#no seriously this was from me being gorey

[wrenmoonie]

Six Fanarts but I used the Hunger Games Simulations to decide

[barefoothighlander]

You're an amazing writer I hope you know that! What about something SFW with ghost discovering his GN s/o as a mask kink that doesn't stop at the balaclava. He just discovers that they have this weird obsession for fictional slasher guys (ghostface, Jason....) and literally any masked characters. Because I know damn well everyone reading this will relate lol! I hope you have a good day or night!

spreading the mask kink agenda🫡

warnings: gn pronouns, mostly fluff

It always intrigued him how focused you were when the two of you had movie nights, always opting for some sort of slasher film, he swore you had seen the scream movies at least 20 times during the span of your relationship.

You always watched with such intent, your eyes never leaving the screen even when some gorey scene would flash on, he was used to the violence, experiencing it first hand but he’d never seen anyone be so calm about it.

Truthfully it concerned him at first, how unfazed you were by the violence considering you would squirm when he spoke about work, he spent most of the movie watching your reactions, your face never contorted in fear or disgust, always wide-eyed in interest.

Fridays were always movie nights when he was home, a designated few hours where it was just the two of you, enjoying each other's company.

“How about a comedy?” He asks his hand on the remote flicking through the categories on the tv.

“How about Friday the 13th?”

“You’ve seen it already”

“It’s a good movie”

“You know what happens though”

“Yea but I like to rewatch, try and catch things I didn’t notice before”

“You always pick slasher films”

“Do I?”

“Yes” He looks at you with a blank expression, “C’mon let’s pick something new”

“Halloween?”

“Seriously?”

“I haven’t seen the new one”

“You’re obsessed, I swear you have a thing for guys in masks” He jokes

You freeze in your position, eyes glued to him as his words pass through your head.

“What no comeback?”

You purse your lips, shaking your head lightly as you move closer to him, sitting on the couch, the two of you settle on an old comedy movie, something to do with golfing, you aren’t paying attention, his words repeating in your head.

guys in masks

“You alright love?”

His voice breaks your trance, pulling your attention to him, his hand tracing soft patterns on your legs that sit on his lap.

“Yeah, why?”

“You haven’t said a word the whole movie, not even a pity laugh”

“Oh, just thinking I guess”

He turns his body to you, tilting his head in question, “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing, just something stupid”

“C’mon, you have to tell me now”

“It’s just, what you said, I have a thing for guys in masks” You mutter

His hand stops moving, resting on your leg as his eyes watch your face for any sign of insincerity, he watches you avoid his stare, your fingers fiddling with the hem of your sweater.

“You’re being serious.”

You bite your lower lip, nodding lightly as you drop your head back, your hands covering your face at the awkward interaction, he shifts in his spot, sitting on his legs as he places his hands over yours, pulling them from your face to see you.

Your cheeks are hot as you open your eyes to see him,

“Is that why you ask me to keep mine on when we?”

“Yeah, m’sorry, it’s dumb”

“No, no it’s just, odd maybe”

“You think I’m weird” You huff a breath

“Love I’m the one that wears a skull on my face to work, if anyone’s strange it’s me” He smiles, his response relaxing your shoulders. “So what is it about the mask?”

“I dunno, the mystery maybe”

“S’that all?”

“It’s intriguing, I can’t see what faces you’re making, just your eyes”

“My eyes?”

“They’re very expressive”

He turns his face from you for a moment, thinking your words over in his head, “Expressive?”

“Yes” You let out a small chuckle, “It gives nothing away, it’s like there’s a whole different person behind the mask”

“Someone other than me?”

“Kinda, It’s always you but it just feels different when you have the mask on, trust me I don’t want anyone but you but with the Ghost rather than Simon it’s just, different”

“Different good or different bad?”

“Different good”

“So that’s why you like all the horror films”

“I guess, I’m just drawn to them, the mystery behind the killer”

“But not the killing itself?”

“Sometimes”

He quirks his head at your response, heat suddenly rising back to your cheeks.

“So the mask just, does it for you?”

“It does”

His hands resume tracing patterns over your legs, “This is… Useful information”

You cover your mouth to muffle your laugh as he grins at you, “So masks”

“Masks.” You nod

“Alright c’mon” He stands from the couch, his hand extending to you.

“Where?” You stand, taking his hand as he walks the two of you out of the room.

“To get the mask” He answers like the question was absurd, tugging you towards the bedroom.

[radioisntdead]

The Hazbin hotel

Hazbin hotel x reader

200 followed special [THANK YOU SO MUCH!!]

Summary: it's been years since the opening of the Hazbin hotel, things have greatly changed, everyone but you has moved on.

An Au fic that was inspired by this request by our dear Xin [WE LOVE THEIR BRAIN FOR GIVING US AMAZING REQUESTS]

Song used

The Hazbin hotel was opened many, many years ago by her Royal highness Queen Charlie, along with Queen consort Vaggie, with a group of sinners behind it.

Alastor, The feared Radio demon, the reliable hotelier or a traitor? No one really knew what happened to him, was he redeemed? Was he permanently wiped out? Maybe he's still lurking around, waiting, watching.

Angel dust the first resident, former Pornstar. Redeemed.

Husker, a grumpy old cat dragged in by Alastor to play bartender and former Gambling overlord, redeemed.

Niffty, another soul brought in by Alastor, the hotel's maid, janitor or whatever you'd like to call her, the one who killed the first man, she hung around for a while after Alastor's disappearance before vanishing without a trace. Redeemed? Dead? Freed?

Sir Pentious, the first to have his picture hung on the wall, He who sacrificed his life for the hotel and the residents inside, the first one redeemed.

Cherri bomb, the literal Queen of bombs, helped in the battle during the last extermination day, she gave redemption a shot, and it worked. redeemed.

And lastly, you, the third resident to come to the hotel, trusted friend, the last one there, a truly more then just reliable Hotelier. Unredeemed.

Come rest your bones next to me

"Charlie, The hotel is doing great, you don't have to worry, how's everything on your end?"

You asked, phone snuggled between your ear and shoulder as you filled out paperwork for a new resident, another sinner who had just arrived to hell and wanted out.

"It's going good! [Name] it's so different from when we started, people are taking me seriously, I think hell's becoming a better place, well, for some sinners and hellborn anyway,"

Charlie's voice rung out from the phone, she had taken to working on making hell a little better, for her people, for sinners who could be redeemed but didn't want to go through the process, for the soulless hellborn who struggled to make good decisions because of the environment they were born in.

And the fate for sinners who didn't have it in their hearts to be redeemed, well, it was hell, and while exterminations were no longer a thing, a hunting season of sorts was put in for sinners like Valentino or worse.

Some overlords were exempt from their hunting seasons, such as Rosie or Carmilla Carmine, the Vee's for example however, if they were still around and kicking they wouldn't be exempt.

She realized that not everyone can, or should be redeemed, and it was, while gorey a way for exorcists to have somewhat of a purpose.

And toss all your thoughts to the sea

Things were changing for the better, hopefully.

"I know you said that you don't want to but if you ever change your mind about getting redeemed, I can-"

"Charlie, I appreciate that you want me to go up there, but I'm fine here, and I like helping out with the hotel, trust me if I ever wanted to get redeemed you'd be the first to know but that's not happening anytime soon," you sighed as you stamped a logo onto the paperwork and handed it to your assistant, a Imp by the name of Cici, to put away in a folder.

"Are you sure? You kn- Oh! No, no don't do that that's-" you heard a loud crash from her side of the phonecall, "I gotta go [Name], talk to you later bye!" She said in a rush, you quickly bid her a goodbye before she hung up.

I'll pull up each of our anchors

You took in a deep breath as you leaned back into your chair, Charlie had offered countless times to get someone else to takeover being hotelier so you could be redeemed and reunite with your friends above.

You had declined everytime.

You once in awhile stole something or murked some unfortunate sinner in order to keep yourself from accidentally getting redeemed.

That shining heavenly light made an appearance at unpredictable times, could be in the dead of the night, or in the middle of dinner.

Sometimes you wouldn't be able to say goodbye, it gave other residents a reason to keep going in order to reunite with their friends or family.

So we can get lost, you and me

Being a Hotelier of the Hazbin hotel was a bittersweet job, on one side, you got to help sinners redeem themselves, watch them better themselves, get help, healing, become friends and find a sense of family in others.

You told yourself to stop getting attached but you couldn't help it, they were all such interesting people, they lived, they died, they had their sins that they were damned for.

From all walks of life, from those given an unlucky hand at birth, those born with the silverest of spoons in their mouths, those who didn't even have a chance to be better in life, for those who did their sins in order to protect or provide for someone.

They were all here at the hotel for the same thing, to be redeemed, for a better afterlife.

My heart is buried in Venice

On the other side, you were left alone, the old went up and new souls came in.

You learned their stories, you became their friend, you got attached and you were left alone.

You missed them, you missed the original group.

You missed listening to Charlie's dreams that have since become a reality, you missed hanging out with Vaggie, you missed bonding with Angel dust and Cherri bomb, shit talking Valentino or just talking about things, you missed having a drink with Husk, making Niffty clothes or helping her with the roaches, helping wrangle Sir Pentious's eggs, listening to Alastor's radio broadcasts.

The two of you were good friends, and yet you don't even know what became of the deer, at least you had Rosie.

Hidden beneath all my worries and doubts

Maybe you'd get answers to what happened if you got redeemed but, you couldn't.

You were afraid of what could become of you in heaven.

My heart is buried in Venice

It was funny you actively encouraged others to better and redeem themselves, yet you don't give yourself the same treatment?

Maybe it was because subconsciously the sins of your past still weighed heavy on your back, maybe because you still haven't forgiven yourself for what you've done.

So you refuse to give yourself the same kind treatment you give others, keeping you in place here.

Waiting for someone to take it home

It was a hypocritical move of yours.

Even when you try to hide it

You missed how things were back when the hotel was in its infancy, there was the good and the bad, sometimes you wish you could go back, but you knew that almost everyone was in better places now.

Things changed for the better and yet you were choosing to be stuck, missing the past.

You knew you could make the choice to redeem yourself, you've done enough good, if you stopped the pickpocketing or occasional murder you would be out of here.

Reunited with the friends and family you've made inside of these hotel walls, people you missed dearly and the people who've changed so much since they've been redeemed.

But you just couldn't.

A smile creeps out from your teeth

Maybe one day you'd choose to redeem yourself and move on like the others before you, choosing to forgive yourself for whatever sin brought you down here.

But that wasn't happening anytime soon.

I never thought that I would have to say, "I'm sorry"

You got up from your chair, dusting off your suit that was in your colors, making sure you looked professional for when you left your little office.

For anyone but me

Your shoes clicked against the floors, you scanned around the hotel, sinners were everywhere.

Some at the bar drinking and chatting away, some in the lobby playing games with each other or watching whatever was on the tv, some were hidden away in their rooms but they were there.

Now my heart is buried in Venice

Pictures of those redeemed hung proudly on the walls, from Sir Pentious, the first one redeemed to the latest sinner to be redeemed.

Waiting for someone to take it home

The hotel had changed so much from when it started.

It was hard to believe that the bug filled, subpar hotel from before had grown into this spectacular sight, with souls ready for redemption.

It was a bittersweet feeling to see it all.

Say, say what you mean

The Hazbin hotel was a successful venture, one that you were proud to be apart of.

Tell me the truth or tell me you're through

From sinners redeemed and otherwise, to the friends you still had here in hell and the ones that were living it up in heaven, they will forever remain in your memories like precious jewels.

Oh, oh, oh, don't leave me to breathe

You took a breath and grinned as you stood in front of the hotel residents.

Don't leave me to bleed

"Alrighty, who's ready for today's exercises!"

You had clasping your hands together.

"Oh! Me! I'm excited what are we doing? Painting? Trust falls?"

"Not me."

"It's time for that already??"

There were more responses from others, but just the first three gave you a brief sense of nostalgia.

For someone who chose to leave me be

You motioned for Cici to roll out a bucket of activities fully intending on having them vote for what they wanted to do that day.

My heart is buried in Venice

Everyone had moved on from the hotel, everyone except you.

You were the last one standing there, and you were okay with that.

Maybe one day you'd get redeemed, whether it be on purpose or by accident because you forgot to commit another sin you didn't know.

But for now you'd continue as you always do, helping others redeem themselves.

Waitin' for someone to take it home.

GOOD EVENING FOLKS! I DIDN'T PROCRASTINATE UNTIL AFTER WE HIT ANOTHER MILESTONE THIS TIME! [I say like we aren't at 293 of you lovely folks! I was cutting it close, I'm thinking of making a discord server as a celebration for 300, you get soup edits, snippets of future fics, barnaby pictures, and maybe new friends that are fellow fans of hazbin hotel!]

I tried going for a little fancy gif instead of my usual headers just for some special pizzazz, afterall it isn't everyday you hit a huge milestone! ALSO IF YOU NOTICED MY IMP OC CICI made an appearance! I love her I gotta draw her again.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed, thank you for tuning on in, both old and new folks I'm glad to have you tuning into my lil' ol' blog, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

[shiro-s2e2-erukinzu]

Anime only watchers and people who aren't caught up with the Manga, BEWARE... Cuz I'm about to discuss Spy X Family Mission 87... You have been warned...! 👌

[SPOILERS AHEAD FROM THIS POINT ON]

Man, it's been awhile... BUT WE'RE FINALLY BACK BABY!! 😆

And as I suspected, today's chapter turned out to be a pretty chill one...!! 😄 So let's talk about it, shall we? 😁

First off...:

WHAT KIND OF EXCUSE IS THAT FIONA (AND OR WISE!?!?) 😂 If I heard that someone fell from the fourth floor to the first floor, I WOULD'VE ASSUMED THAT THEY DIED!! 😵

(Also, Mr. Gorey from Mission 67 shows up, nice[?] to him again...! I guess... 😌)

Anyway, Mr. Gorey is there to drop off the medical files of the VIP patients, but then the "nurse" comes in to tell him to leave Fiona to rest, and I just as I suspected, the "nurse" was actually Handler!! 😆

It always nice to see Handler / Sylvia and it's also nice see how much she cares for her agents...!! 💗😊💗

We also get some confirmation that Fiona's training in woods might've actually saved her from being in even worse shape than she already is...!! 😆

I LOVE THIS CALLBACK!! 😆

After that, this happens...:

HAHAHAHAHA!! 🤣😂

This just confirms for me that Handler is the goat and can read her agents like a book!! 😖

After seeing what Fiona was up to, we cut back to the Forgers and...:

OH MY GOSH...!! THE PROGRESS!!! 💗😍💗

We're finally getting confirmation that Yor's cooking is GETTING BETTER...!! 🥹

I've been hoping since Mission 24 that we'd progressively hear about how Yor's cooking was getting better and better...!! But, that didn't really happen until JUST NOW...

...IN MISSION 87...!! 😤

Oh Endo, what am I gonna do with you...? 😌

Moving on, after breakfast Loid heads to his room to rest while Anya and Yor spend some time together...!! 💗🥹💗 Yor asks Anya if she had fun at the zoo, which of course she did, and shows her mama what she got at the zoo...!! And just like in Short Mission 3, Bond gets jealous...!! 😁

But instead of ripping up her new plush pal like he did with Agent Penguinman, he ruffles his fur to look like a lion to get Anya's attention!! 🤭

After seeing Bond look like a lion, Anya asks Bond to try to mimic other animals to varying degrees (Elephant Bond was not a success, while Giraffe Bond was... 🤭😂🤣 You get idea...!! 😁)

After that, Yor fixes Bond's hair brushing him and seeing how happy he looks, Anya wants to get her hair brushed as well...!! 💗

This just warms my heart to the highest degree...!! 💗🥹💗 (I am loving all this BONDing time between the three of them...!! 💗😭💗)

Then... The man, the myth, the legend; FRANKY RETURNS!! 😆

And Anya tries to have him get his hair did, but Yor declines because she thinks no one will recognize him...!! 🤣

Poor Franky...!! 😌

Finally, Loid hears the commotion and comes out of his room, only for him to immediately go back into his room...!! 🤣

And that was Mission 87, a fun return after a four week wait that honestly felt like forever!! Seriously, I don't know why, but the wait for this chapter really felt like we waited TWO WHOLE MONTHS instead of just one...!! 😵

Besides my horrible sense of time, this chapter was an absolute delight...!! 😊 From Sylvia and Fiona's interaction to Yor and Anya's mother daughter time (with Bond), I enjoyed it a ton...!! 💗😁💗

I'm excited to see what's next for our favorite manga / anime family, the Forgers and what Endo is gonna put them through!! 😁

But before I go, I'd like to do something that haven't really done before, recommend a series I've recently became a fan of...!! 😄 The series that I'm recommending is called Undead Unluck...!! I started reading it two Thursdays ago, and...

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT...!! 💗😍💗

It's about an undead guy who meets an unlucky girl that causes bad things to happen whenever someone touches her... The undead guy (Andy) wants the the unlucky girl (Fuuko) to give him THE GREATEST DEATH EVER, and then their journey begins...!!

I don't know if it'll be everyone's cup of tea (especially from just that short synopsis that I just gave 😅), but I think that if y'all just give it a shot and stick with it for a bit, you'll (hopefully) be enthralled by the amazing cast of characters, their development and the crazy world that they live in...!! 😁 (Or you could also just watch the anime for it that's coming out in October, but I still suggest reading as well...!! 😊👍)

Sorry to disrupt my usual flow of my reviews to promote another manga, but I honestly haven't had another manga that has grabbed my attention this much in recent years since Spy X Family and Chainsaw Man, and I just want more people to give a chance after I myself ignored it for years...!!

Anyway, that's all I'll gotta say because now I gotta go read Chapter 173 of Undead Unluck since I finally caught up to the series last night...!! 😁 So until the next mission, take care, be safe out there and be kind to one another...!! Later!! 👋😁

[dimeadozencows]

I was looking back at your past Gaster content from your old account (specifically the pieces where he’s interacting with other Narrators from other games), and I feel that the Narrator from Slay the Princess would be a natural addition to the gang.

In fact, I’d argue he’s a lot like Gaster in many ways.

I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this! I wanted to give this ask the attention it deserves but i've been super busy- then had a few weeks off and decided to relax- but i'm doing it now!!

First of all, i've known about slay the princess for a while now, but because it's such a long game (and it seemed fascinating so i wanted to sit down and appreciate it) i didn't have the chance to watch a playthrough until recently (this ask was what pushed me to finally do it, so thank you!)

This game is seriously fascinating- its genre subversion pushed to the max and i seriously enjoyed every part and route- to avoid spoiling the game for anyone i'll continue after the cut :’))

Idk if i agree with the stp narrator being similar to gaster- we don't know gaster yet!

The narrator barricades the world, lies to us, hides the truth just so we’ll continue on with an impossible mission- one that he deep down knew was an unwinnable battle. The narrator was a delusional mortal man who wanted to free the world of the inevitable pain that comes with life- those are a lot assumptions placed on my peepaw

I'm not saying that there's no way he’s at all similar to him, he might be! That's the thing about not knowing who he is or what his plan and goal are yet! But so far, to me, Gaster seems like a nice and caring powerful being who loves watching us do what we want in his world. He might've been the one to make it so our choices don't matter, and if he was then yeah they're kinda similar! But idk. We don't know yet :’]]

But if i misinterpreted this and you're talking about vibes then yeah of course sdshdjs,,, romance repulsed gaster for the win he’s british too they're twins separated at birth. Although the narrator lacks gasters innate silliness imo

Also my favourite voices were the cheated, the smitten, and above all, the paranoid :’DD definitely didn't start whisper chanting 'heart, lungs, liver, nerves' as a vocal stim. (\sarcasm, totally did) and my favourite princesses were all of them

Anyway, some doodles cus i miss him hehe

The story and vibe of Slay The Princess is so gorey and horrific compared to their games. They'd be scared i think lol (this is gaster and The Narrator from The stanley parable btw)

(Also i feel the need to mention that i DON'T believe gaster is the narrator in Undertale/Deltarune, i just like drawing him interacting with other godly and omnipresent silly beings in media i like lol)

[perpetualexistence]

Sea Monster AU: A Deal with an Eel

I'm so very proud of the name of this part. Rhyming gives me too much joy. As do memes.

Anyways, we're cooking with petrol now fellas. Once more I told myself I'd mostly copy and paste a paragraph I already have, and then I went ahead and elaborated on it. Whoops. On the plus side, if I do make this into a fic I'll have a lot of the heavy lifting cut out for me.

There's no scene with dialogue in this one, but boy howdy is there trauma. This is where it starts to get messy and gorey, so read at your own risk. I don't go into too much detail (saving that for the fic), but still. If you want to avoid the worst of it, you can stop reading where it says 'From there? A bloodbath.' and pick up again at 'Noah doesn't do so well for the first few days after that.'

TW: Gore mention, Alejandro being a manipulative ass, Cannibalism (Don't know if it really counts since it's a merfolk eating humans, but I'll just put that there just in case)

<- Previous | Start | Next ->

Noah's in quite a bind since his former best friend is now threatening to murdering him for the sake of reputation. He's never been one for words that aren't sarcastic quips, and those are probably going to get him killed faster right now. Alejandro's always been the one who was better with words. Can't exactly ask him for advice right now.

From what he knows about Alejandro, Noah can piece together that the eel likes power over others and acclaim. And apparently eating people. Whatever he's going to offer, he's going to have to make himself useful for a long period of time. Noah doesn't want Alejandro to just decide it's no longer worth it to keep him alive.

He also know there's no way he can just let Alejandro do whatever he wants in Lake Wawanawkwa. For as much as he hates his hometown, he doesn't want any of the people in it to die. Not to mention having people 'mysteriously disappear' around his hometown would probably be bad for business and serve as the final nail in the coffin for the town.

It's just his luck that Alejandro found his way to Noah's hometown first. This seriously couldn't have happened to the Big City instead?! It's got plenty more people to lose. Definitely more who deserve it. Or literally any other town that surrounds Lake Wawanakwa. The lake's the size one of the Great Lakes. It borders the US and Canada so it's got plenty of manned cargo ships and dumb asshole tourists. Noah wouldn't be surprised if Alejandro chose it for that reason.

...

Noah might have just found two problems that solve each other.

It's cruel. He's surely going to have nightmares trying to live with himself. But it will quell Alejandro's appetite, preserve the few people Noah actually cares about, and buy him enough time to figure out how to take Alejandro down permanently.

Noah tells Alejandro that if he keeps Noah around, then he'll will help Alejandro hunt.

Noah can hack into shipping routes to find ships that are going to be isolated. Check for when news about 'mysterious disappearances' starts getting more public. Use social media to find out when any touristy assholes with their big yachts are coming to one of the nearby towns for a visit. Sure, Alejandro could settle for just the waters around his town first. They'd be easy pickings with no one taking notice until most of the town was gone. But if Alejandro really wants to make a name for himself? Start with mysterious disappearances of ships in deeper waters first, and then work your way up towards the bigger towns. More challenging prey, but much more of them. Besides, Alejandro loves a challenge, right?

Noah's sick to his stomach. Alejandro just blinks at the sheer cojones of this small human that he can feel is trying not to shake like a leaf. And he beams because this is going to be a marvelous partnership.

Alejandro's not happy that he'll be forced to let Noah go for this first meal so that Noah can actually find a good ship for him using his computer. He does remind Noah that until then, Alejandro won't really have a choice but to hunt on his own. And that his new size require quite an amount of energy to maintain. And if Noah tries to use this time to set up a trap? Well, even if Noah could find something that would hurt him, Alejandro would make certain that he's not the only one who loses.

Now, off Noah goes. Alejandro knows he's got a lot to think about now. Oh, and he does expect Noah to come back again tomorrow for their regularly scheduled reading time. Alejandro's simply enthralled by the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy, and must know how it evolves!

Noah's thrown back at how Alejandro can just flip his mood around so fast. And Alejandro insists that the deal is just business. The friendship is for pleasure, and he sees no reason to stop it so long as they make sure business is always handled first. Leaving a very confused Noah to process what he's just done.

Cut to a short timeskip where Noah finds a decent sized ship he's willing to sacrifice to Alejandro. He tells Alejandro all the details, to which Alejandro thanks him. Noah's ready to turn tail and not face what he's just done when a large hand suddenly cuts off his path. Alejandro insists that Noah has to come with him. He needs to make sure Noah hasn't just created a trap for him. Besides, it'll be fun. He even got a small boat for Noah so that he can push Noah along to the hunt.

Noah wants to know where Alejandro got the boat. Alejandro wants to know if he really wants the answer to that question. Noah decides he probably doesn't need to know.

Noah knows that he has no choice, so he reluctantly gets on the boat when the time comes. Alejandro pushes the boat from under the water so that Noah can go faster that the boat could go on its own. He's so eager that he's letting out 'little' shocks in the surrounding water. So Noah's not going to be jumping out of that boat to flee even if he was stupid enough to try.

Once they're close enough to spot the ship, Alejandro leaves Noah close enough to see what's happening on the ship, but not close enough to put him in any danger. Alejandro swims under the water and Noah watches as electricity suddenly courses through the ship. Alejandro's just fried all the systems, making communications to other ships impossible.

From there? A bloodbath.

There's shouts of alarm from the crew at the electricity that just coursed through the ship. Quickly turned into fear when Alejandro emerges from the water. They beg for the sake of their families, pray to whatever god(s) they worship. Alejandro does not hold back. He grabs and squeezes sailors to death, dropping their bodies so he can move onto the next one. He tears them apart, bites them in half, swallows them whole, throws them into a wall to watch them splatter. He switches between kills as fast as he goes through sailors. It's almost wasteful if the point is to eat enough to be content for a while.

That's what clues Noah in to the fact that this isn't just a hunt. It's a performance for Noah's benefit. Because Alejandro is constantly looking back to make sure Noah's still watching (as if Noah could tear his eyes away from the sight). Alejandro's testing Noah's resolve. This isn't a test that he can afford to fail. He forces himself to keep watching.

When Alejandro is done feasting, he makes sure to sink the ship to hide the evidence of what he's done. He makes his way back to a Noah who absolutely fails to hide his fear this time around. It was one thing to stand up to Alejandro when what he said was just a threat. It's a much different story after seeing exactly what he's capable of.

Alejandro apologizes for pushing Noah so hard so fast. He promises that he'd never do the same to Noah so long as he keeps up his end of the deal. He reaches his finger close and gently uses a knuckle to brush aside some of Noah's wet hair. He gently nuzzles that knuckle against Noah's cheek, taking care not to get any blood on him. Alejandro promises Noah won't even have to find another meal for a week or two. He won't even need to come the next time around if he doesn't want to.

Noah's more than happy to take him up on that offer and just head home. To which Alejandro cleans himself of any unsightly gore, and takes Noah back.

Noah doesn't do so well for the first few days after that.

He's definitely avoiding the cove, and he's avoiding his family too. The biggest thing eating at him is the guilt that there's a very good chance the people Alejandro ate didn't actually have it coming. He just made assumptions based on who they worked for. Even if he never has to witness it again, he still knows innocents COULD be on board. This is all his fault and is the problem he made for himself. It's his responsibility to do something about this. So during his spiraling and attempting to find some way to salvage this, he comes up with a new idea.

Noah drags himself back to his spot. Alejandro's clearly been waiting for him and perks up when he spots him. Before Alejandro can say anything, Noah lays down some new terms. He's going to keep going to the hunts. BUT. He wants to be able to get on the ship before Alejandro starts slaughtering. He can use the boat to fake being a castaway or a stupid tourist who didn't put enough fuel in his boat. Anything to get whoever's on the ship to let Noah on without raising suspicion. Whether he's faking being hurt or being in trouble, he'll use that to try to determine the kind of people they are. If he manages to find someone who doesn't deserve to die, then Alejandro spares them.

Alejandro stops Noah right there. Because Alejandro likes Noah, but he can't just let Noah dictate exactly who does or doesn't get to die. No one gets to control Alejandro like that.

Noah points out that any survivors could just be used to spread stories around. If Alejandro plays his cards right, he could be viewed as a vigilante rather than a monster. It might lead to fewer people attacking him in retaliation.

Besides, Noah calls him out for doing the hunt like that for his benefit. He knows Alejandro likes an audience. So if he wants to keep Noah as a willing audience, and as anything even remotely resembling a friend, he'll agree to the new terms. Otherwise Noah will only come by to give him targets and that's it. All business, no pleasure.

Alejandro really doesn't like the fact that Noah's figured him out like this. That display should have completely cowed Noah into submission to any demands Alejandro makes in the future. Because he definitely had plans to consume more ships than Noah was for now 'allowing' to while still keeping his companionship. On the one hand, he admires Noah's intelligence. On the other hand, it means that getting Noah to do exactly what he wants is harder. Still, Alejandro agrees to these new terms. He'll get Noah completely under his thumb one way or another.

The deal has been struck. Now it's time for the routine to begin.

[kyouka-supremacy]

Ok here's how Atsushi can still get major character development via shin soukoku. Akutagawa is attacking Atsushi, but stops because he's becoming aware of himself. He's standing still, then looks up and his eyes are normal again. Atsushi smiles in relief, but then sees Fukuzawa is right behind Akutagawa, swinging his blade to get rid of his "defective tool."

And then its like slow motion, and we see Atsushi's thoughts as he moves forward, along the lines of, "Ah. I get it, now. Why Akutagawa saved me." He pushes Akutagawa down and away from Fukuzawa, but doesn't have enough time to dodge for himself. Atsushi's thoughts come up again, "I didn't realize it until now. That I really-" and then we see a large blood splatter on the ground, Akutagawa's horrified face, and Aya's screams cover the rest of the page.

(In my little scenario, we see the shadow of Atsushi's body without a head, calling back to Fukuzawa's comment in chapter 83.5. Akutagawa then violently kills Fukuzawa in blind rage and grief, stabbing through him a bunch like he did to Margaret but a lot more gorey. Then we see Tanizaki emerge holding Atsushi, alive, and the illusion of Atsushi's dead body disappears).

Sskk can still win i swear (smiling through the tears)

I'm proposing

This was such a ride oh my God. I swear to you there's NOTHING ///NOTHING/// better than the feeling of opening the askbox to an ask starting per “Ok here's how Atsushi can still get major character development via shin soukoku” followed by long text. I could get addicted to this.

“I didn't realize it until now. That I really-” is the new “You know the reason yourself don't you”. Like, it's just perfect in everything. You can't imagine how much I'd ADORE to have Atsushi return the favour and sacrifice himself for Akutagwa!!!! Like seriously peoples listen to me. Sskk is ALL about mirroring each other and story repeating itself and I NEED THIS FROM ATSUSHI. I need this growth for him I need Akutagawa to have changed him just as deeply and thoroughly as Atsushi changed Akutagawa. I need Atsushi to save Akutagawa I need Atsushi to require his love I need the circular narrative I NEED THEM. Like Atsushi looking up AND recognizing Akutagawa’s eyes AND smiling? The whole thing about him looking at Akutagawa's eyes and seeing Akutagawa in them - his Akutagawa - and that eliciting pure joy in Atsushi. The fact that Akutagawa is now okay and he can feel him by his side again and can feel his warmth and knows that he's okay. Atsushi being relieved beyond words for Akutagawa being safe. I’m so weak for them I’m going to faint. But seriously all theories aside after this I NEED Akutagawa to snap out of the vampire curse due to the power of love. I’m sorry, peoples' too good theories for my own good set my bar too high and now I need them to make out on screen by the end of this arc otherwise I'll die.

You’re right about everything I swear.  Akutagawa's horrified face I SWEAR it's such a relevant, precious? side of how his feelings for Atsushi effect him, how they make him experience a range of emotions - terror and care and dread and love and horror – that he //literally// never experienced before. And Akutagawa killing Fukuchi on the spot after he thinks Atsushi is dead- just, yes. As a side note, that’s exactly how the Beast version of chapters 84-88 would play out for me. Akutagawa's fury for losing Atsushi... The thing is, one would think that Akutagawa's death is tragic, but I believe that for him having to live in a world without Atsushi would be a way crueler fate. And it would be… kind of meaningful to bring a Tanizaki produced dead Atsushi illusion to the equation, as it would make a nice parallel to him doing it in chapter 4; a recall to how much Akutagawa has grown since then, from causing harm to Atsushi and trying to kill him, to being so inconsolably upset by his death he'd completely lose control and kill someone else for him. And this is the same “I'll kill you in six months” guy. What a loser

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPTS they give me life please don't stop

[meanbossart]

Hey, I just finished reading your fic so far (after being completely obsessed with your art as of late) and I have to say your writing style, characterization, and nuanced POV descriptions (these are not skills that come naturally to me lol) are so incredibly satisfying (cannot believe I actually read a fic for the plot lmao). I love your deranged drow and his relationships and I love Izzy. I did not know I needed more vampire spawn content in my life, but I think this is the best thing I have read in a long time and I am extremely invested.

Also absolutely fucking love your art and how visceral it is and how it simultaneously scratches the anatomy/hot men part of my brain and also the autistic part of my brain that's always wanted to draw more gorey/intense/unhinged shit but hasn't gotten around to getting good at it out of laziness/tiredness/fear that other people would be put off by it and constantly feeling like I need to tone myself down lmao.

But yeah, just wanted you to know that all of your stuff has been genuinely inspiring to me, especially as I've been developing a new character for an upcoming D&D campaign and wanting to channel a little bit of that intensity (but also nuance and depth) lol. I hope you keep doing what you do, it makes my soul happy 👍

THANK YOU I'm beyond flattered!!! Again this is my first venture into writing seriously so I'm shocked people think it's quality stuff like this. Likewise obviously my style isn't the usual for the DnD genre so I'm so glad people not only enjoy it but want to take inspiration from it!!! It's such an unique experience to have left my usual horror-oriented bubble to such a reception, all the while I feel like i have myself grown so much in my skill from seeing all the unique stuff people are putting out in this fandom, it's been such a positive experience overall.

You have yourself a lovely day and thank you again for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful message!

[tag-that-oc]

ok long ramble up ahead — tw kinda gorey descriptions, eye stuff

so i have what i call ‘solo’ ocs - which are ocs that i created without a story (at first at least) and they don’t really have a fleshed out cast of supporting characters and ive been sooooo obsessed with them lately so here’s what tarot cards i think fit them best and what the designs of them on those cards would be

Devil’s Advocate (D.A.) / Daisy as The Devil - okay this fits too easily but you must also know that she’s a LAWYER. and i decided that The Devil fit better than Justice. why - other than the fact that she just is a devil, one of the meanings attributed to the card (from a quick search) is shadow selves and Daisy’s thing is all about how she’s escaping all the expectations and the image of this ‘sweet, innocent’ little girl who can’t be taken seriously, to instead be this free devil, when everyone thinks the old Daisy is dead. some of the other meaning (especially the reverse ones) also kinda fit too !!

but ANYWAY onto the design of the card : she’s (of course) the devil and i imagine her leaning on the judge’s stand very lazily. she’s in this classy angular suit and has grey skin and fire hair billowing up. her sharp teeth are bared in a grin and she’s a got a hand with pointed claws gestured up beside her. on one side of her is the shadowy figure of the prosecutor (yeahhh she’s an attorney), who is much smaller than her on the card, and on the other side are the reporters (also shadowy figures, also small. chains are connected to each, held in her hand. the courtroom behind her is barely lit, as though at dusk, her fire being the brightest thing in there. shadow-people line the walls like in pews - they’re the jury. the way the little bit of light is scattered around the room and through the window makes it seem like there’s a stained glass window behind her and it’s a cathedral. you may see a glimpse of the bright, human daisy. behind her in the light

Shrike as Justice - and HERES a character that fits Justice SOOOO extremely well. and shrike is all about 1) hunger, and of much more relevance, 2) vengeance. she is LITERALLY eye for an eye..

I imagine Shrike emerging from her basement prison, dirtied and bloodied and cast in a heavy shadow. she’s dressed in a very dirty, very bloody, brown butcher’s apron, trousers and linen shirt. on one side she is missing an eye, a dark gorey cavity left instead, her face also heavily scarred on that side, but a shrike’s wing is extended in its full beautiful glory. on her other side, there is an eye, looking dead on and murderous, but her wing on that side is torn in half, sinew flesh and bone pressing out from sparse ruffled feathers. she is holding a knobbly cane that’s pretty much just a stick on the side of her bad eye, and she holding a massive, menacing axe on the side of her bad wing. blah blah all of these im making metaphors for vengeance and justice blah blah

AND FINALLLYYYY Sunada as Strength - my newest oc !! and her whole thing is being strong in all senses of the word and having influence. she is also incredibly intimidating but that may be less relevant lmao

the beast most associated with her is the phoenix, so in this i imagine she’s wrestling a phoenix. and i MEAN wrestling. they are brawling - she is pinning it to the ground and wrenching its beak open. Sunada is at a side profile and her black hair falls in curtains in the far side of her face. she is determined as she stares down the phoenix. she’s dressed in dress trousers, a blazer hanging half-off, and a shirt that’s loosely tucked and half unbuttoned. she has a bulky, top heavy build and is SOO butch it’s unbelievable. the embers and feathers of the phoenix fly everywhere and the card is so so red.

anyways yeah im so normal about them. D.A. I made a while back and i haven’t really revisited but i still love her so much while the other two are a LOT more recent and im still actively thinking about them… sighhh badass women save me

this is SO cool i LOVE tarot card imagery. youve put so much thought into this its super cool!!!

[tsdltbr]

whumpcember2023 - day 4 alt prompt : abused

(tw: implied abuse, injuries) below the cut >> @whumpcember

Peter Parker is fine, despite his friends worry.

He knows he can't control what his friends think when they see him like this. Bags dark as the night, a busted lip and sprained wrist, bruises flowering on his face like a gorey painting. Ned was in the corner trying to figure out what went wrong with his suit to get him so busted up, and MJ was grabbing bandages from Peter's cabinet, but Peter was fine. Nothing went wrong with his suit - it was just him being stupid.

"You have to stop doing this to yourself," MJ said, her voice firm as always, but Peter could feel the concern radiating off of her through her mask of indifference.

Peter only sighed. He'd heard this lecture more times than he could count. MJ's hand landed on his face, gently tilting his chin up so she could wipe off the blood dripping down his lip with a wet washcloth. It was cold against his skin and he had to hold back the instinct to flinch.

"I can't just... stop," Peter said, messing up MJ as she tried to clean him up. "New York needs Spider-man."

"Yeah, well-" Ned was cut off by MJ's firm voice again. she wasn't letting Peter get off easy this time, apparently, even though his bruises were already going away and his lip had stopped bleeding.

"We need Peter." Peter looked away from MJ's gaze. There was a look in her eyes that he'd been seeing more and more lately, every time he came back to May's house and found them there, waiting. "New York may need Spiderman but we need Peter."

Peter's gaze was stuck on the floor. He didn't want to meet either of their gazes. MJ's was hard and giving him that look , while Ned's was just... sad. Like he could see through him.

It didn't help that Ned kind of knew what was going on. Well, he didn't actually know, but he had an idea that was way too close for Peter's comfort. And Peter couldn't really hide anything from Ned. It wasn't like he was bad at lying - he could lie really well if he needed to. He just couldn't bring himself to lie to Ned unless it was absolutely necessary.

It was absolutely necessary this time, but that didn't mean his lying was any good around Ned. Or MJ. MJ could read him like a book and it always made him feel so exposed. Like he was ripped open for the world to see.

"I'm fine," Peter said, looking back up to meet Ned's gaze, then pretend to meet MJ's by staring at her nose. "I heal quickly. I'll be fine, guys, seriously,"

MJ was still giving him that look. Peter wishes he could just wipe it off her face. Ned was still staring at him, and when he spoke, it was softer than he'd heard before.

Ned crossed his legs, sitting on Peter's bed, Spiderman suit forgotten next to him. "We know you can heal quickly, but..." A sigh. "I hate seeing you so beat up,"

Peter's leg started to bounce against the floor. "I know. I'm sorry - you guys don't have to wait for me all the time. I can patch myself up,"

"And let you get an infected blister again?" MJ, ever so graceful (not, ow..), pulled his chin back up so she could wipe off the rest of the now dried blood. "Yeah, no."

"MJ, seriously, that was one time!" Peter's voice was incredulous. That was one time, and, like, a year ago! Could she just let it go already?

Peter gently pushed MJ's hand off his face, standing up from his place on the floor. "I'll be okay. It was just a mugging-" Sure, Peter. "-i've walked away completely fine from worse. You don't have to worry about me so much,"

He was out of the door before MJ or Ned could even protest.

[keef-a-corn]

Dat’s right, People, it’s time for ‘Keef watches TFP and you just get the notes!’

This is for season 1, episode 21: T.M.I.

Please reblog or comment on this with your thoughts! I really want to know what your opinion of the episode was!

I write down the timestamps, but I watch Transformers Prime on Stan (an Australian streaming service) so they may be slightly off.

ALSO! I try my best to note points for every character, but tend to get a little caught up by Bee (although I think I do a pretty good job with the notes regardless) so do be warned.

~~~~Transition~~~~

00:08 - would watching these sorts of shows be the equivalent to watching really gorey fight shows for the bots?

00:17 - ‘the baddest beast machines on the planet!’ Then the camera immediately pans to Ratchet

00:21 - I’ve never related to Ratcheg more than I do in this moment.

00:31 - so it is 0-0 (Ratchet looks so pretty I can’t rn)

01:15 - Why is this not brought up later? A missed opportunity really. Like imagine if during a mission the bots had come across a cave with scratches in it and a dead body, it being the effects of a different cylinder.

01:23 - she said the title!

01:53 - the delivery, the way he holds the mop, everything. That was flawless!

01:54 - he’s so smug, I love it. + A shot like this highlights just how large Ratchet is compared to Miko.

02:01 - how did Ratchet miss the sound of the broom hitting the floor?

02:03 - AND WASN’T THE GROUNBRIDGE CLOSED?!

02:06 - WHY DOESN’T MIKO EVER LEARN?!

02:10 - the way Knockout and Optimus are fighting makes it look like Optimus is Knockout’s trainer at a gym.

~intro~

03:12 - they didn’t need a shot of Bee fighting. But I’m glad it’s in there.

03:21 - Optimus just standing there to say that is unbelievably funny to me. + Arcee fighting Breakdown in the background and winning!

03:30 - so.. Optimus just stood there to say that, before proceeding to leave the artefact unguarded?

03:34 - I laughed a bit too hard just then

03:45 - Are they just taking up human phrases or?-

03:49 - I’m so confused XD

04:07 - that’s the way a dog reacts when you call for them and they didn’t notice you had left their side.

04:15 - I’m pretty sure Bee’s been fighting the same Vehicon this whole scene.

04:21 - the way her hair moves tho

04:22 - When did he get all the way over there?? AND WHY?? I seriously doubt that Bee would’ve found ramming into that Vehicon very effective.

04:26 - Couldn’t Ratchet just use Miko’s phone coordinates?

05:07 - he didn’t even try to move! Well.. maybe it was holding him there??

05:13 - the way his wheels slowly rotated.

05:19 - Damn.. I wish there was more of Knockout interacting with the autobots. Actually any decepticons interacting with the autobots.

05:21 - weird jump cut. Hehe What’s with the medics being so smug? I love it.

05:25 - they left the Vehicons behind.

05:32 - …what? Cleary the joke is that it wasn’t even remotely correct in phrasing but.. but why would ‘smart’ be involved in the sentence at all?

05:33 - Miko looking up at him in awe after the dumbest sentence ever.

05:35 - pretty background

05:43 - Ratchet doesn’t push Bulkhead at all, he just guides him back into a sitting position.

05:49 - Something to consider is how often Bulkhead resists proper medical treatment.

05:54 - Her interpretation is so unbelievably irrelevant in this situation.

06:02 - the broom is so small hehehe

06:07 - Bulkhead’s laugh

06:26 - hehe, short.

06:43 - h e y . Unnecessarily rude towards Breakdown.

06:46 - Breakdown appreciation moment.

07:14 - I want to know what Ratchet’s imagining rn.

07:34 - Why does Optimus’s have a battle mask on?

08:03 - the way they look at each other while theorising.

08:04 - A very peculiar way to say ‘would’ve shot up into space’ especially for a bunch or robots that don’t believe in heaven.

08:07 - EXTREMELY WEIRD WAY TO SAY HEAD. (+I cannot look away from Bee rn. What is he doing? Why is it so cute??)

08:19 - I refuse to believe that the cylinder lay on Earth completely undisturbed. 100% an animal would’ve gotten to it first.

08:28 - Yet she won’t learn.

08:31 - what did he say?? Is Arcee rephrasing the question? Why would she need to? I guess maybe he could’ve said ‘and the paintings?’ Because very few times do the beeps line up with what could’ve been said.

08:35 - when Ratchet says ‘anyone’ he looks at Optimus. It also just so happens that both are moving quite a bit.

08:42 - Optimus’s face-

08:43 - Bee just busting a move in excitement is so adorable and silly and AAAAA-

08:57 - Woa- Bulkhead is moving like a muppet. They’re all heavily animated (which makes sense considering that this is an exciting thing)

08:59 - Ratchet and his wandering eyes.

09:08 - just watch the whole scene again and watched the way everyone keeps moving.

09:32 - Concerned siblings

09:33 - ARCEE NO! Respond to him! WHAT DID HE SAAAY?!

10:03 - that’s sad

10:06 - Purging

10:12 - finishing each other’s sentences

10:20 - height difference

10:27 - heavy clipping on Arcee.

11:23 - I can’t believe he forgot his own work mother!

11:33 - how did she pick up on that so easily??

11:38 - He sounds like a parent rn..

11:55 - No, why is this so heavy?! TFP pulling at the heart strings rn.

12:20 - Something to recognise is that Optimus isn’t standing there, composed and stoic. He’s actively forcing himself to look that way for everyone’s sakes. There’s only so much a character can take before a stoic look becomes forced. I also could be looking too far into it, but where's the fun in that?

12:54 - A clever way to avoid answering without lying.

13:05 - she should’ve tried boyfriend- Does she just… have that photo open all the time?

13:34 - I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD TO MANUALLY PULL THAT DOWN

13:42 - that paint’s gonna dry.

14:13 - missed opportunity to say ‘bring me the bull’s head.’

15:27 - someone thought ‘Knockout should do a flip’ and everyone else agreed. Makes the world a little bit better.

15:33 - Oooooh like ‘a little too much to drink’

15:43 - *throws to the Optimus fans* FEAST!

15:50 - …We all saw Bee do a one-handed cartwheel, right?

16:07 - Bulkhead isn’t there + they doubled up on some models + it’s very inconsistent with the order, number and types of cars there. It keeps changing.

16:45 - A nice detail is that Knockout uses the cares to help him get up.

17:57 - that’s so dark omgawd

19:18 - smart

20:01 - now if she were a real person, I would not being saying this because I’m not that evil… but yes. If she had stayed back like she was supposed to none of this would’ve happened.

20:05 - THE WAY OPTIMUS SAID MIKO! AA-

20:16 - Arcee’s gentle voice, Bee’s quick little nod.

20:20 - EVEN RATCHET. AHH. I know understand people that do bot x reader stories like this.

20:26 - as Miko gets an idea there’s a dong in the audio. It’s perfect.

20:46 - Bee is the only one that moves in this shot. Literally everyone else, including Miko, stays put.

20:58 - her hair acts like animal ears, goddamn.

21:04 - he’s alive!

21:06 - everyone leans in s l i g h t l y

21:18 - considering that she strummed it once, does that mean that Bulkhead and Miko ist listen to the same song on loop?

———————

So that was TMI

I didn’t expect to cry so much. I’ll tell ya that. It’s a good episode, but one I would skip during a more select viewing experience, but will sit through during a binge.

[genevivesverses]

Edward Gorey: History of an Eccentric Creator

While styles of artists like Tim Burton, Laika Studios, and Neil Gaiman are widely known, it's notable to me that the adoration for Edward Gorey's distinctive style doesn't always receive the same level of recognition.

Gorey began drawing at 18 months (!) and taught himself to read by age three. He skipped several grades and engaged in various school activities and publications, he left Francis Parker School with high scores, earning scholarships both to Harvard and Yale. At 17, with pending WWII draft notices, Gorey briefly studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago before joining the U.S. Army during World War II, serving until after the war's end, mainly at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah.

In 1946, Edward Gorey enrolled at Harvard, majoring in French Literature, and delved into various artistic pursuits, including publishing stories, poems, designing sets, and directing for the Poets Theatre. Despite somehow ending up on both the Dean's List and under constant threats of expulsion, he excelled. In 1953, upon being offered a position at Doubleday Anchor in New York City, Gorey became a prominent figure in design, illustrating over fifty covers and gaining recognition as a major commercial illustrator. After stints at other publishing houses, he turned freelance in the early 1960s, illustrating well over five hundred books for others while also crafting his own works. His career began with the 1953 book "The Unstrung Harp," a precursor to graphic novels, praised by Graham Greene and recognized as a "minor masterpiece" by The London Times. Edmund Wilson's acclaim in The New Yorker marked the start of Gorey's exceptional fifty-year career, resulting in 116 written and illustrated works.

From displaying art at the Francis Parker School in 1939 to showcasing at the Mandrake Bookshop during his Harvard years and even as far as California, Edward Gorey's artistic journey was expansive. In 1967, Gotham Book Mart invited Gorey to exhibit at its newly opened second-floor art gallery, a collaboration that spanned thirty-two years. This partnership led to occasional publications of new Gorey works by Gotham Book Mart and collaborations with figures like Samuel Beckett and John Updike. Gorey's love for theater blossomed into involvement in off-Broadway productions, summer Cape Cod plays, and the 1973 design of "Dracula" for a Nantucket theater. The Broadway adaptation, "Edward Gorey’s Dracula," opened in 1977, achieving immense success, earning two Tony Awards, running for nearly three years, and touring globally.

Having frequented Cape Cod for years, Gorey's connection to the region deepened in 1979 when he used royalties from the New York Dracula production to acquire a two-century-old sea captain's home in Yarmouth Port. By 1983, he made the decision to bid farewell to New York City and establish his residence on the Cape. Amidst this shift, Gorey intensified his involvement in small experimental plays, maintained an active presence in publishing, art exhibitions, etching creations, and juggled a demanding workload of commercial projects. In 1980, he was commissioned to design animated introductions for Boston Public Television's Mystery! series, a collaborative effort with animator Derek Lamb that remains an enduring testament to Gorey's artistic legacy, encapsulating the essence of several of his works in a concise half-minute.

Gorey, known for maintaining the mystery and refusing to "explain" his books, revealed a glimpse into his philosophical inclinations during a single interview. When pressed about his beliefs, he identified as a Taoist, leaning towards surrealism. Examining his early teen art unveils evident influences from Di Chirico, Dali, and Ernst

Edward Gorey's multifaceted body of work, encompassing humor, complexity, seriousness, and provocation, has solidified his position as a significant American figure in literature, art, and theater that should always be remembered!

[i-used-to-wear-the-fedora]

Stranger Things Egg Baby AU, Steve and Eddie's Not So Egg-cellent Adventure

"Favorite color?"

"Purple. Favorite song?'

"Don't have one."

"You can't be serious Munson." Steve looked up from the his worksheet at Eddie slightly annoyed. The school library they had parked themselves in was almost completely empty. The elderly librarian that sat at the front desk was asleep. Well at least Steve hoped she was asleep, he hadn't seen the older woman move in quite a while now. But he ignored it, instead trying to focus on the questionnaire he was filling out with his health partner. Eggbert "Eggy" Pop was sat on the table, wrapped in Munson's skull handkerchief. "You're in some crappy metal band, you have to have a favorite song.''

'It's not crappy." Eddie said and Steve rolled his eyes. "You just don't get it."

"Oh I'm sure that's it."

"Says the man who's favorite song is Dancing by Myself. Seriously dude, Billy Idol? How much more basic could you get?"

"You say basic, I say it's a classic. And at least I know what I like."

"I like a lot of stuff." Eddie huffed as be continued to doodle on his worksheet. Glancing over Steve saw the would be rockstar drawing some weird gorey skeleton thing. Eddie noticed him staring and moved his arm to hide the drawing. "I can't pick just one favorite song. There's so many."

"Well I need one for the answer sheet."

"Fine. Rainbow in the Dark by Dio. Happy?"

"Yes." Stev looked over the answers, grabbing his calculator to do some math before scribbling down the answer. "According to this, it appears we have a 6% compatability rating as a couple."

"Not surprise there." Eddie stared at his paper disinterested. "Seems our little Eggy Pop here was most likely the result of a drunken one night stand. Born to a broken, unloving family." The high-schooler dramatically raised the back of his hand to his forehead with a sigh.

"Why are you making up such an elaborate backstory for an egg?"

"I'm a dungeon master, it's basically my job." Eddie shrugged. "And he's not just 'an' egg. He's our son. Who happens to be an egg."

"Whatever, but I'll have you know that if this was an actual kid, I'd be a great parent." Eddie snickered. "What?"

"You? I can't even imagine you being a parent, let alone a good one." Steve responded by rolling up his worksheet and giving Eddie's shoulder a hard thwack. "Ow! Not cool dude, you could at least wait until Eggy's asleep before you start hitting me."

"You are literally impossible." Steve frowned.

"I want a divorce." Eddie replied as his watch began to go off. "Crap, got band practice at Jeff's place. You got Eggy?

"Yeah, just remember to pick him up tonight."

"Meet you at the 7/11 on Oak Street for a drop off? Round eight?" Eddie asked and Steve nodded, carefully picking up their health project. The former king of Hawkins High waited until Eddie was out of the room before stroking the egg in his hands and whispering to it.

"Hey don't listen to him, you're not unloved."

~~

"-and then he implied I was a bad parent! He doesn't know me! I'd be a great parent."

"But you said it was just an egg."

"That's besides the point." Steve said as he and Dustin continue their search of the neighborhood for the creature the middle schooler had dubbed Dart. Little Eggbert was still clad in Eddie's hankie as he rested in the teenager's jacket pocket. "What would he even know about parenting?"

"I don't know but he sounds super cool. I didn't know you guys had a DnD club."

"Ugh. Of course you'd think he is." Steve held the nail bat in his hands tight as they carefully explored the woods near the Henderson household. When the kid, Dustin, he was friends with Nancy's brother, came up to him saying he needed help, he didn't expect he'd be spending the rest of the day trying to hunt down a weird alien lizard thing the kid had been keeping to try and impress a girl. It was getting dark now and knowing that a cat eating lizard was out there somewhere made him nervous. "Listen, it's getting late. We can restart the search tomorrow after school but I've got somewhere to be."

'What? You got a hot date or something?" The preteen asked, nudging Steve in the side with his elbow.

"Something like that." Steve watched the kid reach into his backpack and pull out a walkie. Handing it to the taller teen. "What's this?"

"Emergency walkie talkie. If you see Dart or anything else weird, call in a code red."

"And what? You guys are literally a bunch of kids. What are you even going to do?"

"I don't know but just call us if something happens, got it?"

"Yeah whatever. "

A couple of days ago Steve was the top dog at school, now he was taking orders from a preteen on what to do on case he ran into pet murdering alien. Making sure Dustin got back to his front door safely before returning to his car. Putting the key unto ignition, the teen glanced over to his dashboard clock to see it was almost nine.

'Shit,' Stev cursed as he put the car into drive and began to drive towards Oak Street. 'Eddie's going to be pissed.'

~~

"I don't know who you're waiting for, but I don't think they're coming. " The clerk behind the 7/11 counter said as she watched Eddie refill his cherry slurpee for the third time in the past half hour.

"I don't remember asking you." The metalhead snapped. The girl shrugged, redirecting her attention to the magazine she was reading. Despite his annoyance, the teen knew she had a point. Looking at the watch on his wrist to see it was nine o' five.

"Damn it Harrington.'' The high-schooler cursed as he realized Steve forgot or just ditched him. Tossing the slurpee into the trash as he left the convenience store. Going around the back of the store, the teen pulled a cigarette out of the carton. Lighting the smoke, he took a long drag to try and calm his nerves. 'Probably shouldn't be too surprised. ' Eddie thought to himself as he inhaled the smoke. A list of reasons for why Steve wasn't there ran through his head. Hoping their project was still in one piece, Eddie brought the cigarette to his mouth again when he heard it.

A weird animalistic growl but something was...off about it. Looking up he saw something moving in the bushes just a few feet away from the back of the 7/11. Eddie found himself frozen in place as he watched something emerge from the brush. In the shadows, at first he thought it was a stray dog. As it got closer, Eddie dropped his cigarette in shock when he saw it in greater detail.

"What the fuck-?"

[cina-full-moon-xanadium]

And... that’s it!

It’s a very short and very weird little time the 90s was for Kamen Rider. Marking the longest period of time Kamen Rider was off television screens - almost a decade - which is almost unthinkable next to how much of a media juggernaut it is right now in Japan, there’s very few things that really happened for this series between RX and Kuuga. You’ve got a few movies in Shin, ZO and J; and then a couple very minor specials in SD, World and vs Ultraman. Fun fact by the way, I actually didn’t do it in order; vs Ultraman came out between ZO and J -- I just figured it would be a much nicer note to end on than, uh. World.

Like most franchises that go on breaks like this with no guaranteed safety net of money it meant it was a very interesting time of experimentation -- you’ve got a comedic SD anime, you’ve got a gorey adult spin-off, you’ve got movies that delve into a far deeper realm of practical effectswork than ever before, you’ve got J being pretty far from the usual themes of Kamen Rider. It’s the kind of stuff that even with how abstracted Rider gets from the original basis of the series with things like Geats and Saber you just can’t imagine getting made today; and I love every bit of it! I’ve had my criticisms of each 90s movie but they are in my opinion some of the standout works of Kamen Rider and some of the ones I most want on Blu-Ray; they seriously show what Tokusatsu is capable of and get to some of the deeper themes of Kamen Rider that the shows just can’t do sometimes. There were at points plans for Shin and ZO to spin-off into their own full television series, and many lament that that didn’t happen... but I’m honestly happier with it this way. I’m happier we’ve instead ended up with a lot of one-shot unique takes on Kamen Rider and some special stuff to the side. It’s a fun era to look into, and I’m glad we have it. 

It also marks all of Showa Rider finished for me!! What a wild trip, huh? I’ve been liveblogging a whole marathon of this since Kamen Rider’s 50th anniversary on April 3rd 2021, and long as it was... it feels so weird for it to be over. That I’ve seen all of it. The weird, kooky old days that basically no modern fan looks into beyond maybe Black and the movies; that often gets met with... a bit of scorn, I guess? Or just completely overlooked? For obvious reasons, but I’m glad I undertook this because there’s so much thematic weight to look into; between V3 and Riderman’s drama and Kamen Rider’s distancing from humanity and Amazon’s overcoming communication barriers in the name of bonds and Black and Shadow Moon’s legendary conflict... there is so much in here, guys. You either need to really connect with the style of the time or have a lot of tolerance for it but I swear you will be rewarded if you give it a chance.

[sharkaiju]

If you had to choose a couple songs that go with each of these characters (or maybe their favorites) what songs would you pick? Wendell, Wild, Belzer, father best?

I'm not sure about their favourites, though I do think the boys would LOVE "The Hearse Song" and "A Gorey Demise" by Creature Feature (or anything by Creature Feature really)... BUT I do have (a lot of!) songs that I think go with them! (At least to me lol).

Wendell & Wild together: "Cobwebs and Strange" by The Who. Just fun chaotic energy lol. Also "Octopus" by Syd Barrett (the Dream Faire) and "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" by the Beatles for the same reason 😊 OH and of course "That's My Mom" by Graveyard Boulevard, that reminds me of them and their Dad lmaoooo

Wendell: "Raise Hell" by Brandi Calile specifically because of the line "the devil gave me a crooked start when he gave me crooked feet" because like i said i project onto him hardcore, and OOF. And "Start Wearing Purple" by Gogol Bordello because it just gives me his vibes. And the version of "Oogie Boogie's Song" that Danny Elfman does vocals on for sure! Also "O Mary Don't You Weep" by Bruce Springsteen, just because I feel like he's the one that knows how to comfort Kat ya know ❤️ (In that same vein: "Ramona" by Bob Dylan)

Wild: "Why Don't We Do It In the Road" by The Beatles. Oh my gooood this song. Did I mention I have a crush on him?? Lmao. "Wild Thing" by the Troggs is an obvious choice but also it fits tho. Also "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry gives me his vibes. I'm not sure why but "Punk" by the Gorillaz does too!

Belzer: OMG for sure "Bald Headed Men" by Christine Lavin lmao. But seriously. "How You Like Me Now" by the Heavy is Belzer af. And of course Oogie Boogie's Song because they remind me of eachother (starting to think I have a type lol).

Father Bests: For canon Bests definitely "My Church Is Black" by Me and That Man. I think he has a looot of guilt ya know? More specific to my AU Bests: "Supertheory of Supereverything" by Gogol Bordello and hooow. If for no other reason than the first lines are "First time I had read the bible, it had stroke me as unwitty. I think it may start the rumour that the lord aint got no humour." Also "All the Good Girls Go to Hell" by Billie Eilish because same vibes. Ooh and definitely "Grace for Sale" from The Devil's Carnival!

[the-trans-dragon]

Content warning for religion, Christianity, and a gorey Bible quote

Grumpy vent:

Why would you go up to a stranger and say “hey, think about reading this. There’s some good stuff in there.” And the pamphlet says “rip your eyes out of your head with your own hands.”

I wish I could say it back. I wish I could hand them a piece of paper that says “you’re a worthless, hopeless failure of a human and you deserve the hell that awaits you. Rip your eyes out and cut off your hands.”

But that would be violent, wouldn’t it?

Motherfuckers come here to buy $80 worth of cheap whiskey and have the audacity to think their life could fix me.

I don’t need anything they have. I have everything I need to feel ‘satisfied’ in a ‘spiritual’ way. I don’t believe in anything religious. The closest I get to ‘spiritual’ is when I am being so loved by my partners, or when I sit still and let my cat excitedly come over to snuggle me because she adores me, or when I see the oak trees starting to bud, or when I stare up at the empty sky and realize I am gazing at the entire universe through the lens of the earth’s atmosphere.

I don’t need a religion of excuses and justifications telling me that I am irredeemable. Even if there was a SLIVER of value in the Christian mythology, I have already drowned myself in it. I have already spent many of my adolescent years pouring over the Bible, more seriously than a lot of Christians do. Any kind lessons it teaches, could be easier learned from a worm writhing in the dirt. “Be kind, forgive people.” I could learn that from a wasp. I could learn that from a moldy strawberry.

There is nothing in there worth reading.