#matilda's mail

[now-imstruggling-tofreemyself]

18 and 29 for Tatiana?

A memory of a time you felt loved : hm. there's definitely something im just having a hard time remembering stuff right now. probably hanging out with curt or barb. they were always fun. made me feel safe.

Any minor canon divergences? (ex. appearance differences, family, relationships, etc.) : uh i had short hair. that's about it :]

[whinlatter]

Hi! Just wanting to say I adore Beasts. Well- I adore all your fics that I have been making my way through, but Beasts has just been marinating in my brain quite happily lately! I enjoy how you don’t shy away from the complexities of what it would be like for our characters in post, pre, current, and then post again war time conditions.

I was wondering since you brought up the McGonagall vs Kingsley or more specifically Hogwarts vs Ministry and who is responsible for the youth or the abuse that said youth experienced- how would that impact the canonical abuse/neglect Harry experienced both at the Dursleys but also the fact that he had an attempt on his life every year he was at hogwarts. I have always wondered in that ever really coming to light- who would the public be saying should be held responsible? I know people in fandom tend to place all the blame neatly on Dumbledore (which I personally disagree with) but how about the ministry? Child services?

Would his abuse by the Dursleys cause an upturn in anti muggle sentiment? I remember in the fourth book when Hermione was receiving hate mail in regards to her “hurting” Harry she had people simultaneously supporting Harry for stopping Voldemort but also being wildly blood supremacist towards her in the same breath. I could imagine for Kingsley, trying to face a wildly anti muggle status quo culture, if it got out the nature of Harry’s relationship with his muggle relatives people might actually riot.

Along with the “telling each other things” part of their relationship and Harry realizing how he needs to be better at providing more emotional support for Ginny and how much support Ginny already provides for him- if the nature of his abuse or even mentioning the cupboard ever came out how that could potentially shift things. The fact that we never know for certain if Harry ever even TOLD anyone about the cupboard in canon actually blows my mind

thank you so much for this interesting question, anon, and for reading beasts and and enjoying it and having a good ol think about it (every fic author's dream, having your story camp out for a bit in someone else's head - makes me beam). have tried to answer said interesting question - on what harry’s friends, family and a wizarding public would make of his time at the dursleys, and broader wizarding cultural ideas about child welfare and protection - below!

TW: generalised, non-specific references to child abuse and neglect

your question is interesting because it raises the question both of wizarding perceptions of muggle child-rearing and norms in wizarding society about the idea of child protection. i've written a bit before about how i tend to think about harry's abuse at the hands of the dursleys, which to try and put it in context as a literary trope in a particular genre (eg. the dursleys as roald dahl-esque pantomime anti-orphan villains) that the series outgrows and then tries to sidestep dealing with. harry's abuse at the dursleys is one of the most glaring examples of the series' tonal shifts and muddy, dissatisfactory space between genre conventions: a series that begins with harry as a matilda-esque figure dealing with pantomime cartoonish child-hating baddies and by the end is busy heavily implying the fact of egregious, gruesome violence against children (ariana dumbledore, for instance). morfin gaunt's violence against his daughter merope, as depicted in HBP, is absolutely not supposed to be farcical quaint slapstick, and as such it jars with the way harry's relationship with the dursleys is depicted early on in the series, which is a much more light-hearted story of ten years of dodging frying pans wielded by baffoonish, ridiculous cariactures of suburban english tories.

the dursleys exist for the young reader to jeer at and immediately hate rather than be taken seriously as portraits of child abusers. that somewhat colours how i personally tend to approach writing about harry's views of his upbringing - eg. don't spend too long trying to make the dursley plot consistent because the author certainly didn't.

i also tend to take cues from how harry the character canonically seems to reflect on and process his upbringing (ie. he recognises it was abuse, but he also recognises he didn't deserve it, and while he is certainly shaped and affected by it, he is not singularly traumatised by it, particularly relative to all of his other terrible teenage experiences). i think harry isn’t hiding the dursleys’ treatment of him from his friends. but nor is he talking about it all the time. as of book 2 the weasleys have decided his treatment is horrific and worthy of a jailbreak, which doesn't suggest they're all in the dark about it ('they were starving him, mum!') - i think they follow his cues on how much he wants to talk about it and have filled in the blanks well enough.

what a broader wizarding public would make of harry's treatment by the dursleys if they knew about it is tricker to think through, and asks us to read between the lines of the text re wizards' expectations/understanding of child welfare and children's protection, and how they might collide with wizards' varying attitudes to muggle culture, which range from polite fascination all the way to wanting to slaughter muggles en masse and hunt them down for sport.

(here's miss trunchbull from matilda, fulfilling genre conventions as only she can, also demonstrating what is likely a popular wizarding pastime: yeeting children).

on the one hand, there doesn't seem to be any kind of child protective services in the wizarding world or responsibility on the part of the state for child welfare. when it comes to children’s health and wellbeing, the wizarding state is hands off and happy about it. a few examples:

bob ogden's visit to the gaunts, for instance, ends in arrests, but seemingly not for child abuse - morfin and marvolo go to jail for attacking muggles and ministry employees, not for abusing merope, suggesting at a minimum there isn't much appetite for prosecuting child abuse or, in an unlikely but still possible reading, there are no express laws against abusing children in the wizarding world under which marvolo and morfin could have been charged.

muriel is critical of the dumbledore family's treatment of ariana ('though to take it to the extreme of actually imprisoning a little girl in the house and pretending she didn’t exist - '), but in the same breath also reveals that ariana was never examined or treated by any healer working at st mungo's, suggesting a distinct lack of scrutiny over children's health and wellbeing.

filch, longstanding school caretaker kept on under dumbledore (who, for all fandom’s ire at him, is a progressive among wizards on all sorts of things including on education and child welfare), frequently expresses a desire to 'whip students raw' and string them up by their ankles. the day umbridge tells filch she's going to sign an approval for whipping is clearly the happiest of his life, and filch exits the text having been outdone as a child abuser only by the carrows (eg. the two who literally encourage child on child torture), which is saying something. mcgonagall calls him a 'fool' (what are you like, argus!) and then lets him supervise the evacuation from the castle. just caretaker things!

does this mean witches and wizards don’t care about child abuse? i don’t want to say a flat no to that. as the muriel point on ariana suggests, even old-fashioned wizarding elders seem to think there is a right and a wrong way to care for children, and believe there are lines that can be crossed in terms of what’s fair and right to do to children under your care. umbridge cites a concern for the vulnerable children of hogwarts in making her case for more ministry interference at hogwarts, a case that makes her popular with many in the wizarding public, which implies some cultural sense of children as innocents who need to be protected. at the same time, though, we also see even progressive witches and wizards use corporeal punishment (the weasleys smack their children for particularly severe transgressions, as many middle class british families did well up to the millennium), and poor neville gets dangled out of a sodding window and his family are supposed to be kind of goodies. as we’re also told in canon witches and wizards are hardier and more durable physically than muggles, we also might expect that may shape wizarding attitudes to what you can do to a child in punishment without lasting damage or moral qualm. so it seems that wizards do have a cultural understanding of child abuse, even if they’re a bit hazy (or more forgiving) in what counts as abusive.

but. the example you mention - a wizarding public who are happy to hate harry but also happy to ride to his defence if they think a muggleborn tart has wronged him because of their kneejerk blood supremacy - is a really good one. canon is clear that hypocrisy is wizarding's britain's bread and butter. so i can absolutely see a right-wing commentariat doing what right-wing commentariats love to do most, which is selectively care about imagined or real violence against children only when it suits their political agenda. given the wizarding press canonically implies dumbledore has sinister intentions with harry potter the troubled youth (nonce allegations abound), i don’t think it would be a surprise if an anti-dumbledore camp seized on knowledge of harry’s experiences at the dursleys as proof of dumbledore’s hypocrisy, cruelty and dishonour.

as you mentioned ginny i will indulge myself and say a few remaining words about our girl. the question of how ginny would think about harry’s upbringing, and specifically what she would make of dumbledore leaving harry to the dursleys’ neglect for the greater good, is - i’m afraid - very interesting to me. ginny lives out ‘for the greater good’ in her war in lots of different ways; for one, she has to accept the likely prospect of harry’s death because of it. now, we know ginny names her son after albus dumbledore. i don’t think this is an act of charity, but a statement of how she and harry come to think of dumbledore and the sacrifices his plan demanded of them and others around them — ie. ultimately, they accept and support them, even if they acknowledge the terrible cost incurred. it’s not a particularly popular view in fandom at the minute, because (understandably and not entirely wrongly) audiences now see the surrendering of a very young child to abusive parents as part of a broader political and military strategy as perverse. that’s a changing-cultural-tastes-genre-trope issue as much as anything. but any of our revulsion at the idea is not how these characters - or even a wizarding public en masse - would necessarily would come to think of dumbledore’s decision to leave harry at the dursleys. (thinking of sirius’ very sad, very important line from OotP here: that ‘there are things worth dying for’).

[thelaurenshippen]

Out of every film that exists, give one to each of your podcasts. I wanna see what vibes you think, cause I rlly wanna listen to some!

ooooooh GREAT question. this has me fully stumped, because I really don't watch a ton of movies? I'm much more of a TV person. but I'll do my best.

The Bright Sessions - depending on the season, this could really change. but, at its core, TBS is an emotional sci-fi story that's super queer, so...Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Love, Simon meets...like, the non-saving-the-world parts of The Incredibles or...idk, Matilda.

Breaker Whiskey - Another Earth meets Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Bridgewater - Hereditary is a horror movie about family trauma, right? So that, but not as scary or sad, plus cryptids.

Maxine Miles - Harriet the Spy meets The Goonies, but with environmental anxiety.

New Year’s Day - take The Prestige and The Illusionist, shake, add a dash of The Greatest Showman and then make it gay.

Surviving Hawkins - I mean, obviously, the TV show this is most like is, uh, Stranger Things (this was the official ST podcast I wrote lol), but actually it's closer to Dead Poet's Society or The History Boys, especially since there's no Upside Down business.

Passenger List - I really just want to say that Idris Elba Apple TV show about a plan hijacking but I'm committed to the movie thing--there's an element of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in here, plus maybe Flight Plan or...Shutter Island even?

and, honorable mentions (shows I produced but didn't write):

In Strange Woods - this is tricky because it's a musical but...Into the Wild meets Spotlight (but not sad in the same way) meets....a musical.

Life With LEO(h) - Her but, like, fun and actually romantic. Her + Pride & Prejudice + Nora Ephron movies.

Look Up - I have never seen it, but Briggon loves the movie Handsome Devil so I'm putting that here along with, like, the tiniest little sprinkling of Moonlight.

Greenhouse - jesus, there are not enough fun sapphic romance movies. Imagine Me & You meets You've Got Mail.

but I'd LOVE to hear all your thoughts, listeners!!

[igncrxntripley]

could you maybe write a rhea fic based off of matilda by harry styles?

matilda

a/n: this combines two of my favorite things i knew i needed to do it so ty to whoever suggested this

synopsis: rhea ensures y/n that it's okay to leave the bad things behind and grow (based off matilda by harry styles)

mentions: mentions of childhood trauma (no detaisl, nothing graphic), overall SFW, fem!reader, slight break of kayfabe

taglist: @auburnwrites @thesithdiaries @ripleyswhore

some people weren't lucky enough to escape a bad home life. they were stuck in the same cycles that had been repeated in their families for generations and were stuck in the same sad stories with a different retelling.

you, however, were one of the lucky ones. turning eighteen meant a new freedom for you, even if it was just as scary as what you'd endured your entire life. it meant teaching yourself how to live your life without being in fear, how to love what made you unique, and how to give love to others in ways that you'd never learned. it was incredibly difficult, but you met someone who made that process just a little bit easier.

demi came into your life at a time in which you were incredibly vulnerable. day to day life was tasking, you could barely look in the mirror without being ashamed of what you saw, and building connections with other people was almost impossible; but demi, or rhea as her fans knew her, lit a new flame inside of you. you were working as a member of the medical team during her time at NXT, and you were able to move up to the main roster together. during the course of your relationship you not only got to travel together, but you moved into a home together and you built a life with someone who truly cared about you.

what demi didn't know, was all of the baggage you'd been carrying on your shoulders. she knew bits and pieces, like that you didn't keep in contact with family or that you'd been in and out of therapy for some time, but she never knew the extent.

that all came crashing down on your birthday, though. when you went to grab the mail that day, a name and an address you hadn't expected to see was written on an envelope that clearly contained some kind of card.

you didn't even want to open it. the card sat on the coffee table for at least two hours as you stared at it with unease, and it may not have been the best idea, but you decided to open it with trembling hands. in a way you were proud of yourself for doing this, especially without demi home as she was at the gym, but the card also probably needed to just go into the garbage where you could forget it ever existed.

reading through the sickly sweet note written by your mom was stomach churning. she spoke as if nothing was wrong about your upbringing, as if she hadn't spent your entire life calling you awful names and pretending like you didn't exist. she gifted you some money - the only birthday present you'd ever received from her in your entire life - and your inner child was screaming in pain and sadness. how could your mom do this? how could she pretend like nothing was wrong about the way you were raised?

there was only one person you wanted in this moment, and it wasn't the person who wrote you this birthday card.

tears ran down your cheeks as you dialed demi's number with shaky hands. you did your best to hold back the sniffles and tears as you waited for her to answer, but the floodgates only shattered even more once you heard her beautiful voice on the other end.

"hey, birthday girl! you miss me already?" she teased softly. her accent always made you smile and she always knew how to brighten your day, but today felt so different. you didn't even have to say anything before she noticed how off you were and heard your sniffles. "honey, what's wrong?" demi asked softly. "are you...are you crying?"

you almost couldn't answer her, but somehow you found the courage to do so. "i-i need you..." your weak voice said quietly. "i just...it..." you could barely find the words to even articulate what you needed.

demi didn't need to hear another thing, though. she started packing her bag again and shot an apologetic look to her friends. "don't even worry, baby. i'm on my way." she said softly. she stayed on the phone as she rushed through the gym to get to her car. "i'll be home soon, and we're gonna talk all about it."

that thought alone made you sob harder; you'd gone this long without telling demi, and now you had to be prepared to spill everything. in a way it was your fault because you should have told her earlier, but nothing about this conversation was easy or desirable. "o-okay." you sniffled softly. "i'm sorry-"

"hey, don't apologize." demi interrupted. she never let you apologize for feeling the way you felt, as it was something you were used to always doing. "you sit tight, i'll be home in a few minutes."

demi was home in in a matter of ten minutes, and as soon as she walked through the door you were her main focus. "babygirl..." she said softly, taking in your puffy eyes and wet cheeks from where you were curled up on the couch. she dropped her things and sat next to you, pulling into one of her tight hugs that always felt like a protective shield. "it's okay, i'm here."

you hid in your girl's neck and let out soft cries, your fingers playing with her short hair. her hands rubbed your back as you got everything out of your system, and she looked down at you with her own sad eyes. "what happened?" demi whispered.

if you didn't tell demi now, it was never going to come out. so once she asked you what could make her girl cry so hard on a special day, you let everything out. you explained the birthday card, all of the hurtful things your mom had ever said, and why you distanced yourself from your family to begin with. she sat and listened patiently the entire time with her arms around your body. every so often, her thumb would come up to wipe away the tears from your cheeks and you could've sworn you saw her getting emotional as well.

eventually you finished your retelling of your life story; you'd ended up in demi's lap quite some time ago, and you looked down at your own as silent tears continued running down your cheeks. "everything about it just seemed...normal." you admitted quietly. "but i just suck it up, i guess. move on and pretend like it's not a big deal."

demi's hands came up to hold your cheeks. "look at me." she whispered softly, your eyes moving to meet hers. "you know you're allowed to move on, right?" you bit her lip and stared blankly at your girlfriend, almost to answer her question in the negative. "you don't have to be sorry for leaving and growing up."

the same sentiment had been communicated to you many times in your adulthood, but hearing it from demi was something that you couldn't describe. but you finally gave a small nod as more tears rolled down your cheeks. demi wiped those tears and gave you a gentle kiss on the forehead. "i'm your family now. you don't need them." her arms wrapped around you in a hug again, gently rocking you in her lap as she let you process her words.

from that moment on, demi promised to show you the love you'd never been shown. she was going to make you feel cherished every day she was with you, and knew in that moment that she was meant to be yours for the rest of your lives.

[holmesandtheroman]

not to bring up hp discourse but why tf didn’t Ravenclaws make it their year’s goal to maliciously comply to umbridge’s educational decrees? like I would have made it my life’s mission to bog that bitch down with so much paperwork she would HAVE to quit. all weasley products banned? all right, bet… any literature or research published by former professor Matilda Weasley that might be part of the curriculum is off the table. please revise the curriculum and submit it to the ministry for approval. all incoming and outgoing mail will be under review? fine, guess who just signed up for literally every wizarding catalog EVER which means that you now have piles of my mail to go through? we’re banned from discussing “the upsetting incidents from the previous year”? very well… what constitutes as upsetting? Is any event I consider to be upset prohibited? I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t use the curriculum I did last year to facilitate this year’s studies; it was very upsetting to me. we must submit complaints about Hogwarts staff in writing? guess who is going to be receiving an extremely detailed tome of every single professor’s every action that mildly inconvenienced me since I started school? I would make that bitch QUIT

[jacaela]

"Rhaenyra brutally killed Vaemond, so the greens usurped her, they feared for their lives." - someone from reddit.

First, she ordered Daemon to cut off his head, and fed the dead body to the dragon. Secondly, this was done with the light hand of Viserys and Corlys, because Vaemond violated the royal order. Nobody cared about his death, neither the greens, nor even Corlys. A little surprise that will burn your asses:

His brother Lucerys agreed, insisting that he and Jace were men, or near enough to make no matter. “Our uncle calls us Strongs, but when the lords see us on dragonback they will know that for a lie. Only Targaryens ride dragons.” Mushroom tells us that the Sea Snake grumbled at this, insisting that the three boys were Velaryons, yet he smiled as he said it, with pride in his voice.

Luke’s young brother Joffrey (Jace was still away on his mission north) swore a terrible oath of vengeance against Prince Aemond and Lord Borros. Only the intervention of the Sea Snake and Princess Rhaenys kept the boy from mounting his own dragon at once.

Having outlived all of his children and suffered the betrayal of his nephews and cousins, the Sea Snake seemed more than eager to accept these newfound grandsons.🤣

Yet none of these losses were felt so deeply as that of Jacaerys Velaryon, Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. Rhaenyra’s youngest son seemed lost as well. In the confusion of battle, none of the survivors seemed quite certain which ship Prince Viserys had been on. [...] It is written that when the Sea Snake was congratulated on his victory, the old man said, “If this be victory, I pray I never win another.”

And most importantly, at the green council no one even mentioned him, so this argument has zero value. The reason Rhaenyra was usurped is misogyny. Alicent and Otto had been plotting to usurp her long before she married Laenor. For the same reason, the greens refused to send a raven to the Arryns.

“King,” insisted Queen Alicent. “The Iron Throne by rights must pass to His Grace’s eldest trueborn son.”

One-eyed Prince Aemond, nineteen, was found in the armory, donning plate and mail for his morning practice in the castle yard. “Is Aegon king?” he asked Ser Willis Fell, “or must we kneel and kiss theold whore’s cunny?”

GRRM: “The Civil War in England between Stephen and Matilda, which was over whether a woman could in fact inherit the English crown. And they passed her over but she was pissed about it and went to war and that war ripped England apart.”

"Rhaenyra would have killed greens"

“I offered her an honorable peace, and the whore spat in my face,” he declared. “What happens next is on her own head.”

Broken by the loss of one son, Rhaenyra Targaryen seemed to find new strength after the loss of a second. Jace’s death hardened her, burning away her fears, leaving only her anger and her hatred. Still possessed of more dragons than her half-brother, Her Grace now resolved to use them, no matter the cost. She would rain down fire and death upon Aegon and all those who supported him, she told the black council, and either tear him from the Iron Throne or die in the attempt.

Rhaenyra rejected her stepmother’s proposal with scorn. “Your sons might have had places of honor at my court if they had kept faith,” Her Grace declared, “but they sought to rob me of my birthright, and the blood of my sweet sons is on their hands.” “Bastard blood, shed at war,” Alicent replied. “My son’s sons were innocent boys, cruelly murdered. How many more must die to slake your thirst for vengeance?”

Sunfyre, it is said, did not seem at first to take any interest in the offering, until Broome pricked the queen’s breast with his dagger.

[lunefuforu]

I've been making a long list of funfacts I've came up with for my lackaocs, I decided that I may as well share these publicly now tho just so you guys can get to know them better.

It's a lotta word vomit so be prepared for that lmao

I will be continuing to add more over time whenever I think of new things, or if anyone has any suggestions that I like enough to add n make canon. If you have questions then shoot me an ask to my inbox.

⸻⸻⸻

Gale: Trans and Bisexual

Matilda: Bisexual

Marie: Trans and Asexual Demiromantic

Tony: Gay

Riley: Pansexual Demiromantic

⸻

Gale 6'0

Matilda 5'8

Marie 5'11

Dot 2'9

Tony 6'0

Riley 7'2

⸻

Gale's voiceclaim: John Mulaney

Matilda's voiceclaim: Jessica Rabbit

Dot's voiceclaim: Shirley Temple

Riley's voiceclaim: Geoff Castellucci

Marie's voiceclaim: Jennifer Tilly

Tony's voiceclaim: Aizawa Shouta [English]

⸻⸻⸻

Gale's nicknames for the others;

Matilda: May, May dear, Darling, Love, My Beloved, Honey, Sweetheart, Belle, Muffin, Sugarplum, Baby, Babe, Beautiful, Amour

Riley: Big guy, Buddy, Bud, Cousin, Sully

Marie: No nicknames for her, he just calls her Marie. Or Ms. Brooke formally.

Antonio: Tony (casually, most of the time), Antonio (formally, usually), and Mr. Brooke (more formality). Though sometimes he may call him Sheik.

Dorothy: Dot, Sweetie, Peanut, Button, Princess

⸻

Matilda's nicknames for the others;

Gale: Darling, Honey, Babe, Baby

Antonio: Tony, Old man, Menace (these are of endearment)

Marie: Angel Eyes, Daisy

Dorothy: Dot, Small one, Sweet pea

Riley: Big one, Brooder, Dove

⸻

Marie's nicknames for the others;

Matilda: Hilda, Dear, Blossom, Sister

Antonio: Tony, Dear, Dimples, Daffodil, Brother

Dorothy: Dot, Dear, Sweetheart, Rosebud, Babydoll, My Angel, Little lamb, Ladybug

Gale: Gale (most of the time), Mr. Wolfgang (formally), Dear, Smiles, Sunflower

Riley: Riley (most of the time), Mr. Sullivan (formally), Dear, Honey, Wallflower

⸻

Tony's nicknames for the others;

Matilda: Tilly, Matty, Baby sister, Sourpuss, Bitsy

Marie: MarMar, Lil sister, Sunshine, Angel Face

Dorothy: Dot, Dotty, Kiddo, Shortie, Little one, Thumbelina

Gale: Wolfgang, Bright eyes, Wonder boy, Screwball

Riley: Sullivan, Big man, Mac, Chap, Goliath

⸻

Riley's nicknames for the others;

Gale: Cousin, Little man

Matilda: No nicknames for her, he just calls her Matilda. Or Mrs. Wolfgang formally.

Antonio: Tony (casually, usually), Antonio (formally, most of the time), and Mr. Brooke (more formality)

Marie: No nicknames for her, he just calls her Marie. Or Ms. Brooke formally. Though sometimes he calls her Ma'am.

Dorothy: Dot, Little one, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, Precious

⸻⸻⸻

Gale is that malewife ken-coded husband to his wife he will do anything for.

Matilda is the girlboss wife, she wants to become a detective, though it's very difficult. Sometimes she has to do dirty work in order to get what she wants.

Gale may or may not be willing to do the same, though not in the way Matilda does it. She does things methodically and quietly. Taking advantage of word, minds and weaknesses.

Gale on the other hand, does things more hands-on. He's worked on railroads for many years before his current journalist job, so he's extremely physically fit.

On off days, the pair like to dance together, while Gale sings to his wife. It brings her immense joy.

Matilda has many plants, she's not a gardener like her sister, but she shares a similar green thumb interest. Though hers are more towards ferns, ficus, and other such greens than flowery plants.

Gale and his cousin Riley don't talk much, Riley still wonders why Gale left all of a sudden because Gale never gave a reason why. But Gale does mail to him, and well as to his mother, who is sick in a hospital. Gale's father left a long time ago.

Matilda, Marie, and Tony's parents are both still alive and around, just two old folks living peacefully at home.

⸻⸻⸻

Marie will give you a flower nickname once she gets to know you well. Being a florist, she just loves flower symbolism.

She also calls everyone dear on default. She has that sweet motherly energy to her that warms the heart.

Despite how unconditionally sweet she is, if she senses any of her loved ones are in danger, she will use physical force if necessary. She is far from a pushover.

She's lactose intolerant, but she still can't help but consume dairy products sometimes.

⸻⸻⸻

Because Tony feels indifferent to words, he's more of an "action speak louder than words" kind of guy. You want to impress him? Show him, don't tell him, otherwise he doesn't give a damn. You want him to know how much you like him? "I love you" isn't going to cut it on a first date, how is he supposed to know how genuine you are? You absolutely despise him? Attack him. He doesn't care about your mean little words, you better show him how much you hate him.

He has a knack for ice skating and ballet, two skills that were crammed into him when he was younger, but he doesn't mind them that much. Though he likes his piano skill more.

Because of his knowledge on medical procedures when he was working to become a surgeon before quitting, he is a great help if you need some assistance fast but don't want or can't afford a hospital. Just don't tell anyone because he doesn't technically have a medical license.

Tony has hyperopia (farsightedness), meaning things up close are blurry for him. Which is why he has glasses, but usually he doesn't need to wear them all the time doing regular stuff, he mainly uses them for work so he can see what he's doing precisely and clearly.

⸻⸻⸻

People often mistake Riley for being scary because he's big and doesn't talk much if not at all, but in actuality he is just socially inept and would rather give you a pat on the back than punch you in the face.

If he's at a party, a place with a lot of people mingling, he would not talk at all. Complete silence. All you would get from him are nods, headshakes, facial expressions, and grunts.

The bigger the crowd the less he speaks.

The only exception of this is if he's on the job. Lots of people could be around or in a burning building, but he still has to give orders, call out to victims, etc.

He has a pet dove named Petunia.

Since Riley lives up north, his fur is usually always very fluffy all the time, especially during the winter. If he goes down south and stays for a while, he's going to shed a LOT. Expect clumps of fur in shower drains.

⸻⸻⸻

(I got bored one day and decided to plan out Dot's future so yea)

After 18 years pass from 1927 into 1945, when Dot is 23, she begins her career as a singer/musician. She plays several popular genres at the time throughout the 40s, like country, jazz, etc. Trying to find her footing. She has a few song that are received really well, but nothing big. Yet.

Years pass and it's 1954, rockabilly starts and is growing. Dot is 32 at this point and she goes into rockabilly which evolves into rock and roll and Dot evolves with it, that's when she started to become a big hit. She specializes in rock music, becoming one of the most popular female singers, even at age 50 in 1972 she's putting on shows and cameoing with other singers/bands. She's not one who retires as she ages, she wants to make music til the day she dies.

Until at age 61, 1983, she has a big vocal chord injury which stops her from singing for some years, something she was warned about in her 50s after she experienced some vocal strain back then. Though despite the damage done to her voice, 7 years later after some rest and surgery, age 68 in 1990, she come back to record some more original songs and features in others, but less bombastic and more mellow since her voice was a bit deeper and raspy. Which was a good move since she couldn't sing rock anymore, and her new voice went well with the genre shift.

She did so for 10 years until her voice forced her to quit singing altogether age 78, 2000. Though she didn't stop playing guitar, her main instrument of choice since she was young, making a few instrumental tracks and cameoing in other songs, until her death in 2008 at age 86. Playing music until the end just like she wanted to.After 18 years pass from 1927 into 1945, when Dot is 23, she begins her career as a singer/musician. She plays several popular genres at the time throughout the 40s, like country, jazz, etc. Trying to find her footing. She has a few song that are received really well, but nothing big. Yet.

Years pass and it's 1954, rockabilly starts and is growing. Dot is 32 at this point and she goes into rockabilly, which evolves into rock and roll, and Dot evolves with it. That's when she started to become a big hit. She specializes in rock music, becoming one of the most popular female singers, even at age 50 in 1972 she's putting on shows and cameoing with other singers/bands. She's not one who retires as she ages, she wants to make music til the day she dies.

Until at age 61, 1983, she has a big vocal chord injury which stops her from singing for some years, something she was warned about in her 50s after she experienced some vocal strain back then. But she did still make music with her guitar, her main instrument of choice since she was young, like instrumental tracks and cameoing in other songs. Just because she couldn't sing didn't mean she couldn't still make music.

Though despite the damage done to her voice, 7 years later after some rest and surgery, age 68 in 1990, she come back to record some more original songs and features in others, but less bombastic and more mellow since her voice was a bit deeper and raspy. Which was a good move since she couldn't sing rock anymore, and her new voice went well with the genre shift.

She did so for 10 years until her voice forced her to quit singing altogether age 78, 2000. Though she just went back to what she did when she lost her voice last time, making instrumental tracks and cameos. Until her death in 2008 at age 86, playing music to the end just like she wanted.

⸻⸻⸻

I started to like Marie and Walter the drummer getting together. Marie doesn't mind being on the sidelines she just wants a happy quiet life, then there's this guy who is always on the sidelines ignored all the time. I imagined Marie giving him flowers, making him feel special, but also helping him feel content in being an average joe that's not caught up in a lotta things. I just think it's pretty cute

⸻⸻⸻

Just like his cousin, Gale is also good with kids! But not in the way Riley does it. Riley is tender and nurturing, Gale is fun and silly. But that doesn't mean he's irresponsible, he wouldn't go give a child a knife. In fact, someday in the future, Gale and Matilda become parents. The amount of children they have are unknown yet since I haven't decided.

⸻⸻⸻

Like it says in Gale's bio, he is partially deaf. It's his left ear that cannot hear anything at all, the most would probably be faint muffling if you get up real close to it, but that's weird so don't do that.

He's had several instances where people mistake him for being completely deaf in both ears, sometimes it caused some people to scream directly in his face, thinking that if they are loud enough he could hear. He's had to correct that he can hear you loud and clear from his right ear, right after it stops ringing-

Sometimes they think they can say whatever they want as clear as day right next to him. It got awkward when Gale turned to look at them.

Sometimes he's even had a couple cases of people mistaking him for being blind, not deaf. Those were very awkward instances.

⸻⸻⸻

Riley doesn't respect cops. He despises people who take advantage of their position of power. Considering his own job and what he's lost and the many other things he's witnessed on the job, it's no brainer.

Riley still lives in Rochester Minnesota, he can't uproot his job to leave. If he's ever downstate, he's just visiting his cousin, but he won't stay.

⸻⸻⸻

If you recall that one short comic where Mitzi was getting pictures of Mordecai with her camera, then commented on his baggy clothes to get a silly pic of him, she also mentioned getting him some fitted clothes. Well, I had an idea that Tony was actually the tailor that made Mordecai his new fitted and symmetrical clothing. I presume this was back in 1920-1921 cuz that's the years Mordecai worked with lackadaisy, making him 21-22 at the time. Tony was 24-25 at that time, and already had a tailor shop going, he started it when he was only 18. Risky move starting his own business as a young man, but it paid off because he made a name for himself with his work. That's why he was recommended to Mordecai, and ever since then Mordecai goes to him for his tailor needs.

Also if you look at Tony's design, he's pretty symmetrical, which I think would give Mordecai a lil incisive to trust him with the clothing lmao

⸻⸻⸻

[TW HEAVY HEALTH STUFF ABOUT GALE'S MOM]

The sickness that is debilitating Gale's mom to have to live in a hospital for 24 hour care is cancer. The doctors don't predict she'll live much longer. She was diagnosed a year before Gale left the state, after years of feeling weak and unable to do most tasks. Gale wishes he could be by her side, but he can't go back. He's made mistakes.

The moment at the beginning of the guardians of the galaxy movie where Peter doesn't take his mom's hand then runs away, I imagine it went down like that for Gale. After a year of her being in the hospital, and the day after Gale makes his big mistake, he goes to see his mom one last time. She reaches out to him, asking him to take her hand. Time feels like it moves slow, Gale has so many thoughts going through his mind. The pain he feels looking at her is immense, the look in his eyes says it all…if he takes her hand, he'll never want to let her go. He runs the other way, running out of the hospital, then fleeing the state.

That inspired this doodle here

A big part of Gale is he's trying to run away from the past, run away from pain, running forever and ever. He does things for his wife to help her dreams, but also because he's convinced himself this is just how it's meant to be for him. He's a man stuck in the past and doesn't believe he deserves a second chance. He doesn't want that on to his family, which is why he ran out the hospital, and why he never told Riley he left until after he was already gone. Riley actually had to track him down himself. The letters Gale sent to him and his mother were not sent through mail but by more secret means, so his address were never on the letters. (<- MAY CHANGE THIS) And it's also why he's never told Matilda what he does for her, she doesn't know a thing he does. She is only aware of her deeds, and she doesn't want to tell him about them because she wants to protect him (even though he is aware), but she's unaware he's doing much worse things than she is doing.

Gale's a good man in his heart, at his core. But he doesn't think that. He believes his kindness is an act to hide what he really does, even though he truly is kind, he just thinks he's acting.

(MAY CHANGE THIS A TAD, BUT OVERALL GALE IS STILL A GOOD MAN AT HEART)

⸻⸻⸻

The Brooke siblings do love their parents and their parents aren't bad people per say, but they do have personal issues they've never worked on that do strain their relationship with their kids sometimes because the parents are not aware of their own problems and how they're acting it out. (But even if it's pointed out, they ignore it or flat out deny it.) Especially to Tony, being the eldest he's been dealt the brunt of it. If it's something not directed towards him, he makes it directed towards him so his little sisters don't deal with it. Their family is complicated, it's not all black and white on who's the bad guy and who's the good guy. It's just parents who have repressed issues from their past that they are too stubborn on getting help for. Which is another reason why Tony deals with it the most, because he's the oldest, they want him to lead an example.

Just a lil more deeper explanation on why Tony is so laid-back and unphased by things, as said in his character bio.

⸻⸻⸻

Tony was the first one Marie came out to, when she was little. She told him she wanted him to call her Marie, and he did so no questions asked.

Marie's softness back then was more of a timid soft than her current kind yet firm softness, so she was too quiet and scared to stand up for herself. But if she got bullied, Tony would scare them away. Matilda although youngest, would do the same, though her threats were more visceral than Tony's which made her scarier than Tony to some.

As Marie aged she learned to be more stern and unyielding, but she kept her gentle nature, believing she doesn't have to be mean to be strong.

⸻⸻⸻

Because of Tony's experience in medical practices and sewing/knitting, he's skilled with sharp objects, as mentioned in his bio. He's very quick with them, so quick that he could thwip a needle straight at your throat, puncturing an artery, without you even processing what just happened. He likes too keep needles in his pockets just in case, plus they're easier to hide than a gun tbh, not just cuz he's skilled with em.

⸻⸻⸻

Gale is very skilled with a large hammer because of his previous railroad job.

⸻⸻⸻

Thinking about Gale's backstory, I'm gonna change up his attitude when he disposes of someone.

I used to have him be like "I'll do anything for my wife I will get her anything she wants by any means necessary" and then kindly kill someone like yor does in spy x family "May I take your life?" But thinking more on it, he wouldn't really be like that tbh-

Again like I mentioned some messages above, he thinks he is a bad person so he thinks it's in his nature, even though it's not. Deep down he feels guilt, but masks it by believing he deserves it.

SO he would only dispose of someone if they are an actual threat to his wife, not just like- some guy who declined a deal she proposed. He'll just try to convice them to change their mind, sometimes using scare tactics if it calls for it, but not with the intent to kill. And even when he does kill someone he is vocally apologetic to them.

Mind you he's still a "I love my wife I will do anything for her" but now with less mindless following and more of a morale and motivations lmao

⸻⸻⸻

The situation to cause Gale to leave the north without a word was a train accident that he believes to be his fault since there was no indication given it to be otherwise at the time, which scared him so much on going to jail and how the situation would affect his family that he left in a panic. Little does he know there was ulterior motives behind the accident, and he was just a scapegoat since he was a railroad worker at the time. The work he did had been tampered with, but he just thinks he did the work wrong.

Gale is very new at this whole "running from the law" thing since he's never really done anything wrong, which means of course there are slip ups in his attempts. Like he hasn't changed his name, that's the first thing you do when you wanna hide is get a new name, but he didn't like the thought of abandoning a name given to him by his mother. The second is the letters he sends to his mom and cousin. He does his best to keep them a secret through his sending strategies, but sending a letter at all is not hiding yourself well. It just goes to show that ultimately he has no idea what he's doing at all despite how secretive he can come across.

Luckily for him the state ruled it an accident so he has no part in the statement, though investigations are still being looked in to since some investigators believe foul play. Even some not-so-savory people want it to be looked in to, since that train contained some important not-so-savory passengers that perished. At that might catch up to Gale, whether he likes it or not. Not to mention his wife who is working to become an investigator herself, who has a very keen eye on things and probes questions very diligently, he can't really keep secrets forever.

(MAY CHANGE THIS WHOLE THING)

⸻⸻⸻

As stated above, Dot will grow up to mainly be a guitarist and singer, but she does have an appreciation for drummers too because of her mom's partner being a drummer himself. Also she started playing guitar when she was 12 years old.

⸻⸻⸻

Since Riley design changed so much I'd like to update that he is no longer 6'10 tall he is now 7'2 tall, and I will be editing that to the height list at the top. Totally not a nod to him being a werewolf noooo

The bracelet Riley wears is a nod to his girlfriend's color scheme (his gf is a friend's oc)

btw if you notice that I gave Riley an earring as well. In the 1920s it was mainly just sailors that wore [an] earring[s] if it were a man. Sailors believed that if their bodies were recovered at sea the person finding them could take the earring as payment for a proper burial, or they were used as a status symbol for sailing around the globe or just being out at sea for a long time in general. The great lakes in north america are considered "inland seas" and Riley lives in Minnesota. So yea Riley used to be a sailor

He hadn't sailed for too long, just his teens and a bit of early adulthood too. He joined the fire department at age 22, but he still knows his way around a boat, been out sometimes for leisure rather than work now. In fact, he probably would have stayed being a full time sailor in the great lakes if he never experienced his parents perishing in a house fire, that's what gave him the drive. He's had a fascination for the fireman job growing up, but never really thought of it as something he'd do til that happened.

⸻⸻⸻

Tony got married to @pestiforousalt's oc Peter Davis

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

Tess' Sharpuary - 20. Hogsmeade

It's the first day of school, and professor Sharp enjoys a few final hours of peace before starting the term off.

chapter specific tags: slice of life

relationships: aesop sharp & parry pippins, aesop sharp & matilda weasley

20. Hogsmeade (1k)

tw: nothing i think? drinking before noon? 😅

“Ah, professor Sharp! It has been a while, hasn’t it?” came Parry Pippin’s accented voice the moment the Hogwarts potions master entered the small shop. “Good day to you, Pippin,” the tall man replied, grimacing slightly as his leg gave a painful throb. He didn’t usually walk all the way here, and instead relied on correspondence and deliveries by owls. It wasn’t every day he felt up to the task of dragging his sorry leg all over to and through Hogsmeade, and when he did, it was more common for him to enjoy a drink or two in either The Three Broomsticks or Hog’s Head Inn, rather than peruse the shops from which he could simply order by mail.

Well, perhaps Honeydukes was an exception…

However, today was different. Yesterday’s events left Aesop Sharp incredibly confused and disturbed, and instead of using this morning to sleep in and relax before having to teach his first class of the term in the afternoon like he planned to, he set out to take a walk through Hogsmeade, clear his head, visit Pippin’s shop and such. Matilda, having heard his new plan, approached him just outside the Great Hall and pressed a couple of galleons into his hand.

“You know, I did ask for a raise, but I imagined the money would be transferred to my vault at Gringotts as always,” he said dryly. Matilda merely smiled: “Good to know you’re in the mood for jokes on the first day of school, I’m certain your students will appreciate it. Seeing as you’ll be going to Pippin’s anyway, perhaps you could deposit the money for our new Fifth year’s items. I managed to convince Phineas that the school should replace the items lost during the dragon attack.” 

Aesop whistled. It took a special kind of person to be able to talk Phineas Nigellus Black into dropping a few coins. Correction, it took a special kind of person to be able to talk the bugger into dropping a few coins for a Muggleborn… Maybe he should ask Matilda to also convince the Headmaster to finally replace that one potion station in his classroom. It was still working well enough, but Aesop knew that the heating was getting a bit uneven, which could soon become a problem for whatever unfortunate student was stationed there. But he digressed.

“Besides, while you’re there, you can also see whether there is something else the girl might find useful in her studies,” Matilda Weasley finished cheerfully. Aesop gave a little wince: “Liquid luck then, because the poor girl’s going to need a lot of it to be able to handle all of this... And I don’t think you gave me enough money for that.” The Deputy Headmistress clicked her tongue. “She seems a very sensible, clever young woman, I’m certain she’ll be alright,” said the astute woman, and pretty much shooed him off.

Matilda Weasley was a Gryffindor through and through, but she did have a few Slytherin traits.

Still, as he stood in the small shop, he had to admit this wasn’t the worst idea. He wanted to discuss a few things with the owner apart from the new student anyway. First things first, however.

“A girl will come to pick out these items, here is the money for it,” he limped over to the counter and placed the galleons upon it, along with a roll of parchment containing the list of items needed. Pippin gave him a curious look: “Surely I could have that sent to her? Who is this girl, anyway, to get such special treatment? You usually don’t even come all the way here for your own goods.” Aesop leaned against the counter to take some weight off his leg: “She’s only now starting Hogwarts - in her fifth year if you can believe it. She already had the things needed, but they got destroyed en route. Don’t ask, you wouldn’t believe me anyway…” Pippin unrolled the parchment, studying its contents.

“Simple enough, and I’ve got all of these in my stock.” Pippin walked further into his shop, presumably to begin gathering the recipes as well as a few ingredients to have them on hand for the girl to pick up later, while Aesop peered down on the parchment: “Actually, maybe the recipe for Edurus would be useful too. I’ll try her out in class. The coins should be able to still cover that.” 

While Pippin still busied himself with preparing the necessities, Aesop adjusted his position to be more comfortable: “Have we already discussed the potential healing and curse-binding powers of aconite?” 

They spent the following half an hour discussing the properties of various ingredients and their usefulness in a possible cure for his leg. “Whatever you do, don’t forget to inform me. I too am curious as to what you figure out,” Pippin finished. Aesop gave a wry grin: “But not enough to also try to make something new, hm?” “I think my father would rise from his grave and come to kill me if I blew up the shop,” was the older man’s only answer. 

And with that, Aesop bid his farewells and left the shop. The village was rather empty, which of course made sense - classes were in session, people were at work. The day was quite nice, the lingering warmth of the dying summer’s sun gently embraced his skin and the cool breeze blew through his hair.

He was happy nobody seemed to pay him any mind as he slowly dragged himself over to the Three Broomsticks – Sirona’s cooking wasn’t that of the house elves, but her company and conversation weren’t exactly a punishment. Besides, he might as well get himself a glass of Firewhisky, or a pint of ale to go with his meal and help him digest.

Happy with his little plan, Aesop smiled momentarily before entering the pub.

---

Thank you for reading! ❤

[AO3] - [Sharpuary 2024] - [Masterlist]

[dragonjanusisthebestjanus]

The Dragon Lord

Pairing: Janus x Logan (Loceit)

Logan becomes the first ever mage to study in the dragon lands.

Trigger warnings: Fire, depictions of violence, attempted drowning.

Read it on ao3 here!

Taglist: @prince-rowan-of-the-forest @sleepy-nova-tea

Logan quickly tucked the mail into his messenger bag. He raced back up the stairs to his dormitory, attempting to avoid any students in his way.

“Excuse me, Pardon me, coming through!”

He finally reached his room and threw open the door.

“Patton,”

His roommate looked up from where he was studying his potions textbook.

“It’s here!” Logan gleefully plopped down next to Patton and dumped his bag all over his bed. Quills, ink, scrolls, binders, papers, and multiple letters fall from the bag. Logan quickly snatched the one sealed with a green stamp, and quickly opened it with a letter opener that had also come from his bag.

“What’s it say what’s it say?”

“They… I… I…” Logan put the letter in his lap, eyes wide and jaw agape.

Patton slipped the letter out of Logan’s hands. He read it and then wrapped his friend in a hug.

“Oh my gosh Logan! They said you can go! You get to be the first wizard to study in the dragon lands in a thousand years!”

“I get to, I’m; I’m,”

Logan’s smile widens. He returns his friend's hug; then stands and spins them around their room.

“I GET TO GO STUDY IN THE DRAGON LANDS!”

…

Logan hugged his roommate again as Headmistress LeFay opened the portal to the Swamplands.

“You’re gonna do great, Lo. I know it.”

“You are too! You get to study potions with Matilda the Swamp Hag!”

“I know! And it’s a dream come true for me! But it’s nothing like what you get to do, Logan. You have to tell me all about it next semester!”

“I will Pat, I promise.”

The roommates let go and Patton waved goodbye as he stepped through the portal.

“Alright, Crofter. You’re the last one. Are you ready?” Logan nodded at Headmistress Le Fay. She opened a new portal, and Logan took a deep breath as he stepped through.

“Good luck.” Headmistress Le Fay said.

“Thank you, Headmistress.”

The portal closed behind him. A few moments later a large, golden dragon descended in front of him. Logan stood in awe as the dragon transformed in front of his very eyes. A bright, golden glow appeared, then a man about a foot shorter than Logan appeared.

“Logan Crofter, I presume?”

“Um, yes, yes sir.”

The dragon chuckled. “No need to worry, Dragon’s don’t bite.”

Logan continued to stare in awe.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I tried to engage in what you humans call ‘humor’. Was that, was that not humorous?”

Logan shook his head. “I’m sorry. Yes, I suppose it was, humerus. I apologize, this is, this place is, amazing!”

The dragon around and took stock of his land.

“Yes, yes I suppose it is.” He turned back around. “So, you are Logan Crofter, correct?”

“Oh! Yes. Yes. I apologize again. I am Logan Crofter. Do you have a name? There isn’t much information on dragons in our realm,”

The man held out his hand, stopping him. “Yes, something I am trying to rectify. Beginning with allowing you to study here.” The man took a deep bow. “I am Janus, the New Dragon Lord. It is my pleasure to welcome you here, Mr. Crofter.”

…

Logan had the best time of his life.

He had learned Janus had recently won the title of Dragon Lord in The Gauntlet of Fire, after the previous Dragon Lord died of old age.

“So, you’re Dragon Lord for life? The old Dragon Lord’s child won’t try and usurp the title from you?”

“Of course not. I won the title fair and square. Is this not how it works in the human world?”

Logan shook his head.

As it turned out, The Previous Dragon Lord had been the one who kept the dragons isolated from the rest of civilization. Janus was now determined to reunite them with the rest of the world.

“It can only make us stronger. Why wouldn’t we want to be the best we can be?”

Logan had learned dragons were extremely vain. It made sense, from all the legends about them collecting gold.

Or other pretty objects.

Logan didn’t miss the ever-revolving rotation of pretty boys who left Janus’s chambers every evening.

“Janus, do dragons usually partake in…”

Janus had laughed from his throne. “As many sexual escapades as I? No. But being Dragon Lord certainly has its perks. And honestly Logan? I don’t even have as many as you think. Most come to me for this.”

Janus pulled down his shirt collar and showed Logan a bright red gemstone.

“Whoa…”

“Whoa indeed, my little mage. This is the last remaining Fire Ruby. It is the only thing that can heal any ailment any dragon may suffer. It is my duty as Dragon Lord to protect it.”

Logan sat on the armrest of Janus’s throne. “May I?”

The Dragon Lord nodded. Logan unbuttoned his shirt, fully exposing the Fire Ruby.

“It’s gorgeous.” He said.

“So are you.”

The mage allowed The Dragon Lord to connect their lips. Janus pulled him into his lap, and ran his hands under Logan’s shirt.

“Wait- wait.” Logan pulled away.

“Is everything alright, Logan?”

Logan stood up and took several steps away. “No, no, I just-“ he shook his head and sighed. “I don’t want to be another notch in your bedpost, Janus.”

Janus rose from his throne and took the human’s hand.

“Have you learned anything about how dragons court, Logan?”

“N-No.”

“You know dragons are jealous, possessive creatures Logan. If a dragon wishes to court another dragon,” he pulled the human back towards him. “They attempt to make the other dragon jealous by…bedding others.” He pressed kisses to Logan’s neck. “I understand now humans don’t see it that way, but,”

Logan’s eyes widened. “You’ve… you’ve been courting me?”

Janus nodded. Logan turned and pressed their lips together again.

…

Logan’s going away party was supposed to be magnificent.

Janus had mandated every dragon in the land show up. He spared no expense to make sure it had the best food, decor, and entertainment in all the lands.

“You promise you’re coming back?” Janus was in his halfling form, with his wings covering them both, his tail wrapped around Logan’s waist, and claws tangled in his hair.

Logan chuckled and pressed a kiss to his lover's ear. “Yes Jan, I’m coming back I promise. But I have to return to school and present my findings. Then I have to see my family for a little while.”

“Hmmm. I don’t see why I can’t write to the Headmistress. Insist you need to stay here. Then your family could come stay here! You can all be under my protection.”

“A tempting offer. However I doubt my Aunt Patty could make the trip. And before you offer to fly her here! I doubt she could manage the rocky terrain either.”

Janus grumbled and nuzzled back into his lover’s neck.

“I promise Janus. I will come back to you.”

The day was supposed to be perfect.

Logan happily watched the party from beside Janus.

“Why does that weak human get to sit by the Dragon Lord?”

Janus had gripped Logan’s hand.

“Yeah, like this whole party is already for him. Let someone else have a turn!”

Logan placed his other hand atop of Janus’s.

“You know, I could probably eat him in two bites! If we were allowed to be dragons, that is.”

“You know, the human probably knew we could! The human probably convinced the Dragon Lord to make the ‘halflings or humans only’ rule for the night.”

Janus had started to growl.

“You know they won’t try to do anything. Not with you around.”

One thing Logan knew: as self absorbed as most dragons were, nobody challenged The Dragon Lord.

The thought seemed to calm Janus. He slithered his tail around Logan’s waist again, although it was much more possessive than it had been that morning.

The two dragons that had been gossiping soon moved on, allowing Janus and Logan to resume enjoying the party.

After it was over, Janus and Logan indulged themselves by taking a long walk along the river outside Janus’s castle.

“You promise you’re coming back?”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Yes, love. I promise I am-“

A fireball appeared in the air. Janus quickly shifted into his dragon form and tackled Logan to the side.

“What the-“

Another fireball headed towards them. Logan quickly cast a spell, reducing it to nothing.

“Hold on,”

Logan hugged Janus’s neck as he took to the air.

“WHO DARE FIRES UPON THE DRAGON LORD?”

Another fireball came, specifically aiming for Logan. Janus spun in the air, allowing the flames to breeze past them.

Logan closed his eyes as he felt fire literally form in Janus’s throat. He let out a blaze all around the cavern, reducing several rocks into ash.

“SHOW YOURSELVES!” Janus roared.

Another fireball was launched. It would have hit Janus’s wing, had the dragon from earlier not came and swallowed it.

“You?”

“I’m, I’m sorry my lord! I was… I was aiming for the human.”

Janus snarled at the dragon.

“How dare you,”

The other dragon from earlier flew out and knocked Logan off of Janus. Logan watched the two dragons struggle for a moment before he cast a floating spell.

“Janus, look out!”

The second dragon came flying back around. He bared his teeth and bit Janus’s right hind leg. He kept it between his teeth as he dove towards the river, only releasing The Dragon Lord when his wings were in the water.

“Janus!”

Janus was struggling to keep himself above the water. Logan flew down near him, but ended up having to dive into the river when the dragon came back.

“Gostir, what the hell are you doing?”

The dragon didn’t reply to his friend.

“Logan! Logan!” The Dragon lord started thrashing violently, creating large waves in the river.

“Janus, Janus calm down-“

Logan was swept under by one of the waves. He tried to cast another spell, but his head hit the side of some rocks, knocking him out.

…

When Logan awoke, he was laying in a plush field beside a forest.

“Logan, Logan thank the gods! I thought I’d lost you!”

Logan coughed and tried to sit up, but Janus pushed him back down.

“You’re, you’re bleeding.” Logan pointed to Janus’s leg, which had bright red patches all down it.

“I don’t care.” Janus pulled his lover into a hug. “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”

Logan returned the hug, but noticed something.

“Janus, the Fire Ruby?”

Janus shook his head. “It’s… it’s gone. I-I lost it going after you.”

“What? Janus! You-you should not have done that! The Fire Ruby is much more important!”

“Not to me.”

The two managed to somewhat pull themselves together. They tried to travel into the woods, back towards the Dragonlands. However, it soon became apparent that Janus’s leg was going to be a problem.

“Love, you’re, you’re limping. Here, let me make you a walking stick,”

“NO!”

Logan was taken aback. Janus had never yelled at him before.

“I’m, I'm sorry my love. But I am the mighty Dragon Lord. I have a reputation to protect.” Janus looked around, and eventually spotted a small cave. “Why don’t we stop there and rest for a while?”

Logan nodded. He took Janus’s hand and led him into the cave.

He worried about when they would be able to come out.

[a-little-unsteddie]

Give Love a Chance || Original Post

the other day @ladykailitha posted something that just sparked so much joy, i decided i absolutely had to expand upon and write a full story abt it. idk how fast i’ll work on this, as my main focus currently is on the big bang fic, but i wanted to post a prologue/teaser of sorts. (side note: i am definitely stealing piratefishmama’s layout, shhh)

enjoy! -rowan

Steve wasn’t sure how he had gotten here, to be honest. Well, he did, but he didn’t know it would actually get this far. He would like to place the blame on either Dustin or Robin—or both, both was good, too. The point was, Steve was completely faultless in it.

When Steve got home earlier, after a long day at work, he had checked the mail, as he usually does. He saw a letter addressed to him, which, to be fair, makes sense, seeing as it was in his mailbox, but it was the sender that had surprised him. It had been several weeks—at least—since Robin and Dustin had cornered him and forced him to fill out an application to be a bachelor on Give Love a Chance, and he had honestly forgotten about it. He had only agreed to submit an application to the show because he had been so sure that he wasn’t going to make the cut. Who would want to watch a dumb reality love gameshow with Steve as the bachelor? A middle school guidance counselor with a five year old daughter?

Steve had still held that opinion even as he opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. The confidence in his thoughts only waned when he began to read the letter, his eyes had slowly widened and his mouth fell open. He reached for his cell, instinctually calling Robin as he reread the contents of the letter.

“Y’ello?”

“Did you seriously just answer with—nevermind. Robin tell me why the fuck I’m staring at a letter telling me I was chosen to be on Give Love a Chance?” He asked, pacing the length of his kitchen.

“Oh my God!” Robin shouted from his phone, causing Steve to wince and adjust his hearing aid. “Why do you sound upset? This is what you agreed to! This is why we sent in the application in the first place! This is great news!”

“Robin, you and I both know that I only agreed because I thought nothing would come of it.” Steve said flatly, checking the time on the stove. He still had twenty or so minutes before he needed to leave to grab Matilda from preschool. “I’m going to tell them I changed my mind.”

“Absolutely not! I’ll never forgive you. Dustin will never forgive you.”

“What? Am I supposed to just do the show?”

“Yes!” Robin said enthusiastically. Steve let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What am I going to do with Mattie, huh? I can’t just take her with me, she has school!”

“Dustin already told you that he and Will would take her in!”

“‘Take her in’? Rob, she isn’t a stray cat. She’s a whole tiny human.” Steve said with heavy exasperation. “He may have said that, but that doesn’t mean he will say the same thing now! There’s a difference between us joking about me getting accepted and the reality of taking care of a four year old!” Steve walked to the kitchen sink, filled himself a glass of tap water and set it to the side.

“So, we ask them again! I’m sure they’ll agree! You know they’ve been wanting to adopt! You can think of this as practice for them!”

Steve stared blankly out of the window above his kitchen sink, then groaned loudly and tipped his head back to glare at the ceiling.

“I don’t think I can leave her for the month—or more—it’ll take to film.” Steve admitted with a frown. He could immediately feel Robin’s shift in demeanor with the soft sigh she let out.

“Oh, dingus. You’ll be okay. We can video call her everyday while we're gone.” Robin said softly, trying to soothe him. “I think you should give it a go. You deserve to give love a chance.”

Steve let out a loud groan, which dissolved into a soft laugh. “You did not just say that.”

“I did.”

“That was so bad.”

“I know. But it’s true!”

“You’ll be with me?”

“Every step of the way.”

“..Fine.”

—x—

Dear Steve Harrington,

Congratulations! You have been selected as one of the bachelors to move forward into the next stage—interviewing and filming! We believe you are a perfect fit, and cannot wait to have you at our Los Angeles studio!

If you are still interested, please contact us via email to receive more details about what comes next.

Thank you,

Murray Bauman, Host of ‘Give Love a Chance’

[now-imstruggling-tofreemyself]

hi! okay so my question is like, do you have feelings (?) for your love interests from your canon? like how do you feel abt Barbara Maitland or Marvin falsettos ? :)

i love them both!! im bad at feelings, but whenever i see them, I just feel really happy. i don't know how to word it, but they feel safe, they feel like home.

[otp-holic]

Center for Brooklyn History. Two men at Coney Island. Not dated. circa 1932

Matilda's e-mail finds Steve home alone, and he takes a deep breath before clicking it open. 

I think I found another one, the subject reads.

Getting a message from the Center of Brooklyn History always stops his heart for a second wondering what to expect after the image or document loads. 

They've become good friends with Matilda, one of the researchers who keeps squinting through the archives to find the scattered pieces of their past. Of the people they were.

When the picture loads, Steve realizes she's right, she found another one. An important one.

Steve is looking at a picture of the exact moment he decided to accept Bucky's offer to move in with him after his ma died.

It was a Friday, barely five days after they buried her, and Bucky collected his paycheck and forced him to go to Coney Island with him to eat a hotdog and get some air.

He remembers the smiling photographer walking around the lines trying to get people to take a picture, and Bucky agreeing to even though they both knew they'd never be able to afford actually picking it up a few days later.

Bucky's hand on his shoulder told Steve it was an excuse to keep him closer to him. To touch him how he wanted where it was forbidden, and his own gut reaction was to hug him as tight as he could.

It was just an instant, and they stepped away from each other the second the photographer moved to the next people in line (a boy and a girl their age who were laughing and holding hands), but it was enough.

Enough for Steve to want to smile for the first time in days, and enough for him to know that being alone was stupid and pointless. That they were better together. Bucky was his family, and he didn't want to spend more time fighting it out of mere stubbornness.

"I'll move in, Buck," he told him right away, looking into his eyes and seeing that beautiful, wide, smile directed at him. "But we're not sleeping on those pillows on the floor."

"We can share the bed like adults, and leave the extra pillows for fighting like when we were children,"  he answered, hugging him briefly, and patting his back.

The closest to a public kiss they could have back then.

Steve hits the reply button with a smile on his lips, and a little mist on his eyes, but the sound of the key on the door distracts him for a second, and Bucky’s answer appears in his inbox (“That’s us, indeed, Matilda, thank you again. You can title this one “A stubborn punk finally coming into his senses.”) at the same time he comes into the apartment.

“I’m home, you punk,” he says from afar. “Have you seen Mat’s mail, right? I think I was looking at the ground to avoid spending the night in jail for kissing the hell out of those lips. I swear I can still feel your arms around my waist.”

Steve leaves the phone on the counter and goes find him. The fact that he can kiss Bucky in the open now doesn’t mean he can’t do it at their home, too.

A stubborn punk comes to his senses also over AO3

For @stuckybingo O4 Pillowfight TR4061. It was fun to revisit this universe even f only just briefly.

[whispersafterdusk]

Magnificent - ch 1

A long train ride at least gave him time to think and plan and make lists to keep himself organized as well as occupied -- they staved off boredom in the short term and in the long term made relocating no big deal. Heck, he was practically an expert at making lists now with how often he'd moved for his contracts and having pencil and paper in hand meant that at least the logistics part of moving wasn't so nerve-wracking.

This one was titled "Things to check" and was six lines of scribbled out and underlined AND circled words for emphasis: - best outerwear for protection -- heat exhaustion? - eye protection - where's the medical clinic -- IMPORTANT - grocer's - mail and telegraphs pricing - rail schedule and plenty of space under and around it to add notes or questions as they came to mind (though he was confident that there wasn't really anything else too vital to add - there was the 'day 1' stuff and the 'pick it up as I go' stuff, with the former being WAY more important to answer quickly).

When the world abruptly went dark he flinched at the sudden change - it was just a tunnel and they were through it as quickly as they'd entered it, which meant Sandrock was minutes away; he was dying to stretch his legs. Stuffing the note into a pocket of his shirt he slouched and let his fingers fidget with the strap of his backpack in his lap; he might be a pro at packing and planning but as he was carried closer to his destination he could feel his nerves creeping up as he started to consider the personal part of being in a new place - a social butterfly he was not, he had never grown into it like his mother insisted he would. What would his neighbors be like? Or his boss? Hopefully they'd at least all be tolerable, being as he was going to be here for a couple of years.

Huffing out a breath he straightened in his seat as the train began to slow. ((Continued below cut))

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

It was marginally cooler this morning than it had been over the last week; Mi-an took that as a good sign - like the universe was pitching in to welcome their new builder - and quickly checked her sign to make sure her sweaty fingers weren't smudging the paint. Lindsay adorned the board and was thus far smudge-free, and a loud warning whistle had her looking up quickly as the train crossed the bridge and began to slow down on its approach to the station.

Behind her at the stairs came tiny pounding steps, and Jasmine bounded up beside her a moment later.

"Good morning, Mi-an! Oooh, who's Lindsay?"

"Hi Jasmine! Lindsay is the new builder! She should be on this train - Matilda asked me to meet her here, show her to the commerce guild, that sort of thing."

Jasmine clenched her fists and shook them a bit, grinning. "Can I help? I can give her the same tour I gave you! -- after I deliver the mail, though."

"Uh, sure! I don't see why not."

Jasmine grinned in anticipation and spun around to face the incoming train, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on her heels as they waited. There was the usual loud hiss of steam and the screech of the wheels on the rails as the train lumbered to a full stop. Jensen announced its arrival and called out the time, then went to the passenger car and threw the door open.

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

He waited for the other passengers to get up and leave before him -- he'd already come close to knocking one person down with his heavy duffel bag getting on the train so it seemed more polite and efficient to let everyone else disembark first, and this short time alone would help him get a handle on the jittery nervousness that had started growing after the trip through the tunnel.

With the train sitting still there wasn't any wind barreling in through the windows and it quickly felt like an oven inside. Such oppressive heat...he'd spent some years in Barnarock but this seemed worse, and it was going to be a big part of his life for the next three years; he supposed some blame lay in traveling in a long-sleeved shirt but he'd valued the pockets more than 'breathability' for the trip (he would NOT be making that mistake again on the train ride out of here) but, here he was, and he'd just have to suck it up and deal. Tugging the list free he added another bullet point and wrote 'approximate daily water needed' to the bottom before stuffing it and his pencil back into the pocket and finally standing to slip his backpack on and heft the duffel bag.

There was a slight breeze on the train platform that felt heavenly against his skin; a short, squat, bearded man waved for him to come out with a smile.

"Welcome to Sandrock! All passengers not continuing on are welcome to rest in the station or head into town proper by the stairs to your left! All passengers continuing on should expect to re-board in a half hour!"

He offered the man a nod and headed for the aforementioned stairs, pausing when he spied a small woman standing there next to a kid holding a sign with his name on it and watching the passengers walk passed with a growing look of confusion.

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

Hmm...no one's stopped... Maybe I didn't make the name big enough?

Mi-an glanced nervously from face to face - not that there were a lot of faces to look at, but not a single one of them so far seemed interested in giving her the time of day. Was it possible Matilda got the date wrong? Or maybe the builder had missed the train?

A tall, muscular man stepped off the train last, carrying a duffel bag that was large enough she could have easily fit inside it. His face was a little flushed and sweaty, his short brown hair already wet at the temples with little beads of moisture running down into his neatly trimmed beard, and his shirt sticking to his arms at the elbows. He stepped away from the passenger car's door and headed toward her and the stairs; no one else got off after him and Mi-an frowned as Jensen shut the door behind him. Uh oh...where was-

Her train of thought screeched to a halt as the man walked right up to her and stopped.

"Wow, you're big," Jasmine said beside her, craning her neck to stare up at the man.

A small smile flickered over his features as he shifted the duffel to his other hand, then held out the freed up one to shake.

He didn't look familiar...so what did he-- Mi-an looked between him and the sign and his hand. "Wait - YOU'RE Lindsay?" He nodded. "Oh...oh, uh, howdy then! Sorry, I was expecting..."

"Yeah, I uh...I get that a lot," he said softly.

He had a nice, light baritone that was more of a rumble at that volume and Mi-an hurried to shake his hand; it utterly dwarfed hers yet his grip was especially gentle.

"Isn't Lindsay a girl's name?" Jasmine asked - voicing what was going through Mi-an's head right that instant.

"I guess not always! Anyway, I'm Mi-an and this is Jasmine. I was asked to meet you so I could show you where the guild and city hall buildings are."

He nodded silently as he let go of her hand and jumped a bit as Jensen appeared at his elbow.

"Here you go, Jasmine - not much in today, I'm afraid," the conductor chuckled, handing over a small stack of envelopes to the girl.

"Thanks Jensen! I'll be back once I've delivered the mail!" she said.

Mi-an waved as the girl skipped off then turned back to Lindsay. "Off we go then!"

With him following along she headed down the steps and over toward the Commerce Guild where she could see Yan and Mason waiting for them outside. As they got closer she could see Yan eying them, confusion plain to see.

"Uh...Mi-an, who's this?"

"This is Lindsay," she answered, tucking the sign under an arm. "I guess Matilda didn't realize she'd hired a man, not a woman!" Turning her head she smiled encouragingly up at him; the height difference was absurdly obvious now that she was standing right beside him, and she could only imagine how easy all the heavy lifting that came with being a builder would be for him and felt the tiniest amount of jealousy as she turned her attention back to Yan who was staring blankly up at the man.

Lindsay offered a sheepish wave in response to the stare. "I'm used to the mistaken identity thing."

"Er... I...guess that's possible. Matilda must not have read that application too closely... AHEM -- howdy there, Lindsay!" he said, still staring up and trying to get his tone and expression under control - he looked like a child trying to size up an adult and Mi-an suppressed a giggle. "I'm Yan, President of the Sandrock Commerce guild! Pleased to make your acquaintance, yadda yadda yadda..." He trailed off then leaned in to Mi-an to hiss in her ear. "You're sure this is our guy? Gal? Whatever?"

"As sure as I can be," Mi-an whispered back, shooting Lindsay an apologetic - and awkward - look.

"Eh, right," Yan muttered, straightening back up and forcing a smile as he turned back to Lindsay. "I'll be overseeing you and Mi-an, but don't think of me as your boss! Think of me as more of a buddy that's your...surpervisor! And this here's Mason - he's retiring, hence, y'know, the whole reason for you being here and whatnot. Anyway!" He shifted to point back the way they'd come, finger jabbing out between the two builders. "See that workshop there on the other side of the tracks? Once Mason's left it'll be all yours!"

At the man's sudden troubled look Mi-an cleared her throat. "Don't worry - you can stay at the saloon. It's right over there," she hurriedly explained, gesturing to their right. He seemed to relax at that and again nodded without a word.

Yan opened his mouth and closed it a few times, mustache twitching. "--er, well Mason, got anything inspiring you want to say to our new builders?"

Mason hardly reacted to the question aside from suddenly looking a bit more tired and worn. "Uh, well...let's not get too friendly since I'm on my way out of here." He paused, looking Lindsay up and down silently before shaking his head and moving off toward the station - presumably to head home.

Mi-an looked from him to Lindsay and gave the newcomer a small shrug. "He's...a man of few words?"

"Yeah, he was always a bit awkward," Yan muttered. He huffed and straightened his hat, then jerked his head toward the Commerce Building. "Follow me, time for the official speech on how things work out here. You can worry about lodging later."

"Right," came the rumbling response.

Yan turned and sauntered off toward the guild building and Lindsay followed along behind, as did Mi-an - she'd probably already heard everything since she'd gotten here first but he hadn't said NOT to come with him...better to hear it all a second time than miss something important.

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

"Hey Mi-an! Who's your friend?"

The man he assumed was Owen greeted them as they walked through the door; Yan had finally talked himself out and let them go and Mi-an had suggested they stop at the saloon first so he wouldn't be carrying his things all over town.

"Hi Owen - this is Lindsay. He's our new builder and is going to need a room for however long Mason sticks around," Mi-an said, heading over to hop up on a bar stool.

Owen reached below the bar with a smile. "Let's get a room sorted right away so you can drop your bag off." He produced an iron key with a rumpled paper label attached with worn twine from beneath the counter and hurried toward the far end of the bartop. "Here you go - head up the stairs and you're in the middle room."

They met at the bottom of the steps and Owen handed him the key; Lindsay took it with a nod and smile and turned to head upstairs as directed -- just to be absolutely sure he checked the label and saw a barely visible 2 in faded blue ink, and there was a small brass 2 nailed to the frame of the middle door. The key smoothly turned in the lock and he stepped into a nice, dim, and cooled room where, with a deep sigh, he headed over to the bed and gently sat the duffel bag in the floor next to the little bedside table then plopped his backpack on top of it.

Care had definitely been taken to keep the room in good shape; it was one of the nicest places he'd been in - at least in the top three - and if he didn't have to go to City Hall next he'd happily towel all the sweat off then sink into that bed and take a nap. For now sitting on the edge of the bed and letting his nerves settle for a moment would have to do; Sandrock was about what he'd expected: not a lot of people, hot, dusty, a little worn down -- he felt a little out of place, as he usually did in a new region, and while he wasn't regretting his choice, exactly, he was starting to wonder at what kind of living he could eke out here. The smaller population of the town combined with the outlying tiny villages he'd seen dotting the map would probably all average out in the end -- fewer big jobs but lots of small ones, and while the small ones would pay the bills so to speak those types of tasks had always felt monotonous...oh well. Gols were gols; he'd primarily come out here for a change of pace anyway and the contract was only three years -- if Sandrock turned out to not be the place for him then he could move along as soon as his contract was up, like he'd always done.

There was a tiny bathroom that connected with the next room over; the inner door for that room was locked from this side - no idea if there was someone staying in there but after he'd wiped his face off with a damp cloth he flipped the latch open just in case (and then locked the door on his side, from within his room) then headed back down to the saloon proper, slipping the key into his pocket as he went.

Mi-an and Owen were chatting in low voices when he reached the bottom floor and she perked up, smiling over at him.

"Ready for City Hall?"

"Yeah."

"It's just up the street from here," she said as she walked passed him. "And I can show you where the general store is too."

That WAS one of the things on his list, at least. He gave Owen a quick wave and a smile, getting the same in return, and followed Mi-an back out into the heat.

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

The sun really glared off all the windows and the street up here and there wasn't any shade at all either; if it wasn't for the fact that this balcony gave him a great view of all but the streets and upper part of Sandrock behind him Pen wouldn't regularly pick this vantage point for his morning watch.

He could see that weak little shopkeeper setting up for the day, and their bumbling Civil Corps members standing outside the sheriff's house talking about whatever it was they wasted time on. Matilda had just entered City Hall through the door beneath his perch, there was Heidi and what's-her-name, the shopkeep's sister, standing at the notice board talking. And then there was the little builder walking up the road toward him with an...absolutely...massive...beast of a man walking along beside her. Who the hell was THAT? He was almost as large as Pen was!

Almost. From here it was hard to gauge it precisely -- it was a good effort at coming close to comparing though!

But seriously. Who was that?

When they reached the steps he jumped off and landed all awesome-like right in front of them; the man jerked back with his hands half-raised, as though he'd been expecting a blow or something, and had a suspicious look to him when Pen straightened and brushed off the dust he'd kicked up with the landing.

"Stop right there!" he bellowed, eying the man. The man lowered his hands after a moment but was standing very still - like an animal cornered by a predator. "Who's this?"

It was Mi-an who answered him. "Um, hi, Pen. This is Lindsay, our second builder."

"Lindsay?" he repeated, squinting. This guy was a builder? Building things could give you a physique like that? "Builder? You're sure?"

"...yes?" Mi-an answered, looking confused. "Who or what else would he be?"

"Could be one of Logan's gang - I don't see how a builder can reach THESE gains just from swinging a hammer," Pen snorted, reaching out to prod at the man's bicep. "What's your work out routine? Protein intake?"

"Uh..." The man didn't actually answer, still looking like he was ready to bolt. Suspicious.

"Huh...? Why would I be walking down the street with a bandit?" Mi-an asked. "Matilda's expecting us in City Hall."

Pen huffed; how annoying - odds were if he held them up for answers Matilda would come looking. "Fine. But you-" he jabbed his finger into the builder's appreciably large left pectoral. "-if you ever see a man named 'Logan,' run. To me. So I can dish out justice to this criminal. And in the meantime I'll come by again later to hear about your exercise routine because clearly something more than building is going on here."

The builder looked between his chest and the prodding finger. "...all right?"

"Hehe...maybe you should become a builder then, Pen," Mi-an giggled awkwardly.

She ducked around him and the man stiffly followed her without taking his gaze completely off Pen as he moved; Pen watched, arms crossed, until they disappeared inside then heard a burst of laughter from his left.

Turning his head he saw Heidi and the- Amirah! That was her name, right - with their heads huddled together, laughing.

"And what's so funny?" he challenged, shifting to face them.

"It's nothing," Amirah replied, hiding her mouth briefly. "You needn't worry about it."

"Oh hoh, now that sounds exactly like something I should worry about - if I were the type to worry about anything," he grunted. "So, what's the joke?"

"It ain't a joke - you saw him, right? Did Mi-an say who he was?" Heidi asked.

"That...was our second builder," Pen answered slowly, eyes narrowing. She was getting at something...but what...

"Oh good, he's staying," Heidi grinned. "Can't wait to meet him. It's not often we get someone out here built like that."

"...wha- built like "that?" Him?" Pen sputtered. "Excuse me ladies but I am right here! AND I was here first!"

"That's true, but," Amirah said slowly, "I'm pretty sure he has you beat, oh mighty Protector."

Pen let his jaw drop open - were they blind? Lacking spacial awareness? ...teasing him? The audacity! "He absolutely does NOT, I assure you. Compared to me he's-- he's...skinny! A bearded stick! In dire need of protein and a proper regimen! He'll have to work A LOT harder if he wants to catch up to ol' Pen, pfuh," he scoffed. "Didn't anyone ever teach you two how hurtful it is to lie? Honestly."

Heidi folded her hands across her stomach, shrugging. "I wouldn't be too sure about that -- I'd estimate he has you by at least an inch across the chest, if not more, and a few centimeters in those biceps bare minimum."

"Again, hurtful. Lies." Sticking his nose in the air he flipped his cape out of the way and spun on a heel to stalk off, grinding his teeth at the tittering laughter behind him.

Who did those two think they were? Rude, is what they were! Hmmph. And now he was in a bad mood... He would definitely go find that builder later and those girls could think whatever they wanted -- no one was stronger than him in Sandrock. NO ONE.

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

Amirah waited until Pen was well out of earshot before turning to Heidi. "So...exactly why did you want to rile up Pen like that?"

Heidi was laughing too hard to answer right away, rubbing away a tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye. "He slammed my door the other day and knocked four picture frames off the wall, which I then had to commission replacements for."

"Goodness. What was he even doing in your office anyway?"

"Going on about turning one wall of his room into a floor to ceiling mirror or something," Heidi answered, shaking her head. "I can't just change anything in the dormitory without the Church's approval, AND he had the nerve to complain about the price too."

Amirah sighed, crossing her arms then shifting to instead rest one hand against against her cheek. "Has he at least offered to pay for the frames he broke?"

"Nope," Heidi answered, tone flat.

"Lovely..." Amirah sighed in response.

"It didn't cost much and Mi-an got them done in a matter of hours so they've been replaced at least. That wall looks way too bare to not have something on it. ...but, on a more serious note, our new builder, huh?"

With a nod Amirah turned to look toward City Hall's door. "Mmhmm. I wonder where he's from... I should get back to my shop, however. Do let me know if you learn anything about him, though I'm sure I'll either hear from Mi-an or get to speak to him myself eventually."

Heidi gave her an affirmative nod then headed back into Construction Junction, being sure to carefully close the door behind her.

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

Though the saloon was busier when the builder came back Owen still caught sight of him holding the door open for a few people before heading up the stairs - he was a big man so even in a crowd he'd be hard to miss, and was just as easily noticeable when he came back down the stairs in a dry, short-sleeved shirt. As he sat down at the counter Owen gave him a little nod to acknowledge him before ducking into the kitchen to bring out table 3's order, hurrying by and in his periphery seeing Grace hand the guy a menu.

After dropping off the order and quickly tending to a refill Owen came down to that end of the counter, putting on his warmest smile. "Hey builder! Did Mi-an give you the grand tour?"

The man looked up from the menu. "Jasmine did, actually."

"She likes doing that - she's a good kid, helps out around town wherever she can. You hungry? Thirsty?"

"Both," Lindsay answered. "And sorry for not saying much earlier. New places make me a little...shy, I guess."

"Ah, no worries, and no need to be shy around here either! You'll find folks are pretty welcoming."

A small smile ghosted across the builder's face. "I figured that out already, yeah."

"Just to make it an official introduction - I'm Owen, owner of the Blue Moon Saloon. Welcome to Sandrock," Owen continued. He stuck his hand out and Lindsay accepted it, shaking with a gentle grip, and a familiar-looking tattoo on the man's inner forearm caught his eye. "-not to be nosy or anything but is that...?" Owen released his hand and Lindsay obligingly turned his arm to bring the tattoo fully into view; it was a pair of boxing gloves touching at the knuckles, with short length of visible 'arm' extending out passed the ends of the cuffs. There was a capital L on each arm segment, and a larger capital B in the middle overlaying where the two gloves were touching. "Haha, I thought I recognized that! Lucien Boxing League, right?" Owen laughed.

"Yeah. Was a member while I lived there. Seven years."

Owen leaned down to brace his hands on the edge of the bar, letting out a wistful sigh. "I haven't been to Lucien in an age... Stayed there for about ten months back when I was younger. The league is where I learned to box, in fact! I was only a member about six months before I moved on though. Do you still box?" A nod. "Well, hey, if you're ever looking for a sparring partner, just ask! I've got all the gear needed -- not really anyone but me around here who knows the rule sets and whatnot, though. Justice - that's our sheriff - sometimes is up for a few rounds but boxing isn't really his thing so he only knows the bare basics. It could be a lot of fun to have an actual challenge again!"

Lindsay smiled. "I'll keep it in mind." He held the menu up to him. "Special, and water, please."

"The special comes with yakmel milk, did you want water instead of that? Both?"

Lindsay considered a moment, glancing back at the menu before holding it out to him again. "Um...both, but make the water a small."

"You got it," Owen chuckled, tucking the menu away and heading off to the kitchen.

Stewed beef and potatoes, sandberry egg soup, and a tall glass of yakmel milk to wash it all down -- an easy order, and it didn't take long to cook. As he brought the dishes out he noted Mason taking a seat on the stool to Lindsay's left, hunching over and looking surlier than usual.

"Afternoon, Mason - the usual?" he asked as he set the plates down in front of Lindsay and then stepped aside to get out of Grace's way as she came over with the glass of milk and water. Mason grunted quietly and didn't look up from where he'd clasped his hands on the counter. That wasn't...entirely out of character for him lately, but something about it seemed a bit off all the same. "Er...everything all right?"

The old builder was silent for several more breaths before his hand darted out and snagged Lindsay's glass of milk; turning on the stool he stared Lindsay down with a stony expression.

"You shouldn't have come out here. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave on the next train."

Lindsay looked shocked as Mason stood and downed the entire glass of milk in a few large gulps before moving to the far end of the bar to take a suddenly vacated stool.

"I...uh..." Owen sputtered a little bit -- THAT was definitely not in character. "I'll...get you another drink..."

He slowly backed a few steps up toward the kitchen, eying Mason silently, then as he turned to head through the doorway he heard Grace reassuring Lindsay with a "maybe retirement is already getting to him -- can I snag you anything else while Owen's getting that milk?" The heavy kitchen door swung shut before he heard an answer - if there was one - and for a moment Owen stood just beyond the door, puzzling over Mason's foul mood.

The guy was getting to retire and move on to (literal) greener pastures, and it wasn't like he was being driven out of his home to do it or anything - HE'D chosen to retire and leave, and that place was his until he left. Heck, would Lindsay even be able to work with Mason still here? ...he wasn't trying to convince Lindsay to leave because he'd changed his mind, had he? If that were the case it would be better for everyone involved if he'd just be honest about it immediately so Matilda could help Lindsay figure out living arrangements...it'd be awful to uproot your life, come all this way on a promise of employment and housing, only to have the housing half - which also directly impacted your ability to work! - be ripped away at the last moment.

Regardless of the reason, someone would need to make up for that rudeness.

Owen quickly poured a second glass of milk and headed back out to Lindsay. "So, uh...hehe, sorry about that. Not sure what's gotten into him. But how about this: when you're done eating we can head over to a booth and have a sit down, chat a bit - Sandrock is pretty different from anywhere else in the Free Cities and I like helping folks acclimate however I can. I bet you've got a lot of questions."

Lindsay nodded (he had a full mouth - Owen probably could have timed that better) and Owen stepped away to settle up the bills with a few folks. He split his attention evenly between the remaining customers from the lunch rush, Lindsay, and Mason -- the latter was still sitting at the bar nursing his second glass of milk and looking less prickly but more...gloomy. If he got a chance Owen would try to talk to the man and see what was bothering him but when Lindsay was done he led the way over to the booth near the main door as Grace took care of clearing away the dishes.

"Not bad timing," Owen chuckled as they sat down. "Crowd is light enough that Grace can handle things while we chat. I know Sandrock can be a bit overwhelming to newcomers but lucky for you this old barkeep has been around for just a hair longer than a panbat's age! Perhaps I can shed some light on any subjects you're unfamiliar with, or answer any questions you've got about desert life."

Lindsay smiled faintly and reached a hand up toward his chest, then paused and glanced down. "...wrong shirt." He was silent a moment, thinking. "Does that tailoring shop I saw do custom orders for clothes? As stuff wears out I'll need shirts and pants that can hold up to work without cooking me and I don't usually find ready-made clothing that fits that criteria AND me all that often."

"Absolutely - just go see Vivi, she'll get you sorted out whether it's work clothing or otherwise. I can't speak for what you'll need for your builder duties but for casual stuff around town you'll want anything loose-fitting that breathes and long sleeves to keep from getting burnt to a crisp," Owen answered. "Hats really help keep you cool too."

Lindsay nodded. "I've lived in extremely hot climates before so I somewhat recall what's appropriate for day to day living - it really is just an issue of finding things in my size that can handle how rough a builder can be on fabric."

"Ah, I gotcha. Luckily Vivi does it all: custom orders from scratch, alterations, and stuff good to go right off the shelf in various sizes - possibly even yours, so no need to worry about that."

"Got it." Lindsay hesitated then; Owen waited until he continued. "Is it safe enough to go for walks and runs around here?"

"Here in town is pretty safe. I mentioned him before but our sheriff Justice and I go way back. He's one of the toughest guys around, his partner Unsuur is very reliable, and they get a lot of help from Pen with the Church-" he stopped as Lindsay winced a bit at the mention of Pen's name. "-I take it you've met Pen?"

"Yeah..." the builder answered quietly. "Thought he was there to pick a fight at first."

Owen laughed. "He's excitable and earnest, but he'd never purposely goad someone into an outright fight for the heck of it. Now, he will probably insist on taking you down to our showdown ring to teach you the basics of combat, which is going to seem like an excuse to fight and not get in trouble for it, but he does try to do his best to make sure people are prepared for the dangers around here - in his own way. I think you'll be fine though if you've been a boxer for seven years plus some," he added, chuckling.

That got a smile out of the man. "Understood. So town is safe, but what about elsewhere?"

"That's a bit trickier," Owen answered, sighing. "We've got dangerous wildlife around, the environment can be deadly if you're not prepared, and, well, you've probably heard about our bandit problem." Lindsay nodded. "The more infamous one is Logan. He used to be a citizen of Sandrock, then one day he just went crazy and blew up a building. I guess being out here in the desert makes some people lose their minds... Other than that, you'll mainly want to watch out for the rocket roosters, the rockyenarolls - they both attack in packs and flocks so if you see one always assume there's more somewhere nearby and just try to give them a wide berth. They usually don't attack unless you get close, at the least. Then there's the Geeglers. They're mutated lizards who seem bent on causing us trouble for some reason... And, of course, there's sandstorms. It's better if you just stay inside during one of those -- we've...we've lost a lot of folks to them over the years. Our mayor is out in the desert right now trying to stop the winds from blowing sand over what little greenery we have left."

The builder hummed thoughtfully, leaning back against the booth and propping an elbow atop the back of his seat, giving Owen a good view of how built the man was. Though he'd just warned him about all the dangers he didn't think he'd have much to worry about; boxing may not be the right kind of fighting style for all occasions but just being a big guy in general ought to be a bit of a deterrent to man and beast alike, not to mention the reflexes and reactions that came with practicing the sport. (Owen was already wondering if he'd come to regret asking him to spar in the ring - he'd better brush up on his skills if he didn't want to be embarrassed).

"I heard folks on the train fretting over whether they'd be able to afford water around here so how does that work?" Lindsay asked then.

"I'd think that's a bit of an overreaction, but you'll want to talk to Burgess over at Water World," Owen replied. "It's the tiny storefront over at the water tower's base, and Burgess runs it - he's a really nice guy, and will insist on helping you carry the water back to your place after you've bought it so don't feel bad about that. We're big on conserving water out here; we have to be. That oasis has been getting steadily smaller over the decades... Buy only what you need to fill up your tank, and check the filter weekly to make sure it doesn't need cleaning. I usually keep two or three spare filters on hand so I can rotate them out when I need to clean one of them."

"Are there ever any boil warnings?"

"Burgess will warn you if there's a boil warning in effect. We usually don't get those until toward the end of the month when the water in the tower is getting low and we need to start drawing off the oasis stores. We get the majority of our water from Portia and Atara and it gets filtered and treated before they ship it to us."

He was silent for a few breaths, clearly thinking. "...I think that's all I have for now. The rest I'll learn as I go."

Owen paused as Grace came over and set two glasses and a pitcher of water on the table between them. "You two look like you'll be here awhile," she said with a smile directed at Lindsay, who returned it but didn't comment.

"Thanks Grace, appreciate it," Owen chuckled before turning his attention back to the builder. "If you think of anything else feel free to ask. In the meantime, if you feel up to chatting still - no pressure at all! - do you mind talking a bit about yourself? I like getting to know my neighbors."

Lindsay smiled faintly. "You're a native Sandrocker, then?"

"Yep - born and raised and, aside from some traveling in my younger years, I've always been here. How about you?"

"My family is from Seesai, originally. We left when I was little and moved to Ethea, then to Barnarock. After I completed school I started out on my own: Tallsky, Lucien, back to Barnarock, then Highwind, then here."

"Barnarock, huh? Arvio and Amirah are from there. How's the weather compare?" he chuckled.

Lindsay shook his head, helping himself to the water. "My time in Highwind must have de-conditioned me when it comes to extreme heat. I didn't think Barnarock was bad until I got to Highwind and remembered what actual weather was like, and now I'm here and it's too hot again."

"I do get told a lot that we're hotter than Barnarock, it just means we all have to be mindful of the heat and our health. It's not so bad once you get used to it and learn how to manage." Suddenly the man tensed, eyes on something off to Owen's left. Turning his head slightly he spotted Pen having just walked through the front door, on his way to the bar. "-he's really not so bad," he said quietly. "A bit - ...ah, well, a lot - full of himself, but not someone you need to be afraid of."

"You'd be amazed at the number of times I've been sucker punched because some guy had to prove himself or whatever," Lindsay replied, eyes still riveted on Pen. "He definitely gave me that feeling earlier."

Owen looked back to him, blinking in surprise as that sunk in. "...really? People have just up and attacked you before?"

"Yeah. Growing up it was because I've got a 'girly-sounding' name. Then as I got older they were mostly drunks, or the newcomers to the league who thought they needed to make an immediate name for themselves by picking a fight with whoever they thought was the toughest in the room. But, yeah, really. You get to where you assume people walking up behind you or approaching you with, uh...with purpose, don't usually mean well."

"Well, I don't allow that sort of thing in the saloon - I've bounced my fair share of folks out of here for bad behavior - and Pen certainly won't do that."

"If you say so." With that Lindsay...didn't quite relax, not fully, but he at least looked away from Pen.

"-oh! Speaking of the league, was Sugar Pete still there when you were a member?"

The builder snorted in amusement. "Yeah, he was."

Owen let out a low whistle. "That man was ancient even back then... He'd have to be, what, almost 90 now?"

"Nearabout. Haven't heard that he's passed away so he's probably still sitting ring side yelling at the new blood."

With a laugh Owen shook his head. "He was a character, wasn't he? Did he name you or did you get to pick yours?"

"He did. You?"

"Yeah, he picked my name too," Owen replied, grinning. Ol' Sugar Pete...Lucien's boxing legend way back when and general terror to the newest members of the league, but there wasn't anyone more knowledgeable about the sport than him and though Owen had regularly gotten the tar knocked out of him at the start under Sugar Pete he'd eventually gotten competent enough to hold his own. "I ended up with Hotfoot." A slow smile crept its way across Lindsay's face at that. "I know, not exactly impressive. What'd you end up with?"

"Avalanche."

"...ah," Owen said.

Yeah, he was probably going to regret getting in the ring with him.

[aus-wnt]

stellarmag | In an exclusive interview with Stellar, Matildas star defender Alanna Kennedy reflects on the disappointment of missing the biggest game of her career, and why the team’s history-making performance will shape the future of women’s sport in Australia. You can read Alanna’s full interview with Stellar and see the photos this Sunday, inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD), and Sunday Mail (SA).⁠

[kwyrmagic]

hello! any mail boy/girl/enby id packs? /nf!! tyvm if you accept!

and, just wanted to say..

UR BLOG IS GEN SO HELPFUL HELP LIKE ITS SO NICE AND COOL??? LIKE THERES SO MANY STUFF ON THE LISTS I CANT/pos

✉️ . MAILPERSON SNPTS . .

System Names: carrier doves, the mailboys, the mailgirls, the mailpeople, the travelers, those that walk through the city, those that run away from dogs, the deliverers of packages, those that tip their cap, the package pigeons, the stamp collection, the postpeople, the envelope senders, the satchel carriers, letter lovers, dove coos, pigeon squawks, those at the post office, those sorting through letters, the package receivers, the mail truck drivers, those that open mailboxes, carriers of gifts, deliverers of surprises

Usernames: mail4you, wowtherestrees, runfrmdogs, wavetopeoples, down.town, enveloves, pooostoffice, parcelpigeon, penciiilpals, quiet.townn, ghostatthepost, postprince[ss], carrierpige0n, stiiickersss, penpaaaals, flimsypaperrs, doodledanny, envelopunny, maaailbox, inkyyprints, cloudy.town, deliverydutyy, flutteringd0ve, deliverydove, givingdove, giftsfromyrstruly, doodlesforyoodles, no1postman, penmanshiip, heresanote, pitterpatter, boxesrsoheavy, owboxes, writemealetter, smilingparcels, scaredofbarrrks, atthepostoffice, darlingparcels, packagepirate, envelopes4youu, st.ampsss, inkstaaiins, no1letterlover, siillynotes, sentfromaway, organizetheoffice, summerstrolls, envelopesfrmyou, parcelpwr, lettersletters, ilovemail, messyletters, sendingstuff2you, youvegotmail, letterlvr, lovelylettr, mailmale, smilesformiles, parcelfromadove, writingacrssthewrld, prrttymailgrl, prettyparcelsss, g1ftg1ftg1fts, greetingyouu, dizzypackages, ssillystamps, scribblesilly, dancingletters, mailbooooy, hidinginurmailbox, notesfrmthesky, brightdaaay, proudserviiice, in2urmailbox, bewareofd0g, mailtruckdrvr, openbxes, sootcasee, stackofletters, boxoflovers, envelopeoflove

Names: alexander, alfred, alice, annette, archer, archie, arden, arlo, atticus, august, augustus, autumn, barnaby, bartholomew, basil, beatrice, beau, benedict, benjamin, bennett, birdie, blake, cedric, charlie, chester, cliff, clifford, clive, clyde, cornelius, cory, cullen, darwin, diggory, dom, dominic, dorcas, earnest, edgar, edith, effie, elijah, eliza, emerson, emilio, emmanuel, eugene, everett, fennel, flint, florence, flossie, floyd, ford, gale, galina, genevieve, gideon, glenn, greyson, gwendolyn, harriet, harvey, hattie, hayden, holly, ink, ivan, ivy, josette, josie, july, june, kane, kate, katherine, kay, kendell, kinley, kip, kleo, leo, logan, maeve, maggie, malcolm, marion, margot, marlowe, marshall, matilda, mayfaire, melvile, meredith, milton, minnie, molly, mortem, mortimer, nadira, nancy, nannie, navy, neith, nelda, nellie, nells, nettie, ninette, noah, noel, noemi, norman, note, oakley, odette, oliver, orson, orville, oswald, otto, parcel, parker, polly, posey, presley, quill, quinton, ralph, randall, raymond, reed, reid, rhett, romee, rory, rowan, rye, sabina, sawyer, scout, silas, sloane, spencer, stanford, stanley, summer, susan, tallulah, tatum, thelma, thena, thisbe, thomas, tibby, tillie, timothy, tinker, toby, tom, torin, trey, troy, violet, virgil, walden, walter, warren, willard, willow, winnie, woody

Pronouns: letter/letters, mail/mails, write/writes, pen/pens, ink/inks, note/notes, deliver/delivers, gift/gifts, scribble/scribble, doodle/doodles, carry/carry, give/gives, walk/walks, hum/hums, parcel/parcels, package/packages, box/boxs, stamp/stamps, sticker/stickers, smile/smiles, proud/prouds, newspaper/newspaper, envelope/envelope, sun/suns, mailbox/mailboxs, pencil/pencil, scrabble/scrabble, sketch/sketchs, house/houses, satchel/satchels, bag/bags, hello/hellos, twine/twines, string/strings, wrap/wraps, town/towns, cloud/clouds, clutch/clutchs, send/sends, post/posts, office/office, sort/sorts, organize/organizes, rain/rains, flimsy/flimsys, thin/thins, street/streets, apartment/apartments, greet/greets, pass/pass’, road/roads, home/homes, locker/lockers, wave/waves, cheerful/cheerfuls, joy/joys, old/olds, weathering/weatherings, service/services, dog/dogs, truck/trucks, fence/fences, sign/signs, slot/slots, city/citys, drawer/drawers, pin/pins, 🫶, 🌳, 🍃, 🍂, 🪹, ☀️, 🥖, 🥠, 🪃, 🛹, 🎫, 🎼, ♟️, 🚐, 🛞, 🚦, 🚏, 🗽, 🏢, 🏘️, 🏙️, 🎞️, 📺, 📻, 🕰️, 💵, 🪙, 🩹, 🧺, 🚪, 🪟, 🧧, ���️, 📨, 💌, 📦, 🏷️, 🪧, 📪, 📫, 📬, 📭, 📮, 📜, 📃, 📋, 🗞️, 🗂️, 📔, 🧷, 🖊️, 🖋️, 🖇️, 📝, 🧳

Titles: the cheerful giver, prn who presses stamps to letters, the delivery thing, bringer of mail, prn who delivers packages, the penner of letters, the deliverer of mail, the mailboy, the mailgirl, the mailperson, prn who walks the streets, prn who drives the mail truck, gifter of deliveries, prn who strolls through the city, prn who gives mail [to those who need it], the mailman, the mailperson, the mailwoman, the carrier pigeon, prn who carries mail through the sky, the carrier dove, prn who drops mail from the skies

[haggishlyhagging]

The following excerpt is from a letter in the Terra Haute, Indiana Mail, 1884:

An individual who considers himself a representative man in the city—and perhaps he is—said in the presence of several persons: "I went home at three o'clock this morning and found my wife sitting up. She burst into tears and asked me where I had been and why I treated her in that manner? I just told her if she said another word I would leave the house; that as long as she had a comfortable home where she could spend her evenings it was none of her business where I spent mine. Now, if I did not provide for my family, it would be a different thing. But so long as my wife is well provided for, she has no right to complain and I don't propose to allow it."

These are the man's own words, and there are a great many men who hold the same opinions. If their wives protest because they drink, gamble and spend their nights away, they say, "You have a good home and enough to eat and wear. What more do you want?"

A lady of Richmond, Virginia, anxious to know from a legal source just what her rights as a wife were, consulted a lawyer of that city.

"Well, Madam," he replied, head thrown back, thumbs in arm-holes: "Well, Madam, you have a right to comfortable food, a fire to keep you warm and two calico dresses a year. These are your legal rights—all beyond these are the gifts of your husband. Luxuries of food and clothing, [journeys] and books—these are not yours by law. It remains with your husband to decide whether he will furnish them to you or not."

And this is Christian civilization for woman at the close of the nineteenth century of this era.

-Matilda Joslyn Gage, Woman, Church and State