#supposed to be April 1st I think

[sundewleafspeak]

Happy late bday Nikolai!

[rolandkaros]

i think i could reasonably finish the new chapter of my fic by midnight (when ao3 goes down for me) but is it worth it if no one will be able to read it for 10 hours anyway 😭 like should i just wait until 10am tomorrow?

[the-zipper]

Why can I not boop some blogs?

Hey actually, as I was typing this I realized it may be a “you can only boop people that opt in” type situation. That would make sense.

[olderthannetfic]

Okay, dunno if this starts a new wank but I gotta get this out somewhere:

I hate. HATE. those "Reblog/Post this if X group is welcome/safe with you!" posts.

I just feel an irrational anger about them. It just feels so performative to me "the-he, I am SAFE for THOSE PEOPLE so you know I am a GOOD PERSON (and if somebody disagrees with me they are obvious against X group and I could never be X-Phobic because I reposted that post so everybody knows I am good, get all the good-points and will win at every interaction ever :D)"

Don't get me started at those people who fill their twitter or tumblr or whatever with a TON of "support" posts like that and either don't do anything else or start shit at every turn and get defensive when getting called out of their shit. "BUT I SUPPORT GROUP X!" No you did SHIT. You reblogged a fucking Feel-Good-Token-Post to make you feel better and belonging to the "correct" group for a +2 bonus on the next argument you start. Show me you actually SUPPORT people if you want browny points but don't think you get any special attention and/or any more good faith in whatever bullshit you are up to just because you SAY you gonna be "one of the good ones".

Also what the actual fuck is "This place is SAFE for Group X" even supposed to mean? "This group is safe with you"? What is "Safe" in an online context and why do you need to state that you are Safe To Be Around like that? Like, I get things like "This Blog won't do April 1st jokes" or "This horror blog won't include Jumpscares" or even "This Blog dedicated to Media X won't mention Spoilers for Season 4". That's about ACTIONS. That's about "We won't DO X so you can enjoy Y without X here". That makes sense. "Being Safe" for something is just not specific enough. WHAT are you not doing here that you assume is so prevalent in the other blogs that you differ from them so much that you need to advertise it? What are you ACTUALLY DOING?

... just. yeah. Strong feelings here about those posts.

--

Yeah, I find that kind of false promise of safety quite annoying myself. Sure, I try to be a decent person, but I don't know you. Maybe you have some trigger that my normal posting style or favorite content to talk about will run afoul of. Maybe my face annoys you. It's on you to decide what makes you feel safe or not.

[petrichorca]

Hello, I am slowly figuring out how to use tumblr effectively. I thought I'd give an update on fics I've written in 2024, but keep forgetting to talk about here in a meaningful way.

As We Go Hand in Hand (explicit, gentlebeard, 7100 words) follows Ed as he processes the past few months while living on the island with Stede, massively in love but struggling with himself. I wrote it while feeling a lot of delayed grief around the (confirmed) s2 cancellation, and while it's sad at points it's also quite romantic I think. I really love this story.

Behind Closed Eyes All I See is You (explicit, gentlebeard, 5300 words) is a smutty PWP my dear friend @chaoticturtleturtle invited me to write with her. Stede lets Ed take the lead in a scene with some sensory deprivation, pwp, and aftercare.

like sugar to my heart (mature, gentlebeard, 4200 words) is a silly fic I wrote for my Animorphs OFMD AU co-writer as a birthday gift. Our blue four-legged four-eyed mouthless alien Stedeth gets foiled by a vending machine (based on the tumblr art of the giraffe centaur), and Ed consoles him.

like a bird (teen, gentlebeard, 3700 words) with @ghostalservice gives some backstory about Stedeth's life prior to the events of our 177k fic and features some very cute art of Mary and Stede's children (as Andalites, of course) by @theogem

Stede’s Cursed Red Suit as a Metaphor for Grief and Moving On (teen, stede + izzy, 1717 words) explores the squishy time of season 2, episode 5, and the dynamic between Stede and Izzy in season 2 overall. I am also obsessed with how Stede acts in the cursed suit. I find their s2 relationship really interesting so this is me looking a bit at that via a missing scene starting with Stede yelling OH FUCK OFF.

Calypso’s Dawn (explicit, gentlebeard, 1800 words) centers around how Ed made his boyfriend blush the morning after Calypso's birthday and how Ed feels about it. I love this fic. I've been trying to challenge myself to write more self-contained, shorter stories and this one turned out really well imo.

Life as a Series of Forward Rolls (teen, gentlebeard, 9900 words) features Stede running into his teenhood crush, the gold medalist in men's gymnastics from the 1996 Olympics. This fic also centers around a Barbie doll in Ed Teach's likeness, which @swashbuckling-sweethearts made an INCREDIBLE art of (embedded at the end of the story), inspired by my own 1996 Olympics Barbie. Silly and light modern AU!

Did you mean to do that? (teen, gentlebeard, 700 words) explores Stede's grief around Ed dying, even when he knows Ed is alive. I had no idea I would be so interested in writing missing scenes, but long conversations with friends have really ignited me in exploring these. (The length - I was trying to channel @brigdh, whose ability to write devastatingly brilliant drabbles inspires me, and I'm pleased with this one!)

Perfectly Ordinary Tuesday (mature, gentlebeard, 4900 words) with @ferventrabbit follows Stede and Ed deciding to get married on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday, and drag their inn guest Dave along for the ride. We split up writing the vows, and I balled my eyes out writing mine and then reading em's. This story is fluffy and fun, and it was a great way to start 2024. :)

What's next: I'm working on or noodling a lot of projects, solo and with different collaborators. Imminently, I've got a fic with @veeagainsttheday coming for AUpril on April 1st. Hoping to get something else out in April for @ofmdjanuaury's AUpril 2024 event, which I highly encourage folks to check out - it's for all sorts of creators!

@ghostalservice and I continue to think about our blue alien Stede and his human boyfriend Ed. Wanna Fly Away was such an important project to me while we were writing, and it's become even more special as folks find it. WFA now has art embedded in most of the 15 chapters, so if you haven't seen those check it out. More to come in that space.

Where was I going with this? Well, I suppose I want to say I'm still here. OFMD changed my life, and the OFMD fandom community is deeply important to me. I still hold out hope for a third season, or a follow-up that brings us more closure, but no matter what I'm still thinking about our pirates and will for a long time. If you read this far, thanks for being part of my community. <3

[amarriageoftrueminds]

If The Howlies were real...

I've been thinking about Steve's time during the war, and wondering if anyone has any headcanons about, eg. where he was stationed, how exactly the Howling Commando mission planning went, etc?

In the comics, Steve isn't assigned to the 107 but to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (aka the ‘Big Red One’.)

They were part of D-Day landings, on Omaha Beach.

In deleted scenes / clips from the Smithsonian, it’s implied that Steve was also a part of D-Day: 

(That’s General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander.)

(These landing craft 👆 were only used at D-Day. Although it’s possible this is propaganda footage of a rehearsal.)

If the Howlies had the same set up as the 26th, then Steve and the guys would’ve been stationed in Swanage, Dorset:

(Members of ‘A’ Company 26th Infantry Regiment US Army, billeted at Craigside in the High Street opposite Purbeck House Hotel, Swanage, around 1943 – 44.)

That’s 114 miles south west of Camp Griffiss in Bushy Park, Teddington, where General Eisenhower had his SHAEF HQ, starting from January 1944

(before that his HQ was at No.20 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, in London -- aka ‘Little America’ or ‘Eisenhower Platz’ -- a couple of miles northwest of Churchill’s War Rooms, which inspired the underground bunker HQ seen in CATFA.)

Thousands of American troops, including the 26th Infantry, started arriving in Dorset in November 1943 -- which is also when Steve arrived in England after rescuing the 107!

While in Dorset, the US troops were largely engaged in rehearsing for Operation Overlord, aka D-Day. 

One such rehearsal was the disastrous Operation Smash, on the 18th April, 1944, which was a live-ammunition practice for beach landings at Normandy. (Disastrous because six men accidentally drowned when their Valentine semi-submersible tank... sank.)

Operation Smash was staged in Studland Bay (that’s 4.5 miles north of Swanage). Present to observe were: Winston Churchill, King George VI, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, and Acting Admiral Louis Mountbatten. They did so from ‘Fort Henry,’ a 90 foot long bunker (built and named by Canadian engineers in 1943 -- so it would’ve been there by the time Steve n’ Co got there -- and it’s still there today!) overlooking the bay. 

The US troops moved on from Swanage in late April 1944, and departed England entirely (from nearby places like Weymouth, Poole Quay, Portland Harbour, etc.) on 5th June 1944. D-Day was on the 6th.

In the deleted scene from Avengers, Steve is clearly shown crossing  the Ludendorff Bridge:

...But this is impossible!

Because that bridge (at Remagen) was only captured on the 7th of March 1945:

(9th Armored Division in Remagen, Germany, recorded 9th March, 1945).

...and Steve had already crashed the Valkyrie 6 days prior!

(So unless that bridge was captured earlier, possibly because of Steve n’ Co., that footage can’t be right! 

CATFA does have a habit of putting the US Army in places they had no business being yet at that time of the war -- i.e. showing the US Army right up at the North of Italy, when in reality the Nazis still held it. 

(In fact, Mussolini’s Nazi puppet republic, the Republic of Salò, was nicknamed after a lake in Brescia... which is 200-ish miles further south than the US Army are shown in November ‘43.)

So I guess it’s possible that Steve & Co really were in Remagen, Germany, and crossing the Ludendorff Bridge before March ‘45! 

Or (perhaps more likely) we’re supposed to read it as some generic bridge in Western Europe, captured on D-Day (a la Pegasus bridge). 

.

Where exactly the Hydra factories were (and thus most Howlie missions) is not categorically stated. However, what Steve says / taking rough guesses from the map we see in Krausberg...

...it looks like the Howlies would’ve had missions in: Italy, France, (then) Czechoslovakia, Poland, and... Greece. 

(The script also mentions Belgium and Russia, which are neither shown on the map nor mentioned. However, there is a shot of them creeping through snowy forests, which looks very much like the Ardennes. That might put them in Belgium as part of the Battle of the Bulge -- which in turn gives us a date that could be the ‘difficult winter’ mentioned in the Smithsonian footage.)

If the Howlies were an active team from say 14th November 1943 -- 1st March 1945 (when Steve went down in the Valkyrie) 

That’s 473 days / or 1 year, 3 months, 15 days / or 15 months, 15 days.

If they had 9 missions total during that time...

6 Hydra factories around Europe

+ 1 winter mission to save over a 1000 men (as mentioned in Smithsonian; could be Battle of the Bulge? 🤔)

+ 1 D-Day mission (possibly including amphibious landings &/or bridge captures)

+ 1 Zola-capture mission, probably somewhere in the Alps. 

+ 1 Valkyrie mission makes 10. 

...That would give them 52.5 days (less than two months) to both plan, travel in and out, and execute each mission. That seems like a pretty tight turnaround, especially if each factory was different enough to warrant a new/fresh plan. 

(One difficulty never mentioned because their raids are relegated to a montage: the fact that Hydra factories appear to be staffed by slave labour. Means the Howlies can’t just bust in guns blazing! Or, at least, I don’t think Steve would stand for it. They’d have to free the workers first, and hopefully they’d be workers both physically capable and willing to join in the fight.)

In the film, they are never shown being back in the UK between these missions,  right up until the last Valkyrie mission in 1945, and dialogue seems to suggest there hasn’t been any personal contact between them and the HQ staff in between. 

(It does seem a bit nuts to be shipping them out and back every time, rather than just keeping them on the continent. Also nuts to be planning their most important Valkyrie mission only the day before. But anyway...) 

In order to take part in D-Day, they had to have been back to England at least once, to receive those highly classified orders and to rehearse (can’t be discussing details of D-Day over radio!) 

Also, they couldn’t have been allowed to go haring off attacking Hydra bases any old where, because it might have been inconvenient for D-Day (ie. if the Nazis increased defenses in certain places just because Captain America had been sighted there recently.)

TPTB could have used the Howlies as a diversion, sending them on dummy missions designed to make the Nazis think D-Day is going to happen somewhere else. I think Greece and Italy would be a great way to convince the Nazis that an invasion will be coming from the south, not the north! They could even have used doubles of the Howlies to throw the Nazis off the scent, as part of the Ghost Army (they did this IRL with Bernard Montgomery!) 

Maybe the SSR would be advised to keep the Howlies’ real missions as far away from Normandy as possible, earlier on, and then the reverse right before D-Day? (ie. damage Hydra’s factories that are nearest to Normandy, close to D-Day, so that they can’t supply weapons and don’t have enough time to rebuild).

Other possibilities: 

If they were not stationed in the UK between missions, and weren’t with the US Army of occupation (because it hadn’t invaded that part of Europe yet) Steve & Co. might have been living undercover in Nazi-occupied territory in the run up to missions against local Hydra bases (in, eg. France and Poland. Chance for Frenchy to get his Maquis on!) Very dangerous, very nerve-wracking, very Inglourious Basterds of them. Also potentially very dangerous for the locals, too, since there would surely be reprisals against them after any successful anti-Hydra attack by Howlies. 

IRL There was a concentration camp called Terezin in Czechoslovakia, near-ish where that one Hydra base is shown. (It’s the one that the Nazis famously filmed a propaganda movie in, after cleaning it up and deporting a bunch of people to Auschwitz to seemingly reduce overcrowded living conditions, to fool the visiting Red Cross.) So Steve and the Howlies might have gone off-mission to go and liberate that; could be that was a source of slave labour for the nearby Hydra factory.  (From a character POV, Terezin was known for having a big artistic culture among the inmates, and surely Steve would feel empathy for those used in propaganda, having been made to do that himself.)

Logically speaking, I would’ve expected that last Hydra base to be in Holland or Denmark -- not Greece -- to complete the ring of bases formed around Germany. 🤔 Maybe even more likely to be Denmark, since the Tesseract (which kicked off the whole Hydra supremacy thing) was discovered in Tønsberg, SE Norway.

[old-school-butch]

Hello again <3

I sent you an anon that you replied to on April 1st, which was me asking how ex-TIFs are received back into womanhood. Your reply gave me a little foothold which ended up very comforting as I started coming out rapid-fire to all my friends as detrans. this is primarily a message for other people in my situation, who are afraid and might want a template of what you might expect will happen once you do come out with it.

Predictably, most of my friends dropped me; I've 3 friends left. Two of which continue to support trans people but can accept that i have different opinions (as long as i'm "not mean") and one of which has seen the gender critical arguments, accepted them, and agrees. So, heavy losses, but not total losses. My two siblings seemed to sigh in relief and reveal that they never believed in genderism at all, which is odd, because in my 10 years of being trans not one of them challenged me on it. my mom fell into heavy guilt over "letting me" do all this, although i was 18 when i took testo and 19 when i got surgery, so she really could not have stopped me, legally. i suppose she mainly grieves knowing that had she had the right arguments she could have saved her kid this, but i've told her she is not to blame and i hope she recognizes that.

i haven't received any real harassment, not from anyone that i PERSONALLY know, though my family has received... harassment targeted at me? my sister had a classmate begin sending her copious pro-trans propaganda (contrapoints videos) which she instructed should be sent onward to me (sis did not comply). hilarious how my 10 years of direct experience is suddenly null and void and i'm assumed to know nothing about transness.... 6 months ago i was helping people sensitivity-write trans characters. now, i'm told i can't speak for the trans experience at all, and that i do not know what it's like to be a transmasc person. told that i need to listen to the arguments more carefully, that i don't LISTEN, when i literally lived this for 10 whole years. girl, on god? they tell me i don't get it and need to educate myself. and have empathy of course.

but in general, detransing, i've discovered that there are PLENTY of people who do not actually believe in genderism but who will play along simply out of fear or social pressure. my friends aside, who i knew through "queer" circles, everyone in my family (expect my mom) has revealed they never actually believed in it. i think this might contribute to why trans people bully dissenters so badly. they know this is the truth, that no one really buys it. i think, subconsciously, i have known that too. i never downloaded grindr, i never went into the men's bathrooms. i knew that despite testo and surgery and pronouns i could never challenge men as an equal in their eyes.

interestingly, making new friends is not that hard. I lead with the fact i'm detrans and "don't believe in all that shit" and people are VERY eager to be able to, suddenly, voice their real opinions without being called transphobic. they begin with probing questions, uncontroversial statements like "i agree they shouldn't put males in women's sports..." but if you continue to agree and not punish this daring on their part, they will reveal, with much relief and enthusiasm, what they really think. most people, normal people, really do not believe it all? i'm a brash person and can take irl confrontations quite well, hence i feel safe putting myself up as a transphobe off the bat. and people are very into this. so. the old ass saying, just be yourself.... normal people will not volunteer anti-genderist opinions on their own but when i continue to state thing after thing they open up and agree and eventually feel safe enough to admit their own thoughts. making friends, especially with non-gendie women, hasn't been that hard.

i'm going to write another message about same-sex attraction in the genderverse, but it's also a can of worms so i will make it separate from this one. again, thank you so much, for having anon on and listening, and letting us listen to each other without fear. i would hug you. to be continued

Thanks for the follow up!

My only comment is that I think most people play along out of kindness, it's not all bullying and fear, but that does impose a silence on everyone so everyone feels quite alone with their doubts.

[fluentmoviequoter]

A Little More Space

Requested Here!

Pairing: Dalton Lambert x fem!reader

Summary: After overhearing Dalton say you're clingy, you give him the space he wants. Dalton, however, needs to close the distance and remind you that he loves everything about you, including the lack of space.

Warnings: angst, fluff, takes place after The Red Door

Word Count: 2.9k+ words

“No way,” Foster says.

His voice echoes in Dalton’s empty dorm room, but Dalton rolls his eyes as if they’re standing face-to-face.

“What is that supposed to mean, Foster?” Dalton asks.

“That I don’t believe you. And I swear, Dalton, if you tell me it’s Chris…”

“It’s not Chris.”

The door opens and Dalton sighs. Since he closed the red door, he’s gotten less jumpy, but his calmness about someone waltzing into his private room is different. It’s one of two people standing behind him.

“What’s not me?”

“Chris,” Dalton greets as he turns around. “I’m talking to my brother.”

“About his girlfriend,” Foster cuts in. “What’s up with that? It’s not April 1st, right?”

Chris tilts her head to look at Dalton. “The girlfriend isn’t a new development. They’ve been together since freshman year.”

“What?!” Foster exclaims.

“Yeah. Seems like closing the door is all your brother needed to find it in himself to get a girl. Wait, you haven’t introduced her to your family?”

Dalton rubs his jaw while looking for an answer that doesn’t sound made up or like he’s hiding something.

“You’re nervous,” Chris answers for him. “Wanted to make sure it was more than a fling I guess. As if the sudden absence of personal space wasn’t enough to tell you that.”

“Oh, dude,” Foster says. He pauses to laugh before asking, “When can I come visit and meet her?”

“Stay in school,” Dalton replies. “Bye, Foster.”

Dalton ends the call before Foster can say anything else. He tosses his phone on the bed and turns to face Chris.

“Hi, Chris,” he greets again.

“Hey,” she answers.

Her smile shows how aware she is that Dalton does not appreciate the interruption. Chris can understand why he may want to keep you separated from his personal life, but not his family. You’re energetic, friendly, and impossible not to love. Although Chris teases you and Dalton about your relationship, she can see that it is true and that you and Dalton care deeply for one another.

“Speaking of personal space, where is the future Mrs. Dalton?” Chris inquires.

As if summoned, you knock on the still-open door. Dalton smiles when he sees you, and he doesn’t hesitate to invite you inside.

“Hi,” you greet brightly as you toss your bag onto the floor.

You wrap your arms around Dalton’s waist as you say hello, then step away just long enough to hug Chris, too. Spending time with Dalton is your favorite thing in the world, and you have so much to tell him today. His conversation with Chris probably takes precedence, though, so you wrap your hands around Dalton’s biceps and bounce on your toes so they can finish talking.

“How have you put up with Dolphin for so long?” Chris asks.

“Put up with him? I don’t put up with him,” you answer quickly. “I love him.”

Dalton’s cheeks begin to redden, but he turns toward you and lets his hair hide his face from Chris. She laughs because she already knows how easily affected Dalton is.

“What?” you ask. “Ooh, speaking of dolphins, I have something I wanted to tell both of you.”

“I’ve got a study date in twenty minutes,” Chris says. “Is this another weird fact that will thoroughly distract me until it’s over?”

“I mean, I’ve been thinking about it since lunch, but I don’t know if you’ll think it’s as cool as I do.”

Chris smiles and clicks her tongue. “Tell me everything, Goldie.”

The nickname isn’t new, but you’re still unsure what it’s about. Dalton and Chris are both well aware that it is a reference to your golden retriever-like qualities and personality. Even if they told you, you wouldn’t mind, but Chris gets a lot of joy from seeing confusion on your face if only for a moment until you find something more interesting to focus on.

“Okay,” you begin. “So, I was walking to lunch and these two guys were talking about dolphins and I overheard it. Actually, there was a big butterfly that I was following, but I got distracted when I heard the word ‘dolphin.’”

“Can’t imagine why,” Chris interjects.

Dalton shakes his head at Chris while he wraps his arm around your waist. You’re pressed to his side, but your flexing fingers show that you want to be even closer. Chris has often joked that you may as well just live in Dalton’s lap with how close you perch yourself.

“One of them said that dolphins have two stomachs, which apparently is really common knowledge according to the other guy. But, then they started talking about the fact that dolphins can recognize themselves in a mirror! Isn’t that cool? And they can also use tools, so their intelligence isn’t completely unlike ours.”

“That’s crazy,” Dalton offers, though his attention is on you more than what you’re saying.

“Alright, I have to go, but now I want to see a dolphin build a house or something. The tool thing is cool,” Chris says as she stands.

The moment you are alone, you begin tapping a foot as you wait for Dalton. He sits on his bed and smiles at your energy before opening an arm toward you. You cling to his side but continue moving your hands up his arm, over his shoulder, and into his hair. You create several small braids as you talk about your day, but Dalton doesn’t care. He loves everything about you: your high energy, talkative tendencies, and clinginess. Chris teases him about how much he likes it, and she hasn’t been wrong yet.

“Oh! And I wanted to ask what you’re doing this summer. I want to go to the beach, but I’d love for you to come. Your family is welcome to come, too, if you want. Foster and Kali sound great,” you continue.

“That sounds fun. Maybe we should introduce you first; you may not like Foster,” Dalton responds.

“I like everyone.”

Dalton chuckles as he pats your leg. It’s true, you like everyone, but Dalton is the only one you love the way you do. When you turn to lay against his chest and trace shapes over his shirt, Dalton realizes that he wouldn’t mind if you took Chris’s advice and lived permanently attached to him.

✯✯✯✯✯

The sky seems prettier when you’re on the way to visit Dalton. With your eyes on the clouds, you don’t notice a tree branch blocking the sidewalk. Your foot catches on it and you immediately extend your arms to catch yourself. The bloody lines coating your forearms look bad, but nothing can take away your smile. After jumping to your feet, you rush to Dalton’s dorm and don’t notice the stinging sensation covering your arms.

You skip onto Dalton’s floor and stop outside his closed door. As you raise your hand to knock, you freeze at the sound of a voice that isn’t Dalton’s.

“How long have you been with…” someone asks.

Dalton says your name before answering, “Since freshman year.”

“You haven’t considered trying something new?”

“Not at all.”

A third voice joins with a boisterous laugh. “Dalton, bro, I know we’re art students, so we have to be a bit weird, but… Doesn’t it bother you? The constant talking and how she has to be touching you?”

Your smile drops. Unable to remember the last time you felt like this, you pull your bottom lip between your teeth and anxiously await Dalton’s answer. Being energetic and clingy doesn’t mean you are insensitive; you still have feelings and insecurities even if you don’t show them.

“I mean,” Dalton says slowly. “Yeah, she’s clingy, always touching me.”

Dalton keeps talking, but you turn and run. Running to Dalton’s dorm was different, and as you pass the tree branch that tripped you, you begin to feel pain. It’s unusual now because you’ve been happy and golden since meeting Dalton. Now, you know that he needs a little more space. You’re clingy and always touching him, so you will give him the room he needs.

✯✯✯✯✯

Dalton wants to run his classmates out, but they’re nearly finished with the group project. When your name is brought up, he becomes even more encouraged to empty his dorm before you arrive.

“Doesn’t it bother you? The constant talking and how she has to be touching you?”

The question jars Dalton. Yes, he knows that you are touchy and talkative, but he has never been bothered by it. Dalton loves you, and those qualities make you the one Dalton loves.

“I mean, yeah, she’s clingy, always touching me,” Dalton admits. “But it’s, like, addictive. Her voice and her touch are the only things I want most days. Call me a crazy artist for that, but her happiness is contagious.”

“That’s unique, bro,” one of his classmates says. “But I for one have a first and only date lined up, so I have to go.”

Dalton gladly shows them out and looks down the hallway. You’re usually here by now, so you must be running late. There aren’t any texts from you, though, which concerns Dalton. He calls you and it goes to voicemail. Only after he texts you does he get an answer.

Sorry, I got busy. See you later?

Dalton immediately knows something is wrong. Your text is out of character: devoid of emojis and excitement. He’s concerned but understands it as meaning that you are truly busy. After agreeing to meet later, Dalton sits by himself and misses you. Being in a relationship with you, Dalton has never had to show how clingy he is, but right now he needs you.

✯✯✯✯✯

The following day, you try to keep your mind off Dalton. It isn’t easy though; the sun doesn’t seem as bright or happy, and your smile is nothing but an upturning of your closed lips. The people you pass on the sidewalk daily look twice; they are confused by the sudden difference in your appearance and personality.

When you pass Dalton on the sidewalk and don’t even look up at him, he knows his concerns were well-founded.

“Hey,” Dalton says.

He lays a hand on your arm, and you jump under him. When your eyes meet his, you force a bigger smile onto your face and step back. Dalton’s hand falls as his brows raise. You, however, are just trying to give him the space he wants.

“Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep,” you say. It’s true, but it’s because of him. “Maybe we could take another raincheck?”

“If that’s what you want.”

You nod and look over your shoulder. After offering a half-hearted and disappointed farewell, you leave Dalton. The sudden distance is heartbreaking, and Dalton needs to figure out what happened. To do that, he needs an expert.

✯✯✯✯✯

Over the next two days, you become distant with Dalton. The few times he manages to see you in person, you seem desperate to get away from him. What hurts worse is how you respond to his calls and texts. Your new sadness and disinterest are, unknown to Dalton, a cover to hide how much his words affect you. Pulling away from Dalton hurts both of you, but you are convinced that it is what he wants.

As you sit in your room and stare blankly at the wall, Dalton is searching for answers. He calls Chris and begs her to come over. She agrees, partly because she’s interested, partly because Dalton is her friend, and mostly because Dalton hasn’t sounded like this since the fight against the Further.

“What’s the rush?” she asks as she walks into the dorm. Dalton doesn’t comment as she slides her key into her pocket, and she becomes keenly aware that something is terribly wrong. “Dolphin, talk to me.”

Dalton simply asks what happened to you. He gives a brief explanation of how different and distant you are before repeating himself to ask, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. If she’s not talking to you… What did you do?”

Dalton pulls his shoulders to his ears and spreads his hands. “Nothing. That I know of at least. We were fine the day before she texted.”

“What did you do that day, then? Run me through everything.”

Dalton nods before recounting his every move for the day. Chris asks him to fast-forward through his bathroom trip and he reaches the meeting in his dorm room.

“So, he asked if I got tired of her talking and touching me and I said, you know, yeah, she’s clingy, but-“

Chris stands quickly and looks at Dalton with wide eyes. “You called her clingy?”

“She is. But then I said that I loved that about her. I’m clingy too!”

“I know all of that, Dalton. She must have heard somehow because that is the perfect reason to stop clinging. You need to find a better word than ‘clingy’ and go apologize.”

Dalton tugs his hair before standing. He needs to see you and explain himself right now. As he runs out of his room and toward you, he runs through what he can say, what he should say, to make you see how much he loves you. Clinginess included.

✯✯✯✯✯

Rapid knocks on your door pull your attention from the page before you. It’s covered with random, meaningless doodles. Despite your new lack of clinginess, you are still energetic and need to spend that somehow. Since Dalton needs space, you’ve taken to pacing your room and doodling to pass the time.

When you open the door and see the boy you’ve been thinking about, you drop your chin. The distance has to remain because you will get clingy again the first chance you get. Dalton is inviting, he’s safe, and he is your constant. If you end up in his arms, you’ll start talking and go back to being too wordy and too touchy.

“Can I come in?” Dalton asks quietly.

You nod and step back to keep physical space between you.

“Did you come to the dorm while I was with my art group?” he asks. You nod again and he asks, “And you heard what I said, right?”

With your lips pressed together, you nod yet again. Dalton wants to hear your voice, feel your touch, and show you how much he loves you. He has to convince you to let him first.

“Can you please tell me exactly what you heard?”

You take a deep breath before recounting, “Just that I’m talkative and clingy. I’m sorry.”

Dalton shakes his head, and his hair moves wildly. “I did say that. But that’s not all I said. I said that I love that you’re clingy because I am too. I love your voice and being with you… I need it because I love you.”

“Clingy isn’t a good thing,” you whisper.

“It is. It is for us.”

Dalton takes a step toward you, and your eyes brighten as you raise them.

“I’m sorry that I said it,” Dalton adds. “Not because I don’t mean it, but because it hurt you and pushed you away. I didn’t mean it badly; I promise that. I love you, and your clingy touches and your rambles.”

“Can I- can you hug me?” you ask.

Dalton smiles as he pulls you into his arms. He holds you tightly, he clings to you. As you lean your head against him, he whispers more promises in your ear.

“I love you, just the way you are,” he promises softly.

You pull back and look at him, and your smile is back. Dalton cradles your face and kisses you. When you giggle against his lips, he feels a huge relief at having you back. Back to yourself and back in his arms. Dalton moves his hands down your arms, and you inhale sharply when he reaches your forearms. Your smile doesn’t drop, and you don’t say anything, so Dalton looks away from your face to push your sleeves up. The sight of the deep scratches makes his eyes go wide, and he holds your hands gently to look.

“What happened?” Dalton asks as he pushes you toward your bed.

“I was coming to see you and there was a tree branch in the sidewalk. A cloud above me looked like a dog and so I didn’t see the branch,” you explain happily.

Your feet swing over the edge of the bed, and Dalton sits beside you to bandage your arms.

“Alright, this may hurt,” Dalton says as he applies ointment to your arms.

“Can I tell you about what happened yesterday? I haven’t-“

“Please tell me,” Dalton interrupts. “I’ve missed your voice. I need you to know that, okay? I love you; I love being with you, near you. If you weren’t a cuddler, I’d be the one that looks clingy; I’d probably suffocate you keeping you close.”

Dalton rubs his thumb over your knuckles as you nod along with his promises.

“Suffocation wouldn’t be fun.”

“It wouldn’t. If Foster doesn’t believe I have a girlfriend, imagine what he’d think if I killed you. Hurting your feelings was bad enough.”

“I think I’d like Foster,” you muse.

“You will. I’ll have to introduce you soon. For now, can I hold your hand and hear all about what I missed?”

You gasp excitedly and turn toward Dalton. With your legs spread over his lap and your arms in his hands, you smile and begin talking about every moment that you spent away from Dalton. He hangs onto every word and enjoys the feeling of being with you again. When you mention going to the beach again, Dalton knows that he will go with you, and once you meet Foster, he’ll want to go too.

[georgie-weasley]

Birthdays G.W. x GN!Reader

Warnings: mentions of death, mentions of blood, George losing his ear, it's super sad

Word Count: 3.2k

Pairing: George Weasley x GN!Reader

Summary: After Fred's death, George never wanted to celebrate his birthday. This year he's turning 25 and despite his request, you want to do something special so you track down all the pictures you took from your Hogwarts years

A/N: I know it's been a little bit since I wrote anything and I just want to say I really appreciate all the love and support from everyone

Masterlist Taglist

Birthdays were supposed to be a fun and special day. They were supposed to be a day all about you and spending the day how you wanted. Usually it was spent with friends and family who loved you as they celebrated you getting older. There was typically cake and presents and singing that stupid song. Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, birthdays have taken a sadder turn for George Weasley.

April 1st used to be the best day of the year in George’s eyes. Not only was it a day dedicated to jokes and pranks, but it was also the day he and his best friend got to celebrate another year of growing up but never maturing. In their younger years, they spent their birthday doing what they loved, causing mischief. One year they spent the whole day squawking like a bird at every hour; it was one of the more harmless years. On their first birthday after owning the joke shop, everything was a disaster. Well, it was for any poor soul that entered the shop with their guard down. Patrons left with bubblegum pink hair, duck bills for noses, temporarily in love with obscure objects, and even some believed they were invisible when they were in fact very visible.

George’s first birthday after Fred died was one of the worst days of his life, second to only the day he lost his brother. The family walked on eggshells and made the mistake of trying to celebrate. When his mother brought out the cake after dinner, he stormed out of the room before she could even set the homemade dessert on the table. You followed him all the way up to the roof, the place he always went to be alone or away from everyone but you. He sat there crying and you held him, rubbing his back but saying nothing; there was nothing you could say to ease his pain.

“I never want to celebrate my birthday ever again Y/N. I don’t want any cakes or presents or stupid songs. I don’t want anyone to even mention it.” He choked out as he sobbed into his hands.

“Your mom was just trying to do something nice. I don’t think she knew it would hurt this much.” 

“I know but I don’t want anything. Promise me the end of the birthdays starts here.”

You didn’t want to promise but you could see how much he needed this. “I promise.” 

You had been dating George since your Hogwarts years and you saw the pain everyone went through in the past year. You also saw how differently everyone reacted to the grief. Molly was liable to burst into tears every few minutes while Arthur threw himself into his tinkering with muggle items. Bill and Charlie spent a lot more time at home, doing things for their parents just to try and give them a break. Ron started helping George at the joke shop and he threw himself into the work there; he was a lot like his father much to his horror. Ginny spent a lot of time with George. She wasn’t supposed to have favorite brothers but Fred and George easily were her favorites. As for Percy, he still blamed himself for the death of his brother and spent most of his time hating himself. George didn’t know what to do. Everything he ever did, Fred was right there with him and he didn’t know how to function without his other half.

George no longer lived above the joke shop and instead he lived in a small apartment with you. The mirrors were covered with paper and all reflective surfaces were hidden as best as you could. He couldn’t stand to see himself because all he could see was Fred.

---

Since then, George had gotten his way and he hadn’t had a birthday celebration for the past few years. The only time it was even mentioned was when someone asked how old he was. Other than that, no one spoke about April 1st. This year George was turning 25 and after discussing with Molly many times, you decided not to ignore his birthday this time.

You were terrified that he would be upset that you went against his wishes but 25 was quite a big deal. He was officially going to be in his mid 20s and that deserved a celebration. George deserved a day where the people that loved him showed him how much he meant to them. Ginny, who had also been in on your plans, suggested for this first year of breaking the no birthday promise it was just you who celebrated. If the whole family suddenly ignored George’s wishes, he would probably feel betrayed. Not to mention out of everyone, he was more likely to be alright with his partner doing something special for him.

You spent all of February trying to think of something small enough to make sure he wouldn’t be upset but something big and special enough to warrant breaking this promise. Unlike the first few birthdays you celebrated with him as a couple, candy wouldn’t cut it this time. Soon February passed and before you knew it, it was the middle of March and you only had a couple weeks to go. You had to think of something fast

The answer came to you late at night one day in March. While George had been working late at the shop, you spent a lot of time stress cleaning the apartment and going through boxes. Wrapped up in old sweaters that didn’t fit anymore was your camera. It had been a gift to your parents your first year of Hogwarts and while you were no professional photographer, you spent all of your years in school taking pictures.

Ginny once mentioned to you a gift Hagrid had given Harry his first year. Hagrid spent months contacting anyone that knew James and Lily to try and get photos to make a photo album for Harry. Ginny said he still had it and has been adding to it; he added pictures of the people that meant a lot to him and especially pictures of things he wished his parents had been around to see. Almost all of the pictures you had taken since you were 11 included Fred and George. That was what you would give George.

When George came home that night, it was horrible trying not to tell him but you knew if he knew, he would tell you not to bother. Despite your efforts, he knew right away something was up. As he climbed into bed he took one look at your face and frowned. “What are you so worried about?” Curse him for being so observant.

“Nothing. I just hope you're not overworking yourself.” Before he could question you further, you kissed his cheek and rolled over, shutting off the light.

---

That morning as soon as he left for work, you began searching through more and more boxes of your things. Some pictures were hung up when you lived above the store but since moving, George didn’t want many pictures hung up at all. Tucked away in the closet was a small box with ‘pictures’ written on the side. “Bingo.”

As soon as you opened the box you had tears in your eyes. Right on top was a picture you had taken of the boys the day they bought the building. It was pretty worn down and needed quite a bit of work but Fred and George stood in front of the door, arms thrown around each other with wide smiles. As the picture moved, Fred and George turned to look over their shoulder at the building and gave each other a high five.

The next photo was much older and if you had to guess, Fred and George were only 12 or 13 in this picture. They were on the Quidditch Pitch, soaking wet and covered in mud but they couldn’t be happier. The boys had just tried out for the beater positions on the Gryffindor team and despite slipping and falling many times, they made the team. In the picture after only a second of smiling, Fred hip checked George and sent him flying into a mud puddle, landing right on his butt. Fred laughed until George kicked him on the back of the knee and made him fall face first into the mud next to him. The picture didn’t catch it but you remember after Fred got to his knees, the twins started wrestling and it took three people to separate them. Neither was mad at the other but more so they couldn’t stand to be outdone by their twin.

Many pictures were similar to those. One was taken of the twins while in detention with you. How you snuck the camera into the dungeons you couldn’t remember but the picture of Fred pretending to be Snape while George laughed and the real Snape rounded the corner was priceless. Another was taken when poor Ron had first started Hogwarts. You told the first year you simply wanted a photo of him and George to send home to his mother when in reality, Fred was behind him holding a fake spider. The picture captured the terror on Ron’s face as the toy came into his field of view while Fred and George rolled on the floor laughing.

Perhaps one of your favorites was taken during the Yule Ball. Katie Bell managed to take a picture of you and George slow dancing while Fred and Lee Jordan tried to do the worm in the background. Neither of them were very good and Fred wormed his way under Malfoy’s legs and sent the blonde crashing to the floor.

You had even a few pictures of the whole family. At Bill and Fleur’s wedding before the Death Eaters came, you gathered the whole Weasley clan and shoved everyone together to take a picture. Harry, disguised as a random Weasley cousin, and Hermione were included. The picture captured George coaxing you into frame with him as Remus took the camera from you. You squeezed in between Fred and George as your boys wrapped their arms around you.

There were many others, some far more normal than others but most of them George had never seen. After taking them, the pictures made their way into your trunk and never came out until after you had gone home. Besides, George always claimed he would never need to see them as he and Fred would continue to make more memories as they aged.

The last picture in the box was of them was the night George lost his ear. Fred had never been the serious type but seeing his twin brother lying on the couch drenched in his own blood changed something. All of you, but mostly Fred, realized no one was invincible. Fred pulled you aside and asked you to take a picture of them as soon as George was able to sit up and didn’t look too beat up. It was a moment you would never forget.

“I just need a picture of us Y/N. Seeing George there on the couch like that… I need something of us. This is a war and there’s no guarantee that both of us will make it. If that happens and he dies,” Fred rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and took a deep breath, “I need some reminder of him and I together in case.”

You grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze. “Of course Freddie.”

An hour later it was just the three of you awake and George was feeling well enough to sit up and drink some water. Fred sat next to him on the couch and glanced over at you. “George, I want to take a picture.”

“Now? I’m still a little crusty and my bandage needs to be changed.” George sat the glass of water on the ground and carefully turned his head to look at his twin. “Maybe we can wait until tomorrow so I can clean up a bit?”

Fred shook his head and beckoned you over. “No way. I don’t want to wait for this one. Please?”

With a confused glance at you, George shrugged and wrapped his arm around Fred’s shoulders. “Make sure you get my good side.” He said with a small laugh as he turned to show off his one remaining ear.

The boys smiled for the photo but Fred looked like he was holding back tears. You took a second one and held back your own tears as Fred pulled George in for a hug. “Love ya Georgie.”

“Love you too Freddie.”

Over the next couple of weeks you spent any time George was in the shop working on his present. You spent countless hours arranging the pictures into the photo album and adding little notes next to each one. You tried your best to remember the year it was taken so the book was in some sort of order.

Along with the photos, you went through your old notebooks and various other scraps of paper that you had saved. On so many of them the twins had written notes in the margins. On one note page, the boys were having a written conversation about their plans for a store. They had no reason to write it on your paper except for the fact that they felt like it. While in school, it used to bother you when they would mess around and write notes or doodle on your papers but now, you were beyond grateful for these dumb little messages.

You took the notebook page and added it to the book next to the picture of the boys in front of their shop. On the next you stuck in the page with the rather horrible self portrait Fred had drawn.

There were more than a few times you had to catch your falling tears so they wouldn’t ruin the pictures but finally after weeks, it was done.

---

On the morning of his birthday, George laid in bed well past the normal time he usually woke up. Ron had been the only one working at the store on George’s birthday for the past few years. At first George refused but as more and more people talked about April Fool’s Day, he relented and let Ron take over. When George finally emerged from the bedroom, he went straight to the couch and sat next to you. He didn’t say anything for a while until he finally turned to look at you. “What’s for breakfast?”

“I can make some eggs.” You gave him a quick peck on the lips before you went to the kitchen, preparing to make his breakfast.

On the coffee table you left the photo album which you had wrapped and added a small tag with his name on it. “Y/N? What is this?” He stared at the box as if he was expecting it to come alive and bite him.

“It’s just a little something for you. Why don’t you open it?”

George sighed and grabbed the box, moving into the kitchen with you. “I thought I said I didn’t want birthdays anymore. What happened to that promise?” At first you thought maybe he was hurt by your action but he just looked drained.

You set the uncracked eggs on the counter and put your hand over his. “I know you did but you’re 25 and I think you’ll like this one.” When he didn’t move to open the gift, you crossed your arms over your chest. “George, humor me just this time. If you hate it and still want nothing to do with birthdays then this will be the last mention of it, I swear.”

Satisfied with your terms, George carefully tore off the paper and opened the box. “You broke my promise to get me a book?” The cover of the album was just a simple brown leather with nothing to indicate what was on the inside.

“Open the book.”

Following your instructions, George flipped open to the first page and froze. He stared at the picture while 11-year-old Fred and George smiled up at him. George didn’t move for a long time and just when you were starting to get worried, he flipped to the next page. He watched that one for a while too before he moved on to the next. He did this until he got to the last picture. He watched as Fred in the picture hugged him and he read the words written below the picture as Fred mouthed them. ‘Love ya Georgie.’

Without a word George moved next to you and wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into his chest, burying his head in your shoulder. George held you tight as sobs tore through him. “I miss him so much. I wish he was here.”

“I do too.” You rubbed his back as he continued to cry. Once his sobs finally turned into sniffles, you slowly moved his head off of your shoulder so you could look him in the eyes. “George, why don’t you want to celebrate your birthdays?”

He sighed and used his sleeve to wipe his eyes, just like Fred always did. “It feels wrong to do anything without him, especially this.” George wasn’t sure how to articulate what he was feeling for years until this moment. “We used to do everything together and I don’t know how to do anything without him.”

“Oh George.” You pulled him in for another hug, running your fingers through his hair. “Fred wouldn’t want this. He would want you to be happy and love your life and cause enough mischief for the both of you. He would want you to celebrate your birthday, not pretend it doesn’t happen.”

“I know but why does it all feel so wrong?”

“Because he’s not where you can see him. He’s here and he’s with you every day in everything you do but you can’t see him. You can’t hear his laugh and it’s horrible but George, he is here. I see him in your smile and I hear him in your jokes and not just because you’re identical. I know it’s hard but I promise you, he would want you to be happy. It’s ok to try the things you did together without him.” This time George pulled his own head away so he could look at you as you brushed the hair out of his eyes and kissed his cheek.

“I’ll try.” That was all you could ever ask of him. “Thank you for the book and for caring enough to break your promise. I love you.”

“I love you too George.” He kissed you softly and as you pulled away, you smiled. “Is it too early to invite the whole family over to celebrate?”

George smiled and nodded. “A bit. Let’s just get through this year and then we can talk about bringing everyone else.”

It would be a few years until George was ready to celebrate his birthday with everyone else again but when his mom brought out the cake and everyone sang that stupid song, he could have sworn Fred was right there with him.

Taglist

@100gaysnails @george-weasleys-girl @weasleybuns @s1aaaaayyyyyyyt @asuperconfusedgirl @jsjcue

[sociopathicartist]

he hopes it stays like this with you every year.

(better quality if you click)

(IGNORE THE FACT THAT I DID THE HANDS BACKWARDS LMAOAOAO)

i know it’s not a canon birthday, but i’ve seen tons of people give him april 1st as a birthday and lowkey i live for it, so happy birthday to sans:) i couldn’t resist posting this even though i was supposed to upload part 2 to BC, my bad you guys😔 sans art is just too fun to draw. also how old do you guys think he is??? people range him from like 20-200 years old…

[rockyp77mk3]

To the ANON who claimed to be a "Dutch lady" and who has no respect for....

Deployed servicemembers. Who also thinks that military service is just a job, "Like driving a truck, no more no less."

Oh, I deleted your question because quite frankly I don't like being cursed at in the opening sentence. But here is a visual response to your lack of respect...

American soldiers are greeted enthusiastically by a group of monks in the town of Ryckholt (Sept. 12th, 1944)

Two Dutch kids get some much needed food from an allied soldier (Jan 1st, 1945)

The Dutch town called Hoensbroek was liberated by allied forces on 17th September 1944. The picture was taken near the Castle of Hoensbroek, where these children were cared for by Catholic nuns. Before the troops had to move on towards Germany (which is 12 miles from Hoensbroek), the kids dressed up in traditional Dutch clothing and performed dances and songs (September, 1944)

Liberation of Harderwijk by Canadian troops (April 18th, 1945).

I suppose that the servicemen pictured above were not doing anything special? Just like being a stock clerk?

Here is a fact. With all due respect to the courageous Dutch Underground and the Free Dutch Forces your country folded to the NAZIs in .03 seconds. The only reason you a sucking free air is because of Allied servicemen putting their bacon on the line for your parents and grandparents. Oh, you're welcome for the English lesson. It cost you a lot less than your German lessons.

German soldiers looting Arnhem before evacuating the city (September, 1944).

Now suck a tulip and kiss my red, white, and blue tuches!

[mythologeekwriter]

I'm just going to present all of these articles without commentary. Because I think this speaks for itself actually.

[date: 21st April 2024]

[date: 19th April 2024]

[date: 19th April 2024]

[date: 14th April 2024]

[date: 22nd March 2024]

[date: 10th February 2024]

[date: 1st October 2022]

[hahskeleton]

Can we have some facts about the harpy au?

ask and you shall receive :)

Table of contents: Favorite things of the harpies - 1st indent Dislikes of the harpies - 2nd indent Eclipse facts - 3rd indent Moon facts - 4th indent Sun facts - 5th indent The Wisp Brothers Facts - 6th indent Y/N Facts - 7th indent AU facts - 8th indent

FAVORITE THINGS:

Eclipse: Fish, daisies, spooky stories, mangoes, woodpeckers, orange, purple, autumn, going for a fly at dusk, pumpkin seeds, y/n, throwing things into lakes (rocks, sticks etc), (more coming soon)

Moon: Bacon and eggs, reading, people watching, scarves, blue, clouds, grapes, plain (no sauce) cooked pasta noodles, stars/astronomy (more coming soon)

Sun: Marigolds, ferrets, pink roses, frogs, butterflies, waterfalls, jelly sandwiches, pumpkin pie, decorate random things, doing harmless pranks, playing his flute (more coming soon)

DISLIKES:

Eclipse: Frogs, pineapple, scorching hot days, mustard, cruel parents, his Lichtenberg Figure (big scar on his back), lightning storms, (more coming soon)

Moon: Lemons, Eclipse, crying, cats, removing his hat, winter, molting, lightning storms, (more coming soon)

Sun: Flying in bad weather, mushrooms, ruffled feathers, mildly dirty things, Moon’s night terrors, falling, being treated like a kid, (more coming soon)

Eclipse Facts:

Never liked Olympus

Absolutely HATES frogs for no apparent reason

Thinks his cave gets lonely sometimes

Has been struck by lightning (he’s got a scar now)

Loves storms but is terrified to fly in them

He’s got the groggiest voice in history (or so he claims)

Buries unloved and under-treated children in a field because their parents won’t do it themselves

Taught himself to draw (he’s not super good but… yk…)

He’s around 7.5-8 feet tall

Thinks he’s charming

Moon Facts

Is fascinated by humans

Would kill/do anything for his brother, Sun

Has never had a love interest

Hates his brother Eclipse (now)

Used to tolerate Eclipse (back then)

Has frequent night terrors causing panic attacks

His freckles glow when flustered

Absolutely hates crying

His favorite food is bacon and eggs

Is allergic to marigolds (just gets the sniffles, nothing too bad)

Used to have has a problem with plucking feathers

Sun Facts:

His favorite flowers are marigolds but Moon’s allergic to them :(

Loves to play with small animals (squirrels, frogs, butterflies, etc.)

Enjoys foraging

He’s the family cooker (until him and Moon left Eclipse)

Embodiment of anxiety

Good at hiding stress and feelings in general

Smells literally every flower he sees

Stargazing is fun for him

Never had a love interest

Always wanted a cat (Moon said no)

Wisp Brothers Facts:

They are VERY short boys and they can shrink even smaller

Lunar and Jack’s fire that they have is actually cold, not hot

they get up to a lot of shenanigans together

Lunar can get serious sometimes; Jack has no thoughts behind his eyes

Killed by [ ]

They like to visit the cabin y/n lives in

Lunar hates harpies

Jack doesn’t remember a lot of things including how he died and why Lunar hates harpy!eclipse

Lunar takes good care of Jack

Jack was supposed to be created to protect Lunar and vice versa

Y/N Facts:

They inherited their grandpa’s cabin in a village (the cabin is in the woods near the village)

uses magic

doesn’t know shit about magic (uses it anyway)

They own a Birman cat named Poncho

mythology nerd

only had one friend in the village and his name is Nathan (all the other folks hate them because they think y/n’s a witch/warlock (Nathan’s fake))

likes harpies

LOVES mangoes for no apparent reason

sort of a crazy introvert/ambivert

likes to get cozy by a fireplace with a book

they have glasses but they never wear them because they think they’re stupid looking

AU Facts

The AU’s birthday is on April 3rd

Drabbles, AO3 works, art and comics will be posted

There’s a lot of lore

Perhaps I will open a “Talk to the Harpies” event later

there’s a blog: @dca-harpy-au-blog

the creator (me) allows and loves fanart and all other things like that

(more facts coming soon)

[calmlyerratic]

Encounters of the Future Sort

Chapter 1: Disappearing Cauldrons is Never a Good Sign

──────⋆──────────────

read it here on Ao3

fic summary: AU & headcanon-oriented time travel. A freak cauldron explosion leads the Marauders hurtling forward into the future where they come into contact with Harry and friends. Alternating POV's. Anything is possible. Lots of shenanigans, but also an emotional rollercoaster. Silly, Jily, and Wolfstar. Full summary here.

chapter wc: 2.4k | rating: T | cw: none

notes: 1976 Timeline—takes place before the willow prank and Snape's worst memory, both of which happened in the spring of 1976. That's all I'll give away for now, happy reading :)

────────────────⋆────

April 1st, 1976

11am

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The sun twinkled through lofty clouds, casting rays of warmth on the freshly thawed spring grounds of Hogwarts. The majority of students were outside, lounging along the banks of the Black Lake and enjoying this sudden heat wave.

But if someone just happened to journey up to the school's seventh floor, their nose would detect the foul stench of rotten eggs, their eyes would see through the fog that consumed the corridor, and they would be led to a room that could be found only if you knew where it was. And in this room, they would discover four boys hovering over a giant, brass cauldron.

"Shut up Moony! We're fine."

"I agree with Prongs—shove it."

"No one cares what you think Padfoot!"

"Ouch, Moony. And I didn't realize words could bruise..."

"Oh—sod off. It's not my fault that you two have some absurd death wish."

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew had been bickering for the better part of the past hour. Each had a curious bubble around their heads to protect them from the horrid smell of the simmering potion.

"Stoke the fire a little, will you Wormtail?" Sirius said as he stirred the cauldron. He slowly removed the long wooden spoon and set it on a bed of parchment, serving as a makeshift spoon rest.

Peter drew his wand from the pocket of his robes and murmured, "Incendio."

The flame underneath grew, gently lapping the sides of the cauldron.

"Your hands are so tiny, Wormy." Sirius complained, adjusting his dragonhide gloves. "I dunno how you wear these."

Peter held up his hands, inspecting them. "Are they?"

"No, Padfoot just has long, delicate fingers." Remus huffed.

Remus was watching Sirius anxiously, eyes flickering between the thick, murky greenish contents of the cauldron to the spoon rest...which was turning an odd, startling red as liquid seeped through the ivory parchment.

"Why are we doing this again? This isn't even close to proper procedure..."

"Oh, just relax Moony," Sirius flexed his fingers in Peter's gloves and leaned back on his arms leisurely. "You did say we needed some extra potions practice for our O.W.L.'s."

Remus rolled his eyes. "I meant you should ask Slughorn for some extra lessons, or something. Not attempt to brew a complicated and potentially fatal potion! You do know that I'm a Prefect and this is exactly the kind of thing I'm supposed to prevent?"

"But you're here aren't you?" James pointed out, grinning mischievously.

James was sprawled over a table, leafing through several different ancient, thickly bound books. A reflection of incandescent light through the fog reflected off his head bubble, casting shimmery flames onto his round spectacles.

"I'm only here to make sure you don't blow yourselves up," Remus stood in exasperation and began pacing.

"We'd be simply unhinged without your supervision," Sirius bit his lip to hold back a grin.

Remus glared at Sirius, who raised an eyebrow and winked. Remus flushed slightly, crossed his arms and sat back down, muttering.

"Okay," James checked his watch, "we're getting close now."

"What next?" Peter asked, pinching his nose through the bubble charm. "The smell's getting worse...we've got to be almost finished? We've been working on this for months now—"

"Months?" Remus was alarmed. "Wait, I thought you said—"

"No time, Moony."

James scanned through the colossal books, a frown on his face.

"In this book, Potions for the Potentially Challenged, it says to add one additional scoop of lacewing flies. But in this one, If You Can Brew it, You Can Do It...calls for three scoops total. We already did one yesterday when we added the unicorn hair—"

"Unicorn hair? Where are you getting these books?" Remus peered over at them discerningly, as though to check their authenticity.

"My father's library," Sirius shrugged. "Nicked them when I left."

"You're in way over your heads," Remus massaged his eyes shut.

"If you care so much about our safety, you should really be the one doing this, Moony. You know the rest of us are all dead awful at potions." James pointed out, turning a page and pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his long nose.

"Yeah, but you insist on being the high and mighty Prefect instead." Sirius shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "You know, the more I think about it, your position of ensuring safety is truly more of a hazard."

"Safety equals safety hazard," Remus moved a finger in midair like he was solving a complicated arithmancy equation. "Check."

"Okay, we're in a time crunch here so I say we—what did you say again, Prongs?"

"Add the lacewing flies," James nodded. "Two scoops, Wormy."

"Right," Peter passed the ingredients to Sirius, who threw them in the cauldron.

"Okay good—now stir it three times counterclockwise..." James read carefully. "And I think we've done it!"

The four boys watched the cauldron with bated breath.

The thick, murky liquid began to slowly bubble, like boiling mud. James and Sirius beamed at each other and high-fived while Remus let out a sigh of relief.

Then suddenly, despite the steady flame, the potion went very still.

"Um, is that supposed to happen?" Peter shifted nervously.

"No," James frantically leafed through his books. "It's supposed to...turn red, I think? No, this one says it's supposed to have a greenish tinge—"

"Great, " Sirius chucked the wooden spoon across the room and it clattered along the stone floor. "We muffed it up. So much for that prank—"

"Prank?"

"Oh hush Moony, it's April 1st for Merlin's sake. Like you didn't know we weren't doing this purely for academia—"

"Hold on," Peter was gazing into the cauldron, its contents casting a luminous glow over his bubblehead charm. "I think it's doing something…"

The muddy potion began to vibrate oddly, then fell very still.

"That doesn't seem right..." James flicked through more pages.

Remus clasped his hands together. "Well, you tried. Let's call it a day?"

"No way, Moony." James stated firmly. "We've spent way too much time on this to just give up. There has to be a way to fix it..."

"Too bad you're on the outs with Evans, mate, she's Slughorn's red headed prodigy." Sirius considered, stroking his chin. "Well, she's a stickler, anyway. Hey—where are you going?"

Remus had jumped to his feet.

"I'll be right back! Don't move!"

⋆  ⋆  ⋆

A short while later...

"It needs to be bubbling—"

"Well let's just turn up the heat then?"

"Hold on just let me read a bit more—"

"What is this place?"

Sirius squinted his eyes at this new voice and put a hand to the forehead of his bubble, like a crow's nest lookout on a foggy evening.

"Evans?" Sirius called.

James head shot up from his reading. His hand jumped to run through his untidy raven hair, as if it was a reflex to hearing her name.

Through the thick, vapid air consuming the room, three figures approached the cauldron.

Lily Evans had her nose between two fingers. "Well we found the source of the godawful smell, ugh."

"I told you," Remus shrugged sheepishly.

He glanced towards the other boys with poorly concealed guilt. The origin of this became quite apparent when another person stepped out of the misty shadows.

"Snevillus?" Sirius crossed his arms, mortally betrayed. "Really, Remus?"

Snape glared forcefully, like a giant sulking bat. "Lily, I told you this was a bad idea—"

"She can do what she wants, Snevillus." James glared too, his hand twitching towards his wand.

"Oh shut up, the both of you. You can bicker later," Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm only here because Remus asked me."

"Look, this is beyond us—that cauldron is dangerous." Remus rubbed the back of his neck, clearly ashamed that he was revealing their secret shenanigans to the Marauder's worst enemy. "Lily and Snape are the best in our year at potions—"

"Yeah, real Slug Club royalty." Sirius scoffed.

"We have it under control," James insisted firmly.

"This—" Lily glanced around, her voice nasally from pinching her nose, "does not look under control. Or smell like it, either. You're smoking out the entire seventh floor."

"I think it's steam, actually." Peter offered. "It feels rather moist—"

"It's a figure of speech," Lily said shortly.

The cauldron suddenly began to hum—it was the sound a thin glass of water makes when you run a finger around the rim. All six of them turned to stare at it.

"We could smell it from the Library," Severus sneered as he waved his wand to produce a bubblehead charm.

"I can smell you from the—"

"Padfoot!" Remus warned. "It's gone too far, okay? We need to fix it. Or vanish it, or something." He turned to Lily. "What do you suggest?"

Lily waved her wand and produced a bubblehead charm too, inhaling the fresh air. She approached the cauldron and peered over the edge.

"I for one suggest," Sirius began haughtily, pointing his wand at the base of the cauldron, "that we are incredibly capable of finishing this up ourselves. It just needs a little more heat—incendio."

The flame under the brass cauldron grew and the mucky potion began to bubble.

"There!" Sirius grinned victoriously.

"It looks just like the description..." James ran his finger along a page. "Thick, mud-like, dull green—"

"Er, P-prongs?" Peter stammered, his eyes widening. "It's bright green."

The bubbling potion had suddenly become the shade and consistency of algae and had begun to vibrate oddly again. The base of the cauldron began to shake.

"Er, Potter?" Lily was backing away from the cauldron slowly. "What kind of potion is this, exactly?"

"You imbeciles! Aguamenti!" Severus flicked his wand and a jet of water shot out of it to extinguish the flames.

It didn't seem to make a difference. The cauldron was now vibrating so violently that the stone floor beneath them began to shake.

"Sev, what do we do?" Lily's eyes were wide with apprehension. "I've never vanished something this temperamental before—"

"It might settle down," Severus stood with his wand at the ready. "I removed the heat so there's no further catalyst. Let's give it a moment."

However, the cauldron continued to vibrate even more violently. The very walls of the room began to creak. The fog around them became thicker and dense—with a spectral, syrupy magic that couldn't be seen, but felt.

"I say we get the hell out of here," Sirius suggested. "Moony, you were right okay—"

The bright green algae potion suddenly turned a vibrant shade of red. Severus went rigid.

"RUN! JUST RUN!"

But it was too late. The cauldron exploded mere seconds later with a giant BOOM and the next thing the Marauders, Lily, and Severus knew, they were lying face down on the hard stone floor.

"Bloody hell," Sirius groaned as he sat up, massaging his temples.

"What happened?" Peter blinked around, in a daze.

"Uggggh..." Lily was sprawled out on her back.

"You okay, Evans?" James jumped to his feet and offered her a hand.

"We all appear to be fine," Severus sneered jealously as he scrambled to his feet.

Lily glared at him as she took James' hand. "So glad chivalry isn't dead."

"Speak for yourself," Sirius grunted. "Oh, Snivellus—help a damsel out?" He batted his eyes, extending his hand mockingly.

Severus looked down and flushed. "I meant—"

"Where's the cauldron?"

All heads turned towards Remus, who stood where the cauldron had been just moments ago.

"I-it's gone." Peter stammered, biting his fingernails.

And sure enough, it was. They all stared for a moment in silence, eyes wide with shock. Disappearing cauldrons is never a good sign.

"The fog is gone too..." Remus broke the silence as he removed his bubble head charm, causing the others to do the same. "And so is the smell."

In fact, the room was totally empty. No tables or books or leftover ingredients. The cleared fog revealed the familiar structure they had willed the room to take, starkly resembling a stone dungeon classroom with slightly higher ceilings.

"Huh." James contemplated, tousling his already messy hair. "Weird."

"Yeah," Peter echoed. "Weird."

"It could be the room?" Sirius suggested. "But it usually only changes before you enter, not while you're inside it..."

"What the hell does that mean?" Lily raised an eyebrow. She had never been in the Room of Requirement before. "Never mind—I don't want to know, there's been enough surprises for one day."

Severus opened his mouth and looked like he rather did want to know but had too much dignity to ask, so he shut it again.

"Let's go, Sev." Lily turned towards the door.

"Thanks, Lily!" Remus called after her sheepishly. "I owe you one."

"You never owe me anything, Remus." Lily threw him a kind smile. "You other three better pay up, though."

Severus shot them all one last gaunt glare over his shoulder before he sauntered after Lily and into the corridor.

"Snevillus?" Sirius raised an eyebrow at Remus, still very much hung up on this betrayal. "Our dear sweet Moony...why?"

"He was with Lily when I found her," Remus rubbed the back of his neck again. "I'm sorry..."

"Thank you, but your apology is kindly rejected." Sirius shook his head disapprovingly. "And you're supposed to be the discerning one—"

"In my defense, I thought you were going to blow up half the school."

"You always overreact, Moony."

"Well, something blew up!"

"Yes but we're fine, aren't we? Crises averted."

"So, you admit it was a crisis?"

"I admit you were very concerned there would be a crisis."

"If you two are done bickering like an old married couple," James tapped his foot impatiently, "I'd quite like to move on with my day."

"Too bad we wasted all that time brewing..." Peter sighed.

"You feel it too?" Remus asked, eyeing their surroundings. "I didn't want to say before—but this place reeks like powerful magic. I've never smelled anything like it."

"Unicorn hairs aren't cheap either," James exhaled deeply, then straightened his shoulders with a grin. "Oh well, no use crying over spilt potion."

"This room feels...weird." Peter observed nervously.

"I don't smell anything?" Peter knit his brow and sniffed deeply.

Remus wrinkled his nose. "It's a—y'know...wolf thing."

"Let's go mull it over outside," James stretched his arms. "I need some time to grieve our best laid plans, and all that."

"Anyway," Sirius blew a stray hair out of his face, "what could possibly happen?"

"I dunno," Remus wrapped his hands around his elbows and shuddered. His hair was standing on end. "I can't explain it...I just have a bad feeling about this..."

────────────────⋆────

notes: I started writing this 11 years ago and just recently rediscovered my love for the Marauders and fanfiction. Initially, I posted it on another site and was shocked to see how much love it's gotten over the years. So here we are! Rewriting this is totally healing my inner child, hope you enjoy :)

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[darlingchronicles]

because the ending was the shittiest thing to exist, this is my alternate version of the umbrella academy plots for season 4 and what needed to be dug more into. thank you for joining me for my ted talk...

*SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON 4*

1. The five and lila shit...oh my gosh. no no no no. did not need to happen so here is what i suggest. Bring back Delores. while five and lila are traveling through the alternate timelines or even just him alone, it is shown how they're being hunted in almost every time line - either the commission or any other force. lila did mention they were shot at, but i feel that us as viewers need to see it. i feel like an entire episode could have been dedicated to their entire journey through the timelines. In one timeline, five runs into delores. As a human. She doesn't know him or seen him, but there is an instant connect between them. She's confused as to why some things are different in her universe - hinting to the timelines collapsing and that version of Delores isn't suppose to exist. Delores may have been traveling through the timeline herself (possibly if I made that fit into the story) and she is older than she looked just like Five but not as old. He brings her to the subway, telling her he is going to help her and she accepts it. They all, Delores, Lila and Five all spend their days in the subway trying to get back to either her or their timeline. Delores and Five fall in love. It makes sense because Five did fall in love with Delores in the original timeline. This time she's human and she falls in love back because she feels like she does know him. I like to envision her as the opposite of five - more optimistic, happy and a very comforting person, some person anyone would love to be around because she has such a warmth - but she also has sarcasm with her. They're really perfect for each other. Lila (if she is there) is like a older sister to her. We finally see Five in love and how much he desires to be in a normal life. Five finds a way to their original timeline and that goes into the next part which is the ending.

2. The ending was shitty, kind of, by the way. If the marigold was to be destroyed, then they could have kept on living, but I get why they did it. BUT I have a suggestion. If the marigold disappeared and it never existed, they all would have been born in the original timeline, at separate times, but without knowing each other. LET ME EXPLAIN: the only reason they were born was because they were infected by marigold but I believe they were going to be born either way yk? SO what would happen is that the timeline resets to the only timeline - and they all are born at the corners of the world and at different times. (Five is the last to be born). They all have their own lives without their powers and without knowing the others exist. Diego is preparing for a boxing match (he's like 26) in Mexico. Lila is prepping for her FBI exam in Quantico (she's around 23). Viktor owns a bar still and does music classes on the side, maybe in Canada, but I'm thinking Maine for some reason (he's 21). IDK about the others but Five is 17 and heading to University in New York and he's still a certified genius and he's more happy (sadly enough) with his life and we even see him re-meet Delores in a coffee shop or something. Either way, everyone who had marigold exists but they never come in contact with each other. They never know they were once family. The ending shot is of all of them in New York, passing by each other without batting an eye, on different sides of the street, heading different ways, exiting or entering different shops, not even speaking. And then in the outro voice, it is the same ending either April 1st 2019 or August 8th 2024 but nothing happens it's rather ordinary. I feel like that would have been better -- also an entire episode dedicated to their lives and hints of deja vu from their past lives, but they never speak or see each other ever again.

3. I think it needs to be said we don't see enough of everyone's lives in the first episode. I feel like they needed to dig into Lila and Diego's marriage and home life more and the fact that her family was alive in that timeline. More into Allison and Ray's marriage and how it collapsed or how the entire live allison wanted backfired on her. More on Luther mourning Sloane and maybe even finding her, but keeping his distance because she doesn't know him and maybe she's with someone else (not everyone can have happy lives lol). Viktor making the decision to leave and go to Canada to isolate. How Five joined the CIA. Klaus' fear of death. Ben's scheme and being arrested. A whole episode could have dedicated to this. ALSO reginald building a literal empire in the universe and being like the freaking president of the world. He's literally a monopoly. What planet did he come from? Why did he come? What was the point of keeping Abigail on the moon? How did those particles come to be? Another episode would have been good for this. At least half. I just needed more from these episodes. I feel like it started too fast too soon and not enough development.

4. The plot. the story was there just not executed good. maybe the timelines are collapsing into each other or maybe ben feels like someone is calling him (jennifer) and they meet again but are unsure why. i feel like no one can know about jennifer except when they meet her and find out there's something in her. there just needed to be more development of jennifer.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk...

[asiogie]

asia, the prophet, please tell us what dream's new upcoming video on April 1st is about ? because i might think he will pull another prank on us

hmmmm part of me actually thinks this one may be the video that was supposed to come out on march 1st. because i think he said that video got delayed due to sponsor issues right? and the hostage video didnt have a sponsorship