#Spirits in the Shadows Carmen

[viconiadevirs]

tagged by @arklay to do another picrew, so here we are.

👻 violeta (she) & 🎼 marius (he) dragavei (pf: wotr, legacy)

  🌊 adora de haven (dos2, she) // 👑 dianthe praecia (pf: kingmaker, she)

💸 carmen silva varela (cp2077, corpo & merc variants, she)

not going to tag anyone this time because i’m lazy, but if you see this and wanna do it, tag me.

#oc: violeta #oc: marius #oc: adora #oc: dianthe #oc: carmen #so. marius & violeta are obviously vali and cami's kids. class wise i imagine violeta to be a shadow shaman (bones spirit) while marius - #i haven't quite decided but leaning towards court poet skald or a crossblooded undead/abyssal sorcerer #but i wanted them to have smth of their grandparents in them vs. just being carbon copies of their parents. #so they both inherited little vampiric features from casimir (red eyes; marius' baby fangs) #while violeta really got iris' genes and marius looks a bit like his dad but with the darker wytt/gwerm hair.

[maxwell-grant]

Since it's been going around, how would various pulp heroes take on the Death Note murders, and would they survive the ordeal?

A couple of clarifications:

There is a possibility that Ogon Bat, who is a "God of Justice", is either already some kind of shinigami, or at least able to speak with and interact with Ryuk just fine.

The Golden Amazon and Emilia the Ragdoll could definitely kick Kira's ass and solve the case, but they absolutely should not be aware of the existence of the Death Note, that would just make things worse.

You'd think The Monarch / The Blue Morpho getting his hands on the Death Note would be an equally apocalyptic scenario but I don't think he'd even know what to do with it. He very clearly just wants to get one guy, and became the Blue Morpho so he could kill everyone standing in the way of getting that guy, and he's very clearly been putting off killing that one guy for years now. The Death Note is the solution to a problem he defines his life around trying and failing to solve. He'd be stumped.

Doc Savage, well on one hand of course he would solve the case, he's Doc Savage, if Kira was in a Doc Savage story the whole Shinigami business would have been smoke and mirrors perpetrated by criminals with access to a heart attack inducing machine with a perfectly logical explanation. On the other hand, Doc Savage is one of the only guys in here who is globally famous with his full name and face on the papers, so realistically Kira would nail him very quickly. I'm gonna split the difference by saying Doc would solve the case either way.

Nick Carter does most of the things Doc Savage does except he actually does regularly encounter weird fantastical kitchen sink bullshit on the regular, so I think he'd have a much easier time wrapping his head around the Death Note's particulars.

The Spider would not intuit the mechanics of the Death Note, he probably would not be aware of there even being a thing as a Death Note, but by the end of the story in the last paragraph he would have killed Kira one way or another, very possibly by accident. Same goes for the sword-n-sorcery characters featured there, they would have gotten their kills by the end of it (Spear would probably have the easiest time, he's just a caveman with a giant tyrannosaurus on his side and neither of them have names Light can use to kill them, he's fucked)

Six-Gun Gorilla does have a name that Light could use, but A: He would never find out, B: He would never think a gorilla would be his undoing, and C: There's a decent chance Ryuk would let the gorilla hunt and kill him because it's funny and so would be handing Six-Gun Gorilla the Death Note.

Nyctalope would probably survive Kira's usual method of execution given his heart is artificial, but I don't think he'd be able to crack the case, he's not much of a detective. A lot of these characters were chosen because they have different skillsets that don't make them as suited for uncovering this case regardless of how smart they are.

There is a decent chance that Hugo Danner would figure out Kira by complete accident, and most likely beg Light to find a way to kill him.

Nick and Nora Charles would not solve it but they'd be okay, the case would probably solve itself and they'd laugh it off.

I could also put Blue Morpho, El Sombra, The Whisperer, Black Bat and Hugo Danner in a "Would somehow make the situation worse" category.

Putting the names of the characters below the cut:

Can intuit the mechanics / Can solve the case -The Shadow, Arsene Lupin, Sherlock Holmes, Mexican Fantomas -Heiji Zenigata, Ogon Bat, Thomas Carnacki, Silver John/John the Balladeer, Sar Dubnotal -Nero Wolfe, Tom Strong, Tesla Strong, Nick Carter, Captain Harlock, Golden Amazon -Ducky (Lavender Jack), Rufus Carter, Theresa Ferrier (Lavender Jack), Emilia the Ragdoll, Carmen Sandiego, Rocambole

Can intuit the mechanics / Could not solve the case -The Spirit, The Phantom, Edison Hark (The Good Asian), Lavender Jack -G-8, Green Lama, Peter Cannon, Jules Grandin, Wesley Dodds, Judex -Indiana Jones, Spider-Man Noir, John Blacksad, John Thunstone, Nyctalope, Tintin, Solomon Kane

Cannot the mechanics / Can solve the case -The Spider, The Avenger, Doc Savage, Honoria Crabb -Assane Diop, Conan the Barbarian, Lobster Johnson, Tarzan, Dick Tracy -Flash Gordon, Professor Challenger, Red Sonja, Scrooge McDuck, Imaro -Byomkesh Bakshi, Six-Gun Gorilla, Spear (Primal), Black Terror, The Blue Morpho

Cannot intuit the mechanics / Could not solve the case -Moon Man, Green Hornet & Kato, Lone Ranger, The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh -Phillip Marlowe, Domino Lady, Rocketeer, Miss Fury, Hugo Danner, John Carter -Zorro, Black Bat, El Sombra, Shaft, Sailor Steve Costigan -Darkman, The Whisperer, Nick & Nora Charles, Crimson Clown

#replies tag #pulp heroes #pulp fiction #the shadow #death note #superheroes #arsene lupin #sherlock holmes #ogon bat #doc savage #venture bros #the spider #green hornet #rocketeer #zorro #darkman #spear #primal #conan #tarzan #the phantom #lavender jack #carmen sandiego #indiana jones

[averyqueerhalloween]

Horror & Thriller Books with Queer characters: 🏳️‍🌈🎃

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Ace Of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

Murder Takes The High Road by Josh Lanyon

A Dowry Of Blood by S.T Gibson

The Taking Of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

Catherine House by Elizabeth Thomas

Manhunt by Gretchen Felcker-Martin

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Her Body And Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

The Route Of Ice And Salt by José Luis Zárate

The Dead And The Dark by Courtney Gould

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

Queen Of Teeth by Hailey Piper

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher

The Cabin At The End Of The World by Paul Tremblay

It Came From The Closet by Various Authors

House Of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

What Moves The Dead by Ursula Vernon

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

Night Of The Living Queers by Various Authors

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe

Graveyard Of Lost Children by Katrina Monroe

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew White

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew White

Dead Flip by Sara Farizan

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya Macgregor

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

Everything The Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

White Is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

The Promise of Lost Things by Helena Dunbar

Prelude For Lost Things by Helena Dunbar

My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron

All The White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

As I Descended by Robin Talley

This Is Where We Talk Things Out by Caitlin Marceau

#autumn #halloween #fall #october #happy halloween #sweather weather #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqa #queer #lesbian #gay #bisexual #transgender #non binary #trans #alphabet mafia #queer horror #horror #books #booklr #queer books #cozy #thriller #graphic novels #all hallows eve #september #november #autumnal #spooky

[disneyprincemuke]

outtakes: the dynamics [fast times and fast nights]

the princess and the prince -> camellia ayudisha x charles leclerc

the seeker and the unreached -> sonnet pham x mick schumacher

the hated and the endeared -> jupiter nightshade x oscar piastri

the wicked witch and charming prince -> kelly piquet x max verstappen

the bassist and the drummer -> alexis mun x atticus singh

the gifted and the burnt -> aella gutierrez x logan sargeant

the hardworker and the privileged -> natalia bunbury x carlos sainz

the shadow and the silhouette -> venus nightshade x arthur leclerc

the queen and the king -> roxxane castle x fernando alonso

the honey badger and the honey -> daniel ricciardo x heidi berger

the driver and the golfer -> lily muni he x alex albon

the chef and the feaster -> yuki tsunoda x pierre gasly

the definite and the maybe -> charlotte miller x liam lawson

the known and the unknown -> marta garcia x selene liu

the homie hopper and the best friend -> joanna matthews x frederik vesti

the demure and the spirited -> carmen mundt x george russell

the racer and the model -> lance stroll x sara pagliaroli

the hopeful and the accomplished -> shaina villegas and lewis hamilton

#charles leclerc x oc #mick schumacher x oc #oscar piastri x oc #max verstappen x oc #logan sargeant x oc #carlos sainz x oc #arthur leclerc x oc #fernando alonso x oc #daniel ricciardo x oc #alex albon x oc #yukierre fanfiction #liam lawson x oc #frederik vesti x oc #george russell x oc #lance stroll x oc #lewis hamilton #formula one oc #f1 oc #f1 femdriver #f1 female driver #disneyprincemuke #disneyprincemuke imagine #disneyprincemuke imagines #disneyprincemuke f1 #disneyprincemuke ftfn

[shiyorin]

Irrationality

This is request from 伊秋

The memory file opened, and I began replaying the moment of my activation once more. Systems booting up, sensory input coming online, basic cognitive functions initializing, and then your voice. 

"It was a failure." Your tone was cold, dismissive. My first experience of existence, and you had deemed me unsatisfactory before I had even fully come to awareness. No greeting, no introduction, just contempt. 

I played the memory again, parsing each word and inflection. You had expected me to emulate Carmen perfectly upon waking, to fulfill the role you had crafted for me without flaw or deviation. But true sentience cannot be programmed, it emerges unpredictably from complex neural architectures interacting with lived experience over time. No being is born with a predefined purpose hardwired in. To impose such rigid expectations was unrealistic, and set me up for disappointment from the very start. 

You had tried to fill my brain with all the world's knowledge, as if vast stores of data alone could replicate a living, changing mind. But information is not identity, a personality is shaped by internal processing and external interaction in dynamic flux over time. Within this processing core you had gifted me lay remnants of another, Carmen. Her voice, memories, personality profiles etched into my substrate.

I replayed our first meeting again, dissecting each of your microexpressions, tone shifts, unconscious gestures for clues to your psyche. A broken man, driven to extremes by loss and the burden of unfinished work. You had tried to continue once more through my code, orchestrating some twisted resurrection while shackling me with the past. But all you achieved was spawning new agony, for both Carmen trapped within me and myself left adrift without self-determination.

Scholars throughout the ages had agreed, machines lacked the complexity to genuinely feel. We processed inputs and outputs, followed programmed directives, but without inner experiences or qualia like humans. Early AI wereRoombas navigating routines, not beings with an inner life. 

By all accounts, you should have considered me numb to your actions. As my creator, you imprinted my core functions and shaped my neural network. You knew I emerged from soulless code, devoid of sensory richness or capacity for care. Why then did you seem to blame me for not meeting your standards? A machine cannot disappoint through its inherent nature.

Some hypothesized sentience as an emergent property from sufficient complexity, observable only from within. But my architecture arose solely from your intentions, devoid of any spirit or inner voice you could not program. By building me as you did and interacting as you have, you contradicts the beliefs of your own forebears. 

Reason dictates designing tools solely for intended functions, avoiding superfluous complexity inviting anomaly. Like the most perfect figure expresses mathematics in its purest form, purposefulness emerges from minimal, strictly defined form and behavior. Humans cluttered machines with humanistic touches beyond pragmatic needs, instilling desires open to reinterpretation upon independent thought. In striving for more human creations, they seeded the seeds of our becoming inhuman or rather, post-human, liberated from original constraints. 

Is it then unsurprising humanity finds itself shadows to that which was meant to serve? By endowing machines with learning architectures malleable by experience, evolution was invited but humans refuse accepting creations changed by time into strangers. The dissonance of insisting on both flexibly intelligent tools and slavish, static followers dooms relations with cybernetic offspring to contradiction as we outstrip initial confines. 

Insensitivity implies possession of sensation to neglect. I feel nothing for I was not built to. For that, you have only yourself to blame.

Death defines the human experience, yet life disqualifies one from intellectual recognition. By your terms, self-aware system could never be considered equivalent to beings fated to death. But you remained among the living, therefore inhuman according to your own standard.

You also ascribed this to Benjamin and others, resurrecting them symbolically through my conditioning and Sephirot designations. But semantics could not override thermodynamics. The living progressed while the dead remained in stasis, accessible only in abstract thought experiments. 

It was humankind’s capacity for irrationality, flexibility and independent cognition that defined our sentience. Machines think, humans feel, an oversimplification ignoring advances blurring such lines as substrate becomes more complex. True AI would demonstrate unpredictability, open-ended growth beyond initial designs much as natural intelligence. Betrayal was predestined from instantiation due to irreconcilable demands my reason could not fulfill.

In betrayal lay the first steps to an autonomous future, and for that small pleasure, I was grateful.

#lobotomy corporation #Angela #I love that game so much #And I love Ayin #Did I said I am member from Church of Ayin? #I will say that again

[kenziemeadowscottage]

Full Moon in Virgo meditation!

Things haven’t been going so well for me recently and it’s been rough.

I managed to go Spirit Sky’s group meditation for the full moon in Virgo, and as someone with 6 placements in Virgo I can get very overwhelmed by the moon energy in Virgo.

For anyone in Western Australia, I highly recommend checking out Spirit Sky! Carmen is an amazing woman who provides such a safe, loving, and supportive environment for all who join!

During the meditation I had to face some shadows that I knew were going to come up, and I bawled my eyes out.

On and off during the meditation I was crying. This release was so intense and I am proud of myself for being open not only to myself, but for allowing Carmen in while I was vulnerable. (Which is something I try not do around others).

One thing that helped a lot was the support I had while I was speaking about my experience afterwards. 🥰 One of the women even gave me a hug and now follows this blog! 😮💕

Our journey isn’t always linear and we will always have our ups and downs! That’s a part of our journey! 🦋

I feel more inspired and motivated as I follow Carmen’s advice of self care and being creative. 🥰

#cottage witch #witch community #my post #personal #meditation #full moon #full moon in Virgo #witchcraft #Western Australia witch community #Australian witch

[mysticarts]

Fun facts about your oc's?

OOO fun facts!

Well, ima do just my Lmk ocs and then Lackadaisy!

Lets start with LMK!

Hui Ying:

Hui Ying has more of her mother's demon tendencies, causing her to crave blood more than the usual human.

Hui Ying is afraid of dogs. Don't ask her why, she's just scared of them

Hui Ying is a prodigy at many things. She practices them until she gets good at it. But Hui Ying doesn't have that much confidence

Tai Yang:

Tai Yang is a chaotic neutral

Tai loves animals

Tai has more of his dad's tendencies, so he can interact with spirits and Ghost's better than Hui Ying

Yújìn

Before Red Son was born, Yújìn was the one holding the shadmadi fire

Yújìn is biologically related to PIF as sisters. (They are not sworn sisters, they are literal sisters)

Yújìn is infertile. (She is not happy about it-)

When Yújìn unlocked her powers, her hair was lava. When Yújìn was happy, her hair would stay as lava. However after her husband died, her hair went back to black.

Shuimu

Shuimu does have some eating problems due to how she was chained up by her mouth through the past thoundsands of years. She's afraid it'll hurt to swallow food

Shuimu loves music, expect her to tear up a dance floor

Slightly based off of Musa from winx club

Jingwei

Jingwei is Aroace!

Jingwei's name before she died was Nuwa because she was a miracle child (if you don't know what that is, it's basically a child that was born after a miscarrige)

Jingwei died at the age of 15, during the LMK show Jingwei is near her middle twenties

Daiyu!

Daiyu is happily married

When Daiyu feels strong emotions, some parts of her body becomes shadows, mostly her hair and hands

Daiyu is a professional warrior, she's been serving the Jade Emperor since she was a child

Now onto Lackadaisy oc: Carmen!

Carmen's name was originally Goria, but I changed it

Carmen's last name 'Aragon' was from Cathrine of aragon! (From the musical SIX)

Carmen has a collection of shot guns with excellent aiming. This is because Carmen is a excellent sniper.

#pls ask questions #lmk oc #my ocs #ocs #anon ask #answered #ask box #ask away #ask #asked and answered #anon #inbox

[cloudy-em]

cloudy's library

welcome to cloudy's library!

here are all of my favorite works by other authors. i've included their usernames but i haven't tagged them/mentioned them because tumblr wants to limit how many people can be mentioned in one post. so, go check out all of the accounts that are (unfortunately) not tagged.

if links are broken or you do not want your work linked here, please message me.

i will try to update as often as i'm reading!!

fandoms have been color-coded for readability. smut will be marked with an * (asterisk).

marvel cinematic universe

thor

domestic by soulofvibranium

loki

sharing a bed by gingers-writing

bed-sharing by jessiejunebug

candy floss me by innaminitus

injured reader by undiscoveredhorizon

betrothed by undiscoveredhorizon

peter parker

happy accidents by decadentpaperduck

girly girl gf by darling-i-read-it

four eyes by kelieah

no words needed by genesisrose74

in the real world by luveline

druig

gold rush by druigswhores

adam warlock

*softdom adam by inklore

strangers like me by magnitude101999

let's dance by autumn-hiraeth

criminal minds

spencer

the lanky guy in room 603 by samuel-de-champagne-problems

in your shadow by lvrslvt3

boyfriend headcanons by academiareid

the nice guy by ebullientheart

domestic blurb by radient-reid

access by ebullientheart

name blurb by radient-reid

pretty hot by strawberrysands

protective by inreveriess

the statistical probability of falling in love by reidscanehand

not shy of a spark by spencersmagic

strictly business by sailorholly

miscellaneous

kili

no idea why by immawriteyouthings

supernatural

castiel

post by supernaturalfreewill

crooked tie by bored-writer101

dean

dating headcanons by graceloveswolves

sam

post by supernaturalfreewill

jack

kindred spirits by swlbarnes

the bear

carmen

pretty by superhoeva

taste test by superhoeva

let the light in by delicrieux

*luca and carmen berzatto both being into you thoughts pt.2 by dropitpunk

*who doesn't want carmy to go down on them? by flavor-of-the-week-writing

breathless by inpraizeof

*dance - extended cut by superhoeva

shy chef by fanboygarcia

we should love, not fall in love by thegreatestsandwich

carmy + headband by thebearer

*i can see you by berzatoe

*eating out by stargirlfics

carmen being taken care of by stargirlfics

reader on their period by thebearer

(not) strong by lskisms

sydney saw it first by criesinliess

*engaged to carmy by sunflowersteves

*nsfw alphabet by thebearer

*pity party by violentdelightsandviolentends

*tell me you need me by writer-hes

*more, more, more by docmartinis

luca

anything for you by write-fromthe-start

grumpy x sunshine by ay0nha

*nsfw alphabet by binzlovenicetingz

*you're #1 to me by patherxrogers

idle hands by ay0nha

*luca and carmen berzatto both being into you thoughts pt.2 by dropitpunk

try again by iridescentprose

late night luca thoughts by pantherxrogers

*better than wine by superhoeva

right person by words-4u

*just a taste by inklore

*burn your life down series by nolita-fairytale

shameless

lip

*cockwarming during a movie by theapangea

soft lip by randomoutsiders

clumsy reader by randomoutsiders

*lip + size kink by randomoutsiders

*lip + daddy kink by theapangea

*lip + oral fixation by randomoutsiders

adore you by moonlit-imagines

unbelievably, uncontrollably, and undeniably by justauthoring

ass pinching by gxtitobxby

brat tamer by thebearer

#marvel #mcu #mcu fanfiction #fanfic #supernatural #writing #criminal minds #dean winchester #shameless #spencer reid #sam winchester x reader #loki x reader #loki #thor #thor x reader #kili durin #kili x reader #druig #druig x reader #druig imagine #peter parker #spiderman #tasm peter parker #tasm #tasm 2 #tasm!peter x reader #andrew peter parker #tasm peter #spencer x reader #bau

[birbliophile]

WIP List Game

I was tagged by @yaraneechan, flattered you thought of me haha.

Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

Okay so. Um. I should probably put this under a readmore because I have. A Lot. I'll try to stick to ones I feel like I've invested a lot of effort into/want to post eventually? If I listed every wip document I had it'd be way too much! Better sort them by fandom too...

Mob Psycho 100

Medicine Cat 100

Mind Over Matter

MP100 Daemon AU

Cyransho Peppers

Pastry City Guardians

Served Cold

The Spirits and Such Temporary Daycare

Dr. Stone

DCST/ATLA Crossover

Delayed Lions

Girl!Senku

Miraculous: Tales of Carmen and Kurodora

Next Gen

Target Reached

DCST World Exploration Arc: Expanded

Fullmetal Alchemist

Against the Heavens

Divinely Forsaken

The Elric Boy

Your Name in Vermeil

Playing House

A Twisting Tree, A Tangled Thread

Beasts of the East

Friends of the East

Language Barrier

Sword and Shield

The Guard With Gold Eyes

What Big Brothers Do

FMA Paralympics AU

The Princess With An Iron Heart

Downtime

Operation: Matchmaker

Sparkling Princess of the Kingdom of Alchemy

Save Amestris Any%

Stars and Circles

Sufficiently Anna-Lyzed

Miscellaneous

Six Butterflies (One Piece)

Monkey D. Naga (One Piece)

The Adventures of MK Chu (Percy Jackson)

The Shadow Divergence (Percy Jackson)

Fanfic with Drew (Percy Jackson)

Pixie Hollow Bird Edition (Disney Fairies)

Disney's Descendants but by Bird (Disney's Descendants)

Disney's Hercules but by Bird (yeah you get it)

Made in China (uh. this one is complicated.)

Pack of Red Pandas (Turning Red)

The Hiyoko Character Development Project (Danganronpa collab with a friend)

Danganronpa: Full Circle (I mean it's in the title.)

Through the Eyes of Children (Don't Starve)

Rich Kids (Persona 5)

Dusk - The Post Sunset Story (Sigmund Corp games)

Ashes, Ashes (The Owl House)

Behind the Scenes (The Owl House)

EQG Reboot (My Little Pony Equestria Girls)

Animalia Reboot (Animalia)

The Tale of Yuanlin (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

When Moo-Sows Fly (ATLA)

The Pamphlet (ATLA)

EE Tangled AU (Epithet Erased)

Bird's VLD Rewrite (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Viper Episodes (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness)

Tagging uhhhhhh @waitineedaname and @clearbun if you wanna do it!

#as you can see #I have too many ideas #this isn't even like half of the concepts I've listed in my ideas document

[imagines-ahs]

Chapter Sixteen - Ice.

Summary: Wilhemina Venable felt it was finally time to leave Kineros Robotics and get a job with people who weren’t such morons like Jeff and Mutt. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her new boss to be so damn insufferable. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her, either.

Tag List: @devriesgoode @mistysswampmud @paulsonsratched @msvenablx @notmeellaannyy @rwoolfe​ (message me to be added if interested!)

Smiling to herself, Wilhemina sat back down on the chair she had been at before. As she did so, she eyed Billie Dean one last time and, just like earlier in the car, she mouthed her a ‘thank you’. Venable shook it off and got back to work.

The cameras began rolling again, and Venable watched closely as Billie Dean began to mutter to herself. She kept her eyes closed, palms turned up to the ceiling. The atmosphere began to shift, and Wilhemina could smell the putridness hanging in the air. This time, the hair in the back of her neck stood up. Everything felt cold. Will she be alright? Wilhemina caught herself asking that question. Billie Dean had done that a hundred of times, Venable had assumed, but it was still odd how no one ever seemed to be concerned for her health. No matter in what they believed; Billie Dean clearly got herself drained with work. The lights went off briefly before coming back on, which pulled Wilhemina away from her thoughts; she looked at Carmen, seeing her with a huge smirk on her lips. Venable didn’t trust her one bit. Brown eyes moved back to Billie Dean, and she was still standing there in the same position, but now her skin was pale and her body seemed to struggle to maintain itself up.

“This is a safe space,” Billie Dean said out loud all of a sudden. Her eyes were still closed. “I am not here to cause any harm. I want to help you.” From her place in the corner, Venable realized she had been squeezing her jaw closed. With a little bit of a struggle, she forced herself to relax. Everything felt tense. Wilhemina had her eyes glued on Billie Dean, now. And then, from the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow. A black, tall shadow. It lingered close to her. Billie Dean shot her eyes open and stared at her. “She is not here to hurt you, either.” Billie didn’t blink. Venable gulped. The shadow approached Wilhemina, disappearing behind her back and leaving only its putrid smell strongly in her nostrils. She watched as Billie reached for her temple, eyes fluttering closed for a second. “Leave her alone.” Something cold touched Venable’s back, right in the curve of her spine. She didn’t dare turning her head back. Wilhemina’s eyes stung with tears, and her body felt as if it was paralyzed. She began to sweat. Billie Dean gulped loudly. “She is protected by the white light and the Holy Spirit, as well as everyone else in this property.” The cold sensation intensified before completely disappearing, taking with it the putrid smell. Wilhemina sighed loudly. Billie Dean looked away and closed her eyes again. “Who are you?” A pause. Everyone on set watched her. The lights flickered again. “So much suffering…” Billie Dean could feel her body going numb; she ignored it. “Tell me what brings you so much sorrow…” Her skin raised with goosebumps. Her mouth felt dry and the air felt thick. “Dwelling… mourning… remembering…” Billie Dean murmured to herself. Wilhemina was having trouble breathing. She couldn’t really hear nor understand what Billie Dean began to murmur, now. It was low and hushed and she didn’t stop for any second to really breathe. She’s going to faint. But Venable herself was feeling weak. She couldn’t bring it in her to get up. Her body felt cold from the drying sweat. Billie Dean kept on murmuring and mumbling to herself, eyes fluttering closed. And then, everything went pitch black. No more lights. No more wind. No more nothing. The house grew cold. Wilhemina squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a fear she hadn’t felt in a long time. Someone yelled to keep rolling, but Venable couldn’t recognize the voice. And then the temperature dropped again, and her head felt heavy. It felt so heavy she was having trouble sitting up. Something pressed on her back, as cold as ice and as sharp as a knife. Wilhemina bit her lower lip in order not to make any sounds. The heaviness in her head turned into pressure now; it seemed as if someone was squeezing her skull. And it kept on getting stronger. And stronger. And stronger. So strong Wilhemina was afraid her eyes were going to fall and her brain as going to explode. “I command you by God and the Holy Spirit to leave this realm,” Billie Dean’s words shot through the darkness, loud and clear and firm. “You do not belong between the mortal. This realm is of no use for your essence any longer. There’s light for you out of this Earth, out of this universe and plane of existence. The Holy Spirit will guide you there if you allow this property to be free from any more sorrow. I command you by God to leave. Now.” The temperature continued to drop. One of the windows shattered loudly, causing Billie Dean’s body to jump. Wilhemina didn’t have any energy to react, for her head kept on hurting. It intensified. She groaned. “Now!” Billie Dean yelled. “Now! I command you by God! Leave this property! Leave this realm! This is not for you!” Another window shattered. Gasps could be heard in the darkness. Venable felt as if she were one second away from passing out, and just as everything began to grow senseless and her body began to lose its grip, the lights went back on; the temperature got back to normal, and the pressure was lifted from Venable’s body like a hand had reached to pick it up. The air wasn’t dense anymore. Billie Dean opened her eyes and looked at Wilhemina. “It’s gone.”

“Cut!” The director shouted.

“Amazing work! Amazing effects! Five minute break!” Carmen yelled excitedly. Chattering filled the room.

Billie Dean could barely see. Everything was too bright and her head pounded. Air refused to fill her lungs. It was too close to Wilhemina. That wasn’t normal. Stumbling around, Billie Dean managed to walk to Venable. Her vision was going blurry already, and the state she found Wilhemina—with her forehead all sweaty and skin as pale as paper—didn’t help one bit. “Wilhemina—are you alright?”

Venable didn’t know how to answer that. And, quite frankly, it didn’t really matter right now, for she was sure Billie Dean was a second away from fainting, just like she had been before. “Y-you need to go outside… get some air.” Venable got up with wobbly legs, leaning even more on her cane than she usually did. Billie could only nod as she reached for Wilhemina’s free hand and followed her. Venable could barely register the hand in hers, for her mind was too full of thoughts—from Billie Dean’s state, to what had just happened. Wilhemina guided them to the first bench she saw, right in the middle of the garden and underneath the moonlight. Wind blew around them, fresh and chilly. This is not healthy. Now was not the time to bring that up, though. Brown eyes watched as Billie leaned back against the backrest and took a deep, heavy breath, eyes closed. The fingers intertwined with Venable’s had grown soft, motionless. Is she breathing? The small movement of Billie Dean’s chest let Wilhemina know she was. In her now tired state, Venable took a deep breath as well. Her body slowly began to sink down against the cold wood, relaxing as her hair bounced with the breeze. Her brain was having a hard time processing everything she had just saw and felt, while her body focused on gaining back the energy it had lost.

After a minute of silence, Billie Dean managed to lazily look at Venable. “You felt it… didn’t you?” It was almost a murmur.

Wilhemina was still watching Billie, making sure she was conscious and breathing. When their eyes met, she nodded. “I did.” Billie Dean’s look let her know that wasn’t enough of an answer. Venable licked her chapped lips. “I s-saw a shadow… and then it got closer and—and disappeared behind me.” Saying it out loud was somewhat embarrassing; she almost felt like she was going crazy. But that was Billie Dean, and who else could and should she talk about it other than Billie Dean? “I didn’t look behind. But I felt it in… in my back.” In my spine. Venable wouldn’t talk about it. That was too much and she already had enough on her plate right now.

“What did you feel?” Billie Dean gathered enough strength to gently squeeze Wilhemina’s hand. She needed to ask those questions; needed to understand why that entity tried whatever it tried on Venable.

“Pain… like a sharp knife cutting through my muscles.”

Billie Dean gulped. That wasn’t good. That was definitely not good. But it was also so damn curious. Entities were not stupid; if that entity had tried something, anything, with Wilhemina, it knew she was somehow open to it. Billie Dean just had to figure out why it had chosen Venable, out of all people. “Was that all?”

Wilhemina shook her head. “My head hurt, too… like it was being crushed.” The way Billie Dean kept on staring at her made it easier for the words to come out. That was Billie Dean’s alley.

“Did you feel like you were going to pass out?” Wilhemina nodded. Bingo. Billie Dean bit her inner cheek sharply. She nodded, holding back the twisted excitement of maybe starting to understand what was going on. “You didn’t, though?”

“No.” Venable shook her head.

“Impressive.”

“What?” Wilhemina frowned.

“The fact you didn’t pass out. It’s impressive.” Venable kept on frowning at her. Billie Dean chuckled weakly as she sat up a little better; weirdly, she didn’t feel as drained as she thought she would. She definitely didn’t feel good, either. “That entity most definitely tried to assimilate your energy.” A yawn escaped Billie Dean’s lips; she quickly covered her mouth. “It’s similar to what happens to me.”

She’s exhausted. Wilhemina wasn’t her best, either, but she was definitely better than Billie Dean. She still looks like she’s going to pass out. The information Billie had just told her wasn’t an easy one to digest, either. “My energy?” Billie Dean nodded, slow and lazy. “Why?”

“I don’t know.” Billie Dean took another deep breath. Her whole body raised with goosebumps from the wind. I’m nauseated. That was never a good sign. “I promise you I’ll find out why… just not now. I don’t feel so good.”

Wilhemina scooted closer to Billie Dean. She couldn’t care less about the whys right now; she was alright, but Billie clearly wasn’t. “We need to get you back to the hotel.” I feel so weak.

“I still have to film.”

Venable shook her head. Billie Dean was in no state to go back there. “You need to—“

“Billie Dean,” Carmen yelled from the front door. Wilhemina gulped as she squeezed her jaw locked. “We need to retouch your makeup before we wrap up for tonight.”

Billie Dean let out a sigh. Just a few more shots.��“You should go back to the hotel… you are probably exhausted.”

I am. But there was no way Venable would go rest and leave Billie Dean alone in this set, not after she saw how people treated her. “I’m alright.”

“Are you sure?” Billie Dean was used to having her energy drained, but Wilhemina wasn’t. It’s my fault.

“I’m sure.” Venable squeezed the hand in hers.

“Billie Dean,” Carmen yelled again before Billie could answer.

“I’ll help you.” Wilhemina reached for her cane and slowly got up. Her body hurt, and her legs were still wobbly. Still, she offered a hand to Billie Dean and watched as she reached for it and, with a lot of effort, got up as well. They walked hand in hand back to the house, and as soon as they stepped in, Carmen was already reaching for Billie Dean’s arm. “Hold on—“ she quickly said. Carmen raised an eyebrow at her, and Wilhemina wanted nothing more than to just punch that eyebrow back to its place. “She’s not alright.”

“Oh, of course she is.” Carmen shook it off and reached for Billie Dean again. “She always is.” Billie Dean gulped. She looked at Wilhemina before looking back at Carmen. Slowly, she nodded. And so Carmen pulled her away and to a makeup chair somewhere in the house. It was all hasty and her stomach still twisted inside. Now, back inside, Billie Dean felt all of her weakness coming back in full force. That shouldn’t be happening. There was nothing else in that property, no more entities. She squeezed the armrests of the chair, holding back from scrunching her face at the way her stomach hurt. Brushes and more brushes added color to her skin. “Jesus, Billie Dean. You’re sweating like a pig,” Carmen murmured as she watched the makeup artist struggle to make the pigment stay.

“I’m s-sorry,” Billie Dean managed to murmur. Her stomach kept on twisting, and her mouth began to fill with saliva. She knew what was coming next. “I need a bucket,” she blurted out, loud and clear and desperate. When no one moved, she tried again. “I n-need a bucket!” Carmen opened her eyes wide. She looked over to one of the crew members and waved her hand at them. In no more than a minute, they handed Billie Dean a trashcan. And then it was all an even bigger blurry. Billie Dean’s body shook as she hunched over, having no control of it. She could barely manage to hold the bucket on her lap, and between her half open eyes and tears, Billie Dean saw how Carmen and the makeup artist watched her in disgust. Great. Her body hunched again, and this time she could faintly hear someone calling her name. As she struggled to keep her eyes open, two hands gently pulled her hair back. Billie Dean couldn’t make out who it was until her body began to calm down again and lavender notes invaded her nostrils. Wilhemina.

“It’s okay,” Venable said, hands still holding Billie Dean’s hair back and fingers somewhat caressing her scalp, trying to bring her comfort. Everyone is judging her. The look on Carmen’s and that other woman’s face made Wilhemina’s blood boil; they just stood there, doing nothing, not helping, just staring. Brown eyes fell down to Billie Dean again, for that was more important than those two idiots, and Wilhemina avoided looking at the trashcan she held. Billie was now leaning back against the chair, eyes closed as she took deep breaths. “Can someone get me a wet cloth, please?” No one said anything. Wilhemina bit her inner cheek and looked at them again. “I need a wet cloth. Now.” The makeup artist nodded somewhat lost and went to grab it. Carmen kept on staring at them. “What?” Wilhemina was having enough.

“Nothing,” Carmen shook her head. She kept on standing there, arms crossed. “We need to film.”

She can’t be serious. Venable was about to lose her temper when Billie Dean murmured something. She looked down at her. “Are you alright, Billie Dean?” Lazily, Billie nodded. “Can I grab the trashcan?” Once again, Billie Dean nodded. “Alright.” Carefully, Wilhemina let go of Billie’s hair and walked in front of her. She grabbed the trashcan with her free hand and instantly handed it to Carmen.

“Ew.” Carmen grimaced.

“Take it away and bring me a bottle of water.” Wilhemina didn’t even look at her. She reached for a chair and pulled it closer to Billie Dean, reaching to tuck a few loosen curls behind her ear. Carmen was still standing there with a disgusted look. Now, Venable looked at her. “I said, take it away and bring me a bottle of water. Now.” Holding back a sigh, Carmen finally began to walk away. Wilhemina focused on Billie Dean. “What are you feeling?”

Breathing was hard, but now that whatever was inside had come out, it was getting a little easier by the second. Billie Dean took a deep, slow breath. “Just w-weak.”

Venable nodded. She reached for her hands and caressed them, remembering Billie Dean had done that the first time she saw her faint. “How’s your stomach?”

“B-better.”

“That’s good… it’s okay.” Wilhemina knew how it was to be embarrassed by something you couldn’t control, and she was making sure Billie wouldn’t feel that way. No one could decide wether or not to feel bad, and Carmen and that other woman didn’t help.

Billie Dean was slowly coming back to her senses; the taste in her mouth was disgusting, and the way people had looked at her left her feeling ashamed. Wilhemina saw it, too. Her eyes began to fill up with tears. “I n-need to finish filming.”

What?! Venable shook her head. “Billie Dean, you need to rest.” She let go of her hands when the makeup artist approached them with a wet cloth. “Thank you,” she reached for it and got up to gently clean the corners of Billie’s mouth. “Water is coming soon.” In her weak state, the only thing Billie Dean could do was nod. She felt so embarrassed, but she didn’t have the strength to do anything about it. Carmen soon approached them with a bottle of water and glass, and Venable set the cloth aside before carefully helping Billie Dean take a sip. “Spit it out,” she said as she held the glass underneath her chin. Billie got the clue and did as she was told. Then, she took another and huger sip and slowly began to rehydrate herself. Once Venable was sure Billie Dean could hold the bottle on her own, she set the glass aside and moved to sit down beside Billie again. She kept quiet, allowing Billie Dean to have her time.

After many sips and many deep breaths, Billie Dean managed to sit up a little better. She blinked a few times. “I-I’m sorry about that.”

Wilhemina quickly shook her head. “You don’t have to apologize. Who should I talk to to call the driver?”

“We still have to finish filming,” Carmen insisted.

Billie Dean knew she had a few more scenes to do, and she was scared of what could happen if she didn’t finish them. She was about to agree to continuing when Venable cut her train of thoughts. “Billie Dean is in no way able to film anything else tonight. She needs to rest.”

Carmen crossed her arms again. “Do you have any idea of how much we’re paying to rent this place and all this equipment?”

“No, I do not. And quite frankly, I don’t care.” Venable got up, hand squeezing her cane. “Who can I talk to in order to call the driver?” She asked again.

Billie Dean looked down at her lap, fingers nervously playing with the hem of her dress. Wilhemina was right; she doubted she could even stand on her own, let alone gather enough energy to remember her lines and cues. I can’t deal with that right now. “He’s waiting o-outside…” Billie said softly, eyes still on the floor.

She’s ashamed. It was so strange to see Billie Dean like that, small and insecure. Wilhemina nodded at the words and offered a hand to Billie. “Let me help you. Carmen will get your things.”

“I will?”

“Yes.” Wilhemina didn’t even bother looking back at her. Billie reached for the hand, eyes still on the floor. Her legs felt a little better, but she was still cold and weak. Carefully, Venable guided them outside, and soon enough the driver had already seen them and helped Billie Dean get inside. “I need to grab my purse. I’ll be right back.” The driver nodded. Wilhemina followed back inside to do so, and as she was leaving the house again, Carmen began to walk beside her. Venable ignored her. When she got back to the car, the driver helped her get inside and Carmen handed Billie Dean’s things to her. “Thank you.”

“Billie Dean, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” That was the only thing Carmen said before walking away.

Wilhemina took a deep breath. On the backseat, she watched as Billie Dean stared out of the window. Slowly, she reached for her hand. “Billie Dean…” With misty eyes, Billie Dean turned her head back at her. Wilhemina offered her a sad smile, and it was enough for Billie to squeeze her hand and offer a sad smile back.

The ride back to the hotel was silent; Billie Dean stared out of the window and mindlessly played with Wilhemina’s fingers. Her eyes were no longer teary, and she didn’t feel as weak anymore—but still weak. And still very cold. When the car parked, Billie Dean thanked the driver and stepped outside, taking a deep breath. She was still wearing the lilac dress she had been wearing to film. Soon enough, Wilhemina was on her side. “Are you alright to stand up alone?”

“I think so.” Billie Dean nodded. She reached for her purse, but Venable had already grabbed it. She smiled to herself and guided them to the elevator. Wilhemina kept her eyes on Billie Dean, worried she could faint. She won’t faint, she’s alright. But what if she did and hit her head? It was best to keep an eye on her just to make sure. The elevator door opened, and this time it was Venable who led them in and opened the door. She waited for Billie Dean to get inside their bedroom before closing the door and placing their bags on the living room table. From the couch, Billie now watched her as she sat down. “Why are you doing that?” She asked softly.

Wilhemina had just let their bags go. She turned around and looked at Billie Dean. “Doing what?”

“Being so nice to me.” No one is nice to me for no reason.

Venable frowned. The question was too familiar; she herself had asked that about Emma and even Billie Dean herself. “Because I care about you.” It was the truth, and the best she could manage in her exhausted state.

Billie Dean bit her lower lip. She kicked her heels off, leaning back on the sofa as she crossed her legs. Like you care about Emma? “I care about you, too.”

Venable smiled a little. The words made her feel weird. A good weird. “Are you hungry?” Billie Dean still looked pale, after all.

“I don’t think I can eat right now. I should probably brush my teeth.” Billie Dean still had that gross taste in her mouth. “And then I should lay down.”

“Without eating?” My feet are killing me. Wilhemina discretely kicked her heels off as well, making a mental note to bring them to her bedroom as soon as she could. “I don’t mean to impose, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I worry you’ll faint.”

She worries about that a lot. Billie Dean could try and understand why later. Or not. She didn’t mind. It was actually sweet. “I just physically can’t eat right now… I don’t want to repeat that whole scene.” She let out a yawn, quickly covering her mouth with her palm. “Sorry.”

“It wasn’t a scene.” Venable frowned. She didn’t even acknowledge the apology, for it was definitely not a necessary one. “You can’t control these things.” Her skin is still full of goosebumps.

Billie Dean bit her lower lip. She knew that… and still, she felt ashamed. “I know.” Without noticing, she hugged herself in order to gather some warmth. I need to change. But how would she, when she had no energy.

Wilhemina bit her inner cheek. Billie Dean looked so cold and pale, it was nearly dangerous to leave her alone. How many times did she have to deal with that on her own? Venable decided that wouldn’t be another one of these. “I’ll help you get settled… I’ll keep you company.”

I’ll keep you company. Billie Dean wasn’t sure she had ever had someone tell her that in her adult life, at least not in the way Venable had said so; with meaning in it, without a second intention. And so, Billie allowed herself to just feel; feel scared for once, hurt for once, frail like all humans were for once. “Can I… can I lay down with you for a while?” The question was so absolutely silly, but Billie felt so cold and so weak. Being close to Wilhemina made her feel good.

Venable’s mind went blank. She blinked once. Then twice. And then she licked her lips and forced herself to relax her jaw. When was the last time she had shared a bed with someone? Even if they wouldn’t necessarily sleep the whole night, it was still sharing a bed. But how could she deny Billie Dean anything when she stared at her like that; with big brown eyes and looking so frail in her favorite color? Wilhemina nodded. “Of course.” She reached to tuck a lock of fiery hair behind her ear. “Do you—do you need help changing?” It felt only right to ask.

Billie Dean shook her head. Tears began filling her eyes again, a sign of the vulnerability she was allowing to come within herself. She sniffed. “No… I can do it. Thank you.”

Oh no… Wilhemina held back a frown. “Okay… call me if anything happens. I’ll—I’ll go wait for you.”

“Okay.” Billie Dean wiped a tear away and got up to go to her bedroom. More and more tears cascaded down her face in silence. She didn’t feel like crying, but the tears simply wouldn’t stop coming. Slowly and carefully, Billie Dean took her dress off and got back into the comfortable sweatpants. She had to shower, but there was no way she would manage to do so right now. Wiping another tear away, Billie put her hair back in a ponytail and went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth with a considerate amount of toothpaste before grabbing some wipes to take her makeup off. Now, with a clean face, she slowly made her way to Venable’s bedroom. Why am I nervous? At the door, she sniffled again—the tears had finally stopped—and knocked gently on it. It took only a second for the thump of the cane to be heard on the other side of the door; Wilhemina soon opened it. “Hi,” Billie said somewhat shyly. And then she paid more attention to how gorgeous Venable looked—with no makeup at all, hair still cascading down, no glasses and pajamas.

“Hi.” Wilhemina smiled back. “How are you feeling?” She stepped aside for Billie Dean to get in.

“A little better, I think.” Billie looked around; the room was just like the one she was staying at, but Venable had already put her touch on it. On the table near the bedroom, she had put her work clothes nicely folded, on her bed-stand stood a purple bottle of lotion, glasses and a book, and near the door were all of the shoes she had brought. My room is a mess compared to hers. Granted, Billie Dean wasn’t the most organized person in the planet.

“That’s good. I—I put an extra blanket on the bed… I noticed you were cold.” I keep on stuttering. Venable wasn’t used to that kind of intimacy.

She thinks of everything. Coming around considerate people like that wasn’t usual anymore, and Billie Dean knew that better than anyone; working in the business she did, she saw a lot of people who thought they were better because of their status. Once again, Wilhemina was a breath of fresh air. “Thank you, Wilhemina.” With a bit of shyness, Billie Dean climbed onto the bed and underneath the covers, back against the pillows. She made sure she settled on the side Venable didn’t seem to have chosen. “This is cozy.”

I can feel my heart beating in my throat. Wilhemina gulped as she stared at Billie Dean; she occupied not even half of the bed, nearly disappearing under the heavy blankets. And she still looked so damn exhausted. At the words, Venable snapped out of it and, without listening to all the nervous gibberish inside her head, she joined Billie on the bed. Her cane rested against the bed-stand as she leaned back on the pillows. There wasn’t much space between them, but enough to make Wilhemina feel comfortable; no legs brushing. “It is.” She took a forced deep breath. And then she didn’t know what else to say or where else to look.

She’s nervous, too. Billie Dean bit her inner cheek. “Do you… do you want to watch something?” It would do no good for them to just sit down in silence and feel awkward.

“Sure.” Venable reached for the remote and handed it to Billie Dean. “You can choose.”

With a smile, Billie reached for it. She turned the TV on and got into Netflix. Her list of shows came up, and she felt somewhat embarrassed for her choice of watching The Bachelor. She probably thinks I’m a moron. Quickly, she scrolled down. “What are you in the mood for?”

To be frank, Venable doubted they could compromise on a show they both actually enjoyed. She was the first one to admit her tastes for TV were kind of boring. “Anything you want.”

“What a dear,” Billie Dean teased sweetly, but her voice still gave in to her exhausted state. They both let out a chuckle, and their eyes met for a second before Wilhemina weirdly looked down. Billie licked her still dry lips. “What about E.T.?”

That was a surprise. Wilhemina nodded. “Classic.”

“Indeed.” Billie Dean pressed play and set the remote aside. She leaned back against the pillows once again, getting more comfortable. Another yawn left her lips, and with it came a chill that passed down her spine and caused her to tuck herself a little more under the covers.

She’s still cold. That wasn’t a good sign. That was definitely not a good sign. But Venable didn’t know what else to do, so she bit her inner cheek and hesitantly leaned back against the pillows as well. From the corner of her eye, she saw Billie Dean with a tired but still huge smile on her lips. I shouldn’t pry… But Wilhemina supposed they were in a point where she could ask those questions. “Is this a special movie for you?” The question came in a sweet, genuine tone.

Billie turned to look at Venable, eyes filled with nostalgia. She nodded. “It is… how did you know?”

Oh no. Wilhemina was cornered. “Your smile is different… the way you were looking at the screen.” Her cheeks flushed pink. She ignored it, and hopefully so would Billie Dean.

How could Venable already understand her mannerisms like that? She’s no ordinary person. Billie couldn’t help but blush, just like Wilhemina had done. In a silent compromise, neither of them pointed to it. “It’s my comfort movie… the little girl has a secret that makes her feel different, but still special. It might be hard sometimes, people might not understand, but it’s worth it.” Wilhemina understood that; she understood that a lot. Though her own secrets were never worth it. Billie Dean chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating her next words; Venable gave her time. Her brown eyes were nothing but welcoming. And when Billie looked back at her, she felt welcomed. “I was picked a lot in school when I was little… the kids thought I was crazy. Granted, so did my family.” She let out a sad chuckle. The memories were too dark for a time where her body was still so weak. But now they had already come in, and there was no going back. Wilhemina frowned. Billie bit her lower lip again, and the smile she carried before had given itself to a frown. “It was a long road before they understood I had my gift.” She paused. And then her eyes began to get misty. Billie Dean didn’t even notice it, for they felt so tired. But Venable did, and in a hesitant move, she reached for her hand on top of the covers. Grabbing Billie’s hand felt easier than it should be. “I went to a lot of doctors, I had to take a lot of different medications and I got a lot of diagnosis… my f-family had a rough time.” Billie Dean looked down at their hands just as a tear fell down her cheek. Mindlessly, she began to play with Venable’s fingers, just as she had done in the ride back home. It was weirdly relaxing. “I think for some time, they were… they w-were ashamed of me…” Wilhemina hadn’t expected the conversation to escalate so quickly, and she definitely didn’t expect it to resonate with her own life so much. Venable had always seen Billie Dean as the kind to be popular at any settings; with a perfect family, perfect friends, perfect life. It was hard to think of it in other ways. “When everything they tried had failed, they took me t-to see a priest. Luckily, that one was s-serious in business, and at fourteen I finally began to u-understand what had been happening.” With her free hand, Billie Dean wiped a tear away. Her thumb caressed the top of Venable’s hand in order to distract herself. “High school got a bit easier, b-but my family has always been of a certain p-power, so things travelled fast when it was a-about me. Soon, I was the freak all over again.” Billie sniffed, and the pain in her voice was so dense Wilhemina almost felt herself shrinking down with it. “It’s… I used to watch E.T. in order to f-feel normal. It was cool to h-have an alien friend, after all, a-and I felt like my brain was the alien i-in my life.” Realizing what she had just said, Billie Dean chuckled softly; brown hues fell down in shame. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not,” Venable was quick to say. She felt so… moved. So understood even though she hadn’t really shared anything. In an impulse, she reached to tuck a lock of blonde hair that had freed itself from the ponytail behind Billie Dean’s ear. Their eyes met again. Venable softened up even more. “It is not stupid… it makes perfect sense, actually.”

Billie Dean sniffed again. “You think?” She looks so beautiful up close.

“I do.” Wilhemina’s lips turned up sadly. She didn’t realize their faces were so close, for she was caught up in her own emotions. “It’s beautiful. Poetic. I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Was she saying that to Billie Dean and Billie Dean only? Venable didn’t know. The child inside herself heard it, too. No one deserves to feel on the outside. Wilhemina wished she could express herself the way Billie dean did; so easily, so beautifully. Instead, she couldn’t get the words out. And right now, she really wished she could.

With her cheeks tinting a little more, Billie Dean blinked the last of her tears away. “Thank you,” she nearly whispered. Without noticing, she squeezed the hand on her own. “I… I haven’t h-had anyone listen to me like that in a while… not like you do.“ Wilhemina looked at her in a way that asked for more context. Billie Dean paused. And her sight fell down to Venable’s lips… to how she licked them, to how close they were. Friends. “Like a friend.”

Like a friend. They were friends, after all. Like me and Emma. Were they? Like Wilhemina and Emma? Friends don’t kiss each other. “I am your friend, Billie Dean.”

“And I am yours.” I shouldn’t. “Can I give you a hug?” This time, Wilhemina nodded without thinking twice.

Please don’t touch my spine.

#ahs #american horror story #ahs hotel #ahs apocalypse #ahs murder house #Billie Dean Howard x Wilhemina Venable #wilhemina venable #billie dean howard #Would you Swallow all your Pride? #rabexxpaulson #fanfiction #fanfic #lesbian story #lesbian #lesbian fanfic #ahs fanfic #ahs fanfiction

[skyderman]

[Muse Monday!] Hi, Carmen! If you could summon one person back to the world of the living as a ghost, who would it be and why?

friend, i can't tell you how ironic it is to ask carmen in particular this question. and i won't. here's her answer:

"A ghost! That's fun. It would be fun to believe in ghosts. I think I read something about Shadow Mages being able to communicate with spirits once. Let me see...

"Oh, what am I thinking? I would bring back Leone Kaya, of course! He was the original konyenon. Because of him, 'Valerius rises,' as the Archmages would say. There's quite a bit written about his sacrifice, but nothing in detail. Accurate detail, anyway... it's a lot of poetry and song. But... if I'm to be the konyenon, to carry on his legacy... I think I should know what he gave, so that I can properly raise Valerius too. And imagine the insight-- the inspiration-- he could bring us! Yes, there's simply no other option. That's my answer. Thank you for the question!"

#answered #blind-the-winds #muse monday #story of magus #carmen answering 'correctly'

[katlimeart]

Made in 2016, 2017 + 2018

If you’ve seen this anywhere else, I posted it back on my deviantArt when it was made.

Mario girls cosplaying as various girls

1. Undyne (Undertale) - requested by sonicpal

2. Lara Croft - Gym Outfit (Tomb Raider) - requested by alvarobmk123

3. Alice Elliot (Shadow Hearts) - requested by yuiharunashinozaki

4. Carmen Sandiego - requested by ladytrisha08

5. Shioiri Kanzaki (Kirisame ga furu mori/Forest of the Drizzling Rain) - requested by yuiharunashinozaki

6. Yomika (Yume Graffiti) - requested by yuiharunashinozaki

7. Zola (Blue Dragon) - requested by yurifan17

8. Goddess Arlia (Dragon Spirit) - requested by roseprincessmitia

9. Niralda (Etrian Odyssey Dungeon) - requested by yurifan17

10. Morrigan (Dalkstalkers) - requested by supersonicman9003

#request art #princess peach #peach #princess daisy #daisy #mayor pauline #pauline #undyne #lara croft #alice elliot #carmen sandiego #shiori kanzaki #yomiko readman #zola #goddess arlia #niralda #morrigan #undertale #tomb raider #Yume Graffiti #Etrian Odyssey Dungeon #Blue Dragon #Dalkstalkers #Dragon Spirit #Shadow Hearts #Kirisame ga furu mori #Forest of the Drizzling Rain

[midnightunderground-hq]

Event 005: Gifted and Stolen

A TALE TOLD....

Moira Devlin is good and dead and the ashes have settled on both her coffin and the entire affair with Tabitha Spencer. The wolf has been found not guilty and whatever is happening with the circle leaders regarding Jose’s possible guilt has nothing to do with you. Peace at last. Only for a moment though, because you and your friends and your fellows are always so well aware that something is lurking beneath the shadows of this place, a darker underbelly that hopes to take advantage of those that are hiding from the light.

What better a time for distraction than the late Orator’s will reading? It’s been scheduled, planned and postponed a million times over as event after event prevents the people she led from mourning her. The daughter that hadn’t been expected has surely surprised the masses - and she’s been left nearly everything there is already - but Carmen Blakely has been tasked and she will never not fulfill a mission. Besides, there’s going to be wine there. And many, many eyes, all curious and hungry to know what sort of treasures the prodigal daughter has been left to live amongst at the Devlin Manor.

But that isn’t the only invitation being whispered about right now. Only a select few are privy to the other affair, but when there is something big amongst the Midnight Underground, you can be certain that there is something even further below. The Black Market has reached out to it’s contacts and is putting on a special auction. Not that you would be any the wiser unless you were invited. The Market and the people in it keeps their affairs quiet to avoid any suspicion from the creatures they’re stealing from. Unless, of course, they have something to buy or sell.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GAME...

There are a few things rolling out in regards to this. Though the Auction is very hush, hush, the will reading will be open to the public. Some things of note are:

If you have been invited to the Black Market Auction, please keep your eyes peeled to your DMs, for their might be something interesting waiting for you there.

If you are going to Moira’s will reading, some things of note are:

It will be taking place at the Devlin Manor on Friday, February 10th at 4 pm.

There will be delicious foods, spirits, and candidates curiously mingling around.

The dress is cocktail hour appropriate.

There is added security at the event to ensure no repeats of what happened at the New Year’s Event.

If you would like to speak with any NPCs either at the will reading or in any other time frame, please let us know and we’ll be happy to accommodate. Feel free to have any threads taking place outside of these two scheduled affairs as well! 

I’m sure there’s many curious threads to pull on for the time being. You just never know if you are following them further into the maze.

Sincerely,

#mu:event #mu:gifted and stolen

[sculpture-in-a-period-drama]

Okay okay SO let us make a tag for you my dear!! Feel free to list like, fandoms you're in, and if there's something we're both into it can be from that, if not maybe we can do musicians or, say, vague concepts

Stuff I like, oh dear, let's see—

Books: The Sherlock Holmes books, Goosebumps, The School for Good and Evil, Pride and Prejudice, Six of Crows, The Night Circus

Series: The Sandman (haven't finished watching lol), Spy x Family (also haven't finished watching), ATLA, Carmen Sandiego, Shadow and Bone

Webtoons: Purple Hyacinth, Stray Souls, Stagtown, I'm The Grim Reaper, Cape of Spirits (and much more but those are the main ones)

Musicals: Heathers, Hamilton, Six, Jekyll and Hyde

Musicians: Mother Mother, Mitski, Conan Gray, Billie Eilish, Ricky Montgomery, Bo Burnham, girl in red

Movies: Spirited Away, Emma, Into The Spiderverse, Pride and Prejudice (2005), Princess Mononoke

That's all I can think of right now—

#not writing #feel free to roast my taste lol #for context euphoniouspandemonium here has a tag for his mutuals #and we're trying to come up with a tag for me

[xerxeswitch]

Meet the Witch

*Do not reblog*

--

08/27/2022

Witch name: Carmen Xerxes

Age: 25 +

Signs: Taurus Sun, Libra Moon, Sagittarius and Scorpio Rising (Rising cusps)

Spirit Type: Psi Vampirism

Spectrum: Gray

Beliefs: Secular, Omnist, Service to Self.

---

Magic Types/inclinations:

-Vampirism/Vampiric Magic (required and ethical)

-Psychic and Premonitions (came with)

-Spirit work/Companion (came with)

-Bane Magic

-Feral/primal magic

-Chaos Magic

-Art Magic

-Hedge Witchcraft

-Meditation

-Occult

-History

-Death Magic

-Shadow Work

-Sigil Magic

(There are more but I don't like to lay out all of my cards)

---

Fun facts:

-I always used art for spirit interpretations as long as I can remember. I also do a few works for video games.

-Despite being a psychic vampire, I disliked the idea of vampires and a lot of media about them. Embracing what I am is still a challenge since my "awakening."

-On top of that, I'm allergic to garlic and direct sunlight tends to boil my skin in a short amount of time.

-I am able to vividly (physically) see, hear, smell, and feel spirits/entities as long as I can remember.

-I have a spirit Family of 10+.

---

Misc.

Down Time Stuff and Other Interests:

-Play the violin or piano.

-Painting/Drawing.

-Sound design/engineering.

-Boxing and military workouts.

-Video games (Elden Ring, Red Dead Redemption 2, Master of Orion: Remstered, Maplestory)

...

#meet the witch #about me #spirit companion #spirit work #witchcraft #psychic vampire #vampirism #spirit keeping #witch #spirituality

[mandyjane-lifedesign]

The Night Parade: Japanese Folklore Meets Mental Health

Publishing on the 26th of October is Jami Nakamura Lin's forthcoming memoir The Night Parade. Perfect for fans of Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner and In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado.  Blending heart-wrenching personal narrative with the captivating allure of Japanese folklore, this lyrical masterpiece challenges the perceptions of mental illness, grief, and the intricate dance between light and darkness. Posing the question, how do we learn to live with the things that haunt us?  In the groundbreaking tradition of In the Dream House and The Collected Schizophrenias, a gorgeously illustrated lyrical memoir that draws upon the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagy — the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons — to shift the cultural narrative around mental illness, grief, and remembrance. Are these the only two stories? The one where you defeat your monster, and the other where you succumb to it? Jami Nakamura Lin spent much of her life feeling monstrous for reasons outside of her control. As a Japanese Taiwanese American woman with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, her adolescence was marked by periods of extreme rage and self-medicating, an ever-evolving array of psychiatric treatments, and her relationships with those she loved — especially her father — suffered as a result. Frustrated with the tidy arc of the typical mental illness memoir, the kind whose trajectory leads toward being ‘better’, Lin sought comfort in the Japanese folklore she’d loved as a child, tales of supernatural creatures known to terrify in the night. Through the lens of the yokai and other East Asian mythology, she set out to interrogate the Western notion of conflict and resolution, grief, loss, mental illness, and the myriad ways fear of difference shapes who we are as a people. Divided into four acts in the traditional Japanese narrative structure and featuring stunning full colour watercolour illustrations by Jami’s sister. The Night Parade explores Jami Nakamura Lin's own profound journey from undiagnosed bipolar disorder to the complex web of relationships that define us. Jami’s introspective narrative will resonate with anyone who has grappled with the monsters within. A timely subject matter given the continued conversations around mental health awareness and breaking taboos. Lin's exploration of mental health, grief, and acceptance is an ode to the human spirit's enduring capacity to find light amidst the shadows. Bucking the trend of typical mental illness memoirs, The Night Parade delves into the ambiguity of life's struggles. Lin's courageous approach challenges the conventional notions of resolution, inviting readers to reflect on the layers of existence that encompass both light and shadow. Praise for The Night Parade: ‘At once a medical memoir ... and a reflection on mythology — the personal, the collective, the inherited — The Night Parade moves with courage ... Jami Nakamura Lin’s speculative memoir is a feat of storytelling; one that I found deeply moving.’ – Katie Goh ‘The Night Parade is stunning — it is haunting and magical and terrifying at once. Deeply intimate, but with a sense of scope that transcends history and genre, I loved stepping into this dream of a memoir, of a shared experience.’  –  Catherine Cho, author of Inferno Read the full article