#marcus pal

[sydcarmyfan]

When Luca gives Sydney this look in s3 then what?!

[chocolatewoosh]

What is a Closed Species?

A fair question! :D A Closed Species (CS for short) is when someone- or a group of someones- have come up with an original character design concept and world with lore, and builds up a semi-private community around it! Where there are events and games to play.

There are different types- a Closed, Semi-Open, and Open Species. A Closed Species is when the species owner is more hands-on with the community, restricting character creation to specific openings. So in order to be a part of the community, you have to get your hands on a Make Your Own character slot (or a MYO for short), to which only then you can then create your character! :] MYOs tend to cost in-game currency (that you get by participating in events), or with real money! How much tends to vary per species.

An open species is when the creator is more or less hands off. You just follow the given design rules, and create however many characters whenever you want, with nearly no limits!!!

Each species has different design aspects/rules to follow to consider them part of the species, so that they make sense within their respective world and the lore that they come from.

Using three of my dudes here for example- Marcus is a Wermling, and Clyde is a Pocket Pal! Both are Closed Species. Pete on the right is a Virulai! Which are an Open Species.

I find CS spaces really fun!! Some people don't at all like how limiting a CS can be, but I quite enjoy designing characters and working with the limitations, like a fun challenge!!! >:D Plus participating in the group events can be really fun! I love seeing how creative people can be with their designs.

Sorry for the bit of a ramble- but I hope that answers your question!!!

[sharkbaitouhaha]

Finally started watching the bear so like apologies in advance for when it inevitably becomes a major part of my personality

[watchinghallmark]

The Love Club: Nicole's Pen Pal - March 4th on Hallmark Channel

Freshly engaged Nicole is having second thoughts as she wonders if the one she’s really meant to be with is her mystery college pen pal whose letters she has kept all these years. Starring Brittany Bristow and Marcus Rosner.

[mylittleredgirl]

thinking about sinclair again this fine day:

delenn continuing to say "in valen's name" with just as much reverence for the rest of the series, even though he's conclusively some guy named jeff that she personally knows

BUT HE ACTUALLY DID ALL THAT STUFF. SO IS SHE WRONG???

"you talk like a minbari commander" surprise! you all talk like HIM!!

remember marcus's little bit about "the only way to get a straight answer out of ranger one is to hang upside down in a mirror” or whatever? what if "minbari never tell anyone the whole truth" is just because sinclair likes to fuck with people and they made it a cultural tentpole of their society

i'm actually really quite invested now in the alternate universe sinclair & delenn relationship, because imagine her discovering AFTER the fact that her husband is Literally Valen. and she's her own distant ancestor somehow as well

delenn might actually roll with that but lennier's face in the background like O_O

i had a coworker who, anytime some new crazy shit happened, used to take a deep breath and say "this, too." not like 'this too shall pass' or anything, just acknowledging that This Too is a thing we're dealing with today, on top of all the other things. that's lennier ten times a season.

sheridan and delenn are theeee het couple of all time, i think we can all agree on this, i would NOT want to trade them for anything

but i keep thinking about how because sheridan missed season one, he never knew her as a minbari

it just seems so sad for her!!! and for me because i’d like to see him navigate that

i'm having a hard time this go-round watching her get isolated from her people :( :( i mean she IS a religious zealot just Doing Crazy Shit, they're not wrong about her, but the randos calling her a freak need to meet me in the parking lot

ALSO i just watched the dreaming episode, where it's strongly implied that she transformed herself specifically in order to be able to have children with a human (to fix the soul gap or whatever), and she's Destined For Sheridan and all, but she hadn't met him yet

and they weren't even an item when sinclair went into the past to start writing prophecies

soooo do you think she and sinclair were pen pals while he was on minbar and he read between the lines that she was super into this guy?? i think so.

jeffrey valen sinclair in the past writing prophecy about uniting the two halves of our souls: delenn bestie this one's for you <3 go get that blonde man

[inamindfarfaraway]

Evidence that Hazel Wells is autistic:

She loves routine, needs it to feel secure and adjusts poorly to changes from what she knows and her plan, e.g. her stress from moving to a new city and school, struggling to form bonds with her classmates and not having her promised talk with Anthony driving her to run away and be miserable enough to qualify for fairy godparents; wanting to replicate her relationship with her brother with Jasmine; learning how to deal with them both having evolved when he visits; her gut instinct itself says that a tour meticulously structured in advance is her dream holiday and urges her to follow her godparents’ offered one of Fairy World

She has special interests in geology, horror movies, dinosaurs and Prime Meridian Love (and hats?), not just loving them intensely and expressing that through learning and sharing intimate knowledge of them, but using them to understand and navigate relationships, e.g. wanting to watch horror films with Jasmine because that’s her definition of a bonding activity from her routine with Antony; inviting her friends to a book club reading her manga as another bonding activity; wishing Kenueth to life to do a romantic-coded activity; naming her rocks, drawing faces on them and talking to them, possibly originating in a history of having few friends

Her fairies’ default object disguise form is a pair of fidget tools and their entire purpose is to give her what she wants

She frequently feels anxious and overthinks things, especially regarding social interaction, e.g. her fear of Anthony forgetting about her while he’s away; getting overwhelmed by her peers in the cafeteria in “Teacher’s Pal”, fleeing and needing to steel herself simply to enter it at the end of the episode, not even planning to talk to anyone; being desperate to impress Winn and worrying that her home is inadequate for her standards, on a basis of nothing Winn has done; worrying that her geology presentation will be inadequate and wishing for a special stone; choosing to undergo countless time loops to try to avoid any embarrassment; worrying that an online quiz invalidates her close friendships

She nonetheless is said to be “mature” for her age in both “Fly” and “Teacher’s Pal” by Angela and herself

She has extremely high empathy despite not always easily understanding people, e.g. wishing to understand Dev; making selfless wishes on Founder’s Day whenever she sees unhappy kids; enabling Winn to experience their own interest in Patty Possum’s Party Playground the way they want and then empathizing with Patty about fearing abandonment and still loving people when they’re not around; continuing to be kind to Dev at the Dimmsonian and in “Best of Luck” after he twice reverts back to selfishness and malice and believes their friendship to be over; wishing for Marcus to get to be on a paranormal investigation TV show

She has a strong sense of justice, e.g. being so affected by learning about pollution that she starts a local environmentalist movement; vehemently opposing Dale’s corruption; rallying her friends to stand up to Vicky; angrily lashing out at Dev when she thinks or learns that he’s betrayed her

She can take things too literally or lack theory of mind, e.g. getting offended by Jasmine saying that she could dance alone “near” her partnered friends and holding that grudge for most of the episode; jumping to the conclusion that Dev is insulting her when he calls her “anomaly” and he was willingly, knowingly helping his father be evil; leaving him alone when he orders her to on his birthday rather than questioning if what he says he wants is what he actually wants or needs, since he’s clearly distraught and she knows that his issues revolve around abandonment, neglect and loneliness

She can disregard social norms when consumed by passion, e.g. interrupting the museum guide to share her own knowledge of dinosaurs and grabbing his microphone; infodumping about the plot of her manga in detail after Jasmine tells her not to; stealing Guzman’s hat just because she likes it so much

She has emotional breakdowns that lead to drastic, bad decisions and could be read as meltdowns, e.g. packing a suitcase and running away; remorsefully attempting to sacrifice her life to restore potatoes to Earth

She loves official documents and finds the Department of Motor Vehicles relaxing for its rigid structure and monotony

She samefoods with chips/fries and other potato products, so passionate about them as to mention them when introducing herself to her classmates and have a whole episode dedicated to her wanting to eat only them; this is a notable choice because chips have a mild, neutral base flavour, are often standardized by producers like restaurant chains and served with the same condiments, making their eating experience predictable (and she isn’t shamed for being a ‘picky eater’! Her parents and Mother Nature say that it’s wonderful that she finds so much joy in potatoes and gently convince her to give her body what else it needs too)

She also hates trail mix for being “chaotic” with all its different flavours mixed together, and firmly prefers oatmeal cookies to normal cookies

Autism is genetic and her father likewise exhibits several autistic traits

She considers Jasmine casually striking up a conversation with a stranger and singing in public without self-consciousness to make her courageous, no matter what other fears she has

She continues to think of herself as “the new kid” for a good few months post-move and feels the internal need to prove her belonging in Dimmadelphia on Founder’s Day

She can’t comprehend how and why arbitrary, pointless social rivalries like the one between the band and orchestra groups exist

She repeatedly wishes for fantastical roleplaying adventures with her godparents, which give her excitement without stress or loss of control, as the stakes aren’t real and she always wins in the end (the “plot twist” we see Wanda add is the return of a villain from a previous adventure, still drawing on comfortable familiarity)

She has no interest in seeing more of Fairy World until Dev brings it up, strange for such a curious girl who adores her fairies - maybe out of aversion to an unknown, unpredictable setting?

When surrounded by clones of herself and asked to raise her hand if she’s real, she hesitates because she isn’t sure and doesn’t want to “deprive the real Hazel of being herself”, demonstrating high empathy, self-doubt and existential overthinking all at once; Wanda says, “Only the real Hazel would overthink whether she was real or not!”

I’m autistic and I relate to her enough to know

[vaulthunterlands]

BORDERLANDS COLLEGE AU

Stupid idea I had a few nights ago, don't think too hard about the inconsistencies in ages and stuff. Probably just doing Vault Hunters and a few other characters.

ROLAND

Majoring in cybersecurity. Good student, studies and gets consistently high grades. Has a well-formulated meal and workout plan. Also an RA on campus. Roland is the guy you go to if you have issues. He might not be great at "talking you through them" or "showing empathy" but he always has solid advice and is well-respected by his peers.

BRICK

I was going to say "Brick wouldn't go to college in canon" but this isn't canon babeyyyy. Brick is going into veterinary medicine. You may think this is completely off as a major for him, but I argue that his love for dogs is far greater than any challenge he may face in his education. Still a gym maniac. Roland is his RA, which means Roland is in charge of calming Brick down when he gets mad. Dating Mordecai. Also, unrelated but Brick in a philosophy class:

"Brick, can you tell us what you think about what Descartes said?"

"I PUNCH Descartes."

LILITH

Y'all are going to hate me for this but Lilith is a chemistry major. Girl loves fire, electricity, and acid so you can't tell me she wouldn't be a menace in her labs. (Also, before the first game was released her full title was "Dr. Lilith Cashlin, Mercenary Scientist") Only goes to class half the time but still does really well. Rooms with Mordecai and Brick. Huge crush on this RA she keeps seeing around

MORDECAI

BIRD MAAAAAN. Y'all already know this guy is doing two things on campus. 1) Majoring in Ornithology 2) Going to parties to get drunk. This man is the epitome of "college is for partying". Keeps birds in campus (not allowed) and is doing okay in his classes (he is hung over 80% of the time) (Mordy pls) Dating Brick.

PATRICIA TANNIS

Honestly, what field of science ISN'T this girl majoring in? She's insane(ly smart) and constantly gets perfect scores on all of her exams. Closest friends are Roland and the gang.

MARCUS

Why is he here??? What??? Marcus is the guy who runs the restaurant that is directly across the street from campus. *Phenomenal* food, but GOD is it pricey. Tends to not care about many of the students chilling (as long as they BUY SOMETHING)

SCOOTER

Doesn't go to this college but he's good friends with Roland and his pals. Likes to go out drinking with them on the weekends and is just all-in-all a cool guy to hang around with. Friends with Janey.

AXTON

BMOC. Captain of the football team. You can trust him! (He's the water boy.) Total jock but he's not an asshole about it. Majoring in Rehabilitation Science. He's... not the *best* student, but he does try and genuinely care about what he wants to do. Lives with Salvador, Maya, and Zer0 in a dorm.

SALVADOR

Culinary major. My man can COOK. He's the best cook in the dorm and no one will ever argue if he offers to cook. Really good student even though he parties all the time with Mordecai, Brick, and Axton. Lives with Maya, Axton, and Zer0.

ZER0

*Insert weeb joke here* They're a literature major. Not just because of the haiku, either. I feel like Zer0 would be fantastic in literature courses and understanding thr deeper meanings in texts. They are seen as a "weird kid" on campus. They do not care. Lives with Maya, Salvador, and Axton.

MAYA

The reason I made this list (big surprise, V does a huge post and it's Maya's fault), Maya majors in entomology. (S/O to @forbiddenpurplesoda for this because I've always thought Maya would be a bug girl) Maya is a phenomenal student and she always gets great marks in her studies. Lives with Axton, Sal and Zer0. Has at least one pet beetle that makes Axton panic.

GAIGE

Mechanical Engineering/Robotics major. Obviously built Deathtrap as a buddy because she felt a little lonely in her dorm. Calls her Dad every night. Has a huge crush on a girl in one of her math classes. Lives with...

KRIEG!!!!

Listen. Listen. Krieg majors in psychology. The *actual* football captain. Doesn't talk much and when he does, it's complete nonsense. (Everyone just goes "haha classic Krieg") Gaige gets along with him extremely well. Maya and him have a thing where they will just look at each other and think "holy shit they're so gorgeous). Always wears a face mask.

TINA

Child prodigy chemistry major, buddies with Lilith and Roland. But seriously, who let this kid in the lab? Like, okay, yeah, she knows what she's doing, but what she's doing is COMBUSTION REACTIONS. How is she still in school.

ELLIE

Engineering major. Lives in the building across from Roland and the gang. Absolute sweetheart and huge flirt but will also drop you on her ass if you threaten her friends.

MOXXI

I could see Moxxi as a professor of engineering, actually. Every student thinks she's gorgeous and she's learned to ignore it. Scooter and Ellie's Mom. Thinks their friends are funny.

HANDSOME JACK

Oh man, this one was tough. I decided on absolute tool you meet in college who's the head of a frat and thinks he's God's gift to women. Lives in the same building as Roland, Lilith, Brick, Mordecai, Salvador, Axton, Maya, Zer0, Gaige, and Krieg. Constantly getting into arguments with... basically everyone listed above. Majors in business.

ANGEL

She's an art major!!! She's super intelligent and aces all of her classes but she absolutely loves art. Jack is her brother in this AU. Has a crush on the cute punk girl in her math class but could never tell her. Lives in a single.

ALISTAIR HAMMERLOCK

Double majors in conservation biology and zoology! Finds the creatures that he studies absolutely fascinating and always has a bright disposition on his face. Lives in a single that looks exactly like you think it does (his room on Sanctuary III). Strained relationship with his sister.

ATHENA

Acient History Major, specifically interested in Ancient Greece (wonder why?). Works at Marcus' restaurant. Hates it. Pay her more. Has her eyes on a girl that frequents Marcus' restaurant. Tried to live with Wilhelm, Jack, Nisha, Timothy, and Claptrap for a semester, she is now a commuter. Still friends with Timothy.

WILHELM

Jack's second-in-command. People look at him like he's a dumbass, big hunk of meat, but he's also in a robotics major. Aside from being buddies with Jack, he's... kind of chill? Man likes what he likes and he works out pretty often. Boxes in his free time. Lives with Nisha, Jack, Timothy, and (formerly) Claptrap.

NISHA

Criminal justice major, naturally. Jack's girlfriend and the baddest and scariest bitch on campus. Likes watching old western movies. Never, ever shows up to class but still passes. No one knows how. Lives with Jack, Timothy, Wilhelm, and (formerly) Claptrap

CLAPTRAP

Theater major! Always has a smile on his face, even though he's nooooot very well-liked. Tried to get in with the popular guys but eventually figured out he was being used. He confronted Jack and Jack kicked him out of the dorm 😔 Lives... well, he kind of just lives around Roland's dorm. Roland's too nice to say no.

TIMOTHY

I feel like Tim would be a Biology major. I don't know why but I can see him in that field. Looks SCARILY similar to Jack, and hates this. Unfortunately put into a room with Jack, Wilhelm, Nisha, and (formerly) Claptrap. Misses Athena greatly and wishes she still lived on campus. They're still good friends.

AURELIA HAMMERLOCK

Oh good lord, who let her on a college campus. Has an extravagant single room because she's *rich* and she's not sharing with someone else are you insane? Studies law because this bitch wants to be a judge someday. Absolutely hates to be seen with her brother Alistair. Rivalry with another rich law student makes this even more tense.

JANEY SPRINGS

Doesn't go to this college but she knows a few people around campus and hits up Marcus' restaurant for a bite to eat every so often. The food is just so good, right? No other reason. None at all. Friends with Scooter.

RHYS STRONGFOK

Rhys is a business and economics major. Is in Jack's frat. Is getting increasingly sick of Jack's shit. Buddy buddy with Vaughn, Fiona, and Zer0. Dating Sasha.

VAUGHN

Accounting major. Man has a mind like a steel trap, and also enjoys bodybuilding. Best friends with Rhys, good friends with Fiona and Sasha.

FIONA

I genuinely feel like Fiona would be a nursing or Healthcare major. I have no basis for this, it just feels right for her. Hates Jack and keeps telling Rhys to tell him to fuck off. Friends with Rhys and Vaughn, Sasha's older sister.

SASHA

Social work major! Loves helping people and wants to make a change in the world after she and Fiona grew up in less-than-ideal circumstances. Dating Rhys, also keeps telling Rhys to get away from Jack. Friends with Vaughn.

MOZE

Transfer student. Served in the military for a while before deciding she wanted to go to college. Undecided major but she's just trying to focus on the pretty women I mean her grades haha am I right? ALWAYS at Marcus'. Always. Lives with Zane, Amara, and FL4K.

FL4K

FL4K has Mr. Chew, Broodless and Meat-Thief as emotional support animals. I can see FL4K as a double major in zoology and veterinary medicine. Loves their pets. Super chill unless you speak badly about them or their pets. Will shank a bitch. Lives with Zane, Moze, and Amara.

AMARA

Healthcare studies major, with a focus on pathology. Also a bodybuilder. Also a boxer. Amara is that girl and she knows it. Always asking Moze to work out with her and she is completely oblivious to Moze being head over heels. Will fight someone being mean to a customer service worker. Lives with Zane, Moze, and FL4K.

ZANE

Pop pop went back to college! No but in this AU Zane is probably older than everyone but not that much older. His major was tough for me, but I honestly think he'd be a good candidate for a major in rehabilitation science with Axton. Also LOVES parties.

WAINWRIGHT JAKOBS

His Father wanted him to go into Business to take over the family legacy but he decided to go into law to "protect the little guy". Has daily arguments with this stuck-up, pretentious "harpy" that's in most of his classes. She's awful. Has a crush on this well-spoken man in zoological studies. At least that will take his mind off of the harpy.

TROY CALYPSO

Troy is a media and communications major. Has a fantastic time making videos and being admin of many social media pages but doesn't do very well in class because he dislikes most of his professors. Has a very close relationship with his sister, Tyreen.

TYREEN CALYPSO

Double major in Art History and Theater. Loves to be the center of attention and often stars in her brother's videos and projects. She loves it. A little full of herself. Close with her brother, Troy.

TYPHON DELEON

OKAY WAIT WAIT DON'T CLOSE THE POST HEAR ME OUT.

Cringe boomer history professor that can be easily distracted by him telling his stories of his many adventures (no one knows if they're true or not). Troy and Tyreen's Father. NOT a piss poor Dad in this AU, just embarrassing as all hell. Pretty decent guy but he's okay as a professor. (Please guys let me have my "Typhon is a good cringe embarrassing boomer dad to the Calypsos" AU)

OKAY this was a really long post and I probably forgot someone but I'm sure I'll hear about it LMAO. Also I don't know every single college major and its appropriate title, I just went off of vibes. Pls be nice 2 me

[esotheria-sims]

Another way Wynn kept herself from going crazy from boredom was writing to her new friend and crush, Marcus.

She hadn't really seen either him or Phillip since their spontaneous Artisan Alley get-together, but that wasn't to say they couldn't keep in touch in other ways, outdated though they were. Her letters to Phillip went unanswered (typical), but Marcus' replies came like clockwork, as polite and meticulous as the boy himself.

If anyone had ever told Winona that she'd need to rely on a pen pal for company, she'd have pointed and laughed at the person (and probably noogied them for good measure). But as things stood now, corresponding via letters was a better option than suffering through Adam's stern looks and Beatrice's cold shoulder all day.

Also, if she were being honest with herself, there was a certain charm to be had from sending (and receiving!) a handwritten letter.

[conundrumoftime]

Fandom grandma tales: how I survived canon ruining two of the ships I liked.

(Written after a discussion with some of my TROP fan pals about how canon can break your heart re: shipping, and how fandom manages. There are spoilers here for the entire run of Babylon 5, and for one story JMS wrote after it. yes, that story. sorry.)

Babylon 5 was a sci-fi space opera show that ran from 1993 to 1998. It is sci-fi of the era of 22-episode seasons, of huge ensemble casts with characters who get their own B- and C-plots, with an effects and casting budget that doesn’t always match its ambition, and - something it was quite pioneering in, at the time - grand pre-planned story arcs. 

It’s the first fandom that I was involved with in internet spaces as it was running, or at least when its final season was (there’s Discourse and drama from earlier years that I missed). Its showrunner, J. Michael Straczynski - ‘JMS’ - was very active in (non-fanfic) fan community spaces, and you always knew exactly what he was thinking about things because he was part of the discussion around them. There was also fanfic, which he didn’t stop but didn’t go near on the grounds of legal liability for story ideas. 

Most of the fanfic in the early days as the show was airing was focused around two big ships, of which one was canon endgame (Delenn/Sheridan) and one was canon all-ends-in-despair (Marcus/Ivanova). I, as a teenager discovering a developing online fandom for the first time with all the overwhelm and excitement that causes (ask me anything about what reading fic was like before the days of tags/ratings/warnings!) got into Marcus/Ivanova and also into one of the minor ships, Delenn/Lennier.

Delenn/Lennier was never, ever going to happen in canon. This is obvious; it clashes with Delenn/Sheridan which was JMS’s baby darling OTP, the show’s big love story. Delenn is married for the later part of the show. Lennier is her diplomatic aide, is absolutely devoted to her, and they have a very intense mentor/student relationship, which it seems is kind of standard in their culture (when Delenn’s own mentor died she went briefly insane with grief and started a genocidal war over it) but is still Very Intense. He is canonically in love with her, but that’s as far as the explicit canon statements go.

However. HowEVER. Canon also gives us, for that relationship, some wonderful ship fuel. Lennier knows about every bad thing Delenn has done, including all the stuff she doesn’t/can’t tell her husband. He’s her link to her previous world and culture and stands by her even when they kick her out. She says at one point, “without him, I would stumble and fall and never get up again.” 

And then… we had Season 5, the final season.

Season 5, for various complicated production reasons, was operating a little outside of pre-planned story arcs and in this season the Delenn/Lennier stuff ramped up about three gears in one go. It was still very obviously never, ever going to be canon, and was almost certainly not intended by the creator (who wrote most of the episodes himself) to look like there was even anything there. At this point Delenn is married; any relationship with her aide would not only be going against the show’s OTP, but going against it in the sense where she’s cheating on her husband, and there is Just No Way JMS would have gone there. And yet! Season 5 gave us:

A scene where Lennier says he can’t stay, it’s too painful to be around her now she’s married, and she’s devastated and has the following conversation with her husband about it:

S: I got your message about Lennier. Is there anything I can do?

D [snapping]: Almost certainly not.

S: Is it because of me?

D: In part, I think so.

S: Yeah, I was afraid of that. Well, as we say back on Earth, three’s a crowd.

D: On Minbar, three is sacred.

S [slightly uncomfortable laugh]: Well, I don’t think I’m ready to handle that one, Delenn.

Delenn then calling Lennier back to the station to do some secret mission thing for her, which involves her sneaking out of her bed while her husband sleeps to meet Lennier in a darkened alley behind a bar, where she tenderly strokes his face and they have a whole conversation about whether her husband understands her or not.

A scene where Lennier comes back from his secret mission to meet both Delenn and Sheridan, Delenn goes to greet him with a hug, and Lennier does this very pointed step back and nod in the direction of her husband, and she pulls back and just sort of pats him on the arms instead. 

I MEAN.

But, the issue here is not what fans did about it but what canon did about it. Canon did the canon equivalent of dragging that ship outside and shooting it in the head. 

In the final few episodes of the entire series, Lennier tries to kill Sheridan, runs away in shame, and then someone finds his diary in which he’d been writing for ages about what a bad decision he thought Delenn had made and how her whole marriage was an awful idea. Even to this day, it’s fun/awful watching people go through a first-time watch when they get to season 5 and hit that. ‘Character assassination in the form of a diary’ was a whole thing for a while. It’s been 20+ years and the actor who played Lennier is stilll mad about it (not because of shippy stuff, but because he - correctly! - thinks Lennier absolutely would not have done that). 

What *fandom* did, on the other hand, was Fixed The Problem.

Delenn/Lennier was not at all a big ship when the series was airing, and for a few years after. Then the fandom dynamics started to change. With less pressure on what canon was going to do, it felt like fandom had more space to play around with things it didn’t do. Fanfic got less interested in trying to fit within the overall story being told and started spinning off in all its own directions. And *this* ship started getting bigger and bigger. People did really interesting things with it, canon divergence went in all directions, everyone wrote a fix-it story of some variety, some authors did a great series of connected stories based on an idea that Minbari have three genders, the quality of the writing has been brilliant. And I think without that absolute whiplash feeling of what happened in canon, there would never have been this feeling of “well I’m not having THAT” which led to all this.

We did not need canon! Canon had done its thing. And canon had broken our hearts enough ways with many of the other stories it told (entirely on purpose) and we weren’t just going to sit back and let it ruin us forever.

By comparison, the other ship I was into was Marcus/Ivanova. This is entirely doomed. Susan Ivanova’s love life is just perpetually doomed. The first partner of hers we meet is an ex who’s interested in getting back together, but then it turns out he’s just using her to infiltrate the station for the fascist terrorist group he’s secretly joined. Then she falls for an archrival of hers, Talia, who works for Psi Corps, the organisation she loathes most of all things - but it’s okay because it turns out Talia is starting to question them too! Maybe these crazy kids can make it work! They have one night together and then OOPS turns out Talia was being secretly controlled by a sleeper personality implanted in her by Psi Corps the whole time. Ivanova’s love life is doomed. 

So for two seasons, she has this sort-of-flirty, sort-of-bickery, sort-of-friendship going with Marcus, who is on the surface of it very much “why not fall in love at first sight like a true romantic, YOLO!” but it turns out is actually deeply messed up himself and full of survivor’s guilt and pain and, you get the clear impression, would have died of shock if she’d actually called his bluff on the OTT flirting and said “yeah, let’s go for it”. And then he sacrifices himself to save her life. It is a very tragic ending, it is absolutely the way he would have wanted to go, she wakes up both furious and absolutely distraught, says that the last thing she heard was him saying “I love you”, says she wishes she’d at least slept with him once, and says that in a way all love is unrequited. PAIN. 

So, lots of fix-it fanfic, lots of ‘Marcus comes back to life’, lots of canon divergence AUs where he doesn’t die and they live happily ever after and both get over their huge levels of unresolved pain. Pretty standard for that kind of pairing. And as a pairing it doesn’t get in the way of any big canon pairings, it doesn’t imply anything icky like mentor/student power imbalances or adultery. And JMS clearly quite liked it. So that’s better, right?

NO. It was WORSE.

JMS wrote an Marcus/Ivanova story himself, published in one of the sci-fi magazines, to try to give them a happy ending. This happy ending involves Marcus, many many years in the future, waking up from the cryogenic suspension he’s in (it’s sci-fi, keep up, keep up). Ivanova is long dead, but he isn’t about to let this get in the way, so what he does is to *create a new Ivanova* by getting some kind of DNA + computerised memory/personality bank thing, finding a doctor who will clone her, putting himself back into animated sleep until the clone reaches the age Ivanova was when she died, then - THEN, I’M STILL GOING - takes her to a distant planet where, with her memories wiped and their spaceship having deliberately been crashed BY HIM so there’s no way back, they live out their lives in peace.

WHAT.

That pairing still does okay in fandom but it’s not really taken on a post-show world of headcanons and riffing on other people’s ideas and tropes in the way that Delenn/Lennier has (and we all just pretend that story never existed). 

So! This has been my experiences in the field of What We Do When The Show Has Thoughts On That Non-Endgame Ship We’re Into. Fandom manages. Fandom will see you through. And in the words of Susan Ivanova:

Babylon Five was the last of the Babylon stations; there would never be another. It changed the future, and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future, or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have to care for one another, for if we don’t, who will? And that true strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. Mostly though, I think it gave us hope that there can always be new beginnings - even for people like us.

[itgetsbetterproject]

Meet Marcus Arana (Holy Old Man Bull), a trans Indigenous-Mexican activist for over 50 years, who wants to tell you that he's proud of your rainbow color, beauty, vastness, and expansiveness in understanding who you are. 💜

For LGBTQ+ History Month, we asked some elders from our community what inspires them about today's queer youth, and what advice they would give.

Thanks to our pals at Outwords Archive for connecting us with these amazing voices!

Stay tuned for the next 👀

[chocolatewoosh]

He'll be fine, I'm sure!

[leona-florianova]

Its so funny that even if you leave some of your companions around the parked Highwayman on Virgin Street in New Reno, the car still gets stolen.. Like what happened there, pals, chums, my beloved friends? You had one task. Guard the car.. And its gone..

No matter that its most likely just game mechanics thing..I still like to imagine the plethora of possible ways it went down.

Like Lenny couldnt guard shit.. hes just a little guy..Little radioactive guy.. He couldnt intimidate anyone..

Sulik might not have given a shit, he would be communing with ghosts or something n then hed notice the car is being stolen n hed just go "OOoop there goes the car"..And wave..

Marcus might have been distracted by kids throwing rocks at him.. While Vic was trying to trade radio parts.

Myron would have been locked in the trunk so that doesnt count like guarding the car anyway..

etc etc

N I think even together they wouldnt stand a chance against New Reno car thieves...

[bracketsoffear]

Extinction Tournament Round 1

Monolith vs. Pollution

Albert Wesker vs. Miranda Pryce & Marcus Cutter

The Time Traveler vs. Godzilla

AM vs. Howard Stambler

Professor Turo vs. Hexxus

Homer Simpson vs. Dr. Robotnik

Commander Tartar vs. Davros

Skynet vs. PAL

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines vs. Millions Knives

The Batter vs. Poison Ivy

Dr. Strangelove vs. Emperor Belos

John Gaius vs. John Hunger

Joseph Wilford vs. the Once-ler

Porky Minch vs. the Final Pam

Richmond Valentine vs. the Cigarette-Smoking Man

Marolmar vs. the Lich

[training4theapocalypse]

Finders Keepers Ch 19. (Cormac McLaggen x fem!reader)

Rating: Explicit 18+ (no smut in this particular chapter)

Word Count: 4.4k

Warnings: Graphic violence (not canon-typical)

Summary: An unwelcome newcomer makes an appearance as you hold off the Death Eaters. McLaggen races against time to work out how to enchant the bludgers.

A/N: omgggg can you believe there's finally a chapter called 'quidditch'?!?! And not a quaffle or a snitch in sight… maybe a few bludgers though. alexa, play holding out for a hero by bonnie tyler

Masterlist

Chapter 19: Quidditch

If this is the way you die. What a way to go.

You laugh. Actually laugh as you speed around the pitch, weaving between the stands and drawing the remaining three Death Eaters away from each other, scattering their attacking formation.

Your friends are nowhere to be seen. They’ve taken heed of your instructions and gone back to the castle. And thank god, because it means all you need to worry about is your own path weaving through the spells being hurled from the pitch. 

The Death Eaters’ furious spell casting gets even more erratic as you frustrate them, dodging them on the battered old Cleensweep Seven you borrowed from Madam Hooch’s office. Despite the mortal peril, you feel alive. So much for only being able to buy McLaggen ten minutes of time while he works out how to enchant the bludgers to attack the Death Eaters. Even on this old broom, you could do this all day -

“You can’t fly away forever - Mudblood,” shrieks a woman’s voice.

You pivot on your broom and rise high out of spell-casting range to see the voice that ignites a flicker of realisation.

As she pulls back her hood her companion mimics her movement.

Cerys Thicknesse accompanied by Marcus Flint. 

As they stride across the scorched earth of the Quidditch pitch below you, Cerys’ eyes are alight with a cold fire. At the same time, you both break eye contact and see yours and McLaggen’s brooms lying abandoned, silent witnesses to the chaos that has unfolded. When she hands her companion McLaggen’s broom and picks yours up from the pitch, indignation ignites inside you that she’d dare to even touch them. 

“You might be able to outfly them but you can’t outfly us,” says Cerys.

You laugh derisively, masking the jolt of fear that courses through you. You’re confident you could fly rings around Flint - but Cerys? She was good enough to make it to the Holyhead Harpies. You remember her well from tryouts - even if that day feels like centuries ago now.

When she mounts your broom your eyes narrow. Your companion through countless flights, hundreds of training sessions with McLaggen at Hogwarts and several hundred more at Seafarer’s Beacon with the rest of your friends. Your broom was the thing that first made you feel like you had a place in the magical community. A real connection between your love of muggle sport and the wizarding world. Something your parents were able to understand - they might not have been able to wrap their heads around transfiguring buttons to button mushrooms but they understood saving goals. It was even the common ground between you and McLaggen when you first started talking to each other in Potions.

The anguish you felt when you found out Cerys has convinced her father to send you to Azkaban pales in comparison to how you feel now seeing her on that thin piece of wood that’s been your anchor for the past seven years. Unfortunately for Cerys, you're not the same scared girl you were when you were carted off to Azkaban. Deep down, you’ve always known your prickly assertiveness was a defensive mask for your lack of real courage. But your time at Seafarer’s Beacon has changed you. 

You’ve always been a leader but now you’re a fighter. 

With something worth fighting for.

“What’s wrong, Cerys? Didn’t your Death Eater pals teach you how to fly without a broom?” you jeer as she and Flint kick off.

“Oh, they’ve taught me more than that,” says Cerys, raising her wand as she flies towards you. “Avada Kedavra!”

Before the words leave her lips, you react - diving on your broom out of the way of the jet of green light. Your heart rate shoots up, shocked that Cerys’ first attack is aiming to kill.

Fuck.

No sooner do you dive than Cerys and Flint surge forward, their brooms cutting a direct path through the air towards you. 

A red jet of light whizzes past your ear and you narrowly avoid the stunning spell.

You focus your breathing as you push the battered Cleansweep Seven to its limits. Cerys isn’t the only one who has learned a few things since you last met.

You aim your broom handle towards the three Death Eaters on the burning pitch. Fast. Furious. Direct. Thinking only of Viktor Krum’s signature move.

“Marcus! Stop!” Cerys’s distant voice tells you that she’s pulled back, realising what you’re about to do but you hope that Flint hasn’t.

The hot, burning world below becomes a fiery blur that makes you screw up your face as you fly towards them, Flint hot on your heels. Wind screams in your ears as the figures of the Death Eaters on the ground chaotically try to take aim at your speeding figure. The three of them push each other out of the way of your deadly path and at the very last second, just as it looks like you’re about to crash headfirst into the pitch, you execute the Wronski Feint and pull up with all your might.

Gravity tugs at every muscle in your body. And just as you knew he wouldn’t, Flint doesn’t react in time. With a satisfying, bone-crunching crash and a scream of pain, he slams into the ground, the sound of the impact echoing across the pitch. One of the Death Eaters, caught completely off-guard by Flint's unexpected descent, is taken out in the crash, crumpling onto Flint in a tangled, bloody heap.

You don’t have time to look back before hearing Cerys’ horrified cry followed by more spells narrowly missing you. You need to keep going. This close to the pitch, the hazardous maze of burning debris makes your throat dry and your t-shirt soak with sweat.

You need to get into the open air again but your broom seems to be fighting against you. It’s hot. Swelteringly hot. Come on, you think, urging your broom upwards. But it’s dragging. Why is it dragging? You check over your shoulder and see that the tail of your broom is set alight. 

Double fuck.

Whether it’s by Cerys’ hand or from flying too close to the burning stands on the pitch you’re not sure. Either way, you point your wand over your shoulder. “Aguamenti!”. It’s no good. It’s so hot down here that the stream of water from the tip of your wand turns to vapour before it can extinguish the flames.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

There’s nothing else for it - you look for a patch of scorched grass amidst the flame and throw yourself from the broom. As the burning broom leaves a streak of white light in the air before crashing down into a pile of embers, your body slams and rolls onto the firmly solid ground, an entirely new sensation compared with the freedom of the air. Your right arm bears the brunt of your fall. Pain explodes as you roll awkwardly onto your back and your arm feels out of place - either broken, dislocated or both, you’re not sure. 

Before you can fully register the vulnerability of your situation or gather your wits, a shadow falls over you. You try to wrench McLaggen’s dad’s wand from your pocket but it’s not there. It must have fallen out as you tumbled from the sky.

Cerys aims her wand directly at you. “Crucio!” 

The incantation cuts through the din of burning chaos around you and the curse hits a thousand times worse than a physical blow. The throbbing, useless dead weight of your arm becomes a drop in the ocean as pain like you’ve never experienced before pulls at your every nerve - like every fibre of your being is being torn apart inch by inch. You’re only vaguely aware of the noises you’re making - so raw and so desperate that you don’t even recognise your voice. Even your teeth feel like they’re being pulled from your gums by pliers as you scream. It's only the absence of blood in your mouth that convinces you they’re still intact as you stop screaming to clench your jaw against the unimaginable pain.

She keeps her wand on you as you arch your body in agony and think only of the sweet release of death. 

Then it stops suddenly. With immense effort you open your eyes to see Cerys admiring her handiwork, her face twisted in a sadistic grin. She raises her wand once more and you almost hope she ends it rather than putting you through the pain again. But you have to know why she’s getting so much pleasure from targeting you specifically.

“Cerys - wait -” You pant, lifting your head and pushing yourself up on your left elbow as your right pulses in agony. “All this because of what happened last summer? When McLaggen punched Flint?”

“Don’t make me laugh,” she huffs. “This is nothing to do with Marcus.”

“Then what? Cerys I don’t understand what I could have -“

“I told you in the Black Dragon. I left Hogwarts five years before you did. I’ve been trying out for professional Quidditch teams every summer and winter transfer window since. Five years of rejections. Five years playing in the amateur league and working stupid temp jobs in my father’s department at the Ministry. Five years working for that arrogant, blood traitor Gregor McLaggen.”

She walks towards you pointing her wand and you scramble backwards with your good arm. You daren’t take your eyes off her as your fingers search the dry grass for the missing wand.

“But Cerys you - you made it. You got into the Holyhead Harpies… we both did.” The last three words are a plea, trying to appeal to some sense of reason within her, reminding her you were once teammates. For a brief, beautiful few hours after your tryouts together, you thought Cerys might have made a good friend. Until it all went so horribly wrong and she showed you who she really was.

“And do you have any idea how many tryouts I had to endure before I did? Then, when I finally get my shot, who else should swan into their first tryout and get signed? Not even as a Reserve Keeper. And you nearly took it from me. You almost saved every shot but I got two past you -“

“That’s my job! You think I’m not going to save something to make someone else look good at tryouts?”

“There’s an etiquette to these things. Something Mudbloods like you wouldn’t understand. It makes you look arrogant. Like your idiot boyfriend and his traitor father.”

“He’s not an idiot! And they’re not arrogant -“

She slashes her wand downwards and you twist to avoid it but her spell grazes your leg. You wince, feeling it leaving a fresh cut in your calf. You feel something hard sticking into your back. 

McLaggen’s dad’s wand.

“Over Quidditch, Cerys? You’d actually kill me over Quidditch?” A minute ago you were ready to die at her hand - to end the pain from the Cruciatus curse. But you’re not dying for this. Quidditch tryouts. Your lifelong dream feels childish as Cerys stands here and declares she’s ready to kill you over it. You slip your hand behind your back and wrap your fingers around your wand.

“This is about more than Quidditch,” Cerys retorts, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Being pure-blooded used to mean something. Connections. Opportunities. Marrying into a pure bloodline. And now you’ve been handed everything that should have been mine and you’re not even grateful for it.”

“Marriage?” Your disdainful laugh is involuntary but you’re pleased to see that it’s wounded her. “This isn’t about McLaggen, is it?” 

“McLaggen. Listen to yourself, calling him by his last name. You talk about him like he’s your pal rather than your boyfriend... Where is he, anyway?” Cerys glances over her shoulder, still keeping her wand pointed at you.

“He’s not here,” you make up wildly. “He’s still locked up under the Imperius curse.”

“The Daily Prophet might have bought Gregor McLaggen’s bullshit story but I saw you two in the Black Dragon and he wasn’t Imperiused. So where is he?”

“He’s not here!” you lie again, your heart thudding so frantically you’re sure she must actually see it betraying you, beating against your ribs.

“Liar. Crucio!”

Your whole body jerks again as the brutal curse takes over your senses once more, your wand jabbing uselessly into your back as you lose control of your fingers. With everything you have, you force yourself to think of Cormac. He must not have been able to crack the enchantment for the bludgers. But at least you’ve bought him enough time to get back to the castle.

“Where is he?!” Her question breaks the curse as your mind swims.

“Why - why do you care?” You ask and it’s only the taste of iron in your lips that makes you register that your face is bleeding. 

“The Dark Lord has promised he’ll reward those who are loyal to him. With the Mudbloods out of the way, we can return to the rightful order.” Cerys’s gaze is sharp. “I told you last summer, there are no decent men from pure-blood families left. So I’ve decided that when I’ve gotten rid of you, Cormac McLaggen will suffice.”

“He’d rather die,” you spit back, defiance burning through the pain.

Cerys smirks, her wand steady. “Maybe. But would he risk his family?” You blink up at her, trying to make sense of it all. “I can make sure the Dark Lord learns all about Gregor McLaggen's scheming to undermine him. Getting you out of Azkaban? Pretending his son was kidnapped and under the Imperius curse for all these months? Pure-blood or not, the McLaggens will be executed for being traitors. Unless I get what I want.” Cerys moves closer, amidst the chaos of the burning pitch, her silhouette outlined by the leaping flames that consume what remains of the once-pristine field. “So, where is your boyfriend? I’d hate for him to get hurt in the battle - I have plans for him.” 

“Cerys?” bellows Flint’s voice from beyond the flames separating you and Cerys from the rest of the pitch. She ignores him - keeping her wand fixed on you.

“What about Flint? Why don’t the two of you go off and have Death Eater babies?” you snarl, grimacing against the dull pain in your shoulder.

She shrugs. “I like them pretty - Crucio,” she says, with an almost lazy flick of her wand.

With every cell of your being screaming under the curse, you force your mind to McLaggen and somehow it lessens to pain. Of the two of you sharing a blanket on a tiny island in the middle of the vast loch, watching blue flames twinkle in a jar. You think of Cho, your fingers braiding her hair as you both sit on the window seat at the top of the lighthouse. Of Marietta, carefully transfiguring the bunch of wildflowers she collected in the garden into a beautiful wreath of sweetpeas, violets and her favourite forget-me-nots. You think about playing Exploding Snap with Carmichael and him leaping onto his chair in an ungracious, goofy victory dance. You think about Leanne transfiguing Carmichael’s chair into a yoga ball, sending him tumbling and making you laugh until your sides hurt. You think about Krum in the kitchen showing you how to make Bulagarian bansita and Davies interrupting to wind him up by insisting that they’re basically pumpkin pasties with cheese. You think about singing Happy Birthday to Katie at a surprise picnic in the garden and her joy when she sees Wood, Angelina and Alicia there too. 

You think about all of them. The memories help you endure, drawing out your own torture to keep Cerys occupied, to give them a fighting chance.

When the curse breaks again you squeeze your eyes shut tight, waiting for Cerys to cast the killing curse now she’s finished toying with you. You only dare to open your eyes when a scream is carried to you by the wind. 

In the distance somewhere you can hear a man crying out in pain and you hope against hope it’s not any of the others getting themselves hurt in an attempt to rescue you. The thought tightens the vice around your heart, even as you gasp for the air that pain had stolen.

A silhouette rises above the burning sky on a broom and suddenly the atmosphere changes. 

Cormac.

Cerys’s focus on you falters when there’s an almighty crunching of something smashing through wood. Her eyes widen as a bludger propels itself through the debris, flying directly towards the two of you. You grab McLaggen’s dad’s wand with your left hand and cast a shield charm around yourself but there’s no need. You’re not the target the bludger is looking for. 

With a dull thud of metal meeting a fleshy target, the bludger collides with Cerys directly in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her off her feet. Another bludger flies downwards and Cerys rolls herself out of the way in just enough time so that it sinks into the ground instead of into her chest. 

She gets to her feet and with all your might you push yourself up with your left arm, holding the wand in your practically useless right. 

The bludger in the ground shakes and throws itself towards Cerys, sinking into her ribs with a brutal crunch. She doubles over coughing up blood. She looks at you helplessly, blood dripping out of her mouth and down the front of her Death Eater robes, deepening them a darker shade of night. 

It’s awful. 

You know you should be relieved to see her being bludgeoned to death after she just tortured you. But after spending so much time in Seafarer’s Beacon with McLaggen and those idiotically noble Gryffindors, your heart pleads with you to show her some compassion. To be the bigger person. 

Wind rushes as you hear another bludger careering towards her.

“Protego!” you cry, pointing the shield between Cerys and the bludger, grimacing against the effort it’s causing you to even lift your broken arm.

And then a lot of things happen at once.

Cerys levels her wand at you.

You hear McLaggen shouting, “No!”

Your wand trembles under the strain of your pained grip.

She opens her mouth, “Avada Ke-”

McLaggen careers into you on his broom, knocking you aside and onto the ground. 

Your broken arm screams as you hit the ground once more.

The shield charm you were casting falters.

The bludger, unyielding and precise, smashes straight into Cerys’s face. The unforgivable curse dies on her lips, unspoken, as silence - a heavy, definitive silence - falls over the scene, punctuated only by the crackling of the flames that have witnessed the turn of fate. 

You and McLaggen sit in a heap on the ground. You don’t dare to bring yourself to look at the sickening sight only a few feet away. 

You know without looking that Cerys is dead but for some reason - closure perhaps - you need to ask, “Is she…”

And as if for good measure another bludger plummets from the sky towards her as if from nowhere. You yelp and shield your eyes. A thunk of the bludger meeting its target. The sound of liquid on dry grass.

“Dead. Yeah.” McLaggen says in a cold voice but when he tears his gaze away from Cerys his eyes are full of concern for you. “Are you alright? I heard… I heard you screaming.”

You nod but you’re not sure that you are alright. Images of Cerys standing over you, using the Cruciatus Curse on you, streak behind your eyelids every time you blink. Like a camera flash burned onto your retinas. “You did it. You worked out how to enchant the bludgers,” you say, looking out at the burning pitch in front of you, hoping for a change of subject from your own wellbeing.

“I’m sorry - I tried to do it faster. But when I heard you screaming…” He drags a hand down his face, smudging the black soot. “I panicked. And I think I overdid it. I didn’t think the bludgers would - would kill. I thought they’d just rough the Death Eaters up a bit. Cause them enough trouble ‘til I could get you out of there. I mean, Flint, Cerys and those two other Death Eaters, they’re - fuck -” He swallows. “They’re dead. It was grim. And I - I killed them.”

“They would have killed you without a second thought.”

He nods, not able to pull his eyes away from the flaming pitch.

You press on. “Flint tried to kill me. And you saw Cerys trying again. And what’s worse -”

“The Cruciatus curse?”

“Well, yes but -” 

McLaggen lets out a hollow sort of groan. “I’m sorry I wasn’t faster -”

“No, listen to me. Worse than the Cruciatus curse. After Cerys had killed me she was going to tell You-Know-Who she wanted to marry you after all of this was over.”

“That’s not worse than you enduring the Cruciatus curse,” says McLaggen. “Not to me.”

“I’d take a thousand Cruciatus curses than an entire lifetime spent in a forced marriage to a Death Eater.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” McLaggen trails off, utter disbelief etching his face.

“At first I thought she was just saying it to try and stick the knife in before she killed me. But then she started going on about pure bloodlines again like she did in the Black Dragon last year.”

McLaggen shakes his head. “She’s deluded... Was deluded.”

“Cormac -” Your left hand searches for his fingers and grips them tight. “I thought you’d be safe even if our side lost, because of your family name. But if what Cerys told me is true and we lose, the Muggleborns will be executed and the pure-bloods who resisted will be forced into Death Eater families.”

“Well, it’s like you said. We need to win or die trying.” McLaggen gets to his feet and extends his hand to lift you to yours. You take his with your left and wince as you get up. “Woah - what happened to your arm? Was that when I flew into you?”

“Well, it didn’t help.” You offer him a small smile despite the pulsing pain and inner turmoil. “But no - it was when I had to jump off my broom earlier.”

“Do you want me to fix it?”

“Can you?”

“I’ve never done it before. But I think if I can handle the bludgers, I can handle this. And I remember the spell from when you fixed my nose.”

You hesitate. Arms are trickier than noses. But if you go back to the castle with a broken wand arm then you’re worse than useless. “Yeah. Go on then.”

McLaggen places the tip of his wand against your upper arm. “Episkey.” You inhale sharply as you feel the bone snapping back into place. “You’ll probably need some Skele-gro after this is over,” he says, taking your arm in his hand to examine it. “Can you try using it?”

You flex your fingers, feeling the sensation returning to them and wave your borrowed wand again. “Thanks.”

You draw your gaze from your hand and up at McLaggen as you stand here, both covered in blood, soot and dirt. Even with his wild hair and his singed t-shirt, he’s a sight for sore eyes. In your darkest moments when Cerys was torturing you, even when you were facing death, all you could think about was him. 

But now you need to return to the castle and rejoin the battle. Keep fighting. Face death who knows how many more times.

You both jump with a start when a voice rings through the air, as clearly as if the speaker were directly behind you.

“You have fought,” says the amplified high, cold voice, “valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.”

Heavy losses. Dead. There are people in the castle who are dead.

You don’t want to think about who.

“I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.”

“We’ve got to move,” says McLaggen, before the ringing has even stopped in your ear, as he marches over to pick up his broom.

“But he said we’ve got an hour?”

“Yeah, and in about five minutes a hundred Death Eaters will be coming past here on their way to the Forbidden Forest.”

“Fuck.”

“Let’s go,” he says, climbing onto his borrowed school broom. 

You pick up your broom that Cerys had discarded. As you grip the familiar handle, your body breathes a sigh of relief. Like an extension of you had been temporarily missing. “I don’t know where yours is,” you say before kicking off into the air. “Maybe we could find it?” you suggest hopefully, peering down at the disastrous state of the pitch as the two of you ascend into the air.

“Doesn’t matter. We don’t have time,” says McLaggen. “And besides, it was already pretty burnt anyway,” he adds.

You smile weakly at his effort to bring some humour back to the situation but it’s short-lived. 

As the two of you turn West and fly back towards the castle, your stomach churns in anticipation of what awaits you back at Hogwarts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 20: Avada Kedavra

Tag list: @countlambula, @ratsys, @aweidlich, @navs-bhat, @stainedpomegranatelips, @chiaraanatra, @xxvelvetxxxx, @ohnoitsrosie, @dracosisteer, @daisydark, @intense-sneezing, @lipstickandloveletters, @ichorai, @marmie-noir, @lolitstiana, @evabellasworld, @ivebeentrashsince2001, @xyzstar, (let me know if you want removed at any point btw!)

[twinkboimler]

August Fic Recs

people seemed interested, so here are some recs from the trek fics I read in August! I reread a few old favorites this month but I figured I'd still recommend them even though they're already incredibly popular.

MCKIRK

jim kirk's guide to starship management: how to work with people you don't like by espressohno. AOS mckirk. Explicit, 23,352 words. An anonymous hookup while on shore leave turns complicated when the Enterprise picks up their new CMO the morning after. Enemies to friends to lovers. So, so good.

Instinctive by laughter_now. AOS mckirk. Explicit, 9,066 words. Classic case of miscommunication - Leonard and Jim have sex for the first time, but they probably should have talked some things over beforehand. I was losing it the entire time, kicking my feet and shrieking. Very, very sweet.

SPONES

Eyeshadow by Lokak. TOS spones. General Audiences, 1,222 words. Fluff with some classic spones arguing and insulting each other. They do each other's eye makeup. Exactly what I want in a TOS spones fic.

MCSPIRK

My World is No Longer Hollow by existentialcrisistime. TOS mcspirk. Teen and Up Audiences, 2,097 words. Fluff, first kiss, and bedsharing. Post-episode "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" - Leonard is feeling exhausted and lonely. Established spirk to mcspirk, so sweet.

SPIRK

Beautiful James by spirkme. AOS spirk. Explicit, 8,742 words. Post-Star Trek Beyond. Yearning and accidental bonding. This fic re-contextualizes all three movies. Jim and Spock were so vulnerable with each other in this and it gave me so many feelings. The smut at the end was romantic and sweet, I really enjoyed this one.

Send Me the Moon by lily_winterwood. Tagged as both TOS and AOS Spirk. Teen and Up Audiences, 5,911 words. AU - 21st Century, Canon Divergence. Major Character Death. Vulcan is sixteen light years from Earth. Jim becomes pen pals with Spock, with a 32-year wait between each letter he receives back. Once I started crying, I didn't stop. Very good if you need a cry.

out of obscurity into the dream by spectralPhobia. AOS spirk. General Audiences, 87,794 words. A Tangled AU that did a really good job of building off of the plot of the movie but doing something new with it. I liked the world-building and how this fic used Nero.

Bitter Dregs by kinklock. TOS spirk. Explicit, 9,707 words. Spock's POV. This fic is for the episode "Plato's Stepchildren" - very poetic and just SO good at getting inside of Spock's head. Really nails the character voices for TOS Spock and Jim.

Sha Ka Ree by ThereBeWhalesHere. TOS spirk. Explicit, 180,505 words. Survival + time travel. Jim is a lieutenant on the Farragut and Spock is a science officer on the Enterprise, captained by Pike. After coming together for a landing party, Jim and Spock have to fight to survive on an alien world. Had to give this one another reread - there's a reason it's such a popular fic in the fandom, and it's because this fic is SO good. The plot is fantastic, and the slow build of their relationship hits every time.

Heated Consummation (AOS) by Gimmemore. AOS spirk. Explicit, 2,326 words. Porn Without Plot, established relationship, shore leave. Sex in front of a fireplace. This fic is a part of a series where each fic has the same set up, just for AOS, TOS, and TOS Movies. All are good, but this one was my favorite.

Halloween by BisforBread. TOS spirk. General Audiences, 2,300 words. Mutual pining, first kiss, fluff. Spock goes to the Enterprise Halloween party dressed as Jim. Fun and cute.

love is a drunk man's tale by BisforBread. AOS spirk, past Jim/Carol Marcus. General Audiences, 6,962 words. AU - Jim is a country singer and Spock is his manager. Mutual pining, angst, drunken love confessions. I enjoyed this, it's always fun to read an AU for something you don't see very often.

One on a Side, Two Together by JackHawksmoor. TOS spirk. Explicit, 17,108 words. Must be logged in to read. The accidental bonding in this is SO good. This was a reread - I really love this fic, especially how Spock really, really doesn't want to explain what the hell is up with the bond.

[thosehallowedhalls]

Discovery

Book: Laws of Attraction

Pairing: Martin Vanderweil x Wind Velez (Genderqueer!MC)

Word count: 1796

Summary: Martin despises Wind. Really. He does.

A/N: For @oh-so-youre-a-nerd. You have no idea how excited I was to see I was your secret pal! You're such a light in this fandom, always endlessly kind and talented, and it's been the biggest joy to get to know you over the past few months.

This was originally meant to be 5 near misses + the 1 time they got it right, but it morphed into 5 Times Martin Is In Denial. This is far from my best work, and I'm sorry about that, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Thank you for letting me play with your babies. @choicesfandomappreciation

One

Martin sips from his subpar beer. Today has been more challenging than he expected, not that he will ever admit it out loud. It’s also been rewarding beyond his wildest dreams. A short-cut to partnership? Even his well-crafted 5-year-plan wasn’t this ambitious. The competition may be steeper than he imagined, he’ll give them that, but there is no doubt in his mind that this position is his.

He watches his new colleagues, all of whom he’s already seized up and found wanting. Frat Boy. Party Girl. Hopelessly Shy. And Much Too Friendly. It’s Friendly who’s occupying his thoughts right now.

Martin respects ambition, but he doesn’t respect false friendliness. If Wind were more open about his drive, he might even admire the easy way he handled his witness today. However, someone who cozies up to him but who would sell him out in a heartbeat? It’s the fastest way to get on his nerves. And Wind would sell him out in a heartbeat. There is no question about that.

She’s beautiful though.

Annoyed with himself, he drinks again. Her beauty is irrelevant. That light that seems to shine so effortlessly from her, warming everyone she comes into contact with has no bearing on anything. Martin’s never been one to be swayed by a pretty face.

Not that he’s noticing, of course. If his gaze has been falling on Wind more often than on the other associates, well, that’s just a coincidence. Wind is nothing but an obstacle.

With this in mind, he stands. “Wind? A word?”

Two

Of course Wind will swoop in and steal their first major client to themself, Martin thinks. Not even Gabe has the pull with Marcus that Wind does, and it’s maddening. Why does everyone fail to see that such kindness can’t be genuine? They’re lawyers, for God’s sake. New York City lawyers at that, from arguably the biggest firm in the country.  What is wrong with everybody else?

All the more reason why he deserves this partnership, he decides. He can see through Wind’s faux friendliness in a way nobody else can.

Can’t he?

It’s only late at night, safely within the confines of his own mind, that Martin can admit to himself that he’s starting to have doubts. Perhaps… perhaps Wind really is that kind. Perhaps they really do care about finding justice for Aliana Velazquez and Marcus Sharpe. But, well, do they need to get so close to Marcus to do that? As far as he’s concerned, their close relationship is inappropriate and crossing the very defined boundaries of what a lawyer-client relationship is supposed to be.

Not for the first time, Martin wonders if it is just a lawyer-client relationship. He sees Marcus’ relief when Wind walks into the room, the way he seems to stand a little easier under the weight bearing on his shoulders. It would be bad enough to have a lawyer become friends with their client, but if it’s more…

Martin doesn’t like it. Not in the least.

Only because it would prove a liability to McGraw Byrne. No other reason whatsoever.

Three

She shines.

Martin watches Wind, her fingers sliding over the cello strings with an easy intimacy that brings a knot to his throat. Gigi and Xiomara’s wedding was lovely – even he can admit that the vows were heartfelt and romantic. And the all-out party following the ceremony is hardly a surprise to anyone with even a passing acquaintanceship with Gigi. But this. This took him by surprise.

He knew that Wind plays the cello, of course, she made one or two passing comments about it. But he had no idea she was this good. Martin prides himself on his excellent musical ear, and it tells him now that Wind is exceptional. She flies through Pachelbel’s Canon in D like she was born with a cello and a bow in her hands.

Gigi and Xiomara sway together on the dance floor, looking at each other in a way that makes him feel like he’s intruding on a very private moment. Beau and Aislinn sit companionably together at their table, looking at the brides with smiles on their faces. The senior partners barely give the newly married couple a glance, intent as they probably are on a legal discussion or another.

But his attention is wholly caught up in Wind. He looks… he looks at home in a way he’s never seen him look before.

It’s every bit as unsettling as it is beautiful.

When the last note rings out, he stands from his spot next to the DJ booth and slips towards the bar, his skirt swooshing in a way Martin knows damn well must have been the main reason he bought the dress in the first place. He orders a grapefruit gimlet – not that he can hear him from here, but this is Wind, what else would he order – and slides onto a booth to wait for it. Martin doesn’t let himself think about it. He stands and makes his way over.

“That was acceptable,” he says when he reaches him.

Wind laughs. “Please, not so many compliments. They will go straight to my head.”

“You get your fair share of compliments already.”

“Do I, now? Pray tell, who is out there singing my praises?”

Martin rolls his eyes. “I’m not here to feed your ego, Wind.”

“No? Then why are you here?”

“I wanted a drink.” He looks down when Wind does. At the half-full old-fashioned already in his hand. “Another drink.”

“Admit it,” they tease. “You did want to give me a compliment.”

He exhales. “Fine. I did. You’re… a very good cellist.”

Wind puts a hand to their heart. “Oh my goodness. An honest-to-god compliment from Martin Vanderweil. Be still my heart.”

“Never again,” Martin decides as he turns to leave, but the corners of his mouth kick up. “You’re insufferable.”

“You know you love me!” Wind calls after him.

The words run on a steady loop in Martin’s head for the rest of the night.

Of course he doesn’t love him. He’s just… become somewhat fond of Wind. Like a pet. Or a particularly comfortable armchair. Nothing more to it than that.

Four

It’s Wind’s birthday again.

He wasn’t expecting, when he pulled out their personnel file a few months ago, to finally solve the mystery behind the most uncharacteristic day of Wind’s employment. He’s been haunted by the memory of finding them hiding under their desk, by the bone-deep knowledge that something was deeply, truly wrong. But then he saw their date of birth and put two and two together.

Certainly, he didn’t know whether Wind hates their birthday itself or something specific had happened that day. But he made a mental note to be on the lookout the following year. Judging from the dearth of the usual light in their eyes, Wind’s dislike of their birthday wasn’t a one-off.

So Martin makes sure to be on stand-by. Just in case.

There is no more hiding under desks, at least as far as he’s aware, but he hears Beau haranguing Wind shortly before six.

“Come on! Just the one drink. That hearing was brutal.”

“I’m not in the mood for drinking, Beau.”

“So don’t drink, but come hang out with us anyway. Gigi promised to share leftover cake from Xo’s birthday.”

“Sorry, I just… can’t.”

She barrels past Martin without even seeing him, so he isn’t surprised when she jumps at his hand on her shoulder. “Wind, wait.”

“What is it? Do you need me to do any last-minute work?”

Wind enjoys her job, but she also has clear work-life boundaries. She’s never volunteered to take on extra work this eagerly. Martin’s concern grows.

“Are you all right?”

She blinks. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He knows full well he’s not imagining the defensive edge to her voice. He opens his mouth to tell her he knows it’s her birthday but… Wind, a whirlwind of light and energy and confidence, looks defeated. Standing here in his trial suit and watching the play of the sunset on her face, Martin knows he can’t bring himself to talk about it. She doesn’t want him to know.

He will respect that, even if the knowledge that she’s guarding this part of herself so fiercely makes his heart ache.

And people think he doesn’t have one, he thinks wryly. If only they were right.

Five

If there’s one thing that Martin has learned over the two years he’s been working for McGraw Byrne, it’s that they take the office Christmas party very seriously.

The venue they booked looks like the inside of Santa Claus’ sack exploded all over the walls. It manages to be tasteful, somehow, but it’s still far beyond Martin’s comfort levels with holiday décor. Of course, in an unsurprising twist, his colleagues look like they’re having the time of their lives. Gigi and Beau seem to be involved in some sort of drinking match, with Xiomara and Beau’s new girlfriend egging them on. Aislinn and Wind talk animatedly, completely ignoring their colleagues’ antics, obviously too used to them to find them of interest.

He misses the days when he would be right there with them, sometimes. When they would tease him with as much affection as exasperation.

Surprised by the thought, he orders a bourbon – the one good thing he can say about the Christmas party, they don’t skimp on the drinks – and takes his seat next to the other senior partners. Eli and Linda ignore him, caught up in their discussion, but Reggie smiles at him.

“Missing your old group?”

Once upon a time, Martin would have been surprised by Reggie’s perceptiveness. Now he’s just irritated by it. “Not at all. The view is better from here.”

Reggie makes an amused sound. “Let me be more specific. Missing one very specific person from your old group?”

He stares. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”

“I should’ve known you’d be too much of a lawyer to admit it.” A pause, then Reggie leans in. “Go talk to him. I’d tell you to ask him to dance but that would only set tongues wagging. Although – for the record – he would say yes.”

“He… would?” Belatedly, he remembers that he’s supposed to be confused. “I don’t know who you mean.”

Reggie sighs. “Youth is wasted on the young. Don’t leave it too long, Martin. Take it from somebody who’s been there – you don’t always get another chance.”

Martin’s gaze slides over to Wind. She looks up from her cocktail glass and her eyes meet his. A smile breaks out on her face, and he swears the whole damn room is suddenly brighter.

He coughs. “I will be right back, Reggie.”

The older man grins. “Attaboy.”