#magically cured overnight

[dreampearls]

do you ever think. about how collei was subjected to experimental abuse precisely because she was disabled & that dottore's "cure" ultimately traumatized her & put her under immense mental anguish that fed into a self destructive cycle of hatred. that she was seen as able bodied thanks to the archon residue but she was worse off than before. and that it was only after sealing the residue that she was finally allowed peace of mind & a normal life, that she was sent to tighnari precisely because he was a physician who could take care of her once her eleazar came back, that there was no longer any forcible conformation of her body to fit whats deemed as "normal," that allowing her body to exist as it is & just trying to support that was ultimately the safest and best thing for her & what ended up happening after the webtoon

[severus-snaps]

i know we all enjoyed that screencap from hogwarts mystery where madam pomfrey lets slip that snape is needy when he gets a cold but like

maybe it's because he's feeling under the weather that his usual facade cracks. the illness is just a conduit, an excuse to be 'needy', because he finally has something he can blame for feeling bad - something specific that he can pinpoint, one he can share. without meaning to, without any intention or conscious awareness that it's what he's doing, he's seeking the comfort and sympathy he's always been starved for. what would it take to be considered needy, anyway? turning up repeatedly for potions from madam pomfrey, even though he could brew them himself? coughing/sniffing dramatically in the staffroom, sitting by the fire looking like death warmed up, and playing it up a little?

i'm not sure he'd get much, though. in the game, madam pomfrey tells people he's needy, which doesn't suggest sympathy and actually feels a bit mean, telling other people that. when he speaks to the students, he tells them to stop gawking at him with 'feigned pity', suggesting that's what he's used to:

getting back into 'canon' extrapolations from book characterisations, i expect that the other teachers would hardly be sympathetic... (i went on a bit of a ramble so have broken it down below)

mcgonagall mcgonagall is probably the professor suggested to be closest to snape, with their quidditch rivalry bordering a frenemy-style relationship - but she seems very old-school tough love/dismissal, the type to snap "just have a whisky/potion and get on with it"

dumbledore dumbledore might offer some kind words, but their relationship is... complicated. snape is, obviously, a brooding little bitch - he's not about to forget that dumbledore dismissed his wanting to die like it was nothing when lily died, so he's hardly going to think that dumbledore's sympathy is genuine

madam pomfrey i think madam pomfrey would be similarly no-nonsense to mcgonagall; she sees worse every day from kids' magic going wrong, the yearly disaster whenever harry is there, and quidditch injuries, and even when harry is injured i don't remember her being particularly comforting - she'd hardly have time for snape's theatrics.

hagrid weirdly, i think hagrid would be sympathetic - he always seems fairly nice about snape, probably because anyone dumbledore trusts is 1000% incredible in hagrid's book - but i doubt snape comes across hagrid that often outside of mealtimes (should they sit together) since hagrid lives outside the castle, unlike the rest of the staff (which seems a bit mean, on reflection - though maybe hagrid likes it because he prefers nature and his own space, and the freedom to do illegal activities like dragon rearing and breeding possibly illegal creatures, but i digress)

the others i doubt the other professors are close enough to snape to offer anything more than polite, surface-level sympathy for a coworker - and snape knows that.

if we want to get into little bit sad territory, imagine snape in the staffroom. there's a bug going around; everyone has had it at some stage. he leaves a tray of vials filled with pepperup/some other potion; people take them gratefully.

then he overhears sprout like "here filius, make a tea out of this and you'll be right as rain!", mcgonagall sharing her own whisky for a hot toddy with madame hooch when she gets a chesty cough, or the staff put together care packages to take down to hagrid's hut when he's ill.

snape isn't offered anything. the potions quickly run out.

he heads to the hospital wing to ask for another, because his brain fog and aching limbs and sinus pain mean he's firmly not in the mood to be bent over a cauldron to be making any more - and besides, he's made all of the potions for the hospital wing anyway - they're basically his to take. he made them especially for this bug going around. he's handed them out in the staffroom already. he's left them in the slytherin common room. he even took one to dumbledore's office.

but rather than offering anything, madam pomfrey shoos him away quickly, tells him to stop being such a bother - so he just traipses back to his own room, fully aware that nobody will gather leaves for a curative tea for him, he'll be receiving no care packages, no hot toddies, not even his own potions - and if he doesn't show at dinner, because he's tired and grumpy and aching and just wants to sleep, nobody will ask after him - because nobody cares

but yeah. snape, feeling under the weather and subconsciously seeking a little bit of care - and still not receiving any :(

[benkaben]

I don't think I have enough words to express just how much this little show healed something within me by treating all it's characters storylines with love and very human lenses, especially its main ones.

Between the traumatized man who we, as the audience, leave still sleeping in his closet because he's still healing, because he's not magically cured overnight, but we're shown he's getting better; and the deaf man who got reassured again and again that not being able to hear was not a flaw, that he didn't have to compensate for the things he couldn't control, this story keep on repeating that you will find love, friends, family, and it will be caring and patient and kind, and you won't be alone in your journey, as long as that is, because you don't have to prove anything or be anything else than yourself to find it, you just have to let yourself live it.

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

Ok this is my first time requesting but, what about the characters reacting to MC choosing the evil route and to absorb the ancient magic?

HLC REACT TO MC ABSORBING DARK ANCIENT MAGIC

WARNING: angst, canon death

All the power Isadora stored found its rightful place, inside MC. The chaos of the final battle settled to an eerie silence. MC had never felt such clarity. The magic truly was nothing to fear. It was theirs to wield. To control. The very fabric of reality bent to their will. This wasn't a bad thing. No. Everything was going to be just fine.

ELEAZAR FIG: He can barely breath as he watches MC fight to control the magic around them. He couldn't reach out to them. He feared they wouldn't listen if he could at that point anyway. He watched the red ink like magic enter MC. He saw their eyes... What had they become? "I'm sorry I...failed you...M-..." Death claims him in his final moment of sorrow.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: He's taken aback by MC's sudden insistence about curing Anne. They went from "I'm not even sure I can do what Isadora did" to "I CAN CURE ANNE" overnight. They seem manic, wide eyed and a bit... unhinged. He would be thrilled to hear this but MC's sudden shift in energy has him unsettled. Besides, Anne isn't in Feldcroft anymore and Ominis isn't speaking to him. He's not sure what to do.

OMINIS GAUNT: He regrets letting it slip that he was in contact with Anne. MC is now demanding to see her. They don't sound themselves. Their very presence feels "off". He can't quite explain it. He starts avoiding them as well. Not that it seems to help, he discovers his dorm has been raided. Letters to and from Anne stolen.

ANNE SALLOW: She's in a quiet cottage far south of Hogwarts valley. She's alone, trying to find peace, when there is a sudden knock at the door. She raises her wand. She's not expecting visitors. She hears a familiar voice on the other side. "MC? What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

MC enters and politely closes the door behind them. They look at her with a smile that should seem friendly, but there is malicious intent in their eyes. "Stay back!" She tries to shout but the curse surges with pain and she grabs her side. While she's distracted MC wordlessly expells her wand and taps their own wand to her chest.

She sits at the table next to the fire. There is no pain. Yet, there is no relief. No joy. Nothing...

IMELDA REYES: MC isn't challenging her to race anymore. They seemed to have lost all interest in competing. Even when she instigates them, they just smile at her with this really unsettling smile and say it's a waste. They had "bigger plans" whatever that means. She always knew they were a bit weird, but this was completely out of character.

NATSAI ONAI: MC suddenly didn't seem like the person she thought she knew. They would ask her if she was still in pain from the crusiotus curse and seem way too interested in "taking her pain away". She didn't understand why they suddenly seemed so obsessed with her pain. Then the questions became inappropriate, asking about her emotional pain. Like when she lost her father. She's less interested in being around them after that, but she keeps seeing MC out of the corner of her eye.

GARRETH WEASLEY: MC seemed strangely distant since the goblin attack. He would try to involve them in more of his experiments, like they used to, but they refuse every time. Then they would get rude that they had "real magic" to perform, not "alchemical party tricks". He's not sure what he had done to offend them, but he's sorely disappointed that he lost what he thought was a friend.

LEANDER PREWETT: He hears whispers. Rumors that MC is behaving differently. He can see it too, even from a distance. MC destroying things for fun, having no regard for any school work or activities, casting spells that seem WAY too strong for any fifth year. He decides to just steer clear.

AMIT THAKKAR: He's been hearing MC talking to themselves, muttering about change. Change that didn't sound like anything good. If he asked, they'd just tell him "You'll see". They're being cryptic and creepy and he doesn't like it. He doesn't even see them in class anymore. He doesn't know where he'll see them again, but he jumps every time they seem to appear out of nowhere.

EVERETT CLOPTON: He's so far out of the loop that he doesn't understand what's going on. He knows about the goblin attack, everyone does, but MC is suddenly acting like a crazy person? Hogwarts favorite person to talk about seems to be cracking. Shame. He liked them.

POPPY SWEETING: She notices that even the beasts are acting differently around MC. They seem frightened. They can sense something is very wrong with MC. She tries to gently broach the subject and MC nearly takes her head off with defensive rage, their eyes flashing red. Then their mood rapidly shifts to apologize. She backs away. Stay away from her.

MC: They'll all see. I am the answer. I am the truth. I am the end AND the new beginning. There is no good or evil, only power.

They'll all see

They'll all see

T̴̢̘̀h̸̛̟͔͆͠ẻ̴̠̀͝y̵͕͂̾'̶̝͈͇͒͐l̴̜̙͛̈́̇l̸̲̳̻̉̇͛ ̸̤͓͓͝ã̷̠̪ḷ̶̡̀̆̆l̵̗͓̅̓̋ ̴̜̣̏s̸̨̈̆̅ë̷͓́e̶͍͇͐͌͝

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

She’s slowly coming to life! First time sculpting a face and I’m not hating how it looks lol

I also switched to Magic Sculpt over Apoxy Sculpt and I already have decided I want to stick to using it for now. It’s so much nicer to work with and lets me do way more detailed work without balling up and crumbling.

Going to leave this to cure overnight and add more details when it’s solid.

The rest of the body and tail are also no where near done so should be fun to work on!

[chuuyas-nakahara]

i need to talk about oda’s conversation with dazai while oda is dying and how oddly comforting it is to hear as someone who struggles with mental illness

first it’s the radical acceptance of oda telling dazai no, you’re not going to find something to fill the void of loneliness in your life. you’re not going to find something that magically makes you want to live and the darkness you’ve grown so accustomed to is always going to be there. because this is the reality for so many mentally ill people: we do not get cured overnight, we never fully heal but instead find better ways to cope and to manage, since the majority of mental illnesses and disorders are lifelong struggles.

but it’s the next thing oda says to dazai that really kind of hits - when dazai asks what he’s supposed to do and oda tells him to be good anyways. to try to make his life more beautiful regardless. that even though dazai may never find a reason to live, it doesn’t mean he has to spend whatever time he does have left living completely in the dark

i think a lot of media out there tries to portray mental illness as something that needs to be cured or as something that will disappear with a strong enough will, or after a set amount of time. what i love so much about bsd is that it treats these characters that are suicidal, or dealing with the repercussions of abuse and trauma, not as fragile characters with issues that need to be resolved but simply as humans who are trying their best despite what they’ve been through.

it’s a very refreshing take on those sorts of themes to say no, not everything is going to be okay 100% of the time and you might always struggle to find happiness. but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to make your life a little more beautiful anyways, whatever that means to you

[honeybadger-has-a-grimoire]

Lemon Ginger Infused Honey | Clover’s Cookbook

Hey everyone, it’s Clover here and this is the Lemon Ginger Honey Infusion!

Originally, this recipe was passed down to me through my mom who learned it from my paternal grandmother. We found around the time I was in third or fourth grade that over the counter medicine was starting to lose effect on me, so my grandma told my mom this recipe to see if it helps. And, to everyone’s relief, it did!

(Although, Mini Clover was not a fan of the taste originally—it’s grown on me immensely.)

My mom needed to tell me that it was “Magic Tea” to get me to drink it. And, after trying Theraflu a year or two later, I agreed that: “yes, it was magic because it was medicine that tasted better than anything else”. Now this infusion is my go-to cold cure.

(I also drank almost half of my batch that I made almost a year and a half ago when I was laid up in bed with the flu in March. That thing is very shelf-stable.)

Without any more preamble, here’s the recipe!

What you will need:

An airtight container

Fresh Lemons, I usually use three or four but it depends on the size of the container.

Fresh Ginger, I usually use a handful of ginger root but it depends on the size of the container.

Honey

How to make it:

1. Rinse and slice the lemons and ginger

You can shred the ginger if you like, but I usually slice it up whenever I use it. Shredding ginger takes a lot of time that I personally do not have—and our grater is a pain to wash.

2. Layer the sliced ginger and lemon on top of each other in the airtight container, getting as close to the top as possible.

I use an empty instant coffee container, if you want ideas for it. It is a bit larger than I need, since I’m the only one in the house that drinks this infusion when I’m sick, but the trade off is that I know it’s airtight and there will be enough for at least a year. You can use mason jars or any other airtight containers you have on hand. The old instant coffee jar is just my suggestion.

3. After layering the lemon and ginger in the airtight container, add the honey. You want to fill the honey all the way to the top of the container if possible. If you can’t, at least so it covers the top layer of the lemon-ginger tower.

You will probably be using all the honey in the bottle, just so you know. When I first did this myself, I was unaware how much honey I needed and had to go out and buy another bottle because the container was bigger than expected. So just a heads up.

4. Seal the airtight container and let sit out overnight then place it in the fridge a month before use.

So I was unaware until recently that, for max potency and a proper infusion of the ingredients, you want your honey infusions to sit for a month before use. I just ended up getting super lucky the past few times I made it because I replenish my infusion when the house runs out, not when I need it right away. So my suggestion is make it in late July or Early August, that way it sits the month and you have it for cold and flu season.

5. Add to your preferred tea when sick and drink it throughout the day. For me, doing this kicks whatever is brewing in my system—and usually works in about a day for the few people I’ve given the infusion to. But take it as long as you think you need it, you’re the only one who knows your body.

Why this works:

Lemon:

Lemon is high in vitamin C which helps boost the immune system and shorten the duration of colds.

Vitamin C is also helpful to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke (healthline.com), which aren’t important to this cold cure, but good to know anyway.

Hot Lemon Water is also good for sore throats and congestion in a 2008 study, as per medicalnewstoday.

Ginger:

Ginger is good for the gut as it helps settle stomachs, and the bitterness of the root kicks your digestive system into overdrive to clear out what the body considers to be possibly poison due to the taste (any Holistic Herbalism podcast episode where Ginger is involved).

Ginger’s anti inflammatory properties also help reduce pain and inflammation with a sore throat you usually get with a cold, as per this medicalnewstoday article (link here).

Ginger is also antiviral and antibacterial just like lemons are. So it helps get rid of any unwanted viruses or bacteria building up because of the cold, flu, etc.

Important note about ginger—if you or a loved one is on blood thinners don’t take ginger. Ginger’s chemical compounds will have a reaction with your blood thinners and make the blood super thin. This will cause excessive bleeding that is potentially life threatening.

Honey:

Honey is a natural cough suppressant and throat-soother. It is also antimicrobial. A Harvard Health article (link here) indicated that honey works well for upper respiratory viruses (such as a cold) and some studies observed that taking honey shortened the duration of the cold in some participants.

Conclusion:

Well that’s it! That’s my Lemon Ginger Honey Infusion that I have with my tea when I’m sick. My preference as a tea pairing with this concoction is usually Moroccan Mint, Peace of Mind Tea, or just normal green tea.

It depends on what we have in the house.

I usually pour it into the tea with the intent of helping me feel better soon as well. Just to add a boost of magick to an already great cold cure.

Have any of you tried this before? Do you have alternatives for this cold cure? If so, tell me!

Thank you all for reading and have a wonderful day!

[shadowlink06]

Kique’s Love Language: Lust Only

So there have been some thoughts about the newest pages (885 and 886) and I wanted to add into the discussion. When you write, you are inserting a part of yourself into the story that you are telling. Anyone that tells you that they aren’t, is lying or being disingenuous. It could be a little influence, it could be a lot. Just depends on the creator of the piece. Having said that, I do believe that the reason a lot of the romance issues in Home is a problem is because Kique has no idea how a healthy relationship works. I’m not trying to take podshots at him. This is merely based on what is viewable in the comic although yes, how he treated his IRL partners leaves a lot to be desired. It would be one thing if there was just one instance of bad relationships within the story, but there are multiple ones. This is not an issue in itself, but not once does Kique ever acknowledge its existence to the audience, via a character or stated within the subtext that these relationships or ever present them as… questionable at best. 

Ignoring that Rome is a self-insert, his character growth is flat. We saw him at Ravencrest. He was an outsider and the others were related to each other. He knew that the brothers were jackasses but still stayed there because reasons. When Jahla got caught, he tells the Jarl that Havenreach is an ally of the Solar Stag Tribe to his Jarl. Even though the Jarl didn’t believe him, Rome again had no reason to nearly murder his tribe members and free a ‘dangerous’ wolf by the locals. He has no reason to trust Jahla but for some reason he does. He’s hamfisted in the story and his subsequent appearances haven’t painted him in a better light. That’s always been my problem with this character. If Jalha has a concern, Rome is there. If Jalha needs someone to talk to, Rome is there. Rome read the script to the story and magically knows how to solve every problem or how to answer it. Nevermind that Thacker and Folliun have been by her side longer than Gigachad Rome. She goes directly to him and doesn’t ask the opinion of a fucking priest or her damn familiar. She knew Rhov for years, but in the span of a few months (if that, it’s hard to tell with the bad pacing of this comic) gets together with this bastard. 

Someone reminded me that Jahla was being groomed to the leaders for Asmundr with Rhov and I honestly forgot about this early plot point. She lost her dominant qualities almost overnight it seems. And this isn’t a one time deal because Ronja suffers the same issue. What was wrong having two dominant partners, or a situation where a role reversal happens and the females are dominant? Why does competency seem to only work for males and not females? It’s not surprising that though a FxF has been named, their relationship is happening off screen and I expect that to continue to be the case.  

Rogio/Roamer, Rogio/Roamer/Kargo, Jahla/Rome, and to a smaller extent Rhov/Feaf have this same problem. One of the characters just dominates the relationship with the other being notably demure and submissive. When I say dominant, I’m not speaking about force here, but I mean just about all of the actions taken or discussions are typically dictated by one character. A healthy relationship is built on compromise and understanding with BOTH parties involved. The above relationships I mentioned are fueled by lust. Someone is sad? They have sex. Someone is going through a crisis? Sex cures all. Roamer found out that Zilas was killed by the MT. This supposedly important character DIED at the hands of a hostile tribe and Rogio just fucks him 10 minutes later. This is not a misunderstanding because it’s been happening all too often in the comic in the later chapters. 

Roamer and Kargo had issues, but it was relatable to many readers because there were ups and downs in their relationship which is true to anyone. Ironically enough this relationship was one of his best written relationships because Kique was copy and pasting from Sparticus. I hate to say it, but when he was stealing dialogue, he wrote better. A huge oversight is that there are no conflicts within the character dynamics when lovers are concerned. If Kique wanted to go that route, he should have just created a bunch of Porn without Plot pieces with his favorite characters.

[f1crecs]

Fic Rec List - Festive Favourites

you might also enjoy: @f1hallmarkfest - for more festive treats🎄🎁

if your fic is on this list and you don’t want it to be, please let us know and we will remove it immediately, no questions asked. we have contacted most of the authors on this list, but sometimes people fall through the gaps - just pop us a message🤍

have a pairing you want me to do next? please read the faqs and then head to the inbox.

don’t forget to give the authors featured on this list some love in the form of kudos, bookmarks, and comments!

Wishing all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas, and a peaceful New Year. Thank you for all of your support in 2023 ❤️🎄

Love,

Briony, Alison, Esra, Mandy, Caroleen, Clara, Leaf, Katie & Tia 🎅🤶❤️

Carlos/Lando

nsfw: Glitter and Be Gay by @phebess | E | 14.7k

Lando is an out and proud primary school art teacher, and Carlos is the hot dad who has caught his eye. This is such a sweet and tender story of self-discovery and identity. As always, Phebes' humour is on point - I laughed out loud several times!

'Lando is wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and waiting outside the school for the bus to take them all to the Christmas Village - he's been before, and it's cute. There's little food stalls, a big man dressed as Santa, tons of fake snow, and even a reindeer petting zoo. A small childish part of him is excited, even if he's going with the company of a bunch of five year olds.'

Fernando/Mark

Lonely This Christmas by @seafoampearlygirl | NR | 19.5k

Mark is stuck at home for Christmas with nobody but the dogs and nothing but what's in the freezer during the worst snowstorm in 40 years. Fernando won't hear of it. He turns up on Mark's doorstep with a metric tonne of food and a plan for seduction. Mark is completely clueless. This fic combines all the best elements of Christmas fic and cosy, snowed in snugglefic. Fernando is written here as he seems IRL - larger than life with emotions to match. Mark is quietly pining and completely unaware that he is being wooed.

'He made Fernando's bed up with soft sheets that he knew were the warmest he owned. He added some heavy throws, because Fernando was Spanish and used to warmer weather. If Mark had had mints in the house, he'd have put one on the pillow. Fernando had brought dinner, dessert, wines, snacks, a frankly terrifying amount of cured meats and cheeses, a very stuffed overnight bag that suggested a longer stay, his laptop, hot water bottles and candles (“in case of power problems”), DVDs (no Christmas movies except Die Hard, Mark was glad to note), and some groceries. The last, even though it wasn't festive, really blew Mark away. A Christmas surprise was magical, but someone had to really care to bring you milk and bread and teabags. He'd even remembered Mark had a fireplace, and had brought firewood, firelighters and coal from the car. If Mark had a spare kidney, he'd have put it on Fernando's pillow, never mind a stupid mint.'

Alex/George

slip a sable under the tree by @strawberry-daiquiris | M | 5k George and Alex are roommates, and George takes a Christmas job as a Christmasgram. This story is everything - the humour, the pining, the festive vibes. I loved it!!

George can feel his cheeks turning as red as his Santa hat, sweat trickling down his back under the polyester, and he’ll need to wipe that off before he gets his top off.

Daniel/Max

home among the gumtrees by @albertparks | T | 10.3k

A love letter to Australian Christmas; Max and Daniel spend the holidays together. This story is stunning, and encapsulates Australian Christmas perfectly. It's so immersive and sweet.

'They walk, and walk, and walk through the yellowing grass. The sky is an endless mirage of blues, pink, and purples, the stars beginning to peak out as the sun lowers its harsh gaze. It's beautiful here, there's nowhere quite like Perth in the middle of summer. LA is fun, Monaco is relaxing, but nowhere will home quite like here.'

Esteban/Pierre

People You Know by @estemick | M | 6.4k Esteban invites Pierre to spend Christmas with him after Pierre's flight is cancelled. Set during Christmas 2022, after Pierre's move to Alpine has been announced. Esteban inviting Pierre home with him is something of an olive branch, which Pierre warily accepts. They take a zigzag path toward reconnecting with one another. Their awkward, yet heartfelt conversations show the gradual unfurling of their old friendship, and a little more besides. This fic is gentle and soft, and it's cosy atmosphere of a Christmas for two, curled up safe and warm while a snowstorm rages outside, makes it a perfect festive read.

Esteban had been alone in motorsport for years, and now he’s best friends with Mick Schumacher of all people, the son of his childhood hero. How does something like that even happen? After another stretch of not-quite-comfortable silence, Pierre decides to ask. It’s not like he can make this any more awkward. “You and Mick seem close.” Esteban keeps his focus on the snowy road in front of them, but Pierre can see a vein bulging in his temple before he sighs and responds. “We are.” “How did that happen?” “What do you mean?” “You’ve just never been great at making friends.” As soon as the words have left Pierre’s mouth, he realises how cruel they are. Esteban is silent for so long that Pierre isn’t certain that he’s going to respond at all. “I didn’t need to. I had you.” “You were friends with other people.” They had been close with Charles and Anthoine for almost as long as they had known each other. Esteban had been shy, but it’s not like he was alone . At least, he had always been present by Pierre’s side. "You took them with you. When you left.”

Charles/Pierre

you set my heart on fire by @boxboxbrioche | M | 14.7k

Charles returns home to the small town he grew up in for Christmas. His career as a photographer has kept him away for several years. After being volunteered to help with a charity calendar, he reconnects with his childhood friend, Pierre, who is now a firefighter.Why I liked it: This fic has a lovely Hallmark movie vibe, leaning into the trope of career-motivated protagonist coming home and realising what is important in life. The Leclerc family vibes are exquisite, Charles's mum and brothers just the right mix of teasing and loving. Pierre, of course, is as knee-weakeningly attractive to Charles as he always is.

Pierre gave him a thumbs up, still grinning. Charles watched with wide eyes as Pierre did the one thing that no one else had - headed straight for the fire pole. “You’re not really going to–” Before Charles could finish that sentence, Pierre had grabbed the pole with two hands and was hanging off of it, feet planted firmly on the floor, his head tilted back. He looked - ridiculous, was the first word that came to Charles’ mind, closely followed by (to his horror) hot. There was something about the way he held himself; the curve of his body, the angle of his chin, that had Charles wondering if he’d done this before. Pierre glanced at him, grinning. “Well? Are you not going to take the shot?"

All's Well That End's Well (To End Up With You) series by @welightitup, @boxboxbrioche and @redyellowstupid | T | 15.7k

Due to both of their hectic calendars, Pierre and Charles have a tradition of celebrating their birthdays late - in July for Pierre's, and in December for Charles'. This series is all about celebration, long-time friendship and a delicious slow-burn friends-to-lovers. I love the way these authors capture Pierre and Charles' dynamic - their friendship shines through in a way that feels so beautifully real and true to them. These fics even come with a bonus piece of art in the third part of the series! All in all, the series is just incredibly heartwarming, nostalgic and beautifully written, and will leave you with the biggest smile on your face, just like a true Hallmark holiday rom-com. (Because after all, what's more Hallmark-y than realising you've been in love with your childhood best friend all along?)

The air is sprinkled with the scent of cinnamon and chocolate as they make their way through the market stalls lining the centre of Rouen. Despite the late evening hour, it is teeming with more people Charles remembers there ever being. There’s an empty cup that had contained mulled wine in one hand, the other clutching onto Pierre’s sleeve as he trails behind him to make sure they don’t get separated.

Lights from the market and the fair at the far end twinkle like coloured fairy lights strung across the entirety of the area. There is a contagious merry mood, everyone sharing smiles and nods and the odd “joyeux Noël”, no matter who they are, and bitter bite of the weather - now in the single digits - is soothed by the heat radiating off the bustling crowds and the food stalls.

nsfw: wishing for a blue christmas by @duquesademiel and @wolfiemcwolferson | E | 29.4k

This is a non-drivers AU and soulmates AU. Pierre and Charles have a meet-cute moment when their luggage gets mixed up on a flight. Pierre is on holiday alone after his long term girlfriend left him after finding her soulmate. Charles's family immediately adopts him. What I liked about it: This fic is a lovely feelgood Christmas read. The Leclerc family scenes are wonderful, I'm not sure if I liked matchmaker Pascale, annoying brat younger brother Arthur or kind older brother Lorenzo more but between the three of them Charles's dignity doesn't stand a chance. Pierre and Charles are made for each other, obviously, but the tension arises from the fact that Pierre already has a soulmark and has SOMEone out there already. Hmm.

“I got you something else,” Pierre tells him. “Sit up so you can see.” Charles glares at him but allows himself to be pulled up to a sitting position and then he sets the bag into Charles’ lap and Charles immediately sticks his hand down into the bag to pull out…a - He throws his head back to laugh, reaching for the gift he got Pierre and setting it on his lap. Pierre only has time to look momentarily confused before he is pulling out an identical keychain that Charles is also holding. Charles had purchased it because it looks vaguely like his soulmark and Pierre never has to use it, but it had made Charles smile and apparently Pierre as well. “This is perfect,” Pierre says, and Charles is about to be the one to lean over and kiss him, but he hears Arthur shout from the main room and they both freeze, wide eyed. “You can escape now.” Charles whispers. “Save yourself.”

Charles/Max

As long as I get to keep you by @babysharl | T | 34k

When Charles and Max find each other at Daniel's New Year's party, they find themselves in a little predicament–when the clock strikes midnight, it grants a wish to the one who winds it up. It turns out–he's wished for a dream to come true: to be surrounded by love. Oh my goodness, this is one of my all time FAVORITE magical realism fics! The magic of the clock, wish fulfillment, it's amazing and so well-written. Literally, every moment of the fic took me somewhere new, and I definitely recommend it wholeheartedly!!!

It were moments like these that highlighted just how much of a different reality this was. They weren't supposed to take naps in real life, it fucked up their sleep schedules. He and Max, even though closer, were never this close until probably last night, where Charles had a vague recollection of falling asleep on Max. The general softness of the moment, their breaths slow and gentle, Max's eyes lazily moving from their nephew to Charles again, fondness mushing up the edges of the piercing blue. None of this was reality for Charles. He felt so at peace, though, that he chose to ignore the obvious. He chose to ignore the phone call, and that this wasn't his to have, that this wasn't the Max he wanted in his bed despite how similar he was, that this was just a dream he would wake up from. He wondered if he and Max could ever have something resembling this. He doubted it. Not with their lives.

Christian/Toto

the season of eyes meeting over the noise by @nobrakesdown | T | 9.1k

Toto and Christian are a pair of mildly antagonistic music teachers fighting over space in a concert venue for their respective classes. Gradually, they find themselves like one another more than they expected. This fic captures the snarky back and forth thise two have irl, and also the hint of affability you see in some of their interactions. A lot of the snark in the fic seems like it's for habit or show, and the gradual bloom of affection is not a surprise considering the groundwork's been done. This is a sweet little holiday story, perfect to curl up with.

He’s still holding his own coffee cup as they walk out of the shop, with Daniel waving after them as they go. The cold hits them as they go through the door, and Toto sees Christian shove his hands into his pockets again. He acts without really thinking, putting his cup down on a low wall that runs along the sidewalk. He slips off one glove, and then the other. Placing them carefully together, he holds them out to Christian, who stares at him. Toto huffs, his breath hanging in the cold air. “I’m not the one who didn’t bring appropriate clothing. Go on, take them.” “But that’s a terrible solution,” Christian says. “Now your hands will get cold.” “They won’t,” Toto says, not getting pulled into this. “I still have a warm cup to carry back with me.” Christian shakes his head, but when Toto holds the gloves closer to him he takes them. He turns them over in his hands before, apparently approvingly, putting them on. Toto finds himself watching, but he forces his mind away from thinking that his gloves look good on Christian. That would be ridiculous to think, because they’re just gloves.

[sweethoneyrose83]

Bone Writing prompts:

The Bone Collector: In a world where bones hold mystical power, an ancient society hunts for the rarest bones to perform rituals. You’ve inherited a mysterious bone from a long-lost relative—what secrets does it hold, and why are others willing to kill for it?

Beneath the Surface: Archaeologists discover an ancient underground city made entirely of bones. The deeper they go, the more sinister the city’s origins seem. What was its purpose, and what’s still lurking in its depths?

Bone Whisperer: You have the ability to hear the stories of people through their bones. When you stumble upon an unmarked grave, the bones whisper a chilling tale of betrayal. Will you seek justice for the dead, or will you become part of the tale?

Skeleton Crew: After a deadly plague wipes out most of the population, a group of survivors uncovers a ship crewed entirely by sentient skeletons. They claim to have a cure—but at what cost?

The Bone Forge: In a dystopian future, people can forge weapons and tools out of their own bones. As a skilled bone smith, you are tasked with creating the ultimate weapon—but the material you need is something no one is willing to sacrifice.

Graveyard Guardian: The bones in an ancient cemetery begin to reassemble themselves, forming guardians of the graves. You are the keeper of the cemetery, and it’s up to you to figure out what has awakened the dead.

Bone Marrow Magic: In a world where magic comes from bone marrow, the rarest abilities come from the marrow of mythical creatures. You are on a quest to find the legendary dragon bones to cure a disease spreading across the land, but so are many others.

A Bone to Pick: A detective in a small town begins investigating a series of murders where the victims’ bones are meticulously removed. What is the killer’s motive, and what connection do these bones have to a dark legend in the town?

Bone Music: An old instrument made from human bones plays hauntingly beautiful music that can manipulate emotions and even reality. You find it in your attic—what happens when you play it, and who is drawn to its power?

City of Bones: A massive, ancient city made entirely from the bones of forgotten gods appears overnight. Those who enter are granted immense power, but the cost is their own mortality. Do you dare enter, and what will you sacrifice?

[self-loving-vampire]

Scenario: This one is a little longer, but please be patient. You and your sisters have washed ashore in a strange land, after spending a few nights traveling by ship. It appears to be a continent you've never been to, so you set out to explore.

You discover that you've landed in the shores of a desert kingdom full of animal-human hybrids. They all seem oddly cold towards your party. Investigating further, the local sultan greets you warmly and with welcome arms. You all decide to take him up on his invitation, and are invited to a great feast as guests of honor.

The next morning, you wake up in chains in one, large, luxurious bed. What's more pressing, is that overnight you've developed the same animal features the rest of the inhabitants of this kingdom have, and are wearing gold and silk bikinis that accentuate your new parts. Your food was poisoned and you've been cursed. As if that weren't enough, as the day goes you all start feeling odd. It appears that you all have been charmed, so that you will never want to leave the sultan's harem. Some of you, but not all (perhaps only one) have managed to resist the charm spell. The ones who are now madly in love with the sultan are not in any way hostile.

From here:

What sorts of bodies do each of your sisters transform into? What do their outfits look like?

Which of you is most likely to resist the charm?

Whichever one(s) ends up with their mind intact will be in charge of helping free the other two, and later escape together. How does she or they go about freeing the others from their spell? What steps do you take to escape?

Do you cure both the animal curse and the charm? just one? neither? Which sister would pick which option?

Sharing with @cyberbun since she's the furry sister. Hope she writes her own thoughts in a reblog or something.

I think it makes sense to talk about the last point together with the first one because it would heavily depend on what the exact changes are. I am not into fur myself so if I ended up as a humanoid dog instead of just having dog ears and a tail I would definitely want to change that.

If we are getting more partial transformations then I don't think most of us would be very inclined to undo them unless there's some side effect we are worried about. I think even if it was transforming into furries/scalies it's going to be primarily me and the other me who have strongly negative feelings about looking like that and the others may not dislike it.

As usual, most of us would probably end up becoming dogs, with Jade as a snake and Lottie as a rabbit.

For clothing, I generally imagine this type of dancer outfit, with thin and transparent pieces of cloth covering only a few parts.

I know both versions of me would be very resistant to charming. It's usually the rule that enchantments that are in particularly high conflict with your usual self are easier to resist and create more points of friction that can lead to breaking the effect. Given that I'm narcissistic, suspicious of people, already devoted to someone else, averse to being touched by strangers, kind of repulsed by sex, and generally high in willpower I predict even if I didn't resist the charm outright it wouldn't take long before it comes into conflict with enough parts of me that the magic starts to break down on its own eventually.

From there I think releasing master and the others should not be too difficult, especially if I can pretend to still be charmed (easy for me) and dig around the sultan's palace. Possibly plan an assassination depending on what information I uncover. If the others still remember me while charmed that simplifies things too. I can remind them of the things they wanted to do that they are now barred from. Even while they are still controlled I can try to use them as cat's paws to make certain requests from the sultan through them that might sound suspicious coming from me.

I expect everyone in the group will want to be released, even the ones that really want to be mind controlled and made into trophies as a sort of stress relief, if it is the result of deception by a stranger.

I think part of the difficulty of the situation would come not just from breaking the curse but from escaping afterwards. It would be amateurish to neglect the final part of the plan and start winging it, so I would like to investigate the local politics and geography before I act. I should hopefully be able to plan a route out of the country and secure disguises.

How difficult all of that is may depend on how much freedom the wives get and whether or not third parties are less cold to us after the transformation. I wouldn't expect ideal circumstances there, but I can think of ways to get around the most obvious obstacles I'm expecting just by acting.

[invaderhogtwopointohno]

Wind Breaker and Trauma

Hey, you should go watch Wind Breaker right the fuck now because I have not seen a slice-of-life anime that has done such a good job depicting what it is like to live and deal with ongoing trauma in such a beautiful way. Just for context:

Our main character naturally has two different eye colors and that is actually his natural hair. His parents constantly told him to dye his hair to make him look like a "normal person" and everyone he ever met judged him based solely on his hair and eye color. While this kind of look stands out in anime, the story actually does a great job of weaponizing his differences to make him a piraha.

Because he was a young impressionable boy, he started fighting because he didn't know how to deal with his ongoing and continuous verbal and emotional abuse from just about everyone he had ever met. Sakura spends his entire life literally just fighting everyone he meets and he values strength of a person above all else because he considers that the only trait worth noting in a person. This is deeply rooted in his inability to form any kind of positive human connections with everyone and he genuinely doesn't trust or bond with anyone he meets.

So he heads to an infamous high school that is known for its fighting and decides that he wants to be the top dog there because he can only value his own self-worth through the use of violence. But when he gets there, he finds out that the town is actually protected by the kids of the school- the leader of the school has turned the entire neighborhood around and the people love them, they are revered as heroes and protect the citizens. Without even knowing that, he ends up protecting a woman who is getting harassed by a group of guys and even gets stabbed defending her. When she shows that she is grateful and actually provides him with a meal- he is genuinely confused. He doesn't understand why she isn't shunning him like everyone he has ever known. And it turns out the entire town is like this, they think that he is a good kid and he helps out the neighborhood but he has such deep seeded trust issues that he is confused by actual kindess.

He even meets other kids that he keeps at arms length because he is so certain based off of the abuse that he has suffered his entire life applies to everyone he meets. Which is ironic and the show calls him out for this train of thought as being exactly the kind of thinking that the people who mistreated him had.

It so well done and his issues don't just go away overnight because he suddenly is shown kindness- he is still suffering from his trauma and has issues with trust and actually forming real genuine friendships with people, which I really like because the anime isn't pretending that his deep trauma is going to be magically cured because he forms a few relationships with people. The real story is about his fight to the be the best- but what does that mean exactly? What does he actually want? The show does a fantastic job of exploring that. Please watch it, it is so good

[liquid-luck-00]

Marks of Magic

Day 5 Pumpkins of Maribat Spooktober 2023

First *** Previous *** Next

Language and cursing is used

1540 Words

~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn’t until Wednesday that she was able to talk with Jason again. The teachers told her he was out sick but she didn’t believe it. Every call, every text she sent was ignored. She doesn’t know why he was ignoring her but something was weighing on her.

She walked into home room and there he was like normal, but he didn’t look up and give her a nod or even acknowledgement. Even as she put her things down, he turned away. So she sat down not saying anything but put the journal down between them, like any other day.

Neither of them moved to write, much less actually spoke, and their silence continued, one class, then two, three, by the time lunch came around she had enough. Whenever the bell would ring he would practically run out of the class. And in the next class he would ignore her again. So, before fourth period would end she grabbed the back of his school blazer. The bell ring and she held tight. He got up but was forced to pop back into his seat.

"If you hate me and never want to talk to me again…" She choked out. "It’s fine, but just tell me so I can get over it."

Tears began to sting her eyes, she was staring at Jay’s back, her hand now falling back into her lap.

"Why?… Why would I hate you?" He turned towards her, and she finally got a good look at his face for the first time that day. His eyes were puffy, one looks like it had been swollen shut.

"Because I was stupid, and cocky, and could have easily gotten both of us killed." Tears now flowed down her cheeks as she tried to palm them dry.

"I don’t hate you." He reached up to her face, hesitating for a moment before trying to dry her tears as well. "I hate that I didn’t do anything. That I just stood there while you could have been killed."

That’s when she finally looked at him. His words were so sincere, that she stopped crying to look at him. And then she finally seemed to notice, his left eye it had been swollen shut recently. She could she the expertly blended foundation and undertones to cover the bruises underneath, but she could tell.

She lifted a hand and her fingers ghosted over the injury. "What happened?!"

"I was stupid." He grumbled, turning to the left so she couldn’t see his eye. "I snuck out and got in a fight."

"Jay." She wanted to make it better, but there isn’t a cure anymore.

"They want to meet you." He dropped after a few seconds of silence, finally looking at her again.

"Who?"

"B and Alfred. They think your a good influence or something."

"Oh, and why would they think that?" She stood up pulling her with him. "Come on let’s go eat."

"Fine." He scooped up his bag and followed her.

"So I looked into that Halloween thing."

"Serious."

'Yeah and I’ve decided I want to make that one thing from a pumpkin."

"A Jack-O-Lantern."

"Yeah that."

"You want to do it tonight."

"Really!" She beamed only bringing it up as a distraction, but now they might actually do it.

"I’ll ask Alfred if we can grab some today before we head home."

"So I’m going to meet them today!" Her mind finally catching up to the conversation.

"Why not?"

"Sure! Why not!" She grinned.

•••

"You must be Miss Dupain-Cheng." And older man waited for them by a town car.

"Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you." She gave a small curtsy.

"I assure you it is all mine, I am Alfred Pennyworth." The man ushered them into the car before sitting behind the wheel. "Would you like to retrieve an over night bag, as it may be late after you finish your activity and school work."

It never crossed her mind as she wasn’t planning on staying the night. "I wouldn’t want to impose."

"It would not be, seeing as I drop Master Jason at school in the morning as well."

"That would be great, thank you."

So they stopped by her apartment building, she grabbed a quick overnight bag and ran back outside. And got back in the car. She seemed at ease casually talking with Alfred, as he insisted she call him, and Jay. Soon enough they arrived at a manor and she watched the perfectly scaped lawns and flower beds roll into the imposing manor.

"You must be Marinette." A man smiled at her as they got out of the car. "Bruce Wayne a pleasure to meet you." He extended a hand and she took it.

"Like wise." She smiled. The comment from a few nights before finally making sense.

"Your home early." Jay commented as he pulled her inside past him.

"Jason!"

She looked back quickly.

"Give him time Master Bruce." Alfred placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder, who instantly deflated a bit. Then called out to them. "Pumpkins are in the dining room."

"Thanks Alfred." Jay called cheerfully over his shoulder. "We can do our homework there too."

"Sounds like a plan."

Home work was simple and they got through it pretty fast, but not before Alfred called them for dinner. Which brought yet another new face.

"Seriously Bruce, another kid!" A man not much older, maybe 18 or 19 if she had to guess, came into the room.

"Master Richard, this is Marinette." Alfred cut in, since Bruce was pursing his lips into a tight line.

"Hi! I’m Jason’s friend." She waved at him.

"Oh baby bird you made a friend!" She thinks he may have jump across the table if Alfred wasn’t still standing next to him.

"When did you get back, Dick?" Jay asked from beside her.

"Jay!" She yelped, smacking him on the shoulder. "That was so rude!"

'It’s fine." Richard laughed. "I prefer to go by Dick."

"Oh." She hummed.

"I just got back, Jason." Bruce stood up and walked out of the room. "What’s with him?" Dick looked towards Alfred as if he had the answer but the man simply shook his head. "Noted. So what’s with the pumpkins?"

"We are carving them, that’s how you say it right?" She bounced excitedly, turning towards Jason for confirmation.

"Your right, Nettie."

"Then there’s only one thing to watch while carving…." They turned towards Dick. "It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

"Is that a Halloween movie?" She asked.

"More fall, than Halloween." Jay responded.

"I will set up the living room then." Alfred left the room.

They finished the meal and she was genuinely so surprised just how lively both of them were. She missed having dinner with others, her parents especially.

It was nice, nothing like the cafeteria at Gotham Academy.

They moved to the living room after and here came the hard part. What to carve?

Jay had immediately stabbed a knife through the top and pulled the stem off like it was a handle of a lid on a pot.

"We forgot a bin for the guts." He mumbled before getting up, and leaving calling out to them. "I’ll go grab one from the kitchen."

She just stared at the pumpkin.

"Thank you."

"Huh." She looked up at Dick.

"You’re a good friend to him Marinette. I’m not here often and Bruce isn’t the most open person emotionally, so thank you for being Jason’s friend."

"I could say the same thing. I’m only going to be here a few months, but even back home I didn’t have many friends, so I’m glad I met him." She copied what Jason had done and began to cut out the top of the gourd.

"He might not be my brother in blood, but he is my little brother." He sighed, staring out the window as the moon rose in the sky. "That probably doesn’t make much sense."

"It does, the blood of the covenant and water of the womb, and whatever else is in that saying."

"He started to rub off on you, huh." He jabbed at her.

"A bit I guess."

She laughed as Jay barreled into the room. "Okay let’s do this."

Dick and Jay argued on whether the jack o lanterns should be scary or cute and she just sat back and listened. She had grabbed a marker and debated herself on what to draw before inspiration hit. Maybe it’s because of everything that had happen recently, but when she recapped the marker two figures were on her pumpkin. Tikki and Plagg were in the center of the pumpkin circling as if forming a Yin and Yang. She knows she shouldn’t cry but tears threatened to fall regardless.

"That is so cute Mari!" Dick exclaimed over her shoulder.

"What are they pixies?" Jay asked as Dick’s squeal got his attention.

"In a sense, I guess."

"Miss Marinette!" She hadn’t noticed that Alfred had come back into the room. "How do you know of these creatures?"

He knows of the kwamii! How? It shouldn’t be possible but…

She started fiddling with the ring she couldn’t bear taking off.

"Why wouldn’t I after what happened in Paris, you’ve seen then too haven’t you?"

She tried to dodge the question but that only arose more suspicion from the man.

Well shit.

Next

~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist:

@jennifer-rose123 @toodaloo-kangaroo @joydone07

[robotnik-mun]

One of the smaller, yet significant mysteries in Deltarune is whether or not Monsters are magical beings as they are in Undertale, and if Magic is even a thing outside of the Dark World.

And I can conclusively say... we need way more chapters before we can even begin to have a definite answer for this one.

The evidence we do have doesn’t paint a complete a picture and given how the writing in Deltarune and Undertale is in general, very few things can be absolutely taken at face value.

Take for example the stove top at the Dreemurr house.

Now as we all know, in Undertale Toriel’s stove is pristine, with it being suggested she uses fire magic to cleanse it. Yet here, its dirty, or at least dirtier than it was in Undertale. So surely that would be good evidence that Toriel can’t use magic here, right?

Well, not exactly. While it is a pretty good argument for the idea that there is no magic at all for monsters in Deltarune, from another perspective it might be evidence that Toriel simply doesn’t use magic to clean the stove here. Why might that be? Well, I would theorize that she might refrain from doing so because of Kris’ presence. Whether out of fear for their safety or in an attempt to give them as much of a ‘human’ upbringing as she can.

Which may or may not be something that fuels Kris’ apparent feelings of alienation from their family and community... but we’ll see, won’t we?

Another good example of how weirdly open-ended this can be can be seen in the second hospital visit with Noelle and Rudy-

Again- at a glance this would seem to confirm that magic might not be a thing, save for in the Dark World. But then there’s that ambiguous, interpretive syntax rising up again. Does this mean that magic isn’t real and Noelle wishes it was? Does it mean that magic is real and Noelle wishes she knew it? Does magic exist, but healing magic is a thing of fantasy?

If ‘Healing Magic’ is indeed a thing here, then you’d think Rudy wouldn’t be having his troubles. You might argue it COULD exist and whatever Rudy’s going through is beyond it, but then that’d make Noelle’s certainty that she could cure Rudy a very, very odd statement in-universe.

The Healing Magic thing gets another wrinkle in the form of this guy-

One of the frustrating things about UT/DT’s writing is that it DOES operate on a certain level of Toon Logic. Rule of funny and all that... but at the same time it has a certain tendency towards meta-humor and deconstruction, so there’s always a good chance of something that WOULD operate under Cartoon Logic being taken literally.

So where does the Warrior fit in? When we first meet him he’s clearly been badly injured and is babbling about ‘White Mages’, the traditional healer class of RPG video games. Now he’s clearly meant to be unhinged, but the very next day we see him all healed up and no worse for wear.

And thus the question comes up again- is he all healed up because It Is Funny, or are we to take it he really DID just heal overnight despite having both his hands in casts? Could it be the doctors really DO have the capacity to heal? Again, no idea! Rule of Comedy and Rule of Drama blurs considerably in this game. 

And then of course there are the monsters themselves- how similar are they to their UT counterparts? 

Signs would seem to point to... pretty similar! Maybe!

For example, there is Hometown’s very own cemetery.

In Undertale it is established that the funerary practices of the monsters arose from the fact that when they die, they disintegrate into dust. The funeral ritual, as such, is to spread that dust onto an object that was of great significance to the deceased so that their essence may live on in their possessions.

This would seem to be the same case in Deltarune’s world, where the graves in the cemetery are themed around various objects, as we can see here. So, that would seem to be pretty solid evidence for the DR monsters being the same, right? Well... it’s definitely more ‘for’, but its not exactly a slam dunk. While it would strongly suggest the same thing is going on here, one might also interpret that a similar tradition of focusing on Objects of Significance arose within the culture of Monsters, even without the prerequisite of them turning to dust when they die. For all we know that when they die here, they decompose just as we do, and they are remembered by they similar reached a similar cultural point for unrelated reasons.

The biggest hint we get into the nature of monsters here comes from a few comments from a somewhat nosy rabbit child. The child in question blithely asks Kris if it hurts to be made out of blood.

And later expresses confusion about how humans can have skeletons while there are skeleton monsters walking around. So, this would seem to strongly indicate that, like in Undertale, Monsters are made of magic rather than flesh and blood as humans are. So naturally, a young monster would be rather confused about how that exactly works out for us.

Likewise, there is the bathroom-

At face value this, again, would seem to indicate that monsters have... a bit more in common with us, compared to Undertale. In Undertale, monsters don’t have toilets. They don’t need ‘em (and boy they are lucky for that!). They are magical and as such do not expel waste as animal life does. So, slam dunk for Monsters Are Mundane here, right?

Wrong!

See, the thing is? This is the ONLY toilet we see. In the Dreemurr House. Where Kris, the only human in hometown, lives. We have yet to see any evidence that there are any other toilets in Hometown- and to be fair I can’t imagine many scenarios that could seamlessly bring us to one in a game- so maybe, rather than being more like humans, this is just evidence that the Dreemurrs had one installed for Kris’ use?

So far it would all seem to indicate that monsters are indeed like Undertale monsters... except for JUST one thing.

Susie.

This statement is perhaps the single biggest indicator of Things Being Different here we got, and its one of the biggest sticking points in the debate about Monster Nature in Deltarune. But the thing that REALLY adds to it? An unused sprite intended for Chapter 2. One that depicts Susie herself bleeding.

Yep, you can see clear as day! Red blood, just as humans. This might have been cut from the chapter, but it’d be shortsighted to dismiss it wholesale given that it gives an insight into the direction Toby Fox was intending to go with the monsters. So, if this is anything to go by? Maybe monsters DO bleed!

Maybe!

Or... maybe it says something about Susie. See, as we look over the chapters we already got, it becomes clear that Susie... doesn’t exactly add up with what we typically see of monsters. She seems fairly confident that all things bleed, but then coming from a monster that’s a bit of an odd statement since monsters, if magical, explicitly DON’T bleed. She seems weirdly shy when it comes to her tail, and when you take her to the Dreemurr house she seems a bit weirded out by the presence of Gingerbread Monster cutters in Toriel’s kitchen.

They’re small things, but small components lead to a bigger picture, and its entirely possible that this is all foreshadowing to something being up with Susie in particular. What that is, I can’t really say. I’ve seen theories ranging from her growing up in a human community in an inversion to Kris to her being half-human herself. Nobody can say for sure though, much like everything else at this point. What we CAN say is that SUSIE can bleed, or was intended to have that ability. Whether that reflects on other monsters though...

Well, anyway. At the end of it? It’s all just kinda up in the air. The middle ground would be that while monsters ARE magical here, they are ‘less’ magical than Undertale monsters and as such can’t use magic even though they’re made of the stuff. We don’t see any magic being used by monsters, and it’d be an odd thing for the game if monsters could use magic with out problem in the Light World, and from a storytelling perspective it’d render some of the wonder of the Dark World less than wondrous. Magic might be real, but it can’t do any of the fantastic stuff we see in fantasy- as such healing magic and the like is a bit like science fiction, fantastical while having a loose basis in real world stuffs.

But then that leads us to the monsters themselves- more specifically it leads us to the odder monsters like Napstablook, the Hand Monster at city hall, the diamond headed guy and of course our favorite skeleton Sans. IF Monsters aren’t magical here, then those guys make virtually no sense- monsters based off animals are one thing, but skeletons? Ghosts? Giant Hands attached to a humanoid torso? Bit of a tougher sell even with the caveat of Cartoon Logic.

You might say that Kris’ search history revealing they look into books on how to do magic being another definite indicator of things, because of course that would make sense for them. They want to be like their family, so of course they would want to learn how to do magic as well... which they can’t since, well, human. But then maybe it has nothing to do with wanting to be a monster. Maybe Kris just has a legitimate interest in stage magic and legerdemain.

That’s the troublesome thing about all this. For now, at the end of it, nothing is truly conclusive, and so much of what we see is open to interpretation. Until definitive answers come, anybody can be correct about the subject.

... yeah, whole lot of words to say “I have no idea!”, but hey, at least I’ve hopefully illustrated why that is. God those chapters can’t get here fast enough.

[kousaka-ayumu]

Kaida Akahono(Garmadon)/Cure Dragon

Trigger warnings: this may contain mentions of abuse, extreme bullying, character deaths, abandonment, abandonment issues, seperation anxiety.

Nicknames: Akahono-san(2nd years and 3rd years, Ortho(Floyd and Rook)), Kaida-chan(Yumeri, Sonomi, Hokori, Yuri, Mizuko, Fuyumi, Seiza), Kaida(1st years, Kaida, Farah, Hoseki, Kiko), Little Hybrid(Lilia), Child of Puppetmaster/Hybrid(Malleus), Princesse de Marionnette/Soldat de l'Hybride(Rook), Sea Dragon(Floyd), Little Puppet(Lord of Death), Lady Kaida(Sebek and Silver) , Big sis(Lloyd)

Age: 17

Height: 168cm

DOB: 7/25(Actual)

2/19(Presumed)

Twisted from: Aurora(Sleeping Beauty), Kotoko(MILGRAM), Grim Reaper, Towa(Go Princess PreCure), Hayate(D4DJ), Mafuyu(Project Sekai), Mizi(Alien Stage)

Species: Oni, Dragon, and human hybrid

Homeland: Ninjago(Birth Place), Gravedawn Village(Adopted: Destroyed), Valley of Thorns(Adopted)

Family:

First Spinjitsu Master(Biological grandfather: deceased)

First Spinjitsu Master's wife(Biological grandmother: deceased)

Lord Garmadon(Biological father)

Misako(Biological mother)

Wu(Biological uncle)

Lloyd(Biological younger brother)

Aiko(Adoptive mother: deceased)

Hiiragi(Adoptive father: deceased)

Dorm: Diasomnia

Club: Gargoyle Studies Club

Class: 1-B(No.5)

Hobby: Sleeping, playing chess, humming.

Likes: Sleeping, spending time with her loved ones, reading books.

Dislikes: Separation, her loved ones dying, people leaving her.

Favorite food: anything healthy

Least favorite food: anything disgusting

Favorite drink: Water

"A first year of Diasomnia, almost everything about her is a complete mystery nobody knows about her other than being a guitarist of Moonlight Bloom."

Appearance:

Kaida is a tall fair skinned girl with dark red hair with bright red ombre and a blonde bang with heterochromatic greenish blue and emerald green eyes.

As Cure Dragon hee hair became bright red and slightly curled and her bangs became lighter blonde, her eyes is now heterochromatic gold and violet.

Background:

Kaida is born to Misako and Garmadon, unfortunately due to Garmadon's descent into darkness Misako didn't have a choice but abandoned her kids at the Boarding School for Bad Boys and it's sister school Boarding School for Bad Girls to protect them for him.

Her life there is absolute hell cause the majority of them have bullied her daily like splashing water at her, throwing food, pushing her down the stairs and even went as far as putting poison into her food.

And if anything she doesn't really care anymore and became numb to the pain, she ran away overnight and accidentally bumped into a mirror deep into the woods and ended up in Twisted Wonderland.

She was founded by a lovely couple named Aiko, Hiiragi and their daughter Charlotte, and ended up being adopted by them.

But unfortunately happiness didn't last long as the Gravedawn Village ended up being attacked and her parents being killed, leaving her and Charlotte as the sole survivors of the attack, which is worse when both of them we're 6 when the village was attacked.

Luckily they were rescued by Lilia and ended up being raised in the Valley of Thorns.

Both her and Charlotte ended up coming PreCure at the age of 13 but it only lasted for 3 years before Charlotte died due to an attack leaving Kaida all alone.

Personality:

Kaida is a calm, deadly quiet and almost emotionless girl who only spoke a few words and very difficult person for people to make her angry.

However she wasn't always like that, during her youth she used to be a shy and timid girl but because of the treatment she got when she was in BSFBG she slowly became like this.

She has a sense of justice and has good intentions but she doesn't know how to execute them properly.

"Unique Magic:" Yin-Yang flame.

It allows her to summon golden flames(creation) & violet flames(destruction)

Trivia

She has insomnia

She gave off some puppet girl vibes

Her brain usually block off all the terrible memories she has back in Ninjago which means she doesn't remember her time there.

She isn't aware that she's Garmadon's child and thought he was just a myth

She has some sort of hearing ability.

Has shapeshifting powers.

She joined the Gargoyle Studies Club just so that Malleus wouldn't be lonely.

What do you guys think of her?

@zexal-club @yukii0nna @writing-heiress @marrondrawsalot @sundove88 @yumeko2sevilla @achy-boo

[prophctic]

the anthology | coven

ivy was certain she'd never felt heat quite like this before.

it was hot in the summers in new england, certainly; closer to the coast the humidity was higher than it was inland, and summer nights on the cape were often made warmer due it the proximity to water. but new england summers, even at the coast, were nothing compared to summers in new orleans. they were deeper south than she had ever been, so close to the gulf they could walk to it's shores, and the moment she stepped outside she found herself sweating. she found herself sticking to the merciful shade of the spanish moss-draped oak trees during the daytime, hesitant to step out from under their branches even to cross the street, and nighttime came as a blissful relief.

another blessing, aside from the shade cast by the massive, romantic trees that lined the streets, was the fact that the city seemed to take air conditioning very seriously. the moment she stepped inside a building, she was instantly cooled down. even the insulation on containers seemed somehow superior to anything she'd experienced on the east coast; the cup of frozen coffee she'd gotten at cafe du monde earlier in the day stayed icy cold for hours, it's to-go cup protecting it somehow from the oppressive summer heat.

ivy suspected magic was involved, not only because of the impressive insulation on the cup, but because of the twinkle in the baristas eye as she'd paid.

magic was everywhere here, but so different from the way it was imbued within society in salem. residents of salem who were human still believed in witchcraft, certainly, and seemed well aware it was a part of their city's history. here, though, even humans seemed to openly not only be aware of, but embrace, the supernatural. sigils were carved into planters, and people left offerings at the voodoo temple or shopped for candles to cure their ills or sorrows; people returning from the bayou openly spoke of hearing a rougarou call or seeing the lights of a fifolet. they were a part of things, not just aware of things; even if they were not supernatural themselves, the people of this city seemed aware of it and respectful of it; open to the help of the paranormal, yet aware of it's boundaries. it was fascinating in a beautiful way.

a third blessing came from the originals, who, despite the salem refugees insistence on paying their own way once they could, were looking out for them nevertheless. clothes appeared in their wardrobes overnight; comfortable shorts and shirts that would keep them cool in the summer heat. a few dresses even appeared, including a vintage dolce and gabbana slip dress that made gemma squeal, and that had left her spinning on the balcony and jumping up and down with excitement.

gemma wore the same dress now as they traipsed to the new orleans library under the blazing sunset, all vibrant reds and pinks and oranges silhouetted behind palm trees. it was so different than anything ivy had grown up seeing; it was all so beautiful.

"won't the library be closed when we get there?" willow inquired hesitantly, still afraid to break the rules.

"ajani said they were staying open late for us," ivy said, feeling almost as hesitant as they approached the steps. as if on cue, ajani opened the door, smiling out at them.

"ah, there you are! come in, come in! i have a friend who works here; she offered to let us have the place to ourselves tonight for research purposes." ajani held the door for the coven members as they filtered inside, ivy's eyes widening as she took in the vast collection of books before her.

"a few more friends will be joining us, so i will wait by the door to let them in. please, feel free to browse until then if you would like."