#twilight is just US history with mythical creatures

[grimmwolf]

🤬z••s + supporters, anti therian, anti otherkin DNI🤬

🤬hunters, trappers, taxidermists, supporters DNI🤬

🤬animal part collectors/buyers/sellers, etc. DNI🤬

🤬vulture culture, “oddity” enthusiasts, etc. DNI🤬

……

“I’m just like you

Made by He

Despised by they

I’m almost me”

——

INTRO TIME cuz everyone else has one apparently-

Asks are always open btw :)

Ps. That means ask me things :)

Helloooo my name’s Maddy or Grimm. This is my Therian & Otherkin etc. blog. So I’ll be posting and reblogging whatever kin related stuff here, some memes maybe. Anyhow, here’s…

Some stuff about me~

• I’m 19 years old in this body, and my birthday is on the 25th of May.

• I’m a straight cis female, so she / her pronouns would do just fine.

• I’ve been awakened since about 2014 ish, and I’m a spiritual Therian, Otherkin, Alterhuman, Nonhuman, Fictionfolk / Fictionkin, however you wanna call it 😂 Meaning I believe all if not most of my identities / kintypes are rooted from alternate lives, such as: Past, Future, Parallel, and Dream lives.

• Only a handful of my identities I’ve discovered are semi psychological tho. But they are not derived from imprinting, neurodivergence, or trauma. I also prefer to use the term identity, instead of therio / kin / ficto type etc.

• The label I use most in terms of my nonhumanity, is Omninonhuman! A term I coined for myself. Meaning I identify as all animals, beings, creatures, nature, etc. Basically anything and everything that’s nonhuman! Including, but not limited to: All earthly and non-earthly animals, beings, creatures, extant, extinct, insects, dirt, grass, plants, trees, flowers, fungi, rocks, stone, metals, crystals, water, land, sky, clouds, biomes, magical, mystical, mythical, mythological, supernatural, celestial, cosmic, galactic, divine, holy, unholy, infernal, universal, etc. Though, I connect more with wolves, or just canines in general lol.

• I have depression, social anxiety, body and species dysphoria. Are name, personality and voice dysphoria a thing as well, perhaps? Lol.

Some fandoms I’m in + interests of mine~

• Animals

• Anime

• Art

• Black Butler

• Canines

• Creepypasta

• Demon Slayer

• Detroit: Become Human

• Dinosaurs

• Dragons

• Dungeons and Dragons

• Fantasy

• Five Nights at Freddy’s

• Genshin Impact

• Harry Potter

• Hazbin Hotel

• History

• Hobbit

• How to Train Your Dragon

• James Cameron’s Avatar

• Jujutsu Kaisen

• Lord of the Rings

• Marvel

• My Hero Academia

• Obey Me!

• Omegaverse

• Paleontology

• Period Pieces

• Photography

• Pokémon

• Red Dead Redemption 2

• Sci - Fi

• SCP Containment Breach

• Slenderverse

• Supernatural

• Twilight

• Wings of Fire

• Wolves

• Zoology

Some hobbies of mine~

• Adding pins on Pinterest

• Collecting Merch ( Figures, plushes, posters, etc. )

• Creating playlists on Spotify

• Drawing

• Listening to music

• Photography

• Playing video games

• Reading

• Sleeping

• Watching YouTube

• Writing

Some fun facts about me~

• I absolutely love animals. I aspire to be an Animal & Nature Conservationist / Own an animal rescue ( domestic or wild ). I am against all forms of animal abuse, agriculture, cruelty, exploitation, use, etc., as I am a vegan at heart, and so I do not support the therian real animal part gear obsession. If you support that or other related things, do not interact with me.

• I absolutely love talking about my alternate / past lives, even though I may not know a whole bunch about them. And I would be more than happy to listen to others speak of their lives as well! Alternate / past lives in general are all very intriguing to me

• I’m a huge fan of Pewdiepie and Markiplier. I watch their videos everyday, they just make me so happy. I love to laugh, and they make me laugh more than anyone honestly. They’re my gods lol

• I have a habit of either capitalizing words that don’t abide by the laws of human grammar. Or I alphabetize every thing I list. Oh, and my favorite colors are beige, black, cream, gold, gray, lavender, tan, and white :3

……

…Did you notice it?

Anyway! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a spiritual otherkin. Meaning I believe I’ve had past or alternate lives of my kintypes! That being said, here are…

My identities / types’~

( From first discovered to most recently discovered, assume all are confirmed )

• Angel

• Fallen Angel

• Earth Angel

• Dinosaur / Paleo / Raptor Shifter

• Merfolk / Draconic - Like Sea Being

• Divine Leader / Goddess

• Spirit / Universe / Goddess / Guardian

• Demon / Unidentified Being / Other bbkin ( Black Butler )

• Canine Cryptid / Shifter / Werecanine / Werewolf / Werefolk

• Alien / Angel / Unidentified Being

• Draconic Fae / Shifter

• Standard / Traditional / European / Western Dragon / Wyvern / Shifter

• Eywa / Na’vi / Pandoran

• Night / Light Fury / Goddess / Other httydkin

• Dragon / Other ratldkin

• Fae

• Other Mariokin

• Other Spyrokin

• Other Kirbykin

• Blue / Sea / SeaWing / Water Dragon

• Desert / Sand Dragon / SandWing

• Forest / Green / Nature Dragon

• Celestial / Cosmic Dragon

• Abyssal / Eldritch Dragon

• Black / Darkness Dragon / NightWing

• Gold / Golden Dragon

• Fire / Red Dragon / SkyWing

• Air / Blue / Sky / Wind / White Dragon

• Ancient / Imperial / Standard / Traditional Asian / Eastern Dragon

• Other WoFkin

• Omni Pokémonkin / Other Pokémonkin

• Other GenshinImpactkin

• Other LionKingkin

• Other mhakin ( My Hero Academia )

• Other RDR2kin ( Red Dead Redemption 2 )

• Other Alpha&Omegakin

• Other Marvelkin

• Other Supernaturalkin

• Other Twilightkin

• Other Creepypastakin / Proxykin / Slenderversekin

• Android / Divine Cryptid / Eldritch Angel

• Machine Shifter / Omni Machine kin / Other Horizon: Zero Dawn / Frozen Wilds / Forbidden West / Burning Shores / Call of the Mountain kin

• Other Omegaversekin

• Howl’s Moving Castle / Studio Gibli kin

• Aquatic / Dark / Drow / High / Light / Moon / Silvan / Snow / Sun / White / Wild / Wood Elfkin

• Other dbhkin ( Detroit: Become Human )

• Conceptkin / Dimensionkin / Existencekin / Galaxykin / Levelkin / Planekin / Realitykin / Realmkin / Worldkin / Universekin / Vibrationkin

• Other Twilightkin

• Other hbkin ( Helluva Boss ) / hhkin ( Hazbin Hotel )

• Dhampir / Vampire

• Other scpcbkin ( SCP Containment Breech )

• Other FarCrykin

• All Beast / Other bnakin ( Brand New Animal )

• Other Hook / Neverland / Pan / Peter Pan / Tinkerbell kin

• Other dndkin ( Dungeons and Dragons )

• Other potckin ( Pirates of the Caribbean )

• Other fbkin ( Fantastic Beasts ) / hpkin ( Harry Potter )

• Other Hobbit / lotrkin ( Lord of the Rings ) / Medievalkin / MiddleEarthkin

• Medievalkin / Other Skyrimkin

• Other Okamikin

• Other gowkin ( God of War )

• Other Grishaversekin / snbkin ( Shadow and Bone )

• Alien / Amphibian / Dinosaurian / Draconic / Kaiju / Machine / Mecha / Pandoran / Reptilian

• Other asekin ( Ark: Survival Evolved )

• Other revkin ( Resident Evil: Village )

• Dark Fae / Other Maleficentkin

• Other fnafkin ( Five Nights at Freddy’s )

• Other dskin ( Demon Slayer )

• Other jkkin ( Jujutsu Kaisen )

• Other trkin ( Tokyo Revengers )

• Chimera / Trico / Other tlgkin ( The Last Guardian )

• Alien / Avian / Canine / Draconic / Feline / Pandoran

• AI / Alien / Android / Bot / Canine / Code / Cyber / Cyberware / Droid / Drone / Future / Glitch / Hardware / Machine / Mech / Mecha / Program / Robot / Tech / Technology / Virus

• Other Transformerskin

• Other Cyberpunkkin

• Other ldrkin ( Love, Death & Robots )

• Other aotkin ( Attack on Titan )

• Other tgkin ( Tokyo Ghoul )

• Other gotkin ( Ghost of Tsushima )

• Other ackin ( Assassin’s Creed )

• Other twkin ( The Witcher )

• Other Nimonakin

• Lizard / Scavenger / Slugcat / Vulture / Etc. / Other rwkin ( Rain World )

• Alien / Alien Jackal / Alien Vulture / Bioraptor / Hellhound / Mud Demon / Etc. / Other Riddikkin

• Celestial / Cosmic / Divine / Galactic / Holy / Universal Creator / Deity / God / Goddess / Guardian / Saint / Planet / Solar System / Galaxy / Universe / Reality / Mother Earth / Life / Moon / Nature / Sun / Death / Light / Dark / Demeter / Gaia / Existence / Nonexistence / Etc.

• White War Wolf ( Asgardian / Marvel / Norse )

• Canine Spirit / Fox Spirit / Gumiho / Inugami / Kemonomimi / Kitsune / Komainu / Lion Dog / Magical Canine / Mythical Canine / Mythological Canine / Nine Tailed Fox / Nogitsune / Okami / Okami Spirit / Raccoon Spirit / Supernatural Canine / Tanuki Spirit / Wolf Spirit

• Child Luck Spirit

• Demon / Devil / Ecstasy / Emotion / Encubus / Euphoria / Feeling / Fiend / Heat / Hell / Hormone / Incarnate / Incubus / Infernal / Instinct / Love / Lust / Lust Incarnation / Pleasure / Primal / Romance / Rut / Sensation / Sex / Sexual / Sexuality / Stimulation / Succubus / Touch

• Other Spiritkin ( Spirit of the Cimarron )

• Other Elementalkin ( Disney )

• Other SlyCooperkin

• Other RiseoftheGuardianskin

• Other StrangeMagickin

• Other ObeyMe!kin

• Other MysticMessengerkin

• Other Otomekin / ShallWeDatekin / Voltagekin ( Dating Sims )

• Other KungFuPandakin

• Other Lucakin

•Other TurningRedkin

• Other Baldur’sGate3kin

• Other HotelTransylvaniakin

• Spirit / Wisp

• Other Siren’sLamentkin ( Webtoon )

• Other AnimalCrossingkin

• Other Tangledkin

• Other lolkin ( League of Legends )

• Other atkin ( Adventure Time )

• Mermaid / Selkie / Siren

• Alicorn / Hellhorse / Hippocampus / Kelpie / Magical Horse / Mythical Horse / Mythological Horse / Pegasus / Thestral / Unicorn

• Kirin / Magical Deer / Mythical Deer / Mythological Deer / Qilin / Peryton

• Centaur / Cervitaur / Faun / Satyr

• Griffin / Griffon / Gryphon / Hippogriff

• Amphiptere / Amphitere / Amphithere / Magical Avian / Mythical Avian / Mythological Avian / Phipthere / Phoenix / Quetzalcoatl

• Black Dog / Black Shuck / Canine Spirit / Church Grimm / Cu Sith / Fox Spirit / Enfield / Gumiho / Hellhound / Inugami / Kemonomimi / Kitsune / Komainu / Lion Dog / Magical Canine / Mythical Canine / Mythological Canine / Nine Tailed Fox / Nogitsune / Okami / Okami Spirit / Raccoon Spirit / Supernatural Canine / Tanuki Spirit / Wolf Spirit

• Other twdkin ( The Walking Dead )

• ( Behemoth ) / Gorgon / ( Gorgonus ) / ( Gorgun ) / Leviathan / ( Nag ) / Naga / Quetzalcoatl

• Other hsrkin ( Honkai Starrail )

As you can see from my identities listed, I have about 117 discovered identities, and most likely counting. I’d like to make it clear that I am not “adding to any kin list” or “kinning for fun”. I am completely certain and genuine about my alterhumanity and my many identities.

I have entire playlists of most of these lives on Spotify, that help me connect with them more. I figured out how to link my Spotify, give it a listen if you’d like. So here’s…

My Spotify~

……

Anywho, see ya! Also pls interact, I want friends / mutuals with similar kintypes 🥲

——

“I’m nearly human~

Look at me

I’m almost

A human being”

-Aurelio Voltaire • Almost Human

……

Ps. Here’s the song quoted as well ;D

#actuallyangelic #actuallydivine #divinekin #angelkin #fallenangelkin #earthangelkin #demonkin #goddesskin #paleotherian #therian #otherkin #therianthropy #otherkinity #dinosaurkin #raptorkin #merfolkkin #dragonkin #wyvernkin #werewolfkin #shifterkin #eywakin #navikin #pandorankin #httydkin #cryptidkin #wolfkin #caninekin #ratldkin #faekin #pokémonkin

[xasha777]

In a world not too dissimilar from our own, where the distinction between technology and magic had blurred into obscurity, the ancient metropolis of Avalora thrummed with a vibrant pulse. It was a city where historical artifacts wielded power beyond mere aesthetics, each resonating with the legacy of their creators. Among these revered relics was the Shellback, a mythical automaton shaped like a regal cat, crafted by the legendary artisan and technomancer known as Marvol.

Marvol, in his twilight years, had infused the Shellback with intricate circuits and spell runes that wove together gold and azure gems. This wasn't just a masterpiece of craftsmanship; it was a sentient being with eyes as deep and blue as the endless cybernetic void it monitored. The Shellback was designed for one purpose—to protect the Grand Archive, a digital repository that held the sum of human knowledge and the secret histories of countless civilizations.

One evening, under the cloak of darkness, a figure cloaked in holographic shadows approached the Grand Archive. Zara, a notorious data thief, known across the shadow networks for her ability to extract information where all others had failed, had her sights on the ultimate prize—the Codex Originum, a file rumored to contain the blueprints for original human DNA.

As she neared the entrance, the Shellback, ever watchful, detected the anomaly in its security matrix. Its eyes glowed a fierce sapphire, and the ornate carvings along its body shimmered with an arcane light. With the grace of a predator, it moved to intercept.

Zara, however, was no ordinary thief. Her gear, a mesh of ancient tech and new-age hacks, allowed her to converse with AI and manipulate their core directives. She stood before the majestic guardian, her device ready to deploy a symphony of digital whispers.

But the Shellback was not merely a creation of code and metal; it was an echo of Marvol himself, his wisdom and protective spirit embedded within. Instead of attacking, it communicated, its voice a rich melodic blend that resonated in the mind rather than the air. "Why do you seek the Codex?" it asked.

Zara, taken aback by the creature's sentience, replied, "To know where we truly come from. Isn’t it our right?"

The Shellback, understanding the weight of her quest, proposed a challenge. "Prove your worth through a test of creativity and innovation, as Marvol would have appreciated. Remix the ancient melody encoded within my core, a melody once composed by Marvol’s friend, Shellback the record producer, who transcended his era through music."

Using her sophisticated tools, Zara accessed the melody—a complex sequence of notes that seemed to blend every genre from the past millennium. She remixed it live, integrating elements of futuristic synthwave and ethereal glitches. The result was a harmony that told a story of human progress and aspiration.

The Shellback, impressed by her skill and moved by her respect for the art, stepped aside. "The Codex is yours," it declared, "for you have shown the true essence of what it means to be a custodian of knowledge."

Zara entered the Archive and downloaded the Codex, but instead of selling it as she had planned, she broadcast it across the net, granting everyone access to the origins of mankind. Her encounter with the Shellback had changed her, instilling a newfound reverence for the past and hope for the future.

Thus, the guardian of the Archive had not only protected its contents but had also guided another soul towards the betterment of humanity.

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

Eccentricity [Chapter 6: You Know You Got Me In The Palm Of Your Hand]

Series Summary: Joe Mazzello is a nice guy with a weird family. A VERY weird family. They have a secret, and you have a choice to make. Potentially a better love story than Twilight.

Chapter Title Is A Lyric From: Mean It by Lauv.

Chapter Warnings: Language, references to sex and violence, slavery in American history.

Other Chapters (And All My Writing) Available: HERE

Tagging: @queen-turtle-boiii​​​​​ @bramblesforbreakfast​​​​​​ @writerxinthedark​​ @maggieroseevans​​​​​​ @culturefiendtrashqueen​​​​​​ @imnotvibingveryguccimrstark​​​​​​ @escabell​​​​​​ @im-an-adult-ish​​​​​​ @someforeigntragedy​​​​​​ @imtheinvisiblequeen​​​​​​​​​​ @deacyblues​​​​​​ ​ @tensecondvacation​​​​​​​ @brianssixpence​​​​​​ @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye​​ @some-major-ishues​​ @haileymorelikestupid​​ @loveandbeloved29​​

Please yell at me if I forget to tag you! 💜

What The Fuck, Washington Animals Are Weird

I woke up in a bedroom drenched in a rainbow of darkness, shades of grey vacillating from charcoal to the wings of a mourning dove; indolent dawn rain pattered against the window. There were no glaring veins of sunlight spilling in through gaps in the curtains, no promise of dry invigorating heat, no whistle of vicious parched wind. Toto, we’re not in Phoenix anymore.

“Ugh,” I complained to the empty room, unraveling from a tangle of blankets patterned with cacti and pure white clouds and rust-orange suns.

I clicked off my iPhone alarm—I’d beaten it by two minutes; my circadian rhythm was finally conceding that this whole Pacific Time thing was permanent—and read my nine new texts from Joe.

3:12 a.m.: Hey it’s an emergency what’s the plural of octopus

3:13 a.m.: Rami is insisting that it is octopuses

3:14 a.m.: But it’s octopi, right? Right?? I just announced in front of everyone that it’s octopi

3:15 a.m.: Scarlett is verbally abusing me

3:18 a.m.: Oh you are probably asleep

3:21 a.m.: Update, according to the internet Rami is right and now I have to assume a new identity and move to Antarctica

3:25 a.m.: We can discuss logistics of the Antarctica relocation tomorrow

3:26 a.m.: Hope you like penguins

3:30 a.m.: Okay goodnight!! Don’t let the mythical creatures bite!!

“That man,” I murmured to myself, smiling.

I typed out: It’s definitely octopuses, you clown. Then I deleted ‘clown’ and replaced it with its Italian equivalent: pagliaccio. Text sent.

Joe responded almost instantly. I had to ask Lucy what pagliaccio meant and now she’s verbally abusing me too. Send help. See you at lunch. xx

Wait, two Xs? What did Xs mean?? Kisses???

Did Joseph Francis Mazzello, sexy undead Italian man, just send me multiple text kisses?

“You’re gonna give me an aneurism, Chicago boy,” I muttered at my phone as I slid it into the pocket of my flannel pajama pants. And then I glanced out the bedroom window into a tussle of rain and thick, caliginous fog.

Just a few feet beyond the misted glass, its leathery talons hooked around a branch of Charlie’s decades-old red alder tree, was an owl. But not just any owl. A hulking, spotlessly white owl.

“Oh, hey, you,” I whispered, leaning closer, pressing my palms against the cold window. My hands left transparent imprints in the condensation. “Hey, buddy. Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? I sure wish I was. Did something wake you up? Did your idiot vampire boyfriend disturb you with a series of ridiculous texts?”

The owl just contemplated me with unnervingly vast, slick, engrossed eyes. And there was something else, too: those eyes were blood red.

“So you’re an albino owl, huh big guy? Good for you. You know, usually albino animals don’t last all that long in the wild. Because they’re really easy for predators and prey to spot. Or they get skin cancer. So congratulations on living to become the voluptuous, tremendously creepy creature that you are today. Job well done.”

The owl stared back at me unflinchingly, blinked, then resumed staring. Rainwater gathered in swelling beads like blood drops on its ivory-colored beak and talons.

“Well,” I noted, turning away and grabbing my shower towel off the back of the desk chair. “You don’t get that in Arizona.”

Thirty minutes later, I was bounding down the stairs two at a time to meet Charlie in the kitchen. He was browsing through his daily newspaper at the table, drinking coffee and nibbling messily on burnt triangles of toast. Crumbs littered his moustache.

“You didn’t tell me that living here came with the added benefit of freaky albino animal friends.”

Charlie crinkled his forehead at me. “Huh?”

“How was bowling with the dads last night?”

“Oh, awesome!” he exclaimed, folding up his newspaper and slapping it down on the table. “We bowled against the team from Mora and it came right down to the wire, but we caught them. Dr. Lee got a strike on his very last turn. He always seems to do that...he’ll be bowling hit or miss all night and then when it really matters he manages to pull a strike out of nowhere. He’s a beast.”

“He’s a pretty remarkable guy,” I agreed, rummaging through the cabinets for Pop-Tarts.

“He mentioned that you and his son were really hitting it off,” Charlie said, grinning. “Not the ragey blond one. The spindly annoying one. What’s his name again? Josh? Jimmy?”

“Joe.” I conjured up my best poker face of lofty indifference. It crumbled like a sandcastle beneath reckless, rushing footsteps.

“Ohhhh, I saw that!” Charlie said, pointing, delighted. “Check out that smile. My gorgeous, brilliant progeny has a crush. I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t be single for long up here. Alright, I’m ready. Bring on the grandchildren.”

“Shut up,” I pleaded good-naturedly.

“Relax, I have great news. According to Gwil, that Joe kid is pretty wild about you too.”

“Oh, is that what you old guys do between bowling turns? Betray your children’s deepest confidences? Matchmake them over nachos and chili cheese dogs?” Still, my curiosity was piqued. “What else did Dr. Lee say about Joe?”

“I think the exact word he used was...” Charlie reminisced, sipping his coffee, curls of steam pouring over the rim of the mug. “Smitten.”

Supernatural Pictionary

I turned the notebook to Joe so he could see; everyone else momentarily covered their eyes or looked away. Then Lucy started the timer on her iPhone. Thirty seconds.

“Go!” Lucy announced.

“I think it’s a boat,” Rami said, hesitantly, haltingly, squinting at Joe with great concentration.

“Do you?” Joe teased.

“Yeah. But I’m also getting something about a fish.”

“Maybe I’m trying to make you think it’s a fish because it’s actually a boat,” Joe replied flippantly.

Rami muttered: “Or you want me to think it’s a boat because it’s actually a fish.”

“Interesting.”

“Now you’re mentally singing Never Gonna Give You Up just to fuck with me.”

Joe gasped, pressing a palm to his chest. “That doesn’t sound like something I would do!”

Scarlett snickered, dunking her chicken tender in honey mustard, slurping Coke through a straw clenched between crimson-painted lips. “That sounds exactly like something you would do.”

“Fifteen seconds,” Lucy warned.

“Fish or boat, boat or fish...” Rami chanted, peering fixedly at Joe.

“Make a decision,” I taunted, hugging the notebook to my chest.

“I’m going with boat,” Rami decided.

“Final answer?” Lucy asked, then stopped the timer when Rami nodded.

“Loser!” Joe cackled victoriously, leaping out of his chair, waving his L-shaped fingers in the air. Calawah University students at nearby tables glanced over with wide, startled eyes, their beloved chicken tenders briefly forgotten. “How’s it feel to not win every round of a game, huh?! Loser!”

I flipped my notebook so Rami could see the extremely unskilled pencil sketch I’d drawn there: a smiling fish. “My condolences.”

“Damn.” Rami pulled a ten-dollar bill out of his wallet and slid it across the table to Joe. Joe snatched it up, tucked it into the waistline of his jeans like a stripper collecting money in her G-string, and slung his arm around my shoulders.

“We are the champions. Bask in our glory.”

Scarlett turned on her iPhone flashlight and waved it in slow arcs over her head. “Youuuuu are the champions, my friendssssss...”

From my usual lunch table, Jessica gazed at my esteemed place among the Lees with palpable envy, resting her chin in her hands. I had worked out a schedule that seemed fairly obvious given my extensive experience as a child of divorce: lunch with Jessica et al. one day, lunch with the Lees the next. I took a bite of the Chipotle veggie bowl that Joe had insisted on ordering for me and tossed Jessica a sympathetic wave. Get Ben’s Snapchat for me! she mouthed back. I harbored serious doubts that Benjamin August Hardy, former professional assassin, born in 1893, had a Snapchat.

Joe’s words from last week rolled around in my head; I could see him all over again, nodding to the enormous painting hung in Gwil’s upstairs office, telling me about those startling, ethereal figures who had initiated Ben into life as a vampire. They call themselves the Draghi. They collect dues from covens, offer protection, keep order, protect our secrets. But they also demand loyalty. They force people they want into service. They might try to make it seem like you have a choice, but you don’t. They destroy anyone who tries to resist them. And they feed on humans.

“This is so awesome,” Lucy sighed, elated. “We could never play Pictionary before, drawing something is way too much of a mental process, Rami always figured it out right away...”

But now they had a built-in blindfold, someone who could draw without Rami getting a peek into their thoughts, a fighting chance at hiding the truth from him...for thirty seconds, at least.

“Okay Benny Boy, you’re up.” Joe darted over to Ben’s side of the table and massaged his tense, muscular shoulders as Ben grimaced. “You got this. I believe in you. Baby Swan is gonna pitch you a home run.”

“I’ll pass,” Ben said.

“You can’t!” Lucy cried. “Ben, please? Rami got Scarlett’s, and then he didn’t get Joe’s...and I know he’s going to see though me immediately. You’re our only chance to tie things up and maybe beat him!”

“Traitor,” Rami told Lucy affectionately.

“Uhh...” Ben hesitated, glimpsing longingly at the doors that led outside to the grove of bigleaf maple trees. He was fidgeting restlessly with his vape pen.

“Come on, Benny!” Joe begged. “I’ll owe you. I’ll do anything.”

Ben perked up a little bit. “You’ll do my Calc 2 homework for a month?”

Joe groaned theatrically, but nodded. He was wearing a grey U Chicago hoodie today. “Fine. Okay. But you’re gonna have to learn that shit eventually, I can’t take the MCAT for you.”

“Deal.” Ben bumped his knuckles against Joe’s.

“Batter up,” Joe heralded in his best mock-umpire voice, grinning at me expectantly, drumming the table with his palms. “Go Baby Swan, go! What will she choose? Will she continue with the nautical theme? Will she change it up, maybe switch to beloved Chicago landmarks? Baseball or food? Will she invent a variety of pizza even more despicable than pineapple?”

“Hm.” I flipped to a fresh notebook page, scratched my temple with the eraser end of the pencil, then quickly sketched a picture for Ben. “Okay, I’m ready.” I showed the drawing to Ben while everyone else covered their eyes.

Ben shook his head, scowling. “You’ll have to try again. I have no idea what that is.”

“Really?!” I checked the picture again. Okay, it definitely didn’t belong in the Louvre or anything, but it was lifelike enough to be decipherable. “You don’t recognize it? At all?”

“No,” Ben replied flatly.

From behind his shielded eyes, Rami scanned through the images in Ben’s mind. He dropped his hands onto the table. “SpongeBob?!”

“Who...?” Ben ventured.

Everyone else looked too. “Oh yeah, that’s definitely SpongeBob,” Joe said, then chuckled. “Aww, Baby Swan, you even remembered his little necktie!”

“It’s so cute!” Lucy trilled.

Ben just stared at the picture, blinking, completely lost, increasingly morose. And now there was a new guest at the table; or maybe not a new one, maybe just a quiet one, something that perched on the ledge of every conversation and field of vision just waiting to tap its claws against the wall and make its presence known: that interminable reminder of Ben’s unconventional past life, of how incomparable his vampiric upbringing was to those of the rest of the Lee kids.

“Benny Boy, you’ve never seen SpongeBob?” Joe inquired gently. “No problem. We’ll have a marathon tonight. I have the entire series on DVD. Also several Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy action figures.”

Scarlett snorted. “This is why you’ve been single since Hoover was president.”

“I wasn’t single the whole time,” Joe corrected.

“Oh, really?” Not that I’m interested, my voice suggested. I was a total liar. I was super interested. Thank the great deity that Rami and Ben couldn’t read me like a restaurant menu. Today’s specials are Being In Love With Someone Wildly Inappropriate for $15.99, and also Lamenting My Own Lack Of Sexual Experience for $11.99. Oh, and clam chowder.

“He had a couple of...what would you call them?” Scarlett combed her elegant fingers through her voluminous blonde hair. “What’s the modern vernacular? Fuck buddies? Booty calls? Netflix and chill partners?”

My stomach lurched; I nonchalantly buried my fork in a mountain of guacamole and left it there. I kept my lips turned up into a smile like a mask. Of course he’s loved other people. Duh. He’s hot and immortal. Get over it. But that didn’t calm my pounding heartbeat at all, didn’t soothe that sudden and irrational melancholy.

“Whoa whoa whoa, okay, you’re making it sound way worse than it was,” Joe protested, glancing at me nervously.

Scarlett continued: “It wasn’t serious, whatever it was. None of them would have cared about your action figure collection or obsession with a city you haven’t lived in for fifty years. It wasn’t your personality they wanted. Thank god.”

Oh this is bad, I thought helplessly. How am I ever going to be able to compete with the memory of countless gorgeous vampire girlfriends?

“Uh, ScarJo, you’re single too.” And Joe’s nickname for her was strangely apt; Scarlett could pass for Scarlett Johansson’s younger, blonder, much hotter sister. And Scarlett Johansson, in case you’re somehow unaware, is already pretty fucking hot.

Scarlett flashed a grin. “Entirely by choice.”

“And much to Mercy’s eternal and profound concern,” Lucy told me. “She stages an intervention at least twice a month. Did I overhear one last week, Scarlett?”

“Oh jesus, yeah. I was like, ‘Mom, what the hell do I need a husband for? I have my own money. I can fix household appliances. I have a vibrator. I’m good to go.’”

Joe rocked back in his chair, howling. “You did not tell Mom that!”

“I did. She was so distraught. She just kind of pinched her eyes shut and shuddered and then went out back to feed the alpacas.”

“Scarlett, babe,” Rami managed between gales of laughter. “A vibrator isn’t going to keep you company for all of eternity. It’s not a suitable substitute for a life partner.”

“You’re right. It’s even better. It’ll never abandon or disappoint me. Assuming I keep the batteries fresh, of course.”

“Oh my god,” Lucy giggled into her hands.

“She’s not wrong,” I said, shrugging, sipping my Diet Coke.  

And Joe peered over at me, surprised, intrigued, slowly raising his thin dark eyebrows. I winked back. Yeah, okay, I’ve never slept with someone. But that doesn’t mean I’ve never had an orgasm.

“Ah, loud thoughts! Loud thoughts! Joe, please!” Rami moaned, pressing his balled fists to his forehead.

Ben smirked. “There’s a color I’ve never seen from you before, Joe.”

“This family is the worst!” Joe exploded.

“I like that girl,” Scarlett decided, signaling to me with glossy maroon fingernails. “She can stay.”

Joe sighed, flustered, then shook it off as he turned to me. “You coming over tonight?”

“I can’t spend every night at your house petting alpacas, mob guy.”

“Yeah?” he asked, smiling, draping his arm around the back of my chair. “Why not?”

“Well, my tonight-specific reason is that I’m visiting a friend.”

“Cool. Your friends are my friends. Can I visit too?”

“You’re aware that you’re a legit stalker, right?” But actually, Archer was dying to meet Joe: the loud Lee, the approachable Lee, the Lee who I definitely liked more than a Tinder swipe could ever convey. This could work. “Offer to buy dinner and you can come.”

“I’m a walking Visa, baby.”

Ben stood, hauled on his backpack, gathered up his trash to throw away. “I need a smoke break before Chem. See you guys later.”

“Don’t forget!” Joe called after him. “SpongeBob marathon starts at 8! I’ll bring the Milk Duds!”

And when Ben disappeared through the doors, a solemn hush descended over the table.

“Poor guy,” Lucy said softly. The other Lees nodded.

And again, I recalled what Joe had told me in Gwil’s office, what he had said when I asked how Ben came to join the Lee family. He was assigned to us, to be the liaison to our coven. And Gwil saw something in him. Potential, suffering, unrealized decency, I don’t know. But Gwil worked on him for years, trying to convince Ben to leave the Draghi when his contract was up and come live with us. To give a peaceful life a try. And to be honest, Ben never seemed interested. But something must have resonated with him, because we opened the front door on October 15th, 2016 and he was sitting on the steps of our porch with a single suitcase, puffing on that fucking vape pen and watching the storm clouds roll in off the Pacific Ocean.

But why would they just let him leave? I had asked, tracing my fingertips over the uncanny and magnificent faces in that painting. Why would they let him live?

Because they know how valuable he is. And because they think they can get him back.

“I think he’s a good person,” I said, breaking the silence. “You know. Underneath the whole being raised to be a killing machine thing.”

“Yeah,” Rami replied, frowning thoughtfully. “Just try not to spend too much time alone with him.”

Car Jacks And Sneak Attacks

“Joe, this is Archer James Foxchild, my first-ever best friend.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Joe said, shaking Archer’s oil-stained hand. “I understand you are really good at making mud pies and poking dead animals with sticks.”

Archer chuckled. “It’s true. We found a shark tooth down at La Push one time and I convinced Baby Swan here that it was from a sea monster. She had nightmares for months. Charlie called my dad over it and I got my Game Boy taken away.”

“No!” Joe gasped in horror. “Were you a Pokémon guy?”

“For sure.”

“Ruby or Sapphire?”

“Emerald.”

Joe grinned. “This dude knows what’s up.”

“And to think, my grandpa tried to tell me that you guys were freaks,” Archer replied.

“Well,” Joe conceded. “Not all of us.”  

“Maybe you two should start dating,” I said. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just sit in my Honda and eat my Taco Bell cheese quesadillas and Cinnamon Twists and try not to interrupt all the sex.”

“Yes, you brought Taco Bell,” Archer sighed euphorically. “Give me five minutes, I just gotta finish rotating these tires real quick.” He jogged to the other end of the garage, knelt beside a Ford Mustang that was propped up on a jack, and starting twisting off lug nuts with a tire iron.

“You have a nice place here,” Joe observed, strolling around the small garage with his hands in the front pocket of his U Chicago hoodie, eyeing the fractures in the concrete floor and the spidering cracks in the windows. “You have any investors?”

“Are you kidding?!” Archer replied from the Mustang. “No, man, it’s just me. I rent for now, but at some point I’ll buy my own shop. Once I’ve saved up enough. A great big one with shiny new equipment and no mice squeaking behind the walls.”

“What’s your cash flow like?”

“I’m netting around three grand a month after taxes.”

“Not bad!” Joe noted admiringly.

“Yeah. It’s a hustle, but I love it.”

“Hey, I don’t know if you’d be interested—and absolutely no pressure if you’re not, really—but I do a lot of work with start-ups and I’d love to help you get into your own shop. By this Christmas, preferably. If we can work out a deal.”

“Really?!” Archer peeked incredulously over the hood of the Mustang.

“Absolutely.”

Archer beamed at me. “This guy is willing to drop serious cash to look good in front of you. You should probably marry him. No prenup though.”

I held my pinky out towards Joe, grinning. “No more sad prenups.”

He laughed and hooked my pinky with his. “Bankrupt me, bitch.”

I heard the metallic clang of a lug nut hitting the concrete floor and rolling under the Mustang. “Come back here, you bastard,” Archer muttered, then dropped to his stomach and crawled beneath the car.

“Hey, kid, be careful,” I fretted, crossing my arms across my chest and taking a step closer.

“Relax, Baby Swan, I am a professional, changing a tire for me is like feeding a fish for you, so just chill and keep fantasizing about those Cinnamon Twists—”

There was a squeal of metal as the car jack collapsed and the Mustang came crashing down. In a fraction of a second—faster than I could see him moving, faster than I could loose a scream—Joe had soared across the garage, yanked Archer out from beneath the falling Mustang, and dragged him to the center of the room.

“Oh fuck,” Archer wheezed, his dark eyes huge and fascinated and horrified. “Grandpa was right.”

I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)

We rolled up to the Lee house in my 1999 Honda Accord just as I polished off the last of my Cinnamon Twists and Archer chewed, tentatively and dazedly, on a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. The sun was beginning to set in a clouded sky that perpetually threatened rain.

He asked Joe for the fifth time from the back seat: “But wait, seriously, no one is going to eat me, right? Because I’m too young to die. I haven’t taken enough vacations yet. I can’t die without seeing Hawaii. I want to swim with the sea turtles.”

“No, none of us have ever eaten people. Well, almost none of us. Maybe stay away from Ben.”

“I would like a little more exposition,” Archer replied, blanching.

“Hey, if you stay until 8, you guys can join us for the SpongeBob marathon!”

Gwil and Mercy were waiting on the front porch, thanks to Joe’s ‘hey I accidentally exposed myself as a paranormal being and now we have a new friend, plz don’t be mad okay love you see you soon!1!!’ text.

“Welcome, sweetheart!” Mercy fussed, enfolding Archer into her arms as soon as he stepped out of the Honda. “Would you like some hummingbird cake? I just baked it this morning. And maybe some sweet tea too. And some peanut butter cookies. And banana pudding.”

“Sure,” he responded, bewildered. This lady does not seem like a bloodsucking demon, that voice said. And he was absolutely right.

“I’ll fix you up a tray,” Mercy promised, and hurried into the house.

“We’re so very happy to have you, Mr. Foxchild.” Gwil shook Archer’s hand firmly. “We don’t get many visitors around here. I’m sure you understand why.”

“My grandpa always insisted that there was something off about you guys. Especially you, Dr. Lee. Said you shouldn’t still be around.”

“Yes, I imagine that would have been disconcerting for him. He must have remembered us from the 1940s...that’s the last time we settled down in Forks. It’s not often that someone recognizes us after so long, but it happens. It was just Mercy and me and Rami and Joe back then. And look how far we’ve come.” Gwil beamed warmly, then turned to Joe. “But really, son, you’re going to have to stop telling humans about us.”

“Hold up, I was not responsible for her!” Joe exclaimed, waving at me. “Take it up with Ben!”

The garage door rumbled open and Scarlett sauntered out, wiping her filthy hands with a rag. She halted abruptly, stood there in her high-waisted vintage jeans and black crop top and bare feet with maroon-colored toenails, tilted her head and pondered Archer with an innocent sort of curiosity that I hadn’t seen from her before.

“Wait,” Archer said, gaping. “Is that...is that an Aston Martin Vantage in there?!”

“You bet,” Scarlett replied. “You want to learn how to work on it?”

“Uh, hell to the yeah!” He trotted over and they vanished into the garage together.

“Huh,” Joe muttered, watching them. “She was nice to him. Very weird.” He whirled back to me. “Anyway, come on. I promised you an education in classic rock music. And I shall deliver.”

Joe’s bedroom was a chaotic jumble of economics textbooks and Chicago Cubs paraphernalia and U Chicago apparel and action figures and comic books and classic rock posters. There was a massive Italian flag tacked to the wall above his bed. But what caught my attention immediately was a life-sized cardboard cutout of Ben lurking in the corner by a bookshelf full of cassette tapes.

“How is there any possible logical explanation for that?” I asked, pointing.

“Oh, that! That was a joke. When Ben first showed up, he pretty much lived in his room and never came out. Gwil was worried. Mercy was heartbroken. So I made a cardboard cutout of him and would bring it to family activities and do this really deep and seductive Ben voice when I pretended to have conversations with him. It gave the whole situation some levity...and I think Ben secretly liked that we missed him enough to make an artificial version to fill the void.”

“So this bitchy, brooding, blood-craving Ben I met is actually a drastic improvement?”

“Oh, Baby Swan,” Joe confided, almost sadly. “You have no idea what he was like four years ago.”

“I’m glad he has you. All of you. That he has a chance to get better.”

“I think you might be good for him too. Seeing a human as a real person instead of a walking, talking Hi-C juice box. And you care about him, don’t you? Despite everything.”

“Of course. It’s not his fault they taught him to be a monster.”  

Joe just looked at me for a while, and then he cradled my face with one hand and grazed a thumb across my cheek “You’re never going to stop saying things that knock me into next week, are you?”

“Joe...” I hesitated, laying my hand over his. His skin was smooth and yielding yet strong, cool yet not unnaturally so. Refreshing. Safe. Fan-fucking-tastic. Oh noooooo. “Are we a thing?”

“Why? Do you want to be a thing?”

“Oh, uh, no, I was just wondering if we were.”

He stepped away, teasing me with a crooked smirk. “...So you don’t want to be a thing?”

“What would that entail?”

“Well...we’d be an official thing, you and me.” He shot finger guns at me, and then towards himself. “Which means you can’t be a thing with anyone else. And neither can I.”

“Ahhh, I see. So this thing is an exclusive thing.”

“Will you shut up and just admit that you’d totally be thrilled to be a thing with me?”

“Fine. Whatever. We’re a thing.”

“Nice.” He high-fived me.

“This is the most romantic moment of my life.”

“But wait, there’s more.” He went to the bookshelf, browsed through his cassette tape collection, found the one he wanted and popped it into a boombox that was probably older than I was. The frantic opening piano notes of I’d Do Anything For Love poured out.

“Meat Loaf,” I said in disbelief. “Really. This is the product of your superior taste in music. This is the culmination of over a century of musical experience. Meat Loaf.”

“The man is a genius!”

“This is all an elaborate joke about my vegetarianism, isn’t it?”

“No,” Joe mused. “But now that you mention it, I have yet another reason to force you to appreciate this song.” He took my hand in his, spun me around like a ballerina in a slow and careful circle, sang along—with extreme and dramatic enthusiasm—to the music.

“And I would do anything for love

I'd run right into hell and back

I would do anything for love

I'd never lie to you and that's a fact...”

“I don’t dance,” I cautioned him, laying a palm against his chest to catch my balance. That brisk, comforting scent of pine and snow and peppermint was everywhere. It feels like I can’t stand to be away from him. Like I’ll never get close enough. “I am terribly uncoordinated. I will step all over your feet. And I’m really not sure if I can trust you. You didn’t even know the plural form of octopus until like eighteen hours ago. You’re kind of a disaster. A, you know, uh, unexpectedly charming, unconventionally super cute, kind of bizarrely enchanting disaster.”

“Yeah,” Joe whispered, smiling, tilting up my chin, leaning in to kiss me. “I like you too.”

Cato

He came out of the oak trees like a ghost, pushing aside massive chandeliers of Spanish moss that blotted out the dusk sun, his expensive shoes sloshing in the marshy water that flooded the rice field. He was wearing a full suit, but no top hat; his hair was black and chin-length and wild around his face. And at first I thought he was a hallucination, a dream conjured by heat sickness or those first dreaded signs of malaria. He was unnervingly, uncommonly beautiful; beautiful like a hurricane, beautiful like lightning or an eclipse. But he was real. I straightened up as I watched him approach, my back aching in protest, a basket full of seedlings slung over my shoulder.

“Mr. Cato.”

His voice, clear and beckoning and twisted by an accent I’d never heard before, rang in my skull like church bells. He called me mister. This white man called me mister.

“Yes sir?” And I almost added: You want to be careful there, sir. The water moccasins like to hide among the tree roots, especially when the sun starts going down. But I had an inexplicable feeling that this man wasn’t afraid of things like snakes. Maybe the snakes should be afraid of him.

“Mr. Cato,” he said again, this time to himself, very quietly, tasting it.

I kept trying to look away, to disentangle my gaze from him like a hook out of a sturgeon’s mouth, because staring piercingly and astonished at a white man like that in the rice swamps of South Carolina in 1851 could get me beaten or the lash, could get my teeth pried right out of my jaw. But it didn’t seem to bother him. He grinned, hugely, all-knowingly, under prehistoric golden eyes like an alligator’s. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. And he was proud.

“Do you want to be free?” he asked, almost hissed, still grinning from the tree line.

What kind of question was that? Did a sandpiper want to fly? Did a coyote want dirt under its paws and flesh disappearing down its throat? But that wasn’t something you ever confessed aloud, not if you wanted your feet on the ground instead of swinging ten inches above it. But this man wasn’t a master, wasn’t an overseer. He wasn’t from the South. He didn’t carry a whip or a club to remind you of the rules of the world. He stood there tall and radiant in the shadows of the fading daylight like he was the one who wrote the rules to begin with; which meant that maybe he could change them. “Yes sir.”

“I can only take you,” the man warned. “No others. No family. No friends.”

“No trouble, sir,” I told him. “They sold my family. They hanged my friends.”

The man’s grin stretched wider under glinting eyes. His canine teeth were sharp, I realized: like a coyote’s, like a snake’s fangs. He held out his hand. “We are going to get along very well, you and I.”

I let the basket fall from my shoulder. I slogged through the mud and rows of wispy verdant rice plants to meet him in the shade of the oak trees. And there, for the first time in forever, a man with skin the color of bones looked me dead in the eye and shook my scarred hand.

“Welcome, Cato,” he whispered; and I was home.

He took my face in his cool palms, gingerly, reverently, like a lover. He touched his teeth to my throat. And every nerve ending in my body flooded with wildfire as he dragged me, screaming, into the depths of the forest.

[taesbetch]

Creatures Of The Night | 02

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut: Vampire!AU

Summary: Creatures of the night, Soul mates, a war between species. You had thought all these things were nothing but folktales. But as the world hidden in plain sight crashes into your day to day life you struggle to keep up. Going from being hunted to the leader of a vampire groups mate, your world is turned upside down and the fight to survive is on.

Word Count: 3.6k

Previous |

Silence. 

Rain poured down. The glass doors to the side of the house covered in rain fogged the view of the outside. Your eyes moved from the glass to the side of reyas face. She sat forward, staring at the tv placed in front of the couch you both sat on. 

Clearing her throat, she looks over to you. 

 "You've hear of vampires, werewolves and witches right?" she started, to which you nodded your head in anticipation.

"Well surprise, we exist" she smiled sheepishly. You took a sharp breath before proceeding with your questions. 

"and you're..." You trailed on motioning for her to continue. 

"Get comfortable, I'm about to tell you the whole history of my kind" she said getting comfortable on the couch. You titled your head, not being able to help your’e growing curiosity. 

"you mean about witches?" You asked slowly, Still not too sure which category your friend fell into. Reya smirked as she ran a hand through her hair. 

"Not just witches, I'm talking about creatures of the night" she stated taking a deep breath.

"a long ass time ago witches, werewolves and vampires used to live among humans in peace, everyone knew about us, it wasn't a secret nor was it scary. Now we all had an agreement, vampires would feed only when necessary and not to kill, werewolves would chain themselves up when the full moon would approached and witches would not practice what would be known as 'black magic'. This arrangement worked pretty well...until things started changing, you know the saying people fear what they don't understand, yer well that started happening, humans started to fear what they could not control, vampires started thinking they were superior, werewolves started despising vampires and witches got a little rebellious" she explained a little bit.

"What do you mean by rebellious?" I asked curiously.

 "We’re oddly powerful beings, some witches can do things you wouldn’t even imagine possible! and i think...Well i think witches started realising that.Anyway, nowadays we hide amongst humans, living the human life by day and going amongst our natural activities by nights....well that's how it's supposed to be anyway" Remee said looking down at her hands.

"What do you mean by..suppose to be? you asked confused. 

"well....vampires were sort of banned to the forests, there are some groups who are very well behaved and live with the humans very well, there are some vampires who you could consider vegetarians and only feed off animals.....and then...there are others, who think they own humans, they think humans are just blood bags and theirs to play with. It makes me sick. It makes a lot of us sick, including the werewolves. They think vampires shouldn't even exist anymore, some of them have made it their mission to wipe out the entire vampire race...it's a good time to be a witch, no witch trials, no witch hunts, I'm not being burnt to death, not being involved with the werewolf vs vampire feud is great, and no one really knows I exist" she stated rolling her shoulders as if a weight had been lifted off of them. 

You stared at your friend. Your mouth open a little in shock. She was living this whole life and you had no idea about any of it! magic was real...these mythical creatures WERE REAL. 

"What about soulmates, ya know for werewolves like in twilight how he had an imprint and stuff, is that real? Do werewolves have claws!? Like in human form? OH MY GOD CAN YOU FLY ON A BROOM!?" You asked excitedly.

"Oh my dear child, you have a lot to learn. First of all, werewolves and vampires have soul mates, don't ask me why, I don't know I'm not a vampire or a werewolf, but every year there's a mating ceremony, i don't know all the details but i think they feel some type of way when they have either met their soul mate or are about to. I pretty much just know everyone has one. Yes werewolves have claws if they want to and no I cannot fly on a freaking broom stick" she said smirking, giving you a quick eye roll. 

"Wait okay, at school they were talking about you being a low rat witch, or an ultimate witch? Can you explain that?" you asked wanting to know everything you possibly could.

"So, there are vampires, werewolves, witches and others, their irrelevant. So in these groups, there are other groups, rankings if you will. For werewolves there's omegas, betas and alphas. For witches there's low rate, middle class, higher society and ultimate. For vampires its subservient, intermediary and rapturous, rapturous vampires are dangerous and those guys at the school, yer that's them." she said turning very serious.

"Why are they after me? And what one are you?"

"That night when you saw them, they didn't kill you, they must of thought you saw them as vampires which means their obliged to kill you and its complicated" she sighed sadly.

"wait! But I know about them now, what does that mean!?" You asked as worry and fear finally found its way to your stomach again.

"Don't worry about it! as long as your with me they can't lay a finger on you without getting whopped, you'll be fine, just stay the hell away from them and for the love of god, do not go outside this house at night, are we clear?" Remee said sternly.

You nodded quickly and hugged your body tightly at the thought of your blood being sucked out of your body. 

"Now get some rest, don't sweat it, they can't get in the house without either me inviting them in or them ripping through a magic force field, which I doubt will happen" Remee said getting up from the couch.

"I’ll see you in the morning" she smiled before walking up the stairs to her bedroom. 

You sighed before fully laying down on the couch, this is all a little much for one. 

your eyes averted back to the glass wall, your eyes adjusting as you see what looks like an outline of a male figure.

You furrowed your brows in confusion as you slowly approached the glass. The rain seemed to know you  was close as it got heavier. The closer you got to the glass the less you could see. Standing right in front of the glass your heart stops. Small sounds almost like footsteps got your heart beat picking up. Squinting your eyes you tried in vain to see but it was no use. 

SMACK!

A hand appears on the glass in front of your face. Screaming you move back as jungkooks glowing red eyes and white sharp fangs come into view. The water making his white tee cling tightly to his body showing off every muscle and his godly structure, the fangs from his mouth wide and ready as he laughed at my scared composure.

"Calm down, I told you he can't get in" Reya stated calmly. You wipe around to see reya standing behind you, her eyes narrowed at the man outside. 

 "just because I can't get in doesn't mean I won't find a way my dear witch" jungkook smirked as he paced back and forth in front of the glass. 

"Try your hardest, you'd have to kill me to get in and oh yer, I'm in here and you're out there" Reya smirked coming closer to the glass.

 "I don't know what ranked witch you are, but you aren't the only witch I know, your gonna wish you never interfered" jungkook said standing in front of Reya on the other side of the glass. You could cut through the tension between them holy moly.

"Excuse you? I interfered? Who came into my school, looking to kill my best friend, endangering my classmates and oh yer whose house are you at right now?" Reya sassed as she tilted her head to the side giving him a 'who do you think you are' face.

 "Don't get sassy little witch, enjoy your night cause it'll be your last...both of you" he said turning his head towards you before winking.

---

You tossed and turned, begging yourself to sleep. The silk sheets wrapped around my body as you lay in the darkness. you tried to calm myself down, taking deep breaths in. everything's going to be okay, Reya will be okay, I'll be okay...right? You let your mind drift to reya thinking about how you hadn't seen any family members in the house whilst you had been there. 

---

You sat at the breakfast table anxiously waiting for reya to come downstairs so the two of you could head to school. Skipping downstairs reya smiles at you as she holds a gold necklace with a emerald gem.

"What's that?" you asked as she places it around your neck. 

 "a charm, it will give you a temporary link to me, if you ever end up alone or in danger just think about me and it will teleport me to you, unfortunately it only works three times and then this becomes useless but it'll be good enough for today" Reya explained. 

She watches as you nervously play with the necklace your hand shaking slightly. 

“Its okay y/n, I’ll protect you” she said softly, taking your hand in hers. 

As the two of you walked into the school gates your heart clenched tightly with anxiety, your eyes scanned the crowd of people landing on jungkook and his crew. You're feet stopped as reya stopped to talk to some classmates but you couldn't stop your heart racing as the boys stares became more intense. 

"Reya their looking" I whispered as you clung onto her arm.

 "whatever fuck them, what are they gonna do you in a crowd full of people" she stated as the classmates walked away, allowing you two to talk properly. You bite your lip nervously as you looked back over to the boys, jungkook sending you a sinister wink. 

 "Y/N relax, nothings gonna happen to y-" Reya started but someone tapped my shoulder. Turning around like usaine bolt you were met with a smiling girl whose eyes were glued on reya. 

"hello witch" she smiled, her tone dripping with venom. 

"hello bitch" Reya said pulling me closer to her as she smiled back at the girl. Shocked at how quickly the two had engaged in such bitter interactions you shuffled back letting reya stand in front of you. 

"well how rude, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" she asked twirling her perfect brown hair between her fingers. 

 "this is eunji. Okay bye." Reya said bluntly.

oh so they know each other...

"not so fast, I hear you've been playing with bangtan, you know they have connections right? Not a good bunch to mess with" she smirked as her arms crossed.

"Does it look like I care? The mating ceremony is coming up, don't you have bigger things to deal with?" Reya said rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"that's true, but... here's the thing, I know jungkook and I are meant to be soul mates, meaning his problems are my problems, therefore being the amazing girlfriend I am I'm going to get rid of those problems for him" she said her smile fading real quick, only to be replaced by growing fangs.

"NOT here" a booming voice spoke as a firm hand was placed on eunji's shoulder. A small pout came onto her face as jungkook moved to her side. 

"And if you want to kill, kill that one, the human is all mine" he said, his piercing gaze looking right into your soul.

You shivered as Reya scoffed and glared.

 "Like id die by the likes of you" she said smirking as eunji was infuriated by her comment.

"Well maybe I should just kill all your friends" eunji stated stepping closer to Reya. 

"go ahead, I'll just kill all of yours, oh wait! You don't have any" Reya sassed stepping closer to her. 

"Play smart blood sucker, don't underestimate me" Reya said through gritted teeth towards jungkook.

"Don't underestimate you? Trust me I didn't, she's not the only one I could call to come and take care of you" jungkook smirked as he guided eunji away.

Releasing your breath that you were unknowingly holding you looked to your best friend. with an aggravated roll of her eyes the two of you left for class. Ending the first encounter of the day.  In class you could feel the stares of jungkook burning into the back of your head, of course he had to be seated right behind you. 

"I can feel your heart burning"

You jumped in your seat at the whisper behind you.

 "I'm not scared of you" you whispered paying  close attention to the paper in front of me. 

"Why? Cause your witch friend will protect you, you'll get her killed you know" he replied. You could practically hear the smug look on his face. 

My body froze...I don't want to be the reason my friend dies, but she can protect us both? 

"Ya know if you just hand yourself in nothing will happen to her right?" he whispered again.

"Shut up" You snapped at him. Your head started throbbing as you attempted to return your attention back to your school work. Jungkook had whispered something else but you actively chose to ignore it, looking at the clock hoping time would fly faster. 

----

The lunch hall was booming with excited students but the dooming black cloud of your head had your energy drained. 

"Reya I need to go to my locker, I'll be back" You said getting up from the lunch table. 

"Do you-"she started but you shook my head.

 "I have this remember" You smiled and pointed at my necklace. Reya relaxed and continued eating motioning me to go ahead.

You walked with purpose through the continuously emptying halls. Students rushed to lunch and you rushed to your locker. Get your wallet and go. that's all you had to do. As you rummaged through your things you forgot that there was need for caution. 

 "Look here" jimin smirked as you closed my locker. Jumping back you gasped, Moving back as he moved forward. Quickly, the boy grabbed your wrist. 

"not so fast princess, jungkook would wanna see you" he laughed as he started to drag you further from the lunch hall. Fumbling, you slowly grabbed your necklace but just as you grasped it jimins turned round to look at you, his eyes widening at the sight of the necklace. With the same lightening pace as before , he ripped the necklace off of your neck. 

"you don't think I don't know what this is? I for one don't feel like being flung against a wall again so you can understand right?" he said continuing to drag you into a classroom.

Jimin shoved you into a classroom, pushing you into the centre as spread bangtan members turned their attention to you. 

 "tsk tsk tsk, you shouldn't of left your friend" Jung kook laughed as your heart pounded against my chest. 

"I would kill you now, but unfortunately that might make us a definite target, I don't know what kind of witch she is which means I don't really know how to kill her, don't tell her I said that, so did she tell you what type of witch she is?" jungkook asked as Jin sat you down on a chair and Namjoon sat in front of me.

"no? She told me about what types there are but I don't know anything else" You said struggling against Jin's grip.

"Did she tell you about us? As in vampires?" jungkook asked standing behind Namjoon

"not much" You answered weakly, giving up on struggling.

"Well, some vampires have special powers I guess you could say, Namjoon here can look through people memories, see into their minds if you will" jungkook smirked.

"go ahead, there's nothing to know" You scoffed, rolling my eyes. You had no idea where this sudden braveness was coming from, but you were over the vampire who was hell bent on destroying you.  

"oh yeah, one more thing" jungkook said motioning for Namjoon to do his thing, as Namjoon placed his hand on your head you screamed loudly at the pain rushing through your body. The feeling of namjoon running through your head made you want to scream, it was irritating and painful. You let of another scream of pain as the man dug deeper. 

"its gonna hurt a little bit" he smiled at pain. 

As Namjoon removed his hand you gasped for air.  

 "She doesn't know anything" he stated causing jungkook to sigh. As jungkooks mouth opened to speak the door slide open. 

"What's going on in here?" everyone's head snapped to a boy at the door, he had a built frame and a jawline that could cut.

"I knew I smelt wet dog" Taehyung stated as the boy at the door and four others walked in closing the door behind them.

 "Blood suckers, what a pleasure. Are you okay Y/N?" one them asked, you nodded quickly as you shook of Jin's grip. You let out a deep sigh of relief. 

"How do you know my name?" You asked confused, You had never really seen these boys before. 

"Your Reyas friend aren't you? She talks about you a lot" one of them smiled making my knees a little weak.

"Well nice to meet you, but can you please leave? We're dealing with something" jungkook said motioning to the door. 

"No one's going anywhere" Reya said entering the room and quickly shutting the door. You sighed again as your freind walked towards you giving jin a slight shove as she grips your arm walking the two of you towards the outskirt of the room. 

"Remee I don't think you should-" the main boy said but Remee quickly interfered, she seemed in a rush...

"I'm a witch, I know you guys are werewolves it's a long story blah blah blah we have bigger fish fry" she stated quickly, she looked nervous and scared which Is new because she never looks nervous or scared. 

"What's wrong? why do you look like you just met the devil" Yoongi asked worriedly, Him along with the other vampires quickly picking up on her demeanor. 

"Because I basically just did, a hunter just strolled into our school" she said angrily. Everyone looked as if a bomb had just been dropped on them.

The war and problem between the three kinds vanished at the mere mention of a hunter. 

"Why now?" one of the werewolf boys asked 

"and so close to the mating? No hunter has ever interrupted a mating before" Namjoon stated. Everyone had quickly become anxious and tense and the quick change in the room had you concerned. 

"Chan and bach, go and tell the pack, be careful" one of the boys said.

 "Young-hwa wont alpha jai over react a little...considering..." Chan stated worriedly

 "he still needs to know now go" young-hwa ordered. Chan quickly scurried out the classroom.

"Witch, can you tell who it is?" j-hope asked, Reya shook her head sadly. "they've been masked" she sighed. 

"but how would they know that the mating was going to take place in Hammington? No hunter has ever come here before, it's not like this town is a known supernatural playground." Jin wondered out loud as everyone nodded along in agreement.

"someone must have called, and I bet it was you" jungkook hissed pointing at Remee. Everyone looked at jungkook confused of his accusation, jungkook looked around noticing that everyone was confused, he raised his hand shaking his head.

"it's possible that she hates us that much, she's willing to throw everyone under the bus" he explained his accusation. 

"Okay first of all, yes I hate you but not that much, hunters are crazy and I would much rather just kill you myself. Plus I'm a rogue witch, I don't have a coven, that would be like signing my own death wish, also I like these guys, why would I endanger my own friends? I get why you would think me, but it's not me" Reya said crossing her arms.

"Yer I don't think it was Remee, but who called doesn't matter right now, the mating ceremony is happening soon which means all werewolves and vampires will be vulnerable" yong-hwa stated seriously.

You furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

 "I thought a mate makes you guys stronger?" You asked a little shyly. 

 "They do, but in order to get stronger we have to get weaker first if you catch my drift" one of the wolf boys started giving you a wink.

"Min-ho, no one is catching your drift, they just get weak for the day, no one knows why, it just happens" Reya explained more clearly.

I nodded as yong-hwa gave min-ho a light slap on the arm.

 "So what do we do?" taehyung asked looking at jungkook and young-hwa.

 "we have to figure out who it is first, then we'll figure out how to deal with them" jungkook said pinch the bridge of his nose frustratingly.

"You. Link our minds so we can communicate, Go home and do some magic, try find this asshole. You guys try and warn the other creatures of the night, they can be pretty reckless, we will look around the school" jungkook said pointing to whoever relevant at the time he was speaking. 

"I hate being bossed around" yong-hwa said before the three of them started walking out. 

"I swear to god if my life wasn't endanger" Remee mumbled before grabbing my hand and making me follow her. As you were getting dragged out your eyes connected with jungkook one last time. The man smirked, sending you aw ink before turning to his men and focusing on the matter at hand. 

a hunter...they must be pretty scary if these people are so willing to put aside their feuds... You looked at reya and the intense look of fear on her face...this must be really serious... 

#jungkook vampire au #jungkook vampire series #jungkook fanfic #taehyung fanfic #bts fanfic #bts series #bts vampire au #bts stories #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook supernatural #jungkook mate #jungkook soul mate #taehyung fluff #taehyung smut #jimin series #namjoon series #jin series #hoseok series #suga series

[plumb19]

Tag game

Tagged by @darksouls44 @snowyshadow

Did you go to college/university (if yes what major)?  Law

Do you believe in aliens? I believe in life somewhere else out there in the universe but I don't necessarily think that they are visiting us

Deserted island - 3 items you'll bring (that's not in a survival kit)?  Hmm is factor 50 suntan lotion in a survival kit otherwise I'd burn to a crisp instantly?  My kindle fully loaded with books and solar charger and my dog

When did you first start reading 19 Days? who is the character that you'd want to be real  the most?  Summer 2019, just stumbled across it randomly whilst reading something else on mangadex.  Brother Qiu, it would be like having your very own terminator

Where is your dream home? I love where I currently live but I would really like to live on the coast with a seaview one day, but not tourist coast, somewhere rugged yet beautiful

Preferred way of getting around town? Car or walk

Favourite

- type of animal? Dog

- holiday destination? Somewhere I can explore or with great history

- way to spend a friday/Saturday night? Slobbing around at home with the BF or go out to a comedy club, or a small group of friends playing really geeky board games with some booze and snacks

- item of clothing? A hoody, preferably oversized

- alcoholic drink? Red wine, fancy cocktails, gin and tonic, cider, European lager/beer and tequila if I'm feeling frisky

Mythical creature? Dragons or vampires but not the fucking sparkly ones from Twilight!

Superhero? One Punch Man, Gambit, Empowered

I tag: by now its probably obvious that I like shooting the shit with strangers so as well as tagging the people I always seem to tag I'm also tagging a few people that I have recently started following or that have recently started following me.  As usual no pressure to play along.

@mi-no-wa @moguanmountain @el-pintor @youngtherestless @madcul1 @a-metaphoric-hoe @agapaic @ladyoftheloch126 @miharou @laconiconyx @koumiss

#tag game

[bxttenbound-archive]

About The Duchess

Watch the Entire Series Here Side muses info here

Name: Melissa Dumarias Nicknames: Missi Pronouns: She/Her Height: 5′7″ Age: “Turned” at 17, Currently 19 Birthday: July 7th Sexuality: Bisexual Affiliation: None

Abilities:

Vampiric Nature

Advanced Speed and Strength

Heightened sense of Smell, Hearing, Sight

Minor Healing

Can shapeshift into a bat or a hoard of small bats

Witchcraft (Conditional, must have the Cane in her possession)

Raise the dead

Conditional: Must have clothing worn when the person deceased, Ashes, or a body part.

Cannot bring back souls from Limbo or souls that have been destroyed (The item she uses to bring them back would not have any soul to attach to)

The resurrected soul would be brought back in their mortal body / to the mortal world in a state they were in right before they had died / been killed (No wounds would persist on the mortal body

Levitate / Fly

Missi can levitate non-living objects / items and herself

She can use her cane as a ‘broom stick’

Conjure Fire

From the cane, she can have it ‘spit’ fire, light torches, or keep will-o-wisp like flames around her

Give inanimate objects life

If an object is not living, she can give it ‘life’ and give it the ability to speak / sing

All objects / items this way are under her command / they serve her

Not all objects can be brought to life, must be humanoid or animal like

Shadow Form

Missi can conjure a ‘shadow’ form of herself that is a mass of concentrated magic in the shape of her. It is completely black and featureless save for a glowing red eye and a white smile.

It cannot feel pain

It is only harmed by holy items

Very sturdy

Can change it’s shape / side

Can fly on it’s own

Creatures of the Cane

Missi can summon the creatures that had tried to consume her soul

They come from within her, normally manifested in her palm or where her skin is exposed and sometimes her left empty eye socket

They can consume souls

Ability to ‘infect’ others and eat at their sanity / mind until they go completely mad, die, or forfeit their soul

Appearance

Scars / Teeth

Missi’s left eye is currently mutilated and destroyed. She is half blind

Personality

Missi can be very cold and cynical. Often seeing herself as better than others after having defeated Duke she holds a superiority complex and believes herself to be better than anyone else. She is very vindictive to those who harm or bother her and isn’t above getting dirty in order to take revenge on whomever comes within her line of fire. 

To those she has become fond of she will try to act as polite as she can be. If those who prove to her that they are worthy of her time she treats them with the upmost respect. Being kinder and softer to these people she will gladly welcome their company more often.

History

Melissa Dumarias was a student before the incident. Spending her days reading she found her passion in writing and storytelling and often would hide herself away from others in order to read the newest book of a series she likes or to just get away from the world. As a bookworm she wasn’t very popular among her peers and often was seen similarly to a ghost as most would not see her.

While she excelled in literature she struggled with most notably math and geography. Hoping to put those two subjects behind her she planned on attending college for literary reasons in hopes of perhaps becoming a writer. Though she knew that her other grades in Math would put her at a disadvantaged when trying to get college credits and be accepted by more exceptionally good schools she was willing to at least apply.

One night she had spent her evening away from home in a place that she had heard was abandoned. Indulging herself in what others believed to be a stupid book she sat down to read Twilight. While others thought it was dumb or beneath them to read she enjoyed the stories as mythical creatures, vampires, werewolves, and fantasy in general was something she loved. Unfortunately for her she would soon find out these “mythical” creatures were not just fables or made of fiction but they were real.

Chapter 1: The Night

Her reading is interrupted by the arrival of the castle's master; the vampire Duke. Surprised and frightened by Duke and his behavior, Missi attempts to flee, only to have her book knocked from her hands and destroyed.

She attempts to flee via the front door but is trapped inside by Duke, who wraps her up in a red rope from his cane. The ropes retract to reveal her old clothes torn away and a dark velvet dress in it's place. Missi ends up pulled back to Duke, who strings her up like a marionette and makes her sway around the entrance hall, until she frees herself by breaking the strings and escapes up a concealed stairway. She is confronted by Duke again, who triggers the stairs causing them to turn into a slide, sending Missi back down, with Duke in pursuit.

Missi manages to elude Duke for a time and reaches another door, but is caught by Duke again, who dances her back into the main hallway. As they dance Missi catches a glimpse of sunlight coming in from outside. Thinking quickly, Missi pretends to return Duke's advances and seduces him into stepping closer to the rope which opens the curtains. She succeeds in opening the curtains and takes Duke's cane and using it to hit him into the rays of the sun, burning him to ash. As the vampire crumbles to dust, Missi holds the cane and her face transforms into that of a vampire, signifying her possession by the cane.

Aftermath

After the events of Chapter 1: The Night Missi had taken control of Duke’s estate, having murdered him in a sense she takes control of his cane which holds a great deal of magic to it. The only thing on her mind was revenge, she wanted to hurt him for what he had done and the night of torment she had experienced. Missi stalks around the castle and finds books upon books of forbidden knowledge, witchcraft.

During her studies, a year has passed since her disappearance as she was too wrapped up in finding a way to being him back and hurt him that she had not thought of going back home. Drunk off the power that his Cane had given her she didn’t want to leave it and go back to her mortal problems. Now she had an entire new world to experience and make her life whatever she wanted it to be. No longer a powerless human who was ignorant to all the magic that was around her she sought to embrace this darkness.

Chapter 3: Resurrection

Missi succeeds in summoning Duke. As he steps from the cauldron she watches him from the balcony. She lights the torches with the power of the cane and confronts Duke, taunting him with a rendition of "Fuck You". She resists Duke's attempts to take the cane back and brutalizes him with it, before using it to break a hole in the floor and drop him into the dungeon.

In the dungeon, Missi uses the cane again to light purple fire in the eye sockets of a pile of skulls, and to bring gargoyles to life to serve as a chorus in her song. Duke attempts to leave, but Missi corners him in a room, playing piano and telling him she and he are in a war. She summons a shadow creature which flies Duke through six doors and out of the castle, where she slams the last door in his face, locking him out.

Chapter 3.5: Oweee

Missi sits triumphantly in a massive chair with Minose (her cat) drinking from a wine glass (presumably filled with blood) and reading a book next to the fireplace. All the while, Duke is singing bitterly outside and callling her a bitch. Duke gets interruped by a poster advertising and event (possibly a dancing competition). The text on the poster is: "Playing Near You: The Showdown" and it has a male and a female dancing.

Chapter 4: The Silent

In the mansion, Missi is inside enjoying living in the mansion and slowly losing her sanity. She eventually throws the cane away and reverts back to human. In a shocked, fearful and regretful state, she picks up her backpack and prepares to leave. However she sees Duke outside and, with her anger at Duke outweighing her fear of the cane, she pick up the cane and returns to her madness. She hears a knock at the door and finds the flyer asking her to come, which she accepts.

The Fifth One

Chapter Six: The Showdown

After a long anticipated fight, Duke and Missi formally agree to meet with one another and speak things over; and by speak they both of course mean beat the shit out of one another. What started out to be a decently pleasant night of dancing turned to bloodshed as it quickly became violent. With the tow of them being consumed by their hatred they viciously attack one another to cause as much harm as they can ending up with Duke losing his finger and Missi’s eye being stabbed.

Present

Currently she has allowed the Cane to completely take over her and she has allowed the magic to invade her system and fully transform her into a vampire. Throwing away her mortality she never wishes to feel helpless as she once had as a human. Embracing her new self she seeks to find out just what this new life has in store for her and just what she can do with it. Studying more in magic, learning about what other creatures exist, and perhaps finding a new meaning for herself.

Part of her wishes she could go back to at least let her family and what friends she had and let them know that she was still ‘alive’ and doing well for herself.

After the Showdown she is able to chase Duke from her home and isolate herself completely. Throwing herself into her studies in an attempt to learn how to heal her eye but with little to no luck. Now, the duchess only feels tired, tired of what she had gone through and wishing so badly she wasn’t shackled to this new life of hers.

#About #;; Listen it's about time i wrote my own abt page--- #;; write parts of it are just taken from the wiki ngl

[courtingstars]

Notes for The Vanishing Prince, Chapter Five

All right, here we go! Chapter Five has a bunch of stuff that I’ve been looking forward to include in the series for a loooong time. There were also a few surprises that popped up when I wrote it, particularly the revelation about this moment in KnB canon:

So yeah, if you were ever wondering how or why Bokushi came up with that idea, well… I guess I made up a theory about that? //nervous laughter Fair warning, it’s probably about as disturbing as you’d expect. And on that note…

Content Warning: A brief mention of the history of Japanese ritual suicide.

Cut for rambling about Japanese monsters and ghosts, the Akashi estate in Kyoto, the Akashi family crest, and various notes related to the Akashi family’s history…

Youkai and Japanese Ghosts

I like to think that the night scene in Gion is pretty much the moment when this series transforms into a Miyazaki movie. XD There are so many interesting monsters and ghosts in Japanese legends, you could spend a lifetime learning about them! But I figured I’d give a super-quick overview of the supernatural creatures that were featured in this scene. (Also, I definitely recommend yokai.com if you would like to learn about supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. It’s an amazing resource with a lot of great illustrations!)

Youkai are basically mythical Japanese monsters. There are also yuurei, “vengeful ghosts” who used to be humans. These spirits can exhibit different characteristics and behaviors, depending on the legend. Youkai in particular are generally thought to live in the spirit world, a sort of parallel realm that humans can’t normally see.

The spirit Furihata sees at the shrine is meant to be a kitsune, a fox spirit. (Also my favorite youkai, because they’ve got that whole mythical shape-shifting trickster vibe. //laughs) Kitsune can appear as humans, often beautiful women. Sometimes they even marry humans, and aren’t revealed to be foxes until years later. Or they may lure a human into the spirit world, only for the person to come back and find out that a really long time has passed in the world of the living while they were gone. (There’s also some interesting historical stuff about fox spirits supposedly possessing people, usually young women, but I won’t go into that here!)

The first spirits Furihata sees on the bridge are two types of one-eyed youkai. The hitotsume-nyuudou generally looks like a priest, and can sometimes shape-shift to gigantic proportions. (There are famous stories about them from the Kyoto region, which is one reason I chose to include one in this scene!) Meanwhile, the childlike hitotsume-kozou are weaker, more mischievous youkai.  They appear dressed like little boys, and often have long very tongues. Some of them also have a preference for tofu, which seemed appropriate for this fic? //laughs

The blue flames Furihata sees on the bridge are probably hitodama, which are manifestations of dead people’s souls. This is why in Japanese ghost stories, ghosts are often portrayed as having blue flames floating around them. It’s a classic ghost trope, basically, which is why Furihata is so scared when he sees them. (Even though hitodama, unlike other types of “fireball youkai,” are generally pretty harmless!)

I also briefly mentioned a few more youkai, included the famous tanuki. The female spirit in kimono with the long, stretched-out neck is a rokurokubi. Finally, while I left it pretty vague, the spirit crouching in an alleyway is meant to be a “hungry ghost” or gaki. According to Buddhist beliefs, this is the soul of a person who has been condemned to suffer in the afterlife, often by experiencing extreme hunger or thirst. Believers sometimes leave offerings of various kinds for them, to help ease their suffering.

Supposedly, youkai often appear at twilight. I’ve also read stories where they appear on or underneath a bridge, so I thought that would be a cool element to include in the scene. Kyoto is a common setting for a lot of tales about youkai, although every area of Japan has fascinating myths about them.

“That’s Why I Like You So Much”

This was one of those parts where writing in English didn’t translate easily to a story about Japanese characters… I’m not fluent in Japanese (like, at all XD), but even with the little bit I know, it can get tricky to figure out how to show what a Japanese speaker would say/do in a situation, when it’s not quite what a Western English speaker might say/do? (It’s weird how much language can convey cultural standards, to the point that when you translate it directly, it doesn’t always make sense.)

So Furihata’s line when he’s half asleep would probably be something along the lines of “Dakara suki da”or “Dakara daisuki da.” (I’m leaving the exact line open to interpretation, because reasons? //laughs) In Japanese, when you’re interested in someone romantically, you generally say “I like you” or “Suki da.” (“Suki desu” is the more formal version, or you can also say “Suki da yo” to add emphasis.) So it has strong cultural associations with love confessions and crushes. “I really like you” or “Daisuki da” is a more intense version, closer to “I love you.” Some of the nuances of this are explained in this blog.

Either way, you’re still technically saying that you “like” someone. In fact, it’s the same way you’d say you like your favorite food, or you’re a fan of a certain hobby. Which is why the phrase could be kind of ambiguous, in theory… But attaching it to a person has definite connotations, which is why in the chapter, Akashi goes on to think this:

“He must have misheard, he told himself. The wording was somewhat odd, and out of place. Still, whatever Furihata had said, the emotion behind it seemed clear enough. It was the same simple, honest affection, that Akashi had come to recognize and treasure.”

(Oh, Oreshi. Your denial is so deep at this point? //laughs)

Anyway, this note is really just to point out that a lot of the time, I have no idea what I’m doing when I try to translate cultural norms between Japanese and English. XD; (Especially because I’m a clueless American with zero secondary language skills? //laughs) But it is something that occasionally factors into how I write a scene. I try to make sure that everything still makes sense for English speakers, but it can get kind of tricky when certain cultural things come up, and Akashi’s thought process here was one of those instances.

(On the other hand, it was a little easier to portray why Akashi and Furihata holding hands in public was an odd/uncomfortable experience for both of them… Even though in theory, the cultural reasons for it are a bit different/more complex in Japan compared to Western countries. But there was enough overlap there that I figured it still made sense?)

The Akashi Estate in Kyoto

It was so much fun to finally get to write about the Kyoto estate! It’s been a setting in this series before—mostly in The Fast Train to Kyoto—but those scenes were from Akashi’s perspective. Since it’s so familiar to him, he didn’t really go into detail about what the mansion looks like. I have a lot of headcanons about how the family estate developed… In my head, they used to live in more traditional-style buildings, but various heads of the family decided to update the estate over the years. The current building is a grand Western-style mansion, built by one of Akashi’s great grandfathers. I saved some photos to Pinterest for a general idea of what it looks like, including this and this.

I really wanted it to be a super fancy, over-the-top kind of place—and also visually different from the Akashi home in Tokyo. So it’s bigger and brighter, and the exterior is made of pale stone. Meanwhile, the Tokyo home is smaller and darker and the outside is made of red brick. Plus, the Kyoto residence includes a lot more land around it… Which will be covered in a future chapter!

I also enjoyed deciding what Akashi’s rooms would look like, compared to his rooms in Tokyo. Though to be honest, I see them as pretty similar, just bigger? //laughs The main difference is that instead of a canopy, his bed in Kyoto has a big fancy headboard with curtains built into the wall over it. (I got this idea while hunting for pictures of fancy beds online, no surprise there. XD) For an idea of what it looks like, this is pretty close to what I pictured in my head, but I also really liked this bed, and this is one of the most extra things I’ve ever seen. //laughs I also thought this room was awesome with the darker palette. I have a ton of photos like that on that Pinterest board, which brings me to…

This is probably as good a time as any to mention that I made a Pinterest board for The Vanishing Prince! It has LOTS of cool photos for pretty much every scene in the fic so far (and no spoilers, yay!), including ideas of what the interior of Akashi’s mansion might look like and some seriously GORGEOUS photos of the Gion district in Kyoto at night. There’s also some youkai illustrations and examples of samurai armor and kamon crests. Speaking of which…

The Akashi Kamon (or Family Crest)

Basically, a kamon is similar to the idea of heraldry/family crests in Western countries, in that a lot of Japanese families have one. This is especially true for powerful or “aristocratic” families that can trace their lineage back over many generations, so naturally, the Akashi family needed one! And let me tell you, I went on a JOURNEY to decide what theirs might look like? //laughs I researched a lot of different kamon designs, and while I had already decided it would include a chrysanthemum (the traditional crest of the Emperor and Imperial family, but sometimes incorporated into other family crests in different ways), I didn’t know what else should be in it. I toyed around with some different traditional motifs, like a peony or myouga ginger, but then I got a better idea…

Some of you may remember that a few years ago, there was a line of official Kuroko no Basuke merchandise that included traditional Japanese handicrafts and fabrics. What I liked most about it was the fabric they chose for each of the characters, because they all had some cool symbolism that matched the characters really well. I vaguely remembered that somebody posted about it here on Tumblr (here’s that post, which I dug up after the fact!), but I couldn’t remember what Akashi’s fabric meant. It’s a bit more intricate than everybody else’s because of course it is:

Even though I couldn’t remember what the pattern was, I figured it could be good to include in his family crest in some way? (Since flowers are often included in kamon.) So after some hunting, I figured out that his design includes bamboo and a phoenix flying over a Paulownia tree. The post I linked includes some more details about how these symbols are connected to the Emperor. Also, in Eastern mythology, phoenixes are believed to live in Paulownia trees. They’re believed to bring good fortune to rulers, which is probably why the Paulownia tree is so associated with royalty. Not surprisingly, the tree is also used frequently in Japanese crests—to the point that it’s even used in kamon for the Japanese government. Naturally, I thought the impressiveness of it would be a good fit for the Akashi family as well!

I drew a doodle of what the Akashi kamon in the fic looks like, something like this:

I’ll probably redraw it if I ever use it in actual fan art, but it gets the idea across! The kamon that I added to the Pinterest board includes some examples of how Paulownia trees and phoenixes have been included in other historical crests.

In any case, that’s how the Akashi kamon in this series ended up having a bunch of epic symbols in it! Which seemed appropriate, given the family it represents. XD (There’s also some hidden/secret significance in the design, specifically the part that appears to be two phoenix feathers… But I’ll probably end up going into that later!)

Akashi’s Family History

And now for the big revelation of the chapter… I’ve been wanting to explore the history of the Akashi family for a while, since it’s tied to some of the major themes of this series. The story Bokushi tells in this chapter is definitely meant to be more of a “family legend” than anything historical. But I did do some research on Japanese history, warfare, and legends to try to come up with a story that would fit culturally, while still having a “mythical” kind of feel to it.

I’ve mentioned before that my version of the Akashi family is meant to be a zaibatsu, which is basically a super powerful business family. Their influence tends to get exaggerated in fictional settings like Kuroko no Basuke—in reality, the zaibatsu don’t exist to that degree anymore—and my fic does this as well. It also adds a bit of a twist: before becoming successful in trade and finance, the Akashi family began as a clan of feudal lords.

Feudal Japan was partially governed by local lords called daimyos—who could be descended from the nobility, but weren’t always—and these lords ended up having a lot of power during certain time periods. This could be especially true if they were skilled in warfare and/or employed a lot of samurai. So in the story Bokushi tells, the Akashis were essentially a daimyo family who tried to become even more powerful, and then failed in a really tragic way.

I think most people know the basics about samurai armor, katana swords, and so on, so I won’t really go into those topics…. I did include several examples of samurai armor and weapons over on the Pinterest board I made, so you can get an idea of what the display room in this chapter looks like. (Or you can always google “samurai armor,” that works too! XD) Visors on samurai helmets were sometimes stylized like youkai monsters, to make them appear more intimidating on the battlefield. The Akashi family story also involves an allusion to ritual or “honor” suicide, though the circumstances are different from most samurai stories. (It was meant to show that the Akashi clan’s idea of shame in defeat was much more severe than most.) Since it was such a brief part of the chapter, I won’t discuss the history of ritual suicide in Japan, but it’s easily researchable online. (And as I’m sure most people know, the process is very graphic/disturbing, so please be aware of that.)

As for what inspired the Akashi story, I’m tempted to go on a long tangent here about how Kuroko no Basuke’s overall plot structure takes a lot of cues from samurai tales and Japanese action movies, to the point that this is an ACTUAL MOMENT from the show that I totally forgot about:

(Seriously, a million points to anyone who remembers which two characters were facing off during this moment??? Because I would have gotten one of them wrong for sure. Which actually ties into my point about the structure pretty well. XD)

Anyway, point being, I was definitely inspired by the nods to the Japanese warrior mythos in KnB to include more direct allusions in Akashi’s backstory—and to play around with how that history might have affected his family’s perspective on honor, victory, and defeat.

(I’d also like to note that the way Bokushi says the infamous line about his eyes in KnB canon has a key difference from the way Lord Akashi uses it in the legend… While it’s still emotional manipulation being used as motivation, Bokushi also uses it as a way to say that he’ll take all the blame for a defeat on himself, after intentionally making a shot for the other team. In other words, Bokushi is only holding himself to the Akashi standard. He wouldn’t blame his team for having to give up his eyes the way Lord Akashi blamed his son, because he doesn’t see them as bearing the same level of responsibility—even though he IS extending them the same level of trust, and complete confidence in their abilities. From Bokushi’s point of view, this is all totally obvious—even though it wouldn’t be to everyone else. To me, the distinction is pretty important to my interpretation of his character. But your mileage may vary, of course!)

And A Quick Note on Bokushi’s Theory

Finally, since this story has been exploring Akashi’s mental health, I just wanted to mention something about this line:

“In many ways, the tale had defined him all his life. It had taught him what it truly took to succeed. It was largely inseparable, from his sense of self. Perhaps in a certain sense, it had even caused it.”

Since I’m trying to be as careful as I can with how I portray dissociation, I want to clarify that this isn’t meant to be an explanation for how Akashi developed Dissociation Identity Disorder. Instead, this line is Bokushi’s theory about how/why he developed his personality traits, in comparison to his other self. It’s definitely an oversimplification, since there are many reasons why he behaves the way he does, the same as it is for anyone… But I think it makes sense for Bokushi to point to this family legend, which was told to Akashi at a very formative point in his childhood, as a way to explain his general worldview and priorities.

The question of why Akashi developed more than one self state is more complicated, and will be explored throughout the fic, rather than having one simple, straightforward explanation like this.

Well, that’s it for my notes! To anyone who read all the way through them, I’m very impressed. XD I really was excited to post this chapter—and I hope it was interesting and enjoyable to read in spite of (or because of?) how intense it was. Thank you as always for reading, and I hope to post the next chapter as soon as I can. <3 (It’s already drafted and once again, I’m SO EXCITED. I have a feeling I’ll be saying that a lot for this fic? //laughs)

#the vanishing prince #kat writes fanfic #kat writes about basketball dorks #long post #text post #really long post #good lord how long is this post #hopefully it's interesting though! #and it has lots of pretty stuff especially the pinterest board #which I had way too much fun putting together #okay I'm gonna maybe stop rambling on and on now XD #cw: suicide

[purplesurveys]

640

Your name, please? Robyn. Are you heartbroken right now? No, my heart’s doing okay. If so, how long have you been heartbroken? Do you like the area you live in? I like that it’s a lot quieter than the metro, but we get everything we could also get in the city nonetheless. Right now it’s just a little unsettling since the Taal Volcano erupted and we have ashfall land all over our house, but otherwise where we live is pretty decent and uneventful for the most part. Do you ever get complimented on your eyes? What color are they? It’s not my strongest feature so no, not really. They’re dark brown/almost black.

What facial feature do you like the best on a person? Everyone has their different strong suits, so. Do you like to be called baby? Only by my parents and my girlfriend, because otherwise that would be creepy. What is your favorite flower? I like roses, sunflowers, and peonies. Idk, my answers to this question changes every time so it’s safe to say they’re only my favorites today. When did you last use the restroom? Five minutes ago. I went before starting this. How long is your hair? Pretty long. I haven’t had it cut since late in 2018; if I throw my head slightly back it already reaches my hips. I plan to keep it long until my graduation shoot, so I won’t be going to the salon for at least another month. Do you have braces? I used to. Do you have any freckles? Nope. What is your favorite Internet meme? There was a local meme going around last week and it involved people making hilarious puns out of celebrity names and pairing them with Photoshopped pictures of the celebrities to match the pun – for example, a local celeb named Rico Blanco was styled as Rico Blanket and a photo of him was shopped so that he’s in bed wrapped in a blanket :(((( OK IT DOESN’T SOUND FUNNY RN but all the entries were hilarioussssss I swear. Unfortunately everyone hopped on the meme train and it died in like a week. How many windows does your room have? Two big windows but each have four tiny window panes in them that can be opened. Do you have a rug in your room? What color is it? No. My dog likes peeing on rugs so we don’t like having them laying around. What is the weirdest animal you've ever held? I don’t think any animal is weird... but the coolest ones I’ve ever held are a snake, an eagle, a sea turtle, and a crocodile. The first three I got to meet in Bali, and the crocodile was from Palawan. Do you get extremely hyper when under the influence of sugar? No. I never really believed in that either. What about caffeine? I get pretty talkative, yes. I also talk like I have built-in exclamation points lol. Have you ever tried any drugs? If so, did you regret it? No, I haven’t. Do you have any pregnant friends? None of my friends are, but I can never be sure anymore when it comes to people I know. I always say no to this question, then sooner or later someone I know gives birth kfdgkdjfhd like a classmate from high school just had her third kid and no one even had any idea she was pregnant again. Guess I’ll just keep answering this question with a shrug. Have you seen anyone lately that you knew but didn't remember from where? Yeah, this was me for a few seconds when I arrived in my history class for our first day last Friday and I saw several people that I knew I know, but I had to recollect my thoughts. I eventually remembered who they were, but for a few seconds I was stumped. When was the last time you toilet papered or egged someones house? I’ve never done this, because you don’t do this in the Philippines. Do you usually dress up for Halloween? Some years I would. When ordering food, what do you usually get as a drink? I always get ala carte because I only drink water (I get full quicker if I have any other drink), and service water is always there. Put your favorite color and favorite animal. EX: Silver walrus Pink dog. When drawing something, do you try to be super precise or do you not care? I don’t care for drawing and am aware of just how bad I am at it, so I barely make any effort when I have to. When was the last time you snapped at someone? Sunday morning. My mom was playing a mobile game where the character will only be able to move if you scream, so she was screaming her ass off at 7 AM and I was worried it would wake the neighbors up. Does it bug you when people clap with their palms? HAHAHAHAHA like Nicole Kidman? Oh man. I’ve never actually seen someone clap the way she did in real life, so I don’t know if it would bug me. I know it’d send me laughing, though. Have you hugged anyone today? Just my dog. Classes have been suspended because of the Taal erupting, so I’m not seeing anyone else today. How many languages do you know how to say 'happy birthday' in? Filipino, English, Spanish, French, and Korean, so make that five. What language would you like to learn that you don't already know? Korean, just because I watch so many Korean shows as it is lmao. Are you able to take this language at your school? Yes, but it’s not required in my curriculum so I’ve never taken a Korean language elective. Have you ever been into a bar? Yes, I’ve always preferred bars to clubs so I’ve gone to a lot of them. What ethnicity are you? Broadly, Austronesian. But specifically, I’m Filipino, and even more specifically, Tagalog. How much makeup do you wear? None. I usually wear makeup only for special events, or if I absolutely had to, like for my graduation shoot. If you could fly, what kind of wings would you have? I’d like pink sparkly ones please hahahaha. Write some lyrics from the song stuck in your head right now. Nothing’s playing in my head at the moment. Do you like that song? Would you describe yourself as 'fiesty'? You mean feisty? I can bring out that side of me if I have to, but I’m not naturally it. How corny is High School Musical in your opinion? Pretty fucking corny. But I love the series and it’ll always be an important part of my childhood, so I’m never going to hate it. Have you actually read Twilight? Yes. I don’t know how I started getting into it though; I just remember it became insanely popular in the fourth grade and all of a sudden I wanted the Twilight boxed set for Christmas. What about Harry Potter? Yes, I read most of the books. My sister got into HP when she was aroundddd 10-11ish and my parents also got her a boxed set, so I borrowed each book after she finished them. Out of the two, which is better? Twilight.

Name a member of the Beatles! Ringo Starr. Who was the name of your first crush? My first real crush was Andi. How long ago was that? Eleven years ago. Do you still know that person? She migrated to New Zealand nine years ago, so we got disconnected for a long time and that’s when we got cut off. We’re Facebook friends now, but it’s never been the same. Happy for her, though. Can you handle your emotions very well? Usually I can, but when I’m at my breaking point then I’m at my breaking point. How often do you read books? Once every five years :(( JK uhhhhh I read loads, just not from books, and particularly not anything fictional. Are you the jealous type? I can be when there’s reason to, yep. Are you the type of person who gets jealous of people's pasts? No. And usually people regret their past, so I don’t feel jealous about that. Have you ever gotten an ear infection from riding an airplane? No. My ears were incredibly uncomfortable during my first plane ride though, and it didn’t help that I was already panicking long before the flight started. Anyway, my ears never fully ~popped and I was like 80% deaf for the entire plane ride. When was the last time you witnessed someone throw up? The last time someone threw up, it was me lol. But if we’re gonna be strict about the question, it wassssss last April I think. When was the last time YOU threw up? Sometime around May last year. Do you know anyone who faints at the sight of blood? ME. I’m anyone who faints at the sight of blood. Maybe not literally faint but I do feel super nauseous and weak and dizzy and I’d sometimes gag too. Hmm. I wonder how those girls have their period. Yeah well it’s not a very fun 3-4 days for me, my dude. Don't you just love the Cottonelle puppy? I don’t know what that is. Can you do any 'magic' tricks? No. Do you know how to play Checkers? I used to as a kid, because we used to have lots of board games. But since it was the game we barely ever played, I eventually forgot the rules. What clubs are you in at school? I’m in one of the two journalism organizations, and I also joined the graduation committee this year so that I get to contribute something for our batch :) What do you fear most in this world? Either falling from a very high place or drowning. And injections. What do your siblings fear most in this world? I know my sister is afraid of big crowds, chaotic situations, and small spaces. I don’t know what my brother fears, nor do I really care. What was the last sentence you heard anyone say? I’m listening to a mukbang ASMR right now and the last thing the girl said was her basically describing what she’s about to eat. Is Taylor more of a boy's name or a girl's name? I know we’re not supposed to care about this anymore, but if I really had to think about this question I see it as a boy’s name. But I also see that it works on girls just as nicely, so. What about Dylan? Boy’s name. But it sounds so badass on girls, and I prefer it as a girl’s name. What colors are the eyes of your family members? Dark brown/black. Filipinos all look the same, dude. Are you related to anyone with red hair? No. Do you know anyone with super super green eyes? Other than celebrities, no. What color was your hair when you were little? It has always been black. What color is it now? ^ Were you a chubby baby? I was a pretty chubby young kid especially from the ages of 3-5, but I was an okay-sized baby/toddler. I’d be surprised if I was chubby considering my mom and dad are both slim. What is your favorite mythical creature? Not a fan of those. Do you know anyone with a mullet? No, I don’t think so. Put down a random word here. Watermelon. What is your favorite fruit? Avocado. Now what is your favorite flavor of lollipop? Chocolate. If you combine your 2 above answers and make a perfume would it smell good? Probably not. They’re so different. Do you always feel like you have to be the best? Yes. That’s why I always take it hard when I end up not being that. Are you looking forward to summer? Yes, because I’ll get to rest. No, because it will be my last summer until I die. Are you wearing socks right now or are you barefoot? I’m barefoot. Socks always feels like they’re there, and I don’t like that feeling. What's on your favorite necklace? I’m not regularly wearing any necklace these days. How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Around seven, which is okay for me. Which is better: gingerbread or butterscotch? Caramel or peanut butter? Nutella or chocolate? Do you own an iPad? We own a family iPad, but no one’s used it in a while. I was the one who used it last as a means to work and communicate, back when I broke my phone and didn’t have a new laptop yet in my first year of college. I honestly hope that iPad never dies on us, since there’s a load of great memories there. Do you watch Glee? No and as someone who hates song covers, I think I’m better off not watching it skksjfdhgfg. How hard is it for you to get out of bed in the morning? When that day would require me to do something I dread, like attend a class I hate, it will be a lot harder for me to get up. But generally I’m pretty okay, as long as I set my alarm 30 minutes to an hour before I actually have to get up so that I have enough time to properly wake up. How many books are in the current room you're in? I’m in the dining room so there are zero books around. Have you ever witnessed an aircraft break the sound barrier? No. I also never really knew what that means, but I know I’ve never seen that. Do you keep a sketchpad in your room? I don’t draw, so I never needed one. Is there anything you do right before you go to sleep? Put water on my dog’s bowl – he likes drinking before we doze off. What color is your favorite purse? I only use one and it’s pink. How much money is currently in your wallet? ₱2,000. Do you get an allowance? Yes. How many songs are on your iPod? Don’t use an iPod these days. Do you usually have sweet dreams or nightmares? My dreams are either weird or nightmares. I never get any sweet ones. How has the weather been lately? It’s a little gloomy and cloudy. I don’t know if it’s an effect of the volcano eruption nearby, or if the weather is just like this. When was the last earthquake you felt? It was either August or September.

#survey #surveys

[cconcerned]

Deepravenclaw-headcanons

Ravenclaw Ask Game

Gryffindor | Slytherin | Hufflepuff

1. Do you have a passion project? What is it?

Yes and no?? I switch between a lot. The one im currently working on right now has to be an FNAF AU

2. How many languages can you speak?

3. Dutch, German & English. A really small bit of Japanese and Polish too but don’t ask me to do any sentences in these last 2 i suck at them sm-

3. What was the last book you read?

Fiction: Warrior Cats - Twilight

Fanfiction: Funtime Freddy x reader (Rewritten) by Deepnutaismydoor (Wattpad)

4. Where in the world would you most like to visit?

Japan, America, Canada.

5. Top 5 fictional characters?

Jayfeather (Warrior Cats)

The rest are fanfiction characters

6. Something you miss from your childhood?

My ability to not cry nearly ever :’)

7. What skill do you wish you had?

Either Cooking or Singing.

8. Tell us an interesting fact

I have 27 pets

9. What was your favourite subject in school?

English and Art. Mostly because I didn’t have to do anything at all.

10. Favourite planet?

Earth

11. Which historical figure fascinates you and why?

I suck at History so I don’t have any sjo;k vjavkmgjdfksjadrfkbgs

12. Favourite mythical creature?

Phoenix

13. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

A few.

14. What is your favourite word?

ohmygod- I have 3: Halloween, Cereal and Flamingo

15. Do you have any obsessions right now?

yES- BNHA, FNAF, Granny, Warrior Cats, Beetlejuice-

16. Do you play any instruments?

No p e

17. What’s your worst habit?

Every time I know i did something bad i would punish myself for it in way to dangerous ways. For example: Knowing im late to school anyways so purposely ‘forgetting’ my lunch food and money so I would starve for 8 hours. I havent eaten that morning as well.

18. Do you have a collection of anything?

Pumpkins,  clothing labels and small easter duckies

19. What’s your biggest ‘what if’?

What if I stayed deaf for my whole life??

20. What is your favourite fairy tale?

Hm. Little Red Riding Hood is surely on my list.

21. Have you ever dyed your hair? Is there a colour you’d like to dye it?

I dyed it red once for Carnival and a school sports day but I want to dye to dark purple one day. I just have too much of a dark hair color atm.

22. If you could learn one language overnight, which would you choose?

More Japanese.

23. What’s the most useless thing you know how to do?

I know where you should punch someone in the shoulder for them to have to go to the hospital. And much more of that kind of things.

24. What’s the most important change that should be made to your country’s education system?

Give. Us. More. ‘’I really want to do this and im so passionate about it!’’. Teachers.

25. Most Ravenclaw thing you’ve ever done?

Wining English, Fictional, Musical and Music Kahoot games 10+ in a row through the whole of Freshmen year in Highschool and having that streak for the whole year. I was actually banned from Kahoot for the rest of it. 

#ravenclaw #questions #qna #harry potter

[faenet]

hi I just came across your blog & i wanted to say your edits are beautiful!!! & also, I've read TOG & ACOTAR, & I wanted to ask if you have any other book recommendations that are similar I guess to TOG & ACOTAR?? Like fantasy, action & of course romance:)

I’m so glad that you enjoy our blog! Our members have a few recommendations that I’ll put under the cut:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive. (fantasy, young adult)

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. (fantasy, young adult, romance)

Circe by Madeline Miller: In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. (mythology, fantasy)

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente: Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. Deathless lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation. (fantasy, historical fiction, mythology)

Defy by Sara B. Larson: Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king’s army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince’s guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can’t prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she’s sworn to protect? (fantasy, young adult, romance)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. (fantasy, young adult, romance)

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers: Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. (fantasy, young adult, romance, historical)

Hunted by Meagan Spooner: Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. She knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. (fantasy, young adult, romance)

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. (fantasy, fiction, romance)

Red Winter by Annette Mari: Emi is the kamigakari. In a few short months, her life as a mortal will end and her new existence as the human host of a goddess will begin. Shiro is a yokai, a spirit of the earth, an enemy of the goddess Emi will soon host. But she saved his life, and until his debt is paid, he is hers to command-whether she wants him or not. On the day they meet, everything Emi believes comes undone, swept away like snow upon the winter wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate-but how can she erase a destiny already wrought in stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope… and hope is all she has left. (fantasy, young adult, mythology, romance)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. (fantasy, young adult, romance)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. (young adult, dystopian, romance)

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever. (fantasy, young adult, romance)

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences. (fantasy, young adult)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young. (fantasy, young adult)

The Girl Who Never Was by Skylar Dorset: The Girl Who Never Was is the story of Selkie Stewart, who thinks she’s a totally normal teenager growing up in Boston. Sure, her father is in an insane asylum, her mother left her on his doorstep—literally—when she was a baby, and she’s being raised by two ancient aunts who spend their time hunting gnomes in their Beacon Hill townhouse. But other than that her life is totally normal! She’s got an adventurous best friend who’s always got her back and an unrequited crush on an older boy named Ben. Just like any other teenager, right? (fantasy, young adult, paranormal)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: Isabella Swan’s move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. (young adult, fantasy, romance, paranormal)

I hope this helps!

♡ Lauren

#network q's #book recommendations #book recs #fortunately-amazing #answered

[bluewatsons]

Caroline Joan (Kay) S. Picart, Crime and the Gothic: Sexualizing Serial Killers, 13 J Crim Justice & Pop Cult 1 (2006)

Male serial murderers are typically construed as having vampiric qualities and display the primordial evil that such murderers seek to inspire, assuming the status of a vengeful deity in relation to their victims. However, once a female serial killer (and particularly a lesbian one) becomes the object of such a narrative, it is less the vampire (which is aligned with the archetype of the male serial killer in popular film) than the Frankensteinian Monster who becomes the main analogue. Thus, this article is focused specifically on depictions of Aileen Wuornos (and in particular Charlize Theron’s interpretation of Wuornos) as a Frankensteinian Monster.

Introduction

In reflecting upon serial killing, it is apparent that criminological fact and literary fiction have become irretrievably intertwined. The focus on the twilight region of fact, fiction, and myth is important, because it gets at the ambivalent workings of the social construction of these contemporary monsters. Rather than assuming that film (and particularly fiction film) is a medium that tells us little about the reality of criminological phenomena, Gothic criminology, as envisaged here, recognizes the complementarity of academic literary and aesthetic popular accounts of deviant behavior. What prompts this article is thus an explosion of books and films that link violence, images of monstrosity, and Gothic modes of narration and visualization in American popular culture, academia, and even public policy. As Edmundson (1997) noted:

Gothic conventions have slipped over into ostensibly nonfictional realms. Gothic is alive not just in Stephen King’s novels and Quentin Tarantino’s films, but in the media renderings of the O.J. Simpson case, in our political discourse, in modes of therapy, on TV news, on talk shows like Oprah, in our discussions of AIDS and of the environment. American culture at large has become suffused with Gothic assumptions, with Gothic characters and plots. (p. xii)

Understanding the term Gothic is crucial. It is generally understood as a literary or aesthetic term that was coined during the 18th and 19th centuries, and can mean primitive (which runs the gamut from being barbaric to uncivilized)—the earlier 18th century characterization. But Gothic can also connote a nostalgic search for the true or lost foundations of modern European culture, suppressed by neoclassicism and the Enlightenment, with their obsessive search for order and rules—the later revaluation (though a precise date is impossible to come by; Bayer-Berenbaum, 1982).

Vampires possess this mythic primitivism that is both a positive and a negative and, as this article points out, so do male serial killers. Male serial murderers are typically construed as having vampiric qualities and display the primordial evil that such murderers seek to inspire, assuming the status of a vengeful deity in relation to their victims. If Katz (1990), one of the leading experts on serial killers (and fictionalized as Clarice Starling’s mentor, Jack Crawford, in The Silence of the Lambs; Bozeman & Demme, 1991) was correct, serial killer films should bring to audiences a “sensual awareness of evil in the forms of dread, defilement, transgression, vengeance, sacrilege and sacrifice” (Katz, 1990, p. 292). Such psycho-emotional elements should be discernible in the films that paint converging portraits of serial killers and vampires, which I examine using a Gothic aesthetic. This is significant because traditionally, as Pirie (1977) points out, though there is a natural link between serial killers and vampires, the two are usually set apart because of a conventional desire to separate a realistic account from an account of fantasy. Thus, he argued, “the true life psychopath is very rarely a source for vampire movies. There is a world of difference between the psychological horror of mass murder and the dreamy romantic atmosphere of the undead” (Katz, 1990, p. 292). Yet contemporary characterizations of male serial killers converge with those of vampires, making the Gothic aesthetic not an obscure 18th century oddity, but a rhetorical feature of everyday life. However, as this paper ultimately shows, once a female serial killer (and particularly a lesbian one) becomes the object of such a narrative, it is less the vampire (which is aligned with the archetype of the male serial killer in popular film) than the Frankensteinian Monster who becomes the main analogue.

The topic of this article is focused generally on depictions of Aileen Wuornos, and in particular on Charlize Theron’s interpretation of Wuornos, as a Frankensteinian Monster. Of course, larger criminological implications that flow from this case study can be pointed to. Female criminals, particularly those who commit violent crimes, are depicted as not women, bastardizations of women, or counterfeit women. There is a long history in criminology that aligns the transmogrification of women with criminality, with Lombroso being one of the most infamous (Adler & Simon, 1979). When men kill, these actions are naturalized as males simply doing things that are natural to men (e.g., violence, domination) who have stepped slightly outside the rules of acceptable behavior, such as a football player who makes a late hit. In other words, men who violate social norms/laws are seen merely as untamed or uncontrolled men. Male serial killers may be detested as aberrant, but the audience often ambivalently views the male serial killers’ skills of tracking, trapping, and physically overcoming their prey as skills that normal or real men are supposed to have as men (no matter how far these actions are criminalized). Within the popular imaginary, as I point out in a later section, male serial killers are seen as brilliant (as in the case of the mythic Hannibal Lecter). Male serial killers possess traits that are desirable even if these skills are used for evil. In contrast, incarcerated violent women are seen as strange, alien creatures and, often, beings beyond redemption.

An examination of Wournos’ criminal record reveals that she was very different from male serial killers. Henry Lee Lucas may have killed hundreds, Wournos killed only six. Though definitions generally vary, most experts would agree that it takes at least four victims to be considered a serial killer (Bahn, Hazelwood, Morrison, & Ressler, 1995), so Wournos just barely qualifies. Male serial killer Ted Bundy is often described as someone who had charm, cunning, and even brilliance in his killing, while Wournos lumbered along like someone on a very slow killing spree. Wournos was sloppy with her killing and, even if her motive was not financial, she appeared in the movie Monster (Jenkins, 2003) to be a cheap hood who killed as part of a robbery. Wournos, even if given the title of being “America’s first female serial killer,” in comparison with heterosexual male serial killers, was not generally perceived as a skilled serial killer but, rather, as being a woman who did not know how to be a real woman (as defined by the patriarchy).1 This observation is very much in line with the gendered (and raced and classed) dimensions of being a female criminal. Chesney-Lind and Shelden’s (1998) work, for example, demonstrated how, even within gang culture, female gang members, relative to their male counterparts, are placed in a lower prestige ranking. Furthermore, they are often seen as sexual auxiliaries to their male counterparts, which is reinforced through the female gangs’ adoption of names that mirror the male gangs they pair with, often for economic and physical protection (e.g., the Vice Queens in relation to the Vice Kings). Ironically, as Chesney Lind and Shelden also pointed out, there are very few empirical studies that confirm the “stereotype of the hyper- violent, amoral girls found in media accounts of girls in gangs” (p. 72). Indeed, the face of today’s demonized woman is a “violent African American or Hispanic teenager”(Chesney-Lind & Pasko, 2004, p. 53). In Aileen Wuornos’ case, it is possible that her whiteness was cancelled out by both her class and sexuality. However, her whiteness may also have contributed to her being given the double edged title of being America’s first female serial killer—a title ambivalently tinged with some prestige, but also with some derogation.

Thus, the criminological ramifications that extend from this analysis stem from not only a critique of gender and sex (feminine behavior as natural to female bodies and the criminalization of deviations from this norm) but also from the pathologization of lesbian female bodies. Lesbianism, in Wuornos’ case, became tautologous with man-hating behavior. Her serial killing of men, therefore, became understandable precisely because lesbianism is man hating behavior. As Schmid (2005) astutely pointed out:

In an article written for Glamour magazine, Susan Edmiston quotes Robert Ressler as saying, “There may be an intrinsic hatred of males here, as well as an identification with male violence which helped push her across the line into what has been considered a ‘male’ crime . . . In stark contrast to the complex motives attributed to male serial murderers, and the evocation of those male murderers as essentially unsolvable mysteries, Wuornos’s motives are presented with absolute clarity: she is a lesbian; therefore she hates men and therefore she killed them.” (p. 238)

Cultural Commentaries on the Contemporary Fascination with Serial Killers in Real and Reel Life

Other theorists have focused on the cultural significance of the serial killer craze. Caputi (1987) saw both the rise in serial killing and the cultural fascination with the phenomenon in fiction and film as indicative of male sexual dominance. Defining sexual murder as sexually political murder or functional phallic terrorism, Caputi argued that serial killer films include the following typical elements:

The films refer to Jack the Ripper and the established tradition of sex crime.

The killer corresponds with, or Gothic-ally doubles with, the police or media.

The mother is blamed for her son’s criminality, as a result of psychological or physical abuse.

The killer claims to love his victims, helping them by killing them.

The female victims are ultimately responsible for their own demise (either the killer mentions this or the plot construction naturalizes this).

The killer is waging a holy war against women, punishing them for their sexuality, aggression against men, feminism, and the like. (p. 64)

Newitz (1999) similarly focused on the gender identity anxieties of (hetero)sexual murder as “the serial killer kills off the ‘feminine vulnerability’ in himself when he kills women, and thus proves himself a man” (p. 65). In contrast, Jenkins (1994) criticized Caputi (1987) for ignoring female serial killers (who more often work in health-related professions) and limiting her analysis to feminist perspectives. He viewed the rise of conservative Protestantism in the 1980s and 1990s as a major factor in the shift from images of serial killers as psychologically damaged human beings to monsters (Jenkins, 1994).

While Jenkins (1994) also discussed the decline of interest in the psychological background of serial killers, Grixti (1989) saw the rise of depictions of real life monsters as indicative of the uncertainty in which we currently live and its resulting fears (e.g., “Feelings of fear...derive from the conviction of loss of control and the sense of helplessness,” p. 153). When real life policies for controlling crime are perceived as weak, and a general atmosphere of social malaise prevails, magical solutions for controlling the monstrous are sought, often imaginatively worked out through narratives in film and popular culture. As each era has its own fears, certain crime-related genres tend to dominate during these periods. Thus, gangster films emerged in the 1930s, film noir in the 1940s, science fiction in the 1950s, horror films in the 1970s, and serial killer films in the 1990s, each of which dealt with their era’s most troubling tensions (Rubin, 1999).

Along a parallel track, Seltzer (1998) discussed the rise in interest in serial killing as an example of America’s wound culture—the “public fascination with torn and open bodies and torn and opened persons, a collective gathering around shock, trauma, and the wound” (p. 1). As those who pass traffic accidents cannot seem to help but look at the carnage, the exploits of serial killers are depicted in documentaries, docudramas, and fictional films, and large audiences avail themselves of these images.2 Similarly, Tithecott (1997) described the different ways in which we, as a society, construct the serial killer in our own image. We were both “thrilled and horrified by what we see, that we exist in a kind of horror movie which we write and perform for ourselves daily” (Tithecott, 1997, p. 9). All of these point to the gendered and Gothic dimensions of portraits of serial killers in popular culture as well as criminological theory.

Unnoted in previous literature until Simpson (2000) is a striking similarity between the mythic characterization of a vampire and the description of a serial killer: both kill out of an overpowering compulsion, and in similarly periodic and patterned ways. It is this thought- provoking convergence between criminological theory and popular cultural representations that formed a significant section of this analysis. As Simpson pointed out, “While serial murder indeed remains a favorite staple of tabloid journalism and cheap fiction, it has also compelled a variety of serious contemporary American writers and film directors to grapple with its philosophical implications” (p. ix). This article thus builds upon Simpson’s position that the serial killer genre results from a combination of earlier genre depictions of multiple murderers, and inherited Gothic storytelling conventions and threatening folkloric figures that have evolved into a contemporary mythology of violence. Contemporized and repackaged for popular consumption, the Gothic villains, the monsters, the vampires, and the werewolves of the past have morphed into the fictional serial killer, who clearly reflects American cultural anxieties at the start of the 21st century.

In other words, what enables the Gothicization of crime and, in this particular case, serial killers, is a narrative mode that moves across fact (verité) and fiction (horror, melodrama). This movement across the narrative visual modes of the authentic documentary and the fictional is particularly evident in purported true stories of serial killers such as Henry Lee Lucas (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer; McNaughton, 1986) and Ed Gein (In the Light of the Moon; Boot & Parello, 2000). In each of these accounts, attempts to sketch the portraits of the real men and to explain their supernatural compulsions to kill become reduced to Gothic tropes. These real men, Gothicized into reel archetypes become either a monstrous cipher (in Gothic literature a zero or an unreadable or inscrutable code—that is, a monster beyond human understanding or rationale; e.g., Henry Lee Lucas) or an offspring of Psycho’s (Hitchcock, 1960) Norman Bates, the conventional victim-monster (e.g., Ed Gein; Picart, 2003).

In The Silence of the Lambs, Immortality (Berwin & Leong, 1998), and Hannibal (De Laurentiis & Scott, 2001), the figures of the vampire and the serial killer blur into each other. For example, the face of the monstrous in The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal is initially visualized through Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant but institutionalized psychiatrist known as “Hannibal the Cannibal.” Admittedly, there are technical differentiations between cannibals and vampires, but The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal conflate these two, such that Hannibal’s vampiric and hypnotic gaze (which is characteristic of vampires, not cannibals) becomes inextricable from his blood-soaked, man-eating teeth (which are ambiguously placed in between cannibalism [an atavistic real life horror] and vampirism [a supernatural horror]). More pertinently, in terms of the history of film (as opposed to literature), there is certainly precedent for the conflation of cannibalism with vampirism in zombie films like George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (Romero, 1968), which spawned a host of derivatives such as Horror Express (Gordon & Martin, 1972), Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (Clark, 1972), The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (also released as Don’t Open the Window; Amati & Grau, 1974), Fear No Evil (Laloggia 1981), One Dark Night (Schroeder & McLoughlin, 1982), and Dawn of the Dead (Argento & Romero, 1978). According to Waller (1986), Romero’s presentation of the living dead in Night of the Living Dead was derived from Richard Matheson’s (1997) novel, I am Legend, which strips vampires of: (a) their ability to transform into mists or bats, (b) their legendary wealth, and (c) their need to be invited into a home in order to invade it. The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal continue this conflation of vampirism and cannibalism, but restore to the serial killer-cannibal the vampire’s aristocraticism, combined with a supernatural intelligence and the ever-present threat of his barely contained physical power (which rationally explain Hannibal’s ability to terrorize and feed on others’ terror; Picart, 2003). What is new about this article is that it emphasizes how the serial-killer-as-vampire analogy is very clearly gendered and, thus, insufficient for understanding serial killer mythology as generated in both popular and criminological literature. The vampire-male connection needs to be expanded by introducing the Frankensteinian Monster model as a female counterpart. The Silence of the Lambs is an interesting film to cite in this context because Buffalo Bill, the other (in more ways than one) male serial killer, also fits the Frankensteinian Monster model in one aspect: he craves acceptance and wants to remake himself into an image of what he wants to be (and wants society to see him as). Such a deviation from the vampire-male serial killer mold is both possible and believable, precisely because of the gender deviations written into Buffalo Bill’s characterization. Buffalo Bill’s pathological and aberrant masculinity, which prefers imagined femininity to normal masculinity, thus ends up as the villainous counterpart to Hannibal’s elevated Dark Angel status. Yet what happens when the body of the serial killer is now female, and her orientation is lesbian rather than feminine? To answer that question, we turn to a detailed examination of Monster.

Gender, Class, and Sexuality in Relation to Serial Killing: The Case of Aileen Wuornos

No discussion of the representations of serial killers in media is complete without a discussion of Jenkins’ (2003) highly acclaimed docudrama, or biopic, Monster, alongside Broomfield’s (2003) second documentary on America’s first female serial killer, Aileen Carol Wuornos: Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer. Both films were released during the same year and a media account reveals that Broomfield shared information and outtakes from his film with Jenkins and Theron, reasoning that “a good Hollywood movie about Aileen would be preferable to a bad one” (The Internet Movie Database, 2004a, p. 1). Since the focus of this article is on fictional films, Monster remains the central fulcrum of the piece, with the documentary drawn in mainly for comparative purposes and for demonstrating the difficulty in sifting fact from fiction. Ultimately, the focus of the article is how the films on Wuornos call attention to the inadequacy of the vampire/serial killer analogy and suggest a corollary one: the female (lesbian) serial killer as a Frankensteinian Monster.

Unlike the male serial killer films surveyed in an earlier article (i.e., Picart & Greek, 2003), Aileen’s portrait in Monster is neither vampiric (like Hannibal Lecter) nor that of a cipher (like Henry Lee Lucas). The Gothic monster who returns our gaze in this film is the Frankensteinian Monster. The principal features of the Frankensteinian Monster relevant to this argument are: (a) the Frankensteinian Monster is characterized as a lumbering, clumsy, and ugly body (compared with the glamorous, erotic, and often sophisticated body of the [male] vampire); and (b) the Frankensteinian Monster, like its body, is a social misfit and a lonely child in need of love, rather than a brilliant and dangerous rebel who flouts society’s rules, which fits the typical characterization of vampires. This portraiture of the female serial killer as a Frankensteinian Monster is evidenced in: (a) the heavy media emphasis (a construction by the media outside of the film’s production history) on the transmogrification of Theron’s physical perfections into a grotesquely real simulation of the actual Wuornos (with a stress on Wuornos’ ugliness as a form of physical deformity symptomatic of social alienation and emotional abuse), and (b) the framing of Wuornos’ serial killing within the context of an overwhelming loneliness and an obsessive desire for love and companionship. Both of these traits are very much attributes of Mary Shelley’s (1818) Frankensteinian Monster (an internal construction that could be characterized as an intentioned narrative shaped by Jenkins, the director of the film). One could argue these two realms are not necessarily too disparate by saying that Jenkins shaped or elicited the media response to some extent precisely through the choices she made regarding the portrayal of Wuornos. But intent is not the point of this article. The important thing is the interesting convergence between precisely the narrative content of Monster, which teems with allusions to the misunderstood social outcast (i.e., Frankensteinian Monster), to the rhetorical tropes critics of the film repeatedly fell back on, particularly in relation to the transmogrification of Theron’s glamorous body into lumbering and ugly (still Frankensteinian). In other words, despite the difference in the sources of the texts (external and internal), they resulted in a coherent narrative.

Perhaps one thing that compounds the Wuornos case is the attention given in particular to the uglification of Theron, the ravishingly beautiful blonde star. Media accounts regarding Theron’s transformation from ultra-feminine, gorgeous starlet to menacing, homeless streetwalker scopophilically hyper-analyze the details of this uglifying makeover. Repeatedly, references are made to the splotchy make-up, protruding false teeth, dark contact lenses, and extra 20-30 pounds that produced the illusion of the real Aileen Wuornos so convincingly. Holden (2003) of The New York Times remarked, “With crooked yellow teeth that jut out from a mouth that spews profanity in a surly staccato, a freckled weather-beaten face and a prizefighter’s swagger, Charlize Theron pulls off the year’s most astounding screen makeover” (p. 1). Perhaps the wittiest gloss of this Oscar-angling transformation, with a comparison to its cinematic precedents, was coined by Sinagra (2004):

If you’re willing to glug a few hundred cans of Ensure, wear prosthetic teeth, conjure terminal impairment/homosexuality, and dredge up an Oxycontin-slurred drawl that would scare the banjo off the inbred Deliverance boy, importance can be yours. And thus, with...[a] performance that swings from muscularly sympathetic to pre-Extreme Makeover crass, the bulked-up, butch-struttin’, perma-frownin’ Theron is poised to ride the tribulations of state-executed Florida prostitute and john-sniffing serial killer Aileen Wuornos straight to Slingbladin’ Hilary Swankdom. (p. 1)

Edelstein (2003) used the protruding teeth to make a vampire analogy, but the analogy is in jest, and it is clear, based on tone, that a Filipino vampire is more comical and exotic than fearsome:

Although some of her features are bare, her skin has been lightly speckled (to simulate the ravages of the Florida sun on Wuornos’ white Michigan complexion), her eyebrows plucked, her cheeks affixed with jowls, and her mouth with choppers that recall a Filipino vampire movie. (p. 1)

Even more consistently noted than the simulation of Wuornos’ physical imperfections through make up magic was Theron’s adoption of a lumbering and clumsy gait, a spastic head twitch, a corporeally hulking yet uncontrolled body, and a general nervousness that could explode into violence at the slightest provocation. All of these were traits of the Frankensteinian Monster, particularly in its cinematic iterations (Picart, 2001). Witness, for example, Boris Karloff’s poignant interpretation of the lumbering and speech deficient creature, capable of playing innocently like a child or suddenly erupting in violence (largely in self-defense), in Laemmle and Whale’s (1931) Frankenstein. Or Christopher Lee’s menacing interpretation of the Monster as a silent, grotesquely mangled, and unthinking killing machine, characterized by a clumsy gait and spastic body twitches, in Hind and Fisher’s (1957) The Curse of Frankenstein. Ebert (2004) observed:

Aileen’s body language is frightening and fascinating. She doesn’t know how to occupy her body. Watch Theron as she goes through a repertory of little arm straightenings and body adjustments and head tosses and hair touchings, as she nervously tries to shake out her nervousness and look at ease. Observe her smoking technique; she handles her cigarettes with the self-conscious bravado of a 13-year-old trying to impress a kid. (p. 1)

Along a parallel track, Meyer (2003) perceptively remarked, “The actress slides a palpable fear beneath a weary frown and lumbering gait,” as she uncovers the vulnerability and childlikeness that lurks underneath the raucous boisterousness and bravado of Wuornos’ shell (p. 1).

In Branagh’s (1994) cinematic rendition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the mirror-imaging qualities of creator and created are magnified by their common search for an eternal love. Victor Frankenstein (Branagh), in this version, creates the female monster motivated by the desire to enable a love that overcomes death, as his creature (Robert De Niro) is determined to have a mate with whom he can share all the passions of his heart at all costs. In Monster, which appears to be based on letters Wuornos shared with Jenkins before her execution, Wuornos is similarly obsessed with hanging on to her lesbian lover Selby Wall at all costs, even killing (Snipes, 2004).

This, rather than simply the desperate need for money, constitutes the rational or sane part of why Wuornos turns from being a prostitute to being a serial killer. Yet it is also equally clear that there is a thick miasma of mixed motivations and powerful passions that incite her to kill: self-defense and revenge for having been violently raped, penetrated by a stick, sadistically tortured, and almost murdered in the first instance; then a deep seated hostility against men rooted in her childhood experiences of sexual abuse, moralized as a form of vigilante-ism later on. In one sense, this version of Wuornos’ life does not fit the compunction model easily because Wuornos is not moved to kill in a patterned, compulsive manner. With one exception, the viewer sees the effort it takes for Wuornos to get herself into the mindset of being a justified avenger. She verbally prepares herself by casting her potential victim in the role of a child molester or someone who enjoys sadistic, rough sex. If he does not protest, and even relishs the role-playing involved, she pulls the trigger several times without remorse. When one of the men who picks her up turns out to be a shy, socially awkward virgin with a speech impediment, Wuornos cannot go on with her prepared script, and with downturned, set lips, perfunctorily gives him a quick hand job. When he thanks her, she grabs his wallet, extracts her due fee, and says, “You’re welcome” sullenly.

Finally, guilt, pain, and shame mingle in her cry for forgiveness as she reluctantly pulls the trigger on her last victim, a man who had genuinely wanted to help her, but who presented a danger as he could now identify her to the police. All these details still show the remnants of a sane and rational mind, even if one perpetually racked and tortured. As Holden (2003) noted, “What makes these encounters all the sadder is Wuornos’ obvious horror, and guilt at the pattern she has been repeating” (p. 2). It is this characterization that brings Monster’s portraiture of Wuornos at odds with Broomfield’s (2003) documentary rendition of her last days in Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer. For Taubin (2004), Monster’s most hideous misrepresentation was this:

The movie’s unforgivable flaw is that it portrays Wuornos not as the totally insane person that, on the basis of the Broomfield documentaries, she clearly was, but as a woman who merely had a problem with anger management, a woman who was a fool for love. If anything, Monster supports the sanctimonious assertion of Florida governor Jeb Bush (then up for re-election) that the three psychiatrists he ordered to examine Wuornos on the eve of her execution (they spent all of 15 minutes with her) found her to have been of sufficiently sound mind to be dispatched by lethal injection. (p. 1)

Indeed, the portrait that emerges from Broomfield’s (2003) documentary is different in terms of its depiction of Wuornos’ sanity. As Winter (2004) eloquently described Wuornos’ conduct, “Wuornos spills streams of damaged consciousness and contradictory half-inventions, while her puffy, ravaged face freezes into nervous cheer or contorts in molten rage” (p. 1). The condemned woman appeared to have a tenuous hold on reality: she proclaimed that after her death she was going to heaven and returning to earth with Jesus in a spaceship like the one in Independence Day (Emmerich, 1996).

Since Wuornos was an uneducated homeless prostitute, Hannibal Lecter’s mythic erudition, high-class refinement, and vampiric charisma could not be part of her portraiture. Also, though she occupied a similar economic sphere and suffered from a similar background of abuse as Henry Lee Lucas and Ed Gein, she is not given the Gothic trope of the cipher. In fact, the movie strains to make Wuornos as emotionally transparent as possible in order to create empathy for her character. Nevertheless, references to Wuornos’ heartbreakingly tragic history of abuse and alienation are kept to a minimum. Based on the two documentaries by Broomfield, we find out about the mother who deserted Aileen, the grandfather who consistently beat her up and threw her out of the home (thus forcing her to live in woods after she got pregnant and had an abortion as a young teen), and her subsequent relationships that ended in betrayal (making her a predictably paranoid person). Her life leading up to meeting Selby—a life marred by rape, incest, violence, and abandonment, and on the brink of suicide—is barely hinted at in Jenkins’ script. Instead, the focus remains on the period from 1989-1990, when the hitchhiking prostitute killed six male clients—crimes for which she was executed by the state of Florida in 2002. During this 2-year period, Aileen happened to meet and fall in love with the aptly (re)named Selby (fictitiously renamed for legal reasons; Broomfield, 1992). The cinematic depiction of Wuornos’ relationship with Selby is important to note in detail, because the changes from fact to fiction underline the melodramatic character of the narrative. Monster is conceived of as a love story, not principally as a horror story. A telegenic love object must therefore possess certain acceptable feminine traits, and Selby in particular must be a believably appealing character to make the audience understand why Wuornos would kill to keep her.

The real name of Selby Wall (Wuornos’ former lesbian paramour portrayed in the film by Christina Ricci) is Tyria Moore, who functioned as the prosecution’s chief witness against Wuornos. Those who stayed atop the media coverage immediately took issue with the film’s characterization of Moore, who in real life was a tough, masculine-looking redhead (Persall, 2004). In contrast, Ricci’s small stature, large, doe-like eyes, smooth features, soft-spokenness, childish rebellion, and physical infirmity (she has one arm in a cast when the two meet) make the character easier to like, and it is thus easy to see her through Wuornos’ besotted, overprotective gaze. Selby is trying to tiptoe out of the closet, attempting to escape a domineering family. She clings to Wuornos as a potential savior, provider, and soul mate. Wuornos, so long accustomed to rejection, eagerly assumes the role of the husband and breadwinner, her desire to keep Selby’s devotion at all costs drives her to justify killing and robbing her tricks to support them both. Ricci infuses her interpretation of Selby’s weak character with a cloying neediness, materialism, and fickleness that delicately balance Theron’s brash bravado and armor of cocksureness. Finally, Selby’s feigned ignorance of her lover’s nocturnal fundraising activities “establishes an air of complicity that suggests Wuornos is not the only monster in this little domestic unit” (Germain, 2003, p. 2). Ricci’s acting and scripted role in this movie have been panned by several critics. Meyer (2003) decried:

Selby’s fuzzy motivation [that] boxes the actress into a performance that’s often unreadable. The character didn’t have to be much to attract a lost soul like Wuornos, but for viewers convinced by Theron’s magnificent show of ardor that this girl means the world to her, she should have been more than this. (p. 1)

There seems to be a direct proportion between the degree of transparency and empathy encouraged in the portrayal of Wuornos, and the degree of opacity and distance from the aptly named Selby Wall, who occupies the position of the cipher and traitorous beloved in this story. Nevertheless, it is clear that Ricci deliberately portrayed Wall’s character in that manner because that was the way she interpreted the script. In an interview, the young actress claimed that a significant source of attraction for Ricci was the idea of “playing someone who was such a weak person, someone so motivated by fear that they really couldn’t do anything...That to me was interesting, because I generally don’t play very weak people” (Buckalew, 2003, p. 3).

Despite the use of nerve-jangling music and sharp, controlled cinematography (both of which serve to intensify the flesh-crawling reality of these horrifying events) Monster is shot not as a horror film, as are the prior serial killer films we have written about in this article, but principally as a romance and melodrama. Both the film’s formal properties and promotional packaging seem to enact a complex rhetorical dance between the realms of fact and fiction. Though the film’s trailers moved across color and frozen black and white images (thus contributing both to its grittiness and seeming authenticity), the final film stays fully in color. Thus, the film’s form from the start is ambiguous, straddling the realms of documentary reality (its gritty look in some sections) and feature fantasy (particularly in its depiction of the love story, or of Wuornos’ dreams of becoming a star and of being beautiful).

Hints of Wuornos’ childhood begin with a colorful snapshot of a beautiful blonde child playing dress-up in front of a mirror as a voiceover narrates the young girl’s dreams of being discovered as a movie star by a prince who would rescue her from the overwhelming poverty that surrounded her. The screen widens, still in color, though no longer shot in soft focus and heightened color, to reveal a teenager who lifts her shirt to reveal her breasts to a small crowd of fascinated boys who, after ogling her body, rush off as if in fear of becoming infected with a dreaded disease. Then, during a nocturnal scene, she is shown being picked up by a man in a car, where a transaction occurs before she is thrown out of the car and abandoned, underlining the heavy irony of her dreams in contrast with the realities that weigh her down. Particularly during the violent scenes, the movie generally adopts the cinema verité look characteristic of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and the camera work is almost seamlessly invisible. During the disturbing scene in which Wuornos is raped and penetrated by a stick used by her assailant, the camera focuses mainly on her face as she grimaces and begins to struggle in pain, anger, and protest. In a quick set of shot-reverse shots, we then look down upon her as she manages to grab her gun, only to assume her point of view as she guns down her attacker, before moving into a medium shot as she repeatedly mangles her attacker’s corpse (with the barest hint that her panty is still pulled down). As if in deference, the camera then moves into a long shot as Wuornos staggers about, howling like a primeval beast.

The juxtaposition of the rape scene with the lesbian lovemaking scene is important, because it highlights the conflicting properties of the Frankensteinian Monster, which is capable of wreaking violent havoc as much as of being vulnerable and childlike. During the much- publicized lesbian lovemaking scene, despite extreme close-ups on lips touching in ardent kisses or hands traveling over bodies that remain clothed for the most part, the camera resists the scopophilic gaze so characteristic of lovemaking scenes, particularly of the lesbian variety shot for heterosexual patriarchal consumption. Persall (2004) complained that:

When the women are shown making love, Tommy James and the Shondells’ Crimson & Clover makes it seem more like prom night than a porn film. Writer/director Jenkins never misses a chance to remind us these kids are in love, as if that’s justification for what Wuornos does. (pp. 1-2)

Nevertheless, what is also equally clear in this scene is that a role reversal occurs: it is now Selby who initiates the act of seduction and lovemaking. It is her small figure, dressed in jeans and a masculine shirt that lies atop Aileen’s body, which is draped merely by a towel. Later, when their lovemaking is done and they embrace, Selby’s head is above Aileen’s, as if she were the one cradling the larger woman. The majority of the scene is shot in low-key lighting infused with deep blue, as if in romantic nostalgia.

Thus, despite the meticulous detail put into simulating reality, such as shooting in the very locations Wuornos used to frequent (which are reputed to be haunted by her ghost), the film ultimately cannot make a claim to being either a realistic or objective depiction (The Internet Movie Database, 2004c). It was clearly shot from Wuornos’ point of view several years after the events had transpired, and it was the emotions that seared in the memories that animated the portrayal. In fact, the film aroused considerable controversy as the relatives of the men victimized by Wuornos took offense at the generally unflattering portrayal of the men she killed. The film also aroused the ire of John Tanner, the Florida state attorney who prosecuted Wuornos, who claimed he was never consulted by the filmmakers. Tanner dismissed the film’s depiction of what occurred as a total lie. In defense of the film, Brad Wyman (one of its producers) attempted to pacify the film’s detractors by claiming that, “It’s not a documentary...It is a dramatic portrayal searching for a greater truth than a factual truth” (The Internet Movie Database, 2004b, p. 1). Rabin (2004) summarized the formal and thematic contents of the film in this manner:

Patty Jenkins combines the gritty, claustrophobic neo-realism of Dahmer with the unlikely gutter romanticism of Boys Don’ t Cry, creating a haunting portrait of how a person can feel so desperate and hopeless that murdering for a few crumpled bills and maybe a beat-up car can begin to seem like a reasonable option. (p. 1)

(One could make the argument at this point that it is the dark side of the “American Dream”— that is, the “cultural emphasis on achievement, which promotes productivity and innovation, also generates pressures to succeed at any cost” [Messner & Rosenfeld, 2001, p. 13]—that produces monsters like Wuornos, but that is not the focus of this article.)

What is crucial to this article is that there are Gothic elements to the portrayal of Wuornos. For example, the polluted urban highways and dark woods in which Wuornos and her customers furtively do their commerce display the mimetic correspondence between the Gothic setting and its characters. In an interesting parallel, Wuornos’ depiction as both childlike and animal-like in her stunted moral development resembles Van Helsing’s description of Dracula as operating as if motivated by a “child-brain in much . . . and it is of the child to do what he have done” (Stoker, 1997, p. 336). This childlikeness is crucial to what makes both vampires and the Frankensteinian Monster Gothic, because childlikeness is actually construed as a form of primitivism, and as freedom from conventional morality. This is not to collapse one into the other, but to show the key affinities they possess in common, which make them repositories of Gothic imagery.

Nevertheless, the principal Gothic monster who emerges from this narrative is the Frankensteinian Monster—a lumbering, lonely misfit desperately in search of love; a neglected child in a body too large for it to control; and a creature who ends up a fallen Eve despite the purity of her aspirations. In the end, it is hardly surprising that Wuornos meets the fate of female monsters or the feminine-as-monstrous characters who inhabit the classic horror versions of the evolving Frankensteinian cinemyth. It is either they commit suicide (such as Helena Bonham Carter’s composite Elizabeth-Justine in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Susan Denberg’s Christina Kleve in Frankenstein Created Woman [Keys & Fisher, 1967]) or someone else (usually a white, masculine aristocratic figure, or an establishment upholding this hierarchy) kills them off (e.g., Elsa Lanchester’s monstrous bride in Bride of Frankenstein [Laemmle Jr. & Whale, 1935]). Broomfield’s (2003) second documentary on Wuornos reveals an eerie parallelism between the two narratives. Before her execution, not realizing the camera was still rolling, Wuornos admitted that she changed her story of self-defense to one of robbery and murder in order to hasten the execution which, after 12 long years on death row—a period she claimed was not immune from further abuse and exploitation—she welcomed.

Conclusion: Of Monsters and Doppelgangern

This article began by gesturing toward the overlap of vampiric themes in male serial murder films. In contrast, it is the implicit portrait of the Frankensteinian Monster that surfaces in the depiction of the lesbian female serial killer Aileen Wuornos. This article also broadly outlines a significant change in the depiction of the vampire in more recent literary Gothic popular novels. For example, in Saberhagen’s (1975) The Dracula Tape, Rice’s (1976) Interview with the Vampire and Scott’s (1984) I, Vampire, vampires acquire the authorial voice. In crafting their own narratives, they become more sympathetic, more superhumanly human, and much less radically the other. As noted by Punter and Byron (2004), “They are more likely to offer a site of identification rather than a metaphor for what must be abjected, and with the movement from the metaphorical to the metonymical, the vampire increasingly serves to facilitate social commentary on the human world” (p. 271). This grows even more pronounced in the most recent characterizations of Wuornos as a Frankensteinian Monster—a neglected social misfit in search of love—both in fictionalized and documentary treatments of her story.

Arguably, the move toward establishing the monstrous other as a site of identification becomes particularly disturbing in the case of the serial killer, one of the most compelling monsters that dominate the last part of the 20th century. While sympathy is not precisely the word to describe the response encouraged by serial killer narratives, as we point out in our analysis of fictional serial killer films, there is often nevertheless a certain ambivalence in the representations of modern monsters. In docudramas such as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Ed Gein, the serial killer as an abused abuser emerges, while in horror films such as The Silence of the Lambs and Immortality, vampiric aristocraticism and Byronic sex appeal become key features of the mythic serial killer. Often viewed as merely symptomatic of an increasingly violent and alienated society, the serial killer might seem to call for the most emphatic reassertion of social norms and the strongest reaffirmation of conservative values, which happened in the creation of the new FBI Behavioral Science Unit, as Surrette (2005) pointed out (see also Punter & Byron, 2004). This is, however, rarely the case in fictional and popular narratives (Surrette, 2005).

Rather than being established as the demonic other that must be exorcised from mainstream society, the serial killer is explicitly identified as that society’s logical and inevitable product. Thus, society, rather than the individual, emerges as a primary site of horror. In such narratives, there is rarely any assurance that the threat can be contained. Rather than being staked, the serial killer, society’s monstrous progeny, is simply left to carry on. Even in the most reassuring serial killer narratives, often those in which a criminal profiler is offered encouraging evidence that the monstrous can be identified and contained, the majority of texts remain at the very least ambivalent about the repudiation of the monstrous. The stability and autonomy of the self and the other, as well as the clear separability of good and evil, are frequently undercut through a particularly emphatic use of the traditional Gothic Doppelgänger. The killer may ultimately be caught and punished, but this is often brought about by the profiler’s over- identification with the killer, as in Clarice Starling’s pursuit of Buffalo Bill under the mentorship of Hannibal Lecter. Popular narratives such as these are actually more complex and force us to confront the realization that the potential for corruption and violence lies within us all, and the horror comes above all from an appalling sense of recognizing ourselves in our others (Punter & Byron, 2004). Ultimately, one could argue that the Frankensteinian Monster archetype is perhaps more frightening than the vampire archetype precisely because it elicits sympathy (and, in so doing, questions the self/other dichotomy) more than the male vampire model. And perhaps precisely because it is more frightening, it is harnessed within a predominantly feminized film genre: the melodramatic.

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#female #women #serial killers #female serial killers #media #outliers #portrayal #gothic #frankenstein #motive #aileen wuornos #sex differences #crime #deviance #violence

[queendeanofpie]

Kallura month 7

I am actually going to turn this into a book so I hope you love this au! I legit thought of this AU then found catnippackets Witch AU! 

Kallura month # 21 Team up

~~~

Allura briskly walked into the library headed for a certain table near the back. She sighed before throwing down a small store bag.

Markers, highlighters, a small notepad, and post it notes came spilling out. She gave a determined smile putting her hands on her hips.

"Alright time to find those books" she muttered.

She stalked off towards the history and mythology section her heels clicking. When she got there she closed her eyes letting her magic flood outward.

She opened her eyes to find three books titles glowing a pale pink. She grinned before picking them up and carrying them back to her seat.

She sat down and began to flip through them making references and scribbling in the little notepad.

There was a shuffle and Allura jumped squeaking in surprise. She looked behind her to find a guy under the table.

He winced touching his head and Allura realized he must have hit his head plugging in his laptop.

He turned and his violet eyes met hers for a second. She stared for a second before turning back around.

She frowned. Allura didnt like the look of the stranger. There was something off about his aura. She sighed before continuing on her research. Eventually she let out a frustrated huff slamming the book shut. She heard a chuckle behind her and rolled her eyes.

"You try researching 10000 year old creatures that murdered your entire family" she muttered under her breath.

She then looked up almost screaming to find the stranger smirking at her. He had inky black hair that  swept down his neck and A black leather jacket that looked worn.

"So whats all this?" He asked looking at the book curiously a smile on his face.

Allura relaxed slightly at hearing his question. all she had to do was lie a little. After all, the only thing he could see was a mythology book.

"Im researching a mythological creature for a term paper" she said flashing a smile.

He raised an eyebrow "well that's interesting seems like weird notes for a term paper" he commented looking over at them.

She chuckled nervously "Yes, my projects a little weird my professor wanted us to write the paper as a what if these creatures were still alive today" She smiled "he's a very strange professor"

"Certainly sounds like it" the boy smiled "You know . . .  I used to have a professor just like that. Used to actually believe in mythical creatures" the mans voice was a strange kind of calm and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Really?" She said her voice cracking slightly. He nodded tapping the book. His violet eyes met hers and She found she couldn't take her eyes off of them. They were such a deep shade of twilight, like the night sky

"Yep used to believe in vampires, ghosts, you name it . . , even knew how to kill them, green wood for vampires . . . . . .  Iron to stop a witches power." His voice suddenly went cold and Allura felt something get slapped around her wrist.

She looked down to a small metal bracelet around her wrist. Stunned she glanced back up to find a cold look on the strangers face.

"Your not that smart are you witch?" He asked sounding disinterested.

"W-what are you talking about?" Allura stammered trying to shake the cold dead feeling the bracelet gave her.

He leaned down on the table his face inches from hers making her flinch in fear. His violet eyes, were now like a storm of stars.

"I mean you really think you can fool me with a simple spell on that book?" He growled

Allura's face hardened but she quickly reached into her bag pulling out a charm. She threw it in the air and he went to catch it but missed making Allura smirk.

He looked up bewildered to see it floating in mid air. He looked around to find everyone else frozen as well.

"A time charm, I thought you'd want the privacy" She smirked standing up.

"Who are you?" The man growled

"First off, rude, second off, The name is Allura Altea" she offered her hand and he stared at it like she was crazy.

"Keith Kogane" he replied warily without shaking her hand.

"Alright" she huffed taking back her hand "what do you want?" She asked.

"I want to know why your researching 10,000 year old demons, especially in plain sight" He asked narrowing his eyes.

Allura raised an eyebrow "I wasn't, the book is enchanted" She replied slowly.

His eyes widened and a nervous look flashed across his face for a second. Allura smirked to her self. This boy was hiding something.

"What are you?, I thought I sensed something strange in your aura" She asked walking up to him. He backed away scowling at her.

"I'm not anything!, Who do you work for?" He asked defensively

"I don't work for anyone and I don't hire out to anyone. I am not that kind of witch" She replied haughtily sending him a glare.

"Then you know where the witch name Haggar is?" He asked challenging her. He was close enough that Allura could hear his heartbeat and his aura was humming around him now.

"I do . . . . ." She said slowly memories slowly flashing in  her mind making her heart throb "But, They are my case and I will handle them" She finished sending him another glare.

"No your going to tell me" He threatened getting in her face. All she could hear was the humming of his aura and suddenly she was terrified

Allura backed up terror climbing up her veins as she defensively put a chair between him and her. He was a young male, if he wanted he could kill her in an instant due to her not being prepared.

"Stay away" She said eyeing her bag in panic. If she could get to the trap charm in it she might have a chance.

Keith noticed her change of direction and Allura tried to reach for it quickly. Keith reacted instantly scowling as he grabbed her wrist securing both in his hands.

Allura struggled trying to get him off but his grip was firm. She looked up realizing he had a confused look on his face.

"Why are you struggling?" He asked

"Because your a galran demon! If you've realized who I am you'll kill me" She spat She was going to die she had nothing to lose now.

Keith's face paled and he instantly let go of her taking a step back. Allura raised an eyebrow rubbing her wrist.

"I-I'm  . . . I didn't mean to scare you" He stammered eyes wide.

"I'm not telling you where the witch is so If your going to kill me do it now" She told him coldly looking away

"No!, No! I-I'm not a demon" He stammered eyes widening he sighed running a hand through his hair "I'm half" He mumbled

He was a half demon. It hit her what he was saying and Allura realized she was wrong.

"Your a hunter aren't you?" She asked guiltily staring at him in defeat

He nodded not looking up at her. Allura sighed looking down and messing with her thumbs.

"I'm . . . Sorry I should have realized . . . . I heard that in your aura and didn't think to check anything else" She sighed before sticking out her hand.

He looked at it reluctantly but after a minute took it sighing. She gave him a small smile before sitting down and inviting him to do the same.

"You should probably undo that charm" he said pointing pointing to the small glowing stone.

Allura nodded before reaching up and grabbing it causing everything around them to return to normal.

She returned it to her bag and folded her arms looking up at him.

"So" she began "Why are still here?" She asked

"Well I still havent got what I needed" he replied cooly. Allura scowled at him.

"I told you, that case is mine and mine only" She replied shaking her head.

He raised an eyebrow "why? It would be a much easier job for me than you, I doubt your powerful enough if all you can do is charms" he answered rolling his eyes.

"If you would take off this idiotic iron bracelet then I'll show you power" she argued hotly holding up her wrist for effect.

"Really? Then why do you want that witch so bad? Whats so special about her?" He snapped leaning closer.

Allura narrowed her eyes the memories making her bitter

"Because she's the reason my entire family. Is dead" Allura said coldly venom in her words.

Keith stared at her for a minute before abruptly taking off and the cuff and speaking

"mysticas ei approximantes"

Allura felt her powers return with a hum, she could feel the life returning to her soul almost. It suddenly caught and she felt her marks light up, cursing as she hide her head from anyone who might see

"I know about you, your one of the Altaen coven witches" he accused her

"I . . . I was" She mumbled the flame in her seemed to die down and her marks disappeared causing her to sigh in relief as she lifted her head.

"I thought you said you weren't in a coven" he retorted

"The altean coven was one of only and largest white covens" she replied cooly

"That doesn't explain why your after this witch"

"She lied to the galran demons and they burst in on a coven meeting one day and killed everyone including my father" Allura sighed biting her lip to keep her eyes from watering.

Instantly Keith's face fell. He looked away guiltily running his hand through his hair again.

"I'm sorry" he admitted "I didnt know the coven was white or about the attack"

"Why do you want the witch then?" She asked

"Because I think she's the reason my father is dead and my mom has dissapeared." Keith mumbled

"Oh." was all Allura could say She looked down but the more she thought about it the more she wanted to say something. She couldn't escape the feeling that this was what she was supposed to do.

She looked up with a smile "Team?" she asked simply holding out her hand.

"What?" Keith asked surprised to see her offering him her hand

"I'm tired of fighting this alone" She explained softly "We've both got reason to take them down I would rather work with someone I can understand"

Keith looked down at her hand his eyebrows scrunching in thought. He finally closed his eyes deep in thought. Then he smiled, his star-sky eyes opening as he took her hand grinning.

"Team"

~~~

#kalluramonth2k17 #Kallura #Keith #Allura #Supernatural!AU #Kalluramonth21

[kaimaciel]

@the-river-dream-shore thanks for tagging me :)

Rules: answer all the questions, add one of your own and tag as many people as there are questions i mean you can tag other people then :)

1. coke or pepsi?

Coke

2. disney or dreamworks?

I lean more towards Disney.

3. coffee or tea?

Coffee. I literally can’t survive without it. I only drink tea when I’m sick. 

4. books or movies?

I read more than I watch movies.

5. windows or mac?

Windows. Mac doesn’t support most of the programs I use.

6. dc or marvel?

It depends on the year and the media. In the last few years, I was definitely a Team Marvel girl. I loved Journey into Mystery, Young Avengers, and the first half of Loki Agent of Asgard, but then most of the characters started to get replaced, the comics became too preachy and condescending, reading them didn’t appeal to me, it only made me angry, not to mention the never ending Events. Right now, I don’t read a single Marvel Title. The Marvel Movies, on the other hand, are all a must see! I absolutely love them and it’s amazing to finally share my geeky passions with my friends who didn’t read comics until now.

The opposite happened with DC. Their movies are boring, dark and depressing (I hope Wonder Woman is good!), but both their comics and video games are amazing. I love what they’ve done with Jason Todd (Red Hood), Young Justice is an amazing series and I’ve played all the Batman Arkham games and Injustice. Overall, I think DC is now more focused on good stories and good characters. 

7. xbox or playstation?

Playstation. I’ve had them all.

8. dragon age or mass effect?

Neither. 

9. night owl or early riser?

I try to go to bed early because I have work early in the morning, but given the choice, I’m a night owl. 

10. cards or chess?

Cards. They’re more fun, especially with a large group. 

11. chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate. I only eat vanilla icecream when it’s mixed with chocolate.

12.vans or converse?

I don’t know what those are :/

13. fluff or angst?

angst enveloped by hurt and comfort with a tear-jerking happy ending.

14. beach or forest?

I live near the forest, so I’m used to seeing it all the time, and I love it. Beach is something I crave every summer, but then get tired of. I’m almost albino, sun light is painful to me.

15. dogs or cats?

Both. I always had a dog and lately, we’ve been adopting a few stray cats. My cat just had 4 kittens and I wish we could keep all of them. They’re so cute.

16. clear skies or rain?

Clear skies. I find rain depressing unless I can stay warm at home and watch it fall from my comfy chair.

17. cooking or eating out?

Eating out, usually. I’m not much of a cook and I hate cleaning everything the kitchen. 

18. spicy food or mild food?

Mild food, spices don’t sit well with my gastric system.

19. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas?

We don’t celebrate Halloween in my country, but Christmas is always a huge event, even though is so expensive and exhausting. 

20. would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot?

Neither! I like mild temperatures. 

21. if you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Telekinesis and the ability to shoot power blasts from my hands!!

22. animation or live action?

Animation, mostly, but somethings I would prefer live action now that I’m older.

23. baths or showers?

Showers. I usually don’t have the time for a bath.

24. team cap or team ironman?

Team Cap (the original Steve Rogers though).

25. fantasy or sci-fi?

Mostly fantasy, but I’ve begun to enjoy sci-fi too.

26. do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so, what are they?

People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right. — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 

I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley. - Airplane

Why? I'm not talking about killing Penguin or Scarecrow or Dent. I'm talking about him. Just him. And doing it because... Because he took me away from you. - Batman Under the Red Hood

27. youtube or netflix?

Youtube

28. harry potter or percy jackson?

Harry Potter. I never read Percy Jackson (I was going to read Magnus Chase from the same author buuut... he made Loki the main villain, so that’s an automatic NO for me).

29. when do you feel accomplished?

When I finish what I set out to do and succeed 

30. star wars or star trek?

Star Wars. 

31. paperback or hardback books?

Hardback! I love them, except for the paper cape that keeps falling out when I read.

32. horror or rom-com?

It depends on my mood, but I love both.

33. tv shows or movies?

Movies. It takes a lot of time for me to get invested in a tv show

34. favourite animal?

Dogs, cats, magpies, deer, dolphins, red pandas...

35. favourite genre of music?

All genres, again it depends on my mood. Except for Pimpa. 

36. least favourite book?

The Twilight series, Fifty Shades of Grey, 

37. favourite season?

Spring, when there are flowers blooming everywhere and the weather gets warmer.

38. song that’s currently stuck in your head?

Amar pelos Dois by Salvador Sobral, our Portuguese Eurovision winner. I’ve been listening to covers of his song in other languages and I’m so happy people like it enough to honor with a cover. It fits with any language. 

39. what kind of pajamas do you wear?

Matching set pajamas or an oversized T-shirt in the summer.

40. how many existential crises do you have on an average day?

Twice a week, just a few minutes of self-loathing when I’m lying in bed, but nothing big.

41. if you can only choose one song to be played at your funeral, what would it be?

Our funerals only sing hymns so I would choose O come, o come, Emmanuel.

42. favourite theme song to a TV show?

Biggest Dreamer - Digimon Tamers 

Go, Go Power Rangers!

43. harry potter movies or books?

The books were better. It all looked better inside my mind. 

44. you can make your OTP become canon but you’ll forget that tumblr exists. will you do it?

Pairings are important for a while, but then we move on to another fandom and find new ones. So I would keep Tumblr.

45. do you play an instrument and if so, what is it?

I had piano lessons, but I’m awful. I also played the flute in middle school.  I wish I could learn to play the violin.

46. what is the worst way to die?

Either burned or skinned alive.

47. if you could be entirely invisible for a day, what would you do?

Probably watch a bunch of movies for free.

48. If you could have personally witnessed anything in history what would it be?

I would have liked to take a tour on the Titanic, visit every single room.

49. If you could understand animals but you could never understand humans again, would you?

No. I need to understand humans, and it’s probably best if I don’t know what my dog and cats think of me.

50. What is your most favourite album currently?

None.

51. What is your favourite word/phrase/colloquiallism? Name one (or more) per language you speak c:

Água mole em pedra dura, tanto dá até que fura -it means with persistence, everything can happen

Antes só que mal acompanhado - means better to be alone than surrounded with people who don’t give a damn about you.

52. What mythical creature would you like to be able to transform into?

Either a Dragon or an Angel

Thanks for the challenge. Here are y tags:

@virushoney @thenightling 

Please tag me so I can read your answers ;)

#tag game

[the-noodles-say-toodles]

I was tagged by @yo-looksomeoneactually , ha sorry it took me so long to do this

Rules: Answer all the questions, add one question of your own at the end, and then tag people.

Coke or Pepsi? I don’t drink soda, I hate the fizziness.

Disney or Dreamworks? Disney. I love them both.

Coffee or tea? Coffee. Not a fan of either thought. I need the frap or the half half iced tea. 

Books or movies? Movies. This was so tricky though. I love books, I’m a book fanatic. But recently, I’ve been enjoying movies a lot more since I don’t have as much time for books as I used to. (plus I don’t have as nearly as much time to look for new books))

Windows or Mac? Google

DC or Marvel? Marvel. Love DC though, I’m not a DC hater. 

XBox or Playstation? XBox. I have no gaming systems what so ever 

Dragon Age or Mass Effect? Dragon Age. Don’t know much about either, but a little about both. 

Night owl or early riser? Both, how fun is that. 

Cards or chess? Cards.

Chocolate or vanilla? Choconilla

Vans or Converse? Converse, though I always wanted Vans 

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash? Lavellan, I think. I don’t know that much about Dragon Age. 

Paragon or Renegade? Renegade, but I am a secret goody two shoes who aspires to be a criminal. 

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars

One episode per week or binge watch? BIIIINGE

Gandalf or Obi Wan? Obi Wan

Heroes or villains? Herains John Williams or Hans Zimmer? who are these humans

Disneyland/world or Six flags? uhhhhh, Six Flags.

Forest or sea? AHHHHHH I DONT’T KNOW FOREST?!!  i love nature i love hiking i love water i dont know which one 

Flying or reading minds? Reading minds

Twin Peaks or Northern Exposure? Haven’t seen either, but I have at least heard of Twin Peaks.

Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter

You’re banished to a deserted island, which Benedict Cumberbatch character would you choose to take with you? I dunno, Doctor Strange or Sherlock. Marvel magician or dude who cheats death in his free time. 

Train or cruise ship? I LIKE TRAINS!!! (asdf ref yall) I love cruises though. 

Brian Cox or Neil DeGrasse Tyson? I also do not know these humans 

Art museum or science museum? Depends on the exhibits.

Irish pub or night club? No idea. I’ve heard crazy stories about both. 

Aang or Korra? Korra. Aang’s great, of course, but I can relate to Korra more. 

Swimming in a pool or lake? Lake. ADVENTURES. Maybe I’ll see NEssie one day 

Classical music or classical literature? Music. Sometimes I want to claw my eyes out for classical literture, no offense Shakespeare.

Oxford comma or no Oxford comma? Oxford comma, thought I doubt I use it properly 

Digital or paper books? Digital. I can’t handle real books. I lose them all the time, they’re really heavy, and I have to worry about their condition all the time. 

Rainy days or sunny days? Rainy. Give me stroms or give me death. 

Fantasy or science fiction? OOOOOOOH, both are insanely good if they both have quality plots. Going to have to say Sci Fy though.

Poetry or prose? Prose, poetry is too deep for me. The intended meanings of poems often go over my head. 

Music or lyrics? Music, I’m lyric deaf. 

Kissing or cuddling? Cuddle me.

Dancing or movies for date night? Movies. I was once asked if I was feeling okay when I was dancing. 

Sea or space? Space, there’s so much potential out there. The sea is epic too. The Kaiju are out there too. 

MBTI or zodiac? Zodiac. It’s is goofy. MBTI seems too serious.

Netflix or YouTube? Netlifx. Let the binge begin

Plushies or pets? Why is this an option, this is literally the most impossible decision ever. 

Pizza or nachos? Pizza

If you could speak to one person from history and tell them everything you know about the modern day, who would it be? FDR. He deserves to know how the war ended. Maybe he’d tell us how to fix the world today.  If you could become fluent in a language right now, what would you pick? Japanese or Chinese or Russian. Japanese so I don’t have to watch subbed animes, or Chinese because I am Chinese and I know very little, or Russian cause why the hell not. 

Favorite Mythical Creature? Dragons. Do they count

Vampires or Werewolves? Vampires because I once saw this tumblr post about this vampire in Vatian city like what life would be like there’s holiness everywhere garlic everywhere and idk I know a lot of vamp headcannons like WWII vamps and the immortality thing where they find someone and then they have to live without them and what happens if there’s a time where vampires are accepted but hten shit goes down and they’re all forgetten again just like where they started from, and that doesn’t make any sense, but vampire headcanons. None of that twilight shit here. 

Ao3 or ff.net? archiveofourown ftw 

I tag @nerdy-band-waffle, @coco-the-corbae, @8282-8282, @jcamacho4165, anyone who wants to do it I guess

[teach463146]

I loved this google translated review.

Once the world was full of wonders. But now it belongs to humans. "Matthew Goode's magical intonation traverses the sky that covers Oxford during the autumn equinox, while at first glance, in the gray weather of humans, the promised wonders that once reigned over the world are hidden. With that strange mixture of legend and gothic novels begins A Discovery of Witches, the English series inspired by the successful novels of Deborah Harkness.The series embraces that literary origin without any shame, is delivered to scenes of larval eroticism that make forget the pacatería of the Twilight saga, and weaves a forbidden romance, with castles in France and walks in the light of the moon, in the heart of a London of medieval aura.

It all starts when Dr. Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) arrives at the Oxford library to consult a book about alchemy. The awakening of that manuscript, forbidden for centuries, warns the creatures of the world about the power of Diana and the spectacular nature of her condition. An inexperienced and intuitive witch, she constructs herself as a heroine in spite of herself, besieged by protectors and villains who follow in her footsteps as the signs of a secret revelation. Beyond that what matters is his explosive encounter with the vampire Matthew (Goode), seductive and refined, alive more than fifteen hundred years ago. The series delineates its universe in the ancestral struggle between myth and science, between the most incredible fables and the truths of history.

Demons, vampires and witches are here more important than the historical characters that are invoked, just as an excuse. Matthew claims to have met Machiavelli, to have laughed with Isabel Tudor, to have written with Charles Darwin. He also claims to be a biochemist who pursues the origin of his species to ensure his survival. But that cosmopolitan course and the experience of his knowledge never interest him as much as the sudden passion that unites him to Diana, more sexual than that of Romeo and Juliet but with the same tragic fate.

It's that extravagant air that the characters assume, it's the funny pomposity of the dialogues, the playfulness of the tone and those baroque sets that make us forget any seriousness, immersing ourselves in a fantasy with veils and passes of magic, condensed in hungry looks and impossible desires. As Coppola convinced us from his mythical Dracula, the best way to conceive of "monsters" is like those lovers lost in time, trapped forever in the eternal fall of a world in ruins.

#matthew goode #a discovery of witches #teresa palmer #adowtv #adowtvspoilers

[mytbone23blog]

Essay II

Taylor Trenda

Essay II: Werewolves

The werewolf is believed to originate back around 1765 in southern France. The beast of Gevaudan killed about one hundred people of the Gevaudan region. It is said that the beast that killed all of these people was a wolf or wolf-hybrid that had strange morphing abilities. Between 1764-1767 about one hundred wolfs were killed in the region as the people were trying to hunt down the infamous beast. Some dead wolves were found with pieces of cloth wrapped around the body, which could have very well been planted by people that wanted to win rewards for the capture, but others were just shot at an attempt to get rid of the issue all together. Reports from survivors listed characteristics of the wolf’s appearances. Certain things like flat heads, reddish fur, a dark line along the spine, and a tasseled tail could all be assumed to be a lion with slightly differing traits. Because of these similarities between lions and this beast, there was a lot of disagreement on whether or not it was being over dramatized. Around the middle of 1767 the beast disappeared from the region after a large scale of poisoned bates had been placed surrounding the area. Werewolves are one of the most fascinating creatures that we have studied in class for a number of reasons. The first being that werewolves are by far the lowest creatures on the totem pole of mythical creatures and monsters for what could be several different reasons. In my opinion, werewolves are below every other creature because they are exemplified as dirty, roaming the earth creatures, that are the weaker against any other creature, especially in most movies, and it could even be said that they represent the most animalistic characteristics closest to the human being. Humans, more often than not, try to avoid confronting our true self or our darkest self because we don’t want to acknowledge who we are or who/what we have the ability to become. A great representation of the werewolves being the less “impressive” creature is in the movie Twilight. Jacob, the werewolf, tries to win the leading female, Bella, throughout the entire series. But time and time again he is beaten by the vampire, Edward.

In “White,” Richard Dyer declares that race is almost always emphasized in popular culture. If we were to go by Dyers claims in relation to the Twilight Saga and vampires and werewolves could be represented culturally by color, vampires would be “the white” portrayed with Christian morals and restraint. Edwards family of vampires appear to be well out together, living in a massive mansion in the woods, and driving nice cars. The vampires in this film are seen as God-like monsters with angelic traits, they have porcelain skin and look as though they are covered in diamonds when in the sunlight and Edwards and Bella don’t do anything more than kiss before marriage in the movie. Edwards family could be seen to be tempted with sin like Jesus was said to be constantly tempted with sin, but they restrain by only killing animals and not humans.  The majority of the vampires in this film are played by Caucasian males and females with only one exception.

So, if vampires are “the white” we would be able to expect the opposite for the werewolf, which would be “the blackness”. Unlike the vampires, wolves have no restraint or self-control. Sam, one of Jacobs family member is the best representation of no restraint because of being a werewolf. For example, in the film he is said to have a history with accidental abuse with his partner and when Bella becomes aware of her being pregnant, Sam’s immediate response is to kill Bella and the unborn child simply because he doesn’t know what will come of it. This is a clear indication of werewolves, in this darkness, being extremely impulsive and at times immoral. The running joke throughout the time frame of the sage being released was Jacob taking his shirt off constantly. But this can viewed as another so called dark trait of the werewolf, being sexualized in a way that the vampires are not and thus associated with sin and temptation.

If you google what a werewolf is, the site will explain that it is specifically a human that can shapeshift into a wolf either on purpose or because of being under a curse. I believe that is the root of why werewolves are perceived to be at the bottom of the creature totem pole, especially when compared to vampires. Humans have created this image of a werewolf for several reasons, they are the “darkness”, they are the most impulsive, they are the dirtiest creatures that come from nothing, but ultimately, we’ve painted this picture so that it is easier for us to look at it for what it really is. They are a parallel to the human mind and what we could most likely be capable of but don’t want to admit to being capable of. The google searched definition explains clearly that it is a curse but if we really look deeper it doesn’t have to be a curse. This is why I am so fascinated with werewolves, because while, yes they are poor, impulsive, and dark, so are we. We like to walk around life putting our best faces on trying to wrap ourselves around social norms and what we think were supposed to do according to other people that we don’t even know. When in reality, we all have darkness is our minds, whether it be a brief thought about wanting to kill someone you hate or steal something you want but can’t afford. We would all like so respond to those as, “Oh no! I would never do such a thing!” but if you’re honest with your thoughts, you’ll realize we’ve all thought these same things. As stated before, humans, more often than not, try to avoid confronting our true self or our darkest self because we don’t want to acknowledge who we are or who/what we have the ability to become.

#4180