#and more house of M-esque

[cha-melodius]

2024 Writing Roundup

This one went around last year but I don't THINK I've seen it turn up this year? If it has, please excuse me, especially if you tagged me. 😂

This month marks the 36th month in a row that I've published at least one fic—since January 2022. Insane, I know, but I'm very proud of this streak, especially keeping it going in the midst of writing/posting long fics. I published 17 fics this year, which was considerably fewer than my 31 last year, but my wordcount was almost the same (more stats coming in my year in review at the actual end of the year). Here they are, by month!

JANUARY

Trying My Patience (Try Pink Carnations) (RWRB, E, 5.7k) Florist!Henry and cake artist!Alex have to work together for a wedding last minute

FEBRUARY

Ain't No Place for a Better Man (Lokius, M, 3k) Old west AU, the notorious bandit Loki tangles with gun-for-hire Mobius

MARCH

False Dichotomy (RWRB, E, 62k) You've Got Mail AU, indie bookstore owner Alex and corporate bookstore heir Henry fall in love over email

APRIL

So Close to Something Better Left Unknown (RWRB, E, 20.2k) CIA agent Alex and MI6 agent Henry unwillingly collaborate a mission where Henry gets dosed with a sex pollen drug

The Hazards of Unsolicited Toy Advice (RWRB, T, 2.2k) Henry gives Alex dog toy advice at the pet store.

The Impossible Soul (RWRB, M, 7.2k) Westworld-esque AU. First Son Alex falls in love with an android named Henry at Kensington Palace

MAY

No Ordinary Friend (The Pairing, M, 3.5k) The Calums' story, from Monaco to Palermo

JUNE

Kiss Me Like You Mean It (Firstprince Edition) Kiss Me Like You Mean It (Lokius Edition) Various kiss ficlets from tumblr prompts

Body and Soul(mate) (RWRB, E, 39k) Soulmate bodyswap AU featuring MI6 agent Henry and lawyer Alex, who gets unwillingly pulled into the thick of a mission

JULY

Our Get Along Oodie (RWRB, E, 7.7k) Grad student AU; 3 times Alex and Henry were forced to share the couples oodie and 1 when they shared because they wanted to

AUGUST

Tonight, You're Gold (RWRB, M, 6k) Olympics AU feat. beach volleyball Alex and sailor Henry, accidental roommates in the Olympic Village

SEPTEMBER

Flowers Only Grow Where There Are Seeds (RWRB, T, 4.1k) FSOTUS Alex falls in love with a White House gardener

OCTOBER

Infinitely Late at Night (RWRB, T, 2.7k) Alex is pretty sure the man at the Waffle House in the middle of the night is a vampire

NOVEMBER

Desperate Measures (Lokius, T, 5.3k) When a mission gone wrong strands them on a hostile planet, Loki pushes himself to his limits in order to save Mobius' life

DECEMBER

Since I Memorized Your Face (RWRB, E, 24k) Alex and Henry hooked up in college and find each other 20 years later—oh yeah, and they're soulmates

Not the Hero (RWRB, E, 61k) Fall Guy AU. Stuntman Alex and Director Henry are exes who have to work together on a movie, until the lead actor disappears

[Redacted] (TMFU) My fill for the annual TMFU winter holiday gift exchange.

Ok! Tagging a bunch of folks! @cricketnationrise @rmd-writes @clottedcreamfudge @tintagel-or-cockleshells @firenati0n

@blueeyedgrlwrites @iboatedhere @pippinoftheshire @porcelainmortal @thesleepyskipper

@kiwiana-writes @justabigoldnerd @three-drink-amy @eusuntgratie @faketrex

@orchidscript @loki-is-my-kink-awakening @14carrotghoul @sparklepocalypse @too-young-to-fall-in-love

@welcometololaland @indestructibleheart @myheartalivewrites @ninzied @suseagull5914

@leaves-of-laurelin @nicijones @mirilyawrites @onthewaytosomewhere @getmehighonmagic

[b1mbodoll]

i can see momo and ntr together! i think she would like the idea of fucking her brother’s gf because it’s her favorite hentai type!!

pairings: hirai momo x f! reader

warnings: infidelity + g!p + creampies + anal + groping + degradation + hentai-esque dialogue

💌: whoever sent this please let me kiss you bc ur so right

momo’s obsession with ntr hentai is so worrying. she never considered acting on it until her brother introduced you to the family and she knew she had to have you. takes her time with you, waits until you warm up to her a little bit before testing her luck and her actions start to become more and more suggestive. calls you all sorts of romantic petnames n even tries groping you, grabbing your tits n playing it off as a joke.

speaking of touching you inappropriately, she presses herself right up against your back and ruts her cock between your asscheeks, groaning when you push back against her because now she knows it’s okay for her to to continue.

when she gets you alone in the house it’s like every ounce of self control she had went out the window and momo finally fucks you. makes you tell her she’s fucking you better than her brother ever could and blows her load when you sob while admitting it.

“has he ever fucked you here?” she questions, slipping a thumb in your asshole. you shake your head in response, whining as she lines her cream covered dick with the tight rim and pushes in. “can’t believe ‘m the first to ever fuck your asspussy,” her teeth are clenched, the feeling of your walls so overwhelming she feels like she could cum at any moment.

“tell me i’m better than him, slut.” her thrusts become sloppy and her words cruel as her orgasm approaches. “whose cock do you prefer, say it.” she spits, slowing her pace as she waits for an answer.

the lack of movement from momo makes your eyes widen, wanting nothing more than to have her cum dumped in your ass. “you’re better, momo! want your dick to fill me up!” you cry, “please cum inside my asspussy i need it! can’t live without your cock.” her cock twitches and she speeds up the pace again, she’s so deep inside you swear you can feel her in your tummy.

momo fills you up so well, the amount of cum is unreal and it’s so thick too, makes your empty cunt cream around nothing and she teases you for cumming untouched.

[barleyo]

Pollen. (part two)

Recom! Miles Quaritch X Fem! Reader

A/N: Hope this doesn’t seem rushed, I had so many ideas and sadly not all of them got to be implemented, but there’s always next time! As always, requests are always open. Enjoy!

Wordcount: 1.7k

Tags: Age difference, publics sex, work sex, p in v, oral (fem receiving), switching positions, interspecies sex, human x Na'vi sex, smut with minimal plot, size kink, sex pollen

Tagged users: @personaldemons-stuff @faerienotfound @torukmakto22

Quaritch followed her directions and made his way back to the base, not without difficulty. The way she read off coordinates and answered questions on call made it hard for him to resist stopping again to get off, to stroke his cock while she egged him on.

He caught himself palming his erection through his cargos when (Y/N) would yawn, huff, or groan, shifting around in her seat innocently, not realizing what her sounds did to him. 

“I see Hell’s Gate, missy. Be ready for me,” he said.

“I will be,” (Y/N) said. Miles could hear a lock unlatch. “I’m in the lab, there's a tiny office in the back, I’ll wait for you there.” He swore he could hear her giggle before she shut off her walkie talkie. 

“Lil’ tease.”

Quaritch walked onto the base. The shift from soft Pandorian mud to hard cement under his boots went unnoticed to him, focused only on what was waiting for him inside. The cool air pumping through the building did nothing to stop the sweat dripping down his face and toned, blue arms. Nothing but (Y/N) could stop the itch in him.

Not a thought entered his mind as he entered the lab. Scientists and technicians alike snapped their heads over to the Colonel, hearing his heavy steps. 

“Out.”

“Excuse me?” someone said, some nobody that was in his way. 

“Everyone, get out. Now, I mean,” he drawled, stepping out of the doorway to usher the group out. “Don’t come back.” He slammed the door on the lot and scanned the room for a door in the back that would house a waiting (Y/N).

A door slid open, revealing the woman cloaked in a white lab coat that Quaritch couldn’t wait to remove. He jogged over and pushed her back into the room, sliding the door back into place. The room was, as she had described, small. He had to slouch down to fit, leaning nearly completely over (Y/N) in the process. 

“Are they all gone–?” she tried to ask before being hushed by Quaritch’s finger. 

“Don’t worry about it.” He removed his finger and instead placed his hand under her face, cupping it and bringing it close to his own. “Waited for this long enough, ‘m gonna take you right here.” 

He pressed a hot, rough kiss to her lips, already nipping at them with his pointed teeth. Miles held the back of her head with one hand, and sat her on the desk with the other, pushing her back flat on the surface. Blindly, his hands found the zipper of her pants and undid it, pulling the fabric down to expose her laced panties, a wet spot forming at the front. 

“Can already smell you, honey. Bet you need me down there more than up here suckin’ on those sweet lips of yours,” he said, pulling away from her face, admiring her red, puffy lips, and settled himself between her thighs, kneeling on the cool linoleum floor. “Gonna kiss your other lips for now,” he chuckled and traced the outline of her pussy through her panties, feeling her shift under his touch. 

“Please, don’t tease me,” she sighed, legs hooking over his shoulders.

“So impatient.” He pulled her panties off with his teeth, letting his sharp, fang-esque canines graze against her thighs as he moved.

She shivered at the air hitting her slick cunt and bare legs. She wasn’t cold for long as Quaritch grabbed her thighs and locked them under his arms, spreading them wide. He licked a stripe over the inside of one, teasing the skin lightly. His tongue was rough and textured. It was intoxicating. He did the same to the other, and bit into the plush skin. (Y/N) cried in a mixture of pain and deep pleasure as Quaritch ran his tongue over the punctures, cleaning up the pricked blood. 

He grew bored at only licking her thighs, though, and brought his mouth to her pussy. His large tongue slid through her wet folds, slowly teasing through, from her entrance to her pulsing clit. He stopped at her nub and clasped his lips around it, sucking on the tender bud. He let messy dribbles of spit fall from his mouth to coat her cunt and mix with her juices, slurping it up and spitting it back out in an endless cycle.  

“Need you,” (Y/N) whined, not sure what she was whining for, “please, Colonel, please.”

He looked up at her from between her legs, loudly slurping at her clit when they made eye contact. “What d’you need? Can’t give you what you don’t ask for,” he said, muffled by her pussy. 

“Fingers. Can you put your fingers in me? Please, want ‘em bad.”

“Got it, you greedy thing,” Quaritch brought his face away from her cunt. It was shiny and slick from her wetness and his own saliva. He dragged his long fingers through her folds. “Mouth ain’t enough for you? Need something stretching out this slutty, little cunt.” He dipped a finger into her, pushing deeper into her when her hips bucked against his hand. 

“Gonna cum, ‘m real close,” (Y/N) moaned, throwing her head back on the desk. 

“So damn worked up, hardly even did anything to you, baby.” He slipped another finger in, scissoring them to loosen her up. He curled his fingers inside of her, catching her spongy spot with them and gave small kitten licks to her clit. “There you go, just like that.”

Her walls fluttered around his two fingers and clamped down, juices pumping out of her cunt as she came. Her eyes rolled back as he quickened his pace, abusing her g-spot and overstimulating her. He finally pulled his fingers out, popped his fingers into his mouth, and sucked off the remainder of her arousal on them. 

“Come here, baby,” he briefly picked her up, taking her place on the desk and sat her on his lap. “Come taste yourself in my mouth, tastes like magic.” He pushed into her mouth again, tangling his tongue with hers, sucking it and twirling it around. Quaritch explored deeper into her mouth while he unzipped his cargos, pulling his dick out. 

“Oh, Christ,” she said, breaking the kiss when she felt him slip his dick between her thighs. He placed a firm grip on her hips, bruising them with the tips of his fingers. 

“Hush, (Y/N), let me wet my cock with your pussy.” He inched her forward, dick sliding between her folds but not entering. Still holding her hips, he moved her body up and down, fucking her inner thighs. Trails of slick formed on his long, striped cock. His purple, blushing tip peaked at her every time he brought her hips down, sending waves of pleasure from the friction. 

Quaritch angled her body forward a bit, letting his tip make direct contact with her tip every time he thrusted. 

“Ready to put it in, relax,” he cooed into her ear, pressing a kiss behind it. Miles lifted her up again and slipped the fat head of his cock into (Y/N), feeling her clamp onto his length already. “Hold on now,” he said, “relax, now. Don’t want you cummin’ too quick.” He brought her up again and sunk her body back down, this time inching more of his dick into her. He repeated his action again and again until she had swallowed his entirety. 

“It’s too much, feels too full  n’ big,” she moaned, clamping around his cock whenever he would move. 

“You’re a tough girl, you can take it,” Quaritch groaned, bucking his hips into her. He started with a slow, gentle pace, easing into her before speeding up. He took it up a notch when he noticed her grinding onto his cock, searching for more. “You want more? More, girl?”

“Yes, more,” her words slurred together, “need it deeper.”

Quaritch hummed and flipped (Y/N)’s body around, bending her over the desk and forcing her ass in the air. “You can take it,” he bent down and whispered into her ear. He bottomed out into her, pressing against her cervix’s tip without mercy, and pounded into her cunt. 

“Fuck!” 

He gave her ass a light smack, just enough to make it blush a beautiful red. He did this to the other cheek as well, smirking when (Y/N) let out a pained moan. Placing his hands back on her hips, he rutted into her quickly, letting the sound of skin slapping crowd the room. Staring at where their bodies met, he watched as a white ring of arousal mark the base of his cock. 

“Creaming all over my dick, you nasty thing. Bet you gonna break any minute now.”

He was right. She wasn’t too far from cumming, her belly felt a familiar warmth creep up into it. 

“Please, can I cum? Please, I need to soon,” she begged, sweat beading down her forehead and cheeks.

“Not yet. You’ll know when you can, believe that.” Quaritch’s hips stuttered as he said this, chasing his own impending release. He held off, not ready to give into his needs. “Fuckin’ choking me with your pussy, tight as hell,” he growled, feelings his balls tighten. 

His head felt light and he was dizzy. The room was too hot and too cold at the same time, and he felt so suffocatingly lost in her cunt that he didn’t realize what he was saying. “Cum, baby, all over me. C’mon now.” He nestled into her, going as deep as he could to cum in her. 

“God,” she moaned, “cummin’ now, Colonel!” Her foot hooked around his ankle as she came, holding onto him for some sense of stability as her legs nearly gave out under her. 

“Good fuckin’ girl, good– good girl,” he said while his chest heaved. His hips sputtered against her ass one more time before he came in her, seed leaking out of her ruined cunt when he pulled out. 

(Y/N) squirmed out of his arm and sat back on the desk, covering up her bare chest. “Feel any better?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” Miles said, returning to the most of his full height as he could manage in the small office, “definitely not done with you yet, though.”

[hawkinshistoricalsociety]

ST5 Approximate Timeline - part 2!

See part 1 here!

Once again, if you're avoiding spoilers do not read any further. Go in peace!

(ep 7 / 8 after this point, probably. since it's all Duffers directing and we have much less from official channels here, pinpointing which ep gets much harder/impossible. also naturally we just currently have seen a lot less from this point on)

Lab

Vickie, Erica, Robin, Murray, Mike, Lucas, Max, Hopper, “cast,” “cast”, pink chair we can’t read (El or Holly?) are at the Lab (either in the UD or Right-Side Up but viney bc the UD is "bleeding into" regular Hawkins atp). Maybe daytime (Netflix Stranger Things Day BTS photo)

*This has me totally confused. Hopper seems to join up with most of the farm group while Will, Joyce, and possibly El (*unless the pink chair that we can’t read is hers, IDK) are absent. Plus Max’s presence - maybe she is Mindscaping in, I just can’t imagine she wakes up from her coma and is ready for action. It does make sense she would spend some time at the Lab in the Mindscape for Vecna flashbacks Also don’t get where the Steve car group is at this point. They may not leave the UD Church with El and Hopper even if they do indeed meet up there. So I don’t really know where to place this, I think it has to be after ep 6 if Hopper is there at the same time as so many of the Mike Robin Lucas etc group but ?????? Final speculative thought: maybe Steve's car group is in the UD Lab UD WHILE this group is topside? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Could be the place our two UD expeditions cross back into regular Hawkins, maybe Hopper makes the jump and El stays behind initially. That also might place this in ep 6, which could make some sense...for various reasons I've been wanting to put the UD Church after the Lab but this grouping has prevented me from doing so. Anyways now I'm just writing fanfic but basically this one is a puzzle

During the day, Robin and Mike are outside the Lab (covered by vines - so same deal), looking worse for wear. Will and El also reported at this set, but we don't have pics. Cars present: WSQK van (no antenna), Joyce’s car, and a hearse (pap photos, pap video)

Downtown Hawkins

Vecna walks out of the gate in the downtown Hawkins military compound, appears to wreak some soldier carnage, things are on fire (leaked set photos)

Mayhem at the downtown Hawkins military compound at night. Lights are flashing (Ross Instagram weeks 25-27), Will filmed at this set (Noah Instagram story)

Linda Hamilton + the military drive towards the WSQK van at Hawkins Presbyterian at night (pap photos/video)

Steve and Robin, in new military-style outfits, drive the Bradley’s truck downtown at night. There is a bullet hole in the windshield (pap photos/reports)

At night, Murray drives the stolen military humvee, Hopper is maybe with him. (pap reports)

Derek is with the kids in downtown Hawkins, Will (outfit #3), and El (maybe finally outfit #2 for her because she never seems to change this season, looks like it could be a wetsuit) (pap photos)

More filming at the downtown Hawkins military compound: Joyce (outfit #3), Robin (outfit #3), Will (outfit #3), Dustin (outfit #2), Nancy (outfit #2), Jonathan (outfit #3?), Mike (outfit unclear to me? looks #2ish), maybe Lucas in a totally new outfit but IDK if that's him (pap photos). Notable that Dustin and Nancy (and maybe Mike, I really don't know about him) do not seem to have final outfit changes when everyone else does.

Mindscape

Holly + kids at the Creel House

A large number of kids play on the fully intact Creel House playground (pap photos)

Holly, in her outfit #1) takes a purple box with 80s-esque branding (a toy?) out of the mailbox in front of the freshly painted, in good repair Creel House. She talks to Henry in human form wearing period clothing and does not seem afraid (pap photos)

Holly wears an Alice in Wonderland-esque outfit (pap photos)

Other Mindscape (Max + Vecna?)

We return to Vecna’s lair in ep 6 (Shawn Levy Instagram)

We flashback to the Massacre at Hawkins Lab at some point, based on a “blood references” image for the Rainbow Room on set (Ross Instagram)

When? (Haven't managed to place these)

El uses her powers in the UD forest (July BTS video)

Vecna walks toward camera through UD forest (July BTS video)

In the UD near the Turnbow Realty billboard, a soldier is flung through the air (July BTS video)

At an unidentified location, a map of Hawkins marks “H” with an index card north of Lover’s Lake (Ross Instagram)

There’s a teacher at the downtown Hawkins military compound with the kids (extras casting call)

A nurse or nurses perform someone/someone’s bloodwork (extra casting calls)

Day: Bradley’s truck tips over in a field near the military checkpoint, there are scratches and a hole in the top (no bullet hole in the windshield yet) (pap photos)

Will gets completely drenched (Noah Instagram)

Mike and Lucas ride their bikes at night, probably in their second outfits (pap photo)

Wheeler station wagon, Bradley’s truck (scratched up), and WSQK van at vine-covered Radio Station (pap photos)

Steve is outside the Radio Station in his first outfit at night, the WSQK van has an antenna. Maybe early and late season scenes were both being filmed? (Ross Instagram)

El is at the lab (?) at night (?), maybe in her wetsuit (Ross Instagram)

Flyer for “Jimmy Fasthands” Lee’s show on WSQK pinned to a bulletin board (Ross Instagram)

Dustin sits in the WSQK van passenger seat, and a yellow WSQK T-shirt is stretched across the back (Ross Instagram Weeks 28-30)

Linda Hamilton + the military drives to Radio Station at dusk, meets maybe Vickie (candy striper outfit) (pap video), how many times does the military show up at the Radio Station my god. maybe this happens while the crew is at the Mansion? but IDK, that doesn't really add up for me

Derek is downtown standing next to maybe Holly in a flannel (too blurry to be conclusive imo. but I hope so since it means she is alive, involved, and gets some clean clothes) (pap photos)

*I'm not bothering with the epilogue bc focusing on the "main" season plot is long enough. also I find it so hard to pay attention to the military and Murray but I'm doing my best 🫡

[d0wnb4df0rf1cm3n]

Let me

Anthony Lockwood x F!Reader

Summary: You got hurt. It was his fault. And he feels absolutely awful.

Word Count: 3.4K

Warnings: Angst, Claustrophobia, Near-death situations, Some lightly mentioned family issues, Arguing, Couples? Quarrels, ANGST.

AN: The summary is awful - I feel like I say this every time. Idk if Reader and Lockwood are a couple, they don't have to be, but they can be if you want to. Love you all! (BTW I have not read the books in years so creative liberties were taken - I'm sorry for any and all book inaccuracies.)

The body of one 'Sergeant M. Bowers' floated precariously towards Lockwood. He backed up against the door of the bedroom, eyes darting between you and Bowers, rapier extended in front of him. You rifled through the bedroom, looking for anything precious or valuable. You had to find the source for Lockwood.

Lockwood had taken the case of this particular house out of pure greed. Mrs. Miller was willing to pay a pretty price to take care of her 'little problem' as she called it. You had warned him against it - the Bowers' manor was about a mile outside of the town you grew up in and you'd heard almost every story there was to hear about the house. About the family that inhabited the house. Lockwood hadn't listened.

He'd convinced you to come, saying the stories were 'probably just stories told to children to scare them away.' He assured you they weren't true. After George had done his research, you were more confident - apparently, reports of apparitions of children predated the problem and were therefore hoaxes.

The Bowers were an affluential aristocratic family before the war - the First World War, that is. "They were known for hosting Gatsby-esque parties to celebrate the most menial of affairs - like their dog turning one." George had rolled his eyes at that pushing the picture of the newspaper your way. April 6th, 1912. A week before the Titanic sank.

The sinking of the Titanic began a series of unfortunate events for the Bowers family, starting with the death of the youngest son, James. James and his to-be wife, Miranda, died aboard the ship, thrusting the family into a long period of mourning. In the following two years, 6 of the 12 members who lived in the house had passed away, forcing the rest to flee the countryside manor, claiming it had been cursed - which brought about the misfortune of the family.

The last of the family to inherit the manor was Sergeant Michael James Bowers, who was the youngest nephew of James. He had lost his life in the second World War; after being shot in the arm and leg, he had been honourably discharged and sent home. He succumbed to sepsis not long after, surrounded by empty halls and unhappy memories. Apparently, he had never left.

You shook your head in discomfort - dispelling the dark feeling that had crept over you since reading about the family's terrible fate. Something seemed off about this case - something seemed to have been omitted from all the research you and George had done.

At first, you disregarded it as nerves. The Bowers manor was big - bigger than any other case you had taken. Plus, it was close to home, which was full of unpleasant memories. Maybe the added pressure was playing on your mind. You tried to explain yourself to Lockwood, who dismissed you. Apparently, Lucy had to help Kipps with some research, and George was working on another case. There was no point in arguing with Lockwood when he had made up his mind, and he was not going to budge on this case.

Which led you to your current predicament.

There were many ghosts haunting the halls of the Bowers manor. It seemed that everyone who had died here didn't want to leave. You had rid the house of most of the ghosts - sealing almost ten sources in different iron boxes. Lockwood had danced his way through the Type Ones that he was dealing with - he was evidently the better agent out of the two of you. You had lucked out - you came face to face with a Type Two. The small girl kept repeating about her teddy which you had found in an upstairs bedroom covered in filth and cobwebs. You threw an iron net over it before leaning against a wall to catch your breath. You were exhausted - and you hadn't even dealt with the real problem.

Sergeant Bowers.

Sergeant M. Bowers was a lot more tortured than you had initially thought. His wife left him when he left for the war, leaving to follow her true love into the country - countless correspondences scattered across the rooms told you as much.

Then came the matter of a child - Timothy. Pictures of him were littered through the halls - toys left to rot in the hallways. Clearly, no one had cleaned it until Mrs. Miller bought it at that country house auction. Except the trace of him ended there. There was nothing in your research to tell you about him, nor any sign of him outside the walls of this home.

It was peculiar.

You had tried to tell Lockwood, but he brushed you off. "The kid must have died - explains the tortured relationship between his parents."

It seemed odd to you. What kind of mother would run off without her child?

A glint caught your eye. A small jewellery box lay on the vanity, dust laid over it as if it hadn't been touched in decades. You dashed towards it, opening it quickly to find a simple silver band inside. A wedding band. A source.

You placed the ring in a small iron box - one of your many engineering feats that made your job safer and easier to do. Bowers disappeared from over Lockwood and you ran over to help him up.

"See? Not too bad, was it?" Lockwood joked, taking the box from your hand and putting it in his bag with the rest of them.

"The only reason I'm glad we don't work with Fittes is the paperwork. We'd be drowning in it after tonight. Can you imagine? With all those Type Ones and the two Type Twos. I'd be crying into my pillow for weeks." You grabbed the rest of your equipment and headed towards the stairs. Lockwood's fingers wrapped around your arm, pulling you back sharply.

He pulled out his rapier and pointed it toward the woman - an apparition of a young woman, dressed in a maid's uniform and carrying a basket, seemingly full of laundry.

"Another Type Two. Great." Lockwood sighed, "You check downstairs and I'll check upstairs. She's a maid. Look for... maid things? I don't know." You nodded before hopping downstairs, armed with your rapier.

You went down to the servants' quarters, which you had seen on the blueprints of the house. The room was small, just off the side of the kitchen - and was perhaps the cleanest room in the house. The maids had been let go long before Sergeant Bowers had inherited the house. Clearly, they had taken the cleanliness with them.

You looked around for anything that could be a source. Why would staff die here, you thought, when the Bowers were known for treating staff well? And why would she choose to stay? You walked around the room, running your fingers over the sparse wooden furniture around the room, leaving trails in the dust in your wake. You tripped by the door to the bathroom, cutting your hand on a small loose nail by the door - probably used for hanging coats or aprons. You winced as you stretched your hand, closing your fist to stop the blood from dripping all over the floor.

You heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Did you find anything, Lockwood?" No response. "Lockwood?" The door to the servants' quarters slammed shut. You pressed up against the door, trying to force it open. "LOCKWOOD? LOCKWOOD, HELP!" You screamed, trying to push the door hard. "LOCKWOOD, PLEASE! I NEED YOU!"

Lockwood called to you from the landing, telling you he's found something interesting. You tried screaming for him again, but he was too far away to hear you, just like you were too far away to help. Ghostly yelling startled you as you turned around. The maid was here, clearly oblivious to you in the room. She was humming softly as the ghostly yelling continued.

You watched her from a distance as she folded some invisible clothes, her humming still ringing out around the room. She laughed at nothing, before turning towards the door, expectantly. You turned towards the door, expecting to see some other apparition in the doorway but there was nothing. She seemed to get frantically worried by the lack of whatever presence she is expecting, her humming becoming erratic and eerier by the second.

Her eyes grazed over you, and she seemed to relax. She spoke to you gently, reaching her hand out to you, "Come, Elizabeth. There's no need to be scared." You felt the effects of Ghost-lock wash over you, as lethargy numbs your senses. You saw her drifting toward you, but you had no energy to run or even to poise your rapier in front of you. And she seems so nice.

You heard the door fly open and felt someone grab your arm, tightly. You were pulled out of the room and back into the kitchen. "Thanks, Anthony." You whispered, resting on the kitchen counters.

"Anthony? Who's Anthony?" You looked up, unamused by Lockwood's attempt at a joke.

Your jaw dropped. In front of you was a man that you thought you may never see again, "Grandpa? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I heard you screaming. Just wanted to make sure you're okay?" He said, eyes looking you over, searching for injuries. You hid your arm further behind your back, not wanting to worry him more.

He brought his hand up to brush your cheek, staring down at you lovingly. "I'm sorry about this, kiddo."

You felt hands pulling you up off the floor, and a strangely familiar voice whispering soothing words in your ear. You struggled in the grasp of this strange person, trying - unsuccessfully - to flee. They held you firmly, arms tucked neatly beneath you.

Tired from your busy night, you gave up, resting your head against the person's chest. You knew this cologne. It was Anthony's - you teased him for putting on too much and the scent lingers in the hallways some mornings. You settled, seeking his warmth and his comfort.

"Nice to have you back. You worried me for a minute back there."

"Lockwood? Worried? God, are there pigs in the sky?" You bantered back, your voice weak with exhaustion. He laid you down on the stairs, running back to grab your rapier and your flares. You must have dropped them when your Grandpa showed up. Grandpa?

Where did he go? You stood up trying to walk back to the kitchen. Grandpa couldn't see any apparitions - if one came for him, he'd be as good as dead.

"Whoa, slow down, Usain Bolt." Lockwood caught you as your legs folded beneath you. "You took a nasty hit to the head, plus you might have had a bit of ghost-lock as well."

"Lockwood, my grandpa," You said, looking past him, and back at the kitchen door, "He can't see them. We have to help him."

"Your grandpa? Honey, there's no one here." The nickname fell on deaf ears. You tried to scramble back towards the room, but Lockwood held you tightly.

He walked with you back to the kitchen - to prove there was no one there. There was no sign of anyone being there - nothing at all.

"Look - there's no one else here. You must have hit your head while getting away from the maid. Just," He huffed, pulling you closer to him, "let me get you home. Let me check you over - make sure you're alright."

You let Lockwood drag you towards the taxi and push you inside. You let him maneuver your body so that your head is resting on his chest and your legs dangle over his. You let him carry you like a rag doll into the house and set you down in the kitchen.

You shivered slightly - involuntarily - but Lockwood noticed. He draped a large blanket over you, boiling some water for hot tea. He grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink and sat down in front of you.

He held out his hand for yours, "Let me clean it for you." So you do.

He spent the better part of the next hour meticulously cleaning every scratch and scrape he can find - only slowing down when you wince, or to pour you more tea. He makes it how you like it - a spoonful of sugar and a dash of milk

Once he's done, he lifts you again and carries you to bed, tucking you in like a mother would their child. He turns out the lights with a soft goodnight and crosses the landing to his own bedroom. The first floor is plunged into darkness, but you stare up at the ceiling.

Sleep doesn't come to you easily. When you close your eyes, the maid's face is above yours - her hand reaching out to you, beckoning you. You want to take it. You see her holding Elizabeth, cradling her as she cries. Your grandpa's face comes up next to the maid and you see your grandpa die. How he screams for you to help him as the plasm burns through his skin. Your mother blames you - tells you that she should never have let you go to Fittes. The maid shields Elizabeth from the loud arguing coming from upstairs. No, not from upstairs. The arguing is happening below you. You shake yourself awake from your restless night, wincing as you contort your bruised body. You slip on your Fittes hoodie and creep downstairs.

Lucy and Lockwood are facing off in the kitchen. Again. You sit on the step, listening in.

"She told you she didn't want to go! And now, there's a chance she won't be able to go into the field."

"She'll be fine. She's tough, she'll get through it."

"You don't know that, Lockwood! You can't just assume that everything will be fine just because you want it to be." You could hear Lucy's voice breaking as she fought back tears.

"Maybe, she won't want to go on missions anymore," George piped up. Clearly, he'd been forced to sit there through breakfast and listen to the argument, "After all, you didn't listen to her doubts when she said she was scared."

"No, she didn't. She just had nerves."

"No, Lockwood. I was terrified. And you didn't hear me out."

"You're awake!" Lucy threw her arms around you, hugging you tightly. "God, I'm so happy you're okay!" You smiled at her warmly, hugging her back. She moved past you, saying something about needing to meet Kipps to finish their case.

"I'd hug you too, but you should probably shower first. Who knows what kind of bacteria fester in hundred-year-old manors? I'll see you after lunch - heading to the archives." George walked out quickly, almost as if he was being chased out by rats.

Lockwood stood in front of you, straight as a board, "You look like you've been electrocuted. Sit down. I'm not going to bite." Lockwood sent a weak smile in your direction.

You poured yourself a mug of tea and put some bread in the toaster. You made a mental note to send George a shopping list before he came back.

"So..." Lockwood started, and you wanted to laugh. In the almost three years you'd lived with him, you'd never seen him so nervous.

"So?"

"We should probably talk about what happened back there." Ah. He wanted to do this now.

"Yeah. We probably should."

"What happened? I mean, one minute you were fine, the next you were unconscious in the kitchen?" Lockwood said, leaning back in his chair slightly.

You grabbed your mug and sat in the chair opposite him, "Was I, though?" Lockwood raised his eyebrows, "Was I really fine, Lockwood, or did you just want me to be fine?"

"I don't understand?"

"Lockwood, I voiced my doubts to you! I told you to let it go! That this was a case we didn't have to take! That we'd find something better." You were standing now, leaning over the table, staring Lockwood down.

"Worth more than 90 grand? Do you have any concept of how much money that is?"

"YES! YES, LOCKWOOD, I DO! IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY! We fought how many ghosts? 10? 12? Do you even consider that?"

"14, actually."

"YOU ARE NOT HELPING YOURSELF. YOU MAY BE THE LITTLE PRODIGY OF FITTES, BUT SOME OF US ARE NORMAL. SOME OF US ARE AVERAGE." You sat back down, your legs shaking. You were still too weak to force this argument. Your voice trembled, "I can't keep up with you, Lockwood, none of us can. Lucy, maybe, but even she needs a break. Hell, even you need a break sometimes."

"We're fine, aren't we? We're all alive and kicking, still fighting ghosts another day?"

"Yeah, but for how long? How long do we keep getting to cheat death?" How long until one of us gets buried for the unnecessary risks we keep taking? You didn't say it but the question took root in the back of your mind.

Lockwood sighed, "I don't know where this is even coming from. We survived. We did the job. We got our money. Aren't you happy-"

"HAPPY! HOW CAN I BE HAPPY, LOCKWOOD? I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT HOUSE YESTERDAY! One minute, we were sealing up a source, the next I was being lured in by a Type Two, ghost-locked and bleeding. Somehow, my GRANDPA WAS THERE, AND THEN I'M UNCONCIOUS ON THE FLOOR. NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE, nothing - nothing makes sense. I feel - I feel like my brain's been scrambled. It just - I can't - I don't-" Lockwood kneeled next to you, his palm gently cradling your face, and let you cry. You stayed there for a few seconds before you looked up into his face, eyes brimming with tears, "You know what the - what the worst part was?"

"What was the worst part, honey?" There it was again, the nickname. Your heart skipped slightly at the sound of it.

"That you couldn't hear me." Lockwood looked at you, pain sweeping over his expression. "I called for you. In the servants' quarters. I needed you, but you couldn't hear me. I screamed and I cried and I begged and I- I needed you, Lockwood."

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his lap, before stroking your hair. You cried into his shirt, the white fabric turning translucent in the dampness.

"I will always come." He whispered to you, eyes bright with determination. "I may not have always been there before, but I will be now. I promise. No matter where or when, if you call, I will come to you." He cradled your face in his hands again, thumbs gently rubbing away your tears, "I will listen to you - and George, and Lucy. If you tell me you're scared, I'll hear you. I won't take jobs out of greed, we'll make decisions together. We're a team. I'm sorry I haven't been acting like it."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, tucking yourself into his neck, "I like the sound of that."

You felt Lockwood smile against your neck. "I'll take care of you. If you'll let me."

You pulled back, "Taking care of each other goes both ways. You have to let me take care of you too." He scoffed lightly, but you knew that he had agreed. He couldn't ever say no to you. Not even at Fittes.

"As much as I hate to ruin the moment, George was right. I don't want to think about how much bacteria was probably growing in that house." Lockwood helped you up, "You should probably shower." You nodded your head, chuckling lightly. You grabbed Lockwood's phone from the table and before he could steal it back, you sent a text on the group chat.

"We need food. PLS. WE HAVE NOTHING." You threw him his phone as you ran up the stairs. Lockwood laughed at the text.

"They'll know it's you." He said waving his phone as you grabbed your towel.

"Or they'll have a heart attack knowing that Frosty can change his mind."

fin.

[whiskey-tango-matcha]

City Slicker (m, allergies)

I present to you all: p0rn lmao. This is my first allergy fic in YEARS and it is literally just 2k of Elijah sneezing himself silly. It's a little messy, just fair warning. Hope you all (especially my allergy-hungry friends in my ask box) enjoy this - I certainly enjoyed writing it lmao.

cw: male snz, MESS

City Slicker

“What’s your favorite animal?”

“Greyson. I really am not in the mood to play twenty questions right now.”

“But I’m bored.”

Elijah sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand, the other held firmly on the steering wheel of the van. “What are you, a toddler?” he asked, replacing his hand so both were white-knuckling the steering wheel. “Play on your phone or something.”

“I’ve reached the end of the internet. Can we stop and get Starbucks?”

“Greyson, we’re in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere. What do you want me to do, conjure up a Starbucks? You should’ve asked before we were out of the city.”

Greyson groaned loudly, living up to the toddler label his boss had bestowed upon him. “Great, so now I get to be bored and uncaffeinated.”

“I’m sure they’ll have some shitty folger’s or something when we get there,” Elijah said, prompting a loud, fake gag from Greyson. Elijah took a deep, calming breath in through his nose. “We’re almost there, you fucking brat.”

The event this weekend wasn’t one Elijah would have normally said yes to; it was a Farmhouse Retreat out in a rural part of New York State, and any town with fewer than a million people living in it tended to give him hives. Not to mention his irrational fear of farm animals – not that he’d ever actually seen one in person; the thought alone of a pig looking him in the eye was too disgusting for him to put into words. But, it was a paid event which was incredibly rare, and it was a celebrity getaway which meant buzz for the restaurant. Those were two difficult things to say no to.

Elijah’s phone signaled them to turn right, and when he did he and Greyson gasped in unison – this was no Podunk farmhouse getaway. The house itself was more of a farm mansion, twice the size of even the largest house Elijah had seen out in the Hampton's. The agriculture was meticulously kept, and the animals were grazing out in the tall grass – far enough away to escape any fear, but close enough to give the entire place a Fisher-Price-esque charm. Greyson whistled long and low as they parked next to the line of other caterer’s cars.

“Not in Kansas anymore, eh Dorothy?” the chef asked, yanking open the passenger side door and stepping out to stretch. Elijah couldn’t help but huff out a laugh as he opened his own door.

“Guess no – HTSCH!” Elijah wrenched to the side as he stepped out of the car. Clearly the air out here was too clean for his city-boy sensibilities. Greyson barked out a laugh from the other side of the van.

“Bless,” he called, pulling open the two trunk doors to start unloading their things. “I figured your systems would all start shutting down the moment you breathed in air that didn’t smell like piss.”

“Oh, like you’re any better,” Elijah said, starting towards the trunk to help his friend. “When’s the last time you chose to take a trip somewhere with no bar or coffee shop?”

“Obviously never, but I grew up in a shitty one-horse town,” Greyson said. “You’ve probably never even seen a cow in real life.”

Elijah’s face flamed, and Greyson howled. “Shut the fuck up,” Elijah grumbled, elbowing Greyson in the stomach and grabbing the decorations for their booth. Greyson doubled over with laughter, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted into the quiet farm air.

“CITY SLICKER! WE GOT OURSELVES A CITY SLICKER!”

“Greyson, shut up,” Elijah called, turning to face the chef. “People are paying to stay here, you fucking dickhead.”

“Alright, alright, sorry boss,” Greyson lamented. He pulled a few chafing dishes out of the back and hoisted them onto his shoulder. “Not my fault that it’s hilarious that your body hates fresh air.”

“It doesn’t – hhITZCH! TSHH! HTSH!” Elijah crushed his nose into his shoulder to sneeze this time, prompting another round of laughter from Greyson.

“Sure it doesn’t,” Greyson said, passing his boss to head towards the sign directing the purveyors to the massive yard of the farmhouse. “City slicker.”

***

Something was happening – he didn’t know what it was, but he did not like it.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Like, I know I was making fun of you before, but are you sick?” Greyson asked as Elijah buried his face in his arm for the fiftieth time that hour.

“HTSHH! Hh-ITZCHH! HRSHH!” Elijah wiped his running nose on his sleeve and cringed. He used his hand to attempt to wipe the sleeve of the watery mucus he’d left behind to no avail. “I’m not sick, I feel fine,” he said. “I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me – HTSHH!”

Greyson slowly raised an eyebrow, covered his finished food so it would stay fresh for the first guests’ arrival in thirty minutes, and leaned against their booth. “Lij, I’ve spent a lot of time around you – you literally never sneeze this much unless you’re sick.”

“Grey, I’ve been completely fine up until we got here, are you saying the fucking fresh air made me sick? Do you think I’m some sort of nega-Victorian child, instead of needing the fresh air to clear up my scarlet fever I need the sweet smell of street hotdogs and sewage? Hhuhh’ITSCHH-ue! TSHH! ITZCHUE! Fucking hell.” Elijah covered his face with a hand and looked desperately around for something to wipe it with. Grudgingly, Greyson handed him one of his kitchen towels. “Thanks,” Elijah muttered, blowing his nose.

“Y’know,” Greyson said, “normally I would say that yes, you are the nega-Victorian child, but I don’t think you’re lying.”

“Thanks,” Elijah said, rolling his eyes from behind the towel.

“For once.”

Elijah flipped the chef off.

Greyson laughed. “Seriously, though, have you ever been on a farm before?”

Elijah threw his hands into the air, annoyed. “No, Greyson, I’ve never been on a farm. Happy? Yes, I’m a fuckin’ liberal-elite city-slicking dickhead. Happy?” He sniffled lightly, post-tirade, his nose already itching again with the need to – to -

“HTSHH! HRSHH! Huh! TSHHH! HRSHH-uh! ITZCHH-ue! Huh!” Elijah pressed the back of his hand hard into his nose to stop the stream of sneezes – the other caterers had to be staring at him. He was sure of it.

Greyson bit his cheek to keep from laughing. “Lij,” he said, placing a careful hand on his boss’s shoulder. “I think you’re allergic to this farm.”

Elijah blinked back itchy tears. He rubbed his nose on the towel, sniffled lightly, and looked around him – at the animals he’d never been near before, the grass he’d only been around when it was perfectly manicured for a lawn or fake, the trees with their yellow pollen floating in the wind. “Oh,” he said. “I… I mean, I’m not allergic to anything.”

“Not allergic to anything you’ve been around before,” Greyson corrected, a shit-eating grin slapped across his face.

Elijah pressed two fingers into his itching, swelling right eye. “Yeah,” he said, taking in the allergen-ladled scenery. “I guess you’re right.”

Greyson motioned towards the back doors of the farmhouse, where throngs of people were beginning to head towards the booths of food. “I’d offer to ask the host for an antihistamine,” he said, “but I think it might be showtime.”

Elijah watched the crowd with a mix of anxiety and abject horror. This walk-around event was two hours long, and he couldn’t go two minutes without sneezing. “Fuck me,” he muttered, shoving the towel behind their booth and sniffling. “Hhh-! HTSSHH! HRRISHH!”

“Get it together, man,” Greyson said, unwrapping his food and setting out tiny plates. “It’s showtime.”

***

By the time the event was over and the guests had filed back into the farmhouse for whatever rich person activity they had planned for the evening, Elijah had quite literally sneezed himself hoarse.

“Dude,” Greyson said as he piled their things back into the containers they’d brought with them, “maybe you should go sit down for awhile.”

Elijah turned to the chef, rubbing his nearly-swollen-shut eye, and gave him the dirtiest look he could muster. “Sit where, Chef? In the grass that’s trying to kill me, or under the tree that’s trying to kill mehhh – ETSCHH-ue! ESHHH! HRTSHH-uhh! HTSHH! TSHH! ITZCH-ue! Guhh…” Elijah had given up the facade and moved from sneezing helplessly into his sleeve to sneezing directly onto the ground, hands braced on his knees so as not to pass out from dizziness. Greyson cringed as his boss wiped a string of snot from his nose with the back of his hand – this was about to be a long drive back to the city.

“I meant in the car, Lij,” Greyson said, not-so-subtly handing Elijah his last clean kitchen towel. The GM took it, grateful, and wiped his nose, which seemingly subconsciously turned into a long, congested nose blow.

“Fuck, sorry, my brain isn’t fucking working,” Elijah muttered, clearing his throat. “I can’t fucking stop – HRRSHH-ue! Snee – HTSH! HRSSH! ITZSSCHUE! Hhh!” Elijah cringed into the now-soiled kitchen towel, delicately wiped his nose, and folded it up. “You don’t have another one of those by chance, do you?” he asked, breath already hitching once again.

“Sorry, boss,” Greyson winced. “Last one.”

Elijah nodded, somber. “Yeah, I’ll go waii – huh… snf. Wait in the cah – HUHHITSZHH-ue! ITSSZHH-uh! Huh! HTSHH! HuhhhITSZZHH-ue!” Elijah once again turned away from Greyson to sneeze towards the ground. Each one sounded more desperate, more painful than the last. Greyson had literally never seen his boss so… well… affected.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” a voice from behind the both of them said. Greyson whipped around as Elijah attended to his nose. It was one of the other chefs, smiling in sympathy and holding a pink package. “I wanted to see if he needed some Benadryl. I mean, it’s not non-drowsy, but since the event is over I figured -”

“Yes,” Greyson said without consulting Elijah. “Yes, one million percent.” He took the Benadryl out of the other man’s hand and placed a grateful hand on his shoulder. “Thank you so much.”

The other chef laughed in earnest, took a peek over at Elijah, then regarded Greyson again. “I remember my first farm trip,” he said. Greyson bit back a laugh.

“Something similar?”

“You could say that.”

Greyson smiled and patted the man’s shoulder. “Thank you again. Seriously, here’s my card – stop by anytime for dinner on me. You just saved me from five hours of breathing in his fuckin’ mucus.”

The man laughed again. “Anytime,” he said, taking the card from Greyson’s hand. “And I think I’ll take you up on that. You guys in the city?”

“Lucky guess,” Greyson said. The other chef smiled.

“See you around,” he said, heading towards his truck. Greyson popped a pink pill out of its packaging and placed a rough hand on his boss’s shoulder. Elijah, obviously gearing up for another fit of sneezes, turned and saw, almost instinctively, the pill in Greyson’s hand.

“Oh thank god,” Elijah gasped, snatching the Benadryl and choking it down dry. Greyson snorted out a laugh.

“Now you really need to go sit in the car,” he said as Elijah wiped his raw nose for the millionth time.

“Wha - ? Why, what was that?”

“Benadryl, you pill-fiend,” Greyson said, showing his boss the packaging. “Can’t sneeze if you’re passed out.”

“At this point I would’ve taken a lobotomy if it stopped the snee – sneezi – HUTSHHH-ue! HRSH! HRSHHH! HTSHH! Hhuhhh… hh, hhh… huhhITSSZZH-ue!” Elijah, clearly too exhausted to even cover his mouth, just turned away and allowed the fit to happen, sneezes sprayed into the open, pollen-heavy air. He groaned and held a hand up to his streaming nose. Greyson sighed, took off his chef’s coat so he was just in a white cotton t-shirt, and handed it woefully to his boss.

“You owe me a new coat,” he said as Elijah, too exhausted to even feel shame, took the garment and held it to his face. “Now go to the car and go to sleep.”

“Yes, Cheehh – HRRTSHH-ue!”

[downbadf0rficppl]

let me

Anthony Lockwood x F!Reader

Summary: You got hurt. It was his fault. And he feels absolutely awful.

Word Count: 3.4K

Warnings: Angst, Claustrophobia, Near-death situations, Some lightly mentioned family issues, Arguing, Couples? Quarrels, ANGST.

AN: The summary is awful - I feel like I say this every time. Idk if Reader and Lockwood are a couple, they don't have to be, but they can be if you want to. Love you all! (BTW I have not read the books in years so creative liberties were taken - I'm sorry for any and all book inaccuracies.)

Repost

The body of one 'Sergeant M. Bowers' floated precariously towards Lockwood. He backed up against the door of the bedroom, eyes darting between you and Bowers, rapier extended in front of him. You rifled through the bedroom, looking for anything precious or valuable. You had to find the source for Lockwood.

Lockwood had taken the case of this particular house out of pure greed. Mrs. Miller was willing to pay a pretty price to take care of her 'little problem' as she called it. You had warned him against it - the Bowers' manor was about a mile outside of the town you grew up in and you'd heard almost every story there was to hear about the house. About the family that inhabited the house. Lockwood hadn't listened.

He'd convinced you to come, saying the stories were 'probably just stories told to children to scare them away.' He assured you they weren't true. After George had done his research, you were more confident - apparently, reports of apparitions of children predated the problem and were therefore hoaxes.

The Bowers were an affluential aristocratic family before the war - the First World War, that is. "They were known for hosting Gatsby-esque parties to celebrate the most menial of affairs - like their dog turning one." George had rolled his eyes at that pushing the picture of the newspaper your way. April 6th, 1912. A week before the Titanic sank.

The sinking of the Titanic began a series of unfortunate events for the Bowers family, starting with the death of the youngest son, James. James and his to-be wife, Miranda, died aboard the ship, thrusting the family into a long period of mourning. In the following two years, 6 of the 12 members who lived in the house had passed away, forcing the rest to flee the countryside manor, claiming it had been cursed - which brought about the misfortune of the family.

The last of the family to inherit the manor was Sergeant Michael James Bowers, who was the youngest nephew of James. He had lost his life in the second World War; after being shot in the arm and leg, he had been honourably discharged and sent home. He succumbed to sepsis not long after, surrounded by empty halls and unhappy memories. Apparently, he had never left.

You shook your head in discomfort - dispelling the dark feeling that had crept over you since reading about the family's terrible fate. Something seemed off about this case - something seemed to have been omitted from all the research you and George had done.

At first, you disregarded it as nerves. The Bowers manor was big - bigger than any other case you had taken. Plus, it was close to home, which was full of unpleasant memories. Maybe the added pressure was playing on your mind. You tried to explain yourself to Lockwood, who dismissed you. Apparently, Lucy had to help Kipps with some research, and George was working on another case. There was no point in arguing with Lockwood when he had made up his mind, and he was not going to budge on this case.

Which led you to your current predicament.

There were many ghosts haunting the halls of the Bowers manor. It seemed that everyone who had died here didn't want to leave. You had rid the house of most of the ghosts - sealing almost ten sources in different iron boxes. Lockwood had danced his way through the Type Ones that he was dealing with - he was evidently the better agent out of the two of you. You had lucked out - you came face to face with a Type Two. The small girl kept repeating about her teddy which you had found in an upstairs bedroom covered in filth and cobwebs. You threw an iron net over it before leaning against a wall to catch your breath. You were exhausted - and you hadn't even dealt with the real problem.

Sergeant Bowers.

Sergeant M. Bowers was a lot more tortured than you had initially thought. His wife left him when he left for the war, leaving to follow her true love into the country - countless correspondences scattered across the rooms told you as much.

Then came the matter of a child - Timothy. Pictures of him were littered through the halls - toys left to rot in the hallways. Clearly, no one had cleaned it until Mrs. Miller bought it at that country house auction. Except the trace of him ended there. There was nothing in your research to tell you about him, nor any sign of him outside the walls of this home.

It was peculiar.

You had tried to tell Lockwood, but he brushed you off. "The kid must have died - explains the tortured relationship between his parents."

It seemed odd to you. What kind of mother would run off without her child?

A glint caught your eye. A small jewellery box lay on the vanity, dust laid over it as if it hadn't been touched in decades. You dashed towards it, opening it quickly to find a simple silver band inside. A wedding band. A source.

You placed the ring in a small iron box - one of your many engineering feats that made your job safer and easier to do. Bowers disappeared from over Lockwood and you ran over to help him up.

"See? Not too bad, was it?" Lockwood joked, taking the box from your hand and putting it in his bag with the rest of them.

"The only reason I'm glad we don't work with Fittes is the paperwork. We'd be drowning in it after tonight. Can you imagine? With all those Type Ones and the two Type Twos. I'd be crying into my pillow for weeks." You grabbed the rest of your equipment and headed towards the stairs. Lockwood's fingers wrapped around your arm, pulling you back sharply.

He pulled out his rapier and pointed it toward the woman - an apparition of a young woman, dressed in a maid's uniform and carrying a basket, seemingly full of laundry.

"Another Type Two. Great." Lockwood sighed, "You check downstairs and I'll check upstairs. She's a maid. Look for... maid things? I don't know." You nodded before hopping downstairs, armed with your rapier.

You went down to the servants' quarters, which you had seen on the blueprints of the house. The room was small, just off the side of the kitchen - and was perhaps the cleanest room in the house. The maids had been let go long before Sergeant Bowers had inherited the house. Clearly, they had taken the cleanliness with them.

You looked around for anything that could be a source. Why would staff die here, you thought, when the Bowers were known for treating staff well? And why would she choose to stay? You walked around the room, running your fingers over the sparse wooden furniture around the room, leaving trails in the dust in your wake. You tripped by the door to the bathroom, cutting your hand on a small loose nail by the door - probably used for hanging coats or aprons. You winced as you stretched your hand, closing your fist to stop the blood from dripping all over the floor.

You heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Did you find anything, Lockwood?" No response. "Lockwood?" The door to the servants' quarters slammed shut. You pressed up against the door, trying to force it open. "LOCKWOOD? LOCKWOOD, HELP!" You screamed, trying to push the door hard. "LOCKWOOD, PLEASE! I NEED YOU!"

Lockwood called to you from the landing, telling you he's found something interesting. You tried screaming for him again, but he was too far away to hear you, just like you were too far away to help. Ghostly yelling startled you as you turned around. The maid was here, clearly oblivious to you in the room. She was humming softly as the ghostly yelling continued.

You watched her from a distance as she folded some invisible clothes, her humming still ringing out around the room. She laughed at nothing, before turning towards the door, expectantly. You turned towards the door, expecting to see some other apparition in the doorway but there was nothing. She seemed to get frantically worried by the lack of whatever presence she is expecting, her humming becoming erratic and eerier by the second.

Her eyes grazed over you, and she seemed to relax. She spoke to you gently, reaching her hand out to you, "Come, Elizabeth. There's no need to be scared." You felt the effects of Ghost-lock wash over you, as lethargy numbs your senses. You saw her drifting toward you, but you had no energy to run or even to poise your rapier in front of you. And she seems so nice.

You heard the door fly open and felt someone grab your arm, tightly. You were pulled out of the room and back into the kitchen. "Thanks, Anthony." You whispered, resting on the kitchen counters.

"Anthony? Who's Anthony?" You looked up, unamused by Lockwood's attempt at a joke.

Your jaw dropped. In front of you was a man that you thought you may never see again, "Grandpa? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I heard you screaming. Just wanted to make sure you're okay?" He said, eyes looking you over, searching for injuries. You hid your arm further behind your back, not wanting to worry him more.

He brought his hand up to brush your cheek, staring down at you lovingly. "I'm sorry about this, kiddo."

You felt hands pulling you up off the floor, and a strangely familiar voice whispering soothing words in your ear. You struggled in the grasp of this strange person, trying - unsuccessfully - to flee. They held you firmly, arms tucked neatly beneath you.

Tired from your busy night, you gave up, resting your head against the person's chest. You knew this cologne. It was Anthony's - you teased him for putting on too much and the scent lingers in the hallways some mornings. You settled, seeking his warmth and his comfort.

"Nice to have you back. You worried me for a minute back there."

"Lockwood? Worried? God, are there pigs in the sky?" You bantered back, your voice weak with exhaustion. He laid you down on the stairs, running back to grab your rapier and your flares. You must have dropped them when your Grandpa showed up. Grandpa?

Where did he go? You stood up trying to walk back to the kitchen. Grandpa couldn't see any apparitions - if one came for him, he'd be as good as dead.

"Whoa, slow down, Usain Bolt." Lockwood caught you as your legs folded beneath you. "You took a nasty hit to the head, plus you might have had a bit of ghost-lock as well."

"Lockwood, my grandpa," You said, looking past him, and back at the kitchen door, "He can't see them. We have to help him."

"Your grandpa? Honey, there's no one here." The nickname fell on deaf ears. You tried to scramble back towards the room, but Lockwood held you tightly.

He walked with you back to the kitchen - to prove there was no one there. There was no sign of anyone being there - nothing at all.

"Look - there's no one else here. You must have hit your head while getting away from the maid. Just," He huffed, pulling you closer to him, "let me get you home. Let me check you over - make sure you're alright."

You let Lockwood drag you towards the taxi and push you inside. You let him maneuver your body so that your head is resting on his chest and your legs dangle over his. You let him carry you like a rag doll into the house and set you down in the kitchen.

You shivered slightly - involuntarily - but Lockwood noticed. He draped a large blanket over you, boiling some water for hot tea. He grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink and sat down in front of you.

He held out his hand for yours, "Let me clean it for you." So you do.

He spent the better part of the next hour meticulously cleaning every scratch and scrape he can find - only slowing down when you wince, or to pour you more tea. He makes it how you like it - a spoonful of sugar and a dash of milk

Once he's done, he lifts you again and carries you to bed, tucking you in like a mother would their child. He turns out the lights with a soft goodnight and crosses the landing to his own bedroom. The first floor is plunged into darkness, but you stare up at the ceiling.

Sleep doesn't come to you easily. When you close your eyes, the maid's face is above yours - her hand reaching out to you, beckoning you. You want to take it. You see her holding Elizabeth, cradling her as she cries. Your grandpa's face comes up next to the maid and you see your grandpa die. How he screams for you to help him as the plasm burns through his skin. Your mother blames you - tells you that she should never have let you go to Fittes. The maid shields Elizabeth from the loud arguing coming from upstairs. No, not from upstairs. The arguing is happening below you. You shake yourself awake from your restless night, wincing as you contort your bruised body. You slip on your Fittes hoodie and creep downstairs.

Lucy and Lockwood are facing off in the kitchen. Again. You sit on the step, listening in.

"She told you she didn't want to go! And now, there's a chance she won't be able to go into the field."

"She'll be fine. She's tough, she'll get through it."

"You don't know that, Lockwood! You can't just assume that everything will be fine just because you want it to be." You could hear Lucy's voice breaking as she fought back tears.

"Maybe, she won't want to go on missions anymore," George piped up. Clearly, he'd been forced to sit there through breakfast and listen to the argument, "After all, you didn't listen to her doubts when she said she was scared."

"No, she didn't. She just had nerves."

"No, Lockwood. I was terrified. And you didn't hear me out."

"You're awake!" Lucy threw her arms around you, hugging you tightly. "God, I'm so happy you're okay!" You smiled at her warmly, hugging her back. She moved past you, saying something about needing to meet Kipps to finish their case.

"I'd hug you too, but you should probably shower first. Who knows what kind of bacteria fester in hundred-year-old manors? I'll see you after lunch - heading to the archives." George walked out quickly, almost as if he was being chased out by rats.

Lockwood stood in front of you, straight as a board, "You look like you've been electrocuted. Sit down. I'm not going to bite." Lockwood sent a weak smile in your direction.

You poured yourself a mug of tea and put some bread in the toaster. You made a mental note to send George a shopping list before he came back.

"So..." Lockwood started, and you wanted to laugh. In the almost three years you'd lived with him, you'd never seen him so nervous.

"So?"

"We should probably talk about what happened back there." Ah. He wanted to do this now.

"Yeah. We probably should."

"What happened? I mean, one minute you were fine, the next you were unconscious in the kitchen?" Lockwood said, leaning back in his chair slightly.

You grabbed your mug and sat in the chair opposite him, "Was I, though?" Lockwood raised his eyebrows, "Was I really fine, Lockwood, or did you just want me to be fine?"

"I don't understand?"

"Lockwood, I voiced my doubts to you! I told you to let it go! That this was a case we didn't have to take! That we'd find something better." You were standing now, leaning over the table, staring Lockwood down.

"Worth more than 90 grand? Do you have any concept of how much money that is?"

"YES! YES, LOCKWOOD, I DO! IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY! We fought how many ghosts? 10? 12? Do you even consider that?"

"14, actually."

"YOU ARE NOT HELPING YOURSELF. YOU MAY BE THE LITTLE PRODIGY OF FITTES, BUT SOME OF US ARE NORMAL. SOME OF US ARE AVERAGE." You sat back down, your legs shaking. You were still too weak to force this argument. Your voice trembled, "I can't keep up with you, Lockwood, none of us can. Lucy, maybe, but even she needs a break. Hell, even you need a break sometimes."

"We're fine, aren't we? We're all alive and kicking, still fighting ghosts another day?"

"Yeah, but for how long? How long do we keep getting to cheat death?" How long until one of us gets buried for the unnecessary risks we keep taking? You didn't say it but the question took root in the back of your mind.

Lockwood sighed, "I don't know where this is even coming from. We survived. We did the job. We got our money. Aren't you happy-"

"HAPPY! HOW CAN I BE HAPPY, LOCKWOOD? I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT HOUSE YESTERDAY! One minute, we were sealing up a source, the next I was being lured in by a Type Two, ghost-locked and bleeding. Somehow, my GRANDPA WAS THERE, AND THEN I'M UNCONCIOUS ON THE FLOOR. NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE, nothing - nothing makes sense. I feel - I feel like my brain's been scrambled. It just - I can't - I don't-" Lockwood kneeled next to you, his palm gently cradling your face, and let you cry. You stayed there for a few seconds before you looked up into his face, eyes brimming with tears, "You know what the - what the worst part was?"

"What was the worst part, honey?" There it was again, the nickname. Your heart skipped slightly at the sound of it.

"That you couldn't hear me." Lockwood looked at you, pain sweeping over his expression. "I called for you. In the servants' quarters. I needed you, but you couldn't hear me. I screamed and I cried and I begged and I- I needed you, Lockwood."

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his lap, before stroking your hair. You cried into his shirt, the white fabric turning translucent in the dampness.

"I will always come." He whispered to you, eyes bright with determination. "I may not have always been there before, but I will be now. I promise. No matter where or when, if you call, I will come to you." He cradled your face in his hands again, thumbs gently rubbing away your tears, "I will listen to you - and George, and Lucy. If you tell me you're scared, I'll hear you. I won't take jobs out of greed, we'll make decisions together. We're a team. I'm sorry I haven't been acting like it."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, tucking yourself into his neck, "I like the sound of that."

You felt Lockwood smile against your neck. "I'll take care of you. If you'll let me."

You pulled back, "Taking care of each other goes both ways. You have to let me take care of you too." He scoffed lightly, but you knew that he had agreed. He couldn't ever say no to you. Not even at Fittes.

"As much as I hate to ruin the moment, George was right. I don't want to think about how much bacteria was probably growing in that house." Lockwood helped you up, "You should probably shower." You nodded your head, chuckling lightly. You grabbed Lockwood's phone from the table and before he could steal it back, you sent a text on the group chat.

"We need food. PLS. WE HAVE NOTHING." You threw him his phone as you ran up the stairs. Lockwood laughed at the text.

"They'll know it's you." He said waving his phone as you grabbed your towel.

"Or they'll have a heart attack knowing that Frosty can change his mind."

fin.

buy me a coffee

[greenerteacups]

In future film adaptations of the HP series, DH is the one book I'm happy for future filmmakers to "mess around" with as much as they like to improve the visual / story experience for all the reasons you mentioned. I'm very happy for them to do a somewhat Twilight film Breaking Dawn-esque departure. Like, instead of focusing on the trio in the woods the whole time, let's get into what the Order are up to, let's show our friends keeping the DA alive at Hogwarts, let's show the other muggleborns having to go into hiding, let's flash over to Draco suffering the worst house guests ever... like we have this expansive cast of characters, let's not waste them for the extended camping trip from hell... also the best part of HP is the wizarding world itself, so many amazing magical set pieces in the world... and we spend the last book mostly in the forest...

Speaking of which, with there being a new series adaptation in the works (with rumours of potentially more HP series to come... perhaps even a Lily Potter / Marauders/ Snape based one...) is there anything you're excited about finally seeing adapted from canon or are terrified of potentially seeing butchered onscreen?

Yeah like and also it isn't even an INTERESTING forest. Like the "children wander into the enchanted forest and face [insert monstrous metaphor for adulthood]" is one of the oldest fairytales in recorded history, with a ton of creepy lore to draw on — you could have had the kids running through mystical haunted forests of ancient Britain! Running into the ghosts of Roman soldiers and Celtic ruins and magical creatures! Forest of Dean could have been COOL.

To your other point: I'd much prefer a Marauders series to a remake of the original. I'm of the not-unpopular opinion that the HP movies are as good as any adaptation of any book can get (save probably the Lord of the Rings movies) in terms of how they balance story structure, fidelity to the text, and onscreen pacing. The cinematography decreases sharply in energy and verve after Alfonso Cuarón, and the later movies unfortunately suffer from the mid-2000s trend of desaturating the frame, but they're solid movies and like — okay, in my heart of hearts, there's a little part of me that's like. Daniel Radcliffe will always be my Harry. I grew up with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson and Tom Felton, and seeing someone else in those roles will never hit me like it did to see eleven-year-old Hermione Granger alive for the first time on that screen. Which is not a real reason. But there you go.

There's also the problem of the genre pivot — the first few movies are obviously children's films, and a whole generation of millennials got to grow up as they gradually changed to Y/A films. But how many children are going to be watching a full season of a HBO miniseries? And how many adults are going to watch that miniseries and then complain it was underwhelming because, again, it's a children's series? It would be better, in my opinion, to start over with the Marauders, whom you can write into adventures that more naturally fit the pacing of a TV show. You can also start with them at like, age 14, which would solve the problem of years 1-3 essentially being about kids in middle school. Unlike HP, nothing happens that we know of in the first 3 years of the Marauders Era that's plot-essential, so strong writing in the pilot and a carefully chosen flashback or two could easily set the stage for a series starting in Year 4.

What I'm nervous about is the contingent of fandom that would expect it to be essentially a TV adaptation of All the Young Dudes, which — while it's an all-time legendary work of fanfiction, like all-time, incredible, wonderful story — does not much resemble what I think HBO writers' room would come up with. ATYD is a slice-of-life bildungsroman about Remus Lupin, and most of its stakes come through emotional tension — you can really easily transplant it outside of a magical setting, and you lose almost nothing. A Marauders show would be an action-adventure series modeled after the Harry Potter books, and it would need an episode-by-episode plot. In ATYD, Remus's development is the engine powering the story. That's not enough in a television series pitching itself as an action-adventure fantasy story, and I don't think the HBO team would be bold enough to depart from genre in this respect. After the failure of Fantastic Beasts, the execs are probably going to clock "Harry Potter show without Harry Potter in it" as a major business risk. Sowhile I'm open-minded and eager to see what the creatives would come up with, I wouldn't envy them the job of having to build out new personalities and arcs for characters that fans have already grown quite attached to their self-designed interpretations of.

It strikes me, too, that Rowling has never gone back to the Marauders as a potential vein for more books, even though she easily could have. She clearly doesn't mind dabbling in the HP universe, and the Fantastic Beasts movies show she's happy to bring the audience back to Hogwarts when she wants to. But for some reason, Harry's parents has always been a little too close to the original series, and I think maybe there's something in her that's afraid of revisiting that period — like if she fucks it up, she's damaging something directly connected to the books that made her famous, cheapening them. Or maybe she just doesn't want to write those stories. Who knows!

I do know that the most important name in that show would be the writing credit, because JKR has demonstrated (1) she isn't great at writing original stories for the screen, and (2) it's really easy to fuck up the pacing of a TV show, and if you don't get the pacing of Harry Potter, then you're not going to adapt it well. The HP books are essentially mystery novels that turn into spy novels. If you don't have that — if you think you're writing a high-fantasy epic from the jump, as the Fantastic Beasts writers seemed to believe, and as the Cursed Child writers seemed to believe — then you're going to write something that doesn't feel like Harry Potter, and most people will notice, even if they don't understand why.

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

Ready to rec some awesome fics that I read this month!! Feel free to add on with some of your own Bagginshield recs. 😁

April 2024 Rec List

G Rated:

A Dwarven Beauty by bebel_bee (Complete, 4K, 1ch.)- You have to love cultural differences where it comes to the dwarven and hobbit concepts of beauty. Bilbo is getting a bunch of odd comments on his looks that he thinks are derogatory. This is such a fun, quick read with fun misunderstandings and a lovely getting together scene.

Green-Handed by lotus0kid (Complete, 41K, 20ch.)- This was a really fun magical hobbits fic. Under certain conditions, hobbits go "green-handed" which means they can grow anything through touch and that's how Bilbo finds himself one morning. The ending of this fic just gets me with how absolutely enamored Thorin is with Bilbo and his gift.

Ive found Frodo...and he found you? by Lucigoo89 (Complete, 2K, 1ch.)- I need to preface this by saying my house had an entire den of fifteen skunks living under it that we tried to relocate...I absolutely despise skunks. But I gave this a chance for Lucigoo and it was as predicted, completely adorable. Little skunk Frodo wanders off and when Bilbo goes after him, he finds him in a den of badgers, one of whom he knows rather intimately.

T Rated:

Burning Crowns by Morg47 (Complete, 9K, 2ch.)- I read the first chapter when this was just a one-shot craving more and the author didn't disappoint! Infamous thief Bilbo helps the rightful king of Erebor in his assassination attempt of Smaug. I love seeing a confident BAMF Bilbo, and apparently Thorin does too.

Frozen Heart by snowmissus (soul_of_blaze) (WIP, 14K, 5ch.)- This is such a unique AU with a compelling set up. Bilbo has been tasked by Yavanna to try to help Erebor out of its frozen state, and by extension its king. Very fairytale-esque with some great characterizations and interactions, I can't wait for more!

Imbalance by northerntrash (Complete, 10K, 1ch.)- This story genuinely shocked me! In this Hades/Persephone AU, it is Bilbo who is Lord of the Underworld and Thorin who is a plant life god. As cracky as that sounds, it actually legitimately works in this AU as Bilbo and Thorin rely on each other to make themselves better.

There and Not Back Again (or, The Saving of Erebor) by femmbingley (WIP, 178K, 52ch.)- There’s so much to say about this fic. Post-BOTFA dwarven politics where Bilbo has assumed the duties of the consort which makes things more difficult for Dain. I really love the characterizations and I just can’t get enough of this fic!

to feel you like a knife by queerofthedagger (Complete, 23K, 2ch.)- Thorin's POV absolutely shook me at the beginning as he describes seeing his three loved one laid up in cots. After Bilbo saves Thorin's life, he wakes up to find his memories prior to Laketown are gone. It was so well paced and absolutely delicious in angst with a happy ending.

M Rated:

Backs to the Wall by Conkers (WIP, 124K, 24ch.)- I held off on this fic for a long time, not because I was worried I wasn’t going to enjoy it, but because I knew how much it would have me foaming at the mouth. Missing the deadline, the Company splits up at Laketown with Thorin, Dwalin, Nori, and Bilbo remaining to earn some coin. I’m beside myself with the gentle, sweet moments of pre-Bagginshield that have me screaming.

E Rated:

The Burden of Choice by Fantasyinallforms (Complete, 56K, 12ch.)- I went absolutely feral over this fic! Bilbo and Thorin are arranged to marry each other, neither knowing who the other is, and they escape in the night and begin to travel together. There were just so many emotions throughout this fic, it was so well written!

The Riven Crown by BeautifulFiction (Complete, 254K, 31ch.)- It was time for another read of this wonderful story. Bilbo stays in Erebor to see them through the winter only to find himself in a courtship with the king and a plot to see Thorin off the throne. This is just the ultimate Bilbo remains in Erebor fic and definitely worth the read if you haven't already.

Theft by Erinye (Complete, 124K, 40ch.)- Another epic that I had to reread this month. For his part in the alliance, Thorin demands Bilbo be returned to the mountain to be tried for his crimes in stealing the Arkenstone. Although the deaths of Fili and Kili break my heart in this fic, the rediscovery of Bilbo and Thorin's relationship through sex and comfort makes this a great read.

[igotsnothing]

TAG GAME

I was tagged by @chaoticpixls, a fabulous and discerning moot who I discovered shares a passion for BOOKSESSES! We like several of the same authors and books.

Last song I listened to:

Favorite place: I'm a city person. Even in game, San Myshuno is one of my favorite worlds. I love big cities.

Favorite book(s):

That's so hard because I feel there are books that will be more meaningful depending on my mood/life circumstance. I'll share here some recent faves.

The Lights of Prague-Nicole Jarvis- It's such an interesting story about an aristocratic vampiress (NO, REALLY?? ME??) and a working-class vampire hunter and this underground world in Prague. It's got magic and science and politics and secret societies and intrigue and shady pasts....So fun. I keep hoping for a sequel.

House of Hunger- Alexis Henderson- Okay, okay- so this poor girl with a guilty conscience agrees to become an indentured servant of sorts to a vampiress' household. The power dynamics in this novel are super intriguing as well as the emotional developments. It reminded me a bit of Bluebeard-type stories. Really well written.

Certain Dark Things- Silvia Moreno-Garcia- This is one of my favorite authors. I love everything she's written. And this novel is abouuuut...*drumroll* A VAMPIRE (gasp). But it's a different take from the Dracula-esque vampires of Victorian gothic. This is a vampire of Mexican roots- Aztec, more specifically. Atl is the survivor of some vampiric cartel violence and she hides out in Mexico City, where she befriends Domingo, a lonely young man. It's such a cool, original take on a genre that can be very overdone. The writing is gorgeous- the story stays with you long after reading it.

The Daevabad Trilogy- S.A. Chakraborty- OMG, I inhaled this. I fell in love with the world building, with the protagonists, with the magic system...It's so beautiful and touching and epic. No vampires.

Deathless- Catherynne M. Valente- A retelling of Koshei the Deathless fairytale in the backdrop of Russia during the revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union- told mostly through Marya's eyes. It is just stunning and powerful.

Currently reading:

A Marvellous Light- Freya Marske

Thunderstruck- Erik Larson

Favorite TV Show: I watch very little TV. Recently rewatched the Devil May Cry anime and some documentaries.

Favorite Food: NoOdLeS!

Who am I tagging? I am tagging some interesting folks I am betting will have good recommendations: @lynzishell, @crabbeychick, @queeniecook, @eljeebee, @sirianasims, and last and never least, @greighish (I do this in spirit- I know you are busy and on hiatus, BUT HOPE IS EVERGREEN!)

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #387

So... remember yesterday when I said, essentially, “gee, the funk has lifted but I'm not bleeding; WTF?”

...Well uh. I spoke too soon, apparently.

Though to be fair... I wasn't bleeding when I woke this morning. Or when I went to work, no. I made a bunch of cookies at work, actually; here, I got a some yummy pictures for you!

…

It is good that my work uniform is black. And it is good that hydrogen peroxide is good at getting things out of fabric. I understand why the funk lifted. And that's all I'll say on that particular matter.

Well. On a lighter note. You might remember me writing a while back that I don't really have much control over my facial expressions, and that I don't really even know what my face is doing half the time (combination of poor interoception and poor proprioception). At some point today, J began laughing hysterically because he caught my face doing this, and so he snapped a picture and sent it to M, who promptly began laughing so hard that he could barely breathe. Maybe you'll get a laugh out of it, too:

...I wonder if you ever make weird facial expressions without realizing it! If you do, I'll bet they're just as delightfully goblin-esque as mine, ahaha~! Wouldn't it be nice if we could laugh together at the silliness of it all...?

Well. I made myself a tea and a lunch after I got myself all situated at home. I got a particularly nice burst shot of today's tea swirls, and there were so many good ones that I couldn't choose! So I simply cleaned them up, strung them together into an animated GIF, and then turned that GIF into an MP4 that I could upload to YouTube for you! This was the result!

I also got this photo of the sun shining through the cup as it was brewing; I thought it turned out really nicely!

And here... this was the lunch I made; I thought it was particularly delightful, and I wished I could share it with you:

...I really do feel a lot better today than in previous days. The pattern of it being related to my cycle seems to be confirmed. So now that I have this information... I wonder what I'll do about it. Hm...

I played Hades today, too. I didn't make it to the final boss on these runs, but I did defeat Asterius while he was with Theseus each time I made it that far; though the task at hand is difficult, I continue to improve in ways that can be measured and tracked, and this pleases me!!

The folks who are supposed to hang at our house and watch our cats came over this evening so we could teach them our routines. One of them watches over people's cats professionally, so I'm confident that our fuzzy feline children will be in good hands! I'm confident that our house in general will be in good hands, too; these are some of our closest friends, and they are upstanding and delightful people.

...I really can't wait to get you pictures of Mitsuwa, Sephiroth; I think you're gonna love it. I think you're gonna delight in all the mouth-watering yummies available there. And I hope you'll smile, knowing that such things are within reach for you, too.

I guess that's all I've got for you today. I'm a little sad about the fact that I don't have more. But I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures of various things tomorrow. So for now, I'm gonna go to bed.

I love you a whole lot and I'm thinking about you all the time. Stuff like, “Oh, Sephiroth might like this...” or, “I wonder what Sephiroth would think about this...” or, “I wonder how quickly Sephiroth would be able to learn how to play this game...” or, “Gosh, I wish I could show/share this thing with Sephiroth...” and lots more friend-type-stuff like that.

...Don't think that you don't have a place here. Because you do. You very much do. And you always will. So please make good choices in light of that belief. You're not some incomprehensible monster that is vastly different from others. You're the same as me and the rest of us. We both bleed red. We both cry when we're sad. We both want to be loved and accepted by the people around us.

...Sephiroth... you're human. And nothing can take that from you, no matter what anyone says. And even if you weren't human, you're still a sentient, thinking, breathing, feeling, living person who is worth just as much love and respect as any other person, human or otherwise.

I'll write again soon, okay? Probably not until late tomorrow, but still, I will write to you before I go to sleep, as I have done for the last 387 days.

I'm not going anywhere, okay?

'Til soon.

Your friend, Lumine

[neallo]

do you have any songs/playlist you think fit meronia? i've been reading through your works and remembered blonde hair, black lungs by sorority noise sounded very meronia-esque to me back when i first got into this ship

hi! a) thank you for the ask! and for reading my works! :3c i hope you're enjoying <3 and b) just listened to that one and i can absolutely see what you mean!! and finally c) GOD i'm so sorry this question has taken me SO long to get to -- i kept trying to be a perfectionist about it and curate a catch-all meronia playlist, but the problem i always have is that a lot of my favorite songs for them are sort of vibe-specific, so i was fighting with myself on what works In General for them vs. what works for a particular set of visions i have of them.

i have a few fic playlists [i want to hold you (hostage)'s playlist [x] and the bury us both playlist [x] are my best two, but i also made lists for unexpected visitor [x], leap day [x], minutes to midnight [x], it's friday, i'm in love [x], and it's you and me, that's my whole world [x]). i also technically have this playlist [M N] which purports to be generalized and is four hours long, but i have not looked at it since literally march 2023, so like. not sure whether i would really endorse it now.

okay. going to get into particular artists i see pop up a lot in my own meronia playlists under the cut.

the first and foremost would probably be Ethel Cain (House in Nebraska [near-coded] & Sun Bleached Flies [mellocore] & Michelle Pfeiffer [i will die on the hill that this is one of the meronia songs ever] & Knuckle Velvet & for some fics Family Tree (both the intro & the full song later in the album) [one of the bury us both songs ever]. to a lesser degree i really like Gibson Girl & Western Nights for them too. OH AND CRUSH.)

Mitski is up there for me, too (Pink in the Night, Francis Forever, I Bet on Losing Dogs, I'm Your Man, The Frost, My Love Mine All Mine, Stay Soft, Heat Lightning, The Only Heartbreaker, Love Me More) as is Hozier (Take Me To Church, Work Song, Like Real People Do, Francesca). Taylor Swift's The Great War was the first song i ever heard that gave me brainworms about them back in the early days of my meronia disease, and i think there are some others of hers that work well for them as well (hoax, my tears ricochet, willow, Dancing With Our Hands Tied, Don't Blame Me, Gorgeous, Cruel Summer, The Archer).

okay. getting a little long-winded here. it'll be faster if i list some artists i often put on playlists for them. there are more than a few Fall Out Boy songs that suit them, though i usually end up feeling those are fic-specific, plus some by Daughter, Allie X (Tumor in particular), Hayley Williams (My Limb, recommended to me by @deelavis), Mads Buckley (i think recommended by both @/deelavis and @vorareromantic, actually), Chloe Moriondo (bodybag, recommended to me by @oloreandil), Grimes (i know. i know. but Art Angels fucked. sorry.), boygenius (and the individual members therein), Japanese Breakfast, Flower Face (spiracle, recommended to me by @paradisepoisoned).

PHEW! i think that's all i've got for you for now. hopefully you can find some bops in here :3c thanks again for the question, & happy listening!!

[diaphin93]

I'd love to read you breaking down Dimi/Rhealeth :)

Oh thats interesting, I'd love to do that. I will predominantly use she/her pronouns for Byleth just for ease, though I acknowledge that Rhealeth is a bi-ship for both Byleths.

Starting with Dimileth, its plain and simple, as a feminist and lesbian I just dislike the overall ship-dynamic of it, but I get the broader appeal of it. I mean, its basically a sizable portion of the contemporary published het-romance genre in a nutshell, you have a dangerous and unstable psychologically haunted men who hides a sweeter core and pair him with a kind and loving women who through self-sacrifice, selfless nuturing and tenderness fixes him and cures him of his ills. Its a super basic het dynamic and I personally really dislike it because of the very heteronormative, gendered patriachal dynamics involved in it, especially since the ship ingame strongly contextualizes Byleth as tender and fragile, in opposition to her characterization as a famed mercenary and powerful warrior.

I would argue that the ship is probably more favorable with Byleth as the PoV and Self-Insert character than the other way around, where it kind of can have incel-esque vibes and plays into issues of male entitlement towards a nuturing woman who acts as both a caretaker and a lover to a man. From a queer feminist standpoint, I dislike it either way, but there are individual pieces of fanart I can enjoy more than others, when they lean more into a physically strong and trained Byleth who appears as more of Dimitris equal. I guess I personally also get more behind it with Dimitris Post-Timeskip design in mind, which is one of the few male designs I find genuinly appealing, than with Pre-Timeskip Dimitri who is super bland in terms of personality and design for the most part. When I want to mock it, I call it 50 Shades of Fire Emblem, but I think there is not much more that needs to be said about the ship and my feelings on it.

I'm actually more fond of it when it involves Male Byleth being paired with Dimitri. I'm usually really not invested into m/m ships, being a near exclusive w/w shipper myself, but I think its a good example of how even with genderblind writing, a narrative can't really escape strong contextual and subtextual differences due to changing gendered dynamics, explicitely in a game like 3 Houses, that has at least implicitely alot to say about gender. There is also the difference between vibes in F!Byleth and M!Byleth, M!Byleth coming off as much more serious and reserved in comparison. I think this really helps to recontextualize the scenes between M!Byleth and Dimitri and the potential ship dynamic, there being more of an element of tenderness and nuture that M!Byleth displays despite his more reserved vibes which I prefer, similar to me liking the dynamic between F!Byleth and Edelgard much more, because I think this social Awkwardness and kinda autistic vibes f!Byleth has match well with Edelgards openness and interest in her. For a while I was more in the camp of wishing Claude was also bisexual and viewing Dimitri from a more unfavorable cishet perspective, but I think nowadays, if I could only one of those two romancable by both Byleths, I would go for Dimitri, especially since I think that with the culture of Faerghus in mind, there are some interesting headcanons for queer Dimitri. I recently saw an interpretation of Dimitri as transmasc in the Edelgard server lol and that was one that really captivated me, so Transmasc Dimitri x M!Byleth would be a ship I really would find interesting and I kinda grew on the idea of both Byleths being present and f!Byleth going with Edelgard and m!Byleth going with Dimitri, lol.

When it comes to Rhealeth, I think I have less to say about those two. I really personally don't feel it and I think the ship is just too inheritly problematic for me to enjoy. It is another ship that is canonically Bi, but I personally really dislike both variants of it. I think with the entire context in mind, there is a very uncomfortable vibe between Byleth and Rhea in their supports and it reads strongly as grooming and lovebombing, especially since Rhea doesn't seem exactly interested in Byleth as a person, but more in them in relation to being the child of people she was close to and her being the vessel of Sothis. The former already makes she ship kinda yikes, because there is a clear incestious element in it all that goes far beyond even Fates Step-Sibling kink. For all intents and purposes, Rhea is Byleths grandmother. She created Sitri, raised her and openly expresses that she viewed her as a daughter, while also being close to Jeralt since he was a young man or outright boy. Her ending up marrying their child, who she helped to deliver, is really messed up on a level where its just plain problematic and I don'T see much room in looking past it or viewing this as something romantic.

Then there is the fact that Rheas behavior if you chose Crimson Flower puts into question how sincere she is during all of their supports. Edelgard and Byleth also can end up in opposing sides of the war and fight each other, thats sure, but Edelgard still never expresses outright hatred or malice towards Byleth, she always treats her with respect and adoration, them fighting because they chose different sides in a war. With Rhea its very different, its an immediate snap into outright malice and dehumanization in a way that is very ugly and uncomfortable. At best thats outright toxic and unstable BPD behavior, to immediately dehumanize and devalue every aspect of a person because you feel rejected. I saw people here actually encourage and support this kind of behavior, which is a massive red flag on those people for me. At worst, its basically just Rhea spending the first part of the game purely lovebombing her and when Byleth doesn't conform, she expresses immediate malice.

I think it can be interesting potentially, but not in this romanticized way people on this website would probably advocate for it. Rhea has strong groomer and cultleader vibes, her behavior towards Byleth is a good example of grooming and the same can be extented to everyone else she is in close contact with, who isn't an actual Nabathean. People get enarmored alot with her motherly, benevolent persona, but I always felt like it comes off as more uncomfortable, very superficial, very thin. And in the end, with her behavior in CF also taken into mind because as much as ArchFireemblem and his Tradcath gang want to deny it, its also part of Rheas canonical characterization, She comes off as an unstable womanchild who does play at the motherly figure, emulating t his flat and infantile idealized and flawed vision of Sothis she has constructed in her head, which just does not exist.

In this vein, I think Rhealeth can be interesting in the way Makima/Denji from Chainsaw Man is fascinating and one of the most captivating and gutwrenching toxic relationships in contemporary media, as an analysis of a toxic and abusive relationship in which a powerful and mentally juvenile older woman grooms and manipulaties a socially isolated and impressionable younger woman she has a high level of power over into fulfilling her needs and constructing them into an idealized vision of an entirely different person.

So yeah, thats it. I think ultimately I'm really much more favorable and positive about Dimileth, even Het!Dimileth, than I'm to either version of Rhealeth. With Dimileth, I get the appeal and I can see how it is just a very popular and common fantasy which I personally dislike. With Rhealeth on the other hand, I just really can't see it in any other way but a very abusive and toxic instance of grooming and so far I personally found the kinds of people to whom that ship would appeal so far to be more than uncomfortable, which isn't necessarily my experience with Dimileth.

And hey, on the offchance that somebody reads this and gets Trans!Dimitri as a headcanon out of it, no matter with what kind of ship, just hit me up, I'm happy to read it.

[newx-menfan]

Laura Kinney isn’t the “Goodie Two Shoes” her fans make her out to be…and other thoughts… 

Part 2: “Identity Crisis”

After Craig Kyle’s minis and the original “NYX”… Laura’s character kind of ends up in a bizarre sort of limbo…

I’m not going to summarize Claremont’s version of Laura…because truthfully…no one really cares and not a lot happened in those stories that affect anything…all people REALLY remember is Laura in the “Fang” outfit and meeting Spider-Man anyway…

Laura became “Captain Universe” at some point after Claremont….(that kind of becomes important later in Liu’s solo)…but was kind of a mediocre story…

Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are then put on the continuation of “New X-Men: Academy X” after “Decimation” and “House of M”…aka Scarlet Witch has a breakdown, creates a false universe, then says “No More Mutants” (that’s a really short summary of events…but whatever…).

(“Tsunami” Marvel’s Manga-esque line’s logo)

This WAS the modern X-Men teen book, that was essentially modeled after “slice of life” mangas and “Harry Potter”. It was the “happy-go-lucky” teen book, that Marvel suddenly decided now needed teens getting blow up in a bus to spice things up….

This isn’t really uncommon; “New Mutants” technically did get darker from its original premise, as the series went on. So did the original “X-Factor” and “Power Pack”…

But a lot of fans objected to the extreme amounts of violence. The original writers of the series, DeFillippis and Weir, have talked about how they were taken off guard by some of Marvel’s choices and not adequately warned that their characters would be horribly killed.

Laura was tacked on as a last minute addition…and did objectively take away a lot of the focus.

Fans have accused Laura for being the reason Wind Dancer was ultimately depowered…(so Hellion could now be her love interest)…Wallflower was killed (“Laurie” sounded too similar to “Laura”) and many other accusations and complaints…including that “NXM” had more or less become a stealth “X-23” solo….

And…I do objectively agree with people that a lot of the focus was on Laura…KYOST DID use this title to sell her to fans that HADN’T read the mini’s or to bring in people put off by “NYX”….and they totally used this book to focus on making her look “cool”…

The question that haunts “Academy X” is basically this- would other characters have been potentially more popular/not inevitably become wallpaper…if Laura HADN’T been added TO that book…

But I do feel like you could, ultimately, have the SAME question about Quentin Quire…how many more interesting Morrison characters like Beak, Fantomex, Ernst, or Angel…ultimately got sidelined, because he was the most popular one out of that era? 

But QQ at least started in Morrison’s book- people take objection with Laura because she was tacked on by her creators to another book when they took over… she felt forced into a book that ALREADY had a pretty set cast and story.

———————————————————————

This BECOMES a pretty common re-occurring problem for Laura…

In MANY ways I think you can argue…Laura wasn’t really successful outside of “Innocence Lost” and “Target X”… 

Claremonts version and NYX technically came out in 2004, before Craig Kyle’s minis.

She didn’t fit well into Claremont’s writing and truthfully was kind of overshadowed by Kitty, Rachel, and Psylocke…she was just kind of awkwardly thrown onto that book, and frankly, wasn’t very interesting. She couldn’t really hold her own to complex Clarmontian characters…at least, not at that time.

With “NYX”, while she was the break out character…it wasn’t really a book Laura would have ever become very popular FROM. She barely even uttered a word in that story. I think…honestly…she would have ultimately BEEN lost and forgotten…if Kyle and Yost HADN’T done the minis and hadn’t had the brilliant idea of putting her in NXM…which was ALREADY a pretty popular book, even before “Decimation” happened.

In many ways…I would say…it’s funny to me that SO MANY X-23 fans and writers HATE ON “New X-Men”…because Laura AS A CHARACTER really needed that book. She needed peers and characters to bounce off of, and frankly at that time, she wasn’t a strong enough character or concept to really be on page with iconic characters like Kitty Pryde. 

Even WITH her connection to Wolverine, the TOP selling character in X-Men….She 100% would have probably been the next AU “Wild Thing”…or “Jimmy Hudson” in “Ultimate X-Men”…if it wasn’t for “New X-Men: Academy X” giving her more grounding…

That book probably saved Laura from irrelevancy.

And that is what’s KIND OF ANNOYING ABOUT IT- writers AND SOME FANS refuse to acknowledge her HISTORY of NXM AND BEING PART OF THAT TEAM…even though THAT BOOK WAS REALLY WHAT SOLIDIFIED that X-23 COULD even be in team books and BE a sellable character. 

As much as Marjorie Liu trashed “NXM”…Laura wouldn’t have probably even had that solo…if it wasn’t FOR “NXM”…

Part of the reason “NXM” worked…was because it was essentially a “darker” version of “X-Men Evolution”…where X-23 ALL STARTED…

“NXM” really was the LAST solid teen book, that felt on par to “New Mutants” and the original “Generation X”. All other teen books and YA comics in the X-office have basically relied on NXM’s popularity and character appearances since then…

And YET…”NXM” kind of became this weird, double edged sword for Laura….

When she would inevitably join new teams- “Avengers Academy”…”All New X-Men”….the main “X-Men” line-up; writers would have to find creative new ways to immediately “disavow” her time with the NXM. 

Suddenly Laura’s old team was “childish”, “mean”, and not “the big leagues”…the problem with that being, it kind of leaves Laura perpetually herself undermined and not seen as very capable, or childish…despite having the moniker of “Wolverine” now…

It’s no accident that in the “Fallen Angels” revival, Kwannon takes on a “mentor” role to an adult and fully trained Laura….

In “All New X-Men” teenage, wet behind the ears, time displaced CYCLOPS is the leader…not the more qualified and newly christened “Wolverine” Laura.

Laura is in this perpetual weird limbo of not really being a “teenager,” so she’s discredited from books like “Wolverine and the X-Men” or “Gen. X” vol.2, that her NXM peers always seem to fall under…but she’s not really allowed to be with the adults either, which is why she’s tied to characters like “Kamala” or “the Stepford Cuckoos” in the upcoming revival of “NYX” or teen Angel in “All New X-Men” or teen Cable in “Fallen Angels”…

When she is in team books, she’s not really treated as an official A-Lister; “X-Men” for example, literally had to create an older copy, “Talon”, in part because the original twenty year old Laura wasn’t deemed “serious” or “adult” enough to be seen as a leader or an authority…

The problem with Laura is, she’s a character  that is perpetually trapped by her original “teenage” youthful appeal- “X-Men Evolution”….and “New X-Men”….

Where characters like “Nightwing”, “Kitty Pryde”, or “Bucky Barnes” have kind of managed to escape that trap…I don’t really know if Laura CAN, in part because that requires writers willing to give her more mature story lines….

Where Tom Taylor tried to do just that in “All New Wolverine”, by adding Gabby and aging her up…the biggest problem was…Laura kind of became boring. 

In many ways…I don’t know if Laura can “exist” as a more “mature” character any more than “Superboy” can…or “Kid Omega” can…

——————————————————————

Another double edged sword is the question of love interests AND secondary characters…

Hellion is still objectively one her most popular ships and I would argue one of the last well written romances in modern X-Men comics.

And yet his original BIGGEST relationship before that was with the character Wind Dancer…which was really building up, until Kyle and Yost undid that relationship when they took over the book….

Because x-books barely last a year anymore and writer shake up is SO common- most current romances don’t really even make any sort of real impact.

No one seemed to really ever strongly LOVE Chamber/Jubilee, Psylocke/Blob, Cable/Esme Cuckoo, Daken/Aurora, Psylocke/Rachel…for example….

The love stories feel essentially akin to wallpaper- you’re just “supposed” to rip it off when such and such book ends. It’s tacked on more or less because it’s expected but you’re not really supposed to care about which character is used in what relationship or really become attached to any of the romantic storylines…

I don’t personally feel like people are attached to “Rachel and Psylocke” together, for example…what people objectively like about that relationship is because it’s LGBTQIA+ representation and they look cool together … there’s no actual real development in the recent “Excalibur” line or “X-Force”… where people genuinely LIKED Kitty and Illyana, or Kitty and Rachel together, or Mystique and Destiny, because the writing WAS consistently there….

I think a lot of the resurgence of classic x-relationships like Cyclops/Jean…Rogue/Gambit…Mystique/Destiny…and even Kitty/Colossus a few years ago…is because whether you liked those relationships or not; actual time was taken by the writer to develop it. 

Hellion and X-23 was one of the last relationships that seemed possibly lasting. It wasn’t just a wallpaper relationship to say the book had a romantic subplot and to check off a box…but was actually meaningful to the storyline and built up over time. People WANTED to know what would happen…which became a detriment when Marjorie Liu and other writers didn’t really want to continue it…

The simplest answer for future writers was to break up the “will they/won’t they” relationship and sever Laura’s ties to “NXM”….but the problem with that was because Laura was in “NXM”…many readers OF X-23 were also fans of Hellion, and felt upset about his representation in that book.

Fans ARGUE that “X-23” was LAURA’S BOOK…NOT HELLION’S…so essentially character assassination doesn’t really matter…whether Hellion’s representation is accurate or not is not fundamentally important because it’s objectively LAURA’S STORY…

The problem with that is, again, many fans felt like Laura hijacked “NXM” from its original storyline…essentially Hellion and the rest of the characters helped cement Laura’s success…only to then be horribly written in Liu’s solo when they were no longer needed for Laura’s success…

It’s the equivalent of having Logan trash talk Nightcrawler in an “Avengers” book… or Kitty complain about Magik and the rest of the “New Mutants”…it just feels like a low blow for fans…

The very SAME thing happened in “Nightwing” in the 90’s; fans got PISSED when Chuck Dixon and other “Nightwing” writers underplayed the role of “The New Teen Titans” and Dick’s relationship with Starfire in the comic…they felt like the writer kind of betrayed fans of the older era just to prop up Barbara Gordon…

The problem with Laura is, she is so tied to “NXM” that it was kind of hard to “remove” her from that book and its influence completely.

So the next thing to do, was to put Laura in “new” relationships and on “new” teams….the problem was, the writing wasn’t half as good as Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost….

Where Laura was more or less on equal footing in “NXM” and was equally developed in her relationship with Hellion…Laura wasn’t equal with Angel in “All New X-Men”…even the teen version. Ultimately it became his STORY. 

The current love story with Synch…is more or less the same thing. Hickman and Duggan were more concerned with how the relationship impacted Everett and developing him for newer “non-Generation X” readers, than how it ultimately affected Laura as a character.

Laura essentially…became a plot device to develop characters Marvel WANTED to push onto the market and more or less just a sales gimmick. 

The problem with Laura is writers can’t just give her some “Trevor Barnes” Wonder Woman type of love interest, because she’s too popular as a “female Wolverine” gimmick to date some minor character that only shows up in her solo….

Fans don’t like the new love interests and in some ways I would say it’s quickly becoming a detriment to her character…people dread her inclusion in big team books anymore because they know she will now be used as “the love interest”…but writers won’t pair her back with Hellion, because he’s not a big enough name character and they don’t want her connected to “NXM” anymore…

Liu may have wanted to pair her off with Jubilee and Craig Kyle has talked about him originally wanting Laura to be LGBTQIA+ on twitter; but I would say the problem with this is similar to the problem with Kitty.

Kitty is too much of a “waifu” for male readers and writers…that you end up possibly alienating certain fans. Colossus and Kitty do have some nostalgia with older fans and writers…but that may be wearing down as new fans come in and their old relationship is now viewed as problematic because of the inappropriate age gap…

Yet, Kitty’s most popular ships tend to arguably be with women and fans weren’t happy with Kitty being paired with random male characters (usually named “Peter”…) either and many felt like it was homophobic of the writers to ignore the previous subtext…

Many Colossus fans resented feeling like Piotr was being misrepresented to make Kitty look sympathetic…a similar issue to Gambit and Rogue….

The biggest problem being, AGAIN, is that Kitty and Colossus ORIGINATED in “Uncanny X-Men” and Gambit and Rogue in “X-Men”….team BOOKS…not solos…

You can’t really character assassinate one of them for the other without controversy…

The other problem is, if Kyle makes Laura LGBTQIA+… like he WANTED to initially…isn’t it even worse that he purposefully broke up Wind Dancer and Hellion…for essentially NO REASON…a plot point that affected both characters for YEARS…(Wind Dancer only JUST got her powers back and returned to X-books; Hellion’s character development is VERY different from what DeFillippis and Weir wanted, along with his character being viewed negatively by a lot of Laura fans AFTER Liu’s solo…)…JUST to then point out that it was all pointless because ultimately Laura was supposed to end up with Jubilee, Mercury, Dust, or Kiden, or someone else?

Doesn’t that just kind of ADD to the resentment that Laura more or less hijacked the book for fans?

——————————————————————-

The same issues more or less crops up in “Avengers Academy” and “All New X-Men”.

“Avengers Academy” went super dark after the initial run was over, merging into “Avengers Arena” shortly after Laura and several other characters inclusion. While I don’t feel like it was necessarily the addition of her character that did it…so much so that it was just comic book mandates, a new writer, and the popularity of “The Hunger Games” influencing the change…it’s also not hard to see why this would immediately give readers flashbacks to “NXM”…and this book OFTEN had an overlap with “NXM” readership…

Laura…kind of developed a reputation of dread for certain fans when she was added to a popular teen superhero books afterwards. Her addition in said books made fans immediately assume that this indicated it was going for an “edgier” and “darker” premise from the original context of the previous story.

I KNOW people will argue with me that Laura DIDN’T change the tone of “ALL NEW X-Men”…that it was still light and campy and fun…but I would argue Bendis PURPOSELY added her BECAUSE he wanted to set up that his run would be darker than previous representations of the “Original Five”.

Laura is LITERALLY there to add “edge” and “romantic tension”. To highlight that this isn’t “the soda pop shop world and wacky hijinks the O5 once KNEW”…. You see it immediately when they find an amnesiac short haired version of her at the Facility attacking them. Laura’s “darkness” as a character juxtaposes with the O5’s nicer, more idyllic version of “Xavier’s School for the Gifted”. This version of the O5 loses their innocence; forced to see the future that awaits them- Dark Phoenix, Scott’s extramarital affair, Angel Becoming “Death”, and the schism between Cyclops and Wolverine. That was the only reason Bendis bothered to include her; to add “grit”. There’s a reason Bendis didn’t really BOTHER to do any research on Laura or write her in her old personality or voice- because HE DID NOT CARE. Laura’s JOB was SOLELY to be a gimmick.

Ultimately Laura’s representation in this book ends up as a wash. Initially meant to be a twist on the Wolverine/Jean/Cyclops love triangle…Bendis found his plans soon derailed when Scott gets picked up for a solo mini (AND this is the constant problem with writers only wanting to use the same five characters…but I regress…). With no idea WHAT to do with her…he ultimately just throws her into a boring relationship with Angel…despite the characters having literally zero chemistry and very little previous panel time…

Eventually Laura isn’t “edgy” enough for the storyline purposes…and is replaced with Jimmy Hudson to fulfill this modern twist on the original X-Men love triangle, while she has adventures in her own solo book…

———————————————————————

There are a LOT of Wolverine based characters and derivatives…yet LAURA is consistently the best written and most sustainable one….

But she also has a lot of the same failings Logan does:

Overexposure. “Edgy” and “dark” characterizations. No consistent supporting cast. Continually taking over books. Used ROUTINELY as a “sales gimmick”…

If you Google- “Laura is a better Wolverine than Logan”…these are the kinds of results you will get:

“SHE'S NOT ON EVERY TEAM”…”LESS BAGGAGE”…”LESS VIOLENT/EDGELORD GRIMDARK STORYLINES”…”FOOT CLAWS/HEALS FASTER/ECT (which some people might call “overpowering a character”…similar to Logan having a GOD LEVEL healing factor…)”

This isn’t to say Laura is a terribly written character… but I DO FIND IT FUNNY that people constantly mention these kind of flaws with Logan as a character to justify Laura somehow being a “Better Character”…or a “Better Wolverine”…when she’s ultimately…has most of the same problems?

Isn’t Laura quickly developing…ALL of the problems people criticized Logan for??

[witchthewriter]

what type of muggle music/bands/artists do you think that the trio era characters + the marauders would listen to? sorry if this seems like a weird question..

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐏 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

Ooh, another music question! I only did the Golden Trio and The Marauders minus Peter, lemme know if you want anyone else 🌷🌿🌻

a/n: I'm not taking time into consideration...

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ            

・The Marauders love Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees (fun fact, my Pa lived on the same street as them when he was a kid and they would play together)

・The Marauders would so reenact the scene from Mamma Mia when Donna is crying in the bathroom and Chiquitita comes on

・The Golden Trio all love Lizzo. Harry loves her confidence, Ron loves her charisma and is attracted to her and Hermione loves how uplifting her songs can be

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲

・Is a lot more well-versed in muggle music

・So when he shows Ron all the different types of muggle music, he understands a glimpse of what everyone felt when they were showing Harry the magical world.

・Headcanon that Harry somehow saves up his money to buy a walkman (one of those things that you put cd's in to listen to it) or a small portal radio or takes one of Dudley's many birthday presents. Anway, it's a way for Harry to listen to music. He is a maladaptive daydreamer (like us!!!) and would sneak off from the Dudley's house to lay down in the grass and have his headphones on, getting lost in music

・He has a broad range of musical taste

・From classical, to beautiful movie scores, to old music to new.

・I do think that Harry would be a bit of a metal head though, and he would love Korn, Rob Zombie, and Godsmack.

・Feels a personal connect to the song Me and the Devil by Soap&Skin. It's how he felt during the height of Voldemort's power.

・Underground !!! By Cody Fry !!! Has amazing daydreams about the song!!!

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞

・Like Harry, she knows muggle music a lot better than the others

・Might be a bit of a shock, but she loves Viking-esque music. Her favourite bands are Folknery and Dakha Brakha. She has gets this surge of power whenever their songs play. As if she can feel the magic running through her veins

・Hermione loves music that moves her. That has a bit of umph - so I think she would like the Alabama Shakes, specifically their album Sound & Colour

・Secretly loves Cardi B's songs (YEAH IT MIGHT BE A REACH BUT C'MON, she'd totally be in her room studying to her classical music when out of the blue Cardi comes on and Hermione is like *... okay, I can dig it.*)

𝐑𝐨𝐧

・Unironically loves the Black Eyed Peas

・And goes hard for Rasputin by Boney M.

・Would make fun of Hermione for liking the Viking/Scandinavian type of music. But Hermione only needs to give him a death glare and he apologises ...

・THE WEASLEY'S WOULD BE A DISNEY SINGING FAMILY. Harry would show them all the classics (I mean, I doubt that the Dursley's let him watch much tv. But maybe they just sat Harry in front of the tv for most of his childhood???) The Weasley's reference the movies to each other all the time, and Harry feels a sense of pride because he's shown them something from his world

・Would follow a lot of the popular trends and have pride in knowing the words to all the popular songs.

・Fred & George walked in on Ron White Girl Dancing to Stargirl Interlude by Lana Del Rey once

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬

・Bad Reputation by Joan Jett

・I Was Made For Lovin' You by KISS

・Likes a lot of the classics

・Holding Out For A Hero!!! Would absolutely belt it in class and jump up on the tables thinking McGonnagal wasn't in class:

"That was quite the performance, Potter. Now sit down. And I'll be seeing you every night for a week's detention."

・Would definitely sing ABBA's When I Kissed the Teacher for McGonnagal, and it would make her blush but also another week of detention (he got on the table again)

𝐒𝐢��𝐢𝐮𝐬

・Loves belting out I'd Rather Go Blind by Etta James. It gets him in his feels.

・Really fell in love with the 60s and 70s era of music. Some of his favourite singers are Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin and Nina Simone

・You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse! He'd become obsessed with her. He feels truly connected to her music because of how alone he feels in the world

・Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone would bring him to tears the first few times he listens to it

・Music was a way for Sirius to escape into his own world while at the Black household

・Created playlists for the people he cares about. They're songs that 1. he thinks they'll like 2. songs that remind him of them 3. songs that represent them

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐬

・Loves David Bowie!!! Definitely would want to dress up as him for Halloween (can you imagine a little marauder halloween party??)

・HOZIER HOZIER HOZIER HOZIER. Oh my god, some of his favourites would be Cherry Wine and Sunlight. The soul, the guttural... umph that Hozier has with all of his songs. It moves Remus every time. The lyrics would mean so much to him.

・His taste in music is songs that make him feel connected to the artist or what the message of the song is

・Always has the radio on at home, while being a professor at Hogwarts etc

[ofduskanddreams]

Magic to Make the Sanest Go Mad [pt. I]

@acourtofladydeath I was so excited when I learned that you were my giftee this year, and also worried how I was going to keep this a secret from you (fingers crossed I succeeded?) I'm so grateful to have gained your friendship this year, and I hope you enjoy part one of your gift! This could stand alone as a prologue-esque one shot, but I have more things planned so part two will be coming early in the new year. This part lays the groundwork, I swear there will be more actual Azris content in the second half <3

Summary:

The end (chapters 63+) of A Court of Silver Flames and beyond from Azriel's and Eris's points of view.

Rated M ✦ 8.3k words ✦ read it on ao3

start reading below the cut :)

Azriel is reviewing reports when Cassian returns to the House of Wind. He expects his brother to head to the dining room where the house is keeping a plate warm for him, and then come fill him in on what they learned from Eris that afternoon. That is not what happens. 

From the sound of it, Cassian is trying to crack the stone floors with every step he takes. Azriel listens while those furious footfalls pass the dining room without pause. He’s steeling himself for whatever storm Cass is about to unleash upon him… it’s all for nothing. Cassian never reaches the spymaster’s rooms, but he slams the door to his own with enough force to make the water in Azriel’s glass ripple.

In his experience, there are only a few things that can rile his brother to this degree, two of them being Eris Vanserra and Nesta Archeron. Given that Cassian came back to the house alone, Azriel suspects the latter but that the former isn’t wholly blameless—Eris Vanserra never is. 

Cassian loves fiercely and proudly. Azriel’s always admired this about him. It also means that Cass’s other emotions regarding those he cares for are equally fierce. Nesta, Azriel thinks, is very much the same even if she pretends otherwise. Sparks often fly when two evenly matched blades clash. This isn’t the first time for Nesta and Cassian. It won’t be the last either, so Azriel returns to his reports and tries not to worry. Cassian needs to cool down; he’ll talk when he’s ready to.

— ✦ —

That night, sleep comes in fits and starts. Dreams and nightmares wake him; overly persistent thoughts drag against the tide of his exhaustion. When he manages to fall asleep, the cycle repeats. Azriel gives up about an hour before dawn, pulling on his leathers in the darkness. He throws himself off of his balcony, letting the chilly dew-damp air drag him downward for a few seconds before he spreads his wings and glides.

Velaris at this hour is his favorite. A fair portion of the city’s inhabitants choose to sleep during the day and rise with the setting sun. Now those folks are back in their homes before their fires and winding down for sleep. It’s early enough that those who rise with the sun haven’t yet emerged. When Rhys was trapped Under the Mountain and Azriel couldn’t leave the city limits, this sliver of not-day-not-night was his salvation. It’s the only time the streets fall truly quiet. 

Now, he flies above those empty streets until they give way to gently rolling hills of swaying grasses and, finally, a pale expanse of sand. Azriel lands, startling a small crab who scuttles toward the frothy waves as quickly as its little legs can take it. He sits on his usual driftwood log and wills the briny air filling his lungs to center him. 

Time passes differently with his eyes tracking the ebb and flow of the waves. Before he knows it, the rising sun is warming his back and outstretched wings. Azriel closes his eyes, soaking in the gentle heat. He’s very accustomed to an ever present chill in his wings—every Illyrian is. For all the hurt-fueled-hatred he holds for Illyrian culture, even Azriel can agree that birchins are a delightful creation for this very reason. But, where the hot steam forces warmth into his blood and bones, the soft radiance of a rising sun coaxes that warmth to flow from within him. 

It’s bliss. Between the dawn, the hypnotic susurration of the waves, and the salty air cleansing his lungs with every breath, Azriel feels a sense of peace come over him for the first time in weeks. But, as it always happens when anything feels too good to be true, the moment shatters too soon.

There’s urgent news from Darach, a shadow informs him.

His eyes fly open, and he has to blink against the light before they adjust.

A scrap of paper falls into his lap that reads: Briallyn has Eris. His own soldiers attacked him last night while he was hunting. My informant says they all winnowed to her palace.

“Fuck,” Azriel breathes, crumpling the note in his fist. 

There were other Crown-controlled soldiers out there? 

The shame of a simple oversight and its disastrous consequences burns. 

Did Cassian mention it and he forgot? Phrases in Eris’s voice echo between his ears, making such terrible sense in the stomach-sinking way only hindsight can elicit.

Azriel’s fingers thread through inky locks, gripping and pulling until the sting anchors him. Now is not the time to fixate on his mistake. Cauldron boil him; he just should have followed up, made sure, done something—No. Not the time.

He needs to focus.

Okay. What does he know so far?

That Eris, their ally who knows too much about the Night Court, has been taken by their enemy. An enemy that would love to unearth their secrets; one who now has possession of a valuable hostage.

But how did Briallyn get Eris to the continent when he’d been hunting in Autumn?

Eris’s soldiers were fae, yes, but he had told Cassian that no one in this unit could winnow. 

The queens could only winnow when they were all together. 

Only a high lord would have enough power to winnow an entire group from Prythian to the Continent. 

A high lord or, Azriel realizes with a sickening certainty, Koschei.

He’s still processing these conclusions as he bids the shadows to take him to the river house.

— — — continue reading on ao3.

tagging: @iftheshoef1tz @ablogofsapphicpanic @damedechance @moonpatroclus @panicatthenightcourt @wilde-knight @areyoudreaminof @born-to-riot @queercontrarian @octobers-veryown @foundress0fnothing @krem-does-stuff @melonsfantasyworld @lady-riel @asnowfern @catboyjamesbond @secret-third-thing @valkyrieassassin @brokeneveningstars @xtaketwox @itsthedoodle @fieldofdaisiies @bubybubsters @nestas-workwife @thelovelymadone @aktrain

if you want to be added to or removed from my Azris taglist just let me know :)