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almostxinnocent · 4 years

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“Society wants to believe it can identify evil people, or bad or harmful people, but it's not practical. There are no stereotypes.” ― Ted Bundy Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a huge fan of true crime. Even knowing that, it has taken me a long time to actually write about this, or maybe just fear at re-living it over again has held me back. I figure if I don’t do it now I never will. It would be easier to simply do this as just another story. So here we go. (Part One)When I was fourteen other girls were reading Teen Beat and I was reading True Crime novels about Ken Bernardo, Jeffrey Dahmer and other serial killers no young girl should know about. So when I stumbled across the address to actually write one of them it was no surprise that I jumped on the chance.

For the sake of privacy and my sanity we will call him Mr. E. A lot of people don’t even know about it but there is a place called J-pay where you can write to inmates and see if they respond. I wanted to ensure a response so I included a couple of pictures of myself. I was fifteen and throwing modesty aside, I thought I was pretty attractive. It had been a few weeks since I had sent my first message and I rushed home each day to see if there was a response. It had become a routine for me. I quickly logged into the website and saw that I actually had a response. I had only written one person and immediately I felt like a ten year old on Christmas morning. I clicked to open it and greedily read what was inside.

“I have to say for a young girl you are not only intelligent, but beautiful as well. I would be more than happy to answer your questions but if I am going to be nice to you, you need to be nice to me too. I have a couple questions of my own.”

I read down further, scrunched my face up at some of the more personal questions like “How often do you bath” or “What does your hair smell like before a good wash” . I knew he was highly intelligent, and I was sure he would smell bullshit from a mile away. I can’t say I wasn’t nervous but it was more nervous excitement. I was going to write my reply, but hesitation got the best of me. I turned the computer off and went to drown myself in another book. When I finally did sleep I was thrown into some pretty intense nightmares. I woke up tired from the lack of good sleep I had gotten and rolled over in bed. It wasn’t unusual to remember my dreams, but this time I would rather not have. All night I had dreams of being visited by Mr. E. They seemed so real that I actually decided I would not write back at all.

After a couple nights of not having any nightmares and scolding myself for being a sissy, I gathered enough courage to write back.

“Mr. E,I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see your response, even if you do ask some pretty weird questions. To show you that I will be an honest pen-pal I will answer them but first I want to ask a couple of my own. Do you ever feel sorry for what you did to the family of your victims? I already know how you feel about the girls that you killed. There are so many books written about you! What is it like not being able to be free anymore? What is your day to day like there? Do you get a lot of fan mail? Do you think I am a fan??”

I went down his list and answered all his questions, providing as little detail as possible. It did give me the creeps to think about a real life serial killer who tortured girls to death so close to my age having knowledge of my personal bathing habits and odors. Sometimes knowing someone is locked up isn’t enough, it’s wondering what they do with their time that can be unsettling. We had been writing for about four months before things started to get even more uncomfortable. Mr. E had always given me the answers that I wanted, although I tended to not ask any graphic details about his murders. Then suddenly he started to give me details on his own, some of them that I had never actually read in any of his books. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t more jumpy than usual or that the contents of his letters were not giving me nightmares. The truth was I had been plagued by them, but I just could not stop responding.

I knew if my mother ever found out what I was doing she would probably take away my computer and everything else that provided contact with anyone in the world, and I think that was putting me on edge as well.I wanted to believe that Mr. E trusted me, but I knew his mail was being read. Since the details were just descriptions of his killing rituals and habits I guess it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he was revealing where more bodies were or anything. His personal questions started to became more intrusive too. The minute I started to feel too uncomfortable, or there was a lapse of response, I would get a kinder letter of assurance which motivated me to keep writing. I was playing a game of cat and mouse but was starting to feel I was more the mouse than cat.

Finally, in one of our conversations he asked for my address. He told me that he had a few drawings and poetry he wanted me to have. In this message he especially made it a point to compliment me and thank me for keeping him company. He told me about how most of the writing he received was from distasteful and rude women (I assumed grown-ups) that he would never consider responding to. I have to admit I was flattered and less uncomfortable but looking back I see I was being manipulated. I gave him my address. I figured being locked up forever would prevent anything bad from happening to me. I was safe, so why not? It was only a few days later that a small package arrived, and I ran upstairs before my mother could see what I had. I opened it carefully, and my heart was pounding so loud it seemed like it was coming from across the room. I almost lost my breath to be completely honest. Here I was, a teenager getting mail from a notorious serial killer! Who would believe it!

Inside the package contained two poems, with what looked like dried blood smeared across them. A lock of hair tied with what looked like some kind of frayed rope and three drawings. One of the poems went as follows; “Her lips looked like two berries. I knew I had to touch but my touch was so heavy off her face the lips I plucked I kissed the bloody space where they once used to be a beautiful and gaping hole but then she tried to flee I wrapped her up in ribbons I tied them like a bow Her mouth kept making noises So the hole I had to sew” I am sure you get the picture. In my young mind I wasn’t sure what to think, but I guess I thought it was to be expected. I wondered if there were any rules about what you could send someone so young, but then again I had never mentioned my age. I had only sent photos since you had to be eighteen to use the website. We had made an agreement that when his arrived, I would send my own. That night my nightmares were so intense that I woke sweating and feeling trapped. The next morning I cut off a lock of my own hair, pricked my finger and smeared some blood across it. I can’t explain how or why but Mr. E had some kind of hold on me. At this point you might be wondering what kind of laws they had back then about what you could or could not send into prison. I didn’t realize that we lived in a world with such liberties or restrictions. I was in a state of being embarrassed about my nightmares and thinking I was some hot shot getting details nobody else had gotten. Two more weeks went by and I did not hear from my pen-pal. I was confused and constantly checking my inbox. I wondered if what I sent had gotten him into some kind of trouble, but was more worried my mom might find out if someone from the prison contacted us. Then a week or so later, another box appeared and I once again ran upstairs to open it. I was lucky that the mail was there when I came home from school. I did not want to have to deal with a confrontation with my mom about strange boxes at our front door. I opened the box and was immediately confused. What I saw put goosebumps all over my body, not just my arms. It was almost painful. There was only a letter, and the box was too big for just a letter. That was strange enough. The letter was short itself was short. “I hope you are as excited as I am. It won’t be long now.” The more I thought about it, the less scared I was. I was actually angry. I felt like I had been betrayed. Then I realized how ridiculous that was. Why would I expect honesty from a serial killer? I bet this was his new way of getting his kicks now that he was locked up. I went to my computer and was ready to write a bunch of insults but when I got to the web page it would not load. That happened a lot, so I decided to just cut my losses and move on. I was embarrassed that I had been such an easy target, so even weeks later I never told my friends and obviously not my mother.One night I was out with my best friend and we went to our favorite spot, the playground. Yeah, I know. Juvenile, but it was the best place at night because it was private and nobody bothered you. After the usual talk about boys at school, and general gossip we decided it was time to head home. My mother was almost always gone on the weekends, and it happened to be the weekend my little brother and sister weren’t at home with me either. I tried to convince Lilly to spend the night but she said her dad would freak out since she basically spent every weekend at my house anyways. This meant flicking through television channels until I got frustrated enough to read a book and then go to sleep.My walk back home was short but it seemed like the perfect time for my mind to start thinking about Mr. E. It bothered me that I was so foolish and even though I knew I had nothing to be scared of I still felt a little jumpy when I was turning the corner onto my street. I finally got home and shut and locked the door and let out a deep sigh. It felt like I had been holding my breath. I had to laugh at myself as I walked upstairs to start a boring routine of spending a Saturday night alone. My little yorkie Koby was running around my legs wagging his stub tail excitedly. I picked him up and opened my bedroom door. “Hello pal, I told you it wouldn’t be much longer.” I felt dizzy and nauseous at the same time but I could not move. It felt like the entire room tilted. I stood there trying to process what was happening. He made no attempt to move from the bed. He was holding one of my stuffed animals in his hands. I kept telling myself this wasn’t real, it was another dream. This wasn’t him. This was not happening. This wasn’t him. The voice inside my head became more frantic and I put my hands on both my ears. I felt like I was losing my mind because there could not possibly be a man sitting on my bed, holding my stuffed animal. “Don’t be upset, I know I’m not who you are looking for but I promise I can give you much more than some man stuck in a cell could anyway. We have so much to talk about. I knew you were the one when you sent that hair back to me. I said to myself, here is a girl who isn’t afraid to do things out of the ordinary.” His voice was vibrating though me. I knew my only way to get out of this would be to either do what he said, or make him think I would. At the same time that thought was going through my head I also realized there was no way I was going to talk my way out of this. This wasn’t Mr. E, and this wasn’t a nightmare. I could tell this man was very tall from the height of him simply sitting there. His black hair was straight. He looked ordinary. He didn’t look like a monster at all. “How?....” I barely said the words as if speaking too loud might cause him to do something. “Well, I could insult your intelligence for not making sure the website you were using was actually the real website, but most of you young ones usually don’t bother. Let’s just say you were never writing to who you thought you were and start fresh.” All the terrible details from his letter came back to me. The way he stalked the girls, kidnapped them and then held for days while they were tortured. Like dolls, he played with them until they were no longer breathing.

“I thought I could trust you.” I whispered, still frozen in my place. I could attempt to run but he would just catch me on the stairs as I tried to go down. There wasn’t any feasible way to get away.

“Oh you can trust me. I never lied to you did I? Now come over here and sit on my lap and I will tell you all the fun things we will do together. I know you like the park, did you want to go back and swing on the swings again? You looked so fresh with your skirt flying up your legs.”

I shook my head and back into my doorway which was at the exact moment that he lunged at me. The fact that he had been watching me made me feel violated enough. I didn’t even bother to take time to think about how long he had been watching me but now assumed it was from the moment I sent him my actual address.

I let out a startled yelp as we both landed on the ground. He was quick and before I knew it he had my arms over my head was straddling me. He leaned down for a kiss but I kept twisting my head back and forth with tears streaming down my face. “Please don’t let him kiss me, please.” I begged God inside my mind to make it go away.

The next thing I knew he slapped me so hard across my face that I was seeing everything in two’s with blurred lines. I was no longer frantically twisting, but slowly going back and forth, still reeling from the hand that had rocked me. I was so dazed I could barely feel his mouth drooling on mine until he sharply bit down on my lip. It was so hard I came out of my daze screaming as loudly as I could before he clamped his hand over my lips and shook his head.

“There will be plenty of time for that.”

#serial killers #writing #short stories #horror #scary #true crime #true crime stories #goosebumps #stalkers #teenage #nightmare #nightmares #jeffrey dahmer #ted bundy #paul bernardo #kidnapping #scary stories #horror stories

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masquerade-story · 3 years

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Chapter 5 - Commencing Plan

"Earth has magic too. Alchemy and enchantments. Chemistry and technology. Same things, different names." Crystal spoke slowly as she examined the cloth material in her hands, checking for tears or weak points in the weave.

Grey pumped his fist, a triumphant look on his face. "I knew it! No way that backflipping robot was natural science."

"Science is the study of the world around you. It doesn't cancel out the existence of magic, it just helps to understand its rules better."

"Listen here, little miss know-it-all."

"I don't know it all, just more than you."

"Hey!"

Crystal grinned, finishing her examination without sparing an extra glance for the outraged Grey stomping his foot at her side.

"That's a low bar some days," Rayne said with an exaggerated sigh, then promptly ducked as Grey chucked a pillow at her face.

"Lils!" Grey whined, draping dramatically over his sister's lap, interrupting her own costume examination. "They're bullying me!"

"The truth hurts sometimes dearest," Lillian muttered, much to her twin's dismay. He recoiled away as though she'd flung him, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead in distress.

"Betrayal! Mine own blood doth betray!"

"My point," Crystal continued, using a needle and thread to tighten up a bit of beaded tape on a hem that came loose. "Was that when I said magic exists on this world, I mean I don't know what form this world's magic is going to take, so we should be careful until we understand more. It may be familiar, like chemistry and technology, or it could be something more fantastical, like what that Eater pulled on us. Until we know the rules, we shouldn't be reckless."

"What if being reckless is part of the rules?"

"Then we'll find out soon enough and adjust our course of action."

"I hate that you have an answer for everything."

"Then stop asking questions."

Crystal and Grey stuck out their tongues at each other while Lillian giggled, and Rayne shook her head at the foolishness of it all. "Children, please."

"You're the youngest one here!"

"Hard to tell by looking, huh?" Rayne shrugged. She wasn't nearly as useful with sewing, so she'd taken to tying on little chimes and ribbons to decorate her bodhrán since her large acoustic kit was much too large and bulky for their purposes. The small frame drum, just a bit over a foot in diameter and only four inches deep, was much easier to carry and play.

When they brought their main instruments for the music video, they brought along a few supplementary instruments to use for the mixing as well. Actual recording was going to happen in a proper studio, but sometimes having them around and playing them when practicing could spark more natural inspiration than trying to force it during a recording session.

So in addition to Crystal's small harp, Grey's bouzouki, Lillian's electric keyboard and Rayne's acoustic drum kit, they also brought along macho bongos, a bodhrán, a tambourine, a fiddle, a bombard, an ocarina, a zither, enough bell bangles for the four of them, and a kalimba which Lillian was unnaturally proficient with. None of the instruments were particularly large, so it was easy to fit them in alongside everything else in the hand cart. Especially the kalimba - a hand-sized wooden board with attached staggered metal tines, which made an ethereally charming resonating sound when played despite its minuscule size.

"Rayne's got her drum, I'm taking my bouzouki, Lils is bringing..."

"Kalimba."

"Right, right. Coco, which instrument are you grabbing?"

Crystal snipped the thread with her teeth after tying a tight knot. "Since Lils is bringing the kalimba, I'll go with the fiddle."

"Ooh, are we gonna do a jig?"

"Maybe. We have to see what the climate's like in town."

"Climate is cold, Coco. There's snow."

"Emotional climate, Goofus! If something terrible happened recently, if there's an illness going around or a famine or what have you, it'd be inappropriate to run in with a nice cheerful Stick Across the Hob."

"Ah, Morrison's Jig. A classic."

"We can play it if people are friendly to us. Who knows, maybe they hate folk music. There was a time in our own history where the only socially appropriate music was religious hymns, you know."

"Gross."

"Right? So again, we just have to be careful."

"And then once they like us we can do fun songs, right?"

"Maybe slow tempo drinking songs or instrumental sea shanties to uh, test the waters."

"Har de har. Lyrics?"

"I really, really, extremely thoroughly and tragically doubt they'll speak English or any of the other languages we can sing in, and they might be alarmed by foreign languages. Classic orchestral music might be our best bet, honestly."

A potentially insurmountable language barrier was part of the reason their little group hemmed and hawed about heading to town. On the one hand they definitely needed more information about the world, but on the other hand, walking in without any knowledge or method of communication was a terrifying prospect.

So they did what they all did best, and procrastinated productively. The costumes were a good start, but they weren't sturdy enough to withstand frigid winter winds since the things were entirely cosmetic. Lillian proposed they somehow create thicker linings for their clothes, and Grey suggested they make use of the house's ability to restore items in order to do just that. But for that to work, they'd have to understand how it worked.

That night they waited with bated breath after destroying a single pillow, shredding it to bits as a sacrifice to the experimental gods of magic science. As soon as midnight ticked over on the household clocks, a new pillow appeared in its original place on its appropriate bed, and the shredded remains of the sacrificed pillow were still laying sad and limp on the floor.

"Infinite pillow glitch," Grey had whispered with delight, setting the other three to helpless giggling at his dumb joke.

The next day was spent ruining disposable objects around the house to various degrees and moving them around in order to determine the magic house's threshold of accounting damage and item 'respawning' limits. Some items were completely replaced, some were merely repaired, items from outside the property didn't count, and everything else had different thresholds for what counted as damage and what didn't.

While everyone was running around wrecking their house and generally having a good time doing magic science, Crystal put an empty jar outside of the fence to sit overnight. After the reset that night, it was fully replaced complete with its original contents, while the original empty jar remained outside of the property wedged into the snow.

Crystal smiled to herself with this new discovery, and put several small jars of preserves outside the fence in one of the small wooden crates she found in the cellar, covered with a thick towel to help insulate the glass.

"What were you getting up to?" Grey asked, as she stomped back into the house rubbing her arms to fight off the winter chill.

"Wishing we had warmer clothes," Crystal sighed, the mischievous glint in her eyes telling Grey he wouldn't get any answers yet. "Or at least pajamas with sleeves."

"Plotting something sinister?"

"Maybe."

"Rock on. Lemme know if I can help."

"Of course."

With their new knowledge regarding item respawn rules, they set about tearing more pillows and sheets into raw materials for upgrading their silly stage costumes into something functional, and copied the costumes into several spare sets for each of them just in case.

The costumes were inspired by fantasy medieval fashion and Renaissance faire finery, all four virtually identical in styling. Surcoats with silver bead tape and embroidery, high collar tunics with voluminous bishop sleeves, canvas cloaks with deep hoods, leather bracers, leather boots, leather belts with ring clasps, assorted leather bags, gloves, and leggings. Aside from the white tunic, everything was black with silver embellishments such as bead tape and braided fabric trims, or embroidery that shimmered in the light. The cloaks also sported little silver jingling bells attached along the hem, matching decorative bells on the boots and bags.

Most importantly, each of them had a unique Venetian masquerade mask with an attached beaded black face veil. The intricate, ornate masks had little bells dangling from loops on the sides, and were decorated with gemstone accents around and above the eyes; each member of Aos Sí Echtrae used a different gemstone for their stage name to capitalize on all the 'Fairy Rock' jokes they could make.

Plus, Crystal was already named after a shiny rock, so it was convenient all around.

"How are we gonna make these clothes warmer?" Grey asked, holding up his surcoat and raising an eyebrow in Lillian's direction.

"Quilting." Lillian said, gesturing with her hands to try and pantomime what she meant. "Gonna create pocket insulation layers using sheets, fill them with cotton and feather down and foam and whatever else we have to use. Then sew the pocket insulation layer in the middle of the original costume layer and an inner lining, to make the clothes warm without sacrificing their aesthetic!"

"The cloaks too?"

"The cloaks especially. They're already a strong sturdy material and have been water sealed, insulating them will basically turn them into actual quilts to shield us from the wind. In fact, I'll probably use cloak copies to make waterproof pants, since insulating leggings is a bit hard thanks to their thin material..."

"Too bad we can't make better boots too," Crystal sighed, glancing out the window. It hadn't stopped snowing since they arrived, and though most of the layers didn't completely stick, there was still a foot of snow outside they'd have to slog through to reach town. If the weather continued, they would have to put off the visit until some of that snow melted off.

"I'll break the path for you guys," Rayne said, flexing a powerful bicep. "No worries. We should still wait until it stops snowing, though. Walking through bad weather always sucks, even more so if it's over a big distance."

"Remembering high school?"

"God, that hill was brutal."

"Hey, everyone gets to help out with this!" Lillian said, pointing at the other three who were subtly edging toward the door during their conversation.

"I can't sew," Rayne quickly protested, and Lillian held up a finger to shush her.

"The lining doesn't have to be sewn pretty, the stitches just have to be strong. We need to make several copies of the belts, I want to repurpose them into something else... And I wanna keep an original copy of the costumes as well as have several sets of each so this is gonna take a few days worth of resetting to complete. Oh! Rayne, you can find big branches to make into walking sticks, the ground will be uneven under the snow and we don't wanna trip."

"Yes ma'am..."

Under Lillian's watchful eye, everyone got to work on different tasks in order to prepare for their first visit to another world's town, feeling a combination of trepidation and excitement in their hearts.

------

"Hey guys? There's uh. There's something weird." Rayne's voice echoed down the hall, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps as she hurried toward the living room where the others were gathered around the finished costumes and enjoying the last of their breakfast.

"What in the... Is that... Is that a telescope?!" Grey asked incredulously as Rayne rounded the corner with something large and heavy in her arms.

"I was checking out the study and found it in one of the cabinets. So, the study has that windowed alcove bit that sticks out from the side of the house, right?"

"Yeah, like a breakfast nook but for books. Book nook!" Grey grinned, switching his attention from the costumes to the big brass telescope that Rayne was hurriedly setting up in front of the largest living room window. "This thing is ancient! There's no way this isn't some priceless antique or something!"

"Yes yes it's very cool and belonged to a former trade ship navigator about a hundred years ago don't ask how I know that I'm not sure either I understand why this weirds Coco out now, but that's not important!" Rayne wheezed, peering through the eyepiece and adjusting the focus before stepping away. "Look at the town."

Grey peeked through first, too excited about the telescope itself to wait much longer. He stared in silence for a good long moment, then frowned and stepped away to give Lillian room. "That's... You're right, that is weird. But I can't quite put my finger on why... I mean, aside from the architecture itself? But something else is bugging me..."

"It's hard to see detail from here even with the telescope, but I think some of them had glowing symbols decorating them?" Lillian said with a shrug after she had her turn. "They're pretty, and unusual for sure. Either magic or electricity, but I hope it's magic. That'd be cool!"

Crystal took her turn last, automatically touching her face to lift up the glasses that she no longer had to wear. She gave a soft laugh at finding her face naked, shook her head, and peered through the eyepiece.

The buildings were indeed strangely pretty, smooth white or silver constructs with colorful glass roofs, in sleek appealing shapes that more suited a science fiction setting rather than fantasy. Some had glowing symbols etched under arched windows or in rows along walls, but the light was dim and flickering, and it was impossible to tell from afar what shape the symbols had.

"The town has a uniform layout," Crystal said quietly, furrowing her brow. "It's a planned city. Wide roads on a grid, a perfectly arched wall surrounding the whole thing except where the harbor is. The tallest building is in the middle, might be a palace or castle? But... There's no people."

"Wait, what?!" Lillian exclaimed while Grey snapped his fingers in realization.

"That's it! Even though it's winter, there'd still be people moving around and working and stuff, right? But those roads are totally empty! No cars or wagons or pedestrians or nothing."

Crystal swung the telescope around, peering into the empty harbor, then past that toward the horizon where puffy white sails broke the barrier between sea and sky. "Ah, the ships... The city is really sleek and almost futuristic, but those ships are..."

Grey nudged Crystal aside to steal the eyepiece again, bouncing his leg with excitement. "Yo! Those are some real nice maritime vessels, my friends! Four-masted wooden masterpieces, and is that mizzenmast lateen-rigged? Squared raised stern, that's a nice prominent booty on those ships for sure. Those big boys are either carracks or galleons, or whatever they're called in this world. Whew, they're real beauties!"

"Was it an evacuation?" Lillian asked, concern coloring her voice, but Grey shook his head.

"Doubt it. The sails are torn and mended all over the place, and I think I see minor hull damage on the ones up close, but those lads are definitely pointed toward the town, and resting in a recognizable formation at that. They've been through a long journey to get here specifically, I think. In fact..." Grey swung the telescope, adjusting the focus as he went, searching to and fro until he spotted what he was looking for.

"They were further away when we first got here," Rayne said, holding up her fingers in a little pinching gesture. "The sails were like, this big on the horizon."

Grey nodded, then exclaimed aloud. "Aha! Found a pinnace! I dunno why it took them so long to approach, but they're moored in the deeps now, not sheltering in the harbor. And there, by the town wall! There's a little camp. Looks like... Ten people? They used a small pinnace boat to approach so it's probably a landing party scouting the area to see if it's safe to approach."

"I didn't see people! Let me see!" Rayne bumped Grey aside with her hip, stealing the telescope back. "There they are! Oh, they're still unloading the boat."

"It was still snowing pretty hard until like, today. They probably only just sent the team out." Grey said, and Rayne nodded in agreement.

"Looks like it. Hmm... Their clothes do look a little like our costumes, I think? They're tiny colorful blurs, but I think I see a couple people in cloaks, and possibly armor? Using our costumes is probably the best idea after all."

"But now things have gotten a bit more complicated," Crystal muttered, drumming her fingers on her bottom lip as thoughts tumbled around in her mind. "There's no permanent settlement yet. For some reason that city is empty, and we don't know why. The city looks more advanced than anything the people in wooden ships would be capable of making, no matter how nice the ships are, so they probably aren't the same civilization. If they have that many ships, are they colonizers? Are there natives to this land we need to worry about? How would they see us if we, as strangers who don't even speak their language, suddenly walked up while they're trying to settle an apparently empty foreign city?"

Grey and Lillian exchanged glances, while Rayne turned from the telescope and placed a hand on her hip. "Coco. Relax."

"How can I relax? If they're not friendly we're probably boned! They'll definitely come explore the forest for resources and they'll find us and-"

"Crystal!"

Crystal flinched as Rayne grabbed her by the shoulders and gave a gentle shake, bringing her back to her senses. She hadn't even realized she'd hunched over and started scratching at the delicate pale flesh of her arms, bright red tracks screaming their distress under her fingernails. She shivered, forcing her clawed hands to relax, and took a deep breath. "Ah... S-sorry, I... I just..."

"Does it feel dangerous?" Lillian asked, her voice calming Crystal's nerves with its serenity.

She thought a moment, then pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No. It doesn't feel dangerous. I'm just... Worried, I think. Anxious. There's so many unknowns..."

"If they're gonna find us anyway, let's go to them on our own terms," Grey said, giving Crystal's face a gentle tap with his knuckles. "Right? We readied the costumes anyway, and Rayne whittled us some fine walking sticks."

"I even polished them."

"See? She polished them, Coco."

"There was wood lacquer in the maintenance closet."

"Wood lacquer, Coco!"

"Alright, alright!" Crystal threw up her hands in defeat, struggling in vain to hide the growing smile on her face. "You win. Let's get dressed and go make first contact."

"The masks are mandatory!" Grey said, grabbing his off the living room table. "If we're gonna be a minstrel group we gotta look the part!"

"I finished the slings for your instruments, so you can carry the cases on your back under the cloaks. Should make it less of a strain to lug them through the snow." Lillian looked proud as she showed off the repurposed leather belts, carefully measured to fit each of them and evenly distribute the weight of the heavy cases across their torsos. "My kalimba is small enough to fit in a bag so I felt like this is the least I could do to help."

"You're so great Lils," Grey sighed, giving his twin a grateful hug.

"I'll go get the sticks," Rayne said, running upstairs.

Meanwhile, Crystal rolled her eyes and heaved a despondent sigh. "Man... I have to wear actual clothes again..."

"It's too cold to be a nudist, Coco."

"I'm not a nudist, I'm just texture sensitive!"

"You'd be a nudist if it was socially acceptable."

"Eh... Debatable. I'm kinda lumpy."

"No you're just soft and huggable."

"Which makes me lumpy. Oh well, at least the costume materials feel nice." Crystal sighed once more, grabbing her outfit off the living room table. "Alright, everyone turn off their vision for a second."

"We have all seen you naked, Crystal."

"We all took turns washing your back when you went through physical therapy, Crystal."

"Also this is the living room."

"Nudist."

"Exhibitionist."

"Can't hear you guys I'm already naked!" Crystal stuck out her tongue as, contrary to her statement, she headed down the hallway toward the bathroom in order to change in privacy.

"Who's naked?" Rayne called down the stairs, accompanied by the thumping sound of four walking sticks repeatedly hitting the banister as she descended.

"Everyone except you!" Grey called back, his voice muffled as he pulled the blouse over his head.

"I had to get the sticks, no one told me we were having a nudey party!"

"Nudey parties are better fun with guests that aren't basically your relatives," Lillian grumbled, and Rayne nodded as she dumped the walking sticks on the nearest sofa.

"Eh, true. No offense, you guys are our unofficial adopted siblings."

"No no, it's mutual. You both are our sisters, seeing you lot naked does not rustle my jimmies in the slightest."

"Completely unrustled?"

"Not even a jostle."

"Damn."

"Wait, why are we unofficially adopted? There's no birth records in this world for us. We can just be siblings and no one will ever be able to prove otherwise."

"Shit, you're right! Okay, you're all adopted by me now. You can call me Mama."

"Like hell we will, you're the youngest!"

"Respect your elders, young man!"

Crystal laughed to herself as their voices echoed faintly through the closed bathroom door, then focused on getting dressed. Her costume was modified further thanks to a personal request she'd made, adding a long black wrap skirt that went to her ankles to be worn over the leggings. She also added a silver sash around the waist and under the belt, made using one of the spare bedsheets.

She didn't mind pants so long as the material was nice, but she preferred the swish of long skirts and dresses because it felt more fun, and if she had to wear clothes anyway they might as well be layered and interesting. Just so long as the inner layer actually touching her body was a nice comfortable fabric!

Lillian made the skirt match the rest of the outfit using bead tape and braided fabric, and liked the resulting skirt so much she added a shorter skirt and some frilly modifications to her own outfit. Then Grey wanted some fancy embellishments and dangling cloth bits to look more dramatic, so in the end only Rayne kept the original design.

"We look amazing," Grey said with a delighted sigh as everyone gathered together in the living room once more to don their masks.

"Are the masks really necessary?" Lillian mumbled as she tugged on the gossamer veil, causing the beaded decorations woven into the fine material to jingle and shimmer. "I mean... What if not being able to see our faces scares them, or makes them suspicious?"

"Then we can take them off?" Grey said with a shrug, slinging the shoulder strap of his instrument case over his arm before settling his cloak. "But I think it adds to our mystique as wandering minstrels, and we look fantastic rather than threatening. Plus, they're the ones landing near our house, right? We're the ones living here. For all they could know, it's culturally inappropriate to walk around with naked faces!"

"We'll have to get pretty close to know for sure," Crystal said. After a moment's thought, she took out her hairclip and left it on the coffee table, allowing her long blonde hair to tumble free in the brief moment before she put up her hood. She'd spent enough time in cold climates to know long hair was best left protecting one's neck from cold air. "We'll watch their body language as we approach. If they seem hostile, we'll back off. In the meantime, we should bring some food. It's a long hike."

Everyone agreed, filing into the kitchen to pack snacks and sandwiches into their bags. Crystal tucked a few jars of preserves into hers, bringing only those and a couple sandwiches instead of cramming the space with small packs of miniature cookies and potato chips like everyone else. Her choice of foodstuff went unnoticed, since everyone else was busy playing Tetris trying to fit their chosen assortment of snacks into relatively small bags.

Once everyone felt prepared enough for their journey, they took a moment to brace themselves, each grabbing a homemade walking stick, then stepped out of the house into the snow.

#writing #chapter #original #original story #masquerade #fantasy #isekai

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ranier-layarte · 5 years

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LONG Character Survey: Ranier Leveilleur

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Ranier Kyran Layarte Leveilleur

NICKNAME: Ran, Raven

AGE: 21-25 (depending on expac)

BIRTHDAY: 1st Sun of the 2nd astral moon

ETHNIC GROUP: Au ra (Xaela)

NATIONALITY: Eorzean – From Ul'dah

LANGUAGE(S): Eorzean,

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: No

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Isn't this the same as the above?

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Married

CLASS: Weapon Master

• Proficient in almost all martial weapons.

• Tends to carry multiple weapons at all times.

• Prefers Axes out of all the bladed weaponry

HOMETOWN / AREA: Ul'dah

CURRENT HOMETOWN/ AREA: Shirogane Mansion

PROFESSION(S): WoL, Scion, Machinist, Businessman, Crafter

PHYSICAL: Extremely fit, exercises daily. Muscular build

HAIR: Black/Dark Blue

EYES: Crimson

NOSE: Average, straight, roman-esque

FACE: Straight essentially a greek nose. (At least if I had to try and describe it)

LIPS: A bit on the thinner side, very lightly pink.

COMPLEXION: A mix of Fair and Medium?

BLEMISHES: None

SCARS: Scar on left thigh from stab wound, Scar on left midsection, and upper right thigh.

TATTOOS: WoL tattoo on the palm of his right hand. (Working on giving him another)

HEIGHT: 7'4

WEIGHT: 330 LBS/ 150kg

BUILD: Tall, Muscular, Fit,

FEATURES: None

ALLERGIES: None, at least not yet.

USUAL HAIRSTYLE: Long hair parted in the middle framing the face. Pulled into a ponytail and held with a silver bead big enough for the tail.

USUAL FACE LOOK: Around 40% expressionless, 30% Scowling, 20% Reflective, 10% happy.

USUAL CLOTHING: Higher end clothing generally a mix of casual with formal preferring long pants and a short sleeved shirt. Boots of some kind and armor of some kind at all times. Either under or over the clothes having a preference for the bulkier armors.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR(S): Dying and thereby becoming unable to prevent future deaths and incidents. A fear of the unknown. (Which is part of why he tries to prepare for so many things)

ASPIRATION(S): Being able to amass enough wealth to live comfortably and to continue making the lives of the less fortunate easier. Helping create a better society for all.

POSITIVE TRAITS: Empathetic, Compassionate, Humanitarian, Perseverance, Fairness, Courageous, Loving, Self discipline, Reliable, Thoughtful, Patient

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Bossy, Jealous, Secretive, Grumpy, Harsh, Aloof, Stubborn, Cruel (Only to enemies but that doesn't really matter to people does it?) Arrogant (In some things though less now)

ZODIAC: Pisces

TEMPERAMENT: Mix of choleric and melancholic.

SOUL TYPE(S): King, Warrior, Server (In that order)

ANIMALS: Raven, Bear

VICE HABIT(S): Training, Fixing machines, Drinking, Rubbing Chin,

FAITH: The Twelve (Loosely)

GHOSTS?: I mean if you've seen them you can't deny them.

AFTERLIFE?: With everything we see there has to be right?

REINCARNATION?: Yes, it's clear there is.

ALIENS?: Yes.

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Leftist

ECONOMIC PREFERENCE: Prosperous, everyone has what they need. Along with the means to go beyond that if they are willing and able.

SOCIO POLITICAL POSITION: I think there’s enough to go on.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Higher end of the spectrum, attended sharlayan schooling for a few years of his life. (Around three) Was home taught and by other teachers. Extensive knowledge in numerous subjects such as Machinery, Technology, Gunsmithing, Gemology, Business. Holding the equivalent of a mixture of Graduate or Masters in the subjects.

FAMILY.

FATHER: Kyran Layarte

MOTHER: Sahar Layarte

SIBLINGS: Kyari Layarte

EXTENDED FAMILY:

NAME MEANING(S): Ranier (Rainier with out the first I Meaning Wise army apparently)Kyran (Beam of Light) Sahar (Early morning or Dawn) Kyari (???)

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: My families connection to history? My connection? My father was one of the survivors of the hotgo tribe also. Does fighting in the Calamity among all the other events count?

FAVORITES.

BOOK: Whatever has his current interest, it can very.

MOVIE PLAY: Does this mean Movie or Play?

5 SONGS:

• “Shock me” Baroness

• “Up In The Air” Thirty Seconds To Mars

• “Rise” League of Legends, Glitch Mob, The Word Alive

• “Unbreakable” Of Mice and Men

• “Drown” Bring Me The Horizon

DEITY: Halone

HOLIDAY: Valentione's day

MONTH: March

SEASON: Fall

PLACE: Beside his wife or workshop.

WEATHER: Light rain

SOUND: The turning of pages, the sound of rain, metal moving against each other.

SCENT(S): Smoke, Metal, Old books, and sweat

TASTE(S): Dulcet, Spicy,

FEEL(S): Rocks, Silk, Smooth metals,

ANIMAL(S): This was listed before.

NUMBER: 1? I don't know.

COLORS: Black, Blue, Red, Gold, Silver

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Metalworking, Singing, Sewing, Gem Cutting, Technology, Smithing, Machinery, Dexterous.

BAD AT: Getting rest even now, Not over exerting himself, Not overthinking potential scenarios that may never happen. Dealing with almost all animals, Even now sometimes talking about what bothers him too well, but he’s gotten much better over the years/expansions.

TURN ONS: Caring, Helpful, Courageous, Educated, Aggressive. Listening, Reliable,

TURN OFFS: Selfishness, Boastful, Belligerent, Cruelty, Intolerant, Racism, Weak willed, Careless,

HOBBIES: Creating new things be it machines, armor, clothes, weapons, tools, etc. Working on the same as before. Reading, Exercising, Cooking. Shopping.

TROPES: Pragmatic Hero, Bad ass boast, Big Fancy House, Chekhov's Gun, Determinator, Don't You Dare Pity Me, Genius Bruiser, Heroic Build, It's All My Fault, No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction, Super toughness, Friend to All Children, The Chosen One, The Ace, Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Always Save The Girl, Berserk Button, Death glare, Excuse me while I multi task, Game face, Hypocrite, Lady and Knight, Not So Stoic, Not So Invincible After all, Red Eyes, Take Warning, Stern Teacher, Undying Loyalty, The Power of Love

AESTHETIC TAGS: Workshops, Tools, Kitchens, Weaponry, Guns, Armor, Fine Clothes, Rain, Feathers, Azure Skies, Romance.

VOICE CLAIM(S): Keith Silverstein, (Speaking voice) John Rzeznik (Singing) John Baizley (Singing)

FC INFO.

MAIN FC(S): Free company? Azure Talons.

ALT FC(S): What?

OLDER FC(S): What?

YOUNGER FC(S): What?

GENDERBENT FC(S): What the fuck?

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1: IF YOU COULD WRITE YOUR CHARACTER YOUR WAY IN THEIR OWN MOVIE, WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED, WHAT STYLE WOULD IT BE FILMED IN, AND WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?:

• I genuinely don’t know. Something with the grandeur of lord of the rings maybe? But with the ability to add comedy and romance in the proper way. I'm all for serious movies but I enjoy the ability to add a well executed joke or sweet moment. It also would probably not just be a single film. Taking the general events and using my fics as material would probably be fine.

I’d have to think about it a lot more than I will right now

As for the name, well, I don't really have many options. But, probably something with Final Fantasy XIV as the main title. Give it a JRPG title I suppose as a sub title. Sort of like Warriors Dissonance or Uncovered Stories.

Q2: WHAT WOULD THEIR SOUNDTRACK / SCORE SOUND LIKE?:

• Ambient, switching to full of energy, able to convey emotion. Again mentioning LOTR, the score by Howard shore is really great and able to accompany many scenes in such a fantastic manner. As for the other bits perhaps the addition of artist tracks such as from favorite bands and those songs that have meaning to him. Like the ones listed above.

Q3: WHY DID YOU START WRITING THIS CHARACTER?:

• As a way to work on and show that, a character doesn't just have to be overly reliant on tropes and cliches. That those are good as part of them but not as defining traits of them. Along with breaking some of those. Like how all protagonists always have dead parents, what's up with that? I enjoy seeing characters that try to break their molds and be more than that.

Q4: WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS CHARACTER?:

• My general thing in any game where you can create your own character has always been. To make who you'd want to be in this universe. I did that and then worked on it and reworked things until I got what I have now. So also, yes, he was a self insert.

Q5: DESCRIBE THE BIGGEST THING YOU DISLIKE ABOUT YOUR MUSE:

• Hard one I suppose but. I'd say how he is capable of doing so much. Even though I work with it as it is a key part of him, it's still hard to make him feel right, feel human when he's got these clear incredible strengths. He's very proficient at so many things some would maybe say he's a mary sue type of character. I make an effort to work on how he became that way to offset it. So it's a lot of extra work than if I had him being a more archetypal hero of his type. I may dislike this the most but I also like it. Love hate relationship you know?

Q6: WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN COMMON WITH YOUR MUSE?:

• A good part of our attitudes and personality though on his end they are greater generally. Along with our want to be as best as we can at certain things.

Q7: HOW DOES YOUR MUSE FEEL ABOUT YOU?:

• Honestly, and in my current state. He would probably be very upset with me and to just know me or the hand I have in his creation and self.

Q8: WHAT CHARACTERS DOES YOUR MUSE HAVE INTERESTING INTERACTIONS WITH?

• Alisaie Leveilleur – She is the main one being his main love interest, girlfriend, and wife later. Though overall he sees her as an equal and a partner, which is part of the reason their relationship grows as much as it does. Along with giving someone who he can trust in and rely on, and vice versa.

• Finn Hogveart - Who harasses Ranier often enough especially with his pet and regarding moogles.

• Alphinaud Leveilleur - and him sometimes get along strangely due to Ranier's relationship with his sister. For a long time he tried to spy on Ranier and make sure he was good for his sister even though he knew he was a good person.

• Cid Garlond - Ranier sees him as a mentor of sorts, along with someone that he can bounce ideas off of and work with on projects leading to a solid relationship between the two. The two sometimes bicker regarding their work but it's always just them being passionate for the projects.

• Gerolt Blackthorn – Similar to cid in some ways. Ranier looks up to Gerolt and his ability to continue making such amazing creations. Wanting to learn more regarding the processes means Ranier visits him when possible, bringing some drinks for him when he does. Almost having a relationship like bros. Ranier also sometimes has gone to try and sway Rowena on his behalf to lower his debt.

There are more but I don’t want to make this too much longer.

Q9: WHAT GIVES YOU INSPIRATION TO WRITE YOUR MUSE?

• I do not control the write, also Alisaie.

Q10: HOW LONG DID THIS TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE?:

Uhhhh maybe an hour all together. Over the course of three hours.

==========

Tagged by: @amandafullmetal @lyllyan-weiss

Tagging: @heyafinney @anikisbox and anyone who wants to do it that sees this.

#Ranier Leveilleur #Ranier Layarte #I did the best I could with it with the time i put into it.#I'm not the best at these either Hopefully someone finds new things or interesting #things from it

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nancy-kenyablog · 5 years

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Saga of the shoes

When I packed to come to Kenya, other than a few suggestions from my friend who has been coming here for 10 years, I had no idea what I would actually need. So as usual I brought stuff I don’t need and I didn’t bring stuff that I do need. This is typical for me. That’s how I roll. The ramifications of such a packing style, if you want to call it that, are that I have to buy stuff when I land. In my current situation this is a challenge since I live in the middle of nowhere and the closest settlement is a half hour away down some amazingly treacherous cow paths that I get to navigate from the passenger seat of a tough as nails motorbike driven by a maniac Maasai man with nerves of steel and a superior knowledge of this land he’s lived on his whole life. We make this trip about once a week and so far my back is managing much better than I would have imagined. If I had imagined a thing like this excursion I would never have pictured myself in it. Never. I notice that if I think too hard about all of the possibilities I end up not doing anything so it’s sort of a blind leap into the void that gets me into situations like this.

Anyway….. I packed one pair of good walking shoes and I wore an old pair of ratty garden shoes/crocks. My thinking was the crocks would be easy to get out of and back into at the airport as they still have everybody taking off everything and getting radiated front and back. It is just part of the joy of flying. Those seats in economy class are another of the joys. If you don’t know what I’m talking about either you haven’t flown in awhile or you’re way more financially secure than me. The whole airplane travel thing is horrific. But it got me here so I’ll stop complaining now. About that anyway. I figured the crocs would be my bedroom slippers/knock around shoes. One small problem quickly presented itself. This place is full of little sand spurs and my crocs are so old that the soles are thin in places and those little sandspurs poke through the bottom them and either piss me off or actually make it impossible to walk until I stop and pull them out which isn’t easy and has left little barbs in my fingers on occasion. So it became increasingly clear that I need a new pair of shoes.

On one of our trips to Namilok, the small village where we go to shop I ended up sitting outside as dusk turned to dark with a beautiful young woman named Naomi and her two and a half year old daughter. I was her daughter’s first encounter with a white person and she was an unusually bright and inquisitive child so we had a lively encounter where she learned many English words and we became friends. During this little love fest many villagers came by and stopped to see what this old white lady was doing in this remote village where white folks are obviously just not at all a common occurrence. One of the passersby had a tape measure around her neck. I wouldn’t call myself a seamstress by any stretch but I do like to sew and I recognize a tape measure around the neck as a clear sign of a sister. So I followed her home. She had a small shop with fabric and samples of her work. And she had a whole wall full of cheap knock off shoes.

I picked out a pair of Tevaish ones and when I discovered they were only $10. I knew I had a solution for my poor prickled feet. When Dan, my intrepid driver finished all of our shopping and came back to get me I told him I wanted the shoes. He said we would have to check with Jessica and get them next time as we were on a budget and had already spent all that we came with. I wasn’t thrilled but I’ve gotten accustomed to waiting and things not going exactly my way here. It’s sort of how it is and part of the reason I decided to make this journey. I’m basically spoiled rotten and this is like a crash course in service above indulgence. I have to remind myself regularly that there is a reason for this and that I am being well served by serving. My fervent hope is that I will be far less of a spoiled brat at journey’s end. Hope springs eternal.

That was pass one. Pass two came the following week when we once again went to Namilok this time after a serious rain. The terrain was even more exciting plus we were carrying two pieces of wood lashed to the seat behind me and squeezing me between it and Dan. It was a huge relief when we landed and I was not looking forward to the trip back before we even finished that first leg. But I was excited to get my shoes. Dan did all the shopping as usual and this time I was deposited on a bench outside of a little shop where I sat with a man who’s four year old daughter drank milk from a plastic bag and stared at me shyly. When he came back to get me he said we only had money for one chair and two chairs had been on our list. I told him to forget the shoes and lets get another chair. We really need some chairs. He agreed and took off. When he returned he had more groceries and when we left Namalok we still had just one chair. I don’t ask many questions about logistics as I have noticed that with the language barrier and my basic lack of understanding about what is going on in general it’s best to just keep my nose out of it for the most part. So we got back on his picky picky (Maasai for motorbike) and now I had not only the wood pushing me from behind but a blue plastic chair on my shoulder for the ride home.

We made a stop this time at Dan’s house to drop off most of the groceries. Again I kept my big mouth shut. Three ragged little urchins where hanging around in the dirt with a small herd of baby goats. They looked like they could use some groceries. The house was a typical Maasai structure, sticks and cow dung. I asked Dan where his wife was and he said she had gone to fetch water. It’s not that far, in relative terms, to the spring where she goes to get her water, relative to how far most women have to walk. Some are walking 22 miles one way. She only has to walk about 2. One way is with an empty jerrycan and the return trip is with 50 pounds of water in the jerrycan which they attach to a strap that they somehow manage to support with their heads without breaking their necks. I’ll post a photo. It’s quite the feat. When we left his house after dropping off his groceries and got to the museum and he had to face the boss, Jessica, that’s when the shit kinda hit the fan.

One chair, no shoes and not much in terms of food. We didn’t get our money’s worth. Dan took off and left us to sort it out. So Jessica called him and he didn’t answer. That went on awhile. When he finally did answer he apologized and promised to make it right and said it wouldn’t happen again. So the next day it happened again. This time he did bring another chair and four bananas but two of them were squashed and he said they sold my shoes. He seemed to be drunk and we couldn’t make any sense of his explanation about why he had failed to bring a flashlight when Jessica had told him that the transformer blew down and we are without power and it’s an emergency. It just didn’t seem to register. Odd as he had to step around the fallen pole and wires to reach us. Anyway, it was a bit frustrating but it was getting dark by then and I just wanted to crawl in my little hovel and sleep. It had been another long day and I was happy to have another chair and the promise of shoes on the horizon. I had not lost my faith in Dan. I saw what he bought with the money he grafted by not getting my shoes and a chair. These were not frivolous purchases. Cornmeal, greens, laundry soap. He did get a haircut but that half hour experience in a shack off the main drag cost just 50 cents. Who could deny him that small pampering?

This morning Dan arrived with my shoes and two flashlights. The Kenya power people promise to fix our electricity by noon. It’s just 12:08 and I’m not expecting them anytime soon. I doubt that it will happen at all today as the wind is so strong they will have trouble walking straight much less climbing poles. There is more snow on Mount Kilimanjaro today. It never melted completely. And everything is greening after the rain on October first. The skies have been awe inspiring all day and all night. Life here continues to be unpredictable and challenging. Much better when I let go of expectations and enjoy the ride. Kinda like everywhere only way different.

#maasai

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ladylarena · 6 years

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Jon x Sansa baby!! - The Queen of His Heart

Sansa has been Queen of many hearts. Many a man has drowned in her eyes. And many of these men already had women in their lives. Oh yes.

Sansa does away with her “foe” effortlessly: without even intending to or wanting it.

Examples:

Lyssa/Littlefinger: Hello wife. Let me throw you out the moon door. I love your niece.

Shae/Tyrion: Hello, love. I am your lion, but I also am wedded to the tall key to the north. Aaand I want to do her.

Myranda/Ramsey: Hello psycho of my heart. I need to make babies with this red-headed spitfire.

Yara/Theon (to a lesser extent): I feel this will be revisited in season 8. Hello sister. I am Reek. Cut to Sansa: Give me your hand and let’s jump together.

Now I’m not saying the men above loved her, but they did all evict women in their lives so that they could possess her. In Theon’s case he let Sansa accomplish what Yara could not – bring him back to himself.

Sansa somehow plays the role of the “Other Woman” in all these dynamics, only to become the “Only Woman” in the end. All without even wanting to. She is the uncontested Queen - in many ways.

There will be others in Season 8. Of that I am sure.

Jon/Sansa and Dany: It’s quite predictable really.

What seasons 6 & 7 showed me is that Sansa loves Jon, but she may not be physically attracted to him. The proof is in her questioning eyes and “Would that be so terrible?” She doesn’t know why Jon keeps her at a distance. Jon on the other hand feels immensely attracted to Sansa – as evidenced by how jumpy he gets whenever she initiates physical contact. He wants her in every way and he knows it.

I don’t think there will be much jealousy from Sansa towards Dany, at least not the romantic rival kind. She is likely to feel sad at the prospect of Jon leaving her, but not jealous that he has come back with another at his side. Because as always, Sansa is that “Other Woman”. Sansa will knock out the competition. And once more, it won’t be her doing the actual knocking out, it will be the man – Jon.

Note: I am almost completely sure that the part of Sansa that craves physical love will have to be re-awakened in order for her to completely “fall in love” with Jon. She loves him and trusts him, but this will deepen and widen to include physical want most likely on their wedding night. This is when she will truly realize why Jon married her. Intimacy basically.

Okay back to it -

Dany will be happy and content only to have Sansa come along and ruin it. And what will make Dany’s blood really curdle is Sansa herself, and how effortlessly people will flock to her. Sansa is no dragon. She’s not even magical. Unlike her siblings she doesn’t warg.

Sansa will be a gracious host, who sews, sings, eschews being Queen in favour of being the “Lady of Winterfell” and spending time with the women-folk. All of this while the war rages on.

Let’s not forget - there was a time when Cersei hand-picked Sansa herself to be the YMBQ.

Sansa is the embodiment of home and hearth and she has no desire to be anything else. Her confidence in herself and in her choices, and the effortless way she will pluck Jon from Dany’s side to her own, among many others, will prickle Dany to no end.

On Sansa not being “in-love” yet

Although Sansa loves Jon, the thought of being anyone’s wife again will most definitely make her slightly sick to the stomach. It’s her trigger, as Bran’s offhand comment showed us. That is where Sansa will start emotionally. But at the end of the day she trusts and loves Jon and knows he won’t hurt her.

So when the marriage alliance is decided, at first Sansa will appear to Dany at first as disgusted by the thought of marrying Jon, then once she has overcome her trigger she will appear somewhat ambivalent to marrying Jon (and this may all happen in 1 scene - possibly even no words. I’m just describing the motions she’ll likely go through), and as for the final act, well:

I am quite sure that Dany will be under the illusion that Jon and Sansa’s marriage is solely politically motivated. Jon will let Dany believe that he is tortured by having to marry his sister and disappointed that Dany turned out to be his aunt. He’s not mean, and there’s no reason to disabuse her of that belief if that’s what it takes to keep things status quo. Jon can be quite the sneaky sneak. But then something will happen, and Dany’s eyes will open.

I do not know what will cause it, only that whatever it is will leave all the characters with full knowledge of who Jon chooses and the depths to which he is willing to go to save his love. I can’t wait.

Thanks for reading!

#jonsa #sansa stark #jon snow #jon x sansa #actually jonsa #jonsa is endgame #jonsa is coming #jonsa is here

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the-fiction-witch · 6 years

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Doctor And Witch P5

MOVIE: MAZE RUNNER AU X SLEEPY HOLLOW COUPLE: NEWT X READER RATING: FLUFFY AF

I liked living and working in this little Town, not much ever really going on and strangely I like that, that is a problem I suppose in London everyone is so close and board every one often gossip and stirs things just to get a little entertainment so there is always something going on. However living here was nicely quiet, simple, I liked it very much, only having to deal with odd things every now and again people still not fully warming up to me Not yet. The Town seemed so small to me even just roaming the outer reaches of the farmlands, to the deepest darkness of the forest the place seemed so small compared to where I grew up and simple now almost everyone now knew who I was and I knew almost all of them but a few where still unknown to me, But I have a good friend I suppose. I have y/n, often meeting for walks or little adventures almost every other night, not a day goes by I don’t see her at some point. Either joining her for chess in the Book Shop or her coming here to help in the little garden I have at the back of the house... and My feelings had grown very strong for her, Yet every night without fail Akiko would help us send little messages to each other. My favourite thing was that every time I saw her we would do the little nose kiss thing she loves to do to me, it was so very sweet, just rubbing our noses together felt so nice, she meant everything to me and The Town seems to have warmed up to her a little more they more just ignore her being there now rather than outright denying she exists but there a still a few very scared of her.

When I woke up the sun was just rising over the hill and through the window and curtains, I didn’t shut last night them from getting home late and I happily got up and dressing for the day and doing myself a little breakfast sitting at the dining table In silence and I sighed before getting up and sorting things around the office trying to fix the system in here. Until someone came in the door “Doctor?” a woman asks as she walks in she wore a very long thin grey dress and had very tied up Blonde hair and holding the hand of her little girl with a grey dress with a large green bow on the back her brown hair in a long ponytail and a little rag doll in her other hand

“Yes?” I ask them

“My daughter keeps complaining her knee hurts,” the woman says sounding very annoyed tugging on her daughter's hand to push her forward

“Mummy! That hurts” the girl cried sadly so I go and kneel down to be down at the little girl’s level

“Hey, what’s your name sweetie?” I ask her

“Lilly” she answered

“Well come on then Lilly, let’s see what’s wrong” I tell her making her smile a little letting her sit on a little chair as her mother stood around passing impatiently as I checked over her knee “nothing to serious” I tell her cleaning the little gash over with clean water “just a little cut” I smile to her getting a little plaster for the gash “there you go, good as new” I laugh making her smile and showing me her doll “oh is dolly sick too?” I ask her

“Mary fell with me” she explained

“Oh, she seems to be a little hurt too,” I tell her as I look over her little rag doll

“Oh no,” she says sadly so I get a little plaster cut it in half and put it over the little rag doll's knee

“There now Mary is all better too,” I smile giving her, her rag doll back making her smile widely

“Come on Lilly” her mother pressured so she hopped off the little chair giving me a little hug

“Thank you doctor” she smiled before running off with her mother off out the door and back into The Town so I went back to sort things around the office

“Your very sweet to children” I heard a familiar voice laugh from the door so I turned back to see y/n leaning on the door frame today dressed in a light yellow dress

“I have to it kinda come with the job” I shrug

“Isaac?” she asks coming in wandering around with her hands behind her back

“Yes, y/n?” I ask her

“Did you ever have children?” she asked

“No...” I tell her “but I have always wanted them” I blush

“That’s sweet” she laughed “why?” she asked

“well…I’m not too sure, I think years of helping people bring their own little lives into the world…kinda makes you want your own” I blush just I felt a tiny little kiss on my head and I stood shocked and I can tell my eyes went wide in shock and surprise as she went off and sat on the little chair

“I need you to check something,” she says so I laugh going over and standing crossing my arms as I look at her “is this a cut or a splinter?” she asked

“Every day with this” I sigh slightly laughing at her

“What do you expect? I work with old books it’s a constant worry” she explained "Whenever a mark appears that I don't remember I get concerned" she explained

“Alright, hand” I sigh so she gives me her hand and I sit looking at it grabbing my glasses to look closer “Yes that is a splinter today,” I tell her

“Great, go on then” she sighs so I grab the little tools and start fixing her hand to get the very deep splinter out

“Ouch,” she said rather annoyed at me “Oww!” she said in pain “OUCH!” she yelled

“Oh be quiet y/n, I’ve had little babies complain less then you,” I tell her

“It hurts, I have sensitive hands” she complains

“Umm yet you have a coulis for sewing needles” I laugh

“That’s different,” she said

“How? This is basically a sewing needle” I tell her

“Oh just…. Go away” she answers

“There,” I tell her getting the splinter out “happy now?” I ask her

“Yes” she smiled happily hopping off the chair “Oh and I have news” she smiled as I put the tools away

“Oh, what?” I ask her

“Akiko is having kittens” she smiled

“Oh wow! That’s great” I tell her “How far along is she?” I ask

“I’m not too sure, she’s put a lot of weight on so I have no idea” she shrugs

“well bring her over if you want, I can check everything is fine,” I tell her so she smiles happily running off back to her house to get Akiko and within a few moments she came back putting Akiko on the table she looked very fat “I don’t know either actually,” I tell her

“Great so I brought her over for nothing” she sighed

“Well If you wanted you could keep her here, closer for when the time comes and all, plus I have another room you could even stay with her if you’d like” I suggest

“No we couldn’t do that, I don’t want to cause you any trouble” she explained picking Akiko up and holding her close

“It’s alright no trouble,” I tell her

“Alright, I will think about it” she smiled going to the door

“y/n?” I ask her

“Yes Isaac?” she asked turning to face me again

“Why did you kiss me?” I ask her

“You needed it” she smiled before wandering off to her house.

I stayed inside most of the day no one else came to see me today so I stayed up in my room on the window seat reading my book as darkness feel expecting Akiko to come through the window any second but she didn’t.

When suddenly I heard a familiar song and saw a small light appear on the hill so I put my book away and lit a lantern rushing off to the hill passing the many stones of people until I saw y/n sat In a red long dress sat on the grass beside a stone Akiko laid atop the stone and everything theirs Illuminated by a few candles as she fixed flowers there singing her sweet little song.

“y/n?” I ask her making her jump

“Oh, It’s just you, you frightened me” she replied a little surprised

“I’m sorry, what are you doing up here?” I ask her

“Fixing my mother’s flowers” she smiled

“May I?” I ask indicating to beside her

“Of course” she smiled so I went and sat beside her putting the lamp beside her candles the stone was old and moss covered the name completely warn away “I have always cared for where my mother rests, It’s only decent” she explained

“I suppose, when did she die?” I ask her

“When I was seven, I didn’t know her for long but, I never knew my father” she explained

“How did she die?” I ask

“they burned her” she explained wiping a tear from her eye “they accused her of being a wife of Satan, her choice was to either die or join the reverend she decided she would rather die…so they shaved off all her hair, stripped her naked and burned her in The Town square” she explained “and then they took us, her daughters…to the river they didn’t know if we had chosen to follow the path of our mother so they decided that they would tie weights to our shoes and throw us into the water, If the Lord saved our lives we were pure and if we drowned we were in league with our mother, there used to be four of us sisters, now it’s just me” she explained sadly

“How did you survive?” I ask her

“To this day, I don’t know” she replied “I and my eldest sister survived it but she wanted to use our powers to take revenge on the townsfolk, I to this day have no knowledge where she is now” she explained

“Oh y/n” I say pulling her into a tight hug we stayed like this for a long time until she pulled away slightly and looked deeply into my eyes and I stared back getting lost in those deep green orbs and without knowing it we both began leaning into a kiss till we were inches away and “Meow?” Akiko said questionably making us pull away

“Come on Me and Akiko were planning a campfire out in the woods, did you want to join us?” she asked sweetly beginning to stand

“oh of course I would love too” I smiled getting up with her as she picked up her little basket and Akiko climbed onto her shoulder I then took the basket from her hand “I’ll carry it for you” I tell her making her smile a lot more blowing out the candle and picking up my lantern before we wandered off into the forest where a campfire was already set to be lit “where do you have time for this?” I ask her

“Well, the Book Shop doesn’t get much of a looking so I have a lot of time on my hands,” she says

“Oh, well It looks amazing,” I tell her

“Thank you” she smiled sitting down by the fire with Akiko and lighting it up and getting two metal sticks from her basket and beginning to cook some food so I sat with her and Akiko as we cooked up some food on the huge fire “OUCH!” she screamed as the metal stick had burnt her hand and she dropped the hot stick on the floor

“Oh my gosh, are you alright?” I ask her gently taking her hand and she now had a very hot burned line in the middle of her hand “It’s alright, just clean it up it will be alright” I tell her getting a little water from the river and cleaning her hand with it and ripping a bit of fabric from my shirt and wrapping it around her hand carefully and tying up the fabric and giving her hand a little kiss making her giggle

“Thank you Isaac” she giggles giving my cheek a little kiss making me blush a little

“You’re welcome y/n” I smiled and we carefully went back to cooking up some food some little bits of meat and a few little bits of toast and eating them as soon as they are done and once we had eaten all the food we stood around the fire I kept glancing up to see her face illuminated by the fire and her face looked so beautiful in the fire she seemed so sweet we kept walking around the fire in time with each other each step we take in time with each other so we were always exactly across from one and another until she just stopped “You look beautiful y/n” I told her making her blush more even in the firelight

“Thank you Isaac” she giggled wondering around the fire to be beside me and we both just looked at each other before she stood up on her toes and kissed my lips I instantly melted into her kisses and kissed her back her hands moving to my shoulders as we kissed and I shyly moved my hands to her waist as we kissed until we both pulled away but out arms remained around each other and our foreheads leaning against each other and we couldn’t help but laugh smiling widely at each other after a while more of kissing I walked her home both of us hand in hand walking through The Town with Akiko sat on y/n’s shoulder often crawling around our arms to sit on mine until we reached her door “Thank you for walking me home Isaac” she giggled

“You are quite welcome y/n” I smiled giving her Akiko who jumped from her hands and ran into the house so I take her hand lightly kissing it making her giggle and jump wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me so I kissed her back and wrapped my arms around her waist as we kissed before she pulled away and leant against her door frame

“Goodnight Isaac” she smirked blowing me a kiss and quickly shutting her door

“Night y/n” I smiled before going off back home very happy going up to my room and sitting in bed reading my book and within seconds I heard a little ‘Meow’ from my window so I went over to the window and picked up little Akiko from the window and brought her over to sit on my bed “hey Akiko, what you bring for me tonight?” I ask her and she crawled up into my neck and licking my face “aww, Thanks, is that from y/n?” I ask and she ‘meows’ “Alright, head on home then,” I tell her and she just moves her neck and I notice she has a note so I take it and it simply read

“See you tomorrow Isaac XX y/n”

So I smirked and wrote one back

“See you y/n, Goodnight X Isaac”

and giving Akiko back the little note “go on then give that to y/n, and Uh give her this” I tell her giving Akiko’s head a little kiss and lifting her up and putting her back by the window and she wondered off to y/n’s house so I went back to my bed and blew out the candle and happily went to sleep.

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punkpoemprose · 6 years

Text

Love Potion Number 9- A Kristanna Week Fic

Universe: Modern Witch AU Rating: T (Teen & Up for swears) Length: 4497 Words

A little late, but I’m here to break the angst train with some Rejected! Kristanna Week. This is for the rejected prompt “ Making out in a barn while Elsa sits inside and sews” and I know exactly who this suggestion was targeted towards... but I’m not going to name any names... @karis-the-fangirl had me working on a Witch! Anna AU for Halloween and I basically expanded her original prompt to fit this theme so, here we go! Thanks Charis for helping me finagle a way to use this prompt and also for having nothing to do with why that rejected prompt exists at all... *cough cough*

“I’m fine Elsa! What did you think I was going to do, slip off my broom and end up through a tree like one of those corny decorations? …No! Ugh, you worry too much! I’ll be home in an hour, I still have a couple deliveries to make! I’m not running behind, you’re running ahead. Bye!”

Anna sighed as she hit the end button on her call and slid her phone into her jacket pocket. She leaned forward on her broom’s handle and steered herself high above the forest floor. It was easier to travel through the country-side even though her customer was in the suburbs. It may be 2018, but people could certainly turn very 1693 when they saw a woman on a broom. Usually she and her sister sold “herbal remedies” out of their shop in the city, and mostly they were just that, but one night a year, for those in the know, they made personal deliveries of the stronger stuff.

As much as Anna joked about the décor, it was her favorite night of the year. She supposed that all witches were that way because it was the one day a year where it was socially acceptable to dust off your broom and made your abilities semi-public. It was freeing.

She reached back into the satchel she had attached to her broom. She had three potions to drop off, and four in her bag, so she was fairly certain that she’d either forgotten someone or that she’d accidentally overpacked her bag. As she was reaching around for her journal to check her delivery manifest, she felt a bottle slide past her hand and out of the bag.

“Shoot!” she yelled, mostly to herself and somewhat to the universe. If it weren’t for the fact that she was certain of the contrary, she would have sworn she was hexed with bad luck. She wasn’t, they’d checked, but Elsa liked to make jokes about it regardless.

She made quick work of fastening the buckles on her satchel, and pushed the nose of her broom down, trying to speed up to the bottle which she grabbed for and came back with the cork of.

“Shit shit shit!” she muttered as she pulled up to avoid a tree branch and lost sight of the bottle entirely.

She should have known that the night was going too well.

It took her a while to find a place to land, and it was her luck and lack thereof that she found the only treeless space was a field by a cabin that was just below where the bottle had fallen. It was dark, but the place was too well kept to be uninhabited, and she hoped as she caught sight of a dim light coming from the small barn behind it that no human beings at least had seen her land.

When she was back on solid ground she pulled her phone from her pocket and turned its flashlight on to check the inside of her satchel. She was somewhat relieved to find both her book and the remaining bottles, things could have been far worse. A quick glance through the remaining three objects told her that yes, she had overpacked, and that her luck might be returning because the fallen bottle had been unneeded. And yet…

“Oh no… You have to be kidding me…”

She had dropped a love potion. It was the most potent potion in her repertoire and not something she’d want ending up in the hands of the unknowing. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that it had probably all spilled out as it fell, but if it got into the water supply, or if someone found the bottle and touched a drop, well, it would be bad news.

She thought about her phone conversation with her sister, of course she’d screwed up after just insisting that she wouldn’t.

In the bottom of her bag was her wand, and she hated to take it out anywhere but in the safety of her home, but it was an emergency. The feel of the polished Alder in her hand was a comfort, of course she could have attempted a spell without it, but it brought her a sense of calm and strength to have it as she cast.

“Inveniet!” she stage whispered into the darkness surrounding her, flicking her wand out across the space before her.

The locator spell yielded nothing. There was no light leading her way to the bottle, no sudden realization of the location in which it sat, no signs whatsoever.

Desperately she searched her mind for another spell that may help, wondering if maybe she’d been lucky enough for the potion to dump out completely and leech into the soil. The only other answers were that the bottle was too far away for the spell to work, or that it had been used, and oh she hated the idea that either of those could be true.

“Nanciscor!” she tried again, knowing that the spell was risky. While the first attempt was a specific locator spell, the one she’d just spoken was more for finding whatever it was the universe wanted you to find, and the first thing she’d learned about being a witch was that the universe was naturally chaotic. Adding in her natural luck, she should have known that it wouldn’t go well.

“Hello beautiful!”

She shrieked, because what else could she do? She spun around, wand at the ready and found a beautiful stranger looking at her like she hung the stars.

“Hi,” she said, trying not to jump five feet in the air as her mind reeled, “Did you happen to… oh I don’t know, get splashed by something that smelled like…”

She sighed, she didn’t need to finish, he was nodding like he could read her mind and the potion smelled different to everyone. To her it smelled like cardamom and as he stepped nearer it was all she could smell.

“So, uhhh, what’s your name big guy?”

“Oh, umm, I’m sorry. I’m Kristoff.”

He stepped a little nearer to her and Anna knew that she should step away, but she could sense that he was gentle and well, any moment now he’d be less star struck and more professing his undying love for her. She wasn’t in danger of anything other than a stern talking to by her sister.

“Well Kristoff, I’m Anna and you don’t know why yet, but I am so so sorry.”

***

She hung up her cell again and sighed. As she’d imagined Elsa was upset with the situation but was going to finish up Anna’s deliveries along with her own. The potions that needed to be sent out were simple ones, and because they were quicker to brew than to run out into the woods after, Anna had been given the explicit instructions to stay where she was and not let her enchanted lover out of her sight. It was hardly difficult given that he was currently attempting to curry her favor by making her something in his kitchen.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t expecting you tonight, so I didn’t have anything ready, but… here!”

Anna tried not to dissolve completely into his couch as she heard him calling out to her as he walked in from the next room over. She was embarrassed and exhausted and as a side effect of the love potion, Kristoff was very understanding of this. However, despite her many attempts at explaining, he was not understanding that he was under the influence of magic.

She felt him fall to the couch next to her, close, but respectfully so as he offered her a mug of something warm.

She looked up and gave the man a soft smile that he returned as she accepted the cup. She was annoyed by the situation but was doing her best to not let it show.

He had a lopsided grin, more from one corner than the other and overall softened by the look of admiration in his brown eyes. His blonde hair was tousled, and she knew it was from the nervous way he kept ranking his fingers through it. He was a gentleman and she couldn’t help but to lament the fact that he was both attractive and sweet, as it made her even more guilty and embarrassed. It would have been easier for her if he had been not her type or overly lusty because then she could be annoyed outright. But he was excessively her type and reminded her without words that she could never find a guy like that without accidentally dumping a love potion on him. The greatest tragedy was the potion didn’t do anything to change its target’s personality, only their object of affection so Kristoff was just being Kristoff.

She took a sip and closed her eyes. Hot chocolate, her favorite. He couldn’t have known, but it was almost like he did. Logically they’d never met before and he was essentially drunk on a love potion, so she knew that she should be scooting away from him, setting the cup down, and doing her best to figure out how she was going to explain this all to him when he “sobered up”.

“Anna,” he said, and she shivered. His voice was so deep.

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking about what you said…”

She turned to him again, seeing that he looked serious, she sighed. Maybe she’d brewed the potion weaker than she thought and he was coming out of it after just an hour instead of 12.

He reached out his hand toward hers on the couch and took it gently. Everything he did was slow and deliberate, giving her time to move away, but she didn’t.

“It’s just, some things are fuzzy right now, but I know that I really like you and I think you’re gorgeous, so even if it’s magic… I guess I think all love is magic, so if I wake up in the morning and I don’t feel the same… well what’s the harm in having had a few hours of feeling that way?”

“You don’t even know me, that’s the harm,” she replied after a few minutes even though she really wanted to give in and lean on his shoulder, especially when he talked about their predicament in that way.

“Then let me get to know you.”

She was acutely aware of the way his thumb was running over the side of her finger, the way he couldn’t seem to stop providing her with small comforts. She wished that it were any other predicament. No one had shown her such quiet intimacy in a very long time.

“I’ll start.”

He shifted over slightly, so he could look her straight in the eye.

“I’m Kristoff Bjorgman, 23 years old, I work with a logging company but I do a little carpentry on the side. That’s what I do in the barn out back. It’s also where I keep my pet, he’s a reindeer, his name is Sven. It’s a long story, but he’s a pretty great companion.”

“Well that’s more than I’d get from Tinder,” she said, joking, but also unable to keep herself from smiling.

“My sister set me up one of those once. I deleted it within an hour, maybe I should have kept it. Might have met you sooner beautiful.”

Anna couldn’t help herself but to wish that they had.

“Um, well… I’m Anna, I’ll hold off on the last name for now in case you’re really mad in the morning when this wears off. Not that it matters I guess, you know what I look like so I guess at this point unless I magic it out of you, you’re going to remember anyway, and umm… Sorry, I’m just not sure what else to say.”

He smiled and nodded, “I don’t understand, but I’m trying, and I know you’re thinking that, but I don’t think I’m going to be angry… I guess you’re thinking I can’t know that, but uh… Look I have a lot of sisters and I’m used to them getting me into a lot of accidental trouble. I could tell you stories if you want, but look I never get mad at them and I don’t think I could get mad at you and I don’t know if that helps, but I really want it to.”

Anna flushed at that. He was giving her the eyes, but otherwise everything that was happening between them was like a first date, and she couldn’t help herself but give in to the moment, no matter what the consequences would be.

“I’m Anna Rendell, and I’m 20. My sister and I own a little herb shop in the city. We make teas and tinctures and things that help people, and I think that some people know that we’re ummm witches, but I think they think we’re more like the friendly local wiccan sort than they Harry Potter sort, but we’re kind of both? I’m very unlucky, but I’m not cursed, we checked. I uh, really like animals and I have a cat named Olaf, but he’s a white Maine coon and he’s too fat to join me on my broom, so I don’t really have much in the way of spooky Halloween credit beyond accidentally going all Sanderson sisters on you.”

“Well I did light a candle tonight.”

She snorted at that and he beamed in return.

“Ah yes! A virgin lights a black flame candle and I arise!”

“Well I’m not a virgin and I think I bought it from a dollar store, but I can’t argue with the results.”

“Oh!” she said, blushing hard, “Um, sorry for bringing that up.”

He laughed, “We’re both adults here, and I’m not usually one to kiss and tell, but it’s not like it’s expected that anyone…”

He stopped, “I mean there’s nothing wrong if you are… I mean, oh geeze, I think I see why you apologized, um… Sorry for mentioning it anyway.”

She smiled, seeing him backtracking just as she had.

“It’s alright,” she said, “Plus, I’ll let you in on a little witch tip, virgin in a magical context is more olive oil than sex. Virgin just means ‘hasn’t been used for a ritual’, so technically anyone who hasn’t lit a black flame candle before is a virgin for that spell. Plus black flame candles aren’t a thing anyway, I mean a candle made from the fat of a hanged man? Gross. Just gross. I buy mine from the dollar store too.”

“Beautiful and thrifty,” he said with a laugh, happy to change the subject, “You’re not making a good case for me to dislike you in the morning.”

She grinned at that and finished draining the last dregs of hot chocolate from her mug. She didn’t fight it when he drew her in closer to his side and her head finally came to rest upon his shoulder.

“Either way though, I just really want to be close to you right now, so if it wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, maybe we could just get comfortable here and watch television? That is unless you need to go out and turn someone into a toad?”

“Also a complete lie made up about us by the media!” she mocked annoyance, but it never really made it to her face as she leaned against him, “Trust me, if I had the power to do that, my ex-boyfriend would be slimier than he is right now… not that I think that’s even possible.”

He chuckled in response, “So television is alright as long as we avoid any gross mischaracterization of witches. What about Harry Potter? You mentioned it before and I know it’s on, is it alright?”

“Oh yeah! I’m pretty sure Rowling had an in, it’s way too accurate to be guesswork.”

She quickly found herself in his arms. By the end of Goblet of Fire his lips were resting against the crown of her head and she was falling asleep, hoping beyond all hopes that she could hold onto the feeling in her chest of rightness when it would all inevitably collapse around her in the morning. For now though, she trusted him and felt safe as her lids fell shut and she drifted off to sleep.

***

She awoke to the smell of coffee and light streaming through an unfamiliar window.

She’d stayed the night, she remembered that she’d needed to. She couldn’t let him out of her sight and of course by sleeping in, as she always did, she had.

“Kristoff?”

Then she felt it, the gentle touch of a hand brushing her hair from her face from over the back of the couch.

“Morning sleepy head,” his voice was comfortingly sweet, and she knew that she should feel bad that he was still under her spell, but she didn’t.

“I made breakfast, was just coming over to wake you up.”

“Thank you! Um, what time is it?”

She couldn’t help but to ask. She’d lost the potion at 8pm the night before and that meant she had until 8am before he’d stop feeling the effects of the magic. She was worried that he’d be upset or depressed when he came out of it. She’d never used it herself and wasn’t certain of what the aftermath would be.

“Noon. You’re a deep sleeper.”

She sat up quickly and he pulled his hand away. Her heart was racing.

“Oh my God! No no no no no! It can’t be that late? Is it? I’m so sorry! Are you alright? Oh my God!”

He gave her a concerned look and then rounded the couch. She noticed the distinct lack of adoration in his features, and he didn’t seem at all clouded or muddled in his interactions with her. She didn’t know why, but she felt like crying. She’d messed up again and she hadn’t even been awake to fix it.

“Hey, hey, hey…” he said, taking her hand in his gently, “Anna, I’m fine! Are you okay? I was worried you might react this way, you know strange house and all. You’re alright! I just thought I’d make breakfast… I put your… umm… broom in the barn… I hope you don’t mind, I just thought I’d be helpful.”

She flushed, “But the magic should have worn off? Oh my God I’m such a screw up! I must have brewed a super potion or something!”

He gave her a shy smile, “Or maybe I woke up this morning and felt sad until I looked down and saw a red head asleep on my chest and remembered how she’d lectured me on witches the night before… And maybe I was a little less upset when I realized she wasn’t just a dream… And maybe I found her potion bottle smashed in my yard and admittedly panicked a little putting her broom away, but in the end realized I was happy that she was still asleep on my couch.”

Anna’s breath hitched. She was pretty sure that whatever this was, it wasn’t magic. Outside of it’s bottle the potion wouldn’t retain its potency long enough for him to have re-dosed himself in the yard.

“Is that too forward? I was in love with you last night, so I uh, thought I could take a little liberty there. Sorry if I said too much, I’m notoriously bad with people.”

She shook her head and composed herself enough to give him a smile, “No… it’s just I wasn’t expecting you to you know… not be upset?”

He chuckled at that, “Look Anna, this may surprise you when you know I live in the middle of nowhere and my best friend is a reindeer, but I don’t get out a lot. When a girl as nice and pretty and feisty as you ends up on my doorstep I’d be a fool to be upset about it.”

She noticed the look in his eye from the night before returning, the look of admiration was mingled with humor and something else, something like worry. She saw the same quirked grin on his lips and despite barely knowing him at all and being entirely without the safety net of a love potion keeping her in his good graces, she felt completely safe.

“Well, um when you put it that way… I would really like breakfast.”

***

Anna marveled at the many pieces in his barn. There were handmade kitchen cabinets set beside restored antique parlor tables, and the air had the distinct smell of linseed oil and sawdust. She loved everything about the space, from the worn tools hanging on the walls, to the way that light streamed in from the spaces between the boards.

“I put it up in the hayloft,” he said as he started to climb up a ladder, “Sometimes my mom stops by and she’s a bit of a snoop, but in a loving way so I didn’t want her to find it. A girl on my couch would have been enough to worry about, but she probably would have had questions about why there was a bag attached to a broom sitting in my front yard.”

Unbidden Anna followed him up the ladder and quickly found herself surrounded by golden hay bales stacked around her with loose strands underfoot. Her broom and bag sat on top of a bale on a lower stack and as she walked over to it, she was struck with the realization that she should probably call Elsa for a ride home.

She extracted her phone from her pocket and found it completely dead. So she sighed and crossed the room to grab her broom and from the bag within she removed the two remaining potion bottles and handed them over to Kristoff.

“Look I know you probably never want to take another potion again for the rest of your life after the one I dumped on you last night, but you should have something for being so kind and understanding… The blue one is to add to water when you water plants… it’s basically magic miracle grow which I guess makes it actually miracle grow, but anyway it only works on plants and it won’t make anything like Jack and the Beanstalk, and I saw you had a little garden, so if you want to get a last harvest out of anything you could probably get it to work. The green one is barely a potion at all. It’s basically a step up from the chamomile tea we sell in the shop, so it’s a very weak calming potion. It’s nice to help you unwind at night if you’re having trouble sleeping. I use it a lot, my mom used to give us a spoonful before bed. It’s very sweet.”

“You don’t have to give these to me Anna, you didn’t put me through anything.”

She smiled at that. “I appreciate that you think that, but I’m honestly really embarrassed and I feel like I need to do something… I could put a protection spell on your home if you want, or you could come get some herbs from my shop or I could try something new… I just feel like I need to give you something…”

He sighed and walked over to her. He looked sad and it broke her heart to think that she’d upset him.

“Look I don’t know if I haven’t been clear enough Anna, but I really mean it.”

He set the bottles down on the haybale beside them and offered her his hand.

Anna took it, unable to help herself and sat her broom down next to the bottles on the bale. She let him ease them both down on bales across from each other. They were so close that her legs had to rest between his in the small space between them.

“I know that last night I was under the influence of whatever that potion was, but I’m not now…” he sighed and combed his hand through his hair nervously. “Anna we barely know each other but I remember last night very clearly and you just… You’re everything I didn’t know I was looking for, and it’s not just last night.”

He smiled and shook his head, “This is crazy and I’m not asking you to do anything… you just met me… but I felt something when I saw you sleeping on me this morning. I felt something when you were more worried about me than you when you woke up. Hell, I felt something when I watched you put down more bacon than me… Anna, all I’m saying is I think you’re a very attractive, funny and wonderful person and if we had to meet the way we did, so be it. I just don’t want to end it here. I don’t want to never see you again. If that’s really what you want then fine, I’ll never bother you again, your secret is safe with me or you can go and turn me into a toad… just don’t worry about how this happened. I don’t know that I’ve been this happy in a long time.”

Anna froze. She’d never had a day of luck in her life and now the man she’d accosted with a love potion the night before was telling her that he’d like to see her again. She didn’t know what to say or do. Her eyes, prone to knowing what she wanted before she ever did, focused themselves on his lips.

He leaned in towards her and she didn’t back away. He was pulling her in and she didn’t want to fight it.

There was barely any space between them when he whispered, voice deep, “May I kiss you?”

She smiled, “Please.”

His hand cupped her cheek gently as he leaned in. Anna shivered at the sound of satisfaction that passed between them as their lips met for a chaste kiss. The hand that wasn’t in his moved up to his hair and his went from her face to her waist, pulling her in closer.

The kiss deepened and Anna was left sighing against his lips as they shifted their hands and bodies until they were all but intertwined. She silently praised the chaos of the universe.

Somewhere, a half hour’s drive away in the city Elsa was busying herself sewing sachets of lavender shut. She’d been checking on her sister every so often in her enchanted spyglass and thought to lift it up to her eye once more to ensure that the redhead was alright.

She put it back down a second later, closed it and set it away with a blush. Anna, it seemed, was more than fine and she turned her attentions entirely toward making her stitches straight as Olaf played in the corner. She was fairly certain that she wouldn’t have to come after her sister anytime soon.

#kristanna week 2018 #Rejected Kristanna Week Prompts #Kristanna #Modern Witch AU

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singingvio · 6 years

Text

Chapter Two of my Haunted Castle AU!

(This is basically just the histories of the victims. So it’s a lot shorter than the prologue, but all the chapters will be shorter than the prologue, so yeah. Also it ends with some Vio/Shadow and Crazy-Grin Shadow. Also Vio gained a nickname Shadow uses all the time. it’s important to the story.)

chapter one!

Green smiled, at least his new friend would maybe be able to help. “Um, I want to know everything about the people murdered here as possible.” Vaati grinned even wider.

“So, all four of them? Or just one?”

“All of them.”

“All right, Green, get ready for about an hour-long history lesson.” Vaati said, pulling multiple papers and books out of backpack, which Green now is sure that it’s magical. “Which one do you want to know about first?” Green thought for a moment.

“The advisor, I guess.” he didn’t mention that the advisor, Vio, was the first he saw in the castle. Vaati laughed.

“Cool, that one’s my favorite! But I don’t know a lot about him, no one does, really.” he said. Vaati took out a photograph of Vio and Shadow, but they weren’t wearing the same outfits from Green’s dream/vision/crazy person thing. Vio wore a plain long-sleeve purple shirt and white pants, not the purple robe-thing. Shadow wore pretty much the same thing, but the eye that was red was yellow, and his hair was plain black.

“This is Vio Oshitsu, the royal advisor, in the castle courtyard with his friend, a half-demon named Shadow Lorule.” Vaati said. Green frowned.

“Why does Shadow look different than in that picture up there?”

“Easy. One: he’s a shapeshifter. Two: this was apparently taken early in the morning, and it was common knowledge that Shadow can’t keep a single appearance when it’s early.” Green nodded. “Vio was the youngest royal advisor in history, and known to be one of the smartest people in Hyrule at only sixteen. He rarely left the castle, but when he did, it was either with Shadow or his twin brother, Blue. he was really secretive in general, and the only one he was known to share secrets and such with was Shadow.”

“Why Shadow? Why not Blue?”

“I think it was because Blue and Vio didn’t get along as children, and Vio and Shadow met when they were really little and Shadow saved him from something, and they trust each other more than Vio trusts Blue.”

“Oh, okay. Anything else about Vio?”

“He was well-liked by pretty much everyone that met him, and was really quiet, spending most of his time in the castle library. No one knows why he was murdered, or why anyone wanted to murder him at all. Lots of people expected Shadow as the murderer, because he was half-demon and went everywhere with Vio, and even if he hadn’t killed him, he should have seen the murderer.”

“Was he the murderer?”

“No, he was killed a week later, right after Vio’s funeral.”

Green sat back in his chair. “That’s… messed up.”

“Yeah. No one known who the murderer, or murderers, was. Want me to keep going?”

“Sure. Tell me about Shadow.” Vaati grinned.

“There’s a LOT about Shadow, but a lot of it is rumours that he probably spread himself. Where do you want me to start, because there isn’t a lot of info about him that isn’t maybe a rumour other than his family history, which is confusing.”

“Start with the family history and the maybe-rumours that are more… realistic?”

“All right, let’s do this. Shadow Lorule was born in a kingdom neighboring his one named Lorule, and he was raised in a royal household. He wasn’t part of the royal family that much, though. His father was a demon and died shortly after his birth while his mother was the sister of he king but worked as a servant in the castle, not wanting any royal stuff because she thought it would give her a huge ego like it did her brother, and so Shadow lived a poor but also somehow fancy life with his mom. When he turned ten, he discovered his shapeshifting powers and the fact that he learned from his father’s sister that the form he had currently was not his true form. His true form is what you see in the picture, except pitch black. So eventually, since the townspeople got scared of him because he was a demon kid, he ran away, and his mother understood and was fine with it.”

“Huh.”

“And then the mom died. So then Shadow, full of grief and somehow thinking his mother’s death was his fault, which it wasn’t, made it to Hyrule Castle, where the twins, Vio and Blue, found him half-dead from starvation, since it took him a full month to get there, and people kept throwing rocks at him because demon. So they nursed him back to health, but mostly Vio because he had more free time than Blue, and the three became friends, and Shadow lived in the castle with them. One day, some monster or mean jerk tried to kill Vio for some reason and Shadow just kind of went berserk, severely injuring the person but then regretting it, and yeah, he saved Vio’s life.”

“Wow. that’s kind of sad.”

“I know. Took me forever to find the whole story that wasn’t over-exaggerated by some idiot who thought that Shadow killed his mom or terrorized the townspeople for fun.”

“Any facts about his role and such, like why someone would want to murder him?”

“The main reason someone might want to kill Shadow would be that he was half-demon, but that’s just kind of racist and also Hylians were pretty accepting back then. Also, Shadow was surprisingly really nice to everyone, despite him pranking people a lot. The kids loved him, too, and he played a lot of games with his powers, mostly shapeshifting. One was just walking around the castle in a different form to see who would recognize him first. I don’t think anyone would have wanted to kill him unless they really hate demons, which is pretty untrue in Hyrule. Lorulians just collectively hate demons, though.”

“Huh.”

“Actually, there were three people that hated Shadow to the depths of their being by a lot of accounts from the second murder case. The first was actually suspected for Vio’s murder, too, and Blue’s. The second was from Lorule and also, hated Shadow and all demons, and also claimed that Shadow was just plain mean as a younger child, which was a complete lie. The third just didn’t like anyone that was constantly being mean to Shadow and Vio for some… dumb… reason… that he never tells anyone the reason for, by historical accounts. There’s also a weird rumour that I think actually might be true.”

“What was it?”

“It was that Shadow and Vio were dating, but I’m pretty sure that was told by Blue, who just loves spreading gossip almost as much as Shadow, especially about Vio because they don’t get along a lot, and I guess it’s a twin thing.”

“I could actually believe that, I haven’t seen any picture or anything in the castle with Vio or Shadow that didn’t have the other nearby.”

“Yeah. Wanna do Blue next? There’s not a lot about him, either, but that’s mostly because he didn’t trust strangers.”

“Sure.”

“Okay, also, you’ve heard a lot from my Vio and Shadow lists. Twin of Vio, best friend of Vio and Shadow, son of the captain of the guard, one of the best knights despite being so young, et-cetera, et-cetera. He was known for losing his temper a lot, and when he wanted revenge or held a grudge, it was really obvious. He was also really easy to calm down before going on a rampage, usually by Vio or Red, one of the servants in the castle.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah. he was also known to charge right into battle without orders, and somehow never getting an injury worse than a broken bone. Also, he was really stubborn and hated sitting still. Being bedridden because of his own stupidity in battle drove him slightly crazy. He loved keeping things clean and neat, too, and did more work than the butlers and maids did cleaning things, mostly because he didn’t let them do some work. He was also loved by kids, like Shadow, but because he loved to play with them, either rough games like play wrestling or something like dress-up with a little girl.”

“Wow. he seems to have a lot of mood swings.”

“Yeah. he was also really close to Red, more than Shadow and Vio. Red’s used to babysit Blue’s little sister, Sky, a lot.” Vaati showed Green a picture of the knight, Blue, wearing a navy hooded cloak with water designs on the edges over a dark blue outfit, an arm slung around Red, who Green realized was a lot shorter by about five inches. Red was wearing all red, the bottom of his red cloak similar to Blue’s with a flame design on the ends. Holding Blue’s other hand was a little girl with platinum blond hair like Vio’s and sky blue eyes with tan skin. She was wearing a puffy yellow dress with blue and white swirls, blue bows in her hair.

“They’re all dressed up.” Green commented.

“Yeah, I think it was at the queen’s birthday party? I don’t really know, some kind of party.” Vaati replied. “One left, Red Sage.”

“Okay, how much information?”

“A lot, none of them rumours except for, like, two, but I’ll just hit you with the basics because Red tended to overshare a lot of things about himself. First, he was the grandson of Arcy, the castle cook, and spended a lot of time in the kitchens. He loved sewing and anything to do with fire. He lit his hair on fire more than once, but not on purpose. He once participated in some type of talent show. He did fire poi, some type of dancing with, of course, fire. He won second place, too. He also loved to sing, and would do so all the time. There was a special lullaby he used to sing ky to sleep, and one or both of the twins if they couldn’t sleep,either. Mostly Vio, who had pretty bad insomnia, but also Blue, who had nightmares a lot. His personality, described by the prince, princess, and Sky after he died, was ‘sunshine in human form.’”

“Is that it?”

“Unless you want to sit here for another hour with me telling you all the stupid rumours about Shadow and everything about red, yeah.”

Green and Vaati leaned back in their chairs,noe exhausted from the fact overload. “So, why did you need all that, again?”

“You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”

“Try me, I’ve heard some really weird things researching this castle that you don’t want to know about.”

“Okay, here goes.” Green stared at the floor. “I’ve been seeing ghost-like scenes of these kids, Red, Blue, Vio, and Shadow, just hanging out and having fun. I was really creeped out. The first was in this library, at that table over there…”

Neither of them noticed a pair of mismatched glowing eyes looking at them from behind the bookshelf.

---

A wispy, translucent figure floated from behind the bookshelf. From the waist up, he looked as he did when he was alive. He had messy purple hair, black horns sticking out of his head. His teeth were like a wolf’s, sharp and pure white. He had tan skin and mismatched eyes, one blue and the left a blood red. He had clawed hands with sharp black nails, the left holding on to the bookshelf, the right holding the hand of another ghost. The demon-like ghost had on a long-sleeve white shirt with a black short-sleeve over it.

He was frowning at the two strange boys by the fireplace, talking to each other with wide eyes. He turned to the boy whose hand he was holding, who was gesturing at the living boys.

“See? I told you so!” the boy whispered. He had platinum blond hair, two long strands on the sides of his face trailing down to where his body faded into a wispy purple tail and the rest cut short. Purple earrings hung from his pointed ears. He had pale skin and purple eyes that looked like a cat’s. He wore a light purple long-sleeve shirt and sleeveless purple robes over it. The demon ghost removed his left hand from the shelf and waved it.

“Yeah, yeah, you were right. We’ve got visitors that we don’t really want. You got me. What should we do, Vio, you’re the smart one.”

“They need to leave, Shadow, they’re unwanted here, this is our castle that we share with Blue and Red.”

A maniac grin spread on Shadow’s face.

“Well, then, let’s get to it, dear Violet.”

“... don’t call me that.” Shadow laughed.

---

#Haunted Castle AU #green link #red link #blue link #vio link #shadow link #vidow #OTP #Sky Oshitsu (OC)#zelda #vaagreen #well it's implied because Zelda is an adorable little prankster that loves to say things that make Green really annoyed at her

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unfortunate-stranger-losers · 6 years

Note

(asoue-sideblog) Do you have headcanons for autistic ASOUE characters, to complete the trifecta?

oooooh absolutely let’s do this thing

For starters- I should mention that it’s pretty easy to assign special interests to the ASOUE characters, seeing as most of them have one (1) interest that defines them, so I’m just gonna list that at the top to get that out of the way and then go for other headcanons :D

Violet {gifset of her own here}

Special Interest: Inventing, but she probably had other minor SIs like Female Finnish Pirates and Nikola Tesla

Her hair in her face normally doesn’t bother her but becomes a sensory issue when she’s thinking too hard, and tying up her hair when she’s thinking has become part of her Inventing Routine

Tends to hyperfocus on her inventions/plans to the detriment of basically everything else around her

Really dislikes being put into social situations; during parties she’d hide in the corner with a book or a watch to take apart and put back together

Figured out how to sew just so she could make her and her siblings weighted blankets; she’s found that Sunny tends to like them best, but they all love them

She’s definitely got insomnia, and would stay up all night working on a new invention if her siblings didn’t keep track of her and help her get to sleep

Klaus {gifset of his own here}

Special Interest: General Literature, but he definitely gets hooked on a lot of topics he reads about. And I feel like during the canon timeline he got a special interest in the VFD Mystery

Blunt AF and literal to a fault

Literally infodumps all the time, and often doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until it’s been an hour and the conversation has moved on three times. His sisters, the Quagmires, and Fiona (for the brief time he knew her) were the only ones who weren’t really bothered by this

Often doesn’t understand verbal instruction, and definitely has trouble understanding metaphors and sarcasm

Unlike Violet, who was a bit more social, before the fire Klaus didn’t have many friends aside from his sisters. He couldn’t pass as neurotypical as well as Violet, and so a lot of the other kids saw him as the “weird” one. He usually didn’t care, especially since he preferred to stay inside and read, but he did get a bit lonely sometime. He considers Violet his best friend, as they understand each other much better than they can understand anybody else

Most of his minimal social skills were learned by watching his parents talking to their friends, which means he’s talked like an adult from a very young age

Sunny {gifset of her own here}

Special Interest: Cooking! Though it’d also be cool if at some point Sunny becomes interested in snakes, trying to figure out all about her bff Inky

Cannot focus on anything at any point; she gets distracted incredibly easily and tends to triple-task herself

Overstimulated by noise quite a lot - in the books, that’s the reason the rattle’s noise scared her

Is incredibly blunt, to the point where she can’t remember the last time she lied. This isn’t as much of a problem when she’s still speaking in baby-talk, but once she starts using actual words, Violet and Klaus have to figure out how to keep her from straight-up telling people they’ve burned down a building

Wears a lot of weighted clothing, and even as she gets older she still stims by biting

Has absolutely no sense of time - can’t remember if that conversation with Klaus over Bea’s birthday cake happened last week or last month, also she was talking to Vi ten minutes ago… wait, no, an hour… or two…

Duncan

Special Interest: Journalism of any kind, thinks he wants to be an Investigative Journalist someday

Definitely the least social of the triplets, social interaction kinda gives him anxiety and he’d much rather go over compare newspaper stories than attend parties or join clubs

Tends to infodump about Dorothy Parker or the different types of Journalism on anyone who will bother to listen, usually Isadora. As much as Quigley wanted to listen, he really couldn’t pay attention to anything at all

In contrast, Duncan is actually very good at paying attention, mostly because he takes notes on everything he’s heard and every conversation he’s had

Absolutely hates Prufrock for more reasons than just the obvious; he hates having to sit still for so long, be around so many other people who all seem to understand interaction better than him, and be judged more on test-taking than actual knowledge. Also I can guarantee that Prufrock did not have any accommodations for neurodivergent children

Has a very strong sense of justice, which is definitely why he especially hates corrupt newspapers and will rant on how much he hates The Daily Punctilio to anyone who will listen

Isadora

Special Interest: Poetry, probably specifically the works of Ogden Nash and Lord Byron (and Sappho, let’s be real)

Poetry is really the only outlet she has to emotional expression; for the life of her, she can’t figure out how she feels about anything any other way

Verbally stims by repeating famous poems to herself, or sometimes throwing in her own work and reciting it on repeat

Incredibly good at memorization, almost better than Klaus- she can recite the entirety of Rime of the Ancient Mariner if need be

Brutally honest, especially to people she considers rude; she will not hesitate to tell Carmelita exactly how much she hates her

She and Quigley were both disasters when put together because they were both Incredibly Impulsive, though in different ways: her impulsivity tended to manifest in rushing into situations without thinking through the consequences or doing something without reading instructions, while his impulsivity tended to be more “our parents are gone so i’m cutting the sleeves off of all of my shirts, they’re like 85% of my impulse control”

Quigley

Special Interest: Cartography and Geography, he definitely used to have a collection of cool-looking globes and maps

The most obviously autistic of the triplets, he tends to completely ignore social cues, forget that people have boundaries, and stim whenever he gets nervous

Waaay too trusting of people, and easily deceived because he kinda forgets that people would just lie to each other

Has intense difficulty sitting or standing still and paying attention; if he’d been sent to Prufrock, he probably would’ve tried to run away before the first week was up

Needs mental stimulation at all times, or else he’ll go do something wild like try to bungee-jump off the roof with glued-together rubber bands while Isadora cheers him on and Duncan desperately drags him back inside

Sleep is a Foreign Concept

Hand-flapping and jumping up and down are his main stims, but Modern!Quigley 100% has a million of those sequin pillows to run his hands through and shares them with Sunny, who also adores them

Fiona

Special Interest: Mycology, but she also sometimes gets intense fixations on types of marine life, which is to be expected when she’s constantly surrounded by the ocean

Unfortunately Widdershins never really pays attention to her when she infodumps, so she gained a habit of talking to herself. The Baudelaires and Phil were among the first people to actually listen to her when she talked about her favorite fungi

Incredibly fascinated by how the Queequeg works and all the details of how it functions, which is how she ended up being the Chief Engineer, even though she’s not super great at actually fixing things

Gets really bored by things that don’t interest her, and often will find a way to distract herself, whether she wants to or not (see: “When I want her to research the life of Herman Melville, she works slowly, but she’s quick as a whip when the subject is mushrooms”)

Actually very sensitive to touch, especially from people she doesn’t know. Will really only make physical contact with people she trusts

Even though she’s technically pretty introverted, she’s very codependent, and panics when she thinks she might have to be alone

When she’s not in uniform, Fiona wears mismatched clothing and doesn’t care how bad it looks; it feels good and that’s what matters to her, so who cares if she’s wearing a pink sweatshirt with a green skirt and two different kinds of shoes?

so yeah, the vfd kids are very autistic and i love them

{stranger things autism headcanons} {losers club autism headcanons}

#asoue #a series of unfortunate events #asoue netflix #autism #autistic headcanons #asoue books #asoue spoilers #book spoilers #autistic!violet #autistic!klaus #autistic!sunny #autistic!duncan #autistic!isadora #autistic!quigley #autistic!fiona #autistic!vfd #mine #text #unfortunate generation

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eldritchsurveys · 6 years

Text

o96.

Have you ever had a bonfire on the beach? >> Nope. I’ve attended a bonfire in the forest, though, which was quite lovely.

Are you skilled when it comes to working in the kitchen? >> Not particularly. I can do the basics and that’s about it.

When was the last time you went to a campground? >> A few years ago, in Brooklyn.

Do you listen to music while driving? >> Sparrow is the driver and she plays her iPod. We’d switch up but the adapter is a Lightning cable and therefore doesn’t fit my phone. (In Wednesday’s car, the radio does what it wants -- except when Friday’s fucking with it, of course.)

Is there a movie you currently want to see? >> Sure, there are a lot of movies I want to see.

When was the last time you hung out with people younger than you? >> Well, Sparrow’s younger than me.

What is the closest blue object to you? >> A Black Panther blanket.

How much did you spend on your last shopping trip? >> I don’t remember.

Do you wish you had a better cellular plan? >> No, it’s fine for my purposes.

Are you good at buying gifts for people? >> I’d like to think so. I certainly don’t stress out about it as much as most people, which I think has its own benefits.

Would you consider yourself to be generous? >> At times.

Have you ever recieved an autograph from a celebrity? >> Yeah, a couple. But usually I got autographs from band members.

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? >> I don’t usually laugh hard enough to cry. Hard enough to lose my breath, yeah. Not so much cry.

Are you currently studying for your driver's lisence? >> No, but I did get to drive for the first time last weekend, and it was exhilarating. And not as difficult as I’d convinced myself it must be (so my first thoughts, before I started second-guessing, were right after all)! I’m still leery about getting on the road with actual other drivers, even in small-ass Wayland, but... I’ll get there eventually, I guess.

Have you ever gone over your cellphone plan by accident? >> Yeah, years ago.

Are you in a relationship with the last person you kissed? >> Sure.

Ever done something that at the time didn't bother you, but it did later? >> Yep.

Can you honestly say you've been drunk before? >> I can honestly say that.

Where did you get your last bruise from? >> I don’t remember the last time I was bruised. It takes a lot to bruise me.

Have you ever argued with a person of authority, and won? >> I don’t think so.

Is there a certain color of eyeshadow you prefer, if you wear eyeshadow? >> I like metallic shades.

Have you ever been addicted to mints? >> No, but I am somehow addicted to mint itself. I’m always huffing my lip balm because it has peppermint in it, lmao.

Are you a person that likes to take chances? >> Sure, sometimes.

Would you consider your life to be great right now? >> Sure, why not.

When a friend confides in you with their problems, do you listen? >> Sometimes. If that’s all they expect me to do, is listen, then yeah, it’s a lot easier. It’s when people want me to react a certain way that I have to determine whether I’m in the mood for that or not.

Do you have a piece of technology that should be dead, but it's still going? >> That reminds me of a netbook I used to have, Gilead, that I had to keep resurrecting because I couldn’t afford a new machine. It was definitely on borrowed time and performed horribly but I had no other option. When I finally got enough money to buy JARVIS, literally the day I brought JARVIS home Gilead gave up completely (probably with a sigh of relief, if computers could sigh). It’d done its best for me and finally it could rest. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated a machine more in my life than I did Gilead, even when I was frustrated with it.

When it rains, does it put the damper on your mood? >> Sometimes. Also, heh, damper.

What was the latest you stayed up in the past week? >> Probably around 1a.

Have you had an awkward situation with someone recently? >> Not to my knowledge.

Do you always seem to be losing your bobbypins? >> I don’t have any in the first place.

When was the last time you found something overwhelming? >> It probably had something to do with sensory overload. Or video games.

Going anywhere next year for vacation? >> I’m not sure, what with Sparrow going back to school and the wedding towards the end of the year.

Ever sent drunk texts? >> I’ve sent texts while intoxicated, but I think even my intoxicated texts were at least coherent. One time I texted Sparrow while tripping and it might have taken me about a half-hour to type it but it came out perfectly clear in the end, so.

Do you remember the dream you had last night? >> No, I just remember the part that had Hallie in it (probably because that’s the last bit that happened before I woke up).

How many dresses do you own? >> About 5 or so.

Do any of your friends seem like a brother or sister to you? >> No. I don’t know what that would feel like, and what would make it different from friendship.

What bothers you more, cigarette smoke or cigar smoke? >> Cigar smoke, it’s more fragrant and harder to breathe through.

What do you think of Leonardo DiCaprio? >> I think he’s neat. The Oscar-related memes were really funny for a while, and then he won one and killed the meme. :p

Have you ever seen a movie that messed with your mind? >> Sure. I used to prefer movies like that. I still kind of do, but I also can’t watch them all the time like I used to.

Do you look good in hats? >> Not most of them. It’s the lack of hair.

Can you see a noticeable difference between DVD and Blueray? >> I can’t, but that’s a personal handicap.

Is there a song you're currently listening to on repeat? >> No.

Are you going to make a mega wish at 11:11 on 11/11/11? >> I don’t think I did.

Speaking of numbers, do you have a lucky one? >> Nah.

What do you think musical artists who use autotune? >> I don’t have an opinion. I prefer not to listen to Autotuned singers most of the time, but I don’t judge them or anything.

Have you ever held hands with someone for no reason? >> There’s always a reason.

Has anything surprised you today? >> I don’t recall.

When was the last time you played a video game? >> I played Pillars of Eternity 2 earlier today. I didn’t think the Beast of Winter DLC would be so tedious and full of annoyingly difficult enemies, but I’m suffering through it because Rymrgand is my goth-god fave.

Have you ever just watched flames from a fire & just thought about things? >> Sure.

Are there any musical albums coming out soon that you can't wait for? >> I don’t even know what albums are due out.

Have you talked to your significant other today? >> Yeah.

Have you ever sat down and eaten an entire cake by yourself? >> Nooooo.

Do you have perfect vision? >> I don’t know if it’s perfect or not, but I do know it’s pretty damn good.

Is there something you want to buy right now? >> Not at this moment. Unless it’s tickets to see Wardruna in Boulder and the matching transportation tickets. :T

Do you know anyone who can speak Gaelic? >> I don’t think I know anyone personally that speaks it fluently.

When it comes to eye color, do you have a preference? >> No.

What was the most unique pet you've owned? >> Vivek used to have a baby krogan. Its name was Snuggles.

Is your hair currently dyed? >> No.

Has something annoyed you recently? >> Probably.

Do you like Doritos? >> Nope.

When you buy clothes, do you always try them on first? >> Not always. I often regret that, but.

Have you used bugspray recently? >> No.

Do you enjoy swimming in the ocean? >> I enjoy being near the ocean, but I can’t swim, so I usually just stay in the part where the tide flows in.

Have you ever bitten through your lip by accident? >> No.

Are you good at coming up with dares? >> No.

Do you know someone with the last name Brown? >> Probably.

Is there somewhere in the world you would never go? >> War zones, most likely.

Have you ever tried to sew or knit anything? >> Yes. Oftentimes I succeeded.

Has someone ever told you something that left you speechless? >> Probably.

Has something ever happened to you that seemed like it was from a movie? >> Well, yeah.

Do you find yourself to be a believer in love at first sight? >> Not particularly, but I won’t profess to know other people’s experiences.

Or perhaps, do you believe that there's that "someone" out there for you? >> I mean, there’s definitely people out there who mesh well with me. I’m in a relationship with one of those people, so there’s evidence.

Does money really matter to you? >> Of course it does. I like not starving to death in a cardboard box in an alley, after all.

Is there something you want to do, that you swear you will, no matter what? >> I don’t think I can make that sort of promise.

Do you know anyone who is a germaphobe? >> Yes.

Have you ever just laid out and watched the stars? >> No, but I probably should one day.

Is there a song that gets you pumped up no matter what? >> Skindred’s got a couple songs like that. Sound of Madness by Shinedown is another good one.

How about a song that soothes your anger or sadness? >> I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday by David Bowie. I mean, it also makes me sad, but like... a different kind of sad. A sweeter sad.

Have you ever cheated at a card game? >> No.

Tell me what colors you're wearing right now? >> Grey and black.

Have you ever wandered around drunk with your friend? >> Yep. And high, and tripping balls.

Are you longing for the day that you'll be an adult? (If you're not already) >> I am already an adult.

Have you ever felt like your heart actually stopped? >> No.

Are you a fast runner? >> I don’t know, anymore. I used to be, I think.

What's something you've vowed to never eat? >> Hm.

What emotions do you associate with the color blue? >> Calm, gentleness, melancholy, contentment, heaviness, apathy. Depends on the shade.

Do you have a "poker face"? >> Yeah.

Are you good at holding back your laughter if needed? >> Nope.

Do any of your friends shamelessly burp or fart in public? >> I used to have a friend that did.

When was the last time you had a good cry? >> I don’t know. Most cries are mediocre at best.

Has anyone ever told you they wanted to marry you? >> Yes.

Is there a soundtrack to a movie that you absolutely love? >> There are several soundtracks like that.

Do you have a place where you keep your keepsakes? >> No.

Have you ever had a "thumb war" with someone? >> Yep.

What's your favorite style of jeans? (Skinny, boot cut, flare, etc) >> Skinny and bootcut.

Have you ever owned a diary/journal with a lock and key? >> Yeah, my first diary as a child was like that.

Do you have trouble sleeping if you sleep anywhere else but home? >> Yep.

Have you ever been so unfortunate to suffer from a hangover? >> Nope.

Do any of your friends have particularly annoying habits? >> I mean, probably, yeah.

Is there someone you know who can never mind their own business? >> Yep, lmao.

If you need a job, will you take whatever you can get? >> ---

When you were little, what movie did you watch over and over? >> I wasn’t allowed to do that.

Do you rely on caffeine to keep you awake sometimes? >> Nope. Caffeine makes me hyper-aware of my heartbeat and paranoid and shit, so I avoid it.

When it comes to tests or exams, are you a crammer? >> ---

Time goes by faster as you get older, don't you find? >> No. Check back in 20 years.

Have you ever had a panic attack? >> Yes.

Do you own anything made of silk? >> Nope.

Is there anyone you know who looks like their dog? >> LOL no. But I’ve seen that phenomenon in photos.

Are you deathly allergic to anything? >> Nope.

Have you ever had a mouse in your house? >> Yeah.

Has anyone you trusted ever backstabbed you? >> I don’t know, maybe?

Do you recycle? >> Not regularly.

Do you know what you want for your dream house? >> ---

Have you ever seen the movie the Notebook? >> Nope.

Trying to put yourself in someone's shoes can be difficult at times, true? >> LMAO “at times”...

If you download torrents, what torrent program do you use? >> uTorrent.

If you go to school, will this year be different? >> ---

Do you own a trenchcoat? >> Yeah, technically, but I can’t wear it because it’s too small. >:|

The last person you kissed, have they ever done something special for you? >> Can Calah is always doing things for me.

Do you know anyone who DOESN'T have an ex? >> I don’t think so.

Are you able to count to ten in another language? >> Yes.

Is there something you know you have to do, but haven't done it yet? >> Not at this moment.

Is anyone you know really religious? >> Probably.

Can you sing? >> Yes.

Have you ever read "Gone With the Wind"? >> Nope.

If you look back at pictures of yourself from years ago, do you hate it? >> Hell no, I love older photos of myself. They’re adorable.

Have you ever used the photo editing site "Picnik"? >> Oh yeah, I remember Picnik.

Are your eyebrows naturally thick? >> Yep.

Is there someone that likes you and won't leave you alone? >> Not in an unwanted sense.

Has an animal ever taken a strong dislike to you? >> Probably.

When was the last time someone gave you a hand written letter? >> Rez did, with a package she sent me a few months ago.

Has someone ever told you how they felt about you in a letter? >> I don’t think so.

Have you ever told someone else how you felt about them in a letter? >> I don’t think so.

Do you find emails to not be as personal as letters? >> No.

Enough about letters, have you ever broken the law? >> Yes.

Have you ever attempted to cut your own hair? >> I cut my own hair every few weeks. I’m going to do it again tomorrow morning.

Has speaking in front of people ever made you sick? >> Nope.

Do you follow a lot of bands and musicians on myspace? >> I used to, back when it was active.

Have you ever wanted to tell someone how you felt, but never did? >> Yeah.

What was the last movie that made you teary-eyed? >> Oh, god, The Equalizer 2 ruined me.

Do you have a lucky or special coin? >> No.

Do you find you have a lot of notebooks that aren't close to being filled? >> No. I don’t buy notebooks anymore for that exact reason, no matter how pretty they are. I know better.

Do you love ice cream cake more than normal cake? >> No.

Do you sometimes write "lol" when in reality, you aren't laughing? >> Yep. At this point it’s reflexive more than anything else.

Have you had a piece of jewellry that turned your skin green? >> Yeah, so I don’t wear it anymore.

Do you check your email daily? >> I have a Chrome extension that alerts me to new emails, so yeah, I do end up seeing my emails daily.

Is there anyone you know who's in any way, paralyzed? >> Not anyone I know personally, unless it’s someone online who doesn’t talk about it ever.

Your significant other, are they shorter, taller or the same height as you? >> Sparrow is an inch taller than me. Can Calah is generally a little shorter than me, by his own preference.

Is there a certain type of music you love but don't tell many people about? >> Nope.

Do you know all the words to your national anthem? >> Yeah.

Have you ever breathed in helium? >> Yeah. Highly recommended.

Are you currently hungry? >> Nah.

Do you try to be confident and positive about your future? >> I don’t try to be anything about the future.

The truth all comes out when someone is drunk, true? >> Untrue. Maybe in some cases, yes, because alcohol tends to amplify what’s already going on with people... but I wouldn’t take what someone says in a drunken tirade super-seriously unless I had good reason to (based upon sober interactions and prior knowledge of the individual).

Just a random question, but can you tap dance? >> Nope.

No one really bothers with the legal drinking age anymore, do they? >> ...What?

When was the last time you felt disappointed in yourself? >> I don’t remember.

How about feeling disappointed in someone else? >> I don’t remember.

For you, do you commonly feel more jealousy or envy? >> Envy.

Do you rely on the heads/tails flipping of a coin sometimes for decisions? >> Sometimes, yeah.

Do you have any specific chores you do around the house? >> I do the vacuuming most often.

Have you ever owned a garden? >> No.

Who was the last person to text you? >> Sparrow.

Does a blank sheet of paper sometimes prove to be inspiring? >> Not for me, it doesn’t.

For you, does comfort or fashion come first in dressing? >> It really is a combination of both. Luckily, most of the fashion I like is made to be comfortable, so.

Have you had two friends that absolutely hated each other? >> Yeah.

Do you ever find yourself trying to be the referee amongst your friends? >> Nope. I’m over that shit. Kill each other if you like.

Is there someone who always gives you inspiring advice? >> No.

Everyone has a role model. Who's yours? >> Apparently I am not “everyone”.

Do you ever "play drums" on tables or other hard surfaces? >> Yeah, sometimes.

Has a laptop ever burned your legs? >> Yep.

Do you know anyone who has a scar through their eyebrow? >> Yeah, actually, but I don’t remember who... weird.

Do you feel compelled to brush your hair hourly? >> Hell no.

Who was the last person to flip you off? >> Sparrow, because we do that to each other for the lulz.

Give me a list of the objects currently close to you? >> Okay, nah.

Are you doing anything the day after tomorrow? >> Yeah, hopefully going to the Grand Rapids Public Museum to see the Be the Astronaut exhibit, which I’d been hype as shit for.

Anyone's birthday coming up soon? >> Someone’s, I’m sure. Oh, Vlad’s is towards the end of the month, yeah.

Would you ever wear fake eyelashes? >> I’d try it but I bet they’d make me overstimulated.

Do you make the effort to smile at people? >> Sometimes, if I feel like it.

Are you good at following directions? >> If I feel like it.

Have you ever just screamed really loud in an attempt to feel better? >> No.

Are you in any way, still a child at heart? >> Sure.

Quality triumphs over quantity, correct? >> For the most part. There are always exceptions, I’m sure.

Have you ever danced when there was no music playing? >> Probably.

Do you have someone that you can just act a fool with and not care? >> Probably.

Have you ever listened to the uilleann pipes (Irish pipes)? >> I don’t think so, unless I have and didn’t know what they were.

Do you like Laffy Taffy? >> Sometimes. I don’t really eat candy much, though.

Is there any food within an arm's reach of you right now? >> Yeah.

From where you're sitting, can you touch a wall? >> I could if the back of this futon wasn’t in the way.

Would you ever stand at the bow of a ship & yell I'm the king of the world? >> Maybe, lol.

Do you know anyone who every second word they say seems to be a curse? >> Eh, not really.

Have you recieved a text today that made you go "wtf"? >> No.

When at a restaurant, do you put your napkin on your lap? >> Yeah.

Is there a saying you always seem to be using? >> I don’t know, I can never remember this sort of thing on command.

Are you even feeling the least bit tired? >> Yep. It’s bedtime after this. It’s actually over my bedtime because I underestimated how long it’d take me to get through this.

Is there currently any caffeine or alcohol in your system? >> Nope.

Do you prefer electric or manual pencil sharpeners? >> Electric is fine.

Are your biceps at all noticeable? >> Not so much anymore.

Have you ever seen a walrus? >> Not in person.

Do you have a preference: white erasers or pink erasers? >> My preference is good erasers.

Did you ever have one of those easy bake ovens as a kid? >> Nope.

When it comes to dropping food, do you believe in the 10 second rule? >> No, because it’s scientifically unsound. If I do eat food off the floor, it’s while knowing that I’m taking a risk.

When it comes to driving, do you know about the 2 second rule? >> I don’t know about that, no.

If given the opportunity, would you ride on a camel? >> Hell yeah, I’d at least try it.

Do you believe that cellphones actually do cause cancer? >> I don’t fuckin know. Existence causes cancer, tbh, so hey, whatever.

Is there anyone you know who won't get one because of this belief? >> I don’t know anyone like that, no.

When people you know cry, does it make you feel like crying too? >> Nope.

Laughter is universally contageous, right? >> Not necessarily. But I am more likely to laugh when someone else is laughing, because I like to laugh (and find a lot of shit funny).

#surveys #survey #random survey

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starrycereal · 6 years

Note

C! You got so many new OCs, I don't know which to ask you about! I'll send you a bunch of numbers and you can answer each question for whichever character you want. (I want to know more about them all!) So, how about numbers 1, 4, 10, 15, 18, 22, 29, 35, 40, 45, 55, 60, 63, 65, 71, 75, 83 and 90?

You said you wanted to know more about them all, so because this is long, I put it under a cut.

Here is the list for anyone who is curious, because I use group answers in a few of them (also if they are from something that is not my own content, that's in parentheses): Varey, Chanden, Sarai Lavellan (DA:I Inquisitor), Valera Cousland (DA:O Warden), Nell Prince, Kiera Prince, Jude Liebrecht, Eli Liebrecht, Asha Vidalis, Leo Vidalis, Maureen Shepard (Mass Effect), Mara, Cassia (she was actually Aster but I forgot I changed her name), Aria Doherty, Sol Vela.

The longer questions are only answered fror one or two of my OCs.

1. What is their gender?

All of them except Chanden, Leo, Jude, and Eli are the only four males, something I working on with Varey and Aria’s stories, but all of them need more developing. The rest are female.

4. Do they have any siblings? How many? Are they older or younger? Which sibling are they the closest with?

Varey had five four siblings, including Chanden. Nell and Kiera are twins, Leo and Asha are twins, and Eli and Jude are twins. Their story has stuff to do with twins can’t you tell? Valera has an older brother, as does Sarai. Mara also has a brother. Aria had a younger sister, but she died.

10. What are some of their talents/skills?

Varey and Chanden are literal manifestations of oceans. Nell can shoot lightning, Kiera turns “invisible,” Jude creates illusions, Eli teleports short distances, Leo reads/projects thoughts, Asha can predict near future. Valera is good at killing shit with knives. Sarai has a magical glowing hand, also good at killing things. Also has millennia of knowledge at her disposal. Aria and Maureen are damn good snipers, Aster is a mechanic. Mara is basically a DnD bard when I think about it. Sol is as close to a doctor as someone in a post-apocalyptic world gets.

15. What was something their parents taught them?

Aria learned how to sew from her mom, Sol’s dad taught her what she knows about being a doctor. Aster’s parents both taught her how to sing. Valera’s mom taught her her how to speak Clayne (I’m ignoring what canon says on this I think. Too bad.) Sarai learned how to dance from her dad. Varey and Chanden were taught how to act vaguely human by their “mother.” Nell, Kiera, Asha, Leo, Eli, and Jude never really met their parents.

18. What languages can they speak? Where did they learn these languages?

Leo and Asha learned how to speak Spanish from one of their instructors, and taught the rest of the twin groups the basics. Sarai speaks Elven and Common. Valera speaks Orlesian and Clayne. Aster and Maureen both have a universal translator if that counts.

22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality?

Maureen hates how much she cares. She logically knows she can’t save everyone, but any time she gets a casualty report her heart sinks.

29. How would they describe their own personality?

Sarai: “I take very few things seriously, and when I do, it’s always fun to watch people try and keep up with my train of thought.”

35. What is the easiest way to annoy them?

Valera will hit the next person who asks about the scar on her face and the ones on her neck. She doesn’t care if you’re actually curious or not, they aren’t your business. (The one on her cheek is from Zevran when they first met, the ones on her neck are from a dragon).

40. Who do they trust most? Is that trust mutual?

Aria trusts her friend Luke, Sol, and Sol’s family. That’s about it. They all trust her, to varying degrees.

45. How would they describe their own appearance?

Aster: “Tall, which usually isn’t good for a mechanic. White-blonde hair that shows the grease stains too easy. Green eyes. Too many freckles. Usually wearing the jumpsuit they give us on board, probably have the upper half tied around my waist if I’m working. There’s a tank top under it.”

55. What is their alcohol tolerance like? What kind of drunk are they? How bad are their hangovers?

Sarai and Aster out-drinks nearly all of their friends. Sarai is the “very affectionate” kind of drunk depending on the day, with a standard hangover. Aster is the “hold my beer and watch this” drunk, but has like no hangover.

60. Describe the way they sleep.

Varey, Maureen, Nell, Kiera, Leo, Asha, Jude, Eli, Aster, and Mara are all light sleepers who make themselves as small as possible when they sleep. They don’t move much either. Valera ihas a lot of nightmares, but doesn’t move around very much. Sarai sprawls out and sleeps like the dead until she gets the Anchor. Then she’s a much lighter sleeper. Sol is a dead woman when she sleeps, and never responds to anything. Chanden is a lot like Valera, minus the nightmares.

63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile?

Valera laughs at just about all of her husband’s jokes, sometimes out of pity. Sarai smiles very easily. Cute bird on the railing? Smile. Certain blond guy gets his ass chewed out by her girlfriend Josephine? Smile. Varey, Kiera, Aria, and Jude don’t smile often but their families (found or not) usually can get them to. Nell, Sol, Asha, Leo, and Eli are like Sarai.

65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick?

Maureen only gets sick sometimes, but when she does, she is either a) impossible to get to rest, regardless of how serious the illness is, or b) the whiniest and most miserable person you can imagine. There is no in between.

71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any?

Sarai, Mara, Maureen, and Valera love kids, although Sarai doesn’t want any. Valera does. Sol, Nell, Kiera, Asha, Leo, Eli, and Jude have no interest in having kids, but they don’t mind them. Varey and Chanden are both very awkward--”what is this tiny mortal doing on my ship why is it here wHY ARE YOU GIVING IT TO ME??!?!?!!” Aster and Aria don’t like them, but are good at hiding it.

75. How organized are they?

Maureen, Aster, Kiera, Asha, Jude, Eli, Valera, and Sol, are all very organized. Varey, Aria, and Sarai are organized with help. Everyone else has no hope, even with help.

83. Can they swim? How well? Do they like to swim?

Varey and Chanden are manifestations of oceans, like I said earlier. They are very good at swimming, as well as Sarai, Nell, and Sol. Maureen doesn’t enjoy it very much, but she’s good at it. Valera, Kiera, Asha, Eli, and Jude can swim and are ok at it. Leo, Mara, and Aster are terrified of water.

90. Are they right or left handed?

Sarai is left handed, which makes using the Anchor a bit more dangerous because she has to put her sword down. Valera, Asha, Varey, and Sol are ambidextrous. Everyone else is right handed.

#my ocs

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ladydracarysao3 · 7 years

Photo

Nemesis of Neglect: A Dragon Age & Jack the Ripper Tale

Chapter Three

Disclaimer This is a canon divergent Dragon Age and True Crime mash-up of Kirkwall, and London’s notorious Jack the Ripper. It is a tale not for the faint of heart, but rather for the reader who wishes to ride a thrilling mystery of sex, deception, and murder.

[Read Chapter Three on AO3] or [Start with the Prologue]

Chapter Three

Sitting in Merrill’s modest home, the elf pours Ian a cup of tea. “I am so very sorry, Ian. Bethany was such a wonderful person. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how someone could do such a thing to her,” she says.

Point blank, Ian asks, “Did you know she was a conjurer?”

Merrill’s hold on her teapot stammers and the pottery rattles. She sets it down along with herself, eyes firmly fixed to the ground. “I did.”

“I assume she begged you not to tell me.”

“She did.”

“Why? Why did she want it secret from me?” Ian drinks from her tea. It mildly soothes the headache forming from lack of sleep and lack of whiskey. Setting it down, she reaches into her breast pocket and produces a small flask, pouring a bit of its contents into her cup.

“Ian, if I may be so bold,” Merrill begins. She looks at Ian with anguish in her large green eyes.

“Please, Merrill, I’ve known you for years. Speak your truth.”

Merrill’s words muddle and hurry while she fidgets with her hands. “You can be...well...you can be quite the force when you want to be. Bethany knew you wouldn’t approve, but she so desperately wanted to learn. She got it in her head that magic was her destiny. I told her no, at first, but she promised to be careful. That is why she wanted to learn from those of us who are more experienced.”

There is a storm threatening to rage inside Ian, but she knows Merrill will not be of help if she’s scared. The woman is somehow a balance of both strong and fragile, and Ian’s need for answers offsets the risk of causing the elf to shut down. “As in, who? Elves?” Ian asks as calmly as she can.

“Basically, yes.”

“I see. Did you meet together? Where do your groups gather? I need to see them.”

“I...I’m not sure...I…” Merrill stammers.

Ian takes a long, steady breath and shuts her eyes. She finishes her tea and looks at Merrill. “Merrill,” there is a heated waver in her voice that causes the elf’s eyes to widen. “This is serious. Take me there. Now.”

“Of course it is,” she says shaking her head. “But it is not as simple as taking you somewhere. Please, just give me some time and I will get you what you seek.”

“ Merrill ,” Ian warns.

“I promise Ian,” Merrill pleads. “I will do my best. You just need to give me a little time. Come back in two hours and I will take you.”

Ian sighs and stands. Collecting her hat, she nods as she places it on her head. “Two hours,” she says and leaves Merrill’s home.

She takes the opportunity to seek out past associates, question them on what they’ve seen and heard, but ends up with just more... nothing . It’s frustrating. She goes through more rolled cigarettes than she would care to admit and finishes her flask of whiskey.

Those avenues proving fruitless for now, she walks and wanders, aimless at first. At least, that is what she thinks she is doing. She silently nods as passersby greet her and convey their condolences. She sneers and ignores the ignorant who spit foul words. One man yells from the safety of his upper window, “You know what they call a dead witch? A good start!” The words sting against her bubbling rage, but she presses onward.

It isn’t until she stands in the room that she realizes where she went.

Bethany’s lifeless body is gone, but the blood remains. Someone had sloppily attempted to remove the words from the brick, but the stain resides. It stinks and it’s damp and Ian stares at the shadow of where her sister had laid. She crouches over that shadow and places her palm in its center, the spot in which her sister’s heart ceased beating.

“Oh, Bethany,” she whispers under her breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her heart is labored with regret. She should have paid more attention to her sister. She should have known that Bethany was in danger. She worked so hard to give life she thought her sister wanted. She could have helped her through this. It is unbearable, this feeling of guilt.

Ian pulls a small pocketknife from her trousers. Flicking it open, she brings the blade to her left palm. She closes her eyes and whispers, “I am sorry that I failed you in life, dear sister, but I vow to not fail you in death.” With that, she slices a small cut in her palm. It stings, but she does her best not the give into to the pain and instead relies on her conviction. Gathering a bit of blood on her fingertips, she swipes it across her nose. A public declaration of her quest for vengeance. And with more blood dripping from her hand, she lies it over that place where her sister’s heart last beat.

There is an unexplainable pulse in the air around her. It is electrical. Static. A pinging of energy that Ian focuses through, chalking it up to the strength of her devotion. She’s not sure how long she stays there. Her mind focused on duty and crusades. It is not until after the cut dries, and she hears the voices of others that she is pulled from her trance.

“Miss Hawke.”

Ian stands turns to find an elder elven man, Orsino, standing in the doorway, Merrill hovering close behind.

“How did you find me?” Ian asks.

Orsino smiles and steps inside. His eyes stop on the blood swiped on her face, his smile falters, but he does not mention it. “Magic can perform wondrous things, Miss Hawke.” When Ian scowls at his comment he hums a nervous laugh. “I am sorry to hear of your sister’s fate. It is a terrible tragedy. She will be widely missed.”

“Where is the rest of your clan, or group, or coven, whatever you call yourselves,” she asks in a harsh tone.

Orsino smiles. “I assure you, it is not as lavish as all that. And no offense, Miss Hawke, but I do not wish to parade those I hold dear around the city at a time like this.”

“So they are aware of the danger?” she asks, a little calmer.

“Yes of course. I’ve urged all that I know to completely refrain from the use of magic until this is resolved. I don’t want to take any chances.”

Ian cocks her brow. “You used it to find me.”

“I was careful.”

Ian grunts and scans the room. “As long as they’re warned. But I would like to know if anyone strange has been bothering them, or if they knew of anyone too interested in my sister.” Peering back at the man, she folds her arms and asks, “What can you tell me of my sister.”

Orsino smiles, his large, green elven eyes shimmering in the low light. “Bethany was a treasure. I had the pleasure of many wonderful talks with her.”

“Where did you meet?”

“At first we met in my home. But you see, Miss Hawke, she wanted to be a dreamer. To walk the Fade. So we soon would meet there, instead. It was safer.” Ian crinkles her expression and glares at the man. “The Fade is what we call the other side. The land of spirits. This is why your Chantry despises us so. The elves have perfected the ability to walk the Fade, and in doing so, your Chantry claims we walk the lands of the Maker and become demons.” He chuckles to himself. “It is absurd, really.”

“You commune with spirits?”

“No, no, no. We commune with each other. Spirits are not to be trusted with a novice, like your sister. Even I tread lightly in that regard.”

“If she preferred to dream, what was she doing here in Lowtown?” Ian asks.

Orsino’s face falls and he shakes his head. “That I cannot tell you. Perhaps she met with more than just the elves. She had a thirst for knowledge.”

Ian sighs with a groan. She pulls a small silver case from her breast pocket along with a box of matches. “Do you have any idea who might be doing this? You mentioned the Chantry despises this ability of yours. Could it be related?” she asks while striking a match and lighting a cigarette produced from her case.

“As severe as our relationship is with them, I have a hard time believing they capable of...this” Orsino waves his hand to the remains of the carnage left in the room. “No.” His tone turns sour. “I think it is one of those beasts that have shoved their way into this city.”

“He means the Qunari,” Merrill says softly.

“Of course I mean the Qunari!” Orsino yells. “They are wretched. Do you know what they do to those who show signs of magic in their country? They sew their mouths shut and leave them to starve! A sanctioned practice under the Qun . It is revolting. They are savages. Butchers! If anyone is capable of such wickedness as this, it is them!” Orsino’s rant works him into a state. His chest rises and falls rapidly with his heavy breath.

Ian looks at the blood on the floor, heart heavy. “If you are that passionate about it, it’s worth a visit to their streets.” She moves past the elves, leaving the room and entering the alleyway. She flicks her cigarette into the grime of the ground. “Go home, Mr. Orsino. Stay safe and stay in. Don’t do anything more that could attract attention.” She glances at Merrill. “You too.”

“No,” Merrill says, shaking her head and crossing her arms. She steps beside Ian. “I’m coming with you. You can’t go snooping around those types on your own, and I won’t hear another word about it.” Ian grins down at the shorter woman. Who is she to argue with a determined elf?

They say their farewells to Orsino and work their way through Lowtown to the streets inhabited by the Qunari settlers. The area is marked by many hanging red banners, tapestries, and lanterns. All of which are marked with the symbol of Par Vollen, their homeland. It is almost as if these few streets are their own separate entity to the rest of the city. A miniaturized Par Vollen with which even the Viscount doesn’t attempt interference.

Their people are taller and broader than the rest of the races, with horns that grow from their heads. That is why many call them beasts. Legends and myths surround the mysterious race. One being that they were an experiment gone wrong in someone’s ancient laboratory. Another that an evil conjurer created them for his own pleasure, and that is why they despise magic as they do.

They are severe in nature with almost permanent scowls on their faces. If it wasn’t for the fact that their women are rarely allowed to leave their homes, and their religion is the most oppressive to Ian’s awareness, she might actually like them.

Ian is no stranger to their streets, though she tries to avoid them when possible. However, she knows precisely where to find the only man who may speak to her at all. The only man permitted to speak with any non-Qun individuals. Their leader. The Arishok .

Ian enters a large meeting hall in the center of their main street. Merrill follows close behind, chin held high, but silent. The men inside all fall quiet as the women walk through. Every pair of pearlescent silver eyes fixated on them and sneering, offended that two women just entered their view. Especially offended that one of those women is Ian.

“The woman Hawke,” the Arishok grumbles from his large seat at the end of the hall. He sits on a large stone bench atop a narrow set of stairs. His body is already the largest in the room. The height of his seat only adds to the foreboding, intimidating nature of his presence.

“Why have you come,” he says. “State it quickly before you are thrown from my streets.”

“I wish to be here about as much as you wish me here,” Ian says as she approaches his dais.

“Then speak.”

“The murders. I’m sure you know which ones.” Ian says, stopping at the bottom of the steps.

“Of your city’s filthy bas saarebas, yes, I am aware. Why do you bother me with this, human?” He flits his hand at her dismissively.

“Did you order these killings?” Her chin raises and the man’s frown deepens.

“ Ian ,” Merrill whispers. “ Tact .”

“These men have no patience for tact, Merrill. I know the Arishok would rather I get right to it,” Ian says. Her eyes never leave the locked gaze with the man.

The Arishok leans forward. “Your kind think selfishness and want are normal. This city leaves a bad taste. No order, no goal. Your populus is festering with greed and weakness. You will all implode in time, you think I would waste my time ripping your slum’s foul? Your city’s soil is none of my concern.”

“Interesting choice of words, Arishok. Ripping . That’s curious. Curious indeed. Don’t you find that curious, Merrill?” She looks down at the elf beside her. Merrill’s eyes are as large as the moons and as worried as a halla cornered by a wolf.

“Enough with your games, Hawke. I did not order these murders,” the Arishok says.

“Perhaps not you,” Ian says, “but has one of your pets has gone rogue?” She glances around at the angry faces in the room. “I do not doubt you know of what transpires in your house. Anything but would be a disservice. So, tell me, do you cover for his sickness?”

“The Qun demands compliance, glory is clear and defined. There is no concept of rogue !” He growls his words with thundering power. “You dare walk into my halls and throw accusations?” he yells. “It is your own house that is sick! Your own house that has fallen to the corruption of free will and magic! End your chaos and disorder will cease!”

“Have you come here to proselytize? Perhaps convert the city of Kirkwall, and then perhaps inspire our Ripper?”

“No. Foundering here was unexpected. I have purpose other than watching you rot. But, this city, how long must I let you harm yourselves?” He sits upright and gestures to the door. “I suspect we are done here.”

While Hawke has never had a true grasp on her temper, she usually keeps it in check when she is on the edge of a losing battle. But something comes over her and she loses her control, her quest for vengeance pulling at the strings rather than her brain. “With talk like that, I’m to believe your hands are clean in this? There are none who abhor the conjurers quite as Qunari. None who wish to change our ways quite as Qunari. Is it not possible that one of these sheep of yours has turned to wolf by your hateful preaching?” She begins to pace. “Are you sure your grip is as tight around these cocks as you think?!”

Ian snarls and points to the men surrounding the room. Their hulking bodies growing closer by the second. “Who killed my sister, Arishok? Do you yet cover for him? If what you say of compliance is truth, he should be punished!”

“Leave,” The Arishok orders, “or I shall remove you.”

“Answer me!” she screams.

At that moment, Ian catches a glimpse of a fist flying in her direction. She ducks and kicks her leg out, colliding it into the groin of her attacker. His body falls backward onto the wooden floor with a crash, but more bodies come stampeding toward her.

She screams for Merrill to run as the men tighten their circle around the women. Ian throws punches and is hit with with theirs. She manages to evade some, but she is being struck hard and plenty. She reaches for the knife in her pocket at the same time that she feels the impact of a fist in her left kidney. Seeing stars, she turns to swipe its blade at the man behind her. She catches sight of Merrill struggling in the hold of another before something hard hits the back of her head…

And everything turns black.

#nemesis of neglect #Jack the Ripper AU #dragon age au #my fic #marian hawke #sorry it's late #the day got away from me

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real-life-pine-tree · 7 years

Text

Rehabilitation: Shay’s First Date (Jitters) (4/?)

Side effects may include a loss of self-identity and individuality, frequent nightmares, questioning your own existence, severe mental trauma, constant panic attacks, spontaneous crying at random moments, and a strong desire to stay with loved ones at all cost. Co-written with @violetganache42��. Takes place between Chapters 6 and 7 of Arc-V Aftermath.

Later that night, back at the Obsidian household, Shay was in the tailor room, trying to figure out what to wear for his date with Declan. He had to look nice for their dinner this evening, but he wasn't sure whether he should wear a suit or a different set of formal attire.

"DO YOU NEED HELP, MASTER SHAY?" a robot maid asked.

"Sort of," Shay answered. "Declan Akaba invited me out to dinner this evening and he said I should wear something formal."

"IS THIS A DATE?" the robot maid asked.

"Kind of..." Shay admitted. "But I see it as spending time with a fellow Duelist and a good friend."

"MY GOODNESS, IT IS A DATE," the robot maid said. "I HAVE JUST THE THING FOR YOU TO WEAR."

She dashed off to the tailor room's closet where all of the Obsidians' premade outfits were nicely stored and organized in preparation for any surprise special occasions. She skimmed through Shay's collection before spotting what she was looking for and took it out of the closet. His first date outfit consisted of a long-sleeved, button-up, white shirt underneath a black vest and a black suit jacket, black pants with a black belt, and a pair of black shoes.

"Not bad," Shay remarked. "This looks pretty snazzy."

"I MADE THIS IN CASE OF A DATING EMERGENCY," the robot maid informed. "YOU DID SEEM NERVOUS."

"I'm not nervous," Shay lied.

"BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, DECLAN AKABA IS NOT A WOMAN," the robot maid said. "YET YOU ARE STILL FOND OF WOMEN."

That was the problem. Shay was straight yet he didn't want to turn down the offer. He was given the advice to think of this date as spending some time with a friend and that's exactly what Declan is to him: a friend. Even if he does feel nervous and uncomfortable about it, there was no way he was going to say "no" to hanging out with someone platonically close to him.

"DO NOT FEEL NERVOUS," the robot maid advised, giving the outfit to Shay. "THE AKABAS ARE JUST AS WEALTHY AS THE OBSIDIANS. I AM CERTAIN THE DINNER DATE IS ABSOLUTELY LOVELY."

Shay stared at his given outfit as he thought about how well the dinner will turn out. He wasn't sure what restaurant he'll be going to, but maybe as long as he takes Lulu's advice, he might have a good time. Trying his hardest to not let his nerves get the best of him, he walked over to the fitting room to get changed into his suit.

Some time later, Lulu entered the tailor room holding a light blue sundress. "Can you make some adjustments to this?" she asked the robot maid. "It feels a bit tight around my chest."

"CERTAINLY, MISTRESS LULU," the robot maid replied.

Lulu handed her sundress to the robot maid to help fix the chest area. Right as she was about to head over to the sewing section, Shay came out of the dressing room, wearing the suit that was saved for tonight.

The heiress let out a whistle. "You look pretty sharp," she remarked.

"It's for tonight," Shay explained. He still looked a bit nervous.

"Don't worry about it," Lulu reassured. "As long as you treat this date like a friendly get-together with Declan, you should be fine."

"I hope so," Shay said.

Several minutes later, Kameron drove on the streets connecting the Heartland and Paradise sections of the Original Dimension's city. He was taking his son to the restaurant where the dinner date was going to be, as seen by the GPS function from the Duel Disk's maps app currently giving out direction on how to get there. Declan had informed Shay on what restaurant they were going to shortly before they left, so knowing where they'll be eating at was pretty helpful.

Kameron noticed his son was rather quiet. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you and mother about this," Shay said. "I knew you were looking forward to me marrying Dextra Papillion. I really want to marry her, but-"

"It's alright, son," Kameron said. "I heard about how Declan Akaba helped you out when Lulu was kidnapped. He's a kind man and I know you see him as a good friend."

"So you don't mind this...date?" Shay asked.

"Of course not," Kameron answered. "I know you're only attracted to women, so this date isn't a concern."

Shay smiled at his father's response, knowing how he was looking forward to marrying Dextra and his worry about different sexualities. "Thank you for understanding, father," the heir said.

"You're welcome," Kameron replied. "Just remember to maintain your perfect image throughout the evening."

"Of course," Shay said.

With his father's opinion on tonight, Shay felt his nervousness start to ease a little. Maybe Kameron and Lulu were right; maybe he should try to view this as a friendly get-together since his arranged marriage won't be affected by it at all. There was a slight issue with this, however: he has never been on a date before and he doesn't have any experiences with them to be able to pull this off. Whenever he thinks he has an issue tackled, another one happens to pop up. Man, he felt like this was generally not his day.

After going through the roads, streets, and intersections, they made it at the restaurant and Shay was dropped off in front of the doorways.

"Hello Shay," Declan said, waiting for the Obsidian heir near the doorways. "You look rather handsome this evening."

Shay noticed his "date" had also dressed up nicely for the night by the simple navy blue suit he was wearing. "So you finally ditched that scarf of yours," he remarked.

"I'm flattered by your humor," Declan replied, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Now shall we enjoy this evening?"

"Sure," Shay answered.

The two walked into the restaurant to have them be seated at a table. It appeared it was starting to get busy yet there wasn't that much of a wait, so they were able to get themselves situated at a table that was in between the entrance and the doorway leading to the outdoor tables.

"A moonlit dinner?" Shay asked. "Isn't this a bit of a cliché?"

"I certainly don't think so," Declan answered. "It is a rather clear night and the moon is bright enough to provide natural lighting."

He was right; there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. The lunar luminescence casted its rays down on the city as the stars twinkled and sparkled in the midnight blue sky. If anything, it was one of the most beautiful clear nights they have ever seen.

"So why me?" Shay asked.

"Hmm?" Declan questioned.

"There are a lot of other guys in the city," Shay elaborated. "Why did you invite me to have dinner with you?"

"Because there was something about you that captivated me," Declan explained. "Maybe it was your deck, or your dueling strategies, or maybe it was your perfectly-coiffed hair. Regardless of why, you simply fascinated me as an individual."

Remembering the advice his father and sister gave him, Shay thanked Declan for the compliment. He does have a strong archetype, a powerful strategy, and even a nicely-combed hairstyle.

Declan picked up the provided menu. "So what would you like to have?" he asked.

Shay looked at his menu. "The lobster salad looks delicious," he remarked, knowing he hasn't ate lobster in a long time.

"Lobster?" Declan asked. “Why that?”

"I remember having it for dinner with my family before the Invasion," Shay recalled. "The robot maids always cooked it just right."

"So you really do have robot maids," Declan said.

"Of course," Shay replied. "Because of mother and father's successful business, we have robot maids taking care of the cooking, cleaning, and helping us maintain our perfect images."

"My parents never purchased any robotic servants," Declan said. "They hired actual people to help us at Leo Corporation."

"You're not worried about someone getting ill or quitting due to personal reasons?" Shay asked.

Declan responded on how that was the least of his concerns, especially regarding how he and the staff were preparing to go up against Duel Academy by studying and conjuring up Pendulum cards, hosting the Arc League Championship, and forming the Lancers. He could tell his date was more used to not having to deal with those risks at all.

"Besides, what if a robotic servant malfunctions?" Declan asked.

"Mother and father taught Lulu and I about basic mechanics in case of those emergencies," Shay answered. "Sometimes we even use that same knowledge to program new protocols into their databanks, whether it's a reminder to not mention an upcoming wedding or get away with unnecessary grooming."

Declan was confused by that last statement. "Unnecessary grooming?" he repeated.

Shay blushed slightly. "When I was younger, I hated being born into an elite environment," he explained. "I wanted to hang out with commoner kids and not worry about how I looked."

"You aren't like that now," Declan pointed out.

"Only because I grew out of that childish behavior when I got older," Shay continued. "Nowadays I appreciate my wealthy background."

If Declan was going to be honest, Shay had it easy. When he was younger, Leo left to become the head of Duel Academy to pursue his mission to fuse all four dimensions back and bring back Ray. This forced his son to become the new CEO at around 13 years old and seek assistance from Yusho, leading to his disappearance when he was scheduled to duel against the Sledgehammer.

"You are rather fortunate, Shay Obsidian," Declan said. "You spent your whole life living a luxurious life with your parents and sister."

"I know," Shay said. "But it wasn't always easy. I grew up with the constant knowledge that I would eventually take over the family company. I do love mother and father, but they pressured me to always looking my absolute best."

"That would explain your rather aggressive behavior during the Interdimensional War," Declan noted.

Shay looked a bit tensed. "I lost everything when Duel Academy attacked," he said, sounding more sad and less angry. "Mother and father were carded, our home was reduced to rubble, and ObsidianCorp was destroyed." He was unaware of a stray tear coming from his eye. "It was a miracle everything was fully restored today."

Unbeknownst to Shay, Declan spotted the tear taking shape on his eye. He reached over to the heir and gently wiped the tear away.

Shay was surprised by the sudden contact. "What was that for?" he asked.

"You seem upset about the Invasion," Declan commented. "I am terribly sorry it happened to you." His hand shifted to Shay's cheek. "I'm aware that recovering won't be easy, but you cannot let it interfere with your bright future."

Shay simply stared into Declan's purple eyes as he heard the remark being made. For someone who rarely shows emotion, his face was illustrating noticeable hints of sympathy.

"Thank you," Shay said.

"You are quite welcome," Declan replied, releasing his gentle touch on Shay. "Now we should order our meals for the evening."

Shortly after their discussion ended, their waitress came out to take down their orders. "What would you both like to have this evening?" she asked.

"I'll have a lobster salad," Shay said.

Declan checked the menu for a few seconds. "The ramen soup looks delicious," he decided.

"Alright," the waitress said. "Your food will be out shortly."

The waitress headed to the kitchen to place their orders and have the chefs cook their meals. As she did so, Shay and Declan waited for their dinners and ended up talking about another topic, one that was far different than the Invasion and the Interdimensional War.

"Have you ever looked at someone and get a sudden feeling as if you met that person before?" Declan asked.

"It depends on the person," Shay answered.

"Yuya Sakaki," Declan clarified. "From the moment I laid my eyes on him, I felt...drawn to him. Kind of like he was a missing piece in my life."

"How could that be possible?" Shay asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Declan admitted. "But there was a cheerful spark in his eyes. I could have sworn I saw someone with a similar spark long ago."

He wasn't sure where he's seen him before, but it was probably back before Action Duels were announced. He remembered heading somewhere for something important when his eyes caught a glimpse on someone. This particular person seem more…introverted than usual, almost like an incident should have occurred and changed his life for the better, but this spark still remained. Within the shy and timid nature lied the energy of a happy, caring, selfless, friendly individual, as heard by the tone of his voice; one—or many people—may say that he usually comes off as adorable.

Years have passed since the dimensional split and his encounter with Yuya made him realize he had that similar spark, one that was energetic, theatrical, fun-loving, entertaining, and loves to make people smile. It often left him in deep thought when he was alone—whenever he wasn't focused on the War—about how someone like him could possess such comparable qualities. It wasn't until earlier today when he went to Duel Academy to see if he could help out with the blood separation right as ARC-V was beginning to overload. He recalled about seeing a Slifer Red girl following him to where Leo, Zarc, and Ray were, who was revealed to be Tea from a voice which sounded remotely somewhat familiar. A slight shift of his purple eyes left them locked on the same person he had spotted years ago. The spiky, tri-colored hair, the fair skin, the grown but still short body figure, but most importantly, his glazed, amethyst purple eyes. He had changed so much, and from the looks of things, it was due to Zarc's onslaught. Despite what he went through, the spark was still there. The same spark that he felt from a single glance during when he felt like he wasn't Declan Akaba.

Wait, wasn't Declan Akaba?

The grey-haired teen tensed up a bit. "Are you alright?" Shay asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm afraid not," Declan said. "Sometimes I have these memories that must have belonged to someone who is very similar to me, but isn't me at all."

"What do you mean by that?" Shay asked.

"Even I cannot answer that question," Declan admitted. "But-" His eyes widened in realization.

"Who am I?"

"You are...uh... Deck...lan. Yes, Declan. You are Declan Akaba, my beloved son."

Declan always felt like Leo wasn't the best at coming up with creative names, but he didn't mind the name that he was given. In fact, it was his earliest memory. Now that he thought about it, he did remember seeing his father looking at a deck of Duel Monsters cards and use that to give him his name, but why? Why was he really given the name "Declan" in the first place?

"Here are your meals," the waitress said. "Enjoy."

Declan snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed his ramen soup and Shay's lobster salad have been served to them. As soon as Shay ate a forkful of his salad, he let out a happy moan.

"Enjoying you dinner?" Declan asked.

Shay swallowed the food in his mouth. "I forgot how delicious lobster is," he said. "I miss the comforts of luxury."

"I can tell," Declan said. "You even look much cleaner than when I saw you this morning."

"My family and I spent the day restoring our perfect images," Shay explained. "I had my hair trimmed and I got a back massage."

"Really," Declan said. "I didn't even notice." Even though Shay was a lot cleaner, he still pretty much looks the same as he did on the night of the Invasion.

"I know I still look the same, but I really have cleaned up," Shay said. "I even received a deep tissue back mass-"

He noticed Declan was reaching up to feel his hair to see if it was cleaner, prompting him to grab his wrist. It was a natural instinct of him to do whatever it takes to preserve his perfect image; it was most likely the reason why he was sent to solitary confinement at the Facility back in the Synchro Dimension because there was no way Sector Security was going to give him a criminal mark on his face.

"My goodness," Declan said. "Are all Obsidians that obsessed with their perfect images?"

Shay sheepishly let go of Declan's wrist. "I don't like it when other people touch me," he admitted. "Mother and father raised Lulu and I with the mindset of making sure no one would muss up how we look."

Declan sipped on a spoonful of his ramen soup before speaking. "How peculiar," he remarked. "Even your sister?"

"She has a good reason why," Shay explained. "When she was younger, she wanted to have long hair similar to the ones movie actresses have. With mother's permission, she learned how to properly maintain long hair." He ate a forkful of his lobster salad after speaking.

"That would explain why she would still have long hair after Duel Academy's attack," Declan said. "With any other girl, all that hair would have been long gone after such an event."

"That's Lulu for you," Shay said. "She's probably the most stubborn girl on the planet."

He wasn't wrong; her stubbornness was one of her most defining traits and they have Ray to thank for that. Lulu was stubborn about a lot of things: wanting to have long hair, willing to help out the Resistance despite a serious spinal injury, tackling Yuri head-on in a duel, actively fighting back a brainwashing insect to save her brother, and even her boyfriend preferences. Maybe Ray herself was just as stubborn prior to the dimensional split.

Several minutes later, the two had finished their dinner. Shay's plate was clear without any traces of lobster or salad remaining while Declan ate all of the noodles and deciding if he should have the rest of the broth; it did taste scrumptious.

"Thank you for inviting me out," Shay said, reaching into his jacket pocket for his wallet. "How much was the lobster salad?"

"No need," Declan said. "I will pay for both of our meals."

Declan took out his own wallet just as the waitress came out with the bill and handed it to him. After checking what the total price was, he pulled out his debit card and brought them to her to pay for dinner. This was a dating tip Shay learned; people who set up dates are the ones who pay for all their meals. Deep down, he had almost forgot this was a date, much to his dismay.

Declan noticed Shay's slightly uncomfortable expression. "Are you feeling alright?" the grey-haired teen asked.

"Is this really a date?" Shay asked in response.

"Of course," Declan answered without a second thought. "Like I said, you're quite handsome and I have had my eyes on you for a while. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to make sure," Shay lied, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings.

He knew it. He knew this was a date and it is becoming clearer that Declan is gay. He had a feeling about it ever since the phone call and the latter's compliments on his handsome appearance and his well-kept hair were a dead giveaway. Despite being uncomfortable about it, Shay still kept Kameron and Lulu's advice about this being a friendly get-together instead of an actual date.

"Tell me, Shay," Declan said. "Have you ever attended a fireworks show?"

"A lot," Shay answered. "I attended numerous Heartland festivals with my family, so fireworks were always involved."

"But have you seen a Paradise City fireworks show?" Declan asked. "Because there is going to be one tonight to celebrate the restored Original Dimension."

Shay raised his eyebrows in surprised intrigue, indicating that he has never seen a fireworks show in Paradise City even though he has been there multiple times. How did Declan even found out about this?

"How do you know about that?" Shay asked.

"Because I was hoping we could attend the fireworks show after dinner," Declan explained. Was he...blushing? Why was he blushing? Does he wish to have someone accompany him when the fireworks go off?

The waitress returned with Declan's debit card. "Here you go," she said. "Thank you for visiting us. We hope to see you again."

As Declan thanked her for returning the debit card, he analyzed the receipt to see how much he paid and calculated what her tip was. He wrote down the amount he was tipping her and the sum of that and the subtotal on the receipt with a pen she had provided.

"Shall we continue with our date?" Declan asked.

"Sure..." Shay replied, still feeling uncomfortable about this being a date.

They got up from their table and headed to the front doors to leave the restaurant. Once they were outside, Declan led the way to where the fireworks were going to be held since Shay wasn't sure the place where Paradise City's fireworks shows usually take place.

"Come," Declan said, gently holding Shay's hand. "The fireworks show will take place at Heartland Park."

Shay glanced at their intertwined hands. "Why there?" he asked.

"For scenic purposes," Declan answered.

That was an odd place to watch the fireworks because that was where all of Heartland's festivities occur, so wouldn't that limit their chances of seeing the celebration? Regardless of where they were viewing it, Shay still doesn't feel anything with his hand being held by Declan's.

"But I thought it was a Paradise City fireworks show," Shay pointed out.

"True," Declan said. "But this is to celebrate the restoration of the Original Dimension. The fireworks from Paradise City are simply a lot more entertaining than the ones from Heartland."

How does he know that? He has never seen Heartland's fireworks in the entirety of his life; fortunately, Shay has seen them multiple times, so he will be the judge of that. "I'll take your word for it," he said.

They spent the next half hour taking a walk from the Paradise section to the Heartland section of the Original Dimension city, where they headed over to the park with Shay leading the way this time. Upon arriving at Heartland Park, the two noticed a lot of other people were already there. It seems the dimensions fusing back into one was a cause for celebration among everyone throughout the four dimensions.

Whether they were in the revived city or in other parts in the world, it was truly a time for rejoicing back into one after spending approximately fourteen years split apart. In Declan's case, this was a nice way to continue his date whereas Shay was more focused on checking out what makes this fireworks show more entertaining than Heartland's. The two were able to find a comfortable spot that was in between the crowd and a few scattered trees.

"What makes Paradise City fireworks better than the ones in Heartland?" Shay asked.

"Simple," Declan answered. "Yusho was in charge of the fireworks show."

Yusho? The same Yusho that founded and used to teach at Heartland Duel School? This just got interesting for Shay because that means his former teacher was the one putting together tonight's festive bash; it was definitely going to be his first one in three years.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and people not native to the former Pendulum Dimension, get ready for a spectacular fireworks show you have never seen before!"

Everyone directed their attention towards the speaker, leaving Shay and Declan a bit stunned at who was the one giving out the announcement. It was none other than Yuya Sakaki himself. Since when did he start helping out with hosting and putting together his hometown's fireworks show?

"Now before we begin, I have an important announcement to make," Yuya continued. "Ya see, me and my dad had to make some...modifications to the fireworks show." He rubbed the back of his head. "Let's just say I kinda developed a fear of loud explosions."

He quickly looked at Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri, who all knew exactly what he was referring to. After merging back into Zarc, they were all traumatized by the incident and have recently discovered prior to their separation that they are easily triggered by loud explosives because they reminded them of Supreme King Dragon Zarc and the destruction the demon-beast caused.

"I also asked my dad to remove all of the green fireworks for the sake of the girls," Yuya sheepishly added.

The Bracelet Girls, standing next to Yuya's counterparts, knew exactly why Yusho would remove those specific fireworks. Any light emitting a bright neon green tint was a trigger for them because they couldn't stop thinking about ARC-V powering up and how they were all forcefully transferred into it to help revive Ray.

"So without further ado, let the annual Sakaki Fireworks Show begin!" Yuya announced.

The audience applauded as he went back to where his family was. As the clapping subsided, fireworks started to blast off into the sky and quietly explode in a variety of images that were each colored differently and can actually move, coming off as more of a light show than a fireworks show. The show included Yuya's Performapals as Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra playing in the background, the images moving in time with the music.

The imagery of the fireworks was categorized into two groups: the Performapals that Yuya used over the years appearing and disappearing to the rhythm of the song while the monsters he recently acquired (like Tuning Magician) performing by feeling the flow of the lyrics. Everyone was blown away by what they saw, especially the Fusion, Synchro, and XYZ residence. They have never seen a performance this stunning before, so they were all thinking that this was the best one they have seen. Everything from the choreographed images to the cheery atmosphere of the selected song, which makes sense because this was a special kind of day where the people of all four dimensions can begin living with one another. Even Shay couldn't help but have his jaw drop at what he was watching, leaving Declan with a smirk on his face.

"This is incredible!" Shay exclaimed. "How...?"

"The fireworks in Paradise City are infused with Solid Vision," Declan explained. "Because of this, the enhanced technology can create various imagery that actually move."

Shay continued to stare in awe as the Performapal fireworks quietly exploded to Mr. Blue Sky. If that was the case, then why didn't Yusho introduce that during his time at Heartland? From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Lulu cuddling with Yuto and sharing a few kisses although it felt rather different to them, mostly due to them finally being back in their own bodies. The Obsidian heir then found himself thinking about how much his sister has grown; it was actually quite unbelievably fascinating to see her mature prior to the Invasion. Originally a toddler with a strong desire to have long hair like the actresses in movies and to pursue her dream of being an actress herself, she was now but a beautiful, polite, and feminine young teen who has plans to marry a noble, chivalrous gentleman whom she met months ago. He was completely okay with their arranged marriages yet he still couldn't stop thinking about how much she has grown. …It was a bit heartbreaking for him.

"Are you alright?" Declan asked.

"It feels as if it was only yesterday Lulu was a bright-eyed little girl," Shay said. "I remember when I brought her to the Heartland Spring Festival for the first time."

Lulu was only as young as a preschool student when she attended her first Heartland Spring Festival. She had always wanted to go there when she was a toddler and that moment was her big chance.

"Come on, Shay!" Lulu had exclaimed, dragging him over to one of the festival booths. "I want a plush Rainbow Kuriboh!"

Shay let out a laugh. "Alright," he said. "I'll win one for you."

The booth she took him to with the Rainbow Kuriboh plush had a classic game set up: knocking down all six bottles that were stacked on top of each other. "Step right up and win a prize!" the booth owner announced.

"I'll take that challenge," Shay said, giving the man a few coins.

"Splendid!" the booth owner said. He gave Shay a small ball. "You only have one shot, so make it count!"

Using the ball he was given, Shay aimed at the stacked bottles to see where would be a good point to knock them down. He has been given private lessons to enhance his smarts and athleticism, so this was a perfect opportunity to put them in use. He chucked the ball towards the lower leftish-center section, knocking the bottom two down, which caused the upper three to fall and topple over the last standing one.

The booth owner was amazed. "Incredible!" he exclaimed. "I have never seen such precision from a boy that young! How-" He looked closely at Shay and Lulu. "Wait a minute... You're the Obsidian kids, aren't you?"

"We are," Shay answered. "And I promised my sister a Rainbow Kuriboh plush."

"Of course," the booth owner said. He gave a Rainbow Kuriboh plush to Lulu. "Here you go."

"Thank you!" Lulu happily said, hugging the plush.

She has had it ever since because she never forgot the day her brother won it for her. She always took care of it and made sure it was in good condition just in case the time comes to pass it down to her potential offspring. Shay cherished that memory for years now and still found it hard to believe that the long-haired girl cuddling with Yuto and watching the fireworks show with him was the same bright-eyed young child he took with to the Heartland Spring Festival.

"She grew up so fast," Shay said, sounding a bit sad. Here she was now, reunited with her boyfriend and family, and she can now look forward to continuing her acting lessons without any sudden interruptions. And in a few more years, she will marry Yuto and they will have kids of their own. She was growing up right before his eyes.

"At least you actually get to grow up with your younger sibling," Declan said.

"What about Riley?" Shay asked.

"Recently I discovered she had all of her previous memories retained," Declan explained. "Her not smiling wasn't because of Zarc. It was because she remembers how mother treated her. Yuya's Dueltainment only distracted her. I decided it would be better for Moon Shadow to raise her."

It was going to be weird not having Riley around Leo Corporation because Declan had developed a caring sibling bond with him/her, especially after learning Henrietta took advantage of her adopted child's trauma. He knew what his life was like, and thanks to Declan’s tutelage, Riley became a strong Duelist who helped put a stop to Zarc's madness, even if it reverted him into a baby girl. He figured having Moon Shadow raise her would be perfect since she has looked up to him and he has protected her on certain occasions. Surely, the two will come up with a plan for her new life.

"I did give Riley's deck to Moon Shadow for when she's older," Declan continued. "If all of her memories really are left intact, she'll have no trouble relearning her C/C strategies."

Despite initial hesitation, Shay gave Declan's hand a gentle squeeze. "You made the right decision," the Raidraptor user said. "Moon Shadow will make a perfect parental figure for Riley."

"Thank you for the reassurance," Declan said. Then suddenly, he pulled his hand away from Shay's. "But you can drop the act. I figured you weren't gay."

Wait, he knew all along?! How? When? Shay was more confused than relieved by this sudden revelation. If that was the case, then why did Declan even ask him out in the first place?

"If you knew, why did you ask me out?" Shay asked.

"I didn't know at first," Declan admitted. "I wasn't sure if you were that kind of person, but I did notice how handsome you are. Yey I realized you seemed uncomfortable at the restaurant, which made me come to the conclusion that my suspicions are correct."

"What suspicions?" Shay asked.

"That every handsome man is either fictional, taken, or straight," Declan answered.

Those were his suspicions? Well, he isn't entirely wrong about people having fictional crushes or learning their crushes are taken or have different sexualities. It is a thing that constantly happens.

"But at least I now know Dextra won't be disappointed," Declan said. "You're a perfect fit for her."

Shay was surprised to hear that. "How do you know Dextra?" he asked.

"Mother always invited the Papillions to family parties," Declan explained. "As a result, Dextra ended up becoming one of my closest friends."

Shay never knew Declan and Dextra were close friends with each other; it did seem interesting about how a family from the XYZ Dimension was invited to parties in the Standard/Pendulum Dimension. That must have been happening when he discovered there were four dimensions. At least he was glad to know his friend accepted him being straight and his upcoming marriage.

During the fireworks show finale, an image of Xiansheng Magician appeared and shot an arrow, causing the image to quietly explode into light purple hearts with white angel wings. Then the words 'Congratulations on your arranged marriage, Yuto!' appeared in the sky, causing the eggplant-haired teen to blush heavily.

"Yuya!" Yuto called out. "People don't celebrate arranged marriages!"

"Aw, don't be such a bummer," Lulu said. She kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "It's probably his way of celebrating."

Yuto couldn't stop blushing at how embarrassed he was about everyone learning of him getting married to Lulu, but a smooch from her did ease him down. As for Shay, he got a slight chuckle at the finale because Yuya must have found out earlier today or prior to the blood separation. Even after the initial struggle against Duel Academy, it looked like the Obsidian siblings have bright futures ahead of them.

#Arc V Aftermath #yugioh arc v #Shay Obsidian #Shun Kurosaki #Declan Akaba #Reiji Akaba #Rehabilitation

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julystorms · 8 years

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why is crocheting the saddest lost hobby?

my gramma tried to teach my sister and i to crochet.

i was 12 and impatient and fidgety. my sister was only 6 at the time and her fingers were too stubby and she couldn’t hold the hook very well. she gave up. i’ve always been a stubborn pile of trash and so kept going, mostly because it was expected of me not to give up like a wimp since i was The Oldest and being the oldest comes with this unspoken (tho sometimes very loudly spoken) idea that you need to set an example to your youngers. i kinda resented the hours i had to sit there and count stitches. to this day i find it interesting because i didn’t feel that way about sewing things by hand (i never did care much for using the sewing machine and tbh i think i’m still wary of sewing myself on accident lmao).

anyway i made a couple of things with yarn. like a hotpad, a doily. in hindsight i think my gramma was excited about sharing her hobby with someone. she didn’t like kids (had made that fact perfectly clear) and even though she lived with us, she had her own apartments upstairs and like...hardly spent quality time with any of us. she was kind of a loner and she really missed tuscon.

i gave up crocheting that year, but i didn’t forget it. my mom, when she was still in the habit of checking on us in the middle of the night, came upstairs once and peeked into the room i shared with my sister. i sat up and i asked, “mom!! what’s that...spider-webby thing? you know, the spider-webby thing?” and my mom was like, “uh, crochet?” to which i said, “yeah!” and fell back against the pillows again.

i wanted to pick up crochet again later but i didn’t want to make the time. i was focused on writing and then i was focused on art, and then writing again, and truth be told i was too embarrassed to ask my gramma if she’d teach me again.

well, not very many years passed before her arthritis got so bad she had to give up crocheting, and she packed it all away. she didn’t live very long after that. she died in 2008.

i inherited all of her supplies. i put them in the garage loft because i certainly wasn’t planning to get rid of any of it, but had no immediate use for it, either. in 2012 i was at a craft store with my sister and i was looking at books and crochet hooks, and my god i was hit by the nostalgia stick.

when we were going through my gramma’s things, we found her journals, some from when my mom was still young. as it turns out, we were both writers--something i had never known about her even though we lived in the same house for 16 years. but writing wasn’t a shared thing between us; it was something of hers i had inherited, something she kept private.

crocheting, though...that was something she had wanted to share with me. and like a fool i’d thrown that away never knowing what it was i’d had.

so i bought some stuff, decided to give it a go again, years after her death and with no remembered knowledge except how to do a basic stitch. i didn’t even know if i’d remembered that correctly. i hoped i could follow written instructions.

i did remember the basics right, but i couldn’t crochet. it hurt too much. i could do a row and then i had to stop. for the day at least, if not for several days. i was in college and i had writing to do for my classes and i couldn’t risk using up all my “arm energy” on for-fun things when i needed it to pass classes.

my sister, though...she took off with it. she read the books, taught herself how to crochet all kinds of things. she bought more books and learned how to read even the most complicated of patterns. she made little sweaters for someone’s dog, once, and little stuffed animals. i'm glad for that at least.

but really, the saddest thing about it, for me, is that i have the last project she ever worked on. it’s a doily, half-finished, crochet hook still in it. i think about it a lot.

her hands hurt her too much. they shook and were swollen and she put it down one day and never picked it up again. since 2008 i wanted to be able to finish it myself for some reason--some kind of closure, maybe. but that it remains unfinished might be for the best, a kind of...reminder, i guess, to enjoy my hobbies that i can still do to the fullest of my capabilities. while i can, i mean.

it’s terrifying to know that some day i too will put an unfinished project down never to pick it back up again, but for too many years i’ve let myself live in fear of that happening--to the point where i’ve been too afraid to even start things.

and like, i keep that doily in a big plastic tub full of her completed projects, some of which are absolutely amazing. she taught herself how to do all this stuff, how to read patterns. she spent hot summer days with no AC up there in the cross-breeze of the upstairs living room watching tv and crocheting like it was second nature. man, she never let the future get to her. she had to have known that someday she wouldn’t be able to crochet anymore--when the pain worsened, when her knuckles swelled. but she kept going, crocheting blankets and doilies to fill her days and her space. she was a writer, too, but i think crochet was her passion. i feel like she put a little bit of herself in each of those pieces. even the last one. and maybe i’ll never pick up and finish that last project of hers, but my god will i make myself do what i love while i can do it for no other reason than that it means something to me.

it’s counterproductive to let myself be terrified of something happening to me in the future. it hasn’t happened yet.

i will create.

#i feel like i had to get this out for some reason #personal post by july #cute anons

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aion-rsa · 8 years

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INTERVIEW: Bill Willingham Channels ERB for The Greatest Adventure

When Bill Willingham was a young boy, his mother would buy him comic books when he stayed home sick to occupy him while she maintained her home-based accounting business. One day, she betrayed him (his words) and brought home “The Return of Tarzan” by Edgar Rice Burroughs instead.

Due to sheer boredom, the disheartened child eventually cracked the spine of his new paperback novel, only to discover a wonderful world of action and adventure. His mother’s betrayal led to a lifelong love of the Lord of the Apes and the collected works of Burroughs that has lasted to this day, the writer told CBR. That’s why his latest project, illustrated by Cezar Razek, has filled him with joy and some heart-felt trepidation.

In “The Greatest Adventure,” an upcoming series from Dynamite Entertainment, Willingham is set to tell a story Burroughs never managed to deliver himself: the meeting of his two most iconic characters, Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. That, Willingham revealed, is why this is the most intimidating series that he has ever done, as he first imagined the possibility of such a meeting more than 50 years ago as a young reader.

The seven, eight or possibly nine-issue series will also feature many of Burrough’s other classic characters, including Tarzan’s immediate family (Jane Porter, his son Korak and his daughter-in-law Meriem), Jason Gridley from the Pellucidar series, and Billy Byrne from the Mucker series, as well as the little known Townsend Harper from “The Monster Men” and Kolani/Jim Stone from “The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw.”

CBR: In “Fables,” you mashed together hundreds of characters from fairytales and folklore together in Fabletown, but — am I right in thinking Edgar Rice Burroughs very much wrote these characters as if they already existed in a shared universe?

Bill Willingham: That’s right. As a matter of fact, the discovery of that was a particularly fine moment for me. At first, it didn’t quite click because I read one of the books from the Tarzan series out of order. It was called “Tarzan at the Earth’s Core,” in which Tarzan goes to the hidden, inner world of Pellucidar and meets and interacts with David Innes from the Pellucidar series. But at that time, I didn’t realize there was a Pellucidar series. I just thought these were other interesting characters that Edgar Rice Burroughs had created for Tarzan to visit.

After that, I found out that there was a whole series of Pellucidar books. At the same time, I was a little disappointed because by the next book, Tarzan was off in some other recently discovered world. I was wishing that Tarzan could spend more time in Pellucidar. I ended catching up on the Pellucidar series, and that’s when I found out all of this stuff all takes place in the same world.

I tried to read Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books in order, but to a great extent, I was limited to what order that I discovered them. I found something called “The Mad King” that was part of a little two-book series that starred a character named Barney Custer. He was mistaken as the king of one of these fictionalized, Eastern European countries. His sister gets involved with a frozen caveman in a book called “The Eternal Lover,” and at the beginning of that book, Barney Custer and his sister are hanging out in the Greystoke Manor in Africa, just having cocktails and such as you do in an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. That’s what finally cemented to me that all of this stuff takes place in the same world. I just went with that for this series.

One of the great disappointments amongst all of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ fans is that, to anyone’s knowledge, he never wrote the Tarzan on Mars book that you know should have been written. Tarzan and John Carter really, really needed to meet each other, and yet, it didn’t happen. As a matter of fact, the issue that I am writing next is that meeting and the intimidation factor is dialed up about as high as it can be because it needs to be an important, big moment. Do I have the capability of doing it right? Probably not, but we’ll see. [Laughs]

I loved “Fables,” and a lot of that love came from your leading man, Bigby, aka the Big Bad Wolf. I didn’t see it before, but in hindsight, there is a lot of Tarzan in Bigby. What attributes does Tarzan possess that allow him to stand front and center and lead these men and women on this greatest adventure?

This is very much the book version of Tarzan. He thinks in real thoughts. By this time in his life, he knows about 30 different languages. He is a savant in picking up languages, which retroactively justifies the almost impossible task of a kid teaching himself to read with just one primer and a few books in a cabin. He is clearly some kind of mental giant, but he is also, because of the way that he was raised, almost a stoic. He does not wear his heart on his sleeve. The intimate moments that he has with Jane, thank God, are for the most part off-screen.

One of the things that I like that Edgar Rice Burroughs said early on about Tarzan – and in later books, he contradicted this – is that he seldom smiled and never laughed. He is a dour fellow. Not in a sense that he doesn’t have a sense of humor. He’s not grimly serious all of the time, but he was raised in the jungle, and if you want to survive, you don’t make extraneous noises. He learned from an early age to just keep things to himself. That’s the Tarzan that I am hoping to show here. I think Tarzan also has an internal monologue, where he is constantly weighing and evaluating things, including his opinions on the people that he is surrounded by.

Tarzan, like most, is a character I know well from TV, movies, cartoons, books and comics. Jason Gridley is someone that I didn’t know. What can you share about the character who actually brings this team together and basically appoints Tarzan to lead?

If you are going to do a take on Jason and the Argonauts, it helps to have a character named Jason. [laughs] Also, he is the scientist that invented the Gridley Wave, which is a means of instant communication that allowed Gridley to get full stories from people on Mars and David Innes down in Pellucidar. In the books, Edgar Rice Burroughs uses the Gridley Wave as a method of how he is able to tell you the story, because Edgar Rice Burroughs always wrote the books under the pretense that these stories really did happen.

This instant communication device that defies the limits of time and space also makes a very good MacGuffin in the sense that it gives the characters a reason to go on a quest because someone has taken the Gridley Wave with the intent to weaponize it. If you can communicate instantly, maybe you can do other, more terrible things, without having to worry about the barriers of time and space.

The bad guys actually capture Jason early on and try to get his cooperation in making his Gridley Wave into a death ray, but he escapes, gets a hold of Tarzan, and now we have a story. He’s essential to the story.

By setting “The Greatest Adventure” in Burroughs’ shared universe, does that mean that we also get to go back in time, to see Tarzan hunting dinosaurs in “The Land That Time Forgot” from the Caspak trilogy?

The biggest frustration with this entire series is that I have to keep it at a reasonable length. I am trying for seven issues, it’s probably going to be eight — dear God, it might have to expand into nine, but I can’t over that simply because it has to be an enclosed story. But I’m telling you, with the structure of this, and visiting all of these lands that Edgar Rice Burroughs created, I could spend a dozen issues in each one of them. Some of that stuff will have to be truncated. I will give something away: Yes, you are going to see Tarzan hunt a dinosaur in at least one point.

The best thing that was ever done on TV, animation-wise, and will never be beaten is one scene from an episode of “Jonny Quest.” Race, Johnny, Johnny’s dad and probably Hadji are in personal flying packs with bazookas hunting dinosaurs. That’s got it all. There is a nod to that fully formative moment in my life in this series, too, because as everyone who has read their Edgar Rice Burroughs knows, Martian Barsoomian tech includes something called the Equilibrimotor. It’s one of ERB’s most wonderful inventions with a terrible name, except that the name grows on me because it’s so terrible, it’s kind of charming. [Laughs]

Basically, they are flying harnesses — and they are almost never used in the books. They are used a few times, but as a reader, there were so many times in the Martian books where I was like, “This would be a good time to use an Equilibrimotor.” But who listens to me? But because that’s part of the tech available to the crew now, there will be a scene where there are a few characters flying around, hunting dinosaurs with Martian exploding bullet rifles and bazookas. Just because, why not?

We’ve talked about Tarzan and John Carter of Mars, Burroughs’ two most popular and enduring characters, but reading the scripts for the first two issues of this series also introduced me to a number of Burroughs’ creations that I never knew existed. I am very excited to go out and read “The Monster Men,” now.

“The Monster Men” takes place in Burma or one of the Far East countries. It’s an adventure where there is a mad scientist – Burroughs loved his mad scientists – and this one was doing the Frankenstein bit, attempting to create new human life from the ground up. In his case, he was growing them in vats, not sewing corpses together. The experiments were not successful, at least not right away, so you have a lot of grotesque monstrosities running around outside of this guy’s lab. Experiment Number Thirteen turns out to be the success amongst all of these failures. He looked entirely human, he was handsome, he was noble and the mad scientist’s daughter, of course, fell in love with him. In the book, and I hope I am not giving too much away, it turns out that he was human after all, and he had amnesia. He was basically clunked over the head and put in there to fake out the scientist that he had actually created a person. It’s a long and complex story, but yes, Experiment Number Thirteen from “The Monster Men” is part of the crew. [Laughs]

Just because, why not?

Exactly. If I am going to do this, why not wallow in it? [Laughs] We also have the writer from one book. We have The Oskaloosa Kid, a gunslinger from “The Oakdale Affair.” We have the Mucker, who starred in two books. He’s the closest thing we have to a thuggish brute that Burroughs ever wrote. Burroughs also wrote a morality play about what a nest of vipers Hollywood is. It was a snarky look at Hollywood after Burroughs went there with Tarzan. The book was called “The Girl from Hollywood” and so she’s in the crew. And I have to tell you, there was absolutely no reason to justify putting her in the crew other than another ‘why not’ but then it turned out — as it so often happens when you put some things in there that I know at the right time, I am confident, will pay off and I will figure out something to do with them – and that did happen with her. She became important to one part of the story at just right the time.

The Greatest Adventure,” by Bill Willingham and illustrated by Cezar Razek, begins on April 19.

The post INTERVIEW: Bill Willingham Channels ERB for The Greatest Adventure appeared first on CBR.com.

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