#not 100% liking how it looks Waugh

[cerbreus]

Doodlong an armored millipede and I'm rapidly losing steam 😭

[fourswords]

near the end of the minish cap if you visit grandpa smith right before taking on dark hyrule castle he starts off with "i'm so glad you're safe, link." because he heard about the terrible things happening at hyrule castle and it's so. waugh. but also making a callback to this post i think that it's funny how he asks link if he's been using all his items just in case he gets stuck somewhere and then ends the whole thing with "you'll sort it out..." because it's just another example of an adult looking at this little dude and being like "yeah he's 100% got this" and lo and behold he does in fact 100% got this

[eclecticopposition]

HI we are HERE to Phrygianpost. this is extremely good and true and we are so. so fucking upset about the breakfast nook. you have no idea how upset we are about the breakfast nook

however we DO want to talk about deck seven. because we think it is important to note that while being trapped as a lab 100% is a thing that sucks shit, and the reason they need to reclaim being a space, the general feeling of unease is actually likely to be pretty true to Phrygian's Being? we've got a couple of things that are worth looking at with regards to this

the first is from the podcast itself. please consider Keith's description of Phrygian's true form, briefly shown in partizan when their first war form got motion'd

The second thing is the actual definition of the word phrygian, which we believe reflects a core piece of their character done intentionally from the start. Here's a video about it, if you're curious.

All this is to say: Phrygian at this point in their life is not meant to make people happy. They are a different thing, a thing that is unsettling. They are a sound and an irregular rhythm. They are a haunted deck. And that is a good thing! Branched being viscerally uncomfortable to behold is not just "Waugh Creepy...!!", it means that the things that they are can be hard to accept or like we feel we need to justify or qualify somehow. But this is what Phrygian is! They're fucking spooky! They unsettle people! The feeling of being unsettling is probably something that they find very appealing about themSelf in the first place! That is is the good thing that they are!

the actual fucked up thing about deck seven, we think, is that Phrygian was this thing and it was taken away from them. deck seven is a thing that they lost. it has been five years, things changed, and trauma took away the simplicity of enjoying this state of existence, and they had to find another way to be. and maybe part of that is growing into a different person, but we think it should be known that they could happily have stayed spooky, in the world where they'd had the choice

i do still (occasionally) (also when keith mentions it) think about how noone really interacted with phrygian much outside of their humanoid shape much (room, place, objects etc), and when they did it usually went with a general sense of that being so strange / weird / kind of offputting. and of course part of it is that it's jokes from the cast & saying things like 'i don't want to party inside of you' are just kind of funny, i guess*, and on the other hand (watsonian) i can buy it from the characters who were raised with/under anti-branched propaganda, HOWEVER

Get over it!! Get over it!!!!! Skill‼️ Issue‼️

[xguise-of-candlesx]

My Crimson Peak Costume

So Crimson Peak is one of my favorite movies and a huge part of that is the costumes. Kate Hawley did such an amazing job designing them. Anyway I've been obsessed with all of Edith’s outfits ever since I saw the film for the first time but I specifically love the Green velvet jacket she has on for literally one scene.

So after wanting this jacket for like 5 years I finally decided to make it.

For the pattern I used a combination of this pattern from The Cut of Women's Clothes by Norah Waugh and Butterick B6400. I definitely could have just used the Waugh pattern but I was feeling lazy and didn't want to have to size up the whole pattern.

Hunting down the fabric for this was kind of difficult. The green velvet was easy, but I did have to go back to the store because I didn’t get enough the first time, but it was impossible to find fabric that was the right color yellow for the skirt without being super shiny and gross. Eventually I found some that I guess I missed the first few times I went to Joann's so it was all good. I also got some yellow stretch velvet for the grape trim on the shoulders. I actually think I found the exact vintage millinery trim that they used for the movie on Etsy but they only had one in stock so I had to make my own.

For the skirt I used this tutorial on youtube and I ended up adding a few more panels in the back since I had some more fabric. Then I made the same skirt two more times with some scrap fabric for some petticoats. I also made a bustle pad using this video although I didn’t have the pattern they used so I just eyeballed everything. I'm actually not 100% happy with how the silhouette of the skirt looks right now but I think that it's because the bustle pad isn't full enough so I may remake it.

Overall I'm really happy with how this turned out! I haven’t done a big sewing project in a while so it was nice to get back into it even if I did stab my fingers a lot when I was hand sewing everything lol! Now I just need to find a spooky gothic mansion around here so I have somewhere to wear this!

[prophetic-hijinks]

Perfecta

Moments like these were rare lately. Despite Elena and Bruno being euphorically happy with the arrival of the twins. Finding stolen time in between feedings and diaper changes was difficult for the new parents to simply lay and cuddle in each others quiet company. Time to rest in the comforting space in each others arms.

Bruno softly sighed as he nuzzled his cheek on Elena’s forehead. His repose suddenly interrupted by a gentle scritching of manicured nails in his beard, and a soft murmur of “mmm scruffy”.

“Heh, yeah I’m sorry. Been too tired to shave, I will do it soon.” He apologized kissing her forehead.

“I don’t know, I think it looks kind of sexy”, the tired Elena purred trying to sound seductive. 

“Yeah?”

“Hm hm, definitely.” She confirmed this time with a gentle kiss, which even in the haze of exhaustion grew to become needy.

They had not been intimate since the babies were born, a fact he completely understood. Little Elena bearing twins wasn’t an easy pregnancy, and even harder birth. Then also being so understandably tired, well it was easy to let time pass. But in the heat of the moment, they both felt the pang of desire of the lost time, and a wave of energy washed over them like a second wind. Bruno pulled Elena closer, and kissed that part at her neck that always illicated a delicious moan from her. 

“Elena, mi amor?…”,

It was a question, answered by his beloved leaning back into the pillows, pulling him down for his lips to meet hers again. Her hands traveling over his shoulders, while Bruno began to kiss down her neck, revealing her shoulder under her dress and kissing her there. 

“Bruno, I missed this…” she gasped under his attention, and he felt her hands reaching for his shirt, gentle nails grazing over the cloth and then…

‘Waugh waugh” a baby cries punctuated the moment.

They both froze listening, Was it Catalina? Pedro? Or Gabriel; Dolores and Mariano’s baby? One more cry being allowed to filter by Casita’s magic into the soundproof room confirmed it was Pedro. 

“Must be a diaper, I fed them both not long ago.” Elena said kissing Bruno once more, before beginning to move. 

 "Nope let me, just stay there..." Bruno jumped up, holding out his arms gesturing for her to stay put. 

“Just keeping thinking sexy beard thoughts,” he added rubbing his chin with an eyebrow waggle. 

“ooh, how could I not?” Elena laughed at her adorable husband, as he dashed through the beaded curtain doorway heading into the Vision cave. ‘Got to give him credit, its not that easy to run that fast in sand.’ she thought.

Pedro’s wails began to calm the minute the babe heard the sound of hurried sandals flopping along the hallway, though he was still red-faced and teary. Catalina in her crib beside him was also awake, but quietly playing with the stuffed rat made by Mirabel in her hand and the half of Bruno’s ruana turned security blanket in the other. However, she lit up and gurgled happily when she heard her Papi’s voice, dismissing Mirabel who was coming up the stairs. “No, no I got him, thank you.” She of course didn’t understand a word he was saying, but Catalina was well on her way to be a Daddy’s girl. As for Gabriel, the chubby little angel could sleep through anything and often did.

“Ah Pedro, mi amor why so sad on such a beautiful day?”, Bruno asked, as he came in the door and picked him up knowing the answer, as he grabbed a fresh nappy. “Truly, it is too beautiful out to be sad. Not a cloud in the sky, your Tia Pepa must be in an exceptionally good mood.”  

He held little Pedro to look out pass the curtain to view the sky, before closing it. The midday light filtering in being more then enough for this work as he laid the babe down and removed the dirty diaper. The sound of clattering tiles could be heard as Casita brought the bin for dirty laundry to him before shuttling it back out the door, and down the hall to the bathroom where it can be cleaned properly later.

 “What’s that Pedro? Yes, yes of course it is 100% cotton, only the best for the Madrigal clan.” Bruno rambled on, looking to Catalina who was now trying to pull herself up on the crib to see her father better, Pedro was stronger and able to pull himself unaided, but Cat needed a little extra help. One hand safely on Pedro’s belly, Bruno leaned to grab Catalina’s chubby baby arm and gave her enough support so she too could grip the crib and watch the proceedings. Letting go, only after giving the squishy limb a little squeeze, which earned him a giggle.

“How is your day, Catalina? Don’t need a fresh diaper? I suppose I would know if you did. Not to make you feel sheepish, but sometimes your diaper make me question what you are eating.” Bruno smiled, his baby girl immediately mirroring. “But then of course, Kitty Cat, I know for a fact you get your food from the same tap as your brother. So it is a mystery.” He shrugged as he finished expertly pinning up Pedro. 

He wasn’t as present in his nieces and nephews lives as much as he wanted as they grew up. But diaper duty, well even Bruno couldn’t screw that up in the family's eyes. And he would happily tend to his tiny sobrinos, rambling on about his day to them. The Madrigal babies always took to talking extremely fast. Some thought it was the miracle’s magic, but Bruno always hoped it was these long conversations he had with them about nothing at all.

He laid the clean and happy Pedro down, gently swaddling him in the ruana half that belonged to him. This Ruana was Bruno’s security blanket from the world, something that protected him from the judging eyes of the village. But now, in his perfect world Mirabel had salvaged, and the perfect life he was building with Elena, it seemed silly to keep it. He didn’t need to hide. Or need Hernando and Jorge to cope. He was enough. 

To end the diaper ritual, a kiss on the forehead for his baby boy already beginning to doze. A kiss for his little Catalina who gurgled happily, before falling back on her rear and grabbed her homemade rat doll. And a little kiss for the snoring Gabriel, who could sleep through an earthquake, Bruno was sure of it. 

“Ok, my loves. Gotta go, I have a date. Sleep tight!” Bruno finished as he gently closed the door.

Happily humming, Bruno began trotting his way back to his tower, taking two steps at a time up the stairs as he passed through the entry area passing his writing desk and Elena’s music area. The falling sand curtain automatically opening for him as he rushed down the stairs towards the vision circle spack dab in the middle of the cave. Bruno’s vision caved looked just as tall as it did before Casita’s fall, but the stairs were now completely gone leaving only the awe inspiring natural formation. To the right was a beautiful oasis, crystalline water surrounded by palm trees with his hammock nearby. Next to that was Elena’s idea, a moroccan style meeting tent, full of pillows and couches where tea can be served as they discussed visions. But Bruno was heading left along the tiled path leading to an antechamber that contained their circular bedroom.

Kicking off his sandals to keep the sand out,  he pulled back the beaded curtain to see his beautiful wife, still there waiting for him on the bed. In his absence, she had changed into her short silk negligee. But she was gently dozing, her hair splayed on the pillow, looking so beautiful his heart ached, but also looking so deservedly tired.

With a smile and a shrug, Bruno tucked in behind Elena, spooning her and kissing her shoulder once as he drew her in closer.

“Hmmm you ready? I’m gonna rock your world.” Elena murmured, gently stirring.

“Heh, you already have.” Bruno whispered back. “Sleep mi amor.”

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hey do you know any johnlock fanfictions, that are very slow burn and at first it's just sherlock being sad that him and john are never going to get together (maybe after the wedding or something) but have a happy ending? (possibly with 100k+ words)

Hey Nonny!

Ahhhh I like to argue that ALL my slow burn recs are especially painful, LOL LOL!! I didn’t have a lot of over 100 K ouchie-burn fics, so I’ve decided to quickly go through all my fics tagged “slow burn” and give you all the fics I KNEW gave me too many feels when I read them because of the burn!! So I hope that’s okay!!

And as always, Lovelies, I’ve certainly missed a lot of fics because of improper tagging or just too many sleepy nights skimming my bookmarks, so feel free to add your faves!

BURN SO SLOW IT HURTS

See also:

Love Confessions / Slow Burn / Dev. Rel. (Fluff Version)

Falling In Love / Slow Burn / Dev. Rel. || [MOBILE POST] (April 2019)

Slow Burn / Dev. Rel. / Falling in Love Pt. 3 (Nov. 2019)

Slow Burn / Dev Rel. Pt. 4 (Apr 2020)

Mutual Pining

Pining Sherlock || [MOBILE FRIENDLY VERSION]

Pining John

A Lifetime Together by LondonGypsy (M, 8,886 w., 1 Ch. || Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Falling in Love, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Pining Idiots, Alternating POVs, Domestics, Retirement) – John and Sherlock falling in love.

You fit me, Sherlock Holmes by orphan_account (G, 10,077 w., 1 Ch. || It’s An Experiment, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Questionable Science) – An unfortunate series of events leads to John accepting being a part of Sherlock's study in physical intimacy. As the days pass by, John realizes he might be in for more than he bargained for. He doesn't entirely mind.

Down with this Ship by FrostedFlame (PinkOrchid) (M, 10,862 w., 10 Ch. || For a Case, Gay Bar, Pining, Coming Out, Slow Burn) – Sherlock drags John undercover to a gay bar - for a case, of course - looking forward to seeing John flustered by their surroundings (since you know, he's NOT GAY). John decides that he has hidden both his orientation and his feelings for his daft flatmate for far too long. He is done hiding, time to be honest with his bloody best friend in the world. He just hopes it won't change anything between them. And then it does.

The Slow Burn by CaitlinFairchild (E, 12,097 w., 4 Ch. || Romance, Emotional Infidelity, Friends to Lovers, Sherlock POV, First Kiss/Time, Fix-It) – John smiles, something small and private and for him alone, and Sherlock just...he knows. With a heart-stopping certainty, Sherlock suddenly knows. It feels like falling off the edge of a cliff. It feels like falling off the edge of the world. It feels like flying.

Merlot by Itsallfine (E, 14,844 w., 17 Ch. || Christmas, Pining Sherlock, Wine, Slow Burn, First Kiss / Time, Love Confessions, Wine, Holmes Family) – Sherlock and John work toward becoming something more as they prepare to host the Holmes parents at 221B for the holidays. Part of 25 Days of Fic-Mas 2015.

Pleasure to Burn by scullyseviltwin (E, 17,863 w., 1 Ch. || Firefighter AU, Firefighter John / Arson Investigator Sherlock, Slow Burn, Pining, Case Fic-ish) – “If you’d kindly stop knocking about in there and destroying all of my evidence, it would be most appreciated!” John groaned and for a moment rested his head against the side of the truck. Of course he was the only captain left on the scene, which meant he would have to be the one to deal with the arson investigator.

Permanent Fixture by vitruvianwatson (E, 18,836 w., 9 Ch || Post-S4, Parentlock, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, They’re Good Parents, Blushing Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Explicit Consent, Sexual Content, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Big Feelings, Crying, First Kiss, Fluff, Anxious Sherlock, Inexperienced Sherlock, Emotional Communication, Love Confessions) – Now, as Rosie sat curled up against Sherlock’s side, John watched and wondered exactly how he had ended up here. Domesticity had never suited him before, not at any point in his life. His disastrous marriage had been proof of that. But somehow, here in the warmth and safety of 221B Baker Street, here with Sherlock Holmes reading medical jargon to his daughter, Sherlock’s bony feet nudging against his leg, John couldn’t imagine anyplace that would make him happier.

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Pining Sherlock, Frustrated Wanking, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Kiss/Time, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Bum Appreciation, Hanging out with the Yard) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can't be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade's team and something happens that will change everything about their lives...

whiskies neat by Ellipsical (E, 20,660 w., 15 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, POV Second Person Sherlock, Slow Burn, One Night Stand, Rimming, Blow Jobs, Anal, Soldier John, Crying, Emotional Lovemaking, Switchlock) – Home and hearth and whiskies neat, or, alternatively, Sherlock Holmes falls in love.

Ghost Stories by SwissMiss (M, 22,256 w., 1 Ch. || Pining, Holmes Family, Christmas, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, First Time) – Sherlock's parents think he and John are a couple. They might be onto something.

The Sexual Awakening of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson by suitesamba (M, 24,579 w., 10 Ch. || Post-TRF, Case Fic, H/C, First Kiss/Time) – Sherlock owes Mycroft a favour. Mycroft calls in that favor by offering Sherlock's consulting services in a charity auction. Sherlock and John soon find themselves at the country manor of Mrs. Ives-Patton Smarmington III - not very coincidentally a long-time friend of Sherlock's mother - where they are reluctant participants in her Murder Mystery Weekend. It's a play within a play for Sherlock and John, and their roles for the weekend event bleed over into their real lives, waking the sleeping dragons within.

Tomorrow's Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w., 5 Ch. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining, Jealous Sherlock) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)

State of Flux by Atiki (E, 24,655 w., 4 Ch. || S3 Fix It, Sherlock POV, Slow Burn, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Cuddles and Snuggles, Awkwardness, Insecure/Virgin Sherlock, Romance, Humour, Masturbation, Love Declarations, Bottomlock, Brief Suicidal Ideations) – John’s marriage is over and he is finally back home (i.e. at Baker Street, where he belongs). Sherlock is awfully insecure and John is awfully hesitant, and they’re both awkward idiots, of course, but they figure it out. Many First Times happen.

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (E, 30,568 w., 5 Ch. || Fake Rel., Roadtrips, Slow Burn, Mummy Holmes) – “You love your mother, Sherlock?” John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk. “Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.”

The Kissing Disease by cottonballz_of_death (E, 30,856 w., 15 Ch. || Sickfic, Angst with Happy Ending, Case Fic, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Jealous Sherlock, Body Image Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional H/C, POV Sherlock, Oral / Anal, Thong, Frottage) – John brings home a boyfriend, shocking Sherlock, who long ago gave up hope that his straight flatmate would ever take a romantic interest in him. In a bid to reconnect with John, he tries to infect himself with a "harmless" virus. Neither of them is prepared for the emotional fallout that results.

An Acquired Taste by kinklock (E, 31,059 w., 4 Ch. || Vampires AU || Vampire Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Bat!Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Humour, Magical Realism, Fluff and Angst, Blood Drinking, Holmes Family, Slow Burn) – At Montague Street when Sherlock was forced to sate his body’s needs, he was at least able to wander about the flat as much as he pleased. At Baker Street, it was mini-bags in a mini-fridge and bedroom confinement.

The Winter Garden by Callie4180 (T, 31,213 w., 13 Ch. || Post-S4, Retirement, Christmas, Slow Burn, Grown-Up Rosie, Parenthood, Rosie’s Cat, Angst with Happy Ending, Holidays, Beekeeping, Magical Realism, Sherlock POV, Sherlock’s Violin, Future Fic, Sussex, Honey, Magical Healing Honey, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Scar, First Kiss, Touching, Mycroft is Dying) – As Sherlock nears the end of his career, he's given the gift of a cottage in Sussex. The honey from the beehives out back is amazing. Almost...magical.

Love or What You Will by miss_frankenstein (T, 31,987 w., 11 Ch. || College/Uni AU || Professor John, Ph.D Student Sherlock, Pining John, Poetry, Falling in Love / Slow Burn, Light Angst, Happy Ending) – John is an English professor who specializes in War and Post-War Literature and Sherlock is the brilliant yet impossible Ph.D. student assigned to be his TA because no one in the Chemistry Department is willing to put up with him. And - somewhere between Waugh and Plath, e-mails and takeaway, novels and villanelles - they fall in love.

Five Times They Kissed for a Case, and One Time They Kissed for Real by fleetwood_mouse (M, 32,406 w., 6 Ch. || 5+1, Slow Burn, Fluff / Angst, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers) – A stolen ring! An artful blogger! And many more adventures for your enjoyment.

carrying up his morning tea by darcylindbergh (E, 34,504 w., 5 Ch. || Post S3, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Wakes/Funerals, Estranged John, Pining Sherlock, Depression/Insecurity, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Pain/Injury, Reconciliation, Awkwardness, Loneliness, Scars, Angst With Happy Ending) – His fingers tremble as he dials and he can’t force them steady. Familiar number, even though he hasn’t used it in two years. He isn’t even sure he should be calling it now, but she’d asked. She’d made him promise.

LHR-HNL by scullyseviltwin (E, 35,066 w., 7 Ch. || Hawaiian Vacation, Post-TRF, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn, Just Talk Already, Drinking, Mutual Pining) – In need of an endangered flora sample, Sherlock and John must make a trip to an unexpected destination.

The Boy Who Drank Stars by kinklock (E, 36,157 w., 4 Ch. || Howl’s Moving Castle AU || Witches and Wizards, Slow Burn, Magic, Jealous John, Happy Ending, Bed Sharing) – “I’m looking for a castle,” John informed the scarecrow. “A moving one.”Except that, as it turned out, it was not a moving one at all.

A Promise Made to Be Broken by PlantsAreNeat (E, 37,018 w., 7 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Pining, Slow Burn, RST, Eventual Relationship, POV Sherlock) – A young John makes an ‘if we’re still single at 40, we’ll get together’ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won’t let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to ‘have’ John, but not keep him.

Right Hand Man by SilentAuror (E, 42,031 w., 4 Ch. ||  H/C, Injury, Slow Burn) – When John's left arm becomes paralysed after a car accident, Mary asks Sherlock to take him back to Baker Street to recuperate, as she's about to give birth. Despite the fact that the search for Moriarty is ongoing, Sherlock takes John in and takes responsibility for overseeing his rehabilitation as he adjusts to the loss of his arm.

Left by lifeonmars (M, 45,153 w., 9 Ch. || Magical Realism, BAMF!John, Slow Burn) – John Watson is left-handed. He’s tried not to let it affect his life, but as any Lefty knows, that’s almost impossible.

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w., 68 Ch. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case ... and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

Corpus Hominis by mycapeisplaid (E, 47,709 w., 12 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Case Fic, Fluff, Romance, Frottage, Angst, Anal, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Spas / Massages, Shampoo, Jealousy, Fake Relationship) - John knows the human body intimately. He’s had plenty of opportunity for study as a doctor, soldier, and lover. There’s one particular body, however, he knows very little about. When Sherlock launches himself head-first into a new obsession and they get sent on a case in an unlikely location, the pair discovers each other’s bodies with confusing yet delightful (and sometimes hilarious) results.

The Norwood Love Builders by flawedamythyst (T, 47,798 w., 9 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Post TRF Angst) – Sherlock and John go undercover to solve the murder of Joanna Oldacre, but things are complicated by the many feelings John has been repressing in the wake of Sherlock's faked death and return.

The Pieces That Fall to Earth by Itsallfine (M, 49,513 w., 84 Ch. || S4 Fix-It, Epistolary, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Parentlock, Past Abuse, Coming Out, Internalized Homophobia, Questioning Sexuality, Mental Health Issues / Therapy, Angst, Happy Ending) – John and Sherlock have hit rock bottom, but with all their armor stripped away, they can finally speak honestly, seek healing, and find the truths that matter most. An epistolary post-s4 fix-it fic. Now complete. (This fic is rated T except for one very clearly marked and easily skippable chapter, which is rated M.) Part 1 of The Pieces that Fall to Earth

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

Triage by scullyseviltwin (E, 51,612 w., 14 Ch. || Character Injury, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Falling in Love, Slow Burn, Sherlock POV, Toplock) – Sherlock’s mind goes exceedingly, devastatingly quiet and gray-blank. When he speaks it’s through a thick haze, it’s through molasses, he’s so disconnected from the words that it may as well be the unconscious shooter speaking.

In the Dark Hours by hubblegleeflower (E, 51,639 w., 12 Ch. || Friends to Lovers, Unreliable Narrator, Closeted Bi John, Angst, Miscommunications, Slow Burn, First Time, John’s Blog / Epistolary, Selective Mutism) – John, wounded and silent, drifts back to Baker Street for healing...and then goes home again. He visits, gets more upbeat, chattier, smiles, jokes... and still goes home again. Sherlock wants him to move back in - it just makes sense - but John shows no signs of doing so. This is the story of how John and Sherlock learn to say what needs to be said when they're both so very, very rubbish at talking.

Spare Change by Ermerness (E, 51,966 w., 14 Ch. || Rich Holmeses AU || First Kiss / Time, Holmes Family, Virgin Sherlock, Anal, First Meetings, Bossy Bottomlock) – The Holmes family is one of the richest and most powerful in England. Sherlock spends his time flying around the world on the family's private jet drinking a lot and shopping at expensive boutiques as a way of trying to alleviate his endless boredom. His mother decides it's time he settles down with someone powerful, wealthy and well connected. John Watson happens to be none of those things.

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

Wars We Fought, Things We're Not by blueink3 (M, 55,204 w., 10 Ch. || Post S3 / Post TAB, Parentlock, Fluff & Angst, Kidnapping, Whump, Post-TAB, UST/URT, 3G, Mild Peril, Slow Burn, Couple for a Case, Protective Mycroft, Infant Death Pre-Story, Friends to Lovers) –  Five months after John's world has fallen apart, Mycroft sends the consulting detective and his doctor on a case that neither is prepared for.

A Hundred Crimson Sols by elldotsee (E, 55,536 w., 16 Ch. || Astronauts AU || Mars Exploration / Space Travel, Slow Burn, Shy Sherlock, Scientist Sherlock / Biomed Engineer John, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, UST, Angst with Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Suicidal Ideation, Zero-G Sex) – Will Holmes is a chemical researcher recognized widely for his contributions to the new Mars exploration program. Thanks to his ground-breaking developments, the IMMC (International Mars Mission Corporation) is one step closer to Martian colonization. Will and his team of scientists are headed out on the first of three manned missions before the first group of settlers arrive. Three days before launch, one of the crew has to be replaced. Will panics because...new people. The replacement is of course one John Watson, biomedical engineer and space hottie who was pretty sure he had retired from actual space exploration and was now content to work in the nice, quiet research lab. Can the crew survive this TOTALLY ROUTINE trip? Will they be able to endure each other for the looooooong trip in close quarters? Gonna be a wild ride... prepare for blast off. Part 1 of SpaceBois go to Space

The Book of Silence by SilentAuror (E, 60,056 w., 2 Ch. || S4 Fix It / Post S4, Virgin Sherlock, Rosie / Parentlock, Domesticity, Fluff, Praise Kink, Sex Toys, First Person POV) – As spring blooms in London, John and Sherlock begin to take new cases and cautiously negotiate this new phase of life with John living at Baker Street again. Despite how well it's all going, John struggles to forgive himself for the way he treated Sherlock following Mary’s death as well as trying to figure out how to finally put his long-time feelings for Sherlock into words. Part 1 of The Book of Silence/Rosa Felicia

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by ivyblossom (E, 62,006 w., 25 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || First Person Sherlock POV, Pining, Angst, Slow Burn, Infidelity, Sherlock Learns About Himself, Happy Ending) – Sherlock struggles with his feelings for John, makes a mistake, and learns just how important he and John are to each other. Non-BBC Mary / John, but it’s a *complicated* relationship.

Hell Sent, Heaven Bound by ConsultingHound (M, 64,381 w, 16 Ch. || Angels / Demons AU ||  Fallen Angel Sherlock / Angel Cop John, Alternate First Meeting, Slow Burn, Case Fic, John & Lestrade are Friends Before Sherlock, BAMF John, Mind Palace John, Friends to Lovers, John in Denial, Sherlock Picks Out John’s Clothing, Clubbing / Dancing, Mildly Jealous John, Awkwardness, Kidnapping, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Sacrifice, Worried / Anxious Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Immortal to Mortal) – Ex-War healer and current angelic guard John Watson is not having the best day. He overslept, he’s underpaid, and now there’s someone tagging the Council’s building walls. However things may be about to get interesting: there’s an unusual stranger hanging around (the definition of tall, dark, and handsome), a literal underground cult is brewing, and rumblings are coming from hell. Can he keep his neighbourhood safe, how and why is he being connected to all this, and who the hell is Sherlock Holmes?

You Have Drawn Red From My Hands by J_Baillier (T, 67,085 w., 17 Ch. || Three Garridebs, Heavy John Whump, Hurt / Comfort, Pining, Heavy Angst, Case Fic/Adventure, Slow Burn, Sick Fic, Injury, Guilt & Depression, Just Talk Already Please, Medical Realism, PTSD) –  John getting injured leads Sherlock on a path of guilt and revelations.

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

Just To Hold You Close by sussexbound (E, 70,841 w., 18 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Sherlock POV, ASD Sherlock, PTSD John, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Cuddling/Snuggling, Platonic Cuddling, Enthusiastic Consent, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Sexual Tension, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddle Negotiations, For a Case Until It Isn’t, Hair Petting, Sexual Negotiation, Anxiety, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Hand/Blow Jobs, Referenced Self Harm / Abuse / Suicidal Ideation, First Kiss/Time, Anal, Autistic Sherlock) – When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w., 18 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sickfic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

Summit Fever by J_Baillier (M, 78,802 w., 18 Ch. || Mountain Climber AU || POV John, Angst, Tragedy, Suicidal Ideation, The Himalayas, Mountain Guide / Doctor John, Mount Climber Sherlock, Loneliness, Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Injured Sherlock / Sherlock Whump, Pining John) – After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he's a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover's trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world's highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater /  Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

The Summer Boy by khorazir (T, 94,706 w., 6 Ch. || Post S3/Post TAB/Alternate S4, Friends to Lovers, Flashbacks, Sussex, Bullying, 1980′s Kid Sherlock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Inexperienced Sherlock, Grief/Mourning, Pining Sherlock, Background Case Fic) – About half a year after the fateful events at Appledore, Sherlock and John embark on a private case in Sussex. For Sherlock, it’s a journey into his past, bringing up memories both happy and sad that he has locked away for almost thirty years. For John, it means coming to terms with the present – and a potential future with Sherlock. Part 1 of the The Summer Boy series

Given In Evidence by verityburns (M, 97,884 w., 19 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Angst, Drama, Case Fic, Romance, BAMF!John, Submissive Sherlock, First Kiss, Humour) – Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing... rebuilding a friendship quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same...

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

The Wedding Garments by cwb (E, 105,390 w., 36 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Alternate Future AU || Alternate First Meeting, Dating / Arranged Marriages, Romance, First Kiss/Time, Heavy Petting, Cuddles, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn / Falling in Love / Dev. Rel., Nervous/Anxious Sherlock, Jealous/Cranky, Hiking, Vacation Homes / Honeymoon, Sherlock’s Family, Horny John/Sherlock, Patient John, Massages, Hand Jobs, Assassination Plots, Hand Jobs / Oral Sex, Case Fic, Emotional Love Making, Bath Time Fun) – This is the story of a young consulting detective who wants nothing to do with marriage and an army doctor who wants to find true love. It's 2020 post-Brexit England and the British government is encouraging arranged marriages. Candidates meet through state-run agencies and date in hopes of finding love (and tax benefits). Sherlock doesn't need or want a spouse, at least not until John Watson shows up. Hesitant to give in to his more carnal urges because of the way they derail his mind, how will Sherlock progress toward the more intimate aspects of a relationship? The answer lies in a very special wedding gift.

Maintenance and Repair by patternofdefiance (E, 106,650 w., 71 Ch. || Future AU, Augmentation || Augmented John, Depression, Body Modification, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Sci-Fi, Self-Care, Body Dysmorphia) – John wants to explain the rush of sensation and data, which is just another form of sensation (or is it the other way around?). John wants to say:Augmentation circuits report temperature, pressure, various forms of quantitative input. Sudden changes are reported as pain, since sudden changes are dangerous, and pain is the quickest way to encourage reflexive extraction. But all John can manage is, “Nng.” Because this sudden touch is not reporting as pain. Part 2 of STATIC

Eyes Up, Heels Down by CodenameMeretricious (E, 107,845 w., 43 Ch. || Sports Equestrian AU || Fluff, Angst, Humour, Rider!Sherlock, Groomer!John, Show Jumping, Slow Burn, Happy Ending) – Sherlock is a top eventing rider currently training at Baker Farms. John is the new groom who's been told to steer clear of the surly rider and his horses. Part 1 of Baker Farms

between each beat are words unsaid by darcylindbergh, hudders-and-hiddles (T, 107,998 w., 215 Ch. || Epistolary, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Angst, Happy Ending) – On their wedding night, John and Sherlock gift each other with the things they each said when the other could not hear, the things they each put down where the other could not see: a collection of writings that illustrate the way their love for one another has grown over the years. Part 1 of between each beat

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w., 23 Ch. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Hand / Blow Jobs, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Facial Shaving, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose... is it a pirate's life for him?

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w., 37 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel., Possessive/Obsessive Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Body Appreciation, Depression, Closeted Sexuality, Family, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Ogling Each Other, Anxious Sherlock, Panic Attack, Drunkenness, Talk of Forever, Big Feelings™) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it's a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w., 17 Ch. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We're all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors 'Verse

The Adventure of the Silver Scars by tangledblue (NR [M], 142,458 w., 41 Ch. || S3 Fix-It, Post-HLV/ Post-TAB / Canon Compliant, Case Fic, No Baby, Angst, Humour, UST, Slow Burn, Angry John, Reconciliation, Not Nice Mary / Leaving Mary, Dependent Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Caretaker John, Fist Fights, It’s An Experiment, Virgin Sherlock, Dancing, Drugging, John Whump, Pet Names, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Scars) – It’s been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds he’s still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the world’s only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.

How to Build a Heart out of Ashes by Teumessian (E, 144,931 w., 31 Ch. || Changeling AU || Slow Burn, Drug Use, Mentions of Child Abuse / Bullying, Mentions of Student/Teacher Relations, Uni-Age) – In an AU where a small number of the population become Changelings at a young age, at 17 John Watson believes he's destined for Normal life but then the Change takes him and he is sent to the Baker Institute. There he meets Sherlock Holmes.

Performance In a Leading Role by Mad_Lori (E, 156,714 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Hollywood / Actor AU, Secret Relationship, Falling in Love, Slow Burn, Romance, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, Pining) – Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world? Part 1 of Performance in a Leading Role

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w., 28 Ch. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn't have much choice. There's only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

Sketchy by serpentynka (E, 184,053 w., 83 Ch. || Post-TRF, Post-Mary, John Whump, Slow Burn Love Story, Case Fic, Art, Porn With Feelings, Switchlock, Travelling, Career Change, Family Secrets, Illness / Health) – What (and who) will be left when nobody cares about your Work? A slow-burn fic with cases, places, mistaken identities, unfair choices, essential changes, violent feels, blatant lies, fearless portraiture, family secrets, high-risk bespoke gifts, durable friendships, bedtime stories, foreign travel and tongues, sickness (and health), and the significance of things which are slow to unfurl -- but cannot be ignored. Oh, and...porn. Part 1: Sherlock takes on an obvious case (barely a 4) and meets someone who will force him to re-examine what it means to see. Part 1 of Sketchy

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

[spotaus]

Wheeeeeeee!

Yes!! Dream isn't used to finding a problem he can't solve! The golden boy has never had to be creative a day in his life, unless he's being chaotic with Nightmare. Like, his first instinct is to just run away, brute forms his way home!! Of course he'd have no *real* plans. In the same way that Nightmare was naive and kept hiring criminals and being scared, the first real consequence he's ever had is Night sending him away, and he's convinced that's not even his fault!

And yep, every time he runs into Blue it foils his weak resolve! I love the idea that the time he actually has a wide-open escape route, Blue's not there to stop him and so he gets cold feet and is bewildered like, 'wait, where is he?' And convinces himself he's only going to search for him to say goodbye, because he owes him that much, only to just give in once he finds Blue lmao.

And exactly! After the 3rd time Blue was like, 'oh he's strong nut he'd get torn to pieces out there... my duty to protect him anyways! Guess I'm starting a new goal! (I also think at some point Dream explained to Blue that he's plenty strong, and he said at this point he'd knight Blue himself-)

Oh yeah, Blue totally gas incentive to leave, too. Blue was *too* strong and *too* morally righteous so his mentor knew he'd be *too* good and purposefully holds him back. To higher standards. And while Drean is very naive, he knows what a powerplay looks like and won't stand for it. And the sad thing is, Blue probably knew deep down but he was convinced he coukd push past the malicious behavior. Only he literally couldn't.

That's why Dream unofficially knights him once they escape together! Because they both know Blue deserved better!

WAUGH I'm blushing like a schoolgirl- but no, yeah, 100%. They're such disasters <3 . (This happens regularly at the camp as well, and for the other warriors it's the equivalent of thar "Ewww mom and dad are kissing!!" Thing that kids do to their parents. Yes Dream and Blue are young and in love and they have NO time to process it :]

Ah, thank you! I feel like the best concept for the story would be for Dream to have only called Ccino things like 'Mister' or smth, because he wanted nothing to do with Nim trying to make him more attached to Ccino. He was told he was different from those below him since birth, so naturally he would act like it! No matter how kind he is! And yep, Nightmare was the only one he refused to treat as lesser, >:3

Egegege that NM thing is heartwrenching and I am so going to absorb that one for later!! Because yeag, it'd be a reality-zhift coming WAY too late for Dream. I love them.

Dream's magic has to have been at least 80% influenced by A&C, haha, sorry for that! But yeag, Dream having a built-in manipulation machine makes me giddy for the themes in this story :]

And YES! It hadn't mattered back home, Dream hadn't noticed, but now where it's got normal weather? He doesn't know why he's so freezing!!

New Age AU (Bad Dreams)

Woah!! Bet you guys weren't expecting this one!!! (<- no but fr Idk if this one was even a drabble I mentioned wanting to do to anyone besides Ancha lmao-)

Regardless, here's a drabble that takes place a few months after Dream's exile!

(Hello @ancha-aus @papiliovolens and @mutzelputz !!!)

It was quiet.

So dreadfully quiet.

The stone walls felt suffocating, and the darkness was too overwhelming. Even the light of his own magic wasn't enough to ward off the sickly feeling crawling up his spine and over his shoulders.

Roaving like clammy hands, clinging to his bones and threatening to drag him away.

He couldn't take this anymore.

It took effort, one hand over the other, eyes on the rest of the room he'd been placed in for now. One bed instead of two. His legs felt like jelly as he tugged them over the edge.

His feet landed in his sandals not a moment later, and he shoved away from the soft mattress which felt nothing like his own.

Hid eyelights lingered on the bottom of the frame. The shadow there, not reached by the little orb of emotion which hovered beside him, providing light to the barren room.

Perhaps, he feared something would crawl out of those shadows. Tendrils. Pointed and waving. Grasping. Creeping along the floor.

He took a shaking breath.

Another.

He had to at least be able to breathe.

Dream's legs carried him unceremoniously to one of the chairs located in the room where he'd abandoned his cloak.

It was too big on him, the gold and yellow meant for the form the prophecy would have provided him with. He'd taken it with him anyways.

He tugged it over his shoulders, abd the heavy weight smothered him. In a way, it warded off that chill. Just enough to give him the courage to hurry to the door and slip outside.

The hall felt colder than the room.

And almost quieter.

It was nothing like home. With servants and guards bustling about at all hours. With the gentle hum of his mother's magic pulsing through the walls. With his brother's-

No.

He couldn't think about that now.

He padded along through the empty halls. He still shook, but the longer he was in motion the more momentum he gained.

Dream moved swiftly through these unfamiliar and unfriendly halls, until he arrived at a familiar door.

A servant entrance, which he had only noticed because he'd heard horses somewhere beyond as it briefly opened during his first tour. He hated to use it, but he knew guards would be at the main exits.

So, carefully, he entered the space which held it.

A kitchen, of sorts. Piled high with the dishes yet to be cleaned, and with food stores which would last an army a century, tucked away into every shelf.

A part of him wondered what they even did with so much hidden away, but to be honest, he didn't care enough.

He pushed through the door with little effort, and felt a sense of relief rush over him as his sandals landed in damp, earthy grass.

A glance down revealed it had been stamped over hundreds of times by weary servants, so it was flat and lame, but he didn't let that bother him much. He was outside again.

Dream had been feeling suffocated in that stupid building. Out here it felt like that horrid shadow, haunting him, knew not to tread too closely in his wake.

The wind tugged at his overly-large cloak as he stood there a moment. The door swung shut behind him.

The sky, the stars, he felt like he was saying hello to an old friend met in a distant place.

Only a moment later he shook his skull free of his momentary relief. He had to keep moving. Had to do this now.

His eyelights skimmed the dark, and he extinguished his orb. The moon was more than bright enough to illuminate the place he was searching for.

The stables.

As he traversed the open lawn, he noticed. It too was different from the one he knew so well. It was smaller, and had closed outer walls. The doors were huge, and seemed to swing out like any other door. It would not slide like his own used to.

As he reached the entrance, he gently tugged it open. It gave way easily, and he slipped in, expecting to be plunged into the darkness of yet another enclosed building.

Yet... inside it seemed only a bit more shadowed.

The stalls were largely swathed in darkness, but a thin strip of light illuminated the alley between each part of the stalls. There was a skylight above, open air, that was letting the moonlight filter down.

The way it fell, it might's been just past midnight.

Dream moved forward, carefully and quietly. He didn't want to startle the horses. Most of them seemed to be resting just like the rest of the castle. Last thing he needed was to startle one of them.

While he needed to find one awake to keep going, maybe it was better that he not find one. Maybe...

Nope.

Fate must adore him.

There, a few stalls ahead, a movement. Through the space, a horse's head suspended from its thick neck extended majestically into the moonlight nearing its stall.

It seemed to shift, to get a look at him, before settling.

Dream was gentle in his approach, but fast. His hands were shaking now as he approached the horse.

A beautiful, clean white. Little freckles of blond dotting its muzzle and forehead. It was gorgeous.

It stayed still as Dream came close and reached out his hands. They trembled, and he wished he'd worn his gloved. He hated to see his bare bones in the moonlight.

The horse softly nuzzle its nose into his hand.

And sneezed.

Dream squeaked in surprise, recoiling away a bit. He tried to stay calm, if only to keep the horse from panicking, but it just snorted as it stared at him.

Of course he'd get horse-snot on his bare hands, and-

"Excuse you, miss." Came a playful, full voice.

Dream, this time, was less calm.

Why was there a voice? Who was down here?

His emotions must've broadcasted. As he stepped backwards into the moonbeam, the mare whinnied and realed back nervously, and there was a hum of surprise from within the stall.

Frozen in place, he watched as a faint movement, aside from the large shadow of the horse, rose from inside the stall.

Glowing.

Eyes turned to him. Eyelights, like his, a wide and curious sky blue.

And then they drew closer, and where the mare once extended her neck to him, now stood a monster he starkly recognized.

"Oh, Prince Dream?" It was Blue, the squire of the knight who'd been assigned to watch over Dream, "What a surprise! I wasn't expecting to find anyone else up so late, is there anything I can do to assist you?"

Blue was smiling. Dream could taste it. His confusion, which was quickly overtaken by a general joy.

The skeleton wasn't dressed down at all, despite presumably having been knelt in a horse's pen for some reason. His squires armor, largely padded and cloth, hung well on his frame, and part of Dream wished he could see more that just the Knight's arms and shoulders peeking over the stall door along with his skull.

"I- I wasn't expecting anyone to be up tonight either." He replied, dumbly, "I was- was just taking a stroll. Couldn't sleep."

It was a weak excuse. An excuse literally anyone could see through-

"Ah, I see!" Blue's voice cut off his thoughts before they could run away, "You know, you should really try the tea that my master drinks before bed. It always knocks him out, cold turkey!"

Dream was... bewildered.

Blue turned away from him for a moment, disappearing into the shadows of the stall, but his voice did not hesitate.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind sparing a bit for you, Prince Dream! After all, it's our job as knights and knights-to-be to care for our benefactors!"

Dream could hear a bit of movement behind his words, and a few moments later Blue returned to the front of the stall. He used one arm to support himself as he hopped over the small gate, the mare trailing in his wake to watch once again.

He seemed entirely unphased, carrying tools in his other hand, moving to a hanging leather bag hung on a nail in one of the support beams and dumping the items inside.

"If you like, I could escort you back inside and make you a cup?"

Blue was still speaking, with little hesitation.

Dream felt like the squires voice was rattling around in his skull. An overwhelming amount of sound for the quiet he'd just arrived from, and quite different from the sounds he'd been searching for.

Like the chirping of bugs, the sounds of rustling leaves, the pounding of a horse's hooves heavy on the ground as he made his daring escape from this place he did not know.

"Ah, Prince! It seems Marigold managed to get you a bit dirty, I apologize on her behalf!" Blue was a lot closer. "Please, allow me!"

A lot closer.

Dream flinched as he felt soft, worn gloves cup his palms from underneath.

His focus had been far off, elsewhere, but now he watched as the skeleton a bit shorter than him gently used a clean rag he must've grabbed to towel away the remnants of the horse's gunk left on his hands.

Blue was entirely focused on his task, and Dream felt entranced by the action. It felt like his non-existant gut was attempting to mimic a writhing snake.

When Blue finally seemed content, he hummed and grinned to himself.

Even through is thick gloves, Dream had been close enough. To taste it. There was not a single hint of malice lingering in this squires soul. He was so sweet. Unbearably so. He'd barely met any souls with such a pure slate of emotions laid bare.

"P-prince Dream?! Are you alright? I'm- I'm so sorry, did I grab your hands too hard?" Blue's voice once again dragged him back to reality.

A tinge of fear in the air, and the cold rapidly claiming his hands once again.

He looked away from his hands, now abandoned by the squire who'd been keeping them warm. He had backed up by a few paces, and had his head bowed, but Dream could still see his skull was tilted. An eyelight observing him.

Guilt.

Why...

Dream all at once pulled his hands up to his cheekbones. His freezing fingertips gently rimmed the bottom edge of his sockets, and all at once he understood.

He'd started crying. Like a weakling.

He knew this feeling all too well. The tears which used to come to him when Nightmare would be sent back to his own bed by their mother. When she found Night comforting him after a night terror. His aura was always so calming.

He hadn't had Night at all, lately. Maybe that was why he hadn't shed tears yet. Until tonight, of course.

"No- no. It's nothing you did." Dream hurried to say, though he hated his voice for warbling.

He tucked his hands tightly into his cloak, and took a single shaking breath.

And then stepped to the side, and sunk down against the stall gate of the mare named Marigold.

She didn't startle as the wood shifted under Dream's weight, and settled again against the tick hay coating the bottom of the stall.

In this moment, Dream didn't care how bad it smelled, or how dirty he was getting his perfect coronation cloak, or anything. He didn't care that his perfect white bones were digging into old, splintered wood, or that his cheekbones pressed to damp planks.

He didn't care about the squire who saw.

Dream knew he couldn't risk going back to the castle, sockets full of tears. Not like this. So he'd have to fry it out here and risk the squires rumor mill in the morning.

He sniffled as he let the cold sink into the thin silk cloth which covered his legs, closing his sockets miserably in the darkness.

He heard boot-steps, and sunk a bit lower into himself as they drew softly nearer.

Though, they stopped a short distance away, and the weight of the gate shifted again, as sonething denser leaned against it.

Marigold snorted in what Dream imagined was annoyance, and he heard her hooves disappear somewhere deeper into shadow.

.

It was silent as Dream let his tears flow. Shoulder dug into his cheek, folded in on himself like a sort of ragdoll. Sniffles were the only thing which broke that awkward quiet.

But this silence too, was deeply uncomfortable. It was as though his moments of peace were little more than ploys to administer more distress into his mind.

The moment he could no longer stand his self-imposed quiet, he shifted.

And squinted in the darkness.

And found that, just before him, was the side of that squire.

There, back pressed to the stall door, sat Blue. He wasn't looking at Dream. The prince noticed that in one hand he held hid signature weapon, that comically large Warhammer. His eyes seemed focused, skimming the stalls. Watching over Dream's form to the doors far from where he'd turned his back.

Was... was the squire watching over him?

Normally when he threw a tantrum like this, his sorrow would seep into the air around him. He was able to drive off all the servants and soldiers. Very few would linger. Struck by an intense misery.

"Squire Blue?" Dream's voice felt hoarse and wet, remnants of the emotion that had built up inside him.

The young man's eyelights darted to the side, to look at Dream as he was called.

This time he remained silent, his expression still focused.

Dream knew this was stupid, he- "Why did you stick around?" He asked. "It's your master's duty to babysit me, not yours."

It was true. Only the Knight had orders to watch over him. And Dream knew he didn't much like the job.

For that man, there was no honor in trailing a young monster like Dream. Even if he was the son of Nim, Dream was no longer a crown prince. He was exiled. An outcast.

The question seemed to linger in the air a moment, before Blue's browser furrowed.

"Well, I believe you are sad, and it must be a type of sadness which is very hard to fight away, as you are very strong." He spoke, though the chipper tone was something softer now. Encouraging? "So as you fought your battle, I wished to stay by your side and dissuade any enemies from the outside. I could not abandon you."

He said it as though Dream was really fighting something. Inside himself.

That wasn't it at all. He'd been running away from that thing biting at him. Clawing at his heels and clogging his throat. That made him want to run away and never come back.

"I-" Was he really going to do this? "I had a bad dream, Squire Blue."

He felt like a child, confessing to his nanny that he had broken a vase in the hall.

"My brother used to comfort me, from these terrors. But- but I cannot see him anymore. He-" He choked up again, "People are saying he was jealous of me, when he took the crown, but he wasn't. He was afraid. And he cast me out and exiled me to this place!"

If he weren't so focused on trying to contain his voice, he would've been impressed at how unmoving Blue's face remained, amongst the swarm of emotions breaking through Dream's thinly-kept barrier.

"He was afraid, and I am alone, and this I'd not how it should be! Someone, something, scared him into acting out and sending me away and- and here I am. Crying in a stable like a child due to a bad dream, hundreds of miles away from my twin!"

He threatened to curl in on himself again, but he stopped himself when he saw the way that Blue looked at him. Knowingly.

"You know, it is not nearly the same, but I too am separated from my brother." Blue spoke up. Though, he was smiling?

Dream hummed in confusion, tired from his confession.

"He's younger than me, stayed in our home village as part of the city guard. He's the coolest..." He sounded almost wistful, "When I chose to start my apprenticeship I was told I would have to move away, and live here." He lamented.

Dream hated to taste the bittersweet tang of melancholy wafting softly away from Blue.

"Don't... don't you miss him?" Dream muttered, "Don't you want to run away and be with him again?" That was what Dream would do.

Blue laughed gently, a charming little 'Mweh!' That warmed Dream's soul.

"Of course!" He admitted, "But, my brother was my biggest supporter, and if I don't become a knight, then my time away will have been for nothing."

A brother giving unwavering support. Like Nighty.

"It sounds like you treasure your brother, Prince Dream," Blue said, then, "Might I ask about what you think of him?"

Oh.

That's right.

Since he left, he'd only been piling negative atop negative about his brother, making an impossibly long list in his head.

"My brother..." Dream breathed, almost a whisper. "He was-" He stopped, "is the most devoted, kindest, gentlest soul I've ever known."

He couldn't help but think of when they were children. When they had first gotten their masks, and Nightmare had recieved the smooth, rounded owl face. He'd looked so adorable and kind, lavender eyelights wide with joy.

Dream remembered seeing the grin on his twin's face when he'd let Dream press the cold wood to his own face. No doubt it had been cuter on Nightmare.

"He's so smart... he loves reading, and his studies, and always knew how to help me when I'd make trouble in the castle."

The days when Dream was seven or eight, tripping around the halls at night, wet paint on his new shirt because he'd tripped and nudged a new mural his mother had commissioned. It had been wet.

Nightmare had found him and dragged him back to their room, where he'd pulled the shirt off of Dream and immediately set about cleaning it.

He said he'd watched their babysitter do it a hundred times and he'd learned. Dream had claimed the work was beneath them, but Nighty had shot back, asking if he'd rather be caught with stained clothes by the adults. That was the last thing he'd wanted, so he'd sat and watched Night scrub away at the stain in the tub with a few bottles of who knows what and water until it was practically brand-new. By morning it was dry, as though nothing had ever happened.

"And- and he always knew when I was sad. He'd come sit with me, and we'd hug and- and nothing came between us."

Until that day, of course.

That day when Dream was practicing his speech and Nightmare had rushed into the lounge to stand before him. Nightmare's skull had been sweaty, his eyelights pinpricks. He had a scroll clutched to his chest, and a hunch to his shoulders. He'd been afraid. Dream had tasted it like a sour lemon on his tongue, and had gone on high alert.

Only for Nightmare to start babbling to him. Stammering about the prophecy and a curse and some sort of discovery. A warning.

All that Dream had caught after asking him to slow down, was that Nightmare was begging him not to go through with his coronation ceremony. That he'd found a dire omen in the library about some sort of bloodshed. Some horrible price to pay.

Dream had tried to reassure him. That it was just a mean prank, that he and everyone else would be fine. Perfectly safe.

Nightmare had left the room dejected, practically in tears, and had rushed off. If Dream had known better, he would've gone and hammered it into his twin's skull that the prophecy was safe. That he didn't have to taint his own body to protect Dream from some make-believe threat.

Dream sighed a bit, and raised one hand to his face. He rubbed his palm along his sockets, swiping away magical residue from his tears.

He wasn't any less sad, but it felt less explosive.

"Your twin sounds very nice, Prince Dream. I do understand why you would like to see him again." Blue spoke softly.

His smile was boisterous again, and Dream couldn't help himself from allowing a gentle smile to worm onto his own expression.

"I cannot let you leave, that would not allow me to protect you, but if you wish to talk again, I am often an open ear!" He suggested, "You seem less sad after talking."

Hmm.

This might have been the first time in the history of his life, he realized, that he had someone his age really speak with him.

Blue was different from the noble children and the new guards and servants back home. It was something kind. Perhaps it was that he didn't truly understand just who Dream was. Who he was meant to be.

Maybe- maybe he'd like to keep it that way a bit longer.

"Trying to flee on horseback was a silly idea anyhow." He mused, "Would you be bothered if I still took your offer? For tea, that is?"

The joy that flooded through Blue was almost contagious, and he quickly popped up from where he'd been seated, letting his hammer shimmer away into the air beside him.

Then he turned to dream, and extended a gloved hand to him.

Dream took it after a moment, and he was swiftly tugged to his feet too, shaky as a newborn foal. Cold and damp and smelly.

But Blue didn't seem to notice, nor was he bothered. Not by the dirt that coated Dream's cloak or the smear of mud which had gotten onto his skull.

Blue escorted him back out to the grounds, and Dream saw my the moon that he'd hardly spent an hour in that stable. It was still plenty dark.

As the squire began to move towards the main path, Dream tugged his armor and guided him instead to the little servant door, and Drean was rewarded for his sneaky tactics with another 'Mweh!' of excitement.

Blue held the door, and Dream hurried into the kitchen. Then from there, Blue led them through servant corridors that Dream had never known existed. Blue was careful to check over his shoulder every few steps. Maybe he was worried about losing Dream in the twists and turns?

And then, as though hitting a brick wall, they found themselves in the private barracks of the knights of this realm. For a moment, Dream worried Blue might have to enter his master's room to snatched the tea, but...

There was a little alcove outside of one of the doors, carved into the wall.

'Personal effects' Blue had explained quietly, kept in the hall so servants might have easy access to each Knight's favorite drink or treat.

Dream watched curiously as the knight moved towards the space, and carefully extracted a few leaves from a little jar left outside.

"Will that be enough for two?" Dream muttered, perplexed. It seemed hardly enough for a mouse!

Blue glanced back to Dream in confusion, and the Prince realized he'd jumped the gun. Blue hadn't planned to have any tea, only brew it for Dream.

That... felt odd.

"Mm. Have you ever tried his tea, squire Blue?" He asked quietly instead.

Blue shook his head a bit, "No, I've never had the chance." He didn't seem bothered.

Dream only nodded, and the two hurried away. Out of the knight's wing, back through the servant halls, and into the kitchen where Dream had snuck out through the little door.

There, Blue closed the door to the hall, and after a moment, seemed content to begin moving all sorts of pots and pans to find a kettle.

Dream hadn't ever lingered in a kitchen very long. His babysitter only brought them inside once or twice, always upon Nightmare's request. The kitchen here was much smaller than his own, and was infinitely more cluttered. The organization, or lack there-of, made his hands itch.

It only took a few moments before he lifted himself up to sit atop one if the counters, away from where Blue seemed to be preparing the tea.

He moved with practice around this spot, it'd taken hardly any time at all for him to dig out the worn kettle, and it'd been tucked behind little bottles and containers of who knows what.

He seemed to work the stove just fine as well, the little flames dancing along with the little light their magic provoded to them.

Only when the kettle was set did Blue seem to glance around and spot Dream once again.

He moved a bit closer, leaning against the counter a bit.

"Prince Dream, may I ask a question?" He voiced.

Dream nodded curiously.

"Do you ever do sparring?" Blue asked, then.

That was... not what Dream had expected to be asked of him. He'd had people ask him many things, but never of that.

"I... used to." He said softly.

It was ever so slight, a raise in Blue's shoulders, some sort of little happiness sparking through him.

"I've seen you, stopping by when the knights train! What weapons do you use?" Blue asked then.

Dream suddenly had to find himself smothering the flush which threatened to flood his cheekbones. Yes, he did miss sparring, but often when he was frustrated he would pass by. To get a glimpse at the Knights in their armor, so swift and powerful.

"A bow." He said, maybe a bit too hastily. "I mean... I was formally trained in swordplay, staffs, and spears, but Archery has always come easiest to me."

He was so absorbed in his thought that he almost missed the way Blue's eyelights grew bigger. Almost.

Dream allowed a smirk to cross his face, and he held his hands out before him.

His little, pearly white, hands trembled. The joints glowed a soft golden color, and it all drew out, to his fingertips. After a moment, the glow condensed, and swirled, and tightly wove into a longbow.

The bow itself was a pale white, but much like his castle, it appeared to be made of old, twisting vines and branches.

"Where is the string?" Blue's curious tone asked, and Dream was only a bit startled to find the squire so close to him now, examining the weapon.

"It's only tangible in use with my magic." Dream explained softly.

Running a hand along the space, his finger caught, and a ripple of yellow glow moved down a thick, invisible string.

Impulsively, Dream imagined, Blue stuck his gloved hand right into the space beneath where Dream had just touched. There was nothing for him to grasp.

"Wowie... that's an impressive weapon, Prince Dream! You are very skilled, that must've taken ages to craft!" Blue said, pulling his hand back as though nothing had happened.

Dream stared at it a moment, but caught himself before claiming it was an easy feat.

He'd made the bow itself no problem, but the string... they could never withhold the power of his magic. They would snap and send him reeling.

Once, a broken string had swung back and cracked against his chin. He'd bled, and all of the guard had panicked about his wellbeing. He'd been young still, and had been so startled he thought they were yelling at him. Not about him.

After that, mother had insisted he learn to channel his magic precisely. Learn to use it with an easy perfection.

"Yes, it took me some time to perfect." Dream agreed solemnly.

It seemed Blue was going to say something else, but there was a loud whistle from the stove, and the squire jolted and hurried back to tend to it.

Dream watched from afar, letting his bow disappear once more, as Blue seemed to ready a singular teacup.

Once it was finished, he carried both it, and the saucer, very carefully over to Dream's countertop perch. He offered it up to the prince, with a gentle warning of, 'hot'.

Dream took it carefully, and held it under his face. The warmth rising from it was comforting, and the smell was nice. Unfamiliar. And for once he enjoyed it.

Dream blew on the surface of the tea, making it ripple like some dark ocean, before he impatiently brought it to hid mouth.

It was hot, as Blue had warned, but not scalding. He held it in his jaw for a moment, lingering on the taste, before swallowing it down.

He took another sip. Then hummed.

"Squire Blue, will you take a sip of this? Tell me what you think?" He then offered the cup to Blue.

The squire seemed startled, but only for a moment before nodding in determination. He gently took the teacup from Dream, and tipped it so he too could take a sip.

Dream watched his face, and aa the heat subsided, Blue's expression scrunched. He seemed like he was trying to decide whether to spit it out or drink it.

The prince couldn't contain his laughter as it seemed Blue resigned himself to swallowing it. He held the cup back out to Dream in some sort of defeat.

"It's gross, isn't it?" Dream asked through his little fit of giggles. He cupped the tea back into his own hand, and watched as Blue seemed to try and outlast the awful taste surely lingering in his mouth.

"Y-yes, it is! I have never tasted something like that before, I apologize, Prince Dream." He said almost despairing.

Dream just shook his head, "No fault of yours! This appears to be some sort of black tea. Magical, probably." Dream explained, almost fond of the horrible cup of tea.

This was probably the first time he'd found such a thing funny.

If anything, his obvious joy at the situation seemed to let Blue relax a bit again.

Both of them had now experienced the horribly bitter taste of a Knight's favorite coffee, and now they were both complicit in deciding that it was nasty.

Dream let himself giggle again, and brought the cup back up to his mouth.

Almost like a shot, Dream downed the remainder of the liquid. Though it made him shudder a bit under its bitter flavor, the warmth did well to bring a heat to his ribs he hadn't had all night.

When he set the cup and saucer beside himself, he found Blue staring at him, as though he had something on his face.

(He did, it was mud, but Blue was not looking at it.)

"Prince, if it tastes bad, why would you finish it?" Blue asked in confusion.

Dream just shrugged a bit, "I think of the tea as a gift. Even if I do not enjoy it, it means something special to someone else, so it would be rude to waste it." He said simply.

Blue seemed to linger on that for a moment, before seeming to double-down on his concentrated expression. Then, all at once, he grinned.

"I know that you are a Prince, but I think that you would also make a very noble knight!" Blue asserted, before he scooped up the cup and set it aside on the counter.

He seemed to debate the sink, before noticing the piles of other dishes and simply sighed softly.

Dream popped away from the counter, landing on his feet with a tired yawn. His hand raised to cover the action, but Blue caught sight of it and burst into action, moving to Dream's side at an alarming efficiency.

"Prince Dream, if you are tired, then allow me to escort you back to your room!" He insisted.

Dream couldn't help but agree.

As they walked, a part of him wished that he could beg Blue to talk with him until the sunrise, and then stay up all over again the next night. He hadn't felt so comfortable in ages.

But, they had their places.

When the sun rose, Dream would have to be a proper prince again. Take a bath, send his robes to be cleaned, speak with the nobles here, try drafting another letter back home, and rot in the foreign place.

And Blue would have to go back to toting around that knight's swords and armor polish and make him that sickeningly bitter tea on command.

Dream wondered if Blue was even getting any real training, or if he was a glorified servant. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen the young man use his war hammer during training.

Though, all of these thoughts would have to wait.

The bland door to his room arrived, and Blue bowed and bid him farewell.

Dream entered the dark space for the second time that night, slipped off his sandals, and collapsed cloak and all onto his bed. Too exhausted to be afraid of dancing shadows.

[lizardkingeliot]

fic writer interview 

tagged by @akisazame thank you darling 💖

name: holly (peacefrog on ao3)

fandoms: magicians brainrot 24/7

two-shot: perhaps a three-shot? my box of chocolates series is very cute.

most popular multi-chapter fic: only looking at magicians fic, it is definitely time cast a spell on you (but you won’t forget me). and oh how i love my novel about quentin coldwater being sad and getting dommed that has now grown into a series about two very messy boys simply trying their best. <3

actual worst part of writing: when a character has to stand up or move to another room or take off their clothes in bed? that part. 

how you choose your titles: poetry books, song lyrics... you know. the usual.

do you outline: lol no. i have a notes doc for all longer fics where i dump the general idea and the basic plot points and perhaps some ~themes and then proceed to dump 3am brainworms and all caps shower thoughts into said notes doc until we have something like a Plan

ideas you probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice: i have a doc with three dozen queliot fic ideas plus at least a dozen abandoned wips and several active wips i have put on pause while i let the time cast a spell on you ‘verse consume my entire brain, so.... um. so many????????

callouts @ me: chill with the em dashes

best writing traits: i’m good at writing sex and romance and feelings i think? and i do put a lot of hard work into, like... crafting individual sentences and using sensory language to convey an experience. also ALSO i do think i’m good at writing in-character banter/dialogue and understanding the natural speech patterns of the characters i’m writing. writing two people sitting down and having a conversation might be my favorite part of writing ever.

spicy tangential opinion: okay............ this is 100% about my own personal preference for my own writing, but......... eliot loves calling himself daddy. quentin loves it when eliot calls himself daddy. HOWEVER...... quentin will never in a million years call eliot daddy out loud. it will simply Never Happen. my apologies to eliot ‘now that you mention it i do need someone else calling me daddy’ waugh.

tagging @nellie-elizabeth @rubickk7 @inmediasres-1 @phoenix-ascended @thelucindac and whoever else wants to play 💖

[ellewords]

(from the last ask i sent) i’ve been doing well and i hope you are too!! i’ve come across so much birthday fanarts for oikawa and WAUGH he’s so beautiful i love him i love his fanarts

THAT SVT 5TH ANNIVERSARY VIDEO WAS JUST THEM ROASTING EACH OTHER LMAOOO i really liked joshua first coming out and imitating jun by acting all sleepy with his arms tucked in his shirt and jun’s like AYE WAIT as well as when jun says that sleepy/drowsy eyes like his are sexy (2:11) because i could somehow see suna as jun?? like maybe komori is the one that has to imitate him and suna’s like Hey Hold On (vernon in the background silently judging him and saying “what are you talking about??” when jun is answering the staff’s question for him is DEFINITELY atsumu)

MINGHAO HAVING TO IMITATE HOSHI WAS SO FUNNY HE LOOKS DEAD INSIDE WHENEVER HE DOES HOSHI’S TIGER POSE it’s so sakusa looool (I THINK HE’S TURNING RED FROM LAUGHING + EMBARRASSMENT AT 6:35 HELP HIM)

because it’s #OikawaDay and also since you mentioned seventeen i rewatched the playground video you linked in the past, and since you said you could see it with seijoh i decided to do these timestamps with them!! aka my HUGE seijoh four bias comes out in full view lmao

(0:16) kunimi does not approve

(0:29) SEIJOH 4 AS THE "GANGSTERS"

(0:42) I KEEP ON IMAGINING MAKKI AS WOOZI BECAUSE OF THE PINK HAIR LOOOOL imagine makki doing The Woozi Waddle™️

(0:45) iwa accidentally steps on the sandcastle and camera and oikawa is like HEY!!!!!!11!!!!

(1:14) WHAT ARE THEY SO LOUD FOR HELP....

(1:36) OIKAWA AS JEONGHAN DIRECTING KINDAICHI TO GET IWA

(1:59) SEIJOH FOUR AS MINGYU/MINGHAO/JEONGHAN/JUN

(2:18) oikawa is SO jeonghan my goodness

(2:26) OIKAWA AS JEONGHAN AND EVERYONE IMITATING HOW HE SAYS "BIG EYE" WHILE WALKING THREATENINGLY

(3:07) i'm so tempted to say kyoutani as minghao for some reason?? (this part was so cute ahhhh headpats for mister minghao)

(3:31) IWA AS JUN AND OIKAWA AS JEONGHAN

(4:10) MAKKI CLINGING TO THE LITTLE SLIDE STRUCTURE (oikawa/jeonghan: you're in big trouble!!! :3c)

(4:18) MINGYU MATTSUN AGENDA RISE...???

(4:38) vernon as kindaichi and dk as kunimi (he just wants to snack)

(4:52) i keep on saying seijoh four but this video was really made for them

(5:34) MINGYU'S CAMERA TRICK IS 100% SOMETHING ANY OF THE SEIJOH FOUR WOULD DO

(5:55) kunimi hoshi...

(7:31) THIS WAS REALLY CLEVER OF HOSHI LOL since there's four of them (hoshi/s.coups/joshua/jeonghan) i'm really tempted to say it's seijoh four yet again

(8:19) JUST VIBIN

(8:27, 8:38) god i love dk's funny faces he's always so expressive jdjalksda

(9:24) I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS THE FIRST TIME I WATCHED THIS VIDEO I ALMOST CHOKED—🌸💫

aaa glad you're doing well !! but yes they really just straight up roasted each other during their anniversary and nobody held back sasdfghjkl putting more of my thoughts under the cut heh

suna as jun pls makes so much sense ngl also woozi as dino is just *chef’s kiss* esp with the whole electric shaver and “history” bits. makes me think of maybe bo or even kags impersonating hinata. bec coming home in the morning super drunk/hungover and randomly using an electric shaver to sober up is such a hinata thing to do lmao

anyways, the main reason I assigned seijoh with the playground video is because of the seijoh four so I'm honestly glad you were able to associate a lot of moments with them hahahah also the playground thing just strikes me as something oikawa would want to do as a sort of “team-building” thing and everybody groans when he pitches the idea but everyone actually ended up having a lot of fun by the end of the day :>>

(0:16) ngl yahaba would probably be seungkwan

(0:29) YES YES ABSOLUTELY AND IT’S ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OIKAWA’S IDEA TO HAVE THEM COME IN LIKE THAT

(0:42) pls that tall-ass man trying to waddle ?? the cutest thing

(0:45) yes and kunimi as wonwoo going “that’s not 500000 won”

(1:14) idk either but I love ‘em also oikawa as that babie!jeonghan is so fitting

(1:36) PLS IWA WOULD BE ALL “DAMNIT SHITTYKAWA” >:(

(1:59) oh a hundred percent and the rest of team just cackling in the distance

(2:18) HE REALLY IS AND I LOVE THIS EVEN MORE BEC IT WOULD ALSO MAKE IWA CHEOL AND IT’S FITTING TOO BEC THEY’RE BOTH STRONG BOYS WHO TAKE CARE OF THEIR MEMBERS

(2:26) yes !! but also : kindaichi hiding behind the camera man uwu

(3:07) hao’s hair is so floof and looks so soft during this part would give him unlimited head pats 

(3:31) honestly makes sense wt iwa’s arm strength and chaos being oikawa

(4:10) I let out the biggest uwu 

(4:18) IM HERE FOR IT !!

(4:38) I also wanna say mad dog as hoshi not caring about everything and just going through the snacks. 

(4:52) hear me out : oikawa - mingyu, mattsun - cheol, shua - iwa, woozi - makki

(5:34) my money’s on mattsun tbh hehe

(5:55) !!!! definitely

(7:31) big brain hoshi wbk I wanna say iwa as hoshi for this one because I just feel it in my bones and also everyone just naturally listens to him so if he says you moved, you will move. 

(8:19) cute

(8:27, 8:38) he really is !! we stan

(9:24) BIG MATTSUN VIBES FROM THIS NGL

[campchitaquamemories]

What are your top 10 Queliot moments?

Nonny, thank you so much for waiting patiently for this one! 

I was just going to write out a list (after I got done being EXTREMELY stumped because- you expect me to just pick 10??! Rude.) but then I realized that I just hit 600 followers (what?!), and I wanted to do something a bit more to say thank you to all of you for putting up with me while I’m on my bullshit. So I went back through my favorite episodes and made some gifs for you, too! 

Here you go. Hope you like it!!

Gigi’s Top 10 Queliot Moments (YMMV):

10. This is from 1x03, Consequences of Advanced Spellcasting, and… it’s such a great breathing space. This whole episode, the Eliot + Quentin sideplot to retrieve the book was a delight, and it only happened because Eliot is so far gone on this boy. He could have taken literally any of the Physical Kids with him, but no, he’s got a crush on the super cute nerd that just moved in and so it HAS to be Q that comes with him. Eliot is highkey flirting with Quentin here, both as emotional support, and - I will maintain until my dying day - if Kady hadn’t blown the hinges off that door he was planning to make a move on Q that afternoon.

9. I have so many feelings???? This is from 2x01, Knight of Crowns. Things are complex interpersonally between the whole gang right now, but out of everyone parting ways with Eliot, Q is who we get to see saying goodbye. Eliot is actually high king now, and he’s not any less depressed, or damaged emotionally or mentally. It didn’t immediately fix him like he wanted (much like how magic didn’t immediately fix Quentin, but that’s a meta for another time), and now he’s staring down being all that and an unknown future ruling this frankly odd kingdom (from books he apparently never bothered to read? El, baby. SMH.) potentially for the rest of his life without his friends. The two of them are so tender, Q initially leaning against Eliot to provide support, and then he doesn’t hesitate even a moment when Eliot asks for a hug. What at that point could be the very last hug he ever gets from Quentin in this lifetime. There is such a depth of feeling here between the two of them and I’m so glad the show gave us this (in S2! I’m!).

8.  1x11, Remedial Battle Magic. Look at our babies and how happy they are?! I know they’re drunk on wine and emotions and about to seriously fuck their friendships up, but have they ever gotten a moment to breathe and be happy in each other’s presence since this? They haven’t. It’s been arguments and recriminations and quests and beasts and averting world-ending disasters since they woke up from this night. So I treasure this moment of soft smiles and touches (even Margo, I am not opposed to Marqueliot in this list at all). And of course, the threesome it is leading up to, and all of the implications and interpretations of that night that they take forward into the series with them.

7. “I’m trying to tell you, you are not alone here.” From 1x02, The Source of Magic, this bonding scene has always felt very profound to me. These two boys have literally known each other, what, less than a week now? And here is Eliot “feelings are for other people” Waugh, opening up about his past traumas to try and connect with Quentin. The only other person we’ve ever seen him do this with is Mike - Eliot’s other love interest - and we know he told Margo during their Trials. This is Q confessing his biggest fear - that if he loses magic, he will lose his tenuous hold on his mental health - and Eliot reciprocating that confession: inducting Q into the very, very select circle of Eliot’s confidantes. This is each of them accepting some measure of comfort from the presence and understanding of the other, and a moment that underpins their entire relationship from this moment forward.

6. I’m cheating with this one, but I wanted to show both sides of this dynamic, and Quentin and Eliot have not had a chance to fight for their relationship together in the main timeline yet, so these will have to work for now. The first gif is from 4x06, A Timeline and Place, and the second is from 3x13, Will You Play With Me? It’s so, so important to see these moments - even if our boys are dumb and they don’t start fighting until the very last second - when they are willing to lay down everything, and burn down the world for each other. Quentin will NOT let the Monster kill Eliot’s body, and Eliot will NOT let Quentin throw away his future to play jailer to a sociopathic child-god. When push comes to shove, they will choose each other every time. Now if we could only get them to do that when the stakes aren’t life and death, am I right?

5. Another moment from 2x01, Knight of Crowns. This coronation scene is just… Remember that they are fractured leading up to this: we’re coming right off of the fall out from the threesome, and Eliot has been spiraling for episodes now. But then we get this super tender declaration from Quentin: “So, destiny is– it’s bullshit…. For what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be a really good king.” And Eliot’s eyes just, light up, his whole face lifts. Because here is someone who believes in him, wholly and truly. Even after everything they just fucked up together, and separately, Q (someonee good and true) has faith in Eliot, and it’s infectious. They’re both looking at each other here like no one else exists in the world, like nothing is important in this moment except each other. And thats?? Beautiful?!

4. I fucking love this shot. Q kicking over those tiles and then saying “Oops.” is a whole-ass mood. Okay, so this is obviously from 3x05, A Life in the Day, and I could easily have made and entire top 10 list of JUST moments from this sequence because it’s all SO AMAZING. The beauty of all life, amiright? But this moment is so important to me. Making a conscious choice, every day to choose this quest and choose each other takes a toll. Ask anyone you know who’s been in a committed relationship for years. Sometimes it’s just fucking hard. They’ve been at this for so long that their clothes from Earth (which, I’ll remind you, they were still wearing at their 1 year anniversary) have worn thin, and they’re wearing traditional Fillorian garb. This was supposed to be over years ago, but they’re still going.  And Q is struggling. And Eliot is struggling. And they argue, but neither of them walks away. I always have to stop and pause at this part of the episode, because this is so domestic and realistic that it makes me cry. And if I start crying here, I’m useless for the rest of the sequence once we get to Arielle and Teddy.

3. 1x01, Unauthorized Magic. So, so many people have talked about Q and El’s first meeting, how Eliot spread himself out on the Brakebills sign elegantly and Quentin’s one bisexual braincell shorted out to the point where, for a moment, he couldn’t even words. But I so rarely see people talk about this moment, when Quentin asks Eliot if he’s hallucinating. This look, right here, is so soft, and sweet. I’m sure Eliot gets hit on all the time, and he was 100% flirting with Quentin when he jumped off that sign and gave him an “I could eat you up” once over. But this is the moment Eliot decided that Margo needed to know about the cute new boy who thought Eliot was exactly the kind of person he would dream into existence, if he made those kinds of decisions. Right here. The beginning of it all.

2. Back to 3x05, A Life in the Day, and if you’re surprised this is my #2 moment you must be new here. This is a kiss that has been brewing for a long time. One not rooted in emotion bottles, and not one that can be passed off as being too drunk to know what you’re doing. Quentin sets his cup down, and starts to say something, but ends up finishing his thought with this kiss. It’s short, but not tentative, and Eliot is… look at his face. He’s surprised, because he’s pretty sure they fucked up their chances at this a season and a half ago. But Q is there and he’s not apologizing and he’s not panicking, and that gives Eliot the courage to reach out and pull Q back in. And for a little while, it’s not about the quest, it’s not about defeating a monster, it’s not about fixing anything they’ve fucked up. This is just about them. 

1. “Fifty years. Who gets that kind of proof of concept? Peaches and plums, motherfucker. I’m alive in here!” 4x05, Escape from the Happy Place.So, this scene is where I live now, my trashcan, if you will, with these dumb boys and their dumb faces. Eliot’s absolutely perfect timing, and his delight to see Quentin is just- Just beaming out of his face here. This is the first of many chances he’s going to have to set the record straight, and he does it with style. This was a declaration of love - peaches and plums - and one that only Eliot would be able to give, and only Quentin would be able to understand. Q has been so beat down and defeated this episode, like he’s walking through a world that has faded into black and white, but we can see the moment he understands and the light comes back into his eyes. “Eliot’s alive. He’s alive.”

Honorable mentions to: “I’m Team Eliot.”, “Could I maybe have Eliot back?”, “I find you, and I don’t say magic is real, but I do seduce you”, and the extended throne room scene from 3x05/4x05 - which only didn’t make the list because I couldn’t pick a single shot to slice up for a gif.

[swordtsukiyama]

Gonna add some Owain support excerpts here. Also if you've got time I'd recommend watching his voiced supports in the Warriors spinoff!

With Robin

• Owain: ...I leap into the center of the enemy formation, blade drawn, and spin! I'm no longer a man, but a whirling dervish of death and steel!

• Robin: What are you doing, Owain?

• Owain: Oh, greetings, Robin. I'm chronicling the saga of Owain Dark, Avenger of Righteous Justice. It's a tale of blood and honor and me being generally amazing.

• Robin: Owain Dark?

• Owain: A title bestowed upon me by the masses, born of equal parts fear and love! What began as rumor soon became legend, and my name spread throughout the world!

• Robin: Do people actually call you that? I mean, real people? Who exist?

• Owain: ...Not yet. But they will!

With Lissa

• Owain: Here, have a look at these.

• Lissa: Wowzers! This is quite a list! Okay, lemme see... "Gryphonsbane Edge." "Fell Ballista." "Staff of Deep Hurting." ...Owain, this list goes on for 20 pages!

• Owain: Twenty-six. And if you don't find one you like, I can always whip up more.

• Lissa: Choose them for what? What am I even looking at here?

• Owain: Names! ...Er, for your armament.

• Lissa: What? Don't you think these are a little overblown for a run-of-the-mill weapon?!

• Owain: There's nothing run of the mill about it! At the point that it's YOU wielding it, a weapon deserves a name no less grand!

• Lissa: Hmm, yeah, I think I'll pass. These just aren't me.

• Owain: But without a name, your weapon will forever remain some mundane object! How can I rely on a mere tool to keep you safe in the heat of battle?

• Lissa: AWWW!

• Owain: Wh-what? What did I say?

• Lissa: Oh, Owain, you sweet boy! Let Mama give you a hug!

• Owain: Waugh! L-let go! You're choking me!

With Inigo

• Inigo: And how are you today?

• Owain: Busy! ...Which I would have thought was obvious.

• Inigo: Ah, I'm sorry. Perhaps I'll come back when you're done playing.

• Owain: Hey! This is serious!

• Inigo: Seriously...childish? Seriously...embarrassing?

• Owain: Seriously none of your business! Now leave me alone. ...Seriously.

• Inigo: Sigh.

• Owain: Okay, just stop. You're not even sighing. You're just saying the word "sigh." Maybe that's why all those girls keep turning you down.

• Inigo: You're guaranteed to lose 100% of the jousts you never attend, my friend. Perhaps you should name your next move, "Eternal Chastity."

• Owain: Sure, why not? I've got the perfect teacher for it right in front of me!

With Niles

• Niles: Look, I'm not one to beat around the bush. I'm going to ask you outright.

• Owain: There's something you wish to ask me? To show such interest... Can it be? Tell me, Niles... Are you also a ward of darkness? Do you hide your true power?!

• Niles: Cut the theatrics, Owain.

• Owain: R-right. Consider them cut.

[elenajohansenreads]

How Many Have You Read?

The BBC estimates that most people will only read 6 books out of the 100 listed below. Reblog this and bold the titles you’ve read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkein

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffeneger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

34 Emma – Jane Austen

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis [why is this listed separately when #33 is the complete series, oh well, that one can count for the rest of the books, I have read all of them]

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52 Dune – Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses – James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession – AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel

83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94 Watership Down – Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

38, not bad. Like the list I did yesterday, there are a handful on here I attempted and DNF’d too early to consider them “read” for this purpose (even if I reviewed them for why I DNF’d them.) A few more are already on my TBR, and after looking over a few I hadn’t heard of at all or only knew a little about, I’m adding Possession to the list.

[dpb-portrait]

One Thousand Portraits.

It might be hubris to start a project with the name ‘One Thousand Portraits’ though I felt similarly daunted about the last project. 

The aim is one thousand photos, my hope is that some people will be in multiple portraits. I already have some ideas for themes / subjects, and I expect that more may emerge organically as the project develops. 

The ideas I’ve had so far are:  

Applying the Face

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock - T. S. Eliot

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. 

Oscar Wilde

My Happy Place

I should like to bury something precious in every place where I've been happy and then, when I'm old and ugly and miserable, I could come back and dig it up and remember.

Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

Here is my Heart, Guard it Well

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.

Letters to a Young Poet - Rainer Maria Rilke

Prized Possession / Rubbish / Show me your junk! 

...Garbage! Trash! Offal! Debris! Come and get it! Nothing whole or undamaged! Crap, tripe, and useless piles of shit. You know you want it.

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

Boundary Conditions

We all like to congregate at boundary conditions. Where land meets water. Where earth meets air. Where bodies meet mind. Where space meets time. We like to be on one side, and look at the other.

Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams

Get your Glad Rags on

Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There's no how-to road map to style. It's about self expression and, above all, attitude

Iris Apfel 

And it feels like Home

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone

I hear you call my name

And it feels like home

Like a Prayer - Madonna

The Modified Body

Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man's features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrute them.

Walden - Henry David Thoreau 

100 Strangers

“Take 100 photographs of at least 100 people you don’t know by approaching them, asking for permission”

[serenity-the-firefly]

oh yes the star trek penntin au YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR

ok i was gonna go to bed but i was INSPIRED (thanks @claireiskoal)

Penny and Quentin are at the starfleet academy at the same time

obviously they are still roommates

obviously Penny still HATES quentin’s guts

heck Penny could even still be psychic and/or a traveler, if he’s part of another species

Penny is in medical; Quentin in engineering

Julia is also at starfleet but is in a super rigorous scientific research course and gets fastracked onto one of the more prestigious star ships

Penny’s original plan is to ship out to an underdeveloped outer colony and become a doctor there

but Quentin is looking for Adventure and signs on with one of the exploratory deep space missions

Penny (rightly) assumes that Quentin will probably do something very dumb and get himself killed if allowed to go off on his own, so VERY GRUMPILY ends up signing on with the same crew, the crew of the Starship Brakebills

i mean also the pay’s way better than a backwater colony, and he gets to see the galaxy, and actually Penny is a pretty good doctor and the Starship Brakebills was looking to recruit him anyways but ALSO i am doing this for YOU and YOUR sorry ass so you better be GRATEFUL, COLDWATER.

“jesus penny i can take care of myself, and it’s not like you wouldnt be happy if i died anyways”

“yeah but i like having you around because it makes me feel better about myself. also i can’t wait to give you one of those heavy-duty vaccines and watch you scream like a baby”

he absolutely is NOT doing this because after all this time he’s kinda gotten used to Quentin. Or that Quentin is possibly the closest friend he has. Or it’s hard to fall asleep without the background noise of Quentin’s mind. And definitely not because he feels stupidly protective of the reckless idiot and would hate to see him get hurt ESPECIALLY if he couldn’t yell at him afterwards.

Quentin is also glad that he’s gonna have one person-friend-guy on the ship. Penny is actually a pretty good friend, it turns out. But it’s not like he’s ever going to tell Penny that.

SO ANYWAYS

they’re on a SPACESHIP 

stuck together for FIVE LONG YEARS

Penny is THRILLED (not).

penny is not a huge fan of space

quentin, conversely, is the happiest he’s ever been: He’s on a BOAT! in SPACE!!!

the crew of the Brakebills goes thusly:

Captain Henry Fogg

Second-in-command, Helmsman Eliot Waugh (in command gold, of course)

Third-in-command Chief Science Officer Margo Hanson (but why not command? you may ask. Because Margo is actually very smart and very practical, and I like to think that she has a lot of unexpected aspects to her character, like being a physics major in undergrad. Also I like the idea of Eliot and Alice manning the helm together.)

Navigator Alice Quinn

Comms officer Kady Orloff-Diaz (no one is...100% sure why Kady has this job, especially since as she’s good at fighting and stuff she’s often part of the away team making it hard for her to man the comms. but she’s also terrifying so no one questions it.)

minor crewmembers:

Josh, obviously a science officer, specializing in Space Botany. (more specifically: Space Weed.) 

Todd, a red shirt. you know that one guy from galaxy quest who spends the whole movie convinced he’s gonna die and also doesn’t have a name? thats todd.

Alright I’ll be honest with you I really didn’t get much farther than this, but I CAN tell you that HIJINKS ENSUE

SPACE HIJINKS

all the usual great star trek stuff e.g.:

We Were Supposed to be Diplomatic But Oops Started an Uprising

Prime Directive? Never Heard of Her.

TIME TRAVEL

We May or May Not Have Convinced This Civilization That We Are Gods

Oh Shit (insert thingy here) Broke

Mysterious Distress Signal

A Tense Clash with Another Non-Federation Species (That Is Definitely Not an Allegory for the Current Political Climate)

MIRRORVERSE!!!

gay

Philosophical Speech About How All Life Has Value, And There is Always Hope And Beauty to Be Found in this Universe

anyways quentin and penny end up happily married in space the END

[heatwa-ves]

@asherasgayagenda okay SO. idk how much you know about the persona series but essentially a persona is like a manifestation of the self it's like a stand but less weird and all the personas are based on both tarot cards and mythological figures like the mc of p3 has the persona orpheus etc

the ways of summoning personas differ in each game persona 5 has the characters ripping off a mask thats fused to their face there's lots of blood it's pretty cool and also like. thematically appropriate because the game is centred around rebellion and rejection of corrupt society and societal norms etc. persona 4 has the characters crush a tarot card it's kind of lame honestly especially compared to the other games and because p4 has a main theme of facing the dark parts in you and accepting them that's what allows someone to summon their persona but regardless there's the theme of accepting who you are and not hiding parts of yourself ie. repressed homosexuality for kanji (and arguably yukiko and yosuke. and chie. and naoto about his gender. actually a lot of this game is about being queer and it's handled very badly) ANYWAYY back to my point.

persona 3s summoning method requires shooting oneself in the head with an 'evoker' which is a thing that looks like a gun acts like a gun and is essentially a magic gun.

now I can't speak for the thematic relevance of this yet because I'm uh. fifteen hours into a 100+ hour long game so I haven't covered much of the story yet but a lot of the themes I've picked up so far are around death, grief and the past. one of the first scenes of the game is yukari in her room trying desperately to use the evoker but she's terrified and can't bring herself to pull the trigger. later on she and the protagonist minato are in battle for the first time and again she can't find it in herself to pull the trigger so she gets knocked unconscious by the enemy and drops the gun at minatos feet and he's able to do it with pretty much no hesitation and he even smiles which uhm. girl anything you wanna share about your mental state??? anyway he's not intending to die here but regardless it takes a Lot to do that so easily.

it's been a while since I played the other games so I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure the summoning is a one time thing when a person first awakens their persona but in P3 it's Every Fucking Attack. these characters are going through the motions of committing suicide every time they use their persona which is uh. A lot. and it's terrifying at first but the more it happens the easier it becomes it's second nature by now they don't even flinch! and that is the scary part to have become so numb to self destruction that you barely even think about it as you do it. waugh. someone I follow said they hated persona 3 because of the nihilism and I'm not far enough into it yet to pass judgement on that but so far I'm really enjoying it I think it's interesting.

I know it's not an actual gun but the motion of repeatedly shooting oneself in the head has got to fuck up these guys like it's scary when you're first trying to do it but it's even scarier when you get used to it and are able to pull the trigger without a second thought

[sadlittlenerdking]

THE TODD CONSPIRACY FACTS AND EVIDENCE

Okay motherfuckers. Todd is 100% (AND YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT PRECENTAGES!) Eliot’s younger brother.

Let me set the scene. Eliot Waugh is the oldest brother, he has one younger sibling. He gets called in for a test one day when heading out to the barn. Gets admitted to Brakebills University, and meets with the dean. The dean tells him he has undeniable power, his telekinesis is remarkable, and he belongs at a school called Brakebills. He knows what mistakes Eliots made, and he knows about his home life, and he can give Eliot a way out. 

And Eliots ready to accept. Except. He has a little brother back home, right? A little brother who will take the brunt of all their fathers abuse that Eliot’s been taking. The abuse that probably powers Eliot’s power. So he tells the dean, he’ll come on one condition. And the dean sits there like, “This isn’t a negotiation.”

And Eliot kind of just scoffs and says, “Everything in life is a negotiation if you know what you’re doing.” and through sheer tenacity and stubbornness, Eliot convinces Fogg to let his younger brother, a squib, come to Brakebills with him. They tell Todd he has magic, yada yada.

They get to Brakebills. It’s your typical older brother-younger brother scenario. Younger brother is embarrassing and clingy, and you want to set yourself an entirely new identity. So you make some ground rules.

1. At school they don’t know each other.

2. Todd doesn’t get the last name.

3. Again -- at school they don’t know each other.

But, then comes the night where secrets get all revealed and shit, and Eliot has to reveal that his biggest fear is letting his little brother down. Endangering him. because they’re in this magic school, and Eliot’s accidentally killed people with magic before, what if that happens to Todd? So Margo? Margo knows. and margo keeps it a secret. They don’t even tell TODD. (Todds biggest fear is his big brother getting hurt, but he NEVER mentions his brothers name). This culminates in their “first meeting” where Todd’s trying to bond with his older brother, and not let on to his brothers friend that they’re brothers--but she knows.

And they tease him. Rewatch that scene as if Todd is Eliot’s secret brother. Think about it. Looks a little surprised, but not really. “Okay you guys are just messing with me--” slight horror. 

Todd steals Eliot’s clothes. Like a little brother would.

Todd tries to emulate Eliot -- Drugs, parties, alcohol--all things Eliot gets annoyed by him doing. 

Margo is actually nice to him, but she also treats him like a little brother, because in a way--hes her brother too. So she does invite him to ibiza. She bonds with him, tells him she knows the truth. They’re friends-ish.

Eliot hates that they get along.

Todd tries to get high because Eliot gets high. But he has no idea where to start.

He’s always just a call away -- always willing to help or enthuse or entertain. 

Eliot is annoyed every time Todd tries to “usurp” him but Margo finds it endlessly entertaining. She says his name and he gets annoyed--and she finds it hilarious. 

Eliot goes missing. Todd takes the margolem. Todd has every reason to believe that Eliot is dead. He says he just talks to the margolem and pretends she respects him? Because Margo is the only living link between him and his missing brother. 

Eliot comes back and Todd drops everything.

Todd is dean foggs assistant, right? See anyone else helping Fogg out? See Fogg willing to let anyone else help him out? 

Have you ever seen Todd do any magic?

Eliot trusts his wife and daughter to Todd. Of all people. WIthout hesitation or worry, he leaves him with Todd. Trusts Todd to protect them. And not once in the time that never happened does he mention being worried about fray and fen--because he knew they were safe. 

Margo trusts Todd with their hostage plan. Though misguided, she could have just hidden them and not told anyone, and it would have gone off without a hitch. But he’s a part of the family, and she wanted to include him.

How does everyone know immediately that the Todd in the Josh dream scape isn’t Todd? 

Todd being chosen as the person to imitate in the first place?

Todd accidentally calling Eliot dad? It’s fucking simple--Eliot’s the only person who’s ever fucking cared for him, and he’s spent the past day with his sister in law and neice and it just slips out because his brother is a DAD.

Todd knowing exactly how the first meeting with Quentin happened? (And missing a few minor details like the card supposed to be in the breast pocket--details Eliot would have left out when retelling the story). Brothers tell each other when they meet people they think will be important.

Like. ITS ALL RIGHT THERE. IT’s all in canon. Every line, every set, every moment, has alluded to Todd -- INCLUDING TODD NOT HAVING A LAST NAME-- being Eliot’s younger brother.