#normally i read the books with like a morbid fascination

[bookwyrminspiration]

everyday I wake up and think about how Jacob said "I'm gonna fight for you, until your heart stops beating." and then he did. the implication was he'd fight for her until she became a vampire with an unbeating heart, but when still-human Bella's heart stopped beating as she died on that table, he stopped fighting. he gave up and walked away, hopeless, leaving Edward alone as he forced her dead heart to beat and change her, to save her. Jacob said he'd fight for her until her heart stopped beating and then he did

#the twilight saga #the twilight renaissance #normally i read the books with like a morbid fascination #but this is the one thing that I unironically lose my shit over every time #which has undoubtedly been pointed out before #but I simply cannot get over it your honor #he walked away. kept calling her dead and a corpse and gone #he stopped fighting #he never meant it like that but that's how it all ended up

[all-pacas]

I finished my Rome book and have now begun one about Pompeii. I’m 65 pages in and I already love it: yes, it covers the volcano, but most of the book is about “this is what the town and daily life of it would have been like, actually.” Fascinating stuff. Things I’ve learned so far:

- The streets in Pompeii have sidewalks sometimes a meter higher than the road, with stepping stones to hop across as “crosswalks.” I’d seen some photos before. The book points out that, duh, Pompeii had no underground drainage, was built on a fairly steep incline, and the roads were more or less drainage systems and water channels in the rain.

- Unlike today, where “dining out” is expensive and considered wasteful on a budget, most people in Pompeii straight up didn’t have kitchens. You had to eat out if you were poor; only the wealthy could afford to eat at home.

- Most importantly, and I can’t believe in all the pop culture of Pompeii this had never clicked for me: Pompeii had a population between 6-35,000 people. Perhaps 2,000 died in the volcano. Contemporary sources talk about the bay being full of fleeing ships. Most people got the hell out when the eruption started. The number who died are still a lot, and it’s still gruesome and morbid, but it’s not “an entire town and everyone in it.” This also makes it difficult for archeologists, apparently (and logically): those who remained weren’t acting “normally,” they were sheltering or fleeing a volcano. One famous example is a wealthy woman covered in jewelry found in the bedroom in the glaridator barracks. Scandal! She must have been having an affair and had it immortalized in ash! The book points out that 17 other people and several dogs were also crowded in that one small room: far more likely, they were all trying to shelter together. Another example: Houses are weirdly devoid of furniture, and archeologists find objects in odd places. (Gardening supplies in a formal dining room, for example.) But then you remember that there were several hours of people evacuating, packing their belongings, loading up carts and getting out… maybe the gardening supplies were brought to the dining room to be packed and abandoned, instead of some deeper esoteric meaning. The book argues that this all makes it much harder to get an accurate read on normal life in a Roman town, because while Pompeii is a brilliant snapshot, it’s actually a snapshot of a town undergoing major evacuation and disaster, not an average day.

- Oh, another great one. Outside of a random laundry place in Pompeii, someone painted a mural with two scenes. One of them referenced Virgil’s Aeneid. Underneath that scene, someone graffiti’d a reference to a famous line from that play, except tweaked it to be about laundry. This is really cool, the book points out, because it implies that a) literacy and education was high enough that one could paint a reference and have it recognized, and b) that someone else could recognize it and make a dumb play on words about it and c) the whole thing, again, means that there’s a certain amount of literacy and familiarity with “Roman pop culture” even among fairly normal people at the time.

[inkrabbit]

Just some Mary hcs when they're sketching/painting while I slowly work on this discussion post-

Mary stays in shrimp position

They've tried sitting up straight or even laying back in bed, but hunched over his sketchbook or canvas just works better

He does own an easel, but that's mainly for the larger canvases

Yes, this idiot will still occasionally put the larger canvas on the floor and hunch over it

You can yell at them all you want to stop. It's not going to work

Contrary to popular belief, Mary actually listens to different music when he's painting or sketching

What's different music? Something slow with a chill beat. They'll even listen to some old romantic songs. Only You by The Platters is one of their favorites to start working with

If you notice Mary working too much on paintings (sacrificing sleep and meals) or even too little on them (having not touched a single painting in a month or more) please ask them if something is wrong. These are normally "warning" signs that something is wrong mentally, which can normally be stress or another episode of deep depression

On the very rare occasion, Mary working too much on his paintings can mean that he's neglected his schizophrenia medication due to forgetfulness. When this happens, their paranoia kicks in full force and they'll be too scared to even sleep. There isn't a way to "break" this. The most you can do is remind them to take their medication and be there for them (preferably in person and to spend a few nights in their apartment, but he understands if you're too busy to visit)

Sometimes Mary's sketches can be... a little out there

This shouldn't be a surprise because of the lyrics to their songs, but you should always be weary when you peek inside their sketchbook

Is it going to be scenery? Portraits? A portrait study of a dead body they dug up the other night? No one knows! Good luck.

I promise most of the sketches weren't for Mary to get his rocks off later

He actually has a morbid fascination with death because it was never talked about when they were growing up. His parents always shot down any "What happens when we die?" question from him and his siblings

Well Mary is now a grown adult that gets to see what exactly happens. And you know what? They love it. They love the circle of life, seeing what the person was buried in and what was buried with them

Mary never steals, though. He'll look through everything, and he even spent the night reading some Edgar Allan Poe when he saw the book tucked beside the corpse

But every time they're done, bored, or it's getting to almost be daylight, Mary will put everything back inside the casket and bury it neatly so it looks like no one was ever there

Sometimes Mary's sketches will reflect what they found. Books, jewelry, stuffed animals, wilted and dead flowers. At the bottom of the page, you'll find the name of the person that was inside the casket, along with the birth and death year

None of these sketches will ever make it to canvas. This is Mary's own personal outing and they don't feel the need to transfer something so personal onto canvas

What does Mary do with all of these paintings?

He sells them. Normally online, but if you've managed to drag them out to an art convention, he'll bring along several canvases

You always tell them they should charge more for their work, but Mary will just say it's not that big of a deal

Really, they're just happy someone loves their artwork and is willing to pay money so they can hang it in their home

Plus, some of the people recognize him and will gush about his music as well. These people get paintings for a little cheaper

Why?

"I feel like they've spent enough either coming to see our shows or buying our shit. I can afford to not make ten or twenty dollars."

#mary goore #hcs

[just-late-roman-republic-things]

So, I grew up reading the Horrible Histories books, which are one of the culprits for my ongoing obsession with ancient Rome. Those books depict decapitation, fratricide, abuse, xenophobia, and pretty much every crime imaginable except for rape. They're also targeted at 8 to 12-year-olds.

I think what made those books so fascinating to me then is also what makes Rome fascinating to me now. As a child, I often felt angry, sad, patronized, and helpless. My life was ruled by adults who seemed to prefer my obedience to my happiness. A "good" child was one who was convenient, who didn't "talk back" (stand up for herself) when the adults wanted her to "build character" (endure mistreatment quietly) and "be a team player" (pretend to have fun when told to). And a good child definitely didn't grow up to be an agnostic them instead of a Catholic her.

Horrible Histories was my outlet.

It validated and expressed my gut feeling that there was something deeply unfair in the world. I couldn't murder my English teacher, but I could read about Brutus and Cassius stabbing Caesar 23 times. I couldn't openly protest the pressure to get married and have kids, but I could read about Saturn devouring his children. And then, catharsis released, I could go back to school and not punch my classmates in the face.

In those stories, I could acknowledge and work through the spiteful, envious, morbid emotions the priests told me I wasn't supposed to feel. And the author tells the reader, many times, that these thoughts are normal. So, despite Catholic school's best efforts, I did not grow up to be ashamed of my private urges, or afraid to sit alone with my own thoughts. Those feelings are just part of human nature, and Horrible Histories embraces them.

Now I'm in my 30s. I'm a lot happier now. (Having an income and queer friends helps.) So my interest in Rome has acquired a more empathetic side: How could so many ordinary people like me do such awful things? Can we see their humanity without glossing over their faults? In another timeline, could they have somehow evaded tragedy and been better people, if only the world had been a little kinder?

My fascination with the awfulness is still there, too. So is the part of me that wanted to hit people, but read about other people hitting people, instead. I'll still make tasteless jokes about the funniest way to kill Caesar. Not because I actually want to kill someone, but because history and fiction are a safe way to feel things. To work through those feelings. To feel human, because you see other humans going through the same problems, instead of feeling like a freak.

(I do have some limits, like not making jokes based on prejudices. Bigotry would hurt living people who might read this blog, not just long-dead Roman politicians.)

That's also why I sometimes post "Weird is good" and "Be kind to yourself" messages on here. I'm not just talking about socially-acceptable quirkiness. I mean the thoughts, feelings and desires that other people might judge you for. Even your antisocial and gross urges. If you can acknowledge these feelings, and find harmless ways to process them (like reading history books!), you won't end up hating yourself for having them. And then you can consciously choose whether to act on those feelings, instead of them leaking into your behavior and tainting how you treat other people.

For me, history isn't just facts to memorize. It's about seeing ourselves in other people, with both the best and worst parts of human nature. And I think, in trying to understand other people, we can also learn something about ourselves.

#the fancy freudian word for this is sublimation #i disagree with 90% of freud's ideas but that was a pretty good one #horrible histories #about jlrrt #jlrrt speaks #abuse mention #rape mention #child death mention #jlrrt essays

[scuderlia]

thanks for the tag jo @liamlawsonlesbian <3

star sign: aries sun, capricorn moon, virgo rising. being chill and normal was never an option.

favorite holiday: probably Halloween 💀 as someone who loves horror and is a recovering theatre kid, it's perfect. plus, i'm gay.

last meal: three twizzlers & a litre of ginger kombucha

current favorite musician: i've been listening to a lot of Wolf Alice and SASAMI recently.

last song listened to: 'No Girl So Sweet' (PJ Harvey)

(a tangent... but if any of my mutuals want to stalk each other on Spotify pls lmk...)

last movie watched: Talk to Me (2023) dir. Danny & Michael Philippou. i watched it on my flight and it was honestly a lot better than i anticipated. even though gore isn't typically my favourite, i was pleasantly surprised by how they managed to integrate it into a possession film. loved the grief-driven storylines, and the characters charmed me. rating: ☆☆☆☆

last tv show watched: Betty (HBO) !!! i have debilitating crushes on everyone from Skate Kitchen.

last book finished: Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline. it was assigned in one of my first year uni courses and i sped through it without really taking the time to read it properly. now that i have it's been rotting my brain non-stop. her use of simile is insane.

i also recently finished An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks. one of my all-time favourite authors and academics, would highly recommend this as a foray into 'medical' non-fiction.

last book abandoned: i don't think i've ever abandoned a book in my life, but i recently had to choke down this technical document about building codes that i can't be bothered to remember the title of.

edit: just remembered the absolute chore that was reading Outlawed by Anna North. i feel cheated and lied to by the cover because i love the cover, but the book is honestly unbelievably boring. i’m tired of the evangelical horse girl narrators, i had enough of those where i grew up. i did finish this because i hate quitting, but it tested my patience and made me feel like pulling my hair out.

currently reading: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder (for like the third time). this book is sooo weird and kind of gross, in the best way. it's definitely not going to appease everyone but i have a sick fascination with it and keep coming back. i've also been having a love affair with the cover design for a while now.

last thing researched for writing/art/hyperfixation: common apartment floorplans in Italy (if anyone has this info, hmu). i'm also in an internet sinkhole of background on the 2024 F2 grid and their respective karting histories.

favorite online fandom memory: when i was 15 i had public beef with a bunch of conservatives in a politician's comment section over pipelines and green policy and then said politician blocked me on every platform. this wouldn't be fandom related if not for the fact that i used my fan account to do all of this, so [redacted] had to search my cringe username multiple times... like omg are you a fan?

favorite old fandom you wish would drag you back in/have a resurgence: the euphoria that i felt being a part of the haikyuu fandom during quarantine will never be replicated, but i think about it every day.

favorite thing you enjoy that never had an active or big fandom, but you wish it did: i'm really into the original, morbid Grimm fairytales and wish that someone would produce a proper remake of Cinderella already. let the doves pick out the step sisters' eyes, cowards.

tempting project you don't have time for: this is a trick question because i always give into temptation regardless of whether i have time for it or not. i really want to do a series of deep-dive posts about track design and the 'architects' of f1... i've been fixated on it for a while now and haven't seen a lot of discussion about it, plus it seems like it would be fun to put all the research together :)

~ all the people i would tag have already posted, but pls do it if you'd like!

#tag game

[helianskies]

7, 8 and 17 for the ask game!

[ ask game here! ] - ty cake >:D

7. what's the last thing you read that made you cry?

my mark for my first spanish translation coursework uhh i don't actually know off the top of my head. i haven't read many fandom things recently, and certainly nothing that has actually brought on tears... maybe this is a sign haha

8. bed sharing or roommates au?

bed sharing, probably. it's just funnier to me. throwing their hands up in the air because 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S ONLY ONE, WE BOOKED A DOUBLE' 'yeah a... a double bed it seems, not room...' (i'm writing that down, nice one helia) and i don't think i've ever done a roommates au myself. the tension's just different (and juicier mwahaha)

17. describe a fic that is still in the 'ideas' stage

i'll be here for a decade. and that's just picking the fic lmao. but... sure! i spun a wheel for this haha :')

so, a fun idea i've had that comes and goes is a highwayman au. i feel like it's an aspect of english history that i've not actually seen done in fandom, but i think it suits Arthur nicely - similarly to how the pirate image suits him. it's that romanticisation of the dangerous and deadly. the rogue who ventures the english countryside on horseback, holding carriages at gunpoint, stealing from the rich, running from the law... it was one of my favourite things from studying GCSE History: Crime & Punishment. will always recommend Horrible Histories' Dick Turpin song for something silly and light-hearted lmao.

back to the fic: of course, one night, mr. highwayman Kirkland might just happen on the carriage of, say... the son of a foreign ambassador. and perhaps Arthur does his work as normal, and perhaps his victim gains a morbid fascination with the perpetrator... or maybe Arthur finds himself not wanting to steal away money and jewels, for once, but a far greater prize. how much would a ransom be, he wonders...

my instinct would naturally be to go with engspa for this fic. maybe that's obvious in hindsight haha. Antonio would be the kind to put up some kind of fight, wanting to defend his family, his honour, his wealth, etc etc. he wouldn't just hand anything over. the back-and-forth would be funny, but Antonio may also see some kind of charm in this mysterious rogue. it's the sort of exchange that could see Toni slung over a horse fairly fast,, wink wonk ;3

but i also think it could lead to an interesting dynamic with Port, who i feel would almost just hand over what he has to Arthur because frankly he doesn't want to be in the miserable country anyway so maybe this will convince his father to let him go home (finally). which is actually quite funny. and if Arthur could promise him adventure, or prove that England isn't all misery, maybe, for a night, Port might just follow him to a tavern, or to a room above an inn...

two options. anyone steal it and i bite your toes >:)

(anyway, i'd say it'd be something short, but you know me. if i start it, it'll unravel and become a 50 chapter work somehow haha,, a whole adventure!)

#helia writes #helia's aus #helia answers #ask game #thank you cake <3

[alicewhimzy]

Here are my thoughts on Barbie in full as promised. 🏩💃💄

It was okay.

Right away I noticed how self aware and unsubtle movie this movie is. It wears itself proudly on its sleeve. Barbie is both a feminist icon and something that feminists have criticized, so I can understand why they did this. By turning the dial up to eleven and saying its message as loud as it can, the movie is trying to avoid being misinterpreted. Didn't work for some but that's okay. You can't please everyone.

Barbieland at the beginning is a pretty pink paradise, but it's not perfect. The Kens are pretty much just there to be boyfriends and look cool, and the Barbies are meant to achieve their dreams and be content with them. But before long Barbieland is faced with the horror that no girl's toy company wants to face. Real emotion.

When Barbie starts having morbid thoughts it disrupts the perfect pattern. She is comfortable in her routine because it's all she knows, so she wants things to go back to normal. At first.

Barbie is kind of a diva but not to the point that she's unlikable. She prides herself on making her own choices. There is almost no job she hasn't had, meaning that there's nothing she can't do. We're used to seeing this archetype in an antagonistic role, like Sharpay in Highschool Musical or Regina George in Mean Girls, but this movie doesn't do that. What Ruth, and by extension Barbie wanted most of all was to inspire girls and women to be what they want to be. That's not quite what happened in the real world. But I'll get to that later.

The pink drip in this movie is unreal. YOU GET PINK, AND YOU GET PINK, AND YOU GET PINK! EVERYBODY GETS PINK!

The details like Barbie floating instead of walking downstairs and all the water being either plastic or imaginary were hilarious, like toy story humor.

Ken is a fascinating take on finding a healthy way to express masculinity. He's a bit of a simp but he learns to improve and grows out of it over the course of the movie. Since the world kinda revolves around Barbie, she doesn't have much of a filter, particularly regarding her interactions with Ken. He asks if he can stay for a night and she bluntly refuses him. This shows one of the themes that I noticed; much of the conflict in this movie comes from an inability or unwillingness to see things from the other person's perspective.

Ken's problem isn't that he's a misogynist. He acts like one in the third act but it's clear he's just trying to act like he's on top of things when he hasn't yet figured out what he really wants. The entire purpose of the Ken doll was to just be an optional boyfriend to Barbie, so of course he defines himself by how she sees him. He relies on her external validation because it's what he was designed for so it's what he thinks he wants.

Allen never wanted power. He already made peace with himself in a way so, yeah. He's okay.

Barbie is used to things working out perfectly and when she reaches the real world she sees for the first time just how messy and complicated things can be in reality. This kind of loss of naivety culminates in the unironically best scene in the movie, where after she and Ken split up she just sits on a bench. She sees a girl and her mother playing with her and watches as the girl grows up and eventually leaves her folds, including Barbie behind. Barbie opens her eyes and looks around her. She sees people having arguments, laughing, hanging out together and just living. Existing. Glancing next to her she sees an elderly woman reading a book. Barbie looks at this woman and says "You're so beautiful." And you can tell she means it. The woman says "I know." This moment is where Barbie first starts to realize that things may not be as perfect and she's used to back in Barbieland, but that's okay.

Weird Barbie is fabulous. She can't fit in with the pretty pink paradise of Barbieland, so she is ostracized by the others. Despite this, her confidence is unwavering. From the beginning she is aware that things in reality aren't as simple as they are in Barbieland. Throughout the movie she unapologetically owns her own weirdness. She doesn't need to learn the same lesson that Barbie does because she's already learned it, and in the end the others finally give her what she needed; Respect. She steals every scene she's in and I love her.

Taking control of Barbieland didn't bring Ken happiness, because he didn't want control. He wanted to feel validated. Like a person. Just like Barbie. And when she tells him that he can find his own validation without her, it's one of the most honest moments in the movie. It's where he learns that he can be okay with himself as he is. Just like women don't need a man to complete them, vise versa is also true. Being a man isn't about physical strength or material possessions, or dominance. It's about maintaining a healthy attitude about oneself. You are Kenough.

And the Kens should form a dance troupe. They're great at it and they've got the outfits for it.

Sasha and her mother Gloria have opposing ideas on the idea of Barbie herself and what she says about femininity. Sasha takes a blunt critical approach, putting the "look pretty, be happy" idealism and the adherence to unrealistic beauty standards on blast, and while she does come off as harsh, she still has a point. On the other hand, Gloria found Barbie comforting and empowering, which was why she started drawing ideas like "irrepressible thoughts of death Barbie" and "depressed Barbie", using her own fears and insecurities as inspiration to give Barbie more depth than Mattel was willing to give. Eventually, both mother and daughter are able to reconcile these views and repair their relationship.

It's okay to enjoy a story or a character even if other people don't like it. No matter what they say, that doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy it. Just because it means a lot to you doesn't mean it's flawless, and just because it can be interpreted in a troubling way, that doesn't mean it's ruined. It can always be changed and improved on with each new version. This is something I definitely agree with.

There's nothing much I can really add to Gloria's being a woman monologue. It sums the whole issue up and it shows that the more people that are made aware of it, the closer we are to fixing it. Brilliant.

Barbie has to take control of her life away from Mattel. She has been living under the control of men and she never even knew it. She comes to learn so much about herself and the world around her that she doesn't want to be Barbie anymore. She wants to be Barbra. She knows that the real world isn't all she thought it would be, but that's okay because she's ready to tackle it. She's not afraid to leave paradise anymore. She's not afraid of cellulite, she's not afraid of the patriarchy, and she's not afraid of death. Like all the women she wanted to stand for, Barbra is finally a real person with real feelings.

Her first stop; A gynaecologist.

This Barbie is okay.

🏩💃💄

~A.W.

#Barbie #🏩💃💄 #my thoughts on #the barbie movie #it was okay #this barbie is #okay #ken is valid #i am kenough #if you want something that promotes an unrealistic body standard #just look at #bratz #movie review #movies #alicewhimzy

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

___

172. The Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THIS DELICIOUS DEATH fell more prominently into my TBR list because of a friend who read it and made it look like a really good and bloody time. She wasn't wrong!

I was so surprised by this one (mainly because I took a bite out of it without reading the synopsis first), so I was thoroughly entertained. I didn't know how normalized the horrors of this book were, so that was a unique and fun reveal. I think it was such a good exploration of how the world treats people that don't fit into the "typical" human category. The fear and the exclusionary actions of some of the characters were very on the nose when we think about today's society.

I enjoyed the twists and turns and how these girls fought to save each other and others like them. They didn't depend on men to help them--they were total bad asses. They were just a little hungrier than most badasses, and you know what? That's perfectly fine.

I also find it strangely timely (for when I read it) that these catastrophic events take place during a huge musical festival when the events of Burning Man were happening. It was an interesting and totally coincidental line up of events.

Also, love, LOVE the romance in this and how diverse it was. And the flashbacks, although sometimes a pet peeve for me, really helped me understand why some of the characters were the way they were.

Finally, this book really made me think of GIRLS SAVE THE WORLD IN THIS ONE by Ash Parsons. If you enjoy this one as much as I did, I think you'll enjoy that one!

___

173. Stiff by Mary Roach--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was really excited to read this one because I've heard really good things about Mary Roach. And while I DID enjoy this for the most part, it got to a certain point where I kind of just wanted it to end.

The first half was really interesting. It was morbid, but I've never been too squeamish when it comes to the topic. We are all temporarily in these bodies and when we leave, our bodies are left behind. So, learning what we can learn from those bodies and how they're treated was fascinating. There was humour thrown in there to break up the dark tension and I really appreciated it. There was also a lot of historical research about grave digging and how certain practices have been adopted over the years.

But then the second half started and I just...I'll admit, my attention started to turn away from Roach's words and my interest started to wane. Just goes to show that even though these topics have always made me wish I had more aptitude for the sciences, my attention would never linger long enough to fulfill such fanciful futures LOL.

Anyway, this was good overall--even with that latter half (for me). I think this is a great Autumn read. You get to learn some neat stuff and get the sometimes creepy forthrightness of science.

___

174. Fall of Ruin & Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy of this book from the publisher because I interviewed the author for Indigo on Instagram. This did not affect my review in any way.

I usually read books like this one as audiobooks because my attention strays so much now that I'm older. So, I was a little wary because I had to read this by a deadline AND I had to read the physical copy. I was so happy to see how easily the story pulled me in and how addicted I was to the story.

I loved the main character and her energy--it gave me huge flashbacks to when I read Armentrout's books in the past and how addicted I was to them. There's just something always so compelling and addicting about her writing. I especially loved how the MC spoke her mind and was honest with herself about what she wanted and needed to survive.

When the love interest came in, I was even more hooked. I LOVED the sexual tension and how he was so unapologetically himself. Listen, I have acknowledged that what would normally be red flags in real life are very green flags (sometimes) in books like this one because, sigh. This love interest can get it.

There were other pretty cool things about this book, like how we learn about why the world is the way it is and the power of the natural world around the characters. I also felt like the story, even though it's mainly set in one place, was so compellingly written that it didn't need too much complication settings-wise.

My one complaint is the over-use of the ellipsis punctuation. The story was great, but some pages had at least two instances of...the character...talking...like...this...or describing...describing something...something like this. For me, it ruined the flow of writing and even if the scene happening was a serious or emotionally-charged one, I was taken right out and found myself giggling at yet another ellipsis.

My biggest way of recommending this book for reluctant readers is that it very much gave me SJM vibes, so if you're a fan of her fantasy romance books, then you might like this. I had a lot of fun and the spicy moments were very, very fun.

___

175. The Stranger by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I found this instalment to be one of my least favourites, I DO see the importance of it.

THE STRANGER is a perfect example of how these are just kids who are fighting a nearly impossible war. They are given the opportunity to either stop what they're doing, or keep going and honestly, what do you think you'd do if given that opportunity?

As the story progresses and the stakes rise, we are constantly being reminded that these are kids.

I'm still incredibly excited to keep seeing where this series takes me. The books are short, but they pack some pretty great messages.

___

176. Go Down Hard by Ali Seay--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My friends have read and loved this book and I can completely see why.

This book was so much fun. I know that this is horror, but I was so entertained by the one-liners and the comedic timing. Also, what are the chances of a woman serial killer moving in next door to a men who is also a serial killer?

I also loved how he eventually showcases why she is the way she is and that despite all the stoicism and the mask some people wear, people like him are all the same in the end. The cat and mouse game between the two characters really emphasized this point and made it even more entertaining to me, as a woman.

I highly recommend this one for those who want to read horror novellas, but are wary of gory horror. Yes, there is murder, but the social commentary and icky factor of this man makes this book more than worthy enough for the horror category!

Also, not to mention how ADDICTING this book was. I had to put the book down because I had to get up early the next day. So worth the sleepless night, though.

Never have I rooted for a serial killer before. Oop.

___

177. Landbridge by Y-Dang Troeung--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was one of the more creative memoirs I've had the pleasure of reading. The text was full of photography and was cut into, as the title describes, fragments. It was incredibly readable and I enjoyed learning more about the heartbreaking history of Cambodia, and the reality of life as an immigrant in Canada in the '80s.

I think, however, that my absolute favourite part of this text (as heartbreaking as it is) were the letters Troeung wrote for her son. They were moments and thoughts captured in time that he can one day look back on whenever he thinks of his mother. While the rest of the text had really important experiences and histories retold, even personal experiences, it was these snippets that capture my heart.

The author's story is heartbreaking and that dedication at the end broke me, especially knowing just how important those letters will now be to her son.

I highly recommend "Landbridge" for anyone who enjoys reading immigrant memoirs and for those who want to open their world up a little more. Not only does this explore the grief one might experience over a country your family had to leave, but you will be a part of the living grief the author shared with the reader in the letters for her son. Gorgeous and heart shattering.

___

178. The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I LOVED this one. The writing, off the bat, was incredibly compelling and addicting. It felt beautiful and full of so many things I wanted to highlight. The story idea is so unique and had some genuinely terrifying moments.

What would you do if your blood was enough to create clones of you almost instantly--murderous clones that hated you?

There were searing moments of sadness where I grieved with the mc, and moments where I laughed until tears came to my eyes because she's so socially awkward.

This being a novella also made this a super quick and addicting read.

Immediately ordered the next two books and will hopefully read them soon!

___

179. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read in September 2023-

Oh Eric, the things that happen to you. I was a little wary going back into this one because I vaguely remembered what happened with Eric, but I was happily surprised and thoroughly entertained. For once, Sookie got to have a hot girl summer moment with the vampire. Screw Bill.

We get to meet a character in this one who will also change Sookie's life forever and I'm exciting to re-explore that world with her. This is where the story starts to truly get more and more fun!

Also, I was hella looking forward to that conclusion. Iykyk.

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

___

Happy reading!

#book review #book reviews #reviewer #reviews #my opinion #my writing #Features #on reading #on books #book list #book blog #book blogger #book lover #book addict #bookworm #bookaholic #bibliophile #long text post

[your-royal-villainess]

#MidnightBottle | DC Super Hero Girls: Gotham Academy

Okay, really quick shambolic summary (from last year again), so expect that this ain't gonna be formal. I'll be talking to you like I've watched this then fangirl about what happened. 😹

Letrexa over here has an upcoming play in a few days, but then Vicki wanted to help her out with her confidence since the play isn't going to be like the one she had before (I mean, it is kinda like that, she's still just a minor character, but this time she actually has to sing... freaky 😹). (Kinda like a reprise for the minor characters, but this time they'll have more "screen time"). So then, they went to the library hoping that they'd find something that may help her (pep talk, inspo books, things like that), but instead they stumble upon this old book filled with ancient Gotham folklore and myths that contained a legend that somehow has a similarity to their current situation. It says there used to be a small, morbid town in this city, and the people who lived there have been solemnly bummed for years! Nonetheless, a bashful but determined young man wanted to change all that. He wanted to make a difference. He hoped that there would be more to life than that, and he knew there was and it was art! He considered writing a play to brighten the place up, but he was shy and all. Then he entered a cave, which somehow drew him in, and discovered a slew of shining red jewels that radiated and gave him the confidence he needed to do all of that. Later on, he became a successful thespian, and their town is now all peppy etc.

They were so fascinated by it that, amidst reading it, they found out that there's a map located in the school's museum where you can get one of these jewels. So they went to this cave where the crystals can be found, performed the incantation for the spell to work, and hid it under Letrexa's bed mattress. The next morning came, the spell seemed to have worked since she'd been quite active in terms of academic exertion and stuff like that. But even though she seems to be more lively than usual, they've also noticed she's kind of acting weird (not the kind of weird "weird" that she normally is, but the kind of different weird). Letrexa was turning out to be pretty cocky, and you get the idea.

The five went back to the cave where they discovered the specific gem because they were unaware of the "side effects" of this item. But then a gargoyle showed up then he freaked them out and you know he introduced himself saying he's a guardian of these red crystals because they're magical and since they're kinda made of stones it doesn't affect them unlike humans which also happened to the guy they read about. So then they pleaded to remove the curse, luckily, the gargoyle is pretty nice so he agreed to do it but with one condition and it's to set him up with another lady gargoyle (yes, I like how predictable it is, it just feels right and I think it's how DCSHG would want it to be). But you must be wondering how did they tame Letrexa to be a waitress, wasn't she being all brash or something? They just did something to convince her, okay? You know how ego can challenge someone. Then you get the idea, Letrexa's back to normal again and the last slide was her giving the "ah, I see what you guys did there" face and that's all I guess.

Vicki Vale, Bruce Wayne, Thomas Elliot, and Harvey Dent are canon characters and they belong to DC and so is the Gotham Academy concept. Letrexa Ashton belongs to me.

Please do not use this without my permission.

#dc #dc super hero girls #dcshg #dc super hero girls oc #dcshg 2019 #dcshg oc #gotham academy

[mediocre-daydreams]

HC: what the maurauders would be like in divination

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

SIRIUS: XYLOMANCY

sirius hated divination.

it felt like another reminder that he didn’t have control over his future; that he was destined to become a death eater and continue the bloodline of the noble house of black, etc.

so yeah, he was not excited for it.

turns out he was a “gifted seer,” according to trelawney. (which the marauders teased him relentlessly about)

to hide his distaste, he would joke loudly about catoptromacy (looking into mirrors) being his favorite; “it’s a win-win! i get to admire my beautiful face and see my glorious future.”

in reality, the only form of divination he could tolerate was xylomancy (reading twigs)

sirius LOVED sticks. after full moons, his animagus instincts were particularly compelling and he’d go out in search of sticks and twigs

(he already had a collection hidden under his bed that came in handy)

the only type of divination he wasn’t well versed in was astrology; it reminded him too much of his family. he was sure he could divine with the stars easily, but he refused to.

(as much as he claimed that the subject was a waste of time, sirius had a morbid fascination with knowing his future, despite how horrible it might be)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

REMUS: BIBLIOMANCY

remus fucking hated divination with his entire being. but unlike sirius, he was horrible at it. he dropped it in his fourth year as soon as he could.

similarly to sirius, he felt like divination was a reminder that he didn’t have control of his fate 

it always brought him back to days after the full moon, when he’d lie in the hospital wing and curse greyback for stealing any chance of a normal life from him

remus was a chronic overthinker and he could never “go with his gut” when it came to interpreting divine symbols. he always ended up overcomplicating things until his final prediction was completely off.

everybody expected remus to at least do well with bibliomancy (opening a book to a random page and interpreting it in a contextual way/adapting the meaning to the present) seeing as he was already an avid reader

nah. he refused to associate books—his comfort place—with a subject he hated.

but he really, really hated crystal-gazing (looking into crystal balls)

crystal-gazing was like the ultimate “fuck you;” it was like looking into the moon and watching his horrendous life play out and knowing he couldn’t do anything about it

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

JAMES: TESSOMANCY

james was pretty excited about divination at first; it was the one branch of magic his parents hadn’t introduced him to and his ego demanded that he know everything about the magical world

the first class was on tessomancy (reading tea leaves) and he chattered about it the whole time, saying how much he loooved tea and discussing his predictions to anyone who would listen

james was a surprisingly scientific guy; he practiced spells and magic with precision and by the book

anyway, trelawny called him out on it immediately, telling him there was no “science” or “pattern” to divination; he couldn’t try and reason his way into an answer based on his “knowledge of tea”

he was paired with marlene, who encouraged him to listen to trelawney. regardless, james swirled his leaves with precision, flipping through his textbook with anticipation

(he prayed the leaves would tell him that he and lily were destined to be)

he did not like what the leaves said.

with his first swirl, the dregs looked like a crown, indicating success and honor. he was quite happy with that one, boasting about it to marlene.

his second spin produced something vaguely mushroom-like, which meant a sudden separation of lovers after a fight. he vehemently insisted it was a house (business success)

his final symbol was well defined and inarguably a fox, symbolizing a backstabbing from a close friend. he scoffed, finding the prospect ridiculous.

he decided he divination was a load of rubbish after that.

PETER: PALMISTRY

the marauders assumed peter would be drawn to myomancy (involving rats and mice), but he was actually interested in palmistry (reading the lines on a person’s palm)

peter had always been insecure about his hands (it seemed like girls would obsess over sirius, james, and remus’ hands); peter’s hands were a little smaller, softer, less veiny, etc.

it made him feel effeminate, which was something that already came with the territory of being friends with the most attractive boys in their class (perhaps school)

but this actually made his hands perfect for divination; the smoothness of his palms meant his palm lines were more distinguished and easier to read

trelawney loved him immediately for that (which embarrassed him) and she forced him to be an example for the entirety of the palmistry unit; so in the end, he got quite a bit of experience

he could easily identify and match the lines to their textbooks but was confused about how they’d actually apply to his life (hint hint it was related to his betrayal) 

he was the only one of the marauders who continued divination in his later years

at first, people judged him for it, but they came around once they realized it could be a pretty fun party trick

#the marauders imagine #marauders #marauders headcanon #marauders era #marauders hc #james potter hc #remus lupin hc #peter pettigrew hc #sirius black hc

[joziokowalski]

4 and 10 for the books ask game

hehee thank you for asking!! i ended up typing up a lot of words, but then why shouldn't i type up a lot of words about my favourite books. many thanks for giving me an excuse to do so!

4. What are your top 3 comfort reads?

1 e m forster: a life by p n furbank i'm very fond of biographies in general and this one is my absolute favourite. it's as informative as one could wish, and personally i found it extremely engrossing - i feel like it's easy to assume that forster couldn't have had a very exciting life, but this narration, to me, was a real page-turner. very endearing, frequently quite hilarious, i love the fact that it's written in a tone similar to that of forster's own novels, i e often ironic but also brimming with warmth and sympathy for its subjects, even though they aren't idealized in the slightest. it's got lots of excerpts from diaries, letters, etc. so one gets to look into a lot of forster's (as well as lots of other people's) thoughts that he didn't write down for publication, and personally i have found those extremely valuable at many points in my life. the book itself is quite hefty so i wrote out many passages of it into a notebook when i was leaving for university to make sure i would have them with me if i need to come back to them. generally, i'd say one of the comforts of a good biography is that it makes one feel that ultimately every life can be narrated in a way that makes one see the value of it, so maybe those of us who tend to find things rather pointless and meaningless can take a break from that, and this particular biography delivers this 100%

2 the orchid trilogy by jocelyn brooke the thing about this book is that it feels like it was written specfically for my own personal enjoyment. it's like a perfect amalgamation of all the things i tend to love in a book. fictionalized autobiography - check. a dense web of references to artists i'm familiar with and fond of - check. a tone of melancholy and nostalgia married perfectly to irony - check. a deeply obsessive nerd of a narrator who can and will tell you everything about his subjects of interest - check. a preoccupation with the themes of failure, disappointment, adolescence, mediocrity and inferiority, a fascination with the morbid and the sinister coupled with childish naivety, (homo)eroticism always camouflaged in one way or another but in such a manner that only makes it stand out more, a gorgeous gorgeous personal mythology and a sense of getting to borrow someone's very extraordinary personal lens and look at the world with new eyes. and it's funny - at least i have found myself laughing out loud many a time while reading it. there is something especially touching to me in the fact that i only discovered it by sheer accident and even though it's so intertwined with so many of the things i adore i can't think how i could've come upon it if not for a myriad of circumstances coming together. it's a gem i could very well have missed, which i think is quite fitting considering that so much of this book is about the narrator's search for elusive objects that have the power to afford him transcendent extasies but can only be encountered by chance

3 ferdydurke by witold gombrowicz this might be an odd choice of a comfort book, seeing that it's the opposite of peaceful or warm or any other associations the word carries, but that's what it is to me, mainly because i find it endlessly ValidatingTM. firstly, a huge chunk of it is basically merciless absurdist satire levelled at some of the things i also despise with a passion (cough cough school episodes). generally it exposes many things one is normally supposed to accept as if they were ok for the fever dream that they are. and secondly, we reasonable psychologically aware people talk so much about the dangers of depending on other people's perceptions of ourselves, being preoccupied with how we appear to others, giving others the power to define us, we all know very well that those are the things that pave the road to misery and we're trying very hard to liberate ourselves from that, which is very healthy and reasonable of us. but mr gombrowicz frankly chooses violence and embraces neurosis, and posits all those things as unavoidable ("Man Is Profoundly Dependent On The Reflection Of Himself In Another Man's Soul Be It Even The Soul Of An Idiot". yeah panie witoldzie i sure am). so what you get in ferdydurke is a disgustingly relatable deep dive into the horrors of being a person among other people & Being Perceived. his characters have no selves outside of their interactions with others, they are either shaped by other people's treatment of them or artificially shape themselves to resist the influence of others, and they will spend every waking moment fighting tooth and nail to gain control over how others perceive them. and it's a romp! it's one of the funniest books i've ever read. gombrowicz & his narrator is a delightful self-absorbed contrarian who doesn't leave a table unflipped or an apple cart unupset. and, paradoxically, reading about the neuroses that plague one's life can feel extremely comforting when they're presented so unapologetically and with such incisive wit

10. What is your favorite genre book to recommend to someone who doesn’t usually like that genre?

hmm. the problem is, i don't think i read much of what could be labelled as genre books, so i'm actually the one who should be taking recommendations here! the only GenreTM genre i'm really into is nautical fiction, and i won't be very original here - i'll just say that the aubrey-maturin novels by patrick o'brian are gorgeously well-written and so rich in their subject matter, style and manner, that anyone, i believe, could find something in them to enjoy. there's the immersive historical setting, beautiful language, lots of humor (both of the subtle and cringe awkward in-your-face variety), delightfully vivid characters and so much more. if the imagined addressee of my recommendation happens to dislike quick-paced plot-driven adventure stories or lengthy descriptions of sea battles, they will be relieved to find that there aren't that many action sequences in these novels and plot development is very often not the priority. and though the amount of naval jargon may seem intimidating at first, one quickly sees that understanding it at all times actually isn't that much of a requirement, and the novels are written in a way that a reader who doesn't have any knowledge of it will have key terms explained to them when necessary, and at other times will have characters to relate to who don't understand a damn thing of all the sailor talk either. (another author i love who technically fits the genre is herman melville and i sure do believe that moby dick and billy budd are gorgeous wonderful amazing books that are very much worth reading, but tbh i would generally hesitate to recommend them unless to a kind of person i believe would really enjoy them - for better or for worse, they are not everyone's cup of tea, and many of the features that might attract or put someone off don't have much to do with the nautical aspect of these stories imo)

[latinozevran-archive]

that series really was so crazy bc with the amount ppl talked about it u just assumed it was a normal ish thing like ok this sport is clearly fake have no idea why but whatever so then u just assume like naturally thats the weirdest thing about it but then u find out more and literally not a single thing about those books makes any sense at all whatsoever or sounds like something u would ever read in a real book because u wouldnt like that really is such a mystery to me still i wont ever understand it and edit in case it is unclear from the tone of this post yes i was like 14/15 when this craze took over the internet yes it was easy to pirate yes it was a quick read so yes i read it in initial curiosity turned to morbid fascination and regrettably speak from an informed viewpoint when i say all this because it still perplexes me to this day

#like how do u even come up with something like that

[boys-wonder]

make me feel something

Pairing: Tim Drake/Jason Todd

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dominant Jason Todd, Top Jason Todd, Submissive Tim Drake, Bottom Tim Drake, D/s undertones, Anal Fingering, Oral Fixation, Frotting, Anal Sex, Emotional Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, I think?, Biting

Desc:   "Everything is just so.. empty. I can't feel anything anymore, Jay, not since.." he trails off, but resists the urge to look away. Jason's eyes are dark and unreadable, boring into his and he couldn't look away if he tried. But he doesn't want to, he wants, no, needs Jason to know. Jason doesn't flinch at the mention of his death, just keeps staring expectantly. Tim looks up at him from under those thick lashes, parting his mouth further to let Jason map his tongue with a gloved finger. It's intimate and erotic and controlling in a way that Tim knows he needs, he knows that only Jason can give him this. "Make me feel something, Jay."

Word Count: 4138

Ao3 Link: Here

- - -

The cold night air whips around him, the chill cutting into his skin with the sharpness of a knife, tousling his hair forcefully as he drives. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. By all points, Tim should be buzzing with anxiety right now. He hasn't seen Jason since… that night. He grits his teeth at the memory and revs the engine, hoping to leave the morbid thoughts on the empty highway behind him. Of course, it doesn't work; Tim still has nightmares about it. He's never spoken about that night to anyone. In fact, he's actually not sure that the others even know he was there. But everyone knows how Tim feels about Jason.

It was after an unfortunate series of long, difficult missions that Tim finally decided to see Jason for the first time since the newly-declared outlaw made his way back to Gotham after his resurrection. Tim had been waiting, hoping that Jason would come see him, or even Bruce. Just some sort of arrival, anything to let them know he's alive. But it's still been nearly a year - 10 months and two weeks, not that Tim's counting - and this week has been so fucking hard. 

So he changes into civvies, not even bothering to wash off the grime and blood from the mission he just got back from, and tells Alfred he's going out. The butler nods knowingly, but the sympathy in his eyes makes Tim's face burn hot with - anger? shame? He's not sure. But he avoids Alfred's gaze, dipping past him to get his bike from the garage and make his way into Gotham.

Jason met Tim many years ago, when he was still working under Bruce's tutelage as Robin. The two had connected instantly; Tim's inappropriate fascination (or maybe a more fitting word would be devotion) with Jason (and Dick, and Bruce) which manifested in a bit of stalking, along with Jason's need to have something stable in his life. To have something normal and just his to ground him, and having someone look at him like that- look at him, not Dick, not Bruce, but him. They collided with explosive force, orbiting one another like twin stars, pulling each other along by sheer force of gravity. 

Until Jay’s star blinked out. 

Tim takes a hand off the handlebar and hits himself in the thigh a few times. The dull ache brought him back to focus on reality and clearing out the unpleasant memories. 

It takes no time at all to break into Jay's flat - seriously, was he even trying? - and he flips the lights on, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. There's really no need to be stealthy; he wants Jay to know he's here.

He pads into the living room, looking around. Tim was expecting… he's not sure, maybe more like his safehouse when he was on the streets? But no, Jay had got himself a pretty decent place. There's a simple brown sofa, resting against the wall, and on either side are expensive looking speakers, which Tim now sees are plugged into an old record player. Tim smiles faintly; it's good to see something about Jason was still the same.

Tim sets the needle down on the record with familiar ease, relaxing visibly as the record begins to play. 

With the music thrumming through him, he lets himself explore more of Jason's apartment, though he's not quite brave enough to go into the bedroom. He admires the few pieces of artwork that are strewn around the place, their presence in Jay's life bringing him a comfort he didn't realize he needed. 

The lock in the door clicks, and it swings open slowly. Tim doesn't turn around, just rubs the petals of a baby succulent that he found sitting on the windowsill. His heart should be pounding in his chest, but it's not. He feels a complete calm wash over him. He feels Jason's eyes on him, but he's not in any hurry to break the silence. Jay waited almost a year to say anything to any of them. Tim may be in love, but he's also stubborn. He's not going to give Jason an easy out.

Jason takes his time to acknowledge Tim - that is to say he doesn't - he just walks past him to pull a bottle out of the liquor cabinet - which he keeps well stocked, Tim notes - and pours himself a glass. Tim makes a soft noise of surprise when he sees Jay set out a second glass, and pours a fifth of whiskey into that as well. Tim thinks maybe he imagines the way Jason's fingers tighten around the glass before picking it up, but it makes his pulse kick up anyway. 

Now it's Jason's turn to be observed. Tim doesn't bother hiding the way he looks over every inch of the man in front of him, from the scuffed combat boots to the knife holstered at his hip to the way his jacket is bunched up around his elbows, exposing well built forearms. They're riddled with scars, Tim notices, and he looks each one over carefully, trying to map each one like pages in a book he hasn't been able to read in decades. 

If Jason is bothered by Tim's discerning stare, he doesn't say anything, but then considering how they met… it's not something Tim expects Jason is ever going to complain about. He roves his eyes over those broad shoulders, making note of how they got even broader in their time apart, how it makes his jacket cling to him in ways it didn't before. 

Tim's eyes lift to the back of Jay's neck now, and if he wants to let himself think he sees Jay stand up a little straighter, then well, he thinks he's entitled to that. The nape of his neck is scarred too, and his hair is buzzed short at the bottom, fading into a shaggy mop of black hair that manages somehow to also look so inviting it's unfair.

Jason keeps his back to Tim as he downs his shot of whiskey, and god, Tim can't help the scramble of heat that unfurls in his gut when he hears Jay rumble out a low, satisfied noise that seemed to charge the very air around them. Tim's been hard since the older man walked in the room, if he's being honest, and he has a suspicion it's the same for Jason.

Jay grabs the second glass, agile, scarred fingers rubbing around the lip of it like a caress and, oh - he's turning around and before Tim even knows it, their eyes are locked. Jason's eyes are dark, appraising him and Tim just can't breathe, god - there's a tinge of bright green around the pupils, that wasn't there before. But even further than that, Tim sees the heat in them, and it has him snatching the glass out of Jason's hand and tossing it back, the warmth chasing down his throat all the way to his core, where it ignites the already smoldering embers there, creating a quickly spreading wildfire.

Tim swallows, pinned in place with the intensity of Jason's gaze, and then those dark eyes dip down and back up, a smirk playing on the outlaw's lips as he clocks the motion. The younger man almost forgets himself, opening his mouth to speak, but he shuts it and just stares. He's drinking in every inch of Jason's face, the small lump on his nose from where it was recently broken in a fight, the J that still looks fresh as the day it was given to him, some scars across his cheeks and another that cut into the corner of his mouth. Years of pent up devotion, of adoration, of fierce and unyielding love covered Tim's entire expression, his entire being, and for a minute, Tim could convince himself that everything was perfectly normal, like Jay had never left. 

But then something shifts, the tension between them driving up again as Jason takes a single gloved finger and uses it to tilt Tim's chin up. His eyes are still dark, the heat still there, but tenderness too and Tim inhales sharply, allowing himself to be moved. Jay looks at him intently for several long moments, and Tim's heart is thudding in his chest. 

"You look tired, Timmy," Jason says, his voice soft and low and just a little bit sensual, and that has Tim's stomach twisting in knots. 

"I am tired, Jay," Tim replies, leaning his cheek ever so slightly into Jason's grip, and his breath catches again when the finger on his chin is replaced with a hand framing his jaw, thumb brushing against his lower lip. It's intimate and tender in a way that Tim isn't sure Jason had learned how to be, before, and it makes his cheeks warm despite himself. 

"What are you doing here, Tim?"

If anyone else had asked him that, in this situation, he'd punch them. But he knows Jay. He's asking what happened to bring him here tonight, when he's been back for 10 months and their paths haven't crossed yet. 

He parts his lips to speak, and Jason brushes the pad of his gloved thumb over the tip of Tim's tongue, and well, sue him if he makes a soft, needy noise at that.

"Everything is just so.. empty. I can't feel anything anymore, Jay, not since.." he trails off, but resists the urge to look away. Jason's eyes are dark and unreadable, boring into his and he couldn't look away if he tried. But he doesn't want to, he wants, no, needs Jason to know. Jason doesn't flinch at the mention of his death, just keeps staring expectantly. Tim looks up at him from under those thick lashes, parting his mouth further to let Jason map his tongue with a gloved finger. It's intimate and erotic and controlling in a way that Tim knows he needs, he knows that only Jason can give him this. "Make me feel something, Jay." 

"I'm not the same as I was before, Tim," Jason says, still rubbing his thumb over Tim's tongue. If Tim didn't know Jason the way he does, he would have taken that as a rejection, but he can tell Jason is mulling it over. 

"I know, Jay. Neither am I." 

Jason grips Tim's chin firmly at that, searching intensely for something in Tim's eyes. Tim isn't sure what, but after several long seconds, he nods. Tim's heart leaps into his throat, but before he has time to even think, Jay's fingers are in his mouth, mapping his tongue, his teeth, and god, Tim just groans. 

Jason makes an appreciative noise and presses further, pressing his fingers down into Tim's throat, and the younger man's cock throbs as he gags around them. There's something unspeakably intimate about sucking Jason's fingers through the gloves, Tim thinks as he wraps his lips around leather-clad fingers, eyes never wavering from Jason's dark gaze. He can taste the sweat and dirt and just a little bit of blood and the thrill of it rushes through him with force, causing him to shudder as Jason's fingers brush against the back of his throat and his cock throbs painfully, leaking steadily into his underwear. 

"Good boy," Jason purrs, and it's everything Tim has been waiting to hear again since that night, and somehow Jason knows and god, Tim's head is just spinning as Jason presses a third finger into his mouth alongside the other two, stretching his throat in a way that would be uncomfortable if Tim didn't need it so fucking bad.

A whine rattles out of Tim's chest as Jason grips him by the throat, fingers still stuffed in his mouth, and pulls him down with him to settle on the sofa, with Tim perched in his lap like a prize. 

They don't talk for long minutes that seem to drag into hours, Jason's fingers fucking slowly into Tim's mouth while he uses his free hand to rock their hips together slowly.

"That's right, babybird, just let me take care of you," Jason murmurs into Tim's ear, and he isn't sure how the older man can make something like that sound dangerous, but fuck, he does, and Tim whines again, hips jerking up roughly against Jason's. It earns him a quiet groan, and his whole body feels like it's on fire just from that, but then - oh, god - Jason's fingers aren't in his mouth anymore, they're pressing against his entrance and - oh shit - he's not even sure how Jay got his hand into his pants, but he doesn't bother contemplating because then Jay slides two fingers in and holy fuck.

It burns, fuck, but it's exactly what Tim needs and he sags into Jason, whining in his ear while those fingers press slowly deeper, stretching him open and oh my god it's good.  Jason's fingers are so fucking deep inside him, thrusting slowly but still not gently, and the friction and the burn is making Tim more than a little incoherent. 

Jason mouths at his neck, and Tim keens, baring his throat in a gesture of submission that comes so naturally it would be startling if it wasn't Jay. He's rewarded with a deep groan pulled from somewhere deep in Jason's chest, and then Tim is crying out sharply, jerking his hips back into the older man's fingers as his teeth sink into Tim's slender neck.

"Oh god, Jay," Tim whines, clenching around the fingers inside him as Jason's teeth meet briefly between the flesh in his mouth, and Tim knows he hasn't broken the skin but god he needs him to, he needs it. Almost like Jay can sense his thoughts, he growls around the mouthful of Tim's neck and bites down harder, teeth penetrating skin as he fucks his fingers into the younger boy at a faster, rougher pace that has Tim screaming.

"Fuck, baby," Jason groans, dragging his tongue around the circumference of the bite, and oh god it aches in exactly the right way, and the combination of the filthiness of the action with the endearment on Jay's lips, the one Tim never thought he would be able to hear again, sends him hurtling over the edge so alarmingly fast he forgets how to breathe. 

His spine goes taut, he's arched into Jason like a bow and his thighs are quivering so badly that Jay puts a hand on one to steady him as he spills into his pants, screaming Jason's name. Jason coaxes him through that orgasm and right into another one, fingers pressing hard and fast into that spot deep inside him that makes every nerve in his body light up like a forest fire. This time Tim comes so hard he can't even scream, he just gasps wetly into Jason's chest as he digs his fingers into the supple leather of the older man's jacket and yanks, just trying to steady himself. 

Tim lays like that on Jason's chest for a long time, muscles trembling as Jay rubs his back with the most gentleness he's shown Tim that night. Jay presses soft kisses into Tim's hair, and the younger man nuzzles back into the affection. 

When he finally feels capable of speech, he pulls back and gives Jay his signature troublemaker smirk and says, "What, is that all?"

Jason laughs and shakes his head, carefully pulling his fingers free and he strips his gloves before picking Tim up, carrying him bridal-style into the bedroom. 

"Not by a long shot, princess, don't you worry."

Tim could literally care less about checking out Jay's bedroom, because the second he's placed on the bed Jason is on him, pinning his delicate little wrists over his head with one hand while he slots himself between Tim's legs and grinds. It's absolutely filthy, and even though he just came, Tim can feel himself getting hard again. His head falls back onto the mattress and he whines, trying to tug his arms free to wrap them around Jay's neck before he realizes, and - oh - white hot need has him arching off the bed and pressing into Jason's body.

"Fuck, baby, look at you," Jason breathes, voice rough and Tim's eyes flutter open to meet his gaze, his mouth falling open in a soft 'o' as he sees that piercing blue and green have been completely obliterated by black lust. "You look so fucking beautiful like this, Timmy." 

Tim whines again and Jason's there, licking into his mouth and it's everything he needs and not nearly enough all at once, and god somehow Jason knows that too because his hand is around Tim's throat, squeezing as he sucks on the younger man's tongue. It's their first kiss since before, and it's fucking filthy and it's fucking perfect. 

Jason's hips are grinding roughly into Tim's and it almost hurts because he's oversensitive from coming but he thinks he might actually die if Jason stops. Just then, Jason does stop, and Tim lets out a pitiful keen. 

"Hey hey, patience babybird, I gotta get you undressed," Jason laughs as he climbs to his knees, pulling Tim roughly down the bed with him with a hand on each ankle. The sudden movement makes Tim yelp in surprise, and he would have laughed if Jason hadn't already removed his sweatpants and wasn't already digging his teeth into Tim's ankle. 

"Oh, fuck, Jay," Tim pants out, looking up with heavy-lidded eyes as Jason sucks a dark bruise onto the inner divot of his ankle. "Jay please, fuck, I need you inside me right now."

Jason swears, movements stilling for just a heartbeat before he reaches down and pulls Tim's boxers off. There's no time for Tim to get embarrassed about being so exposed, not that he's ever really been shy about nudity, because Jason is slinging Tim's legs over his shoulders and pushing in - when did he even get his dick out of his pants? - and Tim loses the ability to breathe. 

The last time they did this, they were both still awkward teenagers, not quite fitting into their bodies, still having growing to do. Now, Jason's cock is so thick as it presses its way inside him that tears start to form at the corners of Tim's eyes. 

"Holy shit, baby," Jason grunts, kissing Tim's other ankle and Tim whines in response, not able to think about anything else except for the way he can feel Jason's cock stretching him out with each centimeter as it buries itself inside him. By the time Jay is fully seated, they're both trembling, and Jay's forehead is wrinkled with effort - presumably from holding back.

"Jay," Tim whines, rolling his hips up, and oh fuck it burns so much that he chokes out a gasp. 

"Timmy, baby," Jason says in response, and starts moving. 

"Oh," Tim says, his mouth falling open, and Jason brushes his thumb across the younger man's lower lip. 

"Yeah, princess, just like that, open up for me baby," Jay groans, thrusting his hips a little harder and Tim whines so loudly that Jason wraps a hand around his throat. "Shh, baby, it's okay. Just let me take care of you like you need." 

Jason sets a rough but slow rhythm, leaving open mouthed kisses across Tim's ankles as he fucks Tim open with almost brutal precision. Each thrust hits the same spot, going further and deeper, and it's driving Tim crazy in all the right ways. Every time Jason slams into him, he screams, the sound muffled by the hand wrapped around his throat and squeezing. Tim's head is fuzzy, and he feels like he's both less and more aware of the rough stretch of Jason's cock inside him around the heavy press of Jason's fingers pinching his arteries. 

Tim is staring up slack-jawed at Jason, just watching him in awe. He takes the time now to memorize every expression, every sound, because now he knows that any time might be the last time, and he doesn't know what this means for them but he knows that Jason wouldn't do this without meaning it, not with him. 

Jason's eyes flick up to his from where they were fixated on his cock disappearing inside of Tim, and he smirks at him. Tim is just about to try and slap his arm when Jason changes the angle again and holy shit - 

"Oh yeah, babybird? Right there?"

Tim makes a strangled noise that's somewhere between a sob and a scream as Jason starts drilling into him, right into that spot over and over and he's not sure when he started crying but the tears won't stop streaming down his face and he really can't find it in him to care because he needs it, he needs Jason to see him bare like this, to know all of the pain and hurt and loss and to see how much he still needs him. 

Jason is between his thighs pounding into him like he's never needed to do anything else more in his life, and still it's not enough. He's still got his fucking mask on - not the red one, no - he's still keeping a part of himself secret from Tim. 

"Jason," Tim croaks out, and those dark eyes are boring into his again and it's closer, but not enough, not nearly enough. "Let me see you," he says, twining their fingers together. "Please."

Jason freezes for a moment, realizing he's been caught, and Tim can see the internal struggle play over his face like a teleprompter. He licks his lips and waits, and then he sees it. The shift is almost imperceptible at first but then it's more and more clear as Jason lets the mask fall away, stops pretending. 

He can see now, why Jason was keeping the mask up. And god, he loves him. He sees into the heart of Jason now, and it's ugly and terrifying and it's the most beautiful thing Tim's ever seen, and he chokes out a pleading, "Jason," needing everything Jay had been holding back.

"Tim," Jay groans, only it's almost a growl, and he puts his full weight on Tim's body and starts rutting into him like it's the last time he's ever going to get to do this, - or maybe it's the first - and his thrusts are so rough that they occasionally scoot Tim up the bed a couple of inches, but neither of them care. Tim is clinging to him, crying and rambling and Jason has his face buried in Tim's neck, growling and grunting and murmuring sweet nothings right in between angry ramblings, and finally - oh god - it's finally exactly what Tim needed, what they both needed all along and Tim is coming, his toes curling as his heels dig into the bed. 

He tightens around Jason's cock and comes between them, making Jason's shirt sticky but who fucking cares, who cares because Jason is drilling into him and oh, my god, he's coming inside. Jason groans low and deep, riding out the orgasm as he humps between Tim's legs and Tim just whines and stutters out his name over and over, so high on Jason that his eyes are glassy, his whole world narrowed to this, to him.

Jason finally slows to a stop and buries his face in Tim's neck, pressing soft open mouthed kisses there that Tim would try to return if he could move. 

"I'm sorry," Jason says, his voice quiet with grief and regret, and Tim knows he's not talking about what just happened, but about that night. He kisses the shell of Tim's ear and whispers, "I'm sorry," and this one Tim knows is for ten months and two weeks. But he doesn't need an apology. He knows now, he understands why Jason stayed away so long. 

"I'll never stop loving you, no matter how ugly or twisted you get. You're still Jason. You're my Jason." 

Tim feels Jason relax at that, sagging into him with such fierce relief that tears prick the corners of his eyes again.  

"Love you so much, Timmy," Jason mumbles into Tim's hair, and rolls them onto their sides, half-heartedly covering them with a bedsheet before wrapping an arm - when did his arms get so big? - around Tim's middle, pulling the younger man firmly into his chest. "So much," he mumbles, and Tim laughs quietly as he realizes that Jason is falling asleep around him. But, he's not much better off; between the mission just hours before, the tension between them, and the emotional catharsis of.. well, everything that just happened, his eyes were getting too heavy to keep open. 

He nuzzles into Jason's arm and lets himself be dragged into sleep, knowing that finally, finally he wouldn't have to wake up without Jason again.

- - -

Thanks so much for reading! If you liked this work, please reblog, and if you’re feeling generous, please go to ao3 and leave a comment, or drop one off in my inbox here!

#jaytim #nsft #dc fanfic #boys-wonder

[cindersage]

This is going to be a series where I come and talk to you about heart warming books, movies and TV shows which have helped me ignore the fact that there is a deadly virus literally in the air, Asian hate, the broken Indian political and medical system and also climate change.

This is no way a conceited view on very important pressing worldly issues, this is simply an escape when the news gets too morbid and you need to remind yourself that there is still good to be found in this world (even though I want to burn it to the ground).

Full article: https://thebookishweb.wordpress.com/2021/04/26/lifes-shitty-so-let-me-help-you-ignore-it/

1. THE INTERN

MOVIE

I know people love endings, they always have. It can be the end to a relationship and they make songs about it, ending of a legendary career and they have made documentaries about it, Shawshank redemption sitting with pride at the top of IMDB movie ratings, lauded for its ending. But for me personally it’s the beginning which makes or breaks the story. When I look back on stories that I have loved and kept close, I often see myself fascinated at how they started. Beginnings are the hardest part to get right.

From Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four Privet Drive were perfectly normal thank you very much to It is a truth universally acknowledged, greatness to me is best viewed when it is just about to happen. And the Intern knows that well.

The beginning sequence of this movie is equivalent to the soft delicious smell of freshly baked cookies on Christmas eve beckoning you to come, have a bite, indulge. It is the perfect setting to a beautiful movie about life and love and relationships of all kind- love and friendship and parenthood and right at the heart of it, the dynamic relationship of a man who’s lived and loved and a woman who is just learning to do so.

where can you watch it? Amazon Prime

2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: THE MOVIE

movie

How can I mention a small, witty reference of Pride and Prejudice and not feature it in here? Whenever I think about this book, I think about humans. How they are misunderstood, how they miscommunicate, how they make mistakes but most of all how they love and learn and live.

If you look at the text on the bottom of the poster you can make out the tagline “A romance way ahead of its time.��� and that is the beauty of this book, in a time and in a society when men held their heads high, arrogance dripped from their words like honey scented venom, Jane Austen creates a character so humanly flawed that he is all that and more. He is arrogant and proud and he is shy and apologetic. She is beautiful and poised, she is witty and prejudiced.

I know you’ve read this book, I know you have seen this movie and yet I urge you, make that bowl of popcorn or open that snack you’ve been saving to eat at the right time and re-watch this.

Where can you watch it? Amazon Prime, and if not just re read the damn book.

3. DIL DHADAKNE DO

movie

LANGUAGE : HINDI ; GENRE: BOLLYWOOD, DRAMA

If I had to choose one Bollywood movie to watch for the rest of my life, I would choose this tale of many, many different characters; different not only by their faces but by their struggles, their personal demons, their dreams which were walked upon, love that was lost, love that was not to be and love that finally is. And surprisingly when I say love, not only do I mean the four different romantic stories that weave themselves through the story, I also mean the love that blooms between the family.

Set against the unyielding, painfully proper backdrop of the Delhi High Society, this is a story of an ordinary family, other than the fact that the younger son owns a plane, as they deal with unhappy marriages, infidelity and forbidden romances and their inherent sexist narrators.

You will feel warm, emotional, happy and a sort of oneness with the Mehras (the family name of the main characters) when you’ll watch them figure their life out on a beautiful cruise cruising through Turkey. Also a really cute dog.

If you don’t know the language, please use subtitles, it will be very very worth it.

Where can you watch it? Amazon Prime.

4. THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

continue: https://thebookishweb.wordpress.com/2021/04/26/lifes-shitty-so-let-me-help-you-ignore-it/

#movies #tv show #recommended #the intern #bollywood #harry styles #blogging #blog #reviews #good movies to watch #dil dhadakne do #the marvelous mrs maisel #pride and prejudice #harry potter

[gone-series-orchid]

I know you've said before that you think Caine and Drake are pretty one-dimensional (and I agree completely). I was wondering if there were any other villains that you wish had been explored more instead of giving those two more page time in later books. Or if there were any characters that you thought could have had villainous potential that were unexplored??

wow, interesting question! i think my main problem with caine and drake is that they’re just kind of blandly evil, one-dimensional like you said. i think, ideally, villains should feel like real people.

funnily enough, i think zil probably comes closest to embodying that in this series. he’s mean-spirited from the beginning, but it’s only under lance’s influence (from what i remember) that he becomes a real threat due to his gaining confidence. i think it would have been nice to see more of him in the series—he’s insecure in his role as leader of the human crew, which makes him fallible. he’s also kind of unnerved by lance’s neo-nazism. he’s arguably the most intelligent out of the crew aside from lance. he’s not sympathetic, per se, but he is compelling.

i would’ve liked to see him interact more directly with the protagonists—especially astrid, because i think she should get a chance to one-up him in some way after he was thinking creepy thoughts about her in hunger. also, i think astrid, being the smartie she is, would probably be most likely to try to persuade him to turn over a new leaf—she’s a normal, and a white, aryan-looking (gag) normal at that, which would probably satisfy lance, and she still has distinct power in the fayz. though zil could probably poke a hole in her argument by pointing out that she only really has that power because she’s sam’s girlfriend, which is true. anyway, they could have words about it.

i think zil is compelling because he has the potential to be redeemed. it’s a slight potential, because he’s already done some pretty evil things, but he’s not totally evil—he has to justify the violence he commits in order to accept it, which is more than caine or drake does. we never forget that, at the end of the day, he’s still an insecure, blustering twelve-year-old. he’s an anti-moof bigot, but he could change. i think lance, more than zil, represents total irredeemable evil. he represents what zil could descend into being. he’s the devil on his shoulder (astrid could potentially be the angel if she maybe switched tactics from lawful punishment to direct emotional manipulation).

i’m a sucker for human villains and natural disasters being the principal antagonists, which i think is why the first four books work so well? i think fear and light suffer from the gaiaphage taking control of the narrative, villain-wise, when i think it worked best when used sparingly. gaia is pure evil, nothing more. she’s fun to read about in her own way because she’s so villainously campy, but that’s kind of it. she’s not really interesting, imo.

i think the reason why i harp so much on the insufficient “humanity” of antagonists like caine and drake is because that’s the principal strength of books (lord of the flies, battle royale) in the “kids trapped in place and forced to survive” genre: what do the actions of the characters say about human nature? about society? about morality? in lord of the flies, the message conveyed is ultimately a bleak one: the kids all descend into savagery in one way or another, with the purest one of them all, simon (the jesus figure) being driven insane, and the intellectual (piggy) being murdered. the story is all about “the darkness in the human heart,” to paraphrase the last line of the book.

in battle royale, on the contrary, the message is ultimately one of hope. despite the characters living in a dystopian fascist society that sacrifices one class of students to a killing game, the main character shuya clings to the idea that he and his classmates can figure out an alternate way to survive the titular battle royale aside from murdering each other. his compassionate view of humanity is validated by the pov vignettes given to all his classmates. all of them are given distinct personalities; some are kind, like shuya and his allies noriko and shogo, and some are drake-esque sadists, while the majority fall somewhere in between (my personal favorite characters are the girls that team up with one another in order to protect themselves from possible sexual violence from the boys. they hole up in a lighthouse!). but all are tragic in the sense that they’re children thrust into an unfair and cruel situation. even then, though, the nobility of certain characters shines through.

for instance, there are two girls at the beginning of the game who are best friends and don’t want to kill anyone. they (foolishly or bravely) use a megaphone to call out to the other kids in hiding, asking if they can all band together. shuya and several other characters are tempted, but sadly the girls are both fatally shot soon after their announcement. they die in each other’s arms after affirming their friendship, tears in their eyes. shuya and several other kids are devastated by the girls’ deaths. while some more callous characters deride them as being stupid and naïve, the reader is ultimately meant to mourn their deaths and the lost potential of a class-wide alliance. they know that their enemy isn’t their classmates, but rather the fascist government that makes them kill each other in the first place.

anyway—tangent aside—i think those two aforementioned novels are really solid examples of the genre gone is in. gone has more of superhero vibe to it, given the focus on powers and mutations and paper-thin evil villains, but i almost think the way that’s executed almost detracts against the aforementioned “kids surviving, etc.” genre? like, that’s all about the messiness of morality and human nature and whatnot, and while superhero comics can weave that into their narratives (watchmen, the brat pack) those are usually deconstructions of the genre than straightforward examples of it. the superhero genre is usually morally black-and-white and really action-focused. this is why i think we get the strange tonal mixture of kids reacting realistically to the trauma of starving versus reacting fairly unrealistically when faced with brutal superpowered violence, such as when brianna decapitates drake like it’s nbd. or anything brianna does, really.

there’s a shift from the realistic to the unrealistic that’s fun, but tonally dissonant from each other. so there’s this sort of disconnect, at least for me. i sympathize greatly for astrid when she’s slapped by drake and forced to call little pete a slur, for instance, but how many times does drake or caine murder a kid in cold blood? at some point it gets...idk, old? as the violence gets more cartoony the less it interests me aside from morbid fascination, and there’s just so much of it. it gets desensitizing after a while. i think that’s why, even though i think it’s handled fairly believably in gone, i had a lot more trouble with the monster trilogy’s blend of absurdism (the animorphs-style mutations like dekka turning into a cat woman with medusa hair and another character turning into a praying mantis with super speed, etc.) vs. grimdark realism (ICE forcibly deports a character’s father, terrorist violence is a common theme, the san francisco bridge is destroyed, a baby boy is mutated into a giant fuzzy caterpillar and then gets blown up by the military—like this is budding dystopia-level dark and the narrative doesn’t seem to realize it). it just feels too heavy and too light at the same time. the contrast of tones does a disservice to both of them. idk what i’m saying let’s get back to your actual question lol

as for characters with villainous potential...hmmm. tbh i think astrid has villainous potential? i mean, i like the idea of her moral righteousness escalating in a way that makes her more morally gray. she’d have to probably latch onto more powerful kids in order to have any leverage over sam and the gang, given her powerlessness. maybe she could manipulate orc into being her bodyguard while she plots to usurp sam or something asgjsjk. i think she could be a powerful threat if she wanted to be! it’s fun to ponder. i heard of an au where she joins the human crew that i thought was sort of interesting!

what do you think, @goneseriesanalysis? any villains you wish had been dived into more, and/or characters with villainous potential you think would have been cool to explore?

#gone series #michael grant #the gone series #fayz

[trashyswitch]

The Adorable Slimy Stranger

The sides were having a normal Halloween afternoon. But things become very strange when a slimy substance shows up in the room and confuses everyone with their nostalgic smell, their adorable nature, and their giddy playfulness. Who knew such an adorable little slime could be this cute?!

For @kanene-yaaay 

This is it. This is really the end of Tickletober. I had lots of fun though! Went in with lots of new ideas, and came out with lots of new fics! And as much as I feel accomplished by this month...I also miss writing FNAF. So, I may switch back ot writing some FNAF for a bit! Maybe even some FNAF & Sanders Sides fics! Who knows?

This is Tickletober 31: Go Nuts

Every side was hanging out in the living room. Logan and Roman were reading while Remus, Virgil, Patton and Janus were watching a Halloween movie. They were nearing the end of the movie when Logan had finally started to close the book. “Man...I forgot just how morbid that climax is.” Logan admitted.

“What were you reading?” Patton asked.

“Coraline, by Neil Gaiman.” Logan replied.

“That’s a good book! But wanna know an even MORE morbid book?” Remus offered.

Logan placed the book onto the side table. “Enlighten me, Remus.” Logan replied.

“The Shining! Or, or Misery.” Remus told him.

Logan nodded. “I will admit, those are morbid choices. I’ve read The Shining, but I haven’t read Misery.” Logan replied.

Remus smiled and summoned a copy of the Stephen King novel. He lightly threw it, and let the soft-covered book land right into Logan’s lap. “Start it whenever you’re prepared…” Remus offered with a wink.

Logan smiled and held it up. “Thank you.” He said to him, before placing it on top of the Coraline novel.

As the credits started to roll, Patton began smelling something...familiar. “Guys, do you smell that?” Patton asked.

Logan sniffed the air and slightly smiled. “Yeah...Smells like you have freshly baked cookies cooking in the oven.” Logan told him.

“Yeah, I smell that too.” Roman told him.

“Me too.” Virgil added.

Patton shook his head. “No, it’s not cookies.” Patton admitted. “It smells like...McDonald’s fries!” Patton reacted.

Logan lifted an eyebrow. “That’s not what I smell…” Logan told him.

Remus smiled and giggled a little. “I smell play-doh.” Remus mentioned.

“Yeah...now that you mention it, I do too.” Janus added.

Logan tilted his head in confusion. “Play-doh, and cookies are opposite sides of the spectrum.” Logan told them. “How can one side be smelling something drastically different from another side?” Logan asked.

“I don’t know.” Janus replied.

“Spill.” Logan ordered.

“I’m...telling the truth. I seriously have no clue.” Janus admitted.

Suddenly, everyone froze as a gurgling sound filled the room for a few moments:

~Gurgle gurgle~

Logan looked around. “Is that the TV?” Logan asked, before pausing the movie credits. Logan listened for the sound as the TV was paused...

~Gurgle gurgle~

Logan blinked in surprise and looked at the others. Quickly, everyone hopped off their seats and began looking around the room for the mysterious gurgling sound. But besides the strokes of wet slimy stuff on the carpet, there was nothing.

“What do you think this is?” Patton asked.

Remus hummed to himself and rubbed his chin as he inspected the strokes of slimy stuff on the ground. It was a somewhat thick stroke, meaning a bit of the slime could be removed from the carpet with a finger. Remus wiped his finger across the stroke, and smelled it.

...Play-doh?

“Hey guys? Did any of you use play-doh in a DIY slime?” Remus asked.

“No. Why?” Roman asked.

“It smells like play-doh.” Remus told him, before moving his slimed finger to Roman’s nose.

Roman gave the finger a quick sniff and smiled widely. “Hey! The slime smells like cookies!” Roman reacted.

Logan turned around. “What?” he asked, walking up to Remus and smelling the slime. Amazingly, the slime DID smell like cookies! “...Huh!” Logan reacted. “Well, I guess we know what was fragrancing the room.” Logan declared.

Remus looked at the slime on his hand. He looked at Logan, and looked back at the slime. Logan immediately knew he was up to something. “Remus...Don’t EAT-”

Remus shoved the finger in his mouth and sucked on it with a mischievous smirk on his face.

“...The slime.” Logan finally finished his sentence.

Remus sucked and sucked on his finger like a pacifier, and started to widen his eyes and smile happily. Whatever was on his finger, must’ve tasted amazing! “Mmmm!” Remus hummed, impressed by the taste. “Orange-flavored jello!” Remus declared.

Logan blinked in surprise. “...Orange...jello?” Logan clarified.

“Yeah! It tasted like a slimy orange-flavored jehehello-” Remus told him, accidentally letting a bubbly giggle slip.

Roman widened his eyes. “Was...was that a giggle?” Roman asked.

Remus nodded his head. “Yeheheheah. Ihihihi cahahahan’t stohohop!” Remus reacted as he clutched his stomach and started to giggle more! “Hehehehehe! Whahahat’s tihihicklihihing mehehehe?” Remus asked.

“...I…” Logan muttered. “It couldn’t have been the slime you ate...could it?” Logan asked.

Remus couldn’t reply worth his life, and only continued to giggle and crumble to the ground.

Suddenly, Patton jumped up and pointed to the middle of the room. “LOOK!” Patton shouted.

Logan and the other sides turned around to see the thing that Patton had pointed out…

~Curious gurgle noises~

Logan’s eyes widened as he awkwardly adjusted his glasses. It was an orange slime of some sort!

Patton gasped. “It’s SO CUTE!” Patton shouted, sprinting up to it. Patton knelt down to the slime’s height and patted its orange slime head. Immediately, the slime jumped into Patton’s lap and made more gurgle noises!

~Happy gurgles!~

Patton squealed and pet the slime. “LOOK AT YOU! I’m gonna call you...Pumpkin! You are now Pumpkin.” Patton declared. The slime’s mouth opened widely to reveal a big smile, before it nuzzled into Patton’s chest. “Awwww!!” Patton reacted. He even smelled amazing! “He smells like McDonald’s fries!” Patton declared.

Logan smiled. “I guess this must be the source of the mixed up fragrances.” Logan reacted. “But where did it come from?” Logan asked. “And...Why do I feel so joyful by its arrival?” Logan asked, feeling a wave of happiness within himself.

“Cause it’s adorable! That’s why!” Patton told him. “Hi Pumpkin! I’m Patton!” Patton greeted.

“Can I see it?” Virgil asked.

Patton nodded and happily let the slime slide off his lap. “Go get Virgil!” Patton encouraged.

Virgil watched as the slime grew bigger and bigger in size so it was half of Virgil’s size, instead of less than a foot long. Then, the slime summoned big noodle arms and wrapped Virgil in the arms, pulling him into the slime’s body! “oOHGOD- ...Ooookay.” Virgil muttered, not sure what to do with this.

By this time, Remus’s laughing fit seemed to calm down. Remus laid on the ground quite limp, but still slightly giggly from the weird tickling sensation. “You okay, Remus?” Janus asked.

Remus nodded. “Ihihit felt like a bouncy slime ball jumping around in my stomach and tickling me!” Remus told him.

“Really?” Janus reacted, amused by the fascinating reaction.

Meanwhile, Virgil was very confused, but super happy. The man couldn’t stop smiling for the life of him. The slime was actually making him feel unbelievably happy! But, this was more than just the usual reaction to something cute. This was STRONG! This was like adopting a toddler and wanting to coo and give them affection for a long time. Heck, Virgil could say more than THAT!

“Wow! This is awesome!” Virgil told them. To add to the intense feeling of love, the slime started wiggling its noodle arms under his sweater and started fluttering them on his belly! “What are- eeEEEK! HEhehehehey! Thahahat tihihicklehes!” Virgil giggled.

~Mischievous gurgles~

“Oooooh...Haha! That’s not good.” Patton reacted with a giggle.

“Wahahait, WAHAHAIT!” Virgil reacted before being bombarded with laughter and squeals! The slime was tickling and squishing his belly and sides, leaving no spot unsquished. The slime was gurgling while it tickled him, and sneaking more and more noodly arms under his sweater to attack other spots. There was just no end to its tickling abilities! “HEHEHEHELP MEEEHEHEHEHE!” Virgil begged.

“I’ll help you, Virgil!” Patton declared, jumping up to the slime to pick it up. But the slime slid right out of his grip and summoned more noodle arms to combat the light blue man as well. “...Oops…” Patton thought aloud. “Wait! STAHAHAP! NOHOHOT THE HIHIHIPS!” Patton shouted, scooting backwards and crumbling into a mess of laughter and giggles. Now 2 people were being tickled at the same time!

“Wait! I wanna join!” Remus yelled happily. Remus ran up to the slime and lifted up his shirt to reveal his belly, sides and ribs. The slime turned around, took one look at Remus and smiled super widely! The slime retreated it’s orange noodle arms and practically tackled itself into Remus! Remus opened his eyes, and looked up to see tons of slimy orange in his peripheral vision. “Hi there!” Remus greeted.

~Happy gurgles~

Remus giggled and smiled as he felt the slime nuzzle its upper head against his cheek and side of his neck. “Ahahahahawwww!” Remus reacted. “You really ARE cute!” Remus told it. The slime made excited little gurgles and started tickling Remus’s belly and belly button with its slimy body. “HehehehAHAHAAA!” Remus bursted out, bucking his waist. The slime quickly started tickling Remus’s other spots as well, and started fluttering and jiggling it’s noodly slime arms up the sides of his ribs. Remus wiggled and rocked left and right as his bubbly, and slightly manic laughter filled the room.

Logan smiled and couldn’t resist the urge to record the moment. He pulled out a video camera and willingly clicked play.

Everyone else watched and cooed at the cute scene.

“This is so cute! The slime can even make Remus all giggly!” Patton reacted.

“Gotta admit, this is a rare thing to watch.” Virgil added.

“This is not entertaining, whatsoever.” Janus added, summoning a bowl of popcorn to show his true amusement.

“Should we save him?” Roman asked.

“I’m not gonna.” Logan replied.

“Me neither. I’ve been tickled enough already.” Virgil replied.

“I really want to, but I think Remus deserves to laugh a while.” Patton mentioned.

Janus nodded in agreement as he ate his popcorn.

“COHOHOHOME OHOHOHON!! IHIHIHI’M TOHOHOHOO TIHIHIHICKLIHIHIHISH!” Remus’s begged.

~Happy cheerful gurgles~

Even Logan giggled a little. “I think it likes you.” Logan told him.

“Awww...I wanted it to like me…” Patton whined.

Logan fluffed his hair. “I’m sure it likes you too.” Logan told him.

Soon enough, the slime let out one last gurgle and slid off of Remus. Remus curled into a ball almost immediately and continued to giggle.

Soon, the slime looked around and ran up to Janus next! And while Janus was being inspected and cuddled by the slimy being, Logan started trying to look up what the thing might’ve been, through google.

“Well…The only thing that’s popping up, is the SCP Foundation-”

“SCP FOUNDATION?!” Remus shouted, practically tackling Logan down for his phone. “GIMME!” Remus begged.

“Remus! Get off me!” Logan ordered.

“But I want the phooooone!” Remus whined.

“Well, I’m using it!” Logan told him.

Remus stared him down for a moment before looking at the blob. “Hey tickle blob! Get Logan!” Remus encouraged.

“Wait, WHAT?!” Logan shouted, scooting back a bit. The slime got off of Janus, looked at Logan and smiled widely! “Wait! Get him! Not me!” Logan ordered, pointing to Remus.

“What?! I was already got! Get Logan! He’s veeeerrry ticklish!” Remus told the slime before tickling his ribs.

“nNOOHOHOHO!” Logan shouted, slapping his hand away with his phone. But Logan was quickly grabbed and cuddled by the big orange blob. “aaAAH! Eugh...Slihime-hehehehehe! HahahahAHAHAHA! WAHAHAHAIT! NOHOHO TIHIHICKLIHIHING! HAHAHAHAHA!” Logan shouted, dropping his phone before immediately kicking his legs and shaking his head.

It felt like his head was filled with pure happiness, similarly to an adrenaline rush! But HOW?!

Remus took the phone and started reading the information that was on the page. “WHOA! Not only is the SCP Foundation actually real, but this IS an SCP! SCP-999! Also known as: The-” Remus paused for a moment to giggle at the nickname. “The tickle monster! I should’ve known! There’s tickling all over this blob!” Remus reacted.

“So...it’s literally a tickle monster?” Patton asked, feeling kinda excited about it.

“And...why is it out of the foundation?” Virgil asked.

Remus began reading about the blob. “SCP-999 appears to be a large, amorphous, gelatinous mass of translucent orange slime, weighing about 54 kg (120 lbs) with a consistency similar to that of peanut butter. His temperament is best described as playful and dog-like: when approached, SCP-999 will often react with overwhelming elation, slithering over to the nearest person and leaping upon them, “hugging” them with a pair of pseudopods…” Remus paused.

“Pseudopods...meaning the orange slime arms that the slime has been making?” Virgil asked.

“His name is Pumpkin!” Patton told him.

“Actually, Patton...his name is 999.” Remus told him. Patton frowned, before crossing his arms and pouting. “The surface of SCP-999 emits a pleasing odor that differs with whomever it is interacting with. Recorded scents include chocolate, fresh laundry, bacon, roses, and Play-Doh™.” Remus further read.

“Hey! I smelled play-doh!” Janus added.

“Yeah, I did too.” Remus told him. “Simply touching SCP-999’s surface causes an immediate mild euphoria, which intensifies the longer one is exposed to SCP-999, and lasts long after separation from the creature.” Remus read further.

“So...The reason we feel so happy about the slime being here...is because the slime is making us happy.” Virgil reacted. “That would explain how abnormally comfortable I felt while surrounded by the slime. My brain was overwhelmed with happy hormones for it to become even slightly nervous about such a mysterious creature.” Virgil explained.

“GUHUHUHUYS! HEHEHEHELP MEHEHEHEHE!” Logan shouted. But 999 immediately noticed the change of emotion, and slithered off of him.

~Worried coos~

999 started cuddling into Logan in an attempt to make him feel better after its tickle attack. Logan couldn’t help the calming feeling that filled him, and quickly forgave the creature.

“I think we should keep it!” Patton declared.

Everyone else looked amongst each other, in worry and slight guilt. “Uuuh...Patton…” Virgil started.

“If the SCP was truly roaming around and ended up in our house by mistake...then we should return the SCP to its rightful owner.” Remus told him.

Patton whimpered and looked down in hurt. Logan, knowing 999 would make him feel better, encouraged 999 to give him some love. 999 nodded its head before slithering up to Patton and giving him cuddles and hugs. Patton took the cuddles with a smile, and started to feel better despite the understanding that they couldn’t keep him.

“But...now that I look at this...There are no news reports of 999 escaping, or even a number to call if an SCP does go missing.” Remus told them.

“They wouldn’t put up information that 999 escaped, though...they would keep that secret and call government after government to locate the creature.” Virgil added.

“But...they wouldn’t even put a ‘SCP-999 is [Redacted] in the document?” Roman asked.

“I...I doubt it.” Remus replied. Suddenly, Remus put the phone down and started inspecting the SCP. He checked under the slime and on its back for any potential evidence of a collar. But...there was nothing. Well...Apart from the slight signs of red flowing through the slime.

Wait...Red?

Remus turned around to face Roman. “What were you reading before we found SCP-999?” Remus asked. Roman summoned his collection of books. “I was reading the Mr. Men books.” Roman admitted. Remus started looking through them and came across the first book ever written by Mr. Men: Mr. Tickle. Remus giggled as he looked at the book. “SCP-999 is a lot like Mr. Tickle. I will give you that.” Remus admitted.

“So...What are you saying?” Virgil asked.

“I’m saying, Roman went down SCP memory lane and accidentally created SCP-999.” Remus told him.

Roman widened his eyes and looked at the SCP. 999 looked back at him and had its orange tongue stuck out like a puppy. Roman started to smile a little bit as he scratched the back of his head. “I suppose I may have used my creative skills to unintentionally create SCP-999.” Roman admitted.

“Wait...So, 999 ISN’T missing?” Virgil asked.

“That’s right. I technically made my own SCP-999.” Roman told him.

“So we can keep him?!” Patton asked excitedly.

Roman giggled and nodded. “Yes, you can keep him.” Roman replied.

“YAAAAAYYY!” Patton cheered. SCP-999 started jumping up and down and bouncing happily along the floor, while Patton jumped around as well and clapped his hands.

While Patton and 999 were celebrating, Logan walked up to Roman. “Not bad, Roman.” Logan complimented.

“Why thank yo-...wait, what?” Roman reacted in surprise.

“You made the SCP very accurately. Good job.” Logan repeated.

“Oh...Why, thank you!” Roman replied proudly.

It didn’t take long for the SCP to become one with the family. Patton got the chance to nickname them pumpkin like he wanted, and Roman got to walk around with a cute creation living in the house! Talk about a treat-filled Halloween!

#ticklefic #tooth-rotting fluff #scp foundation & sanders sides #scp-999 #family fluff #ler!999 #switch!remus #lee!patton #lee!virgil #lee!janus #lee!logan #roman is just kinda there