#baz‚ p. › appearance

[ikoarts]

Sonny the Well-Tank Engine (my HC :p)

More of my Sonny Bunny, I wanted to show some comparisons, mostly with his livery and overall appearance, over the years in my headcanon for him.

This is my baby and I am fighting Mattel for wasting such a good boy

I'll add some rambling under the cut to read if you so wish x

So, just to get one thing out of the way first, my Sonny is not a sibling to Bellerophon, or Bellerophon herself, but in fact a bootleg created to the same design for work on a colliery in the south (which explains his inexplicable southern accent lmao)

The original livery for the colliery's engines was that navy blue he's seen in in canon, of course being changed when the NCB was founded, I don't know too much about the NCB liveries (there's a lot) but I opted for him to wear the same green as Bellerophon did.

Some time after, as dieselisation took hold, he was restored back into navy blue, in hopes he could serve as a heritage engine.... thoooough those plans fell through when the colliery ran out of funds, and Sonny was sent to be scrapped.

After that, he was "rescued" by Baz and Bernie. Feeling indebted to them, he did them the favour of being their getaway vehicle, and brushed off their abusive behaviour towards him, as he was just thankful to be alive. Unable to do much about it anyway, any protest he did have towards their actions stopped, as he became apathetic and hopeless. My headcanon gets a little darker than whatever non fleshed out silliness we got in Marvellous Machinery, maybe a little bit of murder involved, who knows!! Hence the blood... Oh dear!

After finally being rescued FOR REAL by the NWR, he was taken in as a private engine on the Earl's estate, working alongside Stephen, Glynn, and Millie, mostly working to pull goods to and from Ulfstead Castle. Millie does most of that work, and being narrow gauge, it limits where she can go and what she can pull, Stephen and Glynn probably shouldn't be doing that sort of work, so, Sonny feels perfect here. He IS an old Victorian engine, bootleg or not, he catches the interest of the Earl, and he's keen to have him on his estate. Sonny is just happy to have finally found a home at last, his past is troubled, and he has the scars to prove it, but he made it in the end!

Anyway I'm wrapping him up in bubble wrap and keeping him close, he deserved much better than BWBA and Marvellous Machinery, but alas, if he's gonna be given nothing then I'll have to do it myself

[blackberrysummerblog]

For WIP Wednesday I thought I’d post a scene from a Snowbaz AU I’ve been writing where the Crucible marries mages rather than assigning roommates. Simon and Baz are 20 and were surprise!married by the Crucible a short while before this snippet is set. Baz has been trying to keep an emotional distance because he still believes he and the Mage’s Heir are meant to kill each other, but he’s not managing it so well, as can be seen here when Simon tries to sneak an illicit midnight snack :P

Simon

I spy the butter and have it out before I even know what I’m thinking. In the group homes I used to spoon great mounds of it into my mouth whenever I was the first one down to breakfast and there was no one to see me embarrassing myself; I’m never the first one awake in the House of Pitch, but now it’s late and there’s no one in the kitchen. Working fast, I peel back the foil and take an enormous bite. It’s heaven: relief floods through me as tension I didn’t know I’d been carrying releases. Baz’s family has the best-tasting butter ever.

I jump at the loud groan behind me. “Please tell me you’re sleepwalking, Snow,” Baz says from across the kitchen, and I hastily shove the butter back on its shelf, my cheeks burning. There’s going to be teeth prints in it for sure; maybe I can sneak back down and slice off the ruined bit before his family finds out. There’s no way I’m here only a week and don’t get blamed for the sudden appearance of bite marks in the butter—come to that, I wouldn’t put it past Baz’s father to obtain my dental records if I denied it.

Baz shoulders me away from the still open refrigerator and takes the butter out; I want to die. Maybe I should pretend I was sleepwalking. “Baz, I—”

He shakes his head at me and steps over to the counter, slicing away the bitten chunk with a knife. Wordlessly, he holds it out, waving his hand at me when I hesitate. “Snow,” he says softly, no trace of accusation in his voice.

“I know I’m revolting,” I mutter, humiliation scalding my face and down my neck to my chest. Baz wags his hand again and when I step nearer him, he holds the piece of butter to my lips.

“Have it,” he says. “Do you think you’d like some toast? I was going to make myself a piece anyway.”

I take the butter but don’t put it in my mouth. “Baz.”

“What?” He’s opening a loaf of bread and taking out two slices. He glances up at me, but when I don’t say anything, he turns to the toaster. I hastily shove the pat of butter into my cheek and wipe my fingers against my pajama bottoms. I can’t help staring at Baz’s back. Even tired and mussed from sleep, he’s a sight to behold. He doesn’t belong with a mess like me.

“I’m sorry about the butter,” I say when he turns back to face me.

Baz winces. “Don’t apologize to me for what you like to eat, Simon,” he says. He looks almost pained.

“You don’t think it’s disgusting?”

Suddenly, his expression shifts. “Taking on a block of butter as though it were a chocolate bar, Snow?—it’s absolutely shocking. But you,”—Baz grabs me by the waist and sweeps me up onto the counter, how is he this strong—“are absolutely adorable.” He kisses the tip of my nose.

“Baz!” Bracing my hand against his chest, I push him back to look properly into his face. He’s laughing, and Merlin, he’s gorgeous. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” His hands curl around my jaw, thumbs tracing slow, small circles against the side of my face. “Snow, when we’re old and fat and have troublingly high cholesterol levels, I’ll worry about your butter-snarfing habits. Right now you can eat a block a day and I’ll fight anyone who gives you guff about it, all right?”

The toast pops. Baz spreads a thick layer of butter over each piece and hands me one, a little smile playing around his mouth as I take a huge bite. “I told you I grew up in group homes,” I say while chewing, watching Baz nibble the corner of his toast. He nods. “You’d never make it taking your time like that,” I add, shoveling the rest of my toast into my mouth.

“Had to be fast, did you?” Baz breaks his toast in the middle and hands me half.

“There just wasn’t ever enough, really. Definitely nothing nice like what we got at Watford, or like you have here.”

Baz tilts his head and breaks his toast in two again when I finish. He passes me half of his half. “What we have here. It’s yours now, too, Snow-Pitch.”

I stuff the toast in my mouth and wave my hand as he breaks his piece again. “Don’t. I’ve eaten all your toast.”

“You can always eat all my toast.” Smiling, Baz pushes the piece into my hand and pops the last remaining crumbs into his mouth. “Do you want any more?”

I shake my head slowly. I hadn’t expected him to understand about the homes, but he caught on right away. He’s smart—so smart, how would I ever have defeated him? (And what if I still have to try? I don’t want to, even if all of magic depended on it.)

“Come on, then,” Baz says, taking my hand and tugging me down onto my feet. He’s pressed against me, holding me pinned against the counter, and I risk skating my hands up along his sides. I wish...I don’t know what I wish. When I meet his eyes, he’s just looking at me. Seeing me. It’s a little terrifying.

Baz

He looks terrified. I back away reluctantly (I want to kiss him. He’ll taste like butter and toast and only everything I’ve ever wanted) and return the butter block to the fridge. There’s more than enough left for breakfast, and the children prefer clotted cream, anyway.

Snow is quiet on the way back upstairs, although he holds my hand as he leads the way. Maybe he’s embarrassed about showing me so much of himself. I turn an image over in my mind: the rolly, dirt-faced urchin I’d seen years ago in oversized hand-me-downs, staring at all the pastries he wanted and couldn’t have. I didn’t know what want looked like, then; how could I have?—no. I did know, but not in the same ways as Simon. I wanted my mother back, the grief so sharp and slicing on some days that I thought the vampires must have left their teeth in me. I wanted comfort, though Fiona tried hard to pick up the slack from my father, and later on there was Daphne, doing her best. And then I wanted Snow, an ache that still breaks me open and turns me in on myself almost constantly.

I didn’t want for the basics, though, and I was well-cared for. Simon was emotionally deprived, and had to worry about keeping body and soul together on top of it. I think about the butter, the sheer caloric heft of it; his body instinctively craved it to ensure he had enough fat and calories to survive, and now it’s a comfort, a coping mechanism. Does he need to cope, here? Does he feel alone?

“Simon,” I say outside our bedroom door, and he lets me cup his face in my hands. (I shouldn’t kiss him here; there’s never any telling where Mordelia is).

“Yeah?”

I don’t know. I never don’t know what to say, but I don’t know now. That’s what this tawny-skinned nightmare does to me. I kiss the mole just above his left eyebrow. “Nothing. Let’s get some sleep.”

Snow curls up in the middle of the bed, covers kicked off and one hand stretched out toward me. I trace around his fingers, touching the webbing of each and then stroking every one of his knuckles in turn. He makes a sound that might be my name, or nothing at all, just some little noise against the pillow, and I twine my fingers with his at last. Moments later, his heart rate slows and I hear him start to snore.

[themyscirah]

omg wait for the comic book number ranking thing. i wanna hear 1 3 and 10!

Yesss okay so number one unfortunately is Batman lmao 💔. BECAUSE THEY KEEP PUTTING HIM IN EVERYTHING and so the appearances tally up anyways he's in first with 147 appearances that I've read. TECHNICALLY it would be 149 if it counted Batman in the Scooby Doo verse, but that's tallied separately on the app I use

THIRD is the one and only Simon Baz 💚 I'm pretty sure he was like #13 or something before I started this readthrough but the margins were small enough that he moved up quickly. I've read 92 simon appearances according to this? Which feels slightly inflated to me actually but who knows

AND NUMBER 10 IS DARTH VADER LOL ahdjshssh Vader is 100% the Batman of Star Wars comics in that he appears constantly in almost every book so his totals rack up quick (and I've also read a good amt of multiple vader books so that'd definitely help) anyways 63 vader appearances

Addn. Stats under the

The rest of my top 10 are Hal/GL at #2, Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger at #4, Amanda Waller at #5, Clark/Superman at #6 (another batman situation), Cass Cain/Batgirl at #7, Bart as Impulse #8, and then Guy/GL at #9

The way it measures it is by superhero identity instead of character name so a few people should be higher, notably Guy who I've also read a good bit of as a Red Lantern and Warrior

The human lanterns are ranked

#2 Hal (my least favorite lmao)

#3 Simon

#9 Guy

#13 Jess

#15 Kyle

#18 John

and then Jo and Tai wouldn't be on there bc it counts graphic novels and TPBs as 1 appearance but Jo would be somewhere between 149 and 157 if it counted all 12 issues. Oh and no keli bc I haven't read her

If addn. Appearances were factored in, Guy would probably end up right behind Hal at #3 (with Hal also getting a lil bit of a boost from parallax appearances) and Jess would be at #7 from her Power Ring appearances. John and Kyle would maybe??? Move up one rank due to white lantern and darkstar 1-2 issue bumps (margins are p close between characters outside of the top 3)

[astronaemy]

don’t look at me 

[theotherhufflepuff]

Till I Belong To You

Carry On Countdown day 6 - Reunion/Reconnect

~2K

All my stories for this year's Countdown take place in the same universe/timeline. You can find my other fics under the tag Casey writes.

This one takes place a year after my day 2 fic, On Love's Light Wings, which you can read here. You don't need to have read it for this one to make sense but it will fill in a couple of details.

I can't really give you a synopsis without spoilers, so here's the first line to tempt you instead:

Two whole weeks Baz has been gone and I’ve been completely pathetic about it the whole time.

Title is lyrics from the song mentioned in the fic.

Content warnings: no big ones this time. A fair amount of swearing and it gets mildly ~spicy~ (really though, very mild. Not even as spicy as AWTWB).

Enjoy!

Till I Belong To You

Simon

Two whole weeks Baz has been gone and I’ve been completely pathetic about it the whole time. That’s what Baz would call me, if he could see me: pathetic.

I pick up my phone and open Spotify. It’s Baz’s account; I hardly ever use it. I press play on Baz’s top songs of the year. I don’t really care much for the music; I just miss the background noise of him being in the flat.

The place feels too big and too quiet with him gone. I’ve started avoiding being here on my own. I’ve stayed late at work to help Kevin lock up. I’ve been to Penny and Shep’s for dinner and to Lady Ruth’s twice. I’ve been to the pub with Jamie and had Shepard over to play Fifa – how is a bloke who calls it soccer and doesn’t know the rules so good at Fifa? – but now it’s Friday night and everyone else has plans. So I ordered pizza and ate it on the sofa watching repeats of Brooklyn 99.

A new song starts; The Beatles’ It Won’t Be Long. I know I shouldn’t, I know it’s extra pathetic, but I don’t care; he knows how pathetic I am already. I click "share" and send the song to Baz.

He starts typing almost immediately.

“Pathetic, Snow.”

“I know” I’m not even ashamed.

“I’ve missed you, too”

I send him a heart emoji. I was so proud when he got this promotion but I didn’t realise then that he’d have to travel to America twice a year. This is his first trip and I hate it.

It’s not like we’ve never spent time apart – he stays in Oxford sometimes without me – but two weeks feels like a long time; and Chicago is not Oxford. And I’m worried about him; the last time he was in America he didn’t exactly have a good time. At least he’s in a city this time so he’ll be able to keep himself fed. And it’s December, so not much chance of sunburn. My phone buzzes again.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed? It’s almost midnight there. Don’t you have to work in the morning?”

I actually don’t have to work tomorrow; I swapped my weekend off with Kevin because I wanted to be here when Baz got home. I want to keep that a surprise, though, so I ignore it.

“I am in bed. Wanna see ;P”

Am I going to send nudes to my boyfriend while he’s on a work trip? Maybe, if he wants them. Maybe that will give him a good reason to come home.

“You know I would love to see that, Snow, but I’m meeting the others for dinner in a minute.”

I decide to send him a preview anyway, for my own amusement. Nothing too revealing, in case someone sees it; just something for him to think about over dinner. I’m not wearing a shirt so I turn on the bedside lamp and take a selfie. Just me from the waist up, lying in bed. My hair’s a mess, he’ll enjoy that.

I watch the ticks appear and then turn blue. Baz starts typing. And then stops. And then starts again.

“Snow, you gorgeous fucker, I do not have time to sext with you, much as I desperately want to. I’m going to have dinner with the team. I hope the view is still as good tomorrow.”

Did Baz just use the word "sext"? How does Baz even know the word "sext"?

“You’re definitely coming back then?” I’m mostly joking.

“I will be there when you get home from work. Go to sleep. Don’t send me any more filthy photos.” And then: “Yet.”

I laugh to myself and put my phone down next to my pillow.

I lie awake for a long time thinking about Baz in America. He could be so much more free there than he could ever be here. I’ve tried to talk to him about it before but he just gets angry at me. He could really live a life out there, though. I feel like I’m holding him back from that.

That’s not a productive line of thought, so I interrupt it.

He said he was coming back, and he keeps coming back; over and over. When we argue, when he goes home to his family, when I’m depressed and hard to live with – he always comes back. He always wants to come back. I don't know why he keeps coming back, I don’t think I give him enough reason to. But I want to. I want him to know that I will always be here for him to come back to. I want him to know that I’m sorry I left when he was in Oxford that time. I want him to know that won’t ever happen again.

How do I show him I mean it?

***

I wake up late because I didn’t get to sleep until after 2am, but I did decide how I’m going to show Baz that I want to be as reliable for him as he is for me.

I shower and make coffee and I do a bit of googling while I eat breakfast; trying to find exactly what I need.

And then I get on the next train.

Baz

I shouldn’t have driven myself to the airport when I left for Chicago. I’m jetlagged and now I have to deal with pre-Christmas traffic outside Heathrow. Mind you, being stuck in a taxi with a driver full of blood wouldn’t be much fun, either.

Chicago was bloody freezing and covered in snow. It makes England in December feel temperate in comparison. I went for a walk in a park before we left for the airport, so I could find something to drink before I had to spend nine hours on a plane. I was sat in the row behind the two colleagues I was travelling with, which at least gave me enough of an excuse not to talk to them. They’re perfectly nice people but we’ve spent the last two weeks doing everything together and I am ready to not have to see anyone for a long, long time.

Well, anyone but Simon. I worried about how he would cope while I was away; December is always hard for him. Christmas is in a few days and he gets very melancholy about it. Bunce has been texting me to keep me updated on his mental state. She said that, apart from finding as many excuses as possible to not be at home on his own, he seemed fine.

He certainly seemed fine when he sent me a half-naked photo last night.

I’m going to fuck that idiot silly when he gets home. If he’ll let me.

He asked me last night if I was definitely coming back. He was mostly joking, I think, but I know he still worries, too. As if I’ve ever abandoned him, as if I could ever abandon him. I think he’s still waiting for me to get bored of him; he’s been convinced that Bunce and I would lose interest ever since he lost his magic. It was never about the magic. I keep telling him that I’m not going to leave, but he hasn’t decided to believe it yet, not fully. I don’t know how I’m going to convince him that I’m always going to come back to him.

***

I park the car outside the flat and sit in the drivers’ seat for a minute; the fatigue and the thirst and the relief of finally being home settling on me. I decide that I will shower and take a nap first; I’ll hunt later.

I carry my suitcase up the stairs and put my key in the door, but it isn’t locked. Immediately suspicious, I push the door open quietly and peer round the frame. I can hear someone moving around in the kitchen. I can smell cinnamon and bacon and fresh bread. Why is Simon here?

I leave my suitcase by the door and go into the kitchen, “Simon?”

His face lights up when he sees me. “Baz!” he hugs me so hard he lifts me off the floor slightly. He’s actually cooking bacon and I have to concentrate on keeping my fangs retracted.

“I thought you were at work?” I say as Simon hands me a hot cup of tea.

“I swapped my weekends; I wanted to be here when you got back. I’m making bacon sarnies, do you want one?” Of course I want one; he already knows that.

I sit down at the kitchen table and spoon sugar into my tea while my jetlagged brain tries to catch up. Something isn’t right here. I drink my tea and mentally shake myself. What is happening here, Basil?

Simon is making me a bacon sandwich. He was here waiting for me when I got home. He’s being sort of odd; too busy and too bright, like a children’s TV presenter. He’s wearing a shirt. An actual button-up shirt. It’s tucked into his jeans and he’s rolled the sleeves up. (What is it about rolled shirt sleeves that instantly makes men 100 times hotter?) I think about Simon’s biceps and shoulders, hidden under that shirt; I think about his bare shoulders moving under my hands…

I clear my throat as Simon puts a bacon sandwich in front of me. “Ok babe?” he asks.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m just tired.” Why is he making so much effort? Was he really that worried I wouldn’t come home?

I eat my sandwich slowly. Snow doesn’t say much; he keeps fidgeting like he’s nervous. He hasn’t made himself a sandwich. Does he think I’ve come home only to announce I’m leaving him? This is getting silly.

Finally, he breaks the silence. “I missed you while you were gone, Baz.” He says quietly.

“I know, love; I missed you, too.” I smile at him in what I hope is a reassuring way. Maybe later, when he’s calmed down a bit, I’ll sit him down and have a proper talk about this. He can’t freak out every time I go away.

I finish my tea and get up, taking my dishes to the sink. I can hear Simon fidgeting behind me. I’m washing bacon grease off of my hands when Simon says “Will you promise to always come back to me, Basil?” Basil? He never calls me that; it sounds strange coming from his lips, like he doesn't know how to pronounce it properly.

“Simon,” I sigh, I don’t have the patience for this just now. I turn towards the table to tell him he’s being stupid, but he isn’t at the table.

He’s on the floor. On one knee.

“Simon, what -” my brain knows what’s happening, but it’s refusing to believe it.

He looks really nervous now; a frankly stunning flush is creeping up his face from his neck. “Baz,” he swallows deliberately; it’s a whole show, my favourite. He takes a deep breath and looks me in the eyes; it seems to take some effort. “Will you marry me?” he’s holding a small square box made of polished wood. He opens it and inside is a gold band. In the middle of the band is a square cut sapphire, three small diamonds span the width of the band on either side of the blue stone. It’s perfect.

My mouth is dry but Snow is still on his knee on the kitchen floor, looking earnestly at me. I swallow hard. “Yes. Yes, Simon, I promise to always come back to you.”

Simon looks so relieved I think he might pass out. He gets off the floor and kisses me, fiercely. I can feel his wide smile against my own.

He steps back, still grinning like the Cheshire cat, and takes the ring out of the box. I offer my hand and he slides the ring onto my finger. Miraculously, it fits. Simon kisses me again. “I love you,” he whispers between kisses.

“I love you, too,” I whisper back.

He’s pinned me against the kitchen sink with his body, his hips against mine. He's got one arm wrapped around my waist, hand firm on the small of my back holding me against him. The other hand is on the worktop, holding him up. He's kissing along my jaw and under my ear. He’s starting to nip at me now. “Always come back, Baz,” he’s still whispering.

I’m not. “Simon,” I growl into his ear, “we are going to bed. Right now.”

He raises his eyebrows at me, grinning. “Now.” I order, pushing him backwards towards the bedroom.

Simon’s laughing. He’s so gorgeous. He takes my hand, pulls me through the bedroom doorway and down, onto the bed. I land on top of him; he’s still laughing. “God, I’ve missed you, Baz.”

[gentlyepigrams]

Duloe Stone Circle, Cornwall by Baz Richardson (catching up!) There are numerous stone circles on the moors of Cornwall and Devon, but you certainly don't expect to find one in a farmer's field on the outskirts of a Cornish village such as Duloe, a few miles from Looe. Originally there was a hedge running through it and no-one realised that there was actually a stone circle there.

Duloe stone circle is the smallest in Cornwall. The flat ridge top on which it lies is flanked half a mile to either side by deep valleys containing the East Looe and West Looe rivers. The circle is in many respects unique, consisting of eight large and irregular white quartz blocks set in a pattern of alternating large and small stones. Seven of the stones are upright with one fallen. The ‘circle’ appears to have been set out by eye in an ovoid design, elongated in a north-south direction.

Restoration carried out in the mid-1800s included the removal of the hedge that ran through the middle of the circle and incorporated two of the original stones. During this early attempt at restoration a Bronze Age ribbon-handled urn was discovered which contained cremated human bones. The circle may therefore have been a Bronze Age burial monument. There are no accompanying megalithic monuments in the vicinity.

Source: www.historic-cornwall.org.uk/a2m/bronze_age/stone_circle/.... https://flic.kr/p/2mftMy5

[ginevre]

Oh Baz.. you dreamy son of a bitch 😄 those soulful eyes finally make an appearance 😊 . . . . #basiltongrimmpitch #bazpitch #latenightposts #simonsnow #carryon #waywardson #rainbowrowell #nofilter #hamabeads #hama #artkal #artkalbeads #fusebeads #bügelperlen #pixelportrait #pixelportrait #hamabeadsart https://www.instagram.com/p/CBoaXMUlUGi/?igshid=jafa5htm95wu

[mageicalwishes]

Read on AO3: here

Read the previous chapter (On Tumblr): here

Summary: “I’m egging your house for a dare, but you’re parent is a cop and now they’re yelling at me, so I told them you were my ex and you wronged me, and now you’re coming outside, so please just go along with this, I really don’t want to go to jail” AU When Simon Snow agreed to egg some posho’s house, he never thought he’d find himself here - The only thing standing between himself and a criminal charge, the word of a handsome stranger.

Chapter: 5/7

Words: 2,079

Not the most eventful chapter, sorry! But TRUST ... The next 2 chapters are worth it :)

Simon

After last week, me and Baz quickly fell into a routine of texting whenever either of us were free. It was the first thing I did in the morning, and the last thing I did at night (I even found myself waking up earlier, just so that we could speak more). It was a little bit pathetic, really - But, I couldn’t find it in myself to care.

We spoke about everything - Our likes and dislikes, our childhoods, our favourite sports teams, our other friends - You name it, we spoke about it. Well … Everything except what happened last time. We never spoke about that - Although, I figure that, that was probably for the best.  

So, it’s really no surprise that, the second I settled down into the booth to eat, I pulled my phone out and messaged him.

ME (15:19): Hey, hey, hey, Bazzy Bitch!

ME (15:19): How are you doing? :)

BP (15:21): Snow, I am genuinely BEGGING you to stop with the nicknames. Bazzy Bitch … Really? That's atrocious, even for you.

BP (15:22): And, I’m very well, thanks. Yourself?

ME (15:24): Good :) I’m great, thanks!

ME (15:24): And I’m never gonna stop with the nicknames. Never!!!! Not until I find one you like anyways ;) I’ve got a WHOLE list imma work my way through!

ME (15:25): I’m back at the Pizza place we went to together!

ME (15:25): I even got free chips this time :D

BP (15:26): Oh wow - I’m seething with envy. Free artery-clogging chips AND greasy pizza … What a gift!

BP (15:26): And ALL of that, on top of your chocolate pancakes this morning? Your internal organs must be thanking you!

I scoff, aloud, stupidly pleased with his grating wit.

SS (15:27): OI!

SS (15:27): Don't be a sarcastic twat!

SS (15:27): You LOVED the food there. You were practically drooling over it!

SS (15:28): Don't even TRY and deny it!

BP (15:29): It was adequate.

SS (15:28): Exactly! See! You loved it!

SS (15:28): Adequate is Baz talk for “It was the most delicious thing I’ve EVER eaten!”

SS (15:29): You’re just winding me up!

SS (15:29): If you REALLY didn’t like it you’d go all OTT using posho insults … NOT say it was adequate.

SS (15:31): You’d be all like … “Oh, Snow. This is positively ghastly! Atrocious! Lamentable, even! My private chef would never DARE serve me an abhorrent dish!”

BP (15:33): Sure, Snow. Whatever you say.

SS (15:34): You know I’m right! You just don’t wanna admit it.

SS (15:34): Cuz you’re a right dickhead :p

BP (15:35): How rude! I’m hardly a dickhead … I didn’t even make you admit how many of those words you had to Google, Snow!

I roll my eyes (Even though he can’t see them), and type out a simple, yet effective, response …

SS (15:34): Wanker!

Baz

Despite myself, I let out an unnecessarily loud laugh - Helplessly charmed by the idiocy of it all. I mean, seriously, only Simon Snow could call me a wanker, and leave me giggling like a bloody schoolgirl!

Regretfully, my little outburst draws Daphne’s attention away from the twins (Who appear to be trying to kill each other with Lego Duplo blocks), and straight onto me.

“Who are you talking to then, Sweet?” She asks.

“Just a friend,” I snap, my tone far too urgent.

“Okay,” she drawls, clearly having picked up on my unnecessary defensiveness. “Who?”

“Uh - Simon. Nobody you’d know. They’re sort of a new friend.”

“Oh I see. Did you meet him at the club?”

“No,” I snicker (Struggling to imagine somebody like Snow belonging somewhere so unnecessarily snooty, and uptight). “I just … Met him in town the other day. At the cinema.”

“Oh well, that’s nice,” she beams.

“Yeah,” I drone. “Very nice.”

She stares over to me, her full lips quirked up into a soft smile, and her deep brown eyes studying my face closely. She knows. Obviously. She always knows - Bloody mother’s intuition!

“And … Is he …”

She doesn’t have to ask properly, because I know what she’s trying to say.

Daphne has always been accepting of my sexuality. Although, it’s more than that, actually - She’s always been fully open to the idea of it (Not just reluctantly tolerant). Occasionally enquiring about whether I’ve been seeing “Anyone special”, and insisting that I must invite him over for dinner (Even after I tried to tell her that no such person existed). And I just know, that she was behind that infernal “Same-sex sexual education” pamphlet, I found on my bed last summer (It was actually fairly informative, although, I’d really rather have just sought out the information out myself. The humiliation of knowing that she’d read that with me in mind, made me want to set myself on fire).

So, the words that go unsaid when she asks if Simon is …  Are 'Your boyfriend'.

“No,” I sigh. “He’s just a friend. Honest.”

'Just a friend' … The words twist in my mouth, bitter and scornful. And, while it is technically the truth, it feels like a lie.

“Okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just curious,” She shrugs. “But … It’s lovely to see you smiling. I’m glad that you found him - Friend, or otherwise.”

“Yeah,” I huff, scrubbing my hands together awkwardly. “Actually ... About Simon. I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you think that he could come over next Friday? For dinner.”

“Of course he can!” She grins. “I’m always telling you, you can invite people over. As long as it’s okay with his parents, that’s perfectly fine by me.”

“Okay. Perfect,” I sigh, pursing my lips, in an attempt to suppress my telltale grin. “Thank you.”

She smiles - Sweet and warm. “Of course.”

“But, just to warn you - He has quite an early curfew,” I stammer. “So - I mean, he has to be back home by eight. So, we may have to have dinner a little early. Is that … still okay?”

“Well, it’s not ideal, but I’m sure I can sort something out.”

“Okay,” I breathe, relieved. “Sorry. I would order a takeaway, or something, but I sort of promised him a homemade meal. The food at his place isn’t exactly the best, and yours is objectively delicious … So, I figured that he'd appreciate a proper meal.”

“Oh you little flatterer,” she says, laughing demurely. “I’ll figure something out, don’t worry. If worst comes to worst, he could always just stay the night - That way we could have dinner at a normal time, and you two wouldn’t have to rush yourselves.”

And there it is - Two whole days with Simon Snow, served up to me on a silver platter. Daphne truly is a superior stepmother.

“Okay. Yeah,” I stutter, my face flushing absurdly. “I mean … I’ll check if he’s allowed, but that would be great. Thank you.”

She smirks lightly, shrugging her shoulders casually (As if she hasn’t just made my entire month). “It’s no problem. It’ll be nice for you to have some company.”

Elated, I scoop up my phone and fire out a quick text to Snow. But, before I can hit send, I remember - Father.

“Uh - Daphne,” I mumble. “Actually … I was going to ask - Do you think that you could not tell Father?”

Her face folds into a frown - Her eyebrows falling, and her eyes squeezing shut, as though pained by my request.

“Basil,” she sighs. “If that’s really what you want, then of course I’ll keep it a secret. But, your Father doesn’t care about you having friends over. Even if they’re boys … Even if they’re more than just a friend -”

I scoff, unconvinced.

“- He loves you Basil. I know it. He talks about you all the time - How proud he is of you, how smart he thinks you are, how much you remind him of her. He thinks the world of you … Even if he refuses to show it. And, I know that he didn’t exactly respond well to your coming out, but he still cares for you. Trust me, I understand that it’s desperately unfair that you should have to wait, but … He will come around. Even if I have to drag him there kicking and screaming myself! You don’t have to hide yourself away in your own house. I don’t want that for you. He doesn’t want that for you.”

I scrunch my face up, unsure of what to say.

“It isn’t that,” I murmur, my voice frustratingly weak. “I just … I don’t want him to know. Father has sort of met Simon before. But ... He didn’t exactly make the best first impression. So, I’d rather he not know that Simon was here.”

“Oh?” she chuckles, her curiosity peaked. “What did he do?”

I falter, gawping at her stupidly. “The egging … That was Simon.”

She grins wickedly, clearly amused.

“But it was just a joke!” I continue. “He’s a really, really nice guy once you get to know him. And, he’d never do something like that normally! It was just a stupid game that went a little too far. And he was super, super sorry - He came back to clean it, and everything.”

“Okay, okay,” she chuckles. “We all make mistakes, Basil. I won’t hold it against him. But … You’re right - It’s probably best if we keep Simon away from your father. Don’t worry, Sweet. Your secret’s safe with me.”

————————————————————————————

Simon

BP (15:51): Good news, Snow - You’ve been invited to dinner. Friday. My place. Sound okay?

BP (15:52): And, don't worry, Father is in Oxford over the weekend, so you’ll be perfectly safe.

I smile down at my phone, ecstatically happy.

ME (15:52): Haha defo :D

ME (15:52): Dinner sounds great!

ME (15:53): What time did you want me to come over?

BP (15:54): I was thinking 11am-ish. That way we could spend the entire day together.

ME (15:54): Okay yeah. Sure :) Sounds fabbbb.

BP (15:57): Yes.

BP (15:57): Actually, speaking of spending the day together - My stepmother said that you could stay the night, if you’d like. That way you wouldn’t have to stress about being back in time for your curfew. Forgive me, but I’m not entirely sure whether you’re actually allowed to go to sleepovers - But, if you are, then you’re more than welcome to stay.

BP (15:58): And, we’d be in separate rooms, and everything. Obviously. So you don't need to worry about that.

I wasn’t really worried about that, to be honest. I can imagine much worse than spending the night with Baz. Although, I won’t tell him that - That is definitely far too forward.

BP (15:58): And if you’d rather not, then that’s fine obviously. It’s just an option.

Exhilarated - A manic grin breaks across my face, my cheeks aching with the force of it. If anyone were to look up at me right now, they’d probably think that I was mildly demented (Although, to be fair, I’m not entirely sure that I’m not - I do feel slightly mad with it all).

Irritatingly exposed, I slink off to the bathroom for some privacy.

ME (16:00): Of course I’m allowed to go to sleepovers, you plonker! It’s a children’s home … Not a prison.

BP (16:01): The strict 8PM curfew suggests otherwise.

ME (16:01): Aha lol true :D

ME (16:03): But nah, seriously. I’ve never actually been to a sleepover, but I’m pretty sure I just have to, like, ask my social worker. They’ll probs need to do some sort of check, and then I’m good. They’re normally fairly chill about that kind of stuff tbh, as long as you ask. And, I’m 17 now, not 6 - So I doubt they’ll have a problem with it.

ME (16:04): They might need your parents number, though. Just to like … Call and check I’m not just bullshitting them :’)

ME (16:04): Dunno. I’ll go ask them in a sec.

ME (16:05): But if they say I can, I defo wanna sleepover.

ME (16:05): It'll be nice not to have to run off after a few hours for once :)

BP (16:07): Definitely.

BP (16:07): Enough chatting, though, Snow. Go and ask, before you forget! I need definitive answers ASAP! Chop-chop!

ME (16:05): Alright, alright! Keep your wig on, you impatient git! I’ll go and ask now. So … Ttyl :D

[gladiatortale]

Baz Pitch Songs - Ben Platt

TL;DR: Baz’s anxious internal monologue lives in the lyrics of Ben Platt’s album, Sing to Me Instead.

I’ve been breaking my own heart for days now with this information and I need to share it with the WORLD. 

Okay so I am still an overflowing well of FEELINGS after reading Wayward Son, and in the wake of this I come to the conclusion that there is no better encapsulating soundtrack for the mood of this book than Sing to Me Instead. 

The entire album is a goldmine of angst and adult-ulescent zeitgeist (that shitty late teen/ early twenties age where nothing makes sense and there is no road map for anything). But I’m going focus on two song’s in particular that are so unbelievably Wayward Son Baz, that they smell like fucking cedar and bergamot. OKAY.

Song 1: Grow as We Go

Something I needed to continually remind myself as I was reading Wayward Son is that Baz doesn't actually know that Simon is thinking of breaking up with him. Nevertheless Baz’s pain, confusion, and ongoing identity crises - built out of months of stewing silently in between the first and second book - comes through in every single one of his actions. This is especially true in the book’s early chapters. 

To anyone who has been with a partner suffering from depression, the scenes in the flat and at the airport ring through as painfully familiar,

“He’s lovely. A bit of a sad mess. Dull and pale and rough around the edges. But still so lovely.” (Wayward Son, Chapter 9)

Baz loves Simon so much that it hurts him to even think of not being with him. And yet despite not actually knowing Simon’s intentions before Penny slammed a door on his face, (lol) Baz’s anxiety grows from a true fear of losing him; whether that’s losing him to someone else or to depression, the fear remains the same.

ENTER BEN PLATT.

The opening lyrics of Grow as We Go sound like they were written by Baz himself in a letter to Simon,

“You say there's so much you don't know You need to go and find yourself You say you'd rather be alone 'Cause you think you won't find it tied to someone else.” (Grow As We Go, Ben Platt)

(Knowing British people as I do, it’s a bit too much sharing all at once to be something Baz would say all at one time, but I’m getting off topic). These lines encapsulate the bleeding heart bargaining Baz feels as he worries Simon is slipping away from him, while at the same time focuses on the fact that Baz still feels they are destined to be together after everything they’ve survived so far. 

“Ooh, who said it's true That the growing only happens on your own? They don't know me and you.” (Grow As We Go, Ben Platt)

Baz would say to the rest of the world, even to Simon himself, that they make each other better by being together.

“I don't know who we'll become I can't promise it's not written in the stars But I believe that when it's done  We're gonna see that it was better That we grew up together” (Grow As We Go, Ben Platt)

There’s SO FUCKING MUCH to unpack so I’ll keep in brief. This entire passage links back to motifs from Carry On. 

Beginning with the star motif (which I could and MIGHT write a whole separate essay about); Stars have been known to appear during incredibly vulnerable, shifting moments in Simon and Baz’s relationship. We first see the motif when Simon shares his magic with in Carry On, and the motif reappears more with a more cautious, anxious tone in the back of Shepard’s truck withWayward Son. Which is why when it so poetically appears in this verse, it feels like the perfect match to Baz’s tone.

However, the real gut punch of this song comes when we examine this line from Chapter 11, in conjunction with the aforementioned section of the song,

“‘They’re not that far apart,’ I say. ‘Not to you; you grew up in a mansion.’ ‘I grew up at the top of a tower,’ I say. ‘With you’.” (Wayward Son, Chapter 11)

The final line of this section of the lyrics are SO important because they connect to these specific lines from Wayward Son painfully well. They encapsulate Baz’s wish to grow old (as much as he can… ohhh WE’RE GETTING THERE), more specifically to continue to grow old with Simon. Together these passages highlight that, despite Simon’s gradual attempts to pull away from Baz (ironically due to what Simon perceives as kindness), Baz still has faith enough in the strength of their relationship to try and keep them together.

In essence, go listen to the song. It’ll smash your heart into a million pieces, but you’ll still thank me for recommending it.

Song 2: In Case You Don't Live Forever

AAAAAAAAAAAAH. OKAY. 

Here’s where shit reeeeally hits the fan. I’m going to get the obvious out of the way right now. 

For the first time in the series, we see Baz actually confront the reality of his immortality in Wayward Son. I know there is still a question mark hanging above this statement because Baz is an semi-unreliable narrator and we only can know what he does, but his conversations with Lamb brings to light the true reality of his condition: Baz can, in theory, live forever. What is also frighteningly true - and a fact which Rowell herself hasn’t even fully articulated yet - is the fact that Simon, as far as we know, won’t live forever.

CUE BEN PLATT AND HIS SAD PIANO MUSIC.

“You put all your faith in my dreams You gave me the world that I wanted What did I do to deserve you?” (In Case You Don’t Live Forever, Ben Platt)

This self-depreciative, I-dont-deserve-anything tone is PAINFULLY in line with Baz’s own internal monologue. Throughout the majority of Carry On (as well as the just under a decade which preceded the events of the book) Baz have lived convinced that Simon is going to kill him one day. When that inevitably DOESN'T happen and they end up together, Baz cannot believe his luck.

“I've waited way too long to say Everything you mean to me” (In Case You Don’t Live Forever, Ben Platt)

AND DESPITE HIS PERCVIED SPECTACULAR LUCK, this FUCKING numpty waits until the LITERAL second to last page of the SECOND book to say how he really feels,

“I raise my voice: ‘Why cant you see that I wouldn’t be happy anywhere without you?’ He sits back, like I’ve slapped him.” (Wayward Son, p. 353)

This ties in beautifully with - so much so I was screaming at my desktop as I listened to it - the second verse of In Case You Don't Live Forever,

“I, I've carried this song in my mind Listen, it's echoing in me But I haven't helped you to hear it We, we've only got so much time I'm pretty sure it would kill me If you didn't know the pieces of me are pieces of you” (In Case You Don’t Live Forever, Ben Platt)

Baz’s hesitation, whether born culturally out of a stubborn British habit not to share your emotions for fear of oversharing, or hesitation specific to his relationship with Simon, has kept him from speaking his mind. It has kept him from speaking about how deeply his life has been changed by Simon, and how fleeting and short their time together truly is.

WHAT MIGHT PROMPT BAZ TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS?? Perhaps the realization that Simon won’t live forever, that he has to say these things to him In Case You Don't Live Forever.

MIC DROP. 

Aaaaaand cue the saddest line of the song, please...

“In case you don't live forever, let me tell you now I love you more than you'll ever wrap your head around In case you don't live forever, let me tell you the truth I'm everything that I am because of you” (In Case You Don’t Live Forever, Ben Platt)

The absolutely heart wrenching scene (“Simon… love… get up. We still have to save Agatha.” NOPE. Still not over it!) as they fight The Next Blood in the dead spot, when considered together with Lamb’s words from earlier in the novel, is truly the moment when Baz realises he will lose Simon someday.

In this way therefore the song connects Baz’s internal monologue as it looks forward toward the events of Anyway the Wind Blows. 

Now. I would not DARE try to put words in Rowell’s mouth, but when viewed holistically with Baz’s final actions in Wayward Son (his realization of the temporality of Simon’s life against the length of his own, and his brash declaration that his life is hardly worth living without Simon in it) Platt’s song sets to music the logical trajectory of Baz’s emotional state and desires in a way I sincerely hope we see in this next and final novel.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK.

BONUS:

THESE LINES FUCKED ME SO MUCH I CAN’T EVEN B E G I N TO UNPACK HOW MUCH THIS IS JUST THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND THE WAY BAZ SEES SIMON.

“I have a hero whenever I need one I just look up to you and I see one I'm a man 'cause you taught me to be one.” (In Case You Don’t Live Forever, Ben Platt)

GGGGGAAAAAAH  I’M DONE BEING ANALYTICAL. THAT LINE JUST FINISHED ME OFF. 

[allmytypesofthings]

I personally think:

They (netflix maybe, or other studio that would mean lots of people could access it) should make a "Fangirl" movie/series, with all the different versions of Simon and Baz played by the same actors but dressed and styalised differently for each different piece of fiction they appear in, so the "canon" version in fangirl could be very authentic then smaller sections of fanfic could be more dramatic/fluffy etc depending on the type of fiction.

Then they should make a "Carry On" movie/series using the same actors that appeared in all the fiction, to show how its all different versions of the same universe.

To be honest i just really need snowbaz videos with meaningful music and lighting the whole shebang, sticking true to the books!

Update: With all the writing scenes in "Fangirl", you could do a lot with Cath 'moving' baz and simon about, like when shes stuck on what they are doing they're just frozen and she has to physically move them about, because when Cath and Wren are writing together you could have them both fighting over and changing the movements. Then with Cath and Nicks writing, you can have the characters suddenly changing places/looks as the writing continues. (probably sounds better in my head)

P.S. I'm getting way too hooked on this, I should be revising but instead i am thinking about this which isn't even real!

[carryonsimoncarryonbaz]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18937894

New fic i wrote today inspired by this art post by the incredibly talented @dancingwdinosaurs thank you for the lovely art you create, my dear!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxz7d5RIRkp/?igshid=1sh26la68ckcz

I Couldn’t Love You More

Baz

Even after all these years Simon still hangs back, hovering around the edges at events like this. He knows all the guests by now, each and every one by name, knows the Old Families hold no malice towards him.

Not anymore.

Not since he saved the World of Mages.

But he still finds it difficult to mingle, preferring to keep near the tables laden with food.

Of course. Food will always be a comfort to Simon.

I extricate myself from my somewhat tedious conversation with Miranda, one of my father’s distant Grimm cousins, and make my way toward Simon.

“You’ve hardly left the hors d’oeuvres table. One would think you only showed up for the food.”

“I do only come for the food. Your family knows how to put on a good spread.” Simon grins as he plucks another shrimp from the tray next to him.

I bump his shoulder. I can feel the heat of him, even through the layers of our suits. He still runs as hot as he ever did.

“You can take your suit coat off, if you like. It’s warm tonight.”

Simon instantly shrugs out of it, the relief visible on his face. “You and your posh family gatherings.” He casts about for a place to put it but then shrugs and drapes it over his arm.

He’s as gorgeous in just the waistcoat. I don’t think Simon realizes how magnificent he looks in a suit and what the sight of him in one does to me, even now, years after I first saw him in one. One of mine to be exact. A shade of grey not too far off from this one.

The suits he wears now are tailored to him. Every stitch created for Simon, bespoke ensembles that hug his thighs and showcase his broad shoulders. He’s delectable in a ratty t-shirt and trackies—in a suit he’s simply breathtaking.

I shake my head and turn to scan the crowd again. I can’t think clearly when he looks like this.

Dev’s parents are celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They’ve rented out The Sky Bar for the night; invited not only the entire extended family and the members of the Coven, but likely all the magical families in the greater London area. The place is swarming with people.

It’s a lovely night for it though, warm but not humid, the light summer breeze ruffling Simon’s curls, the late afternoon sun burnishing them to a golden bronze.

He’s beautiful, my Simon is.

He is my Simon, for now and forever. My thumb brushes over my ring, spinning it lightly. It’s become a habit already in the short weeks since Simon placed it on my finger.

That’s the main reason everyone is bound and determined to chat me up tonight. We’ve just returned from our wedding trip to Egypt, Greece, and Italy. Three weeks traveling the Mediterranean.

It’s given Simon an even deeper tawny glow, made more freckles appear on the bridge of his nose and all across his back. New constellations for me to familiarize myself with on his skin.

The sun even managed to brighten me up a bit. I’m not quite as pasty white as when we left. Not ruddy or golden like Simon, mind you, but more color than I’ve had in years. The photographs we took make me look almost human.

He’s fidgeting now, shifting his suit coat from arm to arm. I take it from him with a sigh. “You are a nightmare. Come along. I’ll drop this at the coat check. Don’t let me forget it when we leave.”

Simon follows me into the cool darkness of the bar, fingers sliding to intertwine with mine.

Simon

It’s not so bad tonight. I still get edgy, at big gatherings like this. I’m not sure what to say or quite how to be with these people, even now.

I don’t mind the Grimms. I’m used to them. And not just Baz’s immediate family, but his cousins and aunts and such. Dev’s around all the time now that he’s moved back to London, so we see him and his family quite frequently.

Baz and I end up attending a fair amount of family events. Birthdays, wedding, anniversaries—it’s a huge family so it always seems like someone is celebrating something.

I wish Fiona were here tonight. She’s back in Prague this summer.

She’d be by my side right now, whispering all sorts of outrageous details about those in attendance, poking fun at outfits and hairstyles, downing drinks, and blowing her cigarette smoke into the face of whoever was boring her at that particular moment.

Not that Baz isn’t good company. He’s the best. He’s as adept at the hilarious murmured commentary, maybe better. I can’t keep a straight face half the time, with what all he’s whispering to me.

He doesn’t expect me to mingle or make small talk. Baz lets me slip away when it all gets to be too much. But he’s far more poised and proper than Fiona, knows he needs to make the rounds, shake hands, engage in the mindless small talk that’s expected of him as the heir to the House of Pitch.

That’s when I usually slip away. To the food table, more often than not, unless Niall’s in attendance and then we usually end up at the bar.

Niall’s in attendance tonight, but he’s sticking close to Dev. That’s alright. Makes sense, it does. It’s Dev who did all the planning for this.

It’s better without my suit coat. I feel freer, less encumbered this way. I’m still warm, but the sun’s lower now and the breeze has picked up a bit. I make my way to the railing at the edge of the rooftop bar. It’s cooler here.

Baz’s father dragged him off to meet some new business colleague a few moments ago. Baz reads me so well—I begged off with just a look. It’s left me free to wander about on my own again, which is how I prefer it anyway.

There’s an unexpectedly empty bench, covered with plush white cushions, at the far end of the bar. I can see the city spread out around me. I stand next to it, arms on the railing, taking in the glorious sight of the London skyline.

Not as dramatic as Athens. Or the view of the Pyramids at sunrise. But it’s familiar, which makes it far dearer to me.

It’s not long before arms slide around my waist and Baz rests his chin on my shoulder. “Alright, love?”

I tilt my head back and inhale the scent of him.

He pulls me down onto the bench, one arm slung over my shoulder. I lean into him, resting my elbow on his knee. We fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

This. This is home. This is where I belong.

In Baz’s arms.

[fancyfade]

If 5g really is an age-up scenario where our heroes get replaced who would you want replacing each main hero

Okay I had to do a quick google to get info.

If I was replacing some heroes I would feel like Batman should be the first to go (which it looks like they're going to replace him with Luke Fox?) because honestly he has got to be middle aged by now. He needs to retire and like... relax and recover.

I'm fine with luke fox as batman? I don't know, I haven't seen a ton of him. I read his new 52 solo title and personally preferred David more, but he was still likeable enough. i guess if I was picking my own batman I might do Cass Cain ( shameless link to pic). I did like Dick when he was Batman but I also feel like I’ve seen enough of that, I don’t need to re-tread it.

For Wonder Woman, I think it would be interesting to see Grace Choi replace her. Grace is also an amazon and feels sort of like she has no family (she wasn't raised by the amazons she was raised in an abusive foster family IIRC and then lived on the streets). The Amazons of Bana Migdall try to exploit this in that... really bad amazons attack issue.

But anyway the reason for this is two fold. One: I just really like Grace. She's buff, she's bi, she's slightly abrasive, she's relatable, what's not to love? She is also a rare female super hero who is allowed to be the most physically intimidating person in the room, being 7 feet tall and buff.

second reason: if they are adding in a fifth generation... why not bring back some earlier heroes who were not given a ton of development? Grace Choi, Anissa Pierce... there are probably a lot of other heroes who were really cool but only appeared in team issues and never got their own solo title, then retconned out of existence in flashpoint and never brought back (to the best of my knowledge).

Superman is the hardest for me because I don’t read as much kryptonian stuff. I know that in the movie (reign of the supermen) i liked both superboy and steel. I actually liked this superboy much better than young justice superboy tbh.

I only saw steel (john and natasha irons) in a couple issues of new 52 superwoman comics. and natasha in the 52 comic series (with lex’s weird everyman project).

unsure who the other main heroes are :P like regular justice league line up? if so I’d want Kaldur’ahm as aquaman, but IIRC he’s a tv only character and the normal aqualad he’s loosely (but pretty loosely) based on is your user name (Jackson Hyde)

green lantern: You can’t separate my favorite two green lanterns (Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz).

I’ll confess to not being super excited for this because DC already has a ton of cool legacy heroes and I’m not sure they’ll do anything with them here. maybe I don’t know enough about what’s going to happen? IDK I hope this answered your question and ty for the ask ^_^

[littlepsychowonderland]

Old crushes die hard (Time)

Baz:

An after all this time, there he is. Leaning against the bar in a gray suit, laughing. The same laugh, the same moles, the same curls. I just stare at him. He is here, Simon Snow stands five feet away from me, alive, breathing, beautiful and I forget how to function.

“Ty, you’re spacing out.” Anne, my coworker, slightly pushes me, bringing me back to reality. “Just talk to the guy.”, she says and winks. Anne is one of the few people I ever told that I am gay. We were drunk on some party from some guy I didn’t really know and she and I were sitting on the balcony. I was so drunk, all I did was babble, until I started babbling about this dude in my class, who was unfairly hot (coincidentally he also had bronze curls, bur I ignored that). Anne listened to me, fairly drunk herself. Suddenly she sat p straight, pointed a finger at me and yelled “You’re gay.” She was really happy at that time, thought she had figured me out, but I was so shocked, I started crying on the spot. “Shh. It’s ok.”, Anne had said and pulled me into a hug. She was really nice, gave me chocolate and told me she was bisexual herself. “Doesn’t really mater who you love, Ty.”; she said with all her drunken wisdom and I cried eve more.

Since then we kinda became friends and I started opening up more about my sexuality.

Anne was also the one who got me the job at this bar. “It’ll be fun. Working together, all fancy.”, she had said and I couldn’t say no. Anne had the worst puppy eyes. Almost as bad as Mordelia.

Right know she smiled at me knowingly (she knew my type and the exact replica was sitting right there) and wiggled her eyebrows. “Shut up. I can’t talk to him.”, I say and wipe a glass clean. “Why not?”

“No flirting with the customers.”, I remind her. Our chef was really clear about that, almost aggressive. “Oh come on. Your shift is almost over anyway. It won’t hurt.” Anne laughs.

I look at Simon. He is here with a girl I don’t quite see, probably his girlfriend, and a few other people. Then he does something that freezes my body completely. He comes over, in my direction. “Anne.”, I squeal and want to run away. “Na uh.”, she says, “I am taking my break.” Then she steals my cigarettes and is gone. That brat!

And then he is there, all bronze and light, looking at me, the surprise written on his face.

Simon

Baz! It is Baz!

Baz

“Hi, what can I get for you?”, I ask as calmly as possible, but he just points at me, still in shock. “Baz.”, he said and lets his mouth open for a few seconds. “That is my name.” I pretend to be cool, while all my organs are dancing tango. “You’re here.”, he huffs, breathless, “Why are you here?”

“I work here Snow.”, I say. He nods. Seems like he isn’t catching up to reality yet. I know I am not, it is like a weird fever dream. Imagining over and over again how I would meet him again, how I would apologize for everything, how I would flirt, take him back home. And now he is standing here and I am back to being bitter and arrogant.

“You work here?” He was like a parrot. “Yes. So, what can I get you?” If he left quick enough I could pretend it was all another daydream and that he was never here. “Oh, ahh. Yeah I would like a Whiskey, Rum-Coke, a glass of water and some fancy cocktail with a lot of sugar.”, he says looking down at his phone. He probably had typed down the orders of his friend.

“Penny what the fuck?”, he muttered quietly. I couldn’t help but grin and then I remembered that I didn’t have to pretend to hate him, so I let my face relax and chuckled. Simon looked up.

Simon

I think in all these years he was my roommate, all these years we spent together, growing up, I have never seen Baz smile, let alone hear him chuckle. It is breathtaking.

I still can’t quite believe that he is here. It took me some time after graduating to notice that I didn’t really hate Baz and then a few more months to explain the obsessiveness. Actually Penny figured it out. I only noticed that I also liked men and when I told her she just looked at me and nodded. “Explains the whole Baz-thing.”, she said. Even though I threw a defensive tantrum, how she was all wrong, I had to admit, she had found a point. Maybe I did like Baz. (How disturbed is that? Falling in love with someone who wants to kill you?) And maybe that was ok. It wasn’t like I would ever see him again.

But now here he was, hair slicked back, smiling, and all the feelings came rushing back.

“Some sugary cocktail it is.”, Baz says and all I can do is watch him prepare the drinks like I am in a trance.

“Here you go Snow. Don’t fall on the way back.”, he says and smirks. That smirk I recognize. “I won’t.” I pout like a little child. He rolls his eyes, but he is still smiling and I just stare at him for another second.

Baz, not full on hating me, is going to be my death.

Baz

One day I am going to die because of Simon Snow. He looks at me with those blue eyes and I can see every mole I never forgot. I notice him staring, which is not new, he used to do it all the time, to check that I wasn’t plotting. But now it seems different. I watch him struggling with all four drinks. Then I let my head fall down on the wood. What am I doing with my life?  

It takes another thirty minutes of pointless staring, mindless cocktail mixing and confused looks from Anne until Faruk comes and I can finally go home, to hide in my bed.

Simon

Penny is trying to convince to go back to the bar. “Talk to him”, she says with an evil shimmer in her eyes, “I bet you have a shot.”

It takes her half an hour until I am so annoyed, I actually consider it. I look over to the bar. Baz is handing his apron to another dude, the he hugs the girl and leaves. The second he vanishes I jump up. He can’t leave again. Not until I had the time to talk to him, to really get to know him, without a war, without so much pressure on our shoulders. “I’ll be back Pen.”, I whisper in her ear, then I am gone.

Baz

The air is fresh and crisp. It is a cold October. For a second I close my eyes, let my head cool down, relax. “Baz.”, someone says. It’s a voice I will never forget in my whole life.

“Simon.”, I say and open my eyes to see him stand right in front of me, hands in his jeans. He seems cold. “What are you doing here?” I sound harsh. I didn’t mean to be. Simon looks away. Maybe he tries to figure out what he is doing here.

“I wanted to...”, he starts and blushes, “I mean I thought...”

“Spill it out Simon.” He looks at me and blushes even more. Must be the cold. “Wanted to ask if I could have your phone number.”, he says.

He wanted to what? What is this? Am I in a parallel universe?

“Why?”, I ask. This is too confusing and confusing isn’t good. “I dun know. Maybe catch up or something.” Simon mumbles.

“But you hate me?”

“Christ Baz, will you give me your number or not?” He is pulling on his hair. I want to do that, always wanted to. “Sure.”, I say and he hands me his phone. With shaking fingers I type in my number. As I hand him back the phone he smiles. “Gotta go inside.”, he says and waves a little, “It’s freezing.” And with that he is gone.

Baz

“It’s just not fair.”, I complain to Anne. We are sitting in her apartment, studying. By now I told her everything about Simon. As much as you can tell a person when out have to leave out magick and a war. Anne was still laughing at my misery. “I mean you got his number.”, she says, trying to calm down. “Yeah, but now he texts me like a lot. He send me a picture of a dog. Anne, I am gonna die. He is too cute. I feel like I am sixteen again.”

“You’re not sixteen?” Anne laughs again and I groan, letting my head fall on the table.

“Why are you so worried? A cute guy, that you have a crush on texts you and the thing you do is freak out.”

It’s true. I am freaking out. Because there are so many confusing feelings flowing inside my body. Excitement, because he is in my life again, fear, because he is in my life again (and because he is straight, hope, because deep down I hope he is not and that sticky, disgusting love, that I had years of practice to ignore.

But now I can’t anymore, not with him sending me dog pictures.

My phone rings. “Is that loverboy?”, Anne asks, but I ignore her.

It is Simon tho. “Hey Baz, you like maybe wanted to go get a coffee together or something?” He can’t even articulate him when he is texting, bloody moron. “Gladly.” I text back, then start squealing. “What happened?” Anne raises and eyebrow at uncontrollably rolling on the ground. “He asked me to get coffee with him.”

“Uhhh, you got yourself a date.”

I sit up again. “I don’t think it’s a date. I mean he is straight.”

“Baz, you are living in a hetero normative mindset. Has he ever said he is straight? No. Well then he could be anything.”

I don’t argument with her, because Anne always gets so furious arguing about those topics, so I just nod. Maybe she is right, but I highly doubt it.

Simon

Nervously I fiddle with the zipper of my jacket. I am early, like by fifteen inutes. Penny talked me into meeting up wit Baz. “I can’t take you smirking at your phone anymore as if it was a scone. Go get your guy.”, she had said and punched me in the shoulder, a light punch. But she was right, so without further thinking (because that always destroys everything) I asked him for a coffee. Now I wish I had thought this over more.

Ten Minutes later, Baz appears in a black coat and if I see correctly jeans. God damn, he is hot.

“You actually came.”, I say before I can hold myself back. He raises an eyebrow. “Yeah. Did you think I would ditch you?”

“Actually…” I think about it. “Yes.”, I say.

“You’re an idiot, Snow.”, Baz says and enters the little cafe that I picked. It’s a cozy little shop. With wood furniture and cute little mugs as lamps. It reminds me a lot of Ebb. She would have loved this. We choose a table next to the window. Baz takes off his coat. He is wearing a green shirt. He looks amazing. “You’re pretty.” I say without thinking, again. It is weird. In school I would have never done that, I would have never thought that in the first place. I was too focused on him being the villain that I never noticed that he was also a human.

Baz blushes. Never seen him do that before. “Thank you Snow.”

“Simon.”, I say and smile.

“What?” “My name is Simon, not Snow.” He smirks.

“Oh is it, Snow?” He is mocking be. That bastard.

“Well Mr. Pitch if you’re gonna play like that...” I lean back in my chair and pout. He just smiles at me. It’s a pretty smile. I have to look away. “What can I get for you?” Katy, the waitress comes to our table. She smiles at me. “Hi Simon. How are you?” “Good, good. What about you?”

“Stressed but fine.”, she says. I don’t really know her, but we do this little small-talk, since I am here so often. “So for you the apple pie and a cream latte I guess?”, she asks and I nod. “And for you?”, she says and look at Baz. I can see the realization in her eyes and I want to slap her. Yes Baz is gorgeous, but she has no right to stare at him.

“You did it all the time.”, the little Penny in my head says. But that was different, I lie back and then Katy is gone. “This is a really nice place.”, Baz says and looks around.  “Isn’t it?” I am a little proud. Before we came here I was really scared he wouldn’t like it.

“So Simon.”, he says. He said my name. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside. “You live together with Penny, if I remember that correctly?”  

“Yes, we have a little flat not far from here.” I say and ask him about his living situation. When we texted it was mostly me talking and him commenting. But now he tells me about his university, his aunt Fiona, his job at the bar. So much about him I know, his expressions, when he doesn’t like something, when he is passionate about something, I studied him for years. But there are also new things about him. He is nicer, way nicer. I quite like it.

“Anne lives near me so we hand out a lot.”, he ends his story.

“Is she your girlfriend?”, I ask and feel the pinch of jealousy. He looks at me baffled and then laughs. “No, no she is not. Simon I am gay.” His eyes are stormy pools and I could drown in them. “Oh.”, I say and smile. “I never knew.”

“Yeah, I was very good at hiding things.”, he says, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“Not the whole vampire thing.” I smirk and he grins back.

“You could never proof it.”

“But I always knew.” We bicker back and forth, share the apple pie and Baz brings me home.

Kiss me, I say in my mind, but he just smiles at me, for a second longer, waves and leaves. I should have kissed him.

Baz

The next time I see Simon is in the opera. Fiona got two tickets from her now ex-boyfriend and she gave them too me. Anne slapped me when I invited her. “Go with loverboy.”, she said and I thought it was ridiculous. But then I asked, and he said yes and now we are sitting in one of the prettiest operas of England.

The play is really good. I had seen another version of it last spring, but this is way better. During the second act I can feel Simon’s finger next to mine. My breath hitches, but I interlock our pinkies and then he takes my hand. Surprised I look at him, but his eyes are fixated on the stage. I can see him smiling tho.

We walk home together. Simon is really exited about the play and talks about it the whole way, on my side, I can only concentrate on my hand in his.

“Thanks for taking me.”, Simon says and smiles. I should kiss him. Last time I missed my chance. I should really kiss him.

And then he kisses me.

Simon

It’s a good kiss. It’s a really good kiss. His lips are pleasantly cool. He is sightly pushing my, So I push back. I can feel his pulse. It’s hard to think.

Baz

I am kissing the chosen one.

No he is not the chosen one.

He is a boy.

A boy I had a crush on for years now.

He is Simon Snow.

I am kissing Simon.

Simon

Aleister Crowley I live a charmed life.

Baz

Simon is doing a thing with his chin. It feels so nice.

Simon

Breathlessly we break apart. He smiles. “You wanna come upstairs?”, I ask still panting. “I would love to.”, Baz says.

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

So I'm sure you've covered all this at some point, but what IS your favorite Shakespeare play? Who's your favorite character from Shakespeare? What is your favorite scene? What do you think of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet? ^.^

I always like to answer these so it’s no problem and it’s always fun for me :)

1. Hard to answer, because I have different moods, and different plays appeal to me for different reasons. In class I say Henry V (and it’s true enough probably that that’s my favorite, I had a quote from the show on my graduation cap, I write about it all the time, it’s just a great exploration of what it means to be a king and the power of the word.) Short answer is Henry V, longer answer is different plays appeal to me at different times/moods. Right now for example I’m very into The Winter’s Tale because a production of the show is a plot point in my current DBH fic, (and if at least one person catches this I’m going to be so happy...but I’m not there yet and I won’t be for a while, ha.) and a parallel to the ending of the show will appear in the story. Also it’s just such a great play that covers renewal, forgiveness...lots of good stuff.

A quote from Antony and Cleopatra also gave me the title for my DBH fic, so obviously I’m quite fond of that show as well. and things will come up later as to why the title is what it is :) 

But other than me using my nerdery in my writing, those are my favorites, for sure, with Henry V being my tl:dr answer.

and you know what? I have to reread romeo and juliet for class, and I love it. I adore it. It’s a great play and I don’t care if it’s fashionable to hate it because “stupid teen romance,” I love it :p

2. If I had the skill I would love to play Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra. probably Beatrice as well from Much ado about nothing, so those are definitely some of my favorite characters. 

But honestly? I love Henry V in his play. (I love Tom Hiddleston in this role in the Hollow Crown BBC miniseries. His wooing of Katherine at the end is perfection. and personally I think he’s the best Henry V, though I love Laurence Olivier’s for historical reasons :) ) 

3. oh...favorite scene, wow. I feel like this one can get loaded, so....

When I first read the “get thee to a nunnery” scene in Hamlet I had such a visceral reaction to the scene. Not necessarily a positive one, but Hamlet’s vitriol towards Ophelia was so raw and real to me, that I remember thinking to myself...wow I love Shakespeare. So every time I see a production of Hamlet, I always judge that scene and what the actors do. AND IT IRRITATES ME TO NO END WHEN THEATRE COMPANIES CUT OPHELIA’S MONOLOGUE AFTER. NO. SHAME. DO NOT DO NOT

the “unto the breach” monologue in henry V because I quote it all the time.

The part in Much ado about Nothing where the enemies to lovers Beatrice and benedick confess they love each other, because I love the line “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest” line. 

“Friends, Romans and Countrymen” speech delivered by Mark Antony in Julius Caesar. I was a part of a production of an all female version of this show as the dramaturg researcher lady, and the girl who played Mark Antony blew this out of the water every night. besides that, it’s just a great speech and amazing to see on stage. 

oh, I also love the part in macbeth where Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to do the deed. (Michael Fassbender version has a great depiction of this scene.)

ahhh..so many :)

4. I like aspects of the movie but as a whole I don’t care for it that much? I don’t hate it, but it’s not my favorite adaptation. I am however a bit biased, the Zeffirelli Romeo and Juliet was my first exposure to Shakespeare. I’m also just a sucker for Renaissance costumes...and I just think the romeo and the juliet of that movie can recite Shakespeare better. (though I do love Leo. so much love for leo. ending is good to that movie.) 

[dragonsaltminer]

Silverwolv/Elanyx Guilt Tripping, Again.

Dayliqht was selling a dragon with the ID 50000046 (http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/baz/2646759/1), from their first post it’s pretty obvious that people have been clambering to buy it (Silverwolv/Elanyx no doubt included). Silverwolv comes in trying to play pity party with the reminder that they lost their precious Rursas (ID 46464646).

Love the direct call out from Madrigalism. The response from Silverwolv is as pathetic as one would expect.

One dragon should not mean this much to you. It’s really obvious that she’s looking for a handout because I have no doubt she has little to nothing of value since her original account being banned. 

A heavy bidding war then took place between Madrigalism and Weisk, the latter user winning. From the heavy pockets they both had - seriously, the winning bid was almost 10kg is this ID really worth that much? - I doubt the dragon would have ever made its way to Silverwolv unless the owner took pity and fell for the subtle begging. It’s nice to see that her beg attempts regardless didn’t work, hopefully she won’t be trying to bother the new owner.

Also looks like Silverwolv might be attempting another multi-account. Out of nowhere her boyfriend Astat (http://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=userpage&id=451495) is playing FR. It’ll be interesting to see if this person appear more real than her supposed “brother” zerolynx.

[lettuce-and-trek]

The recommendations one!

OKAY, This might get long :p… Off the top of my head:

p>

Books:

Children of Eden:  Rowan is a Second Child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden. Her kaleidoscope eyes will give her away to the ruthless Center government.

Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron al Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.

Be More Chill: Jeremy Heere enlists a supercomputer implant(SQUIP) to make himself popular.

A Long Walk to Water:  Salva Dut is a young 11-year-old boy separated from his family during a war in what is now South Sudan because of the Second Sudanese Civil War. He has to walk for weeks with only the hope that one day he will find his family again. Salva also struggles to find food and water to survive along with avoiding gunmen, lions and other threats.

Nya is an 11-year-old girl who walks eight hours to fetch water from the pond. She and her family live in South Sudan in 2008-2009. Her family home is far from the nearest pond, where she walks twice a day to support her parents and younger sister, Akeer. [The author of this visited my school. She was kind of stuck up and annoying, but the book is great.]

A Street Cat Named Bob:  When street musician James Bowen found an injured cat curled up in the hallway of his apartment building, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London, barely making enough money to feed himself, and the last thing he needed was a pet. Yet James couldn’t resist helping the strikingly intelligent but very sick animal, whom he named Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining that he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas.

Shows:

Trigger Warning, 13 Reasons why: I’m guessing you know what this is about. Amazing show.

The Fosters:  Stef, a dedicated police officer, is in a relationship with Lena. The two have built a close-knit family with Stef’s biological son, Brandon, and adopted twins, Mariana and Jesus. When Lena meets Callie – hardened from being in and out of foster homes – the couple welcome her into their home, thinking it is temporary. Callie’s blunt commentary about the atypical family hits a nerve with the twins, who struggle with their own identities. Then the girl discovers a secret that could land Mariana in trouble. Brandon helps Callie navigate the social scene at high school, but she skips school to meet up with an old friend. Her behavior makes Stef and Lena second-guess their decision to help her. [LESBIAN AND GAY MAIN CHARACTERS! AND A TRANSGENDER MAIN/REACURRING ONE! AND HUGE COVERAGE ABOUT DACA AND TRUMP-]

Bates Motel: (HUGE r*pe TW for episode 1/the whole show, and a lot of gore.) After the death of her husband, Norma Bates buys a motel in the picturesque coastal town of White Pine Bay, giving herself and teenage son Norman a chance to begin anew. Shy Norman is reluctant at first, but with the help of his mother – with whom he shares an intensely close relationship – the boy begins to open up to others and make new friends. Some locals, however, aren’t as friendly and welcoming to the Bates, who discover that because White Pine Bay isn’t as peaceful as it appears, they are forced to do whatever it takes to survive.

Grey’s Anatomy:  The medical drama series focuses on a group of doctors at a hospital in Seattle, including several who began their careers at the facility as interns. One of the doctors and the show’s namesake, Meredith Grey, is the daughter of a famous surgeon. She struggles to maintain relationships with her colleagues, particularly the hospital’s one-time chief of surgery, Richard Webber, due to a pre-existing relationship between them – Webber and Meredith’s mother had a personal relationship when Meredith was young. [HUGE Bisexual representation! Also a lesbian character! This show is one of my special interests!!!]

The Good Doctor:  Shaun Murphy, a young autistic surgeon who has savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join the surgical unit at the prestigious San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital – a move strongly supported by his mentor, Dr. Aaron Glassman. Having survived a troubled childhood, Shaun is alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, but he finds his niche using his extraordinary medical skill and intuition to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues.

Santa Clarita Diet:[ (Gore tw)  Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star in this Netflix-original series as married realtors, Sheila and Joel, who are living a quiet life, raising their teenage daughter in Santa Clarita, Calif. Their world unexpectedly changes when Sheila goes through a dramatic transformation that sends her down a road of death and destruction – but leaves her looking and feeling better than ever.

Crazy Ex Girlfriend: One of the best shows I’ve ever watched. There’s a musical number in every episode. Successful and driven, Rebecca Bunch seemingly has it all – an upscale apartment in Manhattan and a partnership at a prestigious law firm – but she feels like something is missing. After a chance meeting with a former romantic interest, Rebecca impulsively decides to give up her life in New York and relocate to West Covina, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb she hopes will be the perfect home base as she embarks on a quest for love, adventure and true happiness.

Anne With an E: (Based on Anne of Green Gables.) Anne is a 13-year-old who has endured an abusive childhood in orphanages and the homes of strangers. In the late 1890s, Anne is mistakenly sent to live with aging siblings, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, who live on Prince Edward Island. Anne, who proves to be uniquely spirited, imaginative and smart, transforms the lives of Marilla, Matthew and everyone else in their small town.