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mshomestyle · 4 years ago

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Tokoyami Fumikage x Reader: Applying crow-like instincts to Tokoyami [Head Canons].

This is from an ask I received, and I’m so happy to do this because I adore Tokoyami. He needs more love. Also, if anyone has any other asks for me feel free to send them!

What would these crow tendencies mean to Tokoyami Fumikage:

(Number 11 involves sex.)

1. “Crows have a varied and evolved language. They can mimic the sounds made by other animals, and they learn to associate noises with events, especially with the distribution of food.“ If you want to learn a new language, look no further than Tokoyami. It’s easy for him to learn a language. If you go to foreign countries that you’ve never been to before on vacation, all it takes is reading a language book on the plane and listening to the locals talk for Tokoyami to be able to parrot back the language rather well, especially when it comes to ordering at restaurants. It’s nice not to need a translator with him around.

2. “Crows are omnivorous, and they don’t seem to be picky eaters. Their diet includes fruits, mice, frogs and carrion.“

“What should we eat for dinner tonight?”

“Whatever you want.” And Tokoyami means it when he says it. He’s not the type to deny anything you chose, and you can sit there and name various places and different cuisine options, and he’ll say ‘yes’ to every one. Anything is fine to him. He only seems into it when apples are involved!

3. “Crows maintain only one mate for their entire life. They don’t reach sexual maturity until they reach the age of 2 but some often wait longer to get their soulmate. Once they find their soulmate, it is a lifetime’s bonding!“ Tokoyami and Hawks have definitely had this conversation before, and they see their love lives in the exact same light. “I’m only falling in love and getting married once,” Hawks says.

“I feel the exact same way.” And Tokoyami has expressed this to you as well. He also has no problem taking his relationship with you slow if that’s what you want. He’ll wait for you no matter how long it takes, and he’ll always see you as his one and only.

4. “ Both parents take care of the babies and help them with feeding. That may not be weird but this is weird – some of the offspring will actually stay back to look after the next batch of babies.” Tokoyami is a very involved father. When your babies are newborns he has absolutely no problem waking up in the middle of the night when they’re hungry to feed them with a bottle. Half because he wants you to get your sleep, and the other half is because he likes the bonding time with his kids. And if you and Tokoyami end up with another baby later in life, when your other kids are older they will help with it as well, possibly even offering to move back temporarily.

5. “A crow is actually a songbird and it has a complex system of calls.“ If you are careful enough, you’ll be able to hear him singing in the shower, and when you do his voice absolutely melts your heart. Tokoyami is a really good singer, though waves that off if you mention it. He does, however, not mind playing his guitar around you.

6. “Crows have such high level of intelligence that it has been observed that if a crow is unable to crack a nut, then it puts it on a highway so that vehicle could pass over it to crack it open. It was also observed that they prefer to put the nut under smaller vehicles so that the kernel is not be reduced to pulp!“ Tokoyami is incredibly smart, and it’s easy for him to solve any problems that you might have. You could be stumped with something all day, but if you take it to Tokoyami he can solve it quickly without fail. And while you’re just looking at him in amazement, especially since he manged to come up with a way to solve it that you didn’t even consider, he just shrugs.

7. “Crows, being the smart birds that they are, investigate an area for possible threats after another crow dies there.“ Tokoyami is a bit more protective than he’d like to think. He doesn’t want you going into any areas that have a large crime rate. In fact, if you’re planning to go somewhere new, Tokoyami will check it out beforehand, whether it’s in person or via the internet.

“Hey, is that Tokoyami and the other guys over there?” Mina asked, drink in her hand. You just rubbed your eyes, knowing that this would happen the second you told Tokoyami that the bar you were going to had a fight happen in it last week.

8. “ Crows will adopt: Cornell researchers witnessed something both heartbreaking and heartwarming: after an adult crow known simply as RV died of West Nile virus, his children were orphaned. Amazingly, his neighbor and crow friend adopted and cared for the baby crows!” It’s no doubt that Tokoyami is a hero. Every time he has to handle a case where a little child is involved and unprotected, his heart breaks for them. You’ve gotten used to him coming home with children saying that you’ll both look after the child until a proper home for them can be found. You don’t mind this at all, and you find it very cute. After all, you knew that if it were realistic for Tokoyami to adopt every child that needed it, then he would.

9. “They can solve puzzles: For a study, researchers once assigned a crow a simple puzzle involving eight tasks—picking up objects, moving them, and other complex steps. The crow had never seen them in sequence before. Yet, the crow finished it easily—the first bird to ever accomplish anything like it.“ If you do not like to lose, then don’t play puzzle games with Tokoyami. It takes him no time at all to figure puzzles out, and he does so effortlessly. You could cheat the system, however, and employ his help when you play with people that aren’t him! Midoriya still can’t seem to figure out how you managed to beat his high score at online sudoku so quickly.

10. “Corvids are all about family: Mama crows don’t push their young from the nest as soon as they can fly.” Hawks and Tokoyami talk about family, too as well! Tokoyami dotes on his kids, spending lots of time with them. He doesn’t force them to make life decisions, but rather gently encourages them, letting them know that they will always have the help of their family. You don’t exactly mind that, in fact, you find it cute. You just wish he would stop spoiling them...Seriously, when you came to know him, you didn’t think the children you had together would have him wrapped around their tiny fingers.

11. “The mating habits of this bird take place on the ground. The male bird has a courtship display of facing the female and fluffing his body feathers. Then he partially spreads his wings and tail and proceeds to bow repeatedly while uttering a brief rattling song. Once a male and female have mated, they perch together and may touch bills and preen each other's feathers.” Before you have sex, Tokoyami likes to make sure he’s nice and presentable, usually. He doesn’t just go it, looking any kind of way. And he also makes sure to court you before having sex (at least for the first time or special occasions.) He takes you to dinner and makes sure to properly seduce you. Once you’re both done having sex, he does an amazing job with the aftercare, holding you close, kissing you, and stroking his fingers through your hair. He definitely wants you to feel loved.

#tokoyami fumikage x reader #tokoyami fumigake #tokoyami #mha tokoyami #tokoyami x reader #my hero x reader #My hero academia #boku no hero x reader #boku no hero academia #head canons #headcanon #crows #answered ask #asks

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itskyleeyo · 3 years ago

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hadestown brain dump (songs)

SPOILERS FOR HADESTOWN/THE STORY OF ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

ok so it may have been more than a few days, but what're you gonna do about it?

so i wanted to do another brain dump, and i wanted to listen to hadestown, so i'm doing a song by song brain dump as i go along. this means that my thoughts are going to be even more stream-of-consciousness style (if that's even possible.) also i'm talking specifically about the original broadway cast recording bc i haven't listened to any other version. (also this was completed across multiple months so it is even more chaotic lmao).

also i highly recommend that you listen to the musical and/or pull up the lyrics as you go along! enjoy!

road to hell. the way andre brings in the chorus is flawless please. also the way that hermes is both a narrator and a character in the story he's narrating? beautiful. "the king of the mine." he sounds so nice here for some reason. also love his self-introduction "maybe it will turn out this time" no it won't but thank you for trying. also breaking the fourth wall to acknowledge the chorus and crew is so nice, here comes reeve ;) mans sounds like an angel. you can hear amber's voice stick out of the chorus and i literally love it so much. i'd die for amber gray but we'll get to that later.

any way the wind blows. the fates literally sound so perfect together. Eva's intro throws me off every time, she sounds so pretty. dear god the harmonies with the fates hit so different. can this cast please narrate my life? there's the wind comparisons ;D the "ooos" are so good. "and it ain't because i'm kind" idk i just like how andre sounds here. oh and the funny behind "so i took him underneath my wing" because hermes has wings on his helmet and shoes.

come home with me. orpheus is so oblivious but i love it. also eurydice is literally such a mood. the wordplay with "come again". the "oh, he's crazy" is my favorite part of the whole song. also eva's voice acting is so good.

wedding song. the way she says "lover"? my ass cannot handle this. eva sounds so smug in the beginning of this song and i love it. "sing the song ;)" eurydice is so fantastic. the chorus of "la" is so pretty. eva joining in during the end is just. so perfect.

epic i. hell yeah introduce the king and queen (both literally and figuratively). reeve's falsetto <3 the way orpheus looks to hermes for approval throughout the musical. hermes narrating over orpheus singing.

livin' it up on top. HELL YES THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED. i love amber gray so much. the gravel and the rasp. please step on me. also i love the idea of persephone being the wine aunt, especially because media usually portrays her as soft and breakable. the way she says "haaard". the way the music gets more upbeat and energetic when hermes says "the world came back to liiife!" the instrumental/dance? break is so good. please kill me with that trumpet good sir. the leadup to when amber starts singing again. orpheus really knows how to give a speech. "i will ;)" amber please step on me i am not joking.

all i've ever known (intro). thank you for the intro king. the music is so pretty. the way it picks up with the piano part <3

all i've ever known. eva sounds so pretty dear god. yay more wind references! the wordplay with "hold". and also the references to hot and cold throughout the musical. "i don't wanna ever have to let you go." lol ironic because she ends up going with hades. "i knew you before we met, and i don't even know you yet." the fucking wordplay. like holy shit. the "love at first sight" feelings. this line gets me every damn time. the wordplay from 2:10 - 2:38 is so fucking incredible. i lose it every time istg. the instrumental portion is so pretty. the wind! "we'll always be like this" i fucking love irony so much. its so underrated and adds so many layers to the story.

way down hadestown. amber gray. that's it. "you either get to hell or to hadestown, ain't no difference anymore". i fucking love this line so much. not really sure why but the delivery is perfect. also the whole thing with it being a train? i love that so much. all the allusions and comparisons they can make are fantastic. more amber gray appreciation. and ofc. the fates. more fantastic instrumental breaks. "and you better forget about your wishing well." this line is so good but so sad because its literally persephone saying that "hey, fair warning, life is shit down there" and i feel bad for her. like the way she's super sassy and shit, but just stops singing when hades gets there, you can tell that she's definitely not ok. speaking of hades, holy shit patrick page. sounds so fucking fantastic. thank you for existing good sir. eva with the breathtaking single lines. and eva's voice standing out when she sings "ground".

a gathering storm. the constant references to weather and nature throughout the whole musical. eurydice with the common sense. the wind again! "did you hear me, orpheus?" he did not, in fact, hear her.

epic ii. the different names for hades in each epic make me so happy. hades thoughts: "i think my wife might not come back cause i'm super controlling. whatever shall i do? oh, i know! be even more controlling!" lmao dumbass motherfucker. that might not work out so well. i fucking love the transition into "chant" so much.

chant. this is one of my favorite songs from the musical. the wordplay within the entire song is so fucking fantastic. hades singing about desire and then orpheus singing the "song of love" was definitely done on purpose and i'm living for it. every single one of eva's lines make me emotional. ma'am why are you good at everything?? the band! more weather references! patrick page singing "lover" hits different. orpheus singing about hades and persephone being blind and deaf. lmao irony because he's not paying attention to anything around him. the wind! weather! "the song of love" is what brought orpheus and eurydice together, but orpheus' devotion to finishing it is what drives eurydice to hades. "did you think i'd be impressed" i was right ;) it didn't work out so well.

hey, little songbird. the strings <3 patrick page is a god (lol i'm so funny). how does he manage to make manipulation sound so good? bird references! the vocal contrast! eva's voice has this kind of "innocence" to it. especially compared to patrick. not sure if that's on purpose or not, but i love it. also the low note kills me every time. the octave jumps between patrick and eva's voices is just. ugh. and also eva's entire second verse is so fucking good. the emotion she portrays in her voice is so spectacular. seriously hades with the manipulation is so interesting and its so good. (manipulation is not a good thing i just mean that its done so well in the show. do not manipulate people!)

when the chips are down (intro). "your ticket ;)" yes pls sir i'll take a ticket cause life sucks ass.

when the chips are down. i fucking love the fates dear god. gambling references! eva has literally one line and still owns my heart. the band! "shoot to kill" sounds so good like i love it so much pls. also this fucking line "cast your eyes to heaven, you get a knife in the back" is so good. i'm gonna have to get into quite a few lines throughout the musical in a different brain dump because i have so much thought.

gone, i'm gone. darling eurydice. its not your fault that you're starving stop apologizing. "talk of sin" lol she do be going to hell. that's funny. the harmonies.

wait for me (intro). the piano. heremes trying to change the subject hurts my heart. and orpheus' reaction is so sad please. "no.." just rip my fucking heart out, why don't you?

wait for me. the transition. andre coming in clutch with the narration. reeve sounds wonderful, as always. the fucking fates. just kill me already. they literally sound so good. the strings' build up between the "la"s. the chorus. the buildup at the end.

why we build the wall. the total 180 in the vibes. call and response has a special pace in my heart. mr page killing it again. god, hades is such a piece of shit and its perfect. he really is a master manipulator. fuck capitalism. the chorus sounds so good. i want to platonically smooch all of them. jesus fucking christ burn capitalism to the ground. the end is amazing. also the not-so-subtle references to slavery/forced labor.

why we build the wall (outro). i'd die for andre. "anybody want a drink?" yes ma'am. yes please. (don't drink, kids) i love you so much.

our lady of the underground. its so jazzy! jesus fucking christ. oh my fucking god. i would literally sell my soul for amber gray. what did we ever do to deserve her? god the raspiness fucking kills me. also love that she breaks the fourth wall to acknowledge the band. when she comes back in after the instrumental break? consider me dead. "what the boss don't know, the boss won't mind" she sounds so good here. also i love that she straight up doesn't give a fuck about hades here.

way down hadestown (reprise). hell yeah i love reprises. the fates. andre. the chorus. i love them all. i'm such a whore for reoccurring lyrics. the strings! fuck capitalism! eva's emotions are just so fucking good. "you've already forgot?" holy shit. this shit hurted. the "ahh ooh"s are so good.

flowers. the intro <3. eva sounds so pretty. the fucking symbolism in this song is incredible. i'm gonna get into this in another brain dump bc it's a very sensitive topic. the fact that she can't actually fully remember orpheus makes me so sad. so pretty <3

come home with me (reprise). hell yeah another reprise. the way the music is much more upbeat when orpheus shows up. their excitement! eva's vocal emotions are literally so fantastic pls.

papers (intro). "young mannn" kill me patrick. train references! hell yeah persephone. the way andre gets louder when he says "raised up his voice." eva <3. reeve just always sounds so pretty. ohmygod the laugh. kill me good sir. mans straight up admits to owning people and is like "it's cool tho cause they signed a piece of paper. def not taking advantage of people that are literally starving or anything. it's fine." fuck you hades. go step on a fucking lego. orpheus is so sad :(

papers (instrumental). yes. sounds so good. i'm imagining an epic chase scene. the transition into nothing changes <3

nothing changes. respectfully? the fates could kill me any day and i'd thank them. the weather reference! that "anyhow" is so fucking good istg.

if it's true. another one of my favorites. pop off intro. the broken "is this how the world is?" sadly, yes. "but everybody knows that walls have ears." is literally such a powerful line to me for some reason. it does a great job of bringing in the chorus. and by calling the workers "walls" it shows that hades views them as "less than." they aren't even referred to as people. "what's the use of his backbone if he never stands upright." oh my god. because they literally cannot stand upright. anais mitchell is literally a fucking genius. fuck the 1%. gambling references! the chorus backing him is just so pretty. the way orpheus looks to the chorus for advice and support. "we're standing." ugh its so good.

how long. oh my fucking god. amber fucking gray. (that's it, that's the post). the way she sounds resigned/disappointed when she says "i've had enough" makes me so sad. there are no words to describe how i feel about 0:25 - 0:41. like their relationship is strained, and super mega fucked up, but it's obvious that they still care about one another. the emotion in their voices throughout this song is fantastic. the play on light and dark. also more bird references! how they view themselves/their self importance. hades is a most importantly king. persephone is most importantly a wife. it really show that hades views power as more important than anything else. "nothing comes of the songs people sing." holy fucking shit. cause their song is the "song of love," but they can barely stand each other and their relationship has fallen apart. persephone commenting on his love of power over his love of her. amber's voice during "the earth must die" is so nice and for what? god i love her. they sound so nice together <3

chant (reprise). another favorite hehe. the strings! it's all just so pretty. when the piano comes in i die a little. the self realization coming from the chorus when they're like "oh shit, this is wrong. i don't deserve to be treated like this." is so fucking fantastic. the "young mannn" again! hades really be like "manipulate her! make her depend on you financially! i've been ding this a while kid! i know how to successfully control women!" reeve sounds so pretty pls. the way that eurydice has basically become part of the chorus (since she's just another worker now). more self realization! the different ways that hades and orpheus view the "song of love." "sing before i kill you so i can use it to manipulate my wife and make her feel like shit." patrick's voice tho.

epic iii. reeve coming in with that falsetto like nobody's business. orpheus really about to bite you in the ass with your own damn song. amber gray <3. the "ooo"s in the background. the way the music picks up when reeve gets to the "la"s. it's just so fucking good. that falsetto again. orpheus really looked at the king of hell, a literal god, and said "i want to ruin him psychologically" and it fucking worked. which is some of my favorite irony because hades wouldn't have shit if it weren't for that fact that he's a good manipulator and takes advantage of the needy. that last line <3

epic iii (instrumental). i have no words for how fucking beautiful this is. i so desperately want an extended version. like for real love this so much. if i get married, i want this to be the song for the first dance.

promises. eurydice is so proud of him for finishing. the way that eurydice realized that she cares about him more that material objects. wind and weather references! "if we can do it so can they!" she sounds so excited. :( "hand-in-hand" lol nope. not them refencing wedding song, anyway the wind blows, and then giving their "i do"s. absolutely heart wrenching.

word to the wise. the fates. pls step on me ladies. the lyrics throughout this are so fucking good. lol hades being damned. cause he's the king of hell. honestly its solid advice tho. humans are really fucking stupid.

his kiss, the riot. give us them adjectives king. " how dare people want rights! >:(" hades is really trying to make himself the good guy rn. the music! 2:15 - 3:03 is so good pls. the lyrics are just so spectacular.

wait for me (reprise) (intro). hello again andre! hermes literally says "he's trying to psych you out and manipulate you. he wants you to doubt everything" and orpheus says "are you sure tho?" and then procedes to doubt everything. the way the music changes is <3. the song transition.

wait for me (reprise). my absolute fucking favorite song in this musical. the first fucking lyric is so good. it really sets an expectation for the song and i am not disappointed. lyrics that talk about how fucked up any single person's brain is are so fucking cool to me. god i love this song. how soft the first set of "wait for me"s are. the support/pressure from the chorus. the entire exchange between hades and persephone. the way amber's voice sticks out of the chorus. the fates coming in clutch again. train references! more brain talk! amber gray please end me. eva sounds so pretty. and the final note is so good!

doubt comes in. the long intro that builds up suspense. the first time that orpheus's "la"s aren't echoed by the chorus/music. wind! weather! the fates sound so pretty like always. reeve genuinely sounds so scared. the way the music picks up and the chorus joins in when eurydice starts singing. the music is so unsettling and i love it. god i love his voice. 3:44 - 3:57 always hits so different. you realize just how much she means to him. how it all goes to shit when the music reaches the climax. the fact that the music clashes on purpose. the sadness in their voices.

road to hell (reprise). it all comes full circle. god andre sounds so sad. the way you come to really hear the lyrics because there's no upbeat music to distract you this time, "its a tragedy" lol because the actual written story is a tragedy. "i learned that from a friend of mine" poor orpheus :(. the way the chorus slowly joins in and the music slowly picks up. the "can you feel it" is literally so fucking powerful. fuck yes amber. fuck it up queen. amber and eva sound so nice together. the "its a love song, its a sad song" is so sad. the final lyric is just. ugh.

we raise our cups. yes pls amber. this song is so pretty. good night queen.

#hadestown #eva noblezada #reeve carney #the fates #orpheus #eurydice #brain dump #hadestown brain dump #patrick page #hades #amber gray #persephone #hadestown musical

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theatricalities · 4 years ago

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⧼ A mask of perfect innocence hiding the machiavellian intentions forever lurking beneath the surface — the ace up your sleeve, the trick coin with one side weighing heavier than its opposite because chance is simply a game that’s far too risky for the likes of you; the claw marks left on absolutely anything and everything in your wake — it’s not desperation that makes you cling so fervently to the objects of your desire as much as it’s your own way of ensuring survival; the self-imposed solitude clouding your ocean eyes — questions of identity and belonging are forever at the heels of your every decision, begging you to turn back before it’s too late. ⧽

━━ hey, isn’t that ZEPHYRINE TRAVERS ? i read a daily prophet article on them, once ; the 24 year old part-Veela WITCH is a SLYTHERIN alumnus who has gone on to be an ACTRESS IN THE WIXEN WORLD. i’ve heard they can be quite AUDACIOUS & BEGUILING, but i don’t know…they came off very EXPLOITATIVE and DELUSIVE in that interview. it really is hard to know what to believe these days though, isn’t it?

( takes a hiatus...comes back with a new character )

Heya ghouls, gals, and nonbinary pals! It’s me, ya girl. Zephyrine is my second little child to enter the group and I’m real wild about her! She’s inspired by DE idea #17 which you can find listed here! Obviously, Zeph is an OC, but her tie to canon is that she’s the daughter of Travers, the Death Eater who killed Marlene McKinnon and family. Also, because I just don’t know how to write contented characters, Zeph’s a bit of a wreck, too — has some daddy issues, wants more than the world can offer, doesn’t have a true sense of self...but she’s got great fashion !

Below is Zephyrine’s bio and general information. Wanted connections can be found here ( very under construction rn ) and they’ll be updated as play progresses! Please feel free to pm me here or on discord ( debaucherie#6347 ) if you’d like to plot ✿

BEFORE THE WAR — “ Everyone wants something...”

[ trigger warnings for death, murder; ]

On the night that marked Zephyrine Travers’ birth, the world in return exalted her upon arrival, singing the praises of the newborn babe as boldly as a songbird in spring.

Or — that was the tale upon which her mother raised her, and it was one the girl found fitting enough to believe, even if all the world around spoke to the contrary. After all, her father (whose only claim to the term was in the scientific sense alone) created so empty a home that such fantastical ideas were perhaps the only source of hope that the young girl could find. At the age of two, Zephyrine and her family were quietly removed from their ancestral home as her father was sentenced to Azkaban for the murder of Marlene McKinnon. She and her mother were stripped of all riches, no matter the fact that the young girl continued the bloodline of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

And so, life continued on in this way, with little yarns of fantasy spun each and every night in the dreariness of their one-room hovel, spoken in assuring whispers as they cooked by candlelight or repaired a worn and weathered dress when there was no money to replace it instead. Despite the woe-be-gone skirts and helpless shoes, she was determined that no one should know about the unexpected poverty that marked her home life, and walked into the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with every intent on looking the part of the Travers name even if it was in name alone that she remained connected — going so far as to insist to the Sorting Hat that she was meant to be in Slytherin, as her family had been for centuries, even when it argued she was better suited to Ravenclaw instead.

In many ways, her adolescence was a long, drawn-out course in the art of convincing others — she could manifest a stream of tears to reassure a fellow Slytherin that she truly felt for her father just as easily as she could feign prolonged wooziness to avoid Flying class for a week. She flashed her blessedly charming smile across the House tables in the Great Hall, befriended everyone and anyone while still keeping them at arm’s length, and convinced even the most doubtful that she was an invaluable creature — not because of her name or the weight it still carried in certain circles, but because she believed herself to be and would not rest until it was an undeniable, unequivocal truth.

At sixteen, however, the meager world she’d known her whole life shattered entirely, its fragments not pieced together with the loving touch of her mother, but instead the fearsome presence of her father, who broke out of Azkaban along with ten other Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange. Unsurprisingly, he was asked by Lord Voldemort to prove his loyalty, and continued his murderous warpath — but instead of getting caught this time, he ensured that another would take his place. Zephyrine’s mother, innocent as a dove, was framed for his crimes and swiftly locked up in Azkaban, and Zander Travers was restored all riches seized upon his arrest.

By seventeen, Zephyrine had all the hallmarks of the dreams her mother raised her on : wealth far beyond her dreams, a manor estate fit for royalty and all the accompanying fanfare upon being properly introduced into a society of Death Eaters, but lost her mother in the process to a nightmare come true — the very woman who had instilled in the girl so great a belief in the impossible, that even this seemed like something Zephyrine could undo.

She now balanced quite a precarious act, appearing to her father as his perfect little Death Eater in training, while turning spy for the Order in exchange for their help in freeing her mother once the War was won.

AFTER THE WAR. — “...and once you know what they want, you know how to move them.”

When the time came, however, her mother was one of the many forgotten in the shadow of the Order’s triumph, relegated to little more than a broken promise as she rotted in Azkaban along with her husband, once again sentenced for his crimes. Their daughter, however, now took up the mantle of the new head of the Travers family, left with the ruins of her father’s blood-soaked legacy. In a world rebuilding itself, there was no game to be played when each side no longer had a reason to fight — and so, she waited. Seethed, more accurately, and busied herself with cleaning up the Travers name as time passed by. After receiving a formal training with the Wixen Academy of Dramatic Arts, she cemented herself firmly as a darling in the wixen theatre scene. In truth, it was all too easy. For twenty years, she’d practiced different ways to be believed — not to lie, she’d argue to herself, for any of those perceived lapses in truth had simply been her playing a character in order to get what she needed, and the silver-tongued sweetheart she portrayed to the public was no different. To believe was the notion her mother instilled in her, but to be believed was one she’d determined necessary for herself, even if it meant losing any sense of self in the process. And so, upon hearing word of a reformed Death Eater legion under Bellatrix Lestrange’s leadership, she appealed to their cause, vowing that she could easily become a spy within the group which once held her loyalty — in exchange, once more, for the release* of her mother. Her allegiances, of course, are unknown to the public at large. In fact, when asked by the press on such matters, she voices her support for the Ministry and their efforts at preventing another tragedy to ever mark the Wixen World’s history again. Naturally, it’s all an act, as it has always been, and she’ll keep playing the game for as long as it take to reunite* with her mother, gain the most powerful of allies, and secure her own survival.

[ * — while i’d love to believe that zeph’s mom is still alive, i think mrs. travers is likely to have perished rather soon after being wrongfully imprisoned. however, i believe that this information was kept from zeph as a way of controlling her, first by her father, then perhaps by the order ( i’d have to actually plot this one out w/an order member for this to be true ), but certainly by bellatrix and the DE clan. ]

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Zephyrine Travers NAME MEANING: Zephyrine is of French origin and means ‘west wind�� ; Travers is of English origin and means ‘to cross’ NICKNAME(S): Zeph ( used by family and close friends, only ) GENDER IDENTITY: Demigirl DATE OF BIRTH: 29 October, 1995 ( i put the wrong age in my app bc maths are not my strong suit, so technically Zeph is 24 but will turn 25 soon ) BIRTHPLACE: Travers Estate, Hampshire, England CURRENT PLACE OF DWELLING: London, England SEXUAL ORIENTATION: pansexual panromantic LANGUAGE(S): English, French, basic Latin

LIFE.

OCCUPATION: Actress EDUCATION: Homeschooled from ages 4 to 11; attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry from ages 11 to 18; attended the Wixen Academy of Dramatic Arts from ages 19 to 21. SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL ( GROWING UP ): Born upper class, but lower middle class from ages 2 - 16, upper class ages 16 - onward. SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL ( CURRENTLY ): Upper class. RELIGION: Atheist

MAGICAL.

BLOOD TYPE: Not quite pureblood — but, publicly pureblood SPECIES: 1/4 Veela WAND TYPE: Hawthorn, unicorn hair core, 13″, reasonably supple SKILL LEVEL: Reasonably proficient, but a distinct knack for transfiguration and healing magic. Is adept at DADA, but often flees from the scene of battle before needing to utilize curses, jinxes, etc. PATRONUS: Incapable of producing a corporeal Patronus, but if she could, it would take the form of a shrike. BOGGART: Herself — albeit, a different, unrecognizable version of herself. In all her lying and betraying and such, Zeph has lost sense of herself and just doesn’t know the depths she might go to in order to get what she wants — and so I think it’s very possible that her biggest fear is the worst possible version of herself, the one that resembles her father in his uncaring bloodlust, messy and indiscriminate and entirely lacking in the nuance she prides herself on. AMORTENTIA: Fresh popcorn, the collar of a well-worn leather jacket, the scent of a newspaper so fresh the ink smudges one’s fingertips MIRROR OF ERISED: TBD. HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin ( the Sorting Hat debated for approximately nine minutes between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, but ultimately decided on Slytherin because Zephyrine asked it to. ) FAVORITE SUBJECT: Transfiguration. LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT: Arithmancy. CLUBS / EXTRACURRICULARS: The Slug Club ( Year 7 ), Theatre Club ( Years 2 - 7 ), Keres Club ( ages 22 - present )

RELATIONS.

PARENT(S): Zander & Odette ( nee Lynd ) Travers SIBLING(S): Two older sisters, both deceased, from her father’s first marriage, and a younger sibling born one-two years after her from her father’s affair. SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): tbd. EX SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): tbd. CHILDREN: none. PET(S): Two cats, Beryl and Belinda.

PHYSICAL.

HEIGHT: 5′7″ HAIR: silver-blonde EYES: blue BODY MODIFICATION(S): Three piercings in either ear. Despite Bellatrix’s insistence, she has staved off getting the Dark Mark under the guise that it would harm her status as an actress. In truth, she simply would hate to get something so permanent when her loyalties are rather, well, impermanent. NOTABLE SCARS / BIRTHMARKS: No scars / noticeable birthmarks. A scattering of freckles. GLASSES / CONTACTS: Only when required for an acting role, but not usually needed. CLOTHING STYLE: Quite a soft, ‘feminine’ style — lace, ribbons, ruffles, pastels — but there’s always one or two little things hinting at something decidedly more aggressive ( platinum collar-tips pointed and sharpened, metallic makeup, earrings in the design of tiny daggers, black lace gloves hiding perfectly manicured claws ) ; zephyrine also wears her mother’s choker, which is platinum-plated and has a handshake as a clasp. DOMINANT HAND: Ambidextrous

PERSONALITY.

ZODIAC: Scorpio ( sun ) — observant, expressive, secretive, vengeful, enigmatic // Gemini ascendant, Capricorn moon PERSONALITY TYPE: ENTJ, The Commander — confident, charismatic, strategic, ruthless, stubborn, emotionally naive MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil TEMPERAMENT: Phlegmatic ELEMENT: Water VICE(S): Wrath VIRTUE(S): Diligence CHARACTER PARALLELS: Dahlia Hawthorne ( Ace Attorney ), Amy March ( Little Women ), Margaery Tyrell ( ASOIAF ), Vesper Lynd ( James Bond ), Eva Perón ( history / ‘EVITA’ the musical & film )

#is this bad and also unbearably long ? u bet #nox.intro #[ these hands could hold the world and it would never be enough; —ABOUT. ]#update: originally had her patronus be a leopard but really...she a shrike babey

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roadtohadestown · 5 years ago

Text

hadestown thoughts n’ things song-by-song

Y’ALL KNOW I SAW HADESTOWN A COUPLE DAYS AGO AND I GOT SOME THINGS TO SAY !!! these aren’t gonna be me fully describing how the songs play out (a couple times yes, but not from start to finish), but are me pointing out little things that i found very memorable or funny or were little “OH SHIT” kinda moments.

(i’ll also be referring to the characters by their actors every now and then)

occasionally i’ll refer to the fates individually by their actual names (clotho, lachesis, atropos); if you don’t know which actresses play who:

yvette -> clotho // kay → lachesis // jewelle -> atropos

———

ACT 1

road to hell:

the cast came out all at once and i swear my heart JUMPED when i saw them enter and wave at the audience !!!!

andré came in walking slowly over to his usual spot on stage right. while walking, he was holding the hands of some of the cast who were sitting at the tables.

the fates snapping a sassy look at hermes when he says “three old women all dressed the same.”

introducing orpheus, orpheus is literally a happy ball of sunshine running onstage, holding a red rag and a crate and starts wiping down the tables.

when hermes introduces eurydice, orpheus and eurydice bump into each other at the center of the stage. they stare at one another for the rest of road to hell and it’s so so cute and enchanting. sitting on orchestra left, i was just watching orpheus’s face, so awestruck and in love.

any way the wind blows:

fuck i am so gay for the fates

eurydice’s “anybody got a match ??” and hermes holding out a matchbox to her. she snatches it and says “gimme that.”

eurydice lighting the candle and clotho blowing it out.

lachesis gracing a hand on eurydice’s hair (and i forget at which lyric because my mind is Like That and Forgetful)

come home with me:

eva casually dragging her hand back and forth above the flame, playing with it because she’s not really the focus of the scene and needs something to do while reeve’s busy crumpling a newspaper to make a flower for her

hermes saying, “orpheus......don’t come on too strong”

and orpheus—directly after hearing hermes say that—says to eurydice, “coMe hOmE wITh ME !!!” featuring reeve’s wonky movements that make orpheus seem awkward, which is just plain cute

at one point, he sits on the table beside her

hermes taking the candle from eurydice’s hands and placing it aside on another table. this candle stays lit for a lot of act 1, then is later blown out because we need Metaphors and Symbolism

i love that eurydice crumples up orpheus’s paper flower, then stuffs it in her pocket

wedding song:

damn i love eva and reeve

damn i love this ensemble

damn that flower is red

epic i:

once hermes says “sing it again though” and hands orpheus his guitar, orpheus straps it on. he takes a little moment of silence before he starts singing—like he’s trying to prepare himself first. in that moment, he’s actually just staring at eurydice and smiling because he loves her so much—

livin’ it up on top:

I LOVE THE FATES AND THEIR FANS !!! EVEN THEY’RE SUPER HAPPY THROUGHOUT LIVIN’ IT UP

WHEN PERSEPHONE COMES BACK FROM HADESTOWN, ORPHEUS IS SO GIDDY !!! YOU COULD SEE HIM SMILING LIKE CRAZY AND HE’S A LITTLE JUMPY BECAUSE HE’S SO EXCITED SEPH’S HERE !! HE’S LIKE AN EXCITED LITTLE PUPPY !!! HE WAS SO EAGER TO TAKE HER COAT TOO !!!

orpheus juMP

he was literally throwing a couple silver cups to hermes (who caught them)

there were cute little john and eva moments, with john dancing around her at one point

persephone tried to shove eurydice in with the dancing ensemble to get her to join, but eurydice walked away waving her hands and awkwardly smiling as if saying, “no thanks, i’m not gonna do that,” (but obviously later persephone successfully drags eury into dancing, and she’s wonderful at it)

when hermes said “let the poet bless this round!” ahmad, while holding one of the wine bottles, puts his hands up as if to say “alright, he can do it”

after orpheus gave his speech and they drank from their cups, hermes actually coughed—like the wine was just too much for him asjhsnsj

all i’ve ever known:

persephone’s onstage during the little hermes introduction bit. when he mentions orpheus and eurydice, seph holds out her arms to each of them as he does (as if indicating who’s who) before sitting down at the side to watch the two lovers.

orpheus takes off his apron (finally), revealing him in full with his nifty suspenders 😩💕

when eurydice said “now i wanna hold you too,” she was frantically moving her hands, grabbing different parts of orpheus’s arms

that sex scene was beautiful (IT’S JUST A GRACEFUL INTIMATE DANCE BETWEEN THE TWO AND IT’S PRETTY !! ESPECIALLY WITH THE LIGHTING)

mwah

way down hadestown:

orpheus and eurydice dancing around as everyone sings about hades and hadestown (spoiler: they’re cute)

as hades and persephone descend, smoke comes out of the pit, and the ensemble is leaning in to look down there. ahmad’s in front of all of them—leaning too—but also has his arms outstretched to his sides, keeping everyone else back. they all eventually break apart, and honestly the thing i most remember is just afra with her knees on the table and her hands gripping the edges of the table, too, to peer down into the pit.

gathering storm:

me, watching afra hand eurydice her coat

orpheus takes out his tiny notebook and pencil from his pocket and goes to the side to start writing in it, because he “needs to finish the song”

eurydice clutching her arms as she says “we need food.......we need firewood.....”

“okay, finish it...”

she goes over to orpheus and places a hand on his arm, then leaves

epic ii:

AW HELL YEAH, THEY BROUGHT BACK THE “doubt that she’d ever come, dread that she’d never come, doubt that his lover would ever come back” LYRICS !!

orpheus uses present tense instead of past tense !!! it’s now “he thinks of his wife in the arms of the sun” instead of “he thought of his wife in the arms of the sun” and etc.

chant i:

the workers’ choreo is so mesmerizing. SO MESMERIZING.

reeve sings the la la la’s differently than the broadway preview audio i heard before, and i LOVE how he sings it now. his ending “la la la la la la” leads into the workers’ “low, keep your head, keep your head low” and oh my god i am so in love with that

“is it finished !?” eurydice asks hermes. “not yet,” hermes replies. she asks “is he always like this !?” and he nods.

hermes is now narrating in third-person about how orpheus is ignoring the storm rather than speaking to orpheus directly

i really don’t know how i feel about eva going lower when she sings “harbor me.” in the past she’s went higher; and because i used to hear that all the time, now that she‘s going lower my mind‘s thinking “c’mon, you can go higher !! i know you’re capable of it.” but regardless, eva’s voice is still the most beautiful thing i’ll ever hear 😩💓

the way the fates snatch away eurydice’s backpack and coat is so elegant, yet cool and pitiful

EVA I HOPE YOUR KNEES ARE OK FROM THAT FALL. I KNOW YOU DO IT EVERY NIGHT, BUT STILL.

hey little songbird:

hades casually putting on his shades

patrick’s juicy low notes are to die for

“see how the vipers and vultures surround you” reveals the three fates making their way closer to eurydice

when the chips are down (intro):

the little coin ( / ticket to hadestown ) hades gives eurydice

the way eurydice holds up both the flower and coin in the air as if contemplating which to choose

when the chips are down:

yvette, please step on me

kay, please step on me

jewelle, please step on me

please. step on me.

gone, i’m gone:

shoutout to andré off to the side making all the necessary sound effects.

hermes jingles a coin bag until eurydice comes up and puts her coin (“ticket”) in the bag, indicating she’s boarded the train to hadestown.

cue andré blowing the little flute thing to imitate a train whistle. again, thank u for ur sound effects.

wait for me:

orpheus finally looking up from his tiny notebook with a smile on his face, as if he’s happy that he’s made progress on his song and wants to tell that to eurydice. but when he looks up, he sees hermes from afar instead and (still with an innocent smile) exclaims “mr. hermes !!” before going up to him. (unlike the london production, he doesn’t look around searching for eurydice first before encountering hermes.)

orpheus drops to his knees as he says “no...” during his convo with hermes

the workers shining the lights around like they’re search lights is so COOL

THE FOG !!!

the lights actually swinging over people’s heads in the first row. wow. just,, wow.

FATESFATESFATESI’MSOGAY

THE SET OPENING UP !!! I KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN, BUT DAMN THAT WAS SO MUCH MORE EPIC IN REAL LIFE

the way reeve jumped off the platform !!! TBH KINDA HOT

i was watching him run along the turntable and it was an awkward little run LOL

“I’M COMING WAIT FOR ME !!!!!” “WAIT” “I HEAR THE WALLS REPEATING !!!” that scene was so GOOD and MUCH MORE INTENSE IRL !!!

i loooOOOVED the way the workers turned their lights at each “WAIT !!”

why we build the wall

the workers retreat to the sides of the stage and hades comes in. they’re so stiff just standing there and singing and i’m like—well fuck.

the saLUTE !!! it’s literally just them putting an index finger up, bUT STILL. FUCK.

eurydice looks around to see everyone saluting, and eventually joins in with them and does it too

the way amber dramatically turns around with her arms swinging about, pauses, then says, “anybody wanna drink?”

ACT 2

our lady of the underground:

“SSSSSSTEP INTO MY OFFICE !!!!” *intensely hip thrusts her way to hell (disregard that she’s already in it—)*

“i got the wind right here in a jar” *grabs her boob and jiggles it*

don’t we just stan amber gray

way down hadestown ii:

andré making the sound of “the pickaxe ringing” by banging a silver cup against the microphone on the stand

eurydice coming through the door and down the stairs. upon seeing the workers, she exclaims, “i’m eurydice !!” with a smile on her face like she’s ready to meet new people, but her smile fades away once she realizes no one’s paying attention to her. “doesn’t anybody hear me?” she asks the fates. and clotho responds, “oh they can hear! but they don’t care,” with a devious smile on her (and the rest of the fates’) face(s). “no one has a name down here.”

the fates proceed to tell eurydice how the workers have all forgotten about their lives before hadestown, and eurydice will turn out just like the rest.

lachesis says, “so what was your name again?” (no response) “see? you’ve already forgotten.”

flowers:

eva’s voice.........SO SAD

how she holds out her hand left hand to the side, as if trying to caress someone’s face who isn’t there.

come home with me ii:

yeah, orpheus comes in from the audience and climbs onto the stage as he says, “come home with me !!” and it’s ADORABLE

he puts his guitar down as he gets onstage (which i’d say is a metaphor for him choosing eurydice over his music)

she leaps into his arms, they embrace each other, and it’s the absolute most sweetest thing ever

papers:

“hades, i know this boy !” (persephone) // “one of the unemployed...” (hades) // “his name is orpheus—!” // “you stay out of this...” // and persephone gives him a look because he just shuts her down, and she knows she can’t do anything about it

as the fates approach orpheus, eurydice extends her arms out trying to protect him

clotho snatching orpheus’s guitar and mischievously examining it

mmmmm look at that fight scene

nothing changes:

ugh, i love that acappella and their voices are SPICY 🔥🔥💯🔥

the way clotho just holds his guitar above him while he’s lying there on the ground, beaten, like she’s teasing him

if it’s true:

eurydice retreating back to the turntable with the other workers, knowing full well there’s nothing she can do, and simply works away like the rest of them

“is this how the world is !? to be beaten and betrayed and then be told that nothing changes—will it always be like this !?” is my favorite

orpheus finally standing and is still in pain from all the workers beating him up

him pointing at each of the workers as he says “i’m asking me...and you and you and you!”

the workers each get up as they sing “we stand and listen” (or is it “we stand with him” ?? whatever, you get what i mean). but orpheus is giving them hope !!! yes !!!

how long:

persephone and hades standing on either side of the pit

they were staring at each other, moving in sync like a mirror; when persephone stepped with her right foot, hades with his left, and so on.

chant ii:

the workers and orpheus slowly rising up from the pit

“is it truuuuue ???” echoing in the back, then hades shouting “it’s the bOY !!”

when the workers say “i can’t look at my brother’s eyes,” afra and ahmad started getting up from the center and refused to make eye contact.

while i am still salty about them cutting persephone’s chant ii verse, i didn’t dislike hades’ new part. i liked it.

as hades shouts, “I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY !!!!” aLL THE LIGHTS IN THE THEATRE GO OUT AND IT’S WICKED COOL

epic iii:

sitting in my seat was honestly a perfect spot for me. hades was sitting in his stool and his back was to me, so obviously i couldn’t see much of his facial expressions, but it was literally like i was getting hades perspective as he viewed orpheus singing.

the most magical moment in the show tbh

when orpheus first sings “la la la” and hades says “where’d you get that melody ??” he gets up and starts walking towards orpheus like he’s about ready to fight and sue him for plagiarism

but persephone intervenes with a gentle “let him finish hades” before he takes another step. so he backs off.

when orpheus was singing about how hades “saw [persephone] alone there against the sky, it was like she was someone [he’d] always known,” eurydice steps up on the turntable. orpheus is in the center, with persephone and eurydice on either side of him—truly showing the parallels between orpheus and eurydice’s love with that of hades and persephone’s.

hades eventually gets on the center with orpheus, and the platform rises again. when everyone—workers and fates included—surrounds them on the turntable below, singing with orpheus, hades looks around at all of them, angry and confused

at the big “la la la la la la la” moment when everyone joins in with orpheus, the workers each get up in pairs as their side of the turntable finally faces the audience. they step up and remove their hats.

the workers finally make eye contact with one another

REEVE REALLY HITS THAT NOTE. AND IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL.

the way the flower just appears in hades hands after he sings “la la la la la la la...”

you can really SEE persephone crying

lover’s desire:

persephone putting the flower on his vest is so cute

SHE TAKES HIS HANDS

i love hades and persephone ok shut up i’m soft

KIMBERLY PUTTING HER HAND ON AHMAD’S ARM, THEN LOOKING UP AT HIM AND TIMOTHY. JOHN AND AFRA ARE SIDE BY SIDE, HOLDING EACH OTHER AS THEY WATCH HADES AND PERSEPHONE DANCE.

promises:

honestly i don’t remember too much of it visually because i was too busy crying.

i heard “i don’t need a ring for my finger, i just need a steady hand to hold,” and i just started BAWLING

i think i remember she takes his hand when he says “do you let me walk with you” though

“can we go?”

“i don’t know...”

word to the wise:

the fates dancing around hades was just. mmMMM.

his kiss, the riot:

he removes the flower on his vest. (oh, symbolism, we meet again.)

hades is beside hermes as he tells him “let there be one term to be agreed upon...”

wait for me ii (intro):

ah yes. hermes sitting on that stool as it slowly turns around on the turntable.

wait for me ii:

during my show, andré accidentally sang “that is the road to paradise and likewise the path to ruin.” which is alright. we all make mistakes, it’s okay fam 👏

i started crying again once eva and reeve harmonized on “wait for me...i’m coming” and looked at one another

“are we gonna try again?” “it’s time for spring...we’ll try again next fall.” “wait for me?” “i will.”

as orpheus is walking along the turntable, hermes, persephone, eurydice, and the workers are gathered in the center. near the end of the song when they’re all singing “waiiiit for me... i’m comiiiing, waiiiiiit i’m... coming with you” persephone’s holding out the red flower while eurydice has her hand outstretched to orpheus.

EVA JUMP

“I’M COMING WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEEE I HEAR THE WALLS REPEATING THE FALLIN’ OF OUR FEET AND !! IT SOUNDS LIKE DRUMMIN’ !!!!!!”

it all goes dark as they sing “i’m coming !!!! (coming !!) (coming !!)”

doubt comes in:

IT’S LITERALLY AS GOOD AS YOU’D THINK IT IS

SO OMINOUS AND SPOOKY WITH THE FOG !!!!

eurydice’s following right behind orpheus, but he doesn’t know that. and the doubt and uncertainty on his face is heart-wrenching.

like. the STRESS on his face as he throws both his hands to his head and clutches his hair.

as the scene needs to focus on orpheus and his perspective of feeling alone, the spotlight is taken off of eurydice as she stops walking and lets the turntable turn until her full figure retreats into darkness. the spotlight is fully on orpheus and orpheus alone.

in the dark, three lanterns gradually rise up from the pit. as the fates start singing, their voices are hauntingly beautiful in the scene.

“doubt comes in...the wind is changing...doubt comes in...how cold it’s blowin’...doubt comes in...and meets a stranger walking on a road a l o n e . where is she ?? where is she now ??”

orpheus’s “who am i ?? why am i all alone ?? who do i think i am ? who am i to think that she would follow me into the cold and dark again.”

“orpheus, i’m listening—i’m right here !! and i will be to the end !! and the coldest night of the coldest year comes right before the spring.”

“i used to see the way the world could be...and now the way it is is all i see.”

orpheus’s realism contrasted with eurydice’s optimism just tugs at your heartstrings. orpheus, the once optimistic poet who “could see the way the world could be” no longer has that gift. eurydice, once a realist, has now been given hope that her lover can show her the way.

near the end of the song, the stairs begin to light up, and so does the exit. they’re so close to the surface—they’re almost there. and eurydice is so hopeful. she’s so certain they’ll make it that she doesn’t even doubt for a second that orpheus will turn around. but suddenly you hear a gasp. and you realize in the blink of an eye that orpheus had made a grave mistake. he’s turned around. his eyes are on eurydice, who’s frozen and in tears.

“it’s you...” he utters.

there’s a long silence

“it’s me...” her words are weak. “orpheus...?”

“eurydice...”

eurydice drops to her knees as she quickly descends back to hadestown. orpheus had scrambled his way to the edge of the pit, helplessly on his knees, staring down at where his lover had just been.

road to hell ii:

hermes’ “a’ight” after a long silence just brought me so many emotions. fuck.

as hermes is singing, eventually orpheus gets up and, with no other choice but to push on, continue his way up the stairs (to the surface), slowly and alone.

“‘cause here’s the thing: to know how it ends and still begin to sing it again...as if it might turn out this time...i learned that from a friend of mine.”

“see, orpheus was a poor boy—“ dressed in her act 1 clothes, eurydice reappears onstage saying, “anybody got a match?” hermes is still up front in the center, facing the audience as he holds out a matchbox in his left hand. “but he had a gift to give...” eurydice comes up and takes the box from him, “gimme that.” she sits down on the ground and takes out the candle from her bag, lighting the match, then lighting her candle.

from her pocket, she takes out a red flower and holds it to her face, sniffing it. a soft smile forms on her lips—like there’s some sentiment to this flower that she’s yet to know of—and puts it in her hair.

as the pit comes back up with all the tables and chairs, there’s persephone sitting on one of the tables.

at the end, orpheus returns back onstage with his apron and everything, stopping at one of the steps as he makes eye contact with eurydice. they’re staring at each other, lovestruck, just as they were in the beginning. “we’re gonna sing it again...”

we raise our cups:

persephone and eurydice’s harmonies 💞💓💖💕❤️💞💞

orpheus playing his guitar onstage even though all that shit just happened 😭 i cri

———

miscellaneous things:

act 1 was great, but the moment act 2 started i instantly knew it was gonna be my favorite. in the past when listening to audio, i always preferred to listen to act 1, with only a couple songs from act 2. so i always thought act 1 was my favorite act. but finally seeing hadestown in person, i think act 2 probably takes the cake.

once curtain call started, i was clapping like mad. when we got to the ensemble bowing, my hands were already dead but i was like, “FUCK IT, IF MY HANDS FALL OFF TONIGHT IT WAS WORTH IT BECAUSE I GOTTA APPRECIATE THIS ENTIRE CAST”

#AND THAT’S IT #i’m tired #a couple things may be inaccurate but it’s. fine.#hadestown #hadestown the musical #hadestown broadway #broadway #casu’s ramblings #my shtuff #casu’s hadestown experience

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notaghost3 · 4 years ago

Note

Fic asks: 3, 7, 13, 18

3. Do you write fics from start or finish, or jump around?

Usually start to finish, my especially for one-shots with lots of different separate scenes, I’ll jump around!

7. Which part of writing do you struggle with most?

The writing part ;p Hahaha, no probably describing or basically anything that isn’t dialogue. If I could all my stories would be dialogue with as little anything else as possible! haha

13. Is there a trope you wouldn’t write if it was the last trope on earth?

Hmmmm...probably de-aging? The stories where a character suddenly gets turned into a baby...I’ll read it but I probably wouldn’t ever write it!

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

This might get lengthy hahaha, but the first thing to come to mind is the 5th chapter of Heathens, where we finally get into Christine’s head for the first time and the reader begins to realize that things might not end happily ever after after all...so I might quote the whole chapter below! Italics is story, bold is my DVD commentary!

Her breath came out in a hiss.

How long had it been? Days? Months? Minutes?

The throbbing (this is a double meaning, the throbbing being her craving for blood and also her craving for Erik) continued, hidden deep within her. An awful, never ending sensation that followed her, haunted her through day and night. Or perhaps just night, for there was no day here in the cellar she was trapped in (not a blatant reference, but in Leroux’s novel, Erik controls the clocks in his house and I always wondered if he was changing the times to trick Christine into thinking time was passing slower/quicker depending on what he wanted and this Erik for sure would. Plus...vampires, darkness, night). Only night, only darkness, only thirst, only despair, only maddening need- (This Christine, and this chapter especially is full of purposeful repetition as if she’s collecting her thoughts and I really love the way that turned out!)

Only him.

That was the trouble of it all. It was not that she desired him, not that she loved him but that without him she could not survive; dependence was all she knew, the only familiar friend that kept her company in this underworld of horror.

She wanted to crush dependence like a bug beneath her foot. (Defeat the vampire patriarchy!)

She hated the dependence that he had forced upon her with this "new life", this "new chance" she had been gifted by him, she loathed the "freedom" she was offered by being forever held in a prison cell disguised as a house (this came from me wanting to start introducing the concept that she was actually miserable as a vampire vs. alot of vampire E/C fics or vampire fics in general where the person turned into the vampire just adapts to immortality beautifully and loves it and I think Christine is just too much of a sunshine person to ever be happy :/ especially in this AU since she actually didn’t know Erik before hand). She spat upon this life. Cursed, condemned and damned it in her mind until she broke down and prayed for forgiveness. Prayed for forgiveness from a God she wasn't sure was even listening to her desperate pleas anymore. Why would he? She was just as cursed, condemned, and damned as the creature she tried to pray away. (LOVE that last sentence, I love when I see the chance to flip the monster/man scenario on Christine since she can’t view it as an outsider anymore, she has to herself as the monster too. I touch on that in the last chapter to, but I really like this one because it includes the God convo because do vampires have souls? Do anyone? Christine is really doubting it now and she doesn’t like that she’s having to.)

It was then that she cried.

It was the strangest thing: she could cry. So many other human traits had been taken away but that one remained. Each tear burned, but she relished in the pain. At least the tears were her own, at least he didn't command when they fell, at least she could feel the pain they brought as she was made numb to so many other things. It was these times that he came to her and wrapped her in his arms, apologizing and shushing her gently on the floor of the cold stone that no longer felt cold compared to her skin. (The sad thing about this AU is that Erik really does love Christine, despite her very obviously hating him and I picture in these instances, he is really actually upset and caring for her but he doesn’t realize [yet anyway, he will by the end of the last chapter] that she feels like a songbird trapped in a gilded cage. Also the cold is a reference to the legend that vampires have unnaturally cold skin.)

Compared to her heart.

For a moment, she could almost fool herself that she was human and so was he. That there was genuine care between them and that she genuinely wanted comfort from her fears. For a moment, she could almost love him.

But almost love was far different from the real thing. (UGH Christine is under the impression that she is being manipulated which she is and she is very suspicious of any and all of his actions toward her, but a part of her feels drawn to him...)

He claimed to love her, but she knew this monster too well to be charmed and deceived by the false promises of love he offered her. (love this sentence!) She hadn't asked for this life, hadn't asked for him but here she was. Here they were. He told her he loved her every chance he saw: loved her voice, loved her hair, loved her eyes that now mirrored the shade of his own, loved her soft skin, loved the wetness that he coaxed from her, loved the scars he had left on the back of her throat...she could go on and on (this is in reference to Leroux’s Erik and how he spent a ton of times those 2 weeks he kidnapped her proclaiming his love!) She knew better. He was nothing more than a snake, poised and ready to strike.

Rattlesnake and songbird- she'd heard this tale before. (This was the first sentence I had planned for this chapter! I had just gotten into Hadestown and I realized that Hades and Eurydice in “Hey little Songbird” where Hades enticed Eurydice into the Underworld was such a good parellel and in the musical Hermes has a line about rattlesnake vs. songbird and I feel like Christine would’ve probably heard the Orpheus/Eurydice tale probably from Erik or maybe her father so I had to include it. This whole chapter blossomed from this sentence basically.)

But then he'd lean down and settle on the ground beside her, he'd cup his hand under her chin, and he'd raise her face to his-

Then she'd see his eyes. (Hypnotization! I decided the reason Erik used it so much was because he thought because of his ugliness, Christine would never stay on her own terms...and the reason Christine hasn’t tried it for herself is because she simply doesn’t know she can)

Those beautiful, awful, dangerous eyes.

And the world fell away.

She knew she shouldn't look at them. Shouldn't give way to temptation and lock stares with him, giving herself willingly over, but it was better then. She wasn't in control then, she was a lifeless doll that was docile and willing. She couldn't think when she was lost in his eyes, didn't have time to dwell on the ill-fated deck of cards life had dealt her. Instead, there was only life, only surrender, only pure bliss- (Here’s the mirrored repetition from earlier in the chapter!)

Only him.

It was like drawing a circle in the sand. (Lowkey hate this sentence, but i couldn’t think of anything better in the moment.)

She would look at him and believe every word he uttered.

Then he would kiss her, slowly and passionately just like a lover should, and she would hitch her leg over his hip as she let him lower her against the ground... (*Side Eye*)

Why couldn't she just hate him? (ah yes, the question of the century..., and also in reference to the scene in Leroux where she tells Raoul that she cannot hate Erik.)

Why after every lie and manipulation did she come back? Crawling after him like a drunkard in need of alcohol. Why did some part of her compel her to stay, what gene in her dared to act on its curious instincts? It wouldn't be so difficult to hate him if he didn't provide her with the solution to her throbbing, with the water for the flames that constantly raged inside her, grasping to be released (that whole sentence can be applied to both of her pressing *needs*). It was easy to pretend then as the creature took over and she wasn't in control of her actions and desires. It was quite simple to be content in those moments. (Here she is, trying to reason that she is just the victim, just the outsider and not the monster).

But that too ended.

And he would look away.

And the world would come crashing back down.

It was quite easy to hate him then.

The throbbing continued, beating between her legs in a battle against the burn of her throat. The two constant, consistent needs that only he could fill. (One of my FAVORITE sentences I have ever wrote!)

Only Erik... (and here’s the final reference to the “only” repetition theme Christine has had going on this whole chapter!)

Her eyes narrowed from her place in the doorway of his music room as she watched his fingers play out notes that she was positive had been tapped on the inner most parts of her. Music was perhaps the only wholesome thing she had left but he was in every note, his voice the most incredible thing she ever had the misfortune of hearing. (Another sentence I’m really proud of! Also this was actually the first paragraph I had written for this chapter and it just sat at the end of this document while I tried to fill in the middle!)

Christine wasn't sure of many things, but as her tongue traced over her blood-stained lips she was sure of one thing: she had to escape. (In my OG outline, the chapter actually kept going from here, but I decided that this had really nice punch to it and I left it alone! And I’m glad I did. I also like how it ties the whole chapter back to Earth as you realize Christine has had all these thoughts while shooting Erik daggers with her eyes in the doorframe.)

Well, hopefully you made it through all my ramblings! I feel like I could do this with the last chapter of Heathens to, but I made a whole video about that one! The password is heathens if anyone is interested in listening to me ramble hahaha

Thank you, @a-partofthenarrative!!

#not a ghost3 answers #heathens #poto

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hetalialoverwrites · 5 years ago

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Ways to be Wicked

Part 2

First - Next

Appearing in a cloud of magic, you greeted Ben with a smile as he had been waiting in front of his castle for you. "Ben!" You hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around your waist. "(Y/n), thanks for coming back to Auradon." Ben said. "What are we, chopped liver?" Carlos asked, laughter in his voice. Ben pulled away and grinned at the others, going over to greet them, "Hey guys, nice to see you again." They all exchanged greetings and you took in a deep breath, remembering last year. It seemed like a distant memory now. And now that you had been spending some time with your people and engulfed in nature for a few months, you felt completely at peace. "Well, go ahead and get settled in your dorms. (Y/n), if you wouldn't mind, we have an appointment soon with Princess Ariel and Prince Eric later this week." Ben reminded you. "Oh, yes I remember!" You told him before walking with Mal and Evie to your dorms. There were beds once again... You and Mal sighed, "Again?" You grumbled together.

During your time going to Auradon for your second year, you spent a lot of time with Ben and touring around the kingdom. You visited many princesses and princes. Many different sections of the kingdoms. However, it didn't really matter where you went, the media would always be following. And no matter how many times you told yourself everything would be fine... It wasn't. Every trip had something go wrong. Take your first meeting with some of the royals. To start off easy, Ben took you to visit Princess Ariel and Prince Eric in their seaside castle. You had dressed in your typical nature-themed backless gown with matching shoes and had done your hair nicely around your horns. You made sure to be presentable in front of Auradon royalty, not only being there as Ben's girlfriend but also as a princess of the Moors. Ben escorted you inside, you hold his arm as you saw Aurora do with Philip many times over the summer. You greeted Princess Ariel and Prince Eric politely and they did the same to you two, but they seemed to be slightly on edge around you.

Lunch had gone over well, despite a large amount of press taking pictures and recording everything that happened. The blunder came just as the servants cleared the table and more interesting discussions took place. You and Ariel seemed to be bonding over growing up in a non-human land with Prince Eric and Ben speaking casually with each other. Then Princess Melody, Ariel and Eric's daughter came toddling in the room and went up to her mother. You fawned over the little one, adoring the small children in the Moors and Ulstead. Ariel greeted her and picked up Melody, introducing the two of you. But when Melody's eyes landed on you, she started to shriek and cry in fright. With you, Ariel, Ben, and Eric panicking, the press practically had a field day. Then you remembered your mother's words when she told you offhandedly one day that some of the children in Ulstead were afraid of her. And you remembered your treatment at the hands of those on the Isle.

Hiding a pained and hurt expression, you forced a smile onto your face and cast magic to hide your horns and wings from those in the room. Ariel and Eric were trying to calm their daughter down when you crouched in front of Melody, who was sitting on Ariel's lap. "Hey sweetie, what are you so worked up about little princess?" You cooed softly, noticing out of the corner of your eye that the cameras were pointing at you. Melody sniffled and calmed down at your soft voice and she opened her eyes to look at you. "Hey, there you are. I'm sorry I scared you. Let me introduce myself. I'm (Y/n). What's your name?" You asked, giving her a warm and patient smile. Melody sniffled and wiped her tears away with her fists before looking at you shyly, noticing you no longer had your horns and wings. "I'm Melody." The little princess spoke gently. You smiled wider, "Oh, that's a wonderful name for a lovely little songbird." You told her, at the same time making a small amber bird out of your magic. It flew around her and sung a nice little song, making Melody gasp in awe and giggle. You managed to save the trip but spent the rest of the time covering your wings and horns. But that seemed to start your downward spiral.

Under the pressure of the media questioning Ben's decisions and if he was worthy to be king while dating a girl like you, you started to change yourself. Your horns were too scary, like a devil's... So, you hid them with magic. Your etiquette was dreadful, so you started taking more classes on top of your normal classes at Auradon Prep. Your magic was dangerous and frightened those you visited, so you stopped using it. You always came empty-handed to meet with others, so you started to make gifts for those you would visit with Ben. They were too impersonal, so you started to put more thought into them and more time. The way you dressed was not suitable for someone to stand beside the king in, so you changed into the preppy Auradon clothing. Your wings were intimidating and caused people to fear you, so you made them disappear out of sight as well. You were given multiple duties such as planning events, learning all of the laws of Auradon, royal etiquette, princess lessons, how to be a Lady of the Court, the starting of what a Queen of Auradon does... Things continued to pile on you as who you are, who you really are was stripped away.

It seemed that whenever you finished something, you were given three more tasks to finish on top of your schoolwork and planning things with Ben and traveling the kingdom. You didn't have any time to yourself anymore, not even to sit down and enjoy nature. To connect with nature. Even in your dorm, you had to give up more of your life, more of what connected you to your Fae roots. Since Cotillion was coming up towards the end of the school year, Evie had to start months in advance on making everyone's gowns and suits. So, within the first three months of the school year, yours and Mal's nests had to leave to make room for Evie's work. So, on top of planning everything for Cotillion since Ben had to focus on his kingly duties, for the most part, you had to make time to create hammocks close to the ceiling for you and Mal. Without magic because Evie scolded you every time you used it! And yes, Jane was assisting with Cotillion along with Fairy Godmother, but you had to make all the decisions, so you had to make sure everything went together and would run smoothly.

Regarding your magic and Evie, after you had started to struggle with your duties, Mal had suggested you used magic to lighten the load. So, you did, and it made everything just a little easier. But Evie found out and condemned you for using it, saying Ben wouldn't like it. Ben had hardly noticed all the changed you were making in the first place, or at least, he hadn't said anything about them. So, you decided to ignore Evie's protests as the workload piled on. And Mal... Your dear sister had seen what you were going through and decided that if you were going to hide yourself and had to cut yourself off from your Fae roots, that you wouldn't do it alone. So Mal had hidden her wings and horns. She had stopped using magic in public. She changed her schedule to make sure that it aligned with yours, so that if you had something to do, she could go with you to, she would. She helped keep you awake during school and homework. She made sure that you were eating enough even if you had to run to class and eat something small on the way because of how packed your schedule was. When you started wearing preppy clothing to fit in, as much as you both hated it, she started to wear it too. When the media had managed to surround you, she had helped you get away from them. And... And when you cried over having to change your hair, she held you. They had decided that the only thing left that you had to change was your hair because it was unnaturally colored.

So, you cried that night with Mal holding you on your hammocks after Evie went to sleep. Because your hair was the last thing that you had of yourself. It was your connection to your father as its colors reminded you of flames, like your father's hellfire. Of course, you cried when you hide your horns and wings, as it was painful to lose your connection to your people. You had cried when you had to stop using your magic and being proud of using it in public because it was your link to your mother. You hated that you had to hide it like a dirty secret. And now you cried because you had to change your hair. Mal only held you quietly, a few tears rolling down her face as she felt pain for you and for hiding herself as well. But she didn't complain, knowing how much you loved Ben and just how much stress you had been under. And since she was the older twin, she would pull it together and be your rock because you've done the same before for her. And in the morning, your brilliant red amber hair and Mal's lovely royal purple hair had changed. You both spelled your hair princess length, which was impractically long, and changed the color. You had a washed out and dull (h/c) look with the tips of your hair your natural red amber. Mal had washed out and dull blonde with tips of her natural purple. And with that, you had lost yourself completely to what the kingdom wanted you to be.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey guys, just to let you know, I didn't mean to make it sound like your natural hair colors are dull or boring!! I just meant that you should think of your natural hair color and change it to a duller and more washed out color is all. Sorry about the confusion!

#descendants au #ben x reader #reader insert #descendants #romance #mirror mirror #maleficent mistress of evil #crossover

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nytwhadestown · 5 years ago

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Hadestown Broadway Reflection

Woo! Saw the show last Saturday and I have been Processing. Love love love and lots of thoughts. Like lots lots so under the cut:

"I don't know how I feel about Andre just because I'm so used to Chris' Hermes and they're so different and I think the adjustment will be hard-- MY MAN. JE VOUS

AIME." Andre really commands a stage. He is cool and suave and brings the audience right in. You're on Hermes' side right away. WOOT TWooT Shout out to the trombone player. It wasn't the usual guy but he was so good.

Loved the changes to Any Way The Wind Blows to make it abt specific climate issues. Loved how it introduced Eurydice, and the conflict of the world being out of tune.

I kind of miss the NYTW version because the fates play it so eerie. My ideal Hadestown has two versions of Any Way The Wind Blows just so I can get the best of both worlds I love this song.

"I know I'm not being fair at all, but I loved Damon Daunno's Orpheus so much that Reeve is going to have to work twice as hard to win me over" (leans over to my mom the second Orpheus and Eurydice see each other) "he won me over." He played such a sweet, honest and hopeful Orpheus. Really loved his portrayal. He's a good boy.

Honestly if it comes down to it I still prefer Damon (esp as a singer, his falsetto is stronger and his voice is clearer) but this isn’t a one or the other situation-

I just really love any and all Orpheuses. 10/10. He went SO goddamn heart eyes over her.

So did I!! Eva’s voice, her power.

When he gets everyone into the Epics, I would just get chills every time.

One thing I missed was the power behind Orpheus' idealism.

I did see a bit of it in "If It's True" when he started examining the corruption of the underworld, but I liked it better when he had something to say about it all along.

I think he still could have been a sweeter, more guileless Orpheus and kept the power of his idealism.

Ex. NYTW Orpheus had a few lines speaking out against Hades/capitalism/etc. which was fitting because he loves life, and therefore is a natural mouthpiece against Hades (=Death). I guess it makes sense that most of the complaints about Hadestown come from those who have been there, but I think Orpheus as a leader of the workers would have worked better if he still had a *little* bite to him.

Way Down slaps so much. Just a ton of fun. Always a favorite and I was just boppin in my seat. GHOD this show gives me so much joy.

I really liked it when they attributed the changes in weather and the coming of hard times to "the world being out of tune." Now, Orpheus isn't sitting on his ass rather than helping Eurydice. Instead, he is doing all he can think of- trying to get the whole world back in tune for her. It's a naive ideal, still, but he is doing everything he can to give her a better world. The whole world. So much better, this boy is trying so hard for her.

Hey Little Songbird was somehow terrifying and thrilling and a little hot.

When the Chips Are Down was a jam but also Eurydice's choice was so sad to watch. And how they kicked her into the choice. Interesting detail: the "ticket" to the Underworld is two silver coins. It occured to me when Eurydice held them in front of her eyes that they were a reference to the two silver coins the ancient greeks would place over the eyes of the dead to pay passage to the underworld. Loved the details in this show.

Don't want to give too much away but the set during Wait For Me is my favorite character.

...except for Persephone during Why We Build the Wall. My eyes were on her the whole time. Her soul looked so crushed it was heartbreaking. Truly Tony-Worthy.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO ACT TWO: Our Lady of the Underground. WEEEEEHAW.

Persephone gives Hermes a kiss on the cheek and I just gasped "god I wish that were me."

Way Down 2 as usual, underrated fave.

I liked the development of what I'd picked up on of the worker's souls and individual personalities fading away under the dehumanization of their labor. It was possibly my favorite blend of myth and anti-capitalist themes: the River Lethe/Loss of Identity.

It made Flowers clearer and without Flowers changing much if at all. And all the more heartbreaking for it.

EVA NOBLEZADA the emotion....the power. she really ripped my heart out.

Come Home With Me II was so :,( but I loved the immediate reconciliation of just clear and simple love and forgiveness.

Poor Orpheus was so roughed up it was hard to watch. Reeve acted through that really well.

I did like the call to arms that Orpheus did and how it roused the workers to action and to his side, but it felt sort of impersonal. I think his grief is too

important to his motivation. I almost wish it were more of a two parter- the grief and pain and then in another song maybe, the call to arms.

Amber Gray and Patrick Page acted the HELL out of How Long, which I've always loved for its subtle power and man did it hit me.

RIP Persephone's Verse in Chant

RIP me watching Patrick's expressions in Epic III and how he and Amber looked at each other in pain and dismay.

Honestly I was distraught and in an emotional puddle for the rest of the show so not many more specifics.

I love this show and all the joy and sorrow it has woven into it so well. Bravo Miss Mitchell, Bravo!

#long post #hadestown #broadway

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aidenzhous · 6 years ago

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in all these moments. (ajay x mc)

pairing: ajay x f!mc (cas rhodes).

word count: 3.4k.

genre: fluff / teeny tiny sprinkle of angst / romance.

summary: five times ajay backs out, and one time he doesn’t.

author’s note: i was rereading hssca bc i have Nothing else 2 do and i was thinking !!! why not !!!!!!! do a 5+1 !!! bc im super weak for those !!! anyways here it is it’s not Totally loyal 2 the chapters bc ~creative license~ but i Do hope u all enjoy it anyways for my first fic here owo !!!!

tag list: send me an ask or message me if you want to be added !!

i. auditions.

Ajay has always believed freshmen were all the same—too curious, too reckless—just too much everything. The world was their oyster, and they hadn’t learned the difference between questions to ask and questions to rein in.

That was what Ajay believed, until Cas.

She’s all cheerful eyes and open friendliness when she introduces herself, stumbling on her shoelace before righting herself with an embarrassed laugh. She doesn’t even look bothered after he’d brushed her hand aside and easily repeated his speech of ambitious projects and director responsibilities, smiling apologetically as she takes a half-step back.

“My bad,” she says. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Thank you. But you’re still bothering me, Cas.”

He can’t help but notice her eyes carry that wide-eyed freshman wonder, intertwined with something that feels like sunshine and starlight and something he can’t quite name. Freshman optimism, maybe. He glances back to his scripts just as Danielle slides into the conversation like she had been there all along.

“Relax, Ajay.” Danielle barks a laugh. “She’s just trying to introduce herself.”

“Danielle, please.” He runs a hand through his hair and tugs the script closer, mindful of his pen. He levels her with a look, exasperation and exhaustion in one. “I can forgive interruptions from a freshman, but you of all people should know better.”

She shrugs, like he has a point but she stands too much on her own to care. “How about this?” Danielle says. “Cas can help me set up the stage, and you can take a chill pill.”

Ajay rolls his eyes and waves a dismissive hand. “Lovely idea,” he says after a moment.

Danielle turns on her heel and motions for Cas to follow, leading her backstage. Against Ajay’s better judgement, he lets himself get distracted, gives himself an interlude between work to watch as they leave. His eyes linger on Cas’s profile, watches as she says something to Danielle before breaking out into a laugh that he can clearly hear across the room. It sounds like a songbird at dawn.

He shakes his head before picking up his pen, twirling it between his fingers. She’s new, he reasons. She’s an undiscovered piece in the puzzle that Ajay hasn’t quite figured out yet, and he’s only distracted because it’s natural. Logical, even.

He sneaks another glance to the stage.

ii. the party.

This is what he knows: Ajay has always been good at separating his work from his personal life. Theater stays theater—everyone is a co-star first and a friend second, and romance is totally, absolutely out of the question. Success comes when everyone can focus, and butterflies, longing glances and crushes had no place in a production—especially one as important as this.

He’s lining up his next shot at the pool table, eyes focused. Emma and Sydney are hovering on the opposite end, their conversation distant and muted as he tunes it out. He inhales once, ready to secure the point, until—

“Ajay, thank God!”

His hands grip the pool cue tighter by a fraction, the only giveaway that her voice had startled him. It takes all his willpower to look nonchalant, to look like he’s absorbed in a game he knows he’ll score easy wins at, but the difference between being and looking is in the eyes. He waits until Emma and Sydney flit over to Cas, waits until they strike up a conversation of their own before he dares to look in their direction for a brief moment. He spots the faded blue of her jacket and the bright smile he’s gotten accustomed to seeing.

Ajay successfully sinks two solids into a pocket. He straightens up and pretends like he’s seeing Cas for the first time.

“Oh, hey Cas,” he says. She grins at the greeting, throwing a little wave his way.

“Took you long enough to notice I was here! I thought I would’ve had to start the preparations for my eightieth birthday if you didn’t turn around in the next minute.” She points to the pool table. “I didn’t know you were practically a master at pool.”

Ajay shrugs before turning back towards the game. “You only met me this Monday,” he says. “Besides, it’s not like pool is a particularly useful skill.”

“Maybe so,” Cas says, “but it makes for some impromptu bets!.”

Ajay raises an eyebrow at her, feeling the smile before he could stop it. He shakes his head and lets her have a short laugh, before he calls a pocket and easily knocks the 8-ball in.

“I win,” he says. He sees Emma’s shoulders slump in defeat as she sighs.

“Can I play against you?” Cas asks. “I have a good feeling I can snatch that pool-master title from you, easy peasy.”

He sets the pool cue aside, glancing her way. She’s all determined energy, coiled up into a tiny frame. “As much as I’d love to show you up, a bunch of jocks already called the next game.” He turns to her with a grin. “Find me later if you still want to play.”

She does find him later, when he’s leaning against the kitchen counter with a pizza in hand and a glass of cola in the other.

“Found you,” she chirps. “I believe you owe me a game of pool.”

“Can I at least finish my pizza first?”

“Nope! You can just eat on the way.”

Ajay figures out two things that night.

One: it is possible, even though he’d sworn up and down it wasn’t, that there was someone who was better than him at pool. He doesn’t know how to feel knowing that someone was a sprightly freshman with a knack for pulling out Ajay’s softer side.

Two: Cas’s hands are cold but soft. She also has victory dances, and Ajay thinks the cutest one is the one where she waves her body like she’s a piece of seaweed.

iii. the theater.

A quick glance to the clock tells him it’s nearing two am, and he’s been watching Cas nod off for the past twenty minutes, alternating between tipping over from sleepiness and jolting awake. He feels bad, because neither of them are in the beds they should be and it’s not like the theater comes with backup beds for events like this. A theater wasn’t built for overnight stays.

“Cas,” he murmurs, tapping her shoulder. She makes a little snuffling noise, nose wrinkling as she blinks her eyes open. “You should sleep on the seats instead of here.”

“‘M okay,” she says, shaking her head. “Not sleepy.”

“You’ve been falling asleep for the past twenty minutes.”

Her next words come in a drawl, pulled by a tired lull. “No,” she says. “No sleep. Don’t know sleep.”

Ajay stifles a laugh. He ducks so her arm goes around his shoulder, and gently, he pulls her up. She goes along like a doll, which is to say, she doesn’t go along at all. “C’mon,” he says, though it’s mostly to himself. “The stage isn’t the best place to sleep.”

“Stage is good,” she murmurs, but she stumbles alongside him. “Detective C no lie.”

He doesn’t justify her with a response. She wouldn’t be able to snipe back, anyways, not with how tired she was. Instead, he shakes his head fondly as he lowers her onto one of the seats. She takes to it immediately, curling up on her side. After a moment’s hesitation, Ajay shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over her, patting it down. He hopes it’ll keep some of the chill away.

He takes the floor, sprawling against carpeted hardwood floor. His back immediately twinges in pain, and using his arm as a pillow only increases comfort by a marginal amount. This wasn’t how he imagined spending his Friday night, but a glance to Cas mutes his rationality.

If anything, getting to spend time with Cas made up for all the wrongdoings.

Her hand is hanging over the edge of the chair, fingertips barely touching the floor, and he lets himself reach over, his own fingers falling just short of being able to touch hers. Maybe if they were in a different situation, he could hold her hand the way he wants to.

But he’s a director and she’s a cast member, and Ajay has always been a stickler for his own rules.

He pulls his hand back, drops it onto his stomach and turns so he doesn’t have to look at Cas. She’s always been optimism personified, a burst of sunlight through cloudy skies.

Ajay’s just awful at not chasing the sun.

iv. homecoming dance.

Homecoming was many things. Crowded, for one, with memories from a time he’d rather forget. There’s a reason he had no plans on showing up, but all it takes is Cas and one well placed set of puppy-dog eyes and he crumbles like a demigod beneath the skies.

They’re dancing, slowly and surely. She’s clumsy at first, but she learns rhythm and steps quicker than he had anticipated, stepping where appropriate with only occasional glances to their shoes. Ajay can’t help but think of the what-ifs again.

“What’s that move?” She suddenly asks as the song nears its end. “The one they do at the end of songs.”

Ajay knows exactly what move she’s talking about, and it’s almost too easy to tighten his hold on her. “I got you,” he says as he spins her into a low dip. He smiles at the noise of surprise she makes, feels a little satisfied with himself when her grip tightens around him like she’s scared of falling. Her eyes are wide with alarm, but they carry a little bit of reckless joy too.

“A little warning would’ve been nice,” she says. She’s trying for annoyed, he can tell, but he’s starting to learn it’s never been in her nature to be annoyed at anyone. It only takes a moment before she bursts with a dazzling grin, another that Ajay files away in ‘expressions I’d like to see again’.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Ajay replies as he pulls her up. She does a little twirl under his arm and he lets himself hold her hand for a moment longer. The grooves and planes of her hand feel familiar under his; soft, sure, right. But he pulls away, doesn’t let himself think about that in too much detail because he’s not supposed to and puts a small distance between them that feels like miles. He doesn’t miss the way she deflates a little, doesn’t miss the way disappointment sits on her shoulders.

He figures there’s no way someone like her—all starlight, moonlight, sunlight—would like someone like him.

v. accusations.

Ajay looks over when he hears the soft thud of a lunch tray. Cas is sitting across Rory, her expression upset as she pleads with her to talk. It’s courtesy, he tells himself, when he stands and tugs her sleeve, pulling her to the occupied end of the table. He knows, really, that he has no right to do that, especially after what he had accused Cas of.

“She hasn’t spoken since lunch started,” Ajay explains, and her face falls.

“Is it because of—”

“Of course it is!” Danielle snaps, and Cas jumps in her seat beside Ajay. His eyes immediately fall to his plate, fingers gripping his spoon tightly. He’s done enough damage on his own, and the production was relying on him and he can’t have a repeat— “Just get out of here already, you’ve made things bad enough.”

“Danielle!” Cas’s voice is sharp in reply, but it loses its impact as it breaks.

“What you did wasn’t cool,” Clint says. “Not to any of us.”

“You should find somewhere else to sit, because you’re not welcome here,” Natalie adds.

Ajay winces. He doesn’t have to look up to know what their faces look like; their words hurt alone. Quiet falls on the table and he can feel the weight of Cas’s eyes on him. He keeps his gaze low, pushes around his food until she stands.

“Fine,” she says. “I’ll just go.”

He finally lifts his eyes when the squeak of her sneakers grow fainter, turning to watch as she shoulders open the door towards the courtyard. He’s suddenly lost his appetite, and pushes his tray away from him.

A moment later, Erin and Skye hurry up to the table carrying trays of their own.

“Where’s Cas?” Skye asks, and Ajay points to the courtyard.

“She got kicked off the table,” he replies, and Danielle’s glare switches its focus to him, turning icy. He doesn’t dignify it with a response.

Skye rolls her eyes and marches off towards the courtyard. Erin looks towards the table, eyebrows furrowed before she says, “I’m really disappointed you’d all believe Cas could be capable of something so cruel. She really thought you guys were her friends.” Her words sit uncomfortably on the group as she follows Skye, and Ajay’s eyes follow them, watching as they take a seat at Cas’s table.

He watches as Cas shivers against the wind, and he feels the inexplicable urge to put his jacket over her shoulders, like they were locked in the theater together again.

But they’re not.

They’re on two different sides of a serious argument and Ajay has monumentally screwed up his production and his friendships again. He stands up and clears his tray before disappearing to the theater, where no one else has to follow him except his own ghosts.

vi. cas.

Cas has successfully avoided Ajay for the duration of the cast party. She’s ducked into her kitchen, hid in the bathroom, shoved a handful of fries into her mouth and bolted for the living room as soon as Ajay had spotted her. It’s a never-ending game of hide and seek, and she doesn’t intend to lose.

It’s backed by pride, she knows that, and hurt too.

As the party winds down, she lurks near the front door. Ajay had disappeared at some point, and it’s easy to assume he’s just gone home. It’s a relief, she thinks. The game is over, and she can return to moping by herself. She doesn’t know how much longer she could’ve lasted trying to hide from him.

“Cas?” Ajay’s voice comes from behind her, and she throws her arms up in surprise.

“Woah, did not see you there,” Cas says, turning around to face him. “You’re still here. I thought you went home or—or something. I haven’t seen you for a while.”

Ajay raises an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, someone’s been hiding from me all night.”

“Gosh,” Cas replies, “who could that be?”

She doesn’t want to fall back into a rhythm with him. He makes it too easy. She pulls at a stray thread on her sweater before Ajay sighs.

“Can we talk, actually?”

“We’re talking right now, aren’t we?”

“I mean privately, without anyone else around.” Ajay runs a hand through his hair before he says, “just to my car?”

And Cas, well, she’s never been the greatest at saying no to Ajay.

“I wanted to apologize,” Ajay murmurs. They’re leaning against his car, and Cas occupies herself by staring at her shoes. “Back when everyone accused you—I should’ve stayed neutral, or at least been more thorough in making sure the facts checked out. I let you down, and I’m sorry.”

“That’s not what…” Cas pauses. She wants the right words, but she’s never been like Ajay—never has been eloquent or as level-headed as him. “Ajay, I don’t care about the fact-checking, or the staying neutral. I care that you said I could’ve been capable of doing something like that, I care that you said it was ‘logical’ and that it made sense to you. I care that in the heat of the moment, you decided that the cleverness you liked meant that I could’ve done it.” She sucks in a breath, hands rubbing her arms. “I care that my friend turned his back on me, and he did it so easily.”

Ajay doesn’t respond. Cas glances over in his direction to see him with his face buried in his hands.

“Ajay?” She prompts. “You okay?”

“No,” he says. His voice comes out all muffled. “I asked you out here to apologize—I was so confident I had it all right and that I knew what I was apologizing for but I still—” He cuts himself off, hands falling to his sides. “I still messed it up.”

“You can try again, now that you know what I was actually upset about.”

“Would you hear it out?”

Cas gives him a warm smile. “When have I ever said no?”

Ajay takes in a deep breath before he turns to face Cas. His expression is determined and apologetic all at once. “Cas,” he starts, “I’m sorry, genuinely. I hurt you not just as a director, but as a friend. I shouldn’t have been so quick to decide which version of the story I believed, and I should’ve had more faith in you as a person. You were right, after all, and I’m sorry it took me so long to build up the courage to properly apologize to you.”

“I accept your apology,” Cas says. “And I forgive you.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Ajay shakes his head, but the smile on his lips is warm and kind. Cas opens her mouth to say something before a cold gust of wind blows strongly, immediately bringing shivers from the both of them.

“How about we get into my car?” Ajay suggests. “I can turn on the heater.”

“I call shotgun!” Cas calls out, skipping around towards the passenger door.

“Sometimes I wonder where we would be if I didn’t audition for the play,” Cas says. She has her hands pressed up against the heater, fingers wiggling against the current of warm air. “Like, would we still be friends? Would we have gone through that huge theaterwide drama? Or would we just have been people with mutual friends?”

“Maybe we could’ve been something else,” Ajay replies. “That particular thought has crossed my mind a few times, even though it shouldn’t have, and I’ve probably rehearsed the next few words a hundred times.”

The words are so telling, and Cas pulls her hands away from the heater as she sits back against the seat. She glances over to him before her head tilts in a play of curiosity. “What words?”

“I don’t want to rush it, Cas,” Ajay says, but his eyes soften around the edges. “I just—don’t quite know how to say it.”

The smile Cas gives him is nothing short of encouraging, tinted with butterflies and longing glances. “Hey, take your time,” she says. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ajay’s head thumps against the headrest. Cas snickers, before she schools her expression into something gentler. She watches as Ajay takes a deep breath, fingers drumming against the steering wheel before his eyes meet hers.

“I think you’re incredible, Cas,” Ajay says. “You’re incredible on stage, and offstage—every morning, I feel so lucky that I can say you’re important to me. I can’t imagine myself not caring about you.”

He pauses, before he says, “I like you, Cas. I like you a lot. Waiting for the show to end has been…” He trails off, letting the silence speak. “I liked working with you, and with everyone else. But I won’t lie and say that I haven’t been thinking of taking your hand every time an opportunity presented itself and asking if I could—” Ajay ducks his head, adjusting his glasses.

“Yeah?” Cas bites back a smile, eyes earnest as Ajay looks up with a smile of his own.

“Cas, can I kiss you?”

“That would be really nice.”

They share a laugh, a little break in the moment as they lean over the console. Cas zeroes in on the gentle touch of Ajay’s fingers on her hair, the feather-light affection when he tilts her chin up. It’s instinct when her eyes slide shut.

Their lips meet in a chaste, soft kiss—a brief touch that sends her heart racing. She feels her cheeks warm up intensely as Ajay pulls away, touching his forehead to hers.

“That was—wow,” she murmurs, and Ajay laughs, the sound soft as it suspends itself between them. “Your glasses are all fogged up now.”

“Small price to pay,” he replies.

She takes in Ajay, takes in all of him from the way his lips are tilted up in a smile to the expressions he reserves just for her to the way he’s always carried himself like he’s unshakeable. She sees him in all the ways that make her heart flutter, and all the ways he holds her steady.

“I like you a lot too, Ajay.”

#hssca #hssca ajay #playchoices #playchoices fic #ajay x mc #mc: cas rhodes #fics.#it's 4:30am im losing it how did i get here .

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kimjoongs-main · 6 years ago

Text

dream seller au - renjun {1}

» type: bullet scenario

» warning(s): n/a

» dia’s note: this started out fluffy.....idk what happened....also...there will be a part 2 bc this plot was a lot longer than i thought it was going to be

you’ve heard stories about the infamous “dreamer” who resides in the depths of the forest

people say he’s the creator of dreams, the one responsible for the visual images that occur during deep slumber

many residents in your village, mostly the elderly, claimed that the dreamer was an immortal being who lived to provide dreams for mortals

others have claimed that they’ve physically seen the dreamer and described him as a young boy adorned in ragged fabric, hair as dark as the night sky and facial features which looked to be carved from smooth marble

it was also said that if you were to stumble upon the dreamer, you would have the opportunity to ask him to create a dream specifically for you

it could be anything from your wildest fantasies to your simplest desires, he would provide that for you

your mother first told you this story when you were just a child, curious as to why you were experiencing these images while you were asleep

as a child, you were intrigued by the idea and sought out more stories about the dreamer

other children in your village, however, weren’t as intrigued and quite honestly found the story to be nothing but a mindless fantasy

because of this, you were often the subject of teasing and it became hard for you to make friends

so you often found yourself wandering around the village all alone

sometimes, you’d wander as far as the edge of the village, the border which separated your cozy little town from the vast forest that lay on the other side

a few times you were tempted to cross over, to venture thru the trees and see for yourself if the myth was true, however you were always stopped by a villager who warned you to never explore the forest on your own

for the next few years, you adhered to the villager’s warning, but the same time, your curiosity continued to cultivate and eventually, you couldn’t wait anymore

you had to know if the myth was actually true or not...so one night when the entire village succumbed to a deep slumber, you carefully snuck out of your home

you left a note for your mother saying you went for a walk in case you didn’t return by daybreak

you were adorned in a black cape, completely invisible even underneath the light of the full moon

armed with only a small torch and a pick axe, you pushed past the dense thicket and ventured into the heart of the forest

from the stories you’ve been told, the dreamer’s cottage was supposedly located at the other end of the forest, past the river and at the bottom of the mountain

you continued your journey for a few more minutes, but when you finally reached the other side of the forest, all you were met w was the steep, rocky slope of the mountain.....no cottage and no dreamer in sight

feeling defeated, you plopped down on a nearby stone, deciding to rest your feet for a moment before you made the joir ey back home

“guess it was just a myth after all” you muttered to yourself, leaning back on the tree

once you saw the sky changing from a midnight blue to a warm orange, you stood back up and grabbed your stuff, getting ready to trudge back home

however, as soon as you turned around, you noticed a faint cloud of white smoke billowing out from behind a ridge in the mountain

the logical side of you screamed to just keep walking, but ofc the curious side if you told you to check it out...and of course....you did

you gingerly walked closer to where the smoke was coming from and peeked around the ridge

and there, settled comfortably at the base of the mountain, was a small stone cottage, the source of the smoke coming from the tiny chimney at the side of the roof

you let out a small gasp, heart pounding in your chest......this couldn’t be it, right?? there’s no way you actually managed to find it—

your thoughts were interrupted by the door to the cottage suddenly flying open, and a hooded figure stepped out, carrying a small woven basket

the figure looked to be a young boy around the same age as you, with glowing cheeks and soft strands of obsidian hair

his description matched the stories, but you didn’t want to assume anything just yet, so you kept watching silently.......or at least you tried to

leaning forward to get a better look, you quickly lost your balance and stumbled forward, falling flat on your face

the figure jumped at the sound and he quickly stepped back, looking at your fallen form w wide eyes

you immediately scrambled to get up and were about to leave when a quiet, but firm voice stopped you in your tracks

“wait! who are you? what are you doing here?” you reluctantly looked over your shoulder, making eye contact w the hooded figure

you slowly put your hands up to show that you meant no harm “i’m sorry, i was just wandering around the forest, i didn’t mean to scare you”

at your words, the boy scoffed and rolled his eyes before setting the basket down on a nearby tree trunk “i’ve heard that excuse before, let me guess...you’re a villager? from the small town just north of here?”

you nodded, not sure where he was going w all of this

“i should’ve known...you people just don’t know when to quit don’t you?” you furrowed eyebrows at him, asking him what he meant by that

the boy sighed and picked up his basket again, walking past you and gesturing for you to follow him...which you obliged

he led you into the forest once again, stopping occasionally to pick a few leaves, twigs, mushrooms, and flowers from the ground

as you quietly trailed behind him, he began to speak again

“i’m sure your people have told you stories about me, the one who creates dreams, the ‘dreamer’ if you will...and i’m sure your reason for finding me was to obtain a dream from me, yes?”

you opened your mouth to protest, but he cut you off again

“well, let me tell you what those stories have wrong, a minor detail they forgot to put in. i do sell dreams to people who find me, yes, but it comes at a price. in order to—“

“actually...i didn’t come for that reason” you interjected softly

the boy froze and looked over his shoulder at you, raising his eyebrows skeptically “oh? then why have you sought me out then, my dear? why risk your life?”

you hung your head sheepishly, rubbing your boots against the damp soil “i...just wanted to see if the stories about you were true..that’s all”

there was a beat of silence, the only sound you could hear was the chirping of the songbirds as the morning star made it’s ascent in the sky...and then a burst of laughter

you looked up in shock to see the boy w his hood down, bent over a field of grass, hands on his knees, and melodies of laughter coming out of his mouth, probably the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard in your life

“so..you mean to tell me that you risked your life wandering through the forest, searching for me just so you could see if i was real?” he burst out laughing again, and you could only blush w embarrassment

after he calmed down a bit, the young boy straightened back up again, reaching out towards you and placing his hand on your shoulder “i like you, you’re funny” was all he said before he walked past you again back to his cottage

you were frozen in your spot, brain still in the process of registering what just happened

“hey, are you coming inside or what?” he called out to you

you shook yourself out of your stupor and turned around, following the boy inside

the inside of his cottage felt very warm and homey, he had a small hearth in the corner of the room, a kitchen, a dining table, and a wooden bench

it all looked very normal to you.....except for the fact that there was a huge cauldron sitting in the middle of the room, which you assumed to be where he creates his dreams

“by the way, i never got your name” he said, taking off his hood and hanging it on the back of a nearby chair “my name’s renjun....and before you say anything yes i have an actual name, i don’t refer to myself as ‘the dreamer’ or however your people say it”

“oh..my name’s y/n....” renjun took a second to process your name, then he nodded and pressed his lips together in a thin line “nice to meet you, y/n. i have a feeling i’ll be seeing you around often”

and...he was right

after your initial meeting, you would venture into the forest late at night and arrive at renjun’s cottage early in the morning

it became a routine for you: sneak out after everyone’s gone to bed, travel through the forest, arrive at renjun’s for breakfast, and then return home before noon

your mother questioned you on your whereabouts, asking why you were never there in the morning

you didn’t want to lie to her, but you also made a promise to renjun the first day you two met: that you would never tell anyone you saw him or know where he was

you didn’t ask him why and didn’t dare to, you figured it was something he’d rather keep to himself

but during your visits to renjun’s humble abode, he would show you how dreams are made and how he distributes them

he mixes the ingredients he collects from the forest in the cauldron, turning them into a liquid and placing them into small vials

each liquid had a different color, and those colors indicated what kind of dream a person would have

red indicates a dream about love, green for adventure, yellow for happiness, blue for sadness

when the dreams were ready to be sent out, renjun takes the vials he needs and places them over a small fire outside, the liquids evaporate, turn into a gas, and drift off to find their person

“how do the dreams know where to go?” you asked one day, renjun just smiled softly as he watched the rainbow of gases flow thru the air “they know...”

as you watched him concoct different kinds of dreams, you noticed that there were small vials filled w a black liquid resting on a shelf

“hey renjun?” “mm?” “why do you never use those dreams?”

his eyes followed your hand, and when they landed on what you were pointing at, he froze

“those...those aren’t dreams y/n....they’re nightmares” “.....oh”

renjun sighed and set down the vials he was working on “i..don’t use those very often. i did once and...it didn’t end very well. after that experience, i vowed to never use a nightmare ever again”

you nodded silently, listening and never prying further, renjun would explain the rest to you when he was ready

for the next few weeks, you made your daily visits to renjun’s cottage, watching him make dreams, or occasionally you two would walk over to the river and talk about random things

thru these talks you learned three things: 1) renjun was, in fact, immortal, he would sometimes tell you stories from past history and 2) the dreams he made had the capacity to come true, but very rarely and 3) renjun never stayed in the same place for very long, he usually moved once he felt that his time was spent

after hearing the last one, you tried very hard not to show your disappointment, but renjun saw right thru you

he scoffed and leaned over, poking your cheeks “stop pouting dummy, i’m not leaving this place for a long time”

you swatted his hand away, but couldn’t help the small smile from tugging at the corner of your mouth “really? why? is there something you like about this place?”

renjun coughs and turns away from you, but you swore you saw a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks, and his next words made your stomach do a flip “...yes...there is”

after that day, your visits to renjun’s cottage started to become less frequent, mostly due to the fact that your mother fell ill and you had to work the shop while simultaneously taking care of her at the same time

you were worried bc you didn’t have the chance to tell renjun why you haven’t been showing up anymore and hoped that he’d understand the next time you saw him

however...one night, as you were sleeping soundly next to your mother, you started seeing these horrid images flash before your eyes, images that would forever haunt your memory

you shuffled around the bed, arms flailing every which way, soft whimpers leaving your lips and tears streaming down the side of your face

your suffering only lasted for a moment bc you woke up to see your mother’s concerned face hovering above yours

you laid in bed, chest heaving rapidly, eyes blinking away the tears

was that...a nightmare? no, it couldn’t be..renjun said he never used nightmares, so why did i..?

you flew out of bed and, without even explaining anything to your mother, you ran out the door and straight into the forest

you had to get to renjun, you didn’t what it was, but you just felt that something was off

you ran and ran, not even taking a break, you practically sprinted thru the forest, but...when you reached the bottom of the mountain and went around the ridge...

renjun’s cottage was nowhere to be seen

#part 2 will be up soon !!#idk when but soon :D #nct #nct dream #nct scenarios #nct dream scenarios #nct au #nct dream au #renjun scenarios #renjun au #dream seller au #renjun #prince of china

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lady-therion · 6 years ago

Text

Close Quarters: Part 2 [Nessian]

Summary: Two people, one cabin, plus a whole lot of love-hate tension.

Modern AU.

A/N: Did someone order a side of floofy Nessian?

***

Nesta didn’t speak to him for most of the drive.

Not that Cassian seemed to mind. If he was at all intimidated by her icy silence, he didn’t show it. Nesta wasn’t sure if she should feel infuriated or relieved. Most people tended to give her a wide berth, darting around her like a school of fish. Cassian, on the other hand, clung to her like some reckless barnacle. It exasperated her to no end. And yet...and yet there was something about his absurd persistence that she had to admire.

But she would never, ever tell him that.

“Do you mind if I turn on the radio?”

Nesta shrugged.

The loud and sultry bass notes of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On” filled the space between them.

I've been really tryin,' baby

Tryin' to hold back this feeling for so long

And if you feel like I feel, baby

Then, c'mon, oh, c'mon...

Nesta leveled him with a glare that usually sent people screaming for the hills; a glare Cassian pointedly ignored as he sang along. He had a surprisingly good voice for someone whose prattling instinctively raised her hackles.

“What’s wrong?” He raised his voice over the music. “Not your jam?”

“I don’t jam.”

He snorted. “C’mon, everyone has a jam.” Mercifully, he turned down the volume. “What do you like to listen to?”

“What do you care?”

“I’m trying to get to know you, sweetheart,” he said. “Friendship 101.”

“We are not friends.”

“Of course, we are,” he said, fiddling with the dial before she could snarl at him properly. “I’m going to guess your jam is...classical music. Listz, right? No, Rachmaninoff. Definitely, Rachmaninoff.”

Soulful lyrics about sensitive people with so much to give gave way to the dramatic overture of Nesta’s favorite piece: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. Nesta sat back, swallowing the venom that was gathering on her tongue. Cassian looked so pleased, he could have shamed the proverbial cat-that-ate-the-canary.

“Rachmaninoff’s pretty rad,” he said, with utter sincerity. “He’s a little moody for me, but his stuff really builds.”

“I...How did you—?”

"You were studying in the cafe one day,” he said. “I was clearing a nearby table when I saw you brought CDs. And then I thought, ‘Who still carries around CDs?’ And that’s when I noticed. Bach. Schumann. Mozart. Very classy.”

“So you were spying?”

“I observed, not spied. That’s a very important distinction.”

“Liar.”

“Says the lady who claims she doesn’t jam.” He winked. “You totally have a jam.”

“The music helps me concentrate,” she said. “That’s all.”

Of course that wasn’t all, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. He knew too much about her already and the very thought of it scalded her insides.

She had to tread more carefully. “So...is classical music your jam?”

“Not until you,” he said, so casually that she almost flinched.

I actually like you, you know...

You’re smart and fine as hell...

You’re also really prickly, but you deserve to be treated with respect…

“You’re freaking out,” he said, his crooked grin returning.

She grit her teeth as he eased into another hairpin turn. The world around them was a swirling wall of white, but Cassian maneuvered through it as though it were a cloudless day.

“I’m not freaking out,” she said.

“You’re lying again,” he said, the last word in singsong. “It’s actually really cute. So I’ll forgive you.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me. I don’t need your forgiveness.”

“I think I know more about you than you’re willing to give me credit for.”

That was probably true, but she’d be damned if she was going to admit it. Her ears burned so hot she could practically feel the steam pouring out of them. Was this because of rage, embarrassment, or a heady combination of both?

Both, she decided as Cassian began to whistle along to the concerto’s sweeping third movement. It didn’t help that he could also whistle with the expert trills of a songbird. If Nesta’s nerves had been frayed before, they were positively unraveling now.

“We’re here,” he said, finally.

The cabin was a dark two-story blur against the snow and wind. Cheerful billows of smoke rose from the stout chimney. Warm light from the latticed windows gave off a soft, buttery glow. On calmer nights, Nesta imagined the cabin would look just as merry as the ones on Christmas cards.

As things stood, she surveyed it like it was the Overlook Hotel.

Cassian opened her door before she could take the rest of it in. The chivalrous gesture was ruined, however, when he made a flourishing bow as if he were some Regency-era rake.

“Mi’lady.”

“Oh, please.”

But she took his gloved hand anyway. Just to keep her balance, she told herself. Her heels were simply not the best choice for this weather, so of course she had to rely on Cassian’s caveman strength for balance.

“Hey,” he said, his tone oddly gentle.

There was a flutter in her stomach that Nesta refused to acknowledge.

“I know this isn’t an ideal situation for you,” he said. “But I want you to know that I meant what I said earlier. I don’t want things to be...weird.”

“Weird how?”

“You know, two people...a snowstorm...only one bed to share.” He held up a finger to stem her protest. “I’ve got three bedrooms and two baths in the cabin. Trust me, the latter isn’t going to be an issue. But still, if things were different, I would have liked to take you on a date—or several—before bringing you here.”

“You have to be joking.”

Some flicker of emotion passed through his hazel eyes. Something that looked suspiciously like hurt. Something that made Nesta’s chest inexplicably tighten.

“Let’s head inside,” he said. “It’s freezing.”

But the cold Nesta felt had nothing to do with the weather.

***

Contrary to what others might think, Nesta did feel things like shame and regret. She just chose not to act on them.

Because if she were honest, she didn’t know how.

If it were anyone else, she would have brushed off the tension like so much dust. What was one more person to add to the list of people who found her repulsive? Especially if that person was Cassian.

And there was the rub.

What was it about this aggravating man that made her second-guess herself? What was it about this man that made her want to reach out instead of withdraw? His very presence was a irritating tangle of complexities. But unlike the equations she loved so much, there was no elegant solution.

At least no solution where she didn’t have to drop her guard.

So when she cornered him in the kitchen area—which was as bright, spacious, and charmingly modern as the rest of the cabin—she found herself torn.

“I like math,” she said, as if she were declaring war.

He raised a scarred brow as he set two steaming coffee mugs onto the dining table. “Okay…”

She pursed her lips and started again. “I like math because I understand it better than people. I like classical music because it’s just like math. There’s timing and measurements and unambiguous patterns. Math and music make no personal demands.”

“Unlike people,” he said, but there was no judgment behind this statement. If anything, he sounded...curious.

It emboldened her.

“People have expectations and emotions and feelings,” she went on.

“You have those too, you know.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

He barked a laugh.

“People also surprise you,” she said. “You...surprise me.”

He crossed his arms, his flannel shirt stretching over the muscles of his broad shoulders. Shoulders that were definitely not a distraction.

“I surprise you?”

“Yes,” she said. “I dislike surprises.”

“But you don’t necessarily dislike me?”

She turned away, determine to look anywhere but him (at whatever his expression might be).

“Hey,” he said, that gentle tone returning.

She turned to see him lean over her. Not so close as to disrespect her boundaries, but close enough that she could see the hazel in his eyes; their alchemic mixture of greens and golds that shifted depending on the light.

That definitely wasn’t a distraction either.

“You surprise me too, Nesta Archeron,” he said, his voice a soft and strangely reassuring rumble.

The gap between them narrowed until she could detect his scent: fir and woodsmoke and something very, very male.

It was alarming at how inviting it was.

“I think you’re going to keep surprising me,” he said. Then he dove to whisper into the shell of her ear. “And I won’t dislike that one bit.”

***

Thank you for reading, my loves.

Up next: Nesta and Cassian learn to share some...personal space. ;)

Other chapters be found in the Masterlist in my Bio / I am Lady_Therion on AO3

#nessian #nesta x cassian #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas

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sofreakinmanyfandoms · 6 years ago

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November 14 - We’re Gonna Go Flirt with Superheroes

Some important notes:

1. Thank you to my amazing friend Dean for letting me use their delightful self as a character in this fic. You may all be jealous that I actually know this person.

2. Because Dean does not have the cleanest of language, this fic has significantly more swearing than anything else I've posted here. I still only put half as much language as normally spews from their mouth. Love you, babe.

3. I've never actually been to a hipster bar and it's been years since I've been to Portland. Please forgive me for any obvious errors.

4. I normally shy away from describing the reader too much, but honestly? I needed this. I needed to explore a bit what it's like being straight but looking gay, because while it's nothing compared to what the LGBT+ community goes through, it's something I get a lot of grief for from my conservative Christian extended family. I needed a fic where the main girl has short hair, okay? Okay.

Thanks for letting me vent myself in this fic.

Word count: 2416

Warnings: Language, mentions of cheating, if you’re homophobic you’ll hate this one so go suck an egg

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X short haired!hipster!Reader

“Ah, Portland,” Sam said with a sigh, looking around at the bar that was definitely owned by someone very hipster. “Remind me again why we’re here?”

“It was the closest city with the material Stark needs to fix the jet,” Steve reminded him. “He’ll have it ready by morning and we’ll be on our way back to the compound.”

“Friends,” Thor declared cheerily, throwing his arms around their shoulders, “despite our transport’s destruction, we have won a great victory this day! Let us celebrate, even if your Midgardian drinks are weaker than mother’s milk.”

Bucky followed behind them, feeling out of place as he took in the décor. The floor and ceiling were concrete, but the walls had been coated in what looked like disassembled pallets with wooden booths build out of the walls. The free-standing tables were giant spools and he was pretty sure no two chairs in the whole building matched. Whoever had been in charge of decorating had even taken the chalkboard menu trope to the extreme, making the whole wall behind the bar a blackboard instead of just hanging one up. Everything was decked out in old – sorry, “recycled” – netting and buoys, presumably ones that had seen actual use based on their condition. Also, Bucky had never seen so much flannel in his life.

He settled into a booth with Sam as Steve and Thor went to get their drinks. The other man was looking around, a determined expression on his face.

“Here’s where we get to the hard part,” Sam whispered to him. “Now we’ve gotta figure out which women are gay and which are just fashionable.

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows at his friend. “I don’t understand.”

Sam leaned back and nodded to the bar. “Well, normally you see a woman in skinny jeans, a plaid flannel, and a beanie? She’s a lesbian. But we’re in Portland, where that’s everyone’s style, so it gets harder. Like the chick on the end of the bar? Pixie cut, slouchy beanie, band tee that’s probably for some local group her friend is in under her open flannel, black jeans that look painted on, and totally ignoring the prime male specimens currently ordering our drinks in favor of her cell phone? Definitely gay. But that chick over there,” he subtly pointed to a nearly identically-dressed girl, shorter and with longer hair, who had definitely noticed Steve and Thor’s presence, “is either straight or bi. I can work with either of those.”

Snorting at his friend’s explanation, Bucky flashed a quick look back at the woman at the end of the bar. Sam was probably right. Too bad; she was beautiful, and he wouldn’t have minded getting to know her better.

----------

You sighed at your phone and shifted on your seat at the end of the bar. Your friend was late again; they were always late. According to the text chain you were receiving nearly non-stop, they were also probably already drunk, not that that was surprising anymore.

“Come on, Dean,” you muttered under your breath. “I need you here before he shows up.”

Five minutes later, your friend stumbled through the door, giggling madly at, well, you didn’t want to know what. They stumbled their way over to you and collapsed onto a stool.

“Why are we here?” Dean immediately began complaining. “I stick out like a sore thumb. I’m more goth than hipster, you know that.”

“We’re here because I nanny for the owner part-time so the drinks are free,” you pointed out, rolling your eyes. “You know fully well that any place becomes your scene when you don’t have to pay for alcohol.”

“True,” Dean replied with another giggle. “I didn’t have to pay at the last place either, because I’m fucking hot. Three guys and two girls bought me drinks.”

“Aaand, that’s it, you’re cut off for the night,” you sighed, asking the bartender for a coffee for your definitely drunk friend. “You did kill your makeup tonight, though. It looks great.”

“Damn right it does,” they slurred. “Hey, how come you didn’t tell me? I’d have gotten here a hell of a lot sooner if you’d told me there were Avengers in the building.”

You followed your friend’s line of sight to where there were in fact four members of the Avengers seated in a booth.

“Oh… I didn’t notice them.”

Dean scoffed and gave you that knowing look that you really hated. “You got lost in your phone again, didn’t you? Just in case he showed up.” The blush on your face was enough of an answer. “Damn it, woman, he’s a fucking asshole who never deserved you and I’d have killed him already if you weren’t so fucking concerned with whether or not things are legal.” They downed the rest of their coffee with a grimace and pushed themselves off the bar, grabbing for your hand. “Come on. We’re gonna go flirt with superheroes.”

Your eyes widened in horror. “Oh no. I am not going to talk to the Avengers with you while you’re drunk.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed as they looked at you. “Then you have to promise me you’ll sing karaoke tonight. You haven’t done it since that bastard criticized your voice, and I miss hearing it. You’re fucking good, and you let that fucking moron rob us all of your beautiful songbird-ness.”

“I hope you realize how drunk you sound.”

“Do we have a deal or not? Because if I’m going to give up a shot at fucking Thor, it had better be for a good reason.”

You sighed. Your friend was always stubborn like this. “Fine, we have a deal.”

“Awesome! I get to pick your song.”

“Aw, hell, no…”

----------

Your ex showed up right before karaoke started as he always did.

“Look at the smug asshole,” Dean muttered into the drink they’d somehow managed to get despite your best efforts. They put on a comically feminine voice and mimicked, “I must sing every chance I get, for my voice is God’s gift to mankind and to deprive people of the joy of listening to it would be blasphemy of the highest fucking order!”

“Dean,” you sighed, “please behave. You’ve already gotten me to agree to singing again. You don’t need to start a scene with him, too.”

“I should cut off his fucking dick for cheating on you.”

Because you knew Dean, you were concerned they meant it. “Don’t. He did me a favor, helping me realize he wasn’t worth it. Now, did you sign me up for karaoke already, or do I need to do it?”

The grin they flashed you was even more concerning when paired with how much they’d had to drink. “I signed us both up. After you sing your mystery song – yes, you’ll have enough of an intro to figure out what it is and come in on time, they put the lyrics up anyway, you’ll be fine – I’ll blow your performance out of the water with a spectacular rendition of ‘Bang, Bang.’ Your ex won’t know what hit him.”

“I’m sure he won’t,” you said dryly, only to be horrified when your name was called first as karaoke started.

Dean laughed at the glare you threw them. “Go blow them all away with your magical voice, darling!”

“Y/N,” the bar’s owner said into his mic when you stepped up on stage. “It’s been far too long, m’lady! Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in a few months, it’s the lovely Y/N singing ‘Shake It Off’!”

“Really, Dean?” you asked, picking up your mic. “All the songs in the world to choose from and that’s the one you picked for me?” The regulars laughed at your teasing as Dean raised their beer in salute. Almost before you had a moment to collect yourself, the music was off and you could feel your ex studying you from his seat near the back with his new woman draped across him. You shut him out of your mind and focus and launched yourself into the song, determined to have fun even if you weren’t really drunk enough to do a Taylor Swift song for karaoke.

----------

Bucky hadn’t been paying attention to much other than his beer until the karaoke started. Their booth was set up at the perfect spot for watching the stage, and he chided himself for the way his heart jumped when you stepped on stage.

“Really, Dean?” you joked, shooting a look at your friend who did not look like – he? She? Bucky couldn’t tell which – would be interested in hanging out in a bar like this. Then you took a deep breath and wow, your whole demeanor changed as you started singing. It was like the song took over you and you had an entirely different energy about you.

“I go on too many dates, but I can’t make ‘em stay,” you sang, and Bucky watched you work the stage, using the mic stand to your theatrical advantage even as you held the mic in your hand. He’d say you were hamming it up for the crowd, but there was something about your performance that said maybe some of the words were hitting a little too close to home for you to be too flippant with them.

“My ex man brought his new girlfriend,” and he didn’t miss the way your eyes flickered to a couple in the back. “And to the fella over there with the hella good hair, why don’t you come on over baby? We can shake, shake, shake.”

He almost choked on his beer, because he could swear that during that last line you had looked over and winked at him in a very “I’m not a lesbian and I want to climb you like a tree” type way. Bucky’s eyes quickly flickered to Sam to see if the other man caught it, but if he had, he wasn’t giving any indication of it.

It had to have been the performance, right? You were just working the audience. When the song ended, he made sure to applaud, and soon your friend (Dean, the announcer called them) was on stage singing like they were, well, as hammered as they looked.

----------

“Come ooooonnnn,” Dean whined, tugging on your sleeve. “Y/N, they’re in town and they’re in this bar and Thor’s so hot I’m surprised I don’t have a sunburn yet. I can’t talk to them alone. Come flirt with me.”

Your friend wasn’t going to give up anytime soon, so you slammed back the rest of your drink and stood.

“Fine,” you said, “but if you look like you’re going to puke on an Avenger at any point I’m dragging you home.”

“Yay!” they cheered, immediately pulling you over to their table and sliding into the booth next to Thor. “Hello, gentlemen of the Avengers. My name is Dean, I’m genderfluid and pansexual and would gladly climb any of you. This is Y/N and she’s a straight prude but if you give her enough alcohol you might be able to get a nice make-out session with her.”

You groaned and rubbed your face with your hand. “Sorry for my friend here. They passed merely being drunk an hour before karaoke started.”

“Pleasure to meet you both,” Captain America (YOU WERE TALKING TO CAPTAIN AMERICA?!?) said. “I’m Steve, and this is Bucky, Sam, and Thor.”

“Hi, Thor.” Dean batted their eyelashes and you choked back a snerk.

Bucky pushed at Sam and the two slid a little further back in the booth, making space for you to sit next to the soldier. He motioned to the seat and you slid next to him hesitantly.

“Sorry for interrupting your evening,” you apologized quietly, although Dean had long since tuned you out in favor of attempting to seduce the god of thunder. “Dean gets an idea their head and I’m basically stuck along for the ride.”

“It’s no problem,” Sam said smoothly. “I do have one question, though. Are you really straight?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, and Bucky thought that might be the nicest sound he’d ever heard. “Yes, I’m really straight. Most people are surprised, but my sense of style wasn’t enough to keep jerks from hitting on me so I got a haircut and fell in love with the style. It’s let me fly under the radar a lot more frequently, which is nice.”

“I can’t imagine how,” Bucky said, a blush creeping up his cheeks. “You’re beautiful.”

Before you could thank him, a voice to your left made you freeze.

“Y/N.”

Dean’s attention was snapped away from Thor and they stared down your ex. “Listen, asshole –”

“Dean.” You held up a finger to stop your friend before they made too much of a scene before entirely turning to your ex. “What do you want, Daniel?”

“It’s free karaoke time,” he crooned, ignoring how unwanted he obviously was. “I thought maybe we could do a duet together, for old time’s sake?”

You affixed him with a glare that would whither a plant. “Why on earth would I want to be reminded of our time together?”

That seemed to shake his confidence a bit. “I’m just being friendly,” he snapped.

“You don’t know how to just be friendly. We’re over, Daniel, so get over it already. If you really wanted me, you wouldn’t have cheated.”

“I believe you heard the lady,” Thor cut in before Daniel could reply. “She wishes for you to leave her alone, and I suggest you abide by her wishes.

For the first time he seemed to notice who you were sitting with, and he sulked off back to his date.

“Well,” Sam broke the silence that had fallen over the table, “I’m guessing that relationship being over is a good thing?”

You nodded. “Thank you,” you told Thor. “I appreciate the support.”

“Anytime, m’lady.”

----------

“Do you want to talk about it?” Bucky asked you softly a few minutes later when you had yet to join the table’s renewed conversation.

You shook your head. “He was a jerk who cheated on me so I got out. It was a long time ago.”

“How could anyone throw away someone like you?”

The earnest way he said it made you blush.

“His loss,” you whispered shyly.

Bucky only paused a moment before asking, “Could I make his loss my gain?”

“I’d like that,” you said with a smile. “I’d like that very much.”

#30 days of avengers one shots #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #Winter Soldier #reader #reader insert #portland #portland oregon #hipster #bar #karaoke #taylor swift #language #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #masterlist #i still suck at tagging

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feministfataley · 6 years ago

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“You're trading omniscience and croissants for death and mildew” - Indy Reviews Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea

SPOILERS FROM THE BEGINNING YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

I have owned this DLC for years but I have been putting off playing it purely because I didn’t want the series to end. Obviously I caved, and I loved every minute. What a delight to go back to the Rapture and Columbia! I really missed the playstyle and the quality of the writing. I really enjoyed being in the company of Elizabeth and Booker again, it felt like seeing an old friend again.

We find ourselves in Booker’s office in Rapture, when Elizabeth walks through the door and presents you with a case - to find Sally, a girl Booker had been looking after before she was kidnapped. All is not how it seems however, as Elizabeth has a different goal in mind instead of just the rescue of little Sally - revenge. You see this Booker is a displaced Comstock, fled to Rapture with a little help from the Luteces after the death of another Anna. Thus ends the first part, with Bookstock ending up with a Big Daddy’s drill in his stomach, Elizabeth’s face painted with his blood. You’d think Elizabeth would be happy then, with the second part opening in Paris, enjoying a croissant and a glass of wine in a cafe. The idyll doesn’t last long however as it becomes increasingly obvious this Paris isn’t real, haunted by images of Sally, reminding Elizabeth of the costs of her revenge, causing her to give up her afterlife paradise to return to Rapture and save Sally as a normal girl without her abilities. The thing about using a Big Daddy to enact your revenge is that you have no control over what it does afterwards, killing Elizabeth shortly after Bookstock. The Luteces return her to Rapture, where she is forced to work with Atlas and Suchong to ensure Sally’s safety, causing Atlas to learn the code phrase for Jack and setting up nicely for the events of the first game. But at least it’s canon that Jack saved the Little Sisters?

I didn’t think it was still possible for Irrational to shock me, but I did not see the ending of part 1 coming. Having gone back to mop up achievements it is quite obvious when you know what’s coming but I thought the references to a debt to be repaid was Elizabeth trying to save another Anna from being taken. My jaw dropped when I realised the whole chapter had been Elizabeth’s plan to dispatch Bookstock. As much as I was shocked by part 1 however, I feel part 2 is where Irrational really shone.

Part 2 you control Elizabeth solely and can select a new difficulty - 1998 mode. 1998 mode involves completing the chapter using non lethal methods only. I feel like this really complements Elizabeth, although she is a lot more “femme fatale” in the DLC I don’t believe she would kill if there was another option. You are a lot more stealthy, and can knock people out with the “Air Grabber” or use special tranquilising crossbow bolts. It is a little more difficult as you can’t use possession to make splicers or turrets your personal bodyguards but hey at least they can’t hurt you right?

Part 2 also made Daisy a much more sympathetic character for me. I didn’t outright dislike her, but threatening Fink’s son always chafed me. Knowing she had to do that to preserve the timeline makes a lot more sense, all Daisy wanted was a better life for the opressed of Columbia, not to kill needlessly and originally outright refuses when asked to hurt the boy by the Luteces, stating “I will not punish the boy for the sins of the father”. I appreciated seeing “behind the scenes” of the main campaign as it were. It was also really great to see Rapture in it’s prime, a palace of excess and all and any whims fulfilled for cold hard cash. The opulent surroundings and pampered citizens are a far cry from the flooded corridors and splicers of the first game.

It’s also really striking how much Elizabeth, despite what Booker means to her own story, misses Booker, calling him her only friend. Granted she was locked in a tower with only the Songbird for company most of her life, but there is genuine sorrow in her voice when she admits she misses him, for the “Booker” in part 2 to gently remind her he’s just a voice in her head. Elizabeth has been alone most of her life and it’s easy to see how she got attached to Booker. He was the only human she ever spent any real time with. It makes sense for her to choose damp and mildew over a lonely omniscience.

And so, at least for me, the Bioshock series is finished. It’s hard not to mourn for it’s passing, with the hoax at E3 about Bioshock Resurgence being exactly that. I’ll remain hopeful for another entry in the series though. Even if my hopes are not answered though, Burial at Sea was a fitting end to the series. Booker and Elizabeth are no more, there are no more lighthouses, and no more men to walk through their doors. And that’s a real shame.

#gaming #bioshock infinite #burial at sea #dlc #irrational games #ken levine #elizabeth #spoilers #booker #bookstock

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mini-min-yoongi · 7 years ago

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November AO3 Yoonmin readings:

Hey guys! Here I bring you this past month’s readings. Even though they are mainly yoonmin, this month there are a couple of OT7 fics of which I hadn’t read much until now. There is also some namjin, vhope and taekook as side pairings in some of them. I hope everyone can find something that peaks their interest so… enjoy! :)

1) Boyfriend Tag

“Normally I post dance routines and the occasional tag or challenge video and I know I haven’t posted in a while so I am here to make it up to you all. Yoongi lost a bet sooooo we are here with the highly requested, boyfriend tag!!” Jimin yelled making Yoongi wince and lean away from him. “Are you ready?” Jimin asked bringing his attention to Yoongi. “You better not get a thing wrong,” He warned pointing a finger at Yoongi.

Jimin is a youtuber and he gets his boyfriend Yoongi to film a video for his channel.

2) I’m your guilty pleasure (You can’t get out. Never) (contains smut)

Yoongi has just discovered his neighbor that he thinks is too damn loud is actually an internet camboy.

Chaos ensues when they start seeing each other. Things get hard–literally.

3) Crazy is most definitely genetic (work in progress; Pairings: Namjoon/Seokjin, Yoongi/Jimin, Hoseok/Taehyung, + Baby Kookie)

Family!au where Jimin’s just trying to survive high school, Taehyung keeps weirding everyone out, Namjoon is an embarrassing dad, Jin is supermom, and Jungkookie’s just along for the ride.

Very cute and funny!

4) Trolling ARMY (OT7, brotp, no pairings, BTS universe)

“The boys play a game where they compete to see who can get the most "shippy” comments of the week.“ Yoongi watched from an armchair on the other side of the room, trying not to chuckle. Ever since he’d learned the term shipping, he’d watched his brothers with a different eye. None of them were gay–though Namjoon had once drunkenly pontificated at length about his distaste for labels–or interested in one another. But they were all a little…handsy.

5) TRB in NYC (OT7, brotp, no pairings, BTS universe)

"What happened?” Namjoon asked, his voice tight. They had been skirting around him all day. As if he didn’t know. He found it darkly funny. His English was better than all of them combined, even their manager. He’d read the tweets, the posts, the threats. He’d tried to keep the other members from it as much as he could, but everyone had an inkling things had escalated past normal fan stuff.

“We’ve had a credible threat.”

Based on the threats that they received when they performed at New York. BTS hurting and comforting each other.

6) 7 minutes in heaven (*)

“It’s a fusion game. The person who spins the bottle gets to ask the person it landed on truth or dare, and if that person doesn’t want to answer or do the dare then they either take a shot or take off an article of clothing,” Jin says like he’s proud of improvising such a fantastic game.

“I’m not playing that,” Yoongi says. “Hyung, don’t be a party pooper, are you scared we’ll learn your secrets?” Hoseok asks and Namjoon ah’s dramatically. Yoongi shakes his head and puts his tongue in his cheek before he smiles at their antics, pushing Namjoon over closer to Jin so that he can sit down. “Please, hyung, it sounds like fun!” Jungkook says. “It’s my birthday.”

I’m a simple girl. I love seeing a devoted and whipped Yoongi for Jimin even before they start dating. I love an innocent and kind Jimin crushing on his firend’s older brother who is kinda a bad boy and very cool. And I love BTS getting together, spitting embarrassing secrets and playing spin the bottle. This fic has all these elements and that’s why it’s one of my favorite readings of the month.

7) #mindreading Series

It’s my first time reading a fic in which someone has a gift because I’m more into stories that aren’t too fictional, but apart from Yoongi being able to read people’s minds, it doesn’t have any other “supernatural” elements so I decided to give it a try and I really enjoyed it. It was super cute reading about Jimin’s thoughts about Yoongi and I liked how the author developed their relationship and Jimin’s reaction towards Yoongi’s gift.

7.1) #mindreading #ad

Yoongi can read minds and Jimin is instagram famous.

7.2) Steady Hum (contains smut)

The one where Yoongi can read minds and Jimin is instagram famous PART 2.

8) Error: Words Not Found (*)

Soulmate AU where your soulmate’s first words to you will appear as a tattoo on your wrist at birth.

•××××××××××•

In a world where most people’s lives revolved around finding their soulmates, Yoongi was different, not because he didn’t care-he cared a lot, he wanted someone to be The One for him too-but because he was convinced he didn’t have one.

It had been twenty-two years and still his wrist remained blank and unblemished.

As you may know by now I’M A SUCKER FOR SOULMATE AUS. So... yeah. I read another one and LOVED IT. I live for this kind of angst and I’d love to give a more thorough review but I don’t want to spoil it so go read it because it’s sadly just two chapters but full of good shit.

9) You don’t have to say I love you (to say I love you)

yoongi’s so painfully and obviously in love with jimin, it sort of hurts the other members sometimes.

BTS universe.

10) Gotta Be Fate (If We’re Under the Covers) (contains smut) (*)

Jimin is excited to just sleep for a day and maybe catch up on some tv shows at the hotel.

That is, until they get to the new hotel they’re staying at, and he gets handed a room key that’s the same as Yoongi’s. Meaning, he and Yoongi will share a room and worse, he and Yoongi will have to share a bed.

“Why do I have to share with Yoongi-hyung?” Jimin complains. He’s managed to avoid it this whole trip which is really in his best interest if he wants to keep his raging heart boner for him hidden.

AKA my response to Yoonmin sharing a bed, 8 years too late.

BTS universe. I liked this whole idea. Just... just go read it *blushes and hides*

11) The Songbird and the Sea (*)

(pirate au, contains smut, Yoongi/Jimin + Jungkook/Taehyung, Namjoon/Seokjin)

In a world where dominance of the sea is an endless battle between pirates and mariners, Park Jimin is content living in his little village on a small, uninteresting island by the eastern mainland. He wants nothing to do with the bloodshed of good and evil, the heartless killing of both innocents and condemned, the constant establishment and disruption of order. What he wants is peace, to live his life in the same town he was born in, to spend his days in the beautiful forest, and to use the powers of his Blessed Rune to nurture the home he loves so dearly.

But when his island is attacked by pirates, Jimin will have no other choice than to do as they command and leave all thoughts of peace behind in favor of boarding the Agust, a pirate ship captained by the infamous Min Yoongi, Black Fox of the East.

GO READ THIS MASTERPIECE OH MY GOD. I’ve never been interested in fiction heavy aus like pirates, superheroes, etc. but I’d heard such great things about this story, the author is lovely and this is the Yoonmin fic with the most kudos on AO3, so I decided to give it a try and BEST DECISION I’VE MADE THIS MONTH. It’s made me feel so many emotions. I’ve cried, laughed, screamed, blushed and became a mess. The author also gives music recommendations to listen to while reading the chapters and it gives the story that extra something (I actually created playlists for each chapter and I like them so much that I listen to them even when I’m going somewhere lol). Seriously, I’m obsessed with this story, the characters are freaking fantastic, the development is everything and what’s best is that this story is far from over. She’s planning on turning it into a series and I cannot wait to see how the story develops. Also, the author has a schedule so there’s a new chapter every week which is something that I appreciate a lot, especially when starting to read a work in progress (it’s almost finished, next week she’ll upload the epilogue and it’ll be complete). GO READ IT AND COME SCREAM AND CRY ABOUT IT WITH ME.

12) 흰 여름 (’White Summer’) (*)

“Diversity,” Namjoon had said when he had explained the concept to them, “Learning to love yourself, no matter what.” “We already did that,” Yoongi had pointed out, “Literally the same title.” But Namjoon, when he looked at him, had seemed strangely bright and somber at the same time. “Not like this,” he had said.

Or, Jimin and Yoongi have to kiss for an MV. And deal with the fallout.

BTS universe. F**k, this is good! I don’t know what to say but that as you may know I really like fics that are kinda canon compliant and this one is SO GOOD. The group is working on a new album and it’s kinda like love myself but riskier in the sense that it is a controversial topic in south korea. I just love it when people also write about the korean music industry (even if it may not be 100% accurate, but let’s be honest, only the people working in it knows what’s up really) because I find it so interesting and not many people talk about it in depth. Of course, I can’t finish without saying that I really enjoyed the development of Jimin and Yoongi’s relationship, how Yoongi wasn’t aware of Jimin’s sexual orientation. A good fic right here!

Special mention:

~Too Much to Admit (Taehyung centric, OT7 Relationship)

The first time it happens, Taehyung doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t know how.

To start, I would like to say that this fic deals with a very serious and triggering topic for some so if you are not in a good mental place or you could be triggered by it please do not read it. This fic doesn’t have any pairings and it’s a BTS universe fic. It’s complete and I really enjoyed the different ways in which each member deals with what’s happening. In my opinion, the author did an excellent job at portraying each character and the way in which they would behave in such a difficult situation. I’m especially really liking her take on Jungkook because you can clearly see that he’s the youngest one, his confusion and anger clearly shows how much he cares about the well-being of all his hyungs. I don’t know, it’s such a heavy fic, but I really liked it.

(*) My favourite ones.

#mr #yoonmin #yoonmin fic rec #ao3 #bts ot7 #vhope #taekook #namjin

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byjillianmaria · 7 years ago

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Current Projects

List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on: writing, art, gifsets, whatever.

I was tagged by @brynwrites :D You can see an “official” list of my WIPS here and here, but here’s an informal crash course on them (read: me rambling about why I love them so much) and an update on where I’m at with them.

I tag @eggletine @kivalauthor @megan-cutler @mcubed35 @lizard-is-writing and ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO DO THIS

Songbird

Songbird is my main project, a novel-in-progress. It’s a YA horror about Elizabeth Brighton, a somewhat socially awkward but all-around decent high school senior who winds up kidnapped by an evil witch who seems to have a major grudge against her (despite them never having met). Like, “hey, I’m going to lock you up in a cage and cast a spell to make you grow really painful, ugly feathers all over your body” type grudge. Plus, she’s getting all these weird dreams about being someone else and having a clandestine affair with another woman. Really puts her college application woes into perspective.

Songbird is a really fun story for many reasons. It’s first person, and capturing Elizabeth’s voice (sort of self-depreciating, unsure but still fun to listen to) has been the best kind of challenge. From the people who beta read the first chapter, a lot of people said they related to her, which warmed my heart!! Also, Elizabeth’s sexuality is very important to me. I wanted to write a story that was explicitly about a gay character, with a gay love interest, that didn’t focus on coming out/coming to terms with those feelings. Rather, Elizabeth’s main focus is finding autonomy and choice in a situation that seems beyond her control. It’s something I think a lot of supernatural romances tend to gloss over, so I wanted to tackle it my way.

Songbird is currently in its second draft!!! I just finished chapter 5 and will be posting an excerpt later today. I also want to release the first chapter at some point this month!!

Reversed Star

Reversed Star is another project of mine, but it moves much slower because it’s a webcomic that I’m working on with an artist friend of mine :) It’s got a REAL TANGLED WEB OF A PLOT, but the long and short of it is this: far, far in the future, humans and aliens have connected and interbred, but there is still a group of humans who live cut off from the aliens. Evangeline Dumont is one of those humans, and the heir to a vast fortune. She gets kidnapped, and across the galaxy, a human/alien hybrid named Icaruss starts dreaming from her point of view. He becomes convinced that he is destined to save her and takes off on an epic adventure with MANY setbacks, while Evangeline does her best to escape on her own.

I really love a lot of things about Reversed Star, but my favorite thing is probably the way that it takes the “damsel in distress” trope and just obliterates it. All too often, the princess is left to languish offscreen in her tower, making the story about the ~hero’s journey~ instead of about her. This story instead spends an equal amount of time on Evangeline and Icaruss as main characters. Both are allowed to have their own character arcs, are allowed to grow and change as people. And there are also a lot of really rad side characters. We’d be here all day if I talked about them!!!

My dream is to start posting the comic on October 6, because that’s the day that it starts in canon, and I think that’d be rad. Whether or not we manage that depends on Kelli’s schedule and how much she’s able to draw, but you can follow our journey on this blog. And I’m working on a short story that will probably be posted there sometime this month!!

The Fair Folk

A 5-book-series that I’m working on “after Songbird is done.” (Read: whenever the firey passion for this series overtakes me and forces me to tinker with it). It’s a sort of modern fantasy, in an alternate timeline where magic creatures like fae and werewolves are real and part of society. It also follows three narrators: Katrina Chase, a human girl who unwittingly gets involved in a Supernatural Investigation; Meri, the water faerie sister of the officer investigating the case, and Renee Morand, Katrina’s werewolf roommate whose mom pants are firmly in place throughout this ordeal. Books 1 and 5 have the ladies taking turns narrating, while Book 2 is narrated by Katrina, Book 3 by Meri, and Book 4 by Renee.

In addition to featuring three amazing, wonderful female narrators, one of my favorite things about this series is the world-building. I’m really taking my time to flesh out the history of this “alternate timeline,” how various species came to interact with human culture, what makes them different, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. Oh, and also, the canon ships are so shippable. Like, I’m just saying. And, true to my form, it features a wealth of different sexualities. (If you’re interested, Katrina’s straight, Meri’s a lesbian, her brother’s bisexual, Renee is aro/ace ... and those are just the characters I’ve mentioned).

This one is still mostly in the planning stages, although I have some scenes written out. I also daydream about them a lot. THE CHARACTERS ALL INTERACT SO WELL TOGETHER, and since Elizabeth’s more isolated in Songbird, it’s a nice outlet XD

#tag game

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