#and he does enjoy befriending his suspects and knowing them

[detectiveposting]

my stages of watching columbo

1: hahah hes just a silly detective ;)

2: columbo is actually a cunning manipulative liar that hides his true persona behind the facade of a slow and clumsy middle class detective

3: hahah hes just a silly detective ;)

[bluejulius]

more of httyd cowboys AU (I will never shut up about it <33)

(yap below the cut)

Hayden Hickok (AKA Hiccup) befriends a wild black stallion which he names Toothless

Set in a romanticised & fictional Old West.

Fishlegs is Hiccup’s best friend. The Ingermans are a wealthy family. They paid for Fishlegs’ tutoring as a kid, so he grew up to be a scholar, feeding his fascination with botany and animals. Fishlegs has a pet pony named Meatlug, who he adores. Fishlegs is the one to urge Hiccup to talk to Astrid and her group when they first arrive in town because he needed a wingman after laying eyes on Ruffnut and being enamoured with her. Later on Hiccup drags him and Meatlug along on their cowboy adventure.

Astrid and Hiccup were friends in their childhood. Astrid’s family was not well off, and realising her only option for things to improve in her hometown was marriage, she left the town of Berk when she was 13 to earn money as a cowgirl. She returns for a job in Berk years later, with her new band of cowboys (Ruff, Tuff and Lout). Hiccup, ecstatic on her return, is about to tell her about his new horse, when they hear of Drago Bludvist, a man who wreaks havoc across the country in search of the legendary Night Fury. It is said that the one who tames the Night Fury has tamed the spirit of the west itself.

At first Hiccup tries to hide Toothless from the newcomers in a barn, but Astrid catches him in the act. She runs off to tell her gang but Hiccup and Toothless catch up to her and Hiccup, after sharing a trail ride with Astrid on Toothless, convinces Astrid to escort them to Drago to change his mind about capturing Toothless.

The other cowboys are reluctant about the whole idea. With Hiccup only having one leg, a long day of horse riding would require frequent breaks and the group doesn’t want him to slow them down. But Astrid insists on him coming, and defends him if they push too far.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut make a lot of meta western movie jokes (I suspect they’re aware they’re in a western AU). They also have a lot of useless random knowledge amongst their ramblings that jumpscares Fishlegs many times. They enjoy wreaking havoc when they can, wearing disguises and scamming random travellers for extra coin (they have sold many people Thorston&Thorston miracle snake oil). They have been known to cross dress, which doesn’t help people mistaking them for each other. Astrid and Snotlout can tell them apart and know not to fall for their tricks, but Hiccup and Fishlegs are more gullible. The twins are in charge of the chuckwagon. Barf & Belch are their quarter horses that pull their wagon. Ruff & Tuff often fight over who is the actual boss of the wagon (they still haven’t decided).

Snotlout is a cowboy purist. He idolises the Vaqueros and leans more into their fashion, and the stereotypical Hollywood ideal of what a cowboy should be. In this AU his mother is also Mexican, and growing up he learned Spanish. (This helps the cowboy gang a lot make trades and take on more jobs) Before Hiccup came along, Snotlout considered himself very close to getting with Astrid. He gets jealous and defensive when Astrid finds Hiccup in her hometown, but denies being intimidated. Hookfang is very hot blooded and enjoys annoying/not listening to Snotlout.

While on the trail to find Drago they encounter many familiar faces such as Dagur, Heather and Eret!

Since I started the AU I’ve been down so many rabbit holes, learning about cowboys, horses and history. As someone who does not live in America it’s been really fascinating to learn about the old west. For me the goal with these redesigns is to make the characters seem more believable within the realms of a cowboy story, not just riding off of stereotypes from movies. It’s also helped me learn the limitations of the setting but at the same time given me so many new ideas for how to better fit the characters in an old west setting. Let me know what y’all think of their new looks!

[iamnmbr3]

I saw someone on tik tok that made a video saying that book Harry would be disgusted by being shipped with Draco. And people in the comments were saying fr and saying that we are crazy for shipping drarry and someone even said that drarry was the most disgusting ship ever made in the Harry Potter fandom.

And what you think it would be Lucius and Narcissa reaction to find out that Draco and Harry are dating??? Love your blog

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my blog!

First of all, making content like that with the intent of shaming/bullying other fans is silly, immature and just plain unkind. So what if people are shipping something you don't like? Or that a fictional character wouldn't like if they were real? Just let other people do their thing and have fun and curate your own content.

Second of all, drarry is the most disgusting ship ever made in Harry Potter fandom? Drarry? Really? Lol. Lmao even. *Insert the 'oh my sweet summer child' speech here*

Third of all, in the case of drarry there is actually a lot of canon evidence, so while that certainly doesn't mean people who don't want to have to ship or enjoy or be comfortable with it, based on canon it's rather unlikely that Harry would be disgusted by it... (Not that it mattes either way. But just saying...).

What Lucius and Narcissa's reaction would be is an interesting question. I think they probably wouldn't be that pleased, but would be kind of resigned. Post-war Lucius just wants to stay out of jail (or, failing that, he wants to get out as fast as possible and then avoid going back). The last thing he wants to do is be openly hostile to Harry Potter, hero of the hour, The Boy Who Lived Twice, Savior of the wizarding world etcetera, etcetera. He probably plays reasonably nice - though I doubt he and Harry will ever like each other.

Harry is certainly not who Narcissa would have chosen, but the fact that Draco does seem genuinely happy with him and that Harry truly cares about Draco and goes out of his way to help him and, just by being with him, rehabilitates his image, certainly makes her want to be cordial. Though again, while she probably pretends otherwise, I doubt she ever really changes her attitudes as much as she pretends. Though perhaps over time she does develop some grudging respect for Hermione (and this perhaps admits, if only to herself, that muggleborns aren't as inferior as she once believed). And well, she and Harry do have their love for Draco in common so that helps them get along even if the relationship is never an easy or entirely comfortable one.

I think there's a plausible argument that by book 7 Narcissa already suspected something was going on with Harry and Draco. In the end of book 7, not only does Voldemort think that Draco has run off to "befriend" Harry, but Narcissa immediately assumes Harry will know where Draco is and if he's ok. So she seems to also think that Draco has gone off to find Harry and she doesn't seem to think that he was looking for a fight. She asks Harry about Draco as though Harry not only will know what's become of him, but will care. Not as though she expects that any meeting between them would end in them fighting to the death like you'd expect given they are on opposite sides of the war. I think maybe she always planned to help Harry, and she just wanted to ascertain what her next steps should be once they got back to the caste - whether she needed to go in and find Draco or if he was already safely away or dead and beyond help. She thinks she and Harry are united in caring about the same person.

After all, she did see Draco lie for Harry at the Manor. And she saw Harry pull a wand from Draco's hand while Draco let him, and then not even stun Draco after. And later she found Wormtail's body in the cell that Draco went into alone and left entirely unharmed. Not to mention, after book 6 she would have read about how Harry named Snape but not Draco as being involved in Dumbledore's death (at first she probably dismissed it as Harry just not having seen everything, but later she puts it together with everything else and she starts to wonder...)

[norlaching]

Cliche but still stupidly accurate Maxley fanfic or oneshot idea

So basically Bradley (and maybe also Max) finally graduate College and now it’s up for the poor GAMMA leader to find get into a successful job as a Doctor (since that’s what he’s suspected to be studying for in College with how long he’s been there)

But then suddenly, his parents (depends on who you feel is more of a bad parent towards him) to tell Bradley that they’ve set him up for an arranged marriage with another wealthy family’s daughter — he hates it but can only agree and heads off to cry somewhere because his parent(s) didn’t rven acknowledge him for his achievements; just straight up pulled the “marriage card” and he guesses “grandkids card” would be pulled next after all of this.

So he storms off and decides to cry somewhere in the dark of the night, where Max is ironically close to, so Max spots him, tries to scoot his way into a conversation (which Bradley tried so hard to turn down), but eventually they get there and decide to talk for a bit (not getting to personal at the moment).

Max sort’ve unofficially befriends Bradley and they soon go their separate ways once the Goof gives him a tissue to blow on once he subtly sees the other is upset.

The two end up meeting each other in the same spot again because the universe (all of us) randomly just wanted them to be there again and again; and they grow to be close friends, and their little GIANT ASS crushes (from whatever the hell the “An Extremely Goofy Movie” was with all that tention) grows into a BEHEMOTH as time grows.

Eventually Bradley meets his “fianc��” and they don’t really get to know each other and instead sit in silence when they’re left by their parents to bond — which is just awkward until Max decides to call and asks to meet up.

And he goes, but when he seed the girl as quiet as a mouse, he decides to let her join so their parents don’t get suspicious (he tells a butler to tell them they’re going on a “date” or something). And blah blah blah, they all get to know each other along with Max’s other friends and they all learn neither Bradley nor the girl (or whatever name you can think of) doesn’t wanna get married.

A high and over his head Bobby randomly mutters a plan when Bradley and the girl and him are left alone while PJ and Barrette girl (does she even have a name?) dance while Max goes to get them some more food: and that was it.

So during the fake relationship with Uppercrust and his “new future wife” towards their parents and family members, they start to hatch plans behind their back.

Max and Bradley get closer and closer until one day, they both find themselves on the dance floor and kiss for the fucking first time, and take it backstage where they enjoy dancing in the rain instead of near a lot of eyes (where Bradley grows paranoid and conscious of due to his parents and reputation). Tada! They start to date.

The day of the wedding comes, and Bradley calls Max and his friends to come at [insert the damn time], and they agree. When “Bradley’s bride” starts to walk down the aisle, she makes a run and Bradley creates the illusion of he’s after her to bring her back to their new life, when really; he’s just following her towards their escape.

They makes it out of the door, and Max, PJ, Bobby and Barrette girl come in masked with a get away car, and the girl dives head in first (like that one video of where the bride runs away and the driver drives off while her legs are still up in the air) while Bradley takes shotgun and Max drives off quickly before anyone could catch them.

And then they crash the car, blow the car up to where not even the drivers plate is identifiable, and Bradley and Max are happy, with the girl (who somehow stole the expensive ass wedding rings from the ceremony) gives it to Bradley and Max and they basically propose.

So fast forward, Max and Bradley gets married, Bradley changes his name to “Bradley ‘Tennyson’ Goof” (Tennyson just fit in with the name, you can change it if you like), and they are happily living together with their kids (surrogate or maybe Max is trans).

Bradley continued with being a doctor so he can provide for his family, and Max is probably a tattoo artist or something (who knows?), PJ and his girlfriend are engaged, Bobby is still high as fuck, and the girl is a happy aunt/sister to Bradley.

And they live happily ever after or something! (That is if Goofy doesn’t screw up with how clumsy the poor old man is)

I’m probably gonna turn this into a fic, but you are still free to use the idea (with credit of course)

[teaspoonnebula]

Which half-finished Watson is a Time Lord fic should I work on?

So... I've realised that I've ended up accumulating a slightly embarrassing number of semi-completed Watson Is A Time Lord fics. All of these are at least a couple of pages, often much more. (And this is just me, there are even MORE things I know my cowriters have in the works!)

I can't decide which one to work on, so I guess this is my attempt to put it to a public vote and see if that helps sway me!

Gallifrey Is Back AU - It turns out that Gallifrey wasn't destroyed in the Time War after all. Watson is overjoyed to discover he isn't the last of his kind and to show Holmes is place of origin, but he's outgrown the rigid and xenophobic Time Lord society and is ready to Be A Disruption.

Her Ladyship befriends a kid - Her Ladyship rescues a little boy who was freezing on the streets of London, and looks after him until her Captain can help. Linear organic beings are still a bit of a mystery to her, but she does her best.

The Island, Holmes POV - A while ago I wrote some chapters where Watson ended up in Torchwood's clutches, living on their facility on an island. This would return to that and show Holmes' pov of tracking Watson down and rescuing him.

Watson + Emilie - Watson goes to visit Holmes' mother during her final illness and keeps her company. Honestly I kind of just wanted to shove these two together and watch them interact, not much plot!

Uh Oh, Watson Regenerated - (Is the name of the document this is in, so enjoy that). Rathbone/Bruce AI - A confused man accosts Holmes wearing Watson's clothes. Apparently Watson has regenerated, but Holmes struggles to feel the same affection for this new body, and begins to suspect that this is not Watson at all...

[syistoppedgivingafuck]

quick post on why i like lunalec/lunar x alec over falec/funneh x alec and levan/lunar x evan other than the fact that it's peak /hj

quick disclaimer! i don't do RPF (real people fanfiction), these are entirely based on the characters they display and roleplay as in videos. if i say lunar, i mean the character. if i say wenny, i mean the real person behind the screens.

1. Lunar's Personality

Lunar, in most videos, is chaotic neutral, dramatic, and enjoys causing havoc and investigating paranormal activity and ghosts, occasionally even befriending them (ex. Kitty from their Roblox Family Roleplay Series). But she's also quiet, introverted, very artistic, and kind to her siblings.

In most of their videos, it's implied that they're all siblings as they don't actively change their character lores (minus the ones where they aren't playing as the KREW, or their minecraft adventures roleplay series where they don't seem to know each other), so let's say that it's canonical in most videos that they're all siblings. I'll personally say that I headcanon Lunar as the 4th of the 5 siblings, as that is where Wenny is based on their ages.

With this in mind, Lunar is both an older sister (to Draco) and the youngest sister.

2. Alec's Personality

Alec is firstly depicted as this quiet handsome guy in the episode he debuts, as Funneh seems to fall for him almost instantaneously. Though this can be backed by Felicia also seemingly flirting with him in Season 2. Alec is insanely competitive, fighting Kyran on almost everything, and is also incredibly secretive and very coolheaded under pressure, as depicted in Season 1 where Funneh comments on how police are throwing things while Alec is detained and was likely their main and only suspect for "Info-Kun".

He's also depicted as hardworking, responsible (as he works for Yandere-Chan when his family is struggling financially), and sly, as he helps Funneh, Kyran, and Gold break into the school to retrieve Kyran's gift for Senpai's birthday instead of helping Yandere-Chan with her own break-in.

He does show a softer side around Funneh in later episodes, as well as towards his younger sister, Aly. He cares deeply for Funneh and Aly, as well as his parents, and is very understanding of things. He's also occasionally depicted as affectionate and shy with Funneh. He can also be incredibly protective of Funneh and Aly, as he continues working for Yandere-Chan when blackmailed with Funneh's safety.

3. Why ship them?

Other than my "haha reject canon, welcome to fandom" mindset, honestly, their personalities match well with each other. Funneh and Lunar are incredibly similar in a lot of ways due to their siblinghood, but also incredibly different. Both sisters are majorly introverted, but Funneh is more loud-chaotic while Lunar is more creepy-chaotic.

Alec is seemingly unbothered by anything paranormal or ghostly, only really worrying for others' safety, so he wouldn't really worry about anything Lunar was doing unless it put her in danger. With both of them being older siblings, they will inevitably nurture each other's needs without realizing it, although with Lunar being a younger sibling, Alec may feel more comfortable nurturing than being nurtured and the reverse for Lunar.

Alec is incredibly grounded in his personality while Lunar will sometimes float in her head or her paranormal activities (ref: Roblox Family when Lunar met Kitty and became obsessed with it). With Lunar being chaotic neutral, I don't think she'd really care if Alec were helping Yandere-Chan out. Lunar is implied to not mind the idea of murder or even do it herself, but will still want the killer to be caught so long as the killer isn't her (based on their Among Us and Murder Mystery videos).

I think they wouldn't mind sitting in silence together, just doing things they like, even if its not the same activity. They have the dynamic of a witch and a black cat.

4. Why not Levan?

I honestly don't have anything against it, I just prefer Lunalec because of the dynamic difference. I typically like golden retrievers x black cats, but I suppose I like Lunar with someone that will match her vibe more.

5. Why not Falec?

I love Falec, it is a very fun and cute ship canonically and I was a ride or die Falec shipper in 2015 - 2017. Around 2022, though, I rewatched YHS and ended up preferring Evan and Funneh's dynamic a lot more. I still respect and adore the ship, but I won't be making much content about Falec because of my preferences, and the fact that I may be the only creator actively making Lunalec content.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1136 - Initial Thoughts

And we are back

I say it's been a long time every time but this time it has indeed been a long time XD but finally One Piece is back

so let's not waste time and see what Oda has for us for 2025 properly

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release too

Yamato's dud of a cover story continues, bringing Holdem to a TOTALLY MYSTERIOUS hidden base which has a familiar helmet and cat face on it

At the very least we're being enticed by seeing Who's Who's cat harem again

We pick up with Luffy, enjoying the meat and dining with Jarul, who notes the difficulty of accruing the meat - Luffy shows his appreciation to Stansen and Hajrudin for getting it

Seems the Land of the Dead realm is commonly misconstrued as regular Elbaf because humans tend not to make it far enough to the Sun Realm, often turning tail and running

Usopp's doing what he usually does at parties, well one of two things, this one is lying and regaling the giants over his 'defeat' of Oars

His other thing was singing btw

The giants admire Jinbe's unique appearance as he notes how there are a diverse range of looks in Fishman Island

A kid says they want to see a mermaid, which Sanji endorses, but he's of course soaking up the adulation of Giant women too

Brook also gets asked about himself, so he decides to answer through song

Nami and Zoro remain cool and chilling, but remark that they're surprised that many giants haven't seen the world - since they assumed them all to be pirates

A very beaten up Rodo emerges, apologizing to Nami (and Zoro but he calls him 'this other Straw hat') for his treatment of them before

Gerd seemed to have kicked his ass to get him to fork out an apology, but in a thought bubble he's kinda into it

Zoro says there's no harm done...because Usopp stopped him from causing harm

Zoro had to do a badass threat, but I can't take it seriously with those god ugly goggles XD

It at least intimidated Rodo, who is reprimanded for not even checking their bounties before picking a fight

'Don't hold back next time' DEAR GOD GERD YOU'RE SAVAGE!

Rodo backtracks, but he does note that all Giants dream of being the 'next Sun God' and rule the world

I suppose this is why we've seen him and Loki claim to be it

Zoro is interested in the mention but the other giants argue over Sun God Lore

Some say the Sun God's not a ruler, some say they're a god of Liberation, others Destruction, and others more Laughter

Luffy asks Jarul about it, it seems the conflict is because of translations (I see you Oda)

The 'Harley' texts were passed down through Elbaf's generations, written in an archaic language

As for the name I'm afraid I'm at a loss, it sounds like a reference but I don't know to what

According to Jarul however, the world has ended twice and Nika was central to both instances

I wonder if that means the world has flooded twice, or simply that a great era ended? Because Nika and Joy Boy both seemed to have fought in a great war

We see a Giant's depiction of Nika which is more Luffy-like, with Jarul's description, the world leaders fear them because it's a bringer of change, for destruction or liberation

Luffy remembers Bonney mention Nika and connects that this is why people keep mistaking him for Nika, he dismisses a connection though

Hajrudin, Goldberg and Stansen note that they do all look up to Nika though which leads Jarul to mention Loki

Loki also aspired to be Nika, which is what Jarul suspects is why he killed the king

Oh Luffy, 'so he's a good guy?' is not the thing to ask of the man you saw chained to a tree in the Giant's prison freezer box

Seems Loki has some prophecy to him too; Harold was foretold to be slain by a son (classic mythology that), also after his birth the royal horse died

Loki was born around the same time as Big Mom's Semla rampage which killed Jorul, then a year later the Queen died

Loki then killed and befriended a lot of the beasts in the Realm of the Dead at 10 - which he did allude to in earlier chapters - releasing some unto the villages

He's also depicted a bit older burning down a village and laughing, which is the most Norse Loki we've seen OP Loki look

Loki used his hierarchy as a prince to do what he wants, and then he killed the king - his statue obscures his face though which is unusual, something to make note of

Jarul's head injury is from the fallout of Loki's patri- and regicide

Oh, and Shanks was the one who helped capture him six years ago, he was out at sea during this time

I wonder if Shanks beating Loki was one of the turning points into making him a Yonko? It at least explains his friendliness with the Giants

Luffy gets excited to hear Shanks again, and is told that he was here a while ago, but his whereabouts are unknown

Zoro seems pensive about all this

Oh, it seems that he is privy to Luffy's deal with Loki, pulling Luffy to the village outskirts to note that he's likely deceiving him

Luffy defends himself by saying he wanted to know where Shanks was - which Zoro exasperatedly notes he's told him repeatedly - and will be pissed if he was lied to

Seems Loki offered Luffy intel on Shanks including his whereabouts for freedom, Luffy does ask Zoro how he can be sure if they've never met, which Zoro concedes he doesn't, but public opinion isn't high on him

Nami also pops in, seems it's the original trio off on a secret adventure

Also Rodo's here, her new man slave, to steer the ship

Zeus has to remind Rodo of the pecking order though; Zeus is slave 1, Sanji is slave 2, so he's slave 3

It seems Zeus gave him a bit of lightning too since his hair is all poofed

Rodo tries to connect with Nami over how they're both navigators, but is quickly rebuked again

Nami feels bad about leaving the party early, but Rodo notes that they party has fallen into a drunken stupor

They roll up to the Big Stein Castle, where Nami's true colours of stealing treasure comes into light - Rodo claims he has 'bad vision' when asked if the giants would mind anything going missing

It seems our hooded figures have met up with Loki and he's laughing loudly (Doga ha ha seems to be his laugh)

Ohhhh, the hooded figures were offering Loki a position among the Gods Knights

Loki refuses though, he doesn't wanna be a Celestial Dragon, calling them scum, so it seems like he has a line

Shanks but maybe not Shanks asks the other about intel

Oda's being shrewd about hiding half his face, can't tell if there's scars or not

Our other figure notes that all informants got swept up by a giant crow (I suspect that means all of Rodo's diorama were WG spies?)

Our other hooded figure is Gunko, a God's Knight with heterochromia eyes and her sleeve unravels like a ribbon, I'd suspect she has a ribbon-like fruit that may be similar to Diamante's

Still woman it's the fucking winter realm put on some pants!

A giant wolf comes to Loki's aid and is quickly subdued and hung by the neck by Gunko

Shanks but Not Shanks asks if bartering the wolf's life will make him change his mind, but Loki refuses

'It's okay to grieve and rage, but a warrior never kicks and screams in the face of death' - it's a hard line, with honour to it, but Loki would definitely not like Usopp with this mantra

but also despite being this honourable Loki still intends to destroy the world

A good chapter to come back to, which continues to shift Loki's status in limbo.

His backstory seems malicious but the omens aren't exactly his to be burdened with. He has some loyalty and honour to him, enough to oppose the WG, but we can at least tell why he doesn't like Shanks. It's a mixed territory, kinda like Crocodile really: he's bad, but he has ally potential too. Good to get some Nika lore too, explaining all these claims to being the Sun God and being more understanding towards the Gorosei's reasonings for being frightened of Nika.

It was assumed but now we can confirm that Gods Knights are here, which will be a way to gauge their strength against the crew, they need to be powerful if the Revolutionaries are wary of them.

Still, more splitting of the crew is ominous, and being at the Big Stein castle is likely to show Gunko's handiwork to Luffy, Zoro and Nami at the least. Seems Rodo will be here to stay too, we'll see if he can redeem himself because I think we'd all rather have Hajrudin coming...or Ripley or Gerd XD We've still not seen that shadowed guy either

For now it's a casual reintroduction to Elbaf's plot for 2025, we're on the cusp of the chaos unfolding, but soon it will all hit the fan

[britishassistant]

The Villainous Paranoiac is Suing for Character Defamation

Vil’s agent is a competent woman.

There’s no way she would have kept her position if she wasn’t. A minor he may’ve been, but even when he was starting out, Vil Schoenheit knew better than to allow someone slothful or greedy to manage his talent and performances.

His father helped him weed out those burdened by these vices, even trusting his son’s judgement on those who tried to play on the long relationships his father had built with them, until Vil’s current agent was the last one left standing.

She was a protege of Vil’s father’s manager, one who already had experience managing older talent, but also a rather scrupulous set of morals concerning children.

Vil has always suspected this may have something to do with all the younger siblings and cousins she sometimes mentions. He’s not going to risk their professional relationship to confirm it though.

She calls him every morning to give him the rundown on his projects for the day, as well as any news that could be pertinent to him.

This morning, like many other mornings before it, she says, “You’re being scouted for several roles by a number of notable studios. Warui Bros. and Reynard Studios are still keeping the roles of the rival open—“

“Pass.” Vil states as he finishes daubing on his primer. “As I’ve said the last two times.”

“Well,” There’s the sound of nails tap-tap-tapping away on her tablet. “Akareiju Studios has a role they’ve requested you specifically for a new movie—!“

“With everything I’ve got on my plate?” He says dismissively. “Hardly. Send my—“

“You’d be the male lead.” She says.

Vil pauses for a moment, sponge hovering over his skin.

“It’s a movie adaptation of a light novel that’s been popular online lately,” She rattles off with her usual efficiency. “Lost Princess: Entangled with my Graceful Family. The premise is simple—Karatsumori Megami, a middle schooler mourning the death of her mother, discovers she is actually the kidnapped youngest daughter of a powerful family, and is whisked away to a life of luxury. Along the way she must adapt to the pressures of her new lifestyle, open up the hearts of her long lost siblings, befriend others at her new elite school, and thwart the bullying of her twisted, cruel stepsister, proving that she is worthy of her place in the family. The author of the novel has agreed to personally work on the screenplay alongside the producers.”

Vil is careful not to pull a face as he sweeps the foundation brush over his cheeks. Trite, as plots went, but that was what audiences enjoyed. Something uncomplicated for them to leave feeling satisfied as though the accomplishments of the fictional characters were their own.

“The role of the male lead in this film is filled by the female lead’s eldest brother.” She continues. “Gracey Enji, heir to the Gracey Corporation. Described as a princely, serious high schooler, burdened with the expectations of inheriting his father’s role as CEO and pushing aside his feelings to better protect the interests of his younger siblings from afar. He’s the one with the most faith in the female lead and does his best to help her out overtly and covertly, but doesn’t actually let his guard down until she recognizes his efforts and vows to support him.”

Vil tilts his head to the side, considering his own face.

Not this look, certainly, it’s too glamorous, too Vil Schoenheit.

But some more subdued makeup colors, while still tinted to enhance his natural features, a severe, almost-too-finely-tailored cut to his clothes, maybe a pair of glasses to emphasize the image of a hard-working professional…

Yes, he could see himself donning the mantle of “Gracey Enji” well.

But there’s still one quibble that needs to be dealt with before he can get too invested.

“Who else will be part of the cast?” His attempts to make the question sound light and careless fall slightly flat. “Anyone I know?”

She hems and haws, the clicking of her fingers flying over her tablet screen audible through the phone.

“Neige LeBlanche has been approached,” His agent says. “For a brief cameo during the funeral scene as the heroine’s childhood friend.”

A slow smirk spreads over Vil’s face.

“Send me the script. I’ll have a read-through.”

***

Idia’s been over the hype about LoPri since before it even got off the ground.

He heard about it through one of the threads he frequents on Dreddit, a recommendation from a well-known user whose opinion he’s kind wishy-washy on.

He tried it, found the writing bland, the characterization muddy yet restrictive, and really couldn’t vibe with the undertones of “nuclear family by blood is the best and only real family, any kids born outside of a conventional marriage are inherently thieving irredeemable scumbags”.

What kind of message is that in this day and age?? Even the gods had more liberated family relations than that. Idia will be the first to burn the world down for Ortho, but this depiction of siblings kind of pisses him off, a tiny bit.

Unfortunately, even though he’s written it off as barely-above-garbage-tier, all the normies online have jumped on the hype train to sing its praises.

He’d usually just avoid the fandom, block and move on, but it’s like a fungus. It keeps popping up, even in places that should be safe! Places that should be sacred!

MrLeotaGracey: how can you not read LoPri

MrLeotaGracey: were you born in a barn???

cLoThO115: ???

MrLeotaGracey: smh

MrLeotaGracey: leota-chan and megami-chan are the most beautiful in existence

littollethegurl: no one was talking about lopri tho??

MrLeotaGracey: literally actual goddesses

MrLeotaGracey: if premo has any brains theyll do a tribute for LoPri

MrLeotaGracey: its just common sense for a dying idol group like this lol

PreMo5Evrr: dude wtf

Places like the message board for Precipice Moirai!!

Idia sighs despondently.

What is the world coming to, that stans like this can come into a nice chat like this and begin trash talking like they own the place? True, this guy is more virulent than the average fan, but the fact that he can’t read the atmosphere is just depressing.

And some users are getting triggered, which will lead to them getting banned unless someone does something.

Gloomurai: lol imagine god defending a ln thats the embodiment of mid

Gloomurai: imo cant relate

MrLeotaGracey: kys

MrLeotaGracey: fucking virgin whore

MrLeotaGracey: cringe loser cunts who cant understand how amazing LoPri is dont deserve rights

And any second now…

*MrLeotaGracey was banned by Mod Rougelike105*

“Another thread saved. Thank you for your services, Mod-sshi.” Sure they won’t be able to see the little salute he’s giving them, but he’s in his room! There’s no one to judge him here.

Idia stretches with a sigh. It’s not much, but whacking LoPri trolls is honest work.

Ah, Muscle Red’s signed on!

Idia eagerly turns his mind to much more welcome matters, like smashing mobs, defeating bosses, and collecting loot with his best friend online.

***

Bella DeNiâmerée is a tolerable enough writer, though her penchant for constant similes leaves something to be desired.

Vil’s just glad the other screenwriters have toned down the worst of her literary foibles.

The rest of the cast and crew are pleasant, professional, and enjoyable to work with. There are a few roles that haven’t been filled yet—the kind elder sister, one or two of the heroine’s quirky friends, the villainess—but overall read-throughs have been productive and helped him gain a better understanding of the role he is to play.

And he is the male lead. Someone who will stand in the spotlight all the way to the end, a proud protector of this happy little family.

Great Seven, what an intoxicating feeling it is.

He’s read source material a few times by now, to understand the odd, tech-punk world that the story is based in.

It seems like it’s almost a carbon copy of Twisted Wonderland, but without the magic. Some of the terminology, like “Instagram”, “Siri”, or “motorcycle” is a little confusing, but overall it’s easy to understand his character’s motivations.

Maybe it’s because of however many times he’s been made to take up the role himself, but Vil seems incapable of not feeling…something for the villainess.

And yes, more often than not that something is exasperation or disappointment, but the point still stands.

A bastard child singled out from the others for her resemblance to her mother, the kidnapper who’d been raising the heroine as her own. Constantly striving to be recognized, to outdo the legitimate children through any means, returning their ire with blunt, cutting barbs.

And with the arrival of the heroine, the villainess seeks to oust the one aiming to usurp her place with a tenacity that is almost reminiscent of the Beautiful Queen’s own.

And yet she resorts to such ugly means to accomplish her end—bullying, cheating, even arranging for the heroine to be kidnapped! Of course, all this results in is her getting exposed at the heroine’s middle school graduation, rejecting her forgiveness and stomping off to disownment in defeat.

Vil despairs of her choices, even as he privately sympathizes with her motives.

Really, if Gracey “Yuu” Fuyuhime has just focused on proving her suitability over her uncultured sister rather than trying to drag her down out of fear, she would still be an uncontested member of the family. The levels she let herself sink to, those were her downfall.

Vil himself certainly would never fall to those depths.

Still, the new school year will start soon. Vil’s third year at Night Raven College, his last year as dorm head.

He’s going to do his upmost to ensure it’s one that everybody will remember and recognize him for.

***

There’s some commotion going on at the entrance ceremony.

Idia watches the feed from his tablet with some vague interest. One of the firsties has been outed by the mirror as having no magic in their soul, and now the familiar they brought along has set Kalim-sshi on fire.

Boy, is he glad he’s not there in person. Fs in chat for Kalim-sshi.

Still, he thinks as his fingers fly over his keyboard, his tablet taking a picture of the trouble-making first year and setting up an image search. It’d be troublesome if some magicless scrub tried to wrangle a monster to sneak in to orientation, hoping they could coast by to get in to NRC.

Still, a background check and confirmation of their status emailed to the headmaster should clean the situation up.

Though, isn’t it too much that he has to do all this for the headmaster? He really needs some kind of compensation. Perhaps an exemption from all of Vargus’ classes? Extra budget for Ignihyde? Maybe even some new specs for Ortho—!

A jingle erupts from Idia’s speakers. A match!

He chuckles to himself as he taps on the link his search has brought up. Honestly, if someone was going to break in to NRC, they should know better than to leave traces of themself all over the net, like some cheesy villain—

The image that has popped up is an illustration from a light novel. The closeup of a face filled with resentment and distrust, the kind of expression to send shivers down anyone’s spine. Overgrown bangs casting the eyes in shadow for that extra bit of menace.

The header at the top of the screen proclaims this image to be page 39 of Lost Princess. The introduction of the villainess.

Eh?

Eh??

***

The first year with the out of control familiar is shouting at Crowley.

“—and, as I’ve been trying to tell you, I do not want to be here. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know where I am. And honestly?! I’ve half a mind to press charges against you and your sham of an institution for abduction of a minor!!”

Crowley squawks some insulted response as Vil rolls his eyes. Honestly, who did this magicless potato think they were?

Even if they did have a vaguely familiar face, it’s disappointing to see they’re ignorant of the best school in Twisted Wonderland. Though, maybe this dearth of knowledge is why they thought bringing a familiar they couldn’t control to Night Raven College was a good idea.

“Pomefiore, this way.” He calls. “Rook, if you could take the lead?”

He needs to keep an eye on that poison apple who’s now going to be under his care. Make sure he doesn’t do anything foolish, like try to escape.

As he glances behind him, he can see the headmaster and the magicless potato asking something else of the Dark Mirror. The potato is growing more and more agitated.

Oh well. It’s hardly his concern. He turns to follow—

“Kyoto? Tokyo?! Japan?! Do those mean nothing to you?!”

Vil feels himself stop despite his every intention.

He stares at the teenager who’s thrown their hood back, desperation in every inch of their frame.

The teenager who is the spitting image of the villainess in the light novel he’s the lead in the movie of.

Who has just name dropped the fantasy land said light novel takes place in.

What the fuck.

[sdwolfpup]

For the Festive Fic prompts, I'd love to see what you do with 14 or 17!

14. family invites a rival/enemy/the boss to a Christmas party/vacation

"What is she doing here?" Jaime hisses to Tyrion as they stand in the receiving line at their father's annual Christmas party. It's always an overblown affair: everyone dressed up like they're about to meet the Queen, the abuse of gold-plated decorations, the persistent jazzy Christmas music soundtrack, and dear god the garlands. It's like a forest exploded all through the house.

Normally, Jaime finds the whole thing tedious and boring and he and Tyrion skip out halfway through to go get drunk on Tywin's most expensive liquor that gets trickier to find every year. The old man hasn't outwitted them on hiding places yet, but it was a near thing last year.

Jaime expects this year to be different, though, because there, large as life, is Brienne Tarth hovering at the end of the receiving line, her hulking shoulders hunched, the austere black of whatever dress she's wearing doing her no favors. She looks like she's at a funeral, not a Christmas party.

Which would suit the dour, frustratingly stubborn woman that is his primary rival in the world of high-end real estate.

"I can't see who you mean but based on the venom in your tone, I suspect you mean Ms. Tarth," Tyrion drawls. "She's here because Father invited her."

"What?" Jaime turns on his brother, completely ignoring the councilmember just holding his hand out to be shaken. "Why?"

Tyrion takes the councilman's empty hand and pumps it aggressively, wishing him a Merry Christmas before turning back to Jaime. "Because he wants to hire her," he says like Jaime's being especially obtuse.

Jaime stares at the woman creeping closer in the line. "But she works for the Starks. She hates us."

"She hates you," Tyrion says cheerfully, taking over for Jaime as he ignores two more people in line to glare at Brienne. "The rest of us she's neutral about."

Jaime scoffs. "That's only because she hasn't met you yet."

Tyrion kisses the hand of a woman and Jaime watches her laugh prettily. His brother lifts his brow smugly. "I'm very charming, Jaime. I'll bet you a case of that scotch we had last year that I can get her to be my friend before you."

The music dips for a moment and Jaime hears Brienne saying, "Merry Christmas" to one of the many Lannister Realty employees down the line from him. Her voice is soft and almost sweet--nothing like she sounds whenever he has the misfortune of talking with her.

"I'm not taking that bet. She'd befriend you just to spite me," he grouses. He shakes a few more hands without really seeing any of the people in front of him, too busy keeping an eye on Brienne's progress as she makes her way.

He can tell the moment she notices him in line, because all of the ease and shyness drains out of her and she straightens, lifting her head like a bear that's just spotted a threat.

Good, he thinks, meeting her gaze with a cool smile. Best she know what's waiting for her if she's considering this.

Jaime's flooded with anxious energy waiting for the line to hurry and deposit her before him and then it finally does. Up close, the black dress turns out to be shorter than he'd thought, and her very long legs stick out of it thick trunks. Her arms and shoulders--her best features, in his opinion--are covered, but an alarmingly broad swatch of her pale, freckled chest is bare except for a jeweled, golden sword hanging from a delicate necklace chain. It looks incongruous, the fragility of the links against the ropey tendons of her neck, like a trail of kisses against her skin.

Jaime blinks and jerks back. "Tarth," he greets her, folding his hands behind his back. "Did you get lost on the way to the Stark holiday party? Or are you hoping to actually enjoy expensive food at a work function for once?"

She grimaces, a familiar look on her wide face. "Lannister." She shoves her hand out at him as though a parent is standing behind her and forcing her to do so. He looks down at it, the wide span of her palm, the mountainous knuckles, and marvels again this woman is as successful a realtor as he is when he looks like he does and she looks like this.

Her hand hangs between them for a long moment before he finally takes it, feels the sting as she squeezes more than is polite. He hides a grunt and squeezes back, enjoys the way her eyes narrow and she puts even more strength into it, a vise slowly crushing the bones of his hand. He returns it, the two of them locked in an escalating battle of pain until Tyrion clears his throat.

"If you two are done trying to rip each others hands off, you're holding up the line." He sounds richly amused and Jaime realizes that the line has bunched up behind Brienne and there's a large space between her and the people ahead of her now.

She yanks her hand away and Jaime is oddly delighted by the stripes of red that flood over her cheeks like fingerpaint. He's less delighted by the way his hand is throbbing. He sees her flex her hand at her side and hopes he gave as good as he got, because he's convinced he'll have bruises in the morning.

"Enjoy the party, Tarth," Jaime tells her as she hurriedly shakes Tyrion's hand and mumbles Christmas wishes. "I don't expect you'll be invited back next year."

Her eyes skate back to him, blue and cold as the ice in the middle of a glacier. "That's because I'll be in the receiving line ahead of you."

Tyrion hoots with laughter because the best realtor gets the dubious honor of being here at the end of the line nearest Tywin and the leadership team.

Brienne's already hurried too far to make a comeback worth it, or even audible, and Jaime swears he won't have a single drink tonight until he's driven Brienne Tarth from the grounds, or at least from his father's perspective employment.

(Festive prompts here)

[tacticalgrandma]

4, 13, 16 and 24 👀

Thank you so much!! Orin ask game here

24. How does your Durge feel when they learn that Orin betrayed them and was responsible for their brain damage and tadpoling? Do they consider it a betrayal at all?

I have a little ficlet about this-- basically when Dread puts the pieces together she does not understand why she feels no anger or hate towards Orin. Dread's emotionally constipated even with the things she remembers, so she puts things together very slowly and only with others' help. But her love and anger for Orin is fundamental to her, and that stays with her.

4. How does your Durge feel about Orin in game? Do they remember her at all?

Continuing from the above answer-- I think a part of Dread quietly resents Withers for taking away her ability to ever get back the memories she had of Orin. She's left with a lot of emotion about Orin but can only really infer the basis and feels cheated by that. I'm still trying to figure out Orin's exact status in Dread's postgame (for a response for another question) but no matter what, she grieves for an Orin she knew.

16. How does your Durge feel about Helena’s attack on Orin as a child, and Orin’s murder of her? 

So this ask me actually got me to put some bits of Dread's timeline in place, so thank you for that! Basically: Sarevok hears that a pureblood Bhaalspawn is coming to Baldur's Gate. He's worried his position in the cult will be usurped, so he starts pushing Helena to kill Orin. Dread arrives, the events in To The Red (Dread finds out what Sarevok did, befriends Orin, Orin kills Helena) happen.

I think in that context-- partly Dread just didn't know the two of them enough by then to truly feel anything about Helena. Partly she identified more with Orin, since Orin subconsciously rebelled against her yoke with her art. Partly she realized how lost Helena already was, and suspected Helena never wanted to win that fight in the first place. So no real tears shed.

13. Tell me about a time your Durge and Orin genuinely enjoyed each other’s company

Okay so for this one-- I was looking through my wips last week and found a fic I abandoned of Dread taking care of Orin when she's sick (which I feel like, come on. The real Slayer in the cult of Bhaal has got to be prion disease). So here's an excerpt from that:

Orin lay in a film of sweat, her head throbbing and her muscles aching. Her stomach cramped and she pressed a fist to it, half hoping she could beat it into submission. 

She was terribly hungry but that was what had gotten her into this mess, wasn’t it. She’d cracked open the skull of a little old woman named Christina Foxglove and dug her hands into the soft flesh under the shell. She’d carved out morsels with her nails and licked her fingers clean. Orin had left the woman on the floor as the life drained out of her, mind gone, unable to comprehend her own death. Orin had licked the blood from her lips and worried out the gore between her teeth. 

She returned to the temple for her prayers and to rest. By the time of sunrise, Orin had already begun to vomit. 

She had known what was coming for her, then. She hung her head over the basin and braced herself for the wracking pain. And after hours of bodily distress, it arrived. 

The creak of the door to her quarters was all the warning Orin got. No sound of footfall, just a voice suddenly at her bedside. Barely even a shadow cast. 

“How many times have I told you to cook a person before you eat them?” Dread asked. 

Orin rolled over to face the wall, ignoring how the movement made her stomach complain. 

“How many times have I told you how long to cook a person, how to safely butcher one? Orin, we’re not animals.”

If Orin were at her full potential, she would have constructed a suitable rejoinder about the nature of Bhaalspawn and her sister’s inadequacies as one. As it was, Orin settled for hissing at her like a cat. 

Dread sighed heavily. She cast a Light cantrip and surveyed the damage in Orin’s quarters. Orin, still turned away from Dread, squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to the soothing dark. 

“It smells awful,” Dread pronounced. “Do you regret killing your butler now?”

“I regret every moment of my life not spent draining your life with my blade.”

“Terrifying.” Dread sighed. “Go back to sleep.”

She could tell Dread had not left, but the awful creature’s silent footfall made it impossible to know what she was doing, unless Orin could bring herself to move and face her. 

“I wasn’t asleep,” Orin said. 

“Then go to sleep. I’ll clean up around here.”

The temple, the temple must be in disarray without Orin there to aid in its administration. Orin closed her eyes, her back to her bloodkin. She fell asleep faster than she thought possible.

[deadn30n-arch]

✧ 、· ⋆ 。SUPPORTING COMPENDIUM: DEAD N30N'S ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS. »

hello! i wanted to create this to give insight into all major and minor characters featured in my novel. if you're curious  &&  want to learn more about them, then this compendium is for you ! i sincerely hope you enjoy learning about everyone ♥

➣ 𝐴𝑅𝐺𝑈𝑁 𝑀𝐴𝐿𝑇𝑌𝑅:            our first on the roster is our beloved protagonist's future husband. argun was born   &&  raised on earth, but actually carries a mix of angelic  &&  human blood. his father hailed from Lazarus, and his mother hailed from earth. the two met when Argun's father had secretly snuck onto earth, falling in love and eventually eloping. however, three months after Argun was born, his father up and left his mother, claiming that Lazarus would be inhospitable for the two of them to live on. this abandonment created a lot of Argun's animosity and distrust toward the angels, and especially why he treats Solstice  &&  their companions so poorly at the start. he plays a vital role in helping Solstice discover their humanity, and teaches them the meaning of the word ‘love’. after several physical altercations between the two of them, Argun acquires a newfound respect for Solstice's fighting prowess and begins to work alongside them. he's the first to fall in love, but Solstice is the one to suggest marriage. the two formed an inseparable bond over time, and Argun is often seen traveling side by side with Solstice. he's crass and quick to violence, but loyal and extremely smart. he's also incredibly proficient in shooting, and guns are his weapon of choice. after discovering his heritage, Solstice personally gifts him one of the holy pistols they carry in their arsenal. Argun was originally an assassin for hire, but eventually retires that job to work alongside Solstice.

 ➣ 𝐽𝑈𝑁𝐼𝑃𝐸𝑅 𝐻𝐴𝑊𝑇𝐻𝑂𝑅𝑁𝐸:            Juniper is a Lazarian angel who originally rose to fame for his incredible scientific developments. he played an important role in helping draw up the blueprint, as well as gather the organic and inorganic materials that created Solstice. at a glance Juniper appears to be emotionally distant and detached, but will become animated and excited when it comes to experimentation. he is instructed by ‘God’ to keep a close eye on Solstice, and descends to earth around seven years before they do. there, he meets and befriends Argun, but is later rejected when Argun discovers his angelic heritage. from then on Juniper spends his time wandering, studying humanity up close, and sometimes kidnapping them for his experimentations. he can be described as ‘morally grey’, possessing neither a strong sense of justice nor a desire to perform anything truly evil. at some point in his wandering, he winds up meeting Nour Cielo  –  Solstice's older brother, and opts to serve him under the guise of being able to study him for scientific purposes. as Juniper was not directly invovled in Nour's creation, he's extremely curious as to what went wrong with him and why God chose to abandon him. Juniper is not a proficient fighter, but does step up to the plate several times when Nour is personally threatened. his weapon of choice is his scalpels and syringes.

➣ 𝐺𝑂𝐷:            the omnipresent entity both revered and feared by the Lazarian people. he appears to hold noble intentions by moving the Lazarian people from their dying planet to Earth, but harbors a secret agenda known only to himself. many  angels and demons are blindingly loyal to him, but none are as intense as Astraeus. it's suspected that he and Astraeus may have shared an intimate relationship with one another, but when questioned, Astraeus will always offer only a mysterious smile as an answer. God is capable of being both kind and cruel, and rules over the Lazarians with an iron fist. none dare question his authority. nobody actually knows what he looks like  –  except for perhaps Astraeus, but this is another secret well kept. there is a lot of mystery surrounding God's existence, but in The Book of the Nightless, –  Lazarus' equivalent to ‘the bible’, it tells the tale of how God was born and his ascent to power, as well as his labor in creating the planet, it's ecosystem, and the angels themselves.

➣ 𝑆𝐴𝐸:            a beautiful demon of red skin and red hair who lives in luxury in the metropolitan area of Lazarus' capitol. he  –  alongside his twin brother  –  are highly respected. unlike Kou, he likes to indulge in fighting and actually owns a fighting ring who's participations are often hand picked by him. like everyone else, the demons and angels have always lived in harmony as equals  –  so it's a question of mystery as to why he one day suddenly challenged The Holy Seat  –  Astraeus Caedieux  –  to a fight. his motives are known to only himself and Astraeus, but after seven days and seven nights of tireless battling, Astraeus barely came out on the top, bringing Sae to heal. Sae now ( begrudgingly ) respects him, and will answer anytime Astraeus calls for him. once he relocated to earth, he opened up a fighting ring in the underground of Hellix. those who want to prove their strength flock from far and wide to this ring, all hoping to earn his favour. he also runs a fight school and hosts some thirty-plus students that train directly under him.

➣ 𝐾𝑂𝑈:            Sae's twin brother and the more mild-mannered of the two. he has blue skin and white hair, as well as deceivingly gentle eyes. however, do not be fooled by his kind demeanor, as he is arguably ten times more terrifying than his brother. to most he's seen as the more sensible of the two and was previously in charge of Lazarus' heavenly army. after relocating to earth, he later became the leader of the human war host as per Hailan's suggestion. he harbors and unusual obsession with Astraeus' twin sister, Faustus, though she has rejected him time and time again. his obsession has seemingly cropped up out of nowhere, but it may have been the direct result of her aversion to fighting. Kou shares the same sentiment  –  using words as weapons instead of fists. from time to time Kou can be caught stalking after Faustus, one day hoping she'll relent and finally marry him. she finds him to be annoying but tolerable, and doesn't actually hate him, she just dislikes his possessive attitude over her. she likes her space, so having him constantly crowding it can get a bit stuffy. only she knows the real reason as to why he sticks to her like glue.

➣ Hǎi Lán 𝑂𝑆𝐸𝐼:            Hǎi Lán  (  written as 海蓝  )  is a Chinese-born native who immigrated to America shortly before the world collapsed. her family were middle-class Chinese and came from a simple background of weavers. though they weren't rich, they did save up enough to be able to relocate Nanyamka before the collapse, earning her a safe spot in the underground city.after some hard work, Hailan managed to also relocate her parents as well as her little brother with her. after entering the city of Hellix, she met Haniah, an immigrant from Ghana who also escaped the collapse of earth. the two became fast friends and eventually fell madly in love, getting married after three years. Hailan chose to take on her wife's last name Osei, but keeps a deep love for her Chinese heritage. she plays a vital role in preserving a great chunk of China's vast and colourful history, and spends much of her time sewing clothes from different periods in China. she's actually Kou's benefactor and helped him become the war general, believing having someone not human teach their army additional techniques would be useful. the two are close friends and will often swap details of each other's cultures. Hailan can be described as cheerful and something of a dreamer, but struggles with depression and anxiety. she is one of the first people Solstice meets on their journey through Hellix.

 ➣ 𝑁𝐴𝑁𝑌𝐴𝑀𝐾𝐴 𝑂𝑆𝐸𝐼:            is a Ghanan-born native who immigrated to America shortly before the world collapsed. she, as well as he three sisters, mother, father, and grandfather all secured their places in the underground city rather early on. like her wife, Nanyamka came from a middle-class family and humble background. she had just finished college when the world began to collapse, so she hadn't quite yet started her career. after she moved with her family to the city, they spent some time settling in. Nanyamka had always loved law and politics, and had been studying to be a lawmaker, so it was no surprise that she eventually wound up as the elected president of the underground city. she took this role very seriously and played a crucial role in designing and revising the laws that helped make the city run smoothly. she's described as a fair and firm woman with a soft and generous heart. she fell madly in love with Gao Hailan, and was the one to propose to her after three blissful years of happiness together. Nanyamka is actually a transwoman and has been transitioning since the age of 17, when she discovered that she was much more comfortable being a woman. she was happily accepted and encouraged by both her friends and family, and flourishes beneath her true identity. as the president she is often quite busy, but always finds time to be with Hailan. she is another one of the first people that Solstice meets  &&  befriends when they journey through Hellix.

this compendium will be updated as more characters are created and developed. many of the minor characters are currently unnamed, but as they come to me, i will add them in. for now, these are the most major characters that you will predominantly see in the novel :>

[pierrotguru]

Panic Room

The unwelcome visitors wouldn't go away.

----

Everything was dark now. A pure liquid darkness that he could literally swim in. Crowley poured himself some scotch to accompany it and waited. Waited for what would eventually happen.

The voices would bother again. In all truth, he didn't even know if they were real, but were actually probably were. They could be. Who fucking knew in this world anymore. Oh well, perhaps they would leave him alone...

One thing was certain is they did not approve of him and his fraternity with Aziraphrale.

In fact, losing Aziraphale's friendship was one of his worst fears. Simply the thought of losing him and his company was enough to make him feel empty inside. The stark realization was a bit surprising and quite frankly a bit embarrassing.

He didn't even know why they would even bother. It was common knowledge anyway that they were together, and they had carried on together for millennia.

He just wanted some peace and quiet tonight. Maybe would just fuck off just a little bit.

"Will you return to the angel?" the familiar voice was asking. "Well, let me warn you. One day, he won't want you anyway. He'll come to his senses."

Well, clearly Crowley wasn't going to get his wish tonight.

"Apparently he still hasn't come to his senses yet," another voice surmised. "Neither of them have."

"The pure Aziraphale still has his heavenly host. Why does he want a pathetic detestable like you? You hold him back"

"It's just so asinine, ain't it?" a new female voice groused.

Fuck, where did all these assholes come from?

"You fell, demon. You're a sinner. You should stay with your own kind, lad." This new voice was so hot could easily breathe fire.

"Thank you for your opinion," Crowley said conversationally

He had to maintain control over the situation so he took another sip of liquor. In this circumstance, it was the best he could do.

He didn't want to react just yet. Crowley told himself that he had time to relax. For just a little bit longer.

"You are so fucking pathetic," a voice literally growled.

That did it.

It was if he had just been struck against his face.

Him? Pathetic?

Crowley really didn't agree with that accusation

"Pathetic, am I?" he snarled.

What swept through him right then was just like a clap of thunder. And without a doubt the lightning would appear soon.

He finished what remained of his scotch in one gulp and slammed the shot glass down on the table so hard he knew that he had left a crack in the glass.

"What's it to you if I want to be friends with an angel?" his voice boomed.

To their credit, the voices instantly shut up.

In that particular moment, everyone in that room knew that the most terrifying thing was to see him angry so it was more than reasonable to be quiet.

"I am Anthony J. Crowley and I will do exactly as I fucking please!"

He slapped his chest with every word.

But he wasn't finished yet. These undesirables probably wanted a confession of some sort. So, he decided to put on a bit of a show

"I mean, don't you think that I have a plan? Maybe that there is a reason that I want to befriend an angel...and we do enjoy have a rather close bond."

He began to laugh softly.

"I mean, he doesn't suspect a thing."

Crowley knew that there wasn't a damned thing to confess. They were in reality we just friends and he of course would do his damndest not to betray him. But, these assholes didn't know that, They didn't know anything about anything least of all about them.

The voices stopped just for a moment.

All Crowley could hear was the pounding of his heart and his ragged breath as he waited for their response. If there was any response forthcoming.

"I am powerful. I have free will." Crowley splayed his hand over his chest. "A far greater being than you. So, fuck off, would ya?"

The voices then disappeared and it was quiet once again. Fucking finally.

They had fled just like that. The fucking cowards

He just felt so gleeful and triumphant that he just started laughing and at he didn't know when he would stop or even if he could.

Perhaps he was finally insane or perhaps it was merely a release of tension he was maybe it had been his own brain cracking up. Oh well it had been a rough couple of decades. Centuries even.

Still knew that Aziraphale would still waiting for him. He knew that he wouldn't abandon him. He couldn't.

They had a deep friendship and that was the end of it. It was near eternal by now

No wonder other beings wanted to destroy it. There had been enough symptoms of that. And, noticed getting more aggressive and desperate that they were getting stronger

But, the most important thing was not to let them stay in his life. It was miserable enough as it was.

However, Crowley had won the battle. Saucily, he sauntered across the floor.

He was a master of his own universe, and his rules were ultimate And, no one should ever forget it.

The demon regarded the broken shot glass and walked away. What he should be doing instead of drinking alone was to leave and find his best friend.

But, he wondered if perhaps it was too late. The angel was most likely under his quilts and probably sound asleep.

He well knew that Aziraphale was an early riser.

Oh, but he was sure that he could wait in his kitchen until he woke up. Crowley really didn't sleep much anyway

But, to Crowley's surprise, when he arrived in Aziraphale's kitchen, the angel himself was sitting at the old table with a half a mug of cooling tea in front of him.

At his approach, the angel looked up and instantly though rather clumsily got to his feet.

"You're here!" he exclaimed

"Yup. It's odd that you're still up," Crowley said blandly

Merely a simple observation to gain more information.

"I had bad dreams," Aziraphale confessed.

"About what?" the demon asked.

The angel pointed in his general direction.

"I was worried something had happened to you, and I...jut couldn't get back to sleep. So, I made some tea to steady my nerves."

The tea cup was slightly shaking in his hand. Crowley could noticed a slight wobble

In reality, Crowley was relieved that Aziraphale wasn't hurt. He never would would want him to endanger himself over his messes.

"Oh, your poor thing," said softly

In truth, Crowley just wanted to hug him.

And that definitely wasn't a lie.

[celeste-hiro]

Big Celestia/Chihiro/Celeshiro headcanon post:

Wanted to compile a bunch of my headcanons here:

Celeste:

Starts off cold towards the class as in canon, but warms up to them. Becomes fiercly protective of them since they'rw her only friends

If she catches people bullying Toko, Chihiro, Taka, Hifumi, Makoto, etc she will retaliate

Is trying to come off super cool but is actually incredibly awkward. Most of the class still think she is cool after bedriending her

Extremely eager to show off her knowledge about her interests. Will just infodump on whoever is willing to listen.

Cries a lot in secret

Very insecure about her body and appearance

Also insecure about her interests that aren't gambling and European culture. Only Chihiro, Hifumi, Makoto, and Kyoko know she's into things like manga and video games. The rest suspect she's secretly a nerd.

Speaking of also prone to gamer rage and she's very thankful the dorms are sound proof

Secretly a My Little Pony fan. Only Chihiro knows because they made a joke while they were hanging out once about her name and noticed her panic. She took her first name from Princess Celestia. Also why she calls the others darling after befriending them.

If Byakuya's not around she'll be one of the first to offer to pay. She is bad at showing how much she values the others so she compensates with paying for meals or tickets to places

Basically kind of a bitchy Rarity once she has gotten over herself and connected with everyone.

Sews her own clothes, and eventually starts making clothes for the others with a discount on comissions

Gets roped into the obligatory D&D episode by Hifumi

Comes from a family that lived in poverty, got bullied as a kid as a result

Part of the bullying was being called a loser over and over again

Why she ends up being one of the first to stick up for the others

Has learned some self-defense to protect herself since she spends a lot of time illegally gambling

While she does drop more and more of her persona as time goes on, and is more authentic with everyone she still prefers the Celestia name and fancy clothing. They help her feel comfortable in her own skin.

She's only really comfortable using Taeko with the rest of Class 78, and even then not when they're out in public

Absolutely unable to cook well

Will start arguments with Byakuya, Leon, and/or Mondo for the fun of it.

Her and Makoto kinda confide in each other about how they feel like fakes next to everyone else.

She has read every single one of Toko"s books multiple times.

Ocassionally she will correct Hifumi when he gets something wrong about an anime and whistle innocently when people are stunned she knew that.

Makes the time to go to events the others are doing like Sayaka's concerts or Hina's swim meets.

Once she went with Hifumi to help sell his doujins. Ended up with Hifumi punching a guy in the face for creeping on her.

Sakura and Mondo also worry about her going to seedy parts of town to gamble and have discreetly followed her to make sure she's safe

She enjoys challenging Kyoko to various cars games

She also ends up enjoying discussing history with Taka

While at first she really hated Yasuhiro she did end up finding he could have surprisingly good advice from time to time.

Chihiro:

Trans girl. I accept any hcs on their gender. For me personally I just see them as a trans girl who compensated by trying to fit into a mold of manliness before realizing and accepting her identity.

She still likes to work out and try to get stronger.

Into making mods for video games

Has been into just about every embarassing fandom at one point or another. Superwholock, Homestuck, Undeetale, MLP, Steven Universe. She was overjoyed when she found out Celeste was too.

She will also haplily offer to pay for the others when Byakuya's not around. Her programming skills have made her a good amount of money, placing her just behind Celeste's wealth and 3rd highest overall

Also can not cook at all

Has a terrible sleep schedule, will need coffee as soon as she wakes up

While she identifies she/her she still doesn't have many feminine typical interests beyond the clothing.

Bottles up frustrations and anger, lets it out online in arguments.

Genuinely admires all of her classmates

Besides Makoto she is the most popular person in her class

Cries a lot too, but openly

She has written a program for each classmate that helps with their talent in some way

Celeshiro:

They kept it a secret for a long time

While keeping it a secret everyone thought they were just crushing on each other and kept trying to get them together

They kept playing it off pretending not to get it

Kyoko knew from the start

When they finally let the others know it was after they had an argument that was their first big argument.

They like spending a lot of time together in their dorms watching movies/tv, playing games together, being affectionate, and talking a lot

Because they both have a lot of hang ups they end up comforting one another a lot.

Said this before but Celeste ended up trauma dumping on the first date.

Celeste also had a panic attack prior to the date

In general even though it seems like Celeste is the cool mature one, Chihiro is the one that's more mature

Chihiro is drawn to Celeste because she thinks she is cool, that she is protective, and admires her willpower

Celeste is drawn to Chihiro because she loves her optimisim and friendliness. That she is not judgmental, and is always willing to listen to her ramblings

After they reveal their relationship they get a lot more affectionate in public

Chihiro also basically moves into Celeste's room.

Because Celeste forgets to lock her door a lot, they have been walked in on by every single one of their classmates at least once

They get married pretty quickly after graduating

While they don't really want to have kids the old fashioned way, they do get very adoption happy and they tend to spoil the kids. They might even run a foster home

Among them is Kokichi who Celeste likes to playfully have compete against Kyoko's protege Shuichi

Kyoko nor Chihiro even realize there's supposed to be a rivalry going on

Chihiro and Celeste are very cuddly. They find it difficult to get to sleep without touching the other in some way

Celeste makes Chihiro clothes for free

Because neither of them can cook they order take out a lot.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Hugo (2011)

Martin Scorsese is not known for his family films. You associate the name with gritty crime stories. So what drew him to Hugo? Perhaps he wanted to try something different? On top of being suitable for the whole family, the picture makes impressive use of 3D and special effects. If you’ve seen Hugo the whole way through, you’ll know why. I suspect Scorsese connected to this story on a deeply personal level.

In 1931 Paris, 12-year-old Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) maintains the clocks at Gare Montparnasse railway station. His alcoholic uncle Claude officially does the work but he’s been gone for months and as long as the machines keep the time, Station Inspector Gustave Dasté (Sacha Baron Cohen) won't ask any questions. This means Hugo is free to focus on the automaton he and his father were repairing before he became orphaned. Hugo keeps to himself, occasionally stealing parts from a toy store owner, Georges (Ben Kingsley). After he is caught and his book on the automaton is confiscated, Hugo befriends the toy maker’s goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz). He hopes she can help him get his book back.

There’s no way you can guess where this movie is going. The surprises along the way are a big part of the fun and the screenplay by John Logan (based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick) is in no hurry to get to its big reveals. As Hugo goes about his day, we meet all the characters who frequent the station. Richard Griffiths plays a man pining for a dog owner (played by Frances de la Tour) whose pooch can’t stand him. Shy Inspector Dasté wants to approach a beautiful flower saleslady (Emily Mortimer) but is embarrassed by an old war injury. Christopher Lee plays the owner of a book store who probably knows more than he lets on, Papa Georges is hiding something from Isabelle. And then there’s the automaton Hugo is repairing. How is it tied to his father? There’s enough going on with these characters that it doesn't matter if you don't know where the plot is going. You’re having a great time simply getting to know them, admiring the performances (Moretz does a flawless accent) and enjoying Scorsese's direction. Check out the way the camera moves down chutes, through crowds and then into the secret openings into Hugo’s home or the breathtaking shots of a long-gone Paris.

Ultimately, this is a small, personal story. The world’s fate does not rest in the hands of Hugo. The secrets we uncover deal with very human tragedies but it’s shot like all of reality hinges on the lonely boy finding a friend. After Hugo is over, you remember specific shots, specific characters and the emotions you felt while watching them. These would attract any director but I suspect Scorsese wanted this project specifically because the film contains numerous references to specific events in the history of cinema. We see a clip of Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last! and the film’s most iconic shot is re-imagined later on. The Montparnasse derailment of 1895 is reimagined and Scorsese gives us to opportunity to relive the shocked reaction audiences would’ve had while viewing “L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat” - that famous shot of a train coming towards the camera that supposedly had audiences falling out of their seats in terror - by shooting it in 3D - literally having the train come right towards the screen and frighten us. There are many other references to the history of cinema throughout. If you love movies, you’ll get an extra kick out of these scenes.

Hugo is moving, warm, romantic, tragic and exciting. It goes in unexpected directions and the surprises make the movie feel big while also keeping it small and intimate. The performances are excellent, the characters fully realized. The only mark against it comes from the presentation. This movie is meant to be seen on the big screen and in 3D. Few people will be able to see it that way now. If that’s the only flaw you can find in a movie, it's doing a lot of things right. (On Blu-ray, September 25, 2020)

[maxdreavus]

Falling Away With You | Ch. 45

Sebastian x F!Reader and M. Rasmodius x F!Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: Time for that cute date with Magnus! :^)

Author’s Note: I was gonna release this chapter either tomorrow or next Wednesday, but here it is early, as a little Halloween Spirit's Eve present!! (Totally beating myself up rn for not lining up the Spirit's Eve chapter to come out today.. ough)

Anyway, there's a lotta RomRas referenced in the first half of this one! It’s pure, cavity-inducing fluff >:3 And some sillies, because of course there is.

I hope y’all enjoy it, take care, and happy Halloween! x

Table of Contents + Work Summary

Check it out on ao3!

Prev | Next

After freshening up in Magnus’ restroom, I jog back downstairs to the main floor, where he’s patiently waiting for me to head out.

After I slip on my shoes, he takes both of my hands in his, calmly stroking my knuckles with his thumbs. “Ready?” 

I hum my affirmation, nodding and smiling at the handsome wizard in front of me. As per usual when I’m being teleported, I close my eyes, saving myself from any potential freak-outs. I’m curious to know what it looks like to teleport, but today isn’t that day… Or tomorrow. Baby steps, (y/n).

I realize we must be at our destination when I feel a soft breeze against my cheeks and hear the sounds of nature.

The air smells fresh and crisp, and as Magnus steps aside and I open my lids, I’m met with a beautiful, serene forest, like something out of a fairytale. The pine trees directly ahead of us are coated in green moss and beige fungi, and as my eyes scan upward, I notice that there’s a vast cliff behind them, with more woodland up top.

As my gaze pans right, I see a waterfall that drops onto a small, elevated piece of land before creating a new and thicker cascade just below it. There’s a pale rainbow forming around the foam at the bottom, making every straying droplet look like glitter bouncing through the air. The crystal-clear water of the river it flows into shines iridescently under the sunlight, and as I turn around to follow its path, I realize it’s all gathering into a vast lake full of fish I’d never known existed. Some are purple, with pointy pink fins; others teal, with what looks like small rubies and emeralds and sapphires embedded into their scales. 

Completing my full circle, I peek behind Magnus, noticing a similar pattern to what I’d already seen: a long and wavy river, waterfalls, and trees galore. When I finally look back up to him, he’s peering down at me. His cheeks are pink but his eyes stay maroon, and he has that cozy, lovestruck gaze he usually does when looking my way. 

“Where are we?“ My voice comes out quiet, as if speaking any louder would somehow disrupt the peace.

“Grenville Falls,” he answers. “A forest of magical origin that lies far from civilization, and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever come across in my travels.” I guess that explains why it’s so serene here. Humans haven’t been around to taint it yet. “Until now, most of the magic we’ve discussed has been almost purely pragmatic.”

“Almost.” I give him a shit-eating smirk.

My brother in Yoba is seriously trying to pull the “Magic must be used responsibly!!!” bullshit after casting spells on me for his own horny entertainment on several occasions. Magnus laughs before looking around at the grove we're standing in.

“Buuut,” he pointedly continues, “we’ve only barely touched on the simpler joys that magic can bring.” He turns back to me and laces our fingers together, a soft grin slightly plumping the warm apples of his cheeks. “I realize that, spiritual interference or not, it must have been hard to befriend me – let alone begin seeing me romantically – given how suspect our first interactions must have made me seem, alongside how out of touch I am in current social practices.”

Oh. So he really had almost no idea that I was unwillingly swooning right off the bat? I thought he’d read my mind plenty back then… maybe it was less than I’d assumed. 

I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. Maybe he knows now, if anything – and if not, I could always just tell him when he’s not, like, pouring his entire heart out to me.

Magnus continues, “And yet you took the trouble to give me a chance, my dear, in spite of all that stood in our way. You’re so incredibly precious to me, and I wanted to give you even a sliver of the joy that you’ve brought into my life. So,” he sighs, reaching into his shirt pocket, “Although I don’t have a bouquet, as per tradition with the humans of the Valley, I thought you deserved to be properly and officially courted.” Magnus pulls out a fucking ring, and upon seeing the whites of my eyes, he chuckles. “I promise, this is not a marriage proposal.”

“Oh thank god.” I breathe out a nervous laugh, my right palm resting over my heart.

“But I am asking if you’d do me the honors of being my… girlfriend?” Magnus looks off to the side briefly, tilting his head as his eyes pinken. “I’ve always preferred the term ‘partner,’ but I’m not sure how common of a label that is in these times.” He shrugs, bringing his gaze back to mine, and beaming with again-maroon eyes upon seeing me enthusiastically and vigorously nodding my head. 

“‘Partner’ is fine, I like ‘partner,’“ I squeak out. My cheeks are on fire, I can’t tell if it’s more from the thick blush coating them or from smiling so wide. 

I jump to koala myself onto Magnus, unable to resist pecking his cheek and burying my face into his neck before accepting his gift. As always with physical contact, he barely needs time to think as he wraps his arms around me for support, one hand resting on my lower spine and the other against the back of my hair.

“I honestly didn’t think you were gonna ask,” my mumbles muffle into his collar. “I just assumed it was some sorta elemental tradition for sex to solidify a relationship, or something.”

“That is true in many cases, actually,” he confirms, setting me back on my feet. “Luckily, we more mindful beings have a say in the matter.” 

Now that I’m not frazzled by what seemed like an engagement waiting to happen, I can actually look at the ring – which Magnus had looped onto his pinky for safe keeping during our embrace – up close. It’s fucking gorgeous, oh my god. A small moss agate is clasped against a gold band, and the bits holding the stone in place look like thin vines. Seems almost too delicate to wear.

Holding the ring between his left thumb and forefinger, he says, “That necklace Lady Welwick gifted you is an artifact imbued with her clairvoyant magic to aid your clairvoyant magic, generally speaking. But artifacts can be made to assist you in any aspect of magic, or of life itself, really.” Bringing his right hand up to his right earring – with his usual long, red ones adorning both ears – he explains, “These are similar, in that they provide a defense I don’t normally have. Although young for my kind, I’m still… er. I am an old man.” 

My lips twitch as I attempt to hide a smirk. Magnus notices and chuckles.

He shushes me teasingly before continuing, “I don’t have the same oomph in me that I used to, so I wear these to keep myself safer in case anything should go awry. The rings I often wear serve a similar purpose — but those, I change to accommodate what is on my schedule each day.”

I nod in understanding, eyes wide with intrigue as Magnus brings his hand down to match his left. 

“I conjured this with the same purpose as my earrings. I’ve yet to teach you defensive or combat magic, and while you may hopefully never be put in such a way that someone or something could threaten your well-being, this will offer a veil of protection, as well as invigorate you once you’re able to arcanely fend for yourself.”

“That’s so cool,” I mutter. “Thank you, Magnus,” I smile up at him. Swooning completely. “I love it, it’s perfect.”

“It’s the least I could do for you, my love,” he offers, his expression mirroring mine. He then asks, presenting an upturned palm to me. “May I?”

I nod, opting to place my right hand in his. Rather than looking down at our hands, I keep observing him:

The way he mutters something about hoping it fits under his breath.

The soft squint in his eyes.

The way his bottom lip rests subtly beneath his top teeth.

How his almost nervous expression turns into a bright grin as the ring is slipped on in a flawless fit. That familiar spark I experienced when putting on my necklace for the first time buzzes through my newly-accessorized digit, but I ignore it in favor of watching Magnus for just a bit longer.

Happy, dense crows feet form at the corners of his eyes as he pans them up to mine, before they widen slightly, his irises turning rosy as he notices that I’m staring. I simply smile up at him. The crinkles next to his eyes come back and he chuckles, taking my cheeks in his hands before leaning way down to softly plant a kiss on my forehead, and then my lips.

I giggle out of our smooch.

“What?”

“This feels like an actual proposal, honestly.”

His brows furrow. “Did I do too much?”

I get back on my tippy toes and pull him back down to me before he’s out of reach, whispering, “No way,” before stealing his lips again.

_______________

After all the cheesy stuff, Magnus summoned us a picnic! It took him a bit, and I needed to lend him some mana as he had to teleport it all from storage at home, but he managed. The blanket he brought for us to sit on has a purple gingham pattern, and the food and drinks were rested within a stereotypically tan, woven picnic basket. 

Encased within the basket was a large bottle of cherry wine, a few empty cups, and some snacks. Mostly charcuterie-type things, like cheeses, fruits, and sliced meats, but he included some raw veggies and a few dips for ‘em as well. When I asked about the extra cups, Magnus said that the water here is perfectly safe for drinking, and that he added those so we wouldn’t need to mix the water and wine at all.

As soon as he told me that, I grabbed a cup and rushed over to the river. I’ve never had fresh water like this before – and holy fuck, it was so nice. Never tasted anything like it.

Fast-forwarding to right now, we’re laying side-by-side, lazily snacking on the few crackers and apple slices that are left. Both feeling all silly and happy and wine-drunk. About halfway through the bottle’s contents, we abandoned our cups in favor of occasionally passing the glass vessel back and forth to each other.

Speaking of which, now seems like a good time to top myself up!

I lean up onto my elbows and grab the bottle by its neck, chugging a few gulps back. Magnus, who’s peacefully lying still with red cheeks and closed eyes, startles a bit when I tap his arm with the bottle. I smile down at him. 

“Sorry,” I giggle, “want more?”

He nods, then shuts his eyes again. “Feed it to me.”

My giggle turns into an ugly snort-laugh. “Why?” 

“I’m sooo comfortable, (y/n)…”

“Too bad! It’s dangerous t’drink laying down.”

Magnus rebuttals, “I love danger.”

“Why are you lying?” 

“Who, me?” He opens just one eye, smugly smiling up at me. 

“Don’t play dumb.”

“To think my beloved partner would accuse me of such a horrible thing…” he trails off, sighing dramatically while closing his eye again.

I know Magnus is only teasing, but I still pout with furrowed brows. What a little shit! It’s at least nice to learn that he’s a coherent drunk, instead of the bumbling mess I am.

“Y’know what? Fine!” 

I take a little wine in my mouth, then lean down, meeting Magnus with my lips against his. A surprised hum escapes him, but he melts into the kiss regardless. I stay still, so as to not blow my own cover (this would totally blow it easily in most cases, but right now, he doesn’t seem to notice). Finally, the moment Magnus’ lips part, I let the wine trickle onto his tongue. It’s barely even half of a sip, so it should be safe enough.

Another startled noise emits from the wizard’s throat, but he quickly adapts, swallowing the wine before bringing a large palm to the back of my head. Kissing me harder and deeper. Catching me off-guard. Oh boy.

I put a palm against his chest to steady myself, feeling my already-toasty cheeks heating up some more when he adds tongue. Noticing that my lower half is heating up too, I pull away, rolling over to lay on Magnus’ belly. It would feel wrong to do The Sex in such a seemingly sacred place. 

My head jostles as Magnus sighs contentedly, and I turn onto my side to look at him. 

“You’re s’handsome…” I murmur, reaching over to trace his jaw.

He raises his head a smidge to meet my gaze. The little bit of a double-chin this gives him is adorable. Makes me laugh. After a lazy smile, he lies flat again. As he moves, he reaches a hand to my hair and begins running his fingers through it, occasionally soothing my scalp with some light scratches. I hum, thoroughly enjoying how it feels.

Magnus sighs again, then dreamily murmurs, “It’s truly remarkable how lucky I’ve gotten meeting you.”

Smiling, I shake my head. “It’s more—“ I swallow back a small hiccup, “S’more fate than luck, no?”

“I suppose, but it feels lucky, nonetheless.”

I pop the last bit of apple into my mouth before letting myself relax into his touch. After a few moments of thought, I wonder out loud, “What kinda hobbies do y’have other than magic?”

Magnus doesn’t respond right away, but knowing how little time he has for things not magicky, I don’t rush him. 

“I’m not so sure, honestly…” he eventually answers. It comes out quiet, almost whispered. “Gardening, I suppose, although that is often tied to my magic in some way.” 

I frown, then suggest, “So let’s figure something out together.”

He peers down at me. “Anime,” he announces determinedly.

“Wh-“ I cut myself off to laugh, “What?!”

“I would like t’watch anime.”

Maybe it’s the booze, but I hug my tummy as I roll to lay on my side, curling in on myself with giggles. I almost knock the wine over, and Magnus quietly tuts at my clumsiness.

“Why don’t we start you off with manga instead?,” I suggest once I’ve relaxed. “Might like it better.”

“Manga?”

“Anime, but in book form.”

“Oh, that sounds splendid!”

“You read it backwards, just so you know. It’s usually published in Gotoroan, an’ translated for distribution elsewhere.” I emphasize the last two words with a vague wave of my hand.

“I can do that.”

I close my eyes for a few moments, the conversation coming to an abrupt end by my spinning head. “Is there a spell t’cure drunkenness?”

“I don’t believe so.”

I groan, rolling some more to nuzzle my face into Magnus’ chest. 

“Although,” he adds, “a cheeky dip over there might help us sober up.”

“What about the fish?”

He snorts. “Why would they care?”

…Y’know. I was worried, at first, about the potential danger of swimming with these funky lookin’ fish. But something about how candidly Magnus responded convinced me that I should’ve been more worried about the critters’ opinions. 

And you know what? He’s sooo right! Why would they care? Why should I care?!

I flop off of Magnus, laying flat against the blanket for a moment. He stumbles onto his feet, then assists me in doing the same, before beginning to strip. 

My mouth falls open, a little bewildered. For some reason I thought he’d conjure up swimsuits, or that we’d swim in our underwear, or something like that. Promptly, I begin lifting my sweater over my head. 

I observe, “We’re raw dogging this lake, huh?” The chilly air gives my skin goose bumps, but I don’t mind, given how much alcohol raises my temp.

“What are we ‘dogging?’”

I snort. “Oh. Slang.”

“For what?” he asks, stepping out of his boxers. He stumbles a bit and I hold his arms to stabilize him. Shamelessly give him a once-over, too. 

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“I’m very old, (y/n).”

“Not old enough!” 

Seeing me struggle out of my skirt, Magnus offers the same assistance I gave him. Then, he glares at me. Silently, but not even telepathically, telling me he’s gotta know. Sighing and remembering his yearn to be hip and cool, I give in.

“Fine. Sex. But like, without protection or whatever.”

“Ah… we are indeed raw dogging this lake!” 

I chuckle at his enthusiasm. “Hell yeah we are!”

He holds his hand out to me, and practically drags me with him upon contact. I stumble a bit, then jog, wanting to match his pace. Don’t have the time or coordination at the moment to hold my boobs in place, which has me feeling a little self-conscious…

The water shocks me out of any negative thoughts though.

“Holy shit, s’freezing!” I strengthen my hold on Magnus as if it’ll steady my shivers. 

“It’s not that bad.” His teeth are chattering. 

“Liar.” I splash him with my free hand. He lets out a tiny yelp and tries to pull away, but I keep my grip firm, attempting to hit him with a few more watery snipes. 

“Oh, if it’s a war you want, so be it!” 

“What?”

“Hold your breath,” he warns before promptly yanking me down.

I scream out bubbles, laughing in delirium due to both the sudden change in temperature and Magnus’ own distorted under-water laughter. After a short moment of observing how ethereal he looks — his purple hair floating around him, the sparkle of his pale gray skin being tinted blue, the otherworldly fish circling around us — I shake my hand free and promptly bring myself back up to the surface. He follows my lead. 

“Damn it,” I continue to giggle, repositioning my wet hair out of my face. Swiping some water from my eyelashes, I once again mentally thank Yoba for waterproof makeup. “So cold…”

“This seems to be doing the trick though, wouldn’t you agree?”

Unfortunately, he’s right. I feel surprisingly more level-headed now than when I was laying on him in a wine-driven stupor. “Yeah, yeah…” 

I look around, admiring the beauty of our surroundings again, now from a different angle. I don’t notice anything new, but it’s still just as pretty, nonetheless. 

Feeling something tickling my ankle, I look down into the water, watching as a sparkly blue fish swims around me. I giggle. 

“Hey buddy,” I murmur, reaching down to try and stroke its scales. The movement scares it away, though. “Aw, man.”

“‘Twas a good effort.”

I meet Magnus’ fond gaze and furrow my eyebrows. “Not good enough.”

“Maybe someday.”

I sigh. “What are these fish, anyway?”

My partner shrugs. “Many are your typical river fish, such as carp or bass, whose forms have been altered due to the magical properties of the area.”

“Huh,” I grin, returning my gaze to the fish that swim a mere few feet away from us. “That’s sick.” I look back up at Magnus, quickly diverting my attention again when I notice the dreamy stare he’s still boring into me. My cheeks heat up, warming my whole body a little, as if I’m not skinny dipping in an almost freezing-cold river.

Then, my mind ruins the moment — as it typically does — suddenly drifting to my fish friend’s scales, then back to the weird note I received earlier. 

“Can these fish’s scales be made into ink, or something?”

“Perhaps.” With a brow furrow and head tilt, he asks, “Why do you ask?”

“Um…” I think for a moment.

Do I tell him? Well, I suppose there’s no backing out now, really. He’s looking at me so expectantly, and he could read my mind if I were to lie too poorly. 

“I got this letter earlier,” I go on, “and the ink looked really similar to that blue fella that was here before, right down to the way it shimmers. Never seen anything like it.”

Magnus frowns. “I hope it hasn’t come from one of them.” 

A particularly small fish swims closely by the old wizard, this one a vibrant purple. It almost matches his hair. He reaches a gentle hand towards it, and it doesn’t back away, unlike the blue fish who graced me a moment ago. Lucky… 

“It’s been a mutual decision between the Ministry and First Slash that places such as this remain unscathed.” He peers back up at me, letting the guppy move on. “Who was its sender?”

I shrug. “Didn’t have a name or return address. I didn’t feel any energy from it, either.”

He hums in thought. “I’ll take a look, if you don’t mind the intrusion. Maybe I can discern who or what it’s from.”

I offer a small salute. “You got it, boss.” Then, I sniffle. It’s super boogery. I better not be getting sick from this…

“Let’s get you out of here,” my partner prompts, noticing my… goopy state.

Magnus wades over to me, reaching out a hand. I’m surprised it’s so warm as I clasp mine into it, and take advantage of his body heat, looping my arm through his and pressing my bare body closer as he guides us to the shore.

“We’ll head back once you're warm and dry, alright?”

I grin up at him. “Sounds good to me.”

[deadn30n]

additional character compendium.

hello! i wanted to create this to give insight into all major and minor characters featured in my novel. if you're curious  &&  want to learn more about them, then this compendium is for you ! i sincerely hope you enjoy learning about everyone ♥

➣ 𝐴𝑅𝐺𝑈𝑁 𝑀𝐴𝐿𝑇𝑌𝑅:            our first on the roster is our beloved protagonist's future husband. argun was born   &&  raised on earth, but actually carries a mix of angelic  &&  human blood. his father hailed from Lazarus, and his mother hailed from earth. the two met when Argun's father had secretly snuck onto earth, falling in love and eventually eloping. however, three months after Argun was born, his father up and left his mother, claiming that Lazarus would be inhospitable for the two of them to live on. this abandonment created a lot of Argun's animosity and distrust toward the angels, and especially why he treats Solstice  &&  their companions so poorly at the start. he plays a vital role in helping Solstice discover their humanity, and teaches them the meaning of the word ‘love’. after several physical altercations between the two of them, Argun acquires a newfound respect for Solstice's fighting prowess and begins to work alongside them. he's the first to fall in love, but Solstice is the one to suggest marriage. the two formed an inseparable bond over time, and Argun is often seen traveling side by side with Solstice. he's crass and quick to violence, but loyal and extremely smart. he's also incredibly proficient in shooting, and guns are his weapon of choice. after discovering his heritage, Solstice personally gifts him one of the holy pistols they carry in their arsenal. Argun was originally an assassin for hire, but eventually retires that job to work alongside Solstice.

 ➣ 𝐽𝑈𝑁𝐼𝑃𝐸𝑅 𝐻𝐴𝑊𝑇𝐻𝑂𝑅𝑁𝐸:            Juniper is a Lazarian angel who originally rose to fame for his incredible scientific developments. he played an important role in helping draw up the blueprint, as well as gather the organic and inorganic materials that created Solstice. at a glance Juniper appears to be emotionally distant and detached, but will become animated and excited when it comes to experimentation. he is instructed by ‘God’ to keep a close eye on Solstice, and descends to earth around seven years before they do. there, he meets and befriends Argun, but is later rejected when Argun discovers his angelic heritage. from then on Juniper spends his time wandering, studying humanity up close, and sometimes kidnapping them for his experimentations. he can be described as ‘morally grey’, possessing neither a strong sense of justice nor a desire to perform anything truly evil. at some point in his wandering, he winds up meeting Nour Cielo  –  Solstice's older brother, and opts to serve him under the guise of being able to study him for scientific purposes. as Juniper was not directly invovled in Nour's creation, he's extremely curious as to what went wrong with him and why God chose to abandon him. Juniper is not a proficient fighter, but does step up to the plate several times when Nour is personally threatened. his weapon of choice is his scalpels and syringes.

➣ 𝐺𝑂𝐷:            the omnipresent entity both revered and feared by the Lazarian people. he appears to hold noble intentions by moving the Lazarian people from their dying planet to Earth, but harbors a secret agenda known only to himself. many  angels and demons are blindingly loyal to him, but none are as intense as Astraeus. it's suspected that he and Astraeus may have shared an intimate relationship with one another, but when questioned, Astraeus will always offer only a mysterious smile as an answer. God is capable of being both kind and cruel, and rules over the Lazarians with an iron fist. none dare question his authority. nobody actually knows what he looks like  –  except for perhaps Astraeus, but this is another secret well kept. there is a lot of mystery surrounding God's existence, but in The Book of the Nightless, –  Lazarus' equivalent to ‘the bible’, it tells the tale of how God was born and his ascent to power, as well as his labor in creating the planet, it's ecosystem, and the angels themselves.

➣ 𝑆𝐴𝐸:            a beautiful demon of red skin and red hair who lives in luxury in the metropolitan area of Lazarus' capitol. he  –  alongside his twin brother  –  are highly respected. unlike Kou, he likes to indulge in fighting and actually owns a fighting ring who's participations are often hand picked by him. like everyone else, the demons and angels have always lived in harmony as equals  –  so it's a question of mystery as to why he one day suddenly challenged The Holy Seat  –  Astraeus Caedieux  –  to a fight. his motives are known to only himself and Astraeus, but after seven days and seven nights of tireless battling, Astraeus barely came out on the top, bringing Sae to heal. Sae now ( begrudgingly ) respects him, and will answer anytime Astraeus calls for him. once he relocated to earth, he opened up a fighting ring in the underground of Hellix. those who want to prove their strength flock from far and wide to this ring, all hoping to earn his favour. he also runs a fight school and hosts some thirty-plus students that train directly under him.

➣ 𝐾𝑂𝑈:            Sae's twin brother and the more mild-mannered of the two. he has blue skin and white hair, as well as deceivingly gentle eyes. however, do not be fooled by his kind demeanor, as he is arguably ten times more terrifying than his brother. to most he's seen as the more sensible of the two and was previously in charge of Lazarus' heavenly army. after relocating to earth, he later became the leader of the human war host as per Hailan's suggestion. he harbors and unusual obsession with Astraeus' twin sister, Faustus, though she has rejected him time and time again. his obsession has seemingly cropped up out of nowhere, but it may have been the direct result of her aversion to fighting. Kou shares the same sentiment  –  using words as weapons instead of fists. from time to time Kou can be caught stalking after Faustus, one day hoping she'll relent and finally marry him. she finds him to be annoying but tolerable, and doesn't actually hate him, she just dislikes his possessive attitude over her. she likes her space, so having him constantly crowding it can get a bit stuffy. only she knows the real reason as to why he sticks to her like glue.

➣ Hǎi Lán 𝑂𝑆𝐸𝐼:            Hǎi Lán  (  written as 海蓝  )  is a Chinese-born native who immigrated to America shortly before the world collapsed. her family were middle-class Chinese and came from a simple background of weavers. though they weren't rich, they did save up enough to be able to relocate Nanyamka before the collapse, earning her a safe spot in the underground city.after some hard work, Hailan managed to also relocate her parents as well as her little brother with her. after entering the city of Hellix, she met Haniah, an immigrant from Ghana who also escaped the collapse of earth. the two became fast friends and eventually fell madly in love, getting married after three years. Hailan chose to take on her wife's last name Osei, but keeps a deep love for her Chinese heritage. she plays a vital role in preserving a great chunk of China's vast and colourful history, and spends much of her time sewing clothes from different periods in China. she's actually Kou's benefactor and helped him become the war general, believing having someone not human teach their army additional techniques would be useful. the two are close friends and will often swap details of each other's cultures. Hailan can be described as cheerful and something of a dreamer, but struggles with depression and anxiety. she is one of the first people Solstice meets on their journey through Hellix.

 ➣ 𝑁𝐴𝑁𝑌𝐴𝑀𝐾𝐴 𝑂𝑆𝐸𝐼:            is a Ghanan-born native who immigrated to America shortly before the world collapsed. she, as well as he three sisters, mother, father, and grandfather all secured their places in the underground city rather early on. like her wife, Nanyamka came from a middle-class family and humble background. she had just finished college when the world began to collapse, so she hadn't quite yet started her career. after she moved with her family to the city, they spent some time settling in. Nanyamka had always loved law and politics, and had been studying to be a lawmaker, so it was no surprise that she eventually wound up as the elected president of the underground city. she took this role very seriously and played a crucial role in designing and revising the laws that helped make the city run smoothly. she's described as a fair and firm woman with a soft and generous heart. she fell madly in love with Gao Hailan, and was the one to propose to her after three blissful years of happiness together. Nanyamka is actually a transwoman and has been transitioning since the age of 17, when she discovered that she was much more comfortable being a woman. she was happily accepted and encouraged by both her friends and family, and flourishes beneath her true identity. as the president she is often quite busy, but always finds time to be with Hailan. she is another one of the first people that Solstice meets  &&  befriends when they journey through Hellix.

this compendium will be updated as more characters are created and developed. many of the minor characters are currently unnamed, but as they come to me, i will add them in. for now, these are the most major characters that you will predominantly see in the novel :>