#theo is a gnome

[offsidekineticist]

I just had a realization about how Theo and Giliys first met. Giliys, badly wounded and on the run, breaks into Theo's house and falls on his knife when he goes "no witnesses" at Theo. Giliys wakes up tucked into a warm bed, his wounds cleaned and bandaged, and Theo patches him up and washes/mends his clothes and puts him to bed in the spare room....

And I just realized....That was a prank. Theo was pranking Giliys.

Like, ok, there were other practical/altruistic reasons Theo didn't want a (probably) wanted criminal bleeding out in his living room (he definitely didn't want to risk the authorities searching his home and finding one of his extremely illegal books, and Theo's generally very compassionate), but once he fed his guest some healing potions and cleaned the blood from the living room, he was definitely giggling to himself (on the inside) about how confused this failed home invader was going to be when he woke up to find his would-be victim being so aggressively agreeable, which is probably what drove the more over-the-top kindnesses Giliys woke up to.

Like I picture him at the wash basin, sleeves rolled up, up to his elbows in bloody water as he washes his attempted murderer's clothes at two in the morning, and he's got his usual mostly blank expression, but on the inside he's cackling like "oh, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he realizes that I expertly mended his clothes. OOH I hope I have time to crochet him a hat before he leaves. Ooh! Or a sweater! No, if he's here that long, there's probably something wrong. Alright, a hat then. Oh this is going to be hilarious!"

[sparksketching]

you have FAILED the challenge! thank you for playing!

[yanderepuck]

New Theo headcanon dropped

He blames gnomes whenever shit goes missing

[gnomescarfcomics]

Rings of Power: Episode 6 - Udun

Rewatch mini review. Chaotic and out of order.

This episode really benefits from having essentially just one plotline.

The Southlands plot may have been my least favorite overall this season, at least when it came to the villagers themselves. Adar and Arondir were the strong characters that held it together up to this point (honorable mention to Waldreg). But the slow burn of their collective story pays off here.

On the surface, it's a pretty standard underdog battle with some nice buildup and a rather predictable last minute save from a cavalry charge. A mini Helm's Deep in a lot of ways. But it works as a nice vessel for the Southlands and Numenor plots to come together. And the individual beats of the battle are unique because the villagers have to get creative with their small numbers. The part where they trap the orcs and ambush them feels like a nice nod to the Scouring of the Shire in the book, which had similar circumstances.

The detail of the two elves, Adar and Arondir, planting seeds before the battle is such a nice touch. Both sides are fighting for a home. One side has chosen darkness, despair, hate, and selfishness. While the other has chosen light, hope, love, and compassion.

Adar may have good intentions in his own twisted way, but his cruelty and one-track mind keep him and the orcs rooted in evil. He's only bringing his "children" further into harms way and making the rest of Middle-earth see them as nothing but slaves and creatures that must be wiped out, which is what he wanted to escape from.

Arondir started the series essentially as a somewhat reluctant jailer of the people of the Southlands. But he's chosen to focus on the good in them, no matter how much may go wrong. He acknowledges the darkness but holds onto the light, while Adar has given up on the light completely and pretends darkness is an acceptable alternate.

The big reveal of the villagers realizing they were killing their own people is such a perfect representation of this season's themes. Everyone is fighting the darkness within themselves and finding unnecessary conflict with people that should be friends and allies. And this is the ultimate result of when those inner struggles fail and the petty differences escalate beyond repair.

I'm not a fan of fake out deaths in general. They have to be done very well and used sparingly for them to work for me. So having two for Bronwyn an episode apart feels really weak, especially considering she won't even be in the second season. That wasn't the original plan, but still…

The scenes with Galadriel, Adar, and Sauron are some of the best in the entire season. They explore the moral ugliness of slaughtering orcs and Tolkien's own unease with the fact that he essentially created a "damned" race. Delving into this was such a great idea and executed very well. The orcs are kept pitiable without ignoring their evil. I'll really miss Joseph Mawle as Adar. He was one of the highlights of this season. I especially love the subtleties of his acting when he's reunited with Sauron. Does he actually recognize him and just refuses to acknowledge it? So much is accomplished in just a few moments.

And just how redeemable is Sauron? Knowing who he is makes every interaction so fun to watch and interesting. His scene sitting beside Galadriel is one of the best. Their relationship was such a surprising aspect of the series for me, but it worked so well. On paper it sounds like such a lame idea. Yet with the right amount of thought and care, along with a couple of skilled actors, they created a significant connection between characters that holds the themes of the season together. While it may have gone further in some places than I would have liked, you can at least see the roots of every choice being inspired by bits and pieces from Tolkien's writings.

The creation of Mt. Doom may not be 100% practically sound, but its combination of dark magic and soulless machinery feel thematically right for the story. Just as Galadriel surviving getting engulfed in fire and smoke might not completely make sense. It's a stunning visual that works perfectly for her arc.

(And let's not pretend Frodo and Sam wouldn't have been instantly suffocated and cooked alive at Mt. Doom).

[fiveminuterice]

playing dnd is fucking wild. turns out my wooden duck was my dead goldfish who died 100 years ago all along. and she’s transgender.

[precious-little-bhaalbabe]

BG3 Companion Actors Playthroughs Compilation Post

Wanted to put all these in a convenient place for people to find, since I’m having a great time watching all of these.

Devora Wilde - Lae’zel of Creche K’liir ⚔️

Playing: Dev’zel of Crèche Lon’don (Githyanki Fighter Bard)

Stream Partners: Grace (Tech Help/Combat Guide/Minimap Reader)

• YouTube • Twitch • Playlist •

Neil Newbon - Astarion Ancunín 🩸

Playing: Bow’ee (Half-Elf Druid)

Stream Partners: Tom de Ville (Asra Tauriel - Tiefling Paladin), Assorted Guests

• YouTube • Twitch • Playlist •

Samantha Béart - Karlach Cliffgate ❤️‍🔥

Playing: Karlach Origin Run

• YouTube • Twitch • Playlist •

Jennifer English - Shadowheart 🖤

Playing: Jennevere (Elf Sorcerer)

Stream Partners: Aliona Baranova (Girlfriend, Corinna the Squirrel, Ver Rismol - Gnome Bard)

• YouTube • Twitch • Playlist •

Theo Solomon - Wyll Ravenguard, Blade of Frontiers 🗡

Playing: Theodore (Human Monk)

• YouTube • Twitch •

EDIT! Thanks to the lovely people in the replies and reblogs, let’s expand the post! (Yes they’re not all companions but shhh it’s the cast it counts)

Amelia Tyler - The Narrator 📜

Playing: Violet Alabaster (Half-Elf Ranger Dark Urge)

Stream Partners: Jay Britton (Partner, Lucius Alabaster - Human Rogue)

• YouTube • Twitch • Playlist •

Tracy Wiles - Jaheira the High Harper 🌳

*Recording of the first stream was lost

Playing: Janya (Human Bard)

• YouTube • Twitch •

Tamaryn Payne - Mizora 😈

*VODs of previous sessions not available

Playing: Tamaryn (Half-Elf Druid)

• Twitch •

[suugarbabe]

Hi, I hope you’re doing fine❤️ I love your fics! If it’s not a problem i would like to please request Theo Nott + soulmate trope where before the soulmates meet they sometimes throughout the day feel each other’s sensations (I don’t mean feeling, mostly just things like touch, pain, smell, taste) and Theo is kind of an annoying soulmate for the reader because he drinks black coffee all the time and the reader hates it and also he has all these quidditch practices and fights so she often wakes up with bruises and all that? But it’s all lighthearted and fluffy if it’s not a problem haha. Thanks ❤️

soulmate tropes are honestly one of my favorite because you can do so much with it, it's always a fun time.

You slouched in your seat next to Luna at breakfast as the sudden taste of straight black and bitter coffee consumed your senses. You nearly gagged, causing Luna's face to turn to one of soft concern.

"Black coffee again?" You nodded, "Yeah, and ribs are fucking killing me, I woke up with a huge purple bruise on the back of them and my jaw is sore. I swear to Merlin, whoever my soulmate is is about to get a howler from me because this is just ridiculous."

"Blaise and I think we know who it is if you'd like me to share it with you." Luna said it like she asked if you wanted to know who was on the cover of the Quibbler this month. Her ability to discuss anything like it was just normalcy and average never ceased to amaze you.

You stared at her and she just stared back, small smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. "Yes, Luna. Please tell me because I need to confront him."

Luna took a bite of her blueberry muffin, "Did you know that the reason why some blueberries are sweet and some are sour is because gnomes actually-"

"Luna!"

"Oh, yes, right. It's Theodore Nott." She says it like it's obvious. Like you should have know this whole time. But now that you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The bruises, the soreness, the smell of broomstick wax that will assault your nose.

You looked toward the Slytherin table in search for sandy brown curls. "He already left for class," Luna's voice cut in to your inner thoughts. "Erm, right, thanks Luna. I'll see you at lunch?" She nodded, "The four of us can sit together. Have a good talk with Theodore."

You thanked her, setting off down the hall toward your first class. Your plan was to search for Theo during your free period, but as fate would have it, you spotted him down the corridor.

You pushed through the crowded hall until you had to practically crane your neck to look up at the man in front of you. You reached out, boldly grabbing his arm, "Theo, we need to talk."

He looked down, slight confusion on his face. "Go on, bruv. I'll see you in class," Blaise gave you a subtle wink before walking off.

You pulled Theo to the side, giving the illusion to yourself that you had some privacy. "Been smelling vanilla lately, Theo?" you crossed your arms as you leaned back against the corridor wall.

Theo quirked an eyebrow, "How did you know that?"

You sighed, "Because that's the scent of my shampoo." Theo placed a hand on the wall behind you, the other gently cupping your face as he leaned down, gently pressing his nose to the crown on your head.

"So what you're suggesting then is-"

"We're soulmates," you cut him off, "and I am seriously angry with you."

Theo scoffed, the hand that once cupped your face now placed on his own hip, "Why? What did I do?"

You lifted your school shirt high enough for Theo to see the deep purple bruise on your ribs. He quickly grabbed your hand, forcing your shirt back down and scanning the hall, making sure no one else was looking.

"Are you mental?" The slight protectiveness in Theo's tone made your stomach flutter. "Are you mental? What happened to you? Get in another fight? Because we're going to have a problem."

Theo chuckled softly, "Well the one you should have a problem with is Bole because he's the one who hit me with the bludger at practice yesterday."

You frowned, "I'll fight the git, where is he?"

Theo couldn't contain the look on his face, "Calm down, anima gemella, we can't both be fighters."

You looked up at his big blue eyes, "Oh, darling. You have no idea what you're in for."

[crunchycat6]

some more pizza dungeon stuff :]

Gus is the whole reason this au exists in the first place, he’s so gnome. i loved giving him a big ol’ robe :] and brick was super fun, i love making her a bit more realistic but still silly <3 don’t know how i feel about his cap, i might go back and change it a bit

Again trying to keep the mask silhouette with hazel’s hood, although it’s easier to justify her having a cute outfit for the sake of it being cute :3 took some cues from marcille’s outfit but made it much much pinker

more stuff under here

gus, being a regular at peppino’s tavern, heard theo trying to strike up a deal with peppino, burst into the conversation, and demand that he and brick tag along. gus is super into animals/monsters (if you couldn’t tell from his giant rat familiar) and is mostly going dungeon diving to document and study all the monsters, plus theo needed a better healer than hazel so gus is getting paid well.

Brick is brick. being a familiar, she’s happy to come with gus to the dungeon and is generally a big help to the party even if she’s not the most traditional party member (she’s perfect for carrying people when they get tired) she’s clearly pretty smart but to what extent no one really knows

hazel has been exploring the dungeon for the longest, she’s not exactly trying to become a dungeon lord (although she’s certainly not opposed to the thought) she’s just making a living and enjoying the exploration along the way :]

she and theo have been married for a bit and again, she’s happy to explore the dungeons without needing to become a dungeon lord, but she’s also happy to accompany her husband :] also both being beastmen, they kind of serve as the halflings of the party, with their raised senses and stuff. not as good as the real thing but it works

[pizzabox-box]

First, a little something I did of DMW Peppino and BMB Noise...

Blind Man's Bluff, Part 3

Faker kneaded his pizza dough and thought back on the day's events, blinking furiously. Ugh, it was hard to work when his eyes were still burning! He had barely even licked the Sound, so why had he thrown leemondayd in his face? He hadn't even tasted good - like that time he went looking for a snack Noisette said she'd had in her purse, only to find her blush compact instead. Yuck. Such an overreaction! Ow. Ow.

Faker rubbed his eyes and screeched in frustration. He had done everything he had been told to do! He had wound up doing the rest of the chase scene almost blind, crashing into things. Fortunately, the Sound had said they had nailed the shot on the first take, so they wouldn't have to do it again.

His train of thought was interrupted by the front door opening. Two pink and yellow blurs entered, and the other clones started trilling happily. "Hi, buddy!" a perky voice called out. Faker smiled as he recognized Noisette's voice. Noise looked around the dining area nervously, and jumped when a few clones started sniffing him, curious about the copious amount of cologne he was wearing. Noisette turned back and smiled. "It's ok, Theo, they won't hurt you!" she reassured him. Noise smiled sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. I knew that!" he stammered, though he was still visibly nervous.

Noisette set a box on the counter in front of Faker. She told him, "Theo felt pretty bad about what happened earlier, so we made cupcakes together to apologize! Well, I baked them, and Theo frosted them. But still!" Faker sniffed the baked goods. They were piled high with frosting, and smelled strongly of chocolate. Maybe a little too strong. Faker did something that could be best described as a sneeze. "Bless you!" Noisette giggled. Noise chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we both got too into the part. You really spooked me there! Really thought I was finished for a minute."

Noise pulled out a lighter and lit the candle on one of the cupcakes. "Happy Birthday," he remarked. Noisette laughed. "It's not his birthday, Theo!" "I'm trying, ok?!" Noise exclaimed, exasperated. Then he looked up at the clock, hung at an atrocious angle on the wall, and gasped. "Oh man, is that the time?" he asked, looking at his watch. "We're late for that meeting! We need to go!" He grabbed Noisette by the hand and started out the door. Noisette waved goodbye to her goopy friend. "Bye-bye, Peppino! Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!" And then they were gone. Faker pulled out one of the cupcakes that wasn't on fire. It looked good! That was nice of the Sound, he thought, as he shoved the entire thing in his mouth.

Doise got Noisette settled in the passenger seat, then hurriedly walked around to the driver's seat. It was time to leave. He was way too close to that chef's restaurant. He knew Noise way, way too well - apparently they had been rivals since before Noise and Noisette even met! As Doise fumbled with the keys, he became aware of a sniffing at his neck. "Hey, Noise, where have you been?" a voice asked. He jumped and spun around. Ugh, it was the gnome and his rat. Brick sniffed him again and hissed. Gustavo stroked his rat soothingly. "Easy, there, Brick, he won't try anything. Right?" Brrr, Doise did not like how the gnome was looking at him.

Noisette waved from the passenger seat. "Hi, Gustavo!" she chimed. Gustavo waved back. "Hey, Noisette! So, what have you two been up to recently? Haven't seen you around here in a while." Doise stammered as his mind raced. He needed an excuse! "W-well, we've been filming a movie for the past... how long has it been? Uh, full - full-time commitment, you know." He leaned against the car nonchalantly. They needed to leave. Now.

"Full-time, huh?" Doise looked behind himself, and screamed outright. There was the stocky Italian looming over him, tank top and hat a dangerous rose color against the green grass. Then he stopped and looked again, panting. No, no, this man's eyes were normal, no empty sockets. Under the outrageous pink, he wore a plain black shirt and pants. It wasn't Peddito after all. Doise growled. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" he shrieked.

Peppino looked Noise up and down. Something wasn't right. Noise looked him up and down in response. "And what's with the get-up? You look like someone slammed their thumb in the car door," he remarked, gesturing to Peppino's outfit. Peppino sighed. "I ruined my last normal top this morning's shift, and I have to wait for the washing machine to finish. This was the last thing in my closet." He glared at Gustavo as he said this, and the gnome looked pretty sheepish. That sounded like a can of worms for another day.

Instead, Peppino redirected his attention to the twitchy gremlin in front of him. He knew Noise's mannerisms well, and although he appeared normal to other people, it was small, almost imperceptible things that Peppino noticed immediately. He was constantly averting his eyes in a way no one else would notice. Noise was usually obnoxious with his eye contact (did he even blink?) Actually, those eyes...

Doise noticed Peppino leaning in, trying to get a better look at his eyes, and took several steps back. He had been fortunate up until now that no one had tried to look straight into his eyes, but until those red contacts came in, he had to be careful. "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Your breath reeks, keep away," he exclaimed, putting a hand up to keep the chef from getting closer. This was another red flag for Peppino. Noise had zero sense of personal space. "Something's not - " he began.

A loud explosion and a flash of fire stopped the entire interaction. Noisette screamed, and everybody turned to watch Peppino's Pizza 2 go up in flames. "Oh, my gosh!" Gustavo exclaimed, watching the inferno rise. Doise whistled. "Honestly, kinda surprised it didn't happen sooner, huh, Peppino," he remarked, as he attempted to casually hide a smug grin. The clone had nearly ruined his makeup and given him away, and this was the penalty. He had no idea whether Faker had figured it out, but he was not taking chances.

"Is he ok?!" Noisette squeaked, worried. Doise slid into the driver's seat and put his arm around her. "Have you seen the guy? I'm sure he'll be fine! Back in business within the week," he reassured her as he started the car. "Wait - " Peppino began. "Sorry, pal, we gotta go! Appointment to keep!" And with a beep of the horn, they drove off.

Peppino turned towards Gustavo. "Gus, did you notice anything wrong with Noise?" he asked. Gustavo thought about it. "Not particularly, but that doesn't mean anything. Why?" Peppino didn't answer, instead turning to watch the burning building across the street. Several clones were fleeing the blaze, but no sign of their leader yet. Peppino mused to himself. Something was very wrong with his rival. He just couldn't place it.

Faker had already been freaked out by the explosion of painful, sour acid in his mouth when he devoured the cupcake, but when the bomb went off, spraying burning juice and pulp everywhere, he just about lost his mind. Everything burned, he was fully blind, he tried to scream, but his mouth was melting together, he had no idea where the door was anymore, he could hear the fire roaring and the othet clones abandoning ship. The roof started to cave in. A pile of burning rubble fell on top of him. He managed to ooze his way out, but it burned so much, it was way too hot - he could feel parts of his body stiffen up, and smelled something baking -

He felt two pairs of hands grab him by the arms and drag him out of the burning restaurant. One felt like Peppino, the other reminded him of Noise. They didn't smell like either of them, though - in fact, they didn't smell like anything at all, as if they weren't even there. He heard the pizzeria collapsing behind him in a cloud of ash and smoke. Someone rubbed him with some sort of powder, and he felt the acid on his skin fizzle like one of those bath bomb things. It was soothing. It tasted strange, but he'd eaten worse. Stung his already burning eyes, though.

Faker managed to pull himself together somewhat. It would be a long time before he was back to being himself, let alone speaking his version of a cohesive sentence, but he was stable again, not in as much danger of dropping dead. Peddito looked over at Noise. The banshee was trembling in rage. Peddito echoed the sentiment. Doise had definitely crossed a line - now, how to stop him without putting even more lives at risk? Peddito racked his brain for possible solutions. Doise was very good at his craft. He seemed to have all his bases covered!

Peddito sighed and turned to watch Noise start clawing at the ground in rage, screaming slurs that hadn't even been invented yet. What to do? Peddito wanted Doise dead even more than Noise did...

But he didn't want the blood of another innocent on his hands.

He felt like somehow, he was being watched. He turned around, and saw a flying purple TV camera pointed at the scene.

He somehow doubted the person on the other side would be much help. In fact, he had the sneaking suspicion that this would turn out to be another roadblock...

Previous part

OH BOY, what a rollercoaster! The tension rises!

I can't believe Doise tried to kill off Faker—well... actually, I can believe it. Thank gosh those two specters showed up! Once Fakey puts together that Doise is responsible for his restaurant going down, he’ll have another person going after his neck. And don’t even get me started on what’ll happen once he finds out about Noisette. His restaurant and Noisette are the two things he cares the most about.

Also, Pizzahead coming in next? That will be interesting! That pizza cares most about his entertainment. Looking forward to seeing where it goes next!

Thank you for another part! I seriously enjoy this series!

Also thank you for this art you send me some time ago!

he screwed up :(

[itsgonnagetinspiringsoon]

Thank you for the tag!

Me and my current blorbo! (who also happens to be an oc of mine... theo my beloved)

@artemisanalysis, @frogsandmagic, @dndfrog, @heyitsphoenixx, @dancingplague and anyone who feels like joining

tagged by @fireworkss-exe!! Use this picrew to make yourself, and your current blorbo!

that is supposed to be richie lipschitz trust. it's okay that doesn't really look like me either

npt!! @raspberrysmoon, @kairithemang0, @paranormaltheatrekid, @chompersbrainrot, @charlie-but-not-slimecicle, @zoeyslament, @gods-favorite-autistic, @rosencrantzsguildenstern, @todaywasafairytaletv, @pangothepangolin, + anyone else who wants to join!!!!

[aniimamundi]

Pride & Prejudice - A Drarry tale

(btw while the war happens in this AU, Vince is still alive. As is Fred Weasley. Inspired by P&P but there are some deviations. I know Elizabeth Bennet was never declared a delinquent by the justice system 😅)

(Read previous part here)

Chapt 2: Young Penitents

Draco Malfoy’s daily community service with YPISSED-Young Penitents in Service Supplying Effective De-gnoming had only just begun and he was already dizzy from swinging around his twelfth gnome. 

“Ouch! Fucker!” Beside him, Blaise yelped as a particularly vicious gnome almost bit his finger off. “At this rate, we’ll still be at it by evening,” he complained, looking pointedly at Greg and Vincent. The two had been whispering and giggling since the last fifteen minutes, not doing any work, while Theo had been glaring at them, shaking his head in disapproval, also not doing any work.

“Oi! Knobheads!” Draco shouted. “We could use some help here.”

Vince whispered something in Greg’s ear and the two giggled again, before doing a skippy little run towards Draco and Blaise. Theo glumly followed behind.

“If you do our share of the gnomes today, Greg and I will tell you our secret,” said Vince, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Draco rolled his eyes at him. “Tempting. But you know what’s a better idea? Do your own gnomes and don’t tell us your secret.”

“Spoilsport,” Greg grumbled, before turning to Blaise. “Blaise, wouldn’t you want to kno–”

“Ronald Weasley is moving to the neighbourhood,” Theo declared in a toneless voice. “Greg and Vince mean to whore themselves out for his attention since he’s rich now.”

“Theo! You spoiled our surprise,” Vince shoved him, although he noticeably didn’t deny the accusation. 

“Vince, Greg,” Blaise addressed them, more patiently than the two deserved. “The Weasleys wouldn’t want anything to do with us, so I don’t think we should be excited about them moving in.”

“But your mother said he’s rich now, and not promised to anyone. He’ll be looking for a wife. Or a husband.”

“Plus there were rumours that he is hung!”

Blaise sighed. “He hates us –”

“Your mother said bygones are –”

Draco stepped away from his friends who were all shouting over each other. His heart thudded loudly in his chest. Ron Weasley. Where there was Ron Weasley there was always … No! He couldn’t bear to think about it. About him. He wouldn’t!

(Read next part here)

[manicplank]

The Color Pink (Part 10)

Uhhh this one took me a while to get to bc my brain went on vacation.

Hazel had been on cloud nine since her last date with The Noise. Even though it had been days, it felt like it all happened yesterday. For some strange reason, life felt completely different. She found herself smiling a lot, especially when she thought of him. She was itching to see him again, but she didn't want to seem clingy. However, she couldn't seem to contain herself. It had been so long since she felt a love like this, and she wanted to cherish every moment. She paced back and forth as she waited for their usual 7 o'clock phone call. The phone rang, and she picked it up without hesitation; "Hi, Theo!"

"Hey! How-"

"We should go on another date!"

He chuckled. "Eager, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I am. Sorry," she laughed nervously.

"I mean, I don't disagree."

"Great!"

"What were you thinking we do?"

"Um... I didn't think about that."

"I don't have any ideas."

"Hmmm..."

They went silent for a minute.

"Oh!" Hazel said, "I got it! Why don't we go stargazing? There's an opening in Picnic Park where you can see the stars!"

"How... How does that work?"

"What?"

"How can we see the stars when we're in a tower?"

"I don't know. I try not to think about it too much, it gives me a headache."

"That's fair."

"Do you maybe want to do it tonight?"

"That's a little short notice. I'm also kind of tired."

"Right, right, right. Sorry. I'm just excited to see you."

He chuckled again. "It's okay. If you want, we can do it tomorrow night, though."

Hazel hummed in thought for a minute. "Oh, yeah, that actually works out better. I'm not opening the cafe tomorrow."

"How come?"

"I want a three day weekend. I need some time off."

"That's understandable. I do that every now and again. I can set my own hours sometimes. It has to be approved occasionally. There was one time I took a week off because I just didn't feel like going to work."

"Really? That sounds... nice."

"It is, but I got so behind. It was bad. So yeah, that's why some of my extra days off need to be pre-approved."

"I try not to take too many days off. I guess it really doesn't matter much since I don't get a lot of customers."

"Hey, what did I say about that mindset?"

"I know, I know. I'm just saying. As much as I enjoy The Vigilante's company, it gets a little tiring hearing him rambling on and on about justice and this and that."

"Ugh, you deserve an award for dealing with him so often. I can't stand that guy."

"He's uh... He's an acquired taste."

"He suuuuucks!"

"Oh, be nice."

"That's not really my thing."

"Mhm, okay. I call bullshit."

"Yeah? How come?"

"You're nice to me."

"Only to you."

She let out a small giggle. "I believe that."

"I hate to cut it short, but I'm feeling really tired. I'm probably gonna make some food and head to bed."

"Okay. What time do you want to meet up tomorrow?"

"How about 8 or 9?"

"Why so late?"

"I thought you wanted to go stargazing."

"Oh! Right!" She laughed.

"Okay, well... Goodnight, Hazel."

"Goodnight, Theodore."

-

Hazel had suffered through the anticipation of the whole day waiting for their date. The day went by so slowly. She felt as if she was stuck in waiting mode. She got ready in something casual. She left her hair as was. She put on a cute pink Hello Kitty t-shirt with some straight leg blue jeans and white sneakers. She felt that she had been overeager to see him, so she wanted to dress to impressive. Play it cool, she thought.

She called a cab and headed down to the Gnome Forest. She walked over to Picnic Park. She saw some goblins that looked unusually like The Noise. She actually thought one of them was him, but when she called to it, it didn't respond. When she got to the park, she saw The Noise waiting for her. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a yellow bomber jacket and blue jeans with black Vans. He ran up to her and picked her up with a spin. She laughed as she held on to his shoulder.

"Hey," she spoke through laughter.

"Hi," he chuckled. "I was waiting for you." He put her down softly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be late."

"No, no, I got here kind of early. We didn't specify whether we were meeting at 8 or 9 so I got here at 8."

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing! It's not your fault."

"Okay, okay." She giggled. "Here," she grabbed his hand. "I'll show you where the opening is."

"Heh heh..."

"What?"

He snickered. "Nothing, it's just the way you said that."

She smiled and shook her head. "You have a dirty mind."

He cackled as she tugged his arm. They came to a small area of grass. Above them was an opening in the trees that showed the night sky. Amazingly, the stars were bright and abundant. There were so many of them, which was funny considering they were inside a tower. Hazel looked at him and smiled when she saw him looking upward. "This is the spot I was telling you about."

"Yeah," he looked at her. "You weren't kidding."

"I mean, I haven't been here in a while. I really don't have to. If I want to go stargazing, all I would have to do is look at you."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Stop... I'm not that famous..."

"Are you kidding? You're like the most famous person in the tower. I think more people know you than Pizzaface."

"Whatever," he poked her, and she giggled.

Hazel sat down and so did Theo. They laid down slowly and looked up. The sky was pitch black, decorated with sparkling stars of white, red, green, and blue. The stars in the tower were so different from the stars outside. They had all sorts of different patterns and shapes.

"I remember," Theo spoke, "when I was a kid, we went to a planetarium as a school field trip. It was really cool."

"I went to one, too," Hazel responded, "my school did the same thing!"

"We got to see space ship equipment, pieces of space suits and meteorites. Then they took us to this dome room where they had all the stars. They showed us the constellations and told us their backstories."

"Really? I didn't get that experience as a kid."

"Yeah. The only constellation I can still spot is Orion. You can only see it during the winter. Well, it starts in the fall, and that's how I know winter's coming."

"That's really cool! I don't know where the constellations are. I only really know what they're called."

"I'm surprised no one's made up constellations for the stars in here."

"We could make some."

"Yeah, we could, but I'm not the most creative."

She looked at him. "Really? You, not the creative type?" She was very sarcastic.

He looked at her and laughed. "I guess I am, but not when it comes to constellations."

"Let's test it out." She pointed at a few stars in the shape of two squares. "How about that one?"

"Uhhh... A book, maybe?"

"Or nerdy glasses."

He chuckled. "That one kind of sucked."

She slapped his forearm. "Be nice!"

"I am!" He laughed.

She sighed, "I guess you're right. Two squares isn't the most impressive thing in the world."

"Hmmm..." He pointed at some stars in the shape of an asterisk. "How about that one?"

"Mmm... I don't really see anything."

"It's a flower." He grabbed her hand and traced the pattern with her finger.

"Oh! I see it now!"

He snickered. As she continued to stare at the stars, he turned his head to her. He observed her and how pretty she was. He scanned her from her head to her toes with a smile on his face. He was completely enamored by her. This beautiful girl lay beside him. He thought about how he was originally flirting with her out of lust, but quickly, he fell for her. He had never met anyone quite like her. She was so kind, upbeat, and outgoing. She brought out a side of him that he didn't even know existed. She turned her head to him and noticed him staring.

"Hi," she spoke.

"Hey," he replied.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"I don't know."

"You sure?"

"I... Heh, I don't know that either." He chuckled nervously.

"I have to ask you about something you said."

"Oh?"

"It was, uh... something you said when you were drunk."

His eyes widened, and his heart sank. "Oh..." He didn't remember what he had said to her.

"You told me... Well, you told me that you liked me."

"..." He stared at her in bewilderment.

"What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, well, um..." He looked up at the sky and gulped. "I, uh..." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Hazel... I like you. I like your eyes. I like your smile. I like the way you talk. I like the way your voice sounds. I like how you get excited over the smallest of things. I like how you squeak and hop around when you're happy. I like that you're resilient and don't give up when things get challenging. I like that you're authentically yourself no matter what. I like it when you come around, and I like it when you're there. I like that you treat me like a normal person. I like that you worry about me, like when it was raining and you were worried I'd get sick. I like that you're a bit assertive with me. I like that we call and talk on the phone every day. I like how soft your hands are, and I like when you let me hold them. I like it when we hug. A-a-and I liked it when we kissed. I like that you make me nervous but you also make me calm.

I like you, Hazel. I really, really do."

Hazel was smiling with tears in her eyes. "Wow, Theodore... That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

He sat up. "I just," he sighed, "I don't want to rush things. I don't want to get my heart broken, and I surely don't want to break yours. I guess, in a way, I'm afraid. I already feel like I don't deserve you, like you're too good for me. You're such a genuinely sweet and good person, and well... To be honest, when I first met you, I was only flirting with you to get lucky. And before I met you, I was basically an alcoholic. I drank before work, after work, in the morning, and before bed. I stopped drinking as much once we started talking. I'm still working on getting my drinking under control. I'm short-tempered and nasty. There's so many horrible, horrible things about me that you haven't seen yet. So many things that make me feel like I shouldn't be doing this with you." Theo sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Theodore, look," Hazel sat up, scooted next to him, and gently grabbed the side of his face to make him look at her. "I like you, too. I like how nervous you get. I like that you're pushing through that nervousness for me. I like that you care about me. I like that you try to help me out with my business. I like that you make time for me when you're so busy. I like your smile. I like your laugh. I like that you're so silly and goofy. I like that you're truthful with me. I like that you told me about all that.

But you know what I don't like? I don't like how hard you are on yourself. I don't like that you seem to think that you're such a horrible person. I don't like that you see all the good things in me but none of the good things about yourself. There are bad things about me, too. Things you haven't seen yet. Things that you're probably not going to like, things that I don't even like.

I think you're good enough for me. Matter of fact, I think you're even better than that. Come here."

She pulled him in for a hug. He sniffled again and shed a few silent tears into her shoulder. She pulled back to see that he was crying. She put her hands on his cheeks. "No tears," she said ever so softly. "I like you, too. Okay?"

He nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay."

She hugged him again and rubbed his back. She felt his whole body relax in her arms. He felt her shiver slightly and pulled back.

"Are you okay," he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, I'm just a little cold." She smiled and shrugged.

He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Here."

"Oh, no, no," she tried to stop him.

"No, you're cold."

"But you'll-"

"Hazel." He looked her in the eye. "You need this more than I do."

She smiled and blushed as she put her arms through the sleeves of the jacket. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I have a pretty good cold tolerance. I'll be fine."

They laid down side by side with their hands clasped together, their fingers intertwined. Hazel felt incredibly warm and safe with his jacket around her. She leaned her head on Theodore's shoulder as they continued to stargaze. They continued to point out silly shapes they noticed in the stars and gave them even sillier names. As the night continued on, things got quiet. Theo got a little concerned. He looked over to see that Hazel had dozed off on his shoulder. He smiled and snickered. He nudged her gently with his elbow to wake her up. She slowly picked her head up. Her eyes were squinted with confusion.

"Hey," he spoke under his breath.

"What happened," she muttered.

"You fell asleep."

She shot up. "Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

He sat up and laughed. "It's okay."

She covered her face in embarrassment. "I'm not usually up this late." She huffed. "I'm usually in bed super early so I can wake up early for the cafe."

"Do you wanna go home?"

"No! I mean, yeah, but..."

"Want me to take you home?"

"No, I'll call a cab this time. Thanks, though."

"Come on," he stood up and held his hand out. "I'll walk you to the street."

She grabbed his hand, and he helped her up. They walked slowly through the park with their hands held. Hazel was so flustered, she couldn't believe she fell asleep on him during their date! Theodore thought it was absolutely adorable that she felt safe enough with him to fall asleep on his shoulder. He wasn't at all mad. As they strolled towards the street, Theodore stopped her and leaned on a tree. He grabbed her other hand and held both of them.

"Why are we stopping?" She was incredibly confused.

Theodore's heart was racing. His legs were weak and felt like they could give out at any moment. With a nervous smile, he asked,

"Hazel... Will you be my girlfriend?"

Hazel's eyes grew wide and she gasped.

"Oh... My... Gosh!!!" She jumped up and down with her hands still in his. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! YESSS!!!" She let out a small squeal before she yanked him into hug, still hopping around and giggling in joy. When they pulled away from the hug, she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him deeply. She started to giggle and hop around again, her hands on his shoulders, his hands on hers. Her cab pulled up, and she looked at it before kissing him again.

"I have to go," she said with a giant smile.

"Yeah. I'll see you."

"Bye!" She pecked him on the lips one more time. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Go home, go to bed." He pat her on the shoulder as she ran towards the cab.

He watched her run off with a giant smile on his face. She couldn't see it, but his face was beet red. He was so happy she said yes. He couldn't believe he finally worked up the courage to ask her. After the conversation they had before, he finally felt secure enough. He was a bit anxious, but he had to take the chance. And he was so glad he did.

That night, Hazel had trouble sleeping. She was suddenly struck with energy and excitement after he asked her out. She paced around her bedroom for a good hour before she settled down to sleep. She realized she forgot to give him back his jacket in her fit of exhilaration. But it was so soft and warm, and it smelled like him, too. She finally laid down, falling asleep while wearing his jacket.

[mizimuse]

Tragic brow adventures || Slytherin boys+Pansy edition

1.Mattheo Riddle

So, Mattheo walks into your room, strutting like he’s on a runway, and spots you trimming your eyebrows. His eyes light up like he’s just found the key to the universe. “This looks easy. I’ll be the first Slytherin with brows sharper than my wit!”

He snatches your razor with a dramatic flair, flexing like he’s about to perform a spell. “Watch and learn, peasants. I’m about to become Hogwarts’ brow god.”

Fast forward five seconds, and he’s holding the razor in horror, staring at his reflection. “What in Merlin’s name happened? I’ve turned myself into a half-crazed troll!”

You walk in, and there he is, practically hyperventilating. “Help! I look like I lost a duel with a bush!” He gestures wildly, and all you can do is laugh.

“I mean, it’s not that bad,” you tease, and he shoots you a glare. “Not that bad? I can’t even take myself seriously with one eyebrow! I’ll never live this down!”

2.Draco Malfoy

Draco’s lurking in the corner, looking all judgmental as he watches you. “Seriously, it can’t be that hard. I’ve got this.”

He grabs the razor, eyeing it like it’s a deadly artifact. “Prepare for the debut of the new Draco Malfoy—brow edition.”

Next thing you know, there’s a gasp, and he’s staring at himself in sheer disbelief. “What have I done?! I look like a deranged gnome!”

You find him in front of the mirror, hair tousled and brow half-gone, practically whining. “This is a catastrophe! I can’t show my face at breakfast looking like this!”

When you chuckle, he narrows his eyes. “It’s not funny! I’m going to be the laughingstock of the whole school! Someone get me a potion to fix this disaster!”

3.Theodore Nott

Theo spots you trimming your brows and thinks, “How hard can this be? I’ll just take a little off the top.”

He grabs the razor, looking way too confident for someone who’s never done this before. “I’ve got this; I’m basically a grooming expert now.”

A few seconds later, he’s staring at his reflection in horror. “Uh, wait a minute. Where did my eyebrow go?”

When you find him, he’s staring into the mirror like he’s just seen a ghost. “I’m going to be bald on one side of my face! What will my mother say?”

You can’t help but laugh at his panic, and he huffs in response. “This is not amusing! I was trying to look good for once, and now I look like a horror show!”

4.Blaise Zabini

Blaise casually strolls in, glances at you, and thinks, “This looks simple enough. I’ll give it a go.”

He grabs the razor with a nonchalant attitude. “I mean, how hard could this possibly be? I’m practically a wizard stylist.”

Fast forward to him standing there, eyes wide as he realizes he’s just created a bald patch where his eyebrow used to be. “Uh-oh. This is a problem…”

You find him staring at his reflection, scratching his head. “Well, this is awkward. Did I just invent a new trend? Because I don’t think this is going to catch on.”

You can’t help but chuckle, and he shrugs. “Okay, maybe I should stick to just being naturally good-looking instead of trying to be a beauty guru.”

5.Lorenzo Berkshire

Lorenzo sees you grooming and hesitantly thinks, “Maybe I should try this too? Just a little touch-up, right?”

He takes your razor, looking like he’s about to perform a very dangerous spell. “This can’t go wrong… can it?”

A few seconds later, he realizes he’s just completely removed one of his eyebrows. “Oh no, what have I done?”

You find him standing there with a deer-in-headlights look, practically on the verge of tears. “Please tell me this can be fixed! I can’t walk around looking like this!”

You laugh, and he blushes. “Why do I always make these choices? I just wanted to look decent for once!”

6.Pansy Parkinson

Pansy struts into the common room, eyeing your freshly trimmed brows. “I’m totally going to steal your look,” she declares, armed with your razor like it's a wand.

She goes in for a little trim but somehow ends up with one perfectly shaped brow and a completely bald patch on the other side. “This is fine, right? I’m starting a new trend,” she insists, batting her eyelashes with the one brow still intact.

Draco walks in and freezes. “What happened to your face?” he exclaims, looking like he’s about to faint. Pansy just smirks, “Oh, you’re just jealous that I can rock the one-brow look better than you ever could.”

Not one to back down, Pansy grabs your eyeliner and goes full goth. “Who needs brows when you can have dramatic eyeliner?” she shouts, striking a pose. “I’m practically a work of art!”

After a solid five minutes of her trying to convince everyone that her look is “totally intentional,” she finally concedes. “Okay, fine, help me fix this disaster,” she says, trying to hide her laughter.

7.Tom Riddle

Tom, always convinced he's the best at everything, sees you shaping your brows and thinks, “I could do that.” He snatches your razor, ready to show off his “skills.”

He trims a bit too much and suddenly has half an eyebrow. “Perfectly executed,” he declares, admiring his reflection like he’s just won a Quidditch match.

Draco storms in, looking flawless. “What are you doing, Riddle?” His eyes widen at Tom’s disaster. “You look ridiculous.”

Tom shrugs, trying to act nonchalant. “It’s a new trend. You wouldn’t understand, Malfoy.” He strikes a pose, clearly feeling superior.

Draco’s face turns red with envy. “Why do you think that looks better than mine?!” he snaps, crossing his arms dramatically. “You just look confused!”

"Shut up before i turn you into a ferret"

[yanderepuck]

More on Theo and blaming gnomes:

When they were little Vincent would tell him fairy tales and when things would go missing and Theo would be upset Vincent would come over and be like "I bet the gnomes took it. I bet they wanted to play too" or "maybe the gnomes needed to use it and forgot to put it back where it goes."

And the weird gnome stories just stuck with him.

[gnomescarfcomics]

Rings of Power: Episode 7 - The Eye

Rewatch mini review. Chaotic and out of order.

The grief episode.

Southlands: Galadriel's scenes with Theo were surprisingly poignant. It was great to see her slowly coming back to her true self after years of obsession, hate, failure, and grief. I don't dislike Theo, but he was probably one of my least favorite characters. This show finds a way to make good use of every character though. Seeing the world through his eyes helps Galadriel come to terms with how much she's changed since her hunt for Sauron began. I wish they'd spent a little more time with that though, even just another short scene or two. I think it could have softened the blow a little for how people reacted to Galadriel's personality throughout the show.

As I mentioned in my other review, another fake out death for Bronwyn feels extra unnecessary after the events of season 2. But it is what it is. Now I actually miss Bronwyn more than I thought I would. She was another one of my least favorite characters, but her storyline did have a lot of heart behind it.

Elendil's various stages of grief are played out well, even if most people know Isildur isn't actually dead. It's not always about what the audience knows but how the characters react. Miriel's blindness was a creative choice that has some nice symbolic implications, and it was nice seeing it hardening her resolve rather than sinking her into despair.

Halbrand being wounded and needing "elvish medicine" was a little hokey and felt like a lazy way of getting him to Eregion. I know Galadriel later says "we rode without rest", but I would have liked at least one scene with them on the road. Season one suffers from kind of ignoring the time and distance between locations. Even with the inclusion of map cutaways, which I grew to love, there isn't enough traveling for me. Maybe they took the complaints of Lord of the Rings having "too much walking" to heart.

And speaking of maps, I think the Southlands to Mordor visual transition should have been done over a shot of the whole map rather than just showing the text over a wide shot of the land. But that's a bit of a nitpick.

Harfoots/Harfeet: This part feels a little sloppy in some places. How much they fear the Stranger and his magic (and why) feels a little inconsistent at times. As does the sense of community of the harfoots. I get what they were going for: they're a superstitious clan that have become overly obsessed with survival, basically at the cost of their true unity as a people. The Stranger's mere presence fills them with fear, despite his kindly nature and attempts to help them. And when anything goes wrong, it's hard for them not to instinctively blame him. Their decisions are all based in fear, including leaving people behind.

Just as Isildur says Numenor is "not the true Numenor" anymore, I think the same is true of the harfoots. They've literally lost their way. But who they once were still lives on, and it's strongest in people like Nori and her father. Just as the heart of true Numenor lives on in Elendil and Isildur. As Nori says when she refuses to leave the Stranger behind, "That's not who we are." And Poppy corrects her, "That's not who YOU are."

I think Largo's speech and Malva admitting her faults do a pretty good job of communicating this, but it could have been clearer in my opinion. And like Galadriel, a little more clarification and time could have helped alleviate some of the criticisms. Because I think the writers' intent is good and makes sense overall.

Khazad-dum: The smoothest of the storylines. Elrond and Durin's relationship (and Disa) continue to be the heart of the show. Not even the somewhat clunky mithril stuff can hold them back. And to its benefit, this episode focuses more on the emotional impacts rather than the detailed intricacies of how the fading and the mithril supposedly works.

It may not be immediately apparent, but most of the characters on the side of good are "right" in their own ways. Even the grumpy dwarf king makes valid points and is doing what he thinks is best, just as everyone else is. He may come off as harsh, but he's not acting out of malice. This idea of people being both right and wrong in their own ways becomes especially important in season two.

I remember this episode feeling a little disappointing when it first came out. After such an impactful previous episode, it was hard not to want things to keep going at the same pace. But as Sadoc said, everyone needed "a moment to grieve" and regroup before the final reveals of the season came to light.

[ryttu3k]

so during neil’s playthrough of bg3 his character (a female barbarian named Bow’ee) finally got the sex scene w astarion. Theo said “is this Astarbation?” and neil was jokingly like “we’re all mature adults here, let’s enjoy the cinematic beauty of a sex scene” and then he lost it when Astarion jumped into Bow’ee’s arms and she pinned him against the tree. neil was like “oooh mommy!” in Astarion’s voice and then everyone lost it in chat. so i think if tav has a higher strength than astarion he jumps into their arms and bow’ee is like 15 strength iirc? anyways astarion bottomed, we all but saw it

It's the body types, AFAIK! Types 1 and 2 (the slim ones), Astarion picks them up. Types 3 and 4, the strong ones, they pick Astarion up. Not sure what it'd be for Dragonborn, half-Orc, or smaller ones like Halflings or Gnomes.

Given that he has all of STR 8, I don't think it could be a 'stronger than Astarion' thing since. That'd be literally everyone XD How he doesn't try to pick someone up and just crumple like tissue paper is beyond me!