#something something variety is the spice of life something

[see-arcane]

This reminds me Alucard Hellsing is Dracula with beyond mary sue levels of power, and inspires me to let Jonathan and Mina have as many abilities as they want, as a treat, no matter what people may say lol

Usagi would kill him still because I say so

Dramatic version:

Alucard somehow gets around Hirano's weird 'only opposite sex turnings can happen and only with virgins!!' rule and turns Jonathan against his will for 'worthy adversary/thrall/fledgling' reasons (Death/Undeath 1). Usagi does some magical painless mercy kill (Death 2) and then spends the rest of the scene whacking Alucard over the head with a scepter.

Delicious Narrative Justice version:

The Harkers are still kicking and full of anime overkill supernatural powers. Melee ensues. Usagi does some kind of reincarnation beam and Jonathan and Mina get reborn to live their lives in peace. Alucard is still Alucard so he takes a while before limping home to Integra. He will never wash out all the glitter.

Most Likely version:

Alucard: Jonathan! It's been forever! Look, I got turned into an Englishman after all! By Van Hel(l)sing. Who is...somehow no longer a Dutchman? Did he move to England and have a kid late in life to start up his anti-vampire foundation? Eh, doesn't matter. I'm voiced by Crispin Freeman, I'm full of anime demon magic, and the leather looks great on me. I'm content. Please kill me in shounen horror combat please please p l e a s e Anderson left me hanging decades ago PLEASE--

Usagi: Oh wow, it's gross around here. Hold on. -uses sparkling cosmic grade divinity to zap the zombies and Nazi vampires into cherry blossom petals- What were we talking about? You mentioned spice cake and German chocolate.

Jonathan, trying to ignore how distressingly happy Alucard is now that he's got the kukri out: I'm willing to offer you a wedding cake-tiered helping of both if you put me out of my misery.

[minusboy]

today i offer you: tragic yaois. tomorrow? who knows..

[pawnguild]

finally back from lunch. i'm glad the sketches were well received 😭

[masterwords]

Psycho Beach Party (2001)

[katabay]

Do you have specific fiction authors that you like to read? What aspects of a story make you want to really dig your fingers in it? Is it horror?

I’ve got a couple! Keigo Higashino for sure. anything Naoki Urasawa does: I will be reading it. Priest (Guardian and Mo Du are all time favorites). also KJ Charles and Andrew A Smith!

ngl I don’t really have a concrete list of favorite fiction writers, I spent several days thinking about this one: like, I have favorite books for sure, but I don’t often find myself considering an author to be a favorite just because their book blew my mind. I’ve only read three of Andrew A Smith’s works, but he’s here because he gave an interview years that changed my entire approach to storytelling, and I still revisit it whenever I start editing a story.

honestly the big thing is that I like character!! I like compelling characters (extremely varied definition of compelling, it doesn’t have to be much, but it does have to have something) I like it when something goes full throttle into whatever it wants to be. I’ll watch a slow paced slice of life romance with the same amount of enthusiasm that I had for Devil Judge, and the 1vs10 beat down in Ipman takes up just as much space in my brain as the ‘let’s not see each other from now on,’ breakup in the Heirs (but for extremely different reasons lmao)

however. if I have to pick something more thematically specific: I like seeing people in power get what they have coming to them, I like explorations and confrontations of political and social injustices. kingdom is one of my favorite shows, and the horror is great, but it was the political-class-power aspect of it that solidified it as a memorable watch to me. kamen rider build did something fundamental to the circuitry of my brain. etc.

[winged-wolf-s-collection-of-arts]

thinking more thoughts!!

Kiley time-

I uh- kind of poured all my chaotic energy into her, and separated her from the rest of the npc cast? Otherwise the dialogue would get totally fucked, and my ‘I need to hit this story with a drama nuke’ desire would cause trouble.

So she’s uhhh off on her adventure of a different genre. (But stuff she does Will affect things... dun dun dunnnn) but dude Wow she would be so irritated by Jun. Good thing we’re going to Sanctuary to leave them and take Preston.... OR THAT IS WHAT I WOULD SAY if she didn’t want to be anywhere near the vault!! We’re going somewhere else, babeyyyyy! Maybe talking with him and Murphy would bring some understanding (is what I would say if I were doing big character development in the beginning but we’re not!!) Shoving my desire for conflict into this.

[officialjimmybuffett]

oh! the big sad in my chest again it’s back

[olberic]

a crucial and often overlooked part of the social media experience is the need to see posts from ppl about things you do not care about. do not misconstrue my words because im not talking about giving bigots a platform. im talking about following ppl who never shut up about a game i never want to play. people who post about their oc for a manga ive never read. fan artists who you have no idea what the hell theyre drawing but you like their style. vaguely horny artists who have kinks i dont understand. people who post about bands from the 70s as if theyre still together and on tour. people who are obsessed with poetry when youve never found a poem you really feel. like sometimes you gotta follow somebody totally at random just for the enrichment and see where it takes you.

[rigginsstreet]

the Duffer brothers said the reason it had to Eddie was because he had a very different relationship with Dustin then Steve or the party did. Eddie is extremely Affectionate towards Dustin in a way that none of the other characters are which means a lot to Dustin because he’s a very sensitive and emotional kid who has low self esteem, so what Dustin will really be mourning in Season 5 is the loss of the only person he ever felt like he could be vulnerable with which will force him to become closed off, cold and angry

sounds like a load of made up bullshit but yall live your lives

[tiktaaliker]

ive had the same icon since i made this account. should i change it

[moonstruckme]

Could you please write an emt!marauders drabble with their girlfriend who is blind or that has temporarily lost her sight and them helping her move around the house because she often bumps into furniture and things like that. Just something fluffy with blind!reader pretty please??🥺

Thanks for requesting!

emt!marauders x visually impaired!reader ♡ 527 words

James comes home to find all the furniture in the wrong place and his two boyfriends fretting over your ankle. 

He drops his gym bag by the door, looking around bewilderedly. “Has there been a tornado I didn’t hear about?” 

“No,” Remus says, pressing gently around the circumference of your ankle with his fingers, “only Sirius.” 

“He wanted to rearrange the furniture,” you clarify. 

“Oh.” James nods slowly. “Why?” 

“Because variety is the spice of life, James,” Sirius snipes, no small amount of defensiveness in his tone. It earns him a weary look from Remus, and he quiets, taking your hand apologetically. “And also because I wasn’t expecting you back inside yet, dollface.” 

“It’s fine.” You cast a little smile in his direction. Then, wavering, “It is fine, isn’t it?” 

“I think so.” Remus sets your foot down. It’s promptly picked back up by Sirius, who presses a firm kiss to your ankle. “I think it’s only twisted, not sprained.” 

“I’ll get some ice,” Sirius volunteers. He hops up, eager to redeem himself. 

“So,” says James, sitting down on the edge of the couch, “what exactly happened?” 

Remus gives him an apologetic look. “The two of us were out back in the garden, when I guess Sirius was in here executing his home makeover. We came in for something to drink, and she went ahead of me and tripped over the coffee table because it wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Twisted her ankle a bit.” 

“Oh, poor lovie.” James leans down to kiss the top of your head. “If I make you a pillow tower, will you elevate your foot on it?” 

You hum, shrugging. “Sure.” James sets to work. 

“Found some peas for my sweetpea,” Sirius announces himself. He laughs when you and Remus groan. 

“I promise I’m not upset with you,” you say as he touches your ankle, a silent warning before setting the frozen peas on it, “but if you ever call me that again, you’ll wake up the next morning and all my things will be gone.” 

“I sort of like it,” James admits.

“Thank you, Jamie.” Sirius rewards him with a grin. James leans over to kiss his cheek. He gives his boyfriend’s face a tiny, affectionate squeeze, knowing what he puts himself through when he thinks he’s hurt someone he loves. Sirius is all levity, though, as he accepts the kiss smugly. “See, someone around here has some taste.” 

“Don’t think that means he’s going to help you rearrange the living room,” Remus warns. “You’re going to put this all back so it’s navigable again.” 

“Suppose that means I should go,” you say, starting to push up off the couch. 

Three pairs of hands move to stop you. 

“No, you’ve only just started icing your ankle,” Sirius chides. “Let it rest for a while before you go back out.” 

“Yeah,” James agrees. “Give us about twenty minutes of rest, and then I’ll help you find your way out of this labyrinth, okay?” He gives the layout of the furniture a long, critical look to tease Sirius. “No way you’re getting through this mess on your own. It’s complete madness.”

[temis-de-leon]

Southern gn!MC spoils the brothers with their cooking

Characters: Lucifer, Mammon and Beel (x reader, separately. Non established relationship, but there's a hint of romantic interest)

Main Masterlist

Anon request: Can I get a southern gn!MC that loves to spoil the brothers with their cooking? Low and slow BBQ, TexMex, Cajun cuisine, they make it all and they do so amazingly

A/N: mind you, I'm not even american

.

They’re all used to fast food and globally-liked dishes; Mammon’s favourite food is noodles, Levi’s is pizza and Beel’s is a cheeseburger, after all. The rest prefer desserts, so the only brother who deviates to something slightly different is Belphie, but even sushi is widely known and shared in all the realms.

Being as old as they are, yours is a cuisine they’ve already tried, but it obviously didn’t stick. Perhaps it was due to flavour being lost in culture differences or Devildom cooks using other ingredients to follow the recipes, or maybe there was a whole different reason.

Whichever it was, they all had to forget it when you started living with them.

It quickly became clear that not only you preferred certain foods and spices, but you also cooked them to perfection.

Buttery seafood and tender meat that fall apart in their mouths and sauces that leave them gasping for fresh air; other dishes are tamer and fresher, but no less flavourful.

Although they thoroughly savour everything you put on their table, it inevitably comes the day when they feel the need to discuss the idea of asking you for some variety in their private group chat, unaware of your ability to read those messages.

Imagine their surprise when they gather for dinner at the House of Lamentation that same day and a whole feast is waiting for their enjoyment.

It’s a gift of appreciation, you say, a way to show your love for them.

How could they ask for anything different after that?

Lucifer

His heart warms at the idea of being taken care of and he won’t have any problem showing this sentiment as long as you both are alone.

While he compliments your talent and thanks your efforts along with his brothers in the dining room, Lucifer won’t ever let them see the way his smirk turns into an adoring smile whenever you enter his office with a tray full of plates.

Skipping family meals isn’t something he’s keen on doing, but spending time just with you almost makes him change his mind.

On days when he’s unable to finish paperwork on time, what gives him the energy to keep going is the knowledge that, once you finish dinner with his brothers, you’ll prepare an obscene amount of food so he won’t go to bed hungry.

He will wait for your foot to knock on the door, hands too occupied to do the job, and he will quickly preen himself before opening the door, gaze softening in anticipation.

He invites you to sit with him while he eats and he puts quite the effort in asking how you learnt to cook like this. Does your upbringing have anything to do with it? Did someone teach you or is it a self-taught skill?

While he shows great interest in the food, he hopes you realize that the spice isn’t what’s making him blush so much.

Mammon

Being insulted by his brothers is a common occurrence in his life, but that doesn’t mean it hurts any less. Some words cut deeper than others and, on certain occasions when he’s already feeling down, they even take his hunger away.

It’s late at night when you hear noises coming from the kitchen and Beel’s is the first face that crosses your mind, so you tiredly get up and prepare yourself to stop the elder twin before he eats the leftovers.

To your surprise, what peaks over the fridge door isn’t strands of red hair, but white.

Although Mammon’s figure is covered by shadows, you can see his sombre expression thanks to the light inside the fridge; reddened eyes searching for something to settle his rumbling stomach.

Your actions are moved by instinct.

There’s no way of making your presence known without scaring him, but at least you can share a couple of awkward chuckles after he shrieks like a banshee. He tries to play it cool and turns around to hide his embarrassment, so you both take the chance and also ignore the sadness in his frown.

He watches as you take a couple of containers with different food and prepare dinner again, this time just for him. It’s healing, kind of, witnessing someone putting so much work and effort into making him feel better.

You’re sleepy, your speech is slurred and your movements are slow, but you are also making sure his food looks somewhat presentable and appetizing. You reheat it and stop the microwave before it bleeps and you’re smiling at him the whole time.

Half-serious and half-joking, he makes you swear you will only do this for him from now on.

Cooking when it’s your turn and enjoying what you do in the kitchen is one thing, but going out of your way to feed him?

That’s something you’d only do for your First Man!

Beel

He would thank you out loud, but he’s too busy crying tears of joy.

His expectations aren’t set at any point when you cook for the first time since he has already eaten everything in existence and even more, so the moment he starts to chew the first mouthful his mind goes blank for a moment.

In mere seconds his eyes darken and he sets his elbows on the table to prepare himself.

There’s no way anyone is getting seconds.

Although Mammon is the one in charge of your safety, your cooking makes bonding with Beel way easier and faster.

You are more than happy to satiate his hunger, wishing to show your affection through your skill and flattered by his immense appreciation, so the kitchen becomes a sacred place for you both.

He stares at you intensely with focused eyes and drool filling his mouth, anticipating the texture and flavour of every ingredient you are stirring and flipping in the pots and pans.

Conversations are short and simple, but you are unable to blame him.

There’s no need to talk anyway when he smiles at you like that each time you turn around and feed him scraps and samples to satiate his sin while you’re cooking.

Over time, even when every corner of the house smells like charcoal, spice and a little bit of sweetness underneath, his stomach stops feeling as empty as before.

He won’t ever reject anything you put in front of him, especially when you talk so lovingly with eyes so bright, but he will find that, as days come and go, his need for more focuses on something entirely different.

.

.

Taglist: @sammywo @ilovecandys2010 @ollieoven @kingofspadesdelusion @whimsybloom

[kathaynesart]

Bit of a random question, but as a teen I'm curious, what would you want to say to kids of today? Any advice?

Hm... every person's life journey is different, but I don't mind giving a few tips based on my personal experiences! If they can help in anyway then I am glad for it!

Ted Talk below the cut.

Life will always change. YOU will change. You may feel stuck or trapped in some aspect of your life right now and are worried that things will never get better. But they do... it will take time, but you will get there so long as you keep moving forward.

Try not to stress too much. All those things that seem like such a big deal right now... most of them will be forgotten within a few years. So it helps when you feel overwhelmed to step back and not let these little (or even big) missteps take control of your life.

No really, go touch grass. I can not express how important it is to disconnect from social media and just be present in the moment. Going out to a cafe or a park to help you unwind and ground yourself. If life allows, try traveling! Even if it's just a road trip. Get out and see and experience different things because those will be the memories that will stick with you!

Change things up. Even if that's just taking a different path to school or trying a different snack. I find that stepping away from the mundane daily schedule helps bring so much more variety to my life and helps me be more present in the moment.

Be flexible. Especially in your goals and expectations. We're expected at such a young age to choose our destination in life, when it's the journey itself that we should be seeking. So while it's great to have goals, do not make them so rigid that you will deem yourself a failure should they not come to pass. Often times it's the things that surprise us in life that help lead us to opportunities we had never even considered.

Your worth does not come from what you produce, or how many milestones you hit, or how much money you make. It is something you give yourself as you relearn time and time again to love yourself.

Your health is important! It is something we often take for granted when we’re younger but it will mean so much as you age. Also should you feel that you’re ever in pain or unwell, speak up. There are so many instances of people coming to greater harm because they only listened to the first doctor who brushed them off. Seek a second opinion. Know that your body is worth proper care!

Just because you have to grow old does not mean you have to "grow up." Those things you loved that sparked joy in you as a kid? Hold onto them or find new ways to instill them into your life. Keep that passion and remember what fun is! Because you will need it just as much when you're older. It is a major ingredient in the spice of life.

Remember, you ARE special. You may not feel like it... but the fact that you exist is such a mind boggling feat in this vast universe of mostly empty space. While that may be difficult to grasp as we are, stuffed in this tiny jewelry box we call Earth, that does not make any one of us any less special in the grand scheme of things. And in this tiny but overflowing box of treasures, there is no gem that is quite like you. You managed against all odds to come into existence. That is AMAZING. Congratulations! Hard part is already done. Now go shine!

[paper-mario-wiki]

sorry you're having such boring anon hate im going to throw in a fun one to spice things up

how tf do you main pyro i mean seriously they've got such a tiny flowchart

reflect rockets/pipes (if fighting solidier/demo)

run away/miss flares (if fighting literally anything else)

flank and actually do something

eat hot chip

lie

like sure those individual pieces take skill and you can practice and get better at them but where's the VARIETY, what do you even do when you wanna get wacky with it????

class for freaks who make one meal a week and reheat it every other day fr

here's a single life of me playing pyro on badwater a few minutes ago. i had a great deal of fun this life, and i like pyro because i get to make more plays like this as pyro than any other class.

also im autistic so i perfectly deflected your "freaks who eat one meal a weak" comment.

[coffeetank]

Easy Narrative Techniques That Spice Up your Works

Narrative Technique is, in simple words, the method a writer or author chooses to tell their story. It includes literary and fictional devices that assist greatly in writing literature or fiction.

In this post, I'm going to go into useful details about narrative techniques and how to play them out while writing your project. Here they are:

1. Setting:

You must've noticed that in genres like horror/mystery/crime the story is set in or restricted to just one place. This has an important impact on the protagonists and characters of your story. Settings play a huge role especially in the genre of crime/horror because the plot is carried out within those premises.

For example, in the movie Scream, the whole story is carried out in the town of Woodsboro, which is significant to note as it adds more thrill given that the killer is on the loose and within very close proximity.

Settings are also vital in genres like fantasy/adventure where the conflict is carried out in an unusual environment as it creates a sense of fight-or-flight hence gripping you into the story.

2. Cliffhanger:

Cliffhangers are common, and rightfully so because they are essential in a fair amount of stories. A cliffhanger is when the author ends a chapter or a book in suspense, often hinting at event that is due in the later part of the book or series.

Cliffhangers can either introduce the possibility of a newer event, or will create a gap before something is resolved, which makes your reader want more in order to find a solution. This encourages your reader to stick by and through, until a satisfactory answer is given.

Cliffhangers are also more effective in the genres of crime, horror, mystery, adventure, and fantasy. In genres like romance or slice of life, cliffhangers can be used, but it needs to be ensured that it doesn't deviate from the light-hearted mood of the story.

3. Multiperspectivity:

This one can be so interesting if used right. Multiperspectivity, as the name suggests, is when there are more than 1 or 2 perspectives in the story.

This pumps up the interest factor as different characters will see things differently. When you show the story being carried out in a variety of POVs, you give your readers the chance to read the story in a new light with every character.

This can also affect the plot, as different characters will have different goals by the end of the story. Multiperspectivity can also help you resolve conflict between different characters. In addition, you can use this to introduce a hidden villain/a hidden hero.

4. Sensory Detail:

Sensory details are the visual images you create for your readers while writing descriptions. This helps in the famous ‘show, don't tell’ and sensory details will visualise the scene for your readers.

This can also be paralleled with imagery (sight, touch, sound, taste, smell).

For example, imagine a hilltop. Instead of just writing about the fact that you see trees and the sun and some animals, you could put down your senses to make the description more visual. It would go like – “As she stood on the hilltop, her eyes took in the verdant swathes before her. The soft breeze tickled her skin while she basked in the warmth of the sun. Deer galloped across the lush, green grass, calling and prancing in carefree freedom. The scent of the earth hit her nose, and it was there that she felt she was home."

5. Foreshadowing:

It's common, it's effective, it's fun. Foreshadowing is when the author is implicitly trying to hint at a forthcoming event. It creates a suspicion in the reader's mind, which keeps the interest alive.

Foreshadowing and cliffhangers can be mixed to create a lot of questions in your reader's minds, which further keeps them hooked into your work.

6. Analepsis & Prolepsis:

Fancy words for plain terms. It's nothing but flashbacks and flash-forwards.

Analepsis (flashback) is when the author breaks the chronology of the story to bring light to an important event in the past. This either has an impact on the plot or the main character.

Prolepsis (flash-forward) is when the author breaks the chronology to go into the future. This can be used to highlight an important event (or events) that are likely to happen in the future.

It's important to note that these are not the same as time skips, which are just a leap from one time to another to not lose grip of the eventfulness of the story.

7. Chekhov's gun:

Chekhov's gun keeps your writing in check. Chekhov's gun is a principle that says any and every element in a narrative should have a purpose. If it doesn't, it get's removed.

Let's say you've introduced a character. Chekhov's gun requires you to assign a purpose to that character. Unless they are contributing to the story, they are useless. If they can have any sort of impact, then you keep them. If they don't, then they get executed from the plot. The same thing applies to objects as well. If your protagonist has found a box, something better come out of it or it's getting thrown in the trash.

8. Title Drops:

We love these, let's be honest. As the name suggests, title drops are when the author writes the name of the title in a line, or adds it in a dialogue, or uses it as a description to finish the story with a cherry on top.

Example: In the 90s romcom She's All That, there's a scene during their prom preparations where two guys are rapping and one of them says, "she's all that" as lyrics. This is a title drop.

9. Antithesis:

Antithesis uses two opposite ideas and puts them together to amplify the message you're trying to send. Antithesis can be done in two cases: contrast and parallelism.

With respect to CONTRAST, antithesis uses two polar opposites to highlight a certain point. For example: "In an instant, all the colour was gone. He was left with black. He was left with white." Here, you have ‘black’ and ‘white’ being used as opposite colours to signify the lack of vibrance.

With respect to PARALLELISM, antithesis puts forth a contradiction but in parallel structure. This means that the grammatical structures of your opposite phrases/sentences are the same. For example: "He was left with black. He was left with white." These two sentences have the same grammatical structure. Infact, the only difference between these two sentences is the colour, but then it amplifies the message.

I hope this helps those reading this. If you're a beginner or even stuck with your work, try implementing some of these to help yourself!

- ashlee