#catastrophe ballet

[heroinuser88]

Christian Death - Catastrophe Ballet

[saledyable]

[alma3737]

christian death - electra descending

[kwillow]

Mail time. Theo clearly isn't the best candidate to lecture people on "good manners" but that's not going to stop him.

Also using this as a header for more LORE RAMBLES: THEO EDITION, because again I have more interesting asks about Theo than I can answer with drawings -- so REAMS OF WORDS it is!

Questions and answers under the cut...

Well, Theo isn’t terribly fond of the guy. He’s never met him, of course, but from his research into Old Kingdom history, he thinks of Ambroys as a conceited, shallow, disloyal, cowardly liar – and he’s not exactly wrong, ha.

If they met in the past, when Ambroys was his cocky, younger self, I think Ambroys would take advantage of Theo’s poor social skills and unpopularity by bullying him for some cheap points with other people who would find amusement in that. Ambroys wouldn’t have much use for him otherwise. Theo would spend far more time seething about Ambroys and plans for his revenge on that POMPOUS POPINJAY than Ambroys would spend thinking about Theo at all.

If they met in modern times – well that’s something we’ll address eventually, but Theo and Ambroys would not get along much better. Present-day Ambroys does not like mages one bit. Also, he is quite used to being literally worshipped. A little hater like Theo would not be looked upon kindly.

Thank you!! Now you too are present in a lore dump!

Theo is indeed a fan of the performing arts, and art in general (though he is, predictably, very particular in his tastes). Opera and such was performed during Ambroys’ time, and much of it was likely lost during the apocalyptic era between the time of the Old Kingdoms and the modern day, but I imagine some scant examples of the genre (and traditional plays by the likes of Furry Shakespeare, because Shakespeare is one of those people who just exists in every universe no matter how bizarre) would still survive into the Theo’s time.

Theo’s hometown of Northcrest would be too small and rural to have a real theatre, so experiencing “proper” performances would be rare treats for him, when he followed his mother on business excursions to the rich districts of Ironfrost. I love that you picked up on the fact that he would want his own private box, haha. He wants to observe, not be observed!

You’re right that musicals would probably still be in their vaudeville and burlesque era, and Theo would find them to be distasteful, vulgar pap suited only for the soft, feeble minds of the unwashed masses, not a refined intellectual like himself. (Which is funny because I think a real-world modern-day Theo would like musicals because in some ways, he is a theater kid without the charisma or confidence to actually perform.) While his mother did not enjoy theatre to the same extent he did (her tastes were more in feats of choreographry and human/anthro excellence like ballet), they would bitch about the decline of society together if they saw a poster for one of those terrible, gaudy cabaret catastrophes. In general, Theo hates anything modern and likes anything old-fashioned, and that shifts according to the decade he lives in. An Amaranthine Theo would hate swing music, but a real-world modern-day Theo would like it. Embarrassing!

Also, he will memorize and quote his favorite soliloquies at people for the faintest of reasons. Don’t test him.

No, I don’t think Hyden has strong enough arms or a sturdy enough back to lift an entire person, even one as little as Theo. Hyden might be large but he’s not as powerful as his height and bulk make him look. I think even Theo is more physically adept than Hyden is (and that’s not saying much).

Also, while he would learn to tolerate it from someone like Hyden (in the same way your cat might begrudgingly tolerate you grabbing their little feet), Theo does not like being picked up by people. I can speak from experience than when you’re a short person, people love to pick you up randomly to establish dominance and it’s not a very dignified experience. Theo has a hard enough time being taken seriously even without being lugged about like a wheezing sack of flour.

Theo would be the first to inform you he is not the person to consult on romantic matters. At the same time, he would still give his advice: stop being a fatuous little fool and turn your efforts to matters of greater importance, like work or supporting your family or collecting every edition of your favorite encyclopedia or hitting your head against a wall. All would be better ways to spend your energy.

(I think you’re alluding to a person with a crush on him – God knows why such a person would exist in his universe – asking him for romantic advice, but I feel compelled to specify that the message he’d give a man seeking instructions on how to deal with a lady would be akin to “GET A JOB. STAY AWAY FROM HER”)

(Or maybe you mean someone Theo has a crush on? Well, the answer would be the same. Theo isn't duplicitous enough or proud enough to try to swindle someone towards viewing him as a romantic prospect. But he sure wouldn't suggest they get with someone else. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO BE IN LOVE. STOP IT, HE SAYS.)

Yes, those are self-inflicted injuries. He’s had a compulsion to bite and scratch himself ever since he was a kid. Sometimes as a punishment, sometimes as a ritual to quell distressing thoughts, sometimes out of the need to replace distressing sensations and events that are out of his control with one that is in his control, no matter how painful.

He does not particularly value his body nor its integrity. However, he is aware the scars are alarming, and finds them somewhat embarrassing reminders of his flaws in self-regulation. He deals with both the sight of the scars and the urge to harm by wearing his gloves, which is something he started doing in his late teens – they cover the marks and help redirect him by replacing the sensation of flesh with fabric when he goes to bite down.

On your question about Theo’s body-image: no, he does not care for how he looks. He likes that his eyes are grey (like mother’s) and that his fur is monochrome (like mother’s), and if pressed he might say the eyebrows aren’t bad, except for the parts where he’s pulled the hair out of them, but that’s it. He hates that he’s not just short but dwarfish, he does not like his heavy-set build, he would not choose to be born a rat, he despises his face, his teeth repulse him, he at least can make peace with the fact that he can’t grow facial hair because he’d never want a mustache like his father’s but it’s still somewhat emasculating, and on and on and on with the insecurities. He definitely feels physically inferior to other males. Your average man is not only much, much taller than him (and the world is cruel to a short king), but stronger and more classically virile as well. But he makes the best of that by dismissing those physical qualities as consolation prizes afforded to males who are obviously inferior to him intellectually, morally, and spiritually. He doesn’t care for brutes, but he doesn’t highly value machismo anyway… He thinks of himself as a gentleman whose best qualities reside in his mind and actions. A man who is reedy and petite but smarter or more charismatic than him is much more threatening to his ego than the bulkiest bruiser. (However, he will still try to fight both for dominance, either physically or verbally, and probably lose.)

Theo is highly offended and disgusted by nudity, both other’s and his own. Even states of mild undress are distressing to him, hence why he looks away when buttoning Hyden’s shirt. He’s willing to stomach some discomfort when it comes to helping a loved one, but only if it’s strictly necessary. He would pointedly not look and scold someone, even someone he was more comfortable with, if they were “too underdressed,” and freak out if they came into his vicinity in the nude. I think it would take years of gradual desensitization to lessen his negative reactions to nudity. It’s not just him being fussy, it borders on a phobia.

(Haha this shows how long I sit on asks before I get around to answering them SORRY...!!!!)

I don’t talk about it a lot because while the character’s sexual orientations do inform their lives and development, romance and sex are not usually at the top of my priority list when it comes to my stories… but I’ve alluded and mentioned directly that Theo is “canonically” bisexual (always feels weird to say “canon” about my imaginary friends, ha). But he is in denial/in the closet about it. Of course, he wouldn’t be aware of the concept of “bisexuality”, nor would that exact label exist in his world, so it’s not like he would identify that way even if he wasn’t repressing hardcore.

He is revolted by sex and intimacy, but that’s more due to his psychological baggage, his perception of his parent’s relationship and his cultural mores than something necessarily inborn or inherent to him.

(Hyden is actually Also Straight, possibly even straighter than Ambroys if we’re measuring by “creator’s admittance that character may be bi-curious one day.” I have a track record.)

Only if it’s karmic in some way, involving a person or persons he’s already predisposed to hating. Granted, dying of one’s own stupidity would be a form of justice in his eyes, but there’s limitations to that. Hearing about, say, an incident like Nutty Putty cave would not be amusing even though he would argue it’s the cave explorer’s “own fault” for going in there because it was such a gruesome and prolonged end, far outweighing the punishment Theo would find fair for such hubris. Of course, if the same cave explorer bullied him in prep school, then yes, it would be hilarious.

I don’t have a character named Herbert, so I am assuming you mean Theo here, from context. :’D

I’d like to draw Theo practicing his fencing some day! It’s on The List along with, er, fifty other drawings, ha. There’s just so much I need to make and so little time…

But besides that, Theo is not a particularly sporty guy. He doesn’t tend to enjoy competitive sports, either participating or watching. Physically he’s just not suited to them, and his schoolboy days did not endear him to them.

He does enjoy taking walks and admiring picturesque landscapes. He also hunted with his mother. One of the duties of the Norths is (or was, before he started shirking all his duties to focus entirely on his madness quest) to eliminate monstrous predators lurking on the outskirts of their territory before they could terrorize the mundane locals. Mages can sense magic, and thus are more capable of tracking down and felling corrupt magical beasts than your average person. Also, sometimes one wants a pheasant for dinner on special occasions. So, he grew up learning to hunt, and he’s decent with a rifle. He doesn’t go out to do much anymore, though. His mother’s death and subsequent self-imposed isolation exacerbated his already present issues with social phobia and paranoia, so he doesn’t feel safe outside his house. Someone could see him out there, and Something could happen. (He isn’t sure what exactly, but surely nothing good.)

During the course of Amaranthine’s story he is, of course, forced to go outside again and travel, so he’ll rediscover his hobby of killing animals again. …Good for him. I suppose.

(This is in reference to the tags I put on my post of Theo's romance meme: #ok one piece of commentary: brain problems + highly repressed upbringing = where i put theo on the kinky slider. it had to be there #you should think less '50 shades' and more '50 year old guys waxing poetic about quicksand scenes in old adventure films' for that one #he's not a quicksand guy. but that's the vibe.)

Hahaha, I appreciate your curiosity, but I’m not sure if it’s a terrific idea to share Theo’s “quicksand” equivalents. Alas, I don’t want to encourage the perception that my characters exist to be romantic or sexual wish-fulfillment, instead of the dysfunctional little narrative fidget toys they are, by going too in-depth too often on their hypothetical sex lives. Also, I get my (un)fair share of fetish-mining asks, and if I mention certain kinks, the senders of those asks might think they can wheedle that kind of smut art from me, which… is not the case, even if I did like the things Theo is partial to. Frankly, I don’t have time to draw smut art when I have so many comics of my characters angsting at each other that I ought to be drawing instead!!!

Anyway, complaining over. But I do know what Theo’s “interests” are, and don’t worry, they are suitably cringe. I find amusement in giving embarrassing proclivities to all my favorite characters, even if it will never come up in their stories. It keeps them humble.

The Theo befriending scenarios are becoming more elaborate…!

Magic can’t really do that in Amaranthine (it’s more limited than a lot of people think)! But even if you could, I think Theo might realize something was off eventually. Granted, he is blind to a lot of manipulation when he trusts someone, and for his own stupid reasons he trusts Hyden, so that alone would provide cover for some time. Being nice to him in Hyden’s guise might even fulfill some boyhood dreams of his, so that helps too. Still, I don’t think anyone but Hyden could manage to act like Hyden forever.

Theo abhors liars, manipulators, and traitors (I know, this is very funny considering I just talked about how Theo likes Hyden – again, Theo is not a great judge of character). While he would be mortified at his own gullibility, it’s not like he’d spare you any judgment for being the one to take advantage of his hospitality in the first place.

So, in attempting to befriend him, you would have 1) caused harm to someone he has charged himself with protecting by kidnapping Hyden, 2) committed the sin of deceiving him and 3) wounded his ego by exposing a huge vulnerability in his psychological armor. These are not crimes he is likely to excuse. Among Theo’s many faults are his capacity for spite and appetite for disproportionate vengeance. In other words, he would want to hurt you very, very badly.

Anyway, in summation, this is not a great way to try and win Theo’s affection. If befriending something hostile is what you’re after, I’d recommend purchasing a pet cobra or something, it would be more rewarding and less difficult to manage.

Ooh, this is another one of those “it depends” sort of questions… an Amaranthine Theo is completely unsuited for parenthood because he is just totally off his rocker and devoted to an impossible, nature-impugning, corruptive madness quest, so there’s not really much space left in his brain for any of the tasks involved in parenting.

Also, how well and in what way he would approach parenting would depend on if he has a partner and who they are, if the kid is biological (and therefore an extension of the North line) or adopted (and therefore might be spared some of those expectations), and what the kid or kids are like.

But, I’ll try to speak generally. He does put an importance on family so he would not be neglectful. In fact, I think he’d tend towards being smothering, way too over-protective. He would have high expectations for their academic career (despite flopping in his own) and would be upset if his children didn’t share his interest in intellectual pursuits. He lacks a lot of knowledge about life, and so he wouldn’t be able to pass that on to his children, despite desiring that they be self-sufficient and capable. He would try and keep them from being romantically involved until they could marry, which he wouldn’t think would be difficult considering how he himself is, but I think he would be disappointed and frustrated by the fact that most people (and therefore probably his kids) aren’t so averse to macking on other teenagers in their school days. His tendency towards being neurotic and temperamental would be an issue, and I think even if he tried to control his explosive tendencies around his children, they’d still pick up on it and be afraid of his moods. I think, with his immature development, he would have a lot of difficulty not descending to a teenager’s level of petty sniping if his teenage child did what teenagers do and started challenging him.

So… this is not painting a rosy picture. Don’t get me wrong, he’d try his best, and he would aim to be a good, supportive, and loving parent, but the man has issues. He wouldn’t be perfect. He might not even be good. He is Theo, after all.

Speaking of parenthood, let's get into some...

Family Matters

NO, they did not like each other. Their passive-aggression is as genuine as it is petty. They were the most divorced people to still technically be married.

Love was never in the cards for these two. The marriage was purely strategic, and all parties were aware of that. Leonard would have liked to have his wife love him, if only because it would be much more pleasant and convenient for him, but it wasn’t a requirement. He could seek love elsewhere if need be. He was always an opportunistic fellow that way.

Jo never held fondness for Leonard, either before or after their engagement. The marriage was at the behest of her father, and Jo had always put her duties to her family line above whatever selfish wants she might have had. She was willing to tolerate Leonard, which is about the best you could expect from her. However, he tried her patience too often to maintain even that level of camaraderie.

Leonard liked how Jo looked, and he liked the idea he had of her personality. Because Jo was deferential to her father, he assumed she would be similarly deferential to him. Hahaha. Not so. After her father passed, she inherited the Barony and thus, in her mind, the right to dictate the use of her family’s assets, the alliances she would forge with her noble connections, and the future of her estate. All her plans conflicted sharply with Leonard’s ideas of what he was going to do with the North’s influence, and he thought himself the keeper of their assets by patriarchal right. They clashed often and they both were too proud, power-hungry, and conniving to reconcile.

Leonard stayed because giving up the marriage would be giving up his avenue to social power. If he wanted to appear like he held the reins to potential allies and business connections, he had to stay in the manor, stay in Northcrest, and keep that ring on his finger. But he did take a very “I just live here” attitude to his home life. Jo stayed because her family’s long-held values maintained that it was her duty to do so, and to falter in her duties would be a permanent black stain on her good name. Also, it proved her superiority to the clearly weak-willed, dissolute Leonard, and that was an ego boost she wouldn’t pass up.

AHAHAH. THEO PEGGED FOR INBRED.

Yes, well, as you intuited, the Norths are one of those inbred noble families, like those you mentioned.

They’re a mage bloodline, and in the old days, mage nobility was a separate form of titled aristocracy from mundane nobility. Legitimate heirs had to have magical ability. If a mundane Viscount produced a mundane child, that was the end of the line of inheritance. Hence, noble mages in the Old Kingdoms only married other mages, to try to ensure their offspring could inherit their titles. While not all practiced inbreeding, it was a practice some families employed to try to “enhance” the magical ability and purity of their line, or just keep their wealth and power within their family (the Hyden family is another infamous example).

However, most magical lineages were wiped out during the fall of the Old Kingdoms, and those that survived were scattered to remote areas of the continent. Very few mages still exist, and the North family is one of the only lineages to survive “intact” to the modern day. They cling to their family’s history and their magical bloodline as their source of power and would never risk a union with a mundane. Like many other old traditions best left in the past, the Norths clung to the old ways, marrying within their line, inbreeding like an endangered species (which I suppose you could argue they were).

Of course, as the North’s numbers declined, the marriages shifted from pairing distant relatives to being cousin-cousin pairs. That level of consanguinity isn’t great for your offspring’s health or fertility, as it turns out, and further diminished their numbers (and options) until it came time for Jocosa to make their dying lineage limp along for another generation. By the time she was of age, there were no branches on the family tree left to harvest a husband from. Thus, the Norths needed to go further afield of the stagnant gene pool they’d been festering in.

Because of that, Theo is arguably a bit less inbred than previous generations of his family. The damage was already done, though. The fruits of the North’s unfortunate marriage practices have garnered them a deserved reputation for weak bodies, sick minds and dying young, and so far, Theo is two-for-three. We’ll see if he gets the triple.

Related to the above: if you haven’t realized already, the Norths are fucking freaks. Especially in the modern day of Amaranthine, caring about matching species in a marriage is seen as hyper-traditionalist, bizarre and absurdly impractical. But, well, the Norths are all those things. Jocosa’s parents were a stoat-stoat pair, their parents were stoat-stoat, and so on up the family tree, with maybe some rare exceptions where you might find a few polecats or minks scattered about in amongst the other long pointy-faced carnivores. Jocosa’s parents really would have preferred to have another mustelid marriage rather than wed their daughter to a rat.

But, that was a preference, and magical ability was a necessity. When Jocosa needed to marry, there were no other magical stoats, weasels, or even an otter for them to choose from.

That’s when an opportunistic young rat caught wind that there was a beautiful noble girl in need of a husband, just when he needed a rise in social station. Leonard was reasonably wealthy, and more importantly charming, quick-witted, and not afraid of lying his ass off to close a deal. He befriended Jocosa’s father and was able to delicately pick his way around or find loopholes in the Norths’ strict rules for marriage. Importantly for the Norths, Leonard had magical ability, albeit extremely weakly. You might say he was a sparkler while Jocosa was a flamethrower (in this analogy, in his prime, Hyden was an atomic bomb). Not ideal, but Leonard had enough magic to count as a mage for heir-producing purposes. Ultimately, Jocosa’s parents saw Leonard as the best option in a bad situation, rat or no. Preferable to dying out altogether, at least.

...

AND ON THAT, UH, HAPPY NOTE: thanks for reading and thank you all as always for sending questions about my little guy and being interested in him, even with all his slimy, weird, unpleasant foibles and flaws!

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries below:

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter - the world's only totally reliable guide to the future - the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea...

People have been predicting the end of the world almost from its very beginning, so it’s only natural to be sceptical when a new date is set for Judgement Day. This time though, the armies of Good and Evil really do appear to be massing. The four Bikers of the Apocalypse are hitting the road. But both the angels and demons – well, one fast-living demon and a somewhat fussy angel – would quite like the Rapture not to happen.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist…

Fantasy, humor, supernatural, adult

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

In the wake of environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London’s Royal Ballet, has become a refugee on Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. In Tharsis, January’s life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger—a person whose body is not adjusted to Mars’s lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January’s job choices, housing, and even transportation options are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to be surgically naturalized, a process that can be anything from disabling to deadly.

When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January’s life is thrown into chaos, but Gale’s political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five-year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January’s financial future without naturalization and ensure Gale’s political future. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. And worse, soon, January finds himself entangled in political and personal events well beyond his imagining. Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay—and January may be the only person standing in the way.

Science fiction, romance, fake marriage, adult

[foursaints]

honestly saints i wanna know about every single wip bc they all look good enough to eat but . could u tell me something, anything really, about when i tell him that i want it (he says it louder)?? pretty please with a cherry on top?? <333

WHEN I TELL HIM THAT I WANT IT MY BELOVEDDDD. first of all this detail isn’t relevant at all but it just makes me laugh. i bring myself joy

nsfw i guess but it’s a rosekiller College AU Age Gap Professor/Student thing… evan is a smoking hot criminal psychology prof who is very much himself (read: deeply offputting, only talks to his sister) and barty is the insane twenty-something undergrad who through a series of fortuitous meetcutes is solicited by evan himself to Take Professor Rosier’s Virginity™️. and he is down so catastrophically bad……. this is also about when you get your back blown out so good you’re calling a man 13 years younger than you “daddy��

there are jegulus scraps where reg is a ballet student & james is the music student who plays the piano for reg’s studio classes/rehearsals/recitals. barty cannot properly assist in this drama bc of his 30-something booty call virginity mission but he sure is hearing about it the entire time

[ecliptiz]

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘇-𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀 ╰► WEASLEY TWINS

Summary; Designing prank worthy things with your twins.

Warnings; Cursing, Fem!Reader

THE BURROW was enveloped in a tranquil hush, as raindrops danced upon the windows accompanied by occasional bursts of thunder and flashes of lightning.

Within a cozy room on the second floor, three teenagers gathered, finding solace in the familiar embrace of the Weasley abode.

Soft candlelight flickered, casting an ethereal glow that revealed the intricate dance of their hands amidst the fragrant blend of gunpowder, cinnamon, and wisps of smoke. The scent, far from overwhelming, teased their senses, fueling their creativity.

Among the trio, the sole girl engrossed herself in a delicate ballet of quill and parchment, meticulously crafting designs for their latest arsenal of prank fireworks. Her eyes glimmered with mischief and ingenuity.

Meanwhile, the red-headed twins harmoniously toiled side by side, each immersed in their own peculiar inventions. George deftly manipulated the components of a basic blaze box, while Fred tinkered with the delicate intricacies of a fainting fancy.

Y/N gracefully rose from her perch atop a pile of cozy quilted blankets, drawn to the small table in the boys' room where an intriguing prototype of the firework awaited her attention. With confident strides, she approached Fred and George, who were immersed in their work, surrounded by an array of tools.

As if sensing her presence, the mischievous twins instinctively shifted, creating a comfortable space for her without a word exchanged.

Seating herself amongst them, Y/N leaned forward, her slender fingers reaching for the necessary tools to tinker with the intricate box that would house their explosive creations. Aware of the spells involved, she needed to devise a clever mechanism that would grant easy access for the magic to ignite the fireworks and unleash their breathtaking display.

A flicker of concern danced in Y/N's eyes as she noticed George's finger dangerously close to a newly crafted stink bomb, known to be flawed and potentially catastrophic with the slightest mishap. Swiftly, she issued a warning to protect them all from potential disaster.

"Don't set that off," she cautioned, her voice laced with a mixture of care and firmness.

A mischievous smirk played upon George's lips as he met her gaze, his finger retracting cautiously. "Don't worry, Y/N-"

"We know what we're doing," Fred confidently interjected, his words blending seamlessly with his brother's as they finished each other's sentences effortlessly—an established rapport that came naturally to the mischievous duo.

Y/N emitted a playful hum, accompanied by an exaggerated roll of her eyes, mirroring their words with a hint of sarcasm and a huff. Deep down, she knew all too well the likelihood of one of them setting something off accidentally.

Returning her focus to her own box of tools, she allowed her mind to delve into the intricate workings, her body moving on autopilot as if she were merely a bystander to her own actions.

Suddenly, the sound of George stifling a laugh disrupted her reverie, causing her to snap back to reality. Her gaze met his mischievous brown eyes, which were brimming with suppressed amusement.

Curiosity piqued, she followed his line of sight, turning to face Fred. To her amusement, he now sported black soot on his face and hair, his eyes closed tightly, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

Unable to contain her laughter, Y/N raised her eyebrows and addressed Fred, her voice laced with mirth. "What did you do, Fred?" Her laughter danced through her words as she approached him, extending a gentle touch to his soot-covered face, the residue leaving a smudge on her fingertip.

Fred, his eyes still shut tightly, couldn't help but crack a small grin at Y/N's amusement. He opened his eyes, revealing the mischief twinkling within them, and shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, you know, just testing the boundaries of our latest creation," he replied with a mischievous glint in his voice.

George chimed in, unable to contain his laughter any longer. "He wanted to see if the explosion would match his new 'sooty chic' look," he teased, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

Y/N joined in the lighthearted banter, her laughter blending with theirs. "Well, Fred, I must say, it's a fashion statement like no other," she remarked, her eyes gleaming with playful affection. She reached for a nearby cloth and gently wiped away the soot from Fred's face, revealing his familiar freckled features underneath.

Fred leaned into her touch, a mischievous glimmer still present in his eyes. "All for the sake of experimentation, my dear Y/N. We can't let a little soot get in the way of pushing the limits, can we?" he quipped, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

As Y/N rolled her eyes at Fred's groaning, she persisted in wiping away the lingering soot from his face, her touch gentle yet determined. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she playfully tousled his hair, attempting to dislodge the remaining traces of ash that stubbornly clung to his vibrant orange locks. She watched with satisfaction as the particles floated away, revealing his familiar fiery mane once again.

Stepping back, Y/N couldn't help but let out a teasing smile as she turned her attention to George. Leaning forward, her voice dipped into a playful tone. "See, George, I told you one of you would set something off," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mirth and a hint of victory.

George returned her teasing with a smirk of his own, engaging in their familiar banter. "Ah, but Y/N, you never specified which one of us it would be. You only mentioned me," he countered, his tone laced with playful defiance.

Amidst their banter, Fred couldn't resist joining in on the playful teasing. He straightened his now-soot-free appearance, feigning mock offense. "Oi, now hold on a minute! I'm not the only one to blame here. We're a dynamic duo, after all," he chimed in, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

Y/N shook her head with a laugh, rolling her eyes. “Yeah right.” She rolled her eyes once agian, standing to streach her legs.

Y/N's laughter subsided as she stood up to stretch her legs, her playful energy still lingering in the air. Unbeknownst to the twins, a small, unnoticed spark danced between the metal tools they carried, finding its way to the exposed rope of the firework prototype.

As the spark made contact with the rope, a sudden burst of light illuminated the room, accompanied by a resounding pop. The trio's attention snapped towards the source of the commotion, their eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh, blimey! Did we just...?" Fred's voice trailed off, his eyes fixed on the unexpected firework display that now illuminated the room in a shower of colorful sparks.

George's jaw dropped in astonishment, his initial shock soon giving way to an infectious grin. "Well, it seems our latest creation has a bit of a mind of its own," he exclaimed, a mix of excitement and amusement lacing his words.

As the room filled with an array of exploding fireworks, the trio instinctively ducked and bolted out of the door, only to come face to face with a disheveled Percy Weasley, his hair awry and a perplexed expression etched on his face.

Percy's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the chaotic scene before him. "What in Merlin's beard is going on here?" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of surprise and exasperation.

Fred, George, and Y/N exchanged sheepish glances, their faces smudged with soot and their hair slightly disheveled. "Well, you see, Percy, it's all part of our latest experiment with fireworks," Fred explained, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he sheepishly shuffled, trying to rid himself of the soot on his sweater.

George nodded in agreement, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Yes, Percy, just a small, unexpected mishap." he added, his tone filled with both apology and amusement.

Y/N chimed in, her voice laced with a touch of laughter. "We didn't anticipate the fireworks taking on a life of their own, but hey, that's the fun of experimentation, right?" she said, a hint of mischief and a slight bit of worry dancing in her eyes.

"No, this is not alright! Go and get Mum!" Percy exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of urgency and concern. He hurried down the stairs, shouting about a fire, his footsteps echoing through the house.

Within moments, the sound of hurried footsteps resonated through the hallways, growing louder as they approached. Molly Weasley, wearing a disheveled and sleepy expression, emerged at the top of the stairs, her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" Molly demanded, her voice a mixture of worry and sternness as she took in the chaotic scene before her.

Fred, George, and Y/N exchanged guilty glances, their expressions mirroring a combination of remorse and amusement. "Err... Mum, it's just a little mishap with our fireworks experiment. No need to worry!" Fred offered, attempting to alleviate his mother's concern.

George nodded in agreement, though a hint of mischief danced in his eyes. "Yes, Mum, just a minor setback in our brilliant invention. We assure you, everything is under control," he reassured, his voice tinged with both sincerity and mischief.

Molly sighed, her gaze shifting from one soot-covered face to another. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you lot. One of these days, you'll blow up the entire house," she muttered, a mix of exasperation and affection in her voice.

After Molly retreated to her room and Percy returned to his with one last disapproving glare, the twins and Y/N made their way back to the now clean room, exhaling a collective sigh of relief.

Y/N couldn't help but tease them, a playful glint in her eyes. "When did you two start talking like that? 'Just a little mishap' and 'minor setback'," she quipped, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Fred grinned, his voice laced with humor. "Oh, you know, when we're desperately trying to avoid getting killed or having our heads fed to hippogriffs," he replied, his tone filled with a touch of melodrama.

George chuckled, effortlessly picking up the conversation where Fred left off. "And let's not forget, Mum isn't particularly fond of our experimental endeavors. So, we have to maintain an air of sophistication," he added- keeping his ‘classic’ type talk, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

Y/N shook her head with a laugh, playfully nudging George's arm. "Well, you two certainly have mastered the art of keeping it classy," she remarked, a warm smile spreading across her face.

Hours passed, and the trio found themselves nestled in Fred's bed, opting for it over George's due to the clutter of tools and experiments. Y/N lay in the middle, sandwiched between the twins, their bodies intertwined.

George's chest pressed against Y/N's back, his arm draped around her waist. His hand lightly grazed her side, his touch both comforting and possessive. The rhythm of his heartbeat reverberated against her back, and his warm breath tickled her face and neck. The soft strands of his long hair brushed against her skin, adding to the intimate closeness they shared.

Fred lay close to Y/N, their legs entangled as they sought warmth and comfort in their sleep. His mouth was slightly ajar, hinting at the dreams that danced behind his closed eyelids. Together, they formed a picture of peaceful slumber, their connection evident even in the realm of dreams.

As morning arrived, the peaceful scene of the intertwined trio was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Their laughter filled the room, barely contained as they stood by the bed, holding an enchanted muggle camera that captured moving pictures.

With mischievous grins, Ron and Harry aimed the camera at the entangled figures before them. The enchanted device froze the moment in time, capturing a few seconds of their synchronized breaths and the serenity on their faces.

Just as Fred's eyes fluttered open, the image repeated itself, creating a loop of that particular moment, destined to play on a continuous loop.

The sounds of screams could be heard in the Weasley burrow that morning.

𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧

[bibliophilicwitch]

I read the Mars House by Natasha Pulley. It's a fiction book that has footnotes, which is my favorite kind of fiction book, and it was so incredibly well written. I fell in love with that book. So much.

Mars House by Natasha Pulley

In the wake of an environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London's Royal Ballet, has become a refugee in Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. There, January's life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger-a person whose body is not adjusted to lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January's job choices, housing, and even transportation are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to naturalize, a process that is always disabling and sometimes deadly. When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January's life is thrown into chaos, but Gale's political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January's future without naturalization and ensure Gale's political success. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. They're kind, compassionate, and much more difficult to hate than January would prefer. As their romantic relationship develops, the political situation worsens, and January discovers Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay-and January may be the only person standing in the way.

I've honestly been digging for more sci-fi to read this year and this sounds EXACTLY up my alley - and footnotes can be SO good in fiction!

[catlady5001]

end of year fic recs, list #2

part one // here

same as last time: i want to share some fics i really enjoyed this year, organized by fandom! each fic will have a short summary, the word count, and a + symbol if it's a work in progress!

this list will have recs for Spider-Man and BNHA. enjoy! :)

Spider-Man

Fitting In (Tiny Spaces) by aloneintherain (@captainkirkk). while on a team mission, peter parker bites off a bit more than he can chew. 3k, hurt/comfort

In the Home by aloneintherain (@captainkirkk). The Avengers have been infected, turned violent and aggressive against their will. And Peter, the only one unaffected, is trapped inside the Tower with six feral teammates. 69k, angst and comfort

Dark Matter by mysterycyclone (@mysterycyclone). AU where peter parker gets pulled into the DCU after the events of Infinity War, and gets pulled into the both the Wayne family and the Bat Family. 213k+, angst and comfort

Spider-Verse

equifinality by Quillium (@quillium). In a world where Jefferson Davis dies instead of Spider-man, Miles Morales becomes the Prowler and somehow still gets taken under Spider-man's wing. 20k+, hurt/comfort

so lucky, so strong, so proud by ProfessorSpork. Sometimes you end up in a superhero team up where half the people in the group have your face, or your dead ex/best friend’s face, and you just have to find a way to deal with it. 7k, angst and comfort

Down the Waterspout by Mockingone. spiderverse au where spider-man lives.

let's do this one last time by imoticon. michelle jones gets sucked into the multi-verse. gwen stacy helps her. 9k, dimension travel

New Moves by WildInkling (@wildinkling). miles morales takes up ballet!! 3k, fluff

BNHA

komorebi by Calamitatum (@calamitxtum). desperate to prove himself, Hitoshi agrees to help UA find the traitor, even if he has to sacrifice himself in the process. 157k, angst

Accidentally, Tragically, Heroic by whatagoodegg. shigaraki infiltrates ua as a student, and somehow, is accidentally a great hero. 118k+, hurt/comfort

reconcile by whatagoodegg. a child's quirk traps midoriya and shigaraki in a box together until they can 'reconcile' their differences. 151k, hurt/comfort

Foresight by akcugrai (@akcugrai). Izuku's quirk is simple, it tells him exactly what he needs to do, eventually leading him to tear down All for One. 66k, hurt/comfort

Candor by OwlF45 (@owlf45). The Hero Commission passes a new code that requires all heroes to complete a mental simulation test. For Izuku, the consequences are catastrophic. 60k, hurt/comfort

linger on the doorstep (come into the warmth) series by intheeveningsunrise (@intheeveningsunrise). au where midoriya inko adopts aizawa in high school, dramatically changing his life and the life of his brother, midoriya izuku. 408k+, angst and comfort

out of the frying pan (into the ice and fire) series by intheeveningsunrise (@intheeveningsunrise). Izuku runs into his twin at the USJ - and then proceeds to run into him seemingly everywhere he goes. 305k+, angst and comfort

Words as Weapons by NearoRiver. While navigating his father’s (All for One's) high expectations, insidious emotional abuse, and overpowering quirk, Izuku fights to become a hero. 129k+

Ill-Gotten Gains by ghostmaybite. AFO!Izuku steals Aizawa's quirk to kill All for One. things only get more complicated from there. 245k+, hurt/comfort

once forgotten, twice removed by blueh (@blu-eh). number one hero Deku gets thrust into an alternate reality where he’s All for One’s Successor. 42k, hurt/comfort

awake and (un)afraid, asleep or- by driedupwishes. after shouto and eijirou start trending on twitter, shouto starts an instagram to showcase his Hero Deku merch. it spirals from there. 54k, future fic

Independent Study by pianogavin (@pianogavinwrites). After one too many repeat injuries, UA puts a policy in place to alert parents every time their child is hurt at school. This leads to Momo taking care of her own injuries. MomoJirou focused. 6k, hurt/comfort

we don't know what's dead / till it's gone by carolinaa (@officialratprince). momo's dad dies. neither she nor Kyouka know how to feel about it. 8k hurt/comfort

spit to the left, carry on (smile & say you're good) by jublis. Jirou grows into herself during a time of war. 15k, hurt/comfort

old game (new rules) by carolinaa (@officialratprince). the ULTIMATE momojirou fic. after bad experiences in middle school, kyouka is determined to keep to herself at UA, but her classmates have a way of getting under her skin.

Despite Your Good Intentions series by xylophones. yagi toshinori moves into midoriya izuku's apartment building when he is eleven. this has a ripple effect that leads to midoriya izuku becoming the youngest licensed intern that japan has seen, and spirals from there. one of my favorite series!!! 204k, hurt/comfort

Thick Blood, Sweet Water by litbynosun (@coldwind-shiningstars). aizawa shouta and midoriya inko are siblings who only reunite after midoriya izuku has started his first year at UA. 15k, family fluff

the drip of melting ice by planet_B612. Hitoshi moves into the 2A dormitory at the beginning of his second year, learns who his neighbour is, and makes the friends he had declared he isn't there to have within the space of a semester. 20k, hurt/comfort

every story is a ghost by daylightbreaks (). shinsou learns that crushes get complicated quickly when you think that your crush is possesed. shindeku. 26k, hurt/comfort

between the lines (it was there the whole time) by placesinfive. eri, class 1-A, and all the little moments in between. 12k, domestic fluff

make this feel like home by carolinaa (@officialratprince). natsuo spends his winter break at home. surprisingly, it doesn't all go to shit. 27k, hurt/comfort

when the light returns by rubiginosa. bakugou, camie and uraraka go up north to steal a tree for Todoroki. 13k, road trip fic

Leitmotif by LunaLucrea (@lunalucrea). midoriya interns with present mic, and runs into a man with a quirk that lets him hear people's "soul song". 7k, hurt/comfort

pez dispenser debris by thepolysyndetonaddictsupportgroup (@polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup). a quirk creates a younger version of midoriya izuku, who causes headaches for himself and everyone else. this is straight-up one of my favorite fics, and this summary does NOT do it justice. go read!! 74k+, hurt/comfort

hours spent in a hospital waiting room just to lose a knife fight by SpiritusRex (@spiritusrex). izuku's friends support him when he's hospitalized for appendicitis - a disease he can only get after being born Quirkless. 3k, hurt/comfort

with just a little luck by SpiritusRex (@spiritusrex). izuku keeps getting hurt, so his classmates start to gift him good-luck charms, not realizing it puts him on edge. 7k, hurt/comfort

Small Enough to Carry by ghostwriterofthemachine (@ghostwriterofthemachine). One Thing Midoriya Izuku Starts Carrying Around for Each of the People that He Loves, and One Thing Each of Them Starts Carrying Around for Him. 12k, hurt/comfort

A Boy and his Ghost series by LowlyWriter. AU where izuku can see ghosts, and soon befriends Shirakumo Oboro, the ghost who follows his teachers around. 543k, hurt/comfort

hero’s shadow by feelingstabby. the story of how a few heroes help Midoriya Izuku become something more than a lost vigilante. one of my favorite longfics! 818k+, hurt/comfort

When Realities Collide by LowlyWriter. hero-in-training midoriya izuku gets transported to an alternate universe where he is a deadly villain. 168k, hurt/comfort

starkly marked by OwlF45 ((@owlf45). izuku is stuck in a timeloop, but the longer it goes on, the more people begin to recognize him - even if they technically haven't met. 4k, angst

but somehow i'll see it through by artfulacrostic (@artfulacrostic). izuku is the victim of an obedience quirk. 16k, hurt/comfort

idle worship by dreamtowns (@dreamvevo). shindeku social media au revolving around secret identities. one of the best social media fics I've read - dreamtowns puts HOURS of effort into their fics, and it shows. 28k, hurt/comfort

[denyjesuschrist]

@balaclava-trismegistus you can blame dan for this. i have afforded thee seven (a most auspicious number) audio arrangements to assign to thine dear blogger‚ and have placed a curse upon thine bloodline; you must listen to any recording that is unfamiliar! - if thou so chooses to ignore this demand‚ a thousand years of new taylor swift albums shall be cast upon thee! blehhhh! *turns into a bat and flies away*

@pissmoon @himedanshicult @ermor @closetchild @terminalsecretions @laserbitch @purulens-kopet @xenosagaepisodeone @authorityissues @goetic-justice @midiport @evidenceofabsence and then dan already tagged many other sickos who i would have tagged

[runabout-river]

Thoughts on JJK chapter 241 (Spoilers)

We get our Takaba centric chapter with a backstory on why he wanted to become a comedian and how he'll get his courage back to make Kenjaku laugh. It's an endearing story about perseverance and achieving your dreams.

I liked what Takaba told his comedic partner about saying things like you mean it. Communication with others are in danger of sounding dishonest otherwise. Their ballet outfit on the other hand is just ridiculous. Now I wonder though if the swan heads are the most phallic symbols Gege has ever put into JJK.

Seriously, JJK is full of feminine concepts and symbols. Megumi has a girl's name, Sukuna wears female Kimono, Geto is drawn in an extra panel after the image of a female deity and the word womb appears in the manga more times than in biology or sex ed classes.

We have Naoya, proud misogynist, and even his domain has ovaries in the background. Someone needs to make a deep dive into feminine and masculine symbolism in JJK when it ends.

"Until I've done everything I think is interesting."

This should be regarded as a philosophy of Gege himself. As long as his creativity keeps up, he will keep creating interesting and engaging stories.

This is why the narrator said that Takaba's power can rival Gojo's. Takaba thought of prostrating in the golden ratio, he succeeded, then his technique made Kenjaku stop his attack by influencing his thoughts. Even Sukuna would've been stopped by that. Funny enough I think Takaba would've had an easier time fighting against Sukuna than Kenjaku.

Catch him in the right mood and Sukuna might just sit back and enjoy a comedy show because a King needs his court jester.

Something catastrophic will happen when Takaba succeeds. Something that will shape the rest of the story. Maybe Kenjaku's brain will get ejected from Geto's body or the Culling Games will change in a direction against what Kenjaku wants.

Whatever it is, Takaba will leave a huge positive impact for the good guys, I'm just not sure if he will survive. Someone with that kind of power and boost to his confidence on the good side, can't be kept around like that except when Yuji's and Higuruma's fight against Sukuna is immensely one-sided.

[sapphic-biohazard]

catradora as rival ballerinas/ballet as psychological horror au

Both catra and Adora were indoctrinated into the ballet world from a young age, both from family pressure. Adora because her family are long standing patrons of this ballet company/academy and how she’s pressured to continue the legacy of becoming the prima ballerina just like her mother and her grandmother before her. And catra because her mother (who was a self made successful dancer, and had her accidentally) only paid attention to/appreciated her when she was dancing and so catra danced more to gain her approval and love.

So this way they both have their self value intertwined with their dancing capabilities and with a lot of pressure to succeed. Anyway, due to Eurocentric standards and adora’s family nepotism, everyone expected Adora to be the principal dancer after the graduation. So imagine the shock and resentment out of everyone (adora’s family, the institute’s elitist patrons, even public opinion) when mara, the fair and just artistic director, chooses catra over her.

I don’t think anyone would be happy, I mean canon-wise, before the rude wakening of thaymor, catra was happy sitting in adora’s shadow, as long as Adora was there. And poor Adora, the toll this would take on her self esteem would be catastrophic. Not to mention how this would affect their relationship, adora adores catra, but she was still groomed into this position as her only purpose in life so there’s really only one way to react to the person who ‘stole’ that purpose from her. She still tries to mask her resentment and jealousy, because she’s still Adora. Catra didn’t mind the entirety of institution crucifying her for stealing the role of their beloved golden girl, it was losing adora that really hurt her, so she tries to find solace in her mother acknowledging her success. She doesn’t. Due to weaver’s mentality of pressure makes diamond, she doesn’t think catra did enough to be given this role. In her words, nothing came easy to her so why should it be different to catra.

So yeah, I feel like a lot topics can be explored here mainly the dark side of ballet, but also parental issues, elitism, racism, gender roles and dysfunctional relationships, it’s a lot

[mymindisnotcommercial]

CATASTROPHE BALLET

[starlene]

An imaginary repertoire for my imaginary theatre that specializes in musicals about and based on various accidents, catastrophes and other terrifying events

Pre-existing works:

Titanic

M/S Estonia (the Finnish play with songs)

Zeppelin (the German musical)

Floyd Collins (the 1996 Off-Broadway musical)

Everest (the 2015 opera about the 1996 incident)

Ride the Cyclone

Come From Away

Disaster!

Cannibal! The Musical

Tailor-made new works:

Titanic (by Frank Wildhorn)

Nutty Putty Cave! A New Musical (I first thought this would also be by Frank Wildhorn, but on second thought, I think literally anyone else would be better equipped to handle this. so, by Dave Malloy)

The Great Molasses Flood (an opera)

Vasa 1628 (maybe this should be a ballet?)

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

I watched ATSV again in theaters and noticed some interesting things:

Gwen's dad at the beginning wears a Vision Academy sweater. Not only that, he's in the gymnastics group. This means that Vision not only exists on Earth-65, George has entered it. Maybe it explains how Gwen knew how to blend in so well. And that she chose to take ballet lessons because of her father.

When Miguel's universe was falling apart, not only he but Peter B. and other spiders were there. It gives extra weight to the whole Society thing. It's not just a sad story a random guy told, it was a catastrophe witnessed by several of them. I don't blame them for believing so much.

Peter and Gwen have known each other since they were 4, assuming she's 16 and George's speech after his death says he's known Peter for 12 years.

A spider person having their Sense Triggered when someone they love is not themselves in danger is not new. Miles felt his father falling at the beginning of the film. Pav felt Gayatri on the bus. But what is abysmal is that Gwen's felt between dimensions. In all other cases, they were from people present in the same space and dimension. So that says a lot only about the love she feels for Miles (and also about her spider sense.)

Oh these are interesting!

I actually notice that shirt on my last viewing! I cannot believe it took me this long to realize.

Funnily enough, my first thought when I saw this is that Gwen was Vision's and this was a shirt in support of her. But considering how faded this looks, your explanation makes more sense since I really doubt Visions Academy has lower classes than middle school.

Though not gonna lie, I found funny the idea that the visions in Gwen's world may be just another run-of-the-mill school, just to appear in Miles's world and be like "why did he get the nice version?"

May keep that hc regardless.

Oh I knew Peter was there from the first viewing, what I didn't realize was about the different spiders!

Let's see who he can spot.

Julia Carpenter is here! I am not really familiar with her character (I don't read comics, for now at least,) but hey, nice to see they are bringing some classics.

I'm going to assume this is Peter B, but I don't think anyone can blame me for mixing this one up if it isn't the case.

Cowboy Spidey is here!

This one we are going to wait for the HD version of this movie because I had a hard time finding a frame where I could kind of see them let alone be clear who they are.

I still need to finish that analysis, but honestly the organization as a whole works in some ways that upon reflection, not only I am not surprised they believe it, I'm more than anything horrified how no one realized how nuts the place was getting.

Good eye! I haven't noticed this one myself, and again, I had seen this movie several times. In my defense, sometimes the audio is hard to catch and I had issues catching stuff at it is. I really need to get a good version of this movie with subtitles.

But this is cool! It really goes to show how important was Peter for Gwen, they really had known each other since forever and I can't imagine not just how much it hurt Gwen losing Peter, but her needing to get used to reality of not having around after doing so for so much of her life.

Goddammit when I thought Peter and Gwen's tragedy couldn't get worse-

This one y'all know how I feel, and if you don't, here.

I still hope we get a more in depth explanation, though I wouldn't be surprised if we don't. Regardless, is undeniable how much Miles matters to Gwen, and viceversa.

Thanks for telling me this!