#miss clue: trials of salem

[mylittlesecrethaven]

My Fourth Day In Boston

Regarding my trip to Boston.

Ah.

Salem.

What a nice place.

I did enjoy the witch museum.

Had no clue the witch trials mainly happened over here cause one girl got bored.

She def knows how to have fun. (that is a joke that I expect nobody to get. do no take that seriously please)

There was tons of Pride stuff, so I bought some socks.

I also got a bottle opener for my root beer, and a nice little coaster. (which I haven't been using and that angers me)

Going home.... sucked....

Getting to the airport was worse than in Dallas, I almost missed my flight cause I had to piss super badly but one of the bathrooms were closed so I went in the other and got mistaken for the opposite gender, so that was something. (being androgenous usually gets me a pass for whichever bathroom, but apparently not at that moment.)

At least I didn't puke on the way home.

But I ended up getting home at fucking midnight, and that drive was not fun.

So yeah.

Boston was fun I guess.

I don't want to go back though.

Honestly, I don't want to travel for a while.

[francythat]

Wait now that MID actually came out, has anyone done a Miss Clue Trials of Salem vs MID comparison yet? Because quarantine me is kind of feeling it. 

I don’t normally review games but like I could see my quarantine self getting wine drunk and playing these and then rambling about them. Any takers?

[queerdagny]

like.... yall know that’s nancy, right

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Come What May

Request: hey! can i get a request for an american transfer (i’m not sure if they were even a thing lol but anyways) and she is a hufflepuff? maybe she becomes friends with remus due to him being a prefect and sirius ends up really liking her? if you want to change it up a little bit for your writing that’s perfectly fine! xx

A/N: I loved writing this - it took me some time to start, but I loved writing it. I hope you like it and I hope I’ve done it justice. I’ve no clue whether I’ve made the reader American enough but I still hope its good nonetheless. Moulin Rouge is one of my favourite musicals; the title is the name of the song. Enjoy!! :)

Pairing: Sirius Black x American!Transfer!Reader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of pregnancy, I wanna say swearing but I can't remember, mentions of nausea, mentions of anxiety, mentions of homesickness

Word count: 3.3k

In an attempt to improve relations between the wizarding worlds of the United States of America and the United Kingdom, MACUSA and the Ministry of Magic set up a transfer scheme for sixth years of Ilvermorny and Hogwarts. The entirety of their sixth year would be spent abroad where they would gain the worthwhile experience of receiving an education in a different country.

Some pressure from your mother had you applying to spend a year at Hogwarts. Only ten students from the year group were given the opportunity – when it was offered to you, you took it with both hands. A year abroad would look good on your final transcript when applying to train as a Healer.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, you were swiftly sorted into Hufflepuff; a kind, gentle house that made you feel welcome. Their proximity to the school kitchens would help with reducing the stress for exam season, you thought.

Your first week was plagued with intense homesickness. The Scottish Highlands were hauntingly beautiful, but they were nothing compared to your surroundings at Ilvermorny. You longed for the familiar sight of the familiar Mount Greylock. You missed your family, but your mother’s letters would still find you at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had assured you of that.

Your classes were hard to navigate. Hogwarts was bigger than Ilvermorny and you found yourself running from one side of the castle to the other in an attempt to get to lessons on time.

“Hi, are you okay?” A male voice asks. You turn to find lanky teenager with scars littering his face looking at you in concern. A prefect badge on the collar of his robes had you relaxing; here was someone that could help you.

“Hey!” You shout, eagerly, happy to see a friendlier face, “I’m lost. I’m trying to find Divination.”

He smiles at you, “You’re in luck, I’m heading to Divination as well.”

“That’s great, I’ll follow your lead. I’ve been here three weeks; you’d have thought I’d have the layout down by now.”

He chuckles, “I’m Remus, by the way.”

You hold a hand out to him, he shakes it once, “I’m (Y/N). I’m part of the transfer scheme between Ilvermorny and Hogwarts.”

Remus sits beside you in Divination; helping you when you struggled with understanding the teacher’s accent. Divination was taught at Ilvermorny, and along with Herbology and Potions, was one of the subjects you excelled at. Your four times great grandmother on your father’s side was a prophetess who barely escaped the witch trials in Salem; her talents had been passed down to you.

The lesson is over fairly quickly with Remus by your side, helping to translate the Professor’s words. You’re packing your books up, hoping your usually spot in the library isn’t taken when Remus asks: “(Y/N), would you like to join me for lunch? You’ll have to meet my friends, but they’re mainly harmless.”

“Mainly?”

Remus flashed you a grin, “They’ll talk your ear off, but they mean well.”

“In that case, I’d love to join you for lunch. I’d be spending it in alone in the library, so this is a definite upgrade. Lead the way.”

On the walk to the Great Hall, you and Remus bond more and you can feel the start of a genuine friendship beginning to be built.

By the time you arrive at the Great Hall, you have decided that Remus is in fact a sweetheart with a heart of gold who loves his books as much as he loves his friends. From your limited knowledge of Hogwarts houses, you can see exactly how Remus meets the standards to be a Gryffindor.

Remus automatically heads to the table assigned to Gryffindor, spotting his friends in the crowd. You only hesitate for a moment before joining him.

“(Y/N), these are James, Peter and Sirius.” Remus introduces, pointing to each teenage boy with their name. They look at you with fascination as you take a seat next to Remus, who hands you the pitcher of water without a second thought. Yes, your friendship with Remus would be something you truly treasure with all of your heart.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” You greet, not missing how their eyes widen at your accent.

“Are you one of the American exchange students?” Peter asks.

You nod, smiling at him, “I am.”

If it’s possible, his eyes widen further, “You must be really smart then. Like super smart to get into the programme. The one’s we got in Gryffindor are like geniuses.”

“Thank you, that’s a very nice compliment.”

Peter blushes, breaking the eye contact between you two.

You start placing food onto your plate, eating a forkful in between answering questions.

“My turn now – how did you all become friends?”

James grins, “We all met on train and became friends. It seemed fate was on our side when we were all sorted into the same house.”

You look at the ties each worn by the teenagers; stripes of solid red stand out against dark black. “You’re all in Gryffindor!”

James nods, “We are! And our ever-lovely Remus is our prefect.”

You smile when you see Remus out of the corner of your eye, sitting a little straighter at the sound of his school role.

Sirius catches your eye, a smirk turning the one corner of his lips upwards, “What house were you sorted into?”

You point to your tie, not missing the way his eyes rake up and down your body, “Hufflepuff,” you state proudly, feeling very at home with your Hogwarts house.

“What’s your house at Ilvermorny?” He asks, pronouncing each syllable of your school separately, testing out the sound of it on his tongue.

“Pukwudgie.” You declare, prouder than ever of your house back in America. Those sorted into Pukwudgie are defined by their passions and their desires; they commit themselves fully to everything they do whilst being fiercely loyal caregivers and protectors.

Sirius’ lips tremble; he wants to chuckle at the odd sounding name. You don’t miss the expression on his face, rolling your eyes at it.

“We have four houses at Ilvermorny: Pukwudgie, Wampus, Horned Serpent, and Thunderbird. It is said that my house, Pukwudgie, favours healers which makes sense since that is what I’m working towards. I want to work at the hospital for magical folk in New York City. The other houses favour different positions; Wampus – warriors, Horned Serpent – scholars, and Thunderbird – adventurers. Truthfully, we aren’t that different to Hogwarts expect for the fact that we’re in America. The Hogwarts students over there are probably realising the same thing. ”

The four boys look at you in astonishment, and you realise that since you arrived in Scotland, those were the most words you had spoken in succession.

“Well,” You say, grinning, taking a sip of your water, “we aren’t entirely different other than the fact that we’re better

James squawks in indignation, “How? I think you’re mistaken. I’m going to need a point by point explanation of how that is even possible. Hogwarts is the best school out there!”

You laugh at him, “Hogwash. Are you ready for that conversation, James?”

Sirius grins, showing off his perfectly straight, white teeth, “Oh, I like you. I think we’re going to get on like a house on fire.”

With your heart racing, your answering smile is blinding.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Marauders adopt you as an honorary member; Peter had dubbed you the emissary to Ilvermorny with a promise to tell your tales of your time at Hogwarts to the student body of the school; to make them famous ‘across the pond’.

The more time you spent with the pranksters, the more you saw them as themselves. James and Sirius were ridiculously smart but played aloof – happier to marked as the class clowns than the smartest in the class (though they were by miles). James was besotted with a red-haired girl named Lily who never seemed to want to give him the time of day, but he persisted.

Peter had the best stories from his childhood, and he was more than happier to tell you them. But there was something simmering under the surface with Peter, as if he was too close to the flame of something he couldn’t quite pull back from. You hoped he would before it was too late.

Remus confessed to you a month into your friendship, of his lycanthropy – he trusted you, he knew you wouldn’t spread his secret and you wouldn’t. You could see his self-hatred always simmering, but Remus was so pure of heart with a predisposition for trouble that made him a natural leader when planning the school-wide famous pranks, that you knew he would not let the wolf inside him control him for longer than was necessary.

The friendship you had created with all four of them was something you would cherish upon returning to Ilvermorny. In such little time, they had taken you in and made you feel at home within their group.

Out of all them, you felt drawn to Sirius and he was more than happy to entertain you. He found you fascinating as well as extremely beautiful. There was something about your eyes that he couldn’t put his finger on, but they had him from the very moment they fell on him in the Great hall. He could sit and listen to you for hours whether it be a story or a rant. He was more than happy to let you talk and for him to listen. You had bewitched him; mind, body and soul. He’d follow you to the ends of the earth.

It was this that made you fall in love with him.

As cliché as it is to describe, your feelings for Sirius took you by surprise. In a matter of few weeks, you had started to fall in love with the shaggy-haired prankster. He had captured your heart in a way you never thought possible; you found it hard to think of anything but him. Your heart raced with every bit of eye contact made across the classroom; as if you were the only one in his line of vision.

Sirius had a way to make you feel as if you were the only one in the world; he would listen to your rants over the differing education systems between the USA and the UK or if someone had gotten on your nerves. He would defend you if ever a cross word was even uttered in your direction; Severus Snape had been on the receiving end of most of Sirius’ hexes. Sirius had you completely enthralled.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You spend weeks agonising over your feelings for the Gryffindor; badgering Remus at every opportunity until he cracks and tells you that Sirius feels the same but doesn’t know how to approach you.

You decide then and there that you’re going to tell him; that you’re going to confess your feelings for him. As you rush to the library, you steel yourself in case of rejection. It would break your heart, but you would find a way to repair the friendship.

You find Sirius in an isolated corner of the library, pouring over one of the many leather bounded books. The library had taken your breath away when you first arrived; never in your life had you seen so many ancient and dusty tomes dedicated to the practice of witchcraft and wizardry. Now, your eyes are drawn to the teenager hidden among them.

Sirius is sitting in one of the few arm chairs. You don’t sit down; the anxiety and adrenaline preparing your legs for a quick exit if needed.

“Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?” You ask.

Sirius looks up from his book, wide-eyed, “What?”

“Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend? I know it’s a free weekend for the both of us and I’d like to go with you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I like you, Sirius and I think you’ve known for a while that I do.”

Sirius can’t help the blush that rushes to his cheeks, “I know of your feelings.”

“I need to know: are they returned or am I overstepping here?”

Sirius places his book on the table, “No, no, you’re not overstepping. I’ve had a crush on your for a while.”

Your grin lights up your face and Sirius find himself making the promise of to always be the cause of your smiles and never your tears.

“So would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me?”

“As long as you let me pay; it would be shame on my name for me to let such a beautiful person pay for their date.”

“You are a gentleman. So you will come?”

“Yes, we’ll go to Hogsmeade on a date this weekend. I adore your confidence.”

“I’m American,” You state, shrugging your shoulders, “We’re born with it.”

Sirius barks a laugh as he pulls you into his lap, his hands on your waist. You press not one, but two kisses to his cheek where the blush still remains, savouring he fact that it was you who affects him so, and no-one else.

Sirius relaxes beneath you; happy to have you in his arms for however long you have left at Hogwarts.

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In the muted light of the moon reflecting into his dorm room, you can be honest with each other. Your time at the school for witchcraft and wizardry was coming to a close with little under a month before you were returning to Ilvermorny to complete your final year of education.

You didn’t try to ignore the lance of pain spearing your heart as you imagine that year without Sirius. A little over four months with him and you knew that you have found the love of your life; that there would be no-one else for you.

“I don’t want to leave you,” You whisper in the dark of the night, curled under his arm, your hand pressed to his chest so you can feel his heartbeat under your palm.

“I don’t want you to go.” He whispers against your hair.

Tears sting the corner of your eyes, “What are we going to do?”

“For now, I’m going to sleep next to the girl I love. Tomorrow, we are going to talk about it, I promise. I just want to hold you now.”

“Tomorrow,” You promise, “Tonight, I just want to be held by you.”

Sirius pulls you tighter to him; as if the two of you aren’t already pressed together. He drops another kiss to your head while you press one to his shoulder. You aren’t sure whether of you get a lot of sleep that night; worries of the future working their way down the familiar path of your mind.

The following morning brings lingering touches and unhurried kisses. The anxiety from last night hangs like a dark cloud over the both of you but there is a determination within you to hurry it away.

The day is spent slowly; slowly walking around the grounds, slowly reading in the common room, slowly kissing. As if the slower your pace, the longer you can spend in his arms where you truly want to be.

The topic needs to be approached; it needs to be addressed or else it’ll sour the remaining time you have left with the boy you’ve fallen in love with.

Laying on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, your head in Sirius’ lap, you ask, “What are your plans for the summer?”

He sighs, pretending to think it through as he brushes a hand from the top of your forehead to the tip of your nose, “I’m not sure, I think I’m going to be visiting this really pretty girl that I’ve fallen in love with.”

You beam, “Yes please. Come stay with me! My family is going to love you.”

Sirius’ cheeks warm, “Really?”

You nod, “Definitely, I’ve already told them all about you in my letters. My mom is going to love you. My dad is going to take some persuading though. I think the whole family won’t be able to leave you alone. I go to Scotland and come back with a boyfriend.”

Sirius laughs, warm and rich, “I’ll have to bring my charming self.”

“You do that, and you won’t get to leave.”

“Maybe that’s the plan. I think we can do it, you know.”

“Can do what?”

“A long-distance relationship. I think we can do it; I think we’re strong enough.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I know we haven’t been together very long but I’m in this for the long-haul. I want no-one else but you; I love no-one else but you. In such a short time, you’ve shown me what a relationship should be like and I want it. I want it all with you. So I think we’re strong enough to get through it. We can send letters and on the longer holidays, we can alternate between America and the UK.”

“You’ve really thought this through.”

Sirius nods, nudging you to sit up. “I have. I thought of it last night, I don’t know how neither of us thought of it earlier.”

You think it through, seeing no disadvantages to his plan other than the fact that you would miss him dearly. “I like it. Let’s do it, let’s do long-distance. I love you too, I want no-one else either. I hope you’re ready for all of my letters, Black.”

He laughs; the sound music to your ears, “More than ready.”

You can’t help the smile as you lean into kiss him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7 years later:

The house is quiet; too quiet, you think as you push your feet into your slippers. You make your way downstairs to be greeted to the sight of your husband of five years cooking with your four year old daughter. 

“I think we’ve been caught, sweetheart.” Sirius whispers to the toddler sitting on the kitchen counter.

Your daughter turns from her place, “We’re making pancakes!”

“I can see that,” You say, chuckling, making your way to your husband – kissing him before kissing your daughter on the top of her head.

“We wanted to give you a bit longer in bed. I know you were up most of the night feeling sick.” Sirius says, a hand touching the barely-there bump.

“You’re my knight in shining armour, Mr. Black”

“Always at your service, Mrs. Black.”

Your final year at Ilvermorny was filled with letter upon letter from Sirius telling you the stories of his final year at Hogwarts. You were very happy indeed when he reported that James and Lily had finally started to see each other, and that Remus was thinking of going steady with a girl in Ravenclaw who loved books as much as he did.

The long-distance relationship was hard at times; always after a visit from one of you to the other but nevertheless, you both persevered – worries always extinguished over written word. Your family understood that your home was now in England; in the arms of a black-haired prankster that had captivated your heart from the very first smile. Your dream of being a healer was still very much attainable in England.

You and Sirius were not long behind James and Lily for marriage. Sirius had proposed one evening after you returned home from your shift at St Mungo’s; bone tired and in the need of a hug, you were shocked to return home to rose petals leading to the living room where Sirius was down on one knee – the only light in the room being from the candles lit on every surface available. You both cried when you accepted; you both cried at the wedding a year later.

You didn’t think there would be any more room in your heart to love someone else other than Sirius.

Then you found out you were pregnant. And your heart made room for one more. Your heart had stretched to fit three when your test came back positive for the baby currently growing in your womb.

As you sit in your kitchen, watching your husband cutting up pancakes for your daughter, you feel overwhelmingly grateful for your mother pushing you to fill out the transfer paperwork all those years ago.

*******

Harry Potter (General) taglist: @slytherinprincess03 @bforbroadway @obsessedwithrandomthings @the-hufflefluffwriter @masterofthedarkness @kalimagik @summer-writes @lupins-sweater @mischiefsemimanaged @soleil-amaryllis

Sirius Black taglist: @cheapglitter @fific7

[mariamermaid]

All the good girls go to hell

Caliban x fem Reader

Summary: Going after a witch, that follows dark blood bathing rituals, you met a certain prince of hell…

Does not really follow the plot of season 3!

Words: 2.8k

Warnings: drinking, mentions of death and blood

 Paris.

The unannounced city of love was filled with void. There was a dangerous witch on the loose and you were right on her track. Unlike many of your friends, who enjoyed the casual safety of a coven, you were an eclectic witch. You had your very own, individual approach at magick and yet, you were widely known beyond the horizons of the gods. And sometimes, they would seek your help in cases that blurred the borders of heaven and hell. Bridged Bishop left you a legacy, she was the first witch from the Salem trials and she was hung at the Gallows Hill in Salem Town. And like so often in the curses of history, there was something seething.

Her name was Serena Westwood and she had begun to perform several blood-bathing rituals in order to become more powerful herself. It was going against many witch rules and humans were starting to become warry as well. For now, she had killed six witches and eight humans, all of them very specifically chosen. You recognized the pattern, which was why you found yourself at a lingering club within the dusty streets of Paris.

 My Lucifer is lonely

Standing there, killing time

Can´t commit to anything but a crime

Your friend, Ambrose, had helped you with the research and he warned you about the recent events of hell. However, you hadn´t expect hell to bring up their own player to the game. But when you caught eye of the tall blonde leaning against a wall in the club, you immediately knew something was up. Turning away, so he wouldn´t be able to see your face right through the crowd, you pulled out your compass. The dark compass was a present, Lilith had given it to you in her earlier days and it was still of good use. The needle spun around a few times, until it landed on the red “H”  at the bottom, where usually the south corner laid. H like in hell. The compass showed you the path the witch of warlock was following and the closer it got to the extremes of heaven or hell, the more alerted you were. You decided to put the compass away and searched the crowd again, but the attractive blonde was gone.

“Looking for me?” He was leaning against the bar top, a few golden locks falling over his eyes. He had an angular face with deep, glistening eyes and a devilish smirk. “Do I know you?” You asked interested and sat down at the stool. He continued to grin, but shook his head. “No, not yet.”

“What can I get you to drink?” He asked instead and gave the bartender a wink. “Gin Tonic.” He nodded. “And a whisky”, he added for himself. “What is your name?”

“Scott.” You leaned closer to him, quickly and fluent, you knew the game all too well. “You´re lying, Scott.” He let out a rough laugh, the drinks came and he took a large sip. “What is your name?” You leaned back again and watched his eyes waiting.

“You´re not stupid, Scott. You already know my name.” Loud screams interrupted your conversation and you let the drink wait, instead running through the crowd. In the middle laid a man´s body, eyes wide open, his heart not beating anymore. His shirt was ripped open and several symbols were craved into his skin. You leaned down and your fingers brushed against the still fresh blood. The crowd had begun to circle the corpse, you looked up to find a door in the very back closing. Serena.

Hurrying after her in the dark streets, you found yourself close to the La Seine. She struggled trying to pull her body up the railing, seeming weakened after her bloody voodoo ritual; your chance. You ran after her. “Serena!” Your voice echoed in the dark alley leading to the river. She lurked back and threw a spell into your direction. You jumped in order to avoid getting hit. Only a few feet were left between her and you and with a big leap, you felt your hands grabbing her. She didn´t expect you and lost balance, making you both fall into the freezing water of the Seine. Surprised by the sudden fall, you both wrestled under water until she fired a spell at you. It was dark as night underwater; you barely could see anything but the light glistening from above. The fire spell she used enlightened the water, then you felt a burning sting at your shoulder. The fire had burned you and threw you back against some kind of wall or metal pillar, you lost orientation. Blinking heavily, you eyed the water around you, but Serena was gone. She had used a fire spell to distract you. You let out a scream, last supplies of air left your lunges and gasping for more, you swam back to the surface. It wasn´t necessary to mention how frustrated you were. Your shoulder continued to burn, which made it hard to even move with your entire left side. Luckily, your right hand was able to hold onto some kind of lug. Then two other strong hands grabbed your arm and pulled you out of the water.

You found yourself on the ground. “Y/n are you okay?” You almost flinched when you heard his low voice murder your name. “Nice for you to show up, Scott”, you gave back and rolled your eyes. He was knelled next to you, eyeing the wound, but after your failed hunt down, you weren´t specifically in the mood. “Let me help you” He added and softly touched your right arm, but you jerked away. “Help me? You could´ve helped me five minute ago, before I almost drowned.” His piercing blue eyes blinked, but he waited until you stood in front of him again. He wasn´t used to being treated like a mortal. You huffed when looking down at him, he avoided your glance and starred at the ground, knowing it was your right to be pissed.

“Caliban.” You stopped in the middle of the streets and slowly turned back to him. He was still kneeling, where you had sat seconds ago. “What?” It felt like a cold wind howling down your spine. “My name is Caliban-“ 

“Prince of Hell.” He looked up to find you already starring at him.

 Peter´s on vacation, an open invitation

Animals, evidence

Pearly Gates look more like a picket fence

Once you get inside´em

Got friends but can´t invite them

 You decided to go back to the hotel room you had booked. Money was never a problem for you; you had come from a rich family and being a powerful witch also helped. The room was big, with high ceilings and a stunning view over the nightly city. Baroque details lingered at the edges of wall and ceiling and long curtains moved within the wind from an open window. The large bed had beige covers and golden side lamps. The couch was red satin.

Caliban had followed you, arguably like a lost puppy. First you had guessed that he didn´t trust you enough to leave you alone. But as he watched you, you came to the realization, that he didn´t have a clue either. He was young to rule and didn´t have your experience. He wouldn´t admit it, but he needed your help. Your shoulder continued to burn and you hurried to the cabinet with expensive liquor. You poured yourself a glass of whisky and eyed Caliban, your eyes asking him. He nodded and you took out a second glass. You poured down the glass in one go, Caliban only sipped. After you had poured down a second one, you hazily walked into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind you. You took off the arrangement of dress you were wearing and in underwear, you examined the wound.  Then you heard Caliban steps, until he entered the bathroom as well. He eyed you and drowned his glass as well, just to put it down on the edge of the tub. In the rather cold light of the bathroom, he looked more human. He had taken off his jacket and only wore a loose shirt. The tension not to mention here. 

“Let me help you”, he explained and watched as you hesitated. “I´m good around fire.” Caliban added and stepped closer. You couldn´t help but let out a chuckle. You observed in the mirror how Caliban carefully brushed back last strands of your hair and eyed the wound. “Stay still”, he advised and then laid his hand onto the wound. You hissed but then a hot feeling spread. The wound slowly vanished and when his hand left your skin, it was feeling cold again. But you missed the feeling of his soft touch. You breathed out and turned towards him. “How…”

“I´m the prince of hell.”

You felt him leaning closer, but he was unsure. However, the second whisky was beginning to hit in and you pulled his collar down until your lips crashed together. His hands quickly grazed your hips until he lifted you off the ground. Your kiss deepened in the meantime and none of you seemed to be bothered by the fact, that Serena had gotten away anymore. He sat you down on the counter top of the sink and your fingers started fidgeting around the bottoms of his shirt.  But then his hands stopped you. Abruptly, you pulled back and starred at him. 

“Cal? Is something wrong?” You asked whispering, but his eyes remained close until he completely left your bodies touch. You didn´t know how his heart stopped when you called his nickname.

“I need to go back to hell”, he explained groaning. “Oh, sure”, you couldn´t help but sound a little disappointed. Caliban finally looked at you, his stunning eyes gazing at you. “Don´t worry, we´ll meet again.” His hand softly grabbed your neck and pulled you closer, giving you a last peck on the lips. You grinned.

“Sure, all the good girls go to hell.”

 Hills burn in California

My turn to ignore ya

Don’t say I didn´t warn ya

 You did meet again, however the circumstances had drastically changed. Serena had taken an entire coven hostage, after two more successful murders. It was a full moon light, obviously. You had to take her down before she could sacrifice them. Serena was hidden in a cave close to mountain where Walpurgis bonfires where often hosted. It wouldn´t be easy, but you had prepared several weeks, it was now or never.

The sun had begun to sink and it was time to leave. However, when you examined yourself in the mirror a last time, a certain wave of warmth was felt from behind. You caught a glimpse of flames hollering, when Caliban was suddenly stood in front of you. You let out a chuckle.

“Look at you, needing me.” He rolled his eyes, not admitting how right you were. Against the anticipation of hells most famous demons, he still had problems adjusting to his title. The easiest way for Caliban to find Serena, was to follow you. “How can I help you, my prince?”

He overheard the mocking tone of your voice, in which you hid your disappointment. After your meeting in Paris, you had hoped he would visit earlier.

“Thought you might want backup”, he paused. “You´ll want the devil on your team.”

You turned to him, stepping closer. Then, after eyeing him, checking if he meant it, you nodded. “All hail the king.” You whispered.

“You´d make a good queen.”

You ignored that comment and hoped that Caliban didn´t see you blush.

 All the good girls go to hell

´cause even God herself has enemies

And once the water starts to rise

And heaven´s out of sight

She´ll want the devil on her team

 Serena had found herself a cozy spot on the top of the mountain, a bonfire burning in the middle. The members of the coven were tied up around, high trees offering somewhat of protection. A high cliff at the back, where you could watch the moon rise. With Caliban following you, you eyed the circle and established a spot, where she couldn´t see you.

Serena had changed due to the blood rituals; her once human form was almost completely gone. Instead of her brown hair, black dreads framed her face and dark red veins covered her skin. Her eyes had a poisonous green and parts of her skin were ripped open, beneath lied a dark seething blood substance.

“What is she planning?” Caliban asked whispering. “Burn the witch”, you explained.

“It is to be said, if you burn a witch on a blood moon, you´ll receive her powers.” You added and watched how his eyes flickered. “How do we stop her?”

“She doesn´t know that we´re here, or that we work together. We have the surprise.”

“I´ll distract her”, Caliban started but you immediately denied. “No, I´m going to distract her. You free the coven.”

“But-“ “You´re reigning hell, you´re plan B. If I can´t stop her, you´ll do it.”

You wanted to sneak away in order to go closer to Serena, but Caliban held you back by grabbing your arm. “If you can´t stop her, she´ll kill you.”

You grinned and Caliban saw certainty in your eyes. “I´ll see you in hell then.”

 You snuck up on her, trying to lure her away from the hostages.

“Serena!” Your screamed, while your voice echoed across the glade. Glancing at the rising moon, you knew that the time was running. “Missed me?”

She sighed and turned towards you, letting the hostages in her blind angle. “I thought I had gotten rid of you”, she explained with despite in her voice. “I´m not easy to get rid of.”

She nodded agreeing, in her fingers playing strings of dark magick. “Unlike this wannabe prince of hell.” “You met him?” She nodded half-heartily.

“I wanted to see who sat on my throne.”

“You´re not capable of ruling hell.”

“Watch me!” You knew that each of your statements provoked her and it was finally enough to get her to attack. The first spells she threw at you were nothing, you either dodged or blocked them. “With that you want to rule?” You yelled laughing.

She grew angry, you knew it. Getting closer to her, you noticed that with each spell, a small spark of silver ran under her skin. Her body couldn´t handle the amount of power. You threw her on her back with a powerful spell and she groaned in pain. But then she teleported and appeared behind you again, a dagger suddenly in her hands. You felt the sharp pain in your side, yet you were able to changed into fight mode. A series of knife attacks followed, until you were able to kick the dagger away with your foot. The dagger slid across the ground and ended up closely to the bonfire. Sadly, it made Serena aware of what was happening behind her back. She saw multiple witches and warlocks already freed and screamed in agony. “YOU!” Her long claws pointed towards Caliban, who wore his usual grin. It was your turn to attack again, with her back turned to you, Serena didn´t even see it coming. Her skin continued to break and she stumbled dangerously closely to the fire. It was the final throw, where she fell over a stone on the floor and her body landed in the fire. Infernal screams followed as she experienced the burning pain.

However, the final act wasn´t over yet. It was a millisecond, where your eyes traveled towards Caliban. A second of not paying attention was all it took. Serena gathered all the power she had left and mixed it with her pain. You didn´t feel pain, all you did was hear Caliban´s screaming. But it was too late. You were thrown back and before even realizing how your body had left the ground, you felt weightlessness. The cliff was high, and when Caliban stumbled to the edge, you were already gone…

 There´s nothing left to save now

My god is gonna owe me

There´s nothing left to save now

 He barely remembered coming back to hell, sitting on his throne and watching as the demons pulled Serena away. The eternal punishment was sentenced. But all Caliban wanted to do is rip her up with his own hands. He was making sure, that her time in hell would be the worst possible. Afterall she had killed you and he felt the numbness. And now you were gone.

The guilt didn´t help him and the crown on his head felt heavier than ever.

“My king, the newcomer has requested an alliance with the king”, the demon butler interrupted his thoughts. Caliban stood at the window in the study room in his palace, looking down on hell.

“Serena can rot in the darkest holes of hell.”

“I sure hope so.”

Caliban spun around to find you in his room. A dark red dress with golden details on your body.

“Why are you here? You don´t belong here!” He said, his voice first a whisper, then almost an angry exclaim. But you felt his voice shaking. You stepped even closer, until you could lay your hand on his cheek. He grabbed it, making sure you were actually real. And you were.

“All the good girls go to hell.”

Caliban couldn´t help but let a soft laughter as he leaned down and kissed. His hands cupped your face and you smiled.

“I also remember you saying something about me being a queen…”

[stella-monstrum]

“Autopsy of Jane Doe”[ IFC MIDNIGHT, 2016] [Rated R]

(Review & My Parallel Film Theory)

(NSFW CONTENT AND POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

(Written by Stella, edited by Jacob J.)

No matter the genre, the independent film industry holds many hidden gems within it. Studio IFC has been in the game for close to twenty years now, but it wasn’t until 2010 that it unveiled its plans for their “Midnight” collection and genre.

“Many of our most successful VOD titles are those that might fall under the Midnight label – not just films that are straight up horror, erotic arthouse, or genre films, but also ones that shock audiences, push boundaries, and stir up controversy – so officially creating IFC Midnight was the logical next step,” President of IFC Entertainment Jonathan Sehring in a statement. (SOURCE: indiewire.com // HERE)

But the focus in this article will be solely on the horror genre, specifically the 2016 supernatural/horror/thriller standout The Autopsy of Jane Doe. My review, thoughts, and analysis will include some changes I would have made to change the story itself.  Now, full disclaimer, my changes and reimagining will not affect my rating on the film overall, per se.

-------------------------------------------------

[REVIEW]

One thing that was honestly a surprise (albeit a pleasant one) was how small the cast actually was. Whilst there are ten actors and actresses listed on the IMDb page, the film focuses on only five of them, eventually whittling the action down to three. My honest thought? “With such a small amount of people only being focused on, this will get boring quickly.” But boy, I was 100% wrong in that assumption. If ANYTHING, it only intensified every moment on, Add in dramatic references, film scoring, and film aesthetics? It was just icing on the creep cake.

---------------

Let’s begin with the cast and breakdown of the story:

Brian Cox and Emile Hersch as father-son coroner duo Tommy and Austin Tilden

Ophelia Lovibond as Emma, Austin’s girlfriend

Olwen Kelly as Jane Doe

Michael McElhatton as Sheriff Burke (an albeit brief focus)

Left to right: Austin, Emma and Tommy (Screencap, Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016)

~~~~~~

From the beginning of the film, you are immediately immersed within a brutal crime scene. It seems fairly straightforward in what appears to be a triple homicide. I was taken by (delighted) surprise that it kicked off at such a fast pace, so much so that I physically felt that I’d lost my footing (while sitting). But as the police and forensic team further search the home for evidence, they wind up finding a pristinely preserved and very nude corpse, one only partially covered in dirt down in the basement. This new revelation doesn’t fit what they’ve pinned down to be a homicide.

Enter a quieter and uneventful small town setting. Here we are introduced to Austin and Tommy Tilden, running a very small coroner business out of the basement of their home (blasting rock and roll from the radio whilst they do their job—a very cool touch.) Austin comes off as a young adult who doesn’t want to be stuck in this small town, let alone in this profession. He feels bad since father Tommy is otherwise alone and widowed. 

The Tilden home/business (Screencap, Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016)

~~~~

Austin’s girlfriend Emma comes in to pick him up after his shift for a date they had planned. (This part plays into my reimagining later.) Emma sneaks up to scare Austin, then begs and pleads with him to let her see a dead body and what they do for a living. Austin flat out refuses, but then his dad allows Emma to pick one to view. Tommy also explains that they keep bells around the ankles of some corpses (a practice with origins in an old wives’ tale: if the person isn’t dead, the bell will jingle). Austin gets back at Emma by ringing the bell on one of the bodies to scare her, and she threatens that he “won’t be getting laid.” (Emma comes off as a very strong type—and not in a flattering chemistry way)

Just as they’re about to leave for their date, Sheriff Burke comes in with an urgent request: they have 24hrs to perform the autopsy of the Jane Doe found in the opening scene. Austin decides that, with the urgency and his guilt, to stay behind and assist, asking Emma to come back later.

As they perform what they thought would be just another autopsy to find clues as to how or why Jane Doe met her end, things get very eerie and strange. These events elicit goosebumps: from a shift in music to a creepily upbeat version of the McGuire Sisters’ 1954 song “Let the Sunshine In,” to an awful storm coming in seemingly out of nowhere, knocking a tree into the cellar exit, trapping the Tildens inside. The family cat gets killed. The bodies in the morgue awaken. The power goes out. These usually run-of-the-mill supernatural tropes are 100 times more dramatic with the focus only on the two men.

While they examine Jane layer by layer, her fingerprints are nowhere to be found in their system, and her trauma and, injuries in total, do not seem to match up with the crime.

Peat soil from “up northeast” found under her fingernails

No outward visible signs of marking or bruising

Broken wrists and ankles

Ripped out tongue

Mutilated genitalia

Missing tooth (which was force fed to her in a cloth with a ritualistic sigil in it)

Flower with paralyzing properties (and not native to the area) in her stomach

Horribly burned lungs and internal organs covered in scar tissue. 

A very much active brain

Roman numerals and symbols carved into her skin

Markings on the cloth alluding to Leviticus 20:27 (which condemns witches) and the year 1693 (a reference to the Salem Witch Trials)

Austin and Tommy do not come out of this unscathed—or alive, for that matter. While trying to escape in the elevator when being chased by one of the belled-up corpses, Tommy hacks away at it in the dark. But, once the power comes back on, it is revealed to be Emma. Tommy gets attacked by unseen forces (since he is the one primarily performing the exam). They finally reveal that Jane Doe was likely thought to be a witch during the Trials, but the people who performed the ritual were horribly wrong—and ended up turning her into the very thing they sought to destroy. Tommy pleads with the witch to take him as long as she leaves Austin alone, and all of her horrific injuries get transferred to the elder Tilden, leaving Austin to put his father out of misery. Austin, however, gets spooked by a hallucination (provided by Jane) of his dead father on the stairs leading up to the exit. He falls and snaps his neck.

The next day, Jane Doe is in pristine form on the exam table. The Sheriff cannot understand what could have happened since he’d known the Tilden’s for so long, and decides to send Jane off to the next county. The ending features Jane being transferred into the van, a creepily upbeat song playing once again.

All in all, if I were nitpicking, the only real complaint I’d have is that some of the suspenseful moments were drawn out a few seconds too long. On top of that, they shouldn’t have killed off the family cat, Stanley. That said, if you’re into supernatural thrillers or just looking for a film for date night, this would certainly be one to consider. 

(7/10 stabs)  🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪

(Reimagining AHEAD)

▬▬ι══════════════ι▬▬

Now after watching the film, I got to thinking. This is my reimagining of sorts, and a theory that they could have used to cash in on a continuation:

Let us rewind a little bit. Remember Emma? Think back to this scene specifically: 

(I do NOT own the rights to this clip, simply sharing for viewing to set the scene)

༺═──────────────═༻

In this parallel theory there are a few points of change that come to mind initially:

1. Tommy has a more stubborn personality, absolutely and flat out refusing to let Emma see the cadavers

As he (Tommy) shoos Emma out, that is when the Sheriff urgently brings in Jane Doe. Austin convinces his father to let Emma stick around. Tommy then has the attitude of, “If she wants to see a dead body we’ll let her see the entire process.”

Jane’s body gets taken into the Tilden’s business. (Screencap, Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016)

Whilst the Tilden’s are performing the examination, Emma begins to get bored (before shit gets weird and they essentially awaken Jane’s warnings)

2. When things slowly proceed to get horrific, the further that they get into things, Emma touches the ritual cloth that was used to force-feed Jane her molar, then Austin scolds her for touching evidence.

Progressively after touching the ritual cloth, Emma begins to get very sick. This not only adds an anxiety-inducing level of conflict on top of having to deal with Jane Doe’s unfolding evil, but also provides a deeper layer to the film.

Austin and Tommy examine the ritual cloth. (Screencap, Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016)

The more that they poke, prod, and try to fight Jane, the worse Emma’s condition gets. Austin has to drag her along whilst also trying to protect his father from the witch’s attacks.

3. You get to the point of looming dread when it becomes clear that Austin cannot save his father, and seemingly Emma as well. (Also fuck it that the cat stays alive and alerts Austin of danger, cause why not?)

After Tommy begs Austin to kill him once all of Jane’s injuries transfer to the elder Tilden (VIEW HERE); Emma’s eyes become clouded like Jane’s.

While Austin tries everything that he can to keep Emma comfortable, he tries to perform a ritual himself to destroy the evil brought in. 

4. For Austin’s final attempt, he burns Jane in the incinerator. 

Jane Doe is far from done causing harm and suffering. When she is burned, Emma takes her place. Seemingly, her magic makes the sheriff believe that Emma was the one that was brought in.

Tommy’s death is made look like a suicide.

Since the Tildens only had 24 hours to solve this case, the Sheriff understands that Austin couldn’t get the job done due to the loss of his father. But rules are rules, and he’s forced to transfer Jane Doe’s (now Emma’s) cadaver to the next county. 

While she’s being taken out and Austin is being asked protocol police questions, the eerie song plays on the radio.

5. Austin knows that he has to hunt Emma’s cursed body into the next county. (And takes the cat with him, because the cat didn’t need to die.)

■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■

Who would LOVE to see a sequel like this?!

[bessgeorgefrankjoe]

dear herinteractive, you are completely capable of making (and releasing!) something a million times better than this knockoff. ...just sayin

[forestwater87]

Tales of Fandom Past: Harry Potter and the Shipping Slaves

So, in my spare time I read a lot, lot . . . lot of fandom_wank. A lot. More than should be possible, considering it’s a dead website linking mostly to other dead websites, but I’m a woman addicted to drama who has the gift of long periods of quiet at work, so I’m working my way through almost 2 decades of fan history and it’s just fascinating.

Fandom, back in the ‘00s? Was so much more wild than it is now.

Plagiarism! Fake suicides! Fraud! Theft of real people’s actual money! Stalkers, both real and made up! Fanfic writers so popular they finagled it into mountains of free stuff and a book deal! Everyone was really gross and homophobic! 

There were no rules, and that made it a terrible and incredibly fun time to be part of a fandom.

And we’re not talking enough about it. I guess that’s where I come in.

I’m interested in telling these stories -- not in the incredible level of detail of the MsScribe Saga or the Cassie Claire Plagiarism Debacle, but enough for us to all have a moment to think: Hold on, what the fuck was fandom doing during the entirety of the Bush administration?

A lot, it turns out. Much of it totally wild.

Today’s topic: Shipping wars are as bad as slavery

Date: August 2005

Fandom: Harry Potter

Supposed topic(s): Shipping, canon

Content warning(s): Accidental and ironic diminishing of slavery, complaints about political correctness and free speech, racism in general, lots of hurt feelings and drama

"Now, I'm not black, but boy, do I feel for the black people. If I lived in the 1800's, I wouldn't keep slaves, and if someone has a difference of opinion than me now, that's fine, believe what you want."

Background

In August of 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had been out for a little less than a month, the film version of The Goblet of Fire wouldn’t come out until November, and the last Potter movie had been released over a year ago. In terms of shipping, fans had just discovered, to either their delight or horror, that Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione were canon; while some would continue to hold out hope that there would be a last-minute reversal of expectations, most of the fandom both on and off the internet was in agreement: 

The shipping wars were over, and the Harry/Hermione fans (a.k.a., H/Hr fen, or “Harmonians”) had decisively lost.

The Harmonians’ ire seemed to have been pretty evenly split between J.K. Rowling -- who they felt had let them down -- and the R/Hr and H/G shippers (a.k.a. “Herons” and “Chocolateers,” respectively, though I’m not sure anyone actually used those terms for themselves; they appear to have been given from without), who were taking a victory lap. Depending on one’s perspective, this was either a long-overdue celebration by two groups of shippers who’d faced the fandom’s ire for approximately 5 years and were now vindicated, or it was the tactless gloating of sore losers who were thrilled to get one over on their hated enemies. Either way, tensions were no lower just because canon had decided the victors, and the battleground seemed to shift from the books to the movies -- where shippers of all kinds were in debate over which romance would win out onscreen.

Enter Emerson Spartz, a teenager in charge of one of the most popular fansites at the time and king of creating controversy . . . who had very strong opinions about shipping, and Harmonians in particular.

The Inciting Incident

Emerson had already incited the ire of Harmonians by calling them “delusional” in an infamous interview with J.K. Rowling. The wound was still raw, having come shortly after the release of Half-Blood Prince, and in some circles Emerson was already Public Enemy #1.

Therefore, when Emerson was one of two “anti”-Harmonians interviewed in a San Francisco Chronicle article about the shipping wars, some fans cried foul.

More responses can be found in a summary of the incident here, but personal favorites include a letter sent to the author of the SF Chronicle piece:

The majority of Harry/Hermione shippers are not merely upset that we didn't get what we wanted in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. That makes us sound childish. While I'm forced to admit that there has been much bile and vitriol posted on various H/Hr shipping sites, the majority of us are reasonable people. What really hurt our feelings was the way the Mugglenet/TLC article made it seem as if J. K. Rowling herself felt we were really dense, missing her "anvil-sized clues." Emerson's subsequent "apology" for the harsh words directed at the Harry/Hermione 'shipper community was a non-apology, which you [the author of the SFC article] would have known if you had done more than just take his word that he apologized. He simply used the "apology" as an opportunity to issue another dig. I suppose not much better can be expected from a child of 18 who has suddenly become a bit of a celebrity. But I do expect better from a colleague; a professional writer. ...

You have assisted one side of the argument and failed to represent the other. Did you attempt to interview the webmasters of any Harry/Hermione shipping sites or did you merely cut and paste posts that were pointed out to you by Emerson and Melissa? Your article shows no evidence that you made any attempt to give the other side equal time, so to speak, and as a result, you have contributed to the perceprtion [sic] that ALL H/Hr 'shippers are irrational, bitter, spoiled brats. And that's quite unfair. (Hughes, 2005, paras. 13 & 18)

Or this comment in a Harmonian forum by a disappointed reader: 

History is written by the victorius [sic] (or something like that), isn't it how the saying goes?. I'm afraid we are witnessing it firsthand. Herons feel they are the winners on this war, and as such, they feel they have a right to treat us anyway they want to, and they think we have no weapons to defend ourselves since even J.K seems to have sided with them. Even if most of us are pretty reasonable people, at this point anything we say in regards of J.K's apparent disregard for our feelings (thoughts, opinions, whatever), will be gladly taken as the lashing out of sore losers. ::sigh:: I say, just ignore Emerson, he's just some lost kid desperate for attention. And how good can the guy who wrote this article be if he didn't bother to check the facts before he went slandering us?, not much me thinks. (Remolina, 2005, para. 21)

These responses, while perhaps silly or overblown, were not enough to make history. That honor belonged to a Harmonian going by the username Panther.

How, one might wonder?

The Blowout

Ya know, come to think of it, people like Emerson were probably the kinda people that started slavery. I mean, think about it, they thought the slaves were animals, just because they had different colored skin. Emerson thinks we're stupid and delusional for having different beliefs. Get the similarities here, people? Now, I'm not black, but boy, do I feel for the black people. If I lived in the 1800's, I wouldn't keep slaves, and if someone has a difference of opinion than me now, that's fine, believe what you want. (Panther, 2005, paras. 23-25)

The reaction was immediate and explosive from Panther’s fellow Harmonians. Some understood and empathized with Panther’s view; they saw it as a bit hyperbolic, but agreed with the underlying point being made.

I can see where they were going with this...a different analogy would probably have been better. Maybe the religious persecution during Mary Tudor's reign, or the Salem Witch Hunt/Trials, the religous [sic] crusades, the wars in Bosnia etc. We harmonians are being "persecuted" for our differening viewpoints/perspectives. (Anndee Granger, 2005, paras. 30-32)

The belief that H/Hr shippers were being persecuted for their beliefs was a pervasive one, and extended to fans, Emerson and other fandom “authorities,” and the author herself.

No, what we are experiencing is not at the same extreme level because of the world we now live in, but the base level is still the same. The base level taking us back to different beliefs and views without the ability to be heard in the correct manner, and yes it does feel like a form of persecution. (*Under your Skin, 2005, paras. 36-37)

While not on the same level as slavery, the intolerance of their ship did call to mind other examples of discrimination and bigotry:

Of course no one is dying because of this, but all in all we are being persecuted for our different beliefs. "Bloody" Mary Tudor, killed Protestants because she so hated their different views on Christ. This is an extreme indeed, but the mentality behind it, the vitrol [sic], is the same. (Andee Granger, 2005, para. 38)

This extreme point of view, while widespread, was not universal among the Harmonians. Many of them were . . . understandably appalled by the comment and those agreeing with it:

No wonder other people find it easy to portray us as reactionary and vicious. Some of you bloody well are. (jane99, 2005, para. 43)

I agree that it is very vicious and out in left field . . . Slavery was an oppressive movement for hundreds of years, resulting in the deaths of millions. I would hardly regard that with 'shipper treatment, nowadays. However, the schoolyard bully is a very appropriate analogy, in my opinion. Hopefully you understand the difference. (myrhlyn, 2005, para. 52)

The Response

NarcissaM brought the subject to the outside world by posting it in fandom_wank -- a defunct LiveJournal specializing in fandom drama, which now exists primarily in archives -- and the result was universally disbelief and amusement. The responses ranged from insightful, if crass, commentary . . .

Emerson did not kill your dog, tell you that Santa wasn't real, and touch you in your swimsuit areas. And the more I read the more I'm convinced that H/Hr fans aren't angry because what he said was insulting, they're angry because what he said was *accurate*. (iczer6)

I'm also wondering where keeping slaves was a matter of, y'know, people having different beliefs, and not the subjugation of an entire culture by another which had more money and more powerful weapons, and needed a lot of manual labor but didn't want to pay for it. (slackerbitch)

To good old-fashioned sarcasm and snark:

That's not the stupidest thing I've ever read, but it's in the top five. (Anonymous)

That's right. There is a conspiracy, Hermionians! The world is against you and want to take a shit on all your fan fiction! XD (Anonymous “Mary”)

QUICKLY! SOMEBODY CALL A WAAAAAHBULANCE! WE HAVE INTERNET PERSECUTION! (aerobot)

F_W, known for good and ill as a site that takes nothing seriously except the desire to laugh at themselves and especially others, took the slavery comment and ran with it:

So how much does a healthy H/Hr fan with good teeth go for these days? (xero-sky)

Which H/Hr's are in the big house and which ones are working in the fields? ... We didn't land on Plymouth rock, Plymouth rock landed on us! *throws up the fist* (prettyveela)

If we're going to start enslaving delusional people, I want to start with the scientologists. Who's with me? (ladybirdsleeps)

Big Daddy Heron:*hits the H/Hr fan with a whip* Your ship name is H/Hr, H/Hr! Say it! H/Hr shipper: H-Harmony (sewingmyfish)

Bully for the slaves! In fact they would have been sooo much better off if all we 21st century people could trade places with the whites that lived back then. Not only could we tell them to get a life, none of us would have kept slaves! (chief)

You know, just like slaves, they have to work out in the hot sun for no wages and be beaten and whipped and raped and sold like cattle deal with an author not writing the fictional pairing they wanted. (slackerbitch)

Mere hours after the controversy was reported to F_W, a user named ahiru created some icons to celebrate the controversy:

And with some more chuckles about the inherent ridiculousness of such a claim, the fandom and its onlookers dropped the subject.

For a few months.

The Aftermath

In November 2005, some users rediscovered the icons made by ahiru and found them insensitive and racist. This is immediately reported to F_W not once but twice, and the folks there were no longer entertained, responding with less amusement than outright hostility. A couple of F_Wankers understood to at least some extent why there might be people who didn’t love the icons, though they did generally come down on the side of parody and feel those upset were missing the point of the joke. A lot of F_Wankers were upset about political correctness and free speech, and were eager to point out the oppression faced by other groups of people.

Someone anonymous entered the fray with racist guns blazing, and was summarily eviscerated by gleeful F_Wankers.

After that, the dust settled, and all was quiet on the fandom front . . . at least, until the next inevitable disaster.

Further Reading

The Interview that sparked the Emerson outrage

An offshoot of Harmony that believes in Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson’s undeniable chemistry and romance

A collection of Harmonian controversies, 2006-2010

Other HP controversies

[noona-clock]

A Bad Idea 🧙‍♀️🗝️🎃

could you write a short drabble with yugyeom from got7, where he and the reader go to an escape room for halloween, but fail in all the challenges? fluff pleaseeee

Well, anon, this is most certainly not a short drabble, but I hope you like it all the same!

Genre: High School!AU/Best Friends to Lovers/Fluff

Pairing: Yugyeom x You

Warnings: None

Words: 2,503

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Yugyeom chuckled, shaking his head as you continued to spin the dial on the lock.

“It was not,” you muttered in reply. “We can do this, I know we can.”

“We can’t,” your best friend sighed, and your sharp gaze darted up to glare at him. “Maybe you can, but I can’t. You know I can’t.”

“Will you stop selling yourself short?!” you snapped with deeply furrowed -- and annoyed -- brows. “Just because BamBam acts like he’s the smartest of your little group doesn’t mean he actually is.”

You liked BamBam, don’t get me wrong. He was hilarious and outspoken and a genuinely nice guy. But he made sweet, shy Yugyeom think just a little less of himself sometimes, and you absolutely hated that. You couldn’t bear your best friend since forever thinking he wasn’t good enough -- because he was.

Since you were still focusing on the combination lock in your hands, you heard rather than saw Yugyeom let out a soft sigh. And then he sat down next to you, his arm brushing against yours as he leaned over your shoulder.

“What was the clue again?” he murmured.

It was your turn to let out a sigh, and you set down the lock to pick up the laminated piece of paper yet again.

“It was in this year You’d better be careful, my dear, If a woman you be.

For if you’re suspicious Witches are not fictitious, And you’ll be burned while tied to a tree.”

“So... the Salem Witch Trials,” Yugyeom shrugged. “What year were they?”

“That’s the thing, I can’t remember,” you grumbled.

“But didn’t we just read The Crucible in Literature class?”

“Yes,” you snapped again. “Do you remember the year?”

A very angelic smile formed on Yugyeom’s lips, and you quirked an eyebrow.

You’d thought not.

“Here, let me try,” he said, reaching over and gently taking the padlock from you. “This was your idea, in case you forgot.”

You pressed your lips together tightly at his reminder, and it truly took everything in your power not to kick him in the shin. The urge was so strong, you had to stand up and walk to another part of the small room to prevent yourself from actually doing it.

It had been your idea, though. He was right about that. And that’s probably why you wanted to kick him so badly.

Halloween was one of your favorite holidays, and you always liked to do something special with your friends or family. A party, a horror movie marathon, a seance in a cemetery... 

Yugyeom had requested anything but a seance in a cemetery this year, so you’d chosen to do a Halloween-themed Escape Room instead. You’d invited about five other people, including BamBam, but they’d all bailed for one reason or another. Only Yugyeom had shown up, and while you hadn’t been surprised (Yugyeom had always been loyal, and the two of you were extremely close) you had been disappointed. When it came to Escape Rooms, there was most certainly strength in numbers. Trying to figure out how to get out of the room in just one hour with only two brains?

Well, it was already proving to be nearly impossible. You didn’t have your watch or phone on you, but it felt like it had already been over half an hour, and the two of you weren’t any closer to figuring out how to escape than you had been when you’d first started.

Since you were currently much too annoyed with your best friend to stay by his side, you wandered over to the opposite end where there was a large wardrobe cabinet. You had already figured out how to unlock the cabinet, but you hadn’t gotten any further than that.

Just so you had something to do, you opened the cabinet door and stepped inside to have a look one more time. Maybe there was something you’d missed earlier, and that something was the key -- literally and figuratively -- to help you escape.

You felt along the walls of the cabinet, knocking here and there to see if you heard any hollow spots. You weren’t sure what you would do if you did hear any hollow spots, but it was still worth a shot.

Not even five minutes after you’d handed the lock to Yugyeom, though, he appeared in the doorway of the cabinet.

“I can’t figure it out,” he said with a quick shrug. “What’s the clue in here?”

“I have no idea,” you chuckled. “I’m just trying to see if I can find anything.”

The cabinet was actually quite tall, and while you wanted to check every inch of it, you found you couldn’t quite reach all the way up to the top.

“Can you reach up there and feel around, see if there’s anything up there?” you asked Yugyeom, standing on your toes and stretching your arm to show him you couldn’t quite do it.

“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled before stepping into the cabinet with you.

You watched as he reached up and ran his hand along the wall, his brow furrowed gently.

“What exactly am I looking for?” he asked.

Before you could answer, the door of the cabinet let out a soft creak and slowly swung closed.

“I don’t know, anything --”

You reached to open the door, though you couldn’t immediately find the handle because it was now pitch black inside.

“Oh, wait!” Yugyeom cried out suddenly.

You jumped, his sudden loud voice startling you and interrupting your search for the door handle.

“I found something,” he continued. You could hear the smile in his voice, and it brought a smile to your own lips -- a tiny one, of course, because you were still quite annoyed at the whole situation.

You then heard Yugyeom pull on something, and a click followed immediately after.

Except... it didn’t sound like a good click.

It sounded like... something... locking.

Like a door locking.

Oh, great. Had Yugyeom just found the secret lever the employees used to lock the cabinet from the inside?

You fumbled around until you caught hold of the door handle, and when you pushed down on it --

Yep.

Yugyeom had just found the secret lever the employees used to lock the cabinet from the inside.

That meant there was most likely a secret door to get out and into the room on the other side, but it was as dark as dark could be in the cabinet. You had no clues, no cell phone, no nothing.

Unless you found the exit door by pure luck, the two of you were stuck in here for the next twenty-five or so minutes.

“Yugyeom,” you said in a low voice.

“...What?”

“I think you just locked us in here.”

There were a few moments of silence, only the sound of the two of you breathing filling the air around you.

And then Yugyeom spoke.

“I did what?”

You slowly let out a deep breath before pushing on the door handle again, making it obvious that it was locked and wouldn’t open.

“You locked us in, you idiot!” you cried, unable to keep your composure any longer.

“I’m sorry!” Yugyeom cried in response. “I didn’t mean to!”

“Well, I know you didn’t mean to, but you still did! Now we’re stuck in here until the time is up, and we definitely won’t be able to figure out any of the clues and escape ourselves.”

You ripped your hand away from the handle, crossing your arms over your chest and leaning back against the cabinet wall behind you. You wanted to turn your head away from Yugyeom, but it was too dark to see him, so there really wasn’t any point it looking in another direction.

“Well!” Yugyeom stammered. “It -- it’s not my fault all the smart people bailed!”

You didn’t dignify his statement with an answer. 

Once it was clear you weren’t going to say anything, you heard Yugyeom let out a sputtering sigh, and you felt him slide down to sit on the floor.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice muffled. You imagined he’d crossed his arms and was resting them on his bent knees with his head buried in them, and to be quite honest, it pulled at your heartstrings.

You were extremely miffed at the moment, yes, but Yugyeom was still your best friend. You still cared about him.

You carefully slid down the wall until you felt your butt hit the ground, and then you crawled over to the other side to sit next to him.

“It’s okay,” you sighed, bending your knees and resting your arms on top of them as you knew he was probably doing. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“You didn’t just yell at me,” Yugyeom piped up, his voice much closer to your ear than you’d expected. “You called me an idiot.”

Before you could stop yourself, you retorted back with, “Well, you know you can be sometimes.”

Yugyeom simply let out an emotionless chuckle, and you rolled your eyes at yourself. When would you learn to think before you spoke?

“Yeah, I know,” he mumbled.

You scooted over just a little bit more until you felt your shoulder brush against his elbow. You nudged him gently and said, “But a nice idiot.”

Yugyeom let out yet another chuckle, though this one definitely had a smile to it.

“A sweet idiot. A caring idiot. A really, really, really amazing friend idiot. A really --”

“Okay, I get it,” Yugyeom interjected.

But instead of sounding amused or shy, he sounded... a little annoyed.

“Yugs, I -- I’m just kidding. You’re not an idiot,” you said softly. “You do idiotic things sometimes, but you’re not an idiot.”

“Okay, can you just --” Yugyeom began but he cut himself off shortly.

“...Just what?” you whispered.

“Just stop.”

Your forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Stop what?”

“Stop... saying nice things about me,” he murmured.

...Your forehead wrinkled even more.

“What? Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why?” you asked. “Why can’t I say nice things about you?”

“Because it gets my hopes up that you like me, and I know you don’t like me like that, so please just -- just stop.”

It took about five seconds for you to realize you had inhaled... but you hadn’t exhaled.

You let out the breath you were holding, trying to turn more to face him -- even though you still couldn’t even see him.

“Yugs, what -- what are you -- like you? Get your hopes up? What --”

“I like you, okay?” Yugyeom interrupted. “I’ve liked you for a long time, but I could never tell you.”

You blinked, and you were fairly sure your mouth was hanging wide open.

“I made everyone bail on this because I -- I wanted to... do something with you. Just the two of us,” he continued. “But I’m too much of an idiot to make it actually be fun. Now you’re just annoyed with me.”

“No, I’m not annoyed with you,” you replied, reaching out and grabbing at the air until you found Yugyeom’s arm. Once you did, you gently grasped it, feeling your heart starting to thump wildly as you felt the warmth of his skin against yours. “I’m sorry. I didn’t -- I didn’t know.”

You heard Yugyeom’s soft laugh, and it made your heart thump even more.

“Of course, you didn’t know. I didn’t want you to know.”

“So... why did you tell me now?” you whispered.

“Because...” Yugyeom began, but he paused before the next word could escape.

It only took a few moments for you to become impatient. “Because what?” you asked quickly.

“Because I like you too much,” he answered, sounding pathetic and forlorn. So much so that it nearly broke your heart. “I can’t do this anymore. I like you too much, and I don’t want to be caught in this one-sided, unrequited love --”

Yugyeom suddenly stopped talking.

And... a second or two passed because you realized he had stopped talking because you were kissing him.

How you had found his lips in total darkness, you would never know.

But you had.

And you were still kissing them.

Before you even had a chance to pull away, though, Yugyeom did.

“What --” he gasped, and you felt his breath fan over your lips and cheek. “What was --”

“I kissed you,” you replied.

Silence.

“...Well, I know that. But... why?”

“Did... you... not like it?” you asked warily.

“No, of course, I did. But...”

Before tonight -- before just now -- you had never imagined kissing Yugyeom.

...Okay, that was a lie.

You actually had imagined kissing him before.

Back when he’d been dating someone who you didn’t care to name anymore, you had watched them be all lovey-dovey in the hallways. You had watched Yugyeom lean against the lockers like James Dean. You had watched their adoring gazes, their clasped hands and linked fingers... their kisses.

And you had wondered: What did it feel like? What did his kiss feel like?

You had written it off as teenage hormones and romantic curiosity at the time, but now...

And, to be honest, now that you were thinking about it, that hadn’t been the only time.

You’d thought about kissing Yugyeom more than once since then. You’d thought about... being in a relationship with him. But each time you’d written it off as a weird, fantastical thought and not anything you actually felt. One of those random thoughts which simply pops into your head, and you know it’s not real, and you’ll never act on it or carry that thought out. Because Yugyeom was your best friend! He would never be your boyfriend -- you would never want him to be your boyfriend. You just didn’t see him in that way.

But... apparently, you had been wrong.

Because kissing Yugyeom hadn’t really been anything like you’d imagined it.

It had been... so much more.

“So, I can kiss you again?” you asked after swallowing down a lump of nerves in your throat.

“Y/N, I’m so confused,” Yugyeom said with a breathless chuckle. “What do you --”

But you cut him off yet again, pressing your lips to his.

And instead of pulling away, Yugyeom simply gave in. He slid an arm around your waist, pulled you into his lap, and... he kissed you back.

You would go on to never do another Escape Room again, for the rest of your life. 

Not because you had bad memories or you were scared you wouldn’t figure out all of the puzzles like tonight, but... because you knew no other Escape Room experience could ever measure up to this one.

This one had changed your life forever.

All because neither of you had paid much attention to The Crucible and had no idea when the Salem Witch Trials took place.

Who would’ve thought?

[the-omni-princess]

Blood Bound [Chapter Six]

Author: @the-omni-princess

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky x Witch!Reader

Summary: Vampires and witches have been known enemies since the dark ages. Backstabbing, secrets, and magic turned supernatural brethren again each other. As a natural-born witch, you grew up on these stories, your own monsters under your bed. What happens when one of those sworn enemies claims that you are his blood mate, the vampire equivalent of a true mate? Will you give in to this man out of time? Or destroy him for the sake of your Coven?

Word Count: 3.7K

Warnings: fluff, angst, first time meetings, minor character death, minor injuries, near death, vampire stuff, blood, sacrifices, cursing, mature talk, sex talk (I think this is all the warnings if I missed something please let me know)

A/N:

Also, how do people like the “previously on” bit? Should I just erase it? Stop using it? (I don’t use the previously for word counts)

Also, AHHHHH my fav chapter so far, finally enough build-up TO DO SOEMTHIGN

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[Series Masterlist]  [My Masterlist] [Playlist Inspired by the Series]

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----

Previously…

“Holy shit, I died in the Salem Witch Trials,” your voice rang out throughout the room. Bucky squeezed your hands gently, and you let him act as your tether to the mortal whelm. “We were killed by the very Council that had sworn to protect all witches, and you were saved by the vampires we were told by them to fear.”

“Well, this is just getting deeper and deeper. Before you know it, you’ll be telling me the Coven to the North died because they found out the Council has been killing Naturals.” Tony quipped from the side of the room.

The room froze, taking in the statement. “Well, it would explain a lot,” you murmured. “They were getting powerful, and dominant witches who don’t need as much energy to have magic aren’t easy to control.” That was the last connecting dot. The darkness in the distance wasn’t just some mythical monster. It was the very same man that stood in your living room and drank your tea just an hour ago.

--

“But all of that leads to the question of, where are Nebula and Gamora? Their bodies weren’t found with the Mountain Coven.” Maria rubbed behind Sasha’s ears, enjoying the cat’s insistent purring as she curled up on her lap.

“Mountains… Oh shit, if the Council is going to start investigating the Mountains, I need to warn Steve and Sam. Our hotel is right at the base of the mountains, the Council will blame us first.” Bucky’s grip on your hand faltered, nervously tapping his foot.

“That’s less than an hour away right? Go, bring them here.” It was a simple solution, and yet you had multiple people against it.

“We are not housing the bloodsuckers, y/n. No damn way.” Carol stood, puffing up her chest. It was most likely unconscious, as she tried to assert dominance, but you weren’t buying that.

“Listen, you trust me, I trust Bucky, Bucky trusts these two. The Council will murder them for even being in the vicinity of the Coven’s murders. Please, we have to. They’re his family.” Your hands started to spark, your emotions rising as you tried to plead with your sisters.

Most of them were not going to be happy about housing vampires, so you tried one last thing. “We have to be different than the Council.” That had Wanda and Maria turning away, Maria focusing solely on the cat, and Wanda finding the book she held open very interesting. Natasha and Pepper both were proud of you standing up for your Blood Mate, though the later still thought you were insane.

Carol had calmed down, enough that she saw your hands sparking, to which Bucky had no issue with. The usual burning sparks didn’t affect him as he gladly held onto you. That wasn’t supposed to happen. But at this point, it was going to join a long list of ‘things that were supposed to be impossible,’ right under reincarnation. She sighed softly, running her hand through her short hair before placing both hands in her overall pockets. “Fine. But I still don’t trust them.” She warned, narrowing her eyes at him.

Despite the literal death looks, Bucky beamed a goofy smile, elated to earn the, though hesitant, trust of your Coven. Looking up at him, your heart melted. Seeing his crystal clue eyes sparkle as he smiled made you wonder why the Council even started to hate Vampires in the first place. “Go. I’ll be here, waiting.”

“I’ll be just a minute. Promise, Sweetling,” he grinned, a peak of his fangs showing in his smile as he leaned slightly down and kissed your temple before rushing off.

“Okay, well how can I hate him if he’s that adorable?” Tony whined, wanting the attention he was currently lacking.

“You literally wanted to kill him twenty minutes ago, Tones,” you gave him a pointed look.

He simply shrugged, “That’s before he was calling you sweet names. I’m only protecting you, kid.”

You shot him an appreciative smile before pulling the book Wanda had shown you closer. God, that drawing did look like you. Charcoal with yellow aging lines in the paper, a few smudges, but it most definitely looked like you but in a pilgrim dress, complete with a bonnet covering your hair. While you grazed through the surrounding paragraphs, Bucky had arrived again, this time flanked by two very nervous looking vampires.

Now set on edge, the entire Coven was tense, staring down the newcomers. You stepped forward, giving them a small smile and stretching out your hand towards them. “Hello, welcome to my home, I’m y/n.”

The two new vamps gave each other a look before the darker-skinned man stepped forward. He took your hand and bowed, locking eyes with you as he kissed your knuckles. “A pleasure to meet you, miss. I’m Sam, and the blonde idiot behind me is Steve,” he smiled warmly, a hint of fangs peaking behind his lips.

You blinked a few times, unsure how to react before Bucky thankfully took over. “Okay, okay, we get it, you have good manners. Hands off my girl, or I’ll get the silver,” he growled playfully, taking your hand from Sam and pulling you against his chest protectively. You blushed, tugging yourself away while giving him a glare before looking towards the two new vampires, unsure how to explain the insanity that was currently your life.

The blonde, Steve, took a step forward, hands in his pocket as he assessed you with a once over. “So, you’re the infamous Theodosia?” He wondered aloud.

Sparks lit up behind your eyes for a split second, “Is there a problem with that?” You challenged, squaring your shoulders and standing a little straighter, chin a little higher. You wouldn’t admit it, but Steve was intimidating; tall, broad shoulders and the knowledge that human killing fangs were just beneath those plush lips gave him a darker aura. Yet you had a strong feeling he was just as much of a puppy dog as Bucky was so you didn’t let your fear show.

Steve smirked faintly, relaxing, “None at all. Just curious is all. I’ve always wondered about the woman Buck would talk about in his sleep.” Bucky went red at the statement, glaring daggers at his packmate.

You couldn’t help but laugh, smiling warmly. “Well, make yourself at home. Look out for Tony, he bites. If you need me, I’ll be looking for more spells for memory loss, or information on the Council, or on Soul Bindings,” you turned, Tony growling at the two, picking up a new book and plopping down on the windowsill. You frowned, quickly scanning through the pages, most of the Coven either joining you in looking for more information or in Carol’s case, practically interrogating Steve and Sam.

Bucky sat beside you, and you, not wanting to get distracted, kept flipping through pages while biting your lip. He slowly leaned his head against your shoulder, “You look cute when you're worried,” he murmured.

You couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on your face, “Well, I am worried. I’m hoping for some sort of improving memories spell. I want to remember you. Fully. Not just glimpses of the life we used to share.” You sighed softly, closing one book to open another. “I don’t want you to forget me again,” you admitted in a soft voice. It was selfish, after all, he didn’t choose to be turned, and yet, you were horrified this was all some joke. That you were being too trusting, or that it was all too good to be true, or, worse, there was something bigger and darker hiding in the shadows about to strike.

“I’m scared I’ll forget you too,” he admitted softly. Pausing between pages, the library now mostly empty, only Natasha quietly flipping through pages on the sofa, it felt more intimate. “I’m terrified. I just found you, I’m finally remembering again, and yet, I’m immortal. I’m just going to lose you again.”

Turning towards him, you tilted his chin up before cupping his cheek. His eyes fluttered closed as he leaned against your touch. “I’m not going anywhere, James. We’ll figure this out, I promise.” He nodded faintly, losing himself to your touch, smiling warmly. “You don’t want to turn me, do you?” You questioned lightly.

“God no. I wouldn’t wish this curse upon my worst enemy. I want you to live a long healthy, normal life.” He quickly responded.

“Alright, relax vampy, it was only a question,” you teased.

Comfortable silence surrounded you two, content in simply existing beside each other. You ran your hand through his hair tenderly, letting him lean against you as you skimmed pages. Hours passed like this, quiet and searching, satisfied in the small moments. You didn’t learn much, not enough information was being written about Naturals, and even less so about Soul Bound Naturals, but you got the jest. Powerful alone and lethal together. Threatening one tended to make the other go wild. Hurting one hurt the other. They were each other’s greatest strength and worst weakness. You also had read up on vampire history, learning a bit more about your current nap buddy. Speaking of, you were also fairly sure Bucky had fallen asleep against you, not that you minded much. You realized this morning he must not have fed in a while, and he must be drained. You absentmindedly started thinking of how to bring up the subject of feeding to him.

A sharp crash in the other room had both of you jumping to your feet. You must have dozed off, the book you were reading was on the ground, and your hair mused. Sharing a look, the two of you rushed to the sound, keeping pressed to the walls.

A Council Member, Jack Rollins, stood there, a dagger pressed against Maria’s throat. You froze in the doorway, just out of sight, pressing your hand against Bucky, pushing him back through the door. Rollins was surrounded by the Coven, each with eyes burning straight into the man before them. Tony had his fangs bared, Sam and Steve beside him, fangs also bared, eyes red. Maria herself looked almost bored, rolling her eyes at the man’s threats, despite the blade against her throat.

“This isn’t that difficult, just give us the girl and her little Leech and we can get this over with. She’s a traitor who worked with bloodsuckers to kill the Mountain Coven, last chance. Turn her in.” He warned, a sick smile on his face as the dagger dug into Maria’s throat, making her whimper softly as the knife dug deeper, a trickle of blood dripping down her neck.

“She’s not here, just leave Maria alone!” Wanda’s eyes glowed red, hands swirling in burgundy, the Coven beside her, each witch faintly glowing in power, standing their ground.

“It’s either her or this little witch,” the man snarled, taking a step back and dragging Maria by her hair.

“Stay here, please,” you begged Bucky.

He gave you a glare, whisper yelling a response. “Fuck no, I can’t just-“

“Bucky, please. They’ll need you to figure out the memories, I can handle him.” You insisted, eyes boring into him, pleading for him to understand.

He finally nodded, albeit, hesitantly. “Please stay safe, Little Witch,” he murmured, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear. The air was tense, his face only centimeters away from yours, and if Maria wasn’t about to get her throat slit in the other room, you would probably have had enough guts to kiss him. And yet, Maria needed you. Your Coven needed you.

Taking a step into the room, you let your electricity crawl up your spine, down your palms, the sparks gathering everyone’s attention. “Hey asshole, I’m right here. Let her go and get out of my house.” The sparks turned hot blue, your eyes most likely reflected the same color.

He simply laughed, tugging Maria against his chest as a human shield. “Where’s your little Blood Sucker? Got rid of you that easy? Eh, whatever, doesn’t matter. Let’s go, Natural.”

You swallowed against the bile in your throat. Him saying that out loud send a wave of anxiety through your body. “Let. Her. Go.” You countered.

He tossed a pair of cuffs at you, and you caught them easily, making sure they didn’t fall to the ground. “Wear those first.”

“Cuffs? Kinky, but I’m seriously not interested in you like that. Sorry, Darlin’”

“They’re power dampeners. Either put them on and come with me, or witchy savior here will be a reenactment of the Red Wedding,” he responded, growing frustrated.

Seeing no choice, and pointedly ignoring your sisters, you put the cuffs on, the sparks from your body dying out with a fizzle. Your coven had protected you since you were little, it was time to take responsibility. It was time to protect them. It was an easy decision really, you would die for your sisters without a second thought. “All cuffed up, my safe word is Pumpernickle. Now, let my sister go.”

He simply replied with a wicked smirk, the silver dagger moving away from Maria as he tossed her aside. Rough calloused hands grabbed onto you, the knife now lodged against your throat. “Sorry, not into knife play, darlin’” you snarled, squirming in his grip.

“God, do you ever shut up?!” He scowled, clearly getting more agitated.

“Nope, and you didn’t bring a gag so you're out of luck!” You ignored the faint burn of the dagger as it turned into your neck.

“Hush, unless you want your coven to know what the inside of your throat looks like,” he growled into your ear, fear shooting through your body. Nat took a step forward, gripping her own knives. “Take another step and she won’t be the only witch I kill tonight,” he warned. “Let’s go, fight and I’ll just pick one of them,” he nodded towards the vampires. He dragged you backward and at the last moment, Natasha took another careful step forward.

Time seemed to slow as you watched in horror. Rollins threw the knife, with absolute precision. It hurled towards Natasha, and yet a blur intersected its path towards its target. Bucky fell to the ground, the silver dagger buried in his chest, graphite grey veins and skin starting to grow outwards from the wound. Silver could kill vampires.

You cried out, a feral screech clawing from your throat as you let your emotions consume you. Electricity crackled, and you abruptly realized the cuffs around your wrists were broken and smoking on the ground at your feet. Agony shot through your chest as you leaped forward, kneeling beside Bucky.

“No, no, no, no. Why would you do that, you absolute idiot!” You cried out, tugging him into your body protectively, your hands struggling to find purchase near the blade. His own body was unaffected by the electricity sparking in your hands as you lost control. Vampires didn’t bleed, but they could turn ashen and die. And as Bucky started to turn grey, his veins turning lead, you realized this could be it. He would die trying to protect your Coven from the people who took you from him in the first place.

“I know what it’s like to lose family, y/n…” He gulped faintly, words starting to slur as he pulled the dagger out, tossing it aside. “Losing your Coven would devastate you. I couldn’t let you live like that.” He tenderly pushed a curl of hair behind your ear before running his thumb across your cheekbone.

Your vision blurred, practically sobbing as you held his hand closer to your face. “But I can’t lose you when we just found each other again. James, please,” you pleaded, your hands starting to tremble. Agonizing anguish started to fill your chest, and you felt like you couldn’t breathe. You tried to keep calm, tried to think of ways to fix this.

“You always were the stronger one, Theo. I promised to keep you safe, and yet you protected yourself. You’re strong, Little Witch. You’ll move on just fine without me,” His voice was getting weaker, and you were vaguely aware of Nat trying to calm you with her powers from across the room, and the fact that where Rollins was standing there was only a pile of ash and scorch marks on the carpet.

“But I don’t want to. Bucky, please,” you pleaded, hot wet tears streaming your cheeks. “Not without you.” You were most definitely shaking now, grief clouding your mind. “I haven’t told you that I’m falling in love with you. This lifetime, right here, right now. My goofy and mischievous, tenderhearted vampire.” You murmured, his cool hand pressed against your cheek. The words echoed in your ears. Vampire. “James?”

Your voice was meek, and his hand twitched, weak in your arms as he replied. “Yes, Little Witch?”

“Fed from me,” you whispered.

“I can’t use you like that…” he groaned softly, the grey veins climbing his neck. “I might not be able to stop, Y/n,” he warned.

You nodded, sniffling softly. “I trust you, Bucky. The ultimate trust, right? I trust you to stop, and even if you don’t…” The words were unspoken but were understood between the two of you. ‘I would die for you.’

“Okay, Sweetling,” he conceded, body too weak to fight your stubbornness.

You raised your wrist to his mouth, “All yours, Angel Eyes,” you whispered softly. He kissed your pulse point, sending a shiver down your spine. For a starving and dying vampire, he showed an immense amount of restraint and control. The artery in his neck turned light grey, the strain shown in his features. You glanced at your coven sisters, all of which were showing a variety of reactions. Mostly surprise you would do this, but Nat and you locked eyes. She could always feel your emotions the best out of the entire coven, and now all she felt was desperation and hope, yet she also felt an unspoken emotion. Love.

Looking back down at Bucky as he bared his fangs, he looked up at you before sinking them into your wrist, his vampire instincts taking over as he slowly drank from your lifeline. The coloring returned to his face, grey lines and skin disappearing completely. But he kept drinking, practically growling into your arm as his eyes flashed red before closing them, concentrated in what he was doing. You ran your free hand through his hair weakly as black spots filled your vision. “I love you, Bucky,” you murmured incoherently just as the black abyss pulled you into unconsciousness. An overwhelming sense of calm filling you.

---

Soft, enchanting humming pulled you into the world of the living. The velvet cushioning of your favorite blanket was wrapped around you, a cool arm draped across your waist, your face pressed into a chilled body. Even groggy you realized exactly who it was, and you didn’t hesitate to nuzzle deeper into his arms.

“James,” you murmured, your voice sounded raspy, wrecked. You most unquestionably noticed the satisfying feeling in your chest, as if being wrapped in his arms was the only place on Earth you belonged in.

“I’m sorry, Little Witch. I should have stopped sooner,” he whispered softly. You noticed he was playing with the ends of your hair, twirling the curls around his finger.

“I told you,” you managed to speak in a small voice, “I trusted you to stop. Even if you didn’t, I made that choice.”

He chuckled faintly, “Thought Tony was going to murder me, definitely looked ready to. Natasha stopped him, said you felt at peace.” He sighed as he pulled away gently, tilting your chin up to lock eyes with him. You absentmindedly noticed you were alone in your room, laying on top of the covers of your bed, contentedly cuddled close. “You were ready to die to save me.”

“You were dying to save my Coven sister.” You let your eyes close as you leaned against his touch, your own hands pressed against his chest. “I would blame it on my emotions, but I would do it again without hesitation.” You smiled faintly into his touch, kissing his palm that rested against your cheek. “My Angel Eyes.”

Your eyes fluttered open, everything felt at ease with him here. You caught him glancing down at your lips, making your smile widen. “Bucky?” He hummed in response as you leaned your forehead against his. “Please kiss me.”

His responding smile set your heart on fire. “As you wish, Sweetling,” he murmured, closing the distance and kissing you. He held your face in his hands tenderly, his own soft lips perfectly slotting against your own. You leaned forward as you deepened the kiss, running your tongue along his bottom lip. He groaned softly in response, pushing forward as he took control of the kiss, which sent a warm spark down your spine. His breathing hitched, and beneath your fingertips, you felt a small thump. You both froze, eyes widening as you pulled away.

“Did… Did your heart just beat?” you murmured softly, trying not to notice how his lips were starting to get kiss swollen.

He nodded, eyes just as wide as yours. “I thought I imagined that.”

You shook your head, the words of one of the Binding books coming back to you. “Bound are each other’s strengths and weaknesses. A heartbeat is a weakness for a vamp.” You tried to reason.

He chuckled, “And here I thought I was going to reason that you’re my life and found your way back to me.”

Blushing, you couldn’t stop the smile from lighting up your features. You also finally realized you were all alone, the house quiet. “How long was I out?”

“A few hours. Everyone went to Pepper’s house. Wanda said something about giving us space.” He shrugged, still busy thinking about the implications of a heartbeat. Was he becoming alive again?

“Hey, Bucky?” You whispered softly.

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me again.” He obliged, closing the distance to kiss you again. He was the one to deepen the kiss first, gentle yet dominating, demanding your full attention. You got lost in his touch, pressed against him as his hand around your waist pulled you tighter against him. “James,” you practically purred against his lips.

He groaned softly, smirking. “I love it when you say my name.” His lips brushed against yours, easily pulling your mouth back on his.

“Then I’ll keep saying it, Angel Eyes,” you murmured, pulling far enough off of him to run a hand through his fluffed up and mused hair. He groaned softly, making you grin as you lightly traced your fingertips against his scalp. “I want to remember, Bucky. Help me remember and I help you remember? All of it? From the beginning? I know a witch from another Coven who can help us.”

He leaned his forehead against yours, lips brushing past yours as he nodded. “All of it, Sweetling. From the beginning. And Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

--

Tags:

Permanent Tags:

@minetticatinwonderland  / @lumar014 / @maniacproffesor / @gollyderek / @nerdy-bookworm-1998 / @avengerstones / @momc95 / @loving-life-my-way / @thelibraryoffanfiction / @marvelmaree / @thefridgeismybestie

Bucky Tags:

@cassandras-musings  / @darkness-doughter / @novaddictx / @thedancingnerdmermaid / @mood-pancakes / @gracethegeek9902 / @ravennightingaleandavatempus / @sunkissedbarnes / @annavega333

Blood Bound Tags:

@itz-kira / @rinthehufflepuff​ / @evilzinblr​ / @starkrobb​ / @paranoiadestroyah​ / @misplacedorphan​ / @ladysergeantbarnes​ / @gobemywonderwall​ / @yallneedtrek / momobaby227

For a tag, just reply/comment, if I don’t see it, just message me. Tell me what you think! Literally, any comment makes me happy! Like, comment, reblog, interact <3

[jane-penvellyn-of-blackmoor]

Nancy Drew #33 Midnight in Salem Game Review

So I gave in and paid the damn $30 to play the dribble that HER's pawning off as their latest game. While there has been major controversy within the fandom over the latest Nancy Drew Game and HerInteractive in general, I'm going to stick to just the game here. My thoughts and opinions on how HER managed the fandom after Penny Miliken came onto the scene have been made clear on my sh!tposts on my blog lol. So we're talking just the game here, nothing pre-start menu - that includes real world HerInteractive drama, none of that. So let's begin...

The Start Menu - Tbh I hated the start menu. It was like a FNAF game's opening menu, clearly made in Unity and the grass textures were nightmarish. If this were my first Nancy Drew game and this was the first sight I saw upon booting the game up, I would never buy another one again.

Voice Acting - Now before ya'll go off on "That's just your nostalgia talking, give it a chance" I will have you know that I tried, I really really tried to like the new voice actress for Nancy but ugh I can't stand it. She sounds like someone pretending to be Olivia Benson off Law & Order: SVU. Like I get they wanted Nancy to sound more like a modern teenager and less "Barbie voice" like Lani's voice would stray towards but letting go of Lani was their biggest mistake. If they had kept Lani as Nancy's voice - especially for such a drastically different game setup - would have helped keep fans fixed within the Nancy Drew world that we've been following for years. Everyone else was great, I especially liked Mei and Lauren's voices and the emotions expressed within them. Also Tourist Girl outside of the Town Hall needs to be brought back in the next game and have her lines recorded on actual recording equipment because what you did HerInteractive was hysterically pathetic and unfair. I don't know if that was a place holder that got overlooked or what but for a $30 game released by a company with so many quality games under it's belt - I expect better.

Storyline - Was pretty good. Fire, robberies, political unrest, sabotage, fraud, hidden wills, all things we've seen before a dozen times but they never get old. I think it's safe to say that the storyline itself is actually what kept me playing, however about half way through I did know it was one of two suspects who was the villian and the very next reveal ensured me which one it was. Still though good story.

Script - Whoever was in charge of the character conversations, for the love of all that is holy please water the interactions down! I felt like 99% of the game was never ending conversations about crap that wasn't useful to the plot. Like filler and fluff is great but conversations that drag on and on and on aren't fun. Have a character say a line or two, then it's Nancy's turn - all this monologuing has me flying through conversations just so I can move onto the next thing. Also some of the way the lines are written make it hard for the actors to read and sound authentic. Like "I can not." (versus "I can't.") levels of unauthentic lines.

Characters - Loved the different characters, would have appreciated more that had models you could interact with.

Puzzles - Needed way more puzzles. Like WAY more. It felt like there was less than 10 puzzles in the game and the majority were stupid easy, the only 'difficult' ones were easy once you understood what they wanted you to do which for some reason wasn't made clear at the start of the puzzle.

Mini Games - Loved making Johnny Cakes and mixing herbs.

Graphics - Horrific. I played on the highest settings of graphics on my HD computer, I had zero issues with it rendering or playing through as intended and smoothly - the graphics were still shit. I've seen better graphics in Barbie's Horse Adventures or The Sims 3. If you're entire argument of shifting onto Unity was for better graphics, HerInteractive, then you need to deliver and you failed miserably at that.

Navigation - I actually had zero issue with the 'swoosh' way we moved around. At times it felt a little restrictive (like in Town Square getting around the stage) but it was fine. I just actually didn't care for the camera tilt feature, it made things ten times more complicated trying to figure out what nooks and crannies they wanted you to notice and which they didn't. I'd happily go back to the old navigation and old engines but I'm fine with the new one so long as they work on making it better.

Cursor - Hated the new cursor, bring back the magnifying glass plz.

Location - I felt that the location of Salem, MA. wasn't utilized to it's fullest potential and that the layout of the town square and the maps of the city were surprisingly unsimilar to IRL Salem. I liked the aesthetic of Lauren's Shop, The Cemetary, The Hathorne House, and Olivia's Store but all of those locations fell victim to the game's graphics, still though props to the designer of those locations in the game.

Austrian Castle - This was jarring. To have a game so drenched in it's location of Salem then it starts off in Austria, it was weird. I get it that they were like "It's connected to the Salem Witch Trials cuz of da Judge dude" but it was super unnecessary and felt like a strange sub-plot location to a game set in Salem, MA. 

Music - I liked the music, felt a little Harry Potter-ish at times and the 'indie rock' music they had that had zero lyrics was annoying but overall it was fine.

Witchy Stuff - I myself am a real practitioning witch, I am an ecclectic pagan wiccan and I know I am in the minority here but some of the puzzles were obnoxiously easy if you know anything about witchcraft. Like even the most basic level of witchcraft. If you ever skimmed through a wicca book in highschool with your edgy friends than you already know more than this game expects you to know. What pissed me off is that it's never actually explained to you. Like they bring up Samhain and fling the word around so it's all spooky and mystifying but they never once have a book or person discuss real Witchcraft with you. Like yeah Olivia is a 'real witch' or whatever and Lauren teaches you about mixing some herbs but it's still not like "Here is The Wheel of the Year, These are Sabbats and Esbats, This is an Athame, This is what we use brooms for we call them Besoms, etc" like the fact that we didn't get a wise old lady who was a clear rip off of Laurie Cabot teaching us about real Witchcraft in a very censor friendly and warm way pisses me off to no end. MISSED OPPORTUNITY HER!!!

Nancy's Behavior - So many times in this game Nancy behaved out of character to me. Like I get it, ya wanted to be all like "let's challenge her belief in ghooooosts!!" but it wasn't done correctly. Nancy wouldn't react to seeing ghosts like Scooby Doo and Shaggy.

Call Backs/Easter Egg - I appreciated the Easter Egg in this game being a literal colorful egg but it was a lame spot to hide it considering it was in plain view. However I appreciated the call backs to previous games with KoKo Kringles, Robotic Cats, and the Dear Sweet Charlotte jack-o-lantern.

Ghosts and Jumpscares - 10/10 best aspect of the game by far. The witch ghost over the bed actually got me really good and the ghosts in the underground tunnels were the best graphics of the game.

Pumpkins - Another charming part of the game that I actually enjoyed more than I anticipated. It was really cute and a fun stupid little thing to work on through out the game to find all the candles and put a pumpkin on each one.

Hardy Boys - PLEASE BRING THEM BACK FOR MORE GAMES AND NEVER STOP THE FRANCY SHIPPING. Also I could be tempted for Joe/Deirdre shipping js.

Overall - I'd rate the game a 4/10 and that's being nice. I liked it more than RAN but that’s really not saying much. It doesn’t come close to classic Nancy Drew Games.

Final Thoughts - I can't see any person who isn't a die hard Nancy Drew fan playing this and being like "Yeah I'll buy more of HerInteractive's future games!" like no. But I do see potential. I can see this as a beautiful beginning on a new platform making more immersive games. Or you know this could be the last game we get from HER and they close and go bankrupt and get flushed away and then the Miss Clue crew buys the rights for Nancy Drew and they make new Nancy Drew Games on the old platform with the old team....whichever works just fine for me :)

[theaurorfileshq]

– Witch-Hunters in Wichita

CASE LEVEL: Two

POINTS REQUIRED: Two Hundred Twenty

OVERVIEW:

Two wixen have turned up dead in Wichita, Kansas. Their bodies were found at sunrise three days ago –– Burned at the stake in the middle of the woods. The brother of one of the victims, Nathaniel Warren, reported his younger sister missing several days before the bodies were found, leading to the investigation that led to the discovery. According to Nathaniel, she and her boyfriend had been the victims of a break in a week earlier, yet nothing of note had been taken from their apartment.

This is the third report of wixen murdered in the same manner across Kansas and Oklahoma. Nearly every report follows the same pattern. A break in, followed by someone going missing, followed by the discovery of their burned body. Local Aurors suspect that a group of militant no-maj witch hunters are to blame, but have been unable to discover any evidence or clues that might lead to their location. With tension mounting and the wixen population of these states growing more fearful by the day, pressure is high to catch these witch hunters before they can take another life. The local Auror squad passed the cause along to MACUSA in the hopes it could be solved swiftly.

PERSONS OF INTEREST:

Richard Riker: The landlord of the apartment complex where Samantha Warren lived with her boyfriend. Local Aurors suspected he may have had something to do with the break in, since there was no evidence of forced entry.

Jacob Landen-Smith: A notorious no-maj fanatic when it comes to the subject of magic and suspected witchcraft. This charismatic young man is a good suspect for a ring leader, but there is nothing concrete Auror’s can find to link him to any of the killings.

Prosperity Brandon: Jacob Landen-Smith’s right hand man. Witness’s claim she was seen in the general vicinity of the woods where the latest bodies were found, the day before their discovery.

CHIEF’S NOTES:

Wait, this is still happening? Oh my wow, guys. This is serious. 

- Chief Ben Eames

Unfortunately this is in fact still happening, no matter how many years separate us from the Salem Witch Trials. We need to stop this and quickly, before any more victims are found. Be cautious when speaking to the fanatics, you don’t want them to know who you are. Rory has set up a concealment of two no-majs, potentially interested in joining a witch-hunter group for you. They’ve set you up with online handles, which they’ve used to begin to embed you in this specific underworld. Please be careful out there and watch each other’s backs.   

- Deputy Chief Langer

CASE STATUS: CLOSED

| RPG HOME | PLOT | WANTED CONNECTIONS | OPEN CASES |

[queerdagny]

when Lizzie McGuire is an outfit repeater

[francythat]

Miss Clue: Trials of Salem

Ok y’all here is my full first time play-by-play reactions to Miss Clue: Trials of Salem. This includes comparisons to previous Miss Clue games and various Nancy Drew games, including MID. I’ll replay MID with similar reactions and then somehow try and come up with a way to compare them. Any thoughts or suggestions on what to compare are welcome. 

I did drink during this game as I thought it was going to be a lot worse than it actually was, that being said I did get kind of wild towards the end so sorry about that for anyone that’s not on board. I did also try and note out where the Chapters end so people that have played the game could like kind of figure out what was happening? It’s so rambly. Guys I’m so sorry. Just imagine watching movies with me. It’s a lot. There are probably some spoilers in here. Hope you enjoy!

So starting off this playthrough strong, realizing I can’t insult any of my Nancy Drew wine glasses by drinking wine out of them while playing either of these games, sad day.

It’s looking like I haven’t played this game before so this should be fun. 

I hate that I love Pride and Prejudice so much that I love that they just throw it in there even if it’s in a ridiculous way. 

These ghosts out here looking way better than the ghost of the horse in SHA

No mom jeans or horse shirts for Jane Darcy. Her trunk still more fashionable in 1692 than Nancy in 2020.

LANIIII

Ok I’m sorry but she said “Miss True” but it definitely sounded like Miss Drew. I see you Miss Clue. 

Score one for Miss Clue, suggesting a chore to help someone before the game actually introducing the person and implying she needs help aka forcing Miss Clue to do a chore. 

Feeling really weird Bethia is giving me the Deirdre vibes from MID aka always right behind me.

-- End of Chapter 1 Part 1 --

So they released chapters of the game like once a week and like could y’all imagine if HER only gave us half of MID and then was like yeah check back in 5 yrs for the other half??? 

Oh no, time for the first puzzle! 

Yeah it totally makes sense for me to click in the air and zoom in on a trunk ok thanks game. 

When did I pick that up????!

This is slightly repetitive but also kind of therapeutic. I don’t hate it. And they didn’t make me repeat it 30 times. Thank you!!!

-- End of Chapter 1 Part 2 --

Death #1. 

This puzzle was like actually not that bad. Has Miss Clue actually improved??

Also Miss Clue out here like continually thinking of others even while on a case. Mad respect. 

That stupid ass Raven. What ND game does that sound like? 

Started drinking when I see “ghosts” (3) or when the game just makes me go “tf?” (2) 

OH I know the name of that part of the tack is called the bellyband but I don’t know how to tighten it? Sorry lady that man is NOT buying it. 

Also started drinking when she repeats really obnoxious phrases. I get the game is free but gahhh hearing the same line over and over to be like yeah that’s not what you’re supposed to do is just a lot. 

I wish I had a man to give me a massage after I go outside. 

Girl how do you know the phases of the moon?

-- End of Chapter 2 --

Kind of wish I had started drinking every time they said witch. 

Oh yeah Miss Clue English ladies TOTALLY creep into sleeping men’s bedrooms at night. Come on Miss Clue just ride bareback this ain’t worth your reputation as a lady.

Death #2

Is the horse riding animation smoother than SHA? Maybe? 

-- End of Chapter 3 --

Lol THIS puzzle. Did you steal this from HER? Maybe?

Lol death # 3

Wow that was kind of dumb. 

Mrs. Bradbury sounds like a mix of 1995 Lady Catherine DeBourgh and Dame Maggie Smith and I’m like living for it.

Ugh what an A**hole. And also screw the Crown. Ugh some people are so disgusting.

Sir I don’t think God gives a sh*t about preserving society. AKA your stupid hierarchy of meaningless garbage over people.

Navigation has kind of improved from some of the older Miss Clue’s so that’s good. 

TF lady you’re so bossy I thought I did that for you already. 

Actually lady you probably should have locked up the house but just putting on your nightgown and going to sleep is ok too I guess. 

“Ewww, that doesn’t go with today at all!” Ok bish it’s clean and you didn’t wear it yesterday or last night so what do you mean??? But if you’re going to be whiny about it and you won’t wear your nightgown guess I’ll give you literally the only other thing left. 

Janie out here sounding like the mom from Mary Poppins. 

Did I break the game trying to figure out how to do this “puzzle” (we know MID would label it a puzzle)? I think I did. Time to figure out how to restart. 

Did I just teleport? I’m confused. 

How do you know she’s doing better? You didn’t actually see her!!

Wish they would’ve explained the game instead of giving me the history but OK. 

Yeah I have NO idea how to play this game. She’s cheating. WOW I lost and didn’t have to replay. Thank goodness for that!!

-- End of Chapter 4 --

Tbh I really thought this game was going well but now it’s starting to get to me. Can I survive until the end of the game? 

Is it just because I’m super buzzed or super single or both that I like love this guy? Someone send help please. 

Ok I take it back the naviagation here is bad. Also new music, definitely upped the creepy atmosphere so good job. 

I can’t decide if I’m happy we don’t ever have to get Nancy into pajamas before she’ll go to sleep in any of the games or not. Lol can you imagine the games where you can just sleep infintely changing her pajamas like 30 times oh gosh. 

Ok lady you’ll wear that dress now? Because that makes sense. Probably because it’s the only clean one left. I feel like brown doesn’t scream the spirit of freedom you’re trying to give for today but that’s just me I guess. 

WHEN DID I PICK THAT UP!!!!

This is a failed opportunity to make this extra puzzley. But still a puzzle by MID standards. I’m sad I can’t fail and repeat like the mint cookies in DAN. 

HOW IS THAT NOT RIGHT! Yes me clicking repeatedly will make it suddenly right I promise game. Ugh I got ahead of myself reading the recipe. How stupid. But also who measures in inches how much they put in something besides like maybe inches of a stick of butter? I’m so annoyed with this game. 

I would like this horse to be called Bob and her to say “Come on Bob” instead of “Let’s go Runner” or whatever she says to the horse. 

“I hope when your brother gets married he lets his wife name the children.” Woooow

I miss not tightening the harnesses enough so Nancy falls off the horse and dies....

“Let’s see if we can find our way to Judge Corwin’s today” does the path change based on the day Jane? What the h?

Is this Snape? 

EW I hate these guys.

 -- End of Chapter 5 --

 Only one more chapter to go thanks goodness.

Died again. twice. Ok third time’s the charm I’m SURE. 

Also “What are you doing in my swamp?!” comes to mind. 

How many times do I let myself die before I cheat and look up the solution?

WAIT WHAT??!!! I thought I solved it!! This is like death 5 guys this is not ok.

WOOOOOWWW. I missed one click. I can’t deal.

UGH THESE GUYS ARE SO EVIL!!!

And just like that we out bishes. 

Yes lady the groom heard the invisible bell go off as you entered the stables so he just happens to know you returned and he has to deal with the horse....

LOL I thought I got away without solving the puzzle. I didn’t. RIP. 

Minus one for the good guys. Died again.

Lol this animation is maybe only slightly better than the MID ones. But otherwise the rest of the graphics seem to be better than MID. 

No that looks like someone is dead. Does anyone actually sleep with their head covered so they can suffocate? I don’t think so. Ah bonnet sticking out covers that. Nevermind. Also lady you really think these men will know this looks exactly like your bonnet? Hell frickin no. They’re DUDES. And it’s A WHITE BONNET. At night. On a lady who is going to DIE. They literally don’t care at all and would not notice.

I don’t think you should be talking when you’re trying to escape lady. 

Then we got this like Mr. Scrooge looking guy. But good for y’all for actually designing two characters we only see for like 30 seconds instead of doing something shady like the beginning of MID. Not sorry.

Yo they ain’t hiding these peeps at all. I don’t have a lot of faith in them now tbh.

This resolution letter is really not as exciting as actually seeing more of the resolution. 

LOL at least this game left with a teaser for the next game. Although LOL they advertised it’d be out in Feb of 2017 and looks like we are still waiting on it.  Now if HER announces their next game and it sounds similar to “Curse of the devil’s heart” I think they’re going to be screaming “That’s karma” at the Miss Clue people. 

But also, was there really a mystery to this game? I don’t think so. I think this game took me like almost 3 hours to complete though so like not bad? I did kind of know what I was doing though so that helped I think.

[littlemisssquiggles]

With the RWBY First Look out, do you think Jaune is going to be one to find Oscar or do you think it's still Ruby? Some people are even theorizing Blake to be the one to find Oscar. What do you think?

Wellright now Blake is with Ruby. Since JNR are together, I’m going to assume RWBYis too along with Maria. If anything I think it will end with everyone minusRuby finding Oscar at the Wall. I actually wouldn’t mind if Ruby iswith her group at first but leaves following a disturbing phone call from Qrow. Maria mentioned atrial by fire in order for Ruby to fully master control of her Silver Eyes,right? I think we can all probably take a wild guess at what that trial isgoing to be. So this is what I think will go down:

Aswe already learnt from the C9 preview, the group are split up trying to findOscar. JNR is in one part of Argus searching so my assumption is that RWBY plusMaria are in another.

Myhunch is that through C9, we’ll get Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren probablyrecalling times in Mistral where they spent with Oscar as a way of piecingtogether clues to places he might go to in Argus. So we’ll get more flashbacksfrom Mistral focused entirely on RNJR’s ties with Oscar including one that wastaken after the Haven Battle during his recovery.

Atthe end of the episode, I think Ruby will be the one to figure out where Oscar is.She’ll figure out that he went to the Wall of Argus and will inform JNR of this. But before Ruby can geta chance to go to the Wall herself, she receives a very distressed message fromQrow that really worries her.

I made a theory aboutRuby having a fall out with Qrow which results in her slapping or at leastconfronting him about his apathetic behaviour and disregard for Oscar because Ifeel like RWBYMwill find Qrow hammered somewhere at local pub. But when Rubyapproaches Qrow with the idea of helping them search for Oscar from the airsince Qrow in his bird form might have a quicker chance of finding the farm boy,Qrow refuses and instead retaliates by saying something heartless about Oscarwhich sets Ruby off (finally) and the Silver Eyed huntress really lets heruncle have it and the result leaves Qrow stunned.

Upset,Ruby storms off to resume her search for Oscar while she and the others leaveQrow to the mess he’s made of himself. Like I said, before the episode’s end, Ruby will figure outfor the group to go to the Wall to find Oscar but won’t join them because of acall from Qrow.

Sowhile everyoneelse go to the Wall to find Oscar, Ruby will go in search of Qrow with Mariaand Weiss. So by the end of C9, the one’s to find Oscar will probably be Jaune,Nora, Ren, Yang and Blake.

Jaunespecifically because he has to apologize to Oscar first for what he did and thecruel things he said to him and Blake because I think Blake will be the one to give Oscar the talk aboutrunning away.

Thatspeech has to come from Blake and think it’ll be Blake’s words that reach Oscarthe most especially when she brings up the point that in spite of whattranspired with Ozpin, Ruby still cares very deeply about Oscar and has beenworried sick about him since he went missing and this will make Oscar feelguilty about making Ruby worry about him since we know how much Oscar caresabout Ruby’s well-being.

PersonallyI actually don’t’want Ruby and Oscar to reunite until the finale because I feel like if Ruby sees Oscar all safe andsound, she’ll definitely hug him. For those of us who have been anticipatingthat big RosegardeningRosebuds hug, I think it’s coming but I feel like it should be reservedbest for the finale. I think it’ll have more impact in the finale. But this isjust my opinion here.

Ialso don’t want Ruby to be the one to convince Oscar to come back. I think it’llhave more meaning if JNR and the Bumblebee pair are the ones to talk to Oscarin Ruby’s place. We know Ruby and Oscar are pretty much ride or die with eachother, right? They’ve proven that with each other one too many time and I feellike there is much more to their buddingfriendship that has yet to be seen. Rosebuds Forever Whatever!

But whatabout the rest of the team? It’ll be better if we get the rest of the team convincingOscar to come back. Besides I really feel like at the same time Oscar is found,Ruby will be off dealing with Qrow. And while that’s happening, I want themajority of the heroes to be at the Wall since I also have a feeling like thatwill lead into the group witnessing the impending threat that they’ll befending Argus against in the finale.

TheV6 opening showed Weiss helping Ruby up so I feel like in theevent of Qrow disappearing and running into whatever Grimm monstrosity’s goingto snatch him up eventually, Weiss will be right there with Maria in helpingRuby find Qrow in her trial by fire.

Theothers: Jaune,Nora, Ren, Blake and Yang will be the ones to find Oscar at the Wall of Argus.I want Yang to be most present in finding Oscar because justlike Jaune, she will also need to apologize toOscar for her behaviour with Ozpin. Plus I want Yang to be there when Blakegives her big speech about running away to Oscar because I feel like it’ll helpwith mending any awkward tension left in the Bumblebee friendship.

Blakecan offer Oscar the insight of what it’s like to be the runaway fleeing yourfriends because you think they’re better off without you when the reality doesn’tsupport that; offering her experience with Sun from Menagerie while Yang canprovide the perspective of the pain one feels when they think their loved onehas abandoned them all together and give her understanding of what that meansall wrapped up in a potential apology to Oz, maybe.

Thenas Oscar is taking into consideration all what the others have said to him,that’s when we’ll get the set-up into the conflict for the V6 finale. Thereason why I want some of our heroes to be at the Wall of Argus is because ifsomething is going to come from beyond the wall to attack the town, the heroeswill be among the first to spot it.

Whetherthat finale will involve Adam Taurus suddenly making an appearance with an armyof Apathy or just more Apathy in general, I’m not sure. If there’s one thing I’llsay about the V6 finale is that I don’t expect Salem’s forces or Neo and Cinder to show upin Argus.

I’veheard fans mention the WTCH crew showing up or Neo and Cinder showing up inArgus. However some fans are forgetting some important details from previous episodes this season. In C4, Salemgave her orders to deploy part of her team to go to Vacuo while others head forAtlas. Though not confirmed, I think Hazel alongside Mercury and Emerald will be the threedeployed to head for Shade Academy in Vacuo while Tyrian heads to Atlas with ArthurWatts as his companion since the scientist has ties to the kingdom.

Asfor Cinder and Neo, they’re going to Atlas too. Cinder asked Neo to specifically help her getto Atlas. She didn’t say Argus. She said Atlas. So if we’re going to seeCinder and Neo, it’ll be on a transport vehicle heading towards Atlas.

Soof all the villains, I don’t expect Hazel, Mercury, Emerald, Tyrian, Watts,Cinder or Neo to show up in Argus anytimesoon. The showhas confirmed these villains for elsewhere.

Theonly villain left unaccounted for is Adam Taurus. If there is one villain I expect tosee in the V6 finale stirring up chaos in Argus, it’s Adam Taurus. Wedidn’t get that AdamCharacter Trailer for kicks. Wealready know what the other villains are going to be up to. All that’s left is Adam’s Final Stand.The moment he becomes Lionized.  

Adam will bethe final boss of V6 andwhile I’m aware that the season hasn’t been dropping much on what he’s been upto since the first episode, that’s what I feel V6 C11 will bring us. Adam will be in thefinal fight of the season and C11 will provide us with the details on how heprobably has been following the heroes since the Argus Limited’s departure andhas been cooking up trouble in the background to prepare for one final Attackon Argus.

Thenafter C11, we’ll get our big Defend Argus showdown inC12 and 13.That’s my bestguess on how the pacing is going towork. If the Writers decide to bring Adam back in for the finale, it wouldn’tsurprise me that they’ll do it this way because it’s exactly how it happenedback in V3.

IfI recall, throughout V3, Adam’s presence was alluded to through the seasonuntil his appearance in the last 2-3 episodes of the volume. I feel like theCRWBY Writers might repeat what they did in the Fall of Beacon for the finaleof V6. If Adamis the final boss of V6, then they probably pay homage to the season he’s mostknown for: V3. That is my best guess for how things are going to godown.

Icould be wrong but that’s my best bet.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2018)

[salemroleplayhq]

❝ I just wanted you to know that this is me trying. ❞

MEET…

Sydney Moore

Age: 29

Birthday: May 23, 1992

Gender/Pronouns: Female She-her

Hometown: Salem

Length of time in Salem: Entire life

Occupation: EMT

Faceclaim: Chloe Bennet

HER STORY

TW: Parent Death, Addiction and Drug Abuse

Growing up in one of the biggest Halloween tourist destination in the US wasn’t something that Sydney was exceptionally proud of. As much as she loved her small town, she hated the fact that once people heard where she was from, it was all of a sudden questions about if she had ever seen real witches or if she was descended from the witch trials. However, the girl never really let it get to her. Her parents had met in Salem in their early 20’s and ended up opening up a themed catering business together before having Sydney. When they had her, they always told her that it was ‘the perfect missing piece to the puzzle of their life.’ No matter how busy they were or what they were doing, Syd was always the first thing they worried about. It was the three of them against the world.

When Syd was 12, her happy life shattered. She was woken with a knock at the door and the police telling her that there had been an accident. There was a fire at the Wearhouse that her parents kept for all their supplies….they never made it out. With her parents dead, Sydney was faced with two choices. Move out of Salem to the west coast to be with her dads side of the family…or stay in Salem with her moms sister and have some semblance of a normal life. She chose the latter.

It got hard after her parents death. Though Syd tried to open up to her aunt about it, the once lively girl shut down and started to resent the world. Most of the people she hung around in school started drifting away because she shut them out. She ended up throwing herself into sports and school so she wouldn’t have to think. Her senior year of high school, playing soccer, Sydney blew her knee out during a game. Though the damage wasn’t permanent, the girl still had to stop playing for the season. The pain meds they gave her helped, but eventually she started craving more and by the time Sydney graduated, she had a full blown addiction to pills.

She knew that her parents would be FURIOUS if they had known, but it was the first thing in a long time that helped her kill the pain and she wasn’t about to give it up. Besides, she was fully functioning…right?

Going to the local college, Sydney honestly had no clue what she was going to do. She ended up originally going into something for business management to restart her parents business, but life went a different way for her. Syd freshmen year was a blur of partying and drugs. She found that the more she hung out with that crowd, the easier it was to hide the feelings of emptiness that she had. And eventually it was just too hard to stop.

One night though, everything did stop and it ended up causing the girl to realize exactly how destructive she was being. Taking time her sophomore year, Sydney ended up doing online courses and helping her aunt out at her shop. While doing that she ran into an old acquaintance from high school. Lachlan Peters. He knew what had happened to her parents…everyone did. But as they got closer the following summer, he found out about everything that she had been through after that. And the real reason why she had come home that year.

Though she had never really talked about it, Lachlan never judged her and instead offered to be there as an ear to listen. Growing closer, some romantic feelings started to evolve, however by the end of it they both realized that they were both better off as just being really good friends. And that was something that Sydney had needed in the end.

PERSONALITY

+  Empathetic, Dependable, Headstrong

-  Impulsive, Addictive

Sydney is played by LEX.