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hurthermore · 28 days

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»»------► 𝙱𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚘 (18+)

▻ 𝙱𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚘 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸 (18+) ▻ 𝙱𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚘 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟹 (18+)

Summary: 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚘 𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚘 𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜?

Word Count: 𝟸.𝟼𝚔

Warnings: 𝙸 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚞𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚖; 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎. 𝙰𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚏 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚕 >.<

𝙵/𝙼 𝚂𝚖𝚞𝚝, 𝚌𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚜, 𝚞𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚟 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎, 𝚗𝚘 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚍𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜, 𝙰𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚋𝚊𝚍, 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝

(𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚡 𝚜𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎)

𝚁𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗!

You had only been there for a damn week.

A week.

Yet you had somehow flourished emotions within the Radio Demon that he had never even slightly experienced before.

The worst part?

You were what the younger generation called a ‘Bimbo Bitch’.

It didn’t make sense to Alastor as to why you out of everyone alive - and dead - made him feel like a pathetic idiot with a crush. Throughout his life on earth he had hundreds of women at his beck and call, fawning over him due to his celebrity status as one of America's biggest southern radio hosts in the late 1920s. Even in death, dozens upon dozens of women had expressed interest in him, even some of the most elegant of sinners had pursued him, yet he always lacked the interest in the act of courting. Still, he knew there would be a day when he would find the woman of his dreams.

So when he realised that the woman of his dreams was you, he felt disoriented, questioning everything he had come to know. The most beautiful woman he had laid eyes on; the woman who made him desire things he had never yearned for before, was you; a woman who lacked vocal sophistication and wore tight, revealing clothes that could rival half the garments the spider-like porn actor wore.

But despite how pissed off he wanted to be about it, how much he wanted to hate you for bringing these emotions out of him, he just couldn’t force himself to feel any disdain for you. Especially when you’d call for him in that whiny tone that sent pleasant shivers down his spine, the same one that made him want to thrust your face into a mattress as he bred you.

He remembered when you first came into the hotel. He genuinely thought you arrived in your underwear, only for him to find out what crop tops and booty shorts were.

He was appalled to say the least.

But it didn't stop him from appreciating your figure whenever you graced him with your presence.

And yet again he found you, wearing a skimpy little outfit of a crop top and one of those silly little skirts of yours, all whilst sitting sideways on his chair in the lobby of the hotel. Your knees pressed up against your breasts; squishing them so hard that the fat of your chest was begging to pop out of the flimsy revealing top as you reached towards your pointed feet with a small brush.

It was difficult for Alastor to repress the groan that begged to leave his throat as his eyes peeked a glance at your underwear; red. Red and skimpy. He could feel himself throb just by looking at you. “Good evening my darling!” He decided to appear from the shadows behind his chair you were situated on before leaning over it to admire you inspect what you were doing. “What are you doing, my dear?” He asked you with a delighted tone that he found himself reserving purely for you.

He watched you pause as you heard his voice, redirecting your attention on him as you rested your legs back onto the arm chair, giving your chest some air to breathe. “Hey Al!” You beamed with a sharp toothed grin that made Alastors undead heart skip a beat. “I’m painting my nails, you want me to do your claws? I have like ten different colours! OH! We should so paint yours pink! You’d look so good!”

He chuckled at the idea of him with pink nails; preposterous. He was the Radio Demon, an entity that devoured anyone who crossed him, a being who broadcasted the screams of thousands of souls to millions of listeners all because he enjoyed it; and here was you; a pretty little dame asking him if you could paint his claws… Pink.

“Apologies my darling but that is an activity I prefer not to partake in.” His toothed smile twitched as your face slowly contorted into one of disappointment.

It definitely didn't make him feel guilty.

“C’mon Al! If you really don’t want pink I guess I could do them black or white to match your theme? Pretty please?” You pouted, allowing your lips to puff out as your eyes looked skyward to meet his gaze. Alastor’s smile twitched as he felt a heat rise within his lower abdomen from looking at your perfect form. You must be aware on some level what you were doing to him. Right?

Despite the Radio Demon hating the idea of having his claws painted, the idea of disappointing you; the act of refusing you to touch him as you caressed his hands and claws was something he found he hated more.

So he gave in.

“I will permit you to paint my claws my darling, but you are to do it in red and you will not relay this event to anyone else. Do you understand?” His face closed in on yours to the point where you couldn’t see anything but him.

Your eyes glanced down to his hands that rested atop his cane, your eyebrows contorting into confusion. “But… Your claws are already red?”

Alastor’s smile twitched ever so slightly, to the point where you didn’t even notice.

He had hoped you wouldn’t of noticed.

“Then I will permit you to paint them black, ma chérie.” Immediately you stood up, revealing your smaller structure compared to the seven foot frame the Radio Demon possessed. You grabbed his hands - much to his delight - and he allowed you to drag him over to the opposite side of the chair, guiding him to sit on it. He obliged, allowing you to dictate every move; something he had never permitted anyone else in his entire existence.

Momentarily he closed his red eyes, basking in the warmth your hands emitted into his cold skin, only for him to startle them open when you sat on his lap. His eyes met yours as you smiled smugly, waving the black nail polish in his face.

It wasn’t what he was expecting, to have your soft body flush against his; your clothed core meeting his own, making him melt from the contact. But he was assured that he could live the rest of his existence happy and content if it meant having you slotted in his lap forever.

“Okay, gimme your hand.” You beamed as you offered your delicate palm to him, waiting for him to concede his hand to you. Hesitantly, he obliged, snaking his fingers against yours, allowing you to grip your soft hand around one of his fingers as you began painting his sharp tipped claws.

As you recoated your brush before tending back to his claws, Alastor felt your core brush against his, making him bite back a moan, keening in a way that had him wishing you’d do it again. Slowly, he outstretched his unoccupied hand towards the curve of your waist as he felt himself harden underneath you.

Although usually a collected and composed man, Alastor was struggling. You had barely begun working on his second claw before his hand finally made contact with your bare waist, making you jump ever so slightly at the contact, accidentally grinding yourself against his now hard member.

Alastor groaned as you stilled against him. He refused to look at you, he wasn’t ready to see what type of expression adorned your face. Would you be repulsed? Or would you be as aroused as him? “Alastor..?” He heard you mumble; your voice sounding slightly erotic. Would you reciprocate his feelings? Slowly, he rested his head in the comfort of your chest, sighing as he could feel the fast beating of your heart before tightening his grip on you. He couldn’t control himself; not when you fit so perfectly in his lap, not when you were making him feel so stimulated just by moving against his constrained cock. “Fuck, Alastor-” You moaned as he forced you to grind against him as he placed his other hand against the fat of your hips; his claws still wet from the polish.

“Such a naughty girl.” He groaned as he leaned back away from your chest, viewing the debauched expression that etched your face, biting your bottom lip as your eyes half lidded. “I was hoping to court you first, but you’re making this so hard.” He mumbled, slamming you further into his clothed throbbing cock, causing the texture of his trousers to rub against your clit.

Suddenly, he gripped the back of your neck, pulling you closer until his lips connected with yours. He could hear you panting as you opened your mouth, allowing him to explore the tastes your mouth had to offer him. He felt like he could attain heaven as you showed your want of him. The closest he’d ever get to the place.

As he kissed you, the need to hear you moan had him grinding into you harder, trying to elicit more of those sounds from you. But when you didn’t, he gripped the front of your throat, punctuating his claws into your skin, forcing you to bend backwards as a black tentacle wrapped itself around your waist, preventing you from falling off of Alastor’s lap. He groaned as he watched your skirt ride up your thighs, revealing your drenched red lingerie to him.

Without thought, he ripped the red fabric in two, growling as your cunt glistened before him. Both of his hands pierced into the chunk of your thighs, causing you to whimper as he dragged your sex into his face. The position forced your posture upside down, making all the blood rush to your head as Alastor finally smashed his face into your puffy cunt, penetrating his fat tongue inside you. You moans vibrated off the walls of the parlour room, and you had completely forgotten where you were and what you were doing before this as Alastor’s mouth seemed to cover the entirety of your sex. His tongue thrusting in and out of you whilst the top of his mouth simulated a suction like sensation, stimulating your clit in the process.

His ears twitched with every moan, every cry of his name that left your wet lips, and every squelch that your cunt produced. He never thought this could taste so good. He had eaten many people throughout his life, being a cannibal and all, but not once had he eaten someone in such a way, and he couldn’t deny that this was his new favourite dish; the juices of your cunt.

As your legs began to press against the sides of his head, he could feel the tremors that passed through your plumped thighs, and with how your moans kept increasing in volume, it was obvious to Alastor you were nearing orgasm. It had him feeling heated; your whole lower half crushing his head, almost preventing him from breathing as he ate you out. But oh did he find it incredibly erotic. He couldn’t prevent the build up of his own orgasm as he kept drinking the essence of your cunt.

Once he heard you basically scream in pleasure, your sex convulsing around his tongue, and your clit throbbing against his teeth, he allowed himself to ejaculate within the confines of his pants, his cock pulsed with every splat that left his tip. He moaned into you, overstimulating you in the process. You tried to pull away, tried to tell Alastor it was too much, but he kept you against his mouth, continuing his ministrations as he rode through his own orgasm.

“I swear I heard screamin’ Charlie.” You and Alastor both froze as you both heard Angel’s voice in the distance. Panicking, you tried to tear yourself from Alastor and the tentacle wrapped around your torso with more force; but he didn’t let you move. You silently screamed his name through your teeth, anxiety building up as you dreaded the thought of someone catching you with the Radio Demon of all people.

Abruptly, you felt Alastor retract from you as your back hit against silked covers. Confused, you took in your surroundings, your anxiety vanishing as you realised you were in a different room from the parlour. But it was a room you didn’t recognise.

“Such a silly girl.” Alastor spoke up, still in between your legs as his fingers stroked the skin of your thighs, his eyes connecting with yours. “Did you honestly believe I’d let anyone else witness you in such a state?” He watched you whine as you took in his now undressed form; allowing you to witness all the stitching that wrapped around his body, his small tufts of fur that lavished his chest, and his free cock that was covered in cum and was too heavy to point upwards.

You couldn’t prevent the moan that left your lips as you concluded that he had cummed from eating you out.

“No,” He grunted as he pulled your thighs apart before pulling your body down toward him. “This is for my eyes, and my eyes alone.” Pushing his phallic organ against your folds, you gasped as Alastor continued. “You may parade around in such ridiculous little clothing, but this,” His fingers wrapped around your neck. “Is mine.” As he finished, he finally forced his thick and heavy cock in the warm and wet walls of your cunt. “Fuck.” Alastor hissed. He never thought sex would feel so consuming, so fulfilling, so pleasurable.

The pressure of his fingers against your throat began to consolidate as he fucked his fat cock into you, almost preventing you from breathing. Although Alastor wasn’t an experienced man in sex, he was experienced in the resilience of the throat; he knew exactly how much pressure he needed to apply before it restricted oxygen from entering. And oh how did that do things to you.

As he continued to ram himself into you, he lifted your upper half to him, bringing your face to his, allowing his lips to graze yours. “Give me your soul, darling.” He grunted before initiating a kiss. “Give yourself to me and I’ll give you the seven rings of hell if you please it.”

You felt the throbbing of your sex begin again as he fucked into you, promising you basically anything you desired as long as you gave your eternal existence to him. The want to be possessed by this man was enveloping you entirely. You didn’t even hesitate before you cried out a passage of yeses. A sharp glow of green screeched throughout the room along with a high pitched shriek as Alastor groaned into your mouth. You could feel stitches that adorned his mouth for barely a second grazing the skin of your lips as he pushed his face into yours; his pace becoming aggressively harder.

You jolted with every thrust, allowing yourself to cry out as another orgasm was ripped from you, twice as intense as the one you had barely moments ago when it was his tongue inside you and not his cock. As you whined and cried throughout your euphoric feeling, you began to become limp. Alastor only held you tighter, refusing your warmth to leave his cold dead skin as he began to thrust into you as if you were his precious little fuck toy.

If this deal guaranteed that he would fuck you like this on a regular basis, you weren’t going to complain; especially when he was the best fuck you had ever had the satisfaction of experiencing. Instead of treating you as a form of self pleasure, he seemed to only derive his pleasure from yours. Like he got off on you feeling good.

It only confirmed your thoughts as you felt his cock pulsing inside you; splattering his cum further into you after you came down from your own high.

How the fuck did you end up in this predicament again? You only wanted to paint his damn claws.

»»------► 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

#alastor x reader #alastor x you #alastor smut #hazbin hotel x reader #alastor x reader smut #smut #alastor #hazbin alastor #reader insert #x reader

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unorthodoxfaithxx · 1 month

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Yandere Shen Xiang, Undead Unluck Headcannons

Shen is a naturally pleasant and cheerful guy, holding no grudges against anyone but his former master. He’s easy to talk to, so the two of you strike a conversation after a Union meeting, and become acquaintances quite quickly.

His dream has always been to be the greatest in all creation. But now that you’re in the picture, he dreams of being the strongest with YOU by his side. No matter what that may take. Even of you.

Your existence gives him newfound fuel to achieve his goals, now that he has you to protect. When he’s out and about, you can presume he’s fighting enemies stronger than himself or training harder than ever, in order to get strong.

Beneath that cheery demeanor, this man is manipulative through and through. He’s smart and knows how to get what he wants, WHEN he wants it. A great actor, really. He’ll play the nice guy for as long as it takes. He can be patient. He’ll wait until his opportunities arrive, in battle and in the field of love.

Very self-aware. Years of martial arts training and discipline have honed his ability to look within himself. He realizes his obsession with you is unhealthy and strange. He just doesn’t care.

An extremely protective man. If you’re already part of the Union, great! You’re already in good hands and he can rest assured that you’ll be safe with such a powerful group backing you. If you’re not, expect a proper kidnapping where you’re forced to join their forces. But don’t worry - it’s for your own good, surely.

Shen is selfish and he knows it, EMBRACES it, even. Expect him to monopolize you, and seek out your attention and affection when he’s free from his duties. He’s not one to be truly jealous as he is quite confident in your relationship with him, but enjoys complaining like a child when you’re with anyone except him nonetheless.

If you’re on a mission together, consign yourself to the fact that you’re NEVER to leave his side, and if you do anyways, know that he constantly has an eye on you, watching your every move. If the two of you are on separate quests, expect frequent phone calls and badgering to make sure you’re okay.

If someone hurt you? It’s game over for them. He takes pleasure fighting for the ones he loves and if your enemies are giving you a hard time, expect him to beat their ass into the next timeline for you. If you’re gravely injured, the smiles are all gone and Shen is now on a mission to kill.

Shen has two sides - the protector and the conquerer. He’ll treat you like delicate flower most days, but don’t be surprised when his demeanor switches and he becomes rough and demanding in bed.

#male yandere #yandere #yandere imagines #yandere writing #yandere x reader #yandere headcanons #yandere male #yandere drabble #yandere scenarios #undead unluck #shen xiang

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hearts-hunger · 6 months

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Read on AO3 | Masterlist

Summary: You don't like haunted houses. When you get scared by a big huge werewolf, you find you like the man behind the mask.

Pairings: Danny x Reader | Genre: halloween fluff, hurt/comfort | Word Count: 7k (yikes) | Warnings: smoking, anxiety, general Halloween spookyness

A/N: This is my fic for the GVF Fic Writer's Halloween Event! I used the prompt “carnival haunted house”. I hope you like it! ♡

“Come on, it’s not gonna be that bad! You’re being such a baby.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, half defensive and half warding off the chill of the autumn night. You couldn’t exactly argue with your friend; you were kind of being a baby about the haunted house she’d dragged you to with her boyfriend and a bunch of his Greek life pals. Still, she knew you weren’t particularly adventurous, and you figured she should have known you would be wary of doing something like this.

“I’ve never been to a haunted house,” you protested. “And the reviews said it's supposed to be the scariest one in the state.”

“Well, yeah,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Why would we go to some lame ass haunted house? We’re here to get scared.”

You have a doubtful hum as you looked over the front of the house. They’d certainly done the place up — the actors that milled around in the sharp lighting set the scene, and the house was realistically run-down and looked on the verge of structural collapse. The screams punctuating the soundtrack of ghoulish music that came from inside didn’t do it any favors, either.

“It’ll be fun,” she insisted. “You always do this. Frat parties, horror movie marathons, literally any hookup I try to get you... You always chicken out at the last second.”

You winced at a particularly shrill shriek that came through the boarded-up window. “Yeah.” You found yourself wishing you’d decided to stay home with a good book and a hot toddy.

“Just stick with Ben,” she said, gesturing to the one single guy in your group. “Who knows? You might even get some action later — if you're not too scared, that is.”

You gave her a dry smile. “That idea is even scarier than the haunted house.”

She scoffed. “Your standards are too high. Ben’s nice. And he's hot.”

You had to admit she was right about him being hot. But as for him being nice, well, you’d heard the rumors, and you didn't want to find out if they were true.

“Can’t I just stick with you?” you asked. You took her hand. “Come on, Ash. Girl’s trip through the haunted house.”

She untangled herself from you. “No way. I’m with Jackson.”

Before you could try and convince her not to leave you alone in a haunted house, the undead ticket taker ushered you to the door with a chilling moan. You felt a flare of anxiety as you came into the dark foyer and took a seat with your group in front of a hooded fortune teller.

“Welcome, my dearies,” she said in a cackling voice. “I’ve seen your fortune in my crystal ball, and I see many winding paths and dark shadows in your future. Some of you may not even make it out alive.”

The ouija board on the wall moved by itself, spelling out “doom”. You tried to relax; maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe it would even be fun.

Suddenly, a box beside the fortune teller popped open with a shriek and revealed a leering skeleton. You jumped and couldn't help a little cry of fear.

“Here we go,” Ashley said derisively.

You frowned at her. “I thought the whole point was to get scared.”

“Yeah, from shit that's actually scary.”

You didn't have time to reply, moved along from your seat to a dark, winding hallway by a frantic actor in grisly makeup. You got shouldered to the back of the pack, behind Ashley and Jackson, and tried to keep your cool.

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Ashley said, a tone of delight in her slightly hushed voice. Screams and creepy laughter echoed from farther off, and you all cautiously made your way down the dark hallway.

The hallway was narrow, and your group was moving slowly in suspense; a ghoul jumped from the hole in the wall you hadn’t noticed and howled at you.

You bit out a curse and grabbed the back of Ashley's sweater, deciding right then that you didn’t like this at all.

“Get off,” she said, pushing your hand away. “Find somebody else to hold onto if you have to, geez.”

Stung, you withdrew your hand and hugged your middle. The frenzied atmosphere had your anxiety on high alert, and you jumped at every little thing, adding your frightened voice to the cacophony of shrieks and screams and rattling cages that lined the walls.

You made it through the house by sheer willpower alone, growing more and more agitated as actors jumped out at you, skeletons fell from the ceiling to dangle in front of you, and strobe lights disoriented every scene. When you finally made it through, you tried to catch your breath, and then remembered with horror that there was a haunted walk in the woods to get through next.

“Ashely,” you pleaded. “I really don’t like this. Is there any way — ?”

“Don’t ruin it,” she said waspishly, obviously annoyed and being pulled forward by her boyfriend.

You felt close to tears. You weren’t trying to ruin it, and you were embarrassed that you couldn’t keep it together and hurt by her callousness.

Unable to do anything else, you kept moving forward through the cemetery scene and shied away in fear from every ghost and mangled undead creature that leapt from behind the headstones. Your breathing was rapid, and you started to feel lightheaded as you tried to keep up with your group.

A few moments of quiet followed when you made it out of the cemetery, and you foolishly let your guard down. Then, without warning, an actor jumped from the woods into the path, screaming to beat the devil, right between you and the rest of your group.

You froze, unable to see past the gruesome makeup and the awful screaming. When you finally found use of your legs again, you hurried past him and rounded a corner only to be scared by another actor in a horrible mask.

You were at your wit's end. You fled, stumbling down the dark wooded path, and found the trail completely empty. You looked frantically for your group; they must have left you behind, hurrying on to the next array of terrifying scenes. Your hands shook as you found yourself completely alone in the pitch-black woods, waiting in terrible suspense for the next thing to jump out at you.

You quickly came up on a dense patch of forest, skeletal branches tearing at your hair and your sweater. There was a figure ahead, a shadowed and huge werewolf, and you thought it was a statue; you had just passed it when it moved.

You screamed as it ran into the path from behind you and came right up beside you.

“Wait! Stop!” you pleaded, unable to stop the tears from finally overflowing. You cowered and begged the actor to leave you alone. He reached a clawed hand out towards you and said something in a distorted voice, and you shrank back as he moved closer.

“Please,” you sobbed, beside yourself. You couldn't take any more; your heart was fairly beating out of your chest, and you couldn’t stop crying.

The actor swept off his werewolf mask, revealing a concerned expression and a bounty of curly black hair. He kept his distance from you but still had one hand outstretched.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he said in a surprisingly gentle voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you more after you said to stop — I should have taken my mask off sooner. I’m sorry.”

You inhaled in a choppy breath, still reeling from the overwhelming fear and now faced with the biggest, gentlest looking guy you’d ever seen.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said, calm and kind. “And I won’t scare you any more.”

Your breath caught on a pitiful sob. “Do you promise?”

His expression was gentle. “Yes, I promise. My name’s Danny. I’m just an actor.”

You tried to collect yourself, working to steady your breathing and stop crying, watching as he looked around the woods.

“Where’s your group?” he asked. “They’re not supposed to let people go alone.”

“They l-left me,” you managed.

He frowned. “They left you?” He gave a disapproving hum. “Some friends they are.”

You didn’t say anything to that, figuring your emotional state was enough of an agreement.

“I’m just trying to get through this so I can go home,” you said miserably. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” he said kindly. “Is it your first time?”

You nodded, running your sleeve over your face to try and repair yourself. “My friends made me come.”

He sighed.

“Well, I can’t make your friends not be dicks to you,” he said apologetically. “But I can get you out without having to go through the rest of it.”

You looked up at him, so relieved you were almost dizzy with it. “Really?”

“Of course.” He extended his hand to the woods he’d come from. “Right this way.”

Despite his kindness to you, you still felt wary. He noticed and softened his posture towards you.

“I promise there’s nothing scary,” he said, and you knew he was being sincere. “It’s the way I get out, kind of like a backstage shortcut. I’ll take you right back to the front where you can wait on your group.”

You gave a shaky sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

You followed him off the main path onto another that cut through the woods, finally settling after a few minutes, the cold air stinging your warm face. Though you still heard the shrieks of people passing by, you felt more at ease walking beside Danny. He held his mask under one arm and trudged a little awkwardly through the brush in his big suit, making sure to stick by your side.

“I’m not going to get you in trouble, am I?” you asked, looking up at him. He was still a little imposing even without the mask, tall and broad, but you weren't afraid of him.

“No, you’re alright,” he assured you. “We can take people out if they use the safeword.”

You hadn’t even known there was a safeword, and figured that would have been a nice piece of information for Ashley to share with you.

“What is the safeword?” you asked. “In case I ever decide to come back in a fit of insanity.”

He chuckled, and the sound was warm.

“It’s ‘kitkat’,” he said. “Like the candy. Any time we hear it, we stop whatever scene we’re in and make sure that person gets out safely.”

“That’s nice of you,” you said. You had to step twice for each one of his long strides, and you were glad you had him with you as the sounds of the maze still rang out in the darkness.

He shrugged. “The owners are good people, and they want to make sure it's a safe and fun experience for everyone.”

You tried to listen to what he said, but you saw something coming towards your path; though you knew it was probably just another actor coming off set, you remembered one of them walking alongside you in the trees and jumping out at you.

“It’s okay,” Danny said gently. “They’re not going to scare you. I promise.”

The actor came into the path a few paces ahead of you and gave Danny a friendly wave in his undead getup. Danny tried to lift his hand to wave back, and both of you realized that you were holding on to his arm through the suit.

“Oh, sorry,” you said, blushing hot and quickly withdrawing your hand.

His smile was patient and unconcerned. “No worries.”

Sooner than you expected, you came up to the fence and saw a cheery bonfire and a few outbuildings just beyond.

He held the gate open for you. “Well, here we are,” he said amiably. “This is the staff entrance, but if you go around that building, you'll come around to the main ticketing booth. You shouldn't have any trouble, but if someone asks, tell them you safeworded out and Danny sent you back.”

You stopped halfway through the gate. “Thank you for your help, Danny. I'm sorry to have been a bother.”

He shook his head and gave you a friendly smile.

“You weren’t a bother,” he said. “I’m glad I could help, and I’m sorry you didn’t have such a great time.”

Your returning smile was a little wobbly. “Well... have a good night. I hope you scare lots of people.”

He laughed. “Thanks. You have a good night too.”

He turned to go back to his shadowy wooded post, and you wended your way through the staff section, passing a few actors in various states of costuming. A security guard directed you towards the main entrance, and you found a spot to sit and wait for your group.

Long minutes passed. You texted Ashley and told her where you were, but you didn't get a response; you wondered if they'd chosen to do the extra zombie maze and haunted hayride without you. You were cold, and you wished you had your own car so you wouldn’t have to wait for a ride.

“Hey, kitkat.”

You looked up at the familiar voice and saw Danny waving to you from the fence that bordered the staff area. You walked over and felt a sort of shy warmth at his smile.

“Hi,” you said. “Were you worried I might have died of fright?”

He chuckled. “A little. I just wanted to check and see if your friends had come back yet. They’re still not here?”

“I texted them, but I guess they must have gone ahead and done the extra stuff.” You huddled further into your sweater. “It’s really kind of you to interrupt your work to check on me.”

He looked a little bashful. “Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’m actually done for the night; somebody else is being the werewolf for the last shift.”

“Ah, I see,” you said. “Passing on the torch of terror.”

He smiled. “Something like that.”

A breeze rustled through the trees, and you shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“A little,” you admitted.

He gestured over his shoulder. “You’re welcome to come sit by the bonfire while you wait. A few of us are hanging out for a while.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, thinking it was a very sweet offer.

“Yeah,” he said. “As long as you’re okay with seeing people with their makeup and costumes still on.”

“But they’re not, uh... working, right?”

He smiled. “Nope. We don’t scare off the clock, I promise.”

“Okay, then. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He opened the gate for you and led you to the bonfire, and the two guys already sitting there in matching skull makeup and tattered costumes looked up at you in uncanny synchronicity.

“I thought you said you don’t scare off the clock,” you whispered to Danny.

He laughed, but it wasn’t unkind. “They’re just like that. It’s a twin thing, I guess.” He offered you a seat on a log bench by the fire. “Guys, this is...”

Danny looked at you. “Shoot. I don't even know your name.”

You smiled and introduced yourself to the twins. They lost some of their spookiness as they introduced themselves as Josh and Jake.

“So you're Danny’s kitkat,” Josh said with a winsome smile. “Nice to meet you.”

You smiled back, a little sheepish. “Thank you. You both look... terrifying.”

Jake mimed a gallant bow. “Why thank you. We certainly try.”

Danny touched an unobtrusive hand to your shoulder.

“I’m just gonna get out of this suit,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

You nodded. “Okay. I’ll be here.”

He turned to go, but before he’d made it two steps, he turned back towards you.

“Do you like apple cider?” he asked.

You were a little bemused at the question. “Yeah. I love it.”

He smiled. “Okay. Sit tight.”

You watched him go, endeared to his thoughtfulness and the warm ease of his smile. You had the somewhat silly thought that it suited him to play what was essentially, in the light of day, a big shaggy dog.

“So, kitkat,” Jake said, and you guessed the playfully teasing nickname had stuck. “How did you like our little haunted patch of heaven?”

You gave a wry smile. “How many people that burst into tears and get escorted out seem to like it?”

He laughed, and it was an amusing contrast to his makeup.

“Well, I guess you’re right,” he said. “But some people who leave early just didn’t know what to expect, and they come back again when they're more prepared. Some people flat don’t like this kind of thing.”

“I think I'm probably the second kind,” you admitted. “My friends brought me, and I knew I wasn't going to like it.”

Josh lit a cigarette and held it between his long fingers painted to look like bones.

“You’re not with your friends now, though,” he observed. “Do they know you’re here?”

You shrugged. “I texted them, but they’d already left me behind by the time I got to Danny. I don't know when they’re going to be done.”

“They left you behind?” Jake asked, indignant. “I mean, no offense to your friends, but that’s kind of a dick move.”

“No, you’re right,” you agreed. “Danny was very kind to help me even though I was hysterical when he jumped out at me.”

Both twins lifted their gaze to something behind you, and Josh grinned.

“Aw, Dan, you hear that?” he said. “You’re a very kind werewolf.”

You looked over to see Danny wearing a somewhat bashful smile and holding a mug wreathed with steam, a jacket draped over his arm.

“Just doing my job,” he said modestly. He sat beside you and handed you the mug, then put his huge jacket over your shoulders. “Here. This’ll get you warmed up.”

You took the mug gratefully and warmed your hands on the sides of it, breathing in the tart fragrance of apple cider as steam rose from the drink. His jacket, though you were practically swimming in it, was warm and smelled like sweet, spicy cologne. “Thank you, Danny.”

He smiled. “You’re very welcome.”

He stretched his long legs out towards the fire, and you admired how he looked in snug jeans and a rust-colored sweater. He wasn’t scary at all out of the suit, and you were curious as to how much his friends would change once they were out of their makeup.

“What part do you two work?” you asked the twins. “I don’t remember seeing you in the house, but then again, I was kind of trying not to see anything.”

They smiled, curving the black-and-white skeleton grins into something gentler.

“We’re past Danny a little ways,” Jake said. “There’s a section of the woods between Jason’s chainsaw attack and Elm Street, and we do a whole routine of following people and then screaming at the top of our lungs when we get close to them.”

“Josh is very good at it,” Danny said. “He’s got the pipes for it.”

You smiled despite the lingering unease of imagining being caught in their scene. “I’m glad I didn't make it to your section, then.”

They laughed.

“You should have seen Jake when he was the undead pirate in the swamp scene,” Josh said. “He’d sit completely still in the chair in the corner and then jump up and chase people out through the alligator swamp.” He looked to his brother. “What was that, two seasons ago? That was a big hit that year.”

“Have you played a lot of different parts?” you asked.

All three of them agreed.

“They move you around all the time,” Danny said. “It’s fun getting to play different characters and wear different costumes. Josh played this little dude with a pumpkin head that didn’t look scary at first, but it freaked people out when he stood as they passed by and just turned his head to watch them.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember that one,” Josh said, fondly reminiscing on scaring the bejeezus out of people. “Weren't you Michael Meyers when I was doing that?”

Danny laughed. “Yeah, because I was the only one tall enough that year.”

“What was Sam doing then?” Jake asked.

Josh shook his head. “He was a zombie, I think. Maybe.” He looked to you. “Sam is our younger brother. He works here too.”

“He should be getting off any minute,” Danny said, glancing at his watch. He looked towards the woods. “There he is now, actually.”

You looked over too, and you gasped as you saw a huge four-legged stilt creature with mossy horns atop a deer skull head.

“That’s just Sam,” Danny said quickly, wanting to reassure you.

You smiled in delight. “It's okay. I’m not afraid of that. I think it’s wonderful.”

A few coworkers near the fence helped Sam get out of his costume and off the stilts, and he shook his hair out of his face as he came over to your bonfire.

“Howdy, boys,” he said. He caught sight of you and gave you a curious smile.

“I didn’t know we were inviting lady friends to hang out,” he said.

The twins laughed, and Danny’s smile was a little embarrassed.

“Danny just helped me get out of the woods,” you told him with a smile. “And your brothers have been nice enough to share your bonfire while I wait for my group.”

“Ah, a kitkat, huh?” Sam asked. “Sorry if I scared you coming out in all my regalia.”

“She said you were wonderful,” Jake teased. “Not scary at all.”

He smiled. “Well, I’m glad you liked it. It’s a bitch to get in and out of, but I think it looks cool.”

He sat catty-corner to the twins and sighed deeply as he stretched. “Cigarette.”

Josh pulled one out of his pack for him and tossed him a lighter. “So polite, Sammy.”

Sam smiled as he lit his smoke. “You know what some girl said to me? She said she wanted to take me home as a pet.”

Danny grinned. “As, like, a sexy pet? Or just a huge, weird dog?”

“Huge weird dog,” he agreed. “Though you’ve probably got me beat on that one.”

“Nah, Danny gets all the lonely Halloween housewives,” Jake said. “They like him all... wolfy.”

You looked over at Danny. “Do they really?” you asked, amused.

You didn’t know for sure in the warm light of the fire, but you thought he might have blushed.

“Sometimes,” he admitted. “They probably wouldn't feel the same if they saw me out of the suit, though.”

You thought that couldn't be true. If he hadn’t scared you, you might have been... intrigued by the werewolf costume. Certainly you were intrigued now that he was out of it.

You talked for a long time around the fire, learning some of their different parts they’d played, getting funny stories of their best scares, finding out some of the behind the scenes secrets that made it less frightening and more interesting to you.

“How long have you worked here?” you asked.

“This is our fourth year,” Sam said. “It’s just a seasonal thing — our real job is playing music, but, you know, gotta pay the bills before we land Madison Square Garden.”

You drew Danny's jacket closer around you, thankful for its warmth. He had moved closer, or maybe you had moved, so the two of you were shoulder to shoulder.

“What kind of music do you play?” you asked.

“Rock n roll,” Josh said proudly. “Jake’s on guitar, Sam's on bass, and Danny's on drums.”

“Does that make you the mercurial lead singer?” you teased.

He grinned. “I do what I can.”

You thought of Danny playing drums and felt something close to butterflies at the thought.

“We’re doing local gigs, mostly,” Jake said. “We’re hoping to get a recording contract soon, but for now, we’re starving artists splitting rent and scaring people in the side.”

You smiled. “You should do a Halloween-themed concert here,” you said. “All decked out in makeup and costumes. I would come.”

“That’s actually a fantastic idea,” Josh said. “Hey, Dan, you picked a good one.”

You were a little embarrassed but mostly pleased at his lighthearted teasing, and you thought Danny felt the same. As the brothers started discussing what their spooky concert could entail, Danny checked a message on his phone.

“Brian lost his fake arm,” Danny said to the group. “Some moron thought it would be funny if he grabbed it and ran off with it.”

“Super,” Jake said dryly. “I assume the security guys are escorting the arm thief off property?”

Danny stood and pocketed his phone. “I reckon. But he asked me if I’d bring him a spare arm.”

He looked down at you with a hopeful expression. “You want to come along?”

“On a zombie arm delivery through the quarantine zone?”

He smiled. “Yeah. Through the backstage, so no scary stuff.”

He held his hand out to you, and you took it.

“I might cry again,” you warned. “You never know.”

He squeezed your hand. “I won't let anything get you, kitkat. You stick with me and you’ll be just fine.”

You were happy to comply, enjoying the feeling of your hand in his as he led you to the prop storage building. He had to let go of your hand to sift through the array of knives, chainsaws, and tombstones, and you followed him through the winding aisles of shelves stacked high with all manner of fake blood and gruesome pumpkin heads.

You skirted a group of seven foot tall skeletons looming in the light of the bare lightbulbs overhead. “You guys have a lot of stuff.”

“This isn't even half of it,” he said, looking for a particular shelf. He rounded a corner and you followed, coming face to face with a leering clown mask that made you draw a sharp breath.

“You okay?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” you said, a little embarrassed that you’d been frightened of a completely motionless mask. You moved close again and concentrated on him instead of the ghoulish props. “This stuff doesn’t freak you out? Even just a little?”

He shrugged, but he wore a tell-tale smile. “Not really. I’m used to it by now.” He found the shelf he was looking for. “Aha! Here we go.”

He pulled a grisly arm in a ripped sleeve from the collection and held it up. “High five.”

You slapped your palm against it. “Is that all we need?”

“Yep,” he agreed. “We’re all set.”

He took your hand again and led you back outside, walking along the fence until you reached a different entrance to the woods. You pressed closer when you started down the path, and he smiled down at you in the dim light of the half-moon.

“You’re okay, kitkat,” he said sweetly. “Remember what I said?”

“You’re not going to let anything get me?”

“Right. I gotcha, don’t worry.”

The woods were almost pleasant without the frantic haunts and jumpscares, and you noticed the lush sounds that filtered through the sound effects and various shrieks and screams that drifted through the darkness.

A trilling, haunting bird call caught your attention. “Is that part of the ambience?”

“A natural one,” he said. “That’s an eastern screech owl. They sing all the time out here.”

He pulled you to a stop. “We might be able to see this one. Hold on.”

His hand was warm in yours, big and callused, and you watched his face as he studied the trees. He was handsome, there was no denying it; his curls were brushed by the breeze, and you couldn't help but do the same when you saw the excited curve of his smile.

“There it is,” he said quietly, pointing to a tree a few paces ahead. “See it?”

You looked where he directed, and after a moment of searching, you saw a small brown owl perched on a branch. It called again, a waterfall of notes, and you watched the feathers on its head stand up like little horns.

“Spooky,” you said.

He smiled. “Isn't it pretty?”

“It’s beautiful,” you agreed. He squeezed your hand, pleased you’d liked it.

“Let’s go deliver this arm,” he said. “Shall we?”

“Lead on, good sir.”

You reached the quarantine zone section of the maze, and you started to feel uneasy again as the screams of happily frightened patrons and dedicated actors got louder. Danny shouldered a side door open and took you inside, winding through the narrow walls with an ease born of practice.

You came up to a little room open to the backstage side with a barred window of the opposite wall. A guy in all his zombie finery cracked a smile that was slightly marred by his macabre makeup.

“Brought me a snack, huh?” he joked.

“Just an arm,” Danny said, handing it over. “Sorry yours got snatched.”

He rolled his eyes. “It was a bunch of frat guys. Idiots.”

You wondered grimly if it was one of Ashley and Jackson’s troupe that had taken the arm. You wouldn’t be surprised.

“See you around,” Danny said, squeezing his broad frame back through the entrance. He took you back down the maze to the place you’d come in from, and you were about to ask him if he’d ever worked as a zombie when an actor slammed against the bars his jail cell beside you.

You yelped and moved behind Danny, feeling your heartbeat pick up again.

“Hey, Cindy, hold up,” Danny said to the actor, holding you hand tightly and putting himself between you and the actor. “I got a kitkat with me.”

She immediately let up on her routine and peeked through the bars of the cell.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “I didn’t see that it was you. Are you okay, hon?”

You tried to find your voice, tucking yourself safely behind Danny. “I’m fine, thanks. You’re very effective.”

She laughed. “Thank you. Sorry again for scaring you.”

You followed Danny out, trying to get your heartbeat to settle into a normal rhythm. When you were through the back door again, Danny turned to face you.

“I’m really sorry,” he said, and you heard how much he meant it. “I forgot there was a spot there. I should have warned you.”

“It’s okay,” you said weakly. You looked up at him. “You didn’t let her get me, so I guess we’re good.”

He gave you an apologetic smile. “Still, I feel terrible. Are you okay?”

You nodded. “Yes. Sorry you got stuck with the wimpiest girl in the whole world.”

“I don't mind,” he said kindly. He squeezed your hand. “Let's get you back to civilization, yeah?”

As you walked, you felt your phone buzz. You read the text from Ashley, and from the number of odd typos, it seemed like she’d gone back to the car and gotten into the frat boys’ stash of weed or alcohol or both. She didn't seem remotely concerned or apologetic that they’d completely abandoned you, and the demand to come back to the car for a ride home didn’t exactly make up for it.

“Is that your friends?” Danny asked.

You gave a doubtful hum. “I’ve decided ‘friends’ is a bit of a strong word, but yes. They're finally headed back to the car.”

Danny didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, he seemed to work up his courage with a deep breath.

“Okay, so, before I say anything,” he said, “I want you to know you can absolutely turn me down and it won’t hurt my feelings. I’m happy to walk you back to your friends’ car and leave it at that.”

You felt a spark of something eager, something curious. “Okay,” you agreed. “What’s behind door number two?”

His smile was shy. “Well, I was thinking, if you don’t live nine hundred miles from here... I could drive you home. Maybe we could grab some dinner.”

You wanted to say yes immediately, but you made yourself think it through. It was a little crazy to be accepting a ride home from a guy you’d just met at a haunted house — a lot crazy for you, considering you were the opposite of adventurous or risk-seeking — but there was something about Danny that you knew was trustworthy. He’d been nothing but kind to you and hadn’t done anything that made you even vaguely uncomfortable, and you wanted to get to know him better.

“I’d like that,” you said, and you felt yourself blush when he smiled.

“Really?” he asked. “Like I said, I don’t mind taking you over to your friends. But if I do, I... I would like to get your number, and ask you out for something in the daytime if you want.”

You’d never had such genuine, conscientious attention turned your way before, and you found you very much enjoyed it.

“I would love to go out sometime when it’s not pitch black,” you said, teasing a little, and he laughed.

“And tonight?” he asked, cautious of seeming insistent.

You smiled. “I would be grateful if you could drive me home, if it’s not too far out of your way. I live at the university.”

“That’s not out of the way at all,” he said. “Our house is right around the corner.”

You liked the thought that meeting up with him again would be easy, almost like it was meant to be. As you made it back to the bonfire where Sam, Josh, and Jake were waiting, you texted Ashley to tell her your plans; just as a precaution, though you didn’t think you’d need it, you shared your location with her.

“I gave her instructions to let them do a documentary on me if I get murdered,” you said.

Danny laughed. “Okay. I can promise you that it won’t be me, at any rate. I do think we should get some killer pumpkin waffles, though. I know a good place.”

“Are you going to the diner?” Sam asked. The three of them had been shamelessly listening in on your conversation, and they gave you three matched smiles as you came up to the fire.

“Can we come too?” Josh asked.

Jake elbowed him. “They’re going on a date, dummy.”

Josh scoffed. “It’s not really fair of him to bring up the diner and not invite us.”

“We’ll sit at a different booth,” Sam promised.

You laughed. “I don’t mind if you come,” you said. “And we can sit at the same booth.”

You looked up at Danny. “Unless you mind.”

His smile was equal parts fond and exasperated with his friends. “No, I don't mind. The more the merrier.”

The boys were thrilled to hear that, and they left to get out of their costumes so you could leave. You and Danny sat by the fire in a bashful, quiet companionship.

“I would like to go out sometime, just us,” you said. “If... if you want to. You four seem kind of like a package deal, though.”

He chuckled. “We are, kind of. We’ve been friends since we were kids — they’re really more like my brothers. But yes, I want to go out sometime too, just us.”

“Even though I'm a kitkat?” you asked. “It’s been quite a first impression.”

He smiled and brushed your hair behind your ear in an affectionate, innocent touch. “It wasn't so bad,” he said. “I’m glad you were my kitkat.”

You blushed and tried to hide your smile. The boys came back and rescued you from doing anything foolish, like kissing a guy you’d just met, and the five of you made your way through the grass to the staff parking lot.

“You two look downright friendly without all your makeup,” you said to Jake and Josh. You saw their differences more clearly now, noticing how Jake’s face was softer and Josh's features were in sharper relief. They were still a matched pair, and Sam clearly took after them in their good looks, but Danny was the one who really held your attention with his tall, broad, and dark aspect.

You all piled into Danny's car, and as they let you have the front seat, you learned that they usually rode together since they were all coming from and going to the same place.

“It’s my turn with the aux,” Jake said, reaching for it.

“No sea shanties, please,” Sam said dramatically.

“Let kitkat have the aux if she wants,” Josh chided. “She’s the guest.”

“Oh, um...” You took the cord when Jake handed it to you. “Are you sure? What if I pick something you hate?”

“Try us,” Danny said. “Between the four of us, we have a wide variety of musical interests.”

You pulled up your Halloween playlist, thinking it was appropriate, and played “Werewolves of London”.

“Oh hell yeah,” Danny said. “Turn this up.”

“Hey, Dan,” Jake said. “This could be your theme song.”

He smiled. “I'll just put a Union Jack on my costume somewhere.” He glanced over at you. “You like Warren Zevon?”

“I love him,” you said. “Excitable Boy is my favorite album of his.”

“That’s because you have excellent taste,” he said seriously.

You were pleased that he liked what you’d picked, and all of you sang along as he drove past rolling farmland back into the city proper. He pulled up to a diner you’d always wanted to try but had never had a chance to, and the five of you found a booth in the corner and placed your orders for a variety of classic diner food and a round of coffee.

You talked and laughed as you had your late-night dinner, and the more you got to know Danny and his brothers, the more you liked them. When you were finished, you lingered over your coffee and waited for the milkshakes you ordered; you hadn’t wanted a whole dessert to yourself, and Danny offered to split his with you.

Your pumpkin pie shake came with two striped straws, and you giggled when Danny’s nose brushed against yours as you both took a sip. You saw Sam, Jake, and Josh watching you with amusement and affection and couldn’t help but blush.

“Sorry if this is too early to say,” Josh said, “but you two are cute together.”

Danny blushed too, but his smile was pleased. When you were done, he stood and said he was going for a cigarette.

“You want to come?” he asked.

You took the hand he offered and smiled up at him. “Sure.”

He led you outside, and you thought you heard the boys talking about the two of you as you left them. The night air was chilly, and you moved close to him for warmth and maybe something more.

“I have a pack in my jacket,” he said, and you realized you were still wearing it from when he’d given it to you earlier.

“Oh, I totally forgot,” you said, making to take it off and give it back. “I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s okay,” he assured you. He pulled it back on your shoulders and made sure it was snug. He smiled. “You look better in it anyway.”

He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the pocket, along with a lighter, and his face was all sharp angles and warm colors in the light of the small flame.

“You want one?” he asked.

“Sure,” you said, taking the one he offered you. “Thanks.”

He lit it for you and closed the lighter with a little click. He brushed his thumb over the surface of it in an absent, thoughtful touch, and you wondered what he was thinking.

“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” you said.

He smiled. “You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure.”

“Do you ever go through the haunted house?” you asked after a moment. “Not as an actor, I mean.”

He shrugged. “I’ve never had the chance to. I guess I would like to, just to see if from the other side.” He grinned down at you. “Why, are you thinking of coming back in a fit of insanity?”

You gave a soft laugh. “Maybe,” you said. “If I had a big werewolf bodyguard with me to keep me safe.”

He didn't say anything for a moment, but he looked at you with such tenderness and attention you could hardly believe it was directed at you. You didn't consider yourself pretty, certainly not someone to attract such a look from a boy as pretty or as kind as he was, and you felt beautiful under his gaze.

“Can I have a fit of insanity too?” he said. “Just for a second?”

You unconsciously tipped your face up towards him. “Just for a second.”

His smile was impossibly affectionate. “Can I kiss you, kitkat?”

“Please,” you said softly.

He moved slowly, giving you time to pull away, and when he kissed you it was gentle and warm and undemanding. Your whole body felt warm and tingly with something you didn't think you’d ever experienced before.

You sighed when he let you come up for air, and you were glad that he stayed close, his nose brushing against yours.

“I really like you, kitkat,” he said, quiet and sure.

You twined your fingers with his, thanking your lucky stars for haunted houses and big, scary werewolves and everything that was going to come with them.

You smiled and kissed him again. “I really like you too, Danny.”

danny taglist:@tearsofbri@busybeingtrash@myway-late@gotavansleep@gretavanbri@stardustchxrds@pxppylove @bajabule69 @radmads-gvf@sunnykiszka@audgeppp@ageoffleeet@stardustjake @for-ur-love @aspenkiszka @aspenchosetheroad

gvf taglist:@malany-gvf@spark-my-nature@eearevee@madneedshelp@demonrat444@josh-iamyour-mama @honeyandsweettae @mydarlingdanny@gretavandann@sacredjake@myleftsock@joshskittytickler21@hellowgoodbye@watchingovergvf2@fearfulspirit@mywaysoon@carbondancingthroughtime@caprisunsister @eraofstardustchords @sacredthefran@shesawomaninadream @serendipiti @demonrat444@wildflowerxx-x@tearsofdanny @iluvjoshkiszka @jordie-gvf-admin@demolitionndann @hi-hi-hello11@wildbluesorbit@nessie-glorpa@laneygvf

@gvfrry@ohhey1293@the-chaotic-cow@mountain-in-springtime@xserenax-13@stardustjtk @brooke-gvf@weightofdreams-gvf@jakeydoesit@gretasmokerising@hayley1623@doodle417@finestoflines@brokenbellz@bowievanfleet@s0livagant@strugglingtodoshit@s-u-t@kay-jordan@gretavanfleas@jakeyboiiiiiii@gretavansteph@gretavanbitches@myownparadise96@luverleaver@weightofdreamz@greatervanfleet@maedesculpaeusoubi@jakekiszkasbestie@pineapple-photographer@baguettejuliette@alexxavicry@levi-wants-ur-bones@carlybubs@cowboysamkiszka@dannyandthekiszkas@jordierama@slutforsteve@starshine-wagner@quartzzzzzzz@edgeofdreams@writingcold @lostoverseer @catharu77 @mackalah@jaketlove @haileygvf @blacksoul-27 @ur-m0ms-blog @hi-hi-hello11 @wildbluesorbit @nessie-glorpa @laneygvf @madneedshelp @dreamsingxld

#i hope you love it!! i think it's pretty cute :3 #danny wagner x reader #danny wagner fanfiction #greta van fleet fanfiction #gvf fanfiction #danny wagner fluff #maddie writes stuff!#gvfhalloweenfics

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marrondrawsalot · 2 months

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Me: *scrolling on my TikTok feed*

Post: *gives me a old series that was long forgotten but very interesting*

Me: *kicks our hangout door down* BITCHES LISTEN

Ve: Death, lots of it, kinda zombies, we dealing with Zombies!

——————————————————————————

Twisted Zombies!

Once upon a time, in a beautiful world of Twisted Wonderland. Lies stories of all the most powerful and wisest. But they’ll mysteriously met their end. And a new chapter awakens, when a curse is placed on the land. A curse to be remembered and taken seriously.

“In our next lives, we will rise once more from the ground and taken those who wronged us with us!”

Now this curse alone doesn’t make sense. But royal families slowly dies of mysterious circumstances, famous actors were poisoned, many faced strangers deaths that resonate the once powerful deaths. Though the strangest, was their corpses were gone from their graves. Now all summoned at a new castle. A large and dark grand school, called “Once upon a Rise” a school for the undead. Every student and staff enters and welcomes the newest fallen and to meet their new dorm wardens. who were all the fallen heroes and villains. All have similar deaths but all have changed. Everyone is told to enjoy their new lives. which is never changing. But the question remains for them, who had killed them? Who has done such a thing? No one will know. And that’s up to them to find their killer. Until this all repeats again.

This au is inspired by Once Upon a Zombie, an old book series (I kinda don’t know but I looked it up and now we are doing this. But rise my besties if you seen this so you can help me on this chaos. Cuz everyone a zombie. NRC, RSA, families, and even the staff and your Yuu.)

@adrianasunderworld @mangacupcake @writing-heiress @the-weirdos-mind @skboba-stars @nproduction626 @rose-tea-and-strawberries @anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna @achy-boo @abyssthing198 @zexal-club @liviavanrouge

#twisted wonderland #Twst au #Twisted Zombie

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waitmyturtles · 6 days

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GMMTV 2024 Part 2, let's go

I've had my MULTIPLE cawfees and I'm watching the GMMTV Part 2 trailers. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, this one's for you!

TL;DR what I'm excited for: Ossan's Love with trepidation; Revamp: The Undead, I'm first in line; The Ex-Morning with open arms; Us, once we have a better sense of the screenplay; Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist, drop it like it's hot, Mark; Thame-Po, boys look gewd

****

1) Ossan's Love: THE KEY WORDS BEING "INSPIRED BY"

If I take away the inclination to do any sort of comparisons to the Japanese version whatsoever ("INSPIRED BY"), I'm thrilled that EarthMix get to do romcom. Earth at this level of baka is utterly unbelievable to me, you are too smokin' hot, boy, but try to bring it, because if you do, and it's a success, then I'll be fucking really impressed.

2) Leap Day: Looks scary. Gun!

3) The Heart Killers: ...

Man. Man! First in muscle shirts and an earring, kisses pushed up against walls, etc. Where have we seen this before. Lemme guess, they all get together in the end. I would like to force myself to be excited about this somehow, Jojo on 10 Things, but. I haven't been there with JoongDunk yet, either, so actually, they seemed kinda refreshing against the FK vibes, ha. Anyway, this reignited my OF burnout, which I'm honestly trying to ignore as I get close to re-watching The Eclipse for my Old GMMTV Challenge project. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, my trust issues switch is flipped to "on."

(Get Jojo away from ships, please. He had Tay kissing Joss and Mild in the same year AFTER Dark Blue Kiss. He fucking doesn't need to use ships.)

4) Friendshit Forever: no subs, seems intense, the gals are smokin', NEW AND BOUN?! Hate to say it, but even without knowing what this is exactly about, I'm intrigued? My Boun! New and Boun!

5) Perfect 10 Liners: They're letting New Siwaj do 30 episodes, folks. I have no predictions on this one, y'all will have to tell me if it's good. Perth is back with New Siwaj directing after 2018's Love By Chance. If they give Chimon a little comedy, I'll be happy. I asked for Junior again, but maybe I wasn't expecting him to go to school, but I will admit I like JuniorMark together, and if they get to helm 10 episodes as the center stars, then good for them! Maybe that'll be the bit of this series that I watch.

6) Us: I believe in this screenplay more than how 23.5 is working out. I think Fon Kanittha needs more stuff on her plate to play around with to make a great show. This trailer was great. I'm watching My Precious the Series now (after having watched the movie this past weekend, which I was disappointed by -- the series is MUCH better, and going better than 23.5), and I'm seeing that Fon does stuff very well, background community building that gives us macro- and micro-level understandings of her characters. If those levels are Sing Harit, I'm here for it, that was an unexpected appearance, but if he's recalling the strength he brought to Todd in Not Me, then I'm a happy camper.

7) Hide and Sis: I love Piploy. Wednesday Club was a total holiday trash watch for me last year, but I loved her a lot. Looks like they're promoting this as a multi-generational show with known older actors, the approach of which I like. Everyone hates each other and maybe tries to kill each other; Keeping Up With the Thai Kardashians, maybe? Surprise, Gawin's a cop. Chimon as murderer, I'll support that.

8) Thame-Po: This looks cute. I'll consider a pre-order! Separately, I happen to adore cute Lego from LYKN, so good on those dudes for getting a show, and I like that William is pushing his boundaries outside of music.

9) Break-Up Service: I am happy that Off has gotten this kind of sneaky love romcom (?) role.

10) Revamp: The Undead: I'm here for it. I'm so happy for BounPrem. I'm happy to see some strong support dudes in Kay and Mark in this project. I haven't watched My Only 12%, so I don't know from Santa, but I know a lot of friends love him. I am totally seated. GMMTV is really the BL Machine, huh, absorbing this project.

11) Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist: Do not get me wrong, I am very excited about this; I am just wondering if Baby Ohm needs a little workshopping to get more diversity in his expressions. But I am very excited, Mark looks SO DOWN and ready to lead. View! Jimmy! I'm good with this.

12) The Dark Dice: High School Squid Game, I can't

13) The Ex-Morning: I gotta admit. This kind of moment is one of the reasons why I'm so happy doing the OGMMTVC. The big-ass smile I had on my face seeing KristSingto again, even though I really wasn't the biggest fan of SOTUS -- I've done a whole accountability turn on Krist after seeing him in Be My Favorite, and I appreciate that this show will go meta on the KristSingto background. It fucking sucks that Shadow sucked, because Singto is such a good actor, just seems like his scripts are here and there lately, but anyway. Aof Noppharnach writing this? Last Twilight ended cringe, but I'm still an Aof girlie, so I am 100% excited for this.

14) Scarlet Heart Thailand: That wasn't really a trailer, but considering the reputation the base story has in Asia and globally, I like, business-wise, what this means for GMMTV, a historical that will have appeal to multiple generations. I understand the original novel for this, Bu Bu Jing Xin, isn't translated into English, and that's a bummer, because it seems like this Thai version, which has already been dramatized in China and Korea, is based squarely on the novel. Fuck Win. These were the kinds of shows I loved as a kid when I watched Asian shows with my folks, so I have to admit that I'm intrigued, but I would have liked to see a meatier trailer.

That's it!

#gmmtv part 2 #scarlet heart thailand #the ex-morning #the dark dice #sweet tooth good dentist #revamp the undead #break-up service #us the series #thame po #hide and sis #perfect 10 liners #friendshit forever #leap day the series #ossan's love japan #i am not tagging that jojo show for my damn safety #y'all will have to tell me if that show is worth watching

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notalkingbusiness · 3 months

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The Book of Carol & The Heroine's Journey - Part 2: The Search

The Search sees our heroine in mission mode - she's left home and she's determined to find her loved one. She'll do whatever it takes to have them safe in her arms again.

According to Carriger, The Search's beats are as followed: the heroine being isolated, the heroine using disguise, the heroine finding friends to help her in her quest, and the heroine visiting the underworld.

Ready to find out how these beats could be used in The Book of Carol?

(1) The heroine’s loss of family yields isolation/risk.

The heroine's mission takes her far from home, far from those who love and protect her.

We all know that Carol can handle herself, but she's still going to be physically and emotionally vulnerable throughout her entire journey.

Carol is venturing into the unknown and she's going to be extremely isolated.

She's got no-one to watch her back.

She's also got no-one to hold her back and stop her from unnecessarily putting herself in danger.

The fact that Carol has no-one to hold her back is a worry because, like most of us, Carol doesn't always make the best decisions when she's in a bad headspace. Granted, things are different this time around. She's not indifferent as to whether she lives or dies like she was at the end of S6/S10b. She's not hellbent on revenge like she was in S10.

Spoiler Alert - I think mistaking a walker for Daryl will be the ultimate moment of isolation/risk for Carol, even if the actual scene is relatively short. What could be more isolating than the love of your life being a member of the undead? All the fight would drain out of her in that split second, she'd be ready to curl up and die.

We've seen how Carol reacts to her loved ones being zombified before, but Carol cared about these individuals in a familial and platonic capacity. I'm interested in seeing how the show makes it clear that this one is different - how this prospective loss wounds Carol like no other. Obviously, Melissa's acting choices will be doing the heavy lifting in this scene. As we know, her choices are always very expressive and she pays close attention to detail. Like, every micro expression has to be *perfect* level of detail. As attested by Khary Payton: "We were going through a scene once and she started to cry and she stopped and said she was sorry because she was crying for the wrong reasons. Most actors would be like, “Who cares? I’m crying. It’s the emotion needed.” She wanted it to be specific to the moment in time."

I have no doubt that Melissa will act her heart out throughout the whole show, I'm just hoping that the script is as strong as her performance. After Caryl reunite, I think Carol and Daryl need to have a conversation about that moment when she thought he was a walker. They need to use their words and explain their feelings for one another. We can't just rely on subtext, not when there are important conversations to be had.

Carol needs to explain why she can't lose Daryl. Daryl needs to explain why he can't lose Carol.

(2) The heroine employs disguise/subversion and alters her identity

The heroine is a shapeshifter. She employs disguise/subversion to keep her safe during her journey.

Carol is an expert when it comes to disguises and subversions. We've seen this many times on the flagship show: she somehow managed to steal a grenade without anyone noticing, she secretly stormed Terminus, she infiltrated the wolves, the list goes on.

In narratives, a good disguise or mask should be speaking to some deeper truth about the character. All masks should ultimately be revealing of their wearers.

I'm not entirely sure what Carol's disguise should look like in TBOC. It could be as simple as donning camouflage like she did just before the Terminus raid, or she could adopt a persona (like when she called herself Nancy). Either way, Carol's disguise should reveal a deeper truth about her - about where she's been and where she's going.

It's worth noting that these disguises/subversions don't have to be literal/physical. I think Carol could alter her identity in a symbolic and permanent way by dropping her last name. She could refuse to provide her last name every time she's asked for it. She could insist she's only to be known as Carol. Carol's name change is long overdue, and I think it would be quite fitting to finally drop Peletier (a surname of French origin) while on a quest to rescue Daryl in France.

Of course, after dropping her surname, Carol would be free to take any name she chooses. If we're lucky, we might get to see her call herself Carol Dixon before S2 closes. I want that to be the reason why she's wearing a ring.

I want her to be wearing that ring because Carol and Daryl chose each other.

(3) The heroine appeals to and forms a surrogate network (found family)

Heroines are social creatures. They don't want to go it alone, but the initial stages of their search forces them into isolation. Until they start making friends, that is.

This is where Ash comes in.

While we don't know the full extent of Ash's role, it seems likely that he's going to help Carol fly across the Atlantic - something she wouldn't be able to do by herself. This is textbook Heroine's Journey - this framework is all about collaboration and connection. Heroines like Carol don't privilege themselves above others - they're big enough to recognize when they need help. The heroine's friends make up for skills she's lacking and vice versa.

The Heroine's Journey provides writers with a great opportunity to create a diverse cast of supporting characters because the heroine is going to be encountering lots of different people on her quest. It's also important to stress that you can't have meaningful diversity and inclusion without depth. Minority characters, such as Ash, need to feel three-dimensional. We don't want him, or any of the supporting cast for that matter, to feel like non-player characters.

I want to emphasize that diversity behind the scenes is just as important as diversity on-screen. TWD wasn't always an inclusive space for minority writers and creatives.

In Conversations with Women Showrunners, Angela Kang shows what BIPOC creatives were up against. Writers of color, particularly black writers, would struggle in Georgia because there were symbols of the Confederacy everywhere. Some symbols were immediately obvious - like Confederate flags flying. Other symbols of a segregated past were baked into the built environment. For instance, the team would go location scouting and some buildings would have four bathrooms because they were built in an era of racial segregation.

In the early days of TWD, Angela Kang "went for days without seeing another person who was an Asian American other than the actor on my show, Steven Yeun [...] When I was on staff while Steven was there, there was a year when there was another Korean American writer on staff with me and it was so unusual at the time. Like, there’s two of us! That sounds so horrible, but it’s very common to be “the only one.” And it becomes your job to represent every underrepresented group somehow.”

Can you imagine the pressure of trying to represent every underrepresented group? No writer should be under that kind of pressure.

Things did get better on TWD; it slowly became a more inclusive and diverse show. Ultimately, Kang says she was proud of TWD's on-screen diversity. And she says that things were getting better behind the scenes - "It's not perfect, but we're trying".

TBOC needs to keep trying too. It would be beyond disappointing if TBOC went backwards in terms of representation. The end product would undoubtedly be poorer for it.

TBOC needs to carry the torch and keep trying to make the show more diverse and inclusive, both on-screen and behind the scenes. Diversity makes for a better show, as does listening to a multitude of different voices.

(4) The heroine visits the underworld, aided by friends and family

Visiting the underworld essentially means the moment of confrontation with the people who took the heroine's loved one.

I think we're probably going to get two big moments of confrontation in Carol's story. I think there's going to be one big fight just before Carol meets up with Daryl. After Carol and Daryl have reunited there's probably going to be another big confrontation so we can see Caryl fighting side by side.

I enjoy seeing Carol kicking ass and taking names as much as the next Carol fan, but action scenes are not the most important scenes for me. I don't want the action scenes and the moments of confrontation to overwhelm the narrative. Heroines don't care about revenge; they just want their loved one back. Carol and Daryl shouldn't be hunting down every last kidnapper/French tyrant. They should do their bit and then leave France as soon as possible. They need to leave Daryl's Parisian ordeal behind and pursue what's important to them.

The people in power need to remember that TWD resonated because it was a deeply human story. It was about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

I'm watching TBOC because I care about Carol and Daryl. I want to see them together in every sense of the word. I want to see their shared future.

Final Thoughts on The Search

I don't know when Carol and Daryl will reunite, but The Search is likely going to take up a lot of Carol's screentime. It's really important that The Search keeps us engaged. I definitely don't want to see a stoic version of Carol who's only there to blow things up - that's not interesting to me. Blowing things up is not character growth for Carol.

Carol's search needs to stand on its own - it needs a solid emotional core.

The Search will feel rewarding and compelling in its own right if Carol has meaningful interactions with others. Strong dialogue is absolutely critical. Carol needs to talk about her feelings. She obviously won't be an open book to her new friends, but she could make some tentative steps towards admitting how she feels about Daryl. Laying this emotional groundwork will make Caryl's reunion a hundred times more powerful.

That's a wrap on The Search!

Do let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on this one.

Do you have any ideas as to how Carol might use disguise?

Do you have any thoughts on how the aftermath of *that scene* (spoiler listed above) should be handled?

What would you like to see in Carol's new friendships?

I hope you'll join me for The Ascent where everything will be coming up (Cherokee) roses for Carol and Caryl. I'm going to be talking about Caryl's reunion and what makes a good TV reunion. I'll also be talking about what comes next for Caryl and what we ultimately want for these two characters.

Thanks for reading :)

#caryl #carol peletier #melissamcbride #the book of carol #twd caryl

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analexthatexists · 21 days

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IT'S-A SPOOKY MONTH SPECULATION TIME GUYS!!!

Okay, so after Episode 6, I was like "Wow, they sure want us to remember what happens in past episodes, this one was full of callbacks and other things", and uh...

I'm really hoping this is just a silly reference to some oher media, because if it isn't, then OHHHH BOY THESE KIDS ARE IN TROUBLE.

HEADS UP FOR MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR, WELL, PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE SERIES SO FAR (EPISODES 1-6)

Also, I'm noticing that ever since like, Episode 3, this spider and that mannequin have just been chilling in the attic. Interested to see their involvement in the next episode, which I assume is what's being built up to...

Side Note: In Episode 1, you can see the mannequin move to the right a bit, I suppose hinting to the spider? I also believe in Episode 3 after Bob knocks down the mannequin, the spider's the one that puts it back up.

Might I also mention that most side-appearing characters (Or in the previous case, items or even creatures/animals) usually end up coming back in later episodes or having some importance, good examples being Father Gregor and Ignacio. So, what about the Happy Fella dude?

Come to think of it...

What about people like Frank? I mean, he's got a similar role as Kevin (and now Radford) as a side character who has a simple, singular appearance, but it's clear from Kevin and other characters that people like him can always return with more importance than they usually seem to have. This ALSO applies to:

The "Hobomen" who already seem to be getting importance due to The Mayor asking them to destroy a building,

Rick. Just...Because he's Rick.

I mean, if Radford ended up joining Kevin on his wacky adventures, then who knows what Rick could end up getting into?

This poor child who keeps getting fricked over by literally everyone and everything around him,

Even this actor guy who APPARENTLY WAS IN EPISODE 1!? WHAT!? I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL LOOKING BACK, WHAT THE-

You see? It's stuff like this that makes me feel like these characters can always return without you even realizing! And that's just SO COOL to me!

...Side note, I uh...accidentally found something. You see that painting? YEAH, UHH....

HUH!? HOW!? I- THEY- SR PELO WHAT THE HELL MAN

I GO LOOKING FOR ONE THING AND I END UP FINDING SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY. WOW, THEY PLANNED ALL OF THIS OUT DIDN'T THEY!?

...Right...Moving on...

I'm just now realizing this, but the eyes in that bucket aren't Dexter's (mistook them for his because they have the same pupils), it's the Happy Fella that uh...Y'know... Went splat.

Also, it seems like, if it's not a one-off joke or gag, that ghosts and undead monsters do in fact exist, and well, we've seen a certain demon friend of ours come back from the dead... (Multiple times)

Also, the Happy Fella had to be cooked TWICE, and even after THAT, its eyes still move, soooooo....

So who knows? Maybe one of our deceased friends will come back from the dead! Perhaps Dexter and/or his grandma? Who knows?

Finally, I want to point out Pump's eyes. After encountering The Eyes, Pump's pupils seem to change cyan ALMOST everytime he and Skid encounter a demonic entity, exceptions being Bob and the Happy Fella. Most of the time, his eyes change when around Moloch, and this might actually be exclusive to Moloch. I'm not exactly sure...

Both Father Gregor and Bob have these eyes as well! Bob gets them after seemingly returning from the dead when shot in the chest, and Gregor gets them after his encounter with The Eyes, similar to Pump. I suppose this is supposed to show their connections to The Eyes and other demonic entities? So...Why didn't Pump's eyes glow AT ALL when around Bob? Even when HIS eyes turned blue? Why does Moloch trigger Pump's eyes to change but other entities don't?

I don't know! I'm just pointing it out, really. I ran out of speculation juice a WHILE ago, and I just wanted to point out these little details. Sorry!

#spooky month #sr pelo spooky month #spooky month 5 #spooky month 6 #sm pump #sm skid #sm bob velseb #sm father gregor #sm dexter #sm moloch #sm frank

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xjustakay · 7 months

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(10/3) prompt: zombie — 1,220 words (mild sexual content; scare maze shenanigans) @jegulus-microfic

James is honestly beginning to regret every decision that’s led him up to this moment. He knows why he let himself be talked into going to a scare park this year, but he’s having a hard time keeping it in mind the longer he’s there. The thing is, he usually doesn’t scare so easily. His boyfriend loves horror movies and supernatural type shows, they’ve watched plenty of them together.

When he’s living in a moment straight out of one, though? It’s a little different.

The Undead Outbreak walkthrough is fucking killer, he’ll give them that. He’d lost his friends a little ways in, going opposite directions in the maze. Stupidly, James is now left alone, no one to cling onto, bracing himself for whatever jumpscare comes out at him next. The strobe lights and fog machines make it hard to tell what’s a person and what’s a prop, but he’s doing his best.

Rounding a corner, James finds himself at a fork in the walkway. From what he can tell, one way is slightly better lit than the other —meaning that’s probably the better option, probably leads to somewhere he actually wants to be. Still, he hesitates a beat, squinting toward the darker passageway. He thinks he can make out what’s meant to be a door a ways down, blocked off with yellow caution tape that reads ‘do not open’ in bold letters, splattered with fake blood.

More than likely a dead end. There’s got to be a zombie lurking in the shadows down there, waiting for an unsuspecting victim to launch themselves at.

James turns to face the way he’d just come from, debating whether or not it’s wise to backtrack and find more of a crowd to follow. Just so he knows he’s potentially going the right way instead of either of these new ones. He’s not having an easy time figuring it out on his own. Safety in numbers, or whatever, even if none of this is real.

Before he can commit to a decision, however, there’s a hand clasping at the back of his sweatshirt, tugging. He’s not embarrassed to admit that he lets out a pathetically scared noise, trying to squirm away from the firm hold. The snarl of a zombie is uncomfortably close to his ear as he’s towed toward the blocked off door he noticed at the dead end’s walkway.

Logically, James recalls a reminder from earlier in the day that the scare actors aren’t supposed to touch the guests. Unfortunately, the logical part of his brain isn’t firing on all cylinders as he’s being dragged through a horror maze he can barely see clearly in.

He’s shoved back into the wall, a forearm barred across his chest to pin him there. It takes him a moment, maybe two, to adjust to the dimmer flashes of light in this area. Then he recognizes what’s happened; familiarity in the zombie’s dark curls and sharp jaw, even painted with false blood and rot, filmy contacts blocking out grey irises.

“Hi, baby.”

“Oh, fuck you,” James wheezes, thunking his head back against the wall.

Regulus laughs, snapping his teeth playfully at him. “Told you I’d find you.”

“Almost gave me a bloody heart attack, you dick.”

James tosses his boyfriend’s arm away from his chest, but makes a grab at the collar of Regulus’ tattered costume shirt instead. Before he can pull him in fully, he pauses, hazel eyes flickering over the gash at Regulus’ hairline, the couple zombie bites along his neck. James brushes his thumb along the edge of the prosthetic piece at the juncture of Regulus’ neck and shoulder, nose wrinkling faintly.

“These look so real,” He comments.

“Kind of the point,” Regulus chuckles. “I can give you one if you want.”

James snorts, eyes rolling good-naturedly now that his racing heart has started to slow back down. “Oh yeah?”

“Mhm.” Regulus leans forward to close the few inches between them, catching James’ lower lip between his teeth and pulling at it.

When it snaps back into place, James breathes in shallowly, mutters, “Baby, you’re at work.”

“I’m bored. Hardly anyone’s come down this way.” Regulus curls both hands at his hips, shifts to slot one leg between both of James’ thighs, pressing until James lets out a soft groan. Nosing along the line of his jaw, Regulus hums. “Best case even if they do, they’ll just think you work here, too, and that I’m eating you.”

“Interesting choice of words,” James exhales, half a laugh.

“That might be a little more obvious, I’m afraid,” Regulus mutters into the side of his neck. He kisses gently along the soft skin for a moment, James’ head lolling to the side to give him more room.

“Have to wait until we’re home, then.”

“Mm, can do this in the meantime, though.”

Without further preamble, he bites down, digs his teeth in in a way that toes the line between pain and pleasure. James gasps when Regulus sucks harshly at the bitten skin, inevitably leaving a mark behind. The grip at his hips tightens, guiding James to rock forward against the thigh pressed to the growing bulge in the front of his trousers. Regulus drags his lips an inch downward, sucks another mark into tan skin just below the first. James rolls his hips forward on instinct, digging his fingers in on either side of Regulus’ ribs.

“Reg—” James cuts off on a breathless moan when Regulus slips a hand into his back pocket, palming at his ass and pushing him forward still. “Baby, I’ve still got to walk out of here.”

“Plenty of time to walk off the hardon,” Regulus mumbles against his skin.

James hisses, hips jerking forward, when Regulus sinks his teeth in again, a third mark sucked in a straight line down the side of James’ neck. One of his hands lifts, sinking his fingers into familiar dark curls at the back of Regulus’ head and tugging slightly.

“Not my dick still being hard that I’m worried about,” James manages, moaning again after the fact.

Regulus hums lowly then licks a broad stripe up the trail of bruises he’s left behind, grazes his teeth at James’ earlobe. James shudders, taking in an equally shaking breath between parted lips.

“Straight down that way, two lefts, then a right,” Regulus murmurs in his ear.

James blinks dazedly up at the flash of strobe light above them. “What?”

Abruptly, Regulus cuts all contact with him, hands falling and a large step taken backward. He inclines his head the opposite direction from the current dead end when James frowns at him in question.

“The way out.”

James lets out a loud laugh, head shaking. “You’re actually the fucking worst, you know that?”

“Oh, I know, baby,” Regulus coos tauntingly, slick and reddened lips curled in a smirk.

The fake blood around his mouth is smeared even more than it already was, meaning there’s some mingling with the fresh bruises. James really might look like he was mauled by a zombie, actually. He shifts on unsteady legs, adjusting his current predicament in his trousers discreetly. Regulus’ lips twitch knowingly anyway.

James steps forward, catches Regulus’ chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll see you at home.”

Regulus snaps his teeth playfully at him once again. “Can’t wait.”

#jegulus #jegulus microfic #things not to do in a scare maze #no matter how hot your scare actor bf is #we love it for them though #also i didn’t edit this so if it’s messy don’t look at me #kay’s writing #kay’s microfics

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isaksbestpillow · 7 days

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Gmmtv 2024 part 2

Didn't we just have part 1??? I don't remember any of the shows in part 1 but it's time to watch another 15 mock trailers. I actually haven't finished a Gmmtv show in ages so let's see whether they manage to lure me back!

Ossan's Love Th

The original franchise is my beloved and it's interesting to see it adapted to a different culture especially since Thailand is more progressive than Japan as far as lgbtq rights go, but this show is harder to adapt than something like Cherry Magic because so much of the comedy comes from Japanese language/culture and the actors. They really hit the jackpot with the original cast, they're hard to replace. I wasn't blown away by the trailer but I like Eartmix and I'm glad they cast a veteran actor as the boss so I'm going to give it a shot. I might've been more optimistic if I hadn't just seen OLR and been reminded of how great the original cast and editing is, the trailer couldn't quite meet that energy for me. But I don't think this is the official trailer yet??? I hope they'll they'll tune it up for the real thing! Anyway, it's nice to see Earth in a fun role after so many brooders.

Leap Day

This one seems to be a thriller with Dew and Pond who both suffer from a curse that kills their loved ones every leap year. The characters are called Night and Day. Where have I heard this before................... People are dying and Gun plays a disabled brother (?). I won't be tuning in.

The Heart Killers

Firstkhao and Joongdunk are making out and handling guns. Khaotung gets a terrible tattoo of 信/trust. I don't know what the plot is. This is an outing by P'Jojo, but unfortunately his latest works haven't been the moment for me, I feel like his plots fall flat in the middle and I tune out. Casting two branded bl pairs is an interesting choice, but I don't want to be there when their fans take out their rulers to measure who got the most screentime.

Friendshit Forever

30-year-olds play university students. Heterosexual activity happens. This time with knives. I'm already sensing a pattern with these shows.

Perfect10 Liners

The mandatory Jittirain university bl. Please sit down for what I'm about to say because you may be shocked by the surprise: they were engineers.

Another gl??? Stop the press!! I already watched the trailer three times. A woman tries to make heterosexuality work with the brother but actually likes the sister. Finally a gl where I feel like I'm in the target audience. The high heel lesbians that we've gotten so far just don't feel that relatable to me, so I've watched those gls as entertainment but not gotten deeply emotionally invested. I don't really know the main actors sans Sing which is great since I can enter with a fresh perspective. This one feels like the first serious romance out of this batch. I'm gonna watch the hell out of this!!!!!

Hide & Sis

We start with a murder. Jan is here. The vibe feels very PS I Hate You. Oh, it's by the same producers, no wonder! I expect this to do well in Thailand but I'm not planning on tuning in.

Thame - Po Heart That Skips a Beat

Another bl with some new guys. Who will be Gmmtv's next branded pair? The story is set in the idol industry. I hate this type of music lol. My heart did not skip a beat but maybe the actual show will be more interesting.

Break up service

Off and Godji run a dubious breakup service in this story based on a webtoon. The vibes are very Midnight Motel with more grey morals since there is illegal filming of sexual activity.

Revamp The Undead Story

Bounprem have moved to Gmmtv. I don't really vibe with vampire stuff. *gets shot*

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist

We got Mark Pakin in a main role but at what cost. He's a dentist and it's another Jittirain adaptation (how many books has this author churned out???).

The Dark Dice

I feel like I already saw this same trailer like four times. Jumanji meets all the other dark trailers from this batch.

The Ex-Morning

Kristsingto return as exes with unfinished business. Krist's character is a reporter who has a scandal during a livestream, Singto's character returns from abroad to help rebuild his reputation. The setting is hilarious, I love it. Both have matured a lot since Sotus days and I'm genuinely excited for this one.

Scarlet Heart Thailand

Gmmtv tries their hand at a historical drama. A lot of popular names in the lineup. The trailer doesn't give out much but this is a remake of a Chinese series.

That was all 15 trailers, I think! I'm looking forward to Us and The Ex-Morning the most.

#gmmtv 2024

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crossdreamers · 1 year

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Bella Ramsey on fighting zombies and being nonbinary

When the Zombie apocalypse comes, you could do worse than joining nonbinary actor Bella Ramsey, one of the leads in the new HBO TV series the Last of Us.

I have been pretty fed up with zombies shows, but the Last of Us brought me back on the zombie train again. This TV series is an absolute work of art, and nonbinary actor Bella Ramsey does a great job playing Ellie William, one of the main characters (and a queer one at that).

Watch it!

They did not play the game

People reports that Ramsey avoided playing the game the TV series is based on when preparing for the role.

Instead they watched major gameplay scenes on YouTube, which helped them "to feel confident that the Ellie I felt inside of me, under my skin, was the right one."

Any pronouns will do

They are not particular about the use of pronouns, according to Teen Vogue:

"This is what bothers me more than pronouns: Being called a ‘young woman’ or a ‘powerful young woman’, ‘young lady,’ but I'm just not [that],” Ramsey said. “Catherine Called Birdy, I was in dresses. Young Elizabeth, I was in a corset. And I felt super powerful in that. Playing these more feminine characters is a chance to be something so opposite to myself, and it’s really fun.”

Speaking to the Times, Ramsey said she identifies first as a person, rather than a gender. “I’m very much just a person,” she said. “Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like."

Becoming friends with Pedro Pascal

Bella has developed a strong relationship with her co-lead Pedro Pascal. GameRant reports. She says:

"We didn't get as chance to meet or bond before we started filming. We were very much just thrown in. And that chemistry was just there immediately and just grew and developed as Joel and Ellie's did. As their relationship developed so did ours.”

Supporter of transgender rights

Pedro Pascal is a vocal supporter of transgender rights. He has a transgender sister. According to GQ Bella and him have had many talks about gender and sexuality.

Bella wore a chest binder for “90 per cent” of shooting The Last of Us. allowing her to focus better on set, GQ reports.

Both the show and the game have several prominent queer and transgender characters. This is exactly the kind of TV series that humanizes LGBTQA+ characters, even when they are surrounded by the fungus infected undead. We need more productions like this one.

Needless to say, the haters will hate, but the doubters may understand.

“If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you, and you’re missing out. It isn’t gonna make me afraid. I think that comes from a place of defiance,” Bella says.

Photo: Austin Hargrave/AUGUST/GQ

#transgender #nonbinary #enby #culture #zombie #lgbt #lgbtqa #lgbt+#tv #gay

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disgracefulthings · 2 months

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Someone has asked me to recommend some fics, I don't think this is what they meant, but here is a list of my favorite fanfiction I have read over the years

Harry Potter

Text Talk

merlywhirls

Summary:

Sirius is in boarding school, Remus is in hospital, and they don't know each other until Sirius texts the wrong number.

My thoughts: I don't know if there is a wolfstar shipper who hasn't read this story, but it is amazing. A majority of the story is told through text messages, which is a real creative choice and I absolutely believed the author pulled it off!

I Know Not, and I Cannot Know; Yet I Live and I Love

billowsandsmoke

Summary:

Severus Snape has his emotions in check. He knows that he experiences anger and self-loathing and a bitter yearning, and that he rarely deviates from that spectrum… Until the first-year Luna Lovegood arrives to his class wearing a wreath of baby’s breath. Over the next six years, an odd friendship grows between the two, and Snape is not sure how he feels about any of it.

My thoughts: A fanfiction that explores the relationship between a student and a teacher that doesn't make it romantic??? Hallelujah, never thought I would see the day. Not gonna lie, this is my favorite fanfiction of all time. While I like Snape in the original story, he doesn't develop as a character, like, at all. Which is why I can see why people don't like him, but this story gives him some development, and his relationship with Luna is absolutely heartwarming. And to those fans who think Harry got over his abuse of Snape too fast, I recommend this to you. Not sure you know, but Snape fucking dies in the book (spoilers, I know), and the author makes sure to give Harry some development too. Bring tissues, because you're gonna cry.

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

we'll get him falling for a stranger (or a catfish)

sweetlolixo

Summary:

Lan Wangji: Yingying? Lan Wangji: Are you busy with class? Lan Wangji: Won’t disturb you if that’s the case. Lan Wangji: (´• ω •`) Wei Ying wants to cry. What jock uses kaomojis? Ever? Or, Wei Ying is hired by a client to catfish Lan Wangji online, as a hot girl, for revenge. Except, Lan Wangji is not the playboy jock he expected...

My thoughts: This is a pure fluffy and hilarious story. If you like it when characters face consequences for their actions, then probably skip this because people do a whole lotta shit and completely get away with it (except Su She, but fuck Su She)

how to fall in love with a catfish: a guide by wei wuxian (disaster rat)

bwyn, Yuisaki

Summary:

A new plan hatches in Wei Wuxian’s head. If this nocturnal, bottom-feeding, slimy, invasive mudcat posing as a beautiful actor thinks he can sway Wei Wuxian with animal pictures and a sob story and an unbelievably stilted way of texting with still no dick pictures in the first five minutes of conversation, he has another thing coming. Wei Wuxian’s got it, alright, he has this in the fucking bag. Wei Wuxian plots to expose a catfish using strategic memes and turtle pictures while wiggling his way out of family dinner. Lan Wangji just wants companions.

My thoughts: Another catfishing story?!?! Except not really because Wei Wuxian has issues. Not gonna lie, I've only read this once, but god damn, did it destroy me. I don't reread it because I don't like it, but because I'm afraid of feeling all those emotions again. You know how I said the last story has no consequences, well this one has all of them. Watch Wei Wuxian as he slowly destroys his life, before finally putting himself back together and allowing himself to accept love. Another story you will need tissues for.

A Corpse Called By Name

jaemyun

Summary:

A continuation of zombie drabble! She loses her brother in a hoard of the undead. She finds a corpse wearing his face in a convenience store. The corpse calls her name.

My thoughts: I hate zombie movies, but I am absolutely fine with zombie fics. The story starts like how all good Wei Wuxian stories start: with him fucking dying. Watch a dead man build a family and slowing piece himself back together (metaphorically, he isn't falling apart due to decay)

Scum Villain Self Saving System

Bros before... well everything I guess

Icannotthinkofapenname

Summary:

Shen Yuan tried not to think of his original family too often, his parents, his brothers, and sister… Nope. Done with that train of thought. He’s Shen Qingqiu now. This was a new life, and he has a new family to look after. Sometimes a family consists of 12 martial sibilings and a whole lot of disciples. Just a buncha fluff of Shen Qingqiu, Shang Qinghua, their martial sibilings and the kids. Shenanigans ensue.

My thoughts: Another purely fluffy fic, though I have to mention something I really like about it. You see, I have a bit of a pet peeve when canon divergence fanfiction basically follow all of the important plot points from the original story. This story does that, but it doesn't do the scenes in full and only really mentions that it happened, and I think it's great. I don't need to read about Sha Hualing's demon invasion for the 50th time, let's move on and get to the things that matter! Like Shang Qinghua in wedding robes. Also there's a lot of platonic cumplane, which I could never get enough of.

Recovery

Moonsheen

Summary:

Luo Binghe returns to Cang Qiong Mountain with a grievously injured Shen Qingqiu. The trouble is, it's the wrong Shen Qingqiu. AKA The original Shen Qingqiu gets a happy ending, whether he likes it or not.

My thoughts: There aren't many fanfictions I have found that depict Shen Jiu in all his cruel glory. People usually sand him down, like, 'oh, he didn't actually give Luo Binghe his cultivation notebook, that was Ming Fan', or, 'he was more neglectful than monstrous'. I don't mind these interpretations of Shen Jiu, but I feel like stories are more rewarding when you try to heal the man at his scummiest. Recovery is a multi part serious that slowly shows Shen Jiu recover (see what I did there??) from what Bingge has done to him, while also finally finding happiness with Yue Qingyuan.

We Are Not Wise

Boomchick, Suzoomie

Summary:

When Shen Qingqiu drew Shen Yuan’s soul sword, it felt like being burned from the inside out. The fire wasn’t cruel, but it was still fire—hot and destructive, searing the softest pieces of him. When Binghe’s fingers touch the hilt, he is ready for pain. Transmigrated into a version of Proud Immortal Demon Way where cultivators manifest their own souls into spiritual weapons, Shen Yuan finds himself sort of kind of…accidentally blackmailing Shen Qingqiu into taking him on as a disciple before Luo Binghe joins the sect. That should give Shen Yuan plenty of opportunities to make sure nothing goes wrong for his favorite protagonist, right? RIGHT!? A story of twists, turns, hope, despair, and soul swords. Written for the Bingqiu Reverse Minibang 2023, illustrated and conceptualized by the incredible Suzu!

My thoughts: The last fic has Shen Jiu healing arc, this one has his father arc. Another story you need tissues for, and for multiple chapters, my god is it hard to read and cry at the same time. Another really good premise that was knocked out of the park by the authors.

pride is not the word I'm looking for

Tossawary

Summary:

Shang Qinghua goes to take a self-indulgent peek at his baby protagonist son and gets a kick to the shrivelled heart for his troubles. He gave up on changing the story years ago! Yet he finds himself helping his protagonist son's adoptive mother anyway. Just this one change won't matter too much, right? One little change leads to more. Shang Qinghua never meant to care, but he becomes invested in making sure that his new family survives the looming plot. With the changes to the world cascading around him, with his position as a traitor pulling him between his sect and a certain ice demon, and with the protagonist growing up so quickly, how is one displaced author meant to ensure that everything turns out all right? A Pre-Canon to Canon Divergence story.

My thoughts: I'm gonna be honest, this is the only story on here that I have not finished. I struggle with reading fics that are 400k words long (and by struggle I mean I don't finish them), but this is a story I come back to and reread (and attempt to finish), mostly for one arc. There is a part of the story where Shang Qinghua help look for Luo Jiahui's (Luo Binghe's mom) missing sister, and it is without a doubt the best arc I have ever read in fanfiction. If you are like me and don't like long fanfiction, I still recommend reading this story at least up to that arc, you wont regret it. I also have to say this is my favorite interpretation of Luo Binghe's mom.

Servant to a Different King

Tossawary

Summary:

As the head disciple of An Ding Peak, Shang Qinghua threw the plot out the window and abandoned his sect, and now he enjoys a luxurious life as Tianlang-Jun and Su Xiyan's most treasured and trusted advisor, as the happy couple rules over the Demon Realm together with iron fists. He has everything a transmigrator could want. Unfortunately, there's only so long that the Imperial Advisor can continue to avoid another of Tianlang-Jun's favorite underlings: Mobei-Jun, the new Northern King. An attempt on Shang Qinghua's life inside the Underground Palace itself forces him back into the company of the demon who was once destined to kill his character - and who also once promised to kill him if they ever met again.

My thoughts: Another Tossawary story! This time Shang Qinghua saves Luo Binghe's mom (wait didn't that happen in the last one?) and dad (ok, so it's different). A Moshang focus story where Shang Qinghua tries to avoid having an awkward (and possibly deadly) conversation with Mobei-Jun, which becomes an impossible task because he is now his personal guard. I love the cocenpt of having Shang Qinghua work under Tianlang-Jun, and the interactions between those two are always hilarious.

YuGiOh

An Apocalypse Means Nothing Because You Are The World In Which I Live

sitabethel

Summary:

When an old tomb-keeper steals the Millennium Tome in order to raise the dead, the gods are forced to send Atem back to the world of the living to end the crisis; however, Bakura doesn't trust him to save Marik, so the thief finds his own way back. Meanwhile, the goddess Isis makes a deal with a certain dark entity, offering him a soul in exchange for his services.

My thoughts: Ok, it's been many years since I have last read this story, but I still have to add it to my recommendations because of how batshit insane it is. This is a zombie apocalypses story taking place in yugioh, the story where everything is solved by card games. Do you know how they stop the zombie outbreak? CARD GAMES! Like holy shit, this story is crazy, but it's also on brand. I used to be into thiefshipping and other yugioh ships, so if you're like that then I definitely recommend this one.

Annnddd those are my recommendations. Feel free to judge my taste, but I will unapologetically love these stories till the day I die.

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