skin, moderate gamboge eyes and pale magenta lips, moderate gamboge eyes, left side of face is scarred and burned which she had since birth

Attire - Black tuxedo, black pants, long black opera cape, white bowtie, black crooked fedora, white gloves, white silk shirt, black boots, rose on her lapel, white porcelain half-mask on left-side of face.

Likes - Acting, protecting the theatre, seeing the students of DuPont succeed, classic works of theatre, rowing the gondola, composing musical pieces, singing, brooding and being dramatic with Juleka, Ivan, her closest friend Jesse

Dislikes - People being selfish, disrespecting her family, bullies, ghost hunters, being seen as evil or scary by nice students, having to scare innocent people, senseless violence, not casting actors based on talent, Vaccuum cleaners, phantoms who use their powers for evil.

FrankenPet - Mullo the Franken Mouse

A lovely young phantom raised in the old Parisian Opera House by her loving parents, Mylene is a girl with a shy demeanor but a passion for performing.

The thespian can ham it up with the best of them, and knows all the tricks of the trade when it comes to ghostly magic and intimidation through theatricality.

The great love of her life is the young Kong, Ivan, who with her beautiful singing, she is able to soothe when he becomes angry enough to assume his massive gorilla form. The two are very affectionate with one another.

The ghost has loads of different secret passageways and trapdoors that she uses to lead people to safety from Akuma attacks. Just listen for the sound of her pipe organ, and you'll be safe.

She adores all her friends, but is especially close to her foster brother Jesse. Mess with him, and you’ll be in for a world of ghostly hurt

Quotes

Girls! Did one of you hide my mask? I need it to complete my dramatic and spooky appearance!

It’s a good thing I am not bound by the laws of gravity. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to reach the top shelf!

Mwahahaha! Beware the Phantom of the Opera! *Giggling before giving a shy smile* See? I can be scary when I want to.

No need to fear, my fellow thespians of DuPont. The Phantom shall guide you once again.

(Humming a soft song) It’s okay, Ivan, everything is fine. You will never be a beast or frightening to me.

The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind.... so she can give you a pep talk! As always thanks to Weeby for the help. @artzychic27 @msweebyness @nerd-chocolate

[shallowseeker]

Shal SPN meta masterpost

(The thought of labeling my unhinged ramblings as "essays" or "meta" honestly gives me hives.) But well. After a year, I'm still here, and I am making and updating this (A) to happily re-visit my thoughts for my own enjoyment and (B) to add to my pinned post.

MY META:

==Most Liked==

Dean, Cas, and sharing pockets

Jack's nephilim eyesight triggering Dean's germ anxiety

== Roles, Identity, Careers, Class ==

Performing Dean, the AV Club, and Jack as varsity MVP

Even when Chuck "humiliates" Castiel, Dean still likes him

Cas + "dad material"

Anna and the angelic non-integration of her own emotions

Are angels terrified of fathering Nephilim?

Jack is not part of a traditional, cookie-cutter nuclear family. That's the WHOLE POINT

Nazi Cas, and the implications for Jimmy Novak

Beware the validity of Cupid in My Bloody Valentine

== Core traits ==

Dean + I don't deserve happiness

Cas + shabby angel of the Lord

Lucifer + cognitive empathy

Lucifer...doesn't really rib Cas that hard about his feelings for Dean

Dean's guilt and emotions make him LOOK guiltier than other characters

Dean + ashamed of being alive

== Symbols ==

Castiel's coat of arms - When Cas dons the overcoat, he hijacks the narrative

Dean, the Cupid, and the insidious motive to demoralize his faith in ever finding "True Love"

Searching for a rainbow + forbidden love is forbidden

Jack ate the world: foreshadowing gods eating souls + nephilim lore

Cas died on a beach! + Jack's place of birth was specifically the famously doomed Washaway Beach

==Car meta ==

Cas + cars (!)

The pimpmobile as a marker of Cas's unsettled identity

The truck is the mark of a family protector and Sam loves little blue cars teehee

Family cars + protecting the ones you love

==Pop culture, music, media ==

Head canon that Dean buried Cas by a windmill, but it’s because he and Cas have had deep conversations about Animal House.

Jack + Dean + hyperfixations on music

==Grief ==

The familial murder of the mother, the blaming of absent father, and the symbolic death of a child in 14x18 Absence

Dean looks around for Cas after he prays in 13x01

Smiting Belphegor made Jack's death real

Harper Sayles and the romanticized first love

How Jack & Dean wanted to look ahead in Optimism and fail at doing it when Jack dies just two episodes later

==TFW dynamics ==

Dean's family was willing to sacrifice him, and that gets overlooked (from an ask)

Dean's Farewell Tour + Avoiding Cas - part 1

TFW are messy disaster parents and I dig it

When Dean killed Belphegor, it was about Rowena, but it was ALSO about [OMITTED]

Cas + resilience + repeat existential crises

Dean & Cas + Covert Communication in 15x09

Claire & Jack are uneasy around each other at best; actively dislike each other at worst

== Breakdowns ==

Jack's best memory was in 13x06; some notes about the scene

Oh, my GOD, Cas. Dean was so stupidly worried about you, you dumbass. (12x17-12x19)

Season 11-12 Lucifer + war + rejection + Jack -> the thing that will give his life new meaning

== Script talk ==

Like a baby lion is proud of his kill, Jack overkills Nick with graphic, brutal efficiency in SPN 14x17 Game Night

The mission before all else + Mary's trust in Jack in 14x17 Game Night

Dean & Cas in season 15: doomed by too much faith in each other?

== Unpopular and/or controversial opinions ==

Dean would never say I Love You to ANYONE in those circumstances.

How Dean and Cas lost the thread of free will in SPN season 15

The incest jokes and innuendos are primarily about class disrespect

The argument that Cas has no parental authority over Jack (and Sam and Dean do)...doesn't hold up

Ben is not's Dean's son. Full stop.

Heaven is a war machine

Endverse Cas + The Nephilim-making Strategy

-> Contrarian takes:

Purgatory isn’t pure in the *good* sense; it’s a suicide trap and a black-and-white, unthinking world (long)

Cas actually DID check out naked Hannah (very long)

Cas has good reason to need forgiveness during the divorce arc...he is not blameless (long)

Does Chuck's female coding carry ill intent?

==Finale metas==

What if Dean dying on the rebar was an accidental manifestation of Chuck!God!Amara!Jack’s latent feelings? (long)

Searchin' for a rainbow + Cas's death + forbidden love (long)

== Funny thoughts ==

Jack + typewriter

Lebanon inhabitants + TFW fake jobs

Jack & Dean + nephilim eyesight + GERMS

Ketch, the father

Sam wigged out when Eileen didn't leave and note and Dean deserved to say things about it - lol

Cas is SO old, y'all

Dean hate-watches Gone with the Wind

Dean doesn't "feel more deeply than anyone," you FOOL

Dean/Cas are that unsettling, unhinged couple who looks absolutely demented when they kiss

== Random ideas ==

What if Cas's Enochian rib carvings affected Cas's abilities to hear Sam and Dean's prayers?

== SPNwin ==

There’s a lot of merit in being anti-destiny, anti-soulmate, anti-chosen-one, anti-Cupid, anti-mirrors/anti-parallels. (long)

Natural crisis points built into The Winchesters character arcs (long)

To be updated.

///

(Text Attributions// Supernatural scripts here via @spnscripthunt. Transcripts are located here via SPNWiki. Visit their Tumblr to donate.)

[asksoldieron]

SO-21: The Problem with Trolley Problems

If there's a lot of engagement on this, this post is liable to get real long, beware before you expand.

No art, but I am working on it and I will add it retroactively. The eyes are letting me draw, just real slow.

Welcome to the Engagement Lounge, for Black Box (250|21) an instalment! Short comments can go in the replies, but there's a 475 character limit. Longer ones will need a reblog. Remember to @asksoldieron if you're reblogging someone else's reblog, so I can see it too!

And so we come to the point! Well, one of many points, it's a long work. But this is one I'm going to hammer into the ground, because I think if people don't engage with it and understand it, bad things will keep happening. A person can get so used to there only being bad decisions, that they don't even look for good ones anymore.

I don't feel good about the gang doing a war crime, and you shouldn't either. I stacked the deck so you'd forgive them; not everyone is going to read from the very beginning and new readers may not trust me, so I pulled my punch. (You can blame my spouse for advising me to have mercy on you now, so you won't stop reading and run away.) You don't get a lot of humanizing interaction with the innocent tourist they assault, and Erik will, of course, forgive his family once he's able. They lay out their decision process for you, and it really does look like they're making the best decision with the information they have - but it's NOT a good decision. I don't want you to duck that.

And it doesn't matter that it's not. One-by-one, they make their peace with it, each for their own reasons. They even get Maggie to help, because she sees they're going to do it anyway, she can't stop them, and she doesn't want Erik to get hurt even worse. And they do it. It's done and they can't take it back, they can only move on from here.

Then we all find out John did the same thing, and why.

When he saw unknown numbers of innocent lives tied to the track, including children, John elected to throw the lever and run over Erik's family and autonomy. They're not dead, the damage isn't irreparable, but they sure are hurt. Likewise, Erik's family will throw that lever to save Erik's future physical and mental health, at the cost of his and an innocent stranger's ability to consent.

I've been planning this plotline since at least 2017 (My original inclination was to force people to compare the mass kidnappings of immigrant and Indigenous children to the Holocaust, but, uh, my focus has broadened out of necessity. Clearly.) , so I had no idea it would go up while my country of origin is trying to decide between one of two genocidal Presidents, but it has. Much like Maggie, I'm sitting here with the full knowledge that one of two bad things will happen, we will not be able to take it back, and we can only move on from there. And, to add insult to injury, she's got to listen to a person she respects explain why sexual assault is OK in this case, and try to square that up with her opinion of him in general. It's not even like he doesn't care, but it's the only thing he can see to do, so he'll defend it. And she'll let him.

Of course, these weren't the best decisions they could've made, but they would've had to take risks that could've ruined everything to get a better result. Neither John nor Erik's family feel secure enough to do that. They've been hurt enough. So (slight spoiler, but I won't go into it) John missed his chance to pick up Diane to help him, and the NDA rejected calling David back with little consideration.

It may not be obvious, but David was telling lies with purpose. He's trying to protect John and the Rainbows from people who could get them all killed. (Given how mad Milo and Ann get later, this is a valid concern.) If they called him back and he saw they weren't buying that Erik would be fine, he'd explain about the battery and try to take all the blame, even at the cost of burning his bridges with Hyacinth. Then the shopping bag with the info would've arrived and confirmed the nature of the damage. (As well as the decent odds that Erik would recover from it within a week, with better operating instructions to help.) But they didn't even give him a chance. It didn't seem worth doing.

When we have to solve a lot of trolley problems, we get used to the idea that someone is going to get run over and we're just deciding who. It's very difficult to reject the entire premise and find another way. While you're trying to take a third option, the trolley might run over someone you don't want to lose! So you pull the lever and move on to the next awful scenario. You're doing your best!

OK, but we sure are running over an awful lot of people. I do wonder how many more will die before the majority of voters decide the risk of a derailment is preferable to running over whatever's on the tracks. I mean, we're going ahead with the genocide. It's far away and we don't have to look at 'em dying, there is that. If it gets a little closer and both choices involve mowing down (more) immigrants on the southern border, will that do it? I'm really scared that it won't, and I could get confirmation on that during this election too. If we're willing to allow that, what's next? (I'm constantly gripping the edges of my seat and waiting to hear, "Well, both candidates are going to send all the trans kids to conversion therapy, so can we please focus on Roe v. Wade/the Supreme Court/healthcare/student loans/etc...?")

I think, I hope, there's a point where everyone will refuse to engage with "choose who" and refocus on "MAKE IT STOP." But we're not there yet. I don't know what happens when we get there, either. A lot of revolutions just rearrange the hierarchy and change the nature of who gets tied to the tracks. I don't want that, and I don't want this. Maybe, if my work survives, someone in the future will be in a position to make some better decisions, and stop the goddamn trollies forever.

So I keep writing and hoping like hell.

Future readers, if you're wondering how we knew it was wrong and did it anyway, I've tried to express that in capsule form with its own context. I hope you can understand, if not forgive, and go on from wherever you are too.

[Back to Site?]

[mangacat201]

Writing Patterns

Wasn't tagged by anyone, just saw @rainbow-nerdss do it and decided I wanted to have a go.

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern! (I'm leaving out podfics and filks and art projects, just sticking to the plain text fics in chronogical order, so multifandom beware, lol)

There’s a shrill whistling sounding in his ears. ("Trouble in Paradise" Justified fandom - Summary: In truth, Raylan would not have cared if Tommy Bucks didn’t draw first. He'd fired the first shot way before, with the snick of a lighter, next to a fuse.)

Eddie is just about to pack up to head out, when a clatter from the back draws his attention. ("Burning Bright" 9-1-1 Fandom - Summary: "The 118" is a secret tip still in the punk rock scene, but their manager Bobby Nash is determined to give them their Big Break soon. Right now, they're playing gigs wherever they can get them and working on a first album - with Buck trying to overcome songwriting insecurities, Eddie there to help, Chim and Ravi eager to enable and Hen despairing at the task of corralling that whole chaos clowncar by herself. Meanwhile, Christopher is working to outfox them all (in the name of love, of course). Contains original music, written for the band, to listen to along with reading!)

+Thu-thump+ What most people don’t realise about lightning is that the electricity is there way before the light. ("Suspended Animation" 9-1-1 Fandom - Summary: What most people don’t realise is that the electricity is there way before the light.)

The phone rings for an interminable amount of time before Carlos picks up, so like… two and a half rings. ("Layla" 9-1-1 (Lone Star) Fandom - Summary: TK brings home another (little) surprise guest)

The first thing Kim Ga On registers when he wakes is warmth - radiating, cozy and just a little stifling. ("An abundance of pleasure" The Devil Judge Fandom - Summary: “He doesn’t really know where this brazenness comes from - the possibility of starting a physical relationship with his Chief the furthest thing from his mind when he accepted the position, even when he knew full well it came with the expectation of doing more than the mere duties of an associate judge. And yet that is the easiest thing they have done so far, falling into each other with the gravitational pull of a black hole.”)

Kang Yo Han yanks the curtain closed and curls his fist into the fabric, the scene outside branded into his mind’s eye. ("A modicum of peace" The Devil Judge Fandom - Summary: Words are inconsequential between them, they communicate much better in actions. (Or: The care and feeding of your friendly neighbourhood - not actually a - psychopath, a guide by Kim Ga On))

The sound of the scissors scouring a deep furrow into the wood shouldn’t be so loud in Kim Ga On’s ears. ("Resonance" The Devil Judge Fandom - Summary: It’s always a tug of war between them, isn’t it? Always a fight, always a dance. The give and take their very own resonance.)

He’s not sure what wakes them up exactly, becoming aware of the cool, smooth lacquer of the wooden desk underneath her cheek, a painful crick in her neck, a slight touch of twitching fingers brushing theirs at the same time. ("All-nighter" Mr. Queen Fandom - Summary: There’s been a lot going on: between making more friends in a month than Bong Hwan has accumulated in an entire previous lifetime, finding his female sexuality and deciding to jump into the political fight for the future of Joseon for more than selfish reasons… yeah, it’s not entirely unexpected that one might overlook the fact that one has maybe, possibly, slightly, inexorably fallen in love with one’s husband somewhere along the line. Right?And it would be equally possible to live on comfortably ignoring the issue. If it weren’t for the fact that the King is absolutely hopeless about taking proper care of himself.)

There is a gun. Pointed at your head. ("Deadlock" Vincenzo Fandom - Summary: A late night visit. An overdue meeting. A credible threat. It is said that when you’re about to die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. How boring. Who would want to look back on what was, instead of what’s possible.)

Time passes by without touching them. ("A Shudder before the Beautiful" Word of Honor Fandom - Summary: Some things must be said aloud, in order to be understood)

Huh. That is... enlightening, actually. Apart from the fact that my very favourite works are on this list, which means they're recent, I think we can safely call it established that I like sensory descriptions to set a scene? Fascinating! This was fun.

No pressure tags to my list:

@thewolvesof1998, @monsterrae1, @911onabc, @rewritetheending, @giddyupbuck, @cal-daisies-and-briars, @honestlyeddie, @loserdiaz, @the-marathon-continues-nip, @comfortbuddie,

@sam-t-a, @stormkitty97, @foxweddinq, @ligiapereira

[do-androids-dream-ao3acc]

Unexpectedly, one more for the Forgotten Tales. Explicit chapter. This is the infamous sex pollen fic which was originally meant for a different purpose... but someone needed a heads up, so here it is. Roughly 3500 words, as mentioned E, so beware. Below the cut and on AO3.

"By Lebioda’s blue balls! What’s going on here?"

Judging from the brief muscle twitch in Emhyr's cheeks, the prophet's mention didn't seem particularly welcome in the palace, but he didn't comment. Instead, he replied in a tone as if Geralt should have known, "It's the coronation anniversary, celebrations are coming up… I'm pretty sure I mentioned that, Geralt."

Geralt strained to keep an innocent face, but he was still overwhelmed by the massive number of flowers in the entranceway of Vizima's palace. As if the still unfinished repairs that paved the hall with scaffolding weren't enough; a constant reminder that this was just a secondary abode for the Emperor. Now, however, countless buckets, wheelbarrows, and tubs filled with flowers magnified the chaos. Contradictory smells permeated the hall, whose drab marble, usually interspersed only with equally drab black and gold flags, seemed to blaze in all the colors of the rainbow. 

"By coronation, I suppose, you mean the conquest of Temeria, huh? That's celebrated with flowers? Interesting."

Emhyr stood imperturbably in all the confusion and didn’t waver. 

"You'll find," he remarked with that slightly haughty tone usually reserved for his advisors, "that the announcement of a barrel or two of ale puts people quite at peace."

"Depends on the quantity, I guess," Geralt muttered.

Then he sneezed, rubbed the root of his nose, and said, "I'm getting a headache from these smells. Anyway, just here to tell you I was about to head out to check out these Zeugl rumors down south. Can't decide if I actually prefer the sprawling sewers to the stench in here."

Emhyr visibly frowned, if only for a brief moment. 

"More of those... things? If you think you can escape the official festivities like this though, my dear..."

Geralt grinned cheekily, bent down, and pulled a long-stemmed flower from one of the buckets standing around. He indicated a mocking curtsy, held the flower out to Emhyr, and replied, "Well, guess duty calls us both, huh?"

This time Emhyr sneezed. 

"Put that away," he gasped, while his valet, who never seemed to be more than two steps behind him, handed him a spotless white handkerchief. 

As Emhyr blindly reached for it, he nearly wiped the blossom from Geralt's hand. It was a large, yellow flower with a racemose inflorescence that tapered upward. The involuntary movement produced pollen that trickled onto the ground, covering it with tiny yellow spots.

"Wonderful. What is that anyway?" asked Emhyr, sullenly sneezing into the handkerchief. 

"Common mullein, I think," Geralt said with a cursory glance. "Also called king’s candle elsewhere. Probably why they picked it. Or to annoy you."

"Why?"

"The plant is a field pest," Geralt grinned. 

He sneezed again. 

"It's not great for my nose either, though," he then remarked. "Strange, especially since it's just a single one ... oh shit."

"What is it?" asked Emhyr, alarmed. He knew Geralt well enough to be troubled by the stunned expression on the other’s face. 

Geralt had taken a step back. He raised his right hand in a defensive stance and muttered, "Clear the hall. And get away from me."

"What, why?"

Emhyr, stubborn as ever, did just the opposite: he took a step toward Geralt. The latter had lowered his head, and Emhyr stared at the ground, at the pollen of flowers, as if there was something special to see there that only Geralt saw. Maybe there was, because Geralt repeated urgently, "Now. The people, the courtiers, even your guards."

Emhyr noticed his choppy breathing rhythm, and he snapped his fingers, almost angrily, which in turn alerted his chamberlain. 

"Have the hall cleared, immediately," he demanded quietly, and that was all it took.

In the renewed chaos that resulted from this order, Emhyr and Geralt stood like two rocks in a stormy surf. 

"Now tell me what's going on," Emhyr urged. 

"I told you, you have to go too."

Slowly, very slowly, Geralt raised his head, and it was clear from his almost black eyes that something was very wrong. 

"Geralt," Emhyr said in his most imperial voice, "if I have to ask again one more time..."

"It's not mullein," Geralt gasped, "I don't know what it is, but the effect of this pollen is... not good."

"Meaning?"

"A psychedelic plant," Geralt blurted out. "Even I have a hard time holding back the impact."

"Which is?"

Emhyr made a valiant effort to approach the matter analytically, logically, practically; but Geralt's strangely altered eyes and the sweat on his brow were disconcerting. 

"I..."

Suddenly he doubled over, clutching his abdomen with his hand. Emhyr involuntarily bent forward, grasping Geralt's arm, and the latter did not push him away. Geralt was very warm, tangible even through the armor he wore. 

"What is it? Do you want me to fetch the sorceress?"

"No way," Geralt gasped, "Damn it. It's ... it's caused ..."

He made a helpless gesture, then pointed to his abdomen. Emhyr, still thinking that the blossoms involved cramps, pain, or something else, perhaps something that somehow only affected a witcher, involuntarily looked down at Geralt’s body – and froze. 

The bulge was visible even through the reinforced pants. 

"Bloede pest," he muttered, and then, louder, "Are you kidding me?"

"I'd love to, but go ahead, run to your sorceress and ask her if there actually are plants that cause painful erections," Geralt gasped. 

"Is that all there is? Is there more?" probed Emhyr. "And what gave you the idea that I would leave you alone with this?"

"First, no; second, yes; and third, I don't know if it's just me."

"I'm fine. What else does it do?"

"It doesn't matter, you should get out of here."

"Geralt."

Geralt sighed. There was simply no getting past this man, not even in a downright embarrassing situation. 

"Psychedelic, I told you," he said, visibly trying to remain calm. "Some plants have developed aggressive, parasitic forms of reproduction as a result of the conjunction of spheres. They attract animals – insects, usually, but also larger creatures – to carry their seeds."

"And by creatures, you mean monsters, and since their genes are mixed with yours... that's the wildest thing I've ever heard, Geralt."

"Sorry for you," Geralt gasped, "however, I'm the one with the hard-on, and I can assure you, the... oh! The hallucinations are... whew."

He swayed a little, though he grinned as he did so. Emhyr knew that grin. This was neither the appropriate place nor the time for it, but now there was no denying that this crazy story apparently did have a sexual touch. 

"Fine, what do we do? " he urged. "Does it pass? The sorceress is discreet, so…"

"Leave her out of it. I just need to... maybe I can, you know…"

Geralt performed a small, yet definite gesture.

"You're adorable in your ridiculous embarrassment, but honestly, Geralt, you don't look like jerking off is going to be enough. So tell me right now what we can do. Is it dangerous?"

"Might be," Geralt answered vaguely, but when he noticed Emhyr's stern look, no longer allowing any resistance, he gave a somber nod.

"Do you have a potion for that?"

"Outstanding idea," Geralt gasped, looking up and revealing even darker eyes. "There is a fluid that could help me now."

Before Emhyr could even ask which one it was or how they could obtain it, Geralt, lithe as his guild animal, hurled himself at Emhyr. Pressing tightly against the other, he began to shamelessly rub his crotch against Emhyr’s body. 

"Geralt, this is not…"

"Yes, it is. You wouldn't let me die, would you?"

Geralt was basically purring now. It was serious. 

"You're not dying," Emhyr muttered, while trying to keep Geralt at an arm's length distance while looking around to see if there was really no one else in the hall. 

The room was empty, and Geralt's gasps echoed uncomfortably loudly within its walls. The situation was absurd, but… this was still Geralt pressing against him. Dark eyes and a slightly feverish brow, yes, and if there was a way to help him, Emhyr would do anything... at least he thought so. 

"We can’t be sure," Geralt crooned, his hands moving over Emhyr's back. "I just know I'm about to burst, and I need.... oh damn, I need…"

He leaned forward and whispered something in Emhyr's ear that almost made him blush. Almost. Strangely enough, it was inappropriately arousing.

"Listen," he said, still trying to keep his composure, "if we have to, we'll do something about it, but not here, someone might walk in at any time..."

"This can't wait," Geralt cooed as he began to nibble on Emhyr's neck. "I'm way too warm, I'm overheating, no witcher is made for this kind of heat."

Emhyr had no idea what this was supposed to mean, but he was left with no opportunity to retort. Geralt slid one leg between his, grabbed his waist and pushed him forward as if he wanted to dance. 

"What are you doing?"

"There's a nook, an alcove, that's where you're going to ravish me, right now."

Emhyr had no intent to ravish him, but he had a notion that this was really getting dangerous. Geralt's eyes bore a strange gleam, so he allowed himself to be pushed forward until they reached said alcove – a reasonably obscure corner between two scaffolds. There, Geralt pushed him rudely against a wall while at the same time tearing off his armor. A clinking sound revealed that something had broken – Geralt definitely had some potions with him. They might be of no use, as he had said, but he was usually more careful with them. 

"Clothes off," he gasped. 

Emhyr hesitated. Geralt was certainly hot-blooded in certain circumstances, but this was just weird. But his feverish eyes and a curious, deep growl were clearly not normal. He radiated so much heat that one might believe he was already boiling. The hall was not warm, and despite all the heat coming from Geralt, his sweat met goosebumps. 

"Just let me..." began Emhyr, tugging reluctantly at Geralt's pants. 

He didn't mind jerking his lover off at all, not even so much as doing it here. It just still didn't feel right. 

"No, no, that won’t do it," Geralt groaned as he lowered his breeches with deft fingers. 

His erection popped out like one of those Jack-in-the-box toys. His cock, not a small specimen anyway, seemed to have gained significantly in girth and length. It was red and already dripping, and, oddly enough, it looked quite similar to the plant that Geralt had been holding in his hand just a couple of minutes ago. In any case, it looked as painful as Geralt had stated, and Emhyr only reluctantly clasped the hot flesh.

"No, no," Geralt groaned again. "It won't do, that's not enough."

Geralt wriggled out of the touch, dropped his pants and rubbed against Emhyr, completely naked. This animalistic behavior was clearly the influence of the wicked plant, but at the same time, it was quite thrilling. The body pushing against his, the constant tugging at his clothes, which Emhyr pulled off before Geralt tore them, as well as the ecstatic gasping near his ear did not remain without effect. 

The question of whether his valet would reappear shortly, awaiting new orders, or the fact that some captain would soon realize that the emperor was completely without the protection of his soldiers, Emhyr pushed to the back of his mind. 

"What is it, what do you need?" he asked softly. 

Geralt radiated such unnatural warmth that a strand of Emhyr's well coiffed hair had come loose and fallen into his face. Geralt reached out trembling fingers for it, stroking it surprisingly gently, murmuring, "Everything, just everything."

With a jerk, he turned around, propped his arms against the wall, and stretched his backside toward Emhyr.

"There is only one cure," he said. 

"Are you serious?"

"Do it," Geralt growled in a strangely deep voice. 

"Bleidd," Emhyr muttered between his teeth, and then, switching to common speech, "you have no idea what you’re asking." 

Geralt did not answer; he had closed his eyes and leaned one cheek against the wall as if it offered him some cooling. For some reason, this was oddly arousing. Emhyr stepped behind him and plucked the ribbon from Geralt's hair to let his hair fall loose. A low growl came from Geralt's throat. 

"Touch me or I'll burst, or maybe I'll burn," he whispered. 

He shivered as Emhyr's hands settled on his shoulders. It was only more heat, because all this did not leave the emperor unscathed. His hands traveled down Geralt's back, producing more sounds that were still so completely different from their usual lovemaking. Despite all absurdity, this was unusually exciting, and between his own thighs, familiar warmth began to stir. 

"We don't have time for extended foreplay," Geralt stressed. "It's like poison, you have to do something about it, now."

"Shh," Emhyr huffed, pressing a kiss between Geralt's shoulder blades. "You'll hold out, I'm not ready yet."

"I can change that," Geralt purred in his other voice.

That's the plant, the effect of the flower seeds, Emhyr thought, and then he thought nothing more for a while as Geralt pushed himself off the wall by dropping to his knees in front of him. 

His semi-stiff member was already responding to the outstretched hand that was just tentatively moving across it. Geralt's eyes bore an unholy gleam as he glanced up briefly. Then he took what was willingly stretched out to him between his moist lips. 

Emhyr's hands sought a grip on the clammy, cool wall behind him; a sharp contrast to the warmth surrounding him. Geralt, who was probably not quite himself at that moment, yet seemed as enthusiastically as he always was with Emhyr's cock in his mouth. After a brief moment in which he seemed content to simply taste him, he began a vicious tongue play. 

Now, entirely new sounds were to be heard in the almost unnatural silence of the hall. Mingled with the smacking of his mouth were approving sounds from the depths of Geralt's throat, while at the same time Emhyr's strained gasps echoed off the walls. 

Time seemed to stretch out endlessly, while his cock stretched in Geralt's mouth. In truth, very little time passed: it might be an inappropriate situation, but it had left him lecherous. Finally, when he already thought he knew what Geralt meant by bursting, the latter withdrew. 

"That'll have to do," Geralt gasped. "I need it now." 

There was an almost desperate urging in his voice that Emhyr didn’t like. 

"We need..." he began, but Geralt was already groping blindly on the floor, rummaging through his carelessly discarded clothes.

"We don't," he answered in his normal voice. Having a piece of true Geralt back was reassuring, his words less so. "But as long as I control it, I will... ah, here, that might work."

With trembling fingers, he threw a vial to Emhyr, who just managed to catch it. Quickly, he uncorked it. A strange metallic smell rose up.

"Are you sure? Is that sword oil, Geralt?"

"It's oil," gasped the latter. "That's not going to kill me, but if you don't... right now..."

The moment when he was in control seemed to have passed, or perhaps it was sheer desperation that made Geralt lean stomach-first against the wall again. 

"Hurry," he breathed.

Emhyr looked indecisively at the vial in his hand for a moment. Such a mess because of a plant… it seemed surreal, but the heat in their little alcove only seemed to get worse. It was uncanny, yet nevertheless stimulating. Without further hesitation, he emptied almost the entire contents into his hand and rubbed it over his hard cock. He held back a little of the oil. The liquid was cool, but when he touched Geralt's bottom, it almost seemed to melt, as if a snowflake had come too close to a campfire. 

"Don't bother with that," Geralt growled. 

Right, no foreplay, Emhyr thought in confusion. 

He frantically smeared what was still on his hand between Geralt's buttocks. His ass seemed to glow. There was no turning back, and frankly, it was too late now. With one hand he pulled Geralt a little closer, positioned himself with the other and switched off his mind for good.

A low snarl escaped Geralt as Emhyr slowly pushed into him. His hands seemed to want to claw into the wall, found no grip and pushed off, as it were, so that his body stretched towards Emhyr even more. 

Their bodies met with a smacking sound. 

"Hvren," Emhyr moaned. 

Maybe it was just the plant and its effects that made Geralt so tight, but the way he seemingly sucked him in was crazy and tantalizing at the same time. It wasn't supposed to be this easy, not with this incredible tightness and heat and the little oil they had used, but in fact he fit Geralt like a glove.

Nevertheless, the latter still did not seem satisfied.

"Not enough," he growled once more. "Need it faster. Deeper. Need it…"

He groaned out incoherent words, and the heat seemed to grow once again. It was impossible to tell who was in control at that moment, Geralt or the poison, if that’s what it even was. In any case, he stretched towards Emhyr, as if there was a way to take him in even more. By now, he was balls deep in Geralt’s enclosing heat, thrusting as hard as possible in this position. 

That seemed to be exactly the point. 

"Wait," Geralt managed to say, while wriggling, until Emhyr's member detached from his body with an obscene sound. 

Without further words, he threw himself on his knees, arms out in front, cooling his hot forehead in vain on the floor. Emhyr did not think any further. He got down, groped blindly for a piece of clothing to protect his knees, and repositioned himself. 

He met Geralt at a new angle, hot and slick and still so tight it should have been painful, but now he didn't hold back. Geralt growled in familiar tones now, and as crazy as all this was, this was obviously right. This was what his fogged mind needed, or rather his strangely cursed body. 

Their bodies smacked against each other. Emhyr grabbed Geralt by the hips, to hold himself onto or to have more control, it didn’t matter. By now, Geralt seemed completely out of it, with his eyes merely slits and one of his hands desperately trying to grab his own cock. He was too unstable, and giving a frustrated growl, he just bent down a little deeper to let gravity work. 

Like that, his cock rubbed against the marble floor with each of Emhyr's powerful thrusts. Once his shaky arms could no longer hold his weight, he placed them flat on the floor, propped his head on them, closed his eyes, and retreated to animalistic sounds. 

This only spurred Emhyr on even more. He found the perfect angle, the perfect spot, and as soon as he sensed that Geralt had noticed – his muscles tensed, his sounds more urgent – he sped up his thrusts once again. Drops of sweat distorted his vision, falling from his forehead to Geralt's bare back where they seemed to evaporate. 

"Close!"

Geralt was basically howling now, his hot, swollen member painfully rubbing against the smooth floor, searching for friction. At the same time, his muscles tightened even more around Emhyr, causing the latter to nearly lose his mind. 

Finally, at last, he jerked beneath him, twitching uncontrollably, and with an insane scream, Geralt’s load erupted on the ground. Emhyr didn’t need any more motivation. It took one more thrust, harder than any before. Bordering between pleasure and pain, he finished with a growl. His trembling knees forced him to pull out immediately after, which he did with odd regret. 

The urge to just collapse breathlessly next to Geralt, who lay curled up on the floor, was strong. But reality – not only what had happened, but also where they were, and completely naked at that – set in again with force. It was therefore less chivalry for Emhyr to pick up his cloak from the ground and spread it over Geralt. 

He leaned down to gently stroke a damp strand of hair from Geralt’s face, softly calling his name. The latter cracked his eyes open, and there they were, the familiar golden cat's eyes, completely devoid of that strange black sheen. 

"Are you all right?"

"Better," Geralt muttered. "You saved my ass."

"I wouldn't be so sure about your ass," Emhyr replied dryly, already searching for the rest of his clothes. "Now get up if you can, because I don't want to have to explain this."

"Well," Geralt said with dripping sarcasm, ignoring Emhyr's helpfully outstretched hand as he rose, "isn’t it nice that we only ruined the floor and not your reputation. I guess now we're even as far as saving goes."

"We’re never gonna be even on that, you idiot," Emhyr replied, pulling Geralt close for a fierce kiss.

[skippyv20]

Shame on "Grandads" who show this to kids!

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim here with a few thoughts on this perfect Sunday. Regarding that book for children called Grandad’s Pride by a Harry “Woodgate”…this author thinks we don’t know what “woody” stands for I presume…has created a book with childlike drawings but clearly shows questionable “diversity” while preaching everything is legal. I looked at its Amazon and Barnes & Noble listings online, showing 8 example pages, including one with 2 guys in black S & M type outfits. Really? Is this a beginner book for grooming little kids?

The drawings look just like driving into Provincetown (P-town), MA with the coastal road and houses that are right along the edge of the bay. This tiny hamlet, at the very tip of Cape Cod on a narrow spit of land situated in famous dunes, has the Atlantic Ocean on the east/right and Cape Cod Bay on the west/left. The local airport is busy with commuter flights in little planes to Boston and New York. During the summer the ferry from Boston offers a nice short cruise to come and go. The whale watching tours are great too.

This mini city is famous for being a gay safe haven and can be wild. Yes, during the summer there are many galleries and shops for strolling tourists while eyeballing the overt behaviors of diverse souls, but it really is an expensive, fantasy rainbow-land where anything goes. Every June they open the summer with a Gay Pride parade and this weekend it was their Carnival Parade event, backing up traffic for miles before even getting to town.

This 2023 book, published by Little Bee Books in New York City, distributed by Simon & Schuster claims it is good for a child one year or older. There is a companion book called Grandad’s Camper and another of his called Timid. The author who sounds British, claims to be a multi award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books but I could not find a real bio on him. Hmmmmm…as a former elementary school teacher for a few years…this product LOOKs safe but upon inspection is dangerous-definitely confusing, IMHO. I applaud all parents and librarians for ditching it, keeping their space safe for young children.

Thank you so much for doing research on this book…..parents and grandparents BEWARE!….❤️

[versifur]

⠀⠀ SPOILERS FOR THE WINCHESTERS SEASON 1x13 BEWARE THIS IS A PREDISCUSSED STARTER WITH @broodingmystery

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀𝐖hile it took him a while to understand that he was dead, even though he vaguely remembers being clawed to shreds by those werewolves 。Somehow, it didn’t seem real 。Heaven was much different now that Jack was in charge 。Everywhere changed, memories weren’t on loop and people seemed oddly relaxed 。Hell, even the roads resembled earth to some degree 。However, one thing seemed different — Castiel wasn’t around 。Not yet 。For a moment his heart broke into two and he took a long drive, days passed down on earth but in heaven it only felt like a few hours 。That’s how he ended up here, finishing what he started 。His mother and father they were young, hopelessly in love 。Yet something threatened his world and it needed to be stopped, Bobby came along as his rational brain side 。Because god knows he needed it 。The akrida was a foe he couldn’t ignore, so one last hunt was necessary even though he was dead 。God knows how they survived considering the bastards even though they possessed bodies — they were horrific 。Insects 。He hated bugs, but he did it 。Finished the last job and went back to heaven to relax 。He took up a house painted black with a white picket fence he thought about 。Even though it only had two floors, it was lonely 。But he was at peace, unaware of the lingering angel who resided in heaven 。Hell, he should have tried to call him, but for all he knows his boyfriend was down under with the fuckin’ empty 。Bastard that thing was 。Jack visited often, explaining what he was doing as the new established God and frankly he was proud of the kid 。They ate, laughed and enjoyed the time they had together until he explained something that shook him to the core 。

“Castiel is alive and here 。In heaven with us, Dean.”

He couldn’t believe it, since when was anything real ׅׅ𖤠 He barely got a happy ending most of the time , but everything was falling into place faster than he could control 。He wanted to speak, but couldn’t 。Because words would only fail him 。So he gazed at the nephilim before him, saying more with his eyes than he ever could 。He watched the boy motion his hand in a way that the front doors of the eldests house opened 。There he was, the rainbow winged angel he grew to adore, love and crave 。He stood there, admiring him, engraving every curve, every wrinkle, every calloused hand into his mind 。Hell even those eyes, because he thinks he’d forget it 。He won’t, he’s dead after all 。He couldn’t speak, so he walked forward, but he stopped midway 。Because his hunter instincts even though deceased kept him at a safe distance 。He trusted Jack to bring this angel back, but he needed proof 。He needed to hear it was really him 。

[skyofstorms]

The Muse Headspace

I could probably design images for each one in time, but for now, here's the masterlist of masterlists when it comes to my muses. Like...every single muse I've used [save a few novel muses] are on this list. Beware, my friends. It's a nightmare - 257 muses listed with fc and species [Canon or lore based mues are in bold]. Yes, there are some repeat faceclaims, I don't wanna hear it. @forwardlion, I want you to know this is your fault.

Abigail Phantomhive | Claire Holt | Demon

Abraham Greenfeld | Keiynan Lonsdale | Human

Adam Milligan/Winchester | Jake Abel | Human

Ahn Taehui | Lim Sejun | Banshee/Demon Hybrid

Akali Tethi | Aeri Uchinaga | Human

Akello Caine | Jussie Smollet | Leopard Shifter

Aleksi Holland | Harry Shum Jr. | Mage

Alexander Lightwood | Matthew Daddario | Nephilim

Alexian Holloway | Alberto Rosende | Human

Aliceon Hartigay | Katie Cassidy | Polykinetic [Pyro, Techno, Terra, Cryo]

Alistair Hypanile | Hayden Christensen | Katagarian Tiger

Alizair Hollis | Dominic Sherwood | Arcadian Wolf

Allison Argent | Crystal Reed | Human/Raven Spirit

Amelie Rayne | Rambo Suicide | Water Elemental

Amelyra Shanarra | Summer Glau | Witch

Amy Waterford "Sailor Mercury" | Nicole Gale Anderson | Senshi

Anabel Lightwood-Bane | Arden Cho | Nephilim/Warlock Hybrid

Andrea Kattalakis | Gemma Arterton | White Tiger Shifter

Andrei Cruz | Jeremy Renner | Black Panther Shifter

Anneliese Romanova | Vanessa Kirby | Dhampir

Annabelle Brunelli | Jacqueline MacInnes Wood | Human

Annika Mitchell | Bully Suicide | Ocelot Shifter

Anthony Stark | Robert Downey Jr. | Human

Ares | Manu Bennett | God

Armand Tempest | Brian Krause | Owl Shifter

Artemis Crescent | Kwon Ji-yong | Mauian

Ashelina Logan | Malese Jow | Werewolf

Asmodeus | Godfrey Gao | Greater Demon

Audrey Briarose | Sarah Jeffery | Psychic

Aziraphale | Michael Sheen | Angel

Baelfire "Neal Cassidy" | Michael Raymond-James | Human

Belinda Oriella-Curani | Taylor Momsen | Succubus

Belladonna Trumpet | Miranda Kerr | Pegasus

Bellek Mosely | Ian Bohen | Phoenix

Brady Johannsen | Chris Pratt | Psychic

Bradley Harrison | Anthony Mackie | Jaguar Shifter

Bruce Banner | Mark Ruffalo | Gamma Enhanced Human

Bruni | Osaki Shotaro | Elemental

Caleb Danvers | Steven Strait | Warlock

Camael | Jensen Ackles | Angel

Camryn Adelaide | Glitz Suicide | Poly Shifter

Carrie Devereaux | Radeo Suicide "Chelsea Vitorio" | Human

Cassidy Merlyn | Dakota Fanning | Vampire

Castiel | Misha Collins | Angel

Catarina Loss | Sophia Walker | Warlock

Cassandra Rogers | Chloe Moretz | Human

Ceannaire Mellark | Daniel Sharman | Fenrir

Cerberus | JR Bourne | Three Headed Demon Dog

Chae Nari | Lee Chae-yeon | Feline Shifter [Rusty Spotted Cat]

Charlie Goodwin | Jesse Labelle | Wolf Shifter

Chelsea Barton | Scarlett Johannsen | Witch

Chezna Lumiere-Conriocht | Devon Shigaki | Werewolf

Chinami Kennedy | Heo Yoorim | Human

Cho Sorren | Choi Seung Cheol | Psychic/Red Panda Shifter Hybrid

Choi Byeol-Dal | Roseanne Park | Forest Nymph

Choi Byeol-Jageun | Lee Felix | Rainbow Nymph

Choi Subin | Jeong Yunho | Poly Feline Shifter [Serval, Siamese, Marbled Cat]

Christopher Argent | JR Bourne | Human

Ciel Phantomhive | Jeonghan | Demon

Clarissa Fairchild | Katherine McNamara | Nephilim

Clark Morrigan | James Marsters | Warlock

Claudia Hale | Lyndsy Fonseca | Werewolf

Cleossandra Reid | Candice Swanepoel | Angel

Clinton Barton | Jeremy Renner | Human

Cora Hale | Adelaide Kane | Werewolf

Coraline Basilik | Kristyna Panochova | Fenrir

Crimson Macabre | Reita | Dragon

Damien DeLuna | Tyler Hoechlin | Vampire

Daniel Cross | Keahu Kahuanui | Werewolf

Daniel Mahaelani | Keahu Kahuanui | Druid

Darius Talbot | John Boyega | Human

Demetrius Beltre | Charlie Carver | Griffon

Demkos Florian | Tyler Posey | Human

Derek Hale | Tyler Hoechlin | Werewolf

Desmond McKnight | Alex O'Loughlin | Wolf Shifter

Dionysus | Darren Criss | God

Dokuno Kokoro | Uruha | Snake Shifter [King Cobra]

Dominique Brady | Alona Tal | Druid

Druid Harrington | Shane West | Human

Eden Tryphist | Elsa Hosk | Human

Elijah Mikaelson | Daniel Gillies | Vampire

Elijah Roanoke | Stephen Amell | Siren/Incubus Hybrid

Elise Macabre | Kwon Yuri | Dragon

Elliot Erso | Joseph Morgan | Fox Shifter

Emile Hargreaves | Kellan Lutz | Witch

Emilea Curani | Charlize Theron | Faunis

Eros | Adam Lambert | God

Esmerelda Logan | Emeraude Logan | Human

Evelyn Queen | Sofia Carson | Witch

Ezekiel | Jeffrey Donovan | Angel

Fang Blackwater | Alex Meraz | Fox shifter

Fenrick Kelos | Josh Duhamel | Thunderbird

Fenris Conriocht | Zac Efron | Werewolf

Finn Storm | John Boyega | Human

Fiorin Basilik | Cody Christian | Psychic

Fury Peltier | Jackson Rathbone | Katagarian Wolf

Grif | Jason Momoa | Human

Hades | Ian Bohen/Cheyenne Jackson* | God

Hak Jiwoon | Kim Hongjoong | Nogitsune

Harry Hook | Thomas Doherty | Feline Shifter [black Maine Coone]

Hayley Marshalls | Phoebe Tonkin | Vampire/Werewolf Hybrid

Heather DeRoya | Emily Van Camp | Banshee/Demon Hybrid

Hera | Meghan Markle | Goddess

Hope Dracul | Daniela Ruah | Vampire/Angel Hybrid

Hwang Beongae | Momo Hirai | Pheonix

Hwang Seungki | Kim Youngjo | Kitsune Tribrid

Hwang Taeyang | Wong Yuk-hei | Phoenix

Ian Logan | Ian Somerhalder | Werewolf

Isabelle Gautier | Jill Wagner | Human/Succubus Hybrid

Isabelle Lightwood | Emeraude Toubia | Nephilim

James Barnes | Sebastian Stan | Cybernetically Enhanced Human

Jameson Morgan | Liam Hemsworth | Witch

Jasmine Estrella | Dali Suicide | Bunny Shifter

Jason Carter | Sebastian Stan | Dragon

Jasper Hale/Cullen | Jackson Rathbone | Vampire

Jasper Kallihan | Joseph Morgan | Warlock

Jayden McNamara | Jake Johnson | Dark Fae

Jefferson Hatter/Barnes | Sebastian Stan | Magically Inclined Human

Jessica Hawkblue | Claudia Kim | Warlock

Jin Galeon | Jennifer Lawrence | Human/Vampire Hybrid

Jocelyn Celine Herondale | Holland Roden | Nephilim

Jonathan Herondale | Dominic Sherwood | Nephilim

Jonathan Herondale Jr. (JR) | Will Tudor | Nephilmi

Jordan Kyle | Chai Hensen | Werewolf

Joseph Dixon | Nicholas Hoult | Technokinetic

Julian Moore | Colin O'Donaghue | Human

Kaina Red | Son Ga-In | Dragon

Kallin Elijah | Willa Holland | Hellhound

Kane Lancaster | Robert Downey Jr | Demon

Kang Kija | Kang Min-hee | Thunder Kitsune

Kataigida Parthenopaeus | Tom Ellis/Dylan O'Brien | Demigod

Katherine Elysia | Taissa Farmiga | Fae

Kevin Hawkblue | Ruki | Weretiger

Kim Jeongwon | Han Jisung | Sugar Glider Shifter

Kim Seonyul | Moon Taeil | Siren

Kiniko Hajime | Cho Kyu-hyun | Vampire

Kira Yukimura | Arden Cho | Thunder Kitsune

Kirishima Kyung-jae | Nakamoto Yuta | Witch/Siren Hybrid

Kirishima Touka | Kim Jiu | Ghoul

Kol Mikaelson | Daniel Sharman | Vampire/Witch*

Kole Winston | Tyler Hoechlin | Fae

Konstantin Udinov | Riker Lynch | Demon/Witch Hybrid

Kouga Hajime | Han Groo | Vampire

Krigare Storm | Joseph Morgan | Imp

Kuradei Phantom | Jung Seung-bo | Umbrakinetic/Wolf Shifter Hybrid

Kwon Yuri | Moon Byul-yi | Sensitive

Kyo Sohma | N/A | Cursed Human

Kyle Artmen | Jay Ryan | Jaguar Shifter

Kyrian Stone | Jonathan Rhys Myers | Psychic/Siren Hybrid

Laura Hale | Meghan Ory | Werewolf

Lee Hajun | Kim Jong-in | Warlock

Lee Minji | Kang Seul-gi | Psychic

Lee Sanghoon | Kim Dong Young | Monarch

Lestat DeMyre | Dave Salmoni | Elf

Lim Eunjin | Jung Wooyoung | Incubus

Loki Laufeyson | Tom Huddleston | God

Lucien Callihan | Ian Bohen | Human

Lucien Hoijer | Matthew Davis | Griffon

Lucifer Morningstar | Sebastian Roche | Angel

Lucille Quinnzel | Ashley Benson | Human

Luke Garroway | Isaiah Mustafa | Werewolf

Lydia Branwell | Stephanie Bennett | Nephilim

Macaria | Meghan Ory | Goddess

Margaret Leigh | Jakhara Smith | Psychic

Magnus Bane | Harry Shum Jr. | Warlock

Maia Roberts | Alisha Wainwright | Werewolf

Malia Hale | Shelley Hennig | Werecoyote

Malika Udinov | Clair Holt | Demon/Witch Hybrid

Marcellus Gerard | Charles Michael Davis | Vampire

Markus Ducaine | Steven Strait | Werelion

Maryssa Dixon-Bennett | Selena Gomez | Druid

Matthew Bennett | Jake Abel | Werepanther

Maxine Owens | Griffin Ramsey | Demigoddess

Melanie Barnes | Alexandra Daddario | Genetically Enhanced Human

Merrick Bennett/Hadriel | Jake Abel | Werepanther/Angel

Mia Mosely | Adelaide Kane | Phoenix

Michael Caboose | Jake Johnson | Human

Michael Hartford | Ian Cohen | Human

Michaelis Moon | Lee Teuk | Dragon/Human Hybrid

Mieczyslaw Stilinski | Dylan O'Brien | Human/Spark

Mikabane House | Meagan Tandy | Red Panda Shifter

Mila Martinez | Katherine Mcnamara | Psychic

Miles Brunelli | Matt Cohen | Vampire

Momiji Sohma | N/A | Cursed Human

Moon Eukyung | Jeon So-yeon | Demigoddess

Moon Heechul | Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Snake Shifter

Moon Kona | Park Jisung | Ice Nymph/Snake Shifter

Morgan Lovec | Norman Reedus | Imp

Morgana Krajick | Zoe Saldana | Angel

Morriginya Branwen | Cho Seo Young | Semblance Gifted Human

Nam Arwen | Chonnasorn Sajakul | Elf/Werewolf Hybrid

Natalee Grybyx | Maggie Q | Seer

Natasha Romanov | Scarlett Johannsen | Enhanced Human

Nataliya “Nekome” Dashwood | Ashley Greene | Cheshire

Nevinovat Fata | Crystal Reed | Hawk Shifter

Nicholas Hightower | Gavin Free | Cat Shifter [Russian Blue]

Niklaus Mikaelson | Joseph Morgan | Vampire/Werewolf Hybrid

Niklaus Udinov | Sam Pettyfer | Demon/Witch Hybrid

Nikolai Buchannon | Hunter Hayes | Human

Nikolaia Udinov | Chris Hemsworth | Witch

Padme Amidala | Natalie Portman | Human

Park Sungjin | Kim Geonhak | Kitsune/Vampire Hybrid

Persephone | Holland Roden | Goddess

Peter Hale | Ian Bohen/Michael Fjordbak | Werewolf

Peter Parker | Andrew Garfield/Tom Holland | Genetically Enhanced Human

Qrow Branwen | Lee Donghae | Magic Gifted Human

Quinton Macklemore | Dylan O'Brien | Werewolf

Ragnor Fell | Tom Hiddleston | Warlock

Rebecca Daniels | Holland Roden | Human

Reno Akujin | N/A | Mako Enhanced Human

Rex Coltin | Chris Evans | Snake Shifter [Diamondback]

Reyna Wingyr | Grace Park | Fenrir

Ryan Macklemore | Dylan O'Brien | Werewolf

Ryn Hollings "Sailor Chibi Moon" | Bella Thorne | Senshi

Ryuu Kyosuke | Lee Taemin | Dragon

Sainika Winston | Mackenzie Foy | Fae

Sebastian Mills | Cody Christian | Hellhound

Sebastian Morgenstern | Will Tudor | Demon-blooded Nephilim

Serena James | Kristin Kruek | Phoenix

Shane Westfield | Nick Groff | Psychic

Shin Chan Young | Lee Dae-Hee | Seer

Siobhan Conriocht | Penellope Mitchell | Werewolf

Snow White "Mary Margaret Blanchard" | Ginnifer Goodwin | Human

Son Jin | Lee Dong Hyuck | Ice Nymph

Son Minho | Kim Chan Young | Naga

Spencer Todd | Shemar Moore | Human

Steven Rogers | Chris Evans | Genetically Enhanced Human

Sun Kyujin | Lee Siyeon | Witch

Sun Seoyun | Park Seonghwa | Cursed Vampire

Sun Wukong | Yanan | Faunis

T'Khani Ekundayo | Chadwick Boseman | Ghost

Tarael Lightwood-Bane | Brant Daugherty | Nephilim/Warlock Hybrid

Tatiana Novak | Hannah Marks | Angel/Human Hybrid

Terra Riley | Nina Dobrev | Kitsune/Werewolf Hybrid

Thor Odinson | Chris Hemsworth | God

Tigerlilly Sikari | Elizabeth Loaiza | Seer/Weretiger Hybrid

Tristan Royans | Nick Bateman | Fire Kitsune/Human Hybrid

Tsukinora Kitoai | Jay Park | Werelynx

Tykeisha Caine | Taraji P Henson | Demon/Leopard Shifter Hybrid

Valerie Wilson | Shay Mitchell | Human

Valora Lovelace | Genevieve Padalecki | Cheetah Shifter

Vanessa Choi | Kim Hyo Yeon | Psychic

Victor Rivera | Devon Sawa | Human

Victoria Mosely | Crystal Reed | Phoenix

Vio Curani | N/A | Demon

Vishal Malik | Taylor Lautner | Nephilim

Wanda Maximoff | Elizabeth Olsen | Mutant

Weiss Schnee | N/A | Semblance Gifted Human

William "Spike" Pratt | James Marsters | Vampire

Xavier Rybolt | David Castro | Demon

Xavier Remmington | Sinqua Walls | Poly Shifter [Jaguar, Doberman, Wolf]

Yoo Daeshim | Kang Yeosang | Tribrid/Demigod

Yoo Jangmi | Jeon Ji Woo | Snow Leopard Shifter

Yukihara Arashi | Minatozaki Sana | Fae/Siren Hybrid

Yura Rybolt | Lee Ga-hyeon | Human

Zacariah Morgan | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Witch/Seer

Zane Hertzfeld | Rasmus Ledin | Seer/Vampire Hybrid

[askcrimsonchalice]

Some things first..

Firstly, I don't want any creeps going around here, I may *lead* a rather morally ambiguous group but professionals have standards. This means ground rules. -No nsfw, no asking for hoof pics.. -No expecting a question to be answered in picture. Can't respond to every question with a pic, it'd get tiring. (Text responses in character will be done too. I'll probably mainly respond using them but also when motivation hits me like a train, doodle up answers.) -Be aware, this is fallout equestria.. It's not sunshine and rainbows dear, there's going to be blood, squeamish? Maybe look to banana pies blog or something then.. -Ask too deep and you'll get what you're given. jokes for jokes, serious for serious. hell I may not even respond in the way you wanted me to, cope. (beware I am serious memer. I will and can cuck you on questions >:)

My group is called Hermes market, a few blogs here know of it. Some of the ones here even work for it. A black market group that sells whatever your heart desires, we do delivery if you want!~ We have a deep history within our own town and land, Olympus town. But frankly as of late we've come into question of our... questionable.. founders.. Oh and a ghost lives in the well. that's fun. (this is also just to help gauge me in getting grips on this character better, had 'er for around half a year now but still got some trinks to work out. (oh and be warned my art style changes like the seasons)

[lilmackiereads]

HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE (2016) BY JENNIFER NIVEN - SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This week I finished Holding Up the Universe (2016) by Jennifer Niven. I found it in a Little Free Library near my parents’ house and the title and dual cover art struck me as interesting. Without reading the jacket description I took it home and devoured it within a couple days. If you haven’t read this book yet, but plan to, head to my page and read my Spoiler Free Review instead! 

The narration goes back and forth between the two lead characters, Jack – a teenage boy with prosopagnosia (a neurological disorder that makes it difficult to recognize and remember faces), and Libby — an overweight teenage girl who has been homeschooled throughout middle school due to immense weight gain from the grief of her mother’s unexpected death. This story kind-of follows the Enemies to Lovers trope, but I don’t really feel like they were ever enemies, rather they just misunderstood each other.

Beware, we now go into spoiler territory. 

Character Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Libby was my favorite because she is so courageous and fun! I think Niven really nailed what a teenage girl thinks like and what anxiety feels like. I think Libby and I would get along because she loves to read and watch sci-fi/fantasy shows. I’m not much of a dancer, but I would love to join her dance club! 

Jack I also like, but he would be hard for me to get along with in person with his jerk-persona he puts on to keep other people away. I mean he’s pretty handsome so maybe I could look past it and be “the one to change him” like Libby. Haha. I do love the relationship he has with his little brother, Dusty, and I think his internal monologue and notes are hilarious. I think after he sees that Libby, Dusty, and a male side character are getting bullied he becomes a much braver person and that’s when I started to genuinely like him. His transformation, cocky attitude, and incredible curly hair, reminds me a lot of Patrick Verona from 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). If they make a movie, I need Jack to be a total H-O-T-T-I-E.

I like that Libby is not your “typical” Mary Sue beauty that so many teen romance novels have. I have never read a book from the perspective of a young woman of her size (300 to 600lbs+ over the course of the book). While Eleanor and Park (2012) by Rainbow Rowell features a teen who is a little overweight and not your average beauty, Niven choosing to make Libby “America’s Fattest Teen” is really committing to showing what life is like for someone who has experienced emotional and physical grief for a big portion of her life and how society treats that person and their relationships. Also, there are not a lot of books out there that feature someone of mixed race as the lead, such as Jack who has a white dad and a black mom. I think it’s interesting how he and his brothers are described as looking very different and how their appearance somewhat influences how other characters treat them.

While I adored Dusty, and Libby’s two main friends, Bailey and Rachel, I think many of the other side characters were not super memorable. Iris and Jayvee and Libby’s dad were ok, but most of the other side characters didn’t make much of an impact in my opinion (or have a lot of growth) which perhaps is part of the point. I can’t tell if Niven did this on purpose to show that not everyone grows out of their high school phase/ is not as special and mature as Libby and Jack or if she just didn’t know how to make the side characters dimensional.

Plot Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I had many scenes that I adored as well as others that completely horrified me. 

Adored:

*Libby flaunting her body-ody-ody in her purple bikini at school and Libby’s bravery on page 310:

*Libby saying “no” to the Damsel’s dance team after they asked her to lose weight to become a member of the team... and then starting her own dance group!

*Libby and Jack’s first date and dance at Clara’s pizzeria. The restaurant itself sounds fun. I would totally go there!

*References to quotations and scenes as well as plot parallels to We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962) by Shirey Jackson, “The Crucible” (1953) by Arthur Miller and To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee.

*Jack’s notes about being the kid of a parent with cancer and building robots.

*Dusty and his purse <3 

*The Shitkicker robot with its OWN purse! <3 <3

Horrified:

*Jack accidentally making out with his girlfriend’s cousin... twice.

*Jack taking Libby on a date out of town. It still wasn’t 100% clear to me if he was trying to surprise her or trying to avoid being seen with her.

*The game “Fat Girl Rodeo” --- this stressed me out because I had never heard of it and I don’t really like being touched. I never really thought about how awful people make up games about peoples’ weight and that some jackass would hear about it and think that it was a good idea to copy it. That would be my fear about this book becoming a movie is that if they showed it in the trailer people would see it out of context and it could become an awful TikTok trend. 

I figured at some point that Jack hiding the fact that he knows about Libby’s former title as “America’s Fattest Teen” and that he snuck into her house the day she was rescued from her home would come back to bite him. But whether it be him revealing the truth about stealing the book and magnet on purpose or accidentally I wasn’t sure. What I didn’t put together until the end is that Libby had always been curious about Jack, too, when she realized that he and his brothers were the brothers she imagined being friends with and called “Dean, Sam, and Cas” after her favorite characters from Supernatural. This threw my right back to my teenage years as I was obsessed with them in high school.

Cover Art: 5 out of 5 stars

While you should not judge a book by its cover, the cover art for this story is amazing. The blue paint schmears are very symbolic as how Jack sees people in his life while the blue marble is how he sees Libby. The marble also reminds me of Men in Black (1997) when the whole universe fits inside the keychain on the cat’s collar. When you take off this paper jacket to reveal the hard cover, the book is a beautiful baby blue with silver text and a sparkly heart. This book has a lot of love in it and is just very cute. I think I will take the paper cover off and leave it in my bookshelf with the baby blue and silver text instead because it is more eye-catching than the white book jacket with blue and black design in my opinion.

Reread-ability: Possibly!

Due to the fact that I read this book so quickly, I obviously liked it. However, it doesn’t beat my favorite three favorite teen love stories, The Fault in Our Stars (2012) and Turtles All the Way Down (2017) by John Green and Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda (2015) by Becky Albertalli, the three of which made me laugh and cry. HUTU made me laugh and get a bit sad at points, but not enough to actually cry. Perhaps if there was a film version of it then the visuals might be enough to do it for me.

I do want to keep it in my bookshelf in case I have kids, or a movie is made of it because I think it has a really good anti-bullying message and would be good for people to read to open up their world, especially for people who are prejudice against heavyset, racial, or disability differences. I don’t know if this book would lessen their prejudice, but I hope it would at least stir a little emotion.

[soleadita]

ok so. lanterns. they're split into groups ("corps") by color, and there's a corps for each color of the rainbow + black (white lanterns exist, but there aren't enough for them to be a "corps" because as far as I know only 1 person has ever become a white lantern). each color represents a specific emotion, and each lantern ring is powered by that emotion. there's also oaths that each lantern corps has that sorta....outlines what they're all about. they recite the oaths out loud to power up their ring, and they're sooooo cool :]

green lanterns are basically a massive, multi-galactic military force where each member is assigned a "sector" of space to defend, and they're bossed around by these little blue dudes called guardians. their power rings are fueled by willpower, and their oath is "In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might / Beware my power...Green Lantern's light"

red lanterns are fueled by rage, and their oath is "With blood and rage and crimson red / Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead / Together with our hellish hate / We'll burn you all - that is your fate"

pink/violet lanterns (called star sapphires) are powered by love, and their oath is "For hearts long lost and full of fright / For those alone in blackest night / Accept our ring and join our fight / Love conquers all - with violet light"

blue lanterns are powered by hope, and their oath is "In fearful day, in raging night / With strong hearts full, our souls ignite / When all sees lost in the War of Light / Look to the stars - for hope burns bright"

white lanterns are literally. life. and as white, they contain all the colors of the spectrum, so they're SUPER powerful. their oath is just "Life"

there's a few more corps (yellow, orange, black, indigo) but I don't know as much about them and also I wanna tell you about the lanterns in the 911 au

so eddie is a green lantern, and his duties in space took him away from shannon and chris a lot (basically the same as canon except he's fighting a space war instead of a war overseas) and I don't know exactly how this all happens yet but.....eddie becomes a red lantern at some point. maybe after shannon dies. and the thing about red lanterns is that they can't take off their rings. the red lantern power is so destructive and volatile that they'll literally burn to a crisp if they try and take off their ring so it's like. they're trapped in a cycle of anger and pain that is both self-inflicted (they made the conscious choice to put on the ring) but is also out of their control because they can't take it off and break the cycle. (I go soooooooooo insane over red lanterns every day and its no surprise that my favorite gl:tas character is in fact. a red lantern.*) but the ONLY way for a red lantern to take off his ring and break free from the cycle of self destruction is if a blue lantern is there to help them !! because what better to heal anger than hope !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyway I'm thinking about blue lantern chris and red lantern eddie on this fine bright morning. I'm even thinking about commissioning artwork from someone because the brainrot is SO strong

*that character in question is SO <3!!! he suffered a HUGE amount of loss and trauma and in turn was recruited for the red lantern corps (the bad guys in gl:tas) because of how much rage and pain he had inside him. and throughout the series he ends up forcibly joining the found family of protagonists (they kidnapped him <333 literally <33) and coming to realize that his anger and trauma is so incredibly real and valid but that he was using it to hurt others and contribute to an unjust cause that only resulted in spreading more anger and pain and trauma for everyone around him, and by the end of the series he becomes a blue lantern because his character has shifted from being motivated by pure rage to pure HOPE,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ugh I love he <333

WINTER i am eating this concept UP!!!!

first of all, the whole lantern corps thing and the different traits for each color is fascinating to me. in fact, i was so captivated that i've already started watching gt:las (partly so that i could better understand the emotional magnitude of the choices you're making for the 911 au and partly because i. well. i wanted to know more about it so that i could think about how to smash the teen wolf characters into this framework).

but second of all, thinking about eddie and red lanterns and being trapped in a cycle of anger and pain (especially in the context of, like, eddie's character arc in 911, and his pain and anger and trauma and then the therapy and the healing of generational trauma) is SOOOOO.... *screams incoherently* and then. on top of everything else. blue lantern chris.....!!!!

anyway, i can't wait to hear more about this.

[imsparky2002]

Ghoul Squad - Mylene

Mylene Haprele - Phantom of the Theatre

Age - 14

Species - Spectre (Mix of a Ghost and Spectre. Her mother was a spectre, as well)

Appearance - Short, plus-sized, rainbow dreadlocks, light brown skin, moderate gamboge eyes and pale magenta lips, left side of face is scarred and burned which she had since birth

Attire - Black tuxedo, black pants, long black cloak, white bowtie, black crooked fedora, white gloves, white silk shirt, black boots, rose on her lapel, white mask on left-side of face.

Personality - Shy, cordrial, kind, has a dramatic side (loves to be theatrical to her Angel or when haunting mean people as the Phantom), romantic

Likes - Acting, protecting the theatre, seeing the students of DuPont succeed, classic works of theatre, Making songs for her ghoulish sisters (not by blood) Ivan, and the students of DuPont, Brooding and being dramatic with Juleka, frightening her friends and angel for fun, Ivan (her Angel of Music), rowing the gondola, her late father Fred, nature, cloaks and fabulous outfits (her and Juleka give each other cloak hugs all the time)

Dislikes - People being selfish, disrespecting her late father, bullies, ghost hunters, being seen as evil or scary by nice students, having to scare innocent people, senseless violence, not casting actors based on talent, Vaccuum cleaners, phantoms who use their powers for evil, ghost hunters.

A kind and gentle spirit, much like her father. 

Unlike most Phantoms in other works of art, Mylene was quite kind and respectful of her angel. She had happily listened to his voice for years, before meeeting him face to face when they were 13, and asking him out. Now she treats him with love and care, perfectly happy if he hangs out with other women, knowing that she isn’t entitled to his body.

Despite being a shy and timid girl, Mylene has a dramatic side. She can be very theatrical, sometimes by choice, other times it just comes naturally.

A ghost hunter’s attack on her family left baby Mylene with permanent scars and burns on the left side of her face. She never felt ashamed of such things growing up, since she always looked like that, and was still loved by her parents, friends, and the Witches of Wisdom. Despite this, she wears a white mask over the disfigured side of her face. Not because she wishes to hide it, but because she loves how it looks, it makes her look even more dramatic, mysterious, and spooky.

A prodigy when it comes to playing her beloved pipe organ. She’s filled the halls of DuPont with many melodies over the years. Sometimes, they’re beautiful, other times they’re haunting.

Quotes

Oh, Ivan. My wonderous sweet angel of music. Sing for me once more!

No need to fear, my fellow thespians of DuPont. The Phantom shall guide you once again.

Goodness, I didn’t mean to give you a fright!

Girls! Did one of you hide my mask? I need it to complete my dramatic and spooky appearance!

It’s a good thing I am not bound by the laws of gravity. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to reach the top shelf!

Mwahahaha! Bewaaare... beware the Phantom of the Theatre! *Giggling before giving a shy smile* See? I can be scary when I want to.

The Phantom of the Theatre is there, inside your mind.... so she can give you a pep talk! Mylene glides in as a shy and spookily sweet phantom. There’s more coming soon, so make sure to reblog, reply, ask and post to share your thoughts. @artzychic27 @msweebyness 

Mylene: I hope you come back to my theatre soon. I have such sweet melodies to share with you.