#the flints of memory lane

[girlzoot]

I like things to be story-shaped. Reality, however, is not story-shaped, and the eruptions of the odd into our lives are not story-shaped either. They do not end in entirely satisfactory ways. Recounting the strange is like telling one’s dreams: one can communicate the events of a dream but not the emotional content, the way that a dream can color one’s entire day. —Neil Gaiman/The Flints of Memory Lane/Fragile Things

[endlessly-cursed]

Marauder’s Era- Rue Selwyn

"𝙄𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙩. 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩."

Name: Rue Aurelia Selwyn 

Nicknames: None 

Birthdate: 3rd of October, 1961 

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 

Personality Type (MBTI): TBD 

Blood Status: Pureblood 

Nationality: British 

Physical Appearance

Hair: Light brown, gets blonde in the sun 

Eyes: Blue 

Height: 1.66m 

Weight: 62kg 

Body Type: Average build 

Skin Tone: Fair 

Distinguishing Marks (scars, birthmarks, etc.): None 

Background

Hometown

Rue grew up in the lap of luxury in the pureblood family of the Selwyns and always got her way, being the only child. She was soon one of the most beautiful and elegibles socialites in the pure-blooded world. 

Family

Mother: Donna Selwyn, neé Flint 

A skilled Death Eater, she was the right hand of Voldemort and one of her best wizards and goons. Soon, though she started to get paranoid and irascible, and soon began hiding things in the attic during Rue’s infancy. When Rue was only eight, she died under mysterious circumstances. 

Father: Paul Marcus Selwyn 

A cunning and extremely smart man, he wasn’t that into Death Eater politics, always keeping his distances, and often warned his wife of flying too closely to the sun and getting burned. He had ambition, but knew his limits and lanes. When Rue had sent him the letter, months after her fleeing, he faked his death and went over to the US, where he got face surgery and changed his name to Thomas Gutiérrez, and fled to Chile. He never remarried and died aged 76 in his apartment. 

Hogwarts

House: Slytherin 

Best Class: Potions 

Worst Class: DADA 

Boggart: Her mother’s ghost 

Riddikulus: She turns into an erumpet 

Patronus: TBD 

Patronus Memory: The first time Regulus smiled 

Mirror of Erised: Regulus alive, and forming a family with him 

Amortentia (what she smells like): expensive perfume, lavender soap, lip gloss, smoke and damp weather 

Amortentia (what she smells): Something related to Regulus 

Career

11-18: Hogwarts student 

Personality & Attitude

Priorities: Regulus, her father’s ideals, graduating Hogwarts 

Strengths: Strong, strong ally and loyal 

Weaknesses: Influentiable, clueless and naive 

Stressed: Around Voldemort; he creeps her out 

Calm/Comforted: Around Regulus 

Favorites

Colors: Green, black and grey 

Weather: Sunny 

Hobbies: Shopping, fashion, travelling 

Fashion: Rue dresses very much like the pureblood elites 

Relationships

Significant Other/Love Interest: Regulus Arcturus Black 

Rue always had a crush on Regulus. How could she not, growing up in a pureblood household? He was the perfect man for a woman like herself.

And, after many tries during her first three years at Hogwarts, he seemed to finally notice her. And so, they began dating, and both their parents were delighted. Regulus was dating a beautiful and pure-blooded girl from an incredible lineage.

Soon, Voldemort struck and Regulus joined. Rue, blindly in love, followed. And they did atrocities together. And she loved it. She loved him.

But everything changed in 1979. Regulus was quieter than usual, and told Rue to go ahead and plan their wedding... In Southern France, with the help of a trusted friend in Beauxbatons. Rue, thinking he meant it and was just reserved and shy, accepted and, after one last night of passion, she left for Southern France.

It wasn't until 1980 that a letter arrived from her mother-in-law, Walburga Black, announcing that Regulus was dead and Sirius had been disowned. Rue's wails of pain could be heard. During those days of pain, she woke up bleeding and cried out for help: apparently, the protection did not work and she had gotten pregnant... And lost it in the despair.

Soon, someone ratted out on Rue. She knew that life in Azkaban would be hell and she knew too much of the Blacks and Voldemort. With a potent poison that would not hurt her, she fled to the Pyrenees and drank it, dying two hours later. She sent a good-bye letter to her father explaining herself and asked him to burn it afterwards and flee England.

No one ever knew of the Selwyns ever again.

Friends: TBD 

Rivals: The Marauders, Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon 

Trivia

Rue had a privileged childhood, but was bored of the ‘lady-like’ lessons and had thus a poor magic prowess 

She however learned a bit of the fiddle and loved to play it to Regulus 

She always loved fashion and everything related with the beauty world, she she knows how to make her own nails, hair, makeup, etc 

She felt bad for Sirius and tried to mend the relationship with the brothers, to no avail 

She never knew she was pregnant with Regulus’ child until it was too late 

[artemiseamoon]

Don’t Look Back: A black sails au

I revisited this 💕 one of the first fics I shared here (2020). I went through and did some clean up on it, but not anything too deep or involved bc I didn’t have time.

Still, through revising it, it was so fun to go down memory lane and revisit Nakala, Charles and the rest.

I have deleted the cross posted chapters (on tumblr), so now this fic is only on A03. The tumblr masterpost for this fic links back to A03.

I have two other unpublished and unfinished black sails fics. I don’t know when I’ll get to them, but when that day comes, they’ll both go to A03. One is Max x ofc focused, the other is Captain Flint x ofc. Of all the ideas, Don’t Look Back is the most special to me, esp Nakala’s story.

Chapter one preview

“Nakala never saw a pirate ship with her own eyes before that day. She heard the tales, let her imagination run wild, but nothing compared to the reality of it all. She was still amazed, even in her near-death state.

One Pirate, in particular, caught her attention. He was one of the first she spoke to once she found her words. Shortly after boarding the ship, the rescued people became uneasy, worried.

In an attempt to soothe them and seek answers, Nakala stood and approached the two men who seemed to be in charge, "They need to know where we are going. Rightfully, they're afraid."

The man with the long dark hair and light eyes held her gaze, a blank expression on his face despite the storm in his eyes, "To Nassau."

Nassau.”

[deepdarkconsumption]

★BE A BOSS: OBJECTIVE COMPLETED

General Content Warning for: Violence, blood, guns, knives, smoking, drugs, alcohol, wounds, fire, possible body horror, etc.

Just another kin bastard out here.

Don't mind me. Dont worry about it lol

fyi for u 3edgy5me kids - Im an adult. fuckin. stay in ur lane and be safe bc ur only a kid once. dont make my mistakes. seriously.

➥ Myth / Wraith / some kin names work (namely Zeitgeist or Infinity) ➥ it/its or he/his ➥ 1997. so. adult. ➥ Got a memory span like a goldfish on a bad drug trip ➥ just a fuckin weird bastard tbh

other blog tags + list under the cut of who/what I was lol

Other Blog Tags

#Shit I Sent In Yo - #DeepDarkConsumption.txt

#Aes - #Art of me - #Decor - #Fashion - #Food - #Haunts - #Info - #Kinfession - #Positivity - #Self Care - #Shit to buy - #Shitposting - #Stim - #Stimboard - #vid

My Theriotypes + Otherkin (alphabetical)

➥ Black-Billed Magpie - #magpie

Having multiple 'types that had wings is a pain bc getting the feeling of astral wings doesn't HELP especially when 3 of the 4 were all feathered wings. heck-

➥ Deep Sea Monster - #dsm

A bio-luminescent catfish-gator-serpent creature. Very large/long. Rarely came up to or near the surface. If I did it was at night and usually to sink passing ships or submarines. I lurked in cave deep underwater. I used to hoard stuff from sunken ships and subs.

➥ Demon - #idt

Super unconventional demon here. Like not in the hellfire and brimstone sense - like the inter-dimensional traveler who liked fucking shit up and messing with others, to the point where it often resulted in disaster and death.

➥ Miniature Goat - #goat

➥ Yellow Mongoose - #mongoose

I do feel a strong connection to any mongoose, however.

➥ Void - #void

ohman how to explain- I was some kind of void-dweller. I can feel wings of some kind, nothing really like birds or bats or bugs, just wings? When I get anxious in a shift, I get a glitchy, staticy, spaced out feeling, in my body, in my brain, moreso than normal. It also feels very militaristic which doesn’t make sense like ??? maybe its b/c another kintype? Maybe not?

My Fictiotypes (alphabetical)

➥ Claudia Donovan - #Donovan

Warehouse 13, mostly canon compliant? I think?

Do NOT follow if shared.

Still working out if I was in an AU or not but so far, the events of the show seem fairly accurate?? IDK man memories are a bitch tbh. Should probably rewatch it again-

➥ Cut-Out - #roughnecks

Starship Troopers: Invasion, noncanon fictiotype.

Do NOT follow if this exact fictiotype is shared.

Mobile Infantry Soldier. Rico’s Roughneck’s platoon. Nick-name was Cut-Out. I remember I had screwed up somehow & getting my unit killed. I was the only one who survived. The war lasted about another decade afterwards. I was forced into training new recruits, despite my protests.

➥ Flametrooper - #Flametrooper

Star Wars sequels, noncanon/background.

Just another background flametrooper, really. All I remember is the heat of the fire, and the harsh smell of chemicals. Mostly sensory memories, nothing visual of note.

➥ Flint - #Necro

Dragonfable, noncanon fictiotype

Unsure on doubles, please ask.

I mostly used Necromancy with some Pyromancy at times. I remember a mostly dark blue and black colour scheme and I know that damn dragon was black with deep blues. Fucked if I know anything else about it.

➥ Point Blank Member - #gm

Saints Row, noncanon fictiotype.

Do NOT follow if this exact fictiotype is shared.

I didn’t really work with pimping and drug dealing, though I would escort others at times. I worked more in enforcement and similar. I wasn’t a gang boss, but I was sorta high up in the ranks. Rival gangs did not like me lol I was a vicious bastard :p

➥ Project M6, Codename: Infinity - #asset

Marvel Cinematic Universe, noncanon fictiotype.

Do NOT follow if this exact fictiotype is shared.

Originally I thought M6 was just a sona but NOPE I was wrong about a kintype oops. I absolutely did not volunteer for experiments. I was kidnapped by Hydra and they ended up experimenting on me a lot, and brainwashed to the point the only identity I had was what they gave to me. I ended up being captured by SHIELD prior to CA:TWS. This whole life was a shitshow lol

Usually at least in some form of a partial kinshift for this one. Def would say this is my strongest one. Welp.

➥ Zeitgeist - #Acid boy

Deadpool 2, mostly canon compliant?

Do NOT follow if shared

I don't recall how I died but I also don't recall much of the canon shown? So I think the outcome of X-Force was different than shown in the film. I was a bit of a jerk, and I know I didn't consider myself to be a nice person despite having a mostly chill yet chaotic vibe. I also remember smoking a lot, because it was the only thing that got the taste of that acid vomit out of my mouth.

[housepartyhyd]

Starting of the week’s events with a soothing Acoustic set by Flint Eastwood & Co. Get ready to go down memory lane with nostalgic tunes. Come down to House Party for Great food and an amazing time. @housepartyhyd

For an unforgettable party experience visit House party! Treat your taste buds with lip smacking food served with refreshing mocktails & cocktails. Dance to the beats of jazzy live music and brace yourself for the ultimate party vibes! non-stop mystical no pause party. 

[abirdinabirdcage]

I like things to be story-shaped. Reality, however, is not story-shaped, and the eruptions of the odd into our lives are not story-shaped either. They do not end in entirely satisfactory ways.

The Flints of Memory Lane, Neil Gaiman

[hpqueerfest]

CREATOR REVEALS!!

First, I want to thank all of our amazing creators this year! You all created 16 incredible fan works! Queer Fest is one of my favorite things to run and you make it all the better.

And so! Reveals beneath the cut:

The Knowledge of Possibilities - for @unsuspicious-nobody creator: @bifuriouswaterbender rating: G word count: 3413 summary: Narcissa thought everything at Regulus and James' wedding would go according to plan, but naturally Sirius messed that up. Naturally he decided last minute that Narcissa needed to dance with Lily Evans. Narcissa barely knew her, and of course, this was going to upset the Black family matriarchs. As they started dancing, though, Narcissa found she didn't mind.

[ART] Queerness & All Forms - for @shonxiuwan creator: @digthewriter rating: G summary: Queernes and all forms of it is accepted in the magical world. We celebrate that.

[ART] Not like the other “girls” creator: @digthewriter rating: G summary: Millicent tried to be feminine her whole childhood. As she got older, she realized that the muggle concept of "butch" was right for her.

Quidditch Stars Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint on Coming Out Together: Exclusive Tell-All (Daily Prophet, August 3rd, 2001) - for @yourtokentrophywife creator: @sleepstxtic rating: E word count: 11,017 summary: The story of how Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint fell in love, as told through scenes from their lives and an interview from the Daily Prophet.

Rosmerta’s Special Brew - for @thistlecatfics creator: @lumosatnight rating: T word count: 6035 summary: Let me invite you, dear reader, into a story about love and longing, growing and growing up. About recognising what society wants and saying To hell with that. A story about finding your true self, no matter who or with whom that may be, and never letting doubt swallow you whole.

This is a story about how Madam Rosmerta, of the Three Broomsticks fame, became the unofficial Queer Crisis Counselor for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Wizardry, and Wixenry.

Or, 5 times she helped other baby gays + 1 time they helped her.

no present like the moment - for @hawksquill creator: @leftsidedown on ao3 rating: T word count: 1482 summary: She’s alwasy been a moon child; the language of the skies came to her naturally. The language of the earth has to be learned. She is learning.

I Miss You creator: @mean-whale-writes rating: T word count: 2414 summary: Sirius remembers Remus. He wishes he didn’t.

Crown Enterprises - for SiriuslySapphic creator: @storyof-eden rating: E word count: 2841 summary: Hermione was the best, and everyone knew Narcissa employed only the best at Crown Enterprises.

These Fragile Bodies of Touch and Taste creator: @hawksquill rating: M word count: 9863 summary: The year is 2014 and the Ministry of Magic has decided to relaunch the Triwizard Tournament to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the fateful tournament of 1994-1995. The new tournament reunites former champions Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory, who haven't spoken in years. Reliving the memories of their own traumatic tournament forces the two men to confront a few things: Harry hates being an Auror, Cedric regrets sending Harry to the graveyard alone, and there's an undeniable spark between them.

Love is Blind as a Bat - for @hawksquill creator: @diandrastrikesback rating: E word count: 11,834 summary: Severus Snape is convinced to participate in a gay reality dating programme. What could go wrong?

Becoming creator: @polyjuicedpadfoot rating: M word count: 8792 summary: When Teddy asks one day how his father knew he was bisexual, Remus finds himself going down memory lane.

On Christmas Card Terms - for @vocative creator: @hermioneclone rating: M word count: 24,392 summary: The last thing Draco expects when Astoria and Lovegood drag him to a Muggle gay bar is to find himself spilling his darkest secrets and dancing the night away. Has he found the man of his dreams at last, or will his past continue to haunt him no matter how hard he tries to be a better person?

Nothing Else Needed To Be Said - for @lumosatnight creator: grey_kenaz on ao3 rating: T word count: 2496 summary: Genderfluid Sirius trying to hide from his parents and Regulus showing his support in his own (secretive, sneaky, very Slytherin) way.

A series of moments when Regulus shows that he recognises Sirius' fluidity while leaving Sirius somewhat baffled as to what exactly Regulus means because he's a Slytherin and nothing is going to be forward. Just a bit of brotherly bonding and a look at how the wizarding world reacts to gender fluidity.

Let’s Wait Until After the Wedding - for @the-kellephant creator: @cheyla-v rating: G word count: 2464 summary: Harry doesn't know what's more difficult: coming out as gay to Ron or to tell him he's in love with his brother.

He does know one thing for sure—he won't be telling him until after Ron and Hermione's wedding is over.

Varda, Thou Art There creator: @justtoarguewithyou rating: M word count: 10,769 summary: Remus vomits into a trash bin, thinking about how Dumbledore had promised to help. But in the end, no one helped. Dumbledore had forgotten him, most of the Order was dead. As “Age of Consent” begins to play, Remus’s fingers tap along to the beat that he can feel through the floorboards. Near the end of the song, Bernard Sumner’s voice lowers, and he sings, “Lost you, I’ve lost you, I’ve lost you, I’ve lost you…” Remus blinks away tears, thinking of the boys he’s lost. He’s lost all his boys.

The Persistence of Memory creator: @deliciousblizzardshark rating: T word count: 7292 summary: When Draco can't live with his guilt and his grief any longer, he does the only thing he can think of; he makes a potion.

[seriouslysam8]

Legerdemain Sneak Peek

Attention: This chapter has another trigger warning this week for references to suicide. I just want to prepare you all.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The One with Macmillan

James sighed as he pressed his wand against the front door of his home in Cornwood, his wrist swirling to unlock it. He pushed the door open and he had never been so glad to be home. He had been putting in long hours at the office to try to find evidence against Greengrass, Macmillan, and the Flints. They had successfully been granted arrest warrants for Marcus and Wesley Flint, but his dad had been insistent that they keep quiet the information they had on Macmillan. They didn’t want to spook him or cause any issues dealing with Albus’ case until they had concrete evidence to force Macmillan into recusing himself from the criminal panel and the Wizengamot trial which had been set for November. James understood why they needed to have all their Hippogriffs in a row, but he wanted his revenge now rather than later.

Riley had left a light on in the entryway for him. He slung his Auror robes over the bannister before he made his way towards the kitchen, loosening his tie as he went. He nearly groaned out loud when he saw a plate of food sitting out on the island for him with a little note sitting next to it. He grinned as he grabbed the note, sitting down at the island as he read.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

I’m not a poet master,

But I do love you.

- Riley

James laughed as he tucked the note into the breast pocket of his jacket before he pulled the plate towards him. He had written Riley poems for as long as he could remember, begging his mum to help him in the early days of their relationship to impress her. He could remember his dad laughing at their rhymes as the two would go down memory lane of all the poems Ginny used to write. One time, Harry had disappeared to his office and came out with a container filled with various cards and poems that Ginny had written him over the years. James would be lying if he said he didn’t steal some of her best lines. He had been particularly proud of the poem he wrote Riley to ask her to the Yule Ball in his seventh year when the Triwizard Tournament had come back to Hogwarts.

He inhaled his dinner as he hadn’t had time to stop for lunch that day. After washing his dishes with a flick of his wand, he made his way upstairs. He paused in the hallway as he heard babbling coming from Henry’s room. He had barely seen his son in days since he had been getting home after Henry’s bedtime routine. Despite being exhausted, despite it being nearly eleven at night, he made his way into his son’s nursery and saw Henry sitting up in his cot and chewing on his security blanket. Henry gave him a smile and clapped his hands when he saw James enter.

Henry grabbed onto the bars of his cot and bounced as James crossed the room. “Dada! Dada! Da!”

James grinned as he reached into the cot and pulled Henry up. He situated the tiny boy on his hip as his lips pressed against his unruly bedhead. Henry snuggled against him, his little arms locked around James’ neck. James swayed him back and forth.

“There was a broom,” James sang in a soft voice. “In the middle of the sky. It was the fastest broom. That you ever did see. And the Quaffles fly all around and around. And the Quaffles fly all around.”

There was a rustling that caused James to turn around. He saw Riley standing in the doorway to Henry’s room with her arms crossed over her chest. She watched him with a smile on her lips, her eyes sparkling in the dim lighting. James only smiled back as he continued onto the next verse of the song, overcome of memories of his mum singing the same lullaby to him and his siblings when they were little.

[prometheanglory]

This is random but what kind of daemon you think your twst oc ?

i haven’t actually heard of ‘his dark materials’ yet so this was a bit of a learning experience digging thru the book’s wikipedia BUT !!! the premise sounded fun so i couldn’t resist the temptation 😎

berkeley: some sort of… mutt? — a little on the nose for berkeley, but i think it’s very fitting of berk to not be of notable pedigree even with a daemon. what could suit him better than a scruffy-looking pooch! simple requires simple, and his daemon matches him in protectiveness, loyalty, but overall chummy nature! a little clumsy and headstrong, and prone to aggression but it’s all mostly in good faith. neither of them are particularly ambitious people, however they stand strong for what they believe in, even if it isn't that grand.

cordell: domestic pigeon — i’m thinking specifically of homing pigeons, but overall! i’ve chosen pigeons for their very tame and gentle personality! i’ve always had a fondness for associating cordell with wood pigeons just because of their similar muted colors and softer… aesthetics? i’m not calling him a dove because that’s got its own connotations and i like pigeon connotations better. a little airheaded but very cool and calm otherwise! a bird that can adapt to most situations and return home no matter where they may end up — i think it captures cordell’s very open but nonetheless serene outlook on things!

chase: moose — big, intimidating, and would mostly prefer to be left alone. while neither of them are inherently aggressive, they’re both stuck in their ways and don’t like to be forced to change or follow unwelcome leads. things can become quite nasty with them if their boundaries are taken too lightly. while undoubtedly a pillar of silent pride and strength, their ultimate folly is being overly suspicious and wary of others, and too keen on doing everything by themselves. they should learn to concede ground when there is nothing left to stand for.

eddie: opossum — a scrappy and admittedly strange little marsupial that skitters through a variety of situations without much concern for where it is or what exactly it's doing… however it certainly suits eddie! they’re both not incredibly aggressive however when they land in situations they don’t like (which are few and far between), they tend to lash out more than they would like to. all they really wanna do is stay in their lane.

edgar: raven — creepily intelligent and accompanied by the unease of the macabre, i think the bird suits him quite nicely! his crafty nature accompanied by his strangely outspoken demeanor (and his very… scavenger-y personality), the only other possible option would be a crow however… ravens just fit any gloomy writers named edgar more 🥴 he's an adaptable guy with a high tolerance for everything, but more over anything else is his keen memory that maybe makes him a little... a little too sentimental.

flint: goat — admittedly a bit plain, but nothing would suit the pristine flint better than the gruff goat. they embody a straightforward existence that cuts no corners and seldom lets anybody else take shortcuts either. while not refined or born into high graces, their adaptable nature allows them to always push for a sense of order and control no matter where they may find themselves. some may view them as a bully, and maybe it's not far from the truth, but you gotta at least respect the integrity and audacity.

guts: black bear — it is certainly more skittish than its bigger counterparts… but don’t let that trick you into thinking its a poor excuse of a bear. solitary, nonchalant, and flexible with wherever the flow goes! he has no interest in picking fights or getting too riled up, but as cowardly as both guts (and the black bears) may seem, he clings to his own sense of privacy and doesn’t like to let other people interfere with them. they're more tenderhearted and emotional than their appearances or demeanors would outwardly suggest, but they'd prefer to keep it that way.

holly: domestic cat — you know how people say that you shouldn’t let cats out because they're apex predators? yeah. like that. a sweetly fickle woman who’s limber and languid atmosphere hides a dangerously clever demeanor that’s only really held back by her own laziness and vague disinterest. her daemon… politely chatty but there’s always a distinct sense of slyness to it. ambitious isn't the immediate word you'd associate with her, however it really just begs the question of why it feels like she always seems to have some sort of goal in mind that's juuuust out of reach.

lola: scarlet macaw — loud, social, bold, and free! playful but never underhanded! i don’t think anything else could really suit lola outside of such a brilliant bird (aside from… u know. a spotted hyena. but shh.). a macaw encompasses the mildly cumbersome and clumsy aspect to lola, however it doesn't detract from her undoubtedly clever and quick-thinking demeanor! they live life with no restraints and no bars holding them back, always looking for the most exuberant of situations (but sometimes, at the expense of others).

marian: oriental magpie — a sign of good fortune and a creature of concerning intelligence…! a bird that can remember a face and come back with a vengeance is definitely something that suits marian’s petty temper. it'd be dangerous if either he or the bird had any real ambitions, but it's their equally fickle and plucky personalities keeping us safe. other than that, they're incredibly chatty and at times, dangerously territorial but for the most part, they're pretty much harmless aside from a bout of aggressive bravado.

musu: ferret — slippery, crafty, loose, and free! what could be a better match for musu! sure, there’s more threatening options out there that would probably be cooler, but none of them particularly capture musu’s playful scrappiness in the same way that those little bandits do. not much of a true threat, never been much of a strong presence, but he’s more of a nuisance than anything else.

nik: rabbit — skittish, high energy, and a little more destructive than you immediately expect…. but ultimately very flexible in their lives! both don’t like to be cornered and are quite prone to turning tail when disaster rears its head. once you finally gain their fickle trust though, you’ll find that they’re pretty playful and curious at the core!

penn: mouse — quiet and reclusive, but adaptable and stubborn (of a very subtle sort). he and his daemon are both surprisingly hard to get under wraps and to fully control, despite their initial ‘cowardly’ impressions. there’s a certain air of craftiness that surrounds them both, just of a lesser intentionally malicious degree.

ronaldo: swan — beautiful and gentle connotations aside, it’s critical to recognize the swan is embody ronaldo’s incredibly aggressive, bossy, and prideful nature. while it’s possible to misinterpret their hostility as simple bravado, it discredits the very righteous, frank, and driven nature that is ronaldo at the core. never a pushover, always outspoken, but never a reckless idiot. they have dignity, you know (and sometimes dignity is all they have).

sarge: ewe — sacrificial lamb of god aka the big J-Man. i’m mainly joking 😊 but not entirely because an animal as domesticated and soft as a sheep can only be sarge. it’s incredibly social, prefers to follow others’ lead, and moves along the tide of life without any complaints. also the sheer amount of cultures with some sort of status elevating of an animal like a sheep tickles my brain :-) they're not very ambitious or driven, but they like for things to stay as calm as possible.

ulysses: koala — stupid, cute, and horribly mean, but ultimately stupid at the end of the day. that’s the main reasoning here. too stubborn to really change their ways, but at the same time, it’s not like either of them really know any other way to live other than the way they always have lived. they’re content as is to keep up their old patterns, and will likely maul someone if poked too much. they

vinh: crane — honestly i was stuck between a deer, owl, and crane but i feel that the crane honestly suits her best (tsuru no ongaeshi/tsuru nyoubou/ isycus’ crane/hephaestus purposes)🤪 graceful and serene, gentle yet wary… the embodiment of deference, complete with the dedication, devotion, and dutiful demeanor that knows no bounds. however, despite their nose for justice + responsibility, they are still spineless and fragile individuals with little no sense for self-preservation. nonetheless, they champion obligation above all else (very much at their own expense).

xuehai: rooster — ferocious and ever-proud, and synonymous with being a dick if you use the right word… while a peacock was also an option, i think the way that roosters are both decorative and aggressive is very xuehai :-) loud, competitive, and more headstrong than most people prefer to deal with — you’ll definitely know who tends to run the show if u run into either of them. even then, it's not like their aggression is ever fully unwarranted. they're very wary and protective people who prefer to have as much power as they can in a situation.

[allthingsfli]

[lailoken]

“The Lord and Lady of Norfolk

The magic of the land rises from beneath the rocks and I the soil on which we walk, and into which we allow our roots to grow. It is the basis of everything we do, for it is from this Earth that our trees spring and our herbs draw their nourishment. It provides building materials and the kinds of human activity which take place governs in any given locality, and so informs the culture which develops, in the mundane and the magical spheres. The solidity of granite or the smoothness of slate may suit the magic of some practitioners, who are then born to, or drawn to, such areas and landscapes, and learn to dance their spells to the ancient music which pulses from deep within the ground.

Those who work well in Norfolk are generally people who thrive on the magical twin influences of the white and grey powers of the Lady of the Chalk and the Lord of the Flint. If one peels back the geological layers of the county, there are other soils and rocks to be found here too. There is the Kimmeridge Clay from the Jurassic, which forms a fine, bluish-grey mud, the Lower Greensand of the Cretaceous, which forms the beautiful carstone, used for the distinctive buildings of parts of West Norfolk, or the Gault Clay, clearly visible as the red rock band in the wonderfully striped cliffs at Hunstanton. These have their practical and magical uses, often specific to the areas of the county in which they are found. The Chalk and the Flint, however, have a county- wide appeal, a greater visibility and much clearer mundane, practical and magical uses.

Of course, Chalk and the Flint are not exclusive to Norfolk. They are to be found in Yorkshire to the North, where the Iron Age Parisi tribe carved the Chalk warrior figures (Stead, 1988). They are present on the slopes of the Gog Magog Hills in Cambridgeshire, on the Downs of the South, the slopes of the Chilterns and all along that magical trackway, known as The Ridgeway. In Wiltshire, the Chalk is honoured with the magnificent Horse carvings in the hills, while Wilmington, in Sussex, has its Long Man and Dorset its Cerne Abbas Giant. However, such forces have a different feel, depending on other features of the locality, best understood by the practitioners of those areas. Their manifestation here in Norfolk takes on a special form, of far greater complexity than that of "mere" geology. That is why, when we call upon them, which we do in every ritual (for it would be rude not to), we refer to them by the titles of Lord and Lady of Norfolk, although they go by many names, some of which are known to us and others which remain a mystery. These beings are the most ancient ones, the Earth beneath our feet, our firm foundation; they profoundly influence what grows and flourishes on the land and what might just wither and die.

The Chalk and the Flint predate humanity by such an unfathomable length of time. When we pick up a piece of either from the ground, we feel that human beings are just children in the context of such ancient beings, and that our individual lives are miniscule in such a vast context. Yet these forces are also so much part of our everyday lives that they are, on one level, comprehensible and approachable. After all, since our arrival in these lands, they have shaped the development of our culture, what we grow, the tools we have used, how we build and express our spirituality, as well as the form and shape of our magic. We see and touch them every day, whether we choose to notice them or not; they are ordinary and yet hold the keys to the greatest of mysteries.

Revelations:

Sometimes the Lord and Lady of Norfolk choose to reveal their presence in a moment of drama or of great beauty. In the late afternoon, on a late Autumn day of blustering storms and spectacular bursts of sunshine, they may appear as a rainbow, or even a double rainbow, against grey white clouds. On a warm morning of sunlight, sand and gentle waves, they may show themselves in the dark and light sheen of a sea-washed Oyster shell. There is a clear and discernible distinction between the ordinary loveliness of the natural world and an announcement of the proximity of these deities, which can take the breath away, inspire an outpouring of creative work, or provide confirmation that we are heading in the correct direction, magically.

On one occasion, we had just completed a Maytime ritual with a large group of people, when one of our number glanced up and noticed a pair of Woodpigeons on a Sycamore branch, cooing and pecking each other's beaks. "Look," she said, "It's the Lord and Lady of Norfolk", and we all gazed up into the fresh green foliage and knew that she was right.

Such revelations can take many forms. At Thompson Water, one Spring, three of us stood on one of the fishing jetties, watching a Heron in the Reeds, Egrets in the trees across the lake and Terns performing their aerial acrobatics above our heads. We had planned a musical offering for the spirit of this place. One of us sang and I played a wooden flute I had brought with me, especially for this purpose. As the last notes faded away, an enormous Grass Snake appeared, swimming right towards us, paused by the jetty, and seemed to acknowledge us before disappearing under the murky water. This was a blessing indeed. We have sought this magnificent creature on subsequent visits, but have never seen it again, not that we really expected to, as this was obviously a manifestation of the presence of deity.

The Lord and Lady may appear in any form, at any season. One dark, moonless night in Winter, we were driving along a remote country lane in North Norfolk, having just completed a piece of protection work, when a magnificent Stag stepped onto the road right in front of the car. We stopped. He inclined his head just slightly and gave us haughty look before continuing on his way, in a slow and stately fashion, closely followed by the rest of his herd. We knew this to be a blessing on the work we had completed. Then, to add to our delight, rounding the next corner, we were greeted by the sight of a mother Cat playing, in the middle of the road, with a large litter of kittens. We stopped again and enjoyed watching their antics, in the beam of the car headlights. They continued their game for some time, until the mother decided that was enough and carried her kittens, one at a time, into the safety of the hedge. These are not small, forgettable incidents, but real treasures, which we store in our memories as the rewards for our magical work.”

—

Of Chalk & Flint:

A Way of Norfolk Magic

by Val Thomas

[kajaono]

Oooh you're gonna watch black sails? Can't wait to read your opinion (probably in tags and posts right?) as the story slowly unfolds. It really is one of my fav series. Historical and queer u know? Anyway i don't mean to bother or pressure you with this, i just saw your post and couldn't help but grin because i know :D and i also agree with your thoughts so far. Btw did you read treasure island? Or perhaps watch it? Since you seem to know the story. Or at least you informed yourself before starting to watch or sth? Idk im just curious. Have a good night :)

Hey nonny,

it is actually bedtime here, but I needed to answer your ask. Because boy, did you opened a memory lane here

Here in germany, there is this really big newspaper and they gave away audio CDs with popular european book, many years when CDs where still a thing. Robin Hood, Robinson Crouse, Around the world in 80 days AND.... Treasure Island.

Treasure Island was allways my least favorite... because so many people died a horrible death. Also many characters i deeply loved :( But I was also allways fascinated by the story itself.

I remeber the whole story, and I also remeber that I also back then shipped a few characters really hard. My tiny bi heart was already strong when I was 8/10 years old

Sadly I do not remeber all character names anymore, so I will definitly confuse characters while watching Black Sails. So I will listen to the story again once I am back home and get my hands on CDs again.

But I never expected Black Sails to be a gay reaure Island fan fic and I am so in awe?! First episode and I am so sold?! I am swimming in all the memories. And also Flint covered in all the blood?! I am a tiny bit kinky for such stuff!

Please stop me. I am sorry.

Good night to you too

[hpdrizzle]

Drizzle 2020: Week Three Round Up

[ART]

Title: First Kiss in the Rain Pairing: Ginny/Pansy Summary: Sharing an umbrella

Title: As the seasons change Character:: Remus Lupin Summary: A trip down Memory Lane for an old wizard or witch - looking back on their life. One memory per season.

[FIC]

Title: sugarcane in the easy morning Pairing: Ginny/Pansy Summary: "I mean, it's not like there's anything special about Ross," Pansy continues. "Why do the most beautiful and powerful women go for the most painfully average men?" Title: A Loss of Control Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Hugo Weasley Summary: Bored at yet another Ministry charity event, Hugo goes for a wander and finds himself with someone he never expected to. Title: Weathering The Storm Pairing: Ginny/Blaise Summary: Ginny’s invitation to her first quidditch match as a Harpie has Blaise a bit nervous. The storm brewing in the sky is almost as strong as the storm brewing in his heart. Can they both survive the match and its aftermath? Title: I want to feel the thunder (I want to scream) Pairing: George/Luna Summary: Sometimes things don't need to be said, but they're nice to hear anyway (especially when it stops your boyfriend from turning into a frog every time it rains). Title: Key to my heart Pairing: Draco/Harry Summary: Harry Potter gets locked out in the rain. He goes to his neighbour Draco Malfoy for help. Title: Anchors In A Storm Pairing: Hermione/Draco Summary: Draco’s current mistake—well, it wasn’t simply one, but three—was a chain of seemingly unconnected events that, when spliced together just so, made one hell of a shit storm. Title: How It Falls Pairing: Ron/Pansy Summary: Pansy Parkinson wants to live life her own way, but her mother has other ideas—specifically, she wants her to marry a certain type of wizard. Title: Under Adverse Conditions Pairing: Ginny/Pansy Summary: With most of the castle away at Hogsmeade, Ginny and Pansy use the time to fly together. Title: (You've Gotta) Taste The Rain Pairing: Draco/Harry Summary: Harry can't take the rat race anymore and quits Auror training just before graduation. He hopes a move to the country will bring him what he's looking for. He doesn't factor in a wandering neighbour who turns out to be very familiar. As the rain continues to pour, things get heated. Title: Queen of my heart (long may she rain) Pairing: Hermione/Draco Summary: Draco likes Granger./Granger likes books./This could be useful. Title: heartbreak was never so loud Pairing: Marcus/Oliver Summary: Oliver starts out wanting to help Flint fit into the team. Somewhere along the way, he loses his heart to the large, surly Beater. Title: time, curious time Pairing: Remus/Sirius Summary: "Do you still remember how it started?" he asks. "How could I forget?" you ask back. Title: The Locus of the Fracas Pairing: Draco/Harry Summary: Harry is assigned community payback, and it's all Malfoy's fault.

Thank you to all the members who are actively keeping the fest going. We do have plenty more for you for Week Four, so don't think we're done yet! We are most certainly not. Lots of rarepair love and popular pair love to be had. ENJOY these entries!

[adramoetic]

I like things to be story-shaped. Reality, however, is not story-shaped, and the eruptions of the odd into our lives are not story shaped either. They do not end in entirely satisfactory ways. Recounting the strange is like telling one’s dreams: one can communicate the events of a dream but not the emotional content, the way that a dream can color one’s entire day.

Neil Gaiman, “The Flints of Memory Lane”

[jadedbirch]

For multishipper challenge, IDK if you've already started Leonardo but if so, do tell me who you ship him with. Otherwise, I'm guessing a trip down the memory lane won't hurt - all your ships for Flint. ;) (I know we've had other shows in common (besides Revo) but my brain is glitching rn too and I'm drawing blank atm.)

I haven't had access to Leonardo yet 😭😭😭 But I'm sure I'm gonna ship him with everyone because he's BEAUTIFUL

Flint:

1. Silver

2. Thomas

3. Miranda

4. Madi (but like bff style)

5. Utley!

6. Tragic fling with Dooley

😁

[archaneanscribe]

A Firefly In The Hand

Some pre-canon/pre-relationship Forsython, Forsyth trains at night, remembers a local tradition, and Python reminds him that he'll never be alone.

The moment Forsyth’s plans set into motion was after he heard his parents exchange goodnights the room over. He kept his eyes shut, but began reciting one of the old veteran’s war stories in his head to keep him awake for the next thirty minutes, listening closely for any noises in the house. When the only sounds he could hear was the distant bleating of his neighbor’s goats, he shrugged his blankets off and hopped out of bed.

Moving as quietly as his feet would allow, he made his way over to the window and pulled it open, climbing up and out into the quiet darkness.

Sneaking through the village late at night wasn’t a new activity for him by any means, nor was it for any of the local youth. During the summer, a mass of fireflies would light up the sky every year, and it was regional tradition to catch one in your hands and make a wish that was certain to come true, but the younger children were sent to bed long before they appeared. This, of course, began a long standing and unspoken custom to sneak out after everyone else had gone to bed. Forsyth remembered those evenings fondly, catching one for both him and Python (who couldn’t be bothered to do it himself) and gleefully refusing to share their wishes.

Usually, he would wish to become a knight one day, but there were other, even more secret things he hoped for too.

Tonight, however, he wasn’t off to hunt for fireflies, but train. If Father wouldn’t let him do it during the day, he would just have to do it when he was asleep.

It wasn’t long before he had made his way out to his favorite clearing in the nearby woods. It was a fairly open area surrounded by a ring of tall, hardwood trees, with many bushes scattered around for him to hide his training lances, lantern, and bandages for worse case scenarios (he often had to forcibly enlist Python to help him come up with reasonable excuses for the injuries). He never put his things in the same spot to avoid detection, effort that his best friend told him was unnecessary as no one was even looking for them, but that was Python, who told him any effort was unnecessary. 

At the moment, his stash was nestled into a wild blackberry bush which will lay dormant for another month or so, where they had spent many a summer afternoon ruining their dinner. He pulled out the crude wooden lance, which only looked anything at all like a weapon because the blacksmith from the next town over had taken pity on him when he was in the village for a horseshoe delivery and helped him carve it.

That was how most of the adult’s saw his aspirations. Just a child’s fantasy to indulge in, even as he grew into teenhood.

He gripped his lance tighter. 

After lighting the lantern with his flint and stone to give the night some small illumination, he took the frustration of never being taken seriously out on the invisible enemies laid out before him, swiping at them in his best mimicry of the forms in his book on combat. His father tried to take it away from him, but his mother had always felt bad and returned to him later on.

More pity.

“Haaaah!” he let out a huff of exertion as he lost his footing, sliding forward an inch further than he had meant to and nearly falling.

“Really? This again?”

As he righted himself, a familiar voice emerged from the darkness, and Python came into the dim lantern light, arms behind his head in judgemental nonchalance, “Yer pop is gonna be mad.”

“I know that. And you should know by now that won’t stop me,” he replied, swinging once more, “I do everything he asks of me all day, so I can do what I want at night.”

Python shrugged, taking a seat against one of the thick tree trunks. it was a common enough occurrence for his friend to join him, as he would often be up anyway, choosing to instead nap throughout the day like a cat. His parents weren’t all too fond of the behavior, but unlike Forsyth’s family, they had long given up on changing him.

“You know I’m all for doing whatever it is ‘ya want,” he said with a dismissive wave, “I just thought you might need the reminder. You actually seem to care when he yells at you.”

Forsyth paused, glaring down at the dirt like it had wronged him, “I don’t care about his opinion so much as it’s suffocating to be there when he’s angry. We just aren’t going to see eye to eye, which I’m fine with, but he refuses to accept it.”

A jab, and a snicker from Python.

“Are you picturing an enemy soldier, or your old man?”

“Both.”

They shared a laugh at that. Despite their differences, and how often they would get on each other’s nerves, if there was one thing he could never be in Python’s presence, it was dour.

“Any success with hunting lately? he asked conversationally as he resumed, now focusing more on his footwork than his lancework. It may have been hard to believe, but out of all the teenagers and the village, Python easily had the best bow arm, and thus the hunters always forced him to tag along. Forsyth suspected the only reason he gave in is because hunting had significant down time compared to carpentry.

"I guess. Been seeing a lot of wild boar lately, but I don't think I'll tag along for that. A lot of work I'm not willing to put in."

Forsyth scoffed, "Two boar could feed the village for a week and a half! If you helped, it would save you a lot of work in the long run."

Python hummed in consideration, snuggling into his relaxed position even more like he was barely listening, but Forsyth knew he was actually thinking hard on his words. One of the few things he would put effort into was the saving of effort, after all.

"We'll see. It's a problem for tomorrow."

"If you," step, jab, "Always," step back, block, "Put off," downward swing, "Your problems," upwards swing, "Until 'tomorrow', then you'll never get to enjoy 'tomorrow'."

"Your form was off in the middle there, more shoulder, less arm," Python pointed out, and Forsyth adjusted accordingly, "That might be true, but if yer always doin' everything today, then you can't enjoy the moment. Either way you lose something, and I'd prefer to reap my benefits before I'm old and wizened."

Shaking his head, it was Forsyth’s turn to shrug, "I will never understand you as long as I live."

"Feeling's mutual, pal."

And for the next few minutes, there was silence between them. When they were younger, their time was almost always filled with antics, arguments, and mutually prodding, and there was still plenty of that, but they were now able to enjoy long periods of quiet together. 

Of course, nothing lasts forever.

"Python, look!" Forsyth called out, letting his lance arm relax, "Fireflies!"

True to his word, a group of fireflies formed a small bundle of light that was hovering near and on the bushes.

"They're a little early, but it is getting to be that time," Python supplied, getting up and brushing the dirt off his posterior, "Reminds me of when we were kids, staying up too late to see the lightning bugs."

"You're right..." he put his training lance aside, Forsyth reached out to trap two in his hands, a much easier task as a sixteen year old than a nine year old.

Python walked over to him, smiling in a soft way Forsyth thought might exclusively be for him, but didn't dare be so bold as to be sure of that, "Caught one for me too, just to finish the trip down memory lane?"

"Maybe I just want two wishes for myself."

"Ha!" Python gave him a friendly jab in the ribs, "You'd never be that selfish, it'd give you a stomach ache. Though your lofty dreams need as many wishes as they can get."

Forsyth’s heart fell. He often forgot that even his best and longest friend also saw his dreams as silly.

He did his best to sound chipper, "I think I'll just let them go this time. No need to rely on some bugs when I've got hard work!"

As he opened his hands to release them, he felt something, or rather someone, force them shut, "Hey now, what's all this about? That ain't like you."

"It's nothing."

"Don't give me that. Nothin, is ever just nothin' with you."

"You're being awfully pushy about this. Why do you even care?"

Even in the low lighting, Forsyth could see a unique flavor or anger flare in Python's eyes at that, making a feeling bubble in his gut he couldn't name. The look was gone as soon as he saw it, but it wasn't something he would soon forget.

"Dealing with you normally is already more work than I feel like doin', and it's double that when you're mopey. Better put the work in now than be forced to deal with it later, right?"

That's what Forsyth always said to him.

"It's- No one takes me seriously. Not my parents, not anyone else in the village, not even you. I won't give up no matter what anyone thinks of me, but I would rather not be dismissed anytime I open my mouth. My dreams aren't just some joke!"

"Forsyth," Python tightened his grip on his friend's hand, making Forsyth worry he was killing the poor torchbugs, "Listen. I do think what you're tryin' to do is impossible. But I know you're serious about it. I take everything you do seriously, even if they're wastes of time. Have I ever tried stopping you?"

"...no."

"And have I been there for all the nonsense?"

"...yes."

"Am I here, keepin' you company because I know that you get unto yer own head on nights like these, when I could be in my comfy bed back home?"

"Yes."

Python released him, so he could in turn release the fireflies, thankfully alive, though likely quite annoyed, "Then that's that. I would love it if you learned to settle for a little less, but I'm never gonna get in the way of your big dreams. Yer gonna need someone with a good head on their shoulders to keep your big old noggin' from floating away anyhow."

"Python..." Forsyth grinned, much more like his normal self, "I'm sorry for doubting you. Lazy layabout you might be, bad friend you are not."

"Glad to see your common sense came back. While we're here," he smiled mischievously, "Why don't you tell me what you wished for?"

"It won't come true if I do!"

And like that, they argued amicably until their exhaustion finally caught up to them (and Forsyth’s father was an early riser, so he had to return soon), and they walked back to the village together. 

Forsyth hadn't come out here to find fireflies, but he had, and even better, rediscovered that no matter what he might feel in the moment, he'll never be truly alone.•