#she will protect you from augustus

[changelingeyes]

think i might have to do rewrites on the Lazy fic,, the more i think about it the more i think that maybe tiffany and changeling’s friendship isn’t actually a good one

[idoodlestuffsometimes]

Brother's Keeper AU Story Post 12 (Part 2)

AU MASTER POST

BEGINNING | PREVIOUS | NEXT

[Image ID under the cut]

[IMAGE ID: Three pages of a black and white comic.

PAGE ONE

PANEL 1: Perry Porter continues his news report. "Further investigation," he says, "reveals that this human has been the subject of sightings in Bonesborough for a few weeks now, and is the cause of a recent disturbance at Hexside School. For further comment, here is my own son, Augustus." PANEL 2: Perry interviews Gus, who is grinning with excitement. "Augustus, is it true you've encountered this human before?" "Yeah!" exclaims Gus, "She snuck into the school and now she's my friend! Her name is Luz!" PANEL 3: "Now that they're together, I can see…" says Belos. "It's them." With a point of his finger, he conjures hologram-like illusions of Luz and Lillith, who stand in the throne room facing them, with their names above their heads. "I don't understand," says Caleb. PANEL 4: The illusions have transformed into Luz and Lilith in their disguises from "Elsewhere and Elsewhen." The names over their heads have changed to "Luzura" and "Aunt Dirtrude." "I had to consult memory magic to be sure," Belos says, "but I was correct." Caleb reads the names out loud: "Luzura and--" PANEL 5: He points, laughing. "Wait, is that the witch who broke your nose?" "They're the two who helped me find the Collector," Belos grumbles. "I did always have questions about them. Clearly there was time magic involved."

PAGE TWO

PANEL 1: A profile view of Caleb, quietly sad. "I see," he says. "And this human attacked a witch in a duel." PANEL 2: But then he turns and brings a hand to his chin in thought. "But… the boy called her his friend?" "Either a cunning ploy, or she is… struggling to find her way," responds Belos. "Either way, she isn't ready to face a witch." PANEL 3: A view of footage from the news report, projected by the crystal ball. In a moment from the episode "Convention," Eda exposes the power glyph used on Amity while Luz looks on in surprise. Belos continues to speak off screen. "If it wasn't for the Owl Lady's intervention, she would have sorely lost." "The Owl Lady protected her?" Caleb asks. "Yes, it appears my suspicions were correct." PANEL 4: "The portal door has reappeared, in the hands of another one of your blasted Clawthornes." A close-up of Belos against a totally black background, his face shadowed. One hateful eye gleams from behind his mask. PANEL 5: A close-up of Caleb staring up at him, also shadowed against black. His face is lined, his single pupil a pinprick. His expression is schooled neutral. "And just as before," Belos continues off screen, "the witch has taken advantage to claim a human soul." PANEL 6: "No wonder the child came to me for help. If not for Lilith, perhaps I could have aided her back then." He stands in front of the projection, watching the newscast, his back to Caleb. "I should order her collected and brought here. Shield her from further corruption. If only the Owl Lady wasn't guarding her." PANEL 7: A close up of Caleb jolting forward, fearful. "NO!" he bursts out.

PAGE THREE

PANEL 1: A close-up of Belos glowering dangerously over his shoulder, lit by the broadcast from behind. "No?" PANEL 2: Caleb sweats. "I mean. Philip, don't you think it'll look suspicious to show too much interest in a human?" PANEL 3: Caleb takes Belos hand, clutching him imploringly. "Not to mention the possibilities of meddling in the time-line. It's too risky." Belos isn't looking at him anymore. He looks ahead at the illusion of Luz, whose back is to us in the foreground. His expression is unreadable. PANEL 4: A high angle shot of Belos and Caleb watching Luz's illusion. Caleb still clings to Belos. Luz's illusion is alone now, staring at them blankly as she stands at the far end of the throne room. "Yes," Belos agrees, "I fear it's too early to intervene. It seems the Lord is testing her." PANEL 5: "For now," he continues off screen, "she will have to face the temptations of this realm on her own." A close-up of Caleb, letting out a breath of relief. PANEL 6: Caleb's eyes snap open. Belos' hand has come up to brush his cheek. PANEL 7: Belos pulls Caleb into a hug. Caleb's face over Belos' shoulder is drawn in supressed, silent horror, cast in deep shadows, as Belos murmurs to him reassuringly. "Don't worry, Caleb. The Owl Lady will be taken care of. And then the portal to the human realm will be in safe hands." PANEL 8: Belos and Caleb in profile against a black background, casting long shadows on the ground. Belos hunches over Caleb, one arm around his back and the other hand on the back of his head, pressing him close. Caleb dangles limply, face towards the ceiling, pulled halfway out of his wheelchair. Belos murmurs into Caleb's hair. "I won't let history repeat."

[thetaxicabber]

Chapter 12 art for Voyagers of Time and Shadow!

This amazing art by @giselsann-opencommissions I'm so excited to continue getting art for this series! If you've read it let me know which scenes you'd like to see! :)

“Look,” Hermione jabs her finger onto the paper laid out on the table. Evie scans the headline.

Next to her Sebastian chokes, eyes widening. “Is this real?”

“Very,” Ron answers grimly and his eyes momentarily dart to Harry.

“Nobody has ever escaped Azkaban,” Sebastian whispers to Evie. “I told you about it…remember?”

Evie does remember. They were in the Undercroft after the Scriptorium, before he taught her any of the Unforgivable Curses. She’d heard about the wizarding prison from Fig in passing, but Sebastian is the one that told her more about it. He said that it was the worst place in the world, guarded by monsters and impossible to escape. He told her if anyone ever caught them using the curses they’d be sent there for life. Most people go mad or even die after arriving. It’s why Evie would rather have died then let Anne or Ominis send Sebastian there after what happened with Solomon. She never would have let him be taken, she'd have fought against all the aurors in the world to protect him and she would have won.

“Someone has,” Hermione lowers her voice till it’s barely a whisper. “Two years ago. But they were innocent. These are all convicted criminals, major supporters of…You-Know-Who.”

The photos are moving across the newspaper, showing mugshots of the escapees. Evie’s eyes lock on the bold name under the second photo. Her heart skips a beat in her chest. The man’s face is disfigured by pocks and the photo is in black and white but she recognizes the shape of his eyes and the set to his jaw. The same bored expression as he shifts back and forth in the frame.

Augustus Rookwood

“He…looks like Victor Rookwood,” Evie whispers and Sebastian glares daggers at the portraits. Evie doesn’t think anyone hates Victor Rookwood more than Sebastian. He's the one that cursed Anne, the one that terrorized the entire country at Ranrok's side, the one that almost killed Evie.

“Purebloods,” Hermione reasons and her lip curls slightly. “Many supremacists inter marry. Not that it matters in regards to magic. But biologically it’s terrible for their genes. Fools.” She shakes her head. "It's why they have such problems. At least that's what I think."

“They do at that,” Sebastian whispers, his face twisted in a grimace. “Ominis was potentially going to marry a third cousin if he couldn’t escape his family. His parents were first cousins. It’s disturbing.”

“How many escaped from the prison?”

“Ten prisoners,” Hermione folds her paper back up and tucks it into her brown leather bag. “All of them old supporters. Death Eaters. It’s bad.”

“So he’s getting his gang back together,” Evie reasons, resting her chin atop her hand. “It’s what I would do if I was an evil overlord. Especially since nobody seems to care that I’ve returned to power. Now is the time to gather power and allies without really anyone to stop him. It's a good way to get the upper hand. Then once power has been consolidated you strike hard and fast.”

“Put a lot of thought into what you’d do if you were evil?” Sebastian breaks the tension with a wry smile.

“Obviously,” Evie rolls her eyes, doing her best to ignore his teasing. “To end a dark wizard…or goblin,” she lowers her voice so only they can hear her. “One must first get ahead of them.”

[cordidy]

Hogwarts Legacy character's headcanon : Sebastian Sallow

My little headcanon for our boy, the list might grow as I keep having ideas :D

Growing up / Hogwart days :

He is the younger twin and Anne gave him Hell because of that, always bossing him around and teasing her "baby brother"

He was always very close to his sister to the point their parents had to hurry up to feed or change them cause whenever he was away from his sister he was all grumpy.

He would fall asleep curled up against his sister when they were babies and snored a lot so she would kick him, basically I picture them as sleeping like kittens xD.

I don't know why but in my mind he stuttered when he was young, being teased by the other children because of that. His sister broke a lot of noses in retaliation and he worked very hard with their mother to get rid of his stutter.

Anne is the one who saw their parents first in the cellar and it traumatized her so, that day, he became the "big brother" to protect and sooth her. At night, after they started living with Solomon, he would remain awake cause he knew at some point his sister would crawl into his bed and they would cuddle while crying.

The hat wanted to sort him into Ravenclaw like their parents but since Anne had been sorted into Slytherin he begged it to not separate them.

At first he was hyper vigilant and jealous of Ominis cause it took more time for the two of them to click than it did for Ominis and his sister and he felt like the third wheel.

He is a nerd, think Hermione kind of nerd, like, the guy gets detention for staying in the library after curfew and the day he discoverd Arithmancy....

If available, he would totaly take on Alchemy classes cause he likes to scratch his brain on complex subjects.

After Solomon's murder, if the player did not tell about it, he ends up comfessing to Professor Sharp.

He goes to trial, of course, but the Wizenmagot goes easy on him due to the circumstances and the fact he is still a child.

He ends up crying in Court when he realizes the people who came to testify on his behalf including his teachers (even Madam Scribner who told everyone how brilliant he was despite being a pain in her ass !), his friends (Ominis was there but not Anne) and even some shopkeepers from Hogsmead including Augustus Hill and Sirona.

He still goes to Azkaban for a month to make sure he gets the implications of what he did and spends the next 2 years in probation, seeing a conselor once a weak and undergoing evaluation to make sure he is not a danger for society or himself.

He becomes a loner when coming back to Hogwarts, keeping to himself and focusing on his studies.

He would still hang out with Ominis and the Gaunt would help him manage his night terrors but something broke between the two of them.

Speaking of Ominis, he is his only link to Anne as she refuses to talk to her brother after what he did.

Adult life :

After graduating, Sebastian would start a training as a healer in St Mungo's.

He would travel the world to study different forms of healing and would end up in remote places where he is really needed as a healer joining the wizarding equivalent of the Red Cross (I can't picture him in London or in a traditionnal hospital).

The moment Anne died, he knew it, waking up in sweat and recieving Ominis's letter was only a comfirmation. That's the only time he went back to England, for her funeral.

He never married nor had children of his own but became the father figure of a lot of kids in need.

He always kept the scars of the event in the catacombs both physical and psychological.

When he died, the nurse holding his hand said that the was smiling. She reported his last words were "you came for me ?" but no one really knows who he was talking to or if he was just hallucinating (Anne, it's Anne !)

[ammomancer]

psychonauts character name meanings cuz i find them interesting

Razputin (Rasputin) - of the crossroads (Russian)

Lili - Alternate spelling of "Lily" or German, French, and Hungarian diminuitive of "Elizabeth", "God's promise" or "God's abundance"

Morceau - not an actual name, but the French word for a small piece of something (RUDE)

Sasha - Diminuitive of "Alexander", "defender of man"; if you're wondering how you get to "Sasha" from "Alexander", it specifically is from the Russian "Aleksandr". sidenote since he's German it should probably be spelled Sascha

Milla/Camilla - we don't actually know what this means! we know it comes from the Roman name "Camillus" but we don't know where that name comes from. "camillus" is a Latin word that means basically the ancient Roman equivalent of an altar boy, but this is probably unrelated to the name

Ford - a shallow place in a river or stream (English)

Dogen - this one is just made up. "dogen" is a word in a couple languages but they both have a soft g

Clem - short for "Clement", "merciful" (English, from Latin)

Crystal - just the English word crystal.

Maloof - variant of "Maalouf", a chiefly Lebanese surname from Arabic that may mean "exempt" or "protected"

Bobby - presumably short for "Robert", "bright fame" (Germanic)

James - ultimately from "Jacob", which may mean "supplanter" or "may God protect" (English, ultimately from Hebrew)

Theodore - gift of God (Greek)

Franke - ultimately from "Franciscus", "Frenchman" (Latin)

Nils - Swedish/Norwegian/Danish form of "Nicholas", "victory of the people" (Greek)

Mikhail - Russian form of "Michael", "who is like God?" (Hebrew)

Elka - unclear; possibly a diminutive of "Adelheid", "of noble birth" (German) or potentially a feminine form of "Elkanah", "God has created" or "God has possessed" (Hebrew)

Elton - Ella's town or old town (English)

Chloe - green shoot (Greek)

Phoebe - bright, pure (Greek)

Quentin - French form of "Quintus", "fifth" (Latin)

Milka - either a Finnish/Polish diminuitive of "Emilia", "rival", or from a diminutive of various Slavic names containing "milŭ", "gracious" or "dear"

Kitty - short for "Katherine", which has a debated etymology but became associated with "katharos", "pure" in Greek

Vernon - ultimately derived from a word for "alder" as in the tree (Gaulish)

Benny - short for Benjamin (son of the right hand, Hebrew) or Benedict (blessed, Latin)

Melvin - from "Melville", which comes from a Norman French word for "bad town"

Linda - soft (Germanic) or beautiful (Spanish, Portuguese)

Boyd - of uncertain etymology, Scottish

Gloria - glory (Spanish/Portuguese)

Bonita - pretty (Spanish)

Becky - short for Rebecca, "join" or "tie" (Hebrew)

Jasper - from Gaspar, which possibly comes from a Persian word meaning "treasurer"

Fred - peace (Germanic), if we assume it's short for Frederick then "peaceful ruler"

Napoleon - from the Italian name Napoleone, of uncertain etymology

Edgar - prosperous spear (Old English)

Lana - unclear, possibly "little rock" (Breton)

Dean - valley (English)

Crispin - curly-haired (Latin)

Penelope - either "weaver" or a type of duck (Greek)

Houston - Hugh's town (Scottish)

Caligosto - evokes "Caligari" and "Cagliostro"

Herndon - heron valley or corner valley (English)

Augustus - exalted, venerable (Latin)

Truman - trusty man (Middle English)

D'Artagnan - "from Artagnan" (which may itself get its name from a word meaning 'bear'); famously the name of the fourth Musketeer (French)

Hollis - from "holly" (English)

Harold - military commander (Old English)

Paul - small, humble (Latin)

Norma - from an opera character (a druid priestess from 1831's Norma), possibly inspired by the Latin "norma", "rule, standard" (which we get the word "norm" from)

Lizzie - short for Elizabeth, "God is my oath" (Hebrew)

Morris - Moorish (from Latin)

Adam - man (Hebrew)

Samantha - uncertain, likely related to Samuel ("name of God", Hebrew)

Gisu - Iranian Persian for a curl or lock of hair—I like to think it was a nickname she got as a baby that stuck, like Miley Cyrus

Jack - diminuitive of John, "God is gracious" (Hebrew)

Donatella - "given" (Latin via Italian)

Dion - possibly short for Dionisio, the Italian form of Dionysus (though it may not be, like Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts fame)

Frazie - my headcanon is that "-zie" is a diminuitive in Grulovian (compare Russian -ce/-tse and Polish -cia), so her name could be some variant of Frances or Francesca, or maybe an alternate spelling of Freya, "noble lady" (Old Norse). Alternatively maybe it's short for Euphrasie, the French form of Euphrasia, "good cheer" in Greek

Mirtala - possibly related to "myrtle", as in the plant; compare Spanish and Italian "Mirta"

Queepie - I don't think this is a real name but "queep" is a way of writing out a bird chirp

Compton - valley town (Old English)

Otto - wealth, fortune (German)

Cassie - usually short for Cassandra, possibly derived from "to excel, to shine"

Cassiopeia - Greek mythological wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda, namesake of a constellation; the name itself may be related to "cassia", which in modern English refers to multiple different plants, one of them being Cinnamonium cassia, which is one of the trees that cinnamon is made from the bark of and is also known as "Chinese cinnamon"

Gerda - brave spear (German)

Fannie - potentially short for Stephanie, "crown" (Greek), but more interestingly could be related to "Fàn", a surname that is a homonym with an obsolete word for "bee". it isn't pronounced the exact same but i imagine it's anglicized. potentially anglicized Fànying? i do not speak Chinese so this could be complete bullshit

Helmut - possibly "whole mind" or "whole spirit", potentially "brave helmet" (Proto-Germanic or Middle High German)

Lucrecia - alternate (predominantly Spanish) spelling of "Lucretia", an ancient Roman name potentially meaning "profit". Notably Lucretia was the name of a Roman noblewoman whose tragic death was said to have sparked a rebellion that led to Rome becoming a republic. WARNING for sexual violence and suicide if you choose to look that up)

Bob - short for Robert, "bright fame" (Germanic)

Tia - short for any number of names that end in "tia"

Marona - possibly related to "marrone" (Italian for chesnut) or "mâron" (Ancient Greek for what we now call cat thyme, Teucrium marum)

Lazarus - from Greek "Lazaros", originating from Hebrew "Eleazar", "my God has helped"

Gelsin - not a name, but the Turkish third person singular imperative for "come" (English doesn't have third person imperative so it's hard to explain but it's kinda like "let him come" or "he should come")

Zalto - yellow (Bulgarian), I think it might also be an Austrian or Italian surname but it's hard to find things about the name because it's the name of a fancy wineglass brand

Mithra - "oath" in Avestan (an Old Iranian language); the name of a Zoroastrian deity of light, justice, and friendship

Rokel - potentially from "Rockel", a German habitational name or a name meaning someone who bakes with rye

Gristol - not a real name but compare "grist", unground grain that's been separated from its chaff (the inedible parts, the word chaff is also used figuratively to mean something worthless or unwanted), used in the phrase "grist for the mill" meaning something is useful (particularly knowledge, experience, or information)

[skenisasleb]

Oliver Intro Post

TW: There are some references to touchy real-life events. There is also verbal abuse and child neglect. Proceed with caution.

Oliver Ranch is the second South Park OC I have made. I made him originally to ship with my OC, Ted, since I shipped Ted with Kyle before and I realized that may be kiiiiinda cringe. 😭

Now he’s one of my favorites out my SP OCs.

(All forms of him below are ‘episode’ scenarios I have created for him.)

Oliver’s Main Story

He is the firstborn of his three siblings; he has a baby brother, Bryce, and a younger sister, Blair. He cares for the both of them to substitute for his parent’s horrible behavior.

His mother is a overall angry person, probably where Oliver got his own anger issues. She verbally abuses everyone in the family, and gets close to hitting them on the occasion. Oliver’s father is a drunk and spends all his time drinking, watching football on the TV, and falling asleep on the pull-out couch.

Oliver’s Relationships

Oliver is in a relationship with Ted, and even though before he wanted to punt Ted into the street in the beginning, he now is overly protective of Ted and would resort to dangerous measures to protect him. Oliver also allows Ted to call him “Olive.” If anyone else tries to call him this, he will most likely pop them in the mouth.

Oliver absolutely hates Augustus. He has thought about wringing the clown’s neck multiple times; even making up fake scenarios where he could just gut the guy. In secret, Oliver is envious of Augustus’ progress, running a circus all by himself without anyone overlooking him.

Oliver doesn’t really approach Casey and Ernesto. He prefers to keep his circle tight, where the circle only consists of Ted (Ted takes up his whole social battery anyway).

Oliver’s Sub-Plots/‘Episodes’

“Self-Defense”

The government has passed a law, allowing kids in America under the age of 10 to own and carry guns in order to protect themselves. Most kids don’t know what to do with a gun, or don’t know how to work it and end up massacring each other. Oliver, already owning a pistol beforehand (illegally, might I add) and now with the freedom to own as many guns as he wants, he goes absolutely ballistic and joins in the chaos on purpose.

“Come Get My Ass”

Oliver is deathly afraid of the visitors. Everyone in South Park seems to pass it up as just a thing that happens, but Oliver doesn’t want something he doesn’t want up his ass. He has nightmares where he would look in the mirror and see himself as a visitor. He decides that he will try and stop the visitors himself if the people of South Park won’t.

“AI Generated Slavery”

…. If you couldn’t tell, this is a play off of the disasters of the recent Willy Wonka incident. 💀

But this time, the organizer of the event hired children for low pay because his budget dropped from the shipping of the hologram interactive activity that was meant to arrive for the event, but never came. So now the organizer would be charged for MORE heinous crimes :DD

“Phantom of the Soap Opera”

“The Phantom of the Opera,” but make it a soap opera with goofy-ass side characters like the neighbor, Dave Hillis, and Christine’s boss, Junior.

In this case, the Phantom is Oliver, who is a shut-in who practices the piano, and Christine is Ted, who works a casual job at the hardware store.

It’s really just silly goofy stuff.

“Pride Misconseption”

Oliver completely misunderstood what a Pride parade actually is for. He thought it was just a place to be proud of ANYTHING. Therefore, he went to the Pride parade decked out in Scottish flags. People present were pissed and confused at Oliver, accusing him of not taking it seriously and kicking him out of the parade after shaming him. The whole time, Oliver was just confused, never really knowing what the parade was truly for.

“The Mishaps of the Furry and the School Shooter”

Pretty much an ‘episode’ featuring Blackbear and Dire Dune teaming up in order to beat Cartman’s ass, forming a duo that strayed from both Freedom Pals and the C**n and Friends.

Dire Dune is Oliver’s superhero persona; he is an elemental class that controls sand and strives to control the rocks that the grains came from.

Contrary to his actual personality, Dire Dune is a more calm and collected character who shares wisdom instead of spitting harsh truths.

I have made other ‘episode’ ideas, but they’re not as fully developed as the ones I have shared, so I decided not to share them. That’s all for Oliver’s backstory!! Thank you for reading this far!! :DD

[mllemaenad]

The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

Okay, well, it sounds very much as though "Freddy" is tattling on Sam. Might not be, of course: once you've assigned a personality to something you head straight down the path of attributing meaning and motive to all its actions. And in the case of Freddy, there might be no intelligence behind it, one intelligence with many voices behind it, or many intelligences with potentially competing motives behind it. Depending on which of those it is, you get a different picture of why it does what it does.

It alerts Alice that Sam has been poking around "The Magnus Protocol". It shouldn't have alerted Alice; it sounds as though Colin was the intended recipient, although it would make sense for it to go to Lena as well. It suggests that it did not want official action taken against him for looking – whatever that might mean – but that it did want someone to know what he was doing.

It's fairly easy to predict that Alice, upon receiving such an alert, will tell Sam to knock it off but not actually take any action against him. The recording Gwen hears at the end of the episode suggests (although does not confirm) that things can in fact go very, very wrong in this job – so this may constitute a protective gesture. On the other hand, if the greatest risk were to just be getting fired, well then that might be for the best.

It's a weird alert, though.

Alice I just received a security notification. Sam About me? Alice Someone was trying to access restricted files. And my money is on you. – The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

What do you mean, "someone" is trying to access restricted files? No user ID? Or username? Or even a device ID? What the hell sort of security alert is that? If you were a manager, and you received that, you'd have to go on a witch hunt. Depending on how you look at it, it's either a terrible alert tailored to produce a stressful working experience ... or a whisper that might be meaningful to Alice, and no one else.

The arrival of the third voice, "Augustus" is interesting because he is a complete unknown. To be clear, I'm aware that the prevailing theory is that this is Jonah Magnus. I'm not especially here to dispute that; not at the moment. The man's first name starts with a "J", which fits nicely with ".jmj error" and, well, the name Magnus is right there in the title, which suggests it's at least to some degree relevant. It's as good a theory as any, and while you can absolutely throw out other possible names there's not enough detail yet to prove anything.

But what is interesting is the implication if that is Jonah Magnus. If the voices originated in this world then they might be anybody, of course. No way to tell. But if they came from another world, it suggests that something more than just voices came through. Because, to my knowledge, that voice was never recorded.

It makes sense that you'd hear John's voice leaking between worlds – he's on virtually all the tapes. It makes reasonable sense that you'd hear Martin's: he was on quite a lot. You might also expect "Elias Bouchard", or Basira or Tim or even Gertrude – because if it's just voices then whether they're alive or dead or even confirmed still hanging about in another dimension shouldn't matter. But if it is Magnus, then something came through that wasn't recorded: the voice of an earlier body, or even his original one. Some internal sense of "this is how I sound" that differs from anything recorded on the tapes.

And if it isn't him? Well, all of the above still applies, with the added question of "Who is it, then?"

If it is him – and I will speak as such for now because there's not yet enough thread to follow if it isn't – then his story choice is interesting.

Alice Dear grandpa Augustus does always tell such lovely stories. – The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

Alice implies that Augustus's stories are somehow worse than Norris's and Chester's – she didn't remark on any of theirs in quite the same way, except to call Norris's first one "tame". I don't know what metric she's using: they all seem pretty ghoulish. But this story does address a different perspective.

It's a tale of resentment and entitlement. Of someone who was special, but not quite special enough for his own liking – and who fed his soul to something monstrous to increase his own standing. His father seems to have a seat in the House of Lords, and all the wealth and standing that would accompany that position. The letter writer, however, is a bastard: an acknowledged bastard, apparently, whose father has provided for him, but nevertheless a bastard set apart from the legitimate children of the household.

He's also very concerned that people aren't appreciating his talents.

Augustus/Violinist My violin tutor, one Oliver Bardwell by name, nursed a conviction that this honor was purely the fruit of his own skills as an instructor, rather than a product of my talent and endeavor. ... My course was set for Mannheim, a destination where I felt a youthful certainty that my brilliance would at last be acknowledged. – The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

This fits very well with Jonah Magnus, who very much played second fiddle, so to speak, in the story that had his name on it. On a meta level: he was the villain of the piece, the one who pretty well had to fall and fail in order for the narrative to reach its conclusion. But even in-universe it's highlighted that he's just ... not that special:

Archivist Right. When I said that I would ‘replace’ Jonah in there, that’s not– That place, the centre of The Eye, i-it’s… It wasn’t made for him. That’s why he’s like that, it’s too much, it’s overwhelmed him, his whole being, just destroyed. Martin Oh yeah? But let me guess, it was made for you? Archivist Yes. – The Magnus Archives: Parting

It's got to be galling: Magnus built an institute and served his god for literal centuries, and eventually remade the world under its power. But does the Eye want him? No, no it does not. It wants the grumpy archivist who does not want to be here at all, and who is in fact actively plotting to kill it. Jonah Magnus is the Eye's acknowledged, but displaced, bastard son.

It's also implied that a sense of ... hm ... aristocratic entitlement, let's say, played a part in the selection of his hosts:

Archivist Elias’ stomach tightened at the memory, the fierce judgement in his father’s eyes. Even laid out in a casket, it was as if he had looked at Elias with disdain. What should he say? That he had no idea why he wanted this job? That he was all alone in the world, no friends, no family, nothing but the deep certainty that he deserved better. That he was destined to be important. That it was in his blood. – The Magnus Archives: A Stern Look

And it is hard not to notice, at this point, that Augustus picked Gwen to hear this tale.

The violinist is "gifted" an instrument by a dubious merchant type reminiscent of Mikaele Salesa (the man was right – the peddler of magical artefacts is indeed a folktale staple), and it did make him a bit more special ... but never, ever quite special enough:

Augustus/Violinist And yet, while admiration rained down upon me, never was I elevated beyond the confines of my origins. The rarefied world of my noble patrons was closed to me. Modest riches adorned me, some small fame clung to my name, but never was I truly allowed to escape the position of my birth. – The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

It is also very much the story of a man who learned how to hurt other people for his own gain:

Augustus/Violinist It was not simple philanthropy that led to my taking on positions of tutelage in those bustling cities where I plied my trade, providing a musical education to the poor and the easily forgotten, asking nothing in return. Nothing except the occasional student who would not be missed. – The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

That's almost exactly how Magnus operated: employing people who would not be missed and then using them up to serve his own ends. Like Magnus, the violinist feeds people to his malevolent god.

And, not least, there are the sinister implications of the letter itself. The recipient is a "nephew", meaning he is almost certainly the child of one of the violinist's legitimate half-siblings: people he dismisses as "useless". He was not close with the nephew, so his inheritance may be something of a surprise.

Which leads to this:

Augustus/Violinist There has been a great deal of rain here this last fortnight, which has been strangely pleasing to my maudlin mood, and has brought with it some nostalgia for that dreary summer you took residence with me. I flatter myself to think that I might have imprinted upon you some part of myself in that time together, and perhaps in this way I seek to keep hold of my prized violin still. – The Magnus Protocol: Taking Notes

Right. So, yeah, the kid is definitely screwed. For all we know, the violinist lives still.

If Norris's stories are of loss and regret, and Chester's could be called a warning, Augustus's is both an enticement and a trap.

Go on. Play the cursed violin. Feed it blood. What could possibly go wrong?

But you have to wonder, then: why would Magnus tell a story that so neatly reflects what an awful person he was?

We also establish, outside the main story, that Gwen is definitely the kind of person to open weird attachments in her work email. When the OIAR gets hit with a ransomware attack, we'll all know who to blame.

It's hard to state anything definitive about what she heard. I mean – yes, it sounds bad, but, well, Gertrude Robinson once dismembered a man and threw him down a cursed pit. I'm not going to sit here and try to claim Gertrude was nice, but she was very much on the side of the world not ending. What any of this means all hinges on who the guy Lena was talking to was.

And, of course, this one is littered with world-building notes to put aside for later: "Starkwall", "The San Pedro Square Massacre", "The Protocol". Little you can do with any of them immediately.

But ... just for a thought exercise, say it is Jonah Magnus talking.

A protocol can be a lot of things. It may be rules to be followed in a formal occasion. It may be instructions in the event of an emergency. And there are also network protocols, which are about the transfer of information. I suspect in this case it has a double meaning, as Archives did. So it is something practical ... and also something else.

The word is then uttered for the first time in the episode where Magnus first speaks. It is immediately followed by a tale in which a man transfers an instrument – and I think more importantly the music that instrument produced – to someone new, and in doing so hopes to transfer some or all of himself.

The thing is. I'm not going to call Magnus's master plan "bloody stupid" but ... well, let's just say it had some obvious holes. I mean, really. He spent literal years specifically torturing this one guy, then used him very much against his will to end the world, and then just ... let him wander around, being annoyed about that. Obviously John had some moral qualms about the whole apocalypse situation, but even had he not – pretty well anybody would probably put "ruin Jonah's day" quite near the top of their to do list, under the circumstances.

It would hardly take a genius to foresee some retaliation. And self preservation is Magnus's whole deal. It's the reason he gives for destroying the world:

Archivist/Jonah Magnus I began to worry that if one of them successfully attempted their ritual, then I would be as much a victim as any, trapped in the nightmare landscape of a twisted world. At first, I attempted prevention, but the cause seemed hopeless. The only way to ensure I did not suffer the tribulations of what I believed to be an inevitable transformation was to bring it about myself. So what began as an experiment soon became a race. Beyond that, I was getting older, and mortality began to weigh more heavily on my mind. How much in this world is done because we fear death, the last and greatest terror? – The Magnus Archives: The Eye Opens

The apocalypse is just him getting everyone else before they could get him. And I have wondered, a bit, about Magnus's attitude in Last Words:

Archivist It’s over. Jonah/Elias Is it? [sigh] Yes. Yes, I suppose it must be. [TIRED EXHALATION] Where’s Martin? I rather thought he’d be the one to do the deed. … [METALLIC CLINK] Ah, I see. Going it alone, are we? Probably for the best. Empathy only holds you back in the end. Archivist You’ve failed. Jonah/Elias Have I? Archivist Immortality. It’s impossible. Even without me, nothing escapes entropy. Not forever. Not even fear. Jonah/Elias Yes… Pity. I suppose I always knew that, deep down. But it was wonderful while it lasted. I’ve seen more than I could have lived in a thousand lifetimes, and every moment was so – – The Magnus Archives: Last Words

That's all very odd, really. He thought Martin would kill him? In fact, he once bet quite heavily that Martin would not kill him. Of course, he hadn't ruined the whole world at that point, which is a thing that might well adjust a man's attitude to murder. So he thought Martin would come here, and kill him?

He was not especially surprised to see John standing over him with a knife. He seemed mostly bemused at the idea that he had failed, although he did agree that this thing, in which he bathed in the misery of others, was indeed over. There was some begging and screaming, of course, but he put up very little resistance – even though this was a straightforward physical assault. None of John's overwhelming psychic powers here, just a man who never showed much inclination toward violence taking his very first stab, so to speak, at knifing someone to death.

It seems peculiar, that a man who would do literally anything to stay alive – who betrayed his friends, who stole the lives of others, who doomed the whole world – would not have a plan in place to escape the very obvious enemy who was almost certainly going to come after him.

Unless, of course, he did have a plan. And we're listening to it.

[authorindistress]

HSTA Lore: Romanov

As I'm beginning my Wattpad journey, I'm starting a random series on Tumblr with a bunch lore dump because this is my idea of fun. Enjoy some background the country of Romanov.

Government System: Monarchy (Originally)

Ruling Family: The Thalestris Family (Disputed)

Religious Affiliation: Spiritualism - Unlike other countries, Romanov has no gods. Instead, it is believed that after you die your spirit is assigned to a piece of nature to take care of. Typically, someone is cremated and then their ashes placed into the area of nature they are to protect to eternity. Druids are responsible for communing with the spirits and following all religious rituals.

Magic: Long ago, Romanov was known for harvesting wind magic that would help sailors leave to explore other parts of the world. However, most of Romanov has been overharvested of all elemental magic, leaving the country in economic ruined.

Current Status: Civil war between Royalists who support the Thalestris family and Revolutionaries who are seeking to overthrow them.

BTS: The naming system for this country and all the characters from there are entirely historical references.

Romanov = The Romanov family who ruled Russia before being overthrown by the Bolsheviks (revolutionaries). The name itself is also a nod to Rome, which is where the Thalestris family's names come from. Julius Thalestris = Julius Caesar Octavia Thalestris = Octavian (as in Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus) Antonia Thalestris = Marc Antony Tajan Thalestris = Trajan (as in Marcus Ulpius Traianus) Morana Thalestris = Morana's the only one without a historical reference since she is from Dualis, not Romanov.

How Shadows Turn to Ash

[saintsenara]

trick or treat please madam

i have not forgotten what you threatened to do to me if you were tricked, so here is your treat: a little snippet of percy lurking in his office, eavesdropping on your two favourite death eaters discussing the best way to manage a toxic, immortal boss...

Rookwood doesn’t answer. Instead, Percy hears the sound of the kettle being filled and set on the hob, of two mugs being placed on the work-surface, of water and milk being added to tea, of a teaspoon clinking against china.

‘I knew this was a risk when he found out what Lucius had done with that diary. My suspicions were confirmed when Dumbledore lured old Sluggy out of retirement…’

There’s a sharp burr of irritation in Lestrange’s voice. ‘You’re not doing much to reassure me that we’re not all dead, Augustus.’

Rookwood sounds no less annoyed. ‘That Dumbledore would figure it out was inevitable. He was expecting it himself! There’s no need for us to overreact.’

‘And how have you worked that one out?’

‘Dumbledore will not have known what he was looking for. Or where. That is why we’ll be fine.’

‘I really do fail to see how -’

‘This locket couldn’t have belonged more obviously to the Heir of Slytherin if it tried. The rest are more subtle. They’ll be much harder to find. And if the protections surrounding them are made impenetrable…’

‘I’ve already told Bella to up the enchantments. Gemino Curses on everything, at the bare minimum. And something nastier, if she so desires…’

‘And she will.’

Percy hears each man take a sip of tea, feels something of the tension between them start to dissipate.

‘I’ve known him since I was eleven, Rodolphus,’ says Rookwood, gently. ‘And I have learned - over the past sixty years - that the best way to deal with any cock-ups is to solve them and then present the solution to him as a fait accompli. He cares about the end result, he doesn’t give a fuck how you arrive at it… His priority is this caper he’s on across the Channel. He will be angrier - much, much angrier - to be called away from it just to be told that we let Potter get away than he will be to return and be told that, even though this happened, Potter was captured and we got it back…’

‘And what if he already knows that Potter escaped and thinks we’re hiding things from him?’

‘He’s abroad.’

‘Does that matter?’

‘There is nothing to worry about.’ Another sip. ‘Even he can’t read your mind from Budapest.’

[thefringespod]

Finally got smart enough to make my #AudioDramaSunday list ahead of time so I wouldn't forget anything for once! We're gonna start today with the newest Magus Protocol episode which was phenomenal. Cole Weavers wrote this one and I just adore his writing. Also: Augustus is here 👀

Early access for the newest ep of @souloperatorpod was this week and y'all have a TREAT waiting for you tomorrow. Tot continues to astound me with her many talents and we also get to meet a new character who I'm already in love with

@tellnotalespod has brought us back to Julia and Riley who are overworking themselves (especially Riley. Let them sleep.) I love getting to hear from them in these mini eps but they DO make me want to shake Leo even harder Leo please talk to your friends please

@camlannpod episode 2 released this week and my gods it was so much fun. A blend of deep and emotional scenes and comedy (I'm still thinking about "The CW lied to me") I love every character with my whole heart and have been loving all the theories on tumblr about the show

New @innbetween was so sweet I love hearing the Lowlifes become actual friends. Phoebe thinking that everyone wanted her to leave squeezed my heart so hard and everyone insisting she stay because she was the one that they wanted for the quest??? Just so so good

@somewhereohio has once again knocked me flat with this episode. The worldbuilding around Jasmine and what's going on with her memories is incredible! I am an Orange Splice stan 1st and person 2nd. Also the Nadia/Alex scene breaks my heart because I know how they end 😭.

New Technomancy Project was SO GOOD!! And I was FUCKING RIGHT!!! I said this before but I love having all of them play Belial's game this time around and I don't think there's a single EPO agent who didn't make me cry this ep. The Technomancy Project continues to kick ass

Caught up on last weeks @thesiltverses and gods it fucked me up (affectionate) B Narr does such a fantastic job with Faulkner. I love him. I hate him. I want him to get whats coming to him & I want to protect him from it at the same time. B's performance knocks me flat every time

There was another special episode of @wakeofcorrosion this week featuring the Fringes' very own @totcoc0a and @taytayheyhey! I will never forgive them for what they did to my heart <3 Shaun Pellington wrote a killer script and deserves none of the blame even if it did break me

Continuing to make my way through the Storage Papers this week and episodes 13-19 were VERY good. I said "Nope, don't like that" out loud multiple times while listening to 19 which is the exact reaction you want from a horror pod.

This isn't a new episode listen but @wpwcpod has announced their existence and cast and im SO FUCKING EXCITED!! Not only do I love CL Hendry's writing but it will also feature the Fringes' very own Ollie Bannerman and @chainofbeing Cai Gwilym Pritchard I'm so hyped

Also not a new episode listen but Athan (creator of The Grotto) has announced that his album is coming out on March 29! If you've listened to The Grotto then you know Athan writes killer music. And if you dont listen to the Grotto: DO IT GO LISTEN RIGHT NOW ITS SO GOOD

Here on the Fringes we're preparing for the second half of the season! Episode 19 is available RIGHT NOW at patreon.com/PineTreePods and will be available to the public this Wednesday! Also gearing up to finish the last 3 episodes of season 3 which I'm super excited for

And over on @forgedbondspod the first half of the show is written! The cast has been thrown into a discord and has access to scripts now which is super exciting, I can't wait for yall to hear what's going to come from the first 24 eps

And that's all for this week! It's a long audiodrama Sunday post but there's just. So much good stuff going on. Every day I'm so grateful to exist in this audiodrama space and to share my work with yall <3

[enam3l]

finally, it's here. my first real series. loosely based on the film love, rosie. it's a devastatingly slow burn and full of angst and longing. i hope you guys enjoy.

after the events of season four, your best friend eddie munson moves on leaving you behind, in love with him and concealing a secret you never hope he discovers.

follow #enam3l love lola

a/n: happy ending eventually, slow burn, will they won't they, a lil angsty but never mean eddie

At age 8 you met Eddie Munson for the first time and you were sure he was the prettiest person you'd ever seen. Your Grandmother had visited a womens refuge to drop off old clothes, pots, pans, things she owned but didn't need. There she had spotted a young woman, beautiful with cascading brown curls but a panicked look on her face and tears on the brink of falling. Attached to her leg was a boy, wide eyes anxiously scanning the alien surroundings. Drawn in by the sweet boy who looked your age, your grandmother approached the woman.

Over the next hour she had learnt their history and their circumstances. Within the next two hours your Gran took advantage of her own means to develop a plan for the pair. By that evening your dinner table had two extra settings arranged. No longer just you and your Grandmother, you were now joined by Eva Munson, your new housekeeper and her son - Eddie - who from under his mop of dark curls assessed you across the grand dining table with big bright eyes, the colour of the special chocolates you were only given at Christmas. He was pretty and precious like the delicate porcelain dolls you were only allowed to gaze at in your Grandma's reading room and you instinctively wanted so badly to take care of him. 

At age 11 and on the cusp of puberty, you realised Eddie Munson was not just pretty like a flower or doll, he was beautiful and kind like the unexpected saviour of a fairytale. With three years of best friendship under your belt, you understood that Eddie was not like any boy or even man you had ever met. He was not selfish or cruel like your father and he wasn't obnoxious and boring like the sons of your Grandmother's fancy friends, who until Eddie arrived, you had been stuck amongst. He was endlessly interesting, you could listen to him all day although he wouldn't allow that, always insisting on hearing your ideas too. Eddie had once asked you why your favourite book was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. With a wicked smile you had replied because those spoilt children got their comeuppance and you could only dream about that happening to the many Augustus Gloops and Veruca Salts in your life. Slightly downtrodden, Eddie had chuckled glumly, 'I guess I am Charlie, poor and can't believe his luck .' 

Gasping and horrified at Eddie's lack of self belief, you furiously shook your head and began to explain,

'No! You're Willy Wonka. You are brilliant and yes, a little bit mad and no one can appreciate just how special you are.'

At age 14 you decided before anything, now more than ever, you had to be Eddie's sworn protector and you pushed your crush deep into the darkest corner of yourself. The content bubble that for the past five years you had been living in - consisting of yourself, your Grandmother, Eddie and his mom - had been burst. Eddie's mother died. Your best friend, already different by nature began to separate himself further from the world. His eyes became a little sadder. His clothes became darker. His music became angrier and louder. Your games became more complex, rarely concluding with a happy ending. His now shoulder length curls were buzzed. But most importantly you knew at this age, teenagers were getting meaner and you were not long off from starting High School. Whilst your heart ached to live out your teenage romance with Eddie, his heart was broken and he was in mourning. Your best friend, already an easy target for bullies, was more vulnerable than ever and protecting his heart was far more important than yours. 

At 17 as you watched Eddie's hair grow longer than ever and him truly come into his own, you had to work harder than ever to ignore it. Painfully aware your bodies were fully developed and hormone filled, you attempted to delude yourself that you weren't achingly in love with your best friend. You distracted yourself with meaningless flings and boyfriends who couldn't hold a candle to Eddie. High School was relatively smooth sailing for you, your respected name courtesy of your Gran gifting a protective shield. The higher echelon of students may not have liked you especially, god knows you loathed them but they respected you. Academia wasn't an issue, you excelled in plenty and even subjects you didn't particularly like or have a talent for, you were still able to do more than satisfactory in. The same couldn't be said for Eddie. You were truly his defender, your presence limiting the hate campaign that built against him. But when you weren't by his side, he was subjected to torment for his hair, his clothes, his passions and his background. Since his mom died, Uncle Wayne took him in and the trailer became his home. Despite Wayne working hard to provide a good and loving home, a trailer was still a red mark against Eddie's name to vapid teens. You were grateful still his warm personality and ability to seek out those in need, resulted in Hellfire Club. Now Eddie had allies. 

At 18 it was clear you would be graduating without Eddie. Whilst you could speak about his talents endlessly, your bestfriend was too creative, thought too abstract for academic life. As you stood on the stage alone, your heart cracked at the thought for the first time in a decade, your best friend wouldn't be by your side. You'd spent a year in a state of near hyperventilation ruminating on how he'd be alone, without you to protect him but more worryingly, you would be without him - the one person you loved most in every way. Realistically he would still have the younger boys from Hellfire but you'd have no one, alone in New York without your comfort blanket. The one fear that ate away at you was now that you were gone, Eddie might fall in love. He'd already developed a few admirers from becoming a local feature of The Hideout with his band Corroded Coffin. 

By 20 you were alone and Eddie-less in New York studying for your second year. He'd again failed to graduate and was on his third attempt. Whilst you loved your degree, the city and new friends it was undeniable it would all improve with his presence. Nearly every night you exchange stories over the phone and attempt to visit but as time passed, schedules became more hectic. With Hellfire and the band occupying the forefront of his mind, you felt like a ghost from his past growing more faint by the day. Each hook up tale from the bar chipped further away at you, each new person in his life pushing you further down his list. You'd ended up with boyfriends you loathed in selfish attempts to fill the Eddie shaped void in your heart.  

Now you're still 20, fearing Eddie won't be joining you in turning 21 in a few months time. He lays there before you, hand under yours and still absent of his inherent warmth. Alabaster skin near void of life, dark circles round his eyes matching the spreading mass of purple bruising across his torso. Already red seeps through the white fibres of fresh bandages. No longer in your arms, where he belongs, Eddie Munson lies in a hospital bed. Unconscious to your words and touch, oblivious of the tears that trickled down your face and splashed over his tattooed forearm. Flittering between life and death before you could even confess you were in love with your best friend. 

[ourloveisforthelovely]

The Words "Best Friends" Become Redefined. Part 3

Regulus Black AU

Summary: You had been Regulus’ friend since childhood and now his mistress. The war had changed many things, Regulus among them. Now its time to decide if you should put your self-worth over missing someone who was gone.  

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader

Rating: M- smut

Link to Part 2

Songs in chapter: "Baby you wouldn't last a minute on the creek" by Chiodos and "Burn" by Alkaline Trio

_____

Let's just stop, drop everything, (forget each other's names) forget each other's names, And just walk away. Turn around and head in different directions, Like we never, it's like we never knew each other at all. We said what we feel, then we stop ourselves and just walk away. Never looking back loving every second of it, we just walk away. This is probably the best not to mention the worst idea that I have ever had. Ignoring what we've felt, Overlooking what we've done, No awkward silences, no hiding any truths. Ignoring what we've felt, Overlooking what we've done, What do you say?

You didn’t stop running until you made it back home. Something told you that if you stopped and looked back a death eater would pop out of nowhere and finish you off. Regulus’ urgent tone had put the fear of god into you.

Normally, you wouldn’t hesitate to go up against a death eater. Augustus Rockwood wore a scar from the last time that he was brave enough to go up against you. Today, however, something was different and it was a lot more sinister than normal…and Regulus knew it.

Was he protecting me from something?

Does he know something and old feelings have bubbled to the surface?

What is happening here?

The thoughts swarmed through your mind as you unlocked the door. Taking a few deep breaths you thought of everything. Regulus never had to protect you. He could have finished you off. Regulus could have killed you and never had to think of you ever again. He would be able to fully dedicate himself to the dark lord without ever acknowledging that he had once loved a half-blood girl. Regulus could marry some lovely pureblood princess that would make his family proud…

But he didn’t kill me…that has to say something…Right? The kiss…he kissed me…just like he used to….

As much as you wanted to stop and think about the kiss you knew it wasn’t the time. Later, when you were in the privacy of your room you could think about how the feelings were still so obviously there. You could think about how tender Regulus’ kiss was. It wasn’t the rough demanding dominant kiss he had started giving since becoming a death eater. This kiss was like the old days. It was like kissing the man you had fallen in love with.

You had barely gotten in the door when a pair of arms pulled you into a bone-crushing hug.

“Y/n, we have been worried to death!”

You sighed with relief hearing Remus’ voice. Hugging your brother back, you stepped back to look at him. Thankfully there was nothing out of place. Remus looked just as he had before the three of you had to make a quick getaway.

“Sorry, Remus. I took a bit of a detour that ended up being a lot longer than I planned. Are you okay? Sirius?”

Remus gently gripped your shoulders. He was bloody thrilled to see you. It had been nearly an hour since the death eater attack. Remus had been pacing the floor since he arrived home to see only Sirius waiting. The protective older brother in Remus was going into overdrive. Had Sirius not told him to sit down and breathe, Remus would have been out looking for you.

“He’s fine. I’m fine. You’re fine…that’s what matters. You’re fine, right?”

Remus asked, carefully. He knew that look on your face. You had seen Regulus.

And she thinks that I don’t know.

Remus thought sadly. He knew that you were under the assumption that Remus was clueless about your relationship with Regulus…but he wasn’t. Remus had put things together rather quickly, in fact. It didn’t take Remus looking at the Marauder’s Map and seeing the dots labeled “Regulus Black” and “Y/n Lupin” in a closet to know something was up. There was no reason for the two of you to be hiding in a closet for so long for Remus to put two and two together. There was also the way that Regulus looked at you. Regulus always had his eyes on you and soon enough his hands hovered on your lower back longer than necessary. Remus had seen it all.

Remus had wanted to call you on it but he decided not to. There was a reason that you didn’t tell him. As much as it annoyed him, Remus decided to let you tell him when you wanted.

You, meanwhile, nodded hoping Remus would believe you. The last thing that you really wanted was to tell Remus about your love affair with Regulus like this. There had to be a better day and today was NOT that day!

“Of course, I’m totally fine. You would think that some of those fucktards that claim to be genius death eaters would have enough sense to wear different shoes. We could easily point half of them out at any given point.”

Remus smirked. That was a true point.

“Our day will come. It may not be as soon as we would like but it will come.”

You could only nod. Nothing was happening as fast as you wanted it to.

“I guess the Rolling Stones were right about us not being able to always get what we want.”

Remus rolled his eyes.

“You are hanging out with Sirius too much.”

You took off your jacket and hung it up.

“Well, I mean he is your boyfriend and I live with the two of you. I’m going to pick up something somewhere. Well, I have had enough excitement for one day. I think that I am going to call it a night.”

Remus only nodded as you turned to walk toward the stairs. You stopped before turning to look at Remus. Neither Remus nor yourself said how grateful the two of you were for each other. You had always kept a watchful eye on Remus from the time that Fenrir Greyback attacked Remus as a child. If you could help it, nothing else would hurt your brother ever again.

“Remus…I don’t want anything to happen to you. Please keep being careful.”

Remus gave you a small smile.

“The same goes for you.”

Walking into your bedroom, your mind returned to Regulus. While the conversation with your former lover was brief…there was something different about it. There was something that you couldn’t put your finger on. Something about Regulus was different. Something seemed…distant if that was even the best word to use.

As you changed into leggings and an oversized jumper, you let yourself become lost in your thoughts…

I wish that we had a little more time.

You thought before lying down on your bed. Staring at the ceiling, your mind was plagued with thoughts of Regulus. The thoughts weren’t all bad. In fact, you let yourself think about the “good times.” You thought about how Regulus used to smile when he was with you. How he always told you that you were his only real friend. You were the one that got him. If you were the only person that he could talk to for the rest of his life then that would be just fine with him.

Everything always felt so right but it ended so wrong.

You sighed at the thought. The ending was enough to shatter even the strongest of people. You knew that Regulus would say the ending was your fault. You, after all, were the one that stopped seeing him. You were the one that stopped taking his letters, meeting him at hidden hotels, and cut him off. Regulus hadn’t done that…it was you.

I had to protect myself…even if it meant everything feels like hell.

You justified your decision the best you could…even if sometimes you wondered if you had done the right thing.

Taking out your wand, you pointed at the muggle stereo that sat in the corner of a table. You needed some music to get yourself out of your head. If you didn’t get yourself out of your head then you would never get some sleep.

Your eyes closed as a song started to play a haunting melody that you couldn't help but drift off into…

As we burn, pretending to fight it. Everyone learns faster on fire. Things took a turn, lost all desire You live and you burn. You live and…Like hell, we are anxiously waiting. Like hell burning silently strong. Somehow we fell down by the wayside. And somehow this hell is home. Right now, this hell is my home

You felt as if you had just closed your eyes when there was a soft knock on the door. Sitting up quickly, you turned to look at your bedside clock which read 2:45 am. Running a hand through your bedridden curls, you swung your legs over the side of the bed to stand up.

“Hang on.”

You said, yawning. Making your way through the darkness, you opened the door. Sirius stood on the other side with a not-so-typical frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

You asked. Silently you hoped that nothing was wrong. You prayed that Sirius was needing help making a late-night snack and decided to come to you.

“I need you to come downstairs with me.”

“Sirius, what’s wrong?”

You asked as Sirius reached out for your hand and tugged you with him. Sirius didn’t stop or say anything for a moment.

“It's Regulus. He’s here and he doesn’t look so good.”

Those words alone made you freeze. Did you hear Sirius right? Did you hear him or were you having a nightmare?

“Sirius, what?”

Sirius turned. He looked at your scared expression sympathetically. Sirius was no fool. He knew that this conversation would be hard. The terrified expression on your face confirmed your feelings.

“Kreacher brought him here. He’s beaten to hell. I don’t know what is happening. I know that you are the best damn healer around. Y/n, I need you to save my brother.”

Sirius wanted to say more. He wanted to say that he wanted you to save Regulus for yourself. Sirius wanted to say that he wanted you to save Regulus because he was not damn ready to put his younger brother in the ground. Regulus didn’t need to be dead at 18. He was too young…he hadn’t done enough. 18 was too young to be dead.

You had heard enough from Sirius to rush into the sitting room where Regulus lay passed out on the couch.

“Merlin!”

You managed to get out before rushing over to the love of your life. Kneeling down beside him, you gently put your hand on Regulus’ pulse point, praying to feel something. If Regulus died that night, you knew that you might as die right along with him. There would be no way would want to go through the rest of the chapters of your life without Regulus.

"Even if we were fighting…at least he is alive.”

You thought as you pressed on Regulus’ neck gently. When you felt a soft flutter against your fingers, you were relieved. Regulus was alive! You could deal with the injuries and trauma as long as Regulus was living.

Looking Regulus over, you noted the bruise forming under his left eye in addition to what looked like claw marks down his chest. His shirt was shredded making you wonder if he had been attacked by a knife…or scratched to shreds by some monster.

“Here’s some clean napkins and the potion that you clean Remus up with.”

Sirius said as he put the tools that you would need beside you. Remus had come in a few moments before and was standing silently. He didn’t know what to say. Sirius had woken him up not long after going to get you.

You turned your attention to Kreacher who stood at Regulus’ feet with a cold expression on his squashed face.

“Kreacher, what happened?”

Kreacher gave you a cold frown. He knew who you were and he didn't want to talk to you. It didn't matter to Kreacher that you were the one that Regulus always talked about. You were the human that Regulus loved more than anyone else. Kreacher wanted to keep Regulus safe...especially from you.

“Kreacher doesn't have to talk to a filthy half-blood.”

Sirius growled, from his place beside Remus.

“I order you to answer her.”

Sirius snapped. Kreacher glared at Sirius wanting to call him a blood traitor and swine who broke his poor mother’s heart but decided not to. Whether Kreacher liked it or not, he still had to do what Sirius said.

“Master Regulus asked Kreacher to go with him to find a cursed object. It was an object made by the dark lord himself. Master Regulus had to drink a horrible potion that made him nearly fall apart. He was then attacked by terrible creatures that nearly drowned him. Kreacher got him out…even though Master Regulus ordered him not to. I brought him here because Master Regulus was crying for Y/n.”

Regulus was crying for you!

Your heart broke at Kreacher’s words. You were not only confused but totally heartbroken. Just what was Regulus going after? Was this why he seemed “off” earlier? It would have made sense. Regulus most likely planned on dying. Regulus planned on dying and wanted to give you one last good memory of him.

Swallowing your tears (as best you could), you turned back to Kreacher.

“He’s not going to die today. I won’t let him.”

_____

@sujekie @amelie-black @justfinishthis @georgeweasleydumbhoe @jessyballet @knreidy1 @siriuslyceleste @mimisparkle12 @teletubiswszpilkach @criminalyetminimal @ell0ra-br3kk3r @livshifts @bxcndd @golddustwomann @stelleduarte @millies0bsimp @coffeeaddictednymph @readtomeregulus @rogue-nyx88 @i-love-scott-mccall @s-we-e-t-t-ea @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @buttercup-beeee @panpride @f4iryluvy @missgorldafirst @saramaple @gugggu6gvai @jag9000 @quinis @yousmellllikecaca @mentally-unstable-hoe @haroldpotterson @goldensunshineshit @aurorasnape12 @ad-astra-again @padf00ts-l0ver @rubyroscoe1 @spideyxalmighty @lucasfilms77 @marichromatic @ravenhood2792 @play-morezeppelin @dumybitch @lostarc24 @un-lovesherself @melaninnbarbie @valvlry @brokencasbutt67-writer @authoressskr @moldy-old-boot @hankypranky @summer-novak @emiwrites3reads @knight-of-gleefulness @untoldshortsofthefandoms @shitfaceddaniel-blog @shaylybaby2032 @deanwherescas @li0nh34rt @tas898 @sprnaturallover @wontlookaway @mycuddlycorner

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Dion J. Pierre

According to documents shared with The Algemeiner, since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel, extreme anti-Zionism, as well as platforming of individuals who have promoted antisemitic conspiracies and tropes, has exploded at UIUC. Two months after the attack, the Women & Gender in Global Perspectives Program added two virulently anti-Zionist panelists, Susan Abulhawa and Laila El-Haddad, to what was scheduled to be a one-on-one conversation featuring a pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian speaker.

Abulhawa has accused Israel of committing “a dozen kristallnachts [sic],” referring to the infamous pogrom carried out against Jews in Nazi Germany in November 1938. Abulhawa’s viewpoints are so controversial that a sponsor of an Australian festival she was scheduled to participate in pulled its support. After Oct. 7 she also rationalized Hamas’ massacre on her Facebook page.

El-Haddad is a member of a pro-Palestinian think tank that has regularly shared articles celebrating Hamas’ violence and promoting false allegations of Israeli apartheid and genocide.

Later, the event was canceled after Abulhawa allegedly refused to share a stage with a Zionist. In its place, the school’s Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) held a panel in which UIUC Students for Justice in Palestine member Sara Hijab said, “I hope you realize the evil Zionism is and that it has no place anywhere in the world.” Labor and Employment Relations professor Augustus Wood added, “The armed resistance should not be referred to in crude inhumane terms such as terrorists,” apparently referring to Hamas.

US college campuses have experienced an alarming spike in antisemitic incidents — including demonstrations calling for Israel’s destruction and the intimidation and harassment of Jewish students— since Oct. 7. Between that day and Dec. 18, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded 470 antisemitic incidents on college campuses , and during that same period, antisemitic incidents across the US skyrocketed by 323 percent compared to the prior year.

Last month, the ADL called out American colleges and universities in an open letter, reminding them of their obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and intimidation.

“Shockingly, many students engaging in this activity — including harassment, intimidation, and other clear violations of student codes of conduct — have not faced consequences,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote. “Universities have by and large been derelict in their duty to protect Jewish communities on campus, in many cases raising serious concern under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Simply put, to date, there have been too few consequences — that must change.”

[brain-bumbler]

au where characters are split up into their archetypes

Well you know I'm gonna start with Dion, but I'll try to do my three favorite aquatos in-depth since you didn't specify

Clown archetype, because he needs to let loose and act more silly sometimes, needs to break out of his shell. Dion is completely embarrassed by this archetype

Ringleader, his passion for acrobatics and also his desire to live up to his parent's expectations

a princess or female acrobat type bc he has gender feelings. Though alternatively, all of the archetypes could be girls if he wants to have a REVELATION

Maybe a greek god "Dionysus" who could be his desire to rebel or want for teenage recklessness/revelry. May also contribute lots of dramatic poetry

Frazie

"Fortune teller" sort of her internal image of what a psychic looks like based on those scary stories she heard growing up, her desire to give herself permission to be herself, no matter what that means

A character who looks most like her, but can go invisible or turn other people invisible, or maybe an archetype that can take on the general appearance of other people. The mask or the mirror, the way she hides herself from her family but also how she is charming and can fit into friend groups and has helped Raz hide his powers when it wasn't safe

Knife throwing performer who throws psychic blades at enemies while doing twirls, the marriage of her acrobat and psychic selves

Augustus

A "strongman" the way he tries to protect his family and carry all their burdens

Ringleader who works to coordinate things and helps him juggle so many kids and responsibilities, his ambition and desire to make the circus great

I'm trying to think of a "dad" archetype that just lets him grab his kids and hold them close and always know where they are. maybe a lighthouse keeper! Because he wants them to always be able to find their way home

Other random ideas are Norma as a detective, Morris going full pirate aesthetic (bc pirate radio lol), and Adam having a ninja or a brave knight. Lizzie has a brawler like from mortal kombat. Gisu has a mad scientist or a jester. Milla and Sasha having archetypes based on the other, a disco dancer for Sasha and a more reserved teacher type for Milla because they've helped each other grow and been such great influences on each other.

If everyone was split up into archetypes people would find new niches and get to know new sides of each other they didn't think would get along with!

[in-elysium]

TMAGP SPOILERS

it's really looking like sam and (maybe) gwen are the only two who don't know at least some of what's going on. i feel like lena is pretending not to be worried abt colin, but perhaps is trying to avoid whatever's going on with freddie getting out? i'm not sure she's aligned or necessarily agrees with what's happening, but i get the sense she's having to maintain it, while also limiting damage to other people involved. i really don't think her gruff exterior is a genuine apathy- if other theories are correct and she's in too deep to resign, perhaps she's protecting that possibility for the others, which includes keeping gwen away from her position, and not making colin speak to anyone outside the organisation abt what's happening.

ALSO the klaus thing, because we're all assuming that the previous head of it is klaus right? alice mentions that amelia, the it manager after him, mostly complained abt his work. so was klaus messing with the system- whether doing a gertrude and trying to make it unintelligable or trying to get rid of it entirely like colin is, or did he have a breakdown, and try to share what was happening with people outside?

which brings us to the fact that the video was shown to gwen after an augustus statement. you really get the sense that gwen doesn't have a clue what she'd be getting herself into if she took lena's job, and perhaps that would suit augustus better? much like killing gertrude and replacing her with jon, it would remove someone who seems to be containing the spread of the fears, and replace them with someone entirely ignorant, who could be manipulated behind the scenes.

[tiger-moran]

I'm Soo curious to how you interpret Moran through the lens of his relationship with his mother? Like. We all have an idea of Augustus (..All my homies hate Augustus Moran) but fewer people talk on Moran's mother and I want Your opinion ? 💙 -B

I think I have referred to her in a few of my stories but essentially I believe that his mother was as much of a key influence on him as his father was, or maybe an even bigger influence. I think she is the one who encouraged him and nurtured his talents and tried to guide him to be a good person and she is the main reason that whatever he does and whatever he is capable of doing, he's still got his own sense of what is right and wrong and he still has lines he won't cross. But I also think unfortunately she died when he was a child so the loss of her has also influenced him too and caused him to 'go off the rails' slightly and engage in far more 'bad' behaviour but he's still retained a lot of what she taught him, both in terms of his sense of morality and him still being interested in things she taught him (in one of my stories it's playing the piano, I think she taught him to play the piano and he can still play it now. In the modern day AU novel I'm working on it's also her that gave him his love of horses and taught him to ride when he was a child). Also her death I think has affected him and made him even more repressed about a lot of his feelings and emotions, even in the modern day. I don't think he was ever allowed to properly grieve for her - he comes from an era or a class (or both) that basically expects him to maintain a 'stiff upper lip' and 'be a man' and not cry, not be overly emotional, yet he was devastated about losing his mother but he had to basically shove all that grief down inside him, and it has messed him up.

I do think it varies a bit depending on whether it's the Victorian era or the modern day because in the Victorian era she was probably much more pushed into a loveless marriage and trapped in that and little Sebastian was probably shaped a lot by the things he witnessed of that relationship, where his mother did have very little in the way of legal protection and no real way to escape the marriage. In the modern day with the changing position of women in more recent times then she was probably more likely to have genuinely loved Augustus once and I don't think he would really get away with treating her as badly as he may have done in the Victorian era but it was still not really ever a happy marriage and I think that is still one reason why Sebastian does hate and resent Augustus because he may not have been as physically abusive as the Victorian incarnation may have been but to Sebastian's eyes Augustus still betrayed his mother and he was still emotionally cruel towards her at the very least.

I also think his affection and respect for his mother has shaped Moran's overall attitude towards women and is probably a reason why he often tends to be friendly and even actually friends with women even when that's not really considered 'normal', especially in Victorian society (which was very homosocial) but also to some degree in the modern day too. I think Moran is bisexual and he has a high sex drive and he's had sex with plenty of women but he does see women as people not as sex objects and much of that does come from his regard for his mother. I do tend to have Moran being close friends with Kitty Winter and I see his willingness to be friends with her, a woman who is either going to be essentially viewed as a 'fallen woman' in the Victorian era or is pretty obviously a sex worker in the modern day, having a lot to do with his mother and her influence on him.

His mother is probably also a reason why even though Moran can be a very cynical person and in his younger days probably he scoffed at the idea of ever falling in love and wanting to settle down with someone and even though he saw his parents in a very unhappy marriage, he still believes in love and is capable of expressing his love (even if it's not always verbally) and still wants to be in a loving relationship with Moriarty, because he knows his mother did love him very much.