#that one with David Bowie and the puppets...

[allgremlinyaps]

there are certain films and shows which are what I call Red Hot Face Crumplers and I think this should be an IMDB category

[thediaryofaurora]

General HCs

Bloody Painter/Helen Otis

This bad boy is LONNGG, I included a lot of his backstory in this. Writers block is beating my ass. 💔

- Twenty one!

- 6’1. When I say this dudes lanky, I mean LANKY. Slim and naturally toned, his main exercise comes from chasing or climbing stairs.

- Both of his parents are Korean, but he was raised in Pennsylvania.

- His parents struggled with getting pregnant, most ending is miscarriages. His mom was completely batshit, so when the pregnancy stuck she swore she had some divine intuition that made her believed he’d be a girl. She didn’t even bother having an ultrasound, so when he was born and she saw that he was a boy she thought him being a girl was some sort of prophecy she needed to fulfill.

- His whole life she had always told him he was meant to be a girl and he would be going against ‘God’s will’ if he didn’t follow through. He was always dressed in feminine clothing and had an extremely girly room. His mother didn’t put him in school until he was about thirteen, since she thought the kids would taint his mind and make him think he’s a boy.

- When he was put in school he got bullied RELENTLESSLY. His name, the way he dressed, everything. After meeting Tom he slowly started to realize that all the shit he grew up with wasn’t normal and his mom was psycho, so he started borrowing his clothes and changing in the school bathrooms so he could feel less weird. Once Tom admitted to planting Judy’s watch in Helen’s bag, they argued on the roof while getting slightly physical. Tom had slipped off the edge, but Helen managed to grab him. Of course, a middle schooler isn’t necessarily strong enough to hold another off a building without going down with them, so Tom let go to save Helen. Rumors spread that Helen had pushed him, but no one cared enough to investigate.

- After that school year was over he started to dress more androgynous/ masculine and ignored his mom’s pressure, which lead to her abusing him both physically and mentally. Eventually, with his ignored mental issues and the abuse he completely snapped, killing his mom and several of his bullies right before a Halloween party. He was sent to a psychiatric hospital that Slender ended up taking him from.

- VERY polite and proper. He’s pretty soft spoken and his grammar is like never flawed, big word user. 1000% the type of guy to kiss your hand as a greeting. The most he’ll do if he doesn’t like you is give you the silent treatment or a dirty look.

- Weird little detail, but his fingers and SLIM and LONG. His nails are neatly kept. He likes to pamper himself.

- He does botany in his free time! Any flower arrangements in the mansion and the gardens outside are his doing. There’s a few residents that he brings bouquets to every other week so they can have something nice. EJ, Sally, and Jane are his usual market. Also does flower pressing.

- Used to do ballet when he was about 4-7.

- Definitely the safest driver, but that makes him a pain as a get away driver. Always goes the exact speed limit and follows every possible law.

- Mainly listens to classical music. However, he does like Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, even a little bit of Queen.

- His room is SO nice and very big. Long sheer curtains, velvet & silk bedding, a grand piano, flowers, tall bookshelves, chairs, a large bed with a canopy, big windows, and lots of sculptures and framed paintings done by him. He’s really into elegant things and floral patterns. Has a mural on his ceiling!

- Hangs out with EJ, Liu, Puppeteer, and Jane. Rarely does he talk to any of the proxies or any creeps he’s not close with. Awfully reserved.

- Loves the fine arts. Painting, writing, music, sculpting, all that jazz. Occasionally does poetry! Him and Liu both like to write, so sometimes they’ll get together and talk about it. He mostly reads old classic books & poetry.

- Jane has taught him how to sew, although he doesn’t find much use for it.

- He has a white persian cat named Juliette in his room no one knows about other than his close friends. She never leaves the room, but she’s content; it has enough room to have lots of things just for her. He has a MASSIVE painting of her renaissance style by her bed. (He got her one of those fancy cat beds that look like a tiny rich person couch.) Pampers her to death.

- I know in his canon design he has that denim kinda jacket on with the pin, but in my HC he wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that. Usually wears jeans and baggy button ups while he’s painting, but his day to day outfits are well put together. Rich person style in clothes — turtle necks, slacks, dress shoes, almost kind of dark academia.

- Super high standards in general, but especially when it comes to food. Fine dining for sure. Usually buys only enough ingredients for a serving just for him so he doesn’t have to leave them in the fridge. He doesn’t trust the other residents at ALL.

- This guy is ROLLING in it. He has so much loose cash from victims he can do whatever the hell he wants, big reason why his cat is living like royalty.

- Drinks at least one glass of wine a day. He has an entire rack in his room of old, fine wines. A lot of them are from Europe.

- For whatever reason, he’s an amazing masseuse.

- All of his candles and soaps are very high quality and expensive. He won’t settle for anything less.

- Can play the piano and the violin! He would kill to have a harpsichord, he might.

- He’s not big on history, but he could talk for hours about the titanic. He’s done paintings of it and has watched every possible documentary on it. Thinks the movie is a work of art.

I hope you all liked this! I love this fine man.

❤︎︎❥❤︎︎❥❤︎︎❥❤︎︎❥❤︎︎❥❤︎︎❥❤︎︎

[withacapitalp]

Stuff Me, Hug Me, Take Me Home

@stevesbipanic B HAPPY VALENTINES!!! Tis I! Your secret admirer!!! I loved this prompt and I had so much fun with it thank you so much and I hope you love it!!! Special thanks to @thefreakandthehair and @hairstevington for listening to be a little feral and insane about the first thing I'm writing in a very long time

Read on AO3 instead

If there was one place Eddie never expected to end up at on Valentine’s Day, it was the mall. 

When Steve had asked to ‘take point’ this year, Eddie had imagined a day at the lake, maybe a secret picnic, perhaps even a scenic road trip. Something that was their style. A tucked away moment, quiet and held close, so it belonged to just the two of them. 

There was no way the mall - the epicenter of American greed and capitalistic cannibalism - would have that. 

“I can’t believe I found this parking spot!” Steve crowed, tossing Eddie a winning smile as he threw the car into park and grabbed his phone from where it was charging, “Wasn’t that lucky?”

“Sure, Stevie,” Eddie agreed, trying to hide his disdain, but definitely failing given the way Steve’s smile dipped. The mall loomed over them, blocking out the sun with its oppressively boxy architecture, and Eddie couldn’t help his own glow starting to dim. 

The day had started so promisingly. Steve had woken up early and slipped out of bed without Eddie realizing, coming home with ludicrously over decorated heart shaped donuts and coffee from their favorite bakery. They had traded lazy sugar-filled kisses, cuddling and watching Labyrinth. 

Hell, Steve had even managed to almost hide how much he disliked the movie, commenting on David Bowie’s ass and conveniently ignoring the plot and puppets. He hadn’t even texted Robin all morning!

And now…well now they were at the mall. 

“Are we going to a movie or something? We could’ve just gone to The Hawk. You know IMAX movies give me headaches.” Eddie said as they exited the beemer. Steve came around the front, grabbing Eddie’s hand and squeezing it twice - their signal for needing the other person to listen. 

“Trust me?” Steve offered, chewing on the inside of his lip and giving Eddie the big puppy dog eyes he could never resist. Eddie groaned, grumbling softly to himself as he lifted their joined hands up to his lips. 

“Always,” he whispered back, sealing the promise with a kiss. 

As much as Eddie hated to admit it, the mall actually wasn’t as bad as he had imagined. His brain had conjured up tortuous images of packs of useless husbands trolling around for a cheap gift to pawn off on their wives, or hordes of angsty teens lamenting not having someone to share the holiday with. 

But at almost four in the afternoon it was sleepy, practically dead. And besides, it was hard to look around when Steve was dragging him forward with a single-minded determination. All Eddie could do was try and keep up, shooting glances at his boyfriend to try and catch his eye, wondering why Steve was suddenly loath to meet his gaze. 

Then they were stopping short, Eddie stumbling and nearly tripping as Steve let go of his hand out of nowhere. He righted himself, about to tell Steve off for acting so weird, when he looked up and was struck speechless. 

“You mentioned that you always wanted to go here, but that Wayne never had the money for it,” Steve mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and leaning out of Eddie’s space as he continued to avoid eye contact.

Eddie had told him that, but just once. Only once. He could remember the exact moment. The two of them in the kitchen of their apartment right after the move, unpacking mugs as Eddie told the story of each one and placed it with care on the shelf. It was the last mug, the final story of that night. 

“My dad promised me he would take me to Build-a-Bear for my fifth birthday. And my sixth. And my seventh. By my eighth, I stopped answering when he asked me what I wanted, ‘cause I knew it didn’t matter. By ten I was already living with Wayne, and I didn’t even want to ask him, I knew we couldn’t afford it. Wayne found out anyway, because he’s Wayne, and so he got me this mug for my eleventh birthday, and told me it was an IOU. I don’t even know why I wanted to go to build-a-bear so badly, I just got it in my head that having my own bear would be special. Something that was mine, and always would be, you know?” 

And now here Eddie was, standing in front of an ostentatiously yellow store with his heart settled neatly in his throat. 

“I know it’s kind of silly now, because we’re almost thirty. You might not even care anymore, but I thought maybe it would be a nice Valentine’s Day gift? We could build you a bear, and then you would have him forever and always,” Steve explained, his thoughtfulness continuing to choke Eddie to death. 

Eddie didn’t believe in God, but it was hard to believe there wasn’t something looking out for him. Something had to have given him Steve. There was no way this wonderful, beautiful man just landed in his lap. 

“I’m sorry I-” Steve began, obviously misinterpreting Eddie’s silence. 

“I love it,” Eddie said, cutting off the apology before it could truly begin. 

He couldn’t let Steve doubt this, not even for a single second. Eddie cleared his throat roughly, blindly reaching out and latching onto Steve’s wrist, pulling his boyfriend close and wrapping him in the tightest hug possible as he continued to ramble.

“I do, I love it and I- thank you, Stevie. You’re so- you’re just- thank you, thank you, thank you,” 

“Easy, Eds,” Steve murmured, the tips of his ears turning pink as he pressed their cheeks together and gave Eddie a parting squeeze. Eddie let him pull away, but didn’t let him go, interlocking their fingers as he began to bounce in place. 

“We’re going to Build-a-Bear!” Eddie giggled, his joy beginning to spill all over the place.

Steve nodded, smiling just as brightly as Eddie. But, when Eddie went to pull him forward, Steve held fast, keeping them both in place. 

“There’s just one rule. I don’t want you to look at prices at all. You get whatever you want, however you want it. Got it?” Steve said with a mock stern look. Eddie opened his mouth to agree, then hesitated.

It wasn’t like they were destitute. Between Steve’s job as a sub and Eddie’s work at the garage, they were making good money. But with rent, Steve's tuition, and the regular expenses, they didn’t exactly have a lot of cash to blow on fulfilling a childhood dream. 

“I’ve been saving for this, baby. Been doing extra tutoring on the nights you were with the guys playing dungeons and dorks,” Steve admitted, a pretty blush sitting high on his cheeks. Eddie’s heart clenched up again, and he couldn’t resist dragging Steve into a chaste but forceful kiss. 

“You’re the most amazing partner, you know that, right?” Eddie whispered against his lips. Steve ducked his head, pulling away and squeezing Eddie’s fingers silently as they walked into the store.  

The store was almost empty, even quieter than the mall itself. A couple of parents were watching their daughters giggle over clothes for their new stuffed animals, and a young couple was chatting by the little clawfoot bathtubs in the back, but other than that it was just the two of them. There was some bubblegum pop playing in the background, the kind of thing Steve liked to listen to when he made dinner at night. The sound of it settled Eddie instead of setting his teeth on edge, and he couldn’t help leaning against Steve as they approached the bins of unstuffed bears. 

“Go on, pick your new friend,” Steve said, nudging Eddie forward and taking a step back to watch. 

It was easy to eliminate some choices off the bat. Eddie took away anything that was themed for Valentines, or promotional, and he pretty quickly decided against anything that wasn’t a traditional bear. Normally he would’ve loved the contrarian energy of building a dragon or a unicorn, but he wasn’t just making this for right now. This was also for the little Eddie that had dreamt of having that perfect plush bear to snuggle with at night. 

But the problem was, he had never really imagined what the bear looked like. 

“Help me?” Eddie whined, turning back to Steve who shook his head fondly but walked forward anyway. Steve perused the options for a second before reaching into a bin and pulling out a charcoal black bear with brown eyes.

“What about this one? If you give him a battle vest and a band tee he would be a mini-you,” Steve offered, holding the bear out. Eddie took it, letting his fingers run over the fur and imagining the bear properly stuffed and dressed. 

It was perfect. 

They walked past the bear bins, up to a stand with plastic cases and the words “HEAR ME” above it in bright red letters. 

“Okay, one more rule for today. Cover your ears and turn around,” Steve ordered, putting his hands on his hips and giving Eddie a no-nonsense look. Eddie raised a brow, briefly considering putting up a fight, just for the heck of it. 

But there was something in Steve’s face, a glint in his eyes that just bordered on the edge of panic and a crook in his smile that made it sit not quite straight on his face. Whatever he was doing, it was probably something big. 

So, instead of being a gremlin, Eddie remained obedient, turning on his heel and cupping his ears, humming one of the band’s latest creations for good measure. He managed to get all the way through the first two choruses and up to the bridge before he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. 

“Time for the best part,” Steve said in a soft sing-song tone, pushing Eddie towards the machine filled with stuffing where an employee was patiently waiting for them. 

“Hi there, guys!” She said with a bright grin, “My name is Rosie, and I’m here to help you bring your friend to life.”

Steve, being the amazing boyfriend he was, somehow sensed Eddie’s hesitancy, speaking for both of them as they got closer. “I’m Steve, and that’s Eddie. It’s his first time here.” 

“That’s so great! Okay so I am going to stuff your new friend exactly how you’d like him, then you’re going to pick a heart out of this box and follow all my instructions,” she explained in a patient but authoritative tone that reminded Eddie so much of Nancy he almost laughed out loud. He willingly handed over the bear, watching as she lined him up with the machine. 

“Firm or soft?” 

“Soft,” Eddie answered automatically, going with his gut. 

Rosie nodded and went through the process of stuffing the bear, methodically filling up each paw and giving them a good squeeze before handing the bear to Eddie for a quick check. 

“Before we do the heart ceremony, do you want to add a smell to your bear? We have some of our scents here, and I can go to the back and get you any one off this list if you want.” She offered as Eddie held his bear close. 

“Remember our rule,” Steve whispered loudly in his ear, and Eddie rolled his eyes, his heart almost filled to the bursting. He pointed out a lemon scent on the list and they watched Rosie leave to grab it. 

“Why lemon?” Steve asked, cocking his head to one side. 

“Reminds me of how the house smells on Sundays,” Eddie replied. “All your favorite cleaning products smell like lemons, and all you drink from May to September is lemonade.” 

“It’s a refreshing smell,” Steve grumbled, not a trace of heat in his tone. Eddie chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Whatever you say, Lemon Boy,” he managed to get out just as Rosie returned, a yellow bear paw held in her hand. 

“Now while I put this in and add some final touches, you choose your heart and then we will do the heart ceremony.” She instructed. 

Eddie peered into the box, his eyes immediately locking onto a plaid heart. He plucked it out, showing it to Steve who couldn’t resist laughing. It was the exact same pattern as the god-awful wallpaper he had in his room when they first started dating, and, without words, they both knew what they were thinking about. 

“Okay, are you ready?” 

Eddie nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Rosie stood in front of them and held out her hands. 

“So you’re going to hold the heart just like this,” she demonstrated, cupping her hands and beginning to rub her palms together, “and you’re going to make the heart all nice and warm and toasty for your new buddy over there!” 

Eddie followed her directions to the letter as she had him flip the heart and tap three times (“To wake up his heart and get it beating!”) and lifted the heart up to the sky and waved it back and forth to give his bear very high hopes. He even turned in a circle, delighting in listening to Steve laugh at his antics. 

This was the exact kind of thing Eddie loved to do most - put on a show and lose himself in being a little silly. 

“Now, rub the heart down your back, that way your buddy always has your back. Rub it down your side, so they stay by your side forever and always. Rub it across your cheeks, so your buddy is always smiling each and every day, and hold the heart to your chest to make a nice big wish!” 

Eddie paused for a second, closing his eyes and taking a second to think. He had lots of wishes. He wished his van would hold out for just one more paycheck, that the kids would enjoy the campaign he put together for them. He wanted Wayne to stay healthy, for Steve to pass his classes, for someone, anyone, to find the band and give them their big shot. 

But there was one wish that was more important than the rest. 

“The last thing is giving it a nice big kiss, so your buddy is always full of love.” Rosie said with a flourish. 

Eddie was about to lift the heart to his lips when he paused, turning to Steve and holding it out. Steve’s lip curled in a small, indulgent, smile, and he leaned forward, pressing a long kiss right in the middle of the fabric heart. The edge of his lip touched Eddie’s thumb, sending a shiver down his spine. 

From there the process moved quickly. Rosie sewed up his bear with deadly efficiency, and Eddie and Steve tag teamed the wall of outfits to find the perfect battle vest for Eddie’s bear. Before he knew it, Eddie was sat at a tiny little computer with his bear in his lap and Steve’s chin hooked over his shoulder, both of them staring down at the blank bear birth certificate.

“I don’t know what to name him,” Eddie moaned, leaning back against Steve, who appeared to be deep in thought. 

“Beddie.”

“Beddie?” Eddie repeated incredulously, turning to look at Steve properly. 

“Bear Eddie,” Steve shrugged, as if that made any sense at all. “He does look just like you.”

Eddie snorted, leaning forward and typing out the name, then hesitating and typing some more. 

“What do you think?” he asked, trying to hide the sudden nerves that were lighting up his veins. The last name wasn’t a huge risk to take, but it meant something, something far more than either of them were willing to admit just yet. 

“Perfect,” Steve said with a kiss pressed to Eddie’s cheek. 

And that was how Beddie Bearington ended up nestled between Eddie and Steve that night as they lounged on the couch. Steve had fallen asleep two episodes deep into their Survivor binge, and Eddie was content to stay exactly where he was for at least a few more hours. He dipped his head down, pressing his face to the center of the bear’s chest and smelling the candied lemon scent that permeated through the fur. As he continued to cuddle his bear, Eddie felt something hard and square in the left paw. He pulled back, perplexed by the sudden change, carefully feeling around the object and wondering what it might be. 

With a jolt, Eddie finally put together Steve’s behavior from before. He had somehow hidden a  sound box inside Eddie’s bear, that was the secret Steve hadn’t let him hear before. Eddie slapped his forehead with a palm, unable to believe he could’ve missed something so obvious. The boys would’ve had words to say about their DM being so unobservant. 

Eddie took a cursory look down to make sure Steve was still asleep, and then pressed it, putting the bear's paw up to his ear. He had expected a song, or even some funny sound. 

Nothing could have prepared him for the soft tone of Steve’s voice, fulfilling the secret wish he had put into his bear’s heart. 

“Hi Eddie, it’s me, your boyfriend, Steve. I want you to know that you are the funniest, sweetest, most creative person I know, and I’m so happy that I get to love you…because I do. I love you, Eddie.” 

“It’s true,” a voice whispered from below. Eddie moved the bear and there was Steve, staring up at him. “Sorry I couldn’t say it before.”

“I love you too,” Eddie whispered, almost in awe that he could finally say it and hear it back. 

He could hear it whenever he wanted. Eddie pressed the button on the box again just because he could. Steve’s words filled the air as Eddie nestled Beddie into the couch and dipped his head down, hair falling in a curtain around them as they shared another kiss. 

[lalaballa]

There’s this four-part series being broadcast on BBC Radio 2 this month (though online all four episodes are already available) in which “Johnny Marr takes listeners on a journey through Great British bands, spanning from the 1960s to the contemporary era.” In episode one he includes Crying Lightning and says the following about the band and Alex (starts at 28:30):

[Song ends] “Arctic Monkeys, Crying Lightning, from the album Humbug. Well, if we’re discussing great British bands… I mean… what more do you want? Arctic Monkeys. One thing about them… so, if you go to America – anywhere in America, in fact, because they’re pretty big over there – and you mention Arctic Monkeys, I think the first thing people are going to say is that they’re from Britain. They’re synonymous with where they come from… I think they could only come from Britain, and furthermore probably could only come from the North, Sheffield. It’s interesting, I think, that regional thing. But… yeah, proper British band. I played with Alex, with the Shadow Puppets, a couple of times, and he’s as good as you think he is, folks. You learn a lot about someone, standing next to them in front of a bunch of people playing. I found that with quite a few people that I’ve worked with. You really get a sense of them, when you stood next to them when they’re doing what they do. And what struck me the first time I ever played alongside him was… for the first time I realized that he reminds me quite a lot of David Bowie. You just have to trust me on that."

Source: AMUS forum (u/Fleur_aviation) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0023q6l

[carlsangel]

NO ONE HAS LOVED LIKE I LOVE YOU

carl grimes x reader

(he’s one romantic mf.)

tags: fluff

masterlist here!

Love was always something that kept you going, no matter the circumstances, no matter who you’ve lost, love was always there for you. You’ve loved before; your family, your friends, even past partners. But you’ve never quite felt a love like Carl’s.

His love is indescribable. He loves so much, just due to the fact that love itself had gotten him to where he is today, even in the apocalypse. Even after losing almost everyone. He never ever disappoints when it comes to meeting your expectations.

He knows all your favorites. Your favorite books to your favorite comics, favorite colors and favorite scents. He knows everything, your favorite forms of affection and when you need them, not to mention he even knows what fabrics you like to wear. He makes sure you have all of these things, no matter what it’s takes. Simply because he’s considerate like that, but also because he loves you.

Even in those moments when he finds things to be a bit tough or if he finds himself struggling to satisfy you, he’s always able to communicate it properly because he doesn’t want to not feel your love. He doesn’t want to not love you.

One moonlit night, Carl had decided to take you on a walk around Alexandria. He felt it was a nice way to spend your time together; he knew how much you loved the night time. His hand was gently holding yours, despite his usual tight grip on you, he knew you’d want to relax and enjoy the walk.

“The moon looks so pretty.” You say, gazing up at the moon, the moon’s light shining in your eye. Carl can’t help but stare at your beauty. “You look so pretty.” He responds with a smile. Your eyes shift down from the moon to his face, his gorgeous face (me geeking over him bye).

“Stoppp.” You blush because, damn who wouldn’t. You continue to look ahead at Alexandria’s pond, sort of just admiring it. Carl can’t help but come up with a rebuttal to your shyness. “What? I’m serious. If you saw yourself through my eyes you’d agree with me.” He smiles.

“You drive me nuts, Carl.” You pull him to a bench, a grin plastered on your face as you settle in. “In a good way I hope.” He looks to you, squeezing your hand once to get your attention from the pond. You turn to meet his stares. You can’t help but just stare at him, his beauty. He’s so full of love, it practically radiates off him. “Wanna know somethin?” He asks. You nod, expecting him to say something sweet like usual.

“I truly believe, with everyone who’s ever lived on this earth, no one has loved like I love you.”

If hearts could shatter in a good way, yours definitely did. Those words alone were just purely gut wrenching. Even in the hell hole of a world you lived in, you seemed to have gotten the amazing privilege of having someone love you like he does.

You obviously were speechless and he couldn’t help but giggle at that fact. He pulls you to him, placing a gentle kiss on your lips, making this the best night you’ve ever had.

a/n: so this was inspired by a david bowie song called in the heat of the morning but i actually heard the TLSP (the last shadow puppets) version first and i’m absolutely obsessed and in love with this song rn. im feral. i’m also worried this one sucked ass. (mac read it first!)

[theanxiousghostartist]

TMAGP 40 - Public Image Spoilers

Reactions and Theories

He's American??????

Reactions:

OMG I AM SO EXCITEDDD

Dane Bowie... I misread his name as "David Bowie" (,;

Luke plays Call of Duty lol

I don't like Dane...

Avatar of the Hunt and Web possibly???

Buddy is so oblivious omg

Stay Frosty??? LOL

Gwen's gonna hire someone else???

It's not safe Gwen...

Celia is right, no one technically HAS to do the job...

AO?

Ok, Dane is growing on me lol

They work for the German Government too???

Go Alice go!!!

Wooden puppets?????????

Yes they do my man, they DO count as hostiles!!

Heinrich!!

His voice reminds me of Jared Hopworth??/pos

Buddy, I'm pretty sure you're scared lol.

...face to face?

Is he "immortal" like Nikola?

Ok, so he is the toy, toymaker, and workshop all togther?

ok, so someone else was looking into Fr3d1 beforehand?

Colin was going to help him develop videogames to lure in more victims?

Shut up Dane! /lh Let the man speak!

He's so proud of his 60 Euro chair. I love him.

OoooOo, I'm liking the Stranger vibes.

His previous owner/kid created the rhyme, interesting...

....did he eat them?

Ok, he DID eat them.

He fed on their fear when he killed them. Given that he's an Avatar that makes sense...

It seems that the stories that the kids were telling, fueled Heinrich.

He used him to spread the story and the rhyme...

Heinrich gave toys to kids to scare other kids with and spread stories about him, thereby increasing his power?

KLAUS??? As in the person in Lena's office that Gwen found the tape of???

So that's how he got started eating parents...

So the children who were scared were ok, but the ones who didn't had their parents eaten...

His workshop changes based on the fears of each child, interesting...

Oh, so he's having problems with scaring kids...

He wants to "get with the times" it seems.

Dane, my guy, that's literally what he just said...

So he rarely kills due to police investigations...

Dane, listen to the AVATAR

Oh shit. Well, there goes Dane...

Heinrich if you touch Alice....

Please let him let her go at the end. Please don't let the chair trap her. Please don't let the chair trap her. Please don't let-

I want to start out by saying I love Heinrich Unheimlich so much. He's just a silly 'lil guy. I love how he bought a chair specifically for Colin to sit in. And he was so proud of his chair too. I love him.

Theories:

Dane on the other hand, the best thing I can describe him as is incompetent. There are 3 possibilities why:

The Brief - they didn't tell him enough or he didn't pay attention (which seems out of character?) and he was going in blind

He's incompetent - He was told what to do and he was not good at his job

Starkwell wanted him incompetent - He is incompetent because Starkwell wanted him to be, so he could be a sacrifice. How do you prevent Eldrich Horrors beyond human comprehension from feeding on clients? Well, you give them a meal beforehand! I think that this is the most likely situation from what we currently know of Starkwell.

Heinrich is interesting, especially his story. It was very...eloquent. We know that [ERROR] isn't there so could it be FR3D1's prescence compelled him to some degree?

Based on his statement, it seems that he was given "life" through the stories that children told out of fear. This actually works well for his Avatar set up because he doesn't have to feed as often with these stories circulating (almost how Micheal Distortion "played with his food' as Helen said to extract as much fear as possible from them in the longest period of time). It's also interesting for me that he seems to be more or less retired, which is something we didn't see in TMA. All of the older Avatars, Fairchild, Magnus, Halley, Lukas, etc. were all very active. I wonder if he will be ultimately helpful or hurtful to Alice when everything goes down...

Another thing about Heinrich is that he encompasses everything around him: the toy, the toymaker, the factory - He is all of it. This could mean that Avatars are very much tied to their domains in TMAGP (like how the Distortion is in TMA). They are one. "Does your hand in any way own your stomach?"

As for Klaus from Heinrich's statement, I believe this Klaus to be the same one from Lena's office (that I believe she was supposed to kill). It would make sense: he experienced a fear, was driven to the OIAR, and fell victim to it (like Sam and Celia).

Two more things and then I'll stop ranting lol.

Gwen's new hire - Gwen is going to drag someone else into the OIAR apparently, so I have to make a couple guesses on who it will be: I think it would be really cool to see Melonie, Tim, Daisy, or Sasha come work for the OIAR, especially Sasha as she was almost the Archivist (and was Gertrude's pick of a successor). I doubt it will be anyone that we've already met: Georgie, Gertrude, Gerry, Basira, or Helen as they seem to have already established places in TMAGP. It also cannot be Jon or Martin as they are dead in this universe. I have 3 choices for who I think it will be: One of Gertrude old assistants - out of these I think Emma Harvey, who was a servant of the Web (although, I would absolutely love to see Micheal Shelley), a minor character from TMA (aka someone who had a statement and left) - I think Joshua Gillespie (Ice dude), or someone completely new. Either way, this plot point will be very interesting!

Starkwell has a contract with the German government. Starkwell, a private company tied to the Fears in some way, has a contract with the German government. I really don't like the sound of this as this fact means that there is precedent for Starkwell to work with governments, and could be working for a bunch of different countries. If they are indeed trying to feed the Fears or prepare a ritual (my theory), they will have a lot easier time doing so.

No Bingo updates!

I am VERY excited to see where this goes in S2 Act 2! See ya at the next episode. :D

[permetutotheworld]

hi my name is Persephone, but you can call me Seph/Sephy,

I use they/xe pronouns, I’m an asexual lesbian, I’m autistic+adhd,

and I’m a minor (please don’t be creepy I’ve already had two people message me being weird and sexual)

I write a lot of poetry and I’m writing a book at the moment based off of the idea of multiple universes existing at a time, I sing and I love performing, specifically musical theatre

I ALSO TAKE REQUESTS!! I write poetry mostly for them but microfics tooo, for good omens, the marauders, percy jackson, les mis and any TJ Klune books that ive read, just pop a prompt into my inbox and ill do my best to get jt to you as fast as i can <3

my fandoms are : Les Mis, good omens, pjo, marauders, hunger games, aru shah, marvel, doctor who, epic the musical and Tj Clune books

my favourite music: queen, Maisie peters, the last dinner party, the crane wives, Taylor Swift, Florence and the machine, rene Rapp, Chappell roan, David Bowie, blondie, boygenius, Paris paloma, most musicals

favourite books: house in the cerulean sea, under the whispering door, in the lives of puppets (all by TJ Klune)

my tags:

Persephone yaps: my silly little commentary on anything that happens to me

persephone vents: my life low-key sucks quite a lot at time so I vent a bit but I make sure to trigger warning everything triggering

Persephone writes silly stuff: I write silly little poems and stories that I post sometimes

Lovely moots :3 : for my lovely moots

Persephone loves their gf <3 : thats right guys i love my gf so mich and i talk about her a lot

perpendicular universe: posts about my fantasy novel im working onnn

Please dni if you’re queerphobic or discriminate against minorities in general, if you support trump or other dickwads like him or if you’re just going to be mean

also I do struggle a lot with mental health so I probably will randomly disappear or vent but I’ll make sure to trigger warning everything below the cut: my rp blogs, my moots and my fics

My rp blogs:

@nico-sees-dead-people @prongsie-rambles @regulus-the-star @pandora-opens-the-box @sunshine-boy-official

@enjolsaurus-rex @sunshine-prongsie-boy @panda-reads-your-death @lily-petals-falling @stars-andpoems @marlene-and-co @here-and-a-deer

if you like my blog you should check out my amazing mutuals whom I love and adore:

@xenocollector LES MIS RAAA

@sauntering-vaguelydownward literally so sweet ilysm/platonically

@marylily-my-beloved love you Fatimah omg

@aidens-ocean-galaxy very purple coded person and very cool also so genuinely lovely we live laugh love Juno in this household

@theoristswan5683 literally so nice omg they have the loveliest vibes 😭

@ashstillalive Amazing writer amazing person will happily beta read for you anytime

@mae-occasionally-reads so sweet so lovely so cool so glad we’re mutuals love you so much/platonic vibes only MY BEST FRIEND ILYYYSMMM/pl <3333

@definitionoffuckup AL very cool individual

@rafaelthesilly I KNOW YOU IN REAL LIFE POOKIE YOURE THE BEST LESBIAN BUDDIE MY AMAZING SPOUSE ILYSM (platonically)

@inezrable I have more octopus facts for you!!!!!!!

@garden-of-runar the coolest person alive still can’t believe you followed me back althought yoir spice tolerance js weird as shit/lh and paprika is not spicy

@ravenwordss literally so sweet love you/pl

@pyromaniacbibliophile my spouse bc we are married

@cossie-fauchelevant the one and only cosette to my enjolras <3

@delinda24601 SHES SO COOL MY IRL BUS BESTIE LOVE HER TO BITS I FOUNDED HER FAN CLUB SHES SO SUPER COOL GUYS 🩷🩷🩷🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

@im-on-crack-send-help RIYANAAA SO SUPER COOL ILYSM

@startswithahell - cant wait for those unhinged asks omgomg

@biggestqiblifan - I LOVE YOU SM/pl

@the-eclipse-is-in-me - one of my favouritest people on this hellsite

@circe-butbetter - JANA!!! So incredibly cool and iconic

@joanmonet - JOAN!! IRL!! SHE GAVE ME TURKISH DELIGHT AND IS LITERALLY MY WIFE VERY COOL WE SHARE LIKE 90% OF THE SAME INTERESTS !!!! WHAT AN ICON!!! WE FRICKING SAUTÉED ON THOSE EXAMS!!!

@statueofgalatea - 🫵🫵 IN REAL LIFE BEST FRIEND LOVE YOU SMSMSMSM SHARER OF HYPERFIXATIONS LISTENERS OF LESBIAN RANTS LOVE YOU BABE

[changingplumbob]

Nonsims interests. list 5 (or more, or less) of your nonsims interests. These can be hobbies, shows, books, other games, etc

Tagged by @finchfin, @onestormeynight, @sanitysims , @eljeebee and @pralinesims

I tag @simmerbeans, @matchalovertrait, @abbysimsfun, @ethicaltreatmentofcowplants, @hashimasims, @elderwisp, @sleepyselkiesims, @deardiaryts4, @ruthplaysthesims, @paracosmic-sims (forcing myself to stop at 10 because I could tag so many of my lovely moots)

I have a lot of special interests, which to pick...

1. Cats. Love me some chats about cats. Especially the formerly feral ones. I watch the cat rescue TinyKittens daily even though I have a cat in my house because kittens! And seeing a feral cat go from ferocious to accepting and even requesting love from humans is such a rewarding journey to watch.

2. Forspoken. I love the game from the depths of my soul. I do believe that if you complain about Frey being grouchy and a reluctant hero you are actually being racist and holding her to a higher standard as a black woman. She has been alone her whole life. Are you seriously telling me that when she gets to a world where mutant beasts are trying to kill her and the populace imprisons her, she should risk her life without hesitation for them rather than wanting to get back to her only family, her cat? The spell selection is beautifully simple, the landscapes are breathtaking and as someone who has battled mental illness Frey's mental journey resonates.

3. Supermassive Games. Seeing a YouTube video of Until Dawn being played made me want to get a PlayStation. I'm hanging out for being able to afford the remake. I can't do big horror movies, will never ever get me to watch saw, yet Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology are games I love. When the Quarry came out I kid you not I would play it 7 to 8 hours a day for weeks. And they had the nerve to say I'm not autistic.

4. TV shows. I have a bunch that I love so I'll stick them together. Once Upon a Time, Downton Abbey, Grimm, The Librarians, Ghost Whisperer. I have all the seasons on DVD, I rewatch them constantly. For the ones I've seen most I'll know what the characters are going to say, and wonder why a deleted scene isn't in an episode because I forget it's a deleted scene I've seen it so much.

5. Labyrinth. Yes the Jim Henson movie with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly from 1986. It is my comfort movie. I love the music, I love the costumes and I love the puppets. I love it, that's really all I can say.

[corvuskies]

Happy birthday to our Rockstar!

It’s official! Rocky Rockstar is now a year old! I created him last year and man what a blast has it been with him- and now the band! May many happy times come forth!

Let’s take a look at him when he was merely a concept shall we?

Rocky first came along just randomly, I remembered I had just traded my friend my former welcome home ocs and once the update came out I wanted a new character- so the drafts start.

I don’t remember what made me go- oh I want this to be a glam rock puppet! But the name Rocky Rockstar was just staying with me- David Bowie was one of the original inspirations for Rocky! And here he is in his first reference! I honestly remember being very proud and sharing this off everywhere.

Talks with friends soon started to develop his personality. Rocky is a closeted gay man- Rocky is Brash- Rocky has a rivalry with Sally Starlet. All fed into his character and what he would become.

Sometime later in March of 2023 only 2 weeks after I made him- I stopped. It was a mixture of wanting to get back to what people knew me for. People didn’t know me for drawing puppets- so Rocky was tucked away neatly on my Toyhouse for a few months.

Sometime in October- I just drew him again and it sparked something in me. With asking some friends and mutuals about almost completely what I mainly draw and my audience I was given the most helpful advice. Draw what you want and your audience will come to you.

And come you guys did again and again!

Rocky gained some more personality and showmanship as well! Since then I’ve been drawing Rocky and, joining him on New Years, the rest of Star Cluster at least once a week. Band also got some new inspiration during this time- I began looking towards Queen more and man has that helped my idea of how the band is!

And Just yesterday did Star Cluster officially get there logo~ seems I should have saved it for today but hey that’s life.

So thank you all- special thanks to @crowcodedart @artists-who-rarely-draws @z0mbieparty

And a big thank you to all my friends, Followers, people who just think my art is cool and whoever else has come to love this Starman. I appreciate your support and love much more then I can explain.

[huntermanor]

'Labyrinth' and how trauma makes us search for escapism

Welcome to 'Mikaela please log off' where i talk and overanalyze movies because i'm unemployed. In today's hell of a post, i'm going to talk about probably my favourite movie and one that has shaped me for my entire life: 1986 'Labyrinth', with musical numbers written and performed by none other than Miss David Bowie himself! SPOILERS AHEAD.

Now i've seen this movie more times than i've seen my own face in the mirror. It's a movie i enjoyed in my childhood and certainly one that has shaped me, with how the puppets have a certain uncanny feel to them almost and how crazy and whimsical the whole movie is. It trully is an amazing movie that can be enjoyed by children, but also by adults as well, with many of the movie's themes and meanings being hidden or something you find with experience or relate to later in life. Because the movie is a very clear reference to fairytales like Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, is no surprise to know there are many, many different readings that can be done to it. The firts reading i made of the movie when i rewatched it as an adult was that the movie was a very clear allegory for growing up and maturing, having to leave behind your childhood but also keeping in mind your inner child so that you don't lose yourself in the labyrinth that is life.

While the allegory reading is correct, and i think it's one of the meanings behind the movie and certainly the most obvious theme, it's definetly not the only one. One thing kept me wondering after watching the movie this time: Why is the phrase 'You have no power over me' so important? It's used in the beginning of the film, with Sarah forgetting this line in her book, and by the end, when she's facing Jareth, Sarah remembers the phrase by herself, clearly showing us as viewers the inner power Sarah has over her life. It's obvious this line is meant to represent Sarah's ambition and power, but why is it this phrase? Whi is it You have no power over me and not something else like 'My power lies within me' which could tie to the end of the film, with Bowie's Within you playing? Well, after rewatching it recently, i figured it out: Sarah isn't just talking to Jareth, she's talking to her stepmother.

At the beginning of the film Sarah seems to be, on the surface, a spoiled 15 year old girl who doesn't want to do her chores and just wants to play around, not even wanting to date, something her stepmom wants her to do. Her stepmother wants her to mature and grow, to find love, etc. And Sarah and her obviously do not get along a lot. Two important details appear when Sarah goes back to her room at the beginning after fighting with her stepmother over having to take care of her little brother: her stepmother talks to her dad, telling him 'She treats me like the wicked stepmother of a fairytale', and when Sarah goes to talk to her to her room, he doesn't even bother to open the door or make sure she's okay after the fight. To some people these details seem just normal parent behaviour, but it was very clear to me after the film that Sarah is being emotionally neglected by her father, and possibly made by her stepmother to grow up to fast. Sarah is fifteen and an older sister, and unfortunately is common for older sisters to act as parents for their siblings while also not being taken care of themselves. We see Sarah clinging to her childhood as an escapism from the fact she feels completely neglected, since her dad won't even open the door to talk to her.

When Sarah tells Toby her fairytale, it's a clear depiction of how she feels like: There once was a princess who was basically a slave to her stepmother and she was forced to take her of her baby brother. Sarah takes her rage out on her brother and sends him away with the goblins, and inmediatly regrets it. She's repeating patterns of abuse. She's realizing sending her brother away is the submitting him to the same neglectful behaviour she has struggled with. So she makes a deal with Jareth to get him back.

Jareth poses an interesting character in Sarah's healing journey from her trauma. He's in love with her, in very possessive, clingy way that makes him do anything she asks him too to try to manipulate her to love him, which doesn't work on her, because she's probably used to it. The fact Sarah has a lot of toys and costumes, which makes us feel like she's spoiled, while being simultaneously emotionally neglected, is a very common way a manipulator convinces the victim there's no reason to feel that way. So seeing as she's used to being gifted things, being given 'her dreams', instead of actual emotional support and availability, Sarah is basically inmune to Jareth's advances. This could be read as Sarah's first experience with love outside of her family life, which is also a common thing in the experiences of older sisters: they date men who aren't good for them, repeating the patterns they're used to and being once again emotionally hurt. By the end of the movie, after meeting new friends Sarah loves deeply and grows to appreciate, and by being shown there are people who do care about her and who do love her and respect her, Sarah is able to fight Jareth alone, because she might be phisically alone, but she knows her friends have her back always. The found family trope is used here even until the end when we think Sarah has grown and the people she met in the Labyrinth are gone, and Sarah tells Jareth he has no power over her because she finally has healed, and she knows she deserves better.

By the end, Sarah has matured and learned, not just about herself, but about love and relationships of all kinds. She gives Toby her plushie as a way of showing she doesn't need to desperately cling to her childhood anymore, because she now has people in her life who care about her for real, and also she tucks him in as a way to show she's going to break the cycle, and show him finally the emotional support she didn't get from her parents. She keeps many things in her room, but puts others away, and when her friends from the Labyrinth appear to tell her they'll be there if she needs them, they don't simply say this and go away, but she makes them stay. 'I need you', she tells them, because even if she's healed, her life might still be filled with the remnants of her trauma, and an escapism might be needed. But most importantly, 'I need you', because they're her friends, her found family, the people who have shown her what she deserves in her life.

The movie definetly shows us the many highs and lows in life, particularely in adolescence, and how the journey to being mature can be difficult. But these subtle themes of emotional neglect, trauma, and the struggles of a young girl forced to grow up a little too soon trully give the movie another layer of depth that maybe not everyone might see, but some of us, specially those of us who relate to these struggles, do see and aknowledge, reminding us that we're not alone and that we deserve better, for our trauma has no power over us.

[rosees3ray]

doing a better intro post since some stuff has changed

I'm Ray, short for Raymond, Rajmund for any poles. if your language has its own version of my name, feel free to call me that!

if you come up with literally any nickname ever somehow relating to my name feel free to call me that as well (Rajek, Raj @nwmcotutajrobie , Radek, Radzio, literally anything)

I'm a minor, I'm from Poland

my gender is Abed Nadir (comfortable enough in my masculinity to do whatever the fuck I want)

I use he/him pronouns but I'm fine with any jokingly (she/her like you'd call a fruity guy a girlie. y'know)

dni: if you're racist, homophobic, transphobic, if you support israel, if you support russia, if you think smoking/vaping/doing other drugs is cool, if you cannot restrain yourself from using "kys" or "kms" while talking to me

I'm bilingual (polish & english) and I'm learning german and japanese. I used to learn a shit ton of other languages but these are the ones that stuck with me :))

I'm neurodivergent, probably audhd but undiagnosed

I'm either an INTP or ENTP and I am very interested in MBTI and Jungian cognitive functions

shitpost tag is #radek ma przemyślenia

sideblog: @shark-spotted

I made an mcr ecosystem blog! @mcrastoycarsiown

platforms: my spotify, @/rosees3ray on pinterest & spacehey

my special interests are sharks, cars (particular models, usually old ones) and blur (band). blur recs are here

my favourite colour is khaki green

my favourite band ever is Wolf Alice (<333)

my favourite book ever is Solitaire by Alice Oseman

my favourite movie ever is Alice in Wonderland (dir. Tim Burton)

my favourite shark is the pyjama shark

I'm a child of Urania

I like music, reading, tea, drawing, skateboarding, old technology, cars, movies, flowers, astronomy, plants and posters

I'm interested in linguistics and languages overall, if you have any fun facts feel free to tell me!

I'm also very interested in accents in the english language, but I mostly speak in some type of british

I (try to) play the drums

I skateboard and cycle

I like taking photos, journaling, burning CDs and writing (I'm planning to maybe do music-related journalism in the future. if you're interested in reading anything I've written feel free to ask me about it!)

I go to school for maths-physics-IT

I'm a dad of 6 children (plants) and three dried rose bouquets

I collect CDs and toy cars

I have a dog, her name is Sara; I used to have a cat, his name was Kitek

my Best Friend is @ray-of-midnight-storm <333

my other good friends/favourite mutuals include: @sleepy-vix @achilleanauthor @trolliworms @myconidwitch @nonameidentified @rotisarychickenbutterfly @carbonbasedmatter feat. polacy rodacy: @nwmcotutajrobie & irls: @kiler-queen @mydlowaniliowe @argenvi @lambdirt @kawaiisususu and many others not mentioned here I LOVE YOU ALL

fandoms include: dead poets society, good omens, osemanverse, riordanverse, spiderverse and many many more (feel free to ask me anything)

my favourite musicians include: Wolf Alice (ofc), Blur, Radiohead, Queen, Lamp, Alex G, Hozier, Gorillaz, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Arctic Monkeys, The Last Shadow Puppets, Myslovitz, Kent, the Cure, MCR and many many many maaaaaany more (again, feel free to ask)

my favourite guitarists of all time are Brian May and Graham Coxon and my favourite drummers are Joey Jordison, Matt Helders and Joel Amey

blinkies!

[taintandviolent]

What are your thoughts on Robert Eggers' making a sequel to Labyrinth?? Any ideas on what it could be about? Will he take inspiration from the manga, or will it be something entirely different?

OKAY GOD. OKAY. You picked a real gabber of a topic here, and I'll put a tldr cos I have a feeling this is going to get really long.

Let me start off by saying that the Labyrinth is one of my favourite films ever. My mother, an avid Bowie stan, literally raised me on that film and on Jim Henson and all things David Bowie in general. I know it by heart. I love it with everything I have and more. Brian Froud designs are some of my favourite art pieces on this planet.

So, that being said, I definitely am wary of any kind of retelling of it, because without Bowie and without Henson, it won't feel like Labyrinth, yknow what I mean? I truly can't imagine ANYONE ELSE playing Jareth than Bowie, and the thought of that makes my little heart ache. Truly.

But then again, I said that bout Brandon Lee's Crow, and lord knows I loved the remake. But that was because they didn't try to copy Brandon's rendition - it was its own thing. And this is a sequel, not even a remake, so there's always potential/room for things to be redone well, as long as they're done with respect, and intention of preserving the world, if that makes sense? Like, I'd really really hope that practical effects and puppetry would be used in this sequel. They'd have to capture the whimsy of it all. And I don't know if that's... agh, I don't know if that's possible.

BUT THEN AGAIN, TO CONTRADICT MYSELF; the Jim Henson company is still alive and well and working, and for example, in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - that was great, and they used puppets, and they really worked hard to capture the vibe of the original. So I dunno, man.

And I love Eggers, I think he's a brilliant storyteller and director and truly has passion for the things he creates. I'm just, immensely worried that the vibe won't be captured.

Yes! In terms of storyline, I feel like taking the route of the manga would be the easiest. Would I like to see the manga brought to life? Yes. There's so many incredible characters that would be A DELIGHT to see on screen (Moppet and Hana my beloveds), and the storyline itself is complex enough that it would captivate in terms of a film. Would it be possible for them to SPOILER ALERT WEEWOO WEEWOO possibly focus on Toby being Jareth's heir? Yes. Is that something I'd be willing to see? Yes, definitely. But even then, Jareth is in that, so I feel like it would be unavoidable that you'd have to recast him. Which... makes me sad. I understand, but I'm going to grumble about it.

TLDR; as much as I love Eggers, I'm extremely apprehensive towards it, my little heart weeps at the thought of a Goblin City without Henson and Bowie. But I'm.... I'm... I don't know, I can't stop it if it's true, and I would definitely watch it for the sake of loving all things Labyrinth.

[best-movie-ever-tournament]

The Labyrinth:

A cult classic with David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Brian Henson, and other actors and actresses (mostly voices, but who cares?). It's driected by Jim Henson and features muppet-puppets and regular-puppets for the vast majority of the characters.

One of my favorite movies ever growing up, and I can't remember a time where I didn't at least know the tune & chorus of each song, if not every word, by heart. Not every character in a scene sings in every song, but each song that's sung is done so in character, by characters.

(I was surprised to learn that most people I know haven't heard of it, much less seen it, but it's so! Freakin'! Good!)

GO WATCH IT PLEASE, IT NEEDS MORE LOVE!!!!

The Little Mermaid:

So many disney movies everyone loves would not exist if this love letter to Broadway musicals had failed. The last disney princess movie before it was sleeping beauty 30 years prior. After this film the disney Renaissance itself is full of them.

[cyptidclownmoth]

And just when I think my mind is finally focused on one single AU and that the first chapter of my A/B/O Jegulus fic is dropping next month, I have to watch a movie and end up crafting an entire story in my head with the ship I’m obsessed with. So, here’s my next WIP... I guess.

Jegulus as Labyrinth—or, more like, that kinda weird Jim Henson movie with puppets starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. And yes, this definitely started because I watched the Magic Dance scene and thought about how good Regulus would look in Jareth’s outfit.

As a quick breakdown of the AU, I gotta say (and I was kinda saving this idea for another fic) that I’ve always imagined that if James’s parents divorced or one of them died and the surviving one remarried, he wouldn’t take it well. Like, at all. I mean, who could blame him? Heavy life stuff, right? And I feel like his parents probably spoiled him a bit, so he’d be totally unprepared for something like that. That’s why I can totally see him as Sarah, plus I could totally see him making a rash wish for the goblins to take his little brother away (almost a newborn, someone who doesn’t really fit into his ‘old’ family and is part of something he still struggles to accept).

On the other hand, it’s super hard for me not to imagine Regulus as Jareth—kinda manipulative but also kinda desperate for a real connection... with intentions that aren’t super clear, at least until halfway through the story. He’s been watching James ever since he caught him wandering around all grumpy and frustrated on the grounds of his new house, fascinated by the human, and slowly deciding he could just take him away and only needs an excuse to do it.

Peter would be a perfect Hoggle too, too scared to properly help James when he meets him and easily intimidated by his sovereign.

That’s what I’ve got so far. Maybe I won’t make it exactly like Labyrinth, but the concept is definitely there in my opinion.

[cliperry]

FOLKLORE. MYTHOLOGY, LEGACY. Big words that chime with serious musicians far louder than a bathroom shelf cluttered with Grammys.

These are also the totemic words a young man or woman can stay awake all night cowering over; imagined stories of fame and fortune blinking like lost Russian satellites in the solar system of a blackened bedroom. Orbiting around the sun of one's burning youthful ambition, or in other words: teenage kicks, right through the night. Remember them?

Turmoil.

Harry Styles has been thinking awfully hard about legacy and lore and longevity over the past couple of years. He's had to. After all, post-One Direction and, suddenly, Styles (now 24) finds himself in total control. It's all him.

Finally, he can open his mouth, his songbook, and say, as he did: "I didn't want to write [just more hits]. I wanted to write my stories, things that had happened to me."

It's also meant that the buck stops right there, at his size 10 snaffle loafers. There's no more sly avoidance tactics. No more inter-band squabbles to blame. No Svengali or puppet master in the background with dollar signs in his eyes and gold fillings in his molars.

(Although his new manager, Jeffery Azoff—son of legendary music mogul Irving Azoff—has been steering Styles' career as attentively as a father would teach his son how to ride a bike: one hand letting go, one hand still on the saddle.)

A word Styles drifts towards in interviews since becoming the best-dressed pop troubadour (since Elton donned a rhinestone jumpsuit and salmon pink shades) is honesty.

Styles’ legacy, he believes, is about finding the music that allows his truest self to be revealed. Or at least, those candid parts of himself that he wants to reveal.

If One Direction was all a brand's vision, someone else's worldview, then this is his antidote.

How's that for ambition? A pop star who wants to tear down artifice? A treacherous game, perhaps, when the world is watching your every move.

You don't need to be a rock star, of course, to enjoy a rock star tale. Whether they are true or not doesn’t necessarily matter. "Print the myth," as David Bowie's publicist was once so fond of telling reporters—a saying, ironically, spun from a line delivered in the James Stewart movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

When the rock star body is spent, it will be the stories, passed down through the generations like punk rock heirlooms, that will remain.

It's the stories that create the aura, after all. As Styles himself has commented: "It is the rumours and the whispers that help create the mystery."

We all have our personal favourites. Like the time Keith Richards supposedly stayed up for nine days straight: "I fell asleep standing up... Woke up in a pool of blood wondering, 'Is that claret?'”

Or in 1984, when Ozzy Osbourne joined Mötley Crüe on the road to oblivion and proved his rock 'n' roll worth by snorting a line of ants off the pavement. (I guess that beats snorting your own father's ashes, right, Keith?)

Yet not all musical mythology is anchored in riotous bacchanalia. The stories surrounding Prince's vast “vault” of music locked away in Paisley Park, for example, tell of exquisite songs he wrote about failed love—songs he would record late at night, sometimes after a date gone wrong, only to have his engineer wipe them immediately. Gone forever, as they were just too poignant to keep.

So then, what of Styles' legacy? Having snuck out of the juggernauting boy band colossus in August 2015 and emerging relatively intact—give or take a total lack of privacy, no semblance of a normal life, really long hair, and more Hawaiian shirts than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has leg days—now solo, alone, and head-to-toe in some seriously kaleidoscopic (and enviable) Gucci suits, he is in as good a position as anyone to begin to weave his own mythology.

His own fantastical tapestry that will inspire, provoke, and ignite the imaginations (and, let’s be honest, loins) of the next generation of dreamers, both young and old.

Yet, ask yourself this: What is the Harry Styles Myth thus far?

If, heaven forbid, his private plane were to sweep through a skein of geese at 20,000 feet, submit to catastrophic double engine failure, and smash into the side of Mt. Eyjafjallajökull, then what would be the most luminous highlights of his life retold in newspaper obituaries and around bar tables the world over?

There would be moments from the One Direction fable, talk of Simon Cowell's rictus grin, and perhaps Taylor Swift's vengeful lyrics—of that, there is no doubt. But what else?

Well, this is what Styles is in the process of securing right here, right now. His estate. His domain. His very own Paisley Park.

I've been fortunate enough to meet Styles a number of times, on the record and off, and he has always remembered my name. This isn't meant to sound pompous on my part—quite the opposite. You see, Styles remembers everyone's name.

If Dave Grohl is considered by many as The Nicest Man in Rock, then Harry Styles is without question The Politest Man in Pop.

Still, I mention this detail as it is significant: Styles cares what people think of him. He understands the power of reputation and how quickly a reputation can precede any talent in this business.

When the rock star body is spent, it will be the stories that will remain. It’s the stories that create the aura, after all.

Styles is also acutely aware that being thoughtful and considerate to others may well stand him in good stead if anything were to go wonky with his output. The judge and jury that make up the press and public are far more forgiving of a boy who has been self-effacing on his way up than a rocker who has only ever been wretchedly arrogant.

Styles is savvy enough to keep an incredibly smart team of friends and colleagues around him to keep him grounded. That goes for both official and unofficial management.

Take his friend Ben Winston, for example, a staggering talent himself—the youngest showrunner in the history of late-night TV to come out of the UK and take charge of an American chat show (in this instance The Late Late Show with James Corden, of which he is now executive producer). Styles has known Winston for years, heeds his advice, and trusts his perspective from the outside, in.

Styles even lived in Winston's loft in Hampstead Heath for a short period of time, providing shelter away from the press and public at a time when the band was bigger than Coca-Cola. (There’s a good story about Winston’s wife bumping into a very naked, very blonde, very famous pop star making toast downstairs one morning, if you ever get the chance to ask.)

Winston, Corden, and Styles—three British men basking and making it in the States—know how precious this opportunity is. They talk about it. They’re allied, loyal, and connected.

They understand instinctively how the press works. Years in Britain battling tabloid hacks has taught them—especially Corden—that "never complain, never explain" is a motto well worth abiding by.

Also, to secure one’s professional legacy, you’d better do something about it—otherwise someone else will. The sharks are hungry in this business.

So: Be polite. Be professional. Stay focused on doing that thing you do—whether music, film, talk shows, or Carpool Karaoke—better than anyone else.

Take charge of your own stories, your own legacy.

Aside from whether or not you enjoy Styles’ new music—his ’70s-inspired troubadour rock—or whether or not you care who he’s dating, his sexuality, or how he takes his coffee in the morning, Harry knows the key to sustaining the magic is to keep the mystery.

It’s for this reason, now solo, he does so little press.

He knows who he is. He wants his audiences to know parts of him, too. Just not everything.

"With an artist like Prince," says Styles, "all you wanted to do was know more. And that mystery—it’s why those people stay so magical! Like, fuck, I don’t know what Prince eats for breakfast. That mystery… it’s just what I like."

Constructing a dreamy, musical folklore in this day and age—where social media rages with the minutiae of everyday life, for the famous and non-famous alike—is one of the roughest tasks a pop star can attempt.

Especially if you’ve been under the glare, as Harry has.

Thus far, by our book, the boy band member formerly known as Harry Styles is doing just fine.

Styles, however—a middle-class kid from the right side of the tracks—has been brought up, both inside and outside the industry, by those who get it.

[shepardstales]

Chapter 4 of All Is Fair In Love And War

Here's Chapter 4 of All Is Fair In Love And War. Luckily I had this whole thing written before insecurity hit and I'm trying not to delete everything

This is also on Kofi!

@lordkingsmith @keeping-writing-frosty @bardic-tales @watermeezer @pinkevilwriter

This is also from Aaliyah's POV

Chapter 4

Aaliyah

I never asked for any of this. For the art of killing and turning families against one another. To raise the dead like puppets that cannot be killed, who will do your very bidding until your energy depletes and the illusion shatters once more. I’m a cursed being in of itself: I am a fallen angel, someone who is losing their powers, becoming mortal and all the while using that energy to become something greater again: A being that’s magical. A being called a Necromancer.

I’ve been chained up in here like a common dog, a bitch if you will. There are plenty of Gods that want to mess with the world. And it just so happened Morrigan was using me as her vessel of evil: to test the very limits of evil, to see what I can do and how many people I can do it to.

Hundreds have tried to rescue me, and have died in gruesome ways. Eyes ripped out, their very fears used against them and they drowned in their own sorrows, whilst others simply made the mistake of looking back into The Underworld and getting trapped in the labyrinth again. The Underworld should not exist. Everyone around me is a ghost, a former lover or friend that has come to try and get me home. It is a very plague upon life itself and now there is nothing left in it apart from myself, Morrigan and whatever measly flesh bag gets thrown my way, to work on and bring to life in sacrilegious torment nexus.

I’ve been trying to escape, to get someone to save me, but there’s a part of me telling me that I like this - though, I feel like I’m trapped under Morrigan’s influence. She has her ways of sweet talking and promising things, but she never means it. It’s her way or die. It’s do or die and the blood I’m wading through is almost neck high.

I’m almost drowning.

How much longer before there is nothing left to save, no-one to save?

My thoughts are interrupted by blinding light that builds a cage around me, with shackles to a table - our experimentation table. The cage is a lab and I’m just a mad scientist.

If I’m here, than somebody has been foolish enough to enter this world to look for me. I’m sending people to their deaths without even knowing them, but they’ve obviously heard about me. I can hear walls going up, being shaped and remade and I know this labyrinth is ever changing. Constant. Never the same. It’s always a labyrinth, it’s never a habitable city that can be walked around.

No, that’s the lie. That’s where it gets you. Then they lay their claws into you and never let go. You are what is being feasted upon. Your soul, your body until you are given completely to a God that don’t give a shit about anything but power.

It’s total annihilation.

“Aaliyah, it’s time to get to work love. We have fresh meat headed our way.” Morrigan appears in a puff of dark smoke in the lab, dressed like she’s a fan of David Bowie and she’s seen far too many movies over the years.

“None of the people you’ve brought me have been able to stay under my command for long. They have no power here, they’re disintegrating before I even get a chance to truly work my magic.” I explain, picking up a book and trying to read through the book quickly, thinking there is something I missed.

It’s the same old story, every time. I tell the truth but it hits her and she smacks it down like a pesky fly.

I’m nothing more than a measly maggot, writhing around in the dust and what remains of the bodies; dissecting them, desecrating the bodies like even my blood will fix things. If I gave my life, would it undo all the bad things I’ve done? Will it bring back the others so they can walk amongst the sun?

“How is that my problem? That’s your problem.” Morrigan pointed out. “We wouldn’t have this problem if you gave us the results we’re looking for.”

I’m the one to blame. It’s always me, because I’m the supposed Necromancer.

I try to move around the room, but I cannot move from the table because the chains are on the legs of the table and the table seems to be built into the ground. Like the whole place was built and twisted to Morrigan’s liking.

“Can I at least go for a walk or get some food or something? Everything takes energy you know.”

It was just one simple request. Morrigan took it like I slapped her across the face.

“You can have food when you provide results. We need to put on a good show for our newest contestant in the Aaliyah Games.”

The Aaliyah Games. Is that what she’s calling it now? Pathetic really, but even she can’t tap the power I’m supposed to have. They always said some Angels were stronger than any mere God that was brought into existence by another.

“The results aren’t happening because my energy is depleted. When the energy depletes, the corpses stop being animated. It’s simple.” I try to reason with her. “And you know certain things and stress affect magic. It’s the way nature is, even I can’t control that.”

“When was the last time you ate?” Morrigan’s voice is softer now, gentler than it has been in the past couple of weeks we’ve been working.

“It’s Wednesday, right? I last ate on Monday.” I say, working it out on my fingers.

“I really haven’t fed you in days?” Morrigan sounds surprised. “What did you last eat?”

“You made me eat the remains of the last guy that stumbled through here, because you thought I needed to be taught a lesson.” The memory is like a knife against my throat; the urge to be sick is all too real but there’s nothing in my stomach.

I can’t be sick. Literally, the only thing in me is bile from my stomach and even that would come out as acid. That won’t be a pretty sight.

“What was his name?” Morrigan asks and it’s then that I realise she is mocking me. She is making me remember all the horrible things she’s done, to make me feel like I need to listen to her.

Like she is the one in control.

“His name was Leon. And he was my friend.”

A slash down my throat from an invisible metaphorical knife, cutting me open and making me relive that night again.

My heart isn’t beating. It’s breaking over and over again and if I could, I’d throw myself from this tower and end it all. I’d be weak enough to permanently die. And that’s why Morrigan ain’t letting me try.

“Fine. You can have a proper meal. But you’ll dine with me and not go far. Is there anything specific you’d like?”

“Can I at least have a tagliatelle carbonara? I haven’t had pasta in so long and you know it’s my favourite.” I plead.

The shackles fall out from underneath me and fizzle away into nothing. I know not to run so I slowly walk over to Morrigan, gently reaching for her hand.

She takes it, but only after a few minutes of thinking.

“'I’ll see what I can do.” Morrigan raises an eyebrow.

The next thing I know, I am dragged out into the hallway and led down the stairs of what is the remains of this godforsaken tower.

My stomach rumbles. I could really, really use something good to eat now.

“Morrigan? Who’s the latest soldier come to die?" I ask, having no idea whatsoever.

“His name is Mercutio.” Is all I’m told.

Someone is clearly a fan of Romeo and Juliet.