#tag other shows that fall into this honeslty

[theaethernetconnection]

Hey, just a reminder but characters don't need to kiss on screen/In canon to be in a relationship. To expect that is to sexualize queer people as well as gatekeep who is allowed to be in the community (talking about aro/ace people here). Queer people have the same (or I would even argue a greater) range of relationships, from situationships to queer platonic relationships to queer friendships that are more touchy than societally acceptable for a friendship.

Shout-out to @polaris-outpost for discussing this topic with me :)

[7wanderingpaws]

Simply, yours (6)

Pairing:  Baekhyun x reader

Genre: family AU, hapkido teacher AU, PhD AU

Word count: 2.7K

Warnings: none

A/N: Haha I laughed at the reactions for the last part! Yes, it is all happening huu! I cant wait to write even more! And thank you for giving me feedback, it honeslty makes me feel happy and motivated! ❤

tags: @milky-baek​ 💖 (Im so sorry if there were more people who asked, my list got messed up? Im so sorry again, if you want to be tagged pretty please comment on this post or write anon/dm, Im fine with all! Sorry again!! :((( )

MASTERLIST

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6

-

You left the doctors in deep silence.

None of you were capable to speak much, but there definitely was a lot to talk about, to discuss and probably re-think. Your mind was in an internal turmoil, and it seemed to be a vicious circle. What you just learned was something you would have never ever imagined before. That type of news was… news-worthy. Like television news worthy. From the excitement of the doctor, it easily could become reality.

You vividly imagined yourself talking to the reporter, the microphone of the broadcast station in your face as you tried to explain just how crazy your situation was. A poor countryside family (that didn't even tie the knot yet) expecting three…

Ridding your head of various scenarios, you entered the bus. Thankfully, there weren't many people as you entered the stuffy vehicle. Baekhyun quickly grabbed a single seat for you, wanting to stand right next to your side. Funnily, the one who constantly spoke and had an argument ready was now silent, deep in thought just like you. Glancing up at your boyfriend, he was holding the loop above his head, his gaze set on the road outside, but eyes unfocused. Who knew what was going on in his mind. Was it the same mess just like in yours?

Gnawing at your bottom lip and bunching up your skirt in your hands, you waited for him to look at you, to reciprocate the look. And after several seconds, he snapped out of his reverie and looked down at you, seeing your eyes bulging in scare. He smiled at you softly and widened his eyes at you as he pressed his lips tightly together, giving you a cute face.

You managed to lift one corner of your lips up and you dropped your gaze, reaching for his free hand in his pocket to hold on to, and he immediately complied. Squeezing yours tightly, you could sense he was worried, too. You rested your connected hands on your small tummy and you let out a little scoff in disbelief as you also looked out the window. Belly was small, but soon would be huge, bearing three lives.

Just how long could you prolong your silence at your workplace?

You only had few weeks left.

-

Once the doors of your apartment closed behind you two, you wrapped your arms around Baekhyun's neck, pulling him close to you, burying your head in the crook between his neck and shoulder. He didn't hesitate to hug you back, squeezing your aching body as gently yet as persistently as he only could to show you he was there for you.

“Baekhyun,” you whispered, the sound muffled, your breath hot on his skin. “Just what will we do?”

This time he also hid his face in your shoulder, while his other hand came up to rest on the back of your head. “We can do this. This is…” he hesitated before gently pulling back to gaze into your teary eyes, “a blessing. For me. For us.”

Momentarily, you closed your eyes and let his honest words sink in. He was right, of course. If everything would go well, you were heading into a family filled with happiness and lots of children's laughter. “It is, darling. But money-wise-”

“Don't even start,” he retorted gently and cupped your cheek. “That is not something we should focus on right now.”

You frowned. “How should I not focus on it when we barely live with what we have now? And we are two adults, Baekhyun. We need a lot of things for one child, can you imagine the amount of money that goes into three?”

“First, we need to sign up for the governmental support, but I am more than sure that is automatically given once you give birth,” he reasoned rationally, not letting your frown break his stance. “Second, you need to chill, okay? Leave it up to me, I know what I am doing.”

“You need to enlighten me, because I won't be able to chill otherwise.”

“You know I am soon done with my PhD. The position of the professor is literally months away,” he replied hurriedly, “we will manage, honey. I will give my everything to you, to them.”

“But I want to give as well,” you protested, stubborn. “I also want to provide for us, Baekhyun.”

“Well, you are doing just that, aren't you?” he asked, confused at your scared face. “C'mon, you are acting like you are going to get kicked out for being pregnant.”

That shut you up very quickly. Shit. He had no idea you would get sacked the moment your boss as much as sniffed pregnancy.

“You can work until you can, until your body is able to… as much as I hate to say it. I don't want to lock you down just because of your state, sweetie, hm?”

His words touched your heart, but he would soon find out he didn't have to do it because you would do it for him by losing your job. You wanted to laugh. 

“And then you will take the maternity leave. If you can work from home, even better, right?” Baekhyun kept going on, his features brightening.

You nodded, fazed. This was something you probably should resolve by yourself and very quickly. The last thing your wanted was for Baekhyun to provide for five people all by himself.

After few seconds of silence, he let you go. “Go change into something comfy, hm? I will prepare food, you need to eat.”

Standing still, you watched him move around your tiny kitchen, opening the cabinets, preparing plates, heating up food - when he sensed your unmoving body, he turned, and looked at you, perplexed. He called your name softly before coming back to you. “What's the matter?”

Staring at him, you were speechless. So you shook your head.

He chuckled quietly before cradling your neck and bringing your head close so he could give you a lasting kiss on your forehead. “My pregnant little lady.”

You scoffed. “Not little for too long.”

He laughed and his eyes shone when he looked at you, squeezing your cheeks. “Can you imagine? This young cheeky lady, and three babies inside.”

“Baekhyun,” you murmured, rolling your eyes. Your murmur came out funnily as he was still squeezing your cheeks, letting out a little yelp.

“But you are just so cute? How is that possible? Shit, you will be even cuter when the babies will grow!”

You sighed, realising he was in one of those fever moments when he just had to vent out his racing thoughts, be it whatever. “I will be an elephant soon.”

“A cute elephant. An elephant lady to her Dumbo boy?” he quirked his eyebrows and moved his ears back and forth, making you laugh out loud.

“You're unbelievable,” you giggled.

“There it is,” he murmured, affectionate gaze grazing your smiling features.

“Hmm?”

Slowly, he let his thumb trace your stretched out mouth and the soft wrinkles around your eyes. “The smile. The genuine smile. You look gorgeous with it, sweetheart. Whatever it is that is on your mind, vent it all out to me, okay?” he lowered himself a bit so he was on the same eve-level with you. “By no means keep it to yourself. We are in this together.”

You stayed silent for a moment, before saying: “I love you so much.”

He sighed, almost in relief, before bringing you into another hug. “And I love you, much much more.”

When the food was prepared and both you and Baekhyun were changed into comfy clothes, he sat you down onto his lap, both of you munching on the soup.

“This reminds me that one time we drove a truck and sat in the backside, trying not to fall out on the dirt road,” said Baekhyun before slurping on his soup.

You hummed, swallowing your portion. “You mean when you asked me to sit on your lap? And hold onto your sweaty chest?”

He gave you a cheeky grin. “Exactly that one. Just wanted to sweep that pretty young girl off of her feet, straight into my arms,” he sing-sang.

You giggled, remembering that time very well.

It happened before his enlistment. 

The day was scorching hot, creating droplets of sweat on your forehead within minutes of being exposed to the strong sunshine. Your uniform was plastered to your body, but thankfully no one could tell just how hot you were. Probably a big part of it could have been because of that gorgeous boy who was, of course, very well known in your village and the surrounding areas. The hapkido master and charmer who is able to make heads turn within a heartbeat, all for him.

That day he was working around your school and he happened to be finishing his work in the late afternoon just when you were leaving your classroom and heading outside, prepared for the long walk.

You knew Baekhyun. Your family knew Baekhyun. He was a trust-worthy young man and he also lived in the house next to yours. You might have shared few chickens as they were wandering around the shared space. So when he asked if you needed a ride home, you replied with a bright smile, your heart jumping like crazy, your mind racing with possibilities of what he might do. Would he give you a smile? Of course, he would. He was Baekhyun. And he reserved the sweetest of smiles only for you. They were breathtaking and made you feel like you were the only person on this planet. You wanted to share him never.

His colleague driving, you and him climbed on the back to enjoy the breeze throughout the drive but  there were no seats and your skirt was surely short. Baekhyun had had long taken of his sweaty shirt, his toned body glistening under the sunrays. He sat down on the edge with his knees politely connected before he patted the top of his thighs. “Come, sit here,” he said as the car moved and your skirt almost blew upwards before you and him both reached for the hem of it to keep it down.

You blushed a deep red and he gave you a lopsided grin before he gently placed his hands on your hips and helped you lower on his lap, his arm protectively around your back, his hand resting on your hip. His touch was burning through the material, but his breath which was so close to yours was scorching. The pull was strong, yet you didn't dare to look at him right away, feeling his searching gaze on you.

“How is high school?” he started, his voice light. To make sure you wouldn't fall, he placed his other arm over your thighs and looked at you curiously.

Your hands were folded in your lap, and you felt how he purposefully moved the hand closer so your hands would brush and rest against each other. You itched your hand just a tiny bit closer. “It's okay. Too bad the previous seniors are already gone,” you replied, boldly looking him in the eyes, referring to him. “Would have been more interesting to be at school.”

He chuckled boyishly, sending electric waves down your body. “Honest girl, I see.” He looked ahead for a bit before looking back at you again. “That's what I like. It's a shame, indeed. Would have liked to meet you on the corridors of the school.”

Would have loved to kiss you in the dark corner of the corridors, you thought, the idea so sweet you felt the pull in your insides. Ah, not now, don't think about it now! He is right here!

“When are you enlisting?”

“In a couple of months,” he replied. You expected him to grow dull at the idea, but he was still cheerful.

You smiled. “Seems like you are looking forward to it?”

“I love sports and I want to become a real man,” he admitted, laughing. There was a bigger bump on the road, making both of you jump up, his arm tightening around you in reflex which caused him to pull you even closer. Your faces were so, so close.

“I will miss you, though,” you mumbled sheepishly, not caring about almost falling off the car.

“I will come back, hm? It doesn't last forever,” he replied, still gentle in voice. Noticing your sour expression, he said: “ Now there,  I don't want to see that face,” he spoke gently, his face even closer now as you ever so slightly lifted your downcast gaze to meet his dark orbs. “You look beautiful when you smile.” And I think I want to kiss you.

But you might not be ready yet.

-

Sighing in content, you snuggled closer to Baekhyun as you fell asleep right after food. He realised quickly that the happenings of the day must have caught up with you, because by the end of lunch your head was dropping on his shoulder.

Tucking you in the bed, he pulled out his phone while he had you curled up by his chest, your head just under his chin, while his arm was your pillow. In that hand, he was holding his phone and scrolling through some information from the government that could give you help but as much as he scrolled he only got positive news. Although you wouldn't be receiving much, you sure would be getting some cash as a thank you, since the country was doing terribly in terms of birth rate.

Baekhyun was silent, except some random hums that would softly leave his throat, but nothing that would disturb you in your peaceful slumber. His free hand was caressing your back soothingly, slowly he would drag his palm up between your shoulder blades where he would make a circle and than go all the way to the small of your back, reaching the hem of your shirt, where he added more pressure, knowing your lower back was giving you a hard time already.

He was very excited about the news. Of course, it was only natural they caught him off-guard but he just wanted many kids with you and make a happy family like he always imagined. The fact that fate provided this all at once was a sign for him and he was not going to be the one ruining it. And he would make sure he was there for you during each step.

Even if your mind was troubled, you were sleeping rather contently in the arms of your man and his caressings were what you woke up to. Ever so slightly, you lifted your head to have a look at his focused stare illuminated by the screen of his smartphone. He was studying something, and even though he felt you stirring, his caressing had yet to cease.

You reached up with your puckered lips and gave his chin a gentle kiss, signalling him you were up.

He hummed, not looking down at you. “Sleeping beauty is up.”

“Sorry I fell asleep like that,” you whispered, not wanting to disturb the bubble between you two.

“Why are you apologising?” he whisper-asked back, now locking his phone and letting it fall from his hand to look at your pale face. “You must be so tired, honey. I like us being like this.”

You raised your eyebrows in question at his sudden confession.

He smiled gently and gave your nose a sweet kiss. “Lying in bed, you sleeping and probably the babies too, and I'm here looking over you guys.”

His words touched your heart. “Yes. I feel the safest when I am with you.” You caressed his cheek affectionately and he gave you a smile before grabbing his phone to go back to researching.

“Go, sleep some more, sweetie,” he said. “We have work tomorrow, so let's make sure you rest plenty.”

You bit your lip, hiding your face in his chest right away, the thought of entering work tomorrow quite scary.

Mulling whether you should tell Sukyeong about your situation and ask for her advice, you found yourself drifting back into another slumber.

Telling her would maybe ease your worrying heart.

But it wouldn't save your job for sure.

And that was the problem.

[gayspock]

anyway some cold takes

I QUITE LIKE SEASON 8 AS IT STANDS. vis a vis clara/twelve like- alright-

matt smith/modern day clara were a horrid combination. flirting aside (.. im eally, really sick of the fl) i could just never get aboard them both, as it never felt- like it never felt..as if there were that much purpose for either of them, like, being there? no idea if that makes any sense, but- he had her tagging along, because she was the IMPOSSIBLE GIRL! and i loathe that storylinein of itself  but other than that... never did it truly feel likee, you kno, she was there for any.. other purpose?? like outside the myster, she felt like a companion for compansions sake- does that make s. 

victorian!clara -  knowing we cOULD HAVE HAD VICTORIAN!CLARA - is so infuriating on so !! so many levels, by god. her being a better character for one, but also her relationship with the doctor- quite clearly, she was encouraging him, taking him out of the sulking corner and pushing him to be better. whereas.... i dont  know with eleven and modern!clara it just feels shallow - an perhaps thats the point of it, him ssimply going after her because she’s an enigma, because i dont know. part of that im cool with, with it showing the doctors tendency to, uh, be KIND OF A DICK but also- i feel.. i dont know i feel like for that tow ork there���d have to be a greater consequence because modern!clara (in s7) never really.. like he was understandably UPSET but like. she was never really.. i dont know how to DECRIBE it but my point is the

twelve and clara feel better as a fit even if there’s many parts of this season tht i really dont like. like, they balance each other much more, in the way better companions do, with clara bringing him down pegs when he’s a dick , and with  him kind of pointing out she’s kind of up her own ass every so often, and there’s a nice balance between them  in that sense? moreover the dynamicis much more refreshing: all hail grumpy spacedad, because im so thankful for it after the aged, and tired constant flirtiness between UHHHH young sexy companion and old-but-looks-young doctor (because it always just feels a little too weeeiiiirrrd, come on) and moreover clara’s  has some colour, with her whole life as a teacher (... although minimal insight into her family, other than the fact her mams dead so?? uh, sad... i guess) which just makes her overall a more well-rounded character. i know some peole think- think that like.. she can be awful annoying at times, and whiney but i dont know whilst there’s some parts where i think yeah but honeslty i feel like a lot of the time its flaw, and its good flaw,  in the sense its like-LIKE after the moon episode (sorry cant remember s8names off the top of my head) her outburst was totally justified and reconnects back with that aforementioned dynamic with the doctor and its like. LIKE.. i dontthink shes the best and she might still be the worst,  actually, in my ranking but thats only because the others?? have been ... brilliant and okay doesnt feel like it cuts it and i also feel like the whole danny debacle was-  like okay i didnt like the whole danny plot even though i did like danny but........

you know i also do want to say. because i feel like a lot of people might not like twelve from what i hear but like? actually, given capaldi’s incredible acting skills, i do really love him and its sch a shame because there’s a LOT of things this season (... ^^clara!!) that would have been brilliant, had it not been for this and that - like the execution is poor - and. point is capaldi has the passion and the skill andas i said i adore twelve’s character- it’s very old who, with him taking the handle as the grumpy old alien, who saves the world but is still, uh, an alien and very obviously so - but the writing keeps... ailing him and falling flat and there’s parts of his character thatJSUT I DONT KNOW MAN. I WANT TO RAMBLE BUT THE . ITS 2AM

[crowned-ladybug]

@theglitterbombsystem @janisilverstorm <3

Okay now I realise that the catalyst for me giving this AU more thought was probably this fic, which I read a couple days ago when I was feeling too shit to even sit up (and if you like V:LD and feel up for a long fic, I highly recommend you read it. It's amazing). I've been wanting a more magical AU where magic is a more everyday concept for ages and I guess this fic gave me the final push for it (esp knowing I got hopelessly stuck with "Normality"/the Mundane Magic AU and I’ll forever mourn it).

Also, if you notice any egos missing from this (which you will), it's bc I have no idea yet how to put them into this. Suggestions on that and just in general are absolutely welcome

Tbh the basic idea was just that what if Marvin had a magic shop but not the kind where he sells like loaded dice and weird card decks and other fake magic props but one that's like. actual magic. like he sells spells and charms and actual magic ingredients and supplies and breaks minor curses and stuff.

The whole shop is just a lot of clutter but in a very endearing fashion. There's countless shelves full of containers labelled with indecipharable handwriting and all sorts of books, from recent paperbacks with white lines all over their covers and spines from being opened so much, to heavy leather-bound ones written in all sorts of languages. There are plant pots sitting on every horizontal surface and hanging from the ceiling, housing all sorts of herbs and some entirely decorative plants, the labels stuck to each pot already too faded to read, and Marvin doesn't bother to redo them because he knows what all of them are anyway. There's charms and strings of beads and ornaments made of glass and wood and clay hanging from the ceiling, from the corners of shelves and from the armada of lopsided hooks in what little free space remains on the walls. Most of the lighting is via floating balls of light, easily spells maintained constantly by Marvin's magic. A lot of them are placed on the shelves here and there in jars, because they have a habit of wandering off, getting stuck behind stuff or bothering the costumers by getting tangled in their hair or clothes or somehow making their way into their bags. There's a counter in the back where Marvin spends most of his time, made of now scratched and scorched mahogany wood with golden ornamentation, more fit to be a hotel's reception desk than the counter in a small, cluttered magic shop in a thin old town street. The windows have colourful patterns and pictures painted over them and when the sun shines in through them, the same colours are cast onto the floor. Inside the shop everything seems to have a golden tint to it despite the windows otherwise just being regular glass, and it smells of the potted herbs and a bit of cinnamon.

Varjú the hooded crow is Marvin's familiar and assistant. He knows the name of p much all ingredients and trinkets and can fetch them for Marvin, but then again, Marvin can just levitate them to himself too. Varjú's more important purpose is watching the shop if Marvin is not there, helping deal with costumers, keeping Marvin company and helping his magic remain stable and focused during harder tasks. He can also deliver things to frequent costumers if needed, or go shopping for tiny things at vendors that already know Marvin (Varjú has a lil pouch for carrying money and whatever goods he can't just pick up with his talons).

Magic in this world is an ordinary and accepted thing, tho not everyone has it. One's chances of being born with enough magic to actually do something with are probably about the same as being left-handed, maybe somewhat higher. So maybe half of Marvin's costumers are actual magic users, the other half are regural people looking for magical solutions to their problems, which is just as much of a normal thing to do as shopping online is.

I don't know Everyone's place in this, but there are the ones I do:

Signe is a witch, not incredibly powerful but with a lot of love and contentment towards her craft. She mainly deals with nature magic, and Marvin buys from her about as much as she buys from Marvin. A lot of times there isn't even an actual exchange of money between them, they just trade. They help keep each other's herb supply balanced and usable at all times, and sometimes she tempts Marvin into trading with her by offering art supplies and not magical items, which Marvin accepts very enthusiastically. A lot of the ornaments and charms hanging in the shop were made by Signe, and most of them are for sale. Signe doesn't have a shop of her own, so she brings her creations she doesn't plan on keeping to Marvin, who enchants them (bc magic items made my multiple ppl are stronger) and usually ends up selling them p quickly, and they split the profit fairly.

I have no clue whether Seán has magic or not but I do know that he keeps adopting the light ball things that end up the most hopelessly tangled into him, and Marvin lets him bc he can always just create new ones. Seán already has like three or four of them floating aimlessly around his office and he has names for each of them.

Jackie doesn't seem to have any magic in him at first glance and I honeslty don't know if he does have any magic at all. He just showed up at Marvin's shop one day seeming like an ordinary one-time client, looking like a giant nerd and acting kinda shy. He asked for a protection charm (like an actual physical charm not a magic spell), and Marvin assumed it was out of a history of bad luck or anxiety, which he could definitely understand. And because the unique items like charms don't have price tags, he gave it to Jackie cheaper than usual without mentioning it. (He tends to bring down his prices a lil if a first time costumer is exceptionally attractive or nice, or if they look like they could put the bit of spare money to good use.) But a week later Jackie came back to buy another one, and then later another. When finally Marvin asked him why he needed so many, he eventually gave in to his conscience and said that they keep running out (breaking, burning up, falling apart, etc, which protection charms only do when protecting their wearer from really great danger and thus their magic runs out) and thus he always comes back to get a new one. Marvin is baffled by how such a meek looking guy could get into mortal danger so frequently, but he doesn't pry.

Anti is, well, interesting. My original plans for him were just a kinda mysterious human with insanely strong magic and then I kicked that whole paragraph out the window. Anti was the reason Marvin met Seán and Signe. He rarely leaves shop to do his work, but he was asked so nicely (and promised a great bonus for his troubles) to come take a look at some guy's computer that they have the suspicions either got cursed or posessed by something, because it's acting seriously freaky. Usually exorcising minor demons ends with the demon either being weakened so much it has no other choice than to flee, or the demon being destroyed completely. But this demon was more than just a half-sentient inconvenience and...it didn't seem hostile either? It was defensive when Marvin tried to mess with it, sure, but otherwise it seemed more collected and maybe a bit scared, or curious even once Marvin ceased his own hostility. He decided to give talking to the demon a chance, and found that it possessed a human level of sentience and intelligence (and even a name, Anti), and that it - he just wanted an entertaining place to live (which a computer with lots of games and activity definitely classifies as) and has frankly grown kinda fond of the computer's owner too. Marvin managed to coax him out and into some other item on his person (since at the time Anti wasn't yet able to take up a corporeal form), but when it became obvious to Anti that Marvin wanted to take him away, even if he did promise not to kill him, Anti absolutely freaked out. This was his home, he wanted to stay here and befriend these people living here if they were okay with it, he didn't want to leave, he didn't want to be taken away. Marvin had to present Seán with the situation - "Look, it is a demon, but he's also pretty chill and likes your taste in video games. He doesn't mean any harm and would like to be your friend, if you'd be okay with that? I don't need to get rid of him if you don't want me to." Seán and Signe gave it some serious thought and then accepted and let Anti stay and gave him an old phone (like an iphone or something they didn't use anymore not a nokia brick) to talk and see through until Marvin taught him how to take up a corporeal form. He's now completely capable of disguising himself as human, he technically lives with Seán and Signe but he also spends a lot of time in Marvin's shop (and later with other ppl like Dark and Chase as they come into the story).

Schneep is a healer (of the magical kind), who mainly has his own herb supply to sustain his patients, but when that's not the case he comes to Marvin for a short chat and to buy some. Aside from that, he periodically buys stuff to help him sleep or concentrate (mostly lil packets of assorted herbs he himself doesn't have, and a dangly charm he hung above his desk that also just looks great). After a while he started taking two packets instead of one, saying it was for a friend who also has trouble sleeping.

Said friend is yet to show up, but instead of him (and instead of Schneep getting stuff for him) his boyfriend, a tiny man with a bowler hat and a snazzy mustache by the name of Jameson, has become another frequent visitor of the shop. When he first came in, he started talking to Marvin by writing stuff down on a notepad in his hand, and he was very relieved when Marvin told him that he knows sign language, so if Jameson does too, it should be easier. He never buys anything for himself (he has more than enough magic to sustain himself), instead he comes in for stuff to help his boyfriend Shawn with his sleep problems and hallucinations, mostly herb packets, potions and charms that get used up alarmingly fast. After a handful of times of coming to the shop, Jameson brought a crow figurine for Marvin, as a gift from Shawn. Now besides Signe, Shawn is Marvin's most important charm supplier, because while Signe's charms mostly appeal to teens and adults, Shawn's creations are toys. And I mean, what's better than a teddy bear that's a child's favourite toy being enchanted to keep the child safe or grant them good luck?

I don't know much about Angus aside from that he shows up every once in a blue moon and trades Marvin rare supplies and ingredients he found on his journeys in exchange for potions and spells.

The only Iplier I know stuff about for now is Dark, who doesn't have a fuckin ounce of magic in him, and it probably frustrates him a lot bc he slowly becomes quite the frequent visitor of Marvin's shop. He's always very polite and reserved and gets straight to the point, simply asking for this or that potion or spell, scratching Varjú's head while he waits, paying and leaving. Marvin finds him strange but doesn't mind him. The first time he comes in while Anti is hanging out in the shop, Marvin almost bursts out laughing at the blatant look of interest on Anti's face. Anti flirts up a storm, Dark is very perplexed, and once he's gone Marvin threatens to kill Anti if he just scared off one of his best costumers. But Dark isn't that easy to scare off, he comes back after the same amount of time he always does, and he even offhandedly asks why Marvin's outstandingly extroverted friend isn't present. (I have no idea how that line of the story continues tbh but it does. somehow.)

Robbie I'm still a little unsure about, but here's the idea for now. Anti spends plenty of time digitally snooping around in places he shouldn't, but he usually leaves his friends out of it. One time tho he shows up at Marvin's place in the evening, asking if he wants to do something very dangerous, probably very stupid, but probably also kinda heroic, and of course Marvin is in. Turns out, Anti had managed to track down some ppl dealing with zombies, which is a multiple times illegal thing bc 1. they rob graves, 2. they commit illegal magic and 3. they sell the thus created, mostly docile zombies as "low maintenance workforce" (in other words, slaves). When Marvin and Anti get there it turns out that these particular ppl aren't exactly experienced, only have one zombie on their hands currently, and thus they kick their asses very quickly. The singular zombie is heavily sedated, really loopy and the most interested in Marvin's shiny jewellery. They fuck off, rescue zombie included, before the police get there, bc they don't trust the police to handle a confescated zombie properly either. Back at Marvin's shop they try to get the zombie back to what seems to be his full capacity and find out that he has the intelligence of a twenty-something but the mentality of a child. When asked his name, he can only say "Rroooo....RoooOOOOOoooo...." and doesn't seem to remember the rest of it, until Anti guesses "Robbie" and the zombie devolves into happy squealing and flapping. They don't exactly know what to do with him, and after weeks of fruitless search for his family, they give up on handing him over to someone else. Robbie (who in the meantime became trained in some simpler forms of magic, tried to eat one of Marvin's magic light ball things and found himself a place in the hearts of everyone he's met) ends up living with Schneep, who has a house too big for only one person anyway and is v happy to take him in. He still spends a lot of time in Marvin's shop, tho usually in the back room/office practicing magic or crafting stuff bc he's scared of the costumers and the costumers are scared of him.

Pff, I think that's all I have for now.

[its-pastel]

I was tagged by the amazing @hazeleyedcat ,thank you so much!! I’m always happy when you tag me in these. I’m supposed to be studying so I figured I’d rather answer these questions. 

Rules : answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better

Nickname : Annie, Anči, Anna (mostly when someone’s mocking me) 

Gender : female

Star sign : Aquarius

Height : 166.6cm which is  5′5″

Time : 8:38pm

Birthday : January 28th

Favourite bands : LITTLE MIX, Paramore..other than that I don’t really listen to bands that much so I can’t say they’re my fave.. but I enjoy anything from AC/DC, Metallica and Nirvana to 1D, Fall Out Boy or Panic at the Disco

Favourite solo artists : HARRY STYLES, Ed Sheeran, Pink? Taylor Swift? Idk honestly my music taste is such a clusterfuck it’s hard to name fave artits cause what I enjoy at the moment changes fairly often

Song stuck in my head : Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

Last movie I watched : Uhhh I actually have no idea because I don’t watch movies that much..I think it may have been Justice League

Last show I watched : Brooklyn 99 which btw ya’ll should watch ‘cause it’s fucking brilliant

When did I create my blog : I have no idea but it was a LOONG time ago, circa 2013

What I used to post : Honestly I used to be really depressed and edgy so back in 2013 I’d post a lot of dark stuff, depression posts, pics of bleeding wrists and angsty text posts

What I post now : Honestly my blog is a huge clusterfuck, I don’t have a theme I just post whatever I like, but lately it’s been mostly text posts that I relate to, a lil bit of Harry Styles and Little Mix here and there, then a bit of aesthetic posts, zodiac signs,animals..honeslty, you name it, I’ve probably reblogged it at some point

Last thing I googled : cinemax, because it’s a chain of cinemas we have here in my town and I was trying to figure out the “Last movie I watched” question

Do I have other blogs : I used to have one for a band I used to listen to and then I had one about Harry Styles but neither of those lasted long, I just can’t stick to a theme. I am however an admin on another blog - @dailybiaffirmation (shameless promo) so although it is not imne, technically I do have another blog

Do I get asks : sometimes I do, but sadly nowhere near as often as I’d like

Why I chose my url : I think I saw a post that said “you’re a work of art” and I kinda liked the expression so I just made a url out of it, even though I am the furthest thing from a “work of art” but yeah

Following : 1220....jesus that is A LOT of people

Followers : 560..I’m famous I know

Average hours of sleep : 7?? I try to get atl 7 every night

Lucky number : a little girl asked me this question a while ago and I still don’t know the answer, but if you put a gun to my head, I’d say 28

Instuments : I play the guitar, the keyboard, I sing and I used to play the flute in kindergarten

What am I wearing : These cute christmasy sweatpants and a pyjama tshirt with Minnie Mouse + snowman slippers

Dream job : Honestly? I have no fucking clue

Favourite food : Pasta?? probably? 

Nationality : Slovak

Favourite song right now : I find myself listening to Gorgeous by Taylor Swift a lot these days, or I’ve recently got into The last five years’ music again, so either of those two

I tag @lindsay---rose @minoorganism @elenabluenette @thats-so-haiven @mendes-holland @insaiyan7 @yasssciscospheonix @one-million-cats @bisexualidiot @agentsupergay and anyone who wants to do it, feel free to say I tagged you! Also if you don’t want to do it, you obviously don’t have to.

[wellimhavinga3outof10day]

All right, so @thislifeisawasteland tagged me to answer a bunch of questions that are actually an ask meme, but w/e. (There are kind of Riverdale spoilers in this post? I’m bitter, sue me.) Here we go:

Full name: I’m not really gonna tell you that, so settle for Jessica

Zodiac sign: Taurus

3 Fears: Death, spiders... that I’ll never fall in love?

3 things I love: Chocolate, green tea, & my laptop

4 turns ons: Humour, kindness, bad pick-up lines, goofy smiles

4 turns offs: Racism, homophobia, an annoying voice, a terrible smell in general?

My best friend: Like all of them

Sexual orientation: Bi

My best first date: I’ve only had one first date, so walking around the mall

How tall am I: 5'8"

What do I miss: My friends, knowing Jughead was safe and happy smh

What time was I born: 9:04 a.m.

Favourite colour: Red

Do I have a crush: Not unless we’re counting fictional characters

Favourite quote: *gross sobbing* “It’s like my home.” Nah, I’m kidding, I don’t really have a fave quote

Favourite place: My library

Favourite food: Chocolate

Do I use sarcasm: No, never...

What am I listening to right now: "Leave” by Jojo (lmao, idk why)

First thing I notice in new person: Their hair, tbh

Shoe size: 6 1/2 (yes, I have tiny fucking feet)

Eye colour: Blue

Hair colour: Brown/blonde

Favourite style of clothing: Casual, comfy

Ever done a prank call? Yes and omg worst experience of my life, almost had a panic attack, never again

What colour of underwear I’m wearing now? Pink

Meaning behind my URL: It’s a line from White Collar

Favourite movie: He’s Just Not That Into You (it’s on Netflix now, I’m so excited!!), also Pretty in Pink

Favourite song: Atm, “Prom Queen” by Molly Kate Kestner

Favourite band: ??? idk man

How I feel right now: Pretty good

Someone I love: Jughead Jones (honestly, fight me)

My current relationship status: Single af

My relationship with my parents: It’s good

Favourite holiday: Christmas

Tattoos and piercings? My ears are pierced and I have no tattoos

Tattoos and piercing i want: I kinda want a sternum piercing, and a rose vine tattoo up my side

The reason I joined Tumblr: I was filling out my social media quota before I went to uni

Do I and my last ex hate each other? Well, I didn’t think so but then she made me answer all these questions, so? It’s up in the air ;)

Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night” texts? Nah, never (unless you count my mom checking to see if I’m awake when I’m home alone)

Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? Nope

When did I last hold hands? ...? Fairly recently probably, I hold my mom’s hand all the time.

How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? 20 minutes, maybe?

Have I shaved your legs in the past three days? Nope

Where am I right now? At my desk

If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? N/A, never been that drunk

Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? Reasonable (pretty quiet actually if you ask other people)

Do I live with my Mom and Dad? Yup

Am I excited for anything? Jughead to be loved and cared for and warm and safe, for the love of god.

Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? All right, well “can” and “would” are different words, so technically yes, but I wouldn’t?

How often do I wear a fake smile? Rarely

When was the last time I hugged someone? Last night?

What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me? Eh, might bug me a little, but you go girl. (I mean, as long as it’s not an old man.)

Is there anyone I trust even though I should not? I don’t think so?

What is something I disliked about today? Today just started, buddy. Umm... for some reason my hands are really sweaty? I hate that?

If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Atm, the cast of Riverdale, but that’ll change in like a month if not a day.

What do I think about most? Probably w/e I’m writing atm.

What’s my strangest talent? ...? I don’t have very minute talents, idk what to tell you. I’m very talented at drinking too much green tea and procrastinating things I actually want to do.

Do I have any strange phobias? Mustard

Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Behind, probs.

What was the last lie I told? ...? I lie a lot, idk. I probs lied on here. Kidding, don’t think I have. Umm... I honeslty have no idea. It’s anyone’s guess.

Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? Both are horrible and probably the worst forms of communication, but I’m gonna go with the phone b/c I have an unnecessary grudge against Skype.

Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Maybe? and yes.

Do I believe in magic? Little magic, sure.

Do I believe in luck? To an extent.

What’s the weather like right now? Sunny, average temp

What was the last book I’ve read? I’m in the middle of Crooked Kingdom right now, but the last book I finished was I’ll Give You The Sun

Do I like the smell of gasoline? Yes

Do I have any nicknames? Yes: Jess, Jessie

What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? I broke my wrist by getting knocked down a hill and landing on concrete.

Do I spend money or save it? Save it.

Can I touch my nose with a tongue? Nope

Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me? Yeah, more things than I expected too, tbh.

Favourite animal? Pigs

What was I doing last night at 12 AM? Talking to Rachael on Tumblr/watching Misfits

What do I think is Satan’s last name is? Claus (yes, I know it said Satan not Santa, but it’s a conspiracy)

What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? I Don’t Wanna Be Sad by Simple Plan

How can you win my heart? Be nice and funny and care about me (honestly giving a shit about me is really all I need, my standards are fucking low as shit)

What would I want to be written on my tombstone? Idk but something kind of weird and maybe a quote I like?

What is my favourite word: Feral

My top 5 blogs on tumblr: Ugh, I don’t want to do this.

If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? “I love you, take care of yourselves.”

Do I have any relatives in jail? I don’t think so...

I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? Flight

What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? Umm... lots of things, I’m sure.

What is my current desktop picture? It’s a city that Natasha made for a class and it’s super pretty and green.

Had sex? Nope

Bought condoms? Yes, actually

Gotten pregnant? Nope

Failed a class? Nope

Kissed a boy? Nope

Kissed a girl? Yup

Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? Nope

Had a job? Yes

Left the house without my wallet? All the time

Bullied someone on the internet? I don’t think so, I hope not

Had sex in public? Nope

Played on a sports team? Yes

Smoked weed? No

Did drugs? No

Smoked cigarettes? No

Drank alcohol? Yes

Am I a vegetarian/vegan? No

Been overweight? No

Been underweight? No

Been to a wedding? Yes

Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? Yes

Watched TV for 5 hours straight? Yes

Been outside my home country? Yes

Gotten my heart broken? Eh, probably not

Been to a professional sports game? Yes

Broken a bone? Yes

Cut myself? No

Been to prom? Graduation in Canada, but yes

Been in airplane? Yes

Fly by helicopter? No

What concerts have I been to? So I went to like three in a row a few years ago: One Direction, Marianas Trench and... shit, I thought there were three... it might have been two... oh! Shawn Mendes! (And I’m listening to him right now and I forgot that, lmao)

Had a crush on someone of the same sex? Yes

Learned another language? Kinda

Wore make up? Nope

Lost my virginity before I was 18? Nope

Had oral sex? Nope

Dyed my hair? Yes

Voted in a presidential election? Federal election yes, I’m Canadian

Rode in an ambulance? Nope

Had a surgery? Nope

Met someone famous? Nope

Stalked someone on a social network? I don’t think so

Peed outside? Nope

Been fishing? I have.

Helped with charity? Nope

Been rejected by a crush? Yes

Broken a mirror? Nope

What do I want for my birthday? *laughs* Umm... not a clue. 

How many kids do I want and what will be their names? 4: Marcia, Whit, Eli, & Beth

Was I named after anyone? My middle name is my Oma’s middle name too, but my first name’s not from anywhere

Do I like my handwriting? I used to b/c it was literally flawless when I was younger, but now it’s like a mess, so no.

What was my favourite toy as a child? Should I even remember this? Barbies, probably.

Favourite Tv Show? Atm, Riverdale

Where do I want to live when older? Not a clue. Probably Toronto or Vancouver? Maybe somewhere in Europe. Who knows?

Play any musical instrument? I used to play guitar but I probably can’t remember any of it.

One of my scars, how did I get it? Idk if I have any scars, man. There’s like kind of a scar by my elbow? But how I got it is a mystery.

Favourite pizza toping? Green peppers

Am I afraid of the dark? Nope

Am I afraid of heights? Nope

Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? No, I don’t think so. (I once was caught squirting water in a guy’s face? But he kind of deserved it.)

Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? I don’t think so...?

What I’m really bad at: Figuring out my life

What my greatest achievements are: I once predicted the end of a book, does that count? And my highest post here is almost at five thousand notes?

The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me: "I love you, but sometimes I just don’t like you.” (Honestly, I deserved it, but it was savage af.)

What I’d do if I won in a lottery: Buy a house, buy a lot of fandom merch, invest a bunch... 

What do I like about myself: I’m pretty laidback, I know what I want for the most part, and I try to be a good person.

My closest Tumblr friend: Not this again.

Something I fantasise about my ex: (lmao my first instinct was to put “dying” and that’s not true, my babe, I’m sorry) Honestly? Just having sex, like nothing fancy.

[tutupaslab]

Airplane ramblings

I am currently on a plane to london, starting a long journey to san francisco for a couple of days...crazy to travel from scotland to sf for just 4 days, but this is what you do to be with family and i know even with the pain of the travel ( and continue with my half marathon training while jet lagged) will be worth it. Lately i have been in a very refective mood, and traveling always makes the feeling pop up more...must be the knowledge of having to fill up some 15+ hours with something more than movie and shows! I am not one to journal often: i used to when i was younger, but i always felt like i was using writing as a way to focus on the negative feelings i was experiencing and decided that was not healthiest way of coping with my feelings, so i decided to stop. That and the fact i often feel like my thoughts run much faster than i can process in words, making it hard to focus on specific words. But every now and then the need to put my thoughts down surfaces, and when it does i truly enjoy putting my thoughts on paper. Or on an ipad,as is the case now. I honeslty wish i did have some paper, typing on an iPad isn't the most comfortable. I have been practicing proper typing techniques lately and my fingers are itching to use them, but the ipad keyboard is a bit awkward for that. But i am getting lost in my thoughts and losing track of what i wanted to say. See what i mean when i say my thoughts go faster that i can process? (Cue reflective song to help concentrate) Lately i have been doing a lot of thinking: sometimes i wonder if this is an effect of working towards a PhD: we a constantly troubleshooting experimental problems and trying to figure out what the results of the experiments mean, i feel like i am applying the same mentality to my life; constantly troubleshooting why i feel a certain  way and trying to figure out the best way to "be" (akin to finding the best protocol for an experiment) coupled with my infj personality that makes for a lot of thinking and assessing my feelings. Some time ago I was at a symposium with my group and our boss was telling us about how having an ego can be particularly damaging in science, it interferes with being open to criticism and feedback. He told us about this book "the book of joy" and how he found it particularly nice and helpful to realize how important it is to let go of ones ego. We then went on to talk about what we what to achieve in life, a mantra of sorts of your whole life. I hadn't really thought about having one to be honest, but what sprung to mind at the moment was "growth". In this last year I have to realize that if there is one thing I want to achieve in my life is to always strive for becoming the best version of myself. Which is, without a doubt, a very good objective to have, although I am still unsure if it stems from a positive desire to be a better person or from my perfectionist personality, so a desire to be the best person. They might seem like similar things, but only one of them comes with a healthy attitude. At this moment, I can only try to focus on shifting it from the latter to the former...Already a sign of growth, amiright? Progress people!! So yeah, growth. And I mean it in every aspect of my life, from work to love. I recently learned that growth, not happiness, is the objective of even the simplest thing, personal relationships...life is tough! I have been struggling quite a bit lately with trying to grow and overcome my fears and preconceptions. I don't think I was prepared for how much doing a PhD would influence my life and my mentality. I approached it from a purely scientific, experimental point of view, and didn't realize how much it would influence my whole life. Sure I knew it would be tough and take a lot from me, but you never really know until you go through it right? So what have I been struggling with? A lot of things: impostor syndrome, comparison, fear of abandonment, fear of failure, body image, not being enough...you name it! And I probably haven't been dealing with all of it in the best way: instead of dealing with the issues, I keep giving myself more work to do, taking on things I might not have time for, running loads, taking up climbing, probably in the hopes of getting a feeling of accomplishment from something that might validate who I am and make me feel worth something. Undoubtedly, this as not happened, as I cannot feel accomplished unless I am mentally open to acknowledging my success as so =D. Don't get me wrong, I am using big words and describing loads of issues: while they are present they aren't overpowering or crushing, I am generally a happy person. They are simply there in the background, and simply causing me to question my attitude towards life. Not sure if I am still making sense, this is turning more and more into a ramble and less of a structured, thought out piece. I mentioned perfectionism before: I am 100% positive that the need to be perfect is at the basis of all my issues. Have known so for a while. I see my lab mates and compare myself to them, to what they can achieve and I want to beat them. I am competitive, and yes that is a good quality to have, but not if it comes at the expense of your self confidence. My need to be perfect makes it so that I compare myself to other runners on social media: why can't I run as fast as that one girl? No matter that I have no clue as to what she is doing during her days, how many hours she works...why can't I find a way to fit yoga in my days more?...while still being able to cook proper meals and keep my kitchen/ apartment in a decent state? I have recently picked up climbing with some friends: I had tried it once before, both my sisters were loving it, so I tagged along. I wasn't in the right mindset, and i did not enjoy it at the time. See, I have this terrible attitude of not starting something unless I know I can be good  at it. I sucked the first time I went climbing, and, like the fox with the grapes he couldn't reach, I decided I didn't like climbing and "it's not what I want anyways". I think I have made some progress since then, and have realized the only way of getting good at something is to (surprise, surprise) practice, practice, practice. I am still working on that's, I tend to avoid routes I can't do and quit quickly, but my climbing "mentor" keeps an eye on me and challenges me to try again until I manage. Thank you Richard =). I think climbing will be good for teaching me it's ok to fall down and fail, but keep on trying and soon you will find a way to get to the top, maybe an easier path than you had initially tried. And more troubleshooting practice to help for my PhD brain. And it gives you killer muscles and strength, so win-win =). I mentioned impostor syndrome as one of the things I feel: it's a very common feeling in academia, not sure if it people in other work environments know it/ describe it: in short, it's the feeling of being a fraud, having gotten to where you are by pure luck and, one day, the people around you will figure out you are not as good as they thought you were and you don't deserve the status you have. Hello, my name is Giulia and I definitely have impostor syndrome. When I first joined my lab,it was just me, another PhD student a couple of months ahead of me and our boss. The lab had just started out less than a year before, and my boss was heavily depending on my colleague and me for research. I soon became, in a way, indispensable: my project was the main one in the lab, the one that would most likely produce papers and get my boss the funding/ tenure he needed. I am not going to lie, I loved it. I loved being the one to have long brainstorming sessions with my boss, getting project after project, helping build the base of the research in the lab. I had a purpose and no one else could fill it at that time. Flash forward some time, the lab gets funded and more people join the lab. A technician I had trained from zero, a new PhD student, and a post doc. For some time I was still the invaluable asset. I was the one they would all go to for questions about techniques, the field etc because I had the answers, but soon a team of one for the projects became a team of three. My projects were broken up and divided and whist I maintained the 2-3 I was most involved in/ wanted to keep, the rest was given to others to continue with. In hindsight, it couldn't have gone any other way: I am but one person with three years of funding for my PhD, I cannot do everything in the time that my boss needs. But still, I lost the feeling of being invaluable for the lab, I started to feel like I wasn't good enough anymore and soon my boss would realize there was better out there, that out post doc was clearly better and smarter than me and maybe I didn't even deserve the really important project I had. The craziest thing: we are going to a conference in June, it's in the UK and we can reach it by train, so it's going to be quite cheap for us. The university recently opened up applications for funding for travel to conferences if you are going to present a poster or talk (which I am) and my supervisor suggested I apply for it. What was the first thing that popped into my head when I read his email? He suggested I apply because he doesn't think I deserve to go and would rather not waste the 200- something pounds on me attending. I kid you not. I immediately caught the thought and reminded myself that was crazy talk, but still the thought is there in the back of my mind. I recently realized what is probably the worst way of thinking I have: I compare myself, my achievements to people with much more experience than me. Being a scientist in academia requires a lot of different skills that might not be immediately apparent. Sure, you need to be technically good and you need to be able to think and process results past an recent to figure out the answers to your questions, but there is so much more to it. You need to be able to communicate your science, to both other scientists and the general population, you need to do so in an engaging manner, capture their attention and make them think that what you do it important. You need to be able to justify why you should be funded for such research, and be able to come up with the right ways to ask the questions you want to ask. And, most of all, you need to be able to identify which are the right questions to ask. And people don't realize this, but you also need to be good at networking and managing people, because after all your lab is made up of people and the team can only work if every part does. So a lot of skills are needed, and some of them you end up learning as you go along. No one expects a PhD student to be able to properly manage a team of people or even one student and their project whilst dealing with their own project, no one expect a PhD student to be able to write a grant application flawlessly with no practice. So why do I expect all of these things from myself? I keep comparing myself to my boss, a really bright scientist who has 10 extra years of experience of being a scientist, and this comparison, which I can never "win", can only damage me. I can never achieve what I expect from myself, and I end up paralyzed with fear for my future. I am also a very different person from my boss. I can use him as inspiration, I definitely should, but I cannot use him as an objective of what I should be because we are completely different people, with different backgrounds and strengths and weaknesses. I think I am at a cross road: everyday I learn something new about myself and I think I am truly starting to understand who I am and what are my strengths and weaknesses, but I still need to learn how to apply what I know to my day to day life. That is the hardest part though, right? What I can say so far: I vow to be as gentle with myself as possible, to take care of myself (when was the last time I had a face mask?!) and to always remember that progress is not a straight line, but a series of hills and valley that ultimately lead to the mountain. To take each day as it comes, not to focus about what I should be learning, bur focus on what doing (and thus actually learn) and, learn to listen to bugs bunny, and to "mot take life too seriously".