#i mean. there is a certain level of weird i was EXPECTING the wizard to be

[ethanrayne]

...........why is he being so weird

[godtier]

AI art detection methods: a starter guide

so here it is, my starter guide on how to detect AI art.

to set the tone of this guide: i am not really the type to go full-ass pitchforks and torches and call someone a bad person or dumb for liking, reblogging, or even using AI art for inspiration/mood board/etc purposes without knowing that it was AI generated in the first place.

it has become incredibly difficult to detect these things as the models are becoming more and more accurate with certain subjects. it's why i decided to write this guide in the first place. i take these situations as learning opportunities, to use corpo speak lmao, and so i don't think there's any value in shaming anyone for liking/reblogging smth "SO OBVIOUSLY AI."

they might not have known, so teach them!

after all, everyone starts somewhere, so it's best to help teach when you can! do not use these methods to bully people or falsely accuse people because i will know and be very disappointed in you. >:(

so if you are concerned about reblogging something that is AI-generated, for whatever reason it may be, i can provide some quick[citation needed] tips that i use to detect it with some level of accuracy. this is especially useful when people don't tag their pictures as AI-generated.

PLEASE NOTE: this is not, by any means, meant as a catch-all, 100% success rate way of detecting AI art. learning models are trained off of existing art styles, after all, and you may come across a legitimate artist whose style is widely replicated by algorithms. this can give the perception that the artist is the one faking it.

check your work before accusing anyone. in fact, don't do public callouts unless you have irrefutable proof. a hunch or coincidences are not irrefutable proof. it'll save everyone a lot of headaches if you end up being wrong and you could also potentially damage someone's career (and risk getting sued for it).

a lot of these steps come with the expectation that you will do some legwork to figure out if something is actually a generated image or not. it's not always the same every time and it will rapidly change depending on what model is used and what prompts are used. these are guidelines, not tenets.

anyway, in no particular order:

one: stylistic and subject consistency

if you see a post in which several images are presented in a way that suggests they are a set (i.e.: the same subject at different angles), check for consistency.

a bouquet of flowers should not have the flowers positioned in different ways or omitted entirely between shots, especially if you suspect it's meant to be presented as photography. most photographers won't rearrange flowers between shots unless they're trying to achieve a specific sort of effect. in short, if it's just a few aspects of the subject that are omitted but the general piece looks "the same," it's probably not a photo. if it's presented as a hand-drawn piece, rearranged or missing pieces are also a flag; speaking as an artist, if i were to redraw something at a different angle, i wouldn't omit stuff that should still be visible in the new angle.

it is also good to check the artist's blog for consistency in style; if they are posting a lot of really detailed landscapes in one style and then posting anime-style stuff in another, that can be a flag.

that's not to say that artists cannot have multiple styles (i do!) but it's exceedingly rare that someone who is a wizard at photorealistic ethereal landscapes would also be a wizard at big tiddy animu waifus and amazingly smooth calarts style cartoons. i'm talking like "this looks like it was a cel from an anime" and "this looks like a painting in the louvre." that level of dissonance.

dissonance is key; if it seems weird, be a little wary and look into it further.

two: lighting

AI models often struggle with lighting A LOT. no matter what the subject is, the lighting will oftentimes be incorrect in a lot of pieces. this can be hard for people to notice, but the light source should be consistent.

let's look at an example:

this fellow has a gigantic sun lighting the background. we can see that the background objects (such as what i think are trees?) are lit with that in mind for the most part. however, the foreground appears to be lit from the right (subject's left). with a light source that gigantic in the background, even in a cartoonish style, one would think the subject would be more in shadow, like this:

as a side-tangent, this is why a huge rule of thumb with photography is that the sun should be in front of the subject, unless you're going for a stylistic choice like this. reason being is the sun overtakes the entire frame when in the back.

of course, actual real-life artists struggle with this too! in which case, your best bet is to look at the artist's previous posts and see if there's consistency, as in point one.

three: types of mistakes and other common traits

so one way to check if you suspect a piece is AI generated is to look for the commonly known mistakes or "tells." you want to drill down, basically, from easiest to hardest to detect/notice:

on human/humanoid subjects, the most obvious one (to the point of it being a meme) is how the fingers/toes look. such as too many/not enough, but not done in a deliberately stylized way (i.e.: an anime waifu drawn in the style of genshin impact having 4 fingers is likely not a stylistic choice since it's not a typically cohesive thing to do since everything else will look more "realistic." by contrast, a cartoony phinneas & ferb-style character may be expected to only have 4 fingers and simplistic clothing or accessories).

too many/not enough arms/legs. legs that appear where they shouldn't (i.e.: a character sitting cross-legged but then an extra leg somehow hanging down off a chair, etc).

blurry/uneven lines. this one might be hard to visualize, so the best way i can describe it is when you copy and paste something in photoshop or even MS paint and then move it over slightly. it creates a jagged edge:

here's our happy example man that i drew using a touchpad lmao. he's v happy in the first picture!

but then in the second picture, we can see that he's sprouted a new arm (incidentally, he's still happy)! but it doesn't look right, does it? it's because i copied a selected area and pasted it, then moved it down slightly.

you will find a lot of AI art will have aspects to it that look very similar to this, typically in areas where there's a lot of repetition, like grass or clouds.

weirdly detailed "bloom" or "smoothness" to the point of something looking very artificial, even for an artificial subject. the willy wonka knock-off installation in glasgow used images that are very obviously AI generated and embody this weirdness pretty clearly:

"bloom" is basically a term for nearly airbrushed-looking lighting. look closely and you'll see that everything has this sort of "sheen" or "glow" to it in a way that makes it look very strange and unnatural, but not in a way that looks handmade.

impossible geometry and/or landscapes that don't make logical sense. this one is probably one of the harder ones to detect because it often requires staring at an image for a bit, like a hidden object puzzle. to use the willy wonka knock-off pic again, the waterfall itself doesn't make sense:

where is the water coming from? it appears that it's coming from straight above just going by the direction of the "strokes" there, but as we see, there is no water source feeding this waterfall. it looks like the AI sort of started to create a waterfall on the rocks/grassy part above but got distracted or something halfway through (which is something that happens a lot with algorithms, oddly enough).

background objects that look fine at a glance, but when taken apart individually, are very odd/slapped together.

at a glance, this looks to be just a stock image of someone's drawing of a bunch of US currency and whatnot. but looking closer:

sure is a square-looking dollar bill there!

and on the other image, it appears as though the currency strap is melting/merging into the bill...? along with a coin? or something?

to another point similar as above, algorithms will also do a lot of "like with like." that is to say, they have a hard time delineating between objects when those objects are close to the same color or shade and also positioned very close together. it's often why fingers can merge together into a mush/stump on humanoid subjects. so for that currency strap example, it's a cream-ish color that is very close to the light green seen on the dollar bill design's negative space. this is likely why the algorithm merged them together; it doesn't know exactly what it's doing, so objects will bleed into each other as long as it still gives the impression of the goal object/output.

four: don't beat yourself up over it

in closing, a piece of AI art will almost always look "confident." it'll also almost look perfect and skilled in that way when first looking at it. and though it may be distractingly perfect in that first glance, it will likely look incredibly imperfect when you look closer. imperfect in the way an algorithm would mess up.

that's honestly a large part as to why many people don't pick up on what pieces are generated vs not. these pieces are eye-catching and skillfully presented enough to the point of people not noticing the finer details. the more "technically skilled" a piece is, the more often that people will gloss past the mistakes. how many times have you seen posts where someone says, "i find new things in this piece every time i look at it?" that's why. we're wired to look at the big picture, literally. and that's not anyone's fault. so don't beat yourself up over it or think you're an idiot if you weren't able to tell the difference.

remember: this is an insanely new thing. while image generating itself isn't necessarily new, and programs like photoshop and other image editing software have been using algorithms for many of their functions for probably well over a decade now, this specific type of image generation is still fresh. and it's constantly changing. unless you're in the tech space, you may not even realize the advancements being made, and that's okay! you can always learn more. just be alert and aware, as this will also help you combat a far more sinister issue, which is deep fakes and other false info being spread. double-check everything.

so those are the main methods to start with if you want to try and improve your generated image detection abilities! i hope this post was informative and helpful!

[comicaurora]

Sorry if this is a weird question but how long did it take for you to start making art you felt was good enough, at least at the time? I have a lot of ideas for projects I want to make but I'm slowed down by not quite being at a level I'm happy with for professional endeavours. Wondering if I should quit while I'm ahead and just hire an artist I like.

Hoo. Good question.

It's hard to keep track of, honestly. I think every artist is going to feel a degree of "this could be better" about anything they make, and if that's all you're keeping track of it can feel like no progress is being made - but in hindsight, I think "this could be better" means a lot of different things, and what it means for my work has changed over time.

One of my earliest art-related memories is having a very clear image in my head of a pencil sketch I wanted to make (a family portrait of some wizards, a mom and dad flanking a young daughter) and then being immensely frustrated that what I produced was a pale, inexpert shadow of that image. The starting point I was at was "this doesn't look right and I don't know why," and I stayed there for a long time, even as I got overall better.

The first time I remember trying and failing to emulate a specific cartoon style, it was the manga Steam Detectives - I'd mostly been exposed to newspaper comics and scientific illustration, so I had never seen that sharp-angled straight-lined manga style before. There was a liveliness to it I couldn't capture, and that frustrated me. At this point I could see what was wrong, but couldn't yet correct it - my unconfident pencil sketching wasn't going to produce the same kind of three-dimensionality and flow as the brush strokes used in the, in the same way that a traced figure can look strangely odd and off-balance because it's only mimicking the outlines. At this point I'd hit "this doesn't look right and I know why, but I'm not sure how to fix it."

At that point, practice was kind of the only solution - unconfident linework can only be improved by honing the muscle memory and confidence of the artist, which I didn't know at the time or do on purpose but ended up happening anyway, especially once I got going on the channel and was regularly doing dozens to hundreds of drawings per project.

I do remember the first time I thought "oh, that's actually better than I expected" - I had broken my clavicle and my right arm was in a sling, and my art teacher encouraged me to try drawing something with my left instead. I am very much not ambidextrous and my lines were spidery and shaky, but when I stepped back at the end, the thing I'd tried to sketch - a portrait of a regal-looking elf man - actually wasn't too bad. The muscle memory in my right hand was completely absent from my left, but apparently my basic understanding of shapes and shadows had come through and made something that got across the gist of what I wanted. That was the first time I felt "this doesn't look right, but I already knew that, and what it does do is actually pretty solid."

At some point in the process of cranking out channel illustrations, and later chibi character commissions, without even noticing I hit a baseline level of confidence in what I was doing. Certain things got easier because I was doing them a lot more. I stopped thinking about whether a facial expression was communicating exactly what I wanted it to, stopped spending long stretches of time trying to refine poses - because in those specific areas I was no longer experiencing "this doesn't look right and I don't know why." I'd draw a face, realize it could look angrier, redraw the eyes and brows to be angrier, then move on. I'd block out a pose, decide the leg didn't look right, redraw it, line it and move on. It wasn't that I was nailing everything first try, it's that I'd had enough time and practice to quickly diagnose what wasn't working and quickly try something else to correct it.

Instead, I was thinking "this doesn't look right and I don't know why" about other things. Trees, buildings, figure shading, fire, water, metal textures. I still didn't feel ready to do the comic in earnest, but I'd started doing digital illustrations of the characters and mock-up pages/covers, and I kept finding problems in the composition. It didn't look right and I didn't know why. If I didn't know why, I couldn't fix it. A lot of that process boiled down to redrawing stuff until it managed to look right, then trying to reverse-engineer what had worked about that. I'd accidentally draw the most perfect torso and try to figure out what magic combination of lines had made that work. And again, it was a slow process, almost unnoticeable from my perspective, because I just gradually stopped worrying so much about unsolvable artistic problems because the solutions had just arisen with practice and experience. The background looks wack - it's probably under-shaded, darken some corners to make it match the foreground. This texture looks off - probably needs some particle effects to help give it detail. Etc etc.

At present, I very rarely think "this doesn't look right and I don't know why." I still have moments of "this doesn't look right" - almost constantly, probably - but they aren't noteworthy because I've had enough practice improvising solutions that it turns into a brief experimental phase before I fix whatever was bugging me and move on. It doesn't mean it's perfect, it just means whatever problems or places it could be improved are either subjective choices that are fine either way, or small mistakes I don't notice at the time. The process of error-correction and bug-fixing becomes quick and painless enough that I hardly think about how I used to spend ages agonizing over something that was wrong that I couldn't make look right.

The point I eventually got to could probably be best described as "I could make this better if I wanted - do I want to do that?"

Making a comic like this, it's very important for me to consider the value of pouring too much into any one page. If I vastly overdesign anything, I'm going to need to keep up that level of design every time it shows up. If I drew every forest shot by hand-drawing every single tree I'd never get anything done. If something looks off and I know the solution would be more detailing and more texturing, sometimes I'll do that - filigree and particles and all that good sauce - but sometimes I'll just try a few things until I find a shortcut that makes it look fine to my eyes. Art can always be more polished, so that's not really a metric for completeness or ready-ness - I really do think the most helpful metric is whether you're regularly struggling because you can see something is wrong but you can't figure out what. If you consistently know what's wrong - or, more accurately and less judgmentally, what could be polished if you wanted to polish it - you're probably in a pretty good spot.

[drarryruinedme7]

Last year I made a post with all my fave Drarry fics from my first year of fandom. Have my second year wrap up! Listed by Rating and then length. 

RATING: TEEN AND UP AUDIENCES

Beautiful by @xx-thedarklord-xx​​ (2017; 8.9k)

Summary: With the second task looming closer, Harry escapes to the Black Lake to open the egg, in the hopes of avoiding Myrtle. The Mersong isn't just helpful in figuring out that Mermaids are real, it attracts his very own handsome Merman.

*I didn’t know I love merpeople AUs until I read this one. It was cute and sweet and I’m really glad I read it. 

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi​​ (2017; 93.3k)

Summary: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

*What can I say. This is a masterpiece, it absolutely entered my heart to never leave it again. Best AU ever!!!

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered​​ (2018; 153.8k)

Summary: Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

* This has been the turning point of my Drarry passion this year. First, I discovered Lettered (good Lord why hadn’t I before?!) and then, well. This fic brought out so many feelings in me and I’ve already re-read it something like 5 or 6 times in the span of a few months. Amazing.

RATING: MATURE

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (2018; 20.7k)

Summary: When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

* The angst!! It’s usually not my cuppa, but this was bittersweet and just so well written, I couldn’t stop reading. Find the rec for this one at this post.

RATING: EXPLICIT

Give Me Sweet Oblivion by @tryslora​​ (2012; 4k)

Summary: Italy seems like a long way to go to keep a fetish secret. But the club is exclusive, and the far away location, and Muggle nature, promises anonymity from Wizarding Britain. The only problem is that sometimes, great minds think alike.

*Super hot, I love finding old gems like this one. Plus, Italy. Go, folks!

Shiny Things, Slightly Damaged by @lqtraintracks​​ (2020; 5.3k)

Summary: Harry may not ever have had to see it if McGonagall hadn’t decided it was a good idea to hold a ceremony on the grounds outside before the Sorting in the Hall. And by ‘it’ he’s referring to Draco Malfoy on a motorbike.

*jsklajdksajfa This one! THIS ONE! Slayed me. I read it feverishly and then like, fainted at Draco on a motorbike.... this fic surprised me and I 100% loved it.

A Ghost of Blissful Feelings by @alpha-exodus​​ (2020; 6k)

Summary: Harry hadn't expected to spend his eighth year fucking Draco Malfoy, but it's the only thing that helps him let go.

*Dunno guys, I’m amazed by how much this one hit me. You should read the tags before diving in, but it was darkish in the right way, Harry and Draco suffers and find peace in a ‘’special’’ way, but I stand by it. Hot and intense.

Tell Me (What you Need) by @keyflight790​​ (2019; 6k)

Summary: Even though Harry was paying for his Dom, there were limits; breaking points in which someone would refuse, no matter how many Galleons were pushed in their direction.

*Okay, I may be biased because this is a gift for me, but Chris never lets down with her amazing writing and this has everything I need and more: Dom!Rentboy!Draco and a perfectly sweet Harry with a Daddy!kink. I mean.

Dangerous by Faith Wood (2014; 6.3k)

Summary: Being trapped in a dungeon with Malfoy — who's a werewolf, a former Death Eater, and a giant git — is definitely dangerous. Harry has no reason to be excited. None at all.

*Y’all know Faith Wood is like my n.1 fave Drarry author. I have no idea why I had never read this one though!!! It’s actually phenomenal, scorching hot and just dsjkafjaks love this werewolf!Draco. OMG.

Scent and Sensibility by aidaninkling (2018; 7.5k)

Summary: [...] Draco's always known he'd be married off as a trophy omega, but suddenly his mother's trying to make him king by promising him to some stupidly good-looking alpha and she just won't stop smiling at him. Does fate's cruelty know no end?!

*This blew my mind. A/B/O AU so hot I melted while reading it and I loved it so much that I re-read it three times IN A ROW. No kidding. Read it. 

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered​​ (2012; 12k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy tries to fix the past, but instead mucks it up some more. For Harry, it all becomes quite clear.

*Back to Lettered. I love Time Travel fics, and this just delivered perfectly. The ending was also enigmatic enough to keep me wandering, which I always appreciate in these kind of stories. 

Sex, Lies and Veritaserum by @letteredlettered​​ (2011; 17.9k)

Summary: This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.

*LOL alright, I’ve developed a new obsession this year (clearly). This was ...gosh! Hot but it also gives away a certain level of intimacy and trust between Draco and Harry to be so open about their kinks... it was perfect.

On One’s Knees by pir8fancier (2008; 33.8k)

Summary: The war is over and to the victors go the spoils.

* The fic which made me fall in love with DownAndOut!Draco. 

The Pirate and the Prince by @nerdherderette​ (2019; 49.2k)

Summary: Draco can't believe that fate and circumstance have made him a stowaway on the Master of Death's ship. He doesn't know what's worse: the dread pirate's legendary vendetta against the aristocracy, or the fact that his captor is the most infuriating yet irrefutably fascinating man Draco has ever met.

*Okay y’all. Nerd is a great person and author. She is phenomenal. And this fic shows it so well. The pirate!AU the Drarry fandom both needed and deserved. Sublime.

Unhook the Stars by jad (2016; 70.5k)

Summary: [...] Seventy-thousand words of pornographic discourse between two boys-turned-men that still haven't learned how to communicate like normal people – with words. Guest appearances by Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Teddy Lupin, Gregory Goyle, the Weird Sisters, ex-wives, several Weasleys, a Boggart, and a Honey Badger.

*Again, Dom!Draco and such a beautiful sub!Harry. They stole my heart. In this fic they grow up together through the aftermath of the war and they just... they have this intense Dom/sub relationship, I can’t... explain how much I loved this. Scorpius also makes his appearance and it’s so real and cute!

Such Great Heights by aideomai (2015; 93.3k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy, wide-eyed and pale and in a decidedly ragged shirt, was crouched next to the pile of whatever the dragon had been eating. Harry threw himself to a halt and yelled, “Merlin, how many times do I have to save your life?”

*This is one of the last ones I’ve read. Find my rec for it here. Such a cool fic, with a shunned Draco who gets to be so happy in the end, it made me happy too.

Burn The Witch by @lettersbyelise​​ (2019; 95.8)

Summary: When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s. A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.

*I do not have the words to express what this fic means to me. First of all, it’s how I met Elise who’s an amazing person and who I’m glad to call friend. She’s the sweetest. And also incredibly talented. This fic will take your breath away from the first word to the last one. Smol!Scorpius is perfectly characterised and my absolute favourite bit of the fic. 

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid​​ (2019; 99.7k)

Summary: What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

*Another incredible person who I got to know better thanks to her breathtaking storytelling and her sweetness for sharing it with me. Quick made something amazing with this fic and I urge you to read it. It was my first creature fic ever, first time I read about werewolves and I totally fell in love with it. Sheer perfection. 

Freedom to be by @quicksilvermaid​​  (2019; 169.5k)

Summary: Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. 12 years after the war, he's become the Boy Who Lived For Everyone Else. He has the perfect wife. The perfect house. The perfect job. The perfect friends. Only nothing feels perfect. Until one day he stumbles across a club called Release and begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a very different place.

*Well, could I just miss out on another one of Quick’s great works? With, again, Dom!Draco!??? No, I couldn’t! This is such a great exploration of BDSM and what it means and Harry’s path into it. 

19 Years and 5 Minutes Later by TheMightyFlynn (2015; 202.8k)

Summary: Five minutes after his happily-ever-after, Harry finds himself locked in the public loos with an angry Draco Malfoy and a need that he has denied for 19 years.

*Find my rec for this fic here. It’s really long and has Ginny bashing, but it’s totally worth it!! 

[lairofsentinel]

Ok since Mystra came back in 1487, and the game is about 1494, would that mean she immediately went after Gale? Like she was dead until 1487 so... if gale was 20 or younger, 18 when that happened he would be early 30s? I just want to know companions ages...

Ok, this is a long, LONG answer. I've been thinking about this like a month ago, when I was working on my fic. I will show you the different hypotheses I work with, their cons and pros. 

A warning: all this is my personal headcanon and my personal opinion, it doesn't mean it's the “truth”.

[Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access, Spoilers]

I think you are using some dates a little different or the sources I'm using are wrong.

What we know as canon:

From wiki:

Mystra returned to the Forgotten Realms in 1479 DR. A vestige of Mystra had survived her death in 1385 DR, and was guiding her Chosen to aid in her renewal.

From Forgotten Realm wiki:

In 1479 DR Elminster and Storm restored the Simbul's sanity by feeding her a Blueflame item. After her mind was restored, she charged both Elminster and Manshoon to work to gather all the Blueflame items together, possibly to restore Mystra

Conclusion: Mystra returned in 1479 DR

Another bit of canon: Baldur's Gate 3 takes place in 1492

From Forgotten Realm wiki:

The game takes place as of 1492 DR, and is defined as the "current year", as is stated in a tollhouse ledger. The ledger can be found under the Order of the Gauntlet's makeshift base.

This is one of the “canon” inconsistencies that enrages me, since the game shows it takes place after “the descend to Avernus”, which happens in 1494. Therefore, Larian saying this is placed in 1492 when featuring the ending of the descend to avernus in it, only puts us in a situation with a strong problem in its coherence. I'm just ignoring this by now until Larian corrects themselves. Or  they say something on the matter. So far, I will stick with what the game and its wiki show.   UPDATE: Apparently the one with problems in their date is Descend to Avernus, according wiki: 

 Canon material provides two distinct dates for the events described in Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus: the adventure itself, described in chapters 1 through 5, takes place in 1494 DR, according to events mentioned in pages 7 and 47, while the Baldur's Gate Gazetteer describes the city as of 1492 DR (p. 159).

Conclusion: BG3 happens in 1492 DR

Now we are going to proceed to the hypotheses:

Hypothesis one: Gale is around 40 years old.

Reasons: This is my personal headcanon. By the way his face wrinkles, I have the feeling he is closer to his early/middle 40 than his middle 30s. Those crow-feet speak volumes to me. It's true that wrinkles depend a lot of the type of skin you have, your nutrition, your health, your level of stress, and your genetic. There are people who has deep wrinkles in their 20 or a baby-face in their 50s. But statistically speaking, using the average concept of how population gets wrinkles over the years, I'm inclined to think he is in his 40.

If BG3 happens in 1492 DR, and he is 40 y/o, this means he was born in 1452 DR.

Mystra returned from death after 1479, when Gale was 27 years old. This means that Gale's involvement with Mystra happened when he was 27 y/o or older [nothing says that the affair had to happen in that same year, right there after she came back... it could have happened several years later]

Pros: This theory fits a lot more the wrinkles we see with Gale's current age, in my opinion.

Cons: 27 y/o is not “a young man” age in the sense Gale explained during his scene.  Also from a design point of view, and considering the amount of stress and fear that Gale has been living during his last decade [at least], he should be displaying some grey hair as well. First grey hair tends to appear [once again, all this is pure statistical observations in the white population] around their 35's. And it's also well known that constant stress tends to accelerate them, so more evidence against this concept: if he is around 40 y/o and lives stressed as fuck as he has explained, he should be displaying a good amount of grey hair. Maybe we'll see them in a future patch? Maybe not. Only Larian knows.

Hypothesis two: Gale is around 35 [30] years old.

Reasons: This headcanon implies that Gale has more wrinkles than the average of people in such age. But then again, we can't assume this is a rule set on stone. As I said before, skin and genetics depend a lot in the way we age. This age sounds adequate for not displaying grey hair yet, but then again, he is under a lot of stress. It would be expected to have premature grey hair under such conditions.

If BG3 happens in 1492 DR, and he is 35 [30] y/o, this means he was born in 1457 [1462] DR.

Mystra returned from death after 1479, when Gale was 22 [17] years old. This means that Gale's involvement with Mystra happened when he was, at least, 22 [17] y/o or older.

Pros: This theory fits a little less in the amount of  wrinkles we see with Gale's current age in my opinion. It justifies a bit better the lack of grey hair, even though I prefer the idea that, no matter his age, after the orb event, his stress is constant and that should cause premature grey hair. But this is personal taste.

Cons: 22 [17]  y/o is certainly “a young man” age in the sense Gale explained during his scene. I know 17 y/o may sound weird, but we can assume two things: 1) Mystra gave a shit about it [she is a goddess, she cares little for mortal details] or 2) Mystra waited a time before whispering in Gale's ears. Pick the one you prefer. In both cases, 17 and 22, fit perfectly the concept that he was too naïve and young to see the true weight of his involvement with Mystra.

Hypothesis three: Gale is ancient. As a wizard, he can extend his life with magic, artefacts, and potions.

Reasons: This headcanon implies that Gale has lived the Spellplague, and his affair with Mystra happened before 1385 DR and before her death. It could have happened at any age.

In this scenario, since he would be under some magical effect of longevity, we can't even guess his current age, and  his few wrinkles [for an ancient man] and lack of grey hair would be justified by such magical effects as well.

Pro: This theory fits well with whatever inconsistency in his design that could suggest or not certain age in Gale's apperance.

Cons: We are completely lost in the timeline, and we cannot make any decent estimation

I personally do not support this theory because 2 reasons:

When Gale narrates the story of “the little silly wizard”, he explicitly says “not so long ago” when he explained his affair with Mystra. On the other hand, when he explains Karsus' folly, he explicitly says “Long, long time ago”. It's evident in my opinion that he perceives the times of Mystra's death as something that happened too long ago, while placing his own youth in a more recent time frame.

If Gale were ancient, he would speak of the Spellplague time in a more dramatic way. Since Magic and Weave are so important in his life, that historical event should have scarred his mind deeply.

Final conclusion

I personally like the idea of Gale being around his 40. It's true it doesn't fit well when he describes himself as a “young man” during his affair with Mystra, but I think his current design fits more to a man in his early 40. If you read my DOS2 metas, you will also know that Larian is well-known to overlook details of this nature or simply ignore their own lore, so incoherence is something I always expect from them, especially when we do analysis with this freak level of detail.

Gale being 35 y/o or younger is also valid since it's an hypothesis that fits much better the concept of “young man”, though he looks a lot more aged than he should be. One could assume this premature ageing is caused by the stress of the Netherese infection in his chest, but in that case it should be fairer to add to his wrinkles a stronger presence of grey hair.

I don't support at all the theory of Gale being ancient.

[midweekblues]

The Terror, Géricault and a bit of Julian Barnes: a rant

Part 2 /?

Hello, it's me again! With more random data about a certain 19th century nautical tragedy! Come for the trivia, stay for the cannibalism!

I dunno, man, I just dig these stories. Which is weird, having worked and lived at sea, but whatever. The Terror connects to a very primal part of my brain, the same part that buzzes when I read about the wreck of the Essex, the Donner Party, Scott's final expedition or the Edmund Fitzgerald. There's a theme going on here. So back to the wreck it is!

On the first part of Chapter 5 of A History of the world in 10 1/2 chapters, Julian Barnes gives us a summary of the ordeal on board the Medusa. To summarize even more:

- French frigate Medusa struck a reef off the coast of Senegal in 1816.

- Not everyone could fit into the boats, so a raft was built. 17 people decided to stay on board the half-sunk frigate, rather than brave the ocean on that construction.

- The raft was so overcrowded that it was actually underwater in the beginning. To lighten the load so it wouldn't sink completely, they had to discard most of the food brought on board, and all of their water, leaving only wine to drink. Most of their food (mainly flour and biscuits) was at some point submerged and thus ruined by the saltwater. .

So all our supplies are either spoiled or will make us prone to delirium?  

- The raft was expected to be towed by the boats, but during the first day, "one by one, whether for reason or self-interest, incompetence, misfortune or seeming necessitty, all the tow-lines were cast aside", and so the raft was left adrift.

- On the second day, three men gave up and, "convinced that there was no escape from death, bade farewell to their companions and willingly embraced the sea".

- On the second night, there was not one but two mutinies on the raft. After the struggle, 60 remained on board.

- On the third day, they started eating some of the dead.

- After the third night, 12 more people had died. 11 of them were cast into the sea, but one body was kept on board, "reserved against their hunger".

- On the fourth night, yet another mutiny. After all the violence, a total of 30 survivors remained on the raft.

- On the seventh day, two soldiers were caught stealing wine from one of the remaining caskets. They were executed by throwing them to the sea. 

-That left 27 survivors, only 15 of them healthy enough to survive more than a few days. Their resources were extremely limited, with less than a cask of wine for drinking, and only human flesh for food. "To put the sick on half allowance was but to kill them by degrees. And thus, after a debate in which the most dreadful despair presided, it was agreed among the fifteen healthy persons that their sick comrades must, for the common good of those who might yet survive, be cast into the sea", Barnes tells us. "The healthy were separated from the unhealthy like the clean from the unclean".

There’s been a vote, Edward

- After that, the survivors decided to cast all their arms into the sea, except one sabre, "lest some rope or wood might need cutting".   Fun fact: the equipment of modern lifeboats includes not only food, water and a first aid kit, but also 1 (one) boat axe. And the reason for this is exactly the same: just in case some rope or plastic/fiberglass might need cutting . 

(My face during that particular safety training)

- And then

wait for it

a white butterfly showed up.

Now of course, that would be a good sign, right? Not because it works great as a symbol on an artistic level (looking at you, Peter Jackson), but in this case it does work on a logical level: How far away can a freaking butterfly fly? It must mean that land is near, right? Just like, dunno, same way that an arctic bird, preying mainly on fish, wouldn't stray too far away from open water, so it must mean there are leads relatively nearby, right?

Right? :____(

The survivors of the Medusa did not spot land anywhere. And our Cold Boys didn't find any leads. Life is a bitch like that sometimes. Géricault could have chosen to depict this moment in his painting, but he didn't. "First, it wouldn't look like a true event, even though it was," says Barnes. As viewers, we know this. We are ready to accept a white butterfly showing up somewhere in the Misty Mountains over Khazad-dûm to save our favorite wizard, but on a real story, a real tragedy, it wouldn't work, it would be too on-the-nose. And so the butterfly and the bird both fly away, and nothing changes, and the tragedy goes on.

- On day 10, eight of the survivors of the Medusa, convinced that land must be within reach, built another, smaller raft, from pieces of the first one, upon which to escape. But as soon as they tried it, they realised it was too frail, and gave up on the plan.

- On day 13, they sighted the Argus. This is the moment that Géricault depicts, when they first spot a ship on the horizon.

See it there? Just look where all the guys are looking (well, not all of them, but more on that later)

Yep, that's a ship, that tiny little thing on the horizon, against the rosy sky (is it dawn, or dusk, by the way? What do you guys think?), not bigger than a butterfly. Pretty impressive to have the whole composition of this massive painting, and the attention of everyone depicted, gravitate away from the viewer. Literally no one in this painting gives a flying fuck about the viewer because their eyes are fixated on their only hope, a ship that looks like it might just disappear at any moment...

Which is exactly what it did.

My dudes, this painting, and the story behind it, is peak Romanticism. The drama.

The Argus was visible for about a half hour. It gave no sign of having spotted the raft. And then it disappeared.

Ok but wait a minute, so didn't they get rescued? Well yes they did. That's how we know what happened.

The survivors watched the ship disappear, fell into despair and decided, like many of us do on one of those days, that a nap might help. So they "rigged a piece of cloth as a shelter from the sun, and lay down beneath it"

And then a couple hour later, one of them went to the front of the raft, out of the canvas, and saw the Argus half a league away (that's less than 3 km), "carrying a full press of sail, and bearing down upon them".

If this wasn’t real, we’d call it lazy writing. I mean, typical cliffhanger, our hero is gonna die, all hope is lost, finish episode there. And then next week, boom, of course the hero is saved within the first five minutes. Ugh. But life is badly written like that sometimes.

And so they were saved. Well, five of them died in the days after their rescue. Which leaves us with a total of 10 survivors from the Raft. 

Géricault read the account from Savigny and Corréard sometime in the winter 1817-1818. The painting was finished in July 1819. And sometime in 1820, Captain Crozier saw it in London, while he was on leave before joining Parry on an Arctic expedition in 1821.

And this is getting long, so I'm gonna leave it here for now. Next part will be about the parallels I see between the actual painting and the show.  If you made it all the way here: Thanks for reading! 

(here’s part 1 and part 3 )

[sdv-mostly-shane]

The Flowers.

Summary: the farmer is inundated with anonymous flowers-they can’t figure out who it is, until a certain hooded someone is seen in the shadows.

‘Hm. That’s strange.”

The farmer huffed in a bemused manner. Right in front of them, stuffed precariously in their mailbox, was a carefully tied bundle of flowers: but not just any flowers- handpicked wildflowers. From the looks of it, they came directly from the little patch of meadow right by the mountain lake. They were vibrant and effervescent (even if a little disheveled from being stuffed in the mailbox)

“How beautiful. There’s no note though.. I wonder who left them.”

The famer had never received flowers prior to this moment, but they were able to hunt down a vase from the dusty rafters of the cellar. The wildflowers, now decidedly placed on the center of the small dinning table, stood proud; the farmer admired their beauty, and then continued about their day-happy to see them once more before they clamored into bed for the night.

“Huh. Another one?”

The farmer stopped themselves from bursting through the door before they trampled over the bundle on their doorstop. The first floral arrangement sitting on their table had not even begun to wilt yet, and yet the farmer had now recieved double the amount of flowers they’ve ever gotten in their lifetime. They scooped down to pick up the flowers, noticing how this bundle was delicately wrapped in newspaper and twine. The delicate petals were pristine this time, having been carefully laid on the doormat. As the farmer searched for another vase, eventually settling for an empty mason jar, they briefly wondered who could have sent them- maybe their parents in the city? For now, they settled with placing their prize on the table, next to the first arrangement.

“Okay that’s a little weird-“ the farmer exclaimed while removing a parcel of sunflowers from inside the hay bailer in their chicken coop “-why here?”

The farmer had already recieved, arranged, and placed their third flower bundle on the table next to the other two from the days prior, but was taken aback by having found a fourth one that very same day.

“Sunflowers aren’t even in season right now... they’re so hard to come by. Why give me these-they’d be much better given to someone they lo-“

The farmer stopped themselves from finishing their sentence; they didn’t want to admit that they potentially had a secret admirer, and was more comforted by telling themselves that it must just be Lewis making them feel at home... okay, maybe not comforted by that thought, but it was better than the anxiety of wondering who could possibly like them enough to deliver anonymous, expensive flowers. The farmer curiously inspected the beautiful specimens as they made their way to the kitchen to find yet another vessel to work as a vase- this time, a small bucket.

“If this keeps happening I’m gonna have to go buy an actual vase... and maybe a bigger table.”

Over the month, the discoveries of more flowers had increased in frequency to the point where the farmer had almost expected them. Parcels of sweet peas, tulips, roses, crocuses, daffodils, and more had now made daily appearances, each day to be found in a more curious spot. It had expanded to where the farmer was finding their secret gifts not only on their farm, but around town. Some of these places the farmer had an easy time of finding, such as tied to the saddle of their horse, hidden in one of their many storage chests, or stuffed in the trelles of a green bean stalk. Others, such as tied upside down to a branch on a tree next to the wizards tower, floating on a log in a puddle on the beach, and (the most curious-) placed under a light rock on the 34th level of the mines, were quite a bit harder to find. Thankfully, these more obscurely hidden ones had a note with the word ‘FARMER’ scribbled on them, but still no name.

“Yeah I definitely need a bigger table.”

The mysterious flowers had completely taken over the kitchen table, and had migrated to every available surface space in their cabin.

1:50 AM struck on the farmers watch-they had just finished milking the sleeping cows, and had in their hand their 49th bundle of flowers, found waiting for them in their milk pail. Only a little exasperated at having to search for a container at 2AM, and a lot anxious to know who they hell, why the hell, and how the hell someone was playing this game on them. As they cautiously made their way toward the farmhouse, eyes opened for any straggling bundles of flowers, a figure hovering by the side of the cabin caught their eye.

A blue tattered hoody, a tangle of jet black hair, and solid hands had clutched in them a bouquet of gardenias; the farmer gasped in recognition and realization of their mystery flower deliverer.

Shane, startled by the farmers loud gasp, had a few moments of brief terror in his eyes, and then hastily ran down the path into town, still clutching the flowers.

“Wait, don’t-!” But Shane was already out of sight. “Does that mean he’s been the one giving me all these flowers...?”

The next day, the farmer got their answer... well, AN answer. When the farmer opened their door at the strike of 6AM, there on their doorstep was not a bouquet a flowers, but their long awaited note. Hurrying, the farmer bent down and read it-

FARMER:

it’s NOT ME. You didn’t see me at your house last night, and I DEFFINITELY WAS NOT holding anything. Not anything, not even flowers. I wasn’t hiding anything, especially not flowers. And I am deffinitely NOT the one responsible for hiding any flowers. Not me. No. And even if I WAS there, I deffinitely WAS NOT trying to hide anything in the rafters of your house. Nope. Okay bye.

love ,

SINCERELY,

SHANE

ps totally not me.

“Yoba please don’t let them know it was me.”

Shane sank into his bed, now back at home at 6:10 AM. Unfortunately for him, his 6:30 alarm had just screamed at him to get ready for work, and he begrudgingly made his way to the shower.

7:10 AM, and Shane was out the door. Or, at least he WAS out the door, until he stopped himself from trampling a box left on his doorstep. He cautiously opened the package to be greeted by the beautiful warm scent of fresh pepper poppers, and taped to the lid, a note :

Shane:

This box was totally and 100% from me. I DEFFINITELY cooked the fastest batch of poppers in my life, and I FOR SURE ran down here to deliver them, all in the span of an hour. It was me. And I also DEFFINITELY tried to take a peek in your window to catch a glimpse of you. Me. Okay bye

Love,

Farmer

ps, nice try on crossing the ‘love’ out on your letter-still DEFFINITELY saw it.

pss, thank you.

“Well fuck.”

Shane looked up to see the smiling face of the farmer leaning against a tree in front of him.

“Maybe they still don’t know it was me who hid the flowers...”

Inspired by :

[multific]

Bond

Geralt x Reader

Warning: Smut (quite vanilla)

Summary: There’s a special bond between Y/N and Geralt. 

“That was so reckless Y/N!”

“Yeah! But I saved the boy!”

“But you nearly died and then I’d be dead too!”

“Oh, so that’s what you are afraid of!”

“I’m not afraid of death! I just do not wish to die because of your reckless actions!”

“It’s not like I asked for our lives to be bonded together! It’s not like I want my life and well-being left in your hands Geralt!”

There you were again. Yelling at each other. Jaskier was quite tired of it already. He wished for a nice night in the woods, yet all he got was yelling, again.

You and Geralt were both on the brick of death, he would have been fine, but you would have lost your life if it wouldn’t have been for the wizard who saved your life by binding it to the witcher’s. Now whenever he got injured, so did you. Whenever you were sad he felt it too and whenever he was with a woman…you felt that too. Every single one of your feelings were shared.

That’s why you both felt twice as angry.

Jaskier came to calm both of you and offered you some food. Geralt stormed off into the woods to calm down and get more firewood.

Meanwhile, you and Jaskier had a conversation.

“I just wish the two of you would finally confess to each other.”

“Confess?” you asked, looking at your friend with wide eyes. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on! It’s so obvious! You two are so in love you have each other! I should write a song about that!” as soon as he started to sing you stood up and walked off. You wanted to take a bath and forget about everything.

You got rid of our blood-stained dress and went into the pond that you found earlier. You hissed as the cold water hit your fresh cut which was on your back a bit above your hip.

Sure, you had a bond with Geralt and he healed quicker, but you didn’t.

You washed the dirt and dried blood off of your body and hair.

Although you ran away to clear your mind and stop thinking about a certain man, you couldn’t stop but rethink the events that lead to your newest argument. As you did so, you failed to hear a person enter the water behind you.

As you finished your analysis, you came to the conclusion that you were right. That is when the person behind you touched your bareback. You acted out of instinct and slapped the person in the cheek. It instantly hurt for you as well, that is how you realized that the person was Geralt.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” you said as you held your cheek. You had quite the punch.

“Sorry. I just wanted to tend to your wound.” you didn’t find it strange, he often did that since, with his powers, he could easily heal you. What you found strange is why did he need to come to you when you were bare as you day you were born and deep in thought.

You slowly turned around to look at Geralt. His gorgeous white hair was wet and pushed back, there were droplets of water on his body, your hands rest on his chest as you looked up at him. Your every movement was purely out of nowhere, you never expected to be touching him in such a way. Your gaze met his and his eyes had a look you had never seen before.

“Why are you really here?” You asked.

“I-I wanted to heal you, as I said.” Geralt said.

“No, why are you really here for?” You asked.

“Because I’m an asshole and it’s time I face my feelings. I love you, Y/N. I do not know since when, or how it happened, but it is true.”

You looked at him in shock and honestly did not know what to say.

“Then why were you with other women?”

“I tried to forget, to deny my true feelings, but it clearly didn’t work.” he said as he pulled your bodies closer.

“Will I regret what we’re about to do?” You asked as he leaned down to kiss you.

“You won’t.” Geralt said with his deep and calm voice

“How do you know?” You asked, still a bit unsure.

“Because I love you and I know that you love me too” he said before he pulled you into a kiss.

His lips gently brushed against yours as his grip around you grew tighter. His kiss grew more passionate and deep as he licked your lips, you parted them and allowed his tongue to explore your mouth.

You wrapped your arms around his neck as his big hands roamed your body. His touch created small butterflies in your stomach as your body trembled with pleasure. His kiss made you feel warm and oddly enough it didn’t feel weird, despite how disgusted you were with even just the idea when Jaskier brought it up.

Geralt pulled away from the kiss as you could finally catch your breath. His lips trailed across your jawline and down your neck. He kissed, bit and sucked on your skin leaving purple and red marks along the way, marking the path he went along.

You let out a long moan as his lips reached your chest. Geralt easily picked you up as you wrapped your legs around him, he held you up like you weighted nothing. His mouth attacked your nipples as he sucked and bit on them.

You felt his huge and hard member rub against your skin as you became a moaning mess while he held you up. Your hands were tangled up in his long hair as Geralt pulled away from your nipples causing you to let out a whine in protest.

 “If I hurt you let me know, I’ll stop right away.” Geralt said as he gently kissed your lips. He knew that he was rather gifted, and he didn’t want to hurt you. You gave him permission with a simple nod and kissed his lips once while he moved his hand to your thighs, so he could get a better hold of you.

He slowly slid his length into you causing your let out a loud moan. Your nails dug into his back as you bit down on his shoulder. Geralt let out a soft growl as he started to move.

His movements were beastly as expected from the witcher himself. You had no idea how many times you had reached your climax all you knew is that Geralt was taking pleasure to a whole new level. But you had to admit, it felt the best. Not only you felt the pleasure he was giving to you, but you also felt the pleasure you were giving to him due to your bond.

By the end of it, you were so tired that you didn’t even know what was going on anymore. You nearly fainted when Geralt finally reached his climax as he pulled himself out from you, cuming into the water.

Your arms were loosely draped around his massive shoulders as your face was nuzzled up into his neck. Lucky for you, Geralt still had energy so he carried you out of the water as he dried and dressed you.

The next thing you knew you were laying on your back on the river bank. Geralt was washing his shirt.

You smiled to yourself as you got up and traced his back muscles with your fingers, you ran your fingertips along every scar of him as if that would heal them.

“We should head back to Jaskier, he might think we killed each other.” he said with a whisper not to disturb your relaxed mood.

“I bet he’ll be happy to see us together.”

“Are you?” he asked looking over his shoulder at you.

“Hm?” you said confused.

“Happy. Are you happy? This wasn’t just a one-time thing, right? I truly feel deeply for you.”

“I’m happy. Extremely.” he slightly turned around and you moved forward so you could kiss those lovely lips of his.

Your romantic moment was disturbed by none other than Jaskier himself.

“Oh, thank heavens! I thought you killed each other! But now I see what took so long! See Y/N? I told you! Geralt has always been head o-“

“JASKIER!” Geralt interrupted the other man.

“Right right. I’ll go back to the fire.” as he left you let out a short laugh.

“Soooo, where were we?” you asked with a hint of mischief in your voice.

Geralt didn’t need to be told twice as he leaned closer once again, but yet again, you got interrupted.

“So, just to be clear, are you guy will get wood or…?” Geralt didn’t answer but instead, he threw a rock in Jaskier’s direction. “Okay, okay. I’m leaving!!!” You heard him really leave this time.

“I love you.” you said when Geralt’s amber eyes met yours. The witcher smiled and leaned in to kiss you.

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[ever-fics]

A Sebastian x Farmer Stardew thought I couldn’t get out of my head....

The farmer shows Sebastian thay the magic he’s lived his whole life is real and adventure is at his fingertips.

____________________

You both were laying on Sebastians little black couch in his little stone basementroom.

You had been together at least a year and a half. Today being one of Sebastians famous comic days... Meaning he got the newest issue. Which resulted in you tucked under one of his arms your head on his shoulders. He had stroked your hair with one hand and held the comic in the other so you could both read it.

There was scilence but it was ....

Comfortable silence. Lovely silence...

The kind of silence where any conversation anything that need to be said didn’t need to be said. It was just known. The way you had just known you wanted it to stay like this... forever. You wanted to marry him. Sure you could have waited around for him to propose but,that wasn’t the custom here. Nor was there gendered expectations of proposals.

Best it was told to you is that only certain people can see the ghost of the Mariner. Best it was told to you it was the responsibility of that person to do the proposing.... so you bought the shell. Keeping it somewhere in your house cuddled in cloth as tightly as you cuddled him now.

There was still one thing you had to do with Sebastian before you could propose... one last thing to tell him...no this would take showing him. So when you had both finished the comic.

“Seb? Can I show you something?” You asked watching his face knit in confusion as to why you even felt you had to ask.

“Sure.” He responded in his usual game for anything attitude.

“Meet me at the farm ok? If I were you I’d look in your drawer at my place to see if you have anything ... durable to wear.” You smirked

“Umm ok... cool see you in 20?” Seb scratched the back of his neck.

_____________________

Sebastian had always loved fictional adventure stories and magic and Dnd honestly. It was one of the major things you loved about him... his open mindedness, his imagination in storytelling, his beautiful unapologetic geekiness and his shy little smile when you complimented it.

Although if Sebastian was in the loop the others had to be as well.

So you texted Sam ,Abigail ,and Seb in the group chat...

You: Come to farm wear something durable be ready for anything...

Sam ,Abigail ,and Seb however had not been ready for anything. As when you greeted them at your door with a sword for each of them. Some healing potions and a map they looked dumbfounded.

“Y/N what’s going on?” Seb questioned.

“I want you all to know me all of me including the fact I really haven’t just been a simple farmer. Also Seb I love you and I want to share this part of my life with you as well... especially as a lot of the time I work late and I would rather you don’t worry about my loyalty to you,my safety, and my love for you so..

I want to take you all to my work...

And before you ask no I didn’t do this before I actually did work at Joja mart.” You explained.

Leading them to the mines.

“So your leading us in like a suprize Larp.” Abigail chimed in.

“Sure... I guess.” You said leading everyone to the mines.

There was a little green Junimo trying to get the dwarves attention.

The Dwarf just cussed loudly in Dwarvish.

“Um...let’s address the elephant in the room ...Holy Shit that’s a dwarf like an actual proper dwarf.” Sam

“Yup... I’m trying to learn Dwarvish to speak to him for now I figure best not although he has seemed please when I bring him Dwarvish relics I find so ...”

“What’s the green thing?” Abigail asked.

“Oh that’s a Junimo they are woodland spirits like will o whisps almost. The wizard in the woods asked me to come to his tower and gave me a potion to communicate with them they help me with things in return for items they want like goat cheese...” you explained.

“The wizard in the woods the WIZARD IN THE FUCKING WOODS!! That’s so cool. This is awesome.” Sam exclaimed.

“That’s what that tower is ... I thought it was some weird Forrest lighthouse.” Abigail chimed in.

“Forrest lighthouse?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her. Causing you to chuckle a bit before ushering everyone in the elevator and pressing level 75.

“So when you say your going mining?” Sebastian questioned.

“ I’m actually going monster hunting.”

You answered.

“And I thought You couldn’t get hotter or more impressive..” Seb laughed to himself.

“Careful I might try to steal her from you.” Abigail winked.

“Fat chance.” Sebastian laughed

“If everyone is done I would just like to let you guys know drink the healing potions seriously you’ll need them.”

The elevator opened to a ghost rushing towards you all as soon as you stepped out.

“Swords up swing.” You chuckled as your friends seemed to have the same thrill you have when you come down. They smashed skeletons and ghosts.

And you found a frozen tear.

When the fighting cleared... you tapped Sebastian on the shoulder although he was listening to Sam who was whispering to him and slipped him something.

“Hey Seb I found this for you and I know they’re you’re favorites so I wanted you to have it.” You smirked.

“This isn’t what you’ve had to do to Bring me those right? Risk your safety in some monster infested mine?” Sebastian felt a pang of guilt.

“I’m a sucker for adventure and a sucker for you so I even thought I didn’t have to I’m sure I would’ve ended up doing this anyway.” You cupped his face with you’re hand.

“I just I thought the cuts the bruises might’ve been from some of the animals getting territorial. I also thought you were a lot clumsier than you are apparently.” Sebastian laughed.

“Hey!” You retorted.

“In all seriousness... Don’t ever risk your life for me like that again. The gems are nice ,but you are the only treasure I’m looking for.Seriously Y/N Stones can be replaced you ... you can’t I’m an introverted person. There aren’t many people amazing enough to be worth the risk.

You have ALWAYS been worth the risk. You listen. You have done more for this town than they give you credit for. You made me realize I am not Mom and Demetrius expectations. That I deserve to be myself. That myself is enough. That I don’t have to give up being a programmer or move to the city to be happy here. Actually I am realizing I’d be miserable in the city because the city wouldn’t have you.” Sebastian explained.

“Seb ....” you reached for the blue shell in your pocket .

“I have a gift for you one that is long over due.”

You smiled.

“And I you.” Sebastian responded which took you off guard.

“Umm... ok then let’s exchange them and open them together on the count of three.” You suggested befor you both did just that.

Both unwrapping paper.

Both revealing a blue shell.

Both cry laughing..

“Marry me?” You asked him.

“You don’t even have to ask I’ve wanted to marry you for a while now I just haven’t gotten the nerve. Thank you foe being the coolest actual adventurer Fiancé ever.”

Seb kissed you

[goldgalaxytea-fanfics]

Warmth

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Harry Potter series

Relationship: Harry Potter x  Marcus Flint

Characters: Harry Potter, Marcus Flint, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Poppy Pomfrey, The Fat Lady

Additional Tags: commission, Enemies to Lovers, Getting Together, Slow Burn, Crushes, Boyfriends, Sleepy Cuddles, Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Creature Inheritance, Parseltongue, Harry/Parseltongues have a creature inheritance, Snake-Like Harry, Nesting, stealing clothes, Hogwarts Fourth Year, First Kiss, Kissing, Boys Kissing, Boys In Love, Yule Ball, Dancing, Mistletoe, Forehead Kisses, Cheek Kisses, Sleepy Kisses, Sleep, Unconsciousness, infirmary

Words: 5,517

Summary: 

Blanket nests aren’t weird, Harry assured himself, people make them all the time. Besides it keeps him warm at night, more so than just huddling under his own blankets. Also it made him happy, it was almost impossible to feel any sort of negative feelings bundled up all comfy and cozy in the nest’s warmth. Surely something that made him warm inside and out was normal… right?

Notes:

This is a commission for @emgkheadcannons​! Thank you again for commissioning me!!!💖

Winter is a beautiful time to view, yet an awful time to experience. At least, that's how it is for Harry. The teen has always despised the cold temperatures, somehow always freezing despite wearing layer upon layer of warm clothes. Even now, during his fourth winter at Hogwarts, he acted like a moth drawn to a flame at any semblance of warmth he could find. Though Harry never worried about his lack of tolerance to the cold, chalking it up to just being how his body works. Like how his friend Neville gets sick easily in hot weather, Harry's body just can't stand the cold.

Especially now, down in the dungeons of the school. The lower level was chilly any other time of year, yet during the winter didn’t feel any different than being outside in the falling snow. The fourth year shivered as he made his way to potions class, feet dragging as he buried his face in his scarf. Harry, too preoccupied with preventing himself from turning into an ice sculpture, paid no mind to his surroundings. Due to this he failed to notice the booming footsteps of someone running towards him until it was too late.

Something large barreled past him, knocking into his shoulder roughly. In his daze the Gryffindor’s books fell from his hands, spilling across the stone floor. Harry’s mind snapped back to the present as his eyes focused on the source of the accident.

Standing before him was none other than Marcus Flint, one of the Slytherin prefects.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you standing there.” The older student’s tune and face was the exact opposite of genuine, though Harry didn’t expect it to be. He was all too familiar with what kind of person Marcus is, knowing full well the so-called ‘accident’ was intentional. Harry pointedly ignored him, too tired to deal with Marcus and his antics.

“See you in class, Potter.” Marcus smirked before walking away.

Harry groaned, he had completely forgotten Marcus would be in his class today. The prefect was assisting Snape as a teacher’s aid as a part of his prefect duties. With a sigh he bent down to pick up his books, losing himself in thought once again. Though this time he couldn’t stop thinking about how warm Marcus had felt. Just brushing against the Slytherin had felt like walking past a cozy warm fireplace. He really wants to feel that warmth again…

Harry quickly shook that thought from his head. What the heck is wrong with him? He’s never thought anything like that about Marcus before and it shouldn’t be happening ever. The Slytherin has always been mean to him, never once saying anything nice, so why was he having those thoughts?! Harry was too tired to deal with his internal crisis so he simply chose to ignore it for now. Though that’s always easier said than done.

Once in class his mind drifted off once again, tuning out Snape’s words as he couldn’t help but stare at Marcus. The Slytherin was taller than him, the perfect height for him to rest his head on Harry’s while he buried his head in the crook of his neck. Marcus’s long arms would hold him safely against his broad chest, a blanket wrapped around the two as they cuddled. The Slytherin’s warmth would keep out any cold that tried to attack Harry. Harry would pull back just enough to bring his face close to Marcus and-

“Learning only works if you’re listening, Mr. Potter.” Snape spoke, his irritation clearly visible on his face. The teacher’s voice snapped Harry out of his thoughts, his face going red once he realized who he had been daydreaming about.

“Sorry, professor.” The Gryffindor quickly apologized, ignoring his classmates' curious stares.

Snape went back to teaching as Harry tried not to freak out. Why in the wizarding world was he daydreaming about Marcus?! Harry didn’t like him one bit, so why did he want to cuddle him? The Gryffindor didn’t understand why he was thinking those thoughts, so he decided the most logical thing to do was to ignore Marcus. If the Slytherin was the cause of his strange behavior then not interacting with or seeing him should fix it right? It was easy enough, he doesn’t see Marcus too often outside of Potions class. Setting his plan in motion, Harry tuned out the weird look Marcus was giving him and focused on Snape’s lesson.

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Fate simply did not like Harry, or at least, Snape really didn’t like Harry. His plan to ignore Marcus was thrown out the window when the potions teacher assigned the Slytherin prefect to help him on a project. Harry’s plan had been working well the past week, at least he thought it had been. Apparently he still had been zoning out enough that Snape had noticed and thought he needed extra help, thus forcing him to interact with Marcus.

Said Slytherin was currently sitting next to him, ‘helping’ him with his assignment. Marcus definitely knows Harry has been ignoring him and is doing everything in his power to get any sort of reaction out of him. Luckily for Harry, he’s faced much harder challenges then a fellow student making his life difficult. Though despite that it’s still incredibly complicated blocking out someone that refuses to leave you alone.

“Here, Potter. Put this in the cauldron.” Marcus held out a very obviously wrong ingredient, grinning evilly while he waited for Harry to take it. Both were aware putting it in would cause a minor explosion, so Harry reached past Marcus to grab the correct one. As he picked up the ingredient his arm brushed against Marcus, feeling the warmth radiating from the prefect. Harry refused to let any thoughts about the Slytherin overtake him, quickly pulling his arm back and placing the right ingredient into the cauldron.

“Come on, Potter. I’m trying to help you.” Marcus lied. “Here, I measured out the next part.” He held out a cup that was overflowing with the next ingredient.

Wordlessly Harry took it from him, trying his best to ignore the skip in his heart when their fingers briefly touched. The younger student removed the extra material, making sure the cup held the correct amount before dumping it into the cauldron.

“Oh my bad.” Marcus grinned. “I must have read it wrong, sorry Potter.” The Slytherin was obviously trying to get a raise out of Harry, but he refused to show any sort of reaction. What would Marcus say if he stuttered over his words? Or if he blushed? The older student would definitely poke fun at him. Or possibly figure out why he was acting strangely. Harry can’t let Marcus know the thoughts he’s been having about him or else-

“Knock it off.” Marcus demanded. “I don’t want your filthy hands on me.”

Harry snapped out of his spiralling thoughts, quickly noticing he had unconsciously moved closer to Marcus. So close in fact, that if he moved a few more inches he would be touching him. Harry swiftly moved away, focusing back on his assignment.

“Hey what’s with you? You’re acting weirder than normal.” Marcus jeered. Harry risked a quick peek at the other’s face, trying to tell if his secret has been discovered. The Slytherin’s face held his usual cruel grin, though now there was a slight red tint to his cheeks. Must be from the cold Harry reasoned. What other reason could Marcus possibly have for blushing if not the chilly weather? Harry didn’t dwell on that thought for long.

“It’s rude not to answer when someone’s talking to you. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” There was something off about the prefect’s tone. Marcus was obviously frustrated, yet he almost sounded confused.

Harry continues ignoring the older student, never once glancing in his direction for the rest of class. Though he’s very aware of Marcus staring holes into his head, waiting for Harry to finally acknowledge him. An awkward tension hangs between the two for the rest of class, each too stubborn to do anything about it.

As soon as class ends Harry is quick to make his escape, leaving Marcus sitting there even more confused than before.

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A few days pass without anymore incidents involving a certain Slytherin prefect. Harry is thankful for that as he makes his way to Quidditch practice. Though once at the fields he feels a strange pull, like his instincts are trying to lead him somewhere. Without a second thought he follows it, something inside of him telling him it's important.

Harry certainly didn’t expect to end up in the Slytherin’s changing rooms. Luckily no one was currently there, only Gryffindor had Quidditch practice today. His instincts lead him to a pile of stuff that he somehow knows belongs to Marcus. Harry is overcome with the urge to take the sweater laying at the top and so he does. Before he can rethink his actions he’s already in the Gryffindor changing room hiding the article of clothing with his own.

Harry doesn't second guess why he took the Slytherin’s sweater. Logically it made sense, he needs more sweaters to keep warm. At least that’s what he told himself. It gets cold at night, was his excuse for taking the blanket Marcus left behind in Potions class. I lost my scarf and needed another one, he told himself when he picked up the scarf Marcus had dropped as he was running by. The hands are the quickest thing to freeze, if I don’t wear gloves I’ll get frostbite, he reasoned as he took Marcus’s gloves when he wasn’t looking during class.

Each time Harry found a piece of clothing that belonged to the Slytherin prefect he was always ready with a reason why he needed to take it. Besides, Marcus never seemed to notice his missing stuff, so surely what he was doing was okay? Despite the million and one excuses Harry had come up with, he never wore or used the stolen clothes. Well, at least not how they should be used. Each new treasure Harry found was put onto his bed and arranged in a way his instincts told him to. Slowly his collection grew and grew, until the pile on his bed resembled a blanket nest of sorts.

Blanket nests aren’t weird, Harry assured himself, people make them all the time. Besides it keeps him warm at night, more so than just huddling under his own blankets. Also it made him happy, it was almost impossible to feel any sort of negative feelings bundled up all comfy and cozy in the nest’s warmth. Surely something that made him warm inside and out was normal… right?

----------------------------------------

According to Harry’s friends, it wasn’t normal at all.

Ron and Hermione approached Harry while he was reading in the Gryffindor common room. Harry sat in the chair closest to the fireplace so they sat on the couch nearby. He didn’t notice his friends approach nor sit down, too focused on the text in front of him.

“Um Harry…?” Ron waved his hand in front of his friend’s face, causing Harry to finally look up from his book.

“Oh hey, I didn’t see you guys there.” Harry greeted his friends, who both shared a look before Hermione spoke.

“What’s going on, Harry? You’ve been acting strange the past few weeks.”

“Um,” Harry averted his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We’re talking about the blanket nest you made on your bed out of Slytherin clothes.” Ron said, clearly displeased Harry was trying to avoid the topic.

“And your odd behavior.” Hermione added. “You’re always freezing - which definitely isn’t normal - and you’ve been acting weird around Marcus Flint. Did something happen between you two?”

“Nothing happened!” Harry was quick to reassure. “Everything’s fine I promise-”

“That’s bull and you know it.” Ron cut him off. “The one morning when I tried to wake you up I touched your blanket nest and you hissed at me. You’re always crazy protective of the stuff on your bed, anytime I look at it I’m worried you’re gonna bite my bloody head off.”

“It’s my stuff so of course I don’t want you touching it.” Harry countered.

“It's not yours, the clothes belong to Marcus.” Hermione pointed out.”

“I-” Harry fumbled to find the right words. “It just… makes me feel so warm… I’m always freezing in the winter and having a lot of clothes helps me not freeze at night.”

“Then why can’t you use your own stuff?” Ron questioned.

“...” Harry looked away, too embarrassed to answer.

“Please Harry.” Hermione pleaded. “We’re worried about you.”

“...it makes me happy.” Harry sheepishly admits.

“To use Marcus’s clothes for your nest?” Hermione clarified.

Harry nodded before it finally hit him. His behavior was definitely not normal.

“I think you guys are right… somethings definitely wrong with me.” Harry’s eyes were wide as he remembered everything that transpired since his weird behavior had started. “I don’t know why I’m acting this way, it doesn’t make any sense…”

Hermione reached to grab Harry’s closet hand, lightly squeezing it in to comfort him.

“Don’t worry.” Hermione reassured. “I’m going to go down to the library tomorrow and figure all this out. I’ll let you know the exact moment I find something.”

“Thanks, Hermione.” Harry smiled at his friend.

“Of course.” Hermione returned the smile. “What are friends for.”

----------------------------------------

A few days later and there was still no explanation found for Harry’s odd behavior. Though that didn’t deter Hermione, the young witch spent hours every day searching the library for any information she could. She was there right now with Ron, the redhead helping to speed up the search.

Meanwhile Harry was on his way to see Hagrid, wanting to thank the man for informing him about the dragons. The weather outside was colder than usual, easily attacking Harry through the large amount of layers he wore. The freezing weather slowed his steps and destroyed his energy. Harry yawned, extremely sleepy all of a sudden.

Next thing he knows he’s on the ground, body violently shivering as it desperately tried to fight off the cold. Snow falls onto his face and body, only making things worse, yet he’s unable to move let alone get up. All he can see is the white snow surrounding him. Harry lays there, an unknown amount of time passing as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

Out of nowhere a warmth embraces him. Harry tries to get closer to the warmth but his body still won’t listen to him. Though luckily for him the warmth helps him move, bringing the half frozen boy closer to the heat. Harry also makes out a familiar smell but in his daze he can’t place what it belongs to. No longer in any danger Harry relaxes, sinking into the warmth holding him. He feels safe and so he stops fighting off the sleep his tired body demanded. Surrounded by a protective warmth, Harry allowed his consciousness to fade away...

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When Harry wakes his sight is once again filled with white, though the color isn’t cold and wet anymore; it’s soft and warm. Wearily he blinks the sleep away from his eyes as the room around him slowly comes back into focus. The first detail he notices is he’s laying down in a bed, his head propped up by a soft pillow with numerous heavy blankets covering his quivering body. The next thing he notices is he’s not tucked away in the safety of his blanket nest back in the Gryffindor dorms, instead he’s laying in one of the various beds that reside in the infirmary. Not only was he in an unfamiliar location but he wasn’t alone. Those facts immediately set the teen on high alert until his hazy mind registered who they were.

Madam Pomfrey stood beside his bed, watching him wake up. Harry attempts to sit up, only making it a few inches before falling back down. Perhaps he was still weak from the cold because his body felt three times heavier than usual. The old woman sees his struggle and quickly moves to assist him. Her hands are gentle as she helps him into a seated position, positioning his pillow behind him to support his weight.

Once Harry is settled the woman leaves with a promise to be right back. Her departure brings his attention to the other people surrounding his bed. Hermione and Ron are standing on the opposite side from where Pomfrey once stood, concerned expressions on both of their faces. Yet that wasn’t all of his visitors.

Harry is surprised to see Marcus standing at the end of the infirmary bed. The Slytherin stood with his arms crossed, an aloof air about him. Despite the prefect’s best attempt to appear like he doesn’t care, his eyes betrayed his act. No matter where Marcus looked his gaze would always drift back to Harry, the concern clear as day every time he checked on the Gryffindor. Before any of them can even attempt to speak, Madam Pomfrey returns with an unknown beverage held in her hands.

“Here drink this.” The woman holds the drink up to Harry’s mouth. “It will help warm you up.”

Harry sips the warm beverage, thankful for the assistance. He doubts he would be able to hold the cup in this condition. When he’s done the matron takes the glass away, moving to check on another patient nearby.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Harry.” Hermione speaks, relief clear in her voice.

“Same here. You gave us one bloody hell of a fright when we heard you were in the infirmary.” Ron says. “Especially since we now know what’s happening to you.”

“We found a book about parseltongues.” Hermione explains. “Not only are they able to talk to serpets, but they also inherit features from those creatures. For example, they easily get cold in the winter, which causes them to seek out heat. Though unlike snakes, parseltongues aren’t attracted to just any warmth. They’re attracted to their mate, which translates to ‘warmth’ in parseltongue.”

“Which explains why you’ve been acting so strange around Marcus and stealing his clothes. It's because you have a crush on him.” Ron clarifies.

“That’s ridiculous.” Marcus snaps, a slight pink dusting his cheeks. “I don’t care about Potter, so how could we possibly be mates?”

“You’re not serious are you? You’re the one that found him and brought him to the infirmary!” Ron points out. “If you didn’t care about him you would’ve let him freeze to death.”

"Well-” Marcus tries to argue more but he's interrupted by violent coughing. All eyes turn to face Harry, watching the teen’s body tremble as he wheezed. The commotion alerted  Madam Pomfrey, the woman swiftly returning to Harry’s bed and drawing the curtains surrounding him. The matron held a knowing look in her eyes as she shooed Hermione and Ron through the curtains. Pomfrey followed the two Gryffindors out, leaving Harry and Marcus alone.

As soon as there’s no other eyes watching them, Marcus shifts closer to Harry without a second thought. His mind is still in panic mode, the fear and stress muddling his brain and controlling his actions before he can even realize what's happening. All he can focus on is Harry; he needs to cuddle him, he needs to keep him warm, he needs to make sure Harry won’t die from the cold, he needs to-

A noisy cough snaps Marcus out of his daze, the Slytherin immediately freezing in place as he takes in the situation. His arms are outstretched, only a few inches away from enclosing on Harry in a hug. Marcus quickly moves away, putting as much distance as he can between the two and recoiling his arms back to his sides. However something prevented him from going far - a hand that trembled and still felt much too cold held onto the bottom of his sweater. Harry’s grip was weak - if Marcus wanted to break out of his grasp he easily could. Despite that he found himself unable to move. The distress on Harry’s face made it impossible for the perfect to look away.

“Please cuddle with me, it's so cold…” Harry pleads, voice barely loud enough to be heard.

Right away Marcus knew his answer, yet he still hesitated; his thoughts overpowering him and keeping him as still as a statue. Another violent cough from Harry prompts him to break free from his trance and take action. Marcus delicately climbs into the infirmary bed beside Harry, his long arms enveloping the Gryffindor and pulling him close. Harry settles his head on the Slytherin’s chest, eagerly hugging Marcus back as he snuggles into his warmth.

“Just so you know, I’m only doing this because the school would have my head if I just stood back and let you freeze to death.” Marcus states. “I personally hate this and can’t wait for it to be over.”

Regardless of the harsh words Marcus spoke he still held Harry close, his body relaxed as he absentmindedly stroked Harry’s hair. Marcus’s face was as red as the Gryffindor’s scarf as he glanced every which way except for where Harry lay. Harry smiled to himself, knowing full heartedly that Marcus was enjoying this just as much as he was.

Surrounded by his warmth, Harry felt his consciousness slipping away from him once more. This time he welcomed it, knowing that he was safe with Marcus watching over him.

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For a second time Harry awakes in a different location then where he fell asleep. His groggy mind makes out that he’s being carried, strong arms supporting him bridal style as familiar walls blurr past him. He manages to catch a glimpse of a window, the sky outside dark and speckled with stars.

Harry’s body no longer feels deathly cold, but it’s still easily chilled by the icy wind sneaking its way into the school. He senses his warmth holding him and so he cuddles closer, burying his face in Marcus’s chest. In turn the Slytherin pulls him closer, making sure Harry is warm enough.

It doesn’t take long for them to arrive at the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady was asleep in her portrait so Marcus forcefully cleared his throat to get her attention.

“Who on earth is causing a ruckus at this hour?” The Fat Lady jolts awake, annoyance distorting her face. “What the-?”

The woman’s voice trails off as she takes in the scene before her. Understanding wipes away her irritation, a fond smile shaping her lips.

“I heard what had happened to our young Potter - word travels fast with us portraits - and I’ve been worried sick all day. I’m glad to see he’s alright.” The Fat Lady speaks in a hushed voice as to not wake Harry. Said boy could not make out the conversation happening right in front of him, his mind dancing along the thin line between sleep and being awake.

“I’m glad too…” Marcus mumbles, shyly refusing to look at her or Harry

The Fat Lady chuckles, opening her portrait for the prefect. “I’m allowing you in under special conditions, so don’t think I’ll let you in any time you please.”

“I understand, thank you…” Marcus nods.

“Of course.” The Fat Lady’s smile falls as her expression grows serious. “You better take good care of him.”

“I will.” He reassures her.

“Good.” Her smile returns. “Now off to bed with you. It’s late and you both need the rest.”

Marcus enters the Gryffindor Tower, swiftly making his way to the dorms. It's easy for him to find Harry’s bed, as it's the only one with a pile of Slytherin clothes atop it. Marcus gently sets him down in his nest, pink covering his cheeks as he recognizes his clothes on Harry’s bed.

“I know your friends said you were stealing my stuff-” Marcus comments in disbelief. “but I’m still surprised you actually were…”

Marcus makes a move to leave, not quite ready to come to terms with the fact that Harry views him as a mate. However, his attempt to depart is thwarted; Harry’s hand lightly urging him to stay as he holds onto Marcus’s wrist.

“Please don’t go…” Harry requests. “I don’t want you to leave me…”

Marcus attempts to replay with a definite no, except he can’t. Not when a half awake Harry is giving him the cutest puppy dog eyes he’s ever seen. The prefect feels his resolve slowly crumble apart under the boy’s expectant stare. That, combined with a part of Marcus that yearns to cuddle Harry more - a part that he will never admit to having, not even to himself - compels him to stay put.

“It’s okay.” Marcus whispers, softly freeing himself from Harry’s grasp to instead hold his hand. He gently strokes the other’s palm with his thumb, seeking to help the boy calm down. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

Slowly but surely, Marcus joins Harry in his nest. The Slytherin is careful not to disrupt the structure the Gryffindor had constructed, gently climbing in and finding a spot to lay down next to Harry. As soon as his head hits the pillow Harry is on top of him, face resting on the older boy’s chest; directly above his heart. Marcus pauses for a brief moment before wrapping his arms around Harry, securing him in place.

The steady beat of Marcus’s heart leisurely leads Harry back to sleep. A feeling of warmth and comfort envelopes the two boys as they doze off, feeling at peace in each other’s arms.

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As Harry’s drowsy form begins to stir he’s greeted with shimmering rays of sunlight filtering through the window. It was now morning.

Harry hides his face in Marcus’s chest, shielding his eyes from the bright light. The Gryffindor’s foggy mind registers a faint pressure on his head. As his head clears he discerns that it’s the prefect’s hand tenderly petting his hair. In addition to the light strokes, the older boy is mumbling something. His words are too quiet and muddled together to make out, yet Harry is clearly able to catch I like you.

“What?” Harry questions in shock, lifting his head to look at Marcus. He’s extremely certain of what he heard, but he wants confirmation just in case he misunderstood.

The older boy’s face explodes with color, cheeks burning red as he stumbles over his words.

“I- um- ah-” Marcus attempts, visibly flustered and refusing to glance at Harry. “Don’t make me say it again…”

Harry studied the Slytherin’s face as he spoke, easily understanding that what he had heard was correct based on Marcus’s reaction.

“It's okay.” Harry reaches for one of the prefect’s hands, intertwining their fingers once found. “I like you too.”

The Gryffindor’s confession instills Marcus with the courage to finally meet Harry’s gaze. Green orbs meet dark ones as Marcus at long last lets himself speak honestly.

“I knew you took my sweater from the changing rooms.” The older boy confesses. “I happened to be stopping by to take my quidditch clothes to be washed, and I saw you go in and come back out with my sweater. I know you get cold easily so I didn’t say anything. But I didn’t see you wearing it so I purposely ‘lost’ different items so that you could use them to keep warm. The only thing I didn’t know was that you were using my clothes to make a nest…”

Neither move, simply letting a comfortable silence fill the space between them; each boy reflecting on the new found revelations.

Harry is the first to move, his hands moving to gently hold either side of the older boy’s face. The Gryffindor gradually shifts his face closer to the Slytherin’s, allowing enough time for Marcus to pull away if he desires. Even so, Marcus remains in place; letting Harry inch closer and closer until their lips meet. The kiss is brief and hesitant on both ends, yet love and affection are conveyed clearly through where their mouths touch.

When the two withdraw from each other they simply observe the other, taking in the other’s reddened cheeks and the endearment reflected in both their eyes. The pair linger in that moment for a little while longer before drawing close once again. Both of them hold each other closer, cuddling together as they exchange numerous kisses. Soft pecks litter each boy’s face; a feather light kiss to the lips, a fond smooch to the forehead, gentle pecks to both cheeks. The two students lose themselves in the tender moment, tuning out the outside world as they solely focus on the happiness they felt.

Regardless of the joy overwhelming Harry, his body was still tired. The younger boy pulls back briefly to yawn. A small smile tugs at the corners of Marcus’s lips, the older boy marveling at how cute his boyfriend looked when sleepy. Harry leans back in, planting tiny kisses on his warmth's face as he mumbles sweet words to him.

“Ssssssssss” Harry hisses. In his tired state he was unaware that he was speaking Parseltongue and not English. Nevertheless Marcus didn’t mind it one bit. In fact he found it extremely adorable - plus he loved simply hearing the language. Despite not knowing what was being said, Marcus could tell that the words were full of endearment based on Harry’s tone. The lovers stay that way for quite some time, enjoying the soft moment and their newly founded relationship.

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A few days elapsed for the happy couple and before they knew it it was time for the Yule Ball. Harry arrives at the party with Marcus as his date. Both boys are dressed in elegant suits for the special occasion.

Familiar faces pass them by as they descend the stairs hand in hand and set foot on the ballroom floor. As they enter Harry notices Sirius and Remus standing and chatting nearby. The Gryffindor waves to them and the two men look over, excitedly waving back. Harry leads Marcus over to them, as happy to see the two again as they were to see him.

“I missed you!” Harry exclaims, releasing Marcus’s hand so that he can hug Sirius and Remus. The two return the embrace, smiles lighting up their faces.

“We missed you too.” Remus mentions. “Sirius wouldn’t shut up about how thrilled he was to attend this ball.”

Sirius lightly heartedly punches Remus’s arm, the movement playful and harmless.

“Remus missed you just as much, didn’t you Moony?” Sirius quips.

“That I did.” Remus admits. ”Now tell me Harry, what have you been up to since we last spoke?”

“I started dating Marcus.” Harry says, gesturing to the boy standing beside him.

A look of shock and surprise pass over the men’s faces - the two knew of Marcus’s mean behavior towards others. Yet in spite of that, Harry looked the happiest he has in quite some time and the fond gaze Marcus directed at Harry appeared genuine. Sirius and Remus quickly replace the startled expressions with their bright smiles from before - if Marcus made Harry happy then they’d accept their relationship, although begrudgingly.

“Congrats, my boy. We’re happy for you.” Remus says, lightly patting Harry’s shoulder.

“Oh what I would give to see the look on Snape’s face when he learns one of his Slytherin students is dating harry!” Sirius chuckles.

“Oh he already knows.” Marcus laughs. “Speaking of-”

Marcus ignores the astonished look on Sirius’s face, instead turning to face his boyfriend.

“-I have a present for you. Snape helped me get it.” Marcus pulls out a wrapped gift and hands it to Harry. “Merry Christmas, love.”

The Gryffindor carefully unwraps the box, finding something soft inside. He removes it to get a better view. It’s a Slytherin blanket made of a thick yet soft material.

“It's made of a fabric that keeps heat in. It will help you stay warm in the Winter.” Marcus explains.

Harry throws his arms around Marcus, hugging him tightly.

“I love it, thank you!” Harry presses a small kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. Harry pulls back and turns to Remus. “Can you hold this please?”

“Of course.” Remus takes the gift from Harry. “Have fun you two.”

Harry drags Marcus over to the dance floor, excitedly placing his hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder while the other holds the prefect’s hand. The two lovers spin and twirl, holding each other close as they dance to their heart’s content. Smiles never leave their face as their feet sway to the music. Harry and Marcus dance as if they were the only two in the room, too enraptured with each other to care about their surroundings.

After a couple songs the music briefly stops as the band takes a break. The couple awake from their trance, noticing they were standing underneath a mistletoe. Marcus leans down to kiss Harry, the younger boy eagerly kissing him back.

“Ss ssss sss.” Harry hisses against his lips. Parseltongue for I love you.

“I love you too.”

Notes: If anyone is interested, I've opened fanfic commissions! This post has info about them! ^-^

[renardtrickster]

“Everyone has implicit or unconscious bias” is a very good point that I don’t get why people love to not understand.

It is possible to hold bigoted beliefs while not holding up a flaming sign asking that we please kill this demographic ASAP. Everyone can agree on this. Your racist uncle who isn’t happy that his white daughter is dating a black guy and the dude with a tiki torch openly calling for race war are both racist. Not to the same extent, obviously, but they are both racist and the first shouldn’t be tolerated just because it’s not the second one. Everyone can agree on this. Certainly the typically right-wing people who would rail against the idea of implicit bias will happily agree that some “woke” people, despite claiming to be against racism or what have you, end up saying or doing some pretty racist things. On the note of woke people, I’ve seen people go against the “I’ve never said or done anything wrong ever” mindset popular in those spheres, on the basis that yes, everyone has said or believed something bigoted at one point, but you don’t now. Nobody starts perfect, nobody is perfect, you just get better, and the expectation that everyone be perfect ends up causing issues, within the cause and without.

The idea of implicit or unconscious bias is that everyone, or nearly everyone, has some sort of bias that, while they may not be aware of it, still exists within them. It’s unconscious. Examples of this may include white people who are not explicitly racist getting nervous when a black person sits next to them on the bus, or a dude who is not explicitly sexist being genuinely surprised at or doubtful of the idea of a woman CEO (girlboss moment) or something, or a straight person who is not explicitly homophobic being opposed to the idea of kids knowing about gay people or having that topic be discussed in their vicinity because they associate being gay with gay sex, which is inappropriate.

However, I see a lot of people misunderstand this. Firstly is the idea that people believe in the idea of unconscious bias so they can have an excuse to accuse others of bigotry. I don’t really see this. I don’t see people say “you/we have unconscious bias” to mean “you/we are awful people”, or ascribing morality to that. It’s certainly a bad thing to have, and a bad thing to crop up, but I only see people ascribe morality when it does crop up, i.e. when it stops being unconscious and just becomes conscious. Otherwise, no. “We have unconscious bias” is meant to be taken as, question your intent with certain actions and thoughts. Where is it coming from? And similarly, “we have unconscious bias” is not meant to say that you can never stop being unconsciously biased, you can never escape it, so roll over. The purpose is to encourage self-examination. Think for a second. Sniff out backwards internal reasoning, throw it out, and move past it. A cycle of self improvement.

The other thing is, the reactionary response to unconscious bias is to say “oh, so it’s only us”. I do not think that is the case, or that people who believe in unconscious bias (outside of the stupid yet loud minority that commenters are inevitably going to point to and then lump me in with them) think like this, that everyone with unconscious racial bias is white, or that everyone with unconscious gender/sexist bias is a man or cis, or that everyone with unconscious orientation bias is straight. In reality, I don’t think anybody thinks this. The idea of “internalized X” is testament to that, and the sheer existence of it as a leftist talking point basically debunks the people who say “oh you think it’s only Y who has unconscious bias”. No, there’s people out there who hate their own ethnic features, and women who look down on or even lowkey hate other women (Girlboss Moment™), and trans and gay people who feel guilty about feeling attracted to people because on some level they bought into the rhetoric of trans and gay people as predatory. Trans people with an unconscious bias against trans people! Weird, but true.

So basically the purpose behind the idea of “unconscious bias” is that society (we live in one!) and the various systems therein, possesses a trend of ingraining certain thoughts or beliefs in people. Often not very good thoughts and beliefs. And even if people openly denounce bigotry and work against it, they still might carry some baggage, because nobody is immune to propaganda. You’re not a bad person for having it, but it is nothing but a good thing to be rid of. Which is why people ask that you introspect on various issues, so you may see the internal logic, the little wizard behind the curtain. And if the little wizard behind the curtain is a shit, remove him. But when people react to this idea by denying that they could have unconscious biases ever, it reminds me of the “i have never said or done anything bad ever” thing they railed against and how it is now harder to take them seriously because it’s starting to look a lot like you’re just more of the same, buddy. But worse than that is the people who think that believing in unconscious bias is proof or indicative of you actually being the real, actual bigot in this situation. First, because it just feels like “anti-racist is a code for anti-white", 2!. Second, if your reaction to the mere idea that you could have internalized some very bad and backwards belief, even if you don’t actively believe in or perpetrate them, and this says nothing about your morals or if it’s even correct, but better to ask and explore just in case rather than assume that no, I’m perfect and infallible, is to get pissed, and scream about how it’s everyone else that’s the problem or it’s some ploy to persecute you? I don’t mean to blow all the goodwill I spent writing this post but it goes beyond defensive and seems like you’re aware that you have baggage that you don’t want to address because of some misguided sense of integrity.

[nalu4emily]

The Unexpected Reward - Chapter 8

Summary: Natsu and Lucy go on a job together, but what they bring home is something neither anticipated. Forced to make a life changing decision, they have to adapt quickly, but that's never easy, especially given the circumstances. As they work together on their toughest adventure yet, they find themselves drawn to one another, in ways they never realised. Nalu/cute/fluff/multi-chapter.

Lucy felt nauseous. She'd spent the better part of the morning worrying over whether Haru was okay and it was making her giddy. Gray and Juvia knew how to look after him, they'd been the one's to offer, yet she couldn't shake the worry that something might happen. What if he cried? Or became sick? Had she packed everything he needed? What if he got hurt? It was exhausting! She put her head into her hands to stop herself from hyperventilating. At this rate her head was going to explode.

The train was way too stuffy for her liking and it was making her feel faint. She'd opened the window as wide as it would go and greedily inhaled the cool air that filtered through. Hopefully, this journey would end soon, she wanted Natsu. He always calmed her down but he was currently out of commission, asleep on her lap after puking everywhere.

For once, he'd actually offered to get the train which had surprised Lucy at first, but she understood his reasons, and that's what made it all the more endearing. Natsu seemed to be maturing before her very eyes, choosing to get on the train, just to get this job done quicker, was only the start of it. Becoming a parent made you grow up, whether you wanted to or not, and Natsu was no exception.

It wasn't just with Haru he'd shown his maturity, it was with her as well. He'd kept to his word, every day since they'd shared their first kiss he'd showered her with affection, something she'd never expected from him. He didn't seem to be able to keep his hands to himself, which Lucy was totally fine with. But everything was still very safe and she had to wonder if he had any intention of taking it further, because she definitely did.

When the train finally came to a stop, Natsu was out of the door like a shot, hugging the grass beneath him, and he had the audacity to call her weird. "Are you done being an idiot?" She asked, looking down amused, with her hand on her hip.

"You don't understand how great this feels after being on that death trap!" He groaned, not taking any notice of the insult.

"Well, when you're finished we need to go check in somewhere and then we'll see this person about the job." Lucy said, holding out her hand to help him to his feet.

"Check in somewhere? Luce, I hate to tell ya but we don't have the money for that, it's why I brought an extra sleeping mat." He said, looking at her like she was the idiot now.

"What?! But I don't wanna sleep outside!" She cried out like a spoilt child.

"You're the one that wanted to stay at home for an extra two weeks, we had just enough money for the train tickets." He said, like it was obvious. It was true, Lucy had said it was because she wanted to wait for the right job, when in reality she just didn't want to leave Haru. "Don't worry though, I'll keep ya warm!" He smirked.

She blushed a little, "I guess that's a good enough compromise. I guess it'll be worth it because it pays so well!" The blonde exclaimed. Just before Natsu turned around, she pulled him to her, sporting a sly smile and yanked him down to her level. "Natsu, if you so much as look where you're not supposed to, I will do very bad things to you. Are we clear?" She said in her most sickly sweet voice. She brought her mouth to his for a soft, lingering kiss, as if to seal the deal. They needed every single Jewel that was being offered and Natsu had a habit of, well, destroying things.

"Yes, ma'am." He murmured, pulling away from her and grinning. Was it weird that he found Lucy threatening him kinda hot? He could get use to threats like that. The one's often made towards him, aka Erza's, weren't so alluring, more absolutely terrifying!

"Good! Now, let's see where we need to go." She let go of Natsu and reached into her bag, fishing out the request paper.

The job they had chosen seemed simple enough, it'd been the easiest request for the most amount of money on the board, meaning it shouldn't take too long. Mages were needed to rid a garden of pests that kept trying to steal some magical plants. It was safe, easy and good pay for not a lot of work. Lucy had been so pleased when she saw it, that she hadn't even run it by Natsu before presenting it to Mira.

"Apparently there's a mansion somewhere around here, it shouldn't be too hard to find." She said, taking Natsu's hand. Neither really knew where they were going but a mansion should be easy to spot, the area looked pretty small.

When they'd finally reached it, their mouths flew open at the sheer size of the estate, it looked like it went on for miles. Lucy felt a little nostalgic, it looked very similar to her childhood home, only much more grand. They walked up to the enormous doors and rang the bell, wondering what sort of person would live in such a huge place.

When the door finally opened, a young man had answered, probably in his late twenties, not much older than they were, he was suited and booted and looked quite important. Lucy assumed he must be some sort of business man, similar to her late father, they all looked the same. The man stepped out without saying a word and peered at the two, catching sight of their guild marks and smiled.

"You must be the Fairy Tail wizards I requested? Please do come in, my housekeeper will show you to the dining room where we can discuss everything. I'll be there in a minute." He gestured to an older woman, who they were meant to follow.

"Please follow me, Mr. Felix will be along shortly. He's a very busy man you see and has lots of clients to attend to." She said, smiling to Natsu and Lucy as they made their way down the huge corridors.

"Clients? What exactly does he do?" Lucy asked. Maybe he was famous for something?

"That'll all be discussed at dinner. Here's the dining room." The woman opened the door to reveal the biggest table either mage had ever seen, with a massive spread of food on top of it, making Natsu's mouth water. "We've laid out food for you, I imagine you must be famished after your long journey. Please help yourselves to as much as you'd like while you wait." The Housekeeper said before stepping back out of the door.

Just as Lucy was about to thank her, Natsu grabbed the blonde's hand and flew over to the table and started to dig in. "You're such an animal sometimes, Natsu." Lucy said as she watched him pour a whole plate of meat into his face. She never understood how he could eat so much, and where did he put all of it? The man was entirely muscle!

"We're broke so I'm stuffing myself silly!" He said as he chewed on god knows what. "Isn't that the white stuff you like, Luce?" He pointed to a pot filled with this thick, creamy substance.

Lucy chuckled at what he was pointing to and grabbed some 'white stuff' for herself, spooning it into her mouth. Yogurt, as it was more commonly known, was her absolute favourite. She plopped some fruit into it and dived right in until the entire pot was empty. Once they'd finished, the woman came in and tidied their plates away and in followed 'Mr. Felix' or whatever she said his name was.

"I do apologise, I had a client to see to, but I'm done now." He said as he sat down and poured himself a drink. "What do you call yourselves?"

"My name is Lucy and this is my partner, Natsu." She smiled. "Thank you for the food, it's very much appreciated!"

"You're welcome! My name is Felix and I'm a doctor. My husband and I specialise in medicinal magic and we grow specific plants that help in the healing of mages, like yourselves." He paused to take a sip of his drink.

"Awesome! We could use some of that with the amount Fairy tail gets into fights." Natsu joked, earning a deathly glare from Lucy, but the man chuckled at them.

"Yes, I've heard about Fairy Tail's reputation, but don't worry, you don't need to put on any airs and graces in front of me. I wouldn't have posted the job to your guild otherwise." Felix smiled at them both and watched them relax.

Natsu cleared his throat, and straightened himself up, "Er, so what's been going on then? What would you like us to do?" He asked as he stared at this Felix guy curiously.

"Well, it started about three weeks ago, my daughter was playing outside when she'd walked off towards the plant nursery. She's not really supposed to go in there but she's only young. Me and her Papa heard her scream and went running to see what'd happened. But when we got there she was huddled on the floor shaking and crying and the building had been ransacked."

"Poor thing, that must've been scary for her, did she see anything?" Lucy sympathised.

"We're certain she did, but when we ask she won't speak about it. It steals from us every night, regardless of how much we barricade the doors and windows, it manages to find a way in. I worry because without those plants we can't continue our work. I have many mages that rely on my help but our supply is dwindling." He looked down solemnly at the table, Lucy and Natsu could see that helping others meant a lot to him and they were more than willing to help him catch whatever it was reaping havoc on his livelihood.

"So you have no idea what's been stealing from you?" Natsu asked. Not that it really mattered, he'd burn it regardless.

"Unfortunately not, the only person that's seen it is my daughter, but it's too scary for her to talk about." Felix explained.

"Would it be possible for us to try and talk to her? With your permission of course." Lucy asked. If they could get the little girl to describe what she saw then they would be able to figure out a plan.

"You're more than welcome to try, but like I said she is only young so I'm not sure how accurate the details will be. I'll take you to her now, follow me." He said, standing and walking out of the door, with Natsu and Lucy following.

After what seemed like an endless maze of corridors, they entered into a children's play room. There, playing with her toys, was a sweet little girl, she couldn't have been much older than three or four. She looked over at Natsu and Lucy and giggled, bounding over with one of her toys to show it to them, taking a particular interest in Natsu and his crazy pink hair.

"Hey there kiddo. Whatcha got?" He said, plastering his signature grin on his face and crouching down in front of her.

"Amelia's teddy!" She beamed and gave it to him, while she ran back and retrieved another to give to Lucy.

Her father remained standing by the door as he watched his little girl play with Natsu and Lucy. They were trying to make her feel comfortable before they eventually asked her what she saw. Lucy had an idea of how to get the little girl to talk, it was all about compromise, but she just needed to time it right.

She picked up something that resembled a plant and showed it to the child, "Your Daddy grows special plants like this doesn't he?" Lucy asked. Amelia looked at the flower shaped toy before taking it into her own hand.

"Yeah! Daddy and Papa make magic people not sick any more." She smiled.

"Did you know that we're magic people? We've come to help your Papa and Daddy." Natsu whispered into her ear, like it was a big secret that only she was allowed to hear.

"You're magic?!" The little girl gasped, "Show me! Show me!" Amelia jumped up and down in pure joy, clapping her hands together.

Lucy chuckled at her enthusiasm and brought out the silver key to summon Plue, Amelia couldn't believe her eyes, she was in awe of the weird little, shaky thing. "Again, again!" She giggled, the bright smile never leaving her face.

"Alright then, watch this!" Natsu said, he laid his palm out and lit a small flame. He grinned as her mouth fell open in absolute amazement at Natsu's magic. Then, just for her, he turned the flame into a flower, then a star and then anything she requested, before lighting his entire hand up. "It's cool isn't it? You know I could set my whole body on fire, if I wanted."

"Wow, you must be really strong! Can you help Papa and Daddy with your magic?" she asked, still astonished by what just happened. "Amelia was in the nursery when the bad man took all the flowers. He saw her sneaking and said that she should never tell anyone or he'll get her when she's sleeping, but you can burn him with your fire."

Natsu and Lucy both looked at each other, concerned, and then back to where Felix was standing, who looked pretty shocked by what his daughter had just told them. How could someone be so cruel to a child? The two mages nodded at each other before looking back at Amelia, grinning at her, "Of course, we'll help them, you can count on us! I'll burn the bad man with my fire, then he'll be gone for good." Natsu said, watching her small face light up at his words, leaping up to give him a big hug, before returning to what she was playing with.

Natsu and Lucy stood up, waving at the little girl before leaving the room. They followed Felix back into a sitting room, settling on a couch opposite him. "Thank you for what you did there. She was refusing to talk to us but you managed it. You don't happen to have children yourselves?" Felix asked. Should he have asked that? Maybe it was too personal? About to apologise for the intrusion, but stopped as Lucy spoke up.

"Yes, we do actually. We have a son, this is our first time leaving him so it's been a little difficult, but it'll be nice to go home and see him when we're finished here." Lucy said quietly, smiling through glossy eyes as she thought about how much she missed her baby and how desperate she was to cuddle him. She wiped at her eyes quickly, "Sorry, I just miss him that's all." Natsu, feeling her discomfort reached over to take her hand, caressing it softly with his thumb.

"I understand, being a parent can be hard and you never really get use to it. In time, being separated from them gets easier but they'll always be on your mind. How old is your little one?" Felix asked, it was refreshing to speak to other parents for once.

"Four weeks now. We found him on a job at just a few days old, he'd been abandoned so we took him with us and then adopted him." Natsu said, pride emanating from his being. He rather liked telling people he was a dad now and best of all he loved talking about Haru, it made his heart feel full and all the more excited to go home to him.

"Wow, that's wonderful! It takes special people to do something so selfless, I'd say good luck to you both." Felix was in awe, what an incredible thing to do for a helpless baby, not everyone would be so kind. However, as much as he'd love to talk about their children all day, they had business to attend to. "Any way, what do you think now Amelia has spoken to you?"

"Well, it sounds like it's just one man. What I'm confused about is why this person is stealing those plants from you, unless they're a mage themselves or if they're not then they must be selling them?" Lucy pondered, it made perfect sense that someone would do that. They'd see this enormous house and think they could earn the same fortune by selling the plants for whatever price they wanted. "I think the only way to find out is to wait for him."

"I agree. Where are you staying tonight? I ask because the thief only seems to come when its dark out. We have a guest house next to the plant nursery and you're more than welcome to spend the night there, if that makes it easier for you? We can provide food and anything else you might need?" Felix offered, hoping they would accept so they could be there at the right time.

"You mean it? Hell yeah! That beats sleeping outside on the grass." Natsu cheered, that should cheer Lucy up.

"That would be amazing, thank you!" Lucy said, beaming over at Natsu.

Once they'd reached the guest house, it was already getting dark. Felix had told them that he would send some food over and would leave them to it. When both mages went inside, they couldn't believe their eyes. It was huge! Natsu was speechless, even their guest house was bigger than their home back in Magnolia.

Lucy instantly ran over and collapsed onto the bed, chucking her bags onto the table and sighed in relief. Natsu chuckled at her eagerness and walked over shortly after, crawling onto the bed, leaning above her so that their faces were level. He smirked down at her pretty face, "You didn't think I'd forgotten did you?" He said as he slowly came closer, watching her cheeks tint pink as he claimed her lips before she could say anything.

The kiss started off slow, but very quickly turned heated and needy. He'd been dying to get his hands on her all day and now it was just the two of them, he couldn't help the excitement build in his stomach. Lucy reached up and tangled her hands in his hair, pulling lightly, earning her a low growl from Natsu. The sound of his pleasure made her weak, there was something so animalistic about it. She wanted to hear it again and so forced her tongue into his mouth, whimpering into him from the hot wetness. What she'd give to feel that blazing tongue all over her sensitive skin, she could feel herself heat up at just the thought of it.

She loved that they did this now, it made her feel wanted and loved by him and that was an incredible feeling. Natsu was just so hot, it was hard to think straight once he got going. He pulled back and stared into her eyes with pure adoration, her swollen lips were always a feature he dwelled on, proud of himself for doing that to her. She brought her hand down to his neck and brushed over the scar there, making a shiver shoot through Natsu's spine.

"I don't think I'll ever get use to that." She said, reaching forwards and planting another soft peck on his lips.

"I'm certain you won't be saying that by the time we leave. Not with all this free time we have, just waiting around for some guy to show up." Natsu smirked, watching her face turn pinker then it already was as she bashfully looked away from him. She was too cute sometimes, how is it someone as sweet as Lucy could choose someone as hot-headed as him? He'd probably spend the rest of his life trying to figure that one out, but for now, being in her presence and receiving her undivided attention was enough for him.

"Are you just going to keep staring at me, Natsu?" She giggled, only stopping when his mouth attacked hers once more.

This time it was more intense and passionate, it was filled with so much raw emotion a simple kiss didn't seem to be enough any more, he wanted more and so did she. Just as he was about to reach down to her jaw, they heard a clatter and what sounded like glass shattering. It was apparent that even alone, something insisted on interrupting them and neither mage was impressed. Reluctantly stopping in his tracks, Natsu lifted his head and looked around for any intruders, sniffing at the air. His sensitive hearing picked up on footsteps coming from outside.

"I think our guy is outside." He said, leaning down and giving her one last kiss on the lips. "Come on, Luce. We'll have to finish this later." He smirked at her blush, then got up and ran over to the door, about to open it.

"Wait, Natsu! Don't just run into danger like that, we need to think of a plan, we don't know who our enemy is." She exclaimed, why did he insist on running head first into things all the time?

"Huh? Lucy, it's one guy! How hard can it be?" He didn't understand, what was the problem? It was simple; beat up bad guy, get paid then continue making out until they fell asleep. Job done.

Just as Lucy was about to retort, there was a huge explosion and even more shattering glass, then they noticed a faint glow of a flickering light coming in through the window. She bolted off of the bed and after Natsu, who'd already run outside, the entire plant house had been set ablaze. Lucy looked over and saw Felix running towards them, fear in his eyes as he gazed upon the devastation.

"It's on fire! What happened, is he here?!" He shouted at them as he came to a halt.

"Yes he is, but we'll find him, don't you worry." Lucy yelled over the crackling of the fire, pushing Felix away. "Stand back, Natsu will take care of the fire." and just like that, Natsu began to eat it, sucking it up until it had been put out completely, leaving just a charred shell of the building that was once there.

"Felix! Felix!" Someone yelled. They all turned to see another man, panic stricken, running over to them and clutching hold of Felix for dear life. "S-She's gone! Amelia is missing! She's not in her bed and I've looked everywhere but I can't find her. Oh god, what if he's taken her?!" He put his head against his husbands shoulder and began to tear up, while Felix looked at him in shock, dread settling in his stomach.

Natsu walked over, locking eyes with them both, "I promise we'll find her and bring her home to you." He then turned to Lucy, "He's nearby, I can smell him." He took her hand and they ran off in the direction in which the thief had gone.

They ran into a clearing that was surrounded by trees and bushes, the perfect place for an assailant to hide. Natsu came to a halt and let go of Lucy, sniffing at the air again. Lucy was quick to notice his unease as he whipped his head around to look for any movement.

"Is something wrong, Natsu?" Lucy asked, concerned at his serious expression.

He snapped his head to her, catching on to the worry in her voice and sighed, "The girl's with him, I can smell her too. But, it's his scent, I know it from somewhere." Natsu said quietly.

As she opened her mouth to reply, Lucy was suddenly dragged behind a large bush by Natsu. He covered her mouth with his hand and shushed her to keep quiet, whilst he listened to the footsteps that were quickly approaching. Natsu wouldn't usually hide, but that smell was throwing him off, he needed to know who it was first. He cautiously peered around the edge of the bush at the man who's face had been hidden by a hood. Whoever it was had tattered clothes and looked in need of a good bath.

"I know you're here, Fairy Tail, I've been watching you." The man provoked, trying to lure them out.

Natsu, about to jump out the second he mentioned the guild, was pulled back down by Lucy, who shook her head at him. Huffing in annoyance, he remained seated, for now. It was obvious the man didn't know where they were hiding, so for the time being they had the advantage.

"I saw you both get off the train earlier and so I followed you. What are the odds we should stumble across each other again? Have you come to ruin my life further?" He snarled. Natsu was watching him through the shrubbery, he still couldn't get a good look of his face and that voice, where had he heard it before? Who the hell was this guy?

"Come out and face me you cowards! Or I'll hurt the little girl, you wouldn't want that now, would you?" The man threatened, looking around for the two mages to appear from the trees, but neither did. "Very well, what do you think would happen if I... cut off a few of her fingers? How loud do you think she'd scream? Would you come out then?" He laughed maniacally like all of this was some sick joke to him.

Natsu and Lucy both looked at each other in disbelief, surely he was bluffing? Lucy felt bile come up into her throat, what a disgusting thing to threaten! Luckily, Natsu couldn't see the little girl with him, she was nearby though. He could hear her whimpering and could only hope that she was unharmed.

"No? Fine. Then what about… that little baby of yours? How loud would he scream?" About to laugh again, but was stopped abruptly as he felt himself being choked and lifted off of the ground by a very strong grip around his collar. Yet he still managed to smirk as he stared into the piercing eyes of a very pissed off dragon slayer.

"How do you know my son?!" Natsu bellowed, watching the man begin to struggle against his hold. In his attempt to free himself, the hood finally fell down from the guys head, revealing his face.

"How, indeed…" The man chuckled, his voice strained.

Taken aback, Natsu's eyes were like saucers as he stared into the eyes of none other than Haru's biological father. "It's you!" Natsu exclaimed, his grip tightening around the still smirking man's clothes, his anger returning tenfold. "Start talking! What're you doing here?!" He brought his other fist up and set it alight, this man would pay for what he'd threatened, but first, Natsu needed answers. "Speak! Or I swear I'll scorch that fucking smile right off your face!"

Lucy had taken it upon herself to retrieve the little girl while Natsu dealt with the aggressor. She was absolutely horrified by what he'd said, so much so it was hard to think straight, but she had to remind herself that no matter what, this was one man and Haru was safe at home. Gray and Juvia were powerful mages, they would protect him if anything were to happen.

Once she'd found the poor little thing, Lucy quickly checked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt. Amelia recognised the blonde instantly and jumped into her arms, clinging on for dear life. Lucy tried to calm her down, but it was so heart breaking to see. She began to walk back to where Natsu was, stroking the little girls back as she wept into Lucy's shoulder.

She felt such empathy for the girl, maybe it was because she was now a mother herself, but seeing her in such distress held a lot more meaning then it once did. She could only imagine how Felix and his husband must be feeling, not knowing if their daughter was safe or whether she'd even return home, it must be utterly heart wrenching.

Once she'd reached the clearing, her eyes nearly shot out of her skull, her knees felt like they were about to buckle as she laid eyes upon the man that Natsu's fist was about to make contact with. He yelped out in pain and collapsed onto the ground, clutching at his painful, bloodied nose. Out of all the people it could have been, it had to be him, the man that'd knowingly left Haru to burn in that fire, the man that she never wanted to see or think about again.

Natsu looked over to Lucy, relieved to see that she'd found Amelia, but winced at the clear agony in her eyes from just being in this man's presence again. It must've brought back all of those dreaded worries and memories that she'd tried so hard to get over.

"Lucy, leave him to me, I've got this. Concentrate on Amelia, she needs you right now." Natsu said, trying to reassure her. Caring for the girl was a good distraction and that's exactly what Lucy needed.

Lucy nodded at him, but her eyes were glued to the groaning man on the floor. Her body had frozen in place and she couldn't get rid of the sick feeling in her stomach. She needed to collect herself, Natsu was right, Amelia needed the comfort of an adult, she'd been taken from her bed by the 'bad man' and that must have been so frightening for her. She stayed behind Natsu and sat down on a log, holding the little girl close, soothing her until she calmed down.

"How touching… So, how is the runt doing? Still alive I hear? Unlike my wife you failed to save." He spat the last bit, with blood pouring out from his nose as he looked up to Natsu.

"That's what this is about? You've got some nerve, the baby is none of your concern any more." Natsu sneered, what a pathetic excuse of a man, he was just about ready to singe every last hair on this weasel's body. "You left him to die, what kind of sick bastard does that to his own child?"

"That puny rat was good for nothing, he built a rift between me and my wife yet all he did was make her suffer. It was one complication after another, but I wanted to believe that by supporting her, everything would turn out alright. But it was made clear to me when she gave birth to such a feeble and weak baby, that I could never love it. He was so sickly and small, no son of mine would be so pathetic! But she chose the baby over me, so I walked away." He snarled, only resentment and bitterness with every word he spoke with no sign of compassion for the little one.

"Be quiet! I don't want to hear any more! How can you say such things? He just needed some extra attention which is exactly what we've given to him, because he deserves to be loved." Lucy shook her head in disbelief, as she listened to the man laugh at her words. What was he saying? She felt like crying but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction, not in front of him any way. Taking in a deep breath, she continued, "If you were so appalled by your own child, then why're you kidnapping other peoples? Why are you here?"

"My home was destroyed, remember? I had to get by somehow and those magic flowers I stole sold for a good amount of money, but I wanted more so I thought I'd kidnap the girl and hold her ransom. But you two have ruined my plans again." He said, slowly realising his mistake as he stared into the eyes of a very outraged and riled up Natsu. He felt all of his confidence leave him, he no longer had the little girl as leverage and no way out of the sticky situation he'd gotten himself into.

"Enough talking, I've heard enough of your crap!" Natsu shouted, "I should've done this the first time we met!"

He was struggling to comprehend how such an asshole like this guy, could produce something as sweet and good natured as Haru. It really brought home how glad he was that they'd found the baby when they did, because otherwise… well, it didn't matter now, this man was going to pay for everything.

The man instantly started cowering, reminiscent of his first meeting with Natsu. Suddenly all of his bravado from earlier had gone as Natsu stormed towards him, setting his entire body on fire. Lucy couldn't help but smile at how fiercely protective he was over their family, she felt her earlier fear fade, there was never anything to worry about.

Lucy tapped little Amelia on the shoulder to show her what Natsu had said he'd do earlier that day. Her eyes were wide with amazement, as Natsu used his magic to burn every last inch of the pathetic man until he was no longer conscious, tying him to a tree so the council could come and collect him.

"Wow, Natsu! You really did set that man on fire!" Amelia squealed from Lucy's arms, making the blonde giggle.

"I told ya I would and now the bad man will never come back." He grinned from ear to ear at her, ruffling her hair. "We should get you home, I bet your Papa and Daddy are worried about you?"

He looked to Lucy who smiled at him but he could still see the hurt in her expression, this was a totally unexpected turn of events and she would need time to run it through her head. He took her hand and they walked back to the mansion, breathing in the brisk air to cool themselves off. All of them needed a warm bed and a good nights sleep, they were exhausted both physically and mentally. However, now with the job completed, they could get paid and return home to Haru, and that was worth every single hardship they faced.

Amelia spotted both of her fathers and smiled excitedly at them, once being put down on the ground, she ran as fast as she could and flew into their arms, never wanting to let go. Natsu and Lucy watched as the little family were reunited and it was incredibly heart warming.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done! There isn't enough on this planet we could give to thank you for returning Amelia to us." Felix's husband said to them, unable to control the happy tears that slid down his face.

"Hey, don't worry about it, she's one brave little girl. The thief has been taken care of as well." Natsu said, pride emanating from him for being the one that defeated him. Although, he was a little disappointed that he'd not been a mage, all that talk and no substance. That was usually the case with people that wanted to take him on, even when they were mages, they very rarely stood a chance.

"I have your reward here actually, I wanted to give it to you now as a thank you." Felix said, passing the huge bag of money to Natsu.

"Whoa, you sure you counted this correctly? Seems a bit heavy!" Lucy rolled her eyes, typical Natsu and his blabber mouth!

"I doubled it, that's why it's heavier. You've been so kind to us all and you even befriended Amelia who I'm sure is going to be talking about you two for a very long time. She's going to miss you both dearly." Felix looked over to where his husband was standing with little Amelia in his arms, smiling and laughing. "You two have gone beyond what either of us expected and above everything you kept our daughter safe, for which I could never repay you for."

Now Lucy felt bad, he'd been so generous since their arrival that she didn't feel deserving of the extra money, but it would come in handy with Haru, that's for sure. "That's very sweet of you, but are you sure? You were offering a large amount as it is and now that your business is going down are you sure you want to double it?" Lucy asked.

"Don't worry about that, we'll get by. Family is more important, right?" Felix smiled at them before bidding them good night.

Natsu and Lucy returned to the guest house, smiles on both of their faces at the extra money. Now they wouldn't have to work for a while and would have all that free time at home with Haru, to watch him grow.

Lucy collapsed onto the couch by the window and sighed, today had been a mind fuck and that was putting it lightly. Natsu grabbed a water cannister from his bag and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed opposite her, not sure if she wanted to talk or be left alone to think. He took a few large gulps of liquid before chucking it to her, hoping it would refresh her somewhat. After what seemed like hours of staring into the abyss, she finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help back there, when I saw who it was, I froze. I don't know what came over me." Lucy said, staring into her lap and avoiding Natsu's gaze.

"But you saved the girl, and you made sure she was okay, that's still helping Luce. Seeing that guy threw me off as well, I definitely wasn't expecting to see him." Natsu said, he understood how she felt, it was a shock, for sure.

"Is that really what jealousy and grief does? We've met some pretty awful people but there has always been some sort of reason behind their actions, but I'm struggling to understand his reasoning for despising his own child so much." Lucy finally looked up to Natsu, he looked so serious, this wasn't like him at all, it was probably troubling him just as much.

"There is no reason, Luce. We've all been through grief, he's obviously a very sick and twisted person, but in the end, he's the one missing out, not us. While he's lost everything, we've gained our little boy. Haru's what made us a family and that's something I'll be forever thankful for." Natsu said, he realised then just how much he truly missed his son. As nice as it was to go on a job again, he was ready to go home and he could see Lucy was too.

"I miss him too, Natsu." Lucy said quietly, smiling at him. He didn't even need to tell her what he was thinking, she already knew.

Natsu moved himself to sit next to her. Reaching out, he cupped the sides of her face in his hands with the most delicate touch, like she was some fragile piece of porcelain and gave her a half smile. She always wore her heart on her sleeve and tried to see things through the eyes of others, and he could tell it was affecting her that she couldn't do that this time, not with what that guy had done. But he admired her for it just the same, it was a quality she'd always possessed, one that'd attracted him to her in the first place.

He pulled her face in, grinning as his nose brushed ever so lightly against hers, "We have some unfinished business to attend to, Lucy." He wanted her so badly, especially after what'd happened, he didn't think he could wait much longer.

She looked deep into his stunning green eyes and smiled back, allowing him to capture her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. Instantly, they both felt every negative emotion slowly leave their bodies and were left with the tingling sensation on their lips, where their mouths merged together in a fluid motion over and over again.

He hoisted her up and carried her over to the bed, lifting the covers and placing her gently down on the soft sheets, never breaking contact. He climbed on top of her and continued to assault her mouth with his, sucking lightly on her bottom lip. Natsu wanted to venture further, to explore places he hadn't been yet. Breaking off from her lips, he made his way, ever so attentively, up her jaw, down to her ear and onto her neck, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses in his wake.

She felt like she was in heaven, as he greedily swallowed each and every sound she made. Hearing her gasp and moan as he savoured her sensitive skin, made him want to just take her and throw caution to the wind, but he had more self-control then that, that day would come eventually. If this was how she reacted with just a bit of heavy petting, then god knows how she'd feel if he went any further.

But tonight wasn't that night, he didn't want to push it too far and so kept all activity above the collar bone and so did she. They continued like this for who knows how long before eventually breaking away and falling asleep. Lucy was nicely snuggled up to Natsu, relishing in his warmth and he was sprawled out, taking full advantage of the enormous bed.

Both of their lips had been thoroughly used and abused and their skin looked red and swollen. She was definitely going to have marks in the morning, but it didn't matter because she'd given as good as she'd got, so with any luck, Natsu would too and she couldn't wait to see his reaction at her handy work.

Hi guys, I hope you enjoyed, even if it was a bit darker, but they finally completed their first job away from the baby. There are a few things from this chapter that haven't been answered, which will be explained in the next chapter, it would be way too long otherwise. Thank you for reading!

[lairofsentinel]

Mystra

I'm so new in the Forgotten Realms lore that everything I read needs always further research. So far, what got me between disbelief and mistrust was Mystra stuff meddling with humans to such deep level. Because, really... what the fuck these Gods? I always have problems with Gods in fantasy worlds. I don't like them when they are like Greek mythology entities. I prefer them when they are a mere illusion of mortals.

However, here, in the Forgotten Realms, we got them as entities like Zeus... so they can have mortal fun. UPDATE April 2021: What it’s said in this post about shadow weave and shadow weave magic and shadow magic are incorrect. In 5e, shadow weave is not mentioned, apparently a non used concept anymore. In 4e it was collapsed with the destruction of the Weave, and Shar attempted to recreated it, failing at it because she never “was” the Shadow Weave. Shar always rejected that level of commitment. However, according to bg3 [Ethel’s words] shadow magic currently is the same as netherese magic, described by Gale/Narator also as “Primal weave” or “blackest weave”. No book from 5e says a word about shadow weave anymore. 

According to what I've read, Mystra was, in fact, a young peasant girl with non-trained skills in magic, but somehow, she became the Goddess of Magic when Netheril fell. [I need to read a lot of Netheril because apparently everything bad comes from there. It's the Tevinter of the Forgotten Realms. I honestly don't understand how you just become a goddess out of the blue. One day a mediocre mage, the next one, Goddess of the Magic itself. What a gap there.]

As a Goddess, she has a system to determine who is her “Chosen One” (hence why Gale explicitly said that word, it was not by chance). The Chosen Ones have unique access to the Weave and therefore they cast powerful magic. Among their responsibilities, they need to research new magic, wander the Realms fighting the evil (and/or doing research), and to stop the abuses of magic and the imbalances of the Weave. This makes Shar followers an easy target for them to strike so far I understand, since Shar crafted an alternative Weave (Shadow Weave) from where she drags the power that infuse into her followers. However, it's a mirror Weave, extremely dependable of the normal Weave. Like Gale explained, when Mystryl died, the Weave stopped existing, and with it, the Shadow Weave fell apart too. It seems that Shadow Weave is an aberration, an imbalance of the Weave itself. [So, Shadowheart and Gale may have strong discussions on the matter.]

The man who was Mystra’s first Chosen One was a lesser god called Azuth (we found some books of this guy in BG3). The man was his devotee (despite being a low rank deity as well), his servant, his chosen one, and later, his lover (when Mystra was still Mystryl). It seems he shifted his role to a more fatherly one when Mystra was reborn [Oook]. He also was in love with another Mystra's chosen, so... divinity polyamory we have here.

Then she proceeded to accomplish a strange plan [details of this atrocity here]: to have seven immortal Chosen. So she possessed a sorceress who conceived seven immortal women with her husband [thanks god it was with her husband and not with a random man that Mystra fancied]. These women are known as the Seven Sisters, all of them are “chosen ones” of Mystra, and in a sense, they are also her daughters. [oh, boy. Greek Gods-like stuff.]

She also named Chosen One a necromancer called Sammaster who was doing research related to metamagic and dragons. The story says that Mystra appeared before him and they “spent 10 days together”, turning him into his Chosen One for a while. She apparently had a whim to choose him because soon a previous chosen one was going to die in battle, so she wanted to sort this out sooner than later. The story also says that this encounter made the necromancer feel as though they were in love. [I see the pattern now....] What it's worth highlighting: this man went into deep undead research all his life showing that Mystra has a weird moral sense of what is good from evil, which makes sense, since (magical) knowledge by itself has no alignment. Magical knowledge is never good or evil, it depends on the use you give to it (It’s also worth noting that the previous Mystra was True Neutral while the one reborn in Midnight was Neutral Good. There are two different Mystras in history.). But returning to the necromancer, the guy, in the end, manipulated by a priest of Bane, abused of his powers of Chosen and Mystra removed them. He concluded that most of his problems have been caused by accepting Mystra's role as Chosen One. Soon after that Sammaster became evil and succumbed to madness.

In short, Mystra is a goddess who loves to play favourites, and encourages research in a competitive way using a certain degree of seduction for that. So that, the Arts and the arcane knowledge will be always expanding via competition [she has such a neoliberal-magic ideas]. So, being her Chosen One seems to bring a lot of responsibility and troubles. However, it also grants you fancy benefits:

Casting more spells with less effort. 

Natural detection of magic (maybe some residual effect of this ability is what makes Gale able to sense shadow magic in Shadowheart or in the Main Character if they are a user of magic. Hence his “that gust of weave”. Gale also presents sensitivity to detect magic via smell (mirror) and taste)

Development of magical immunities, and sometimes even poison and disease immunities.

The chosen ones become harder to kill, kind of tank-wizards. [Which feels like an oxymoron, lol.]

And the most important blessing: silver-fire [this is the fire Gale speaks about when his spell failed] Which is an overpowered ability in the Forgotten Realms. It can destroy any barrier and does massive damage. It can be cast once each hour, which is... wow. It can destroy “dead magic zones”, which are zones disconnected from the Weave and therefore, places where no common magic can be cast. With Silver-fire, such zones are reconnected to the Weave and become part of Mystra's influence once more. And finally, it allows precise teleportation once a day.

What we can infer now from this info and Gale, is that... when he got Mystra’s attention, it was not just because he was a prodigy alone. It had to be whether he was doing some research that interested her (probably not) or his fate was going to lead him to unknown knowledge in a future. Considering what he did with the netheril orb, one would say that maybe Mystra saw that event in a future, and considered it interesting enough to choose Gale as the one dealing with that bit of hidden and dangerous knowledge. Because so far I read, it’s clear she can see future or potential in a certain degree, and determine who replace her chosen ones. We also saw she favours those who explore the unknown without moral issues, and she has no reserves to exploit that by seductive ways. 

Now, unlike Sammaster, why did Gale stop being his Chosen one if his fate was to retrieve that netheril orb? I believe she removed his title of chosen one when Gale got that orb stuck in his chest, not because his action was an aberration before her eyes (we remember she is quite flexible in her morals) but because the artefact was dangerous to herself. That orb looks to me like something that imbalances the Weave in great escale; it’s basically a necrotic black hole which feeds on Weave. Maybe she removed her favour on Gale because now the man had a power that could consume her. Remember the Chosen Ones are constantly in “touch with her body/weave” [lol, horny gods these gods], and considering that thing sucks all Weave... it seems obvious that could eat her up. So, maybe, all this stuff of Gale being Chosen One was just another of her plans to access to the knowledge of that tiny bit of primal Weave, completely hidden from her, and she is expecting for Gale to resolve it in order to recover his benefits as Chosen one. 

She certainly is a super smart goddess, basically a mastermind, who doesn’t care to whom she uses and discards in order to obtain knowledge. So, using Gale this way, without explanations.... it could be one of her plans. Turn into her lover a young man that would be desperate enough to risk reaching dangerous spaces to offer her precious unknown knowledge. The plan became too dangerous to Mystra, so she severed the deep link between them out of preservation, and now she is waiting for him to solve it, offering her the knowledge obtained from the process. Absolutely possible.  

But we’ll see. So far, I know a little bit more of Mystra.

Update of several days after writing this: The more I think about all this info, the more I wonder if Mystra’s Chosen One system splits her champions into two different groups: The “valuable” Chosen Ones, where Elminster and her seven daughter fall; they are the embodiment of the good use of magic in favour of neutral or good uses. And then, you have the “disposable” Chosen Ones, who seem to be more like victims of a certain degree of manipulation of the Goddess. In this category falls the necromancer Sammaster (and potentially Gale?). They can have more grey morals, but as long as they provide new knowledge and advance in the Arts, she favours them anyways. I mean… so far I read, Elminster was never “in love” with Mystra, and all that crappy dynamics between Goddess and mortal was never part of his relationship with her. His lover, though, was one of the Seven Sisters, so maybe that’s why Mystra controlled herself. I don’t know xD [These horny gods]. But when it comes to the necromancer’s story… it feels as though she encourages this seduction so the wizard will take all the necessary risks to go beyond the limits of knowledge to get her attention and favour. There is something manipulative there. 

More content of bg3 in general [here]

[utilitycaster]

This is not an obscure or ridiculous question, but I do have a question I didn't know who to ask. I'm kinda new to playing DnD. What exactly is the difference between a paladin and a cleric, mainly in terms of the relationship to their god? The phb wasn't too helpful for me. I admit I chose cleric because they get more spells, but is that the only difference? One fights via magic the other mainly with weapons (but can enhance them with divine magic)? Thank you and have a great weekend!

Good question! I’m going to editorialize a little but the lore here will all be pretty standard; the editorializing is more about my personal thoughts on mechanics, rules as written, etc. Also this is going to be long but I’ve split it up so you can stop reading when you’re like “ok I get it shut up”

Relationship to a god

(note: in some interpretations, clerics can be devoted to a pantheon, and paladins can be devoted to more of a concept. I don’t super love the idea of a cleric to a pantheon, but I do think some interpretations of paladins devoted to a concept, particularly oath of the ancients, can work. That said I’m focusing on clerics or paladins of a specific deity).

Clerics: there’s some leeway but as a rule they are the chosen ones of a god. In general this is played as mutual; a god chooses one of their faithful and grants unto them magic powers.

Rules as written they need to be no more than one step away from their deity’s alignment; since alignment in my opinion works more as a general suggestion than a hard-and-fast rule you don’t need to be super strict but in terms of flavor you should focus on being at least kind of similar? Like, if you’re the cleric of a deity of chaos, you should probably be a little chaotic yourself; if you’re the cleric of a good deity you should not be evil.

A cleric can damage their relationship with their god, but there’s a bit more wiggle room than with paladins.

Paladins: paladins have been granted powers by a god, but specifically in their devotion to an oath to said deity (or concept). That oath is their defining feature, more so than the god.

In past versions, paladins were always lawful in their alignment. This has been relaxed in 5e, and I agree with that, but they should be absolutely adherent to their oath. They can be chaotic in every other way but they need to stand by this promise. If they break that oath, they lose their powers. That’s how paladins work. (obviously this shouldn’t be done lightly, but a serious misstep, like deliberately killing an innocent when you’re a good-aligned paladin, should be dealt with as as betrayal of your oath).

Mechanics (spells and stats)

Clerics: Mechanically they are full spellcasters, like bards, druids, wizards, and sorcerers (warlocks are their own thing).

Flavor-wise/also mechanically, they are wisdom-based prepared spellcasters [people here more for spicy takes than discussion of mechanics, please skip to the bottom]. What this means:

Wisdom: based on that stat and the skills based on them, clerics will be decent at reading people and situations, working with animals, they’ll be perceptive, and they’ll either be intuitively good at healing or have some training in it.

Prepared spellcasters: this means clerics can choose their spells every time they take a long rest. Clerics are the most powerful healers in the game, and have a lot of utility. They have, in my opinion, the most versatile spell list in the game (wizards have far more spells, but clerics can do a little of everything).

In battle: clerics can serve multiple purposes because of how versatile they are. Typically they do serve as the main healer, but they can also do a lot of damage, and they can also do a lot of support for their allies/grant disadvantages (either literal disadvantage, or other drawbacks) to their enemies. Clerics are also a decently hardy spellcaster; they can often wear medium or heavy armor, they can use shields, and they get a d8 for hit points.

Paladins: Mechanically they are hybrid battler/spellcasters and are usually grouped with the battlers. They have comparatively few spells, they don’t have cantrips (so when they’re out of spells, they’re out for the day), and they are more reliant on their prowess with weapons - especially melee (5 ft range) weapons.

Stats: they are charisma and strength based, as written. They can wear heavy armor and their powers come from strength of will. They are good at persuasion, intimidating people, lying, performing, and feats of strength.

Prepared spellcasters: They can also choose their spells each day; however, they have far fewer spell slots than clerics, they don’t have nearly as high spell slots (top out at level 5, instead of level 9) and they have a much more limited spell list. And as you said, a good deal of their spells are based on augmenting their weapon damage (smites). Paladins also have both healing spells and a feature called lay on hands, where they can grant some healing/restoration from a limited pool.

In battle: the classic paladin build, at least, has a high armor class (medium or heavy armor), fights primarily in melee, and are much hardier than a cleric - they are harder to hit, as a rule, and have more hit points (they get a d10). They’re also somewhat versatile, but more skewed towards doing damage, soaking up damage, and minor healing. As mentioned their spells that do damage are mostly spells that augment weapon damage (vs. clerics, where the spell does the damage on its own). They have a few support spells for their allies, but they’re much more limited than clerics and are expected to spend most of their time damaging rather than casting spells.

My thoughts on Clerics and Paladins/how they’re often played

Clerics: you can play around with the non-wisdom stat for clerics but by dint of that stat they’re often kind of the mom friend? They don’t need to be, but that’s often how they are - they’re often the group confidant, especially if they have at least decent charisma. I love me a gruff, low charisma-with-heart-of-gold cleric too, but even then they often end up being the comforting one in their own weird way.

Thanks to the high wisdom clerics are often hardest to charm or control, and in general make a good voice of reason - even chaotic and ridiculous ones.

Because of your giant flexible spell list you can play around a lot - you can focus on damage, on healing, on buffs/debuffs. If you want to be a good player, in my opinion, look at the rest of the party. If you’re the only healer you can take damage spells but be prepared to spend a lot of time healing. Don’t let your friends die because you wanted to look cool. Also, speaking as someone who actively likes to play healers and utility casters...if you’re not prepared to heal you shouldn’t play cleric (we joke about Merle from TAZ and Jester in Critical Role but both actually do a whole lot of healing).

Paladins: I actually really love the more old-school interpretation, not so much the lawful aspect (as mentioned, I care more about devotion to an oath than to an alignment) but the slightly more black and white morality aspect. Which is weird, because I love campaigns with a lot of moral grayness, but maybe that’s why - I like that there are characters who do say “well, no, there is in fact good and there is in fact evil.” They’re a little less understanding at times, but a lot more intense.

Paladins as a rule are played as having less chill than clerics, and being a lot more action-oriented. Clerics might sit around and ponder; paladins are about enacting their oath in the real world.

Editorializing and Spicy Takes

With a few exceptions (letting a warlock use intelligence as a main stat which WOTC has condoned, and letting a paladin be dex-based instead of strength-based if there’s a really good in-story reason) I strongly dislike the idea of taking an existing class and saying ‘actually the casting stat is whatever I want it to be’. The fundamental concept of a wizard, for example, is that they have gained their magic through study and investigation. Basing them on charisma is not how they work, throws off all the lore, seriously unbalances certain subclasses, and makes your backstory worse. You can make a charismatic wizard! You can even make a wizard who is more charismatic than they are intelligent, if you want! You can make a wizard with intimidation or charm or other charisma-based skills as a major part of their story and character, and Caleb Widogast is a fantastic example. But in my opinion, the mechanics aren’t just a way of arbitrating or adding rules - they are part of the game, of the lore and of the flavor, and the experience is much richer for respecting that.

Also intelligence is often the least interesting mental stat to dump and you can fight me on that in the Denny’s parking lot of your choosing.

[nataliedanovelist]

(I did not draw this, my friend, @missinspi, drew this for me) (https://www.deviantart.com/missinspi)

Wanna read fics with this OC in it?

For a fic close to canon Gravity Falls (season 3?), read this.

For an AU about Stan and Ford getting a new neighbor at seven-years-old, read this.

Miscellaneous Oc Asks

@cityandking created a (relatively short) list of random, weird, hopefully interesting OC asks. Feel free to specify a character or just send a couple of questions, and then share it around!

What six CD’s would your OC keep in their car? Is it just a taste/preference thing, or do any of them have particular significance? I can’t think of any particular CDs, but as far as artists go... Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Queen (or in the Gravity Falls world, the band called King), ACDC, a disk full of instrumental piano music, and a Dolly Parton CD her friend Madeline Ingrid probably gave her.

What does your OC smell like? What does your OC wish they smelled like? Coconut butter, japanese cherry-blossom perfume, and occasionally disinfectant (she works at a hospital). She tried every hard to smell nice, as most women do, and if she feels like work is ruining that, she might use her favorite “stress relief” lotion to help overpower the smells of rubber gloves and baby spit up.

How aesthetically-oriented is your OC in their clothing? Their living space? Their general presentation? If their look™ is mismatched, is that on purpose? Hephzie has a plain, easy-to-follow fashion sense: blue-jeans with t-shirts for casual events, jeans with blouses for nicer days, and occasionally a sweater for the winter. She also has a small love for boys’ clothes; she won’t shy away from mens’ t-shirts or button-ups if they feel nice and look OK. Her living space is relatively tidy (having grown up with grandparents who needed clean floors to avoid falling) but she’s not a clean freak. Her living space is very artsy and mitch-match, having friends all over the world and she loves learning about different cultures. She might have a rug from India by her bed, but a quilt from Ireland on her bed and a small statue from Hawaii on her dresser. With a bunch of hand-me-downs and mis-match tastes, her overall aesthetic is old and comfort.

What one word would you use to describe your OC’s vibe? Chill.

What’s one mundane thing that would throw them off-kilter? Why? Nuclear families. She grew up with her Grandma and Grandpa on her mother’s side. She never knew her father and her mother abandoned her at a hospital, not even waiting to see what would happen to Hephzie. So Hephzie values family very much, but she sees no reason why blood should be the most important factor in the definition in “family”. The idea of a “normal” family, one with two parents who are married and in love, siblings, and occasionally cousins and aunts and uncles, is like a dream to her. It’s nice, but not for her.

What kind of AU is your OC best suited to? What kind of AU would be the worst? Is there any AU that would be, objectively, just really funny? Hephzie is in 2 AUs: one pretty close to canon Gravity Falls, and one in which she grows up as neighbors to Stan and Ford. Both AUs are very interesting and I love seeing how she responds to each scenario, but I think the more “tragic” of the two is the canon-like one. I’ve toyed with an AU of her becoming a singer and I can see it going either two ways: either she crumbles under the pressure and gets into drugs and overdoses, or she flourishes and uses her money and power for good, like feeding the hungry and helping the homeless find homes.

If your OC could pick a different name, title, or pseudonym for themself, what would they pick? Why? Have they ever been given an alternate name/title, and how do they feel about it? Well, her birth name is Alicia-Sarah Hephzibah Fisher Cece, but she HATES the name Alicia-Sarah and only goes by Hephzibah/Hephzie. In one AU, she legally “fixes” her name.

If your OC were playing D&D, what would their race and class be? What backstory tragedy™ would they give their character? Does that reflect their own life in any way? Be honest. Okay, because a certain extra-special person in her life loves D,D, & More D, she plays, too. She’s an woodland elf, a healer, and has very little interest in her character, but she likes the storytelling and the praise she gets if she manages to heal a wizard with pointy-ears and fluffy brown hair named Rokuro the Righteous.

Star Wars or Star Trek? A certain boyfriend of hers likes Star Trek better, but she likes Star Wars better. It’s been a bitter rival since the beginning of time.

If your OC is from a fantasy world, where in the real world would they come from? If your OC is from our world, which fantasy world would they most want to live in? Bonus: Would you ever write/RP them in that world? Hephzie grew up on Irish folktales (her grandmother’s family is from there), so she would love to meet færies and see magic and meet a selkie. Screw being a mermaid, she wanted to be a selkie! And... no, don’t expect a fic about this.

What plant, animal, and color does your OC feel like today? A Venus Flytrap, a mongoose, and the color dark-green. It’s been a rough day but she’s keeping a level head.

If your OC were a superhero, how flashy would their costume be? Also, what would their superpower be? Does this go with their costume at all, or are they all about fashion? #Can’tFightCrimeIfYouAin’tCute Well... in the canon-like AU, she’s kinda a superhero already, so... think something like a knight’s armor on the arms and legs with a maroon cape. Power would be healing, but she can also fight hella well with a sword and bow-and-arrows. And she’s never cared about looking good, she just wants to survive the war...

Does your OC thrift? Buy designer? Where would they shop irl? GOODWILL FOR THE WIN!!! She and her friends called it “treasure hunting” in high-school and it stuck. She loves it, and when a certain somebody came out with a song about it, she was livid (even if she was fifty-something years old).

Is your OC superstitious? If so, what superstitions do they believe? If not, what do they think of superstitious people? She’s constantly around the supernatural and abnormal... and loves it. She thrives off of what is different. So, superstitious?... Hm, she isn’t paranoid or afraid; she welcomes it with open arms.

Is your OC religious? Do they want to be? Have they ever been at some time in the past? How complicated is their relationships with worship/the gods/the church/etc? Her grandparents took her to church growing up and she loved the music. Her grandmother was the choir director and her grandfather played the piano, and she had “the voice of an angel”, so she happily sang in church, but she kinda stopped going to church when she went to college, but if you ask her she’ll tell you she’s a Christian. She says it just makes sense to believe in a god; there’s too much that science can’t explain. She also likes studying Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism to learn more about other people and cultures.

Hardwood, tile, or carpet? Hardwood. But she will NEVER say no to a fluffy rug.

What’s their go-to parlor trick? Are they actually that good at it, or do they just enjoy it? Do people tell them they’re good, even if they aren’t? How do they handle criticism? I can’t really think of a good parlor trick. She has a lot of talents she keeps on the down, like singing and stand-up comedy (don’t ask). On another note, she takes criticism overall pretty well.

If your OC could request one boon from a god, what would it be? The extermination of a certain three-sided demon.

Favorite comfort food? Do they enjoy junk food or are they more of a foodie? Can they cook? What’s their favorite thing to cook? OREOS are HERS! DON’T TOUCH THEM UNLESS YOU WANNA LOSE A HAND! She also secretly loves watermelon (doesn’t like to tell people this) and her comfort food is either hot tea or hot chocolate. Something to warm her hands. And no, she can’t cook; she burns everything. EXCEPT, she can brew coffee and she’s a pretty good barista (was one during college).

Any major theme(s) or conflict(s) in your OC’s life? How have they dealt with that? Are they aware of it, or do they ignore it? Did you design them with such theme(s)/conflict(s) in mind, or did they evolve naturally? Loyalty is a huge one for her. I think so many people have forgotten what it means to be a true friend and what real loyalty looks like. You’re willing to go far and wide for the people you care about because you want to, because you get fulfillment out of doing the right thing. Hephzie will have your back, no matter what. She doesn’t care what race, background, gender, sexuality, religion, she doesn’t give a shit. If you’ve got her, you’ve got a loyal friend. IOne thing she struggled with - and is only semi-aware of it - is loneliness. She finds it suffocating. It’s slight PTSD from losing so much in her life, and she’s not terribly clingy, but she’ll wallow about it and sink into depression if she feels abandoned or alone. She NEEDS that reassurance that she is not a freak and not alone and that SOMEONE would care if one day she was gone. This evolved naturally when shaping her backstory and realising it needed to have realistic consequences.

If they could steal one major piece of art with no consequences, what would it be and why? Bonus: how would they pull off the heist? Anything Bob Ross. Loves that guy. And she’d probably just recrute Stan to help her with either blackmail or her “Please, for me?” line.

Now it’s YOUR turn!

[venus-says]

Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart Episodes 25-47

Light and Darkness are more alike than you think.

I know, I broke the promise I made last time, but as you can guess things didn't work the way I wanted so I couldn't put this out earlier. But that doesn't really matter that much because I'm here, and this finale was amazing, and I'm more in love with this series than I ever was and this is what matters!

After this first paragraph is not a surprise if I say that I enjoyed this second half of Max Heart. Writing this post will be a little hard for me without being way too repetitive from what I wrote for the first half because this is a pretty solid season and most of my feeling from the first half got carried away through here. The show kept on an amazing level of quality all the way through and the way they slowly started to escalate things to culminate in such a high point at the finale didn't leave that much room for a very low or very high point that needed to be discussed on a certain way that I already haven't touched on the first post.

I have barely anything negative to say about this part, but I did have a few nitpicks here and there that don't necessarily ruin my experience or anything but that were things that got me thinking about in the afterward that I feel like I need to discuss about briefly just so these thoughts can leave my head.

My first problem and the only one that is exclusive to this part is, surprise surprise, Lulun. I feel like Polun gets a bad reputation for having a somewhat rough start in season 1, but trust me, Polun is amazing, it's Lulun who -is the problem. And Lulun is a problem for two major reasons, the first one is that she's kinda useless, like, yes the show gives her a purpose but it's not something that could've been done for Polun, for example. I feel like if Lulun was written out with Polun inheriting her powers very few little of the show would change, Polun would lose those episodes where he learns about siblings love but then those wouldn't be necessary since he wouldn't have a sister and they could use that time to work with something else for him. And the other reason why she ends up becoming a problem is the fact that, different from her brother, she didn't get any development, she ended the show more or less the same as how she was introduced so there's very little to remember about it that isn't her crying and clinginess.

My next two points are kinda intertwined and they aren't specifically related to this portion of the story but for the season as a whole. I got a problem with the Heartiel and with how they just appeared whenever the show thought it was the time. The point I made in the first post about liking them remains, but it was really awkward how this was supposed to be a quest but had no quest element to it throughout the whole season but then the final Heartiel appeared because they "filled a condition" like if it was a quest so... I think they could've written them in a better way.

And this ties in with my problem with the villains, they had a similar quest where they had to watch the Boy in the mansion and make him grow, but they didn't have anything to collect and even if they did it wasn't shown to us so it always felt like the villains attack for the most part were just random, arbitrary, and without a purpose. Of course, after a certain point this wasn't more the case, in fact, after Hikari and the Boy meets for the first time Viblis start to get very overprotective of the kid so she's always ready to go all out if it meant it could keep the Boy safe, but when it comes to Circulas and Uraganos it felt like just tossups that were there just to fill a quota. Yeah, they created a lot of cool and interesting fights, but they felt very lost in the middle of all of this.

My other problem, that is more like a disappointment rather than anything else is the fact that Nagisa's story with Fujipi didn't reach a proper conclusion I feel. Like yes, they had a lot of times where they bonded on the season, and it was great as a side development for Nagisa, but I feel like this story was finished without an end. If they had made this point of the story happen a little sooner and we had the opportunity to see Nagisa actually showing signs that she's more chill about this situation it would've been a more concrete way to feel like this chapter of the book has ended rather than how it happened and it made me feel like the show ended without giving this plotline a proper conclusion.

My final nitpick is that because this is a show that happened at the same pace almost matching with the same time frame of the original show a lot of plots felt reused. Like in this second half only we had the training camp, we had an episode where they helped on a farm, we had Nagisa's birthday, Fujipi's birthday, Christmas, the school trip, the school play, another story of the girls potentially getting apart, and a few lacrosse games that were part of the tournament season I believe. I know that some of these are inevitable to change, and each one of the episodes was different from its "counterpart" from season one so it's not like a blatant copy and paste, but at certain times it gave me that taste of reheated food, which it's not bad on itself but you can still feel the difference from something fresh.

With that being said, I still enjoyed the hell out of this season. As I said, these were nitpickings I had after I already had finished the show and I sit down to think about it and think about what I'd write for this post, not something that took my entertainment or anything like that.

One thing I think this part has done very well was mixing the understand people's feelings theme they had during the first half with the theme of hope that was present through Season 1 in a way that didn't feel weird and inconceivable and without making it feel like it was forced. I'm not gonna lie, I wish that they had stuck only with the understanding theme, but that's just because I was oversaturated by all the talk about hope in Kamen Rider Wizard and I was in need of something different and not a fault of the show itself.

Something tells me I have talked about them in every post about Futari wa, but I couldn't wrap up this series without mentioning how great Akane and Sanae were in this show. I'm gonna sound repetitive but their presence as mentor figures is so strong, I'm so glad the show didn't just forget about them. Even though I feel like they didn't take all the mileage that they could with Sanae, she provided some gorgeous moments that made me feel warm inside. This season was Akane's moment to shine, having her as Hikari's "caretaker" opened up more opportunities for her to appear and all of her interactions that got the chance to go beyond the trivial stuff always yielded fun and touching moments that gave an extra flair to the season.

Putting plot aside for a little bit, it's impossible to talk about Max Heart without mentioning how great the action is. No joke, in almost all episodes of this second batch I've written on my notes "this was a great fight", I don't know what happened in between Season 1 and Max Heart that made the higherups allow for a bigger budget, but you can see that the money was spent on a very good way, especially after episode 40 or so. Watching the Max Heart fights makes you go "YAS, THIS IS WHAT PRECURE IS ALL ABOUT at least in regards to the fighting magical girl portion of the thing XD"

And I think what crowns such a wonderful and memorable season was the ending, those final 4 episodes were magnificent. They deliver on the plot, they deliver on the action, they deliver the hype, they deliver on the characters, it's just awesome. My vocabulary isn't vast enough to describe everything I felt while watching it, it was just like I was in a trance, watching it, absorbing it, being enchanted by it, and becoming an emotional mess. Like, I knew they wouldn't kill Hikari, this is precure deaths don't happen like that, but I was really apprehensive for her during episode 45, and having her "sacrifice" herself in order to revive the queen broke me, especially because I few minutes before Nagisa and Honoka were already punching me with the feels with those scenes of them looking back at moments where they felt desperate but their family was there to give them hope.

And it was also great to see a tradition being born when they started the fight against the Dark King that had possessed Baldez and the power of the people of the city brought the Sparkle Braceletes back and while the fighting was going on they had that very emotional speech that he wasn't fighting just the Precure, he was fighting EVERYONE. Like, I know at this point this is a staple, but seeing the first one happening, after everything that was build up during those 96 episodes, was just EPIC and very hype.

Rewatching Max Heart was magical and even though it irl it was a more bumpy of a road as I would've expected and wanted, I'm very glad I decided to embark on this crazy journey to rediscover this series and deconstruct a lot of silly and shallow thoughts I've carried for years about this show. This can change as a continue to go down on this franchise and I rewatch other seasons but Max Heart has definitely become one of my favorite precure seasons of all time. Pure gold.

The Splash Star post that was due to come out tomorrow will only be released on Friday because of logistic reasons, but before that, I'll release a post on the Max Heart movies that I thought of including here but 1, this post is already very long; and 2, I didn't feel like it belong with the other things I discussed in this post. In any case, thank you all so much for reading through all of this, it means a lot to me. I'll talk to y'all another time. Bye-bye~