#no grimm though

[bafflement]

Deaged Oz AU - The Farming Daze

Oz stretched, moving into a set of warm up exercises that felt as familiar as a second skin. He was still slower than he'd like, but the reflexes were slowly coming back. He glanced over at Oscar, who was watching, sighed and stopped.

"We really do need to source you a weapon, Oscar. At least temporarily. You stated you wanted to learn, after all?"

"Yes, of course I do! But... I don't have anything. You're really certain we can find one?"

"Anything can be a weapon, if you believe in it. However, if we can find something to use as a base, I may be able to alter it for you. It would be better with a workshop, but that can come later. Is there anything in particular you'd be interested in attempting to learn to use?"

"Something with an edge. That or a gun, do you think we could find a gun? Sorry, I know you're more comfortable with the cane, but... I don't think I would be?"

"Different people find different weaponry preferable. You don't have the training yet to use a blunt object as well as you might one day be able to. I do, but... hmm. Maybe we should ask your aunt if she knows of anything? Or at least if she knows of any tools that might help? I rather doubt we could locate a gun, however that's always a thought for the future?" Oz sounded amused, even though it was obvious that he wasn't a massive fan of guns.

"Maybe. Oz? You promise that you'll teach me to be a real huntsman?"

"Of course I will. It would be my honor to help guide you, Oscar, even if you only ever use it to kill the local Grimm."

"I. Okay. Thank you." Oscar looked like he wanted to say something but bit it back. Oz looked concerned, but decided not to press the issue.

Going back inside to find Oscar's aunt, Oz considered. As a farm, there might be something in an outbuilding, but... part of him wondered about Oscar's parents, whether they might have had anything. There was no guarantees that Oscar would want to use something like that, of course, but it might be an option if there was nothing else available.

Aunt Em looked confused for a second. "I... I'm not sure, honestly? There might be something in one of the further barns? Back when Oscar wanted to go to Signal, the plan was always to let him make a weapon there..."

"Understood." Oz said. "Oscar? Could you show me where the barns are located? If nothing else, we could take the time to explore a bit?" A very brief grin crossed his face at the thought and his eyes lit up behind the goggles they'd found as a temporary measure to shield his eyes from the light.

Aunt Em smiled at that. Oz had almost acted like a ten year old in that moment. Almost. Ah well, small steps...

Oscar looked worried as they both scrambled over the rough terrain towards the barns. Oz's limp was more noticeable the further they walked, but he seemed to be coping well enough.

"Are you sure you're okay, Oz?"

"I'll be just fine, Oscar. If I need any help, well, the cane does work as a walking aid as much as a weapon for times such as these."

"You shouldn't need the cane for that child, I'm sorry..." Ozymandias' voice echoed in his mind and Oz froze in shock. He hadn't heard that voice in years, why would he now?

"... Ozymandias?" He thought back, tentatively, but there was no response. Shaking his head, he grinned up at Oscar and kept walking.

"I'll be alright. Besides, I think we can see the barns from here. My, they are in bad shape, aren't they. Maybe you should stay outside, just in case it's dangerous in there."

Oscar stared at him for a moment, visibly comparing their physical statures, a strangely protective look on his face and Oz sighed.

"Then again... maybe not. I am not actually a child, Oscar, I can look after myself, you realise?"

"You're tiny and you limp. Besides, what if there's something on a high shelf?"

"Then I doubt either one of us could reach it, you are not really that much taller than me, after all."

"Hey! I'd still have a better chance than you would!" Oscar sounded wounded, but the smile he gave Oz was fond. "Hey, I wonder if this is what it's like actually having a brother?"

Oz's eyes were soft. "From recollection, it does feel rather similar. Well, well. That is rather interesting, isn't it?"

"If I'm your older brother, then there's no way I'm letting you leave here on your own, okay?"

"You may be something approaching a brother, Oscar, but you do realise you are not, by any measure, actually my elder?" There was a laugh in Oz's voice.

Oscar rolled his eyes and entered through the broken door, turning to quirk an eyebrow at Oz. "Yeah, yeah. Are you coming or not?"

Oz followed him in, watching his steps carefully in the gloom. There was no way of knowing if the floor was entirely level, but thankfully both boys had packed flashlights.Switching his on, he swept the area, looking for the telltale glint of metal. Ahead, Oscar sounded triumphant.

"Hey! Look, I found something!" The scythe he held up, however, was rust pitted and heavily corroded. Oz pulled a face.

"I'm sorry, Oscar, I do not believe that is rescuable without either a replacement blade, maybe the handle, too, or some sort of minor miracle."

"Can't you... you know? Magic it?" The scythe's wooden handle took that opportunity to start leaving flakes on Oscar's gloves and he pouted, seeing Oz's point.

"Magic cannot fix everything and, even if I were to use it on that, I doubt it would stand up to any serious usage. No, we need to keep looking. Maybe one of the other barns may be in better shape?" He glanced up at the roof, or more accurately the hole in it, looking doubtful.

"Yeah, maybe." Oscar left the barn, Oz in tow and went to look at the next one. At least the door to this one seemed more sturdy, surely a promising sign? It was also locked. Oscar looked discouraged but it was Oz's turn to raise an eyebrow. He also raised his cane and proceeded to open the door via the other route. The way the hinges creaked definitely made them both think this barn was certainly a better option than the last. Shining their torches upwards, they could find nothing wrong with the roof and though it smelled musty in there, at least it didn't smell damp. Definite improvements.

There was a sound in the corner and Oz went into a fighting stance. He relaxed it a few seconds later as what was probably a cat streaked past them, obviously startled by their entry. That made both of them chuckle a bit, though they might need to work out just how it got in, since the place had been locked up.

Moving along the walls, they could find plenty of tools. They were even still in good shape, though most of them were just hammers, screwdrivers, spanners, that sort of thing. Maybe, if they could find enough other items, they could build something? Again, though, that would depend on Oscar. Whose sudden excited yell ahead sounded rather like a very good sign.

Moving to join him, Oz watched as Oscar happily swung a short axe, unlike the scythe in the other barn it looked spotless and more than sound enough as a practice weapon. He wouldn't necessarily recommend using it to kill Grimm any time soon, but at least Oscar was happy with it.

"Do we wish to keep looking, or will that do for now?"

"It's perfect! Maybe a longer handle later, but... I have a weapon all my own now!"

"I wonder if we should inform your aunt as to this barn and the state of the other one? There are things here that she would probably have mentioned had she remembered them, I'm curious as to just how long this has been here?"

"Ages! The farm's old, been in the family for generations. I thought Aunt Em told you that? But yeah, it's full of places like this. There's a well and old farm buildings and all sorts of things scattered around. We can go look at some other stuff tomorrow, maybe? If you're my brother now, that makes this your home, too!"

Oz looked poleaxed at that statement. "Oscar, you... you even sound like you mean that."

"Of course I do! I've always wanted a brother!"

Oz was mostly quiet on the journey back, Oscar's words had given him a lot to think about. If he couldn't stop him from going with him and, he was beginning to suspect the futility of that, then how would he ever protect him, out on the road? There had been so many things, even in the barns, that were too high for him to reach. What if he was too small, now, to fight the Grimm properly?

What if this war was one he really could never win?

[speaking-riddlish]

Thinking about how Riddlish is handled in cannon and in fics. I've seen people just put random things that happen to ryhm anytime they want someone to be speaking Riddlish and it's like, a minor pet peeve of mine? But every time we see Riddlish spoken in cannon, it kind of makes sense in a way? Like, if you think about what is said, and try to piece together any symbolism based on context, you can kind of understand what they're saying. Like Maddie said, "Riddlish is not an exact language". Putting together the metaphor and symbolism gives you the general idea of what they're getting across. And whenever a fic does this well, it's like an instant favorite.

Let's look at and dicect some cannon examples (I've always kind of found these facinating):

"Feathers and Friends, together alone!"

"Feathers" could refer to Raven, since she's named after a bird. She also has feathers fairly prominent in her character design, so it'd make sense for Giles to say this even though he doesn't know her name yet.

"and Friends" probably refers to Maddie, since she's known him for a while and is presumably his friend. It could also refer to their friendship, and maybe even be a way of including Raven in.

"together, alone" They're here with him, joining him in his solitude.

Putting it all together we get "Raven and Maddie, you're here! You came to visit me!" Which lines up pretty well with Maddie's translation of "he says it's nice to have us here!"

"Can a musical chair change its tone, when the tablet of granite is inscribed with a bone?"

"Can a musical chair change it's tone" The music in musical chairs is integral to the game, yet the song played does not come from the chair, but from the people playing. The tone of a musical chair is something fundamental about itself, and also something imposed by something outside itself. Can it change? Can something change something about itself that someone else has decided is fundamental?

"When the tablet of granite is inscribed with a bone?" A tablet of granite inscribed with something is literally that thing being written in stone, another reference to destiny and inevitability. And what's written on that stone is a bone, is death. Death is what is written in stone. Death is supposedly inevitable here.

From Raven's tone and terrified body language when asking Maddie to translate for her, it's fairly clear that the thing that wants to change is referring to Raven.

Putting it all together we get "Can Raven change from what others have said she's supposed to be, or is death the inevitable consequence of that like we've been told it is?" Which lines up pretty well with what Maddie was asked to translate: "What'll happen to me if I don't sign the book, am I really gonna disapear?"

"The king that sings with pages of sky fears too much the dawn that rises with lies"

"pages of sky" is in reference to the book, and maybe the fairytales themselves. The sky is often used to symbolically reference heaven and the divine. The book, determining people's destinies, fits fairly well into that category. It's almost like he's referring to the book as being from above.

"The king that sings with pages of sky" would then be Headmaster Grim. He's in a position of authority over the students like a king is to his subjects. He "sings with" the book/the stories with his constant insistence that people must sign the book and follow their stories, speaking in unison with them.

"fears too much" this part is fairly clear, Milton's paranoid. The consequences he thinks are inevitable aren't as inevitable as he claims.

"the dawn that rises with" would mean something like "the consequences of" or "the fallout from". Then there's one of two ways the rest could be. "lies" could refer to that which is contrary to what the stories say will happen. If you take the stories as "truth" then changing the stories would be "lies". Or, "rises with lies" could mean the consequences coming from Milton's lies being brought to light. The dawn rises as Milton's lies rise.

Yet the whole thing sounds rather foreboding, giving the impression that something is seriously wrong.

Bringing it all together, we either get "Headmaster Grim told you to follow your destiny because he's paranoid about what'll happen if you don't. But those fears are unfounded. Also something is very wrong." or "Headmaster Grim told you to follow your destiny because he's afraid of what will happen when people find out why you don't need to (and its emplied that that reason is something very bad)" This lines up fairly well with Maddie's translation of "There's something wrong with the book, and if you don't sign, your story will continue... I think". I like the touch that Maddie wasn't as confident in this translation, since the last phrase is more ambiguous. It's not really clear how the foreboding tone integrates into the message without more context than Maddie has, so Maddie doesn't really know what it means.

"The baby bird flies. The snake, it slithers. But the cage holds both, to die and to wither."

"The baby bird flies. The snake, it slithers." The baby bird and the snake are two very different creatures, they move and interact with the world in two totally different ways. Most people also would look more favorably on the baby bird than on the snake.

"but the cage holds both, to die and to wither." the cage doesn't care what is inside of it, it will indiscriminately hold them both captive. The things that make the baby bird different from the snake, and the adorable charms of the baby bird will not free the baby bird from the cage, nor will they protect the baby bird from the grisly fate that awaits it in the cage.

The context is also relevant, since she's talking to Alastair and Bunny, two of her subjects who have just been arrested, but also two of her daughter's friends.

Putting this all together we get "Yes, you enjoy privileges that others do not have, but my affection for you will not compromise my judgement. You are not above the law. I am not above punishing you like I would anynother citizen." While we don't have a cannon translation to compare this to, it seems to make sense. Its immediately followed up with her letting them off with a warning, and despite this interaction, Bunny later tells Lizzie that her mom really is a good queen, but that the curse has stressed her out. I think the Queen of Hearts probably made exploring illegal to protect people from the curse. If she really is a good queen, then this type of objectivity ("I don't care if you're my daughter's friends, crime is crime") would make total sense.

[bluegekk0]

Something simple. For the soul.

[zabiume]

it's 2025 and orihime is still my favorite bleach character ever because of just. everything she is, all of it. from the very first peek we get into her life, we learn that she's so fundamentally unlikeable that even her parents despise her (a literal baby), and this pattern repeats yet again into middle school, where she falls victim to bullying. her own brother turns into a monster and resents her for trying to bounce back from grief. everything she does is wrong. even from a meta standpoint, orihime has never been widely liked, and even when she has, it's sometimes followed by a disclaimer or an 'i like her, BUT-" which is soooo congruent to how she is in canon as well? in a way, perhaps, no other bleach character is? what she is and goes through in-universe is exactly what she is and goes through out in the real world as well. of course, in canon as well as outside of it, there has always been a small group of people who fiercely love her too (in-universe, it's her friends, and outside it's...well. it's us, those of us who love her). but the point is. i've never seen a character who is so meta in her existence, who is always going through things on a double-layer - how other characters respond to her in the story vs how fans respond to her in their discourse. there's no separation from Orihime The Character (as she exists in text) and Orihime The Topic (the discussions we have about her as a character). there is a certain type of bleach fan who is a loly and menoly equivalent in the real world, there is a certain type of bleach fan who is a shishigawara/kon equivalent in the real world, there is a certain type of bleach fan who is an ulquiorra, challenging her worldviews, pushing her into corners to prove herself, and of course, there is a tatsuki or an ichigo, fighting for our lives defending her and it's just. so interesting. it makes orihime more real, more grounded to me than any other bleach character. how characters respond to her in the story is often EXACTLY how people respond to her in real life. plenty of times, we've gotten to see characters' inner thoughts and their POVs, but we haven't gotten much insight into the ways other characters see them, how they're perceived by several other characters, but orihime is. she is so discussed (BOTH by the other bleach characters, AND the fans), and the diversity of these discussions is so present too. her powers, her love life, her flaws, her personality,,,,,all of it is a major part of the storyline, as WELL as the discourse. it's inescapable. SHE is inescapable.

[horrorgoof]

Hot bug.

Literally, he's on fire

[moux-xe]

baz art style study that i struggled with SO FUCKING HARD 😭😭

[talentpiper11]

Carry On Countdown Day 10: Dinner

In my mind, this shot takes place a bit before Simon arrives to Hampshire. Baz is ready for Christmas Eve dinner with the rest of the occupants of Pitch Manor, and is taking a moment in the library to be quietly soft with baby Swithin.

A huge thank you, as always, to @larkral and @monbons for the support and advice, and to @carryon-countdown for facilitating!

[palimpsessed]

Happy birthday, Basilton. Enjoy your @erotic-grope-fest.

[green5quirrel]

TL;DR: I think Monroe's striking and chiming clocks were underutilized for truly hilarious interruptions when the hour strikes and 5 or so clocks announce it in sync.

I think we've all looked over a very important detail in Nick having stayed over at Monroe's for a time. I feel like I REALLY want someone to explore this in a fanfiction of some sort.

Monroe has several "striking" clocks in his house. A striking clock (or just clock for those who differentiate clocks as striking and timepieces as non-striking) makes sounds every hour, half hour, or can chime every quarter hour depending on the number of mechanisms.

Monroe obviously has a grandfather clock (or grandmother clock as I'm not sure the height of it) thanks to him telling Hap not to touch it. So that is definitely a striking and chime clock. Or has the potential to be as such if it's not silenced. He also has potentially more than one cuckoo clock.

Can you imagine the absolute terror of a person who has never been in a house with more than one striking clock as it hits the hour or half hour for the first time.

Now, ideally Monroe will have silenced most of his clocks. I don't know. I don't have any working clocks. I don't know how most horologists do things at their private homes. If they find the striking nostalgic or welcomed. But let's err on the side that Monroe has been living alone for a long time and actually does find a few chimes and striking nostalgic after growing up with it as his dad seemed to also be into clocks.

Let's layer this with the fact that Nick has very sensitive hearing (though I'm not sure when that happens. I could have my timelines wrong). Despite that, you're just getting to sleep at around 11pm or midnight and for some reason have been oblivious to or accepting of the chimes during the day. Or this is your first night in your friend, Monroe's, house and suddenly the first floor below you erupts in various chimes and tunes.

Can you imagine?!

I'm actually kind of astounded that this was never properly explored in the. In not one scene does any of Monroe's clocks strike despite how long everyone is at his house. I mean, if I had clocks I'd at least appreciate one of them striking.

The point is, I really want to either write or read a fanfiction where either Rosalee or Nick or Hank experiences the sound of an hour in the most unexpected way and grumpily complains to a completely and adorably oblivious Monroe.

(It would also have been a great gag if in the middle of a dramatic conversation it struck the top of the hour and Monroe patiently waits for his clocks to sound off before continuing. And Nick/whoever he's talking to is just like "Seriously dude?" And he's like, "What? ...fine! I'll silence them. Jeez! I didn't ask you to be here anyway, man!")

[iamamythologicalcreature]

Keeping Neverland

Sometime after my fourth Neverland dream, I started to draw sketches. Whatever I could remember from my dreams. Everything I could remember. Drawing became preservation and sanctuary. Once captured onto paper, I’m able to return to Neverland whenever I want, simply by flipping through my sketches. It isn’t the same, but it’s something. Something tangible, in a way my dreams are not.

Excerpt from Lost Boys, Chapter 2, by @mooncello

(I can't believe it's taken me a month to post the art from chapter 2 of this beautiful, beautiful fic, but here it is at last! Of course, it's been viewable inside the story this whole time so if you haven't seen it yet... well. Ahem. XD)

Keep reading below the cut for some extra info on what went into this particular illustration!

One of the things that got my attention from the get-go - not just as a reader, but as an illustrator - was Baz's artistic side within his story. He develops his talent for visual art almost out of necessity; he has no other way to record his adventures in Neverland, and thus preserve them in something less flimsy than his memory.

And, in particular, I was drawn to how Heath writes his artistic journey. In Chapter 2, he states, via the narrative, that he began working in graphite, but by the age of 15, charcoal was his preferred medium. (It's written far more eloquently than that, but I don't want to spoil your reading experience...)

It was (is) very important to me that I do my best to illustrate that side of Baz's artistic journey as best I can. And thus, the illustration from Chapter 1 is very much a pencil drawing, with sketchy elements, and in Chapter 2, I've used (digital) charcoal. (I did use actual charcoal for a couple of the sketches that surround him on the bed, though.)

I'll do my best to stay with Baz as he explores new artistic mediums, and we'll both push ourselves to be the artists we need to be to somehow (somehow!) help Baz find (and keep) the boy of his dreams. XD

(Seriously though, if you haven't checked out Lost Boys yet, you're missing out!)

[lamentable-comedy]

Carry On Countdown Day 3: AU

More Watford Pies! (The Simon Snow Pushing Daisies AU that's been bouncing around in my brain.) This time we have Lonely Tourist Baz running into Agatha when he's supposed to be lying low, a Snowbaz plastic wrap kiss (because of course), and Penelope Bunce, private investigator, reading about an accidental involuntary manslaughter.

Is this gonna make sense to anyone who hasn't seen Pushing Daisies? Probably not. Do I care? No!

[everlastingfable]

I actually believe leo's curse was broken when they were in that cave/valley, because grimm told him to take out his sword when they saw the monster but leo didn't. also grimm absolutely threw himself in front of the arrow out of love

[pebbleaf]

Twinkle twinkle little star

They’re casting a sonnet (Inktober day four probably I’ve already forgotten)

[bluegekk0]

canon dialogue i think

no text version:

[the-artist-grimm]

What do you think about cotl fandom adopting Webber as honorary shitten and do they exist in your au?

I think it's very very cute! Don't know much about Don't Starve lore but if I recall Webber is a kid there as well-so the Lamb adopting the little guy is sweet!

As for Crimson Angel I'm not sure-currently got 3 different characters who could adopt the little guy for various reasons, but not sure who I like better.

[sirazaroff]

How do you think velvet is handleing everything in vacco right now

She’s having a great time 🥰