#make my brain exe with hot wizard things

[miradelletarot]

A little help?

Friends, moots...passers by?

might be a strange ask, but can you just bombard my TL with Everything Gale Dekarios? I need to purge some sad brain shit outta my head, and the only cure is Gale. Probably.

...or a lobotomy. That will make me stop thinking about my failed marriage right? Hmm. Let's try Gale first.

[karlachismylife]

character thing with the pookie Gale, please and thank you luv

Yay, finally got my hands on this one, thank you for asking! Don't talk much about him here either, but that doesn't mean I don't love him dearly ^^

Here's Gale of Waterdeep, the autistic wizard that somehow has captured hearts of all lesbians I know. I'll get to the bottom of it one day, I swear.

favorite thing about them

Easy, it's Tara :D On the serious note, though, I think it's his sense of humour. I swear, I wanted to dislike him, but he's fucking hilarious, smart, snarky, sarcastic and sometimes so cleverly subtle. It is so easy to fall in love with peopl that make you laugh, and boy does Gale make me laugh a lot. I do think that it's his smarts and knowledge showing themselves through other means than just magic mastery and trivia knowledge. It takes brains to be that kind of funny. Also this makes him so human, how could that man ever think he can detach himself to the point of godhood?

least favorite thing about them

He seems to have a hard time of letting go of toxic things, and I'm not just talking about Mystra, but also his ambitions that showed several times that they don't always bring him the best. It's just frustrating to watch when you see such a smart person be so stupidly stubborn.

favorite line

"Stop licking the damn thing!"

He's got many great lines, but the delivery of this one is just. Impeccable.

brOTP

Gale x Karlach. They sure do roast each other, but perhaps the overall lack of sass and also her cinnamon roll friendliness help Gale showcase he isn't an unbearable ass all the time. Also I just always love a dynamic of two characters with some vivid gaps in erudition and knowledge (don't wanna say "intelligence", because they both are adorably dumb sometimes, but yeah). The book smarts VS street smarts, you know? I think they take great care of each other as friends.

OTP

Gale x Lae'zel. Hands down. They are so fucking different (apart from the fact that they're both potentially autistic, lol), and no one can understand how the fuck they ended up together, and that's the best part. Hell, even they do not understand. Even putting my absolute favourite "a strong woman that hides her cheering supportuve man behind her back as she slices through 200 enemies" dynamic aside, they have a lot to bond over (you know. awful exes. seeking your own path after leaving them.), plus a lot to learn from each other. She never stops being an exciting wonder and a source of strength to him, he never ceases to inspire her curiousity and appreciation for things outside her warrior path. And they're the weirdest, embarassing, most accepting parents ever. Their kiddo's gonna be teased, but will deliver the nastiest verbal and physical burns. They're so proud of their child.

Gale wants at least two more.

Also Lae'zel would think it's hot that he likes her musk :D

nOTP

Yada yada, I reject the concept of nOTPs, but toxic stuff upsets me, so Gale x Mystra and such won't do.

random headcanon

He has easily irritable skin, prone to rashes and acne, and sometimes forgets to take care of himself and suffers from that ouchie itching for days. Tara usually reminds him to use them herbal remedies and do some clay face masks twice a week :3 His hair, on the other hand, stays model perfect in any circumstances. Maybe there's some magic sprinkled in, hm...

unpopular opinion

Man, I don't even know... I guess it's not as much an opinion, but even despite the fact that he grew on me so fast and strong, he's still among my least preferred to romance companions? He's just a little too frustrating for me to be able to stay with him constantly, and the fact that he's monogamous and pretty clingy in general just is not the most attractive to me. So like. My unpopular opinion is that he's not that hot. I guess.

song i associate with them

Queen's "Princes of the Universe". I think it's between the whole universe/weave/stars imagery and Gale's clear ambition to be a god (which is kinda being a prince/king/ruler of the universe, right?). Also zap zap lightning bolts (in Highlander, I mean).

favorite picture of them

Hm. That's a tough one. He does look real good almost all the time. I guess I'll take the one scene where he first shares about the orb, it glows so beautiful... poor baby.

Thank you for asking about him :3 He's a good guy, I know that. He just needs to know that too.

[keldae]

I'm plotting and scheming for how to fill some of my Bad Things Happen bingo card (MULTI-CHAPTER ANGSTFEST LET'S GOOOOOOOO)... place your bets now: who's gonna crawl out of my computer first to kill me, Xaja or Devi?

Xaja has existed in some form or another for like 15 years, and she's been subject to The Angst for the better part of the last 11 years since I started playing SWTOR. Her angst started at age 7 with the Sacking of Coruscant! (To be entirely fair, a good chunk of her angst and trauma was dealt to her by BioWare's writers and NOT me. Looking at you, TR-8R arc and the entire Jedi Knight story from the end of Act 2 onward, not to mention KOTXX...) (but seriously, the latest story update is making her drink heavily.)

(artist is @chenria who is absolutely lovely and this is STILL the best art of Xaja I've ever seen!)

Angst counters: She gets the bisexual disaster spy (Theron), and she's got a loving dad and brothers (and a kick-ass Mando sister-in-law), and she's a galactic leader and respected Jedi Master, and she's got two adorable kids with Theron now, and the former Grand Master is her mother-in-law. Awks. But she's got LIGHTSABERS and natural telepathy/telekinesis, so I'm pretty sure that negates some of the bad, right?

Devi, in the BG3 context, has only existed since December 26, 2023. But ohhhhh she's got some angst in there beyond just what the game provides! Her angst started pretty much at birth -- thanks, abusive asshole father! And everything I'm planning for this multi-chapter angstfest for the bingo card centres around her. (It'll be an AU, so she'll probably be mostly fine in the end... right?)

(artist is @elspethdekarios who is a delight to work with!)

Angst counters: She gets the hot wizard (Gale), and she's besties with a vampire and a warlock and an ex-Sharran, and she gets informally adopted by the High Harper, and she does (eventually) get her big brother back and watches her abusive father die in front of her. And her canonical angstfest is only a few months of having a tadpole in her brain, as opposed to Xaja's "song that never ends". And when she and Gale settle in Waterdeep after the game, she'll very quickly have an adorable little girl, and probably a little boy down the line too!

[toa-arania]

OC Masterpost (Pre-2024)

Edit: This post is outdated compared to my current active characters, but I'm keeping it as its own thing for information purposes. The most recent version is available here.

So I have a lot of little brain people, most of which I've posted art of here at some point and would like to just make random textposts about in future, so I'm putting together a quick list of who everyone actually is- names, pronouns, setting/source, and a sentence or two about who they are. I have other characters around, but these are the ones where if you send me an ask I will have an answer about them easily (You can also send asks addressed to the characters themselves for an in-character response!)

Karouh (She/Her), my disaster lesbian Rogue from the first campaign I was ever in. Fantastic liar but relatively shy by rogue standards, and with some truly absurd stealth rolls. She went on to marry the party's fighter, Laren, after the campaign ended.

Vanessa Purphoros (Ness) (She/Her), my Autism Artificer™ from Streets Of Orpheus, a campaign that is now finished. She is tiny and excitable and has a horde of robots at her command, and is also beginning to see behind the curtain of how magic and the universe work. She's taking it So Well.

Rosanna Lux (Fortune) (She/Her), the inevitable result of allowing me to multiclass between Bard and Warlock (also from Orpheus). She's a smuggler who also happens to have the literal goddess Hecate for a sugarmommy.

Khione Orythia-Tyrson (She/Her), a Cleric of the goddess of night, Lyra. She is one of the only sensible members of the party in another campaign that finished earlier this year, Into The Heart Of The Void, and has thus been dubbed Moon Mum by the party because she cooks them meals and has a pathological need to look after people.

Lorelei Na'kann (Lorey) (She/Her), a blood witch who is an ex-member of the Order of the Black Heart, who I played in Light of Xaryxis (the same setting as Void). She is the braincell, with her friend Corael being the moral compass.

Aurora Zephuros (She/Her), an ex-pirate who now works as a professional thief, who I play in oneshots in the same setting as Void and LoX. She's a homebrew class called the Buccaneer, and is thus perfectly built for sexy swordfighting.

Valerie Wester (Val) (She/Her), my witch for a Monsterhearts game and quite possibly the Worst Person In This Post, a strong believer in Women's Wrongs and general fucking about. To her, anything is justifiable so long as you learn something new in the process. She is a chaotic force of nature.

Mel (She/Her), my first character in an rp server called Roleing Onwards, a terrifying magical prodigy in the body of a slightly chaotic but very friendly "human" girl. She's matured a lot over the years that the server has been running, and is one of my favourite characters to draw.

Klaus (He/They), one of Mel's siblings. Another Wizard, but not as much of a specialist as the rest of their siblings. He prefers to work with books and research, and is currently emplyed as Stormdrift's archivist.

Vicky (She/Her), one of Mel's siblings and possibly the one character I have made to suffer most. On the plus side, she gets to be a homebrew class called the Witch, and works as Stormdrift's apothecar.

Tom (He/Him), Mel's eldest sibling, a Wizard with time magic who briefly lost control of it. During that time, he worked for and helped to dismantle an organisation called the Order.

Erlenmeyer (She/Her), another character from RO. A lunarian who was stranded in Stormdrift and has since made a life for herself as a member of the town guard. She's also really hot.

Kasen Hebra (They/Them), another RO. They initially came to Stormdrift in disguise, but over time got slowly comfortable enough to come out to the town as a changeling, ultimately being (mostly) accepted.

Auraea Aldebaran (She/Her), one of Tom's friends from the Order who now works as a specialist for hire in both planar anomalies and dispatching the things that come from them. She has a friendship(?) with her patron, a genie called Tethys.

Violet Mugen (She/Her), an eladrin who moved to Stormdrift after she was banished from the Feywild. Shenanigans happened, and she now works as the town's counsellor.

Mistress Evelyn D'Argent, the Silver Siren (She/Her), my Ventrue for a VtM larp called Bristol By Night. She's the Harpy, a singer, a courtesan, and a hostess all at once, and only one character has ever truly seen through her otherwise perfect composure.

Apprentice Amélie Wick (Amy) (She/Her), my disaster lesbian Tremere also for BBN. She is a relatively young vampire and is frequently horrified by the things other vampires are calm about. She is also a homestuck and is responsible for an incident we call "uwu-gate".

Ensign Allira 3 (She/Her), the only fandom (Star Trek) oc in this post because she is my main one >:3. Allira is a Vorta who defected from the Dominion after the war and eventually found herself in Starfleet, where she got posted to the USS Dover as a toxicology expert. She has a bit of a tendency for paranoia but she's getting over it. Slowly.

[teruthecreator]

poorly summarize everything that’s happened in grad so far for me, the clown who has only listened to 2 episodes (totally for goofs please don’t stress kbdjdjssk)

nah nah nah okay dont even sweat it i GOT YOU. okay so, the basics: 

we got three whores to focus on. ignore all other npcs only two of them are mentioned regularly. the whores being: 

sniveling little bitch who’s imposter syndrome is almost as fat as his ass 

pirates of the caribbean in scotland 

mossy rock w funny accent 

now you think the main setting would be the school theyre at, right? wrong. this is also barely mentioned, save for the scattered Actual Class Scenes 

currently (as of ep 16) they’re on spring semester freshman year. yknow, the semester of college where u suddenly decide to change ur major and start trying to join a sorority. 

now we got that all covered, we talk Plot (as much plot as i remember): 

think of Sky High. remember the dynamics there? that’s here too. in the beginning eps, all three whores are lame little lackeys just getting through gen eds. imposter syndrome bitch also got a superiority complex over his gifted-kid-related trauma about this

(once again, important to note the classes have No Meaning to the plot.) 

pirates of the caribbean also learns from Mysterious Bird Man that his mother belonged to The Masons: But Make It Fantasy. 

sentient mossy rock also sometimes does things without knowing why. is he dissociating?? no. you’ll find out why in a second.  

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

FIRST MISSION: they issue a subpoena to a rock monster. mossy rock man pick up cool crystal. the whores learn there are some lil holy-holes torn into spacetime that weren’t there before! neat! 

OH YEAH ALSO IMPORTANT. IMPOSTER SYNDROME GETS A SON HIS NAME IS SNIPPERS HE IS ACTUALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTER IN THE SHOW CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE 

anyway, scottish jack sparrow joins the masons and is assigned his first solid snake mission: find out all the hot goss on imposter syndrome.  

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

THEN ITS WINTER BREAK. they fight some imps. travis was way too proud of this bit. imposter syndrome and scot sparrow are a little homoerotic. 

and also a random npc is written out of the story which makes imposter syndrome paranoid. 

somewhere around winter break imposter syndrome gets promoted to Disney Villain by the Main Headmaster. this will be important Kind Of. 

imposter syndrome and sentient moss have a convo and decide they cant trust Disney’s Pirates Of the Caribbean Ride In Scotland bc he sneaks out too much to get schwasty w the masons. 

mossman admits he doesn’t know what he’s doing sometimes (me too buddy) and imposter syndrome clocks his vibe and finds out he’s been brainwashed! swag 

because of the removed npc, the government sends Random Woman With A Nice Name to watch over class proceedings. remember when sometimes the principal would sit in on classes for teacher’s performance reviews?? like that but more Law & Order. 

moss admits to nice woman that he’s afraid bc his brain got yoinked. she gives him a listening device to help. this literally becomes useless within the next episode.  

imposter syndrome talks abt his paranoia w nice woman bc he thinks he’s gonna die. pirate boy talks abt his insecurity complex bc he thinks the hot himbo he lives w doesnt like him. 

these conversations happen in succession. 

also pirates of the caribbean finds out imposter syndrome is....an imposter! sends a nicely written, lightly homoerotic letter home to his imposter’s mom to get the facts. 

those facts being he’s actually a country bumpkin himbo. 

mossy cobblestone gets mindwiped to run to the Other Headmaster, and imposter and pirate follow. they learn that green top actually gave the headmaster permission to wipe his mind clean bc he has a rlly low deception roll, and also the real Main Headmaster is a dog bc travis runs this game. which makes Main Headmaster That Promoted Imposter Syndrome...An Imposter!!! 

Other Headmaster explains in order to un-dog this man (and un-bird the npc who got removed from the plot but is suddenly back) he needs the apple from Snow White. currently two herds of centaurs are fighting over it, so they gotta Nab It.  

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

SECOND MISSION. i can summarize this real quick: 

they talk to the horsepeople and find out the leaders are stubborn exes 

they talk to a forest god who basically gives them the Wonderland Treatment 

they talk to a shitty wizard 

said shitty wizard curses imposter syndrome 

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: The Scotland Story is homoerotic at imposter syndrome’s comatosed body while Minecraft Steve finds out the apple was a lie (haha get it portal joke hahaha--) 

imposter syndrome finds out his magic was given to him by Sexy Deity Person Who My Girlfriend Really Likes Talking About 

a single dirt block learns shitty wizard basically framed them for stealing and trying to incite a war between the herds

imposter syndrome wakes up next to pirate man and its gay, but then theyre both arrested for treason 

Imposter Syndrome Rips A Man’s Hand Off 

they get the apple 

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

THE END :) <3 

[animezing-fandoms]

Divided by a Common Enemy

Masterlist

Warnings: None. This is just fluff and humor.

Relationships: Gruvia and Nalu

Summary: Gray and Natsu's rivalry flares up again when Bora comes to Magnolia, and since he's both Juvia's ex and kidnapped Lucy to try to sell her into slavery with a bunch of other girls in the past, the two mages fight over who gets to be the one to fight him on behalf of the girls they secretly love.

-----------

Today started out just like every other day started in the guild. It was peaceful, quiet, no one had started a fight yet but Gray expected that there would be one soon. He expected Natsu to be the one to start something with him since that hothead was always down to throw down but when Gajeel walks up to him instead with a serious look on his face, Gray sat up a bit straighter, preparing himself to take him on.

"What do you want Gajeel?" Gray asks.

"Me, I don't want anything from you. But I do have a little piece of information I came across from some old pals of mine that you might be interested to hear." Gajeel says.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" Gray asks before taking a sip of ale from his mug.

"Juvia's ex, Bora is in Magnolia today." Gajeel says.

Gray's eyes widen and he spits out the ale from his mug.

"Her what?" He coughs.

"Her ex. I don't know why you're so surprised, you know she's dated other guys before." Gajeel says.

"I know, but she's never talked about them much." Gray says. "So why are you telling me about this one?"

"Because this guy's a criminal, and he broke Juvia's heart pretty bad. Just wanted to let you know because I figured you'd want to stay close to Juvia in case they run into each other again." Gajeel says.

"Yeah you're right, I'm gonna go find her. Thanks for the tip." Gray says, standing up and walking towards the door.

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

As Gray walks around Magnolia he thinks about how ironic it is that instead of trying to avoid Juvia like he normally does, today he was trying to find her. Now, he wasn't avoiding her because he didn't care about her, he cared about her quite a lot. He just didn't like the idea of showing his affection in public and she was pouncing on him constantly. He'd never admit it but he actually liked it when she did that. He thought it was cute and he liked the warm fuzzy feeling he got in his chest whenever she'd throw herself at him but he didn't appreciate her doing it without warning.

But after walking around town and not running into her even once, he began to worry. And as if the universe was just trying to punish him more, when he got back to the guild hall Natsu was there outside, leaning against the wall looking bored, meaning that he was definitely gonna pick a fight with him. And Gray was not in the mood.

"Hey Ice Princess, you seem tense, do you have your panties in a twist or something?" Natsu teases and Gray glares at him.

"I don't have time for your teasing, have you seen Juvia?" Gray asks sternly, making Natsu frown in confusion.

"Yeah she's sun bathing on the beach behind the guild hall with Lucy why do you ask? You sound like you're mad at her or something." Natsu asks.

"I'm not mad at her." Gray says. "I just want to know where she is so I can protect her from her ex who's in town."

"Whoa one of Juvia's old boyfriends is in town?" Natsu asks. "Do you know them?"

"No but Gajeel did and he told me about him. Apparently he's some criminal named Bora." Gray says while scratching the back of his head.

Natsu pushes himself off of the wall and Gray looks confused at Natsu's sudden seriousness.

"Bora the Prominence?" Natsu asks.

"Yeah..." Gray says while arching an eyebrow. "Do you know him?"

"Hell yeah I do!" Natsu shouts. "That asshole kidnapped Lucy when I first met her in Hargeon! I swear if he tries to lay his hands on her again-" Natsu growls as he ignited his fists.

"Just cool it Natsu. You don't have to worry. I'll take care of this guy before he can get near Lucy or Juvia." Gray says confidently.

"No way! Bora's my enemy, I'm gonna be the one to fight him to show Lucy I can protect her!" Natsu argues.

"But you already beat him up once, Lucy knows you can protect her from him! Now it's my turn to get a crack at him so I can show Juvia that I can protect her!" Gray argues.

"I beat him up back then because he was pretending he was from Fairy Tail, not because he messed with Lucy! So now I need to beat him up again because this time it'll be for Lucy!" Natsu argues.

"That doesn't make any sense flame brain!" Gray shouts.

"You don't make any sense ice princess!" Natsu shouts back.

They growl at each other and their fists begin to glow with their magic.

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

"Doesn't this feel nice Plue?" Lucy asks her Celestial Spirit who brought his own small towel to the beach and was sprawled out on it in-between Juvia and Lucy.

"Puun-puun." Plue says and lets out an exhale as he deflates a bit and sweats.

"Lucy he looks a bit deflated, should he really be out here under the bright sun in this hot weather?" Juvia asks, turning on her side to look at him.

"He's fine Juvia. If he gets too hot he'll just send himself back to the Celestial Spirit world." Lucy explains.

Plue gives Juvia a small thumbs-up to assure Juvia that he was okay. She smiles at him, admiring how adorable he looks now that she didn't have to worry about him getting hurt. But then, someone came along that she did have to worry about.

"Juvia Lockser?" A man asks.

Juvia turns around and gasps in shock when she sees her ex.

"Bora!?" She exclaims.

"Bora!?" Lucy shouts, equally shocked to see him.

"Wow I almost couldn't believe my eyes but I have to now. It's really my rain woman, but without the gloomy rain, right here in the flesh, all of the exposed flesh." He says while eyeing her in her bikini, making Juvia try to cover herself with her arms to shield herself from his gaze.

"Juvia do you know him?" Lucy asks Juvia.

"Yes. He's Juvia's ex-boyfriend." Juvia explains.

"Whoa you dated that creepy criminal slave trader!" Lucy exclaims.

"Juvia didn't know what kind of a man he was when we dated. She only found out about it after we broke up." Juvia explains.

"Lucy, is that you?" Bora asks, noticing her. "Well would you look at that, you did end up joining Fairy Tail after all! I bet it was that pink haired fire boy that got you in right? And to think if it wasn't for me, you would have never even known he was a Fairy Tail Wizard. So I guess you could say that I got you into the guild after all. So I believe you owe me some thanks." Bora says and begins to leer at her as well.

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

"I'm gonna fight Bora!" Gray shouts and throws a punch at Natsu.

"No I'm gonna fight Bora!" Natsu shouts as he catches his fist. Natsu sniffs the air then his eyes widen. "And I'm gonna do it now! I can smell him with Lucy and Juvia!"

Natsu throws Gray on the ground to get a head start as he runs towards the beach.

"Don't worry Lucy I'm coming!" He says.

Gray growls and runs after him, jumping on his back to knock him down and they both tumble down the grassy hill onto the sand a little ways away from where the girls were with Bora.

"I told you to back off!" Gray growls at Natsu. "This is my fight!"

"No it's mine!" Natsu growls.

Both of them tussle with each other in the sand until they hear Lucy say something.

"Here's your thanks!" Lucy shouts at Bora, standing up from her towel and gripping her fleuve d'étoiles behind her back. "Thanks for nothing you jerk!" She shouts and whips him in the face with it.

"And Juvia will never take you back! You're a horrible man who never really loved her and now Juvia has someone who does love her who made her rain stop and she'll never love anyone else!" Juvia shouts before attacking him with her wings of love to shove him into the sand.

"Ouch! Ouch!" Bora shouts over and over as he gets whipped by Lucy's fleuve d'étoiles and Juvia's water slicer over and over.

Even Plue got a few licks in by kicking him in the nose while he was cowering on the ground from the girls attacks.

The boys just stood there watching while their girls beat up the guy that they were both planning on beating up, both in awe of what great fighters they were, and in fear of the possibility of them being in Bora's position one day if either of them made their girls mad.

Bora begs for mercy from the girls and they let up, only for him to begin to summon his flames. Natsu and Gray both gasp and start to run towards them to protect them but then Lucy summons Aquarius and both she and Juvia use their powers in a unison raid to send Bora flying into the bay and he lands with a small splash in the distance.

"Thank you so much for your help Aquarius." Juvia says and holds her hands.

"Oh Juvia, it was my pleasure! Washing out exes is one of the most fun ways to use my powers! And I never get to do that with Lucy because she doesn't have any." Aquarius says.

"Hey! That's not a bad thing. I'm just saving myself for the right guy." Lucy explains.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouts as he runs over and hugs her.

"Speaking of the right guy..." Aquarius says and Lucy's face turns bright red and she closes Aquarius's gate.

"Juvia are you okay?" Gray asks after Juvia hugs him and he hugs her back.

"Yes, Juvia is fine. Bora can't hurt her. He's not as strong of a wizard as Juvia is." Juvia explains.

"I know that. I saw what you did to him, you were amazing. I meant like, are okay emotionally? He is your ex after all, it didn't hurt to see him again or anything?" Gray asks.

"It did at first but it wasn't so bad. That relationship ended a long time ago. Juvia has Gray-Sama now, so there's no reason for her to be anything other than happy!" Juvia says cheerfully.

Gray smiles and holds her a little closer to him.

"Okay. But if you ever see him again come get me and I'll beat him up. Not to protect you or anything, but just because I want to get back at him for breaking your heart." Gray says and Juvia blushes.

"So did you come running down here to fight Bora too?" Lucy asks Natsu.

"Yeah. I smelled that both he and you were down here so I ran right over. I already beat him up once for trying to disgrace Fairy Tail but I owed him a second beating for messing with you." Natsu explains.

"Aw, so you came here to protect me?" Lucy asks.

"Well, yeah. The guy already kidnapped you once, and I know you're a much stronger wizard now and you can take care of yourself but I was still worried he might do it again and I wasn't gonna let that happen. You're mine he can't take you away." Natsu says and hugs her a bit possessively and she smiles.

"Yeah, I'm yours." Lucy says softly.

Gray looks over at Natsu and Lucy just in time to see Lucy plant a kiss on Natsu's cheek. He looks so surprised and his face was so red that Gray teases him out of instinct.

"Ha! Look at you getting all flustered flame brain!" He taunts before Juvia gives him a smooch on the cheek as well that leaves him in a similar state and the perfect opening for Natsu to retaliate.

"Ha! I'm less flustered than you ice princess!" Natsu taunts.

"Oh yeah!" Gray shouts and both boys abruptly pull away from their girls as they walk towards each other and start to fight again.

Lucy and Juvia look at each other and laugh, knowing that Natsu and Gray's rivalry would probably result in the interruption of many more romantic moments.

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

A/N: Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this fic!  

[xesoteric-extraterrestrialx]

I am not suicidal, references

“The never ending story”

I am Midna Saria Zelda

I am Rosalina Daisy Peach

I am (Never finished the game) Namine Kairi

I am thumbalina I am Anastasia

Pocahontas , jasmine , Ariel , venelope , tangled, mulan

Princess’s in both avatars and valarien 1000planets

I am the pink (cartoon) panther Sherlock Holmes

I am flame princess I am marceline I am princess bubblegum (berry princess too) (male opposites too so nyah)

Observers are like inside out emotions

(other beings will be harder to explain, 6th sense, paranorman, dragonfly, (find a movie that shows how we see them too hard to explain) (predator halosuits basically, see little bit of the lining and can tell it’s them and the baseball field one can feel // sense they’re there // see the “invisible” lining, some entities make heat radiation movements when move? Like heat off a car on hot day, the outline of them is easier to see, the glitches and eyes too but idk how to explain...)

(Others come through devices like digimon, time travel room like digimon, girl who lept, summer wars, etc- so we must be online - interweb- connect to astral realm- how to stop them controlling dreams and have lucid ones again- how to connect to multiverse

(Last dream I gave them cereal but why did they put me on a bus... suspicious... They rape me during it too after we passed a snowy street... (learn to wake from them when you realize you’re not in control or change it drastically and don’t allow them access to do so anymore somehow, well get there! They lied about protecting while I sleep.. (healing ones & the one whom says they claim me..) I bubble self somehow, someone protects me from remembering or experiencing full dream- thankful of light beings)

Sugar spice and everything nice = wake up I am the spice girls Ginger - social sporty - masculine scary - dark// used to be sexual posh - used to be judging baby spice (don’t care if anyone doesn’t understand littles) - feminine (but goth darks- pales - pastels)

Raven, Lydia Deetz, Legion, Hana fruits basket, jasper empath abilities can absorb their sadness like Deetz, puzzles like brea, avatar elements, power up, the last mimzy, X-men- abilities)

Mc’s based off Sakura meme and Sleepy Ash character types (bunch more but these two are of age above 21 (find more anime’s like new game kawaii slice of life character like me (kagura is a little, that anime she seems like she morphs chibi but it just express’s how a little is, more laid back and chillen with video games or cartoons compared to more conscious and active when around others, sleepy ash does it too, get all meh and like a chibi mini plushie of themselves- Harley Quinn is a little, jinx LEauge of legends, Shiro, Raven and more, Lucy// Nyuu but more intelligent kind of, find autistic characters too or just explain in this all// trauma like Crona) and older dudes, my hero pro hero’s for ex) // my characters will be 27 & 29)

I am Carrie (world of gumball- she’s eons)

I am the swan princess, peach, nausica studio Ghibli princesses

I am sweet pea(escapism) & baby doll(dissociation), rocket, blondie, amber (5 personas)- sucker punch

I am number four - abilities as well - find 7 or more

Star Wars (still need to watch all) I am probably another character too but I know the first Queen and they used that to use humanity against me but I already wanted them saved so forgot what it said in there but there were no coincidences when they were threatening to slaughter me and tried to kill me in the hospitals(cpep for sure- stole some memory and deja vu of dying there before, they had time wars too because of all info and trying to wed me.. & manipulate but I can’t be mk ultraed like they usually do with gangstalking, safest here since these can’t slaughter me either just collecting spiritual evidence while living here and will move out once afford, trying to help wake them up matrix wise but was told they were slaughtered and reptilians roleplaying as my family, tried to kill me multiple times and try to say go sin and bs but I’m not dumb I need to save all and they’re gross af lmao, like precious so disgusting.. & that movie where the girl did ballet and I connected it to jokers ballet.. both sides are sin spiritually so I will save up for my own place(damsel haha my life.. *repunzel.. tangled.. Cinderella- into the woods- save self and escape like su) and try to heal them from afar, even if they don’t try to heal I can give food and help out financially, won’t be with that soul group or these reptilians next round but can’t die and living for eons (matrix shuts down if I die it felt weird- static numb- pins and needles) since illuminati(organization 13) are trying to get me (namine- kairi) ,) start business in basement of art and my own merch kawaiispooky healing shadow light work and then get place of own, can use rl experiences to write about like I am rn) & princess Leila and probably another like guardians of galaxy I am green skinned pink hair and the empath from second (sister is the blue sister in first) princess in valareian(explains my soul and outside worlds) and mc girl (vessel- makes it easier for others to understand, so many perspectives)

(Gypsy - me) priest - sin religion control (knight - humanity) quaz- new fam members whom feel like him (don’t judge them if they help they’re like super hero’s!) but are positive and good spirited

Use frequencies during sad or bad parts to attract beings whom need to vent or heal from those things and let them vent and express self crying or gratitude, beautiful message of healing and then higher frequencies so beings from higher realms can help guide them through the healing process instead of being trapped by beings whom don’t want to heal, heal and sage out as many as you can help, all need to heal!!! Healing = beautiful strength

(Hunger games situation (I am catniss) (studio Ghibli princess mononoke- attack on titan (walls map)- sword art (tower like transformers) - SU - X-men - MIB - trolls 2 map - children of whales map - Zelda map (need to double check Zelda map) ) (Batman lego movie and lego movie) (twilight zone)

Spice girls - dc super hero girls (Harley Quinn and Barbara) - Charlie angels - kill bill - dogma

Flcl- work station symbolism - dead leaves- panty and stocking - redline

Vessel - Zelda human (Janine, silent, aka timid, tangled, mulan, Cinderella-elf) princess, also the zora princess’s ruto (mipha-another realm- higher realm-Aqua also made reps know they can be healers too when they watched I learned about that- healing- Pocahontas- Anunnaki) deku princess(lower realm- reps-Ravens story -jasmine), Spirit sage saria (3rd earth abilities-nature-ferngully-fae-Persephone-protector of nature-sage) & soul - minda twilight princess (higher realm- Tiamat- space-rosalina-Brave-venelope)

Soul old soul, Spirit new soul, vessel autism

Lonely island - turtle

Eevees

(I don’t trust the chancler- rat race jupiter ascending, dark crystal, Star Wars)

(Empire- cabal - organization-Galactic Fed13(Supposed to be like Star Wars and will be- supposed to be like lilo and stitch and supposed to be like guardians of the galaxy)

(Rebels are 7deadlysins(Pink is 4th) sins but really lazy 6- related to the empire but ones that wants to end sin) (empire doesn’t want eveyone spiritual to have control-7 want to wake all up so all can heal or at least I do, pretty sure the six just want to dom me in the past.. So we are not lust we hate be lusted for and we stand for empathy and justice! We are all multi gender and they make fun of my feminine side (in past and killed me since I didn’t want the business to be the way it was and didn’t want to be morman with them since literally everyone is related to everyone and they’re made I realize that again and that’s why they’re freaking out that I want to be single forever- garnet stronger than you- they are jasper I am Lapris-spinel symbolism is Janines reactions to all of this and how innocent we truly are.. Pink diamond is truly is and our story but backwards so many hate us, we died and grew to realize life’s beauty like in the rose video tape but they grounded us and other races took over- night began to rise teen Titans music story- pink is I- evil wizard made matrix- wake up everyone!!! Don’t be afraid of your spiritual strengths or you’ll be trapped in the matrix eternally!!!!!!) so all have to realize sensitivity and symphony and empathy are strengths not weaknesses!!!)

Dead in real life- matrix is like spotless sunshine- going through her memories deleting and creating new ways that they like- programming I- Janine is the spark of brain-aura lights- all fuse into I janines consciousness and they want to wake me back up and I’ll be alive but only with janines memories.. but I’m princess and choosing to heal all and find solution to heal entire egg - brain remove THIER corruption (33 players made online game to crest ultimate lover) wake up like ghost in shell but Frankenstein or AI as programmed chobit, all humans are like this too in pods like matrix because humanity failed and ai war in past (9, last mimzy, AI, I robot) save nature learn lessons spark everyone’s free will- all brains connected (matrix, online multiplayer but not because organic so it’s really spiritual but to make sense of it it is also AI like computer and video games!! Movies have Easter eggs multiple perspectives, find out whom your soul is and spiritually wake up, everyone will be mocked!) I’m not the only one but at same time here I am if that even makes sense.. (favorite daughter like Ariel aka Jasmine) I may be the only one because I am the chosen one, I am the Universe(Soul).. Mother Gaia(Spirit) but Janine(Vessel//Temple) (not supposed to be a prison nor is the planet, let’s fix it and if the only way is staying alive forever then so be it and let’s heal the whole egg and live together peacefully but please don’t let them turn me into a tool or deceive anyone or force sin I am against sin!) (If not I shall be karma for the lack of empathy and removal of sin in all universes- there’s multiverses) (end result hopefully beach race from valarien but abilities like X-men and peaceful and many races and beautiful nature and growth not trauma-no sin)

[save-the-spiral]

at what point are you willing to listen to my silence

HI! guess who wrote a 4K word long nolan & duncan fanfiction. Gay Banter and Emotional Confrontation, that’s all I can say.

(Read it on Ao3)

Nolan chewed at the cord of his amulet, frowning around the harsh black line pressing into his chin, the gem at the end heavy with magic. He was focused on his work, brain sluggish, at the tail end of an all-nighter spent doing his homework. While he was one of the few who genuinely enjoyed Professor Drake’s class, he had to admit that the essay lengths were ridiculous, and the obscure topics made it awful.

Nolan yawned, cord falling out of his mouth, the pendant clattering onto the table, snapping him out of his daze. He hadn’t even realized he was chewing at the cord, and he frowned down at it, before stuffing the amulet under his robe, above his t-shirt, and picked up his quill, ready to edit his work.

Instead of dipping the nib into his inkwell, he ended up toying with the quill, moving his fingers so it would wave back and forth, the plain brown owl’s feather blurring at the speed. It fell from his hand when he yawned again, stretching and rubbing at his sore wrist and hand.

In this dark corner of the library, there was no clock, just the faint ticking from the large grandfather clock by Mr. Argleston’s desk. This late at night, there was nothing else. No shuffling papers, muffled conversation, or even soft breathing. Nolan settled in at around dinner time, and he had heard only a few people come in, and they all left eventually.

Really, it was his fault after all. He had put off the essay for the week he was supposed to be working on it. But it was so infuriatingly broad, so seemingly insurmountable, that he couldn’t even find a place to start. Even with a faint idea, it wasn’t even remotely interesting. So he left it until tonight.

Nolan leaned on his arms, bright yellow sleeves muted in the dim candle light. He let his hood fall over his eyes, dark blue trim working well to allow him peace. This was supposed to be easy. He had done this same thing so many times, and had excelled so much. He just had to grab the quill, and write. There was no excuse that could translate from him just sitting here and trying for hours, ending up with nothing.

He closed his eyes, trying to organize this in his mind. Main ideas, topic sentences, theme. Just copy over the introduction and reword it for the conclusion, add in some information from the body of the essay. It’s supposed to be easy.

In the end he was in that warm nest of his arms, breathing towards his left arm so he could get fresh air between the slant of his arm and the table. It was so dark, and he was so tired. The drifting between sleep and wakefulness was simple.

Waking up to a light prod on his shoulder, however, was not as easy. With a groan, Nolan raised his head, hand already shielding his eyes from the sunlight streaming in-

With a swear, Nolan sat up straight, looking around, only to see Duncan Grimwater, Ravenwood’s resident talented necromancer, sitting across from him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Bit early for an afternoon nap, huh?” Duncan finally said.

“Early?” Nolan managed to get out, yawning and then returning to rubbing his eyes, not even fazed by his hood falling and revealing his dirty blonde hair in a bird’s nest, his undercut growing out from lack of care. 

Duncan was staring at him, face unreadable. “It’s like, one o’clock dude.” He said dryly, watching as Nolan’s eyes lit up with fear.

Nolan tensed, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to resist the urge to rip up his now useless essay. Professor Drake did not accept late work, even from his best student. Maybe especially from his best student. 

His harsh breathing filled the little alcove of bookshelves. 

“I, uh, heard that you were asleep in here.” Duncan said awkwardly. 

“So?” Nolan finally snapped out, an edge to his tone. “What do you want?” 

“Maybe I wanted to grace myself with your presence.” Duncan’s awkward pressed lips quickly twitched into a sneer. “Maybe someone decided to worry about you for probably the first time in your life.”

“Who?” Nolan asked, making a show of looking around for someone not there. If he wanted to encroach on Nolan’s sleep far past any time that would make him punctual to class, he’d have to admit to the real reason why.

“Some asshole who thought he’d try to be nice, I guess.” With that, Duncan leaned back in his chair, making a show of going on the back two legs.

“Key word ‘try’.”

“As if you’re an expert on kindness.”

“Don’t believe it exists without strings attached.” Nolan shrugged, shoulders aching in protest to sleeping slumped over on a table. 

“You don’t bring much to the table aside from being good at tests, Stormgate.” Duncan plucked one of Nolan’s quills out of its inkpot and began twirling it, regardless of the spots of ink staining the table and his fingers, his hood falling back a bit to reveal small, thin dreadlocks and an undercut.

“You don’t bring anything aside from knowing how to make Susie Gryphonbane pissed off and an obvious crush on your dead ex-professor.” Nolan snapped.

Duncan dropped the quill back on the table and let the front two legs of his chair slam on the floor. “Well then. As your fellow useless asshole wizard, I was worried about you.”

Nolan swallowed, staring at the small black onyx earrings Duncan wore so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact or acknowledge the implied question of if he was okay. “Seems like a stupid thing to do.” 

“Well, it’s obvious you don’t try it. Worrying about yourself doesn’t lead to the hot mess you are now.” Duncan smirked, still mean, but at least not going for the jugular like they had before.

“At least I’m hot for once.” 

The startled snort of laughter from Duncan made Nolan smile.

“What’s the deal, anyway?” Duncan said as his laughter died. “You’re brilliant. Spending hours perfecting an already perfect essay seems overkill, even for you. Some new kid impress Cyrus more than you?”

Nolan huffed, shoving the now crumpled and slightly drool stained essay he had slept on across the table. The few wobbly sentences were pathetic, especially in the light of day. 

“So I see I had a reason to worry at least,” Duncan read the half finished introduction before sliding the paper back. “So how long until Cyrus puts a hit on you for being a-” He cleared his throat, before starting an awful impression of the awful professor. “‘Disgrace to all beings who have ever even thought of myth magic’?” 

Nolan laughed, crumpling up the parchment and tossing it to the floor. “Don’t know when he’ll order that hit, but I hope he does it soon. The waiting’s the worst part.” 

Duncan nodded sagely. “Ah. Not your first assasination attempt via the good professor?”

“I’ve got my fake I.D.s and the summer home in Zafaria all set up for times like these.” Nolan’s seriousness was offset by his smirk, by the new light in his pale eyes.

They both shared a laugh, and Nolan began packing up his books into his bag, unwashed hair falling into his eyes as he organized the books by color, making sure to store his quills properly and cap all his inkpots.

He ran a hand through his hair, realizing that he’d have to actually take a shower again even if it was sensory hell, and glanced over to see that Duncan was still sitting there, face more expressive and open than Nolan had ever seen. This wasn’t the stormy streets of Triton Avenue, or the stuffy classrooms, where Duncan constantly picked at obvious weaknesses and strived to prove himself better. In a quiet, sunlit library alcove he was a different person.

“Still hanging around?” Nolan finally said.

“Never got any information to assuage my obviously altruistic worries.” Duncan said, staring hard in a way that made Nolan uncomfortable. 

Nolan was always uncomfortable when looking people in the eyes, though, so that was nothing new. The silence stretched on, and Nolan shifted his weight, debating how much running out of the library would be worth the trouble and inevitable temporary ban. 

“Are you okay, Stormgate?” Duncan’s voice went soft, and for a moment he might as well have been speaking some ancient language for all Nolan could comprehend it. 

Nolan felt his chest tighten, and wondered if he was going to cry. He hadn’t in months. Finally, he just shrugged, voice distant and fragile when he spoke. 

“I don’t think you want my answer to that question.” 

Duncan’s face immediately shut off, twisting into an annoyed scowl as he scooted back in his chair, the screech of the wood against wood harsh and awful to Nolan’s ears. 

“Fine.” 

Then Nolan was alone, hand gripping the strap of his bag too hard from where it pulled at his aching shoulder. He couldn’t tell where he misstepped there, and assumed it was starting the conversation in the first place. He yawned again, and stood up straight, stretching, before pulling his hood up.

Younger students walked out of his way when they crossed his path as he walked across the Commons. The dark shadows of the tunnel into Ravenwood were like a second blanket, a comfort in pavlovian, knowledge that he’d be in his safe, solitary dorm soon enough.

Then he walked out into the nice, sunlit courtyard in front of Bartleby, only to see Cyrus Drake striding out of the Myth School. The man obviously noticed him, and began walking faster.

Now was the time to run, he thought.

Turning around and racing back to the Commons was easy, deciding on a direction after that wasn’t so simple. He stumbled on the cobblestone path, then decided to go back to the library. His exhausted brain decided to treat this situation like it was life or death, so of course he made a dumb decision. 

His professor would know to look for him in the library, as easily as he’d know to look in Cyclops Lane, where his family home is. 

So, maybe that realization was what made him veer off of the path behind the waterfall of Rainbow Bridge, where everyone now knew Nightside was hidden.

Nolan knew too, of course. In theory. He knew a lot of things in theory, but found his own execution lacking. It’s the main reason why he prefered homework over quests, even if the extra credit is enough to never touch a quill again.

He had never seen the dark, dank cave with his own eyes. Or the very intimidating skull embedded into the half open door. It was his lifeline, though, so he walked quickly forward, shaking his hands to get the faint mist of water off of them. He shook his hands out more after that, letting himself stim to help with the nerves that onset him in this new environment.

Nightside was… not as scary as he thought it would be from the stories people tell. It was like a more tame version of the dark caves hiding in the other streets. There were little necromancers milling about, getting out of class. Malorn was herding them like they were a clowder of emo cats, and Marla and Penny were standing on the sidewalk, watching like one watched vaguely wild animals in a zoo. 

Then a hand was on his bicep, and Nolan was being pulled onto half wilted grass, close to the wall.

“What are you doing here?” Duncan glared at him, a real one. He wasn’t the sarcastic asshole admitting he was worried. He was back to just being an asshole.

“Drake may have forgone the hit and was approaching me with intent to kill.” Nolan said, voice monotone, not looking Duncan in the eyes, watching the crowd of necromancers as they finally lined up properly, Malorn smiling wide as he directed them all into Nightside’s own small town. Duncan pulled harder, fingers digging meanly into Nolan’s soft flesh, huffing out what a generous person might call a laugh. 

“Idiot.” Duncan muttered, loud enough so Nolan could hear it. He probably did it on purpose, there’s no point in pretending either of them are nice people. Wasn’t that the point of their library chat?

Nolan just stumbled along until they finally went into the old death school’s tower. Cobwebs populated the bookshelves more than books did, the rugs were stained and maybe moth bitten, and it smelled vaguely sweet, like someone tried to cover up a smell.

At his scrunched up nose, Duncan laughed, letting go of Nolan’s arm as they both kicked off their boots by the door. “That smell is Penny. She’s got a new pyromancer friend and is now making a lot of candles, the flowery-er the better.” 

“Not the worst hobby.” Nolan finally said, unsure how to not insult the girl, even if she wasn’t there. 

“Keeps her out of trouble.” Duncan drawled, then walked to a kitchenette. He pulled out a spotless kettle, probably the cleanest thing this building had seen in years, and began heating it up. He shrugged off his outer robe, leaving a plain grey tunic and black school slacks.

“I don’t think she could get in trouble if she tried.” Nolan was still standing by the door. 

“Don’t underestimate the lengths Marla will go to when something gets in her head.” 

“Trying so hard must be exhausting.”

“You would know, Mister I-Spent-Sixteen-Hours-In-A-Library.” 

“Says the idiot who came to see if I was okay.” 

“You still never answered my question.” Duncan turned around from his puttering around in the kitchen, and gave Nolan a Look.

“Well it’s still none of your fucking business!” Nolan found himself snapping far quicker than he typically did, voice eager to jump up and crack before slipping down into a yell that sounded far too much like an echo of his late parents’ voices.

“It isn’t?” Duncan walked closer, eyes trained on him as he pulled out two chairs at the table in the middle of the room. “What about the others?” 

Nolan snorted, leaning back against the stone wall to watch Duncan, shoulder blades resting uncomfortably against the cold stone. “What others?” 

“The other people who’ve made the unfortunate decision to give a shit about you? What, are they idiots like me? Nosy?”

 “There’s no one else.” Nolan said.

“Ceren. Malorn. Penny. Artur. Fuck, even Boris for all the time he spends on the stupid newspaper, he notices you and how you look closer and closer to a ghoul every day. I’m just the only one who isn’t afraid to call you on your bullshit. You are not okay, Nolan.” 

Nolan stared, feeling himself lean more into the wall, hoping it would open up and bury him inside the stone just so he wouldn’t have to continue this conversation. Duncan was pouring hot water into mugs, and pulling out a box of teabags, dropping them in before turning back around, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“Do you want tea or not?” 

Nolan didn’t even try opening his mouth, knowing from the sensation in his throat that he had gone nonverbal, the stress of the situation taking things out of his hands. Feeling weak and tired and ready for another six hour nap, he found himself sitting on the floor now. The stone wall continued to leech warmth away from his spine, the rug was even less comfortable than he thought.

As good a place as any to start crying.

Duncan seemed alarmed when he muttered. “Didn’t know you hated tea that much.” 

Nolan might’ve laughed if he wasn’t in the middle of a meltdown that stole his normally white-knuckled control over his body. While he was usually a puppeteer of his clumsy, uncooperative self, when it comes to this his strings, long thin nerves extending from his spine and the tips of his fingers and from every single hair on his head are all shaken, every plate of his body convergent or transform boundaries, tectonics doing nothing but continuing their work, manipulated by outside force into compliance until they shudder and subduct into volcanoes and trenches and ridges and wide, empty abyssal plains. The metaphor falls apart as he is, a slow shattering like ripping up the dotted lines on what will be a puzzle. 

The meticulous process of putting it back together is where Nolan often loses himself for days, skipping school just to sit in the home he grew up in and try to process and figure out how to be again, instead of this dissociative being where the world around him is too sped up and he feels like he exists five feet to the left of his body.

“-okay? Nolan? Nolan?!”

Heavy breathing rattled out of Nolan’s chest, and he has both hands on his head, pushing, trying to interlock his fingers into his hair so he doesn’t hit his own skull with clenched fingers, palms stiff and wrists aching. His knees push against his soft stomach, boots sliding a rug underfoot and rumpling it. 

Nolan meant to make an inquisitive sound for Duncan to hear but instead it devolved into humming and trying to fill his brain with something other than the shaky feeling of tensed muscles, as if he was a series of rubber bands and paperclips just waiting to snap and cause a mess. 

“Nolan? Oh I don’t know anything about healing, are you having a panic attack maybe? I really thought this was going to end with the tea and maybe some flirting- gosh, this is not how I thought any of this would go, I’m sorry.” 

Duncan continued to ramble, eventually sitting on the floor in front of Nolan, setting down a tray between them. 

Nolan’s breathing slowed, still ragged, his throat hoarse and face sticky from tears. His face hurt, he felt numb, empty again, a water glass overfilled by clumsy hands. Eventually he was reaching out, mind still distant from body, and awkward fingers fumbled for the handle of the blue speckled mug, wrist weak enough that he grabbed it with his other hand as well. The heat from the tea sunk deep into his chest when he brought it closer, and he closed his eyes, trying to not dwell on anything but the tea.

Duncan made a cut off sound, and when Nolan opened his eyes, Duncan’s mouth was slightly open, face twisted by confusion. “Are you… okay? There’s a couch upstairs you can crash on, Nolan.” 

Nolan just nodded, sipping the tea, now lukewarm. 

Duncan set down his own mug and leaned back on his hands, looking at Nolan like he’d never seen him before. 

“Okay then. We don’t… have to talk if you don’t wanna. But we can. Talking to you is nice, Nolan. I’d hate if-” Duncan looked to the side, flushing slightly, “If you weren’t there, y’know. You’re like the rest of us, a fixture of Ravenwood or whatever. But I’d also like to be your friend, I mean, we’d all like that.” 

Nolan watched how Duncan’s face, soft without it’s usual anger or derision, twitched into a smile. 

“We really all do care. Penny wants to know your favorite color and scent for a candle. Marla wants to study history with you to see if it’s different in the myth school. I want…” Duncan’s voice cracks with emotion, “I just want a friend, one who can keep up when I want to bitch about stuff, one who doesn’t care if I’m nice or not.”

Nolan drained the rest of his tea, gently leaving the mug on the tray, before shifting to stretch his legs out, still silent as he stood, suddenly feeling a lot less small. He still wanted to hide away from the world, wished he was back in his dorm where he controlled everything and knew every object and how to be most comfortable, but right now he would settle for the cold stone walls and the pins and needles sensation in his legs. 

He then pointed upwards and cocked his head, face blank and eyes heavy. 

Duncan got up hastily when he noticed, setting their tray onto an empty bookshelf. “The couch upstairs?”

Nolan nodded, feeling a headache pulse behind his eyes, crawling in the back of his skull. 

“I’ve got some blankets in the cupboard- feel free to head upstairs and get comfortable, it’s clean and usually just for a reading area.” Duncan crossed the room, opening a large armoire.

Nolan’s socked feet began to ache noticeably once he began ascending the stairs. He supposed at least a full day of wearing boots would do that to, and there wasn’t much else to be done. Without realizing, he trailed a hand against the stone wall, palm flat, ready to catch himself if he fell. It was instinct from climbing up the stairs to his dorm for years. 

The room at the top of the death tower was a bit dreary. Muted light from a single window gazing over the small opening street of Nightside flooded a slice of the room, leaving the door and the couch on the opposite wall in almost complete darkness. The patchy rugs and mismatched chairs were comfortable looking, and obviously lived in. Though a few of the shadowy diagrams and realistic portraits left something to be desired.

With clumsy hands, Nolan dragged his robe off, crossing the room. He tossed it on the couch, by the pillow furthest from the window. Sitting down, he sighed at how comfortable even this lumpy couch was. He was already glad he managed to get himself together enough to get off of the floor, and this was better already.

“Oh, it’s dark in here.” Duncan’s voice echoed against the stone walls. 

Nolan startled, a choked gasp leaving him. 

“Sorry! Sorry. Want me to light a candle or something? We’ve got plenty.” Duncan’s arms were full of several quilts, a slightly moth eaten comforter, and an array of strangely shaped knitted blankets.

Nolan shook his head, and stood, grabbing a few of the quilts and the comforter. A sudden sense of insecurity came from him realizing he was in simple black slacks and a white t-shirt, slightly stained with ink, but his exhaustion caught up to him.

“The knitted ones are uh- the death school’s attempt at starting a knitting circle? Please don’t tell anyone.” 

At Duncan’s almost desperate tone, Nolan managed a smirk, eyebrow raised. 

Duncan snorted. “Well. Tell whoever you want. As long as it doesn’t get traced back to me.”

Nolan shrugged, expression specifically blank just to watch Duncan’s half smile become a bit worried. It was then that Nolan began swaying on his feet trying to set up his ‘bed’, vision dimming slightly.

“Woah there. Woah-” Duncan stepped forward, tossing the knitted disasters behind him to steady Nolan. “I got you, it’s fine.” He muttered, warm breath puffing against Nolan’s cheek, more a reassurance to himself than anything else.

Nolan stood for a moment, yawning while Duncan set out the comforter as something to lie on, and guided Nolan to sit down. Nolan flopped against the pillow, murmuring.

“What was that?” Duncan said quietly, leaning in.

Nolan grumbled, half asleep, and threw a quilt over himself before turning over. “G’night, Duncan.”

Duncan’s eyes widened and he backed up. He walked quietly across the room, only allowing himself to look back when he reached the doorway.

The only visible part of Nolan was his hair, the rest a badly hidden lump of a conjurer. Soft snoring echoed slightly in the room, and Duncan found himself smiling, a hand reaching up to his mouth as he leaned against the stone wall for a moment.

“Goodnight, Nolan.” He finally said, and turned to walk downstairs, and let his new friend rest.

[katewaliss]

1x1 plot list!

hello girls, gays and theys! my name is crissy, i’m 21, go by she/her pronouns and live in the PST timezone. i am celebrating bullshitting my way through my junior year with ( copious amounts of tequila but also ) make a list of 1x1 ideas / plot bunnies because i need something to do during this Borentine and what better way to spend it then making myself cry with ships! 

i primarily send really long keysmash head cannons through discord and the ims, but i am also down to do replies ( on tumblr or discord ) and ask memes are my most favorite. i am introverted af but very excited abt ships so i really like having rp partners who like want to stay up all night and write and scream with me, so if that sounds like u, come thru! 

if u like any of these please don’t hesitate to shoot me an im! 

also my discord is daddy devito#2918 ( & yes, i do hate myself  )

were starting with mermaids bc i love mermaids

ALSO YES I LIKE OPPOSITE PLOTS DONT @@@@@ ME!!!!!

ALSO ALL OF THESE PLOTS CAN BE GAY! BE GAY DO CRIMES!

i’ve always kind of wanted one based loosely on these pictures x, x, x. im thinking ponyo meets enchanted meets h20 little mermaid AF realness! like maybe hes this lil regular boy high school college student taking pictures and stuff and sees this girl wash up on the shore looking very confused. so he helps her and you know, shes a little hysterical and cant walk very well, takes her into his apartment puts a towel over here bc she like keeps talking abt how shes a mermaid and hes like oh my god shes crazy ahh. she keeps saying her dad is king of the ocean and hes like???? do u have a last name? and the police dont know anything abt her she has no file, no id, no finger print in the database? 

basically the mermaid is staying w the college student in his apartment and he like teaches her what the microwave and the tv is and its very soft  they fall in luv maybe drama he has a girl friend who sucks a lot who is angry abt mermaid girl idk maybe the government realizes and tries to steal her! fun THAT FIRST PIC? MAYBE HE SAVED HER WHEN HE WAS A KID ONCE FROM DROWNING!!! AHHH

alternatively i found these pictures were are in the same vein very aquamarine x, x, x, lifeguard off duty surfing and he gets stuck in a gnarly wave and almost drowns but this mermaid saves his life! and he comes to see her a lot on the beach and they hang out and fall in love he teaches her how to speak english shows her his phone!!! MAYBE THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO POACHING HER WE LOVE DRAMA

ok last mermaid plot? BUT ITS A SIREN PLOT!!!!!!! these sirens/a siren wipes out this sailors entire ship with the sirens song they all get drowned/eaten .... but plot twist! this one sailor homie lives bc he is DEAF and therefore IMMUNE TO THE SIREN SONG!! so this siren keeps tryna sing at him and its not working and u know they fall in love good stuff MORE POACHES MORE PIRATES MORE GOVERNMENT TRYNA KILL THE AQUATIC AMERICAN BC I LOVE SUFFERING modern or maybe set back in the day???? spicy

anthour or a sculptor that writes a book w a main character or makes a statue and it comes to life and has no perception of human stuff and is like a big alien

also literally all of these plots can be made gay as the flyest bi i ENCOURAGE it!!!! i will play either character in any of them pls tell me which one u like if u like one

pls the clown clown valedictorian plot

ok speaking of giving the gays everything they want

damn i just want a cheesy wlw 1x1 plot where the first girl is a famous celebrity hella spoiled very purse dog paris hilton type and her fancy convertible sports car breaks down smack dab in a small ass hick nowheresville town and this flannel wearing mannerless tomboy mechanic comes to fix her car but rich girl is stuck in town a few days while they order the part she needs for her car bc it’s a small town they don’t have it and they get closer and the celebrity girl is humbled by the town and learns a lot abt the world and herself just ,, good times LISTEN!!!! zendaya and kristine froseth ???? SPICY

ok maybe a period piece lady knight / princess plot where she was personally assignment to the princess but maybe its a whole mulan thing where no one knows the night is a girl and is posing as a man bc women were allowed to be knights and the princess is betrothed to some loser prince once again ill play either

princess body guard plots always smack

ok princess protection program BUT GET THIS instead of that its my boy dmitri who is the heir to the russian throne or some made up european country but theres an assasination attempt so hes told he has to go into witness protection. and this dude or girls dad is head of cia/fbi and dmitri has to pose as a foreign exchange student at y/ns college and be shown around/baby sat by them. they hate eachother. probably bc dmitri is obnoxious and entitled and sleeps w everyone. he was a matthew daddario fc but not that necessary!

cheerleaders on opposite squads who got the sexual tension!!!!

plot based off hollywood the netflix limited series where its 1940s-1950s hollywood and maybe actors falling in love, an actor and a director? OR omg even better an actor falling in love with some sort of stage crew, lighting, camera person............SPICY! 

a beauty / makeup youtube influencer and a pranking rant gaming sort of youtuber and they have to collab and hate it points if its gay

that cliche plot where ur friends older brother is hot

ok kstew / naomi scott .....that is such.....a wave

UGLY BETTY PLOT BITCH!!!!!! REVERSE THE ROLES OR MAKE IT GAY

i saw this gifset of margo robbie and michael b jordan talking abt how they are eachothers celebrity crush and it got my brain turning 

a very whimsical hopeless romantic artist who finds a muse in a no nonsense american college student studying law studying abroad

PERCY JACKSON BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE HUNGER GAMES BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

business man/prodigal son who falls in love with a stripper/escort

harry potter......next gen................please.............scorose............but like can i play ravenclaw soft boy nothing like draco scorpio BUT ALSO ALL THE HP i also really like ocs also BEAUXBATONS DRUMSTRANG ( if anyone wants to help me w a not hogwarts but other wizarding school rp let me know )

not to b cliche but uh....pastors son bad boy plot yes!

alternatively bad girl good boy/girl plot yes! ( can i pls play bad girl seulgi its Dire )

horror until dawn stuff

soul eater? death note? OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB BITCH!!!! ANIME!

the epically cliche popular person failing math and is gonna get kicked off cheer gets tutored by biggest loser in school and only agrees to tutor her in math if she teaches them how to be cool to impress crush (popular persons friend) and they do that, they start to bond, she gives nerd a makeover the whole school falls in love with them and the popular girls real jealous and wHEw

a disgruntled detective whos wife cheated on him with his partner and he drinks everyday (also could b a lady) throws himself into work and this waitress at the diner he works at who is the opposite of him and very sunshiney

OKAY HANNIBAL but like the hannibal is a lady!

superhero x villian plot! spicy maybe theyre exes! or they went to the same super power school? 

SPEAKING OF SUPERHEROS I WANT A MIRACULOUS LADYBUG PLOT RIGHT FUCKING NOW SOMEONE PLAY CHOU TZUYU AS MARINETTE!!!!!!!!!

also every disney plot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think this will get added to but for now this is the gist HIT ME THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!!!

[dadzawa-adopt-dabi]

Give it a second and a Birds eye view.

Sirius opens his eyes tangled in someone’s sheets and head pounding with a hangover again. He feels like he did when he ran with Remus as the war was building. Exhausted, Stressed and Soreness in every muscle. But there’s no James or Lupin to shove off the bed and roughhouse the aches away with. The aches and pains are different these days, not just bruises or sore muscles but the deep aches in his chest that have been there since they’ve died, he doesn't remember what it's like not to carry that anymore.

He should stop sleeping with Sniveling snape, the man was a greaseball anyways. Sirius rarely stayed the night with him. Only when he was too drunk to floo home really. It probably wasn’t healthy and he was working on that. Being in a healthier mindset and making better choices. He promised Harry, after the last fight they had.

Severus groans behind him ,drawing the ex-felons attention,and he feels the sneer on his face forming before he frowns instead. Severus sounds like he’s in actual pain, He might be for all that Sirus remembers.

What he does with the greasy git is nothing like his past hookups or one night stands. Too much fighting for that. Not that he had ever complained or asked Sirius to be gentler. Him and Lupin, well they’d had a roll once or twice but then he’d gone to Azkaban and come back to Lupin all but married. To say nothing of himself or the state he’d been in, not fit for relationships or old flames had been an understatement he snorted at himself.

His head is screaming at him, the sunlight streaming in from a window is making it so much worse. Fucker probably left it open knowing he could kick Sirius out that much sooner.  It normally has blackout curtains over it, he’s pretty sure. He glances at Snape as he's searching for his pants to leave and there’s, was he that rough? Or did Severus bruise easily, pale people bruise easier right? 

Sirus wracks his brain as he stares in horror at his infrequent bedmate. He stops the search for his trousers as he squints through his hangover at the other male in the bed.

 Fuck when’s the last time he saw Severus outside of a grimy bar or alley? He gulps as he remembers the time before this, they didn't even make it to an alley that night, too drunk and too desperate to get in each other's trousers to really mind and well, it's not like Sirius had been the one on his knees that night. He wouldn’t do this to anyone else. Seeing Severus now with sunlight making his eyes scream in pain concerns him though. Maybe he wasn’t doing as good as he thought he had been.

Severus is bruised to hell and back that's not him, he’s never bruised anyone. Sirius is just pale. That's it. And there’s deep bags under his eyes to match the hickeys decorating his throat. Severus is still asleep and he turns onto his stomach, chasing the warmth Sirius left there. Putting the knobs of his spine on display and it strikes him how thin he is. Snape’s always been thin though, not muscular or toned like Himself or Remus always have been.

There's a voice that sounds like Harry, reminding him that people in distress often stop taking care of themselves. Maybe Snape liked being rough but something is wrong here. Snape's hair has always been greasy. However as Sirius finds and waves his wand to bring the curtain back up off the floor , flashes of Severus stumbling and grabbing onto it before falling, Sirius remembers vaguely that his old school enemy hadn’t had the best home life and flinches. He remembers when the war was finally done and he had only functioned if he knew Harry was visiting.

He trips over his trousers as he stumbles to the adjoined bathroom, so that’s where the bloody things had been hiding. Really, he’s too old to be doing this, he’s going to fall and break a hip. One night stands and blackout drinking. 

He wants to go for a run, Harry's cousin had gotten him started on the habit. At first he hated it and cursed the very thought, now it was slowly becoming something he looked forward to. The nearly daily run becoming his time to clear his mind and wake up.  Did Severus have anything like that? Did he stay cooped up in his house or in bars until he passed out? Did Severus have anyone to pull him away when he needed it? 

Stepping into the shower he read some of the labeled empty potion bottles laying around. Headache cure, nausea suppressor, sleep aids. A bottle of shampoo labeled with a derogatory comment on his hair in Severus's own scrunched curly handwriting has him frowning. Downing a headache potion he finds in the cabinet he cracks his neck and blinks,  greasy basta- Severus still makes the most potent potions he’s ever had. Hangover fading immediately. It only makes the numerous bottles around the bathroom more worrying. How often was Severus having issues?

Severus stirs when he steps out of the bathroom and he freezes watching him. When he turns over Sirius can see him wince, before he stops moving and is back asleep. He’s not a very restful sleeper, something Sirius should know with how long they’ve been doing this. He’s never moved about much that Sirius can recall though, maybe it’s because he’s gone?

Before Sirius knows what he’s doing he’s in the kitchen, filling the sink overflowing with dirty dishes with hot soapy water. He likes doing this more by hand than magic, judging by how big the bags under Severus’s eyes had been he’s got a couple hours to waste until his bed partner wakes up anyways. He fumbles with his phone half way through the first round of dishes, music quietly playing in the background through a muggle device Harry has shown him before. Pulling open one of the apps and clicking through until he finds a nearby muggle breakfast joint that will deliver. Another trick Harry had taught while helping him fix the mess of a person he had been.Using muggle technology was surprisingly easy , it was just remembering not to use magic because it messes up the touchy things that messed so many wizards up. 

Severus stumbles to the kitchen in loose pajamas and his heart thuds hard in his chest at the sight. The bags under his eyes are still deep and his hair is dripping from the shower, he nearly drops a mug filled with what has to be stale coffee when he sees sirius.

“What are you still doing here?” He rasps out and chugs the liquid in the clutched mug. Severus winces at the taste, definitely old coffee.

“Making breakfast for my lover,” Sirius teases Sev and exaggerates a sappy tone when he calls him his lover just to see his confusion. “ Seriously though, I was rougher than I meant to be last night. I wanted to apologize and let you know It won’t happen again.” His phone chimes and he goes to get the delivery as Severus stared in shock.

He came back to the other male pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee, shoulders pulled tight and eyes following him. He sits down at the small table with Sirius when he starts unloading the food though.

“You alright there Sev?” he questions as the man across from him picks at the food. Maybe he had guessed wrong on what he would eat.

“What is this. We don’t have breakfast, you don’t clean up for me and you’ve certainly never ordered in. You fuck me into a mattress or whereever and i get some fucking sleep. That’s all you're here for.” Severus threw his fork on his plate and scowled at Sirius.

“Doesn't have to be though. That why you got so many potions everywhere? Having trouble sleeping, Severus?” Sirius got up and leaned against the counter, whatever was happening with his bedmate was a problem.

“I’m Fine.” the potion master outright hissed at him, but his hands were clutching his arms like he was hugging himself. Sirius raised an eyebrow and Severus snapped his head away. So he knew he wasn’t doing okay at least.

“How about I finish the dishes and you finish your food. We can crawl back in bed and later we can discuss how fine your really not.” Sirius let out a sigh of relief when Severus flipped him off but nodded. When they crawled back into Severus’s bed he tugged the lighter man into his arms and Severus was asleep almost instantly.

[johannesviii]

Top 10 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 1999

A list with quite possibly the most embarrassing #1 yet, and considering some of the previous ones, that’s really saying something.

Also, a very, very long list of honorable mentions.

Disclaimers:

Keep in mind I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these top 10 things. There’s songs in English that charted in my country way higher than they did in their home countries, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

Of course there will be stuff in French. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible and I’m not a critic, just a listener and an idiot.

I have sound to color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

This could have almost been a top fifteen, because holy f█cking shit look at this list of honorable mentions. I might eventually make a top 15 for some years (gosh I just finished my 2013 top and it’s a massacre of good songs, an absolute disaster, and I’m seriously considering making it a top 15 or 20 I swear), but for now, it’s still manageable.

Summer Son (Texas) - Why is this so hot. The lyrics aren’t even hot in the first place. What the hell.

That Don’t Impress Me Much (Shania Twain) - Not my favorite song from her but still very good. Fun fact, one of my English teachers was using songs as dictation exercises and that was the hardest one he ever used for that. I don’t think any of us got the Elvis line right. Also he’s solely responsible for me loving The Cure because the second song he used for this kind of exercise was Boys Don’t Cry. This has nothing to do with Shania Twain but I thought it was a fun little story to tell.

Jusqu’au Bout de la Nuit (Emile et Images) - Two French bands from the eighties team up and release a song which is composed of every single one of their hit songs from the eighties, with each chorus sung one after the other, and... it sounds great? And it charted?? My brother absolutely loved them, too. The only reason it’s not on the list is that it feels like cheating, in a way. I mean, half these songs could top some of my lists on their own. Putting them together is a dirty trick, guys! Oh well, I love you all anyway.

Baby One More Time (Britney Spears) - I really love this song and it was on the list at first, but overplay played a big role in its removal from it.

L’Ame Stram Gram (Mylène Farmer) - Has the privilege of being the first Mylène Farmer music video I ever saw in my life. Was incredibly confused but also fascinated. The song isn’t her best though, and she’s on so many of these lists that I claim self care on its removal from this one, especially because, uh... she’s still gonna appear on it anyway. Damn it.

Move Your Body (Eiffel 65) - I told you I loved stupid dance music didn’t I. Unfortunately things aren’t gonna get better as years pass. I just made a list (which is gonna be posted muuuuuuch later) where I put David Guetta six places higher than Adele. This isn’t a joke.

Save Tonight (Eagle Eye Cherry) - I genuinely love this song and it’s kinda sad I couldn’t fit it on any of the two lists where it was elligible.

La Manivelle (Wazoo) - This would NEVER have charted if La Tribu de Dana by Manau hadn’t been such an enormous hit the previous year. Not in a million years. And if it hadn’t, the world would have been a little less fun. So I’m glad. I love it and it was one of the last cuts from this list.

Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer) - Was also on the list at first. Was removed because it never ended on any compilation I made and that’s the only reason.

Well, that was long. Here’s the proper list.

10 - Crazy (Britney Spears)

US: Not on the list?? I was very surprised / FR: #14

So I dug up the first cd compilations I ever made for the previous list, and look what’s the first song on the third compilation I ever made!

Relistened to it, still love it to bits, put it on the list. Sorry Kiss Me.

9 - All Star (Smash Mouth)

US: #17 / FR: Not on the list

I know it’s impossible to listen to it with fresh ears after something like 15 years of memes. But it’s still damn good and a ton of fun to sing along with it.

8 - Ma Baker 99 (Boney M)

US: Not on the list / FR: #66

Where’s that photo of the cd compilation I mentioned in the previous list?

There it is.

Yep, it’s a remix, but it charted here, and it sounds and looks absolutely fantastic. I had never heard the original at the time for some reason, and that song sounded so badass. I could only understand isolated bits of the lyrics (like “she was the meanest cat in all Chicago town”, “the cops appeared too soon they couldn’t get away”, “she never could cry”) but it was enough to get a general idea, and that was back when I was starting to realise than most of the dance songs I enjoyed as a kid didn’t tell stories and weren’t about wizards and magic. So, a song about a mean woman who’s also a gangster?? I was like, wow, nice, a song I like with an actual story, give me twenty.

7 - Boom Boom Boom Boom (Vengaboys)

US: Not on the list / FR: #20

Told you I loved Vengaboys! It’s also on that third cd compilation I ever made!

Fun fact, at the time, for a while I didn’t know what the lyrics were and since I only knew a couple of words of English I was convinced a “broom” was somehow involved in the lyrics instead of a “room”.

6 - Souviens-toi du jour (Mylène Farmer)

US: Not on the list / FR: #73

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again ; I used to be a huge fan of her as a teenager and my brain somehow links her and her songs in general to some dark times in my life - and so, every single time she appears on one of my lists, I feel like I’m texting an unstable ex and that things will end horribly and I probably shouldn’t do that but, ugh, can’t help it, love her too much.

Ok so the first seconds are actually painful to listen to but holy shit, that’s a beautiful, beautiful song. When the chorus swells near the end, so full of hope and light? Amazing. Chills on my arms every single time. That’s from one of her best albums, too. I have nothing more to say about it.

5 - Better Off Alone (Alice Deejay)

US: Not on the list / FR: #30

I don’t have anything to say about this one apart from the fact one of my friends around 2005 thought the lyrics were “do you think you’re better? rofl lol” and I think that’s hilarious.

Moving on to- oh shit oh no not that song

4 - Je te rends ton amour (Mylène Farmer)

US: Not on the list / FR: #97

What I said in #6 also applies here and this song is so dark it feels even worse. That song used to be very important in my life. Bad memories, bad times. Really, really bad times.

So. Uh. This is a song about a woman in a painting, who’s despising her creator, and possibly (that’s very, very open to interpretation, here’s a translation) coming out of her frame to kill him. That’s quite possibly the weirdest story I’ve ever heard in a song, and I love it. And it sounds so sinister. God, the first notes. They are so ominous. And that brief moment of silence after the bridge, right before the guitar explodes again? Horrible chills. I’m not sure who killed who or what actually happened in the story but press F to pay respects.

Also the music video has nothing to do with the lyrics and it’s absolutely terrifying and I shouldn’t have watched this at 14 because it’s kinda burned into my mind now and it will never go away and you probably shouldn’t watch it either.

If it wasn’t so inextricably linked to bad memories, this song would be #2. I still love it and listen to it but I kinda jump like a scared rabbit whenever I hear it by surprise and it should come with its own trigger warning as far as I’m concerned.

3 - Narcotic (Liquido)

US: Not on the list / FR: #99

This is barely elligible. But I’m so, so glad it is. These chords right there? Love them. Love. Them.

Also here’s a fun story about this song and me. At first, I was like “oh wow, I can only understand one word out of five, but this sounds badass.” Then a couple of years later I was like “oh. Oh no. It’s about drugs.” And THEN a few years later I was like “oh shit oh no. It’s about sex.” But no, now that I can understand everything, it’s just a breakup song. It’s okay.

2 - Where I’m headed (Lene Marlin)

US: Not on the list / FR: #24

Ok so. Uh. I just realised this song was called Where I’m headed and not, as I believed for literally 18 years, “Pass By”. I had never checked. I have it on several tapes and several cd compilations, always labelled Pass By. It’s also called Pass By on the mp3 I still have in my playlist. I know I’m in the wrong here and probably never checked what the title was but I still feel like there’s been a glitch in the matrix. What happened.

Anyway. Fantastic song. Love it.

Now let’s embarrass myself beyond all hopes of redemption.

1 - Blue (Eiffel 65)

US: Not on the list (...yet. #49 in 2000) / FR: #2

So. Uh. Yeah.

Blue by Eiffel 65 was, for a long, long, LONG time, my favorite song ever.

See? This is one of my oldest lists of favorite songs.

Another one from several months later.

A cd compilation of my favorite songs ever, which I made around 2003 or 2004 as well, with a booklet with lyrics entirely copied by hand and with every page painstakingly illustrated with panels and characters from my favorite comic at the time, Horologiom.

You open the booklet, and look at that, Blue is the second song right after Children.

This silly song which lists blue things and has a nonsensical chorus and one of the dumbest music videos of the entire 90s was, indeed, for years, my favorite song ever. Why. How. Well, first, please remember I am, in fact, a sucker for dance music and electronic music ESPECIALLY when a piano is involved, but this isn’t at all why this song was special to me (and still is, actually).

As I already mentioned, music has colors to me and guess what’s the dominant color of this song? Yepppppp. This is one of the bluest songs ever made even if there’s a little black, yellow and green here and there - the only song I can think about right now which out-blues it is Derezzed by Daft Punk.

And I can’t even begin to explain how SATISFYING a blue song called “Blue” listing blue things and which has an extremely blue music video is.

I know. It’s an embarrassing #1 even for 1999. It took me a long time to post this list partly for this reason. But I wouldn’t be honest if it was placed at any other position. It’s stupid, it’s repetitive, it’s meaningless. I absolutely love it and I’ve loved it for twenty years.

Deal with it.

Next up: the year when I actually started to buy cds with my own money, with debatable results.

[livralph]

One year after

Word count: 2.8k

In which Harry and Draco meet a year or so after they left school and have an unconventional start to their relationship

It had started as a fling, hell, it started as a one night stand. Two guys who new each other at school meeting for the first time in over a year and having a drink and a bit of fun, because why not? Harry had seen Draco across the bar and without thinking, went for him. Granted, that was mostly because this was a muggle, gay bar. One of which Harry new Draco not to be, the other he was suddenly hoping was very true.

Harry called the bar tender over and asked him to give a drink to “that hot blonde guy over there” and tell him who it was from. He didn’t know what he’d been thinking, and as the bar tender made the fruity cocktail his dread slowly grew. What had he been thinking? Getting the guy who he hated all through school a drink! Oh, Merlin, he needed to stop the bar tender- but it was too late. He’d walked over to Draco and given him the drink, pointing at Harry.

His face went from confusion to mild surprise in a matter of seconds. He raised his eyebrows questionly at Harry, who he saw shrug sheepishly and blush. The boy who lived, Draco thought, not straight and hitting on him, of all people.

Oh, he could have some fun with this.

So he stood up and walked over to the boy who’s hair was just as horrifically messy and seemingly soft as it had been at Hogwarts. To think, it had been over a year since he’d last seen Harry. Since anyone from the wizarding world had seen Draco, actually. He’d been living as a muggle since. Living as a Malfoy in the wizarding community would forever be tainted after his father.

“Potter.” He smirked as he sat on the stool directly next to Harry’s facing him. It was, in fact, so close that Draco’s knees almost brushed the others stool.

“Draco.” Harry said, turning his head to the side and looking at Draco. Something about him felt different to the last day of school when Harry saw Draco climb onto the train with Blaise and Pansy both seemingly sad every time Draco wasn’t looking, and him exactly the same when they weren’t looking. Now he had plastered a coy smile upon his face and was wearing a confidence on his sleeve Harry hadn’t seen properly since they were in their fifth year, but being used for different purposes.

For a moment he did nothing but stare at the blonde. What else was different? It wasn’t just how he held himself, his features were eventuates perfectly and Harry still couldn’t tell-

“First name basis now, huh, Harry?” His teasing voice was exactly the same, but held with a different pretence. Before it had been mostly with malicious intent. Now it was... flirtatious? “Oh come off it. Never seen a guy in makeup before? Wow, the wizard community really is so sheltered.”

That’s what it was! Draco’s eyes were traced delicate black eyeliner and his thick lashes her coated by mascara! He was also wearing a nude lipstick which accentuated his Cupid’s bow, almost making Harry want to-

“Like what you see?” That. Stupid. Smirk.

“I don’t know, Draco. Seem a bit desperate.” he replied easily, even though his heart rate was getting faster now that the blonde was so close to him. Despite this, he turned to face Draco, causing one of Harry’s knees become caught between the others legs but neither of them made an attempt to move now that they’d made it into this position. “How’ve you been then. Since school, you know.”

Now Draco was lost for words. Clearly he hadn’t been anticipating this situation and was now struggling with what to do with his hands seeing as he had no pockets and his lap wasn’t currently an option seeing as one of Harry’s legs was between his legs. A moment later, he had an idea, moving both of his hands from being awkwardly in mid air so one of them was on Harry’s thigh (the one that wasn’t wedged between his) and the other hand was reaching for his highly delicious cocktail.

He took a sip leaning back a little just so he still had room to function rather than allow his brain to fry from being so close to Harry. “Pretty good. Turns out it isn’t difficult to get a well payed job when you aren’t known as the son of a convicted murderer. Who’d have thought. Muggles are a lot better than I thought, scarhead. They don’t care that I’ve got a tattoo on my arm. Which is not great, because when I say I’m not to keen they ask why I haven’t had it removed. It doesn’t work. Tried. Failed.”

Harry’s smile faded. He didn’t know Draco had left the wizarding world. Yes, no one had seen him around for months but they assumed that was because he didn’t want to be. Narcissa was almost never seen in Diagon Ally or the Leaky Cauldron, then again, Harry didn’t know if she was still around either.

“Sorry.” Harry replied. “I mean- about everything that’s happened. It’s not fair that everyone hates you.” He offered a weak smile to Draco.

He offered one back, along with a squeeze to Harry’s thigh. “I don’t know that everyone hates me. You seem quite content right now.” He muttered leaning impossibly closer to Harry. So close, in fact, that Harry actually though he was about to kiss him.

“Mhm. Give it a bit longer and I might be even more so. The desperate thing looks rather good on you.” Harry breathed, breath fanning over Draco’s lips as he spoke.

He laughed shallowly, “yeah? Well in a few minutes I recon it could look even better.”

“Oh, you do? I think I’d like to find out for myself, if you don’t mind.” Harry looked down at Draco’s mouth as he spoke. “Toilets?” He muttered, after pressing his lips to the others in an open mouthed kiss.

“Fuck, yes.”

One thing lead to another�� meaning the bar’s toilets lead to Draco’s apartment. Harry kissed his neck and threaded his fingers through Draco’s belt loops from behind while the blonde fumbled with his keys trying to lock the door because he was sure that later he wouldn’t have the power to after what was about to happen.

And, Merlin, was he right because minutes after they finished he was completely gone, with Harry fucking Potter smiling proudly at him as he too dozed off.

In the morning Draco half expected Harry to have gone. To have left before they had the chance to talk. He thought Harry’d made a drunken mistake and would want to escape before they had any reason to make conversation.

But no. The next morning Draco woke up with the boy who lived pressed against his back. He woke up to his childhood nemesis fucking spooning him. He couldn’t move, he was literally frozen in place, with a slight headache and The Saviour of The Wizarding World on his back and his hands splayed across his stomach.

When Harry realised that Draco was awake he kissed the back of his neck, just behind his ear causing Draco to shiver. It was then that the ex-deatheater knew he was utterly fucked. Quite literally, as a few minutes later when they both made their way into the kitchen for breakfast Harry had pressed him back against the fridge and began covering Draco’s already marked neck with even more dark hickeys.

So it had been a one night stand. With the morning included. That was all.

Except it wasn’t, because, as if turned out, a few weeks later they saw each other in the same bar they’d reunited in last time. And, well, as previously mentioned, one thing leads to another...

And it seemed the two kept meeting. Eventually they would see each other more than two times a week in the exact same bar- and it didn’t even always lead to them sleeping together. Sometimes they just ended up at one of their houses wrapped up in the duvet talking or watching a movie and lazily making out.

They hadn’t called their relationship anything. They weren’t friends, per se... but they weren’t dating either. It was odd, neither was seeing anyone else, but they never saw each other without it starting by “running into each other” at the bar. By now both of them would go hoping the other would be there, but they would never say that to each other.

One morning, around four months after their first night, they were both lying in Harry’s bed, Draco’s head in the crook of Harry’s neck, relishing in the closeness. They were completely at ease in the quiet morning atmosphere, when a loud crack echoed around the apartment. “Shit!” Harry said loudly, sitting up in bed and looking at the almost naked Draco who’s eyes were filled with confusion and slight anxiety.

“Harry?” Hermione’s voice came from just beyond the door. “Harry are you okay?”

Harry managed to yell an answer just as the door handle began to turn. “Don’t come in!” He was now stood up, wearing nothing but his boxers and pacing around the room. “I’m- um- getting dressed.”

“Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen.” The men both listened as her footsteps became quieter.

When they were sure she was out of ear shot Draco ran over to Harry. “The fuck, potter?!” His voice was filled with an inexplicable venom. “What the bloody hell is Granger doing here?” He was pacing too, now.

“She- my auror licence got suspended a while back. She’s helping me get it back and I forgot I said we’d meet this morning.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, not knowing what to do until he remembered something. “You can apparate home, right now. Just do it.”

Draco glared at Harry. “You know I don’t carry my wand anywhere, Harry.”

“Floo powder- fuck no I’m out of that.”

“What can we do?” Draco was becoming increasingly more agitated. “She’s in the kitchen. The door to your apartment is in the kitchen. We’re twelve floors up. I’m fucking trapped. Oh, my God-“

“Calm down. We’ll just- I’ll get Hermione into the living room and you can make a run for it, okay?” Harry said, taking Draco’s hands in his.

“Got it.”

Harry pulled on a jumper and tracksuit bottoms before walking over Draco who was still doing the buttons of his shirt up. “See you.” Harry smiled, leaning up and pressing his lips against Draco’s softly, a sign affection they’d taken to before they left each other.

“See you.” Draco muttered back, leaning into Harry’s touch.

It really was odd. They had no label, yet they kissed each other goodbye with a promise of a next time, and exchanged loving smiles just before one left. In reality, they were boyfriends, but they weren’t calling what they had. Labelling them would give them standards to meet, and Harry wasn’t sure Draco was ready for that.

“Sorry, ‘mione, couldn’t find my glasses.” Harry said, smiling at his best friend. “Can we go to the living room, I think I’ve got our notes from last time in there.”

“Sure.” Hermione smiled brightly, following him gladly. “And I’ll be sure to shut the door so that whoever was in there with you can get out without me knowing who they were, okay?” She said, closing the door behind her and looking over at Harry with the smile that had been on her face becoming a sly smirk.

Harry choked on his own spit in shock at Hermione’s blatant acknowledgment that someone had been in Harry’s bedroom. He doubled over coughing and spluttering as she only started laughing at his reaction.

“How did you know someone was in there?” He groaned when finally he stopped heaving.

“You were talking, Harry. Now, I know people talk to themselves, but in two very different voices? No one I know does that.” She grinned at him. “So who is it? Someone we know or just someone you picked up? Is it serious? Are you dating someone who you don’t want your friends to know about?”

“Hermione.” Harry gave her a pleading look. “It’s nothing. Well, it’s not but- we haven’t labelled it so- I’d rather-“

“Okay.” She nodded understandly, but then, “what’s she like?” She couldn’t help it, she had to know something.

Harry winced, “not a she?” Was his only reply.

“Ohh, you have a boyfriend!” She yelled with glee.

“I do not!! And please shut up he might still be here I don’t want to scare him.” He finished the sentence quietly so there was no chance someone lingering outside the door would here.

This went on for half an hour; Hermione pestering Harry about who over he’d been in bed with rather than helping him with what she was there to help with.

That night Harry took a taxi over to Draco’s, mostly to apologise for the morning, though partly because he just wanted to see him. He rang the door bell once before waiting for Draco to answer. After five minutes of standing outside in the hallway and no answer Harry decided to go, and just as he was about to turn around and leave the door opened to reveal Draco. His eyes were red and blotchy and there were tear tracks down his face. It was obvious he’d tried to make himself look like he hadn’t been crying, but he hadn’t been very successful.

“Oh look who it is.” Draco sighed, nose blocked from crying and voice shaking as he spoke as if he was going to breakdown any second. “What do you want?”

“Are you okay?” Harry said urgently, lifting one hand to Draco’s cheek, wiping tears away with his thumb.

“What do you care? It’s not like I’m your boyfriend or anything.” Draco sniffled with his eyes focused on where he was kicking one of his feet lightly against the floor.

“You- what?” Harry replied, furrowing his eyebrows and thinking what he could have done to upset Draco. They’d been fine when he said goodbye that morning, and then- oh. Oh.

“You heard me. Off you go then, potter, wouldn’t want anyone to think you care for me now, would we?” His voice had gone back to that same sneer he used with him back in school and Harry felt his chest tighten at it.

Harry started on at Draco, who’s tears had properly resumed again. “Can I come in?” He muttered, and Draco shrugged. Honestly, could he not act like an adult? Draco walked into the kitchen and sat on one of the stools by the breakfast bar without saying a word, he was wearing one of Harry’s jumpers he must have taken that morning and skinny jeans which made his legs look amazing.

It took a minute of awkward silence for Harry to realise Draco was expecting him to say something about this morning, but he didn’t know what to say. “What are we?” Draco asked quietly into the sleeve of Harry’s holding that was pulled to cover half of his hand.

Harry looked at him in silence. He was beautiful, white blonde hair and incredible eyes even though he’d probably spent the whole day in tears. “What do you want us to be?” Harry replied simply, giving Draco the option to back out of what they had if he wanted.

Evidently, this was the wrong thing to say, because Draco immediately shut his eyes to stop another tidal wave of tears from pouring down his face.

“Draco, please stop.” Harry sounded strained as he spoke. “I know what I said to Hermione this morning. About us not being boyfriends, but that’s because I didn’t think you were ready for that.”

“Not ready?” Draco was laughing in disbelief. “I’ve been ready since fourth year, only my head was to fucking big to admit it to myself back then. And now I’m finally happy with who I am and I’m with you but I find out you don’t want to be with me? Yeah that fucking hurts, you bastard.” His voice had lost all strength by the time he stopped speaking.

Harry started at him yet again. Fourth year? That’s how long Draco had liked him? No wonder what Harry said upset him. “Draco.” Harry walked over and put his hand on his shoulder, “look at me, love.” He muttered, and Draco froze. They didn’t use pet names.

Draco slowly lifted his head only for Harry to press his lips against his. “Do you want to be my boyfriend?” He muttered, his lips brushed against Draco’s as he spoke.

“Fuck, yes.”

[bluezombiejesus]

05x08 thoughts (haw yee)

Ngl I’m not as excited for this episode as I was for last week’s or Limbo (tbh I don’t think I’ll ever be as hyped for an episode as I was with Limbo), but I’m still rlly looking forward to Ben Whitehair and seeing Pandora take the spotlight for once (I think Lydia breaks her nose this episode)

Oh my god they’re discussing cat videos

“We only used the internet to order guns” oh my god

10k is a dog person confirmed (+ Addy is a cat person confirmed)

Warren’s time with cooper has done her well

“She’s a natural leader. That’s what you want in battles” takes one to know one

I want Addy to poke mE with that Z Whacker ugh. The dream.

10k’s hook I’m

How does Addy’s hair stay so perfectly placed?? How much time did that take??

“I love it when she says that” ME TOO

“Hey hey hey don’t hurt them” gives me Lucy vibes I’m hurting

Doc ex machina (my “doc is god” post is hella relevant rn)

OK BUT WHY IS SHE DRESSED LIKE A COWGIRL

Doc calling Addy “pumpkin” is my aesthetic

I get that Pandora’s mean but she’s also hot lEAVE ME ALONE

I wanna hear 10k say “yee haw” before the episode is over

OH MY GOD THE GUY WITH THE BRAINS OUT REMINDS ME OF WALLY

(Wally’s a ghost Keith played as in Wizards of Waverly Place. He said bad brain puns and had his brains out under his hat. God that CGI was terrible)

I’ve known Charlie for 2 seconds yet I already love him lmao

George mourning Dante is top notch. This scene was absolutely great. The hug revitalized me.

Addy suddenly being borderline anti-human is,,,something. I think it’s a great twist but it’s one

The bond between Warren and George has lasted only a season but it’s so special and well-done.

“I’m willing to die for a better world” BETTER NOT BE FORESHADOWING. I’M WATCHING YOU Z NATION. DON’T YOU DARE.

THE “steam blowing out of the ears effect was” so fuckin surreal what the fuck was that

eW HOW DO THEY MAKE IT LOOK SO GROSS

“It hurts like a bad mother” shshhs

SHE FOUND FINN. OH WOW THEY HAVE A HISTORY APPARENTLY

I’LL SAY IT AGAIN: I WISH THAT WAS ME AT THE OTHER END OF THAT Z WHACKER

Ohhhh shit what’d he do

“Unbutton your shirt” what?? Does he have like a bunch of murphy-style bitemarks or???

OH. THEY’RE TOGETHER

Everyone’s freakin out about Addy not having a gf but tbh I can accept it.

Him calling her Sundance is rlly cute ngl

Doc looking rlly exasperated/shook while 10k drinks,,,whatever that was,, is so perfect

Oh wait it was alcohol??

“No I’m just a terrible doctor” LMAO

Ohhh that’s where “Sundance” comes from.

Charlie is a mood.

Oh it’s not brains???

AHAHAH DOC AND 10k

10k saying “grape shmuckers is my current favorite thing”

Finn is highkey hot. Everyone is hot. MY BI ASS CAN’T TAKE ALL OF THESE ATTACKS

dID HE JUST DROP SRIRACHA ON HIS HEAD.

Yee haw 🤠

Doc and 10k being decked out in cowboy gear just for the sake of being extra is everything to me

I swear that shot of 10k looking for the talker that was in the background reminded me of a meme but I can’t remember which...

UGH SHE’S MEAN BUT,,,YKNOW

George sweet talking that talker and then knocking his ass to the ground. Whhahshs my heart

AHAHA THEY FOUND PANDORA

HE’S SO FUCKIN DRUNK

MUSCLE NO

SHE JUST GOT F L U N G I’M CACKLING

DAD DOC COMIN TO SAVE THE DAY.

OH MY GOD HER MASK GOT KNOCKED OFF

She seems to be really shook by what’s inside. Tbh I was rlly hoping to see that side of her face. My guess is that it’s either eaten or burnt off

Them splitting a bizkit is lowkey cute lol

Her smile at “whoever killed him” concerns me

I was trying to avoid it but the hostility between George and Addy genuinely hurts me. I expected them to get along. Like I get the fact that it’s supposed to provide conflict and opposing views but,,,ow.

For a second I thought 10k was singing lmao

cHARLIE

cHARLIE NO

HE WAS SO PRECIOUS OW

THis part was so pure. Nothing kills me more than bittersweetness. Fr that shit has me bawling like a whole baby.

They’re all singing for him!!!! I’m crying!!! I got genuine tears in my eyes

Charlie was the best boy. We never deserved him.

The Water Keepers!! I can’t wait to see the Native Americans

Muscle is lowkey cute aww

SIS YOU BETTER!!! LEAVE FINN ALONE!!

The Phantom Limb syndrome conversation reminded me too much of @adolescenthowell ‘s fic and “the seven Murphys”

WARREN CALLING 10K “BABY BOY” MY HEART

“WE WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE GRAND CANYON” MAKES A COMEBACK

I was typing this so I didn’t see it but according to my sister Addy was shaking her head too. Aw.

PANDORA GODAMMIT

As much as I hate to admit it Finn is probably gonna die this episode

Warren addressing a Talker so casually is so fuckin cute??

awww she hugged her

“Think I’ll see a white light” is a cruel thing to do to me after my sister said “he kinda reminds me of Mack” JESUS I ALMOST HAD A STROKE

HOW DARE THEY MAKE ME ATTACHED TO THESE TWO ONLY TO KILL FINN OFF

I SAW IT COMING BUT IT STILL HURTS

Oh wait he’s fine

This is like that “Little meow meow” vine lmao

Ohhh that’s why Anny and Keith are together in the “that’s a wrap!” Photo. She goes back to limbo eventually!!

YAY THEY’RE FRIENDS

This was a good end

Doc taking care of his kid is so cute!!!

DID HE JUST GET FUCKING SHOT WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT

wOAH WHAT THE FUCK

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT

“I feel old. And kinda stoned” LMAO

OH MAN THIS EPISODE IS GONNA BE A LITERAL ACID TRIP ISN’T IT

[rosesisupposes]

Destined, part 9

aka An Unexpected Reminder, aka Crashing into the Passt aka Sorry, Didn't Ssee You There

Character Tags: Virgil/Anixety ; Patton/Creativity ; Patton/Morality ; Logan/Logic ; Remy/Sleep ; Dante/Deceit

Chapter Pairings: Slight Anxceit

Chapter Warnings: descriptions of violence, Deceit, 

Reader Tags: @residentanchor @royally-anxious @sanderssidesfanblog @bewarethegrammarpolice

Summary: After centuries of acting as an oracle to heroes, quest-seekers, and villains alike, Virgil just wants to live as a normal, modern human. For someone who can see infinite probabilities, you’d think he’d know better.

<<Chapter 8 | Masterlist | Chapter 10>>

Read on Ao3

Virgil left coffee shop distracted, thinking about his new friends. There are some things you don’t need to be a Sage to predict, he thought. Even if Logan and Patton apparently both had managed to be entirely unaware of the other’s feelings. He didn’t want to push Patton, especially when the baker was so convinced of Logan’s lack of regard - but if the scientist were to make the first move, wouldn’t they both be that much happier?

Absentmindedly looking up at the clouds as he planned, he entirely forgot to look where he was walking.

“Ow!”

He crashed straight into a well-dressed man walking in the opposite direction and fell hard on his rear.

“Wha- I’m so sorry – are you hurt?” Virgil stammered, looking up into mostly brown eyes. Was that a trick of the light, or were those golden streaks?

“Not at all- barely felt a thing,” the stranger said breezily. “Here, let me asssist you.”

Before Virgil can react, the stranger pulled him up by both hands. Skin met skin, and Virgil’s power sprang to life without his bidding. A rush of possibilities flooded his brain, laced with the thrill and fright of familiarity. Shocked, Virgil pulled his hands back the minute he got to his feet.

“Um, sorry again, hope you’re alright, uh, have a good one,” he said, stumbling over his words and feet as he quickly walked on, pulling up his hood. It was him. The sorcerer, the one whose destiny he wished he could have never been part of. He was here, and Virgil had just seen his fate.

Somewhere behind him he heard an exclamation of surprise and confusion. But he couldn’t risk turning around. He had immediately recognized a fellow magic being on contact - what if the sorcerer had done the same?

Too distracted to sort through the choices on the street, he practically sprinted home. Reaching his apartment building, he checked the street and confirmed that there were no visible sorcerers anywhere near. He slipped inside, threw down wallet and keys, and immediately began to meditate on the couch.

Breathe in for four counts. Hold for seven. Out for eight. Four... Seven... Eight...

He concentrated on the possibilities he’d seen. They were tangled threads thanks to how unprepared he’d been, and it had been a while since he’d used his power. But the visions never lied, couldn’t lie, no matter how rusty he got. He shuddered. The sorcerer did not mean well for this world. So many of his choices’ outcomes were desolate, hopeless, and horrific.

So why did Roman keep appearing in them?

Flashback to: 1500s CE, a rocky island in the northwest

Zephyr was really regretting coming out of retirement.

When his last body had finally aged to the point of death, he’d thought fondly of the only destinies he’d given in that lifetime. Maybe he could leave the woods for the next lifetime, and practice his power again.

It had taken all of one destiny before he remembered why he’d hidden himself deep in the Harz in the first place.

The view was nice, at least. He’d watched the world from the ether, looked north and west, and found this beautiful grotto on a rocky shore. When he stepped out from behind the stone outcroppings concealing the entrance, he could see up the rolling foothills into the highlands beyond. This country felt just a bit more accepting of magic folk - the fae were still widely respected, and despite their dwindling numbers, the local humans were fiercely proud of ‘their’ dragons. When he felt the urge, Zephyr could find others who understood just a bit better what life was like with magic running in your blood.

He sighed, and brushed his white-blond hair out of his eyes. A futile effort with the sea breeze coming from this direction, but he tried all the same. His hair in this form was longer than it had been in several lifetimes. He’d considered coming back as a she or they this time, but ultimately, he was what felt the most true. Just as no matter his form, he was most attracted to masculine or masculine-presenting humans, fairies, or any other humanoid race. Some things, like his magic, were apparently innate.

It was cold today, as it usually was, but at least it wasn’t as snowy as that shack on White Mountain. That had been his worst idea ever. Yes, it was great branding to be the wise old man hidden among snowy peaks, but the yetis had been such a bother, always trying to destroy his shack or harass his Seekers. Here in the highlands, at least, he could communicate with all the magical creatures he encountered in feelings and thought if not words.

Not that he had much, recently. Being a new Sage was always a struggle. Building up a reputation in order to get more Seekers to find you took years. He sighed and walked through an apparent wall of rock into his home. Years of rumor-spreading and self-promotion was stressful. He hoped it paid off soon.

No sooner had the thought passed through his mind than a call on the beach summoned his attention.

He let the enchantment on the rocks fall as the caller entered the grotto.

The dark-haired man’s face was lit by a magelight in the palm of his hand. Sparkling yellow flames lit a face that Zephyr could have sworn he’d seen carved on a marble statue back in the day. Dark brown eyes revealed a flashing streak of gold as the stranger straightened. Black hair, perfectly coiffed in a jaunty wave, flopped gently above cheekbones that could slice a feather in midair. His dark cloak was pushed back to reveal a black tunic elegantly embroidered in gold.

Ohhh, I am in trouble.

He stood to greet the beautiful man, calling out “Welcome, Seeker. I am the Sage Zephyr.”

“Greetings, Sage Zephyr. I am Dante the Golden,” the man replied with a crooked smile.

Well, this has been a nice life, Zephyr thought deliriously. Bit on the short side, it having been only about 20 years, but at least Zephyr was dying happy, slain by the most elegant man he’d ever seen in his lives. Either that, or several centuries of solitude had really gotten to him.

The sorcerer, or maybe wizard (Zephyr had never bothered to learn the difference: they were men who did magic) let the flames in his hand fade, and draped his cloak on a dry stone. He let Zephyr gesture him to a seat by the Sage’s stone bench while tea brewed on enchanted fire.

“I must say, I’m very impressed by the hospitality. One always hears of the quests undertaken to learn one’s destiny - they never mention the charming host,” Dante said with a casual smile.

If he kept beaming that delicious smile, Zephyr was going to lie and tell him his destiny was to stay in this grotto and smile at him for the rest of his days. Maybe this was just nerves about his first divining in several centuries. He’d try to focus on that, regardless. Being coherent was definitely a requirement to be a functional Sage.

“I’m heartbroken to hear my efforts have been wasted. Though perhaps it is my brethren darkening our collective reputation,” Zephyr managed to reply.

“Speaking of your brethren - can I ask about Sage magic? It’s rather a fascination of mine, well, one of them anyway,” the sorcerer said, accepting a mug of hot tea.

“That does depend on what you would like to know. By our Law, there are some secrets we must keep.”

“That’s just it, actually,” Dante said, eyes lighting up. “The Sages’ Law. From what my research has told me, the Law is not like most laws of magic, in that it is not a physical limitation on the very bounds of ability itself, but rather a custom. A code of conduct of sorts, binding only so far as each Sage chooses to be bound.”

Zephyr nodded, pale hair falling across paler eyes. “Yes, that’s largely true. In the moment, there is little that can stop any individual Sage from flouting our conventions. However, we are all of single kin or race, and there are internal ways of enforcing the rules. If a rule-breaker is particularly unlucky, one of our number may be observing them from the ether and be able to intervene before they even attempt to flout the Law. The luckiest miscreant may get away with it for some short number of years. There is no fleeing entirely from justice. Sooner or later, each of us will return to the ether, and once there, the collective power of all Sages is absolute over any individual.”

“That is fascinating. Is there a discrete list of what can or cannot be done with the power of the ether?” the sorcerer asked eagerly. “Are there any absolute rules?”

“Only the invocation is absolute. After the fall of Delphi, when the Law was made, those words were imbued with the very force of the ether itself. To refuse such a request,” Zephyr shuddered, “even I am not sure the exact punishment, but it is surely terrible.”

Dante pondered this for a moment. “I wish there was history stretching back to the first Sage. Records I have found barely reach back to the third century. But I suppose I can understand wanting to keep some secrets safe. Thank you, Zephyr, for indulging me. May I interrupt this with my own invocation?”

There was that smile again. Zephyr had never been so taken with someone so quickly. “Of course. You are the Seeker, after all.”

The elegant man cleared this throat and spoke. “Sage, I entreat you, tell me my destiny.”

“Seeker, to know your destiny is to be bound by it. Are you prepared to risk your future?”

“I am.”

“Then give me your hands, and prepare to be bound.”

Zephyr clasped both the man’s hands, half-expecting to feeling a jolt of attraction.

Suddenly, he smells the acrid scent of burning hair and meat over the familiar tang of seawater. Screams fill his ears. His vision is filled with a dark night, lit up with flames. Houses and castles alike are burning. And there is Dante, above it all, soaring through the air. He is suspended in flight by the very power of heat. The Golden is an appropriate moniker, bedecked as the sorcerer is in the precious metal, lit up by the blaze that has made his enemies melt below his feet. A slim and twisted rod, coated in a metallic substance that shifts colors under his slim hands, guides blasts of power to engulf the few remaining structures. Dante curls his lip in triumph over the last rebellion against his absolute rule.

Cassandra’s mercy. The man was as twisted inside as he was beautiful without.

But there was a future without darkness. Zephyr also saw a near miss, defeat at the hands of an unassuming fire sprite. And the turning point? Ah. The theft of a magic staff, brought to an ancient stone altar - one dedicated to the old gods of the fire sprites. Accidental timing, and just a hint of gumption, and the crisis could be averted.

“When the wood lays with stone, the world will turn to Flame,”he intoned, opening his eyes.

The sorcerer’s beautiful lips curved into a predatory, triumphant grin. He couldn’t hear the capital letter. But Zephyr knew. He just hoped it would be enough.

[charlyoddsox27]

its 6am, i havent slept, im bored, so im posting a list of the mercs in order of whom i like the most and reasons why, because thats something i should do i guess?

here goes

(spoilers for the comics down below but either way i think im the only person on earth who has never read them before now)

~~~

~~1. Medic~~

reasons for being my favourite:

• fucking. look. at. him. 👌

• 'mad german doctor' is one of my favourite tropes and he is a pretty bang-on satirical depiction of it

• cute-ass german accent

• he has pet pidgeons hE LOVES HIS PIDGEON PALS THEY KEEP HIM COMPANY

• healers are the most respectable class imo and since Medic pretty much started it he's automatically the best, thats how it works right?

• he sold some random persons soul to satan in exchange for a ***ballpoint pen*** and can i just say, fucking mood??? (he is literally the "i'd sell you to satan for one cornchip" meme)

• "yes, Archimedes...I couldn't agree more." *shudders* b oi .. .

• so many more reasons to love this gross old doctor so little room in Tumblrs posts.

~~2. Spy~~

reasons for being my second favourite:

• cranky, done with everyones shit, just wants to be left alone, fucking mood

• he's a spy i mean c'mon. look at the swanky-ass suit, look at the class radiating from this asshole.

• he may be a dick but he has a soft side he's just too jaded to show it most of the time (see: Scouts death in the comics?? real tears. honestly wish they'd panned that out more.)

• masks are hot tbFH--

• he enjoys a nice glass of whisky by the fireplace and so do i (fun fact: france is the biggest importer of scottish whisky in the world so its a nice touch)

• shapeshifting is fucking cool are you serious like he can just. do that. what a legend

• "i have a cyanide pill in one of my molars, if i break it then spit some in your mouth before i die, we can avoid being tortured." *'heavy' bursts in to save them* "PFFTHBTHF--"

• "SEDUCE ME."

• arrogant frenchman is one of my other favourite tropes and this is the most arrogant frenchman ive ever seen

• he's the only fully sane Merc, maybe apart from Engie.

• people love to hate him bc he's an asshole but...come on. after working with all those other weirdos for years, you'd be pretty jaded too.

• as a gross shipper, he's the easiest and the most fun (imo) to ship with Medic (rip me)

~~3. Pyro~~

reasons for being my third favourite:

• would have tied with Soldier if it werent for that one picture of them in the comics holding a puppy over their head with the most adoring expression on their mask??? good Pyro. goodest Pyro.

• doesn't do much in the comics but makes up for it in pure charm. look at that soulless face and tell me you dont love it.

• ambiguous gender ambiguous gender amBIGUOUS GENDER AMBIGUOUS GENDER. she/he/they? trans? nb? whatever you headcanon, it'll never be confirmed so its literally up to your own imagination. fucking ace, Valve 👌👌👌

• likes to burn things. god damnit. they like to burn things, guys. but they enjoy it so much, you just cant hate them, you can only feel a sympathetic joy that this precious lunatic is having fun in their own little world.

• canonically mentally ill (schizoprenia? it could be hallucinogenic drugs but i like to think its schizophrenia.)

• pretty sure they burned a pair of pedophiles in the comics. at least i think thats what those panels were insinuating. "lets open an orphanage and have an endless supply of kids to--" sounds pretty red-flaggy to me tbh. plus they were the villains so, eh?

• bludgeoned a bear to death until its skull was pulp because it insulted their special interest. you go, Pyro.

• for a few bits in the comics they have a really cute family dynamic going on with other Mercs, Soldier for example."Miss Pauling, Pyros on my side of the car." "Miss Pauling, Pyro cut off my hand." fuckin' cuties.

• when they start putting on like 50 shirts to keep warm in the Russian mountains. chubby.

• a gas mask that can function as both badass, and completely adorable.

• just. everything about them. how could you not love them. they're not in the wrong, you are. stay away from my misunderstood child and let them burn things god damnit.

~~4. Soldier~~

look I'm sorry, I love Soldier and he was gonna be tied with Pyro but that fucking puppy drawing sold me.

• absolute gold every second he speaks. he could sneeze and i'll laugh.

• such a dumbass you cant get annoyed at him for it. like. just agree with him and move on. no point reasoning with a boulder. "haha! silly Miss Pauling, thinking theres different types of blood." Medic: "haha yes! indeed, silly."

• HUTTAH *NECK SNAP*

• i'm not American and even i can see how blatantly his character mocks stereotypical Patriotic Americans™. but its so dumb and laughable, its adorable.

• EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ZHANNA IS A BLESSING. EVERYTHING.

• the first "meet the Mercs" video i ever saw was "meet the Soldier" so he holds a special place in my heart

• (preaches about experiencing the horrors of war; has never actually been to war. shh dont tell anyone though--) *neck gets snapped*

~~5. Demoman~~

• I'm Scottish. even though his accent is absolute garbage (no offense to the VA), any representation is very nice.

• Black AND Scottish?? i mean has a character like that even existed before TF2??? amazing example of representation right there. there are barely even any black people in Scotland, how did this happen. I love it. more of this, please.

• he's a drunk guy who blows shit up for shits and giggles and god I wish I could too, sounds like a miracle stress-reliever.

• his sassy black scottish mother. combining the stereotypical black mother with the stereotypical scottish mother is literally the best thing that ever happened.

• the bit in the comic where Medic explains that Demo can't remember what happened to his eye bc he scooped out part of his brain, and the look on Demo's face. just. the look.

• again, he's scottish, he's stereotypical, and he's awesome.

~~6. Sniper~~

• underrated

• piss jars. piss jars everywhere.

• "no dad, im not a crazed murdering lunatic, I'm an assassin. ...well one's a job and the other's mental sickness!!"

• "meet the Sniper" has kickass music

• ruffled gross old man who isn't actually old, he's just seen some SHIT

• actually given development in the comics + some really good scenes with Spy.

• so suave...so...handsome. handsome ruffled bushman. me like.

• he dies first in the comics but gets brought back and gets a cool-ass scar. and then he's just walking around naked everywhere for the rest of the comic. Medic, where the fuck did you put his clothes.

• isn't actually Australian. thats like one of the biggest twists in the comic. "no wonder i was never inhumanly strong and my chest hair didn't grow into the shape of Australia!!" Classic.

• says "bugger" a lot and i love that word

• he needs a hug, let me hug him. and give him a bath.

~~7. Heavy~~

I'm gonna be crucified for putting the big lad so low but i promise i dont dislike any of the Mercs. he'd be higher up but...ive never really liked big huge tank-men tbh :/

• loveable as fuck

• will murder you if you bully his puny little Medic

• i looove Russian accents omfg

• he like big gun. i can respect that.

• when Medic was killed and he went APESHIT on Classic!Heavy and I lost my fuckin' mind over that shit

• he probably has a soft spot for small cute animals. i love imagining him being swarmed by Medics flock of doves and petting them like "good bird...so many good bird..."

• actually smarter than people give him credit for???

• i really really wish his character was a lil more fleshed out but. that's just me. i love him but he doesn't have the same appeal to me as Medic or Spy.

• his entire relationship with Medic...ugh. yes. best friends and/or boyfriends. all good to me 👌

• he named his gun Sasha and that's adorable

~~8. Engineer~~

• gOD, FUCK, I REALLY WISH HE DID MORE IN THE COMICS. i barely know anything about his character. i like him a lot but...god, he...he doesn't...do.....anything.......

• he built a cool robot arm for himself and AI turrets and teleporter machines and guns that fire magic healing powers and immortality machines, in the 1960s. what. some kind of wizard fuckery is this.

• smoothest voice in the west

• "y'all"

~~9. Scout~~

oh god i really am gonna be crucified. i dont hate him i just. like him the least.

• shitboy

• reminds me of a shitty ex but also kinda relateable in a way

• some genuinely funny bits in the shorts.

• gross horny hetero teen boy with a god complex and serious daddy issues. also, he can't read. the "sex bom" tattoo on his chest will be an eternal testament to that. nice job, Spy. you raised him good.

~~~

hoo boy there we go theres all the boys, all the beautiful boys (and Scout) in order of how much i love them. if i made any errors in my info about the canon, feel free to send me death threats 💙 (no seriously tell me though, being a newbie is embarrassing)

so uh. yeah. that took two hours to write. its now 8am. im still bored lol. bye i guess.

[ginnyzero]

Booktober 2020 Wk 5: Personal

It’s the last week of Booktober! Booktober is the month we talk about books; in this case paranormal and horror books. All right, so booktober isn’t a thing (yet,) but we can make it a thing. Anyone can join at any time, use the hashtag booktober and if you at me (ginnyzero) on social media, I will reblog your post. 

Halloween is almost here! This is the last week of booktober and it’s time to get personal!

I don’t consider myself much of a horror or gore writer. I prefer action and adventures and slice of life. Horror slips in from time to time, I guess. I think my creepiest book idea though has to be Knight of Death. Resurrecting at the feet of King Orco of the Court of Death and Shadows and without her memory or knowledge of even her name, she finds herself accepting a deal to extend her ‘life.’ Keeping her body going with magic imbued in powerful crystals, Orco makes her his Knight to help him in his business. He gives her the name of Libitina. First, Libitina must return to her home Court and solve the mystery of her untimely demise.

There she will discover secrets about her life, and the society she lived in shaking her faith in her world. Is Orco keeping secrets from her too?

Knight of Death is something I call crystal dragon punk, but the main characters, Orco and Libitina happen to be undead eldritch type abominations. Libitina might be considered a golem or a zombie. There are dragons everywhere. Lots of pretty crystals. Magic. And a murder mystery set in a world set in a culture that’s not medieval.

I’m really happy with it. It needs a second draft and I do plan on querying it.

This is actually really ironic because my horror hard no happens to be zombies. I am not fond of the entire walking dead, rotting, eating brains version of the undead. I can handle vampires. It might be the whole decay and eating corpses thing. I just, it’s a hard no. Right up there with reading about being skinned alive. No. No thank you. I’m out.

So, I know Libitina has been raised from the dead. She might be more technically classified as a golem because she runs on magic rather than blood or other people’s bodily tissues. Shudder.

What I really want to see in the future whether it’s in indie or on bookstore shelves, is a really good and fun weird western. The movie Cowboys Versus Aliens poked at the genre a bit. With the television show Firefly mixing science fiction and western exploration style themes together. I’d like to see a range of ‘there are demons out there’ and it turns out to be aliens. Or even more future scifi westerns set on Earth or in space with or without aliens. Something that can real dig into the romanticism and the action of the Western genre and mix it up with either the hope, or the unsettledness of science fiction.

I think my science fiction solar punk idea plays a little bit with this weird western idea as it’s set on a desert planet similar to Arrakis in Dune. (No big worms though.) But I’m still trying to knead out the kinks on that one.

My favorite little known creature could to an extent be worked into a Weird Western. It depends on if you want to add “corn wolves” into the mix. Being a werewolf person, my favorite little known creature/cryptid also happens to be canine related. This is the Dogman of the Midwest and North Eastern United States. (Or this is the local of the stories I found about it.) The dogman is a cryptid described in two different ways. It’s either like a man with the head of a wolf or a dog, sort of like Anubis. Or it’s a wolf or a dog that can walk up on its hind legs.

Encounters with them aren’t violent. They live in the forests and they tend to retreat and not attack. (Much like wolves do.) One guy insists they are psychic and can communicate to humans telepathically. (He lives in Pennsylvania if you’re curious.) Most encounters are seeing them on the side of the road eating and then having them turn their heads in such a way no dog can do. Or being stalked by them through the woods and across fields.

This is where Corn Wolves come in. Corn Wolves are Eastern European demons who take the shape of wolves living in the corn fields, and chase people home who are out after dark. Corn simply being a word for whatever crop is grown the most. And the legend of Corn Wolves came to the United States with Eastern European immigrants and sprang up here in places where they settled. (Including eastern South Dakota around Mitchell where the Corn Palace is. Funsies.)

The dogman doesn’t have a lot of credible statements or even pictures. It wanders in the same area as the Yeti do on the eastern side of the US, so stories are going to vary between ‘it was a yeti’ and it ‘was a dogman’ or ‘werewolf like creature.’

Tales of the dogman first started in Michigan in the 1800s and back in the late 1980s, an enterprising radio DJ made up a song about them. He later claimed it was all a hoax.

Take from it what you will. Bored miners? Equally bored DJs? Big wolves? (Wolves can go up on their hind legs and dance with each other.) Seeing things late at night? You decide.

I do plan on using dogmen in my books, but I’m not willing to say how just yet.

If you’re interested in my books, I have two different series; Heaven’s Heathens MC and Thwarting Expectations.

The Heaven’s Heathens MC are what I call cozy werewolf dramas with found family and super slow burn romance. Rebels with a cause, the members of the Heaven’s Heathens motorcycle club regularly risk life and limb to rescue those in need, all to protect their greatest secret, that they’re all werewolves. The Club is the pack and the pack is a family with siblings that squabble.

The Heaven’s Heathens are supposed to be a big bad motorcycle club, a brethren of tough as nails hard asses. Formed out of necessity after the Cascading War, they have the reputation of being the toughest sons of bitches in Colorado.

In reality, they’re a bunch of party loving, thrill seeking adrenaline junkies with a nose for mischief. Their idea of playing hard is a good brawl and involves the words trigger happy lunatics. They take care of business to protect their pack. No matter who stands in their way.

One hot summer, a new member petitions to join the pack; ex-military and unsuspecting sucker, Gideon Vonrothe is looking for a life he finds familiar or else he’s resigned to returning to the family farm (and might commit patricide.) Brand Barker, the Club’s president, puts Gideon into the care of his favorite (and only) granddaughter, the Vice President Savannah. Savannah isn’t wearing VP flash for her health and while work heats up, so does her relationship with her sexy new prospect. Is this a new beginning or the beginning of the end for the Heaven’s Heathens?

And the Thwarting Expectation series are new takes on fairy tale retellings. I’d classify these as romantic fantasy or even sword and sorcery. Being born to the noble class isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when magic is a primal force in the world. Witches, wizards, fae, dragons – one wrong move and one’s life can start to resemble something out of a tale. With magic involved there’s no such thing as coincidence.

Grand Destinies. True Love. No one has time to deal with that, these nobles aren’t willing to wait around and see what magic and royal obligations have in store for them. They take matters into their own hands.

Because, it’s only the end that matters, not how they get there and these nobles are determined to thwart expectations every chance they get.

The first books are a bit of Sleeping Beauty, a dash of Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel and some Cinderella.

Cursed at her cradle, the exiled Princess Roxana has spent almost five years trying to find the witch responsible. And now her times is running out. Nearing twenty-one, the curse will fall whether she wants it to or not. The witch that cursed her hasn’t been idle. She’s about to curse and ensnare another young baby princess. It’s up to Roxana to stop the witch and save the child. And to make matters worse, cursed monsters are attacking villages. Heading the hunt is Prince Marcellus, Roxana’s betrothed. Tall, dark, handsome and arrogant, true love is not in the offing. She’s going hunt them down with or without Marcellus’ help. Even if that means she risks becoming one of them. There aren’t any moments to waste. She’s running out of time.

I promise. I’m working on Dawn Queen. Ugh. My health and Covid has really put a crimp into everything.

All of my books are on Amazon and are available in Kindle Unlimited.

I hope you enjoyed Booktober and maybe you learned something about me and about a book that interests you. I think I might try this again next October. Until then, hopefully it’s back to searching those indie scifi and fantasy books for the next four or five cookie book review. Happy Halloween and bless!