#then again i could also just run away forever and join a traveling circus

[millenniummmbop]

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[peach-the-owl]

Hi! Hope you are having a great month! If possible can I make a request with a Godling (Godlings from The Witcher) Reader who travel with the Mighty Nein. How would having such a 'powerful' being (child-like) effect their relationship. Also, just as a guilty pleasure how would Lucien react to them-knowing their 'other' self raised/cared for them?

Since there isn’t much seen about godlings a few things will probably be a little more on the headcanon-y side of what I think they’re capable of. Hope you all enjoy regardless 😁

Godlings

Mighty Nein & Godling!Reader

Jester

Her childlike nature was what originally drew your attention to her, enjoying the little pranks she’d pull on unsuspecting folks you watched from a distance at first but drew in curiouser by the day. You were first discovered by the archfey that lingered near her who also liked to stay hidden, making a few rude comments when he practically shoved you into the open for her to see. When you got to know her better, you and Jester spent a lot of time singing songs together or causing absolute chaos, although you certainly were no follower to the "Traveler" and didn’t plan on it anytime soon. You were her new secret friend, always hiding yourself when another member of her party would come along. When you grew comfortable enough you finally decided you would join your friend on her adventures, much to Jester's delight. Everyone else was surprised by your sudden presence in the group, little was known to them about godlings aside from normally living in burrows, you argued that you were just a bird of a different feather.

Nott/Veth

The goblin reeked of an old crone's curse, you making that statement very clear when you hobble out of your burrow, scaring a few people in the group which you appropriately laughed at. At first they thought you could help break the curse on Nott, and while you did have means of breaking curses, this one in particular was cleverly crafted making it near impossible to break aside from the crone who placed it. You agreed to help them locate the witch seeing as you had nothing better to do and they promised food. Nott found you to be quite adorable with those big eyes and tended to be very motherly around you, now you could argue that you were much older then her but you weren’t going to pass up on this kind of free affection. When the curse was lifted you still decided to stick around wanting to see what all this trouble had been about. Newly freed from her curse, Veth still acted as a motherly figure towards you as she had before, and honestly you rather liked it sticking with her and blessing that good life be given to her family.

Caleb

Godlings were secretive and shy by nature yet kind and helpful so long as you gain their trust or you’ve peaked their interest, and Caleb was a very interesting man to you being almost as secretive as you were. When you made your presence known he was shocked to see such a rare being of once presumable myth approach him, but he also didn’t want to lose an opportunity to learn about your kind in more detail. You made a deal, you'd come along with him and he'd get to know everything he wanted about your kind so long as you got to learn more about him and play with the friendly little kitty he had with him. You were a lot more mature then Caleb expected hearing how godlings normally enjoy mischief and merriment, you told him you did like doing all those things but that didn’t mean you couldn’t be serious too. He learned more about you just by watching you interact with everything around you over you simply telling him different facts about yourself, and grew to really appreciate you more because of it. You grew appreciation and learned a lot about him through his interactions too, the stories he told did help some for context on certain things but you much preferred this visual over verbal learning.

Caduceus

You'd been a guardian for the Clay family and their home for generations, providing protection and care where you could, being given food and tools for your burrow as thanks by them. They were respectable folk, caring for the nature of the woods as much as you did. When the strange blight started plaguing your wooded home you did everything in your power to help push it back, but there was something unnatural about it that even you couldn’t hold it off forever. It got so bad that it overtook your burrow, forcing you out, thankfully the Clays were happy to house you, so while most of them left in search of a cure you stayed back with Caduceus still doing what you could to try taming or at least keeping back the plague. When adventurers came along you acted on the defence at first, being calmed by Caduceus to get a better grip of the situation. They were all surprised to see such a rare and normally secretive being like yourself be so comfortable and open once you'd dropped the defensive act, even more so when you asked if you could join them on their travels. Your home needed help, but it certainly wasn’t going to get any if you just sat there and did nothing, you managed to slow the growth of the strange blight hoping it’ll grant enough time for you to locate the cure you needed.

Fjord

Godlings were known to live in more wooded or boggy areas so finding one living by the sea was a rarer sight then your kind themselves were. You liked the sounds of the waves they were calming and you had many pretty seashells to do with as you wished. When you first met Fjord it was because he mistook your sandy burrow as an animals den, boy was he wrong and the reaction he had when you popped out scaring the daylights out of him was priceless. You smelled great opportunity for mischief from this, popping out of nowhere to scare the poor half-orc when he least expected it until one time when you had you realized the ship you snuck onto to scare him was now sailing across the sea, meaning you were now stuck here. Sure you knew how to swim but you had limits to yourself and would never be able to find your way back to shore. With less places to hide you were almost forced to interact with the crew, which Fjord learned made you rather uncomfortable but since you didn’t mind his presence he decided to pull you off to the side and have a privet conversation. Through this conversation you learned a little more about Fjord and started to grow respect for the guy, promising to stop scaring him so much, but not completely give up on it much to his dismay.

Beau

The Cobalt Soul had research on all sorts of creatures and different species that lived throughout all of Exandria, one of the few things they had little to no information on however were the rare and elusive creatures called godlings. They were beings said to have great power but were usual docile unless provoked, they were so rare some thought them to be only creatures of myth. Beau herself used to think nothing much of them until they were assigned to investigate a home that was "haunted" where she met you. Seeing your big bright eyes and pale blue skin was enough for her to see that you were in fact no myth but the real deal. Itching to get more information and payment for ridding the house of its "ghost" problem Beau was determined to befriend you, problem was she could be a bit aggressive and you were a bit more shy then she’d like. However with enough time and patients she was eventually able to lure you out and convince you to leave the home, promising if you came with her she’d be all the protection you’d need. You still didn’t fully trust her but you liked her confident attitude and her more childish side when she was willing to show it.

Yasha

Big, tough and silent, to you the woman was very intimidating, but she was picking the flowers all wrong so you’d have to suck it up and confront her about it. You march your way over to her and freeze when she turns to look at you, she looked confused by your appearance perhaps she didn’t know what you were but what did that matter right now. You start to scold her over her flower picking and to your surprise she apologizes, offering you one as a sorry, you puff out your cheeks and decline telling her that it was sloppily picked, and if she really wanted to say sorry she’d need to learn how to pluck flowers properly next time. To make sure she wouldn’t ruin the poor flowers again you show her the proper procedure to plucking them, when you were done she offered you a daisy, this one having been picked properly you accept and watch as she leaves. You lived life as normal only to one day see the same woman had returned she looked saddened as she plucked up some flowers, you carefully make your way over seeing she was using the technique you taught her. You sit in front of her and just watch until she finally notices you, you first saw recognition for in her eyes, guess she remembered you, but past that you could see pain, like she’d just lost someone important to her. Now that you thought about it she had a similar look to herself when you first met but this was different, it was recent. You pluck up and offer her a forget-me-not which she slowly takes from you and stores away into a little book, the two of you sit there in a silence of understanding before she eventually leaves again, you never even knew her name.

Molly

He discovered you on accident when the circus set up their show tent right over your burrow and you relentlessly caused problems for them. He felt bad for ruining your home so he asked if you’d like to come run away with the circus instead. You were hesitant at first, but his childish nature was oddly alluring and you’d fit right in with all the other crazy colourful characters so you figured why not. He didn’t quite know what you were and he didn’t really care, the two of you enjoying yourselves and causing mischief wherever you went. When the circus disbanded you were saddened because this was now the second home you lost although this group of adventurers were quite the delight in and of themselves. Still all good things come to an end, and losing Molly was the last straw, not only did these Iron Shepherds take away your friend but they kidnapped innocents and one of them actually ate children. All this infuriated you, and once those who had been enslaved were free people saw just how terrifyingly powerful an angered godling could be when the Sour Nest was reduced to nothing but rubble in the blink of an eye.

Bonus:

Lucien

He was almost jealous that the imposter inhabiting his body at the time had befriended such a powerful and mysterious creature. Knowledge on your kind was almost nonexistent, even the Somnovem had little information, this furthered Lucien’s curiosity and uncertainty. He knew his limits but not yours and from what he’d heard this group you were with talk about you could turn from docile to very dangerous if pushed the wrong way. This could spell bad news for his plans if what they said was true, but could also be a useful asset if on his side. Now all he had to do was figure out how to regain your favour…

[kyoonqs]

iluso amor ; first part.

↬ summary: Cora has always considered herself elusive, easy to bore and adventurous to the last fiber of her body. One day for no apparent reason, she appears in front of the manager of a globetrotting circus passing through the city where she is temporarily staying to fill her life with magic. Baekhyun, as serious as he is handsome, has no intention of playing a role other than on the main canvas of the circus. He decides to separate Cora from her life of fantasies created by her travels and sets out to show her reality as raw and cruel as he knows it. Or so he believes.

Will time run out too quickly before love and passion devour him and he decides to risk everything for a love that lasts… Forever?

↬ pairing: baekhyun x cora fem!reader.

↬ circus!au ; illusionist!baek x hitchhiker!oc ; strangers to lovers au!

↬ genre: fluff ; romance ; angst ; drama.

↬ length: 2.8 k words.

↬ tag list: @changshapatrol @spacebyuns @fluffyhunnie @soos-goddess @hoho-cham @shadoukiti @sunbyun21​ @mangobaek​ @suhotly​ @pororodks​ @bbhbae​ 

If you’d like to be tagged for future chapters, please let me know! 

↬ masterlist.

↬ author’s note: this is my first time writing a series, hope you enjoy it and any feedback will be appreciated. thanks for reading! ♡

Vanilla, caramel and butter scents invaded her nostrils the moment she stepped on the re-centering and she reminded herself that from now on she should get used to the smell due to her timely madness. Beyond her view, occasionally blocked by some old trucks, a red and yellowish-white circus tent loomed along with several smaller tents and a host of caravans. The largest tent, dotted with gold stars, had a large, deep blue sign bearing the name of the circus and its owner. In addition to a few tethered horses, Cora saw a number of huge cages with animals and all kinds of unsavory people, including some pretty dirty men, most of them encrusted with mud and rust.

She was beginning to regret the moment when she had ripped the worn out brochure from the lamppost and the idea of joining the circus scene rose out of boredom. Yes, that was the case, curiosity had killed the cat and she could not contain herself that late afternoon when she had driven her bicycle past the front of the tents and the multicolored costumes of the artists had simultaneously caught her eye. But now it was not like that, the moment she advanced towards the train car where she was to present herself for the position, everyone stopped what they were doing and fixed their eyes on her. Without thinking too much, she stepped forward steadily as her sneakers sank into the sandy ground and she staggering as she stared at the ticket booth where the same brochure she was carrying was presented.

Away from the scrutinizing stares that once haunted her, she took the steps of the carriage two at a time and froze when she saw him inside. He had hair as dark as molten chocolate and chiseled features that would make his face look too beautiful if it weren't for the firm jaw and menacing frown. Men who possessed that brutal appeal had always attracted her but at that moment she would have chosen someone less intimidating to interview her. She tried to calm herself by reminding herself that she would not have to spend more than a couple of hours with him and that it would all be over as soon as she explained clearly why she was applying for the job, which she was still completely unaware of.

She cleared her throat and began with her introduction, first name, last name, place of birth, previous jobs and reason why she was there - from the latter she omitted boredom as a possible factor. The man in question did not give her a single glance and, of course, did not speak a word. She stared straight ahead, the unyielding lines of that hard profile making her skin tingle.

–“I, I want to learn about the trade...” She swallowed.

–“I'm really interested in the job, whatever it is...” She swallowed again.

–“Bastard.”

Until the man in front of her turned his head and looked at her, she didn't realize what she had said. He arched a dark brow with mild curiosity, as if he wasn't sure he had heard correctly. Her impulsiveness took control and she felt her lips tremble, for it was clear that they didn't share her problems in restraining her inappropriate thoughts.

The metal legs of the chair where he was sitting screeched against the hard floor of the wagon. He stood up, ironed the wrinkles of his pants with his hands and looking into her eyes for the first time, he said in a stern and inflexible voice:

–“You are hired. Meet me after the last show behind the main tent.” And without further ado, he passed her by without giving any other explanation.

She could barely suppress a sigh. She directed a furtive glance at the boy, still nameless and wondered what she had gotten into but an irrelevant part of her was dying for new adventures and without a doubt, he would be the greatest from that precise moment.

–“Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin! Come closer everyone!”

The man who made the announcement was the same man who was encouraging people to buy tickets the day the circus had arrived in town, although now he was wearing a red master of ceremonies jacket. At that moment Cora appeared before the young man in the carriage, leading a black horse by the reins with one hand. It was then that she realized that he was not only the manager of the circus but also one of its performers.

He was dressed in a velvet jacket, a velvet vest with nothing underneath and black trousers tucked into high leather boots that snuggled over his calves. A jewel-encrusted band of all colors surrounded his torso accompanied by fine iridescent chains and some ribbons of razo that fell from his pocket. He also carried a rolled whip hanging from one shoulder. Curious about the skills he would display in the arena –she had gotten one of the dancers to tell her when they would leave and to her surprise it would be the next morning– she followed the man with his eyes. At that moment he saw her. The decision she had made had been too recent to seek a way out and she still did not feel comfortable talking to him. Cora tucked her hair nervously behind her ear and refuse to take her gaze from the horse following him when he began to walk towards her.

–“There are unsavory people hanging around the circus. Until you know how everything goes, stay where the rest of the audience is, always” he told her as he adjusted some rings on his slender fingers.

–“Understood.” She responded, since she had just promised herself that she was going to put forth her best effort and not get carried away by first impressions that day. 

 –“Come in and take a look at the show.” His tone was firm, despite the fact that she was already heading back to where she was previously. 

 –“Wait! What is your name!?” She asked hastily, not realizing that perhaps she had sounded somewhat desperate.

He glanced at her over his shoulder with the corner of his mouth slightly curved. “Baekhyun!” He said, chuckling, and with that he returned to his place in line with the rest of the artists.

She was still feeling hot as she circled the crowd and entered the tent through the back entrance. She found a free spot in the stands. They were weathered white-painted planks of wood, hard and narrow, with nowhere else to rest one’s feet but on the seat of the spectators in the row below. But she quickly set aside her feelins of discomfort the awkwardness when the lights dimmed, a drum roll crescendoed and a spotlight illuminated the emcee on center court.

–“Welcome to the happiest circus in Valencia, welcome to Gran Fele Circus!”

The music exploded, played by a band consisting of two musicians with drums, a synthesizer, and a consola. A lively version of New York, New York began to play and a white horse entered in the arena with a girl who carried a flag with the name of the circus. The other artists followed, carrying colorful banners, smiling and waving to the crowd.

It was the troupe of acrobats that caught Cora's attention; three handsome men and a beautiful woman –whom she identified as the dancer who had helped her earlier– named Laia, dressed in gold sequins, shiny leggings and thick makeup. They were followed by a group of horsemen, clowns, jugglers, and trained dogs.

Baekhyun entered the arena alone, riding his fierce horse, and unlike the other artists, he didn’t wave his hands or smile. As he circled the track, he seemed such a distant and mysterious being. He was no stranger to the presence of the people, but somehow he remained isolated and gave a strange dignity to the colorful display. 

As the show progressed, Cora was amazed at such talent. 

Suddenly, the lights went out and the music died away. A blue spotlight illuminated the master of ceremonies, the only one occupying the dark center court. His voice turned dramatically low and a haunting, folk melody began to play in the background.

–“How many times have we wondered if we were crazy? How many times did someone make us doubt our actions? How many times has someone come before us with the idea of changing our thinking? Sanity makes us useless, many times it is better to be crazy. Life is made for taking risks and if you don't think so, let the next person convince you otherwise...before time runs out.”

The lights began to gradually increase in intensity, the music resounded and Baekhyun entered the middle of a path that seemed illuminated by small streetlights, thin beams of light that danced around him and that were reflected in the small sequins of his suit. With indisputable ease, he untangled the whip dangling from a waistband and sliced through the air in all directions with it. Small particles, like glitter, floated in the air suspended around him. He performed a series of skillfully executed feats that were both daring and dramatic. They had brought a few accessories onto the floor during the emcee's presentation: ribbon targets, fluorescent balloons, chandeliers, and more. Circling the runway, he popped the balloons one by one, and a bright red explosion, like drops of blood, shot through the air with each snap of the whip.

The lights dimmed until only he was illuminated by the spotlight, and he grabbed a second whip and made them pop and dance in all directions with such masculine grace, Cora gasped. The dance was increasing, with faster and faster movements and, as if by magic, the two whips became one. With a powerful twist of his arm, Baekhyun lifted him above his head to set him off in flames. The audience gasped, the lights went out, and the flaming whip danced wildly through the darkness. When the lights came on again, he had vanished.

–“What are you doing here? Hasn't anyone taken you to the motorhome yet?”

Cora roused herself, her eyes snapping open. Looking up, she saw the same deep brown eyes plaguing since afternoon that day. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was but then everything came to mind: the circus, the manager, the show, his whip.

She suddenly became aware of Baekhyun's hands on her shoulders, it was the only thing that had kept her from falling off the old stool that she had been seated on while waiting for him. She had decided to wait there since it was the most illuminated area around the tent, next to government mandated public toilets where there was still a queue to pass them.

She shifted uneasily under his hands and tried to regain her balance with the idea that he would release her.

–“Could you tell me what time it is? I've lost track of it waiting here for you.”

–“It's about 30 minutes to midnight,” Baekhyun put his hands in the pockets of his coat. Instead of the suit he donned for the show, he wore jeans ripped at the knees and a white t-shirt printed with the word ‘Supreme’ in terms of design. Despite the casual attire he didn’t look any less intimidating.

–“Look dulzura, you will have to get used to my presence, since I will be your guide and housemate from now on”. It wasn’t as if Cora hadn’t tried to do it before, in fact she had been attracted to him the moment she met him, only his personality –and now a whip– had slowed her down. He, at her lack of response, muttered something under his breath and after a sigh, spoke again.

–“Come on dulzura, I'll show you where you'll sleep for the next few months.” He turned and left at a fast pace to where the group of caravans were together, paying little attention to the fact that she had luggage that weighed a ton, the consequence of her idea to buy a memorable garment from each city she had visited until now.

–“Wait!” Her scream had an edge of hysteria, but he seemed not to hear it as he continued walking toward the line of caravans. She rubbed the sole of her sneakers across the ruff, gathering some on the toe of it as she dragged her foot. With a gasp, Cora started walking again. Baekhyun approached two vehicles that were parked next to each other. The closest one was a modern white caravan, it looked spacious inside and on its roof you could see a satellite dish. Next to it was another caravan, dented and rusty that appeared to have been silver previously. She begged to herself that it was the space caravan and not the other.

He stood in front of the ugly rusty trailer, opened the door, and disappeared inside. Cora grunted but conceded since she had stayed in worse places. Perhaps the inside wasn’t as hideous as it looked on the outside. Baekhyun reappeared at the door a moment later and watched as she approached fighting with her backpack towards him. When she finally reached the metal step, he offered her a cynical smile.

–“Home, sweet home, dulzura. Come in and settle”.

Cora had always found the Spanish language something to delight in but this was the third time the nickname had come out of his mouth directed at her and she could swear that the way the word rolled on his tongue and briefly hissed before pronouncing the syllable "zu", surely it was close to the song of the angels that received you when you entered paradise.

She sniffed and climbed the four steps that separated her and...the interior was much worse than the outside. Narrow, messy, it smelled musty and old, with a hint of  mothball. In front of her was a miniature kitchen, the countertop metal, it had spots with peeling paint. To the right of the kitchen, the faded upholstery of the small sofa was barely visible under a pile of books, newspapers, and men's clothing. In addition, she saw an old, medium-sized refrigerator, wooden cabinets, and a bed with rumpled sheets.

Baekhyun stared at her blankly, genuinely doubting whether she had noticed. 

–“It is a small caravan as you can see, but it is comfortable and cozy in the cold. It's all there is and all I have.” 

The bed took up most of the back of the caravan, nothing separated it from the rest of the "rooms", the only thing that seemed to be secluded was the bathroom –which she would make sure to explore as soon as she had the chance. On the sheets there were tangled clothes, a towel, and something she couldn't make out from where she was standing.

–“I think I'll sleep on the couch, it would be better…”

He gazed absently at the tip of his foot, then looked up. She stared into those dark eyes –which depending on the light could be paler or even more blackened– and she felt a chill run down her spine, followed by another strange sensation that she did not want to examine further. 

He slowly raised his hand, adjusting a lock of hair that had been tousled while she was struggling with her backpack, Cora froze and pursed her lips as she felt the softness of his thumb brush the hollow under her ear with something that it seemed like a caress.

–“Do whatever you want, dulzura. I have to go, I still have things to do.” 

Cora gasped when she realized she should have felt danger but her skin had taken the brush of his thumb with pleasure. She felt Baekhyun's insolent hand move away from her hair as he pulled away from her, even though he had left something light on the trailing of her ear. The trailer door swung on its hinges. Baekhyun looked at her and stepped out of it, dropping his gaze from her face to a nonexistent point. Once he was out of sight, she reached for the object that was barely tickling her cheekbone and held the geranium between her fingers with a furtive smile on her face.

↬ This is all for this chapter, I promise to try to write more in the following parts. I will try to update every Saturday. Honorable mention: Oliv (@changshapatrol​) without her this story would be nothing, thank you for your patience and trust in me. I love you, a lots ♡   

[scientifically-strange]

Not by Blood

There were a lot of things that Clint thought was weird about the new kid they picked up in Amity Park. Why on earth would a fifteen year old kid, with friends and a family, and school, and normal teenager things want to join the fucking circus of all things? Then again, Clint didn't exactly come from a happy home either.

The kid was running from something, that much was obvious. But Clint knew that it was something he didn't need to pry into.

The kid came in saying he knew how to do the trapeze, and from his first run it was pretty obvious he didn't, but the ringleader wasn't one to turn away a kid in need, so he let Danny in anyway. But until he learned something for the performances, he was stuck helping with the moving and setup. He didn't seem to mind.

He's been with them a week and he's already shown that his scrawny demeanor packed a punch. He was small but he could lift literally twice Clint's weight without even breaking a sweat, and he was like a human air conditioner. When they were travelling through Arizona, half the train car they were in seemed to gravitate towards the kid. Just being around him dropped the temperature by a few degrees. Clint wasn't gonna say he wasn't grateful for it, but the kid definitely wasn't normal.

He hadn't spoken to him yet. Clint preferred to watch from a distance for a while, and it looked like Danny didn't really want to talk about anything anyway. Now, of course he got pulled into conversations about performances, and old friends, and old heartbreaks. But he never gave any details to his life. It was always vague.

But one night, when they had stopped for the night, Clint had found Danny sitting on top of one of the train cars looking at the stars.

"They're beautiful," he told Clint. Clint didn't ask how Danny knew he was behind him. Just from watching him he knew the kid was more perceptive than he let on. He doubted anybody, even Clint, could sneak up on him.

"Sure are," he replied, taking a seat next to Danny. He laid on his back, against the cold metal that he could feel through his jacket, and sighed. Danny was right. The stars were pretty tonight. But Clint wasn't looking at them long. He looked at Danny, who had gained a little bit of visible muscle from all of the lifting and moving. He still needed a sandwich, though.

Danny wasn't wearing a jacket despite how cold it was outside. But he didn't seem bothered by it, either. He seemed content, just starring up at the stars.

"I wanted to be an astronaut," Danny said after a few minutes of just sitting and enjoying the night sky.

"Yeah?" Clint asked. "What changed?"

"Life I guess," Danny said with a shrug.

"I get it," Clint said with a sigh. "The whole running from home thing, I mean."

"How could you tell?"

"Fifteen years old, your whole life ahead of you, and instead of finishing high school you join the fucking circus? Not to mention this is the calmest you've been since you joined us."

Danny let out a small chuckle. "You've been watching me," he told Clint. It wasn't a question.

"Maybe."

Danny sighed, and looked down at him. Even though Clint had been watching him for weeks now, he never noticed how startling his eyes were. They were a bright, icy blue that pierced him in a way Clint had never known before. Even with only the light from the stars, they almost seemed to glow.

Danny stared at him for a long time. So long that Clint started to get a little tired, but he didn't break eye contact with him. He felt that if he did, he'd miss a chance of not only finding out what the kid's deal was, but also missing a chance to genuinely connect with him. This kid was a part of his circus family now. Might as well become his friend or something.

"Why did you join the circus? He asked after what seemed like forever, turning back to the stars.

"Dad was a drunk, and mom didn't have the power to do anything about it," Clint answered. Yeah, it was shitty, and he wished things had been different, but he had made peace a long time ago with it. "My brother and I figured that the best thing to do for us was leave.

"Where's your brother now?

"Dead."

"Oh." Danny was quiet for a moment. "I've got a sister back in Amity. She's really smart. Like, Ivy League smart. Sh wants to be a psychiatrist and help people.

"I hope everything works out for her," Clint said. And he meant it. She was probably running in her own way, too.

"I'll keep you updated."

They sat for a little longer, marveling at the stars some more, before Clint silently got up. He clapped Danny on the shoulder, squeezing it for a moment, before climbing down, and going to bed.

--------

They had a lot of talks like that. For a few years, they would sit at the top of a train car, looking at the stars, and talking about their past lives, before the circus. Danny, Clint noticed, didn't really open up to anybody but him. And Clint felt like he had a brother again. Sure, a younger one this time, but a brother nonetheless. And if anybody messed around with him, they would have Clint to answer to.

Danny was a star now, in the circus as well. He did trapeze and aerial dancing, with the big silks. He seemed weightless, and at peace when he was high in the air. That's probably why he always sat on the train car when he wanted to be alone, or with Clint. Danny didn't just enjoy being high, he found peace in it. It was closer to the stars.

Danny was nineteen now, and he talked Clint's ear off constantly about his sister, Jazz, acing all of her tests at Harvard, and how his two best friends had left Amity. Clint met them once. Sam and Tucker were good, incredibly smart and perceptive kids. Clint couldn't tell if they got it from Danny, or if Danny got it from them, but they've maintained contact ever since Danny joined the circus.

Since he had joined, and started performing more, he had gained visible muscle. He was very lean, and still didn't look very strong, but Clint knew that he could probably bench press the strongman if he really wanted to. And he was still comfortable with the extreme cold, and his favorite place to eat was Nasty Burger. His favorite music was Dumpty Humpty, and he cried for three hours when NASA said Pluto wasn't a planet. Because somewhere deep inside of Danny, he still wanted to be an astronaut.

Clint loved his little brother with his whole being, and would fight anybody who even looked at Danny wrong.

---

One night, while they were parked in the middle of Nowhere, Oklahoma, Danny and Clint went on a hike. And Danny told him something Clint could never forget.

They had stopped by a small bluff overlooking hundreds of trees. It was the dead of night. Danny said he wanted only Clint to know.

"So, five years ago you asked me why I left everything and joined the circus," Danny started, looking at Clint. There was nothing but determination in his face. Clint nodded, a motion for Danny to continue. "My parents are ghost hunters, and they like to invent ghost hunting weapons. Well, one thing they made was a portal. And I got into an accident with it, and...

Danny held out his arms and let the white rings wash over him. It was blinding, so much so that Clint had to cover his eyes. No wonder Danny made him hike all the way out here for something like privacy.

When Clint looked at him again, Danny was standing there, literally glowing. His eyes were a toxic green, and his hair was white. And everything made sense. His fondness for the cold, and heights, and why he's so incredibly strong despite being a string bean. Clint couldn't find any words to say. He just starred at him.

"I told them, he said, his voice echoing slightly, about the accident, and about what it did to me. It turned me half ghost, and they..."

Danny's voice cracked. Clint had only ever see him cry once, about Pluto, but the rest of what Danny was trying to say was obvious. Clint rushed forward and pulled Danny into a bone-crushing hug.

And Danny broke down. He stood there for a long time on the bluff, crying into Clint's shoulder, wondering why his parents didn't love him enough to realize that he was still their son, despite the accident their lab equipment caused. It broke Clint's heart, because he could relate to not having parents who decided that one day they didn't love you. Who decided that one day they were going to take their anger and confusion out on you. Who, in Danny's case, woke up one day deciding to hunt down their own son for something that was out of his control.

They were there for a really long time. But once Danny was done, he turned back to his normal, black haired self and smiled at Clint, who hugged him tight. And Clint felt a familiar feeling, looking into those eyes.

It was like the first time Clint had sat on the train car with Danny all those years ago, and Danny had looked at him with those icy blue eyes. And Clint finally knew the feeling that came with it.

It was kinship.

---------

Three years later, when Danny was twenty-three and Clint twenty-eight, Fury approached them with a job offer. Clint for his marksman skills, and Danny for his ghost powers. Shortly after, they left the circus and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. on a path to help people in need. And they would do it together, just like they did everything together. Because they were brothers, not by blood, and nothing could ever break a bond like that.

As they walked through the halls, Clint with his bow and Danny with white hair, they smiled at each other, and opened the doors to the observation deck together. Fury turned around to look at them.

"Agents Phantom and Hawkeye reporting for duty, sir."

-

Might fuck around and make this a full length fic lmao

[eve-evil-lair]

Someone in the Garden - M Naga x F Human, NSFW, 2nd person perspective.

This was a request from my friend and my first go at original smut writing. It is also available on my ao3.

Inheriting a mansion in New Orleans was NOT what you expected to happen to you by the end of a very shitty year. Still, that happened. It was bizarre and you still expected it to be a scam. Either way, you had nothing to lose so there you were. The lawyer had opened the gate and after like two minutes drive you were in front of not exactly a mansion but a large house. It didn’t even look that old.

“The original mansion burned down about 10 years ago,” the lawyer explained. “The addition at that time was also an indoor, large swimming pool/lake.”

You nodded as you got out of the house. The land belonged to some of your distant family, so distant that you didn’t even know they existed until you got the letter. Clearly, No one else wanted it.

“The land has a natural spring that goes through the lake area to later join a river. You can get water that way. Generators provide electricity in case the lines get cut.” the lawyer kept talking as you walked inside the building and started to show you around the place. It didn’t look too bad. Dusty and might need airing and a fresh coat of paint here and there. Some of the previous potential owners left buckets of paint behind.

“So… why no one has claimed this place? Is it haunted?” You joked but secretly hoping it wasn’t.

“No one gave much of a reason aside from ‘changed mind’. Longest someone stayed here was a week,” the guy checked his papers. “I won’t lie, Miss, we have a bet going back at the firm on how long are you going to last here.”

“Oh, I hope you bet for me to stay here permanently, huh?” you grinned.

“I gave you two days,” he replied bluntly and your smile fell.

“Gee thanks.” you huffed. Now you were going to show this asshole that you can take care of yourself.

You toured the house and quite liked it. It was a two-story building with a kitchen, living room, two bathrooms and 3 bedrooms with built-in closets. Your only concern was - how were you going to earn money to keep all that. You could sell it, but not until you proved the stupid lawyer you could live there no problem.

“I will now show you the rest of the estate,” said the bastard lawyer and led you outside and right to the giant swimming pool/lake.

It was made of glass like a greenhouse. Inside were multiple tropical plants and it looked much better than the house. As if someone has been taking care of it. You asked about that.

“Well there is no one listed as a gardener,” the lawyer checked the papers again, “but the previous owner made a point of never getting rid of this building. It’s the only condition for you if you want to keep the estate.” he lifted an eyebrow at you.

“I’m not going to get rid of it but I am just wondering if someone is taking care of it.” You didn’t have any experience in gardening but if this place was empty for at least a year or so…, shouldn’t it be a bit overgrown?

“Hmmm, there were…” one more page flip and…., “ah yes, there is some sort of wild nature enthusiast who takes care of the greenhouse.” Success. “Unfortunately there’s no name.”

Well, that was a bummer. “Thanks, I’m sure I will run into this person once I settle in.”

With that, the tour continued. You got a good look at the premises and signed the papers that you were supposed to sign and got your bags into the house. The night you were going to spend in a sleeping bag until you’d air and wash all the sheets and refresh the mattresses. Hands full of work.

It’s been three days and one night of cleaning everything up until you saw the light in the greenhouse. And the shadow. It was one huge-ass shadow but then you thought it was just a trick of the light. It must have been that friendly, neighbourhood gardener. It was a strange hour to work - the clock showing close to midnight. You grabbed a flashlight and went to talk to the person. You planned to bake them a pie but you weren’t sure when they’d show up so you had that idea on stand by.

“Hello?” you walked into the greenhouse shining your path forward. It was still dim. You took another step forward and tripped. You yelped and fell on your shoulder and winced. Damn it, the flashlight rolled away and you had to find it before shining it at whatever you tripped over. A tree branch? No… It was huge. Thick. And definitely scaly. Like a snake. You recognized the markings. You always wanted a python and was interested in reptiles. This… this was an anaconda. A damn huge, horror movie sized anaconda. Getting to your knees you looked abruptly around for the head of the reptile. Why the fuck was there an anaconda in your greenhouse?! Why no one told you! Shit, shit, maybe the poor thing ran away from poachers or illegal breeder or fuck knows what circus. But it was way too large for you to deal with alone- oh fuck the tail moved. You decided to bolt. Ready to sprint to the door you swallowed hard and-

“Wait,” the voice stopped you. It was a very pleasant, deep, vibrant, male voice. The kind of ‘panty drop’ one on TV shows. Heck. You turned around and shone the light around. It finally landed on a stomach. A stomach that was way too high and was creamy yellow. Not a very human tone… The light travelled up to land on a board chest and then on a face that got quickly covered by a hand. “Please put that away.”

You clicked the flashlight off, mouth hanging agape, still in a big shock. “What the fuck,” you said softly. Then promptly fainted.

Waking up with a small headache you groaned holding your head. “Shit.” You groaned. Confused you looked around. It was still the greenhouse. What were you laying on? You looked down and swallowed. The massive coils of the anaconda. You looked up to see a concerned (or at least you hoped it was a concern) face of… snake dude. You knew there was a name for him but currently, you couldn’t care less for proper terms.

“Oh you’re awake!” he said relieved and grinned.

You felt cold sweat running down your back at the sight of his teeth.

“Yup,” you squeaked out. “I- Can I go down?”

He blinked. “Oh, of course, there ya go.” the coils unravelled under you creating a slide which got you to the floor. Immediately he headed to the huge lake in the middle. OK, so he was not going to eat you. That was nice. Suddenly you realised why no one lived in the house longer than a couple of days. He must have freaked everyone out.

“Um, ex-excuse me,” you called to him. “Who are you?”

“I’m Adam,” he said and sighed slipping into the water.

Adam. A humanoid mega python in your pool was named Adam. This day could not be even more bizarre than it already was. Okay. You licked your lips.

“Okay, Adam. Can you tell me what are you doing here?” you asked trying to sound polite.

“I live here,” he replied. You watched mesmerised as his tail swished over the water.

“Ye, I got that but… how did you come to live here?” you gestured to the greenhouse.

“Oh, that’s a funny story, really.” He brightened up seeing you were going to stay and listen to him. “I was much younger and you know… much smaller,” he looked over his body patting his soft belly a little. “I accidentally got stuck on a ship, it went up to the port, tried to escape from there, got caught in some nets and then Mr Brown found me.”

“Mr Brown. The previous owner?” you asked to clarify but who else could he mean.

“Yeah, his house burned down because of a storm. He was a really nice person, allowed me to stay, even tried to get me back home but…. I kind of like it here,” he smiled again, all sunshine and rainbows and you couldn’t help but to ‘aww’ a little. “I stayed and brought some good luck to him.”

“What?” you blinked a little.

“You don’t know? Naga are protectors of underground waters and possess great riches, I don’t have riches myself but I tend to bring a lot of luck to those I like,” he explained further. “You strike me as a nice person. What’s your name by the way?”

That moment you remembered you didn’t introduce yourself so you quickly fixed that. You stayed up with Adam the rest of the night, talking and answering some questions. You started to enjoy his company and noticed that he was very handsome once you look past the whole shock of having a possibly a 30 feet long anaconda dude in your greenhouse. Possibly even longer. You didn’t pay much attention. What you paid attention to were his deep voice and beautiful, warm, light brown eyes. Also muscular arms and torso. With a little bit of a belly. But you couldn’t stay with him forever and had to go back to the house and get some sleep. You bid your goodnights and went back inside.

The next day you worked a little on the house and in the evening went to meet with Adam. You two bonded a little over time, you caught him up with the times and he showed you how to take care of the plants inside the greenhouse. Like he said suddenly your luck started to improve. You got a really good job, following his advice you played a lottery and even won quite a bit. Enough to finish the work on the house. It was great.

There was one but. You realized somewhere along the way that you might be crushing on your Naga friend. Like really bad. Once or twice maybe even ended up having a (*coughamazingcough*), wet dreams. His hands were so huge on your shoulder and whenever it landed on your back you wished it was on your ass. You kind of also wondered if…. He resembled snakes in more ways than one. Though you hoped for no spikes. Or hooks. Anything that might be painful in the wrong way. That would be bad.

So, for now, you have been kind of keeping all of that to yourself. But damn was it becoming hard to keep your eyes, not on his waist level. In your defence, he had no clothes! And it was most of the time on your eye level! Where else were you supposed to look when horny!? His eyes?! …. Yeah possibly, yeah. Damn it.

“Are you okay?”

You almost jumped out of your skin when he got you out of your deep thoughts. You completely forgot where you were. Namely in the damn greenhouse. Oh, god. You couldn’t wait to just get out of there, drive to town and find a quick one nightstand. You were ready to go, having done all the prep for * all * possibilities. But nope, you got distracted by staring at your roommate’s? Housemates’s? Crotch. Nice.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a bit spaced out.” You tried to justify yourself.

“So… you’re horny, huh?”

Holy fucking hell, you must have blurted that out. Why cannot the ground swallow a chick whole just this once???

“Uuuuuuuh, hehehehe, sorry.” You licked your lips.

Suddenly Adam moved around you, circling you with the upper parts of his tail, or at least the part not in water.

“That’s fine by me,” his voice… oh, boy his voice. It was already rich molasses but now it was just unfair how hot it was. He touched you under the chin and smiled. You swallowed hard. “Do you wish for my help there?”

“Mmhm, yup, yes please,” you blurted out making him chuckle.

“Alright then. Off must go these clothes,” he said and before you could say anything riiiiiip went your shirt. Damn. He sure made his point. Quickly before he could destroy your good bra and skirt/panties you took them off. He watched you. His tongue darting forward, it was cute. You wondered what that tongue could do.

Whatever you have imagined got interrupted by a hungry, rough kiss and a hand between your legs. God, that felt good. You were already dripping of which he made a notice by lifting his fingers back up to his mouth and wrapping his long tongue around his digits and having a taste of you and looking too smug in your opinion. Your face was positively on fire but who would complain in this situation?

“Just hurry up,” you tried not to sound too whiny and he chuckled.

“Impatient, you are,” Adam hummed and wrapped his mouth around your nipple. His hand travelling back between your legs.

Your hands went to his head stroking him and grazing his skull with your fingers. He seemed to know more than less what he was doing over there. His lips were keeping a nice, a bit rough pressure, and his finger was stroking you so well~. If he just moved his calloused, thick forefinger just a bit to the- You jerked and bit your lower lip to stop a loud moan from pretty much erupting from your throat. Looking down you saw him with a grin and he did it again.

Your nails dug into the back of his skull as he stroked your clit in just the right spot.

“Fffffuck!” you whined and gripped your other hand on his coils looking for support. “Oh, fuck! F-faster! God!” you hissed and he gladly obliged.

The first orgasm crashed through you with a tsunami of relief from weeks of frustration. Turning into a noodle in his arms your you sighed and breathed heavily, trying to regain some sort of sense of composure. But God did it feel so good to just lay there for a moment.

“Where-, how-” you panted out, cracking your eyes open not even remembering when you have closed them.

“I read a lot, you have no idea what you humans throw out to the swamp,” he chuckled. “Was it… Good?” he asked just in case.

“It was fucking awesome.” you gave him a thumbs up calming your breathing down. “Got any more tricks you read about?” You licked your lips in anticipation.

“I do,” he picked you up and removed the top coil, allowing himself more manoeuvrability before setting you back down. “Keep your legs open,” he instructed before his head went between your knees and you had to stop yourself from crushing his head.

Wow, that tongue felt * amazing*. Adam swirled it in gently circles, that little fork at the end of it just rubbing your clit and when he slipped inside… Oh, wow . You gasped and reached behind your head to grab onto his tail. Pulling yourself up and arching back. But he didn’t let you get away oh no. He took his time, finding all the angles to make you moan and cry out. The thrusts going from soft to quick. One finger pressed to your clit to compensate for lack of nose as he pressed on. He reached to your breast with the other hand and stroked you. You whined and twisted your body. Good lord. You should have done this ages ago!

The pinch to your nipple and a hard suck on your clit had tipped you over, crying out in your release. When you stopped shaking he removed your legs from his head and licked your thighs. You whined and twitched.

“Noo,” you sighed over stimulated.

He then stroked your face leaning back and that was when you saw them. Two. Magnificent. Dicks. Long, thick, swaying with his movement. Each head looked almost like a flower with a collar of soft-looking nubs. Barbs? You were unsure about the terminology. Anyway, they glistened. Must have been covered in his own lubricant. They were dripping. Your mouth watered and eyes grew big. Oooooh~

Adam noticed your stare and coughed. “Well, um-” he sounded a bit sheepish.

“Can you use them both? At the same time?” You asked managing to sit up.

“Y-yes? Why?” he immediately helped you out, supporting you as you crawled and touched one of the cocks. He shivered a little as you ran a hand over them. Sticky, the liquid covered your fingers and started to dry, much like lube or your juice would. It didn’t smell half bad either. You licked it and heard him swallow loud.

It was your turn to grin like the cat who got the canary. Wobbly standing up, you pressed onto his chest.

“I want to try something,” you said. Something that you had only ever tried with toys. Once with one of your exes. You were quite sure you could take him. Blessed be your earlier precautions

“Okay,” Adam said slowly, watching you as you sank on the first dick. Inhaling loudly and sharply in you adjusted.

“Oh, yes,” you breathed out and reached back to the other dick. You rubbed your hand over the head, getting used to the barbs as you bounced in his lap. He shuddered and moaned stroking your back. You did not want to end this too fast for either of you so you slipped off of him. “Adam, would you mind to stretch me a bit, here?” you stretched your ass cheeks apart to better make your point. “I want both of them at the same time~,” you told him. “I also want you to use your tail on me, while you do that.”

“No problem,” he nodded looking quite excited at the idea.

Wetting his fingers first he slid first one finger over your ass cheeks and between them. Rubbing the circle of muscles he slipped inside. You moaned and breathed deeply, relaxing. His tail went up to your front, pushing inside you, impaling you repeatedly. Feeling your ass loosening up he added another finger and stretched your ass further and further until you both were sure you could take him in. His other hand gently fondled your chest and you reached down to toy with your clit. Soon, your third orgasm was coming in. You went rigid and spilt yourself, gasping for air once more.

“O-okay,” you said trying to steady yourself up. “Let’s… let’s try his thing.”

Now, here comes the moment of truth! His tail slipped out of you and got replaced with one of his dicks. You angled a little and Adam pushed the second cock into your spread out asshole. Your eyes watered a little. That was full! You gasped and gritted your teeth, the moan already escaping you. Throwing your head back you search for him.

Adam held you against his chest. “You okay?” It must have been a lot for him too. He was holding your legs wide open. It probably would never not be a turn on - the ease in which he could just keep you in his hands.  

“Never better, just getting used to you,” you reached up and patted his cheek. Your vision was in that kinda lusty state where it wasn’t exactly fuzzy but your eyes couldn’t focus on anything.

The barbs were pressing on inside you, the shape of his dicks was an unusual one but thickness and texture were making up for it so well~. You squeezed your walls around him and he hissed. His hips pushed forward and you groaned pleased. Yess, that was so good.

You pressed your back to his chest, one hand on your boob. “Fuck me,” you told him, voice hoarse.

His throat moved as he swallowed. He nodded and started to move you on him. Your body shivered, your mouth fell open. Those dicks barely fit whole inside you, your stomach having a small bulge every time he thrust inside. The barbs rubbed your insides, pressing onto that sweet spot. The added feeling and tightness from his other dick was making you dizzy. You panted and moaned, trying to move as much as you could. The feeling swelled and grew until you couldn’t hold back any longer, screaming out. Your hips jerked rather erratically and you dug your nails into his scales, finding gaps and holding tightly. His own body convulsed under you and he hissed your name, dicks spilling into you as you heaved against his chest. A final thrust which elicited a whimper of his name from you, and he was done, movements slowing as you both struggled to catch your breath.

After a moment he laid down on the ground, the two cocks slipping out of you and with it came the cum, slowly dripping down your leg. But who cared at that moment? You whimpered and nuzzled his chest.

“My legs feel funny,” you giggled stupidly and hummed pleased. He also made an amused noise and nuzzled your head.

You looked at him. He was getting ready to sleep now. Ah, some things never change among the species, huh? You stretched yourself and kissed him. That made him wake up a little and look at you softly. Pulling you up in his arms he kissed you again and coiled around you.

“Sleep?” he mumbled.

“I need to clean up,” you replied patting his face.

“But come back and sleep, yes?” That made you feel so warm and fuzzy. Maybe this was going to be a bit more than just a one-time thing?

“Sure,” you wiggled out of his arms and waddled to the lake, washing away the remains of your mixed fluids. Then as promised you came back. “Goodnight, Adam.” You said softly.

“G’d night.” he said and soon you both were fast asleep.

[thecassadilla]

Pining for the Fjords

Word Count: 5,736/AO3 Link

Pairing: Kristanna

Summary: Kristoff Bjorgman has the ability to bring the dead back to life with the touch of a finger - and only a few rules. After joining forces with a private detective, Kristoff finds himself in a difficult position when he brings his childhood sweetheart, Anna, back from the dead.

The only condition is that they can never touch each other, or else Anna will die, again - but this time, it will be permanent.

Author’s Note: Hi everyone! Despite feeling quite burned out, I somehow managed to write another fic (I have no self-control). This is a Pushing Daisies!AU. If you haven’t watched the show, I highly recommend it - and if you live in the United States (and possibly elsewhere, but I don’t know for sure), it’s free on cwseed! I can provide a link for anyone who is interested! Pushing Daisies is one of my favorite shows - it’s morbid, grotesque, and mysterious, but also sickly sweet and fairytale-esque. And the visuals and aesthetics are stunning. It’s also from 2007, which is where I’m convinced I left my brain. This fic draws heavily from the source material, but you don’t have to be familiar with it to understand this fic. Will this be continued? I have no idea. I don’t make decisions lol. I hope you enjoy it!

(As a disclaimer/trigger warning, death is spoken about *a lot* in this fic and there is a temporary major character death. If the thought of any of that makes you uncomfortable, I would advise you not to read this fic.)

Pining for the Fjords - a euphemism for death. “Used to describe a dead person or animal as a way of convincing somebody that the corpse is not, in fact, dead,” Urban Dictionary.

Kristoff Bjorgman had a gift. It wasn’t a gift that was nicely packaged with a bow on top, and was rather quite morbid - he could touch someone who had died and bring them back to life. As simple as it sounded, there were terms and conditions that went along with this gift. The first was that he could bring the deceased back to life for one minute only, or someone else would die as a consequence. An eye for an eye, so to speak. The second was that, if he allowed the person he touched to remain alive, he could never touch them again. Or else they would die, again - but this time it would be forever.

He learned about this arrangement the hard way; as a young child, he hadn’t been exposed to death. At the age of ten, while running in a field with his beloved dog, he would learn about death, and subsequently, his gift, the hard way. For, his dog, Sven, would run into the middle of the street and be struck by a semi-truck before his very own eyes.

He would race over to the side of his now-deceased dog, and gently rest a hand on the side of his limp body, only for the dog to become reanimated and jump off the ground. In that moment, he was unaware of the consequences of bringing Sven back to life - not too far away, a squirrel would die in place of Sven. 

He returned home that afternoon, with Sven in tow, happily trotting beside him. Across the street from his home lived a pair of sisters; he would often play with the younger of the two, a girl named Anna. In the grand scheme of things, his gift seemed insignificant, for he had fallen in love with Anna. She, herself, was a gift to Kristoff - curious, imaginative, fun, and fearless - and they spent many hours enjoying each other’s company. 

As he watched her play with her father on her family’s lawn from his kitchen window, tragedy would strike for the second time that day. His mother, who had a knack for baking pies, would collapse on the kitchen floor, mere inches from him. Suddenly, his newfound gift would once again prove itself useful. He would slowly approach her body and crouch down next to it, hesitantly touching his index finger to his arm. Immediately, she would gasp for air and rise off the ground, completely unaware of what had happened. 

Unfortunately, the clock continued to tick away, and once sixty seconds had passed, the first caveat of Kristoff’s gift would make itself known. He watched in silent horror as Anna’s father collapsed on the grass across the street, in front of his helpless friend. An eye for an eye; one life in exchange for another. 

The second caveat of Kristoff’s gift would make itself known later that evening; his mother tucked him into bed, and upon placing a goodnight kiss to his forehead, would fall to the floor once again. Only this time, she could not be brought back. And thus he learned that he could never touch a resurrected life, or they would die permanently. It meant he could never pet Sven again. It meant that his mother and Anna’s father became unwitting, and unfortunate, consequences of his gift.

At their respective parent’s funerals, happening just mere feet from each other, Kristoff and Anna, overcome with grief and puppy love, would have their first and only kiss.

Immediately following his mother’s funeral, officials from the state would collect Kristoff and take him away from his life, while Anna would remain in the house across the street from his, with her mother and sister. Kristoff would avoid any and all social attachments, fearing what he’d do if someone else he loved died.

Little did he know, fifteen years later, his life would be turned upside down yet again. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the age of twenty-five, Kristoff would find himself in the midst of an unusual business arrangement. Now the owner of a run-down, failing musical instrument shop, and lonely as ever, a chance encounter with a private detective would change his life once again. 

Though Kristoff managed to keep his deep secret to himself for nearly a decade and a half, luck would find him in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the alley behind his shop, as he was throwing out garbage, a man would practically fall from the sky - technically, from the roof of the building - and hit his head on the edge of the dumpster. As luck would have it, the dead man would brush against Kristoff and return to life. Unfortunately for the now undead man, he wouldn’t get to live much longer, as Kristoff was constantly reminded of the two caveats to his gift. Unwilling to have a random person in proximity die, with another simple touch the undead man was once again dead. Unfortunately for Kristoff, there was another man on the roof who witnessed the entire thing - Private Detective Olaf Olson.

“So, how long have you been a necromancer?” The detective asked, once they reconvened inside Kristoff’s empty shop.

Kristoff anxiously rubbed the palms of his hands along the sides of his pants and shook his head. “I’m not a necromancer - at least, I don’t think I am. Is that what I am? Oh god.”

Olaf narrowed his eyes. “How long have you been able to raise the dead?”

He shrugged. “I dunno, my whole life?”

“And nobody ever thought to have you tested? Or send you off to the circus?”

“Nobody else knows - except you. And I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.”

“Mhmm,” Olaf agreed, sucking in his lower lip and giving Kristoff a scrutinizing glare. He motioned around the shop. “How’s business around here, boss?”

“Um, it’s fine,” he answered, nervously.

“Doesn’t seem to be too busy.”

“I mean, it’s not but...it’s fine.”

Olaf raised a hand to his face. “Well, the good news is that I have a business proposal for you.”

Kristoff’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Yeah?”

“You see, everyday in this city, dead people turn up. Sometimes, these people are murdered without an idea as to who killed them. And when this happens, there’s usually a reward for figuring out who the killer is - a big reward. I get us in to see the body, you take advantage of your party trick, and we split the reward fifty-fifty.”

And so, they did. It was easy, albeit dirty, money. The arrangement itself was rather simple; Olaf was made aware of the terms and conditions, and normally the “transactions” went smoothly. The two men were awarded privacy in the morgue, so long as the coroner was paid off, and Kristoff would set his watch for sixty seconds, ask the deceased who killed them, and then promptly return them to being dead. For a few months, it worked really well, and Kristoff was able to keep his struggling business afloat. He was able to justify it all because it brought justice to the bad people of the world. Until the winter morning that everything got flipped on its head. 

It was a quiet day in January, and Kristoff was sitting in his apartment, which was situated above his shop. The television was on in the background as he lounged on the couch with a bowl of cereal, his dog Sven on the floor a few feet away. Suddenly, the tone of the news program changed to alert its viewers of breaking news.

“The body of a young woman has been found in a snow bank directly outside of a popular ski resort,” the news reporter announced. “While her name is being withheld at this time, it has been confirmed that she was traveling alone at the time of her death. Officials are still unsure if foul play was involved, or if this was some kind of tragic accident.”

Kristoff’s attention was immediately drawn to the unnamed dead woman. For some reason he couldn’t explain, he had an icy, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach about her. And sure enough, later that day, all of his fears would be confirmed. 

It was nearing mid-afternoon when Olaf walked into his empty shop. He was sitting on a stool behind a counter, when the other man walked up and placed a folded newspaper on the counter.

“How’s it going, pal?”

“It’s going,” Kristoff answered, glancing down at the paper. 

“You've been keeping up with the news?”

“Of course,” he nodded. “It’s all about that dead girl.”

“Cops think she was murdered - no idea who did it, though. Autopsy said she was suffocated, so she was already dead when they put her in the snow. Big reward.”

“Yeah?” He asked, feigning aloofness.

Olaf narrowed his eyes. “Are you playing stupid?”

“No, why would you think that?”

“Because I just told you that the dead girl was probably murdered and that there was a lot of money to find her killer, and you’re the only one who can find out who that bastard is.”

Kristoff stared blankly at the other man.

“The clock is ticking. They’re hauling her body to the cemetery today.”

“So soon?”

“No friends, one family member. No point in letting her fester. Are you in or not?”

“Do I have a choice?” Kristoff asked drily.

“Good answer. Now let’s get moving, we have a long drive and you need to change your clothes.”

He glanced down at his outfit before standing up and walking around the counter. “Where are we going, exactly?”

“A small town called Arendelle.”

He swallowed, unsure if he heard the detective correctly. “Arendelle?”

“Yeah, are you familiar with it?” Olaf asked, picking his newspaper up off of the counter, folding it up, and tucking it into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. 

Kristoff nodded. “I grew up there. Until I was ten.”

“Well, I hope you’re ready to go back.”

“Do you…?” he started, then trailed off. He was almost afraid to ask.

The other man looked at him pointedly. “Do I what?”

“Her name,” he spit out. “Do you know her name?”

“Anna Andersen.” He pronounced the first “A” in her name incorrectly; pronouncing it like the “a” in “apple” instead of like the “a” in “alms.”

“Anna,” he whispered, correcting the other man’s pronunciation.

The detective cocked an eyebrow. “You know her?”

“She lived across the street from me,” he answered, simply. It wasn’t enough to convince the other man.

“Seems like she was more than just a neighbor.”

“I haven’t seen her since I was ten,” he shrugged, though a profuse blush was spreading across his cheeks.

“Mmhmm,” Olaf acknowledged, though he remained unconvinced. “Well, we better get moving. 

And the next thing Kristoff knew, they were on the road. He wasn’t quite sure how he ended up driving, though he was grateful for the distraction. His mind was spinning; he couldn’t believe that she was gone, forever, and worse, that he was going to be forced to have one measly minute with her when he selfishly wanted more. He wasn’t even sure if she’d remember him after so much time had passed - perhaps if she didn’t, it would make it easier on him. And then there was the other problem - should he mention that he’s the reason her father died?

His heart started palpitating as they drove past the cheerfully colored “Welcome to Arendelle” sign, and it only worsened as they pulled up in front of the funeral home. It was so loud that he was positive that Olaf could hear it. 

He was overcome with a wave of nausea as he stood unmoving by the car, staring up at the looming building. It wasn’t until Olaf, now a few feet ahead, cleared his throat and motioned for him to follow. He did, shoving his hands into his pockets. He watched as the detective handed the funeral director a wad of cash, and the two men were led to a room at the end of the hallway.

“Would you mind if I did this one alone?” Kristoff asked, once the funeral director was out of earshot. They hadn’t entered the room yet, and were standing in front of the still-closed door. “Because I knew her?”

“What could you possibly have to say to her that you can’t say in front of me?” Olaf shot back, obviously offended by Kristoff’s proposal. “We’re here to find out who killed her.”

“I know, but she was my friend,” he begged, a few beads of sweat starting to gather by his hairline. “I could use the closure.”

“Fine,” Olaf grumbled. “But you better ask who killed her first.”

“I will.”

“And remember, you have one minute. Not a second longer.” His tone was stern, and he raised a finger as a warning.

“I know the rules,” Kristoff assured him. “Wait in the car?”

Olaf muttered something under his breath, but willingly walked away from the situation. Kristoff held his breath and pushed open the door to the room; it was small, and in the center was a shiny white casket. He hesitantly approached it, trying to gain his composure. The entire thing was surreal; he felt like this was some kind of twisted dream. Acknowledging the fact that he didn’t have much time, he opened the casket and looked down.

She looked ethereal; just like he remembered, but obviously much older. She was wearing an off-white lace dress, her hair parted down the center and each half was neatly draped over her shoulders. Bile rose in his throat as he stared at her, unsure if he could do it. Though it would bring her killer to justice, he was also being selfish.

After another moment or two of looking at her, he decided it was time. He set the timer on his watch, slowly brought his trembling hand to her face, and delicately tapped her cheek with his index finger before taking a step back. She sucked in a breath of air and her eyes flew open. And then she jumped out of the casket.

“I’ll kill you!” She yelled, grabbing the first thing she could - which just so happened to be a candelabra off the fireplace next to the coffin.

“Anna, stop!” He begged, bringing his hands up to his face to protect it in case she decided to throw the candelabra at him. “It’s me - Kristoff - from across the street.”

The look of anger that had shrouded her face quickly faded away and a look of relief washed over her instead. Her hand went limp and the candelabra fell to the floor. “Kristoff.”

She took a few steps toward him with her arms reached forward, prepared to pull him into a hug. He stepped backwards, eventually colliding with the wall. “You can’t touch me,” he warned. 

“Oh.” Her arms fell to her sides and she glanced over at the coffin. “That’s mine isn’t it?”

He swallowed. “Yes. Do you know what happened?”

“I mean, I was hoping that it was all a dream. That I wasn’t suffocated to death with a pillow.”

“You were,” he frowned. “I’m really sorry.”

She blinked a few times, placing a hand on the edge of the casket, but she didn’t say anything.

So, he spoke again. The clock was ticking. “While there’s a lot I’m sure we both want to say, we have less than a minute. So, I have to ask - do you know who killed you, Anna?”

She shook her head, her eyes cast downward. “I don’t - I was sleeping. I didn’t wake up until the pillow was over my face. I’m sorry.”

Kristoff exhaled harshly, feeling defeated. They wouldn’t be able to bring her killer to justice. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“How much time do I have left?”

He glanced down at his watch. “Forty seconds, give or take.”

She gave him a sad smile. “That’s not enough, I have so much to say. All those years, I wondered what happened to you. You just disappeared. I kept hoping that you would come back, but...you didn’t.”

“I’m sorry, I -” he was trying to find the words, but it was difficult. He had so much that he wanted to say. None of this was fair. “The state took me away and sold the house.”

“Well, since I don’t have much time left, I just want you to know that I missed you a lot. And I never stopped thinking about you.”

“I never stopped thinking about you, either,” he confessed. “Life just...wasn’t the same without you.”

“I wish things would’ve worked out differently,” she sighed. “My time is almost up, isn’t it?”

He took another look at his watch before nodding solemnly. Twenty-five seconds.

“I’m glad that you were the last person I got to see before...you know.” She huffed a nervous laugh. “Um, if it’s not too much, could you tell my sister that I’m sorry? And that I love her?”

“Of course,” he promised, though he wasn’t sure if Elsa would be keen to visitors. 

“And I hope this isn’t too forward, considering we haven’t seen each other in so long, but I want you to know that I always had feelings for you, and they never went away.”

“Me too,” he said, quickly, a blush creeping over his face. “I mean, my feelings for you never went away, either.”

“How does this work?” She asked. “You just touch me again, and that’s it?”

“Yeah,” he answered, wishing that it wouldn’t have to be this way.

She nodded once, inhaling deeply. “Okay.”

He took a slow step toward her. They had less than ten seconds left now. 

“You could kiss me,” she blurted out suddenly. “That probably sounds crazy but it would bookend everything. You would be my first kiss and my last kiss.”

His breath hitched in his throat, and he nodded, willing to grant her her dying wish. She closed her eyes, and he leaned down, ready to press his lips to hers and then promptly catch her limp body. But instead, he took a step backwards.

She opened her eyes and looked over at him. “What are you doing? Isn’t my minute up?”

Though he was grotesquely aware of the consequences, he had already made his decision. He didn’t want to live his life without her, as selfish as that was. “What if you didn’t have to die?”

“That would definitely be preferable,” she said, a look of relief washing over her features. 

“Okay, look, I’m not supposed to do this because there are grave consequences,” he said in one quick breath. “But I can’t just let you die, again.”

“What are the consequences?”

He closed his eyes, ashamed to admit the truth. “Someone else has to die in your place.”

Her face fell. “Oh.” 

“But it’s already too late,” he assured her, waving his hands rapidly. “I know it’s selfish of me, but I’m not ready to let you go.”

The corners of her lips quirked up slightly. “I’m not ready to let you go, either.”

“Great,” he huffed a sigh of relief. “We have a lot to talk about, though. And we have to get out of here.”

“I can’t just walk out of here,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I’m supposed to be dead.”

He glanced rapidly around the room. “The casket. You have to get back inside.”

“Okay,” she agreed, climbing back in.

“Now, just lay really still,” he directed her. “I’m going to follow the hearse to the cemetery.”

She nodded, and he closed the lid. Wiping the sweat off of his brow, he hastily opened the door and raced out of the funeral home. As expected, Olaf was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, reading his newspaper.

“How did it go?” The detective asked, as soon as Kristoff hopped into the car.

“Uh, it went well.”

Olaf cocked his head. “Did you find out who killed her?”

“No, she didn’t know,” he answered, as he started the car.

“Of course not,” the detective groaned. “Did you get your closure, at least?”

He was staring at his rearview mirror, trying to catch the moment the hearse pulled away from the building. “Sort of.”

“Why aren’t you driving?”

“Oh, I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to go to the cemetery and see the burial.” 

Olaf narrowed his eyes. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, sorry. It shouldn’t take long.” 

“I knew I should’ve driven,” he sneered, unable to hide his annoyance.

A few moments later, the hearse was driving down the street and Kristoff was following closely behind. The cemetery was a short drive away, and because no one was going to be attending the burial, that in itself was going to be quick. He had to come up with a plan.

The two men sat in the car and watched as the casket was brought over to the plot of land where it was going to be buried. Finally, Kristoff got out of the car and walked over, just in time to see it get lowered a few feet into the ground. 

“Hey,” he said to the gravediggers, who turned their attention away from the shovels in their hands. He pointed towards the entrance of the cemetery. “There were some kids near the front. I think they were defacing one of the stones.”

The two men quickly dropped their shovels and raced toward the pickup truck parked a few feet away from Kristoff’s car. As soon as they drove off, he got onto the ground and opened the lid to the casket.

“Thanks for coming back,” Anna smiled.

“After all that, you thought I was going to just leave you here?”

“No,” she giggled. “I’m just really happy you came back.”

He smiled down at her. “Come on, we have to go.”

He wished he could help her out, but luckily, it wasn’t a difficult climb. As soon as she was back on the grass, he closed the lid to the casket. 

“My car is right over there,” he said, pointing at the old car. He still hadn’t decided how he was going to explain this to Olaf, but it didn’t matter at this point. It was already done.

She squinted at it. “Is someone in your car?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s Olaf. He’s my...business partner?” What he also hadn’t thought of was that he was going to have to explain who Olaf was to her and the unorthodox partnership that they had arranged. He decided to cross that bridge when they came to it.

The two of them climbed into the car, Kristoff in the driver’s seat and Anna in the backseat. Upon hearing both doors close, the formerly distracted Olaf turned his attention to the new passenger, and then to Kristoff.

“Kristoff,” he said, a fake smile plastered across his face. “Who’s your friend?”

“I’m Anna,” she answered cheerfully.

The fake smile remained. “Why is the dead girl in your car and not in the ground?” 

“I needed closure,” Kristoff shrugged.

“Your closure was supposed to last sixty seconds.”

“To be fair,” Anna chimed in, “there is a lot of history here. A minute wasn’t long enough.”

Kristoff nodded along with her statement.

The detective was seething. “Does she know about the terms and conditions that came along with her newfound gift of life? That someone else died in her place?”

“She’s aware,” Anna answered, referring to herself in third person. “She’s not thrilled about it, but she’s extremely grateful that she’s alive.”

“And you both acknowledge that I could’ve been the one to die in her place, right?”

“That’s why I asked you to wait in the car,” Kristoff explained.

“You were planning on doing this all along?!”

“No! Yes? I don’t know, I wanted options!” He exclaimed, starting to feel a little flustered. “Look, it’s over. I’m going to start driving now, we all need to go home and sleep on this.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drive back was a lot tamer than the few minutes they spent sitting in the cemetery. Olaf spent most of the drive muttering to himself, clearly upset that he could’ve been a casualty of Kristoff’s impulsivity. Once they reached the music shop, well past dark, Olaf parted ways without saying a word to either of them, and Kristoff brought Anna upstairs to his apartment. As soon as they entered, Sven perked his head up.

“Oh, you have a dog!” She exclaimed, rushing over to him and immediately dropping to her knees. “He looks just like Sven.”

“That is Sven,” he said, dropping his keys on the small table by the front door.

“You saved him, too?”

“He was the first,” Kristoff explained. “That’s how I…found out about all of this.”

“I see,” she said, smothering the dog with pets and kisses. “You can’t touch him either?”

He stood on the opposite side of the room, his arms tightly crossed over his chest. “No. But, um, we kind of have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes, we do,” she agreed, looking over at him. “So I can’t touch you at all, right?”

He shook his head. “No. Even the slightest touch would mean that you die permanently.”

“No hugs?”

“No hugs,” he answered.

“But what if you need a hug?” She looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

“I haven’t hugged anyone in years, I think I’ll be okay.”

“Fine, what if I need a hug?”

He grimaced. “I’m sorry?” Was all that he could offer.

“And that means no kisses, too, right?”

He shook his head again, suddenly aware that the tips of his ears were burning. “No kisses.”

“Darn,” she said, softly, gently stroking Sven’s fur.

“You can stay here as long as you want,” he promised. “It’ll take a little getting used to, but I’d love the company. Or, you can leave. It’s your second chance at life and you can live it however you want to.”

“Don’t be silly,” she cooed. “I don’t want to leave. The last time I had the desire to leave somewhere, I literally died.” She annunciated each syllable in the world “literally” as if to stress the importance of its meaning. 

“I just don’t want you to think that you’re obligated to stay,” he offered, shrugging his shoulders. “You can have my bed until we can figure out some kind of a sleeping arrangement.”

“I wish sharing was an option,” she said absently, continuing to focus on the dog. “But you don’t have to give up your bed for me.”

“I insist,” he said. He walked over to the couch and plopped down on it. “I’m so tired, I’m just going to stay right here.”

“You’re still wearing your suit,” she pointed out.

“Don’t care. I know you don’t have a change of clothes with you, so feel free to wear something of mine.”

“You want me to go through your drawers?”

“Don’t know what you’d be comf…” he mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed, unable to finish the sentence.

Anna couldn’t help but smile at him; he certainly didn’t look comfortable laying on the couch like that, but she could only imagine how drained he felt.

But an hour later, she, too, would feel incredibly drained. She had yet to change out of the dress she was supposed to be buried in, and was sitting on the edge of Kristoff’s bed, watching television. The entire situation was difficult for her to wrap her head around, and it didn’t help that nearly every station was covering her story. She was grateful that Elsa had chosen a photo to release where she didn’t quite look like herself; a photo from when she was nineteen and had dyed her hair blonde. She was glad that it had been five years and the blonde was gone and she hoped that the world wouldn’t recognize her as the “dead girl” if she went out into it. 

She had never expected to see her own face on television in such a morbid, dismal way. Dubbed a “lonely tourist,” a part of her regretted ever venturing out to that ski resort in the first place. She wished she would’ve been content with the life she was living; just her and Elsa, in their childhood home. Reading books and tending to her garden, but always craving something more. She wondered how Elsa had been coping with all of this; she never ventured out of the house, due to her rampant fear of social situations. Anna was practically her caretaker, and now she’d have no one. She wished she could see her sister again. She wished she’d never left in the first place. 

Snapping out of her daydream and turning her attention back to the TV, the news reporters were now talking about how her murderer was still on the lam, and the large reward for information pertaining to the case. Upon hearing about the reward, she had a flashback to the viewing room; one of the first things that Kristoff had asked her was if she knew who murdered her. Was he out for the reward money? And the man in his car, Olaf, his “business partner.” What type of business were they running? Suddenly feeling very restless and alone, she turned off the television and went back into the living room.

She perched herself on the coffee table, a safe distance from the couch, and grabbed the remote. Gently, she poked Kristoff’s arm with it.

“Kristoff?” She whispered.

“Huh?” He stirred, his eyes barely opening. He wiped at his mouth and sat up slightly. “Is something wrong?”

“Not really,” she lied, but then decided honesty was more valuable. “Well, maybe a little. They were talking about me on TV.”

“What were they saying?”

“They’re calling me a ‘lonely tourist.’ They’re not wrong, but it’s weird.”

He was now wide awake, focusing solely on her. “I can only imagine.”

“Apparently there’s a big reward for finding the person who murdered me.”

The color drained from his face when she said that. “Yeah?”

She inhaled deeply. “You said Olaf was your business partner. What kind of business do you two run?”

“I have the music shop right downstairs,” he admitted, though it was a half-truth. That wasn't what she was asking.

“And Olaf?”

“He’s a private detective.”

“I guess I should just come out and say it,” she said, slightly frustrated at his hesitance. “Was I an opportunity for monetary gain?”

His eyebrows furrowed together. “Pardon?”

“The reward money. In that first minute, you made it a point to ask me who killed me. Was it for the reward money?”

“No!” He insisted. “It was for justice. I mean, the only reason I found out that it was you was because of Olaf and the reward. I had already agreed to go before he told me that it was you.”

“So, your business is to go to funerals, wake the dead, find out who killed them, and collect the reward money?”

“Yeah,” he answered sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Are you mad at me?”

She blinked. “I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to be mad when I’m sitting here in front of you and I should be six feet under.”

“I swear, I only go in with good intentions. To see justice be served. Killers behind bars. The reward money is a bonus; it’s how I keep the music shop in business.”

Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“Don’t be - it’s a little shady. The entire thing was Olaf’s idea. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he saw me accidentally bring a man back to life and then immediately re-dead him. If he hadn’t seen me, I’d just be a guy with an ability that no one else knows about.”

“And I’d be in the ground,” she added.

He huffed out a nervous laugh. “Yeah.” 

“Part of me wishes that I’d never gone to that stupid ski resort. Why did I have to hate my life? Why couldn’t I just be satisfied with the life I had?”

He paused briefly before responding. “I think it’s natural for us to want to try new things.”

“I feel bad for my poor sister. She barely functioned when I was home, and she warned me about leaving, and now she thinks that I’m dead.” She buried her face in her hands.

“What about your mother?”

“She died a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

She pulled her hands away from her face and ran her fingers through her hair. “You wouldn’t have known. Please don’t think that I’m not happy to be here, because I really am thrilled to be alive and with you, and I’m not taking any of this for granted. It just feels so...strange. Confusing.”

He nodded in agreement. “It will be an adjustment for both of us. There’s still a lot we have to talk about.” The truth about her father was one of the things that he knew he’d have to bring up eventually, though he was absolutely dreading the thought of it.

“I’m sorry for waking you up. I just needed someone to talk to.”

“It’s fine,” he assured her, laying back against the couch. “But you should try to get some sleep. It was kind of a crazy day for you.”

She placed her hands flat on her thighs for a minute before standing up. “Thank you again for rescuing me, today.”

“Of course,” he smiled. “And Anna? I just want you to know that I’d make the same decision again in a heartbeat. No doubt in my mind.”

“Thank you,” she blushed. “Goodnight, Kristoff.”

“Goodnight.”

And so she retreated to his bedroom, keeping her dress on and laying on top of his sheets. She still felt a bit restless, and so she turned to face the wall on the left side of the bed, lifted up her left arm and pressed her palm flatly against it.

Just on the other side of the wall, Kristoff had turned to face the inside of the couch. Unable to sleep and unaware that Anna was doing the same, he raised his right arm and placed his hand against the wall.

Unbeknownst to either of them, without the wall as a barrier of protection, their hands would be touching.

[who-gave-atlas-a-pencil]

boats and birds

A/N: So I couldn’t not write this after watching Episode 45. I just couldn’t shake the idea of Molly joining Twiggy in the rigging and so this happened? Doesn’t really have much to do with the original idea anymore, but that’s beside the point! I hope you enjoy my first attempt at writing critical role fanfic. : D (Oh, also - the title comes from the song “Boats and Birds” by Gregory and the Hawk. It weirdly reminds me a lot of widomauk? Not sure why, but there you have it.)

Summary: Molly enjoys acrobatics but doesn’t excel at them, Caleb’s sense of humour is called into question, and Twiggy has a knack for causing cute moments even when she isn’t directly involved.

Read it on AO3

The sunlight is warm against his skin as Molly hangs upside down from the rigging that goes up to the crow’s nest, drifting in a lazy circle. It’d be an easy enough task to unhook his foot from the rope he has it coiled in and give a quick flip to stick the landing, but there’s something oddly comforting about hanging upside down like this. It reminds him of the circus, and of the Knot Sisters dangling and contorting themselves every night as part of their act. They’d been two of the grumpiest people he’d ever known, prior to meeting Beauregard. He wonders how they’re doing.

“Hey Molly!” Jester’s voice rings out from above him, and he glances up – down? – to look at her. She’s leaning over the edge of the crow’s nest, grinning ear to ear. “Why are you just hanging there? Are you stuck again?”

“Never,” Molly calls back, and kicks himself free. It takes a few attempts and he ends up flailing gracelessly for a moment before he catches himself on a rope and scrambles back up to join Jester. Propping his chin on his hands, he tangles a leg around the posts of the nest and grins at her. “Did you need something, darling?”

“Noooooo, not really,” Jester singsongs in her familiar, slightly childish way. “Twiggy’s been talking to Caleb forever though and playing with Frumpkin and it’s boring up here without people to talk to.” She leans in closer to him. “Actually, though, were you stuck just now? Because you looked kind of stuck and you were flopping a bit – you know, like Nott did that one time when she fell in the water she was walking on because she tripped on a rock?”

Molly smothers his grin and glances around before leaning in conspiratorially. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Yes, of course. I’m like, the best secret-keeper of all time. Well, I’ll probably tell the Traveler, but he’s always here so he’s gonna know anyway.”

“Alright then. Truth is….I really wasn’t stuck.” Molly grins and taps Jester on the nose, then steps back off the nest and catches himself, swinging from the ropes again.

Above him, Jester is looking down with her eyes scrunched up at the corners. “You were too. Just a little.”

“Maybe a little,” Molly concedes. “But I have to have an off-day every now and then, otherwise Nott might get jealous and then where would we be? I mean, look at this.” He lets himself relax, his legs slipping from the coils of rope. He means to fall a bit, to catch himself and swing around gracefully in some dramatic and appropriately glorious echo of Twiggy’s earlier descent. Instead, a wind picks up at the exact moment he lets go, blowing the ropes out of reach so that suddenly he’s in free fall. He curses, scrambling for a hold to avoid taking the full brunt of the sudden stop at the bottom and manages to grab a rope just tightly enough to almost dislocate his shoulder before he loses his grip again and crashes the rest of the way to the deck below.

For a moment, the wind is knocked out of him with such force that it’s all he can do to blink at the sky like an idiot. He doesn’t feel terribly injured, but he can already tell that his back and tailbone both are going to be one enormous bruise for a few days. Jester calls something he can’t make out, and he waits for the static to clear.

It’s then that Beau appears over him, her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. “Wow. Was this how your audition for the acrobatics act at the circus went too? Think I get why they had you telling fortunes and spreading bullshit now.”

“Fuck you, Beau.”

“Fuck you too, Molly,” Beau says, and pulls him to his feet. “Anything broken?”

Molly blinks the last of the stars out of his eyes and twists gingerly. “Nothing at all.”

“Yeah, I figured. I mean, it’s not like you had pride to injure, right?”

Molly opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off by the sound of applause. He looks up to see Jester  cheering, her voice magnified by the familiar thaumaturgy spell. “That was a really great fall, Molly! I’m really impressed!”

Molly gives a little bow and turns his wince into a smile. “Thank you, thank you. I’ve been practising. I’m glad it’s working in my favour.”

“Keep practising,” Beau advises, then claps Molly on his now-injured shoulder and walks away. He’s still rubbing at it ruefully and wondering how to best get her back for that when Twiggy runs past him, a grime coloured blur chasing after Frumpkin. Molly scans the deck for Caleb, then blinks.

The wizard is sitting cross legged on the deck, a spell book lying open in front of him and Twiggy’s Happy Fun Ball in his lap. Because Molly is an idiot and likes to pretend that he has a chance of breaking through the ten layers of trauma Caleb wears like a second skin to find the person underneath and convince him he’s worth something, he takes a minute to appreciate the view. Caleb’s shirt is unbuttoned at the neck, his sleeves rolled up to where the bandages on his arms stop, and as he ducks his head the sun glints copper off his hair.

He’s bloody beautiful, dirt and all. He’s also beet red, his cheeks stained with a particular shade of cherry that Molly hasn’t seen since Nott alerted them all to his “heart condition.” Before he can think better of the idea, Molly’s already walking closer, his pain forgotten and a grin on his face. “Mister Caleb?”

Caleb’s head shoots up, and though Molly hadn’t been certain such a thing was possible his flush seems to deepen as he clears his throat. “Mister Mollymauk. Do you need something?”

“Not at all. Do you?”

“I…No? Why do you ask?”

“Your face is all red. I was wondering if the heat was getting to you.” Molly plops down to sprawl in front of Caleb and leans forward onto his elbows. “You know, I hear a glass of water is great for that. Mug of ale, maybe.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Caleb looks away and clears his throat.

“I thought you were Caleb?”

That earns him a vaguely disappointed look. “That was a terrible joke, Mollymauk.”

“It was worth a try.” Molly inches forward a bit, close enough that Caleb has to move the spellbook slightly to keep him from laying on it. “You know, I’m not sure you get to be the judge on jokes anymore, Mister Caleb. Twiggy didn’t even get a chuckle out of you earlier.”

“I am not a happy guy,” Caleb says, with a shrug and the exact same intonation he’d used before.

“Who says you have to be happy to laugh? A joke’s still a joke, and if it’s funny that’s just how it is. Don’t tell me Zemnians don’t believe in jokes.”

“Of course we have jokes.”

Molly raises an eyebrow. “Oh? Tell me one, then. I’m all ears.”

“They are not funny if you are not Zemnian.”

“Nonsense,” Molly says and waves a hand. “The only jokes that aren’t funny are puns in a language you don’t speak. Try me.”

Caleb gives him a long, steady look that Molly returns with a shameless grin. Nearly a minute passes before Caleb finally gives a begrudging, exhausted sigh. “Fine, yes. One joke. But then you let me work on this puzzle ball for a minute, ja? It is very arcane and interesting and I’m not certain if our friend will let me keep it when we part ways.”

Molly crosses his heart and grins. “Scout’s honour.”

“I very much doubt you were a scout, but I will hold you to that. Alright. Don’t say I did not warn you.” Caleb sighs again, his eyes drifting to some point in the distance. “Can a kangaroo jump higher than a house?”

“I don’t know, can it?”

“Ja, of course. A house cannot jump. Ha-ha, very funny, right?” Caleb looks down at Molly and shrugs just barely. “I told you, it isn’t funny unless you are Zemnian.”

He’s right. The joke isn’t all that funny. But there’s something about Caleb’s deadpan delivery, the circumstance, the colouring still fading from Caleb’s cheeks that it all catches Molly in just the right nonsensical combination that he laughs anyway, the reaction pulled from him without his permission. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the confusion on the wizard’s face, the way his brow furrows and the corner of his lip twitches up slightly, and the sight makes Molly even giddier because he’s not convinced he’s ever seen Caleb smile at anything but a bookshop and the fact that he’s doing so even vaguely now isn’t much, but it damn well is something.

“This is not the reaction I was expecting,” Caleb mutters, so quiet Molly almost misses it.

He dashes the tears of laughter out of the corner of his eye. “That was awful. I loved it. Got any more like that?”

“Ja, probably. I would have to think on it a bit first, but I am sure I could remember some. First, I would really like to work out this puzzle, though-”

“Right, the Happy Fun Ball. We had a deal.” The last bits of laughter fading, Molly straightens up into a sitting position. “I’m nothing if not honest, but I hope you know I’ll be bugging you soon for more terrible jokes.”

For a moment, Caleb looks even more confused than before. Then he nods, just barely. “Ja, alright. I will try to remember some more.”

“Good.” Molly pushes himself to his feet and looks down at Caleb, his hair still copper in the sunlight. “You know, I’m gonna go tell that one to Twiggy and Nott. Maybe they can surprise you with it if one of them tries to cast that spell on you again.”

Caleb glances up, his eyebrows furrowed. “And what would be the purpose of that?”

“Because maybe it’ll actually get you to laugh. I’d like to see that sometime.” Molly grins at the surprised look on Caleb’s face, reveling in it in the brief moment he has before it registers what exactly he’s just said, then reaches out to ruffle his hair as he passes. “Happy studies, Mr. Caleb,” he calls over his shoulder, and wonders if he imagined the way that Caleb’s cheeks flushed red again.

[what-if-rpg]

Welcome to the family, KATT! Your application to COLLEEN BERRY (FC: Chyler Leigh) was accepted. I am really happy to give you your third and last character! Make sure to read the beginners checklist, and remember, have fun! I can’t wait to roleplay with you! Have fun!

IN CHARACTER

CHARACTER NAME: Colleen Elyse Berry CHARACTER AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 37 & November 25th OCCUPATION: Professor at Ohio State FACE CLAIM: Chyler Leigh HOMETOWN & CITY WHERE LIVES NOW: Unknown (Born On The Road) & Lima, OH SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER: Queer & Cis-Female RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single POSITIVE TRAITS: Protective, Family Oriented, Determined NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, Impulsive, Excitable CHARACTER QUOTE/LYRIC: There’s a lot of irony surrounding someone who grew up in the circus that’s allergic to peanuts, but it just proves I was born to defy any reasonable explanations about life and how I’m supposed to live it. ANYTHING ELSE?: n/a SECONDARY CHARACTER CHOICE: n/a

HEADCANONS

Colleen was born Colleen Waller. For the first ten years of her life, her and her twin sister, Theresa, were raised on the road, as part of a circus troupe. At the age of three, Colleen’s parents died in an accident. The girls were kept in the circus, being cared for by the troupe. Colleen ran away from the circus at ten, while in Ohio. She’d tried to get her sister to join her in running away but the much quieter girl refused. She managed to be found by police and because the circus hadn’t noticed her disappearance, thanks to her sister covering for her, she was put into the system.

It was shortly after this that Colleen met Breeze. She was drawn to the younger girl, having had many “younger siblings” who she often tried to get to smile or laugh. Seeing the younger girl so down, Colleen did her best to befriend the girl, wanting to make her feel like someone wanted her. When the Berrys came through, Colleen worried she’d lose her new found little sister, but it seemed the Berrys were looking for more than one child to care for. The idea of once again being part of a big family, excited Colleen. When the Berrys adopted her, she was thankful, the idea of possibly having to return to the system scared her, because she was older than most and likely to age out of the system.

She was somewhere between a nerd and a jock, after being adopted by the Berrys. She played field hockey, did gymnastics, and sung in choir. She worked out between sessions of D&D and playing video games. She was just an all around people person, a remnant of being raised communally in a circus. She also took to teaching anyone willing, the tricks she’d learned in the circus. These things didn’t change with age, but she slowly started to hone in on what she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to teach, specifically, she wanted to teach English. While at the University of Pittsburgh, Colleen took an interest in feminism, queer history, and the ways in which those things overlapped with each other and the world at large. It led her to continue on through both a master’s degree and her doctorate, so that she could become a tenured professor. Being an activist and a professor seemed to go hand in hand for Colleen.

Once Colleen started college, she started her hunt for Theresa. She tracked the circus, and Theresa’s life, until the troupe disbanded, three years after Colleen ran away. Unfortunately, the trail seemed to go cold at that point. However, Colleen kept her hopes up. Anytime a travelling circus came through Pittsburgh, or the surrounding areas, she’d go. It was while at one of these that Colleen found her sister. It had actually been a case of mistaken identity by a young boy that had led to the reunion of the sisters. The young boy was revealed to be her nephew, Eli. The pair vowed to keep in touch, as Theresa really did enjoy life on the road, where Colleen had learned to settle down. Anytime their paths cross, they meet up, though it is rare. Colleen is just happy to have her twin back in life.

Despite the fact Colleen settled herself in Pittsburgh, working as a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, she was always quick to come home for family events. Any excuse to go home and see her family, she took. Many times she considered transferring to Ohio State, but most times they couldn’t offer her the transfer and her tenure, at the same time. However, as soon as the offer was on the table, as she kept in contact with Ohio State, she took it. Returning home to Lima and to her family.

CONNECTIONS

Raven Berry & Tyrese Berry (PARENTS): Colleen is forever thankful to the Berrys for adopting her and does her best to see them as many times a year as possible, always coming home for family holidays and sending them gifts on their birthdays and anniversary. Breeze Rose-Berry (SISTER): Colleen is closest to Breeze, of her siblings, with good reason. They bonded initially in the system and Colleen became extremely protective over her. Breeze had always been open to Colleen’s stranger ideas, including teaching circus tricks to. That hasn’t changed and their bond has only gotten stronger over the years. Leon Berry, Leroy Berry, Monica Berry & Evelyn Berry (SIBLINGS): While she’s not as close to her other siblings as she is Breeze, Colleen still considers herself close with them and makes a point to spend time with them whenever possible. Rachel Berry (NIECE): Colleen did her best to establish a relationship with Rachel, even when the girl was young. Being so family oriented, Colleen did her best to be around for every big event in Rachel’s life, even when it meant skipping classes, long drives, and red eye flights from Pittsburgh back home to Lima, and later to New York. She supports Rachel the best she can, in everything the girl does, just happy to know her family is happy. Iris Rose-Berry (SISTER-IN-LAW): Colleen will be the first to admit she’s a little mad that the Berry sibling married to Iris, is Breeze. Not that she’d want it any other way, because she knows that they’re happy. She only ever brings it up when she’s looking to fluster Iris. She considers herself close to the other woman and does her best to hang out with her when they both can. They get together most often to commiserate over their mutual dislike of Breeze’s job and their inability to do more than just support the woman in it.

[bynewtscamander]

The Crimes of Grindelwald Review (Spoiler heavy!!)

Alright I’ll start off with a basic (post writing it: it is not basic whoops) plot synopsis for those of you nosy people who want to know what’s up before seeing the movie, or for those who can’t afford to go the movies, etc. 

So basically Grindelwald escapes from prison by enchanting Abernathy and switching places with him via polyjuice potion (?) that’s my assumption just cause a spell would probably be too much work given the circumstances. He heads off to Paris and kills a family and takes over their house. He’s there with some french woman who is basically his henchman, the bellatrix to his voldemort. Newt is in London as the British Ministry has forbidden him to travel outside the country. He’s there taking care of all his creatures in his house with the help of his assistant Bunty. Queenie and a love enchanted Jacob show up and talk with Newt. Newt lifts the spell on Jacob that Queenie put, and J&Q fight and Queenie heads off to Paris where Tina is stationed as an auror looking for Credence. Cut to Tina at the magic circus (located in the diagon alley of Paris) snooping about where we learn Credence is basically the circus janitor and is in love with human form Nagini. Shows happening, Nagini transforms, and behind the scenes Credence release a bunch of creatures to cause havoc so he and Nagini can escape. They dissaperate I think. The circus packs up and moves on to who knows where. Tina runs off to investigate stuff and runs into this other guy who’s also there looking for Credence. They have a talk at a street cafe. Jacob and Newt use a portkey to go to Paris and head to the Paris diagon. Newt uses a spell to see what happened there and they follow a feather to find the guy Tina was with so they can find Tina. They meet up with said guy outside of the street cafe and have a talk. Queenie is on her own and looking for Jacob. She gets discouraged and sits on a street corner sad and french bellatrix shows up and talks with her. Newt and Jacob find Tina and they all end up getting locked in a cell by the other auror guy. He passes out and Pickett picks the lock and they escape easy peasy. Newt was told by Dumbledore really early in the movie to go to a safe house in Paris so that’s where Newt and Jacob and Tina go and they bring the auror guy to help him. They get some info from his and Tina runs off and Jacob urges Newt to follow. Jacob watches the auror, who made an unbreakable vow, while he recovers from some magical parasite. He falls asleep and wakes up and finds out Nick Flamel lives there, and the auror guy makes a break for it. Nick shows Jacob a crystal ball and he sees Q and runs off to find her. In the meantime Q was talked into following Grindelwald so she and Jacob can get married in his new “utopian” society. Meanwhile Credence and Nagini are looking for his birth mother and Grindelwald is trying to recruit him. They don’t find her. The British Ministry is keeping close eyes on Dumbledore since they know he’s in major kahoots with Newt. Flashbacks to Leta and Newt at school. Small subplot is that some gossip magazine printed that Leta and Newt were now engaged but it’s actually Theseus and Leta. Back to the main plot, Newt and Tina break into the Paris Ministry to find records of the LeStrange family. Newt uses polyjuice to become Theseus. They get in and are looking for the records and have a moment in the record library. No kissing, just a moment. Leta comes in also looking for her records. They aren’t there. Leta, Tina, and Newt fight off some ministry guard cats and head off to where the records were moved. Now we’re at the LeStrange tomb where Grindelwald has summoned his followers. Auror guy is there and ends up running into Leta, Credence, Nagini, and possibly Newt and Tina (I can’t remember exactly). They explain the LeStrange background. Leta and auror guy are brother and sister. Ther mother was enchanted away from their father by another man. She falls “in love” with him and marries him and dies after giving birth to Leta who I can’t remember now if she was half-sister to auror guy or full sister. Guy who enchanted their mother remarries and have another kid. Non blood related to auror guy and possibly Leta if she was from og parents. Credence is their brother, sort of. When going to America, Leta and “C” were on a ship and “C” kept crying so she, as a child, switched him out with another baby to get some rest. Ship goes under and “C” dies being believed to be another womans baby. That womans baby survives and is apparently the Credence we know and love. So not related in anyway. Wack. Now the Grindelwald meeting has started and Jacob finds Q there and Tina is there to spy and everyone else joins in and Theseus and his aurors are there to keep an eye on stuff. Grindelwald makes his speech, calls out aurors he knows are there, they come forward and one (planted I believe) lashes out and kills a follower of Grindelwalds. More talking and then Grindelwald tells his followers to go. Most do but obvs Newt, Tina, Queenie, Jacob, Theseus, Leta, Grindelwald, french bellatrix, Credence, Nagini, and possibly Leta’s brother are still there. Grindelwald uses fire to weed out those not loyal. Queenie and Credence both join Grindelwald. Big fight with the fire and Leta sacrifices herself so everyone else can escape. They run into Nick Flamel and they do some more fighting of the fire to save Paris. They go to Hogwarts and Dumbledore gets cleared of suspicion and it is revealed that he and Grindelwald made a magical blood pact (basically an unbreakable vow) to never right each other. Ministry wants Dumbledore to fight cause he’s the only one who can match Grindelwald. Now cut to remote mountains in Austria where Grindelwald and Queenie are discussing Credence. Grindelwald talks to him and it is revealed that he is apparently the 4th Dumbledore sibling? And this bird he was taking care of is turned into Fawkes. I think that’s everything major. 

I definitely forgot stuff and I’m sure some stuff is wrong, I’m writing this 3ish hours after seeing the movie so it is still pretty fresh but I obviously cannot remember nearly 2.5 hours of content. 

Time for my thoughts and opinions and impressions. 

So Grindelwald’s escape. They mention something while he’s in the cell that they cut out his tongue. Later when we find out that Grindel was actually Abernathy he has like a forked tongue so idk if that’s what they meant by cutting it out?? Also I wasn’t a fan of the total demotation of Abernathy as GW henchman. Like I know he wasn’t very nice in the 1st movie but come on. Btw they were moving him from British prison to French cause he committed crimes both places. The French ambassador dude has like this whole moment where he’s fighting this creature and GW and then gets thrown from the flying carriage and almost dies on impact of the water. Then he’s just floating around and never mentioned again. 

I also wanted to know if the family GW killed to take over their house was muggle or not. minor thing. french bellatrix kills like a 2 year old baby they found in the house after killing his parents and I know they’re the bad guys but like it was kinda messed up. 

Newt’s house was dope and everything I expected it would be. His assistant, Bunty, has a crush on him, but he’s too invested in Tina and the animals to care. This is never addressed again. She is never mentioned again after this scene. So I thought it was dumb that her character was even involved and has the crush sub plot. Like either stick with it or make the assistant even more of a throw away character. 

So when Q shows up with J she’s like we’re getting married yay. A few minutes into their reunion with Newt he can tell something is up. He realizes that J is under a love enchantment and urges Q to lift it but she’s all like no no no. I just didn’t understand why she even enchanted him in the first place? Like yes he was against marrying her based on the fact that he didn’t want her to go to prison but like was it necessary to enchant him? idk it just felt stupid and childish and tbh Q is a more developed character than the ditzy blonde who wants to get married. I guess it more just rubbed me the wrong way. 

So J and Q have a fight  where J is like “I dont want to marry you cause I dont want you going jail” which is a totally legitimate reason and like I cant think that there would be any significant benefits to it, i think the big thing for them would be calling each other husband and wife but tbh they could do that anyway so i just thought it made Q seem like a resilient woman who only wants a man to call her own, which like I said earlier, she’s so not. She’s an accomplished legilimens and I feel like her character got a little side lined this movie. So anyway after this fight she heads off to find Tina in Paris.

So the magic circus was super dope, definitely an aspect of the wizarding world I was excited to see. I think they could’ve spent a little more time showing it off and all that cause it was more just a setting to introduce Nagini and what Credence had been up to since the last movie. 

The Nagini Credence romance didn’t really bother me, it’s kind of whatever and good for Credence for caring about someone and having someone care about him and stick by him.

Nagini herself is a whole nother ball game. I was mad dude. I still am. I think it’s one of the stupidest plot twists ever. Cause she’s basically from bloodline that is destined to turn into snakes forever and change every night and then at some point dont change back. It seemed kinda just thrown in there and for god’s sake we didn’t need some deep backstory for Nagini. I liked that she was just a snake cause it made sense for voldemort cause it’s like his closest companion isnt even human, that’s how crazy he is. So like I also dont know if he knew she was a person or what. it poses too many questions for the canon. She had a cool costume design though so i guess thats good. 

The other creatures at the circus were cool too cause it was neat to see a different side to animal keeping that we didnt in the first movie. All chained up for show and from all over the world. I really liked the big cat/dragon creature (im not looking up names rn so as not to break my stream of conciousness too much). Like im a big cat person and im a big dragon person so it was super cute and when newt used the toy for it i was like awwww. 

Side note, Newt when he’s shown at home taking care of his creatures jumps into the water without taking off his shirt and i was hoping this movie for a more indepth dealing with his scars but alas there was none.

I think I would’ve also liked to see more of paris diagon just cause all we get is the circus glimpse and the glimpse when newt and jacob go there and you dont get to really see any shops or stuff. 

The scene where newt uses the revelio spell thats all gold and uses the niffler was great, really liked that, i thought it was super pretty and showed they werent shoving aside the beasts despite it being a more wizard driven plot this time. 

After they meet up with auror guy and are thrown in jail with tina the auror guy passes out after making some little speech about how they were trapped. I dont even think he took their wands or if he did it wasnt shown or made note of. like a minute after theyve been trapped auror guy passes out. they super easily escape with Pickett picking the lock (my guess now is pick-it was the play for his name, well done, cute). So that plot point was barely a plot point.

When they all go to the safe house we find out that auror guy has some sort of water creature parasite in his eye. its gross and tentacally. newt removes it with literal normal tweezers. all it does is make auror guy need to rest for a few hours. once again, barely a plot point.  

Auror guy is also revealed to have the marks of an unbreakable vow, now, correct me if I’m wrong as I’ve only seen the movie once a couple days ago now, but i literally cannot recall what it was for? like idk why have a character make an unbreakable vow, something that was crazy important in book 6, and then make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal or like whatever it was wasn’t significant enough.

So anyway, he escapes while jacob is supposed to be watching him and falls asleep on the job. Then he meets Nick Flamel who I enjoyed being in the movie as it was a good nod to the 1st book. He was a funny character but also very powerful and important. I appreciated that he did look super old cause I think they could’ve easily tried to “sex him up” by making him this banging hot young immortal guy. They didn’t and honestly I prefer it that way. 

Now the crystal ball thing, was Nick Flamel a seer? Once again, may be wrong but I thought like only seers or people gifted with some form of the sight could use them? and like flamel was seeing and showing some intense visions that were very graphic and well formed so it didnt seem like he was a casual. Thats neither here nor there i just thought it was an interesting thing going on.

So now we’re with queenie who is being persuaded by GW to join him so she and jacob can get married. I mean that’s consistent with her character this movie but it does make her seem a bit weak willed. I feel like she should’ve known something was up by using her legilimency to try and poke around with gw or french bellatrix. Obvs they’ve probably trained with occlumency but i think lack of hearing those thoughts would’ve been a big red flag. maybe queenie was too emotional or distraught or whatever to think of it? Seemed like a bit of an oversight. Gahh i just wish they’d shown her resisting a bit more so she didnt seemed weak willed and we could also get a better look into just how convincing gw was. 

So Nagini and Credence have located where his birth mother lived in Paris but when they go there all they find is this half (elf? i think) woman who was Credence’s nanny basically. She basically reveals his mother is dead and credence is very distraught. The one of gw henchmen (who also works for the british ministry) sneaks into the house and kills the nanny in front of credence. Side note, i did like how they showed avada kedavra in a more casual setting because it shows how merciless gw was with it. I felt like with voldemort even though he was merciless and used it a lot, there was still this big dramatic focus on it. I think the casualness added to the morbid atmosphere being presented. 

So credence obvs goes all obscurial on the dude and blows up the house basically and is bombarding him with debris while he’s using a shield charm. The dude dissapperates in the end and credence goes back to being his normal self. And then I think later on at this house gw goes to him and talks him into joining him fully. 

So cut to hogwarts for dumbledore. He’s teaching defense and “dueling” some kid. This kid turns out to be an ancestor of cormac mclaggen which I thought was a nice little easter egg kind of thing cause the kid gets his ass handed to him by dumbledore. So in the middle of this lesson ministry officials show up and they’re like kiddos get out. then a woman only referred to as mcgonagall (since I know there’s been some discourse about that in reference to her birth date and age and whether it’s minerva or not. tbh i did always think mm was the sameish age as dumbledore but i also do believe in sticking with the harry potter canon as it’s more concrete and developed than the fantastic beasts) she herds them out so the ministry can talk. 

The robes for the 20s hogwarts students were dope btw and im so mad that they i guess went out of fashion cause like the subtle ribbon sleeves and the navy blue and red plaid skirts and the focus on sweaters was sick, really really liked that. 

So the ministry is like “so newts in paris and we know it was u” and dumbledore is like “whaaaat, who knew” and plays innocent and whatever. So then the ministry gives him unlinked cuffs that can track what spells he’s casting which i thought was an interesting concept and im wondering if that’s going to be used more for law enforcement and if it was more of an old fashioned thing and thats not used during hp era? i just thought they were cool and clever. 

So while this is going on Leta is poking around reminiscing about hogwarts and she was obvs a slytherin and was like jinxing kids and was very unpopular and she finds newt in this hidden nook while hiding from bullies. newt is taking care of some grindylows and a baby crow and some other creatures i couldn’t identify. 

They become friends and newt takes out on this island on the black lake and shows her this tree he likes and then we cut back to present day where Leta is looking at graffiti under a desk that says n+l so she had real feelings for him at some point that were probably not returned or newt was too naive to notice. fairly on brand tbh. 

Leta’s outfit for this is like a long sleeved loosish satin dress, maroon, with like a cape on that back and while i wish, for every movie tbh, that wizards always wore robes, I thought it was a nice little nod to them being magical and having different fashions. 

The gossip magazine subplot was actually so stupid and I wish they hadn’t included it because it makes Tina, who believed it, seem stupid and she’s not. She’s a well trusted auror now and there’s no way should would believe a stupid gossip magazine without doing proper research. 

I appreciated the little moment she and newt had upon clearing this up in the records hall. I would still have liked a kiss or something a little more considering everything but I’m not dying for one. 

Blah blah blah ministry fight, the familiars used to guard the ministry were cool and i did like their design, however, i am a big cat person so i can see if some people disagree. 

Gw uses this really sick method of conjuring like these huge, light, pieces of fabric that cover the buildings of paris in order to summon his followers. Im assuming they were invisible to muggles but this isn’t addressed however no one except the wizards bats at eye at them. 

So now we’re at the lestrange tomb which is big and fancy and all that. So now there’s the whole credence origin reveal/lestrange background. Auror guy shows up and is like you’re my sister and credence is our brother and i was just like hmmm because leta and auror guy are both black and credence is white so how does that work. 

The plot behind it is so complicated and weird holy heck. Basically auror guys parents fall in love and have him and are wealthy and all this stuff. Lestrange man falls in love with auror guys mother and imperios her to live with him and love him. Now i cant remember if leta was by both auror guys parents or if she was from lestrange and his mother. either way his mother dies giving birth to leta who is brought up, kinda, by lestrange. He remarries to another white woman and they have a baby who is in some way related to leta and auror guy. The baby’s name is corvus which idk, its weird. So eventually leta and corvus get sent to america with the half elf woman from earlier on this ship. Corvus doesn’t stop crying so leta sneaks out and temporarily (she intended) switches him with another womans baby. The ship begins to sink and thus they never get switched back and corvus officially goes down with the ship. Leta, fake corvus, and elf woman are on a lifeboat that tips and not corvus is see falling into the depths and either leta or the elf woman is seen swimming for him. It was super unclear to me whether or not they actually saved him because they must have if credence is there but like it was super unclear and im not sure. 

I also dont understand then how credence ended up being adopted and leta ends up back in britain and goes to hogwarts and all that jazz. maybe it will be cleared up in the next movie but that part of the plot gets all fuzzy and unexplained. 

I personally haaaaatttteeed this explanation. I may be reading into too deeply but it seems like they were just trying to make an excuse as to how the lestrange family went from a totally different race to another in like 50ish years (assuming bellatrix was born around the 60s). It also just felt like this crazy plot twist to be a crazy plot twist, nothing more. I also want to now go back and look at the black family tree and see how much info on the lestranges i can glean from that. I just think it would be interesting to see how much stuff has differed there. 

So now its the followers of gw meeting. There’s several hundred to a couple thousand wizards there and legit they all look like emos. gothic emos. it’s easy to pick queenie out in her multicolored plaid jacket. I just thought that was funny that the demographic for his followers was emo wizards. 

So blah blah blah speech about how the muggles are others but how gw doesn’t hate them or anything, something apologetic like that. lots of wwII imagery used to say like here’s what the muggles are gonna do if we dont take action. I think they were trying to push the hitler comparison here. Not a fan of that cause that “trope” or whatever needs to die. feels like we glorify hitler too much as the end all be all of evil in the world and history. that’s more of a personal thing for me, like the guy is gonna live forever in infamy and we as a society have pushed that and used it every which way. he needs to die out as a figure, especially with all the horrible stuff happening in the world today. 

So back to way less serious stuff, to show the wwII visions gw literally takes a fat rip off a skull bong that french bellatrix is holding and blows out the smoke which forms into the images. I started laughing out loud in the theater because of this and it majorly lowered the seriousness of the rest of the movie for me. 

So after all this gw knows theseus and the aurors are there and like calls em out to come down and like they cant actually do anything to the followers cause listening to someone speak is apparently not illegal even if the person speaking is like #1 escaped criminal of the wizarding world. 

And then basically out of nowhere one of the aurors kills a woman, a guy who i believe to be a plant, unsure if the woman was, but it def wasnt real. So gw goes over to her body and is like “look at how sad this is, followers, please leave this place and do stuff,” and they all disapparate. so now its gw, french bellatrix, queenie, jacob, newt, credence, nagini, tina, and theseus and his aurors. (now that im thinking about it i cant recall what became of auror guy)

Gw summons some blue flames in a circle around himself that only loyal followers can pass through. all the non-theseus aurors get consumed by the flames either by charging or gw manipulating it to engulf them. So then one by one gw starts trying to convince people to join him, in the end queenie joins him much to the dismay of jacob. unsure how i feel about this, it’s an interesting duality but god i wish it wasnt queenie again. and then much to naginis dismay credence joins. gw tries to get leta to join. she wont. he lashes out at everyone with the fire but leta holds it off and theseus is like “no ill do it, escape” and leta is like “im doing it and you need to go” they (newt and theseus) linger long enough for leta to be consumed but they manage to escape dramatically. 

Once outside the tomb in the graveyard they see flamel who is like “if we dont do something the whole city is gonna burn” so they all stick their wands into the ground and create a ring of fire to encase the evil blue flames and they work super hard at holding it off and they do and thats the big epic ending fight scene. it looked really cool but explaining it it seems kinda lame lol. 

So now that paris is saved they all go to hogwarts and are standing on the bridge and have newt alone go talk to dumbledore and he shows his this heart charm thing which has 2 drops of blood in the center. dumbledore explains that in their youth they made a magical blood pact (basically an unbreakable vow in a different form) to not fight each other. Newt is like well can you un do it cause you’re the only dude who can defeat him and dumbledore is like i’ll see what i can do. he also gets his magic tracking cuffs off. 

We get to see the mirror of erised again which was cool and i really liked seeing dumbledore stand in front of his for the first time as we all know the “sock” line about it from him. he sees gw, so no surprise there. more of a nice little easter egg moment more than anything.

Then we’re in austria in the mountains. Gw and queenie are talking about how credence is and how to get through to him and then gw walks in and starts talking to him. Gw explains that he is aurelius dumbledore. so wtf. I have big problems with this as dumbledores history is pretty clearly eplained and im pretty sure his parents werent around long after arianna so how did they have another kid? how did they lose him? is he older or younger than arianna? and if we go off the lestrange story wouldnt that make the woman who leta switched the babies on mrs. dumbledore? i also really hated this bit and i want to see how they clean it up in the next movie cause yiiiiikes is it bad. super unnecessary and kinda messed up and weird. 

After this gw gives credence his first wand and turns this little bird that credence had been looking after into fawkes (assumed from earlier movie context clues etc). Which is also confusing cause like uhhh can someone actually turn a bird into a phoenix? is that even possible? was the bird secretly a phoenix this whole time? and if so why was gw able to make it grow up so fast? weird shit there.

So anyway that was my long, rambly, opinionated, all over the place, too extra, very informal and grammatically atrocious review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Maybe things will come to me later and I’ll add on but this is what I’ve got floating around in my head 2 days post movie. 

It was by no means a bad movie, the cinematography was great, the acting was great, I loved the characters so much. The beasts were new and exciting. My biggest gripes lie with some of the plot points brought up. 

7/10 final score I guess.  

[aion-rsa]

The Legacy of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York

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Escape from New York came out 40 years ago this week. Released on July 10, 1981, director and co-writer John Carpenter’s sardonic sci-fi action thriller is set in a future United States where the rise of rampant crime has led to Manhattan Island being walled off and turned into a gigantic supermax prison.

When Air Force One is hijacked and forced to crash land on the island, the federal government turns to ex-Special Forces soldier-turned-criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to get onto the island and rescue the President (Donald Pleasance) in under 24 hours.

At stake: the president’s life and his appearance at a critical peace summit with China and the Soviet Union. If Snake succeeds, he gets a full pardon for his crimes. If he doesn’t, a device attached to his neck explodes and kills him.

Carpenter and his friend Nick Castle (who played The Shape in the original Halloween) reportedly wrote Escape in 1974 as a response to both the Watergate scandal and the resultant distrust in government, plus the onslaught of crime during the 1970s in major cities like New York.

With crime on the rise again to some degree following the COVID-19 pandemic, Escape remains eerily relevant in some ways, even if American cities are not quite falling back into the chasm of crime from which they struggled to climb out in that turbulent decade.

“The decay of New York in the ’70s was pronounced then,” Carpenter told us earlier this year when speaking briefly about the film. “It was really bad.”

The idea of crime running out of control and leading to desperate measure by an authoritarian government is still seen today in films like The Purge and its sequels. In those, the U.S., now a reactionary theocracy, allows for one night every year in which all crime, including murder, is legally allowed. Carpenter himself cited the Purge series as a descendant in some ways of his picture.

James DeMonaco, who created The Purge, directed the first three films and written all five (including the recently released The Forever Purge), confirms the influence of Escape from New York on his franchise and acknowledges the film as one of his favorites.

“I’d still stand by it,” DeMonaco tells Den of Geek. “It’s in my top 10, because I was so blown away by it. I remember my dad got our first VCR, I was probably 13 or 14, somewhere around there. He brought tapes home and…I think they were bootleg even back then, but Escape from New York, First Blood, and Mad Max were in the first batch.”

DeMonaco continues, “I must have worn those things out, but of all the three, I think Escape from New York, I could probably recite every line. There was something about the way Carpenter shot it. This dystopian future of New York being walled off stayed with me to this day.”

Carpenter had just directed two horror films in a row — his 1978 breakout Halloween and the 1980 ghost story The Fog — and was at first going to possibly direct a time travel thriller called The Philadelphia Experiment. But when he parted with that project over creative differences, Escape from New York became his fifth feature film.

Initially the studio that backed the film, Avco-Embassy Pictures, was interested in casting either Tommy Lee Jones or Charles Bronson as Snake Plissken. “Charles Bronson had expressed interest in playing Snake,” Carpenter told interviewer Gilles Boulenger in the book John Carpenter: The Prince of Darkness. “But I was afraid of working with him. He was a big star and I was this little shit nobody.”

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Carpenter wanted Russell, with whom he had worked on the TV movie Elvis and would cast in three more films after Escape, including The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from L.A.  The actor himself was looking for a way to change up his image as the fresh-faced star of Disney family comedies.

“Yeah, he was, and I knew he could do it,” says Carpenter about Russell’s mission. “The studio was just not sure because he hadn’t done anything like this. People are scared if you’re starting something that hasn’t been done before. They want to make sure that it’s been done so they know what they’re getting. They weren’t sure about Kurt. He proved himself so that was great.”

Russell got himself into top physical shape for the role, telling Circus magazine in a 1980 interview, “Snake is a mercenary, and his style of fighting is a combination of Bruce Lee, the Exterminator and Darth Vader, with [Clint] Eastwood’s vocal-ness.” He added that although Plissken starts the film as a convicted robber, “His individuality makes him acceptable to the audience in a heroic way.”

Russell was joined in the cast by legendary Western star Lee Van Cleef, who plays police commissioner Bob Hauk, along with Pleasance as the Chief Executive and stars like Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau, Harry Dean Stanton, and Isaac Hayes as denizens of the sealed-off Manhattan interior. But perhaps the toughest casting problem was finding a city to play Manhattan.

The real New York was out of the question because it would be too difficult to make it look semi-ruined on the film’s relatively paltry $6 million budget. So Carpenter, producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves searched for a city that, to be brutally frank, already looked destroyed.

Location manager Barry Bernardi suggested East St. Louis, a rundown area sitting across the Mississippi River from the more affluent parts of St. Louis. There had been a tremendous fire in the neighborhood in 1976, with Hill telling Cinefantastique, “Block after block was burnt-out rubble.”

“Around the turn of the century New York City and St. Louis were very much the same architecturally,” Alves told Starlog in a May 1981 interview. “John and I eventually came [to St. Louis] to inspect a bridge…we looked around at the old buildings and thought they were fantastic. These were structures that exist in New York now, and have that seedy, run-down quality that we’re looking for.”

The movie was shot at night in East St. Louis, from 9pm to 6am, and Carpenter recalls it was a productive but difficult experience. “It was amazing, unbelievable. We were there in the summertime when it’s blistering hot. They had this big fire there in the ’70s. It burned out the place. But they were very cooperative. They turned off all the streetlights, and let us move stuff, and that was just great.”

The film also shot in New York (at Liberty Island), Atlanta (for an unused subway sequence) and on soundstages in Los Angeles before wrapping in November 1980. Upon its release the following July, it grossed $25.2 million at the box office — one of the bigger hits of Carpenter’s career. It also scored well with critics, and like many of Carpenter’s films, its stature has only grown over the years.

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Although the 1996 sequel, Escape from L.A., proved to be far inferior and less successful, Escape from New York has gained classic status and has been a candidate for a remake in recent years. 20th Century Fox hired Robert Rodriguez to direct it in 2017, although that never happened; The Invisible Man writer/director Leigh Whannell was tapped in 2019 to script it, but little has been heard on that either.

James DeMonaco says the remake came his way at one point — but it sounds like he’d rather break into the Manhattan prison and get back out again before touching that prospect. “I still think this is the greatest idea,” he says of the original. “I was offered the remake. I was like, ‘No, I can’t do it. No way. I’m not touching it. We should not touch. This is the perfect film. No one should go near this movie.’”

The post The Legacy of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[fernsplaysthings]

I’ve been trying to write some GW2 character things for a while now but my creative bits just aren’t working. I figured, rather than let all the ideas and plot and development go to waste I could still do a quick and messy summary of what my characters have been up to.

Enjoy the shortest breakdown of about 6-8 months of progress ever.

The Vigil/Priory squad:

(Ateyla, Faerylie, Caerthys, Klivvik, Tasia Wraithrend, Phenriel and Bushels)

The last few times we saw these guys they were up in the Bitterfrost Frontier as support for Priory researchers with Ateyla pushing her Reaper skills to their peak in the Northern cold and finalising her Shroud form. Faerylie and Klivvik had a little bit of bonding over their Sylvari SOs, and Phenriel broke away once again to roam.

Once the guild leading the expedition had finished the gang headed back towards Divinity’s Reach to take some well earned rest. Except of course Ateyla finds out about the Bloodstone Fortress to the east in Lake Doric and coerces Faerylie into their own private excursion.

Faerylie skillfully diverts any heroics and puts a ring on her tiny Necromancer wife.

Finally.

This is where I left off. Somewhere in their down time, Magister Klivvik began compiling supporting evidence for Ateyla’s promotion to Archon within the Priory. With a portfolio of Necromancy, Elder Dragon research, participation in the defeat of Mordremoth and Bloodstone studies, on top of her historical interests, Ateyla fits the role perfectly and starts her own line of research into the current events.

Handling rogue human gods, awake Elder Dragons by the handful, and the potential destruction of Tyria falls firmly within the realms of ‘dangerous research’ and she’s requested out in the Crystal Desert with the main Pact forces.

Having had time to bond with Caerthys and vaguely hinting at her past as a warrior, Faerylie ends up in training for a leadership position (alongside Tasia) but decides that it’s really not her area of expertise. Instead she starts looking into some weapons she used to have skill with, that the Warmaster may be able to assist her with relearning, and tries to become the best solo/small squad soldier she can. In a bizarre turn of events she also delves back into her spiritual learning and historical studies in case there are some long dead heroes that can help her become stronger.

Unlike Faerylie, Tasia accepts the leadership training and excels very quickly as a battleground medic and frontline support. While not exactly what Caerthys expected, Tasia is very happy knowing she can be both a meatshield and can pick up those that he wasn’t there in time for. She decides to keep training but in the meantime, with everything that’s been going on, decides to return to the Citadel to visit her Warband’s memorial and her family.

After Ateyla’s promotion, helping Faerylie along her way and pointing Tasia in a new direction, OG babies Caerthys and Klivvik start realising that they kind of want to head off on their own adventures together. Or non-adventures full of relaxation. Being almost four times their partner’s age, Klivvik begins worrying but Caerthys is as supportive as ever and suggests they break away from their young family group and get some ideas from Phenriel for interesting things to get up to.

With an unusual teary display from Ateyla, heaps of long-time developed respect from Faerylie and a wibbly lipped salute from Tasia, Caerthys and Klivvik head away from Divinity’s Reach.

Elsewhere in Tyria, Phenriel and Bushels have been delivering information to their Tengu friends and devising plans for the Vigil via mail. Just to be difficult.

(Ateyla and Faerylie are going to the Crystal Desert, Tasia may join them later but as Tasia Tenderheart, a new part of her Mother’s Warband. Klivvik and Caerthys will be retired for a while and very happy, inspired by their kids getting together. Phenriel and Bushels are forever roamers and stick around to help the Tengu with the outside world.)

The Whispers squad:

(Varyllis, Aelestri, Zafrann and Maisy Purcell)

These two were in The Grove for a while with Varyllis making a strong recovery from her time with the Mordrem and entertaining Lyaeris for a short while. Somewhere along the way she also stepped away from the Pale Reavers in order to work out who she was and where she wanted to head.

Aelestri became immensely distracted by the incorruptible blast from his past and took a step back from his duties in The Whispers for a while too. Something that, during the pair’s time in Bloodstone Fen, comes back to catch up.

With the developments taking The Whispers to Draconis Mons, and the level of secrecy and tight security surrounding the area Aelestri has to decide on whether he wants to split from Varyllis who he’s definitely trying to ignore a bunch of feelings for, or find a way to get her in. Varyllis, to the point and been through too much to beat around the bush, suggests she joins The Whispers in order to tag along (also not wanting to split from her faithful thief companion because of similar unaired feelings).

Following a few letters to and from The Whispers and some strategic suggestions from the Thief to ensure Varyllis ends up in a position she deserves (he can’t see her behaving as a standard old recruit and offers up the idea of initiating her as a Slayer) they agree that she can go to Draconis Mons with Aelestri on the condition that she leads the team Aelestri is being sent to assist as a trial run, the thief needing to submit a report on their return.

Turns out that Draconis Mons, with all it’s levels and high perches is perfect for the sniper and even before meeting with the team, she sets some high standards for skill. Aelestri even picks up some skills with her rifle.

And then they meet with the team.

Zafrann, Mists specialist and Maisy, ex-Circus performer, lover of heights, Queen of traversing difficult terrain, Mists specialist and general sneaky bean, latch to Varyllis’ confidence, intelligence, innate leadership abilities and wickedly creative problem solving skills. Over the few weeks spent in Draconis Mons they meld into a brutally efficient squad that end up on the list to accompany The Pact into the Crystal Desert.

On receiving the good news that Varyllis has been accepted as a Slayer and has been given lead of the squad the team have a small celebration, one which in a moment of dumb happiness, Aelestri kisses Varyllis and they end up in a vague, physical and affectionate relationship where they’re still too scared to mention feelings especially now that she’s kind of his boss.

The Inquest Krewe:

(Eskke, Varente, Khovva)

With Klivvik out of the picture Inquest Champion Engineer Eskke has had to look for some new brains for her confidential project. Brains she found in the enigmatic Druid Khovva. She’s no Klivvik, but her knowledge and control of all things living ends up being beyond perfect for Eskke’s work and for helping Varente with her ever declining health, finally upgrading her gear and fusing it to her enough that it’s easier to use.

Newcomers:

Leda Northstar: After a Vigil group heading down from the Bitterfrost Frontier stops by her family’s homestead, Leda offers her blacksmithing skills to the order and starts as a new recruit for their expedition into the Crystal Desert.

Iphigenia ‘Iphie’ Okayo: A Kournan Necromancer/Scourge living as an outlaw between two warring sides. Not a violent type unless necessary, Iphie lends her aid to travelers crossing the unforgiving deserts, an expert on the wildlife and weather. Shaken by the betrayal of her own God, Balthazar, she’s intrigued to see what’s happening up in Vabbi with the rogue war god.

And I’m gunna be making a Vabbian Mesmer soon too~

[blackkudos]

Ernie Barnes

Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr. (July 15, 1938 – April 27, 2009) was an American artist, well known for his unique style of elongation and movement. He was also a professional football player, actor and author.

Early life

Childhood

Ernest Barnes Jr. was born during the Jim Crow in "the bottom" community of Durham, North Carolina, near the Hayti District of the city. He had a younger brother, James (b. 1942), as well as a half-brother, Benjamin B. Rogers Jr. (1920–1970). Ernest Jr. was nicknamed "June". His father, Ernest E. Barnes Sr. (–1966), worked as a shipping clerk for Liggett Myers Tobacco Company. His mother, Fannie Mae Geer (1905–2004), oversaw the household staff for a prominent Durham attorney and local Board of Education member, Frank L. Fuller Jr.

On days when Fannie allowed "June" (Barnes' nickname to family and childhood friends) to accompany her to work, Mr. Fuller encouraged him to peruse the art books and listen to classical music. The young Ernest was intrigued and captivated by the works of master artists. By the time Barnes entered the first grade, he was familiar with the works of such masters as Toulouse-Lautrec, Delacroix, Rubens and Michelangelo. When he entered junior high school, he could appreciate, as well as decode, many of the cherished masterpieces within the walls of mainstream museums – although it would be many more years before he was allowed entrance because of segregation.

A self-described chubby and unathletic child, Barnes was taunted and bullied by classmates. He continually sought refuge in his sketchbooks, finding the less-traveled parts of campus away from other students. One day Ernest was drawing in his notebook in a quiet area of the school. He was discovered hiding there by the masonry teacher, Tommy Tucker, who was also the weightlifting coach and a former athlete. He was intrigued with Barnes' drawings, so he asked the aspiring artist about his grades and goals. Tucker shared his own experience of how bodybuilding improved his strength and outlook on life. That one encounter would begin Barnes' discipline and dedication that would permeate his life. In his senior year at Hillside High School, Barnes became the captain of the football team and state champion in the shot put.

College education

Barnes attended racially segregated schools. In 1956 he graduated from Hillside High School with 26 athletic scholarship offers. Segregation prevented him from attending nearby Duke University or the University of North Carolina. His mother promised him a car if he lived at home so he attended the all-Black North Carolina College at Durham (formerly North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University). At North Carolina College he majored in art on a full athletic scholarship. His track coach was Dr. Leroy T. Walker. Barnes played the football positions of tackle and center at NCC.

At age 18, on a college art class field trip to the newly desegregated North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, Barnes inquired where he could find "paintings by Negro artists". The docent responded, "Your people don't express themselves that way". 23 years later, in 1979, when Barnes returned to the museum for a solo exhibition, North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt attended.

In 1990 Barnes was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by North Carolina Central University.

In 1999 Barnes was bestowed "The University Award", the highest honor by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

Professional football

Baltimore Colts (1959–60)

In December 1959 Barnes was drafted in the 10th round by the then-World Champion Baltimore Colts. He was originally selected in the 8th-round by the Washington Redskins, who renounced the pick minutes after discovering he was a Negro.

Shortly after his 22nd birthday, while at the Colts training camp, Barnes was interviewed by N.P. Clark, sportswriter for the Baltimore News-Post newspaper. Until then Barnes was always known by his birth name, Ernest Barnes. But when Clark's article appeared on July 20, 1960, it referred to him as "Ernie Barnes," which changed his name and life forever.

Titans of New York (1960)

Barnes was the last cut of the Colts' training camp. After Baltimore released Barnes, the newly formed Titans of New York immediately signed him because the team had first option on any player released within the league.

Barnes loathed being on the Titans. He said, "(New York team organization) was a circus of ineptitude. The equipment was poor, the coaches not as knowledgeable as the ones in Baltimore. We were like a group of guys in the neighborhood who said let's pretend we're pros."

After their seventh game on October 9, 1960 at Jeppesen Stadium, his teammate Howard Glenn died. Barnes asked for his release two days later. The cause of Glenn's death was reported as a broken neck. However, Barnes and other teammates have long attributed it to heatstroke. In a later interview, Barnes said, "They never really said what he died of. (Coach) Sammy Baugh said he'd broken his neck in a game the Sunday before. But how could that be? How could he have hit in practice all week with a broken neck? What he died of, I think, was more like heat exhaustion. I told them I didn't want to play on a team like this."

San Diego Chargers (1960–62)

Barnes decided to accept a previous offer from Coach Al Davis at the Los Angeles Chargers. Barnes joined their team at mid-season as a member of their taxi squad. The following season in 1961 the team moved to San Diego. It was there Barnes met teammate Jack Kemp, and the two men would share a very close lifelong friendship.

During the off-seasons with the Chargers, Barnes was program director at San Diego's Southeast YMCA working with parolees from the California Youth Authority. He also worked as the Sports Editor for The Voice, a local San Diego newspaper, writing a weekly column called "A Matter of Sports."

Barnes also illustrated several articles for San Diego Magazine during the off-seasons in 1962 and 1963.

Barnes' first television interview as a professional football player and artist was in 1962 on The Regis Philbin Show on KGTV in San Diego. It was Philbin's first talk show. They would see each other again 45 years later when Philbin attended the tribute to Barnes in New York City.

Denver Broncos (1963–64)

Midway through Barnes' second season with the Chargers, he was cut after a series of injuries. He was then signed to the Denver Broncos.

Barnes was often fined by Denver Coach Jack Faulkner when caught sketching during team meetings. One of the sketches that he was fined $100 for sold years later for $1000.

Many times during breaks, Barnes would run off the field onto the sideline to give his offensive line coach Red Miller the scraps of paper of his sketches and notes.

"During a timeout you've got nothing to do – you're not talking – you're just trying to breathe, mostly. Nothing to take out that little pencil and write down what you saw. The shape of the linemen. The body language a defensive lineman would occupy... his posture... What I see when you pull. The reaction of the defense to your movement. The awareness of the lines within the movement, the pattern within the lines, the rhythm of movement. A couple of notes to me would denote an action... an image that I could instantly recreate in my mind. Some of those notes have been made into paintings. Quite a few, really."

On Barnes' 1964 Denver Broncos Topps football card he is shown wearing jersey #55 although he never played in that number. His jersey was #62.

Barnes was called "Big Rembrandt" by his Denver teammates. Coincidentally, Barnes and Rembrandt share the same birthday.

Canadian Football League

In 1965, after his second season with the Broncos, Barnes signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada. In the final quarter of their last exhibition game, Barnes fractured his right foot, effectively ending his professional football career.

Retirement

Shortly after his final football game, Barnes went to the 1965 NFL owners meeting in Houston in hopes of becoming the league's official artist. There he was introduced to New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin, who was intrigued by Barnes and his art. He paid for Barnes to bring his paintings to New York City. Later they met at a gallery and unbeknownst to Barnes, three art critics were there to evaluate his paintings. They told Werblin that Barnes was "the most expressive painter of sports since George Bellows."

In what was one of the most unusual posts in the history of the NFL, Werblin retained Barnes as a salaried player, but positioned him in front of the canvas, rather than on the football field. Werblin told Barnes, "You have more value to the country as an artist than as a football player."

Barnes' November 1966 debut solo exhibition, hosted by Werblin at the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City was critically acclaimed and all the paintings sold.

In 1971 Barnes wrote a series of essays (illustrated with his own drawings) in the Gridiron newspaper titled "I Hate the Game I Love" (with Neil Amdur). These articles became the beginning manuscript of his autobiography, later-published in 1995 titled From Pads to Palette which chronicles his transition from professional football to his art career.

In 1993 Barnes was selected to the "Black College Football 100th Year All-Time Team" by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network.

Artwork

Barnes credits his college art instructor Ed Wilson for laying the foundation for his development as an artist. Wilson was a sculptor who instructed Barnes to paint from his own life experiences. "He made me conscious of the fact that the artist who is useful to America is one who studies his own life and records it through the medium of art, manners and customs of his own experiences."

All his life, Barnes was ambivalent about his football experience. In interviews and in personal appearances, Barnes said he hated the violence and the physical torment of the sport. However, his years as an athlete gave him unique, in-depth observations. "(Wilson) told me to pay attention to what my body felt like in movement. Within that elongation, there's a feeling. And attitude and expression. I hate to think had I not played sports what my work would look like."

Barnes sold his first painting "Slow Dance" at age 21 in 1959 for $90 to Boston Celtic Sam Jones. It was subsequently lost in a fire at Jones' home.

Numerous artists have been influenced by Barnes' art and unique style. Accordingly, several copyright infringement lawsuits have been settled and are currently pending.

Framing

Ernie Barnes framed his paintings with distressed wood in homage to his father. In his 1995 autobiography, Barnes wrote of his father: “... with so little education, he had worked so hard for us. His legacy to me was his effort, and that was plenty. He knew absolutely nothing about art.”

Weeks before Ernie Barnes’ first solo art exhibition in 1966, he was at the family home in Durham as his father lay in the hospital after suffering a stroke. He noticed the usually well-maintained white picketed fence had gone untended since his father’s illness. Days later, Ernest E. Barnes Sr. died. “I placed a painting against the fence and stood away and had a look. I was startled at the marriage between the old wood fence and the painting. It was perfect. In tribute, Daddy’s fence would hug all my paintings in a prestigious New York gallery. That would have made him smile.”

Eyes closed

A consistent and distinct feature in Barnes' work is the closed eyes of his subjects. "It was in 1971 when I conceived the idea of The Beauty of the Ghetto as an exhibition. And I showed it to some people who were Black to get a reaction. And from one (person) it was very negative. And when I began to express my points of view (to this) professional man, he resisted the notion. And as a result of his comments and his attitude I began to see, observe, how blind we are to one another's humanity. Blinded by a lot of things that have, perhaps, initiated feelings in that light. We don't see into the depths of our interconnection. The gifts, the strength and potential within other human beings. We stop at color quite often. So one of the things we have to be aware of is who we are in order to have the capacity to like others. But when you cannot visualize the offerings of another human being you're obviously not looking at the human being with open eyes." "We look upon each other and decide immediately: This person is black, so he must be... This person lives in poverty, so he must be..."

Jewish community influence

Moving to an all-Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles known as the Fairfax District in 1971 was a major turning point in Barnes' life and art.

"Fairfax enlivened me to everyday life themes," he said, "and forced me to look at my life – the way I had grown up, the customs within my community versus the customs in the Jewish community. Their customs were documented, ours were not. Because we were so clueless that our own culture had value and because of the phrase 'Black is Beautiful' had just come into fashion, Black people were just starting to appreciate themselves as a people. But when it was said, 'I'm Black and I'm Proud,' I said, 'proud of what?' And that question of 'proud of what' led to a series of paintings that became “The Beauty of the Ghetto.'"

"The Beauty of the Ghetto" exhibition

In response to the 1960s "Black is beautiful" cultural movement and James Brown's 1968 "Say it Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud" song, Barnes created The Beauty of the Ghetto exhibition of 35 paintings that toured major American cities from 1972 to 1979 hosted by dignitaries, professional athletes and celebrities.

Of this exhibition, Barnes said, "I am providing a pictorial background for an understanding into the aesthetics of black America. It is not a plea to people to continue to live there (in the ghetto) but for those who feel trapped, it is...a challenge of how beautiful life can be."

When the exhibition was on view in 1974 at the Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, Rep. John Conyers stressed the important positive message of the exhibit in the Congressional Record.

Sports art

The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee named Barnes "Sports Artist of the 1984 Olympic Games". LAOOC President Peter V. Ueberroth said Barnes and his art "captured the essence of the Olympics" and "portray the city's ethnic diversity, the power and emotion of sports competition, the singleness of purpose and hopes that go into the making of athletes the world over." Barnes was commissioned to create five Olympic-themed paintings and serve as an official Olympic spokesman to encourage inner city youth.

1985: Barnes was named the first "Sports Artist of the Year" by the United States Sports Academy.

1987: Barnes created Fastbreak, a commissioned painting of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers basketball team that included Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis and Michael Cooper.

1996: Carolina Panthers football team owners Rosalind and Jerry Richardson (Barnes' former Colts teammate) commissioned Barnes to create the large painting Victory in Overtime (approximately 7 ft. x 14 ft.). It was unveiled before the team's 1996 inaugural season and hangs permanently in the owner's suite at the stadium. Richardson and Barnes were Baltimore Colts teammates briefly in 1960.

1996: To commemorate their 50th anniversary in 1996, the National Basketball Association commissioned Barnes to create a painting with the theme, "Where we were, where we are, and where we are going." The painting, The Dream Unfolds hangs in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. A limited edition of lithographs were made, with the first 50 prints going to each of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

2004: Barnes was named "America's Best Painter of Sports" by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives.

Other notable sports commissions include paintings for the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Boston Patriots football team owners.

"The Bench" painting

Shortly after Barnes was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, Barnes was invited to see their Colts' NFL Championship Game vs. the New York Giants at Memorial Stadium in Maryland on December 27, 1959. The Colts won 31–16 and Barnes was filled with layers of emotion after watching the game from the Colts' bench. At age 21, he had just signed his football contract and met his new teammates Johnny Unitas, Jim Parker, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and "Big Daddy" Lipscomb.

After he returned home, without making any preliminary sketches, he went directly to a blank canvas to record his point of view. Using a palette knife, "painting in quick, direct movements hoping to capture the vision...before it evaporated," Barnes said, he created "The Bench" in less than an hour. Throughout his life, The Bench remained in Barnes' possession, even taking it with him to all his football training camps and hiding it under his bed. It would be the only painting Barnes would never sell, despite many substantial offers, including a $25,000 bid at his first show in 1966.

In 2014, Barnes' wife Bernie presented The Bench painting to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for their permanent collection in Canton, Ohio.

"The Sugar Shack" painting

Barnes created the painting The Sugar Shack in 1971. It gained international exposure when it was used on the Good Times television series and on the 1976 Marvin Gaye album I Want You.

According to Barnes, he created the original version of The Sugar Shack after reflecting upon his childhood, during which he was not "able to go to a dance." In a 2008 interview, Barnes said, "The Sugar Shack is a recall of a childhood experience. It was the first time my innocence met with the sins of dance. The painting transmits rhythm so the experience is re-created in the person viewing it. To show that African-Americans utilize rhythm as a way of resolving physical tension."

The Sugar Shack has been known to art critics for embodying the style of art composition known as "Black Romantic," which, according to Natalie Hopkinson of The Washington Post, is the "visual-art equivalent of the Chitlin' circuit."

When Barnes first created The Sugar Shack, he included his hometown radio station WSRC on a banner. (He incorrectly listed the frequency as 620, though it was actually 1410. Barnes confused what he used to hear WSRC's on-air personality Norfley Whitted saying "620 on your dial" when Whitted was at his former station WDNC in the early 1950s.)

After Marvin Gaye asked him for permission to use the painting as an album cover, Barnes then augmented the painting by adding references that allude to Gaye's album, including banners hanging from the ceiling to promote the album's singles.

During the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever anniversary television special on March 25, 1983, tribute was paid to The Sugar Shack with a dance interpretation of the painting. It was also during this telecast that Michael Jackson introduced his famous "moonwalk" dance.

The original piece is currently owned by Jim and Jeannine Epstein, and is on display at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. A duplicate created by Barnes was created in 1976 on display at the California African American Museum (CAAM).

Music album covers

Barnes' work appears on the following album covers:

The Sugar Shack painting on Marvin Gaye's 1976 I Want You

The Disco painting on self-titled 1978 Faith, Hope & Charity

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, NYC painting on self-titled 1979 album

Late Night DJ painting on Curtis Mayfield's 1980 Something to Believe In

The Maestro painting on The Crusaders' 1984 Ghetto Blaster

Head Over Heels painting on The Crusaders' 1986 The Good and Bad Times

In Rapture painting on B.B. King's 2000 Making Love is Good For You

Other notable art and exhibitions

1992: In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Mayor Tom Bradley used Barnes' painting Growth Through Limits as an inspirational billboard in the inner-city. Barnes contributed $1,000 to the winner of a slogan contest among the city's junior high school students that best represented the painting.

1995: Barnes' work was included in the traveling group exhibition 20th Century Masterworks of African-American Artists II.

1998: Barnes' painting The Advocate was donated to the North Carolina Central University School of Law by a private collector. Barnes felt compelled to create the painting from his "concern with the just application of the law... the integrity of the legal process for all people, but especially those without resource or influence."

2001: While watching the tragic events of 9/11, Barnes created the painting In Remembrance. It was formally unveiled at the Seattle Art Museum. It was later acquired on behalf of the City of Philadelphia and donated to its African American Museum. A limited number of giclée prints were sold with 100% of the proceeds going to the Hero Scholarship Fund, which provides college tuition and expenses to children of Pennsylvania police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty.

2005: Three of Barnes' original paintings were exhibited at London's Whitechapel Gallery in the 2005 Back to Black: Art, Cinema & Racial Imaginary art exhibition.

2005: Kanye West commissioned Barnes to create a painting to depict his life-changing experience following his near-fatal car crash. A Life Restored measures 9 ft. x 10 ft. In the center of the painting is a large angel reaching out to a much smaller figure of West.

October 2007: Barnes' final public exhibition. The National Football League and Time Warner sponsored A Tribute to Artist and NFL Alumni Ernie Barnes in New York City.

At the time of his passing, Barnes had been working on an exhibition Liberating Humanity From Within which featured a majority of paintings he created in the last few years of his life. Plans are under way for the exhibition to travel throughout the country and abroad.

Television and movies

Barnes appeared on a 1967 episode of the game show To Tell the Truth. The panelists correctly guessed Barnes was the professional football player-turned-artist.

Barnes played Deke Coleman in the 1969 motion picture Number One, which stars Charlton Heston and Jessica Walter. Barnes played Dr. Penfield in the 1971 movie Doctors' Wives, which starred Dyan Cannon, Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor.

In 1971 Barnes, along with Mike Henry, created the Super Comedy Bowl, a variety show CBS television special which showcased pro athletes with celebrities such as John Wayne, Frank Gifford, Alex Karras, Joe Namath, Jack Lemmon, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Tony Curtis. A second special aired in 1972.

Throughout the Good Times television series (1974–79) most of the paintings by the character J.J. are works by Ernie Barnes. However a few images, including "Black Jesus" in the first season (1974), were not painted by Barnes. The Sugar Shack made its debut on the show's fourth season (1976–77) during the opening and closing credits. In the fifth season (1977–78) The Sugar Shack was only used in the closing credits for five early episodes during that season. In the sixth season (1978–79), The Sugar Shack was only used in opening credits for the first eight episodes and in the closing credits for five early episodes during that season. In the fifth and sixth seasons (1977–79), The Sugar Shack appears in the background of the Evans family apartment. Barnes had a bit part on two episodes of Good Times: The Houseguest (February 18, 1975) and Sweet Daddy Williams (January 20, 1976).

Barnes' artwork was also used on many television series, including Columbo, The White Shadow, Dream On, The Hughleys, The Wayans Bros., Wife Swap, and Soul Food, and in the movies Drumline and Boyz n the Hood.

In 1981 Barnes played baseball catcher Josh Gibson of the Negro League in the television movie Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy ‘Satchel' Paige with Lou Gossett Jr. playing Paige.

The 2016 film Southside with You (about Barack and Michelle Obama's first date) prominently features Barnes' work in an early scene where the two characters visit an art exhibition.

Death

Barnes passed away on Monday evening, April 27, 2009 at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California from myeloid leukemia. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in two places: at his hometown Durham, North Carolina, near the site of where his family home once stood, and at the beach in Carmel, California, one of his favorite cities.

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Child Bodybuilder and World’s Strongest Boy Grows Up

Ever heard the story of the world’s strongest boy? Well, let me pique your interest. His name is Richard Sandrak and at 8 years of age, he looked more like a tiny version of Arnold Schwarzenegger or a circus act than an ordinary 8-year-old. His tale inspired a 2004 documentary ‘The World’s Strongest Boy’ and a host of bodybuilding websites. The documentary detailed his ability to do splits and bench-press three times his own body weight. The strong child began training since the age of two in the United States but the hard work never really paid off. He is now an internet hit after he reappeared in the public eye more than 15 years later in “Where Are They Now”? TV special, looking all grown up, gentle and certainly happier than ever.  Join us as we take a chronological look at the story of Little Hercules, his life, and how far he’s come.

10. Road To Stardom – Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding Style

Richard Sandrak was born in Ukraine on April 15, 1992. His parents Pavel and Lena were sportsmen (Pavel, a martial arts champion, and Lena, an aerobics competitor). The family later moved to the United States in 1994 with the promise of a new life. They lived in Pennsylvania with their two-year-old son but his father wanted more; to make him a weightlifter and a martial artist.

Starting out so young, little Sandrak doddered about his father’s home gym. Without considering the weight effect on the child, his father taught him how to lift lighter weights, stretching, and primary martial arts techniques. It was only a matter of time before his workout routine took a turn of its own as a full bodybuilding course including the diet for a bodybuilder. By the time he was four, he was already strong enough to handle 600 push-ups, 600, sit-ups and 300 squats daily (talk about bodybuilding the natural way). That’s sure sounds terrifying! Well, at 6 years, he became fully chiseled out and was bench-pressing weight three times his weight.

9. Sudden Smash Hit – Embracing Bodybuilding

While living in Southern California with their muscle-bound boy, the family spotted Frank Giardina – a fitness trainer who helped change Sandrak’s fate forever.

During Giardina’s first encounter with the young builder who looked like a tiny version of Schwarzenegger, he thought he was a midget.

With time, the combination of his father’s strict fitness regimen and Giardinas’  new regimen, Sandrak grew into a stronger boy, maintained on a good bodybuilding diet. By age 8, Richardard Sandrak was able to bench-press 210 pounds. It was good news to his family and they took another bold venture unveiling the bodybuilder to the world.

Richard Sandrak gained international fame for his athletic build in the 2004 documentary “The World’s Strongest Boy”. This was when he graced a bodybuilding event as Little Hercules. He was suitably named the world’s strongest child.

8. Success Trail

Richard’s parents’ long dream came alive when he began to land countless contracts. He also received endorsements for television appearances and invitations for bodybuilding nutrition videos.

Hundreds queued up to meet him in person and financial rewards streamed in. His physique also made the front page news of many magazines. He began travelling across the country to take part in competitions, and photo shoots for numerous magazines as a body builder. Nevertheless, his father gathered as many criticisms for pushing small Hercules a bit too much for the fame.

7. Non-Stop Bodybuilding

Given the obvious progress, little Hercules was subjected to a non-stop workout routine. His money thirsty father forced him to undergo his bodybuilding strength training miles away from the classroom and so found it a bit difficult to play and mingle with friends.

As the strength training progressed, Giardina began to notice Pavel’s brutish and uncivil character. He forced Richard to spend the night on floors to enhance his body. Made him repeat exercises when he fails an attempt. Sandrak was never able to eat junk food or any sweets. His father placed him on a harsh diet for a bodybuilder even when he enjoys comfort foods like pizza in front of him. It was really challenging — physically and mentally, although Richard says his father never forced him into bodybuilding.

“I’ve never been forced to train or do anything against my will”, he said. “My parents used to train all the time and I wanted to join in. It was mostly my choice. It’s just what I grew up doing. I was never forced. It was never an issue.”

When Giardina could no longer stand the abuse, he tried to stop Pavel. But Pavel threatened to kill him, forcing him to leave the family. The world kept celebrating the young man without knowledge of his tough predicament. Behind the buff body frame and popularity lied sadness in the heart of a boy who had no childhood outside the gym.

6. Strict Days of Home Training

At 15, his fame was already sinking. Yet, his father made him headline-grabbing once more. Giardina’s concerns had pushed the family in a rough spot as Pavel turned against Lena. He let off his frustrations on her, abusing her to the core. Richard had to call the police and requested for no-siren rescue to escape his father’s wrath.

The assault left Lena with a broken nose and wrist, Pavel was thrown into prison and under psychiatric supervision. With his father basking in jail, Hercules enjoyed a better life.  He got back with his trainer, Giardina while his mother filed a divorce suit. As the divorce case went on, Lena employed a new talent manager, Marco Garcia. Even so, Richard had a normal life and munched on just about any junk food.

5. Back To Being A Celebrity

Hercules, nonetheless, pursued his father’s initial dream to venture into show business again. In 2009, his new talent manager, Garcia released his debut film titled “Little Hercules” in 3-D featuring Sandrak, Hulk Hogan and Judd Nelson. In 2012, Hercules starred in two more movies but new career tossed and turned. Be that as it may, he went on with his bodybuilding workout, but narrowed it to fives times a week and 90 minutes of training every day. He later landed an endorsement to star in health shows for kids named “Workout Video for Kids”.

4. New Sandrak Shows Up

Sandrak has now reached the posh age of 24 and he’s transformed quite a lot. He now looks different from the little Hercules who flew up the sky.

He’s given up on weight-lifting and is now almost unrecognisable which is by any rate, good. He now has a beard, ponytail and a built stomach that hides his once defined six-pack abs. Richard Sandrak told Inside Edition that he and his mother cut ties with his dad after he was jailed and so he did the same to bodybuilding. Good enough, the Hercules we used to know found a new dream along the line; to be a quantum scientist or an engineer for NASA. He now works as a stuntman at the Universal Studios Hollywood Waterworld show but says he no longer wants to be a bodybuilder. For Sandrak, “I don’t like weights anymore.  If anything, it just got boring to me”.

3. Getting Back to Normal

Richard may have dumped weightlifting and the strict diet for a bodybuilder for life but he didn’t let himself bulge out.

While he visibly lost his defined six-pack abs for healthier and more normal look, he still embarks on less intense exercise (running, jogging, chins up, skateboarding and stair climbing). He is now a soft speaker and allows none of his childhood bitterness show in his current life. Apart from having an amazing frame, Richard is now six-foot tall though he is still proud of his old physique. At the same time, Richard insists  “People try to make me seem like some sort of freak of nature, but there were many kids that had a very similar physique.”

2. Embracing his Future

As a child, Richard was once rumoured to had been given steroids by his mentally deranged father. This was after the 2004 documentary ‘The World’s Strongest Boy’ claims his body fat was less than 1 percent.

And since this can be harmfully low, medical experts’ hypothetical supposition argued that such muscular development needs testosterone which children younger than 10 do not have –suggesting steroids were involved however, Lena Sandrak, Richard’s mother denied that her son used such substances.

Well, having  given up on fame and all the gossips that come with it, Richard is now adopting a healthier attitude toward his past and embracing his future. He is excited and enjoys the privacy that comes with not being famous.

1. Personal Life of The World’s Strongest Boy

Richard is currently single and has never been married yet. His sexual orientation is straight. He presently lives a simple life in Los Angeles. His zodiac sign is Aries. He is not very rich and has dumped the dark days behind him.

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