#snakes are fucking wild. love having this beast in my home. she doesn’t know what grilled cheese is

[bentrollio]

WHENEVER I WALK BY WITH HOT FOOD SHE COMES OUT AND GETS INTO STRIKE POSITION.

GIRL THIS IS A GRILLED CHEESE.

#my posts #ball pythons #I’ve heard similar stories about BPs being interested in coffee mugs and soup #it’s because she’s sensing the heat from the sandwich. and it’s a small and warm heat signature #snakes are fucking wild. love having this beast in my home. she doesn’t know what grilled cheese is

[yandere-sins]

There is a serious lack of the yandere dragon shifter content! (Especially the bakugou dragon shifter if you can...) So is it possible to have a rich like this where the reader is a mage or magician in search of ingredients and meet a dragon who becomes infuriated with her (or them if you are more comfortable)

You shall get what you ask for, if you want she-pronouns so be it there’s no being more or less comfortable about pronouns. The only time I need some more directions is if you want a gender neutral darling do the dirty with the yan, then it helps to know what to expect down below, you get it? Otherwise, if you want to request a female darling then be proud and request that. Also I am mostly writing x reader anyway, and for that it doesn’t really matter most of the time. Enjoy your scenario!

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You were no newbie to the forest. Ever since you were a child, you wandered the dark greens with your grandfather, and later on, with your teacher. Over all these years, you had grown into a respectable mage yourself, people came to your door for help, and you could summon the darkest threats there were; make them follow your instructions! But going into the forest on your own was a necessity, despite always presenting you with something unexpected.

The reason you had to go into the forest was simple: Your potions needed ingredients. Sure, you could have just magically made them appear in your laboratory, however, many did not know that ingredients that were made by magic had almost none of their substances needed for spells. It was easier to explain with self-grown plants in a garden; the one from the convenient market were good to eat, but those you harvested and collected yourself would always be better.

So you set out on your own. You didn’t have an apprentice in a while after the last one had an unfortunate accident with snake poison. Thus, it was on you to make sure your shelves were filled with everything you needed to make your potions and provide people with. To be honest, you found it quite pleasant to get out of your dark, filled-to-the-brim with junk and necessities home, scouting the thicket and breathing in the refreshing forest air.

Carefully you decided where to set your foot. You still remembered the few instances you accidentally ran into a fairy or almost got drowned by a mermaid while picking algae from the lake. Those things happened, but they were no pleasant occurrences, and you preferred to not run into them. However, with a calm mind, you wandered around, picking what you needed. Never more than you actually needed, making sure the forest would be able to reproduce it on their own. That was a law for magicians like you, and you were more than happy to follow it.

“Let’s see,” you mumbled as you brought up your notebook where you had written down the things needed for a very potent sleeping potion for one of your customers. You were almost done gathering everything, aside from one more flower which petals had a sweet smell, soothing even raging minds. As such, it most commonly grew in places where wild beasts lived, but much to your relief, this forest had long been abandoned by those, only leaving the occasional fairy or gnome behind.

There was no way you’d have a run-in with something worse like a werewolf or a dragon.

At least, you were quite sure of it until you managed to reach the clearing where the flower grew. You were so sure of it, you ignored the roaring snoring filling the air as you drew closer to the flower’s whereabouts, merrily humming a little song and focusing on your steps. That was, until you reached out for the flower, finally knowing how the earth around it... breathed.

You just stood there, not moving a muscle. There was no immediate sight of anything, but you knew it. You knew that beneath your feet, a monster laid, as big as the clearing itself, as dangerous as snake poison. The only ones possible of laying down in a field of flowers, resting for so long that their magical energy would make the flowers start growing around and on them, were dragons. Despite really not wanting this thought to be right, you knew that there was nothing in comparison.

For a mage like you were, it wasn’t anything to take on easily. Dragons were wild, untamable, and, most of the time, grumpy. The age, you assumed. They tended to be very territorial and get butt-hurt over every little thing... like you, picking one of their flowers. The worst, however, was that even if you retreated now if you were to be noticed, the dragon surely would hunt after you, and you’d lead it back to your little village.

So all that was left as an option was to retreat quietly and make sure you wouldn’t be noticed. For a moment, you got upset that you would have to find another, less convenient flower spot now or do the potion without it. For at least three years, no monster had closed in on that clearing, and yet, now that you needed the flower, you had run into such trouble retrieving it.

Backing away slowly, you walked a while backwards, eyeing the creature still hidden beneath the field of flowers. You were just about to spin around and make a dash for it, hide somewhere in the dark corners of the forest when your foot got caught ever so slightly. Nothing that made you lose your footing, but widened your eyes nonetheless, the shining silver of a claw revealing after you got stuck on it.

The next few moments happened fast, too fast for your human eyes. A flinch, then a growl, and suddenly, the earth broke loose as something erupted from beneath it, a tall, slim body, covered in scales and shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

For a moment, you were mesmerized by it, absolutely awestruck. Seeing a real dragon definitely was better than any portrait painter could put them on a canvas. You realized quickly that it wasn’t just wondering about the creature before you that kept you in place. More so, it was fear. Even when it’s snout came dangerously close to your face, you couldn’t turn and run away.

“Look at you, a smelly little human thief,” it snarked; the perks of being an intelligent creature was it’s ability to speak. “Did you think my flowers were free to take?”

“Where does it say those are yours? Can’t be helped if you sleep on them.” Perhaps, you should have tried a friendlier approach, but it wasn’t like this creature was full of manners either. Against your expectations, though, it only looked at you before suddenly erupting into deep, growling laughter. There was no way to discern if it was actually amused or if it was laughing to mock you, but you took your chance to turn and run, not waiting for a comeback.

“Where are you going?” you heard behind you as you reached the border of the clearing. That suddenly sweet and luring voice made something in you snap. Without thinking, you stopped to look back, the earth around the clearing still torn up, but instead of a dragon, a man stood at the clearing, arms wide open. “You got some nerves, fucking waking me to tell me the flowers aren’t mine and then run away without even taking any. Takes some guts. Here.”

Sweeping down, he picked up one of the few flowers that hadn’t been destroyed by his dragon form, holding it out to you. Aside from the way he spoke, everything suddenly was so tempting. You hadn’t noticed before that the dragon was a shifter, which automatically gave him natural sympathy from you as a human. Their dangerous skill that even a mage like you couldn’t deny.

They were terrible, and you knew it. Everyone told you about how bad shifters were, only ever turning into a human to do bad things. They naturally looked so much better than your average human, too beautiful, too perfect. Their voices were so lovely that they could lull you to sleep, and they emitted the feeling of security that many men and women sought after, making them perfect targets to be kidnapped and, in the worst case, bred or eaten.

But here you were, the little town mage who had never seen a shifter before. The flower in his hand was calling to you to take it back with you, and his voice lured you. Despite resisting, you did have the urge to throw yourself into his arms, like a good, willing target.

Instead, you kept eye contact, holding out your hand for the flower as you approached. His eyes were the only thing reminding you what a beast he was, wild and dangerous, fire burning in them like you could only see in dragons. Yes, you should have just left, but you felt like he actually... accepted your retort. As if it hadn’t been so bad to stand your ground, and that feeling made you confident. Confident that you could handle this situation.

When your finger finally reached around the stem of the flower, he let it go, and immediately, you felt something sharp and painful drill into your forearm. Shocked, you could watch long sharp claws catching a blood-red color as he dragged them down your arm, your body instinctively moving forward to stop the pain.

And that’s when he snapped for you, lifting you up from the ground as if your weight was a joke for him. Throwing you over his shoulder, you were confronted with the feeling of a strong arm pinning your legs to his chest. “Fuck, I hate humans like you. Always talking back, thinking they are in the right.” Giving your rear a rough slap, you yelped before trying to kick your legs unsuccessfully.

He began to move, his shoulder pushing into your stomach so harshly, you felt like throwing up. But before you could complain or say something, you had to watch as the ground before you slowly distanced itself from you, the peaks of the trees soon what came into view. Your still ‘okay’ arm, clutched desperately between the bleeding one and the shifter’s body, trying to find something to hold onto.

“What- Where! Let me down! How dare you!”

“Your really want to be let down now?” Pulling you forward, you landed on his hands under your arms, noticing how your legs struggled in the air without any halt. Finally, you could see his wings and slowly realized what was going on, gulping as you felt helpless in his grasp. “S-Stop this madness! Get me down on earth again!”

“No,” was his simple answer, your cheeks suddenly squishing against his chest as he tugged you in and wrapped you in his arms. Convenient to carry you, yet not helping your problem of feeling helpless. “Not until you learn how to properly behave, Human.”

“I’m not an ordinary human!” you complained, hearing a mocking, “Oh?” rumbling from his chest.

“I’m a mage--”

“And I am so scared. Mage’s are my favorite breakfast.”

A loud laugh erupted all around you, and this time you were sure he was mocking you. “How dare you, you are so rude!” Pounding your hands against his chest, he only laughed more. “That’s it, bare your teeth, little Mage. I love it when my food resists.”

That’s bad, you thought. That’s really, really bad. Magic wouldn’t help against a magical being as he was, and you looked down, seeing the forest, and then your village pass by as he dragged you off. Not like there was anyone who could have helped you in this situation.

“What’s your name, Mage?” he asked, ten minutes into you struggling against him with his arms never tiring. “Why would you want to know?!” you hissed back, and he grunted in response.

“My mother taught me to know the name of the things I put in my mouth; the fuck you care?!” Stretching out your neck, you tried to see his face, but his expression was denied to your gaze by his chin. All you could see were his ears. They seemed unusually red, but you hadn’t looked at them before to compare if that wasn’t normal for a red dragon.

“Just so you know, but the person eating you am I. Katsuki Bakugou. You better speak your last prayers now, Human. And make them good.”

“Well, to say it in your words: Fuck you, Dragon!” Being defiant had helped before. Maybe it would do it again, you hoped.

This time, the rumble in his chest was short as he laughed, different from the ones before. “You’re gonna be my favorite to crush,” he announced, the grip around you tightening until you gasped in pain. Your struggles ceased as you passed out while he carried you off to the no-mans-land that was his home.

He hated to admit it, but the tactic of his friend of simply laying in a bed of flowers and waiting had really paid off, and he was more than overjoyed to have caught someone like you. Having you keep his lair warm would be more than he expected from his endeavor. Katsuki simply loved a bit of a feistiness in the humans he captured, ensuring that you’d give him a good time playing with you before the end of your little togetherness would draw near.

He would make sure to enjoy every second of it.

»»———————— ♡ ————————««   

After-writing-comment: Well, this sounded better in my head than it turned out to be. Maybe I will rewrite it sometimes from his POV but we’ll see. It’s 2k words long so it would be a shame to just trash it, so I decided on posting it anyway. Sorry if it isn’t what you had in mind either anon!

#Bakugou Katsuki #Bakugou #Katsuki Bakugou #yandere bakugou #dragon!bakugou #yandere!bakugou #BnHA #Boku no Hero Academia #MHA #My Hero Academia #yandere bnha #yandere!bnha #yandere mha #yandere!mha #yandere #yandere imagines #yandere headcanons #yandere scenarios #yandere fanfiction #yandere writing #yandere oneshot #yandere drabble #yandere x reader #yandere x darling #Yandere TW #Anonymous

[tanoraqui]

[previous]

so there’s fog, you know, soft and empty fog, except that sometimes there are people in it. There are songs, soft and sweet, except the song about the woman named Janet isn’t allowed at all - the song- the song his...the song for which He beats him, when he sings, beats him and beats him until he can’t taste anything but blood, and he swallows it and sings louder for spite - and feels terrible immediately, for disrespecting Him so terribly. 

Acacia comes for him, dresses him and scares off his attendants, and he remember...Wei Wuxian remembers a little...

“Your daughter’s dead,” he says abruptly, as they pretend to have every right to walk the corridors. “Your lost Rhodia - but she had a son.”

“What?” says Acacia, hungry.

“He’s a bit of a brat,” Wei Wuxian says, in the contemplative way of someone still partly asleep. “But only because he’s loved and well-cared for, and knows it. Also because he’s a brat. He sent me here.”

Acacia pulls him along a little faster

But they don’t make it. Blind Michael’s more clever, more cruel lieutenants interrupt them, and Blind Michael himself, and Wei Wuxian is dressed for a Ride and a wedding, and Blind Michael becomes a god in his eyes, through his eyes - and they Ride

oh, how they Ride.

With a thousand eyes and none his own, Wei Wuxian sees it: through the cold-capped mountains they Ride, horse-hides steaming in the clouds. Through the sea-wide lakes they Ride, over and under. Through the stony hills they Ride, and all the beasts scatter in their wake. Through the golden streets they Ride, and human and faerie alike cower.

until the Hunt reaches a lightly flooded crossroads, and with a thousand eyes and none, Wei Wuxian watches a woman form from the water. She’s dressed like a pirate and stands like a queen; her skin is darkly scaled and her teeth are as sharp as a shark’s. 

“With the holy water in her hand,” she shouts with a captain’s voice, “she cast the compass round. At twelve o'clock the fairy court, came riding o'er the mound.” And, “Michael, this is ending.”

[NB: our lyrics for this evening are “Tam Lin” by Steeleye Span, my favorite version of the song/poem]

Hands pull Wei Wuxian down from his horse in the confusion, drag him forward and pin him in a vicious headlock just above water just deep enough to drown. He struggles to return to his lord and he goes limp and hopes the familiar arms will flip him over, into the water facefirst

He can’t quite see who’s holding him; the Huntfold gaze he’s part of is still focused on Blind Michael and his half-sister

“Get out of my way, daughter of Titania,” he sneers, and probably several other things. “You have no right to be here, tonight.”

“Oh, am I the one being a selfish, manipulative egomaniac?” Amphitrite calls back. “But fine.” She stamps her foot as a child in temper, a woman drawing a line in the sand, and the air reeks of ocean and fresh kills, deep currents ripple in the flooded intersection. She points toward the held figure near her feet. “That’s my descendent you’ve got there, by birth if not by blood, and I want him back. He was under my protection when you took him, and he owes me a debt.”

several other Riders have been pulled down, too, now struggling and limp in the hands of unseen strangers

“You have no right!” Blind Michael snarls again (only a child in temper)

“Friends and family and companions of blood always have a right.” Amphitrite warns one last time, “You can still walk away, Michael. I don’t really want you to - I’m not Annie. But I’ll let you.”

“Who would come for him?” Blind Michael demands.

“Lan Wangji, heir to the Duchy of Cloud Recesses,” a voice says from above him, as cool as though it was rude of Blind Michael to ask. “My claim precedes yours.”

“Wen Qing.” “Wen Ning.” They speak almost at the same time, Wen Qing somehow sounding exasperated through her steely determination, and Wen Ning only, rarely, confident in his. “He’s our idiot.” “He’s our friend.”

“Luo Qingyang, formerly of the Court of Golden Sun,” says the one holding down his legs, and for the first time, Wei Wuxian scrambles completely organically to remember. Wait, that’s not- Mianmian? “Wei Wuxian saved my life, and those of many I love, and I don’t see why that debt should go unpaid.”

“Jiang Yanli,” declares the one with a firm arm around his neck, “Princess-consort of the Kingdom of Golden Sun and heir to the Duchy of Lotus Lakes. I’m bringing my didi home.” 

She speaks with such furious intent that he almost expects to see Madam Yu when he looks up, a thousand eyes fading to just his own. But it’s his shijie who smiles down at him, and tightens her headlock (Madam Yu would approve)

Blind Michael raises his hand and change hurts (change always hurts) but Wei Wuxian was made for it. He is sleek and long and made of nothing but muscle - and fang and poison, and desperation to escape the grip that suddenly slips on his neck. He is nothing but neck. He slides and twists and swipes his tail, and the grip tightens around his middle with a startled gasp. He twists and rears and lunges and bites, sinks venom into blood and the grip goes slack - 

- and the best Daoine Sidhe blood-healer in a generation, in several generations, slaps Jiang Yanli’s back and grimaces, and Jiang Yanli grits her teeth and tightens her hold and above and before them, Amphitrite chants, “They've shaped him in her arms, into an roaring snake. She's held him fast and feared him not, to be her lovely mate.”

Another change. Wei Wuxian is a beast of dark fur and gnashing teeth, slashing claws and sharp as a sword and twice as savage. He is the wildness of the Hunt itself. He swipes at his captor - he cannot be contained, he will not be contained - and strikes her across the cheek; he writhes and snarls and - 

- a pale hand shoves a sachet into his face; a glimpse of ice-blue eyes and a strong hand shoves his head down into it, his nose, and orders, “Calm.” He inhales to snarl and strike again and breathes in pure, alchemically enhanced catnip and...it’s kind of like being hit with a truck, if the truck was dreamy serenity but also raw LSD. He wants to escape the arms now locking more firmly around his neck, but he also wants to nuzzle up into Lan Zhan’s hand now scratching his head, and also never take his head out of this really amazing-smelling bag...

“They've shaped him in her arms, to a wood black beast so wild. She's held him fast and feared him not, the father of her child!“

A third. Wei Wuxian is heat, is pain, is light, screaming, ecstasy, agony, destruction, life, fire. (“They've shaped him in her arms again, fire burning bold!”) He isn’t sure he even wants to go back to Blind Michael, but he can’t stop burning. (“She's held him fast and feared him not, till he was iron cold!”) Jiang Yanli cries out and Wen Ning grabs her arms to keep them steady, gasping in pain himself, and Luo Qingyang drags all three of them down into the water, which does very little but -  

“ - They've shaped him in her arms at last, into a naked man,” Amphitrite calls at the last. “She's wrapped him in the green mantle, and knew that she had him won.” And at last it is true: Wei Wuxian sags, exhausted and bruised and not a little blood, his own and his sister’s and his friends’.

He licks his lips absentmindedly, and realizes he’s naked when Lan Wangji looks away with a stiff expression. Luo Qingyang rolls her eyes and pulls a spare robe out of somewhere and throws it over him, and it catches Jiang Yanli as well, because she does wait to hold him closer and cry-laugh against his shoulder. “A-Xian! Are you okay? We were so worried! You’re not to do that again, do you hear me?”

“Ah, shijie,” Wei Wuxian gives a laughs right back, only a little fake. “I’m always okay! And you - ” He’s about to say something about how magnificent she was, but a dash of his memory catches up and he actually does pull away from her a little just enough to look in her face with horror. “Wait, Princess-consort - no! Shijie, you didn’t marry the peacock?!”

(while around them other families reunite, and a few weep - not all held tight enough. while Blind Michael shouts and whines his protest and Amphitrite invites him to fight or fuck off)

Jiang Yanli smiles tearfully. “I wanted to wait for you, we all did, but...” Her shrug encompasses everything from true love to royal politics. But her smile both widens and softens as her hand runs over her stomach. “I’m even pregnant already.”

Wei Wuxian almost smiles, before he sits up with a horrified start. “No - Janet’s first baby didn’t - Wen Qing! Wen Qing, is the baby okay?!”

His panic is infectious; Jiang Yanli’s eyes widen and Wen Qing drops to her knees and presses her hands to Jiang Yanli’s side, swipes a drop of blood from her cheek and tastes it, and all stop until she says, “The baby’s fine. You should rest, though. Both of you. All of us.”

Blind Michael and his Hunt turn away in shame, ride away in defeat...all but one. Acacia lingers, golden.

Two figures wade carefully through Amphitrite’s flooded crossroads to greet her, one head black and the other dark, dark red. 

“Grandmother,” says Nie Huaisang, part curiosity and part awe. 

Acadia reaches out without a thought. Her hand stops in the air above Amphitrite’s lapping waves (which wouldn’t last for much longer, not on land, but for now still fought back the touch of Blind Michael’s realm). 

She smiles sadly as her hand drops. “You do look like her. I don’t suppose you’d like to come home with me?”

Nie Huaisang bites his lip with the longing of a faerie meeting (one of) his Firstborn for the first time. But he says decisively, “No thank you. It seems kind of terrible.” He hesitates. “Would you...like to come home with me?”

Acacia doesn’t laugh, though her smile twists like she might have, once. “Would you pull me through into my sisters waters yourself, child? Would you hold me tight and fear me not, and set me free?”

“If Huaisang cannot, I’d be happy to, Lady,” says Nie Mingjue, every maiden’s picture of a strapping young knight and duke. “My brother’s family is mine, by definition, and Lady Rhodia is much-loved by all of Butcher’s Hill, whether or not she still dances with us.”

“I’m glad,” she tells him, after a pause the length of a flower petal’s breadth, and turns her gaze back to Nie Huaisang. “But, no. Live well, grandson. If you ever take your bloody hero’s Choice - ” her gaze flicks over his shoulder to Wei Wuxian, and back - “I hope you choose your mother. You have her wits as well as her face.” 

And she turns and rides away without another word.

And for a brief while, it’s over.

TBC

#mdzs #the untamed #october daye #my fic #flash forward 15 years to jin ling who's a perfectly normal daoine sidhe-merrow halfblood thank you very much #except that okay he CAN slide from one end of the spectrum to the other at will #like it hurts like hell but he can do it #can't change anyone else but can do himself #all hallow's eve ride change magic man. it messes up the in utero

[allykat4416]

Meme Trip 2k19, Pt. 1

Dates: May 16 and 17th

Park: Kings Island in Mason, Ohio 

I didn’t make trip reports for my second meme-trip in August of 2018. At the time, I thought I was doing myself a favor. Now, I incredibly regret not sharing that stuff straight away. I missed the chance to talk about my first visits to two parks that have very unique spots in my life. The first of those, obviously, is Six Flags New England, a park I’d been dying to go to because of one certain Superman. {And I did leave Massachusetts as a Super Stan.} The other of these parks is Kings Island.

Kings Island and I have a long, storied history filled with intense emotions. Like Carowinds, a lot of my plans to visit KI fell dead along the way— Dad didn’t win the tickets, I didn’t like my classmates enough to justify the trip, I wasn’t able to make the drive up, etc. It’s a park that means a lot to my dad, and he took my mom there when she came to meet his family for the first time. He was one of the first riders of Beast, there for her birthday as a gift for his own.

I cried in 2018 because I didn’t want it to be my home park when I thought I would be going to Northern Kentucky University. I used to crusade hard as hell for KI to never get a giga. The park gave me the largest heebie-jeebies when I visited in August of 2018. I don’t think I feel emotions as intensely for theme parks as some of my comrades, but Kings Island is one of those parks that almost makes me believe I can.

It was a rainy Thursday after a day of nothing but car-riding [and driving for Casie, bless her soul] when we pulled up into the parking lot. We saw that infamous “HELL IS REAL” billboard about an hour out, and I found it quite ironic. For a park that’s been so full of death and negative energy, it was fitting that that’s where we saw the iconic sign.

When we got into the park, both of the Not-Evil Wooden Coasters [NEWC, as it is] were down. We didn’t know why regarding Beast, but we did find out later that Mystic was struggling from electrical issues that day. We liked to think they were conspiring to make the 2020 giga not suck and help everyone else with half a soul say “fuck off” to Steve. Enemy of the enemy is my friend and whatnot.

Instead, we decided to get a snake in our boot since we were already in Rivertown. Diamondback has always been a solid ride—I maintain that B&M hypers are like ordering chicken tenders at a new restaurant because it’s very, very hard to mess them up and even 232 is fun when the trims don’t hit—but she was running really well that day. Diamondback ended up being our final ride of the day in the pouring rain. Rain at 80 mph doesn’t feel very great, but it was a laugh riot and worth it. I keep meaning to get a front-row ride on this, but the back row is such a tantalizing experience that I can’t quite pull myself away from it.

As far as B&M hypers go (and I’m not counting Fury), Diamondback is now my favorite. At any other park, it would probably be my second favorite in the overall roster, but Snek is actually my third at KI because of the aforementioned NEWCs. I wish we were able to get a ride in the following day, but Coasterstock had her queues slammed. Oh well.

After that, we headed over to see our favorite little anxiety boy, Flight of Fear. I don’t get the hate these rides receive. I find both this and his twin at KD to be fine, upstanding rides that are always worth at least one lap when I go. It’s one of those rare rides where stopping on the MCBR actually works in its favor. We were also assigned to the front row, which gives me the biggest uwus. We came up with a really cool character concept if Orion/Polaris sucks in the queue for FOF, and even if the ride is underwhelming, we’re happy Felix has a vaguely-powerful ally. There’s not a whole lot else about FOF to say- the transitions were nice and whippy, the little alien as you pull into the exit station is adorable, and I like the enclosure of it. I hope FOF is around for a nice long while.

(Obligatory RIP Firehawk comment here as well. Thanks for being a good flyer. Piss off, Nighthawk.)

Since it was the only wooden coaster open, it’s time to talk about Racer. I don’t want to talk about Racer. But sadly, I have to talk about Racer. Everything about this ride feels wrong- the aerial view of the turnarounds, the tunnels on the brake runs, the way almost literally everyone else universally adores this ride… Racer holds a lot of energy, and all of it is cryptic. It makes me wish I’d ridden Thunder Road, because Rebel Yell does not have this sense of permanent creeping dread. Ride-wise, Racer is inoffensive. But the vibe that ride gives me isn’t good. At all. We rode twice, red and blue. We raced Deb, Kat, and Brandon while in red and lost. We were the only people on red train, but we did not feel alone in the worst possible way. We won when we rode blue to peek at construction. The cheering in the tunnels had us fucked up.

I hate that, if there are any personifications that have a chance of being real, it’s most likely Abraham and Thaddeus. I’ve never been so wrong about a coaster’s personification before I rode it in my life.

We needed an exorcism after that ride on blue train, so we went to Banshee next. Again, while not my favorite invert, I don’t understand why so many people seem to hate this ride. I think a B&M invert complements their park nicely, and that slow roll at the end is nothing short of fire-hot. It’s also tons of fun to flip off Outpost 5 while you’re on it. It’s what Brynn would want us to do. Plus, missing the pre-drop never fails to give me butterflies! I do wish they had played the audio scream before we dropped though.

We got to ride this with one of our Insta friends, Wild, and we were both really happy to see her. She’s a great kid, and Banshee is a fun ride. We love our pastel goth icon, and we love our Junkrat Stan of a little sister. We also befriended a Banshee ride operator, and their group chat is called “Banshee’s Hot Topic” and that makes me want to cry in a good way.

Bat is awful in the sense that it breaks my heart. Yes, Tanner as a character is very sad (especially so in the Project Shooting Star universe), but it always hammers home how badly I miss Big Bad Wolf. What I’d give for one last ride on the Rhine with my lupine friend… Bat’s in a beautiful area, but that queue makes me feel like I’m at Camp Crystal Lake and Jason’s about to have some fun. Also, can we all say how much we hate seeing SOB’s old station? Because I hate that! A lot!!

Again. Like Racer, Bat as a ride is objectively inoffensive. But there’s so much energy around it, and I’m not sure if it’s residual garbage leftover from Son, the gunpowder factory, and the safari or what. Bat feels so detached from the rest of the park, but I don’t think there’s a more perfect place than KI for a ride that feels this full of sorrow.

Vortex was a one-and-done for us after some sinfully delicious blue ice cream, but I do admit it was better in the rain. The drop actually provided some decent air, and while the transitions are pretty janky, it’s an Arrow from the 80s. You can’t go into it expecting something butter smooth like B&M. That isn’t fair. It’s still not my favorite Arrow looper, and it wasn’t even my favorite one of this trip, but I do think I might have judged it a tad too harshly before. Like FOF, there isn’t much else to say about this ride.

The people we met also made the day phenomenal! Wild, Brandon, Kat, Debra…this one’s for you. I raise my Raisin’ Cane’s tea to ya’ll, stay funky and ride on.

But one day at that cryptic-ass park is never enough, shit’s like Hotel California. Being gluttons for punishment, we returned to Cursed Island.

Kings Island is so different in bright sunshine. It almost feels like a normal amusement park. Almost. We went for the first couple of hours, since Coasterstock people were there and it was a Friday on top of that. It was also hot as a ghost pepper outside. I’m still really sad we missed Tristin and Plummy!! Maybe next time. We did, however, finally get to meet Stephanie in real-life, and she’s pretty chill. We did the dumbest shit for our picture. However, I’m 99% sure the ride operator said “Enjoy your ride on Son of Beast!” when she was with us and I heavily dislike that.

We’d done basically everything else that we had wanted to the day prior. We already had the credits for Backlot, Invertigo, and Adventure Express, and none of those really warranted waiting in the lines. Vortex and Bat had been ridden already this visit. We have mad love for Banshee, FOF, and Diamondback, but those waits were gnarly. We didn’t want to even look at Racer again, let alone ride it. So now, we went to the NEWCs.  

Since Five is dead, we rode Beast three times that morning. She was over her alcoholic shitfit, I suppose, and was running very well. Brandon called Beast a good noodle. From a ride standpoint, you can make the case that until that final helix, Beast doesn’t do very much. I personally like how it’s a bit more speed-oriented, but I understand why some others might not. Like Boulder Dash, I think a lot of the ride experience comes from the scenery. I also think knowing Beast’s history makes it the marvel it is. We got some pretty good air on the first hill after the main drop, and that helix is always so damn scary to me. Top 10 coaster moment for sure.

Beast has a TON of energy to it, but unlike Racer or Bat, it isn’t malicious. You may not like Beast, but you WILL respect Beast, you feel? And that energy is why I think Beast will always be my favorite in the park, even over the giga (and especially so if those blueprints are real.) Beast isn’t just a coaster. It’s an experience, and one that makes the park so worth visiting. My only regret is we didn’t get one of those fantastic night-rides.

If those blueprints are real, it’s time to talk about what will most likely still be my second favorite coaster at KI come 2020. Since Thunderhead was my first major coaster, I always have held a soft spot for GCI. And while I do still believe Thunderhead is better, boy howdy do I love Mystic Timbers. It’s a shitshow of a name for a kickass ride. Lines only allowed us to ride once, but we were lucky enough to be assigned to row one. Mystic is definitely better towards the front, I believe. You feel better air there, and while I still don’t think MyTi’s got ejector, it’s stronger floater in the front. (The truck out front played Survivor and I had to scream “WOW I LOVE SIX FLAGS”, so maybe she was just pissy over that.)

I understand why people were disappointed with the shed. Holograms can’t hold a candle when you’re expecting a Verbolten-style drop track. But the shed is cute for what it is, and it’s better than being stacked in the sunshine. We saw the snake scene this time, which is probably my favorite since Tatzelwurm doesn’t even exist in PSS universe anymore. Killer Cat was the best shed scene, but snakes will do.

Also, fun fact about Mystic. When we visited in October, I kept saying how badly I wanted to hear Bonnie Tyler in the shed. We hear it. Friday, I jokingly went “oh booooy I hope I hear my girl Bonnie again!” Lo and behold, we hit the shed and it plays Total Eclipse of the Heart. I lost my goddamn mind. Mystic Timbers said 80s retro. Hate that name, but man oh man, do I love that ride. We love our GCIs with big tiddys and bad personalities.

We rode the train to snag some pictures of Mystic and Snake Friend, but then we dipped and hit Taco Bell as one does. It was better that way. Kings Island had told us all it wanted to for now, and it let us take our time to mosey to the next park and really digest what we’d seen. We also had the opportunity to meet back up with Bee and spend some time with her since we left!

All in all, KI is such a cursed park. I know saying that makes it sound like I really dislike KI, but that’s not the case. I adore Kings Island BECAUSE it’s so cryptic. Their lineup is solid, and even though we can’t truly judge the giga before it opens, I don’t think it’s going to elevate them any but it won’t necessarily bring the park down. There’s so, so much in Mason to unpack, especially in the months to come. I can’t wait to see them again.

#trip reports #cursed island makes me do the big uwu

[shestranged]

Bellatrix Hecate Lestrange // the devil shudders as she rises ( she’s taking aim for his throne )

She grew up wanting to break things —- toys and hearts and bones and people. Her father indulged her, quietly forming her into the woman that she is today, a weapon, a beast. Someone who finds peace in the destruction, in the chaos, in the violence. People say that she came out a little wrong - something unhinged about her persona already as a child. Those jet black eyes, waiting to devour you. Sharp teeth pulling into a Cheshire cat grin before she could even speak. As she grew older, she became more adept at hiding her… faults, slowly learning how to suppress her anger, her hatred. Instead growing colder, burning less hot ( a ticking time bomb in the making ). But then she met him. And at his side, she became so much worse. As his right hand, she tapped into unimaginable powers, but it all came at an equally unimaginable price. With him, she became less human, more vile. At his side, all she wanted to see was the streets run red with blood.

what up i’m liz, i’m twenty one and i’m here to bring u my favorite villain and chaotic badass, bellatrix lestrange !! this will be a bit long probably bc i could talk about her 5ever. most important parts to read probably are #hogwarts years, #after hogwarts and #personality stuff !!

PINTEREST BOARD: (x)

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BIOGRAPHY: (x)

QUICK STATS:

name: bellatrix hecate lestrange occupation: senior obliviator former house: slytherin date of birth: december 23. age: 32

BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS:

Let’s set the scene --- it’s a cold December night, right before Christmas, and the Black mansion is shaken by blood curdling screams. It’s the kind that leaves you breathless, shivers running down your spine, leaving you with the sense that something is very, very wrong. Which, Druella Black fears that it very well might be ---- because her (expected) son is four weeks early. 

The birth process is excruciatingly long and difficult for poor, poor Druella, but when the clock strikes eleven on the night before Christmas, a girl comes crashing into the world. She’s not what they expect, nor what they want, and she never cries --- instead, she just watches them with those big black eyes that always seem to be appraising something.

-

Though Bellatrix’s birth was mostly an unwelcome surprise ( she came too early, and it was no secret that her parents had hoped for a boy ), she was also the first child to carry on the Black legacy, which was an honor. A necessity.

As a baby, she was small and meager. Nurses whispered about the Black baby that could barely muster a scream, that seemed so frail. Like she might break at any second. But that memory would soon fade and be replaced by a much more unpleasant one - because Bellatrix’s bones hardened, her skin thickened, her eyes grew meaner. Within a few years, any trace of that soft baby was gone, and instead, a cruel toddler took her place.

As a child, Bella was vicious. Biting, clawing, screaming and cursing were things she picked up fast, and she’d terrorize the other kids at the playground ( with an almost scary aim for her muggle born / half blood peers ). 

Once she reached the age of seven, she calmed down a bit, and instead started following her father around ( and was lovingly referred to as his ‘little shadow’ ). Eager to prove herself, she learned everything that a son of Cygnus would have learnt. She was determined to show her father that being a girl would not stop her from becoming worthy of the Black throne, to carry his name with pride. Over the years of her childhood and adolescence, Bellatrix forged herself into the golden girl, a respectable heir in the making. Desperate to wear the crown.

Under her father’s influence, uncontrollable rage was switched in for an eerie quietness, anger instead boiling right below the surface, just waiting to be unleashed. She was so eager to please, to sculpt herself into whatever he wanted, so she suppressed her emotions the best she could, even though it never felt natural. And so, the nurses whispered again, but this time, it was about her sweet, sweet smile, matched with those mean, mean eyes. ‘Doesn’t it look distorted? Like that damn Cheshire cat. Something’s not right about that girl, I’m telling you. She came out wrong’.

Behind closed doors, Cygnus also encouraged Bella’s darker side. Introduced her to the dark arts and the chaos that she would later come to love so desperately.

Most of her childhood was characterized by harsh words, strict rules and high expectations. Her family’s reputation weighed heavy on her shoulders, constantly pressuring her to excel. Luckily, she shared her parents’ ambition and values, and had no problems conforming to their rule. Which also meant that she could get away with much else. As long as she remained the golden girl, Bellatrix could run wild and free.

HOGWARTS YEARS:

Bellatrix had been duly prepped before arriving at Hogwarts. She was the first of their children to walk the halls, so it was important to both Druella and Cygnus that Bellatrix knew how to behave. Who to fraternize with. Who to avoid. Who was worthy of her time. Her parents had also made sure that she already had the appropriate friends — and play dates with other pureblood kids were a common occurrence when Bellatrix was younger.

At school, Bellatrix was popular ---- the resident cool girl. The type of girl that hardly ever objects to anything, because she is always down to have a good time. The type of girl that loves Quidditch, dirty jokes and cheap beer. The type of girl that hides her true colors, at least for a while. Until she explodes.

So Bella kept out of trouble, for the most part. There were a couple.... incidents, with muggleborns. One or two may have been turned into rats and toads ( under the guise of it being a joke --- can’t you take a joke, come on now? ). More serious things have been strictly forgotten by everyone involved. Powerful parents will do the trick. Mostly though, Bellatrix kept to her fellow Slytherins... biding her time. Waiting to strike.

She played for the Slytherin Quidditch team, as a beater, and was eventually made captain ( nothing less for a child of Cygnus, she must excel ). During her time on the team, she was notorious for her cruel playing style, her foul tricks, the constant smirk on her lips as other players fell to the ground. 

And during her sixth year, she was eventually recruited into the Death Eaters. And with them, she found a second home, quickly rising through the ranks. 

AFTER HOGWARTS:

After graduating from Hogwarts, Bellatrix took a year off from her studies. The official reason was that she needed to “find herself”. Whatever the fuck that meant. Obviously, it was a lie to hide what she was really up to. In reality, Bellatrix was at Voldemort’s side, learning leglilimency and occlumency, all the while developing her dark magic and her shitty personality.

Quickly became Voldemort’s personal attack dog, always willing to do his bidding, no questions asked.

At the age of nineteen, Bellatrix found work as an obliviator. Though the choice had ultimately been hers to make, the dark lord was always whispering in her ear, encouraging her to infiltrate the ministry. The goal was to have sleeper agents of death eaters in every department once it was time to go to war. It also helped that becoming an oblivator just made sense — fucking with the minds of muggles could already be counted as a hobby (albeit a twisted one), and she had always been good at taking things that didn’t belong to her… Memories would be no different.

Will occasionally throw pureblood galas, but isn’t too invested in them. They’re just for show, and she couldn’t care less.

Among the Death Eaters, Bellatrix is in the inner circle. She considers herself the dark lord’s right hand, and prides herself on being his most loyal servant.

Bellatrix also has a pet snake, lovingly named Medusa. 

Today, Bellatrix works as a senior obliviator at the ministry of magic. She handles a lot of paper work, but is also out in the field a lot.

PERSONALITY:

First of all - Bellatrix is a fucking shit show and we all know this.

She is like night and day ----- and her temper switches incredibly quickly, which makes her unpredictable, a little scary. She can go from the girl her family forced her to be - the Socialite, the Sophisticated Woman, the Cool Girl, to something far more sinister in the matter of minutes.

When she’s at her worst, Bellatrix is cruel, sadistic, self righteous, impulsive, angry as hell, deranged, unstable, manipulative, a little bit unhinged, ruthless, playful, childish and absolutely lethal. It’s always brewing right below, so close to the surface, just waiting to come out.

But she’s also calculating, clever, quick on her feet, intensely passionate, fiercely loyal (until she’s... not), adaptable, intuitive and assertive. 

Bella often contradicts herself — she has grown up believing that it’s best to be cold and devoid of emotions (#thanks dad), but she’s a highly emotional person by nature. She tries to suppress that as best as she can, but she usually boils over pretty fast. Other emotions are usually translated into anger as well, so that’s fun. I think the best way to describe her is that she’s just fire, always burning hot or cold.

Voldemort’s influence on her is also really important!! His influence poisons her mind, her soul, her heart. The darkness that was already there is amplified, becomes a thousand times worse. Though already a skilled witch, he introduced her to magic she could only have dreamed of --- and that power became corruptive, addictive. For power, Bella would gladly pay the steep price of sacrificing her soul, her humanity.

Bellatrix really does think that she is in the right. 

Also probably thinks that she’s better than everyone else at all times. There’s definitively an air of arrogance surrounding her.

Mrs Lestrange thinks that she’s invincible, and likes walking a little too close to the cliff’s edge ( playing with fire ). Will occasionally drop hints that she COULD be a death eater, but never goes too far with it. And if someone suggests that she is one, she acts like that’s absolutely outrageous. How dare you imply that I am affiliated with anything... !

Okay so, I am convinced that Bellatrix doesn’t reach peak evil + instability until after Voldemort’s fall and Azkaban, so I’m really trying to tone her down a bit and give the influence of her upbringing ( + her nature ) a bigger role in the person that she becomes. Hence why she is a little better at hiding her true colors, a little more refined. : ~ ) Though, she’s still the hammer ( doesn’t have the most finesse, mostly just likes getting things done, her technique isn’t exactly intricate, but ALWAYS effective ).

Even if most people probably don’t know that she’s a death eater ( though some probably suspect lbr ), she has a very intimidating presence. That’s her brand. And she still has that Weird Aura about her, like there is something that isn’t quite right, so that could also weird people out.

STYLE / FASHION / APPEARANCE:

Bellatrix has jet black eyes and the hair to match. It falls in soft curls over her shoulders, down her back. 

Usually wears dark red lipstick.

She hides her dark mark with a concealment spell while out in public.

Dresses mostly in black. Has to wear clothes that can fit into the muggle world while at work ( since she is often out in the field, interacting with muggles ). While there, she wears a well worn leather jacket ( with shoulder pads, in true 70s style ), and wide, black pants.

Files her nails into long claws, and paints them black.

Is tall. Likes towering over people.

AESTHETICS / VIBES:

black dresses, whispered hexes, broken champagne glasses, the calm before the storm, bullets caught between teeth, a constant paradox, skin stained black and blue, a devilish grin, ‘is that wine or blood on your carpet?’, snakes wrapped around wrists, mean eyes, always running hot and cold, a cheshire cat’s smile, soft laughter as the light leaves your eyes, divine violence, a taste of the approaching revolution / the new world order, quiet desperation, family heirlooms, unwavering loyalty, sudden fits of rage, emerald lockets, double lives, ‘would you still like me with my hands around your neck?’, no conscience, silent promises, taunting you with her very last breath, the hardest of hearts, dried blood on expensive clothes and a quiet conviction that this will all make sense in the end.

CHARACTER INFLUENCES:

amy dunne ( gone girl )

katherine pierce ( tvd )

jamie moriarty ( elementary )

glory / glorificus ( btvs )

villanelle ( killing eve )

jennifer blake ( teen wolf )

klaus mikaelson ( tvd )

kilgrave ( jessica jones )

lilith ( supernatural )

drusilla ( btvs ) 

cersei lannister ( got )

helena ( orphan black )

faith lehane ( btvs )

mazikeen ( lucifer )

FAVORITE CHARACTER TROPES:

SLASHER SMILE - a smile in anticipation of pain or death // a cheshire cat grin.

THE DRAGON - a monster the hero has to get past to get at the big bad. the top enforcer.

TORTURE TECHNICIAN -  takes the heroes and turn them into screaming, shinned shambles.

LADY MACBETH - frequently more crazy than her husband, quite the sociopath, in the business of turning men towards evil.

EVIL WEARS BLACK - duh.

DISSONANT SERENITY - someone smiling gently in the middle of death and carnage, seeming almost enlightened as they slit throats left and right.

THE BERSERKER - throws herself into battle with such reckless abandon, that it seems like she wants to die. never, ever retreats.

THE BARONESS - a female baddie with a chilly disposition and more than a touch of the dominatrix about her.

WICKED CULTURED - evil is intellectual // basically an evil aristocrat.

THE CHESSMASTER - thinking three moves ahead at all times. manipulating, planning, plotting.

DADDY’S LITTLE VILLAIN - shares dark father’s ambitions and cruelty.

BERSERK BUTTON - always ready to fucking snap.

SOFT SPOKEN SADIST - occasionally. a monster who might describe just how horribly she’s going to mangle you, while speaking in a voice that’s anything but monstrous.

DARK ACTION GIRL - likes beating the hero to a bloody pulp. good at it too.

AMBITION IS EVIL - has grand plans. ends justify the means, always.

#YB:intro #snake cw #violence cw #blood cw #death cw

[letmeletmetrashyourlove]

What the Hell?

Summary: A boy with a bat meets a girl with a hockey stick and it’s love at first swing. 

Author’s Note: Surprise! I wrote like 10 pages of this and I’m not even done! So here is part one. This is mostly backstory, nothing too exciting Fun fact: Dustin’s older sister was the one who taught him to curse...

     “Dusty, what the hell are you doing!?” I investigated, watching my idiot brother scramble off the front porch equipped with his old hockey gear.

    “Shit… Shit… Shit shit shit!” He shouted, capturing my arm and dragging me into the shed with him.

    “What the fuck are y-” I began, but he shoved his hand over my mouth.

I let out an annoyed whine, smacking at his baloney scented hand,

    “Stop it!” He hissed, pointing through the crack in the shed.

Something was on our porch, slinking out the front door of the house. It was about the size of a dog, but it was scaley… and… it had a head like….

                                                Oh, fuck no.

I hadn’t seen the Demogorgon in person, but Dustin had told me about it. Showed me the drawings Will had made. With so much weird shit going on, I couldn’t just chock it up to an overactive imagination.

    “What the hell is that thing doing in our house!? I thought it was dead!?”

    “Just shut up!”  

The creature snaked down the steps, plucking the slices of baloney along the way.

    “Yes… yes… yes… come on.” Dustin urged as it inched closer and closer to the cellar door.

    “Now!” He shouted to himself, bursting out of the shed. Dustin charged at the beast, smacking it with his hockey stick and knocking it down into the cellar. He threw himself down over the hatch, tangling the chain around the handles.

    “Sorry… You ate my cat.” He exasperated.

    “That thing ate Mews?!” I wailed, “Mom is out looking for him!”

    “Well, what did you want me to tell her!? ‘Sorry, my interdimensional slug turned into a monster and ate our cat’!?” He shouted back.

    “I don’t know! Just don’t send her on a wild goose chase!” I wailed.

    “Well, Mews is the  least of our problems right now!” Dustin exasperated, taking me by the arm and leading me into the garage.

    “Find something you can use to protect us.” He instructed as he turned on his radio.

He barked orders into it as I scouted for my old hockey gear. It was a short-lived sport after I smashed my face into the glass once, I decided I was done. I pulled it from a box that was shoved back in the corner.

    “Still got your old ice skates?” I questioned Dustin as I dusted the cobwebs off.

    “Uh… Yeah.” He responded, digging them out and passing them over to me.

I found a screwdriver and loosened the blade, tossing the boot aside. I took a roll of duct tape and secured the blade onto the end of the hockey stick.

    “Why is nobody answering!?” Dustin shouted, cramming his radio back into his pocket, “Come on, let’s go see if Mike is home. He’ll know what to do.”

***

Mom had driven the car when she went out to look for Mews, so I cruised on the back of Dustin’s bike. He stopped outside the Wheeler’s house, rushing up to the door and knocking frantically. I trailed not far behind him,

Mike’s dad answered.

    “Your line has been busy for over two hours, Mr.Wheeler. Do you realize this?” Dustin questioned as Ted opened the door.

    “Oh, I do realize.” He mumbled, glancing inside to his wife who was gabbing on the phone.

    “Is Mike home?”  

    “No.” He responded.     “No? Well, where the hell is he?”

I elbowed him in the ribs, showing him an expression to say be polite.

    “Karen, where's our son?” Ted hollered into the house.

    “Will’s!” Karen returned.

    “Will's,” Ted repeated.     “No one's picking up there,” Dustin informed.

    “Nancy. What about Nancy?” I suggested.

    “Karen, where's Nancy?” Ted hollered once again.

      “Ally's!” Karen replied, sounding even more miffed than she had before.

    “Ally's. Our children don't live here anymore. You didn't know that?”

    “Seriously?” Dustin scoffed.

    “Am I done here?” Ted questioned.

    “Son of a bitch. You're really no help at all, you know that?” Dustin barked, spinning around and heading back off the porch.

    “Hey! Language!”

    “Sorry, Mr.Wheeler!” I called as the man closed the door.

Steve was striding up the driveway, a bouquet of roses in hand as he muttered something under his breath to himself.

    “Nancy isn't home!” Dustin alerted, waving the floppy-haired boy down.      “Where is she?”

    “Ally-” I started, but Dustin interrupted.

    “Doesn't matter. We have bigger problems than your love life.” Dustin sassed,  “Do you still have that bat?”

    “Bat? What bat?” Steve feigned ignorance.

    “The one with the nails!” Dustin exclaimed, his patience wearing thinner and thinner.  

    “Why?”

    “I'll explain it on the way.”     “Now?”

    “Now! Son of a bitch!” Dustin shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration.

*****

    “I’ll go first…” Steve asserted, puffing out his chest and stepping toward the cellar ahead of me.

    “Nuh uh, that thing ate my cat. I’m gonna kill it.” I interjected, raising my weapon.

    “So, you’ve never seen one of these things before… And you think you’re ready to kill one?” Steve questioned, propping his bat on his shoulder.

    “How many of these have you killed, exactly?” I rebutted.

    “All I’m saying is that I have more experience. I really think that you should stay back.”

    “Is it because she’s a girl?” Dustin questioned.

I placed my hands on my hips, raising my eyebrows as I waited for Steve’s answer.

    “What? No! Of course not… Women can do anything men can do… I’m just saying this isn’t a job for a girl…”

I cocked my head at him, my annoyance growing.

    “No. That’s not what I meant.” He sputtered, “I mean… That… Women can be physically inferior….”

    “Steve.” Dustin interrupted, “Stop digging yourself into a hole.”

Steve took his advice and quit talking,

    “Fine, ladies first.” He offered, saluting the stairs.

I crept down the creaking wooden steps, the hockey stick raised over my head. A bat went gliding past my head, making me jump.

    “Holy shit!” Steve screeched, ducking and protecting his head.

    “Wimp.” I snickered, flipping the light switch as I tiptoed down into the dirt. It was squishy and wet. I peered down to discover some purple tinted goo… Sort of like a gel.  

    “What the hell is that?” Steve asked, sinking his bat into the mess and picking out what looked like a giant snakeskin.

    “Shit!” I shouted, glancing up to see a giant hole in the cellar wall. That thing had dug its way out.

    “Now what?”  

******

    “Dustin, you should’ve killed that thing when you had the chance.” I scolded as we stepped onto the train tracks.

    “Well, there’s this new girl at school. And… I really wanted to make her think I was cool… so I wanted to show it to her.”

    “You kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who you just met?” Steve asked.

    “All right, that's grossly oversimplifying things,” Dustin responded.

    “I mean, why would a girl like some nasty slug, anyway?”

    “An interdimensional slug? Because it's awesome. Right Y/N?”

    “Before it turned into a baby Demogorgon? Yeah…” I replied, tearing another handful of beef out and slapping it onto the tracks.

    “Well, even if she thought it was cool -which she didn't- I I just I don't know. I just feel like you're trying too hard.” Steve expressed.

    “Well, not everyone can have your perfect hair, all right?” Dustin mumbled.

    “It's not about the hair, man. The key with girls is just acting like you don't care.”

I let out a scoff, rolling my eyes.

    “Even if you do?”

    “Yeah, exactly. It drives them nuts.”

    “Hey… how’d that work out for you with Nancy, exactly?” I sought, having learned about a blowout fight they had at a Halloween party.

    “That was something different. Okay? Nothing to do with me.” He insisted.

Despite my occasional protest, Dustin was still enthralled by what Steve was telling him.

    “Then what?” Dustin pressed,

    “You just wait until, uh - until you feel it.”

    “Feel what?”

    “It's like before it's gonna storm, you know? You can't see it, but you can feel it, like this, uh electricity, you know?”

    “Oh, like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere-”

    “No, no, no, no, no. Like a Like a sexual electricity.”

    “Oh.”

    “Hey! No teaching my brother about sexual electricity!” I interjected.

    “Hey, it’s not like I’m teaching him the birds and the bees!” Steve defended,

    “Anyway, you feel that and then you make your move.”

    “So that's when you kiss her?”

    “No, whoa, whoa. Slow down, Romeo.” He resisted, “Sure, okay, some girls, yeah, they want you to be aggressive. You know, strong, hot and heavy, like a - I don't know, like a lion.” Dustin hummed in acknowledgment.

    “But others, you gotta be slow, you gotta be stealthy, like a like a ninja.”

    “But this girl's special, you know. It's just, like, something about her.”

    “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey. You're not falling in love with this girl, are you?

    “Uh, no. No.” Dustin stammered, shaking his head.

    “Okay, good. Don't.” Steve advised.

    “I won't.”

    “She's only gonna break your heart, and you're way too young for that shit.”

We walked along in silence for a few moments. The only sounds being our footsteps and the patter of raw meat hitting the tracks.

    “FabergÃ.” Steve muttered.

    “What?”

    “It's Fabergà Organics. Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair's damp It's not wet, okay? When it's damp - Damp. You do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray.”

I let out a strangled laugh that came bubbled up and left me sputtering

    “Farrah Fawcett spray?” I cackled.

    “Yeah, Farrah Fawcett.” Steve retorted, “You tell anyone I just told you that and your ass is grass. You're dead, Hendersons. Do you ?” He threatened.

    “You do more to your hair than I do to mine.” I snorted.

He gave me a gentle shove, avoiding my gaze as his cheeks turned cherry red.

    “Don’t worry, Harrington. Your hair secrets are safe with me.” I assured, “Anyway, don’t listen to him, Dusty.”

    “About the hair?”

    “No! Not about the hair! About girls!” I corrected, “Girls don’t want somebody who doesn’t care! They want somebody who is sweet! Helps ‘em out. Carries their books for them and gives them flowers. Says hi to them in the hallway.”

    “I’ve been talking to her! She called me a stalker.”

    “Well then, you’ve been talking to her too much.” I speculated.

    “Okay, so I have to talk to her. But not too much. I have to act like I don’t care… but I do have to care.” He uttered his thoughts as he walked.

    “Girls are hard.” He concluded, letting out a sigh.

    “I know, pal. I know.” Steve consoled, thumping him on the back.

#steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fic #steve harrington/reader #steve harringtonxreader #lidi writes

[serpent-jugheadjones]

Serpents Blood

Pairing: Jughead Jones x Jellybean Jones

Description: AU in which JB is just an year younger than Jughead and she’s pledging for the Southside Serpents.

Prompt: 8. ‘What is this about you joining the Serpents?’

Warnings: Gang initiation and blood mentions.

Word count: 1596

A/N: For @tailsbeth-writes writing challenge. This is my first challenge and I had a lot of fun writing with a prompt, hope you guys enjoy it!

Tag: @southsidejuggie @ju-gg @lostnliterature Let me know if you still want to be tagged in future stuff. And if anyone wants to be added to the tag list :)

Jughead walks into the trailer, frown on his forehead and desperation in his eyes. No matter how mad he is, he doesn't slam the door behind him and his voice still comes from a caring place. “What is this about you joining the Serpents?“ Jellybean has always known there’s no way she can hide that decision from her brother. “Hello to you too. I’m fine, thanks for asking.”, she replies sarcastically, not wanting to get into that discussion. “No, don’t try it with me, Jellybean.” He’s not giving her a choice. “I’m not letting you.”, Jughead declares with authority. “You can’t stop me, Jug.” 

It’s true. It’s the complete undeniable truth. And he knows it. Only one person has ever been able to prevent JB from doing something. His strong desire to step into his father’s shoes and keep every family detail under control led him to believe he would this time, but clearly she can see the difference between Forsythe the II and the III. “Dad will never allow this.” Jug thinks that by mentioning him it’ll at least strike a cord. “Too bad Dad’s not here to forbid me. He’s in jail!”, she emphasizes that regrettable fact. “His legacy - our legacy - is falling apart.” The girl pauses, hoping now her brother will understand. But he still opens his mouth to speak. She beats him to it. “Idiots like Sweet Pea are fighting Northsiders and planning to blow up buildings. Our step-in leader tried to merge us with the Ghoulies. The fucking Ghoulies, Juggie.” She can’t sit back and watch her dad’s family become Jingle Jangle dealers. “I've got it covered, JB.” She’s not sure if he’s trying to trick her or himself into believing that. “Do you? ‘Cus by the looks of it, Peabody has you wrapped around her pinky.” He didn't know, but JB heard their conversation that morning. “How do you kn...” Jellybean cuts him off. “I pay attention, Jughead. And you can’t do this on your own anymore.” He brushes his hands over his face in defeat when a glimpse of hope strikes him. “Don’t try to get Toni to talk me out of it, she’s got my back on this.”, she talks before the thought even processed fully in his mind. He just chuckles at his sister ability to read him better than himself.

Later that night, when Jughead is on his usual task of writing his novel and drinking his coffee, while Jellybean sits next to him listening to music, he hears a strong knock on the door. He pulls the cord of his sister’s headphones to make her get the door so he doesn’t have to stop typing. As JB opens it, she has to look up to see who it is. “Came to drop off the beast.” Sweet Pea enters, accompanied by Hot Dog III. “For me, you came in with a pack in creepy masks... while I slept.”, Jug complains. “You’re not as charming as JB.”, Sweet Pea replies bluntly and Jellybean flushes bright red. She tries to hide it by leaning down to rub Hot Dog’s ears. “My work here is done. See ya at the Wyrm later?.”, Pea asks, already stepping out the door. “Nah, got a date with Betty.”, Jughead answers, not even looking up from his laptop. The tall Serpent just chuckles. “He’s talking to me, Jug.” Jellybean nods yes at SP and he leaves with a smirk. “Since when are you and Sweet Pea... friendly?”, he drags on the last word and the suspicion in his tone is unmistakable. “Friendly is not exactly the word...” Juggie spits the coffee he had the terrible idea of drinking before she answered.

Hot Dog jumps on the couch and rests his furry face on Jug’s keyboard. “Ugh, the mutt’s back.”, he huffs. “Don’t give me that bull. I know you love him.” He can’t fool his sister even if he tried. “Come here, floof.” JB sits next to the dog and puts her feet up the coffee table. “Not when he pisses in my bed.” It took Jughead’s mattress a lot of time on the sun to get the smell off. “That’s because you didn't walk him enough.” Jellybean actually wishes they could keep him forever. “Right, Hot Dog? No, he didn't.”, she adds in a fluffy voice. “You think he won’t piss in the couch? Wanna bet?” The beanie-clad boy is sure she’ll be complaining about him in less than 24 hours. “10 bucks. He won’t.” JB extends her hand. “Deal.” They shake on it, both parties thinking it’s easy money.

By the end of the week, Jughead’s 10 bucks short and preparing himself for the events still to come. Once the initiation begins, things tend to move pretty quickly and there’s nothing he can do to stall it or even end it. His only hope is that JB’ll mess up on some of the rules or the snake bite will be too much for her. But he knows his sister. If anyone can do it, it’s her. 

The Whyte Wyrm is full of Serpents, older and young members, all gathered around Tall Boy and Jellybean. She looks tiny compared to him, not more than to Sweet Pea, though. But the raven-haired girl’s voice is powerful as she shouts every single rule with perfection. JB’s actually glad she’s not doing this with FP because she’d be giggling too much every time her dad screamed back. The whole room goes wild since it’s time for her to retrieve the knife. Completing that task means she’s one step closer to being one of them and everyone in that room wants that, except for Jughead.

Jug’s not sure whether he can watch, but he can’t look away either. Jellybean slowly and carefully places her hand inside the glass cage. The rattlesnake twists itself on JB’s arm. Juggie is ready to go rescue her, thinking the snake is preparing to break her arm. Instead, the snake rubs the top of it’s head on JB’s skin, almost as if it wants to be petted. The Jones’ girl manages to get the knife out without a bite and making a new friend. Cheering and clapping echo in the Wyrm. Everyone in reach pats her back. “How? That thing almost chew my arm off.” Jughead looks perplexed. “Don’t be dramatic, Juggie. It knew you were afraid and I just think it’s cute.” Jughead can’t believe his ears. “Cute? It’s deadly.”, he has to stand for himself. “Not this one.” She states before walking towards the pool table where Sweet Pea and Fangs are playing. They hi-five her and Jughead now sees what his sister sees in the Serpents: her family. 

Jug can’t even sleep. He knows that in a few hours his sister will be walking the gauntlet. He’s not allowed to be a part of it because they know he’d go soft on her. Jughead almost begged Sweet Pea and Fangs to take it easy. Neither of them is thrilled to beat up the leader’s daughter, but they gotta do what they gotta do. At least SP promised to leave the brass knuckles at home, which gives Jug some peace of mind.

Jellybean takes the first step into the gauntlet and all of Jug’s protection instincts kick in. It takes three Serpents to hold him down in place. JB just keeps going, walking thought the pain. By the time she gets to the end, Sweet Pea is waiting for her, bare knuckles this time. They nod to each other and he punches her, only hard enough it doesn't look like he’s giving her special treatment.

Jughead’s clenching his jaw and fists as hard as he can, for it’s a lot harder to watch than he ever anticipated. Finally, the Serpents let him go and he holds his sister close to his body, as softly as possible not to hurt her further. He’d walk that corridor a second time if it meant his sister didn't have to. But by the looks of it, this is really what she wanted, since she’s smiling, blood staining her teeth, even after being hit over and over.

After all that she has to endure the pain of the tattoo as well. As the parlor stamps her hipbone with the double headed snake, she ices her face and Jug holds her hand. She squeezes it and winces at the contact of the needles to her skin. “Hurts?” It’s not like he wasn't in the chair not that long ago. “Less than Sweet Pea’s punch.” The whole shop laughs and SP blushes but still with a proud smirk on his lips. “You’re tougher than you look.”, he confesses, and his smirk vanishes quickly when his eyes land on the girl’s brother’s death stare. “I've got Serpents blood running in my veins.” She sounds proud of it. Her mind can’t help but wonder what her dad would say if he was there. “It’s gonna be good having a sister to help me keep this boys in line.” Toni jokes and they all laugh. It seems as the Serpents are gonna get back to what they used to be. She may be young and newly pledged, but Jughead can already feel the difference in the Serpents. When their dad gets back, he’ll be proud of her.

#tailsbethreadsriverdale #Jughead Jones #Jellybean Jones #Jughead Jones III #JB Jones #Forsythe Pendleton Jones III #Forsythia Pendleton Jones #Jughead Jones Imagine #Jughead Jones Imagines #Jellybean Jones Imagine #Jellybean Jones Imagines #JB Jones Imagine #Riverdale #Southside Serpents #Riverdale Imagine #Riverdale Imagines #Southside Serpents Imagine #fanfic #i #imagine #Writing Challenge #Hot Dog III #Hot Dog #Southside Serpents Initiation #Writing Prompt

[swan-archive]

boy, that last thing i posted was kind of a fucking downer, huh? how about we lighten things up a little bit? have some gross wereham marrieds. let us all shame Eliza heartily for being a fucking furry. shame, shame.

I’ll never understand you, Angelica would say to Eliza, when they were girls, what’s so great about waiting for a thing to happen? Isn’t it better to just—you know—have it, and have done with all the sitting around? Clever Angelica with her whip-fast mind, and the patience to match. She could drive a person crazy, the way she’d used to fuss over the run-up to some special date, birthday, holiday, a long-awaited ball. But Eliza, for her part, has always enjoyed the tingling rush of anticipation. She can wait, doesn’t mind whetting her appetite on imagination. The reward at the end of the road is sweeter for her wanting it so, she almost always finds.

Her patience isn’t limitless, though. And just now, Alexander is late.

Eliza putters around the parlor, trying vainly to distract herself. Fluffs the cushions on the settee once, twice, three times. Picks up a book and sets it down. Late, late, late. She’d check the almanac just to make sure she hasn’t gotten the date wrong, but no point to that. She knows the rhythms of Alexander's monthly change better than anyone, save Alexander himself. She knows what tonight is.

Another thing she knows—exactly how long it takes Alexander to get from his office to the house, and he’s far outside that particular window, so it can't just be that he's held up on the road. Eliza lets out a displeased little grumble. Almost wolfish herself, there, the same sort of noise Alexander might make at a mouse scurrying inside the walls or a turn of phrase that won’t untangle itself under his quill. Petty irritation, not a particularly becoming look, but she can excuse it in herself right now. It’s that case that’s been troubling him so these past weeks, she knows it. The damned thing has already cost them a few precious evenings, but now that it’s elbowing in on tonight, she’s quite done making allowances.

Alexander is her husband every night, and they've perhaps a week out of every month where he can—ahem—perform the duties of a husband, but it’s new moon, and new moons are special.

New moons are for Eliza, and Eliza alone.

She flicks a fold of her dressing gown at some imagined speck of dust on the end table, twists the fabric between her fingers. Deep breaths, Bess, easy, your husband’s an important man, and a busy one. And he could no more forget what tonight is than misplace his own hand on the end of his arm. Nature of the change. He’ll be here soon. Has to be here soon. Had better be here soon—

Slam goes the front door, right on cue. Hurried footsteps in the hall, growing quieter, more measured, as they approach the parlor. Yes, yes, oh, finally. Eliza draws in a long breath and stands perfectly still. Imagines herself a deer poised for flight in a forest clearing, and listens to the parlor door swing open with a genteel creak, the quiet sounds of shoes against the carpet, moving closer and closer.

“Well, fancy seeing you here, Mrs. Hamilton,” murmurs a voice in her ear, and an arm snakes around her waist. Eliza’s heart leaps, like she’s a girl being courted for the first time and not a mother and the mistress of her own house. She collects herself, though. The play is part of it, for them. He’s a hunter, let him think he’s had his hunt.

So, “It can’t be Mr. Hamilton, can it?” she says, in her archest tones. “No, I think not. I expected him—oh, over an hour ago. Ages ago. Must’ve stood me up. Terrible man. Heartbreaker.”

“A villain and a scoundrel,” Alexander agrees, kissing her on the ear. “Even if he did have a brief that needed to be finished no later than today, and a client breathing down his neck, and even if he left the office just as soon as he—”

“Uh-huh.” Eliza strives to keep her tone even, but Alexander’s arm tightens around her waist and she pushes back against him with a soft exhale. She can almost see his smug smile at her impatience, less like a wolf than a cat that’s gotten into the cream.

“I came as soon as I could. Really, I did.”

“Excuses, excuses.”

Alexander spins her around gently so he can look at her, dark brown eyes twinkling with good humor in his familiar-unfamiliar face. High forehead. Nose a bit too big to be handsome, but charming in its imperfection (“I always hope this will get left behind, somehow,” he jokes, prodding at it, when his muzzle finally melts away each month). Neat little beard framing his mouth, slight pout to the lower lip. She’d like to taste that. Resists. She lifts her chin imperiously and stares him down, and the pout curves up into a grin.

“You seem unimpressed. There must be some way I can make up for my appalling tardiness. And for surprising you in your, ah, state of dishabille.” He plucks at the dressing gown she’s wearing, draped over stays and petticoats and not much else.

“Well, you haven’t even kissed me hello properly yet.”

“Dear, oh dear. I haven’t, have I?”

“Let’s start there, and after that—”

Alexander doesn’t let her finish. He kisses the same way he does anything, impatient and eager and with the searing focus of sunlight shining through a curved glass. Eliza lets that focus burn her down to a point, lets her world narrow down to lips and tongue and breath and roving hands. At last, at last. All that anticipation paying off, and never mind that this is the game they play every month, it’s always sweeter than she remembers, sweeter than she could have hoped.

Alexander draws back from the kiss, sighing against her lips. Pauses. Eliza opens her eyes and sees a puzzled little wrinkle between his brows. He snuffles at her curiously, makes a soft hrm noise in the back of his throat that’s somewhere between a hum and a whine.

Still not quite human, this husband of hers, even now.

“You’re wearing a new scent,” he says at last.

“Yes, Angelica sent it to me. It’s quite dear, I’d been saving it for, you know, a special occasion,” she says, with a coy smile.

“Huh.” The tip of Alexander’s nose twitches.

“It’s not…it isn’t too much, is it?”

“No, no, not at all, it’s just…different. It suits you though. It does.” He leans forward deliberately and buries his face in her hair, breathes deep. “Mmm. Honeysuckle. Yes, I think I like it.”

“Well, good, otherwise I’d have to go and bathe, and then you’d have to sit here and wait for me to be done like a good boy.”

“No chance of that.” He moves her hair behind her ear, noses at the corner of her jaw. “I’d come in and join you.”

“Naughty.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice, though? Someone to, hm, help you get really clean, maybe rub your back a little while you soak, you could relax…” He trails off, absorbed in pressing open-mouthed kisses to her neck. Always terribly, terribly gentle. No teeth. A little suck, though, just at the edge of her collar, and her knees tremble despite herself.

“Alexander.”

“Hmm?”

“Will you—if I have to wear a shawl for the next week, I swear—”

“Tell your friends you were attacked by an animal.” He grins at her, his hand straying under her dressing gown and plucking at her stays. “Tell them you were out for a walk, and a vicious wild creature jumped out at you from the trees and went straight for the throat, you barely escaped with your life—”

“—and I fought the beast off with a sword, I suppose, and rode away on a white—ah, Alexander!”

“Oh, no,” he murmurs into the hollow of her throat, “I came up in the nick of time and saved you. No fiercer beast in the forest than a wolf. The creature was no match for me.” He growls a little, resonant and low in his chest, but it’s all playacting, and Eliza fights down a grin of her own.

“My hero.”

“What prize should I claim for my deeds, I wonder?”

“Hmm, let me think…”

“Because I’m told—and correct me if I’m wrong—the love of a fair maiden is traditional, in these cases.”

“Interesting. Tell me more.”

“I’ll be sure to, in as much detail as I can—” He stops, fingers still tangled in the laces of her stays. His head goes up again, cocks ever so slightly to one side. “Um, the baby—?”

“With Peggy for the evening,” says Eliza, working at the buttons on his waistcoat. “She’ll bring him back around seven or so.”

“Ummm. Is it, it’s almost five already—”

“So we haven’t a moment to waste, now have we?”

“No,” says Alexander. “No, we really haven’t.”

They leave a trail of discarded clothing behind them: dressing gown crumpled on the sitting room floor, Alexander’s coat on the stairs when they pause to kiss again, his waistcoat caught under the bedroom door, wedging it open a crack, but no one’s home, it doesn’t matter. By the time they make it to the bed, Eliza is down to her shift and Alexander is in shirt and breeches, hopping awkwardly on one foot as he pulls off his stockings. He flashes an apologetic grin at her for his clumsiness, and Eliza blinks at him for a long moment, puzzling out the shape of it, before she realizes what’s missing. No fangs. Of course.

Here is a secret: Alexander is stranger to her as a human than in any other form. This is what he ought to be, new moon or not, and still she’s more used to golden eyes and pointed teeth, paws and claws and tail. He seems so soft like this, so naked, and it doesn’t suit. Something in his carriage suggests he’s feeling the missing parts of himself, compensating by moving through the world with extra care.

Eliza doesn’t want care just now, though. She wants him.

“Eager, aren’t we,” Alexander says smugly, letting Eliza pull him on top of her. She doesn’t bother to dignify that with a response, mouths at his throat and feels a burning surge of delight at the noise he makes. Payback for earlier, she thinks, and scrapes her teeth against his skin. Eliza hasn’t the same restrictions on using teeth that Alexander does, and anyway he’s got those nice high collars and cravats to wear for everyday. No one needs to know but him.

She bites down.

Alexander whimpers. Alexander’s pulse thunders under her lips. Alexander doesn’t pull away until Eliza’s quite satisfied herself, and when she has he looks at her like a man seeing a vision, golden light and angels with trumpets and perhaps the voice of God Himself ringing in his ears. “Oh,” is all he says, the livid mark on his neck bobbing with a hard swallow, and then he slips down the bed, down her body.

He’s always so sweet with her after a thing like that, all melting glances and tender kisses and delicate touches. Eliza luxuriates in the sweetness for a bit, lets him nuzzle between her breasts and trail kisses over her belly and stroke up and down her legs. Reverent. She could almost expect him to start humming a hymn. Nice to be a goddess for a while, and she reaches down and tangles her fingers in his hair, tugs but gently. He leans into the touch like a dog being praised. Yes, yes, I'm good for you, see how good I can be. It’s all too easy to imagine his bushy tail wagging in satisfaction.

And it’s lovely, but a few minutes go by, and a few more, and he’s still nuzzling and fluttering, and—it’s getting a little old. He kept Eliza waiting. She hasn’t the time to be worshipped just now. And, she realizes all of a sudden, he’s only touching her with the very tips of his fingers, same as he would at a less fortunate phase of the moon. As though there’s still some risk there of him tearing her to pieces, as though there were ever any fear in her that he would. Funny-sad. She props herself up on her elbows with an impatient noise, just south of a laugh.

“I’m not made of glass, Alexander,” she says. Alexander startles and glances up at her, an embarrassed flush leaping into his cheeks. It’s—nice. Not that he’s hard to read, any other time of the month, but there’s something so disarmingly human about a blush. Rose gold against his smooth skin. A trace of guilt in his eyes, so Eliza adds, with a little more heat, “Like this—” and draws the hem of her shift up over her thighs, letting her nails drag against skin.

Alex makes a broken, wanting sound and lets his fingers follow hers, tracing the warm pink score marks her nails have left. Pushes her shift further up, so it gathers around her hips. He leans forward.

Eliza gasps. Breath cool against her in puffs, a quiet laugh.

“I got distracted, before,” he says, honey-sweet all of a sudden, the cheekiness back in his voice. “I was making up for my lateness. My forfeit was a kiss hello, I think? A proper one.”

“Yes,” says Eliza, trembling and wanting and too giddy to banter, “yes.”

“My Betsey’s so merciful,” he says. Flicker of tongue, the lightest touch of fingers. “Such a tiny price to pay.”

“Alexander.”

“I can do better than my first attempt, I know it.”

“Alex—” Eliza catches her lip between her teeth. Alexander’s clever fingers not quite in her, stroking just a little. He looks up at her, fire leaping in those dark-dark eyes, and bares his teeth in a smile too sharp and too hungry to be human.

“So. A proper kiss hello, for my charmer.”

He dips back down, and the world goes white.

—

Alexander wakes to pale dawn-light, with Eliza snoring softly in his arms and his body slowly, tangibly, starting to slip away from him.

He can’t quite explain it, but after so many years with the change he can always tell just when it’s coming upon him again. A tiny stirring somewhere deep inside him, blood or bone or marrow, pulled toward the waxing moon. He’s learned that it won’t be fought, that no degree of clinging by his fingernails will make him stay human a second longer than the heavens dictate, but it still aches for him to find himself—once again, as he is every day of the month but two—stuck somewhere in-between.

At least he’s still far enough toward one end of the cycle to be mostly furless, and he curls close to Eliza, enjoying the warm guilt of lying in bed when he should be up and about, the touch of her skin on his. An uncomfortable realization, to know that if he were put entirely to rights at this moment he’d probably go out of his mind a week later, the flood of sensation on his bare skin more than he could tolerate. For now, though, safe in in the quiet, Eliza-scented dark, it’s simply thrilling rather than overwhelming. Silk of skin and hair against his palms and chest and lips. He nuzzles gently at her cheek, presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Eliza wrinkles up her nose, rolls over, and blinks blearily at him. “…’Xander?” she mumbles.

“Sorry, darling. Sorry.” He rests his forehead against hers for a moment. “Go back to sleep, Betsey. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Hmm.” Eliza squirms close enough to tuck her head under his chin, breathes out long and slow. “Wh’ time’s it?”

“Early. Too early. Doesn’t matter. You don’t have to be awake yet.”

“If I don’t, you don’t.”

Alex lets out a sad chuff of laughter. “Sadly, duty calls. I should’ve been up half an hour ago.”

“Stay.”

“I wish I could, love.”

Eliza pulls herself up enough to look him full in the face. Surely she can’t see much but a vague blur of features—her eyesight’s nowhere near as good as his, in the low light—but Alex still ducks his chin and nestles into the pillow, trying for quiet indignation and not quite finding it. He knows what his eyes look like. They’re always the first things to go, when the moon starts calling him again. Wide and upturned at the corners and the color of fresh-minted coins.

Unmistakably, the eyes of a wolf.

The coverlet rustles, and Eliza reaches up to trace a hand down his jaw. Tilts his head up to look at her, and doesn’t flinch away at the eyes of a wild animal staring back at her from her husband’s face. Kisses him, lazy and slow, like there’s no world waiting outside their bedroom door. Like they have all the time they could want here and more.

“…Five more minutes?” she asks sweetly, when they break apart.

“Unfair,” says Alex, baring his teeth at her, “unfair, you’re not allowed to use—coercive tactics on me, you little siren.”

“Mm,” says Eliza, twiddling a lock of his hair, her fingers just happening to brush against that spot behind his ear that feels so good when scratched. “So five more minutes, then.” It’s very hard to argue with the dozy certainty of someone who’s still half asleep, especially when she’s giving him the eyes like that. He’s always been easy for that look.

“I. Well. I suppose I could spare five. Just five.”

Eliza makes a triumphant little noise, nestles herself against Alex’s chest, and goes quiet again. Alex runs his fingers over her shoulder where the blanket’s slipped off. Back to touching with just fingertips again. It isn’t so bad, really, he thinks, glancing at his hands, the nails a bit longer than they’d been yesterday, darker at the beds. He won’t have real claws for another day or two yet, but it’s better not to get into bad habits. Someone could get hurt.

“Mmph. Tickles.”

“Sorry, Betsey.”

“You can touch.” Without opening her eyes, she lays her hand over his, presses it flat against her arm. “You know that. You’re allowed.”

“So you tell me.”

“Every month.”

“Remind your poor, absent-minded husband again, though, will you, love?”

“Ridiculous man,” she murmurs against the pulse in his neck, and Alex feels his breath catch in his throat. Dizzying, to lay himself bare like this, to be so vulnerable, and to know himself safe. Goes against all his instincts, but here he is, no teeth at his throat, no blood. Safe safe safe home mate love safe flutters in his brain. He kisses the crown of Eliza’s head.

“I’ll be home early again tonight,” he says. “As early as I can. We’ll have the evening together, you and me and Phil. It’ll be nice.”

“Mm.” That could mean anything, Don’t talk to me, I’m trying to sleep or fat chance you will or yes, darling, that sounds lovely. He chooses to believe the latter.

“And then we’ll have tomorrow night. The two of us. And the night after that.” He rolls the words over his tongue. Could tack another night on the end there—maybe not, though. Always a bit of a gamble, guessing how quickly his body will throw itself into the change. Three more nights, then, to be safe. A short enough span. If only he’d been more judicious with his time coming into new moon week, damn him, they could’ve had more, but work’s work, and the law doesn’t stop for one love-struck werewolf.

So. Three nights. It’s not much, but it’s not nothing. He runs his not-quite-claws over the curve of her shoulder, gentle, gentle.

“We have time,” he says, to the quiet room, to Eliza maybe-sleeping, warm against him. “We still have time.”

#swan talks #hamilton for ts #wereham au #sex cw #a little bit #sadly did not manage to work this in but some bonus material for ya: alex-as-human is absolutely as hairless #as your common or garden lin-manuel miranda #so it is also quite funny for eliza to see him like this; aka as sleek and unfurred as the beautiful dolphin; the rider of ice #she had to work VERY hard not to burst out laughing on their honeymoon when she realized that none of the chest hair #she had previously seen on him was inherent to his human form #he's trying very hard bless him

[tandembicycles]

friends and I made an atla si verse for ourselves during the stream because we’re like that so this is going under a readmore for posterity and information gathering lmfao

@ukitakejuushiro/danie- water bender and healer @endangeredtreealligator/gator- air bender with sound sensation and bending @eraserheacl/isaac- firebender and emo @shishiduck/lucian- earth bender specializing in metal bending ME/tandem- born earth bender (avatar by everyone else’s decision??) @d-lynx/ti- earth bender specializing in crystal and lava bending @kawaiijohn/amber- water bender

PERSONALITY/BENDING/STORY QUIRKS

Gator

Hovers a lot due to being insecure about height

Soundbending connects with synesthesia

Only airbender in city and had to keep it a secret due to stigma

Can befriend nearly any small animal and child? it’s wild

flies around and gets hyper at night, confusing the piss out of us when we all wake up

fights defensively and evasively

bad at sleeping and naps at weird places by getting distracted

easily overwhelmed and hides a bit

Danie

Very oblivious to danger and things going on around

Doesn’t try hard to be funny but is

LOVES snow and uses it as much as possible

always cold though and is constantly in layers/bundled up

Isaac

Catches on fire when embarrassed

Emo

“Hello. Isaac here.”

Blows fire when sneezing

Lucian

Makes bad jokes

Loves shiny things and picks them up all the time

Moves metal bracelets/rings in hands to fidgit

has a cat

Me

Gets a tattoo for the element symbol once mastered (already have earth symbol)

Flirts badly with everyone

Clumsy and anxious

Freckles glow in avatar state

Ti

blue crystals are their signature thing 

gets overwhelmed easily/has periods of intense self isolation so they build a little isolation tent for themselves out of crystals or obsidian because it's smooth and quiet and dark and alone. 

crystal is their normal fighting element, lava happens when they're angry or very serious. 

few burn marks arms and legs from the first time they crated lava

normally really quiet and sorta stays in the background and is really protective 

pet rock snake

Amber

collects cool necklaces

fights using kicks and feet a lot/balancing and quick water moves

specializes in boiling hot water and steam maneuvers 

when agitated, steam comes out of their mouth like a dragon lol cute

okay so it starts out with us meeting each other, of course, idk what the poltpoint is necessarily is or what the kickass mission is but HERE it’s goofy but funny hopefully

SO AMBS is starting out and traveled to the earth kingdom. Comes from a family of multibenders, with deep ancestry to the South Pole making them a water bender. They’re very good and charming, and they have this habit of forming stories with the water (forming it fluidly in the air, taking a lot of dedication and concentration) for fun, but like they gonna kick your ass also for fun. SO they travel cause they wanna see the world, and they go to an earth kingdom and they’re like “o damn.” Queue meeting Ti and Ti is like “wat the fuck is up, I’m an earth bender” and Amber is :O and Ti is like “Oh I know, I specialize with crystals and lava” and Amber continues to be like :O so they spend some time there just gabbing with Ti and they become good friends but then Ambs is like “kay I wanna keep travelling” and Ti is like “hey hey hey, I would also love to travel” so Ambs is like “come be my friend and copilot” and Ti is like “oh fuck yes” and Amber is like “but I don’t know where to go to next” and Ti is like “hey hey hey… you know the avatar…?” and Amber is like “I know of the avatar, certainly” and Ti is like “well they’re in that other earth kingdom you know” and Amber is like “WE MOVIN”

So

They go to the other earth kingdom and they’re like “oh wow the avatar I wanna meet the avatar the avatar would be really cool” and then they meet the avatar and it’s me and I’m like “these powers don’t let me meet pretty girls so what’s the fucking point” and they’re like oh wow the avatar is Not As Cool as previously determined and then I’m like “hey hey y’all are cute tho” and I shimmy over but fall on my way over which continues the trend of Not Cool but I’m like “however this is my Very Cool friend also from the earth kingdom” and here comes Lucian fuckin spidermanning over on some metal fabric and is like “sup I’m Lucian” and then instant friendship, because who wouldn’t want to be friends with spiderman and so they pal around with us and then friendship and I’m like “hey would any of you three, perhaps, be a water, fire, and/or air bender” to which there is a response of “I am a water bender” from amber and I go “please teach me wise one, I’ve already learned earth and metal from this extravagant beast here” and Lucian flexes and then Ti comes up like “I specialize in lava and crystal” and I go “holy butts teach me that as well” and Ti goes “oh certainly” so the avatar not only adds the ability to water, lava, and crystal bend but also the power of friendship and they do a sick four-way high five and travel into the sunset

Continued

Amber is like “hey there is a city on over here” and we are like god DAMN IT Amber you are a FANTASTIC traveler and a wonderful friend and also so beautiful and we so very much love you please take us to this city and so they do and we love them more SO. Here comes Gator who is super shy and chill and they technically avoided us a lot but then we saw them with a bunch of cute lil animals around them as they fed them and they were just So cute and we all fell in love and went “we must protect this darling creature” and so we all looked each other in the eye, nodded, and the adoption process was underway. Gator was kind of like “holy shit this is intimidating whom the fuck?” and we were like “hey, uh, hey, we love you?” and Gator was like “well what a coincidence I love love” and we were like “[beep] yes (shouldn’t curse with the youngins)” and so Gator is like “I WILL TEACH YOU AIR BENDING and these cool magic tricks and also how to create tornados and shit… if u want…” and I was like “oh my God Im going to feed you so much good food also YOU’RE AN AIR BENDER” and Gator was like “yeah I’m the only one in the city but she it’s a secret” and we were all wowed because tat’s AMAZING and it means they’re self taught so they’re fucking smart and we were just like HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT and they’re strong because secret secret, they got a secret, and we started weeping openly and Gator was like “what” and we all just went “what” and so we all nodded and hugged Gator and Gator was a lil overwhelmed but they loved it so we all left, but this time on Gator’s flying bison and with several other new pets

Moving on

We travel and it turns out Gator gets even more delightful when they warm up to people and whenever they talk about their special interests their eyes sparkle and we love this air bending gator and we ask them to do tricks all the time because they’re so?? Cool?? And they oblige and Ti shows us cool as hell crystals and starts fires for us out of Lava and Lucian is like “I’M HARD CORE LIKE METAL” and we laugh and Amber is just so chill and lovely and it’s wonderful totally amazing we have a wonderful time on our travels and everyone teaches me stuff and it’s so cool, everyone is excellent teachers

But suddenly, when on an unhabituated island

Someone runs out of a forest and into our camp and we’re like “hey who the fuck” and danie is like “I- I THE FUCK, THERE’S A BIG ANIMAL BIG BIG ANIMAL BYE” and they just keep runnin and we’re like “surely it cannot be that big”

However

It was.

SO JUST BASED OFF INSTINCT WE START BOLTING FROM THIS CREATURE and everyone was like “hey uh ur the avatar and you’re at least somewhat trained in three elements so what the fuck” and I was like “okay but I’m having performance issues due to anxiety” and they were like “oh no oh fuck no get ur shit together” and then suddenly we were like oh yeah team work, teamwork works, so we all like. Subdued the beast and it was chill and danie was like “oh hello, avatar you say” and I was like “oh my god finally a pretty lady holy shit” and I waltz on over like “hey… sup… how you doin…. It’s me, the avatar… big deal, you know… me… the avatar…” and I go to lean on a tree but miss but she digs it and I’m like “oh fuck yes finally” So she joins our camp and chills with us and is like “yea I’m a water healer but I ran away from home because Depression Session” to which amber and danie immediately bond over the water thing but Amber is like NO WE MUST MAKE YOU HAPPY FOUND FAMILY TROPE YOU’RE PART OF IT NOW and I’m like “hey teach me healing too” and then I flirt but that’s embarrassing and Ti is like “I lava you all” and Lucian is like “spiderman” and sleeps in a nearby tree and Gator Is like “I love my new found family” and Amber, the wise one, is like “okay but hey it’s cool that you are going to learn healing, that is a very good thing to learn,” and we all looked at one another and went “truly” because we forgot Our Kickass Mission that may kill us (which is what some of us want but I digress) so Amber is like “we have to get a firemaster and a REALLY good one like REALLY good” and I pipe up like “yes, exactly, yes” and our search continues for the final piece of the puzzle

So like we were like “okay so we gotta find a cool ass firebender” everyone nodded and said “tru” but then Amber, yet again the wise one, said “ah but you know what would also be a good idea” to which someone said “loving you” and they said “yes, but also. There’s a sacred scroll within a fire nation city that we should steal that has all the dates of historical missions and also the cycles of solstices and shit like it’s smart shit I feel like we should have” and we were like “god damn it yes but we gotta do thisand be sneaky” and Gator was like “okay we need to blend in with the people, when in rome, and then we’ll sneak in”

So costume change, we all look great, it’s amazing, but I gotta hide the tattoos, but it’s great we’re all fabulous obviously. And as we go along we stumble across a guy lamenting by himself against a wall, moving fire in his hands. I squint. “Look at that emo looking fuck.” “Yes, he’s quite emo,” Lucian responds. Ti agrees, “okay but the mission” and I go “no that’s the firebender we want” and everyone was confused and I was like “1. He’s cute. 2. The more emo a firebender looks, the better they are a firebender, this is like? Common knowledge guys. 3. He’s cute.” And then everyone was like “oh yeah that’s true.”

So.

We stroll on up and he is like, “Hello. Isaac here.” And we’re like “oh hello Isaac” and he’s like “hello. Isaac here.” And danie is like “hey can you keep a secret” and Isaac is like “I can keep a secret and many others yes, but you’re really going to tell a stranger a secret” and we’re all like “we’re very loving and trusting people you seem like a good egg” and Isaac is like “well I can’t argue with that” and we’re like “hey this is the avatar and we need a firemaster to teach her” and he’s like “oh hey I’m a firemaster that can teach her also the avatar? Cool fuck this place *hair flip* smh let me train you.” And we’re like YES but we gotta steal some shit and he’s like “cool fuck this place *hair flip* smh let me steal shit with you.”

So we all have a team and we steal the scroll with some atla/mission impossible type shit and it’s wonderful and Isaac becomes the new emo firemaster And the adventure for the found family continues.

#jr rambles #post: text #dnt rb / #unless you're on of the people in this wacky thing lmfao #long post / #if on mobile sorry aaaaaaaa #atla sis #amber #ti #gc #danie #isaac #lucian #me

[jreed3842]

Video Game Survey!

So! I’m bored... Like... Hella bored. So I found this survey (questions created from 8bitrevolver) and I’m going to answer these questions like it’s 2005 and I’m doing a MySpace survey! Ready? Let’s-a Go! 1. First game you played obsessively? Obsessively... Hmm... When I was very little I played a lot of Wario’s Woods and Super Mario Bros. 2. But! I think I was a little more obsessive towards Super Mario Bros. 2! 2. A game that has influenced you creatively? Writing, drawing, etc. Either the Legend of Zelda or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. I have written fanfics based off of those games!

3. Who did you play with as a kid? My sister and my step-sister

4. Who do you play with now? My boyfriend and my college friend.

5. Ever use cheat codes? My dad used to have a Game Genie for the NES, and I loved messing around with that thing. Sometimes it would totally fuck up the game cause I would just put in totally random codes! 6. Ever buy strategy guides? The only strategy guide I remember buying was for Super Smash Bros. Melee. If I remember correctly it came out before the game actually did, and I bought it and looked through it to help build up my hype! 7. Any games you have multiple copies of? No. 8. Rarest/Most expensive game in your collection? Uh... N/A 9. Most regrettable purchase? Yooka-Laylee for the Switch (at least that’s my most recent I can think of.) 10. Ever go to a midnight game release or stand in line for hours? No. 11. Have you ever made new friends from playing video games? No. 12. Ever get picked on for liking games? No. 13. A game you’ve never played that everyone else has? Ooo. Probably. I haven’t played any of the Metroid games. I’m sure there’s a big title that I can’t think of. Uhhh. Fortnite and PubG? Uh.... Halo. Or any famous first person shooter games. 14. Favorite game music? Legend of Zelda music is high on my list. I love the Stone Tower Temple music. I love Fi’s theme from Skyward Sword. I love Dragon Roost Island. I love the music from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars as well. Like the Forest Maze, Midas Falls, and Rose Town.

15. If it was a requirement to get a game related tattoo, what would you pick? Maybe the Super Mario mushroom or the Triforce?  16. Favorite game to play with your friends IRL? Mario Kart, cause I’m a beast. 17. Ever lose a friend over a game? No 18. Would you date someone that hates gaming? I have before... it kinda sucked. Like he got mad at me because I just bought Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story and I was playing that instead of like... following him outside so he could smoke. He wasn’t a very nice person.... 19. Favorite handheld console? The 3DS I suppose. 20. Game that you know like the back of your hand? Either Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. 21. Game that you didn’t like or understand as a kid but love now? Hmmm.... I can’t think of anything. 22. Do you wear game related clothing/accessories? Yes. 23. The game that you’ve logged the most hours into?  Either Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Lol. 24. First Pokemon game? Pokemon Blue! Bulbasaur was my first Pokemon ever! 25. Were you ever an arcade game player? No. 26. Ever form any gaming rivalries? No. 27. Game that makes you rage? I get ragey when games give me really LONG challenges. Like where the difficulty lies in how long the challenge is and if you fail you have to start all over. That is what makes me rage. Most recent example is Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trying to complete All-Star mode on Hard difficulty with several characters.... Getting so close only to have to start all over again makes me ragey. Lol 28. Ever play in a tournament? No. 29. What is your gaming set up? We have 3 Nintendo Switches in this house. My dock is hooked up to my TV. Warren’s dock is underneath mine not hooked up to anything but plugged in to act as a charging station. Reece’s Switch is hooked up to the living room TV. If Warren wants to play his switch he just places it into my dock. 30. How many consoles do you own? 2. Nintendo 3DS and a Nintendo Switch. I had a Wii U but I gave it to my sister. 31. Does the 3DS and/or Virtual Boy hurt your eyes or give you headaches? Yes!! Never played the Virtual Boy, but I can’t really use the 3D of the 3DS, it messed with my eyes. 32. Did you ever play a game based on your favorite show/cartoon/movie/comic? Yes. I remember owning the Shrek 2 video game. And I am sure I have a few more, until I came to realize those kind of video games sucked! 33. Did you ever have any bootleg games or plug-n-play games? No.

34. Do either of your parents play video games? My dad does quite a bit. He owns as Wii, but plays a lot of mobile games. My mom will play games like Mario Kart, and she really likes Wii Party U and the Pictionary portion of Game & Wario. 35. Ever work in a game store? Or do you have a favorite game shop? No. And I supposed GameStop is my go-to, but Jesus Balls they’re expensive. 36. Have you ever shed actual blood, sweat or tears over a game? .... Uhhh? No? I don’t think so? I remember getting very mad and upset at Paper Mario when I was little because I JUST COULD NOT BEAT HUFF-N-PUFF! But it’s because I was going about it totally wrong. And I got yelled at from my Mom because I was getting mad, and she told me to calm down. 37. Have you played E.T. for the Atari 2600? Do you think that’s the worst game ever, or do you have another nomination? I have not. But I do probably think it is the worst game ever... because it like... single-handledly brought upon the American Video game crash... 38. A game you’re ashamed to admit that you like? Super Princess Peach. It’s one of the only DS games I still own... 39. A sequel that you would die for them to make? A Sequel to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.  40. What to you think of virtual reality headsets or motion controls? Never used Virtual reality headsets. I am afraid it may make me motion sick like 1st person games do. And I am kind of over motion controls now. 41. A genre that you just can’t get into? First Person Shooters. 42. Maybe it wasn’t your first game, but what was the game that started you on your path to nerdiness? ??? Probably my first game Super Mario Bros. 2. Lol.

43. Ever play games when you really should have been concentrating on something else? Yes. I think everyone does that. 44. Arcade machine that has consumed the most of your quarters? Uhh.... N/A

45. How are you at Mario Kart? GURL! I am a beast! You better watch out? Oh is that a Blue Shell coming for me? No Biggie I am so far ahead it doesn’t matter? Another one? Oh looks like you caught up but still can’t pass me. And I don’t even use the heavy characters with high speed, and you’re still eating my dust. :-P 46. Do you like relaxing games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon? Never really played them, but I kinda want to get into Animal Crossing because I want to have an easy relaxing game that I can play before bed or something. 47. Do you like competitive games? Mario Kart and Smash, I suppose. 48. How long does it take your to customize your player character? Not too long. 49. In games where you can pick your class, do you always tend to go for the same type of character? Yes. 50. If you were a game designer, what masterpiece would you create? Uhh... A game where you are the damsel in distress, but you escape and your journey is getting back home. 51. Have you ever played a game for so long that you forgot to eat or sleep? I never forget to sleep, but I have gone for a long time without eating and then I’m like “Damn, I’m hungry... Oh I haven’t had food for 12 hours.” Lol 52. A game that you begged your parents for as a kid? Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi’s Mansion, Paper Mario, and probably the first few Mario Parties. 53. What’s your opinion on DLC these days? If they are good, it’s fine. If it feels like an actual addition to the game instead of just “Oh the game wasn’t done, here’s some more you gotta pay for.” Like.... The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild did a good job with the Champion’s DLC. Like the game would be fine without it, but it just added some extra flavor (and totally made me fall in love with Urbosa.) 54. Do you give in to Steam sales? I do not have Steam account. 55. Did you ever make someone you hated in the Sims and did mean stuff to them? I do not play Sims. 56. Did you ever play Roller Coaster Tycoon and kill off your guests? No. Never played it. 57. Did you ever play a game to 100% or get all of the achievements? YES! I am very much a completionist.

58. If you can only play 3 games for the rest of your life, which ones do you pick? Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Mario Kart 8. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 59. Do you play any cell phone games? Pokemon Go is the only one I really play. 60. Do you know the Konami Code? Yes. My dad and I were just talking about it. 61. Do you trade in your games or keep them forever? I trade them, that’s why I like the physical copies.

62. Ever buy a console specifically to play one game? Not really. I buy the Nintendo consoles because I know there will be games I’ll want to play. 63. Ever go to a gaming convention or tournament? No. 64. Ever make a TV or monitor purchase based on what would be best for gaming? No. 65. Ever have a Game Genie, Game Shark or Action Replay? Did it ever mess up your game’s save file? My dad had a Game Genie (see previous question) and I don’t think it ever messed up the save files, but it did mess up the way the game looked. I remember using it on Super Mario Bros. 2 and it totally messed up the pause screen. Like enemies were flying around on there, it was silly! 66. Did you ever have have an old Nokia with Snake on it? Yes.

67. Do you have a happy gaming-related childhood memory you want to share? I always look back fondly on playing games with my sister and step-sister. We played a lot of Mario Party 1 and 2, Mario Party 4, 5, and 6. Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Mario Kart 64, Double Dash, and Wii.

68. Ever save up a ton of tickets in an arcade to get something cool? No. 69. In your opinion, best game ever made? Either Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Lol. 70. Very first game you ever beat? The first game I ever beat on my own without my Dad’s help was Yoshi’s Island for the Super Nintendo! **BONUS QUESTION** A Question I just made up. 71. Who is your most wanted character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? I have wanted Toad as a playable fighter since the Melee days, and now I really want to see Captain Toad make it into Super Smash Bro! 

#Video games #Video game survery #My answers! #You've been scrolling for 30 minutes... #But this was fun for me to answer!

[allykat4416]

Meme Trip 2k19, Pt. 3

Date: May 21st

Park: Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois

One of the most surreal things about doing these trips after being a homebound and family-locked coaster geek for many years is actually getting out there. I’ve heard of so many of these parks. I’ve seen pictures, read ride reviews, know at least a little something about something in them, and so on. I’m used to knowing factually, but not knowing by experience. You can read a book on how to be a good nurse all day long, but it’ll never prepare you for being in the hospital. Similarly, you can read all about these parks, but it won’t ever prepare you for walking into these places that only existed in your life before as a concept.

One such place was Six Flags Great America. I’d never paid too much mind to them outside of some vague knowledge about them—Raging Bull was the second B&M hyper, Batman was the very first B&M invert, I remembered X-Flight and Goliath’s announcements to some degree, and say, aren’t they getting a new coaster next year?

Then November happened, and I’ll spare you the details but my coo-coo bananas ass really did not like GAM after that. Like Holiday World, it was one of the parks I heavily considered asking Casie to skip. For months, the only coaster there I really gave a shit about was Goliath, and I think that that was originally only because I loved the character of Giorgos so much!

But, I knew that in order to be better, I had to do some stuff I wasn’t 100% comfortable with. I’d faced down ground zero in Indiana and thrived, had a lot of fun with Nelly in the process, and found closure. Now it was time to get closure about that trip, to surrender to the fact I’ll never know what happened and I’m relegated to trusting what I was told.

We pulled up to the park early that morning, the wind biting and cold. I could never live this far north. I shivered and pulled my arms tighter in my hoodie. At least Goliath is here. At least I’m going to get some credits to my roster. It’s just one day, try to keep an open mind! It may not be too bad. It may be like HoWo. Oryche may be here later on too. Early Entry only granted us 10 minutes, and our Six Flags day began.

Superman- Ultimate Flight is a B&M flyer, a model I’m not incredibly fond of. I’ve done 2 of these now, and I still don’t really care for them. This one is better than the one in New Jersey by a small margin, but as a woman with boobs, I don’t care for flying coasters. I’m glad we got this one out of the way early on. Similarly, The Dark Knight’s a wild mouse. There’s not much to say. I’m glad the horn on the train isn’t as loud as GADV’s, since I hate super loud noises. It was fun to shout out “We live in a society!” but it’s ultimately a pretty forgettable ride.

I can’t remember if I said my piece on Joker at Great Adventure, but I’m not a huge fan of these free-spin clones. They’re weird, and I know their gimmick makes them very marketable. However, after doing Lightning Run and realizing these coasters cost the same as that did, I’m even less fond of them. Really, guys? Both are capacity nightmares, but at least Lightning Run is actually a lot of fun. Got the credit, pass, never gonna do that again.

There’s not a whole lot to V2: Vertical Velocity either. It’s an Intamin Impulse, basically the same experience as Possessed at Dorney from last year. It’s a little shakier than Possessed is, and I seriously hurt my foot jumping down from the seats. (Short enthusiast problems.) Still, it’s a fun coaster for what it’s worth. I’m fond of these types of rides, and I’ll be sad when this inevitably does go.

Batman admittedly had always held a shred of an interest for me because of my giant bias towards B&M’s inverted coasters. Being the first of the kind was at least a slight draw to the park for me, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint me. I rode it twice, and I oddly enough prefer it in the back. I’m usually a Front-Row Purist for inverts. The queue is immersive for a Six Flags, and the recording of the laughing kids as you exit gave me hardcore heebie-jeebies. The loop should absolutely not be that tight, and I love it. Somewhat of a recurring theme, but the I prefer the clones here over the ones at GADV. This Batman crushes the one in Jersey.

Little Dipper and Sprocket Rocket are two very cute kiddie coasters. I think Dipper is my favorite of the two, even without the really heartwarming story about Six Flags saving its life. They’re both super-fun rides for baby enthusiasts to cut their teeth on, and I’m glad they’ve got both of them in their lineup. Nice work!

American Eagle was fun. This was the ride a lot of people asked me about while I was in the park, and I kept describing it as “Racer from KI with a better layout and not possessed by Satan.” My first ride was lackluster because of a misunderstanding in the queue, but when Oryche and I went back to ride it, I got to really appreciate AE for what it is. What it is is very good and very fun. While only blue side was running, it was a blast. I can’t imagine what both of the trains going at the same time would be like! The helix is a laugh riot and those first few hills give you some solid, strong floater. Shoutout to the kids behind O and I screaming out “Fuck bitches, get money” the entire ride. Whoever they were, I hope they’re having the best summer of their young lives.

Demon is surprisingly not bad at all. Most of the Arrow loopers I’ve done have been lackluster, sans Nessie and TNT. I didn’t have very high expectations for Demon, to be fair, but I ended up really enjoying myself on it more than I figured I would. The tunnel effects were nice, especially the second one that felt almost like a head chopper. The corkscrews are a little rough, but not unbearable. It’s a solid ride that I hope is around in the park for years to come! Good going, Demon. Even if I hurt my arm trying to get into your trains.

Viper is neat in that it was a coaster built in-house a la Beast or Twister, and that we share a birth year. It was better than I anticipated it to be (bear in mind, my expectations for this park were incredibly low), but I prefer the other two wooden coasters in the park to it. By no means is Viper a bad ride, my worst experience was hurting my ankle while getting out of the train, but there are just other rides in the park I like more. I think I might also be a little less keen on Viper because we modeled his personification after someone I dislike who is also a snake in the grass. Haha.

X-Flight sucks. I knew it was going to be Not Great, but I didn’t think it was going to be that bad. I’ve always kind of laughed at enthusiasts who whine and bitch about “omggg b&m rattle wahhh!” But guys… X-Flight actually has a rattle, and it’s awful. I felt like I was riding a jackhammer on this ride. I’m sure it was a lot more fun in its early years, but now that the wings are almost literally flapping, I’ll pass. I’m usually a little kinder on winged coasters than most other enthusiasts, but this is pretty awful. It’s the only ride in this park I actively dislike.  

We also hit a few flats. Mardi Gras Hangover was not a credit, but it also just kind of exists. Fiddler’s Fling was a lot of fun, since I like spinning flats [but not spinning coasters, funnily enough.] Oryche and I got incredibly close on FF, but we were both good sports about it. It’s Six Flags, it happens. Chubasco is also a blast with friends, and we were screaming “RMC WHO? I ONLY KNOW DADDY CHUBASCO. ALAN SCHILKE IS QUAKING” the entire time. Irony is funny, guys! Really! It doesn’t hurt that the centerpiece of the ride really looks like a giant bong at some points.

I was a bit anxious about Raging Bull going into the trip. Casie told me again and again that because I’m not too keen on 232 at my home park, I “probably won’t like Bull either.” I think we were both pleased to say that was not the case! I actually enjoyed RB a lot, to the point I really wonder why on earth enthusiasts dislike it. (Or rather, I would if I didn’t already know they dickride Steve and thus are stupid as all fuck.)

No, the layout isn’t as focused on that tasty graceful floater B&M does so well. But it’s unique, and as you can tell by my adoration of LRun, I heavily support individuality in rides. Give me those low-to-the-ground twists over a helix and some bunny hops. I dig it! The trims were about as bad as Diamondback’s, which is to say noticeable but definitely not enough to hurt the ride experience. Oryche and I also got a trimless Bull ride, which slapped.

Again, B&M hypers are like going to a new restaurant and ordering the chicken strips. You can’t majorly fuck up chicken strips. You’re gonna enjoy what you get. Bull is spicy chicken strips. Still chicken, but with a new twist on the same ol’ same ol’. I like it. I only rode twice, but I can’t wait to ride more to see if it holds up or if she was just having a particularly good day. Yee-haw.

And now it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room. Over the last year, RMC has left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth because of Steve. I’ve enjoyed the other 3--- WiCy and TwiTim are wonderful rides and LRod is nothing short of fantastic--- but SV made me think twice about the company. I incredibly hate how they’re treated as if they can do no wrong within the community. I used to hype them up when my only experience with them was LRod, but after SV, my love for them died in a fiery car crash. Wicked and Timbers helped me realize Steve was most likely a glitch, but the damage was done already. I’d never be hype-hyped for an RMC again.

The only park I’d visited thus far where the RMC was my favorite in the lineup was Dollywood. Not Kings Dominion, not SFNE, not Kentucky Kingdom, and most certainly not Cedar Point. Great America is one of the rare parks where the RMC is my favorite in the roster.

Remember when I said there’s only one coaster with a first drop I might like more than Lightning Run? It’s Goliath. It may have been because I didn’t eat very much that day [only a coffee and a donut at Dunkin in the morning and a tiny bag of Takis during the day], but I was graying out at the bottom of the drop consistently. And the hangtime is sinfully good, it puts Copperhead’s to shame.

Yes, it’s short. But I like when RMC is short and packs a punch rather than being long, drawn-out, and having unnecessary MCBRs. I’m trying to keep my salt to a minimum, but it’s very hard to not. Goliath is not a long ride, and that’s a complaint I understand. But when you are riding it, it does the elements it has very, very well. I like Goliath. You guys are just mean. I marathoned this and lost count of how many rides I got, but Oryche said we racked up at least 12.

Also, funny story: Oryche and I were trying to re-ride, but my restraint kept locking back into place. I joked to the ride operator that “It must not want me to go!” She laughed and said that “Goliath picks people he likes.” He likes me as much as I like him. I will defend you, Giorgos, you glorious dumbass.

Overall, I liked GAM a hell of a lot more than I expected myself to. I do think I’d probably let my bitterness override my preconceived notions on the park, but it led to me being overwhelmingly happy with how good it actually is. It’s laid out very well, and it’s clean and honestly really beautiful. It’s like New England, just on a much larger scale and with a lineup that doesn’t need to rely on the top 2 because everything sans X-Flight is decent at the worst. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite Six Flags thus far. Those are words I never thought I would say, and I’m excited to come back and get Whizzer and Maxx Force whenever the winds blow us back into Chicago.

Until next time, you shirtless Greek horndog.

#trip reports