#implied grave robbing

[swagtastic-bougie-pompadour]

Hey friend, I know that you didn't mean any harm by it, but making light of grave robbing, something that is unfortunately still a pretty major issue towards indigenous communities even today, kind of sucks a little bit and can really hurt to see. :(

This is something that affects real people and to see it just untagged on the dash, and implying that it is taken so unseriously that it would have happened more than once with little action by cannon characters also shows them in a much more negative light than you may be meaning to.

//A very good point I failed to consider, thank you for pointing it out to me (and for being so courteous in doing so, which I know isn’t a necessity).

//I’ll take that post down, since you’re right it is a real issue that still touches people, and it was treated more lightly than it should be, real life or fiction. Thank you again for the heads-up, and I apologize for what harm my post caused you or anybody else affected.

//Since I hadn’t read much into the subject before, I’m also putting a few articles under the cut for anybody else who wants to learn more. Do know they cover, in addition to the robbing of indigenous graves, historic and modern racism in academia and beyond, including discussions of phrenology and indigenous genocide.

//This article covers the robbing of indigenous graves in the United States (specifically in New England) up until NAGPRA was created in 1990, though many artifacts remain unreturned and indigenous graves are still stolen from nowadays. https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/indigenous-grave-robbing-new-england-17810749.php

//And this article covers modern refusal by major institutions, including museums and universities, to return remains from indigenous graves and the failures of current US laws such as NAGPRA to force those returns. https://www.propublica.org/article/repatriation-nagpra-museums-human-remains

#//since i’m taking the old post down a summary: got an ic anon about raifort robbing graves. #//responded taking it too light ic; implied it had happened before #//again i appreciate people feel comfortable to hold me to this; want to create a safe community #//and i was definitely uneducated about the subject. i’ll keep learning & do better #tw graverobbing #ask to tag

[niccerooniererer]

Phoenix of the Undead

bringing messages from the dead if needed, protecter of the dead

#monkey au posting #bloons #btd6 #bloons td6 #btd6 oc #btw w the second part I'm implying she hates grave robbing

[pink-psychic]

I know it’s been speculated about before but Philip was definitely experimenting with just how much of each ingredient he needed to make a Grimwalker, getting closer each time to perfect with each attempt. (Hunter being the closest in looks and possibly personality wise so far according to Belos).

That’s clearly a boney ungloved hand with long nails/claws with a #4 tag attached implying that that was Grimwalker attempt #4

And here you can see the rest of the bones of Ortet also sorted and tagged, you can see the fresh blood still on the cloth they lie on.

(I wonder how many attempts it took to finally get all the ingredients proportioned right and make a functional Grimwalker? Clearly #4 was no good…)

#the owl house spoilers #toh spoilers #the owl house #toh #Philip Wittebane #Emperor Belos #elsewhere and elsewhen #perfect would be a Grimwalker the looks exactly like his ‘old friend’ and is 100% loyal to him no questions asked #I’m still just thinking about that fresh blood under the bones on the cloth #like it’s still a fresh red color #implying recent grave robbing and flesh stripping #and his leg brace could be from whatever the witch inflicted on him when he fled the fight #the past never dies

[specialshinytrinkets]

11/?

Page 1

<- Prev. Next ->

"And..."

"You're scared of the unknown?"

"Yeah! Like... Picture a megapolis. Big, pretty, with shiny lights! Full of possibilities!.. But – I dunno – it feels like you have only one chance there"

"Why?"

"Honestly, no idea. Just a hunch. It's all just so... serious. And professional. Would they treat some dude from who-knows-where the same as other city folks? No! And once you don't find the audience? (heh...) That's it. The end. Go back to your till!

I don't expect fame the second I move in, don't get me wrong. But I also don't want to end up on streets, especially after clawing my way to get here. I don't want to be scared to come home. Not then, not now. Maybe I'm just getting tired, but if all of that is pointless, then...

Why bother trying?"

★★★

WELL IF THAT ISN'T A LITTLE. HEAVY

Fyi, the hexagon speech bubble belongs to Rob (which means I can tag him hejehhehrheheheheheh)

#tawog #the amazing world of gumball #dad mr small au #samuel corpeno #tawog rob #tawog grave #fan comic #cola and anxiety #crackship #watercolor #au #gumball au #i'm still spreading my obscure fave's propaganda #no but fr is there any actual fanart of him. even if it's from an inexperienced artist i'd gladly take a look!! #cuz if you think about him for a little it can get pretty interesting and pave some disturbing hcs #or. idk.maybe that's just me and my brain #implied trauma #implied child abuse #dusty.art #Glitch Hop_ship

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript -

Gabriel : *heavy breathing and grunting* Bastard. 

Useless bucket of bolts. Yeah, you better run!

Load back to your- Ah shit, that was hard. Load back to your little checkpoint.

Yeah, go ahead. Go P rank the other levels. 

Oh… I’m sorry. Can-can-can I? Excuse me, can I help you?

Columbo : Oh, uh, hi there. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.

Uh, I’m looking for somebody. 

Uh, Gabriel is it? Is that you? Is that who I’m lookin for?

Listen, I just gotta say, you did an amazing job uh… Fighting off that uh. 

What’d ya-what’d ya call it?

Uh, you called it a… 

Gabriel : A mere object?

Columbo : That’s right. A mere object. 

Phenomenal work. 

I gotta tell ya. Robots, I don’t trust em myself. 

Ya know, I had-I had this one episode where uh, there was this robot named Rob and uh-

Gabriel : Uh, yes. 

That’s very fascinating, but could you perhaps get on with your introduction? 

Columbo : Uh, certainly. So I’m, uh, I’m lieutenant Columbo. Uh, I’m with the LAPD. Uh, I'm in the homicide department. 

Gabriel : Homicide? You can’t kill a machine. 

Columbo : No no no! Of course not. But um… Well… Ya can certainly love one.

Gabriel : D-d-d-detective I- I don’t- I don’t know what you’re implying there with that statement!

As you can tell I… Despise machines and wouldn’t think about doing so- Loving them, I mean.

Columbo : Yes, of course uh. Absolutely, it’s completely unthinkable. 

Except, well. While I was- while I was over here and I opened this door and uh fourteen- fourteen V1 body pillows fell out. Along with a buncha the plushies. 

Uh, and I just can’t imagine how ya- how ya happened upon something like that by accident.

It’s a little ridiculous! Uh, frankly.

Gabriel : Uh, no no no, listen.  

Detective. I can explain, okay? 

Those belong to- uh! That guy over there! 

*Filth-like scream*

Gabriel : Yeah! A real freak! 

Some kinda pervert. I don’t know why we keep him around.

But uh, I-I have nothing to do with it. 

Columbo : Well, ya see, I would believe- I would believe that, but uh. 

It’s just that- Well we had the boys at the lab run these pillows and we found your cum- We found your DNA all over em, uh.

You’re-You’re under arrest, I’m killing you.

Gabriel : K-hah. Kill me? *laughs*

Oh detective. 

Columbo : Oh. Aw fuck.

Gabriel : I’m afraid you’ve made a grave mistake. 

Because, in fact… What is going to happen instead…

Is actually what I’m gonna- AHHHG MOTHERFUCKER

I’LL FUCKIN KILL YOU

SON OF A BITCH 

AHHG YOU BASTARD

I’LL RIP YOU APART 

PIECE OF SHIT

YOU FUCK

ASSHOLE

BITCH

*Grunting* 

Oh Shit. 

Oh. What have I done? 

V1 : Bro, tell me you didn’t just kill a fucking cop.

Gabriel : The law will be here any second now… 

Machine, flush the drugs.

V1 : No way, bro. Let’s smoke that.

Gabriel : All of it?!?

Hm… One last ride…

Well, alright.

*coughing his lungs out*

V1 : No Gabriel, holding it in doesn’t do anything!

*Gabriel continues to cough his lungs out*

End of transcription

Audio source part 1

Audio source part 2

#ultrakill #gabriel ultrakill #v1 ultrakill #alt title was: columbo interrupted their RP session #gabes reaction to someone getting in between him and v1 (or at least pillows of it) is to rip them to shreds. yeah i mean that checks out!! #the way he says 'Some kinda pervert' is so funny to me i cant stop replaying it #this took me. so long. oh my god. no post tomorrow. im not strong enough. #sanest bit of 2024 #and probably the longest bit ever. holy shit. #also he used the wrong filter for columbo here but here is my totally Canon Explanation #If they are in hell he had to become a husk.. duh.

[hollyhomburg]

Before I Leave You (Pt.66)

(Sneek peak)(Omegaverse au, Mafia au, Bts x Reader)

Summary: Your track record with trying to survive is a checkered one. This is a red spot among the black and white.

Tags: Blood, Guns, violence, near death experiences, everyone lives nobody dies...but someone does die this chapter, horror, non-lethal injury, talks of death and dying, a bit of body horror, forced murder? Trans! tae, Tae is briefly dead named in this, implied/referenced intimate partner violence, flashbacks, brief suicidality.

W/c: 8.0k

A/N: ahhhhhh <3 we're finally ready for this part of the story <3 i wonder what your guys reactions will be, i'm really glad i decided to split this chapter into two peices! it's much cleaner this way. don't be 🥲 too mad at me.

Previous part - Masterlist - First part

Chapter 66: Go for the Throat

You hold your breath. Still peering around the corner, watching and waiting for the man to spot you.

But he doesn't, after a breath where his soft footsteps echo, you wait, but nothing happens. You peak back around the corner. 

You absorb and catalog the details as fast as you can; the black ski mask, covered by one of those traditional masks, wooden with red lacquer. This one is a little different than the one that Jimin had; this one is white with red splotch on the cheeks, not twisted with thick eyebrows in a snarl. Like a ghost sent down from above to rob you of your humanity.

The bulletproof vest stops at the collarbones. The gun itself is black and a generic model. The long end is extra bulbous with something that might be an attached silencer. Hands covered in black nitrile gloves, leathery at first glance. There is a knife at his waist along with a barrage of other small things. Rope and a knife, duct tape and handcuffs. His heavy boots look steel toed and reinforced.

The man (because it is a man you realize; tall, maybe taller than Namjoon) trains his gun at the landing on the top of the stairs. Pointing it in the direction of Hobi, Tae, and Jin’s hushed voices.

Hobi giggles and it sounds so bright. Echoing off the walls and filling the house.

There is a phone cord tangled in your hands, long and white. You grip it tight.

This man might be silent but you’re quieter as you slide your bare feet across the smooth floors. Your strides are so quiet, you take one step and then another until you're behind the man, mirroring him.

You remember when Yoongi redid the floors, it was one of the few things that he did right away- before the pack came to live here (to love here). It took him weeks and weeks of sanding before he got them to his liking. Days more of brown dark stain that colored his hands ruddy until the soft matte finish stuck. Every pass with the belt sander and dirty rag a movement of love, a meditation for it.

Yoongi made every inch of this house with the same loving intent; to make it a home for all of you. You won’t let it become a grave. You won’t let this person stay here and ruin it.

Most people get it wrong; In order to kill, it is not a matter of elegance or effort. There is no such thing as a perfect kill, emotionless and analytic. it being justified only gets you halfway. There is no way to do it perfectly or cleanly. People die just as they live, messy and hopeful and dirty.

Murder isn't a matter or wanting or wishing, It’s a matter of rage.

It’s always been this way. Rage has been chewing a hole through you from the moment that you pulled the trigger with Geumjae. From the moment you said ‘I do’. Rage that these violent things have been done to you, that they continue to happen, that you can’t just get away from all the hurt and trauma.

Rage has eaten you clean through to the bone. Only now you're the hungry one. Right now, only three words run through your head;

How dare she.

How dare she send this man into your house. How dare she point a gun at the upstairs, in the general direction of your nest and your packmates. The altar at which you so desperately cling to, for sweet dreams and sweet worship. How dare she even think about hurting the people you love.

There is no courage, no bravery, no thought in your head about how stupid it might be as you step closer behind the man. You are not a trained assassin. You’re just an omega.

The adrenaline rush is an old friend, you know how to use it. You grip the phone cord in your hands and take a quiet steadying breath. He doesn't see you, he doesn't hear you, he doesn't know that you're behind him.

Wolves always go for the throat, whether they’re cornered or hunting.

The assassin’s foot ascends the bottom step. You don’t let him get to the second before you’re moving, hurtling forward. Footsteps light as a butterfly’s wings. Your hands go over the man’s shoulders. The cord no more than a white flash across his vision before you draw it tight across his neck.

Coming Saturday February 3rd at 5pm EST (Time Zone Adjustments Below)

#bts fanfic #bts mafia au #bts omegaverse au #bts polyamory au #bts x reader #bts poly au #bts werewolf fic #bts fluff #bts angst #bts hurt/comfort #min yoongi fic #min yoongi x reader #yoongi x reader #min yoongi #omega! reader #bts a/b/o au #bts a/b/o #bts gang au #bts au #bts werewolf au #bts angst bts omegaverse fic #bts hybrid fic #kim namjoon fic #kim seokjin fic #kim taehyung fic #park jimin fic #jeon jungkook fic #jjk #pjm #myg

[artbribery]

Danny calling John Constantine a “discount, hyped-up voldemort wannabe” and complaining that “at least voldemort didn’t make that much paperwork for the ministry”

A list of why the insult is legit, maybe written by a spite fueled Danny, the soul tax collector, helped by Clockwork who wrote the file he’s getting his info from probably:

British

Magic

Manipulate, Mansplain, Manwhore

Bad habits

Soul splitting (!!!)

Involved in some weird shit

His house could kill you

Tax evasion

Mother dies and father resents him for reasons (in some version, or an orphan at some early point, either way)

Magical, special lineage connected to cunning

Dark arts knowledge

Met a lot of Ghosts but most don’t like him 

Dies?

But not really

Many contacts and connections everywhere

Killed people

People die around him (Different things)

Problems with the Government (mood but also >:( )

Grave robbing (implied? it has to have happened, i can’t believe otherwise)

...

You know what, a lot of crime in general, what the heck?

Asshole (should’ve been higher on the list honestly)

Gets a blood transfusion from an enemy and becomes stronger

Protected from mind control (Lucky)

Probably called you-know-who by someone at least once

Smart (???)

Changed his name and joined a band (So to speak)

#dp x dc #behold: the idea i had that made me acquire some knowledge about john constantine #most of them are right #others are technically right #other others might just be for fun #(i say because I am not all knowing and did this on a whim and bc it was funny) #(my machinations lay undetected for years for I’m a Master of Deception) #<--that's john #thinking he's getting away with it #if you've seen the vid you know what danny is doing #danny: *deadpan-unimpressed-done with this bs* #danny unironically calling john you-know-who with contempt when talking about him #danny: you-know-who split his soul. AGAIN--! #the flying paper planes only it's blobs coming with memos that it happened once more #jazz: did you find john-- #danny: he-who-must-not-be-named has not YET been found #more info at eleven #(not really) #*pinches his nose in frustration*

[yesandpeeps]

Ghoul field notes: Grave digging.

Once again bringing up one of the definitions of Ghoul: “an evil spirit or phantom, especially one supposed to rob and feed on dead bodies.”

Less hunters, more scavengers.* They’re grave robbers, and I think free roaming ghouls would have certain vocalizations to steer prying eyes away from their meal. Packs don’t need to worry about this as much, as there’s safety in numbers.

They sob, they wail as they dig. To cover up the sounds of dirt, wood, and stone being displaced. If you hear anguished crying in a graveyard, it’s best not to disturb the mourning, right? It’s still a slightly inhuman noise, so if respect doesn’t keep unwanted visitors away, the distorted mix of weeping and hyena-like laughter should.

*Scavengers imply the existence of a main predator, not sure what yet. Maybe Death itself.

#ghoul field notes #yap yap yap #ghost #ghost band #the band ghost #nameless ghoul #nameless ghoul headcanons #ghoul headcanons #ayo finally came up with a name for this scientific ghoul series #i’m not drawing inspiration from specific cultures/folk lore so if something happens to sound familiar it’s just coincidence 👍

[kiame-sama]

Yandere Rob Lucci x Reader?

Warnings; yandere lucci, gn! Reader, hunter prey dynamic, implied adult themes, leopards don't wear clothes, implied non con,

"Please..!

Your voice sounded truly pathetic as you cowered, knowing no matter what you said, there was no way out for you. Pleading was all you could do despite knowing the prowling predator stalking towards you couldn't understand your gasped words. The beast had given chase until you stumbled and it knocked you to the ground, letting you try to crawl only to continue stalking over to you.

The overbearing pulse of your heart was hammering in your ears as you held up one hand to try in a useless attempt to dissuade the beast. All you could do was impulsively close your eyes and wait for the inevitable at the cruel fangs of the beast.

The inevitable never came.

You slowly lowered your hand in a morbid curiosity as to what was happening, coming face to face with the leopard. It almost seemed to be observing you with a sneer of amusement, tail tip flicking wildly. The hot breath of the feline against your cheek was a frightening experience as you shivered in terror.

The leopard leaned in and seemed to change form right before your eyes, a frighteningly sharp featured man pressing the very tip of his nose against your cheek. Each deep breath seemed almost starved as if he were savoring your scent. You knew devil fruit users existed, but had not come across one that looked like a truly feral animal.

It was then it dawned on you that the man had blended so well as a leopard because he didn't wear any clothes on his muscular figure that seemed to lay over you. As soon as you opened your mouth to say something, you heard a low sound, almost like a deep growl rumbling against your very bones. Your voice caught in your throat as you found yourself unable to scream.

"Be quiet... You have made a grave mistake drawing my attention like this."

"I- I didn't-"

"Quiet. I won't tell you again. You are already so..." he inhaled again and slowly dragged the tip of his tongue over your cheek as if tasting you, "... So very distracting to me."

You were stuck beneath the man that clearly was insane as he pressed close to your warm body.

"You are going to satisfy all of my cravings no matter how much you fight... I have hunted you down and you couldn't even escape from me."

The warm figure above you only seemed to burn hotter as he rolled his hips slowly. Each low breath almost seemed like a barely audible growl of desire.

"Now... Lay back because fighting against me will only make me want you more."

#kiame-sama #yandere #x reader #yandere x reader #reader insert #tw yandere #yandere rob lucci #yandere lucci #yandere one piece

[aquato-family-circus]

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if all of the experimentation that the Psychic Seven did prior to officially becoming the Psychonauts was part of the reason why the Psychonauts afterwards treated a lot of the things they did as bad and illegal.

The Psychonauts likely recognized that as valuable as those early experiments were for data and deep diving into aspects of the human psyche, they were also clearly dangerous and arguably made things get as bad as they did for the Psychic Seven. Thus the Psychic Seven retroactively put in rules to regulate certain things to ensure that those kinds of boundaries would never be crossed again. Kinda like how after accidents, disasters and malpractice, regulatory groups put in stricter rules to ensure that they can't happen again.

I'd like to think it'd have been a halfway decision between Truman and the remaining Psychic Six, something they all agreed upon simply because they recognized that the damage caused by Cruller (whatever it was he did from their perspectives) and Lucrecia was something that could have been avoided.

Oh definitely the Psychic 7 & Truman's experiences with just Maligula alone probably brought a lot to the table when it comes to what kind of practices the Psychonauts, government organization, has to disavow or regulate tightly.

one thing I usually think about when it comes to this stuff is Heptadome Harry/Helmut's brain being just found in the Heptadome is that like.

like it or not Otto's blaise response to seeing a brain in that dome implies that the gang was not unused to seeing maybe one or two other dead brains being used for psychic research.

Which brings up soooooo many questions like where did that come from?

Why a disembodied brain??

did you. get it. legally??? (i doubt they've ever done anything quite as illegal as grave robbing but like maybe they got in contact with facilities that deal with bodies donated to science)

my personal headcanon for Otto never checked that brain and learned he had his friend in his brain bank is bc

1) well its dead obvs he wouldnt think otherwise

2) him checking that shit could be down right prohibited by that point without the right checks in place.

Which dovetails into Helmut being one of the undocumented brains that Otto can wink and live with being borrowed (if you decide to ask him permission first!), bc it's wrapped up in a bunch of legal paperwork and red tape he just hasn't had the interest or time to get clearedup yet.

raz just gets away with breaking all the red tape bc hes a child and isn't dealing with paperwork. he doesn't care he's on a mission to save his mentor. the moral here is break laws kids /j

#asks #enigma2meagain #hcs

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate Aromantic Awareness Week with Our 8 Favorite Books with Aro Characters!

To celebrate #aromanticawarenessweek, we asked our contributors (some of whom chose to remain anonymous) to recommend their favorite books with aromantic characters (some explicit, some implied).

Here are our 8 favorites!

Loveless by Alice Oseman This is the funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of Georgia, who doesn’t understand why she can’t crush and kiss and make out like her friends do. She’s surrounded by the narrative that dating + sex = love. It’s not until she gets to college that she discovers the A range of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum — coming to understand herself as asexual/aromantic. Disrupting the narrative that she’s been told since birth isn’t easy — there are many mistakes along the way to inviting people into a newly found articulation of an always-known part of your identity. But Georgia’s determined to get her life right, with the help of (and despite the major drama of) her friends.

Commit to the Kick by Tris Lawrence For eighteen years, Alaric has lived under the cloying politics of family and his Clan community. His freshman year is supposed to be a chance to explore a world where Clan and his shapeshifting Talent isn’t central to his life. But when his inner bear bursts forth during his first football game, endangering those around him, Alaric realizes that it’s not so easy to ignore his past, or his own internalized anger. In his quest for anger management, Alaric begins to train in taekwondo, and makes new friends in both sports. He finds that he is creating his own small community, where Clan, Mages, other Talents, and even humans come together and build their own found family. When Alaric receives news that something has happened to his brother Orson, he must return and deal with his Clan and his place in their world. He discovers that old prejudices are still strong between Clan and Mage communities, but that both may be in danger from a creature long thought to be only a legend. Alaric must figure out how to move forward and prevent a war and protect both his home and newly built communities, his found family with him every step of the way.

The Graverobbers’ Chronicles by Xu Lei Uncle Three loves good food, good booze, good card games, and bad women–and he’s never found a grave he wouldn’t rob. He can’t help it – it’s in his blood – grave robbing has been the family business for centuries. So when his bookseller nephew comes to him with a map to an ancient tomb, Uncle Three sets off to find it, in the company of some grave-robbing colleagues, his nerdy nephew, and a strange poker-faced guy that nobody can quite figure out. Uncle Three knows that the grave he seeks will lead him and his companions to “another kind of world,” but not even he could ever imagine what they are about to find. Lost in a labyrinthine cavern that is full of dead bodies, Uncle Three and his comrades fight for their lives as they come up against vampires, corpse-eating bugs, and blood zombies.

The Devil’s Luck by L. S. Baird Years ago, a foolish wastrel once played a hand of cards with the devil… and lost. Now Frey has inherited his uncle’s double curse: the Devil’s claim written on his body in crimson letters, and the impossibly good luck that comes with it. Death is Frey’s only escape from his destiny, but not even Etienne, an expert assassin from the Order of the Crimson Seal, can defeat Frey’s luck alone. And when Etienne finds himself growing too fond of his victim, he doesn’t know if Frey’s good nature or the luck is to blame. However, Etienne will give his all to preventing the Archdemon’s return, even if his all includes wearing a corset, and killing a friend.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid – a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

In Good Company by Nicola Kapron Haruki no longer remembered what had been going through his head the first time he’d killed. All he recalled was the sight of those he’d once loved with all the helpless force of a scared, scarred child covered in red and utterly still. He hadn’t felt grief or triumph when he realized they weren’t struggling anymore. He’d just felt— Empty. Better to be hollow than to despair.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions–much good it did me. So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. But as the evil from her childhood tales threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak–and what legacy she intends to leave behind.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace New Liberty City, 2134. Two corporations have replaced the US, splitting the country’s remaining forty-five states (five have been submerged under the ocean) between them: Stellaxis Innovations and Greenleaf. There are nine supercities within the continental US, and New Liberty City is the only amalgamated city split between the two megacorps, and thus at a perpetual state of civil war as the feeds broadcast the atrocities committed by each side. Here, Mallory streams Stellaxis’s wargame, SecOps on BestLife, spending more time jacked in than in the world just to eke out a hardscrabble living from tips. When a chance encounter with one of the game’s rare super-soldiers leads to a side job for Mal–looking to link an actual missing girl to one of the SecOps characters. Mal’s sudden burst in online fame rivals her deepening fear of what she is uncovering about BestLife’s developer, and puts her in the kind of danger she’s only experienced through her avatar.

Recommendations contributed by Nina Waters, softestpunk, Adrian Harley, and others.

Also: did you know? Duck Prints Press’s owner, Nina Waters, is aro! We’re an aro-owned company!

Who we are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement for future giveaways? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more! Want to support the Press, read about us behind-the-scenes, learn about what’s coming down the pipeline, get exclusive teasers, and claim free stories? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi monthly!

#aromantic fiction #aromantic character #aromantic awareness week #books #aromantic awareness #book recs #queer books #duck prints press

[snapewife-divorce-lawyer]

when i originally made my equestria civil war au as a an edgy teen, one of the primary things that defined the north wind as being evil was their use of animal products. i do think it’s enough that they are militant fascists. that simple fact makes it worthwhile to oppose them. i don’t mind them being evil in other ways, but i want to acknowledge before i continue that they certainly don’t need more evil traits as far as narrative goes. i left the alicorn experiments in because they are cool lol, but the animal products thing i don’t know about. their use of animal products was pervasive, much like our real world, but it was really bad because ponies are herbivores (don’t come at me on this. not interested in arguing the fact that ponies are herbivores) and further at no point in history were ponies reliant on animal products for any reason. so the habitual use of animal products was obviously evil to any observer. purely exploitation for nothing but convince. but further than that, their animal products extended to animals that aren’t exactly animals. i kinda hinted at this with the alicorn experiments, and the implied complete disposability of their pony test subjects for a flimsy misguided cause. they actually see anyone who isn’t a pegasus as an inferior being, and this belief informs actions.

here are some of the things from the original au that i am considering dropping, along with the use of animal products all together. i warn you that they are pretty bad:

the first practice of theirs that i am reconsidering in my remake of this au is that they used dragon hyde as armor. i had decided that it deflected magic and they made armor out of it, and also wrappped their ships in it. in the og story this is actually the thing that deradicalized mistletoe. he had a gradual change from indoctrinated child to aware and remorseful young adult, but the second he found out that the armor he was wearing came from a creature that could talk is when he completely flipped. i’m not sure how much i like that story anymore. also as a not edgy not teen im not sure that that level of depravity is necessary to show.

the somehow worse thing i am also reconsidering, and i have to warn you again if you are going to go forward that this is pretty bad, is that in the original they would take unicorn horns and use them to make weapons out of. sometimes via grave robbing, but sometimes from living unicorns. the unicorns that they would take these from would then often be made to work in factories and stuff. the hornless unicorns were all discolored and sad like when starlight took those ponies’ cutiemarks.

i’ve been open about how star wars was an influencing factor in my pony au being a story about fighting fascism. it bugged me watching star wars that you don’t see the empire being bad. they blow up a planet in the beginning, and then continue based almost solely on that. using aesthetics and exposition to show the evil of their villains. star wars feels less like a galaxy full of people rising up against an empire that is oppressing them, and more like a conflict between a handful of people. the citizens of the galaxy are only props in the story. i don’t think star wars is uniquely guilty of this by any means, and i don’t even necessarily think this is a bad thing about the story, but i think it’s not a coincidence that recent star wars stories have been focusing on the actual material harm of the empire instead of a conflict between a handful of wizards who it turns out are literally related to eachother. that would be the reason to leave things like this in. here is some of the real material harm that the north wind is doing. here are some of their real victims. a reason to oppose them that is more personable than narratively broad concepts like government takeover.

love to her thoughts if you have them

#equestria civil war

[capribornio]

This is going to be disorganized as fuck, I don't actually have a point, but I just rewatched MPN Story Mode and I'm going crazy, so I'm going to word vomit on this post

Ok so we all know the meeting scene between Jeb, Doc & Hank, right?

Fantastic scene, go watch it if you haven't (and if you did, rewatch it. It's just great). Anyway.

So, one thing from that is that we get this

So, ghoulish huh? A quick search on Merriam Webster tells me:

1: : a legendary evil being that robs graves and feeds on corpses

2: one suggestive of a ghoul

especially : one who shows morbid interest in things considered shocking or repulsive

Which... interesting. Of course, we already knew this, didn't we? After all, we had Krinkels' poster:

Bit hard to see, but right under NOT A DOCTOR, where I marked it, says: MORE OF A GHOUL

So that's curious, right? But, well, nothing too out of the ordinary. I mean, ofc Doc would have morbid interests, absolutely nothing surprising in Nevada.

EX - FUCKING - CEPT

You see, usually in the stage before a flashback cutscene, we have something slightly leading up to it. Hofnarr notes before a Hofnarr flashback, meeting Jeb before a Jeb flashback, etc. You get the point.

...But the stage right before this is The Last Leg, a Deimos & Sanford stage. Now, the other stages before this one did have plenty of Christoff's back and forth notes against Dr Crackpot. ...But there's none in this chapter. In fact, the only not-S&D main character is Tricky, who is notably absent from the flashback.

And here's where it gets weird.

Because The Last Leg is only focused on introducing robot enemies. The only note we have is from an employee, complaining about the things turning against them:

They are specifically complaining about insolvents:

(From the Merriam-Webster site again)

1

a: unable to pay debts as they fall due in the usual course of business

b: having liabilities in excess of a reasonable market value of assets held

2

: insufficient to pay all debts

(Bolding mine)

What it is to say, they are more dangerous than they are useful.

Alright, but what does this have to do with the flashback?

Well you see, The Last Leg has a boss fight. Against something, very, very interesting:

VERY interesting design, isn't is? Red eyes, fucked up mouth, a black mohawk...

Ok, ok, but surely I'm reaching. I mean, what could this thing have in connection with Doc at all?

...Oh.

Yep. This enemy shares design, as well as a ghoulish connection to 2BDamned.

In fact, in concepts designs (from the wiki):

Earlier concepts of the Ghoul depict it as a feral Mag zombie, and then later on a quadrupedal Mag unit with cybernetic augmentations. Early concept images assigned him the subclass of "Carrion Eater"[1]. This, combined with how early concept artwork of it depicts it holding a corpse with it's head eaten, implied that it would have eaten corpses in the middle of battle.

And sure enough, it's the first definition of ghoul.

All of this? Means the connection to the flashback wasn't neither Jeb nor Hank. It was Doc.

So. What the fuck does this mean? Well, first of all, fuck me if I know. This is the bare facts, and I hope anyone besides me can gather anything from this, because I'm stumped.

...Sort of.

You see, I have another connection to make. This one, I recognize I might be reaching (but then, maybe I'm not?) (Idk man)

After all, as we come to find out from Arena Mode, Doc is very much meddling in the godly affairs of Nevada.

And, well. Those are Nevada's gods. The Maker, who's Doc benefactor, and...

The Machine.

And now, I'd like to point out your attention to the fact that, while I called the enemies in The Last Leg robots, the only way they're called in game is...

(From the Insolvents log)

And the only other time (as far as I remember, correct me if I'm wrong) we fight waves of robots, and the final boss is a giant robot is...

(also, notice the Grand Steward has a grunt-like face with its faceplates closed off)

...when we meet The Machine itself.

So. Once again, what the fuck does this mean?

Ultimately, I just don't know, really. But I have a very strong feeling there is something very, very important we don't truly know about Doc's connection to the Machine.

#Madness Combat #Project Nexus #2BDamned #Madness Combat Doc #The Machine #MPN spoilers #Madness Combat The Machine #hi i've been going crazy for the past week #(agressively shaking doc) tell me your secrets #My post

[hotluncheddie]

Marmalade

things i noticed on my second watch / that i found interesting and thought i’d share.

visuals and ideas that i think help the film be what it is, add too the characters and create the movies main themes. [ notes but, fun notes :) ]

things about marmalade that cause doubt / are a clue:

puzzle piece on her neck (she is literally a piece of the puzzle) - tattoos become a major clue for Otis to figure out "is it big on her neck?" "yeah it's big."

was checking on mama Eda right before she died

mentions being pregnant at a high stress moment / moment of coercion

audience questions if she actually can't smell after the fart scene (which i still find weird, this is the only reason i can think for it)

tells store owner she gave him a £20 - honestly into question again "Marmalade had her own set of rules for everything."

lied about this being the first bank she robbed

hid the pills

things about baron that cause doubt / are a clue:

in the ice cream shop he talking offhandedly about what words are when spelled backwards "god is dog" etc

he knows about the other bank - speaks about it quickly and clearly - different cadence than normal

mentions multiple times about the rich taking more than they need, raising product just to get richer (robin hood)

instantly gives himself up after marmalade leaves the safe house, doesn't try and run at all

the comment about his hair and implying its inspired by rasterfariens he saw on tv - maybe used as a way to make Otis think he dumber than he is - i swear on my hair - loosing his job over it - starting the story too early 'you'll see, it's all about them details."

"How about I trust you, to trust me."

"I always likes glancing into other people worlds. But ain't nothin' don't come easy most days."

Multiple of these aspects also make baron less of an instigator for the crime. he was coerced, tried to call it off and was heavily emotionally manipulated through love and him mom. this makes him more sympathetic to Otis and the audience.

visual clues / noticings

masks - three faces - masculine and feminine aspects

reflections used often - baron looking into glass, picture frames, mirrors

heist scene - wearing same balaclava and mask - zoom in on baron could be peak into the actual heist

followed up by dance fantasy scene - partners working perfectly in sync - baron and marmalade, two sides of the same person

'dream big or don't dream at all' , 'while there's life, there's hope.'

Eda Lamram = marmaL adE

baron paints his nails pink when he dresses up to cross the blockade

baron pharmaceuticals

foster mom

"you only get one mama." - not true, another piece

marmalade at the grave (mama died and couldn't save me - true), marmalade at the abusers house (cages, cane - true), marmalade in form of Eda (while there is life there is hope - true)

card message = same handwriting as bank notes

#hotlunch #marmalade #marmalade spoilers #baron marmalade #<3 #film analysis #i guess ?

[chasingmidnights]

13 Nights of Halloween: Campfire Stories; Story Seven

Title: Curiosity Kills

Storyteller: Ari Levinson

Summary: A mad scientist and his wife. What’s that saying, curiosity killed the… 

Warnings: 18+, minors DNI! Warnings include but are not limited to angst; mention of drinking; mentions of animal experimentations and other experimentations; the husband is a mad scientist; mentions/implied death of character; grave robbing; and I believe that’s everything. I apologize if I’ve missed anything but you are responsible for what you read and what you consume on the internet. I do not claim to be a professional writer, any and all mistakes are my own; nothing is beta read. By clicking ‘keep reading’ you agree that you’re 18 and to these warnings.  

Wordcount: 817

“Go on then, what’s this story of yours?” Ransom incited with a smirk, before he took a drink of his beer. 

“You know, this isn’t supposed to be a competition. I’ve honestly enjoyed everyone’s stories so far.” You chimed in, tugging your blanket closer to you as the wind picked up again. 

“And it hasn’t been a competition.” Johnny quipped as he put his arm around Wanda. 

Yelena and Kate playfully shook their heads before Kate spoke up. “Ari, I’m looking forward to your story, please, go ahead and start.” 

Ari nodded his head at Kate before he started his story, shifting in his seat slightly. 

“Right, here we go. So, many, many years ago, there used to be a mad scientist who lived here in Knockemstiff. He was obsessed with, not just the human body, but he also wanted to know everything about other body types as well; such as animals. It’s said that this mad scientist was married and she was never fully aware of what exactly her husband did in their garage. Whenever she asked, she would always get a vague answer, but she knew better than to go into the garage. It was probably best that she didn’t know what her husband was up to for days at a time. It was probably best that she didn’t know that her husband went grave robbing or that he experimented on animals. It was also probably best that she had remained ignorant for as long as she did, not knowing the true horrors that were in the garage. 

“However, on one stormy October night, her curiosity got the better of her. So, she slipped on her raincoat and boots and decided to see what her husband was up to, thinking that maybe she could help him. Or maybe she could at least observe as he worked. As she exited the back of the house, a cold breeze swarmed around her as the rain came down hard and unforgiving. It was pitch black except for when the lightning lit up the midnight sky. Thunder quickly followed after the lightning as it rumbled through the clouds. As she approached the garage, a horrible stench filled her nostrils, causing her to gag and having her to cover her nose. She wasn’t quite sure how to describe such a terrible smell. It was as if it was a mix of dirt and rotting flesh, the smell of death. What was her husband up to? 

“As she peered through the window on the garage door, she covered her mouth as a gasp escaped her at the horrors that she just uncovered. She could only see a little bit, but what she did see, truly horrified her. A dead body laid on the table and her husband was dissecting it, an eerie smile on his face as he did. A flash of lightning revealed even more disturbing objects in the garage. On one of the work stations, she could see deformed figures being propped up onto stands. Fear formed on her face at the sights in front of her and just by the smile on her husband’s face, she could tell that he was actually enjoying what he was doing. She started to wonder what exactly she had gotten herself into by marrying him. She always just thought that he was enthusiastic about science and human anatomy, she never thought her husband would ever cross this sort of line. The deformed figures made her stomach churn; they were different animals torn apart and reattached to a different species. It was like he was trying to create his own Frankenstein. How did she miss the signs? Surely there had been signs. 

“Just as she was about to head back inside, she and her husband locked eyes. The smile that was once on her husband’s face was replaced with an evil scowl. She knew then, she had messed up. He Had always told her to stay out of the garage and now, she knew why he didn’t want her in there. But it was too late. Her husband had dragged her into the garage and as he did, she did her best to fight against him, but it was useless. The next thing she knew, she was being strapped down to an examination table. She tried to scream for help but the storm raging outside drowned out her screaming. Her failed attempt to cry out for help, only caused her husband to laugh. The last thing her husband said to her was, ‘Sweet dreams sweetheart,’ and she could feel her eyes starting to get heavy and her heart rate started to slow down as death claimed her.” 

Before anyone could say anything, thunder clapped loudly as lightning lit up the night sky. It didn’t take long before the group of friends scattered to their own tents as it started to pour down rain.

#13 nights of halloween #campfire stories #october 2023 #ari levinson #ari levinson drabble #ari levinson fanfiction #ari levinson fandom #chris evans characters #chris evans #chris evans fandom #multi fandom project #multi fandom

[justplainwhump]

Deal

Don't mind me, thinking about "voluntarily" acquisitions.

Content: BBU setting, blackmail, threat of deportation, abuse of office, implied dubcon.

The man sitting across from her in the tiny interrogation room frowns at her, a look filled with grave seriosity. It's ridiculous. The only reason that Morva doesn't break into laughter is that she's a better actor than him. She is, in fact, fantastic.

It's not her skill who has brought them here; it's fucking Eddie's failure. It's not the first time she needs to get out of somebody else's mess. Morva will manage. She always does.

And step one is, do not laugh in the face of a small officer in a too large suit, who pretends to give a shit.

"I've looked into your files, Ms Gholamali. It doesn't look good."

She raises an eyebrow, a hint of amusement that she doesn't feel. He's not supposed to know that name. "I am sorry," she says. "There must be a mix up. My name is Mary Ann Ellis. I'm American."

"No, you're not." There's a smugness in his smile, and this time, he's dropped the act.

Well. Fuck.

"Morvarid Gholamali. It was your birthday yesterday. 20 years old. Quite the impressive criminal record, given how short you've been in the US. Illegally."

She doesn't flinch. Just tiredly rolls her eyes and lifts her cuffed hands. "Sir," she says with a bored voice. "That's ridiculous. I'm from Maine. I don't even know how to pronounce that name you just said. Where is it even from?"

"Iran." The man gives a thin lipped smile. "You'll hear the proper pronounciation of that name soon enough. Regardless of what you say, paperwork is being processed right now. You'll be deported."

"I don't-"

"Ms Gholamali", he interrupts her.

"Ms Ellis," she corrects automatically. His Persian proununciation is a nightmare. Still, she'll prefer hearing it from him than from an Iranian border officer. Fuck. This is taking a turn she does not appreciate.

The man goes on, unimpressed. "You're a criminal. A plain boring little thief. I bet you call yourself con artist, somewhere in your head, because you fucked your victims before robbing them, but you're not special in any way. You're a criminal, you're an illegal immigrant, and we don't want you here."

Behind her fake, confused smile, Morva grits her teeth. That asshole didn't talk about the fucking part by chance, she's sure of it. Her toolbox is a lot larger than that. If he mentions sex, he wants to get somewhere with it.

Fine. She's fucked men for way less than her own fucking chance at freedom.

"I'm American," she insists, still. "You can't deport me."

"You know.... An American would have other options," he says slowly. Almost thoughtful. Almost like he didn't plan this thing from the fucking start. "Do you know WRU?"

This does catch her off guard. "WRU? The... The pet distributors?"

"They have a program for people facing jail time to sign up, as part of their sentence." The man smiles. She hates that for a second, she doesn't even want to punch him. She wants to hear him out. He nods. "They could stay here, be reeducated, do a service to society again, in a way. Get assigned an owner, live with them, be-"

"Be a pet."

"Be in America."

She swallows, as he holds her gaze and goes on talking.

"So... Hypothetically. If I were to believe you, disregard all the talk about Ms Gholamali - would the American national Ms Mary Ann Ellis take this option?"

Her mind is racing. It can't be that bad now, can it?

She's been acting all her life, she's degraded herself so often to play a role, seduced men to get into their homes and wallets. She could become a pet, sure. She'd find a way to get out of it on the other side. She could, here. She couldn't, back home.

"Ms Ellis would certainly consider it," Morva says softly, looking down at her handcuffs and back at him through her lashes. "If only you were to believe her identity."

He smirks and raises an eyebrow, gaze wandering down her body slowly. "Interesting."

It's almost a relief. This is something she understands. A game she's played hundreds of times. Never as desperate. But always successful.

She can do this.

"Is... Is there something I could do to convince you?" She bites her lip. "Sir?"

"You know what?" He chuckles and leans in, loosens his tie with his free hand. "I think there is."

#bbu #bbu sign up #pearl the romantic #dubcon #abuse of office