#just a bunch of random writing

[ceilidho]

'STILL WAKES THE DEEP' AU | MASTERLIST

SOAP x READER

You're an environmental scientist conducting research on an off-shore oil rig with only a few days left before you're slated to leave. The eldritch creature they accidentally awaken throws a wrench in the works.

Or: scenes from the 'Still Wakes the Deep' au

a collaboration between @bi-writes and @ceilidho

tags: Size Difference, Size Kink, Explicit Sexual Content, Dubious Consent, Deep Sea Creature, Eldritch Monster, Minor Character Death, AFAB reader, TBA

First Meeting Warning Signs

Extras

Initial posts (1, 2) Series moodboard

[bbbbbbbbatman]

When Bruce is feeling petty he'll arrange an interview with the Daily Planet and specifically request Clark, then spend the entire interview in character as Brucie, refusing to break no matter how many times Clark tells him to knock it off, and then Clark has to write an article on whatever inane topic Bruce could come up with.

[inkskinned]

it is all chaos and entropy. the thing is that the chaos and entropy make it beautiful and lovely.

yes, it's true that nature and the universe are uncaring and unspecific, and that is terrifying. i have lived through some of the unfairness - i got born like this, with my body caving into itself, with this ironic love of dance when i sometimes can't stand up for longer than 15 minutes. i am a poet with hands that are slowly shutting down - i can't hold a pen some days. recently i found a dead bird on our front porch. she had no visible injuries. she had just died, the way things die sometimes.

it is also true that nature and the universe are uncaring and unspecific, and that is wonderful. the sheer happenstance that makes rain turn into a rainbow. the impossible coincidence of finding your best friend. i have made so many mistakes and i have let myself down and i have harmed other people by accident. nature moves anyway. on the worst day of my life she delivers me an orange juice sunset, as if she is saying try again tomorrow.

how vast and unknowing the universe! how small we are! isn't that lovely. the universe has given us flowers and harp strings and the shape of clouds. how massive our lives are in comparison to a grasshopper. the world so bright, still undiscovered. even after 30 years of being on this earth, i learned about a new type of animal today: the dhole.

chance echoing in my life like a harmony between two people talking. do you think you and i, living in different worlds but connected through the internet - do you think we've ever seen the same butterfly? they migrate thousands of miles. it's possible, right?

how beautiful the ways we fill the vastness of space. i love that when large amounts of people are applauding in a room, they all start clapping at the same time. i love that the ocean reminds us of our mother's heartbeat. i love that out of all the colors, chlorophyll chose green. i love the coincidences. i love the places where science says i don't know, but it just happens.

"the universe doesn't care about you!" oh, i know. that's okay. i care about the universe. i will put my big stupid heart out into it and watch the universe feast on it. it is not painful. it is strange - the more love you pour into the unfeeling world, the more it feels the world loves you in return. i know it's confirmation bias. i think i'm okay if my proof of kindness is just my own body and my own spirit.

i buried the bird from our porch deep in the woods. that same day, an old friend reaches out to me and says i miss you. wherever you go, no matter how bad it gets - you try to do good.

[conanssummerchild]

ive dipped my toes into a little bit of unserious fic writing for rnm and i felt it was about time i dropped an autistic rick fic 🫡

ive had this idea circling around in my head for a while but i wasn't really sure what direction the fic would go in but ive decided to go for some good old internalised ableism (me writing angst? shocking /sarc) bcs rick never seems to see his autism as a disadvantage which is super slay BUT there is also a lot of difficult things to deal with being autistic and you know that old fucker hates admitting he needs help with anything so im gonna fucking force him to >:) this is set in like maybe season 2 or early season 3 btw just to make rick even less inclined to admit he needs any help !!

ok enough yapping, here we gooo

~~~

It was awfully quiet in the house for a Saturday afternoon. Usually by now Rick would've come barging into the living room, demanding Morty come with him and tugging him through a portal without waiting for an affirmative answer, always at least a little drunk on whatever he could get his hands on.

Today there was none of that, only fragrant smells of whatever dinner Jerry was cooking coming from the kitchen, juxtaposed with the harsh screaming match going on between him and Beth. Summer was scrolling on her phone absently next to Morty on the sofa as he pretended to watch some film that Jerry insisted was a masterpiece on non-interdimensional TV.

Overall, it was a normal night at the Smith's house from before Rick had come into their lives, but Morty wasn't relaxed like he would've been before, or even upset over having to listen to his parents' petty argument. No, he was ansty, fidgeting around enough to earn several annoyed glances from Summer.

He combed back through his memories, doubting whether he'd seen Rick today at all. He hadn't been at lunch or breakfast, in fact Morty hadn't seen him at all since their brief adventure yesterday, during which Rick had been in an increasingly foul mood. Had no one else even noticed his disappearance?

"I'm gonna check on Rick." He blurted out, stumbling off the sofa.

Summer didn't even spare him a glance.

He tried not to run down the hallway, nervous jitters going through his whole body. What if he had left again? No, probably not, Morty had seen his ship in the driveway. Shit– Rick had thousands of enemies, what if he was lying dead in his room right now?

Morty knocked on Rick's door so hard his knuckles stung a little, ignoring the small buzzing sound that accompanied the knocks. He heard a groan akin to one of a dying man and some shuffling from inside the room.

"Rick?" Morty called out to no answer, anxiety only rising.

He shifted nervously from foot to foot. If he just barged into Rick's room and he was fine Rick would be super pissed, but if he didn't and Rick was dying Morty would never forgive himself.

He shoved the door open. It didn't have a lock anymore. Morty held his breath as his eyes darted around the room, he feared it would look like a crime scene, but it looked... normal. He hadn't been in Rick's room that many times but, despite the darkness and slight mess, nothing seemed particularly out of place.

Well, that was, of course, apart from the translucent green force field type thing in front of the door.

He frowned, calling Rick's name again, but he was lying in his cot, facing the wall, unresponsive. Not even seeming like he'd heard Morty, the rise and fall of his tense shoulders the only thing showing he was still alive.

Morty chanced a careful touch to the force field, preparing for some kind of electric shock, but none came, only a quiet hum was emmited as Morty's fingers passed through. Rick moved again slightly, but other than that showed no visible reaction.

The field gave way easily and Morty passed though completely, standing meekly at the doorway of Rick's room. He was surprised to find that it was silent, like completely. No sound passed through the green barrier, not the sounds of sizzling pans, or the movie playing faintly in the background. Nothing.

"Rick? A-are you okay?" It wasn't said particularly loudly, but it felt that way in the complete silence.

No answer. He took a step closer, repeating himself louder, in case Rick just hadn't heard. "Rick? W-what's– is everything good?"

He expected anything, from Rick yelling at him to the person in the bed just being an alien wearing Rick's face, not even Rick himself.

He didn't expect Rick to cover his ears and curl into himself further.

"Uh-" Morty hesitated. His head hurt? Was he, like, hungover? Dying?

He only paused for a second more before turning and running out of the room, if something really was greviously wrong with Rick he would much rather be safe than sorry.

"Mom!" He called, running into the kitchen, interrupting the argument going on abruptly.

Beth downed a large sip of her wine glass, emptying it and setting it down on the counter with a sharp clink.

"Morty, honey, the adults are talking right now." She said, rubbing her temples tiredly.

"Mom, something's w-w-wrong with Rick."

"What?" That got Beth's attention, straightening from where she was topping off her wine once more. "What's wrong with Rick?"

"I don't know." Morty replied, agitated. "He's in his room just– just lying there, he's not answering me."

Beth was already heading in the direction of his room—not without grabbing her wine. "Come on, sweetie." She said to Morty.

"Wha- Beth, come on! We were having a conversation here!" Jerry exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I have more important things to deal with right now, Jerry." She said coldly.

Jerry's complaints were drowned out by Morty's rushing thoughts as he led Beth down the hall.

She peeked into the dark room without passing the noise-cancelling field, expression changing when she saw Rick curled into a ball, hands still clamped over his ears. While her frown stayed, a sort of realisation flashed in her eyes.

"Um, I think your grandpa just needs a little bit of alone time right now, okay? Let's give him some space." She said, taking a step back and closing the door gently.

"What? Why?"

"He just... Well, honestly, I don't know. I just vaguely remember he would get like this sometimes when I was a kid, when he was stressed. Mom always told me to just leave him alone for a while. I thought he'd probably grown out of it, like it was a midlife crisis thing or whatever. Guess not." She gave a small shrug.

That didn't really answer any of Morty's questions and raised several more, but Beth didn't seem to have the answers.

"Okay."

"Okay." Beth echoed, taking a swig of wine, her demeanour changing back to a bored one. "Well, I gotta go deal with Jerry now, go play video games, or something."

For the rest of that day, and then one more after that, Morty waited anxiously for Rick to emerge from his room. He felt like he was losing his mind, all while everyone else didn't even seem to care that Rick was gone at all.

He was picking at his pancakes uninterestedly when he finally caught a glimpse of blue hair in the hallway.

"Rick!" He exclaimed, making the old man nearly jump out of his skin.

"Jesus fucking christ, M-Morty." He muttered, grabbing some orange juice from the fridge and downing it straight from the carton.

"What happened?" Morty asked, getting up from the table and hovering by Rick. No one told him off for leaving the table. He could tell that they were all listening in on the conversation.

"What happened when?" Rick asked dismissively, playing dumb. He rummaged around in the overhead cupboard until he found an opened box of wafers. "What– who the fuck opened my wafers?"

Morty rolled his eyes. "You did, last week."

"Oh yeah." Rick shoved a wafer in his mouth.

"Rick, come on, seriously, I was worried."

"Well then maybe you should mind your own business, Morty."

Morty huffed. "What so you'd prefer I didn't care about you at all?"

"Yes. Obviously. Why does that surprise you? I've clearly stated it on multiple occasions."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I do care about you, Rick. I just want to make sure you're okay, because it seemed like you weren't" Morty said earnestly.

"Ugh, I'm fine, Morty." He scowled. "Don't be so– so weird about it."

"I'm weird?! Y-you're the weird one, Rick! Wh-what the hell is wrong with you? You just dissapear for– for two days and won't even tell me why? Can you give half a shit about anyone but yourself?"

"Jesus, I was overstimulated! O-okay? I'm autistic! Is that what you want to hear? You– you fucking dick."

Morty shook his head lightly, processing the stream of information "...What?"

"What? You can't be autistic." Jerry chimed in from the dining room.

"Okay, Jerry, and you won't be alive when I stuff your tiny dick in your mouth and freeze you, so we can put you on the mantle like some kind of fucked up decoration with your balls hanging out. Wait, actually, you will be alive. You'll feel the whole thing. Suuuper painful."

Rick snatched up Morty's virtually untouched stack of pancakes and sauntered out.

A quiet washed over the table, Morty looking over at Beth and seeing that she seemed just as surprised as him.

"What, you guys seriously didn't know?" Summer's bored voice broke through the silence.

"Y- you did?" Morty asked incredulously.

"Uh, duhh, Morty. It's like super obvious?" Summer drawled, not even looking up from whoever she was texting on her phone.

"How is it obvious?!"

"Becuase, Morty, I'm not uneducated like all of you guys."

"What? Wh-whatever, I'm just– I'm gonna go talk to him."

Summer didn't grace him with a response.

Morty peered into Rick's room but he wasn't there, so he wandered towards the garage. As he approached, he could already hear the sounds of Rick tinkering with something or other.

"H-hey, Rick." He said carefully, but Rick didn't seem particularly upset, offering Morty a small grunt in greeting.

"S-sorry I said there was something wrong with you." Morty added.

Rick looked up this time, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Okay?"

He went back to his project for a bit, but when Morty still didn't leave after several minutes he sighed, setting his wrench down harshly next to Morty's now half-eaten pancakes. "Yes, Morty?" He asked, irritated.

"I-I just... You could've told me, you know? That you're autistic. I'm not– you don't have to be, like... ashamed."

"Screw you, I'm not ashamed." Rick snapped. "L-look at me Morty, do you know how smart I am? You think any fucking neurotypical could ever reach my level of genius? Fuck no!"

He crossed his arms like a petulant child, pouting at the floor.

"Oh– Sorry." Morty stuttered. "I just thought..."

"What? That just because I'm autistic I have to be ashamed? Pretty ableist stuff there, Morty." Rick said sharply.

"No! Jeez, That's not– not what I meant, Rick. Jeez... I was gonna ask why you never t-talk about it, then?"

"Becuase it's none of y-your damn business, that's why."

"But– I mean, sure, but not even my mom knew. Did... did your wife? Did she know?"

Rick's shoulders tensed and he looked away, his loose grip on the table becoming harsher.

"R-rick?"

"She... knew." He said tightly.

"Did anyone else?" Morty made his tone a little gentler, seeing Rick wasn't exactly thrilled to talk about it.

"...Birdperson. And Squanchy."

"That's– no one else?"

Rick frowned. "My parents knew. But they didn't like it... Diane– my wife she was the first person I chose to tell myself."

"I'm sorry." Morty said quietly. "About your parents and... Diane."

Rick sat silently, staring at the work bench in front of him without saying a word.

"Is that... why you guys divorced, or?"

"No, Morty, jesus." Rick huffed. "She was actually the only one that didn't treat me like less than because of it. I mean, until BP and Squanch."

"So why–?"

"I don't want to talk about my failed marriage, M-morty." Rick sighed.

"...Sorry."

Rick shrugged.

Silence stretched on as Rick went back to his project again, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either.

"It's embarrasing. Sometimes." Rick said haltingly. "When I get overstimulated. Becuase I know that doesn't happen to normal people and I don't like admitting I need help with things that other people don't. It's a sign of weakness."

"That's not–!"

"Shut the fuck up, Morty. This isn't a discussion, you got what you wanted out of me, so now you can fuck off."

"But, Rick you–"

"Morty, just fuck the fuck off."

Morty hesitated for a second, before lunging towards Rick and trapping him in a tight hug. Rick tensed up.

"Morty, you little shit, get off me!" Rick wriggled, trying to get out of Morty's embrace.

"I love you, grandpa. Thank you for opening up to me, I know it's hard for you." Morty whispered, which only made Rick thrash around harder. "I don't think you're weak, by the way. Or that there's anything wrong with you."

Morty finally pulled away from the hug and Rick crossed his arms again, his face now a little flushed in embarrasment.

"Don't do that again, you asshole." He grumbled. "I don't like it when you hug me."

"Sorry." Morty said, mostly meaning it. "Hugs always make me feel a lot better."

"Well I'm not you, Morty, and they m-m-make me uncomfortable."

"Sorry." He repeated. "But I-I still mean everything I said."

Rick pouted, turning away. Morty knew Rick was stubborn, and that he wasn't going to erase years of self-hatred and internalised ableism in a few minutes, but he hoped that one day Rick let him in enough to at least try.

"Okay, bye grandpa. Love you."

"Bye, asshole." Rick muttered back.

Love you too he thought, but didn't say.

+ extra

Rick had been in a shitty mood all day, and Morty could tell something was brewing under the surface, but he couldn't tell what until they were already on their way back home from grabbing some crystals from some drug planet Rick stole from all the time.

Usually Rick would be in high spirits after another succesful crystal-stealing mission, but today he just glared through the windshield, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Morty could tell that, despite his intense stare, he wasn't really paying too much attention, so it wasn't a huge shock when an large asteroid chunk flew into their field of vision and Rick didn't even try to swerve.

They crashed into the asteroid hard and an alarm started blaring, red rays flashing in the interior of the spaceship. Rick's hands flew over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

Morty had seen this alarm go off several times, due to Rick's often reckless driving, and it usually didn't bother Rick very much at all, not warranting more than a curse and flipping the alarm off annoyedly.

Rick bit down on his knee hard as Morty hurried to shut down the alarm, Rick's hands moving into his hair and tugging when it was finally switched off.

Rick had a tendancy to hurt himself when he was overstimulated and it made Morty endlessly anxious. He searched desperately in the backseat for the noise cancelling headphones he'd given Rick and "forced him to wear" as Rick would say, but Morty could tell he appreciated it. Especially when he snatched them out of Morty's hands before he'd barely even handed them to him, shoving them onto his head agressively and clicking the button he'd added himself for improved noise cancellation, claiming the headphones were trash and that he'd had to modify them to make them at all a useful tool.

He slumped back in his chair with a sigh, his eyes were still shut but Morty could see the tears that had collected on his eyelashes.

"Do you want me to drive us back?" Morty asked, barely finishing the sentance before Rick was hitting the button that switched their chairs around so Morty would be in front of the wheel. Morty let out a small exclamation of surprise, but quickly took the wheel, putting the ship back on track.

Rick didn't say anything else for the short journey home, jumping out of the ship before it was even parked properly. Morty hurried to keep up with him as he unlocked the door. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the entryway and Morty almost crashed into him, managing to stop himself just in time.

"Thank you." Rick said gruffly, not giving Morty time to respond and just rushing off to his room.

Morty still smiled, though. He knew that was about as close as it got to his grandpa expressing affection.

"Love you too, Rick."

---

THE END IM CHEESEY OK I KNOW SORRY BYE

[celtrist]

Why does Vassago already have merch, we haven't even met him yet

[galsinspace]

Replaying Inquisiton really made me notice (again) how the companions are written with such an incredibly noticeable difference in care. Man I hope they did a better job in Veilguard. And it's such a stark contrast from Origins!

I'll just post my comparative ramblings bc I'm on a train and have nothing better to do

In my opinion, one of the best things about Origins is the closeness you develop with your companions. You're with them through massive, formative changes in their lives, you find out about their childhood traumas and the people they've grown up to be, and as a player you make huge decisions that shape their future. By the end I felt so close to these characters. Looking at the main companions:

Alistair? We find out all about his longing for family, for love, his desire not to be defined by his blood and be able to live a normal life. You're both saddled with the responsibility to save the world together, and you do. Depending on the choices you make, he may have the love he longs for, and he may have to be king, you shape his life in a huge way.

Leliana? She literally seeks you out because she's received visions and is on a god-given mission. You literally shape the kind of person she becomes, whether she hardens or softens her heart.

Zevran? This is the most important period in his life. His flight from the Crows, his suicidal intent and then sudden wish to stay alive after all, finding new things to live for, remembering his mother, you save his life in more ways than one.

Morrigan? Literally the first time she's left her abusive mother's side and it's travelling with you. She finds her own ways to live, you give her the jewellery her mother wouldn't allow her, you help her confront her mother and free herself from her. You might literally be the father of her child.

Sten? Also suicidal, and you help him regain his self worth and sense of meaning in life. And you change him. He comes from a society with rigid rules and you help him see other ways of life. If you play as a woman, he's literally confused in the beginning that you're a fighter, and then as you gain his affection he acknowledges and respects you as who you are. He's not romanceable and probably changes the least out if the companions, but still goes through this monumental change of perspective about there being other valid ways of life. Sten should have been romanceable lbr

Oghren? It's super unfortunate how comic relief he is BECAUSE his story is so intense. The woman he loves disappeared! He's an alcoholic! He's so tied into the MAIN QUEST! He's tragic! You're with him through this massive thing he goes through and it really sucks that he can't really... change. You can't really help him. But even so, the events of the game are monumental to his life.

The Secret Companion is self-explanatory. You completely re-shape his life.

And in comparison, the companions in Inquisition are just WILDLY hit or miss. Some of them you become incredibly close to, others are just kinda there. Oh we're saving the world together? Just another day at the office babey. You don't really get to know them that deeply, you don't get to change their views, they're just there and you work together and then they go on their way. I'm of course talking mainly about Vivienne and Sera.

It's insane to me that Vivienne is this incredibly complex character who is the way she is because she grew up traumatized in an oppressive environment and you never get to talk to her about this. It's hidden in a few comments Cole may or may not drop if you travel with both of them. Her polished demeanor and ever-present smile? Learned in the Circle to demonstrate to templars that she was good, obedient, and non-possessed. Her materialism? When she met the duke, the thought in her head was I will never go hungry again.

Vivienne is TRAGIC. She's a deeply traumatized woman who has lived all her life in a system that did not grant her basic security, and she was strong and smart enough to gather power in the only ways she was allowed to. And you can't even talk to her about this. Her personal quest is some weird red herring bullshit meant to make you question whether she's a villain, comparing her to the evil queen from Snow White, and then it's just... her boyfriend dying. You can't change anything. You can barely talk to her about this relationship - it must have been a mix of love and practicality, a connection that gave her both tenderness and influence, the only power she was allowed to have. And it IS an injustice that she could never have married him! But you can't talk to her about this. Can't influence her viewpoint at all. All this complexity is hidden in subtext, and Vivienne does not change as a person at all.

Vivienne is outwardly cold towards Cole, dismissive, pragmatic, cruel. If Cole becomes more human, he points out to her that she secretly worried about him and is glad he's safe. She denies it. This is the only complexity she's allowed to show, hidden in random banter most players will never hear.

Why are we not allowed to be close to Vivienne? Why can't we talk to her? Explore who she is? Why does it feel like it literally does not matter whether we touch her life at all?

I've seen people claim that the fandom neglects Vivienne unfairly, but this was the WRITERS. They neglected Vivienne. They made it impossible to be close to her, they hid her complexity while just having her be straight-up rude for most of the game. This was a huge failure on the part of the writers. I've heard that her main writer said on twitter (DA writers should not be allowed to tweet) that he just didn't like her and that makes me so mad. Fucking video game writers...

And Sera. Oh, Sera.

She's annoying. Her jokes are painfully unfunny. It's super hard to get her to like you. Whenever you talk to her, the first option is to kick her out of the Inquisition. Why on EARTH did they write her this way?

Her personal quest is nothing. You go meet some guy, kill him, over. What does this MEAN??? What does this mean for Sera's character?? It's so fully useless, you learn nothing new, you don't get closer to Sera, who the fuck wrote this and why was this published.

And just like with Vivienne, you barely get to talk to Sera. She runs around with a huge case of internalized elf racism and you never get to talk about it. She literally won't put on armour marked as "elves only", what's up with that girl? She openly looks down on elves to the point of being annoyed to even talk to an elf Inquisitor, why can we never talk to her about this?

She's supposed to be from Denerim. Is she from the Alienage? The close-knit community Tabris is from? Does she know Tabris? She might literally know the Hero of Ferelden and it's never a topic of conversation. She would have been like, a young teenager at the time when the Alienage was suffering a plague and elves were being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Was this not a formative experience for her? Was she not there? Did she not live in the Alienage? Well all of Denerim became a war zone during the Blight, was that not a notable event in her life????

Why do we not get to explore anything that makes her the dismissive, flighty person she is?

Playing in German, there is fascinating ambiguity in the graveyard of your companion's fears that you find in the Fade - Sera's greatest fear is "nothing". In German, the word for the Fade is "the Nothing". I thought it made so much sense that that would be her greatest fear! She's afraid of anything involving magic and spirits, and it adds a nice metaphorical level to her rejection of anything elven: elves are supposed to be inherently connected to the Fade, but she's afraid of the Fade! Comments she makes seem to imply that she has a suppressed sensitivity to spirits, but either Solas or Cole suggesting that that might be the case clearly terrifies her.

Well, imagine my disappointment when I found out that in the original English, her fear is just "nothing". Which is bullshit too, Sera is clearly afraid of of anything Fade-related. I guess it might be some idea of how she's afraid of quiet and non-existence, but like... what a missed opportunity. What a dumb thing to be her greatest fear. What a missed opportunity.

And just like Vivienne, it doesn't feel like you really impact her life at all. Sera just comes and goes, she does her own thing, and she never unpacks any of her issues. Why was she written this way? Why did they think this would be a compelling companion experience? And for fuck's sake, who thought she was funny?

This rant is already way too long and I'm almost off the train so I won't write a full comparison to the Inquisition companions who were done well, but like, it's obvious. For some of them you touch their lives intimately, you shape their worlds, you actually feel close to them by the end of the game. How the fuck did this game get shipped with Vivi and Sera like that.

It's been 10 years and I hope the developers learned from their mistakes, if they noticed them in between sucking their own dicks on twitter.

[lemonzestywrites]

I am so curious about the Eddie feminization fic. Can you tell us more about it or is it a secret??

you know anon, for you, ill do more than just tell you about it

here's a massive little snippet of it 💕

(nsfw beneath the cut!!!)

====

“See that pretty thing in the mirror, baby?”

Eddie’s breath hitches. Buck thrumb runs idly along his pulse point, a sweet taunting sensation. Eddie wonders if he can feel the way his heart is pounding in his veins. Boiling excitement seizing his body, setting ablaze every nerve ending. 

He swallows, nodding obediently.

Buck hums behind him. The look on his face being one painted with pure satisfaction. 

Buck leans in, lips brushing over the shell of Eddie’s ear. The motion is so light yet sends such a delightful shiver down his spine. But then Buck smiles, a wolfish grin spreading wide across his features, that spells nothing but mischief and coy desire.

“She’s going to get fucked today.”

Buck punctuates his words with a slight squeeze of his hand.

Eddie can’t even help the whine that pours out of his throat.

Fuck.

Within the confines of the lingerie, he feels his cock throbbing, leaking delectably in the lace. He’s probably making a mess of it, though Eddie can’t find enough of a thought to care. 

Buck’s gaze never breaks from the mirror, his dark piercing blue eyes staying latched onto Buck. Like a predator watching its prey with wild, careful hunger. His other hand, the one trailing across Eddie’s stomach, drifts back down and behind him. 

Slim fingers slip past the elastic of the lingerie, following the curve of his ass before pausing right over the base of the plug. Eddie’s heart spikes in his chest. 

“Gonna slide my cock into that slick hole of hers…” Buck murmurs, as he slowly starts pumping the plug in and out in small thrusts, just barely grazing over Eddie’s prostate that aches to be touched so badly. “And fuck her full of my come. Have her all wet and shaking beneath me.”

Eddie can’t come from this. He knows he can’t. The stimulation is not at all near close enough to get him over the edge. But God, the borderline filth pouring from Buck’s lips genuinely makes him think for a moment he might.

He presses his throat further into Buck’s palm, rocking his hips back, so, so desperate for more.

“Do you think she’ll like that?” Buck continues, voice devilishly low as he angles Eddie’s head close to him.

Holy shit.

Eddie groans into the gag, anything to convey nothing but the utmost enthusiasm. Fuck, he wants it. He wants it so bad.

His head fucking spins from it, and he knows it’s not just from the hand around his throat.

He wants to be fucked. To be stretched out and ruined. He wants to be made a writhing mess in the sheets while Buck takes him apart. God, he’ll do fucking anything for it. He craves it like air. The desire to be at someone else’s mercy- at Buck’s mercy.

To not worry or think about anything that isn’t this moment. Right now, Eddie just wants to be filled, and fucked, and tied up, and praised.

He wants to be a good girl.

[elle-oh-ell3]

mo(u)rning 

as this beating heart of mine grows ever more antique, 

and the sun warms my back, 

still i mourn. 

i mourn for having to mould around people, instead of them moulding around me.

i mourn for little me, 

how her room is dark and her cries are loud. 

i draw her towards that beating, 

antique heart of mine,

and promise that she will one day too,

be warmed by the sun she can see seeping through the cracks in her door. 

the day her tears cease, 

is the day the dark corners of my mind, 

so resembling my childhood home, 

fade away. 

i don’t know if that day will ever come. 

maybe, 

instead, 

her laughter will simply overbalance her dim fill of my conscience, 

and the light she can see outside will bleed through.

shh. it’s okay. 

i mourn on this bright morning, 

but that beating, antique heart of mine grows ever more full. 

[heloflor]

So like I said in a previous post I’ve been kind of obsessed with Cosmo being op as all hell, and after the baby ban stuff it got me thinking about the different types of magic fairies have and how not all magic is accessible for all fairies and also how powerful each fairy we know is.

So here are my ideas for how fairy magic works + how powerful the fairies we know in the og show are, since I’ll be honest I didn’t really think much about the ones introduced in New Wish (4.5k words below):

Ok so first off, all fairies naturally produce magic which then courses through their bodies. This magic is used by their bodies to just function in their everyday lives, maybe being what allows them to float, teleport and shapeshift without using their wands (yes I know in the show when the Big Wand is off fairies can’t do any of those things anymore but shhh).

However while all fairies need about the same amount of magic to function, not all of them produce that amount of magic. As a result, those who produce more than average end up being more powerful due to having some “leftover” magic to use, while those who produce less end up weaker than average. More on that when explaining the types of magic.

This is also why baby fairies are so powerful. A fairy would produce the same amount of magic their entire life, but since babies are smaller their metabolism would require less magic to function, thus leaving the baby with a lot of leftover magic to use.

On that note, I could see all fairy babies being born powerful up until their terrible two, which for the vast majority of fairies is their last large outburst of raw magic. After the terrible two, as the baby fairy’s body grows, their magic starts to reduce.

Now I guess technically it would mean that they’re still stronger than average by the time they’re 8-9 years old, but I actually prefer to think that a fairy considerably loses their power between 3 and 6 years old, so by the time they’re a preteen you can gauge pretty well how powerful they’ll end up being.

This probably makes less sense when taking into account the idea of their body needing less magic when smaller, but screw it I prefer to think children fairies are already almost at the same level of power as their adult selves. Heck maybe that loss comes from their body transitioning from ball-shaped to regular-shaped.

Oh and a fairy’s power is due to genetics with a hint of randomness to it. Usually a child’s power will be either based on one’s parent or a middle ground between both, but you get some rare exceptions with a fairy being born particularly powerful/weak. Though you could argue that last possibility might come from a grandparent or more distant family member.

Now for the magic itself, I see four different types:

1. Wand Magic. This one is the most straightforwards and the one every single fairy can use. A fairy is given a wand powered not by them but by the Big Wand, and as a result they can use it regardless of their own magic. That being said, I could see fairies with more magic ending up having some of it mixing with their wand, thus causing them to do more powerful spells with ease. Also why fairy babies are powerful.

On that note, since we see in the show Cosmo and Wanda getting tired at the same time when doing a lot of wishes, I could see it as either Cosmo using more magic than Wanda thus making them exhausted at the same time, or doing X amount of spells/wishes will make you tired regardless of your amount of magic. I think I like the former more.

And as to why fairies get tired when using Wand Magic despite said wand holding the magic used, I could see casting a spell as still requiring some effort from the fairy, the wand doesn’t do all the work. Adding this in case it needs to be said.

2. Emotion Magic. For this one I like to think that there are two types, depending of the fairy’s strength. The first type, which everyone except fairies with below-average magic can do, it to have their emotions influence their spells. If a fairy is angry when trying to conjure something dangerous, it will make the spell easier. But if they’re sad, it will make the spell harder. Stuff like that. This is also what we see in “Battle of The Dimsonnian” from New Wish with Peri making a giant cupcake when angry. I could see the “giant” part being an accident due to him letting his emotions go to his head (notice the purple glow around his wand when making the giant cupcake).

The second type is what we see Poof do in “Fairly Oddbaby”, with him having the ability to make things appear and disappear depending on his mood. I could see this type of emotion magic as something only fairies stronger than average can do. And the stronger they are the easier it is to use, which also means the strongest fairies need to be careful with their emotions sometimes.

Then again I could see them capable of feeling a strong emotion all the while blocking the part of them wanting to tie that emotion to their magic. So unless they really lose control or don’t have a good grasp on that separation between magic and emotion, it’s not that big of a deal.

3. Inner Magic. This one was originally based on Poof’s terrible two but this is actually something the Fairy Council does as well. But yeah basically in the show you see some rare instances of characters using magic without a wand, with their hands having a glow around them. I like to think that this is basically a fairy tapping into their own “leftover” magic, being able to do everything a wand could do without needing one.

This would be by far the strongest type of magic but also the most rare, as only about 50-100 fairies would have enough “leftover” magic to use it effectively (the number of fairies capable of doing it depends on how many citizens Fairy World actually has. If it’s like a thousand, then only like 15 fairies can use it if not less. If it’s a million, about 100 or less can. It would be really, really rare). Well I guess every single fairy has access to it during their early years, but once they get past their terrible two, it’s gone.

And because it’s so rare, and also because I see the Fairy Council as self-centered who care more about their own self-preservation than the safety of the fairies and as a result feel threatened by the fairies stronger than them, Inner Magic wouldn’t actually be taught. The fairies capable of it would simply be told that it’s very dangerous “especially since you never learned how to master it!” and that they need to never use it. Only wand magic for your overpowered freaks that we definitely would not want to kill if we had the ability to do so without losing support or causing a riot that would make us lose our stand as leaders of Fairy World!

And fun fact, this and the next type of magic are the reason why I went with the idea of “fairies produce magic and the more they produce the stronger they are”.

4. Residual Magic. This one is based on “Nectar Of the Odds” and “Crocker Shocker” (ignore the Crocker lore for this one it sucks) in which Cosmo specifically has particles of magic being taken out of him which can then be used to infuse other stuff with magic. Then I saw “Mooooving Day” in which yet again Cosmo specifically is able to put magic in a drink. Also after watching “Abra-catastrophe” I couldn’t help but compare the cupcake to Cosmo’s socks nectar and sparkling drink.

(If I had a nickel for every Fairly Oddparents episode revolving around a drink spiked with Cosmo’s magic which also featured an underground slave cave and Doug Dimmadome is there for some reason, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?)

So yeah long story short the idea is that, when a fairy is particularly powerful, their body has so much “leftover” magic that you can basically scrap it off of them without hurting them. And that magic could be used to create magical artifacts such as the cupcake from “Abra-catastrophe” (and while this isn’t how it would actually happen it’s kind of cute to imagine Cosmo helping craft Timmy’s cupcake with his own magic).

This type of magic would be less rare than Inner Magic but still pretty rare, at least in order to get a lot from a fairy. Like some fairies who are stronger than average but not part of the “elite” would likely have Residual Magic but to a very small and limited amount. It might also be harder to collect as a result, having to meticulously scrap it off every piece of clothing or scrub the fairy’s body to get it.

On that note, I like to think that every time a fairy with Residual Magic changes clothes, they would wring out their previous ones on top of a container to collect the magic particles and then have it sent to some Fairy manufacturing place that uses it for magical artifacts.

Lastly, given its use here, Residual Magic is capable of granting rule-free wishes. This is why in “Nectar Of the Odds” one kid has their dog show up (from the kid’s phrasing the dog was likely dead and I don’t think you can revive things according to Da Rules?) or why Dale Dimmadome doesn’t get brought back to the nectar stand after Timmy turns 18 (granted this could also be because it technically wasn't one of Timmy’s wishes so it might work independently, but then again it means the wish should’ve come undone after Dale turned 18 so yeah either way it being rule-free works better).

And between the possibility to take it straight from a fairy and it granting rule-free wishes, Residual Magic would be considered the most high-risk type of magic, and powerful fairies who visit the earth need to be careful not to let their clothes hang around or ruffle their hair for too long.

Finally, a word about all the fairies we know in the show and how powerful they are:

- Cosmo: I see him as the third strongest fairy in all of Fairy World. It seems like a ridiculously high ranking but you gotta remember that according to “Fairly Oddbaby” fairy babies are notorious for being incredibly powerful, yet Cosmo was still too much to handle to the point of banning all babies.

So I think it’s fair to say he’s part of the top 5, at least top 10 strongest fairies. And he’s not the n°1 strongest fairy for me because I don’t like “chosen one” type characters ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also someone needed to have enough power to step in during Cosmo’s Terrible Two before he destroyed all of Fairy World if not the entire universe.

Also, after watching “This is Your Wish” I can’t help but see Cosmo as kind of a prodigy magic-wise, because in the kid flashbacks from that episode, Cosmo knew what he was doing. At some point he’s even capable of hitting a moving target with his wand in his mouth! And turn it into a giant dragon! That’s some serious talent!

So with that in mind I like to think he’s a natural at using magic. The issue is that the things he comes up with are dangerous, and since he has the ability to spawn it without issue he ends up causing chaos without meaning to.

Also also I saw one moment from a “Oh Yeah!” short in which Cosmo apparently messes up a wish, Wanda points it out and Cosmo reacts by looking at his wand and saying “I need to get that fixed”. Likewise in the first episode of New Wish when Cosmo struggles to aim at Hazel and turns the whole kitchen into her, he starts hitting his wand while asking “Why can’t I work this thing?!”

With that in mind, I like to think that this is how Cosmo usually reacts when his spell isn’t what he expected. He’s incredibly powerful, is aware of how powerful he is, and again he’s very good at magic. When he casts a spell, he knows exactly what it will create (he just doesn’t realize the consequences of it). So when his spell doesn’t work as intended, he blames the wand.

But anyways, magic-wise Cosmo can do all four, though he almost-exclusively uses Wand Magic with the occasional Residual Magic when he wants to fuck around with Timmy (I mean he’s done it at least twice).

Like all the other overpowered fairies he was told not to use Inner Magic, though I like to think him attacking Crocker at the end of “Abra-catastrophe” was him using it, the muscles did nothing other than boost his confidence. I also like to think he used Inner Magic a lot as a kid and early adult up until the Fairy Council got through to him about not using it. That or he accidentally hurt a lot of people using it at some point and was convinced afterwards seeing how much destruction he caused. That second possibility could explain him never using it unless the situation is that dire all the while having little issue messing around with Residual Magic. 🤔

As for Emotion Magic, he keeps it under control, and I could actually see Cosmo as someone who avoids being angry specifically to avoid making a mess with his magic (I mean while he does get mad at times he’s definitely someone who ends up sad more often than angry, or turns his anger into sadness).

Btw I made a long post exploring the angst side of Cosmo’s magic because as said in the intro I’m obsessed with it.

- Wanda: She’s average strength, meaning she can do Wand Magic easily and has the “first level” of emotion magic (having emotions influence spells) but everything else is blocked off. She doesn’t produce enough magic to use it without a wand or to have residuals that can be collected.

And I like to think that while she’s completely fine with her level of magic, and if anything seeing Peri and especially Cosmo struggle internally because of their powers makes her more than happy to not be powerful, it still pains her to see her family like that and sometimes makes her wish she was the op one so she could be the one carrying that burden instead of them.

On that note I like to think that if some of the strongest fairies were to talk about overthrowing the Fairy Council or at least tell them off for discouraging them from using their full magic, Cosmo might be hesitant to join while Wanda would be all for it. In general Wanda would be pretty tired of the bullshit the Fairy Council imposed on Cosmo and Peri. More on that in the baby ban post.

Lastly I could see Cosmo “sharing” his magic (not sure how exactly it would work) with her when they grant wishes together, with Wanda enjoying the feeling of it if only because it makes wishes much easier to grant compared to on her own. I could also see some cases in which, when granting a wish, Wanda mainly affects how the wish will turn out while Cosmo mostly gives the magic allowing said wish to be made, and Wanda would definitely feel satisfied upon being able to summon exactly what she wants when she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to make the wish so precisely. Meanwhile Cosmo’s more than happy to provide and trusts his wife on how those wishes will turn out.

It might also be possible that them sharing magic allows Wanda to grant wishes she otherwise wouldn’t have the power to do. For example at the end of “Fool’s Day Out” when Timmy wishes for the entire world to be covered in laughing gas, Wanda uses her wand while also lifting Cosmo’s. This moment could be interpreted as either them needing to work together to grant such a wish or Wanda on her own not being able to do it. I also can’t help but wonder if, had she been the one granting the secret wish, time would’ve started back at some point after a few years, while with a fairy like Cosmo granting that wish it was literally going to stay frozen for at least a couple thousand years. Then again in “The Same Game” (when the whole world becomes a gray blob) she’s able to reverse Timmy’s wish on her own.

(Btw this has nothing to do with this post but in “Fool’s Day Out” the April’s Fool fairy has a risk of getting “comedy backup” and now I can’t help but wonder if every fairy profession has that one condition that, if not followed, leads the fairy to explode??? But I’m just going to stay with the idea of every fairy being at risk of magical backup since in New Wish’s “Fairy For a Day” the music fairy makes a comment about “granting each other’s wishes”, implying fairies can avoid backup by granting other fairies’ wishes, it’s not just a godparents thing)

- Poof/Peri: He’s basically a middle ground between his parents, being more powerful than average to a noticeable extent but still far from the strongest. Like he’d basically be in the 20-30% strongest fairies, while Cosmo is in the 1%.

Magic-wise, he uses Wand Magic and is pretty used to both versions of Emotion Magic, though it takes some effort for him to summon things without his wand (aka with his emotions). Other than that he can’t access Inner and Residual Magics. For Residual Magic I’m not even sure if he’d even have a small amount of it.

And in regards to his wand, it is indeed a wand made to limit his magic, making him as powerful as an average fairy. And the reason why he has this wand when there are thousands of fairies just as powerful if not stronger than him is strictly due to his father’s identity. Basically the Fairy Council is punishing him for being Cosmo’s son because they’re paranoid he might become as strong as him and don’t want to deal with another Cosmo.

- Jorgen: While he’s apparently possibly the oldest fairy we know of (the whole thing about an ancient war and how all fairies looked like him back then), the more I watch of the og show the more it seems like Jorgen isn’t actually all that powerful? Like he’s definitely the strongest fairy physically, but magic-wise he’s far from being the top dog.

Ultimately I like to think that he’s stronger than average, likely to a noticeable extent, but still weaker than a fairy like Peri. Which I guess would put Jorgen in the 30-40% stronger range?

Also with him being an ancient fairy and how they were all warriors back then, I could see the fairies of his time being more powerful magic-wise than the current ones (and maybe his wand also has a few differences compared to the smaller wands, like maybe not being fully reliant on the Big Wand and requiring the holder to give some of their own magic to function or something). So Jorgen would be average for a fairy of his time, which equates to stronger than average compared to the smaller fairies.

Oh and abilities-wise he can only do Wand and both Emotions Magics (like Peri basically, just less powerful).

- Mama Cosma and Schnozmo: I like to think both of them are a bit stronger than average (they got it from Mama Cosma’s side of the family, I really like the headcanon that it’s her side that’s related to Jorgen) but not to the most noticeable extent. Like in a fight against an average fairy it’s pretty obvious they’re the more powerful ones (I mean Schnozmo was able to fight off a bunch of fairies pretty easily while Mama Cosma straight up kidnapped a mafia boss like it was nothing), but on a day-to-day basis there really aren’t any particular differences between them and most fairies. They might not even realize that they’re more powerful (they’re basically on the line right above average).

Abilities-wise this means they have the same as average fairies, meaning Wand and first-type Emotion Magics.

And yes this means that Cosmo’s power was partly due to genetics but also mainly a big part of randomness with how crazy powerful he is in comparison to them.

- Big Daddy and Blonda: They have average strength and the abilities that go with it (Wand + first-type Emotion Magics). For some reason I could see Big Daddy being slightly less powerful hence the need to be part of a mob? But also I don’t think it warrants the mafia stuff + from what we see him do with his magic he seems pretty strong (him being technically weaker than Mama Cosma can be chalked up to her being stronger than average).

- Juandissimo, Cupid, Cookie, etc: Basically every other fairy we meet would likely be average strength. Though I could see Cupid being less powerful when using a wand but the same strength as others when using his bow, on account of him being a different type of fairy. But yeah other fairies we see from time to time have average strength unless they do something hinting they might be stronger/weaker. Speaking of which:

- Dr. Studwell: I’m singling him out because after watching some episodes featuring him, he keeps getting his ass beaten and tries to avoid danger, so I could actually see him being much weaker than the average fairy. His obsession with his appearance and desire to be hot is him overcompensating for his lack of magic (note that Juandissimo being obsessed with his looks isn’t insecurity unlike Dr. Studwell, dude just loves himself and honestly good for him).

- I could also see that one fairy Jorgen bullies a lot as being weaker than average, which could be a reason for said bullying (apparently his name is Binky?).

Side note but I could see things be though in general for both very powerful and very weak fairies, the weaker ones because they’re constantly being reminded of what they can’t do which heavily lowers their self-esteem + aren’t able to defend themselves as well if needed which makes bullying easier.

For the strongest fairies, because while many would praise their accomplishments, the second they do something wrong they get deemed as too dangerous with people becoming wary around them + I could see the strongest fairies having an “itch” to use more of their magic. Like imagine if fairies have a “need” to use a certain amount of magic regularly (unrelated to the daily amount their body needs to function), for the strongest fairies that amount would be much higher. But due to the “risk” with how powerful they are, they end up using way less than their body needs them to, thus causing a sense of dissatisfaction.

- The Tooth Fairy: Given she’s taller than most fairies (and her outfit seemingly being based on Wonder Woman means she could have fought in the war) I could see her as one of the oldest fairies around, so it would be a similar case to Jorgen with her being average for her time, aka stronger than average compared to “modern” fairies.

- The Fairy Council: Now while I know they’re just fairies wearing cloaks I like to think they’re a different species altogether, meaning their magic would work differently, but I still wanted to include them since I mentioned earlier that I see them as self-centered who care about their own self-preservation above all else.

Basically, if they were to be ranked magic-wise, they would rank number 12 or 13 strongest fairy when combined, meaning there are about 11-12 fairies stronger than them as a unit. And I like to headcanon that, even with those fairies having no desire to take over Fairy World (because honestly why would they?), the Fairy Council can’t help but feel threatened by those fairies.

So yeah those four magical beings were able to find a species that respect them as their leaders (at least I believe the Fairy Council rules over Fairy World?) and they very much want to keep that position of power at all costs. Which is actually also why they don’t outright attack the strongest fairies because that would cause a riot with every fairy feeling unsafe. Plus if they miss the strongest fairies can take them out.

So with that in mind, while I don’t think they would be outright discriminatory against the strongest fairies, they definitely push that narrative that magic can be dangerous when used too much, especially Inner Magic which should never be used (you know, propaganda). So they basically guilt-trip/stress out the strongest fairies into being careful when using their magic.

On that note, I kinda implied it earlier but I could see the reason why Anti-Cosmo is the leader of the anti-fairies instead of the #1 strongest anti-fairy be that the strongest fairy isn’t all that satisfied with the system, hence why their anti-fairy wouldn’t have the drive to take over Fairy World. Not to say the strongest fairy would straight up want to overthrow the Fairy Council tho (I do have some ideas floating around that concept but I’m likely never going to turn it into a coherent story).

At the very least, I do imagine the strongest fairy having secretly taught themselves how to master Inner Magic, possibly hoping to teach it to the other fairies capable of it. Also they can’t write down their research in fear of the Fairy Council finding it out (I don’t think I mentioned it earlier but discouraging fairies from using it does include not writing anything down about it, so if a fairy has info on Inner Magic, they got it from an unapproved source). And fairies are immortal so they have the time to teach it anyways.

Finally, if I have to talk about the power of the Fairy Council, since I don’t think they’re fairies they actually don’t work on the same power basis as them, but from what we’ve seen they basically have the equivalent of Inner Magic. Which could also explain why they’d be so paranoid over fairies learning to use theirs.

And with the assumption that they came up with Da Book which directly influences the fairies’ ability to cast spells, and with them being able to prevent fairies reproduction, it seems the Council also has the ability to “modify” at least one species to their liking, possibly others. Maybe this ability to change fairies is also how they got in power in the first place if you want to go there. Hell it could even be how fairies are changed to look like the dominant species on earth. Though the Fairy Council can’t touch other species’ magic or else there wouldn’t be op fairies.

[lavenderr-starrs]

My absolute FAVORITE brand of a character/Story. Absolutely delicious when written well 👌👌👌

[theprincessandthepie]

replaying dragon age inquisition is just an exercise in “the rebel mages would not fucking do that”

[icewindandboringhorror]

finally finished all of one character's entire quests/optional dialogue/questions/etc.... 100,000 words... .... aughhh

[irenespring]

Me: I'm going to get back into writing fanfiction for a fun creative writing outlet, while I work on other humanities and social sciences in classwork :) Also me: Has now read at least one official medical study, multiple interest/support group and government reports, and several online testimonials re: House's possible amputation vs. non-narcotic pain treatments sans amputation, and now has a pretty good mental chart going of decidedly STEM things.

I have been tricked into researching STEM. Creative writing has betrayed me.

[nonsensechemicals]

crying whenever i talk about Cookie9 because all my friends have these interesting and unique theories on them while i take everything too literally and they all just stare at me like “dude… uuugh we r TIRED” <-they dont actually say this they are very kind to me but i can Feel It

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Daughter of the House of Dreams: A Fragment

Author's Note: This is the opening to a long-abandoned "Sleeping Beauty" retelling that I no longer plan to write, but I still like it as a piece of prose, and it sparked my enduring interest in second-person narration, so it feels relevant, and why should long-dead authors be the only ones who get to have their unfinished fragments published?

If you ever travel to Monetta City, be sure to visit Faraway Lane. Walk past the glittering new shops, and the shoppers in their bright silk dresses and top hats, and you'll find a cozy stone shop at the end of the street. This shop isn't grand and mighty like the other shops. It won't sniff and turn you away if your clothes aren't the latest fashion. It's a grandmotherly old shop that shakes its head at the prancing and preening of the younger shops, and invites you in instead. It holds no wares in its windows; it hardly has windows at all. But it has a warm and wide wooden door, with a shingle hanging above—Alessia Day, maker of dreams.

Don't ponder the sign's message too long—it means exactly what it says. Just slip inside, shut the door behind you, and look. Don't breathe too deeply, unless you want a week of crazy dreams, but allow yourself one gasp of astonishment. You won't be able to stop yourself. No living person has failed to feel awe toward the rows and rows of shelves, longer than streets and taller than palaces, filled to bursting with glass bottles in such bright colors that the dresses in the other shops' windows would weep in envy. Some bottles are the size of thumbnails. Most fit comfortably in the palm. Some are as large as breadboxes or steamer trunks or carriage horses, but the shelves manage to fit them all. And each bottle is filled to the brim with dreams.

If you don't understand, ask Alessia Day. You'll find her at a counter half a mile from the door, polishing bottles and humming a song you've heard but can't remember. She's an old woman now, and proud of it, but squint your eyes and start to daydream, and you'll see her as I remember her—a willow-wand girl with shining brown hair and eyes that sparkle with half-formed jokes.

Tell this girl how pretty she is (she'll laugh and call you crazy) and ask about her dreams. She'll tell you of her stock and sell you any dream you ask for—daydreams and pipe dreams, dreams of love, dreams of adventure, dreams of loved ones lost and loved ones found and people you've never met but wish you had. She'll show you dreams of lush and perfect islands, dreams where fishes fly through the air, and dreams where people swim the seas with fishes' tails. She'll pull down dreams that last a second but linger a lifetime, dreams that fill a month of stormy nights, dreams that fade on waking and dreams that drown out memories. If you let her, she'll talk of dreams until you drift off, and she'll bottle up your dream while you doze.

But if you're smart (I know you are) you'll step to the counter with a clear glass bottle, empty of everything but air, and ask for her story instead. She'd distill it in a dream for you, and be glad to do it—I once saw her whip it up in half a minute, and I'll bet she's even faster now. Buy the dream, but don't drink it right away. You won't be ready for it. Linger in the shop a while. Hear the story first from Alessia Day's lips, in that voice of hers that's sweeter than singing.

You won't believe half of it, but when you stagger from the shop and wander the empty, starlit streets, you'll ponder over passages until you stumble into bed at sunrise. And when you wake, the world will be different—you'll see tiny footprints on the windowsills, know things about the shadows on the walls, tip your hat to creatures in the corner of your eye, and realize there is another color no one else can see. You'll laugh and call it your imagination, but every second Tuesday, you'll start to wonder if the old woman was right, if the things she told you were true.

If you drink the dream she made, you'll know. I'll understand if you don't—some things are easier not to know. But if you do, and dream through her story, come to my house and ring the bell. My man will let you in—he'll know you by the wonder on your face. He'll bring you to my study, set you in my oldest, softest chair, and get us both settled with a steaming pot of tea. Then, once you've finished babbling, I'll close my eyes and tell you my part in the tale.

[laugtherhyena]

3:23AM, time to post Hatamori fankid and retreat back into my hiding hole