#MAGICIANS' PURE LOVE IS THE GOAT

[the-himawari]

A3! Usui Masumi - Translation [SR] Bright Star of Blooming (1/2)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

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Sakuya: Tomorrow’s the screening party for “Magicians’ Pure Love”, right? That’s exciting, Masumi-kun!

Masumi: You’re not appearing though.

Chikage: Haha. I feel like we had a similar conversation before the last screening party.

Citron: I am looking forward to it too~. At tomorrow’s talk show, Masumi will have everyone exploding in laughter!

Masumi: That’s not going to happen.

Tsuzuru: But you did put some thought into the conversation topics, right?

Masumi: Not really.

Tsuzuru: Uh huh, not really… Well then, Itaru-san, Chikage-san. Have you two thought about it?

Itaru: A little. He's got a big storm coming tomorrow.

Chikage: I’m sure Masumi will do his best regardless.

Tsuzuru: Well, I can’t deny Masumi will make it work somehow. Just like last time…

*door opens*

Masumi: …! Director…

Izumi: Oh. Everyone from Spring troupe is here. Were you guys having a meeting about tomorrow?

Citron: That is right! But Tsuzuru is a little worried~.

Tsuzuru: Nah, I’m not that pressed about it. I just remember how I felt a bit nervous during the screening party for “Alice”.

Izumi: Right, that rings a bell. I’m sure this time will be fine though. Right, Masumi-kun?

Masumi: Yeah. I’m going to work hard tomorrow, so make sure you watch me.

Izumi: Fufu. I can’t wait to see your magic tricks. Tomorrow is sure to be jam-packed, so remember to head to bed early tonight.

Masumi: You got it.

Chikage: I look forward to working with you as well, Director-san.

Izumi: Thanks, same here. Alright, see you guys tomorrow!

Sakuya: Oh, Masumi-kun was planning to do magic tricks at his talk show tomorrow!

Citron: It will definitely be exciting if he does~!

Tsuzuru: Why didn't you tell us you decided to do magic tricks?

Masumi: You only asked me about the conversation topics.

Tsuzuru: *Sigh*, I walked into that one. Well, in any case, do your best tomorrow.

Masumi: I was going to even if you didn’t tell me to.

-pause-

Masumi: Like this, and then… Lead their gaze over here, and…

Chikage: Spot on. Well done. Now we just have to wait for Director-san to come over.

*door opens*

Izumi: The screening is almost finished. Is everyone ready?

Chikage: Speak of the devil.

Izumi: Huh? Me…?

Masumi: …Thank you for waiting. You're our very first guest of honour for today's magic show. First, please, keep your eye on this rose here.

Izumi: (Masumi-kun is plucking the petals off the red rose in his hand…)

Masumi: 3, 2, 1…

Izumi: Woah, it turned into a bouquet of white roses!

Masumi: Here you go. This bouquet is a present for you.

Izumi: Fufu, thank you. It looks like your magic rehearsal went perfectly. I’m sure the guests are going to love it.

Masumi: I’m glad if you say so…

Itaru: …I thought Masumi was cramming ‘til the last minute to practice his magic tricks, but he was actually preparing that?

Chikage: Indeed, he was. Moreover, that was a special new trick just for Director-san. It’s completely different from the one he’ll be performing in the talk show.

Itaru: Masumi will be Masumi, alright.

-pause-

Itaru: …Alrighty, please give a huge round of applause to Masumi and his wonderful magic show!

*applause*

Guest A: Incredible! So many cards were flying from his hands!

Guest B: Masumi-kun’s just like a pro magician!

Masumi: That magic trick just now wasn’t that hard.

Chikage: It might not have been that difficult, but I think that’s the result of all your efforts practicing it over and over again until you mastered it.

Itaru: I felt this back when we were doing “Magicians’ Pure Love”, but Masumi actually has mad skills when it comes to magic, huh?

Chikage: He picks it up fast since he’s good with his hands.

Masumi: …But there was one time I almost messed up my trick during the play.

Chikage: Ah, right. That happened. However, I doubt the audience members noticed. Masumi brushed over it well with his improvisation.

Masumi: You and Itaru backed me up too.

Itaru: It’s really rare for you to mess up during a show though.

Masumi: True. I don’t think I’ve made that many mistakes up to this point.

Chikage: That just goes to how show you put your utmost effort into that performance, wouldn't you say?

Masumi: …I guess so.

Chikage: That reminds me… back then, all of us in Spring troupe were discussing how we’d support Masumi so he could go all out.

Itaru: Riiight, we did talk about that.

Masumi: It’s not like I asked you to or anything.

Itaru: Haha. Aww, Masumi’s just too cute when he can’t be honest. Isn’t that right, everyone?

Audience: THE CUTEST!

Masumi: Stop talking…

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| next

[scarlet-cookie]

Got to LOTM Volume 3!!!!!! Yippee!!! Oh, man, the story just keeps getting better and better. Miss Ctrl+alt+delete really saved Klein’s ass back there in the Vol 2 end fight (RIP Old Kohler I liked him noooooooooooo why Cuttlefishhhh). Will halt the LOTM art every time I finish a volume thing for now. I wanna do a thing when I finish all the volumes and make a collage or something.

Vol 2 thoughts :

-man I want that quill burnt along with Zangwill

-AZIK OUR GOAT, OUR TEACHER, OUR SAVIOR

-Emlyn is just living the life fr. Beyonder powers since birth, cool (and alive) family, lawful, honest jobs, hobby that doesn’t hurt anyone. Dude is just chilling and doing his own thing here.

-Xio : works to death, risks her life multiple times due to the Fool

Klein : mhm.

Fors : ow curse oh no losing control

Klein : yea you’re in

Klein I have no issues against that but- please don’t forget our girl Xio… (I love Xio. She’s just kicking ass and living with pride right now.)

-Why is Trissy suddenly pathetic…..

-There was a period of time that I got so paranoid of Brody that I ended up googling if Brody was some secret enemy. Glad to know he’s just a cat. Glad to know we can still enjoy cat doing cat things here without freaking out if it’s some secretly horrific entity.

-Klein agrees to help catch an affair and gets tangled in ten other matters at once. Purely through. Coincidence. Sure. Sure sure. Yeah. Haha. Coincidence. Right..

Vol 3 thoughts so far :

-Danitz is hilairous. I absolutely adore his character and his chaotic energy when combined with Gehrmann. It’s a weird variant of stupid and smart except it’s stupid by circumstance and smart outside, panicking inside. Anyways it’s a great combo of flavors.

-I love, love the Gehrmann Sparrow persona and Klein’s occasional contradictory thoughts and internal panic. That said, the latter makes me sad reading them sometimes. Like he’s just. On high alert. Dude is like “o yea this is nothing I’ve seen/heard/encountered worse :D” like it’s a good thing… the only way it’s a good thing is that if you’re Klein and Klein specifically.

-on that note, WHY CAN’T KLEIN JUST GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP COME ON

-“this is madness” I felt something there and it’s a bad feeling

-Klein’s list of jobs so far : secret police, detective, cult leader, professional schemer, dropshipper, seer, clown, magician, Batman, assassin, food enthusiast, adventurer, bounty hunter, and also, babysitter

-Klein’s list of crimes grows in adjacent to his list of occupations

-Forget horrifying entities, The Fool’s real weakness is food and money

[thelesbstrosity]

MY GOOD OMENS 2 LIVE REACTIONS FOR EVERY EPISODE

So ofc spoilers

Good Omens 2

Episode 1:

- THEY KNEW EACH OTHER AS ANGELS

- Crowley is so proud of his universe and nebulas

- STILL NOT GETTING HIS PRE-FALL NAME

- the reverse wing cover in comparison to season 1

- maggie is a gay disaster

- gabriel walking naked through town to the bookshop had me cry laughing

- crowley living in his car? the plants in the back seat

- myself vs ourselves 😩

- the husbands™️ are fighting 😭

- FORCED PROXIMITY LESBIANS?!

- DISABLED ANGEL I LOVE IT

- the apology dance

- them treating Gabriel like a pet you’re hiding from your parents

Episode 2

- HIS CHILDREN?!

- MORE MURIEL

- Gabriel’s hair in the past 😂

- Heaven takes part in the bystander effect fr fr

- Crowley sleeping in his Bentley

- A JUKEBOX THAT BUDDY HOLLY’S RECORDS LIKE THE BENTLEY

- Greetings “I’m Jim”

- THE FLY

- Plan “Get the lesbians together”

- STANDING IN THE RAIN LIKE IN SEASON 1, EPISODE 1

- A CLUE

- my head can’t hold all that

- “Bildad the shuhite” “sure”

- “i know you” “You don’t know me”

- HE COULDNT KILL THE GOATS

- Ennon’s a little fruity

- “I’m a demon. I lied”

- “He has a permit”

- CROWLEY IS WHY HE LIKES HUMAN FOOD

- THE LET ME TEMPT YOU vs “ARE YOU TRYING TO TEMPT ME”

- shoemaking and obstetrics

- “our car/ our bookshop”

- GOOD OMENS THE BOOK IN GOOD OMENS

- “I’m a demon. I lied” pt 2 😭😭

Episode 3:

- Jim’s mug”

- MURIEL POLICE OUTFIT

- I love her 🫶🏻😭

- HIM BRINGING HIS PLANTS INTO THE BOOKSHOP

- “For like 200 years”

- LAZURI MIRACLE SCALE FOR LAZURUS

- AZIRAPHALE DRIVING

- HIM WRITING ABOUT CROWLEY IN HIS DIARY

- David getting to be really Scottish but like pretending to be bad at it

- Crowley can feel his Bentley

- ITS YELLOW

- them fighting over the car/ Book selling threat

- gravity

- he gets drunk on poison skshsksj

- HE TURNED SMALL

- KAIJU CROWLEY

- “stunning view”

- crowley tossing books

- “we probably don’t have what you’re looking for and we wouldn’t sell it to you if we did”

- AND GRINDR

- “you have no idea”

- ARMAGEDDON 2???

- Shax must be invited in

- SHAX HAS HIS OLD APARTMENT

Episode 4

- FLASHBACK TO THE WW2 SCENE

- OMG LADIES OF CAMELOT FROM THE OPENING CREDITS

- THEY’RE BACK 😂 AND IN HELL

- “I’m fu -*piano*”

- MAGICIAN AZIRAPHALE AGAIN

- ZOMBIES

- SPIDER PUNISHMENT 😳

- that’s what…friends…do

- “Wow me with your miracles”

- the way crowley supports his little magic act

- AZIRAPHALE OWNS A GUN

- “someone you can really trust” *immediately looks to crowley*

- Same legion 😂

- HE SLIGHT OF HANDED HIM

- “you said trust me” “and you did”

- Crowley’s pet

- THE CAR FOLLOWS AZIRA

Episode 5

- Good omens is Anti-HOA

- THE FEZ

- okay shax we see your war fit

- the french

- HE DIDNT TELL HIM ABOUT SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH AND DIE ALREADY

- Muriel is so pure i love her istg

- you’re weird

- JIM’S SUIT

- THE DEMON LEGION IN MASKS

- a seamstress

- the dancing

- ELEVATOR TO HEAVEN AND HELL

- THE ANGLE

- ALSO NOT THE BOOKSHOP

- THE COAT

- him lining them up with the buddy system

- nina and maggie staying

- RESCUING ME MAKES HIM SO HAPPY

- Arrest me

- ah shit here we go

Episode 6

- Badass Azira has entered the chat

- Crowley’s fit change and little run

- MAGGIE NO

- Shax really said “leave and i’ll smite you”

- A THRONE OR A DOMINION OR ABOVE

- They never change their passwords

- HE WAS IN THE HIGHEST RANKS?!

- gabriel was on trial

- THE CANDLES! THE EXTINGUISHERS! HE HAS TRAUMA FROM THE FIRE

- EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANGEL

- HE WAS REMOVED FROM OFFICE

- FOR ONE PRINCE OF HEAVEN TO BE CAST OUT…THATS DEFINITELY HIM SAYING CROWLEY WAS AN ARCHANGEL HOLY FUCK

- That’s why he showed up naked..holy shit

- OMG HIS HALO

- “I MAY HAVE JUST STARTED A WAR”

- the awkward elevator

- HIS MEMORIES

- MICHEAL AND BEELZEBUB CHATTING

- THEY LIKE EVERYDAY SO HE MADE SURE THE RECORD IS ALWAYS EVERYDAY 😩

- THEY GAVE HIM A FLY

- NEIL DELIVERED THE SHIP

- “No one’s ever given me anything before” 😭😭

- “You. Thank you”

- “I FOUND SOMETHING THAT MEANT MORE TO ME THAN CHOOSING SIDES”

- THEY SANG TOGETHER SKSJSK

- METATRON THE VOICE OF GOD

- Crowley putting the bookshop back together

- Nina saying she’d hope Maggie will be there when she’s ready

- “YOURE NOT HELPING, ANGEL” Nina pls the parallel

- “Nothing lasts forever” 😭😭😭😭

- him crying as he puts on his glasses

- “NO NIGHTINGALES “

- “WE COULD’VE BEEN US”

- THE KISS

- “I forgive you” “don’t bother”

- Muriel getting the bookshop

- THE SECOND COMING

- NOT “A NIGHTINGALE IN BERKLEY SQUARE”

- they’re both so clearly unhappy and heartbroken

[pushovermediacritic]

Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 Review

Hunchback 1 is my favorite Disney Musical, but I never watched Hunchback 2, so I decided to share my thoughts on the direct-to-video sequel that no-one ever talks about.

The MacGuffin of this movie is a huge bell with gems encrusted on the inside. You'd think the ringer would BREAK THE GEMS, but I guess not.

Oh GOD, the animation is so much worse! The characters all look like their stunt doubles! Also, ew, there's a "funhouse mirror" gem in the bell that reflects Quasimodo without his deformities, and he looks cursed and I hate it. Man, the movie looks so bad at points, it's actually corrupting my memory of the first one.

Zephyr, the son of Esmeralda and Phoebus, does not look like Esmeralda at all and he is so annoying.

Sarousch is the villain of this movie, and the plot is an extremely cliche "guy wants to steal something, so he has his female assistant seduce the main character close to the thing he wants to steal, but the main character is so charming that he wins her over" story I've seen in a billion other things. Honestly, Stuart Little 2 did it better (and wow, this and that both came out in 2002, bad year for originality).

Sarousch's relationship with Madellaine is just a copy of Frollo's relationship with Quasimodo, they both adopted the other off the street and have convinced them that they wouldn't make it in the world without them. Which rings more hollow because Madellaine is a pretty woman without any of Quasimodo's disabilities. Sarousch is just a generic narcissist magician thief, he really sucks compared to Frollo, and the climax of the movie is the most anti-climactic thing I've ever seen.

Honestly, though, props to the movie for having Madellaine take one look at Quasimodo and nope out of there because he's so hideous. She's not some pure innocent mislead saint, instantly able to see through imperfections. Shame that Madellaine is in a story with such bad writing, because her voice actress is really giving it her all.

So, the movie confirms that the Gargoyles being alive is magic. No-one else but Quasimodo, Madellaine, and the goat can see them move, but Madellaine can see and hear them.

Festival De L'Amour sucks, Ordinary Miracle sucks, I'd Stick With You sucks, Falalala Fallen in Love sucks. There isn't a single good song in this film.

Why does Phoebus have to apologize at the end? He didn't say or do anything wrong. He was completely right to suspect and then accuse the circus workers of stealing stuff, because they were stealing stuff. It was entirely Esmeralda who connected his suspicions to gypsies and made it sound like he was being bigoted, she's the one who twisted his words.

Speaking of Esmeralda, she is USELESS in this movie. She gives some advice to Quasimodo, judges Phoebus for distrusting people who turn out to be distrustful, and hangs on Phoebus' arm any time she's not judging him. Her independence as a character is GONE.

There are some interesting lines from Sarousch when he's first talking to Madellaine, lines like "a girl like you could never make it out there", similar to what Frollo would say about Quasimodo's physical disability. I guess what those lines were supposed to be alluding to is that Madellaine was a thief when she was 6 (which is a really stupid thing to be ashamed of).

But what I thought when listening to those lines is that Madellaine was going to have some sort of mental or intellectual disability, to mirror Quasimodo's physical disability.

I think I'll adopt that headcanon, since it instantly makes the movie a lot better, especially the montage where Quasimodo is showing her around Paris and how to experience it with other senses than sight. If Madellaine has Autism or something like that, that scene goes from a ham-fisted "ugly things are pretty on the inside" metaphor (just like that stupid bell) to something a lot more beautiful.

[alina-catness]

I sometimes wonder why Crowley was so very scared of shooting Aziraphale. Even though their miracles didn't work, it would never have killed him, only disembodied. He just could have shoot with good hopes or refuse to do it. So why was he so anxious?

I have several theories about his resons.

1. Why didn't he just shoot carelessly?

We all know Crowley has a kind heart, even though he reuses zu show it. I think he couldn't take watching his best friend (aka his body) die. Humanity doesn't know for sure where souls go after ones death (or if they exist in the first place) and we cry over the loss of a beloved one. I strongly believe that Crowley feels this kind of pain too, even if he does know where Aziraphale would go. He would never accept his best friend being hurt, even in this only formal matter. And more importantly, he doesn't want to be the reason behind it. Remember, the demon didn't even bear to kill goats.

2. Why didn't he refuse to shoot?

First of all, it's so pure to look back at his behavior before and after them realizing that miracles were blocked. Crowley barely skimmed the pages of the instruction but behind the curtains on stage he panicked and read it all again carefully. He didn't refuse to shoot because everyone would have made fun of Aziraphale for being a bad magician. He knows how much the angel loves magic tricks so he wanted to help him make it perfect, even though he complains about it. (David Tennant confirmed in an interview that Crowley loves for Aziraphale to make plans so he can complain but enjoy it in the end.) Also, when Aziraphale looked at him so determined, I think Crowley didn't even recall that there's the possibility to refuse.

[soulsanitarium]

HISTORICAL MOVIES ABOUT WITCH PROCESSES

🇩🇰/🇳🇴🇨🇿🇫🇮🇺🇸🇪🇸🇮🇸🇫🇷🇵🇱 From the best known to the least known.

The Crucible (1996) - based on the play of Arthur Miller. Miller likened the situation with the House Un-American Activities Committee to the witch hunt in Salem in 1692 (the love story is purely fiction). Other American films & series that are based more or less in to Salem trials are: The Maid of Salem (1937) & Salem Witch Trials (2002) with Kirstie Alley, Shirley MacLaine, Alan Bates, Rebecca De Mornay.

Witchfinder General - see my previous post.

🇬🇧The Devils (1971) based on the book of Aldous Huxley, loosely based on the historical events in France. The Loudun possessions, known in French as the Possessed of Loudun Affair (Affaire des possédées de Loudun), was a notorious witchcraft trial that took place in Loudun, Kingdom of France, in 1634. A convent of Ursuline nuns said they had been visited and possessed by demons. Following an investigation by the Catholic Church, a local priest named Urbain Grandier was accused of summoning the evil spirits. Polish 🇵🇱Matka Joanna od Aniołów, also known as The Devil and the Nun (1961) is an art Film based on the same book.

Kladivo na čarodějnice (Witchhammer) Dir. Otakar Vávra (1969), adaptation of Kaplický's novel of the same name about the Northern Moravia trials. It is drawing from original historical documents.

🧹This film is very provocative, but it also offers a bit of a view of the layers of society and political motives. Indeed, the film is considered an allegory for the Stalin’s political show trials. What was quite exceptional in this historical case was that lawyer Jindřich František Boblig z Edelstadtu sought mainly the Conviction of local wealthy burghers.💰

🇩🇪Mark of the Devil (1970) - only the location is real. Schloss Moosham (moosham castle) is in Salzburg , Austria 🇦🇹 The Zaubererjackl trials or Salzburg witch trials, also known in history as the Magician Jackls process, which took place in the city of Salzburg in 1675–1690, was one of the largest and most famous witch trials in Austria but the movie has nothing to do with this it is basically torture porn.

🇩🇰Vredens Dag (1943) - Day of Wrath is a 1943 Danish drama film directed by C.T.Dreyer. It is an adaptation of the 1909 Norwegian play AnnePedersdotter by Hans Wiers-Jenssen, based on a 16th century Norwegian witchtrial case. It might reflect also the Nazi occupation in Denmark.

The Basque word AKELARRE means 'the field of the he-goat' as well as 'witches sabbath'. 🎥Akelarre (2020) centers on the relationship between a judge called Rostegui and a group of teens suspected of witchcraft. In an attempt to evade execution, the six teenage girls decide to tell the judge what he wants to hear. Their leader, Ana, realizes that the judge is desperate to prove the reality of the sabbath.

Pierre de Rosteguy de Lancre or Pierre de l'Ancre (1553–1631), was the (56 yo) French judge of Bordeaux who conducted the massive Pays de Labourd witch-hunt in 1609. In 1582 he was named judge in Bordeaux, and in 1608 King Henry IV commanded him to put an end to the practice of witchcraft. However before that 2 noblemen from Labourd asked help from the King.👑

Total of suspects in the area was 5000 but there are no clear records how many was killed in local trials. In famous Logroño trials 6 people were burned alive, 4 women & 2 men, 13 died in prison.🔥 five burned in effigy. (and many toads 🐸 were hanged too)

Finnish film Tulen morsian (2016) Devil’s Bride, is partly based on research but the plot (love story) is fiction. Influenced by the Feminist-movement.

Did you know that before the famous Swedish witch trials ( in Dalarna - Mora) they started from Finland? 🔥In the 17th century Finland was part of Sweden 🇸🇪🇫🇮and at that time (in 1655) man called Nils Psilander was appointed to be an Åland island 🇦🇽district judge.⚖️ District judge Psilander was the man behind the only linked trials in Finland (a snowball effect that led to multiple death sentences). Demonological ideas such as the demonic pact, the sabbat, and the Devil’s mark come to the fore. Psilander’s university studies in Tartu, with its German teachers, help to explain his knowledge of these ideas. 😈 7 women (+1) were beheaded and burned in these trials.

🇮🇸 Myrkrahöfðinginn (1999) Dir.Gunnlaugsson

⛪️This witchtrial film is loosely based on the historical events in Iceland. The trial & the burning in Easter week 1656 in Skutulsfjörður, Ísafjarðarsýsla, of the two Jón Jónssons, father and son, from Kirkjuból for witchcraft against their parish priest Jón Magnússon. (Ellison 1994-97)

[theotherhufflepuff]

Simon Snow Trilogy Tarot Cards...

Ok so, a little while ago I saw this frankly stunning artwork by @vkelleyart and I started thinking about the Major Arcana archetypes and how characters from my favourite book series could fit into them.

So I made this list. It took a lot of thought and I’m still not 100% sure on some of them but I have explained my thought process for each card.

I don’t know how much crossover there is in the Venn diagram of “Simon Snow fans” and “tarot readers” but I’d love to hear your opinions and/or alternative suggestions (be respectful though, obviously). I’ve left “visual prompts” for most of the cards explaining what they looked like in my imagination and if anyone wants to draw any of these (or their own alternative version!) please tag me; it would make my day! I can’t draw for toffee so I am 1000% never gonna try to illustrate any of them myself.

List under the cut because it is loooong.

Spoilers ahead for the whole series!

0 The Fool - Shepard - Shepard just follows magickal creatures around and says “yes” to everything... he is the pure embodiment of the Fool archetype to me; care-free, innocent... prepared for everything and yet totally clueless. Visual prompt: Shepard about to (attempt to) step into the fog as he follows a fairy into the forest.

1 The Magician - Penelope - “Penelope Bunce is a fierce magician, I don’t mind saying” Baz, at least once in each book. Penny never worries about not having the power or words available to do whatever she wants; she is comfortable in her power and it is always there, ready to be wielded however she sees fit. Visual prompt: Penny wearing her Stevie Nicks cape, standing by a chalkboard in the classic “Magician” pose, ring clearly held aloft.

2 The High Priestess - Dr Mitali Bunce - Dr Bunce is possibly a more formidable magician than her daughter. Highly intelligent, straightforward and, let’s be honest, judgemental. But she does have all the answers. Visual prompt: Dr Bunce carrying around her laptop, phone sandwiched between her ear and her shoulder.

3 The Empress - Lucy Salisbury - Lucy exudes the nurturing, Earth Mother vibes that are central to the Empress archetype. She saw the best in everyone and all she wanted was to love Davy and live with him in their cottage with her chickens and their child. Visual prompt: Lucy, barefoot and pregnant, feeding the chickens outside of their cottage.

4 The Emperor - Lamb - This is one of the ones I’m not totally sure about. I went through a few different ideas but ultimately settled on Lamb as the “Vampire King of Las Vegas”. He is an imposing figure, ruling his city with an iron fist; if you are in his favour, Vegas is your playground, but cross him and you will suffer the consequences. Visual prompt: Lamb sits on an antique chair in his opulent suite at the Katherine, the lights of night time Vegas visible through the window behind him.

5 The Hierophant - The Mage - Again, this one took some thought and I’m sure some people will disagree with this interpretation... I’m not completely sold on it myself. The Mage was all about reforming the old traditions of the World of Mages and he amassed a following by doing so. But he turned out to be somewhat of a false prophet; abusing his power to oppress those he deemed “the enemy”. Visual prompt: The Mage in his Robin Hood costume, sitting at his desk at the top of the Weeping Tower, surrounded by his piles of banned books.

6 The Lovers - Simon and Baz - Obviously. As stated at the top of this post, I love @vkelleyart’s version of this card, but there are a lot of scenes across the series that could be used to illustrate this archetype. I personally always love to see the original “and then he kisses me” scene.

7 The Chariot - Fiona Pitch - I struggled with this one a bit and I don’t really think that this is the ideal version. But the image of Fiona, rolling up to Blackfriars bridge in her vintage sports car to rescue Baz from the Numpties really stuck with me so that’s what I went with, for lack of a better idea.

8 Strength - Ebb - Ebb is often dismissed and underestimated by other magicians but she is wicked powerful. But more than that, the Strength card is about inner strength, self control and the wisdom to know when to fight, and when to rest. Ebb is highly intuitive about the people - and goats - around her and is always careful not to talk about her twin brother, only conceding that she knows of his presence once a year and never giving in to the temptation to talk directly to him. Ebb saw the war coming and knew that she could probably end it all by herself with the power she had; but she also knew that she didn’t want that and she had the strength to say no, to eschew the expectations the rest of the World of Mages placed upon her and live quietly, instead. Visual prompt: Ebb in the hills behind the school with the goats, she wears a flower crown that the Dryad made her.

9 The Hermit - Agatha - the Hermit eschews the outside world in order to take an inner journey of self discovery, knowing that this is the only way to find real answers and achieve real growth. Agatha, jaded by the World of Mages, took herself off to California, leaving her wand at home. She didn’t know what she wanted but she knew it wasn’t magic. Visual prompt: Agatha sits on the beach at twilight by a small campfire, Lucy the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel by her side.

10 The Wheel of Fortune - The Crucible - The Crucible’s decisions, like the Wheel’s, are unpredictable and inevitable. Once it’s happened, you’re stuck with the consequences - sometimes bad (being stuck with a toff vampire who hates you) and sometimes good (getting the best room in Mummers house).

11 Justice - Natasha Grimm-Pitch - Natasha needed justice to find peace; her whole story is about justice. She was swift to act when the vampires attacked Watford, dispatching them without hesitation. When she came through the veil to find Baz and ask him to bring her murderer to justice, she knew that would also provide some closure for him, too, both for her death, and for his. Visual prompt: Natasha Grimm-Pitch appearing from beyond the veil, looking for Baz and finding Simon.

12 The Hanged One - Nicodemus - The Hanged One is about feeling stuck, but also about finding peace where you are when there’s nothing you can do about it. Nicodemus chose to cross over for eternal life, but he was stricken from the book; his (considerable) magic effectively taken from him and his fangs removed. He was stuck in between - not a full vampire, not a magician; he exists on the fringes of both communities. He got himself there and then he had to figure out how to get by, carve out a place for himself in order to survive. Visual prompt: Nicodemus sits in the tree in the garden of his mother’s house in South London, waiting for Ebb to come and sit on the empty bench beneath him.

13 Death - [scene on the Great Lawn] - Ok, so.. this might need some explaining. My immediate thought for this card was that it should be the Humdrum but Death is all about clearing out the old junk in your life that doesn’t serve you in order to make space for the new. And the Humdrum isn’t making space for anything. So I was thinking about times that has happened in the story and I thought about how the death of the Mage made room for real progress and an end to the war with the old families. Visual prompt: Penny and Baz (literally) run into a fleeing Agatha on the Great Lawn; the Weeping Tower looms in the background, the Mage and Simon visible through the blown-out stained glass windows.

14 Temperance - Simon and the Humdrum - Temperance is, as you might expect, about balance and harmony. Simon used so much magic at once that he couldn’t control it and it tore holes in the magickal atmosphere. Simon had to fill the Simon-shaped hole to restore equalibrium and stop the magickal firmament from collapsing altogether. Visual prompt: Simon kneeling in the Weeping Tower, pouring his magic into the Humdrum as he fades away.

15 The Devil - Smith Smith-Richards - The Devil is about feeling trapped by temptations in your life, often because we’re afraid of what we would do with the freedom we’d have if we let them go. Which got me thinking about Smith-Richards (that name never gets any less ridiculous) and all the magicians who were taken in by the temptation of “fixing” their magic. But it was a false promise and those magicians who narrowly escaped taking Smith-Richards’ spell were all freed from the idea of their magic being “broken” in the first place. Visual prompt: Smith-Richards (looking like the guy who would be cast to play Simon in the Netflix series) standing on a stage in the packed-out White Chapel, rapt audience hanging on his every word.

16 The Tower - The Humdrum - Originally I wanted to use the Weeping Tower for this card because the imagery is on point but the meaning doesn’t match. The Tower is about absolute destruction, the crumbling of something you thought core to your being. The Humdrum steals magic and renders magicians homeless because of it. The Tower is about having to start again from the ground up - just as the Grimms did when all the magic was drained from Hampshire. Visual prompt: The Humdrum, wearing Simon’s face, stands in the grounds of Pitch Manor, laughing. (I have always thought of the holes looking like a burn in a piece of paper - sort of glowing and smouldering at the edges as it eats away the atmosphere. I know the holes can’t actually be seen - the Normals would freak out - but that is imagery I would use here)

17 The Star - Lady Ruth’s candles - The Star is about hope and healing after the devastation of the Tower. Lady Ruth’s candles were a symbol of hope that kept her going when she thought she had lost her children. They provided comfort and, at the end when it became clear the Lucy was gone, the healing of knowing that her child had finally found his way home to his family. Visual prompt: Lady Ruth’s candles in front of a window, a bright star can be seen through the window.

18 The Moon - Agatha and Simon - So, the Moon is all about examining blurred lines between illusion and reality - nothing looks totally clear in the moonlight. It reminded me of how Simon never really seemed to have a clear view of his feelings for Agatha and what their relationship was. When he properly examined his feelings, he found that he didn’t love Agatha and was going through the motions because he thought it was what other people expected of him. Agatha was doing the same. It also brought to mind Simon, going out of his mind worrying about Baz when he was missing - as well as basically every other thought Simon ever has about Baz before Christmas Eve 2015 - and somehow mistaking it for hating him?? Simon is not stupid but sometimes he’s real dumb. Visual prompt: Agatha and Simon meet on the ramparts, both looking for Baz, and break up.

19 The Sun - Simon - This card is all about innocence, optimism and joy. Nothing about this series personifies this more than Simon flying above Shepard’s truck in America, feeling free and hopeful about the future for the first time in over a year. Visual prompt: Shepard’s truck drives through the vast empty desert, the sun beating down. Simon flies above the truck, joy on his face.

20 Judgement - Niamh and Agatha - Ok, this one was hard to figure out and this is maybe not the right solution, but I was very stuck. Judgement is about self improvement through self reflection. As a small twist on that theme; Niamh and Agatha challenge each other’s view of themselves and their interactions with the world around them. Visual prompt: Agatha and Niamh, sweating to death in Niamh’s “shitty Ford Fiesta” (I’m very salty about that line; my Ford Fiesta is lovely and it has aircon). Niamh is frowning, obviously.

21 The World - Simon, Baz, Penny and Shepard - The World is about completeness, the ending of a story, fulfilment and belonging. At the end of AWTWB, Simon has finally found his biological family, he is starting to accept that his boyfriend and his found family love him for who he is, magic or no, and he can finally start to imagine a future for himself. Baz has learned new information about his vampirism, Penny has found new confidence and Shepard is finally fully accepted into the group. Visual prompt: Baz, Penny and Shepard sit on Simon’s sofa (possibly still pink from Baz’s spell, possibly he spelled it navy blue again) Simon sits on the floor. They’re all eating leftover sandwiches and cake from Lady Ruth’s.

[wilddarkchocolate]

Shadows in Paradise

Spoilers for Asra's reversed ending and just general spoilers for the arcana and his lore

Prompt:Asra and MC has forgotten but the ghost has not.

The "they" refers to a gender neutral mc

"Asra, I think there's someone here" they called out to Asra. They haven't had anyone come by before, it was always Faust and Asra and them yet there was a figure standing in the far distant. They were wary and rather confused. But then again nothing here could hurt them. So they were safe. Right?

Asra hummed and came out of their little home to see. His eyes widen at the figure. Their figure was distorted yet they had some distinctive features that made Asra shudder.

Their eyes were red and their skin a ghostly white. Too white. They walked over calmly yet each step seem to make Asra's gate quake underneath it.

"Stand back" Asra said to his lover urgently yet something about this stranger was familiar. Their aura albeit twisted by something seemed so familiar, so nostalgic, so frightening.

The creature came into view and spoke in his lover's tone "Did you really forget already? The renowned Magician already forgetting his roots? Let me put you in your place shall I?" Their tone was sweet. Sickeningly sweet and the face was his love's but no. No something was not right. Before Asra could even react his whole world was plunged into darkness. He couldn't feel Faust wrapped around him and he couldn't feel himself holding his lover's hand just seconds ago.

He was overwhelmed by grief and sorrow and so so much regret. Kneeling in the ash covered sand as he looked in utter horror at the pieces of bone and ash. The faint aura of his love still there but barely. They were dead. His love was dead and it was all his fault. His scream died in his throat as his tears mixed with the sand.

"Wait how did I get here?" His thoughts were cut off by an insistent voice in his head. Maybe it was his intuition or if it wasn't he couldn't tell. "Look. Look. Look. Remember"

"Remember what?"

Darkness seized him and he was back at a familiar looking home. The smell of tea in the air as he waited by the door. Siting down and waiting, waiting, waiting. He was hungry by the time it was night. His parents had yet to return so he decided to make his own food. Making a sandwich and tea before going back to waiting. He waited a few days before realising his parents weren't returning. He was confused and lost at first before the food ran out. Once he did he packed up everything important and left. He couldn't believe it, his parents were missing , leaving their only child to fend for himself. He desperately hoped it was a dream. That he would wake up. "Wake up" that voice nagged again

The next time when he came to it seemed easier. To observe and experience what was going on. He was by the docks. There was a child not much older than him in his little sanctuary where he kept stuff from his home. It was past midnight but they could not sleep at any costs. Their stuff had been stolen the other night and they had lost some food. It wasn't safe. They were not safe, they had no home. Asra felt tears well up but wiped them away before Muriel.......Muriel..... "How did your forget him?" That voiced asked and before he could respond it was gone again

"Do we have a deal?" The demonic goat with the wide evil grin asked. Asra shook his outstretched hand and nodded "Yes. Whatever it takes to bring them back" and then the pain started. Bright white shooting pain that bloomed in his chest and knocked the breath out of him. If he wasn't holding onto the devil's hand he would be falling to his knees. A scream was ripped from him as the deal was sealed. There was something glowing in the Devil's chains and he knew what it was. Part of his soul. Asra panted, his vision swimming but the Devil was pleased. "Pleasure doing business with you, Asra. They will be returned to you" he said simply and something warm was handed to him. A warm and familiar presence in his palm. He felt the familiar feeling washed over him, welcome it as tears well up in his eyes. He was finally reunited, reunited with his love.

Darkness and then warmth once again. A warm hug he shared with three people. One was his love and the other two.......His parents. He was sharing a hug with his parents and his love. There were tears again, but good ones. Emotional ones. He was happy to be reunited. With......Salim and Aisha.

He sitting on a lush bed, braiding a woman's hair back into two lines. The woman with pink and blue hair huffed as she ranted on and on about her family. And there was a pale man on his side. The man laid on his back with red hair in his eye. Making a joke that Asra rolled his eyes at. He gave a snarky comment in return to Ilya. And the woman is Nadia, Countess of Vesuvia. And they were in a sleepover at her room.

He was arguing. "Leave. Leave with me. Please it's not safe" he pleaded but the person. His true lover, the one who he had forgotten. They didn't budge. "I need to stay,Asra. I need to help the people here overcome the plague. Vesuvia is my home. Running isn't an option" they said softly and looked to him. "I'm not coming with you" they turned away from him and he said "Suit yourself then. Just don't regret it" then he left. He left and didn't turn back. Didn't come back until it was too late. He lost them.

He was by a stream. Focusing hard on his magic in front of someone much older and wiser. His teacher. His mentor. The magician. The fox smiled at Asra as he managed to make the water into the vague shape of the said Arcana. "Water is a gateway to anywhere you want to go. As long as there's water you can travel in between and across" the magician said and he tilted his head "what does that mean?" The magician merely smiled knowingly.

The red dining room. The smell of the wine burning in his throat as he watched his lover get surrounded by the Valdemar, Vulgora and Vlastomil. "Get away from them!" Asra yelled but drank all the same. His limbs moved like he was a puppet as he passed the chalice. His lover taking the deal, leaving everyone behind. Leaving Vesuvia behind. The wrong choice. He could see now. His lover made the wrong choice.

Then the darkness faded and he was back at his....no not his. His oasis was filled with pools of water not sand. He looked up at the figure. "You...." His lover. The one he met nine years ago. They had a bitter expression but a hint of fondness behind it. And maybe relief as well. "Don't forget" they said simply and asked "who are you?" It was a test and Asra knew that.

"I am Asra Alnazar. Child of Aisha and Salim. They were taken from me when I was a child so I left home to live on the docks with Muriel. The Magician thought me magic. I met you nine years ago. You died three years ago to the plague but I brought you back at the cost of part of my soul....so how are you here?" He asked the figure who merely said "it's not relevant. Continue" Asra blinked and continued "I was reunited with my parents and we saved them from their own gate. My lover made a deal with the devil for us to be sent to my Oasis as long as they finished the ritual. I am a Magician, a friend of Muriel, Nadia and Julian. A child of Aisha and Salim. A lover to you and...the one I brought back to life" he looked them in the eye. "This is the real you isn't it? The one with your real memories." The pale ghost nodded. "I am nothing more but memories" they sighed before saying "the world is chaos. That's how I managed to come here. You and the one you brought back can change everything yet you stay here. Pretending everything is okay." They scoffed at him. Looking unimpressed and a tad disgusted "I thought you wouldn't succumb. Wouldn't fall for this. And yet you did. Because everything that matters to you is here, isn't it?" Taunting. They were taunting him but he smiled at them. "And it isn't. Not everything that matters is here" the figure gave him a nod. They turned away and Asra said before the figure vanished

"I miss you"

He swore he heard "me too" before the figure vanished and he awoke on the ground. Looking up at his lover and Faust's concerned face. "You fainted when that ghost appeared. You scared me so much, Asra. Are you okay?" They asked in concern but Asra's wide bright smile surprised them.

"I have never felt better" he got up and placed both hands on the ground. Focusing on his magic. The oasis refused. The water bubbling up was dark purple but he pushed and the pure blue water that he was so familiar came bubbling up to the surface. He pushed some more and watched as it surrounded his "home" it was a large vast sea. He stood up and took his lover's hand. "Let's go home" he said and leapt in. To the chaos waiting. To the ones that matter waiting.

How could he forget them?

I enjoyed writing this. I had it in the back of my mind ever since I learned about the reversed ending. What if MC's ghost brought Asra to his sense? I'm sure they are other ways Asra can become lucid but I also like to write angst. And reliving the worst moments of your life is probably the fastest wake up call you can get.

[madraleen]

Any Way The Wind Blows (Rainbow Rowell) – 4/5 stars. More arbitrary stars under the cut, and jot-it-down-as-it happens commentary.

5 stars for Simon, Baz, and SnowBaz. 5 stars for the Salisburys, would recommend for a long lost family. 4 stars for Penny and Shepard. 3 stars for friendship shenanigans. 2,5 stars for Agatha, my sweet summer child why. 2,5 stars for the non SnowBaz-related conflicts, because huh? 2,5 stars for plot, because how did we get here? ??? stars for pace.

Commentary

-Lady Ruth!! We have an uncle! Simon, let’s find Jamie! -Simon, for fuck’s sake, answer the man’s texts, he deserves that much. Break my heart with unanswered texts, why don’t you. -I know this must happen. I know they must separate and breathe. I know. But it hurts. -Where is Agatha? I need her and her not giving two shits about any of this, I’m overwhelmed. -I don’t want Baz to find Simon. Somehow, I think that’ll be worse. Leaving him with a note is the worst thing (well, second worst next to saying nothing, I guess). -Lmfao, never has art in a book scared me so. A wand? Is it Baz’s? Why is it bent? WhAT DOes It ALL MEaN! -SIMON. I love you so much, Simon, please, use your words, even if it’s to give him closure, a reason, something. It’s hard, but Baz deserves it and you deserve it, please, love. -This is exactly how I’d pictured Baz reacting to Simon breaking up with him. -“Use your words,” he sneers. (That’s right, that’s my boy). SIMON, you’ve just cut out my heart and stomped on it, ey. -I understand Simon, but I also stuttered out cries when he said it’s not working between them because he’s not a magician. Baz, I’m with you, I support you, I love you. -I love that Baz’s brain works sharply even as he is in distress. - I do believe they’re endgame, so I’m super excited to see HOW, after all this. -“I never thought I’d be the first thing you ever gave up on.” Bazzzz, my man, the shade, I love you! -I expected the breakup in the beginning so that we’d have time to build up to being a thing again, but oh man. I understand Simon looking at Baz and only seeing who HE isn’t and what HE lost, but oh man. -Agatha is the best, yes Agatha, bring us relief! -Oomph, I’m so sad. How do we fix this, Baz is completely broken and Simon completely lost and overwhelmed. -Is there an overarching plot? There’s so many things – the goblins, Fiona’s rummaging, the curse, missing Jamie, maybe NowNext. Who’s the main antagonist? -Honestly, I just want to read about fierce Agatha and splendid Shepard rn, everything else hurts. -Please remind me henceforth to refer to vampires as “sexy bedbugs.” Thank you, Baz, I’m with you, I love you. -I absolutely adore Baz’s relationship with Daphne and his siblings. I’ve loved it since the glimpses in Carry On. -I think Fiona is seeing Nicodemus, I’ve believed so even before picking up the book. -Simon Snow is on our door?!?! What’s happening, what is happening! I’m getting whiplash! I was not prepared, wait, help! -“This is our soundtrack now.” Omfg, I love Baz. -But damn, I love Simon, I love his voice. If it all goes well, I can’t wait to reread the book with the necessary peace of mind to soak it all in in its proper context. -Lmfao, Simon says, "I came to tell you something" and I am honestly scared to turn the page and see what it is. This is going splendidly. -Baz slams the door on Simon’s face?! I fucking gasped and clutched my peals!!! Oh M Y GOD. -“I never believed in us”??? I understand what he’s saying, but oh my God, why have you come, Simon, why are you here, this hurts! -The way they CRY differently, Baz more restrained and Simon just letting the tears fall and licking them as needed, I absolutely adore it. -Where is this going, Simon, we’re all crying, are you happy now? (I know you’re not, I’m sorry, I love you, this is just hard). -This part is really just me hitting the book and biting my hand and muttering, “We’re fine, we’re fine, we’re fine,” with the occasional cry of ���RAINBOWWWW.” -Simon is saying I love you Simon is saying I love you Simon is saying – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. I gasped. So hard. Deep breaths. We’re fine. It’s fine. -I love this “trying” so much. I love my boys so much. -My heart is whole, my crops are watered, flowers are blooming, birds are singing, Simon and Baz are sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. -Simon is relieved that he’s still with Baz, I’m relieved that he still has wings, all is right. -“I just want to be with you,” I say. “And this is where we are now. I’m a broken-down mess, and you’re a rat-drinking monster.” Poetry. POETRY! -Shepard, you’re all I

need, these people are too much for me. -Reading fanfiction of what. Reading fanfiction of what, Penny. -Oh shut up, Shepard saved her chalks. -We should go to the Mage’s estate. -I love Simon. He has this pureness. -“Simon took the napkin, then licked the butter off his arm.” Yes, Simon, I love you. -Catch me at 1am making love oaths to Simon. Really, I can’t blame Baz, it’s just a Simon thing. -Omfg hold me, we’re going to Lady Ruth’s! -Low-key loving that the Salisburys and the Pitches are on good terms already. Love that the boys are hitting it off with Lady Ruth. -Smith-Richards is promising people magic? Oh. Oh, this took a turn. I have zero idea where any of this is going. -Okay, hello, I love Lady Ruth. -Obviously I’m more invested in Baz and Simon than in anyone else, but every time there’s a Baz or Simon chapter, I’m actually petrified at what might come. -Smith is shady, I don’t like him. -Baz really be serving looks in this book. -“I would have liked to have had you for a friend here.” Oh my bb boy Simon, that is so soft. -Oh shut up, Baz left a rose for Lucy. -WILL there be an emergency? Will Baz drink Simon’s blood? Why are we dwelling? -Simon, talk to Penny, my love. I know we’re doing the thing where you’re both recovering from your co-dependency, but seriously, love, talk to her. -Come on, Shep, kiss the girl!! Oomph, they’re so cute. -Oooh, we’re doing the deep cut, we’re doing Philippa, we’re tying off threads, nice! Also ouch. But nice. -NICODEMUS, called it. -Yayyy, the gang is reuniting. But who are we fighting? Who’s the antagonist? Why are the goats leaving? -Baz has a key?! Whoa, Simon! -Well, fuck indeed about your magic, Simon, but did you try calling the sword? -"So no one is cursed…” “Just you, babe.”Ahahahahaha! Sorry. -Will a goblin attack the flat? What was up with the goblin back at the beginning? -“Mmm,” he mmms. POETRY! -I’m sorry, Simon, you have a key to a hidden waterfall?! Care to elaborate? -Baz, my love, let Simon take care of you for once, it’s okay. He wants to do it. He can do it. -“I love you,” he says. “It’s good.” Awww, my bb Simon. -What do you mean immune to magic? What’s happening? -Oh wait, he’s culling the less powerful mages? Is that it? -I see you lying, Simon Snow. -Wait, but why is Simon immune? Is it because he’s a dead spot? -It IS a culling. -…What, that’s it? We’re just arresting Smith on a rooftop? That’s it? -IS Simon a dead spot? And if he is, does that mean that the magic will return? What does it all mean??? -But how did Lucy die??? -“y” S I M O N you’re a texting icon, I love you. -Baz, my man, I’m with you as usual, I don’t want the wings and tail gone either. -I have ten pages left and I’m hysterically hopeful and scared, with the amount of threads that are still loose. -But... a family sword? -Kinda disappointed that Simon didn’t get his magic back, but it’s a bold move, I respect it. -Agatha gets the epilogue?? That’s a choice.

[the-working-class-guide-to-films]

Tenet-No Spoilers

I am a massive Christopher Nolan fan. I’m a fanboy, I’ll admit. Nolan, for me, is the goat. I don’t think there’s a director out there today that can create movies like he does, the way he does it. The mix of pure spectacle, blockbuster action using real effects, combined with interesting characters and personal, real stories is something that is rarely achieved in the film industry today. 

John David Washington is The Protagonist, who after a mission goes wrong is recruited by a secret organisation, Tenet, to prevent the end of the world. He learns that there is a technology in the future that allows objects to be reversed through time and that people are buying these and selling them on the black market. Objects such as inverted bullets that cause much more damage than regular ones.

There has been criticism of Tenet that it is too complicated and confusing. And yes, this is definitely the most complex Nolan film to date. The inverted/reverse time business is quite bizarre and takes a while to get your head round but towards the end it certainly becomes a little easier to understand. The plot itself however is more complicated. All Nolan films are complex and there are always clues throughout that you won’t notice on the first watch that you will on the second. But the plots aren’t as difficult to understand than Tenet. With Tenet, I think the second watch will be to understand what you didn’t from the first one, and then on the third viewing it will click. Maybe, maybe some people got it straightaway, maybe some people won’t get it on the third. I think the film, and this isn’t just a criticism of Tenet, but of most films, is that the dialogue at times was difficult to understand. It’s hard to get your head round this in the first place, never mind when you can’t make out what they are saying. During the more exposition scenes it was hard to make out what was going on, and Tenet needed these scenes to be clear in order for the viewers to maybe get a better understanding of the plot. My biggest criticism of Tenet however is that it lacks the human side of his films, especially in comparison to his other films. Not that I went in over-hyped because I never think that is a good idea. And maybe the film was his homage to the spy genre where it wasn’t intending us to care as much about the characters. But in all his films, and however epic the scenes we always care about the character, that I feel is the main part of the film, it is what we are drawn to. Whether that be magicians in the Victorian era, a caped crusader, three layers deep in a dream or floating through space; it is the human element that always keeps the film grounded. I felt that Tenet didn’t strike that balance. And that’s not to say that John David Washington wasn’t good, because he was fantastic, but I didn’t necessarily care about his character because he didn’t have anything personal for us to relate to. In Inception and Interstellar, the two main characters are fighting to see their children again. It’s personal, it shows the human side. Washington’s character didn’t have that, it was him saving the world, and yes that’s brave and courageous, but why, why did he care? What was HE fighting for? And that was what disappointed me the most about Tenet because that side of Nolan is I think the most under appreciated. I LOVE the set pieces, the action, the mind-boggling plot, but the human side is what brings it all home. I was blown away during Interstellar with the visual side of it, the black hole, the waves, all of that. But it is when Matthew McConaughey’s character breaks down seeing his grown up daughter via a TV or reuniting with her at the end of the movie that overshadows everything else. Tenet didn’t have these personal moments and that was a real shame.

No doubt about it, Tenet is the biggest Nolan film to date. It is honestly huge. No matter how confused you may, or may not get, you won’t be bored. It’s a lot of fun. In most action films you’d expect to see maybe 2 or 3 small action sequences followed by the big kick ass action sequence at the end. Tenet has 4 or 5 big kick ass action sequences. The opening of previous Nolan films, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises really set the standard for opening sequences in action movies, Tenet follows suit and kicks off from there without skipping a beat. A lot of the scenes involve the inverted time structure, where the object is going backwards in time (I think that’s how it works), it’s incredible to watch.

It’s absolute madness. I don’t think I’ve seen something like it before. If I have, not to this extent. It’s barmy, but it is fantastic. Technically it’s a delight. The whole plane scene has been talked about, how Nolan bought a real plane to crash instead of just using visual effects. That’s the standard that action films should be aiming for. Yes, visual effects are a work of art, there is no denying it and I certainly won’t be shitting on it that some people do. I am incredibly envious of the skill. But there is something magical about watching real effects, and it’s become part of Nolan’s signature. 

Away from the jaw-dropping action scenes and the incredible technical ability on show the acting is fantastic. John David Washington is superb in this and should hopefully cement his name as an A-list. His character has it all, cool, scary, witty, he captures all of this. And it isn’t just his acting that is top notch but it is a very physically demanding role which as you might expect from a former American Football player, you might expect. I don’t think there are many actors who could have struck the balance quite like JDW did. Sure, an actor like Daniel Day-Lewis could do the acting, but he couldn’t do the physical side. Dwayne Johnson could do the physical side, but he can’t act. Washington achieves both terrifically. There is a huge, and brilliant supporting cast in Tenet, most notably Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh who each bring something different and exciting. Nolan comes under criticism for portrayals of women in his films which is something I don’t necessarily agree with but in this Debicki’s character is the one who we probably care about the most and it is her character that brings the humanity to the story. 

4/5 Now I’ve had a day to digest it, and now I have written this review, I’m really excited to watch it again. If it wasn’t for COVID I would probably watch it about 4 times. Maybe on subsequent showings I could give it slightly lower (although I’ve tried to be impartial) maybe I’ll think it is better once I understand it more. Yes it is a shame that the human side of the film is lacking slightly, but the technical ability on showing will blow you away. No matter how confused you are, you won’t be bored.

p.s There has been criticisms from some corners of the film industry saying that Nolan, and the studios, are irresponsible for releasing Tenet as the film to bring cinema-goers back, especially when the film is complex. Why would the audience want to watch a film they can’t understand? Now I have an issue with this. Critics slam the Fast and Furious franchise because it is over the top, silly, action fuelled, spectacle garbage. Critics will also jizz over films such as Midsommar, The Shining, The Lighthouse for their complex and interesting storylines. Now I love these films, but what exactly are those films about, and would you know directly coming out of the cinema. Would the link between Greek Mythology, Prometheus and giving knowledge to civilisation be known to you when you came out of The Lighthouse? Probably not. Isn’t there like a whole documentary on The Shining because there are so many fan theories? That film is weird af. I’ve always found an issue of classism within the film industry, especially when reviewing certain films. Action films are seen as dumb, lowest common denominator garbage, and yet odd artsy stuff is seen as the pinnacle of film. Nolan somehow manages to get these both together and yet now they criticism him when this complex stuff is the shit they love. Now critics want a film like Fast and Furious to bring people back, but you know they’d shit on it at any other point. Maybe Nolan can do no right, people have called his films obnoxious because they are too smart. Well maybe these people mistake the intelligence of the general viewer? Who knows, I’m just mad the Nolan hasn’t won a Best Director award, or hasn’t even got a knighthood when people like Ed Sheeran or Phillip Green have?

[errthel]

I have risen up from the dead for the holidays to give this gift (Route Two : Part 6)

Hey man, wassup, how's life? I dunno what to say, I'm a terrible Santa. I put in more time into this chapter than the other chapters (in the spirit of preholiday break procrastination) so I hope you like this gift. This is derived for the amazing @tri3tri 's SW AU and I just thank her for creating such vivid and lovely AUs which I can immerse myself in, I loved the recent AU, Dead MC, a very nice one indeed. So I guess I will leave now so you can enjoy your reading time in peace ♡♡♡♡♡♡

Lucien’s mind was a maze. Every twist and turn, every dead end taunted him, like a defenseless child taunted by their cruel relatives. His frustration knew no bounds when he failed to exit the maze, but that anger was soon replaced by something far more sinister.

The numbing sear on his body felt as if his body was suffocated when he slept. His appendages were like cooked pasta, limp and unruly. Breaths that were like that of an athlete who had run a marathon filled the room at lightning speed. The degradation of his vision forced the boy to squint but even that proved to be ineffective when blobs of different colors was all that filled his vision. Lucien could no longer feel the beat of his heart, his lungs wouldn’t budge and supply him with air. He felt his eyelids droop lower and lower in an agonizingly slow pace until they finally reached their destination. The room fell into a hushed silence, like the prior noise never happened, it was peaceful like a field of flowers on a cliff.

~

For her, time wasn’t a constriction, she had lived long enough to no longer fear the obnoxious concept of time. She lives alongside time. She is time. As long as time exists, she will live and be indifferent to time. Her hourglass will forever be reversed again and again when the sand trickled to the bottom.

But her long life no longer gave her any thrill, she lives in a kingdom where war no longer ensues in its borders and she has been reduced to a routine of nothingness. Until the woman with flowing (h/c) hair and blazing (e/c) eyes came years ago. The woman who was her granddaughter-in-law was an untameable dog who very much was the one who her dear grandson loved with all his heart. 

The sour taste in her mouth left her itching to tame the woman until she was the perfect lover for her grandson.

The sour taste in her mouth was satiated when the woman was on her knees along with her daughters, her confidence was cracking.

She was almost perfect.

Maleficent looked back to those recent memories and scoffed, what was she thinking? (MC) hadn’t changed even with a decade of taming, she truly was an untamable dog. She  sat on a chair that was as black as the abyss of space. In her unlit room, she was like a viper ready to strike at anything that disturbed her.

Her peace however is disrupted by a wave of magic. Her eyes quickly focused on the magic and tried to discern what kind of magic dared to make its way into the Valley of Thorns. Once she figured out what magic it was, her cackling reached the throne room as her bright green flames engulfed her room. She called in a meeting with all the high ranking nobles of The Valley of Thorns.

~

Her room was as gloomy as it was large, floor to ceiling window panes let in as much natural light as the rainy day allowed. She sighed, he was having another tantrum from their one-sided conversation in the morning. 

Her black dress was almost as beautiful as the woman who wore it. The dress was a two piece dress consisting of a bodice and a skirt. The woman's bodice was luxurious, even if it was done in a black fabric, delicate embroidery in black thread was littered across the bodice, while her two layered scalloped bertha collar was created with a sheer black fabric. A large skirt supported by a steel crinoline accentuated her waist as the corset helped to hold up her large skirt. She also wore a black veil, as if she was mourning for someone.

“Mother, long time no see.” Sherry’s somewhat cheery voice announced her presence

“How are you Sherry?” hearing her mother’s question brought the teenager joy as she happily sat on the sofa and talked about how she was feeling

“Hello Mother.” a stoic voice called out to the woman as she walked into the room

Sherry’s green eyes flicked over to Renata who seemed like she walked to the depths of hell and back.

“Yo Renata! You look like you're about to drop.”

“I do very much feel like that.” Renata sighs as she plops herself down to the sofa next to Sherry

“When you’re tired, sleep my dear.” 

“Mhm”

“Renata, did you?” (M/c) asked the black haired teen who nodded in agreement

“Mhm, I already did.” Renata said, referring to a magic spell which allows nobody to eavesdrop on their conversations

“I can feel that something will happen.” 

Sherry and Renata looked at their mother with confused looks, “What will happen?” Sherry said breaking the confusion

“Lucien is here in Twisted Wonderland.” 

“You’re joking!” Renata said looking at her

“The kid’s finally here huh.”

“We still aren’t ready.”

“Don’t worry, where do you think we live? Even if the Valley of Thorns continues to invade countries near it, this kingdom will always be isolated.” 

But her statement was disputed with the wave of magic that engulfed the room and brought the three ladies to panic. The magic was like a hurricane that knocked the breath out of their lungs and gave them excruciating pain by doing so.

“This magic! How is it so strong!” Sherry said trying to breath 

“No way. This is a finishing stage of transformation magic!” Renata said making (M/c) look at the window with surprised eyes

“Lucien…”

~

His face was like an unkempt garden and cottage, bellflowers and catmint littered the ground, sullen from the cold atmosphere. The yellow straw of the cottage roof looked disheveled as if it barely survived a violent snowstorm. That was the appearance of Briar Rome as he sat on the intolerably cold and hard stool that seemed jutt into his tailbone. His purple eyes that seemed to always give the person staring into them the warm feeling of spring, instead looked dejected, regretful, downcast, miserable, and just plain sad. Briar’s wheat colored hair was like sad damp straw, a victim of the recent and sudden storm that glazed Royal Sword Academy for a few hours. 

His pale hands held a hand larger than his own, the nails were a menacing black that glossed under the light of the infirmary. His eyes trailed up to the person’s pale face, the person had (h/c) hair that was like the clouds in the great big sky and his horns were two skyscrapers that disrupted the beautiful view. His silk-like fringe was brushed to the side to reveal a threatening yet alluring pattern of black scales that started in between his forehead and hairline. The ornate design strangely complemented the boy. He looked at the white robe his friend wore and grimaced, he should have known that he was sick or hurting earlier, when he heard that Lucien was the one who had unconsciously casted the tragic storm while also suffering from his transformation, he felt like a thousand needles had pricked him at the same time.

A light groan felt like the bang of a sudden firework to Briar, it felt like seeing the light at the end of a dark and long tunnel. His breath hitched as if his mind stopped working for a moment and he stood up and shouted for a nurse when he finally had a grasp on what was happening. Like swifts, a pair of nurses entered the room, one ushering Briar out, to his dismay, while the other tended to the now semi-conscious Lucien. 

~

The room was like Antarctica to (M/c), frigid and deathly silent. Her eyes trailed to the imposing figure that sat upon a throne of thorns. Like a paperweight weighing down everyone with a rule of silence, Maleficent observed the court, everybody was here, save for the Crown Prince, he wasn't necessary.

She sat on a throne on the right of her husband while Bellatrix sat beside Maleficent on her left. Her children were separated from their mother as they sat on their respective chairs as the High Court Magician and Supreme General.

"I hope I wasn't the only one who felt it, I'd be disappointed if I was." she haughtily said looking at the court of high ranking nobles

Words of confirmation echoed in the large hall and Maleficent steadily raised her staff and pointed to Renata.

"High Court Magician, elaborate further." 

Renata stood up and explained, "The magic that came across the Valley of Thorns is quite unique." 

Some chatter was heard among the nobles, they weren't really surprised, if anything, they probably weren't listening. Why should they listen to a half-human princess? It was probably through pure luck that she was able to get that position, probably by asking the vile queen.

Renata silently clenched her teeth and sucked it in and continued, "The magic is transforming magic, more specifically, dark fae transformation magic."

Gasps were heard in the court while a noble stood up to object the sayings of the High Court Magician.

"Your Highnesses! How can we be so sure about what she says!"

Renata looked at the man and clicked her tongue, Muave Heighgroove. What a joke, she sat down, deeming it unnecessary to stand up 

"What do you mean?" Malleus said in a hoarse voice 

"Your Highness! We don't know for sure if she is lying."

"Faes can't lie." Malleus says passively 

The fact that the king didn't respond aggressively blew Muave up like a puffer fish with pride. 

"Well, with the princesses being half-"

His claim was cut short by Maleficent who just laughed, no cackled, like a dying goat. She was beyond amused. Maleficent looked Muave straight in the eyes.

"That girl is plenty capable in discerning what magic it was. Honestly, I wonder how you all are part of the royal court."

Clean and swift.

Renata stood up and displayed her utmost gratitude and explained the magic even more.

"The circumstances are very unique when we consider this case, in case you happened to forget, transformation potions and anything regarding transformation is illegal in most kingdoms unless it is their Unique Magic, not in the Valley of Thorns though. But even then, transformation magic, especially for a dark fae transformation, is still hard to obtain here as it's distribution is under the jurisdiction of the Former Queen. So Your Highness, were you the one who gave some without the court's knowledge."

Renata was as cruel as she was realistic, her eyes were gleaming as they stared at the great-grandmother's dragon eyes. She was only stating facts and asking the correct questions to the correct people. A perfect smile was displayed on her face, whether or not the smile had other motives was unknown.

"I see, no I didn't."

"Thank you for answering Your Highness. To be honest that was just a formality, I can say with the nature of the magic, the transformation wasn't necessarily done by a spell or a potion."

"Was it a Unique Magic?" Bellatrix said looking at the magician

"Not necessarily, you can say it was a late metamorphosis. Even so, the nature of this transformation is very unique, it may take months of research before a solid reason is formulated. Of course that's if I don't go there myself."

"!!!" Malleus looked at his daughter, her black hair was perfectly sculpted showing off her scaly pattern on her forehead

"The magic came from the north-west, very likely from the Royal Sword Academy region. So My King, My Queen, allow me to go."

"I will have to decline this request, Head Court Magician." Malleus said exasperated while (M/c) looked at Renata, her dark veil shadowing her features

"I will give my permission." 

Malleus shot a look at (M/c), who only scoffed and said, "It will be beneficial to the Valley of Thorns, if we nurture the transformed, they can do our bidding as a payback for teaching them how to control their powers as a dark fae."

"How will you know that they will be beneficial."

His only answer was a chuckle.

[americangodstalk]

American Gods fan-made RPG: Old Gods (the tale of Mad Sweeney)

Once, there was in old Ireland powerful gods - the Tuatha Dé Danann, the pantheon ruling over the land. One of them was named Lugh - a large king warrior, a beautiful master craftsman wielding magic artefacts, a youthful god of harvests and oaths, of truth and law, Their land was threatened by the Fomorians, monstrous giants coming from under the sea and under the earth, born of everything harmful and destructive the nature had to offer. Their leader was the dreaded one-eyed Balor, whose mere gaze could cause death. But Lugh revealed himself the savior of his tribe, as he killed by himself Balor, who was his own grandfather. He was the glorious victory of the gods of Ireland, and he was celebrated all throughout the land and the legends.

Until the Christians came to the land and imposed their sole and unique God. 

Lugh found himself - or rather a fragment of himself - living another life, under a different shape and a different name. He was now Buile Shuibhne, mortal king, and the new invaders he had to fight were the Grey Monks. He tried to prevent them from building their churches and celebrating their masses, but the violence that had once made him hero only brought to him a curse, madness and shame. He was a mocked, tragic, pitiful figure whose wandering and broken mind were sung through tales and poems. 

And then, suddenly Buile found himself someone else - unless it was another fragment of Lugh that took over. He was now one of the people of the Sidhe, one of the fair folk, a leprechaun, guardian of a magical stone in a magical grove, so small - he who once belonged to the tallest tribe of the island. And he saw back all the others that like him had changed throughout the years, gods now buried kings under mounds, spirits and monsters now fairies and bogeymen, or others like Brigid, the Tuatha dé Danann who once ruled over wisdom and poetry, healing and blacksmithing, who was now one of the saints of the Christian, Brigid of Kildare, mythical abbess whose feast had overthrown the pagan Imbolc. 

It was as Mad Sweeney, the leprechaun, that he arrived in America, after the Great Famine of the mid-19th century. He came with all the Irishmen and Irishwomen, and for a while he survived on the old tales and the bowl of milk left outside. But all things came to an end, and soon no one believe in the folk of the mounds or the fairy wrath. Leprechauns were but a silly joke, a pretty children picture. Mad Sweeney fought, drank, pissed and then fought and drank some more - but as faith waned, as rituals stopped, he found himself bitten by his own pleasures. Brawls left him hurt, alcohol made him sick, and at the turn of the millenium, as he wandered (unprotected and much too drunk) in the wilderness, at the coldest of wnter, he ended up dying in the snow. 

This was the tragic tale of Mad Sweeney, once an almighty god, but in America the frozen corpse of an Irish drunk. 

The Old Gods are shaped by belief and religion. They are what people want them and think them to be. Not all the Old Gods came to America in the shape they used to have. Among the Ancient Ones are many small creatures such as fairies, werewolves and trolls, beings you would not think of as “gods”. And yet they were all gods once. They were all subjects of rituals, of worship, of adoration and fear. They are simply humbler, weaker shapes of gods.

Just like Mad Sweeney, the Daoine Sidhe of Ireland (fairies, elves, leprechauns, cluricauns, banshees and other sprites) used to be gods - the powerful Tuatha dé Danann, the pantheon ruling over Ireland, but who fled down under the earth and under the hills when Christianity became dominant, and thus were only remembered as gods, magicians and legendary kings instead of glorious deities. Most people think of the Japanese kitsune as simply a folkloric creature, a magical fox, a trickster spirit of nature, ignoring that they were originally servants and messengers of the god, celestial entities tied to Inari, the kami of fertility, rice, sake and tea. Satyrs were not just funny goat-men getting drunk and dancing in the woods - they were originally minor gods of the countryside, companions and children of gods such as Dionysus, Pan and Silenus. 

Mad Sweeney is but one exemple of those “diluted gods”, but there are many others. If we turn towards the Biblical religion, two exemples can be mentionned (sample characters to, that you can use in your sessions if you desire):

# The Ifrit. You might believe him to be another Arabian taxi driver roaming the streets of New York City. Until he takes off his sunglasses and reveal that his eyes are made of fire. He is an Ifrit, a subtype of Jinn. The Jinns are not as people believe wish-granting genies. Jinns were the first mortal beings created by Allah before humankind was shaped, exceptional beings of strange appearances and powerful magic haunting the desert and build out of a smokeless fire. This is what the Muslim folklore tells through its legends and tales - but before Islam arose, the Jinns were gods too, deities revered and worshipped as the rulers of the world. This Ifrit in particular was worshipped in what is now known as the Lost City of Ubar. But as with all the other Jinns, he fell when monotheism became the major religion of the area, and was reduced to a wandering spirit, a magical monster, an unusual being of fairytales. 

# Bilquis. This is the name she wears as she walks down the streets of Los Angeles, though when she feels threatened she uses Ayesha. She is a prostitute. Not a cheap hooker, no. She is a high-class lady of the night. To sleep with her, you need to have the means. And you won’t truly “sleep” with her. What you have with her is not just sex. It is an intense experience. A discovery of unknown pleasures. A moment of pure ectasy. As you receive her gifts, you will thank her, pray her, worship her. Worship her as she was once worshipped as the Queen of Sheba, daughter of a human and a jinn. Love her as once king Solomon loved her through the Song of Songs. Abandon yourself body and soul to her as her priests abandonned themselves to her, goddess of love and beauty, whose throne rose up in Saba and on which she sat with Almaqah, the god of the moon. 

And once she is done with you, you won’t be here anymore. For the divine delights she offered you, you will sacrifice yourself to her. You will be one with her, lost forever in the heavenly bliss that she contains in her infinite-self. 

But soon she will feel hungry, tired and old again, and return to Sunset or Hollywood Boulevard, searching for her new worshipper, for a new offering, for a new sacrifice. 

[tothesolarium]

Ven’s Family Tree - Not Finished My hand is still busted. Can’t do handwriting stuff well and I wanted to make Ven’s human side as cool as the other side.  Humans are cooler than divine beings 60% of the time. I just had clearer I’d for what they’d look like.

Ven is the grand child of The Earth, and the Sky* on one side of his family. These two forces loved each other deeply, but were never meant to be. Think of Earth and Sky as the embodiments of the ideas and energy which withstain themselves. Those who live on this earth all have an idea of what the Sky is, and what Earth or Gaia is. These Archetypes are alive, living both in reality and purely as a fairy tale. When they met the Earth heaved herself to the heavens, and the Sky came thundering down. They lived far apart and often their love could only meet in the horizons. Where the Sky could lay across the earth. Meeting towering mountains and distant seas. Their love was passionate but destructive, distant and overbearing. The love of Earth and Sky created the spirits of the Mountains , Spirit of Storms, and Constellations. These Spirits are numerous and can create themselves at this point. 

Ven was born of a human girl who fell in Love with a Storm Spirit. Ven’s mother was too young to be a mother, and simply wanted freedom. The Storm Spirit was new to touch and didn’t know how to gently love a human. 

Ven’s human mother put him up for adoption hoping someone who could be ready to love him would do so. Ven mother was 16 when she met the Storm spirit. Her family was built of confident folk who acted as if they owned the world. She fell in love with the spirit of thunder because they were the unknowable. Did not demand perfection from her, and laughed when she thought too highly of herself. It was refreshing in the beginning, but when she no longer needed confidence through attention. She realized how possessive and demeaning the storm was. She left soon after. Ven does not know her name, but now she is known as Hazel. Hazel lives on a cliff side house raising sheep. Everything was either made by herself or with the help of her community. The village knows her for her excellent goat cheese and crass sense of humor. Both the baker and blacksmith are madly in love with her, and are trying to get her attention. She is more focused on trying to map the night sky. As more constellations are being born each day. So This is an ever evolving task. The sheep also need lots of love, and make great company. 

The thunder spirit also moved on and now has found love in a whirlpool goddess deep in the ocean. There is the complication that an air spirit cannot go underwater, but they’re making it work. 

Ven’s Mother: Hazel         Hazel’s Father: Madrik - A Farmer, has a Big Stubborn heart.  Hazel’s Mom: Leta - Youngest of Four, and Loves animals. Hazel also has an older brother who she doesn’t speak with. 

Madrik’s Parent: Uta - Local healer and story Teller. Madrik’s Mother: Rene - Farmer

Leta’s Father: Merchant who sold cloth goods. Leta’s Mother: A shy weaver who couldn’t sell her own stuff, but made beautiful work. Leta has three sisters. The elder became a “sailor”. Writes home occasionally and is definitely not a pirate. The second child died at war. Third is learning to take over the family business. Though she doesn’t have an artist partner so she is making artist friends. 

Ven does not know either of his parents or their history, but the fates can see the legacy with in him. Ven and Argo are currently building their new family. A tree of many different branches and fruit. 

*Note: All sorts of divine beings live in this world. If it is believed in, it exists. The world the Caravan travels through does not follow the rules of logic, but that of a dream. It is literally made up of maps, and how you make or don’t make a map effects reality. The heavens are infinite. As many divine and magical things you imagine can exist. 

Maps are woven together. Where their edges meet reality can be wobbly. Which is why it’s good to have magicians around while you travel. especially If you plan to leave your worlds map, and into another.

[daddysfangirls-marvel]

Salem Witch

Request

Warning: fluff

Summary: May I request a Loki x (witch) reader. Where the avengers find out that Loki has been sneaking out of the tower frequently and when they follow him they find him entering an old-time magic shop and when they find him he is kissing a woman they never saw before. ( y/n is a survivor from the Salem witch trials)

As Loki was under the secure and watchful eye on the Avengers it was their job to know where he was all times of the day 24/7 no matter what. Now imagine their surprise when they realized that Loki had been regularly sneaking out for the past 8 months and no one noticed. They didn’t even figure it out it was Director Fury who had to point it out to them. Instead of confronting him and punishing him for it  Fury demanded they find out where he was going and discovering if he was a threat once again or not.

Now instead of spending their Saturday doing something productive they were trailing after Loki to where ever he was going. Nobody was happy, no bout but Loki who seemed to walk with a pep in his step.

“Where ever he’s going he really wants to get there. Guys, he’s picking up the pace.” Sam said into his earpiece. Everyone was in casual clothes scattered around the street blending into the crowd. 

“Woah, guys he stopped. He’s going into a ... magic shop?”  

“He is a wizard,” Peter said as he and Clint bought their hotdogs. He was excited this was his first undercover.

The shop was sort of dark and creepy the window display had cauldrons, books and little bottles of strange liquids. The shop was called The Witch’s Cauldron and it didn't look to have any customers at the moment.

“I’m going in”

“What?!” before anyone could say anything else Tony was moving across the street and towards the shop, the others quickly followed him. All of them quickly and quietly slipped into the shop. Wanda used her magic to make sure the bell wouldn’t ring as they opened the door. There was no one at the register the shop seemed completely empty of people. The shop itself looked like one of those stores found in the Harry Potter movies. The team quickly forgot about their mission and began to wander around the store looking at the strange things that lined the wall.

Peter and Wanda were looking at the books towards the back of the store they seemed to be triggering her magic and his spidey sense. Wanda was in some type of daze as her fingers trace the spines of the books she slowly pulled one off the shelves. She was suddenly brought out of it as Peter started rapidly hitting her shoulders she looked up and swatted him away. He pointed to an open door at the other end of the shop she looked and found Loki gently holding and kissing a woman. Tony stepped out from between aisle and saw Peter pointing he followed his finger and-

“Well, I’ll be damned”

The two Pulled apart and Loki pulled her behind him before any of them could see her face.

“What are you doing here” Although Loki’s voice was low and somewhat controlled they could obviously hear the anger and feel the pure hate he was giving off.  It scared Peter so much that he stepped behind a shelve and pulled Wanda along for safety.

“You weren’t at the tower we got worried about you,” Natasha said in a sickly sweet voice as she rounded the corner. The others came to the back as well. “ But you seem to be having fun.” Clint joined her in teasing him.

“Brother, you didn’t tell me you were seeing a lady. I beautiful one at that.” Thor said grinning at said beauty.

The woman behind Loki took it upon herself to introduce herself. “ Hello, I’m (Y/n)” she said peaking over his shoulder and waving.

“Don’t waste your night with them, love, they aren’t worth it.” Loki all but growled. but reached back and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. 

“But that’s the spider-boy you were talking about and mini witch. I want to meet them.”She whined behind him. Peter and Wanda peaked their heads out from around the corner. They both smiled. Peter gave a small wave. She waved back. Loki rolled his eyes and grabbed both of her hands pinning them to his back.

“Alright, let’s get straight to the point,” Bucky said rubbing his hands then pointing at the two “ are you two planning some evil scheme?” 

“no”

“yes”  Loki turned around looking back at (y/n) she just smiled “ We planned to turn my disgusting pervy next-door neighbor into a goat.”

“...How pervy is he?” 

“eyes your boobs, Pictures up your skirt, into teenagers pervy.”

“Then a goat he shall be. I think we’re done here. I’m going back to the tower my show is on.” Bucky tried to walk away but Steve stopped him pulling him back.

“Brother, why don’t you invite your lady to dinner with us?”

“No. You shouldn’t even be here. Why did you come- you know what, it doesn’t matter just leave.”

Next thing she knew everyone was in a huge argument. The voices in the store were getting louder and louder. Some were siding with Loki say leave him again it was obvious he wasn’t doing bad just making-out with his girlfriend, who they would definitely question him on later, and the others were saying that Loki and his girlfriend needed to go back to the tower with them where they both would be integrated further. (Y/n) was scared of their argument not because they were arguing and being super loud but because they were in a very small space filled with very valuable and irreplaceable items.

And her fears became true when Thor turned his shoulder hit one of the shelves successfully knocking over several items. (Y/n) squealed as she pushed Loki out of the way and thrust her hands forward stopping the bottles and books from hitting the floor. All conversation stopped as everyone watched (y/n) wave her hands and everything placed itself back on the shelve.

“If you all don’t mind can we take this outside, please.”

Everyone was speechless they all just nodded and slowly filed out of the store and into the coffee shop next door. She told the owner, her friend, that she needed the shop for a while and he nodded simply left. Only telling her to close up.

“You’re enchanted,” Steve said finally breaking the silences he watched as she waved her hands and all the blinds closed and locked the door.

“A witch actually. Coffee, tea?” she said waving her hand again teas and coffee began to float in from the kitchen. 

“You’re a witch” Peter gasped as a cup of tea floated and found its way to him. He squealed as he took hold of it right out of the air. The others did the same picking strange teas and coffee straight from the air.

“Since the Salem trails. One of the originals.” (Y/n) said snapping her fingers pastries flew in plating the table.

“The Salem trail. Woah you’re old ...but young” Peter said looking astonished (Y/n) laughed nodding. To make him even Happier she made sparks come out of her hands. He gasped and squealed some more.

“So, you two are together. How did that happen?” Tony asked 

“How are you still alive?” Sam asked “ you have to be at least three hundred years old”

“346 to be exact. And I met Loki a year ago he came into my shop. He thought it was one of those fake magicians shops. He was very shocked to find out I was the real thing. At first, we were just friends talking and hanging out then we were dating and kissing...friends don’t do that” (Y/n) says as she slowly leaned into Loki he leaned down into her.

“No they don’t” he chuckled before giving her a gentle kiss “ But we’re not friends anymore” he whispered against her lips pulling her another kiss.

“Is Hogwarts real?” Peter asked in a shy whispering voice as if he was scared to ask.

Loki rolled his eyes, the little spider boy had told him about the Harry Potter series and Hogwarts even pestered him to see if there was a magical school as such in Asgard. There was but Peter didn’t need to know. 

(Y/n) smiled pushing away from Loki “ I’m sorry Peter there is no Hogwarts, no big castle, no Dumbledor. Witch and wizards are usual homeschooled, tutored, or taught in small schoolhouses on the outskirts or hidden away.”

“so no brooms, no quidditch?”

“yes, brooms but they’re not used as much as before too many planes and drones. And Quidditch it’s an official witch and wizards sport as of 2010 they hold the champions cup once a year. People really liked what Rowling did so they rolled with it.” Everyone watched as Peter began to vibrate with excitement at this new information. “ Maybe I can take you to the next game” Peter couldn’t even use words he just nodded his head rapidly as his tears filled with tears from the excitement.

“I like your girlfriend,” Wanda said she too was excited.

“ Lady (Y/n), you should join us for dinner. We’d like to get to know you “ Thor said smiling sweetly

“I’d like that, I’d like that very much”

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[franstastic-ideas]

Master List Oct Edition (1/2)

It was as I predicted: bigger; so big in fact that it had to be split into two else the tags won’t work.

This half contains AU-centric headcanons (excluding Classic Undertale)

The second half contains Classic Undertale, Multiple AU posts, other headcanons (mostly of dif AUs) and Franstastic-Idea's more personal posts

More Than Frans - October Content

Wraithtale————————————————

Oct 1

WT? confession? proposal? marriage? gasp! babehs????

Some WT gang headcanons

beach episode hc for wt papara? or frans?

Oct 4 - can we take a peek in wtPapara/Frans dates?

Oct 6 - Granpa Gaster and Fatherhood hyjinks for the brothers?

Oct 7 - I’m interested in more “beach episode” headcanons for WT

Oct 9 - How would gaster react to seeing Sans's wraith gf????

Oct 11 - what of pregnant WT Frans and Papara?

Oct 20 - A ‘Thorny’ Situation…

Oct 21 - Wraithtale laws of magic and are there humans magicians?

Oct 23

So, Rosalyn's "rivalry" with Frisk is PURELY one-sided 

I would love to for Rosalyn to meet Chara

Mettaton’s confrontation with Rosalyn

I'd like to know what Wraithtale AU is?

I'm okay with tsunderes... if they don't punch every 5 minutes... 

Is Roselyn also the person who nearly killed wraith Frisk

What's Kris’ role?

Rosalyn would need the perfect plan on how to get WT Frisk to leave 

Would WT Kris ever meet WT Susie or WT Ralsei?

Would the Wrathtale characters ever get Kris to come out of hiding?

Oct 27

Would WT Chara be instantly alerted to WT Frisk's sudden absence

"Sans and Papyrus are kind of jealous over Kris, but it isn’t serious."

Oct 28

Frisk snapping back in defense of Sans and calling Rosalyn out on it

Is it because Kris uses magic to eat without gaining weight

Did Frisk and Chara even know what "cosplay" was?

Cryptozoologist Frisk———————————

Oct 1

Cryptozoologist Frisk and Sans confessions?

Cryptozoologist au love triangle proposals

We for CryptoFrans but what about CryptoFrister?

Oct 2 - what if she chose ... j e r r y ?

Oct 5 - If Frisk confessed romantic interest in Papyrus?

Oct 12 - Sans stumbles upon a section of how cute the Sans is

Oct 22 - Frisk gets injured. How would Sans or Gaster react?

Oct 30

Can we have some cryptozoologist au hcs?

Any Sans centric Sans centric cryptozoologist au hc?

Pure Convergence AU——————————

Oct 5

Sans Reacts to Red Moving Into the House Across the Street

The skeletons share one braincell amongst each other

Oct 9 - The Convergence AU Cast as Gravity Falls Gifs

Oct 13

What is Sans' pet chickens relationship with the other Frisks?

How would Sans feel about someone who cooked his pet chicken?

how does Sans feel to rival against the cool one(G)?

what time of space time shenanagins would happen with the chicken

Oct 14 - What breed of chicken would Henri be?

Oct 22

Do the other skeletons have any pets of their own?

I forgot Gaster in that ‘which birds would the other boys have’ ask

What is the convergence au?

Oct 23

what about convergence au cuddles?

More convergence Au please! Thank you!

Reverse harem trope of the Convergence AU specifics

The first rule of the Skeleton Harem is:

I don't hate reverse harems

Oct 26

What costumes would Frisk and the skeleton harem wear

What a halloween stuff would the sanses and frisk do?

Oct 28

Frisk and the skeleton boys are going to anime convention 

Pure Children of the Ruins————————

Oct 1

pssst how about Children of the Ruins hcs

Would Flowey be jealous over Chara and Papyrus?

Oct 2

more child of the ruins headcanon please!

everybody in the keepers of the ruins looks like?

Oct 10 - First kisses? for Frans/Papara Ruin Kids?

Oct 12 - More children of the ruins please!

Witch AU————————————————

Oct 4 - Witch Au! Witch AU!!! UfSans vs UsSans vs UtSans please!

Oct 5 - whats the thing they like the most in their witches?

Oct 8 - but what do the witches like about their skele?

Oct 29 - Witch Au. How did Frisk meet Black and G?

Pure Underfell——————————————

Oct 2 - How did Frans and Papara tell the Goats about their bfs?

Oct 3 - any tsundere Fell Papyrus and Chara?

Oct 8 - What are UF Papyrus' go-to "compliments" 

Oct 9 

What were UF Papara's first impressions of each other?

Say UF Papyrus found a book of pickup lines in the dump.

What happened to UF Chara to make her so terrified of many things?

Oct 11

How does UF Papyrus respond to being flirted with?

How would UF Chara respond to being flirted with?

After the person leaves Chara alone when Papyrus intervenes…

Oct 12

When UF Chara compliments UF Papyrus, what would he do?

UF Papara pregnancy?

Underfell frans/papara angst?

Oct 21 - If someone else comments about chara’s sensitivity…

Oct 22

Wow would Papyrus react to UF Asriel's closeness to UF Chara?

can we get some underfell papara/frans cuddle scenarios?

I demand more Underfell Fluffiness

Oct 23

To what degree do you dislike Tsundere? How about Fell Papyrus?

When Undyne finds out about Pap’s interest in a human 

Oct 24 - When Pap tries to kiss/cuddle her without telling Chara first

Oct 28 - Does Pap’s hatred for the Goat Family apply to UF Asriel

Pure Underswap—————————————

Oct 4 - Im gon a say it before anyone ask. Underswap papara ♡

Oct 12

US Papara pregnancy if anyone hasn't asked yet..

US Frisk's initial feelings about US Sans' hyperactive personality?

Oct 22 - Swap Papara cuddles?

Oct 27

Do you think that US Frisk has a particular taste for anything?

US Papara fluff! I demand it!

Pure G!Skelebros—————————————

Oct 1 - More gpapara headcanons please! child of the ruins hcs too?

Oct 3 - Does Gaster Sans or Gaster Papyrus have a cuisine specialty

Oct 4 - G!Frans please! 

Oct 5 - Discovering your S/O has a secret hobby, and being caught!

Oct 6

dude dude dude GSans reaction to a pregnant Momm Frisk ?

we absolutely need to have a g!papara version of pregnancy

Oct 7 - Have you heard of the gfrans don x kitten?

Oct 9 - G!Papara/frans First kisses?

Oct 11

Gpapara is so sweet and fluffy! can we have more of them?

G!Frans next!

Storyshift-related————————————

Oct 1 - Storyshift Papara

Oct 11 - KingSans x Ambassador Frisk first kiss? i miss this ship

Oct 12 - King Sans x Ambassador Frisk pregnancy?

Oct 21 - story shift king x ambassador please? fell version

Dancetale-related————————————

Oct 4

Dancetale sans and frisk headcanons?

More dancetale please! can we have some papara with that too?

oh gosh dancetale can we have some danceswap frans ???

Welp danceswap papara time

Oct 12

if the person is flirting with frisk, how does he cope with it

what are your thoughts with Dancetale!Gfrans?

Oct 21 - some more dancetale frans?

Oct 22 - how does sans even express his love for frisk?

Oct 23 - DanceTale AU where instead of ballet, Frisk ice dances

Mafia/Mobtale-related——————————

Oct 4 - what about mafiafell hc?

Oct 5 - Runaway bride Frisk! Sans is tasked to retrieve her ...

Oct 6 - Mafia Frans is so cute… like how slow is the slowburn?

Oct 12

mmmmmmmmmmmafia donna frisk x rival don G?

yknow the drill. Lets see some MobPapara but oddly enough.

Oct 14 - more mobtaleGfrans please!

Oct 21 - More MafiaGfrans or Gpapara

Oct 27 - Can we have some more Frans/Papara cuddles?

Wraithtale Swap—————————————

Oct 12 - WT swap what do you think the boys would be like?

Oct 13 - How would wraith Sans meet Frisk?

Oct 14 - How would WT Swap Sans attempt to rectify the situation?

Oct 21

WT swap, how do Papyrus and Chara meet?

How would Chara and Papyrus react to each other?

Oct 23 - When did Sans start wooing her?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Merry Early Christmas and Happy Hannukah! (1/2)

[happyhearthooligan]

Master List Oct Edition 2019

(1/2)

This list is bigger, so big in fact that it had to be split into two else the links won’t work.

This half contains AU-centric headcanons (excluding Classic Undertale)

The second half contains the Yandere Month Special, Classic Undertale, Multiple AU headcanons, other headcanons (mostly of different AUs), and franstastic-idea's other posts

@franstastic-ideas - October Content

------------------------------------------------------

Wraithtale

Oct 1

Confession? Proposal? Marriage? Babehs????

Some WT gang headcanons

Beach episode hc for WT Papara? Or Frans?

Oct 4 - A peek in wtPapara/Frans dates?

Oct 6 - Grandpa Gaster and Fatherhood hijinks

Oct 7 - More “beach episode” headcanons

Oct 9 - Gaster's reaction to seeing Sans's gf?

Oct 11 - What of pregnant Frans and Papara?

Oct 20 - A ‘Thorny’ Situation…

Oct 21 - Laws of magic and human magicians

Oct 23

Rosalyn's "rivalry" w/ Frisk is PURELY one-sided

I would love to for Rosalyn to meet Chara

Mettaton’s confrontation with Rosalyn

I'd like to know what Wraithtale AU is?

I'm okay with tsunderes…

Is Rosalyn the person who nearly killed Frisk

What's Kris’ role?

Rosalyn's perfect plan on getting Frisk to leave

Would Kris ever meet Susie or Ralsei?

Would they get Kris to come out of hiding?

Oct 27

Would Chara swiftly notice Frisk's absence

"Sans and Papy are kind of jealous over Kris…"

Oct 28

Frisk calling Rosalyn out

Does Kris use magic to eat w/o gaining weight

Did Frisk&Chara know what "cosplay" was?

Cryptolozoologist Frisk

Oct 1

Cryptozoologist Frisk and Sans confessions?

Cryptozoologist au love triangle proposals

What about CryptoFrister?

Oct 2 - What if she chose … j e r r y ?

Oct 5 - If Frisk was interested in Papyrus?

Oct 12 - Sans finds a section on how cute he is

Oct 22 - Frisk is injured. Sans/Gaster's reaction

Oct 30

Can we have some Cryptozoologist AU hcs?

Any Sans-centric Cryptozoologist AU hc?

Convergence

Oct 5

Sans Reacts to Red Moving Across the Street

The skeletons share one braincell

Oct 9 - Convergence Cast as Gravity Falls Gifs

If someone who cooked Sans' pet chicken

Sans' thoughts on the cool one(G)?

Henri's shenanigans

Oct 14 - What breed of chicken would Henri be?

Oct 22

Do the other skeletons have their own pets too?

The bird Gaster would have

What is the Convergence au?

Oct 23

What about Convergence au cuddles?

More Convergence Au please! Thank you!

Convergence's reverse harem specifics

The first rule of the Skeleton Harem:

I don't hate reverse harems

Oct 26

What costumes would they all wear

What halloween stuff would they do?

Oct 28 - Frisk&skellies going to an anime convention

Keepers of the Ruins

Oct 1

Pssst how about Children of the Ruins hcs

Would Flowey be jealous over Papyrus?

Oct 2

More Child of the Ruins headcanon please!

How everyone looks like

Oct 10 - First kisses?

Oct 12 - More Children of the Ruins please!

Wraithtale Swap

Oct 12 - What would the boys be like?

Oct 13 - How would wraith Sans meet Frisk?

Oct 14 - How'd Sans try to rectify the situation?

Oct 21

WT swap, how do Papyrus and Chara meet?

Chara and Papyrus' reaction to each other

Oct 23 - When did Sans start wooing her?

The Witches’ Tea Party

Oct 4 - UfSans vs UsSans vs UtSans please!

Oct 5 - What do they like most in their witches?

Oct 8 - What do the witches like about their skele?

Oct 29 - How did Frisk meet Black and G?

Pure Underfell

Oct 2 - Frisk&Chara tell the Goats about their bfs?

Oct 3 - Any tsundere Fell Papyrus and Chara?

Oct 8 - What are Papyrus' go-to "compliments"

Oct 9

Papara's first impressions of each other

Say Pap found a book of pickup lines in the dump.

Why is Chara so terrified of many things?

Oct 11

How does Pap respond to being flirted with?

How does Chara respond to being flirted with?

After the person leaves Chara alone…

Oct 12

When UF Chara compliments UF Papyrus

UF Papara pregnancy?

Underfell frans/papara angst?

Oct 21 - When commenting on Chara’s sensitivity

Oct 22

Pap's reaction to Asriel's relation to Chara?

Underfell Papara/Frans cuddle scenarios

I demand more Underfell Fluffiness

Oct 23

How about tsundere Fell Papyrus?

Undyne uncovers Pap’s interest in a human

Oct 24 - When Pap kiss/cuddle Chara w/o telling

Oct 28 - Does Pap’s hatred apply to Asriel?

Pure Underswap

Oct 4 - Underswap Papara ♡

Oct 12

Papara pregnancy if anyone hasn't asked yet…

Frisk's initial feelings on Sans' hyperactivity?

Oct 22 - Swap Papara cuddles?

Oct 27

Does Frisk have a particular taste for anything?

US Papara fluff! I demand it!

Pure G!Skelebros

Oct 3 - Do G!Sans or G!Papyrus have a cuisine specialty

Oct 4 - G!Frans please!

Oct 5 - Discovering your S/O's secret hobby

Oct 6

G!Sans reaction to a pregnant Mom Frisk?

G!papara version of pregnancy

Oct 7 - Have you heard of the Ffrans Don x Kitten?

Oct 9 - G!Papara/frans First kisses?

Oct 11

More sweet and fluffy Gpapara

G!Frans next!

Storyshift-related

Oct 1 - Storyshift Papara

Oct 11 - KingSans x Ambassador Frisk first kiss? I miss this ship

Oct 12 - King Sans x Ambassador Frisk pregnancy?

Oct 21 - Story Shift King x Ambassador please? Fell version

Dancetale-related

Oct 4

Dancetale Sans and Frisk headcanons?

More Dancetale please! can we have some Papara with that too?

oh gosh Dancetale can we have some Danceswap Frans???

Welp Danceswap Papara time

Oct 12

If the person is flirting with frisk, how does Sans cope with it

What are your thoughts with Dancetale!Gfrans?

Oct 21 - Some more Dancetale Frans?

Oct 22 - How does sans even express his love for Frisk?

Oct 23 - DanceTale AU where instead of ballet, Frisk ice dances

Mafia/Mobtale-related

Oct 4 - What about Mafiafell hc?

Oct 5 - Runaway bride Frisk! Sans is tasked to retrieve her…

Oct 6 - Mafia Frans is so cute… like how slow is the slowburn?

Oct 12

Mmmmmmmmmmmafia Donna Frisk x rival Don G?

Y’know the drill. Lets see some MobPapara but oddly enough.

Oct 14 - More MobtaleGfrans please!

Oct 21 - More MafiaGfrans or Gpapara

Oct 27 - Can we have some more Frans/Papara cuddles?

------------------------------------------------------

And that's the end of part one of two