#camp-counselor-amanda

[mayflydecember]

i want @spiritspodcast to talk to @campaignskyjacks about creating a mythos *so bad*.

[wardenparker]

Close Encounters of the Toothy Kind

Max Phillips x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst​

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 9.2k Warnings: *Reader has a nickname right up front.* Evan being his whiny self. Alcohol consumption but no one’s judgement is impaired. Light power dynamics, biting (blood is drawn), oral sex (female receiving), hair pulling, dirty talk, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, monster fucking, rough sex, vampire kink/fetish. Summary: The company Halloween party is way more fun than you ever expected - even if your coworker and roommate Evan doesn’t think so. Notes: Happy Spooktober everyone! This little fangbang has been brewing in our minds for months now and it turned out even better than I ever dreamed! Smothered in pop culture references and plenty of cheeky fun. 🎃🧡🧛‍♀️ 

Ever since Max Phillips was in high school, he knew how to throw a party. It helped get him laid both there and later on in college. Even throughout getting his MBA and graduating, his attention to detail for having a good time led to some of the most memorable parties on campus. It was something he considered a little extra that he had to offer a company beyond the normal impressive résumé. Because in order to throw a great party, you had to know what people wanted. You had to read their wants through the small conversations and the body language of the person.

It was also useful in closing deals and impressing clients. Which was why he had pulled out all the stops tonight in the annual Halloween party. It wasn't just a sad, alcohol-free punch and those horrid cookies that Zarabeth makes. This is impressive. The smoke machines and black lights contrasted the disco balls that twirl overhead giving the event a truly spooky vibe.

"You'll see, Cat." Evan looks around nervously, his fingers digging into the sensitive skin under your elbow as he propels the two of you forward into the "East Ballroom" swallowing as he takes in the decorations. "I'm not crazy. Max is a vampire."

“Ev, it’s okay to just not like the guy.” Evan is an okay roommate. He really is. He’s clean and doesn’t cook horrible food, and he’s even handy with a toolkit when things need a little TLC. But this crusade he’s been on against your boss is just insane. Pulling at your tight Camp Crystal Lake t-shirt and smoothing your short shorts, you’ll be the first to admit that you took the easy way out with your costume this year, but Friday the 13th camp counselor was just too good to pass up. The Halloween store in town even had knee socks with Jason’s hockey mask on them to go with your Keds sneakers. “Let’s just have a couple of drinks and hang out. Maybe not get weird over your obsessive hatred of our boss?”

"I'm telling you he's a vampire!" Evan hisses, the cords in his neck bulging and he doesn't understand why you don't believe him. He looks around and groans, rolling his eyes and pointing. "He's even mocking it. Look at him." Max smirks as he watches you and Evan at the entrance of the ball room. Evan looked panicked and pale. He wonders if the poor schmuck is still trying to convince everyone that he's a vampire. It is so much fun to watch him freak out like the obsessive little turd that he is and push everyone away with his theories. Amanda had finally dumped him for good and started dating Andrew, which was a much better prospect for her in Max's opinion. He takes his eye off you and checks the buffet table again. The caterer that he had chosen had promised him that the canapés would all be haunted and ghoulish and so far they hadn't disappointed.

“Oh hell yeah, Lost Boys!” You grin, seeing the costume that Max has expertly pieced together. Max Phillips might be a frat boy and occasional asshat, but he has an attention for detail that has to be admired. And frankly? He’s ridiculously hot. A fact only enhanced by leather and eyeliner, in your opinion. Sure he’s a little obnoxious, so you just keep the fact that you have a little – okay, big – thing for him on the quiet side. Especially since your roommate despises him. “Evan,” you look at your roommate now, decked out in his Van Helsing costume like he’s in some kind of righteous crusade. “I am begging you to just let tonight be about fun and not this hyper focus.”

Evan rolls his eyes and gives you a disappointed look. "You're going to believe me." He promises you. "By the end of tonight, you will know the truth - Max Phillips is a vampire."

"I sure am." Max agrees easily, appearing at your side and wrapping his arm around your shoulders. "David from Lost Boys." He clarifies. "Glad you can make it Camp Crystal Lake Counselor." He doesn't waste the opportunity to look at your legs, you've got them on display after all and you aren't on company property.

"Max." Evan greets him through clenched teeth, furious that he's touching you.

“Evan made me a name tag,” you tell Max with a grin, pointing to the sticky Hi! My Name Is badge on your shirt that features your office nickname - Cat - and a little cartoon drawing of black cat beside it. “Nice party, Max.” You may keep your attraction under wraps, but that doesn’t mean you can’t just be a generally nice person.

“Thanks Kitty Cat.” Max sends you a small wink and looks around. “We’ve got a couple of our clients and potential clients here so I could get away with splurging. Plus, I love Halloween.” He smirks over at Evan. “All the things that go bump in the night come out.”

“Does that mean there’s good booze?” You ask, one eyebrow ticking up at Max curiously. Splurging on clients might mean there’s actually something tasty. “I heard a rumor about sangria or punch or something, but that might have been Elaine’s wishful thinking.”

“Ohhhh the Bloody Sangria is my own recipe.” He tells you with a grin. “There’s also Witches Brew, Poisoned Apples and Demon Juice.” He points to the bar where premixed cocktails are being poured up into glasses where the base is a skeleton’s hand.

“Sangria for sure.” That stupid exaggerated grin on Max’s face shouldn’t be charming, but he’s got vampire fang caps on his teeth and alright, maybe you had a little thing for Kiefer Sutherland as a teenager that the Lost Boys costume is playing into. To Evan you throw a pout, silently asking him to play nice before heading to the bar with Max.

“Make sure you get some appetizers too.” Max hums knowingly. “Those drinks sneak up on you and we don’t want you buzzed too quickly.” He catches the eye of a prospective client and pats your shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you later, enjoy yourself Kitty Cat.”

“Come on, Ev.” You reach for his hand but resist when he tries tangling your fingers together, tired of repeating that you are not interested in him romantically. He’s a good roommate and a decent friend, but as a boyfriend? Not your type at all. “Drink with me, eat with me. It’ll be fun.”

“I’m not touching anything Max could have corrupted.” Evan huffs, annoyed that you are so flirty with him. You need to just trust him.

“He’s not going to poison our clients.” Rolling your eyes at him is still playful, because you’ve definitely always thought of Evan as more of a brother than anything else, and you nod toward the bar. “I bet they have beer in bottles that Max can’t have tainted with his spooky vampire vibes.”

Evan blows out a sigh and dutifully follows you like a lost puppy, wondering how he can possibly convince you about Max. “Hey man.” Tim smirks and lifts the glass of alcohol up. “You came.”

“I had to drag him out of the apartment,” you tease, giving Tim a hug before slipping past him to the bar for a glass of sangria.

“Would you like an extra shot of Vampire’s blood in your sangria?” The bartender asks with a smile. “It’s a floater of blackberry moonshine.”

“Why the hell not. Go big or go home, right?” You laugh, cringing at the cliched phrase before you shrug your shoulders. “And a Bud Light.” The least you can do is grab Evan’s first beer for him, since you did drag him out tonight. Being convinced that some socialization that didn’t happen under neon lights with phone headsets attached to your heads would be good for him might not have been correct.

Evan looks around the room in jealousy, begrudgingly impressed with the party. Hating how this man took his job and was actually doing a bang-up job. He takes the beer from you and eyes it for a moment before he hears Max’s laugh across the room. “Fuck it.” He groans and puts the bottle to his lips.

“Atta boy,” Tim laughs before strolling away when he spies someone he wants to say hi to across the large room.

“Eat, drink, and be merry,” you agree with a grin. You just want tonight to be fun. Maybe get Evan talking to the new girl from Legal that he said was cute a couple of days ago. Anything to get his mind away from the vampire thing.

Max keeps an eye on you as he makes his way around the room. Partly because it drives Evan insane. He might have made a couple of veiled threats to change you next. But mostly it was because he was very intrigued by the way your tits look up under that t-shirt. He had plenty of fantasies about his counselors when he was younger and his grandma made him go to the sleep away vacation Bible camps in the summer.

******

The deejay they hired for tonight is doing an excellent job of keeping the energy up, and you walk past the table just in time to hear Deliah from HR begging him to play Thriller again, making you laugh as you hit the bar. This sangria is addictive and you lean back against the sturdy wood to look around the room while the bartender pours you glass number three. Evan has finally started talking to the girl from Legal and from where you are it looks like she might even be interested in him so you send up a little positive energy in his direction and sigh. Maybe now you can actually relax and find someone to dance with - a thought which feels slightly bitchy considering you know Evan would dance with you if you asked. But you’d like to dance with someone you’re attracted to, which seriously narrows the field around here.

Max chuckles to himself when he sees you going back for another drink. He slides up behind you, leaning over your shoulder to murmur in your ear. “Enjoying yourself, Kitty Cat?”

“Max!” You didn’t see him approach and definitely would have done a spit take if you had had a sip of drink in your mouth when he spoke. “Uh— yeah, actually. Your sangria’s really good.”

“I’m glad you enjoy it.” He purrs with a delighted smile. “I like the body of it.” He waggles his brows. “And the way that it sneaks up on you.”

“The body of the bloody sangria?” It’s dumb, and you probably wouldn’t laugh at it if you weren’t two drinks in and finding the 80s vamp look on him a little extra hot. “Har har.”

Max winks at you. “Planning on being the first victim of the night?” He asks, leaning in. “Or are you going to be the counselor that survives?”

“Oh, come on.” Leaning back against the bar, you toss him the same smirk you would give anybody in this situation. “Nobody wants to die first. I’m totally Final Girl material. Nancy Thompson, Laurie Strode, and me.”

“You sure?” He leans in and flicks your name badge. “Kitty Cat survives?” He hums, smirking at you.

“For sure.” The authoritative nod you give him when the bartender sets your drink down beside your elbow comes with a grin. “I’m not afraid of some big bad monster.”

“Really?” He flashes his fangs at you playfully. Everyone thinks they are fake but why would he do fake fangs when he has the real thing. “Not even a skipping beat of your heart?”

“Not even.” It’s a dirty lie because you’re a damn scaredy cat, but at the same time you do love the adrenaline rush of a scary movie. The fake fangs are more of a turn on than anything else, which is probably the real reason your blood is currently pumping.

“I think you’re lying.” He coos, leaning in closer and brushing his nose against your pulse. The smell of your blood is intoxicating, and he groans quietly.

“Rude.” You laugh, picking up your drink and nudging him with your elbow. Maybe it’s a little more flirtatious than you would ever be regularly, but this is outside of work hours, outside of the office, and it’s a party.

“Just honest, Kitty cat.” He chuckles, watching you take another sip of your drink.

“I don’t know why I let you call me that.” Yes you do. You absolutely know why. It’s because he’s hot as fuck. It had taken almost a year to accept being called Cat at work and then Max just rolled in and added kitty to it and you just let it slide. “Maybe I instinctively knew you’d have a killer sangria recipe that I’d want to steal.”

“Better than what I was going to call you when I first met you.” He confides with a cocky grin.

“Oh god.” You choke on a laugh before taking a sip of your drink. “Do I want to know?”

He snickers to himself and shuffles closer. Leaning in to whisper in your ear. “Pussy…Cat.” He purrs, making sure to emphasize the first word.

That…is not what you expected, and you definitely feel a very visceral reaction to Max’s breath on your neck. You can practically feel your panties drench at the implication that he might be interested in you, too. But that’s…that’s a stretch, right? It has to be. Max flirts with all the women in the office.

“Cat got your tongue, sweetheart?” He hums, wondering if he’s misread the subtle signals you’ve sent him.

“A little.” You have to admit that, as silly as it makes you feel when you tilt your head to look at him. “Surprised, I guess?”

“Why would you be surprised?” He lifts his brows, shocked that you didn’t know that you are a gorgeous woman. “Every man in this room would take you home if they could.”

“Maybe.” Shrugging, you take another sip of your drink before turning to face him fully. Whether it’s the booze or the atmosphere or the light-switch flick of a mood change, you’re feeling bold. “But I’m not interested in them.”

“And who are you interested in?” He asks, intrigued by who would be your taste. Surely not Evan, he’s heard him moan about you turning him down to Tim too often in the break room.

“Seriously?” It’s probably a good thing that he has to ask, it means you haven’t been too obvious at work. Although you kind of thought you were being pretty obvious right now. “I mean, don’t fire me over it, but…you…”

“Hmmmmm.” Max flashes you a wicked, fanged-filled grin. “That’s not something I would ever fire you over Pussy Cat.”

“That nickname is gonna stick now, isn’t it?” You can feel the heat in your cheeks, nerves and embarrassment rising right along with arousal. He’s looking at you half like you’re a fucking meal and half like something else that you can’t quite pinpoint but you’re fairly certain you’re going to enjoy.

“Yes it is.” He chuckles again. “But only when we’re alone.”

“We’re never alone.” More than anything it’s just pointing out a fact. Aside from the rare occasion that he has called you into his office, The two of you have never actually been alone. Maybe once you were the only two people in the break room at the same time, but that was in passing and the door was open. It wasn’t exactly private.

“Then maybe we should be alone.” Max offers with a smirk. He can smell your interest, but he wants this to be completely your choice.

“Seriously?” You ask again, still a little incredulous that he could be interested. “I mean…I didn’t think…” But he’s looking at you like that and you swallow the lump in your throat so hard that it bottoms out all the way down in your pussy. “I mean, yeah. That sounds like fun.”

“Yeah?” He bites his lip with his fangs exposed. “You want to be alone?” He waits for you to nod and he smirks. “How about now?”

“Eager.” But it makes you flush with your own fervent desire, wondering if he means just finding a dark corner of the party, leaving together, or if his mind has jumped straight to hooking up. It occurs to you, as you smirk and pick up your drink to down it quickly (no sense in wasting, obviously) that you don’t care. “Fuck it. Yeah. What do you have in mind?” Evan is going to be so fucking pissed but you just can’t bring yourself to care at the moment.

He chuckles, surprised that you’ve said yes, but also very happy that you have. “I think the innocent camp counselor should go into the bathroom to be ravished by the dangerous vampire.” He hums as he lifts a brow.

Straight to hooking up, you acknowledge with a smirk. It doesn’t really surprise you. Max isn’t exactly known as a relationship guy around the office. Either way, you don’t mind making him a notch on your proverbial bedpost tonight. “You go for the innocent thing, huh?” It makes your smirk deepen just that much more. “Noted,” you murmur in his ear before taking the strut all the way out of your step and hightailing it out of the hotel ballroom toward the unisex bathroom down the hall.

Max watches you walk away for a long moment, admiring the view. “Turned you down, huh?” Evan’s pithy little comment makes his smirk reappear as he turns towards the other man.

“Guess so.” He chirps, unwilling to let Evan cause a scene and prevent his little rendezvous with you. Some sacrifices must be made and right now, wiping the smug, satisfied look off Evan’s face is on the chopping block.

“She’ll never date you. Or fuck you.” He tells Max, his eyes darting around but the little fucker is brave around a crowd in the ballroom - confident Max won’t cause a scene. “So you should just leave her alone.”

“Same could be said for you, slugger.” Max pops back with a wink. “After all, if I lived in the same apartment with that little Kitty Cat, I’m sure I would have wooed her by now.” He chuckles and gives Evan a sympathetic look. “Guess you just aren’t what she’s looking for…” Max lets Evan stew for a moment and right when the other man opens his mouth, he interrupts him. “Whelp! I better go take a piss, all the Bloody cocktails have gotten to me.” He smirks. “Try the special sangria I have behind the bar.” He confides. “They have it just for me, but tell them Max said it was okay.” He turns around and whistles as he walks towards the bathrooms, knowing Evan is fuming.

It takes just long enough before you hear footsteps outside the bathroom door for you to start doubting yourself. Wondering if you just made a completely dumbass mistake that’s going to make life hell at work from now on, or if Max really did use the specific word ravishing or a million other little paranoid concerns. You’re in the process of telling yourself to get a goddamn grip when the bathroom door clicks open.

Max raises a brow at you, seeing the doubt and second guessing on your face. “Change your mind, Pussy Cat?” He asks as he steps inside and closes the door. If you don’t want to do this, it wouldn’t be nice to have the rumor mill spin if someone looked in and saw the two of you. “I got caught up by Evan trying to warn me away from you.”

“Thought you might have changed yours,” you admit, but the news that it was Evan who caused the delay makes you relax again instantly. “Ev’s just…protective.”

He snorts and sends you a knowing look. “Evan wants to be in your bed.” He counters. “He’s like the annoying little puppy that chews on your shoelaces and tries - and fails - to hump your leg.”

“To be fair, he’s never actually tried to hump my leg.” The comparison makes you laugh though, and you shake your head. “He knows I’m not interested in him.”

“He knows…but he doesn’t know.” Max smirks as he flips the lock and takes a step towards you. “He might get the hint tonight.”

“Oh yeah?” It’s not like you had been planning on broadcasting this little interlude around the office, so the idea of news of it getting back to Evan hadn’t even been on your mind.

“Only if you wanted.” He chuckles, reaching out and stroking your arm, his eyes on yours. “He’ll know when you scream my name.”

The corners of your lips tick up in a smirk as you step into him, feeling your heart speed up and your pussy clench at that kind of promise. “I guess you better make sure I scream loud enough, then.”

Max’s eyes flash and his smirk grows wider. “Only thing I like more than making a sale is a challenge, Pussy Cat.” He growls, stalking towards you like a predator cornering his prey.

It would probably come across as way too dramatic if you weren’t honestly so goddamn turned on, but as it is? You’re in exactly the right frame of mind to find that broad frame and cocky ass smirk enticing as hell. “Then what are you waiting for?”

“Permission.” Quicker than he probably should have, but not enough to be too obvious, Max pins you against the row of industrial yet aesthetically pleasing sinks and hand soap units. Your back is to the mirror, and he leers with his nose pressed right against yours.

Your sharp gasp and wide eyes definitely lend themselves toward that whole innocent thing he supposedly likes, and the way he has your back bowed so that your tits are pushed against his chest is only adding to the heaving effect. "Max..."

"Yessssss, Pussy Cat?" He doesn't kiss you, not yet. He likes the teasing and the way that your breath catches in your throat. It makes the veins flood with blood and it smells so sweet as your body heats up even more than normal.

"Shit..." The realization makes you roll your eyes even as you're nearly panting in anticipation. "Of course you're a tease."

He tsks in disappointment at your seemingly bemoaning of his traits. "You don't think it enhances...." his 'fake' fangs graze your throat slowly before he retracts them and places the most delicate kiss on your galloping pulse, "anticipation?"

The way you almost whimper is a complete giveaway that it definitely is an enhancement, and you shiver a little. Being caged between his arms against the counter makes you feel caught in a delicious sort of way. "M-maybe."

"Hmmmmm." Max is already hard, pressing against your hip through your camp counselor shorts and one hand moves from the cold counter to grab your side. "Don't worry, Pussy Cat." He follows up the small kiss with a slow drag of his tongue up the line of your neck. "I won't bite hard...unless you want me to."

Evan’s ridiculous vampire claim rings in your ears again, completely unwanted, and you smirk as you tip your head to one side to give him all the access to your neck as he could possibly want. “It’s been a while since I’ve been properly manhandled,” you murmur, tugging on his earlobe with your teeth as his head hangs right beside yours. “Sounds like fun.”

Max hisses, cock jumping when your teeth nip his skin. "Fuck." He huffs, trying to decide if he wants a quickie, or if he just wants to destroy you. Your giggle makes up his mind for him, pulling away and dropping down to his knees to unbutton those ridiculously tiny shorts you are wearing. The prospect of devouring your cunt while you have knee highs and sneakers on is appealing.

"Shit." Max Phillips on his knees is not a sight you ever thought you'd see - both because you didn't ever think you'd actually be in this position with him and a little bit because you thought he might be one of those guys who was prissy about the smell or taste of pussy as an excuse to never give oral - but it's fucking glorious. It takes all of thirty seconds for your cutoffs to be tossed across the damn room, and Max's eyes are eye level with the soaked through crotch of your white cotton panties.

"Virginal." He hums, smirking up at you before he reaches out and rubs the damp fabric. "Even though I know you aren't, it makes you look even more like a teenage counselor that might survive the night."

Looking down at him with the most innocent expression you can muster, you can see just how wide his pupils have grown since getting the first bit of your clothing off. "Of course I'm innocent. I don't know why you would possibly think otherwise." You intone, wondering if he's into roleplay enough to want the whole act.

He chuckles, hooking a finger in the band of your panties so he can start dragging them down. "Because good virginal girls don’t let sinful vampires eat their pussy in the bathroom." He teases, leaning in and blowing on your heated pussy lips and giving you a fang-filled smile.

This time your whimper is accompanied by the eager way you open up for him, totally willing to spread your legs for him before he's even kissed you. It's not like you're expecting a lasting and deep connection out of fucking your boss in the bathroom at the company party. You're horny, not delusional.

Your ass is perched against the counter so Max wastes no time in shoving his shoulders under your legs, bringing your thighs to his shoulders and he winks at you, right before his mouth envelopes your cunt in a large bite, his fangs retracting again so he doesn't puncture your lips.

They definitely heard you moaning in the hallway, but you couldn't care less as you brace yourself with one hand on the counter and sink the fingers of your other hand into his thick, artfully messy hair. The heat of his mouth and determination of his tongue as he licks a long, flat stripe up the length of your sex is enough to have you tossing your head back and shutting your eyes in pleasure. Or it would be, if you didn't want to watch his every movement so desperately.

There is an art to pussy eating. He had tried to tell Evan that when the prick was in college with him, but he had been too busy thinking Max was an asshole. It might have been one of the reasons his roommate's girlfriend had jumped into his bed when Evan was away for a long weekend. She had obviously listened to the tips he had tried to impart. Enough to be curious, at least. His tongue twists around your clit and he flicks it playfully before his tongue slides down again, curious to taste you right from the honeyed little well between your thighs. Your fingers curl tightly, nails digging into his scalp instinctively before soothing the bite away. Apparently you never noticed Max having an overly long tongue, but he is curled into the absolute depths of you in a way that has you rolling your hips forward and pushing down as if he isn't already completely buried in your cunt.

Max groans into your folds, loving how you don't mind being a little more forceful. His cock twitches and he holds your legs wide so he can curl his tongue deeper, licking into you with fevered eagerness. He knows what the fuck he's doing, you'll give him that. Any idea that you had about him being selfish in bed is being completely washed away by the deep growling sounds floating up to you from his throat and the way those vibrations roll through your body to have you whining and writhing and almost ready to burst in no time.

His eyes fixate on you. Responding to the micro expressions as he works your cunt with his tongue. If you’re going to fuck him; you’re damn well going to have nothing but good things to say about him. His fingers dig into the tender flesh of your thighs and he huffs, not needing to breathe, but you would expect him to make some noise.

“Holy shit, Max—” Every time you get a gulp of air he pushes it out again, cutting off your moan of his name and twisting it into a harsh gasp with a dexterous flick of his tongue that swirls around your clit like a lollipop. “S—so— good! Fuck.”

He chuckles into you, waiting until you look down at him again before he sends you a small wink and sucks your clit into his mouth, ripping your orgasm out of you.

You’ve never outright just screamed while cumming before, but this one comes tearing out of you like an igniting fire that leaves you shaking and cursing and grasping at any bit of him you can get your hands on so that you don’t just collapse backward into one of the sinks behind you. “Oh my fucking god, Max.” You’re practically dizzy from the force of it, which just makes you giggle in filthy glee when you can breathe again.

He is smug as he kisses your clit one last time before he leans back and looks up at you. “Did I pass muster, counselor?” He teases.

“With the first test.” You nod eagerly, getting air back in your lungs as you reach to drag him up for a kiss. You haven’t gotten to yet and now that he’s had his mouth on you, you’re dying to indulge.

Max goes willingly, fusing his mouth to yours and sliding his hands up under your shirt. Wanting to get his hands on your tits for a long time, he moans as he cups them over your bra and slides his tongue into your mouth at the same time.

Moaning into the kiss is a natural instinct. His large hands envelope your overheated skin easily, somehow easing the heat of arousal at the same time he intensifies it. It’s you who tears your shirt away, ready to just throw every stitch aside and thoroughly fucking enjoy yourself.

He pulls away from you to admire the view as he unhooks your bra and tosses it away. "Fucking in your shoes, I'm digging it." He teases, pinching your nipples and ducking down to pull one into his mouth.

“Feels—” His talented mouth cuts you off and you almost squeal, letting it dissolve into a sinful moan. “Dirtier.” You finish your thought with one hand cradling his head to your tits encouragingly and the other fisting his shirt blindly to follow the trail of his torso down to the pronounced bulge in his pants.

"You are dirty." He groans, pulling off your tit with a pop and then biting it playfully before he nips the other. "Gonna fuck you like the dirty fucking girl you are right here."

“It’s a good thing you got my pussy nice and wet, then.” With one hand wrapped around the thick length protruding from his pants, your other starts working open his belt. “It’ll be nice and easy to slide that big cock in right away.”

He smirks and stands straight while you pull open his pants and groans when his cock is your hot hands. "Fuck." He hisses, twitching when your thumb presses against the tip. "I'm gonna be balls deep and die happy." He jokes.

"You mean you're not a real undead bad boy?" Putting on a pout of faux disappointment keeps you from laughing, knowing that he knows all about Evan's Max is a vampire crusade. The very last thing you're about to do when you have his thick length throbbing in your hand is laugh. "Darn."

He doesn't even answer you, just thrusts into your grip. "Line me up, Pussy Cat." He hums. "I'm gonna make you cum like this then I'm going to turn you over so I can watch your ass bounce."

"Promises, promises," you tease, not that you have any doubt he can do it. He's not even out of breath while you're a panting and whimpering mess. You don't hesitate to do as he tells you, though, leaning back a little to let your legs fall open wide so that you can position the blunt head of his cock at the entrance of your dripping pussy.

"Fuck, look at that pretty little pussy cat." He smirks and watches you while he breeches your entrance and starts filling you steadily, inch by inch.

He feels thicker splitting you open than he did in your hand, and your head drops back when you let out a deep groan of pleasure. Max doesn’t stop until he’s fully bottomed out inside you and you don’t want him to - making lascivious noises of approval with every inch until his hips are flush against yours and then you’re diving back in for more kisses. Wrapping your arms around his neck keeps him close but you grind your hips down against his and whimper happily. “Fuck me, baby. Come on. Need you.”

Max snarls slightly, his grip turning bruising for a split second before he relaxes and grins at you. "I can do that, sweetheart." He growls. "Guaranteed." Pulling his hips back, he snaps them forward harshly.

“Yes!” The force of the thrust pushes you back on the counter and you keep your arms around Max, sinking your teeth playfully into his neck for a moment because he seemed to have liked you using your teeth earlier. “Just like that.”

"Fuck." His dick twitches deep inside you and his own fangs spring out of his gums. He doesn't bite you though. Not wanting to change you right now, so he just keeps his head over your shoulder so you don't see his slightly feral expression. His hips rock faster after you bite him, ready to give you what you want.

It’s fierce and needy after that. Rough in all the right ways, like you hadn’t been the only one secretly pining in the office ever since Max joined the company earlier in the year. Or, if not pining, you definitely weren’t the only one with filthy thoughts about the other. Every once in a while his grip tightens to near bruising and you moan every time, loving the harshness of a little pain with your pleasure. You’ve always been that way and know for a fact that Evan is gentler than a basket of fluffy kittens, which is one of the reasons you just never had any interest in your roommate. But this? This is your kind of fucking - dirty and delicious.

Groans pour out of his mouth, not because he's winded or anything human, but because you are fucking perfect. Taking his pace, his eagerness and wanting more. He can feel the way that you get even wetter when he forgets not to crush you for a second. Loses control slightly. It's intoxicating and your blood – fuck, it's like ambrosia right under the skin.

There’s no chance that people haven’t figured out what’s going on in here - from the locked door to your combined sounds to the harsh slap of skin on damp skin. Max’s cock is battering your pussy in the very best way and you hope like hell that you’ll be as sore as you think you will tomorrow. The idea of carrying that with you for a few days sounds perfect, especially if this is only going to be a one-time thing. Just a perfect little capsule of a memory of that one time you got railed in a hotel bathroom. Even that thought makes you gasp out in pleasure, legs tightening around his waist as you can feel the familiar twist of orgasm in your belly building up again.

“You gonna cum?” Max asks, smirking at you as he keeps drilling into you over and over again. He knows you are close, that fluttering little pussy of yours is about to explode and soak him. “Yeah, you are.” He huffs smugly. “Do it, Pussy Cat.”

You barely have it in you to be sassy in the moment, just rambling whatever pops into your head, and your fingers are digging into his leather covered shoulders with a tight pressure that doesn’t seem to phase him in the least. You turn your head to drag your teeth along the juncture of his long neck to egg him on. “So good,” you whine breathlessly, sucking hot marks into his skin with enthusiasm. “So fucking good, Max — fuck I’m gonna cum so hard.”

Max feels his face start to change, growling harshly and planting his face in your neck while he ramps up his pace to just beyond what is humanly possible. Wanting to feel it and hear you scream. “Do it.”

It takes mere seconds more, and you’re clinging to him when you feel the rush of overheated blood become an equally overheated flood from your cunt that drenches his cock with an unbelievable amount of cum. It’s so intense that your whole body locks up, turning your scream of his name into a strangled wail as you fall apart.

Hissing, Max doesn’t fuck you through it, instead he’s pulling out of you and manhandling you like a rag doll. Flipping you over and letting you fall forward while he pulls your cheeks apart and sinks back into your cunt with a victorious hum when your walls are still pulsing.

“Goddamn—fuuuck Max!” The strangled sob is punctuated by his name when he spears his cock back into you completely, burying his length to the hilt and extending the end of your orgasm so that your body shakes again in ecstasy as you try to grasp at anything on the counter so you don’t end up face down in a sink. You had no idea he was this strong - making you feel like a rag doll in his arm as he finds his rhythm again.

Now he’s grinning, watching his cock spear into you and make your ass bounce. His hands grip your hips as he rails into you. “Do it again.” He growls, wanting to feel you cum again. It’s a point of pride and he’s loving how you take it.

You’re about to gasp out a joke about how you’re gonna need a little more time before you can cum again when you lift your head to find his eyes in the mirror — and can’t find his face at all. The reflection of his clothing is clear as day: duster and shirt and torn open pants Moving behind you in rhythm with the merciless way he’s fucking you and fingerless gloves gripping tight to your hips as you find your own reflection unblemished in the large bathroom mirror. But Max? Max is as transparent as a summer breeze, only affecting the things he touches as you see his grip tighten on your flesh by the way the indents there deepen. You can feel it, and you can see the result, but you can’t see him.

“Holy shit…” With your eyes blown wide and the vision of your number one top fantasy right in front of you, another orgasm tears through you almost instantly. That years old pornographic dream of getting fucked by a vampire after getting through watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now so real that it’s turning your blood into wildfire and you can’t believe the way you moan as you shake and drench his cock all over again.

It’s your reaction that makes him slip up, the instant orgasm when you realize you don’t see his reflection. His fangs were grazing over your throat and when you clench down around him, he cuts you. Groaning when the coppery tang of your blood hits his tongue. Making him growl and start sucking sloppily while he fucks into you like the supernatural monster that he is.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck!” At this point you feel like your body might just tense up and be in a constant state of cumming for the rest of the time he’s fucking you. The sight of the light trickle of blood welling up on your neck only to be licked away by an invisible tongue seconds later makes you gasp and keen, and the instant realization that your vampire fantasy is now a vampire fetish just makes the whole thing better. For now the only downside is that he’s fucking you so hard that you can’t catch your breath to babble at him about how amazing it feels.

There’s a beauty to not being seen, not having his reflection in the mirror. You can’t see that his face has completely morphed. Turned into the more gruesome visage of his being. Brow heavy and eyes yellow tinged with red, Max snarls when he feels his body lock up, driving impossibly deep into your hot cunt and making a nearly demonic noise as he fills you with ropes of his impotent seed.

“Max!” Only his name falls from your tongue as he buries himself as deeply as possible in your body and follows you down the rabbit hole of pleasure. You feel boneless and wrecked and absolutely ecstatic in ways you can’t quite describe as you pant for air, crushed underneath his weight on the cold marble countertop.

He doesn’t need to recover or catch his breath. He could pull out of you right now and be perfectly fine, save for his face still being a twisted visage of the image he normally presented. Still he leans over you, savoring the feeling of your cunt fluttering and your thighs shaking. “Pussy Cat has a secret.” He teases playfully, his tongue lapping up one last drop of your blood before he bites his lip and lets a drop of his blood heal your wound as if it never happened.

“A fucking convenient one.” Still mostly breathless, you twist under him to be able to see his face. The ridges and bumps of his transformation draw your eyes across them as you take it all in, fascinated rather than terrified with his cock still buried inside you. Your eyelids flutter a little, that flash of pure attraction undeniable in your veins. The same ones he just drank from. “You’re actually a vampire?”

“Shocker.” Max makes his face smooth back out, his now brown eyes wide and his lips twisted into a grin. “Evan is actually right about something.” He chuckles and opens his mouth so his fangs descend again to show you.

“Fuck.” It’s all excitement and wonderment on your part and you can’t deny it at all. “That’s…so fucking sexy,” you admit with a self-conscious giggle.

“Knew I liked you.” He teases, slapping your ass playfully as he leans back to let you straighten up. “Least you don’t have to worry about an accident with me.”

“Thank god.” When you stand up again it’s like a miniature flood from your pussy and you laugh again. “Because you cum like a fucking Super Soaker.” It’s nothing a couple of paper towels can’t clean up, but it’s fun to tease.

“Is there any other way?” Max asks as he uses another sink to clean up and hands you the shorts you had worn. Your panties slide into his pocket with a mischievous wink to you.

“Pathetic dribbles, usually.” You’ve never been dishonest with yourself about why you’re single, knowing that you like a rougher and more physically demanding sex life and that balancing that with a man who isn’t also an absolute jackass or abusive in some way isn’t easy. It’s why you embraced the ‘Cat’ jokes. Better a cat lady than miserable or bored, at least in your book. “Don’t worry,” you murmur, offering him a smile as you slip on your shorts. “I won’t tell.”

It’s surprisingly nice to hear you say that. No fear or worry in your voice, just confidence that he can trust you to keep a secret. The only other people in the office who knew are the ones he’s already changed. And Evan’s stupid ass, but no one believes him. “Let me feed you more than lame ass Halloween cocktails and canapés tomorrow.” He says suddenly. “Before I fuck you to death again.”

“I—what?” Having reached down to pick your t-shirt and bra up off the floor, you straighten up and look at him quizzically. Not because you’re not interested, obviously, but just because you’re surprised. “Are you asking me out?”

“I mean— I guess—uh, yeah.” He frowns slightly as if he’s just worked out that is what he’s actually doing. “Unless you have a strict ‘fuck but not date your boss’ policy?” He jokes, trying to cover up the slight nervous fear that you might turn him down. That you just wanted a quick bang in the bathroom.

“Not at all.” It’s almost a pity to get dressed, but he’s already cleaned up and tucked himself away, so you clip your bra on again easily. “Actually I’ve never fucked or dated my boss before at all, so this is new territory for me.” You pull your t-shirt over your head and adjust, smoothing out the wrinkles. “Seven o’clock tomorrow? You know where I live.”

“Yeah.” Max nods, checking his clothes in the mirror and then looking back at you. “Got some blood on your shirt, Pussy Cat.”

“Call it a souvenir.” A memento, you think with a grin. Throwing him a wink, you lean in to kiss him one more time before moving back toward the door. “See you out there?” It’s an effort to not come across as clingy, that you are so overly nonchalant. Because in reality you want to prance out there on his arm and proudly dare anyone to give you shit about disappearing to fuck.

Evan pounces on you as soon as you appear out of the hallway leading to the bathrooms. “Tell me you didn’t.” He practically hisses.

“Didn’t what?” You ask, feigning innocence. Of course he was going to get nasty about this. It’s not like it’s a secret that he hates Max.

“Come on, we need to go.” Evan is nearly panicking, seeing the spot of blood on your shirt. “We’re leaving.”

“Oh my god you’re so overprotective.” Overprotective and with an annoyingly tight grip as he steers you toward the other end of the ballroom with determination. You barely have a chance to glance back, catching a glimpse of Max right before even drags you out the door. You might have even liked the little bit of manhandling if you hadn’t just been fucked within an inch of your life by a vampire.

Max chuckles to himself as he sees you pull a harsh frown at your roommate. Tomorrow is going to be fun. He hopes like hell you don’t tell Evan about your date.

******

You oversleep like hell the next day, worn out but feeling energized all the same. The ache in your thighs is so gorgeously satisfying and you sit in the living room in your pjs with a book until it’s time to shower and get ready for your date. Evan has been out doing god knows what all day with Tim so you haven’t had to avoid more arguing like the night before. It got bad enough that you have nearly threatened to move out if he tried to keep telling you what to do. By the time Evan comes home, you’re showered and dressed and finishing your makeup, just watching the clock tick down in anticipation.

“Where are you going?” The mournful eyes he gives you can’t hide being bitterly upset. He doesn’t know why you don’t believe him. He’s only got your best interests at heart, maybe a little selfish on his part, but that was to be expected.

“Out.” This time you don’t mean to be evasive, you just really don’t know where Max is taking you. “Dinner, I think. Did you have a good day?” Despite being pissed at him for presuming to tell you how to live your life, he’s still your friend.

“No.” Evan shakes his head. “I don’t want you to be mad at me, but Max is dangerous.” He stresses, imploring you to understand.

“Ev, I really don’t want to fight with you, but you need to drop it.” Pinching your eyes shut doesn’t banish the tinge of a headache that you can feel forming from the topic, and you turn to check your reflection in the mirror one more time - eventually biting back a grin when you remember looking up to see no reflection at all behind you last night. “I know you don’t like him,” you tell Evan. “But you are also very biased against him by your own admission.”

He sighs sulkily. “Want me to go with you?” He offers, wanting to find out where you are going. You’re mad at him and it’s not something he likes, but he hates you being so blasé about Max. “Maybe we could go to that bar around the corner.”

The lobby buzzer sounds from the wall panel in your kitchen at the same moment you turn and frown at your roommate. “Do I want you to come on my date with me? Come on, Evan. No. That’s both weird and honestly a little rude. Especially when I haven’t even told you who it’s with.” He’ll find out in a second, but you go over and hit the buzzer to let him into the lobby so he can come upstairs. Evan’s going to have to get over it eventually.

“You’re going on a date?” If possible, he looks even more remorseful, but he shakes his head. “I didn’t— it’s not Max, is it?”

“What if it was?” You pick up your jacket from the hook by the door and double check your pockets for your wallet, phone, and keys. “I couldn’t tell you, could I?” It just makes you shake your head, honestly a little heart sore over the whole thing. “I can’t be excited that the guy I’ve liked for ages finally asked me out because my roommate is on a righteous crusade against him.”

“It’s not a crusade!” Evan insists, reaching out for your hand. “I d-don’t want to see anything happen to you.” He doesn’t want you dating anyone but he really doesn’t want you dating Max. The idea that you have a crush on him hurts, considering you know what he did to him.

“Ev…” You sigh, turning to face him even as you hear footsteps approaching your door. “I swear, if he hurts me or doesn’t treat me right, or does anything that I don’t like, I will dump his ass faster than lightning.” Even so, the rhythmic knock on the door makes you grin, eager to see Max again after just a day.

It’s important that you qualify that you don’t like talking about Max hurting you or being disrespectful, because there are definitely kinds of ‘hurt’ that you enjoy more than most. “And I’m not asking you to suddenly be best friends with him or even spend time around him outside of work. I’m just…I really like him. And I want to see where this goes.”

Was what happened between them in college shitty? Of course. But that lies as much on Evan’s shitty girlfriend’s shoulders as anyone else in your opinion, and you squeeze his hand before going to open the door for Max.

“Hey Pussy Cat!” Max grins, wearing jeans and a leather motorcycle jacket. He peels off his sunglasses as he looks you up and down with a very pleased expression and then offers the flowers he had brought. Flowers for dates were a must. Especially after the way he fucked you. “You look good enough to eat!”

“Don’t be mean,” you chide him, knowing his hearing is good enough that he definitely just heard you defend him to Evan. The flowers he has brought are stunning - deep reds and purples dotted with blues. “Do you want to come in while I put these in water? They’re beautiful.”

“Are you inviting me in?” He waggles his brows playfully and Evan nearly turns purple.

“SEE? He has to be invited in! Only vampires do that!” Evan’s voice nearly reaches the soprano range, it’s gone up so many octaves.

Max chuckles and steps into the entryway of your apartment. “Actually pal…that’s the same for demons, goblins and warlocks. Witches get a free pass for some reason.”

“Witches are still human.” Is the explanation you offer, figuring that playing along with the game is the way to be the least conspicuous. “Do you two need to be separated while I put these in my room or can you be in the same room without killing each other?” It’s kind of an honest question, all things considered, but you raise an eyebrow at Max asking him to behave as you grab your vase from the kitchen counter.

“I’m always a team player.” Max reminds you innocently, even fluttering his lashes at you. He’s not physically hurt Evan since punching him in the nose after he had been a little shit and lied to get him expelled and academically shunned from every fucking college but the one where he was turned into a vampire. “Ev and I will be fine, won’t we?” He throws his arm around Evan’s shoulder and squeezes him close as he grins at him, enjoying the other man’s discomfort.

“Be nice, please.” Is your one request, made to both of them, before you disappear to deposit the beautiful buds in the vase that will sit on your bedside table.

“Get off of me.” Evan hisses, shrugging out from Max’s arm and turning on him. “If you hurt her…” He trails off to seem more threatening and Max shoots him a grin.

“Buddy… pal…” He coos. “Don’t worry. It’s gonna be fine. Just…” He winks at Evan. “Make sure you have some good headphones tonight.”

You can hear them as you disappear down the hall and allow yourself to grin, shaking your head at the way Max doesn’t even pretend to assure Evan you won’t get hurt. Because there is no way your friend could wrap his head around the fact that having Max’s fangs cut into your skin was half of what made you cum so hard last night. Pain and pleasure mixed – and the promise of more – make you shiver with anticipation as you quickly drop the vase of flowers beside your bed.

Maybe you’ll ask Max to go back to his place, though, just so you don’t rub it in. Because you are definitely going to make some noise tonight. Your throbbing pussy insists on it.

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat​ @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @katheriner1999 @littlemousedroid @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @hardc0rehaylz @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom    

My Masterlist!

[lilac-hecox]

If you're still accepting Damien fic requests, maybe a camp au with a puppy love crush on one of the counselors (Ian or Anthony) and/or having a reciprocated crush on Shayne

I wrote this in the camp au that was written by @wow-ihateithere

Damien/Anthony and Damien/Shayne - Summer Camp

--

“You’re acting like one of your kids,” Angela says with a grin.

“Huh?” Damien says, coming back to his senses, turning his gaze away from where he had been watching Anthony animatedly eating with his campers.

“You’re staring at Anthony like a thirteen-year-old with a crush,” she adds, mimicking a love sick expression.

“Stop!” Damien says, feeling his face get hot. “I am not.”

“You are!” Angela says around giggles. “I hang out with the same age, but the girl version. I can spot a crush a mile away.”

Damien scoffs. That absolutely wasn’t true because if it were Angela would know that Amanda’s been into her since the beginning of summer, instead of being utterly oblivious.

“I don’t have a crush on Anthony,” Damien says more firmly, but his face gets red.

“Okay,” Angela says in a sing-song voice, going back to eating her lunch.

--

Okay, so, maybe Damien did have a small crush, but it’s small! It’s manageable! He just thinks Anthony is cute and funny. He’s good with the kids too. Damien finally accepts the crush on Anthony when he watches Anthony strip off his colorful camp shirt and toss it on the grass up beyond the shore. Anthony is muscled and lean and gorgeous in the bright light of the warm summer day. Damien watches as water splashes on to Anthony as he begins to wade into the lake, Anthony letting out a shriek as the cold-water splashes on him, Ian laughing from where he had committed the crime and swimming away before Anthony could retaliate.

“Mr. Damien! Come on!” one of his students yells from the water. “We need you for chicken!”

Damien smiles and peels off his own t-shirt as he wades into the cool water of the lake.

--

Damien catches Ian and Anthony kissing after one of the staff bonfires in the deep warm night of summer. They are sat together on the same log, Ian’s hands in Anthony’s hair and Anthony’s hands on Ian’s waist. They kiss urgently and fervently in the night, the warm glow of the fire illuminating them.

Damien isn’t crushed. He didn’t need Angela’s supposed ability to see crushes developing to realize that the two counselors liked each other, to see the momentum between them building like an unstoppable freight train where they were always meant to collide.

He vows to let go of his crush that day out of respect for both of the other counselors.

--

What takes him by surprise is when they do the camp talent show Shayne sits next to him while they watch the acts. How whenever Shayne laughs it is so bright and cheery and how more often than not, he’s looking at Damien to see if he’s laughing too.

Damien and Shayne’s talent is performing an improv skit together. They make it cheesy, making the younger kids laugh and the older kids roll their eyes and “die of cringe.” At the end of the skit Shayne gets down on one knee and then offers Damien a plastic flower, declaring his love.

The younger kids giggle, the older one’s groan, the other counselors crack up laughing. Damien accepts the plastic flower, and he sees Shayne smile with bright blue eyes crinkling in the corner, a big cheesy grin on his face. What takes Damien by surprise is the fondness in his heart, the way it speeds up when Shayne pretends to plant a kiss on his cheek, big, wet, and sloppy.

Angela gives him a knowing look from the stands and Damien pointedly ignores her.

--

It’s August when Shayne presses Damien against the side of the staff log cabin and kisses him in the darkness of the night. When he presses his nose against Damien’s and says, “I’ve been waiting all summer to do that.”

There are fireflies all around as Damien leans in and kisses him back.

[blueindigo17]

WIP intro: Never Have We Ever

An introduction to my first WIP ever!!

Pinterest board -> Never Have We Ever

Spotify playlist -> Never Have We Ever

Summary: Liz has the best friends a girl could ask for. Harley, Mikey, and Natasha have been her people since elementary school, and Trevor and Amanda since middle school. Their whole lives, things have been pretty much the same. Same kids in their classes every year. Same streets between the same houses. Same, same, same.

At the end of her freshman year of high school, just about when Liz is wondering how much same she could possibly handle, she catches Trevor’s eye as he laughs at someone’s joke, and something deep inside her lights up. Something she doesn’t know what to do with. Something she can't push back down once it comes barreling up to the surface.

So much for same.

After that, things can’t stop changing. And not just in her own life—her friend group starts pulling apart at the seams. Harley begins withdrawing from everyone with no explanation. Mikey gets in bigger trouble with his dad than ever. Natasha only has a year before she has to move off to college. Amanda is stuck between the person she is and the person the world wants her to be. Trevor seems to have gotten off easy, but Liz can’t be around him for more than a minute without falling head over heels all over again.

In this collection of short stories, Liz has to wonder if the change of pace she thought she wanted is worth it. Sometimes it’s hard to be brave, and she’s never been the most open to change, but unfortunately, that does not stop it from happening. The only question is: what is she going to do about it?

Genres: short stories, realistic fiction, young adult, coming of age, contemporary

Themes: found family, first crushes, dealing with change, growing up, maintaining friendships

Character Introductions

(all photos found on Pinterest)

Elizabeth "Liz" Katelyn Stanton 🩵

"Emma met a boy with eyes like a man. Turns out her heart fits right in the palm of his hand." - When Emma Falls In Love, Taylor Swift

Nicknames: Liz, loser (from Harley)

Age: 15, turns 16

Gender: female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: straight

Birthday: September 4th

Star sign: Virgo

Friends: Harley, Mikey, Natasha, Trevor, Amanda

Crush: Trevor

Family: Elle (mom), Kevin, (dad), Aiden (younger brother, 13)

Occupation: high school sophomore, summer camp counselor, works part time at Ivy Bookstore

Liz may appear reserved and quiet to the average person, but one could only dream of being lucky enough to witness her joy at describing her favorite constellations, or listening to her rave on and on about the book she just finished. She's only a sophomore, but she's already making plans for her future career in astronomy. She tends to get her head stuck in the clouds, but there's one person she always knows can bring her back down to earth... ❤️

Harley James Wilson 💚

“20 questions, you tell the truth. Been stressed out lately, yeah me too.” - It’s Nice To Have A Friend, Taylor Swift

Nicknames: loser (from Liz)

Age: 15, turns 16

Gender: male

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: aroace

Birthday: July 13th

Star sign: Cancer

Friends: Liz, Mikey, Natasha, Trevor, Amanda

Family: Jessica (mom)

Occupation: high school sophomore

As much as he tries, Harley can't help but wear his heart on his sleeve. He might not say it aloud as much as his friends do, but he would go to the absolute ends of the earth for them. The apartment is quiet most of the time--it's just him and his mom, after all--so he fills the room with music. "I don't know. Writing songs just... makes me feel lighter..."

Michael “Mikey” Andrew Miller 💛

“You wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking. If you knew where I was walking: to a house, not a home, all alone ‘cause nobody’s there.” - Dear Reader, Taylor Swift

Nicknames: Mikey

Age: 16, turns 17

Gender: male

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: irrelevant

Birthday: November 23rd

Star sign: Sagittarius

Friends: Liz, Harley, Natasha, Trevor, Amanda

Family: Jenny (mom), Neil (dad)

Occupation: high school junior

Mikey is wholly agreed as the funniest member of the group. He's got something clever to say in response to almost anything, and there are very few things he'd rather do than make his friends laugh. He's well aware of it too, because it's the easiest way to pretend that everything behind closed doors is just fine. It's nothing to worry about, really. He just has a... strained relationship with his dad. That's what he calls it. He's fine. It's fine...

Natasha Diana Knightley 💜

“I can’t let this go. I fight with you in my sleep. The wound won’t close. I keep on waiting for a sign.” - Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve, Taylor Swift

Nicknames: Tasha

Age: 17, turns 18

Gender: female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: straight

Birthday: January 31st

Star sign: Aquarius

Friends: Liz, Harley, Mikey, Trevor, Amanda

Family: Isaac (dad), Nylah (younger sister, 7), Alana (younger sister, 6), Jonah (baby brother, 2), Kiera (mom)

Occupation: high school senior, summer camp counselor, part of a tutor group at the library

Natasha's got it all figured out. She studies hard and has the grades to show for it, she's mastered the art of getting her little siblings exactly where they need to go exactly on time, and somehow she is still able to spend time with her friends. Since her mom left the picture, a lot more responsibility has been put on her, but she's practically the poster child for taking things in stride. The one thing she hasn't figured out quite yet is how to do it all without stressing herself sick...

Trevor Steven Marshall ❤️

“Now he’ll be her shelter when it rains. Little does he know, his whole world’s about to change.” - When Emma Falls In Love, Taylor Swift

Age: 15, turns 16

Gender: male

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: straight

Birthday: August 13th

Star sign: Leo

Friends: Liz, Harley, Mikey, Natasha, Amanda

Crush: Liz

Family: Julia (mom), Adam (dad), Audrey (older sister, 18)

Occupation: high school sophomore, summer camp assistant

Trevor is particularly good at noticing things. It's probably what drew him to photography, and definitely why he's gotten so good at it, but the effect it has on his interactions with Liz are overwhelming. She could be simply existing in the same space as him, and he wouldn't even notice if the ground opened up underneath him. It's enamoring, but it's also pretty inconvenient given that, well, he's him. He couldn't possibly be her type, right...?

Amanda Felicity Renee Hamilton 🩷

"And they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused 'cause you don't feel pretty. You just feel used." - The Lucky One (Taylor's Version), Taylor Swift

Nicknames: Mandy

Age: 15, turns 16

Gender: female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: bisexual

Birthday: February 14th

Star sign: Aquarius

Friends: Liz, Harley, Mikey, Natasha, Trevor

Family: Nancy (mom), John (dad), Erick (older brother, 20), Mackenzie (older sister, 20)

Occupation: high school sophomore, works part time at Ivy Bookstore

Amanda doesn't know how she became, for lack of a better term, popular, but she would very much like to get off this ride. They all want their own personal Regina George, but all Amanda can give them is a girl in glasses and a sundress with paint on her hands. None of her friends blame her for associating with those people, but that doesn't mean they aren't pissed when Amanda is consistently stolen from them...

[theycallmerae]

Introduction

Hello and welcome! I am Rae, from @imaginechb! This is a PJO RP account for the OC I got my name from. Here's some background information on her, please enjoy!

~

Full name: Renae Daphne Gold

Nicknames: Rae, Daughter of Apollo, Sunshine, Katniss, Lieutenant Counselor of Cabin Seven, Goldilocks, Funshine Bear

Pronouns: she/her

Cabin: Seven (Apollo)

Birthday: June 19

Fatal flaw: Hubris. Her talents can lead to her being pretty proud, and sometimes that can be fatal

Powers: Light travel (like shadow travel but with sunlight instead, you can find it in the Apollo cabin wiki!!), visions (not prophecies or dreams, they're brief and come in the day, usually accompanied by a splitting headache), and the standard Apollo cabin vitakinesis (healing patients by singing hymns to her father)

Quirks from powers: Her light travel isn't always precise, so sometimes she ends up in places she shouldn't. She has yet to perfect it. It also takes a lot of energy. Her visions are painful and cause her splitting headaches, and they also come out of nowhere, absolutely no telling when. Sometimes, when she's really upset, she spreads sickness to those around her. Once in a fight with Malcolm Pace, she caused everyone in a fifty foot radius to catch the flu.

Weapon(s): Her bow and a celestial bronze dagger that she keeps either in her sock (quests) or on her belt (training or battle)

Friends: Annabeth Chase, the Stolls, Clovis, Dylan Carter (OC), Gabriel Marsh (OC), Easton James (OC), Katy Gerard (OC), Katie Gardner

Enemies: Amanda Knight (OC), Drew Tanaka, Kronos, Gaea, Malcolm Pace

Significant other(s): Malcolm Pace (formerly), Dylan Carter (OC)(formerly), Connor Stoll

Family: Isabella Gold (mother, deceased), Apollo (father), Will Solace (half-brother), Austin Lake (half-brother), Lee Fletcher (half brother, deceased), Michael Yew (half-brother, deceased), Kayla Knowles (half-sister), Gracie (half-sister), Yan (half-sibling)

Hobbies/Talents: singing, playing guitar, tarot, volleyball, making bracelets

Fun facts: she enjoys Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, pretty crystals and sweet iced tea. Her favorite color is sage green. Travis Stoll is the one who gave her the nickname Katniss, after she almost took him out with her bow when she was eleven. She is 5'10, and always wears a white bandana in her hair along with her camp shirt, jeans, and white boots.

~

🌞🌿🏹🦋🌈🫶

[theautismarcana]

When I was watching the summer camp scenes in Addams Family values I noticed how the "normal" campers were all white, blonde, conventionally pretty, and thin. The antagonistic "mean girl" Amanda fits into all of these qualities, and along with the (also white) camp counselors, acts condescending towards Wednesday, Pugsley, and Glicker. But, it's not just them. The campers who were "ostracized" and cast as the Native Americans in the Thanksgiving play were all overweight, non-conventionally attractive, disabled, or people of color (the camp counselors don't even try to pronounce two of the campers of color's names right, for fuck's sake!).

That being said, it's "strange" that Tim Burton would make the mean bully characters in the new Wednesday series black and make Wednesday's best friend a skinny blonde white girl. Just an observation.

[remmixx]

9 people to get to know better

thank you for the tag @ibrake4trash!

Favorite color: Purple (i know it's cliche because of where i go to school but it's true). for the last several years i've had all of my hair dyed purple and i've loved every second of it

Currently reading: Wordslut by Amanda Montell. i initially started reading it for class, but i really liked what i read so i'm going to finish it

Last song: Eliza Gilkyson's Requiem (i've been helping run a choir camp for the last two weeks)

Last series: currently re-watching Queer as Folk season 2

Last movie: saw the Barbie movie with my fellow camp counselors on our day off (i liked it, they hated it)

Currently working on: my RoTPL WIP that i started before camp, and the continuation of my Ronance series that i promised almost a year ago (oops)

I tag @nerdyvocals @merely-a-player @dreamgirlfriendevil @robin-not-batman @trinforthewin @girls-books-coffee @drowned-in-mo0nlight @wlwshipper @uptownseblaine

[whiskeyswriting]

School’s In: Cruel Summer

{ School’s In Masterlist }

Freshman year for the Chaos Squad and soon it was summer again. A cruel summer according to Amanda and Baylie. While the squad was excited to spend their summer nights hanging out, the days would be spent working.

Grace: Golf Caddy Raven: Ice Cream Shoppe Jade: Lifeguard Alana: Librarian Aide Amanda: Camp Counselor Robyn: Lifeguard Baylie: Summer Intern at her mom’s law firm Hailie: Biology Research Intern Lara: Daycare Art Teacher Assistant Lan: Summer Camp Creative Writing Instructor Rachael: Summer Intern with Baylie Milla: Librarian Aide

It was the middle of summer and the girls were having a picnic that the lake. They exchanged war stories and snacks. Eventually the guys came to join them and the summer party started for the squad. Laughter and music filled the air. Fireworks lit up the sky once it was dark. They enjoyed the rest of the summer and prepared for sophomore year.

- -

Whiskey's Barrel (Permanent Tag List): @askmarinaandothers @bayisdying @breadsquash @callmemana @callsignscupcake @cycbaby @dragon-kazansky @hisredheadedgoddess28 @ladylanera @starlit-epiphany @tngrace

Whiskey's Pilots (Top Gun only): @novagreen04

[gavinisqueer]

Amanda: Since you're gay we're sending you to a camp, where you can be cured.

Nines: Wait, what? What kind of camp is this?

Amanda: It's where everyone sends their gay kids so they can be cured of that horrible disease you all have.

Nines: ...all of them?

Amanda: Yes, and the counselors will know how to help you because they used to be gay too.

Nines: When do I leave??

[3rddimension]

Smosh feels like the summer camp that your parents forgot to pick you up from, and honestly you're ok with that😂

Amanda is the mom of the group, making sure everybody is having a good time. While Shayne goes camping in the mountains every year, so he can probably fend off a bear, maybe🤷‍♂️

Camp counselor Anthony is showing everybody how to make friendship bracelets, while Camp counselor Ian is telling scary stories in the middle of the day for some reason?

Like Angela said, the best summer of our lives🤘

The camp counselors are obvious Ian, Anthony & Amanda. I can see that there will be a lot of shenanigan in this summer camp for sure. lmfao

[miraclecereal]

MagiGal

Chapter 1 

[Author’s Note: I’m not the best as buildups but oh well.]

    When you’re young, everything is extraordinary. Rene remembered when she got her first phone. It was a hand-me-down from her sister, it was slow with a large crack in the top left corner yet it was new and exciting to her.

Now the phone lie in the shoebox underneath her bed along with all the other things her sister had given her. The phone is no longer as high tech and futuristic as she once thought it was. 

She remembers looking out the window with amazement. The smell of gas and old food mixed with screaming children and scolding chaperones was overstimulating, but in such a way a child could tolerate. It was exciting because she knew where the bus was taking her. It was taking her to a place where she could be with her friends all summer, a place of competition and learning about the nature around her: Summer camp. 

Rene remembers when her sister was a junior camp counselor at the summer camp. She would look at her sister with dazzling eyes. To her child brain, her sister was the epitome of cool and mature. Now she’s fifteen and when the summer ends, she’ll be a freshman in high school. Much like her older sister, she’s returning to summer camp to be a junior camp counselor. 

Looking around the bus she can see some familiar faces from both elementary and middle school. There’s a lot of new faces too. Some girls who are talking with friends or looking out the window with determined faces. 

The bus takes a sudden stop and she looks out towards the camp. It was no longer the beautiful, nature palace she once thought it was. It was only slabs of jagged wood that somehow formed stable cabins and a canteen. There were no children running around, at least not yet. The junior camp counselors came a couple of hours early to set everything up for the little kids. Rene wasn’t exactly excited to be doing errands in the blistering heat. She wanted to curse her parents to sending her out into the bug infested wilderness to do some glorified babysitting on a whim but she knew they were only doing it because they were worried about her. 

Rene steps out of the bus with all the other teens who are enthusiastically talking to each other. Even in the morning the air is hot and suffocating, she can already feel a bug crawling up her arm. 

The magic had worn off, she was no longer a child. This was no longer a magical place of play and exploration. Why couldn’t she just be home? Getting her bag out from under the bus reminded her of being in an airport. She couldn’t understand how all of her peers could have so much energy. 

For a few minutes the group of teens talked amongst each other until a whistle blew, revealing a tired looking adult wearing the ugly yellow shirt the summer camp’s crest on it. “Welcome junior camp counselors.” Despite the tired look in her eyes she still tries to appear friendly with a smile. “Here you will learn about leadership and responsibility. We promise to teach you skills that will help you in your day to day life as well as important survival skills.” 

With how her eyes dart down to her clipboard, it’s obvious she’s reading off of a script. The woman uses her free hand to motion to the name tag stuck to her shirt, it’s decorated with yellow stars. “My name is Amanda and I am one of the counselors here. If you need anything at all you come to me or another camp counselor, we’re here to help and make this enjoyable.” There was something about Amanda. She wasn’t intimidating but she held herself up with confidence. She looked plain, plain enough for people to pass by her without a second thought. The only thing that stood out to Rene was the star hairpin that was clipped to the left side of her hair. Unlike her shirt, it was a pretty yellow. She didn’t know what it was made out of but it looked expensive.

Rene didn’t mean to be rude but she ended up zoning out after that. She had been to this camp so many time, she already knew the rules. Like all the other teenagers, she got her bag from under the bus and placed her things onto one of the cabin’s bunk beds. When she was child, she didn’t mind sleeping on stiff mattress that had a plastic cover over it. The scratchy blanket she was given was the most comfortable thing in her young mind. 

Setting things up for the little kids wasn’t as bad as Rene thought it would be but she wasn’t enthusiastic about it. She was introduced to the other counselors, made her own name tag, and helped clean and set up the cabins for the younger kids. 

Then the bus carrying the younger kids came. Most of them were smiling and bouncing with excitement. She couldn’t bring herself to be annoyed by the loud children. She did envy their boundless energy though.  

Rene mostly stood back and watched, occasionally helping a child get their heavy bag, then helped a few children make their own name tag. A part of her enjoyed doing something other than sitting at home all day but another part of her wanted to be back in her room, wasting her time watching videos on her phone. Most teenagers ignored the rules of not bringing a phone to camp. While the children played on the playground in the center of the trees, the teenagers like her sat at the wooden benches enjoying their plastic wrapped lunches as they chatted and “discreetly” played on their phones. She wished she could have brought her phone but her parents were strict about that. 

Rene watched the children play, bouncing her leg. She could see some kids her age that she knew from elementary school but she didn’t have the courage to talk to them. So she sat alone amongst teens that didn’t even seem to acknowledge her existence. It wasn’t their fault, it’s not like she was trying to talk to anyone. She had a few friends she met in middle school but they weren’t here at camp, she couldn’t even text them either. 

She sighed, looking past the children and beyond the trees. How was she supposed to survive being here for ten weeks? 

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - August 3

2015: Miles announces his birthday and securing his learner’s permit; Warren wishes Miles a happy birthday via text and lets him know they’ll be going out to celebrate. It’s Greek To Me: While Clint is trying to talk to Namor about their upcoming travels, Kitty passes by and is distracted by Namor’s trident; Namor is distracted by Kitty and she offers her services to help Namor find Atlantis. Jennie makes a journal entry about how awesome it is being her own boss. Warren and Jefferson surprise Miles with an elaborate gift for his 16th birthday, and he's speechless. Topaz texts Amanda to tell her she lost track of time and asking if she can call her tomorrow. Gabriel leaves a gift-wrapped box with a card for Miles on his birthday containing two presents. Matt wishes Miles a happy birthday via text. Matt makes a journal entry about braille dice that he helped Kickstart. Laurie and Kitty chat about life at the mansion.

2016: Tandy announces that she’s thinking about buying another castle and going into the hotel business. Tabitha tells Alison she might not be able to make the camping trip and asks if they could hang out instead.

2017:

2018: Rogue texts Tandy to let her know that she’s got her guidance counselor degree and suggests they go shopping to celebrate. Miles saves his boss from being crushed at a worksite and ends up in the news.

2019:

2020:

2021: Betsy posts informing the mansion that there is free alcohol available. Maya texts Kyle a meme compilation in hopes of lifting his spirits.

2022:

2023: Alani and Nica meet and chat over summer plans by the pool.

[horrorremakes11]

Entry 2

"Friday the 13th" (2009) is a reboot of the classic horror franchise. The film begins in 1980, where a Jason Voorhees witnesses his mother getting killed by a camp counselor seeking revenge for her son's drowning accident. Then there is a flash forward to the present where a group of college aged people—Whitney, Mike, Richie, Amanda, and Wade—set up camp near the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. They are attacked by a grown Jason who kills everyone except Whitney, who he kidnaps. Six weeks later, Whitney's brother Clay is searching for her. He encounters another group of friends—Trent, Jenna, Chelsea, Bree, Nolan, Chewie, and Lawrence—who are all vacationing at Trent's family cabin near Crystal Lake. Jason begins to slaughter the group one by one. Clay and Jenna eventually discover Jason's lair and find Whitney alive. They try to escape, but Jenna is killed. Clay and Whitney manage to fight off Jason, seemingly killing him by hanging him with chains and impaling him with a machete. However, in typical "Friday the 13th" fashion, Jason returns for one final scare at the very end, suggesting his survival. The film uses lighting to create a sense of dread and unease. Dark, shadowy scenes make the environment feel claustrophobic and allow for sudden scares as Jason emerges from the darkness. The sound design uses silence and sudden loud noises to shock the audience. Eerie ambient sounds and the iconic "ki ki ki, ma ma ma" (a vocal effect) enhance the tension. The score builds suspense during chase scenes and moments leading up to kills. The cinematography uses quick cuts and close-ups during the attack scenes which creates a disorienting effect. The use of POV shots from Jason's perspective adds to the terror, making the audience feel like they are stalking the victims alongside him. In total, "Friday the 13th" attempts to create an atmosphere that keeps the audience on edge, honoring the legacy of the original while delivering modern horror thrills.

The review from thecriticalcritics.com critiques the reboot for lacking originality and failing to add anything new to the franchise. The reviewer highlights a preference for the original film due to its novelty and effectiveness in creating fear. The reboot is criticized for relying on the same old elements: young adults focused on drugs, alcohol, sex, nudity, and savage killings. Despite the lack of innovation, the reviewer finds enjoyment in seeing Camp Crystal Lake and Jason Voorhees on the big screen again. The film follows a familiar formula where expected characters die or survive, making it an entertaining but not special slasher film. The review concludes that while the reboot doesn't surpass the original, it still provides a decent horror experience.

Another reviewer from midwestfilmjournal.com discusses the challenges of keeping the "Friday the 13th" franchise alive over decades, balancing between staying true to the original formula and trying new directions. Initially, the franchise followed Jason Voorhees in a series of slasher films, but declining returns led to creative changes, taking Jason to Hell, outer space, and pitting him against Freddy Krueger. These changes revived interest, but the question of the franchise's future persisted. The reboot tried to rejuvenate the series, inspired by successful horror remakes. It combined elements from the first four films, setting it in modern times. However, the reboot did little to innovate, rehashing old plot points without expanding the lore. The film begins with a recap of Jason's origins and follows a new group of teens at Camp Crystal Lake, with Jason killing most of them. Despite the good pacing, effects, and unique kills, the film fails to advance the story, existing without adding new value. The franchise has been stalled, partly due to legal disputes over rights. The reviewer concludes that while the 2009 film isn't bad, it highlights the franchises' decline, showing the need for more creativity.

[keclan]

kymanda Bible camp headcanons please 🥰

omg one of the best things about kymanda is how she’s lowkey converting him to catholicism 🥰 kyle would definitely convert and go through confirmation for her 😍 i don’t think either would need to attend, and they’re a little old for it, but both kyle and amanda would love being counselors at religious retreats to guide impressionable young people into faith 💕

[haveamagicalday]

My 2022 Reading List

Here are my ratings and reviews of the books I read in 2022. You can read my top ten reads of the year here.

Five Stars

Shine Your Icy Crown by Amanda Lovelace

Another great book of poetry by Amanda Lovelace!

Working on a Song by Anais Mitchell

A must read for any Hadestown fans!

Four Stars

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Alice Feeny writes what I have dubbed, Fast Food Thrillers. They are quick, you enjoy them but they don't hold as much value as a three course meal at a 5 star restaurant (or a 5 star critically acclaimed book). Often predictable with outlandish circumstances, these fast food thrillers are purely entertainment and much more enjoyable if you take it for what it is and try not to think too hard about it. With that said, this book surprised me! It went in a way different direction than what her other books do and I was pleasantly surprised by the twist.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

I think this was the first book I read in 2022 so I don’t remember all of it but I remember I liked it! It’s a slow novel with not a lot of thrills or chills but it was an engaging read nonetheless

The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

Goldie is a camp counselor with a dark secret. When a body turns up at the camp, she discovers that she isn’t the only one with secrets. This took more risks than a YA thriller usually does and I really appreciated that about it!

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

I got this in an Owlcrate and probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise but I’m glad I read it. I was really interested in the world of this book where some people are able to alter other’s appearances by painting them. Myra is one of these people and she finds herself in the middle of a gothic murder mystery when she is asked to paint a portrait of the governor's son. The mystery was intriguing and the world building fantastic.

The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas

This was a quick little read that focused on an interesting time in history. Asylums would sometimes throw their patients balls where the wealthy could come and gawk at them. Eugenie‘s bourgeois family sends her to the asylum for her ability to speak to the dead. She is determined to escape and sees the ball as her chance to freedom.

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus’s books have been hit or miss for me. This was a hit in my opinion! Brynn’s favorite teacher was murdered four years prior to the start of the story and Brynn’s ex best friend, Tripp, was one of three students who found the body. Now Brynn is interning with a true crime show and she is determined to solve the case of her school’s infamous murder.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban

Crystal gets a mysterious message one day that says she must play a game in order to save her little sister’s life. The dares start off innocent enough but slowly Crystal realizes that these tasks are meant to hurt her friends. This is definitely a book you have to suspend your disbelief for and just enjoy what it is. 

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

I’m not going to lie, I don’t really remember this book all that well but I liked it enough to give it 4 stars.

Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

This is a sequel to Daughter of the Forest. This time we follow the daughter of our heroine from the first book. Daughter of the Forest is a retelling of The Six Swans but this and the other sequels are not based on fairytales.

The Swell (Also known as The Bay) by Allie Reynolds

Kenna is a surf boarder that gave up the sport after her boyfriend drowned. Now Kenna is visiting her best friend Mikki in Australia after she announces a sudden engagement. Mikki brings Kenna with her to a secluded beach where a cult-like group of surfers live for months on end. Kenna is intrigued by the place but other surfers have gone missing and Kenna can’t help but look to the others in suspicsion. I was on board for most of this but what was kind of bizarre was half way through it is revealed through another character’s point of view who was making the others disappear. So basically the twist was revealed to the audience halfway through but not the heroine until the end which made for a weird reading experience.

Unlock Your Storybook Heart by Amanda Lovelace

I didn’t love this one as much as Shine Your Icy Crown but still another fantastic read!

The Wicked Remain by Laura Pohl

This is a sequel to The Grimrose Girls which I freaking loved! Unfortunately, I did not like this one as much but it was still a solid read. What I liked about the first one was missing here and there was a lot of time spent figuring out what to do next with the plot not really going anywhere.

Three Stars

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau  by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book confused me. It’s based on the Island of Doctor Moreau but this time around, he has a daughter. My biggest issue with this book is I don’t know what it was meant to be. It is described as historical sci-fi. If you know the original story then you know there are animal mutants. They are here in this book but they act completely normal. It’s almost mundane and not the focus so I wouldn’t even classify this as sci-fi. Then with certain plot points, I figured it was about the romance. Wrong again! That went nowhere. Was it a coming of age story? Maybe, but I didn’t think there was enough of that either. This book just felt so random and I was pretty disappointed as I love this author’s other work.

His and Hers by Alice Feeney 

This was a fast food thriller through and through. TW: animal cruelty 

I’ll be You by Janelle Brown

I loved Janelle Brown’s debut novel but this one fell a little flat for me. Sam and Elli were twin child stars that often shared the same role. Now as adults, Elli has made herself the perfect homemaker while Sam struggles with addiction. But when Elli goes on a mysterious spa trip leaving behind an adopted two year old daughter, Sam is determined to get to the bottom of things. I really liked the flashbacks in the book to the twins' life as tv stars and found that the most interesting part of the book.

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

If you are expecting witches that live in a lighthouse, this ain’t it. This is told from 3 different povs. One of them is Liv, a single mother of three who is commissioned to paint a mural for a lighthouse. Liv and two of the daughters go missing and the third daughter, Luna, is left on her own for twenty two years. But then Luna is informed that her sister Clover was found. She is thrilled until she goes to pick her up and discovers that Clover hasn’t aged since she’s gone missing. A third pov takes the form of an old manuscript found and read by the eldest daughter that gives some insight into the lighthouse’s past. All three storylines eventually collide in a somewhat underwhelming conclusion.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

This was my first and last Colleen Hoover. Was this book good? No. Was it entertaining? Yes! And that’s why I put it in the middle because it did keep my attention and I wanted to know how it was all going to end. Was it worth it? Eh, you’d have to read it for yourself.

The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce

Two former friends reunite as adults but not as friends this time around. The two have a shared fascination with the town’s legend of the witch in the well. Honestly, this book was just underwhelming to me. I thought there’d be more witchy goodness but it really wasn’t and it left me wondering what the point of the story was.

Two Stars

The Maid by Nita Prose

This was a very popular novel and I’m honestly not sure why. A clueless maid finds a dead body while cleaning and gets sucked into the investigation. Right from the start, it is pretty obvious what happened and who did it but our main character has no idea so the rest of the novel is spent being angry at her for not figuring it out. I’m still not sure if the mystery was supposed to be so obvious to the reader but it clearly is. Now, the thing about this book is that the maid, Molly, while never outright stated, is portrayed as having stereotypical traits of autism. I can’t speak to whether or not it’s a good portrayal but looking at other reviews, the consensus is no. This whole read was just frustrating and surprisingly slow for a short book.  

Unrated- I have come to the decision as a 29 year old, that I will no longer be rating YA books unless it is a 4 or 5 star rating. My reasoning for this is that I am not the target audience. If I don’t fully enjoy a YA book, that’s on me for picking it up in the first place. I don’t need to bring the rating down for a book that was never intended for me in the first place. Some of the other books in this category I just couldn’t decide on a rating.

Dead End Girls by Wendy Heard

Maude is a teenage girl that is determined to fake her own death and escape to Europe. Her plan almost goes off without a hitch until her step cousin catches. Surprisingly, she demands that Maude take her with her and the two embark on an adventure to escape their unhappy lives. I picked this up because I liked the author’s first book but this one just came off as a little silly and non plausible. I think you can enjoy it if you suspend your disbelief but this just wasn’t for me.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Participated in Dracula Daily this year. I really liked the first third with Jonathan stuck in the castle but everything else was underwhelming for me. I found myself skimming a lot towards the end but I’m glad that I read.

Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

I was kinda onboard with this until the end where it turned into a goofy cartoon-esque murder mystery. The twist was really just not well done.

Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana

I read this book in one sitting. Found it on reddit and was being described as one of the most disturbing books of the year. It was disturbing but it was also kind of ridiculous. We find out that our main character did some pretty horrific things in the past but she comes off as very normal in the present. Even her reasoning for the bad things she did felt very mundane and out of left field. For those that are curious I will save you time and provide spoilers under the cut. TW: Rape, incest, gore

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Described as gothic, this was more of a fantasy about our main character having special powers and using them to defeat a big bad. I felt that the majority of this book was just dedicated to training for the big fight and ending on a cliffhanger. Nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn’t for me.

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw

A sequel to Nightmare Before Christmas from Sally’s pov. It was cute and I probably would have loved it in middle school. My only problem was Jack (and the rest of Halloweentown) are in a cursed sleep for most of it so we don’t get to see much interaction between the two.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I love the concept of this book but I found it weird how these kids reacted to be shipwrecked. They were so nonchalant about it. It felt weird and the escalation into them being wild felt very off to me.

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino

A modern retelling of Goblin Market. One of the POV was May who is a witch that must dedicate her life protecting mortals from the goblin market. For some reason she falls in love with one of the goblins who are portrayed more like the fae. This ends poorly and her and her sister must move to New York. The second POV is her niece, Lou, who has no knowledge of her heritage but must venture back to England to help save her other aunt from the Goblin Market. I found May’s story much more interesting than Lou’s. Lou’s story almost felt unnecessary. I felt like May’s story could have just been fleshed out more and made the main storyline. Like I said, she falls in love with a goblin but the two barely share any time together and there’s no reasoning behind them being in love other than the story demands it.

The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith

Frances is a poor seamstress in 1911 who due to an unfortunate accident, is whisked away to a school for witches. Here Frances learns about her past and how to control her magic. I don’t think this was a bad book and I might have enjoyed it more when I was younger. There was an annoying love triangle and an annoying twist villain that I saw coming. This wraps up in the end but hints at a sequel (which has since come out) but I didn’t like it enough to read it.

You’ll be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

This was a miss. Again, not bad, just not for me.

Gone to See the River Man spoilers

Lori is in love with a serial killer and sends him letters. Why? I don’t know, she just does. One day the killer gives her a task to go see the river man. Lori does so eagerly and brings along her sister who suffers from brain damage. This is portrayed (poorly) as her sister acting like a child. Via flashbacks we find out that her sister was once very popular and that she started to date the boy that Lori had a crush on. She sees them having sex on day and this inspires her to start raping their little brother. Yes, you read that right. How did we get from point A to point B? No idea. That’s just what she decided to do. Her little brother doesn’t want this and his increasing desperation and depression is hard to read about. One day the sister catches them doing the deed and Lori pushes her down a cliff to stop her from telling their parents causing the brain damage. And then the little brother commits suicide. How does this all affect Lori? I don’t know and neither does the author apparently. And that’s the problem because the Lori we know and the Lori in the past don’t match up. Lori is too normal despite all this and she really has no motivations for anything she does. The rest of the book is a bizarre journey down the river (complete with a racist portrayal of a boatman that helps for a time) and ends with an encounter with the river man. Is it supernatural or is Lori just insane? Doesn't matter, the book is almost over. She sacrifices her sister to the river man and then goes back home to find the serial killer had broken out of jail and is in her apartment (with the decapitated head of some random girl he murdered on the way). She happily goes to him as he prepares to kill her. The end. Do with this synopsis what you will.

[father-jonathan-whitemarsh]

@camp-counselor-amanda​

Jonathan eyed the young woman before him, one eyebrow raised curiously. He was silent as he stared her down for a moment, but eventually his expression melted into a relaxed look.

“Forgive me, my dear,” he said with a smile. “But I could’ve sworn we’ve met before. Would you please jog an old man’s memory and tell me your name?”