#* SOME DAYS I AM MORE WOLF THAN WOMAN 「MAIN VERSE」 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

for-a-muse-of-fire · 4 years

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oh, but you’re good to me

the wench and the witcher

"oh, but you’re good to me”

Fandom: The Witcher (2019)

Paring: Geralt of Rivia x Black!OFC - Zahra Auberel. Platonic!Jaskier x Zahra.

Summary: Midaëte brings the height of summer, and a reconciliation.

Warnings: Rated Mature due to brief mention of sex. Please don’t interact if you are under the age of 18.

A/N: Well, what started as a simple reader insert character grew into a fully-formed OC through the course of this series. And now we have reached the end! Well, mostly. I have some random outtakes and drabbles that I’m sure will crop up, but my (eventual) multi-chapter will feature Geralt and Zahra as they navigate some... interesting magical developments.

But, for now, I call this the end of The Wench and The Witcher. Thank you guys so much for your kind words, reblogs, likes - this is honestly the most I’ve written in years and knowing that y’all have enjoyed it warms the cockles of my heart. Title and lyrics under the cut from Hozier’s “Would That I” which I think might be my favorite Hozier song full-stop, hands down.

@coconutxraikage - @onyour-right - @ly–canthrope - @kianya-loves - @c-s-stars - @gczanetti1 - @alwaysnatz - @agniavateira - @owillofthewisps - @hina-chans-stuff - @yespolkadotkitty - @wastingmypotential - @inber

With each love I cut loose, I was never the same Watching still-living roots be consumed by the flame I was fixed on your hand of gold Layin' waste to my lovin' long ago

“Contracts from the butcher and the miller,” Lucja rattles off. “And Jaskier returned your message – says he’s very much looking forward to performing for the solstice festival.”

She gives a hum as she thumbs through the stack of papers on the desk. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you, as well,” she teases.

Lucja’s pretty round face goes pink, making her employer grin. The older woman pauses when she finds an unfamiliar piece of folded parchment among the stack of invoices. Slim brown fingers unfold the sharply folded letter and suddenly her heart is in her throat. “Lucja… where did this come from?”

“Oh… it, ah, came with Jaskier’s reply. Do you want me to get rid of it?”

Though half-tempted to let Lucja burn the letter, she bites her lip and shakes her head. “No,” she murmurs. “Thank you, Lu’ – that will be all.”

Her young barmaid flashes a sympathetic smile and closes the door behind her. The neatly looped scrawl of the letter makes something around her heart ache. She’d always been surprised by how tidy the Witcher’s handwriting was:

I don’t

This isn’t what

I’m not – fucking shit fuck

The first time I saw you, it was like walking into the light of the sun after half a lifetime in the cold. And it was so fucking cold that night.

You were like summer.

It’s cold again now, without you. I don’t know what I’m doing

Two weeks later:

I wanted want wanted to bring you to see Kaer Mohren. I know you said you like the ocean more than the mountains, but I think this place could change your mind. You would get on with Eskel like a house on fire. He’s more of a southerner, like you.

I told him about the time you tried to teach me to cook and he nearly pissed himself laughing.

Lambert’s a shit. Vesemir already likes you.

You’d like it here. The kitchen is nearly as big as the whole front room of the tavern. Library’s bigger.

Garden’s a fucking nightmare, though.

We could go to the ocean, too. Anywhere you want.

The missives don’t come with any real regularity. A few at a time, a week-long gap, but they never stop. She thinks about writing back, at first, but deciphering where the Witcher is would likely be impossible and… gods, she’s still so damned angry. The White Wolf receives no reply.

Regardless, the letters keep coming.

The thing is, I don’t know what else there is besides The Path - this life of slaying monsters and getting paid in coin. I was told that was all I needed and I believed it for a very long time. There was nothing to challenge that, not until I met you.

You were are so fucking beautiful. And warm, and bright, and vulgar, and kind, and a pain in my ass and I should have told you how much you meant to me, but I couldn’t parse it out until just now, and I am an idiot. And a coward. I thought that telling myself you were an amusement would be enough, that I would be content with warming your bed, but I can’t do that anymore. I can’t keep lying about how much I need you.

I need you, Zee. It feels like I’m missing my fucking sword arm.

The words on the page blur together. She brushes them with her fingertips, almost smiling even as the tears catch in her lashes:

I miss the way you laugh at Jaskier’s dirty songs.

I miss the way you used my legs to keep your feet warm at night.

I miss that fucking rabbit stew.

I miss the way you’d look at me when I walked in the door.

I miss the sounds you make when I’m inside of you. The way you taste.

I miss your eyes. And your smile.

Your voice. Your terrible fucking singing.

You are my home. You’re my harbor and my safe haven.

I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

---

Midaëte approaches. With it, a week’s worth of festivities, and food and drink, leading up to the day of the solstice. It means early mornings in the kitchen and late nights in the tavern. The evenings are balmy, windows and doors thrown open to allow the scent of summer air and night-blooming flowers to drift through.

For a time, she is so busy that she forgets to be heartsore. Geralt’s letters – page after yellowing page – sit tied with a gold ribbon in her desk drawer. Confessions and apologies, promises and rambling stories that she keeps picking up to read again and again. It’s a veritable book, more than he’d ever seen fit to say in person and she’s not sure whether to be infuriated or hopeful, but there’s barely time. Thank the gods.

Business booms, between trades-folk coming in for the market day, then musicians, then families. She drinks a little, dances when there is time; she lets Lucja weave tiny yellow purple flowers into her hair for Midaëte Eve and dresses in white and yellow to enjoy the evening. Or try to, at least. The main room is full almost to bursting, patrons laughing, carousing, and eventually spilling out into the courtyard to dance in the falling dusk.

Zahra watches from the doorway. A few try to tempt her into the circle for a reel and they receive a grateful smile with her refusal. Jaskier, however, will not be deterred.

“You, dear lady,” he croons. “Look too lovely to be hiding in the shadows.”

“Jas…”

“One dance. Just one – you might even have fun by mistake.”

She rolls her eyes, but the bard just grins and lifts her hand for a kiss. He leads her, hand-in-hand out to the courtyard; Jaskier gives a nod to his fellow players and they begin with a sharp beat that eases into a lovely, familiar melody.

“You know this one, ducky?” Jaskier queries with a smile. She nods and he takes the lead.

It’s a simple step, to start with. A sweet back and forth to match the sweet, flowing verse of the song. The touch of Jaskier’s hand on her low back offers guidance, keeps her moving in gentle circles around him until the real movement begins. Swinging, agile steps carry Zahra and her partner around in wide loops. The mingle with other dancers, threading hands to spin back together and then apart.

Jaskier grips her waist across the front, and she follows suit. The dizzying spin turns the world into a wash of summer colors for a moment and she can’t help but laugh. It feels good to be light again.

The bard turns her under his arm and into the hands of the next man. There’s a moment of hesitation, a moment where she considers bowing out and going back to her corner, but the tabor still thrums in her blood and it’s such a beautiful night.

Still smiling, she curtsies, and is lead back through the steps again. Her partner leads easily, light of foot and loose of tongue – from her ale, more like than not – but he’s kind, and sweet, and so funny that she’s nearly in tears when she’s suddenly spun away to her next partner. She catches the fabric of her skirts to add a flourish to the spin; the soft yellow cotton dances with her.

When spins to a stop, she sees black, at first. Matte black buttons, black tunic shirt – worn, but cleaner than it usually is. The silver wolf’s head medallion sparks in the torchlight.

Zahra looks up into the face of Geralt of Rivia and the music goes dull behind the roar of blood in her ears. It feels a bit like standing on a ledge cliff and looking down to gauge the fall. She feels dizzy, and terrified, and wonderfully breathless. Heart in her mouth, she spies Jaskier out of the corner of her eye.

The bard grins. Bastard.

“Zahra…”

The Witcher’s voice rumbles through her like soft summer thunder. Strong fingers grip hers, and he lifts her knuckles to his lips. His honey-gold eyes are more earnest and honest than she’s ever seen them – he asks the question without moving his lips. Zahra nods.

Geralt leads her in the dance and everything falls away.

She hears the music, feels it sing through her, but her focus remains on the white-haired mutant at her side. His hand spans her back, warm through her dress and stays; the lightest pressure of his fingertips, or palm, guides her to turn, or step, or pivot in time with him. It shouldn’t be surprising to her, how well he moves – she’s seen him fight, and his grace with a sword, and how would dancing be any different? He doesn’t look away from her once and the heat of his gaze flushes over her. The Witcher very nearly smiles.

Geralt turns her under his arm, guides her through the last few measures of the song. He steps away, takes his warmth with him, and bows. Zahra curtsies in return.

The crowd, the rest of the world, rushes back over them. The townsfolk whistle, and stomp, for a moment determined to swarm in and start up another country dance, and Geralt grips her hand tight for a moment. She sees him hesitate before he asks, simply, “Can we talk?”

Most of the party has spilled into the streets, leaving the tavern itself practically empty. Lucja still keeps to her spot behind the bar, green eyes going wide when she spies Zahra and her guest in tow. The girl’s pretty face splits into a knowing smile that makes Zahra’s face go hot.

It’s mostly dark in her study. The small hearth fire has gone to smoldering embers, and it gives her the opportunity to light a few candles and collect her utterly scattered thoughts. She flicks out the last taper and finally looks up at Geralt. He stands just inside the closed door, just as he used to. It’s familiar – it feels like it’s been years, or decades, or maybe just a few hours. His honey-colored gaze still holds a heat that sings over her skin. She drops her eyes to the desk.

The last letter sits there, creased and folded from how many times she’s read it. Zahra picks at the parchment. Keeping her focus on Geralt’s neat lettering seems easier than looking at the Witcher himself. “Did Jaskier put you up to this?” she teases half-heartedly.

Geralt exhales on a chuckle. “Something like. Threatened to garrote me with a lute string.”

She smiles, in spite of herself. When she lifts her head and meets his eyes, it takes a moment to catch her breath. For a few heartbeats, she simply stares. Gods, he is still so beautiful. She swallows hard and feels her throat go dry.

“Did you mean what you wrote?” she asks.

“You know I did, Zee.”

Gold eyes go guarded again. He doesn’t go totally cold, but she can see the way he builds up his walls to prepare for the worst. He steps forward. Second-guesses – stops.

“What I do – what I am – I can’t change it,” he rumbles. “I’m still a Witcher, Zahra. A mutant. I can’t… I can’t give you normal, sweetheart – ”

“Gods, Geralt - fuck normal.”

---

“Fuck normal.”

She says it with such passionate certainty that it startles a laugh out of him. The soft yellow of her skirt floats like woven sunlight around her legs. Like the sun, it almost hurts to look at her, but fuck all, that’s all he wants to do. He watches her face, watches her chew her lip; feels his slow pulse try to speed up when she steps closer. His fingers itch to curl around her waist.

“I never asked for normal, Geralt,” she whispers. The way her voice cracks pulls tight around his heart. “I don’t want normal. I want you. That’s it. Can… can you give me that, or no?”

The Witcher’s footfalls carry him to her. He studies her face; re-acquaints himself with the curve of her cheek and the dimple that presses there. She all but melts into his touch when his thumb brushes her cheek. He pulls her into the circle of his arms. She’s still soft, and warm; he closes his eyes, feels his muscles go lax with relief when she holds fast, locking her arms around his back. Geralt presses his face against the smooth curve of her shoulder.

It feels like stepping into the light of the sun after ages in cold and rain. “I love you, Zahra,” he breathes.

Her soft, tearful laugh settles warm into his heart. “I love you, Geralt.”

He gives a pleased murmur, lets the tip of his nose trail lazy circles over her shoulder. When he inhales, the warm, soft smell of her skin eases back into his lungs. From shoulder to neck, the Witcher draws in slow breaths and ghosts his lips over the exposed skin he finds until Zahra shivers. “What are you doing, Witcher?” she whispers, breathless.

“Hmm… taking your scent back,” he mumbles. “I missed this smell.”

His lips ease along the shell of her ear. She still gasps when he nips at the crux of her jaw. “I missed you, love,” he growls.

Geralt takes his time. He savors the smell and the taste of her skin, humming lowly when Zahra’s hands grip at his back. The sweetness of her begins to bloom with heat, with the richness of desire – want – and when he sets his teeth gently against her pulse point, she moans delicately. Insistent fingers tangle in his hair; she whispers his name and pulls him to her lips. She kisses him like a woman starved and it feels like his heart might thunder its way free of his chest. He lifts her onto the edge of the desk and comes to stand between her parted thighs, gathering the soft yellow cotton of her skirts up. Her fingers yank at the buttons on his trousers.

It’s a quick, desperate of coupling. Mingled breath and bitten off sighs – greedy kisses with fingers gripped in the front of his shirt. She flutters hotly around his cock with a whimper and a curse. He groans against her mouth when he comes. Zahra drinks down the noise with a grin on her lips.

Geralt stays put for more than a year. It’s good.

The Path still calls, and he still follows, but she finds she’s able to let go of the fear. It’s no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ in terms of Geralt’s return. And if he knows it’s going to be a long journey, or if the mood simply strikes him, he writes -

I miss you.

I love you.

Sometimes no more than a line, sometimes full paragraphs – even pages – but he always tells her when he plans to return. When he’ll be home.

It’s nearly spring next time he rides back in, market day in full swing as he passes through the township gate with Roach at his side. Vendors call their wares, families and merchants wander the stalls as he peers out from the shadow of his cloak. He finds the trail of Zahra’s scent past the cloying smell of cut flowers and rounds to corner to find her chatting with the butcher’s daughter.

The younger woman catches his gaze. Geralt watches the girl grin and give his woman – his woman – a nudge, nodding in his direction. Zahra is already smiling when she turns, and the Witcher has the pleasure of watching her face flash from surprise to joy in the space of a heartbeat. She moves to him, a walk that becomes a jog, and then a final sprint that launches her into his arms. He curls his free arm tight around her waist. Immediately, he has his face pressed to her hair. Zahra’s laughter rings softly in his ears when she draws back, just enough to look up into his face.

At her throat, the polished wolf’s tooth is bright against her brown skin. “Welcome home, my love,” she murmurs.

The greeting settles warm over him like the sunlight. Geralt pulls her close again, kissing her in full view of half the town. She shivers sweetly in his arms and pulls her fingers through his hair. He hears a wolf-whistle, and a smattering of applause that makes Zahra giggle against his mouth.

“People are staring,” she teases softly.

He smirks. “Let them,” he tells her before kissing her once more. She tastes of clover honey.

She smells of sunshine.

She feels like home.

#geralt of rivia #geralt x oc #geralt of rivia x ofc #geralt x ofc #the witcher #oc: zahra auberel #orignal character #the witcher netflix #fanfic #fanfiction #the wench and the witcher #tutu scribbles

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yourdeepestfathoms · 4 years

Text

Beside The Dying Fire (part four)

[DnD AU with the tour!verse]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Word count: 3397

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The sloshing of mud was REALLY starting to get on Katherine’s nerves.

After sleeping through most of the day, Katherine and her companions were on the move. But because of the heavy rainfall the roads had been reduced to an ankle-deep mass of mud and slime. The wetness wormed its way into Katherine’s fur shoes, completely ruining them, and she guessed it wasn’t much better for Joan, who couldn’t even wear shoes. Her hooves and the white skin around her feet were a dark brown color, and Katherine wondered if it would be stained that way forever.

The tragedy was still weighing heavily in all of their minds, especially Katherine’s. Everything kept replaying in her mind- the fire, the violence, the screaming, Anne’s death… Anne may have been silly and loud, but she was still her cousin. They grew up together. And now she was gone.

“Kat?”

There was a gentle touch on her shoulder; Katherine turned her head to see Catalina, looking worried. She quickly wiped her eyes with her knuckles.

“Yeah?” Katherine said in her best not-upset voice.

“Are you alright?” Catalina asked.

“Yeah,” Katherine said again, this time slightly weaker.

Catalina frowned and took her hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

Katherine sniffled lightly and nodded.

But nothing felt okay. Not anymore. Her home was burnt to the ground, so many of her friends and family and neighbors were dead, she didn’t even know what happened to her father… And now she was on a mission to stop a war that she didn’t even know how it started.

For nearly the entire day, they walked on in solitude, Katherine and Catalina hand-in-hand, the sounds of the forest and the occasional flitting birds their only other companion. Therefore, it was almost a surprise when they all heard the clip-clop of iron-shod hooves, and the rattle of wheels rising from the road ahead.

Soon, the source of the sound comes into view, a handful of riders leading four heavy, covered, ox-pulled wagons: a merchant caravan.

Katherine got a better look as the distance between her group and the caravan slowly closed. The outriders were clearly ready for danger, clad in vests of boiled leather, swords and maces belted to their hips. A few others sit in the wagons, children mostly wearing sturdy, well-made traveling garb.

At the head of the caravan were a man and a woman, both rippling with tension. Katherine sized them up as they approached, but none of them bore the wolf marking of Henry’s troops. The woman was a hard-faced and dangerous-looking centaur, armed and armored in the same fashion as the outriders, with a wide-brimmed kettle helm on her head and the equine body of a muscular shire. The man, on the other hand, was a rather short air genasi with pastel blue skin and halo of crystals growing from his head.

“Hail, friend!” The genasi shouted, earning a disapproving look from his centaur companion.

Katherine dared to wave back. “Hail to you as well!” She responded. The caravan guards seemed to relax visibly as she did so.

“Well met, girl!” The genasi replied as he halted his caravan before the trio. “We haven't seen a lot of travelers on the roads these last few days. What with the war and all.”

The centaur woman beside the caravan master kept her distance. As far as Katherine could tell, she was entirely preoccupied with scanning the road ahead for threats. Judging by her expression, she seemed less than amused by the momentary stop.

The caravan master extended his hand to Katherine. "I am Gale of Edinburg, this is my caravan, and the centaur next to me is my associate, Gaddison. You must excuse her; she thinks threats are everywhere.”

“They are everywhere,” The centaur replied bitterly, stamping one of her back hooves. She glanced at Katherine’s group and her furry ears pricked up in surprise when she saw Catalina. “You’re pregnant.”

Catalina groaned. “God, is that my entire personality trait now?” Katherine rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, and Catalina crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance.

“I don’t mean to offend you,” Gaddison said. “I’m just impressed to see that you’re out in these conditions, that’s all. War rages everywhere.”

Catalina ruffled the feathers on her head. “I can take care of myself. I’m very strong.”

“She is,” Katherine nodded.

“Well, that’s good,” Gaddison said. Her eyes slid over to Joan, but she didn’t say anything.

“By any chance, do you know what has caused the war?” Katherine asked the caravan master.

Gale blinked a few times. “I do not.” He said. “I don’t think anyone does.” He swung his head to the rest of the caravan, but they all either shrugged or shook their heads.

“I see.” Katherine said.

She and the two caravan masters chat for a little while longer before the wagons take off again in a grinding of wheels, stomping of hooves, and squelching of mud. It wasn’t long before the caravan was just clouds of dust in the distance. Katherine and her companions began their trek once again.

Hours passed. The sun began to set and the last of summer’s humidity weighed thickly in the air. It would be autumn soon, which meant cooler temperatures, but more wind, rain, and snow. Katherine wasn't sure which was worse.

That being said, the sight of a large building up ahead, with brightly lit windows and smoke coming out of its chimneys, and a surrounding village was welcome indeed.

The smell of farm animals and manure floated on the wind, getting stronger and stronger as the trio got near. Bleats and snorts and clucks whisked around the village as they entered. Some people glanced over, mainly at Joan or specifically Catalina’s stomach, but didn’t stop them.

They soon came to a two-story hall accompanied by a row of stables and surrounded by a waist-high stone fence. Sounds of music and laughter spilled out of the open windows, and a bright watchfire burned at the fence's gate, next to a crudely-painted wooden sign of a sleeping creature, hung from an iron post set into the gatepost.

“The Sleeping Dragon Inn,” The sign said to them in bright red letters visible by the light of the watchfire. Katherine and her companions made their way past the fence, through the courtyard, and into the main hall.

The high-ceilinged common room of the Sleeping Dragon In was bright and filled with the stink of spilled ale, roasting meat, and burning wood--all the aromas of civilization. Maybe half the benches in the big room were empty; the rest were filled with merchants, caravan guards, and other travelers, each busy with their own amusements, whether that be food, drink, dice, or song. A few glance over and whisper something to each other, but don’t speak up directly.

Katherine walked up to the bar. Behind it stood the stout, scruffy dwarf innkeeper, idly polishing a bottle of some dark fluid she had never seen before. She asked him for a bed for the night for her and her companions.

In response, the innkeeper rattled off a long list of options and their associated costs, from the expensive and luxurious to the downright squalid but cheap. Katherine ended up purchasing a comfortable private room and plain dinner for fifteen gold.

Katherine and her companions sat down at a booth as they were served a supper of thick brown bread and a bowl of stewed game birds seasoned with a tiny dash of valuable black pepper. Katherine was given a tankard of freshly-brewed ale, while Catalina and Joan were given a simple glass of water.

“Do you think they’d let me have some ale?” Catalina asked Katherine, not at all joking.

“Absolutely not.” Katherine said instantly.

Catalina wrinkled her nose. “Come on! Just one drink!”

“No.” Katherine said again, and Catalina huffed in response.

Katherine looked over at Joan, and saw that she was looking all around the inn. She appeared to be searching for something, but stopped when she noticed that Katherine was watching her. She slumped down in the booth and nibbled on her bread.

After they ate, they were shown their room on the second floor, which was, admittedly, a little cramped, but it had four walls, a roof, two cots with a straw mattress, and a bed, which was all they really wanted.

“We’ll go to the market in the morning,” Katherine said. She and Joan had taken the cots, while Catalina got the bed. “We may need to purchase some things before we get moving.”

“Sounds good to me,” Catalina said, and Katherine heard the sheets she was laying on crinkle when she shrugged.

“Alright, let’s all get some rest,” Katherine said. “Goodnight.” She closed her eyes and dreamt of fire for the rest of the night.

------

Colorful flags of different trading companies fluttered in a strong wind above the market square, which was bustling with activity that morning. Though Holm was fundamentally a small town, a fair number of traders bearing mundane goods such as grains, dyes, and cloth were stopped in the square, as did monster hunters and treasure hunters offering hard-to-appraise finds from nearby ruins. The merchants mostly traded from impermanent tents open at one side, but some wander through the crowd and act as their own auctioneers: “Who will give me fifty, fifty for a silver ring from the time of the ancients? Fiftyfiftyfifty thank you fifty-five-fifty-five-fifty-five I have fifty-five…” The air was sweet with the smells of cinnamon and curry spices from the south, and stinky cheese from the north.

Currently, Katherine was in a tent that sold clothing, and was squinting at a big, jaunty lime green hat with a huge feather. By her side, Catalina ran her hands over a golden robe while the shopkeeper eyed her suspiciously, probably wondering how she would fit in the cowl. When Catalina noticed this and the glances her belly was getting, she scowled and stomped over to Katherine.

“I hate it here,” The Aasimar grumbled.

Katherine reached up a hand to massage her friend’s shoulder comfortingly. “I’m sorry, honey,” She said. “I have enough to buy some fresh clothes for all of us. Would you like some?”

Their clothing seemed to finally be fully dried from the perpetual wet of the rain and river, but still bore the stink of smoke and burned flesh. Several people seemed to notice this by the way their noses wrinkled when they would pass by too close by.

“No, it’s okay,” Catalina said, tugging on her black nun’s robes. Her pregnancy was easily seen through them, earning a lot of incredulous and judgemental stares.

“Are you sure?” Katherine asked. “I don’t mind, really.”

Catalina shook her head. “I’m good.”

“Hm.” Katherine said. “Alright.”

Just as they’re about to walk out of the shop, they hear a halfling woman cry, “Thief!!!”

Katherine spun around to see someone in a drab brown cowl brazenly running off with a basket of red apples, leaving a large gap in the offerings of a halfling’s fruit cart. They easily bobbed and weaved around all the townsfolk who try to get in their way. The halfling uselessly shouted, “Thief! Thiieeef!” until she started to lose her voice.

The thief was about to get away when a huge mountain of an orc stepped in their path and they fell backwards. The hood came off, and Katherine hissed underneath her breath.

“Oh, shit,” Catalina said helpfully at her side. “That thief belongs to us!”

Townsfolk rushed to pick up the fallen apples--the “count of five” rule seemed to be an old tradition for judging the edibility of fallen food in Holm. Then they return the fruit to the halfling, because honesty must also have been a tradition in the town.

Two of the town guards show up, but Katherine and Catalina have to step in before they can strong-arm the thieving albino Tiefling away.

“I am so sorry about her,” Katherine said. “We should have kept a better eye on her.”

One of the guards looked Katherine up and down. “This rat belongs to you two?”

“Yes,” Katherine said. “I am so sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Thankfully, the guards took mercy on them and left them with just a warning. Katherine breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone, then gave Joan a stern glare.

“What were you thinking, young lady? Stealing?” She said.

“Sorry,” Joan whispered, her ears drooping. “I-I just thought that we would need some food… Especially Catalina.”

“Rude.” Catalina said. “But fair.”

Katherine sighed again, then knelt down in front of Joan, since the little Tiefling was so short. “Then I can buy some. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Joan nodded, avoiding eye contact. Katherine ruffled her hair, then stood up straight. A few people were muttering and glaring at Joan, but the whole matter of the thief was quickly forgotten when a man down the street shouted, “Death cloud!”

Katherine blinked, looking around. To the east, she could see a dark purple-and-black cloud on the horizon. The cloud looked big, maybe as big as the town. And judging, by the sudden pandemonium broken out through the market, its appearance was not a good thing.

Immediately, the merchants broke down their tents, and many market patrons hurried into their houses and basements. Shutters snapped shut all down the street. The animal sellers hastily bargained with landowners, then pushed their sheep through storm doors into basements. A baby cried madly despite her mother’s tense reassurances. Some people uprooted flowers as they passed them; they’ll be no good to anybody else soon enough.

“What’s going on?” Catalina shouted over the panic. But the only answer she got was more screaming and yelling.

Joan yelped loudly as someone stomped on her tail. Katherine was shoved into Catalina, and then promptly got her foot trod on. They were all going to be trampled if they didn’t get away soon.

“Oi!” A voice suddenly called out. “Get in here!”

The three of them whirled around to see a man waving from out of his front door. They hurried over and inside the safety of his home.

The house was filled to the brim with artifacts and art. Various geared axles from larger defunct automated artifacts, and some compelling-looking sleek metal cylinders etched with symbols that look very powerful gleamed in the light cast from conjured glass orbs all throughout the rooms. A whole alchemy set, composed of vials, beakers, and burners that laid out across a mahogany desk; a sculpted dragon egg, which was swaddled in some sweaters; a torc of life and death from an old laboratory; some rather fancy clothing on mannequins; an assortment of spare automation parts; and, of course, a shined bookshelf packed full of hefty tomes of magic- all of these things decorated that household that pulsed with magical energy.

Their savior was a young wood elf man, swathed in forest green robes with sparkling gold hems. He had bronze skin that was speckled with blue and pink paint, dark coppery hair, and deep, rich brown eyes. An amber sparrow earring dangled from one of his pointy ears, and he was wielding a hand-carved paintbrush. He hurried around the house, slamming shutters and curtains, but then turned to them with a warm smile after he finished.

“That was close,” He said. “You three must be travelers. Mostly everyone in the area knows about the storms.”

“What was that?” Catalina asked.

“Death Cloud,” The elf said. “It’s been going on for a few years, now. King Henry conjured it over our village after we refused to fight in the war with him. Better than being raided and killed or kidnapped, I suppose.”

Katherine winced internally. So other villages were being terrorized by Henry, too. She wondered what would have happened if Ghent had gotten a Death Cloud instead of being raided.

Would Anne still be alive?

“Anyway, I’m Hans Holbein,” The elf said with an elegant bow. “Who are all of you?”

“Katherine Howard,” Katherine said. “These are Catalina and Joan.”

Hans swept his eyes over the three of them, focusing on Joan. “Stars above,” He murmured. “An albino Tiefling! Wow, I’ve never seen one before! I didn’t even know they existed!”

Joan shuffled her hooves, glancing up at Katherine with an anxious expression. Katherine patted her head comfortingly.

“Hokka, banos,” Came a deep, rumbling voice.

Katherine’s eyes widened as a large stone golem came lumbering out of one of the other rooms. Its rocky grey body was covered in clumps of moss and streaked in green engravings. Its eyes were glowing bright green as it stared down at the trio.

“Hokka, slogeils,” It said.

“Woah,” Catalina said.

“Oh, right!” Hans presented the golem with a grand gesture of his arms. “This is Rocky, my two ton enchanted stone golem!”

“You must have been feeling very creative when naming it,” Joan said.

Katherine felt a jolt, but Hans laughed loudly, clearly not offended.

“You are absolutely right, little one,” Hans said.

Outside, the storm began to pick up. Katherine heard the wind buffeting the house and heavy rain pelt down on the roof. There was also the sizzling of something. Hans ran over to a ladder leading up to a loft and peered through a periscope. He whistled.

“It’s real bad out there,” He said, then looked over at the trio. “Wanna see?”

One-by-one, they each took a look through the periscope.

Katherine watched as the black-and-purple cloud engulfed the entire town, building by building. At the cloud’s touch, flowers withered, trees dropped their leaves, and wooden shutters blackened as though charred. Black raindrops fell against tree trunks and melted the bark in grooves.

Finally, the cloud came for Hans’ building, blocking her view of anything but its own darkness. She quickly stepped back, and Hans retracted the periscope and shuttered the hole.

“Looks like there’s nothing to do but wait,” Hans said. “You all can stay with me until the storm ends. Make yourself at home!”

------

It’s been two days since the Death Cloud rolled into Holm and Katherine had raging cabin fever.

As hospitable as Hans and Rocky were, she hated being cooped up inside when she had a war to stop (even if she didn’t exactly know how to stop it just yet). She read Hans’ wide collection of books, painted, and even tried casting spells, but nothing could get rid of her boredom. She was ready to go back out and continue her adventure. So, on the second day, she approached Hans.

Hans was in a small alchemy room, grinding up some fire salts in a mortar and pestle. Joan was asleep in their bed chambers, curled in a small ball, while Catalina was reading peacefully. Surely they wouldn’t mind Katherine’s plans.

“We need to get going.”

Hans’ ears flicked up and he turned to Katherine with confusion on his face. “But the storm is still going.”

“Hosa, banos. Hosa, rauo’nd.” Rocky interrupted to offer a plate of deviled eggs it prepared itself.

“Thank you,” Katherine said, taking one. “And I know,” She continued. “But we really need to get moving again. We kinda have a mission.”

Hans raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” He put the mortar and pestle down. “I suppose I have something that can help you get through the storm. Come with me.”

Hans took Katherine to his bedroom and presented her a selection of masks and waxed clothes. Katherine ended up choosing a stag mask and fresh fur clothes, Catalina chose a hare mask and padded light armor, and Joan chose a bird mask and grey robes. Hans stuffed the noses of the masks with incense and herbs that he said would protect him from the poisonous fog outside in the storm, then handed them a small, pocket-sized tome of spells.

“Just in case,” He said. “You three be careful out there. And remember me when you’re legends.” He flashed a smile.

“Thank you, Hans. You too, Rocky,” Katherine said, dipping her head. “We won’t forget this.”

“No problem,” Hans said. “Go on, now. Good luck.”

Katherine nodded, opened the door, and then ventured into the Death Cloud with her companions.

#dnd au #six the musical #six the musical au #six the musical fanfic #six the musical fanfiction #six fanfiction #six fanfic #six fic #katherine howard #tour katherine howard #catherine of aragon #tour catherine of aragon #tour joan on the keys #hans holbein the younger #hans holbein #beside the dying fire

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fireflywonder · 5 years

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Rose Tyler Fanfic Rec

Fanfics where Rose Tyler is the main focus. A lot of them will also feature Rose being awesome and not some damsel in distress or a sidekick.

Ninth Doctor x Rose

Get Out Of My Dreams (And Into My TARDIS) by mayaspice

Rated: General

Usually, humans jump at the opportunity to travel with him. So, he's puzzled as to why Rose Tyler doesn't. If she were any other human, he'd be on his merry way, but there's something about Rose that makes him believe the universe (and maybe he) needs her. He takes it upon himself to find out why she's apprehensive about being his companion, and tries to convince her otherwise.

My Comments: This fanfic doesn’t really feel like a romance fanfic even though it’s tagged as one, but it’s brilliant. It’s so easy to get sucked into it which just shows how amazing the writing is. I won’t spoil, but I absolutely love Rose’s reasons for being hesitant and how the Doctor is forced to come to terms with it. You’ll probably end up re-reading this fanfic multiple times.

A Drop of Magic by dimensionhoppingrose

Rated: General

Their first meeting wasn't in the halls of the great castle, but in a dusty, forgotten corner of Flourish and Blotts. “Are you bored too?” He asked, and when she nodded he took her hand and said one word: “Run."

My Comments: A Harry Potter au that’s absolutely brilliant. There’s realistic struggles and the writing is amazing. I also love the friendship between Rose and Martha and the Doctor.

Tenth Doctor x Rose

Mr Smith and The Dinner Lady by lauraxtennant

Rated: General

Set during School Reunion - the Doctor has to contend with his class gossiping and asking inappropriate questions about the nature of his and Rose's relationship.

My Comments: I love this fanfic just for how intimidated the Doctor is by a bunch of teenagers. It also gives a nice glimpse into what the Doctor thinks of Rose who is just absolutely cheeky throughout the entire thing. It’s part of a series, but this is my favorite fic within it.

A Rose By Any Other Name by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel

Rated: Teen-Mature

In which Rose Tyler opens a fob watch, and discovers that she's the Master.

My Comments: Even when Rose Tyler turns out to be the Master there’s still a bit of Rose Tyler in them which makes it so much more interesting. It’s hilarious and the Doctor can never catch a break.

Generation 5000 by ofstormsandwolves

Rated: General

A changed Rose lands on a strange planet while trying to find her way back to the Doctor, and finds herself being 'processed' by a group of soldiers who want help winning a war. Is it just a distraction, or will it help lead her back to the Doctor?

My Comments: Bad wolf and dimension hopping Rose makes an appearance! I love how Rose’s powers are different than standard ones people give her. I don’t want to give much more away, but I love the dynamics between the Doctor and Rose and their progenation machine children.

Rubbish As A Human by HalfASlug

Rated: Teen

With the Family of Blood after him, the Doctor has no choice but to become human and hide himself in Edwardian Britain. Fortunately, Rose and Donna are there to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Unfortunately, there is no one to stop them doing anything stupid.

My Comments: Donna is absolutely amazing in this and I love her friendship with Rose. Those two have to put up with so much in this fanfic and they’re just utterly done with John Smith (aka chameleon arch! Doctor). It’s a hilarious fanfic and it’s definitely different than the usual ‘Family of Blood’ fanfics.

Feeling Electric by ProfessorSpork

Rated: Fiction K

She walks into the comic book store, and everything changes. An AU story. / "No!" she insists, but she's grinning and bumping his shoulder and he has never, ever talked to anyone like this before.

My Comments: The author has the real world connect so neatly to the tv show which I absolutely love. There’s an explanation for everything from why the Doctor wears a pin striped suit to the hindrance caused by Madame de Pompadour. It’s all done in such a brilliant way. Also, the way the Doctor and Rose fall in love is just perfect and fits them so well. There is slight smut though so you have been warned.

Heavy on the Build Up by cereal

Rated: Teen

"I don’t think I’ll be seducing Queen Elizabeth at all," he said. "Do you? Don’t you fancy a bit of running instead? Maybe I could make a speech, tug on my earlobe a bit? I could use the sonic, too." 50th spoiler fix-it.

My Comments: The Doctor thinks he’s so suave, but in reality, not so much. The Doctor’s thought process in regards to Rose is hilarious and so him. Such a fun read.

Rose Stays by l-ouresdeLuna (facemyJam) (WIP)

Rated: Not Rated

When Rose saves the Earth from the Christmas Star Invasion, she unknowingly becomes The Defender of Earth. It sets her on a path not unlike the one the Doctor took, but without the vast knowledge of the Doctor, she's forced to seek alternate endings.

My Comments: Rose is so very human in this series and I love it. She isn’t given any power ups or anything. Rose only has her brain, her companions, and her gadgets to rely on. We get to see Rose truly shine while still holding onto her kindness. This is such a welcome change from the typical route writers take in regards to this trope.

Eleventh Doctor x Rose

More than words by Teekalin (WIP)

Rated: Teen

In the middle of rebooting the universe, the Doctor gets a brilliant idea. A mad but brilliant idea. He has found a way to bring Rose back to him. Now all he need to do is create a second Big Bang and everything should work. He can only hope she will recognise him in his new body.

My Comments: Be prepared for the slow burn, because wow. The Doctor does that and still doesn’t do anything? But the author does a good job of incorporating Rose into the story. Definitely worth reading.

the definition of 'forever' by everythingyouever

Rated: Teen

Amelia Pond looks on in wonder at the blue, smoking police-box that’s smashed her shed. She’s even more amazed when the doors are thrown open, and a blonde woman emerges in a halo of yellow-orange light.

The stranger grimly surveys her surroundings and the state of the box, before shouting back down, “You landed us better the last time you did this!”

My Comments: A nice little fix-it where nothing bad ever happens to Melody Pond, the Doctor was only a year late, and Donna still has her memory plus a bunch of other things. Also, Rose and the Doctor are still traveling together and making people wonder if they’re together. Should definitely read.

Doctor x Rose x Jack

The Wolf at the Door by surrexi

Rated: Teen

Bilis Manger's manipulation of the Cardiff rift allowed Rose Tyler to slip through a tiny hole in the universe and she was reunited with Captain Jack. Cardiff is safe and the Torchwood hub is quiet. But what happens when the Doctor and Martha make a pit stop?

My Comments: This is the second book in a series, but it’s way better than the first one. You can read the sequel without being lost, so you don’t need to bother with the first book. It features an adorable reunion between the Tenth Doctor and Rose along with Bad Wolf! Rose saving the day. Also, Doctor and Jack and Rose working through their relationship issues (but mainly the boys).

Something Fantastic by Haely_Potter

Rated: Not Rated

River meant to send the message to the Eleventh Doctor. We know what happened when the Tenth Doctor received it. But what if it went further back, to the Ninth Doctor? Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead with Ninth Doctor, Rose and Jack.

My Comments: River Song keeps hinting at the future and Ninth is not having it. All her attempts fall flat. This fanfic also has Jack and the Doctor being protective over Rose, but she still manages to get into trouble and help save the day. I mainly love this fanfic just for the relationship dynamics between Jack, Rose, and the Doctor. They’re absolutely great together.

Multi-Doctor x Rose

Bending the Universe by Haely_Potter (WIP)

Rated: Teen

Separate AU one shots in Doctor Who 'verse

My Comments: It’s basically a series on all the different ways Rose could still exist within the Doctor’s life. They’re all very varied which makes it interesting and they show how the Doctor will always love Rose.

Ten and Rose elope and Eleven never marries River, but it's still canon-compliant. by TsukiKabanoki (WIP)

Rated: General

Yeah, I had this idea. I like angst, so most of it is probaby just the Doctor missing Rose or people finding out about her and all that.

My Comments: It’s a series that starts off with the Doctor finally telling Rose how he feels in ‘The Idiot’s Lantern’ and continues how it would in canon. Which makes everything so much more heartbreaking. But I absolutely love the raw emotions in the fanfics and how the Doctor could never stop loving Rose.

Things Change by wanderlust_and_rainbows

Rated: General

Post Parting of Ways, Rose Tyler becomes a little less human.

My Comments: Nothing is ever simple or easy in this fanfic, but the writing is absolutely stunning so you’ll keep reading even if it gets your heart broken. There is just so much depth and nothing is rushed when it comes to Rose. She gets so much character development and I absolutely recommend it. Just the dialogue and the realistic portrayal of relationships pulls you in. You’ll want to read it all in one sitting. Also, Jack is the best friend anyone could have in this.

Time Lines Diverge by valiantstorm

Rated: Teen

"I am the Bad Wolf, and I save Melody Pond."

Melody Pond isn't the only Pond who's met the Bad Wolf. Melody Pond, growing up like she should have, just add the big bad wolf and an immortal man. Oh, and don't forget the daft alien we all love.

My Comments: This is more Eleven x Rose than anything, but towards the end the Twelfth Doctor appears so there’s that. Rose gets to do some saving in this fanfic and travels with an immortal man and a young Pond she regularly kidnaps. Melody Pond is surprisingly likable and there’s just so much sass in her which makes you like her even more. Also, none of the past companions are forgotten which is all Rose’s doing.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by I Took the One Less Travelled

Rated: Teen

Every time she saved him, she dissolved into nothing and disappeared. It just got harder after he knew who she was. AU in which Rose scattered herself as Bad Wolf across the Doctor's timeline and saved his life hundreds of times before he even met her.

My Comments: During the time Rose Tyler held the vortex she saved the Doctor so many times. It’s basically a fix-it during the time the Tenth Doctor is without Rose, but I totally approve of the changes. Also, I love the amount of emotion the author has the Doctor show in regards to Rose. It makes it all so much more intense.

Certain Dark Things by ABadPlanWellExecuted (WIP)

Rated: Teen-Explicit

A collection of stories about Rose as she dimension-hops her way back to the Doctor. Not in any particular order, except the order in which they fall out of my head.

My Comments: This series dives into the things Rose had to endure while in the search for the Doctor and it’s so interesting. There are so many great moments in this story and I honestly can’t say anymore without spoiling.

Prolonging the Inevitable by Aeolist

Rated: Teen

She's with him everyday. He's with her once a week. -- "Fifty more years That's eighteen thousand, two hundred and fifty days. It sounds like a lot, put that way. It's not. Not for me. But if I space it out, if I wait a week in between every one of your days, I could keep you for three hundred and fifty more years in my own timeline."

My Comments: This fanfiction actually explores the idea of Rose growing old with the Doctor which I rarely see. It’s so heartbreaking, but I still love it. It’s primarily focused on the Tenth Doctor and Rose, but the Eleventh Doctor does make an appearance.

Has Someone Been Peeking At My Christmas List? by Vampiyaa

Rated: General

Eleven/Rose sort of; Twelve/Rose; Part Eight of the Who Holidays series. When the Eleventh Doctor takes Rory and Amy home to Leadworth, they stumble upon a future version of the Doctor holding hands with a very pregnant Rose Tyler. Apparently, somebody has most definitely been peeking at his Christmas list. Set just after A Town Called Mercy.

My comments: Definitely a fluffy story, but it has a dash of angst. Definitely an enjoyable story to read.

No Rose Without a Thorn by morningsound15

Rose goes to sleep one night next to her husband, John Smith, the man she has loved for going on three years now, and wakes up the next morning face-to-face with a complete stranger.

She just about falls straight out of bed.

Or: Whenever the Doctor regenerates, his human double over in Pete’s World does, too.

They all try to deal with whatever that might mean.

My Comments: This was such an interesting read, because it’s a struggle on both parties. The Metacrisis is forced to change without warning and figure themselves out all over again. Rose on the other hand has to relearn them all over again. Neither can run away from this. I love the way the author explores all of this and it’s done in such a realistic way.

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theseerasures · 5 years

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Conspicuous Media Consumption, 2019

i mean, everyone's doing these write-ups, right? might as well hop onto the bandwagon

towards the end of last year i had one of my typical existential crises about my media consumption: am i slowly disappearing up my own ass because i no longer care about most of the pop culture people like to discuss ad nauseam? but on the other hand, isn’t it more responsible to find the niche items made by non-mainstream and marginalized creators? on the third hand, wouldn’t i be much happier if i just watched FMA Brotherhood over and over again, preferably while starting a new Mass Effect playthrough at the same time?

the answer to all these questions is probably “yes,” but i decided to try something different going into 2019. for every week of the year, i would try to get through a year’s worth of content for some kind of media, be it comics, video games, TV, etc--they didn’t all have to be recent, or even new to me, but once i was done with that week i’d be done, even if i didn’t finish the content, and i’d make a judgement based what i’d seen on whether i want to continue. mostly, i was trying to avoid what happened to me with video games in 2018, when i was hating every second of playing Uncharted but still felt obligated to finish because everyone and their houseplant liked Uncharted or listlessly doing the Master Hunter achievement in RDR2 because the main quest made me miserable.

the actual outcomes of this Project(tm) are a little more complicated than anticipated--some media i could finish in a day, while trying to play through ALL THE CONTENT OF AN MMO understandably took much longer than a week--but it all kind of evened out. in the end i did 48 weeks of this, and used December as my catch-ups month to follow up on some things i didn’t get to finish. i thought i’d give my thoughts on each of the things i consumed this year as part of this project below in a concise manner--and yes, i know the people who’ve read even one (1) thing i’ve written are probably laughing right now, particularly given how long i took in this introduction just to get to me point, but i really am going to try!! it’s all an exercise in shameless self-indulgence, basically, but hey: if any of you want to chat at length about any of this stuff below, hit me up.

(quick note: you’ll only find media that i chose for this particular project below, so things i watched socially with friends--like certain film properties slorping me back into Disney’s gelatinous monolith--are not included)

Devilman Crybaby (anime, finished 1/5/2019): honestly i should have twigged onto what the year was going to be like when the first thing i drew from the metaphorical barrel was demon tiddies and apocalyptic existentialism. i was determined to dislike it for most of the year due to fundamentally disagreeing with its main thematic thrust, but i kept THINKING about it even months after. at this point i’ve kinda mellowed out. it’s definitely not a must love, but there’s enough queer metaphor and philosophical richness in it to make it worth checking out.

Attack on Titan (manga, 3 volumes finished 1/12/2019): this is the second time i’ve tried to get into this franchise and...yeah, no. i still don’t see the appeal. the fascistic overtones juxtaposed with absolutely no one having a sense of humor wigs me out to no end.

Young Justice (TV, 2.5 seasons finished 1/31/2019): honestly, what even is there to say? they’re my kids. they’re back and grown up and making even more terrible decisions. i screamed when i saw Babs in her wheelchair.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf (book, finished 2/10/2019): i tried VERY HARD to like this book, given how much i liked Brief History of Seven Killings, but it just...didn’t click for me. which honestly is fine, since i don’t think it was made for me either.

Dragon Age (3 games, finished 2/28/2019): i feel like there’s always a part of me that’s going to think of this series as “the other one,” but y’know. it’s good. it’s my second playthrough (as a mage for all three) and it’s good! i even went around killing all the dragons in Inquisition because Knight Enchanter was a blast. appreciate the higher queer content vis-a-vis Mass Effect, even though i couldn’t care less about any of the plot. Dragon Age II is the best one, do not @ me

Bitter Root (comic, 4 issues finished 3/1/2019): i love intergenerational dramas and i love stories about vampire slayers, so this was aces. my only complaint is the pacing was a little slow for a story that was going on hiatus after five issues.

Pearl (comic, 6 issues finished 3/3/2019): i know that he’s done great things and grudgingly admit that he’s probably a net positive in the industry but Brian Michael Bendis can suck my entire dick

Lazarus (comic, 5 trades finished 3/ 4/2019): i really thought this was going to clench the position for comic of the year. it’s Rucka doing Highly Relevant Dystopia! it’s a corporate Lannisters AU! it’s a highly personal story about a woman with high privilege and little agency! what more could you want

Immortal Hulk (comic, 2 trades finished 3/ 4/2019): i vibed with the horror feel, but i don’t honestly think it’s THAT exceptional. being set in 616-verse means there was still ton of baggage i didn’t know or care about, since i’ve now swung more to the DC side of things

thank u, next (album, finished 3/5/2019): didn’t Ariana Grande get canceled this year for some reason? oh well, i liked her album

When I Get Home (album, finished 3/13/2019): i vividly remember listening to this for the first time and feeling vaguely disappointed that it wasn’t more like Seat at the Table until i realized that i was covered in goosebumps. still don’t understand the magic but it is Good

The Bird King (book, finished 3/23/2019): pretty much everything you’d expect from a G. Willow Wilson book--spirituality, the female lead finding Themselves and the Answer and learning they’re the same thing, etc etc. i’m slightly resentful that her Wonder Woman was so lackluster while this was so good, but whatevs

Psychodrama (album, finished 3/29/2019): possibly my favorite album of the year? dense and emotionally raw in a way i really appreciate. Dave has a Mercury and he’s younger than me

Mass Effect (4 games, finished 4/7/2019): wow guys did you know that Mass Effect is good! it is. all of it is actually, even the Mass Effect 3 ending, another controversial finale to a big franchise that i will obstinately defend. even Andromeda, which isn’t AS good as the trilogy but still has a lot of heart. all its bugs have been exhaustively patched since launch anyway

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV, 4 seasons finished 5/13/2019): i’m...still kind of mad about this finale, but can’t exactly deny that this show is one of the best things to ever happen to me, or television probably. i didn’t even mind new!Greg that much! tho he was probably the nail on the coffin of me jumping onto the Nathaniel train.

Knights of the Old Republic/The Old Republic (3 games, finished 7/4/2019): did you guys know that KOTOR II was my first ever video game? i feel like that...explains a lot about me. anyway, the first game is a classic and the second is a deconstructive classic and playing either of them is basically a fun way for me to turn off my brain these days. even the MMO wasn’t as much of slog as i worried it would be. the Imperial Agent storyline had some nice surprises and i dig the general atmosphere of ruthless pragmatism and crushing loneliness.

Wanderers (book, finished 7/13/2019): Chuck Wendig is a very well-intentioned man in dire need of a strict editor. still good tho! some VERY punchy emotional bits and an ending that still leaves me with vague existential terror.

Code Geass (anime, 2 seasons finished 7/20/2019): i feel like this is on the polar opposite of the spectrum as Devilman Crybaby, because i don’t think Geass is GOOD on like, any basis, and i actually find its central moral message kind of abhorrent? but some part of my lizard brain LOVED the High Imperial Family Drama (it’s been a good year for me and Lannister types, hasn’t it? well, with the obvious exception of--never mind), so...yeah. have i discovered the true meaning of guilty pleasure

The Farewell (movie, finished 7/23/2019): how could i not a) watch this and b) love this and c) feel emotionally cold towards this at the same time because the situations depicted were so similar to mine that i ended up feeling kind of alienated

The Nickel Boys (book, finished 8/8/2019): i STILL haven’t read Underground Railroad, but here i am a book late and a dollar short to appreciate Whitehead’s new book. the man’s stylistic versatility is jaw-dropping and i appreciate the plotting in contrast to like, 90% of the litfic out there that’s just “protagonist sad in different milieu”

Durarara (anime, 2 seasons finished 8/31/2019): it’s fucking bonkers and i loved pretty much every second of it? even the second season, where i finally got the BruceNat AU i deserved??? the first anime i’ve seen where everyone was relatively soberly dressed. the answer was love and having feelings and asking your middle school best friend to hurl you like a projectile so you can chop your girlfriend’s head off with a demon katana

Lover (album, finished 9/1/2019): i feel like with all the Discourse surrounding Taylor Swift re: she’s the devil incarnate or re: she’s good, actually the fact that she makes fucking bops gets kind of lost in the conversation. i have no vested interest in her as a person but i liked Lover, even though London Boy was “what if Style but stupid”

Are You Listening (comic, finished 10/2/2019): my actual choice for best comic of the year if i were giving out awards like that. it’s coming of age! it’s grief! it’s queers! it’s trauma! it’s magical realism! it’s cats! it’s expressive gorgeous art! Tillie Walden has an Eisner and she’s younger than me

High School DxD (manga, 2 volumes finished 10/10/2019): i don’t even know how to talk about this series?? i actually kind of came around to the whole “main character is a perv but goes hard for consent” by the end of the second volume, but it’s still...bad. i only can have lingering conflicted feelings about one Japanese adaptation of Christian mythology per year

Ghosteen (album, finished 10/18/2019): much like Immortal Hulk i thought it was fine but over-hyped. it’s Nick Cave doing his Nick Cave ethereal music thing. i still can’t tell what any of the lyrics mean, except Jesus is there sometimes

Watchmen (TV, 2 episodes finished 10/29/2019): i am nOT FUCKING CAUGHT UP so please watch out for spoilers. it is on my high priority list of things to be caught up on tho--i appreciate that the plot is blatantly unsubtle but still manages to give me aneurysms and i appreciate the political overtones just kinda...balances on a razor thin wire and also gives me aneurysms. i wanna say i have no expectations and would be fine if it does a full dive into the horrible bland depths of the both-sides porridge, but i’m sadly a fool who wants to believe in Damon Lindelof

Syllabus/Making Comics (2 comics, finished 12/24/2019): it’s funny--even before Making Comics came out i was like “man i miss Lynda Barry” and then BAM. it’s incredible how her work just makes me feel taken care of, even when we’re wrestling with tough topics or she’s demanding that i draw a Batman in 30 seconds. kudos for immediately shooting to the top of my gift list for my sister also

Allegiance/Choices of One (2 books, finished 12/24/2019): fun and largely inoffensive, but i was honestly hoping for more. the level of Empire apologia going on was too much for me, someone who thinks Mara Jade is the best Star Wars character of all time (still?????? still). it reeked a little of Zahn believing his own hype as the only valid guy in Star Wars Legends of whatever

Aldnoah.Zero (anime, 1 season finished 12/24/2019): turns out i also can only have “trash but my trash” feelings about one Japanese mecha show with higher art pretensions and patriotism verging into jingoism per year, and this one ain’t it. it’s not as good as Code Geass and Code Geass ISN’T GOOD. at least Geass attempted character complexity and moved at enough of a breakneck pace to distract me from its questionable bits. Aldnoah is just...bland, and nothing gets accomplished or revealed in 12 episodes, except the baffling and contradictory motivations of the main bad guy.

Baldur’s Gate (game, unfinished): yet again something i really wanted to like, given *gestures at all the BioWare above*. i think it’s mainly the Seinfeld issue, where it actually predates my own experience with video games and was so formative for the Western RPG genre that what was innovative just comes across as kind of staid now. i didn’t DISLIKE it, and will probably play the sequel since it’s supposed to be more character-driven, but by the time i finished the vanilla campaign i just didn’t have it in me to squint at more tiny avatars on the screen, so the expansions ended up a no-go.

most prominent thing i noticed about this list is that only one 2019 movie made it on the list and ZERO 2019 video games did so. the former i’m okay with because i currently live with two film people with whom i’m happy to tag along to the cinema. the latter bums me out a little more, because there WERE a few things i wanted to play this year, but all of them came out just as my semester was reaching its catastrophic boil, so i had no time. maybe i’ll use my free time after the New Year festivities to catch up on those.

to conclude: this worked out pretty well! i ended up finishing all but one of the things, and only a few were bad enough that i have no interest in seeking out more content. i’ll probably do this again in 2020--we’ll see if the scheduling can withstand a full year of grad school hell

#let's break out a new tag for this since this isn't really meta #conspicuous media consumption

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nowitsdarkfic · 5 years

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chapter twenty-seven (bud e luv bomb and satan’s lounge band)

October 23, 1988. New Orleans, Louisiana.

I haven't been able to find my shoes anywhere in Lars' place. Either I lost them in the restaurant or something else happened to them. Nevertheless, I don't really want to walk about the wet ground of the French Quarter barefoot. I found my ring in my jeans pocket, but I cannot for the life of me remember where I left my shoes. But nowhere in Lars' apartment can I find any shoes or boots or anything that seems to fit me. And the fact he hasn't woken up yet, at eight thirty, tells me I should probably bypass him and search for some shoes myself.

Meanwhile, I still haven't heard a peep from Ellen's apartment. I'm pretty sure I am the last person she saw given I'm met with silence each time I walk over there to knock on her door. I finally gave up about a half an hour ago when I decided it's better if I just take care of myself and fetch something to eat downstairs. I fix my shirt and head on downstairs with the coat over my body to see if it actually does fit me. Musty and scratchy, but does fit me well especially at my hips. I put on the gloves, which fit as though they were made for my hands. I lift my hair out from underneath the collar before wheeling around and heading out of the apartment. Lars is still sound asleep by the time I leave the apartment and head out to the hallway. The floor boards creak under my bare feet as I amble down to Ellen's door again.

Gently, I knock on the panel.

“Ellen? Are you there?”

I'm still met with silence.

“Ellen, it's Joey.” I feel odd saying this already. “I know you're probably gone now, like you went in your sleep but—” I don't know if it's the thirst of having drank a lot the night before or if it's the fact I was the last person for her to see me, but my throat is already closing up.

“—I want to tell you thank you. You know for... sharing your final moments with me and your last bit of wisdom. I'll admit I was a little unsure at first but—I don't know what I'm saying. You were a ghastly sick old lady taking her final steps and I want to thank you for letting me take them with you. But—I have to go now. I hope you and I can meet again one day.”

I sigh through my nose and feel the weight of the silence upon me. I close my eyes as I keep my hand on the door panel. I slide my hand down to the doorknob to feel it turn a bit. The door swings open and I'm met with a rush of cool air that smells clean once again. She's in there, I can sense it. It's like how I can sense Mrs. Snow or Vera in the same room with me. There's the corpse of an old lady in there but I don't really want to see it.

I close the door again out of respect for her. At least I can do one thing right for once in this past week.

I run my fingers through my hair before heading down the stairs to the bar and the restaurant, which is bustling with patrons and waitresses docked in black button up blouses and black and red skirts. I take a seat at the sole empty table near the stage, where the band of the day is setting up their amps and their equipment. A waitress strolls on over to me and asks me if I can have anything to drink.

“Cup of coffee please—no cream—and a blueberry muffin.”

She nods at me before stepping away. I can only hope I've got enough in my pockets to cover for it; I fold my arms over the top of the table and lean over so as to hide my face. I glance over my shoulder at the stage behind me and the girl in a lush crimson long dress that looks as though it's made entirely of velvet is setting up the microphone rack right down by her feet. I watch her stand up before the microphone itself and blow into it.

I adjust myself in the seat of the chair so my elbow rests on the top of the back and I'm facing her straight on.

She opens her lips and starts to sing “Blackbird” by the Beatles.

I learned to sing by covering the Beatles.

I can't help it: I do it along with her, but without my own microphone.

She lifts her gaze to me and our eyes lock together for a moment but it's long enough to coax a smile from her. I flash her wink and she wraps her fingers around the stand, to which I see a wedding ring on her third finger.

FUCK.

I sigh through my nose and that's when the waitress returns to me. I shift back around in my chair at the sight of a white mug of fresh black coffee and a big fresh blueberry muffin that I swear is larger than my fist. I take a sip of the coffee and it caresses my poor parched mouth with its warmth. I pick at my muffin, and I usually like my blueberry ones, especially the ones straight out of the oven. I think it just might be the hangover talking, though, so I keep drinking the coffee to the very bottom of the mug.

Little better. My headache is going away, but my appetite is still a ways off, though.

I pick at the muffin even more and once I reach the stump, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to find the girl who was up on stage standing next to me but with a jacket over her dress.

“'Scuse me—er, I hate to do this to you,” she speaks with a little lighter of an accent compared to Ellen's, “but I saw you singin' earlier, and I was just wonderin' if it wouldn't be too much trouble for me to ask you if could you fill in for me, please? I have an emergency at home that I need to tend to, but I don't want my band to be without a singer again.”

“Um—sure.” The butterflies rise up inside of my stomach because this is a total unknown to me.

“We're just a cover band and we're only gonna do a couple of songs before we head on home, anyways. We're just the openin' band for the main act in a little while.”

“Yeah, I'd be honored to—it's no bother. Just lemme finish my muffin—”

She returns to the band, all of whom are already taking their places up on the stage. I wasn't hungry before but I wolf down the remainder of the muffin stump before striding over to them. I wish I hadn't already drank down the coffee because the whole thing coats my mouth for a moment. I recall what Ellen had told me the night before given this is the Big Easy and that someone will have work for you. I adjust the lapels of my coat and climb up the trio of steps leading up onto the stage.

There's a black girl with dreadlocks behind the small drum kit, a sandy haired boy holding an oversized blue bass guitar with five strings, and two boys with pompadours atop their heads holding twin red guitars. They're all wearing white shirts and black and white leggings held up with black suspenders.

Like a lounge version of Anthrax.

“Hey, guys, I'm Joey,” I introduce to them. “Your singer just told me she had to run on home real quick and so I took up to the challenge.”

“No challenge here, man,” the bass player assures me, “we're just gonna play two songs and then we're heading out.”

“The first song we're doing is 'Hush' by Deep Purple,” the drummer calls out to me. “Do you know that one?”

“Hell yeah! Like, by heart!”

“I like this guy already,” the guitarist on the right chuckles, taking out a comb from his trouser pocket for a quick swipe over his head, “let's get on it.”

I pull the thread bare coat over me before ambling over the stage to the microphone stand. I curl my fingers back to better break into the black leather gloves. All eyes are on me and the fact I'm the one person up here dressed in black with disheveled hair, bare feet, and dark Indian skin. I gaze on at the crowd before us. I hope Lars will hear me belt it out as the four of them launch into their heavy, rough sound right behind me. It's like being with Anthrax again as I grip onto the microphone stand with my left hand.

I think about Maya, who's back in Seattle; about Ellen, who's upstairs; Brick, who's in the hospital; the fact I got drunk last night and lied to my parents; and most of all, I think about my past with Anthrax. It's all coming down on me like a pouring, torrential rain from the incoming hurricane outside.

But all I can do is sing out, and sing loud.

Since I woke up hungover, and I had just eaten a muffin, I haven't been able to warm up but I go forth with it anyways. My voice comes out broken and garbled, but loud and still plenty powerful from my last performance on State of Euphoria, even against the full sounding bass and the loud guitars. Their instruments are rough and filthy in sound, as though they hadn't spent a lot of money on buying them, but they're good musicians, though. They're a good heavy weight against my voice.

I'm loud, even with the breaks in my voice and my stomach tightening up. Ellen's firmly on my mind as I'm nearing the end of the first verse.

I feel a piece of my hair falling into my face, but I don't care. If anything, it just adds to it.

Ellen died alone and I'm the one soul grieving her at the moment.

My voice breaks even more when I hit the chorus and I throw myself into it even more. The four of them join in with me on their microphones.

I think back to when Anthrax and I did a song at the end of our album from last year, Among the Living, called “Bud E Luv Bomb and Satan's Lounge Band”, where I was Bud E Luv Bomb, the smarmy lounge singer blitzed off his ass on booze and cocaine and God knows what else. We did it as kind of a joke, but I had become that very entity.

I am Bud E Luv Bomb, and this is Satan's Lounge Band right behind me.

I run my fingers through my hair so everyone can better see my face. This is where I open my eyes to catch a view of the audience. Everyone is gazing on at me in awe.

I wonder how many of the people in here are aware that I was once the lead singer for a thrash metal band and am now caught up in a hurricane of strange events.

Probably not many, because the couple right in front of me lean together to say something. After the guitar solo, I hear the man on the right say, “he's got a lot of soul” and the woman next to him follow with “yeah, he's an amazing singer. Lot of melancholy.”

Melancholy, yes, especially at the moment. Amazing? Meh. I'm not sure about that.

#after the watershed #now it's dark #chapter 27 #new chapter #fanfic #fanfiction #heavy metal fanfiction #thrash metal #anthrax fanfics #joey belladonna #anthrax #noir au #southern gothic #dark sci-fi #amwriting #text

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patricksilvrrozartistry · 6 years

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Current Music Obsessions: February 2019

Time for the second Current Music Obsessions post in the new format! Although the lists are technically longer, only talking about just a handful of songs is so nice. So here are the honorable mentions and regular obsessions.

Textures - Consonant Hemispheres Within Temptation - In Vain Autumn's Mourning - The Morning Mist Bad Wolf - Shooting Star Trail of Tears - Mournful Pigeon Trail of Tears - Enigma of the Absolute Angie - IDGAF Levinia - Prayers Phildel - Electric Heights Young Medicine - Shinju Forever Sill - Rew1nd Leprous - Angel (Massive Attack cover) Todesbonden - Fading Empire Ray Noir - All Alone feat. Mariann Rosa Ivy Crown - Lonesome and Cold feat. Kim Song Sternkopf All Hail - Witch Hunt Rose Funeral - Entercism Stream of Passion - Far and Apart Chemist - Awaken Divided Island - Mermaid Tragul - The Hummingbird Asrai - Restless Lighthouse in Darkness - Monochromatic Memories Stream of Passion - Now or Never Within Temptation - Mad World Qveen Herby - 310 Within Temptation - Endless War Moon Tooth - Trust Palehorse - Dead Wrong Heonia - Shy

Soul Extract - Nebula Pentastone - Poisoned Mind Reism - Broken Romina Falconi - Vuoi L'Amante Vetrar Draugurinn - Hinterlands Skypunch - Psych Edge of Paradise - Face of Fear Diabolical - Betrayal Asrai - Touch in the Dark H.E.R. - Gone Away The Design Abstract - Technophage New Zone - Breathe Jamala - Solo The Birthday Massacre - Red Stars Vetrar Draugurinn - I Am

Now for the main obsessions.

Waterparks - Crybaby

This was just a regular obsession, but then it became a main one. I heard this song while my sister and I were browsing around in Hot Topic one day and it caught my attention so I decided to look it up when I got home and wound up loving it. Like I've mentioned in the past: I'm a sucker for pitch-shift harmonies, and this song has plenty of them. I've checked out some of their other songs and they don't appeal to me (I'm not into pop-punk), but this song is absolutely amazing.

Battle Beast - No More Hollywood Endings

Noora is such a drag queen and I love it. Homegirl PAINTS her face. Anyways, this song is so good. It's such a fun and powerful track. Noora's voice is so strong in this song and is such a great first single for the upcoming release (which I'm so excited for).

Raizer - Precious

I went through a bit of a phase where I was listening to a good bit of electro-rock/metal and this is definitely one of the better ones I heard. It's such a beautiful track and the singer has such a pretty voice. I'm definitely gonna look into more from these guys, because this track definitely has me intrigued.

Jinjer - Perennial

The Micro EP is a very impressive one from these guys and I think this has to be my favorite off it. The video is great and I especially love seeing the instruments being played by bodies in a graveyard; it's so cool. This track really shows off Tati's versatility as a singer really well and just how powerful her cleans and screams can get.

Qveen Herby - BDE

This is such a fun song off EP 5 and is my favorite off it. And again, Amy turned out some sickening looks for the video. It definitely has a cheesy factor that I really like with all the eggplants all throughout the video for a song about big dick energy. The chorus sounds so innocent and fun, even though it really isn't that innocent. And that rap verse is everything.

Une Misere - Damages

Found this ball-buster of a track thanks to their record label. This is an amazing blackened death metal track and it has such cool and intense riffs. It's constantly in your face from start to finish and I can't get over it. The video might be simple, but the imagery and the atmosphere it creates really suits the song.

Swallow the Sun - Firelights

This is such a beautiful track. I need to hurry up and listen to the new album, because I'm loving everything I'm hearing from it so far. Mikko's voice is so lovely and you get a great feel for that in this song. He puts so much heart and emotion into it. And I absolutely love the nod to Aleah at the end of the video when they showed her iconic necklace laying in the snow. It's making me wonder if this album just might be dedicated to her or if there will at least be a few dedicated to her.

Lunar Path - The One Behind the Mirror

I found this song while digging around on my first YouTube account and I fell in love instantly. I love gothic metal songs that invoke this kind of vibe and I especially love the fact that their front woman isn't afraid to get into her lower register. That lower register in the chorus is everything. It's so beautiful and haunting. I'm definitely am gonna be checking out more from these guys. It's such a bummer they broke up though.

Imperia - Book of Love

This was their second single of Flames of Eternity and it's a powerful one. It's so lovely and heartfelt. Helena has such an amazing way of channeling her emotions into music, and this track is pure proof of that. I especially love the shift to the dramatic side during the last chorus. That power and beauty is just one of the things that I absolutely love about this band. Definitely go check out Flames of Eternity. It's such an epic and amazing album.

I hope you guys enjoy this new format, because I'm loving it. The posts are easier to make and are more spaced out than before, which again, makes these posts a lot easier to do. But enough of that, let's wonder what March has in store for us.

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kennheir · 2 months

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@hcpemikaelscn

Hope wanted to make this choice before others yanked it from her hands. This wasn't something that Hope was thinking of doing on a whim. But everyone in the family thinks she isn't being rational. Her heart and brain have never been more in line with one another. One day, a threat was going to knock on their door that required them to access her full potential. When Hope told everyone it was during a family meeting, Her voice was even and steady. The dining room table was filled with pastries, alcohol, and fruit. It was almost as if Hope thought a celebration of life was in order. Valkyrie had been sitting on Hope's lap under the table. Her fingers brushed through the soft fur of her beloved animal when no one could notice. The overhand fan buzzed with each twirl, but it was cooling everyone that needed it. Hope was thankful, given that she was sweating thanks to the Louisiana heat.

BELLE : I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN.

Everything turns on a dim. The calmness in her body twists. Fingers shaking in her cat's fur that only grinds down into her body. It was 15 pounds of pure animal that nuzzled into her stomach to try and center her. A deep breath is taken before Hope responds without thinking. ❝ I'm not leaving you! ❞ Hope's voice wasn't calm, and it wasn't even anymore. It became more high-pitched and full of stress. ❝ Even if some, I'd love to not be here. I can't seem to escape this earth. ❞ The sad thing was Hope had tried. She jumped off a ledge into a literal pit of doom to try and get rid of her pain. But even hell adjacent didn't want her. It spat her back to the same twisted fate she had been running from for years.

HOW IS SHE SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT ANY OTHER WAY? Hope is taking her fate in her own hands, having her say before the choice is RIPPED away from her and yet, Belle can't stop her hands from shaking at the thought. (Their mom had chosen to die to save them and never came back. Hope's a tribrid, her come back is practically written in the stars but that doesn't stop the fear that she's losing what's left of her family.)

"Just because you'll come back, doesn't mean I won't still have to watch you die!" Like Henry, like mom. Belle's the youngest in a family that's been dwindling since she was born, lost to murder and treachery, self-sacrifice in the face of those that DESPISED them for something none of them could help.

(She's still choosing to leave her, even if only temporarily.)

Being there for it isn't even a choice, How else will she know it works? That her stupidly brave older sister hasn't just killed herself for nothing, left Belle to truly fend for herself with family that feels like they only truly care about her as Hope's sister, Hayley's daughter, not Belle.

#* some days i am more wolf than woman 「main verse」#* all stories are about wolves 「ic」#& hope mikaelson // hcpemikaelscn #suicide mention

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olympicfated-a · 4 years

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i’ve still got more tags to do for people but i’m mostly done thank gracious

#🌲 ❝ never feel guilty for starting again ❞ ⸢ main verse ⸥#🌲 ❝ you are your own lighthouse ❞ ⸢ carlisle cullen ⸥#🌲 ❝ the saddest word in the whole wide world is the word almost ❞ ⸢ plotting call ⸥#🌲 ❝ milk and honey dripped from my lips as i answered ❞ ⸢ meme ⸥#🌲 ❝ becoming your own savior sometimes means knowing when you need to ask for help ❞ ⸢ starter call ⸥#🌲 ❝ and you say you are broken ; but broken mirrors like you create the most beautiful patterns of light ❞ ⸢ edward cullen ⸥#🌲 ❝ when you kissed me I left a poem in your mouth and you can hear some of the lines every time you breathe out ❞ ⸢ desires ⸥#🌲 ❝ i had a big smile on my face as i burned the bridges to all the things i could not repair ❞ ⸢ wishlist ⸥#🌲 ❝ it isn't blood that makes you my sister ; it's how you understand my heart as though you carry it in your body ❞ ⸢ alice cullen ⸥#🌲 ❝ but her heart was so cold that she could hold ice in her mouth and it would never melt ❞ ⸢ rosalie hale ⸥#🌲 ❝ he did not teach me how to love myself ; but he was the bridge that helped me get here ❞ ⸢ charlie swan ⸥#🌲 ❝ to be soft is to be powerfull ❞ ⸢ esme cullen ⸥#🌲 ❝ some days I am more wolf than woman ; and I am still learning how to stop apologizing for my wild ❞ ⸢ aesthetic ⸥#🌲 ❝ a mess of beautiful contradictions make her whole ; she wears fire for skin but a storm lives in her soul ❞ ⸢ vanity ⸥#🌲 ❝ he opened me up like a book & poured the poetry back into me ❞ ⸢ jacob black ⸥#🌲 ❝ i am made of water ; of course i am emotional ❞ ⸢ queue ⸥#🌲 ❝ i hope you can find it in your heart to be proud of the woman i have become in spite of you ❞ ⸢ renee dwyer ⸥#🌲 ❝ there is nothing more alive than a tree that learns how to grow in a cemetery ❞ ⸢ drabble ⸥#🌲 ❝ some people are born with tornadoes in their lives but constellations in their eyes ❞ ⸢ headcanon ⸥#🌲 ❝ you are a bear hug ; chaotic wonder ; and a brother all rolled into one ❞ ⸢ emmett cullen ⸥#🌲 ❝ you are far better than you think ❞ ⸢ jasper hale ⸥

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noctispostmortem-blog · 6 years

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I am putting this under a read more because this is drama and even if I don’t name names, I guess this could also be considered a callout (plus this got long as shit). I don’t know, honestly, I don’t do things like this usually and I hate that I feel I have to do it now. But this is starting to get to me because it seems to be happening more and more often and I really don’t like coming on here and seeing vague comments and such about the very things I just posted about myself.

First, I’d like to start with the fact that I have 40 muses. 40 of them. All with varying personalities, strengths, weaknesses, etc. I have some that are immensely strong, gods and goddesses but then I also have some that are simply humans, in college and just trying to get by. The type of thread you’ll get depends on which muse you’re rping with. If you do not like how it’s going with that muse, I am perfectly fine with discussing it and seeing if someone else will work better.

Among those 40 muses, most of them are immortal beings that are incredibly strong. That is not said with the assumption that my muse will definitely kick your muses ass. Ever. I have some muses with very strong personalities that simply come off like that or believe they are strong enough to beat yours in a fight, but that doesn’t mean that I, as the mun, think the same way they do. Some are simply too proud to outright acknowledge that another muse is stronger than them but are smart enough to know that they don’t simply want to take them on in a fight.

Taking Lucien as an example, he is almost 600 years old, a Lycanthrope that is meant to kill both vampires and demons and has been doing nothing but fighting nearly his entire life. Now, simply because in my verse he can, doesn’t mean that he can take down your demon or vampire so easily. If you want to have one of them meet with this wolf, it would just have to be after a long discussion so that I know what your muse is capable of and that you understand that the moment you approach him and are one of those, he will try to kill yours. Not saying he will, but there won’t be any hesitation from him. He will immediately jump right into battle with a muse of either of those species because that’s how he is.

Lucien is an asshole with a far too great ego who loves to fight and will usually take on anyone who comes his way. But, at the same time, there are others who he clearly acknowledges as strong. There is a goddess he threads with, she is much bigger and stronger than him but his pride gets in the way of him outright showing this so it’s seen in little things. Like when someone commented about her possibly dying, he clearly expressed how he didn’t see that happening but how he would still give his life up for her. Plus, when said goddess swoops in and picks him right up, he doesn’t fight her. He might grump because I mean, his pride is hit when he’s so easily manhandled but at the same time, he takes it because it’s a bit endearing too and he knows there ain't a damn thing he could do to stop that woman.

Another instance is where a certain hunter is supposed to kill him, he has been known on times to come right out and say just how badass she really is and is constantly impressed with her skills and how quickly she learns. He enjoys fighting her, even if he doesn’t show it, she’s a challenge to him. But his actual strength, his horrible personality, and ego tend to overshadow that bit and make the main focus simply on the bad parts. Basically, in Lucien’s case, if someone came up to him and started badmouthing him, there is a very high chance he’d simply punch them to get them to leave him alone. But, that’s also situational because sometimes he will actually find it amusing.

Then I have muses like Lizeth who have absolutely no way to truly defend herself yet she’s so quick to run her mouth that I wouldn’t blame someone in the slightest if they smacked her for mouthing them off. If that’s how your muse is then don’t hold them back. But then I also have muses like Hades who is probably one of the strongest ones I have yet he wouldn’t do a single thing to harm a hair on anyone’s head unless you harm someone he cares for. If you start badmouthing him, he’s the type to simply walk away. So, to clarify, that post I made was not stated to simply say don’t badmouth my muses without expecting to be hit. That was meant both ways. The biggest issue here is, let your muse be your muse but remember there are consequences to certain actions and don’t blame the mun if it happens!

There was another time that I saw one of my rp partners say something about a certain way of writing being a peeve of theirs, so, while I thread with them, I avoid doing that at all costs because I do enjoy writing with them, I love their characters and the last thing I want to do is aggravate them when they get a reply from me. Besides, it was something so simple that it took little effort of me to correct it. What I did notice was that it was posted directly after I had done a reply for them. That was an easy fix, I just stopped doing that one small thing and never heard about it again.

Another time was when I made a post about how I run my blog and how there is definitely favorites on here, let’s be honest here, we all have those partners that we just love to thread with. I’ve gotten close with those muns and our muses just click or whatever reason, that’s just how it is. I don’t outright ignore you, though I will say that it’s been in my rules for I don’t know how long about favorites on here. I do feel bad when I can’t get up the will to write for certain threads, but time is limited and this is NOT a job so I will lean towards the ones that I have the most muse for. One day it will be this particular thread, another day it will be another. That’s just how I am.

Basically, I’m going to sum it up here because this has gotten far too long and there have been other times but I’m not going to go into this. In the end, let your muse be your muse, I’ll let mine be mine. I won’t assume that you have the same mindset they do so please don’t assume the same of me. Just because my muse seems so strong, doesn’t mean they will instantly kick your ass or the other way around. My muse badmouths yours, fucking smack the shit out of them if that’s what your muse wants. All in all, it depends on the muse and the situation. And if you have an issue with something I’m doing, you are allowed to talk to me about it. Honestly, I’d rather not have any bad air between us and if it’s just something that we can’t agree on then I’m very sorry but at least we tried. And if I feel that every time I make a most along a certain subject, that someone is going to make their own post disagreeing with it, then what’s the point?

I may lose followers at this point, I may piss off some people but really, I just needed to say something. And I am not attacking those who have done this, I am merely trying to explain my side of it and how I feel on these subjects.

#ooc #tw: drama #drama #i don't even know to tag this #really you don't even have to read this long ass bullshit post #I just needed to clear the air a bit

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turnt-pages-blog · 7 years

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Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

"Sometimes you do things you regret, but there's nothing you can do about them. Times change. Doors close behind you. You move on."

Synopsis: A collection of short stories written by Neil Gaiman about everything from an old woman buying the Holy Grail at a thrift store to a re-imagining of the classic tale of Snow White.

Rating: 10/10

Read If You Liked: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Wilderness Lessons by Margaret Atwood

My Opinion:

*I’ll post this as a read more so not everyone has to suffer through my lengthy ramblings!

So, this was my first time reading any of Neil Gaiman's short stories and, although I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane and loved it, I didn't know quite what to expect. I'm a bit nervous about taking the leap into the wild universes of Gaiman's larger novels, because I just don't have the time to devote to them properly, so I figured his short stories was a good place to start. I have to say, I am so glad I decided to do this and will soon be trying to read anything of his I can get my hands on! When reviewing anthologies or collections of stories, I usually have something to say about almost every entry so I like to talk about each one individually. Meaning, this will be rather long but feel free to skip around!

Also, at the beginning of the novel, Gaiman wrote a little background information on each story which I read after I finished each one. You'll see later in the reviews how this affected my understanding of them.

"Chivalry" - Chivalry is a story about an old woman buying the Holy Grail at a thrift store. This story really started off the book strongly and made me immediately realize that I was going to thoroughly enjoy this collection. It was so sweet, a story you'd read if you wanted a warm, fuzzy feeling afterwards. The two completely different characters and their unlikely friendship was done in a way that was familiar but not cliched. The end actually left me in a bit of a melancholic mood, but not in a bad way. In the way that you know something has to end, but you're still going to miss it.

Throughout the book there were multiple 1-2 page stories and most of them didn't leave much (if any) of an impression on me. "Nicholas Was" was too short for me to feel any connection at all to it, "Virus" felt like it was written by a crotchety elderly person complaining about kids and technology these days, and "Daughter of Owls" and "Cold Colors" were so deep in verse and old language that they were very hard to understand.

"The Price" & "Troll Bridge" - Both of these stories were nice (and well-written, of course) but really had no effect on me either way. "Troll Bridge" had a little too much fantasy and folklore for my taste and made it difficult for me to fully enjoy it. I liked "The Price" a lot more but I always find animal stories a bit sappy and tend to avoid them. They were nice, and that's all I can really say about them!

Other 1-2 page stories like "Don't Ask Jack," "The Sweeper of Dreams," and "Babycakes" had enough detail and depth to get under my skin, but I wanted more! I love short stories, but there is such a thing in my mind as too short.

"The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories" - I loved this story, it's one of my favorites in the book! I love old Hollywood and the era of the birth of cinema, which is what this story kind of centers around. The characters were also fantastic. Pious, one of the main characters, reminded me of William from the TV show This Is Us which made me love him even more! The whole atmosphere this story had had a timeless, magical quality to it and it will stick with me for quite a while.

"The White Road" & "Queen of Knives" - So, apparently these stories are two parts of a triptych but I don't personally see the connection between them. "Queen of Knives" was good, a mysterious and unsettling story revolving around disappearances and magic, but "The White Road" is clearly superior. I think it may be one of my favorite short stories that I've ever read. It was creepy, disturbing, had a Hans Christian Andersen-style fantasy element, and a twist I didn't see coming at all. I loved everything about it!

"Changes" - This story gave a unique sci-fi twist to the process of sex changes, the cultures they involve, and the lives of those affected by them. I couldn't personally connect to it but I really appreciate the unique take on the subject.

"Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" & "Looking for the Girl" - If you want the intoxicating feeling of chasing after something frustratingly elusive, then these two stories are for you! Unfortunately, I was not in the market for this feeling. I wish I was better acquainted with H.G. Well's work, because then I think I could've enjoyed the mist-filled world of "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" a lot more than I did since it largely focused on his stories and the monsters within them. "Looking for the Girl" has a completely different setting with a gritty 1970's feel to it that gets under your skin. This story made me feel weirdly dirty after reading it, though it wasn't because of the subject matter despite it being about a porn star.

"Only the End of the World Again" & "Bay Wolf" - I really liked both of these stories, but I totally didn't realize they were connected until I read Gaiman's background information on them. (Of course now it seems painfully obvious...) Even without that knowledge, I loved the concept of a werewolf detective. I actually preferred "Only the End of the World Again" because it had this dark noir atmosphere to it that really added nicely to the story. They were both a little hard to follow at times though.

"We Can Get Them for You Wholesale" - I thought the concept for this piece was so interesting, the idea that someone would purchase literally anything if it was on sale. Honestly, I know some people like this! It was very unsettling and the open-ending only added to this feeling. It makes you wonder how far you'd be willing to go if there were no repercussions to your actions.

"One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock" - This one had a lot of fantasy talk in it and, as I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me say, fantasy is a difficult genre for me to digest. I was far more interested in the dark backstory of the piece of the boys' life at boarding school. Though, I think the backstory of normalized abuse is made even more disturbing and effective by the way it's simply passed over and barely mentioned.

"Foreign Parts" - The fear of STD's is not as strong as it was 20 years ago, but I think this story could bring it back! It was grotesque in its details and, though not one of my favorites, I've found myself thinking about it long after I've finished the book. Strangely enough, it ended on a rather positive note which is not what I was expecting at all. While I appreciate the unexpected turn it took, I do wish it was a little scarier.

"Mouse" - This was another story that gave me feelings which I couldn't easily describe, nor whose sources I could easily identify. Everything about this story, though not exceptionally disturbing or dark, was pretty depressing. The botched abortion, the clearly cheating husband, and the grey, heavy atmosphere throughout all added to this. In the end, it gives you a rather empty feeling inside.

"When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11 1/4" - This is another example of a story in which the underlying action was much more powerful and interesting than the primary action. The end of the world seemed like a beautiful and terrifying place, but what really bothered me and stuck with me was the parents' abusive, toxic relationship. Gaiman did a great job of making it sound like it was really written by an 11 year old though.

"Tastings" - Honestly, I couldn't read this story in public because I was blushing too much! In his background information, Gaiman claimed that he didn't find it erotic, but I think I disagree. As embarrassingly blunt it was, I do love the idea of sex-related "superpowers" - like in the graphic novel, Sex Criminals - which I think is an incredibly underutilized concept.

"Murder Mysteries" - The universe created in this story was so beautiful and intricate, I couldn't believe it was only 33 pages long. I wanted to step inside it a completely immerse myself in that world. Being a Catholic, I loved seeing different perspectives and theories about stories I've been hearing my whole life.

"Snow, Glass, Apples" - This was one of the best fairy tale retellings I've read recently. Re-imagining the villain as being simply misunderstood isn't exactly groundbreaking, but the detail Gaiman put into it and the character he made Snow White into is what really sets the story apart. It made me wonder how this couldn't be the original tale all along because it all fits together so perfectly.

Clearly, I really loved this book and even the stories that weren't my favorites were fantastically written. I knew Gaiman was a popular and experienced author, but I never truly realized how good he actually was until I read this book. I highly recommend it, no matter if you're just now getting into his work or if you've been a fan of his for years.

#bookreviews #book recommendations #neil gaiman

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bluestar22x · 7 years

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Master Post To Everything

Lost looking for something on this blog? This is the post for you!

Months listed next to each show/movie/etc. below are those in which they were reblogged the most (mainly catch ups in the case of shows) or important months for reblogging a show (the start of a new season and such).

I don’t regularly reblog all the shows I watch/have watched. My description of this blog on my main page lists the shows that are the ones that get that much attention.

If you’ve been following my tumblr account for a while you probably know that at the beginning of each month I’ve been doing “catch up” reblogs. This will continue until I get everything I want in my archive (because otherwise I can’t find my favs). Smaller catch ups may occur throughout the month.

This post is here just to get an idea of where to find the majority of the gifs and photos, etc. for each show and movie, along with some animal/nature stuff. It may be easier or faster, in some cases, to find something this way rather than through the tags (though I do have a decent tagging system) because of the considerable amount of gifs I reblog for certain shows.

It’ll also be my guide to what to reblog next, and therefore I plan to continue updating this post whenever I’ve either had a lot of activity and/or it’s a new month. xxx Currently Covered Shows x 12 Monkeys – August 2015, April - July 2016, May - June 2017

13 Reasons Why - April 2017 Agents of SHIELD – March 2016, April - May 2016 Almost Human – January 2016 Arrow - February 2017, June 2017, August 2017 Being Human (US) - November 2016 Believe - August 2016 Bones (Fox Bones Show) - March 2016, Sept. 2016 Boy Meets World – March 2016, July 2016, Jan. 2017 Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Sept. 2016 Burn Notice - Sept. 2016 Charmed – February 2016, June 2016, Aug. - Sept. 2017 Chicago Fire – March 2016, Aug. 2016, Nov. 2016, March 2017, Aug. 2017 Constantine – December 2015, February 2016 Dark Angel - March 2017 DC Crossovers (CW) - Nov. - Dec. 2016, Feb. 2017 Dominion – August 2015, November 2015 Forever - July 2016 Frequency - Oct. 2016 Fringe - June 2016 Girl Meets World – March 2016, July 2016, Jan. 2017 Heartland – February - April 2016, June - July 2016, Sept. 2016 - Dec. 2016, Jan. - Sept. 2017

Humans - Aug. 2017 Into The Badlands – Nov. - Dec. 2015, Jan. 2017, March - June 2017 Kyle XY - June 2016 Legends Of Tomorrow - February 2017, Aug. 2017 Lethal Weapon - Sept. – Dec. 2016, Jan. - April 2017, June 2017, Sept. 2017 Moonlight - November 2016 Nashville - March - April 2017 Nikita – Nov. 2015, Jan. 2016, Aug. 2016, Aug. 2017 Once Upon A Time – January 2016 One Tree Hill – March 2016, July 2016, Jan. 2017, April 2017, Aug. 2017 Person of Interest – March 2016, June 2016

Prehistoric Park - May 2017 Proof - August 2016

Psych - Sept. 2017

Sabrina The Teenage Witch - June 2017

Shooter - Aug. 2017

Sleepy Hollow (4 Horsemen only) - August 2016 Stitchers - Aug. 2016, March 2017 Supergirl - March 2016, Sept. - Dec. 2016, Jan. - May 2017, Aug. 2017 Supernatural – Nov. 2015, March 2016, May 2016, July – Sept. 2016, Oct. 2016 (Huge post), Nov. - Dec. 2016, Jan. - Aug. 2017 Teen Wolf – Nov. 2015, Feb. 2016, March - April 2016, Nov. - Dec. 2016, Jan. - Feb. 2017, April 2017, Aug. - Sept. 2017 The Flash – December 2015, February 2017, Aug. 2017

The Following - July 2017 The Librarians – Oct. - Nov. 2015, July 2016, Nov. - Dec. 2016, Jan. - Feb. 2017, April 2017, July - Sept. 2017 The Originals – Dec. 2015, April 2016, Dec. 2016, Sept. 2017 The Vampire Diaries - January - March 2017, Sept. 2017 The Walking Dead – March 2016

Transformers Prime - May 2017 Whose Line Is It Anyway? - March 2017 Wildfire (ABC Family) - June 2016 Veronica Mars/Veronica Mars Movie - Sept. 2016, Aug. 2017 xxx Movies x

101 Dalmatians - July 2017

101 Dalmatians (1996) - July 2017

Age Of Adaline - June 2017

Alice (2009) - April 2017

All Dogs Go To Heaven/ADGTH 2 - July 2017 A Puppy For Christmas - December 2016 Avatar - Feb. 2017 A Walk To Remember – May 2016

Back To The Future - June 2017

Balto - July 2017 Bambi - June 2016 Batman V. Superman - April 2016, May 2016, July 2016, Sept. 2016 Beauty And The Beast (Animated) - June 2016, Dec. 2016, Aug. 2017 Beauty And The Beast 2017 - Dec. 2016, Aug. 2017 Black Beauty - Sept. 2016

Blood And Chocolate - Sept. 2017 Brother Bear – May 2016

Clash Of The Titans/Wrath Of The Titans - Sept. 2017 Creed - April 2016 Criminal - December 2016

Cruel Intentions - Sept. 2017 Deadpool - Sept. 2016

Dirty Dancing - July 2017 Eight Below - Sept. 2016

Ella Enchanted - Sept. 2017 Enemy Mine - January 2017

Eragon - Sept. 2017 Fallen TV Movie - Jan. 2017 Fast And Furious Movies - April 2016, April 2017 Flicka (w/Tim McGraw) - Sept. 2016

Footloose - July 2017 Frozen - June 2016

Grease - June 2017 George Of The Jungle - Jan. 2017 Hachi - Sept. 2016

Hellboy Movies - May 2017 Hercules (Animated) – May - June 2016 Hidalgo - Sept. 2016 Homeward Bound - Sept. 2016

Hours - June 2017

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days - June 2017 Ice Age Movies – May 2016 If I Stay – May 2016 If Only - Jan. 2017 Iron Will - Sept. 2016 Jack Frost (1998) - Jan. 2017 Jurassic Park/Jurassic World – May 2016 Justice League - Sept. 2016, Aug. 2017 Just Like Heaven - Jan. 2017 Lady And The Tramp - June 2016 Lassie (1994) - Sept. 2016 Legally Blonde – May 2016

Legion (2010) - May 2017 Man Of Steel - April 2016, Aug. 2017 Marley And Me - Sept. 2016 Marvel Universe - April 2016, June - July 2016, Sept. 2016, Aug. 2017 Max (Dog Movie) - Sept. 2016 Mulan (Animated) – May 2016

Narnia Series - Sept. 2017 Oliver And Company - June 2016 Pocahontas - June 2016

Priest - May 2017

Prince Of Persia (2010) - June 2017 Raise Your Voice - Jan. 2016 Red Dog - Sept. 2016 Remember Sunday – May 2016 Rocky (1-6) - April 2016 Seabiscuit - Sept. 2016 Secretariat - Sept. 2016

She’s Having A Baby - July 2017 She’s The Man – May 2016 Shrek - June 2016 Snow Dogs - Sept. 2016

Snow White And The Huntsman - Sept. 2017

Spiderman (2002) - August 2017 Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron – May 2016 Star Trek (2009 Verse) - April 2016, July - Sept. 2016 Star Wars - April 2016, Sept 2016, Aug. 2017 Suicide Squad - Sept. 2016

Sweet Home Alabama - June 2017 Tangled - June 2016, May 2017 Tarzan (Animated) – May 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) - July 2017 Terminator Movies – May 2016

Tremors - July 2017 The Crow (Original) – May 2016

The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Trilogy - June 2017, Aug. 2017

The Fox And The Hound - July 2017 The Horse Whisperer - Sept. 2016

The Hunger Games - May 2017, Aug. 2017

The Jungle Book - Aug. 2017

The Land Before Time - July 2017

The Legend Of Tarzan - June 2017 The Lion King Movies (Animated) – May - June 2016, May 2017 The Little Mermaid - June 2016 The Magnificent Seven (2016) - Jan. 2017

The Maze Runner - May 2017

Moana - July 2017 The Mummy (1999) - Jan. 2017 The Mummy Returns - Jan. 2017 The Proposal – May 2016 The Secret Life Of Pets - December 2016 The Ultimate Gift - December 2016 Toy Story - June 2016

Transformers Movies - May 2017

Twilight Movies - May 2017 Unconditional - December 2016 Walking Tall - Jan. 2017 War Horse - Sept. 2016, Nov. 2016

We Bought A Zoo - June 2017 Wonder Woman 2017 - April 2016, July 2016, Nov. 2016, Sept. 2017 X-Men/Wolverine/Logan Movie - Oct. - Nov. 2016, Aug. 2017 xxx Animals/Nature (Horses, Dogs, etc.) - July 2016, Nov. 2016, April 2017, Aug. 2017 xxx The Walking Dead Game - Nov. 2016

xxx

Other Actors

Zac Efron - August 2017

Chris Pine - Sept. 2017

Chris Hemsworth - Sept. 2017

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shows, Movies, And Others To Come (By Priority) x

Wonder Woman 2

Justice League

Spiderman Homecoming - Peter Parker, Tony and Pepper

Thor 3 Underworld (1-5) The Lucky One Charlie St. Cloud I Am Number Four Beastly Grizzly Falls RoboCop The Pacifier The Game Plan The Longest Ride Country Song movie Footloose (2000s version) Angel Eyes The Host In My Dreams (Hallmark) Warm Bodies The Duff

Mamaboy Riley Smith in Movies Joey Lawrence in Movies - Horse Sense x

Midnight, Texas Daredevil Netflix Series The Originals - Klaus, Elijah, Hope and others (Finale season, Season 5) Limitless – Brian, Mike, Ike, etc. Nashville – 5x11 and Beyond

Stitchers (Season 3/Gifs posted since last update - use camille’s last name, not just 1st name) iZombie – Liv, Ravi, Major, Lowell, Drake Warehouse 13 Grimm – Nick, Monroe, Hank, Wu, Rosalee, Season 1-3 Chasing Life – April, Leo Sherlock

Fresh Prince

Gillian’s Island Elementary (1x21 or 1x22 Art scene) Beauty and the Beast (CW) Dark Matter Killjoys Humans (AMC) Baby Daddy – Danny, Ben with Emma Melissa and Joey – Mel and Joe, Lennox and Zander, Ryder Saving Hope This Is Us (NBC) Supernatural Season 13 & Beyond Frequency - Anything after 1x01 x Revisit Someday: All shows caught up on but still aired new episodes afterwards will be revisited eventually, as well as movies if I find more gifs.

#Master Post #September 2017 #Shows #Movies #Other: Nature #Other: Animals #Other: Actors

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ethicallysourcedhumanmeat · 7 years

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Lost Boys: Day Four: 2

[ < ][First][ > ]

[AO3][Masterpost]

It was easy to keep an eye on Elle for the most part, but in the apartment they were crafty, obviously they’d been around some better than average security systems in their life. He wished he had the time to sit and really talk with them, or maybe just the time to figure out what the hell was going on with this hacker.

Outside though, Elle didn’t show the same awareness. They didn’t seem to go far out of their way, he always had an idea where they were off to, they kept a pretty regular schedule and keeping tabs of their phone had been easy enough, the app gave him a backdoor into any member’s phone.

And that’s what he was doing now, rummaging through V’s phone, well sort of. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust V, he owed plenty to the man, but he’d changed. Luciel wanted to chalk it up to Rika’s death but after two years he was starting to have doubts. For one he was always so hard to get in contact with, even when he was not traveling.

He used to always be available, even when Rika’s health had started to decline, he had almost never missed a call, and he always called right back, always apologetic. Now he never seemed to get his calls, always returning them hours later, an emergency could take anywhere from an hour to a day for a response and he always seemed so surprised that the call had been so long ago.

Then there was the way it seemed like it wasn’t always V responding to texts. The way he’d been so cautious in the last two years but was so quick to accept Elle into the RFA. He’d given him a phone, one that would signal him if it had been bugged but now, it didn’t even look like he was using it.

Not to mention the way the connection had just dropped so suddenly in the middle of his search, like he’d just phased into another dimension. Luciel supposed he should just feel lucky his calls were returned since even Jumin’s calls seemed to go unanswered lately.

He’d noticed in the last two days, there were always two or three faces in the crowd around Elle that he could pick out. No one could really blame him for pulling up the CCTV feed when he knew where they’d gone, Elle’s arrival in the RFA had been sudden and suspicious, but Elle seemed oblivious to the tail they’d acquired.

He’d thought, the first time he’d noticed it, that it was coincidence. They’d stayed in a small area that first day, gone to work, an ice rink, rehearsal, home, the apartment, and he hadn’t been as vigilant with Vanderwood breathing down his neck.

Then yesterday there the faces were again, in a car outside the skating rink way too early for it to be coincidence, then again that afternoon he’d caught them on the CCTV outside the park Elle had taken their dog to, the park was out of the way, not a popular spot as far as he knew, not that he got out much. Today he’d seen them at the park again, then outside Jumin’s penthouse, outside the building Rika’s apartment was in.

Always the same two men, but he’d seen a profile behind them, one that seemed impossibly familiar. One that had him hacking into V’s phone. Or at least trying to.

“Argh,” he groaned and slumped in his chair. At least Vanderwood wasn’t here today. He’d had time to monitor Elle more closely, and leave too many messages on Vs voicemail. He pulls up the CCTV for the parking garage to Jumin’s building. He watches Elle get in their car and pull away, those familiar faces parked 3 cars over pull out seconds later.

He lets his face fall onto his keyboard and ignores the angry series of noises his computer makes, his fingers already know the familiar patterns of his phone screen and he calls Elle without even looking, he thumps his face on the keyboard a few more times before lifting the receiver to his ear.

“Alert Alert,” he calls out, “the safety app detects that you are using your phone while driving.” He doesn’t feel chipper, he doesn’t feel like joking, this is serious but he doesn’t want to scare Elle, so joke he does.

“You know hands free exists right? It’s a thing, you can buy an adapter on the cheap.”

“I’m so charming, how could you ever concentrate,” he quips.

“It’s difficult,” they agree, “I do feel the urge to run into oncoming traffic when you call.”

“Ah, you too, long for death,” he laughs. “I knew we were meant for one another, soul mates even, the 606 to my 707.”

Elle snorts.

“So, here’s a funny question.”

“Shoot.”

“What are the chances that Mr. Trustfundkid has a security detail on you?”

There’s silence from the other end, just the quite hum of the engine, and road noise. “No, not without warning me, he knows I’d kill him,” they say firmly.

“You’re sure?” he knows he’s being too serious too sudden, he’s sure they’re going to worry now.

“No, if Jumin was worried enough to do that he’d have said something to me by now, probably make me stay with him, by force if he felt like he needed to. He’s been weird the last few days but I’m sure that’s about the messenger not worrying, unless you think Jihyun may have told him something.”

“Jihyun,” he draws out the name. And they inhale sharply.

“V,” they correct. “I mean he approved me joining, it’s not like he doesn’t know who I am.”

“Yeah of course,” Luciel says numbly.

“What’s going on, Seven?”

“You should turn around and go home,” he says firmly.

“I can’t.”

“You should go home and you should clean the lenses of the cameras you messed up.”

“Seven if I don’t go to rehearsal tonight Zen is going to be suspicious.”

“I thought you were an actor,” he snaps, “why is everyone so damned suspicious of you.”

“Wow, calm down. Tell me what’s going on. If there’s something going on won’t I be safer in a group of people who know me; if I’m rehearsing with Zen rather than if I’m in that apartment alone? The apartment that no one knows I’m staying in?”

They had a point; he doubted anyone suspicious could get close to Elle at the rehearsal space without being noticed. They way Zen had been in the messenger, he was sure Elle would be in good hands. Still he was uneasy.

“Fine,” he relented. “It’s ok, just don’t go anywhere alone.”

“I mean I’ll walk in alone,” she says softly. “The free parking lot is like a block away.”

He bites his lip in frustration. “Pay for parking tonight,” he starts pulling up city maps and rattles off address to the closest parking lot he can monitor.

“That’s private parking, Seven.”

He sighs, exaggerated. “Text me when you get there, don’t worry about it, and make sure Zen walks you to your car.”

He still finds his mind wondering back to the phone call with Elle. He’d just wanted to flirt, something to pump him up before his meeting with the director, well he’d been pumped up, uncomfortably so. She’d caught him off guard. He’d been on the train surrounded by people, besides like anyone wouldn’t have responded like that to knowing the woman they were talking to was naked in the shower.

God.

Then the way she’d shifted, the bold way she’d called him out and then she’d called him cute, a puppy. He sighs. He’d stepped out for a cigarette after his meeting with the director, he still had to go in and find No. How was he going to get through this evening? I’d rather the wolf. God, he would have skipped his meeting and gone to find her if it were possible but he’d gotten several texts from Seven that claimed that it was totally out of the question.

No is laying on the stage with her feet hanging over the edge when he peeks into the main rehearsal area. He almost misses her, it’s not until she sits up and waves that he recognizes the halo of red hair coming loose from her braid. He watches her turn and gesture at the people behind her, the way the skirt she’s wearing flutters out when she slides off the stage.

Hyun stop, he scolds himself, but he finds himself wondering what else she’d hidden under loose shirts.

She slaps a stapled set of script pages against his chest and bumps him with her shoulder. They take seats at the back of the room near a pair of pot lights and she starts to excitedly explain the scene to him, he’s not sure if he’s thankful or offended.

“Hey, No, slow down,” he smiles.

Her face is bright and she freezes mid hand gesture, to smile at him. “You can call me Noelle, No Kira is just a stage name.”

“I like No,” he laughs.

“So I’m probably boring you, I’m a complete geek for this, why don’t you just start with the soliloquy.”

“The uh, hah.”

“Hamlet’s speech,” she smiles at him. The way the nicer teachers had smiled at him before he quit school.

He does what she asks but it’s hard to pay attention to the lines. He’d gotten a copy from the library this morning and had made himself familiar with the lines but she’s sitting across from him making faces. “I’m sorry,” he stops. “Am I that bad.”

“No, I’m sorry, I’m really picky.”

“What.”

“It’s just you should be reading in blank verse, you know?”

“I what?”

“Iambic Pentameter, yeah?”

“I what,” he repeats with a smirk.

“Musicians,” she curses with a laugh. “It’s like, you know when you sing, the words you put emphasis on aren’t like if you were just saying the words conversationally, you emphasize the beat It’s not that you were performing poorly you were just using the wrong count.”

He can’t help the goofy smile that spreads on his face, she’s trying so hard but he’s not really sure he gets it, he shakes his head.

She tucks her knees under her in the seat. “Ok like, a five count heart beat right?” she leans forward and taps his chest as she speaks. “da-dum, da-dum, da-dum, da-dum, da-dum.”

Can she feel the way his breathing changed when she touched him. “So like this?” He recites a few more lines but he can see from her face he’s not doing it right.

She smiles though. “Close but a little too severe, more like this,” she settles back on heels and taps her chest on the proper syllable.

It’s hard to pay attention to the lesson she’s giving him, she’s not just pushing the emphasis, she knows this speech by heart and right now she is Hamlet, trying to teach him to be a poor imitation of Hamlet.

“I’m so sorry,” she relaxes mid speech. “I’m being ridiculous, you’re not auditioning, you’re barely going to perform it, you don’t need me harping on you about little details.”

“It’s ok, you’re passionate, it’s cute, I like it.”

She blushes and frowns. “This scene is,” she stops. “Ophelia she thought Hamlet was in love with her and she’s returning things he’d gifted her, the king and her father are trying to get a reaction from him, to test if her ending their flirtation is what made him lose his mind.”

“Uh, huh,” he says. “He’s just pretending that though, right?” He can’t help but watch the way she presses her lips together when she pauses. Then he realizes she’s waiting for him to say something. “So should I, uh start again.”

“Why don’t you start from fair Ophelia?” She smiles at him

They start sitting down, her legs tucked beneath her as she leans towards him, and he picks up the timings quickly enough as they start a back and forth, she stops occasionally to offer stage direction or explain where his tone may have been off. She’s not even using the script she’s clutched in her hand and eventually they’re standing behind the chairs, and she’s abandoned it along with her cardigan.

He notices the tattoo on her forearm for the first time when she reaches out and tucks a stray hair behind his ear while she recites her lines. A crisp black honeycomb pattern broken by a thickly outlined triangle on the outside of her arm. She stops and encourages him to reach out to her, places in the script where there could be gentle touches or rough gestures.

“Grab me here,” she tells him pointing to a line on the paper. “Don’t be gentle just” she presses her lips together again and he starts to wonder if she’s nervous or excited, “grab me and just, like you want to shake me, like you just want me to understand and nothing is working.”

“Really, are you sure?” He’s doesn’t want to hurt her she seems so delicate standing in front of him in that outfit.

“He’s somewhere between losing his mind and pretending to, he’s not emotionally stable and he just can’t get her to understand she’s not safe with him,” she says suddenly. “I think,” again she presses her lips together and this time she glances away from him, “I think he loves her very much but he has to turn her away, he’s about to cause a lot of trouble and he doesn’t want her involved, I think he was relieved that she’d turned away from him and now this interaction, she’s obviously still feeling for him and he just wants to crush that in her.”

“Wow,” Zen has to step back a moment, “that’s really—”

“I’m a huge nerd,” she laughs at him shaking her head, “too much information right?”

“No it’s just,” he laughs. “I’ve never really met someone so into this. You really know your shit.”

“I mean I better, I paid a stupid amount of money to know this stuff,” she laughs.

They run the scene a few more times, each time he notices some new subtle way she’s become the character, the way she moves her head a certain way when he speaks, or the twitch of her foot when Ophelia might want to step away. He takes her by the arms when he’s shouting about the nunnery and her body tenses, he shakes her slightly and doesn’t fail to notice the way she looks away and bites her lip. She only does that once.

By the time they call it for the night he’s sure that she’ll have marks on her arms from his grip.

“If anyone asks I’ll tell them I had a really exciting date this weekend,” she smirks at him and rubs her arms again before pulling her cardigan back on and then glances away suddenly shy.

She seemed so similar to Elle sometimes; he had to wonder, no, it’s just a coincidence. They both came into his life at the same time is all. What did he really know about the woman on the other end of the phone anyway?

“Could you maybe walk me to my car?” She might be blushing.

She’s really cute, he thinks. Dressed the way she was he had to wonder, what was she like in her everyday life. Usually she was nondescript at rehearsals, black leggings, or jogging pants, a loose shit, a face in the crowd. But in this she was almost deliberately feminine, almost a performance in itself. “Yeah, sure,” he smiles.

She stops at the bottom of the stairs and turns in a circle like she’s not sure where she’s going before heading off. They chat quietly as they walk about nothing in particular and when she rubs her arms obviously cold he finds himself pulling her closer to him and then he stops.

“Hey here, take my coat.”

“We’re almost to my car it’s ok, you’ll be cold.”

He wraps his coat around her shoulders; she blushes and presses her lips together again. He can’t help but glance at the way her cleavage when she pulls it tighter around her, stop it, he chastises himself. “Thanks.”

Her car is small, nothing fancy but more than he has and glancing in the windows it’s a mess, it reminds him of Seven’s house. There are fast food bags and papers all over the floor, energy drink cans and coffee cups.

She places his coat over his shoulders and presses a kiss to his cheek catching him off guard. She steps back and he sees a smile creep across her face before she covers her mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m just leaving my mark on everyone tonight. Just a second.”

She opens the door to her car and comes back with a napkin, he laughs while he wipes the lipstick from his cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth.

“I’m sorry,” she says again with a smile, “I keep forgetting I’m wearing it.”

“It’s fine.”

She reaches out and takes the napkin from him and he watches as she wipes the lipstick off her own lips, a faint stain left behind. Her lips are full and when she wets them with her tongue he can’t help but wonder what it would be like to kiss her.

#lost boys #Hyun ryu #custom MC #Noelle vs the RFA #mystic messenger #mystic messenger zen #Luciel Choi

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whattheschmuck · 8 years

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Dear Crystal Dynamics,

For the next Tomb Raider game I would like to see several things happen:

**I had made a post like this on Twitter fairly recently and figured it would be prudent to share my thoughts on here as well. Please note that there might be several add-ons in this post (meaning that some of these weren’t on my Twitter list).

1.) Sam.

I have to say it right off the bat: Lara is a flat, one-dimensional character without a fun-loving foil there to interact with her, emphasize different parts of her personality, and help bring her to life. The human, relatable side of Lara is what brought so many new fans to the series in 2013, and without Sam we don’t really get to see that side of Lara. Crystal Dynamics, you should really reconsider throwing away all of that untapped potential.

2.) Tombs.

I want to see tombs that are central to the plot rather than being added into the game as optional extras. After all, isn’t the game named Tomb Raider?

3.) Puzzles.

Speaking of tombs, the puzzles need to be made more difficult and logic puzzles need to be incorporated rather than only having the standard physics puzzles. I want to be shown how brilliant and intuitive Lara is.

4.) Globetrotting.

I want to see Lara actually go globetrotting rather than recycling the “stranded and fighting for survival” trope again...and I’d like to add that it is possible to follow through on this suggestion and keep the current combat and leveling systems. All you need to do is provide us gamers with several regions/maps to explore (each having their own plot-centric tombs too, of course!). I don’t care if the map sizes are cut down to facilitate this--you can get rid of all the extra outfits for all I care! When we, as gamers, are told that Lara’s going to be globetrotting we expect to see actual globetrotting! Having a single Syria segment does not count, sorry.

5.) “Daddy Issues.”

NO. DADDY. ISSUES. Please! It’s such an overused trope in every TR-verse and it directly contradicts who the Lara you’ve created is! How is she supposed to make a name for herself if she’s stuck following daddy’s research and walking in his shadow? It’s a double whammy: it compromises the integrity of her character and strips her of her independence--which happens to be one of the traits that made her so awesome in 2013! Just let Lara be her own person instead of defining her by who her parents were.

6.) No Hero Cliché.

If you want to make Lara a reluctant hero then by all means go for it! But don’t make her a white knight. That’s not who your character is and it’s not who you’ve developed her to be. Lara’s a survivor who is setting out to make her mark, to find adventure. Focus on that and Lara’s own personal interests. If she has to stop a big bad cult of religious fanatics to get what she wants, so be it. But don’t make this a narrative of “Trinity is bigger than I ever imagined. They have to be stopped.”

7.) Better Villains.

The villains in Rise were weak and underdeveloped. Take Ana for example, she was so transparent that her betrayal didn’t even come as a shock to me...why else would you guys throw a shady character that we’ve never met before into the game if not to have her be an antagonist? Here’s the frustrating part: she actually had the potential to be a wildly complex and multidimensional character--she just didn’t get the development she deserved. I didn’t know what hers and Richard’s relationship was like, I didn’t know what kind of a relationship her and Lara had or how close they were, I didn’t even know if she was lying when she said “I loved Richard” or if there was actually some capacity for moral ambiguity there! I swear, this kind of waste should be criminal.

8.) Enemies.

There needs to be a better variety of enemies in the game than what we’ve seen so far. I mean, the very first Tomb Raider game had dinosaurs in it for Pete’s sake! And while I’m not saying you need to throw dinosaurs into the next game, what I am saying is that I’m tired of fighting dudes with machine guns and immortal warriors. You clearly want to delve into the supernatural with these games so do that! Create something wacky and terrifying yet still fun to fight because you pretty much have full creative freedom to do so here--your imagination’s the limit! And while you’re at it, please give us a real boss battle!

9.) Gameplay.

Bring back the days of boat chases down the canals of Venice. Add more variety to the gameplay instead of serving us yet another plate of mass slaughter. For example, let us play through flashbacks instead of making us watch them. Or better yet, Rise took place in Siberia and Trinity clearly had a lot of technology at their disposal, right? So how about a high-speed snowmobile chase across Siberia’s treacherous terrain? Variety.

10.) Stop Clumsy Croft 2K17.

Stop making Lara look like the clumsiest, most lucky bint in human existence. Literally everything falls apart beneath her; it’s overused and it actually has the complete opposite effect of what you apparently intend it to have. Instead of putting me on the edge of my seat, stuff like this actually detracts from the drama of the game because I’m more focused on making fun of Lara for being worse than Nathan Drake in terms of breaking pretty much everything in sight despite being a brilliant young woman who graduated from UCL, one of the top-ranked universities globally. Cut back on this and show us that Lara has gotten skilled and hardened since Yamatai. Show us that she’s the Tomb Raider.

11.) “A Hardened and Experienced Survivor.”

Shouldn’t Lara have retained something from the island if she’s supposedly more “experienced”? I’m not saying that everything has to carry over from the previous game, but I shouldn’t have to relearn how to recover arrows from corpses. I also feel like a “hardened survivor” would at least be prepared for an adventure with a pistol, survival knife, and some rope. Worried about people who are new to the series having a steep learning curve? Put in an optional tutorial sequence at the beginning of the game. Otherwise just take a leaf out of Uncharted’s book and combine the tutorials with the actual gameplay.

12.) Improved Melee.

I cannot stress just how much this needs to be addressed. Tomb Raider’s melee combat system is imprecise, clunky, and just not that effective in actual combat. Here’s the thing: we know that Lara’s a bit of a scrapper based on the fight she had with the Trinity thug in Croft Manor around the beginning of the game. So why can’t we get her to fight hand-to-hand like that in the actual gameplay? Even if she lost her fight with the thug, she certainly seemed a lot more effective in close-quarters combat in that cutscene than she ever has in actual combat with her axe(s). I get that using the climbing axe as a weapon is becoming sort of a trademark for reboot Lara, but it’s just not practical and I personally feel like it should be dropped as a weapon (besides which point she already has the bow as her signature weapon). Explain the melee change as being a result of her having taken self-defense classes following the events of Rise. Just do something.

Below the read-more link is a continuation of this list with things that are a little bit more of a personal preference than the things I’ve listed to this point. Feel free to look over them if you want!

13.) Dual Pistols.

There’s a legitimate canonical reason for this. As we all (hopefully) know by this point, Roth was not only a father figure to Lara but also her mentor. He taught her everything she needed to know for survival--including how to fight. Now, Roth also preferred to dual-wield pistols so considering that and the fact that he is the one who taught Lara to fight, it’s not unreasonable to assume similar fighting styles between them (when Lara’s not scavenging for weapons). Thus: Lara dual-wielding pistols. It’s a nice way to honor Roth’s memory in future games and it gives a neat (in my opinion) backstory to Lara’s iconic dual-pistol combo. CD, make this happen!!

14.) Companions.

The presence of helpful companions (for select missions) who can hold their own can only help enhance the overall gaming experience. Having companions (like Sam for instance) would give Lara some people to banter with and help bring her character back to life. Making Lara a lone wolf hasn’t done anything for her character, there’s too much missing without someone else for her to bounce her thoughts off of. At the very least I would like to see Lara communicating with other people on an earpiece. The main thing is to have her consistently interacting with others who actually know her in some way, shape, or form because that’s when she shines.

15.) Scars.

This is actually more important than I think you realize. Give me the actual scars from Yamatai, not this thing you’re doing where the only scar you gave her is the Vladimir-pistol-whip scar artistically placed beneath her right eye. It’s cool that you included the scar from her first kill but it’s not enough. Lara’s origin story was ugly, dark, and gritty but she survived. Why would you want to erase that? Lara’s skin is a blank page and her scars are the words printed on it to tell a story. That’s the point: they were originally supposed to be kept on her character model to tell the story of how Lara Croft became Lara Croft.

It looked like you were going to stick to that plan too when you released the first Rise trailer that featured her in therapy. Her hands were scarred, she was having flashbacks, she was anxiously foot-tapping...it was perfect. But then you eliminated all of that. Here’s the thing, Crystal Dynamics: having those “ugly” scars is what will make Lara beautiful because they showcase her determination, and they showcase how powerful she is to have received all of them and endured. They most certainly would not make her look weak if that’s what you’re afraid of. Give me the deltoid scar, give me the scars on her chest, and, while you’re at it, give me the left eyebrow scar on her turning point model. Give me all of it because I want to see Lara for the undeniable badass she is.

16.) PTSD.

Mental illness is not a weakness! Let me tell you something: I am currently on three different medications (Wellbutrin, Trazodone, and Vyvanse) and I know that doesn’t make me weak. In fact, it makes me infinitely stronger than all of you big shots making the calls on Lara’s character because it is incredible that I have made it this far when I have struggled with mental illness for eight whole years! It takes strength to force yourself to get up in the mornings when you feel completely dead on the inside. It takes strength to force yourself to work harder than all of your classmates in spite of this because you had an undiagnosed learning disability and were at a disadvantage right from the start. It takes strength to tell yourself better things are coming when you feel like you have nothing worth living for.

Just living life takes strength. So how dare you call mental illness a weakness! Being mentally ill makes you anything but that, and I think that PTSD would be a testament to Lara’s character and her inner strength. Scratch that, I know it would be and I know that her having PTSD would make for an incredibly compelling narrative that also addresses very real and very serious real life issues. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s a common human struggle that many people go through. What isn’t human is magically coming out of the entire Yamatai ordeal with your psyche completely intact. That right there is what will make you lose fans: suppressing Lara’s humanity and locking it in a fridge. Stop worrying about controversy! There is nothing controversial about a person going through normal person stuff. Nothing. Stop making excuses and just take a chance for once!

#Tomb Raider #Rise of the Tomb Raider #Lara Croft #Crystal Dynamics #Shadow of the Tomb Raider #?#wish list #Tomb Raider Reboot

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