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in1-nutshell · 3 months ago

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Heyy!! Chromia's menteé getting bullied by other guards when she isn’t around and Starscream finding out! How will Star react? What would he do? Maybe a Hug happens????

I have her new name on the Canon Name List.

Hope you enjoy!

Aquila and the Bullies

SFW, Platonic, Bullying (we don't stand for bullies. Justice for Aquila!), Cybertronain reader

IDW

Aquila knew taking this job was going to be filled with hardships.

Something she was well versed with.

She didn’t become Chromia’s mentee overnight, she worked hard to earn that title, and even more to gain a good reputation to guard the Leader of Cybertron.

Chromia and Aquila in the sparring ring. Windblade and Starscream are watching. Chromia: “Faster! Strike my openings!” Aquila: “I’m trying!” Chromia: “Do you think Starscream’s enemies are going to give you a free pass? Hit me!” Aquila manages to strike Chromia’s backstruts while flipping her onto her back. Windblade: “Ooh!” The younger bot quickly pins Chromia down with her spear. Aquila: “Gotcha!” Chromia gives a smile. Chromia: “Good, but…” Chromia flips Aquila onto her back, shoving her shield in the back of the younger bots helm. Chromia: “I’m still the master here.” Aquila lets out a strained chuckle as her mentor gets off and helps her to her pedes. Aquila: “But I’m getting better!” Starscream: “You must be at your best!” Bumblebee at his side: “You can’t even do that.” Starscream: “Shut it!”

Aquila had met her fair shares of ‘nonbelievers’ and ‘traditionalist’ around the Senate floors.

Even fellow Senators had doubted her ability to protect the leader of Cybertron.

She simply stayed quiet and held her post.

The youngling was getting paid to protect Starscream, not listen to some one doubting her ability to protect.

… okay she was also getting a small raise for listening to Starscream’s rants and practice speeches.

Turns out Starscream greatly counted on the youngling’s view on certain things.

Starscream inside a changing room. Starscream: “I’m coming now.” Aquila sitting in a chair looking half bored. Aquila: “Still here.” Starscream exits the changing room with a violet cape. Starscream: “Well?” Aquila: “…Might want to go for a shade darker. It’ll bring out your frame better.” Starscream: “Knew it!”

The guard slowly learned to work with the youngling, which they had to admit, was almost as skilled as they were.

Some even made friends with the youngling during their breaks and nights off.

They were rare but worth it.

On occasion the other guards would forget about Aquila’s age and go for more ‘older’ settings.

It was all good with Aquila… as long as she didn’t get caught.

At Blurr’s… Aquila looks around a bit nervous. One of her friends bumps her shoulder a bit. Guard 1: “What’s with you? You’re acting like you’ve never been to a bar before.” Aquila: “I have. But this bar…” Another one of her friends pats her helm. Aquila swats it. Aquila: “Hey we’ve talked about that!” Guard 2: “Easy there, Eagle eyes. Your off duty, relax.” Aquila still looking around. Aquila: “Why did the group choose this bar? There are so many other places.” Guard 1: “You scared of drinking?” Guard 3: “Maybe, but don’t worry, we got you your favorite engeron variation instead of engex. Don’t need—” Aquila: “Chromia!” Guard 3: “Yeah we don’t need Chromia ruining the fun.” Aquila: “No! I mean Chromia!” The guards look over and see Chromia and Windblade marching up to the bar counter. Aquila’s optics widen when she sees Blurr at the bar. Aquila: “I thought you said Blurr wasn’t at the bar!” Guard 3: “Guess not.” Aquila spots Chromia and Windblade marching over to their direction. Aquila looking at her friends. Aquila: “If I make it out of here alive, I will beat every single one of you in training.”

Besides the occasional hiccup here and there, work life was pretty good.

…Unless you counted on one certain bot.

He was a fellow Senator and for some strange reason, despised her.

Aquila had lost count on how many times she had tried to recount ANY time she may have offended the Senator, but none came to mind.

It was as if her entire existence was like rust in his undercarriage.

She tried to be as polite and well mannered as she could whenever she addressed him, but he always made sarcastic remarks about her that were borderline offensive.

Aquila couldn’t really do much about the situation.

She was just a guard.

Not to mention that if he got even more angry, it could reflect to Starscream.

She had seen enough times the Seeker fall asleep at his desk and complain about how he was truly trying to make things better on Cyberton.

Aquila needed to make sure that any relations were good, even at the cost of some of her dignity.

She was willing to do that to see this leader make good changes to this planet.

Starscream was not blind by this mech’s words.

At first, he thought it was just going to be like the other Senators.

They doubt, then learn to, at least, tolerate Aquila’s presence.

But the longer this went on, the more the words started intchying his plates.

Why didn’t she stand up for herself?

He knows that she is perfectly capable of giving a verbal or pgysical beatdown to this Senator.

The question is why hasn’t she?

Bumblebee: “You know she can exactly attack a Senator, right?” Starscream scoffs. Starscream: “If she wasn’t such a coward then maybe she would hit him.” Bumblebee sighing. Bumblebee: “Think of it like this. Your personal guard gets caught hitting or beating a Senator in Iacon. Word reaches out to everyone else, and you know they are going to think she started it. She would be looking at a job termination if they don’t do a trial and it would make you look bad in the process.” Starscream: “… You’ve made your point.” Bumblebee nods. Starscream: “But that doesn’t mean there are… other ways to deal with this pest.” Bumblebee: “Wow, this is a sight. Starscream actually caring for someone without personal gain?” Starscream: “N-no!” Bumblebee: “Your wings say otherwise.” Starscream: “Shut it!”

Starscream was surprised that Chromia and Windblade hadn’t heard about Aquila’s confrontations with this mech.

The more he told them about it, the more he was starting to question why he thought telling Chromia who the mech was a good idea.

As much as murder was an option, he still needed Chromia around.

To teach Aquila of course!

The next day Aquila was getting ready to head to work when she got a call from a fellow guard’s member to turn on her screen to the news.

The news talked about the Senator being accused of workplace misconduct, inappropriate behavior, and found with several com lines to highly wanted bots.

Starscream at his office groaning a bit. Bumblebee: “Doesn’t that feel nice? Helping someone out?” Starscream glaring at the ghost. Starscream: “The only things I’m feeling is a helmache—” SLAM! The Seeker jumps but calms don seeing a heavy panting Aquila. Starscream: “You know you’re not supposed to slam the door!” Aqulia doesn’t say anything and closes the door. Starscream stands up with his servos on his hips. Starscream: “What? No greeting? Where are your—” He stops when he feels a pair of servos pulling him into a tight hug. Starscream: “…manners…” Aquila just holds him. The Seeker makes no move to remove the youngling. Starscream: “I didn’t do it for you, you know. It was out of my best interest to get rid of the waste of space.” Aqulia gives him a watery smile and finally let’s go. Aquila: “Of course sir. Umm, sorry about the sudden physical contact. It won’t happen again.” Starscream: “Give me some warning next time. Now shoo! Its your day off and I don’t want to see you. Go bother Chromia or Windblade.” Aquila bows out of respect and leaves the room. Bumblebee: “… I wish I had a picture of that.” Starscream: “SHUT IT!”

#transformers x reader #maccadam #bot buddy #idw transformers #aqulia #idw transformers x reader #idw transformers x platonic reader

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bonefall · 2 years ago

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Oooo now you’re really getting me into Clanmew. What are the names for birds and bird species in Clanmew?

The simple word for "Bird" evolved from Old Tribemew, at the Dawn of the Clans. A "Bird" is any two-winged flying animal with bones.

Bird (and bats) = Hafefyl

The major types of birds that the Clan cats recognize are as follows;

Raptor = Yassga A large, dangerous bird. Any avian perceived to pose a threat is in this category, including swans, ravens, and herons. Not just birds of prey.

Fowl = Eyawoon Large prey birds, the same level of danger as any other large quarry. Ducks, pheasants, gulls, cormorants, a chicken or peacock would also be in this category.

Game = Biyaw These are the birds that are eaten regularly, without much other consideration. It's where most of the 'odd' birds that don't fit other categories go. Pigeons, sparrows, quails.

Fancy = Pyrrya Any bird that would be a shameful thing to kill. That usually means songbirds with pleasing songs, but also colorful ones with pleasing patterns and behaviors, and even bats as they bring sickness when eaten.

Examples of "Yassga";

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) = Nyieu A species only encountered in the Tribe mountain, before re-contact it was considered a legendary animal. The most dangerous flying species, capable of attacking small deer.

Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter nisus) = Yi'i When hawks are being noted for their speed, it's this species. They primarily hunt other birds, but not cats.

Red Kite (Milvus milvus) = Eeao This is the species that is both large and bold enough to take kittens. The vast majority of the time when hawks are mentioned in a dangerous context, it is a kite. Goshawks are not as numerous in this area as canon implies.

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) = Ipip Acrobatic, agile bird able to seemingly 'hover' in the air.

Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) = Yeepi Skilled attentive hunters that tend to hunt small mammals in open areas, especially wetlands. RiverClan and ShadowClan see these a lot.

Merlin (Falco columbarius) = Mweelili A small, generalist hunter that likes low-density areas like moorland, sparse woods, and brush. Known for being friendly with Harriers and eating just about anything.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) = Pyip Not actually a dangerous species; but the perception of danger will make Clan cats avoid this creature. Most commonly found by the sea.

Swan (Cygnus olor) = Hchom Large and quiet, these birds are so large they can drown a foolish warrior or break a bone.

Raven (Corvus corax) = Nyok A raven is considered a very dangerous bird not only for its size and ferocious beak, but because of how vengeful an unkindness can be. They remember Clan cats and seemingly mess with them on purpose.

Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea) = Krekek With their habit of spearing, bludgeoning, and even brutally drowning their prey, herons are feared and avoided. There are stories of herons picking off wayward kittens, but it's unknown if it's true or just a tale to stop them from wandering.

Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) = Huo The biggest, largest, most dangerous owl. Cats are a desired prey. No other owl will attack an adult warrior, and eagle owls are most often found in ThunderClan territory where there's thick forest and a nearby rocky cliff.

Tawny owl (Strix aluco) = Hrrua'u A loud, sonorous owl. Known best for being the species roosting in the old Owl Tree.

Barn owl (Tyto alba) = Weear This owl does not hoot, it screeches.

Examples of "Eyawoon";

Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) = Kwek There are several species of ducks they encounter occasionally-- but this one, the mallard duck, is the most common. ThunderClan liked to try and hunt them when they had Sunningrocks, sometimes inflaming tensions between clans.

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) = Rauqa Named for the territorial cry of a male pheasant, the most impressive prize that a ThunderClan warrior can catch.

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) = Rewp Not just a seabird; found further in-land and will make do with just about any body of water. This is a species regularly found and hunted at Sanctuary Lake, and also the type that Gullswoop is named for.

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) = Eeyar The Clan cats haven't been doing salt patrols long enough yet to know that this is absolutely not an Eyawoon, but in fact, a Yassga. Sandwhich-stealing BASTARDS. They're the ones with the gray back, yellow beak, little red mark on the lip, and feral Grinch-looking eyes. If you live by the ocean you know. (There is another species that looks similar but Clan cats think they are the same animal)

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) = Waer A large, black fishing bird that dives underwater to catch its prey. Revered by RiverClan.

Carrion crow (Corvus corone) = Rawk This is the species being referred to when "crowfood" is mentioned. Rawkwoo.

Magpie (Pica pica) = Ke'ek Glossy, beautiful blue, black, and white bird. Very intelligent and a difficult catch; like crows and ravens they are smart enough to have a concept of social learning.

Egret (Egretta garzetta) = Bwawa Though they have many of the same 'brutal' behaviors as herons, they're too small to cause damage and hence are sorted into 'eyawoon'

There is currently no word for Chicken but Ravenpaw is probably using the term Barley likes best. Except the rooster which he immediately named "Urkaroona."

Examples of "Biyaw";

Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) = Huwoohoo Big, fat, common, a popular meal bird.

Dove (Columba livia) = Hrru Funfact: In TPB, there is a moment where Fireheart scolds Cloudpaw for calling a pigeon a 'dove.' In English, pigeons and doves are synonyms, but in Clanmew, Cloudtail had killed a Huwoohoo, but called it a Hrru.

Sparrow (Passer domesticus and Passer montanus) = Qee Though there's a difference in plumage between these species, Clan cats think they are the same species because their songs are nearly identical. Passer montanus (Eurasian Tree Sparrow) is just considered what a sparrow looks like when it lives deep in the woods.

Quail (Coturnix coturnix) = Wipiwik A round little ground bird that's very fast.

Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) = Miaw A black-and gray bird with a mewling call.

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) = Errari This bird has many songs, which is taken by Clan cats as intentionally trying to hide its true name. They may even be changing their appearances to look like a Mistle Thrush; clearly they're something much more intelligent, since they use stones to smash open snail shells.

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) = Charrech Much larger than a Song Thrush. Brave, one of the few birds that sings even in terrible weather, but named for the angry sound it makes when it's guarding berry bushes in winter.

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) = Apapach A very important winter prey bird which travels in large flocks. Bullied by Mistle Thrushes for good food sources.

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) = Eean Similar to a fieldfare, but smaller and usually in tinier groups. The call is very different, so these birds are not usually confused by Clan cats unless they're seen first. Apapach are the preferred prey of the two.

Blackbird (Turdus merula) = Oohee Males are blue-black with a yellow ring around the eye, and females are a ruddy dappled brown.

Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) = Arkr Loud, aggressive medium-sized birds. Pale with blue wings.

Examples of "Pyrrya"

Bat (4 SPECIES) = Fip This refers to the sound of their wings mid-flight. No species of bat is consumed. If eaten they can bring horrible sickness, seen as a punishment for killing an holy night-loving animal with such a beautiful voice and great hunting skill. Clan cats are able to hear bat songs out of range of human hearing!

Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) = Popep A very small, common bat species that usually eats mosquitoes and midges in wet areas.

Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) = Ipi'ip Humans can barely tell the difference between these two, but Clan cats recognize that the song of a Soprano is much faster, higher-pitched, and absolutely sonorous. Considered the night version of a wren and held in high esteem.

Long-eared Brown Bat (Plecotus auritus) = Fepfr A very quiet, low-flying bat with a habit for doing some ground-hunting. This is usually the first bat that an apprentice sees instead of hears, and the one which is used to teach them to not hunt bats. It has a very modest song, which Clan cats explain as mourning for every bat accidentally killed and discarded. Rarely called the "Fip Hhass;" the Whisper Bat.

Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) = Shi'po The largest bat, has huge teeth and a broad face. Females both migrate and hibernate, but males stay awake all year and sing with a very distinctive tune hard to put into a word.

Songbird (SEVERAL SPECIES) = Pigu Note: Most songbirds are down here in this category, but some, like Song Thrushes, are only here conditionally. Usually if there's enough food to go around.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) = Pi'ie The song of this tiny bird is so fast and beautiful that Clan cats have a hard time putting it into words; these birds are not killed except by fiends and rogues.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) = Birri This is a small, gray-and-brown bird with a bright orange face. They're not very filling, pretty, and sing a delightful song, so like the other species in this category they aren't taken unless there's a serious need.

Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) = Mweep Though large and delicious, these birds are so enjoyed that killing them is dishonorable without approval. They're the only bird that can fly away with its young, it dances and puts on air shows as mating rituals, and they're quite rare.

There are more species than this found in the area but this should be more than enough for now. Here's the most significant "bird" species they experience on a regular basis!

#Clanmew #Clanmew expansion back

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rustyvanburace · 2 years ago

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Analysis on SMTIV’s Issachar

I wrote up a long analysis on Issachar from Shin Megami Tensei IV, covering his aspirations for wanting to become a Samurai, his myriad struggles, and even a bit of how he’d compare with Walter.

Spoiler warnings for the beginning of SMT IV up to Kiccigiorgi Forest. This is all my own interpretation, of course!

-----

My personal belief is that if Issachar did become a Samurai, I don’t actually see him as becoming "Another Walter". In some ways I actually even think that Walter would clash with him somewhat. And I say this in respect to Issachar's own beliefs and ambitions. As a Samurai, I can see Issachar clinging onto his new role with overwhelming pride and maybe even turning a blind eye of denial to the discrimination within. I can imagine him turn excessively determined to prove himself and even more so in defiance of his growing disillusion. And maybe that would still culminate in him losing himself and becoming vulnerable to demonic influence all the same.

For both good and bad, Issachar has raw emotion. And it's those same emotions that kept both his ambition alive against impossible odds, as well as what ultimately consumed him. Issachar isn't just at odds with the Luxurors' stifling oppression, though that is a large part of it, but also what he idealizes the Samurai to be and his complicated relationships.

So let's analyze Issachar's reason to become a Samurai. At quick glance, it is a means to escape his Casualry status and become a Luxuror. And that is true and something he expresses, but that also doesn't cover all his values nor his complicated anger at his rejection. What’s important is to first consider the value he holds the Samurai to and their perceived role in society.

If you go to the Obelisk before taking the Rite, Issachar comments on each section. And there's a comment there that really stands out. In retelling the founding of the Samurai, the epigraph relates Aquila's heroic deeds and ends by describing today's Samurai as the "cornerstone of our defenses". And it's right afterwards that Issachar starts to daydream in that role. "When I am made a Samurai, then I, too, shall be..."

Issachar doesn't state it outright, but given what the epigraph just described, I take this to mean that he values the Samurai as heroes of justice. Maybe even reveres Aquila. And this reverence would've come to him at an early, impressionable age, when he and Flynn had first gone to the castle on an errand as children and vowed then to become Samurai. Seeing as Issachar is a Casualry from a remote village, I can see him believing the Samurai to be noble heroes who equally come to everyone's aid. This belief would certainly give a lot of hope to a young Casualry and something to aspire to be, especially for one struggling with his own village's expectations.

During the Kiccigiorgi mission, there are a pair of NPCs who are implied to be Issachar's parents (or at least close acquaintances). Yet instead of expressing concern for their son's safety during a crisis, they speak of his absence with contempt -- in sharp contrast to their lauding of Flynn's bravery. Mind, they haven't seen Issachar at all since he left for the Rite. They have no knowledge that he led the Sabbath and embraced the demonic. Their assumption and source of ire is that he has cowardly run off. Maybe even abandoned his duties before all of this even happened. While Flynn is busting his ass to save everyone, where the hell is that lousy Issachar?

If that's their reception towards him during a major crisis, then I don't think they were supportive of his ambitions and efforts either. They may have seen his training as goofing-off from work. Casualries becoming Samurai are almost unheard of, so why waste all his time doing that? It's a fact that a lot of Casualry NPCs early on have simply accepted their lot in life and it's this conformance that creates a divide between the elders and youths. The elders have no interest in the Sabbaths. There are Casualry elders who give God their thanks for their role, who let the Luxurors think for them, and who are too concerned with work than bigger issues.

All that, of course, is rooted with the Luxurors for creating a controlled, oppressive society. Nonetheless, to a Casualry youth who may not have realized that yet and wants more out of life yet is shown no support by their own peers, that is incredibly frustrating. The exchange from Issachar's implied parents is very short, but it paints the picture that Issachar was among those struggling with his own peers on top of the Luxurors. Maybe even at odds with his village at large. And I believe that to be one aspect that encouraged his aspiration to become a heroic Samurai. So that he could bring hope to his village and become someone they could look up to instead of down upon.

At the Gauntlet Ritie, Issachar reassures himself by repeatedly saying "I will become a Samurai... I'm definitely going to be a Samurai... A Samurai and Luxuror at that..." He chants becoming a Samurai three times and a Luxuror last. It's not that he doesn't want to escape his trade, but that he holds greater value in becoming a Samurai first and what that role signifies. Conversely, there is a NPC during the Rite who, having just been rejected, waves off the whole thing as a dog and pony show. And this is a crucial exchange as it directly counters the heavy significance that Issachar is placing in the Rite. What that NPC is saying is that the Rite and by extension the Samurai aren't actually as grandeur as the early narrative is suggesting.

Then, to be rejected and shortly afterwards discover books that open to new ways of thinking, it's likely that Issachar would've been confronted by the reality that the Samurai are not actually defenders of the people but soldiers who enforce the Luxurors' rule. And if he truly believed the Samurai to be just, noble heroes and aspired to become that, then this revelation would've been a painful one.

So Issachar is struggling with society, his unsupportive family/community, and his beliefs shattered. But there is also a fourth thing going on: his complicated relationship with Flynn. It needs to be said that Issachar, even before being rejected, is not without flaw. He didn't actually have confidence in Flynn’s success despite together vowing to become Samurai. While at the same time that Issachar is reassuring himself, he doesn't extend that same hope to Flynn. He never mentions "we will become Samurai" but consistently "I". He states this could be farewell and thus indirectly hints that Flynn would be the one leaving. And instead of feeling proud that his best friend and fellow Kiccigiorgi Casualry was chosen, his reaction is of appalled shock.

And this all culminates at Kiccigiorgi Forest. Issachar isn't happy to see Flynn to the rescue and responds back sarcastically. He tells him his revelations, but only "I'm telling you this because you're you." He is treating Flynn as stupid, incompetent, and undeserving of becoming a Samurai. At most Flynn is now just another Luxuror dog upholding authority, in contrast to the survivors who laud Flynn's arrival or knew him positively. It's very possible that Issachar is also jealous of that, especially if he was like an older brother to Flynn and helped him out with most things. Like baiting hooks.

I imagine, following his rejection, Issachar must've felt abandoned by Flynn and his future stolen by him. Now Flynn gets to be that heroic Samurai that everyone can look up to. Worse, he may even betray his Casualry roots and forget all about Kiccigiorgi. Issachar essentially expresses that belief during his battle depending on how Flynn responds and it's why he reacts with surprised torment and regret for his actions if Flynn affirms that he is still a Casualry.

Now of course, none of this is actually Flynn's fault nor his intention. Issachar is running on high emotion. Regardless of the Rite though, it still doesn't change the fact that Issachar initially doubted Flynn. Issachar has a selfish side, and that's a good thing actually, as that gives him more nuance and his reaction is honestly a natural one. But he also comes around to overcoming that jealousy at the end and, in his final words, pleads that Flynn becomes that "magnificent Samurai" that he dreamed the Samurai to be.

So having gone through all that -- the oppression, the shattered moral value he placed in the Samurai, his lack of community support and pressure to prove himself, and his future seemingly stolen by his best friend and then abandoned -- it's infuriating. It's soul crushing. Where do you go from there when you have placed your entire worth into one moment that has never guaranteed you a future? Back to the village, alone, that's already disappointed in you? It's little wonder then why he became easy prey to the Black Samurai looking to stoke that anger and why he'd throw everything away. And it's because of those complex emotions and beliefs that I believe Issachar would struggle even as a Samurai.

I believe Issachar's idealization is where he and Walter differ greatly. Walter doesn't revere the Samurai nor does he place his entire worth in being one or upholding their image. He doesn't adopt a heroic or Luxuror identity. Walter also wanted to escape his family trade, but the way he treats the Samurai is much less of a life's goal and more as a pleasantly surprising turn of events. If he were denied, he would've likely sought his own way of escape. I earnestly don't believe that Walter actually aspired or even hoped to become a Samurai. Walter also runs high emotions, but he is still able to reign those in. He is able to hone his anger into a strength as opposed to a vulnerability. And he tends to be a lot more realistic or grounded.

And it's those differences where I think that the idealistic Issachar and realistic Walter would honestly clash. Maybe not necessarily as a heated argument (at least not right away), but as an annoyed or awkward discomfort. In some ways, Issachar actually has more in common with Jonathan insofar as their views of the Samurai.

Now obviously, who knows what would've happened if Issachar did become a Samurai. I do think he would at least be able to cope much better, having finally made it. But I also still believe that his idealized view of the Samurai would begin to crack while still clinging onto those same values. Maybe he would still fall to demonic influence out of despair. Maybe become a resigned, insipid shell of himself. Maybe emboldened to become that noble hero at all costs. Maybe his jealousy of Flynn would even carry on with him. Who really knows?

But if he did become a Samurai, I cannot see him as "Another Walter" nor would I want him to be.

#Shin Megami Tensei #Shin Megami Tensei IV #SMT #SMT4 #SMTIV #Issachar #Megaten #character analysis #rusty's analyses

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aquilathefighter · 22 days ago

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Anon opinion: you are the absolute best and I adore you. I definitely consider you a friend even if we don’t necessarily have full conversations all that often. It’s always so nice to find out that you’re already part of a fandom that I’m getting into and seeing you on the dash always manes me smile. You’re so cool and smart, your bird knowledge is awesome, and your taste in men is top tier. I can’t say this without kinda giving away who I am but I’m gonna do it anyways- your comments on my art are genuinely so encouraging and always make me so happy It’s genuinely so motivating and fun and sometimes I will literally think “I’m gonna make this partly so Aquila can see it, can’t wait to see what they think” like you have always been SO kind and encouraging and it means a lot to me <333

ABDLHFHODHIID THANK YOU <3333

#aquila answers

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empress-leo · 1 year ago

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Rating each of the 88 IAU designated constellations based on how good they would be as a name for a member of the Black family because I’m bored and this road trip will take at least 2 more hours.

Andromeda: 10/10 no notes. It’s perfect disaster name material.

Antila: 6/10 I feel they would be the weird middle child of the family

Apus: 5/10 could be good as a domineering father figure, otherwise I wouldn’t want to call my edgy soft boi Apus Black

Aquarius: 3/10 would get made fun of and not taken seriously

Aquila: 7/10 perfect name for an adventurous lesbian that got disinherited yet is a total badass

Ara: 1/10 I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from thinking Ara Ara Black

Aries: 9/10 perfect antagonist name

Auriga: 2/10 just doesn’t really roll off the tongue well

Boötes: 3/10 not bad, but the double Bs knock it down a few points

Caelum: 6/10 good as the edgy second in command to an antagonist, otherwise unremarkable

Camelopardis: 0/10 horrible would only be made fun of for being named the objectively worse version of giraffe

Cancer: 0/10 do I even need to explain

Canes Venatici: 2/10 to many syllables

Canis Major: 4/10 could see this being used as the name for an older twin, but not on its own

Canis Minor: 4/10 ditto but for the younger twin

Capricornus: 3/10 maybe as a medieval ancestor, but not as a modern black

Carina: 8/10 younger sister name

Cassiopeia: 10/10 amazing

Centaurus: 2/10 this would probably offend the actual centaurs

Cepheus: 5/10 total emo recluse name

Cetus: 7/10 short and snappy, perfect for an overbearing father

Chamaeleon: 4/10 I could totally see them using this out of pure spite

Circinus: 3/10 at best a great-grandfather, otherwise horrible

Columba: 8/10 would be a soft and gentle older sister

Coma Berenices: 0/10 too many syllables and has coma in the name

Corona Australis: 0/10 too specific

Corona Borealis: 0/10 see above

Corvus: 10/10 the ultimate emo boi name

Crater: 8/10 would play beater on the house team

Crux: 8/10 definitely a middle child with something to prove

Cygnus: 8/10 a daddy you don’t want to mess with

Delphinus: 6/10 the secretive bastard daughter who has inherited angst

Dorado: 2/10 too many Os

Draco: 10/10 Draco Malfoy adopted by the Blacks AU vibes

Equuleus: 5/10 too many Us, other could be good for a grandfather

Eridanus: 5/10 if you place the emphasis on the i then it works, otherwise not

Fornax: 3/10 probably sounds cooler than the person with the name actually is

Gemini: 4/10 youngest child energy

Grus: 6/10 people would think it’s a nickname then be surprised it’s their real name

Hercules: 9/10 though it would probably end up being used be someone with extremely supremacist views, ruining the name for everyone else

Horologium: 0/10 imagine introducing yourself as ‘watch’

Hydra: 6/10 would defiantly be the younger brother of Hercules

Hydrus: 5/10 either the worse version of Hydra or the better version

Indus: 4/10 coloniser vibes

Lacerta: 9/10 absolutely the daughter that ran away from the family becuase she loved a Muggle

Leo: 10/10 I’m biased

Leo Minor: the inferior sibling of Leo

Lepus: 1/10 sound too much like Leper

Libra: 4/10 Le Bruh Black

Lupus: 8/10 Lupin gets adopted by the Blacks AU vibes

Lynx: 6/10 you think they’re gonna be all edgy and intimidating but they’re actually soft and apologetic for their crazy name

Lyra: 9/10 pure spice, I love it

Mensa: 0/10 I can’t think of anything I like about it

Microscopium: 0/10 like, BRUH, why

Monoceros: 6/10 the Uncle that’s a bit too into blood purity and duelling

Musca: 2/10 I- I mean, really?

Norma: 5/10 the boring and unremarkable young sister

Octans: 7/10 I could see it being used as the name of an aide

Ophiuchus: 0/10 horrible

Orion: 10/10 it’s perfect

Pavo: 4/10 that cousin you only see once every few years and aren’t quite sure how you’re related

Pegasus: 8/10 kinda heroic, I could see this being used for a main character

Perseus: 7/10 same comment as above, just a weaker version of it

Phoenix: 8/10 the hot headed brother, though given that phoenixes are real it’s kinda like naming your child cheetah

Pictor: 1/10 if a black family member ever became a grave digger, it would be Pictor

Piscis: 3/10 could be worse. I imagine this child would be mostly forgotten about though

Piscis Austrinus: 1/10 the worse version of Picsis

Puppis: 6/10 excitable younger sibling energy

Pyxis: 8/10 a name for a younger sibling who reads a few too many dark magic books

Reticulum: 1/10 horrible. Absolutely horrible

Sagitta: 7/10 people would think it’s a nickname for Sagittarius, but it actually works on its own

Sagittarius: 5/10 could just use Sagitta as a nickname

Scorpius: 9/10 almost as emo as Corvus. Almost.

Sculptor: 3/10 I could see them using it as the name of an ancestor who lived before the 17th cenfury

Scutum: 1/10 sounds too much like scrotum. Anyone who would be named this would have anger issues

Serpens: 3/10 sounds incomplete

Sextans: 3/10 in the same boat as Sculptor

Taurus: 10/10 absolutely perfect for a Father or Uncle that is an amazing duellist and is mad when his son isn’t

Telescopium: 0/10 hmm yes I would like to seeeeeee

Triangulum: 0/10 triangulate a better name

Triangulum Australe: 0/10 no that’s worse

Tucana: 8/10 either an adoring mother or the youngest brother

Ursa Major: 4/10 good older twin name

Ursa Minor: 4/10 good younger twin name

Vela: 5/10 I could see this being used, but it would cause problems with the Veela community

Virgo: 6/10 but only if pronounced as Vir(j)o Black instead of Vir(g)o Black

Volans: 6/10 semi-decent, but definitely not the oldest child

Vulpecula: 3/10 any child named this will immediately become angry

#Lord help me #black #black family #Sirius black #regulus black #Harry Potter #marauders #constellations #IAU designated Constellations #stars #space #I will add more from other lists later

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jujumin-translates · 2 years ago

Text

Event | 5th Anniversary: The Way Back Home | Chapter 5 - Summer Planet Story

*Contains spoilers for Act 12 - eternal moment*

Misumi: Waah, there’s so many people in the audience!

Izumi: Seems like a lot of people are excited to see the STARS origin story.

Kumon: Hehe, I’m a little nervous, but I’m also super excited to show them all the adventures of Del and the others!

Yuki: This time, we get to show off even more of STARS than in the main story, so we get to put them in lots of different scenarios.

Muku: I hope the audience is just as excited as we are about it.

Kazunari: Yeah, yeah! Let’s get everyone just a little bit more crazy about STARS than they were when they came in!

Tenma: Alright, guys, huddle up.

Tenma: If we all work together, we can hunt down any treasure in the universe.

Tenma: Let’s aim for the shining treasure! Summer Troupe, fight!

Summer Troupe: Yeah!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Buzzer sounds*

Izumi: (Two years before Leo met ANIMS…)

Leo: “The last time we went there, the ruins on L4 were quite the jackpot.”

Trill: “The interior of them was also pretty interesting.”

Leo: “Still, all the arrow traps there were a pain.”

Trill: “Your reaction back then was the best, Leo.”

Leo: “Stop laughing, it wasn’t that funny.”

Link: “Good work. Getting that bread?”

Leo: “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Link: “It’s a phrase from N28. I learned it the other day.”

Trill: “Little by little.”

Link: “Trill gets me.”

Leo: “How’d you understand that?”

Trill: “Someone from N28 taught me it.”

Link: “You guys have been pretty active lately. Been hearing some rumors about you.

Leo: “Really? Have we also become that famous?”

Link: “Yeah, as the reckless idiot duo.”

Trill: “That’s not really a compliment.”

Leo: “By the way, what are you doing out here? We don’t have anything for you to appraise right now.”

Link: “Actually, I have an opportunity with a big payout for you guys. You interested?”

Leo: “You using the prospect of getting paid to convince us isn’t that unusual, yet somehow I’m a little scared.”

Link: “You ever hear of F23?”

Trill: “Yeah, the dictatorship, right? The planet where outsiders are forbidden from entering or leaving?”

Link: “I heard that they just discovered the tomb of the first emperor of the Knox empire there.”

Link: “They’re recruiting foreigners because the inside investigation is too much for the domestic experts alone. Sounds interesting, right?”

Leo: “So you’re saying we can get into F23?”

Leo: “Also isn’t the collapse of the Knox empire a mystery despite how advanced it was?”

Leo: “So relics from that era are hardly ever found on the market.”

Trill: “How could we possibly not be interested in such unique and mysterious ruins on a planet chock full of mysteries?”

Leo: “We have no reason to refuse.”

Trill: “We accept!”

Link: “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Izumi: (The pacing of Summer Troupe’s performance is really good. The audience members were all drawn into the story right from the start.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Trill: “Huh, so this is what F23 is like. Nice and simplistic~.”

Soldier: “My apologies, but you’re not allowed to venture in alone.”

Link: “Okay, okay.”

Leo: “They’re pretty thorough. So we’re really not allowed to do anything other than investigate the archaeological sites, huh.”

Link: “Is there something they don’t want us to know about?”

Aquila: “They don’t want the people from here finding out about what goes on outside of this planet. They don’t want people to try and flee.”

Leo: “And you are?”

Del: “Ah! Doctor!”

Orion: “It’s been a while.”

Aquila: “I didn’t know you’d be coming.”

Trill: “Doctor?”

Aquila: “I’m Aquila.”

Link: “You don’t look like a treasure hunter.”

Aquila: “I’m an expert in mathematics. I’m studying cryptanalysis.”

Leo: “Ah, so that kinda doctor.”

Trill: “So you’re one of the experts they’ve gathered.”

Del: “Those two are the treasure hunters, Leo and Trill. And that one there is Link, their appraiser.”

Leo: “You know your stuff.”

Del: “I’ve been in this business for a long time.”

Link: “You don’t really look the part though.”

Orion: “I’m the locksmith, Orion. This is Del. We’ve worked with the Doctor before.”

Leo: “So are there really doors here that are gonna need a locksmith and cryptanalyst to get open?”

Trill: “Can’t have it be too easy.”

Del: “The traps in there are said to be pretty bad, so you’re probably going to need the help of two hunters to get through them.”

Leo: “Same goes for you. Glad to be working with you.”

Aquila: “However, I’m not so certain I agree with the ethics of disturbing a tomb.”

Link: “You’re only mentioning that now? Why’d you even come then?”

Del: “When the Doctor hears about difficult ciphers, he can’t help himself. He’s crazy about them.”

Orion: “Same goes for you, Del.”

Trill: “Guess we’re all in this together.”

Soldier: “Everyone, please come this way to board the bus.”

Izumi: (The six of them discuss their experiences with searching for treasure while boarding the bus headed for the ruins.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Trill: “We’re finally here.”

Leo: “Too bad we don’t get any free time beforehand though.”

Link: “Well, you’re still allowed to wander around the ruins freely, right?”

Soldier: “For the sake of efficiency, we have a schedule set for your exploration of the ruins.”

Leo: “We’re fourth in line.”

Trill: “We have to wait!?”

Orion: “Strict as always.”

Del: “Ugh, when is it going to be our turn to go in?”

Hunter: “GYAHH!!”

Aquila: “What was with that scream just now…?”

Leo: “It sounded close.”

Trill: “Maybe it was someone from the domestic exploration team we heard about.”

Link: “Figured that much.”

Leo: “Seems like this is gonna be interesting, huh, Trill.”

Trill: “Can’t wait.”

Izumi: (Eventually, it becomes time for Leo and the others to explore.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Trill: “Leo, on your right.”

Leo: “Got it.”

*Arrow fires*

Trill: “Guess that’s what that guy from earlier got caught up in.”

Leo: “Such a simple thing, but it’s still pretty ingenious in the way it’s hidden.”

*Arrow fires*

Leo: “--Tch.”

Trill: “Ah, my bad, that one’s on me.”

Leo: “Hey, that coulda killed me.”

Trill: “But it didn’t.”

Leo: “Not the point.”

*Arrow fires*

Trill: “Uwhoa.”

Leo: “My bad, that one was my fault.”

Trill: “Hey!”

Link: “Will you two quit screwing around?”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Leo: “I don’t see any way to open this door.”

Link: “Maybe because no one else ever got this far.”

Leo: “The hell is with this cipher?”

Trill: “Hmm, I’ve never seen a key like this before.”

Leo: “Well, I’ve got no clue what to do with it. Guess we gotta turn to the experts.”

Trill: “That’s probably the fastest way. But the number of people left on the team is decreasing quickly due to injuries. So hopefully there’s someone left.”

Izumi: (Leo and the others turn back to get help from Aquila, Orion, and Del, who are fortunately uninjured…)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Aquila: “Hmm… I see. Interesting. Very interesting…”

Leo: “So, to get around something like this, we need to… Doctor?”

Del: “It’s impossible to get any sort of response from him when he’s like this.”

Orion: “This key is pretty interesting too. It looks like the keys from the Arca Ruins.”

Del: “Well, I’m kinda curious about this protrusion here. It looks like there’s another layer to it or something.”

Link: “The pattern is also similar to the ones at the Arca Ruins, so maybe they’re connected somehow.”

Aquila: “They were similar in terms of age and prosperity. There must be some records of royalty from the Arca Empire marrying into this one somewhere.”

Link: “Huh, you sure know your stuff, Doctor. Wait, when’d you get back?”

Aquila: “I solved it.”

Leo: “That was quick!”

Del: “We were just waiting on you. Now, to put this code in…”

*Lock clicks*

Orion: “Looks like that did the trick.”

Leo: “Great, let’s try and open it.”

Orion: “Hmm, I feel like it should’ve been harder than this.”

Trill: “Well, let’s just give it a go and if it doesn’t work, we can give it a little more thought.”

Leo: “Let’s open it up.”

*Door moves*

Del: “...It moved.”

Leo: “Guess we’ll head in. The rest of you should hang back, just to be safe.”

Aquila: “There is a chance a trap could still be waiting to be triggered, you’d best proceed with caution.”

Trill: “But we’ll never know what’s in there if we don’t go.”

Leo: “And there’s no other way in but through here.”

Trill: “Well then, leave it to us. We’ll open it.”

Leo: “--Trill! On your left!”

*Arrow fires*

Trill: “Uwhoa.”

*Arrow fires*

Leo: “--Gh.”

Trill: “Leo, are you okay?”

Leo: “It’s just a scratch. And it doesn’t seem like it was poisonous either, so I should be fine.”

Trill: “Good.”

Orion: “I’m sorry, I must’ve made a mistake in unlocking it.”

Del: “It should’ve been perfect.”

Aquila: “I’m certain there were no mistakes in my calculations.”

Link: “This lock here looks like it might be a fake.”

Trill: “So then where’s the real one?”

Leo: “No clue.”

Link: “Hey, this one kinda caught my attention. It looks like the only one here that’s from a different era.”

Link: “See, this one uses a royal crest from an era that’s even older than the Knox Empire.”

Leo: “That’s gotta be significant.”

Aquila: “You know, there is a theory that the first emperor of the Knox Empire was born from an indigenous group and had the blood of an ancient royal family.”

Del: “Let me look at that for a sec.”

Orion: “Ah, could this be…”

Del: “There’s no mistaking it. It’s the key to the door. You’re up, Doctor.”

Aquila: “Given that I couldn’t realize the one from earlier was a fake, I’m guessing the real one is going to be quite more formidable.”

Del: “Don’t worry about it. We all understand how tedious it must be.”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Lock clicks*

Del: “There we go, it’s open.”

Leo: “We must’ve gotten it this time.”

Orion: “It was a lot more elaborate than the one from before, but I’m sure I got it right.”

Trill: “You ready, Leo?”

Leo: “You bet.”

Trill: “Let’s open it up.”

*Door opens*

Leo: “...Alright. Sounds like we got it. Let’s go.”

Izumi: (The group manages to disarm the traps, one after another, making use of their respective knowledge and areas of expertise.)

Izumi: (The serious yet curious expressions everyone is making are great. It makes the audience feel like they’re along for the adventure.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Trill: “This must be it.”

Leo: “Finally, we’re in the presence of the king.”

Orion: “--So shiny.”

Del: “It’s a mountain of treasure!”

Aquila: “Hmm… No wonder why people wanted to discover his tomb.”

Link: “It was definitely worth the effort.”

Soldier: “Thank you for your hard work. You can rest now.”

Leo: “Hah?”

Soldier: “There are cars and ships available. Please leave at your soonest convenience. We will transfer you your rewards at a later date.”

Leo: “Eh, wait--.”

Trill: “We’ve come all this way and now we’re just saying goodbye!?”

Aquila: “It still comes across as quite blunt even though I expected as much.”

Leo: “We really can’t explore even a little more?”

Orion: “I can’t believe they don’t even let us rest for a bit.”

Link: “Well, I guess sometimes rumors turn out to be true.”

Del: “How’s that even fair!?”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Del: “Having a celebration on the ship for such a small thing feels kind of pointless.”

Link: “All that gold, gone in an instant.”

Orion: “Ah, the reward has been transferred.”

Trill: “The payoff isn’t bad, but it’s still not as good as seeing that mountain of treasure.”

Leo: “You can say that again.”

Trill: “Huh, is this for real?”

Leo: “This was about the only thing I managed to grab.”

Aquila: “Incredible.”

Trill: “Way to go, Leo!”

Leo: “Got one for each of us, in case you were wondering.”

Link: “Are you for real?”

Del: “That’s surprisingly generous of you.”

Orion: “Thank you.”

Aquila: “I’ll take this one.”

Leo: “You guys were a real help this time. I don’t think I would’ve made it back without you.”

Aquila: “Likewise. It was quite an interesting experience.”

Orion: “I had a lot of fun.”

Leo: “And that’s why I was wondering if you guys would be interested in forming a team with us?”

Trill: “Ah, I was thinking the same thing. After all, there’s a limit to what only two people can pull off.”

Link: “I’m not opposed to the idea.”

Orion: “We’ve been wanting some friends we could trust to work with.”

Del: “I’m in.”

Aquila: “I’m looking forward to discussing it further.”

Del: “What’s with that kind of answer? Just give your honest yes already.”

Aquila: “I have my reasons.”

Orion: “Come on, join us, Doctor. This might be a good way to find all kinds of interesting ciphers.”

Aquila: “I suppose so.”

Leo: “It’s been decided. And our team name will be… STARS.”

Trill: “You just looked out the window to come up with that one, didn’t you?”

Link: “Way too simple.”

Orion: “Well, I don’t mind it.”

Leo: “Well then, to our successful tomb expedition and the formation of STARS.”

Trill: “Cheers!”

Izumi: (A lively spin-off performance full of laughs and adventurous spirit that is so uniquely Summer Troupe…)

Izumi: (I’m glad that the audience got to enjoy more of the charm of STARS that we weren’t able to show in the main story of the space performance!)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Applause*

Yuki: Thanks.

Muku: Thank you so much!

Misumi: Thanks~!

Kazunari: Thanksies!

Kumon: Thanks so much!

Tenma: Thank you for coming!

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

#a3!#a3! translation #tenma sumeragi #yuki rurikawa #muku sakisaka #misumi ikaruga #kazunari miyoshi #kumon hyodo

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wyvern-flames · 2 years ago

Text

𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 - 𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑒, 𝑊𝑦𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛

Semi-Selective, Spoiler Heavy but tagged, 25 y/o mun, Under Construction

♞ Important Notes below for Mobile! ♞

I. hello there! my name is kuroki! i am 25 years old and have been roleplaying around tumblr for quite a while. i have many blogs around and cannot seem to stop making more. hopefully, you can enjoy your stay here for as logn as it lasts!

II. i am semi-selective, oc, duplicates, canon and crossover friendly! i am also more than happy to receive interactions/asks/requests from personal blogs, as long as you respect the other roleplayer's privacy during interactions. chances are, if you follow me, i will be following you back (unless your rules are too complex for me to follow.)

III. though i do not know how to edit or make icons (and whenever i do, it is catastrophic,) i will be trying my best to make some for clive. if you find that the posts are iconless, i probably gave up trying. aside from that, i am only recently starting to rp/write smut, i usually try to avoid it unless i am suddenly comfortable to try it (or unless the other person doesn't mind me not being experienced writing it.) normally, i prefer to keep things sfw unless really needed so as to not embarrass myself. even so, you can be flirty or suggestive, that’s totally fine. if we somehow end up requiring nsfw down the road, we could discuss it and work it out. as you may have expected, this blog will have dark themes, that includes potential triggering content (will try to tag but may forget sometimes,) so please tread carefully.

IV. very important to note that my portrayal of clive rosfield might be slightly different from others, especially with the tone and usage of words as i follow (and play) the latin spanish dub of the game (it's so excellent, i could not ignore it) and have noticed a few changes on what the characters say (for example: slight location name changes, though those i will look up and follow the english translation to avoid confusion. other than that, some flavor text that i am sure i have already adopted.) i will understand if you refuse to interact because of it, just make sure to softblock or hardblock if i followed you and you do not wish to interact so i don't accidentally either re-follow you or try to interact with you.

V. feel free to send me a message or follow back if you want to roleplay or just ask anything if you’re curious about clive or my portrayal of him. i also accept anonymous questions, random memes, and random starters!

VI. my face-claim is Ritsu Namine and i can roleplay in both English and Latin Spanish. the icons used are made with poohsources's aquila psd and the screenshots were provided by capsource.

#pinned post

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carewyncromwell · 2 years ago

Photo

“I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way.”

x~x~x~x

featuring Darian Zain @kathrynalicemc (yes, this is almost entirely for her and me, so sue me 😜) and referencing the crew of the Empyrean @thatravenpuffwitch @sirfluffig @oneirataxia-girl

x~x~x~x

In the 1930′s, the Wizarding World was in turmoil. With the rise of the Dark wizard Grindelwald, many lived in fear of what another Great War -- this time one waged with magic -- could look like. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that many sought an escape from those fears -- and one of those things that provided such an escape were the tales circulated of Jules Aquila, his crew, and their ship, the Empyrean.

The Empyrean was a ship that British wizard Jules Aquila had stolen from a Muggle museum back in the 1920′s and enchanted to fly, so that he and his associates could take flight across the world. And sure enough, the Empyrean had known its fair share of adventures, questing for the likes of long-lost magical sights like Atlantis and Dolorous Guard. However much the magical governments of the world gave the flying ship a very critical side eye for flirting so frequently with breaking the Statute of Secrecy, most mainstream wizards and witches were enchanted by the rebellion, adventure, and romance encapsulated in the crew’s lifestyle.

Although Jules Aquila was and would inevitably always be the most famous of the Empyrean’s crew as captain, however, that didn’t mean that other crew members didn’t get their fair share of glory. Aquila’s best mate and quartermaster Kath Alton was purportedly one of the most talented magical engineers on Earth, while his first mate, Desiree Lestrange, had been a well-regarded Cursebreaker for le Banque Decristaux before abandoning her cushy position and lifestyle to set sale with the sky Captain. There were also much more interesting, but less provable rumors circulated -- those of Aquila having recruited a wanted thief to his crew in exchange for keeping him from getting arrested; those of Aquila having stolen his beloved pet occamy from the infamous French magical gangster Claude Macnair; even those of a certain crewmate with large, eagle-like wings sprouting out from his back like some mythical angel. Some stories claimed the winged crewmate was a wanted man, though others still -- even more wild -- claimed he was descended from royalty, or even a Djinn.

One story Darian Zain hoped would never be passed around him, though, was the time that he flew right into the window of a Muggle airplane.

The Empyrean had been traveling up the far-eastern coastline of the Americas, on its way up toward Greenland. Desiree had determined that there might be some magical Viking settlements in the area, and Jules was eager to investigate. On the way, though, the crew decided that they’d have to stock up for a journey so far north, not just in the essentials like food and water, but more importantly, of warm blankets and clothing. Most of their crewmembers weren’t used to such cold temperatures, after all -- especially not Darian, who grew up in a much hotter desert climate. So, in preparation, Desiree and Lugh had gone to the wizarding village of Gravesville, right in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so as to fetch some of the magical supplies needed, while Kath and Felix went into the “Muggle” side of town to pick up the more mundane kind. Once the others had purchased everything they needed, Darian then played “carrier pigeon” and flew it all back to the Empyrean.

Many people in Darian’s place might’ve been a little resentful of having to play the role of an owl just because he had wings -- but the runaway prince honestly was eager to help. After nearly an entire life of being locked up indoors with nothing to do, it was fun to get out and actually do something. And it was kind of cool, to be needed for once. He’d become rather fond of his crewmates, over the years, and being given any kind of responsibility made Darian feel included in a way he hadn’t really known at home, when his father the King kept him so cloistered away from everyone else. Lugh, Kath, and Felix had taught Darian a lot about weapons, ships, record players, magic tricks, and lockpicks -- heck, even Jules had taught him how to navigate using the stars, if he ever got lost. And even though the ship’s resident taskmaster Desiree always gave him a lot of chores to do, Darian knew that was just because of her own strong work ethic. From what Darian gathered, he’d also reminded Desiree of her younger brother upon first meeting, due to how privileged their upbringings had been...and frankly, after having met the spoiled, pigheaded, self-absorbed blood purist that was Marius Lestrange, Darian hated the thought of ever being the least bit like him.

At least Desi should have enough to make a good meal, once we’ve all gotten back to the ship, Darian thought to himself with a smile. Maybe she might even make some naan, if I make really good time?

This thought cheered him up significantly. Desiree had first learned how to make naan while they were traveling through Iran, and she’d taken to baking some as a treat sometimes, whenever Darian’s work had impressed her. The fresh bread always made him think of home.

The satchel on Darian’s back was heavy. He moved to adjust it, only to have to fumble a bit to keep it from opening and its contents from spilling.

“Whoop -- !”

He shifted the satchel around in his arms, latching it back together a bit more tightly as he flew.

“There we go,” he mumbled with a smile, as he tossed the satchel back over his shoulder. “Now then...back to it -- ”

WHAM.

Because Darian hadn’t been looking where he was flying, he didn’t see the thing whose airspace he was entering until it was far too late.

His head pounding with pain, Darian tried to orient himself, even as it felt like his world was spinning.

He’d hit something -- what had he hit? A wall? A wall of glass?

Blinking rapidly even as colorful stars winked in front of his eyes, he could feel the thing he’d collided with shifting downward. There was something moving behind the wall of glass -- was that a person?

Darian flapped his wings, trying to fly back a bit so he could get a better look. Unfortunately when he did, he found his right wing was having trouble straightening out.

“Ow -- ow -- !”

Pain pulsed through his wing as he flapped it. He tried to lean more on the other to support him, but when he did, he could feel the satchel sliding over again. In trying to catch it, he lost his balance, and suddenly he was falling right through the air.

“WHOA!”

Darian lashed his arms out, securing the satchel of supplies close to his chest so they wouldn’t fall out. He tried to flap his wings, thinking to slow himself down -- but his right wing was throbbing in pain -- he must’ve sprained it --

Blinking rapidly, Darian tried to focus. The ground was coming up fast -- way too fast -- !

He lashed an arm out desperately, his eyes focusing blearily on the ground even as his head pounded with pain.

“Come on -- ” he choked. “Come on -- stop falling, stop falling -- stop, stop, stop, STOP -- !”

A burst of air abruptly puffed out of his hand. It wasn’t enough to stop Darian from falling, but it did partially counteract the pull of gravity, blasting him ever-so-slightly upward again. As fate would have it, it was just enough to hoist him up onto the wing of the weird, red-painted metal thing that had dived down to try to catch him.

Darian looked up, startled.

I’ve seen one of these! he realized, recalling a picture in a book he’d read a piece of over Desiree’s shoulder one day. It's one of those...‘aeroplanes!’

Through the hard glass window, Darian could see a pilot dressed in a brown leather hat and coat and thick goggles, who gave him an encouraging smile.

“Hang on!” the pilot shouted over the sound of the plane’s propeller. His voice was husky and laced with a strong Boston accent, but his lips were upturned in a rather handsome smile. “I’ll go in for a landin’!”

Stunned and still nursing a throbbing headache, Darian did what he was told, clinging onto the edge of the wing for dear life. The plane glided down much more smoothly than he’d expected, and within moments, with a light bump, they’d collided with the ground. The pilot then parked the plane safely on a hanger set up in the open field.

Darian carefully eased himself up onto the edge of the wing, stretching out his right wing as best he could.

“Ow...”

He winced, only managing to spread it half the way out before the pain stopped him. Yep -- definitely a sprain.

The plane window opened upward, and the pilot hoisted himself up and out of the cockpit onto the lower wing just below Darian.

“Uh...hey!” he called up. “You all right up there?”

Darian straightened up abruptly.

“Yeah!” he answered at once, almost on impulse.

I will be, anyway, he thought more sheepishly. Once I can brew myself some Wiggenweld Potion, back on the ship...

Darian’s stomach sank.

The Empyrean. How was he going to get back up to the ship, if he couldn’t even fly? He hadn’t even thought to bring any healing potions with him, just in case something happened...

The pilot’s handsome smile broadened a bit as he slipped off his goggles. His beetle-black eyes were long-lashed and sparkling.

“That’s a relief. You hit my window pretty hard...I thought for a minute I might’ve killed you...”

Darian laughed. “And I thought for a minute I was going to die, until you caught me! Thanks for that!”

“No problem,” said the pilot brightly. “I mean, heck -- s’not like I coulda just let you fall, could I?”

He paused. His dark eyes ran over Darian’s face, along his shoulder to up at his right wing.

“...Are...are those real?” he breathed after a moment. He seemed enchanted.

Darian blinked. Oh, right -- for a split second, he’d almost forgotten that his wings were anything strange. But hey, was that surprising? His wings were a bit weird to wizards, let alone to a Muggle like this pilot was -- or at least, he figured it must be weird: he’d never talked to a real Muggle before...

This thought was like a two-by-four to Darian’s head.

A Muggle. He’d been seen by a Muggle -- a Muggle was staring right at him, at his wings -- !

“No!”

Darian choked out the word like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He quickly tried to fold his wings, even as his right one spasmed with pain.

“No, no, they’re -- uh -- mechanical!” he lied quickly. “Like your aeroplane! Lots of gears and metal, underneath all the feathers!”

He laughed weakly as he tried once again to fold his wings over his shoulders like a cape, holding his right one in both hands to try to mitigate the pain pulsing through it.

The pilot blinked slowly at him, his expression becoming much more amused. “...Really?”

“Yeah!” said Darian, his mouth spread into a very nervous smile. “They’re completely normal! Just like me -- normal and Muggle as can be -- ”

Wait -- Muggles don’t call themselves Muggles, do they -- do they use No-Maj -- ?!

“ -- I-I mean...just a normal mug, you know -- that’s me. Heh...”

His voice sounded pathetic in his own ears. He had to sound like a complete idiot!

Rather than looking suspicious, however, the pilot only seemed to smile broader and more sincerely than ever. He seemed almost charmed.

“Well...any normal mug I reckon would be a bit shaken, fallin’ outta the air like that,” he said. He extended a gloved hand to Darian. “Here -- lemme help you down.”

Darian blinked, a bit confused. Then, hesitantly, he accepted the hand. It was smaller than his, but the pilot held his hand securely as he helped Darian down onto the lower wing, before they both climbed back down to the ground. The pilot was the exact same height as Darian.

The embodiment of tall, dark and handsome, the prince thought amusedly, reminded of Kath sarcastically using the same term for him, when the crew of the Empyrean had to go undercover at a masquerade party and a bunch of the ladies had abruptly all started flirting with Darian.

Once they’d made it back to solid ground, the pilot took off his helmet at last. A wave of beautiful, long black hair swirled out, cascading around the pilot’s face like ocean water.

Darian blinked in slight surprise. Seemed he’d been saved by a tall, dark handsome female pilot.

Cool.

Several more planes flew over their heads. The pilot watched them, her dark eyes narrowing a bit.

“Here,” she said lowly. “Best hide those away, ‘fore anyone else sees...”

She leaned over the edge of her plane and took out a blanket from inside the cockpit, wrapping it quickly around Darian’s folded wings on his shoulders.

“Oh, uh -- thanks,” said Darian sheepishly.

The blanket was small enough that he’d have to keep his wings completely folded, to hide them under it. He glanced over his shoulder at the planes soaring overhead.

“...Who are they?”

“The other cadets,” said the pilot as she put down her helmet on the wing and worked to tie up her hair into a messy bun. “They’re all pretty swell, honestly, but that don’t mean they pro’lly wouldn’t flip a bit, seeing your... ‘mechanics.’” She shot another furtive look skyward. “Best be gettin’ on.”

Picking her helmet again and tucking it under her arm, she then gave Darian a smile.

“Are you hungry?”

Darian was startled. “Huh?”

“Well, I did knock yeh plum outta the sky,” she said good-naturedly. “Reckon I really should apologize proper for that. My car’s just ��round the corner from the hanger, we can always drive out and grab a bite. Then maybe I can drop you somewheres, so you can make your way home...”

Darian rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as she started to walk across the field and he followed along close behind. “Well, uh...that might be a bit hard, I mean...I’m not really from around here...my crew and I are just passing through...”

“Could one of your buddies come and pick you up somewheres?” asked the pilot in concern.

Darian considered this. Truthfully, all he really needed to get airborne was a healing potion...or just the ingredients for one -- he could more than brew it himself. And even if he obviously couldn’t brew anything in front of his new Muggle friend (this thought made Darian feel a bit giddy despite himself -- he’d made friends with a real-life Muggle!! Not just that, but a fly girl!!), he could probably manage it somewhere a bit more magical...like Gravesville!

“...Well, there’s a place in Philadelphia...my friends were shopping there, just a little while ago. I could meet them there.”

Gravesville would have owls, right? Darian thought to himself.

The pilot smiled. “In Philly? No sweat! That’s just over the river from Camden...I can drop you off there, after we eat.”

Darian’s face lit up. “Great!”

They reached the pilot’s car. Darian for a minute couldn’t help but just walk around it, entranced. It was a bright and shiny ruby red, with a lightweight black roof propped up by metal rods, and it had two spare wheels mounted to either side of its nose, almost like decoration.

“You like her?” asked the pilot.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Darian. “Her, I mean...”

He was reminded of how Jules always called the Empyrean a “she” -- he’d said that all ships were called that.

I wonder if all vehicles are ‘she’s?’ Darian wondered to himself.

He beamed at the pilot. “She’s beautiful!”

The pilot couldn’t bite back a proud smile as she flushed a dark red.

“Old Apple’s kinda old-fashioned -- I got her second-hand,” she explained bashfully. “But I was able to fix her up some, ‘round my studies.”

She opened up the passenger door, extending a hand to invite Darian in. Once he sat down inside the car and had put his bulging satchel gently down on the floor, she darted around the other side and began to unfold the car’s top and stow it away. It seemed clunky to do -- the top made a lot of weird noises when it was tamped down, and Raye had to twist and smack parts of it just to compress it, but she did it with such little fuss that it seemed like an inconvenience she was very used to.

“I just realized -- I haven’t introduced myself!” said the pilot with a sheepish smile. “The name’s Raye -- Raye Davies. Short for Rachel -- but really, just Raye will do.”

Darian beamed. “Pleased to meet you, Raye! Darian Zain -- that’s what most everyone calls me.”

Raye cocked an eyebrow at him as she smiled. “‘Most everyone?’ Well then, I guess I’ll follow suit.”

Climbing in herself and closing the door, she put the key in the ignition and turned on the car, making it rumble to life under Darian. The noise and movement startled the prince, but only to the extent that it made his tanned face light up with excitement -- a reaction that made Raye’s face seem to glow that bit brighter too.

“Now, then...hm...” Raye mumbled thoughtfully. “Reckon we can’t be strollin’ on in to any diners: you’d look weird, bein’ all wrapped up in a blanket. And some joints ‘round here can be right rotten to ‘out-of-towners’...”

Her black eyes then lit up with a thought.

“Ever been to the park-in theater, up in Pennsauken Township?” she asked.

Darian blinked. “No.”

Raye's face lit up. “Oh, it’s the berries! They just opened it a couple months ago...but the dames there just come right up to your car, take your order, and then bring it on back to you, so you don’t miss any of the movie...”

Darian racked his brains. He’d heard of movies -- the Empyrean’s ship doctor sometimes talked about one of his friends who made those for a living...what was his name, ‘Fawcett’...?

“Sure, they don’t play anythin’ that great and the sound quality’s kinda bum,” Raye rambled on a bit more awkwardly. “But well, folks don’t really get outta their cars there, so no one’ll pro’lly look at you funny if you’re wrapped up in a blanket. And even if it’s cheap, their food’s still pretty jake. Whaddya say?”

For all of Raye’s insecurity about the place, Darian seemed perfectly undaunted. The idea of such a new experience excited him to no end, so when she asked his opinion, he answered both immediately and brightly.

“Sounds like fun!”

Raye beamed, visibly relieved.

Once she was sure Darian was holding on securely, Raye put the car in drive and stepped on the accelerator, driving off down the road with speed.

Darian had to grab the blanket around his wings before it flew off with one hand and hold onto the bottom of the car’s window frame with the other, but the speed still made his heart race and his chin-length dark hair flap in the wind. He couldn’t stop himself from giving a loud “WOO!” over the air loudly rattling in his ears.

~*~

Raye drove Darian up to Pennsauken Township, into the quirky new park-in theater. The vendors there sold lots of candy, popcorn, and chips, alongside all the soda pop, ice cream, and hot dogs. Raye had offered to treat Darian, which turned out to be a big mistake, since Darian immediately went hog-wild and bought absolutely everything available.

“Guess I’ll be havin’ beans for the next week,” Raye muttered to herself as she handed over her hard-won earnings to the vendor.

She found she couldn’t be too upset, though, seeing how excited Darian was when the vendor handed him the full contents of her tray. Even the pretty woman giving Darian a sassy wink only seemed to make Raye smile grow amusedly, particularly when the winged young man brightly accepted the assortment of snacks, completely oblivious to the woman’s overtures.

“Wow,” Darian said excitedly. “Look at them all! There’s so many...”

Raye’s black eyes sparkled a bit when they squinted. “Yeah, there’s a lot more selection, closer to the bigger cities. Easier to ship and store stuff in bulk here...”

Darian considered this. “...I guess that makes sense...”

He’d had dessert almost every day, when he’d still been at home -- it wasn’t as common that he got to have it on board the Empyrean, since they were so on-the-go. The rareness of it hadn’t really disappointed Darian, though -- if anything, it made those sweet treats that bit more special, not to have them every day. Plus he’d gotten to try a lot of different sweets than he’d never had previously, and most of them were great! Except for meringues -- Darian was still baffled that chalky-tasting stuff was somehow considered edible.

He curiously rifled through the different colorful wrappers, reading them one by one. Babe Ruths, Twizzlers, Twinkies, Fritos, Lay’s Potato Chips, Tootsie Rolls, Goobers, Milk Duds, Ritz crackers...

“I’ve never had anything like this before,” he admitted.

Candied fruits and dates were much more par the course, where Darian was from. In fact, Jules and Kath had only just given both him and Desiree a crash course in commercial magical sweets like Sugar Quills, though Darian took to them much better than Desiree did.

Darian looked up at Raye eagerly. “Which one should I try first?”

Raye considered this.

“...Well, d’you like chocolate?” she asked after a moment.

“Yeah,” said Darian. “I’ve had Cauldro -- I mean, chocolate cakes before...they’re great!”

If Raye had heard his slip-up, she paid it no mind. Instead she merely smiled.

“Maybe a Tastykake would be good, then!”

She took out a tiny cupcake with chocolate wrapped in plastic, taking it out and handing it to Darian. He took a bite, and was startled when along with the chocolate cake, he tasted a sweet buttercream filling.

“Mmm!” he said. He licked his lips of it quickly so he wouldn’t make a mess and beamed at Raye. “This is delicious!”

Raye grinned seeing how happily Darian devoured the cake. He then proceeded to pick out another similar-looking yellow pastry in a wrapper labeled “Twinkies” and unwrapped it. When he bit into it, he was once again delighted when it was full of creamy filling.

“Mmmm!”

Raye laughed. “You like it?”

“Mm’yeah!” Darian said with his mouth full. He then quickly swallowed, wiping his mouth bashfully. “I mean, yeah!”

Raye only laughed harder, which made Darian laugh too.

“Here,” said Raye, her face a bit brighter than before as she reached into Darian’s pile and snagged a small handful of unlabeled wrapped brown candy squares, “try the caramels next -- those are my favorite.”

The caramels were indeed pretty tasty. Darian enjoyed how chewy they and the candies called “Tootsie Rolls” were. He also really liked the Mallocups, Raisinets, potato chips, and popsicles. He was fine with just one bite of the black licorice -- he ended up washing it down with some Coca Cola, which was probably his favorite thing of the entire night. He’d never had anything so bubbly before, nor anything that simultaneously tickled his tongue and nose so much, and when it made him belch more loudly than he ever had in his life, both he and Raye couldn’t stop laughing. It even prompted Raye to -- upon several people in other cars shooting Darian disgusted looks -- gulp down quite a lot of soda herself, just so she could belch just as loudly. It ended up being hilarious accompaniment to the cheesy monster movie playing over their heads on the projector screen.

When the movie was finally over and they’d had their fill of all the food they’d ordered, it was already night. Raye put on a fedora, wool coat, and gloves for warmth, and then she drove Darian over the Delaware River into Philadelphia.

Darian directed her to the street corner around which lay the wall that obscured the magical borough of Gravesville and asked her to drop him off there. When Raye parked at the street corner, though, she suddenly looked incredibly unsure. Her shoulders had become very tense.

“Are...you gonna be all right from here?” she asked hesitantly.

Darian gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, sure! I know where I’m going.”

Once he was in a more magical environment, he could heal himself without anyone paying him any mind...

He glanced down at the blanket around his shoulders.

“Oh! Here...”

The exiled prince made as if to take it off, but Raye quickly threw out a hand to grab his and stop him from taking it off.

“Don’t!” she said quickly.

Darian blinked. Raye flushed a bit as she withdrew her hand.

“It’s just...folks will see you,” she mumbled self-consciously. She glanced around at the various passerby anxiously.

“Well, yeah,” said Darian with a frown. “But you said it’d look weird, if I was walking around with a blanket on. And you need it back, don’t you?”

“I can get another one,” Raye said very quickly and dismissively.

She kept looking around, almost shrinking a bit against the steering wheel. It was almost like this neighborhood made her nervous, for some reason...

“Are you all right?” Darian asked, concerned.

Raye forced a smile. “Well, sure -- just...just don’ come down here that much...”

She tried to brush off her nerves, putting on a slightly braver expression.

“...Just...go ahead and keep covered, ‘til you’re back with your crew. Reckon they’d be able to protect you from anyone who might give you grief for your...mechanics.”

Her eyes flitted down to Darian’s folded wings obscured by the blanket around his shoulders. Darian glanced down at her blanket around his shoulders and then back up at her, offering her a slightly gentler smile.

“You didn’t give me any grief for them,” he pointed out. He smiled a bit sheepishly. “I thought you might actually -- I’m sure you’ve probably never seen a flying man before...”

Raye smiled self-consciously as her eyes fell down to her steering wheel.

“I’ve seen weirder,” she said dismissively.

Not letting Darian press her further, she changed the subject, forcing her smile that bit more.

“Well, um...it was nice meetin’ you, Darian Zain,” she said formally. “Best of luck gettin’ back to your crew.”

“...Thank you...”

Darian felt himself deflating a bit despite himself. Guess this really was the end of this weird little adventure, wasn’t it...?

Picking up the satchel up off the car floor, he hoisted it up over his shoulder again and put on a braver, more sincere smile.

“...Raye? I know I just said it, but...thank you. I haven’t really ever been able to go out and just have fun with people that much, and...well, this day was one of the best I’ve ever had, in my whole life.”

He grinned.

“I had a lot of fun! The ride-in was great, and Apple’s a beautiful car -- and you’re a pretty swell friend. So thank you.”

Raye blinked, taken aback by the winged man’s sincerity. Then her black eyes grew a little smaller, sparkling with a bit more fondness.

“...You’re welcome.”

She paused.

“...Hey, um...if you ever end up ‘round here again, you can always look me up, near Camden Airfield. I’m there most days, and just about all the pilots there know me -- even the ones who don’t think lady-folks should be flyin’ planes,” she added with a wryer smile. Her confidence then faltered a bit as she rambled on, “We could always go for a drive somewhere else...we could go to Newark and visit a brewery -- maybe even go to Steel Pier, if there’s time...”

Darian’s grin spread so wide, it nearly took up his whole face.

“Yeah!” he said, thrilled. “I’d like that!”

Raye’s face flushed happily as she beamed.

“Great,” she said, her voice a bit breathy despite herself. Her black eyes crinkled up to make room for the big smile on her face. “Well, um...see you ‘round, Darian.”

His face still bright with his big grin, Darian waved with his hand not holding his satchel.

“Bye, Raye!”

And with this, he departed around the corner, right up to the enchanted wall leading to Gravesville. Tapping the three left-most bricks with his knuckles, and then kicking the lowest right with his foot, the wall suddenly became as translucent as mist, and Darian slid right on through.

~*~

As fate would have it, Desiree and Lugh had gone back to Gravesville to look for Darian, after he didn’t return to the Empyrean. Desiree scolded Darian in both English and French for worrying them, and Darian was very apologetic, not just to Desiree, but to the others when they all returned to the ship. Kath ended chewing Darian out even more than Desiree did, especially after Darian told them about the new friend he’d made.

“You seriously just climbed into a complete stranger’s car and drove away with her?” said Kath, flabbergasted. “It’s a bloody miracle that you haven’t gotten yourself killed, with how blindly trusting you are...”

“She waz only a Muggle, Mon Ami Alton,” said Desiree lightly. “I doubt she would’ve been able to ‘urt Monsieur Zain zat much, even if she tried...but even zo.”

“Don’t underestimate Muggles, your Worship,” Lugh reminded Desiree. “They can be just as helpful or dangerous as any of us.”

“Well, fortunately, it sounds like this one was helpful!” Jules said optimistically. “So we can be thankful for that, at least...”

He smiled at Darian. “Just be more careful next time, all right? Felix, Kath and Desi were all really worried about you.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Felix and Kath shot back in nearly perfect unison. It made Lugh, Darian, and Jules all burst out laughing and made Desiree fail to bite back a smile.

“I will,” said Darian, smiling slightly as Jules’s pet occamy Zephyr flew up to nuzzle his shoulder affectionately with his beak.

Definitely should make sure I have some healing potions on me, when I travel alone, he thought to himself.

~*~

After Darian had left the street corner, Raye stayed parked off to the side for about a half-hour, just in case he reemerged needing more help. It was just as she was about to head out that she caught sight of a familiar face rounding the corner with several other people -- that of a dashing dark-haired man with a pointed chin and nose and sparkling black eyes, dressed in an unusually flowing suit not unlike robes.

At the sight of Raye, the man stopped mid-walk, staring at her. His eyes were very critical. Raye met his gaze head-on, but her attitude was not hostile or even confrontational -- on the contrary: her posture seemed to shrink a bit against her steering wheel again, even as she stood her ground and stared at him.

The people around the man glanced over at where he was looking, curious. Muttering something to them under his breath, the man quickly steered them away, shooting another cold look back at Raye as he went.

Raye looked down at her own hands on Apple’s steering wheel, sighing quietly through her nose.

It was so much less uncomfortable when the MACUSA was still back in New York City, rather than in Philadelphia...

At least Seph showed his face after Darian left, Raye thought to herself uncomfortably.

She didn’t even want to think of how many questions Darian might have, if he’d figured out she had the same last name as the new Head of the Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance and No-Maj Obliviation...nor how much grief Joseph would give her, for entertaining a clueless foreign wizard with a set of giant wings he couldn’t even hide from Muggle view...

With a cringe, Raye shifted the gears of her car and, with one last look over in the direction of where she knew Gravesville was hidden, she drove off, back over the Delaware River into Camden, New Jersey.

#fantastic beasts and where to find them #my writing #darian zain #raye davies #julio aquila #jules aquila #desiree lestrange #kathleen alton #lugh hopper #felix witt #my fanfiction

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stabby-sheepy-writes · 5 months ago

Text

The Christmas Spirit

Genre: Horror, 5.4k words

TW: Eldritch Horror, Body Horror, Spiders

AN: I wrote this as a silly lesbian spoof off of hallmark movies, and then got super inspired by Love Death and Robot's Beyond the Aquila Rift, and this monstrosity became the result. Not my best work, but was still fun

Summary: A lesbian Christmas hallmark movie gone wrong

The apartment was dark when she finally opened the door and unceremoniously kicked her heels down the hallway before even stepping through the threshold. Keys dumped into a dedicated bowl on a side table next to the door, an expensive purse hung up on the coat rack right above it, followed by the sluggish figure of an exhausted business woman as she closed and locked the door behind her. She shrugged off her heavy coat, hanging it up on its hook and trudging over to the bathroom to strip her makeup off and get changed.

Her dinner was the last roll of crackers in her barren pantry and the last, sad dregs of wine from the Sangria box in her empty fridge. She’d find time out of her schedule to go shopping, but she had the weekly report due tomorrow and God knows she wouldn’t have it in on time unless she took overtime--nevermind the next week’s report, which she may have to go into the office on Saturday to get a head start on. She simply had no time--she’d have to live with UberEats and cheap chinese takeout until month’s end.

Her phone buzzed on the counter. It had been buzzing since yesterday, perhaps even the day before. She had been ignoring it to focus on work, as she was a busy business woman and simply didn’t have the time. But something drew tired eyes over to the screen, and she picked it up to look at the text.

Mom: Are you coming to Christmas dear? --sent 8:32 am I know you’re busy, but it’s important you come this year, sweetie --sent 11:12am I have all these pies and christmas cookies and nobody to eat them! You don’t want to leave your dear old mother in a bind, do you? ;)--sent 6:02pm …It’s what your father would have wanted, Diana. Please. --sent just now

Diana looked down at her phone screen with a sense of deja vu. A moment passed, and finally her fingers moved to respond--a practiced movement, something they’ve done hundreds of times before.

Diana: Fine. Make chocolate chip for me.

The drive to Logsville had a lot more backroads then Diana remembered. Twists and turns in old country roads that sometimes had her gritting her teeth and feeling grateful for the tires’ treads. It had rained the night before, and the morning frost had turned the roads to ice--slick enough for her little red car to drift a bit more than she would like, and have her driving at a crawl to avoid ending up in a ditch.

The radio was playing soft christmas music, Mariah Carrey having been defrosted before thanksgiving this year in order to sing over and over on Diana’s several-hour car ride back home. It seemed like no matter what station she switched to, the song was playing on loop.

Mom must be happy, Diana chuckled, eyes glancing off the road to instead look down at the radio controls, she loves this damn song.

She moved her hand to try and fiddle with the volume controls, focusing a tad too much on the button that always got itself stuck instead of the patch of ice and snow that had appeared in the road ahead of her. When her tire hit the patch and skidded, she jerked her head back up just in time to feel the wheel wrench in her hands, the car swerve, and to get a split second to get a good look spiky green needles of the Noble Fir she was careening towards before the airbags smashed into her face and her car crashed into the tree.

The whiplash made her neck crack, the impact and press of the airbags slamming the air out of her lungs. There was a moment where she thought she was dead--a stillness in the air, cold seeping into her fingers and toes. Deja vu set in for a moment as she floated, before she was pulled back by the voice of Mariah Carrey sputtering back to life from her radio. She slowly lifted her head from the airbags, groaning at the ache of her joints and body as she blearily grabbed her phone, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pushed open her car door. Unceremoniously, and also because the front of her car was buckled and crushed inward, she rolled herself out and face first into the snow.

“God damnit…” Diana huffed, lifting herself up as she slowly regained her breathing. A quick once over showed she was fine, a prickling in her back making her wince as she stretched and turned to look over at her car. The front end was crumpled, the windshield smashed and filled with leaves from the fir tree--she carefully reached in to pull out her purse, thankful for the lack of glass.

“You know, Noble Firs are top sellers this time of year. Don’t know how I feel about you wrecking my stock first thing upon coming home, sweet potato.” a warm, deep voice chuckled from behind her. Diana swung around, head craning to look up at a familiar woman who smirked down at her. She was brown-skinned, had warm brown eyes and red-dyed hair with shaved sides. Tattoos swirled up the skin of her neck and on the back of her hands, a heavy letterman jacket layered beneath an even heavier winter coat. A familiar sharp-toothed grin was plastered across a handsome face, making her skin tingle with the memories of the things that smile did to her back in highschool. She banished said thoughts, a pang of annoyance causing a sigh to huff out as Diana took in the large, muscled form of her ex-girlfriend.

“I haven’t been your sweet potato in 10 years, Talia. And it's not like I meant to crash my car into your damn…tree farm? I thought this was Bill’s land?” Diana questioned, eyes averting from the warm brown gaze of the woman to instead focus on the large ax across her shoulders, and the snow mobile hitched to a sled with several trees a few yards behind her.

“Figured your mother would’a told you, but Bill retired in July,” Talia hummed, “got too old to handle the work. Gave the christmas tree farm to me to manage and run.” She glanced over Diana’s shoulder, cocking a brow and lips furling up into a more teasing grin.

”Don’t think that thing’s gonna be running anytime soon--you need a ride home, sweet potato? Ain’t too far, and I need to run this bunch back to the shed anyway.”

Diana rolled her eyes at the nickname, shivering as the cold started eating through her thinner winter coat, “Do I have much of a choice?”

“Well, you could walk, but I don’t recommend it,” Talia hummed, turning and heading back to the snow mobile, “but you always were a stubborn one--still just as cute as it was when we were teenagers.”

With a grumbled curse and the flushing of her cheeks, Dania stomped through the snow after her to climb on.

The ride back was mostly in silence, Dania pressed up against and hugging the other woman’s back purely to try and conserve warmth. Talia was, thankfully, silent and mentioned nothing about Diana’s hands against her abdomen other than to tell her to wrap her arms tighter so she didn’t fall off. Her torso was still just as solid as it used to be, and memories of nights curled up against the other woman’s stomach while lying in bed filled Diana’s mind, despite her attempts to banish them.

“So, uh, how have things been?” She finally asked, latching on to conversation in the hopes of changing her focus off of her still-possibly-lingering attraction to the woman she was pressed up against. Talia hummed, the engine and her back rumbling in sync as they made their way between the rows of Christmas trees.

“Been alright--focused on running the place, as well as helping your Momma set up for the town Christmas festival. It’s the same bakeoff as always, but this year I’m in charge of the central Christmas Tree. Your Momma said with Bill retiring off it was high time to appoint me in charge of it.”

Diana nodded, eyes peeking over Talia’s shoulder to see the approaching town, “Bet you’re real excited about that. You’ve dreamed about having that job since we were in 4th grade.”

Talia let out a small giggle, uncharacteristic of a woman her size and yet something that Diana remembered hearing for years, during snow ball fights and later on between bed sheets--”You still remember that, huh? I’m sure it ain’t near as impressive as that big-wig city job you got.”

It was a jab, Diana knew--they had broken up over it, after all. Still, she turned her head to press her cheek against Talia’s warm back and watch them pass by the border of the tree farm and head towards the town.

“Of course I’d remember,” was the last thing she said, and the rest of the ride was in silence.

Her mother was waiting for her once she returned, a worried look on her face melting away once she saw Diana on the back of Talia’s snowmobile: ”Honey! You had me worried sick--where’s your car?”

“Found her hugging one of my trees, Ma’am, I’ll get one of the boys to tow it back to town later today. Figured you’d want Diana home safe first,” Talia answered, turning the vehicle off so that Diana could step off and head towards the front steps of her childhood home. Her mother met her on the third step, cupping her face and turning it side to side to inspect.

“I’m fine, Momma--just didn’t see a patch of ice in the road. The car is totaled though--hope you don’t mind putting me up in my old room longer than the original few days,” Diana grumbled, eyes taking in her mother’s well-dressed figure and humming, “did you just get off of work?”

Her face was released and her mother smiled and shook her head, “Mayor’s job never clocks out, sweetie, but you understand that. Come inside and get settled in, Momma will make you a cup of tea. I’m sure your nerves are shot--would you like to come in, Talia?”

Diana opened her mouth to try to protest, but a hand resting itself on her shoulder cut her off as Talia smiled, winked down at her and said, “Why, I’d love to Ma’am, long as I’m not intruding.”

“Of course not, dear, you know you’re always welcome--why, Diana, have I told you how helpful Talia has been these days? Barely a day goes by where I don’t have her fixing up something in this old house.” Her mother grinned, turning to open the front door and invite the two of them inside.

Diana huffed, ready to retort something along the lines of Talia needing to get her car towed, when the soft sound of sobbing caught her attention. Shuddering breaths, gasping for air and the heaving sound of crying--just barely audible over the winter’s wind. She turned to look around, brows furrowed in confusion as the source of the near-silent crying seemed to shift and waver, unable to be pinpointed. Her eyes picked through the town that was visible from the stairs, looking between houses that showed little movement and at a strangely-empty town square.

“Hey, Momma? Do you hear that?” Diana called out, turning back to look up at the two women waiting for her at the doorstep. Her mother simply peeked her head out, shaking her head while Talia regarded her with a…strange look.

“Hear what, sweetheart? Are you sure you’re feeling alright? The crash may have shaken your nerves,” her mother hummed, gesturing for Diana to come closer, “and I’m sure the bustling from the square isn’t helping--everybody is so busy setting up for the fair, after all.”

“But nobody is in the square, I just looked--” Diana turned around again, double-taking when the square was filled with life. People hanging decorations, putting up stands and talking amongst one another. Children all dressed up in warm clothes chasing and having snowball fights. The crying was gone. Her head hurt, and she shook to clear her mind and turned away.

“You must be right, Momma,” Diana groaned, hand going up to pinch her brow, “I must not be thinking straight.”

She followed behind her mother inside the house, Talia coming around behind her to shut the door. Diana kicked her shoes off at the door, looking around the familiar inside of her childhood home. The hallway was full of baby pictures, and pictures of her father before he had passed away. The stairs leading up to the second floor, where her old room was. The side door to her father’s old office--a room she had never been inside, not even when he was alive. It still smelled the same--like apple pie and spices--and reminded her of just how long it had been since she had been home.

Her eyes glanced over to the office door, curiosity capturing her attention--but as soon as she thought to reach for the knob, the warmth of a solid torso pressed against her back.

“Hallway ’s too small for you to linger, sweet potato,” Talia chuckled, “and I don’t think you’d take too kindly to me carrying you into your kitchen.”

Diana jerked, blushing and walking down the hallway, grumbling out “Still not your sweet potato” as she went.

Talia left after an hour, leaving Diana to rest in her old room as her mother left to cook dinner downstairs in the kitchen. Her fingers were cold and stiff, her neck still cricked from what she figured was whiplash. She had been told to try and get some rest, but the prickling against the square of her back kept her awake as she stared up at the ceiling before she finally gave up and sat back up. She padded downstairs, standing idly in the living room--unsure if she should help her mother cook, or walk around town to try and work off the headache that pressed against her skull.

It was in this moment of decision that she heard the crying once more. Still quiet, but in the steady silence of the house she was able to pick up on it better. She swerved her head around, looking through doorways and out windows, seeing no source and getting no closer to finding it.

“Honey, are you awake?” Her mother called, sticking her head through the kitchen doorway and smiling at her--”You’re up earlier than I thought you’d be, sweetie. Couldn’t get down?”

Diana glanced over at her smiling face, inspecting for any sign of something being wrong--but her mother looked like she always did, curly hair pulled up and dark skin freshly lotioned to prevent any ashiness from the cold. After a moment, she responded back: “I’m fine, Momma. Just couldn’t get down. I’m thinking about taking a small walk around town, that okay?”

Her Momma smiled and nodded, “Of course sweetie, just be back by 6 so Momma can feed you. I’m making your favorite dessert tonight, it’s already in the oven. I know how much you’ve missed my sweet potato pie.”

Diana sighed and nodded, shrugging on her coat and passing by her Dad’s old office with only a twinge of temptation to peek inside, ��Thank you Momma, I’ll be home in a bit. Love you.”

The town was just as she remembered, bustling and filled with the smell of baked goods and christmas pine. She didn’t make it far before she came across Talia and several men from the tree farm hauling a massive fir tree into the square, putting up the base supports and tying loops of rope around the trunk in order to safely haul it up to stand proudly in the center of the town. Diana stopped to watch, allowing herself for a brief moment to admire her ex like she used to when they were still in highschool together. Rippling muscles, charisma falling out of her ass with a smile that was the brightest thing this side of paradise and a laugh louder than the horns of Rapture and just as sweet.

Diana remembered sadly the fight that had ended them--she had gotten her job, a big opportunity that was too far for her to possibly ever commute. It was what had to happen, she had said, the money was too good and the work experience too valuable. Talia had asked if it would make Diana happy, or if it was all about the idea of success that she had been chasing since she was a little girl--and to this day, Diana still didn’t have an answer. But watching someone that she used to love--someone who still stirred up butterflies in her stomach whenever her brown eyes met Diana’s own--made her wonder if she had made the right choice leaving all those years ago. When those brown eyes finally met her own, and she was greeted with a wide, teasing smile, Diana flushed and quietly, softly admitted to herself that she knew the answer.

“Ah! I see sweet potato decided to come bless me with her presence--give me a few moments and I’ll be right over” Talia called, exchanging quick words with the men before jogging over to Diana’s side. The tip of her nose was flushed red, visible even with her darker skin, and Diana felt the overwhelming urge to give it a kiss to warm it up.

“You don’t have to, I know you’re busy. I was just taking a small walk.” Diana protested, and yet was met with a warm hand on her shoulder and a softer smile.

“No worries, sweet potato, the boys can finish up. Why don’t you stop by my house real quick so we can catch up? I have cookies I need help baking, if you’re up to it.”

Diana rolled her eyes, jokingly pushing against Talia’s chest, “You just miss my peanut butter cookies, you sweet talker”.

She was met with a laugh, “Can a simple woman like myself not want both?” Talia retorted, a soft smile breaking out across both women’s faces as they walked along.

Talia’s home was warm and welcoming, decorated with little Christmas decorations all the way through and a simple tree in the corner. The kitchen and living room were open to one another, and Diana thoroughly enjoyed the view she had when Talia shucked her heavy layers to just wear a form-fitting turtleneck beneath. The kitchen was filled with the smell of cookies, and while waiting for the oven timer to go off Diana slowly looked at all the photographs laid out on the mantle over the crackling fireplace.

There were pictures of Talia’s family, of their friend group back in highschool. The christmas tree she had set up in the corner had ornaments with little pictures inside--baby pictures of nieces and nephews, of pets and post cards. Diana knew that Talia’s grandparents loved to travel, and she smiled at all the little keepsakes that were decorated on the trees. A little nativity scene also decorated along a flat table, the little wooden figures sturdy and simple.

Diana double-took at the nativity scene, her brain starting to ache once more as something felt…off. She looked at every piece, a dead ringer for the scene that her own mother put out on their mantle every year since Diana was a child, and then she turned back to a photograph that was center of Talia’s fireplace.

The oven timer went off, and the other woman slipped into the kitchen with a pair of oven mitts to take the baking pan out, calling over: “Cookies are comin’ out--something wrong, Diana?”

Diana reached out to take the photo from the center of the mantle, holding it close just to make sure she was seeing it clearly--it was a picture of them from highschool at a christmas party, when they were still dating. Diana had longer hair then, box braids down to her waist that had green and red woven in that matched with the horribly-ugly Christmas sweater that was still buried somewhere in her closet at home--and Talia had been wearing a Haunakkuh sweater. A Menorah-Saurus--something that she had found in Walmart and was so corny it had to be shown off, and something Diana remembered laughing at until she cried when her girlfriend had first shown it to her.

Her head was pounding now, as things started not making sense and she tried to reason them out, until finally she turned to Talia with a look of confusion and finally said the words that were starting to plague her mind as more and more of her memories came back to her.

“Talia? I thought you were jewish? Why do you have a nativity scene set up?”

The other woman looked surprised for a moment before swiftly recovering, her bright smile breaking back out over her face--”Nativity scene, sweet potato? You must have really hit your head in that crash. Why don’t we get you home?”

Surprised and confused, Diana turned back around to look at the Christmas decorations that she had spent nearly the past hour looking at--the tree, the nativity scene, and little sprigs of mistletoe and tinsel--and found them all…gone.

Instead, in their place, was a menorah sitting where the wooden figures had just been.

The walk back to her house was plagued with Diana’s head pounding, feeling like fingers were massaging the wrinkles in her brain as her eyes swerved back and forth to look at the town, avoiding the woman walking beside her with a tin full of fresh-baked cookies. She realized as she looked that she barely recognized the faces of the people around her--that when she looked away and glanced back that their movements were inconsistent, sometimes too slow and sometimes too fast.

When they got back to her house, the sound of crying returned--higher pitched, more desperate, as if she was finally getting closer. Diana felt the growing panic in her chest trying to choke her, Talia staring at her quietly as they climbed the steps.

“Are you sure you’re feelin’ alright, Diana?” Talia asked, a hand resting against the center of Diana’s back--on top of the piercing prickling sensation that she was slowly growing ever more acutely aware of, digging and rooting and jerking against her skin.

“Yeah…yeah, just give me a moment, will you?” Diana breathed, letting them both inside and eyes suddenly drawing to the same door that had been plaguing her since she got home, “Why don’t you go bring the cookies to Momma while I take a breather? Just need a bit of air.”

Talia gave her an almost knowing look, and nodded after a moment, “Alright--don’t do anything I wouldn’t do while I’m not here to watch you, alright?” she teased, eyes sliding off of Diana as she tread down the hall.

Diana’s eyes followed her, watching her disappear into the kitchen before letting her eyes drop to the office door. A door she had never been in before, never been allowed inside. It called her name, the sobbing growing louder the closer she got. When she finally opened the door to look inside, the sobbing faded away as her stomach dropped.

The walls were flesh-like, pulsing and threaded with veins. They moved like a heartbeat, warm and gooey and horrifying as her brain started to pound with it. Diana tried to back into the hallway, but found her exit blocked as Talia stopped her, looking past her into the room with disappointment.

“So you decided to go inside, again.” Was all Talia said, looking down at Diana with empty brown eyes--so empty and cold and devoid of the things that Diana knew of her. Diana hauled herself backwards, further into the pulsing room as Talia stepped forward.

“What’s going on, Talia? What the fuck is this?!” Diana demanded, feeling panic as she watched Talia’s expression morph back into the same calm, loving expression she knew so well.

“lYou weren’t supposed to see this Diana. You know you aren’t supposed to come in this room.” Talia hummed, stepping forward closer to her. Diana backed away, her brain screaming danger, danger the closer the other woman got to her.

“Talia, what the fuck is going on? Why is everything so weird? Where are we?!” Diana pleaded, feet unsteady as the size of the room shifted and swelled, as if unsure of what form to take. One moment it seemed the size of a small closet, the next as big as a stadium. Diana’s fingers started to stiffen, locking up as her neck started to crick, as the persistent prickling in her back grew more and more apparent, more and more painful.

Talia stepped forward again, “It hurts, doesn’t it? ‘s why you weren’t supposed to come in here--you have no memories in here, so there’s nothing I can fill it in with. Even I have my limitations. Your memories of the rest of the town are so…crisp and clear, but not this room.”

Diana’s knees locked and she started to buckle, her body numbing and stiffening, too frozen and cold to move as Talia stepped forward once more, soft and warm hands trailing along her skin and brown eyes staring deep into her own.

“You want to know where you are, Diana? I promise you won’t like it. I can oblige, though--what’s 364 failures compared to an eternity?”

She couldn’t speak, at some point she realized her tongue was swollen and putrid with decay. Diana’s eyes grew wide as the world, and her vision, shifted. She saw the brick of the town square, overgrown with frost and dyed brown with old, dried blood and pus. She saw the rust from the inside of her car, felt the long-deflated fabric of airbags against her face and the ache of the steering wheel pressing against her cheek.

She couldn’t move her neck very far, but it was enough to see the shambling figures that wandered and scuttled around. Spider-like figures with decaying, gasping bodies peaking from beneath the skin. Hands outreached, faces trapped in eternal wails, muted sobbing and slow, weak struggles stretching and pressing against the skin of the alien-creatures that moved around the ruins of what was once the town of Logsville.

In the center of the town square lay a massive figure, the largest spider with several bodies building up its torso with the familiar face of her mother staring blank-eyed in her direction. Her mother’s face was outstretched in a silent wail, the soft sound of sobbing barely reaching Diana’s ears. The activity was busiest around the massive creature, smaller attendants pulling sacks of orbs from its rear and arranging them into nests--eggs, Diana realized. Hundreds and hundreds of eggs.

“You really are such interesting things,” Talia’s voice chitters, coming from up above her. Diana moaned, unable to make any other noise as the prickling of her back shifted and a large, eyeless head leaned down from the roof of her car to peer at her. Protruding from its shoulder, Diana could make out the faintest hint of red-dyed hair.

“Your mother was the head of this town, much like our Queen, and when we came we allowed her one simple request--a reward for yielding to us with no struggle. Do you know what she wished for, sweet potato?”

Diana felt her eyes burning, like they were trying to well up tears, but nothing fell. The creature cocked its head, and Diana felt probing against the inside of her skull.

“She wished for her daughter to have a happy Christmas. Isn’t that such an odd thing? It took several iterations and tries before I could even construct something that you would believe. Of course, you crashed the second you saw me--I couldn’t pull you out of this car, so I just fused to you here. Rather bothersome process, I’ll have you know.”

Diana’s eyes slowly shifted over to look back at her mother, vision starting to blur as she tried to focus on her wretched face and sagging body--on the thousands, possibly millions of eggs hatching more and more of the spiders that crawled and fed and chittered along the streets of what used to be her happy little christmas town. The sun was setting, slowly plunging the square into darkness, but the scuttling feet still pierced her ears. The creature staring at her with its fleshed-over eyes hummed, rumbling the car and the appendages digging into Diana’s back.

“You know, you could join the rest. It’s not so bad--you’ll no longer have the dream, of course, but I’m sure you’d find just as much entertainment from my work. Rebuilding the world for ourselves is time consuming, and you would be inside of me experiencing it--right under the skin, next to this woman. A front row seat--rather kind of us to give your species.”

Talia waited for a moment for Diana’s response, and brokenly Diana realized her options. As she looked at the horrible, contorted figure that was her mother and the rest of the townspeople of Logsville, she made her decision--one that she had made over and over again.

The creature paused and then smiled at her, and Diana wanted to cry when she saw how similar it was to Talia’s own, “I see you’ve made your decision. Day 365 it is, then.”

Diana’s vision went black, her last thought being the realization that if today was 365 of this hell, that it meant that tomorrow was Christmas.

Mom: Are you coming to Christmas dear? --sent last year I know you’re busy, but it’s important you come this year, sweetie --sent last year I have all these pies and christmas cookies and nobody to eat them! You don’t want to leave your dear old mother in a bind, do you? ;)--sent last year …It’s what your father would have wanted, Diana. Please. --sent last year

Diana looked down at her phone screen with a sense of deja vu. A moment passed, and finally her fingers moved to respond--a practiced movement, something they’ve done hundreds of times before--before pausing. The thought crossed her mind of how many times she must have done this--of how many more times she’d have to. Perhaps until her Mother died, then she’d stop going back home to that little town. Maybe she’d keep going to the town until it crumbled to the ground. Maybe she’d do it for eternity--but surely not, thought Diana. For eternity is much too long to spend celebrating Christmas. Nobody has that much Christmas Spirit in them.

She chuckled, feeling as if she’d just made a rather ironic joke, and typed:

Diana: Fine. ! not sent

Make chocolate chip for me. ! not sent

#creative writing #fiction #lesbian #horror #wlw #lesbian writing #lesbian nsft #stabbysheepywrites

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indelicateink · 8 months ago

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

the vast majority of tumblrinas are out there walking around either having never seen ladyhawke or having even heard of it?? i am your big sister and your auntie and your salty bff and i am telling you THIS MOVIE IS YOUR MOVIE

so they haven’t updated the movie cover art that they really need to update, so here is some—

—perfect art from Javier Vera Lainez:

(who I hope will forgive me for cross-promoting; portfolio here) (and i’m sadly incorrectly cropping bc behance is strict like that)

WHY YOU WANT TO GET THIS GOOD STUFF IN YOUR LIFE:

This movie is about a pair of medieval star-crossed lovers under a curse by a jealous romantic rival. Isabeau d’Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer) is doomed to turn into a hawk by day, and her lover Captain Etienne de Navarre (Rutger Hauer) is doomed to live as a wolf by night, and they can never touch or see each other as human again. They’re on the run from the jealous deranged romantic rival(/stalker) who cursed them, the powerful Bishop of Aquila.

We come into the story in media res from the point of view of Phillipe (Matthew Broderick), a young thief, who provides life-giving dry wit comic relief in this story, as well as acting as a go-between for Navarre and Isabeau, who have not been able to talk to each other in two years. Despite his best efforts, Phillipe becomes entangled in their plight and decides to help them find a way to break the curse.

Important point: This movie is from 1985. Like a lot of fantasy films (like a lot of films of the period full stop), the soundtrack is synth-heavy. I’ve read reviews that say this choice did not age well. To put their opinion sooo mildly. However:

NO! THEY ARE WRONG!

Embrace the aesthetic! This movie is not self-deprecating or ironic or uncommitted in any way, shape, or form—this predates that moviemaking crutch. It is unembarrassed in its earnest fantasy storytelling and demands you get on its level and embrace your childlike sense of wonder for a couple hours. Synths and all. Any other choice would have robbed this film of some of its glitter.

Important notes:

- It’s a movie from 1985. YET the female lead character, despite the odds of the moviemaking era, is fucking badass. Also she is Michelle fucking Pfeiffer at her most luminous. (I lie. MP is always luminous. But she’s extra luminous here.)

- It’s a movie from 1985. YET the romantic male lead, despite the odds of the moviemaking era, is not a macho asshole. He’s more Aragorn-flavored, if that helps ballpark it. He’s kind of a stoic dick, but in a good way that hints the dude’s dealing with a lot of trauma, has been betrayed and dealt a losing hand, and is coming to grips with the knowledge he can’t save himself and Isabeau.

- There was a rotating cast of four Siberian wolves used to play the wolf form of Etienne. Also there’s the biggest fuck-off black horse they could get. And of course the beautiful cast of hawks for Isabeau’s hawk.

- Yeah everyone is walking around with French names, but it’s an English-language film with every actor rocking their own rl accents: it’s a movie about animal transformation, your suspension of disbelief is already soft and malleable, so this is no problem. And just to keep you nicely disoriented, it was filmed in Italy bc why not (also: GORGEOUS).

- tumblr is terrified of letting us embed video in reblogs so you’re going to have to trust me on this whole thing. (please go in blind: the trailer has aged like MILK. trust)

#ladyhawke #sorry to go off but. LADYHAWKE

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teecupangel · 2 years ago

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Random idea BUT Desmond as Trico from The Last Guardian in various timelines...

Okay, okay, so I like Team Ico's games and this makes me happy because just imagine Desmond being this oversized puppy/kitten/chick:

What if… he wakes up in this dark gloomy place with white lines all around the floor, ceilings and walls being his only source of light.

So he follows the light but they start going in different directions… different rooms…

With a single door that’s just big enough for him to squeeze to.

One would lead him to the vault underneath the Temple of Jerusalem just as Altaïr, Malik, and Kadar infiltrate it and because he’s not used to how to move in his current form, he trips on his way out and accidentally drops on Robert’s knights, splattering them. The three Assassins would definitely be saved by an unknown creature who may or may not be connected to the treasure they were sent to retrieve (and, to make this funnier, Desmond accidentally eats the Apple because of his clumsiness and it fell from its ‘box’ and his mouth was open at the time and… now the three have to wait for Desmond to ‘expel’ it because no one wants to cut him open)

One would lead him to the vault underneath the Vatican where he accidentally plays Minerva a few seconds before Ezio gets inside so when Ezio finally gets inside, he’s treated to a glowing woman talking about the end of the world to apparently some kind of large creature and then she says “The rest is up to you, Desmond” while looking at the creature so he now believes that the creature is the key to saving the world from the sun while Desmond is just charading what may be “… uuuhhh… sureeee? You’re… technically right…”

While we always put Desmond in the Grand Temple during Ratonhnhaké:ton’s time, let’s change it up a bit. The entrance to Ratonhnhaké:ton’s timeline isn’t in the Grand Temple… it’s in the Observatory in the West Indies. And this could totally work for Edward’s timeline (and Desmond becomes like the Jackdaw’s mascot) but the main point is that Desmond would have to find a way to travel to America to find Ratonhnhaké:ton. But how the hell was he going to do that when his wings are pretty banged up for some reason? The best he could do was glide… So… either Desmond gets to America by the time Ratonhnhaké:ton has already started his missions as an Assassin OR Ratonhnhaké:ton actually finds him while sailing the Aquila. And it would take a few hours before Ratonhnhaké:ton realizes that Desmond is just one big lazy cat/dog/bird/something like that and he’d take Desmond would him because Desmond kept letting out pained anguished sounds whenever Ratonhnhaké:ton tried to leave him behind.

In the end, Desmond just ends up chilling somewhere safe like Villa Auditore or Davenport Homestead. His time with Altaïr is the only one where he shakes his head furiously and refuses to go to Masyaf which meant the three of them needed to be creative in finding Desmond a ‘hiding’ spot.

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thedavinoparadox · 1 year ago

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🏖 August Reading Wrap-Up (Part 1) 📚

Selenio, 13th September 2023

Phew. A lot has happened this past August which may be part of the reason why I’m only typing out this wrap-up almost two weeks in September. Oh well, what can you do. At least I’m writing it at all… I have been quite diligent with my reading however and because of this I have decided to split up this month’s wrap-up into two parts (so as not to create one monstrously long post…).

A Castle in the Clouds (Wolkenschloss) by Kerstin Gier (2017)

In this novel, our protagonist (a young girl who has just decided to give up on her A-levels) works and lives in a beautiful chalet up in the mountains of Switzerland and learns to live with (and love) all the little quirks of the old house and its inhabitants. This could probably be called a “cozy mystery” as it holds both romantic, christmassy feelings and mystery/thriller elements. (To preface this: the days in which I was reading this book were so cold and rainy, they almost felt like autumn… so I feel like I had a point in picking it up.) I was looking for something a little bit shorter and lightweight before our trip to Italy and came across this very aggressively lilac cover on my sister’s bookshelf. It seemed quite amusing and the colour – upon further inspection – quite soothing. And lo and behold, I was actually surprised by how much I was enjoying myself. Sure, parts of the plot felt a little foreseeable and a tiny bit unnatural, since some of the characters were lacking in depth and characterization but I was fond of the slight hints of supernatural elements and the subtle magical undertones. All in all, very much worth the read if you’re in search for a cozy, festive winter romance.

Aquila by Ursula Poznanski (2017)

A young German girl, living in Siena for a gap year, suddenly wakes up one morning, having lost her memory spanning the last couple of days. All she has is list of cryptic clues, the accounts of strangers and the sense that something is completely and utterly wrong. And there she goes… doing it again, completely enrapturing me with her words. My favourite thriller author simply did what she does best: creating a story I simply cannot put down, until I’m able to piece together the plot she has so intricately woven. I think Aquila is one of the rare books you can gift to perfectly anybody and still have them enjoy it a great deal. It’s jam-packed with suspense, mystery, riddles and the tiniest bit of romance and overall feels like a movie or tv-show. Everything is vivid and scenic, yet still fast-paced and gripping without being rushed. Perfect pacing and just what I needed to get me into the mood for my travel to Italy.

The Monstrumologist (Der Monstrumologe und das Drachen-Ei) by Rick Yancey (2015)

This story is not only about a professional monster-scientist making the discovery of his lifetime, but also about his assistant learning the truth about himself and perhaps mankind itself. Nothing about this book was expected. I discovered this thoroughly confusing novel stuffed away in the depths of my bookshelf and since I was still looking for something rather light and short to read before the departure (unfortunately I had already finished the other books…), I decided to pick this up on a whim. The first thing, I was struck with, was the writing style. I had expected something childlike and simple, following a well-structured plot. Oh, how absolutely wrong I had been. However I did like the non-linear plotline a lot, although it did often seem as if I was missing the bigger picture safely assume everyone’s motives. Like I had picked up the second book of a trilogy without noticing. To my shame I have to admit, that I didn’t much care about the storyline but rather stayed for the magnificent writing style, as there were a lot of quotable gems throughout it.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (1831)

Last month’s first classic read and the story of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer of the church of Notre Dame and the events involving his adoptive father Claude Frollo, the young dancer Esmeralda, her little goat Djali, the guard Phoebus and the playwright Pierre Gringoire. This audiobook, narrated by Oliver Rohrbeck was yet another step on the ladder of broadening my literary horizon. After reading the first pages of the book, I decided to switch to audiobook as I realized I would not be able to finish it in time otherwise. I don’t know if it was the speaker’s voice or simply my strong longing for visiting France again, but The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of those classics which I did not only enjoy on an intellectual, but also on the personal amusement level. The characters were very well fleshed out, the humour impeccable and it was impossible to not get sucked into the dramatic plot. I also enjoyed Hugo’s flowery descriptions of places and scenes and the historical information he gave. There is just one question that remains… who ever decided it was a good idea to make this into a children’s movie?

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn (2003)

This is the love story of the fifth Bridgerton child, Eloise and how her correspondence with the brooding but handsome Sir Phillip Crane leads to a dramatic affair when her brothers find out about the secret arrangement. I know, I know… You don’t have to say it. After now reading the fifth instalment of this cursed book series I am no longer able to say I was forced to consume these novels. They have indeed become a guilty pleasure of mine and it has almost become a ritual to pick them up after my sister has finished them, so we can laugh about the more ridiculous scenes at dinner or on the beach (while also sometimes swooning about the more romantic ones). Perhaps I am but a romantic at heart… This book however felt a little less convincing than the other ones I’ve read so far (not that those had ever been really… close to life). Eloise’s Prince Charming just felt a little emotionless and almost dull, simply looking for a mother to his children (and perhaps a woman to warm his bed) in the beginning. A fact which did feel a little bit misogynistic at times. Still, not a bad beach read at all and laughing about some of the humour was worth the pain of the rather… less enjoyable scenes.

You can expect me to post the second part of my Reading Wrap-Up in the next few days!

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windwheeler-aster · 2 years ago

Text

stargazing

summary: with news of aquila being spotted in a starry sky near you, your friend childe and you quickly find a night to stargaze together. however, while you’re trying your best to stay warm and look for that damned constellation, childe’s eyes seem to be on something else. or rather, someone else...

masterlist | advent calendar

pairing: childe x reader

reader info: uses gender neutral pronouns (they/them), reader and childe are friends, and reader is not traveler

word count: 854 words (3 mins~)

genre: romance, friends to lovers, fluff

format: one shot

warnings: brief descriptions of making out and things escalating quickly

a/n: no you don’t understand the CHOKEHOLD this fic idea had on me when i thought of it. i wrote it in one sitting (which explains its quality) and have not stopped thinking about this idea (/trope) since then... oh well💖

"Is the blanket really necessary?” He teased you.

You brought the warm blanket closer around you, as though wrapping a protective shawl around yourself; intent on deflecting Childe’s teasing. And also the night’s frost, which seemed to have no effect on your friend.

“Well, some of us are warm blooded,” you retorted in a half-bitter and half-sleepy tone, “and some of us also get really cold, really easily. So, yes, the blanket is necessary.”

Childe looked over at you, the night’s stars reflecting back in his blue eyes. His eyes seemed to be on some aimless search, darting from one corner of your face to another, as Childe’s lips parted. There was no doubt he didn’t not see your own eyes dart to the subtle gap between his seemingly-perfect lips. But, in a rare act of kindness, Childe made no indication of it.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” you asked him. “It was your idea to look at the stars, dumb dumb.”

“Looking at you like what?”

“Like that!” you said, accusingly, as you saw that lopsided grin takeover his face.

“You just…” his mouth parted further this time, and you noticed Childe’s hand reach out to you. But some invisible force acted upon him, and the ginger retracted into himself. He shifted his gaze to the night’s sky and shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“Oh, so now you’re interested in the stars—”

“Hey, look! Aquila, right there— dead center, you can’t miss it.”

You tried to look for Aquila, the constellation that was the whole reason for this night of stargazing, but couldn’t find it. Seeing your confusion, Childe leaned over and pointed to the sky, gently tracing the stars. To be honest, you couldn’t remember what Aquila was supposed to look like— and Childe’s tracing didn’t help as much as you wanted it to—but you enjoyed the excuse to be closer to him.

“Oh,” you murmured, feigning a sense of realization at finding Aquila as you drew out the ‘o’.

“Do you see it now?” he asked.

You nodded, “Yeah.”

Childe gently leaned his head onto yours, a yawn spilling out of him as he sat beside you. “Pretty cool, right?”

“Hm,” you hummed your agreement. “When did you have the time to learn constellations?”

“I didn’t.”

“What?”

“I learned some,” Childe explained, “because you mentioned how nice it would be to go stargazing. And one of my siblings really loves the stars, so they were pretty happy to help me learn to recognize some constellations.”

“Oh,” you murmured. “That’s… really sweet of you to do, Childe.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what friends are for, right?” he chuckled. “Now scoot over and give me some of that blanket, I’m getting cold.”

Without verbal complaint, although there was an exaggerated eye roll directed to the ginger, you open the blanket up to him. He gently pulls it over so it covers the shoulder farthest from you. One of Childe’s hands sneaks down to your side, wherever it touches now struck ablaze, only to rub his knuckles against your own. Then, he relaxes into your side and puts his head on top of yours, sighing blissfully.

“What’s got you so happy?” you asked. “I can’t be that good of a head rest.”

Childe chuckled, now pressing his cheek into your scalp instead of his pointed chin. “I’m enjoying your company, dummy. It’s what friends do.”

You feel his knuckles shift closer to yours, again, so you dare to ask him, “Do— can friends hold hands, then?”

“Maybe. If friends are comfortable doing it, that is.”

“Well... I am.”

You felt giddy as he intertwined his fingers with yours. It felt so right, you thought as the excitement bubbled inside you.

“Can… Can friends kiss each other, as well?” Childe tentatively asked. “Like, on the cheek or something…”

“Well, if friends are comfortable doing it. Right?” You chuckled, enjoying this much shyer side of Childe. “Which I am, by the way.”

With that, Childe slowly pulled his head off of yours. He pressed a small kiss to your cheek, just below the eye on your right side, like he suggested. His lips felt nice there, like something sweet but unfortunately too quick.

They also felt nice on the apple of your cheek, along the brim of your nose, your other cheek, your forehead— until finally he reached your lips. But he broke away from your lips, just as quickly as the other kisses before, and parted from you.

For a moment, you two just stared at each other. There was a bewildered, as well as guilty, expression plastered across your friend’s face. A knowing look passed between you two, the line of friendship crossed as soon as Childe’s lips pressed down onto your skin.

But it didn’t matter, in the end, as you pulled him back in for a second round of affection beneath the stars, your heart and his swelling at the mutual reciprocation. And all you could hope for was that the stars looked over you two, a mess of sloppy kisses and giggles, as exhaustion slowly crept over you both.

taglist:

@x-zho @cxlrosii @i23kazu @tiredsleep

(send an ask to be added or removed)

thank you for reading 💖 all forms of interaction to my posts are appreciated 💖

#wheeler's recs #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #ajax x reader #childe one shots #tartaglia one shots #ajax one shots #romance #friends to lovers #fluff #genshin advent calendar 2022

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bluexiao · 3 years ago

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Hellooo!! May I request a Gamer Kazuha, Scara and Xiao with their S/O? Thank youuu!!

#them playing genshin with you

CHARACTERS. Kazuha, Scaramouche, Xiao

THEMES. modern!au. gamer!au. fluff !!! domestic !! (scara may swear just one time though)

NOTES. i love writing this! it’s so fun to imagine aaa especially with my best boys<333 thanks so much for this request!! also i apologize for not knowing the seelie names i’m also unsure if everyone knows them so i just went by the colors instead hahah.

KAZUHA

A mobile player. BUT He can play literally anything and excel on it. You always see him on the top players and he does it with ease.

He’s just a casual gamer, everybody wouldn’t even expect him to touch games but the moment they see him play they’re mindblown. He’s hella good, even if he plays them first time. Like seriously this guy has talent.

Actually, he can play on any gadget. He's just a casual player so he doesn’t own a ps5 and doesn’t like having games installed on his PC.

Playing Genshin Impact, he probably chose Aether because you said both of them resemble each other. Yes, you got him to Genshin.

Only plays when you’re with him. He honestly doesn’t give much attention to the game unless you two are in a co-op.

Ironically, he’s very lucky in his wishes. He got a Jean in his first 10-star pull like seriously? And then he gets an Aquila Favonia on his Weapon Banner in an instant I tell you.

Jean and Anemo Traveler main, period.

He’s also free to play because like I said, he only plays because of you.

You two are so cute like you both did the Dragonspine Quests together, explored together, or you let him have your Dandelions to ascend his Jean. You two also have a golden seelie together.

“Hey Kazu, are we going to play today? Can you help me farm books?”

He smiles before pressing a kiss on your temple, pulling you to his side, “Sure, why not, but we have to do the assignment after, alright?”

Is actually aware of the time spent while gaming so he knows when to stop and rest.

Since he plays on mobile he loves cuddling you while you two play. If you’re on PC or playstation, he lets you sit on his lap while he makes do with the position. If you’re also on mobile, you two are usually lying on the bed while he has his phone above your head, his chin leaning on your hair.

SCARAMOUCHE

A PC Player. PvP games are his favorites. Sometimes he switches to his phone but he’s annoyed at the small graphics and prefers playing on PC.

Loves beating up literally anyone. He has to be one of the high-ranked players and he makes sure he doesn’t lose.

He got into Genshin Impact first and when he found out you’re also playing he’ll probably ask for your AR first. If you’re above his, he’ll pout or so, but if you’re below his, he would say “Come on, let’s do your quests. What? You haven’t ascended yet? You won’t go anywhere if you haven’t done anything, stupid.” he says in a lovely way hahah

Will literally give you tips on everything but he makes himself sound like he’s annoyed. He’s not don’t worry. Not much probably ahhah.

Viola seelie definitely but before he has the pink one heheh.

Actually he prefers Endora’s quietness but likes the aesthetic appeal of Viola more.

Number or meta grabber. Literally dislikes small damage. He probably made everyone a DPS because of this. Actually, he doesn’t need meta, he has RNG underneath his grasps because he has god-tier artifacts.

He carries you to everything and flaunts it.

He probably even fixes your account a couple of times to see if your artifacts, weapon & overall build are aligned. He makes sure that your characters are well taken care of.

Quite bossy. But he means well.

“Why-What in the world is that?” he grimaces

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you have a fucking Black Tassel on Zhongli? Give him the Staff of Homa instead!”

“But Xiao has it!”

“Zhongli will benefit from it more, dummy.”

“No, Xiao will have Homa, end of the conversation.”

He gets quite pouty when you crush on the characters and will ridicule you for it. He’s just jeal—

“I’m not jealous, shut up.”

Would actually be ready to pay for you to get the characters that you want… even if you’re crushing on them. He has this small smirk on his face when you squeal happily and tackle him getting your five star.

Hug him tight and pepper him with kisses as thanks and he’ll be even more happy hehe.

XIAO

He also can play anything but he prefers being alone most of the time. Certainly a solo player—a good one at that.

Probably the only one of the three to have a full gaming set plus a ps5 plus a gaming mobile.

He got you into playing Genshin Impact but mainly because it seems to have occupied his time and you usually watch him play. You were convinced by the graphics and the lore that he himself praised.

He likes the game but he likes it even better when you play it with him. He also has a lucky thumb and he carries you through domains! He even pulls characters for you.

He had both the purple and blue seelie but he prefers having Endora on a lot.

A Zhongli main, probably. Or Dual Archon! He wills to collect every Archon in the game, actually. You offer him your world’s Cor Lapis and he always says a mumble of “Thanks” each time

He’s actually sweet when you visit him and you both play together for bonding time. He lets you borrow his gaming PC while he plays on his mobile or ps5.

A cutie! His ears will blush when you sit on his lap while you play on his PC, even with his hoodie on. He nuzzles his face on the hoodie and flushes even more when his nose will be filled in with the scent of both him and you.

“Xiao? Want me to go grab snacks?”

His grip on your waist tightens and he hums while shaking his head.

“No?”

He hums again, an affirmation to your question, it seems.

“Are you not hungry?”

He hums, maybe a no?

“Alright. Just tell me when you’re hungry so we can eat while playing,” you say, and he seems to have leaned on your neck even further, with his chin still on your shoulder. You can feel his breath on your skin and despite the tickle that you felt, you stayed in the position and even leaned back more.

TAGLIST. @softlybeloved @rim0na @icecappa @simplyxkashi @scaraslover @beastielevi @cursedraiden

#genshin x reader #xiao x reader #kazuha x reader #scaramouche x reader #genshin fluff #genshin headcanons #xiao headcanons #kazuha headcanons #scaramouche headcanons #📘

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