#there are better wizardly things out there

[yamimichi]

Inpatient in the Waiting Room

I had an appointment with my therapist today and she was running a little late. The waiting room got crowded and people were talking to each other, loudly. That wouldn't have been too bad except my husband and I had to keep our opinions to ourselves. They were talking about stuff that we didn't agree with. Like that new wizard school game. Some of them were saying how much they loved it and it was really good. Others were mentioning family members who were into HP. My husband and I just sat there quietly, waiting for what felt like an eternity for my therapist to come get me. There was talk of other things too. Sports and teams that we aren't fond of. That's okay. People are entitled to their opinions. There was a man there talking about guns and hunting. He described himself as a "good ol' country boy" and said he'd been shooting guns since he was 8. Politics never came up but he screamed MAGA. When it comes down to it though, our biggest problem (I won't misuse the word trigger here) was the wizarding talk. It seemed like forever until they shut up and changed subjects. I don't think any of them know about the controversy. And they probably wouldn't care. I hate TERFS and antisemitic people. I can't stand "her" and her wizard stuff. But I and my husband had to hold our tongues. Finally my therapist came and saved us.

[inkskinned]

it's been said before and i'm sure said better than i can phrase it. but really, really - if you like making "i'm going to kill myself" jokes, please try switching to being ironically conceited instead.

anytime something goes wrong, say things like "ah well at least i'm beautiful and charming and everyone loves me." when you forget something, try "my big huge brain is so smart and thinking about too many other very big wizardly thoughts you wouldn't even understand." when you're frustrated by one of your symptoms, start talking like you're in My Immortal. "Life has come for me but my eyes are beautiful pools of gorgeous fire and my hair is amazing. I stuck my middle finger up at life and told it to fuck off and it did."

just... try it for a month or two. try saying the most absurdly self-congratulatory shit you can think of.

i know it's tempting to make suicide or self-harm jokes. and for me at least, a decade ago (!) when someone suggested i stop making those kinds of jokes, i was kind of at a loss for what to replace them with. i wanted to make light of these moments, but genuinely (at the time) my first thought really was suicidal ideation. there was a part of me that even felt like ... i was kind of "making light" of that voice. that if i could say i want to die lol, it would help take the sting out of that genuine (albeit passive) desire. like i could turn my illness into a joke.

when i started complimenting myself instead, it felt awkward and stupid. it felt really, really ironic. what i was actually saying was nobody would ever think this stuff about me, that's what makes it so fucking funny.

but. the effect was immediate. first thing i noticed was the people around me. when i dropped a glass and said ah my skin is too beautiful and sleek the glass has swooned and broken for me, other people were suddenly overjoyed to jump in with the joke. rather than making an awkward moment, we'd both start cracking up. ah princess sleek hands, i've heard of you.

i was 19. i hadn't noticed i'd been making others tense when i said i want it all to end. i know now that it's incredibly hard to know how to walk that moment - do you talk to them about your concern? do you potentially make them uncomfortable by asking if they're okay? do you ignore the situation? do you help them pick up the glass, or do they need to do it by themselves? are they genuinely made suicidal over this small moment? and most importantly, how do you - without professional training or supplies - actually help?

most people want to help you pick up the glass in your life, they just have no fucking idea how to do it. they don't want to make anything worse. they don't want to make assumptions about you. they love you, they're scared for you - and being scared makes people kind of freeze up. it's not because they don't love you. it's because they do.

now when something bad happens, my first thought is how can i make a stupid joke about this. it isn't my brain saying you're a dumb fucking bitch. i spend more time laughing. i spend more time being gentle with myself. i spend more time feeling good.

and the thing is - what's kind of funny - is that you'd be surprised by how many people agree with you. the first time i said i'm too pretty to understand that, someone else said to be fair you're the prettiest person in this room. i promise - you really don't know how kindly your friends see you. but they love you for a reason. they sort of reverse-velveteen-rabbit you. your weird and ugly spots fade away and you just become... the love they want to give you.

go love yourself ironically. the worst thing that happens is that you end up tricking your reflection into actually loving you.

[soleilnewspaper]

First tattoo

Synopsis: You’ve always wanted to get a tattoo but you are absolutely terrified of needles. Luckily you have not one but two boyfriends to talk you through it.

Pairing: poly!wolfstar x reader

Warnings: fear of needles, crying, comfort, suggestive themes (nothing is explicitly stated.)

Word count: 1.6k

AN: I’m still quite ill but I do plan to release more parts of my poly!Wolfstar series once I’m better. If you enjoy this, please do all the tumblr things; reblog, like and comment.

Dividers: @Strangergraphics

It’s a little embarrassing to be honest, how you, a grown adult still have a fear of needles. An intense one at that.

Most people grow out of their childhood fears. They’re replaced by the demands of adulthood instead. Bills, taxes, rent, food and countless other things that you have to deal with as an adult.

You still share all these concerns yourself, every other adult would. However, you unlike every other adult does not almost throw a tantrum at the doctor’s office you get blood tests.

Luckily in the wizardly world, a verse majority the medical field is built on magic. Something which could be viewed as both an advantage and disadvantage depending on who you ask.

Despite being in this world for over a decade and having attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your muggle mother still feels more at ease when you have checkups at the family doctor.

Your intense fear hadn’t affected you greatly in your life, not untill recently anyway.

Sirius, one of your boyfriends officially got his tattoo license a few months back and the desire for him to give you one is growing by the day.

Remus, your other boyfriend, too has a few tattoos here and there. Not nearly as many as Sirius, and his are often hidden under sweaters and long pants.

Currently, he was in the process of acquiring a new tattoo. Remus lay back down on the leather seat, with his lower abdomen exposed. One of his trusty sweaters lifted to give Sirius the access he needs to work.

The cold air nips at his skin, and he arches his back slightly to make himself more comfortable. A task seemly easy, yet difficult for the tall lanky werewolf in such a small chair.

Straddling his hips, your other boyfriend smirks down at him as he works. His long black hair pulled into a makeshift ponytail in an attempt to be professional. You hardly see how keeping a level of professionesness is needed when he’s already straddling Remus as is.

You’ve been watching the interaction for a while now, sat in the same spot on the leather couch since they started. Happily multitasking between reading the book Remus burrowed you and watching the two while Sirius tattoos him. The only sounds leaving your lips for a while were a few giggles and smiles at the notes Remus had left in the margins for you.

Feeling a sudden sense of boldness, you put down the book on the table next to you. Neither one of the boys look up, far too engrossed in their own business.

Your shared doc martens press against the floor as you walk over to the two. Pulling up the closest available chair in order to sit next to Sirius who is still focused on Remus.

Upon seeing you, a warm smile immediately finds Remus’s face. “Did you already finish the book, dove?” He asked while stretching his arms above his head leaving more of his torso exposed. The mere act sends chills through your body.

“Or maybe you just wanted to watch.” Sirius’s eyes remained on Remus’s lower torso to avoid messing up. “Hmm, dollface.” He mumbled with a tone that made you practically hear the smirk you knew was on his face.

“Well, nothin’ wrong with that.” Remus extended his arm towards you, his fingers finding your smaller one’s.

“I want one.” You stated in a high pitched sound. Causing both boys to look at you.

“Hmm, what’s that, darling?” Remus hummed his eyes closed as he felt Sirius lit the needle from his skin to stop and look at you.

“A tattoo.” Once the words left your mouth, both your boyfriends turned to fully face you. Trying to see if you were just pulling their leg or not. After they had deduced that you were serious about this, they finally spoke.

“You sure you’re up for it, bunny?” Remus cooed, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. Both of them knowing how much you hate needles or sharp objects in general.

A few moments of thinking, and you promptly nodded your head to indicate your answer.

“Come on, Rem, she’s tougher than she looks.” The dark haired boy exchanged a look with the sandy brunette one.

“Fine, but only if you are completely sure. I don’t want you to do something your regret or that will make you feel uncomfortable or worse, scared.” Remus sat up to get a better look at you, resting on his elbows.

For months now, you’d watched Sirius tattoo people in this chair. Hell, you’d even seen your shared boyfriend be given a few by Sirius. Yet, you couldn’t stop the nerves pulsing through your veins when Sirius cleaned the needle.

On your left side, sat on a very uncomfortable bar stool was your second boyfriend. Remus rubbed small circles on the palms of your hands with his fingers in soothing motions.

Sirius walked over to the two of you, and took a seat in front of you. The needle right there in his hands. Staring at you. You tried to be brave, really you did.

Only a mere few minutes into the tattoo session and you broke. The second you felt the needle dig deeper into your skin, it was over.

Tears pulled in your irises and you dug your nails deep within Remus’s palms. You tried to keep the tears at bay, but when your boyfriend pressed the needle a little more. You became a flood gate.

Your tears quickly turned into sobs, and your breath began to hitch. Hearing you, Sirius immediately took away the needle laying it down on the nearby table.

Remus stood up from his stool to get a better look at you. Towering over you, he lifted your chin with the tip of his index finger. His beautiful honey brown staring down at you.

“Hey, hey, hey, dove, talk to us.” He cooed, his heart breaking at the sight of your tears. Sirius exchanging a look with him.

Sirius sat down on the chair next to squishing you slightly until he found a comfortable position. Once he did, he began to lightly stroke your check. “Why didn’t you say something, darling?”

“I-I-I-did-didn’t-wa-want-“ Before you could manage to get out your sentence already feeling like a child and hating it.

“Shh, deep breathes, baby.” Remus cooed once again. Pulling you to his chest. Your tears began to flow into his sweater.

Sirius moved to hug you from behind, the boys finding a way to sandwich you into a hug. Despite their awkward positions. With Remus standing and Sirius squished into the chair next to you.

“I want this.” You lay your head on Remus’s torso, looking up at him. Finding nothing but love in his eyes.

“You sure, dove, because it-“

“I do, really, I do.”

“Dollface, you know you don’t have to do it just because we have them.” Sirius stroked the back of your hair in an attempt to soothe you.

“That’s not why I’m doing this.”

A long sigh escaped Remus’s lips before he cupped your face with his large hands. “Well, then we’re goin’ need to find a way to make this work, huh?”

You simply hooded in return, your tears beginning to dry up replaced by a smile.

Remus and Sirius continued to console you untill you had reached a sense of relief. Which didn’t take long with both boys by your side.

Later, clearing the place out. You finally got your tattoo.

The city lights of London shone through the thin blinds of Sirius’s tattoo shop. He had sent the rest of his clients and staff home. Leaving only the three of you. It made it easier for you, when there weren’t too many people surrounding you.

Towards the back of the shop, the three of you found your way to Sirius’s office. The place was organised chaos as he liked to call it.

You lay back on the red leather couch, with your chosen tattoo area exposed. Remus sat right next to you. His arm draped around your shoulder, pulling you closer to squeeze you every now and then. Sirius remained focused the entire time but he exchanged looks with Moony as a silent ask for how you were doing. Stopping a few times when you had given him any kind of indication that you were in pain.

“Sorry for being a big baby, earlier.” Your voice was muffed in Remus’s sweater.

“Pardon?” Remus smirked, leaning closer to you knowing full well he heard you.

“Don’t you dare make me repeat it.” You sent death daggers at him. Which only caused him to pull you closer.

“Alright, love, I’d say you’re good to go.” Sirius turned off the tattoo machine and placed it back in its home. Removing the gloves from his hands and letting his hair loose.

“Wait, what, just like that?” You were shocked that hours had gone by and you hadn’t even noticed.

“Guess you just needed the right setting.” Remus spoke gently tucking a stray piece of hair away from your face.

“More like I needed your undivided attention.” You snickered.

“Please, we all know you have us wrapped around your fingers.” Sirius fell back onto the leather couch with a this. “Beautiful. Gorgeous. Hot.” He said in between kisses.

“Please tell me you aren’t still talking about my fingers.”

“What do you think?” Sirius smirked down at you. Whilst Remus threw his head back against the couch.

“I think you’re both going have to call in sick to work tomorrow.” You said in a low seductive tone while dragging your fingers up Sirius’s neck.

“What will you have us do, love?” Remus breath was felt against your ear.

“I think you know.”

[triscribe]

Trials of Youth Ch1

(...so. So far my attempts to get in a good headspace to finish this book's second draft have not gone well, which means it's time to take drastic action. Hence, sharing the first handful of chapters here, and seeing if my friends having someplace to screech and ask what's next will help)

Dawn bloomed.

In the southern plains, sitting near the very top of a cottonwood tree, a girl admired how light spread across the land, transforming everything by simple use of illumination. When enough time had passed that she could see her surroundings clearly, the fourteen year old turned and looked down.

“Fren! Time to get up, lazy-bones!” A muffled grunt was the only response. Rolling her eyes, the girl started to climb downward, swiftly passing her own hammock to crouch beside the one below. With a teasing grin, she started to push at it, swinging the cloth and its inhabitant from side to side. “Frennnn.”

“Mm’up.” A hand and arm were stretched up out of the mess of blankets, before flopping back over.

“Freniden Brusan, if you don’t wake up in the next thirty seconds, I’m tipping this thing over and dumping you out of it.”

Bunched-up cloth and curly black hair were pushed aside so that her friend could direct his glare towards the girl. “You wouldn’t.”

“I most certainly would.”

“We’re twenty feet in the air, Tali!”

“Then you’ll just have to use your all-powerful wizardly talents to keep from getting injured.” She released her hold on the hammock and stood. “Now come on!”

“Alright, alright, I’m getting up,” the younger boy grumbled, kicking his blankets off and reaching for his bag, hanging from a nearby branch. “I swear, everyone in your family is a lunatic, rising at dawn and ordering other people to do the same...”

“I’m sorry, does this come as a surprise to you?” Laughing, Tali climbed back up to avoid the smelly sock Fren threw in her direction. Within a few minutes, both children had donned their outer traveling clothes and rolled up their hammocks, stuffing the bulky bundles into Fren’s enchanted satchel. Once they’d clambered back down to the ground, the wizardling pulled out some hard biscuits and dried meat for their breakfast.

“So,” he asked around a mouthful of food. “Now that we’ve successfully gotten too far from the city for your father’s search parties to find, do we have a destination in mind to start looking for this missing sister of yours?”

Tali frowned thoughtfully. “Well, much as I want to find Lillia, we could stop by your old home first, visit your family-” She stopped when Fren snorted.

“Bad idea. My relatives wouldn’t let us leave for at least the better part of a month, which I know would drive you insane.”

“It would?”

“Oh, yes. Nothing interesting ever happens in Fammon.”

“Well, fine then, if you don’t want to see your uncle and aunt and cousins, we’ll just go straight north.”

Fren raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? That’s all the great Petalia Crant can come up with?”

“That’s all we need,” Tali argued, looking ahead with a fierce expression. “We go north.”

“I’m starting to have second thoughts about running off with you...”

“Too late to change your mind now!” Tali playfully punched her friend’s shoulder, and giggled when the chubby boy pretended to stagger.

“Hey! Easy with those muscles of yours! I may have extra padding, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get bruised!”

“Oh, quit being such a whiner.”

“Bully.”

“Wimp!”

“Aquimbe!” Before Tali could blink, a spray of water caught her in the face. She spluttered, ducking away as Fren cackled. The spell ended after a moment, water spout fading back into nothing, though the girl remained very much wet.

“That,” she declared, wiping at her face with the edge of her cape, “Was so not fair.”

“Forgive me for wanting to get the upper hand just once,” Fren grinned.

The pair continued to banter as they walked on, eventually finding a road heading in the right direction. Tali checked it over for recent tracks while Fren whispered a quick scanning spell for nearby people. Neither of them found any signs of fellow travelers.

“Should we risk it?” The wizardling asked. His friend shrugged.

“May as well.”

Winding as it may have been, the road nonetheless took them north, and the pair made good time. By mid-morning, they’d covered several miles, and stopped for a water break on top of a shallow hill. When she handed back the water skin, Tali decided to climb another tree, to get a look at their new surroundings.

The girl had only gotten part way up the trunk, though, when something not too far away caught her eye.

Fren flinched as she suddenly landed beside him, fumbling the water skin and nearly dropping it. He didn’t have any time to ask what she’d seen before Tali was dashing off down the hill. Scrambling, Fren hurried after. A few minutes later, they rounded a bend in the road, and he too saw what had grabbed his friend’s attention.

A small, weather-beaten wagon was stuck, one of its front wheels trapped by a deep crack in the earth. The driver, a wrinkled old goblin, strained as she tried to pull it free without much success. Harnessed to the front of the wagon, her horse saw the two human youths first, and whinnied.

“Hello there!” Tali called, slowing her steps as she approached. “Could we offer you a hand?”

The goblin, who’d paused at her horse’s sudden warning, looked over in surprise. “I wouldn’t mind a bit if you did! I just need a tad more oomph to lift it free, I think.”

Tali immediately stepped to her side, crouching in order to get a good grip on the frame of the wagon before glancing over her shoulder. “C’mon, Fren, hurry up.”

He rolled his eyes. “Wizard student, remember? Elvitaere.” A soft yellow light sprang from the pendant tied around his left wrist, enveloping the wagon and causing it to slowly float into the air.

“Oh my,” the goblin gaped. 

Huffing at her friend’s dramatics, Tali nonetheless pushed the wagon’s side, nudging it away from the hole. As soon as all four wheels were over even ground again, Fren ended the spell, letting the wagon gently set back down. The old goblin clapped her hands in delight.

“That was wonderful!” She gushed. “Saved my poor back and everything! Thank you so much, dearies.”

“You’re very welcome,” Tali said. “Is there anything else we could help you with?”

“Well, now I feel silly, but I’d emptied out everything I could to make this old hunk lighter - I don’t suppose the two of you would mind giving me a hand putting it all back, would you?”

Blinking, Fren leaned over to look at the other side of the road. Sure enough, several blankets were spread across the ground, dozens upon dozens of books and knick-knacks and other peddler’s goods piled atop them. He gave Tali a side-eyed glance, and sighed when she glared back.

“Happy to be of assistance, ma’am.”

[jbaileyfansite]

Jeff Goldblum is handing off the dinosaur-sized torch to “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey.

Bailey is taking on the role of paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis in the latest “Jurassic Park” film, “Jurassic World Rebirth” – and nobody’s more excited to see it than Goldblum.

“The hope of the world resides, and I can think of no better baton receiver to carry on the ‘da da da da da,'” Goldblum tells Variety, singing the iconic “Jurassic Park” theme by John Williams. “It’s Jonathan Bailey! It’s like no other!”

Bailey shares that he and Goldblum chatted about the role for the first time while they were en route to CinemaCon earlier this year. “I had the invitation to join the ‘Jurassic’ world, to join the conga line led by Jeff,” Bailey said. “The original film was a seminal cinematic moment, purely because of Jeff, but also, I went with my family, and the multi-sensory experience of going to see a film so perfectly realized.”

Bailey adds, “There’s so much that I am so proud to join. But obviously, much like with ‘Wicked,’ there is a sense of responsibility. And if I can match half of what Jeff and Sam Neill and Laura Dern achieved, I’ll be very lucky.”

Goldblum starred as the beloved chaos theory mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm in 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” reprising the role for the 1997 sequel “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” and again in 2018’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion.”

Bailey will star alongside Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali in the 31-year-old “Jurassic” franchise’s seventh film. “Five years after the events of ‘Jurassic World Dominion,’ the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs,” an official summary reads. “Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.”

Bailey and Goldblum don’t actually share the screen in “Wicked, out Nov. 22, as Bailey’s Fiyero is charming the pants off every student at Shiz University while Goldblum’s Wizard of Oz is busy running the show in the Emerald City.

“At the beginning, you want to just relish the full essence of his charm and easy flow, as it were,” Bailey says, adding that Fiyero’s proclivity to flirt with men and women alike was just another way to bring nuance to the Winkie prince. “As a character, I ascertained that he’s confident and in himself, and he’s kind enough to invite anyone to Winkie town.”

“Heart-throbby! Heart-throbby!” Goldblum excitedly adds. But Bailey argues that the Wizard is actually the real charmer of the film. “He’s the OG rizz king,” Bailey says with a laugh, prompting Goldblum to burst into song again: this time, it’s “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” which Bailey enthusiastically joins him in.

As for his wizardly inspiration, Goldblum says he didn’t take any cues from modern day leaders in crafting the great and powerful leader. “This was written and devised well before any of our current landscape, but it’s a timeless story,” he says. “It’s always fallen to individual people who seek the truth and find their power and find out that, just like ‘Horton Hears a Who,’ one person of effectiveness can move the whole ship of state and keep things going toward an ideal and perfect country and world where we have a planet that works for everyone.”

Source

[medra-gonbites]

The Wizard Who Read Everything

Chapter 1

I have read a few fanfictions about Gale reading smut and getting flustered and I absoluetly love it! So many great ones out there and I wanted to contribute to the genre.

Here is my attempt: I hope you enjoy my take.

Pairing: Gale x Named Fem!OC

SFW - Humour, Meet Cute, Meta

Words: 2823

The wizard had struggled to find an apprentice for quite some time. When he finally does, he find himself quite intrigued by his new hire. It is not appropriate but he can't help think about her. The racy literature that she writes as a hobby does not help. Neither does the fact that he reads in secret...

Gale opened his eyes wide as he read on, the content quite different from what he had expected. The piece told the story of a wizard advisor and a king's daughter, of their forbidden love and of their dangerous desires. A sultry piece with romantic overtones, and wicked descriptions. His eyebrow shot up as his eyes descended on the page. The writing was skilled and the story captivating, but it is the smutty premises which dried out his mouth and made him shift onto his seat. The wizard tried to convince himself to stop, to put down the Wazoo and go back to his more serious research. He knew he should spend his time better. Study some scholarly tome, decipher some lost glyphs, update his astronomical charts. Clean up the library even. But he could not tear himself away from the page.

Read the rest on AO3 or under the cut

Gale Dekarios was usually a patient man. 

He was many things in fact. An archmage. A prodigy of the weave. Ex-chosen of Mystra. Quite the handsome devil, he would argue. A collected scholar of an easy going temperament. But today his composure was eroded by weeks of frustrating interviews and disappointing meetings. 

He just needed someone smart and pragmatic. Was that so much to ask? Someone who would be able to help him maintain the tower and aid during experiments from time to time. Someone he could teach his magic to and hopefully impact in a positive way. Someone to soothe the loneliness of his wizardly routine…

He had originally consulted with Rolan, exchanging letters between here and Ramazith’s Tower. Who better than him to advise on how to seek an apprentice. Alas, the fellow mage had no recommendations to give, his own compound being short on staff as well, but he had, however, gracefully provided guidance on how to advertise and recruit applicants.

After having researched the matter of job listing thoroughly, Gale had come up with a clever (he thought) advertisement that he had written himself and which he believed would bring him loads of potential recruits. Tara had distributed it  around all of the relevant spots in Waterdeep. He had made sure to cover the best spots in town for the widest exposure possible with a preference to the location of magical inclination. The Blackstaff Academy information board of course, most of the decent taverns’ quest boards, the entrance hall of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors. A couple had even been stacked on the counters of The Bazaar of Chanszobur. 

So far only a handful of applicants had come knocking on his doors, and none of them were nearly adequate enough to be given the job. 

He was now in the midst of the last rounds of the interview and was positively exhausted. On the verge of giving up, even. He was pacing in his study like a lion in a cage, dreading to confront the last candidate of that godforsaken day. Almost tempted to dismiss them without giving it further thought. After all, why would this one be any different than the one he had the displeasure to meet earlier?

First, he had received a young Dwarf who insisted he could cast a fire ball; in an attempt to prove it he had set fire to the wizard’s beloved Calimshan rug. A gift from Gale’s mother, which he loved dearly and, which softness his feet would mourn the loss. 

Then, he had listened to this very pompous High Elf for an hour before realizing the woman was actually looking for him to invest in a multi-layered business opportunity revolving around the sales of magical cosmetics. He hated that he had taken him so long to figure this one out. But not as much as he hated the fact that he had still bought some ridiculously overpriced Lashes of Charming in the end.

Finally, there had been that Tiefling who smelled of anchovies and who tried to aggressively (and without success) flirt their way into the job. Gale's usual decorum was put to a test when the fellow had tried to shove his tongue down his throat, and despite resisting the urge to scorch his face, he had sent them out with the feet of his projection up his nether area.

To think these were merely the ones of that day. He had received many more people over the weeks, all of them terrible profiles: underqualified, rude, dim-witted and sometimes even downright nasty. Frankly this whole endeavor had been a disaster and the mage was starting to believe he might never find someone suitable for his purpose.  

In retrospect, maybe it was his own fault. He wasn’t a writer, although he sometimes dabbled in a bit of poetry, and he was never much of the type to manage people either. He started to think his listing was not good enough or not targeting the right crowd. As he had been many times before, he felt submerged by a wave of self-doubt that pushed him to second-guess himself at the least convenient time.

Gale tried to shake it off. One more interview and he would be able to descend into the self-loathing spiral he knew so well. He would resign himself to work alone as he had done so in the past, hoping his former companions in arms would take the time to visit eventually. He took a deep, long inspiration, bracing himself for the last ordeal of the day, and made his way downstairs. 

The entrance hall had been temporarily fashioned into a sort of waiting room. There, on one of the chairs that formed a row by the door, a human woman was waiting. She was a little younger than him, wearing a plain wizard robe, her eyes lingering around, taking in the decor available to her sight. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun from which rebellious strands escaped to fall back into her brow and neck or stick in the air like some split-ended antennae. The rim of her left sleeves was slightly singed (the mark of an experienced, albeit somewhat clumsy, spellcaster.)

When she saw him she smiled wide and Gale could not help but smile back despite the disillusioned bleakness that lingered within his heart. Her enthusiasm was much more contagious than the performative perkiness of the fish-tainted Tiefling who had gone before her. 

“Hello!”  He greeted her, holding his hand out for her to shake. “Gale Dekario, pleasure to meet you…”

“Hi! I am Marina. Marina Rassos” She replied, giving his palm a firm squeeze.

Gale raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous name. Was he being pranked?

“I know, I know…” She said, nodding in acknowledgement to his reaction, “My parents realized way too late... Rest assured, just like my namesake, I’ll remain tasteful in any circumstances.” She chuckled.

Despite his best effort Gale could not hold the little amused exhale that escaped his nose. A jokester. That was interesting. Although, so had been the pyramid scheme Elf, at first…

“Hopefully you’ll be the last spaghetti I have to throw at the wall.” He gestured for her to follow him to his library on the upper floor, “I have a few questions and tests I screen my applicants with so: If you would please follow me?” 

The library was a place of wholesome chaos. There were books and scrolls on almost every surface, be it the desks, the floor or the seats. Alchemy ingredients scattered loose without jars or labels so that there was no way to tell if they were spoiled, venomous or just plain litter to an unfamiliarized eye. Maps and astronomical gears were abandoned on a little table by the balcony door, heaped on a precarious pile that threatened to tip over with the slightest draft of wind. It looked like a tornado had ravaged the place. 

It was perfect.

“I trust that you are acquainted with the intricacies of the weave? If only partially?”

“Yes sir! I am, in fact, a graduate from Blackstaff Academy.” She proudly declared before adding, "Although this would be my first “magic-related” job.”

The wizard frowned slightly. He was impressed by her education but something in the math of her life did not add up.

“You are a bit older than most graduates aren’t you? But I suppose merely getting into Backstaff is impressive enough. Not an easy school to attend.”

“Precisely why I graduated so late…” She admitted bitterly.

Although Gale tried not to judge, this new piece of information was a little worrisome.  He darted a sad eye towards the burned marks of his rug.

“Please take a seat. I will prepare some tests for you.” He decisively declared, pointing at the nearby couch on which several pieces of paper were strewn .

Marina seized a few books and leaflets off of the bench and proceeded to sit. Among the literature she had picked up, she noticed the latest special tenday edition of the Waterdeep Wazoo. With a proud smile she opened the journal and started flicking through the pages.

Gale returned a few minutes later, carrying a few files, beakers and quills. Upon noticing what she was reading he scoffed.

“Don’t tell me you read this kind of rags!”

Marina defensively pressed the paper against her chest.

“This is a perfectly fine newspaper!”

“Oh I’m sure it used to quite be fine. But the current editorial line is focussed on gossip and unnecessary quips!”

“Well, I take it you read it too? It’s in your library after all.”

“I'll have you know my Tressym, Tara, is the one to indulge in such… literary void.”

“She’ll be happy to know I contribute to feeding the void; one of my stories has been published in this very print!”

“You write for them?” His intonation was incredulous, “I find it most interesting that you have an inclination towards poetry and prose but am altogether saddened by the fact you choose such a horrendous platform to display your talents.”

“Maybe you are right. But in the meantime I am having fun! Isn’t that the point of anything we do?”

This was a rather philosophical way to look at it and a good come back to his overly critical comment. Who was he to question her skills or decisions for that matter, when both were the reasons she had shown up for this job offer. This thought brought him back to the former worry he had entertained. Maybe he could (and should) ask for feedback, given the competences she clearly had and that he did not. 

“As a writer… What did you think of the job listing?” He sheepishly asked.

She frowned slightly, taken aback. Gale wasn’t sure if it was by the question or by his sudden insecurity shining through.

“Honest truth?”

“Yes…”

She took out the leaflet from the side pocket of her robe and reread it quickly before highlighting the problematic parts out loud. 

“ ‘Learn mysteries of magical nature’ No fee mentioned, and very vague description. ‘Should be comfortable around strange creatures, ancient books, and odd smells; Expect the unexpected & long hours’ mention of overtime and unpleasant tasks? Not encouraging. Last but not least: ‘Be the apprentice to a wizard of reasonable acclaim!’, while your humility is commendable, next time maybe specify the name of the wizard the postulant would be assisting. For all I knew I was being screened by Halaster Blackcloak…”

Gale remained speechless, feeling called out and a tad embarrassed. He had worked hard to seem carefree, approachable and relaxed. He May have overdone it…

“Why did you answer it then? If it sounded as ludicrous as to emanate from that dear old Halaster?” He retorted, a bit wounded by the notes he had himself asked for and by the indirect comparison with the insane wizard.

“Call it a gamble.” She shook the paper before her, “I thought this was full of good intentions. Besides, going to an interview does not mean getting the job. Or taking it for that matter.”

Gale pondered some more. He never looked at it that way. He too was being interviewed as much as she was. He had not had to concern himself with that before, given all previous interviews had been fiascos. But this one, he had a good feeling about. She certainly was the first interviewee to have enough wits to entertain a minimum of conversation without falling into a sales pitch, lascivious flirting, or an immolation attempt. Gale hoped he had not made a bad impression, what with his judgemental comments and his naive advertisement. 

After a moment of silence, Marina placed the newspaper on the coffee table and turned eagerly to him, pointing at the documents in his hands.

“Shall we?”

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

After an array of tests including a quiz, a few practical spell casting tricks and a surprise exam, the wizard could sense the irritation growing in his applicant. He turned to her with a wide smile hoping the following news would be enough to tame her discontent. 

“Alright, you have jumped through enough of my magical hoops for now; I think you are suitable for the job!” He thought back to her comment about accepting the job and added, “If you still want it, of course. You might have already caught a glimpse of how… Difficult, I can be to work with.

“Thorough for sure…” Her sigh betrayed a smudge of exhaustion in her otherwise jolly demeanor. However her wide smile returned soon enough as she resumed “But I’d be delighted to. When do I start?”

“If you are free, tomorrow morning. Should we say 9 o’clock?”

“Perfect! I’ll be there at 9:00 sharp.”

She shook his hands fervently and bowed slightly before departing. Gale took a step towards the door in an attempt to walk her back but she shook her head, declining politely. 

“Don’t trouble yourself; I will see myself out.”

Gale watched her leave, contemplatively. She had potential for certain. With the right guidance she could become a great mage. He would hope their collaboration could benefit both of them. Then again, this interview was further than he ever had been with any other applicant, so it remained to be seen in the long run. This was also the first time he would have an apprentice at all, therefore he definitely had some learning to do too.

He quietly returned to his chair and picked up a volume he was currently working on. He opened the large book and started to study the over complicated diagrams drawn on the page. After a few minutes, he took notice of his lack of focus: he had been reading the same bits over and over, his thoughts hopelessly drifting back to his new apprentice. He wondered about her background, her personality, her quirks… Her hobbies. His eyes drifted from the book to the newspaper on the coffee table. Maybe reading what she wrote would help him get to know her a little better. 

But such an ignoble thing to read… 

He scowled himself, annoyed by his own snobbism. Maybe he was over intellectualising things after all. With a sigh, he closed the voluminous book on his lap, picked up the magazine and flipped through its pages seeking Marina's column. He finally found it between a carrot cake recipe and an advertisement for a new firework shop in town. “Quality placement…” He mocked.

Gale opened his eyes wide as he read on, the content quite different from what he had expected. The piece told the story of a wizard advisor and a king's daughter, of their forbidden love and of their dangerous desires. 

A sultry piece with romantic overtones, and wicked descriptions. 

His eyebrow shot up as his eyes descended on the page. The writing was skilled and the story captivating, but it is the smutty premises which dried out his mouth and made him shift onto his seat. 

The wizard tried to convince himself to stop, to put down the Wazoo and go back to his more serious research. He knew he should spend his time better. Study some scholarly tome, decipher some lost glyphs, update his astronomical charts. Clean up the library even. But he could not tear himself away from the page. He was hypnotised by all the enticing words on the paper. It was as if a spell had been cast on him, binding his rear to the chair and his eyes to the ink. 

After a little more than half an hour he had reached the bottom of the last page. His breath was ragged, his eyes hazy, his legs crossed, stretching on their own accord punctually. Reading through the last sentence he let out a frustrated groan.

"A cliffhanger? Really?" He fussed.

He was surprised by the sudden spurt of irritation he was experiencing and how it was directed at the unfinished story. He would have to get the new edition the next week, wait for Tara to finish reading it and pray that there wouldn’t be another trick such as this one. 

He leaned back, pensively, the story replaying in his mind. It was hard to believe such a meek and innocent-looking girl could write something so seductive. So bold. So crude.  

Almost despite himself, a thought crept up in his mind: what would she really be capable of in real life…? 

The question sent a shiver down his spine and he immediately suppressed the pictures his imagination was attempting to feed him. Better shut it down at once. She was his apprentice. He was her teacher. And he had literally just hired her. There was no room for such thought.

Still, Gale found himself excited at the idea of having her coming in daily and he hoped her new job would not get in the way of her creative spirit.

Read the next part in Chapter 2

[thevesuvianchronicles]

Burnt Amber

I was reading something the other night about the fact that in the dark the cones in our eyes legit can't respond to light like, at all. considering my recent bg3 binge that obviously got me thinking abt a certain sassy vampire and thus... this piece. (I've also been told there's a scene that could go along with this but I legit just got to act 3) enjoy!

spoilers for vague bg3 things

If he had to explain it - which he never would- the world lost its color. Many people looked back upon childhood so happily, everything had been brighter, the world bigger, love was so easy and quickly fleeting. A babe’s eyes opened to blurry yet vivid shades, pastels, and tints. Yet the first thing Astarion’s crimson eyes had seen was only the darkness of his own coffin. Color meant nothing to a vampire who’s first vivid memories consisted of clawing his way through six feet of funerary dirt.

Though his vampiric vision allowed him to make out the different threads on a rich man’s lapel, he only ever saw it in moonlight. Only a reflection, a fraction of the beauty the sun would give the fabric. Where there had been pastels there was now muted tones, tinted colors became gray, and shades became nothing but more inky darkness.

Centuries of this and he slowly began to forget the true colors the world had to offer. Was purple always so deep that one couldn’t discern where a sleeve ended and the night air began? Had yellow always seemed so dull? And red… had red always been so greedy? Soaking up and glaring back the same sick color he saw in Cazador’s eyes.

That’s all his vampiric life had been, that was all it ever would be.

Yet there he stood, watching the last of the sun’s rays dip below the horizon

Despite his suave demeanor and sweetened words, he knew how to woo someone, lure them into his bed with his body and honeyed words, and later back to his master. Yet no words could describe the sun now. It burned his irises, his eyes ached for him to blink, turn away, and do anything but stare into the sun. He simply couldn’t stop; it would take away his breath if he needed to breathe.

His first realization that color was far better within the sun was, rather unfortunately, Gale. Upon falling on his ass, Gale had done the wizardly thing and began rambling. However, Astarion wasn’t paying attention at all. His eyes were on Gale’s robe. He couldn’t remember a purple ever being so vibrant, so cocky almost, as if requiring you to look at it. It fit Gale as Astarion would come to learn. Then he saw purple everywhere. Balsam blooms carried but seemed a warmer tint of Gale’s robe. Shadowheart’s armor was even darker, matching that which Astarion saw late at night in the alleys of Bauldur’s Gate. He hadn’t really thought about it but he rather thought purple and red clashed. Leave it to that wizard from Waterdeep to be a walking fashion faux pas.

Yet despite the fashion error, Astarion couldn’t stop thinking about purple, the many different shades he had seen in a matter of days. The sun making the slightest variations more obvious to his crimson eyes.

He first realized that light is what made the colors so polluted, as if the colors were waiting to leach into his eyes when he couldn’t help but stare at the color yellow. It was, by far, not his favorite color, drawing too much attention of a rouge like himself.

Yet the golden glow of the divine seemed to suit Shadowheart. The brilliance of a guiding bolt whizzing past his ear, bathing a goblin in light, setting it ablaze. The disgusting color had saved his skin to many times to count by now. All thanks to the devotee’s hands.

The vampire couldn’t say he understood Shadowheart’s devotion. But the sheer power her belief brought the color yellow, made him quirk a brow. Such polluting brillance made him wonder if light was able to redeem every color.

The color followed him after that battle. Yellow licked at Karlach’s flames, light reflected off the golden threads of Halsin’s armor, it even sparked every time Lae’zel sharpened her sword.

Yet there was nothing that could redeem the color red. No amount of light or dark could make crimson look any better. In darkness it looked like a cesspool of all things evil, an open maw waiting to swallow whatever it could. In the light of day, it reminded him of nothing but lost souls, glowing red eyes, and a sickly grin.

It was the color Cazador liked most on him, both his clothes and his skin. It was the color his life had been reduced to. Living off such crimson ichor, so much so that it stained him, stained even his eyes from what he had gathered about vampiric looks. It was the only color that he would be happy to forget, but never could.

“You know if you stare at the sun long enough… you could go blind.” The voice came from behind him, his pointed ears finally picking up on the crunch of gravel beneath feet. His eyes did feel a bit dry as he blinked, black and swirling colors hindering his vision as he looked back over his shoulder.

The leader of their little group was… interesting to say the least. So focused on the tadpole and their companion's journeys that Astarion hadn’t learned much about their own personal goals, if any. He should work on that.

“I always love to look at beautiful things, not unlike yourself darling.” Astarion let the words lilt off his tongue, but didn’t turn away from the setting sun.

He heard a small hum from you as you settled beside him, standing close enough for him to tell that you had refreshed yourself from today’s adventuring.

Neither said anything for a while, the gentle rustle of trees and soft calls of animals in the underbrush the only noise. He had been so lost in his musings that he hadn’t realized how far the sun had set, a barely visible sliver of yellow still visible surrounded by orange and red.

“Well… now that the lovely colors are gone I do believe I’ll turn in for the night. A book and a glass of red do seem to be calling my name.” Astarion sighs, as if it would be a hassle to get up and walk the few steps to his tent. It is a hassle, to leave the presence of their leader has become more and more of a hassle on his heart than he’s willing to accept.

“Don’t go now, it’s just started to change.” Your voice was soft, softer than he has ever heard it and a glance tells him that your eyes are still on the setting sun.

“No thank you darling, I do think I’ve seen enough shades of red for a thousand lifetimes.” There is a twist of pain in his voice, one that makes him wrinkle his nose. He was getting too easy, a slip like that with Cazador and he would have been reminded how much he hates red.

“But the sky is beautiful-“

He cuts you off with a flippant wave of his hand and a scoff. A change of subject was all they needed, easier territory. “It’s just red. You know they say a red sky at night means-“

“It’s not just red Astarion.” You cut him short this time, tone sharp. He didn’t understand why you would defend such a color. Of all things to fight for, a color. They saw red spilled every day, every day their leader fought, for teiflings, for druids, for their companions. Each day that color ruined everything it touched.

“Oh? Do tell darling, what is oh so special about that distasteful mix of colors. A muddled mess of all things awful-“

“I rather think red is beautiful.” Astarion snaps his eyes up, disgust curling his lips, a flaunting jab just ready on the tip of his tongue when your eyes stop him.

At some point, he wasn’t sure when, you had turned to look at him. Eyes just as soft as your voice had been. There is a sweet tilt to your lips as he turns, as if finally seeing what they had been after.

He sees the minute shift of you eyes, as if darting back and forth. He can hear the uptick in your heartbeat, the tension releasing from your shoulders. As if the sight of him was what you were after, as if waiting to catch his eye.

Then he remembered. Remembered exactly what color his eyes now were.

“I happen to like that color.” You grinned, eyes steady on his. His mind was blank, no haughty taunt or seductive words. He could do nothing but blink as a grin spread wide on your lips and you turned back towards the sun.

“When the sun hits just right… it’s beautiful, a burst of burnt amber. I think it’s the prettiest color I’ve ever seen.” Astarion knew they were definitely not talking about the sunset anymore. He couldn’t help but stare at you. The curve of your nose, the way your smile seemed so giddy, the way the sun reflected in your own eyes.

Red was the color of the flowers Karlach had tried to pick for all of them. It was the color the jewels in Lae’zel’s armor, the color the hem of Gale’s awful robe. And it was the color of the blood you so willingly gave him. Had offered as soon as he had explained himself that night, without asking for anything in return. You were so different than what he expected.

He tutted, realizing he had been staring and turns back towards the sunset, listening closely as you go to sit on the ground. The bright yellow of the sun diffused into a russet orange that slowly eased into a vibrant, dazzled red. He sighed, slowly settling himself beside you, far closer than before.

“Yes darling, perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I could grow to love it.”

[the-fiction-witch]

Wizard

Media - The Artful Dodger Character - Jack Dawkins Couple - Jack X Reader Reader - Y/n Dawkins (Jack's Wife) Rating - 15 Gore/ blood/ medicine/Victorian medical procedures/ Word Count - 3524

I finished up starting to pack my tools away as Hetty took the patient back to bed and the crowd cleared out happy with their fill of blood from the grand display. I rubbed the sweat from my brow with the rolled sleeve of my shirt trying not to get blood on my face given my hands were coated in it.

"Knock Knock," A voice speaks up,

And Immediately I smiled and turned my attention to the door,

There Y/n stood, In her knee-high boots, stockings, petticoats, her sweet pale blue dress with off-white details long since turned grey in the wash, her little lace gloves and her Y/H/C hair in sweet beautiful curls, a small wicker basket in her hand looking sweet and huggable as ever.

"Awww, there you are." I cooed, "I was wondering where my daily kiss was?"

She rolled her sweet Y/e/C eyes and came over kissing my cheek,

"Hey! That's all I get?" I jokingly complained wrapping my arms around her and trying to pull her in for a proper kiss,

"Jack! You're getting blood all over my dress!" She complained,

"Well this wouldn't be a problem if you'd just given me a proper kiss," I joked, "Now would it?"

She rolled her eyes again and rested her hands on my shoulders pulling our lips together,

I smiled and happily kissed her back squeezing her in my arms a little until she pulled away, "That's better,"

"What on earth were you up to anyway?"

"Amputation. Some guy crushed his whole leg ankle to knee."

"Horrid." She gaged,

"I know, I know. You hate all that stuff." I cooed, "So? Why has my lovely wife come to visit me?"

"What did you forget when you left this morning?" She asked,

Immediately my heart jumped to my throat, "Uuuhh..." I grumbled as I racked my mind with what I could possibly have forgotten, "...To tell my beautiful wife I love her?" I asked carefully,

"Jack you tell me that every day," She chuckled, "But no, you told me that this morning,"

"Oh... then I have no idea,"

"You feeling hungry?"

"...Now you mention it yeah actually-" and it clicked, "I forgot my lunch didn't I?"

"Yes you did," She nodded handing over the small basket she brought with her, "Left it right on the kitchen counter again,"

"Sorry, I always forget to go in the kitchen before I leave." I sighed,

"Maybe I should start putting it by the door,"

"Wouldn't be a bad idea," I nodded,

"But as it was my day off and I had to come deliver it anyway, I made you a nice home-cooked lunch instead today,"

"Awww, you're so sweet to me," I cooed peppering her cute little freckles with kisses, "How did I get a lovely little thing like you?"

"I don't know, I'm still not completely convinced you're not an apothecary."

"There are people in town who still think I'm some kind of apothecary," I sighed,

"Well maybe stop doing wizardly things," She shrugged,

"I'm a doctor, every time I do anything people assume I'm a wizard." I sighed, "I swear one of these days I'll do surgery and people will come after me with pitchforks and torches to hang me as a witch,"

"Maybe," She laughed,

"You'd stop them wouldn't you? from dragging your husband away?"

"...I suppose I would,"

"Hey!"

"Of course I would," she cooed before we shared another soft kiss,

"Good, thank you for dropping my lunch off darling, See you when I get home?"

"I'll see you then," she agreed,

We shared a final kiss before she made her way out of the theatre, I watched her as she went noticing she was limping and slightly hobbling when she walked again. She'd been doing that for a while now, I didn't notice it at first, then began writing it off as her simply stubbing her toe or turning her ankle over... she is a rather clumsy thing, but I kept noticing it consistently. I had asked but I didn't want to push the topic, I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for her given how much I check her up for these types of things, but I want to make sure she's alright. I'll ask her when I'm home maybe she'll let me investigate.

I sat in bed with my book reading over the interesting story, just as the light grew brighter down the hallway, and Jack made his way into the bedroom keeping the door open a crack to allow the cat to come in and out as needed. He came over sitting the candle on his bedside table as usual and tossing his shirt into the laundry basket before climbing into bed beside me and immediately wrapping his arms around my waist and peppering my neck with tender kisses.

"Jack! I'm reading!" I complained,

"You can do both," He chuckled nuzzling into my neck, "I shall not interrupt your reading... but if you want to stop reading I'm not going to argue with you,"

I glared down at him a little,

"What?! I can't be blamed for being attracted to my beautiful wife." He cooed, "But... as we are not too busy?"

"Humm?" I hummed suspiciously,

"Can I have a look at your leg?" He asked,

"Nothing wrong with my leg." I snapped,

"Y/n," he sighed sitting up to meet my eyes, "We both know there is, you've been avoiding putting weight on it... so, are we going to be honest with each other?"

"It's nothing,"

"What happened?"

"Victor scratched me that's all," I lied,

"Can I look?"

"It's noth-"

"Y/n. Please. May I look?"

"Fine," I sighed,

"Thank you," He cooed kissing my cheek, then my jaw, peppering soft kisses down my nightie,

"This how you give check-ups to everyone?" I teased,

"No, just my pretty wife," He winked, as he continued down,

I held my breath as he lifted my nightie but his stunned silence spoke more than any words that could have come from his mouth,

"Y/n, what happened?"

"It's just-"

"Y/n!" He pleaded, "What happened... please."

"I told you, Victor scratched me." I lied,

"Did I miss a memo on our cat learning how to fucking sword fight!" he asked, "What happened Y/n."

"I dropped my fabric scissors." I sighed,

He sighed and began to investigate more, often making me hiss as he touched my tender skin, "Let me guess you dropped your scissors off the table and they cut the length of your shin,"

"Yes."

"When did this happen?"

"...two weeks ago,"

"Two wee-" He began, "And you didn't tell your DOCTOR husband why!?"

"Because you overreact and get like this!" I complained,

"Y/n, darling I'm not overreacting. You should have told me, this is bad!" He explained,

"I cleaned and wrapped it like I'm supposed to."

"Okay, but did you continue to clean and re-wrap it every day?"

"...Yes." I lied,

"Y/n."

"No."

"You should have told me, this is really bad Y/n. It's definitely infected."

"It's fine."

"You are going to the hospital with me first thing in the morning and we are going to sort this out."

"No!" I yelped hiding my leg away, "I'll be fine."

"Y/n," he sighed, "I know you hate this kinda thing." he says gently cradling me in his arms, "But this is bad, really bad. We need to get this sorted it won't just go away on its own. It's infected, badly infected. Do you have any idea the kind of damage this could do not just to your leg but to your whole body? Y/n an infection like this could kill you, you could develop a fever, sickness, deadly sepsis!"

"But you'll amputate," I whined nuzzling into his chest, trying to hide my tears,

"I won't amputate. Not unless I have to." He said, "I'm not a butcher Y/n I'm a doctor." He soothed me by running his hand through my hair,

"I don't want to lose my leg,"

"You might not, it might not be that bad. It could just be a flesh infection which I can fix Darling." He soothed, "But if it's bad enough-"

"NO! Jack, I said no!"

"If it's bad enough and I don't you'll die!" He told me off, "I- I can't lose you, Y/n, I love you, you know that. I want you to be healthy, I don't want to see you hurt and sick, I promise I'll do what I can to save your leg and do as minimal work as I can."

"You won't take my leg? You promise?" I begged between tears,

"...I promise I won't unless I have to. I'll do everything I can but will you let me work on it?" He asked wiping my tears away,

I nodded nuzzling back into his chest,

"Okay, we'll go first thing in the morning." He cooed, "Come on let's get some sleep darling."

I got the theatre prepped and made sure everything was clean and organized while Hetty helped Y/n get sorted, I made sure to keep the larger blades and such away knowing they would only make her more panicked and frightened.

Soon enough she arrived Hetty wheeled her in so she didn't have to walk, already she was picking at her nails, shivering and sniffling back tears.

I smiled gently and helped her up onto the table, "It's all gonna be okay, I promise." I cooed fixing her hair behind her ear, "You trust me don't you?"

"...No."

"As your doctor do you trust me?"

"No."

"As your husband do you trust me?" I rolled my eyes a little,

"...mostly,"

I tried not to laugh, "Well go with that then," I nodded, "It's all gonna be okay, I love you and I'm going to take the best care of you." I told her,

She nodded fighting back her tears,

I gave her a sweet kiss before putting the mask over her face and watching as she drifted away to sleep.

Once I knew she was asleep I got to work on her leg, revealing the true damage of the infection. It was worse than I thought it had spread far and rapidly, devouring her flesh. I cut away as much as I could cleaning up as I went but... I know I don't have a choice. I have to remove the leg, from below her knee to stop the rot and infection before it gets worse and causes her far bigger problems.

"Take her to her room..." I said,

"But she needs-" Hetty began,

"I know what she needs." I sighed, "But she won't let me I know she won't. I need to talk to her, and reason with her. If I just do it she'll never forgive me, take her to her room and let her come too. I'll talk her through what we found and give her the options. Hopefully, she'll see reason and let me do it tonight."

Hetty nodded and took Y/n away, I cleaned up and headed up to the little room we gave her taking her hand in mine as I sat on her bed.

Slowly my eyes began to clear and I felt the horrible pain in my leg, feeling the throb of it bleeding. I looked around seeing the small hospital room and I looked down at my leg seeing it bandaged and bleeding. Jack was by my side his hand in mine.

"Hey, there you are," He cooed kissing my forehead, "I was getting worried."

"How long was I out?"

"A few hours, that's all darling. I was just missing you." He smiled squeezing my hand,

"How did it go?"

His smile dropped and his tone became more serious, "Y/n..."

"Jack... please say it's good news."

"It's not Darling," he said, "The infection is worse than I thought, You need an amputation."

"No. No no no, please. Please no Jack"

"I'm sorry Y/n. I'm so so sorry. But this has to be done."

"Can't you just cut it out? like you promised!" she cried,

"I've tried, there's far too much and it's so deep, if I cut it all out now you wouldn't even be able to walk on it and we'd always risk the infection returning."

"Can't you give me any medicine? can't you rub some potion on it -"

"I'm not a wizard Y/n, in this moment I wish I was, but there isn't anything I can give you, or put on it that will stop this."

"Can't you do anything! Anything else please!" she begged,

"I'm sorry Y/n. But we don't have another option, I should have just amputated while you were out but... I wanted to tell you beforehand. Even as it is it's a ticking time bomb if it gets worse."

"Jack, Please. I can't live a life like that."

"It'll be okay, I'll only cut just below your knee." he explained, "We'll get you a lovely prosthetic made up. I'll take care of you every single moment until you're better. And you'll be up and walking again in no time I'm sure of it,"

"Please... I don't want to lose my leg. Please there must be something."

"I need to do this Y/n, the longer we wait the worse it'll get. If you don't let me do this today, it will get worse. We'll end up having to cut above your knee, or you could die." he explained, "I know you don't want this, but I can't lose the woman I love, Just please, please consent to the amputation I'm begging you."

I shook my head,

"Please, Y/n!" he begged, "I'll give you anything just please let me do this."

"No. No, I can't live like that. I won't let you."

"Darling please!"

"No!"

he sighed taking a moment to pace and rub his eyes, "As your husband I can consent for you. You know that?"

"I know." I nodded,

"As your doctor, I could have done it in the theatre, without even asking for consent." he said, "Even if I needed to ask as your husband I could have consented anyway. I didn't and let you wake up so we could discuss this, and I did that becuase I know you don't want this, and becuase I love you and I want you to be happy." he explained, "I want you to have as many years as possible, so I can share them with you." he told me taking my hand once more, "I don't want you to feel this pain any longer than is needed, I don't want to lose the woman I love, I couldn't stand to watch you die, to burry you, to go on in this world without you. I want you to be happy and healthy, I want you to enjoy every moment we have together, and I want us to have sweet little babies and watch them grow up, I want us to grow old together as I always have ever since we met." he explained "Please Y/n, Please my darling. Let me do this... I'll make it as painless and as quick as I can, just a few moments of pain and then this nightmare is over."

I shook my head unable to hide my tears,

"Please Y/n Please," he begged,

But my eyes went dark...

Just in that second, I felt her hand go clammy in mine, her pulse raced, her eyes suddenly shut and her breathing rapid.

"No. no no no." I gasped,

I immediately called for Hetty and we rushed her down to the theatre managing to stabilise her before she went too deep into shock. I knew the infection was getting worse and I knew I didn't have a choice.

"Fetch the bone saw." I said between tears, "I'm so so sorry darling. But I don't have a choice." I whispered kissing her head before I took my tools, I removed the bandages and held my breath before I quickly got to work.

I woke feeling groggy and strange, I was so confused about what had happened. As I slowly sat up I felt so much pain and instantly I knew something was wrong. I pulled back the sheets and saw the bandage around my knee, and my leg missing. Immediately I screamed and cried in hysterics grasping as my bandages as if it was some sort of hellish trick that would be revealed if I simply removed them.

"Y/n stop!" Jack rushed in having heard my screams stopping my hands as they clawed at the bandages,

"Noooooo!" I screamed, "Why would you do this to me!" I cried,

"I had to, you went into shock I didn't have a choice." He explained trying to calm me down,

"Why! I told you no! You know I never wanted this! Why would you make me into a monster!"

"You're not a monster, you're not a monster." He cooed, "You're my wife, you're still the woman I love, you're all better now I promise you."

"Get out!" I screamed,

"Y/n darling-"

"GET OUT!" I screamed, pushing him away. "I don't ever want to see you again!"

"What-" he gasped, "Y/n- Darling- you- you can't mean that-"

"GET OUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed,

"You probably just-"

"OUT!" I screamed grabbing items from the table beside me and throwing them at him,

"Y/n!"

"OUT!" I cried throwing a glass which shattered on the wall inches from his head sending broken glass over his skin,

"Ahhh!" He screamed out, "Okay. Okay. I'm going." He muttered as he quietly left,

I couldn't help but stare at it crying and screaming for hours.

"Ahh... ahh... oww..." I complained as I cleaned up the couple of cuts, one on my neck, and two on my face one just on my forehead and the other across my cheek. Once they were clean I sighed giving them some air for the day. "She is a good shot," I muttered to myself, I got pretty lucky she didn't hit my head.

I made my way through the hospital and up to Y/n's room seeing her already sat up and not eating her breakfast,

"Good morning Y/n," I cooed kissing her head and sitting down beside her, "How is my lovely wife today?" I asked,

No answer,

I sighed, It had been three weeks since the amputation and still, Y/n wouldn't speak to me. Only last week she even let me in the room without immediately throwing something at me. But I understand she has every right to be angry with me.

I checked her up every day and no signs of the infection had returned which did make me feel a lot better, I know she'll come around eventually it might just take her a while.

Once I checked her over I went to the blue paper box on the side near her bed, "Have you seen it yet?"

No answer,

"I rather think it's Tim's best work." I smiled as I opened up the box, "Look at that..." I cooed, "Mahogany pieces all without knots, sterling steel so it won't rust up even in the rain, and see here there is this little slider, so you can put in fabric lined wooden slates or even ones like this see with some lovely ivy carved into it, and just slide it in the front and Boom it'll match your outfits." I explained showing off all the work that went into the prosthetic, "Spared no expense for my darling wife."

She sniffled, "You made it just for me?"

I smiled hearing her voice again and I kissed her cheek, "Just for you, not another one like it in the world." I told her, "Would you like to try it?"

She sniffled again but nodded,

"Okay." I smiled, "Even got you a little silk cushion for inside, so you're lovely and comfy," I told her as I gently slid it on for her giving it an adjustment, "How does it feel?"

"Nice." she nodded, "...I'm sorry Jack," she said running her fingers over my cut,

"It's okay." I took her hand, "I know it was a lot, emotionally for you. I'm just happy you're okay." I cooed, "You still love me?"

"I do still love you," she smiled,

"Then that's all I care about," I smiled back, "You're healthy, your happy, and you still love a dumbass like me...Maybe we should get you a psych test."

She playfully shoved my shoulder,

"I'm kidding!" I laughed, "Before you throw another glass at my head,"

"I didn't want to hurt you... I was just so angry,"

"I understand,"

"I'm sorry, can you forgive me for throwing a glass at your head?

"Of course I can Darling," I cooed, "can you forgive me for cutting your leg off?"

"I can." She nodded, "Thank you for doing it, even if I didn't want it."

"Well I couldn't let you suffer now, could I?" I chuckled, "I wish I could have saved it Y/n, But as we know I am not a wizard."

"Unfortunately,"

"Hey!" I complained, "If I was a wizard I would magic you a new leg." I joked,

"So you are a wizard." She playfully glared lifting her leg to show off her prosthetic,

"Ohh shit! I've been discovered!" I joked, "I shall have to run away to the woods before you all come to hang me,"

"No, your secret's safe with me," she cooed pulling me into a tight hug,

I smiled and hugged her back, "Thank you, Darling. Now you eat your breakfast and I'll be back with your medicine Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded,

"That's my girl," I cooed kissing her softly on the nose, but as I went to get up she pulled me back and kissed my lips,

I happily kissed her back and when we pulled away I kissed her forehead, "I love you,"

"I love you too,"

"I'll see you soon." I cooed squeezing her hand before I headed back to work.

[incomingalbatross]

"What if Harry Dresden did a Twoflower and went touring the Disc" notes (mostly Ankh-Morpork)

Rincewind would respect his running ability and hate the way he uses it to run toward things. Harry would press him into service for whatever wizardly threat he was dealing with despite Rincewind's best efforts.

(They actually have several things in common, including "will face eldritch horrors with a half-brick in a sock," "why is this my life??" and "pawns of supernatural ladies with green eyes." Running ability is the most likely to come up, though.)

Mouse and the Luggage are Eyeing Each Other Respectfully. not starting anything.

I do not know how Harry survives a meeting with Vetinari. He is going to instantly see Marcone, and he's going to be ruder and less intimidated than anyone on the Disc thought was humanly possible.

On the other hand, I think he might approve of the Unseen University method of wizard containment, once someone explained it to him. Like, does he think they should be doing more good in the world? Probably. But keeping all these human WMDs preoccupied inside their university gates is only kind of worse than the White Council. In some ways it seems better.

He'd love the concept of L-space. Libraries are so inherently magical they create their own dimension?? He would be so into that.

He figures out Carrot's whole Deal about two-thirds of the way throgh the story, and has to be briefly sat on and explained to re: why we don't talk about that.

Angua would fascinate him because he knows a blonde lady cop and he knows a pack of werewolves but she has issues that are entirely different from either of those.

then he meets her family and gets that she's actually coming from more of a Vampire Court background

[haemosexuality]

heres all bg3 mods i use

tavs hair salon (extra hairstyles)

vampire bite scar (lets your tav have a bite scar)

psychotters goth dyes (dark colors to dye clothes)

eyes of the beholder (cool eyes. i use the cat eye pupils!)

party limit begone (lets you have as many party members as you want. i currently have 10 if im not mistaken)

camp events notifications (gives you a❕️whenever new camp cutscenes or dialogues get triggered, so you dont miss any)

aethers black dye (jet black dye for clothes)

everybody dyes unlimited dyeing (clothes dye are unlimited instead of single use)

show approval ratings in dialogue choices (self explanatory does exactly that)

more reactive companions ("There are a huge number of quips and comments for your companions that only get used if you are playing as them. This mod repurposes all of those lines to be used as companion chatter")

HGY heads (extra heads for tav)

trips accessory collection (things like percings, glasses etc for tav)

unique tavs custom appearance (i use it to give my tav body tattoos)

distinctive dyes (better explains each dye color since the game makes them confusing asf)

highlight everything (highlights everything when you press the highlight button)

Very Handsome And Beautiful Withers

17. early access karlach (changes karlachs face to look closer to her EA one)

18. M1911 - GUN MOD (gives you a gun)

19. makeup remover (removes the makeup of several female characters)

20. karlach on the loading screen (why is MIZORA on the loading screen image but not karlach?? ill never understand)

21. alt lae'zelhawk hair replacer (gives laezel an undercut)

22. fox ears and cat tails by ren (furry)

23. hairstyles of faerun (extra hairstyles)

24. faces of faerun (extra heads for tav)

25. half demon cambion (gives you cambion as a race. i havent actually used this i just downloaded it to make marceline)

26. no abs for companions and pc (gives male characters a softer stomach)

27. gale's wizardly updo (cute little half up hairstyle for gale also makes his hair slightly longer)

28. astarions early access fangs very sharp spawn teeth return (cooler fangs for the boy)

29. wyll's true bloodstone eye (makes his glass eye actually look like a bloodstone gem)

30. wyll's devil form (gives him pointy ears and a tail)

31. more prominent scars for shadowheart (self explanatory)

32. that unsightly mole a very subtle astarion edit (gives him the mole you can comment on)

33. dyes of faerun (even more clothes dyes)

34. minthara's haircut (gives minthara shorter hair)

35. basket full of equipment nsfw version (just SO MANY outfits. like over a thousand. including ones that leave your tits and ass out)

36. astarion corset clothes (adds a corset onto astarion's default camp outfit)

part 2

[fyreiswriting]

Chapter 52 of Future, Past, Present is up! (sorry for the delayed post :/ )

“-ra. Nyrra, open your eyes–” She gasped in air, which swiftly turned into a cough that doubled her over. She nearly faceplanted into someone– their chest, their shoulder, their arms, she couldn’t tell, no more than she could tell who held onto her.  Her shuddering, deep breaths turned into a bone-deep sob that shook both her and the person holding her. The hands supporting her tightened further. It was lucky they sat already, she thought half-hysterically– otherwise she would’ve collapsed well before now. “Darling, you’re going to choke on air if you keep this up,” a velvet voice said, but the smooth quality provided only a thin veil over the underlying concern. “You’re positive you haven’t got some wizardly healing trick up your sleeve?” “Much to my chagrin, healing is one purview I have no ability in,” a second voice replied. She knew that voice– low and soothing, rumbling through her on the occasions where she curled into him while he read from some book or other. “Shadowheart will have to intervene if this keeps up–” She closed her eyes just briefly to blink away the veil of tears and watched a tiefling collapse to the ground, arrows sticking out of her back, black hair pooled around her head as blood pooled around her torso. A voice screamed for the fallen tiefling– cut short as more arrows flew free. She choked on her inhale, pressing a hand to her mouth and hiccuping through the sob.

In which things don't get better. They, in fact, get worse. I'm sure this is fine. New chapter might be up Friday instead of Thursday, as a heads up. Hope you enjoy!!

[abigailmoment]

Rating: Gen / Words: 533

Every single piece of footwear that Gale owned had been taken and hidden in places where footwear should not be.

Wyll's scrollwork had been reorganized and refiled on the floor of his tent.

Barcus Wroot had been trapped inside the travelers' chest three times now. He had elected, at this point, to just stay there until all of this was over.

The sausages and salami had been stolen from the camp supplies. A picnic had been assembled for Scratch and the owlbear cub--complete with a fiddle that no one could play and a pepper grinder neither of them could use.

All sandwiches had vanished entirely.

-

Full text below.

Full Text On AO3

-

Some personal grievance was taken up with the clasps used to fasten the bedrolls. They were chronically undone and when re-latched they would not stay that way for above three minutes.

Shadowheart's incense had been replaced with Karlach's cigars. And vice versa.

All blood spattered camp clothing had been deposited in the wash basin with a bar of the new soap. That was at least marginally helpful, if wasteful.

Vases of many different shapes had been stolen from everywhere, arranged by size, and used as a cacophonous xylophone.

Having access to cutlery was a distant dream from a time that no longer existed.

Alfira and Lakrissa had briefly visited and encouraged the damn thing. Given it a flower.

Tent doors and overhangs had to be checked, because traps were being set. Karlach was initially surprised, but in the end mostly amused once they'd gotten the bucket unstuck from her horn and off of her head.

A throne had been built entirely out of pillows and blankets. Clive had been placed on top of it.

Every non-finesse weapon, excepting those belonging to Lae'zel, had been dumped in a nearby river at least once.

Lae'zel's camp had, in fact, been left mostly unmolested. However, the mindflayer training dummy was now wearing a straw hat with a bright blue ribbon.

Withers was also wearing a hat. A floppy, wizardly one. He did not seem to mind. Or possibly notice.

They had recently located the nexus of chaos. And now Gale was sitting cross-legged and barefoot in the grass, watching it take a short rest on top of a pile of books it had collected. Gale knew by now that monitoring would not prevent further anarchy, but it made him feel somewhat better to know where it was, even briefly.

It had, from somewhere, acquired a bright red bow.

Gale heard someone else approaching. With a tired sigh Wyll dropped to the ground beside him. The man was damp. Probably he'd had to fish something else important out of the river.

"How long does it take for polymorph to wear off?" Wyll asked him wearily.

"An hour," Gale said, from behind clasped hands.

Wyll almost started in surprise at the answer. "It has been far longer than..."

"There have been recorded phenomenon where it lasts longer," Gale continued. "It has to do with the transformed state being a particularly suitable shape for the soul."

They both regarded the creature in front of them.

"Honk," said Astarion.

***

This is the start of a series. The rest of the story is on AO3.

***

[friendly-books]

Dresden files Brief cases and Monster live blog

Dresden files Brief cases and Monster live blog

A fistful of warlock

The American West was not the most miserable land I have ever traveled but it came near it.” pg. 16 Excuse me what nonsense are you talking about Luccio? The Midwest is great.

I like the nacken

“The warlock would hide in the rough part town-his kind could rarely find sanctuary among stolid, sober townsfolk” pg. 18 His kind? Kind? He’s still a person.

Cool spectacles

“The current Captain of the Wardens, a man named McCoy, a man with great deal more powerful and experience than me, had brought down three.” pg. 24 Eb mention

“Not only that, but such an action would brake one of the Council’s unspoken laws: Wizards were expected to minimize the use of  their abilities in the presence of magic-ignorant mortals.” pg. 25 Harry breaking spoken and unspoken laws

“My name is Wyatt Earp” said the deputy “And I think I’m the law” pg. 29 I like Wyatt

“Thule Society” pg. 30 Isn’t that the thing Thomas and Ivy is apart of?

“He will be fairly tried, and then, I expect, beheaded for his crimes.”

Earp examined the fingers nails of his right hand. “A real fair trial?” pg. 34 Yep real fair :|

“Well Bill’s partner” pg. 38 GAY COWBOYS!

“You’re willing to challenge an entire town to a fight? For the sake of your friend’s salon?” pg. 41 Is…is Luccio type people who stand up for the right thing? Like Harry and Earp. No one wonder she and Morgan didn’t get together

“It was then that the drum began beating, a slow, steady cadence in the darkness.” pg. 42 Oh no necromancers

“Rage, pure and undiluted, rage that this man, this creature, would spurn his responsibility to humanity and distort the power that created the universe itself into something so obscene, so foul.” pg. 51 Whoa there Luccio let’s not call people ‘creatures’ that’s how dehumanizing begins at that’s bad

“Kemmler” pg. 55 Oh no him that’s not his last time around

B is for Bigfoot

“Volkswagen beetle” pg. 60 Blue Beetle!

“I’m not a moron, usually.” pg. 60 Ha

“The whole PI gig is mostly about patience.” pg. 60 It’s fun seeing Harry being a pi after several books of him not being one

“My jaw dropped open. I mean it literally dropped open.” pg. 62 Ha

Bigfoot!

I like Dr. Helena Pounder

“But how did I hookup with a BigFoot?” pg. 67 I mean we were all wondering so…

“People can overreact to things when their kids get involved.” pg. 71 Yep you’ll find out soon enough Harry

“I winced. I knew where this was going. I’d seen it before, when it had been me with the book and the lunch tray.” pg. 73 Poor Harry poor Irwin

I like Irwin

I don’t like Couch Pete

“He is a Whitestone,” he said “They sharpen their instincts upon him. He is good for them.” pg. 84 He’s a child

I like Harry’s speech to Irwin

Go Irwin!

AAAA Wizardly

“They all look so darn young.” The close second was “Myers God I’m I getting older” pg. 106 Poor Harry

“The war had simply made the penalty for not learning quite a bit steeper.” pg. 107 Poor kids

I like Harry teaching the young wardens

“Oh God” she said “I think I like you”

“Give it time” pg. 117 Ha

“I’ve never met anyone who was breathing who I thought was too far gone to help.” pg. 122 Aw Harry

Boogeyman

“Only kids can sense them” pg. 123 Oh interesting

I’m glad the family got better

I was a teenager Bigfoot

“I’m in the ninety ninth percentile for height, but this guy was tall.” pg. 144 Yep

“You have an unsophisticated sense of humor.” pg. 145 Yes he does

River Shoulders!

“He was a good-looking man” pg. 151 Bi Harry 39

I can’t believe Irwin’s already a teenager

“I can’t think of anything sexier first impression than a man quoting Yakko and Wakko Warner” pg. 154 Ha

“Optio” pg. 159 New spell

“It was beautiful magic, which was rare for me.” pg. 159 Aw

“My record for going without sleep was just under six days” pg. 168 Harry you need sleep

“Wah” I said, Bruce Lee style” pg. 172 Ha

“You used black magic. To grow hair.” pg. 178 Seriously :|

“And I had no intention of turning anyone over to the tender mercies of the Wardens if I could possibly avoid.” pg. 179 Yep

Curses

“I mean I didn’t take my feet down off my desk or anything. But I payed attention.” pg. 184 Ha

“Mr. Dovovan” I said “no one does discretion like me.” pg. 189 Ha

More lore yay!

“Weregoats” pg. 202 Ha

I like Jill

“Gwynn ap Nudd” pg. 211 Where have I heard that name before

“ruggedly handsome” pg. 211 Bi Harry 40

Since when did Harry get so many titles?

“I’d like to see them to beat out the Yankees.”

“Who wouldn’t? Bloody Yankees” pg. 213 Ha and yes beat the Yankees

I like Geynn

Yes baseball is very serious business

“I have this weird thing where I take professional ethics seriously.” pg. 219 Yep

“They’re going to fight through it eventually.” pg. 222 Yep and they did in 2016

“Gwynn ap Nupp’s handsome face broke into a smile” pg. 223 Bi Harry 41

Even Hand

EVEN HAND TIME BABY!!!

I’m so excited for this short story

“A successful murder is like a successful restaurant: Ninety percent of it is about location, location, location” pg. 226 Ha and I probably shouldn’t have laughed at that

“They knelt over a large faded stain the concrete floor, left on the floor by the hypocritical White Council of Wizardly during their last execution.” pg. 226 Is Marcone making a point by having this executive here? How does Marcone know about the execution? And yes the White Council is hypocritical. We now have three canonical warehouses in all of Chicago. They just cycle through them.

“The man was young and good looking.” pg. 226 Is…is Marcone Bi? Gay? Bi Marcone 1

Oh Marcone is doing the execution himself

Why Boston? That’s so far away

Mr. Morell is the mob boss of Chicago

“I run the whores” pg. 227 Marcone that’s rude to say. It’s either sex worker or seamstress

Marcone your putting the one alive guy in a shipping container with his dead colleagues.

“He twitched his chin in the slight motion that he used for a nod when he disproved of my actions but intended to obey be anyway.” pg.227 Marcone knows Hendricks well

“Location, location, location” pg. 228 Ha nice call back

“Obviously, I am not Harry Dresden” pg. 228 First Harry Dresden mention

“My name is something I rarely trouble to remember, but for most of my adult life, I have been called John Marcone.” pg. 228 John Marcone isn’t his actual name!?

“I’m not even possessed of the mystic abilities of a mortal wizard.” pg. 228 Not yet

Yes they broke Marcone rules about kids

“He was hunched over a laptop too small for him, plugging away at his thesis” pg. 230 Hendricks has a thesis?! Cool

“The problem was young and attractive.” pg. 230 Bi Marcone 2

Justine!

“You are a sometime associate of Harry Dresden” I said “Given his proclivities about those he considers to be under his aegis, it is sensible to identify as many of them as possible.” pg. 232 Of course Marcone keeps track of Harry and his friends. And Marcone you do the same with your employees.

I like that Marcone renovates old buildings instead of tearing them down.

Oh the Formor

“Précis please,” pg. 234 Of course Marcone know French

Hendricks knows how to use a sword!?

“I don’t grant favors” You don’t? What about helping save the thralls in White Knight? Or giving Harry info in Changes?

“He blasted the door into a cloud of flying splinters with what I presumed with magic.” pg. 235 Ha

“For God’s sake

At least the vampires would call for an appointment.” pg. 235 Ha

“After a few visits from Dresden and his ilk I’ve invested in cheap, light doors at dramatic (as opposed to tactical) entry points.” pg. 235 Ha and glad to see Harry left an impression. Has Harry noticed the flimsy doors?

“Sir. Please” pg. 236 If Harry was the one asking and saying please Marcone would cave and agree

“Is it so much to ask for civility?” pg. 236 Ha and you should be used to this with Harry

Ohhh copper circle nice

“you are property. You have no rights in the current situation” pg. 241 Marcone Justine isn’t property she’s a person

“I am not a humanitarian. When I offer charity it is for tax purposes.” pg. 241 Lying to yourself Marcone. Again what about the Raith deeps? What about the info he gave Harry in Changes? No wait this takes place before Changes. What about Amanda? What about saving Harry when Gard said he was to die?

“Hendricks looked at me sharply. He didn’t say anything he didn’t have to. I already knew the tone of whatever he would say. Are there no prisons? perhaps. Or, no man was an island, entire of itself. It tolls for thee. On and on.” pg. 243 Thank you Hendricks for being Marcone’s jimmy cricket/concussion

Yes she is a child

“It is, with the possible exception of Dresden’s home, the most secure location in the city.” pg. 245 Oh interesting that Marcone considers his safe house the second most secure place. He clearly respects Harry given his assessment of his abilities. How does Marcone know that Harry has the best? Could Gard not make the room the best?

“Honestly” pg. 246 Ha he’s so sarcastic

“They make the anti technology effect Dresden puts off looks like mild sunspot activity” pg. 248 Harry mention again that’s the fifth time and Harry isn’t even here

“I first handed in my patriotically delusional youth” pg. 250 Marcone was in the military?!

Oh no Hendricks :(

Ouch Marcone broke his arm

“Given a choice between that egocentric drivel and a broken arm, I prefer the latter.” pg. 253 Ha

Interesting armor that Gard has

“Be a dear and burn down the building” I said

 She appeared by my desk looking bruised, exhausted, and functional. She lifted both eyebrows. “Was that a joke?

“Apparently,” I said “Doubtless the result of triumph and adrenaline.”

“My word” she said. She looked startled” pg. 261 Marcone’s funny and why is Gard surprised? Harry and Marcone banter all the time

“Make it look like an accident.” pg. 261 So insurance fraud. What would Harry be under acts of God?

“quarter of a million dollars” pg. 261 Marcone just has that kind of money?

“He seemed fine by the time he left, growling at Gard as she fussed over him.” pg. 262 Aw

“To say nothing of the fact that the bullets themselves are rare.” pg. 262 Interesting

“Dear child,” I said “I am a criminal. One very good way to cover up a crime is to commit an another, more obvious one.” pg. 263 Marcone is so smart

“You might consider speaking to Father Forthill at St. Mary of the Angles. The Church appears to have some sort of program to place those endangered by the supernatural into hiding.” pg. 264 Interesting

“I debated putting a bullet in her head but decided against it.” pg. 265 Marcone no and besides didn’t you just talk about Harry and those under his protection

“If she should speak of today’s events to Dresden…” pg. 265 Sixth Harry mention. Did Justine tell Harry? I do wish Harry and Justine interacted more

“They were there to kill Harry Dresden.” pg. 265 Seventh Harry mention Bit dramatic much. I don’t know if all that would kill Harry. The bombs in his office didn’t do it. The sprinkler system might work. Not sure about Gard and the magic bullets. Besides it’s so dramatic. If you want to kill Harry just do what Kincaid did. Sniper rifle but this time aim for the head. This whole plan involves Harry attacking Marcone on his home turf and using magic instead of a gun.

“I would test myself against Dresden in earnest on day” pg. 265 Eighth Harry mention. Besides if they wanted to kill each other they could have done ages ago. Harry doesn’t even threaten Marcone that badly like he did with Marva. Eight mentions of Harry Dresden in one story.

“Location location location” pg. 266 Ha

Bigfoot on campus

“It’s coffee flavored coffee,”

“No mocha?”

“Fuck mocha”

“Thank god” I said. “Black” pg. 267 Ha

“Am I under arrest?”

“That’s what we’re going to talk about” pg. 268 Ha 

“you could explain why I found you in the middle of an orgy.”

“Well” I said “if you’re going to be in an orgy the middle is the best spot isn’t it?” pg. 268 Ha

“Maybe you could explain why there was a car on the fourth floor of the dorm”

“Classic college prank” I said

“Usually when that happens, it hasn’t made big holes in the exterior wall.”

“Someone was avoiding cliche?” pg. 269 Ha

“What about all the blood?”

“There were no injuries, were there?”

“No”

“Then who cares? Some film student watched  Carrie too many times.” pg. 269 Ha

“Six separate calls in the past three hours with a Bigfoot sighting on campus. Bigfoot. What do you know about that?

“Well kids these days with their internets and their video games and their iPods. Who knows what they thought they saw.” pg. 269 Ha

“They almost never get violated, and when they do, it’s a big deal.” pg. 273 Yeah like starting a war

“In the Midwest, if you show up to a college town on a weekend, you risk running into a football game. In my experience, that resulted in universal problems with traffic, availability hotel rooms, and drunken football hooligans.

Or wait: Soccer is the one with hooligans. Drunken American football fans are just…drunks I guess.” pg. 277 Ha

“There was nothing in particular that should have caused my hormones to rage.” pg. 281 White court vampire calling it now

“They were becoming increasingly flecked with motes of molten silver” pg. 284 I knew it!

Wait I don’t think she knows oh no

“I couldn’t answer him for a second, the air felt so close. The last time I’d felt this much latent waiting power, I’d been standing next to my mentor Ebenezar McCoy, when he was gathering his strength for a spell.” pg. 292 Eb mention

“And this organization called the Paranet” pg. 293 Paranet! This is what I’m talking about information sharing yes

“People don’t want to know the truth. That makes it simple to hide. Wow, ten minutes? Really? I guess I’m not an Internetty person.”

“Internetty” Irwin said, seriously “I guess you aren’t” pg. 294 Ha

“So how come Kid Bigfoot wasn’t dead?” pg. 302 Interesting maybe because he’s got do much life energy Irwin didn’t die?

“The girl was in love with Irwin” pg. 302 I wonder how Connie can touch Irwin without getting burn?

“My son has joined himself to a parasite.”

“I felt a flash of milf outrage” pg. 302 RiverShoulders she’s a person

“I’ll give you till midnight to leave the state. After that you’re gone. One way or another”

“Hang on, I’m terrified let me catch my breath.”

“I react poorly to those who threaten my family’s well being, Dresden.”

“Yeah. You’re a regular Ozzie Nelson. John Walton. Ben Cartwright.

“Excuse me?”

“Mr. Drummond? Charlie…in charge? No?”

“What are you blabbing about?”

“Hells bells, man. Don’t any of you White Court bozos ever watch television? I’m giving you pop-reference golf here. Gold.” pg. 309 Ha

Wild Bill!

“Also, my pants had shrunk by several sizes.” pg. 323 What? Why?

Go Riversholders! He threw a car!

“Don’t be a moron Harry,” I said “You came for the kid. He’s safe. That’s all you were obligated to do. Let it g- Oh who am I kidding. There’s a girl.” pg. 334 Ha

“Wait. A…what? Am I going to sparkle or something?”

“God, no” said Irwin and I together” pg. 340

Bombshell

“I miss my boss” pg. 345 Poor Molly :(

“Harry wouldn’t have felt that. Harry would have saved the day. He would have smashed the Formor goons around like bowling pins, picking the kid up like some kind of serial-movie hero, and taken him to safety.” pg. 346 Hero worship

Justine!

“When you’re in magic, people always assume you do must be connected to it. Harry always thought it was funny. To him, magic was just one more set of tools that the mind could use to solve problems.” pg. 350 Interesting

“I hadn’t wanted to hurt his feelings but that kind of thing really wasn’t necessary.” pg. 354  Interesting to see how Molly used Harry’s spell and changed it

“The math wasn’t hard. I had two angles measured against the magnetic north.” pg. 355 Interesting how much math is involved in magic

“That bitch deserved to be run over by a car.” pg. 377 Poor Molly :(

“This isn’t going to work.” Justine murmured

“It’s going to work.” I told her keeping my tone confident. We’ll breeze right in. The Rack will be with us.”

Justine glanced at me with an arched brow “The Rack?”

“The Rack is more than just boobs, Justine” I told her soberly. “It’s an energy field created by all living boobs. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.”

Andi started giggling. “You’re insane.”

“But functionally so,” I said, and adjusted myself to round out a little better. “Just let go of conscious self and act on instinct.

Justine stared blankly at me for a second. Then her face lightened and she let out a little laugh. “The Rack will be with us?”

I couldn’t stop myself from cracking a smile “Always.” pg. 381 Ha

“I spotted Gentleman Jonnie Marcone, the head of Chicago’s outfit, in attendance, with his gorilla, Hendricks, and his personal attack witch, Gard, floating around near him.” pg. 385 Marcone! Again with that spelling. Why is Molly calling Hendricks a gorilla and Gard a attack witch?

“Too easy,” I whispered “This was too easy.” pg. 397 Yep something’s up

“Mortal upstart. Calling himself a baron. He will pay for what he did to my brother.” pg. 403 Marcone! This is the brother of the Formor from Even Hand

“Miss Gard freaked out about two minutes ago and all but carried out Marcone out of here. Security is mobilizing.” pg. 407 Why am I picturing Gard bride carrying or fireman carrying Marcone?

“Dammit,” I growled “What would Harry do?” pg. 409 WWHD Harry would make it up as he goes so you’re doing great at that part Molly

“Harry had once told me that when you had one problem, you had a problem. But when you had several problems, you might have several solutions.” pg. 409 Interesting

“Hey God” I whispered. “I know I haven’t been  around much lately, but if you could do me a solid here, it would be really awesome for a lot of people. Please let me be right.” pg. 419 Ha

“Harry. Alive.” pg. 431 Yay!

Cold Case

“My own clothing, I knew disappointed her gravely, but I was used to doing that to mother-figures.” pg. 435 Ouch poor Molly :(

Carlos!

“Harry Dresden has had a horrible influence on far too many people, and has much to answer for.” pg. 449 Ha

“I’d had recurring nightmares about it, in fact.”  pg. 450 Didn’t Harry also have nightmares about the wardens?

Elaine!

“Psychic interrogation” pg. 460 Oh no

“Warden do a lot of good.” He said quietly “It isn’t always pretty, what we do, but it needs to be done.” pg. 464 Wardens kill children Carlos

“He dealt with them on a continuous basis, after all, and in his studied opinion, if you had one problem, you had a problem. But if you had multiple problems, you might also have an opportunity. pg. 468 Call back to bombshell!

“God, I love hero work.” Carlos said as we stepped back out into the storm. “No murky gray area, no anguished questions, no conflicting mortality. Bad guys took some kids, and we’re gonna get’em out.” pg. 476 That does sound nice and I like how this shows the reader how young Carlos is

“Maybe if someone had offered a hand to the monsters, they wouldn’t have become monsters in the first place.” pg. 477 Yes!

“I was carrying pliers with me, so that I could take vampire teeth as trophies.” pg. 477 Carlos that’s not a good thing. That’s spoils of war or serial killer trophies and that’s bad.

“Mom taught me, She was scoutmaster for my brothers.” pg. 480 Cool

“Outsiders” pg. 481 Oh no

So Outsiders plus fisherman equals Call of Cthulhu

“Harry was a big believer in kicking in the teeth of whoever you planned to fight.” pg. 485 Ha and yes good tactics

“kicked the big double door off their hinges as if they’d been made of balsa and Scotch tape.

At which point I learned the real reason Harry keeps doing that.

It. Is. Awesome.” pg. 486 Ha

“And then I was sitting on the floor of the shower, shuddering, hot water pouring down around me.” pg. 499 What

“I looked down at the water. The drain stopper was down, and it was seven or eight inches deep.

And pink.” pg. 500 What happened?

Poor Carlos :(

Ok so Molly can’t have sex and the mantel will attack anyone who tries to have sex with her.

“You want me to take their children.” pg. 504 Oh no :(

Jury Duty

“Summons,” I said glowering. “It’s a freaking command. They want to see a real summoning is, I could show them.” pg. 513 Ha  and I can’t believe the government got Harry a summons. He died then came back from the dead and was homeless for a bit. There’s no way bureaucracy was this fast. There has to be scheming involved. String pulling from someone. Maybe Lara or Marcone?

“More had been set aside by the new owner of my old address, formerly Mrs. Spunkelcheif’s boardinghouse, and now the Better Future Society. I hadn’t been able to stomach asking the new owner for my mail, but Butters had gotten it for me.” pg. 513 Wait does this mean that Marcone kept Harry’s mail? How long did Marcone keep Harry’s mail? Even when Harry was dead? Was Marcone hoping Harry would come get them? What was the conversation between Butters and Marcone like?

“The government isn’t the mob, Harry.”

“Aren’t they?” I asked “Pay them money every year to protect you, and God help you don’t.” pg. 514 Ha

“Then a guy in a black muumuu showed up and reconnected the plot of My cousin Vinney.

Okay, it was a robe and the guy was the judge, and he gave us a brief outline of the format of the trial system, but it’s not nearly as entertaining to say it that way.” pg. 516 Ha

“The new kid was in his late twenties” pg. 517 Who let this kid be the prosecutor? He can’t be that out of law school.

“So where was his public defender?” pg. 518 He’s got the right to a public defender so where are they? Something’s up I’m suspicious

“Everyone stood up. After a second, so did I.

I guess you could say I’m not really a joiner.” pg. 518 Ha

“He held up a glossy professional headshot of a handsome man in his thirties and showed it to us.” pg. 520 Bi Harry 42

“drag a female child, Latino, around the age of ten, into the alley.” pg. 526 Oh

“Something did not add up here.” pg. 528 Yep

So let’s review the facts

Harry who’s died and come back from the died for less than a month only a gets a jury summons despite bureaucracy being slow.

The prosecutor is a new kid and not the DA.

The defense doesn’t have an attorney.

The victim was a stock broker.

The defendant is a tough guy who’s definitely been in fights before.

There is supposedly a child that the man kidnapped.

The defendant is more beat up than seems appropriate.

In conclusion I think that the fear eating Raiths are the victim was a stockbroker and not a ghoul got the girl and the defendant killed a White Court vampire. Then either Marcone or Lara stacked the jury to have Harry involved. They made it so the prosecution was a new guy and the defense doesn’t have a lawyer.

“Nobody was going to go bat for him.

Unless I did it.” pg. 529 Yep

“I started with Johnny Cash version of “Hurt” which was pretty simple. I sang along with it. I’m not good, but I can hit the notes and keep the rhythm going” pg. 533 This is nice and I miss Harry’s guitar and I wish he’d played more

“The door was locked.

It was also made of glass.

I smiled.” pg. 537 Ha

“Tania Raith” I knew a Raith was involved

“She wielded enormous influence in Chicago, maybe as much as the head of Chicago outfit, Gentleman Johnnie Marcone, gangster lord of the mean streets.” pg. 539 Marcone mention!

“Because you know what happened the last time some vampires abducted a little girl and I decided to take her back. pg. 539 Yep scary threat

“I believe Baron Marcone has recognized claim on this city. Or am I mistaken?” pg. 540 It’s their city

“Luther was one of Marcone’s soldiers.” pg. 540 Oh

“He pulled some strings to get me on the jury.” pg. 541 I knew strings were pulled

“Dammit Marcone had put me where there’d be a guy getting fast- tracked to an unjust sentence and known damn well how I’d react. He could have asked me for help, but I’d have told him to take a flying…leap. And he’d have known that. So he set it up without me knowing.” pg. 542 Marcone knows him so well

“What does Marcone mean to you? You don’t owe him anything. Why not sit down, have a drink, help me celebrate.” pg. 543 Tania asking the real questions

Riley doesn’t get paid enough

Tania really does need a babysitter.

“Goddamn supernatural assholes” pg. 550 Does she know? Does the Judge know?

Day one

“There were a great many letters in that, and not much that I understood” pg. 558 Ha

Lamar!

“The skull is very dangerous object.” He said “It doesn’t…understand love. It doesn’t understand faith.” pg. 568 Bob!

Fear monster

Harry!

“Polka will never die” pg. 587 Yes!

“You stand up and kick it in the fucking teeth” he said and there was a quiet certain power in his voice that had nothing to do with magic. “You’ve forgotten the most important thing a Knight needs to remember, Butters.”

“What’s that?” I breathed

“Knights of the Cross aren’t afraid of monsters” he said. “Monster are afraid of you. Act like it. Commit to it, hard. And have faith.” pg. 590 Such a good speech.

“But I had faith in my friends

One friend in particular.” pg. 590 My heart :)

“ Ehyeh ašer ehyeh” pg. 594 A quick google search shows that this means I Am Who I Am

Zoo Day

“The man who mostly shaped me was a sadistic monster, and by the time my grandfather came along, Ebenezar wasn’t parenting so much as enticing psychological damage control.” pg. 599 Aw poor Harry :(

“I really really wanted to get this right.” pg. 599 Aw

Of course Maggie likes Star Wars

“She was the most beautiful child I’d ever seen, but everyone thinks that about their kid.

 Maybe everyone is right.” pg. 601 Yes! and my heart :)

“What if I do it wrong?” pg. 601 My heart

“What if…I don’t know. What if I set something on fire?”

“Maybe we’ll roast some marshmallows” pg. 602 Don’t worry Maggie if anyone is going to set something on fire it’ll be Harry. And this marshmallow comment reminds be of the one in Changes

Oh a warlock

“I stared at the kid for a while.

I had been that kid for a while.” pg. 608 Poor Harry poor kid

“Then I did something I don’t do very often: I turned my back and walked away.” pg. 608 What

“She picked up a French fry and dipped it in a large mound of mustard. Not ketchup.

What?” pg. 610 What

“If someone needs your help, you help them.” Maggie said simply “Even when it’s really hard. Miss Molly told me that about you.” pg. 612 Yep

“If I hadn’t been so exhausted, I’d have been just one more warlock slain while resisting arrest.” pg. 613 Interesting

I like all the dad Harry content I’m getting to see

Ohhh we’re getting two perspectives.

Maggie!

“My dad was a pretty scary-looking guy if you didn’t know him.” pg. 621 Aw and it’s always interesting to see other characters perspective of Harry

“Sort of like how grown ups can’t see the creeps” pg. 624

“If I didn’t have to worry about turning into a complete spaz” pg. 625 Aw poor Maggie :(

“Must be because Dad was here, and he really, really liked dad.” pg. 624 Aw

“What if he thought I was, you know? Broken. What if he didn’t want a daughter who was all funny in the head?” pg. 629 Aw poor Maggie I just want to give Maggie a hug

“And then my dad’s head shot up like Mouse when he smells lighter fluid at the Carpenters house, and his eyes flicked around him like big, hungry bear looking for something to tear  into.” pg. 629 Ha

“He should have had his coat. It would have been all swirly, like Batman. Jeans and an old Battlestar Galactica T-shirt just didn’t make the same impression.” pg. 633 I’m glad Maggie likes the coat.

“I interrupted it by throwing salt into its black, empty eyes.” pg. 634 Go Maggie!

“Because what if Miss Molly had told me the kid-safe version of the truth about my dad? What if he wasn’t as good as she said he was? What if he didn’t want to take care of a daughter who had issues? Who was really hard to be around.” pg. 639 Aw poor Maggie

“Hey you, Space Face” pg. 640 Ha

“Good boy, Mouse” pg. 642 Yes good boy!

Mouse looks really cool

Oh interesting that Maggie knows Spanish

Poor Maggie

Three perspectives!

Mouse yes you’re a good dog!

“My Friend was worried he could not be a good father to a little girl, which is ridiculous-but if he wasn���t worried about it, he wouldn’t be the person he is” pg. 652 Aw

“Is my Friend awesome or what?” pg. 659 Yes he is

“My Shadow, it would seem” pg. 661 Interesting

“Brother” pg. 670 Interesting

“Needs must be done?” I asked. “Who talks like that? Honestly.” pg. 673 Ha

“An acquired habit. I can’t imagine where I learned it” pg. 673 Ha

“You are like the others, after all. His slave. I don’t deal with trivial matters. I care nothing for your broken wizard.” pg. 674 No Mouse and Harry are friends and what do you mean broken wizard?

“I assume you’ve never seen The Dark Knight.” pg. 674 Ha and of course Mouse has seen it :)

“I was raised by a wizard. When it comes to fighting, I tend to cheat whenever possible.” pg. 675 Ha

“I told you, everyone says I am a Good Boy and that means treats. But perhaps I would make more time to exercise when this was settled.” pg. 676 Ha

“There was nothing more I could do to help him. I would have to trust to fortune and the Almighty and Queen Mab and Odin and whatever other friendly Powers that might be watching that My Friend would, please, please, please be all right.” pg. 681 Ha

“But what he meant was Good Dog.” pg. 686 Yes!

Dresden files live blog

Monster

“Plus, I’m never sure when she’ll try to kill me again.

It’s complicated” I’m sorry what

Marcone!

“No Valkerye girl Friday?” Ha

Oh someone broke Marcone’s rule they’re gonna die

“There’s another person I could go to.

But even if he believed me and agreed to the job, he would complicate it unbearably. We’d be at war with Canada within the week. Somehow.” Ha and I assume they’re talking about Harry

“There was angels standing guard around another house not unlike this one not three blocks away.” Michael’s house!

“Oh. Yes. People.”

“I keep forgetting them” Viti what do you mean you ‘keep forgetting them’?

“Viti had been a survivor of a training program  whose members had, as the culmination of their training, been assigned to murder one another” Is Viti a red widow?

Poor kids :(

“Viti turned the gun on the kids, who flinched.” VITI NO

“Hey, you know how a nine-hundred-pound Bengal tiger gets into a locked room?

Any damned way it wants.” Ha

“The next day, Marcone, with his big dumb Einherjaren bodyguard.” Who is this bodyguard? Where’s Hendricks? Where’s Gard?

“But grapefruit juice?” Grapefruit? Really? Who willingly drinks grapefruit juice?

“Monster LLC calling for Harry Dresden,” she said “Please tell that there are children who need his help.” Of course they call Harry. This is right up his alley! 

Final thoughts

I liked these stories especially Even Hand and Zoo Days. I loved all the Marcone mentions and his story. I liked the fights and thought the stories were funny. I liked the different perspectives. I want to give Maggie and Harry hugs. I loved all the Dad Harry content I got in Zoo Days. There were so many Bi Harry moments in these. We’re up to 42 moments. Molly’s stories were sad :( Cool that beings exist that only kids can see. Not a fan of some of the things Luccio and Carlos say. I loved Butters first mission. I liked the monster story. I love what Marcone says about Harry. I love that Gary calls Harry. Overall I liked it.

Even Hand

My favorite story. I love the look into Marcone. I do wonder how John Marcone not being John’s Name will play out. Could this name be used against him or used in oaths? Does ‘John Marcone’ hold more weight than his given name now? Who knows his given name? Why did he change it? This does bring interesting ideas with his alliance with Mab and Vadderung. Him being a marine is interesting. Did Marcone serve a full time in the marine? Did he get honorably discharged? Dishonored? What was his rank? I liked how sarcastic Marcone is. He really is a good foil to Harry. I like the 2 Bi Marcone moments. I love that Harry has left such an impression on Marcone with the flimsy doors and the elaborate death trap. I like how Marcone saved both Justine and the kid. I love the Hendricks and Gard moment.

Onto Peace Talk

[broken-synchronicity]

Okay so bear with me rn but i see your chernabog theory and instead raise to thee; ALL fantasia. Fantasia is often forgotten and left by the side, a misfit collection of stories with no higher purpose. It’s an olden collection, a wide collection, full of wild magics and inexplicable occurences. From Chernabog’s domain over the dead to the nature sprite’s dominion over all growth, it’s uniquely suited to hold the prefect and Grimm alike because Fantasia contains all and every (1/2)

Ooooooooh you're probably the first person to actually make a serious comment on that half-baked theory of mine, this is so exciting!!And you make so much sense Anon!!!

Both movies tell grand stories that end happily or are feel good in general, even Mickey's Sorcerer's Apprentice story ends with Mickey learning diligence and hard work.

And both Fantasia movie technicality have a "villain" in them. Chernabog was the "villain" for the original 1940 film, that also originally had Mickey's first wizardly appearance in The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

In Fantasia 2000, the sequel, it could be argued that the force in the same position as Chernabog is the Fire Bird. Both are not really proper villains but forces of nature. They're both even the closing acts of their respective movies!

Which is actually very strange! While the Fire Bird does end happily in the end like the rest, Chernabog does not. Why? Why does the Fire Bird get a happy ending while Chernabog simply goes to sleep when the sun comes up? I suppose it's tied directly to what both are actually meant to represent: Evil and Death/Destruction.

Chernabog is "Evil", or maybe better he is "Necessary Evil", the bad things needed in order to appreciate the things that are good, where as the Fire Bird is "Death/Destruction" as a necessity in order for new life to be brought about. We can see at the end of the Fire Bird short that the Spirit is able to grow things on the mountain where it couldn't at the beginning. Yet, for Chernabog, he simply sleeps, all his cruelty unresolved.

This is because the original Fantasia movie wasn't geared towards children, where the second likely took that into consideration. Therefore, Chernabog was allowed to be cruel and dark and evil unrepentantly with only the light of day hiding everything away, where the Fire Bird was there no matter what and only scary until it was over and showed the growth after the Spirit's mourning.

Therefore, Yuu can only be represented by Chernabog, as Chernabog is far more a villain than the Fire Bird ever was.

So with all this, when applied to Twisted Wonderland, Yuu, as a representative of Chernabog, becomes "Necessary Good." Yuu fights off the Blot that threatens to destroy the students and pulls the victims from the cynical negative spiral they're in to remind them of the good things despite their terrible pasts.

The overblot is rock-bottom. It's the wake up call. Yuu is the light at the end of the tunnel, the reminder that good things still exist at the end of all the bad.

Yuu is the representative of twst!Chernabog, who pulls out all the bad into the light of day to be cleaned and treated and allowed to heal.

[shizukateal]

Hello there, new MagiReco gurl appeared, and her name is Mitsuru Inami

What do you think about her (and her outfit, of course)?

Not too charged, not particularly impractical, but the silhouette is too loose and so it lacks definition and proper contrast. The hair and the capelet can work together, but then overskirt comes out from under the stiffness of the doublet, not puffy enough to properly follow its line, but flowing in just the wrong way to turn the body into an amorphous blob, especially because it also covers the top of the boots. It parts in the middle to reveal the underskirt, also giving us this weird color imbalance/whiplash effect (red-black-re- no wait it's black again). If they wanted to give her a long skirt no matter what then it would have been better for the doublet to not jut out at the hips, if not then they should've given her a mini skirt that completes the triangular line of the points of the doublet at the hips:

Or just remove the skirts and leave her in the leggings alone.

However I want to point out that I get what the artist was going for thanks to this picture:

This is a good pose with a lot of personality that also showcases the appeal of these kind of asymmetrical, a-line pieces, but it also proves my point that shoving this particular gimmick together more than once makes them compete in an unflattering way. Her legs look great here but the entire area around the hips turns into this confusing mess that flatters nothing, and even if that was cleaner, again, the skirts and capelet would still compete because they are doing the same effect for the torso and the legs, thus unnecessarily dividing them and preventing the whole from becoming unified and cohesive.

I also want to talk about her weapon.

(My God is this pose unflattering to her) Look if she was a clown I could accept it because all things considered the rod is not the most impractical weapon you could think of, especially if the balls are attached to a chain, but it still looks ridiculous on her. Sakura Kinomoto (all praise her noble name) already proved that you can have a staff that's both acrobatic and wizardly with just one weighted end, so I think she should follow her example.

Other than that there's not much else to say, she pretty mid ove- wait, she's supposed to be 21 and a motherly figure to Ao? That hairstyle needs to change, stat.

[anxiously-sidequesting]

(SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR MIRAGE, EMPYREA, AND POLARIS) Okay horrid name games and completely hilarious poll aside, once again I am rising out of my trash heap to offer my perspective and opinion on another Wizard101 character that I like A LOT. Let's talk about Grandfather Spider okay. C'mere let's talk about Old Man Cob

Okay yeah I know totally different from my Forgotten OCs Posts but I've always really liked GS as a character even as a little kid. I'm really fond of those "Actually Super Evil but Still Treats Protagonist Like Their Child" tropes. And it's so funny because this is Satan. This is the magical wizardly world's equivalent to Satan and yet he straight up admits "Yeah I've basically adopted you at this point"

Also the fact that Grandfather Spider has a little (a fuck ton) more personality than your generic "wise ancient being from beyond the universe" and he's actually just petty and slimy as fuck. Like remember in Mirage where he literally revives three of our greatest enemies from the gotdamned afterlife just to say "Epic Gotcha Moment :)"

But his silliness aside, I wish the game explored Grandfather Spider's apparent """fondness""" for The Wizard more. Like don't get me wrong that fucker is evil as all hell and has manipulated The Wizard many many times to suit his own goals, but you can still see where he """cares""" for us in his own weirdass way.

Like, I totally believed him in Empyrea when he offered to make the new Chaos World in our image if we joined him. Fucked up? Yeah Absolutely! Manipulation was GS's whole entire thing and even if we actually decided to be like "okay fuck it, sure your ex wife is getting on my damn nerves anyway" and he got some Immense Glee out of seeing the Spiral's Savior and Grandmother Raven and Bartleby's most trusted scion under his beck and call, I still think that Grandfather Spider legit still viewed us as one of his kids.

Like the moment where he appeared to The Wizard in that cave in Polaris and said "man you're so tired. you'd be so much better off staying at home man trust me :)))" was so impactful, like.... he used Grandmother Raven's growing paranoia and wrath against her, in the most "I'm the better parent" way possible. Grandmother Raven hit us up on the phone just to say "if you fuck this up im mowing your ass like it's grass" and not a second later Old Man Spider calls us and goes "hahaha man isn't this all wild? lmao you do too much you deserve to rest", but he says it in like this fatherly, soothing way.

Point is, this bitch KNOWS what he's doing. Grandfather Spider uses his own feelings of kinship towards us to his own advantage, it's a mix between "I see this child as my own" and "Even so I'm gonna screw them over and hopefully they'll join my side. Weeee" and that is so funny and fucked up. The game did a good job I think portraying that and even still I wish I had more