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kwisatzworld · 4 months

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List of Valentino Rossi books and documentaries:

inspired by @pgaslys list of marc’s docs

📚 Books

What If I Had Never Tried It [English/Italian/Spanish/German/Japanese/Chinese, etc.]: Vale’s only autobiography to date, translated into a lot of languages (so many that it’s hard to keep count). The English edition is notoriously rough - think spelling mistakes and some lost-in-translation moments. Despite this, yellow fans absolutely shouldn’t miss out on this gem. Published in 2006, during Vale’s zenith with five consecutive championships under his belt, the book radiates his happiness and confidence. The narrative is casual, with chapters loosely connected, but you will still find pleasure in reading this book.

MotoGenius: the Valentino Rossi biography by Mat Oxley: Oxley remains my all-time favorite Rossi author! Initially published years ago, the latest edition is available on Kindle. It’s a treasure trove of Vale anecdotes and Oxley’s unique insights, offering a glimpse into how Vale captivated his generation.

The Valentino Rossi Files: Everything I’ve ever written about VR by Mat Oxley: Available on Kindle, this collection (in two parts) encapsulates all the articles Oxley wrote about Vale for magazines and newspapers before joining Motor Sport Magazine.

Valentino Rossi: The Definitive Biography by Stuart Barker: A comprehensive biography of Vale, chronologically organized.

Valentino Rossi: Il Dio del Motociclismo by Fabio Fagnani [Italian]: Not recommended as the author’s fan-like admiration making it read more like a love letter than a biography. The only saving grace is the interview with Aldo Drudi.

Valentino Rossi: All His Races by Mat Oxley [English/German/Japanese/Serbian]: Chronicles every race of Vale’s career, enriched with exclusive interviews.

🎥 Documentaries

When asked about a movie about himself, Vale said, “If it’s a bad movie, I’d rather it didn’t exist.” He holds a similarly cautious stance towards documentaries, and has never personally produced a documentary about himself, though perhaps that might change at some point in the future.

Faster (2003) : Premiered at the Festival de Cannes during MotoGP’s golden era, this documentary intriguingly portrays the rivalry between Vale and Max Biaggi.

The Doctor, the Tornado, and the Kentucky Kid (2006) : Focuses on the 2005 season, especially the US Grand Prix, you can see the beautiful yellow livery of Yamaha’s 50th anniversary.

Fastest (2011) : A sequel to Faster.

Hitting the Apex (2015) : Arguably the best MotoGP documentary out there. Vale and Marco riding into the sunset to ‘Wish you were here’ is a poignant moment.

Valentino Rossi: The Doctor (2016) : Produced by Monster Energy, primarily illustrating how Vale expanded his empire step by step.

Racing Together (2017): MotoGP history isn’t complete without its greatest icon, Vale features for about 15 minutes.

Valentino’s Secret Room: Inside the Doctor’s Hidden Archive (2020) : Produced by Dainese, revealing Vale’s personal collection.

Ruta 46 – Ruta 93: El camino de dos mitos (2021) : Produced by DAZN España, unfortunately I haven’t seen it yet – if you have, let me know how it tells the tale.

Tales of Valentino (2021) : A nine-episode documentary series produced by Dorna, showcasing different aspects of Vale’s career through nine significant races.

RiVale | Valentino Rossi as Told by His Rivals (2021) : Produced by DAZN Italia featuring Vale’s main rivals (except Marc), sharing their stories with him.

Rossi | BT Sport Documentary on the Career of MotoGP Icon, Valentino Rossi (2022) : Produced by BT Sport following Vale’s retirement, highlighted by Suzi Perry’s captivating hosting style.

MotoGP Unlimited (2022) : No need for a lengthy introduction – it’s probably already been watched by everyone by now.

#valentino rossi #motogp

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rosekasa · 24 days

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🦉🌷🔮 for the fanfic writers game!

HANAA, JAANEMAN!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

🦉Is there another author that helped inspire you to write?

omg so many come to mind and im actually afraid that im going to miss people out because i feel like the only reason i write is because of the people i admire. between 2021-2023 i really struggled with writing for a bit, i dont know why, someone gave me nazar probably, but there are some writers who i would read COPIOUS amounts of and think, this, THIS love i feel while reading is the love i want to feel about my own work

@jattendschaton , obviously, has been one of my biggest inspirations since i was a BABY. their writing is so descriptive and evocative. so insanely detailed. studying their writing was what got me into the habit of trying to find different ways to express a sentence to see if i could get a more accurate representation of the feeling i wanted to convey

@frostedpuffs and @lnc2 were the first ml writers i ever read <3 i didnt even know i wanted to write fic at the time! honestly a lot of my earlier characterisations/ways of writing are heavily inspired by their works because i was so obsessed with them! they made me want to start posting on ml ao3 in the first place

@xiueryn , i downloaded a bunch of yilena's fics onto my kindle in late 2022 and fucking DEVOURED them. i hadn't really been reading longer ml fics at all at the time but yilena's... i could not stop. their worldbuilding, their pacing, the way they make writing 40k+ word fics seem almost effortless? it became a joke with my irl best friend because i would literally randomly say "oh yilena you legend" while readingsdjkfhsd

@miabrown007, i read seven is a lucky number and it RUINED me for life. i dont know why this is what keeps coming to mind, but in her a/ns she mentioned that she HAD to end the word count on a multiple of seven, and i was like, oh my god, she puts so much structural thought into her stories. meeting her irl and hearing her talk about her writing process in detail was an out of body experience. that day itself i wanted to finish a multichapter

@asukiess, if loving ao3 user asukiess was a cult i would run it. i read tbsym and it really slapped me in the face because, having encountered it at a time where i felt like i ran out of any and all ability to be unique and creative with ml, i was like, oh my god, this person just wrote 10k+ words about. kuro neko?? a twenty minute episode? and she got SO MUCH out of it? and it hit me that like. if you love something enough you WILL find a way to create more out of it.

🌷What's one of your fics that isn't as popular, but you hold dear?

i have all my stats turned off on ao3 so i havent actually had that feeling of "aw i love this fic i wrote but it didnt really get popular" in like. three years sdjfhdsjkfds but checking my stats now, hmm. maybe ya'aburnee? which is funny because although it has fewer kudos than my other fics it's also the fic that people who i meet in the fandom yell at me for the most. at the mcm ml meetup a friend who came was like "HOW ARE U COMPLAINING ABOUT MCD YOU LITERALLY WROTE IT" and i so vehemently was like NO I LITERALLY DIDNT WHEN and they were like??? are u fucking stupid. it was great

🔮What's your favorite plot twist you've ever written?

the plot twist to ya'aburnee was a banger in the outlines but i feel like i didnt execute it that well in the actual fic. but lpoam i think was my FAVOURITE favourite. i even cried while writing the death scenesfdjshd

#ask

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sequencefairy · 4 months

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Writing Wrap-Up 2023

It is, once again, the end of the year! I wrote a lot!

First of all, I have officially published all my original stuff written for Space Fruit Press on Amazon Kindle under my penname, so if you enjoy my fic, I would love to encourage you to check out my original stuff, too, since all those dollars help me on the journey to doing that full time instead of having a full time job that really cuts into my fangirl time.

In addition to what is available on Amazon, there is another anthology of work coming from the press, and I will have a story in it! I need to write it, but it will exist. I'm very excited about this story, as well.

From a fanfic perspective, I have published only three things this year:

And I Was Never Afraid of the Dark (Oh, the Weapon You Made of My Heart) - shyan, wip, unfinished, 9.4k, demon!shane

Shane pulls Ryan out of Hell at 3:37 on a Tuesday afternoon. He’s not looking at his watch at the time, but he infers the time later after he’s finally managed to get up off the desert floor, and has hauled them both back to the car he’d parked in the lot at the trailhead a little over a week ago. Ryan’s a deadweight in Shane’s grip, head lolling back against Shane’s shoulder and body limp and unhelpful in Shane’s arms. His eyes are closed.

My Rivers Tilt Towards You - geraskier, fae!jaskier, 29k, strangers to friends to lovers, canon-divergent au

Geralt pushes the door open one-handed. As it creaks, announcing his presence, Jaskier looks up from the long table he’s sitting at. There’s a mug of something at the bard’s elbow and his songbook is open in front of him. “Geralt,” he says in greeting, and for a moment, Geralt is sure that the bard’s eyes shine in the dark, reflective like his own. He blinks, and the moment passes. Jaskier’s mouth curves into a smile. “Is it done, then?”

Coax the Cold Right Out of Me - shyan, complete, 4.1k, vampire!shane, established relationship

“Shane,” Ryan says, insistent, eyes gleaming in the dark. Shane lets his eyes fall shut, and sighs. The little red and white cooler they usually bring on shoots got left behind at the hotel, an hour and a half away in Jackson. “I’ll be fine,” he says, not looking at Ryan, and ignoring the ache in his gums. He’s gone longer without, he can make it through one shoot and then the drive back before being sated. “You don’t have to be.”

(more rambling under the cut)

So I spent too long making this, but whatever. Let's have fun with infographics, baby!

Anyway, interesting look at the last couple of years for me! I have clearly been in a quality over quantity place regarding wordcounts + things published over the last few years.

I have, over the past couple of years, been feeling like my writing has changed quite a lot, both in terms of what I am interested in writing, and also what I am interested in publishing both to AO3 and as original work.

I think there's also probably something in here about the fall out from the pandemic, as well as something about the fact that I've been medicated for the ADHD for a year now, and I've had to learn how to write in a way that is not an unhealthy coping mechanism and instead as something I do for fun, as a hobby that I enjoy.

What I have been producing lately, in 2023, is some of my favourite writing I've ever done, and I feel like I really levelled up this year in terms of tackling themes and ideas that the me of 2021 wouldn't have even imagined was possible.

With that said, the other fun comparison across years is this one:

Clearly, when you only publish three things in a year, it skews your stats, but I do also think that My Rivers was definitely a thing I needed to finish and write in order to become the person who is currently sitting on about 70k or so of active WIP for a different fandom altogether.

I adore, always, all the love that my shyan fic gets, this fandom is demonstrative in a way that no other fandom has ever been for me, and I've made the best kind of friends in this fandom. Even if I never publish another shyan fic ever (which I am certainly not saying is the case), I still treasure every single one of these fics which allowed me to meet people who've become extremely fucking important to me.

In addition to published fic, of course, the other thing to talk about is all that stuff I'm sitting on that hasn't been published (yet).

These are the seven most active of my WIPs. I am desiring to publish Moonlight on Broken Glass before the end of December, but since I'm the porn and instead of writing it, I keep going back to refine other parts of it, I have some doubts in my ability to get a draft done in the next few days.

All together, that's about 82k of wip, in various states of done that I'm working on. So, really, this year, I've written like, well over 100k, which is always my quiet goal going into any given year.

I don't have anything else to say about this, but I had fun making these little pictures and looking at all my wips. It was, all told, a good year for writing, even if it started off kinda slow.

#things jess says #am writing #writing wrap up #i just like to look at things over the course of a year

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veronicaleighauthor · 1 month

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Tears In A Bottle

Two posts in one week? I’m on a roll. J/K

Last week, I revised an old story entitled, “Tears In A Bottle.” It was originally published in 2021 at McCoy’s Monthly and maybe five people read it. Special thanks to the five of you who always read my stuff – you’re the best! Unfortunately, in 2022 the publication went defunct and my story was out of print. I considered submitting it out to publications that accept reprints. Unfortunately, many of those don’t pay for reprints. I did a little brainstorming, which means my mind was wandering when I doing dishes or laundry, and decided to republish “Tears in a Bottle” via Kindle Publishing. If this goes well, I may try to publish some of my other out-of-print works. Maybe even one of my novels.

Yeah, I know, I’m not an artist. I’m a writer. But that’s the best I could come up with. Anyway, here’s a little synopsis of the story:

Father Josef Wasilewski is suicidal…until he gets the chance to save a life. Unfortunately for him, he becomes a suspect for a young German soldier’s murder. He – and two friends – must escape Krakow before they are caught. To his surprise, help comes from the most unlikely place.

It’s historical fiction, based in Poland during WWII. If you’re interested and you’re willing to shell out .99 for short story/eBook, you can buy it now. I’ll receive a little royalties from it. Pretty please leave a review, because reviews are love.

Click Here to buy “Tears In A Bottle.”

I hope you like it. Now excuse me while I go run and hide.

#historical fiction #mystery fiction #tears in a bottle #christian fiction #poland #wwii #short stories #short fiction #holocaust

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rainyscans · 5 months

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I was pretty obsessed with haikyuu in 2021 but I kinda lost interest in it over the years until my haikyuu hyperfixation hit me like a truck out of nowhere last week haha, my favorite character has always been kageyama so now I'm tryna consume any and all content of him, thank yku for your work💙

My pleasure (•̀ᴗ•́)ゞ

I get that!! These things come and go in waves, don't they? But Kageyama's ability to keep one kindled is to be reckoned with... He's the best...

#answered #I still remember the first scene he's in and his team-mate calls him ''Kageyama-senpai'' and I was never the same

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partypuppynastja · 1 year

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I was reminded that #DryJanuary is a thing so if anyone's doing it, thinking of doing it, wants to stop drinking, wants to cut down drinking, then I do recommend Millie Gooch's Sober Girl Society Handbook (currently £2.99 on Kindle)

Here's a review I wrote in 2021:

Non-judgemental solidarity with a stack of helpful advice

Aimed at a broad audience (for whatever reason, you'd like to drink less, probably—but not necessarily—looking to abstain completely), Millie lays out everything one could reasonably expect such a book to have:

Why we drink, why we might not want to drink, what hinders us from stopping, and how to skip the tipple anyway and feel good doing it.

What most impressed me about this book is that while it keeps a very personal light and friendly tone throughout, it does so without sacrificing seriousness of content. And while it’s very much unapologetic in its condemnation of the grip we can allow alcohol to have over us and the harm it can do, it does so without judgementality or criticism of anyone struggling with such.

And, certainly, it has plenty of helpful advice. Much of it you’ve probably heard before; some of it you might not have. But where this book really excels is in the delivery of a feeling of a support group, without actually having to attend / interact with a support group.

I usually buy (and review) kindle books—they’re so convenient and I do love my Kindle. In this case I sprung for the hardback edition because it was very pretty, looks nice on my bookcase, and is a nice thing to have and to hold as I re-read a bit when I debate with myself whether I should go buy a bottle of something.

(For context, I mostly stopped drinking about a year ago, for good health, as some meds I'm on reduce my alcohol tolerance and alcohol reduces my meds' effectiveness—my goal now is complete abstention, though I definitely still find myself tempted sometimes, and this book helps me be the best me for me)

Postscript for Tumblr: it's now another year and a bit since I wrote that review, and I'm not really inclined towards being tempted to alcohol these days. I think more recently going on antidepressants helped a lot too, though. The meds I referenced in my review were/are my HRT meds, by the way. Definitely can't drink like I could when I was 80kg of muscle, and my finasteride is metabolized by the liver in a way that also reduces my alcohol tolerance. Because previously I tended to drink but not get drunk (because of my formerly high alcohol tolerance), I was probably doing my liver an unknown amount of damage, so I'm glad I'm not now.

#partypuppynastja

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battyrowan · 1 year

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Possession

This was originally for jjkinktober 2021 for the prompt possession!

cw: noncon, A/B/O, vaguely historical, Stockholm syndrome, captivity, ownership, forced marriage, emotional abuse, psychological torture, mind breaking, mentions of cannibalism, exhibitionism and somno, collaring, leashing, blowjob, vaginal sex, heats, breeding/pregnancy, eventual love (if you can call it that), Yuuji has a pussy 😌🙏

Yuuji wasn’t naive. As an omega, he would eventually be selected to be wed and bred by an alpha. He didn’t expect it to be a king though.

Lord Ryomen Sukuna was a name everyone knew, no matter how far you travelled throughout Japan. There were thousands of rumours and very few of them were positive. It was said that the alpha had a harem of a hundred omegas, none of which were good enough to carry his offspring. When he was tired of them, the unfavourable omegas were sent to the kitchens to be made into a feast, all to satisfy their king one last time.

Yuuji didn’t believe the rumours but he couldn’t help but consider the possible truth behind them the moment Lord Ryoumen’s gaze fell on him for the first time. His eyes shone like rubies, cold and distant. His scent, like kindling fire, earth and cedar, stung Yuuji’s nostrils.

“Name,” the lord demanded, standing above Yuuji with his arms folded and tucked neatly in the sleeves of his ornate kimono. Part of him was in awe of how regal the alpha looked.

“I-Itadori Yuuji,” he supplied, voice quiet and wavering. “Not for much longer.”

In moments, a servant was on him, fastening a collar around Yuuji’s neck. To his horror, the suffocating collar came with a leash, which the servant dutifully handed to their lord.

“No wife of mine will hold a peasant name,” Sukuna said definitively. “You will be Ryoumen Yuuji.”

“W-What?” Yuuji stammered, suddenly dizzy and confused.

“Ensure the handler is paid handsomely,” Sukuna addressed the servant who bowed deeply in response. The king turned his attention back to the newly purchased omega, cold and unreadable. “Stand or I will drag you.”

Yuuji swallowed, feeling the leather press against his Adam’s apple. With the shaky legs of a newborn doe, he stood, only to be tugged forward abruptly. He nearly tripped but recovered to follow Sukuna, barely a metre behind him. He didn’t want to be dragged across the tatami.

Lord Ryoumen led him to what Yuuji could only assume to be the royal chamber. Sukuna firmly held on to his leash, assessing him from head to toe. “Undress.”

Yuuji stiffened, not expecting the order. He wanted to protest, but the fear lingering in his gut made him resist.

With sweaty palms and fumbling fingers, he disrobed, allowing his robes to pool to the floor. A crisp autumn breeze drifted in from the open doors to the private garden. He shivered and gooseflesh formed, but Yuuji couldn’t say if it was from the chill or Sukuna’s predatory gaze.

“You’re quite pleasing to the eye, for a mutt,” the king commented as he grazed his talons across Yuuji collarbone. Surprisingly, the lord left no markings in his wake and continued to softly explore Yuuji’s skin. Pecs, nipples, abs, biceps. Sukuna let out a hum of appreciation.

“You don’t smell like a plague rat either, not like other omegas.” Sukuna leaned in, pressing his nose just above the collar and inhaled while Yuuji did his best to hold his breath.

“Honey, lavender and bergamot, how sweet,” the king teased before licking over his pulse point.

“What are you going to do with me? Add me to your harem?” Yuuji finally snapped, unable to hold his tongue any longer. Regret and fear immediately weighed down his gut, making him flinch with anticipation of Sukuna’s ire.

The lord barked with laughter, leaving Yuuji baffled.

“My false reputation precedes me, I see,” Sukuna mused, trailing his claws gently, though dangerously, down the centre of Yuuji’s torso. “I assure you, there’s no harem. I have bedded many omegas, yes, but none have been so enticing to keep around.”

“Did you eat them?”

Lord Ryoumen let out another incredulous laugh. “Not in the cannibalistic sense, no.”

The pads of Sukuna’s fingers travelled lower and lower until they reached the mound of pink manicured hair. Yuuji gasped softly, uncertain if it was out of fear or arousal. “Yuuji.”

He shuddered at the sound of his given name on the king’s lips. “Yes, Lord Ryoumen?”

“Entertain me and behave. Do those things and I will make you my wife.”

Tears prickled in the corners of his eyes as Sukuna’s sharp fingers dipped between his folds. Yuuji was untouched, even by his own hand, and he didn’t know what to expect. When the pad of Sukuna’s finger brushed over the pink nub, Yuuji let out a sharp gasp. It felt good but… he also felt violated.

The alpha’s smell intensified, filling Yuuji’s lungs with the smoky forest-scented pheromones.

As embarrassed and reluctant as he felt in that moment, his instincts responded eagerly. When Sukuna pressed a finger inside, his cunt was already slick and preparing to be bred.

His conscious mind wanted Sukuna to stop, whereas his animal instincts just wanted more.

Sukuna retracted his fingers after only a few moments, catching Yuuji off guard. The alpha’s middle finger was coated in his slick. A flush rose to his cheeks when Sukuna brought the finger to his mouth, tasting him with a pleased hum, as though he were sampling a rich dessert.

“You taste as sweet as you smell,” Sukuna said with a wicked grin, licking his finger clean.

Without warning, the king tugged on his leash, escorting Yuuji to the large, plush futon.

“On your knees,” Sukuna commanded, gesturing to the foot of the bed.

Hesitantly, Yuuji complied. He may have been a virgin but he could guess what was coming next. Crimson eyes watched from above, looking at him expectantly. He took the hint and untied the sash holding Sukuna’s kimono closed, fumbling out of nervousness.

The animal instinct inside him salivated when he saw Sukuna’s cock. His lips parted in awe, shaken by the size and girth, uncertain how he would fit it in any cavity within his body.

His leash was pulled taut, forcing his mouth to be pressed flush against Sukuna’s length.

“Show me what you’re worth.”

A chill ran down Yuuji’s spine, identifying the underlying threat in Lord Ryoumen’s words. Keep him entertained or be disposed of. With a shaky breath and trembling lips, Yuuji shyly licked the tip of the king’s cock.

Another tug on the leash.

“I don’t have all day, brat,” Sukuna hissed, fisting Yuuji’s hair and shoving his face against his length. “Now open your mouth.”

Yuuji obeyed, opening up and allowing the tip to penetrate him. Shame filled his guts as Sukuna forced his way inside, causing him to choke.

With tears rolling down his cheeks, Yuuji forced himself to relax his jaw. Part of him wanted it to feel good for Sukuna, enough to keep him interested. Another part of him simply didn’t want to resist so it wouldn’t be any more painful than it needed to be.

“That’s a good little mutt,” Sukuna purred while pushing Yuuji’s head down further until the tip of his cock collided with the back of his throat. He coughed around the alpha, feeling sick and on the verge of puking, but he held it back out of stubbornness and willpower.

With tears, snot and saliva trailing down Yuuji’s face, he looked up at Sukuna with glassy eyes. Lord Ryoumen watched him, face twisted with sadistic pleasure and amusement, but there was something else there. Yuuji dared to think it was pride, and a dark part of him keened.

Coughs and other guttural noises sprung from Yuuji’s throat when Sukuna thrust into his mouth, pushing further and further until his nose met with the garden of pubic hair. His nose was pressed flush to Sukuna’s skin and his throat was full, making breathing a challenge. Consciousness was getting farther away as he sputtered around Sukuna’s cock. Pulling off wasn’t an option with the alpha’s hand firmly grasping his skull.

As darkness clouded his vision and his eyelids grew heavy from the lack of oxygen, Sukuna finally allowed him to breathe.

“Hm, your mouth takes my cock well enough,” the king commented, cradling Yuuji’s saliva-soaked jaw. Sukuna spoke as though he was assessing a pig for slaughter. “Let’s see how your cunt takes it. Roll over.”

Yuuji fought the urge to sob, worried about his burning throat. He rolled over like the well-behaved dog he needed to be to gain Sukuna’s favour. Being used purely for the lord’s pleasure made him feel humiliated, but his body betrayed him, tingling with excitement. His thighs were moist with slick, his cunt responding to Sukuna’s pheromones.

A firm hand gripped his hip painfully and he felt Sukuna shift closer to him. The breath was knocked out of him when the head of Sukuna’s cock breached his entrance, swallowed by Yuuji’s greedy hole.

Penetration stung, but it was pleasurable just as much as it was painful.

Tears and saliva soaked into the futon where his face was pressed down, forced to take the alpha’s cock as Sukuna pounded him. Yuuji’s entire body felt as though it was on fire with a litany of emotions: shame, arousal, fear, gratitude.

He did and didn’t want it simultaneously.

“What a good, obedient bitch you are,” Sukuna said, as if he were praising Yuuji. Maybe in the king’s mind he was. Maybe keeping Yuuji around to use him was a compliment.

Yuuji wept and clenched around Sukuna’s cock, the sounds of skin slapping together in lust feeling far away.

It was sudden and involuntary when his pussy convulsed with joy, causing his whole body to shudder with the orgasm rippling through him. Squirt slid down his thighs and lubricated Sukuna’s cock, making it easier for the alpha to sink inside Yuuji for his own gratification.

His pace was ruthless until Sukuna’s knot finally caught on the rim of Yuuji’s cunt, forcing him to remain nestled inside.

The alpha’s teeth found Yuuji’s shoulder, biting down hard enough to bleed and mark him—not as Sukuna’s mate but as a thing he owned. When he felt the alpha’s seed fill his pussy to the brim, Yuuji could only think one thing: ‘I am nothing but a possession. I belong to him now.’

—

Being Ryoumen Sukuna’s betrothed meant completing near-impossible tasks in order to spare his own life.

Yuuji suspected that, were he to prove his worth, he may see a more affectionate side of his husband-to-be. Although, the most likely reality was that Sukuna didn’t have a soft side to begin with.

Few liberties were afforded to him in the first weeks of captivity. Days and nights blurred together while he was tethered on a ten-foot chain within the royal chambers like a misbehaving hound. Most of the time, he was alone, aside from the servants tending to his basic needs—enough food and water to sustain him but not enough to satiate him.

When he did leave, it was on a leash at Sukuna’s behest. Lord Ryoumen only spent time with him when he wanted something, that something usually being sex. Yuuji was forced to warm his cock with a hole of his choosing, even in front of servants or during political affairs.

At night, he curled up and slept at the foot of the bed, even after Sukuna used him, conscious or not.

When his first heat came, he expected Sukuna to eagerly breed him. What he didn’t expect was to be sent to a small, windowless room akin to a cell to ride out his heat alone.

Yuuji was uncertain how many days it lasted. His body burned as he nested himself in a few thin, ratty blankets and wept. The world faded away during his timeless delirium, only to be disrupted when the door finally opened again.

When he saw Sukuna’s silhouette backlit in the threshold, he wordlessly reached out for his king, clenching and opening his hands repeatedly like a child.

“You did good, pup,” Sukuna praised him sweetly and, for once, his smile was absent of cruelty. He held Yuuji like something precious and carried him away to be bathed.

Yuuji realized in that moment that he had to suffer to become the perfect mate for his king. He was returned to the royal chamber without a leash because he earned it.

For the first time since arriving, Sukuna removed his collar and soothed the irritated skin beneath.

Yuuji knew that everything he had endured led to the moment Sukuna kissed him for the first time. His stomach coiled with heat and his heart skipped a beat when their lips met.

Melting against his alpha, Yuuji felt as though he found a home in Sukuna’s arms; he belonged there.

Yuuji loved him and Sukuna loved him back. He was certain of it. He had to be.

—

A sob tore through him when Sukuna marked him during their first heat together. He cried even harder when his alpha—his mate—allowed Yuuji to mark him in return.

He wanted to worship Sukuna.

His husband was so kind and gentle, even when Sukuna was bruising or scratching him from the ferocity of their mating.

“I love you,” Yuuji repeated religiously, breathless as he was bred and fucked into oblivion.

Sukuna didn’t need to say it back. Yuuji knew from the way his husband continued to scent and mark him until he was black and blue.

—

All it took to turn Sukuna into the doting mate Yuuji always wanted was a baby. The moment Lord Ryoumen learned his wife was pregnant, Yuuji felt accomplished.

He wasn’t an idiot. Mated or not, Yuuji knew that he was still just a possession for Sukuna to own. But, as his alpha kissed his pregnant belly and catered to his every whim, Yuuji felt happy and secure.

He was the only possession Sukuna would ever love.

—

END

#jjk #jjk fanfic #thread #sukuita #ryomen sukuna #itadori yuuji #yuji itadori #a/b/o #cw: noncon #cw: mind breaking #cw: psychological torture #forced marriage #collaring #leashing #cw: abuse #historical au #a/b/o au

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theonethatyaks93 · 1 year

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Why Pinky is my Favorite Animaniacs Character (Day 2 of Pinky Week)

(Quick note: This was supposed to come out yesterday, but due to an unforeseen conflict in my schedule, it had to be postponed to today. I've updated my upload schedule to extend an extra day to Pinky Week, therefore ending it on 3/18 rather than 3/17.)

Hi everyone! So, I decided in honor of the upcoming mysterious announcement from the Animaniacs Twitter plus it being Pinky’s Narfday, to dedicate an entire week on my Tumblr blog to talking about Pinky! That’s right! For 7 whole days, I’ll be talking about the different aspects of Pinky from his character to some of my favorite moments to explaining his relationship with Brain. I’m going to be covering it all. The unofficial beginning of Pinky Week was the post I made on Saturday, so go check that out for a start to the week! Also, be prepared for Brain Week, which is on its way in about 18 days . That will follow a similar formula, but will be better planned out. Alright, without further delay, let's begin! Happy Pinky Week!!!!

(sorry this looks like crap but it's my official picture so)

3/13/23- Why Pinky is My Favorite Animaniacs Character:

2020-2021 (also known as the Warner Age): When I first started watching Animaniacs in 2020, I, like every other newbie to the fandom, latched on to the Warner Siblings. I just loved their comedic energy and adventures and couldn't get enough of it. I especially enjoyed Yakko, admiring his fast-paced energy and quick innuendos to a massive extent. When I finally watched the first 25 episodes of the original Animaniacs, I was ecstatic to see the Warner Siblings on my screen to be watched over and over again. Heck, when I first saw the trailer for the reboot, I solely focused my attention on Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, ignoring the other things entirely. I still had an appreciation for Pinky and The Brain and Slappy Squirrel, but I didn't think Pinky and Brain were all that funny (most of the jokes went completely over my adolescent head). I liked the mice because I thought their plans for world domination were cool and I found the plot of each segment interesting. Boy, the times have changed since then. I still had a large amount of respect for Pinky and Brain, but nothing else. The Warners were still number one. I even planned my first fanfictions around them. Unfortunately, I didn't have Hulu at the time, so watching the rest of the franchise was out of the picture. I had to rely on Animaniacs content from YouTube in order to experience the siblings. For the reboot, I watched song compilations and clips; I didn't even know what Brinky was for a long time. Regretfully, in early 2021, I took an extended hiatus from the Animaniacs fandom, returning back to Disney from March of 2021 to September of 2021. I'd occasionally make glances back at the Warners, but I wasn't that involved anymore. That was until some things re-kindled my appreciation for the fandom and started some new admirations: one video, two gay laboratory mice, and a fanfiction.

September 2021-November 2021 (the return)- One day, I was in a very crappy mood, so I decided to watch an Animaniacs video. It was the best decision I'd ever made. It instantly made me fall in love with the franchise and characters all over again. However this time, I fell in love with a certain duo after realizing that maybe, they weren't so bad after all. After discovering Fanfiction.net, I started reading a Brinky fanfiction. I instantly fell in love with the idea of the two being together, especially as someone who was questioning my own sexuality at the time. I started to watch Brinky compilations on YouTube, and I fell in love with the ship even more. When season 2 of the reboot came out, I found myself basically forgetting my previous obsession with the Warners, and began to dedicate my time to the mice.

December 2021 (Pinky gets personal): Then, I began to watch season 2 again, and I realized that I was connecting to Pinky in a personal way. I admired his love for Brain, his dedication to being kind, and how he didn't care about how others perceived him, rather he wanted to be himself. He showcased his gender non-conformity in an amazing way and no one judges him for it. It is taken 100% seriously with Brain not criticizing him for his wants. Pinky also doesn't care about how his sexuality will be seen as. He just wants to show his admiration for Brain in passionate ways, not caring if the latter doesn't desire these actions. I felt so secure whenever I watched him on T.V, like he was comforting me and protecting me from the troubles of the world. Sure he was inane at times, but that didn't matter. I still admired him and cared about his feelings and relationship with Brain. I was going through a tumultuous time during this period. My best friend abandoned me for a new girl after I'd came out to her. I was feeling super lonely and Pinky helped to aid in those woes. He'd make me laugh so hard I'd start crying and would fall to the floor. His voice brought a smile to my face and he could sing so well that I would start tearing up. While Brain served as someone I could relate to with his temperament, self issues, and dedication to those he "tolerated", I could relate to Pinky due to his emotional views and struggles for appreciation.

January 2022-Now (Fanfiction, Tumblr, Season 3, and Pinky): A lot has changed since 2020. I've started writing fanfiction for the first time to modest success, I've joined an amazing community on Tumblr and now have over 40 followers (thank you guys, you mean so much to me!), and my admiration for Pinky has only grown. Season 3 was a true surprise with how much my love for this mouse increased. I related to him, I loved his loyalty to Brain, his affection for his friend was amazing, and Pinky was seemingly perfectly fine with dressing in female clothes and interacting with Brain in a non-platonic way. Also, I noticed a few things with the third season that made me very happy. Firstly, Pinky actually has a real/possibly serious mental issue that I also suffer from!! His anxiety and stress problems are highlighted in the episode "Talladega Mice" much to my and a majority of the fandom's delight. Pinky's anxiety attack was portrayed with such realism that it was almost surreal. In fact, a very similar situation had happened to me before. It was also handled in a very nuanced, yet comedic way, not only being relatable, but being hilarious. Pinky's ways of coping with stress are scarily similar to the ways I cope with stress (i.e. having someone talk to me in a silly voice, laughing, physical touch). It's kind of comforting. His relentless optimism also is admirable, even in a stress-filled situation. Another thing I notices was the fact that Pinky never mentioned a female love interest in any capacity during this season. In the previous two, Pinky is given a female love interest or mentions one. But in season 3, he focuses his attention on Brain. This kind of shows some character development, as Pinky seems to alter his affections from random female characters to his closest companion. I only noticed this change after re-visiting the series. Pinky really knows his priorities. After watching season 3, I loved Pinky even more than I had before due to his expanded character. This admiration only grows larger day after day.

Conclusion (Why Pinky is my favorite Animaniacs character): Many fans of Animaniacs latch on to characters like Yakko, Wakko, Slappy, or The Brain. However, it's quite bizarre that I decided to latch onto a character that doesn't go through a major character arc (Brain) or has a huge cult-like fanbase (Wakko). But yeah, Pinky is my quintessential comfort character; he's always a riot and manages to make me feel better on my worse days which I've had in abundance. He is one of the reasons why I've been staying on the franchise for such a long time because I've wanted to see more of him. Pinky's continuous love and support for Brain is so charming to see. He has a beautiful singing voice, a wide variety of humor that appeals to both kids and adults, and he manages to be one of the nicest cartoon characters I've ever seen (except for in Pinky, Elmyra, and The Brain. What did they do to him? Why is he so rude to Brain for no reason?). Pinky will always be my favorite Animaniacs character, no matter what. The ways he's helped me through hard times is something that other cartoons can never do. Brain is another character that I appreciate on a more personal lever, but his companion will forever have my heart and my pick as best mouse.

Ok, that got just a little personal at times, but I hope you enjoyed! And if you think I'm joking about anything I've said here, I'm not kidding. Pinky truly means so much to me and has helped me when my emotions spiral out of control. Alright, that's the second entry to Pinky Week! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post where I detail the evolution of Pinky from 1993 to today, talking about his changes in personality, appearance, and voice! Have a wonderful day and/or evening! Narf!

#pinky and the brain #patb #Pinky #brinky #Pinky week!!#comfort character #I love my cute mousey #rambling is certain #this is kind of cheesy

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brightbeautifulthings · 3 months

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The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman & Mark H. Harris

"Black horror's triumph is its ability to reflect more deeply on the ways in which Black history has been and continues to be Black horror. Black horror points a finger at evil because those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, just like those who forget the rules of horror are just plain doomed. When the twenty-four hour news cycle moves on to some Insta-influencer, and names like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Atatiana Jefferson, and Botham Jean become fading memories for some, Black horror steps up to remind us that, like the vengeful dolls in Tales from the Hood, the past is never 'history.'"

Year Read: 2023

Rating: 4/5

Thoughts: It took me all damn year to read this book, through no fault of its own. I received an invitation from the publishers to read it through NetGalley, got about a third of the way through, and decided I couldn't take the kind of notes I wanted on my Kindle. By the time my ordered copy arrived, enough time had passed that it seemed best just to start over. Then cue the Great Summer Reading Slump of 2023! I refused to start over again, and it still took me until December to finish. May I reflect on this before I decide to accept nonfiction again, even if it is about horror. But then, as my favorite professor always liked to say, "Struggling is productive."

This is all no reflection on the book itself, which is an in-depth look at the history of Black horror cinema. I'm an avid horror fan, and I still learned a hell of a lot, including where to fill in the gaps in my viewing (although… I'm still probably going to skip Spider Baby (1967), sorry. Even my boyfriend, Lon Chaney Jr., can't make that sound appealing). Seriously, adding films to my watch list was some of the most fun of this book, and I've already started chipping away at those by continuing with The Purge series. I gave up after having lukewarm feelings about the first, but in a weird twist, the series actually gets so much better. I'm planning to watch Event Horizon (1997) and Spiral (2021) at some point too, among others.

The writers are incredibly knowledgeable about the topics, one a scholar in the field and the other having had a hand in a number of popular culture projects centered on horror film. I think this combination is what really sets this book apart from others of its kind and gives it a more unique voice. The two of them balance the in-depth theoretical and social commentary with witty, sardonic asides. Horror has a long history of going hand in hand with comedy (horror hosts like Svengoolie are case in point), and they go well together here. Despite the fears in the acknowledgements section that the book comes over "too complainy," I didn't get that impression in any sense. A critique by definition should be critical, and it is. It spares no feelings in calling out the hugely racist film industry which, despite major strides forward, still has a long way to go. However, it's also clear throughout that the writers really love the genre, and there are points of borderline gushing over films like Get Out (2017), which had a revolutionizing effect on social-political horror in general and Black horror specifically.

The chapters are neatly broken up by Top Lists on various topics, from Frequent Dier Awards and Terrible Hip-Hop Theme Songs From Horror Movies to 10 Horror Movies About Black-White Race Relations Not Named Get Out. These work better than the sometimes long lists of films inserted into paragraphs, and are often quite funny. The first half of the book is very strong on the history of Black horror film, even to the point of feeling a bit repetitive at times, which I think is a byproduct of the essay-ish/doctoral thesis quality of some of the chapters. (We can credit academia with a lot of things, but being concise is rarely one of them.) It expertly links Black horror trends with long-held racial stereotypes and charts the often dismal numbers of Black actors, actresses, writers, and directors in horror film, and the (again, often dismal) quality of that representation.

The second half dips into the intersection of Black women and Black LGBTQ+ representation, and it's not quite as comprehensive there. In part, this is because there just isn't as much rep out there to write about, but my sense is that this is more like an overview of these topics. A dedicated scholar could spend an entire book delving into each one of those and still have more to write. The final chapter pulls together a moving rumination on how Black horror, like most media, is ultimately a reflection of the world we live in. Any minor quibbles aside, this is extremely well-done and a must-read for anyone with an interest in the history of horror film.

#book review #the black guy dies first #the black guy dies first: black horror cinema from fodder to oscar #robin r. means coleman #mark h. harris #nonfiction #horror #black horror #netgalley #gallery books #simon and schuster #saga press #4/5 #rating: 4/5 #2023

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onekisstotakewithme · 1 year

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✏️🖊

✏️ Do you write every day?

Yes! I write every day and have written every day (even if only a few sentences) since March of 2021! It's to keep myself accountable and to keep my words flowing, and anyone who knows me could tell you I'm stubborn (my dad calls it "stick-to-it-tiveness"). Some days it's 2 sentences, some days it's a few thousand words, but I love it and my writing output has noticeably increased since.

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP.

going to post two hehe. The first is a snippet from missing scenes, the second is a snippet from the 125k triad piece

1: TWW

“How is it that I work in the most secure building in the world, and I’m still being outwitted by one scruffy journalist?”

“Who’s scruffy?” Danny asks, amused.

“Go away.”

“So the White House doesn’t have a comment?”

2: MASH

Peg lifts a forkful of cake to her mouth, and sighs a little at the blissful taste, the citrus tangy on her tongue, mellowed by the sweetness of the cake, the whole thing delicious and light, yet also sinfully decadent, Peg’s eyes sliding shut at the taste.

“God, that look on your face,” Hawkeye says, his voice low and full of heat. “Makes me glad I’m not Catholic.”

She opens her eyes again, fixing him with a look. “Either I’m more tipsy than I thought, or that was a very odd segue.”

“I think coveting my best friend’s wife is a sin,” Hawkeye says, lust burning in his gaze when he looks at her, and it kindles a similar fire in her belly. “And I’d hate to shock some poor priest in a confessional.”

“Only a sin for a few more hours,” BJ says, before holding out a forkful of cake. “Here, Hawk, we can share.”

“Beej-.”

“Darling, let us,” Peg says earnestly, and Hawkeye nods shyly in return.

#thanks anon!#asks

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crimsondomingo · 1 year

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The Case of The Boy in Blue

Leonard Quill, private investigator, never expected a case to walk through his door quite like this one, complete with murder, a frame job, blackmail, and powerful players, especially coming from a man with bright blue eyes behind his glasses, a crooked bow tie, and an impossible smile.

For pocket paperbacks, The Case of the Boy in Blue, one of Love Bytes Reviewers' "Best of 2021" is now LIVE.

Also on KU and in audio, narrated by the talented Fentriss O. Moore, you can now get this noir mmromance short story in print.

#gay romance #romance #noir #free ebook #books #kindle

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onlinebookclub-org · 6 months

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Book of the Day, November 1st -- Drama and Poetry, Rated 5/5 stars

Temporarily Discounted! Get your copy below:

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=525710

Artwords by Beatriz M. Robles

Published by @authorspress

This book received a PERFECT 5-star rating from an Official Onlinebookclub.org Reviewer, and has 38 five-star ratings on Amazon!

In addition, this book was #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller in Women Artists and Next Generation, and Indie Book Awards Finalist - Specialty/Novelty Category, 2022. It was featured in the (Indie) of the Kirkus Reviews Special Issue for The Best Books of 2021!

----------

Artwords is the November Book of the Month!

It's a holiday! Best time to grab a book for art lovers and readers because of its visual poetry, calligrams, photographs, and redactive poems that's not just for your mind but for your eyes as well! Short read and good gift!

"A treat for the mind and eyes.With its mesmerizing amalgamation of words and images, the book leaves a lasting impression. The author has done a commendable job of bringing the synergetic power of visual and written art forms in the most beautiful manner. It’s a beautiful attempt in redefining the way we approach any art form." ~ Amazon Reviewer

#book of the month #art #poetry #discountedbook #bookswithperfect5starratingsfromobc

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sleepyowlwrites · 1 year

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almost all of Sleepy's playlists

12 days or so

2021 i guess

202620

20's k

22k

22 repeat offenders

23 and me

272021

282022

2.8 miles at least

302431

about birds

about wolves

abyss for Celadon

adhd can be a melody (lullatone)

ah, greetings (the oh hellos)

amreena (mree)

and maybe you'll calm down

any game

at sea, at sea (aeseaes)

babuhman (smooth mcgroove)

beautiful coming (bellarive)

between the summers (bts)

bite club saturday (vampire weekend)

bounce, bounce (pogo)

blorbos that shan't be blamed

a blond of another dimension

brain soundtrack

breathing other atmospheres

bright bright void

b-sides, K?

carving words from chords

celtic collection (Adrian von ziegler)

changeleg (switchfoot)

checK it out later

creatures, humans (of monsters and men)

creature party

citynight for Celadon

cityscape car chase but we're depressed

coming or going home

coming up from under

curious mushrooms

desaturate, descend

drowning, dreaming

etherealities

era ended (enya)

evil star (bad suns)

fall tangerine (autumn orange)

a far throw (pkch)

fantasy violin (Taylor davis)

favorite worlds

final auroch (the last bison)

flight and feather

folk magic

for book and beyond

for dance and frolic

for fire and forest

for frost and snow

for road and mountain

for rain and reminiscing

for soul and spirit

for street and city

friendship+ for Zenith

fruit stories (veggie tales)

going on a walk with you

going on forever

halcyon nowhere (the arcadian wild)

happy brain soup

hauntings, fae, adolescence

heart's hearth

heartsoft (emiliana torrini)

hidden in song sight

high ground (saint mesa)

holding hands. hugging, even

hopeful and haunting

invasive species

"I can fix him"

into the west

I swear it's a lullaby

it hurts sometimes

journey themes (Adam young)

jupiter valley (juniper vale)

kindling (karliene)

a kind of magic adventure (AKMU)

K I really like these

lady lungs (florence + the machine)

legal to drink, k? (released in 2021)

let's just have some kind of a time

let's just have a good time

limbs of trees (branches)

listen later

love or maybe death

lovely valley (PHILDEL)

make smile, vibe

men with strings (the piano guys)

monster trucks (monsta x)

my best friend, my mortal enemy

neon nights

never mind the lyrics

the night and the dawn

nightmares (dreamcatcher)

nolen (olen)

no plot, just vibes

no words, just emotions (mostly helen jane long)

obligatory brain pain mention

one trilogy to rule them all

other worlds (phil lober)

outcasts welcome (stray kids)

parchment planes (the paper kites)

partially-breathing (half-alive)

phantom of the playlist

old Stuff (poppy music)

pov: chosen or unchosen ones

pov: it's dark in this dungeon

pov: you've been watching the witcher

pov: you're in a teen movie

pov: you're playing pirates

pov: you're questing

pre-playlist

punch me in the throat

random tuesday vibes

relatable content

a reverie in autumn

secret garden

secret soundtrack

seen through shadows

shenanigans and mischief

singular nuisanze (ateez)

some kind of feeling

songs for Becky

songs for Bender (writing-is-a-martial-art)

songs for botbot (my sister)

songs for Breezy (blind-the-winds)

song for Celadon (abalonetea)

songs for Celia (friend)

songs for Chiro (crypticcodexcreations)

songs for dragonheart (myhusbandsasemni)

songs for Cozy (ink-fireplace-coffee)

songs for Ghosty (zmwrites)

songs for Honeybee (youjustfeelthemforever)

songs for Inkspell (my-cursed-prince)

songs for Klaus (revenantlore)

songs for Klove (klywrites)

songs for Lucent (incandescent-creativity)

songs for Maybe Sorcery (akindofmagictoo)

songs for Rainstorm (avrablake)

songs for Ren-rill-ren (ren-c-leyn)

songs for Roseleaf (stupid-elf)

songs for Rubiks (squarebracket-trick)

songs for Rule (cljordan-imperium)

songs for Sounding (diphthongsfordays)

songs for Tea Leaf (afoolandathief)

songs for TIFF (peach) (friend)

songs for Welcome (nikkywrites)

songs for Valance (faelanvance)

songs for Voidlight (another-white-void)

songs for Zach

songs with funny names

sound, not lyrics

sounds like light (winterpark)

spectres over your shoulder

spite and other girly things

starry turtleduck (cosmo sheldrake)

still not dead

story: apocalypse

story: city

story: demon

story: guild

story: pirate

story: rain

story: summon

story: youth

stuck in a time loop with monsters

summer, (with summer or a summer month in the title)

summer: (songs that sound like summer)

sun around the corner

sun on stone (san fermin)

surrender souls (casting crowns)

suspended on thread (until the ribbon breaks)

taxi. (the cab)

the. best. (nell)

a theme for a dream

thinking of wings and scales (imagine dragons)

"this is such a good song"

thursdays or something

tiny musiks (alan gogoll)

tracks of sound (soundtracks)

the tree house (day6)

trust fall (21 pilots)

twfa for Rainscribe (wip)

violina (Vienna teng)

a veiled zephyr (Adrian von ziegler)

wars and weights

what even is this

whisperkid (vesperteen)

a wild collection of vibes

wild star (animal sun)

yeah this place is haunted

ye olde bardmix (stantough)

you my friend

youth is what we make it

youth take two

zing a zhong (Louie zhong)

all the "k" playlists are kpop

#sleepy stuff #sleepy recs #writing adjacent

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ruiniel · 7 months

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Prickly thorns, tender roses

Fandom: Castlevania series (2017-2021)

Rating: Mature 🔞

Relationship: Alucard/Original Female Character

Characters: Alucard, Original Characters

Summary:

Set after the events of Castlevania (Netflix) Season III. After the betrayal of his young apprentices, Alucard feels barely alive in his lonesome castle. Days wear on, chipping away at his mind and sanity. And what is the son of Dracula to do with this unwanted visitor, suddenly come at his doorstep?

Chapter tags & warnings: Inspired by Castlevania, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, POV alternating, Post-Castlevania Season III, Written before season IV. Explicit depiction of death and related themes. This is an M-rated fic. Whatever you see in Castlevania, you may at one point see here. Considering what happened with Taka and Sumi, I felt this had to be addressed.

XII. Strange fates

It was night outside by the time she emerged. Ravenna stalked forward from the direction of the Belmont Hold, her mind full. It had been her first day of research amid the boundless knowledge contained in the vault, and as expected, she'd gathered nothing as of yet. It was not the most heartening outcome, but then again, she had some time. Her eyes and back hurt from the strain, but her purpose was a strong enough beacon to pursue; she would carry on, do her best. But now her best mainly meant having a good, long rest, and even the prospect of lying down to sleep in that ghostly chamber allotted to her was most appealing at the moment. Her thoughts strayed; she thought of her temporary host and their uncanny, intriguing deal. Ravenna thought back on their conversation: surely one held in respect by a Belmont, could not be inherently evil? But was this Hold truly bequeathed to him, or were they lies? After all, a Belmont and a half-vampire... No, a dhampir, as Adrian had called himself.

Then again, if she was to believe him, the two had worked together to defeat Vlad Dracula Ţepeş. I suppose I will simply have to trust... him, until proven otherwise. She would be a liar to say their understanding did not suit, after all.

A knot in her belly spoke of hunger, but Ravenna willed her mind to other things: all the work set before her. As she walked, nearer and nearer to the castle, the woman noticed a brightness hailing to the far eastern side of the clearing where the behemoth of a structure stood.

Fire. What's this? A figure stood there, tall and straight, and alone.

Adrian. She'd not caught sight of him all day. To be fair, I'd been underground for most of it. He was drenched in thought and despite her previous resolution to rest, her steps led her right to him.

The lonely chirping of a cricket greeted the falling evening. It was warm this early in summer, but once the sun disappeared a familiar chill fell upon the lush, shadowed forest. Turning from the starlit heavens, Alucard set his gaze on the pyre of kindling before him. Two bodies lay there, covered in wrappings of linen. He had no knowledge of how funeral rites would be held in their home land, but considering the lay of this land and its recent history, he had settled for burning them. How ironic, he thought with a dark smile.

But now, about to proceed in lighting the pyre, he wallowed. He could do nothing but gape at the remains of the ones he'd once taken in and cared for. Were it not for the Styrian, you'd still be on display, he thought with no trace of resent; he'd simply ceased to care of the outside world, and they were a part of it.

How fitting and unexpected, that one of their own kind had indirectly spared their honor. Though he doubted they had ever known the meaning of such, living most of their lives in constant fear as slaves to a vampire. At first he'd pitied them. Then he had become accustomed to their presence, blinded by his own foolish infatuation to see their thirst for control. Or perhaps he'd not wanted to see it. Thinking about those times, as he unfortunately often did, Alucard would relive moments where a mere glance or a lingering look obtained a completely different meaning, and each time he felt his spirit wither beyond recognition. His own motives and state of mind from before were murky and vague now at best. He had needed... someone. No, he had needed a purpose. He had simply needed, and they had so fortuitously found him. It all fell into place; but the memory of that night would still haunt, as would the burden of their deaths.

You've been lying to us...

"I never lied to you," he repeated the words they never heard. Or did you? his guilt scorned. His eyes were caught by their lifeless forms. Alucard took an intake of breath, grinding his teeth, willing the maelstrom to cease its churn. If only he'd told them of the weapons. If only he had told them the full truth, they may not have attempted their foolish plan, but a strange seed of unseeing doubt had kept him from being forthright, and there, there lay the true blame. His face changing into a bitter smile sheltered by the night, he had to admit he'd sorely misjudged their cunning; or their desperation, as it were.

Alucard made an attempt to light the torch, but his arm fell back to his side. It seemed only yesterday Sumi pleaded with him, watching him so longingly, maintaining the two of them needed a friend. And fool that he was, distraught and shamefully in need of companionship, he'd believed them. He had wished to believe them. Yes, the fault was not his alone, but it felt as though a great part of it was. And they'd been so young, younger than he. Now, having carried their decomposed remains unto their final resting place it all resurfaced, in a sudden, unstoppable torrent of emotions clawing beneath layers upon layers of lingering grief and disappointment.

I should have told them. He tilted his head forward, his hands clenching into fists. Perhaps it was the curse of his existence, for those he held dear to ever die by his hand? Alucard stepped forward and lit the torch. He glanced at the shells of his former apprentices, his supposed friends. Perhaps they had been, in the beginning. Who knew? Strange fates roamed this world, coming to strange ends.

He lit the pyre.

Just as the kindling took to flame he heard footsteps approaching, and refocused his vision. He discerned a silhouette in the night. Speaking of strange fates...

Alucard followed her with his gaze until Ravenna came to stand by his side, but said nothing, turning back to the sight set in flames.

The woman wanted to ask him of this, but felt as though she'd be interrupting a farewell of sorts. She looked to the rising fire engulfing the pyre, then to him, noting his aching features and how he stared emptily ahead.

"They were two human warriors, come from faraway lands," Alucard broke the silence after long moments. "They sought me for my aid, befriended me, then attempted to kill me."

This was unexpected. Her eyes cut to his, but he would not meet her gaze.

"... but, why?" Ravenna contended to ask, seeing as he spoke of his own accord. An image of brutalized, healing skin came to mind. The scars...

"They fell... prey to their own humanity." A mirthless smile bloomed on his lips. "They wanted their own empire," Alucard added, almost wistfully. Then, as the fire became stronger and soared upwards he turned to look her way. In this light and with those eyes and hair, this woman reminded him of the fierce fleet footed spirits of the forest, ones he and his father beheld during certain magical nights of the year; he saw them, swaying to the golden-red tunes of their spirit fires, beaming their enchanted smiles at him. He still recalled their ever-summer laughter. But these eyes bore wariness and fear behind their depths. She was only human, after all.

"It was a situation of kill or be killed, in the end. Not unlike animals," Alucard said to no one in particular. "Though now I wonder..." he turned to view the distant stars.

"And you were angry, hence the... impalement," Ravenna uttered in contemplation.

There it was, the icy emptiness surrounding him again. Ravenna resisted the urge to step away.

"I was..." his words ceased as the flames grew higher and higher, ... disappointed? Broken? Murderously grieved? "...I could not allow them their rest," he settled.

He felt a foreign pressure on his right arm. What—

Her fingers were gently placed on him. Alucard looked into her face.

"I regret your loss."

His eyes widened only slightly at the sincerity in her voice, written on her features. Yes, not unlike the Ladies of the woods she was, with those high cheekbones and that round mouth. Alucard pulled his arm away and looked back ahead. "I suggest you go inside. There will be a strong smell soon."

"I'm used to funerals done in this manner," Ravenna said. "We had them quite often in Styria, for the same reasons." No one needed bodies susceptible to whatever evils roamed and attempted to inhabit them.

Alucard remained silent. Her presence was not truly that bothersome though her reactions, her seeming compassion, were a little odd... irritating even. Uncalled for. He slowly descended to the ground, crossing his legs under him. From the corner of his eye Alucard saw her do the same; so be it.

They watched the fires purify and change, their faces illuminated in passing light and shadows, until late into the night, Ravenna rose to stand.

She said nothing to him, merely heading for the castle entrance. As she departed, the woman stole one last glance his way: an unmovable stone figure on an empty night, burning memories. His eyes were set on the ground, his features flaring white-gold.

Ravenna turned away, and left him to continue his silent vigil.

#alucard x oc #ruiniel:fanfiction #prickly thorns tender roses #not rewritten has my 2020 style rip

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