#lup cries

[very-small-giant]

ok so i made an animatic??? this part of the song is soooo made for these two to me i had to do it

[c0smicdusk]

How to find EVIL SKULL women near me 💀

[sysig]

It’s finally happening

I’m finishing TAZ: Balance tonight

[in-this-crystal-kingdom]

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SUFFERING GAME GRAPHIC NOVEL

Okay SO. Everyone has some thoughts on this one for sure as I have seen. A lot of people are saying they took a lot from Wonderland and that it's a disappointment as an adaptation but here's the thing: I have viewed the books as separate canon from the podcast since around Crystal Kingdom. I don't necessarily see it as a faithful adaptation but as a cool way to get more people into the story without giving EVERYTHING away in case they decide to listen. However, that being said, I have some things to say. I'm going to start with the negative first because even though I LOVED this book I so have some things I will miss about it (but please understand that I LOVED THE BOOK SM GUYS, I will ofc be adding what I loved after this part)

My Issues/Things I Wish Were Included:

Magnus trying to find his own answers with the voidfish. I was really looking forward to how they would show and represent that!

"I'm afraid no one else will have me" was such a good scene, I really liked the vulnerability Taako showed then because aside from his scene in Petals we haven't seen a whole lot of that from him in the books (again, I veiw the books as separate canon, but it would be nice to see)

CAM! I missed Cam so much he was delightful

No Boss Rush

I don't like that they basically forced Magus to decide if he wanted to lose Julia and never mention Gov. Kallen at all. That was such an impactful moment and they kind of side stepped it unfortunately

Trust or Forsake is missing which is also unfortunate

A lot of what made Wonderland interesting is either spedrun or absent so they kind of took the Wonder out of Wonderland

Taako giving up his beauty is also gone! Which sucks ass! My only true issue with this book that I genuinely was heartbroken over. I understand it can be a hard thing to show, especially when it runs the risk of someone in real life looking at the design and going "ow, that looks like me!'. So like. I get it. I really do. But they cut so much of Podcast!Taako's growth in Book!Taako's character that it was a sore spot for me personally.

If they let Johann live in the next book I will be very upset

SPEAKING OF NEXT BOOK!! Now that I have all my negative out of the way ohohoh boy I'm gonna share the positives I have with it. Given that, again, I view the books as separate story than the podcast, I thought they did a wonderful job overall. Solid 8/10 for me! Here are the things I am still screaming about

Things I adore about this book and will be living rent free in my head forever

TAAKO AND KRAVITZ KISS LIKE 5 PAGES IN AND I SCREAMED CAREY ATE WITH THAT

Merle's kids 😭😭😭

JOHANN IS ACKNOWLEDGED IN THIS ONE RAAAAAAAA I WAS SO WORRIED THEY WERE TRYING TO CUT HIM OUT

I love the redesign of Wonderland looking like a circus instead of a roulette wheel, I liked that a lot

Kravitz calling Taako to tell him to be safe,,, the call getting cut off,,,, pain

I loved the wheel it looked so cool

Edward and Lydia were giving Velvet and Veneer and I am HERE FOR IT

Heart Attack my beloved 🥰

ARMS OUTSTRETCHED!!!!!!!!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN TAAKO SAW KRAVITZ IN THE TAR??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE TRIED TO SAVE HIM?????? MCELROY FAMILY AND CAREY WHEN I GET YOU-

Seeing the umbra staff (*cough cough* Lup) BEAT THE SHIT out of Edward was lovely, no notes

HOW GRIFFIN DISAPPEARED!!! I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD DO THAT!!!

BLUEJEANS REVEAL

The Umbra Staff jumping into Barry's arms 😭😭😭

Taako having STATIC IN HIS EYES seeing the staff and Barry together CAREY PLEASE

MERLE SEEING JOHN, THIS IS NOT A DRILL PEOPLE

L U P SHE IS SO FUCKING BEAUTIFUL I CRIED I AM SO GLAD THEY GAVE HER LONG HAIR TOO!!

GOD THE BOOK ENDED WHERE I WANTED IT TO AND THEN SOME ACTUALLY (I thought it would end with the line "Lucretia, what have you done???" BUT MAN I'M NOT MAD IT WENT ON A BIT LATER)

THE IPRE PAINTING. THEM. THEY. ALL OF THEM. I AM DYING. MY CROPS ARE WATERED AS SHIT.

[herbgerblin]

ipre theater thots

loosely based off of this poll. sorry, this got away from me. i was a theater kid for years (i still am, i literally made a bunch of friends larp as wizards two weeks ago)

Davenport: Producer and Stage Manager. Personally more experienced in opera than musicals, but answers the call when the need for a manager arises. Keeps everyone focused and on schedule. Has final word on what choices the art department gets to make. Sometimes does solo performances on his own time.

Merle: Choreographer and Director. Leads the ensemble into meditation every rehearsal before warming up. Talks with each member of the cast one-on-one. Sometimes leaves the script open to interpretation. His artistic vision sounds bonkers in concept, but illuminating in execution. Why are there so many plants? Don't worry about it.

Magnus: Lead Actor and Set Builder. He brings the energy every single night. He doesn't need to be micc'ed up because his natural voice projects well enough. It takes a bit of time for him to memorize the script, but he devotes his heart and soul to it. He claps loudly for the ensemble when he's in the wings. He cries at the emotional numbers. Built all the sets by hand.

Lucretia: Co-stage Manager and Supporting Actor (not for lack of chops, only because she spreads herself very thin.) Knows the script like a second language. Mainly reserves her Director Voice for backstage when things get chaotic. Enjoys performing the musical numbers because no one knows she can belt, until she does. Standing ovation girlie, but bashful about it.

Lup: Co-lead Lead Actor and Costumer. Only willing to do the role if Davenport lets her include cold sparks and fog machines in the set budget (he finds a way.) No one knows when she took measurements for the costumes, but they're ready by dress rehearsal and they fit perfectly. Helps the other actors figure out their groove. Great at engaging the audience.

Angus (special edition): Child lead and stagehand. The sweetest little singing voice you ever did hear. Everyone is going to rue the day his voice starts cracking. A heartbreaker of a performer and a speedy backstage assistant.

Taako: A MYSTERY. He's wearing a fancy scarf and roaming all over the place. He's talking about the Art of the Theatre. He's listed on the billing of lead actors and NO ONE knows what his role is. He remembers all the little things that everyone forgets: clothes pins, a hot glue gun, and electrolytes. He's got a walkie-talkie. Only the managers and tech are supposed to have walkie-talkies. Hello, this is Taako speaking, over.

Barry: Usually Tech. He's got a beautifully choreographed queue of lighting designs and stage effects. He's got an immaculately labeled pad controller and a ready-to-go Excel spreadsheet. But on opening night, Lucretia informs him he's in the orchestra pit.

Barry: ...But I'm lighting tonight.

Lucretia (via walkie-talkie): And our percussionist twisted his ankle tripping over a stage light. You're in the orchestra now, compadre.

Barry: (with increasing emphasis, decreasing conviction) But. I'm. Light. Tech.

Taako: E N T E R T H E P I T B A R O L D

Davenport: Taako, get off this line.

During intermission, Magnus asks him to help lift the ensemble dancers onto the set scaffolding, and hold it steady. Barry agrees, thinking he's in the clear after that. But the second the music number ends, Merle tells him that one of the support roles had to leave, so now he's the understudy.

Barry (longsuffering): I am just. the light guy.

Merle (gesturing to Taako in the balcony, having a ballgame playing with the lightboard): well, in two minutes you're the showstopper guy, so you need to go out there and stop the show

Lup (emerging from nowhere, slapping a red, hooded robe on Barold's shoulders): Knock 'em dead!

Barry: D:

[lifes-line]

In honor of the Adventure Zone and the suffering game coming out soon I’m gonna talk about the moments in The Adventure Zone that got me the most emotional

Obviously spoilers for the Adventure Zone

5. Johann the Bard’s death

This one I think caught the majority of TAZ fans off guard. Whenever an NPC died.. it was always during the events of recovering a grand relic - never after the mission. It’s like-

Johann was here. And then he wasn’t.

And most people grew very attached to Johann during the episodes and arcs of making fun of him, asking if they’re ok with being forgotten, him and his relationship with the Void Fish— and to include this with my number 5

WHEN MAGNUS AT THE END OF THE PODCAST

NAMES HIS FUCKING DOG AFTER JOHANN

OHMYGODDD

4. Meeting Lup

Now- not when Lup was freed from the Umbra-staff and called out her brother for being gay, while that was a funny as fuck moment, that’s not what I’m referring to.

It’s when we cut back to the Stolen Century and we meet Lup officially for the first time. I just remember hearing her speak for the first time and her antics and I remember being like “god.. she’s just like her brother.”

And we get to know her and it’s like- we also find out she is nothing like Taako. She’s more empathetic to people - to strangers- she’s smarter than him(like book smart) , SHES a nerd, she flamboyant and kindhearted and it’s like also-

We’ve known her forever. She was in every single adventure the boys had- she was this overwhelming presence in the entire podcast - from her name burnt into the wall, to “where’d you get that umbrella?”, to flying to Taako’s aid every time he was in trouble— she had always been a character without a name or face to her and then we she is finally formally introduced you just love her instantly.

That’s amazing writing.

3. Arms outstretched

Now this got everyone.

It was such a powerful moment between brothers and between friends- even Griffin didn’t see it coming.

He fully expect them to just let Magnus float off into the astral plane but then they change the entire plot of the story and saved Magnus and brought him back.

Taako and Merle both using a spell slot to bring back their bestfriend. Also foreshadows to their deeper connection back in their stolen century.

The music behind that scene was also fucking phenomenal it was beautiful and I loved it.

2. “You fucking took everything from me”

Ok SO- THIS ONE IS INCREDIBLE- it starts me on the same tangent every time.

In this moment Taako has fully remembered all of the events that happened before Lucretia erased their memories and he is fucking infuriated.

Because if Lucretia had not done it that day- Taako and Barry would’ve found Lup. THINK ABOUT IT - that day they were going to check Wave Echo cave- they would’ve found Lup’s corse and the red robe and the umbrella - Taako would’ve made the connection and Barry would’ve figured it out instantly and Lup would’ve been set free and back.

But because Lucretia did it they never went to WaveEcho cave and they never found her- until a decade later- Taako found her stupid and unknowing - took her umbrella and watched her skeleton decay- AND NOW HE REMEMBERS THIS

And it’s too late to go back to WaveEcho now, the fucking hunger is here and her corpse is long gone, if she was a lich barry would’ve found her by now, and if she was in Phanadalin- it was all glass now - where could she have gone?

Taako is realizing silently what Barry isn’t aware of- Lup was right there. SHE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM- and he couldn’t find her, he couldn’t save her.

In this moment of rage Taako realizes his sister is gone. She’s never coming back. Lucretia took his everything from him.

And it’s all her fault.

1. Magnus’s death

Now. The day I finished TAZ Balance edition, at 9:38PM, I cried myself to sleep. OF COURSE I DID

“HOW DOES MAGNUS DIE?”

SURROUNDED BY HIS LOVED ONES

WITH HIS DOGS

AND MAGNUS FINALLY ENDS HIS ULTIMATE QUEST- HE SEES HIS WIFE IN THE AFTERLIFE

Magnus, rushing in to everything because he ultimately wanted to die a crazed hero so he could see his wife again but still feel like he died doing something worth it just for her, who never loved another ever during his years alive, who turned down the temptation of his own relic because if he was going to see his wife again he wanted her to be proud of him, Magnus Burnsides whose ultimate destination and goal was to see the love of his life again.

And he finally did.

Magnus got the happy ending he truly deserved.

Magnus Burnsides is the most relatable character in all of the Adventure Zone(to me at least) I love and cherished him like he was truly my friend- so when he dies at the end of the podcast I cried like I was grieving a real person.

[meliathequeer]

just cried at lup and barry's duet

[girlygirltournament]

Bracket 2 - Side A - Round 2

Colette "Coco" (Thea Sisters) vs. Orca/Dex @labor9 (Tumblr User)

More information under the cut!

Colette: She loves make-up and clothes.

Orca: Her entire blog is the most AGGRESSIVELY pink thing I've ever seen

um she is my friend and her whole aesthetic is Pink Catgirl. Take one look at their blog and it's obvious. Mew loves babygirlifying every one of her favorite characters (by literally making them all girls) and will not hesitate to get attached to literally any character who is pink and supports the magic of friendship. Her irl fashion sense is ADORABLE and I love it. Mew is the embodiment of the perfect girl: cries a lot and absolutely cringefail but also slays every day and im pretty sure she is a magical girl in real life idk i haven't met mew.

I don't know what to say here, just that mew should win. A win for Orca is also a win for all the girlies mew regularly puts on my dashboard.

just look at their blog :) it’s so pink and fun!! girliest girl i know!!!!

Have you seen their blog

She ligit is the most pink bubblegum orca to ever exist, I love it, she is like if hello kitty worked at a call center

she is the definition of pink

Orca is the personification of Pink

Mew is the most pinkest of pink girlies I have ever met and I love her <3

An aficionado of all things we call girly.

Mew is an absolute sweetheart and always knows how to make us smile! She has great fashion sense and collects lots of cute stuff <3

Propaganda by @lup-laguz

[blupjeans]

Oh boy I had the pleasure of attending TAZ Live yesterday in San Diego, and what a fantastic fucking time. My partner and I cosplayed Barry and Lup, and our friend was Angus. I laughed. I cried. I embroidered words across my partner’s ass.

Brennan was so unreal to watch live. And I’m sure you’ve seen the clip of Clint making the shot of the century already. This was my first time seeing the McElboys live and it was such a joy.

[a-side-character]

Taz Balance as Ghost Quartet

I'll get right to the point: I have had an animatic bumping around in my head for about three years now that features the Taz Balance player characters and the song "The Telescope" from the musical Ghost Quartet. The problem? I can't draw at all. I can, however, write a decently convincing description of what my vision would be if I could.

So, here's my attempt to do just that! In the hopes that even just one other person has their perception of this song completely overtaken by The Adventure Zone like I have. Let's begin:

-

"Look into my telescope, tell me what you see"

[Wide, aerial shot of Magnus standing in a white room in front of June, who is holding the chalice. We see Magnus from behind, and June has a neutral expression]

"I see a red star"

[Magnus leans in to look into the cup]

"Antares, red hypergiant star, 4900 lightyears away."

[Cut to static-filled images of Magnus' childhood. We see the scene of him protecting the dog most prominently]

"And a billion times larger than our sun]

[A quick still of Magnus as a young man, laying on his back and looking up at the sky. One of the suns is crystal clear, the other one is static-ed out]

"I see fire in the darkness"

[A black screen, illuminated by a torch]

"Rage against the void"

[The torch illuminates Magnus' face, and behind him a mob of angry villagers holding various weapons]

"I see everytime man cried out, and raised his sword"

[Magnus yells and raises his sword, lunging as though to strike at governor Kalen or his army]

"Against God"

[The momentum from the previous scene continues as the background falls away (as does the sword) and we see Magnus fall to his knees, burying his face in his hands in front of Julia's grave]

"That's good, that's good"

[Cut back to present-day Magnus and June. June nods somberly, and we see Magnus with tears falling from his face]

"Now look into my telescope, tell me what you see"

[We see the same scene as in the beginning, but this time it's Merle facing June in the white room]

"I see a blue star"

[Merle leans in to look into the chalice]

"Groombridge 1830, also known as Argelander's Star. A class G8 subdwarf (ha, get it, cause Merle's a dwarf? That's not the only reason he fits with this verse though BELIEVE ME) a member of the galactic halo"

[We see static filled scenes of Merle's past, with emphasis on his time as a young boy growing up in the church]

"I see mothers weeping in chairs, clutching their shawls in the morning"

[A shot of Hekuba standing on the front porch of her house, leaning against the pillar of the porch. Her eyes are aimed at the horizon and she looks angry, but when she looks down her eyes soften and she seems more sorrowful]

"Everything is lost, all is gone"

[We see what she's looking at, as Merle turns around and walks away from the house, leaving Mavis and Mookie looking confusedly at him and then up at Hekuba]

"And she tries to find the joy in life"

[Cut to a static filled image of Merle sitting at a table and talking to an unseen figure (John) with a speech bubble coming out of his mouth. The only intelligible words are "Find Joy"]

"But she is wasting away"

[Back to Hekuba, who turns around and back into the house. Before her back is to us we see tears in her eyes]

"That's good, that's real good"

[Back once again to Merle standing in front of June. He looks upset, though in a more reserved way that Magnus did. There is a heavy guilt in his expression]

"Now just one more time: Look into my telescope, tell me what you see"

[Our final member of THB, Taako, is now the one facing June]

"I see, I see two stars"

[Taako leans in to look into the chalice]

"Yes, Sigma Orionis AB, a binary star"

[We see static filled images of Taako's past, of him learning how to cook and of him staying in various places over the years]

"Two stars, lost in time"

[This time the childhood scenes stay longer, and we see those same shots expanded to include a static-covered figure (Lup) next to Taako in every single one]

"Oooh, two women, in the forest in the evening in a light rain"

[During the ooohs the images of the past swirl away, leaving only a dark screen. As soon as the words begin it alights on a wide, aerial view of Taako and Sazed in front of the Sizzle it Up truck. As the song mentions, it is dark and drizzling]

"The older has no expression on her face"

[In this case 'the older' is Taako, and we see an up close image of his face, looking down his nose at Sazed with an unfazed expression]

"The younger hangs her head down"

[Sazed lowers his head, presumably just after being denied the ability to join the show]

"The younger is in love, was in love, is in love, was in love"

[The scene changes with every 'in love' to various scenes. Taako performing with his hand in the air, a flurry of magic behind it. The crowd looking up in adoration, the bright sign, etc.]

"But the lover is in love"

[in this case 'the lover' is the audience. We see a shot of the faces of the underdark audience, looking excited]

"With the older not the younger"

[Taako on stage, joyously handing out samples. Sazed in the back, looking on with a dark expression]

"But the lover is in love"

[That same shot of the audience, only now seeming panicked and afraid. Some have doubled over, poisoned]

"With the older not the younger"

[Back to Taako, looking horrified, and Sazed, who turns his back to the audience]

-

Alright, that's all I got! I'll admit I haven't been able to find a way to incorporate the little choruses in the middle and end, so if you have a way to tie them in please do let me know!

I really hope you see the vision, because I've been seeing this same little movie play out in my head everytime I listen to this song for YEARS.

[ksiondzkanexkiii]

MAYBE YOU'RE NOT A BAD PERSON | JOHN PRICE

You can also find the story on Wattpad and Neobook

Chapter Nineteenth

Next chapter (20)

Three weeks before the fire

Everything was going so smoothly, each day blended into one day and the nights passed quickly and yet Jinx felt like she hadn't slept in ages. The dark circles under her eyes deepened and her tired mind made her think less than usual

Which irritated her immensely, because she loved her thoughts. It kind of looked like some part of her had gone to eternal sleep leaving her on a frozen lake full of thoughts just waiting for the ice to crack under her feet.

- Jinx - cried a woman's voice, it was fuzzy and the darkness engulfed Jinx even deeper not allowing the teenager to open her eyes - Jinx! - called out the voice, but louder

A strong blow to the shoulder caused the teenager to jump up lifting her head at the speed of light. Miraculously not breaking her neck. She looked around confused looked at Eric who was looking at her embarrassed and with an innocent smile, she sent him a deadly look

- How nice of you to wake up," a woman's voice teased over the teenager's ear, Jinx's eyes widened to the size of golf balls. She was afraid to turn toward the older woman, who wheezed above her ear fearing the consequences of sleeping on her lesson

- Good morning Mrs. Dorinson," Jinx smiled innocently, finally gathering the courage to look toward the older woman, who already had gray hair and wrinkles. However, one could sense a pleasant grandmotherly aura from Mrs. Dorinson, even though she was a strict teacher

- Mhm. Did you sleep well? - mocked the teacher by crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow. The mockery from Ms. Dorinson caused the class to giggle, Jinx felt slightly embarrassed and the blush on her cheeks probably spoke louder than she did - Don't laugh! - She rebuked loudly, the older woman did not like to see anyone laughing at her charges even if they were peers

- I'm sorry, ma'am," whispered Jinx with a pensive look at her hands. Mrs. Dorinson was at least in her sixties and should have been retired long ago, but she loved the job too much to leave even to the displeasure of the students who got under her scythe, however, the elderly grandmother liked the red-haired teenager, she kindly smiled

- Stay after the lesson I need to talk to you, instructed Ms. Dorinson looking at Jinx who looked at her with eyes wide open almost the size he could hit a golf ball lup ping pong. Ms. Dorinson clapped her hands and pointed to the boards, Jinx dismissed the remnants of sleep by rubbing her tired eyelids

 -I think she likes you,‖ Eric spoke up, whispering not to alarm the older woman. Mrs. Grandma as some students call her or simply call Mrs. Dorinson per , "Grandma". Jinx looked at the colleague next to her and nodded briefly

- I guess so," sighed Jinx looking at her notebook. She hadn't taken notes during the entire lesson, and when she looked at the blackboard she noticed that it was all filled up and Dorinson was just wiping off the chalk to write down more things to note down

- You look like shit Jinx. Even behind your back I can see that you look like shit," complimented Ava though more of a criticism, Ava may have been worried about Jinx however her manner of speaking did not show it, the redhead only rolled her eyes at the comment.

- You don't have to tell me," Jinx muttered under her breath, writing down what she could and the rest she had to write down from someone else. Preferably from Isolda not only for the sake of it being her excuse to talk, but also after asking for notes she didn't write down. She was dumbfounded that she had fallen asleep in chemistry class did not understand the material they were now covering and was even more concerned about whether she would eventually understand what Ms. Dorinson was explaining

- What is going on Jinx? - Asked Aria turning to her, Aria and Noah sat in front of Jinx and Eric who sat with her and behind them sat Ava and Isolde who looked worriedly at the red-haired girl. Eric sat crookedly so that he could easily turn his head toward Isolde and Ava and Aria and Noah. He was facing Jinx

- Nothing is happening," muttered Jinx, "Do you have notes? - She asked crooking her face and scratching the back of her neck, she felt like she was being interrogated. Only she was not interrogated by guards but by friends

- Don't change the subject," Noah accused, wrinkling his eyebrows and threatening her with his finger. Jinx sent him a bored look

- Unlike you, I'm trying to pass the next class," she muttered, smiling innocently, and Noah groaned displeased that he was reminded that he had to study to pass the next class.

- So? You have these notes - she asked again looking after each friend and they only looked at her worriedly - Seriously. I'm fine," she defended herself pointing to herself and casually waving her hand while snorting under her breath

- If all was well you wouldn't have slept through the witch's lesson," muttered Ava throwing a small paper hitting Jinx's head, the redhead rubbed the spot where the paper hit to see if it got tangled in her hair

- Exactly," Aria confirmed, nodding her head while rocking in her chair, not afraid of falling. Optional fall - Besides, you look like a zombie," she added after a moment of silence that filled the six teenagers. Isolde didn't even say anything she just watched the reaction of Jinx who now had to keep her emotions in check to avoid hitting Ari and Ava in the face to let the subject go, not comment on everything she walks and breathes.

- You don't even hide it with makeup," muttered Ava crooking her face, tapping her pen on the desk

- Because she doesn't feel the need to paint herself," replied Jinx clenching her teeth, "Let go of commenting," she asked politely, almost kindly, she had to wrestle with herself for this courtesy

Ava and Aria snorted at the same time and Noah and Eric shook their heads in disbelief while holding back a giggle. However, when the boys looked at each other they began to giggle quietly, Jinx's shoulders slumped when she saw their behavior she shook her head, she should expect that none of them wrote a note. And she didn't even know what topic they were pursuing in the lesson, she had to hold back the harsh cursing that wanted to come out of her mouth.

She felt a gentle pat on her shoulder, when she turned around she saw a bent Isolde who was tapping her shoulder with a pencil - I have notes I'll give them to you after the lesson," whispered Pallastrid. Jinx smiled and nodded her head

- Thanks," smiled Jinx whispering back to her, they caught eye contact maybe even longer than necessary, but eventually they broke eye contact and went back to the things they were doing, however Jinx couldn't see the blush affecting Isolda's cheeks who sat down however kept staring at the redhead's back.

Eventually the lesson had to end and with the end of the lesson had to come the conversation with Mrs. Dorinson. Jinx would lie to everyone by saying she wasn't stressed. She was very stressed.

He almost shits under himself.

She packed her things into her backpack shyly standing up, with her eyes she led her friends away hoping they would wait for her outside the door. She squeezed the shoulder of her backpack tighter as she threw the backpack on her back with small steps she approached Mrs. Dorinson.

Her playful mind formed pink and blue horns on Ms. Granny's forehead, she tightened her lips into a narrow line, as she got closer and closer it was her muscles that stiffened. And the steps grew smaller and smaller

- Jinx - called out Babushka sitting down more comfortably behind her desk putting on the glasses she always put on when she read. She was getting on in years and it was evident from all the gray hair and her diminished eyesight and hearing - Do you know why I stopped you? - she asked rhetorically

Jinx opened her mouth, however, nothing came out of it, she felt the lump in her throat take away her speech pulling the vocal cords from her larynx - No ma'am - muttered the teenager looking at her hands, which she shyly joined together in front of her - Probably for the fact that I slept during your lesson - she scratched her neck awkwardly

Mrs. Dorinson raised her eyebrows - Again - Jinx shyly added giggling nervously issuing a short , "hehe" silence ensued between the older woman and the teenager, who grunted awkwardly

- It was a rhetorical question," Ms. Dorinson spoke up after a few seconds of silence, which managed to stress Jinx enough that in her veins the blood bubbled with stress instead of flowing calmly and her hands trembled slightly. She effectively hid it by hiding her hands behind her back - But yes. That's the reason I stopped you and she wants to talk - She went on, corrected herself in the chair to sit up straight and with her hand pointed Jinx to the bench in front of her to sit down.

Jinx moved her chair away from the bench and sat down, at least that way she could discharge her stress she could freely swing her leg so that Mrs. Granny would not notice. Mrs. Dorinson leaned forward and linked her hands together planting them on the desk, she watched Jinx closely

 - Do you want to tell me something Jinx? - Asked Mrs. Dorinson raising an eyebrow

Jinx swallowed hard, she had to think over her words in order not to come off as a complete idiot and in order not to have Mrs. Dorinson call Price - That I am very sorry to you that I slept through your lesson - Jinx began to speak rather quickly, almost mumbled under her breath and Mrs. Dorinson listened carefully.

- That's not what I mean Jinx," Grandma whispered, sending her a gentle smile

- Then I don't know what you mean -

- You look like you haven't slept in days," said Mrs. Dorinson and Jinx's face dropped, she had already heard this today. And how many times will she have to listen to this? - What's on your mind? Is something bothering you? -

Jinx looked at her hands, she could not sleep well lately the nightmares intensified not allowing her to squint. Whenever she did, she almost immediately appeared in some room controlled by dancing fire, she didn't know what it was about and yet she was afraid of it.

Maybe it was some kind of sign? Some kind of warning?

Prediction?

Or maybe she just thought too much

- I'm fine ma'am - She lied - You don't have to worry - I'm fine.

- Worrying about my students is my job Jinx," Dorinson whispered, "That's what I get paid for," she added after a moment practically joking even giggled at her own joke, "I like you you remind me of my granddaughter.

- Do you have a granddaughter? -

- Yes he is five years old -

- Oh... I didn't know you had a daughter or son -.

- Son, few students know -

- In that case, why are you telling me this? -

- That you would tell me your secret. I have shared mine now it's your turn Jinx -.

Dorinson leaned back just enough that her back met the back of the chair. She took off her glasses and set them on the desk, but not for a second did she take her eyes off Jinx, who was looking at her hands for any answers to her confession. She didn't know what to answer she was pushed up against the wall

Normally, she would have flinched away, but not to Ms. Dorinson, she didn't want to be her hated pupil especially after she admitted she liked her. She let out a slightly shuddering breath - Won't she tell Mrs. Price? - she asked quietly looking not at her grandmother but at her hands

The grandmother shook her head - I won't tell. You can be sure that your secret will be safe with me," the woman whispered and her British accent added charm and encouraged her to tell the secret. And the grandmother's flowery dress only said what a kind and calm person she was even if she sometimes showed a stern attitude

- I've been having nightmares for the past few days," the teen confessed, "It's like my head is sensing something and wants to warn me.

- What do you dream? - Dorinson asked, intrigued by the teenager's confession. She knew that teenagers could encounter nightmares, anyone could encounter nightmares. She should have guessed that the teenager was plagued by nightmares after looking like she hadn't slept in days, and her hours of sleep are probably limited to three or four hours and that's very little for a teenager who has to study.

- Fire," replied the teenager straightforwardly, looking at her grandmother and not at her hands. Her leg under the table kept bouncing

- For how many days? - asked Mrs. Dorinson

- Five - Jinx wanted to say something further however she interrupted - Since Sunday it all started -.

- How much sleep do you get? -

- I'm practically awake -

- Don't you even close your eyes? -

- When I close them I'm in this room full of fire - and I'm in a room full of fire.

- Interesting -

- Terrifying," muttered Jinx under her breath, shaking her head, "She doesn't want to talk about it too much," whispered the teenager and Ms. Dorinson understood the clear boundary the teenager had set. She was not going to push even if she had to recognize that the teenager could go to her friends

She wouldn't have gotten anything more out of her anyway. Most likely she would have put up an even higher wall than she now had around her, but the grandmother was proud that Jinx had said anything to her - Jinx," cried Dorinson, when the teenager was already about to press the door handle

- Yes Mrs. Dorinson? - asked Jinx looking over her shoulder at her grandmothers

- Hug your teddy bear today," the woman confessed, quickly rising from her chair and disappearing into the corner of her Room. Even though she was in her sixties she had quick movements to disappear into the other room leaving Jinx with her thoughts.

Jinx wasted no time leaving the room and headed toward her locker. When she typed in the code and opened her locker the paper flew out of her locker, raising an eyebrow she looked around the other students were living their lives and not paying attention to her. When she bent down to pick up the paper she noticed a large inscription , "Invitation to Jinx" when she unrolled the paper her eyes saw the text

, Party at the Rodriguez siblings dress nicely and come to the seventeenth and have fun".

She gently smiled under her breath. Maybe Price will let her go? After all, she's a good student and doesn't get in trouble and follows the schedule even if it also makes her tired. She hid the invitation in her backpack only now she noticed that none of her friends waited for her in front of the hall and everyone went behind the school to smoke a cigarette

Even Isolde did not wait

Jinx's smile dropped and an awkward grunt dropped her lips as she moved toward the classroom where she has her next class. She didn't feel like joining her, she felt left out

Or maybe she is the one exaggerating.

Only now could she think about Mrs. Dorinson's words, how did she know about the teddy bear? Of course Jinx took it with her to school in case she had a panic attack or whatever bad thing happened, but she never showed it to anyone and the teddy bear was deeply buried in her bag

She didn't know how Ms. Grandma found out about the bear, but she was going to follow her advice. That's what any reasonable person would do, at least that's what she hoped everyone would do. He took his grandmother's good advice, even if she's not your family or whatever.

[fandomsnstuff]

I dont have a preamble today but it's mainly lup and barry, shocker

@taznovembercelebration

Day 24: whisper

Barry's been hearing a voice in his head for a few months, but what else is new? He's got enough going on what with the following instructions he doesn't remember leaving for himself.

Read it on AO3

When Barry started hearing a voice in his head, he probably wasn't as concerned as he should've been. His life's been exceptionally strange lately. He knows he's missing chunks of time, and his memory's absolutely shot. What's a disembodied woman's voice that speaks in static half the time?

“That one!” He jumps when the voice speaks up after having been silent for a while. “Gundren Rockseeker, take that job! The brown flyer!”

He reads the flyer in question. “I don't know… ‘the last job you'll ever need’? That sounds like I'm going to die, either by him or just the experience itself.”

“You'll be fine, promise.” He hesitates, and the voice says, “please, Bear? For me?”

Stupid voice and her stupid ability to convince him to do anything. “Fine,” he grumbles, snatching the little slip with the stone of farspeech frequency on it, “but if I die, it's on you.”

“I can live with that.”

When the job comes around, Barry has a hell of a time. The voice stays oddly quiet through it all. After getting rescued from gerblins and brought back to town, he tells the other guys the real deal with Gundren and Wave Echo Cave. They agree to the rescue and invite him along.

“I… really need to rest. I uh–”

“Go with them!” The voice is suddenly in the forefront of his mind, practically shouting. He's had enough practise by now looking normal as the voice talks to him, so the guys just make jokes about his career and whatever. The voice pleads with him, “please, Barry. You have to go with them. You'll be fine, I promise, you HAVE to go.”

“It would look SUPER bad if I just, like, died. It would be equally bad–” It's hard to listen to her beg him to go, but he's absolutely wiped. He's talking to the guys, but also says it for her, “let me pitch you this: it’s gonna be equally bad for my career if I just fucking die.”

It's not long after that the guys are gone. “They can't have gotten far yet,” she says, “you can still catch up, please, just go with them.”

He shakes his head. “I don't have enough of my faculties left to hold my own. They'll be better off just the three of them.” He settles in a chair in a corner of the tavern, “they'll be back.”

And good lord did they come back. Preceded by a flaming Gundren. He could swear he hears the voice sob as Gundren runs into the building. Barry somehow manages to dodge around him and run outside, where the guys are barreling into town, accompanied by someone he doesn't recognize.

When Gundren comes blazing out of the bar, Merle actually does a pretty good job calming him down. The fire engulfing him seems to die completely.

“You have to get that thing off of him,” the voice whispers in his head.

Despite his better judgement, Barry slowly starts to advance on him. But before he can get there, an arrow from seemingly nowhere lodges into his shoulder. The flames pick up again, and Gundren roars as they grow.

“No,” the voice sobs, “not again.”

Barry, for some absolutely idiotic reason, says, “wasn't me!”

Gundren turns to him, eyes nothing but flame, and there's a painful flash of heat before everything goes dark.

He comes back to himself on a plane of black glass. The memories follow soon after. He cries out and clutches his head. He can feel his form shuddering. He squeezes his eyes shut and pictures his childhood home. His mom. And Lup. Always Lup. Walking hand in hand, waking up next to her, kissing her for the first time, their duet, her eyes, her smile, her hair, the smattering of freckles across her nose, her hands and how gentle they are with him, her voice–

Her voice.

He jerks his head up. “Lup?” He looks around, he doesn't see her anywhere. “Lup?!”

He can't sense her. But she was in his head, she has to be nearby. It was like when they'd possess each other on the ship if one of them had died.

Something moves above him. He looks up, and sees an orb rising into the sky. He can faintly see the silhouettes of Taako, Magnus, and Merle inside. He breathes a deep sigh of relief. They survived. They're going to be under Lucretia's thumb, which is less than ideal for him, but they're alive. That's the important part.

He goes to the cave. There are signs of adventure all throughout. He reaches the final corridor, and sees the open vault, coated in black glass.

He finally found where she hid it, where she disappeared to, and he didn't even go. Idiot.

At first, it seems there's no other signs of her, but then he spots a dark smudge low on one of the walls. There's a slightly scattered pile of ash in front of it, and he just knows it was her.

He pulls a small jar from nowhere and gathers up some of the ash. It might be useful in growing her a new body. As soon as he finds her.

Lup's exhausted. She spent what felt like an eternity gathering the energy to contact Barry, and then when she did, he didn't understand a word she was saying. The others weren't with him, and he was being weird. She eventually managed to piece together that his memories were lost. He said she was talking in static, which is classic Fisher behaviour. But other than that, she was lost. All she could do was sit and observe and try to help him.

She was in his head for months before the Rockseeker job came up, and she felt more hopeful than she had ever since she got stuck.

And then the boys were there. And they were weird too, not behaving how they should at all. Not with each other, at least.

Then stupid careful alive non-wizard swiss cheese brain Barry chose to not fucking go to the fucking cave.

Sure, the boys found her, and she had a little fun giving Merle a small shock, but she wasn't in Taako's head to tell him to let her out. She needed them to get her back to Barry. And they did, but not before setting her relic free again, and her wonderful, stupid husband went and got himself killed.

So now she's at Taako's side, and she wants to talk to him, but she barely has enough energy left to perceive the world outside her umbrella. She doesn't know where they are. She thinks they're in the sky? They're led to a large room, and she can see Fisher in a massive tank. They've gotten big.

In front of the tank is an older woman holding a staff. They boys drink ichor given to them, and she opens her arms wide, “welcome, boys, to the Bureau of Balance.”

“Oh, Lucy,” she whispers to herself, “what did you do?”

[gunpowder-tim]

dyou think taako just. forgot when his birthday was. never celebrated it. all his birthday memories were with lup. the birthday they shared and so taako just. didnt remember. never celebrated a birthday. never got close enough to anyone who would care to ask. sazed asked once but taako brushed him off and he never asked again. that was the only person he remotely got close to. but then with the tres horny boys. magnus asks one day and keeps pestering him about it. gets merle to join in too. taako is having the worst fucking headache of his life because hes being forced to think about their his birthday and he doesnt know why it hurts. eventually they ask lucretia and she shares the date without a second thought. it only occurs to her later on that night what had happened and she cries. for lup. for taako. for everything she took from all of them. the next morning she has to send them on another mission. she barely acknowledges them and dismisses them after they have been breifed with a wave of her hand. she had tried to be writing notes but all that had happened was a small scribble of a picture she remembers that lup carried with her. a picture of her and lup smiling and happy. the ink bleeds as the water splashes onto it and for the first time in a long time. lucretia rips a page from her journal. and tosses it.

[inklingofadream]

Ink's 2023 Fic

It’s the end of another year, and you know what that means! Or you joined me this year and don’t, one of the two. At the end of every year I post a list of everything I wrote to become my blog’s pinned post for the upcoming year. However, this year, it’s a bit different. We’ll get to that in a minute.

According to my AO3 stats, I posted 709,908 words of fic in 2023, across 8 fandoms and spread over 64 individual works. That’s a 765.784% increase in word count from last year! I’m unwell!

Normally, I post everything I wrote, split up by fandom and in chronological order, with basic stats and descriptions that vary between synopsis, liner notes, excerpts, or all of the above. However, 45 of those 64 works were written for Whumptober this year. Since they’re mostly for The Magnus Archives (dominating the list as usual) and many of them are very short, I’m not going to list all the TMA fics. I’ll list my favorites and ones I think got less attention than they deserved, as well as all fics for other fandoms, and since that’s my most popular stuff I’m listing it last/under the cut. Wordcount and relationships (romantic or platonic, healthy or not) are listed, but check the AO3 tags, warnings, and notes, as I won’t be including the content warnings here.

Batman

Mom’s Been On a Parenting Kick Lately- 9k, WIP, Talia/Bruce, Talia & Batkids;This is still getting off the ground (I need to get back to it), but I’m excited about the future of this fic! It’s my take on Jason’s post-resurrection time with the League of Assassins, but with timelines turned into spaghetti to facilitate bonding. Talia is currently in possession of 3 batkids, but she isn’t done stealing Bruce’s kids yet :)

i'd walk a wire, jump through a fire for you- 800, complete; literally just just shy of 1k about Dick have feelings about falling and parents

The Locked Tomb

lyin’ on our backs and countin’ the stars- 900, complete, John&Gideon; I’m actually shocked there aren’t way more John and Gideon “bonding” fics out there. This one also has a backstory for Gideon and Ianthe’s friendship bracelets!

The Adventure Zone- Balance

old worn out suit and shoes- 600, complete, Taako&Lup; Post-finale nightmares for Taako, now that he can remember he has a sister to lose

Malevolent

Please Come Back To Me- 2.9k, complete, Parker&Arthur; Parker lives and goes to hunt down and kill whatever used Arthur to try to kill him.

You’re here. That’s all I need to know.- 300 complete; Arthur finds Faroe in the bath.

Living, Dead, or Undecided?- 1.7k, complete; Arthur is sacrificed to the King in Yellow as punishment for what happened to Faroe.

His head and limbs were heavy with ornaments, much of his flesh left unprotected from the elements. It was far too mild a summer evening for that; he deserved to freeze or burn at the freedom of open air. His thoughts were fuzzy with the overpowering cacophony of scented oils and chanting. He was deposited at the top of the hill, too gentle in slope to burn at his atrophied muscles, on a stone slab. They chained him in place, the seeping stone finally sapping enough warmth from his bones to feel appropriate.

Dracula

i still see your ghost- 200, complete, Jonathan/Mina; Some fill-in angst about Jonathan seeing Dracula on September 22… which I did actually write on September 22.

Hannibal

I can’t remember if I cried- 1.7k, complete, Abigail/Marissa; This is actually a concept I came up with in high school lol. Hopefully, someday I’ll write a fic expanding on the shipping kernel of the concept.

Hench

The Kind of World Where We Belong- 1k, complete, Anna/Quantum; AU where Leviathan dies and femslash ensues.

The Magnus Archives

The Vampire Saga- 68k, 6 works, Jon/Martin; The first of several shared universes with @suttttton on this list. Vampire!Elias snacks on Jon until Vampire!Martin gets hold of him instead, fluff and romance ensue. The new works this year both feature Gerry!

The Vampire Saga Route 2- 38k, 7 works, Jon/Martin, Jon/Elias, Jon/suffering; Shares a few fics with its predecessor, up to Martin entering the picture, this is the darker version. Fic this year mostly focuses on Jon meeting Tim and Sasha, and the gang rescuing Danny from the Circus. And the aftermath thereof. I’m really proud of the Circus stuff I wrote!

Bird-Verse- 37k, 7 works, Jon/Beholding, Jon/Martin;Spin-off of cult au, also with Sutton, featuring a happier resolution to many of Jon’s problems, so he gets to live with all his friends and marry Martin. Except for how this year’s additions are about him dealing with the lingering cult intrusions and trauma :)

Indent AU- 50k, 2 works, Jon/everyone;My first foray into writing smut. I’m very proud of it, and I’d say it deserved more love than it got, but I’m realistic about the content being very much not for everyone.

Cult AU Bad Ending- 9k, 2 works, Jon/Beholding, Jon/Jonah; This is a good time to mention that, as I have 10,000 Cult AU derivatives, they have their own AO3 Collection now. This one is a far future fic where Jon is immortal with Jonah and sad about it. It’s a crier.

Interesting- 3.7k, complete, Jon/Elias, Jon/Martin; This is an old fic of Jon and Elias in the Panopticon that got a new chapter for Whumptober! It took about 2 years to get that draft to publication…

restless soul who always skips town- 900, complete, Jon/Peter; This is the one I most wish got more attention. Peter keeps Jon in the Lonely.

When Peter comes, it's wonderful. Peter is a person in a way the Archivist isn't and, he knows, Peter even sometimes leaves the fog. He knows it because Peter gives him journals that are red and gold and violet, so different from the limited palette of the fog and the Archivist and Peter that they make the Archivist's eyes hurt.

dead if they knew- 6k, complete, Elias/Jon/Tim; I had SO much fun fiddling to differentiate the four POVs from each other!

Familiar AU- 16k, 4 works, complete; Jon is kidnapped by Elias and turned into his familiar; for Sasha, Tim, and Martin, it’s a long, hard road to rescuing him.

no beat, no melody- 600, complete; Canon-compliant fic in between Jon getting the tape of the birthday party from MAG161 and the episode itself, hanging around the safehouse in the Depression Zone.

welcomed you with open doors- 1.6k, complete, Martin/Jon; Spiral!Martin in a role reversal au that swaps him and Michael. Martin is much more proactive as the Distortion (and more liable to fall in love with nearby Archivists)

save some face (you know you’ve only got one)- 1.4k, complete; Sasha is altered by the NotThem instead of killed. Half body horror, half giving her my fibromyalgia, all bad times!

somebody once broke me- 2.7k, complete, Jon&Gerry; Gerry lives! Visibly monstery Avatars! Jon gets kidnapped from a kidnapping! It’s all the hits for my body of work ;)

remember this moment- 3.8k, complete, Jon&Daisy; I initially planned this fic for, I think, Februwhump 2021. It’s been slated for every Februwhump and Whumptober since, and FINALLY finished!

Take Me Through the Darkness- 15k, complete; Superhero AU, ft. epistolary interludes! Several more of my greatest hits! (And also Jon getting kidnapped from another kidnapping.) My personal favorite is Jon thinking Tim is a hallucination and crying.

look upon your greatness (and she’ll send the call out)- 8k, complete; Cult AU AU where Georgie tracks Jon down a few months after his kidnapping.

The chances of Jon being abducted, held somewhere, and still alive are so narrow that they might as well not exist. Checking the resources the charity sent, Georgie realized it's even grimmer than that. She struggles to picture Jon doing anything to appease his captors. It's extremely easy, however, to picture him literally or figuratively daring them to kill him.

Something Wretched About This- 2.9k, complete, Jon&Tim; Jon returns from the Circus without vocal cords, and he and Tim have a moment of peace, if not reconciliation.

just like a real-life thelma and louise- 6.6k, complete, Sasha/Annabelle; Sasha and Annabelle have superpowers and escape from the lab experimenting on them.

Kinky Polychives AU- 70k, 2 works, WIP, Polychives; My second, much fluffier smut verse. I tagged Jon as “horny for predicaments instead of people” and I think it’s the thing that’s been commented on specifically by the most people lol

til the veins run red and blue- 200, complete, Jon/Martin; I really like the Lonely, and I don’t know why I don’t write it more. This one is a little Somewhere Else coda with Jmart

come home (to my heart)- 8.7k, complete, Jon&Gerry; a fusion of Little Archive and cult au where Jon is the specialest boy in the whole Cult of Beholding, and Gerry grew up with Mary. If anything I wrote this year gets a sequel, I think it’s this. The fic is all Gerry POV, but I had a chunk written in Jon POV I cut, ft. Jon convincing Beholding that he can definitely wander London solo and it’s FINE, he won’t disappear in the house of a murderer or anything… ;)

Extras- 18k, Jon/Martin; My fae au is complete, but this is a bunch of little bits that inspired me beyond the bounds of the main story, like meeting Melanie, Martin proposing, and so on.

sitting pretty on the throne, nothing more i want (except to be alone)- 217k, WIP, Jon/Beholding; Cult au wraps up another year! Hopefully, by this time next year, it’ll be complete at LAST!

Beneath the Stains of Time- 98k, WIP; Also a contender for longfic that I hope to finish in 2024! This year, we FINALLY got to the gang figuring out Jon’s identity and now it’s all unraveling…

Little Archive- 85k, WIP; Last but certainly not least! I’ve been so happy to see the warm reception for Cecile and Anika this year 💗

[sliceroftpeirweirisles]

Whumpuary 2024 Day 2

2. (Jan 03-04) "Get away from me" / Collapse / Choking

Lup doesn’t realize what Cyrus Rockseeker has truly done until she finally seals him into the vault. She leans heavily against the sealed door, panting from the pain burning between her shoulder blades. Her duties are over and the grand relic she had created is finally out of anyone’s reach. She should be relieved…

Lup’s breathing remained labored as she walked away from the door. She had to get home. Barry and Taako were waiting, and she’d already been gone far too long. Barry was probably overworking himself with the anxiety of being alone. And Taako… he was more than likely inconsolable. Taako never really handled being alone well. It wasn’t until she realized she couldn’t take a deep breath that she understood the gravity of what was happening.

She recognized the signs of dying. 

Her hands started to feel like ice as Lup looked at them with curiosity. Silverpoint. The poison in her bloodstream was quickly staining her blood vessels. She knew she didn’t have long.

This was always the uncomfortable part. Dying quickly and painlessly was always a good way to go, but the slow ones were always the worst for her. She didn’t have the luxury of comfort from her friends as she collapsed against the cave wall. Lup rarely cried during these times either. She never really did cry unless something traumatic was happening, or if Taako was there to witness her dying. This time though, she felt like crying. The pain of being poisoned was an intense pain she wasn't prepared for.

This cycle was supposed to be the one that stuck. She wasn’t supposed to waste her physical form this early. Perhaps this was for the best. Recompense for starting a war they should have never started to begin with. 

Lup noted the slow sensation of the pain releasing from her body, but she couldn’t catch her breath no matter how hard she tried. It felt like drowning with no water in sight. She couldn’t even cough. So she just closed her eyes and waited as the sounds of her own choking reverberated off the walls.

[hopepetal]

I made the mistake of listening to the last TAZ episode during a road trip with my family and I CRIED MY ASS OFF IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VAN

WAUGHHHH AHHHHH THATS FKSJFKSJFJ AHHHHHHHHHH

dude I've been watching so many animatics and these two are my favorites I LOVE LUP SO MUCH

I'm actually writing fanfic (+have already written some fanfic) for TAZ and I'm. GUHHHH what do you MEAN it's over what do you mean....