#honestly if all the other members of the family are as 'talented' as ash and jafar

[cuteteacakes]

{🧁} - And take him to ecstasy Jafar did... As the nontoxic venom seeped around Caleb's length, pleasure like he's never felt before surged up his spine. His toes curled as his thighs squeezed the other's head. He saw stars as he came, the heat shooting from his body and making it tremble in pleasure. He cried out Jafar's name again as he came.

That purr had him wrapping his tongue around Caleb's length as he moaned softly. He would squeeze with that, let the other's length touch a fang that is dripping with his venom. Luckily for Caleb, it's not lethal, as he made sure to keep his fang caps on, but it would send him into ecstasy.

[cemetery-irises]

some fun facts about frederick bc i think you were the person who was having thoughts abt him (terribly sorry if that wasn't you or if you already know these):

he has chimerism!! he consumed his twin in the womb, which caused discoloured patches on his skin, which are described as "pigmentation abnormalities" (deduction 1: voice type and deduction 3: polyphony)

he also has psychasthenia, which is "a psychological disorder characterized by phobias, obsessions, compulsions, or excessive anxiety". this disorder was the reason behind him being put in the room he stays in in the aom game. this term is no longer in use and is considered outdated but it's used in reference to him in the story, so it can be helpful in characterising him

his interests are listed as music, psychology, and occultism

his likes are listed as extreme aesthetics and people with outstanding talent; his dislikes are listed as mediocre people, pearls, and secrets being known

he's heavily implied to have been used for / reduced to his looks (description of deduction 8: rest: "aphrodite is fickle but generous."). unlike the rest of the family, who was admired for their talent, he was admired more for his appearance, as he apparently lacked the same talent that every other kreiburg did. it's unclear if he used this to his advantage to continue mingling with the upper class or if he drew away from it

in all of frederick's high-tiers, he plays a dark role: dragon hunter using his heritage as a pawn and dedicating himself to slaughtering all dragons, phantom sail being a skilled manipulator and experimenting on the people on the ship, and pioneer research being obsessive to the point of bringing his group directly into danger

there's a theory that mary's "affair" was, in truth, her reaching out to / meeting with frederick in secret after his exile, as she seems to be the only family member he has any fond memories of / relationship with

frederick's fate is currently unclear. while he's most likely deceased, it's possible that he will have a bigger role in later installments of ashes of memory. i doubt this is the last we've seen of him (coping hard tbh) and i'm personally not accepting that he's dead until we see a body

sorry for the infodump lmao </3 he's my absolute favourite of the aom crew and i'm honestly real fuckin neurodivergent abt him (not helped by my best friend who was attached to him from day one and has not shut up about him since /aff). sorry if you knew all this already i just love talking about him lmfao

no worries!! i infodump a lot to literally everybody and i also like hearing other people do it so you're all good :] i really like the theorizing of mary though, especially bc frederick seemed to REALLY be the black sheep i say this every time but his exile really genuinely makes me mad you cant just do that to him

personally i think while he used his appearance a little, he hated being known JUST for the kreiburg charm and wanted to be recognized for his skills and such and ufufjejd

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 2/5

Book Blurb:

In this dark and enchanting stand-alone fantasy from debut author Lynn Buchanan--complete with black and white illustrations and a full-wrap illustrated cover--discover a world centered around destructive, all-consuming monsters; the magical dolls designed to fight this force; and the artisans tasked with creating demon-slaying dolls. A touch cozy fantasy and a touch horror, The Dollmakers is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films, the works of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree, and readers of Juniper & Thorn and The Goblin Emperor.

In the country called One, dollmakers are vital members of the community. An artisan’s doll is the height of society’s accomplishments, while a guard’s doll is the only thing standing between the people of One and the Shod: vicious, cobbled monstrosities that will tear apart any structure—living or dead, inanimate or otherwise—to add to their horde.

Apprentice Shean of Pearl is a brilliant dollmaker. With her clever dolls, she intends to outsmart and destroy the Shod, once and for all—a destiny she’s worked her whole life toward accomplishing. But when the time comes for her dolls to be licensed, she’s told her work is too beautiful and delicate to fight. A statement that wounds and infuriates her; the Shod killed everyone she loved. How could her fate be anything but fighting them?

In an attempt to help her see a new path for herself, Shean’s mentor sends her on a journey to the remote village called Web, urging her to glean some wisdom from Ikiisa, a reclusive and well-respected guard dollmaker. But Shean has another plan: if she can convince the village of Web of her talents, the Licensor Guild will have to reconsider and grant her a guard’s license. And what better way to convince them than challenging Ikiisa and instating herself as the official dollmaker of Web? Once she’s done that, proving her dolls’ worth in the fight against the Shod will be simple.

As simple, that is, as calling the Shod to Web...

Review:

A girl who is determined to prove that her dollmaking skills are up to par ends up in a strange little town facing off against another dollmaker and the monsters inside the forest. In a world where dollmarkers create dolls that protect and fight against the Shod, vicious monstrosities that tear apart beings.... you have to earn your license as either a artisian dollmaker or as a guard dollmaker. Shean of Pearl is an apprentice and a brilliant dollmaker, her dolls are clever and beautiful, and she intends for her dolls to outsmart and destroy the Shod. It's all she's been working towards ever since her family was murdered by the Shod before her eyes. Yet when she goes to take her license test and is told her dolls do not qualify to become guard dolls she snaps and loses it. Her mentor sends her off to Web to glean wisdom from Ikiisa, a reclusive and well-respected guard dollmaker.... but Shean has other plans, such as stealing the job from Ikiisa and proving to the Licensor Guild that she deserves to have her license reconsidered to being a guard dollmarker. Yet Shean begins to discover that maybe she wasn't as right as she thought and that maybe she isn't as brilliant as she thinks and that there are bigger things to be concerned about than her desires... such as the monsters surrounding Web. This book was a rough one to read especially considering how annoying Shean is, reading from her POV had me wanting to tear my hair out for the most part. I didn't like or care for her if I'm being honest and would have much preferred if the story focused more on Ikiisa. The story was an easy read and despite being part of the world, you can read this as a standalone. Shean does grow by the last 70% of the book but by then I was already over her. Honestly if you are looking for a fantasy book with a unique magic system, I would say give it a go!

Release Date: August 13,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[thunderheadfred]

💥Bakugou HC's💥

Aged-up pro hero Katsuki for all of these. Some NSFW beneath the cut. Minors do not interact.

- - - - -

General

He’s scary good at everything he tries. Every. Single. Fucking. Thing. It’s infuriating. Has zero patience when other people can’t immediately master a skill. Never let him teach you anything. Not that he’d offer, nerd.

He WILL offer, though. A lot. He can’t believe you still can’t Do That Thing. Tsh. Like THIS. You're gonna hurt yourself, Dummy.

But hold on. Of course you have unique skills of your own. You work hard to improve yourself. Trust me, he's the first person to notice. He doesn't praise anyone lightly, so when he raises his eyebrows and whispers he's impressed, your heart will go thermonuclear.

Perfect spelling and fully punctuated texts. Never uses abbreviations. Employs a grand total of four emojis, all of them angry faces. Constantly leaves you on read. He's busy, dammit.

Doesn’t smile or laugh in public (except sarcastically). His real smile is a crooked, fragile thing. Never make him feel self-conscious about it, or you might not see it again for weeks.

He does not talk about his private life to the press. Ever. Will K.O. rookie reporters who can't keep their big mouths shut.

HOweVER: he's intensely kind to his fans. There is a whole photographic sub-genre of little girls in cosplay hugging Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight like he's a Disney Princess.

Too smart for his own good. Emotionally hyper-vigilant. Overthinks every interaction to hell and back. Will act like he's not listening but actually hears every single word in a ten-block radius.

INSECURE AF. 110% convinced he will never be good enough. Terrified of his loved ones leaving him behind. Does he do anything to assuage his fears? Like... talk to anyone about it? Hell no. That would require admitting he has fears to begin with.

Seeing people upset makes him upset, especially if he doesn't know how to fix it.

The epitome of being mean because he cares. He genuinely does not seem to comprehend that monosyllabic grunts and lopsided shrugs are not actually that comforting.

Because he was such a brat growing up, he wants to make up for it now. Sort of. In his own way. Look, he's trying, okay?

He smells - so - good. Obscenely good. He doesn't wear cologne; are you joking? There's the burnt-sugar caramel candy smell of his quirk, for starters. And since he sweats deadly ammunition, he showers and wipes himself down almost constantly. He always smells clean. Like a fucking meadow.

Never got that growth spurt he was hoping for. He’s a short man - not even THAT short - but he has a Napoleon complex anyway. If you’re taller than him, the collars of your shirts will all be stretched out. He’s constantly dragging you down to his level. He will assert himself all the fucking time; the pissing contest is never-ending. Don’t wear tall shoes unless you want him to drag you around on a leash. If you’re shorter than him, that’s good. That’s very good. He likes that.

He’s an incredible cook, but everything he makes is a nuclear fire challenge. Adapt or starve.

- - - - -

Dating

Makes artisanal, nutritionally flawless bento lunches for both of you. When people assume his S.O. makes them, he gets fucking pissed. Damn right your co-workers are jealous of my cooking.

Your pet name is Dummy. Don’t like it? Fine. You can be dumbass.

There will be zero PDA in this relationship. His hands are shoved so deep in his pockets you can’t even try.

Intensely private with the press. But with his friends, he will brag about you nonstop. Bakugou Katsuki has the most talented and attractive and intelligent S.O., and anyone who doesn't recognize that is blind. Were you assholes even listening?

A mutual buddy definitely recorded one of these drunken brag-rants and sent it to you for safekeeping. Do not let Katsuki find out about it, unless you enjoy having an ash pile for a phone.

Gets jealous about everything, at least at the start. He calms down eventually. Kinda. He stops saying shit to you about it, anyway, because he learns to trust you. But anyone who so much as looks at you in a too-friendly manner will get the death stare of a lifetime.

He’ll throw all kinds of temper tantrums and the two of you will argue about every tiny fucking thing. He’ll scream out car windows, he’ll ball up his shirt and gnash on it. But he will never raise his voice at you. He’d rather die than make you feel unsafe.

Honestly, the constant bickering is really just... uhh... passionate communication. Eventually you both hash out the important things. You'll learn how to step around his landmines and actually make your points, and he'll learn to open up. A little.

Once you meet his mom, Katsuki starts to make a lot more sense. His family just... emotes like that. Eventually, you and his dad form a spousal support group consisting of exactly two lifetime members. He teaches you the Bakugou family semaphore you need to survive a long-term relationship.

Katsuki can dish it out but absolutely cannot take it. The only person who can level with him about serious issues without explosive fallout is his dad. Or, on a lucky day, Kirishima.

If you give him a legitimate criticism (even gently!) he will take it about as gracefully as a knife to the gut, because it confirms everything he hates about himself.

To your never-ending shock, you’ve made him cry. Yes, CRY! You monster! More than once! His lip gets all *trembly* and his eyes get all *watery* and all you want to do is hug him, but. No. He’ll storm out and wander around for a few hours before coming back with the problem perfectly solved.

He always takes your advice to heart. No, he will NOT talk about it, stop asking.

Gets mad if you don’t snuggle him on the regular. Will drag you into his lap with a pissy little grunt. There might be two seats on this couch but you will not be needing both of them.

Takes pictures of you while you sleep.

Takes even more pictures of you when you're awake but think he's out of the room.

He looks at all these pictures when he's away on high-stakes jobs. He gets all bleary eyed and sleeps in a salty puddle without you. NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW.

You don’t have to meet him at the door or anything, but when he says “I’m home,” you’d better answer fast. If he doesn’t know your precise location in 0.05 seconds, he will assume you’ve been kidnapped. He never checks the fridge for notes. Never assumes you've gone down to the konbini for a snack. No, it’s kidnapping every time.

A terrrrrrible bed partner. He goes to bed at senior citizen hours and will never fuck you after sundown. He snores SO loud. Runs hot and sweats through the sheets. Slaps and elbows you in his sleep and aggressively spoons you with his loud, sweaty body. You WILL want to suffocate him. Separate bedrooms aren’t such a horrible idea......

BUT HANG ON, because in the morning he transforms into an honest-to-god angel. He's half awake, his guard is non-existent. Morning Katsuki is a doting kissy-faced marshmallow man.

If you can wake up before the ass-crack of dawn, he will pamper the fuck out of you. You are royalty for one (1) hour only, and he is your bleary-eyed slave. You want a cuddlefuck? You got it. Hugs? Kisses? Take as many as you need. You want a perfect, fluffy, NON-SPICY omelette with a heart drawn in ketchup? Here it is, gorgeous.

Then he gets in the shower and the spell is broken.

- - - - -

💥bang BANG💥

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: this here is an ASS. MAN. He'll spank you with his quirk; doesn’t matter if you’ve been good or bad. Wants to see you wince when you sit down later.

Likes pounding you face down with a vice grip on your waist.

Unfortunately, even with all that said... he doesn't exactly have the feral beast sex drive you were expecting. He’s married to his work and has the fuddy-duddy habits of a once and future valedictorian. Only fucks you when he has the time and energy to fully dedicate himself to it.

But ohhhh. Shit. When it's time? It's TIME. The man will rush for nothing. Stamina for days. Making you cum as many times as possible is a point of pride. Yeah, you passed out once.

You’re gonna need those days off when he’s done with you.

That dick THICC.

Sends unsolicited dick pics. Only after you’ve been dating a good long while - he doesn't show that shit to just anyone. But yeah, don’t check your phone at work. He won't cum without you; those pictures and videos are time bombs. You better get home. Now.

Physically dominant as FUCK, but won’t verbally degrade you unless you ask. Well, let’s be honest. Unless you beg.

Praise him and reap the rewards. A long hard ego stroking will get him off more than touching his cock ever will.

Will grab your hair and fuck your throat. Will also stop immediately if you need him to.

The two of you have safe words and gestures. Even for vanilla stuff. He’s paranoid about scaring or hurting you. He insisted you both sign a color-coded ‘love contract’ that he meticulously formatted in a word processor. When you gave him guff about it, his blush was the darkest crimson you’d ever seen.

Coin-flip: he will sometimes be unbelievably gentle in bed. Doting and affectionate, taking perfect care of you. Like, it’s baffling. There’s no warning, the switch just flips. When you want him to be extra-rough and mean, he’ll sweetly worship you instead. For hours.

Bonus: he likes being penetrated. But of course he’s got a complex about that too. Super intense power bottom. You will never fuck him hard enough. He’d like to see you try. Hit his prostate just right and he might literally explode.

You'll live happily ever after but he will say he loves you out loud exactly once. Maybe. If you're lucky. And you're both about to die.

[babypandawrites]

Allies, Pt. 11

The Siege of the North, Part One

Pairing: Sokka x F Reader Warnings: General War Things, Injury, Getting Knocked in the Head Word Count: 2,625 Summary: With the Fire Nation launching a huge attack on the Northern Water Tribe, and Zuko trying to take the Avatar, things do not go well.

Note: This is honestly one of my... worse chapters- but we can pretend its not :’) I was struggling a lot with some of the parts and ended up having to make them super rushy so sorry about that- Also! I have made a poll relating to the story that I would appreciate you guys answer! I’ll be tagging post relating to the series with #book one allies ! And on an absolutely unrelated note, support the ATLA Fan Musical Project! The team working on it is super talented and all the songs they’ve put out so far are amazing! Katherine Lynn-Rose is one of the leading team members and has some of the songs up on her YouTube channel, along with a link to the ATLM discord server! Which you guys should totally join, it’s super chill and supportive! 

-Navigation- | -Atla Masterlist- -Last Part- | -Allies Masterlist- | -Next Part- 

Taglist: @boomeraangin | @brokennerdalert

“So, this is where you’ve been spending all your time.”  “Huh?!”  The sudden voice startled Y/n, causing her to lose her balance from where she stood on a raised stool. Sokka slid behind her and caught her by wrapping his arms around her torso. Though with her feet still resting on the stool, it left her in kind of an awkward position.  Chuckling softly, he helped her get on her feet. “Sorry, didn’t think I’d catch you off guard.”  “It’s fine, thanks for the catch.”  Getting back up on the stool, Y/n grabbed the small rag she had tucked into her waist band, and used it to wipe down the top of a cabinet.  “When did you get a job?” Sokka poked around one of the clothing racks as he asked. “Why did you get a job?”  “The day after we got here and to make money, obviously. Kind of the point of a job.”  “Getting a job when we’re basically honored guests, makes sense.” Walking back over to her, he gently nudged the stool with his foot. “This thing doesn’t seem very stable.”  Looking at him with a glare, she smacked him in the shoulder with the rag she held. “It’s not, so maybe don't do that when I’m standing on it!”  “Sorry.”  Sighing, she went back to wiping down the cabinet, this time going for the top shelves. “And it’s not like I have anything better to do. I can only talk to Momo and Appa for so long until I start to feel like I’m going crazy.”  “Nothing better to do? You have friends, three of them, one of them standing right here!” He pointed to himself.  “You guys are always busy. Speaking of which, don’t you have an activity to do with Princess Yue?” She tried to ignore the weird knot in her stomach at the thought.  Sokka looked at her with a blank expression. “You're never going to let me live that down, are you?”  Laughing, Y/n hopped down from the stool. “Nope.”  “And for the record, I already saw Yue today…”  She raised an eyebrow at him, when he trailed off with a saddened tone. “You alright?”  “I’m fine. Just- It didn’t go well. I don’t wanna talk about it. How much longer are you gonna have to do your job?”  “Few more hours.”  Sokka let out a groan, as he turned to walk to the door. “Guess I’m hanging out with Momo today.”  “I’m sure he could use the company.” Y/n tossed the rag she had into a bin.  “Oh no.” She was about to go into the shop’s backroom, but stopped at hearing Sokka. Turning, she noticed he had frozen in the doorway. Furrowing her eyebrows she joined him at the door, looking over his shoulder.  “What is it?”  He kneeled down, and scooped up a handful of darkened snow. “Soot.”  Eyes widening, she jumped over him to get outside. Ash was falling from the sky rather than snow, and was starting to coat the ground. She held her hand out, gulping as ash started to gather in her palm. “Fire Nation.”  “Yeah, and by the looks of it, there’s a lot of them.” 

The pair had joined Katara and Aang at the citadel, the group currently sat on the building’s ground with their backs leaned against the wall.  “The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness that I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe. But they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence-” Chief Arnook raised his arms up. “-I call upon the great spirits! Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us!” He lowered his arms. “I’m going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission.”’ Sokka stood up from the ground. “Count me in.”  Katara looked at her brother with an expression of shock and worry. “Sokka!” Y/n shared the expression. “What are you doing?”  Several other men stood as well.  “Be warned. Many of you will not return. Come forward to receive my mark if you accept the task.”  The volunteers began to form a line in front of the Chief, each receiving a marking on their foreheads with a red paint.

A tense silence settled across the air, as the Northern Water Tribe awaited the Fire Nation's first attack. Several warriors lined up along the top of the tribe's wall, Y/n and the rest of her friends stood with them.  The wait was nearly suffocating.  A singular Fire Nation ship could be seen in the distance, but there were bound to be more out of sight. Gulping, Y/n’s hands clenched into fist. This was going to be a full scaled attack on a very powerful tribe, it would really be like nothing she’s had to face before. And honestly? It was kind of horrifying.  After a brief moment of waiting, the ship catapulted a huge fireball at the tribe's wall, crashing right through the middle of it. Several people were thrown back from the impact, along with the ice and debris from the wall. Y/n pushed herself from the ground, dusting the snow off her clothes, just in time to see more fire balls come over the city walls. 

Thus started the relentless attack on the Northern Water Tribe. 

As nightfall came upon them, the Fire Nation’s attacks stopped. Neither side had yet to win, and Y/n was sure that the attacks would continue at sunrise when firebending would have more power.  “They’ve stopped firing.” Yue said, as Y/n joined her and Katara on the citadel steps.  “For now.” She added.  When Appa flew in from the distance, Katara pointed at him. “Aang!”  The three ran down the citadel steps, to meet him at the plaza. Appa landed on his belly, clearly tired. Aang slid down from the bison’s saddle, sitting on the ground.  “I can’t do it.” Aang dropped his head into his hands. “I can’t do it.”  “What happened?” Katara asked.  “I must have taken out a dozen Fire Nation ships, but there’s just too many of them. I can’t fight them all.”  “But, you have to! You’re the Avatar!”  Y/n shot a glare at the Princess for that comment.  “I’m just one kid.” Aang buried his head into his arms, as Katara sat down next to him to comfort him. Kneeling to his side, Y/n reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. Eventually, the four gathered into one of the citadel’s rooms, moon light shone through the window.  “The legends say the moon was the first waterbender. Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves.” Yue explained, as she looked out at the moon.  Katara nodded along with her words. “I’ve always noticed my waterbending is stronger at night.”  “Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon, our life comes from the Spirit of the Ocean. They work together to keep balance.”  Aang perked up. “The Spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help!”  “How can you do that?” “The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the Spirit World. Aang can talk to them!” Katara explained, answering Yue’s question.  Yue smiled hopefully. “Maybe they’ll give you the wisdom to win the battle!”  “Or, maybe they’ll unleash a crazy amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!” Aang widely opened his arms as he spoke. Though the look Katara and Yue gave him caused the boy to clasp his hands behind his back. “Or wisdom. That’s good too.”  Y/n leaned closer to Aang, putting a hand next to the side of her mouth to whisper secretly. “I thought it was a good idea- You should ask the spirits about a crazy amazing attack on the Fire Nation.”  Aang grinned at her, whispering back. “I will.”  “The only problem is, last time you got to the Spirit World by accident. How are you going to get there this time?”  “I have an idea, follow me.”  The three followed after Yue, as she led them to a courtyard behind the citadel, then to a wooden door.  “So is this the way to the Spirit World?”  Yue let out a quiet laugh at Aang’s question. “No, you’ll have to get there on your own-” She pushed the door open. “-But I can take you to the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole.”  Entering through the door, the group found themselves in an oasis of sorts. Unlike the rest of the North Pole, it wasn’t cold and covered in snow- It was rather warm actually, and there was a landing covered in grass. At the back of the chamber was a waterfall, which flowed into a long pool of water. Two wooden foot bridges led to the grassy landing. 

Aang ran across one of the bridges, laughing. He landed on the grass, rubbing it fondly. “I never thought I’d miss grass this much!”  Joining him on the landing, Y/n breathed out a laugh, slipping her coat off. “Ah- This is the kind of warmth I’ve missed.” It didn’t seem possible somewhere so warm was in the North Pole but- she wasn’t going to complain. This was great!  Shortly after them, Katara and Yue walked onto the landing as well, Katara smiling as she also took off her coat. “It’s so warm here! How is that possible?”  “It’s the center of all spiritual energy in our land.”  Momo skittered up to the pond, trying to grab the two fish that swam in it. One was black, the other white, they swam in a circle around each other. The three girls watched the lemur, before he ran away from the pond.  “You’re right, Yue. I can feel...something...it’s so… tranquil.” Aang sat down in front of the pond, his legs crossed. Closing his eyes, he closed his hands into fist and put his knuckles together to meditate.  Y/n moved to stand with Katara and Yue, as the Princess whispered. “Why is he sitting like that?”  “I think he’s meditating.” She whispered back.  “Yeah- he’s trying to cross over into the Spirit World. It takes all his concentration.” Katara added, also whispering. “Is there any way we can help?”  “How ‘bout some quiet?!” Aang turned to look at them. “C’mon guys! I can hear every word you’re saying!”  Cringing inwardly, Y/n mumbled a quiet sorry as the boy went back to trying to meditate. After a few moments, Aang’s eyes and tattoo’s started to glow white. Both Yue and Y/n looked at him in wonder.  “Is he okay?” The Princess asked.  “He’s crossing into the Spirit World. He’ll be fine as long as we don’t move his body. That’s his way back to the physical world.”  Y/n nodded in understanding at Katara’s words. “Neat..”  Yue started to walk away. “Maybe we should get some help?”  “No, he’s our friend. Y/n and I are perfectly capable of protecting him.”  “Yeah, we got this.”  “Well, aren’t you big girls now?” Zuko’s voice suddenly echoed softly through the area.  Gasping, Y/n turned to the source of his voice, along with Katara.  “No!” Zuko walked over one of the bridges towards them. “Yes! Hand him over, and I won’t have to hurt you.”  Katara and Y/n both took on fighting stances, as Yue ran away from the trio to not get caught in the crossfire. Zuko launched forward, sending several blasts of fire their way. Katara pulled water from the pond and used it to block the attacks, eventually shoving him backwards and knocking him to the ground.  Y/n didn’t drop her guard and was ready to jump in if she needed to, but she decided to hold back for now since Katara was handling things pretty well. Honestly, much better than she would be able too.  “I see you’ve learned a new trick. But I didn’t come this far to lose to you.” Getting up, Zuko fired another blast at them, which Katara easily blocked. She sent a stream of water at him, knocking him backwards again, before freezing the water beneath him. Katara raised a sphere of water from the pond behind Zuko, and encased him in it before freezing him entirely.  “You little peasant. You’ve found a master, haven’t you?” Zuko’s words were muffled by the ice. Right after he stopped talking, the ground started to shake as the ice started to glow yellow and orange. With an explosion of fire, the ice shattered, freeing Zuko who immediately ran at Katara.  Watching the two fight with a close eye, Y/n moved to stand closer to Aang- Just incase Zuko pulled something sneaking and tried to grab him. Which he did try to do. Slipping behind Katara he tried to grab Aang by the collar, but before he could Y/n grabbed his arm and twisted it before she raised a leg up to kick him back. Before he could recover, Katara blasted him with a jet stream of water, knocking him much further away from the three. She bent a huge wave of water that pushed Zuko at least ten feet up one of the walls, before freezing him in place. 

When Zuko’s head drooped in defeat, Y/n and Katara shared a satisfied look of victory. At least until, the sun started to rise. Y/n expression fell, realizing what that meant for them.  Zuko’s head snapped up with a look of determination as the sunlight reached him. He breathed steam, enough to melt the ice that was holding him in place. Sliding down the rest of the ice, he charged at Katara and fired a blast at her. Caught off guard, she was only able to block it partially, and got thrown back into the gate’s post- causing her to be knocked out.  Y/n rushed to Aang, standing between him and Zuko, taking on a fighting stance. Zuko breathed out a chuckle as he approached her. “Do you really think you can beat me?”  “I’ve done it before.”  “I’ve learned a lot since then. More than you ever will.” He shot a large blast of fire at her. Pressing her palms together, she thrusted her arms forward and dispersed the flames to go around her and Aang. Zuko ran at her as she did, grabbing her by the shoulder and shoving her aside.  Y/n tumbled to the ground, but made a quick recovery and rushed forward as Zuko grabbed onto Aang’s collar. She threw a punch at his face, which he ducked under, elbowing her in the gut before shoving her backwards again. Leaving Aang for a moment, Zuko stood in front of her, as she started to get up. Her gaze snapped over to Aang for a moment, he was just left to lay on the ground. Instead of trying to attack Zuko, she attempted to jump towards Aang. Before she could get too far, Zuko gripped onto her hair and yanked her back.  Gritting her teeth, Y/n reached back to grab his arm, heating her palms to burn him. “I’m not letting you take him!”  “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.” Zuko spoke through gritted teeth, yanking her head back again, before shoving it down to collide with his knee. Her grip on his arm loosened, as her vision started to dot black. Arma falling limply to her side, she collapsed to the ground, when Zuko let go of her hair. “Your decisions have made you weaker, but mine, they’ve made me stronger.”  On the verge of unconsciousness, Y/n watched as the Prince grabbed Aang and threw him over his shoulder. “No…”

[vikingqueer]

music recommendations because i have some thoughts™

i don't wanna be that person who's like "my music taste is so weird lol" but i find that very often most of my friends don't really care for the music i like so i thought i'd just make a long ass post about it on tumblr instead. Fair warning, I'm very passionate about MIKA and The Mechanisms and so this very quickly got VERY long because it is part of my ongoing campaign to convince people to listen to mika and the mechs.

1) MIKA in general, but especially My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019) and No Place In Heaven (2015) (especially the Deluxe version!!)

MIKA is a kind of British singer (half Lebanese, grew up in France blabla), and you probably know him for Grace Kelly and Relax, Take It Easy from his first album Life In Cartoon Motion from 2007. He writes a lot of FUN music, interspersed with the occasional slightly sadder song, especially when looking at an album like No Place In Heaven, which contains a lot of songs with gay themes, resulting in some songs that are just a little bit ouch. He's originally classically trained and has a frankly RIDICULOUS range and idk he just writes very good pop music. Also I have so much respect for that time he talked about how a lot of pop is very fake, with like expensive cars and stilettos and mini skirts in the snow and said "Because I walk down the street, and I don't see any of that. I see fat women and gay men. I don't know... That's real". He's written 5 albums; My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019), No Place In Heaven (2015), The Origin Of Love (2012), The Boy Who Knew Too Much (2009), and Life In Cartoon Motion (2007).

For starters, I recommend listening to Last Party, Origin Of Love, Grace Kelly, Blame It On The Girls, Blue, Happy Ending, Pick Up Off The Floor, Last Party, Underwater, Tomorrow and Tiny Love (yes this is a long list but i REALLY love MIKA). If you want a slightly broader palette that's not just my favourites, I recommend the Mika starter pack on spotify.

2) The Mechanisms. I warn you. I am making this a thing. I have been obsessed with the mechs since last march.

Boy, where to start? The Mechanisms were a British 9 member space pirate story-telling cabaret that "died" in January 2020. They rewrite songs to fit retellings of various stories. I don't even know what genre I'd describe them as, but probably folk but steam-punk?? Their 4 "main" albums are concept albums, and I honestly just recommend listening to the from beginning to end in chronological order. A good way to get into the mechs is also to listen to UDAD and then watching the live show on youtube or alternately try giving Death To The Mechanisms a listen, to get good quality live show audio of TBI and various other stuff. Also, it was streamed on YouTube and someone combined the footage with the album audio and it rocks. Really, I think the mechs' best selling points are honestly just their concept albums:

Once Upon a Time (In Space) Their first album from 2012. I'd say this is the most "easily digestible" for the general public, since it's a retelling of various fairytales. So, what if Old King Cole was in fact not merry, but rather a cold-blooded dictator, intent on colonising as much of the galaxy as possible. What if Snow White was a general, looking to avenge what King Cole did to her sister, Rose. What if Cinderella was to be wedded to Rose the day that King Cole attacked in order to kidnap Rose? But y'know, In Space and also like every other mechs album it's a beautiful tragedy. Fave songs are Old King Cole, Pump Shanty, and No Happy Ending.

Ulysses Dies at Dawn You guessed it, it's a story about Odysseus, or Ulysses because I guess Ulysses is easier to rhyme or fit in the meter or something, idk. Ulysses is a war hero of unknown gender who is said to keep something that could take down the corrupt Olympians, meanest families in the City, in a vault to which only they know the passcode. Oedipus, Heracles, Orpheus, and Ariadne have been hired by Hades, who happens to be The Mechs' quartermaster Ashes O'Reilly, to get into Ulysses' vault. I didn't care much for udad at first, but honestly it's got some real bangers and the story is really good. UDAD weirdly stands out as the only of the concept albums to not feature any gay relationships, per se. Fave songs are Riddle of the Sphinx, Favoured Son, and Underworld Blues.

High Noon over Camelot This is my favourite mehcs album. So basically, this is Arthurian legend, but it's a space western and Jonny D'Ville does a bad southern accent. This is the story of the cowboy lovers Arther, Lancelot, and Guinevere searching for the Galfridian Restricted Acces Interface Login, or GRAIL, in order to stop their world from falling into the sun. Meanwhile, Mordred and Gawaine are ruling Camelot, and Mordred has convinced Gawaine to try to establish peace with the Saxons by whom Mordred was raised, but Gawaine hates viciously. If you love getting your heart broken and songs by a fucking off the rails batshit preacher I HIGHLY recommend hnoc. Fave songs are Gunfight at the Dolorous Guard, Blood and Whiskey, and Once and Future King. Honorary mention for Hellfire because it awakens something animalistic in me.

The Bifrost Incident TBI is the frankly only good adaptation of norse mythology I've ever known of, and I say that as Dane who was literally forced to learn things about norse mythology in school because it's my heritage or whatever. I've been listening to TBI a lot lately because it's VERY good. It's definitely the most refined of the mechs' albums (because it's the newest) but also I just love a little bit of cosmic horror. 80 years ago, Odin, the All-Mother, ruler of Asgaard, launched a train through the wormhole Bifrost that would reduce the travel between Asgaard and Midgaard from 3 months to 3 days, but things didn't go quite as planned. Lyfrassir Edda of the New Midgaard Transport Police is trying to solve the case of why suddenly the train has arrived 80 years late; to figure out whether it was accident or maybe it was sabotaged by Loki, who was allegedly sentence to death her murder of Baldur, by the Midgaardian resistance led by Loki's wife Sigyn, or maybe by Thor, who was to take over after Odin, and who holds quite the grudge because he used to be a friend of Loki's. You might've heard the song Thor from this album, it's apparently quite popular. Fave songs are Loki, Ragnarok III: Strange Meeting, and Ragnarok V: End of The Line. Yet again an honorary mention: Red Signal because while Lovecraft was a bitch, his invocations are fucking RAW.

Basically, the Mechanisms do all of their performances in character as captain first mate Jonny D'Ville, quartermaster Ashes O'Reilly, pilot DrumBot Brian, master-at-arms Gunpowder Tim, science officer Raphaella la Cognizi, doctor Baron Marius Von Raum (neither a baron, nor a doctor), archivist Ivy Alexandria, engineer Nastya Rasputina, and The Toy Soldier, who is, as usual, present. You can find very obscure lore about the crew of the Aurora here, tidbits on Tales To Be Told and TTBT Vol. 2, such as One Eyed Jacks, The Ignominious Demise of Dr. Pilchard, Gunpowder Tim vs. The Moon Kaiser, Lucky Sevens, and Lost in the Cosmos.

If you feel like listening to a full 40-50 minute album to find out if you like a band is a bit much, I recommend listening to one of the mini stories Alice, Swan Song, or Frankenstein, which are about 12, 5 and 9:30 minutes respectively.

3) The Amazing Devil You know that guy who played Jaskier in the Witcher? I got into The Amazing Devil from spotify recommending them because I listened to the mechs, and apparently Joey Batey from The Amazing Devil is the same Joey Batey who was in the Witcher. Both him and Madeleine Hyland are VERY talented singers and songwriters and their second album The Horror and the Wild makes me go out into the forest and SCREAM. I listened to it on repeat for like a month straight. I guess they'd also be considered folk, but like. New Folk. Also yes, this is another British artist, I don't know why I'm like this. I've never really gotten that into their first album, Love Run, but King slaps. As I understand there's this whole lore about the Blue Furious Boy and Scarlet Scarlet, Joey and Madeleine respectively, but unlike the Mechanisms it's actually possible to find out things about the actual real people and harder to find the obscure lore? I'm open for people to please help me. Fave songs are The Horror and the Wild, Farewell Wanderlust, and That Unwanted Animal, which is literally a third of their second album, but again. I haven't really listened to Love Run that much, and I just LOVE the harmonies on THATW. (also im gay and dramatic leave me alone)

4) dodie I have so much love for this woman. Like many others, I first knew dodie as doddleoddle on youtube. I think I first stumbled across her in probably 2015, because I distinctly already knew her before she released her first EP Sick of Losing Soulmates in 2016. I think I watched probably every video she's ever made in the span of a few weeks. I just loved her quiet sound and was absolutely HOOKED. Also she's actually the reason I got into MIKA originally, so thanks for that. Dodie just realeased her first album Build A Problem (in addition to her three EP's; the one mentioned above, You, and Human) and it slaps. Yes dodie is also British Fave songs are probably Monster, Rainbow, and In The Middle.

5) Cladia Boleyn Unfortunately, Claudia Boleyn only has three singles and that's it. She's been making content on youtube for quite a while, and that's how I first discovered her. I don't know what genre her music is, but I like it. The songs are Celesta, George, and Mother Maiden Crone, of which the latter is my favourite. I'm not saying Claudia Boleyn invented women in 2017 when she released Mother Maiden Crone, but she did. Also you guessed it, Claudia Boleyn is British.

6) Hozier I'm not about to tell you about Hozier. You know who he is. Listen to Nina Cried Power, Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene, and Shrike. Also Hozier isn't stricly British in that he is definitely from A British Isle, but Ireland is not part of the UK. Give me a break.

7) Oh Land Oh Land IS DANISH. I like her early music best, because I'm not that into the electronic sound. I guess Oh Land is just you regular old pop, but with the occasional weird vibe? Oddly enough, I like her first album Fauna best. Unfortunately I haven't really listened to her newest album Family Tree much, but it seems good? Fave songs are Frostbite, Love You Better and Family Tree. I cried on the bus, first time I listened to the Danish version of Love You Better, Elsker Dig Mer because my mother tongue always just hits harder. Also Frostbite is Oh Land doing a duet with herself which is pretty cool.

8) Oysterband This is a live recommendation. I mean they're a decent folk band and all, but they're a fucking experience live. If you like folk and you ever get the opportunity to see Oysterband live, do it. Unfortunately, yes. They are British. Either way, they are incredible on a scene and I think they deserve a mention for that.

9) Ben Platt Honestly don't know much about this guy, but he's not British and he was in Dear Evan Hansen. He released an album in 2019, Sing To Me Instead, and I just think it's a good album, there isn't really not much more to it. Fave songs are Grow As We Go, Bad Habit, and In Case You Don't Live Forever.

and thats all for now. this has been a ramble. shout out to you if you actually read all of this, especially the mechs part.

[pluviophile-bookworm]

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Rewatch pt. 5

Technically, I shouldn't be doing this right now. But who are we kidding? I miss my Wildcats and this seems like the only thing I can do to see them again right now. So here goes

1x8: The contractually obligated emotional rollercoaster

This episode sure is a lot... I don't know if I'm ready. But it makes no sense to skip this one. I never skip through stuff I love, even when some parts are borderline traumatising. Plus I remember this episode having a bunch of hilarious moments that are definitely worth it.

'I'm really not sure what to say' — Me neither, Miss Jenn, me neither. I'm just sitting here watching this and I know I'm supposed to comment, but I just can't think of what to say. Sometimes the silence just speaks for itself.

'The Lucky Ducky Puppet Pavilion' — I can never overlook that line. Not when I know how much it took for Matt to deliver it. Fun fact: one of my cats is called Lucky, so when his siblings were about to be born, I briefly considered naming them Ducky, Puppet and Pavilion as a joke.

Ah, the El Rey. The place where Miss Jenn totally did not suffer a professional heartbreak. Things are about to get real here. And by real I mean... real dramatic.

I've got to say, I love the duality of Big Red (well, I do love everything about him so that was a no-brainer, but still): doesn't know how to hang a light, but sure does know how to light up a room; amazing with power tools, but took three weeks to make a paper-mache basketball because he kept gluing his fingers together (that last part is far more relatable than I care to admit). I just love him, ok?

The way Carlos acts about Miss Jenn's box of production notes... honestly, I totally get it. I feel like if there's one person at that point who cares about the show much more than anyone else, it's him. And I fully understand why that is. That poor boy has been lonely for too long, and this show is giving him the chance to be part of an accepting community for what feels like the first time in a long time. Just... give my boy Carlito all the hugs.

For a place that allegedly hasn't been used in so long, the El Rey is not nearly dusty enough. I mean, you should see my room if I forget to hoover for longer than a week. And we're talking about years here. There's allegedly mould in that place, but I don't even see dust. Oh well, maybe I would, if it weren't for that lighting — or lack thereof, more like.

'Whatever it says in Miss Jenn's audition file, I am me, and that is the only me I need to be.' — A beautiful sentiment, my dearest EJ. Now maybe hold on to it for a while... just a suggestion.

'Lacks emotional connection to the material' — well, I do have to agree. My first impression of EJ when I was watching the first couple of episodes for the first time was that he was 'too polished to be Troy'. Too much Technician, too little Performer. And I do love my Performers over my Technicians.

Wait, is that a Redlyn background moment I see? I mean, everything is super chaotic and fast-paced, and my two ginger babies are just sitting together on the side of it all. Bonding, I assume. Good for them.

Seb being the only one to know why Natalie is absent, along with the two of them sitting together in 1x1, makes me think... Natalie and Seb are totally besties! I mean, he's basically besties with everyone he ever talks to, so... what can I say, that boy is sunshine incarnate. He deserves all the love and appreciation.

'I know how to hang... out' — gosh, I love this one. And I can only hope everyone was laughing with him, not at him. Because there's nothing to laugh at. My boy got dragged into this whole crew stuff, it's not his fault he doesn't know everything. He's more of an on-stage person than a backstage person anyway. Maybe put him in the spotlight next time and prepare to get your socks knocked off.

No, Ash, your baking club is not at all irrelevant! Honestly, I have nothing but immense admiration for how Ashlyn manages to be in the top two students most dedicated to theatre and do all those other extracurriculars. And she probably has a 4.-something GPA, too. I don't know what the Caswells are feeding their children, but I need it this instant.

'I just don't know how to make things light up' — 'You walk into a room?' — I just... this is one of my favourite Redlyn moments in the history of Redlyn. See, the thing about Ashlyn's line here is the tone in which she says it. She doesn't mean it as a compliment, but as a statement of the absolute truth. You can hear that in her voice. And with good reason, too, because she isn't lying at all. My boy Reddy sure does light up a room by walking into it. Both of them do, really. They're soulmates, you know.

'This place is not creepy at all...' — Yeah, and things between Ricky and Nini are not totally awkward at all, either. I'm living for this.

'I can do Troy!' — Sure you can, Eej. Sure you can. Emotional connection to the material and all.

Ok, but this entire scene... Carlos marking Gabriella's lines completely flatly, EJ emoting like he's in a freaking telenovela and also chopping onions... Carlos' reaction to the latter... I'm living for all of this.

Big Red just suddenly appearing next to Miss Jenn has me rolling... and also kind of wishing he could appear like that next to me too. I mean, it's not like I've visualised that so many times... certainly not every time I have to pass by a stray dog, or give a blood sample, or talk to people, or whatever... why do you ask?

'I never really loved the name Nina anyway' — listen, I relate to the sentiment of not being super fond of your given name, but... what was that stuff in s2 about, then? I mean, I do understand that too, but the two just seem to clash a bit, I reckon. That's all.

Also, can we talk about Rini's chemistry and how it's sometimes there and sometimes nowhere to be found? I think I've figured it out. Every time the chemistry is there, they're talking about or doing things that are not necessarily inherently romantic. Reminiscing about kindergarten, how they gave each other their nicknames, 'the ribbon in your hair, the secrets that we shared, the way that you would stare at me across the room' (yeah, I went there, and for a good reason)... see, Ricky and Nini have that kind of thing going on where, however hard you try, you just can't be indifferent to the other person. It's obvious that they love each other so much, but whenever they try to make it romantic, something goes south. What I'm saying is, when you're really good friends with somebody and you try to force it into something 'more', or better said, something else (because romance is not inherently 'more' than friendship and you can pry that out of my cold dead aro hands), and the operating word here is 'force', things are bound to go wrong and even reach toxic territory. And Rini are living proof of that. Some people are just better as friends, and sometimes the entire 'I don't want to ruin our friendship' trope is very valid. I just want them to be best buddies, is that too much to ask?

Bless Steph for pushing Kourtney forward when Miss Jenn needed someone to sing! Honestly, it's moments like these that make me feel like the background characters are criminally underrated. I realise not every character can be equally central to the plot, but with this cast, I kind of want them to be. I have the feeling that most, if not all of the one-line characters in this show are people with just as much talent and potential as the main cast. They deserve recognition, you know.

Going off of the above, Dara Reneé is living proof of the point I just made. You know how Kourtney was supposed to be a one-scene wonder with two lines? And then Dara showed up and hiding her in the background was instantly out of the question. I wonder how many more hidden gems there are in the show, just sitting in the background, delivering their single line and waiting their turn in the semi-metaphorical wings.

'I just need a minute, or a vacation, it's not clear' — Me, all the time. Especially after I read chapter 11 of @redlyncentral's Let It Go. That ending broke me. And this line by Miss Jenn just reminded me of that feeling, even if what she's feeling right now might not be the exact same thing I went through with that chapter the other day. That being said, everyone go check out my lovely friend's writing right now, I promise you it's worth every second.

'We're going to take a... long five' — What, no 'thank you, five'? I was expecting that. But I guess everyone is a little bit too distraught for that now.

I have to hand it to Carlos — even when he's very obviously uncomfortable and lowkey scared of some people, he just goes up to them and calls them out. I wish I could ever be bold enough to do that.

Wow, not EJ thrashing Carlos' 'forest of boys' idea. Again. I don't get why everyone dislikes it so much, I think it's brilliant visual poetry and should have been given a chance. I said what I said.

You know, everyone has been calling the show out for saying HSM premiered in the cinema, not on telly like it did in real life; and I have been agreeing with that sentiment. But notice how Miss Jenn said 'the Utah premiere' and how there were family and friends in the audience? What if that was some sort of semi-private screening for cast, crew and their family members? It would make sense. And of course, it was held in Utah because that was where the show was filmed and where the majority of background actors, dancers and extras are from. Idk, but it makes sense to me. Note that I have very limited knowledge of how the period between post-production and the release of a movie works.

Isn't Ashlyn the best, though, always noticing when someone is not ok, hearing them out, helping them... I wish I could be half as good a friend as she is. She and Big Red are totally soulmates in that, too. And they deserve each other more than anyone else deserves them, honestly. I just love both of them so much, both as individuals and as a couple, and I cannot be made to shut up about that just yet.

I've got to say, the entire 'me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me' - 'you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you' thing was super funny. And it makes me love Rini — strictly as friends — even more. You know, I think I used to ship them during s1 because the script wanted me to. Exactly like I didn't notice Big Red until midway through the season because the script didn't want me to. Sometimes the script, the acting, the directing and other stuff has immense power over viewers' perception of a show's plot and characters. And that is, as I always point out, what rewatches are for — noticing things that may have escaped you the first time over.

Yeah, so Nini was Ricky's first crush. So what? Many people have had crushes on their best friend at some point or another. That doesn't necessarily mean they're better off as a couple than they are as friends. The opposite idea is just amatonormativity speaking. I mean, sometimes it's nice and it works out; I love me some well-written best-friends-to-lovers, but that's just not always the case and the media should stop pushing the idea that platonic relationships are in any way inferior to romantic ones.

I've got to say I really don't like it when someone interrupts two people's romantic moment (and Big Red is not exempt from my frustration in such cases even though I love him so much — just think of the In a Heartbeat scene), but honestly, bless Reddy for not letting Ricky and Nini kiss. I mean, I know full well they do kiss later on (and how!), but it's just nice to have semi-platonic Rini for a while. If and when we get season 3 (manifesting!), I really hope we get more of them putting some stuff behind them and just being best buddies.

Kourtney and Seb's friendship is honestly goals and I really wish we'd got some more of it. Just another thing to add to my season 3 wishlist. Along with, you know, an actual season 3.

EJ saying all those nice (and very true) things to Carlos has my heart (or, well, he's renting it temporarily from Redlyn and Seblos, but you know). And Carlos really was like 'A for effort, C for execution', and I adore him for that. But EJ is seriously growing. He's pretty much reached EJ 1.8 at this point, and I love to see it.

Say what you want about the Lucas Grabeel dream sequence, but I love, love, love it. Completely unironically. I mean, he's kind of my favourite OG cast member. And the 'I'm more of a Glinda' comment referencing Kate Reinders actually being one of the BWay Glindas? Here's a note from when I first watched 1x1: The drama teacher won’t stop spilling her coffee and I love her. Also, her actress was Glinda on Broadway, so I stan. See, I didn't even know Miss Jenn's name yet and I already loved her. But then she went and did some stuff in s2 and ruined all of that. Add 'proper Miss Jenn redemption' to my s3 wishlist, I guess. But I'm getting off-track (when am I not?)

I only just noticed that all of the iconic BWay leads mentioned in the song (sans Glinda, of course, but that wasn't even a proper part of the song) start with an E. I wonder if that was on purpose or a lucky accident...

'And you never know when you'll get a cameo...' — If anyone in the HSM franchise knows anything about making the most of a cameo, it's Lucas. I'm referring to his post-credits scene in Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, of course. That is one of my absolute favourite scenes in the entire movie. Well, that and The Rest of My Life. I very unironically love that number.

Another thing on the list of things I very unironically love — the transitions both into and out of this scene. I just think they're neat.

Have I mentioned before how much I love it that Carlos' response every time someone asks where he has to be is 'Broadway'... it just reminds me a lot of Seb's 'Friendship!' — that's some soulmate stuff right there, if you ask me.

'I just... almost did something really stupid' — Yes, Nini, yes it was very stupid. And you're going to do it anyway. You wouldn't if I had any say in this, but I don't and so here we are. In a world where Rini are a romantic thing, Redlyn get 5 minutes of screentime in s1 and two major moments demoted to post-credits scenes, Seblos haven't even properly discussed their issues, and Portwell didn't even kiss on screen. I lowkey hate it here. Still, I feel like things are going in the right direction. If we get a season 3, that is — and we better be getting it, or I will riot and I know I won't be the only one.

No but... just imagine if Kourtney hadn't called YAC for Nini, but for herself. There's so much potential there... and I think Kourtney and Ashlyn deserved that spot every bit as much as Nini did, and then some. I said what I said.

Well, this was 1x8. This post is already way too long, plus I want to do a double feature of the last two whenever I get to rewatching them, so I'm ending this here. It was just as much of a journey as I remembered it being, and not nearly as negative as I had the feeling it would be. I absolutely loved it, you know. And with good reason too.

[carewyncromwell]

"Cover my eyes -- cover my ears -- Tell me these words are a lie... It can't be true that I'm losing you -- The sun cannot fall from the sky... Can you hear heaven cry the tears of an angel?”

~“Tears of an Angel,” by RyanDan

x~x~x~x

tw: character death, brief mention of violence 

The Battle of Hogwarts, taking place the night of May 1st 1998 and into the next morning of May 2nd, was a dramatic day in the Wizarding World’s history. It was the day that Lord Voldemort fell at the hands of Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic successfully seized back control from the Death Eaters that had infiltrated it -- the day that marked the end of the Second Wizarding War and a new beginning for wizards in the United Kingdom. 

It was also a day, however, of immense loss. Although most magical historians (and authors writing books about the infamous Boy Who Lived) tend to gloss over the names and identities of those lost in favor of the grander-scale historical strides achieved by the end of the War, those who actually fought in the Battle -- such as Jacob Cromwell -- never forget that.

Once known as the “delinquent” who pursued Hogwarts’s infamous Cursed Vaults as a student, only to disappear mysteriously for seven years and then reappear looking exactly the same as when he vanished, Jacob worked hard to make a better name for himself. Once his fight against R was finally over, he set about traveling the world and taking on as many areas of study as he could, using his extensive knowledge of Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, the Dark Arts, defensive magic, magical and Muggle history, Legilimency, Muggle science, and both modern and ancient languages to pioneer new magical discoveries. One of his most passionate interests was in applying Muggle chemistry and biology to the fields of Potioneering and Magizoology, and through those advancements, he was able to not only introduce the use of the periodic table to advanced Potions classes and the principles of evolution to advanced Care of Magical Creatures classes, but also help develop a slew of new antidotes for magical creature venoms. Despite this, though, Jacob was enough of a vagabond with no definitive sense of direction that he could be easily persuaded to jump back into Cursebreaking -- the thing that first brought him and his once-boy best friend Duncan together -- and through Cursebreaking, Jacob met Lugh Hopper. @thatravenpuffwitch​​

The Patriarch of the Hopper clan was a very brave and dedicated family man, even despite the tragedy in his life. During the First Wizarding War, he lost not only his wife, but his son and daughter-in-law, so he’s always been quite protective of and nurturing toward his grandchildren Ellie and Jacob Hopper. With this in mind, it’s not entirely surprising that a man with such good paternal instincts and such a fearless spirit took a liking to a reckless, passionate nerd like Jacob Cromwell. They were both Legilimens with a strong devotion to family and a lot of courage, and honestly, Jacob C was just entertaining to go on assignments with, considering he never flinched away from a challenge and would get over-excited about the littlest things. 

Jacob Cromwell had never had a real father figure in his life before, since his father Evan had never been very affectionate or supportive toward either Jacob or Carewyn and ultimately abandoned his family when Jacob received his Hogwarts letter, and so Lugh filled a hole in Jacob Cromwell’s life that he barely even knew had been there before. Lugh validated Jacob’s intense passions and desire to fix people’s problems and make the world better, even after all of the mistakes Jacob had made in his life. The older man wholeheartedly supported Jacob when he put his Cursebreaking assignments on hold to return to Britain, supposedly to “research at home” for a while, but in truth to help his sister Carewyn hide Muggle-born fugitives from the Ministry of Magic. And when both men arrived at Hogwarts on May 1st, they greeted each other with a casual hug, slapping each other’s backs, as if Jacob Cromwell was just as much Lugh’s grandson as Jacob Hopper was.

The two men fought side by side some of the time during the Battle. Both were extremely talented magical Duelists -- Lugh had once worked in the Auror Department alongside Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, while Jacob had been a dueling prodigy since he was still at school and had in his travels studied with a Native American wizard about how to fight with two wands simultaneously. Despite this, however, the casualties in the Battle of Hogwarts were very steep indeed -- and sure enough, one of those casualties was Lugh, who only went down thanks to the combined efforts of four Death Eaters. 

When Lugh went down, Jacob Cromwell -- who never was very good at containing his anger -- lost his head completely. He tore into the enemy forces with both of his wands, mercilessly cutting them down with an assortment of both dueling and Dark spells that other members of the Hogwarts army wouldn’t have dared use. He used Transfiguration to fuse one Death Eater to a suit of armor, even if the metal cut painfully through his flesh and bone. He seized one Death Eater’s wand arm with a spell and then dislocated it, twisting it completely the wrong way. He even impaled one of the men who’d cornered Lugh with a chandelier. Jacob was so grief-stricken that he’d gone mad -- and even when the Battle had been paused and there were no more enemy combatants left to fight, no one could get close to him. Most didn’t want to, out of fear of his temper. The only ones brave enough to were Bill Weasley and Jacob Hopper. 

When the eldest Weasley tried to approach first, Jacob Cromwell refused to let him get within three feet of him. Jacob C had always had a lingering, petty resentment of his sister’s best friend, since Bill had sort of “taken Jacob’s place” in Carewyn’s life while he was trapped in the Portrait Vault and also embodied a lot of Jacob’s insecurities about not being good enough of a brother for Carewyn, so he had a lot of trouble accepting any help from him. Jacob Hopper, on the other hand, naturally grieved his grandfather just as much as Jacob Cromwell did -- and although Hopper was a rather arrogant rebel, Jacob Cromwell was one of those too, so the two had found more than a little bit of common ground while working together on assignments with Lugh. And so tall Jacob Hopper was able to get close enough to the shorter, stockier Jacob Cromwell to roughly pull him into a hug without a word -- and the two Jacobs ultimately stood there in the hall together, Jacob Cromwell’s shaking hands holding his wands wrapped around Hopper’s chest as they both gritted their teeth and fiercely tried to contain their grief and tears. All Jacob Cromwell ever said to Jacob Hopper that day was --

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Most wouldn’t know what he was sorry for, exactly...but Hopper surmised it was indicative of survivor’s guilt, more than anything. 

After the War was over, Jacob Cromwell -- with some encouragement from his sister Carewyn -- finally felt brave enough to ask the Hoppers if he could sing something for Lugh’s funeral, in his honor. Naturally the Hoppers agreed...and when the young vagabond wizard came up to stand in front of the congregation that included his sister and her new ward Erik, his mother, and his best friend Olivia Green, his way-too-long ponytail of dark brown curls better groomed and dressed in nicer high-necked black robes than he’d ever worn in his life, he sung full-voice and bravely, even with tears streaming down his face. 

“Oh, we never know where life will take us --  I know it's just a ride on the wheel -- And we never know when death will shake us, And we wonder how it will feel... So goodbye, my friend --  I know I’ll never see you again, But the time together through all the years Will take away these tears. It's okay now... Goodbye, my friend.”

And for the remainder of Jacob Cromwell’s life, he held Lugh Hopper’s memory as close to his heart as he did Duncan Ashe’s -- this time, as motivation to fight for a world where people like Lugh didn’t have to lay down their lives, just to save others from people like Voldemort and the Death Eaters. 

[wizardouxie]

Evil Douxie AU Ash Dispersal Pattern is something I Have Not been able to stop thinking about. Just, whoever the leader is, seeing this moping emo kid working in a cafe and being like “ah. New recruit.” Douxie gets dragged along to a meeting somehow (cough Archie gently bullies him into going cough) and he picks up the guitar. For the first little while he’s grouchy and adamantly refuses to be pleasant or even civil. After he meets the old lady, his jabs start to get more friendly and 1/2

teasing and the band notices and responds in turn, until you eventually get an exchange like this: “aw, you know you love us” “...” “YOU DIDNT DENY IT” “waIT NO SHUT UP” “YOU LOVE US” etc etc and just,,, this group of college kids forcibly adopting Douxie makes me soft. How accurate would you say this is to your AU?? -M.H. Anon 2/2

VERY ACCURATE.

[ DISCLAIMER: This is... very very long. That’s all. ]

Ash Dispersal Pattern took a hard hit this year, losing their guitarist in a nasty fight after a gig. Because of that, they were forced to opt out from the Battle of the Bands. Of course then the end of the world happened three times, which also sucked.

But you know, life is too short so might as well say ‘screw it’ and find a new member right? The member that left can eat dirt for all they cared now. And so they put up flyers calling for auditions as a guitarist.

...no one shows up.

Okay so they gotta figure out a new plan. And what better place to do so than in a cafe? So here they are trying to figure out how to get a guitarist. Douxie shows up with their drinks and one of them goes “ayo what’s up!” only to receive a “tch” in response. They’re confused.

“Yo what’s his problem?”

“He’s probably having a rough day, maybe family issues?”

“I dunno man, but his hair looks sick as hell,”

And then it clicks to them. Maybe... him?

And now Douxie is surrounded by strangers that vaguely look around his age, well roughly give or take a few centuries, and he’s biting his tongue.

“I said no.” he replies firmly, backing away. He slings his jacket over his shoulder and eyes a stray black cat curled up nearby before heading on his way. Weirdos. A discussion immediately blows up among the members.

“Are you sure you wanna go with this guy? We’ve had our share of jerk guitarists,”

“Okay but can we talk about his hair? It’s so cool, I bet he has tattoos too,”

“Enough about the hair! Look this kid’s tryna play tough guy with us, but I think we can soften him up, it’ll just take some time.”

“Aight you’re the boss here, but if he screws us over, you’re taking responsibility,”

Archie overhears the conversation and smiles. These children seemed kind, and Douxie could use some normal friends. Nothing against the Arcadia gang, but they have more than enough on their plate and he can’t exactly force them to integrate the ex sorcerer into their friend group.

Douxie hates the idea. It’s stupid.

“You’ve already signed me up for two jobs and school. I don’t even need school! I have centuries worth of knowledge these mortals can’t even dream of knowing,”

“Yes, but we are trying to blend in, Douxie. And besides, I remember you used to play the lute. The guitar is quite similar I believe,”

“Arch I haven’t touched that instrument for god knows how long,”

“Have you forgotten how to play it then?”

Douxie goes quiet. Archie smiles. Well that makes his job much, much easier. He readjusts his glasses.

“I overheard their next meeting is this Thursday, and you’re going. Isn’t that convenient? You don’t work any shifts on that day. It’ll be good for you,”

“That’s what you say about everything!”

“Have I ever been wrong?”

Silence again. So Archie may have developed a talent for shutting up his familiar. He doesn’t really know if that’s a good thing, but it’s definitely frequent.

Thursday rolls in and Douxie shows up to rehearsal grudgingly. The members are surprised. He tells them not to get cozy; just wanted to try something new out. Luckily for him, the members had a backup guitar. The strings feel strange against his calloused hands but also familiar in a way. He strums a chord and a chorus of “ooooo”s fill the room.

“What? I’m competent,” he snaps. The leader raises her hand.

“Didn’t imply you weren’t.”

And so the first few weeks pass by without much conversation. Rehearsals weren’t so bad on the musical aspect; Douxie could play the guitar pretty effortlessly, much to their astonishment. They regularly complimented him even when he did things his own way rather than follow the sheet music. They rarely ever got a response though. Maybe a “hm” if they’re lucky.

Stage presence on the other hand... he was too stiff and lacked energy. Not to mention he constantly looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. This was where the others started to get slightly ticked off.

“He’s sucking the life out of us dude, like we’re Ash Dispersal Pattern and he’s the freaking vacuum!” the drummer complained

“He doesn’t even sing with us! It’s supposed to be a group effort,” the bass player added.

“Yeah... honestly playing without a guitarist seems better than this,” the vocalist muttered quietly. Everyone looked at them and then the leader.

The leader pinches her nose. So that’s what they all thought huh? And as much as majority would usually win, this wasn’t what she wanted, to lose someone at such an early stage. What they’ve got going is not bad; it just could be better.

“Look, I get it, we’ve had a hard year and him being difficult doesn’t help us. But don’t you think he’s having it hard too? And we’ve all been there before. We’ve had our fights with parents, schools, society and he’s clearly going through it. Right now our best course of action is to just let it pass and let him approach us instead of coming on too strong.”

“Ah so that’s why we chose you as the leader,” the bass player jokes. The leader rolls her eyes.

“Can it, buttsnack.”

Miracles start occurring after the introduction of the little old lady. Douxie no longer keeps on a straight face. Rather, his eyes wonder curiously, mouth forming expressions that he’s not even conscious of. One day the drummer catches him... pouting. Now that’s an expression he didn’t think he’d get to see. 

“You okay there, Hisirdoux? Something get you down?”

“The stairs,” he jokes halfheartedly. 

He gets startled when he hears the drumsticks rattle against the floor. The drummer is running upstairs, yelling. And then he comes back dragging the leader who’s looking at him with concern.

“Yo Hisirdoux my dude, tell her what you told me!” 

“He asked me if something got me down. I said the stairs. Thought it was funny,” the guitarist shrugs. The leader snorts.

“That’s the best you can do?” she comments smiling. Douxie returns the smile much to her surprise.

“Of course not, but do you deserve my best?” The drummer’s jaw drops. Oh snap. The leader on the other hand is very pleased. This is what she’s looking for.

Suddenly Douxie’s phone rings. He picks up while the others listen curiously. His face breaks out into a huge grin. It’s the little old lady.

“Hello love, I’ll pick you up in ten minutes, sound good? Just finishing up rehearsal,” he says softly.

The drummer wiggled his eyebrows at the leader.

“Ooooo we got a lovebird in the band!”

Douxie chokes. 

“Are you okay Douxie?”

“Yeah, yeah, something came up but I’ll be there okay!” He ends the call promptly and shakes his head furiously.

“Aww Douxie’s such a cute name, why can’t we call you that?”

“FIRST OF ALL SHE IS NOT, ahem, she is not my girlfriend. That would be awkward because she is um, sixty to seventy years old,” 

He doesn’t tell them that technically he is 919. The leader meanwhile, looks pointedly at the drummer who is slowly shrinking in his spot. Whoops. Bad call. Douxie looks at the clock. 5:20 pm. He starts packing up, slinging the guitar backpack over his shoulder.

But before he leaves, he surprises them one more time.

“You guys can call me Douxie or Doux too, by the way. The name is growing on me.”

Rehearsals are so much better after that. Douxie’s smiling and talking to them, performing much more animatedly and giving it his all. He still kinda jabs at them, but there’s no tension behind it.

Nowadays he practices at home instead of waiting for rehearsal. It’s a little hard to fit time what with schoolwork and shifts, but he makes it happen. Archie stares at him fondly. This was the life that Douxie needed. One with a balance between honest work and fun.

One day, Douxie brings in some takeout from the bistro. A little celebratory gift because Ash Dispersal Pattern finally got a successful gig after so long. They open up all the boxes, set out plates, napkins flying all over the place. It’s loud, chaotic, a little dirty, but it doesn’t matter to Douxie because he’s with his friends.

Wait.

“Dang Doux, you didn’t have to do all this but you did anyways. I bet you love us. don’t you?” the vocalist teased.

Douxie remains quiet. Friends. As in, people he really cares about and looks forward to spending time with. People who he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life with. People who he --

“--LOVES US SHUT UP OH MY GOD!” the drummer yells, taking him back to reality. He looks at them with a smile and a shrug and suddenly he’s being attacked with hugs. They’re all screaming about how he’s always been soft and loved them from the start.

And then he’s crying. Everyone starts to panic and they’re scrambling off of him, asking him if he’s okay, if what they did was too much or anything like that. He shakes his head, trying to wipe his tears. It’s just... he’s never been held like this by so many people and for so long. He was so touch starved that he didn’t know what to do with this much love and appreciation. Quite frankly it’s been so long since it felt like he was truly wanted. 

He tells them it’s okay, really, he was just a little overwhelmed. But now the craving for their touch is so much stronger.

“Can you hold me again like that? Just for a bit? It was nice,” he asks timidly and they nod eagerly. Within ten minutes, they fall asleep in each other’s arms. Archie quietly pulls a blanket over them and sleeps on Douxie’s lap.

His work here is done.

[mobagehelllocal]

OK IM COMING OFF ANON BC IM LIKE 👀👀 FIRE EMBLEM BUT OK.... bc my brain is circulating around fe and twst, what dorms do you think the three houses cast would be in? (and the girls can go into the girl school you created :))

A/N: *PTERODACTYL SCREECHES* 

Now! I normally don’t do headcanons, but honestly this is the type of headcanon fun that I’ll do so I’ll... probably edit my rules so I can do more stuff like this since it’s fun! I’ll do you one better and do the girls twice! I went really ham. 

--

For Night Raven College:

Heartslabyul

Edelgard von Hresvelg - Edelgard is in Heartslabyul because her response to being pissed off is a lot like the Queen of Hearts--she decides to topple the monarchy and recreate Fodlan. On that note, I can see her fitting Scarabia too, but closer to Heartslabyul. She’s probably Riddle’s favourite junior. Trey likes her, Cater has tried to flirt with her (Cater: “never again”). Ace and Deuce are probably intimidated by her, and she doesn’t try to get along with them.  

Hubert von Vestra - I was pretty close to putting Hubert in Diasomnia, but he’s a pretty stubborn guy and will push himself into Heartslabyul. Plus, he’s a pretty strict guy so Heartslabyul isn’t so bad for him... What’s that? You want to know who Hubert gets along with? *chuckles* oh how naive, he only sees Edelgard. I can see him getting along with Riddle and Trey. Trey more than Riddle because Trey makes great coffee. He thinks Cater, Ace and Deuce are frivolous and a waste of time lmao. 

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd - Dimitri is in Heartslabyul because his response (”KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM”) to getting completely pissed off mirrors the Queen (“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD”). IRONICALLY, he and Edelgard are very alike in that aspect--but while Dimitri is hot anger--Edelgard is cold anger. They both have pretty terrifying rage. Pre-war, the two really did get along so hence I don’t think Heartslabyul will implode. Other than that, he’s actually a pretty peaceful guy unless completely set off. He’d be respectful of his seniors (especially Riddle and Trey), a little miffed at Cater because he’s like Sylvain. He’s okay with Ace and Deuce, but likely gets along better with Deuce. They vibe pretty well. 

Dedue Molinaro - Honestly, I could see Dedue in Scarabia too, but I figured he’d find some way to make sure he was with Dimitri. He gets along well with everyone, with their only note that he’s a pretty silent, careful guy. He gets along best with Trey because they like to exchange recipes, and Cater appreciates how Dedue is always willing to help out with the gardens. 

Ingrid Brandl Galatea - Actually might compete with Edelgard as Riddle’s favourite junior. Riddle probably likes that Ingrid is strict on herself. She is, however, definitely Trey’s favourite junior because of how enthusiastic she is with his cooking. He think that’s adorable. Cater is scared of her because she treats him like Sylvain LMAO. Ingrid probably also sees Ace in the same way. I think she actually likes Deuce and would help him where she could. 

Savannaclaw

Caspar von Bergliez - Savannaclaw has the most because I put the “punch first, ask later” characters into this lmao. Caspar being the most telling. Ironically, the Savannaclaw characters who are named are anything but that lmao. Leona is either dismissive or annoyed by Caspar’s energy. Ruggie thinks Caspar is hilarious. Jack and Caspar would probably get along really well, with Jack probably becoming more noisy/enthusiastic with a friend like Caspar. 

Felix Hugo Fraldarius - Leona and Felix might get along well, especially with how Felix dislikes chivalry. Leona, however, will be irritated if Felix kept trying to fight him--as Felix does. Felix probably doesn’t think much of Ruggie, and probably likes Jack a lot because of his strength. Jack and Felix will likely agree to disagree on underhanded techniques. Though I think Felix thinks it’s situational. Underhanded techniques in matches are a no-go, but underhanded techniques in a life-or-death sort of thing is a yay. 

Raphael Kirsten - Again, “punch first, ask later” character. He also has that hardworking trait, because he wants to help his family. Probably gets along well with Jack the most tbh. Ruggie probably doesn’t care much about Raphael, until Raphael comes up to him asking for saving tips and stuff. Then Ruggie would see him in a different light. Leona just thinks “great another one.”

Leonie Pinelli - Leonie is primarily here because of her tenacity. She definitely gets along well with Ruggie, and they share tips on how to save money/reuse items. Leonie’s likely to hang out with Ruggie the most, when he’s not with Leona. I think Leonie is pretty 50/50 with him. Like she can respect him, but she might not agree with everything he thinks. Definitely gets along pretty well with Jack though. 

Balthus von Albrecht - Leona probably thinks “why did I get a third one?” He probably doesn’t do to well with Leona because Balthus is a very loud guy. Ruggie definitely thinks he’s amusing, and is shook when Balthus admits about his debts and his need to pay back. Another one for the “Ruggie-senpai how do you save money” (I’m also a part of this club). Also gets along well with Jack. (Jack can try to deny it but he’s actually a person who is easy to get along with.)

Octavinelle

Mercedes von Martritz - The most terrifying Octavinelle member. The Donna of Octavinelle. Look, Lorenz is terrified of her. She can still see the Death Knight as Emile, her little brother. She mothers the whole of Octavinelle, and Azul probably pretends he doesn’t like it but actually enjoys it. She can out squeeze Floyd, and now Floyd is probably also a little terrified of her. Jade finds it all funny. 

Ashe Ubert - Honestly considered Ignihyde and Diasomnia from this boy before I ultimately chose Octavinelle. He fits in with the Octavinelle trio with his skill sets, but unlike them--Ashe is only mean to the people who he thinks are deserving of it. He uses his skills for good, and he’s a very Robin Hood character if you think about it. Also Ashe in a tux is sending me, help. Floyd probably enjoys threatening him with squeezes. Azul and Jade appreciate Ashe’s honest hard work, and probably enjoy it even more when he’s willing to use his skills to get back at others. He’s definitely one of the lead workers at Mostro Lounge--when people know he’s on schedule to cook, Mostro Lounge is flooded and Azul is happy. 

Yuri Leclerc - Yuri, Azul and Jade on the same side is terrifying. Like can you imagine the amount of double crossing they’d do? But here’s the thing, Yuri is also incredibly generous to those he thinks are deserving--which I think is what makes him suit Octavinelle. Yuri especially gets along well with Jade. He probably flirts with the Octavinelle trio. Azul and Jade would probably be impressed because I imagine Yuri can say what Floyd wants to hear so that Floyd would listen to him. 

Scarabia

Petra Macneary - I wasn’t too sure where to put Petra. I almost put her in Heartslabyul because she’s pretty strict onto herself, and I almost also put her in Pomefiore because she’s a huntress... but it’s essentially because she’s a huntress that I decided to put her in Scarabia. I figured as a huntress, she probably has that ‘deliberation’ aspect of Scarabia. Jamil respects Petra a lot for her craft, Kalim thinks she’s slightly scary but pretty okay all around. 

Annette Fantine Dominic - Annette probably wanted to be in Diasomnia, but she won’t complain and will instead work really hard in Scarabia. She’s probably Jamil’s favourite junior because he can relate to her strive to work hard and prove herself. In turn, she admires Jamil the most from the way he handles himself and Kalim. Annette enjoys her time with Kalim though, they often have small food appreciation sessions though. She also tries to help tutor Kalim, but Kalim is one tough nut to crack. 

Claude von Riegen - Jamil hates Claude HAHAHA. Primarily because Claude figured out that Jamil is definitely hiding something, and he’ll spend the rest of his high school(?) life figuring it out--much to Jamil’s despair. Jamil can at least appreciate that Claude helps bring up Scarabia’s average (with Annette). Claude and Kalim definitely get along well because they probably both enjoy parties. 

Pomefiore

Dorothea Arnault - Um hell yeah! She’s probably a popular MagiCam cover artist, with a couple of her own original songs. She’s pretty and classy. She and Vil would definitely also get along--they’d probably exchange beauty tips and stuff. She probably would have a soft spot for Epel, because they have similar roots, but she’d probably take him aside to tell him he should take advantage of his looks to win. She probably thinks Rook is weird. 

Ferdinand von Aegir - His appreciation for beauty is Ferdi’s primary reason for being in Pomefiore. Vil probably appreciates Ferdinand a lot more than what anyone thinks because he has a fresh and sweet admiration for beauty. Ferdi and Rook are pretty okay because Ferdi would probably not? call him out. Ferdi and Epel is a bit of a 50/50, wherein Ferdi probably unknowingly insults Epel, Epel fights back, and now they get along. 

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester - Lorenz and Rook probably get along well because they both have a similar appreciation for beauty. Lorenz will be a bit confused as to why Rook likes to stalk people? But other than that, Lorenz’s position in Pomefiore is because he appreciates beauty and considers himself beautiful. Vil probably thinks Lorenz could stand to try harder at it, but as long as Lorenz is trying then Vil has no issue with him. Epel doesn’t like him, “grrr eat the nobility” (Doro is proud of her son).

Hilda Valentine Goneril - I’m going at this because Hilda is really talented in the arts. ALSO CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POWER OF VIL SCHOENHEIT AND HILDA GONERIL? TOGETHER? Oh my god, Hilda’s my favourite FE3H girl, and seeing her side by side with Vil is sending me! They’ll be so popular, like can you imagine Hilda making Vil’s accessories? Them, featuring on each other’s accounts? Match made in beauty influencer heaven. Epel would start out disliking her, but then when he sees how strong Hilda is, he’d start to like her more. Hilda just think he’s cute. She also finds Rook strange. 

Ignatz Victor - His position in Pomefiore is also primarily because of his artistic sensibilities. He’s probably flirted with most of Pomefiore just because he keeps bringing up how beautiful they are. Vil probably commissioned him once to do a painting, and Ignatz became an overnight celebrity on MagiCam. He can get along with Rook, and a little with Epel. 

Ignihyde

Bernadetta von Varley - I MEAN. Where else would I put Bernie? She probably is shut off in Ignihyde, and is terrified of Idia because she think he’s out to get her--because whenever she leaves her room he’s also there. (In Idia’s defense, he think SHE’S out to get him because she’s always there when he leaves his room... it’s a never ending cycle with these two).

Linhardt von Hevring - I almost put him in Diasomnia, and honestly I could still put him there... but the reason I chose Ignihyde, is because I think his love for research outweighs his interest in the actual magical feats of Diasomnia. Also, if I remember from... Chapter 1? We didn’t see any Ignihyde students in the cafeteria, so I’ll believe that they all prefer to just stay in unless it’s an important event (which suits Lin very well). I can definitely see Linhardt being interested in Diasomnia though. He’s probably sleeping buddies with Silver. 

Constance von Nuvelle - I almost put her in Heartslabyul BUT THEN I REALIZED! Constance is basically Ignihyde personified. She’s more Ignihyde than Idia himself LMAO. Like she’s all quiet, and shy during class, but when she retreats to Ignihyde’s dark dorms--she’s loud, bossy and generally unlike them all. Idia gets a whiplash whenever he sees the 180. Ortho thinks she’s fun. 

Diasomnia

Sylvain Jose Gautier - Okay honestly, I almost put him in Pomefiore, but then I realized how much Diasomnia suited him more. LISTEN, everyone would be convinced that Sylvain is definitely Pomefiore material, only for everyone to be surprised when he’s put in Diasomnia because of how smart he actually is. Though he acts a little bit like the black sheep of Diasomnia because of how unlike them he is--he’s definitely going to stun a lot when he comes out with really high grades. Malleus would be impressed. Lilia would just know. Silver is asleep. Sylvain and Sebek... I can see Sylvain having no issue with him but not the other way around.

Lysithea von Ordelia - OF COURSE I’m going to put Lysithea in this house. She’s the little spitfire and darling of Diasomnia. I can see Malleus being really fond of her. In Lysithea’s pursuit of knowledge, I can imagine Lysithea would bug Malleus a lot for help--and Malleus would genuinely be pleased that this tiny little human bothers him so much. He’d love to teach her. Lilia would probably tease Lys often, but would always help her when she needs it. Lys would fight Sebek, and is pretty neutral to Silver.

Marianne von Edmund - Marianne thinks she deserves to be in this house because of her bloodline, and it probably makes her very sad. Lilia probably realizes what she feels and does go out of his way to cheer her up. Lilia probably pushes her towards Silver a lot though, because Silver is a pretty low maintenance friend. Marianne and Silver would also get along really well because they both get along well with animals, and spend a lot of time just sitting in the middle of a forest somewhere--just doing that. Marianne is probably scared of Malleus (and knowing her situation, Mal probably won’t push). On the other hand, Marianne is the one person Sebek can’t fight.  

Hapi - If she can summon magical beings with her sighs, then I can see her in Diasomnia just so that Malleus and Lilia could watch out for her. I can definitely see her bantering with Lilia, and just chilling with Silver. She probably... gets irritated with Sebek actually. They fight each other a lot with the use of petty insults lmao. Sebek does not appreciate it, but Lilia finds it funny so he sometimes eggs on their fights haha. 

Special Thought: Byleth/s are probably Diasomnia graduates. 

--

For The Garden Academy:

House Cosmos

Mercedes von Martritz - Mercie’s ability to remain positive in the face of all the things she was faced with is the primary reason I chose this house~

House Zinnia

Dorothea Arnault - Because Dorothea is kind to those she knows deserves it. I think I see her very similar to Cinderella, except a tad bit more jaded. 

House Eglantine

Constance von Nuvelle - it’s the House of Sophistication! Need I say more? I do believe that Eglantine suits Constance the most, especially for the sake of her noble house. 

House Anemone

Petra Macneary - Her interest, and general curiosity--plus willingness to learn more about the world is why I thought she suited Anemone the most. 

House Rose

Bernadetta von Varley - I chose this because she shares a love for books with Belle. I think, like Belle, she uses books as a form of escapism. 

House Jasmine

Lysithea von Ordelia - her desire to be independent and seen as an adult capable of making her own choices was the primary motivation for this placing!

House Sage

Marianne von Edmund - Marianne’s preference of interacting with animals, and her love for religion is the primary reason why I chose House Sage~! 

House Peach Blossom

Ingrid Brandl Galatea - because she understands the importance and weight of honor. And also because I think in Peach Blossom, she could learn that she could gain honor by remaining as she is. 

House Water Lily

Annette Fantine Dominic - Annette is honestly a lot like Tiana--determined to prove herself through honest hard work! 

House Chrysanthemum

Hilda Valentine Goneril - As the House of Artistry, I think Hilda would love it here because she’ll be allowed to pursue the one thing she enjoys--creating accessories~! 

House Thistle

Edelgard von Hresvelg - placed her here because she’s a lot like Merida, wherein she wants to choose and create her own path. 

Hapi - Honestly, I put her here because of her distaste for authority. She’s very, openly critical about what she thinks is wrong. 

House Hibiscus 

Leonie Pinelli - Ironically, House Hisbiscus shares the same belief as Savannaclaw which is tenacity. Since I chose that house based on Leonie’s tenacity, I decided to keep with it. 

[heatherfield]

More than you could ever possibly want to know

I had a bunch of these to answer in my drafts and realized most of them were so similar so I combined them into one massive post. Given the sheer amount of questions I won’t tag anybody but feel free to answer any of these and let me know your responses!!

Tagged by the lovely @storyinmyeyes, @cartoon-heart, @thatdamnokie, @honestly-wilde, @bookwormchocaholic, @heterocosmica, @notations, @apictureofspace, @panalegs27, @swanfireouat and @queenofglassbeliever. Thank you!

rules: answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better

name: Heather

nicknames: none

zodiac sign: Aquarius

height: 4′11″

nationality: Canadian

Hogwarts house: Hufflepuff

fave fruit: peaches

fave scent: lavender

fave animal: cats

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: coffee first, but I love all three

last movie i saw: “The King”

last thing i thing i googled: actress Sarah Macrae

fave musician: Umm.... hard to pick one, but Mandy Moore is a serious top contender!

song stuck in my head: “Right on Time” by Dawes

other blogs: nothing active at the moment

following: 1186 (I’m sure many are inactive lol)

do i get asks: every now and then but not often

amount of sleep: probably average 6 hours

lucky number: Hmm—13, or maybe 26?

what am i wearing: t-shirt and sweat pants

dream job: I think I’d still love to do something with design and books (or magazines)

dream trip: easy—England and Scotland

fave food: pasta <3

instruments: a bit of piano, and I used to play clarinet in school

languages: English (and the teeniest bit of French)

fave songs: I have so many and my mind is going blank!

random fact: aside from university dorm rooms/etc. I have lived in the same house my entire life

aesthetic: 19th century English cottage with some modern elements for balance

relationship status: single

favourite colour: purple

top three ships: Red Cricket (Ruby and Archie) from “Once Upon a Time”, Anne and Gilbert from “Anne of Green Gables”, Abby and Connor from “Primeval”

fave fictional characters: too many

fave book: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

lipstick or chapstick: chapstick

last song: “Spanish Eyes” by Clanadonia

when blog was created: 2011, I think, but I didn’t started really using it until about 2015

why blog was created: I followed people over from Livejournal and then really started using this blog when my love for “Once Upon a Time” was revived between seasons 4 and 5

meaning behind URL: I thought it was a pretty/poetic/floral take on my name and it sounded like “Netherfield” aka Jane and Bingley from “Pride and Prejudice”.

fave candy: gummy bears

fave holiday: probably Christmas :)

fave season: summer

fave flower: lavender

cat or dog person: I love both but cats are my super favourite <3

number of blankets you sleep with: 1 big duvet

ever had a poem or song written about you? don’t think so, unless my ex wrote a poem at one point *shrugs*

last time you played air guitar: can’t remember, but I got my little brother to play it in the car a few months ago which was awesome!

celebrity crush: Raphael Sbarge <3

sound you hate and sound you love: I hate ticking clocks and I love the patter of rain on the windows or roof

believe in ghosts: no

believe in aliens: no

do you drive: yes

ever crashed: no, thank goodness

last book: “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens—which I recommend :)

currently reading: the complete works of Shakespeare and “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” by Diana Gabaldon

last TV show: “The Home Edit” on Netflix

currently craving: chicken fingers haha

do you like the smell of gasoline: um... sometimes a bit (so weird but it reminds me of some family members and activities I think?) but not really

worst injury: I’m pretty careful so I can’t remember... although I banged my chin pretty bad when I was about 7 or 8

current obsession: well I’m reading through all of Shakespeare’s plays so that’s been fun, especially tracking down as many adaptations and stage versions I can get my hands on

do you hold grudges? I’d like to say no but I’m realizing it can be hard to let go of the emotions that came with certain hurts/betrayals even if I don’t necessarily hold grudges...

sweet, spicy, or savoury: savoury

* * *

Tagged by the lovely @bookwormchocaholic and @mariequitecontrarie. Thanks!

How old are you: 32.

Surgeries: yup, quite a few

Tattoos: none, but it appeals to me more and more

Ever hit a deer: no, thank goodness

Sang karaoke: I don’t think officially...

Ice skated: Yeah—I’d love to do more 

Ridden a motorcycle: nope and I can’t say I want to

Ridden in an ambulance: yes

Skipped school: yeah, probably when I wasn’t truly sick

Stayed in the hospital: yes

Broken bone: nope! I’m too much of a fraidy cat so I’m always super careful (and not particularly sporty)

Last phone call: my mom, I’m sure

Last text from: my mom

Watched someone die: My pets.

Pepsi or coke: Coke.

Favourite pie: I worked at a farm/farmer’s market baking (frozen) pies for yeeeeears—my fave was “bumbleberry” which was actually just a mix of apple, raspberry, blueberry, and rhubarb I think it was, ‘cause why choose just one flavour?

Favourite pizza: margherita or hawaiian

Received a ticket: Nope.

Sunset or sunrise: Either, both are beautiful.

Favourite Christmas song: "O Come All Ye Faithful” sung by Pentatonix

Cupcakes or cookies: um, cupcakes!

* * * 

Tagged by the lovely @bookwormchocaholic. Thank you! Turns out I filled this out and kept in my drafts ‘cause I’m just crazy.

1. Are you named after someone? No, my parents just liked the name. (My middle name is after my paternal grandmother, though.)

2. When was the last time you cried? Probably a week or two ago, lol.

3. Do you have kids? No.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Not often, but sometimes.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? How kind they are.

6. What’s your eye color? Brown.

7. Scary movie or happy ending? Definitely happy endings.

8. Any special talents? Writing, graphic design, singing.

9. Where were you born? Canada.

10. What are your hobbies? Reading, writing, sometimes crafts like knitting and card-making…

11. Do you have any pets? I used to have a cat for over 20 years, but we had to put her down 2 3 years ago. My mom and I would love to get another cat, but my dad doesn’t want a pet right now. Plus, I just miss my cat a lot…

12. What sports do you play? Nothing.

13. How tall are you? 4′11″.

14. Favourite subject in school? English.

15. Dream job? Honestly, I’d love to be a graphic designer for books and be involved in putting them together and then do writing as a hobby to take the pressure off. I think it would balance out the creative aspects if that makes sense. (I was so close to getting my dream job, too!)

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #315

“can’t breathe to scream  /  suffocating in this dream  /  long way down”

Who was your first big crush? I would probably say this guy in high school named Sebastian. We sat beside each other in Art, and I definitely liked him a lot. Man, my freshman-sophomore years honestly involved a handful of crushes before Jason popped into the picture and I lost all romantic interest in everyone else. Where was the first place you drove after you got your license? N/A Is it a blue sky outside right now? No. All North Carolina has known for weeks on end now is rain. We've had very rare sunny days, but for the most part, it's just gray and gross. Was your last breakup a bad one? Nah, I'd say it ended maturely and with a mutual understanding of "why." When was the last time you were surprised, in a pleasant way? Hell if I know. Is there an ice-cream flavor that you strongly dislike? Which one? Yeah, like strawberry. What was the last sitcom you watched? No clue. ^ Do you have a favorite character in that sitcom? Why is that character your favorite? N/A What does the last group you joined on Facebook concern? I am 90% sure it was this group I joined that is literally just about cute yet dangerous animals lmao, mostly reptiles and invertebrates. "Misunderstood biteybois and where to befriemd them" or some stupid shit like that. Has there been a spider in your house at any time recently? Not that I've seen, no. Do you like wearing make-up? Not at all. I only like wearing it for pictures and then taking that shit off. ^ If so, how old were you when you first started to wear it? I started consistently wearing it my freshman year of high school. Then some time later I just showed up one day without any, shocked all my friends, and then only wore it when I felt like it. What foods are you craving lately, if any? Nothing, really. What were some of your favorite foods as a child? Chicken nuggets of course, as well as spaghetti, peanut butter sandwiches, just the typical stuff that kids tend to enjoy. When you were younger, did you ever have a friend that your parents hated? No. Have you ever talked in your sleep before? That's very normal for me, especially now that I have nightmares like every goddamn night. What was the last song you heard, that reminded you of someone? Well, not a real someone, but "The Ordinary World" by the Hit House is 110% one of Fetch's soon-to-be themes. What has brought you joy today? Nothing brought me "joy," really. When was the last time you won a prize in a raffle? What was it? I actually recently won an art rafle on deviantART hosted by a truly amazing artist, like I thought I had no chance, and she's going to be drawing Moondust!!!! :'''') What is the next non-essential item that you intend to buy for yourself? I'm still paying the bulk of my tattoo in May. Is there anywhere in your town/city that's rumored to be haunted? Oh, I'm sure. When you were younger, did you ever think that a certain place was haunted? Bitch I still do lmao. What were your school meals like? Did you enjoy them? This really depended on the menu for the day. My school lunches were nowhere near as bad as some people make theirs sound, but most things still weren't great. I think school pizzas are the most notoriously bad. What kind of granola bar did you eat most recently? I had a cashew bar earlier today. Do you have any books on your shelf that you've read multiple times? I never reread books. What did your last post on social media concern? That I personally wrote, something regarding subtle racism still being racism, pretty much. How do you feel about people using graphic images as a scare tactic to promote their beliefs? (i.e.: PETA, abortion…) I have mixed feelings on this. Like sometimes seeing the brutal side of certain things is definitely useful in opening someone's mind to things they don't want to see/think about, but then there's that, too: it can just be so invasive and unexpected, and thus very upsetting and even scarring. I'd say I'm most for the "appropriate" social media route: using censorship that the viewer can decide whether or not to remove. But you obviously can't do that in like, a public protest with a sign, so idk. Which is harder for you: writing creatively or academically? Honestly, both are pretty easy for me. I enjoy writing creatively far more, though. Do you think gender neutral bathrooms are a good idea? I think it's fine to have them as an option. When was the last time you voluntarily went outside of your comfort zone? Just talking about stuff in group therapy recently. Would you ever use a dating site that costs money, like Match.com or eHarmony? Have you known anyone who had good experience with such sites? No, and yes. Do you think it’s fair that people are able to make a reasonable salary and live comfortable lives just by making YouTube videos? Yes? It takes charisma and talent in some area (humor, education, etc.) as well as consistency for it to be a reliable career, and just consider how often you hear about creators burning out. That happens for a reason. Entertainment is a valid job category and should not be seen as an unfair joke. Whether you’re in college or not, do you become fearful about whether or not you’ll find a good job? Story of my life. What is something you can only understand if you've experienced it first hand? Deep heartbreak. Do you think it's a double standard that a woman can hit a man and expect to get away with it, but if a man hits a woman it's assault? Obviously. Abuse knows no gender, and hitting another person is just that. I do, however, believe in self-defense, also regardless of gender. In terms of a wedding, put these things in order from what would be MOST important to be perfect, to LEAST important... Engagement ring, dress, hair, venue, ceremony, food, pictures, decorations, honeymoon. This requires too much thinking, haha... but I do know the quality of my honeymoon would be most important to me, given that that's personal time with my new spouse and not a public celebration. I feel like what goes on behind closed doors is more important and heartfelt than how you act publicly. Do you have a go-to small talk conversation topic? Probably video games or music, idk. Define "small talk." Does anyone owe you money? Do you owe anyone money? (Besides credit cards) Mom does. She just a few days ago had to borrow $100 for rent. If someone was going to buy you any practical gift (anything except a house or car), what would you choose? It'd be dope as fuck if someone could pay for Venus' next terrarium, but that's a big purchase that I'd have a hard time accepting. How many people do you know with the same first name as you? At least one, but her name is spelled differently. What in your opinion is the best love song ever written? I'm not sure, but I can tell you that "When It's Love" by Van Halen has always been high on the list for me. Was your mother married when she had you? No, actually. I thought she was until my most recent bday, I think. It was just part of a conversation. How old was the first person you kissed? He was a few months into 18. The first person you were in a relationship with, do you still care about them? Of course, he's a sweet guy. We don't talk or anything, but that doesn't mean I don't care about him. Has anyone ever sang to you? Yes. So, what if you married the last person you kissed? That'd be pretty rad. What are you listening to at the moment? "Long Way Down" from the The Evil Within soundtrack. It's funny, like I've loved the game for many years, but I'm now in a serious semi-obsession phase after watching another let's play of it. Have you read the The Hunger Games trilogy? I only read the first book. I loved it, but just never continued. What is your boss’ (or school prinicpal’s) name? N/A Who is the person you dislike the most? That I personally know, probably a former best friend, oddly enough. Do you text your parents often? If Mom's not home, it's not unusual for us to text. I don't text my dad much because he's not a fan of texting. Do you watch YouTube videos often? Pretty much always. Do you know anyone with celiac disease? Sara, my aunt, and my cousin. Those are the ones I know of, anyway. Do you currently have any alarms set? No. How many cars can fit in your driveway? Barely even two. If someone else is here, they usually just park where the road meets the sidewalk of the cul-de-sac. Do you have the ashes of a family member or a pet? Of my dog Teddy, yes. Have you ever been involved in a car crash? Yes, as a kid. Do you prefer flash or no flash on a camera? Definitely no flash. It's more natural, and especially with people, it obviously prevents red eye. How often do you use hashtags? Just about never. Have you ever had whiplash before? No. Have you ever given another person or an animal a bath before? Pets, yes. I could never bathe another human. Is there a birdbath in your yard? No. Weirdest place you’ve ever had a cramp? Nowhere weird, I think... How many lamps are in the room you’re in? How many are actually turned on? Technically three, if you count my snake's heat lamp. Right now that's the only light that's on. Are there any activities you enjoy doing, but can only do for a short amount of time before you get bored or tired of them? Yeah, reading comes to mind first. Is there anything coming out soon (books, albums, movies, video games) that you're looking forward to? I'm not up-to-date on this stuff at all, not even video games. What is something someone recommended to you that you disliked/hated? I know Girt's recommended me music I haven't been a fan of. We like the same general stuff, but there are specific sub-genres we differ in opinion about. Can you unwrap a Starburst in your mouth? ... There are people who do this to even know in the first place??? What is the last thing you ate? Popcorn. Who is your favorite person to spend time with? Sara. Do you know how to grill a steak? I don't know how to cook, period. Do you have a large dog? We don't have a dog currently, but Mom is looking for one pretty intently. We don't know the size it'll end up being. Do you like walking places? Absolutely not. I can't walk far at all without my legs starting to scream at me because leading such a sedentary lifestyle led to muscle atrophy in my legs. It's incredibly embarrassing. Are you a fan of bands most people don’t know of? That's not uncommon for me. Have you ever sent an X-Rated picture to someone? No. Do you think your voice is higher or lower than average? It's deeper than the average woman's. Do you have a pool? No, but I really, really want one... Given how easily I sweat, I would love to use swimming to strengthen my legs. I could also stop the very moment I feel I need to; it in general sounds like something I could quite easily do. How many times have you been on a plane? Ummm including the trips going back, at least six times. Favorite ice cream flavor? Oh my gooooood, if you haven't tried Ben & Jerry's "phish food"... fucking try that shit. It is innnnnncredible. Do you have a TikTok? Nope. Do you enjoy driving? Fuck no I don't. Your favorite store as a teen? Hot Topic was and still is my fave, ha. Favorite YouTuber? There's this one called Markiplier that I think's pretty cool. How many online accounts do you have? A LOT. My whole life is essentially on the computer, so... .-. Do you tend to always be in some sort of drama? Quite the opposite. Do you collect quarters from every state? No. When was the last time your living room furniture was rearranged? Not since we moved into this place. When you were little did you like watching Cartoon Network, Disney or Nickelodeon more? Disney probably topped Nickelodeon. I didn't watch much CN. Who was the last person to kiss you on the cheek? Either my niece or nephew when saying bye. Have you ever seen a magic show? Yes, as a kid. I even had a magician for my bday once. When was the last time you vomited and why? It's been a year or so. It would've been a side effect of starting a certain med that I didn't stay on because it so consistently made me sick. Where do you usually sit when you eat dinner? Either in my bed (I know) or at the dinner table if Nicole is here to eat with us. What time do you usually go to sleep at night? It's typically around 7:30-8:30, occasionally a bit later. I can't believe as a teen, it was my "rule" that I couldn't go to sleep before 10:30 because it was "too early." Nowadays, I can barely imagine regularly staying up that late. Do you avoid using public restrooms? As best as I can. I've seen some nasty shit. What’s your favorite type of cookie? Chocolate chip. How basic.

[twilightofthe]

Padme/Satine Pirate AU?

Another pirate AU for one of my fave rarepairs thank you So Much uwu uwu

(OTP prompts list found here)

Sadme/Padtine/Satidala/goddammit Padmé why are your names so hard to portmonteau 9 - Pirate AU: Who is the pirate? Who is the member of the royal family who did not sign up for this? 

(Padmé here is v loosely based off of the legend of French pirate Jeanne de Clisson)

Satine does not particularly like her life in the convent.  Hell knows-- begging pardon --she doesn’t quite believe what they preach, and many of the women here hold the stifling conservative views on women as the bastards back home that were the reason for her loss of land and title in the first place.

But she will not run away and she will not concede.  She will get her position as Duchess back-- the matter of the fact is that she is supposed to be dead, so for now it is living at the convent by the sea with the well-stocked library and resources that is not too far from her ancestral lands, and daring to send out letters to anyone she feels she might be able to trust, searching out who may be able to lend a sympathetic hand, or more specifically, resources.

Satine has a Plan, and a ship with blood red sails melting out of the fog one morning while Satine is tending the vegetable garden is not part of that plan.

Neither is a group of mostly women trudging up the beach and towards the cliffside stairs that lead up to the convent, covered in ash and-- is that blood?

The woman in the lead is in bright red and her brown hair twisted back intricately off her face.  Her face is youthful and her warm eyes are older than her years.  They glow in the overcast light and she speaks in a way Satine recognizes as high upbringing as she introduces her group as travellers in need of shelter and meal for a few nights; surely the women of the Good Lord wouldn’t mind?

Satine’s eyes land on the sword on her hip that is yes, still definitely dripping blood, and the woman assures her that they swear they will do no harm.  The convent is one that practices charity and offers shelter to travelers making a holy pilgrimage.  Satine is currently armed with naught but a basket of cabbage and carrot.  They will need the permission of the Mother Abbess to stay-- luckily, the Mother Abbess is Satine herself.

(An accident, honestly.  Satine had been looking for an opportunity when she had endeared herself to her predecessor, and was not expecting to inherit the job a year later, but she had given herself a respectable position and being in charge would offer even more opportunity.  If God existed, He surely could forgive her her pragmatism and ambition.  She had done well in the five years since, even if she didn’t terribly care all that much for the theism itself vs the opportunities for charity and helping educate young women)

She invites the strange group of women in.  She asks them to please not drip blood on the carpets.  Their leader introduces herself as simply Padmé.  She’s looking around, wiping the blood off her sword onto her stained skirts, and Satine wonders how it happened.  Padmé sends another woman off to send a message.  Satine wonders who it is going to.

Throughout the day, Padmé spends it in the library.  Satine finds her there, they talk politics and classics and languages.  Padmé is brilliant, and she has such ideas, such passion.  Satine hasn’t been able to talk about much more than religion for years.

Satine invites them to evening prayer, they accept, but she notices throughout that Padmé does not speak the entire time.

She asks her afterwards.

Padmé gives her a simple smile.  I am Jewish, she says.

She is brave, to admit that here, Satine thinks.  Life is harder for people like Padmé because the world is prejudiced and cruel.  She guesses from the bloody sword that Padmé knows a thing or two about the cruelty of the world.

Well, since Padmé won’t judge her for it

I don’t believe in anything, Satine says

Padmé laughs.  It is bright and clear, like birdsong.  And yet here you are, she remarks.

Here we both are, Satine counters, adjusting her habit as they sit beneath one of the stained glass windows.

Padmé can hear the question in her voice and fiddles with her bloodstained skirts.  She looks back at Satine and her gaze is clear and unrepentant.  

“I am here because the rest of my ships were separated from me.  They will be continuing my current crusade at the nearby fort along the northern coast.”

“Crusade?”

“I had a title once upon a time as well, Lady Kryze.  I was once Lady Amidala myself.  Have you not heard of me?”

The revelation of Padmé’s name removes all surprise on Satine’s part from being recognized; a fellow noblewoman would have likely heard of her troubles.  And she has heard of Lady Amidala.

A minor noble who caught the eye of the High King for her talents, Lady Amidala and her lands were favored until the King asked of her something she could not do.  As punishment, the king sent soldiers, burned her ancestral lands until there was nothing left and killed many of her people.  Lady Amidala had been forced to sell all her assets and had disappeared.  It was the biggest scandal amongst the nobility since Satine’s own deposing; of course she had heard of it.

Satine mentions she was unaware of the former Lady’s fate.  Padmé just cocks her head and asks if Satine has heard the rumors of the ships lost at sea, that never return?  

Satine has.  Merchants stopping by mention their fear to sail along the coast.

They are not bad storms, Padmé admits.  They are me, she says, and she sounds proud.  Padmé had tried to appeal to the King for a more equal society rather than the large gap in living standards between the nobility and the majority poor of the kingdom, had tried to make changes in a political manner.  But he had thrown her out and continued with his harsh laws, so now she will make herself known in a way he cannot ignore.  Padmé raids his ships and visits his seaside forts and razes them to the ground like he did her home.

Satine is stunned; violence like that is never the answer.

Padmé shoots back that is Satine not supposed to be dead?  Her authority was challenged by those who would refuse to cede her her rightfully inherited lands after her father’s death, and who overthrew her after she refused to either take a husband or to bend her laws to the favors of the more powerful and influential.

Satine stands up.  She is dealing with it, she explains.  She will regain her position rightfully and honestly and without another war.  It’s just..... taking her time.

Padmé stands up too, catches her wrist.  Is she not tired, in the slightest, of waiting?

Satine has been waiting for five years.

Is she not tired of inaction?

Satine looks at the hand that has been washed of blood but have still spilled so much, remembers what she once had, what she could once do, and the man who is in charge now, how her people must be suffering.

She takes her hand out of Padmé’s.  She cannot be like her.  She cannot start a war.  

She bids her goodnight, sends one of the other younger acolytes to show any remaining guests-- pirates, they are pirates --to their quarters when it is time to sleep.

Satine is awoken in the early morning by sounds of violence and shouting ringing throughout the stone walls of the peaceful abbey.  She is out of her bed and opening the door to one of the King’s royal soldiers if the uniform is right, brandishing a sword at her and grabbing her wrist in the same place Padmé did.  Satine barely has time to react to him before she is being tossed into a wall and as she lays there, stunned, there is more yelling and the slashing ring of metal, and another body crumpling beside her, and a small, strong hand pulling her to her feet.

Padmé smiles at her apologetically, saying that she and her crew have brought these soldiers here, where they thought they would be safe.

They should be safe, Satine says angrily.  Criminals or no, houses of God are not supposed to be desecrated with violence, should be open for everyone, and that is the law of the land itself.  The King is breaking the laws, he can’t--

Padmé tucks a strand of Satine’s loose hair out of her face.  Satine hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t wearing it.  Her head feels lighter without it.

They will not hurt the nuns here, Padmé promises.  If the King cannot protect his subjects, Padmé will instead.

Satine spends the battle in a nightgown wielding a torch.  She doesn’t hurt anyone, but she keeps soldiers back and escorts frightened nuns through the maze of the stone walls and into the crypts below to hide.  The aforementioned mazelike walls are what help Padmé’s crew turn the tides of the fight; having had a day there to get a vague sense of direction in comparison to the soldiers running blind.

In the morning, there is a rainbow outside and blood and death inside the convent.  No nuns were killed, thankfully, but one of Padmé’s was, and several soldiers before they were driven off.  The soldiers will be back, Padmé warns Satine, as her girls head back for the ship that, after all of this, was not even touched.  The nuns here will not be safe.  She offers to take anyone who wishes to leave either to the nearest nunnery, or to allow them to join her crew if they wish.

The other sisters are obviously distressed by this, but Satine feels a laugh catching in her throat at just how many take the offer to join the pirates.

And what about you? is Padmé’s question for her as they’re boarding the ship and sailing away from where Satine stagnated for the last five years.  The ocean breeze feels good in her hair.

“Do you want your lands back?”

Satine stiffens.  She does, of course she does, she wants to free her people, but--

She can’t condone retaking it by piratical violence.  She can’t do it.  It isn’t her way.

“Then come with me.  I’ll take you to the people who can give you the support you need to retake them honorably.”

Satine looks at Padmé and her sun-warmed eyes.  She would be here... while Padmé burns forts and ships.

Padmé’s smile is sharp.  Satine has her war, Padmé has her own.  This is merely a temporary combining of resources.

Whatever is so bad about a temporary alliance?

She holds out her hand.  It is covered in blood again.

Satine takes it and lets Padmé bring her knuckles to her mouth in a kiss.

Maybe she finally made a connection that would get her where she needed to be after all.

[prismsmt-aa]

4, 8, and 29 for all the girls

[ serena ]

“while cuddling is a nice way to spend time with people I care about, I do have to be in the mood for it. I hate being distracted while trying to work, even if I do need a break.”

“my good traits ? I think I’m a pretty decent leader ! I’ve also been told I’m really kind. I put my heart into everything I do for our group. as for bad traits, I find myself being very jealous of others in my profession, whether it be looks or opportunities. I also find it hard to step away from a project when it’s not going my way. I’m an easily stressed perfectionist that doesn’t know how to take breaks.”

“kids and I do not mix. from a young age, I was always afraid of children, or that’s what my parents would say. I’m an only child so I never had a lot of experience with handling anyone younger than me. maybe I’ll consider it in the future, but right now I’m too busy and inexperienced.”

[ mystie ]

“yes, I love cuddling! there’s definitely a time and place for it, but I’m very . . . affectionate, so I do love giving and being on the receiving end of cuddles.”

“uh, I’d have to say my good traits would be something like, compassion? I’m not sure, I know I’m very supportive of my other members, and of others in the company, and the industry all together, so maybe that? I know, objectively, that all great artists have this . . . vigor, and excitement about working on projects, especially when it comes to collaborating or just releasing content for fans. bad traits? I’d like to say none, but I get very nervous before performing on stage — I get stressed very easily in comeback season, but I won’t let that stop me from doing my best!” 

“kids? like, my own? um, yes, I would like children, but, not right now. I know raising children takes a lot of responsibility and effort on the parents’ part, as well as time, and that’s not exactly something that I believe I have right now? plus I’m still young, so there’s that ! I would love to be a mother in the future, but maybe when I’m older and wiser, y’know?”

[ jae ]

“I like cuddles just as much as anybody, but I’d say I’m very reserved, if that makes sense? when it comes to actions of affections, it’s usually a smaller gesture that I’m comfortable with.”

“traits? can I say I’m perfect? If I had to use one word, I’d probably say practical, or maybe focused? I can’t say I really stand out among the other members; in a broad sense, they are each foreign and hold a talented ability with rap and dance, while I believe I am still learning and working hard to catch up with them. for example, after practice, I usually take an hour or two to try to learn their language, english, so perhaps instead I could say I’m very hard-working? as for negative traits, I think I can confidently say, despite my insecurities, that I’m very bossy among my group. the reason behind it is simple in that I just want to make sure they’ll be ready when we have comeback promotions or a special stage coming up.”

“it already feels like I’m a single mother with three kids, what do you mean? maybe in the future I’ll want to have a child of my own to raise and take care of, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. I think I’d rather be the really cool, favorite aunt. I could spoil them without feeling any kind of remorse for the consequences.”

[ ashes ]

“i like cuddles a lot ! i’m a very . . . . touchy, person, if that makes sense ? i show affection through cuddles and hugs and stuff. i’m always up for cuddles, no matter the time. it could be super late or super early and i still wouldn’t mind.” 

“my good and bad traits . . . um, can i say ‘empathetic’ for both ? like, i’m pretty good at understanding how other people feel and stuff, and i don’t find it hard to place myself in another person’s shoes when it comes to trying to figure out why the did something and whatnot, but if too much empathy exists, i think i have it. like, i’m really sensitive, it doesn’t really take much for me to get upset, and i have a hard time dealing with second-hand embarrassment in movies and stuff. it. if that doesn’t count, i’d say that one of my best traits is my optimism ! i try to always look on the bright side, no matter what, and keep a bright smile on my face.  and, one of my worst traits is that i’m kinda . . . timid ? and pretty introverted. i’m pretty bad at socializing and making friends and stuff, and it doesn’t take much for me to get overwhelmed in social settings and stuff. i’m doing me best to work on that one, though !”

“i don’t really know about kids, honestly. i don’t really have any desire to have them right now, and i can’t really see myself with them in the future ?  but maybe that will change ? i'm not completely sure. i really don’t even know if i would be good kids ? i grew up with a large family and stuff, with a lot of cousins, but most of them were older than me. i do know, however, that if i ever decide to have kids, i’ll adopt at least one of them ! that just sounds right to me, you know ?” 

find the questions here !

[dragcnburned]

.intro

Intro under the read more! Like this post and I’ll come plot with you.

Hold! Who goes there? Why, is that [Kirian Solgard] the [Dragonrider] of [Loqoala]? They do look [guarded] for a [man] of [33] years. Don’t they call [him] the [passionate and caring empath]? I’ve heard he’s also the [self-destructive and reckless Dragonburned] though. Don’t take my word for it but they do look an awful lot like [Ben Barnes].

Basic info

Name: Kirian Solgard

Pronunciation: kee-ree-yahn sol-guard [ki:riːjæn sɒl’gɑːd]

Title: dragonrider

Age:33

Place of Origin: Loqoala

Family Members: Mother, father, a brother and a sister

Physical Description

Height: 1m85

Hair Color: black

Eye Color: black 

Gender: cis male

Build: lean, slender

Distinguishing features? (Scars, tattoos, piercings): From his right jawline, down his neck and his shoulder/upper arm, a burn scar creeps down all the th

Any health related issues?: suffers from ptsd and depression, causing insomnia, and has trouble completely lifting his right arm.

Personality

Kirian is a man whose reputation precedes him. A man who’s decided he may as well live up to it. There is a reckless, intimidating yet oddly innocent charm about him, the kind of cheerfulness only a man with nothing to lose can feel. But don’t let his smiles fool you -- he wears the like armor, just like the scars that mar his skin. Just like the words the townsfolk would throw at him. Intense, determined and passionate, Kirian is not as adept at fading into the shadows as a wanted man would wish. Despite all this, it seems people can spend many hours around him and still not know anything. Kirian has learned to entertain people with his gruesome existence for a while -- but don’t dig any deeper, you’ll just find a locked door. 

History

i. Dragonrider

Kirian was born to a family of simple, honest, hard-working longshoremen. Lost in the drab underbelly of the Loqoalan society, there wasn’t much in unique trade or secrets they could offer. So they just worked, day in, day out. They were hard people and the days blurred into nights of working. So many things to do, so few things to feel.

Except for Kirian.

Kirian was always an easily distracted boy. He would be fascinated by the spider crawling through the spiderweb, instead of ripping it away to lift a box. He would smile and talk and flirt with the men and women of the ships, instead of just keeping his head down and doing his job. He would have all these thoughts, all these emotions. He was just so much all the time and his parents had little patience for his antics, although they loved him as best as they could.

But he had a talent for keeping animals calm -- lambs to be led to the slaughter, wild horses bucking after days on a ship, even the exotic birds for the lords trying to break free. An odd talent, but it earned them some status, so they let him be. Loved and useful, Kirian’s talent grew, until one day the the unthinkable happened: social, cheerful and empathic, Kirian earned himself the grace of the lord’s house and was chosen as an apprentice to the dragonriders.

As a Dragonrider, Kirian proved himself spectacularly talented, even as he was still the wildcard many had trouble fitting into a safe category. He feels too much, they whispered behind his back, he is not fit to be a dragonrider. 

But if you are as powerful as Kirian proved himself to be, such things become obsolete. So he gained favor and his family did as well.

Powerful, loved and with a bright future ahead -- what more could a boy want?

ii. Dragonburned

A purpose. A mission. Rumours of terrible things had reached the ears of the dragonriders, rumors that with the use of forbidden blood magic, elves had been enslaving dragons to their will. Kiran was chosen for the mission, along with a few select others: the greatest honor of their lives. A mission of utmost importance was planned: to free the dragons.

Or so they had Kirian believe.

The ritual to break the bond was gruesome and draining, but it succeeded. But it didn’t stop there. The reality of war had started to dawn on the Loqualan officers and the powers a dragon could bring in that fight was just too important. Besides, they argued as the dragon riders showed reluctance, isn’t this what they’ve always been doing? This was just a different way to get to the same result. Just faster, just a small sacrifice in the name of good, in the name of safety.

Trusting in the words of their superiors, the dragonriders reluctantly accepted.There was a war coming and this was not the time to be weak. This was not the time to doubt the people that had given them so much.

Even Kirian. Despite his protest, his reluctance, even Kirian didn’t want to fight back too much, didn’t want to let down the people who had taken such care of him. His whole life they had told him he felt too much, felt all the wrong things at the wrong times, that his heart screamed so much louder than his head. He wanted so much to prove them wrong, but all he did was prove them right that day.

As the dragon, forcefully bonded, felt Kirian’s insecurity, hurt, betrayal and even rage fill their own heart, it took to the sky, raining down fire and ashes upon the dragonriders, stopping at nothing as the forest burned and burned and burned.

It was only through his friendship with a present military officer that Kirian could take enough control to break the empathic bond between him and the dragon, stilling the blood magic in his veins. In anger and fear, the dragon turned on Kirian, burning his armor and leaving deep claw marks over his chest and arm, nearly piercing his heart. Before the dragon killed him however, they seemed to change their mind and left.

Knowing that he could never explain what had happened without also taking down the family he had come to love so much, Kirian disappeared from Loquala, from everything he had ever know. Tales of the tragedy spread, earning him the nominker The Dragonburned.

Additional Info and plots!

Honestly, I prefer to plot by just looking what kind of development our muses need, so if there is anything at all you think a character like Kirian could set in motion, please let me know. I’m not afraid to let Kirian make mistakes or have him be the “bad guy”, so even if the plot is a little darker, I’m absolutely here for it!

Kirian is trying to atone and recover from some really fucked up shit that happened to him, so either plots dealing with him recovering, or having to deal with consequences of what happened, or people trying to take advantage of his unstable emotions could all work. I could definitely see Kirian being manipulated in doing some terrible things again if people go about it the right way, on honestly any side of this conflict.

I love plots to go somewhere, that deal with characters growing and facing who they are and what they’ve done. So honestly, I’m open for anything!

I know that sometimes you need a starting point though, so here are some extra ideas and wanted connections

.keep you safe: You’ve listen to enough stories to know who Kirian is when he stumbles across you. You’re also in desperate need of protection and it seems no one else is willing to lend you a hand, so maybe for now you can strike a deal.

THE VULTURES SWARM MY BONES. You’ve heard the rumors about Kirian and are interested in learning more -- to have a great story, or for political gain, either way Kirian seems like a person of interest to you.

BLOOD MOON: You don’t have much, least of all power. And while everything is telling you Kirian is dangerous, at least he’s more than you are now. Why not see where it goes, have a chance at adventure?

and then the universe was still: someone trained in the low, ritualistic art of healing. After Kirian was forced into using blood magic, his own magic has progressively gotten worse. It gets stronger, but in the wrong way. Where he once healed, he can now only induce pain. Where he once felt emotions, he can now twist them into something grotesque. Ashamed and afraid of these powers and suffering through them, Kirian is looking for a mentor who could undo the damage to his magical abilities. Someone who can bring some peace to his screaming mind.

the devil screams through your mouth: you are the dragon Kirian freed, only to force a bond upon you again. The pain and terror of your forceful empathic bond was so agonizing, you acted on base instinct and under control, left nothing but death, chaos and fire in your way. While you are forever grateful Kirian let you go in the end and the bonding process left something between you, you can’t forgive or forget the way everything started.

old men, filled with regret: you knew Kirian when he was a young man, full of life and love and seemingly always smiling. Whether you find it hard to believe he did what they say he did, or whether his downfall was your rise in the ranks, seeing him again will surely be meaningful.

not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you: when fire swallowed your village whole, when ash clung to your eyelashes, you crawled on your belly to get out. You are (one of?) the only survivor of the village that Kirian destroyed. What will you do when you finally find him?

[joie-university-rp]

Dear ASHTON PILLSBURY-SCHUESTER,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

-

Congratulations, SAM! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION: Name/Alias; pronouns: Sam; she/her Age, Timezone: 22, CST Activity, short explanation: 6/10 I have college and work but I’ll be on as much as possible while I procrastinate. Ships: Ash/chemistry Anti-Ships: Ash/forced (except for plot) Triggers: RFP Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): https://images.app.goo.gl/CxNYDnoc3AihKodc9 Anything else: RFP

IC INFORMATION: Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Ashton Dominic Pillsbury-Schuester FC: Logan Lerman Age/Year at University (Freshman [1st Year], Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student): 18/Freshman Birth date (MONTH DAY, YEAR): 04/01/2000 Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): Littleton, Colorado Gender/Pronouns: Male: he/him/his Sexuality: bi curious Major(s): Social Work Minor(s) [optional]: Creative Arts Housing request (remember, only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Schuester Dormitory Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Art Club, I’m All Ears, Peer Listening Group, Cross Country Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): Alpha Xi Lambda

CHARACTER PROFILE: [At least] 3 Headcanons for your character:

Ashton loves his siblings very much, he looks up to them, especially Schuyler who took on a protective role of the younger siblings. He especially enjoyed spending time doing art with Schuyler and Ariel. He doesn’t quite have the talent for cooking like Austin, but Ashton enjoyed being around him when he was feeling down because the “class clown” always made him smile again.

Once when he was 13, Ashton was feeling incredibly low and had been feeling very disconnected from his siblings and tried to run away from home because he thought his family didn’t need him or care for him. He suffered from middle child syndrome because he thought the twins were the stars of the family being the oldest sons, then Ariel was important being the only girl, then there was the baby brother who would always be the baby so he felt like he had no role in the family. Thankfully he was found at the Greyhound station when the staff called the local police because they were concerned when he was buying a ticket out of state alone.

Will tried to get Ashton interested in singing and dancing because none of the older kids seemed to be following Will into that area of interest. However, Ashton did not have the interest or aptitude for performing and Will was forced to give in. Ashton preferred to spend time reading and making art with his siblings, he would even try to help Austin bake now and again though he was more a hinderance than a help.

Ashton is more like Emma than he cares to admit. He often worries about things an 18 year old has no place worrying about and can often feel crippled by his anxiety. Cross country is a good outlet for Ashton, it gives him a sense of freedom and while he’s running he can let it all wash over him and he usually feels much better afterwards.

Ash also takes after Emma in the sense of caring for others and wanting to help as many people as he can. Growing up he realized that while his family isn’t perfect, and no family is, some kids have it so much worse and all he wants to do is help. That’s when he got the idea to be a social worker after talking to Emma about her career as a guidance councillor.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY: (Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? Mom and Dad talk about this place all the time, they loved it here and not to mention they made a lot of donations so I know the facilities are great. What really sealed the deal for me though is that my three older siblings go to school here so it was the natural choice. What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? + Curious, Thoughtful, Compassionate, Empathetic, Imaginative. -Fidgety, Clumsy, Conforming, Self-conscious, Easily Discouraged.

Which of your traits do you value most? I think my compassion is my most valuable trait, it helps me be a good person and it’s what drives me to want to be a social worker.

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? I think it makes me a great candidate to be a member of the peer listening group which I think is one of the most important groups on campus.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? Aside from getting my degree I’d like to gain more self confidence and this probably sound so cliché but I want to find my own path, I don’t want to be a carbon copy of my parents I want to find what makes me special because I’m not the cool older brothers the twins, I’m not the only girl, I’m not the baby of the family. Being the middle child can be hard sometimes even though I love my siblings more than anything, I’d die for them.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? Sara Bareilles’ song Brave is really important to me because I like to play it when I’m struggling to express myself or feeling like what I’m doing isn’t enough and I’m doubting myself. I think everyone should be brave and do what they think is right. I think it’s also relevant to my chosen path being a Social Worker I want people to be brave and be able to tell someone when they are in trouble. “Say what you wanna say, And let the words fall out, Honestly I wanna see you be brave”