#bet you regret making me get a tumblr now

[grogs-den]

realizing that all billy joel songs fall into one of 3 categories:

life is so hard augh why am i alive

i live in new york here are some places in new york it's where i live

NEED PUSSY

#yeah im comin back strong baby #shitposting galore #bet you regret making me get a tumblr now

[fanofstuff02]

HERE I AM! Here I am with a little writing of mine!

Before we get started, this AU belongs to @woah-why-i-am-here and they have pretty cool drawings about it. GO CHECK IT OUT!

Considering the show itself is 16+, this is aswell, know it then read this, also it has Valentino.

DEAR TUMBLR! PLEASE DONT TAKE THIS DOWN!

A little summary: Adam fell to hell, needed money, and Valentino was the only one hired him. He owned his soul, and it was too late when Adam realized what he agreed to work on. He is one of Valentino’s top whores now. And of course, Adam and Angel met, in fact, more than ‘met’. Their films sure sell a lot. They slowly become friends and Angel convinces Adam to come to the hotel. This is after these happened. Also not shipping Angel x Adam.

ENJOY! (Also since you love holydust @rius-cave , tagging you!)

“And cut!” Valentino said proudly, ending the scene. “One hour break and we’re here till 8!”

Adam panted as he tried to collect his mind. He slowly backed away from the fish demon gal, wore his robes back and got up to go to his dressing room. This was the third demon he was on top of that day, and sure enough she was not gonna be the last. Today was gonna suck. Val was planning to work on eight fucking movies, not to mention six of them were gay and two of them were with Angel. He was glad the one-hour break came.

“Addie~” He heard someone behind him and felt that certain ‘someone’ gripping his shoulders.

Valentino. Awesome. Just who he needed.

He attempted to not show the fear and hatred he felt to his face and mask. Too bad the fucking thing was programmed to show every emotion on his face, and sometimes they didn’t even needed to be on his face, him feeling them was enough. Angel had a -probably true- theory about it, he thought that it was ‘connected’ to his brain when he wore it. Adam was already regretting that he put the “I will only work with a mask” in his contract. He didn’t like the idea of showing his face on films, but this was much worse. He couldn’t fucking took it off till his shift ended!

“Yes, Val?” He asked, trying to avoid the movements he was doing to his chest. Yes, prick? he corrected himself in his brain.

“You were so, so good in the last one, babe” he chuckled.

“Thank you, Valentino.”

“Go ahead. Rest, baby.” He thought he was gonna leave him, but instead, he leaned in and kissed his cheek, completely disgusting the sinner. He didn’t flinch or resist though, he knew what’d happen if he did. “Oh, I can’t wait to see you and Angie on stage together.” he let out another one of his creepy chuckles and finally let the first man go. Adam almost runned to his dressing room, closed the door behind him and threw himself on the couch.

“Fuuck.” He groaned and tried to grab his wine bottle without getting up.

“Adam?” A familiar voice came from outside.

“Door isn’t locked!” He yelled.

“Hey, dickmaster.” A pink spider demon came inside and sat down beside him, tilted his head back and watched as the demon managed to grab the bottle and drank it without standing up, like his life depended on it.

“Y’know you can choke yourself doin’ that, right?”

“Meh, who the fuck cares.” He get up dazedly and looked inside the bottle with one of his eyes.

“I don’t recommend dying on work hours, Val punishes the ones who do.”

“Unholy shit, that actually happened?!” Adam asked, his pupil-les eyes went wide.

“I saw three accidents.” Angel shrugged. “Any left for me?”

“Sorry, I guess that bitch camera guy sneaked up here again and stole my stash.”

“It’s fine. Wanna eat your food? We’re gonna need energy.” Angel asked and took out two containers out of his bag. “I made lasagna yesterday.”

“Oh, you bet I do then.” He smirked and took his own. Angel knew the best ways to make it.

They chatted together until their break ended.

“Adam! Get your ass here or there will be consequences!” A little window appeared in Adam’s mask, almost like a pop-up ad. It was their costume designer. “And bring Angel with you!”

“Fine, fine! Ugh.” He groaned, swiped the page to make it dissapear and get up. “Who’s idea was putting this shit on this again?” He mumbled to himself. “Let’s go cocksucker, we have another job to do.”

HOW IS IT!?

By the way, Adam’s mask in this is practically based on his original mask, a Voxtech product just for Adam. Like Vox’s screen, it’s like a screen-face.

I’ll continue this

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel angel dust #hazbin angel dust #hazbin adam #holydust #I worked so hard on this #hazbin hotel valentino #hazbin valentino

[princessofmerchants]

Nesta, Bryce, the Mask, and the aftermath - HOFAS chs. 76-77 and the Ember bonus chapter

HOFAS spoilers after the break (this is a long one, lol)

I had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to HOFAS chs. 76-77 when Nesta gives Bryce the Mask, and the Ember / BAM bonus chapter when we see the aftermath on the Prythian side of things. It was fascinating to get on Tumblr and see all the negative reactions on all sides to this set of scenes.

Starting with the bonus chapter, I agree with others (@aelin-godkiller, @myfriendscallmeraba, @maddieimhot) that it is written in character for every person in it.

I'll start with Cassian, because the negative reaction to him in this set of scenes was the most confusing for me. Post-ACOSF, Cassian is one half of a healthy functional romantic partnership and mate pairing with Nesta. These two do not always agree. They learned in ACOSF how to disagree in a healthy manner and how to apologize when it is warranted, and for passionate people like these two, that can happen often. On page in the bonus chapter, Cass is exactly in character as both Nesta's mate (his "Rhys…" makes it clear he thinks his High Lord is emotionally overreacting) and as the General of the Night Court Armies (the fact that he doesn't make an argument to Rhys for Nesta in support of her decision is right in line with this for me).

The only part of the bonus that gave me a pang in relation to Nessian was when Nesta says to Ember that her Mate may be the most angry at her of all, but if that's even the case, I don't think that's because of the potential consequences of the decision Nesta made, but because she made it alone and failed to rely on those around her with complementary power and knowledge to hers. I also think Nesta's comment to Ember is residual evidence of her ongoing struggle with her anxiety... In reality, I'm pretty sure Rhys is more angry about what she did than Cass, y'all. But I also think, just like in ACOSF, Nesta is sometimes an unreliable narrator when it comes to thinking those who love her most are specifically and pointedly mad at her. As a fellow anxiety sufferer, this tracks. And the fact that during the later HOFAS scene when Bryce returns the Mask, Cassian is sitting with Nesta clearly holding no grudges or anger toward his mate (but you bet Rhysand is probably still freaking out somewhere over the Mask being in Midgard with the Asteri, and reasonably so!), tells you Nesta may have been projecting her own worry and even regret onto her mate, the one in the Night Court Inner Circle she is closest to and thus most vulnerable with.

The bonus is also 100% in character for Rhysand, as many have pointed out. I was honestly dying to see Rhys's reactions to Bryce's kind of bizarre, almost aggressively Fae exit from Prythian at the end of "The Drop," so having him bear down on the scene between Nesta and Bryce was peak entertainment for me. But then if we cut to the bonus scene, in Ember's POV we get a Rhysand who is reacting to the possible consequences of a Trove item potentially reaching the hands of the Asteri, by the hand of one with another Trove item in her back that can open the portal between their worlds. I don't disagree with him that this is a huge risk, and as a new father he's probably in protective fight or flight mode all the time.

The thing I think is beautifully in character for Rhys here is the familial development we see between him and Nesta. I don't read this exchange as some kind of regression to their pre-ACOSF animosity. I read it as two family members having more of a family fight than a fight over strategy. In my reading, Rhys is in fact having an emotionally vulnerable response to what just happened, and I think he knows it and is allowing it because Nesta is now family and allowed to see those parts of him. The problem I have always had with Rhys is not that he is messy and imperfect, but it's when those traits play out alongside the fact that he is politically and magically one of the most powerful beings in their world. In a strange way, though, his argument with Nesta that Ember observes is shaped incredibly and beautifully by their developed relationship as brother- and sister-in-law. He is angry and upset but he doesn't throw her into a dungeon, he engages her and shows all his cards in doing so - something he never does with a real enemy.

And, I also read Rhys's emotional reaction in another way which may or may not be a popular reading: Rhys is also throwing a tantrum because his sister-in-law is a power player at his level in the magical conflict that spans from Prythian to other worlds. As a leader who has never had anyone challenge him at that level except perhaps pre-ACOWAR Amren, it's a situation that he is probably still adjusting to. Rhys can't just remove Nesta as a threat, both because she is his sister-in-law and more importantly because she wields powerful magic (that he does not have himself - again, this is the grating part for him I think) as both a resident of the Night Court and mate to his General. And because Rhys isn't on top in all the ways any longer in the way magic shapes events in the Night Court and beyond, he loses it. And I found it very realistic and some of my favorite on-page Rhys material I have read since he plummeted in my esteem in ACOFAS.

Nesta is also in character for me in these scenes, both the HOFAS chapters and the bonus. We see in her words and actions both the (previously) human part of her as well as the Fae warrior part of her. She vacillates between being confident and being chastened, and I think both traits are healthy for her, and more or less in balance across the scenes. While I would have loved the exchange with Bryce to be less rushed, because this is a CC book I understand why it was paced the way it was.

(And again, the drama of Rhys bearing down on them with his Lord of Darkness and Night drama flying across Velaris, while Nesta and Bryce discussed and then traded off the Mask, was peak entertainment for me. Nesta also almost made the decision to stall long enough to wait for Rhys and make the whole thing his problem and not hers - I loved that glimpse we saw of her considering that too! That she decided instead to act, I think, was because she probably logicked that Rhys would openly battle Bryce on sight, and Nesta would have calculated that would not be in the best interest of both worlds given what she knew of the Asteri threat from her time under the Prison with Bryce and Azriel.)

And finally, Ember is in fact the queen of the bonus chapter for me. My biggest frustration when I came on Tumblr after reading HOFAS was how every reading of the bonus chapter centered the freaking males in the sequence of scenes, when if as a reader you don't make this about the IC and their dynamics, in my reading in this bonus chapter SJM was telling an important story between two women: Ember and Nesta.

This was a bonus chapter about how amazing of a mother Ember is (because her daughter is the FMC of this book, about to go save Midgard, so learning more about Bryce's mother helps us understand Bryce better), and SJM rightly realized putting her in the same room as post-ACOSF Nesta, whose mother was the opposite of Ember, was the perfect way to showcase this. That Rhys came along and added some drama was la di da for me and utterly secondary to what passes between Ember and Nesta.

The final thing I'll say is, the part of chs. 76-77 that bothers me the most is not anything in the scene itself, but the high expectation it set for the final conflict with the Midgard Asteri and how that expectation was not met satisfactorily for me. I did like the "Death / Not Death" filter Bryce experienced when wearing the Mask, and I also liked that Nesta's mental-emotional struggles while wearing the Mask were not universal to all wearers of it... But, the raising-the-dead magic was not consistent and was mostly vibes in the way Bryce manages to use the Mask to raise the Fallen. The whole thing with their wings attaching to the mech suits, and also how their command to do her bidding stuck even after she removed the Mask.....yea, that was a let down.

The Trove had such rich inner logic in ACOSF. I hope that logic returns when we get to ACOTAR5, and that the Mask as a Deus Ex Machina winds up being specific to Bryce's whole Magical Starborn Princess Powers schtick. The Mask is way more threatening to the wearer in Prythian than it seemed to be in Midgard, and I like that version of the Mask better.

#hofas spoilers #post hofas discussion #nesta archeron #bryce quinlan #ember quinlan #nessian #cassian #rhysand #hofas #hofas bonus chapter #house of flame and shadow #dread trove #acosf #a court of silver flames #sarah j maas

[leclerced]

i know you said you were sad earlier so here is some angst

“my baby my baby my baby you’re my baby say it to me”

i bet on losing dogs - mitski

mclaren daniel x reader where he is depressed as shit and trying to push reader away but she won’t let him and one night he is trying to start a fight just to feel something and it ends in him crumpling down and sobbing and she’s holding his face trying to talk him down going “my baby oh my baby” and he feels ok for just a second.

-🪼🪼🪼

lol tumblr deleted everything i wrote ab this im so done w this app lets try this again and hope it works

daniel would def start a fight to feel some control, he feels like it’s the only thing he can control. i can so see him starting a fight after a bad race, he’s cold after the race, won’t look at her or talk to her. he jerks his hand away and shoves it into his pocket when she reaches for it as they go to leave following the debrief. neither of them speak until they’re back at the hotel, and she asks him if he’s okay when he pretends she isn’t there. it’s probably been building up for awhile, he hasn’t been as attentive as of late and she knows it’s because of the racing but he’s never ignored her like this, never blatantly rejected her in any way, even something like hand holding.

they argue over nothing, going back and forth until he says he wants to be alone, and she says, “then i’ll leave. give me your damn card and i’ll book a plane out if that’s what you want.” and as soon as she says that he’s taking it back, telling her he didn’t mean it and he’s sorry. he’d begged her to come out this season, to be with him. it wasn’t supposed to be like this.

they’d have been yelling at each other from across the room, danny having put the distance between them as soon as they arrived, but the moment she says she’ll leave he closes it, reaching out for her but she pushes his touch away. the act makes him want to throw up and he thinks back to less than an hour before when he jerked his hand out of hers and shoved it into his pocket and regrets it almost as much as saying he wants to be alone, imagines she felt the same then and now and regrets it all. he feels stupid for thinking this is something he could control, that the way to get control was by taking his frustrations on the car and the season out on her.

she’d push back and ask why he said it if he didn’t mean it, ask what he meant by it. he’s being honest when he says he doesn’t know, that he can’t think and he wants to be alone but he doesn’t want her to leave. she tells him he can’t treat her like that, he can’t tell her he wants to be alone if he doesn’t. danny apologizing and begging her not to leave. he’s crying so much she can barely understand him, hoodie sleeves bunched around his fists as he wipes away tears as they fall. he wants to reach out to her but she already pushed his touch away once, and he’s scared to do it again and face the same rejection.

can imagine he crumbles like u said, curling up at her feet and sobbing and she sits in front of him, pulls his hands from his face. he’d pull his knees up to his chest to make himself smaller, trying to shrink in on himself, but she’d push his legs apart and worm her way between them and wrap her legs around his waist to be as close as possible, cupping his cheeks and wiping his tears away with her thumbs as he hiccups between apologies and declarations of love. he’d press his face into her hands and clutch her shirt, the one of his she’d just changed into for bed. she’d kiss his nose and forehead and chin, calling him her baby between each kiss, until his breath calmed and then she’s telling him to say it back and he’d choke on a sob and she’s brushing more tears away just when she thought they were slowing, until he can finally repeat it back to her without choking on the words.

#ask #🪼 anon #dr3 #dr3 blurb

[mrs-monaghan]

i saw you mention it briefly in a previous post and wondered if you happen to have any examples of jimin acting jealous related to jk

i can’t think of even one instance of it happening jimin has such a good poker face

Finally!! Getting to this ask. Sorry i kept you waiting my dear. Lets get to it.

Disclaimer: My word is not law. I can only point out what I picked up. Its up to you to form your own opinions. You don't have to see what I see 😘

To start us off would be the most recent.

Army: I'm Taehyung's wife

Jimin: Hello Taehyung's wife

Army: Hi, I'm Jhope's wife

Jimin: Hello Jhope's wife.

Army: Hi, I'm Jungkook's wife.

Jimin:

Mans really said "no the fuck you're not. You can call yourself JK's wife but I'm the one who knows what he's doing not you." 😂😂😂 No, but this was funny.

Next we're gonna talk about HOME. But before we do that. Let's understand something. Jikook have these exclusive things they do to/for eo and they prefer if it stays that way. A good example would be Jimin touching JK's chin. It's a Jikook thing or rather used to be, because sometimes in the past u would catch Jimin side eyeing another member when they did it. He's always done it from the beginning and other members started doing it too. But I think Jimin is over it now. Doesn't care anymore. But it did used to bother him. Another example would be the boxing. It's a Jikook thing and they (mostly JK) prefers it that way. We've seen him refuse to play box with V. I even touched on him debunking V here when V said they box together. It's a Jikook thing. Alright? Which brings us to HOME.

As we all know there is that one part where Jikook usually sing to each other during HOME.

My favourite is this one 🥺🥺

If you don't believe it's a Jikook thing, look at how JK reacted when Jimin sang to Army instead of singing to him. Here is an even better angle. He wasn't impressed. He was looking forward to it, only for Jimin to sing to Army 🤭

All duos have designated moments during songs. Here is angry Jin pulling Jimin away from a Taejin moment. (Sorry if u can't access tiktok. Tumblr only allows one video at a time) So this theory is not too far fetched.

Okay now let's get to the Jimin being annoyed part. Not jealous, annoyed. Its important we differentiate these 2 words. He wasn't jealous of V...he was just annoyed that it happened.

Okay. So first lets look at the Jikook moment. Which i love.

And then we look at the Taekook moment.

Why does V always look at members like they're a 5 course meal he's 2 seconds away from devouring? Damn. Anyway, I'd tell you to watch Jimin but that's not the best angle. You see his reaction better from the Jimin fancam.

Yeah... he wasn't impressed either.

Next we're gonna go back to Army proposing to JK. The infamous "Jungkook marry me" I bet JK regretted bringing that up the moment he started getting grilled. Mans really got the 3rd degree 😂😂 And you can see the exact moment Jimin was like; wtf I'm i doing?

Right before leaving to go off camera, looking all embarrassed. That shit was hysterical. Really 😂😂

Next we have JK calling RM sexy.

Jimin rubbing his face like that read to me like "this again?" And I wouldn't have thought anything of it but then he went and repeated the word "sexy" when JK said it which had me 🤔🤔🤔

Next we have this Run Bts episode. I will share Cameron's dubbed version because why not? 😂😂😂😂 JK even tried to make Jimin feel better. Yes, he was doing his mission but why not kill 2 birds with one stone?

Then we have the Busan concert. He wasn't jealous. He wasn't even annoyed. But he was watching them. He took notice. Jimin does it often when it comes to Tkk. He doesn't react, but he pays attention. Idk how to explain it. But he watches them, if that makes sense.

Next one is actually quite popular anon. I'm surprised you've never seen people talk about it. Again I will share the dubbed version because I play too much.

Aaah. Fine. Here is the original for the boring people 🙄 Watch Jimin's face when JK smiles at him. Then JK immediately lets go of V. Though he does it again, coz he can be a brat sometimes. But y'all get it.

These two Jinkook and Yoonkook moments are not even up for debate. It's pretty freaking clear. And yes. I will use the word jealousy for these ones.

This one is heartbreaking. I prefer when Jimin is angry. I do not like him sad. It's just... 😭😭😭

This one too. My heart breaks every single time.😪😪😪

You can watch this entire compilation if u feel like it. I find it mostly accurate. (Mostly. Not all) But watch this part. Jimin is watching Namkook on the viewfinder. Did you see him look away as soon as JK looked up? Why? Hmmm 🤭🤭

Now this one he was not just bothered but actually got angry. Like fucking pissed.

Thanks @astutejiminie for coming through. This video is absolute gold. They start reacting at 36:24. It's where it all starts unfolding.

(Keep an eye on Jimin touching his nose. That's usually a sign with him)

So we have V caressing JK's hair for a long ass time. And we have Jimin hating it. We hear him clear his throat abnoxiously at some point which is when JK notices and tries to like sit up and pull away from V. But as usual V doesn't get the memo and continues to touch. Eventually when they finish, Jimin stands up so aggressively that his chair flies back and then storms off before they have even wrapped up. Idk what it was about this day but Jimin got proper angry about the touching.

Another time Jimin didn't like V touching JK was during this live. He even banged his cup on the floor.

I recommend this analysis of that Dynamite BB hot 100 live/JK's birthday and what was really going on with JK staring at Jimin. Jimin had an issue with all the skinship on this day. That analysis does a good job of explaining why. Give it a go.

This here anon, is what I call the Holy grail. Jimin wanted to kill this army. Well, that's an exaggeration but still, if looks could kill, this Army would have gone up in smoke. So this girl goes to JK and calls his name in this cutesy tone. And watch Jimin. That, is some scary shit right there. 👀 I'd have ran and never come back 🙈

Damn this post got long and these aren't even all of them. I am too hungry to go get this link. So I will describe this moment and u see if it rings a bell or u can go search for it. Run BTS Canada. Jin sits next to JK and Jimin makes him move. He was like "That's my chair" and Jin immediately took off.

This cute winter package moment where Jimin slots himself between Jinkook. I don't think this is part of the list. I just like that moment 🤭🤭🤭

I gotta go eat. So this is all I have for now. Cheers! 🥂🥂

#ask shaz #bts ask #jikook #jimin and jungkook #jimin #jungkook #park jimin #jeon jungkook #minkook #kookmin #bts #jikook bothered #jikook analysis

[seas-storyarchive]

Alastor Carmine - au

tumblr request: I don't know if I can give you an au or anything but an au where alastor was raised by Camilla Carmine?

What Carmilla was expecting.. was not to be cornered during an extermination. Shit shit. She and her unborn child were about to die.

"I'm sorry." She said to the child she carried.

As one exterminator raised the spear - she screamed and fell to her knees, supporting a gash across her back. Behind her was a scrawny red haired deer, looking determined, an angel sword in his hands that he drove into the angel to kill it. The other angels flew off in fear.

"Ma'am, run! I'll cover you!" The teen said to her before looking around.

"Come with me." Carmilla grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her. She couldn't defend herself or her child, so bringing this boy along was their best bet.

--

"So, what's your name?" Carmilla asked, patching up the boy in her home.

"Alastor, Ma'am." The deer said, looking at her hands as she bandaged his arm before his eyes met hers. "What's yours, if I may be having the pleasure of knowing."

"Carmilla." She finished wrapping his arm. "Thank you, now be on your way. Your parents will be delighted to see you're alright." She put the items back in the kit.

"I.. don't have parents, Ma'am." Alastor said, stopping Carmilla in her tracks. "They was killed when I was about 4, been raised by an ol' couple who owns a farm an' then.. well, I'm here.."

"What happened?" Carmilla was interested now, an orphan, in hell? Whatever in the underworld?

"Oh, the ol' man got drunk and came into the barn where I was sleepin' in the strawpile with the piglets - I wasn't ever allowed a room in the house, ya see - and then I woke up the gun cockin' and seeing the muzzle flash." He explained it as though one asked him to describe the weather. "I .. I think I could feel ripping at my body as I.." he sniffed as he wiped his eyes.

Carmilla watched as the boy furiously wiped his eyes. How could.. Mortals were despicable! And that was saying something as Carmilla lived in Hell!

"I- I should go. You.. you did dismiss me after all, I wouldn't want ta-"

"I was wrong. Stay." Carmilla said, before she could stop herself. One could blame the hormones of pregnancy, but this.. this boy needed a home. "What would you say to a hot meal? A bed? A home?"

Alastor's eyes widened and his ears flattened to his skull, before he said, "I'd say you could put me to work however you'd need, Ma'am. I may not have been allowed in to sleep in the farmers house, but I learned how to clean it."

"We'll discuss it after you get settled." Carmilla said with a soft smile. "And you can call me Mother, if you wish."

"Mother?" Alastor tilted his head.

Carmilla nodded, smiling at him. "Yes. If I am to keep you, as my son, you are expected to call me something other than Ma'am."

Alastor nodded, starting to wipe his eyes again. "O- okay, Mother. I- I'll make it so you won't regret this." He looked determined, tears running down his face.

--

Carmilla never regretted it, even when Alastor began to do typical teenager things like staying out late, causing trouble here or there. But he straightened out when Carmilla gave birth to his twin sisters: Clara and Odette.

He became the best older brother, babysitter and friend those two girls could have asked for.

Alastor stayed at home until he was in his mid-thirties, when he vanished for a week, only to come back looking.. disturbed.

"Alastor. What happened?" Carmilla's voice, to an outsider, was flat. But her children all knew the tone meant love.

"I.. I killed an overlord.." Alastor collapsed onto the couch.

"What!" Odette looked up from her paperwork.

"Who?" Of course Clara craved violence. Namely second hand from her older brother.

"A low level one, of the Cannibal Town set."

"You killed Franklin!? Alastor, what in the world were you thinking!?" Carmilla was sure she'd gained more wrinkles in just the past few minutes compared to the last nearly 20ish years.

"I- I wasn't! She just.. he was going to butcher her and eat her!" Alastor stood up.

"Wait - her?" Odette asked, now curious.

"Ooh~ Starry has a girlfriend! Starry's got a girlfriend!" Clara sang out.

"She's not my girlfriend! I didn't say anything to her after I killed that- that-" Alastor growled.

"Why did it take you so long to come home?" Odette asked, looking at her brother.

"I was freaking out!" Alastor snapped, gripping his ears. "The last time I killed to protect someone was when I first arrived in hell and Mother was cornered!"

"Okay, okay. Let's all breath easy." Carmilla tried to calm her son, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I am never doing that again." Alastor said.

Honestly? Carmilla doubted him a little. Overlords could be a dangerous set of people. And while Franklin wasn't more than a low-level Lord, he had been well established. Alastor would be hunted for sport.

She just hoped he would turn the tables.

--

Within weeks of killing Frankin, Alastor was a one-man war path.

He'd killed several higher ranking Lords and.. he was eating them. He was a cannibal. What happened?

Although he never laid a hand on his mother or sisters, Carmilla was concerned.

"Alastor?"

"Yes, Mother?" Alastor was washing the dishes, the family having eaten dinner.

"Have you.." Carmilla sighed. "Be honest with me. Have you.."

"Considered eating you or the nuggets? No, absolutely not." Alastor knew this was coming, turning to face his dear Mother. "I would never. You three, are the only family I've ever known. Above everything, I will protect you. I swore it the day the nuggets were born, and I will keep that promise."

Carmilla nodded, relieved. "I am sorry to have to ask, but.."

Alastor shrugged, "I understand. It's.. a lot to take in."

--

Alastor's first overlord meeting? Well, the remaining Cannibal Town Lord- a Lady- sat beside him. Their conversation looked awkward, from Carmilla's spot at the table. Oh, she should have convinced Alastor to straighten his hair, those stray pieces were getting on her nerves.

"This meeting is adjourned-" what? There was no way an hour- oh, well what do you know.. "until next time, friends."

Alastor walked to his mother, the Lady of Cannibal Town by his side. "Mother. How did I do?"

"Wonderful." Carmilla answered, looking at the smudge of dirt on his nose and- did he NOT wash his face? Honestly! She looked at the woman before her. "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Carmilla."

"Hello, ma'am." The lady curtsied her. "Rosie, Lady of Cannibal Town. And the woman your son saved. I must say, you raised a truly articulate fella."

"I hear wedding bells~" sang Clara from the back of the room as she gathered her notes.

"Clara!" Odette scolded, also listening in.

"Sisters." Alastor said, throwing a pack of voodoo dolls at them - something he seemed.. drawn to? However he obtained this, wonderful. They needed worry about his safety with his little toys.

The sound of complaints and ripping fabric was heard.

Great.

--

Carmilla marched to the Hotel, her daughters behind her.

"Carmilla!" It was Vaggie who let them in. "I- I was about to call you and thank you for the weapons."

"Think nothing of it. I am glad you survived." Carmilla said. "I am, however, here on other business."

"Other.." Charlie had come in, echoing the word. "I uh, I don't have a conference room ready for anything I uh. let me call down out hotelier.. Alastor!" He'd have a solution, or at the very least know what was going on. Right?

The man came down in all his second-death-warmed-over glory. He didn't look happy, for a fraction of a second, before he smiled at seeing Carmilla.

"Hello Nuggets, Mother."

All activity died.

"Don't you "hello" me, young man!" Carmilla glared at him, jabbing where she knew he'd been stabbed. "Vox has been playing that WRETCHED clip of you almost dying for nearly a week straight! And you have the nerve to NOT CALL or COME HOME when you are that wounded!"

"Rosie patched me up. 'm fine-"

"I am aware she patched you up! She called me this morning asking if you'd needed more stitching! When I told her, sobbing, that I had no idea-" Carmilla stopped talking, looking away from him.

"I.. Mother, I'm-" Alastor looked from his mother to his younger sisters. "I didn't mean-"

"We missed you, you idiot." Odette said, her voice sharp. "For seven years, you went off galavanting who the fuck knows where, and then when you show up? You act like nothing changed!" Was she shaking from her anger, or her tears. "Everything changed! We were cornered in the extermination before you came home!"

This wasn't news to Alastor, who movements to his mother and sisters tore his stitches and everyone could smell the fresh blood. "Why didn't you tell me to my face? Why did you let Velvette get under your skin?"

"You didn't come home in those six months!" Clara snapped, tears flowing freely. "We needed you at home!"

"You three know that when it comes to family, I DON'T back down!"

"This isn't like when you were fifteen! When I as pregnant with your sisters, and YOU showed me how to kill an angel! Alastor, this was a total genocide."

"We have one every year!" Alastor snapped, wobbling. "These rejects," he pointed to the hotel crew, "'re my family now too. I- I had to.." he stopped, panting. His vision was doubling too, too much blood loss in a short time.

"Alastor!" Carmilla caught her son, looking to the others. "Don't just stand there! Get a first aid kit! Hurry!"

Carmilla turned to her son, feeling his breathing on her shoulder. He was so weak and.. "Alastor, stay awake. I need you to stay awake."

#alastor carmine au #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel au #alastor #carmilla carmine #clara carmine #odette carmine

[mika080]

GaaSaku AO3 2023 Yearly Wrap Up

List of Fanfiction COMPLETED in 2023, on Archive of Our Own.

[I'm trying something here. Tell me if you like.💞]

Prank War by GrimmoftheQueen Gaara walks into Naruto's apartment to find Sakura planning to shove cheese and bologna under Naruto's sheets and now he's got a front row seat to the pranks the two of them play on each other. He starts helping Sakura prank Naruto and ends up hanging out with Sakura more than he thought he would

Broom Closet Diplomacy by AviumR The first time Haruno Sakura manhandled the Fifth Kazekage into the nearest broom closet, she almost caused an international incident. Or: How Sakura chipped away at the Kazekage’s self-control, one broom closet at a time.

A small Help by Carnagebrattish Sakura e Gaara tomando banho juntos numa banheira e tendo momentos doces sozinhos após ajudar Sakura. [Not English]

Secret Love Song: The Sequel by Hina5enpai Idol AU (Direct sequel/picks up right where the first book left off) Endgame: SasuHina GaaSaku NejiTen SaiIno I just want to issue a warning: This story is significantly darker than the first book. It may seem like it won't for the first half, but it WILL have a happy SasuHina/GaaSaku ending. Thanks for reading! After fainting onstage during the last concert of their first tour, Hinata feels too guilty to face her bandmates. Unfortunately, something awful happens before she can speak to them again. Left with no choice, Hinata agrees to give up everything: Sasuke Uchiha, her friends, and even her career. Despite being asked not to interfere, Sasuke refuses to sit by and watch her give up. Even if she ends up hating him, he vows to fix things. Rated M for a reason!

Morning After by FallenInDreams After a night of debauchery, he fell asleep with her in his arms, slept tangled with her in the sheets, and woke with a stupid grin on his face. Gaara was not a morning person, but this, he could get used to. Written for GaaSaku-Fanfests Month 2023 on tumblr. Prompt: Day 22 | Morning After

Demon of Desire by EmmaLouiseLovesFanfiction She just wanted to have her deepest desires fulfilled. Can't blame a girl for trying, right? Even if she didn't think it would happen. Even if she didn't believe in such things. They still seemed to believe in her. He was a figment of her imagination. Until he became real. And his desire for her was only matched by hers.

the living cage by Binxxx Konoha falls to Suna during the Chunin exam invasion, and in the aftermath, Sakura discovers who her soulmate is. Now a prisoner, Sakura laments the day the universe gifted her the idyllic nightmare she calls her soul mate, who is more a labyrinth and beast than he is a man. But he is hers, all the same. The universe gave him to her for a reason…right? AU of "Words that Tie, Ties that Bind", or a "What if Gaara had successfully kidnapped Sakura after destroying Konoha during the Chunin exams?" ↳ Written for GaaSaku FanFest 2023: Day 21: soulmate/soul bond, “what will this cost me?” Day 25: sex pollen, scent/senses, “you smell so good”. Day 26: ptsd/mental illness, bad guy wins, “save me”.

Helping Each Other by QueenHimari Gaara and Sakura have phone sex to help them endure until they can see each other again. Written for GaaSaku Month 2023, Day 8: Long-Distance Relationship.

The "Q" Word Curse by NightingaleFlow Never say the "Q" word within the walls of the hospital. You will regret it.

No More Goodbyes by RiverOfTheSand She watched them saying goodbye for the umpteenth time, wondering how dense Gaara had to be to not notice Sakura's feelings for him. The way Tsunade saw it, she had two choices: get drunk on sakē for the rest of the day, or force Sakura into confessing her undying love to the Kazekage... decisions, decisions. *post-war*

A One Month Bet by Olly_BaaBaaChan A slow-burn, AU Shippuden-era romance. Sakura is sent to Suna to train the medical team, but the Kazekage is skeptical. They make a bet to see if Sakura can single handedly improve the entire unit, but the medic team's skills are not the only thing that blossom during her stay in Suna. Rated M for a variety of reasons. Come for the heavy petting, stay for the drama of a decently crafted plotline. GaaxSaku

Consequence by RiverOfTheSand AU GaaSaku. After three years they were finally over. She was finally free to find someone who deserved her. She just wasn't quite ready for the consequence of that decision. Rated M just in case.

Reason to Breathe by RiverOfTheSand AU GaaSaku. The train stopped suddenly and she fell into his arms. Her panic had disappeared, only to be replaced by a far more pleasant sensation; and she was falling all over again.

Sandbox by mika080 A haiku of undeserving love. . Sand swirls and flowers bloom. Friendship enduring through the sands of time. Kind, serene, acceptance of love.

Dreams of Sand by mika080 Warm fingers touched him. He could still hear her through the screaming.

Phantom of the Opera by mika080 A Phantom of the Opera inspired GaaSaku retelling.

Secret Love Song by Hina5enpai SasuHina/GaaSaku IdolAU COMPLETE WITH SEQUEL IN THE WORKS! Warnings include but are not limited to: Language, Underage-Consumption, Smut, Violence, Abuse Hinata gets the chance of a lifetime with a music contract. Placed in a 4-person idol group, she's on the road to living her dreams. She foresaw an adjustment to her lifestyle. What she didn't expect was to fall head-over-heels for her bandmate: Sasuke Uchiha. ENDGAME SasuHina GaaSaku (short-term pairings throughout) MAJOR Mature Themes/Complete with a sequel in the works!

back on the run (back to the blue) by SafelyCapricious Sakura is on a diplomatic mission to Suna when the coup happens. 

#GaaSaku #fic recs #ff.net #2023 #year wrap up #first time i'm doing this #just trying it out #might lead to more

[crxssjae]

Looking Stupid (in a Loving Way)

Sami Zayn x Half-Vampire, Half-Human!Jey Uso

Ft. characters: none

warning(s): some grammar errors, 18+, NSFW, explicit language, smut content, blood drinking

__________

Sami messed up. Oh, he did. He wasn't supposed to say that. He'd thought Jey would get furious and snap.

But instead, he received unnoticed pleasure, which turned out to be good throughout the night.

"You wanna fuck me so bad, you'll look so stupid." Sami said out of nowhere. There's no coming back.

"Bet." Jey replied, his smirk widened, showing his fangs.

Inside the bedroom, Sami is already a moaning mess as Jey's thrusts were rough and wild. He can feel those fangs pierced on the crook of his neck, his blood drank in Jey's mouth.

Jey grunted and growled before pulling back, his pace never stopped as he licked his lips, tasting Sami's blood. His crimson eyes stared into Sami's, smirking as he was teasing him, loving his face twisted into pleasure.

"Wanna change that now, baby? You regretted sayin' it, don't you?" Jey panted.

Sami's response is only breathless gasps and moans, nodding his head, his fingers clutched onto Jey's back.

"That's what I thought- ow, man, your nails are sharp!"

"S-Sorry, it's just you feel so good and it's out of habit- oh, god, right there, right there..."

Jey let out a moan himself while staring at Sami, thrusting at the same thrust. "Then clip them to not make it painful!"

"I just said I was- ah, fuck- sorry! At least I don't have to call you da-"

Uh oh. Jey stopped and both stare. Silence developed between them until Jey is the first to speak.

"Say it."

"Wait, what?" Sami blushed red. "I'm not stroking your ego! I, um..."

Jey arched an eyebrow, there is no point for Sami to make excuses.

"You love me?"

"Yes. Yes, I do, Jey."

"Call me daddy."

Sami gulped. "What happens if I don't?"

Then, Jey's smirk widened more and more, revealing his blood-stained fangs. Oh boy, this night is going to be longer than he thought.

__________

If I'd ever made a multi-chapter samijey/jeysami vampire au fic, it would've been good and I would love it to pieces writing it. But I still have self-doubt about my writing skills, so... yeah.

Tagging: @southerngirl41, @coolpandasblog, @bbkquartz, @rosiel77

If your username is in bold, it means Tumblr won't let me tag you.

Taglist for samijey/jeysami shippers here.

#sami zayn #jey uso #samijey #jeysami #half vampire half human!jey uso #wwe headcanons #headcanons #crxssjae's headcanons

[artthemasquerade]

After having made my first design of Ryo as the White Slum Queen for my Violence Jack AU

I had thought about how fun it would be make some designs that were based on the manga, the Amon OVA and Crybaby (I have also done one for 009 Cyborg vs Devilman too and I'll be posting it soon) since Ryo's looks throughout the adaptions are quite different and my original design for Ryo's White Slum Queen look is based on the 87-90 OVAs.

So I'll explain some of the reasoning behind my design choices for all them and my original one too here.

Baseline is that The Slum King treats Ryo like a doll, his to use and degrade Ryo, and have him show off his breasts so no-one would doubt that Ryo is a woman,(even though he is actually a intersex man but the Slum King is threatened by anyone seeing him as anything but a hot bloodied straight man) the Zennon part of the Slum King wants Ryo/Satan to remember how uncaring about nudity he was and for him to remember his angelic nature.

The manga design is based on Ryo's look in the second volume where he went to help Akira in a trench coat, stripped trousers, ammo belt and no shirt, this design is closer to the original except that you can't see the bands around Ryo's arms and wrists, I added a flapper style hat, a weapon holster strap around his chest and you can see a little that he wields the same hunter rifle he uses in the manga. I can imagine that even though Ryo is unable to talk due to the Slum King cutting his tongue out, Manga Ryo puts on a smile the most of the three and copes with his situation with dark humor even though he is the only one who could laugh out about it

The Amon OVA design is more religious themed in the cross accents,in how he has his suit jacket draped over his shoulders held to together by cross clasps, and his trousers comes up to his torso in a cross shape, and is wearing a the galero hat and a nun style head wrap. I feel that Amon OVA Ryo would be the most depressed and numb of the three, he just accepts the abuse he receives from the Slum King, believing even more so that he deserves it, only that belief gets shaken when Violence Jack confronts the Slum King for the first time.

The Crybaby design is the most simple of the three, I gave Ryo his Crybaby Satan hair since his normal haircut wouldn't work, and also I don't like it XDD Also I think its another way of showing that Ryo/Satan has changed since the ending of Crybaby, now he knows love is real and also he has come to regret what he did to humanity, I also thought his big ass white coat would be fitting, bet that Ryo likes to curl up in his coat whenever he hears the Slum King raging. Crybaby Ryo would be the most overwhelmed in terms of emotion, he's never allowed himself to feel such feelings before and now he feels everything and its all too much, I can see the Slum King using that against him, making him feel that he is crazy for having negative reactions to being treated badly, so Crybaby Ryo might not feel able to trust his emotions either.

so for the 009 version of Ryo's White Slum Queen design I kept his trench coat with the straps and gave him white top which is very much like the Slum Queens have, for once the Slum King is allowing him to cover up… he has feathers in his hat to hint at his true angelic nature, I also gave Ryo his glasses, maybe the 009 version of Ryo in Violence Jack has become more short sighted? You also can see that he has more blood covering his outfit, perhaps he has given in to his older ways? And of course he is also sporting a bloody nose and cut lip, the Slum King having not long ago slapped him across the face. I feel that 009 Ryo would be like a mixture of Amon OVA and Manga Ryo, feels so numb inside but trying to joke about it to himself too.

Btw if you like what you see and want a commission drop me a direct message on tumblr, instagram or a note on deviantart

#devilman #devilman fanart #devilman art #fanart #my art #digital art #amon the apocalypse of devilman #009 cyborg vs devilman #devilman crybaby #devilman crybaby art #devilman crybaby fanart #ryo asuka devilman #ryo asuka #violence jack #violence jack fanart #violence jack art #violence jack ryo #artists on tumblr #sketches

[loosesodamarble]

Ahaha. Due to some weird glitch, anonymous asks didn't automatically activate when I opened my inbox (which it usually does so what happened Tumblr?). Apologies for that. But the issue should be resolved now.

As requested, I have only taken the most important part of their recent message as reference for this post.

Hello it's 🖤 anon. For the ask game can you answer 9,23,24

And here are the answers to your questions 🖤 anon~!

..........

9) with characters i love

Ooooooh! Hee hee hee~! I've said it before but I do love all the Silva siblings. They get hated on so much but I adore how messy all of them are. And one fic that involves them is the Silva reconciliation fic I wrote.

“You redirected a spell that large?!” Noelle exclaimed as she leaned forward in her seat. “Don’t pretend to sound impressed!” Solid snapped back. “I bet you think you could’ve stopped it altogether!” “I’m not pretending though!” Noelle said, a bit more forcefully than she meant to. “Just take a compliment, why don’t you?” Solid made a “ngh” sound and his face started to burn red. “What you said was hardly a compliment! Besides, how do I know that you’re not just mocking me, huh?” “Oh how pathetic that’d be,” Nebra muttered behind her hand. She leaned in Noelle’s direction. “Though if you want pointers on how to get on Solid’s nerves, I can share.” She winked at her sister. “Yeah, no thanks.” Noelle hid a mildly disgusted look behind a sip of tea. And here I thought Nebra and Solid were as close as can be. Guess they’ll even turn on each other if it amuses them. Her heart felt heavy at that idea. She’d always felt like she alone was pushed away and knocked down. But the cruel, cutthroat nature of House Silva could target her siblings too it seemed. It really had been for the best that Noelle never fit into that environment, that she wound up in the Black Bulls and became who she was in the present. Had she been a fool for ever wanting to fit in with her family? Noelle lowered her cup. No. She wasn’t a fool for wanting to be close to her family. Rather, she was short-sighted for wanting to fit into a dynamic that tore down the weak instead of encouraging growing into the strength. Noelle glanced to her side to Nebra and in front of her to Solid. Their presence carried with them painful memories but… There was also a relief in knowing that they were okay after all was said and done.

This snippet leaves out Nozel but 3/4 ain't bad. I just love how Noelle, Solid, and Nebra kind of struggle to interact with one another. Nebra is the most at ease but she's being a bit of a bully to Solid and thinking Noelle would want to irritate him similarly, which is her still not really connecting with Noelle on her level.

They are a messy family. A very broken family. But I won't ever let go of the idea that they can find some way to reconnect with each other.

23) that was inspired by a work from another medium (music, visual art, dance, etc.)

This snippet here is from a very short fic where I imagined Nacht denying after the battle in Spade and reuniting with Morgen in the afterlife. It was inspired by a scene from the series Demon Slayer where siblings Daki and Gyuutarou have a moment declaring their love and loyalty to each other as siblings before descending into Hell for their sins.

In the void between life and death, there was no way to tell how long the embrace had lasted. The brothers eventually parted. Morgen wiped away the last of his tears. Nacht looked down at his feet. “Have you been waiting here this whole time?” “Yes. I couldn’t bring myself to move on without making sure you’d be alright.” “I’m sorry I let you down.” Morgen placed a hand on Nacht’s shoulder and Nacht looked up to meet his eyes. “You fought to protect Clover and the other countries. You used the power of devils for good. I couldn’t be more proud.” His smile turned sad. “My only regret is that you didn’t live any longer. But at least we’re reunited.” “Not for long.” Nacht squeezed his eyes shut to keep himself from crying. “You’re probably going to heaven now and I…” “You’ve worked for repentance,” Morgen assured. “And if heaven still doesn’t take you, I’ll gladly go to hell with you. We’re family, no matter what.” Nacht gave a bitter smile. He removed Morgen’s hand from his shoulder but kept it in his grip. “If you’re really okay with that…”

SIBLING LOYALTY! FAUST BROTHER REUNION (in a way that's different from canon)! AAAHHHHHHH!

24) that makes me go "huh...i wrote that?!"

This is less of a "huh?! I wrote something this incredible?!" shock at my own work and more of a "huh?! I wrote something that's kinda pretty horny?!" embarrassing shock. Like, akhsgaiurh! It's the closest I'll ever come to write, you know, smut and it's lowkey embarrassing for me to look back on. I of course love what I wrote, but I'm shocked by it still! I wrote this?!

Josele said nothing, instead moving in to kiss Morgen which he happily accepted. And this kiss, it felt like something more. More strength and heat. Morgen was sure that his whole body was shaking as he dared to press further. He let go of Josele’s hand but only to caress her face, to hold and reassure her. Josele parted her lips and let him deepen the kiss. It felt clumsy, messy even, but he could not hold back any of his fervor. And neither could Josele by the feel of her hands balling up around the fabric of his tunic. Want. Yearning. Desire. Whatever it was called, Morgen gave into it. The warm affection he felt increased, bordering on a burning passion. He leaned in closer, pressed more firmly. Caught up in the moment, Morgen ended up pushing Josele down onto the couch. Or perhaps Josele had pulled Morgen on top of her. Either way, Morgen now hovered over Josele on the couch. Their kiss broke, eyes locking in that breath, only for them to go in for another. Josele’s hands moved up to Morgen’s shoulders before her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. She undid the tie in his hair and tangled her hands in his locks. The sensation, her fingers combing through his hair and leaving a ghost of her touch, sent a shiver down Morgen’s spine. Morgen enjoyed moments of simple intimacy, ones that were innocent and tentative. That was for certain. But this raw yet divine passion… He hadn’t realized how much he craved it. Please, let me have all of you, Josele, he thought, hoping the heat of his lips on hers conveyed the words. Let me give all of myself to you.

AAAAAAHHHHHH! I don't know how my brain came up with this kind of steamy content! But I did!

#questions from the ask box #🖤 anon #soda asides #ask game #pardon me for being embarrassed for writing the tamest kind of steamy scene #there is far more hardcore stuff out there #but i'm kinda weakwilled in that area

[dragonbreakers07]

[In your inbox appears a small oddly shaped bottle with a cork as its cap, filled with a mystic drink the ssme color as the powder you've seen before]

Use this wisely. The entire potion equates to 120 hours of age reversal from the current form. You will be between the ages 1-4. You can drink the entire thing for 4 days or part of it and save the rest for a later time.

Scylla opens her [Inbox], a magical space that opens for everyone on the Yokai side of Tumblr, thanks to the witches at HQ. You can get and answer messages, and receive items as well. 

Good. She needs a distraction. Her hands are still shaking from her panic attack, despite the last couple of hours she had spent under Azalea’s trance.

God she had missed that.

She shakes off the unwanted thoughts about going back and looks in the little glowing box, seeing no notes today. She bets Leo and Donnie get tons of messages. 

However, at the very bottom of the box, is a little bottle with a message tied around the cork, the colors inside swirling with blues, purples, and one slightly inconceivable color she probably wouldn’t be able to see if not for the residual magic of the blade at her hip. She likes to call it Eldritch. It feels like a good name for it. 

She reaches inside and reads the label, blinking at it for a couple minutes before it actually clicks. 

Oh.

She pauses, sets the bottle on the table in front of her and mulls it over for a second.

…I could split it up. Save it. The rational, logical side of her says.

But 120 hours sounds good… Says the part of her that so desperately wants to just. Chug it all, become a kid for a couple days, fuck the consequences. That’s what… five days?

I should wait until I’m with someone, it’d be bad for me to be all alone like that. Says Rationality.

The tiny, still waiting impatient child inside her screams, BUT I WANNA DRINK IT NOWWWW.

She picks up the bottle and stuffs it in her bag. For once, Rationality wins out. If she drinks it all now, she’s going to regret it. She doubts this is exactly cheap stuff to make. And whoever dropped this in her ask box has to be very kind to give it for free. 

Scylla. She hears Shirogane hum in her head. His voice, as usual, is soft, comforting. Familiar. Do you need me to hold onto that for now?

Nah. She shrugs. I’ll just head back to Momma’s before I drink it. It’d be stupid to drink it now, Zay’s…

She looks over at the bedroom, the door still open. Azalea lays draped over her soft, light pink and gold sheets, entirely passed out as she recharges the magic she lost putting Scylla under earlier. Her golden wings shine in the light, glittering with temptation. 

I dont wanna bother her anymore than I have. 

She grabs her jacket she had carelessly thrown on the floor earlier, from when she had practically burst in, panting, her mind screaming as she grabbed onto Azalea, practically latched onto her, and refused to let go. She couldn’t get Chizu. She’d mess up everything, (as per usual) and Azalea was the next best option. 

Scylla pulls out a scrap of paper from the notebook she carries with her, scribbling out a quick, “Thank you, I love you /plat, hope you had a good nap. I’ll text you when I get back to my mother’s, thank you for helping me today. Sorry for botherin you.” and leaving it on the front table next to the door, closing the front door as quietly as possible. 

#minific time #rion siblings #rottmnt #rottmnt ask blog #rottmnt oc #scylla rion #crollo rion #rottmnt ocs #rottmnt ask blogs #shirogane rion

[mel-the-pirate-prompt-reblog]

Not to bring up "old" stuff, such as the OTW May Signal bit that was removed after some backlash, I wanted to see it. I threw the OTW into the Wayback Machine, went back to May 9th, and was able to see just what they pulled from the Signal after the community backlash to see what they regret adding to this month's Signal.

So I copy-pasted it, since I bet others who didn't read it wanted/want to, too. You can also read it directly from the OTW May Signal on the Wayback Machine here.

Quotes and etc are under the cut. All blue text is a link.

This is what they cut out of May 2023's Signal:

For Fair Use/Fair Dealing Week, the OTW’s Legal Chair, Betsy Rosenblatt, was interviewed about AI legal issues*. Betsy pointed out that having AIs learn from works such as fanfiction meant that they weren’t only using old works from the public domain to learn about the world. “That means that machines will learn how to describe and express a much more contemporary, broad, inclusive, and diverse set of ideas.” What’s more…

"I’m also intrigued by some of the expressive possibilities that AI may create. Will DALL·E or ChatGPT become characters in fan fiction? Surely they will. I want to read the fan-created stories where DALL·E and ChatGPT fall in love with each other (or don’t), get into arguments (or don’t), buy a house together (or don’t), team up to solve (or perpetrate!) crimes….

Will fans will take up this challenge?"

Thought it might be worth noting that the OTW did add this about AI and Data Scraping on the Archive on May 13th.

*The interview is still up, but just in case, I'll be pulling the link from the Wayback Machine instead of the actual link.

I will be highlighting a few important points (imo) in case people don't want to read the entire interview. For longer highlights, I will be adding bold/italics/underline to help people keep from jumping around the text and read out of order (I know I do, and that tends to help me).

Because I'm having Thoughts about AI scraping, I might make a Tumblr-esque essay and put my English major to use looking into some of this interview (If I ever do, I might add a link to this post). Highlighting things and reading through this interview makes me want to pull my stuff from AO3, and I've only just started posting there a year ago.

Highlighting phrases and sentences does not mean I agree with them. It means I think they are important to see and consider.

Here's the interview that Signal links to:

...Betsy Rosenblatt is the legal chair for the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving fan works.... The interview with Betsy follows.

Katherine: When you think about AI technology, fan works, and copyright, what excites you? And, what keeps you up at night?

Betsy: One of the things that excites me—which is probably a bit off to the side of what most people are talking about with AI and copyright—is that AIs are reading fan fiction now. For a long time, machine learning relied almost exclusively on data sources that were known to be in the copyright public domain, such as works published prior to 1927 and public records. The result of that was that machines were often learning archaic ideas—learning to associate certain professions with certain races and genders, for example. Now, machine learning is turning to broader sources from across the internet, including fan works. That means that machines will learn how to describe and express a much more contemporary, broad, inclusive, and diverse set of ideas.

I’m also intrigued by some of the expressive possibilities that AI may create. Will DALL·E or ChatGPT become characters in fan fiction? Surely they will. I want to read the fan-created stories where DALL·E and ChatGPT fall in love with each other (or don’t), get into arguments (or don’t), buy a house together (or don’t), team up to solve (or perpetrate!) crimes….

As for what keeps me up at night, I remain mostly optimistic. I think it would be a very sad turn of events if some of the newly begun litigation about data crawling and scraping ended up preventing machines from building contemporary, inclusive, broad-based data pools to draw on. I think it would be very sad if people turned to AI-created works instead of finding, exploring, and making fan works of their own. But I don’t think either of those things is very likely to happen. Fans make fan works because they love doing it. They feel compelled to tell the stories they imagine, and they want to share those with communities of other fans. They use fan work creation to build skills and find their own voices. I don’t think that the emergence of new technologies will stop them from doing that.

Katherine: Artists have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that AI companies violate copyright law when they create databases of copyrighted images to “train” their AI image products. At least one of the companies in the suit, Stability AI, says that this is a fair use: “Anyone that believes that this isn’t fair use does not understand the technology and misunderstands the law.” What questions would you like to see a court ask when analyzing whether ingesting copyrighted works to create AI-training databases is a fair use?

Betsy: I tend to agree with Stability AI’s statement. I would like to see courts consider the “training” process separately from the process of generating works. It is, of course, possible that a machine could generate an infringing work. But the process of training that machine involves something very different—turning expressive works into data and creating relationships based on that data collection. We call it machine “learning” for a reason. A well-trained machine won’t generate an infringing work, but it needs as large a pool of data to work from as possible to do that. The mere fact that an AI can create something infringing doesn’t determine whether the gathering of information is infringement. Consider the classic Sony v. Betamax case: The VCR can be used to infringe, but it has noninfringing (fair) uses, and therefore the VCR does not inherently infringe. I recognize that the analogy isn’t perfect, but I find it persuasive. In general, courts have found that “interim” copying isn’t infringement—that is, copying isn’t infringement when it occurs inside a machine and does not, itself, make copyrighted works perceptible to people—and I think courts should continue to follow that logic.

Katherine: Will the Supreme Court’s 2021 Google v. Oracle decision have any bearing on this case?

Betsy: I hope so. That case highlighted that we shouldn’t be locked into one definition of “transformative” work, and that copying for the purpose of engaging in a different technological use can be transformative copying.

Katherine: What would you say to online creators who might be discouraged by AI technology?

Betsy: You will always make your work better than an AI can. What matters about your work is that it comes from you. That makes your work irreplaceable, and it will always remain so.

#OTW Signal #OTW Signal May 2023 #betsy rosenblatt #ao3 works #archiveofourown #ChatGPT #ai art is theft #ai writing is theft #we write fanfiction because we want to share #but if AI will be scanning/scraping/copying our words #we won't want to share our stories anymore #and let me tell you #while you shouldn't write for an audience #you always like knowing that someone is reading your hard work #scraping ao3 #common crawl #anti ai #mel-the-pirate post

[filesbeorganized]

Dianthus

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Author’s Note - Start: This fic falls under the series My Garden of Love, which is part of the submission for Celebrrration in Tumblr. The accompanying song for this fic collection is “Flowers” by Hadestown.

Celebrrration Day 4 Prompt: Cooking

Warnings/Tags: Celebrrration submission, developing relationship, flower language, canon typical violence, can be read as stand alone but you might be a little confused if you don’t read the previous instalment, songfic, i like love-hate sibling vibes relationship okay, that’s what malli is here for, to be ram’s annoying sibling

Relationships: Alluri Sitarama Raju/Komuram Bheem, Seetha&Jenny

___

I remember someone.

Someone by my side, turned his face to mine

And then I turned away, into the shade

___

“Hey, you’re awake?”.

Ram peers up from where he’s laying from.

Bheem’s head peek from the door. Ram lifted his thumbs with great effort.

“So, Loki-akka made you this pongal,” Bheem enters the room with a bowl, “Mind you, she didn’t make this often. I guess this is your reward for not letting Malli get trampled by that boar.”

“Would she be mad at me if I said I’m regretting that choice now?” Ram groans as he tries to sit up.

Bheem helped him to properly sit before moving the short table in front of him. Then he put the bowl of pongal on the table and told Ram to eat. The music and cheering are still going outside, but with Bheem around, Ram feels less bad about missing out on the festivities.

“No, she probably understands why you regret it,” Bheem said once he sat in front of Ram, “She did say it was a pretty reckless move. Which I agree with.”

“Well, sorry about that,” Ram retorted, “In my defense, I panicked.”

Bheem shrugs, “Silver lining, Malli hates you less now.”

“Is that why she yelled ‘enjoy your wound!’ before leaving just now?” Ram huffs.

Bheem smirks, “In her defense, she ran to tell me that you’ve awakened. And she seemed pretty content that you didn’t die because of her.”

“Bet she does,” Ram laughs, then immediately stops as a sharp pain rises on his side, “I told her that if I die, I’ll haunt her.”

“Trust me,” Bheem insists, “If she still hates you, she’ll kill you the first chance she gets.”

“Cool, now I’ve got to be alert for possibly getting murdered by a child,” Ram brought the candies he put on the floor to the table.

Bheem took one of the candies and observed, “Isn’t this the candy I bought?”.

“Malli gave it to me, so now it’s mine,” Ram picks the candy from Bheem’s hand, “Back off my candy, I’ve earned it.”

“Yes, what a mighty fine trade you’ve made. A candy for a stab wound,” Bheem playfully tugged at the candy in Ram’s hand.

“Hey, it’s what the candy symbolises, you know,” Ram joins in on the weird candy tugging game Bheem’s playing.

Bheem’s focused eyes on the candy in Ram’s hand means he misses when Ram observes him in silence, drinking the sight of his friend utterly happy for such a simple reason.

Well, these days Ram feels as if the word ‘friend’ no longer fits Bheem. But he didn't have another option. At least not unless he wanted to take the risk of ruining their friendship.

Figuring your feelings sucks. They’re confusing and not at all enjoyable.

Instead of confronting his annoying feelings, Ram opted for finishing his meal instead.

___

It rains all morning the next day.

Ram sits near the door as he watches the village come alive. Apparently, not even a heavy rain will deter them from properly celebrating Govardhan Puja.

His friends were busy helping out. Every so often they’ll pass in front of the house. Seetha carries arranged flowers, Jenny and Bheem carry ingredients for the foods they’ll present for the puja.

“Are you still dying?”.

Ram recognised that irritating voice.

“Why? Have you come to finish the job?” Ram answered, “Are you carrying a knife in that bag of yours?”.

Malli stuck out her tongue, “No, I’m making myself useful, unlike you lazybone!”.

Ram had to suppress the desire to stick out his tongue as well.

Besides, he saw that the bag Malli's carrying was indeed quite heavy. So he gets up from where he’s seated and stuck out his hand.

“Give me that,” he said, “I can carry it for you.”

Malli threw him a suspicious look but let him take the bag nevertheless, so the bag must have been really hard for her to carry.

“I was supposed to take that bag to the kitchen,” Malli said, “Can you take it there or will you bleed out halfway through the road?”.

Ram lets out a heavy sigh, “Why are you like this?”.

But he walks to the kitchen nevertheless. After all that’s where Bheem is going to be and spending an afternoon with him doesn’t sound half bad.

So he walked to the kitchen, absolutely drenched from the rain, but enjoying it more than to sit around doing nothing.

“Ram!” Bheem yells from where he’s standing in the kitchen. He drops what he was holding, which happens to be the equipment that he was using to build a covering above the kitchen so they can keep cooking despite the rain. Several people who were holding the other end of the covering weren't expecting Bheem to drop it. The sound of people cursing instantly filled the kitchen.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Bheem cried out as he ran to Ram’s side.

“What are you doing here?” he exclaimed, “You’re supposed to be resting!”.

“I’m making myself useful according to Malli,” Ram argues.

Bheem clicks his tongue in disapproval but clearly is fighting a smile.

“Alright, just help around the cooking so you can sit down while doing it,” he herded Ram inside the kitchen. He continues to help build the covering while Ram walks around, asking if anyone needs help. In the end, Loki-akka asked him to chop some vegetables for the pakoda she’s making. Taking a seat beside Seetha, he starts peeling the carrots from the basket beside them.

“I can’t remember when I last had this much fun,” Seetha comments. She’s also drenched from the rain, but she beams brightly.

Jenny drops to sit down beside them, her hand carrying a small basket filled with reddish flowers.

“I’ve got some carnations growing, so I asked Loki-akka if we can put it in the pakoda, it’ll look beautiful don’t you think?” Jenny takes a petal and eats it, as if to prove a point.

“Uhh, I guess?” Ram felt out of words. He turned to Seetha and quietly whispered, “That’s edible, right? No one’s going to have a bad case of stomach ache?”.

Seetha nods subtly, which puts Ram much more at ease.

By that point, Bheem and his friends were done with their little project. A covering stands above the kitchen, rain pattering lightly on top of it.

Bheem sat beside Ram and picked the flowers, “Ooohh, who has carnations?”.

Seetha points at Jenny, and Bheem claps his hand, “Can I please take some of the flowers to put in my garden, pretty please? It looks amazing!”.

Jenny holds up a thumb, “Sure, but you better help us with the cooking now. De-stemmed the flower and delivered it to Loki-akka. I’m going to see what else I can do.”

She gets up and leaves.

“I bet she just wants to run away from responsibilities,” Bheem mumbled in a conspiratory manner. Seetha smacks him lightly and shakes her head.

“If you badmouth my friend, I’ll tell Loki-akka not to give you any food,” Seetha scolds.

Bheem gasps dramatically, “Why are you so cruel?!”. This earns him Seetha’s eye rolling.

Seetha finished chopping her onions, so she left to give it to Loki-akka, leaving Ram who was still chopping the carrot, with Bheem who was happily picking the flower petals one by one.

Ram sneaks a look at Bheem. Of course, he was still the same Bheem he met a few months ago. Bheem likes to smile. Bheem is quick to help others. Bheem can tolerate Ram’s whining better than anyone around. Bheem’s eye are a good place to get lost in-

See, a few months ago that last thought wouldn’t be in Ram’s head. What changes that now Ram can’t look at Bheem without his heart rate going wild?

Maybe it’s the fact that Bheem puts his life on the line just to save Ram. Maybe it’s the fact that they were in such a sync in that last battle, it feels as if they’re of one soul. Maybe it’s the fact that all his life, Ram feels as if he has to keep running, keep doing something, keep working on new missions. But with Bheem, he feels like he has a home to come back to. A place where he’s allowed to take a breath.

“Ram?”.

Ram looks up. He stares right into Bheem’s big doe eyes and his heart starts beating even faster. A second longer looking at Bheem’s eyes and Ram might be dead of heart attack this very afternoon.

“Your face is red,” Bheem holds up a hand against Ram’s forehead, “You’re slightly warm. Did you catch a fever? I told you it was a bad idea to move around before you’ve fully recovered.”

“Uhh, yeah. Bad,” Ram’s brain short circuited under Bheem’s touch. He has to resist the urge to catch Bheem’s hand and press a kiss against his knuckles.

“You sure you don’t want to rest up?” Bheem asks. He took his hand off Ram’s forehead and Ram could breathe again.

Ram snaps out of his trance, “No, no. I’ve got to, uhh…chop these carrots.”.

He tried to direct his focus on the carrots and not on the fact that Bheem's hand is warm and he wants those fingers to be laced with his own.

“Oh. Okay?” Bheem sounds unsure. But he resumed his flower picking.

“Anyway,” Ram clears his throat, “I will go back to my village next week. What do you think I should do before that?”.

“You could keep overseeing the raiding team’s training. I’m sure Lacchu won’t mind taking some rest. If anything he might hate you less for giving him some days off,” Bheem suggests.

“After that? You’ve got any plans for them?” Ram queried.

“Well, maybe not in near time. But in a few months, I’ll try giving them their first mission. I know they’re excited and all, but I don’t want to send them unprepared. You and I know by first hand experience how bad a battle can get from one wrong move,” Bheem noted.

Ram nods, “So we’ll part ways for some time, huh?”.

“I’ll try to find a time to visit,” Bheem offered, “But you know that we have a lot to prepare here. So, yeah. We’ll probably won’t see each other for a while.”

“When we part ways”, Ram wondered, somehow feeling a little mournful “how long do you think you can remember me before you forget?”.

“Never”, Bheem announced, “I'll always remember you. After all, you're very annoying.”

Despite that last remark, Bheem’s statement makes Ram a little less sad about the whole thing.

They finished their vegetable chopping and went to hand over the result of their hard work to Loki-akka. They tried to help with frying the pakoda. It went great for some time, but then the wind carried some raindrops into the oil. It splatters, causing both Ram and Bheem to jump and gives up on the frying. They hang around to steal some of the freshly fried pakoda, but then Loki-akka gets annoyed by them and sends them out of the kitchen.

They agreed to go back to Bheem’s cottage instead, Bheem insisting that Ram get some rest.

“I swear I feel good enough,” Ram protests, “We should help the preparations some more.”

“I bet you’re good enough, I saw how high you can jump to avoid the oil splatters,” Bheem rolls his eyes, “But seriously, I won’t have you collapse in the middle of the kitchen.”

“I won't,” Ram grumbles, “You’re so annoying.”

“And you’re the most agreeable person ever alive,” Bheem replied sarcastically.

They’ll probably bicker some more, but Seetha is walking briskly at them. She’s holding an opened letter in her hand.

She stops in front of them, halting for a moment to catch her breath before she begins speaking, “Bheem, first thing first I’m sorry, I think we have to cut our visit short. Ram, Babai found a British warehouse for our first mission. The good news is he thinks it will be a quick mission, he believes that the place’s defences are quite weak. The bad news is we have to leave immediately. He wants you to head this mission, which means you have to go back as soon as possible.”

For a moment, none of them said anything. Ram feels heaviness set on his chest. He thought he’ll have some more time to spend with Bheem. But fate has come to give him a reality check.

“Okay,” Bheem’s voice sounds somewhat shaky, “Okay, I’ll help you pack up. Let’s go.”

The three of them walk in silence. Seetha went to Jenny’s house to pack her own things, then went to inform Jenny of the news.

They plan to rendezvous at the entrance of the village. Ram and Bheem are the first to be there. That means for some moments, they both awkwardly stare at the soil. The rain that felt refreshing that morning had turned to be quite wistful.

“It’s okay,” Bheem began to speak, “Perhaps I can go visit you, see your village and all.”

“Yeah,” Ram murmurs, “Or I can go visit you again. I’ll find the time.”

But their voices are laced with such doubts that it feels like empty promises.

Seetha arrived not long after with Jenny and Malli following her. They exchanged a few more goodbyes.

Malli walks over to Ram and points at him, “Don’t die, you’ll make my anna sad if you do.”

Bheem didn’t say anything in response, which just made it clear that what Malli said was more of an observation rather than a joke. That didn’t make Ram feel better.

Ram threw a last look at Bheem. Bheem stares at him with a melancholic look in his eyes. Ram opens his mouth to say something, anything, but finds nothing can be said to make this situation better. So he just waved his hand instead.

Then he turned around and began his journey towards the unknown future.

___

Author’s Note - End: Dianthus Caryophyllus/Carnation, especially with the colour of pale red, symbolises yearning and admiration. The word is derived from "dios" meaning 'god/gods', and "anthos" meaning 'flower'. Simply translated, it means flower of the gods. The petals are edible, they taste sweet, and smell slightly like clove.

Tagging the mods @stanleykubricks and @fangirlshrewt97 and the blog @celebrrration in case my Tumblr went nuts again.

Credit to @dumdaradumdaradum for giving me lots of fun facts throughout the making of this series.

#celebRRRation22 #celebrrration2022entry #My Garden of Love #RRR fanfic #RRR

[minnierevercez]

Hello good people of Tumblr, here is a Bad Batch fanfiction I'm writing ! Hope you like it, Chapter 4 (of 10) is up today, yay !

Patch me up

Hunter x OFC

Current word count : 16,531

Summary : A mission gone wrong gets the Bad Batch in the middle of the Empire's new cloning plot. Hunter has to balance leading his squad through this dangerous quest to save their fellow clones, and dealing with their sarcastic new recruit, whom he isn't quite sure how to interact with.

The Bad Batch had entered a war zone.

Cid's intel, as always, had been faulty, if not outright wrong, and the mission wasn't going according to plan ; to any plan. The facility she'd sent them to was allegedly abandoned ; harsh weather and unfriendly fauna was supposed to have driven the Imperials away soon after their initial arrival. The mission was to scavenge what they might have left behind in their haste to leave and be gone before the local creatures could get a taste.

Hunter's eyes scanned the ground of the planet. Given Cid's track record, he should have expected that the rumors would be wrong ; most likely made up to try and keep prying eyes away from the new military outpost, now that he thought about it. The Empire was still here – and kicking ; facing civilians that were not supposed to be part of the equation either. This wasn't what he signed up for, he decided, contemplating the battle raging below.

“This is not what I signed up for”, Tech calmly remarked as he deftly ducked the fires of a single TIE fighter, making a sharp turn at the last second in the hopes their assailant would hit the rocks he'd just avoided. The scraping sound told them all they needed to know ; the explosion sounded soon after. Fragile little things.

“None of us did”, Echo put in, his gaze following the blazing debris. “We're definitely having a conversation with Cid this time ; I've had enough of her blasted missions.”

The Marauder shook as they flew over the battlefield and Stormtroopers fired their blasters at the shield from the ground. Hunter grabbed the back of Echo's seat to steady himself. He shared the sentiment, but there were more pressing matters.

“We are, but first we need to get out of here in one piece. Tech, pull us up before they can get another TIE in the air, or call in reinforcements. We're going back to hyperspace”, he commanded.

Tech complied, and the ship slowly gained altitude. Omega flew from her seat.

“Hunter, no ! There are people being attacked down there. Innocent people. They'll die if we don't help ! We can't just leave. We have to do something !”

That, he really should have expected. He knelt down in front of her to better look in her eyes, and seized her shoulders, schooling his features in what he hoped conveyed both regret and determination.

“Omega, we weren't prepared for this. If we don't get out now, we'll likely die ourselves. Look out ; they're everywhere. I must think of our safety first ; of your safety. I can't risk it.”

Tears filled her eyes as she did look out the viewport and at the battlfield. “But they don't deserve this...” She murmured, voice trembling.

Hunter looked appealingly at his brothers for support ; he still had a hard time dealing with a distraught Omega. However, no help came ; the team seemed to be pondering her words.

Tech was the first to speak.

“Actually, I don't have a read on any incoming ships. And this facility doesn't seem that heavily guarded, according to my scans.”

Hunter looked at him sharply, his jaw set in anger ; but Echo cut him off before he could speak.

“I don't see any walker, either ; it's only a bunch of Troopers down there. I'd bet the Imps didn't expect a confrontation. It wouldn't take much to overtake them. Maybe even get some intel on what they're doing way out here.”

Omega's eyes were trained on Hunter with growing hope. He closed his, defeated. Trust his brothers to make things difficult.

“Wrecker ? You okay with this ?” he asked resignedly, already knowing his brother's answer.

“Anything for the kid !” the giant roared, raising a fist to the air. “Let's blow the suckers up !”

Well. If that didn't settle it.

Opening his eyes with new determination, Hunter nodded at Omega.

“Alright. But you have to promise to obey any and all order I give. If I tell you not to move, you stay. And if I tell you to leave us and get the hell out of here, you comply. Do you understand ?”

The blond kid's brow furrowed ; as expected, she was not at all thrilled by this idea.

“Omega, do you understand ?” Hunter pressed. She set her jaw, nodded forcefully.

“Let's save them”, she agreed.

So that was the beginning of Chapter 1, feel free to check it out on Ao3 !

#the bad batch fanfiction #tbb fanfiction #tbb hunter #the bad batch hunter #hunter tbb x OFC #star wars #star wars fanfiction #the bad batch #sergeant hunter #clone force 99 #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #hunter the bad batch #hunter tbb #star wars the bad batch #star wars tbb

[jaymendell]

Best Reads of 2022

Working next to a public library has absolutely skyrocketed my desire and ability to read. Plus, getting more involved in the indie author community on twitter has helped introduce me to so many wonderful authors that I would have never even known about otherwise — and I’d love to introduce you to them as well!

In the spirit of the new year, I decided to share my list of completed reads of 2022!

This list includes so many great authors, and i highly encourage you all to check out their work! And remember to support your local library! (😉)

(oh, and i also talk about this on my writing twitter @ijaymendell for however long that place is gonna last lmao)

first up, i have to start with tumblr’s very own Catelyn Winona! (@caffeinewitchcraft)

I read both “I Reap You Not” & “Being Heroes, Being Villains” this year, and they were both an absolute delight! If you’ve read any of her work before (she has a whole bunch of great short stories on her tumblr, i beg you to check it out!), you known that this author has a great narrative voice and characters that compel me even when their actions make me wanna scream. 

“I Reap You Not” has a protagonist that i would sacrifice my life for (which she would not enjoy, but it’s the thought that counts!), and every single story in the “Heroes, Villains” anthology had me yearning for more (my favorite was ‘Mind Over Matter’!). If you haven’t read these, or her first anthology, I am holding you at gunpoint right now: do it.

Next, we have Payne Sillavan! (payne-sillavan.squarespace.com)

Payne has a huge number of books released, but what I want to focus on here is the “Toad” series! I’m currently reading book five, and it’s an incredibly fun story! Now, Payne mostly writes horror (of the cosmic variety, for the large part), which is decidedly not my thing, but the Toad series is meant for a younger audience, and it’s a perfect low-key introduction to spooky horror monsters and the kids who hunt them.

There are currently fourteen books and counting, and I highly encourage you to check them out! Pretty much all of Payne’s writing is available for free on their website, but you can also pick up a hard copy if you are so inclined!

Talli L. Morgan (@tallimorgan)

“Sweet Sorrow” is a second chance romance novella with vampires and yearning, which is just about everything that I need in a story, tbh! There’s a misunderstanding between the main couple, as there must be, but this is a separation that feels entirely earned, and only makes me pumped for the moment when they get back together!

If you need a sweet treat to pick you up after a long day, this is the romance for you!

(I’m also in the middle of reading Meliora, so no spoilers, but I am absolutely in love!)

FT Lukens (ft-lukens.com)

“So This Is Ever After” is a book I desperately wish I had written, and that’s about the biggest compliment I can give! I’m a sucker for fantasy tropes turned on their head, and this cute romance about the ‘after’ of a fantastic journey is exactly that. You can see the couple coming from a mile away, but it’s presented to you in an entirely comforting and reassuring way — you are meant to root for them as they fumble their way along, and you can bet your ass that I was there all the way!

Aiden Thomas (aiden-thomas.com)

I finally read “Cemetery Boys” after years of seeing it in the bookstore and being too afraid to bring it up to the register, and damn am I regretting that hesitation now! A wonderful pair of protagonists that welcome the reader into their romance and their culture, and I can’t wait to see what happens with their story next.

Ngozi Ukazu (checkpleasecomic.com)

Now, if you’ve been on tumblr for a while, I doubt this is news to you, but the “Check Please!” series is absolutely fantastic. Finally read the second volume this year (quite recently, actually!) and without spoiling anything, it is a perfect counterpart to the original book that allows characters to grow and settle into themselves with a happy ending that will make you tear up, I guarantee. 

Queer hockey romance with an adorable art style, what more could you ask for?

Esme Symes-Smith (@/EsmeSymesSmith on twitter!)

“Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston” is a fairytale that’s exactly what I needed as a queer kid, and right now, it hits just as good. As a nonbinary person, there were parts in this book that made me indescribably angry for all the right reasons. Callie is a fantastic protagonist that had me ready to whip out the adoption papers on so many occasions. If you have a younger queer person in your life, this book could be a wonderful addition to their bookshelf — or your own!

Martha Wells

“All Systems Red” is a sci-fi story to remember! I’ve been recommended the Murderbot series plenty of times over the years, and in 2022 I finally found out why; the bot in question, is, indeed a glorious machine of murder (and love). Perfectly inhumane, the protagonist of this book has made me laugh and cry, and I can’t wait to continue with the next part of the series.

Cat Sebastian (catsebastian.com)

“The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes” started out as an exception to my norm, and became a new favorite! I don’t often read M/F romances, even queer ones, but the narrative voice of Sebastian is so damn compelling. I was hooked by the first chapter, and the snarky (but not obnoxious, my main sticking point with such characters) relationship between the two leads is paired perfectly with their growing trust and respect for each other. Looking for some bisexual love in a hilarious historical romance? Well, here you are!

Janine A. Southward (Editor)

The “Silk and Steel Anthology” is a perfect collection to read on a rainy day. So many stories in this anthology made me laugh and cry and scream into a pillow. If you’re yearning for some sapphic lovers, there is no better place to look!

Lionel Hart (@/lionelhart_ on twitter!)

I bought the complete “Orc Prince Trilogy” this year, and I absolutely tore through it. Looking for a romance with arranged marriage, culture differences, and a love that transcends despite the odds? Look no further! 

Pauli Murray

I had the pleasure of visiting an exhibit about Pauli Murray earlier this year, and happily splurged to buy this poetry collection, “Dark Testament” in the gift shop. The experience of seeing a nonbinary person being acknowledged in an open, public, non-queer focused space meant more to me than anything, and hey! Poetry feeds the soul! Murray’s work is evocative, heart-wrenching and hilarious in turns. If you need some magic in your life right now, check out this book.

Diana Wynne Jones

Hilarious and insightful, “The Tough Guide to Fantasyland” tells you exactly which tropes in fantasy you should avoid, and which ones you should embrace whole-heartedly. Anything by Diana is an instant sell in my book (ha) and this is no exception. If you write fantasy, read fantasy, or once half-listened to an episode of Game of Thrones that was playing in the other room, you have to check out this book!

Tamsyn Muir (tamsynmuir.com)

Alright, I admit it. I read the first two books in the “Locked Tomb” series, and they did indeed rearrange my atoms. I really don’t know how much I can say without spoiling the experience, so I’ll just say this; if you’re interested in grungy space queers who would die and kill for each other, this is the series for you!

All in all, 2022 was a great year for reading. And in 2023, I’ll read even more! Here’s to the new year, everyone!

#mendell rambles

[alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer]

I posted 425 times in 2022

73 posts created (17%)

352 posts reblogged (83%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@have-a-holly-jolly-angstmas

@flowersbloomuntiltheyrot

@when-wax-wings-melt

@cant-think-of-anything

@i-think-i-can-speak-here

I tagged 224 of my posts in 2022

Only 47% of my posts had no tags

#ask - 18 posts

#alastair carstairs - 14 posts

#the last hours - 9 posts

#tlh - 9 posts

#self reblog - 6 posts

#thomas lightwood - 6 posts

#aly!! - 5 posts

#thomastair - 5 posts

#anonymous - 5 posts

#toh spoilers - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#this post is thanks to the 2 presentations we did in my 2 person class today &somehow we picked the same exact theme for both presentations

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

judging by how many wips I have where alastair is gravely injured, you would think I hate him or want him to get hurt. the opposite is true, in fact. I want him to be taken care of. doted on, even. my man needs a break. he does so much and is constantly taken for granted. if this is what it takes for people to realize that he might not always be there, well...

58 notes - Posted May 25, 2022

#4

this is kind of a niche reference but I want a scene for cordelia like that scene in fhsy when adaine went into her sister's memories and saw all of the times that their parents were cruel to adaine and how her sister started to loathe herself for never saying anything. I want cordelia to look back on all of the times that elias treated her as a golden child, all of the times he berated alastair and praised her in the same breath, and feel guilty. I want her to regret never being able to protect him. I want her to feel angry that she was ever in that position in the first place. I want her to be able to accept that she was a child, and alastair was a child, and it's no one's fault except Elias'. I want her to realize that it was never her responsibility to protect Alastair and it was never Alastair's responsibility to protect her, but he did and she didn't and that's a guilt that she'll just need to learn to live with. I want her to realize that it's not too late and she can still repair her relationship with her brother. it might not be living in a bunk bed at the top of a wizard's tower but I need cordelia and alastair to be able to label what happened as abuse and heal from it together.

78 notes - Posted May 20, 2022

#3

sometimes I remember how alastairs sole advice to his sister in her marriage was "being treated badly by someone doesn't make you love them more" ...and yet there are still people who defend ch*rles 😪

86 notes - Posted April 3, 2022

#2

apparently it's now canon that the reason elias' death year is wrong on the family tree is because some bitch named esme hardcastle asked alastair when his father died and he was like "idk he's been dead to me since like 1894" and she said "okay bet"

93 notes - Posted July 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

the interaction between alastair and charles where charles tells him that barbara died and alastair asks if thomas is okay and charles goes "i thought you hated those fellows" and alastair simply says "no" despite saying to cordelia literally 15 minutes earlier "let's never talk to those terrible people ever again" is the alastair equivalent of lucie complaining that thomas wont let anyone see his tattoo and alastair saying "I'd like to see it" and thomas immediately rolling up his sleeve

309 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

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