#i hate the black border but tumblr hates tall images and it was the only way to make it not a big blurry mess

[badgerclaw-of-shadowclan]

Crown - Pinestar Heavily inspired by this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk4bx2LKMfo

[lunaraen]

I figure a number of the people following me probably do because of a shared interest in Minecraft: Story Mode, and I’m absolutely going to take the time to gush and recommend a different series with a similar sense of humor and ability to balance the jokes with emotion. I know some of the people who follow me are also interested in series like Percy Jackson and Trollhunters, and I think The Last Kids on Earth series is on a similar level to them too, in the sense that it deals with stories about awesome and terrifying adventures featuring teenagers who are just doing their best and who haven’t lost their senses of humor. The Last Kids on Earth also has the benefit of, while being presented mainly through text, having many fun illustrations.

TL;DR: The Last Kids on Earth, written by Max Brallier and illustrated by Douglas Holgate, is a delightfully fun book series that twists what you might expect from a post-apocalyptic story with a just as fun Netflix mini-series adaptation, and while only Book One is up on Netflix now, it’s an hour and seven minute long episode. The series seems to be decently stocked in most libraries, including electronically, so if you’re looking for something fun, silly, and with heart to read, I definitely suggest at least checking out book one. If you want something fun, silly, and with heart to watch, and you also happen to have Netflix, I also definitely recommend watching Book One.

(Oh, and are you a total sucker for found families like I am? This series has you covered.)

More details about the first book and examples of the art and writing under the cut!

For starters, the series has a wonderfully fun art style, and the cover for the first book lets that shine. The other books’ covers are all fun too, but I think tumblr would kill this post many times over if I tried to include them all.

[ID: Illustrated cover, four defiant teenagers stand in a mostly circular formation while grey zombie-like figures with glowing yellow eyes surround them from behind. Each teenager is wielding a weapon, some of which are partly concealed and harder to identify. The character centered at the front holds a splintered and sharp baseball bat and is wearing nondescript pouches. The teenager behind him wields a crossbow with a modified soda-bottle-arrow loaded in it. The title reads “The Last Kids on Earth” in stylized green text with a dark blue border, while in smaller less stylized white text it reads “Max Brallier Author of Galactic Hot Dogs” at the top and “Illustrated by Douglas Holgate” at the bottom.]

The main character of the series, who we meet forty two days after the start of the apocalypse in his town and the Possible End of the World as We Know It™, is Jack Sullivan, a 13 year old whose foster family kinda-sorta-entirely ditched him at the first signs of trouble.

[ID: A white, black haired teenager frowning and holding a splintered baseball bat and a hockey stick while one foot rests on top of an unusual spiny reptilian-like monster head. The text above him reads in black “JACK SULLIVAN -The Hero-” while a number of flavor-text text boxes point out and describe different aspects of his apparel. One pointing to his hand reads “Annoying hand-nail I can’t stop picking at”. Another pointing at his bat says “Louisville Slicer™”. Another for his shoe, reading “Worst. Shoes. Ever.”. The hockey stick is labelled “Hockey Stick, for conking zombie heads.” The pouch at his side are described as “Emergency Peanut M&M Pouch”, while the filled water balloons also hanging at his side are labeled as “Grapefruit juice hand grenades- a blast to the eyes blinds almost anything.”]

He’s our narrator, and he copes largely through humor- a skill he needs even before the start of the apocalypse, because he’ll put himself in danger and say things he shouldn’t if it means sticking up for his best friend.

[ID: Text that reads “I felt Quint’s hand on my shirt, trying to stop me, saying ‘Jack, it’s fine...’ But it wasn’t fine. I hate jerks- whether they’re monster jerks or zombie jerks or just regular human jerks.”

Followed by illustration of characters on bus, Jack turned around in his seat and supporting himself with the back of his chair as he asks “Hey, Dirk, why don’t you pick on someone your own size, huh?” Quint, a black teenager, is sitting behind him and is partly obscured, staring at Jack and Dirk. Dirk, a large, tall white teenager with a mullet/mohawk, is a distance away from the characters and in the foreground of the image, and replies, “Find someone my size and I will.”

Text resumes, reading “I shrugged. ‘I’m sure we can find someone your size. Right, Quint?’ Quint looked out the window and closed his eye and started humming to himself, like he wasn’t involved in this. Sonofa... I turned back to Dirk. ‘Maybe a very rotund panda bear? That might be closer to your impressive figure.’ Dirk reached out and grabbed me by the collar. ‘Hey, Watch the jacket,’ I said. ‘It’s a five-time-hand-me-down. Might even be an antique.’ Dirk growled, ‘You think you’re funny?’ ‘I do. But to be fair, I also think people slipping on ice are funny. And guys getting hit in the groin. My sense of humor isn’t exactly sophisticated.’”]

From the start of the book, Jack handles the apocalypse pretty well, spending his time cataloging the monsters he comes across, keeping track of self made video-game like achievements like knocking off zombie hats, and we first find him focused on trying to get in touch with his previously mentioned best friend, Quint Baker.

[ID: Similar to previous flavor-text text box picture of Jack, with a black teenager smiling, wearing a lab coat and cap, holding a pocket watch, and wearing a large backpack with odd looking technology sticking out of it. In black, the text above him reads “QUINT BAKER -The Best Friend-”. A box pointing to his hat reads “Old-man cap.” Another points to his hair, reading “Hair smells like movie theater popcorn butter.” The pocket watch is described as “Pocket watch for looking dorky.” The text pointing at the technology sticking out of the backpack says “Always working on a new gadget or experiment.” The text for the lab coat reads “Wears a lab coat as a jacket for no good reason.” His sneaker is labelled with “Non-athlete’s foot.”]

Actually- to give you an even better idea of the series’ humor, this is pretty much where we start with Jack, followed by him explaining what he’s been doing and how he got here.

[ID: Jack in mid-air, the bat raised above his head and his legs bent to suggest he has leaped forward, above a large multi-eyed spiny monster that has many sharp teeth, two large tusks, and a long drooling tongue. In black, text above the creature reads “Deadly Duel!” In the lower right-hand corner, all-caps white text in a small black box asks “Who will triumph?!”]

(By the by, the “duel” kind of goes the way you think it would.)

[ID: Text reading “Well, basically, he triumphs. The monster’s massive hand snatches me out of midair. I’m a thimble in his gargantuan grasp. I try to grab hold of my baseball bat blade (aka the Louisville Slicer) but the monster’s crushing grip pins my arms to my sides. He pulls me in close to his face. Thick saliva, like slime, oozes down his lips. His eyes scan me over and his gaping nostrils flair as he inhales my scent. I feel like that blonde babe in King Kong. Only I don’t think this beast wants to hug me and love me... He sniffs some more, blowing my hair back as he exhales. I turn my face. His breath, it’s just- wow- my man here needs to floss. I’ve encountered other freaky beasts over the last forty-two days, but none like this. None that examined me: looking me over, smelling me, studying me.”]

Then we get all the fun backstory end of the world stuff.

[ID: White all-caps text at the top reads “Total monster zombie chaos” while below a large multi-armed, spiny, sharp-toothed, furry monster towers over a sea of zombies, flinging one car in the air as another car sits in the background.]

The end of the world monsters include everything from weird unfamiliar creatures like the one above to more familiar weird creatures like the typical zombie below.

[ID: A zombie in ripped clothing, with black text at the top labeling it a “Classic Zombie”. A speech bubble from it in shaky text reads “Mmuhhh...” and various flavor-text text boxes surround it. The speech-bubble is labeled as “Constant, creepy moaning.” The head’s text box reads “Those empty eyes- they’re spooksville.” The mouth is pointed at and its box says “Bite you and you’re one of them. Undead!” One pointing at its back warns “Stink like hot garbage.” The feet are described as “Slow, until they get close- then fast!”]

And for all the wisecracks and jokes about how well he can handle the new apocalyptic world, early on Jack is shown to be more than just a 2-D smart-mouthing teenage protagonist. He’s pretty good at coping, but he’s still 13.

[ID: Illustration above text, showing a walkietalkie shattering as it hits a rock. Black all-caps text reads “Smash!”

Normal text reads “I stared at the walkie on the ground below. I needed to talk to Quint, but -I’m embarrassed to admit- I was too scared to go down there. Too freaked out. Too scared. Too everything. So I curled up on the floor. I pulled a jacket down over me. I put my earphones in to drown out the sounds of chaos outside. And I slept. I slept for days. It got worse. Zombies everywhere. Giant monsters on the horizon. I blacked out the tree house windows and stayed put.”]

Jack doesn’t stay alone for long, though, and the first book follows him and his friends as they help each other not only survive their crazy new world but also live in it, and maybe actually have some fun along the way. While the first book largely focuses on the group coming together, later stories ramp up the scope of adventures and the threats they face while letting the characters’ interactions and care for each other shine. There’s fun development to be had and cool monster-butt to kick.

(This was my first time writing image descriptions- if you think they can be improved, let me know!)

[synthsizedproductions]

Wildcard Wednesday # 5: Locked in Blood Chapter One

Hey, hey, guys, gals, and in between pals! I can't believe we're already at number five in this series. I know it's only been a month, but I'm super proud of myself for continuing forward even with some small setbacks.

This is a side story that I'm working on based on a Tumblr post that I've seen several times. This isn't part of the Synth Universe and will be found in the Side Stories section of the website. A link to the post will be at the bottom.

Hope you enjoy the show!

~Chance

CW: Blood

Chapter One

Vladimir looked through the mint condition cards he'd held sacred for so long. He hadn't kept them for over a century because he thought they would have more value later. He held hundreds of ducats in his hands, but money meant nothing in the face of immortality.

At least, it hadn't meant anything before even Vladimir Dracula fell on hard times in the 21st century. A plague ravaging the world was something he was familiar with, but it hadn't been on this kind of scale in a long time. Walking the night looking for easily convinced blood donors had become near impossible with the curfews and stay at home orders. Social distancing was a plague all its own on Vampire kind.

He spread the cards on the table with the utmost care. These cards were the most precious thing he had from a life long gone. His eyes rose to the ancient sepia toned photograph he had tended to with the same care as the cards. A sad smile crossed his lips as his gaze rested on the pair of men embracing in  the image. He began reaching for the photo, but pulled his hand back when there was a knock on his door.

"One moment." Vladimir dug his facemask from his pocket and looked into the mirror near his door to be sure it was sitting properly. It wasn't like he was going to contract the virus, but appearances needed to kept up.

Vladimir swung the door open and was surprised by not having to look down at the other man. Though he was not as tall as the fanfictions claimed, being almost two meters tall had him actually head and shoulders above most people he met. The second thing that struck him was the familiar brown eyes that met his.

"As much as I do not mind staring at your emerald eyes, are you going to invite me in to look at those cards?" The man's voice was like a ghost from the past.

If Vladimir's heart still beat, it would be pounding. It took him a moment to compose himself. "Yes, my apologies. You just remind me of an old...friend."

Vladimir stepped aside to allow the other man into his rather unassuming apartment. The long legged man strode into the main room and Vladimir could see him immediately start scanning his surroundings. Even this man's movements brought Vladimir back to that fateful day in Japan.

The man turned to face Vladimir again. The plain black mask obscured half of his visitor's face, but Vladimir could see the man's smile in his eyes. "Thank you for inviting me to see the cards. I was pleasantly shocked when you agreed to meet so late. Normally, people suspect foul play when I suggest meeting at midnight."

If Vladimir still breathed, he would be short of breath from the shock of seeing a shadow from his past. He had to compose himself again before he could reply. "Of course. I live a fairly nocturnal life, so this worked perfectly for me."

"Ah, another third shifter. Not enough of us around these days. Who will watch the walls while others sleep, Vladimir?" The man's laugh resonated within Vladimir as though he were a tuning fork.

Vladimir laughed as well to cover the sudden burst of nervousness. "Who, indeed. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage as I've forgotten your name from our exchanges. All I can recall is your username. Home_Sweet_Holmes. I found it quite clever."

The visitor sat on the edge of the couch. "Thank you. You can just call me Holmes. All my friends do."

"Are we friends?"

Holmes chuckled. "I hope to be once we complete our exchange. So, where are the first run cards you told me about?"

Vladimir led Holmes to the table. "These are my most valuable cards from the collection. I have many more I can show you if you are interested."

Holmes squatted down so he was closer to the cards. He looked them over like a jeweler, his brown eyes flicking about at a near inhuman speed. "May I pick them up?" Vladimir nodded, trying to pretend he wasn't studying Holmes like he was studying the cards. Holmes stood to his full height again and picked the cards up, examining them one by one. Vladimir could hear the young man mumbling about details in the cards, some of which Vladimir hadn't even noticed before.

Holmes replaced all but one of the cards in their original position. He turned the card that remained in his hand over with a curious frown. "I hate to devalue your cards, Vladimir, but this one is not valuable as the others you have presented. What makes this one so special?"

Vladimir took the card from Holmes and stared down at the collector's piece. He laugh and shook his head. "My apologies, Holmes. I forget this card is not as valuable to other collectors. This one was actually given to me by the friend you remind me of."

"Your friend had good taste and a good eye for detail. I am guessing you are unaware of its true value?"

Vlad furrowed his brow and shook his head before placing the card in Holmes' outstretched hand. "No. He didn't tell me anything was special about the card."

Holmes held the card up and  pointed to a mark in the corner. "This marking was only on a small batch of cards as a misprint. There are only fifty of these in the entire world. Beyond that, this is part of that batch which was personalized by the original artist from Nintendo. This is one of ten cards with completely unique borders and backing." Holmes turned the card over and picked up a second card to show Vladimir the differences. "What you have is a unicorn, Vladimir. I could not ask you to part with something this valuable on a monetary and personal level. Your friend probably wanted you to keep this one."

Vladimir took the card back, his fingers brushing Holmes' as they went by. If Vladimir's blood still ran through his veins, his face would be flushed. He pulled the card close to his chest and couldn't help but to glance at the picture of him and Sherlock.

Holmes took immediate notice and squatted down so was level with the picture. "This photograph is ancient. I am impressed by its condition." He tilted his head as he examined the picture. "Is this your great grandfather? The resemblance is striking."

Vladimir nodded with another nervous laugh. "Um, not quite. That's my great granduncle who I was named after."

Holmes picked up the frame with the lightest touch, holding it in both hands as he gave it a closer look. "Was this your uncle's...friend?"

Vladimir shook his head. "You don't have to play heteronormative with me. My uncle was a bisexual man in the late 1800s."

Holmes looked shocked by Vladimir's frank response. "It was very brave of them to get this picture taken. It looks a bit different than most of the pictures I've seen from this era."

Holmes handed the photograph to Vladimir who lightly touched the glass that separated him from the past. "My uncle's partner was brilliant and devised a way to take a picture without the use of silver. A silver allergy runs in my family and even being around the stuff they used back then could cause great discomfort."

Holmes tilted his head and squinted his eyes. "I see. What a curious allergy." The young man turned his attention to the cards again. "I'd like to take some time to consider my offer. Would it be alright if we met at my coffee shop in a few days? If you don't mind bringing some of those other cards, I'll gladly take a few off your hands."

Vladimir put the picture on the table and collected his cards. "I didn't know you owned a coffee shop."

Holmes pulled out a business card from an inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to Vladimir. "Locke and Watts Café. A 24/7 internet café that I and a friend opened a year ago. We are not well known yet, but we are attracting the local college scene. Or, we were before this virus struck."

"Have you thought of doing curbside pickup or deliveries?"

Holmes sighed. "Yes, but neither of us have a car and my bicycle is not suitable for carrying anything except me. I think it belonged to my grandfather and potentially his father before him. It is  something of a 'welcome to adulthood' gift. A busted up bicycle that the recipient is expected to fix with no outside help. I think my father actually made that part up to fuck with me."

"Your father sounds like a prick."

Holmes burst into laughter, doubling over for a moment before gathering himself again. "My apologies, Vladimir. It is just that those are the exact words my grandfather said to me when I told him what my father had said. He told me my father had always been a prick and always would be."

Vladimir laughed as well. "It sounds like your grandfather had good taste and an eye for detail." Vladimir tucked the business card in his shirt pocket. "Give me a call when you want to meet again, Holmes." Vladimir extended his hand but pulled back when he remembered the social distancing rule.

Holmes held up his elbow. "Elbow bump?" Vladimir raised his elbow with a clueless look. Holmes bumped his elbow against Vladimir's elbow. "This is what my friends and I replaced handshakes with. Way less worry about transmission."

Vladimir followed his guest to the door, holding it open for the young man. Holmes gave Vladimir a parting wave before disappearing in the dimly lit hall. Vladimir moved over to his window and watched as Holmes unlocked a familiar bicycle before riding off into the night.

Vladimir laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling long after the sun had risen. All he could think of was the specter of his lost lover that had visited the night before. He turned to look at his cellphone. "Please call soon..."

Queer Bookworm reblog 

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Hello! Do you know what's the best place to read good eruri fanfiction? I feel like the ao3 Tag has been a bit slow lately. Thank you so much!

Hello Anon, the only place I read Eruri fanfic is either here on tumblr or on AO3 so I’m not sure I can recommend anything you haven’t already seen.  There maybe isn’t quite the same volume of fic being posted as a few years back, but what we lack in quantity we more than make up for in terms of quality.  There are so many amazing chaptered fics being published at the moment that I can’t keep up with them all.  Here’s some of the ones I’m aware of.  I haven’t had a chance to read all of these, but they’re all on my reading list!

Beautiful Man by @birbwin​

Erwin’s work day ends at one o’clock, because any semblance of concentration after that is a stubborn work of fiction. Because his mind and heart are arrested by the Beautiful Man, who sits five desks away from him and smells of something clean and musky.

Bite by @hedera-helixwriteseruri​

No one forced him to cross the border, not on any of the times he did it. No one forced him to leave his scent everywhere, to alert the alpha to his presence. It was all his choice, but he felt and feels even now like he was driven by something that wasn’t rational or logical, something out of his control. Like he has gone against himself and still done exactly what he’s supposed to. Like he’s gone against his pack and still, like he’s done right by everyone. Because he knows what the bite means. He knows it like he knows the smell of the alpha, like he recognised his voice – like he knows that all of it will be trouble.

Black Cat Bone by @minxiebutt​

Erwin Smith has big plans for the advancement of the Organisation, an anti-government terrorist group working to secure the rights of the people, but first he must collect his newest asset, a boy who says he will give his life to Erwin in exchange for learning the truth behind his grandfather’s disappearance.

Final Tour by @ackbang​

It’s been twenty years in the army, and Levi is finally home–retired, bored, directionless. The world has moved on without him, including his friend Erwin. He struggles to learn to adjust, to deal with his nightmares, to flourish in a world he’s never understood, only to find that Erwin is dealing with the same thing.

HMS Maria by @lostcauses-noregrets​ 

Chasing smugglers in the English Channel may not have been the gallant naval career Captain Erwin Smith had hoped for, however when he comes across a suspicious brig, he sees an opportunity not just for a prize but to press a man who might make a valuable addition to his crew. An 18th century Eruri Age of Sail AU.

Living Things by @merkase​ and @skeleruris​

A U.S. Special Forces company led by Commander Erwin Smith is deployed for a high-priority evacuation in Ontario, Canada. Navigating two countries and their undead citizens is difficult enough, but the hitchhiker they pick up along the way could pose a much more immediate threat.

Mata Ashita by @tsukareta-levi​

“Erwin wraps his hand around Levi’s fingers, swallowing them in his palm, and for the first time Levi looks flustered - Erwin burns the image into the back of his mind, what a gift.”

Erwin is a lonely expat in Tokyo, taking a slightly creepy interest in a younger guy who frequents the same convenience store. At first sight they don’t have much in common but their loneliness.

No Groping in Aisle 10 Please by @kaguneko​

Levi and Erwin manage to get themselves kicked out of numerous public establishments over the course of a particularly hot summer, leaving behind emotionally scarred families and vaguely aroused old women. Horny Husbands™

Redshift by @seitsensarvi​ and @35grams​

A physician, a biologist, and a vampire board a maelstrom-bound ship.

Smack by @valisi-clark​

Erwin has found Levi in his next life, and Levi has track marks on the crooks of his arms.

Son of לִילִי by @shippingeruri​

Hebrew: לִילִית Transliteration: lı̂ylı̂yth.  Phonetics: lee-leeth. Parts of Speech: Noun Feminine

Definition:1) “Lilith”, name of a female goddess known as a night demon who haunts the desolate places of Edom1a) might be a nocturnal animal that inhabits desolate places

Tempest in a Teapot by @merkase​

Erwin’s father dreamed of building facilities where sirens could interact safely with their clients, sheltered from the unscrupulous brothels that sought to profit from the same source of energy that sirens need to survive. Completing the project made Erwin into an international authority on merfolk relations, but this was his father’s dream. Erwin’s is to protect humanity from another class of mer, which feeds on death and kills so voraciously that they’re to be exterminated on site without exception. It’s a cause Erwin knows he believes in, but when a starving siren-reaper hybrid shows up at the Exchange with the two halves of his nature in conflict, Erwin must decide how black and white his beliefs really are. It’s a decision that could risk more than Erwin’s reputation. It could also destroy everything his family has worked for.

The Companion by @everythingshiny​

Levi hates Companions – people who sell romance and a night of pleasure to anyone rich enough to pay. These Companions are more than prostitutes; they’re actors, allowing their clients to live out the romantic encounters of their dreams. And Levi finds the very idea of them disgusting.But Hanji gets him an appointment, anyway. And, somehow, Levi is persuaded to go. And the Companion he finds is very different from what he expected.Levi knows that it’s all fake. But, in spite of himself, he can’t stay away from Erwin Smith.

Thirst by @zedsdead1001​

To see someone every day was fine, didn’t usually end in increased heart rates and ridiculously painful shyness. But when the person you saw on a regular basis was the one you admired and dreamt about…that’s when it became awkward.

How long did they say it was before a crush turned into love? Levi couldn’t remember. All he knew was that he was incapable of stopping thinking about the tall blonde on his delivery route, a man he surely had no chance of dating, a man he was becoming consumed by with every passing minute.

Wild-Type by @merkase​

Erwin Smith’s dragon-fighting bust is front-page news. He has several key players in custody and enough evidence to put the owner away for the rest of his unnatural life. All Erwin has to do is convince a violent, ill-tempered drake to give him a statement—preferably without killing anyone, burning Erwin’s house down or falling in love with him. But when the federal government shows up demanding that Erwin turn Levi over for immediate euthanasia, the only way to protect his witness may end up killing them both.