#i love hp!paul so much

[httpiastri]

also what house do you think paul’s in? idk why but i always thought he’d be a slytherin, i feel like he just gives slytherin

sorry for spamming, i really love harry potter too hehe - 🥟

(okay sorry im gonna respond to you asks all in one because i wanna save the others in my ask to write abt….. 🤭)

hello hello love! i've been pretty good actually (a bit up and down but mostly good), just very very busy :(( but busy with stuff i like so its okay!! how have you been? and of course i remember you darling!!! 🥹

goddddddd i love the thought of slytherin paul x hufflepuff reader!! yes yes yes!! him being a bit cold and so on but the reader being the bubbliest little thing ever… everyone finding paul scary or intimidating but completely adoring yn and going like "?? how do they work out??" but they fit so well!! she pulls him out of his comfort zone and he makes her chill a bit…. and whenever she's all bubbly and energetic, he pretends to be annoyed by it but in reality, he finds her so cute 🥰

anddddddd aaaaaaa the thought of the two of them alone at hogwarts during the winter, and him being extra open and cuddly because there aren't as many people around so he doesn't have to keep up his tougher act….

quidditch! yes yes yes!!!! no matter the position he has, the reader will be so 😍 anytime she sees him in his quidditch outfit because he's just the perfect guy. and if she too is a player, she will be so distracted during the games because he looks far too good, and then she will remember that he's her opponent and just go ahead and crush him 🤭 but god there will definitely be a ton of teasing and shoving and taunting during the games, whenever they're close by… or if there's a pause due to an injury etc, they will be just sitting on their brooms in the air next to each other, chatting and chilling while everyone else goes "!! you're opponents rn, goddamn it!!!" 😭

and ofc they're helping each other practice even tho they're on different teams… and if they have a match against each other, then the loser would be so happy for the other one while the winner really just wants to comfort the other one :(( but if one of them wins the finals but against another house……. 🥰🥰

hmmmm i actually dont know which house i would put him in? i think that if i write, i might put him in different ones each time lol! because i see him as a good slytherin as you said; very driven, ambitious, perfectionistic, ruthless, and so on. but he also works as a gryffindor; passionate, blunt, idealistic, stubborn, etc. but also as a hufflepuff, because we all know how like silly, funny, genuine and good-hearted he can be. but i also kinda wanna see him in ravenclaw bcs blue is definitely his color (wanna write abt his light blue eyes matching with the scarf around his neck- oh lord) 🥹

and bb really dont apologize!! i loved loved loved reading your thoughts!!! thank you very much for the inspo 🥰 hope you have a lovely week!! 💗

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Zincchump Linkdump

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in DOYLESTOWN TODAY (Mar 1), and in BALTIMORE TOMORROW (Mar 2). More tour dates here. Mail-order signed copies from LA's Diesel Books.

I've got a really good excuse for finishing this week with a folder full of links that didn't make it into the newsletter – I'm on a crazy book tour and I've been in four cities this week alone. Time for another linkdump! Here's the previous 28 'dumps:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/

I like to start these 'dumps off on an upbeat note, and this week, I've got something gratifyingly cool and wondrous. Stars Reach is a "living galaxy sandbox MMORPG" led by Raph Koster, the legendary designer of games like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxy. It's kickstarting right now:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/starsreach/stars-reach

Here's the pitch:

Whether it’s water turning dirt to mud or forests growing back after a devastating fire, every action leaves a mark. This isn’t a static world built by developers – it’s a living, breathing galaxy shaped by you. Resculpt landscapes, build entire cities, and yeah, ruin more planets just like humanity ruined their original eight homeworlds. That’s okay – there are always more worlds in our endless galaxy.

I've seen demos of this coming together for years and it is mind-boggling. You can play it like a galactic trade-empire builder, a shoot 'em up, a first person shooter, a resource management game, a MUD, and more. There are thousands of procedurally generated planets with realistic geology, geography and ecosystems. It's like something out of a Neal Stephenson novel. They're mostly done and just raising money to finish and launch. I gave 'em $100. They're projecting delivery in January. I can't wait!

It's pretty wonderful to see accomplished creators like Koster, who have gone from strength to strength, making a series of ever-cooler things as technological advancements let him realize the vision he'd been chasing since the 8-bit days. It's quite a contrast with HP, a company that was once world-renowned for making the highest quality, most reliable instruments and machines, and is now synonymous with the scuzzy inkjet rip-off.

I love a good dig at HP. This week, The Register's Paul Kunert scored a direct hit with a short news squib about the executive compensation package announced for HP CEO Enrique Lores: "261,658 toner cartridges" (that is, $19.36m):

https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/26/hp_ceo_pay_for_2024/

I would like to live in a world in which all unreasonable expenses were denominated in HP printer cartridges (much as the BBC compares ever extremely large or massy thing to a London double-decker bus). Anything to make it easier to grasp the vast forces that shape our world and bring them into focus so we can understand them – and destroy or change them.

One economic school that does this extraordinarily well is "Capital as Power," which concerns itself with the "social power of capital" – that is, how capital shapes our behavior and outcomes. It's a complicated but extraordinarily clear and useful framework for making sense of the world. This week, Naked Capitalism published a long colloquoy on Capital as Power, featuring Michael Hudson (a great economist and historian of debt), political economist Tim Di Muzio, and two of CasP's top proponents, Jonathan Nitzan and Blair Fix (whose work I have featured in this newsletter many times). It's a long, fascinating discussion – just the thing to relax with over a weekend:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/02/capital-as-power-in-the-21st-century-a-conversation.html

Capital as Power grapples with power, the force that neoclassical economists could never figure out how to fit into a neat mathematical model and thus decided to discard. Refusing to think about power gets you into all kinds of trouble, from deciding that markets for human kidneys are "voluntary" to the denaturing of political parties into institutionalist weaklings like the Democrats, who are completely overwhelmed by the power-focused MAGA GOP as it dismantles the nation.

Writing for The American Prospect, Nick Tagliaferro rounds up "Ten Democrats Who Need to Be Primaried":

https://prospect.org/politics/2025-02-27-these-ten-democrats-need-to-be-primaried/

For years, Tagliaferro was the loudest voice on the Primary School newsletter, which covered primary races. In this guillotine-inspiring listicle, he presents such swamp creatures as Levi Strauss failson Dan Goldman (NY-10), who spent $5m of his inherited wealth to win his seat, from which perch he has done everything he can to undermine his more militant anti-Trump colleagues in the House. More familiar names like Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) – whom Tagliaferro calls "single most needlessly antagonistic centrist in Congress" – and the ardent homophobe Stephen Lynch (MA-08).

OK, I've got to get into my rental car now and make the 3h drive from State College, PA, where I just did a talk at Penn State, to Doylestown, PA, where I'm speaking this afternoon:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cory-doctorow-picks-and-shovels-a-martin-hench-novel-tickets-1146230880419

From there, I'm going to Baltimore (tomorrow):

https://redemmas.org/events/

and then I'll be in DC on Tuesday:

https://www.loyaltybookstores.com/picksnshovels

You can catch the whole tour schedule here:

http://martinhench.com

New dates that I'll be adding soon include Pittsburgh:

https://us.pycon.org/2025/about/keynote-speakers/#cory-doctorow

As well as Wellington and Auckland, NZ; and Manchester and London, UK.

Before I go, one last wonderful link to be getting on with. Framework – who make the repairable, modifiable laptop that I love more than any hardware I've ever owned – just announced a bunch of fantastic new machines, including a rugged new, 12" touchscreen laptop with a 180' hinge:

https://frame.work/laptop12

and a desktop PC (!) that has insanely high specs and a fully customizable chassis:

https://frame.work/fi/en/blog/introducing-the-framework-desktop

I spend so much time on the road, I have no conceivable use for a desktop PC, but man, this is tempting. What a sweet rig!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/03/01/menagerie/#stars-reach

[sleepanonymous]

If you liked the Teeth of God Graphic Novel and would like more cosmic horror fiction to consume, I would recommend:

Movies (also short stories/novels)

The Color Out of Space

Originally a short story by HP Lovecraft, “The Color Out of Space” was made into a film in 2019, directed by Richard Stanley. Essentially a meteorite that crashes into a farm in Massachusetts begins to infect life around it with a new color. It’s way better than I make it sound. Think “Evil Dead Rise” meets “The Thing.” I don’t want to give away too much, but Nick Cage and Tommy Chong are in the movie, so you know it’s outrageous.

Annihilation

The novel (the first of 4) was published in 2014 by author Jeff VanderMeer, and the movie was released in 2018, directed by Alex Garland. I haven’t read the novel or the “Southern Reach” series, but the movie is easily one of my top favorite horror films. Similar to "The Color Out of Space", a “meteor” crashes on a beach of a wildlife preserve in Florida, creating an anomaly known as Area X, or The Shimmer. Also similar to “The Color Out of Space”, all life inside the anomaly is affected and altered (Crosby, Stills & Nash begins to play solemnly in the background). Funnily enough, the author denies any and all correlation to Lovecraft’s short story.

The Mist

Created by Stephen King, the movie was directed by Frank Darabont. It’s undeniably King, so that depends on if you’d like this novella/film or not. Less space and more interdimensional, “The Mist” is about a catastrophic storm/supposed military experiment gone wrong, which created a tear in the space-time continuum that unleashes multidimensional horrors. I haven’t seen the show, but I have read the novella and seen the 2007 movie. Unlike the two recommendations above, “The Mist” focuses less on an affliction to biology and more on the people attempting to survive with heavy religious undertones. I personally preferred the novella to the film.

Event Horizon

Opposite to the above three, this was a movie first and then was adapted into a novel. The film came out in 1997, and was directed by Paul WS Anderson. The novel adaptation was written by Steven E. McDonald and released the same year. This one is less “cosmic horror comes to Earth” and more “humans go to the cosmic horror” in a basic sense. “Event Horizon” is about a space vessel (😏) by the same name that is capable of interdimensional travel in order to make otherwise impossible space voyages. The vessel disappeared for several years before suddenly turning up orbiting Neptune while issuing an SOS call. The story follows a space crew who goes to investigate what happened and are met with The Horrors™. The film unfortunately fell victim to the Hollywood machine, but still has a lot of potential and can give you a lot to think about.

The Thing

Since I mentioned it previously, I thought I’d recommend it as well. “The Thing” is a classic, though small-scale, cosmic horror story. If you haven’t seen/read any version of it, I highly recommend the 1982 John Carpenter version. There's also the original 1951 film, “The Thing from Another World,” which is based on the novel “Who Goes There?”, and a 2011 remake. The novel and original film take place in Alaska, but the latter adaptations are based in Antarctica. The basic plot is a scientific team discovers an alien spacecraft/organism frozen in the ice, and the ultimate game of "Among Us" ensues.

The Void

“The Void” is a 2016 film directed by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie. According to reviews, you’re either going to love this film (like me) or hate it. This movie is based more around the occult and an eldritch being versus something from space, but does have similar tones and elements to all of the above recommendations and the graphic novel. This is the only film to not have a novel/written counterpart. It also has absolutely disgusting (/positive) practical effects.

ARGs:

Local 58 TV

This ARG is comprised of several YouTube videos designed to look like recordings from a local American television station spliced with cosmic horror. I don’t want to give away to much because all the videos are superb, but there is definitely something funky going on with the moon.

The Sun Vanished

This ARG originated on Twitter and follows a user who woke up one morning to find that the sun has vanished and the world has been plunged into chaos. Since the social media site has become increasingly unfavorable under its new owner, I’ll leave you with a link to a full 4+ hour YouTube narration below (I know it’s long but it's so worth it).

Video Games:

Dead Space

The original video game was released in 2008 by EA, and was remade in 2023. There are also two game sequels, an art book, novel, several comics, and a graphic novel linked to the franchise. I personally have only played the first game and the 2023 remake, and the premise is the player character is part of a search and rescue team for a spaceship that has an alien artifact called The Marker on board. It has a similar plot in the beginning to “Event Horizon” and also has religious/occult undertones like in “The Mist” and "The Void." Also Vessel from Sleep Token played this game.

[writingsfrombeyondthegrave]

Welcome to the Graveyard

Hello! My name is Ghost, and I use any pronouns.

Please be respectful and feel free to send in requests. I cannot guarantee when or if I will get to them, but I will let you know!

This blog is a safe space for LGBTQA+, any gender, and any race.

Sexist, Racist, Transphobic, and Homophobic behavior will result in being banned.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORK TO BE COPIED, CLAIMED, OR TRASLATED ON ANY PLATFORM.

At this time, I am not looking to write any smut so please respect this and do not request it.

I will not write:

-any explicit sexual content

Please read ALL warnings before reading my work!

I love writing for ghost!reader because I have an extensive knowledge of the paranormal that no normal person should have. You WILL get random weird facts in my writing from time to time, this will be your only warning.

Requests are: OPEN

Feedback is highly appreciated. I love seeing all the love I get on my writing and will try my best to continue to provide for you all.

Navigation:

#📖-Information and Introductions

All important information you may need to know, including warnings, request information and tag lists

#👻-Ghost Writing

All of my fan fiction writing that I have done! I will be adding a master list once I write more.

The fandoms and characters I write for:

The Lost Boys

-Paul

-Marko

-Dwayne

-David

-Michael

-Star

The Marauders

-Sirius Black

-Remus Lupin

-James Potter

-Lily Evans

-Regulus Black

-Barty Crouch Jr.

-Pandora Lovegood

-Bellatrix Black

HP Other timelines

-Tom Riddle

Harry Potter Series

-Harry Potter

-Hermione Granger

-Draco Malfoy

-Theodore Nott

-Lorenzo Berkshire

-Matteo Riddle

-Blaise Zabini

13 Ghosts (2001)

-The Angry Princess (Dana Newman)

-The Torn Prince (Royce Clayton)

-Dennis Rafkin

Wednesday (Netflix Series)

-Wednesday Addams

-Enid Sinclair

School Spirits (Netflix Series)

-Wally Clark

-Maddie Nears

-Rhonda

-Dawn

Dead Boy Detectives

-Charles Rowland

-Edwin Payne

-Crystal Palace

-Niko

Beetlejuice

-Lydia Deetz

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

-Astrid Deetz

Labyrinth (1986)

-Jareth The Goblin King

Ghostbusters Frozen Empire

-Trevor Spengler

Stranger Things

-Steve Harrington

-Robin Buckley

(GIF PENDING: aka I have to add it on my laptop)

Titans DC HBO

-Jason Todd

-Dick Grayson

-Garfield Logan

(GIF PENDING: aka I have to add it on my laptop)

Boy Meets World

-Eric Matthews

-Shawn Hunter

-Topanga Lawrence

(GIF PENDING: aka I have to add it on my laptop)

Henry Danger

-Henry Hart

-Ray Manchester

Feel free to request a character not on this list but be warned ahead of time that it is very possible I may deny the request.

Credits: Ghost divider- @animatedglittergraphics-n-more Lost Boys gif- @classichorrorblog Marauders divider- origin unknown Tom riddle divider- pinterest, origin unknown Harry Potter divider- pinterest, origin unknown 13 Ghosts gif- @stevebuscemieyes Wednesday gif- origin unknown School spirits gif- @multivstx Dead boy detectives header- @wanderinlights Beetlejuice gif- @junkfoodcinemas Beetlejuice Beetlejuice header- @editfandom Labyrinth gif @batterycityghoul Ghostbusters header- @nostalgc Stranger things header- @shitedits

Further credits will be added on my writing in the exact post. I admire these creators very much and appreciate all that they do on here. Feel free to check them out! I really recommend it.

[faithfulcat111]

Tagged by @musicalchaos07 (thank you so much! I love these games!)

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

1. Car crash angst with Paul and Emma

2. death is not for you - 3

3. don’t you remember. we, too, did such things in our youth

4. Stranger Things Big Bang

5. succubus Jancy

6. what is gender really?

7. The Party - snippets

8. Stonathan - even more fantasy snippets

9. Jonathan Amnesia

10. HP Time Travel fic

11. Madwheeler Roleswap Outline

That is actually a lot for me. Nice. Some of these have been sitting in my wips for awhile, but hey.

Gonna tag: @hullosweetpea @karadanverss @throttlegainwell @electric016 @oskarwing @forestdivinity @littlerit @clementineofmine @booksasfurniture I know I have more but my mind is blanking so anyone else can go for it too!

[wizzardclown]

OKAY I'M SO!!! SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR USELESS OPINIONS AND INFORMATIONS, but i love this topic too much to not add more. so here's what cars I imagine would fit each guy.

[Note: I only took VW and Audi into consideration here because of my job knowledge. I'm sure Flake would always prefer a Mercedes over a VW, and that Schneider would always prefer a Porsche over an Audi, etc...]

Fun fact, Porsche is actually a part of the VW group, just like Audi, Seat, Cupra, Škoda, Lamborghini and Bentley. So if any of them owns a Porsche, its just a fancy VW.]

Till: VW Amarok

- comes with a V6 or V8 engine and 4x4, which makes it perfect for driving through the wild, forests, mountains, or water... or literally everywhere except a city lol

- very useful for his hobby, fishing and hunting: you can toss your equipment and the cadavers in the loading area. no dirt or blood stains on the interior, and the loading area can easily be cleaned

- much space on the inside for the driver [very important for a fridge man]

Richard: Audi SQ8

- SUV for the obvious comfort reason

- 435 hp with a diesel engine, 507 hp with a benzin engine. combine this with deutsche autobahn and let the fun begin!

- not too fucking fancy like Bentley or Porsche, but still says, "look at me. i have money & taste, schlampe"

Ollie: VW T4 Camper

- for the obvious reason Ollie has owned [or still owns?] a camper

- T4 because it's an older model [1990-2003], which means no fancy extras, but a very solid engine and all the basics you need

- you can travel with it, sleep and cook in it, and it has enough space to fit a surf board AND a longo

Paul: Polo Harlekin

[aka the coolest thing VW ever did]

- COLORS!!!!! everyone would just know, "oh hey, here comes Paul!" when they see that car

- small & cute [like Paule himself]

- Polos are indestructible and also perfect for finding a parking spot in a crowded city like Berlin

Schneider: Audi R8 Spyder

- 570 hp with rear-wheel drive, and even 620 hp with 4x4 [or as Audi calls it, "quattro"]. holy fucking moly?

- rare to find in the wild, as these babies start at 162k euros, up to 225k+. Schneider strikes me as a guy who knows what he wants, and he wants something not everyone drives [like a Porsche Macan lol. no offense 🤲🏻]

- luxurious, beautiful AND sporty: just like the Schnoods

Flake: VW Scirocco 1

- of course I had to pick an oldtimer for flake. those beauties were produced from 1974 to 1981, which means even the "youngest" ones are classified as oldtimers since 2011

- they only came with 50 hp up to 110hp max , but let's face it. flake isn't here for the speed. he's here for the feeling

- the scirocco is a classic, very cherished among fans, and reliable. ... like flake, I guess.

Porsche Macan S

Hi 👋🏻

Debated on posting Richard's supposed car model here, but since @wizzardclown demanded details, here you go 😌 Now I need an expert opinion from my car specialist 🚘

[birlwrites]

YOU'VE SEEN TGWDLM?!?!!?! I'm constantly having Thoughts about how a tgwdlm au would be really interesting. idk quite how it'd work with such a big cast of characters and in the hp universe but paul is such a remus/regulus variant (i havent watched the full show in about a year so i can't properly decide lol) like it makes so much sense to me and the inevitable scene with wolfstar or any regulus ship with either regulus or remus as paul would be gut wrenching.

sorry for ranting, i've just been thinking about this for a while lmao

i think about workin boys every goddamn day

OOOOOOOOOO okay hmmmmmm. so i think the thing about paul and emma that makes That Scene so particularly gutwrenching, as you put it, is that both of them start the show being very like. 'ugh i don't care about this i'm just trying to get through life,' and then over the course of the plot they begin to open up. to each other, of course, but also in paul's case to life in general

(i also haven't watched the full show in a while but i was literally just watching one of those 'best moments' videos because after making that post i couldn't get 'what the fuck is this shit' out of my head lmao)

i'd go with regulus over remus as the paul character, because paul's whole thing is that he doesn't *want* anything, and it's a big moment when he finally does. i think regulus is more the type to *repress* wanting anything, whereas w/ remus it would depend on how you write him (obviously) but i think that would be a pretty unusual characterization? i've only spent like 2 minutes thinking about this though so if you have more thoughts i'd love to hear them!!

(also, ngl, just because regulus absolutely hating musicals makes me laugh. he's so joyless)

okay having spent another 2 minutes thinking about it i understand the remus angle more - i think that usually when i see him as being kind of directionless, it's in the wake of having lost people he cares about, which is why my mind doesn't jump to that, but that's me

ahgshgsdflsjghd now i'm thinking about how to map characters onto each other - despite the rosewater brainrot i don't think evan would work as emma, the vibes don't match

ok potentially cursed thought: moody as professor hidgens. he has the doomsday survivalist stuff down but does he have the DRAMA? we know barty-impersonating-moody has the drama but does moody himself?

but also that opens up the possibility of BARTY as professor hidgens

also, hot take: *remus* as emma?

[sunby]

Intro to my TF2 OC’S

 -Aight so First off: Irene Murphy -Irene is a Scout OC o’ mine with Parental Issues, Has Sibling Banter with the regular Scout. will write abt that soon  Noah (No Last name, yet) -Sniper OC, Not actual Aussie (Shocker) Parents moved from UK to Australia, -no he don’t do Jarate, no matter how much Gravel be kicked at him 

Ophelia Pavlov  -Heavy OC, Basically Heavy Genderbent, (and if he was pan)  -has 2 sibs which I will Eventually write about on this blog  -Ma is one of the kindest people on earth fr  Anaira Schneien -Basically, Medic OC -Crow Mother -Also She’s Married but her husband is in a coma -Lost Medical License via Organ Stealing on the dude who did a Hit and Run on her mans  Nicholas Abott-Hanover -Please, Just call the mans Nick -not a Black Scottish Cyclops -bro is a Drunken Robo-arm Scottish dude -this is why we don’t fw bombs when NOT SOBER -do he care? lol no Stephanie (No last name yet either) -Basically the Adminstrator Hired her to be Miss Pauling’s Assistant -Lightend Miss Pauling’s workload -tired(tm) -Irene is her GF, like literally they smooch n’ shit Onyx Seymour -Immortal by some freaky deaky that happened when they were a kid -no need for Respawn, ig -Philophobia (Fear of love) due to a fucked up relationship in higschool -Pyro OC -They Like fire -Do not let them make Napalm -They took their last name from a Main Character’s First name in a Certain Musical Adam Murphy -Spy OC -ah yes, the cause of Irene’s Daddy Issues -Absentee Father -regrets being Absentee Father -Cecelia Fernandez Wow, How Orginal I'm making a 10th Class for Cecelia -The Nurse -battle medic type class, Instead of hanging back and healing, her purpose is to be able to get in and outta situations enough to heal and support without taking a lot of damage. -Since Speedy= Less Health her HP is Capped the same as Irene and regular Scout, along with her speed - you know the Healers crossbow? Think That but Syringe Gun and it's a one hit, any more shot and it's overheal -Cannot Über, or pocket remember she has to S P E E D Can unlock other -Bonesaws and Syringe guns -can't unlock Mediguns because again S P E E D - Saw the Nurses Uniform in ww2, HEAVILY Altered it so it has P A N T S   -Half-Flipino Half Colombian -Multilingual, can speak Fluent Filipino, English and Spanish and yeah! that’s about all my TF2 OC’s so far, well at least the ones I remember, I’ll add the ones I forgot if I remember em’ lol

[freakingbellam]

Timeless (HP & HOO crossover x reader)

Synopsis: What would you say if I told you that Hogwarts and Camp Half-Blood are not so far apart? Yeah, Gale and Y/n would also say this is crazy. But these two girls are about to discover that even though they are far apart, the magic that surrounds them is the same. After all, what do a time travel, a fearful prophecy and a Titan about to resurrect, have in common? Certainly more than you can imagine.

Paring: Apollo x reader

Warnings: None, I guess.

Reader: Percy's step sister! reader

Word count: 1.7k

A / N: escreve o que quiser (notas da autora)

September 2010, New York - USA

Y/n would be lying if she said she didn’t cry like a baby when she saw Argo II return to Camp Half-Blood. She had been forbidden to help in the battle against the giants, but she was nevertheless not full at Camp. After the near invasion of Camp Jupiter and Reyna's visit, things got messed up there.

But the best part of the return of the other demigods was seeing Percy again. He looked extremely exhausted, but happy to be back in one piece. Y/n hugged him for so long that Percy almost fell asleep in her arms.

The boy was welcomed with all the frenzy he deserved, entitled to a hearty banquet and a visit from his father, along with a very tearful Sally and a relieved Paul.

Tyson had been absolutely thrilled to see his older brother talking to his friends by the fire, which glowed high and yellow, mirroring the emotion of the half-bloods.

Despite being as happy as the others, and maybe even more so, Y/n retired a little earlier that night. She didn't walk long before her absence was noticed.

‘Mingling with the shadows? I thought this was my own thing.” The girl smiled at Nico di Angelo, who walked over to her with his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket, which was still too big for him.

“I'm going to sleep, Nico.” She explained, continuing her way to Cabin 3. “It was a day full of emotions, I'm tired.”

Nico nodded, walking beside her. Y/n always found it fun to be the same size as Nico, but now she realized that he was a few inches taller than she was.

“Are you okay?” she asked, bringing up the subject.

“I think so.” Nico replied, looking surprised by his own conclusion. “Maybe things get better for me from now on.”

“I'm sure it will.” Y/n opened an encouraging smile. Because he was the son of Hades, Nico suffered more than all the other demigods, which worried the girl. She hadn't seen him since the war of the Titans, but she talked to Percy during her mission and discovered things she didn't want to discover.

She looked at Nico. For the first time in his life, his face looked serene, as if his problems were gone. Y/n realized that it would be better not to go into details about the problems he went through. She did not want to end his joy.

“Di Angelo!” someone called, running up to them. Y/n turned to find Will Solace smiling like a ray of sunshine. “Hi Y/n!”

“Will.” She smiled. When looking at Nico, she noticed a pink tint on his cheeks and held her laugh. “Can you take care of Nico for me? I need to go to sleep but he doesn't want to leave.”

Will smiled, realizing what she meant. Nico looked at her with anger and indignation, but he didn't seem against the idea.

“Certainly.” The blonde took a step forward. “Have a good night!”

“You too.” She raised an eyebrow at Nico and walked back to her cabin.

She was still smiling when she passed Hecate's cabin, which looked darker than ever. Her smile wilted. She had always been a little afraid of the goddess's children since she found herself a half-blood and moved to camp. But that night, something seemed comforting in the hideous darkness of the cabin. Unable to contain the impulse that occurred to her, Y/n went up on the porch and went through the open door. None of the goddess's children were there, they were probably still at the stake celebrating, they always loved a good party.

Y/n didn't know exactly what she expected to find inside, but she certainly wasn't ready for what she saw. She had never entered the cabin since she had never been invited and it didn't feel right to enter without an invitation like she did now. But what she found was an absolute void. No bunk beds, bathroom, closet or chest. Nothing for the basic comfort of teenagers. All that was inside was a torch on the floor with a brown leather-bound notebook beside it.

“Take it” A whisper said, and Y/n knelt down to better analyze the notebook.

“Who...?” She started the question, but knew at the time that she had no need to finish it. Hecate was there. “Are you hiding in the shadows?”

There was a harsh laugh, but Y/n couldn't tell where it came from. It was as if the goddess moved in every particle of air around her.

“I heard that Poseidon's children were mocking, but seeing that feat face to face is much more fun. Ares definitely didn't say enough about it.”

“I don't think he has any reason to boast about it.” She commented, but her body was tense. Something about the goddess made her feel that bad things would happen any second.

“Take the notebook.” She asked, seeming to feel the girl's tension. “Take it and bring my girl back.”

“What does that mean?” Y/n asked, but never got an answer.

After several minutes, she finally let herself be overcome by curiosity, put the notebook under her arm and ran out of the cabin.

Y/n spent a few days without touching the notebook, which was comfortably resting on the small table in her cabin. Percy asked several times what the notebook was and why Y/n didn't move it, but the girl always answered the same thing. "It's just a silly notebook." She was afraid to open it and end up triggering something she couldn't control.

Percy and the others had just returned from a massacre battle with irreparable losses, she didn't want to leave anyone alarmed by something as stupid as a leather notebook.

Y/n tried to distract herself. She would swim in the lake, duel with Percy in the arena, ask Tyson to teach her something in the forges, help Chiron with pending camp, talk about the biggest zucchinis with Rachel, encourage Annabeth to talk nonstop about architecture, sometimes make her repeat everything he had said in Greek, but nothing seemed to get her thoughts out of the notebook. Instead of being distracted, she got some scars from the duels, burns from the forges and throbbing ears, but nothing erased the notebook.

Tired of trying, Y/n returned to the cabin and spent several minutes looking at the problem. She would get up a few times, making a move to pick it up, but soon she would go back to sitting on bed. When she finally thought she would be brave enough to end the trip, someone knocked on the door.

Changing her course, Y/n opened the door to the blond, smug figure.

Y/n and Apollo had spent a lot of time together a few months before, not that any of them had a chance to do the opposite. He had helped her save the Camp when everyone seemed too busy saving the world. Now she was no longer able to get rid of the sun god, who suddenly appeared in her cabin. At least now he had learned to knock on the door before entering.

“Good afternoon, beautiful lady.” He smiled, breaking into the cottage before Y/n had a chance to expel him. “What do you do locked in that cabin?”

“Apollo, seriously, now is not the best time.”

“Every hour is the best time for Apollo!” He smiled at her and Y/n found herself unable to say no to him. The god had that effect on her, but she couldn't explain why. She just went back to bed and sighed.

“What happened, Sunshine?” he asked, now more serious.

Y/n pointed to the notebook, like a child pointing out the bully who was mistreating her. Pausing to think, it was almost the same.

Apollo's gaze followed Y/n 's finger until it stopped at the Hecate symbol on the cover of the notebook, and he froze.

“What's it?”

“That notebook.” He got up and picked up it, playing with it in his hands. “I saw Hecate with another of his once many years ago. I asked her what they were, but she cast a spell on me that prevented me from speaking for two months. Where did you find it?”

“I found him at her cabin.” The girl admitted, unable to lie to the closest friend she had at the camp until that moment. “I heard Hecate ask me to take him away. I didn't understand what she expects me to do.”

“Write.” He suggested, after long minutes of silence.

“I’m sorry?” Y/n looked at him, confused. “What if something bad happens, Apollo? I don't know if I want to find out.”

The god smiled gently, taking the book to the girl and handing it over, along with a blue ballpoint pen. Y/n hesitated for a few seconds before picking up the pen and opening the notebook. But she didn't do much more than that, as the words “Owned by G. J. W.” they magically appeared on the first leaf, in a strange black ink.

Y/n looked at Apollo for help, but he just shrugged and encouraged her to write something below. "G. J. W.? This notebook is mine, and my name has none of those letters!”

Before she had a chance to tell Apollo how ridiculous it was, the notebook replied.

G: "Who are you?"

Y: “Y/n Y/l/n, are you?”

G: "Gale Wright"

Y: “How the hell am I talking to you through my notebook? Where you are from?"

G: “England. I'm a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, how about you? What school of magic do you belong to? ”

Y: "I'm not going to any magic school, I'm from New York, there's no such thing here!"

G: "I thought the United States school of magic was Ilvermorny"

Y: "I am not a witch!"

G: "Oh by Merlin, are you a muggle?"

Y: "Look, I may not be a witch but you don't have to curse me!"

G: “Muggle is a term for non-wizards ... But if you are not a witch, how can you talk to me? This notebook is bewitched, only those who have contact with magic could see it ”

Y: "I didn't know that the notebook was enchanted until now ... I didn't even know about the existence of a school of magic, wizards, yes, now schools? No, things are very different here"

G: "Different how?"

Y: "I am a camper at Camp Half-Blood"

G: "And what would that be?"

Y: "Well, a camp for demigods, of course!"

Y/n waited, but nothing else happened. She looked up at Apollo, who looked as upset as she was.

“School of Magic and Witchcraft of... Hogwarts?” She asked, hoping that Apollo would say something to her.

“I've heard of that school. Hecate loves to talk about how she has an entire chain of schools that teach children to do what she does. She is very proud of it.” He explained, taking the notebook from Y/n and examining the last conversation. “I just didn't think it was real at all. All the gods think it's Hecate's invention, but no one has ever tried to prove it.”

“Well, I think we just did that.” Y/n joked, but was far from feeling the fun of the situation, because, there in front of her, there was a problem. Perhaps a much bigger problem than she imagined.

[notbecauseofvictories]

oh I'm interested in the tag novel on how fan spaces becoming more meat spacey benefits the producers!! also happy Halloween! 🖤🧡🖤🧡

It’s not a particularly academic argument---I don’t have sources to back this up, I haven’t done research. I’m also wary of painting a picture of “fandom” as anything more than a lot of weasels in a trenchcoat, because that word means a lot of things to a lot of different people, some of whom hate each other. But as long as everybody understands that this is the ethnographical equivalent of drunkenly throwing darts at a copy of the AJS...sure.

[under a cut because it’s long and baseless, and also I had a lot of thoughts and feelings. Sorry.]

My basic premise is that fandom occupies “fanspace.” Fanspace is not solely online, since fanzines and conventions are fanspace too, but since the 90s it has become increasingly and primarily internet based. While some websites are designated fanspace (e.g., AO3, ff.net, stand-alone fansites) fanspace is not necessarily contiguous with a hosting site (e.g., there is fanspace on tumblr, but tumblr is not a fanspace). Fanspace is really just those urls, message boards, threads, blogs, accounts, etc. designated for fandom and/or where fannish activity takes place.

Its deeply-rooted internet presence has allowed fanspace and what I call “meatspace” to operate on different rules. Meatspace has always informed fan spaces, of course---disclaimers on fic to ward off accusations of copyright infringement, for example, or asking readers to attest that they’re over 13 before reading an R-rated fic. But traditionally, fandom has accepted as norm things that don’t apply to meatspace: fake names and anonymous posts, pictures of someone else’s characters, lengthy self-published stories featuring violence, explicit sex, sometimes even gay people. Fanspace is in many ways an artificial carve out from meatspace, where fewer of its rules apply; fanspace supplements these with its own norms.

The division between fanspace and meatspace is not and has never been a clear, settled line, however. Debates on how much meatspace should inform fan spaces have been raging for as long as I’ve been on the internet, and to be fair to meatspace, it has made good points. (I’m not sure if “don’t be racist,” counts as a meatspace rule given...racism, but fandom frequently reacts to it like a meatspace intrusion so I think it should count.)

However, what used to be intra-fandom conversations have become increasingly more public, for a few reasons:

Part of this is just the natural development of the internet---it’s not like fanspace was ever hidden, but there just weren’t as many people online, and stuff was harder to find in a pre-google, pre-algorithmic promotion world.

Part of it is the changing architecture of fanspace---websites shutting down, Strikethrough, and the tumblr porn ban have all, in their own ways, served to alter fanspace and move towards more and more public-facing sites.

But part of it---and this is the biggest factor, I think---is that over the last two decades, we’ve seen content-producers** increasingly willing to engage with fandom. 

On its face, this sounds good! After all, fans like people who make things, people who make things want fans. What could possibly be wrong about both sides recognizing their mutualism?

I think this works when the most interaction you could expect with a creator was showing up a bookstore to ask Tamora Pierce a question, or writing fanmail to Paul Gross. But it falls apart when you consider just how public-facing fanspaces have become, and just how much interest content-producers have taken in cultivating the fannish audience. Content-producers engaging directly with fandom are a thumb on the scales of mutualism, and a heavy one. After all, one side of the relationship is a loosely collected anarchic cult, migrating along a series of websites they mostly don’t control, making do with nothing but ongoing wank and general obsessive tendencies. 

The other side has D*sney, Harper Collins, and Comcast.

That thumb on the scale has paid off, more than I think even the content-producers could have anticipated. Fandom is good at loving what it loves and talking loudly about it, but capitalism is way better at doing what it does---turning everything into profit. So now people pay $100 a pop to go to Harry Potter World. Conventions are well-produced extensions of their parent companies, raking in money and providing a blitz of publicity---directly to the source most likely to take your messaging and amplify it. Make a superhero movie and the minute the trailer drops you conjure up thousands of online fans will be your de facto, unpaid publicists---generating interest via fan art, fic, and controversy with minimal corporate effort.  Of course fic writers who have established online presence are the darlings of the publishing world---what publisher wouldn’t want a built-in hype machine for a new author? 

And, just coincidentally, of course, fanspace and meatspace are drawn closer together, that line further blurred by this new and very, very interested third party.

I’m not saying this is some big conspiracy. No tv exec is out there rubbing their hands together and cackling evilly about how they’re going ruin fandom. But in exchange for meatspace validation and an endless stream of new content, I think fandom has ceded important ground. And I think it’s changing fanspaces, even now:

One of the founding rules of fanspace is that it does not generate money---you risk real copyright infringement that way. (This isn’t to say that money hasn’t been involved in a few massive fandom scandals, but it’s not typical.) Increasingly, however, the grumblings about getting paid for fan art and fic have gotten louder, probably due to meatspace’s general emphasis on the side-hustle, and seeing content-producers churn out more and more fan-like things for a profit.

(It seems unimaginable now, but once upon a time the HP Lexicon was an invaluable resource, a rare unicorn in a pre-wikipedia age. Now, D*sney wouldn’t even think of releasing a tentpole movie without a novelization, a picture dictionary, and a tie-in novel.)

Also, those calls for fan art that “might be featured” by a content-producer are (rightfully) scorned for asking for work pro bono. But the takeaway seems to be “we deserve to be paid for our fan art!” rather than “how dare the content-producer intrude on our fanspace and its activities!”

Fanspaces have never expected or required legal ID, permitting anonymous or pseudonymous activity in order to protect individual privacy. And while there’s still no expectation you link your legal ID with your online/fan ID, the norm has shifted---it’s no longer considered gauche to go by your legal ID, even necessary when turning mutuals and followers into an “audience.” We’re not anonymous fans, engaged in our mutual hobby anymore---some people are doing that, and others are potential content-creators.

I’d argue that even purity wank if an example of this new blurring, classic “don’t like don’t read” arguments taking on new life now that meatspace is so nearby---we wouldn’t want to offend the neighbors!

Even these things benefit the content-producers: the more fan-like stuff they churn out, the less fanspaces will create on their own; the more fanspaces that emphasize linking legal ID to online ID, the less people will be able to engage in fan activities privately; the more meatspace rules assert themselves on fanspaces, the less fanspace we’ll have.

Now, maybe this is just...evolution. As I said before, there is a porous and shifting border between fanspace and meatspace. I remember angry threads about whether m/m fics should be rated higher than a het equivalent; I remember the tagging debates, the incredible resistance to accurately describing what happens in your fic. Maybe in a few years, my longing to return to a more separate fanspace will seem equally as embarrassing, incorrect, and unnecessary. 

But right now, it feels more like an erosion---one fandom is about as willing or able to resist as the tide.

.

** “Content maker” is a term that’s come to mean “anyone who makes something” which is sheer nonsense. There’s a difference between publishers/television producers/movie studios and someone recording a podcast in their bathroom. There’s even a difference between D*sney, a vast undead creative monopoly animated by copyright protections, and someone like James Patterson, who uses a stable of ghostwriters to churn out “his” works. We shouldn’t be scrutinizing all these things them the same way, it’s lazy, and intellectually dishonest.

[harpyloon]

“how’d we get so deep from just talking about bubble tea?" / f.w

Pairing: Fred Weasley x fem!OC

Warnings: Angst, mentions of food... also fluffy and cute!

Summary: Fred Weasley and OC Female character fight about bubble tea and it gets kinda angsty but not too much

A/N: Was supposed to be a Fred x Reader thing but i'm not too confident with my 2nd person writing skills yet. Viktoria is my Fred Weasley simp friend 🤪 but she can also be you! 

Also wanted to incorporate a bit of how Hermione mentioned the twins slightly affecting Ron's confidence in canon HP. Testing out the waters so let me know what you think! Hope there wasn't too much angst on here.

WC: 2.4k+

This is for you @weasleyclaw​

Read on AO3

"What in Merlin's pants is this supposed to be?"

Viktoria giggled enthusiastically against a wide-rimmed straw stuck between her teeth, watching Fred Weasley's perplexed face as he struggled to ingest the contents in his mouth.

"Swallow," she commanded.

Fred quirked an eyebrow, pausing his chewing. "Well, that's what I sai—

He grunted as she took a swipe to his shin.

"Swallow," Viktoria said again, attempting a glare this time, but mirth was swimming around in her eyes.

Frowning and chewing with performative haste, Fred swallowed loudly and obediently (to Viktoria's delight) and stuck out his tongue like a good schoolboy, displaying an empty mouth.

She smiled cheekily, "Well? How is it?"

Instead of answering, Fred brought his wand out and pointed it to his tongue.

"Aguame—“

“NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Viktoria snatched Fred’s wand immediately, sneaking frantic glances around and shoving it inside her coat.

“Are you mental?!” she whisper-yelled to her boyfriend who had a frown on his face.

“But I'm parched,” grumbled Fred as Viktoria pushed him towards a fairly deserted alley adjacent to the main street.

Covent Garden was bustling with Muggles. Seeing as Easter was fast approaching, boutiques were filled to the brim with shoppers queuing for last-minute holiday hauls, and everyone was out and about, basking in the spring breeze.

A good-looking pair of lovebirds sipping on matching bubble tea beverages, walking down James Street hand-in-hand was nothing close to unusual on a cheerful sunny day such as today. What would've been unusual was if one of the pair suddenly shot out cold, freshwater into his mouth from a wooden stick. That would've stirred some heads.

"You're parched?" Viktoria's eyes were wide and exasperated. "How many times do you have to pull something like that in the middle of a bloody Muggle street—"

"It was you who made me swallow it!" said Fred defensively.

She scoffed, "Oh please. You're being dramatic."

"Dramatic? These things taste like Dungbombs!" he waved his still-full cup of bubble tea, shoving it up his girlfriend's face as if it's committed some horrendous crime. Black little pearls were swimming around between Viktoria's eyes.

She shoves him off, offended.

"Excuse me? Dungbombs? Have you actually eaten Dungbombs?"

"Well, no, but these sure look like 'em."

Viktoria gasped.

"You did not," she glared threateningly at Fred.

"Also," his face frowned in disgust, "who—in their right mind—would put ice in tea? Barbaric is what this is!"

Viktoria's mood was getting fouler by the second. She had been excited. So incredibly excited to have Fred finally try one of her favorite drinks in the world. Her mother was a muggle, and her father a Curse Breaker—where the job came with travelling; when they had lived briefly in Thailand when she was thirteen, they couldn't get her to stop drinking bubble tea every single day.

"I can't believe you said that," she said.

"What? The truth?"

"The entire world doesn't drink tea the same way the British do, Fred!"

"Well too bad for them then! No one makes tea like Mum does."

"This is different. This is about trying something new!"

"Well, I don't want new!"

"UUUUUGRRRH."

With a loud groan, she snatched the cup being dangled in front of her face and stomped away angrily.

"HEY— Where are you going?" Fred called to her retreating back.

The good-looking pair of lovebirds were no longer a subject of longing stares as passersby dodged the now bitter-looking woman storming down the Muggle street, sipping from two cups of bubble tea simultaneously, her boyfriend running to keep up with her.

"Viktoria," Fred called out as reasonably projected as possible. They were making a scene and he knew it. He didn't mind the attention when he was being funny or when people stared at him and Viktoria hand-in-hand. He loved showing her off. Not like this though. Not when she was walking away from him.

"Viktoria," he was jogging next to her now, "slow down."

"Sod off and go drown in your Mum's tea, Fred Weasley," she growled without so much as a glance in his direction. "I hate you so much right now."

"Will you stop walking for one second?"

She brisked even faster.

"Okay, okay, I'm sor—," he dodged running into a stroller and an angry mother who chastised him. After apologizing profusely at the woman who was immediately charmed by the Weasley smile, he glanced up and saw that Viktoria was nowhere to be found.

"Shite."

Running down James Street, he paused through every alley, searching, passing by the boutiques they've previously visited earlier in the day. Skidding to a halt in front of the bubble tea shop, he entered and scanned the small space.

"Back for another already?"

The woman who had served them earlier was smiling at Fred behind the counter, "Original Bubble for your lady?"

"Uh," he was still panting, "er—no thank you, madame. I was wondering if—"

The woman laughed.

"Just one for her today then? That's a first. On her best days she can do three!" she seemed to laugh at a memory.

"Er—sorry?"

The woman shook her head in amusement, "Your little lady would swell her digestion herself if she could, only if it meant she could drink pints of these devils!" she gestured to the gallons of ready-made tea behind her. "It's a sight. She practically inhales it. I'm lactose-intolerant you see. Watching her, I live vicariously!"

The woman laughed again and pointed to a window in the corner of her shop, "Sits over on that cushion every Sunday when she's back from school."

Fred's breathing was calming down, but his heart was thumping faster.

"She nicked yours 'in't she?" she asked. "That why you're back for another?"

Eyes glued to the small corner booth by the window, Fred answered with a question, "She likes bubble tea then?"

"Likes?" the woman almost scoffed, "Darling, I could say she's a shop benefactor with the number of cuppas that girl downs! She told me once that our tea is the closest thing to those authentic ones you find in— where was that? Taiwan? Anyway—"

"Thailand," breathed Fred, and dread was closing in on him. Remorse slowly working its way to his erratic heart. "She—she lived there for a while. Told me all about the..."

The tea.

"I'll take you I swear," she told him as they walked up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, "it's almost as good as the ones in Bangkok. NOT AS AMAZING, but good enough!"

Viktoria had moved to Hogwarts when they were in their fifth year, straight from Thailand; carrying stories of her Curse Breaker father, speaking fluent Gobbledegook in Charms that made her a Flitwick favorite, and going on and on about how the school kitchens didn't have black squishy pearls swimming in cold tea...

Sighing, Fred turned to the woman who was still beaming at him.

"One Original Bubble please."

 ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

 Viktoria watched churchgoers walk past her from the bench where she sat near St. Paul's Chapel, nibbling on her straw mindlessly.

The two cups of bubble tea were long empty. Her stomach was rumbling quietly from the aggressive intake of lactose, and her foul mood dulled into a solemn ache.

She remembered when she was still back in Hogwarts a few days ago, packing for the Easter holidays. Recalling her long list of "must-dos" with Fred that she had planned out. This was their second holiday as a couple, after getting together right before Fred and George decided to drop out mid-year of their sixth. They wrote together all summer long, and she had spent the following Christmas at the Burrow.

With You-Know-Who back in the picture, nowhere was safe to spend anything these days. But a Muggle area gave a supposedly wider berth from danger. This was why the two had planned to meet her family this time, introduce Fred to her mum and dad, and bring him around Muggle London.

"She's lovely," he whispered in her ear as her mother stood up to refill all their bowls with her homemade Sheperd's Pie.

Viktoria smiled, "She is when she's full."

"Just like you then," said Fred with a smirk.

Her foot met his toe and he coughed out a sharp grunt.

"Say that again?"

"You are as lovely as your mother, my sweet," he mumbled back and gave a strained smile to her Curse Breaker father when he peered at them curiously.

"Lovely my big fat foot," Viktoria grumbled under her breath, poking the bottom of her empty cup with the straw aggressively. "Stupid, insensitive, red-headed git. Can't even pretend. Can't even try to pretend to like it. I'm supportive, aren't I? I even offer to be a guinea pig for the Wheezes. Remember when I grew a stubble because of that potion?" she was talking to her cup now, remembering being the human experiment for Magical Moustache Miracle Stubble Grow.

"AND (poke) TO THINK (poke) I WAS SO (even more aggressive poke) EXCITED!"

A straw-shaped hole peered up at her from the bottom of the cup.

"UGH, I don't even know why I'm mad!"

Someone cleared their throat gently behind her.

Huffing haughtily and knowing exactly who it was, Viktoria ignored the sound and continued to glare at the throng of Muggles walking past. She would not give in. She won't.

A long shadow loomed over her and sat on the bench, giving them a respectable amount of space in between.

The small square they were in was rumbling with activity. But there was nothing but silence in their own little bubble.

Sluuuurp.

She won't look. No. Spiting her, he is. Making fun. Always making fun—

SLUUUUUUUUUURP.

Chancing upon him at the corner of her eye, Viktoria saw Fred sipping on a cup of Original Bubble, frowning as he maneuvered his straw to catch the pearls that were swimming away.

"You don't have to do that."

Fred looked up, straw in mouth, "Well, how am I supposed to catch them then? Sneaky little gorgons—"

"No," sighed Viktoria, "I mean you don't have to drink that. I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to."

"You're not forcing me at a—"

"Cut it out, Fred."

Silence.

Children were running around nearby, feeding Pigeons with small pieces of bread from their lunch helpings. A little girl slipped. There were no tears though. She continued to roll around the pavement, shrieking with delight, to her mother's chagrin.

She heard him sigh beside her.

"I'm a git."

Silence.

"You kept going on about this all year last. Never stopped. It—it slipped my mind."

Silence.

"I'm a git and I deserve to be trolled."

Silence.

"I'm a filthy pile of dung and I subject myself to eating toadstools for the rest of my life."

"You are not eating toadstool," Viktoria glared at Fred who held his breath as she finally spoke. "I will not snog a toadstool eating wizard."

Fred's eyes turned misty, "You still wanna snog me?"

"When you're not being an absolute arse, I do."

Closing the gap between them the tiniest bit, Fred said, "I'm sorry, Viktoria."

It took a few breaths before she gave a defeated sigh, "This is stupid," she muttered. "This is stupid, I don't even know why I'm mad—"

"I do," interrupted Fred. "I know and I deserve it. I was a git. I wasn't paying attention and I was completely insensitive. You always," he was struggling, "you always feel things around you, even people. You read rooms clearly, you keep me in check. My mouth— I— I can't control it sometimes I— I say hurtful things to people I love without meaning them."

Viktoria was looking at him now, observing Fred's shameful downcasted eyes.

He blinked a couple of times before continuing, "Hermione confronted me once about it, about how the small things I say affected Ron loads. And I— I didn't want to believe her at first. Shrugged her off-quite rudely to be honest. But when I saw him play for Keeper I..."

There was a snitch-sized lump down Viktoria's throat and it was preventing any form of speech. She knew this. They had both sat down and talked about each other's flaws and hubris awhile back, after getting into a massive fight before Christmas at the Burrow. She was familiar with Fred's difficulty with words, his teasing getting too far at times. But he was good. She knew this as well. His affection coursed differently. And this was precisely why she loved him.

Words failing her, she grabbed his bubble teacup and took a long sip. His eyes held hers and she took his hand.

"Go on," she encouraged.

He took a deep breath, "Well, you know what happened. He was all over the place, Ron. Couldn't save a single Quaffle, quite unlike our matches in our backyard. George and I knew he was good. Merlin, even Ginny knew. But he wavered on the pitch. He didn't have the guts. And I had a lot to do with that."

Fred brought Viktoria's hand to his lips, "I'm doing better. You said so yourself," she gave him a teary smile, "but I— I slip and I'm sorry. I'll have more tact. I know it's the little words I overlook, and I'll work on that now. I swear I'll be more careful and— I just don't want to drive you away. You most of all."

Silently and without preamble, Viktoria stood. Fred blinked up at her, and from where she gazed, she saw the mist and remorse swimming all over his enchanting brown eyes.

"Oh, Fred Weasley," she smiled shyly down at him, brushing strands of red away from his forehead. "How'd we get so deep from just fighting about bubble tea?"

He gave a hearty guffaw, the signature Fred laughter that made her heart leap. "Because I'm a drama queen is why."

Pulling her to his lap, she settled on his chest, her head propped against his cheek.

"You're a good man, my Freddie," said Viktoria. His arms tighten around her. "You're the sweetest, most handsome, and you snog me so well."

Fred's laugh was contagious, his chest vibrating against her back. She grinned.

"And you were right. You are doing so well. I forgive you. And I'm sorry too."

She turned her head and rested it below his chin, her nose propped against his jaw, inhaling while her eyes fluttered shut. The sweet, gun-powdered scent of Fred Weasley. All bruised and perfect for her and her only.

"You know," started Fred, breaking their small silence as he stole a sip from the cup, "these aren't half bad."

Viktoria rolled her eyes, "Oh stop."

"I'm serious! I should've given them more teeth. I reckon it's all in the chew."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. We could make something out of this for Wheezes."

"No."

"Edible Dungbombs?"

Viktoria groaned.

Unbelievable.

[whack-ed]

TIMELESS (INTERACTIVE HP & HOO CROSSOVER)

Synopsis: Alex finds Hecate's notebook and discovers about the wizarding world and about Y/n.

Paring: In the beginning it's platonic!fred & george x reader, but I promise that in the end it is fred x reader.

Warnings: None, I guess.

Reader: Slytherin!Female

Word count: 1.9k

A/N: In this chapter, Y/n appears little, but it is extremely important.

September 2010, New York - USA

Alexa would be lying if she said she didn’t cry like a baby when she saw Argo II return to Camp Half-Blood. She had been forbidden to help in the battle against the giants, but she was nevertheless not full at Camp. After the near invasion of Camp Jupiter and Reyna's visit, things got messed up there.

But the best part of the return of the other demigods was seeing Percy again. He looked extremely exhausted, but happy to be back in one piece. Alex hugged him for so long that Percy almost fell asleep in her arms.

The boy was welcomed with all the frenzy he deserved, entitled to a hearty banquet and a visit from his father, along with a very tearful Sally and a relieved Paul. Tyson had been absolutely thrilled to see his older brother talking to his friends by the fire, which glowed high and yellow, mirroring the emotion of the half-bloods.

Despite being as happy as the others, and maybe even more so, Alex retired a little earlier that night. She didn't walk long before her absence was noticed.

‘Mingling with the shadows? I thought this was my own thing.” The girl smiled at Nico di Angelo, who walked over to her with his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket, which was still too big for him.

“I'm going to sleep, Nico.” She explained, continuing her way to Cabin 3. “It was a day full of emotions, I'm tired.”

Nico nodded, walking beside her. Alex always found it fun to be the same size as Nico, but now she realized that he was a few inches taller than she was.

“Are you okay?” she asked, bringing up the subject.

“I think so.” Nico replied, looking surprised by his own conclusion. “Maybe things get better for me from now on.

“I'm sure it will.” Alexa opened an encouraging smile. Because he was the son of Hades, Nico suffered more than all the other demigods, which worried the girl. She hadn't seen him since the war of the Titans, but she talked to Percy during her mission and discovered things she didn't want to discover.

She looked at Nico. For the first time in his life, his face looked serene, as if his problems were gone. Alex realized that it would be better not to go into details about the problems he went through. She did not want to end his joy.

“Di Angelo!” someone called, running up to them. Alex turned to find Will Solace smiling like a ray of sunshine. “Hi Alex!”

“Will.” She smiled. When looking at Nico, she noticed a pink tint on his cheeks and held her laugh. “Can you take care of Nico for me? I need to go to sleep but he doesn't want to leave.”

Will smiled, realizing what she meant. Nico looked at her with anger and indignation, but he didn't seem against the idea.

“Certainly.” The blonde took a step forward. “Have a good night!”

“You too.” She raised an eyebrow at Nico and walked back to her cabin.

She was still smiling when she passed Hecate's cabin, which looked darker than ever. Her smile wilted. She had always been a little afraid of the goddess's children since she found herself a half-blood and moved to camp. But that night, something seemed comforting in the hideous darkness of the cabin. Unable to contain the impulse that occurred to her, Alexa went up on the porch and went through the open door. None of the goddess's children were there, they were probably still at the stake celebrating, they always loved a good party.

Alexa didn't know exactly what she expected to find inside, but she certainly wasn't ready for what she saw. She had never entered the cabin since she had never been invited and it didn't feel right to enter without an invitation like she did now. But what she found was an absolute void. No bunk beds, bathroom, closet or chest. Nothing for the basic comfort of teenagers. All that was inside was a torch on the floor with a brown leather-bound notebook beside it.

“Take it” A whisper said, and Alex knelt down to better analyze the notebook.

“Who...?” She started the question, but knew at the time that she had no need to finish it. Hecate was there. “Are you hiding in the shadows?”

There was a harsh laugh, but Alex couldn't tell where it came from. It was as if the goddess moved in every particle of air around her.

“I heard that Poseidon's children were mocking, but seeing that feat face to face is much more fun. Ares definitely didn't say enough about it.”

“I don't think he has any reason to boast about it.” She commented, but her body was tense. Something about the goddess made her feel that bad things would happen any second.

“Take the notebook.” She asked, seeming to feel the girl's tension. “Take it and bring my girl back.”

“What does that mean?” Alex asked, but never got an answer.

After several minutes, she finally let herself be overcome by curiosity, put the notebook under her arm and ran out of the cabin.

Alexa spent a few days without touching the notebook, which was comfortably resting on the small table in her cabin. Percy asked several times what the notebook was and why Alex didn't move it, but the girl always answered the same thing. "It's just a silly notebook." She was afraid to open it and end up triggering something she couldn't control.

Percy and the others had just returned from a massacre battle with irreparable losses, she didn't want to leave anyone alarmed by something as stupid as a leather notebook.

Alex tried to distract herself. She would swim in the lake, duel with Percy in the arena, ask Tyson to teach her something in the forges, help Chiron with pending camp, talk about the biggest zucchinis with Rachel, encourage Annabeth to talk nonstop about architecture, sometimes make her repeat everything he had said in Greek, but nothing seemed to get her thoughts out of the notebook. Instead of being distracted, she got some scars from the duels, burns from the forges and throbbing ears, but nothing erased the notebook.

Tired of trying, Alex returned to the cabin and spent several minutes looking at the problem. She would get up a few times, making a move to pick it up, but soon she would go back to sitting on bed. When she finally thought she would be brave enough to end the trip, someone knocked on the door.

Changing her course, Alex opened the door to the blond, smug figure.

Alexa and Apollo had spent a lot of time together a few months before, not that any of them had a chance to do the opposite. He had helped her save the Camp when everyone seemed too busy saving the world. Now she was no longer able to get rid of the sun god, who suddenly appeared in her cabin. At least now he had learned to knock on the door before entering.

“Good afternoon, beautiful lady.” He smiled, breaking into the cottage before Alex had a chance to expel him. “What do you do locked in that cabin?”

“Apollo, seriously, now is not the best time.”

“Every hour is the best time for Apollo!” He smiled at her and Alex found herself unable to say no to him. The god had that effect on her, but she couldn't explain why. She just went back to bed and sighed.

“What happened, Sunshine?” he asked, now more serious.

Alexa pointed to the notebook, like a child pointing out the bully who was mistreating her. Pausing to think, it was almost the same.

Apollo's gaze followed Alexa's finger until it stopped at the Hecate symbol on the cover of the notebook, and he froze.

“What's it?”

“That notebook.” He got up and picked up it, playing with it in his hands. “I saw Hecate with another of his once many years ago. I asked her what they were, but she cast a spell on me that prevented me from speaking for two months. Where did you find it?”

“I found him at her cabin.” The girl admitted, unable to lie to the closest friend she had at the camp until that moment. “I heard Hecate ask me to take him away. I didn't understand what she expects me to do.”

“Write.” He suggested, after long minutes of silence.

“I’m sorry?” Alex looked at him, confused. “What if something bad happens, Apollo? I don't know if I want to find out.”

The god smiled gently, taking the book to the girl and handing it over, along with a blue ballpoint pen. Alexa hesitated for a few seconds before picking up the pen and opening the notebook. But she didn't do much more than that, as the words “Owned by (your initials) ” they magically appeared on the first leaf, in a strange black ink.

Alex looked at Apollo for help, but he just shrugged and encouraged her to write something below. "(your initials)? This notebook is mine, and my name has none of those letters!”

Before she had a chance to tell Apollo how ridiculous it was, the notebook replied.

Y: "Who are you?"

A: “Alexa Pearson, you?”

Y: "Y/n Y/L/N"

A: “How the hell am I talking to you through my notebook? Where you are from?"

Y: “England. I'm a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, how about you? What school of magic do you belong to? ”

A: "I'm not going to any magic school, I'm from New York, there's no such thing here!"

Y: "I thought the United States school of magic was Ilvermorny"

A: "I am not a witch!"

Y: "Oh by Merlin, are you a muggle?"

A: "Look, I may not be a witch but you don't have to curse me!"

Y: “Muggle is a term for non-wizards ... But if you are not a witch, how can you talk to me? This notebook is bewitched, only those who have contact with magic could see it ”

A: "I didn't know that the notebook was enchanted until now ... I didn't even know about the existence of a school of magic, wizards, yes, now schools? No, things are very different here"

Y: "Different how?"

A: "I am a camper at Camp Half-Blood"

Y: "And what would that be?"

A: "A camp for demigods of course!"

Alexa waited, but nothing else happened. She looked up at Apollo, who looked as upset as she was.

“School of Magic and Witchcraft of... Hogwarts?” She asked, hoping that Apollo would say something to her.

“I've heard of that school. Hecate loves to talk about how she has an entire chain of schools that teach children to do what she does. She is very proud of it.” He explained, taking the notebook from Alex and examining the last conversation. “I just didn't think it was real at all. All the gods think it's Hecate's invention, but no one has ever tried to prove it.”

“Well, I think we just did that.” Alex joked, but was far from feeling the fun of the situation, because, there in front of her, there was a problem. Perhaps a much bigger problem than she imagined.

tagging mutuals: @nebulablakemurphy ​​ @jamilelucato ​​ @inglourious-imagines ​​​​ @clarissaxpearce ​​ @beiahadid ​ @idontknowwhatthisisfam ​ @kpopgirlbtssvt ​ @shinydragoness @snitches-at-dawn @freddieweasleyswife

[themonstrousarchives]

Hunt: Timbern

Apollo “Paul” Robbins [] [] [] [] [] [] [] HP, Armor: 2

Description: The Divine wishes to begin his ritual, but some obstacles are in his way, including a fellow Avatar of the Desolation. An owner of a logging company which is doing mining speculation on the company’s property.

Hook, Session goals: Set up the beginning of the end. Refocus on the Divine’s character goal of bringing about the apocalypse, and secure more resources or allies (or both, potentially) for the Ritual.

This session, the ‘monster’ is a boss.

Apollo “Paul” Robbins

9mm Pistol- 2-harm close loud

Monster Type: Queen (to possess and control)

Powers: Resistant to fire, melting and reforming at will. Can slowly raise the temperature in an area and cook people or things from the inside out without them noticing.

Attacks: 

Contact Burn- 1-harm ignore armor magic fire hand

Frog Boil- 4-harm area innocuous

Weaknesses: Burying him in his own mine, labor unionization, press exposure on the company’s license violations (and the legal consequence of the state enforcing replanting policy)

Minions:

Foreman- Ed Dominici: ([] [] [] [] [] HP, Armor: 1) Loyal to Paul and the company over his workers, about 75% are temporary. Of those 30% are undocumented.

Construction & Loggers ([] [] [] [] []  Armor: 1 for each NPC)- Mostly loyal to the company or at least are not willing to jeopardize their job. Most of them brag about how hard they work, intentionally forgoing breaks as a masculine competition of one-upmanship. A few sensitive souls do exist, and will privately be open to emotional pleas.

Lucas Taylor

Dylan Willis

Patrick Riley

Marvin Pena

Cesar Gould

Brody Hester

Owen Davidson

Kevin Holland

Eli MacGuire

Ramon Costa

Justin Villa

Ramón Cortés

Manuel Cabal

José Mariano

Joaquín Espiga

Ernesto Gallo

Rafael Ortiz

Jonatán Reyes

Countdown:

“Unskilled” workers are hired en masse to build and made to swear utmost secrecy about the mining project. Most workers are... legally vulnerable, and as such have little to no interest compromising their situation.

Robbins Logging Company builds a mine in a hidden corner of the company property. 

The mine opens into a cave system, gold (and pyrite) excavation begins.

Apollo begins arranging dealings with the extracted resources to enrich himself further, filling a bunker with gold bullion. Robbins Logging Company becomes financially intertwined with Lobos Ltd; their security services made necessary.

Due to corporate pressure, the state of California repeals many legal environmental protections to the area, and allows for wholesale destruction of the forest and surrounding biomes.

Entire animal populations collapse from habitat destruction. Dozens of vulnerable workers are killed in workplace accidents. This goes unreported.

Humboldt county, environmentally devastated, becomes an economic wasteland as well, as Lobos Ltd and Robbins Logging Co move elsewhere.

Bystanders:

Construction, Loggers, Miners ([] [] [] [] []  Armor: 1 for each NPC)- see above. Most will not be very helpful but the soft ones will.

William Hayes ([] [] [] [] []  Armor: 1)- a leftist, but is keeping his politics secret, more or less. He could be pushed to encourage the workers to organize but will need help with it by providing resources and cash for the workers to support their families while they strike or otherwise organize.

Locations:

Logging site- obstacles: Foreman (social rolls), the workers

Mine-

1. Rubble coats the ground here. Among the scattered rocks are rusted cans, the occasional pick or hammer, and other antique refuse.

2. More rubble here, but a crack in the wall allows a trickle of spring water through to a small pool in the top corner. There is a box of dynamite in the bottom right corner, farthest away from the corner with the water.

3. A long passageway that betrays many hundred year old footprints, shockingly still intact after so much time. The footprints lead past the cart to the rubble on the right side.

4. Behind the rubble is a Buried avatar, or perhaps Buried Avatars (the collective ghosts of a union who want to destroy and drown the bourgeois in their vengeance). Negotiating with them will be volatile depending on the PCs- if this were any other adventure they would be a full-fledged monster (powers: overwhelming and subsuming, trampling, destruction. weakness: division, separation, isolation, the government, leftist infighting).

5. This chamber has three entrances, and at the end of the center path is a modern mining drill that’s been assembled. To the left of it is an antique hand-crank drill. The modern drill requires some specialized knowledge or training to set it, which Apollo has. If he is killed, some of the construction workers will be able to set it.

Cold Open: 

An old Volkswagen bus, painted in psychedelic colors and shapes, jostles its passengers as it drives slowly through the redwood forest under cover of night. Inside, an ancient, distorted voice croons a melancholy tune over an equally distorted acoustic guitar. The driver and passenger however, don’t sing along- their faces are downcast, the wrinkles forming on their old visages incongruent with the laugh lines that have made their mark.

There’s a gravity to this drive, as if they know this will be the last time they do this. The driver- a long haired man with grey hair that’s yellowed over the years of rough living, puts the bus into park and looks at his partner in crime, love, free love, and cultural appropriation. She wears thick round glasses that magnify her eyes comically, and an old felt hat stained with moss with way, way too many ratty feathers tucked into its band. She pats his upper arm and smiles meekly, like a turtle trying to sell someone a crystal.

The pair step out of the bus, chains in hand, with weights attached and dragging in the leaf litter behind them. They stand before a large tree, marked for logging the next day, when someone steps out from behind them.

“Donna. Craig.“

“Is that you, Apollo? Our little boy...”

“It’s Paul. That isn’t my name anymore. It hasn’t been in a long time.”

“Dancer? Get the chains in place-”

“Donna you should stop where you are and go back to whatever parking lot will have you and your decrepit relic. If you know what’s good for your miserable little lives. What little life you have left.”

“Apoll- Paul, we know we made mistakes raising you, but this is beyond that. What you’re doing here, it’s been wrong since before we ever donned tie dye. You know that we can’t- even if you’re our son, we can’t look away.”

“That’s what I thought you’d say.” The tall man stares his parents down, unmoving.

Hours later, a pillar of smoke billows as Paul Robbins of Robbins Logging Company sits down at his desk and lights a cigar.

[faithfulcat111]

B M and O for fanfic ask 😊

B: Any of your stories based on personal experience?

Yes, my old college AU I wrote when I was back in the Sanders Sides Fandom was based on me and my roommates. I think they were usually inspired except for A Fully Unfunctional Human, in which the injuries and large parts of the dialogue as well as the background info for the characters mentioned were all exact to our current situation. It was a bad semester for us. Do not go read anything from my Sanders Sides writing days. It's all bad.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

Oh boy, do I! Y'all know about my HP Time Travel fic I'm working on as well as the character focus one line of dialogue I'm doing for (my hc version of) the Gryffindor class of 1978. As well as I'm still working on my Nanny!Vanya AU.

But after that, I do have lots more ideas I would love to write. I do want to do another set of one line of dialogue character focus fics, this time on the Weasley children. I have a canon one-shot of Remadora's wedding I swear I want to have done for Remus's birthday (if I do, it will actually be the next thing you see from me). I would love to rewrite no loss is token, only change up which of the triad dies (I killed Lily last time, so I wanna try it with James or Remus dead next).

As for different things not based on my previous works, I want to write a one-shot what-if for the Hatchetfield world as if Paul was the one in the other car during Jane's crash (so much angst potential). I am in a fest to write a one-shot based on the Next Gen HP kids that is just fun board game night chaos. I want to write some pieces of Five and Claire, cause that is one of my favourite fanfic dynamics in Umbrella Academy. Also, I want to write a Tedromeda-focus story about their last year of Hogwarts and what came after.

I have a few other premises I'm also toying around with in my phone notes as I have thoughts on Cygnus Black III and his relationship to his daughters and how things could have gone and also I just really love the Remus/James/Lily ship, so many bits of those scattered through my notes. (I'm in HP hell, if you can't tell. Sorry, that was really long, but you gave me a chance to info dump several ideas I have rattling around. Thank you, Rit!

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?

Characters usually. I want to dive into a character or delve into a dynamic and the story goes from there. Anytime it comes from a plot bunny, it is always 'How would these characters react here?' I think one of my few exceptions was my Mermay fic last year, which I started developing a plot until the characters took over.

[coletteuwu]

helllo hello hellooooooo~

today i have decided to rank my favourite starkid+tbc musicals :)

now please keep in mind that these are based on my opinions & you have every right to agree/disagree, just don't be a dick to anyone and enjoy

(i havent seen ani, starship nor mamd, so these wont be included here)

#10 The Trail To Oregon!

nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of tea

good idea tho

your wagon is on fiREEE is iconic

humour was inconsistent and overall a bit too childish for my taste

boring

#9 Twisted

this is really controversial, but i practically fell asleep while watching it (maybe because i didnt grow up as a disney fan in a post-communist country)

dylan saunders did an amazing job and i love his singing and he kinda was carrying the whole show (yikes)

costume design was on point tho

also "no one remembers achmed" is one of my fave starkid songs

#8 Holy Musical B@man!

i actually dont have any criticism for hmb, because i think its very well executed and jokes are... good... i guess...

a pretty neutral one, bc the songs were kinda mediocre and so was the humour but i really liked joe walker as batman and nick lang as robin

batman has a cool plane

#7 Black Friday

the new style of the lang brothers is very cool and exciting

the plot was very well written, but it felt a bit,,, rushed?

like they were trying to cram tons of information into one play and for that reason i dont really come back to watch it

and at the same time the pace was a little too slow for my liking?

idk it felt a little off

but characters were iconic, acting was 12/10 (especially joey, lauren and dylan)

#6 Solve It Squad

ACTING ON POINT

comedy was well timed and relevant

brosenthal's scene where he plays all the hotel staff just left me like this -> :o

one of joey's best roles

lauren too

#5 AVPSY

the thing is, initially i wanted to put all the avp parts together but that would have been hard to catch so i guess we're doing this

t h e s o n g s (❤️❤️❤️❤️)

AJ delivers such a good lockhart

joey's sidekick is just mwah

the songs are just so fcking good ahh

they got the real luna!

really emotional

the best ending to the trilogy

in the middle i kinda skipped some scenes bc i got a little carried away

but the ending is just so GOOD

everything has an end.... (i cried a lot guys)

jeff's spider was i m m a c u l a t e

both brians & joe walker 😳❤️

i didnt like the scripts for the first 10 seconds but then after that i didnt even notice them

#4 AVPS

one of the best intros in starkid (if we cannot move forward, why shouldn't we move back? gives me chills everytime)

lucius malfoy is so hot and terrifying at the same time idk if im scared or turned on

story was a little inconsistent and i missed quirrell and the lack of brian rosenthal, but thats okay i can settle for a seamus finnigan

JOE WALKER IN A DRESS. THATS IT THATS THE TWEET.

ron is canonically bicurious????

comedy on point

the best soundtracks in starkid, come @ me im not scared to fight

like for real who wrote the music i just wanna hug them and give them every penny i got to work with them

#3 The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals

lets get the criticism out of the way first

i see that they tried to write the music in the same theme, but some songs were repetitive and jeff's falsetto screaming kinda got boring

not your seed is not that good of a song

corey got me in the fEELS

joey's homeless man was iconic

first i didnt like paul's acting but it grew on me and now i love it

LET IT OUT IS THE BEST SONG OF THE PLAY. PERIODT.

the best written starkid show :)

comedy was, again, relevant and well timed

overall, i loved the simplicity of the design

prof. hidgens = hips™

#2 AVPM

i may be biased bc of nostalgia and bc it was the first starkid musical i ever saw but idc

not that well written, but its just so damn entertaining

QUIRRELMORT

different as can be is just chef's kiss

the chemistry between brian and joe is so good

I CAME HOME

*soft boi brian in a jail dress with a fist in his mouth*

everything just started from there

red vines

snape <3

STARKID POTTER, MOONSHOES POTTER

a gift that is lauren lopez as malfoy

the funniest starkid show idcidc

i was a huge potterhead growing up and hp is so important to my life -> thats why the avp trilogy means so much to me

#1 Spies Are Forever

i saw it recently and im mad i didnt watch it earlier

joey is so hot with a british accent

the history behind all of the show just makes it so good, 1950-60 was the scariest time to be gay and it portrays everything about living in the shadows of the cold war perfectly

choreo on point (thank you lauren)

mary kate as tatiana is very dangerous for my weak bi heart

good music

VERY WELL WRITTEN (PROPS TO BRIAN, COREY AND JOEY)

i really like spy movies so

the whole ordeal that is baron von nazi played by brian rosenthal, a jew

wizz waffle fries

glitter waka waka

i just really love brian rosenthal

the ending :'((((((

torture tango and one step ahead = thats some good shit

joe walker as deadliest man alive oh boy oh boy let me tell you about how much of a latte hottay he is in saf

i LOVE that tati and curt are in a platonic relationship, it just throws the stereotypes out of the window

the whole scene where joey and curt fight

[kvltcatgirl]

Dagon - 2001

(Troy McClure’s Fantasy)

CW: some intense gore, implied sexual assault, and abortion

After a shipwreck ruins his vacation, Paul Marsh finds himself alone trying to survive a murderous, monstrous township who all wish to sacrifice him and his company to the ancient sea god, Dagon. But sinister secrets around Paul’s origins await him in the dark rainy corners and broken glass of the seaside town of Imboca. In Dagon, Stuart Gordon once again adapts the work of one of the spookiest human shaped garbage sacks, HP Lovecraft, and delivers on some gory, memorable moments, tense and frightening situations, and weird and uncomfortable sex stuff.

Dagon in my opinion really shines through on it’s setting. The bulk of the film takes place over the course of one long, rainy and stressful night, in which we get to see a few fun and spooky settings like a hotel room that hasn’t been serviced in decades, a warehouse where human skins are stored, a mansion that really is best described as feeling like a bad dream, and one of my favorite tropes: catacombs. I also really love the monsters in this movie, they have a few moments where they are genuinely terrifying and some of their designs are just so creative and grotesque and fun to see. The first half almost feels like a zombie movie, but the stakes feel higher given that the monsters have substantially more sentience and we know Paul is not the only person left on earth. Unlike a zombie movie, there is a much greater possibility of Paul making it out alive as he is chased through town, and the existence of hope only adds to the tension. The CGI unfortunately has not aged well and kind of dates the movie, but it is used pretty minimally. The practical effects however are very impressive, from the set and monster designs to one particularly stomach churning scene where one character has the skin of their face removed while they're still alive. And I gotta be honest, I feel like I have a pretty good stomach for gore, but I found myself wanting to look away at this scene. Hats off to the makeup and effects people. The plot...is pretty stupid but the movie never really feels like it’s pretending that it’s not. In Stuart Gordon fashion, it’s not necessarily campy, but it has moments of cheese that could be eye-rolling or maybe offensive. For example, Dagon’s followers like to kidnap women and use them in a ceremony where they are impregnated with the offspring of Dagon. It’s executed with a fair amount of cheese and while the movie and it’s characters take it seriously, it doesn’t really feel like the movie is trying to convince you to as well. But this could turn some audiences off to the movie as a whole and I wouldn’t blame them. The characters are all pretty forgettable, save for Ezequiel, the old drunk of the town as well as the last living human on Imboca. Paul is a wall street stick-up-his-ass type with an obsession with binaries that makes him pretty unlikeable, although I might be biased. But due to his circumstances we eventually start rooting for him. Most of the other characters are pretty flat with clear cut, one track motivations. They're basically either people who want to not die or they are fish monsters who want to kill them. There’s also an uncomfortably horny mermaid-lady whose main goal is basically to serve Dagon and get with Paul. But these characters' one-dimensionality is honestly fine, and trying to flesh them out more might have made a movie about fish monsters a bit too convoluted.

Dagon doesn’t seem to be particularly heavy on theme but there are some themes about destiny and fate versus will. The usually anticipated Lovecraft ideas on the indifference of larger, supernatural forces towards human life and desires. Cosmic horror but with the ocean instead of space. Also the dangers of greed backed by religious zealotry. We learn from Ezequiel that Imboca was once a peaceful fishing town until, during a particularly rough year, they summoned Dagon with the promise of good fishing and gold. It worked and the whole town converted to Dagonism and those who refused were killed or sacrificed. We need only to look at history to know what kind of atrocities men will commit in the name of god, and with the promise of fortune. Dagon is another story in a long line of tragedies that reflect this. I think it can also be read with some accidental commentary on the of rage of religious pro-lifers. Dagon’s followers use their religion to justify forcing pregnancies onto people, to the point where one character commits a self abortion, plunging a knife into her belly, ending it for both her and the demigod inside.

Dagon is creepy, uncomfortable, and moves quickly, which all serve it well in my opinion. It certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of seawater, but if you’re a fan of Lovecraft or Stuart Gordon and somehow missed it, you’ll most likely enjoy it quite a bit. There’s some nice easter eggs too, like Paul’s sweatshirt, and Ezra Godden, who plays Paul, certainly bears a resemblance to Jeffery Combs in Reanimator, although that could just be a coincidence. And it’s possible his partner, Barbara is possibly named for Barbara Crampton? I don’t know I never read the story. If you are in the mood for something unsettling, and fairly unique, give Dagon a watch. I wasn’t expecting much from it but it surprised me.

If this movie were food it would be: Grocery store sushi. It’s not necessarily the best but it gets the job done, and it might make your stomach turn a little bit. Also seafood.

Where you can watch it: For free on Tubi! Or on DVD. It was in a stack of DVDs my friend lent out to me.