Uncanny Fig

If the cure does extend the Doc's life, does Apo still pass with Cherri, or does she stay with the Doc? Or do they all go together?

YAY THANK YOU! I'm really happy I could finish want to stay, it's near and dear to me

felled by you, held by you

stink bug au

Rating: M | Status: WIP 5/? | Scott?/&Abolish (not platonic, not romantic, but a secret third thing)

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, morally ambiguous characters, mature themes

The Cure was a myth. It should have been a myth. Vampirism was eternal. To be embraced, to take the gift and become one with the night, it was irreversible. That was how it was supposed to be. There was always the night, so there would always be vampires.

punch the skull

Ever since Abolish met Cherri, he immediately decided that she should never under any circumstances meet Morcant. The combined conspiring twinkle in their eyes might be enough to push Abolish into an early retirement. 

(The I think is therefore more about how I think it applies from the very start of the series, rather than coming to the conclusion later)

But it occurred to me today that Owen's pre-vampire existence is one he actually would have seen represented in stories, but specifically as a Test.

There is a very old trope of a powerful entity -- often a witch, angel, or god -- disguising themselves as a poor old woman, or a desperate beggar, and knocking on the door of the well-to-do.

If they show the beggar the kindness demanded of them by the rules of Hospitality, then they pass the test and are rewarded. If they fail they are punished, and often severely: their line is cursed, their house falls to ruin, people die.

And it's interesting, isn't it, that of all the people in Oakhurst, it's only Louis that accepted Owen into his home and fed him according to the rules of Hospitality. Everyone else refused him entry, refused him food, kept him far away. Of all the people in Oakhurst, only Louis passed the test. Everyone else failed it.

And so, when the poor, diseased lumberjack revealed himself to be/became something powerful--

Well.

It also makes certain ways he pushes people interesting. He's testing them to see where their breaking points are, yes. I personally think he does it because it makes him feel more in control, more powerful, and lets him protect himself against inevitable mistreatment (if they pass his tests they're safe, if they don't then they were always evil, that sort of thing) and justify his own abuse (they reacted poorly -> my anger and resentment and mistreatment of them is justified)

*rattles at you*

*rattles back, except the mandible falls off*

Send me a 🌹 and I’ll write five sentences of my current project and share a random one with you

Send me a 💀 and I’ll write ten sentences and I’ll share two with you but then you must do the same (tag me or reblog the answered ask).

will accept a mix, up to 30 sentences total per ask

About two hours later I was permanently banned from r/MadeMeSmile for “self-promotion.”

I accepted that different communities have different rules.But then something even stranger happened.Soon afterward, a moderator from r/pics started going through my account. Not just the new post—many of my older painting posts disappeared as well. One after another. Then I was permanently banned there too.

Maybe it was the same moderator. Maybe it wasn’t. I honestly don’t know.

What surprised me wasn’t even the ban itself. It was realizing how much power individual moderators have over what millions of people are allowed to see. One decision can erase years of posts from a community and instantly cut off your ability to participate, even if those posts had been happily sitting there for months or years.I’m not saying moderators shouldn’t have rules. Communities need moderation.But it does make you wonder where the line is between protecting a community and allowing a single interpretation of the rules to completely reshape what people can share.

The funny part?

I wasn’t advertising anything in those posts. I wasn’t posting prices or asking anyone to buy anything. I was simply sharing my original paintings because I enjoy discussing art with strangers from around the world.

Anyway…

Here’s the painting that apparently caused all the trouble. 🎨