#ominous and/or magic dreams be damned

[dewdropdinosaur]

Kinktober Day 14: Collaring

Summary: Alastor had carved out a nice little undead life for himself.  Drawn by the intoxicating allure of power and freedom from the mundane, he had willingly sold his soul to you, believing it would grant him unimaginable strength. And that comes back to bite him, like you always do. Warnings: Collaring, pet names, dom-sub dynamics, slight dub-con implications, use of magic as restraints, etc. MDNI, 18+. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Kinktober Mention of the Day: @tarokitsu

It was true, Alastor had carved a nice undead life for himself. Once a mere mortal with dreams of violent grandeur, he had stumbled face first into the fiery pits of Hell. Damn his way of death but then again so was life, or so the joke went. Roaming around aimlessly with no where to go, his undead life was truly in the hands of fate. The source of his power a mystery to all but you, the powerful overlord of chaos. Drawn by the intoxicating allure of power and freedom from the mundane, he had willingly sold his soul to you, believing it would grant him unimaginable strength. It did, for the most part. Years had passed since Alastor’s hand had wrapped in your glowing red ones, and he thrived in the chaotic realm, his reputation growing. He reveled in mischief, manipulating the very fabric of Hell, yet the memory of his pact lingered in the back of his mind like an unwelcome guest. You would often visit every couple months or so, caressing the edges of him mind with a gentle reminder of his pledges to you. 

Alastor, you will be an obidient and loyal servant till his undead live end and in return, I shall grant you power not even the King of Hell himself can comprehend. 

And so the years went on. Amid a chaotic feast of souls, Alastor was plotting his next broadcast without a care in the world. The dimming light of the Hellish day was coming to an end and so were the daily activities of the Radio Demon. A perfect time to stir the pot. Your form appeared in a swirling mass of shadows and light, eyes glinting like red supernovas in a void. Soon, Alastor’s evening revelry faded, and a palpable tension filled the air as you surveyed your domain.

“Alastor,” you called, voice a melody that both thrilled and haunted him. “It’s time to fulfill your end of our agreement.”

He straightened, a confident grin plastered on his face, masking the dread bubbling beneath. “Of course, my lady! I’ve been quite busy, you know. So many souls, so little time.”

Your gaze sharpened, and he felt the weight of your intent. “You think your tricks and games can postpone your payment? I need more than your fleeting soul capturing.” The atmosphere shifted as you advanced, a whirlwind of chaotic energy swirling around you. 

Alastor’s bravado faltered. “Payment? Surely, I’ve given enough in my service!”

In an instant, you summoned a red collar with a snap of your wrist, shimmering with dark energy. It coiled like a serpent in your grasp, a symbol of submission and power intertwined. You tsked softly, a small smirked coming to form maliciously on your features. “We play this game every time my dear. Every. Single. Time. Don’t you get bored of the disodience?”

Alastor’s heart raced. He had danced on the edge of fear and arousal, and was soon finding himself falling off the deep end of the latter. “Y/N, please—”

 “This is your due. A token of your servitude. You will wear it willingly, or I will make you.”

Before Alastor could finish a strangled plea, you moved with a speed that left him breathless, the collar snapping around his neck. The moment it closed, a surge of power coursed through him, forcing him to his knees. The chain linked to the collar glinted ominously, tethering him to you will. You admired the way he looked beneath you, so beligerant. He always was in the beginning but after years of this little game, you knew just how to make him keel. How to beg and plead to have any modicum of friction, how his eyes would tear up in ecasty as you made him find a demeanted form of heavenly release time after time. You revelved in that sight, in the luxury of seeing such a man as him bend and break under your will and cry for more. 

“Look at you,” you purred, the thrill of dominance evident in you voice. “You were so eager for power, yet now you kneel, bound by the very thing you sought to control.”

Alastor swallowed hard, a mix of attraction and acceptance swirling within him. He had gambled with his soul, and now he faced the oh-so delicious consequences. 

With that, you tugged the chain, pulling him closer. Alastor felt his pride start to wither away, yet he couldn’t ignore the strange thrill coursing through him. His ears laid flush against his head, clawed hands coming to grip the floorboards beneath him. He loved when you tugged on his chain, the pain shot through him in a sick sense of sadistic pleasure that never failed to make him hard. Craning your head down, eyes now level with his, you stood over him with a shit-eating grin and a imposing figure. 

“Now my pet, shall we play?” 

He couldn’t resist when your lips crashed onto his, sealing his eternal damnation to you and you alone. 

[stephofromcabin12]

🤫

Ahem:

Dionysus hid in his own home during that time between HOO and TOA 5 like the dad in arrested development until Zeus spotted him out and about and sent him back.

Hera has a swear jar on Olympus. It’s most frequently brought out during game nights.

Hermes has the loudest, most obnoxious ring tones. Several because he has multiple phones.

Ares is directly responsible for reddit’s existence. He’s not aware of this. He’s also banned from 9897996 subreddits. He’s started double that amount.

Apollo’s main strategy of getting out of conversations with people is to pretend to text and go “uuuhhhhmm” *taptaptaptaptaptap* “weeeellll, hmmm, uuhhhhhhhh” *taptaptaptaptap* until they get angry and give up trying to talk to him.

You’re most likely to run into Hermes, Apollo and Artemis at a gym (Artemis is just there looking for potential hunters)

You might assume Ares would be there but he’s not. He’s casually dropping into arenas and hotels that athletes stay at while playing for tournaments. And sports bars. So many sports bars.

He used to go to the olympic village but he got too distracted by the games to even bother picking up potential mortal partners.

Apollo had a plant phase (“nymphs dig plants, right?”) didn’t last long.

Artemis attracts cats and does not understand why, considering she’s hanging out with wolves all the time.

Hecate likes to send her unclaimed kids those tarot “this was meant to find you” readings everywhere with specific hints that she’s connected to them, to see if they figure it out. She also will only communicate through scrying and magic rather than IM’s, and gets very offended when her children don’t pick up on it at all. Her version of “cause you’re always on that damn phone” is “You never use your intuition!!”

Hypnos has shown up in his kids’ dreams multiple times, in various forms. Hey, gotta take advantage of unseen ways of checking in on ‘em right. He’ll visit other’s children if he’s asked nicely and you catch him in the right mood. More gods have asked him to do this than they’d care to admit.

Dionysus can identify the year and grape of a wine just by hearing it poured.

Aphrodite is unapologetically on all dating apps, and is unafraid to message any of her kids she sees, as well as demigods in general, just to say hi. She’ll sometimes say something ominous as if she’s seen their interests and is making ~plans~ for their future in love. She knows they’re mortified, that’s why she does it.

I see trash canon Ares and raise you: Coach dad Ares. Your classic coach dad. He’s arguing with their actual football coaches, he’s grilling after a victory, he’s putting kids in headlocks and ruffling their hair. His leather jacket may or not crinkle due to the Werther’s originals he carries around. He does the reach around snack hand on the solstices during the presentations.

At those solstice meetings every year, the gods have a nymph secretary to whisper their kids’ names in their ear in case they forget.

Ares has had the same dog for 4000 years. Its unclear if its really the same dog he’s kept around or if he simply gets the same kind of dog every-time the last one dies and names it the same name. It’s called Thyella or “Ty” for short.

This is just like— headcanon but I like the idea of the gods not only being distant and emotionally unavailable bc they’re bad parents but also bc they’re just: extremely confused by humans. Especially modern humans. They can’t keep up. They’re perplexed at the speed at which their demigod kids pick up, and leave behind, things, phrases and trends. And they hate not knowing things, and even worse, not being considered cool by their kids (where’s the honor in that?). So they feign disinterest but the easiest way to piss them off is to make something up and go “oh you don’t know about that? Mom/Dad that’s ancient news!” When they ask what you’re talking about.

Similarly my favorite headcanon for them is that they’re deities, as in, they’re not human. They’re unquantifiable. They’re at times almost creature like? Like, they’re confusing and everchanging and Other. There’s something distinctly Not Human about them, even when they’re trying to come across as one. A mortal might find it alluring, a demigod will probably find it slightly disturbing, especially when they occasionally catch a glimpse of it in themselves.

Demigods, because of this, also come across as almost not human to others at times. There’s something off about them. Its not the ADHD, it’s not the way they never use technology. Its the way they nod sagely in class when discussing ancient myths, like they’ve met the gods themselves or quietly add “psh, yeah they wish” under their breath while watching a documentary.

Its in the way their eyes look purple if the sun hits them just right, before you blink and they go back to their usual blue.

Their reflexes that, despite being so clumsy, are freakishly good under pressure. The sheer strength they have when you know they’ve never set foot in a gym.

Its the way you remember that one time in the second grade when your buddy took a baseball to the face and still to this day you could’ve sworn there was the tiniest swirling of something shimmery reflecting in the blood dripping down over their fingers; microscopic golden specks reflecting in the fluorescent lights on the way to the nurse’s office. You never mentioned it at the time, much too caught up in the drama and excuse to leave P.E early. But you still look at them now, years later, stretching out in the sun like a plant; trying to absorb as much light as possible, scars that they never mention and never acknowledge crossing their abdomen and arms, and you wonder what that’s all about.

In the case of adults, mortals don’t necessarily know that they’re speaking to a god, but there’s something about them that just— feels off. Not bad, not always. Just something in the way they know things that doesn’t make sense. How they seem to appear out of nowhere, appearance always perfect without them even trying. They don’t sweat. They don’t blush. They never run out of things to say. They never lose their way. People seem to just bend around them, like the time the restaurant they took you to was closed early and after a short conversation, the chef reappeared to open the kitchen just for you. Or the time they scored tickets to that sold out concert, or wrestling match. It’s so odd looking back on that fling all those years ago and realising that you dont think they ever showered. Or shaved. Not that it showed on them but that’s still odd right? Or the time they chatted with someone on the phone in a language you didn’t recognize.

“What was that language?” An innocent question, this was before you thought to be suspicious of these things.

“Greek.” They answer, not meeting your eyes.

“I didn’t know your family is from Greece,” you reply, trying to think if they ever mentioned it.

“Oh, we go way back,” they say, changing the subject before you think to ask more questions.

[thatonebirdwrites]

Finally! It took me quite a bit of research to pull off this chapter. It's a pretty crucial one, where many of the threads I'm weaving all start to come together.

Excerpt:

Life refuses to give Lena breaks. 

That’s her first thought when her magic encounters the ominous grey fog. 

Her second thought is: Dammit, not again. Memories of her mother’s death deluge her.

Her third drops her into her CEO role, and she’s on her feet after gathering up remnants of the ritual. She relays orders to Kara and Nia. Doesn’t give them much chance to respond before she’s hurrying toward the car. 

The murmur of nearby voices ride the wind around the tower, this hulking stone structure that clings to the highest part of the Cliffs of Moher. That and the crash of waves feel far too peaceful for the unsettling energy she’d felt. Each time she looks over her shoulder, the fog seems to creep closer but maybe that’s an optical illusion. Fog on the sea near sunset is unusual, though not impossible, at least the science of it.

People may get hurt if that grey fog is anything like her dreams, which is her fourth and a thousand other thoughts. Dreams shouldn’t be real, but they weren’t, were they? They were manifestations of places she’s been before, things she saw as a child, all thrown together in a disturbing dream that has frightening parallels with reality again. 

She refuses to allow anyone to die like her mother did. To do that however, she needs the damn sword, and then she’ll rip apart that fog-person and end this whole aggravating situation.

Her thoughts trickle back to the disturbing vision of her first task: 

The Morrigan steps forward and a wrinkled, sun-burnt hand extends from her sleeve. “The truth has been unveiled, young one. Three days before full moon. Then and only then, seek the forge within Sliabh an Iarainn if you and your friends wish to live.”

Yes, she very much wants them all to live. Her heart cannot take more death right now.

Kara catches up to her. “Lena?” She reaches out and grasps her hand. “What is it? What did you sense?”

The worry in Kara’s voice breaks through Lena’s increasingly stormy thoughts. She flicks her gaze behind them, but the grey fog is still far out at sea, so they have time to make it to the dolmen. “The grey fog. Something walks in it. I have to obtain my mother’s grimorie before it hits us.”

“If it helps,” Nia says behind her, her voice suddenly shy, “it’s not today that it attacks.”

“What?” Lena stops and turns to Nia with a frown. “What do you mean not today?”

“Did you have a true dream?” Kara asks. 

Nia nods. “Earlier, in the car. Saw fog in the shape of an hourglass, us holding hands as we cross a bridge, and a falling tower. The hourglass signifies that we have time but it’s slipping away. The other elements all hint that confrontation is soon, and Lena, if you find the sword…”

“I know,” Lena says, impatiently. “Don’t unsheathe—”

Nia shakes her head. “You must fight with it, but choose your opponent carefully. Because I think, no, I’m sure it’s a fight to the death.” 

To read the full story, click here.

[indireneedofsleeeep]

Dreamling, Aladdin AU part 3 (part 1)

“Is there anything you wish for?” Dream asks, but doesn’t get an answer. The human who summoned him only looks at him, gobsmacked. Some of them do. Unfazed, Dream keeps going, trying a variation of his mandatory line, “Name your wish, Master, as it is my purpose to fulfill them.”

Seconds pass and the human gets out of his torpor. Enough at least for his lips to regain their ability to move and form words. Unfortunately, those words do not form a wish.

“It is... Do I... What?”

Dream refrains from rolling his eyes.

“I am the Genie of the Lamp,” he repeats, “You summoned me.”

“I did?”

“You did.” Obviously, this human has little knowledge of wish granting genies. Which was probably to be expected. The passing of time is hard to estimate inside a lamp, but Dream wouldn’t be surprised if centuries had gone by since the last time his services had been requested. “What you own is no common lamp, but a magical one. You rubbed it, and I appeared, as I will each time you do it again.“

Still hesitant, the human must have come to grips with at least some of what Dream told him, for he points at the lamp on the ground as if to make sure they are on the same page.

“This lamp is magical,” he starts, and, when his point doesn’t get refuted, he continues, “and you say I own it...as in it belongs to me...”

Humans and semantics!

“Whoever holds the lamp owns it. From their first summoning and until their third wish has been granted.”

“So, finding the lamp means you get to command a genie, eh,” says the human, who sounds like he’s just understood not only Dream’s explanation but some private mystery that has been bothering him as well. “And you mentioned three wishes, right? Does it mean... I can really ask for whatever I want?”

Disbelief, another human classic, but a somewhat refreshing one. The last people Dream’s been around didn’t question the existence of genies, nor their capacities. He can even remember a small town whose community had mandated a champion to find the lamp and bring it back. They had then waited in line to use it. Dream couldn’t tell how many wishes he did grant on that day, safe that it was a multiple of three.

The only advantage was that, in those times, he didn’t need to restate his powers’ restrictions constantly.

“You can ask for everything your imagination can convey, with four exceptions. I can’t kill, I can’t revive, I have no power over love and wishing for more wishes will do nothing but cost you a wish.”

The human doesn’t argue - which is a relief, really - but he makes a rather amusing pout.

“Were you planning on killing someone, Master?”

“Killing? No. ‘Wouldn’t lose a wish for it, anyway. It’s that ‘wishing for more wishes’ thing. Would have been damn convenient...” For a moment, the human’s eyes get lost in the distance as he muses on the fantasy of an unlimited number of wishes. Thought he’s quick to come back down to earth with a resigned sight. “But...yeah, I mean, I understand. Must be kind of boring having to work for the same guy again and again...”

“And Dangerous,” Dream can’t help but add, “that is, for the ‘guy’ who keeps the lamp. People have killed for it, more than once. Use your three wishes, Master, you’ll sleep with less worry.”

Dream is surprised when his ominous warning is only met with a big smile.

“You don’t need to worry about that! Oh, and it’s Hob, by the way. Well, Robert Gadling, actually, but really just Hob.”

Not every lamp user takes the time to introduce themselves. To be honest, Dream doesn’t care that much about their identities, but it is his role to serve them as best as he can; if he is given a name, he is to use it.

“As you please  , Master Gadling.”

At this, the human winces, as if he doesn’t like the sounds of it.

“No, the ‘master’, it...it’s really too weird. Just call me Hob.”

For someone who just had his first supernatural encounter, Hob Gadling accepted the concepts of genie and magic quite easily, all things considered, but it’s the term ‘Master’ on which he stumbles. It could almost bring the shadow of a smile on Dream’s lips.

“As you please, Hob Gadling.”

Hob opens his mouth, as if to add something, before he closes it again, shrugging whatever it was off and offering Dream another smile. Then something flashes in his eyes and his expression change into one of mid-panic.

“Wait, hey, that wasn’t a wish, right? When I told you how to call me?”

Dream does roll his eyes this time. Such a fright at the thought of losing something he didn’t even possess half an hour ago!

“No, it wasn’t. You are still to make your first wish.”

“Ok, ok,” Hob sighs, a hand on his heart to calm his heartbeat, “I’m going to make it now! I’m going to use my first wish!”

“Then you would want to hold the lamp, for that is a requirement.”

Dream watches Hob’s expression come from ‘what lamp?’ to the sudden realisation of ‘oh, that lamp!’. He promptly looks at his feet to spot the discarded artefact - just as Dream himself, the lamp emits its own light, so there is no missing it in the current obscurity - before he grabs it and clutches it to his chest.

“I am listening.”

“I want,” Hob starts, a bright smile back on his features, “to live forever.”

Dream closes his eyes, ‘Not this again!’ echoing in his mind.

To be fair, immortality is not one of the most common wishes. People tend to ask for riches, health, power or a peaceful existence more than for eternal life. Yet, it happens. And, in Dreams' experience, it never ends well. A couple of owners were able to come back on their ill-advised decision using a remaining wish. Those were the lucky ones. And since this Hob Gadling seemed rather alarmed at the thought of having wasted a precious wish...

“Are you sure? This is not a wish one should made lightly.”

“Well, yes, I am sure,” Hob answers, unwavering. If anything, Dream’s intervention only managed to irritated him. “Is it my wish or not? You said I could ask for whatever my imagination could convey. Well that’s it. I don’t want to die. Ever.”

“It was not my intention to question your resolve”, Dream explains more than he apologies, “Others before have asked to escape the gift of Death, only to end up trapped in a life they could never escape. You would be the first not to regret it...”

“Let my surprise you, then!” Hob offers. No, challenges, and isn’t that an unconventional exchange... Anyway, it isn’t Dream’s function to preserve owners from idiocy.

“As you please, Hob Gadling. Wish it then.”

“I do!”  

“You have to use the word, to differentiate your wishes from other expressed desires.”

Hob nods in understanding, takes a deep breath that puffs out his chest and,   as if he’s been ready for this his entire life, he pronounces the fateful words.

“Genie, I wish to live forever!”

“Your wish is my command, Hob Gadling.”  

And, as he must, Dream grants it.

It takes him less than a second and requires no burst of glitter, no dramatic show of lights, not even a snap of his fingers. All Dream has to do is will it. Of course, as most humans, Hob is visibly waiting for nothing less than being struck by lightning as raw power rushes through his body. He manages to wait 9 full seconds.

“So, huh...is it done?”

“It is. Your first wish has been granted.”

“Oh, great, thank you! It’s just that, well, I don’t feel very different...  How do I know it worked?”

“When you realise you don’t age, or when you get killed and survive, should it happen first. Suicide could make a good test but I don’t recommend it. You are immortal, not invulnerable, and you can be hurt.”

Dream has realised a long time ago that the life of a genie consists for a good  part in giving warnings that won’t be taken into account. And indeed, if Hob’s next actions can not strictly be regarded as a suicide, it isn’t too far either.

After making the lamp disappear inside his jacket, he fumbles around in the direction of what Dream can only assume was once the exit of the cave they are confined to. If Dream may have briefly found him refreshing, amusing, surprising even, he now knows it without a doubt: Hob Gadling is a fool.

The way out is blocked by an impressive pile of mud and rocks and the man has visibly decided he was going to unblock it himself, in the dark, with his bare hands for only tools.

“Mast- Hob Gadling, if we are trapped, a wish could safely get us out of here...”

“It’s fine. All I need to do is make those rocks fall further down. Nature is working with me.”

As far as Dream is concerned, it is part of the problem.

“You risk being buried under the rubble.”

“I can’t die, right? I’ll un-bury myself. Or someone will, eventually. I have nothing else to do anyway and I sure can handle a little pain - especially if it means saving a wish!”

When he had been summoned, Dream had hoped to fulfill his duties and go back to the seclusion of his lamp in the shortest possible time. Things didn’t seem to be heading that way...

Hope you liked it! Just wanted to tell you that since this thing is becoming longer (and will take me longer ) than expected, I’ll post it on AO3 from now on ;)

[sydneyofalltrades]

This is for @gay-little-axolotl but also for anyone else interested in my make believe RTC production, leggoooo :)

First things first it’s the 2016 script, bc I’ll be damned if Fall Faire Suite, Ricky’s little intro about fate, and LOVE CONQUERS ALL is removed

Secondly, Ricky has to be played by a disabled actor. Can be any disability, he just needs to be disabled.

Karnak’s Dream of Life

Stylistically, same thing. Jane alone, no head, singing eerily about life. Cuts to black and we see Karnak and he has his explanation

Welcome…

Once again, the same, but Virgil is more or less always around the stage instead of only being seen once, kinda like an ominous reminder that Karnak’s death is approaching. As time goes by, he gets closer and closer to Karnak until the power cable gets severed

Fall Faire Suite

During the projections, we get a split second look at Penny, sort of blink and you’ll miss, kind of so we’re also wondering who she is. Still, her head is covered by the others and the staging for Fall Faire Suite is relatively the same

What the World Needs

Everyone’s wearing shirts that says “Vote Ocean,” the guys are wearing shorts under with the girls wearing skirts.

Ocean herself wears a varsity with a “Vote Ocean” button at the front and a picture of herself in the back, and has a ponytail with a bandana styled like that one “We Can Do It” poster.

Propaganda EVERYWHERE, even the projections say “Vote Ocean”

Mischa holds up a large sign saying “Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg for your vote” when Ocean talks about the Will Smith movie bit

Ricky is forced to wave a flag with Ocean’s face on it

Very patriotic, in Ocean’s favor

After the song everyone runs to the wings to take off the shirts after Ocean tries to win them back (In the order of Constance, Mischa, Noel, Ricky, Jane)

Noel’s interruption of I Love You Guys is when he charges back on stage (it’s dramatic and I love it)

Noel’s Lament

Everyone’s in clothing of the time period, Ocean and Ricky are in suits (something something girls in suits make me feral) and Constance and Jane are in light dresses. Jane has a cute headpiece of the time

They all get ready when Noel’s having that epic monologue rudely interrupted by Karnak

Mischa has a suit slightly different that the rest of them, kinda bc he’s actually a focus character of the song

Ocean’s hair is still in a ponytail bc I love Ocean with a ponytail, it’s just lower now

While Noel does his quick change, Jane passes him those like white feather boas and he wears it until it gets discarded like halfway across the song

He has a knife (prop) for that one line and Ocean takes it and replaces it with a cigarette

I feel like the baby line should be kept, toned down of course

The ending is relatively the same, just more lights. Everywhere

After the song, one by one the choir changes out of their outfits except for Ocean, who just takes off the coat and keeps the rest through Every Story’s Got a Lesson

Every Story’s Got a Lesson

Basically the same, but Ozzie’s in a suit

Yeah she still gets angry when Constance mentions porno

But Ricky actually steps up and protects Constance as he’s saying his “porno is magical” line

And that makes Ocean even more mad

This Song is Awesome

Think a music video filmed in a backyard. With more lights

Everyone’s in a tracksuit. Noel and Jane also have hats, Jane’s is a beanie

Mischa’s tracksuit is gold and black like his hat while the others are blue and white

Ocean once again gives a dude a blunt which is awesome

The lighting is way more in tune with the song, and the kids bring up the objects Mischa raps about (McNuggets, PlayStation, Cristal, all that jazz)

Mischa does toss his hat to Noel and rips open his shirt, it’s a law

Noel takes Mischa’s hat and gives his to Constance

The fan actually works this time (I like the silliness but pls)

After the song Mischa takes off his coat and buttons up his shirt for Talia

Talia

During Mischa’s small moment with Talia, the others get dressed in traditional white and red Ukrainian outfits

When they all arrive on stage, Mischa does his own quick change and arrives again and continues the song

Instead of Talia just being projected onto Jane Doe, she also dances with Mischa as if she was Talia

Then she gets ripped away from him and he does that really heartbreaking part of the song

During the disco bit everyone grabs their sunglasses from TSIA bc yes

They dance around Mischa then race to the wings to get changed again, leaving Mischa alone on stage looking wistfully at the projection of him and his love

Space Age Bachelor Man

Everyone’s in a super ridiculous outfit (obviously not too revealing, but the sexual tones are kinda there)

Depending on the performer’s preference, Ricky can and will use a mobility aid/ASL in his performance

The guys get like half a minute to change bc Ricky doesn’t give them much time, the girls have a little bit longer

Ricky himself has an outfit bedazzled so much you could see the gems from Saturn

Also his top is unbuttoned bc yes

Overall the behind the curtain scene can be prerecorded or done in real time depending on how quick Ricky could change idrk

As usual, Jane runs halfway so she can get ready for TBOJD

Ricky should deffo kiss Ocean, for the fun of it

Uhh something something the guitar solo is done by the Virgil, who’s now wearing a cat mask

The Ballad of Jane Doe

During Jane’s bumper, everyone gets ready and wears funeral wear. Jane, however, is in a gauzy lacy plain white dress, a haunting look for the empty girl

There’s doll imagery everywhere, along with imagery of the coaster going down

Jane still does her flying bit, and the dress really makes it look like she’s a ghost

As she sings on the ground, she tries to get the attention of the others, but none of them respond or even seem to notice her

She reached out to the audience as a way of asking, but obviously no one knows who she is

At the end of the song, everyone just leaves her alone and she’s reaching for them, but no one responds

The New Birthday Song

Everyone’s in their normal uniform except Jane

Constance has two party hats on her buns and everyone else wears one too

Ricky and Noel even put up a small “Happy Birthday” poster using Ocean’s torn propaganda

Jane still gets the cloak and hat, and she’s still confused

After the party, Jane goes to change back, Noel and Mischa have their moment, and Noel actually hugs Mischa instead of just leaning on his shoulder

When Jane comes back, Ricky takes her hand when he offers her the name Savannah

When Jane accepts, he hugs her, but she’s still sort of confused, she does hug him back tho

Sugar Cloud

Everyone’s in jackets of purple with light pink, as Constance monologues one by one they get dressed

Constance herself gets dressed behind the curtain. While the others are singing backup, she gets her pink suit on and has a headband with a small pink hat attached to it, since it won’t sit still on her head

Pink and purple and blue and gold lighting everywhere, and Constance actually gets to be the main singer, with the light rarely focusing on the others

Confetti comes from the top of the stage and pours down on the kids and somehow Karnak has a hat on too

Jane’s little claps at the end of the song stay, they’re too precious

After the song, Ocean says “I’m sorry” out loud instead of a whisper, and Constance forgives her by hugging her

Afterwards, during the final vote, each character removes their jackets and reveals they each have one thing from their songs

Ocean has her big “Vote Ocean” pin on her chest

Noel has his feather boa, which he fashioned as a scarf

Mischa has his hat and the sash(?) from Talia around his waist

Ricky has the headband from his wig along with light up shoes

And Constance had her headband with her hat

Jane had nothing to begin with, so she has nothing now

It’s Not a Game/It’s Just a Ride

As Ocean votes for Jane to come back, she takes her hand and makes her stand in the front of the stage, as a symbolic gesture, she no longer cares for just herself anymore

Jane gets one last hug from Constance before she guides her gently to the other side

Karnak’s death is the same thing, except Virgil is seen as well, he falls to the ground dead

The kids all swap their souvenirs to each other as the song gets lighter, and then returns them back to their rightful owners

Penny’s life is still the same, but it features some mentions of Legoland, and she and Ezra are both seen growing old together

At the end of the song, we see the kids get in their rollercoaster staging as Jane arrives again, floating once more, singing the final bits of the song

Aaaaaand that’s it!! God that was long, hope you enjoy!!

[janetkwallace]

Every media has its ups and downs.

Every season has that episode with dubious quality, every movie has that one scene that makes you go "but that makes no sense", every comic book has that one confusing mess of a retcon... Nothing is perfect, that should be clear. A friend of mine once said that Final Fantasy IX, the game I'll be commenting on today, also one of my favorite games ever, is the "perfect imperfection", and that somehow sticks to me. I'll always think of that quote whenever I think about this game because... It fits so damn well with the way I feel about IX as a whole. 

I was 12, 13, I can't remember very well, but I was young and studying at middle school when I first got to play this game. IX had an impact on me, that I can't deny. I was hooked in by the first moment, from that ominous "dream" Princess Garnet has in the opening to being introduced to each characters (you even get to play as some of them, that's a novelty), the kidnap the princess plot that follows to exiting Alexandria, I wanted to see where Zidane and the party would go next.

Seeing more and more characters being introduced, the plot thickening, the story showing a darker side in contrast to the first hours of comfort that were given during the short stay at Alexandria, it was fascinating, like opening the pages of a book and, on each page, something happens and you wonder what will happen next, only to discover that things do happen, but not in the way you often expect them to. And boy, does this game have lots and lots of dark moments you were not expecting, they come all of sudden, like the scene where you witness Black Mages falling from a cargo ship like liveless dolls or the Burmecian genocide that occurs at the end of the first Disc or a woman who got blind during the battle of Lindblum.

See, this is why IX is a favorite of mine, it's not afraid of doing these things and more. It takes risks by going from a lighthearted mood to utterly soul-crushing moments. Sure, there's darkness, but not without hope, or a silly element in between. It's not a bad game by any means, it still holds up despite being made two decades ago, it's got a great cast of characters, an interesting world, a magical feel right at the start, yet there are things that can be said that are not done well or that are a source of complaint.

There's the battle system that some find to be slow, the lack of difficulty that makes the game a cakewalk for some, the age of the graphics, the unfinishedness felt during the last segments of the game... It's not a perfect game by any means, and to be honest, criticism can't be avoided, even for the things we appreciate and care about. Today, I'm here to comment on that one scene that stood out for me as an example of what makes Final Fantasy IX the "perfect imperfection", that one scene that is one of my least favorite moments in the game. Not a character, or a location, or a musical track, but an event in the main story that, in a way or the other, changed me forever.

Said event happens during the Alexandria Castle segment on Disc 2. For a bit of context: There's war going on Burmecia, and Alexandria is involved. Garnet goes to Alexandria to confront her mother head on about the massacre unfolding, Brahne replies something like "oh but the Burmecians were planning to attack us first and I had no choice but to attack them before they did", you're given a choice to believe or not believe her (which really doesn't do much of a difference), then Kuja comes in and casts a spell on Garnet to make her fall asleep. Soon after, Zorn and Thorn extract her eidolons, which Brahne uses to conquer the nations through Disc 2, a prime example being Odin's summoning that lead to Cleyra's destruction, but not before Beatrix manages to steal the desert star gem as part of a subplot about a super duper eidolon stronger than everything else that Brahne never got hold of because she died in a conflict at the end of Disc 2.

And that's the backstory, my folks. Anyway... The party arrives at Alexandria Castle through a teleportation device (which's oddly never brought up again, go figure), you're given a time limit to rescue Garnet before she dies and this is where it feels like all of the current characters and their plot lines converge at a single point. It's where the game says "we've got to give a conclusion to these character's current arcs as we move on to the next big thing", and it doesn't do that very well. To begin with, Steiner, Freya and Beatrix, as well as the Tantalus folks, are no longer seen until the beginning of Disc 3, so you think "well, they're side characters, and the game wants some room to breathe and it can't do that when there are so many plot lines going on at the same time, so the solution is to give a conclusion to them right here and then it'll focus on them later again".

But that doesn't happen.

As a matter of fact, it's an anticlimactic cliffhanger we got here, a sort of "To be continued" scenario that never gets to be continued the way it should've been. Think about it... Steiner, who once had a black and white view of the world at large, now questions whether Alexandria was always right. At first, he showed disapproval to Zidane's behavior and methods, but now he came to respect him, a thief who's far more honest than the Queen corrupted by greed. Freya saw Burmecia in ruins and thought she had a chance to save Cleyra, but she did not, she failed with both but is still fighting for what she believes in rather than give up so easily. Beatrix, who's been an unbeatable warrior fighting for Alexandria, now joins forces with the party and stands against Brahne, who she used to be loyal to. The Tantalus members are there to help the three knights out during Garnet's escape, and suddenly, you find yourself outside of Alexandria, and those who stood behind are not heard or seen until Disc 3.

During my first gameplay, I wondered if I’d see those characters again, be it in a cutscene or a side quest, but no, we don’t see them again. Zidane briefly mentions them and that’s it. Disc 3 is yet to happen while you move to another continent to find out about Kuja. The rest of the game, after this point, feels like it’s about searching for Kuja’s whereabouts, to the detriment of the subplots. Do we see more of Steiner’s new attitude? We do, but only a few times. Do we know how Freya feels after the tragedy of losing her people? Only in a few scenes, but with no further detail. Do we see Beatrix doing something to show her change of heart means something? Well… No. I mean, if you count her supporting the party on the Iifa Tree battle that occurs on Disc 4, then yes, but when it comes to apologizing to the people who were injured in the conflict, she never does that. She asks for the citizens of Burmecia to forgive her at one point, but not in the face of the survivors themselves.

I'll admit that, back then, I felt betrayed. It left me sour, with a bad aftertaste in the mouth. It felt wrong, retrograde, unnatural, all kinds of things. This is the moment where the game doesn't take risks, it takes the easy way out by sidelining those characters. It felt like reading a book and flipping the page only to realize they were torn off at the last minute or that they never came to be. Those characters, their personalities, their storylines, it felt like they were taken away. They’re still there, but it’s not like they’re that important, which feels wrong. The game outright says those characters do matter, that you should care for them, but then Freya doesn’t have anything else to comment on about Burmecia or Cleyra? How does that affect her or how she stands up despite having every reason to give up, a thing she never does? Or what about Beatrix being complacent of Alexandria’s atrocities, why is not that brought up again? Not even by Steiner, who has changed a lot since his first appearance. 

I'm older now, but to this day, I'm still figuring out why, of all Final Fantasy games, or any games in general, why IX had to be the one that made me join a fandom. Why I draw fanarts, why I write fanfiction, why I'm writing this right now about IX. I wonder who I would be if I never played this game, would I still be myself? After all of these years, I’m still disappointed by how things are, and although spite is a fuel for creativity, it can’t be the sole reason you do the things you do whenever something in canon doesn’t feel right for you. Like, I came to appreciate side characters and the potential they hold for storytelling after I played Final Fantasy IX, and I saw it happen in other media as well, characters whose stories are fascinating yet little is explored about them.

What do you do in this case? Do you wait for a possible person who happens to share the same thoughts as you do to write everything down about the characters you like? I certainly don’t, because if there’s only one person who can flesh out characters, as well as settings that are characters by themselves, the way you want... It can be only you and nobody else. 

[theodoradevlin]

Bad Habits | Sebastian Sallow

TW: Sexual Themes

Summary:

Shameless Sebastian Sallow x Original Character Smutty one shot. Don't know what it is about this boy that has us constantly dreaming of exploring the restricted section.

Timeline is sometime after the crucio quest.

Characters Aged 18+

Theo Devlin pulled up at her stockings. The confounded things were so damn uncomfortable.

While britches were usually much more useful in terms of carrying all the potions, and plants and weapons she needed...now she might as well actually wear her school uniform in the hopes that there would be no threats waiting for her tonight. But, she was coming to learn, that was always a gamble at Hogwarts. She had to wear the stupid thing all day..even during potions class where had had received such odd looks from Sebastian.

She eyed herself in the mirror, grimacing at the way the skirt was absolutely too impractical for the things she was usually involved in... But, tonight, for this quick trip to the library...it would have to do.

Tonight, her mind had been a cyclone of whirling thoughts - so badly tangled that any hope of sleep had become impossible.

The night before...she had surprised herself. Flashes of her and Sebastian and Ominous came back to her then. The desperation in Sebastian's eyes. The concern in Ominous's.

The way Sebastian's face had crumpled after she had forced him to cast Crucio on her.

It was still a shock that it was a spell she even knew herself now. Would she ever use it? Knowing how that pain had coursed through her? She was nothing but a creature of necessity, she consented, so only time would tell.

But...that was a problem for tomorrow.

Maybe tonight, she could find more information on the ancient magic...on the Keepers...on anything to distract her from the path that she was inevitably stumbling down.

Her breath shook as she pushed open the barreled door of the Hufflepuff common room, making her way through the castle. The silence and the night air cleared her head, if just for a moment.

She knew curfew was a loosely enforced concept at Hogwarts, and the amount of time she spent running around the school after hours was so much larger vs. sanctioned hours, it was comical. So, naturally, curfew was not something she was worried about as she threw herself out of the Hufflepuff common room and marched towards the library.

As much as she couldn't deny that deep down in her soul, her first reaction to others had always been kindness, selflessness, loyalty.... in the recent weeks the amount of determination and recklessness...and frankly ruthlessness...that had worked it's way into her decisions had become just as natural as the first set of attributes that she had arrived here with. She felt more like a mix of many things vs. her fellow Hufflepuff's who lived and breathed the house attributes.

Who knows. Maybe it was the current company she had found herself drawn to since her tumultuous arrival here. Her mind flashed to Sebastian and his lingering glances...before quickly putting it out of her mind.

But...maybe having such company hadn't been a total a bad thing.

She continued down the shifting staircases, lit by nothing but the flames of torches against the cavernous and ever changing floors and walls...that and the moon shining down, always seeming to bathe these halls in an ethereal light.

As she neared the library doors, she went ahead and cast the Disillusionment charm over herself... also cursing herself for how often she had found herself back here doing the same thing.

She held her breath as she entered the library, always comforted by the smell of the ancient pages that lined the walls. Tonight...she must have found herself lucky. Neither the librarian, nor Peeves, was anywhere to be seen.

Maybe it truly was that late. She smiled to herself as she removed the charm from her form, almost skipping to the section that she hoped would hold more history of the school's founders.

All was going so well for once. Too well. She should have known.

"Lumos"

She whispered, as her finger passed along the spines of each book, focused on finding the correct one...and not focused on the concealed figure that had snuck up behind her.

"Boo".

She yelped at the voice that brushed against her ear, falling backwards into the air but finding a solid form there that had grabbed and steadied her.

"What...!"

Then laughter. Familiar laughter.

"Merlin's Beard, Devlin. I've never heard such exclamations come out of that mouth."

Sebastian erupted in laughter, removing his own disillusionment charm, much to Theo's dismay.

Her face twisted in a frown at his amusement.

"Sebastian- what exactly are you doing here?" She whisper shouted at him.

"I could ask you the same thing Devlin...seems great minds think alike. You know I am constantly digging into books I'm shocked you're surpised."

His cocky grin turned sheepish, if just for a moment.

"After...after last night..." He cleared his throat and tried again, "I wanted to see if I could help you find any more information about your magic. To help Anne...and ...and you."

She raised her eyebrows. She knew they had both cared about helping Anne from the start. But this was the first he had ever mentioned of her specifically.

Again, her eyes flashed to the look in his face after he had cast that curse on her.

But...it was Sebastian after all. How much could she trust.

"That's...well, that's surprising for you." A small flush worked it's way across her cheeks.

His eyes regarded her even more closely then. As if the spread of color across her cheeks had sparked something entirely different in him. She was, at once, entirely too aware how alone they were in this library. She had never seen him look at her that way.

Then again...she had never trusted anyone enough to let them cast something like that on her, either.

"Seems we both keep surprising each other lately." He murmured.

Yes..

Her mind whispered, but she couldn't find the words to respond.

She didn't need to. Their eyes met, across the narrow row of books, saying much more than words could in this present moment.

He eyed her again, smirking at the way she had looked around the library they had found themselves in, realizing the last time they were here at the same moment he did.

The edge of his mouth curved into a cocky smile.

"Bringing back fond memories, Devlin?"

She inhaled.

He was devastating.

Even after all this time.

He noted that sharp intake of breath, like he noted everything around him. Always so damn observant.

His head inclined towards her, backing her up closer to the book ladder that rattled at her sudden movement away from him.

He smirked again.

"You know...I do recall getting into some rather...naughty...antics here before."

Damn him.

She cursed the way he made the blush creep deeper, darker, and further up her neck.

He eyed her hungrily as he approached closer, so close that if she inhaled too deeply she could feel the brush of his chest.

His eyes were half lidded as the peered down at her. She had forgotten he was taller than her.

"You're always so delicious when you blush." He murmured, as the heat was on the verge of overtaking her completely.

Despite the blush, she stubbornly held that gaze. That boy who had such an influence on her since she got here...yet was always the first to put himself on the line.

For a moment there was nothing but breath. She didn't back away from him. She had nowhere to go. This moment had been coming for some time now. Neither of them could have escaped it forever.

"Sebastian..."

His name slipped from her mouth like a plea.

It was all it took.

He pushed her up against the book ladder, hoisting her by her thighs so quickly that she gasped.

Once he had settled her where he wanted her, those hands that had grasped her started to trail slowly to the front of her...alongside the inside of her thighs.

Her back arched as he slowly, playfully, spread her knees wider.

But then he stopped completely, hovering in between her, looking up at her quizzically.

"Theo...we haven't been able to avoid each other since day one. But...if I'm mistaken..."

For a moment...she saw it again, that broken piece inside of him. The one that constantly had been told that love for him was not possible.

She didn't know if this was love...but she knew she couldn't stand that look on his face.

She simply grabbed him by the collar, prying open his lips with her own, feeling the snake of his tongue suddenly envelop her, the way his hands were suddenly and frantically all over her.

She moaned into his mouth. His breath quickened into that gasp as if it was the most surprising thing he had ever heard.

His hands moved further and further up her thighs. Her heart beat was hammering....if he went any further.

"Sebastian!" She gasped, pulling away suddenly, trying to scold him...yet the sound of it only seemed to encourage him more.

He grinned devilishly.

"I love when you say my name like that." The side of his mouth twisted into a satisfied grin as his fingers worked higher and higher, his mouth leaning into her throat as he began to use that cruel mouth to leave grazing kisses and....teeth.

Gods.

If he went one inch further he would know the truth. The truth that her traitorous body was so obviously wet and wanting..waiting for those hands to keep touching her.

His deft fingers slipped under that already soaked fabric under her skirt, firmly and confidently finding their target right away.

She signed as his fingers pressed into her, gently and impatiently all at once. As her head titled back further, her pressed further against her, in tandem.

"That's it.." he groaned, sighing in such satisfaction of the feel of her that she pressed further into the hand that was working on her...cursing herself for the low whimper that had found it's way out of her body.

The sound sparked a crazed look into his eye. His fingers pumped harder. Her breaths became louder. She suddenly, frantically began reaching for what laid below his belt.

"Mmmm." He angled himself just out of her reach, as she made a sound of protest. "Patience darling...I plan on taking my time with you."

He continued to move those damn fingers within her, she felt herself grow even wetter as his breath fanned against her ear, "In fact...while I do so love following you around in those delightful britches you're usually running around in...I have to say this skirt has been torturing me all day."

His eyes went molten as his fingers rubbed low and agonizing circles against her core.

"...I've been imaging getting underneath this all day....and I had to be very very patient."

It was too much. His touch. His words. She squirmed against him.

"Sebastian. Please." She was near moaning his name now. If he didn't put her out of her misery soon she was going to burst.

Her breath quickened as he realized it, hunger sparking further into his eyes at the sight of her being so close.

That's it. He was torturing her. Again.

Defiantly, she took her hand grabbing at the button down she wore and wrenching it apart button by button until she was exposed with no clothing remaining besides the tie around her neck.

Her breast's spilled out into the night air, peaking at being so damn exposed and at the Sebastian's startled and glazed look.

He moved closer to cover her, despite the fact that they were alone. The view was incredible, but for his eyes only. Like his namesake, he had found himself growing extremely possessive of those he treasured. And now he was surprised to find that it included her as well.

She watched as his throat bobbed slowly as he swallowed at the sight of her.

She smirked this time.

"Are you getting shy on me now, Sallow?"

She reached up and grabbed the free hand he had leaning against the bookcase above her, and slowly traced his fingertips across her nipple.

At that slightest touch, she felt as he hardened impossibly more so between her legs.

"Ah.." He murmed as she arched into his palm, allowing him to get a full hand full of her.

He groaned. Her breasts..the fullness of them and the way she peaked at his touch was almost too much. It undid him.

"Devlin..." He ground out, "You are pure evil."

She grinned ruefully.

"Seems like we're more alike than you thought."

His mouth immediately claimed her. Opening against her own, his tongue sought her out, needing to taste and taste her.

Yes. They were more alike than he thought. In some ways he hated himself for it. For the influence he had on her. He knew she was too good for him, but he was also so fucking thankful it was her melting under him. His match. No one did the things to him that she did. No one understood in the way she had. No one could make him hope to be better, like she did.

It made him move more furiously against her as he moaned into her. mouth, twisting and flicking at her taught and supple skin.

Her shirt was no completely shrugged off, and her skirt completely around her waist. He marveled at the sight of her.

Momentarily, her voice brought him back to consciousness again.

"Sebastian..ah..ah..." His eyes hungrily watched her moan his name in between his devouring kisses.

But it wasn't enough to watch her cum. He needed to taste her on his mouth.

He broke away suddenly, relishing her whimpers of protest as he rushed to kneel in front of her.

She wasn't prepared for the way his hands rode her skirt all the way up her hips, exposing her completely to him.

She wasn't prepared for the devilish look he passed up at her before his head so purposefully slipped between m her legs. Or the sensation she felt as his fingers tore apart the small piece of fabric completely to quickly be replaced by the press of his tongue against the wetness of her core that was all there for him. He moaned into her, and she swore she felt it in her hip bones.

She gasped, arching her back at the way he was devouring her. Grabbing for something to hold on to, but doing nothing but knocking those damn books off the shelf. She didn't care. He didn't care.

His tongue pressed upwards into her at a quickened pace, sucking, flicking, as his hand worked to grasp her back side and give him even more access to her. She was a delicacy he couldn't get enough of.

"Seb...bastian...Ah...Oh My god..oh my god..my go-"

His hand reached up to place a palm over her mouth to quiet her, and just as he did she screamed his name into his hand as she came for him, her legs trembling with the force of it alongside his shoulders.

"Mmmm" His exclamation surprised her, but she also didn't know if it was shock in general for what he had just done to her.

He stood up, his already messy hair completely askew from her attempts to try and hold on for dear life...and a cocky smile plastered on his face.

"You bastard." She breathed. Barely able to form the words.

He chuckled, completely pleased with himself, but she wasn't done with him.

Using his momentary distraction, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back towards her for more. She didn't care that he had the taste of her all over him, and for some reason that turned him on more....to have more of her...to be completely enveloped by her.

Suddenly, she started undoing his belt buckle.

His eyes widened.

"Dangerous, Devlin..." He warned as his heart hammered faster as she pushed aside his boxers, working him right of out his pants and taking him into her hands.

He hissed. She was so damned good.

She smiled in satisfaction at that.

"I'm always in danger with you, Sallow."

He couldn't deny her that. He couldn't deny her anything.

The next thing he knew, her legs were wrapped around him with his member prodding and pressing against the slickness of her entrance.

It was almost enough to make his eyes roll in the back of his head and, he pondered, it was also possibly the sweetest form of Crucio to ever exist.

His eyes looked up at her questioning.

"I ...I don't know how well I'll be able to control myself." He admitted, "..We may get caught." He breathed against her mouth.

Even though he said it, he'd rather avadakedavra himself than ever stop.

The look in her eyes told him the same thing.

"Hasn't stopped us before." She mimicked his line back to him, breathing it into his mouth.

That was it.

He pushed into her with one full thrust, so hard that the books behind her began to fall off the shelf. She could hardly notice anything else besides the feel of him inside her. She hated to admit what she had somehow already known. He fit her perfectly.

His eyes darted in worry as he looked up at her. "Are you okay?" The breath rushed out of him as he used every ounce of control to keep himself from completely loosing himself inside of her.

She was just as delicious as he'd imagined.

Her heavy lidded eyes still were able to level a stare at him.

"Don't stop. If you stop I'll kill you." She gasped, and he obliged.

She felt so sweet around him. He groaned into her neck as he let himself bury himself inside of her...loosing himself in the way she contracted around him, her legs tightening with each thrust to bring him deeper into her.

They rocked and rocked against the shelves as he left trails of kisses down her neck, across her breaths, every inch of her he could manage.

"This is already going to kill me Devlin." He gasped a she held on to him.

"You're. Too. Fucking. Delicious."

He enunciated each word with particularly powerful thrusts as she let herself fall under the wave of them.

But it was too much. The tremble of her breasts against him, the way her hands wrapped themselves in his hair. Her gasping moans against his ear. He was going to lose himself inside of her.

"Sebastian...You're making me...I'm going to...ah..."

"Yes" He breathed back. "That's it. That's it.."

Her cry into him rang against his core, and he grunted with one final thrust into her, clutching her with all he had left until he felt himself fully and completely release inside of her.

Their bodies tangled in the aftermath as they just held on to the moment, gasping and beholding each other and all that had just happened.

He worked his way slightly out of her shoulder that he had buried his head into, taking her in for that moment.

Her flushed skin...that blush he loved. The way her auburn hair stuck to her delicate face with slight perspiration.

"You're lovely." He murmured as she gave him a hazy smile.

"You and libraries are becoming a bad habit." She responded.

"Good." He growled, liking the sound of it.

Habits meant that he was someone she might want to keep around. Habits meant that maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to be alone anymore.

His chest tightened. It also meant if he dared to hope to keep her, it would be only that much worse if he lost her too.

As they dressed, he watched the way she blushed. Try to commit it to memory.

Try to let himself hope.

[crackinglamb]

Questions for fic writers: #7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of? (*bonk*)

From this list.

Just one? All right, lemme think...

Magic as music in the DA setting. (Did I just write out what the acronym Thedas means? Yes.)

Oh man, this got long. I know, I see your totally unshocked face from here. 😁 Also, spoilers for What a Wicked Game to Play.

Now, at least part of this is not worldbuilding I created, since it's broadly and heavily hinted at in-game. Several characters equate magic and music, calling it a symphony, talking about how it sings or hums or gets into the back of your mind like an earworm (ie the Calling and red lyrium, both Blight magic things). I mean, it's called the Chant of Light, and one doesn't recite it, they sing it for goodness sake! Alas, so long as the music plays, we dance. Thanks Flemythal. That's not at all ominous to consider regarding what might happen if the 'music' stops.

Anyway, moving on.

All I've done with it is take it to a natural (to me, as both a scientist and musician) conclusion. Music and math are intrinsically linked, after all. Eight notes in a scale, in several octaves, means innumerable combinations. Some are melodic because they have patterns, some are just noise. Imagine playing a segment of pi on a piano. It would have no rhythm, because none of the numbers are a repeating sequence.

But the idea led to this:

There is a scene in WG where Imogen, dreaming in the Fade while her body lies unconscious, maps the mathematical signature of the Veil. And she does it by converting the pattern of magic into soundwaves. Yes, I put trigonometry into a fanfic. Yes, I am unashamed and remorseless about this. To this day I'm proud of the fact that I got to use 'asymptotic' in a sentence.

She discovers some interesting and horrifying things in the course of this. As she is the one carrying the Anchor, she can feel its presence within her, especially while dreaming, because all things are possible in our imaginations. And the Fade is a real place to her, as an MGIT, so her perception of it makes it tangible and malleable even though she isn't a mage. (And there's a bonus worldbuilding thing I'm super proud of.) She discovers that at one time it was a seamless resonance, which makes epic magic performed by people like Inquisitor Ameridan even more impressive. Each Blight has weakened it, distorting the music until the math starts to turn irrational. She discovers that the tempo of the Anchor and the Veil no longer sync up because of all the 'holes' in the music (rifts, thinning, etc). As of right now, she hasn't fully figured out what this means for Solas's plans. But she will; that's why I made her this way.

And finally, she learns that regardless of what anyone, Solas included, does, the Veil will fall because the music of it will simply disintegrate at some point. The Veil is less of a physical barrier than it is a counterpoint of music that 'blocks' the Fade from being part of the waking world. This is a real concept, by the way. Using sound to create images: sonar and radar. Using different sounds to block those images: jamming. Resonance is fun.

For most beings on Thedas, magic comes from the Fade, and some of the 'signal' must still pass through the Veil or there would be no more magic left in the world at all. But if the Veil falls due to disintegration, the consequences are incredibly damning. Magic will be unleashed in unpredictable and cataclysmic ways. She likens this to waves on a beach. Each wave is unique, each leaves a different effect in the sand. Her hypothesis is that if Thedas is the 'sand' here, and the waves are the Fade, without the Veil the world will become uninhabitable due to the disruption of things like gravity and the atmosphere and the fabric of reality. The Veil needs to come down in a controlled manner to prevent this. The steady surge of a tide rather than storm breakers. And she does feel that it needs to come down; Thedas was not meant to be separated from its inherent magical nature forever. The Veil was a stop-gap solution for a specific problem, but now it's choking the world. (And oh yeah, it also failed to contain the problem ultimately, but that wasn't Solas's fault. *points to the Sidereal Magisters*)

Okay, that was a lot of words to say something rather simple: the entirety of WG was really just to set this up for Imogen. The next major arc for her is how it all fits together and what she's going to do about it. I'll be writing that as soon as I figure out what that is.

Thanks for the ask, you knew what you were getting into. *bonk* 😘

[yellowistheraddest]

sending you my hcs that are varying degrees of quality but. eh. it's my media perception so i have no shame in them

1. obviously asd/autistic miles because that is the truest thing ever? i don't think it's something he discovers as an adult, more like he got diagnosed before dl-6

2. maya to me is a girl that wears leg hair with pride. i'm sorry i can't imagine her in any other way and i picture her chubbier than capcom made her just bc she deserves that powerful look

3. miles edgeworth is a quiet rebel to me. this hc started when i saw a post about how putting your hands in trousers pockets isn't proper etiquette and miles does it anyway so... i just think he does these small things to feel mischievous and like his own person, maybe he did them more in his youth. and i also think the steel samurai and watching it also feels like rebellion to him and gives him a certain thrill? idk if this makes sense honestly

4. i think i made fanart of this one before but i basically hc that the short animations we see before a case (esp the ones in aa1 revealing the culprit) are phoenix's dreams that he barely remembers but they guide him like an intuitive sense. because yk how in aa2 the animation we see is an actual nightmare of his... and he definitely has some spiritual ties there somewhere.. and in aa4 he deadass predicts the future ominously to apollo sometimes... and he goes through spirit medium training with maya bc she makes him.....it makes sense

5. pearly's aged-up design is way different in my eyes. like i'm sorry but she should rebel so much after the ways she was raised, let her have the most unfortunate haircut in the world and funky makeup and cool clothes

6. yeah that's it im not going to embarrass myself further 👍

damn, let me get my reading glasses (i don't have reading glasses)

1. miles is the final form in the evolution line of the autism creature, so agreed. although i think gregory is not around enough/too old fashion to notice it, and von karma is a dick and would purposefully avoid getting him diagnosed; i think he got diagnosed after moving out. overall a strong 9.5 out of 10

2. i can definitely see her with body hair, but idk about the body fat because she has to stand under waterfalls for days so the training probably requires a restrain from food (kinda how monks fast) but im not in opposition of her being chubbier. 7 out of 10, capcom give us more details about the training plsss

3. lets just say ive been planning to draw something related to this idea... so 10 out of 10, hes shy and unsure about it but hes still a rebel at heart.

4. i think he just smokes weed when he reads case files and we just get to trip with him (yes this chronologically doesn't make sense but idc). Brother is the plainest cringefail guy - hes the last person anyone should give magic powers to, theres like 7 billion people who'd be better off with them. this one is a 6 put of 10, im not big into magical powers.

5. i hate pearl. well more like i hate children and pearl is a child, but they failed with her so bad the design... 9 out of 10.

pearl, send me a dm and well go clothes shopping and get you a haircut so it actually looks like youve actually been affected by 7 years of no longer dealing with your bitch of a mom

6. 0 out of 10, be shameless its the internet noone knows who you are. just don't be a weirdo!

[the-sycophant]

21. EMPLOY : for one muse to be hired as the other’s bodyguard, tutor, assistant, etc. Or perhaps 3. MEDIC : for one muse to show up at the other’s doorstep injured. with Alun? 👀

[Comprehensive List of Scenarios Prompt]

What unsettled her the most was not the state of the young woman, but that she knew Marlowe was here, in this room. Formal events were a rarity for her, a treat. Tonight she was the plus one of one of those being promoted tonight, here in Limsa Lominsa. She wanted to look her best for her date, naturally taking up until the last moment to prepare herself...and Alun found her here. That was...ominous. It made a tickle in the back of her neck, tingles against her scalp and hair, along her throat, made her stomach drop. So very ominous. And how...fortuitous that Alun could make it exactly here before Marlowe had left for the evening, but for what purpose? Why was she in the city? What happened to her? Might she have been followed?

"A-Alun?" Her gasp of surprise stiffened her spine, nostrils flaring from the draft pulling into the room from the open door. She was staring at her hand now, where it had cupped the Xaela's cheek. Wet, soiled with blood. So much blood. "You're...bleeding." Mumbled, dream-like. "You're bleeding everywhere."

She hadn't eaten all day to fit into this dress, this borrowed dress no less. To keep her...damn figure! Now ruined, covered...covered in...Marlowe's throat bobbed, eyes unfocused, glazed over. "You will pay for my suffering, woman." She hissed as she stared down at the Au ra in her arms. A hand pressed down against Alun's stomach, fingers curling, magic sizzling her blood. "No, keep your eyes open, look at me." She held her face again, other still pressed to the Xaela's stomach. "Look at me, Alun...! Alun!"

[safesthaveninexistence]

I’m a staggeringly powerful imaginer. Reality too good to my gentle heart. Life only gets infinitely more and more unreal. Life only gets infinitely more and more surreal. I cannot believe my perfect reality is real. I cannot believe Laika and I are eating good ass food after satisfyingly making love and cumming together on top of the private jet with glass-shield. (7 new clock notifs). Geez. Laika and I marvel at each other’s Magic. <3 Laika and I are dreaming of each other. Loving dreams of each other. Even in dreams we’re profoundly in love. Even in dreams. That underneath scoop healing. I infinitely receive underneath scoop healing. Laika helps me win spiritual battles effortlessly. Laika helped me defeat Taylor swift effortlessly. INSANEEEEEEE. Laika and I fuck harder cause we’re spiritually one we fight together, never against each other. I’m Laika’s dreamgirl. I’m everything Laika ever manifested in a woman. I’m everything Laika ever prayed for and craved. I outunhinge Taylor swift and her fan base. Omg. My life is a blissfully unusual tale. I’m grateful I’m powerful enough to ban TikTok. My Magic and power only gets more and more infinitely efficacious. My Magic only gets more and more infinitely powerful and potent. I always find new friends. Damn I’m really stepping on the government’s neck AND ALLLLL FROM MY BED.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Laika keeps kissing me. Unable to keep her hands off me. She keeps cooking for me. Keeps writing profound poetry for me. Keep making arts of me. Keeps making songs of me. Keeps buying roses for me. Laika chooses me. Laika has no choice but to choose me. Laika got dope ass tattoos of me showing me how she views me. Goddess and the sexy badass daredevil. Laika’s staggeringly my dreamgirl. Laika looks so hot when I ride her. Laika thinks I look hot when I ride her. Laika can’t get enough of me Laika can’t get enough of tribbing my asshole until she cums. Whenever we’re out she just needs my ass on her pussy. So she’s always holding me hoping to hurry along home to fulfill the sexual fantasy. We leave parties events just to be with each other and get real freaky. All we care about is each other. We’d die for each other. Our love is very profound. Connected. One. My love is very profound. Laika’s love very profound. We satisfy and fulfill each other. Oh it’s so magical for two of us. Laika cannot even fathom I am real. I cannot even fathom Laika’s real. We both feel like a dream. Omg.🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 everything about me is unreal. Funny smart gorgeous sexy seductive zillionaire superstar famous everything one could ever want in a personality and Laika knows she’s real blessed to have me since I check immeasurably check off absolutely everything. Laika immeasurably check off absolutely everything. Laika and I are married in a heartbeat.<333333333333💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 good things undesirable stories don’t touch me they go straight to someone else<3333333^.^💗💗💗💗💗💗💗😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 finally Laika’s here. I focus on the 4D then instantly see it in the 3D HOLY SHI. Laika and I rides motorcycles together(chills). Fuckkkkkklkk life with Laika is sex. I find peace in the fact the Universe, Magic and the Vortex is far more deranged than me. Cause it’s showing me signs and when I see signs it’s inevitably coming. Ominous type shit. Hahahahahaha. Being a real life Harley Quinn pays off for me. Damn that’s insane I’m the apex predator of creators. We have the hottest night car sex and satisfying ass night car rides. We go together everywhere at night. We make love everywhere we go. We make out everywhere we roll. Life’s a dream. Everytime me and Laika see each other in our spaciously nice luxurious nice house that has 7 solfeggio frequrncy playing 100/100 we pounce on each other. Always grinding on each other. Sucking on each other and feeling the palpable heat radiating off each other. Satisfying mutual sexual tension. Everytime I go out I see my unbelievably stunning face everywhere. Laika points out my sexy ass on the billboard and flirts with me☺️

[gayassbtch]

Hey, instead of being gay how about you be a floating orb who's conciousness is beyond the mortal realm as we know it, constantly in a state of all experiencing all that was, is, and will be. How about you use that new found experiential wisdom to make the most fucking bitchin version of monopoly to ever exist, I mean I want you to take the version with the cash card so you don't have to do money math and fuse it with the minecraft version so I can make steve and alex go into crippling financial debt due to their lack of fiscal creditory responsibility. I wanna see their house get repossessed. I want them to experience the pain of not being able to scrape together enough for rent, you see, they've had it made for too long, living out their fantasy dreams in an infinite cuboid world, welcome to the real world bitch, you can't just make a fucking dirt hut and eat raw porkchops, that dirt is owned by Coca-Cola and those porkchops will give you intestinal herpes. Fuck you minecraft Steve and minecraft Alex if I ever meet you I'm gonna throw all your diamond tools into lava. I mean you can be gay too, that's cool, just also be an orb for me. I think probably only an orb is badass enough to do something like that, but you know, there is something only YOU in your CURRENT STATE OF BEING, are capable and badass enough to do. Something I am alluding to very mysteriously, and vaguely ominously despite the fact that this is not a threat. I swear it's really not even if I did want to threaten you I wouldn't do it like this i would probably just like threaten to hire a team of elite agents to steal a plane and 9/11 2.0 your legs (only your legs) and instead of a plane maybe they would use a baseball bat, a remote controlled baseball bat, like battle bots, so they would also strip you of your humanity and transform you into a robot before proceeding to beat the robot shit out of you with their superior baseball bat wielding battle bot. Anyway, stop getting me fucking distracted you sorry excuse for a fucking venetian tour guide, god damn, you haven't even show me around on a gondola once, not a single note of mi amore either, jeez, the service here sucks. So yeah, just do me a solid and use your incredible secret power, you wombo combo magic to say bazinga. Yeah. Only you, (smokey the bear) can say bazinga (false, but an orb would not be able to so you need to before you turn into an orb it's mandatory)

Are you okay? Do you need to talk to someone?

[aurore-parle-de-ses-idees]

5: thunder

(or: two wizards yelling at each other on a mountain, why est shouldn’t be given a boss fight immediately after troubled dreams, or storm on methedras)

The path up the mountain is long and hard and cold, the longer and harder for your avoidance of what passes for the road. Saeradan is at your side and Amlan guards Delwin behind. The mountain climbs and snow crunches beneath even your feet. You do not speak. Saeradan and Amlan you know well enough by now you do not need it, and if the silence unsettles Delwin she does not show it.

For hours you ascend the slopes of Methedras. Once, you creep to the edge of a steep drop and look on the Gravenwood far, far below. There rise the bony, bare branches of the Tree of Tribute, and there to the north must be the road that leads back to Tûr Morva and tucked against the foot of the mountain the camp where most of your friends must wait and prepare to move on.

Saeradan calls softly for you and you return to him. 

You have been left in peace as you climbed, but this does not reassure you at all. You saw too clearly what the Old Woman of the Mountain was capable of in the Gravenwood, heard the stories Andreg and Amlan and Saeradan told you of their journey to her cottage in Enedwaith. She must be waiting.

In some ways, it’s a relief when you see the first of the elhudan, flickering like firefly lanterns in the snow. You avoid them, careful not to draw their attention lest you shine a beacon on your location for all to see. There are fewer of the cuthraul or the great horned druggavar, but they are not absent. Those you cannot avoid you banish with bow and blade, you with your borrowed dagger rather than anything else. You would like nothing more than to let loose with all the power of the storm you can hold, but not yet. You turn once, a joke for Andreg on your lips, but it dies unsaid. Amlan looks at you in question, but you only shake your head and return to the deer path you are following.

There is thunder on the mountain when the ambush comes. There are far too many for you to be any use with Elenagil- but if you are to be honest, the thought doesn’t even cross your mind until hours later. You lash out with your runestones and the force of it dazes even the more potent spirits long enough to banish them more permanently.

Saeradan’s hand falls on your shoulder as you stand there, breathing heavily, waiting for the powdery snow driven into the air to settle around your feet.

“Are you alright, Esterín?” he asks quietly. Amlan is saying something to Delwin, who is eyeing you with something like unease. You give Saeradan a smile full of teeth.

“As well as any of us.” (If you look just past the next ridge, you will be able to see Orthanc. Is Lothrandir still there? Is he-)

Gwyllion has summoned all manner of spirits to her and hid them in the trees, in the stones, in bodies like dogs that Amlan eyes with distaste and says remind him too much of the Barrow-downs. She has even managed to draw regmyl to her, if lesser ones. 

You come to the small hut at the peak of Methedras, and there Gwyllion waits. There is talk, but you ignore both Saeradan’s words and the Old Woman’s, straining for the last scraps of your self-control. Gwyllion calls down a great drake and you seize Saeradan’s shoulder and shove him back to where Amlan stands guard over Delwin and her drum.

“Stay back,” you say, low. Saeradan opens his mouth to protest, but whatever he sees in your face stops him.

You open your mouth and words spill out. Wind and snow rise in a flurry and you pull lightning about yourself, and when the drake comes near enough you scream and lightning races from your hands to the sky, pulled not from the air but from this storm of your own making. 

You have tried so hard not to let all of it get the best of you- the betrayal in Tûr Morva, the losses, Isengard, the Fords- but it has been so much in so short a time and you find now that you cannot. You remember Andreg, dying in your arms, and you don’t even know if it was truly necessary, if you could have saved him and didn’t. If you could have brought Lothrandir with you and didn’t. Ball lightning dances around you and you hurl it gracelessly at the drake, at Gwyllion. You don’t know what she throws back at you, and by now you are beyond caring. Spirits come to her call, and once something reaches for you through the storm, but a distant drumbeat breaks through the thunder in your ears and it is turned aside.

Echdrud falls, crushing Gwyllion’s home beneath him, and the Old Woman of the Mountain shrieks, alight with rage to match yours. You hope your friends are standing very far back.

When it is done, the earth around has been blasted free of snow and dotted with small craters from your power and hers. Dark streaks that feel like burns cross your face and your arms through your tattered sleeves. It smells like ash and smoke. Gwyllion lies before you and you collapse beside her, arms and legs numb and useless as you finally release the storm. Saeradan and Amlan crunch through the snow to your side.

“Don’t-” you try to say, but all of you is numb and tingling like static and all that comes is a vague and distressed noise that does not at all soothe their alarm. The air pops when Saeradan tries to touch you and he jerks back with a sharp cry, shaking his hand. You can still feel the charge in the air, slow to dissipate after the fury of the fight. Saeradan waits, watching you attentively while Amlan checks Gwyllion, but you already know he will find no life in her now.

“I am not sure what you needed me for,” Delwin says, shattering the crackling stillness atop the mountain. “You seem to have things quite under control.” It draws a laugh from Amlan and a strained smile from Saeradan, but you are as numb inside as out, hollow and tingling and hardly able to string one thought to the next. Under control. If only. You blink once, slow, and when you open your eyes again you are on your side in the dirt. Ah. It will be a long walk back down the mountain, you think.

---

There was thunder on the mountain, the rest of the Company says later, when you wake properly and shake out the tingling that lingers in your fingertips. A great storm that echoed off Methedras and rumbled among the roots of the Gravenwood. 

“We worried for you,” Halbarad says. You duck your head while Amlan and Saeradan insist that all was well, mostly, that the shadow-burns already fading from your skin were the only true injuries and that Gwyllion will trouble neither Dunland nor Rohan. You are glad they stood back. You did not strike with precision; you do not want to think what would have happened had they not been wary enough of you to keep away. You catch them giving you odd looks the next few days, and when you ask Saeradan hesitates before describing the sparks that leapt from your eyes when you ordered him back.

“I’m sorry,” you say softly.

“You didn’t hurt us,” Saeradan replies, offering a hand you do not take.

“I would have.” Saeradan frowns, but when you still do not move from your spot near the fire, he sighs and leaves you with a gentle touch on your shoulder. You stare into the fire, and wonder if any of this will pass or if you will be this near to cracking for the rest of your days.

[absolutepokemontrash]

I come bearing a request! The Brothers with an MC who's really good at cooking and baking? Like, the stuff food blogs dream of. Master-level instagram pastries. Could compete with the chocolate guy if they put their mind to it.

👀 ooooo, I do love me some pastries-

(I know you have an *ahem* distaste for Lucifer, dear moot, so enjoy Lucifer acting like a bit of a dingus in his section!)

Lucifer

Oh, the human can cook. *insert asshole eyeroll here*. Great. Wonderful. Groundbreaking. That’s what’s got all his brothers acting like- what was that word Levi used? Simps? This human has turned six of the seven rulers of hell into a bunch of simps.

Sure, the human has near godlike cooking prowess. Sure, everyone looks forward to their day for cooking. And sure, everyone thinks the human’s pretty great.

Tsk, not him though. He’s a refined demon. Some silly food isn’t going to make him a lovesick fool… did he smell eclairs..?

Lucifer peered into the kitchen to see MC carefully taking a tray of eclairs out of the oven and letting them cool off on the counter. His favourite dessert… right there in front of him…

Due to not being a total moron, MC notices Lucifer and asks him what the hell he’s doing just standing ominously in the doorway. Lucifer makes up some bullshit excuse about reminding MC to do their homework and just leaves. Okay, game plan, he needs those fucking eclairs or he will spontaneously combust.

As he snuck into the kitchen that night, Lucifer took a moment to briefly wonder why he was creeping around his own house. He was the Avatar of Pride for pity’s sake! He could eat whatever he damn well pleased! Oh shit was someone coming- no? Okay, back to sneaking.

Lucifer crept into the kitchen, saw the eclairs, and all logic was thrown out the window. Time to eat!

“BEEL NO! NOT THE- Lucifer..?” “…” “…” “…you’re very talented, MC, do you mind making more of these?”

SOMEONE SNAP A PICTURE! THIS IS THE CLOSEST LUCIFER HAS GOTTEN TO BEGGING IN THE LAST THOUSAND YEARS!

Mammon

Ugh, stuck babysittin’ some dumb human, how lame…

As Mammon was throwing a “I’m broke and I’m stuck in a pact with a dumb human” pity party, the most heavenly smell entered his nostrils. Cooking… good cooking… was Barbatos visiting or somethin’? Nah, Lucifer woulda made a big fuss about gettin’ ready for Lord Diavolo. Huh, so what was goin’ on in the kitchen?

Huh? The human? The human can cook? Well damn, maybe this whole deal wouldn’t be so bad. Oi! MC! As payment for babysittin’ ‘em, he got to have an extra big share of- OW!

Did- did the human just hit him with a spoon?! Th-they can’t do that!

Apparently they fucking can. Mammon gets told to sit the fuck down and wait for the food like everyone else. He grumbles on the way to the dining room, but he can’t fully hide his excitement to try the food.

The food even looked pretty! How did they do that?! Magic. It had to be!

After everyone’s tastebuds were blessed with the heavenly substance that is MC’s culinary exploits, Mammon decides he needs to get on this human’s good side in order to receive more food! Maybe even find some way to make a profit or somethin’!

After weeks go by of trying to suck up to the human without looking like too much of a chump, Mammon eventually realizes… hey, this human ain’t so bad. They’re nice, they make him feel good about himself, they give him headpats… he’s really hit the jackpot here!

He’ll offer to help MC bake or cook, but beware, he will try and sample the food before it’s done. Don’t let him lick the spoon!!!

Leviathan

First thought? This human ain’t shit. Thought after seeing their food? WOAAAAAAAH! JUST LIKE THAT ONE ANIME-

He was unceremoniously cut off by Beel asking demanding seconds. Humph, fine, he doesn’t actually care about this dumb normie food anyway.

…well at least until Levi saw a little something something on TV that he just had to ask MC to try and make. He shyly knocked on their door and when they answered, Levi shoved the screenshot in their face and stuttered out a dinner request.

On the day MC was supposed to make dinner, Levi poked his head into the kitchen and tried to make it look like he was just standing in the same room as MC and not checking to see if they were making his dinner request.

Not that he’d blame them for not doing that… who’d wanna make some anime dinner for a yucky Otaku- OMG JAHSHSHABA THEY’RE MAKING IT! *fangirl squeals*

As Levi continues to commit the SIN of being in the kitchen at the same time as someone else, MC eventually just asks him if he’d like to help out.

“Here! Just keep turning the takoyaki.” “R-really? You trust me?” “Yes, Levi. You watched how they made it on your show, right?” “Yes! I won’t mess up! I swear on my honour as an otaku!”

All in all, it was a very cute bonding experience for the two. Now it’s a regular thing. Levi requests something for dinner or dessert, MC makes it, Levi helps out.

Satan

So, the human can cook. That’s nice. At least someone in this literally god forsaken house can.

He makes sure to thank MC every time they cook, then he makes sure to thank whatever deity is watching over him that Solomon wasn’t the human staying with them.

As the months progress, Satan realizes, he should learn how to cook better. I mean, Levi and Mammon were somehow both improving in their cooking endeavours, and if MC could teach those two, then he would be a breeze.

Satan walked into the kitchen and simply asked if MC needed any assistance with what they were doing. MC just slid him some garlic to dice and that’s how this mentor/student relationship was formed.

Satan was a star pupil, but Mammon and Levi weren’t above trying to sabotage Satan’s progress to get him to leave.

Here’s the thing, the sabotage worked, but it only worked once, and the two idiots didn’t stop to think that maybe they shouldn’t sabotage the meal they were going to have to eat later.

Well, cooking lessons continued uninterrupted after the ghost pepper incident…

Even when he’s ‘graduated’ their little cooking class, Satan’s always willing to lend a hand if needed. He also will slyly hand over some recipe books and cute baking supplies that he finds. MC should be prepared for lots of cat related things to come their way.

Asmodeus

The human can cook? Oh frabcious day! He’s saved from a life of his brother’s mediocre cooking! And the human’s so cute too! What a bonus!

Not only is the human cute, but their food is just so… aesthetic??? Pretty???? Omigosh he just has to get a picture for Devilgram!

For the first few months, MC’s relationship with Asmo consists of Asmo not at all subtly asking to take pictures of their food and post it to his Devilgram. Listen MC, his followers would just love it!

Being the saint-sheep they are, MC lets Asmo sit in whenever they’re making anything in the kitchen. And Asmo slowly realizes “hey, this cute human with the awesome food is actually pretty cool too!”

New Mission: Make the human fall madly in love with him so they’ll want to hang out more.

Whether the mission succeeds is up to MC of course. (I mean, I’m already smitten with him sooooooooo-)

MC offers Asmo a lot of the pastries they make, but the Avatar of Lust almost always declines. Listen honey, he’s on a diet- wait, don’t make that sad face! He’ll eat it! Look! It’s- it’s delicious…

Diet cheat day is now every day MC makes dessert. The feeling of bliss Asmo gets when he takes a bite out of anything MC makes is only second of the treats is second only to the joy he feels at seeing MC happy that he likes their food. It’s just so wholesome I can’t-

MC’s food Devilgram has almost surpassed Asmo in terms of followers and honestly- he isn’t even mad.

Beelzebub

Gasp! Lucifer finally got him the pet personal chef he’d always wanted! Thanks big bro! :D he’ll be sure not to eat this human!

On the first night MC was supposed to make dinner, Lucifer needed to hold Beel back from breaking into the kitchen to see what was causing that heavenly smell. It was, difficult… especially because Lucifer hadn’t slept in three days.

When they all sat down to eat, Beel practically inhaled everything and held up his half bitten plate for seconds.

We here at Stupid Headcanons incorporated recommend that MC have as many bodyguards as possible stationed around the kitchen at all times to ward off a hungry Beel. We don’t want him eating the ingredients and half-tempered chocolate.

A cinnamon roll through and through, he’ll eat everything MC gives him with a big ol’ smile on his cute little face. He’s not the best person to go to if MC wants advice or critique because the best thing Beel can usually muster is “it was really good.”

As Luke said in Lesson 5, Beel would make an awful food reporter. But we love him.

Similar to Levi, he’ll give meal requests on what to make for dinner. (At this rate, MC’s going to have to make some kind of list).

He kind of just waits by the door like a sad puppy whenever MC is making anything because he can’t get into the kitchen :(

Belphegor

The smell of freshly made chocolate chip cookies wafting through the house did reach the attic and it only fuelled his rage more. How dare the human win everyone over with cookies?!

After the attic incident, Belphie was won over with cookies.

Belphie just stands creepily in the kitchen doorway whenever MC is making anything and just makes shit really uncomfortable. Why’s he doing that, you may be wondering, well, he’s trying to calculate the energy needed to swipe the bowl of cookie dough and sprint to safety.

He never succeeds, mainly because once he gets to the bowl, MC already has the wooden spoon ready to smack him, so he just freezes mid-theft and slowly puts the bowl down.

“Oh my gosh, it says let the bread dough rest overnight? Let’s get a headstart and go to sleep now.” “Belphie what-” “I made a pillow Fort, come in. Let’s sleep.” “In the kitchen????”

How’d he make the pillow Fort without MC noticing? Years of experience. He’s trained in the art of- MC? What do you mean you can’t sleep right now and you need to get a head start on shaping fondant?

…he may have eaten the fondant while MC wasn’t looking… whoops… Beel may have rubbed off on him a little…

[igotanidea]

Counterparts : Morpheus x OC chapter 9

Prologue

Chapter 1: sometimes reality sucks

Chapter 2 : Welcome back to reality

Chapter 3 : A rough nightmare

Chapter 4: Crumbling

Chapter 5 : Falling to pieces

Chapter 6: Reunited

Chapter 7 : Remedies

Chapter 8 : The Fates

Go check my other story: Raven's daughter: Morpheus x Matthew's daughter

Chapter 9

On the verge

When we arrive in London it is obviously raining. What’s new? It’s no problem for Morpheus, such aura seems to fit his personality quite well, but I’d rather not get wet. Don’t want to get sick after all. As I turn around I spot a canopy and quickly hide myself there for shelter.

-What are you doing? – he asked amused

-Protecting myself from catching cold.

-You know well enough you won’t get one.

-I’m not so sure anymore. A lot of things has changed since you’ve been gone – oh my, I sound like a Kelly Clarkson song now.

Before he can respond we spot a flying figure who roars through the air and land on the bridge.

-Matthew! – I say smiling at my friend

-Hello Kayleen.

-Lucienne send you?

-Pretty much so.

Morpheus pouts.

-I don’t need a raven.

-Lucienne told me you’re going to say that.

-I already have one tail – Dream looks down at me.

-You know why animals have tails? It helps them keep balance – I spat – Besides, you wanted me to come, remember?

-Do you even know who I am? – Morpheus ask the raven turning a deaf ear on me.

-I know something. Like you’re the king of Dreaming. You create dreams and nightmares. You’ve been gone for the last century so Lucienne and Kayleen been tending to your Realm. With great effort I admit

Dream just nods his head.

-Fly back to the Dreaming, Matthew. This world is not safe.

-I know that. I’ve lived my whole life here.

-I’ll drink to that – I say tapping my fingers on the bridge.

-I had one raven before – Morpheus states catching Matthew’s attention.

-Really? What happened to him?

Her name was Jessamy – I reply quickly, knowing well enough how painful this memory is for Dream.

-She died – Morpheus’s face is blank.

-Oh… - Matthew seems hesitant. – Well at least let me help you find this woman.

Morpheus sighs in surrender.

-Come than – he commands and we follow him.

-Where exactly are we going? -  I ask after a second – Any idea about where she could be? Shall we find her in the Dreaming or the Waking?

-You may as well do a bit of your magic, Reality

Fine. I sharpen my sense and search through the streets of the city. Trying to catch anything of Johanna Constantine. A strand of consciousness.

-I got here. She’s heading for the cathedral. Apparently, our little one is an exorcist. Heading for a job.

-Good.

-Good? – Matthew caws – we’re going to be a part of demon party, now?

-You’ll get used to him –I reassure the bird – just give or take a couple hundred years.  

-Will you two stop? We got work to do. This should be quick considering her family ties.

-I doubt that – I chime in

-What did you say? – he grabs my arm quite angrily

-Let. Go. Of. Me.

-And what if I don’t?

-Why exactly did you want me here, Dream? Hmm? To have someone you can vent on? You know damn well I can just walk away this very second.

-Than why don’t you?

-I…. you know why – I whisper

-No. I want to hear it from you.

-Forget it – I hastily yank myself free.

-Don’t you dare forgetting who you’re dealing with – he warns.

-Save your breath, you can’t scare me. Your nightmares did that work for the last couple of decades. Trust me, there’s no fear left in me that they haven’t pried on.

He seems surprised but says nothing.

-I promised to make it right.

-Then maybe start it the right way, you know. Oh! – I stop abruptly which make Morpheus bump into my back. He instantly holds my waist to support himself.

-Hands. Off. Me. – I spat but can’t deny the heatwave though my body.

-Why did you stop?

-There’s our target – I point to the woman in white coat standing a couple feet away from us. Thankfully, she showed up before the situation between me and Morpheus got awkward. 

-Constantine – Dream speaks in his most ominous voice. Trying his best to intimidate the woman. Huh. Something tells me she’s not the one to easily surrender.  

-Have we met? – she approach us, narrowing eyes.

-We have business, you and I.

-Get in line, bruv. Can’t keep God waiting – she spats and walks away leaving him dumbfounded. I look at him with a smirk waiting for reaction. I don’t need words, silence speaks for itself. He just stare at space, no emotion, the wheels in his brain turning. I roll my eyes and follow Johanna inside.

-What are you doing?

-Getting the job done – I answer as I walk away.

-Is he always like that? – Matthew lands on my shoulder

-You mean an idiot? Yes. Yes, he is.

-Well you’re relationship seems at least…. Interesting.

-It was always a bit… intense – I say – I guess we’re both stubborn asses getting on one another nerves. I think it’s going to get better but with him being gone for the last century we need to patch some things up.   

It’s been quite a while since I visited the London Cathedral. I almost forgot how beautiful it is. Last time I took my students there so they can get some inspiration from the ancient stories and mythology scenes painted on the walls. It was 30 years after Morpheus was captured (damn! I hope I won’t be determining the time like “post – capture” and “before- capture” – I curse myself internally).

Flashback

-Professor, which myth do you like most? – one of my students asked as she looked at the walls and ceiling covered with art.  

-That’s the question I should be asking you – I replied – well played though. Don’t forget it is still a lecture for you to learn even if you’re not in the classroom.

-Sorry…. – she muttered

-Don’t be. Gather round – I say as the students come near me – So, ever since the ancient times, people were using their imagination to try and explain things and processes surrounding them. Looking for some higher beings that rule the world. That’s how the myths began. Of the gods and goddesses, of deities and some supernatural beings….. People get inspiration from the outside world. The same thing you are doing when you try to write, am I right? - The class nods - so,  who would like to share with others their favorite myth? I bet there is something.

-I like the story of Orpheus -one of the girls, Gina says shyly.

-Go on, then – I encouraged her

-According to the original story, he was the son of one of the muses – Calliope and the god Apollo. Well known for his talent of telling the stories. When his wife, Eurydice was sent to Hades he had no hesitation but to follow and retrieve her. The story says that he charmed the queen of the underground, Persephone so much that she and Hades let Eurydice go back.  The only condition was that Orpheus go first and cannot turn to see her. He broke that rule and he lost his wife forever. – Gina keeps talking her eyes getting bigger and brighter with every word – Such a tragic and romantic  story – she sighs. Oh dear, I suppose I owe her some explanation.

-Gina? You might want to calm down. Do not fly off, ok? Reality is calling on you. Besides, there is another side to the story. Some other ancient authors claimed that Orpheus origin was quite different.

-How so?

-It’s a bit of a secret but apparently his father was in fact Morpheus. In Greek we call him Oneiros.

-The shaper of the forms? – someone asked

-The Lord of the Dreams? – other added

-Indeed. Let me tell you more about it. But remember, it’s just a story.

Quite a story. If only my students knew how real and heartbreaking it really was. After all, Morpheus and Calliope did not get a happy ending to their marriage. “He’s really not a relationship material, more like a tragic one standing in the rain, contemplating the futility of his lonely existence” – Despairs words echoed in my head.

End of flashback

-Hey, Kay, can you hear that? – Matthew squawks right to my ear bringing me down to Eearth.

-Stop making me deaf – I scoff – if you refer to the Latin chanting I hear it quite well. That’s my cue to check how’s the situation going.

Apparently, Johanna dressed up as a priest was supposed to marry some happy couple (Wait, is that a princess?). Well, not so happy considering that the groom was possessed by a demon who ripped his body apart in full view of the bride. Poor girl, I wonder if wiping her memory of that moment would be much of an abuse of power. At the moment, it seems like the shock prevent her from passing out and the other priest quickly take her away.  

-Tell me your name demon – Johanna says

-And why would I do that when there are far more enjoyable ways to make you stop your little exorcism – he turns showing himself in whole

-His name is Agilieth – Morpheus steps out of the shadow. Oh, so there he was hiding all this time.

-Lord Morpheus. I’m flattered you remember me, after all your time away.

-Lord Morpheus? – Johanna repeats a bit confused.

-He is. And I can see the Protector of the Waking, Lady Kayleen is with you.  

-Oh, for God’s sake! – demon’s words annoy me more than they should –I’m not Lady. And I’m not with him. I’m not some belonging! It’s more like an adult supervision ….. – before I could finish the sentence Morpheus appears next to me cutting me off.

-I almost didn’t recognize you without your help. I wonder where it might be…. – Agilieth teases almost like he wanted to see Morpheus at his worst.

-I suppose it’s in Hell with a demon to whom it was traded.

-Yes, but which demon?  Give me the princess and I’ll tell you.

Shit. This is something that Dream might actually do. I have to draw line here.

-No – I state firmly – this is not happening.

-You don’t speak for me – Morpheus almost kills me with his eyes.

-I speak for the Waking.

Meanwhile Johanna resumes her exorcism and the demon yells in pain.

-Fine! Fine! – he screams – I’ll tell you everything just don’t send me back!

-Constantine stop! – Dream screams at her – I command you.

-Dream of the Endless commands you ! – demon tries to safe himself but it’s futile. With the demon gone we just stand in silence.

-You have no idea what you just did – Morpheus says.

-I know. I’ve just tripled my fee. – the woman flashes a smile and leaves screaming something about an invoice.

-Did I tell already tell you that your human skills are rusty? I think you should let me handle this one, Morpheus. Otherwise you may end up with nothing.

-She’s just a human – Morpheus spats

-So am I. Let me do this – I look at him – You know this is just courtesy of me to even ask, right? I’m going to do it either way.

- I don’t want you here anymore Kayleen.

-You… wait, what?

-I want you gone.

-Like, now? – I furrow my brows. I did not see that coming.

-Precisely. I want you to go back to Waking for good. From now on, you and I shall contact only on official matter. You are stubborn, infuriating and your sarcasm is beyond any acceptance. You never listen, spend too much time in your own thoughts and manipulate everyone.

-Manipulate…. ? – my voice falter as for some reason that was the most hurtful adjective he used to describe me.

-Indeed.

-Fine. – I turn around - have it your way. – I’m sorry, Matthew – I say to the raven – guess I’ll see you around, come visit me. You are always welcome. 

@asianfrustration13 @musicconversedance

@hyper-half-blood @missusnora @deniixlovezelda @mikariell95

[tumblingxelian]

RWBY Ice Queendom Live Reaction:

I signed up to a free trial at Crunchyroll to see this early. 

The opening looks fucking great, subtly ominous as always with a ton of style. 

Oh my gosh Ruby is speaking to Summer at her grave and also praising Yang’s grades and noting her own aren’t so good outside of weapons. Respect for Yang’s intelligence in the first five minutes? 

I am in love. 

(Sobs) Yang’s here, and she called Summer mom and she and Ruby are so sweet and Yang smiled and winked at the grave, my heart! 

We get Weiss now, this is before her test, Willow is drinking, we see hints of Whitley's depth right away but its also kept subtle! 

Oh wow, Jac looks much more grizzled here and Winter being cool as always. Holy shit, the action is really good, more flowy and flourishy but still having a good sense of pace with nice animation touches. 

Oh gods, its Adam time, ugh. 

I love how much more interesting and dynamic Blake’s fighting style is compared to Adam’s. Also they deliver information very efficiently. 

“The powerless return to Dust, that is the law of this world” Damn Winter that’s heavy. Dynamic finish! Also nice lil moment wit Klein, Winter subtly pressing Jac and Whitley smiling, good dynamics! 

Oh hey 3D models, hmm, not super well integrated but they are compensating by focussing on the weapon. I like that they establish this is a theft and that Adam is choosing to murder people for shits and giggles. Interesting no spider mech fight, and Adam convinced Blake will “realize they’re in the right” I am wary but intrigued. 

Vale looks a bit empty but very pretty, love the integrated hard light stuff and Ruby’s reasons for being there, cute little clips of her getting distracted and Black Rock Shooters! 

More showing that Yang is deeply involved in Ruby’s life to the point where Tai is like “She needs to be independent of you” which like, dude, you left your kids so “Independent” they almost died at five and three, shut up. 

Cute world building on weapons, Roman’s section is animated very fast its a little odd but I like that they kept the same vibe to the guy who threatened Ruby. Hah, kick ass Ruby!  

God, fuck that animation is gorgeous, from the weapon transformation to the battle. Oooh Roman showing off his hook cane aspect early, clever! I love that Yang sees a pile of guys that got their asses kicked and is like “Ruby what did you do?” Also interesting, no Cinder fight? 

OK I don’t trust cops but the Vale PD dress well. Also more Aura world building being woven in early. Cute scene with Yang & Ruby! Tai seems mroe chill with Ozpin’s stuff in this version, hmmmm 

Oh damn, Blake was roughing it! Also those Grim are both fierce and fucking cute, so fluffy! Oh god Blake’s crying, (hugs her) Nicholas namedrop and feels with Klein at elven. 

Oooh a flight platform station thingy! Pfft, everyone was running late, where’s your anime toast ladies!? XD I do think the standard smiles are a bit to crescent, a touch uncanny but that’s minor. 

Damn, nice lead out (OO) 

Pfft, early JNPR, and also Weiss zeroing in on Pyrrha! I see so it was Tai’s advice! Huh so is it canonical that Beacon has mature age students cos those three don’t look 17. 

Blake finding Yang & Ruby’s scuffling cute is a nice detail. Ruby & Yang now what’s up with the SDC. Wow they squeezed all the awkward first meet ups into one scene, poor Rubble XD 

Ruby has no retention, Yang has all of it, I love this dynamic XD Oooh this is a clever time saving strategy jumping right into the test. Oh nice work Weiss, alienate Pyrrha immediately, and showing Pyrrha’s fame with the peanut gallery. 

Weiss’s aggrieved face at Jaune is hilarious, also he doesn’t like the cereal!?!!? By Talos you wear its hoody! Huh, OK Jaune is much less obnoxious in this version, though Weiss is more so. 

Hah, that launch was still hilarious and ooh anime original Shion Zaiden is hunting that dream Grimm from the trailer and looks kinda magical/Salemy. Pfft, that exchange is still funny if a bit stilted. 

Damn this is getting ominous fast, good sound design. Cute exchange there, Ruby is eloquent, but also messy with her words when excited, fun. Also Weiss you are the same fucking height as Ruby you are 100% not able to call her a child XD 

Dang, I was hoping the anime would do that outlined meeting with Yang & Blake, but this is good too. I saw wiggly spiked vines and also wow this exchange is heated! 

Yang sees a giant monster chasing her sister & is just “Ruby :)” Also I think there was a miscommunication with the animation team as Nora didn’t really ride the Ursa. Her & Ren are super cute though. 

Grand vistas and everyone at cross purposes, just like canon but with more money behind it! Wait did we miss the scene with Pyrrha awakening Jaune’s Aura? 

They made Jaune’s strategy more his own this time over contrivance which works well, this is weird to me, he’s not really annoyed me yet, which V1 Jaune always does XD 

The impact wasn’t super swift but the lead up was spectacular. Holy fuck the lead out was fast though (OO) Also nice environmental destruction, really shows their power! 

Such pretty hair. Also the hiding place lady, what does that mean, is the Grimm inside them, what is up, what’s crackalacking, is that Ozpin? (OO) Oh shit, they are infected with a Grimm! 

So I guess this isn’t an AU to another world thing, I assume, so the anime original plot is likely doing something wholly different after that arc. Gods I hope they keep Bumbleby. 

I love the purple highlights in Blake’s hair, the speedy room redecoration and Weiss’s bunk beds line... Also no Weiss, these are not bunk beds, they are a Health & Safety hazard. 

I can see why Weiss is annoyed with Ruby here and after a brief moment of fondness too. Also good question Yang. Damn that boartusk is intense! Oooh death stare! 

Oh she hallucinating now! Yang’s so protective its sweet, and Blake already gradating to hand holding, I love it. Ruby is much baby in this, give her some milk and a hug. 

Huh, interesting shift up in the conversation, I think I prefer the original. And Jaune’s infected too! Wait Jaune had no Aura before now, ze fuck!?!!?That scene was cute but I am unsure on Weiss’s motives.

Poor Blake, being kept up all night by these kids XD Ominous evil Grimm Jaune thing!!!!! Not much has been done to really establish RWBY & JNPR as close here so RWBY’s inclusion feels awkward. 

Shion Zaiden radiates magical vibes, loving the music and imagery, also unique Grimm and hmm, JNOR struggles to have reason to be so close barring Pyrrha but otherwise it works. 

The Arc family is sexist, news at eleven. Also this dream is fucking weird, but I like it, the bunnies and Jaune is a bunny now and the rabbit statues and he wants his sister! 

She has a fucking telephone into the dream!?!? She is %100 magic I swear! Oooh fancy capture animation, I like!! Pfft, Yang & the teachers just dragging Jaune in the background XD 

Meh, Sun, the added Faunus bigotry is good though. Weiss is definitely more of a dick in this version. Also Penny remains fucking adorable. Oooh condensing the fight that works. I do wish they’d given Blake better come backs.

I like Yang reading Weiss the riot act, also ominous shadow Weiss, and dragging out (In a sense) Weiss’s tensions with the whole team does work well, especially with the Nightmare. Wish we’d gotten more WF background too, that context was integral. 

Penny is so cute and they cut the “Is she a man joke” so very glad to see that, and ooh that explains how Ruby & Penny got there, nice! Damn Yang is PISSED! and she heard the bunk beds exchange and is kind of on the money. 

Hahaha, oh my gosh, I thought Weiss’s “I don’t know what to do!” Would be for something dramatic, but she’s just being a baby XD Huh, its kinda fun seeing the Bulkheads, they look so similar to the regular series here too. 

Skipping over the Penny fight makes sense, less so to skip over Blake’s encounter with Roman & the WF, though giving Penny the trait of announcing little sound effects for herself is cute! 

I like Weiss re-using Yang’s lines about the person over the organization. Oh shit, that was an intense way to drag Weiss into the dream scape, creepy as fuck! 

Monty Oum’s name still in the credits and right at the top, one loves to see the respect to his name.