#Arik you have no idea how happy you make me!!!

[sleepwalkingbonez]

Can I hug Sans and Papyrus? I want them to feel better at least for a moment

Hug!!

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Can you please share some more facts about the Fawleys? I really enjoy reading about them dw if you can’t though 💓

Oh my dear anon! You act as though you are some sort of burden, when you are anything but? When your message could never bring me anything but pure joy? Thank you for gracing my inbox! (Side note, I discuss spoilers for “Remembrance” in this post, so just keep that in mind.) 

The first thing to understand is that I am flaky and indecisive. I can never make up my mind and head-canons and decisions about the Fawley family might very well change, alas. Particularly as new details of canon emerge. Example: I once wrote Luca’s rift with Rowan into the story as them suspecting Rowan of being R, but then having them come back together and be closer than ever following the Imperius incident. Given what I know now? With Y6CH18? I’m gonna say that whole rift never even happens. Rowan is one of the most important people in Luca’s life, period. So the more time they spend together, the better. Gail can have the “grown apart” relationship with Rowan, sure, but not Luca. This is just one example of how anything can change in the main story, and thus, my head-canons are subject to shift at any time because I cannot make up my mind or commit to anything. I am a true cornflake. All that said, let me talk about what I know and have decided about the Fawley family. 

I’ve debated a lot on what family to have Nina come from originally. I’ve bounced around The MacMillans, the Burkes, The Greengrass’s...but then I realized the perfect solution that actually ties in with previous details. Nina is from the Shafiq family. The other Pureblood line on the Sacred Twenty-Eight that never gets mentioned in the book. And oh boy, I’m gonna have fun defining them as well. This works well because I always envisioned Luca as Middle Eastern, but I had placed The Fawleys in Britain for the War of the Roses. Did a bit of digging, and Shafiq is an Arabic name. It totally works out! 

That being said, I’m so indecisive that I might not even keep to that as being her name. Nina, that is. I might come up with a different first name for her. Same goes for Luca’s father, who has been called both Eric and Arik in the past. The trouble is, I conceived Luca’s mother around the interpretation/theory I had about MC’s mum at the time of writing Luca’s fic. Basically, my theory is that MC’s family is part of R, or have some previous involvement with them that extends further back than Jacob. That one or both of MC’s parents were members. I dunno what it is, I just do not trust MC’s mum. She seems shady at worst, and a bad parent at best. But you can see how this particular background is subject to change. Who the hell knows if MC’s mum is a part of R, or if she will even appear. 

This also ties in with the mystery of just how Luca’s family got cursed. And this is something else that is subject to change. Literally everything about the Fawley Curse. (Also known by it’s proper name: The Invigorium Curse.) I made the “Mark of Despair” a black star and had it appear on the hand. I might change the design to be something like a rose, in thinking about it. (A “Black Rose” being the symbol of The Fawleys.) But if I move it’s location from the hand, to say, the back of the neck or something...well then, I don’t get that raw backstory about Mr. Fawley trying to free himself from the curse by chopping off his own hand...at which point, the Mark of Despair reappears on his other hand, because did he really think it would be that easy? I’ve toyed with placing the Mark on the back of the neck...that’s pretty metal too, and could tie in with how the Fawleys always have long and beautiful hair. But on the other hand, Mr. Fawley is dead by the time Luca and Gail are Hogwarts age...suppose he killed himself by stabbing the Mark? That may be a bit too much though...

I’m getting off topic, I was discussing the source of the Curse. Again, this winds up being connected to R in my fic. Connected to the power that they want. Based on what R winds up being and wanting, this could be subject to change. What I have in mind is that the Fawleys experimented with strange magic and ended up branding the Marks of Despair onto themselves. But I might change that. Either way, I want this to be something that they brought upon themselves. It could have been intentional, a selfish experiment to gain more power...or a consequence of something terrible that they did, a punishment. I’m not really sure. Just like I’m not sure I want it to be a Star or a Flower. It could be an ancient rune. I kind of feel like Luca would take Ancient Runes as an elective. Far more likely than Divination, that’s for damn sure. But then again, HPHM has ignored that half of these classes are supposed to be optional...anyway. 

The name “Fawley” actually means, bird-catcher. Hunter of wild birds. I wonder if the original Fawley was someone who hunted down and killed a beautiful swan or something, a creature that was precious to some ancient monarch, and they were cursed as punishment. Maybe the curse was applied to them by being force-fed black flowers. Imagine if the Fowler was a muggle, the Monarch was a Wizard (or at least, had one on his payroll) and the magic that the Fowler’s children bore as a result is what started this “pureblood” line. (Everyone can trace their ancestry to a muggle eventually. Everyone. Fight me on this, pureblood supremacists.) You know what, the more I think about it, the more I really like this idea. It ties in with what the Fawley name means. And it keeps to the story that I always wanted to tell with these guys. That being that, while Pureblood and thus privileged, the general consensus about them is that they’re unstable, unlucky, and dangerous. Have a history of madness and misfortune and even suicide. Almost like the Targaryens, for my Game of Thrones fans out there. It ties in with how Jacob and MC are viewed. This is also the reason I had Alice Longbottom be a Fawley by birth, and Aunt to Luca and Gail. She is one of many cases of Fawleys suffering and going mad, seemingly because they were just destined to. It is sheer luck and good fortune that Neville didn’t inherit the Mark of Despair, because Alice had one, and it’s a dominant trait. 

I’m so glad you wrote this to me, because it’s helping me figure things out. Even if I haven’t come up with that much new material, I can’t tell you how excited I am for this new origin story about the bird-catcher. What’s interesting is that “Shafiq” apparently is a word for compassion and kindness. Which ah...does not suit Mrs. Fawley, I’ll just say that. No matter how I interpret her, it’s going to based on MC’s mum from the game...and I don’t think she’s the best person. Yet ironically, all of the Fawley kids have her general look, physically. And compassion is truly the name of the game for her kids, especially with Luca. Mrs. Fawley’s kids all turned out to be better people than her, but Luca is the very best of them and Jacob notes this when all is said and done. The Fawley kids are a total trifecta and in a way, it’s Gail who is the happy medium. She’s the middle mark between polar opposites, those opposites being Luca and Jacob. And yet, Luca and Jacob adore each  other and Gail is kind of the outsider. 

She gets along decently well with Luca, but they’re different in certain key traits that make them distinctly uncomfortable with each other. They might have outgrown this had they been raised together, but it’s so important to me that no matter what, this never happens. No matter the AU. Luca and Gail grow up believing the other is dead. They don’t meet until young adulthood, and what should be a dream come true just kind of...isn’t. They have a strained relationship. Not hateful, just...not perfect. Because why it would it be? Because they’re biologically related? That doesn’t mean they’re going to be best friends, and trying to force it, simply doesn’t help. Seriously, Gail is actually far more fond of Luca than she is Jacob. Dear god, she cannot stand him. She’s so grounded and integrated into understanding how one should behave and following social norms. She’s Lawful Good for sure. But Jacob is just...he’s fire and ice and rage, he is a walking storm. Gail just doesn’t take well to people like that. They stress her out. It’s not like Luca. Their inherent patience and pathological desire to “rescue” problematic people...yeah, is it any wonder Luca x Merula is a strong contender for endgame? 

Ooh, here’s something new I can talk about. Middle names. I’ve tossed around a few in the past, but the one thing I’ve always been certain of is that I want Luca and Gail to both have middle names that are one syllable. Luca’s middle name is Rae. It’s simple, it’s gender neutral, and it sounds nice. Not only that, but it has Hebrew origin and the Fawleys are definitely Jewish. From what I can tell, it means either “lamb” or “friend of sheep” aka, sheppard. Both of these suit Luca remarkably well. As does the other interpretation I’ve found, which is that it means “timid” or “bashful.” It’s just the perfect name for them. Now let’s move onto Gail. I’m...still not sure. I’ve considered a few, like Brynn, Claire, and even “Rose” (Shoutout to a friend of mine, I’m going to assume you’ll see this.) But I have yet to land on one that I like enough for Gail to pin it down. Nothing just screams out at me like Rae does for Luca. What else can I talk about...ooh, wands! 

I’ve mentioned wand contents before, but I’ll reiterate them here, and provide some cool images I found to go along with them! Luca’s wand is Rowan and Unicorn Hair, and if you didn’t already know - it was Rowan them-self who previously owned it. The wand was fashioned at the tree farm and they used it right up until Luca’s first wand was destroyed by Rakepick. That first wand, Hazel and Unicorn Hair, had belonged to Mrs. Fawley. Right up until she lost her ability to do magic, a side-effect of her depression which happened after Jacob disappeared. (Dumbledore implied that this was possible and may have happened to Merope.) Luca took her wand and promised to safeguard it for the day that she would eventually be able to use it again. Enter the Curse-Breaker that everyone hates, bye bye Hazel wand. When just then, surprise surprise! Rowan’s wand suddenly chooses Luca. And you can bet that Rowan is over the moon and Luca is sobbing because they don’t deserve this. But they accept it. I wish I could say I had such a cool backstory for Gail’s wand, but the truth is that she just bought it from Ollivander. Aspen and Dragon Heartstring. On the other hand, one cool detail is that she defies Rakepick and rather than use a new one, she uses her old one after Dumbledore repairs it for her. See, it’s little moments like this, why Gail trusts him when Luca emphatically doesn’t. 

Behold their wands, pictured below! Why yes, the skull design for the Rowan wand’s handle is morbidly appropriate Why yes, the symbols written on Gail’s wand do look pretty cool. (I also couldn’t find an “official” wand that was colored white, apart from Voldemort’s, so there’s that.) 

[fyrapartnersearch]

Chapter 1; In Which Death Awaits and a Plot is Hatched

"You're fucking persistent, I'll give you that," Izar growled, planting his foot in the snow and pivoting around to face the wards. He slammed his hands on the wards, causing a deep resonance to sound across the snowy grounds. He was lifted off his feet and sent flying. Izar clenched his lips together before he gave a delighted laugh, not even stopping as he was deposited harshly onto the ground. He spread his arms out around his body, making tracks in the snow beneath him. Odd… he never had made a snow angel before.  Izar leaned his head into the snow, ignoring the eerie quiet that reverberated across the grounds. The army was flabbergasted at what had just happened, Izar knew. Though, hopefully they were impressed, because he was even impressed with himself. Sadly, it didn't take long for the fighting to continue for he heard magic and curses being passed back and forth between the crowds a few yards away from his current position. Chaos would erupt shortly. The two groups were still in quiet surprise over the areas lack of magic. Soon, the students and the professors would either herd together inside the castle, escape, or join the fray. Until that time… Izar kicked his arms and legs out, creating a snow angel beneath him. His green eyes stared at the sky above him, observing the snowflakes as they slowly drifted into focus. Without the soft and yellowed glow from Hogwarts, the only thing left to light the grounds was the half moon and the curses being released from their owners' wands. He smiled thinly, finding himself feeling rather numb despite the situation that transpired earlier. He issued a controlled moan. "What… are you doing?" Izar gave the towering man a look of disdain. "Exactly what it looks like, My Lord." Voldemort's lips thinned as he watched Izar create a deeper snow angel. "They did warn me that the insanity was strong within you. Obviously, I hadn't given it proper consideration." A pause. "Until now." While his Master’s tone was light in his mocking, Izar could see the man deeper than that. There was a knowing glint in the crimson eyes as they watched Izar in the snow. The Dark Lord believed Izar was averting his focus and attention away from reality in order to avoid thinking about his near-death experience. Was he? Possibly… no, most certainly. He had almost been absorbed into the castle’s wards. Izar had been taken off-guard. There was this nagging feeling that Izar could have prevented everything that transpired in the last few minutes.  -- Did the above introduction catch your interest? I sincerely hope so. I also hope that, from there, your eyes continue on, trifling through this post, absorbing the information I offer and nurturing a growing interest that will lead you to my door. Writing is not just a pass-time. It's an adventure, an extravagant and deeply fulfilling world created for our very own enjoyment - this is the reason I am now here in search of partners. Optimistically thinking, I have not scared too many of you away with my mutterings and lavish vocabulary! Let's move on, shall we? Who am I? Online I go by the alias Ariikos Melanthios, but Ari or Arik is just fine. I'm a 19+ British Roleplayer employed by a fabulous company that sometimes requires my absolute attention and - at other times - lets me relax within my home while they look for something for me to do.  I can reply a minimum of once a day, often more, but attempt to always assure my partner when I need to delay a response. I play both male and female characters (as well as those between and far from that spectrum) and am open to all pairings, with experience thereof. How do I write? Usually over email or google docs, but I could always give letters a try! Sorry, that was a poor attempt at humour. My posts tend to cross the line of 1000 words as a constant, but can sometimes dip below when replies require a faster-paced thought process, such as in combat or conversation. They also have a tendency to far surpass that, such as in the case of a recent roleplay in which my starter post was over 5000 words! Fear not, weary traveller! At no point will I expect you to match these lengths, only wishing for a response that carries your half of the story. I'd be happy to share some examples upon contact - just ask. Am I missing anything?  Probably. Almost definitely, so feel free to ask any questions. I'm not particularly shy! So, what do I want from you? - 3rd person, multi-paragraph to novella, eligible responses.  - Active participation in the musing and creation process.  - Uses Google Docs or Email for roleplay reponses, and either Google Hangouts or Discord for musing (sorry the Discord word limit is too much of a hassle). Fandom's or Originals? I enjoy roleplaying in both, so let me know what you're interested in. I will not play a Canon for your OC, or a Canon/Canon relationship 99% of the time. However, you may be the single person to convince me of otherwise if the plot is juicy enough! - Harry Potter; please bring me your ideas. This is my favourite series (if you couldn't tell from the opener) and I can do anything from starting with kids in their first year, to Professors or Aurors. Good guys or bad guys. AUs, Crossovers or Canon!  - Dragon Age; huge nerd of this game, please send any ideas my way, including obscure settings in the general universe but separate from the canon storylines. All of the games are fantastic! - MCU; comics and films, preference towards X-Men but generally open to anything. - The Witcher; books, games or TV series! - Telltale The Walking Dead; a little more obscure, but believe it could make for an interesting take on the original story.  - Star Trek; new or old generation, or our own take! - Resident Evil; preference towards the films, but familiar with the games too.  - Sword Art Online - Doctor Who; any doctor, or our own. Honestly, I'm missing so many here, but just ask and I probably know it! If not, I'm always willing to do the research and put in the effort.  Onto original plots - in general I want to create a world with you! - Fantasy - Sci-Fi - Urban - Dystopia - Mythology - Medieval - Superpowers - Darker Themes - etc I'm usually up for anything though I'm not a huge fan of slice-of-life. Anything with action and I'm in. Well, I think that's about everything. If you've made it this far, congratulations! Please introduction yourself upon first contact, letting me know what you're looking for! If you can provide information about yourself, your likes and dislikes then you'd gain extra points in my book! You will absolutely be judged by your introduction, aha.  Find me @ Ariikos#3683 AriikosMelanthios@gmail.com Looking forward to hearing from you!

[sidehowriting]

Princesses and Secret Admirers

Masterlist in bio!

A/N: I was really hoping @loki-the-fox would do a Valentine’s Day Challenge because I had an idea going and look! It’s a Valentine’s Day Challenge! This is the 4th installment of the Princesses series (?) but can function as a stand alone. I’m not going to link the previous parts here because I get more traffic without links. But they can all be found in my masterlist.

Prompt: Who’s it from? Your secret admirer? 

Pairings: Dad!Thor x Daughter

Summary: Someone has a crush on Thor’s daughter

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Just cute fluff, over protective Thor and other Avengers 

Coming home was always Thor’s favorite part of missions. He missed his wife, his kids, his simple domestic life. Getting home early always a treat. And this time was no exception.

It was just past three-thirty in the afternoon when he got home, a full eight hours ahead of schedule. He crept in as quietly as he could, finding his family gathered in the kitchen.

A chorus of cheers and yelling greeted his ears as his family rushed towards him. He smiled broadly, easily encompassing his wife, son, and daughter into his arms. “I missed you all so much!” He said, giving each family member a kiss. “I’m so happy to be back!”

“I missed you too, Dad!” His daughter said, clinging to his middle.

“We’re so glad you’re back.” His wife placed a sweet kiss to his cheek as she spoke.

His tiny two-year-old son simply jumped up and down at his legs yelling, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

When he had his fill of their family hug, he released them. “I was just making some after school snacks,” his wife said. “I have some cut up apples with peanut butter if that’s alright. Or I can make you whatever you please. Sometime more filling.”

“This is fine, my queen.” He placed his hand on her waist and kissed her cheek again. “Stark fed us well.”

“I’ll slice up another one then,” she said, smiling. ���Can you go through Lina’s backpack with her?”

“Of course!” Thor bellowed and joined his daughter at the kitchen table. The backpack in question was already sitting in the middle of the table. Lina was seated, pulling school books out of the pack. Thor sat down next to her. “What do we have?”

He took the stuff she handed him. “I have a worksheet to do for history. And I have two pages of math to do. Will you help me?” She looked up at him, pleadingly. He never did have the willpower to deny her. Her sweet blue eyes always melted his heart.

“Of course, my princess.” He started to sort the books while little Arik started to pull at his leg. Thor lifted his son up, placing him on his lap. “We’ll both help, right, little prince?” Smiling, Thor opened Lina’s folder, flipping through the papers to find her worksheet. “What’s this?” He pulled out a torn piece of paper, intricate creases showing that it was once folded in many ways. In the center of the paper was a note: I liked your hair ribbon. Pink is a good color.

His wife placed a plate of apples and peanut butter on the table next to them. Arik wasted no time in grabbing and apple and munching on it. “Oh, is that a note?” She asked, ruffling the little boy’s hair. “Who’s it from? Your secret admirer?”

“Yeah!” Lina said proudly, grabbing the letter from Thor. “Look at this one!”

Thor watched as Lina passed the note to her mother, utterly confused. “What? What secret admirer?”

“Olina’s been getting notes just about everyday this week. Someone in her class has a crush on her.”

“What?” Thor’s eyes were wide as disks, looking from his daughter to his wife. “No, absolutely not.”

Lina sighed, “It’s okay, Dad. Valentine’s Day is next week.”

“That doesn’t make it better!” Panic was starting to settle in. No, no way. Olina was only seven. There was no way in the nine realms that she had a secret admirer. She was far too young for crushes.

“I hope they’re from Tommy,” Lina said, grabbing an apple and coating it in peanut butter. “He’s the cutest.”

Thor clutched his chest, feeling like he might pass out. “It’s okay,” came his wife’s soothing voice. She placed her hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “No need to worry. It’s just a school yard crush.”

No matter what his wife said, Thor couldn’t get past that his daughter had a secret admirer. The thought was in the back of his mind as he helped Lina with her homework, helped make dinner, and helped get the kids to bed. He didn’t say anything until he and his wife were preparing for their own slumber.

“I don’t like this,” he said, brushing his golden hair. “She’s far too young.”

“She’s seven, Thor.” His wife sounded tired and borderline annoyed. “That may be young for an Asgardian, but for a human that’s a perfectly normal age to have a crush.”

“She’s half Asgardian!” He countered.

His wife started laughing. “She’s also half human. So far, her aging is on par with humans. If that changes then I will fully support your opinion that she’s too little. Until she slows down, she’s allowed to think some boy in her class is cute.”

Thor continued to grumble and complain about it. Not pleased with how fast his little girl was growing up. Wasn’t it just yesterday she was swaddled tightly, nothing but a tiny face poking out of a blanket as he rocked her to sleep? He did not like this one bit.

“Now,” his wife came to him, wrapping her arms around his middle. His large frame prevented her hands from meeting. “You’ve been away for eight days. I’ve missed you. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be with you.”

Putting the brush down, he smirked. He twisted around and easily lifted her off her feet. She squealed and giggled, grabbing onto his shoulders. He kissed her deeply yet quickly, just giving her a taste of what was to come. “Let me remind you, then.”

//

Thor volunteered to stay at home the next morning with Arik while his wife took Olina to school. He was formulating a plan on how to deal with this secret admirer and wanted his lovely wife out of the house to do so. Was it a bit sneaky? Sure, but he was just doing his duty as a father.

While Arik was content watching cartoons, Thor pulled out his phone and sent a group text:

Thor: We have a situation

Tony: Something wrong?

Clint: Is everything ok?

Steve: Is your family alright?

Bucky: I can be there in 20 minutes

Thor: Everyones fine. I just found out theres someone at school who was been sneaking Lina love notes.

Sam: Love notes??????

Tony: This is an emergency

Bucky: I’ll be there in 10

Steve: Whos the punk?

Thor: I dont know. Shes been coming home with secret notes everyday from someone. She doesnt know who its from

Tony: Give me the note. I’ll have the handwriting analyzed

Thor: That will take too long. I have another idea

//

Thor pushed open the door into the house after getting Lina from school. “Mom!” Lina yelled, “we’re back!”

“Remember what I said,” Thor whispered to her before her mother appeared. “Mummy doesn’t need to know.”

“Hello!” His wife walked in with a smile on her face. “How as school?”

“It was great! I got a hundred on the history worksheet Dad helped me with yesterday!” Lina said so proudly, making Thor feel great.

“That’s so wonderful!” Lina’s mother kissed the top of the little girl’s head. Something about her tone and behavior was off and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “Why don’t you go wash up and play with Arik for a little bit before snack and homework?”

With no other prompting, Lina raced out of the room, leaving him alone with his wife. Instantly, her posture changed. Her eyes hardened and her hands went right to hips like they do when she scolds the children.

“So, do you want to tell me?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, his eyes skirting everywhere to avoid her harsh gaze. He clasped his hands behind his back. “Nope. No idea.” He swayed from foot to foot gently, trying to act natural.

“Really?” She whipped out her cell phone. “This is the text I got from Lina’s teacher. ‘I see Thor is back. He showed up to pick Lina up. He had the whole Avenger’s crew with him, all ready for battle. It seemed a bit odd but he had Lina’s pick up pass so we let her go. It was strange so I wanted to send you a text just to let you know.’”

He mentally cursed himself. He thought as long as he had the pass saying he was there to pick up Olina that everything would go smoothly.

“Not to mention,” his wife continued, her voice starting to rise. “The texts I was getting from some of the other parents. So, I’m going to ask again. Why were you, Anthony, Clinton, Steven, James, and Samuel all picking Olina up from school? All wearing your battle gear?”

She was addressing everyone by their full names. She was not happy.

“I can explain,” he started, trying to think of something that wouldn’t make his wife explode at him.

“If you’re about to tell me that you did that to try and intimidate whatever poor little boy that likes Lina you are sleeping on the couch for the next week.”

“Well-“

“Thor Odinson! I cannot believe you!” He was in deep trouble now. “She’s a child, Thor! It’s just a little crush! And then to get practically the whole team involved in this?”

“My darling,” he pleaded, rushing to her side. “The others…well they should know what’s going on in Olina’s life, right? They just wanted to help.”

“Uh, huh.” She walked away from him. “Is there a reason Natasha and Bruce weren’t there as well? Could it be because they’re the only rational ones out of the group? They would have told you just how stupid you were being?”

That was exactly why they were not part of his group chat, but he wasn’t about to admit that to her. “My queen. My beautiful beautiful queen. I just wanted to-“

“What? Intimidate a child?” When she said it like that, it did sound rather extreme. “Thor...” Her voice finally dropped. She just sounded tired now.

“I’m sorry.” He grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing her palm. “I didn’t mean to make you so upset, my queen.” He kissed her palm again and she started to relax and melt. “Truly.” He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “Just the thought of Olina growing up so quickly… I miss her being small.”

She responded by wrapping her own arms around his neck, kissing his cheek tenderly. “I know. I do too. I miss those days so much. But she’s growing up and we can’t stop that. She’s going to grow up and there’s going to be lots of boys and girls that have crushes on her. Same with Arik. That’s how life works.”

She had a point that he was reluctant to admit. Instead, he just rested his cheek against the top of her head. He loved his wife so much. He was so thankful to have her. She made him a better man, husband, father. “I don’t know what I would do without you, my queen,” he whispered to her. “You are right as always. I acted irrationally and I am sorry. But Lina did like being picked up by all of us. She was very happy and surprised.”

“Be that as it may, you still caused a scene. The whole lot of you did.” She pulled away to meet his eyes. “I know you all love her and are protective of her, but this is not the way to go about it. Promise me that if you’re concerned about something, you’ll come talk to me about it first before you assemble the Avengers?”

“I promise,” he said and kissed her. He enjoyed this soft, simple moment with her. Holding her hips and kissing her with all the love he could muster. What he wouldn’t do for her and his family.

She was the one to slowly pull away, her lips a bit rosy. She smiled, and gently traced her fingers around his cheek. “I love you. And you’re still sleeping on the couch.”

Tags: @lancsnerd @xxloki81xx @dsakita

[healeremeline]

Counting Meme: Emeline

1 INSECURITY:

“Do you not think that is a little forward?”

“Sadly enough…as of recent months��my clothes. It seems the clothes I am most comfortable in are idly mocked or called into questions. Even the clothes I have been given to wear ‘out’. I need to find something more worldly acceptable with my profession I think. It’s just frustrating because I do not consider myself vain.”

2 FEARS:

“Fear. It’s a rather interesting topic. Fear can really be anything large or small. Can it not?”

“The first is clear. Losing a patient. I don’t think I need to expand on this”

“Being alone. No, not romantically. *sighs* Why is it always romantic with you people?! I just do not like being completely alone. I suppose being on an airship helps that. Someone is always nearby.”

3 TURN ONS:

*blinks* “Pardon?”  

“I suppose that I am attracted to men. If that is what you mean?” 

“I like people playing with my hair...this feels awfully personal.” 

“Strength makes me feel safe....so I find myself in the company of strong individuals.”

4 LIFE GOALS:

“Oh! I do indeed have a plan and goals!”

“I have already achieved a goal. I am in charge of my own medical bay on our airship.”

”I wish to return to Gridania when my adventures are past and become a Hearer. I feel most at peace when I connect to the elements.”

“I want to be brave enough to try love that does not end before it begins.”

“And....a fourth? I feel I am too young to push out that far yet. I suppose it’s to see more of the world, but that feels like a generic response all give.”

5 THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

“Easily done without much thought.”

“Simple woven fabrics. I love to be comfortable.”

“The sound of water. Streams or oceans, it matters not. I have an affinity for the element. and it is so soothing.”

“Stopping another’s pain. ”

“The touch of soft green moss in sunlight. I know that is rather particular...but for me, it is truly the little things.”

“Curling up with friends. It is my guilty pleasure. Cuddling, blankets, books, and talking. It’s the only way I feel I can actually relax.”

6 WEAKNESSES

“Self-reflection? I see. Very interesting that you ask. Do you tend to ask strangers such things? Do people have weaknesses or are they just people that have more to lose than others?”

“I have been called stubborn, I say determined.”

“I am not very strong. I was teased often as a child. ”

“I have combat training as a conjurer, but I have not idea how to wield a weapon.”

“I worry sometimes that I have a weak heart. That maybe I let people get away with too much. That I am too understanding or...a pushover. “

“I have insecurities over my appearance as of late. Apparently, I don’t dress well enough.”

“Some say people are a weakness. If so, then my friends. Mafrea, Arik, Rosette, Remmy, and Saphyra. There is nothing I would not do to keep them safe.”

7 PEOPLE/THINGS I LOVE

“What a delightful topic change! I think speaking of love is so much more fulfilling!”

“My family in Girdania. I miss them, but I am determined to grow worldly and return to them one day changed for it. One cannot live in the Twelveswood their entire life.”

“Reunions. I love watching people return to each other. Whether it be thirty years or an hour. Through peace or trauma. I love watching people find each other once again. That connection has always fascinated me.”

“I love my friends that I followed and the new ones I have made on the crew of the Rocinante.”

“I love the warmth of sun and the depths of the forest. I know it seems cliche, but it is the best healing.”

“The beach, it is one of my new favorite loves. ”

“Other’s success. I love to help people rise up.”

“Possibly a certain person...but I’m not truly sure.”

Tagged by: @scouteliut

Tagging: @blackmagesol @theboondogglepub  @oroete @gunslingermiqo

[laceyeb]

DWTS Athletes Week 1 Recap

**DISCLAIMER: This will obnoxiously be at the beginning of every recap, so feel free to skip over it when you no longer care. I started writing these recaps for my mom way back in season 9 after I went to college and we weren’t watching together anymore. I love sharing them with you, but keep in mind that tumblr is not my intended audience as I write. So if you are confused about anything or have any questions, feel free to always ask and I can try to clear it up for you! Happy reading! :)

I can’t believe it’s finally here! I don’t like this short season at all. I like the idea of having all athletes, but I just want it to be a normal length season! It feels like the season came out of nowhere too. I haven’t even made my chart yet, but it’s still only 6:30 as I’m starting this so I’ve got time. It’s fun typing my recaps on my new laptop!

Chris and Witney - 7,7,7 - salsa

He seems likeable enough from what I’ve see of him so far. He’s one I would definitely want to see on a regular length season because I bet he’s quite fun. I was right! I really really like him! He’s super fun! Witney seems like a good partner for him. Very impressive week one dance. He has plenty of personality and performance quality and can move pretty good too. Salsa seems like an awfully hard week one dance. The lifts scared me, but he did them well!

Kareem and Lindsay - 6,5,6 - cha cha

At lunch today all the other teachers were asking what I was doing tonight for my birthday so I told them I’d be watching the premiere and they were all like, “Omg Kareem Abdul Jabbar is on!” That’s all they knew or cared about. But he is a pretty big deal for this show. Lindsay is such a good partner for him. Emma would have been too, but I think Lindsay is probably the tallest girl. I can’t believe you don’t like him! I don’t think he should win and I’m not voting for him, but he was fun! Lindsay is such a nice partner for him to have. The problem is I would want to see him for at least a couple weeks, but a couple weeks is half way this time. Sixes was probably too generous, but oh well. I loved in the dance when he stuck his arms out to the side and then the girls danced right under his arms. That was too funny!

Jennie and Keo - 7,7,7 - foxtrot

She seems pleasant enough. Not sure how long she’ll last. But none of them will last long when the season is only 4 weeks!!! Ooh I like her! She’s pretty good. I didn’t think the dance was great. It was very chaotic and just seemed too fast for her. But she’s definitely good. I hope she doesn’t cry all four weeks. Did you catch Keo feeding the cow or whatever it was?! He seems very excited to have a decent partner!

Jamie and Artem - 6,7,6 - Viennese waltz

Artem has posted hardly anything about her or them together so far. I kind of get a vibe from him (and maybe Gleb) this season that it’s kind of a waste of a season and that it’s not worth putting too much effort into it. I could be wrong though. I don’t think she even knows she’s on Dancing with the Stars. I’m gonna go make my popcorn.

Mirai and Alan - 7,8,8 - salsa

I’m am sooooo disappointed. She can undoubtedly dance, but her personality is just awful already. She seems very full of herself and like she’s above all this. She made some comment in an interview or article that came out today (I didn’t actually see it, but I read about it) about showmances on the show and she was basically like, “If you want to know about showmances, talk to Sharna.” And Sharna’s like, “Excuse me???” That’s the gist of it. So we don’t like her and will not be voting for Alan. Such a shame. I really liked the dance though. She can definitely move and the lifts were so good. But she just has such an air of “I’m better than all of you” that I really can’t stand. She is definitely going to rub people the wrong way.

Arike and Gleb - 7,6,7 - salsa

I’ve heard good things about her already tonight! I think I could probably like her if she had someone else. Arike with Alan and Mirai with Gleb! That would have been better! I really like her! She came out and tried her best and that’s all I ask for! I wish she was on a regular season because I think she could get really good with a lot more time. I hope she does a good ballroom dance next week. This was a perfectly fine week one dance, but I want to see more.

Adam and Jenna - 8,8,8 - cha cha

I’m soooooo excited for them!!! More excited for them than anyone else! (Even though all my votes are for Josh and Sharna.) They have the BEST partnership and Jenna’s got everyone (Maks, Val, Peta, etc.) posting support for them! They’re just so much fun. Someone else I would love to see on a regular length season. I already texted you so you know how much I love them!!! And he’s not just a performer who can kind of dance. He can do a cha cha too! I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people on this show click as fast as them. You would have thought they had known each other their whole lives. I love them so much. Omg. I actually really like that Val isn’t on this season because I feel like Jenna wouldn’t get as much of a chance to shine if Val was on too. Now she just gets to be Jenna. I’m soooo happy for her! I could keep going on and on. Johnny and Emma have already danced!

Johnny and Emma - 6,6,6 - foxtrot

I don’t have a whole lot of interest in them, but Emma has been bonding with all his kids, so that’s cute I guess. He wasn’t that good, but he looked like he was having fun. So that’s good. I wish Emma could have stuck around, but it would have been a long four weeks hearing about the new marriage…

Tonya and Sasha - 8,8,7 - foxtrot

No interest. I don’t expect them to make it past tonight. Especially performing so late. (I was wrong…) That’s the problem with the voting though. Does it work the same with the live voting on The Voice? Like you can vote throughout the whole episode, but then the people who perform at the very end aren’t seen until the end. I don’t think it makes that big of a difference because the people who vote are going to vote for their favorites regardless of how they do or when they perform. I still don’t like it though. Especially with Josh and Sharna going last! So it’s a shame she made it through. I don’t even know her story except that I think she does a really good job playing the victim. The dance was pretty good, but I didn’t like it as much as the judges seemed to. I hope she doesn’t make it through next week too.

Josh and Sharna - 8,8,8 - cha cha

I’ve been so excited about Adam and Jenna that I keep forgetting about Josh and Sharna! Another one I want on a normal season! I’ve probably followed them (and obviously Adam and Jenna) the most since the cast announcement and I’ve really liked everything I’ve seen from them so far. Really good partnership and he seems very happy to be there and willing to work hard. I don’t know if he’ll be able to win the whole thing. I guess I can make a better prediction after they dance tonight. But I would love to see it happen! OOOMMMMGGGG!!! He is sooooooo good!!!! Of course Adam is good. Josh didn’t have to be this good!!! OMG!!! They are such a great match. Second only to Adam and Jenna. He is so dedicated and really wants to do well and he can really move. Those 8s are well deserved!!! I’m so excited OMG! I really hate this four week season, but if Josh and Sharna win, it might become my favorite season ever! I said I wasn’t sure if he would be able to win, but maybe! I wish he was a little more popular as far as football players go, but it probably helps that he’s the only one.

[vtruq]

My current moment of thankfulness, 14.01.2021

Ever since I read “Conversations with God” and came across the idea that the gut-feeling is God speaking to me and that it is my “task” to live up to the highest of that feeling in my soul/ gut, I am even more aware of my feeling regarding things. This sensitization I went through recently and the resulting decisions I took to be in line with my gut-feeling/ the needs of my soul help me tremendously to be happy with every moment of the day.

Today I told Arik that I do not want a relationship – meaning dating and making out etc. – while she has her boyfriend. It is never easy to let a “great deal” go but confidence in myself and the acting in line with my gut-feeling showed me that it was the right decision. I feel so unbelievably relieved right now. I am free.

I started this open and undefined “we date but you still have a boyfriend – thing” because I did not know how it is to love someone; I got confused after my first relationship. I saw this “thing” as a project which should show me how far my “self – love” carries me and how long I can act in line with Erich Fromm´s definition of love (mentioned in “The Courage To Be Disliked”). After losing myself in this process, falling in love, and getting hurt, I am now fine with myself again. Without thinking about it all the time I learned exactly what I wanted to learn. And this again is in line with the wisdom from “Conversations with God”. I had all the knowledge about “what love is”. But my soul simply cared about experiencing it. Now I did and the learning I draw from this whole experience is priceless.

I learned that listening to my gut-feeling and acting in accordance with it is my simple highest premise to be happy. It is the only compass I need since it is my connection to God and the voice of my soul. Following this compass is the insurance to be on track “self – love”.

I learned that acting opportunistic to impress somebody is a red flag for refocusing on myself.

I learned how attracted I can be to a person whose character I love and who I feel so attracted to physically.

I learned that loving means I want to be there for someone but that I need to also maintain my love for myself and my own social life. Self – love comes before love.

I learned that if it was October 2020 again when she wanted to break up with him, I would have not gone into this entire undefined “we date but you still have a boyfriend – thing” again. I would have said that I am out until he is there...   Maybe she would have then broken up and hence created the ground for us to date and to become a couple. Maybe not... 

This is out of my area of tasks and will forever stay a theory. I don´t want to waste time going down this street; I can not change it anyway.

Learning these lessons is just another puzzle piece to navigate through life in the way that makes me happy and in the way I want to live my life. My final point today is as always that life is a learning process and that I am so unbelievably thankful that I learn all these lessons, that I do not need to care about health issues or essential threats. I am so happy to be in this state of mind. 

[cursed-in-barovia]

SESSION 6

While Devotion was staying at the Hare & Hair, along with the elves, Gregori expressed his frustration in regards to how cramped his places was feeling these days. If the elves would be staying in town as the new trappers, they should have a place of their own. Laszlo and Alina’s old house would make perfect sense since they’re dead, except the new guy, Arik, has already taken claim to it and has been using it as his trading post.

“He’s been nothing but trouble since the day he arrived!” Gregori cried out. “I don’t know if his arrival has anything to do with the newcomers disappearing or undead creatures attacking the town. It’s all a suspicious coincidence, if you ask me.”

Devotion tried to calm Gregori by helping him clean up the rest of the mess that the wolf pup made. Then later that night, Zemotta came over to check on everyone, and informed Devotion about the new snow leopard that Dundee and the group had rescued from the top of a snowy mountain. The two of them stayed the night, only making the Hare & Hair even more cramped, and causing Gregori even more frustration.

The following morning, Gregori seemed to be in a much better mood. He served everyone a large breakfast and waited for the elves to leave for work before nudging Devotion and Zemotta and suggesting they help the elves claim Arik’s trading post. “Consider this food for encouragement!”

The teifling and the halfling exited Gregori’s to find Dundee, Zoras, Nori, and Tomigot outside of the Eyes of Midnight as they had just witnessed Arik riding away toward the end of town on a gaunt, black horse, and then disappearing in the dusty fog. Perplexed, Tomigot decided to follow Arik’s trail, only to be lead to a point where the tracks disappeared, right around the area where the dust and fog swallowed Arik and his horse.

Meanwhile, the town had also seen Arik disappear and approached the group in a rage of frustration from Arik’s presence in Orasnau. They had grown tired of all of the weird things that had been going on since his arrival, and with pitchforks and lit torches in hand, they demanded that the group help eradicate him, and suggested that the first place to check was his trading post.As the party and villagers marched toward Arik’s trading post, or what used to be Laszlo and Alina’s home, no horse tracks could be found. The trading post was a simple, rectangular home that showed signs of neglect. The birch boards used for its construction had begun to rot, and were broken in many places. An occasional rat scurried between the loose boards, and many bats had taken up residence in the nearby trees. The windows of this ramshackle home were shuttered and hastily boarded up with driftwood and iron nails.  Tomigot busted the front door with a strong kick, in attempt to open it, but instead created a hole in the rotted wood panels, which also caught his foot. Devotion approached as if she were a confident guard about to catch her suspect.  The door magically flung open and released Tomigot’s lodged foot from the hole. Upon entering, nobody could be found inside. The interior was barren, aside from several scraps of fur and an empty, broken curing rack. Though the home seemed to show little signs of someone living there, signs of foot traffic could be found outside, as well as jagged claw marks that marred the doors and windows.

Suddenly a blood-curdling scream rang out from the center of the village. They could see a gray haired woman in shoddy clothing in the embrace of a sickly looking man. Blood was flowing down the woman’s cloak and onto the pallid snow at her feet. A ghoul and two zombies had her surrounded. Immediately, the party rushed over to her aid.

After a few ranged attacks and the aid of Chi and Devotion’s bat familiar to distract the undead creatures, the ghoul and zombies were slain. Tomigot made sure the woman was ok. She had some cuts that he was able to tend to with the best of his abilities. Meanwhile Devotion and Nori checked the undead bodies. Devotion found a dagger covered in old blood and rotten bodily goo. Nori also found a gooey dagger, and reached deep into what might have been a pocket, or possibly the inside of the zombie’s thigh to find 1 bloodied gp.

Once things were settled, the townsfolk became even more impatient and frustrated. A quick glance back toward far side of the trading post, two villagers could be seen having just touched their lit torches to the wooden home.  The crowd began to roar with adrenaline! As the structure began to catch fire, the group ran over to extinguish the flames! Zemotta tried throwing a snowball, but initially couldn’t quite hit the fire. With a second attempt, she hit, bull’s-eye! Then Zoras made his attempt at smothering the fire with a gust of wind. Not only did it put out the second flame, it also pushed back some of the surrounding villagers. Suddenly a loud, intimidating voice could be heard “Stop what you’re doing! Put down the torches!” The two villagers, stunned by the voice, immediately dropped their torches. Once Tomigot arrived back at the house, another ghoul and two more zombies were approaching the house.

“Get behind me!” Tomigot instructed the two villagers. But before one of the villagers could even move to safety, one of the zombies made two strong swipes with its claws, instantly killing the person. After witnessing the death of his friend, the other villager immediately took cover behind Tomigot, as the ghoul made one extremely strong swat with its claws at Tomigot, stunning and freezing him in place. Nori shot a few arrows at the undead creatures, while Devotion conjured a ghostly, skeletal hand to chill the ghoul to its core. Then a zombie swung its rotten claws as Tomigot in such a great force that it pushed him back against the once burning structure, nearly squishing the villager that was hiding behind him. After a few more attacks from Zemotta and Zoras, the creatures were killed. Zemotta was too disgusted by the smells and guts of the undead to search their bodies, while Zoras was happy to strip a blood-crusted metal bracelet from the wrists of one of the creatures.

The crowd of villagers celebrated in victory, and their attitude quickly changed from frustration and rage to guilt. Many of them apologized to the party and invited the heroes to the tavern. “Drinks on us!”

Once back at the Seven Tables Inn, everyone was gossiping in excitement about the events that had just happened. “It’s too bad Burgomaster Randovich didn’t come back today instead of tomorrow. I’m sure he would have loved to have been here!” Some of the villages arrived later to present the party with 2 potions of healing that they were able to dig up from their homes.

The afternoon was full of many pints of alcohol and laughter. Devotion and Nori made sure to, in more than one way, deliver a message to Gregori that the elves can now use Alina and Laszlo’s old house to live in. Then Tomigot, in his drunken state, thought it would be a good idea to investigate the Burgomaster’s estate. Zemotta decided to follow along and hitch a ride on his back. Zoras followed along. As the 3 headed to the burgomaster’s house, Devotion and Nori were returning from their message delivery. Devotion asked what Tomigot was doing, and was not happy with his intentions. The next thing Tomigot knew was that he was face down in the snow with Zemotta standing over his back.

“What happened!? Was I back on ‘Death Mountain’?!” Tomigot slurred.

Devotion tried to persuade the group to return to the Inn, but Tomigot had a curiosity to resolve.

As the group approached the Burogmaster’s house, they could see a stout and sturdy looking, single level building, crafted from mostly brick and some petrified timbers. It sat atop a raised stone foundation with a shallow set of wooden stairs leading to the porch and an ornate front door, with a low, shingled roof above creating a small area of cover from the snowfall where 3 armed men stood guard. They sat on chairs, bundled against the chill and didn’t seem like typical city guards. They looked more like they could have been hired off the street.

The men noticed their approach. “Who goes there? What business do you have?” they asked.

Tomigot mentioned he was looking for the Burgomaster.

“He’s not here. Come back tomorrow after her returns.”

Nori tried to reason with the guards, explaining that they were all friends of the Burgomaster. The guards, in return, quizzed their knowledge of this “friendship.” Everyone seemed to struggle with their answers. Nori even tried to offer some coin to let them through, but the guards held firm to any sort of offer they’d accept.

“If you can’t do 25gp EACH, which is what the Burgomaster is paying us, then we have no business.” The guards even mentioned that their jobs weren’t great, but the money was good.

Then a creature approached wearing what seemed like a sandwich as a helmet. “I am the Burger Master!” he declared.

The main guard nudged the guard next to him.. “Pinch me. Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Is this real, or is this a dream? What in the world IS that!?”

“I said, I’m the Burger Master! Can’t you recognize your own boss?”

Whatever shenanigans the group was up to, the guards weren’t falling for it. But they did admit that they seemed to be a much more fun bunch of people than their current situation.

While this was going on, Tomigot and Zemotta tried to sneak around to the back of the house. Once they reached the far corner of building, they could see an additional 3 men sitting on a felled log beside a brazier full of burning coals, trying to drive off the winter’s chill. Tomigot and Zemotta decided to try to climb up to the top of the roof, to see if there was a window or some sort of door to climb into. Nori sent Chi to do an aerial surveillance, confirming that there was a balcony type loft on the roof, with a door leading into the dwelling. Drunk Tomigot could not seem to climb up the side of the house, and Zemotta couldn’t do any better. The noise caused by their struggles alerted the guards in the back. Once they approached the two, they demanded that they leave the premises. Defeated, Tomigot and Zemotta obeyed, and the rest of the group followed. Everyone headed back for the night at the inn.

Zoras did his nightly beauty rest routine, while Tomigot almost instantly passed out. Zemotta feel asleep pretty quickly, as well. Meanwhile Devotion could hear giggling and thumping happening in the room next door, followed by the taps and mumbles coming from Marku below. Curious, Devotion followed the sounds. They were coming from Nori’s room. She peeked through the keyhole and could see Nori dancing and singing with Chi and a human-shaped glow of lights. She knocked on the door. “What are you doing in there?”

“Nothing!” Nori quickly replied.

“I can see you dancing in there through the keyhole,” Devotion admitted. “Who is that in there with you?”

“Oh, that’s just Saint.”

Devotion shook her head, confused, and went back to her room.

The following morning, everyone had breakfast at the inn.  Nori presented Zoras with the chalice that was purchased from Fillar’s shop. “This is for you, I thought you might like it!” Zoras reluctantly accepted the gift. Then Marku approached the party’s table. “Excuse me; I wonder if I might have a moment? I told my wife, Crina, we shouldn’t bother you, but she insisted I come over. My nephew, Vasile, and his friend have recently gone to Vallaki for supplies. They were due back last evening, but have not returned. Normally, I wouldn’t worry, but the storm and recent events have me worried.”

“We don’t have much,” Marku continued, “well, after having to pay our taxes and debts to Burgomaster Randovich, but we can scrape together a modest reward if you are able to find them.”

The group agreed to help, so Marku directed them to the road that lead to Vallaki. On their way down the path and descent into a valley, they happened upon a junction in the road. To one side of the crossing, they saw a wagon – its cargo spread out in the snow. The corpse of a horse and what was likely its owner laying partially covered in snow on the ground.

Upon further inspection, the horse was dead and had partially been eaten. This triggered a subtle memory for Tomigot, during his transformation as a werewolf. The body on the ground did not match Vasile’s description. It must have been his friend. The party found Vasile inside the cart, still alive, but in horrible condition. He had a number of slashing wounds and was unconscious. Zoras tried to heal him with a spell, but it didn’t seem to take effect.

The cart had suffered enough damage to no longer function. It had lots of scratches throughout, as well. Zoras even found a rotten fingernail inside. Devotion found a jewelry box that contained gaudy jewelry, while the others found empty crates and sacks, assumed to be vessels to carry the goods that would have been purchased in Vallaki. Everyone grabbed what they could to return to Marku, while Tomigot gently carried Vasile back to town.

Once they arrived to the Seven Tables Inn, Marku confirmed that they found Vasile and urged them to bring him to the hospice to see Glovia. She should be able to cure him.

The hospice was a squat brick building with a high-peaked roof. As the group approached, with Vasile in Tomigot’s hands, a woman and a young girl came out to meet them.

“Inside,” the woman said calmly, “Sorina will direct you where to set him.”

Once inside, the woman examined the wounds and pointed things out to the young girl, who nodded understandingly after each observation had been made. Sorina followed the woman as she set to work on the unconscious boy. The modest facility has four beds, a table for herbal preparations, some cabinets on either side, and a large table upon which Vasile was laying, with a hall and a few more rooms outside the operating room.

“Where did you find him?” the woman asked. The group informed her of the cart wreck and signs of scratches and the fingernail. Panic washed over Glovia’s face; she was obviously worried. “This was Laszlo’s doing. Did you destroy him?” She asked, the slightest hint of anticipation on her lips.

In a quick defense, Devotion wanted to know what Glovia knew about Laszlo. The only information that she could provide was that he was some sort of undead that she tried asking to do favors. But it seemed that Laszlo had other plans. Glovia reminded Devotion that it was crucial that she tend to the boy in order to save his life. Devotion demanded that she stay in the room to watch, but Glovia was too smart to know that Devotion had no knowledge as to how to even cure Vasile’s condition, and therefore asked her to leave, so that she could focus. Devotion persisted until Sorina stepped in and ushered her outside the room.

While this was going on, Zemotta looked to see if she could find an empty cabinet in the room to hide in, to monitor for any suspicious activity. Devotion also set her bat familiar inside the room for surveillance, while the rest of the group stayed outside the hospice. Glovia noticed the bat and could not seem to concentrate with it in the room. After one swift reach of her hand, the bat vanished into thin air. “Now I can get started.”

With Zemotta inside the cabinet, she could overhear Glovia as she operated. After some time passed, Glovia mentioned to Sorina that her work there was done. She instructed her to watch over Vasile and send a word to Marku that she was able to cure him, but he will need lots of rest.

“I’ve had a busy day today, I think I’ll be heading home,” Zemotta heard Glovia say.

Meanwhile, the group outside could see a person leave the hospice with a note and make his way toward the inn, but no signs of Glovia. Nori was trying to figure out how to get Zemotta out safely. An idea came to mind; tap on the operating room’s window from outside with an invisible hand, and perhaps cause a distraction with Chi. Fortunately the combination caught Sorina’s attention from inside the room, giving Zemotta a brief window to escaped the cabinet and the room. She wasn’t too stealthy with her exit as the cabinet door squeaked open. Sorina turned away from the window to see Zemotta exit the room. But rather than chase after her, she figured “I’ll just let Glovia know…”

From outside the hospice, the group heard the loud clang of a hand-bell. They saw a stout, portly man with a blue coat and pale trousers flanked by a lanky teenage boy that was staring into space. They both stood on a small platform at the center of town. Townsfolk immediately stopped what they were doing and a surprisingly large crowd quickly gathered.

The man began:

“Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! The following is a decree from the most distinguished and generous Burgomaster Randovich, to wich we are all indebted….in one form or another.

“The Burogmaster makes it known that the following person are to report to his residence as soon as possible.” The man elbowed the young boy standing next to him who, in turn, recited the names Tomigot, Zoras, Nori, Devotion, and Zemotta from an unfurled scroll.

The crier continued, “These persons are suspsected not of being charlatans, burglars, vagabonds, or instigators. You are to draw no conclusions.” At this point, the group was sure the entire town was staring at them.

“Let it also be known that… Oleg, it is your turn to light the village lamps tonight.” A single, disembodied groan rose from the back of the crowd, oozing with disappointment. “That is all!”

[junker-town]

7 winners and 5 losers from Day 1 of the NFL Draft

Isaiah Simmons, Jeff Okudah, and Jedrick Wills Jr. heard their names during Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Things went great for the Dolphins, Tom Brady, and Ohio State. Not everyone was so lucky, though

The first round of the first-ever teleconferenced NFL Draft is over. Tragically, it was short on unmuted phone lines, random dog interruptions, and pick-disrupting technical difficulties. In fact, it was pretty much just a normal draft, only without Roger Goodell getting pummeled by 300-pound defensive tackles and their excessive hugs.

While the true results of this year’s opening day at the draft won’t be understood for more than a decade, the first 32 picks were able to earn knee-jerk reactions. The Dolphins got to see their rebuild take root with a QB-OT combination that will hopefully carry them into the future. Across the division, Bill Belichick played his cards so close to his vest he opted out of Thursday entirely.

The Packers got a new quarterback to play behind one they still owe more than $120 million. The Jaguars killed the trade leverage of one of their few remaining stars. The city of Columbus, Ohio, got to see a whole bunch of former residents make the leap to football’s biggest stage.

Who were Thursday night’s biggest winners and losers? We’ve got a few ideas, some of which won’t be completely proven wrong over the next five years.

Winner: Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa was the smart choice. Though it looked like the Dolphins may trade up for an offensive lineman or opt for Justin Herbert, those pre-draft rumors turned out to be a smokescreen. Miami has its franchise quarterback, and it’s the guy who lit up the SEC over three sometimes-healthy years.

The same guy who looks good in a suit, even in his family’s swank-ass living room:

Tua's suit pic.twitter.com/cJspF4DxGY

— SB Nation (@SBNation) April 24, 2020

The Dolphins were able to get their cornerstone tackle 13 picks later. Austin Jackson isn’t just a great pass blocker, he’s a tremendous human being who put off his dreams in order to save his sister’s life. He’s a raw talent, but he’s got the potential to be an All-Pro with the right development.

That wasn’t all! They turned the 26th pick — one acquired from the Texans in exchange for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills — into the 30th pick and a fourth-rounder through a deal with the Packers. That pick turned out to be speedster corner Noah Igbinoghene, who will team up with Byron Jones and Xavien Howard in one of the NFL’s most terrifying secondaries.

The Dolphins needed A LOT of talent to speed up their turnaround. They got three possible future stars and the chance to add more all in the course of a few hours Thursday.

Loser: Patriots fans

New England was set to make only its second draft pick inside the top 23 since 2012 after flopping out of the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. But instead of selecting a potential quarterback of the future, Bill Belichick decided to defer to Friday. He shipped the Patriots’ first-round pick to the Chargers for their 37th and 71st overall selections.

The move recharges the team’s Day 2 draft pool and gives the Patriots more low-cost ammunition to refill a roster that’s been picked apart in free agency. Per Adam Schefter, Belichick is confident the player he wanted at No. 23 will be available at No. 37, which would effectively give the club a free third-rounder.

That’s good! But if you’re a Pats fan who came into Thursday night waiting for some semblance of local sports news or a glimpse into the team’s future, well ... at least you got to see Belichick’s wicker collection:

Bill Belichick’s draft room, via ABC pic.twitter.com/Sw0FKOJqkS

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) April 24, 2020

Winner: Ohio State

Joe Burrow. Chase Young. Jeff Okudah. What do the top three picks in this year’s draft have in common? They all, at one point, played for Ohio State.

Consider for a second the Buckeyes’ 2017 roster. It not only had Burrow, Young, and Okudah, but also another first-round pick in this class, Damon Arnette, and several first-round picks from other years, including Nick Bosa, Dwayne Haskins, Billy Price, and Denzel Ward. And probable future first-round picks like Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis. And way more NFL players (Jerome Baker, Sam Hubbard, Terry McLaurin, etc) than that.

It’s no wonder OSU alums are already coming up with a new nickname for the program, when DBU no longer does it justice:

Nah we might as well just say NFL U ! I’m sayin that from now on Sunday Night Intros ! Lol https://t.co/fcqxFZM8OE

— Bradley Roby (@BradRoby_1) April 24, 2020

Round 1 ended up being a pretty good recruiting tool for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day:

If either one of my Kids decide to chose Football for their Career I’m definitely sending them to OHIO STATE!!!

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 24, 2020

Not that he needs much help these days.

Loser: Yannick Ngakoue

The Jaguars pass rusher is very publicly angling to get out of Jacksonville. While he was given the franchise tag by the team back in March, Ngakoue has taken to Twitter to express his desire for a trade. He’s even got into public spats with Jaguars executive Tony Khan about it.

Just trade me . I don’t need the speech

— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) April 20, 2020

However, the first round of the draft was nothing but bad news for Ngakoue. It showed there continues to be no worthwhile trade market for his services — something Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell confirmed later in the night — and the team added another pass rusher to the mix by picking K’Lavon Chaisson.

Ngakoue is backed into a corner now. He can follow the Le’Veon Bell path and sit out the entire 2020 season, but that’d cost him the $17.8 million he’d make from the franchise tag. The Jaguars could trade Ngakoue, but they certainly don’t have to either. With Chaisson and Josh Allen on the roster, Jacksonville can feel OK with whatever route it chooses.

Even though the Jaguars already had most of the leverage, picking Chaisson gave them just a little bit more. Ngakoue’s chances at getting out of Duval any time soon looker slimmer than ever.

Winner: Kliff Kingsbury

The Arizona Cardinals needed a little bit of help all over their defense. So they got a player who can do a little bit of everything. Isaiah Simmons was projected to go as high as the No. 3 pick, but his brief slide down the draft board paired him up with an innovative head coach who’ll be receptive to his freewheeling, play-almost-anywhere skills.

And we do mean play almost anywhere:

good god pic.twitter.com/tD1OkganXw

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) April 24, 2020

Even better news for Kingsbury is that he can scheme up plays for Simmons, all from the comfort of his Parasite home:

what does Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury look like he does for a living pic.twitter.com/ODEl8ic3dX

— SB Nation (@SBNation) April 24, 2020

Loser: The Panthers’ draft reasoning

Simmons, the Clemson linebacker/safety/corner/etc, was still on the board when the defense-needy Panthers made their selection at No. 7 overall. The fact they chose Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown over him wasn’t especially eye-opening on its own, considering what a talent Brown is.

Carolina’s reported reasoning behind the pick, however, was:

The Panthers liked Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons a lot at No. 7 and he was the best pure athlete on the board, but they felt he was a better fit for a veteran team because of his ability to play so many positions. So they went with Auburn DT Derrick Brown,... https://t.co/Wfu6yhMSgv

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) April 24, 2020

Ah. So Simmons was too athletic and versatile for the Panthers. Got it.

Winner: Tom Brady

Brady’s week started with the addition of a recently un-retired Rob Gronkowski. Then the Buccaneers reiterated their commitment to keeping their new QB happy by trading up one spot to pick up a tackle who could be the best blocker to emerge from this year’s rookie crop.

Tampa Bay gave up a fourth-round pick to move from No. 14 to No. 13 and select Iowa hoss Tristan Wirfs, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Wirfs was widely regarded as a top-10 pick this spring, but his slight fall made him too tempting for the Bucs to pass up. Now he’ll go from protecting Nate Stanley to keeping a six-time Super Bowl winner upright.

Loser: Aaron Rodgers

Coming into the 2020 draft, Rodgers was eager to point out how cool it would be for his Packers to add some receiving help in a draft loaded with wideout talent.

Aaron Rodgers on @PatMcAfeeShow: "We haven't picked a skill player in the first round in 15 years, so that would be kind of cool." Rodgers says whoever the pick is, he'll track down his phone number and welcome him to the team tonight — if the Packers don't trade out.

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) April 24, 2020

It looked like Green Bay was going to fulfill those expectations when it traded up to No. 26. Then the franchise selected ... Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Instead of getting a first-round wide receiver or tight end to lighten Davante Adams’ load, Rodgers got the player who the Packers will groom to be his successor.

We’re sure he’s fine with that.

Winner (mostly): Javon Kinlaw

Kinlaw has big shoes to fill. His landing spot at No. 14 was made possible by the Niners’ willingness to ship DeForest Buckner — another first-round pass-rushing interior lineman, who has 19.5 sacks in just the past two years — to the Colts.

But Kinlaw is also capable of becoming an All-Pro for the 49ers. He was a wrecking ball in the middle of the field for South Carolina and should start immediately in the NFL. The presence of pass rushers like Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford should limit the number of double teams he sees as a rookie.

On that note, here’s Kinlaw’s dad impersonating every QB who has to face the 49ers’ defensive line this coming season:

Javon Kinlaw's dad's reaction to his son getting drafted pic.twitter.com/f6amsidFbj

— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2020

Loser: The trade market

There was a lot of handwringing about the effect a fully virtual NFL Draft could have on teams’ ability to trade. The league even considered adding an extra time option if GMs were working on finalizing a trade. Maybe that’s why John Lynch of the 49ers had three phones at his draft day set up.

Teams worked ahead of time to make sure that they could get trades done.

More than ever, teams will try to work out trades before the NFL Draft begins just in case. To that point: The #Lions have been engaged with multiple teams on potentially trading out of the No. 3 spot, sources say. Things have heated up over the last 24 hours.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2020

So why was there just one trade in the first 20 picks and none in the top 10? There weren’t any technical difficulties that kept deals from happening. It seems like teams were content to patiently wait for the prospects they coveted to slide their way — which is fine, but kinda boring.

Winner: Mock drafts

Well, it wasn’t the most wronger year after all. Despite warnings that mock drafters were way off this year, they weren’t at all. It was actually one of the most accurate first rounds for mocks in a while.

Five of the first six selections were the most popular choice in mock drafts. The only exception was the Giants taking Andrew Thomas instead of a different offensive tackle. While there were a few relative surprises — like cornerback Damon Arnette to the Raiders with the 19th pick and linebacker Jordyn Brooks sneaking into the first round to the Seahawks at 27th overall — no pick came completely out of left field.

Even those two picks by the Raiders and Seahawks addressed needs that were expected to be priorities. It’s time to give the draft prognosticators a round of applause for their 2020 performance.

Winner: The Browns’ Super Bowl chances

There was little doubt the Browns would draft a tackle in the first round. It was just a matter of which one. Still, it was a little surprising they took Jedrick Wills, who’s only played right tackle, when they just signed Jack Conklin in free agency.

Wherever he lines up, though, Wills is ready to play right away, which is what Cleveland (and Baker Mayfield) needs most of all. And that has former Browns stalwart Joe Thomas pumped as hell:

@JWills73 @Browns #NFLDraft2020 #NFLDraft #Super Bowl https://t.co/EOhgAkO4pJ pic.twitter.com/FbJe1HELRe

— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) April 24, 2020

That’s it, we’re ready to believe this is the Browns’ year.

[vtruq]

Confidence Work In Progress Update

Prelude: My weekend has been backed with uni. I did not go surfing. I was with people but I had no activity besides sport that “boosted” my energy level (like surfing does). I felt lonely and two big projects that arose don´t really go forward because I do not yet know how exactly to tackle it. My mission in Lisbon is to stay balanced no matter what. I want to “master” this skill for now in a study environment. Given the situation with friends, Arik, and uni I am in a constant area of tension and I learn a lot about myself – which is nice. BUT I feel that with a rising stress level and lower level of social interaction, I have difficulties to do that. Especially if things are uncertain. This post is a way to write out patterns I recognized and that are related to confidence in one way or another...  

I rarely masturbate, if I do so I realised that I feel “moody” the next day if I am on my own and hence not 100% happy with my day. Don´t get me wrong I am fine with being by myself, but life is just more beautiful when people are around.

When I feel lonely, which is a feeling that has been an eternal companion in times where I am down, I am uncertain about myself and I use every instance I can think of to feel bad. By now I know this pattern and still, it happens from time to time. In these situations, it is even more important to take this feeling of “loneliness” as a red flag for myself. A red flag that forces me to go out and focus on life and the activities I love and that give me energy.

On that note, I need to distinguish between my feelings that are actually related to Arik and my thoughts resulting from a “moody vibe” and the fact that I am subconsciously trying to talk myself down.

I think from the general situation with her I can extrapolate to any other area in life as well. May it be uni, job, dating or friends: If things are complicated I want to be in the right mind to tackle these things and I want to journal about them first.  

I am better when I know what to do and how to do it. Take for example my current uni term. It is not the amount that stresses me out; I am quite good at structuring things. It is barriers that stand in my way of following things through. Technical difficulties, unknowns about new software and a lack of vision and practical ideas.Combine this feeling of “overwhelmingness” with my feelings of being lonely and you know how I feel since Friday.    

The more capacity uni/work takes up the more important it is for me to go out and experience something. Given the potential dip of feeling lonely + “overwhelmed” is the starting point of a downward spiral. The more I work the more I need the balance. The stronger is the tendency to engage in social interaction. May it be interactions that give a lot of energy or not I do it anyway because I want to do something. The more I also demand from Arik and the more I am unsatisfied when she does not give this to me. The more I hold it against people when I am excluded from activities/ when I am not involved in planning. The more I think vertically. The unhappier I am. And that is a game I don´t want to participate in. Getting out of this loop faster by realising my own patterns before “shit hits the fan” and preventing myself from this type of thinking is my core mission for the next weeks Other thoughts:

Because I know how I work and how good things can be, I search structure at the beginning of a project. Just to get an idea of the project ahead I could write about how sad it is that new things require more energy and that uni takes a lot of energy and time and hence there is no time for activities I want to investigate more in such as massage classes or music...

But in the end, it is an active decision and if I want those things bad enough, I will find the time to do them...     

If I feel stressed and I drink coffee, it intensifies this feeling. If I feel calm, it brings me in a focus mode and relaxes me. How paradox that the same drink can actuate such contrary feelings

The other day I was at a brunch and all the guys were just talking about girls, drinking and football. Stuff that interests the average 23-year-old dude... It was so good for me to be there because these meetings fortify me in my own way of doing and living. I realised pretty soon how strong the guys urge to make one´s mark in this somewhat “competitive” environment. Given the points mentioned until here, I just did not feel like that. At some point, I want to have a drink with them. But I realised pretty soon that in the group they were not my type of gang. So what did I do? I turned off my head, laughed at their stories and had a good time. And when I felt that the next story of “drinking and banging” would not give me anything anymore, I thanked the host for inviting me and left with a big smile on my face. Knowing that at this point I was not an asset to the party anymore, I accepted them the way they are and that I am different. Both are equally valuable.