A Fiendish Thingy

Niz, she/her, middle aged. Writer of sickfics. Multifandom blog, I write for 9-1-1 Lone Star, currently also watching a lot of Starfleet Academy, Bluey, and Bob’s Burgers. Afiendishthingy on AO3

[afiendishthingynisba]

New fic: Carlos goes viral (amazingly not a sickfic) T, 4400 words.

“Drop the phone,” Carlos tries now, as though TK is an armed criminal.

“Uh, no, Carlos, I’m not trying to crack my screen, you’re the one who’s always telling me to be more careful,” TK replies blithely, sliding his phone into his pocket.

“Nope! Jonah, go! Tickle attack, get him!”

While Jonah pounces, TK unlocks his phone again and sends the video to Andrea, then to his dad for good measure.

“Time for ice cream!” Jonah screams in Carlos’s face.

“Only if you stop tickling me! And TK doesn’t get any.”

TK and Jonah gasp in horrified unison. “That’s not nice, Papa.” 

“Yeah, Papa, that’s not nice,” TK echoes.

“You’re not nice,” Carlos says darkly. “You’re a cyber criminal.”

For those who have been wondering what’s in the video, now’s your chance to find out!! Also, this fic contains cats.

Tagging a few who might be interested:

@carlos-in-glasses @laelipoo @chicgeekgirl89 @pimento-playing-hopscotch @sassy-coweyes @literateowl @henrygrass @actuallylemon @goodways @thisbuildinghasfeelings @reyesstrand @heartstringsduet @alrightbuckaroo @freneticfloetry @welcometololaland @ladytessa74 @theghostofashton

[annoyingcloudearthquake]

Mid-Year Book Tag 2026

Thank you for the tag @guardian-angle22!! I had to scrounge my memory for some of these lol (it’s been a busy year)

Best book you’ve read so far in 2026?

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

I definitely did not expect to like this series but I was pleasantly surprised as the series progressed! Somehow it’s the perfect mix of crude humor, found family, and attempting to destroy the government system (“pleasantly surprised” as if I’m not actually obsessed with this series now)

Best sequel (or series follow-up) you've read?

Earth has been transformed into the set of the galaxy’s most watched game show: Dungeon Crawler World, a nightmarish, multilevel, video game–like dungeon filled with traps, monsters, and mind-bending puzzles. Carl and Donut have survived so far, but this fourth level is unlike anything they could imagine. The Iron Tangle: an impossibly complicated subway system tied together into a knot of trains of all kinds, from classic steam engines to sleek modern cars. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations aren’t always what they seem, and the exit is perpetually just a few stops away. The top ten list is populated, and Carl and Donut have made it. But that popularity comes with a price. They each now have a bounty on their head. They must work with other crawlers to solve the puzzle of the floor, but how can they do that when they don’t know who to trust? The secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly useless book.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s more Carl. But for this I would put quite literally every book 1-8, it’s just 3 is my favorite

New 2026 release you haven’t read yet but want to?

Generally how I discover books is just wandering through the library or half price lmao and I end up picking books that have been out for years. Not much anticipation!

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2026?

See above answer as it’s extremely similar 😂 most books I’ve read are either finished or the sequel won’t come out for another 2 years

Biggest disappointment?

Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . .

I desperately wanted to like this as I heard great things but I just could not get into it. They immediately introduce you to the 4 characters and each chapter it’s a different pov which is already a bit confusing but then each chapter is quite literally like a page long. So I couldn’t keep track of everything

Biggest surprise?

The Mage King of Avonbend is meant to be untouchable. With his throne balanced on the precipice of the human and fairy world, Dante is the sworn protector of the Talamherra he knows from the Talamherra he doesn't. But he cannot help feeling that the formidable Fairy Queen who lurks beyond the ruins and rivers of Avonbend's borderlands is not truly the threat that human legends describe her to be. When he finds himself in need of a favor, he dares to ask for her generosity, in hopes of saving his own people from a mysterious blight. The Fairy Queen questions why the Mage King would not turn to his own allies in such a time of uncertainty, but she is never one to stay in the dark for long, and is eager to lure this ambitious king into the shadows of her dominion. When a rivalry blooms from her refusal to aid him, enflamed by his desperation for victory against her, the Fairy Queen offers up a different path: one that leads to a truth that Dante is not yet prepared to unveil. The webs of secrets, oaths, and intrigue that await Dante in Fairyland are all at the mysterious queen's fingertips... and now, to his bewilderment, so is he. Dante knows one ruler will have to yield to another eventually, but perhaps it will not be the enemy they expect... and the fates that await them are more intertwined than he ever dared to imagine.

I am not generally a person who reads romance books especially Romantasy so I did not have high expectations for this but i actually ended up loving it! The author also makes gorgeous art of her characters on her instagram (which is how I found the book) you can tell she has much love for this story

New favorite author (debut or new to you)?

Monica Hesse is an American journalist and author. She is the gender columnist for The Washington Post and a 2023 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Dude this authors books are genuinely heartbreaking. The few I’ve read are all set in WWII (unsure about the rest) and they all had bittersweet endings but the story along the way? I was left in shambles each time lol

Book that made you cry?

Germany, 1945. The soldiers who liberated the Gross-Rosen concentration camp say the war is over, but nothing feels over to eighteen-year-old Zofia Lederman. Her body has barely begun to heal, her mind feels broken. And her life is completely shattered: Three years ago, she and her younger brother, Abek, were the only members of their family to be sent to the right, away from the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Everyone else―her parents, her grandmother, radiant Aunt Maja―they went left.   Zofia's last words to her brother were a promise: Abek to Zofia, A to Z. When I find you again, we will fill our alphabet. Now her journey to fulfill that vow takes her through Poland and Germany, into a displaced persons camp where everyone she meets is trying to piece together a future from a painful past: Miriam, desperately searching for the twin she was separated from after they survived medical experimentation. Breine, a former heiress, who now longs only for a simple wedding with her new fiancé. And Josef, who guards his past behind a wall of secrets, and is beautiful and strange and magnetic all at once. But the deeper Zofia digs, the more impossible her search seems. How can she find one boy in a sea of the missing?

I was thinking about this book even months after I read it, it’s a truly devastating story. The main character has some memory issues and the story slowly reveals the truth of what really happened and you can read back and see where the puzzle pieces were planted. Absolutely gorgeous story

Book that made you happy?

I’m realizing all I’ve read are angsty books lmao

Favorite book to movie/TV adaptation that you saw this year?

Movie description: Through unlikely bonds formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, learns of a life-changing discovery that may bring her joy and wonder once again.

I bawled at this movie. Like genuinely sobbed which I never do. Only movie ever that has made me cry lol. It’s such a beautiful movie and the characters have so much life to them. I’m hoping to get my hands on the book soon (didn’t even know it existed 😅)

Most beautiful book you’ve bought (or received/borrowed) so far this year? & What books do you want to read by the end of the year?

“The Keeper of the Lost Cities” is the only one I haven’t read/I want to read by the end of the year. The rest are all books that I read and absolutely adored. (Yes “They Went Left” gets another mention. It destroyed me.) The Sacrifice Book was surprisingly good! I liked the humor in it and the whole premise was interesting.

No pressure tagging (and if you’re not a reader I’m sorry 😭 I have zero idea who to tag)

@the-126-family @actuallylemon @shes-an-oddbird @bonheur-cafe @ladytessa74 @firstprince-history-huh @angelusfangs @thisbuildinghasfeelings @heartstringsduet @tailoredshirt @paperstorm @afiendishthingynisba @chicgeekgirl89 @liminalmemories21 @everlastingday @lightningboltreader @literateowl @lonestardust @carlos-in-glasses @sassy-coweyes @doublel27 @salty-autistic-writer @tellmegoodbye @pimento-playing-hopscotch @henrygrass @neversleepuntilfive @my-beloved-lakes @carlos-tk @bangpop91 @jklovesfandoms @ironheartwriter @opossumjazzlyn @neverthesamebird @stardustedlovers @ladyknight1512 @decafdino

[actuallylemon]

Good morning!! ☀️ Thank you for the tags @carlos-in-glasses & @ladyknight1512 💕 Y’all are queued 💛 I have started working on a World Cup fic centered around Carlos & Gabriel, grief, remembering loved ones, and Carlos & Jonah. Sharing a very rough bit…

Carlos is deeply familiar with the sensation of chasing a memory. The practice of digging through those moments in your mind, ones that felt ordinary in the present, that become larger than life once they transition into a piece of the past. Preserving them. Perfecting them. Trying again and perfecting some more.

It’s more than memorializing. It’s a time-tested testament; reinforcing the bond between the living and the dead.

He grew up watching his parents do it. His mother, spending hours painstakingly working the dough of her pan de muerto with floured-fingers, the tackiness of the dough smoothing out beneath practiced hands. Each element symbolic in its own way: the crossbones, the heart at the center, even the ball of dough itself.

She could easily purchase the bread from the family’s favorite panadería — the one that did Carlos’s sisters’ quinceañeras and his and TK’s wedding cake — but she prefers to make them herself. Her own way of keeping the connection between life and death, cooking food to honor her beloved deceased ones, while nourishing the ones that are still here.

His father did it by building the ofrenda in the den, covering it with the hand-woven serape he bought on a trip to Moriela when he was a teen to watch his beloved Atlético Morelia play the Clásico Michoacano.

Carlos and Paul became quick friends after Paul, still new to Austin, asked Carlos to help him find an African grocery store so he could buy the correct cut of goat meat for his grandmother’s curry recipe. He made it with her as a child, standing on a stool in her Chicago kitchen, he still remembers the smell of her curl conditioner, the slice of the knife in her hand dicing onions so thin they were almost translucent. He’s been iterating the recipe for decades. Carlos has been a beneficiary over the years. Every time it’s good, just not quite the same as hers.

He’s done it himself. For a long time after his dad died, Carlos thought he needed to honor his father’s memory by ceaselessly investigating his murder. He didn’t stop until he solved it. Until his father’s murderer lay dead in the dry Presidio desert just north of the Mexico border.

He didn’t feel closer to his dad in that moment, though. With nothing left to investigate, no justice to chase after, all he felt was immense emptiness. His dad was gone. No amount of detective work or righteous anger was going to bring him back.

What did help, though, was cooking his chili verde.

Tagging: @carlos-in-glasses @ladyknight1512 @aprettygoodteam @heartstringsduet @stardustedlovers @carlossreaders @alrightbuckaroo @henrygrass @everlastingday @annoyingcloudearthquake @neversleepuntilfive @ssealie @chicgeekgirl89 @whatmaydraws @afiendishthingynisba @angelusfangs @lonestardust @thisbuildinghasfeelings @freneticfloetry @firstprince-history-huh @my-beloved-lakes @welcometololaland @bonheur-cafe @basilsunrise @iboatedhere @hereghostslive @laelipoo @literateowl @the-126-family @sassy-coweyes @shipperofsapphics @lightningboltreader @liminalmemories21 @herefortarlos @tinyluminaryzombie @kiwichaeng @guardian-angle22 @rmd-writes @reyesstrand @decafdino @futures-tense @orchidscript @angstycarlos @carlos-tk and OPEN TAG 🏷️

[carlos-in-glasses]

On another bonkersly hot summer Wednesday, please have these cuties in a heatwave of their own (chapter 1 coming soon):

It takes a while for Jonah to drift off tonight. It’s too hot. The crickets are loud. Fireflies pass by the window like tiny spaceships seeking a warm world to land on. And it’s not a school night. And tomorrow isn’t going to be a regular Saturday because they’re going on a night out, and and and and…

Jonah is talking through all the ands with TK when his droopy eyes finally close.

TK slips his hand free from both of Jonah’s, kisses him on the forehead, and sneaks out of the room. He creeps all the way along the hallway, avoids the tattle-tale floorboards, and dips into his own lamplit bedroom.

Here, TK finds his husband lying stark naked. He’s sideways across the bed, eyes closed and head practically lolling off the mattress on TK’s side. The ceiling fan rotates with soft swishes right above him.

“Mmm,” Carlos hums pleasantly. He lifts his flaccid penis to get more air to his sack.

“You okay, there?” TK whisper-laughs. He wanders over to his side of the bed to loom over Carlos’ face.

“I’m hotter than the sun,” Carlos murmurs.

“You can say that again.”

Carlos smiles. “But I’m great. My baby’s sleeping. My belly’s full…” he opens one eye. “I married the best man in all the world.”

“Stop.” TK grins and leans down, pressing both fists to the mattress either side of Carlos’ head, where he makes biscuits for a moment like a cat.

Open tag and tags below!:

@thisbuildinghasfeelings @paperstorm @lightningboltreader @goodways

@bonheur-cafe @reyesstrand @alrightbuckaroo @welcometololaland

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @actuallylemon @heartstringsduet @firstprince-history-huh

@chicgeekgirl89 @pimento-playing-hopscotch @sassy-coweyes

@henrygrass @neverthesamebird @aprettygoodteam

@ladyknight1512 @butchreyes @ironheartwriter @carlos-tk

@stardustedlovers @annoyingcloudearthquake @kiwichaeng

@theghostofashton @the-126-family @afiendishthingynisba @decafdino - If you want to share/haven’t already! No pressure ever! ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

[so-much-for-subtlety]

[lesbian-moon-gf]

Girl you are an obligate carnivore

[humedetector]

but her appel

[gothicprep]

why is your cat green?

She’s built different 😌

[gothicprep]

Look i tried to laugh it off, but I haven’t stopped thinking about this message because… my cat literally isn’t green

like where is the green

[gothicprep]

Oh Christ

[sapropel]

This is the color your cat is

[lazygravez]

colors i eyedropped directly from op's cat

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

I drew a tree using only colours eyedropped from OP's cat.

[decafdino]

Wip Wednesday!

thank you @afiendishthingynisba @actuallylemon and @carlos-in-glasses for the tags! for my latest wip, the kindred spirit sequel:

Carlos kneels before TK, lowering his head in the ultimate show of respect he could give. He did all of it for him, and it is indescribably satisfying to know that out of all the competitors, his victories are what has put Texas in first place. The blood, sweat, tears—all of it for his prince.

TK places the crown of flowers on his head with a delicate touch, fingers brushing as much as they dare against Carlos' curls. Instantly, Carlos knows the crown was not just another symbol of victory meant to be handed out to the athletes—TK grew it himself. The poppies woven into its intricate braid are too vibrant, too beautiful to be grown with anything other than the prince's magic. Fiery oranges and reds stained with dark purples and blacks at their centers. Pure things being stained to make it more perfect than before.

Carlos feels himself heating up on the inside at the notion. He thinks, ridiculously, that this was all TK's design for him. TK put up with the royals, the manners, the endless hoops to jump through to please everyone and prove whatever it is they wanted to see, just so that he could stand here and crown Carlos the winner. He hates the decorum, loathes the formality. He rolls his eyes whenever someone points out his un-prince-like behavior. And yet, he did all of that for him.

"Sir Reyes," TK says, and Carlos tilts his head up to look at him. The look in his half-lidded gaze says everything that Carlos wants to hear. He's proud, he loves him, he wants him in every way. There's not a thing Carlos could do wrong. Nothing could sully this moment, or the way TK sees him. Carlos is his knight, his protector, his lover. His.

Carlos tilts his chin up further, imagining what it would be like to lean in and take him into a kiss. He holds himself back, but only just. When he refocuses on TK's face, it's clear the man is thinking the same thing.

"Congratulations," TK whispers, and it's only for him.

I've been thinking lately that perhaps when this is done being written (currently sitting at an unedited ~55k! wow!) I might commission an artist to do a little drawing of one of the scenes. if any of u have suggestions, lemme know ;) also hopefully one day I'll decide on a name for this bad boy

for my tags today: @smallbirdrising @annoyingcloudearthquake @ladyknight1512 @morganaspendragonss @heartstringsduet @emsprovisions @alrightbuckaroo @henrygrass @reyesstrand @strandnreyes @guardian-angle22 @goodways @welcometololaland @whatmaydraws and an Open Tag!

[afiendishthingynisba]

Thanks @actuallylemon and @carlos-in-glasses for the tags!! A biggish chunk of my draft — because I couldn’t decide where to cut it — for this teen tk & toddler Jonah AU. It’s a Tarlos fic, and a TK & Jonah fic, but maybe more than anything it is a TK & Gwyn fic. Because I love them!!

He’s just about managed to drift off when the door opens again.

“Oh, my god, what?”

“Soup,” says his mother.

TK puts an arm over his eyes. “Mom. I just want to sleep.”

“Sorry,” she says. She doesn’t sound sorry. “You still haven’t had any water.”

“I had a little!” he protests.

She eyes the nearly-full bottle skeptically. “Have some more. Here, take your pill.”

“I told you I don’t want anything,” he says.

“Not for the flu. Take your pill,” she repeats, and he takes the Lexapro and tosses it back with a sip of water. He’s desperately thirsty, it turns out, but his throat is raw. “Good job,” she says. “Now soup.”

He sighs and takes the bowl she offers, bringing a shaky spoonful to his lips. Despite the flavors being muted by congestion, the matzoh ball soup is as warm and soothing as it always. “Thanks,” he says reluctantly. “It’s good.”

“Of course it is. Jewish penicillin is good for everything.” She watches him eat a few more mouthfuls, then stop to cough and wipe his eyes. “You poor thing. What am I going to do with you?”

He rolls his eyes and keeps eating, slowly in case his stomach decides to rebel, too.

Undeterred by his lack of response, she continues, “What were you even thinking? Look at you, you can barely sit up. It’s raining, were you trying to get pneumonia?”

He scowls at her, not in the mood for a lecture. “No.”

“What was so important about going out tonight? What did you have planned?”

She’s giving him her lawyer-mom cross-examining gaze. It drives him nuts.

“What, did you think I was trying to go out partying or something?”

“Were you?” she demands.

“No!” he says, his voice cracking. He swipes his wrist across his eyes angrily.

“Okay, okay, that’s not what I thought, anyway,” she says, the deposition demeanor dropped in an instant as she puts a palm on his cheek, her fingers combing through his hair. “I just don’t get why you were trying so hard to go out in this condition. You were that desperate to defend your honor at that Invaders of Catan game?”

“It’s Settlers of Catan!” he shoots back. “And no, I don’t know, I just wanted to see – everyone.”

She sits down on the edge of the bed, and he moves over and lets her settle down beside him, her arm around his shoulder. “Everyone, huh?”

“Fine. Maybe especially Carlos.”

“Ah, the truth comes out,” she says, pulling him close and kissing his hair. “He did look very nice tonight, didn’t he? Turquoise is a good color on him, don’t you think?”

“Ew,” he groans.

“Oh, you don’t think it looked nice on him?” she says innocently.

“You’re being so mean to me, I’m sick,” he complains.

“You poor thing.” It sounds decidedly more sarcastic than it had the first time she said it. “So does he usually dress that nicely for game night, or did the two of you have plans?”

There’s no use trying to hold back, she’s going to get it out of him sooner or later. She’s like Buttercup with a snuffle mat when she wants information from him.

“We were just going to get food first,” he admits. “I don’t know. It seemed like. Kind of a date.”

No pressure tags

@rmd-writes @sassy-coweyes @thisbuildinghasfeelings @bonheur-cafe @liminalmemories21 @strandnreyes

@everlastingday

@reyesstrand @sunshineacd @theghostofashton @ironheartwriter @emsprovisions

@carlos-in-glasses @heartstringsduet @actuallylemon

@my-beloved-lakes

@firstprince-history-huh

@ladytessa74 @butchreyes @decafdino @never-blooms

@no-goodbyes-no-regrets @freneticfloetry @herefortarlos

@alrightbuckaroo @tellmegoodbye @chicgeekgirl89 @lightningboltreader

@paperstorm

@pimento-playing-hopscotch @goodways @literateowl @carlos-tk @welcometololaland @henrygrass @annoyingcloudearthquake

@futures-tense @laelipoo @toomanycupsoftea

[hugsohugs]

can't stop thinking abt this image. he smelled an icky smell and it was soscary

[carlos-in-glasses]

Good morning everyone! I'm excited to have something new to share this week! This is a moment from a fic coming soon! In which Jonah might have got a little confused between styles of dancing:

“I’m a Texas Ranger,” Carlos explained, at which the man smiled, impressed. Older men like this cowboy are always very impressed when they learn what Jonah’s papa does, Jonah has noticed. They kind of go all swoony. It’s funny.

“Are you going to be a Texas Ranger like your daddy one day, young fella?” the man asked.

“Um. No…” Jonah replied pensively. “I’m going to be a tap dancer like my other papa.”

This was news to TK and Carlos, who looked down at Jonah with surprise. Never had Jonah expressed any interest nor knowledge in the subject of tap dancing. Neither had TK.

Without wanting to embarrass Jonah, they played along. TK found himself telling the man that he was forced to retire early from his tap dancing career due to a tendon injury.

“That must have been devastating,” the man said.

“Yes. I was very upset,” TK replied while Carlos refused to make eye-contact.

“A Ranger and a tap dancer.” The man nodded. “How did you two meet?”

“Tap dancing,” Jonah supplied.

The man looked at Carlos.

“I was…undercover,” Carlos said.

Open tag and tags below!:

@thisbuildinghasfeelings @paperstorm @lightningboltreader @goodways

@bonheur-cafe @reyesstrand @alrightbuckaroo @welcometololaland

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @actuallylemon @heartstringsduet

@firstprince-history-huh @chicgeekgirl89 @pimento-playing-hopscotch

@sassy-coweyes @henrygrass @neverthesamebird @aprettygoodteam

@ladyknight1512 @butchreyes @ironheartwriter @carlos-tk

@stardustedlovers @carlossreaders @annoyingcloudearthquake @kiwichaeng

@theghostofashton @the-126-family @afiendishthingynisba @decafdino - If you want to share/haven’t already! No pressure ever! ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

[actuallylemon]

Thank you for the tag @carlos-in-glasses 💕 From the upcoming Chapter 3 of Otherside of the Game 💛

“So,” Marjan says, once they’re sitting at a table by the front window. Pastries are spread out before them. Marjan’s giant cinnamon roll, beignets, three fruit tarts. Two cream-filled puff pastries. For some reason, an entire tuxedo cake. She drops her fork into the center of the cake and takes a bite. Pausing to emit a satisfied hum before continuing her thought. “I found Sofia’s ex.”

“You what?” Paul stutters, the Windows crash error screen practically flashing behind his eyes. 

Critical System Error Located.

The System Needs A Reboot.

“Hold on a minute now, Marj.” His raspberry danish hangs suspended in air, halfway to his mouth. 

“Oh, don’t worry,” she says while she pulls her phone out. “It was easy.”

“That does worry me.” Paul says while TK asks, “How easy?”

“Well. I found her from Sofia’s page. She didn’t tag her but I did a reverse image search. Her account was private but I friended her.” 

At Paul’s frown she clarifies with a wave of her hand.

“Not with my own account. TK and I have a burner.”

"You guys–" Paul groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. “You guys have a burner Instagram?”

“Yeah, man, a finsta,” TK says earnestly.

“No.” Marjan shakes her head. “I told you. This is not that.”

“Do I want to know your burner name?”

“It’s Mark Strawani,” TK says with a self-satisfied smirk.

“What. Is that?”

“It’s our names combined!”

“Y’all are ridiculous.” 

“Anyway."

Tagging: @carlos-in-glasses @ladyknight1512 @aprettygoodteam @heartstringsduet @stardustedlovers @carlossreaders @alrightbuckaroo @henrygrass @everlastingday @annoyingcloudearthquake @neversleepuntilfive @ssealie @chicgeekgirl89 @whatmaydraws @afiendishthingynisba @angelusfangs @lonestardust @thisbuildinghasfeelings @freneticfloetry @firstprince-history-huh @my-beloved-lakes @welcometololaland @bonheur-cafe @basilsunrise @iboatedhere @hereghostslive @laelipoo @literateowl @the-126-family @sassy-coweyes @shipperofsapphics @lightningboltreader @liminalmemories21 @herefortarlos @tinyluminaryzombie @kiwichaeng @guardian-angle22 @rmd-writes @reyesstrand @decafdino @futures-tense @orchidscript @angstycarlos @carlos-tk and OPEN TAG 🏷️

[youcanstillwhistle]

I think the "pre" and "post" parts in "preposterous" should cancel each other out but everyone else seems to find my idea completely erous

[matineaux-deactivated20260222]

kind of weird how parts of your soul are left in various locations without any warning… like yes i’m always at the top of that hill, sitting at the bus stop, in the cool light of the Japanese restaurant, standing at the pier etc etc

[hi-im-ryn]

[consulships]

i do think theres something sad about how largely only the literature that's considered especially good or important is intentionally preserved. i want to read stuff that ancient people thought sucked enormous balls

[literaryreference]

Time to take this post entirely too seriously:

I often wonder if this is why you so commonly see the sentiment that we are in an era of uniquely bad literature, or at least that the fact that most books don't have artistic aspirations and are not aiming to be anything other than mindless entertainment is new. In fact what's new is the idea that everything is worth preserving (and also the internet making it easier to preserve it). The dumb artistically unambitious trash books of the past have survived only sporadically, because people thought of them as literally disposable.

When I was in college I had a professor who was an expert on detective fiction. He had a longstanding beef with the idea that "Murders in the Rue Morgue" was the first detective story. He thought that it seemed way too polished to be inventing a new genre, and also that the whole orangutan business had the vibe of someone subverting preexisting audience expectations and maybe engaging in a bit of stealth parody. With the help of some student volunteers, he went trawling through old magazines and newspapers and found hundreds of detective stories from the early 1800s that just hadn't garnered enough individual attention to be remembered. This was because most of them sucked balls. He created an online archive of them, so you too can read these mostly terrible stories.

[tricky-pockets]

I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on Project Gutenberg sifting through forgotten old fiction and lemme tell ya. a lot of that stuff sucks ass.

[cringecorp]

so. i do this thing where i wake up still half-asleep, write a note in my phone, and then fall back asleep and forget about it completely until i find the note later.

and i need to show you all some of these because ?????

[t00thpasteface]

me before i get my paycheck: i'm so excited to spend this on essentials and save the rest wisely

me as soon as that direct deposit hits: you know i've always wanted to learn the theremin

[pisshandkerchief]

everyone's "well-adjusted" and "mentally healthy" until the "sometimes I wish I'd never been born at all" part of Bohemian Rhapsody comes on