#MY ART SUPPLIES ARRIVED WHILE I WAS IN CLASS

[mars-ipan]

HUSTLE TIME

[dcxdpdabbles]

Cave Boy Danny is a dad and that one fact makes Tim less suspicious of him.

Because the contingency plan for Bruce is his kids. It's also really concerning HOW young Bruce is a parent. (How old is he?!)

And this story won't be complete without Dani showing up to cause mayhem while calling for her Father.

She commits to the bit without even knowing all the details. Or the bit.

So, in Cave Au, I had planned to have Danny call Dani, his adoptive sister, instead of his daughter to make the Waynes much more nervous about him, but I'll write a different Au for you to make up for it.

Dani Fenton is the new kid in Tim's class. She's moved with her single father, Daniel Fenton, from a small town in Minnesota. At first, there is not much to her, even with her large brian.

She's a scholarship girl with a mind for chemistry that could make any scientist green with envy. Her uniform must be better tailored, likely second-hand, because it hangs loosely around her body as if made for a taller girl. She doesn't talk to other students, often popping in headphones when they are dismissed to the next class or during breaks.

Most of Gotham Acadamy doesn't want to interact with her, and she's completely fine with returning the sentiment. Personally, Tim only noticed her because she had a Dumpty Humpty sticker on her laptop.

He's surprised to find anyone in his generation who even heard the band, much less enjoyed it enough to have merchandise. It was a rock band that was popular twenty years ago when Bruce was a teenager.

Tim only knows about them because Bruce sometimes puts them on when he wants to work on any Bat vehicles.

He recognized her sticker, but it wasn't a reason to go over and start a conversation with her. The only action this realization caused was Tim pulling up his playlist and pressing one of Dumpty Humpty's songs.

No, what caused him to talk to her was an incident that happened three weeks after she arrived at Gotham Acadamy. It's a well-known fact that scholarship kids were picked on. Even though Waynes attempted to curb the bullying, it still happened to the kids they gave financial assistance to.

Tim had stumbled across a group of girls surrounding Dani by the soccer field. She was sitting on the grassy hill overlooking the field, and around her were various art supplies. Dani had likely been painting when the girls had rudely interrupted her.

It didn't take any of his Bat training to see how they were mocking her, and he sped up just as one girl reached out to try and snatch her screech book out of her hand.

The key word being tried.

Dani had been much faster, for she not only tugged her book out of the bully's reach but also kicked out the feet from under the girl in the same motion.

"Nice try." Dani taunted, her accent just peeking through. "Now, do me a favor and get your daddy to buy you a yacht you can't drive instead of bothering me."

"At least my Dad has money!" The other girl screeched.

Dani snorted. "Oh boy, you really cut me where it hurts. How will I ever recover from that comeback?"

"You Bitch!" A blond girl yelled. Tim knows her. Tina Lumière, the youngest of Harry Lunmiere- a family who ran luxurious vacation services. A family that was always quick to lure in investors. She's been trying to flirt with Tim since Bruce took him in, convinced he'll fund her family business if she bats her eyelashes hard enough.

Tim hates interacting with her.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I'm a poor bitch that won't amount to anything, and I need to stay away from Timbo Dragon so you can go make rich stupid babies with him."

"That's not his name-"

"Look, I only have one day of the school week where I have a free period, and you're wasting it on this." Dani waves her hand around the group with an over-exaggerated squint. "I mean, honestly, why would I go after some guy? I'm a lesbian."

"You are?" The brunette in the circle of bullies asks, with too much interest. Dani sends her a wink, and the girl actually blushes. Tim is suddenly reminded of Steph, and that causes him to smile.

"That's not his name!" Tina shouts, stepping in between the flirting girls. Dani's face clouds over in distaste as she continues. "His name is Timothy Drake. I know you're lying about not being interested in him! I saw you staring at him in biology."

"I was looking at his rock band sweater. It's a band my dad likes-"

"Shut up!" Tina slaps Dani across the face, seemingly smug, but it doesn't last long since the raven-haired girl springs up with a nasty right hook.

It hits Tina right in the eye, knocking the girl down like her friend. She screams, which triggers all her friends to jump at Dani. Despite being smaller and outnumbered, Dani gives as good as she gets, throwing a girl over her shoulder and punching another in the throat.

Tim picked up his speed, walking into a fast run. He barely has the mind to pull out his phone and point it in the group's direction. "Hey, break it up! Break it up!"

The two holding onto Dani's hair let go like they've been burned. If a teacher had tried to stop the fight, they wouldn't have gotten far, but Tim is a Wayne. They have much more power than some poor staff.

"Tim," Tina wails. Her eye is already starting to bruise. She's going to look terrible for a while while it heals. "She attacked me!"

"No, she didn't," He says, rolling his eyes. He waves his phone at them. "Don't lie. I recorded the whole thing. Also, harassing others is super unattractive."

He didn't, but they don't know that. Tina's face falls apart as he helps Dani get her things and then escorts her to the main building. He doubts that will stop her harassment, but hopefully, it will detain them long enough for him to find a better solution.

"Thanks," Dani says after they finish walking. "That was cool of you."

"Don't mention it." He gives her a standard Wayne-dizzy smile. "What of mine sweater were you talking about?"

She grins. "The Dumpty Humpty one.'

"Oh yeah, that's my dad's. He loves the band."

Her eyes light up. "Mine does, too. Maybe we can get our dads to meet and discuss it."

Great. Dani Fenton was another opportunist trying to get Bruce to meet her parents. Pity.

"I'm sure there will be a chance in the future. Maybe the parent-teacher conferences, we'll run into each other," He says with a laugh, not giving her a direct answer. Dani nods and then walks off to her next class. He reports the girls, compiles enough evidence, and when he's sure the school will step in, he doesn't think about the afternoon.

Then, four months later, it's parent-teacher conferences. Bruce and Tim are just about finished visiting all his teachers, that are falling over themselves to get on Brucie's good side when Dani appears, dragging her dad behind her.

"That's him." She says, and Daniel's face lights up.

"You're the Dumpty Humpty fan?" He asks Bruce. His dad has no choice but to play along even though Tim knows he's dead tired and wants to go home.

"Of course. Who doesn't love a good Fairy Tale Ending to listen to on the way home?" Bruce laughs, and Daniel's grin widens.

"That's great, but I like Bloody Prince Charming more. Daniel Fenton, by the way." He holds his hand, and Bruce shakes it slightly more interest now. It's not that Dumpty Humpty isn't just old; it wasn't popular in this part of the country, so it's even rarer to find fans in Gotham.

"Bruce Wayne."

"Nice to meet ya!" Daniel chirps- seeing anyone other than Dick be that cheerful is odd. "Wish we can talk more, but I got to get to this one's art class."

"Of course," Bruce says, even though he's surprised they walked away so quickly without asking for anything more of them. Most try swinddle a second meeting somehow.

Dani waves Tim goodbye, and the Fentons are off down the hall, chatting between them in ordinary, eased tones. It's odd but a forgotten interaction for Tim after a few days.

Not so much for Bruce.

Tim finds out a month later that Bruce not only met up with Mr. Fenton again but even asked for his number on their second meeting. Then the two men went out for dinner, went to the mall, went shopping, and even did some charity fundraiser together.

Bruce would often message Daniel that it felt like he was the new teenager. Tim still did not think it odd.

Only when Damian burst into his room, dragging the rest of their siblings in. The youngest had called on a sibling meeting to discuss a new issue that worried him about Bruce.

"Tim, who is Father's suitor, and what are his intentions with Father?" The boy asked after everyone had settled.

"What?"

"Babybat has a point. I haven't seen Bruce this interested since Catwoman first appeared," Dick added. "I really hope this lover sticks around."

"What lover?" Tim questions Jason, who shrugs.

"A Daniel Fenton? The old man has been going steady with him for about a month now. Haven't you noticed? You were the one that introduced him."

"No, I've been focused on the Phantom case," Tim says, gesturing to the board covered in red yarn and a news clipping of the new hero.

Phantom had appeared a while back, going through the city and helping the little people. He's even harder to catch a glimpse of then Batman, but he's been helping to slowly cut down the pity crime and muggings, letting the Bats focus on the big guns like the Rouges.

The Bats had been trying to pin him down to offer assistance and gradated for all his hard work. They just catch him since Phantom is a meta and always slips away at the last second.

"Whatever the case may be." Damian started up again. "We must protect Father from those with less than honorable intentions."

"Hear, Hear," Steph and Duke cry, lifting up their juice boxes that Cass had passed out. It wasn't a proper sibling meeting without snacks.

"He can't be all bad," Tim said. "He's a single father."

"Having a kid makes him more worthy?"

"In my experience, step-parents have been really great." But Dana was incredible like that, so maybe Tim put too much faith in Bruce's dating life.

They all agree to closely monitor Daniel Fenton and his daughter Dani. There may be more than meets the eye.

[luveeseo]

𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒉𝒚𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒐 𝒙 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

summary: you end up befriending leeseo, the most popular girl in school and you create a cute bond with her over time

a/n: this was requested, hope u like it!!<3

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: fluff 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 862 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: none!!

another day at high school began for you and everyone else. as usually, you walked through the opening gates, blending into the crowd of students making their way to their lockers and classes. most people saw you as, simply, just another student - a typical kid with average grades and average friends. but you had a passion that set you apart: painting. the art room was your refuge, a place where you could chill and let your creativity flow. it was there that you felt completely yourself, away from the judgmental sight of your peers. as you walked down the corridor, the familiar noise of excitement reached your ears. you didnt need to look to know what was going on. leeseo, the most popular girl in school has just arrived. you could see all the heads turned, whisper spread and everyones eyes glittered with admiration. her beauty and style made her the envy of every girl and the dream of every boy. no one is perfect, but it seemed like she was. you couldn't help but admire her from afar, though you never felt tempted to join the mob of students desperate for her attention. to you, she was like a lovely picture, something to admire but never touch. besides, why would she ever look at you? most people dont even acknowledge your role in this school.

after the final bell rang, you ran straight to the art room, ready to put the rest of the day behind. the art room stood out and was brighter than the rest of the school. it was calm and quiet and it had a satisfying scent of paint. the sunlight streamed through the window, spreading a warm glowing over the room and emphasizing the small dust specks that swirled in the air. you set up your easel in your favorite corner, where the light is just right and started working on your latest piece. the day was long and exhausting and each brushstroke was a way for you to release. you didn't have a specific picture in mind, so instead you just let your hand flawlessly work on the canvas, losing yourself in the process. the outside world was fading until it was just you and your art. here, you were free to explore and make mistakes.

you suddenly jumped when the door creaked open. you turned around, surprised to discover leeseo standing at the door, her eyes studying over the room and over you. her approach was unexpected and somehow suitable.

"hi," she greeted, her voice mellow and pleasant. "i didnt know anyone spent time here after school."

you blinked, attempting to conceal your surprise and anxious flutter in your stomach, "um, yes. i enjoy working on my art here. its- its peaceful."

leeseo walked further into the room, her eyes running over the numerous art supplies and incomplete pieces. she seemed genuinely interested. "can i see what you're working on?"

unsure, you nodded, allowing her to approach your easel. she simply stared at your painting, examining too. her closeness made you painfully aware of her being here and you felt both nervous and shy.

"this is amazing" she replied with genuine admiration in her voice. "i wish i would paint like this."

you couldn't help but smile, as the compliment warmed your heart. nobody really ever looked over your work and this made you feel appreciated. "thanks. its just something i enjoy doing."

to your surprise, leeseo began to visit the art room after school on a regular basis. she was always looking for an excuse to view your latest work, so the two of you began to talk more. despite her status, leeseo was just as simple as everyone else, and she was curious of the world beyond her social circle. every day after school, the room became a safe space for the two of you. you'd paint while leeseo sat close, either working on her own sketches or simply watching you with a smile on her face. the conversations came freely, being everything from amusing to deep.

one afternoon, leeseo opened up to you while watching the movement of your brush. "you know," she said quietly, "everyone sees me as this perfect popular girl, but sometimes it feels like no one really knows me."

you paused and look at her seriously. "i understand the feeling. people only see the things they want to see, but i believe there is more to you than just being popular."

she smiled, with a sign of weakness in her eyes. "thanks. that means a lot, y/n."

as the days passed into weeks, your friendship with leeseo got stronger. she became the muse for your art. you decided to paint a portrait of the girl in hopes of capturing her real image. when you revealed the portrait to her, she was speechless.

"this is… incredible," she said, her voice shaking, "no one's ever seen me like this before."

"i see you, leeseo. the real you"

as the two of you stood there, you understood that sometimes the most beautiful relationships can develop unexpectedly, just like the beautiful colors and shapes that slowly appear on the canvas.

[tainted-liquor]

'Make it Awkward...⋆｡°✩

E1610!Miles Morales x BlackFem!Reader Ingredients: Sugar, Kisses, n a lil bit of smiles! TWs: Awkward teen love like rlly rlly awkward W/C: 1.8k A/N: SZA Inspired fic ❤︎!! another cute lil req from my 100 special!

You and Miles had developed a sturdy friendship in middle school, with you always being hyped up as the "art kid" in each of your classes. Initially, he was a little bit bitter because he didn't really understand what the hype was all about. He could draw, and he could do it just as good as you. Which, granted was indeed true, but your work felt like something out of a Van Gogh discography. Each and every one of your paintings and drawings almost looked like there was a filter over them, like something out of a flurry dream that evoked nostalgia and warmth in whoever seemed to view them. To say he was inspired by you was an understatement, he wanted to drown himself in everything that was your talent.

But as time passed and spiders bit, you two grew apart from each other on account of him semi-blowing you off for Gwen. You stopped hanging out slowly, he began to drop art and pick up a sudden interest in physics and inter-dimensional travel, and even got...meaner? The kind and innocent kid that once was Miles suddenly became jumpy and antsy. You thought that you two had something worth way more than any other friendship you had, but one day shit just shifted into complete, and total, awkward silence. But as time heals all wounds, you slowly began talking again at the top of this month, right before your summer came to its close.

Miles quietly hummed along to the steady bump of the music in his headphones, nodding to the rhythm as he began illustrating a head in his sketchbook. As 'Les' By Childish Gambino slowly fizzed out and the electronic chords of 'Awkward' By SZA became known, his sketch started to warp a little. He didn't necessarily remember how or when, but he noticed his sketch become a lot less androgynous and more familiar, with twinkling brown eyes and thick curly hair becoming more detailed with each pencil stroke. It took him a while to realize, but eventually, he had drawn...you. Down to the finest details as well, your smile lines and your perfectly sculpted Nubian nose.

What he hadn't anticipated was filling up the next 2 pages of his sketchbook with both your face and the signature crochet fingerless gloves you wore during the winter. What initially was just a warmup while waiting for you to arrive at his house turned into a full-blown drawing session with you as the muse. You weren't even there and he still had drawn you 100% accurately from memory. He sighed as his playlist continued to play out a steady stream of nothing but SZA, leaning back in his chair as he stared up at the ceiling before he heard a knock on his room door. "Ah-Come in!" he yelped as he quickly put away his sketchbook, swapping out the pencils and paint markers for paintbrushes and canvases.

You gently pushed open the door, showing Miles your painted tote bag full of art supplies, such as watercolors, charcoal, oil paints, three palettes, and various paintbrushes. "Hey, Miles! Sorry, it took me a lil bit...that fuckin' line in the art store was INSANE" you chirped as you slowly entered Miles's room and set down your bag. You placed your shoes in the corner of his room before walking over to sit on his bed. He pulled off his headphones, gently placing them on their stand before spinning around in his indigo desk chair. "That's fine! Don't even worry about it I know how full them stores get" he shrugs as he grabs his Bluetooth speaker from off his shelf, motioning for you to follow him as he stacks the canvases and art supplies in his hands.

"C'mon, there's not enough space in my room for two people to paint," he explains as he climbs the stairs up to his apartment roof. You followed closely behind him, setting up the art supplies as he fidgeted with his speaker. You lean back against the wall as you sit on the concrete roof, taking in the pretty sky as you sketch out some buildings and a landscape on your canvas. "So how's summer for you, huh? What's her name...Gwen was it? How'd things go over with her?" You ask as you begin to add minor details to your sketch. Truth be told it ate you up every single time he would mention her in your past conversations, with you having a small...thing for him that grew over time.

"Oh! Uh, Gwen...yeah. Things went south, we don't really talk anymore..." He shrugs as he rips the plastic off of a rather large canvas. You nodded slowly, indicating that you were hanging on to his every word as you cracked open a fresh bottle of paint thinner, pouring it into a small glass cup before coating your brush in the clear mineral spirit. You slather a couple of shades of deep blue, rusty orange, bright magenta, and off-white on your paint palette as you work to form that beautiful 'sunset gradient' on your canvas. He connects his phone to the small black speaker, his playlist resuming quietly in the background. "But how's your summer been?" he asks as he mirrors the process of sitting beside you and leaning against the wall.

"My summer's been fine actually. Nothing too eventful, no trips or nothing, just taking a couple...ahem...adventures!" You explain as you recall how you nearly got in trouble with the police for trespassing in various abandoned locations for funsies. Miles gives you a playful side-eye, looking you up and down. "You sound a lil sketchy...what did YOU do this summer?" he chuckled as he began sketching out some scenery and what looked like the early stages of a body on his canvas. "Shhhh, your dad's a cop" you giggled as you picked up a smaller brush, filling in the buildings and scenery in your painting. You both chuckled at the slight confession, looking ahead of you so you could get an accurate view of what you were currently painting.

You took a small glance at what Miles was currently sketching, getting a good look at the faceless humanoid figure sitting cross-legged, with an unidentified object that vaguely resembled a pencil in her hand as she drew on her...face? Eyeliner maybe? You hummed along to 'Supermodel' By SZA. You held up your canvas closer to Miles's canvas, analyzing the difference in art styles. Yours was much more realistic, and heavily influenced by the world around you with your unique play on your color palette. whereas Miles was more stylized and thought out, the colors remaining true to their actual hue.

"What do you think this needs more of?" you ask as you tilt your canvas towards Miles. He thought for a moment, tilting his head slightly so he could thoroughly analyze the painting. "More shine to the light sources maybe? Like a soft glow!" he beamed as he pointed towards the canvas with the opposite end of his paintbrush. You nod with your signature full smile, smile leans indicating your raw and unfiltered joy. Miles's eyes lingered on you for a couple of seconds before he madly swiped away at his canvas, seemingly blocking out more details with darker shades of watercolor.

You spent the next four hours, yes, four hours giggling like children as Miles sang along terribly to some of the songs on his playlist, starting a mini karaoke session on his roof with the both of you. It began to get cold and dark, so you decided you would pick up the canvases again after going inside to get something to eat. He grabbed his speaker and supplies, leaving his large canvas on the roof of his building before disappearing through the door to his apartment complex. You stuffed most of what you wanted to bring back down into your bag, before deciding to look over at Miles's painting. It looked exactly like you, but you were younger.

You remembered that damn scrunchie you had locked on your wrist, your favorite dark red satin scrunchie that went perfectly with your uniform. You shifted slightly to get a better angle of the canvas, watching as 8th grade you sprung to life in the form of doing your eyeliner on the bathroom sink. Miles had been there with you, watching as you painfully kneeled on the edge of the sink and leaned hazardously close to the mirror. You smiled softly to yourself as you noticed each beauty mark you had perfectly positioned on your face, from each scar to every minor indent in your smile. You chuckled quietly before swinging open the door and bolting down the stairs, straight to Miles's room.

And there he was, viciously fucking up a cup of noodles like someone would take it from him at any moment. "Damn, is it good? it ain't goin' nowhere now..." you joked with wide eyes as he gestured to an identical cup cooling off by his mini desk fan. You ate alongside him in silence, not really knowing what to say to each other. "I see you're still painting like in middle school...?" he states, referring to your distinct blurred style of painting. "Huh...Oh! Yeah, haha. I miss middle school kinda." You shrug as you sit the cup down on the side of his desk.

"Really? I always thought you thought I was a lil annoying back in middle school. I think you were my quietest friend ever" he joked as he finished his cup, dunking it in his trash can. "Huh? I literally thought you were the cutest thing ever! If I thought you were annoying I would've told you!" you stated with a small chuckle. Miles seemed to think for a moment, pausing as he processed the first half of your sentence. "Wait, you thought I was cute this whole time?" He asked with wide eyes. "Yeah! I was quiet cuz I didn't wanna fuck anything up! I think I had the fattest crush on you!" you laughed as you realized he thought that YOU thought he was annoying this whole time.

He gawked for a minute, his jaw slacked and eyes even wider than before. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" he semi-shouted as he began pacing around his room. You could only laugh, saying "We were like 10 and I didn't know if you would've liked me back." He looked at you as if you had 2 heads, going on some long rant about how he always thought you just weren't interested or thought he was annoying. You silently got up from his bed, walking over to him and stopping him entirely.

Miles looked at you with a rather confused and amused expression, probably still processing the fact that you openly admitted to liking him in middle school. But nothing in the world could have prepared him for the delicate kiss that you placed on his lips. He eagerly closed the space between the two of you, wrapping one arm around your waist almost by instinct. You pulled away from him after what felt like years, muttering a small "Who taught you that?"

[possumsandprose]

Hello, fellow Elriel!

This is your Elriel Month fic exchange announcement. Remember to not post this Ask until the days of your prompt (feel free to post your fic directly to this ask). 

Gifting: @slytherhys

Prompt: Endless Possibilities

Tropes: Fluff, Hurt/comfort, HEA, AU

Send @elriel-month an ask if you have any questions. Can’t wait to read it! 🦇🌹

Happy @elriel-month @slytherhys from your gifter!

This fic was inspired by a conversation I had with @shallyne a few months ago as well as my own desire to read a fic with Elain adopting a bunch of children. I hope you love this!

Warnings: nothing really, it's just a ton of fluff. Slight mentions of past abuse maybe?

Word count: 1.8 K

Loud shouts of glee filled the air around Elain as she pulled another sheet of muffins out of the oven. A small smile grew on her lips as she thought of the small children who would soon come charging in to grab the sweets before they were all gone.

Elain dusted her flour-coated hands on her apron, looking out the window and surveying the scene outside. Around 40 children of all sizes were out there, some Illyrian, some fae, and some were species of lesser fae that she didn’t recognize. That didn’t stop her from loving every child like her own, though. Small groups had broken off to play tag, while some of the older ones were playing something that looked like dodgeball.

Amongst the trees she Emeline, her eldest. With her black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin she was the spitting image of her father, and like her father wisps of shadows swirled over the surroundings. In Emeline’s arms was the youngest, Aurelia, at just 10 months old. 

A loud crash sounded from the entryway, announcing her sister’s arrival. Sure enough, when Elain peeked out of the kitchen, Feyre was on the floor, having tripped over a potted plant. Elain shook her head in amusement. Many words could be used to describe her sister, but coordinated was not one of them. 

Offering her a hand, Elain grinned, and the two walked to the back rooms of the orphanage together.

“Elain! I’m so sorry about your plant. I swear sometimes I could trip over the air. Anyway, I wanted to wish you a happy anniversary! I can’t believe you’ve already had your 50th anniversary, and that this place is now officially 25 years old. It’s so incredible what you’ve done with the place,” Feyre said excitedly.

Elain could hardly believe it either. 50 years since she married the love of her life, and 25 years since she’d begun to fulfill her dream. 

Feyre continued, “I’m delighted that this has turned out so well, not only for the sake of the children but for you and Azriel as well. I know you always wanted a big family, and all of the little ones are just like my own nieces and nephews.”

“For sure,” Elain replied, “I love each and every one of them. I’m glad I could make a difference in their lives.”

The war had been brutal on many families, leaving lots of children orphaned. In addition, lots of Illyrian children had been abandoned or abused by their parents for lots of reasons. The reason never mattered though, all were welcome here. 

The sisters reached the end of the hall, and Elain unlocked the double doors that led into a room covered in dropcloths, with easels and canvases already set out and waiting.

“Oh Elain, you are a dear. I about burned all those tarps in anger last time I tried to hang them up. Anyway, if you want to go give the little gremlins their sweets, I can get the paints out and ready,” Feyre said, already pulling things out of the supply closet.

Despite how busy she was being High Lady and all of the duties that came with being the mother of 4 children, Feyre always carved time out of her week to give art classes here, for which Elain was eternally grateful.

So many of the young found comfort in painting or sculpting, or whatever it was they chose. Others simply enjoyed the freedom that art allowed and preferred to go crazy.

Elain left her sister to it, returning to the kitchen and banging the loud bell by the window. Everyone turned to look at her, and she beckoned at them. Not long afterward a mad rush of people entered, and quickly everyone spread out onto the cushions, chairs, and couches in the living area. 

In the back was Emeline, though the baby had been passed over to her middle child, Edward. Being fully blind, Elain’s eldest was always very hesitant about being near the crowds, but Edward had a heart of gold and looked out for her at all times. 

They too sat down, and Elain left to go clean the dormitories. As she gathered up all the linens into her massive wicker basket, she thought about just how much the building they were in had changed.

Azriel had first told her about this place some 30 years ago, having found it while he was away on a scouting mission. He told her he’d gone inside and had found a small group of children of varying ages huddled by a dying fire. 

He’d immediately gone back to her and asked if she could make some food because all of them looked like they hadn’t eaten in days. That made sense, too, since in the dead of Illyria’s winters you’d be lucky to find even just one of the bony mountain birds with not enough meat on it for a baby. 

Elain had jumped into action, making her favourite hearty soup recipe, and while it was cooking she had gathered all the blankets, wraps, towels, and whatever else she could find in the River House. 

The children were at first quite scared, but eventually, after Elain (and Azriel, when he could) visited them for a few weeks they began to open up.

The eldest, Blair, was the unofficial mother of the group, and she was doing all she could to support the others. Blair had a younger sister, Sabeena, but the rest were all similarly abandoned or orphaned with nowhere else to go. 

Working as a maid and doing some other odd jobs got them a few small coins for clothes, but not much more. The dilapidated cabin, most likely once a hunting lodge, was in dire need of repairs, but it sufficed well enough to keep the cold out.

But as Elain found out, Blair had gotten faeriepox recently, a nasty illness that due to a lack of medical care had taken her out for weeks on end. And without the money she brought in and without local game to hunt, there was nothing.

Elain’s heart shattered listening to the story, different parts told by all the children. Most were Illyrian, with all of the females’ wings displaying the brutal clipping scars, though there were a few males in the group. 

After that, it had been her personal mission to provide for the group who, in Elain’s eyes, were now just as much her children as her own daughter. Rhysand and Feyre, once they’d found out about it, were only too happy to provide her with funds and support to transform the tiny hut into a huge building with proper insulation, real beds, running water, and a stocked kitchen.

Feyre had told her in private how much it reminded her of the cottage they used to grow up in, and Elain had to agree. The young ones hadn’t looked much different than she and her sisters used to when they were poor, and the haggard look of a person hunting for food that couldn’t be found was all too familiar. She suspected that was one of the reasons Feyre was so impassioned now about the restoration and upkeep here because Feyre rightfully believed that no child should have to experience what they did. 

25 years ago on this day, the orphanage opened its doors for the first time to anyone who wanted to stay. At first not much happened, but eventually people started to trickle in. Lesser fae with skin all hues of the rainbow, Illyrian children with scars so horrific it made Elain want to cry, even a few high fae, and though nothing looked physically wrong with them, Elain knew deep in her heart they had seen more than anyone should ever have to.

And that was how it was, 25 years later. Anyone and everyone was welcome to stay for as long as they wanted-whether just for food or to move in until they found a way to support themselves. It was the pride and joy of Elain’s life, running this place. She’d dreamed of having a big family ever since she was a little girl, and now, finally, it had come true. 

As Elain turned around, arms full with the baskets of laundry, she ran right into a solid wall covered in leather.

“Hello to you too, darling,” came the soft, melodious voice she loved so much.

“Az!” she squealed in glee, abandoning the basket on the floor in favour of jumping into her husband’s arms. He swept her up in a kiss, hugging her close.

“Happy anniversary, love. I can’t believe it’s been 50 years,” said Elain breathlessly. 

“It’s been the best 50 years of my life. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I thank the Mother and the Cauldron and whatever else is up there that I get to spend the rest of my life with you,” he told her. Even after all this time, Elain’s heart still fluttered like it was their first time whenever he said that he loved her.

Their moment was interrupted by a soft babbling noise down below, and Elain felt a tiny hand tugging on the hem of her dress. There on the ground was Aurelia, having toddled her way in to find them. Her tiny wings beat uselessly behind her, which never failed to amuse any of her family. 

Rhys had told her that Illyrians usually began to fly at around age 5, but until then her wings wouldn’t do much than make her more prone to accidents. 

Az’s shadows swirled down to meet his daughter as they always did, and she squealed in delight while trying to grab them. 

A soft smile flitted on the shadowsinger’s face watching his baby play with his shadows, and Elain thought back to the first time he held Emeline.

She remembered how excited he’d been when she’d told him she was pregnant, but also terrified at the prospect of being a father. He worried constantly that he would frighten or harm the child accidentally, no matter how many times Elain reassured him that that would never happen. 

It had never really sunk in, though, until the first time he held Emeline in his arms, and his shadows had come out curiously to investigate. Emeline had been born blind, and so watching as she giggled with the tickling sensation of shadows swirling around her seemed to finally have persuaded Azriel that he would not be like his father, and that he would love and care for his children no matter what. 

Azriel scooped Aurelia into his arms, and the three of them left for the dining room. They looked out at their big, happy family, and standing there, with her husband and her children, Elain had never felt more at home.

[justavulcan]

Backgrounds With Class: Golgari Agent

I'll be honest: Ravnica has always fascinated me. I was a high schooler when the first set came out, and I was immediately consumed creating characters for the setting. Now that we've actually received my long-awaited crossover, I thought it would be nice to write a love letter to the setting in the form of another Backgrounds with Class series. After all: some guilds have natural class choices tied in, from a conceptual standpoint. Boros and Fighter, Izzet and Wizard, Selesnya and Druid. But guilds aren’t class-restricted, and so I wonder what it would look like if you paired every class with every guild background, even the ones that seem at odds, like Izzet and Barbarian, or Gruul and Artificer.  So I thought about it, and this is what I came up with.  Some character concepts for each class, and each Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica background for each class.

Golgari Agent

The Golgari Agent Artificer is one of the kraul, a wingless merchant who recently took over the family business.  Poling a narrow raft through the undercity’s sewer network isn’t glamorous work, but it does afford her a fine selection of various fungi and other ingredients for her elixirs and salves.  If push comes to shove, her alchemical expertise is for more than just brewing potions; many an undercity predator has tasted her home-made deathspore bombs and opted for easier prey elsewhere.

The Golgari Agent Barbarian has been a member of his neighborhood’s hunting party since he became of age.  Eschewing moodmark paint in favor of a hunter’s mottled camouflage pigments, he knows how to track and run down prey with the pack coordination of a wolf.  This talent’s not hyperbole, either; his last encounter with one of the Selesnya’s ledev guardians supplied him with a fine wolf-pelt cowl he wears proudly over his hunter’s paint.  Sometimes he even thinks the spirit of the wolf takes over on the hunt; it would account for the times he’s come to after a kill with blood on his face.

The Golgari Agent Bard knows better than most how things of import can turn up anywhere.  A findbroker by trade, her ability to discover the history behind any gewgaw or trinket she scrounges up has more than doubled her profit on occasion.  Gifted with a turn of phrase and the eerie, low-pitch ocarina she cares for like a child, her ambitions don’t stop at finding lost art- she yearns to be the first to rediscover some buried vault or basement thought long lost.

The Golgari Agent Cleric, in accordance with the Swarm’s care for the cycle of life and death, has been responsible for dozens of acts of euthanasia in her life.  It doesn’t take an expert to recognize when a hunter’s been taken by zombie fungus, or when a red reaver bloom’s explosive dispersal drives a whole apartment block mad with aggression.  It just takes care and respect for the final solace of death to ease people’s suffering.  That her focus also comes in handy fending off territorial disputes is icing.

The Golgari Agent Druid is, technically, a drudge, one of the zombified dead that the Swarm relies on for muscle, both on the farm and the battlefield.  However, unknown processes allowed the fungal parasite to seize full control of the host, and arrive at a consciousness of their own.  Now, they’re busy determining the meaning of their new existence.  While they work it out, they shamble about the Undercity, working odd jobs tending livestock and helping farmers with their natural understanding of other fungi.

The Golgari Agent Fighter is militant, a troll-blooded human with the strength of arm and heart to testify to his lineage.  While for the moment just one of the many toughs that lurk around the Undercity looking for easy prey, his true goal is far less provincial: to climb the Swarm’s political ladder and become one of Jarad’s closest advisors or even his bodyguard.  To this end, he’s quick to speak out in aggression against surface- dwellers intruding on his domain, or take the initiative and lead a raiding party himself.

The Golgari Agent Monk was always gifted with swiftness of arm and wit; as a nymph he scrapped with his siblings more days than not, and has since taken to far more dangerous partners to improve her skills.  He mostly works as a guide for the rare surface-dweller to travel below the sunlit streets, and even distills his own moonshine from fermenting fruit and the ample yeast colonies on his travels.  He’s become quite the alcoholic aficionado, and claims he fights even better when he’s had a few drinks.

The Golgari Agent Paladin was, like many of his Ordruun kin, originally slated to join the Boros Legion as a cadet when he came of age.  He did, but when a raid went bad and he was left for dead in the Undercity by a sergeant he knew to be corrupt, he swore he wouldn’t leave the darkened streets and buried closes of Ravnica until the man lay dead before him.  A childhood roaming the near-surface reaches and a minotaur’s innate sense of direction have served him well, and his new guild feeds the cold core of his desire for vengeance happily so long as it’s pointed at their mutual enemies.

The Golgari Agent Ranger always liked bugs.  Wasn’t much of a choice, really, living in one of the many tenement buildings sunk below the sunlit streets of upper Ravnica- you learned to deal with the scurrying things of the world young.  Cultivating a unique magical bond with them was the work of many long nights, but the result has been beyond reproach- his many tiny friends are stronger than they look, and complement his hunting well as they ensure that his prey can never truly escape.

The Golgari Agent Rogue has aspired to become one of the Ochran ever since one killed his abusive parents in front of him.  Starry-eyed about becoming one of the Swarm’s most famous killers, he moved to the Undercity the next week, escaping the home of his blood family to find new kin.  He had a rough time of it, begging and sweeping out chimneys, but he picked up the poisons quickly, and has always been slight enough to slip down sewer pipes and chimneys to find the target.

The Golgari Agent Sorcerer was a washout before he was anything of real use- literally.  Originally an experimental attempt at forming a drake-human krasis for the Guardian Project, he was mistaken by a careless lab assistant for a failure and flushed out of his transformation tank before his scales, wing flaps, and poison glands fully developed.  Recovered by a rot farmer accustomed to handling the runoff from the Simic lab in question, he’s grown to appreciate his new environment- and has already misdirected or slain the first attempts of the lab’s owner to track him down for retrieval.

The Golgari Agent Warlock always made a point of delving deeper and into tighter environs than his contemporaries.  Never a good fit with hunter or shaman, he explored the depths of the Undercity all on his own before stumbling one day into an as-yet undiscovered chamber.  The figure sitting on the throne there was enormous in size and patched together from all different creatures, but when it stirred to see the boy before it, all it did was offer him a set of knucklebones on string.  Taking them was the beginning of something, and now the man treasures the talisman that forms the link to his patron.

The Golgari Agent Wizard has been a rot farmer for decades.  It’s only now, lately, that he’s set out to travel and study magic in the hopes of winning his farm back.  It was taken from him by a devkarin lich, an objective lesson in might making right within the Swarm, and he hopes to master enough of the necromancer’s art to bend the new owner’s undead farmhands to his will.  He’s quickly finding that things are very big outside his secluded cavern home, and even that he likes it- perhaps enough to keep him from going back.

[cyberrgirlsblog]

Candle ligth Pt4

trigger warning: cussing, smoking, not proof read, erm idk. kinda rushed revolation erm yea i hope this is ok, lm if i should change anything, some inacurate use of drugs and names for them like more modern names for stuff. spelling

Your pov

—--------------

I woke up in the morning to the semblance of sunlight shining in my eyes. I groaned and turned over trying to fall back asleep but soon started to cough after I inhaled smoke in my lungs. I sat up and looked around the room only to see ash sitting on his bed smoking a cig.

“Ash what the fuck, its like 9:00am or some shit why the fuck are you smoking” i groaned in irritation, looked at me and rolled his eyes. I was surprised since he rarely ever did smoke anything that wasn't weed

“Yea well too bad, pol said it was ok too before you ask.” he said rather bluntly but i could swear i saw a slight smirk at the edge of his lips.

“Yea well good for you, also when did you even start smoking anything but weed .” I said confused, he inhaled the smoke from his cigarette and blew it out. Before he could respond i herd a nock on the door.

“Hello?” i said not knowing if it was pol or one of her maids who was knocking on the door.

“It's me” I heard pol's distinct voice say, she opened the door and saw me and ash looking at her with curious eyes. She breathed in before speaking “Tommy is having a ballet and he wants you two to come to supply stuff we don't have. You need to leave by the time the ballet starts. Please while there do not say anything you would usually say.” Me and ash shared a look before looking back at Pol

“What type of drugs do you need and what do you mean don't say what we usually say are there gonna be some high class shits there or something.” Ash said, I nodded as I continued to stare at pol. I was suspicious about why she seemed somewhat uneasy.

“That's what I mean, don't talk like that when you're there, there will be some important people there try not to talk to them. If they talk to you first, that's different.” she said with a serious tone. She took a puff of her own cigarette. The room slowly started to smell more and more of smoke making me cough slightly.

“What should we wear there and do you have a notepad so i can write down what we need to bring pol.” I said while getting up from my bed and going over to the desk.

“If they are in the 2nd there should be a pen in there as well, we need some cannabis and morphine. The money will be there when you arrive one of the maids will show you where it is” she said, i wrote down what and how much that was needed.

“Also it's formal so I expect you two to look nice and not like you just walked out of a pub. It's this friday” she said, i chuckled a little bit.

“We will make sure to look presentable for those rich fucks dont worry.”i said and looked over at Ash to make sure he heard me. I turned around as I stood up from the chair and folded the note.

“And if anyone asks why you're here say you make art and that's why you're here so (y/n) i need you to paint a picture of anything really just to cover you two. How far along are you with the painting of Tommy and lizzy” she said, I looked at her and nodded. The way we often covered up drug sails was by smuggling it in through art. 

“I'm almost done with just some touch ups I need to do to the background but it should be done. But if i want it to be done by this friday i need to get back home know” i said with urgency in my voice.

Pol looks at me and nods her head “ok well i'll get the car started don't take too long to pack up anything you brought.” she said as she left the room

“Thank you Mrs. Gray "I yelled out, I started to pack the few things I brought and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and make myself look presentable. I stuck my head out the bathroom and looked at ash

“Yo are you gonna come with me or stay here?” I asked him as I walked back into the room while grabbing my bag. Ash looked at me and shook his head.

“Nah i think ima stay here for a bit try to get in contact with fez.” he said looking at me and smiling slightly.

‘’Ok well stay safe ash and don't get yourself into anything stupid okay i got people that will tell me if you do.” i said while lightly punching him in his shoulder

“Aye what? (Y/n) the fuck do you mean you got people?” he said confused, as i walked out the door i turned and sent a playful grin towards him before leaving the room and closing the door behind me. As I walked down stares I could hear people talking. When I got down I saw it was Aberham Gold and Polly.

“Toms got a fucking trues with them Pol-” he stopped once he saw me. The thing was he didnt know who I was but I knew of him. I knew his son had been killed by the billy boys and that he was a good shooter.

“Sorry if i'm interrupting anything.” I said to them I shifted my eyes to the floor to put up a nervous front. “Pol, ash said he's gonna stay here for a bit. I thought I should let you know.” I heard footsteps come over to me. I looked up from the ground and saw Pol looking at me.

“That's fine but are you fine being by yourself at home?” she asked like a concerned mother or maybe she was just asking to be kind either way it confused me somehow.

“Well at home there are weapons so if anyone tries anything I'll shoot them.” i said a bit quieter compared to my normal tone. Pol looked at me and nodded her head. I noticed Aberham looking at me with an unreadable look on his face. I felt a smirk appeared on my face, i shifted my eyes between the two of them

“ This is your boyfriend Pol?” I asked with a giggle. I could see both of them roll their eyes and pol pushed me to the front door. 

“Get in the car (Y/n) I'll meet you there in a minute.” she said with a playfully annoyed voice. I laughed and waved to Abraham and walked out to the car. I opened the door and set my things down next to me in the other seat. I took  out a cigarette and lit it, but not before opening the door of the car and getting out. I observed the neighborhood, it was a higher class neighborhood compared to the others in Birmingham, the skys were clearer and it was more quiet. I noticed a car parked outside of a house with someone in it. It appeared to be a man but it was hard to tell. But what I could tell is that they were looking at Pol's house. I blew out some smoke from my cigarette and threw it on the ground and snuffed it out. I looked back up at the car and noticed they were looking at me now. I stared back squinting my eyes for some hope to see through the tinted glass of the car windows but before I could get a good look I heard the door open. 

“Well let's go (Y/n), Oh and this is Abraham gold, Abraham this is (Y/n).” she said as she got in the car Abraham followed and sat next to her. I got into the seat behind them. As the driver got in the car I took note of abraham. He was wearing working class clothes. He had gray hair that looked like it was just cut. 

It seemed that he sensed my eyes on him as he turned his head to look back at me, i smiled “Nice to meet you Mr. Gold sorry for intruding on your conversation with Ms.Gray”

“Nice to meet you (y/n), you have a last name don't you?” he asked, smiling back at me.

“If I did , you would know it. I was adopted and given my name by my grandmother.” i said looking at him, it wasn't a lie necessarily i was given a name by my grandma but i changed it to (Y/n) after a while i mean Ash might of kept his but no one calls him ashtray. I changed my name to (y/n) after we moved out of the states, there's no document of it though. There's no documents of my old name either, But I like it that way because it makes it easier for me to keep a low profile and harder for people to research me beyond what I do on a daily basis.

I turned and looked at the window and watched as the houses passed by, my eyes looking around anytime we made a stop. To try to find anything that would interest me, I could hear the voices of pol and abraham but i didn't listen to what they were saying. I didn't care, I just wanted to get home.

Time jump

The car stopped outside of my house, it was a small house but bigger than the ones in small heath, it was an old farmhouse but not like tommys it was more of a mansion. We didn't grow anything, though maybe some flowers or corn but that was all.

“Thank you for taking me here Ms. Gray, I do appreciate it a lot” I said before getting out of the car and grabbing my things. I closed the door behind me and waved before walking up to the house.

Silently, I turned the doorknob and entered the room. Gently, I slipped off my shoes and ascended the staircase. Crossing the hallway, I peered into my grandmother's room through the slightly ajar door. A serene sight met my eyes – she slumbered peacefully, the weight of her worries visibly lifted. A smile crept across my lips, reassured by her newfound tranquility.

I went down to living room and there I carefully unfolded the drape that veiled my work-in-progress, a depiction of Tommy and Lizzie. With deliberate steps, I placed the cloth on the floor, clearing a space for me to start painting.

Fetching my watercolor brushes and selecting the appropriate hues, and started to paint. The canvas came alive under the caress of my brushstrokes, I blended the colors, giving life to the background. The trees that graced my window became the cornerstone of this painting, their forms and shades guiding my vision.

While engrossed in my painting, a knock at the door jolted me from my concentration. Puzzled by the unexpected interruption, I put down my brushes and retrieved my gun from the side table. With the weapon discreetly concealed on my person, my senses heightened.

"Hello," I greeted, cracking the door open just enough to peer out. The persons identity remained hidden, and I wasn't gonna take any risks.

"Is this (y/n)'s house?" the voice inquired. Though familiar, I struggled to place it.

"Who's asking?" I responded skeptically, slightly widening the door's opening.

"Duke," came the reply. The moment that name escaped his lips, the door swung fully open, and a rush of emotions flooded me as I looked at the figure infront of me. He looked every bit of the Duke I remembered, and a genuine smile graced my lips. Although part of me wanted to hug him and share how much I'd missed him, I held back, mindful of our past boundaries.

"Hey. How did you…. find me?" I asked, a blend of happiness and confusion evident in my tone.

"I remembered where your house was from our 1st encounter, to be honest." he explained, his gaze steady and direct.

"Want to come in then, or is this just a brief visit?" I asked, maintaining our eye contact.

"Um... sure," he agreed. I widened the doorway, and he entered. Barely a few steps inside, I intervened by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"yo, hold on. take off your shoes. I dont want to have any mud or dirt tracked in," I said. Once he complied, I withdrew my hand and he turned to the wall and took off his shoes. The phone rang.

As Duke stepped inside and I discreetly answered the phone, a sense of unease settled over me. The voice on the other end sounded unfamiliar, and the mention of Fezco, me, and Ashtray raised an internal alarm.

"Hello?" I responded cautiously, trying to maintain a composed demeanor.

"Is this the residence of Fezco, (y/n), and Ashtray?" The calm mellow voice of an American female was heard on the other end held a calculated tone, sending a chill down my spine.

"Who's asking?" I repeated, my voice tinged with a mix of wariness and curosity.

The voice on the phone grew slightly colder, a hint of menace lacing its words. "we're concerned about the company they've been keeping. Working with the Peaky Blinders."

My heart raced, realizing that this was no ordinary call. The implications of this conversation began to sink in – our connections, our allegiances were being scrutinized, and our safety was hanging in the balance.

"Look, whoever you are, I don't know what your talking about." I retorted, my voice firm, a shield of defiance against the mounting threat.

The voice remained unfazed, its threat now more explicit. "Fezco, (y/n), and Ashtray might want to reconsider their loyalties if they value their well-being. The Peaky Blinders' enemies have a long reach, and are not afraid to take drastic measures."

My mind raced, assessing the situation. It was clear that the caller was well-informed, aware of our affiliations, and determined to exploit our vulnerability.

"I don't take kindly to threats, also why threaten them?" I responded, my voice now in a whisper and edged with a steely resolve. "If you think we'll be intimidated, you're mistaken."

The line went silent for a moment before the voice spoke again, its tone measured. "Remember, (y/n), everyone has weaknesses, even those who walk in the shadow of the Peaky Blinders. Make your choice wisely."

With that chilling finality, the call ended. I stood there, phone in hand, the weight of the threat sinking in. As I turned back to rejoin Duke, the gravity of our situation became all too clear – the world we were entangled in was more rife with danger than I knew, and the safety of Fezco, Ashtray, and myself. I huffed in frustration, before turning back to a confused duke.

"Make yourself comfortable," I offered while trying to make it seem like it was a normal phone call that had just happened. leading the way into the cozy space filled with the gentle glow of natural light filtering through the windows. The unfinished painting of Tommy and Lizzie stood prompt up.

Duke's eyes wandered around the room, his gaze eventually settling on the painting. "You paint?" he remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice. It seemed like he has not paid to much mind to the call

"Yea i do, Thanks," I replied, i felt my face heat up. "It's a work in progress."

“"Who are those people in the painting?" Duke's voice carried a note of genuine curiosity as his gaze remained fixed on the canvas.

I turned to face the artwork, my own smile reflecting the fondness I held for the depicted characters. "That's Tommy Shelby and his wife, Lizzie Shelby, or formerly Lizzie Stark," I explained. My attention lingered on the painting as I recalled the intricate details I had carefully woven into the canvas.

"Shelby?" Duke's reaction was unmistakable – a mix of surprise and disbelief.

I met his astonished gaze with a subtle smile. "I've been creating art for the Shelbys for a while now. This isn't the first time I've 'painted' for them. I suppose they appreciate my work, do you know them?" I responded. Before Duke could ask further, I cut him off.

"Would you like something to drink?" I offered, listing the available options – whisky, rum, wine, and water. His prompt choice of water made it clear he wasn't in the mood for alcohol.

As I fetched the water and poured two glasses, “you don't drink?” the duke asked, "I drink whatever my guests prefer," I clarified, the corners of my lips curling into a knowing smile. Sipping from my own glass, I maintained a relaxed posture, ready to address his deeper concerns.

His next inquiry, laden with curiosity and a touch of worry, cut to the core of the matter. "is it true what people sayabout them (Y/n)?"

I sighed softly, the sound of my foot bouncing nervously on the ground filled the room "Duke, I dont know how much i can share but to answer your question, yes. In fact, they've reached out to me and my brothers before. When we first came to England, they extended an offer to… collaborate."

Duke's reaction was a dance of surprise and restraint, his attempts to speak yielding to a quiet contemplation. in a impulsive moment i decide to reveal a half truth. Retrieving my concealed gun and placing it on the table, I leaned in slightly, locking eyes with him.

"Duke, I'm sharing this with you because in some weird way I trust you. My brothers and I, well, our hands are dirty. We deal…. things. the shelbys have helped us out. I need you to understand the trust I'm putting in you. That call i had was a threat to me and my brothers and it's not the first either.``

Leaning back, I continued, a mischievous glint in my eye. "If you were to betray this trust, the consequences would be shitty. But I believe you won't. For some odd reason I trust you with this, and I don't know why."

Duke's expression was a blend of confusion and composed acceptance, his gaze steady as he processed my revelations. As the last drop of water quenched my thirst, I held his gaze, waiting for his response, aware that connection had just been tested and solidified in a single moment.

Duke's contemplative silence hung in the air, showing the weight of the information he had just been entrusted with. His eyes held a mixture of uncertainty and understanding of the complexities that lay beneath the surface of our interaction.

Duke finally spoke, he reached and put a hand on my sholder sligthly pulling me closer to him, leaving me to stare into his sligthly wide hazel eyes. his voice carrying a sense of respect. "I won't betray your trust (Y/n)”

I acknowledged his words with a nod, my demeanor calm and collected. Duke let go of my shoulder removing any warmth i had felt, he leaned back, his gaze shifting from the gun to my eyes. "why do you trust me? you dont know anything about me so why tell me this."

I leaned forward, a thoughtful smile playing on my lips. "im still tryna figure that out Duke. i just do thought, i dont trust easly but for you i will."

Duke's brow furrowed as he contemplated my words, in some odd way he liked that you trusted him so easily, he like how his name rolled off your tung . "So, you trust me, just like that?"

"yea, Duke," I replied rather bluntly. 

He took a moment to absorb my response before speaking again. "Um well i wont betray your trust (Y/n)”

I leaned back, mirroring his posture. "So know that you know that about me why don't you tell me about yourself."

Duke's gaze was thoughtful, and I could tell he was processing the layers of meaning behind my words. "Alright, (Y/n)."

As the evening unfolded, Duke and I got deeper into conversation, discussing our aspirations, dreams, and the intricacies of life that had shaped us. The unfinished painting of Tommy and Lizzie stood as a silent witness to our burgeoning connection, a symbol of the artistry and authenticity that had revealed so much in such a short amount of time. I only told duke the top of the iceberg when it came to me and my family but so far thats all he would need to know.

—------------------ 3hrs laters

"Man, some people just do weird ass shit," I remarked with a laugh.

Duke nodded, a grin forming on his face. " You wouldn't believe the things I've seen and heard working at those fairgrounds. Once, I was walking towards one of the tents, and I heard these two folks figthing" I chuckled, intrigued. "why?"

Duke's smile widened as he clarified, "dont know, 'parently they both after the same girl, she had been with both of em" He gestured with his hands, leaving the rest to imagination.

I took a bite of the food I had brought along and smirked. "good on her i guess, not many men would figth for a girl like that.”

Duke let out a laugh. "well i dont know (y/n) more men would figth for a woman's love thani think you realize.” 

I couldn't help but shake my head in amusement. "thats hard for me to beileve, from what ive seen with men in small heath. they'll fight over things like a glass of beer."

Duke leaned back, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I guess some people figth over shit as stupid as that, others though have more respect than to figth over beer."

“thats true,anyways speaking of small heith. one time i was there and i went into a betting shop to delivery some goods and well i shouldve knocked cause i walked in on some random guy and girl just on one of the tables fucking. I don't think they saw me so I just left.” I said while chuckling and cringing at the memory. 

As I was laughing I heard the phone ring, I had no idea who it could be. A pit of anxiety built up in my stomach as I looked at duke.

As I picked up the phone, a mixture of relief and curiosity filled me. It was Tommy Shelby on the other end.

"Hello Mr. Shelby, can I help you with anything?" I inquired, my tone respectful but tinged with curiosity.

"Good evening," his voice carried its usual air of authority. "I thought I should give you a heads-up about something. You're delivering the painting and the merchandise to my party tomorrow, correct?"

A sense of intrigue settled over me as I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Yea, that's correct."

"Good. Now, I'm aware that certain... elements will be present at the party. Oswald Mosley, for one," he continued, his voice measured.

My curiosity deepened as he mentioned Mosley's name. Oswald Mosley – a man with a reputation and connections that sent shivers down the spines of many. "Yes, I've heard of him." my tone grim 

Tommy's tone turned more serious. "I suggest you keep your distance from him, (Y/n). Mosley's got a way of getting into people's heads, and I wouldn't want you caught up in any of his schemes."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "I appreciate the warning, Mr. Shelby. I'll be sure to be cautious."

"Good," he replied. "Remember, we've got business to attend to, and Mosley's not someone you want to involve yourself with."

His words held a weight that wasn't lost on me. "I understand, Mr. Shelby. I'll keep my focus on the task at hand."

"Very well. See you at there" he said, his tone returning to its usual directness.

"Thank you, Mr. Shelby. Looking forward to it," I replied before hanging up.

As I walked back to where Duke was sitting, he looked at me expectantly. "Everything alright?"

I nodded, a mixture of thoughts and emotions swirling within me. "Yeah, just a call related to the party tomorrow."

Duke raised an eyebrow. "Party? Anything exciting?"

I chuckled softly, aware of the secrecy that often surrounded the Shelby family's affairs. "You could say that. But it seems like it might be more eventful than I expected."

Duke's gaze was curious. "In a good way or a bad way?"

I met his eyes, a mixture of determination and curiosity in my expression. "Only one way to find out."

I looked at my watch to check the time, 12:00 am shit. 

“Damn its late you gotta be anywhere early tomorrow?” i asked duke

“Yea but they won't notice if I'm late, they'll probably be late because a lot of fair workers went to the pub, one of them invited me but I said no.” i smirked at what Duke just said

“Aw you decided to give up the pub to come visit me how sweet.” I said with a giggle, duke rolled his eyes, his cheeks brightening slightly with blush. I went and sat down this time next to him not to close though.

“Shut up” duke said, i just looked over at him, my eyes roaming over his face. They lingered on his lips a bit longer than they should have, I hit him on the shoulder slightly.

“Calm down man, was just joking.” i said, I giggled a bit looking ahead at the painting, my smile dimmed a bit, the eyes of Thomas Shelby were all I could see in that moment. His cold unmoving eyes that I depicted so perfectly in the painting. Lizzies eyes were light and while they had a closed off look they weren't as threatening as tommys.

“Hey duke.” i said finally turning away from the painting

“Thanks for coming to visit. I appreciate it a lot.” I said to him with a smile.

“Really? He asked if his face was hard to read but he seemed almost confused, so I smiled at him.

“Yea I missed you. I mean it duke, i know its corny as fuck but like i dont know i cant explain it.” i said my voice lowered a bit from shynes. Maybe it was because I was tired but I swear I could see him smile, not a smug smile or a mean one but a genuine smile.

“Are you always so… honest about how you feel about people (y/n)?” he asked me.

“Only with people I'm comfortable with. Anyways, do you want to stay the night or do you have somewhere to stay? "I asked him. I made sure my tone only had hospitality in it and nothing else. Duke thinks for a little, 

“I have a place to stay dont worry” he said, i nodded my head and got up and went to the kitchen to grab him some extra food, i came back and gave him it.

“Um well ill see you when i see you i guess?” i said awkwardly while he got up. We walked to the front door. I opened it and he walked outside.

“Oh also Duke, I got a place in small heath. Here's the address, i can't promise that ill always be there thought.'' I said as I handed him a note with the address. He took it and pretended to read it before placing it in his coat pocket, not wanting to revile he couldnt read.

“Thanks (Y/n), ill uh see you later and remember you can always stop by the fair its gonna be here in the area for a little.” he said, he looked away and coughed after he said that.

“Ill try it depend on how things pan out for me thought, thanks for stopping by again duke, bye.” i said before i closed the door. I slid down the door until I hit the floor, I listened till I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore.

“Shit” I said before getting up and walking upstairs. I went to bed knowing tomorrow will be something i don't think I'm prepared for.

[psychic-refugee]

Wenvier Bingo - Professors

Thank you @heavenlyvixen for being a sounding board for my ideas. I wouldn't have the inspo for this without you. I'm sure some of the dialogue will seem familiar. 😜

Eugene was buzzing with excitement to attend Innsmouth University. It was the premier school for melittology with a focus on apiology, a branch of entomology. He found his people in the science department, and although he got tired of repeating and dumbing down what his field of study was for his degree, he was able to succinctly tell people:

“I’m gonna study honeybees.”

If it were up to him, he’d spend all his class time in the biology department or working in the apiary club called the Hummers.

But alas, Innsmouth had a general studies requirement and encouraged students to be “well rounded.”

So, he took a painting and a creative writing course.

The two professors could not be more different.

Professor “Call me Xavier” Thorpe taught Intro to Painting. Professor Thorpe, Eugene was never going to call a Professor by their first name as it was ingrained in him since private preschool to never be so informal with a teacher, was talented and knew what he was talking about when it came to colour theory and technique.

But he was the most unserious professor Eugene had ever come across.

Professor Thorpe wore camo pants to class, he was often mistaken for a student by other members of the faculty, invited his students to picnics on the quad, and often took the class on field trips to art museums where he wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty to kneel or squat when enthusiastically educating them on the artwork.

Even for the decorative molding which wasn’t technically part of the exhibit, Professor Thorpe saw art in everything.

Eugene could admire and respect the love of art Professor Thorpe had…but was baffled when the professor was found asleep on one of the art exhibits on campus and he wondered how he kept his job.

Then there was Professor Addams. She never offered for anyone to call her by her first name, but she was the type of severe teacher that Eugene was convinced she didn’t have a first name. Her name was Professor Addams, and no one could tell him otherwise.

She taught creative writing and specialized in the macabre and mystery genre. She even had a popular series based on a heroine named Viper de la Muerte. He was surprised she was even teaching as there was a rumour on campus that she had just gotten movie deals for her series.

Professor Addams was the consummate professional. She was always pristinely dressed and well put together, and she put the fear of God into her students. So much so that they jokingly said The Devil Wrote Mystery Novels, and when she walked across campus, people got out of her way.

One day, when someone said she was married to Professor Thorpe, Eugene literally laughed out loud and went about his classes. When others tried to convince him that the beautiful creative writing professor was married to the goofiest teacher Eugene ever had, he laughed again.

It wasn’t until he saw them kissing under a gnarled oak tree on the quad, did he finally give credence to the rumours.

“How in the hell are those two married?” he asked his classmates while at the art studio, before Professor Thorpe arrived. He would never have done it in Professor Addams’ class, too afraid she might accidentally overhear.

He looked around, paranoid she may be around the corner.

“I know, right?” Pugsly could only laugh as it was a ridiculous thought. “They’re so opposite of each other.”

“And not just in demeanor and how they dress,” Yoko added, “He’s a tall and she’s a smol.”

The class laughed as they got their supplies together.

“She’s like a tiny koala and he’s a eucalyptus tree,” someone else commented.

“Yeah, I bet she climbs him like a tree,” Yoko said suggestively. That was when the girls in the class heartily agreed and giggled.

Eugene just rolled his eyes. While he thought Professor Thorpe was goofy as hell, many of the women on campus swooned over his 6' 2" height, dreamy green eyes, and heart stopping dimples.

Their words, not his.

Despite his bafflement at their relationship, they both ignited a love for the arts in him. After that semester, he decided to double major in writing and did painting as a hobby.

The Hummers’ beehives were treated to a makeover and had never been as colourful and beautiful.

He happily consulted with Professor Addams on how one might die from a swarm of honeybees for her next novel.

He gave both professors excellent reviews on RateMyProfessor.com.

Card under cut

[zalrb]

Something Something Walter Boys 1x01 Review.

I am already crying at the delivery of this dialogue. What have I gotten myself into?

"This is so awesome, I can't believe you pulled it off" literally people are just dancing. What exactly is amazing about this?

I know that a Gen Z somewhere can deliver dialogue without it being stilted. I know they exist.

If Jackie is SO good at this, she should be walking around and talking with her friend instead standing in one spot the entire time. Jesus Christ, be Caroline. Be Marissa.

"Oh my god, this is going to be the best night ever!" I mean, is it?

Oh, Donna, I already know you deserve better.

Btw, 9 times out of 10, I will probably call Catherine Donna because she's Donna.

Those eyes make me feel unsafe in my own home. I'm not even sure who this boy is even though he was just introduced.

They're trying to make this house seem chaotic and it's one boy on a skateboard. A contained swordfighting scene and a dog in a pool.

Jackie is cute and it's all of these ugly to mediocre white boys omg.

LIKE, THEY GAVE AN ENTRANCE FOR THIS?

No no no no no no no, if it's not this

I DON'T WANT IT

"Don't worry about it, New York". They couldn't come up with something better?

Why wouldn't they clear the bedroom of Donna's art supplies ?

"She has to learn how to take a bit of rough and tumble, she'll never survive here otherwise" your lives seem pretty cush, it's not like you're all working on the orchard or doing chores or doing any sort of work/labour to help out on the land when she arrives. You're swimming in a pool.

Well, she's moving her entire life here of course she has a lot of stuff?? This is supposed to indicate that she's sheltered or spoiled or something but she's literally uprooting her life. That comes with boxes.

I AM SO SORRY ABOUT ALBERT. He sprayed her with water, he didn't jump on her or anything.

Donna is actually acting and is natural and just commands the space and everyone else is stilted af.

This exposition dump is KILLING me.

"the rough and tumble"

Ah yes, taking the obligatory apple for breakfast instead of eating a meal.

The only reason why I'm going to remember Cole's name is because his hair fills me with rage.

I'm trying hard to be sympathetic to Jackie because you know her family died and she's in a new city and in a new school but please get out of the damn car. You're moving SLOW. Have anxiety about not knowing where your classes are while you're walking to the school entrance.

"Not like them fancy Manhattan schools, huh?" I mean, even Spence looks like this

it's a building. Relax.

everything about this person infuriates me. this looks like a HORRIBLE kiss

also, wouldn't you go to the office to get your schedule? Do Colorado schools not have offices because they just can't keep up with New York?

"can you stand up and tell us something about yourself?" I have never experienced anything like that when a new student came to class when I was in high school. It was just a "this is xyz. take a seat." and then we moved on.

And wouldn't teachers be briefed on the fact that her family died in an accident beforehand? O for 2, Colorado.

Is that Alex? I'm not entirely sure he's human.

I'm also partially convinced Cole is actually AI.

We never actually got letter grades outside of elementary school.

This is a horrible guidance counsellor. Get her more challenging classes if she wants them. She has a goal to get into Princeton, don't just be like "that's a tough school to get into" if you want to introduce backups to her, you can be like there are lots of other great schools to add to your roster.

"My last school was very supportive of my goals" and the guidance counsellor wants to talk about how she stopped seeing her friends, which fine, you want to make sure she's coping and emotionally stable and has a well-rounded life but don't dismiss this girl's academic goals, jesus christ.

"This is a good school" then put her in some AP classes, what the HELL?

Oh, they don't have many for her year. Well.

"Princeton will understand." NO THEY WON'T. BITCH, YOU'RE A GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR?

LMAO, sorry, I think I'm having flashbacks to my own high school experience where I had to fight to be taken seriously about my average and wanting to get into top schools in Canada and with particular teachers telling me to settle.

I had to look up how old the actor who plays Cole is because I was like, sir, you are like 27 year old man pretending to be 10 years younger and it's not working for you. You can't pull it off. (He's 25).

He's supposed to be using his pretty privilege to cut the line but he isn't pretty so I'm just confused.

And he isn't charming.

"Do you like her?" She has been there for literally a day.

So, are we just not going to talk about racism? In Colorado?

a) who runs into class like that? b) "Hey, Sky, you know that new girl who was sitting with Cole?" "Yeah, she's right beside you." That's all you needed to say. This is SO contrived. I'm DYING.

Kylie, Jackie, Skyler jesus christ. This sounds like a wattpad story.

"Jackie's landed in boy heaven" Girl, you need to get out more.

I will also remember Grace's name because I want to murder her.

Oh God no, she talks and I can't do it. Shut UP.

"Miss J Crew." "Um, it's Ralph Lauren??" could've been funny if any of these people could act.

I also like how Cole's not-girlfriend is talking about how vanilla Jackie's clothes are and she's dressed in the most basic bitch outfit.

"I'm not buying this little Orphan Annie act" ... I mean her entire family did die though, do you think she faked that?

Also, Jackie embarrassing whatsherface means nothing when it isn't in front of other people that matter to whatsherface. This should be in front of all of whatsherface's friends including Cole. This is just basic teen drama logic.

Grace opens her mouth --

me:

I'm not sure why I didn't number these.

This is a pretty lax ranch or orchard or whatever.

Her hair is distracting

"Any other dangerous animals I should know about?" I mean, I don't think they would have a venomous snake just roaming about.

Cole is not charismatic enough for this.

oh my god, the boy who grew up around horses knows how to take care of horses, he's SO sweet. jesus christ.

AND SHE PET THE HORSE AND CALLED THE HORSE BEAUTIFUL SO HE'S LOOKING AT HER LIKE SHE'S BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE NO OTHER GIRL IN THE HISTORY OF HIS EXISTENCE EVER PET A HORSE.

Oh thank god it's over.

[darkmoonravewolf]

Remember when I said that I'm going to be self indulgent in May and then I posted nothing about kid vs kat? This was why

For the longest time, I wanted to play a kid vs kat game.

This entire video is basically what I would love to play.

Kid vs Kat: The new rivalry, is a 3D game based on Sly Cooper and Spyro, where you can customize and play as either a Kid or a Kat. The game is split between these two campaigns however there would also be an optional co-op mode, where one player plays as the kid and the other as the kat. The two would then compete against each other during missions.

My Google drive folder, which explains almost everything

More below!

The game would be mostly an open-world game. Out of missions, you’ll be able to freely explore all of bootsville and the surrounding forest. Shop For Weapons, parts, and health Items. You can also find easter eggs and find items to decorate your base and character. Also, if you’re in co-op there are minigames and pranks that you can pull on each other for fun.

Customization is there to add a bit of depth. You can choose what your kid, kat, sibling, and parent look like. (In co-op, Kid decides what the parent looks like and Kat decides what the sibling looks like.) You can pick your outfit, pronouns, and what color your room is. There’s no benefit to this, it’s all for fun.

In missions, the world is restricted to where the mission takes place. In single-player, the player must win during the mission but in co-op, the endings change depending on which character wins, furthering the rivalry. Their length varies from 10 minutes to an hour the more difficult the mission. You are also able to replay any mission after beating them.

Kid vs Kat: The Kid’s New Neighbor is the Kid’s side. 

You start off spending the day in your school. It's your last day before you officially move. This day acts as a tutorial. Your two best friends are moving with you so you decide to spend the last day together. You attend gym class (Movement), art class, (Crafting), lunch(stealth), and recess(combat).

The second part of the tutorial starts here. You move into your new home, your sibling adopts a weird cat, your friends haven’t arrived yet so go to your new room and unpack your belongings. After that you go outside and meet Coop and find out that the weird cat is an alien! To learn more you stalk the new cat. You find them crafting a weird machine and while they leave to grab more materials, you head in and break the machine! The Kat isn’t happy and they attack you! Defend yourself from the Kat!

Kid vs Kat: The Kat’s New Apprentice is the Kat’s side. 

You start off spending your last day of the academy with your kittenhood friends. They’re changing careers but you decide to follow in your hero’s pawsteps and are going to be made his apprentice once you graduate. Your final assessment is now and you complete your agility test(Movement), robotics test(Crafting), stealth test, and physical test(combat).

The second part of the tutorial starts here. You travel to Earth and meet with your new mentor and he helps you get adopted by the new family in town. You don’t start training until tomorrow so Mr.Kat lets you build a communicator to talk to your friends back home. It’s almost done and you go to get more supplies. When you come back, you see Kid destroying your device! Make sure to teach that Kid a lesson!

After the tutorial, you’re free to explore or go into your room and start the various missions the game provides. Just like in the show, there’s also a love interest. Like how Mr.Kat likes Dr.Kat, you can pick between your two friends to romance, or you can just remain friends. When you get close enough to them, you can have them accompany you in missions as extra hands and they’ll help you fight and do tasks.

[starburstslyther1n]

All Wounds Heal

Prologue

Fred Weasley/Slytherin!Reader

After transferring to Hogwarts in my fourth year and experiencing the Triwizard Tournament, I thought nothing would top that year. When my fifth year rolled around, I quickly realized how right I was, until a certain redheaded Gryffindor began to pay me attention and try his hardest to get to know me.

Word Count: 555

Warnings: voldy was defeated au, you’re in the same year as the golden trio, Umbridge is still here

A/N: this is just me writing something for the fun of it, I’ve read a few Fred fics and there doesn’t seem to be that many Slytherin fics so I decided to write one myself. If you have any criticism please be nice, I’m not a great writer or anything.

After my parents received the offer of a lifetime from their job to relocate to England, the only logical step for them was to transfer me to Hogwarts to remain close to them. So within a few months we had handled all the paperwork and bought a house in the Ribble Valley and made our move. We never imagined to be thrown into the end of a streak of terror caused by a dark wizard trying to come back to power. He was destroyed once more after the Quidditch World Cup. A few days after the wizarding world had began to settle back into peace, the headmaster of Hogwarts was at my house and sorting me. Once I was deemed Slytherin, he handed my acceptance letter and supply list before taking his leave.

With the start of the school year, I quickly made friends with others in my house and a Gryffindor girl named Hermione. Soon after the start of the year, the triwizard tournament was announced. My roommates, Astoria Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, and Millicent Bullstrode and I were quickly swept up in the excitement of it all. The year was a flurry of one amazing thing after the other for the first few months. Other schools arriving, most surprisingly with Viktor Krum making an appearance with his school and then being their champion, dragons at the first task, the announcement of a ball. The second and third task were less interesting to watch but the after parties in the Hufflepuff commons for Cedric were quite fun. The ball came and passed in a night spent dancing and mingling without a single care from anyone.

The tournament closed with Cedric winning the competition for Hogwarts and the largest party the castle had probably ever seen. When the time came for the other schools to leave, we all bid our new friends farewell and exchanged ways to contact each other and sent them off a few weeks before our exams. My friends and I spent our last few weeks together enjoying the end of year freedom together as long as we could before we returned home for the summer. While home, I received news from Astoria that the ministry would be appointing a new defense against the dark arts teacher for our fifth year. She spoke as if she was displeased with the outcome but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why, other than her father worked with the woman in the ministry.

Before I knew it, the start of my fifth year had come and I had boarded the train and set off. As soon as the welcoming speech began, I realized why Astoria had seemed so displeased with her. She was an utter toad dressed in pink. No one in the entire hall seemed to be entertained at all. Even Draco Malfoy, the most pompous of our year was uninterested in what she had to say. She seemed to be a nightmare. Thankfully she gave up speaking to us and the feast began. Once all bellies in the hall were full and the plates had been cleared, everyone was sent to their common rooms for the night to get ready for the start of classes the next day.

That first month went rather smoothly until Umbridge began to get emboldened by the increasing amount of power the ministry was giving her. We did not however, expect the storm to come with this power.

[twitcheye]

I woke up this morning thinking about how one time, I was invited to teach a short art class at a local elementary school. I won’t name names but it sounded a lot like “Laurelhurst” (because that’s what it was called, oopsie). The first day I was there, when it was lunch time, I helped herd the kids to the cafeteria and then went to the teacher’s room to eat my lunch. The other teachers ignored me and I quietly ate my sandwich at the end of the table and left to go back to my class, finish up and leave for the day. The second day, I did the same thing, and the teachers ignored me again, and it was fine, whatever.

On the third day, I arrived in the teacher’s room with my little sandwich, and an older teacher stood up and came over to me. “You’re in the wrong place,” she said, smiling coldly. I looked confused. The other teachers were all eating, too, so it wasn’t the wrong place to eat, clearly. The older woman said, “Follow me. I’ll show you where you are SUPPOSED to be.” I packed up my sandwich and followed her. She led me across the hall and down a bit, to a storage room where the printer and construction paper was kept. There was one tiny child’s chair in there and a milk crate set in front of it. “This is where YOU eat lunch,” she said.

I figured that I wasn’t going to be there for very long and anyhow it wasn’t very much fun in the teacher’s room. For the remainder of the two weeks I was there, I went dutifully to the supply closet, sat on the tiny chair by myself, and ate my sandwich. Sometimes a teacher would come to retrieve their copies and get startled by my presence there. But really, no big deal, I could listen to my audiobook on headphones and finish my lunch in peace.

On the evening of the last Thursday that I was there, a television special about me aired on the local PBS station. It was something they re-ran every once in a while, talking about the lack of arts education in Oregon and how schools made up for it by hiring real artists to come teach little two week long programs, and sometimes those two weeks were all the students ever got for the year for art. It was a good show, about fostering creativity in students and how that helped them to apply critical thinking skills to other areas in life. They followed me through a class at a different school and interviewed me at my studio.

The next day, my last day at that school, I was walking through the hall, talking to a couple of the little girls from the class I was teaching in, and one of the teachers from the teacher’s room stopped me. Oh no, I thought. I’m probably WALKING in some spot I’m not supposed to be in now. “I SAW YOU,” she said. My mind raced, going over any transgressions I might have done that morning and coming up blank. She said, “I saw you on TELEVISION last night.” I said, “Oh. Yeah, that was me.” “The kids are all EXCITED! Everyone is talking about how they saw you on TV and you’re here now!” she said, beaming at me. I said, “oh, good, yeah, it’s a good show, I’m glad you saw it.” She said, “You should join us in the teacher’s room today at lunch! We’re all really SO happy you’re here!”

I said, “No. Thank you.” And I ate my lunch in the storage room where they told me to go, listened to my audiobook, and went home. Because fuck’em.

[lit-works]

Act One: "A world that hates and fears us..."

This was my first time visiting the Xavier Institute for gifted youth, located at 1407 Greymalkin Lane, in the Salem Center of Westchester County, New York. It was built on a massive familial estate that was mostly open to the elements. As I arrived I noticed state of the art security had been installed to prevent intrusion by unwanted visitors.

After I was buzzed through the gate I took my time getting a good look of the grounds. Down on the far shore was a boathouse, nearby which staff member Robert Drake was having fun with some students, taking in some of the summer sun while surfing a translucent surfboard.

A large part of the grounds were dedicated to a thriving garden. This garden hosted an exotic variety of beautiful flora, and was a serene location where Orroro Munroe had chosen to relax.

Another large portion of the grounds were dedicated to a hangar, a wide-open airfield space full of mechanical equipment and housed the workshop of Daniel Lone Eagle.

The actual Xavier Mansion on the grounds was an exemplary display of archaic European architecture and had many winding hallways between student dormitories and classrooms, which were well-equipped with state of the art robotic guards on the grounds and in the house itself. The main building was constantly filled with crowds of mutant students on their way to class or to relax. James Warren Worthington III gave a complex, yet poignantly humorous lecture on the free market in his business and economics course. Elizabeth Braddock maintained her daily fitness regiment, training with a fighting doll in her room shared with Worthington. Scott Summers and Jean Grey, the first students of the Institute's headmaster, were behind the locked door of their own shared chambers. Raven Darkholme and Remy Lebeaux enjoyed a game of pool with a small group of upperclassmen in a rec room inside the dormitories.

The Institute had it's very own medical lab, which doubled as a Scientific Genetic Research Center. This wing housed medical supplies and bizarre technology that seemingly allowed the ministering of care and gene therapy. The animalistic Dr. Hank McCoy spent most of his time here, and was presently performing various stress-tests on varying X-Genes.

Underneath the Mansion was a sub-basement level, which was restricted access to anyone but authorized X-Men, and Professor Charles Xavier. This sub-basement level was accessed by high-speed elevator tubes. Facial and vocal recognition biometric scanners observed all occupants of the sub-basement level at all times to prevent security breaches. Once there beneath the earth and hearth, the sub-basement became a complex web of hallways between other subterranean structures, sporting adamantium melded doors and melded steel walls. The complex was honey-combed with tunnels and underground passageways, and this labyrinth was once occupied by a hostile settlement of mutants called The Morlock during the 80s. That area was considered the weakest area of defense in the entire sub-basement. However, in time of an emergency those tunnels would make an excellent escape.

The halls led me to The Danger Room. The Danger Room was where the field operatives of the X-Men physically trained for missions. The Danger Room was equipped with impossibly fast processors and other computer hardware that were programmed to analyze and respond to the X-Men's choices by using extrapolated data files from previous simulations, and modeling software, simulated gravity fields, and 3D holographic projections to create realistic virtual environments and situations for the X-Men to hone their skills in. Set apart from the actual danger room, where the facilitator of the training regiment would modify or adjust the obstacles and control the overall intensity of the exercise. Currently engaged in a rigorous and grueling training session without a facilitator were a metal man, a clawed berserker, and a heavily armed man with the letter M branded on his face.

Across the underground labyrinth was the room containing Cerebro. Cerebro was an advanced and complex E.S.P. (extra-sensory perception) device. It derived its name from the Latin word "Cerebrum", for the brain. It functioned to amplify telepathic ability, and strengthen brainwaves. It also accelerated the user's synaptic activity by stimulating neurons in the user's brain. The main purpose of Cerebro was to enable Xavier to locate the mutant genetic signature across the globe, but was also integrated into the Institute's AI. Cerebro was housed in the most secure section of the mansion as it contained extensive files on the world's mutant population and their current whereabouts and activities. The machine's restricted access settings could only be overruled by a secret passcode known only to Professor Xavier and his first student, who assisted in calibrating the machine, Jean Grey.

Professor Charles Xavier slowly removed Cerebro's headset interface, and placed it down onto a console. As he commanded his specially designed wheelchair to transport him out of the housing chamber for Cerebro, he began issuing a mental summons to the present X-Men for a meeting in the War Room.

The War Room served as an informational hub and base of operations for the X-Men. The room had wall-inserted monitors constantly displaying real-time news feeds from across the Earth. Each screen represented by a red dot on a holographically projected world globe, which came from the center of the floor, allowing for the viewer to see which disturbances were going on in the world and where. The War Room also held combat equipment and state of the art computers.

Slowly, The X-Men gathered before their leader and mentor. The active X-Men roster had expanded exponentially in the previous decade going into the 90s, to such a size they were split into two teams to be made more manageable. Blue & Gold. The blue team, led by Scott Summers, arrived. 'Cyclops', being Scott Summer's codename, was joined by Dr. Hank McCoy (Beast), Elizabeth Braddock (Psylocke), Raven Darkholme (Rogue), Remy Lebeaux (Gambit), and a man from the Danger Room (Wolverine).

Professor Xavier utilized the monitors to display applicable news footage, and spoke: "An unofficial incarnation of The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are attacking Yankees Stadium in New York City. The group's most recent leader, Quicksilver, is finding himself on the opposing side of the law once again, and he's leading the unruly duo of Blob and Toad. Avalanche and Pyro are collaborating as well."

"what is Pietro angry about this time?" Asked Wolverine.

"Apparently their terror attack is a message that mutants aren't afraid of humans, but humans should fear mutants, and bow down to their superiors." Xavier explained.

"What better way to spread a message than to interrupt the national Pastime's world-series?" Cyclops asked rhetorically.

"Yes, it seems the young Maximov apple didn't fall too far from the tree in regards to flairs for the dramatic." Xavier replied, and then addressed all the X-Men present. "Prepare yourselves, and remember, you are representing the good in Mutantkind. The sneering public eye is upon you and it is wisest to resolve this with as little conflict as possible. We want to show humanity that not all of us echo the sentiments of this criminal element."

And with that I boarded the private jet of the X-Men, The Blackbird, alongside the primary iteration of that very team.

-

As the X-Men Blue team and I arrived, we found the stadium in ruins and a panicked crowd desperately fleeing the scene. The Blackbird was landed on the roof next to a gaping hole, which allowed the team easy entry as I stayed behind to safely observe and take record. The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants must have expected the X-Men to show up, in fact, they seemed happy for it, because they got the opportunity to give their old nemeses a thrashing.

Cyclops first attempted to reason with the hostile mutants, but it was not long before it came to blows. However, the expertise and militant organization of The X-Men proved greater than the Brotherhood's unadulterated rage. The Jumbotron ended up being forcibly brought down upon the grotesquely obese criminal called the Blob, and Avalanche had caused even further damage to the structural integrity of the monumental stadium. Most of the Brotherhood was incapacitated, but their leader, aptly named Quicksilver, fled the scene once he had lost his allies.

-

As the X-Men and I were returning to the institute, we inevitably learned of the recent destruction of Avengers' Mansion. During a recent battle between the Avengers and their long-time foe Ultron, Avengers' Mansion was destroyed and both Ultron and the Avengers had completely disappeared. The superhuman community at large had gathered at the ruined mansion to search through the rubble for survivors. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Vision were among the missing.

When we arrived I found such superheroes as Spider-Man, Wasp, the current Ant-Man, and Hercules all present and helping remove debris. We spent hours searching, but at the end of the day...everyone returned home with no clue as to what had really happened.

-

The day after the destruction of Avengers' Mansion, Scott Summers had spent the majority of the day in the War Room with Professor Xavier.

As dusk neared I eavesdropped on a private conversation between Scott and the man codenamed Wolverine. Scott spoke of a group of violent human religious extremists known as 'The Purifiers' who had been kidnapping mutant teenagers, and who had most recently taken a student of the institute. The Purifiers had kidnapped Rahne Sinclaire, a 15-year-old girl. Wolverine agreed that it was their obligation to save the captured children, "Well, if those nut-jobs are dumb enough to come after us, I'll snikt 'em down. Hard."

"I'm not gonna wait until there are more dead mutant kids on our doorstep. You're going after the purifiers before they get the chance to do whatever it is they have planned. When you reach them, you're going to eliminate this threat permanently. But you're not going in alone, I want you to put a black ops team together. A new X-Force." Cyclops stated.

"Damn, Summers, don't know if I should be impressed or worried you've snapped. What's Jean say about all this?" Wolverine asked.

"Jean...doesn't need to know."

"OK, I'm impressed."

"No one can know."

-

X-Force consisting of Wolverine, Warpath, Psylocke, and Angel traveled by blackbird to an abandoned church surrounded by trees in the countryside of upstate New York. The church was ancient, full of rotted wood and cluttered with empty pews. From outside the sound of hymns being sung could be heard. William Stryker's preaching against the "sin and degradation of the demonic mutant race" drowned out the screams and cries of a tortured young girl.

Stryker had probably expected someone to learn of his genocidal activities at the church, and so he had posted snipers to ward off unwanted visitors, and they were well-hidden in the trees. They stood no chance against X-Force.

Once X-Force entered the church, William Stryker commanded his six total Purifier cultists and soldiers to attack and defend, while he continues to grandstand. Once all of his pathetic minions has been mercilessly executed, Stryker joined the fight and went until his own bitter end. Rahne Sinclaire was rescued and escorted back to the institute.

-

The morning after X-Force returned to the institute, I found a group of students gathered around a television.

On the TV was a reporter, and behind him was a mass of people crowded together and looking at a stage in front of them. The reporter began to speak, "If you're just now joining us, The Avengers have returned from their recent disappearance and have called a press conference." The crowd behind him began to talk louder. "Here they are now. Let's listen."

The camera zoomed in on the stage as Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Vision all approached the pulpit. They waved at the crowd and Captain America took the microphone. "My fellow Americans, metahumans and mutants, it is truly a great day to be alive and an American."

The crowd cheered and applauded, but Captain America beckoned for them to quiet and continued his speech.

"During our absence, we were transported to an alternate reality. A reality much like our own, but in the distant future and what we saw there we found disturbing." He paused and looked out into the crowd before he continued. "What we found there was tyranny and oppression, brought on by an anarchist government. The free peoples of the United States of America were denied their basic human rights and forced to live more like slaves than citizens. The cause of this anarchic governing force was abject failure. Failure to serve and protect. The ones who had failed were us, the most powerful of all. We finally managed to escape that nightmarish reality thanks to the Asgardian magics of Thor and Iron Man's inventive genius to find ourselves back in the nation we love and hold dearest to our hearts." The crowd applauded again, but weaker this time. "My fellow Americans, we The Avengers, stand before you and promise you security and protection from the dystopic future and oppressive regime we met in that alternate reality. I just had a meeting with the President of the United States and Congress, Tony Stark, Secretary of National Security, and representing S.H.I.E.L.D. as current Director-in-chief. As of NOW, The Avengers are Head of State of America."

The crowd erupted into chaos. Captain America again held up his hand and silenced the crowd.

"We solemnly swear to protect and serve. With Thor's might, Stark's Intellect, and my patriotism we will govern this great nation to prosperity, safety, and peace that it has never before seen. To ensure the survival of our great nation, I ask something very pinnacle of the metahuman population across the nation: I ask that you reveal your identity and register yourself as agents of the government. You and your loved ones will be kept safe and supported from dissenting public or enemies who may wish to harm you. Believe me, I understand the importance of keeping the ones you care about safe. Please, I beg that you see the benefits of governmental registration and regulation that I am suggesting to you, and that you do so. If you do not, you will be deemed as an enemy of the state, face prosecution and be imprisoned. Our new, Ideal society cannot stand for dangerous acts of vigilantism outside of the law. That is All I have to say."

-

Retrospectively, I see that the ensuing coup had been in the works for a long time and every contingency had been calculated that the X-Men, mutants, and specific superhumans wouldn't register easily. As such, a nearby military base had been emptied to encourage the mutants of Xavier's institute to register or be taken in by force. Knowing the fallibility of humans, massive Sentinel series robots had been sent in to oversee the transaction. While the soldiers were armed and ready to fight, they first presented the X-Men the option to peacefully surrender and register. The leader of the soldiers had strict orders from the White House to arrest and detain any noncompliant staff or student of the institute. He was also bigoted and hard-headed, which made it very difficult for Scott Summers to reason with him. With the presence of the Sentinels heightening the anxieties of all the mutants, an outspoken young woman named Jubilation Lee used her powers and provoked the soldiers into an assault.

The minute the fighting broke out panicked souls fled in all directions, Wolverine leapt to Jubilee's defense by flanking a Sentinel, Robert Drake (Iceman) began erecting a massive ice barrier, and an elite team of stealth soldiers with telepathy-dampening alloy helmets infiltrated the Xavier Mansion. The stealth team burst forcibly into Professor Xavier's offices and into the sub-basement only to find Hank McCoy laboring to render Cerebro inoperable and that Xavier was gone.

[i-didnt-realize]

TW: THIS ABSOLUTELY QUALIFIES AS A RANT OF SOME SORT

Some backstory: I didn't think too much into it when I was younger, but there was a time where my mom took me and my siblings and we ran away from home to escape my father before. The dog even came outside to run with us. The cops came but we did not go home that night. My father had thrown an entire ACTIVE deep fryer at my mother. food and oil flew everywhere and my mother was burned. I think everyone cried. I was the oldest, 10 at the time. Everything genuinely fell apart when I was 10/11. My mom was called to Cuba by the military for 9 months. We were left to live with the monster the entire time.

Things I could have realized were not good, but didn't understand at the time.

Contact with our mom was severely limited and always monitored. We were instructed to instead "write notes" to her and place them in a jar. The notes were monitored as well. We had to write in front of him. Secretly, at night, I would creep downstairs to write personal notes. Later on, these notes were removed, as I could not find them afterwards. Any notes that did not state we were happy and having fun while she was away were removed, even if the notes said we missed our mother.

A curtain was installed that led from our garage door to our father's room. This was used to sneak a girl in.

We were no longer allowed to freely access basic items in our home. Access to the garage was not allowed, which is were any and all art supplies, paper, pencils, and other school supplies were located. We had to be given permission to retrieve our bicycles or other outdoor toys(I learned this the hard way when I needed paper for my homework assignment and found an unrecognizable car in our garage).

I was suddenly a slave in my home. I was in charge of cleaning the entire home, cook meals, and take care of my younger siblings. I was also in charge of caring for our pets. One dog was too "hyper" and I was instructed to keep her in a kennel and in my room alone. She was not to leave that bedroom, and was to be let out to eat and pee twice a day on a mat on my carpet. I had various alarms set throughout the night to ensure that the dog did not pee or poop in the cage. I was always sleep deprived then, and had to attend public school. I had only attended actual public schooling once in the 3rd grade, because my mother had to attend a training service and could not homeschool us. Because of this, middle school was not kind to me, particularly when joining mid year.

I was supposed to walk 2 miles home through two pretty bad neighborhoods if my father decided he did not want to pick me up from school that day. About a third of the way there, the sidewalk ends. He refused to take me to the dance classes I had been attending previous to my mom's deployment, so my mom payed someone to drive me from school to there. I was always the last to be picked up by a parent, and sometimes after closing hours. I was then dropped off at home to clean and prepare meals. My younger brothers were taken to gymnastics by him with no issue. This did not seem out of the ordinary to me at newly 11.

I was signed up in a program at my school to stay after the school closes in the cafeteria until our parent arrive. There were many times where I was told I would not be picked up(on day I did not dance) three hours after shut down. I now understand why the staff often asked about my home life. There was a thunderstorm one evening, and I had made a painting, seeing as I was called and told I would stay put until the program closed. I was later called, 5 minutes before closure, and told to walk home in the storm. I did. I was soaked and approached by four different vehicles asking if I needed a ride. I walked the entire time. The chores and meal were still expected.

[curestardust]

Dust Watched: Yuru Camp△ Movie

Genres: SoL, CGDCT, Iyashikei //1 movie (2h) //  S01 (x) S02 (x)

My last review was 8 months ago (holy jesus christ) and I made the horrible decision of getting back into it while having a horrible cold. As usual, I make great life decisions.

✧  story  ✧

Now, to be fair, I thought “Yuru Camp” would be a perfect fit to watch bundled in some blankets and sipping some warm tea and for the seasonal episodes that’d be correct. However, this movie is a bit more ambitious than what came before and for me, it just didn’t work.

I like to mention that I don’t particularly like SoL in the first place as it usually bores me to death but there was something truly charming and soothing about Yuru Camp that even I liked. But what I liked was the actual camping (surprisingly?). A balanced dose of actual useful real life information and just characters chilling among beautiful scenery with some slight humour speckled in. So what is different in this movie? Well... there’s no camping. Not in the way I enjoyed it anyway.

The whole journey WAS what I liked. Planning, buying supplies, getting to the campsite, setting up, preparing the meal, and waiting for night to arrive is what kept me watching. Where are they going next? What type of camping will it be? 

The movie’s story is about the girls, who are adults now, renovating an abandoned patch of land into a campsite. And then they camp there twice. 

Obviously, I wouldn’t find what I originally liked about “Yuru Camp” in this movie but it still could’ve been good. However, the plot wastes time on things that are not important. This is a feel-good SoL; we already know that the outcome will be the best possible ending. There’s no reason to add “pretend drama” to make the movie feel more mature which is what I felt it was trying to do. Would it have been unrealistic for such a plan to go off without a hitch? Yes. But you’re trying to tell me that 5 working class adult women would have the strength, energy and time to gather at this place together X number of times and clean the whole place up BY HAND? Bro.(Not to mention that they all have stable jobs which they seem to enjoy more or less AND their own apartments by the age of like 25. Come on, we’re already in fantasy land.)

✧  characters  ✧

Aight, I might’ve complained quite a bit about the story but it’s a SoL so that in itself wouldn’t have been a particular problem. What actually bored me was that this movie is almost entirely character focused. And you may crucify me if you want but I honestly couldn’t care less about the main characters in a serious sense. They are cute, squishy and their only purpose was to take you on a journey. Rin and Nadeshiko are the only ones whose character arcs made me feel something but the other 3... listen, I’m happy for them and found the occupations they ended up with intriguing but I didn’t care enough for them to carry a movie.

At Nadeshiko’s workplace, a camping gear shop, we see 3 new characters who are there to start their own camping journey at the same age as the original gang did. They felt very underutilized, only showing up twice. I would’ve really enjoyed it if they somehow got involved in helping out with the Campground Building Project and the movie served more as a figurative baton pass to a new generation.

✧  art  ✧

The background art, based on real locations, were gorgeous as usual. Even though the character designs are the exact opposite of the overly detailed environment design, they still managed to combine them so things didn’t feel out of place. Oh, and the animation was very smooth.

✧  sound ✧

The chill and jovial instrumental OST really set the atmosphere as usual.

✧  overview ✧

This movie recieved great reviews from fans of the show and I’m glad others enjoyed it, but it was very different from what I expected and just found many ways it could’ve been more enjoyable to me personally. My only problem is that someone called this movie “very realistic.” The only realistic part about it was that one of them became an alcoholic!

My Rating: 6/10

[darkrooklobby]

[✨Since i'll be keeping this blog now, here's some info about me, my likes, dislikes, fandoms, my personality, art techniques, and opinions✨]

General info:

-🍀Rook Lobby / DRL / " T " - ⚧️ They/Them - 🏳️‍🌈 Ace - 🗣️ I welcome criticism - ⚖️ Libra, INTP, True Neutral, phlegmatic

Tools I use:

Krita / Fountain Pen / Recycled Supplies / Acrylic / Mechanical Drafting Pentel / Ink / Watercolor / Photography / Whatever I get my hands on, occasionally.

Techniques:

I've used so many online tutorials in my lifetime, I can say with certainty that I'm self-taught, and that the internet helped tremendously. My art experiments are archived here.

I've only started receiving proper art classes in college... 😔

My Goals so far:

Create a portfolio! ⭐ I'm still a student, but I've taken commissions before & I've been accepted to colleges, although I need a job rn. I wish to one day become a video game artist or tattoo artist or illustrator or graphic designer. Anything that has to do with art, I'm eager to try!

My Concise Opinion on Art:

Art is a skill, not a talent. Talent, in my personal opinion, doesn't exist. What people call 'talent' doesn't get you far. Talent might be your liking of the subject - the rest is hard work.

People never see the 90% of the work we put in, attributing it to talent, which, again, doesn't do much for you!

Art is a method of visual communication, a universal language, if done properly. Art is an illusion, and goes against nature, since you try to trick the eyes to see & imagine something while looking at a 2D plane or at a 3D sculpture.

Art is short for "artificial" - but that word means "made & designed by humans". Humans are the only species on earth capable of recognizing "art", and that is what makes humans ... human.

My Fandoms:

[Tl;Dr] It's mostly video games... Although I'm known to like some anime / manga / manhwa occasionally + and older cartoons from my childhood.

fnaf 

fnac

wick

WTTG2 + Scrutinized

sonic games

BBIEAL

Layers of fear + dlc

CoF, AoM and Grey

Slender : the arrival

Genshin Impact

portal2

the crooked man - the RPG

tattletail

the girl's glass staircase

Identity V

Ib (RPG, 2012, didn't play 2022 yet)

Minecraft

Popgoes

scp

spooky's jumpscare mansion

SOMA

overwatch... 2...

Phoenix Wright TRILOGY ONLY

AAI1&2

Dai gyakuten saiban 1 & 2

NoxTimore 

Kraina Grzybów: The Apple Escape

EWTP

StanleyParable

The Quarry,

imscared (steamedition)

Mirror layers

dsaf

Danganronpa - fav executions: (After School Lesson, One-woman army, Strand of Agony)

dbh

persona 2 (Innocent sin + eternal punishment)

persona 5 ROYAL

Yume Nikki/Yume 2kki

.flow (dot flow)

Yakuza: Like A Dragon,

Little Hope

Witch's house

The theater - the indie horror

YTTD

Other Socials:

I've left Deviantart since they stole my artwork and sold it to AI. Greedy bastards 🫠

"X" is annoying to use

I have plans for uploading tutorials to Youtube someday

On ticktock I've only uploaded memes so far 😭