#this is why i love having a good university library at my disposal

[preservationofnormalcy]

My cat keeps bringing me dead things that don't look like any known animal. Looking at them hurts my eyes and they seem to change shape every time I look at them. Is there any special way I should dispose of them? I'm starting to worry.

Cats are weird, man.

It’s been pretty obvious, though understudied, that our feline friends aren’t totally “in this universe” on a good day. We’re not really sure why, and anyone that tells you they know is lying to you. We’re reasonably sure cats aren’t alien, or Outsider touched, or even sapient. Typically.

A lot of them can at least see into the various planes that overlap realspace. That’s why cats aren’t allowed on Office grounds, except the main Library in Archival, because our resident archivist expert Miss Cece is a persuasive lady.

Thank you for uploading the picture, by the way. The cognitohazard scrubbers come back clean, so….ah, yeah, I’ve seen this before. Good news and bad news. The good news is your cat is helping you with your [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.] infestation. The bad news is you have a [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.] infestation. This should honestly go away in a few days. Don’t look at them, don’t touch them with bare skin, and for the love of god don’t let the carcasses touch any right angles. You can burn the carcasses according to local fire regulations. If burning is not an option, contact the Office Esoteric Waste Management team and we’ll dispose of them properly.

I remember the first time I saw a colony of [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.] in an abandoned building in….was that Toronto? Yeah. I was helping RCOE with a [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.] colony that had been seen in the building. Causing all kinds of ruckus in the local fabric of reality, let me tell you. Worse yet, Toronto has one of the nodes for Yukon Prime, Canada’s National AI project. My Canadian friends might know that Prime is a little eclectic at the best of times so they were concerned.

Anyway, you’ve never seen a group of [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.] descend on a structure and [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.] until you can’t even step on solid ground because of the [REDACTED MEMETICS DETECTED, SCRUBBERS ENGAGED. PROTOCOL DANGERMOUSE ENACTED. PLEASE STAND BY.]. Luckily we had some reality anchors on hand and it was back to normal in like. Three days.

[bl4z33467]

The Vulpixen Cannon 2

Part one^^^^^

A couple years pass. Novos trains harder than he ever had, knowing the atrocities he committed, desiring for no one to know what he has done. He believes the stronger he gets, the less likely people will know of his attractions. He tries to put on muscle, but fails due to his poor diet. Ceaser, learning from his mistakes with Altilis, makes sure that his protege, Novos, doesn't end up overweight and unwilling like Altilis. So, he makes sure he is on a strict diet, keeping him underweight (i swear this is a plot point guys). In the meantime, Altilis had been growing more mature. He began to be able to accept himself and realize the importance of his role in the legion. He became content with not becoming the next Kaiser.

Then it happens. Caesar is found dead. The tumor won. A large ceremony is held as Vulpes Novos Inculta is deemed the new Kaiser. His first act, he makes Altilis his advisor. For the next few years, the clones nearly double the legion's territory. During these years, Altilis's population grows, people begin respecting him more for his flawless battle plans and knowledge of terrains. One very interesting thing with Novos being the kaiser, he no longer has someone telling him what to do, particularly what to eat. This is a detriment to him, as he no longer was constantly on the battlefield and had whatever he wanted to eat at his disposal for the first time in his life, he began to get fatter. At first, it was good as he was sickly skinny. After a while though, legionaries began confusing the twins. This didn't bother Altilis but miffed Novos. Instead of changing his horrible diet, he trims his lovely blond curls and dyes it brown. Along with this, he gets more elaborate robes, having lots of pelts, feathers and gold accents. This only helped partially, as more and more legionaries began commenting to him that he reminded him of Altilis. He began to get more angry about this. They're saying he looks like him, acts like him, IS HIM? No! He wanted to be LIKE him, not him! novos needed to change this. But how. He was too stubborn to change his own ways, so he had to get rid of the problem itself: Altilis.

"Why do I have him around anyways" Novos thought, "The legion is doing just fine with me leading them."

Novos fails to recognize how much Altilis does to help the legion.

"I can't just, banish him. i mean, hell i could but that would damage my reputation to the legionaries" Novos begins to ponder. What can make him able to send him away. He wonders around fortification hill, studying all the various Tents buildings and other things. He spots it. A medium sized, shottily thrown together building. Altilis Library. His brother had been an avid scholar his whole life, collecting books of all sorts and maps too. A wealth of knowledge extremely valuable to the legion, that he let any legionary come and use. Novos chuckles lightly to himself, cocking his head. "Would be a shame if something happened to it" he says under his breath. He glides over to the building, and walks in. Altilis is there, nose in a book as usual.

"Hello Kaiser Novos" he says in a neutral tone, without looking up.

Novos doesn't respond but walks over to the desk Altilis sat at.

"I dont see you here often on your own acord" Altilis says while flipping a page in his book, "anything in particular you want? A map, im guessing?"

"Not this time. I was wondering, how do you keep this place bright even if its walled off?" Novos inquires.

Altilis looks up from his book finally. He looks at Novos dead in the eyes. "Candlelight....? Like we do in most areas??"

Novos smiles faintly "Thats what i thought." (He turns to leave before pausing. "Do you think you can do something for me?"

"Anything you wish, Kaiser Novos" Altilis says. Despite being Novos being Altilis's younger brother, Altilis still had great respect for Novos.

"I need you to gather me more intel of the terrain up north. As soon as possible, and as much as possible. Okay?"

Altilis nods. "Yes Kaiser" he says while putting his book down and goes off to grab an atlas.

"I need it soon and fast, so you will stay up until you've given me sufficient material" Novos said gruffly.

"Kaiser Novos, I will need to sleep soon, it has already been a long day for me and-"

Novos lifts his hand, shushing him.

"Yes, Kaiser Novos. My apologies" Altilis says. The scholar began to compile stacks upon stacks of information on the north as fast as he could. It drained the life out of him to stay up all that night and the next day before Novos waltz back into the Altilis's Library in the evening.

"Hows that information coming" Novos says with a hint of smugness.

Altilis, weary from his lack of sleep and studies, coughs up an answer. "Its been real tough, some of these areas seemed even uncharted before the war-"

"YOU LAZY BASTARD" Novos screamed, slamming his fist on the table. The candle, which was nearly burned down, wobbled. He slowly moves his head over to it and smirks, then looks back to Altilis. He whispers "No one is going to believe you." Altilis's weary eyes go shot. Novos bats the candle off the table. Altilis takes a moment before trying to put it out, but Novos had pounced on him, pinning him down. Altilis would have usually overpowered him, but his exhaustion made the effort futile.

"Novos! Brother! Why are you doing this?!? What have I done to deserve this??" Altilis cried.

"They were thinking i was you." Novos sneered.

"We have the same genetics! Of course they would, we are basically twins!" Altilis proclaimed.

Novos furrows his brow. "Not that, Altilis. They thought I ACTED like you, and you acted like ME. They were challenging my authority by insinuating that we are one in the same." The flames began to leap higher around the men.

"We aren't. You know we aren't. I know we aren't. I don't want to take your place, Novos!" Altilis said, beginning to squirm as the heat was getting to him.

Novos loosened his grip on his older clone. "I know you dont, but I want no questions about who's running the show. I can do this without you." A book shelf toppled under its own weight from the fire eating the wood below. A bunch of books topple onto the ground near them. They both look over and see a tattered old book. The title read "Canids." Both remember that night, oh some 15 years ago.

"But you- you said" Altilis said, confusion and fear in his eyes.

"I was a STUPID child!" Novos barked, If i woulf have known what was to come, I should have never given you that book." Novos gets up, and lets Altilis get up. Novos shoves him, causing the still exhausted altilis to stumble as novos dashes out of the flaming building. Altilis makes it out soon after.

The next day dawns. The library, where nearly all of the legion's books and other important paper records where held, was burned to the ground. Novos sat in on his perch atop of Fortification hill as he called out. "Fellow legionaries!" He cried, "Look at the devistation that was caused!" He motions to the smoking pile of wood. "I was there when it happened. My evil, EVIL, clone tried to light me ablaze! But I made it out, alive to tell the tale."

The crowd roared. Celebrating Novos surviving, and shouts of calls to kill Altilis sprang up across the mob.

"Pretorians! Bring me the criminal!" Novos shouted, almost theatrically.

4 men brought the weary Altilis before the crowd. His face reddened by the flames, clothes and accessories singed from the blaze.

The crowd began to shout, at first clattered and confused, but began to chant "crucify him!" Novos's breath hitched. He looked at the crowd and to his older brother. A man who he once loved and looked up to. He couldn't. He couldn't kill him. But the legionaries wouldn't accept sparing him. He had to give him a chance, something to make it out.

"LEGIONARIES! Calm down! I have a worse punishment in mind! Look at this man! He could survive years without food! I propse to let him rot in the dessert ALIVE."

The crowd roared again. It was settled. Novos motioned for the pretorians to follow him, which they did. The 6 walked deep into the Mojave desert before Novos grabbed Altilis from the pretorians and threw him to the ground. Altilis looked up to him, hopelessly. "Why... why didn't you just KILL me..."

Novos kneeled down to him, and gently kisses him on the forehead. "You're free, brother." He whispered. Novos gets up and walks back to fortification hill . Altilis, lying there to die.

[lgbtmi]

for both: 4, 10, 11, 19 :)

i'm assuming this is the meta oc questions post you're asking for! so here you go :> if you meant one of the other like two ask meme things i've reblogged yesterday, lmk, i'll edit!

4. Why did you give them the name they have? What is the in-universe reason for their name?

Willow got her name from a Taylor Swift-song, simply because her concept was sex worker in Amsterdam's red light district, and I thought it'd be so funny if her name was Willow because "Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind", and she's bendy in any direction her clientele wanted her. Her middle name was recently added, because I watched Barbie (2023) too often, and her last name is Turing, because sometimes you have to hide queer history in character names. In universe, her mom liked Willow as a name, and her middle name came from her grandmother. Clíodhna was named for the queen of the Banshees in Irish mythology. Her backstory and lore are heavily based in Shakespeare, Celtic mythology, and a little in Changeling the Dreaming, so when @kentuckycaverats suggested the name, I stuck with it. Clíodhna is plagued by the ghosts of her past, after all. Sure, they're not wraiths or bean sidhe, but they basically are just that to her. Additionally, her last name is Ó Neill, which is rooted in Celtic migration and history. What is a Scot if not just an Irish Dál Riata settler? And the Ui Neill clan was one of their allies, as well as one of the most prominent families back in those days. In universe, she was born as Kenna MacNeil to Irish immigrants. She was born in Scotland, but after her aging was stopped due to her Sire ghouling her, Kenna MacNeil has been declared dead. When her Sire moved her to Ireland to basically function as a spy, Irishifying her name to blend in better made sense... Besides, Kenna MacNeil had been dead for a long time. The court in Derry are Irish nationalists, her English or Scottish name would do worse in Ireland than Clíodhna would.

10. What is your favorite trait regarding your oc?

Willow is so fierce in how much she loves. She has a couple of people she'd quite literally do anything for, even if it puts herself in harm's way. My favourite Clíodhna-trait is something that happens when I play her. She has been raised in Scotland, but over the last century she's been forced into an RP English accent. As her emotional state changes, so does her accent. If she gets agitated, stressed, or scared, her accent will shift from RP English to her native accent. It's a lot of fun to flex my accent library on my friends /lh

11. What is your least favorite trait regarding your oc?

Willow's too nervous for her own good. Some shit has happened, and where she once was a stereotypical confident Toreador with the entire world at her disposal, she's now just chronically afraid of everything and losing touch with reality and she has no idea who she is anymore. It's a little bit stressful. She'll grow out of it <3 Clíodhna I haven't had the chance to play much, yet, but I have a sinking feeling I'm going to hate what she's like with her Sire. But hey, that's what being blood bound to a Ventrue will do to you, I suppose.

19. How might your oc react to finding out you are the one responsible for their life?

Willow would probably find it very weird to know that I'm literally chronically talking about her on the internet to the little gay people in my phone. But also, maybe she'd get some strength out of this? Who knows. She'd probably want nothing to do with me and hope that I never visit Amsterdam ever. Clíodhna? She sees ghosts all the time. If I tell her I'm responsible for her life, she'd probably consider me another one of the voices she hears sometimes that say things she doesn't quite understand. She might be a bit confused because I'm not her father, ex partner, or one of the two people she killed upon embrace, but it would be nothing out of her ordinary.

[more-than-a-princess]

🐣What were you like as a kid? Allegedly? Has anything changed, and have people noticed?

In Depth and Personal Munday Meme - Accepting!

My favorite places as a child were quiet, full of books and/or dolls, and somewhere I could wear a pretty dress, eat sweets, and read to my dolls or stuffed animals. I'm an only child and have parents with busy careers, so I was left on my own (middle school and up) or with a sitter or nanny quite often. I had trouble making friends and relating to other kids as I was constantly surrounded by adults whom I could reason with: I'm pretty sure part of the reason why I was bullied so much was that I attempted to reason with other kids the way I did with adults (or tried to) and couldn't understand why they just teased me instead. I begged to be homeschooled but my parents said no and sent me to private school hell instead. I think the only time I really liked going to school for something more than my favorite classes was university.

That said, my favorite things in life were the bookstore and/or library, Scholastic Book Fair (I was that kid who ordered whatever I wanted off the book list and needed help carrying the bags to my parents' cars), the Disney Store (beeline for the stuffed animal tower and the TV playing film/song clips usually, if I wasn't distracted by dolls), and whenever I got new Barbies or American Girl dolls. I actually preferred AG more: the fact they came with books and girls from historical eras was the coolest thing to me! Those dolls and my cats at the time got to hear a lot of me trying to read aloud as much as I could.

I wasn't very athletic so sports teams were out of the question most of the time (I lifted weights instead starting in middle school in lieu of a school team due to how badly I was bullied. It just wasn't a great idea for my mental health to keep me around those kids longer than I needed to be), and I wasn't allowed video games until high school (right around when I'd sent my college applications) because my parents were convinced that if I played video games, I'd never get into a good university. This is a big reason why I never became much of a gamer! I didn't grow up with the hand-eye coordination practice with consoles and controllers many kids did. I also didn't get cable TV until the end of middle school: things like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel were luxuries for me, ones I only got to indulge in at other family members' houses.

I think the funniest bit of it all is how I went from very much a dress-loving, pink-adorning, dress-wearing child to a teenager, constantly sullen, dressed in black/Hot Topic/early Torrid attire with the goth-iest high school senior photoshoot...and right back to a woman who adores dresses, classic colors, neutrals, and pastels, and just feels better about her day when pulling a dress and favorite pair of shoes/bag out of her closet, just to go to a cafe and shopping/a bookstore. My parents have definitely noticed this and are having the last laugh at middle/high school-era Rae, who would only wear wide leg JNCO style trousers with so many ripped holes at the bottom, bondage pants/skirts, anime/geek t-shirts, fancy dresses from The Pyramid Collection (I had a wicca phase) and the darkest red lipstick that wasn't black but still broke the school dress code so the administration made me wash it off each morning (despite me swatching it on my hand and showing them no, it wasn't black: black lipstick was banned, like jeans, miniskirts, tanktops, and anything featuring 'gang' logos or relating to Eminem or Nelly. Honestly, besides the jeans, good move school!)...is now a far more cheerful and content person, who has embraced color, dresses, bows, etc. once again.

tl;dr - my teenage years were awful, do not want to revisit no matter how much my high school keeps insisting I should show up for my 20-year reunion.

In a more nerdy sense, I'm realizing that in my late thirties with more disposable income, I can finally wear all the costumes I wanted to do as a teenage cosplayer but didn't have the funds to do so. I am doing or rewearing so many old school costumes in 2024, and upgrading some outfits I already love with higher-quality pieces.

[la-galaxie-langblr]

that game sounds so fun oml where was that when i was in high school!?

absolutely, i think we all have a different definition of the absolute meaning of life but yeah i totally agree, being a good person day-to-day and putting out good vibes and karma into the universe is why we’re here for such a long time, it’s a long process with the smallest details and the biggest impacts.

what books do i like reading? recently i read seven husbands of evelyn hugo and i just bawled my way through it, it was divine. i’ve also been discovering some classics or “must be read at some point in a lifetime books that have made their way onto my tbr. daisy jones and the six was also a great read.

my current read is lucky by a woman who’s name i can’t remember 😅 it’s about a criminal on the run who wins the lottery but can’t cash her ticket in bc she will be jailed for all of her crimes. i’m only 8 chapters in at the moment but it’s pretty good so far.

seven titles on my tbr that i’m looking forward to read are the grapes of wrath, if beale street could talk, sharp objects, american psycho, mrs bridge, midnight library, and i’m glad my mom died which i know will break me when i get around to it haha.

do i have a wip? absolutely, for the past year or so i’ve been trying to write a book i’ve currently titled “ourselves” and it’s about five female friends who live in melbourne, australia who try to save a beloved family diner from breaking point and shutting down. i have a few other ideas for when i hopefully get ourselves written and on the bestseller list 😅 gonna be hard to do that seeing as i’ve only written one chapter of the book so far, but we take things slowly bc it’s a journey, it doesn’t need to be rushed. all the best things take time, right? rome wasn’t built in a day.

i’ll leave you with three questions tonight;

are there any quotes that you try to live your life by?

three things you would ask for if a witch showed up while you were on a desert island?

where would you like to be in life in 10 years?

stay cool, bud! - k :)

(once again, long answer)

You have good taste in books, I love Evelyn Hugo :D

Also I'm obsessed with your WIP, I love family diners, I will buy a copy the second it exists!! And exactly, no need to rush, everything happens in its own time.

1. Quotes I try to live my life by? Oooooooh that's a tricky one, I had to go back to the Pinterest board I made when I was 14 to jog my memory 😅

> "If you're ever worried about not being a good person, remember that bad people don't care about improving" and that helps me be a little kinder to myself when I'm reflecting on my flaws and stuff like that,

> a quote from a Great British Bake Off series several years ago, "Always do your best, and everyone's best is different. You can't always be the best, but you can always do your best."

2. To be saved within the next 24 hours, adequate shelter and something to pass the time with :D

3. I can't even imagine life in 7 months from now where I'll be starting university 😅 but I guess I'd like to have a job I enjoy, enough disposable income, time and energy on the weekends to engage in my hobbies and do fun things and be in a steady long-term relationship, if not already engaged or married, some lofty dreams there but above all I hope I'm happy and less busy :)

Thank you once again for the asks, do you have any short/medium/long term goals that you're working towards? (idk I'll just say that short = within a year's time, medium = 2-5 years' tine and long = 5+ years' time)

Have a nice evening!!

[guillemelgat]

Tamahaq Lesson 2

I’m doing more of these because I want to take better notes and actually figure out what’s going on with Tamahaq, and I decided to post them here in case anyone wanted them. I can also post non-image versions if people would like those, the only thing is that I have no idea how I would organize the tables. Also if things don’t make sense I may or may not be able to give you an answer - keep in mind that these are my notes from my studies, not me teaching something I know about.

[FULL SERIES OF POSTS AVAILABLE HERE] [BOOK I AM USING]

[adrinktostopyourthirst]

M A S T E R L I S T

Recommendations | Answered Asks | Tropes

Entire Library | My Inbox (I swear I’m nice!) | Reviews

⇢ This is a side blog, meaning I won’t be able to respond to all of your replies to my fics. I do however answer asks, chats and occasionally reblog comments [Personal Updates].

⇢ Hiatus and Book Updates.

⇢ All of my works have their warnings at the top. Each of them are considered for an audience of 18+ and contain smut. Read at your own discretion. I do NOT give permission to copy, translate or edit my work on this or any other platform.

⇢ DRABBLES

⇢ ONE SHOTS

(Bucky Barnes)

◌ FINALLY - Bucky and you have a hard time staying away from each other. And though you try to push him away, every time he finds you again, the universe finds a new way to pull you apart.

◌ MY QUEEN - The post-battle energy rush needs a release. Suddenly, there’s a willing soldier at your disposal.

◌ READY TO COMPLY - Something had been missing. But that has nothing to do with your life time enemy standing in front of you to finally end this.

◌ THREE HUNDRED - Bucky always makes sure his best friend is okay, because that is what you need. He’s caring, but very passive and nonchalant, because you need it. Not him. He doesn’t need that. He doesn’t need you. Does he?

◌ FOLLOWING ORDERS - Bucky is always grumpy, so you’ve resorted to being aggressively bossy. But he will show you what following orders really looks like.

◌ SNIPER - Reluctantly, you get thrown into an assignment with Bucky and Yelena, but Bucky doesn’t trust you as far as he can throw you. When he’s proven to be correct, it turns out you’re still a hell of a good team.

◌ RELAX - You have never been so horny in your life and it’s now or never.

◌ DEPRAVED - Bucky catches you naked in the bathroom and you catch the stoic man flustered.

◌ ADMIT IT - A team building exercise that pits you and Bucky against each other. Too bad you’re both competetive and after a prize.

◌ MR. & MRS. BARNES - Bucky and your marriage isn’t what you thought it was at all.

◌ RING RING - Of all pocket dials ever, this might be the very worst.

◌ HEELS - You hate each other, but love competition.

◌ DISMANTLED - You like them on their knees, but this one stands much taller than you.

◌ VARIANT - The chaos of the multiverse is quite literally holding up a mirror to Bucky. Turns out, it’s very easy to get under someone’s skin when you have a universal connection to them.

◌ RULES - A constant power struggle where it seems like either you both win or you both lose. Fighting fire with fire, but passion doesn’t burn out.

◌ WITH MY LITTLE EYE - All the team wants is for Bucky to get a fresh start, but both you and him are still holding grudges. What happens when the grudge disappears?

◌ SHOTGUN - You wear heels on a mission and Bucky, as always, gives you a really hard time.

◌ FRENCH RIVIERA - You and Bucky are both agents, but you get extremely pissed at your friend when he seems to have screwed up everything he did to try and turn his life around.

◌ SATISFIED - Drunk sex with Bucky.

◌ ABANDONED - Bucky has left, just like everyone else. But you’re just pissed enough to track him down and ask him why he ever dared to leave you by yourself, only to find out the Bucky you know isn’t quite there.

⇢ TWO PARTERS

◌ UNDERGROUND | REBOUND - The Underground is the last way for you to survive whatever is left of the world after the Blip. Natasha introduces you to the Winter Soldier whose wing you’re under until you find your way around. He’s a stoic Underground fighter and you’re… useless.

◌ STING | FLING - Your tattoo artist left you hanging and you’re fed up enough to come and collect his excuse.

◌ LOOK AT ME | LOOK AT US - Bucky finally gets to put a face to your voice.

◌ QUIET DOWN | STAY QUIET - You are not, under any circumstances, allowed to wear that.

⇢ SERIES

◌ REBELLION in progress - By some miracle, you get saved from the consequences of your own actions. You’re reluctant to join a supposedly good cause. What happens when the good cause is not so legal? And what - or who - is your soft spot?

◌ PRIDE AND PRIVACY completed - Bucky works on himself as he gets used to a roommate. Turns out, she has a much better room than him and he crossed the line.

◌ SPILL IT completed - Both you and Bucky have some very mixed feelings about you. Maybe you can help each other clear things up (PlusSized!Reader).

⇢ OTHER

(Mob!Bucky and Mob!Steve)

◌ APOLOGIES | COLD - You have no idea how you got here and whether they have captured you, or it’s you who has them captured.

(Nick Fowler)

◌ HIDDEN HUNGER - You try to hide something from Nick and hide Nick from the world, all at the same time.

[alleycat97]

Rival Week

Poppy x MC (Bea)

Taglist: @samanthadalton @belvoiresqueenbee @kwaj115 @baexpoppy

@somewillwin @a-ghost-girl @uhh-the-green-thing

Short Poppy x MC fic, I'm not good at Poppy, but i hope you enjoy!

There were two things that pissed Poppy Min-Sinclair off and that was Bea Hughes, and people who harmed Bea Hughes.

So, she liked the girl and would literally bestow hell on anyone who hurt her precious Bea. Now, she would never admit it, but she loved the way Bea would handle her with her strong farm hands or look at her like no one else existed. She made Poppy truly feel special.

But, being the Queen, sacrifices had to be made, and Bea was one of them. Plus it didn’t help that the girl was after her crown. Poppy had too much to lose, something that would have a new meaning soon enough.

So the Zeta’s were in a war with the crosstown Theta’s of Sagenhaft University. It was rivalry week and Poppy tried to command her troops while trying to avoid Bea and her dumb farm smells.

Bea on the other hand was head over heels for Poppy. One taste is all it took and she was hooked. Poppy didn’t have time to waste on Bea and Bea couldn’t sit by and watch Poppy fail again.

The Theta’s had slipped some nair in the girls shampoo and Poppy fell victim. It was a crippling blow, bald was so not in season.

So Bea took it upon herself to get revenge for Zeta House. Theta house sat on top of the world it seemed like. It overlooked the campus from afar and Bea finally climbed atop the mountain of concrete, arriving in her sexy ass assassin gear.

There was no one around and the door happened to be open. It was time to get in and out, “a little J-lube will do ladies.” Bea added some lube to the wash bottles and made her way to the open balcony window.

Stepping out, she ran into the entire Theta squad. “Haha, hey everyone, this must not be the library.”

Back at Belvoire, it was Zeta movie night and all the girls were interrupted by the T. It was a picture of Bea handcuffed in her underwear with Theta makeup markings all over her body.

Poppy was pissed. She scrambled the troops and got ready to retaliate when she heard loud cheering and a car’s tires squealing away from out front.

The Theta’s disposed of Bea on the front lawn of the Zeta house and everyone came to check on her.

“Move!” Poppy demanded parting the sea of bodies. “Leave us! I need to be alone with Bea.”

“What the hell where you thinking wannabe?!”

“I wanted to help you Pops. You aren’t mad are you?”

“Mad! I’m furious! You aren’t a Zeta Bea! You broke a century old tradition! I don’t need your help! I had it under control.”

“I’m…im sorry, I just wanted to…” Bea tried.

“Save it, let’s get you inside.” Poppy said trying to pick up the blonde but Bea collapsed immediately to the ground wincing in pain.

“What’s wrong!?”

“My leg, I think it’s broken. It hurts.” Bea whined. The adrenaline had finally wore off.

“Next question is, Why are you so wet?” Poppy asked flipping on her flashlight. “You’re bleeding! What did they do to you!?” Poppy screamed. Rule number two was broken now.

“I’m getting really tired Pops, and cold.” Bea yawned closing her eyes.

“Don’t you go to sleep Bea! Stay awake, I need you…” Bea faded into a tiring sleep listening to Poppy panic and woke up soon in the hospital.

The shorter girl who she thought was Poppy wearing Bea’s ball cap, and was yelling at a nurse and Bea tried to sit up in her bed to stop her.

Sensing Bea wake, Poppy shoved the nurse out of the room and checked on Bea.

“How do you feel loser?” Poppy asked grinning.

“Better, I see my leg was broken.”

“Two places. You must have taken a good fall. What did they do to you?”

“After they tied me up and took pictures, one of the Theta’s walked me to the car but they slipped and tripped me so I fell down the stairs. I guess the steps cut me open and the landing broke my leg.” I didn’t feel any of it. I guess because I was outnumbered 140 to 1.”

“They’ll pay for this. Zeta or not. No one touches you but me. You got that Farmsville?”

“You’re my hero Poptart.” Bea mocked.

“You belong to me, and as your Queen, it’s my job to protect all my followers, even you.”

“Or maybe you like me.” Bea teased.

“Maybe I just needed you for recon. That way I can plan out next attack.” Poppy smirked.

“You need me for more than recon. Oh Bea! Don’t fall asleep, I need you…” Bea teased recalling her final moments last night.

“First off, I don’t sound like that, and second, you must have hit your head, because you’re saying nonsense.”

“Just admit you like me Pops. Admit that you need me.”

“Maybe I do. Maybe I need you desperately.” Poppy spoke straddling Bea on the bed.

“Maybe I need you on my thrown, by my side as MY Queen.”

Bea grinned as she accepted Poppy’s fury of kisses.

[jaskierswolf]

A birthday gift for the ever lovely @the-blondey! 🥳

Geraskier featuring courting gifts and a side helping of friends to lovers! (1.8k)

_____

Geralt hated shopping. He usually only bothered for ingredients that he hadn’t been able to find in between towns, or to drop into the blacksmith. He picked up supplies at the inns he stayed in, or ate what he could hunt or forage in the woods. He certainly never browsed the market like this, not without Jaskier at least.

But Jaskier wasn’t there.

Jaskier was still teaching a lecture at the university, and he probably had no idea that Geralt was even in town. This whole shopping business would be a lot better if he could ask Jaskier for help, but Jaskier was the one person that he couldn’t ask for help. He sighed, pressing his fingers to his forehead. He couldn’t even talk to Roach. She was safely stabled back at the inn.

“This shouldn’t be so hard,” he grumbled to himself. “It’s Jaskier. He likes pretty things and expensive trinkets.”

The only problem was there were a lot of pretty things and expensive trinkets on the tables, and the merchants were all claiming their goods were the best. There was so much noise, so many people. He growled under his breath and clenched his fists. It was too much. It needed to be perfect. Jaskier was too important for anything less than perfect.

He closed his eyes. Jaskier. His eyes, his scent, the wind blowing through his hair, the soft warmth of his smile. He took a deep breath. His head was still spinning but it was manageable. He glanced back at the table in front of him and then up at the merchant. The poor man was white as a sheet and he reeked of fear. Geralt hummed and then pushed through the crowd to the next stall.

Daggers.

“Hmm,” Geralt scrutinised the wares. They wouldn’t be up to the standards of witchers but they looked sturdy enough to kill a bandit or two. Most importantly, they were ornate, beautiful and glittering in the light of the sun.  The blades themselves were a variety of shapes and sizes, but Geralt’s eyes were drawn to a waved silver blade with Elder engraved along the length. His Elder speech wasn’t perfect, and he struggled to read the elven language but he understood enough to know the dagger was intended as a betrothal gift.

His fingers hovered over the hilt, eyes glancing up to meet the merchant’s gaze. Unless the previous merchant, they had a gentle smile on their face. Their posture was relaxed and their scent wasn’t soured with fear. He already liked them more than the first merchant.

“May I?”

They nodded. “Of course, but I’ll warn you witcher, it’s not cheap and hardly suited for your trade.”

“It’s not for me,” he grunted.

Light dawned in their eyes and their smile widened. “Oh well, in that case you ought to know the implications—”

“I know.”

He picked up the dagger and weighed it in his hands. The balance of the blade was good. He ran a finger along the edge, hissing as it cut into his skin. Blood seeped from the small wound before it healed without a trace.

The merchant’s slight hitch in breath gave away their astonishment. “Impressive.”

“A necessity in my line of work. How much?” he asked, praying to all the gods that he didn’t believe in that he could afford it. The dagger was perfect. Anything else he found now would be a disappointment.

“More than you can afford, witcher,” they admitted with a sad smile “but I might be able to strike a deal. I have work for you, if you’re willing.”

Geralt glanced down at the blade in his hands and then back at them. “I’m in.”

____________

Jaskier was scribbling away at his desk when the doors flew open. Larissa, was standing in the doorway, out of breath and red in the face. Their hair falling from the bun at the back of their head. Jaskier looked up from his notebook, tongue still stuck between his teeth. He scratched his cheek with his quill and smiled brightly at them.

“Larissa!” he greeted warmly and placed his quill on the desk, leaving the notebook open so the ink could dry. “What can I do for you, my dear?”

“You have a visitor, professor,” they gasped, wrapping their arms around their stomach as they tried to catch their breath.

Jaskier frowned. He hadn’t been expecting anyone and his open office hours weren’t until that afternoon. His students were normally better at giving him fair warning should they require him. He pulled on his doublet buttoning it up to his chin, just in case. He had been told off by the dean on more than one occasion and he was currently on thin ice. It didn’t matter how well his lectures did, one had to wear appropriate clothing. It was all incredibly dull. It made him yearn for the road, for Geralt.

He waved at Larissa, a flamboyant flick of his wrist. “Yes yes, please, show them in.”

Larissa nodded and left the room, leaving Jaskier to ponder who his guest could be. He tried not to hope, but his love was a burning fire that couldn’t be controlled and even the smallest chance that Geralt was here set his heart fluttering in his chest.

“Oh stop it, Jask,” he muttered to himself. “He’s not here.”

“Who’s not here?” came the gruff reply.

Jaskier felt his face light up and he bounded across the room just as the witcher appeared in the doorway. “Geralt!”

“Jaskier,” Geralt greeted him, a fond smile on his lips, his eyes softer than the velvet pillows that adorned Jaskier’s bed.

“I wasn’t expecting you so soon, witcher,” Jaskier laughed, putting one hand on his hip and cocking his head. “Did you miss me, darling?”

“Hmm.”

Jaskier rolled his eyes and pulled Geralt into a hug. “Well, I missed you and your grunting.”  He pulled away all too soon and licked his lips, trying to still his beating heart. It was racing far too fast and he knew that Geralt could hear it. It was a miracle that Geralt hadn’t realised why already. “What brings you to Oxenfurt, Geralt?”

“I have something for you,” Geralt grumbled, not meeting Jaskier’s gaze. He pulled on the straps that held his sword on his back, and Jaskier would almost say that the witcher looked… nervous?

That couldn’t be right?

He’d seen Geralt take down all manner of monsters and men… why would he be nervous of him?

“Riiight, well… here I am, at your disposal!” Jaskier gestured widely and gave a little bow, winking at his witcher, trying to make light of the situation before his own nerves could get the best of him.

“It’s umm… well… fuck,” Geralt growled and pinched the bridge of his nose, then he pulled a bundle of cloth from his pocket and handed it to Jaskier.

Jaskier tentatively took the packet. It was heavier than he expected, solid under his fingers. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Geralt. “What is it?”

“Open it.”

Jaskier nodded. That would make sense. It was a gift after all, but why would Geralt be giving him a present? It wasn’t even his birthday. He wasn’t sure that Geralt even knew when that was. “It’s not going to kill me is it?” he teased gently.

Geralt rolled his eyes and scoffed. “It might if you don’t hurry up and open it.”

Jaskier gaped. “Well now! That’s just rude! Impatient brute.”

“Jaskier,” Geralt warned with a low snarl.

“Ok ok!”  he snapped, his hands shaking as he pulled back the cloth. His heart would stop pounding and his legs felt weak. He gasped quietly as he saw the bejewelled dagger resting in the fabric. “Geralt?”

“Look closer,” Geralt muttered, his golden eyes were watching Jaskier with such intensity that he wanted to melt into the floor. It was almost too much. Whatever was sparking between them was about to change Jaskier’s life, he was sure of it. It felt too momental to be simply a gift.

He passed the cloth bundle back to Geralt and slowly unsheathed the dagger. The silvery blade glittered in the candlelight. Jaskier stopped breathing as he traced the inscription with his fingers. It was written in Elder but Jaskier had had the best education Lettenhove could offer, and with the rumours going around about his mother’s fidelity and the elves, no one was surprised that Elder Speech was one of the languages he’d been forced to learn.

He swallowed and finally sucked in a shaky breath. “Geralt… Is this? Do you know…” he trailed off, tears were welling up in his eyes and his voice failed him, too thick with emotion.

“I know,” Geralt said softly, bringing a hand up to cup Jaskier’s cheek.

Jaskier whimpered, leaning into the touch. “It’s. It’s not a proposal,” Geralt said quickly but continued before Jaskier heart could break. “More of a proposal… to propose?”

Jaskier felt like crying, honestly it was a miracle that he wasn’t already. He’d loved Geralt for years, decades even. He’d given up on Geralt ever loving him back a long time ago, and now Geralt was… courting him?

It was archaic, a tradition found only in the depth of the library of Lettenhove and Oxenfurt. He felt like he’d stepped into a fairytale.

“Am. Am I dreaming?” he stammered. It felt like the only logical explanation.

“Don’t think so,” Geralt said with a shake of his head.

Jaskier nodded, then spun round on his heels with his hand buried into his hair. When he met Geralt’s gaze once again he narrowed his eyes. “And you’re not joking?” he asked, waving the point of the dagger in Geralt’s face.

Geralt chuckled and gently lowered the dagger with his hand. “No, Jaskier.”

“Oh cock!” Jaskier swore and then clapped his hand over his mouth. “You really mean it?”

Oh praise Melitele! Fuck it, praise bloody Lilit too. Praise any good that was listening in.

“I mean it,” Geralt reassured him with a heavy sigh. “and I’d really appreciate an answer?”

“Fuck, bollocks, shit!” Jaskier whined. “I mean. Yes, on all the gods, Geralt. Of course, it’s yes! Do you have any idea how long I’ve loved you?”

Geralt winced, his smile faltering. “Sorry, it takes me more time. Never even thought I could, not until you.”

Jaskier giggled, fucking giggled, and placed his hand on Geralt’s cheek. “Oh darling, you have nothing to be sorry for. I would have stayed by your side and loved you in whatever way you allowed me to, even without shiny trinkets and nearly proposal.”

“Hmm,” Geralt smirked “shall I take them back?”

“Don’t you dare!” Jaskier shrieked and ran from his witcher, keeping his new engagement dagger safe and sound. “It’s mine now, Geralt!”

Geralt laughed and ran after him, only stopping when he had Jaskier trapped against a wall. The dagger remained in Jaskier’s firm grip, forgotten as their lips crashed together.

[kelyon]

Discworld is #1 on my TBR list, and if I can slow the hell down on writing, I absolutely want to start reading it. To help hurry that day along, what are some of your favorite parts of the series? Could be themes, settings, characters, whatever. Consider this an invitation to ramble as much or little as you want.

Don’t worry about spoiling me - I LOVE spoilers. Spoilers give me something to look forward to!

So the best thing about Discworld is also the worst thing about Discworld--the intertextuality. I realized this when I got back into the series after being away for a while, a lot of the books... kind of don't make sense the first time you read them. But! These same books are mind blowing the second or third (or forth or twelfth) time you read them.

It's like a whole language that you have to learn when you get into this world. Maybe "have to" is too strong, everyone starts somewhere--but you want to understand everything. I was very fortunate that I got into Discworld at the same time as my dad (who has a disposable income to invest in a series of more than forty books.) I guess it's the same as comic books (good comic books) where you hear about something that happened in the past or in another part of the "world" and you just want to know what that was about.

For example:

The Librarian of the Unseen University (wizard college, not to be confused with the wizard boarding school of a certain other British fantasy writer) is an orangutan. In the second book of the series, a magical accident turned a previously ordinary human Librarian into an orangutan. Throughout the series, he remains an exceptionally good Librarian, able to catalog and care for the hundreds of thousands of magical books under his care (even the ones that have to be kept on chains.)

In... let's say the fifth book, the rules of "L-space" are established. Basically saying that because books are known to warp time (ask anyone who's ever uttered the phrase "one more chapter") and time can have a nebulous connection with space, all libraries (especially magical libraries) are essentially one library. The mark of a really great librarian is the ability to travel through L-space to get the exact book the reader asked for ("I don't remember the title, but it had a red cover and in the end it turned out they were twins.")

So, later in, like, the tenth book when the Discworld equivalent of the Library of Alexandria is burning down, in a story that takes place hundreds of years and thousands of miles away from the wizard university. But! When the narration makes a passing mention of a large ape swinging through the burning library with two armfuls of books--the informed reader knows exactly what is happening and why. And the uninformed reader certainly wants to find out!

It's... intense. And definitely a series that lends itself to being obsessed over.

[fictionalrambles]

Shadowhunters Fandom Story - Part Eight

Submitted by Contesse2020

Five Fave Fics:

Of Splendor in the Grass by @lecrit​

Why I love this fic: Lecrit was one of the first authors I read fan fiction from. And this one I read in the library at my University, it was packed with people because it was in the middle of exams, and students were stressing with catching up on their curriculum. I was sat in one of the comfy chairs beside a window with a beautiful view of campus covered in snow.

So, I read it in one go. And I just cried and cried, really trying not to have other students notice me. This struck a chord In me, reminding me how brutal history is and how many people around the world still struggle with something as basic as being allowed  to love. I love the authors way of driving the story forward through the protagonist inner life, there is a poetry in the way she writes. Cried some more because of the happy ending - dehydration was on my mind.

I have not dared reread it, the emotional reaction was so strong. I had to go through the fic and try and find some quotes:)

Fave Quotes: 

«Different would have to wait another life»

«Magnus kissed him, and all the poetry in the world paled in comparison. He was home. Free at last»

*

The Lonely Hearts Hotline by @unrestrainedlyexcessive​

Why I love this fic: This fic I have read more times than I care to admit - just love it.

It is actually kind of dark in the emotions and growth Alec goes through, but Fatale always highlight the difficulty with finding yourself.

And even though you reach «adulthood» you don’t need to have your shit together. Which is nice to read since I’m in my thirties and really don’t know anything, that I’m still learning who I am. Not to mention your own agency in your life - don’t let things just happen to you - be active.

The humor is exquisite, I’m laughing like a loon one minute and feeling emotional the next. And of course it is H-O-T as fuck.

The plot is original and fun, it kind of makes you cringe and think OMG Alec - love it. But also it is the nitty gritty of life.  

I really like the dialogue and that is what makes me laugh the hardest. So I will just quote some of those.

Fave Quotes: 

«Jace answers on the first ring. “Dirty Dan's Disposable Dildo Emporium. Suck 'em, fuck 'em, and chuck 'em. This is Dirty Dan speaking.”

“Ahoy, Mort’s Mortuary service. You kill ‘em, we grill ‘em.”

«Early adulthood is no man's land. You don’t have the experience to matter and no one wants to pay you to gain it (…)»

Ain`t that the truth....

*

A Tiny Spark by @magicandarchery​

Why I love this fic: This is my ultimate feel good fic <3 when ever I have read something angsty and painful, I return to this.

Magnus and Alec are in an established relationship trying to make a family, supporting each other - healthy and loving.

Absolutely loved it. We get a heartwarming glimpse into their lives with a newly «adopted» foster child, them being dads - I think I have to read it again, give me those warm and fuzzy feels, please.

Fave Quotes: 

“Just thinking,” Magnus answered, pushing a lock of Alec’s dark hair off of his forehead. Alec’s mouth twitched up at the corners as a sleepy smile played along his lips.

“About what?”

“You.”

“Care to share?” Alec’s eyes opened slowly, and Magnus’ breath caught in his chest the same way it had the first time they had met. Alec’s thumb grazed gently over the outside of Magnus’ hand, and Magnus felt a warm sense of calm spread through him as he entwined his fingers through Alec’s.

Magnus inhaled slowly, deeply. He waited for the flutters of uncertainty to fill him, but instead he felt a different kind of flutter, one of a deep, unending love. Magnus’ tongue darted out, wetting his dry lips, and he tightened his hold on Alec’s hand, centering himself.

When he spoke, Magnus’ voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Marry me?”

Magnus set his phone face down on the table as he spotted Alec and Jace a short distance away, walking toward him, dressed in dark pants and dark t-shirts with the FDNY crest on the chest. Magnus slipped his sunglasses down his nose slightly, a wicked smirk decorating his face when Alec approached the table.

“What’s that look for?” Alec asked, his brow furrowing curiously.

“Just appreciating my man in uniform,” Magnus answered innocently.

*

2C by Oumy

Why I love this fic: Did I mention how much I love a pining Alec? That combined with him being all snarky and (to a degree) self-confident is my holy grail. I love how Alec is portrayed in this, he is vulnerable and honest with his emotions. The way they needle each other is funny as hell. Two of my favorite quotes <3 the last one kicked me so hard in the feels.

Fave Quotes: 

So, there he stood, six foot three of fidgeting human, trying to figure out the right way to ask the love of his life to be his salvation.

They made it outside before Magnus got close enough to Alec’s sleeve and pulled him to a stop, and he wasn’t ready for Alec’s outburst as he turned to him and unleashed “You know what? You’re right. I’m done pretending. I’m done pretending like it’s okay that we take swipes at each other the moment something goes wrong. I’m done pretending like it doesn’t fucking kill me that every word out of my mouth is somehow the wrong one and that I can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to you. I’m done pretending like I hate you for the sake of crumbs of your attention. I’m done pretending like it doesn’t faze me when I have to play the role of the villain because for some reason, that was the only part you allowed me to play in your life. I’m done pretending like I don’t care, like my soul didn’t shrivel inside every time you mistook my reaching out to you for an attempt to fuck you over”

*

Love is a Gamble by @la-muerta​

Why I love this fic: This one is also a historic AU, since I’m a history nerd. A very angsty fic, and I’m here for it. Bring all the pain and all the feels.

I actually had to read «A Tiny Spark» right after - needed some fluff. My heart just broke for Alec and his struggle to accept his attraction to Magnus, so of course there is pining.

Also Izzy is so bad-ass in this, and I love it.

I just fell in love with all of the characters and their backstory. The plot is exciting, with action and the works - keeps you at the edge of your seat. But the best parts were Alec`s quotes - they did me in.

Fave Quotes: 

Alec shook his head, the violent movement reminding Magnus of a distressed horse. "You don't understand anything. I... There's something wrong with us. With me. You have bedded women - you have a choice in this."

"No, Alexander. There's nothing wrong with you, or with me. This is just the way we are, and the only choice I have in the matter is that I chose not to live a lie," Magnus told him firmly.

"When I confronted Aldertree, he asked me if I was a gambling man. I'm not - and never have been. And loving someone, for someone like me, is a bigger gamble than most. But there comes a point when a man's got to stop arguing with himself. I don't want to fight it anymore," Alec said, meeting Magnus' eyes squarely. "I'm not telling you this because I expect you to return my feelings. I know you don't feel that way about me. I just... never mind. I apologise if this has made things between us uncomfortable, I hope we can still be friends-"

[sassysnowperson]

7, 28, 40, for the Star Wars asks

Hello hello, thank you for this! 

7 - If you could choose any profession to have in the GFFA, what would you be?

Oooh, I'm going to go with my first instinct on this one and say Jedi Archivist. I'm not going to pretend I don't want the superpowers possible in the universe. And if that comes with a Space Library? So much the better! Jocasta Nu is my hero, lets hear it for the badass librarians :D 

 28 -  If you could stop one character from doing one thing, who would it be and why?

Ohhhh, geez. Many things. All of the things. I suppose stopping Palpatine from existing is a little too obvious of a choice, hm? Putting aside that very appealing option, I think I'm going to go with stopping Qui-Gon from leaving Shmi on Tatooine. Lets keep her and her kid together! I dunno if it would actually keep Anakin from falling, but the idea of Shmi getting to hang out in the heart of power and try to keep her kid safe and happy is very appealing to me. And there's all sorts of interesting ways that AU could go.

40 - If you could make your own Star Wars trilogy/series, what would it be about?

Ooooooh, the POWER. So, to limit myself, I'm going to say I can't re-write the existing canon, otherwise I'd be just fix-it-ing all over the place. If I was actually going to tell an original story…. 

Hmmm, I'm thinking…yeah. Droid revolution! 

Lets play with this. Our protagonist is a plucky young former-First Order cleaning droid. They're freed from their life of First Order drudgery by the end of Rise of Skywalker, and wind up with their restraining bolt sliced off to wander the wider galaxy. 

(this got, um, long, with a fully-plotted trilogy, so we're just gonna put what's next below the cut)

Movie 1: 

Coming of Age story, but with the droid. Finding self, discovering purpose, going on journeys of self-discovery trying to find a place in the world. It's Harrowing. It's clear the world doesn't much like free droids. They try to find honest employment, succeed for a little bit. 

But then! They're captured by pirates or something and almost fitted with a restraining bolt but they fight their way free (probably through clever trickery or mechanical know-how)! BB-8 is inexplicably there and helping in some way. (Cameo for the merch and to put in the trailer!) They wind up finding a place in an all-droid ship crew and sail off for a life of wonder! 

Movie 2: 

The ship crew is now home, we spend a little time getting to know the whacky cast of characters. There's the protag. There's a massive battledroid that loves a fiberart of some kind. There's a Gonk-droid that's the crew's philosopher. There's one of those tiny tatooine podracer droids (DUM? Something like that? I'm not pulling up wookiepedia right now) that LOVES explosives. There's a wise mentor-figure astromech. The captain is literally the ship itself - some prototypical thing from the Clone Wars that wasn't decommissioned as well as anyone thought. They like each other, they're family. 

ANYWAY, after the lovely montage introducing everyone, they show them doing a job. The job goes smoothly, but after that, there's Tension. They have to pretend there's an organic around to get payment. And then, their worst nightmare - some Evil Person has learned there's a crew full of droids just ripe for claiming. And the law is on the Evil Person's side! How terrible. 

"We're not people," the wise mentor says. "We're salvage." 

They're on the Run. Then, they hear a tale. A Paradise, a place where droids are free. It's secret, and protected, and there's a Fancy Space Magic Map or something. The movie leans into being an action-adventure flick after that, a wild race towards the promised land, with the Evil Person that wants to enslave them hot on their heels. There is daring do! There are dramatic ship fights! 

And then - just as the Evil Person is on the verge of claiming them, they find the promised land! The promised land droids defeat the Evil Person. Finally, here is a whole city where droids can be free. Glory! We keep focused on the team for a bit, watching them settle in and realize they can survive without being soldiers. They get to be people, just people in a wonderful mechanical city. And THEN, just as they're HAPPY (with an indistinct amount of time passing so the fanfic writers can have a good time) in the last three minutes of the movie, you find out there is a LARGE FLEET bearing down on them. Oh no. They have been Found. SUSPENSE! 

Movie 3: 

Our plucky crew now have to Fight. We quickly meet the leadership of the Promised Land - a quiet Competent One, a Jaded old Soldier, and a Passionate Revolutionary (they are, of course, all droids).  There is a rising sense of despair. There is no place for droids in this world that is truly free. In the first third of the movie, they work out a mad plan to free the droids on the attacking fleet. It requires infiltrating the ship. Our crew do it. There is much Heroism. There are some sad thoughts about going back into battle when they thought that life was behind them. There are cool explosions. It works! The droids turn on their masters and now the Promised Land has a Fleet! 

Which, of course, is going to make its own problems. There is probably politics. A polite request from the New Republic to please give the fleet back, and they will guarantee the safety of the promised land. Oh, but of course, you will have to return all the droids you just freed from the ships. They belonged to the Corporate Sector, who funds most of our government, so we really need you to give them back. They weren't, after all, your property. 

There is a lot of agonized back and forth, but our Protagonist remains firm - no! The answer is no! We don't trade other's lives for our freedom. We have to fight! We might lose but we have to fight! And what better time than now, when we have a fleet! It is Very Inspirational. The Passionate Revolutionary on the council is on the Protagonist's side.

We're going to need to keep the fleet in fuel, says the Jaded Old Soldier. 

Well, it turns out, the Quiet Competent One says, most fuel stations are automated these days. By droids. As are most shipyards. There's more Heroic Action, slipping into a fueling station and freeing the droids, holding that and branching out to the shipyards, their fleet becoming stronger and stronger, the Corporate Sector responding in more and more force, until it comes down to an epic battle and they are strong but the Corporate Sector is stronger except...at the critical moment the ORGANIC CREW turns on the Corporate Sector. The droids realize suddenly that they are not fighting for their own survival, they are, apparently, liberators. 

The question remains: how do you build a good civilization for organic and mechanic alike? 

There's no easy answer, but it is a lot easier with the massive mines and resources of the corporate sector at their disposal.  The trilogy ends with our Protagonist attending a summit at the New Republic to graciously offer terms of political cooperation between the New Republic and the Free Droid Economic Collaboration. R2D2 is there. He says he's proud of the Protag. Protag is a little starstruck. Nothing is quite settled, but it is very hopeful, and isn't that what Star Wars is all about?

[powertothefan]

Coffee

A Stanford Pines x Original Character Fic

Hazel DeForest belongs to @evaroze

Stanford Pines is property of  Alex Hirsch

This was something tossed together after discovering the adorable OC known as Hazel, she’s so cute and I love the design of her~ So, I did a little dabble of when both her and Stanford were in college and their first official conversation. I hope I wrote her write, as I have been a little rusty in my writing, Far too long since I posted something here that was worth the read. Anyway, please share any thoughts or feelings you have as long as it’s constructive. 

Hazel was wandering the commons of the college that morning, a little on the early side. She left the door early that morning to do some research at the library for one of her papers. Just because Backupsmore wasn’t her first college pick didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to put in the effort! She wasn’t as dressed up as she usually would be, just a simple blouse and shorts. She had pulled on a pair of flats as well before herring her hair up in a big ponytail and tossing on her bright pink glasses. With her messenger bag full of notebooks and pens, she was ready to go anywhere

Glancing to her watch, Hazel checked the time. Her first class of the day wasn’t until mid morning, so she’d have plenty of time to get some work done before classes that day. Most of her dorm mates were sleeping in from yet another party. She honestly couldn’t believe it. Just because they were at Backupsmore University didn’t mean they could party the semester away. Who did that anyway? Not her! No, definitely not. 

Hazel was terrible with social interaction. In truth, she would have probably never gained any friends unless they proactively were the ones to speak with her first. She knew a few other people, mostly from those forced social circles they did as an ice breaker during the first weeks in the dorms. Otherwise, her friend group was very, very small. She was fine with that though, most of the people she did know the names of were not people she would actively spend time with. They drank and partied and blew off their classes as if they could afford to do it. Hazel didn’t have that luxury. Every penny counted! Still, a very itty bitty part of her wished that she didn’t have such terrible social anxiety. 

It would have made trying to introduce herself to a certain someone easier. 

Huffing to herself, she let her thoughts pass on as she got to the library door. Stepping inside, it was calm and quiet. It was a massive place too. For a second choice college, it had an outstanding collection of literature. Likely because they didn’t have much of a sports team to spend money on. Either way, the ability to have such a vast collection of books at her disposal made her studies all the easier. Especially with her focus on mythology. She never would run out of resource material for her papers. 

As she walked further into the library, she realized that it was very empty. In fact, there was really no one around at all, save for the librarian. Then again, it was a Monday. No one ever got up before classes on Monday, unless they were someone like her and super focused on their studies. It was all the better really, she’d have the whole place to herself. Wandering further into the library, she hurried to the folklore and mythology section. It was her element, her one true oasis. No one and nothing could take it away from her-

“Oof!” Hazel sounded as she smacked right into something. She hadn’t been looking where she was going, instead skilling the shelves as she walked past them. Just as she was stepping back out into the open areas beyond the shelves, she collided with someone, and hard. Books were flying, paper scattered by the ceiling fans, and the two moving forces pushed off the courses and onto the thin and worn carpet. Laying there, Hazel had to take a moment to breath, that impact hurt! Carefully, she groaned while sitting up, rubbing her side where he was sure she was charged into an elbow. 

“Oh, gosh. I”m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going!” A deep voice said, A shadow overcoming her as a hand was offered up. “I was carrying too many books, and couldn't see a thing. I shouldn’t have assumed I was the only one here.”

The tone was upset, clearly more so at themselves than her. There was some obvious disappointment in their own carelessness. However, it was also very familiar...too familiar. 

Not really thinking as she grabbed the hand, she was dizzy and shaken still, she was easily pulled right back up to her feet. With the bright ceiling lights no longer glaring down right into her eyes, Hazel could focus on the man who helped her up. As she locked her gaze on their face, about to give them a stern talking to for being so reckless in such a sacred place, her throat swelled and her heart stopped. 

Stanford Pines... It was like an arrow to the heart, struck by a cupid with a sniper rifle. So accurate that it fried her brain. Stanford Pines was everything Hazel had ever wanted since high school! Originally, he was supposed to get a scholarship of some kind and head off to some amazing college. Instead, he ended up going to her only affordable pick. She had wanted to try and be good and say hello. He had been her obsession throughout all of high school after all, not that he even knew she existed back then...Hazel never had the heart to speak. Now, as an adult, and independent, she had told herself she’d try.

And boy, did she try. 

They had gotten classes together, unknowingly of course because she hadn’t realized that he had any interest in the fields of mythology or folklore. They were English heavy studies after all, not the wonderful sciences that he seemed to be skilled in. Part of her knew that he was aware that she existed, he often waved at her with that handsome smile. However, every time that she saw him, with that grin and cute sweater vest, the ability to talk was replaced with the need to nervously vomit. In all cases since the semester began, she flat out ran away before she could lose her lunch to her anxiety. Not exactly the best way to say hello. 

Now, here he was, his glasses skewed off a bit from the impact and his large hand wrapped firmly around her’s. Only a foot apart, both a little shaken from the impact but still breathing...or at least Ford was. Hazel couldn’t get her body to continue their usually automatic functions. As Ford seemed to get himself resettled by fixing his glasses, Hazel felt herself just melt at his touch. They were rough, but not painful, Just worn from all his tinkering and building. They were so large too, and not just because of the extra finger which she had always found to be an adorable addition to an adorable man. 

Ford had really grown up, a lot more than she was prepared for. 

“Oh! It’s you!” He said suddenly, bringing hazel back down from the second hand high of his existence. Breathing in suddenly, she blinked, her mind rushing forward to catch up to the conversation. “M-Me?” She weakly said, her voice still a little breathless from the lack of air in her lungs. 

Stanford turned a slight shade of pink, giving a nervous smile of sorts as he tried to correct himself. “I mean, I recognize you from the folklore seminar class. ‘Folklore and Its Effects on Modern Development.’ You..ah, You sit in the row behind mine.”

His tone had gotten a little meek, almost as if the man was becoming uncertain of himself as he addressed her. Why was he getting nervous? She was the one having an internal battle between heart and brain!

Wait.

He was talking to her...Stanford Pines was physically talking to her! He knew she existed! The man she had been obsessed with for years knew they were in the same class. Holy crap! She needed to speak, to say something, anything. For the love of god open your mouth Hazel DeForest! 

“Ah- RIGHT!” She said very loudly, her face going bright pink as her mind finally caught up to current events. “Rightrightrightrightrightright. I remember! You did the opening argument statement about how folklore was only lore until people could collect it! It lost the folklore touch when people found out it was all fact.” She blurted out, saying just about anything to show that she wasn’t a brainless zombie. 

“Ah, well, it's true! Once something is discovered to truly exist, it isn’t lore. It’s Science. That in turn means it can’t be categorized as lore but as a truly existing species. The professor was not really impressed with my reports for that debate session but he didn’t flunk my report either so I guess my point was valid enough!” Stanford said, seeming to pick his tone back up while in a subject he could work on. “Anyway, sorry for running you down. I was walking to my table with more books and...clearly got over zealous.” It was then that Ford looked around, causing Hazel to pause and do the same thing. Oh, they had made a bit of a mess...The books were scattered all over, some having flown far enough to land on top of the shelves! His notebook was crumpled nder a couple and the pages from it seemed to have scattered to the winds, still being carried off by the breezes of the fan. 

“H-here, I’ll help clean up.” Hazel said, pausing a moment as she then looked down at their hands, which were still tightly held together. Ford noticed this too, and quickly let go with a nervous chuckle before roughly clearing his throat. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll start over here.” 

The pair turned away from each other, Ford kneeling down to grab and gently fix the books near his feet. Hazel did the same, grabbing a couple and fixing the pages before gently setting them on a nearby table. She then also started to snatch up the flying papers, trying to keep them from wrinkling any further as they continued to flutter at her feet. It took a minute, but with the two of them collecting they were able to get it cleaned up easily. The last book was picked up by Hazel, her eyes a little dazed until she read the title. Instantly, she was back to her usual self for a second. 

“Ah, It’s here!” She said suddenly, causing ford to look up as he grabbed the last few books from their places on top of the selves. “Hmm? Something catch your eye?” “This book, I’ve been trying to get it for ages but every single time I get here it’s pulled off the shelves! I need it for my report on the correlations of folklore creatures and their real life potential counterparts. It has a segment on how folklore creatures and mythological monsters are created based on a person seeing something for the first time and using other animals to describe it! I wanted to read it for my paper and reference some of it’s points on how artistic interpretation cannot be trusted unless done while actually in front of the creature.” She rattled, her tone serious and smooth as her intellectual side kicked in, a finger moving up to adjust her glasses for a second. “Oh, You’re referencing it as well?” Ford asked, coming closer and putting the last of the books on the table. “I originally grabbed it because I’ve been trying to get it as well. Whoever has been hoarding it just got it back over the weekend. I’m using to further my argument that just because we depict creatures in a certain way does not diminish their potential existence. The author has a wonderful part about the statues of medusa actually and how they believe that medusa is a real being, but her hair was misinterpreted.” “I came here this morning to borrow it...Looks like you beat me.” Hazel said, suddenly feeling herself getting shy again. 

Damn it, Hazel. This was your first real conversation with Ford and you were going to blow it because you couldn’t keep the talk going! What was worse, she had gotten up for nothing. Ford got the book first. Even if she wanted to, she didn’t have the heart to try and ask him to let her borrow it first. So much for getting a head start on that report. 

“Do you wanna borrow it?” Ford asked suddenly. 

“What?” Hazel squaked, not prepared for that statement. 

“Well, I don’t have classes until mid-morning. That’s our Folklore course. If you don’t mind just using it this morning, you’re more than welcome to take whatever notes you need from it while I’m referencing other books. I technically already checked it out but if you need it now you can keep it until after classes. Then meet up later to give it back?” Ford asked, his tone strangely hopeful. 

Was he- Nooooo, naw he couldn’t be...maybe? 

“Um, well...I really do need the book for a few other things besides just the research. If it's not an issue I guess we could meet at the coffee shop off campus? The one with the big tables? It’s very dead in the afternoon on Mondays, so we could meet up after all our classes for the day and I’ll try to quickly get the notes I need before giving back the book. The library gets too busy later in the day anyway for me to focus.”

“Heh, yeah, I have to move my work back and forth from the dorm to here because the afternoon library people. However, I can get coffee later! I’ll need it anyway for my second wind of research. So coffee, after the day's classes?” 

“Yeah, coffee!” Hazel said, suddenly finding herself smiling as her cheeks turned a bright pink. 

Ford seemed to also, his own lopsided grin making Hazel’s heart flutter harshly in her chest. Stanford quickly stacked his books back up again, still grinning a little before carefully turning so he could see Hazel beyond the still massive stack of literature. “Alright then, I’ll get back to my work. I’ll see you for coffee.”

With that, Ford smiled again and headed off, hurrying back to his work table but making sure to take the time to check each eye before moving past. Hazel stood there, clutching the book to her chest as the gears in her head turned, trying to comprehend what just happened.Coffee, she was going to get coffee with Stanford Pines. A cute cafe~ Where people sat together close and chatted over lattes and teas. So, she didn’t actually drink coffee, as she preferred tea, but that didn’t matter! She was getting coffee with Stanford Pines!

Slowly, she took a few steps into a shelf area so that she wouldn’t risk being seen, before falling to her knees in giddy delight, covering her mouth to make sure her excited giggles and squeals did not echo throughout the whole place. Looking back to the book that she set down, she snatched it up again before darting out of the place with a high skip in her step. She had to get as much note taking done as she could, as she knew that she probably wouldn’t be able to focus on her work if she was sitting across from Stanford...But that was a problem for future Hazel, current Hazel had work to do!

[rorybergstrom]

𝑫𝑰𝑫 𝑺𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑩𝑶𝑫𝒀 𝑶𝑹𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝑨 𝑩𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑿𝑼𝑨𝑳 𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑲𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝒀𝑵𝑻𝑯 𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑫  ???

            hello, it’s nora again…. hitting u with another child. a south london-born softboi who deserves tenderness. has a burner phone and doesn’t use social media. does techno dj sets. plays the synth loudly through the night if u live in gorham his room always sounds like a space ship just landed. deals weed around campus on his rollerskates. hates that he can’t get new light up wheels because ana coto made rollerskating cool again. as is tradition, here’s the pinterest board. this intro is recycled?? so if theres mistakes, sue me??? and be sure to like and subscribe for more unboxing content x

application.

『 FIONN WHITEHEAD ❙ DEMI-MALE』 ⟿ looks like RORY BERGSTRÖM is here for HIS JUNIOR year as a MUSIC TECHNOLOGY student. HE is 23 years old & known to be ECCENTRIC, FANATICAL, NITPICKY & DOGMATIC. They’re living in GORHAM, so if you’re there, watch out for them. ⬳ ooc name. age. tz. pronouns. 

aesthetics.

bed hair from a permanent state of slumber, calloused fingertips from strumming bass into the early hours and djing into the blacklit night, self-help books thumbed once and thrown beneath your bed, battered copies of choose your own adventure books, spliffs passed half-arsed across rooftops while light pollution obscures low-hanging stars, marxist literature in stacks against your bedroom walls, a burner phone twice-shattered and a stash of replacement sim cards.

tw ocd, anxiety, drugs

half-swedish, half-british. the swedish is on his mother’s side. he’s bilingual but thinks in english. only really speaks swedish around his mother. only child, and kinda put a lot of pressure on himself to be the perfect kid when he was young, but his parents are honestly, quite decent? and just want him to have a nice life, they don’t care if he isn’t successful or rich or anything, they’re honestly rather solid. (wow imagine having nice parents, a first for all my characters, im literally this meme)

grew up in peckham, a suburb of london. growing up, his mum was a model / actress / waitress who later retrained as a speech therapist and his dad worked in her majesty’s service at buckingham palace. his dad wasn’t allowed to tell his family what his job entailed but rory suspects it’s probably very boring and just involves a lot of…. logistics n security.

was bullied a lot at school. [cole sprouse voice] he didn’t fit in and he didn’t want to fit in. unironically wore a trenchcoat to school every day of his life. spent most of his lunchtimes in the library because it was his safe space. as a result he knows…. loads of useless information because 30% of his school years were spent reading anthologies on space and the vikings etc. would be good on a game show. obsessively recorded every episode of university challenge as a child.

middle-class and lowkey quite wealthy but rarely talks about money, one of those well-off people who still wears really old shitty shoes and only spends money if they absolutely have to

virgin who can’t drive

into star wars, not into the big bang theory. feminist. can’t watch horror movies

favourite film is where the wild things are. also loves the florida project. thinks kids are the sweetest thing and can’t wait to be a dad to some. right now is dad to one cat, whose name changes on a daily basis (identity is constantly shifting, duuuuude), but they were originally named ‘wheezer’

rory has been musical for as long as they can remember. first picked up guitar because he thought it would make this girl esther who he was in love with like him, but he just ended up falling in love with music instead.

formulated several different bands as a kid but ultimately had to give it up cos he was quite controlling and got fixated on making a certain sound so it wasn’t really fun for the others. got into electronic music because it was something he could do basically on his own and keep tweaking until he got it perfect

always drumming their fingers or strumming invisible guitar strings. tends to avoid parties bc he has quite has specific tastes when it comes to music and doesn’t like listening to r&b for eight hours while people throw up into plastic cups.

a techno connoisseur. has been making electronic music since he was about twelve.

after his parents divorce, when he was fourteen, rory & his mother moved to run-down suburban neighbourhood, pittsfield, massachussets.

big into photography. he mostly uses a canon 35mm camera, but occasionally uses disposable ones when he wants that more rustic feel.

moving to the states, their photography became more focused on suburban neighborhoods and are often quite dark and cinematic (think gregory crewsden). here are some shots of pittsfield i really like which rory has on his wall [1] [2] [3]

falls in love 12 times a day. never had a girlfriend or boyfriend. gets sweaty when someone cute looks at him. flirting?? what?? would prefer to idealise them from a distance

gender??? hm. doesn’t really know where he fits yet, sometimes he feels like a guy and sometimes they dont feel like anything at all. isn’t really bothered, cos they think it’s a social construct anyway. uses he/they pronouns interchangeably, but feels like ‘he’ is more fitting. won’t necessarily pull anyone up on it cos he knows having an identity that’s constantly…. in flux.. can be annoying for others … and doesn’t want to be a burden even tho it isn’t at all?? rory internalises guilt

everything is socially constructed. mirrors let you move through time. the whole thing’s a metaphor. he thinks he’s got free will but really he’s trapped in a maze. in a system. all he can do is consume. people think it’s a happy game. it’s not a happy game — it’s a fucking nightmare world, and the worst thing is, it’s real and we live in it

has ocd. tries to let it affect his life as little as possible, but obviously it’s incredibly hard to control a compulsive disorder. was teased for it at school when other kids started to notice. he was obsessed with the number five, would wash his hands five times, count stairs i groups of five, he could only use the corridors in one direction and always had to keep his hands busy. it manifests itself in hyper-fixations (trains when he was a child – specifically steam engines – then later he became obsessed with space and the patterns of constellations, and now he’s obsessed with synthesizers) and repetitive behaviours like counting stairs. doesn’t really affect his social life at all, he can jst get a bit locked-on n hyper-focused sometimes.

has insomnia. barely ever sleeps. finds it hard to switch off from work / writing / gaming / whatever’s preoccupying him in that moment. he’s always awake at 5am and quite often sleeps in through classes but still gets really good grades because he’s very good at his course. rarely attends classes. prefers to work independently. doesn’t really trust his tutors are intelligent enough to be teaching him, and is particularly suspicious of the lockwood tutors. a music snob tbh

secretly a small-scale drug dealer, only does weed n some party pills. rollerskates around campus dealing cos they dnt have a car

likes: techno, the webpage cats on synthesizers in space, allen ginsberg, vintage gramophones,  floating points, lcd soundsystem, marijuana, soft dogs that let you pet them, late-night strolls talking about the universe, independent films, cigarettes, herbal tea, gallows humour, long showers, brown eyes, tchaikovsky, dr. seuss, constellations, photography, late night jazz, vintage game boys and girls who could rip his still-beating heart out of his chest and use it as an ashtray. dislikes:  weddings, funerals, formality, button-up shirts that people actually button-up, bananas, hot coffee, social media, people who watch and play sports, rap music – especially of the misogynistic variety, indie wankers in wire-framed glasses that play ed sheeran songs at open mic nights.

plot ! with ! me ! i’d say all the usual “exes fwb hookups spiel” but rory… is very tender and tame… i feel like a deer in the headlights of love……. so give me

study buddies,

people who are also into techno and are music snobs about it,

people who love all kinds of music,

people who are in bands that maybe rory’s recorded and produced stuff for,

people he actually jams with (he plays bass and synth),

unrequited crushes!!

someone they met at a knitting club in freshman year and have remained friends with despite no longer going to it

people rory knows from open mic nights and gigs

library girlfriends / boyfriends that he stares at longingly while paging through leatherbound volumes

gamers !!! social recluses !!! hermits !!

people he deals weed to on his rollerskates (why r all my characters obsessed with rollerskates)

skaters. rory is really shit at skateboarding. like really shit. help the smol

hm now that rory has !Evolved! ig we can do hook up plots if u want but he’s not tht good at divorcing sex from emotion?? like he  hooked up w teddy once n felt hopelessly inlove so..... if u want soft plots b prepared for crippling sadness.......

stay groovy XD XD

[gotatext]

hello, it’s swamp witch nora again…. i couldn’t stay away.... hitting u with a tiny baby boy who is also terrible (sometimes).  musical softboi who loves karl marx and hates children dying in cobalt mines to make smart phones. as is tradition, here’s the pinterest board, have a peruse. fyi sorry for those of u who have read this intro a thousand times i literally.... can never b bothred to change it n i think thats really sexy of me x

CHARLIE PLUMMER / DEMI-BOY — don’t look now, but is that rory bergström  i see? the 23 year old music student is in their junior year and he is a rochester alum. i hear they can be whimsical, impassioned, self-indulgent and nitpicky, so maybe keep that in mind. i bet he / they will make a name for themselves living in griffin street. ( nora. 24. gmt. she/her. )

aesthetics.

bed hair from a permanent state of slumber, calloused fingertips from strumming bass into the early hours and djing into the blacklit night, self-help books thumbed once and thrown beneath your bed, battered copies of choose your own adventure books, spliffs passed half-arsed across rooftops while light pollution obscures low-hanging stars, marxist literature in stacks against your bedroom walls, a burner phone twice-shattered and a stash of replacement sim cards.

tw ocd, anxiety, drugs

half-swedish, half-british. the swedish is on his mother’s side. he’s bilingual but thinks in english. only really speaks swedish around his mother. only child, and kinda put a lot of pressure on himself to be the perfect kid when he was young, but his parents are honestly, quite decent? and just want him to have a nice life, they don’t care if he isn’t successful or rich or anything, they’re honestly rather solid. (wow imagine having nice parents, a first for all my characters, im literally this meme)

grew up in peckham, a suburb of london. growing up, his mum was a model / actress / waitress who later retrained as a speech therapist and his dad worked in her majesty’s service at buckingham palace. his dad wasn’t allowed to tell his family what his job entailed but rory suspects it’s probably very boring and just involves a lot of…. logistics n security.

was bullied a lot at school. [cole sprouse voice] he didn’t fit in and he didn’t want to fit in. unironically wore a trenchcoat to school every day of his life. spent most of his lunchtimes in the library because it was his safe space. as a result he knows…. loads of useless information because 30% of his school years were spent reading anthologies on space and the vikings etc. would be good on a game show. obsessively recorded every episode of university challenge as a child.

middle-class and lowkey quite wealthy but rarely talks about money, one of those well-off people who still wears really old shitty shoes and only spends money if they absolutely have to

virgin who can’t drive

into star wars, not into the big bang theory. feminist. can’t watch horror movies

favourite film is where the wild things are. also loves the florida project. thinks kids are the sweetest thing and can’t wait to be a dad to some

has been musical for as long as they can remember. first picked up guitar because he thought it would make this girl esther who he was in love with like him, but he just ended up falling in love with music instead.

formulated several different bands as a kid but ultimately had to give it up cos he was quite controlling and got fixated on making a certain sound so it wasn’t really fun for the others. got into electronic music because it was something he could do basically on his own and keep tweaking until he got it perfect

always drumming their fingers or strumming invisible guitar strings. tends to avoid parties bc he has quite has specific tastes when it comes to music and doesn’t like listening to r&b for eight hours while people throw up into plastic cups.

a techno connoisseur. has been making electronic music since he was about twelve.

after his parents divorce, when he was fourteen, rory & his mother moved to run-down suburban neighbourhood, pittsfield, massachussets.

big into photography. he mostly uses a canon 35mm camera, but occasionally uses disposable ones when he wants that more rustic feel.

moving to the states, their photography became more focused on suburban neighborhoods and are often quite dark and cinematic (think gregory crewsden). here are some shots of pittsfield i really like which rory has on his wall [1] [2] [3]

falls in love 12 times a day. never had a girlfriend or boyfriend. gets sweaty when someone cute looks at him. flirting?? what?? would prefer to idealise them from a distance

gender??? hm. rory don’t really know where they fit yet, sometimes he feels like a guy and sometimes they dont feel like anything at all!! slippin out of his physical form into the spirit realm! isn’t really bothered, cos they think it’s a social construct anyway. uses he/they pronouns interchangeably, but currently feels like ‘he’ is more fitting. won’t necessarily pull anyone up on it cos he knows having an identity that’s constantly…. in flux.. can be annoying for others … and doesn’t want to be a burden even tho it isn’t at all?? rory internalises guilt

everything is socially constructed. mirrors let you move through time. the whole thing’s a metaphor. he thinks he’s got free will but really he’s trapped in a maze. in a system. all he can do is consume. people think it’s a happy game. it’s not a happy game — it’s a fucking nightmare world, and the worst thing is, it’s real and we live in it!!!!

has ocd. tries to let it affect his life as little as possible, but obviously it’s incredibly hard to control a compulsive disorder. was teased for it at school when other kids started to notice. he was obsessed with the number five, would wash his hands five times, count stairs i groups of five, he could only use the corridors in one direction and always had to keep his hands busy. it manifests itself in hyper-fixations (trains when he was a child – specifically steam engines – then later he became obsessed with space and the patterns of constellations, and now he’s obsessed with synthesizers) and repetitive behaviours like counting stairs. doesn’t really affect his social life at all, he can jst get a bit locked-on n hyper-focused sometimes.

has insomnia. barely ever sleeps. finds it hard to switch off from work / writing / gaming / whatever’s preoccupying him in that moment. he’s always awake at 5am and quite often sleeps in through classes but still gets really good grades because he’s very good at his course. rarely attends classes. prefers to work independently. doesn’t really trust his tutors are intelligent enough to be teaching him, and is particularly suspicious of the lockwood tutors. a music snob tbh

occasionally deals weed n pills when strapped for cash, but only 2 ppl he knows, and on a very small scale grass-roots level!! (so its ok???) rollerskates around campus dealing cos they dnt have a car. we love to see it

aesthetics: bed hair from a permanent state of slumber, calloused fingertips from strumming bass into the early hours and drumming into blacklit night, self-help books thumbed once and thrown beneath your bed, watching vine compilations until your eyes turn square, battered copies of choose your own adventure books, spliffs passed half-arsed across rooftops while light pollution obscures low-hanging stars

likes: techno, the webpage cats on synthesizers in space, allen ginsberg, vintage gramophones,  floating points, lcd soundsystem, marijuana, soft dogs that let you pet them, late-night strolls talking about the universe, independent films, cigarettes, herbal tea, gallows humour, long showers, brown eyes, tchaikovsky, dr. seuss, constellations, photography, late night jazz, vintage game boys and girls who could rip his still-beating heart out of his chest and use it as an ashtray. dislikes:  weddings, funerals, formality, button-up shirts that people actually button-up, bananas, hot coffee, social media, people who watch and play sports, rap music – especially of the misogynistic variety, indie wankers in wire-framed glasses that play ed sheeran songs at open mic nights.

plot ! with ! me ! i’d say all the usual “exes fwb hookups spiel” but rory… has never hooked up with anyone… i feel like a deer in the headlights of love……. so give me

study buddies,

people who are also into techno and are music snobs about it,

people who love all kinds of music,

people who are in bands that maybe rory’s recorded and produced stuff for,

people he actually jams with (he plays bass and synth),

unrequited crushes!!

actually i think rory had sex w delilah in the last version of this rp so if u want a hook up plot its possible just unlikely. they’d hav 2 be the driving force i reckon cos rory doesn’t really act on impulses like desire or anythin.... jst bottles that shit up !!! but yea we could do a spicy hook up plot maybs, depending on the person

someone they met at a knitting club in freshman year and have remained friends with despite no longer going to it

people rory knows from open mic nights and gigs

library girlfriends / boyfriends that he stares at longingly while paging through leatherbound volumes

gamers !!! social recluses !!! hermits !!

people he deals weed to on his rollerskates (why r all my characters obsessed with rollerskates)

skaters. rory is really shit at skateboarding. like really shit. help the smol

[echo-bleu]

Clubbing (in the library)

This is a gift for @nearly-conscious (who I can’t see to tag) for their birthday. Their prompt was Hermione/Padma, crushing over common interests.

I haven't written in this fandom since I was seventeen, and I'm not a big shipper, but it was a lot of fun to write. I hope you like it!

Happy Birthday! :)

Title: Clubbing (in the library)

Fandom: Harry Potter

Words: 2178

Summary: “I thought you would be there.” “Where else would I be?” Padma shrugs. It's nine-thirty, and all the other students have already left the building for the night, but Padma likes nothing more than having the library for herself. “I don't know,” Hermione smirks. “Clubbing?” “Yeah, that sounds like me."

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Padma Patil

Also on AO3 and FFnet.

--

“I thought you would be there.”

Padma looks up from her homework. Hermione drops into the chair next to her, her book bag making a thud as it hits the floor. She's wearing jeans and a comfortable sweater rather than robes, and she looks vaguely tired, like she just spent the whole day studying. It's probably the case, Padma reflect. Mid-terms are just around the corner, and trying to complete two completely different degrees must be exhausting.

It came as a surprise to almost no-one when Hermione, once her NEWTs over, couldn't choose between the high level Muggle university course she was offered and magical studies. The Wizarding university, to which Padma now also belongs, is small and less structured than its Muggle counterparts, so it's fairly easy for Hermione to follow all her courses without needing a Time Turner, but it's still at least twice the workload.

“Where else would I be?” Padma shrugs. It's nine-thirty, and all the other students have already left the building for the night, but Padma likes nothing more than having the library for herself.

“I don't know,” Hermione smirks. “Clubbing?”

“Yeah, that sounds like me,” Padma groans.

Over the years of being the two most bookish students of their year at Hogwarts, they've become casual friends, although Hermione always had too much of an exclusive relationship with Harry and Ron to be close to anyone else. Padma, after her twin sister started to become interested in very little else than boys, make-up and Divination, spent most of her time in the Library, usually on her own. Oh, she was never friendless and she still has frequent contact with all the Ravenclaws and most of the Hufflepuffs of her year and the year above, but she hasn't had a best friend since Parvati stopped filling the role. She loves her sister, but they're not confidants anymore.

But since the day she and Hermione first put foot in the university building four months ago and recognized that they didn't know anyone but each other, they've gotten closer. They usually study together in the evening, for one thing. Hermione doesn't have a boyfriend to go home to since she and Ron split up on the first day of term−something about different plans for the future−and Padma has no particular wish to step back into the drama that is her parent's house too quickly, most nights.

“Can I join you?”

“In what, my very energetic clubbing? Sure,” Padma smiles.

“Thanks. Midterms are coming way to fast. All this studying is going to kill me.”

“You love it. Admit it.”

Hermione blinks Padma with a very endearing look of naked surprise. The banter is coming almost naturally, but it's something they've never done before.

“Not at two in the morning on a Sunday,” Hermione answers. “Otherwise...okay. I do. It's just so interesting!”

“Our courses or the Muggles ones?”

“Both! The history of the Wizarding World is fascinating, but it's incredible how much social theory we're just missing out on. The Muggles have studied it all! Race, gender, oppression, intersection, it's all right there and we just ignore it.”

Padma shrugs. “Does it make them better?”

“Yes! No! Uh−” Hermione blushes. Padma laughs. She loves to see Hermione flustered.

“Yes or no?” she pushes.

“It's complicated!” Hermione exclaims, apparently out of words. “Some things are better, like, you know, slavery is outlawed in the Muggle world.”

“We don't keep slaves,” Padma frowns, her thoughts going straight to her ancestors enslaved by the East India Company. She's learned that history early on, the one she's never going to be taught about in college. The English wizards and Muggles working side by side to colonize India and abuse its inhabitants.

“What about the Elves?”

“They're not slaves!”

“Aren't they?”

Padma comes up with a vague memory of Hermione's fifth year crusade to free the House Elves. It seemed like madness, at the time.

“They don't get paid,” Hermione continues. “They punish themselves for things so mundane as being late or failing a task!”

Padma tilts her head. “Okay, you're right, they don't get paid. But where did you read that Elves punish themselves?”

“I saw them do it! The Malfoys'−” Hermione stops herself. “Never mind.”

“My parents' Elves are treated like they're part of the family,” Padma says. “They would never accept any money, but they have a day off a week, and they seem happy with their situation.”

“I guess I haven't seen many elves, and maybe they didn't have good masters. The Hogwarts Elves seem happy too. But still, masters. Coming from a Muggle background, it's...very odd. Outdated, I guess.”

“I never thought of them as slaves,” Padma says.

“That's what I mean when I say we need to bridge the gap between the Muggles and our world. They have so much to teach us, if only we were willing to listen. And we could bring them a lot, even without going into magic.”

She launches into a tirade of all that the magical community could do for Muggles, which seems to include, in no distinguishable order, better garbage disposal, gay marriage rights, library index cards and a non-capitalist economy. Padma is lost in the references to Muggle law and technology within the first minute, but she nods in all the right places, admiring Hermione's enthusiasm. This girl could change the world, she thinks.

It's funny, because it could be argued that she already has. But looking at her, it seems obvious that Hermione's prime was not the year she spent on the run under a tent with her two best friends, or the spells she threw at Death Eaters during the battle of Hogwarts. Her prime will be in many years, when she accomplishes all she strives for and cuts the ribbon in front of a brand new school for Muggle and Magical studies. Padma can see it in her mind's eye, a strangely attractive older Hermione with a pair of scissors in hand, a wide smile on her face, waving at her.

Why is she imagining herself looking back and laughing in pride, two steps behind among the school's new teachers?

“Do you have books that need to stay here?” she asks suddenly, taking advantage of Hermione needing to breathe between two rapid-fire sentences.

Hermione opens her mouth, frowns, and closes it again. She looks down at the pile of books peeking out of her bag. “No, they're already checked out,” she says. “I did that before coming to find you.”

“Good,” Padma says. “'Cause I want to get out of here.”

Hermione deflates. “Alright,” she says. “The Library's about to close anyway. I...I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”

Padma stares at her for a second, agape at the misunderstanding. “No, I mean we should get out of here together,” she says. “To...somewhere else.”

She hasn't thought this through. She can't invite Hermione home, not with her parents there and her younger siblings−Parvati is probably spending the night at Lavender's again. She curses that family tradition forbids her from getting her own place. It's not that her parents lack the money, but a young woman living on her own is just not done.

“Clubbing?” Hermione offers with a smile, looking relieved.

Padma snorts. “Clubbing sounds right,” she says.

“I do have an apartment,” Hermione hesitates. “If you wanted to−”

“Are you inviting me to your place?”

Hermione bites her lip. “Sure. It's not big, but it's quiet.”

“Sounds good. Let's go.”

Padma is very curious about Hermione's apartment. She follows her friend outside the library to the Apparition point, where Hermione offers her arm.

“I can give you coordinates if you prefer,” she says, “but I'm pretty good at Side-Along.”

Padma smiles. Since nearly all adult wizards and witches have their own license, Side-Along Apparition is considered quite intimate, unless you do it with children. She could be reading this wrong, because Hermione isn't very easy to read on the best day, but she's now fairly sure the hints she's been dropping have been received loud and clear.

Hermione's grin when Padma takes her arm is like a confirmation. The trip is nearly instantaneous, from London to Oxford, and smoother than most Side-Along Padma has been on as a child.

They land into the entrance corridor of a one-room apartment. It's warm and cozy in a bookworm kind of way, one wall lined with a giant bookshelf and another with a large desk. The sofa bed is swarming with pillows and comforters, looking more like a nest than a bed. It looks exactly like Hermione, and Padma is impressed that she's managed to create that feeling in just four months.

“It's nice,” she says. “I like what you've done with it. I could live here.”

Hermione blushes again. “It's comfortable,” she says.

She kicks off her shoes and drops onto the nest-bed, so Padma imitates her. She stays far enough to give Hermione some personal space, hoping secretly that that space will shrink as they get comfortable. It doesn't have to be tonight, she promises herself. But then, sitting on her friend's bed at ten in the evening on a weekday, the opportunity seems perfect.

“How is it going on the Muggle side?” she asks. “We're close to campus, right?”

“Yes. The university is very old, older than ours. It's weird to have to hide when I'm doing magic, but it's been fine so far.”

“And the studies?”

“I'm missing a lot of Muggle references and stuff that Muggles learn in school. I'm doing my best to catch up but...for once I'm not at the top of my class.”

“What? Hermione, a mediocre student?” Padma asks in mock-shock.

“Most of the students here were the best of their year in high school too. That or they come from old money.”

“So you've finally met your match.”

Hermione laughs. “Something like that. So, why choose History and Anthropology? I can't imagine that's what your parents wanted for you.”

“No. They wanted me to become a doctor, or at least some kind of well-paid job with a high social standing. But Parvati threw them off even further by going into an Apprenticeship with a seer, so I got off easily. The way they figure it, I'll marry straight out of university and stop working to raise kids. They don't see what kind of worthy job I could do with those subjects.”

“My parents don't really understand magic at all,” Hermione says, “so they were relieved when I chose to pursue a Muggle degree as well. Relieved enough that they didn't care what subject it was in.”

“But why did you choose it?”

“Hey, I asked you first!”

“Okay. So, Binns was horrible, but I like learning about history. I'd bring library books to his classes and read them under the table.”

“Me too!” Hermione exclaims. “But who didn't?”

“Anyone who wasn't in Ravenclaw beside you?” Padma jokes.

“Um, I guess I wasn't really aware of other people,” Hermione admits sheepishly. “I'm a real dork, aren't I?”

“A very adorable one,” Padma says without thinking. She didn't mean to say it out loud, but Hermione blushes in the most delicious way.

“Anyway,” Padma continues, “I think...I've always been in between two cultures. I was born here, but my parents never even learned English. They just use translation spells whenever they need to, but mostly they only have Indian friends. Home is like...like we were in India, but in downtown London. You look out the windows, London. You look inside, Mumbai. I had an Indian tutor and an Indian maid and I played with Indian kids. Sometimes it feels like I'm not English at all.”

“So you wanted to learn more about English history?”

“That, and I'm fascinated by how different cultures see the world in a whole other way. We're all human, and yet−”

“I know! I felt like such an outsider when I first came to Hogwarts. Wizards have this whole culture and traditions that no one ever tells us about! We have to figure it out on our own, and honestly I'm surprised there aren't more Muggleborn students who drop out. It's so confusing!”

“Do you still feel like an outsider now?”

“No. Not much, anyway. I still miss things, but I've grown with magic in my life for years now, and I've read everything I can on Wizarding culture. Now I want to branch out.”

“Into Muggle culture?”

“Yes, because it's what I was born to and that's where I feel out of place now. But also other magical cultures. You know, different countries, people, species even…

“Maybe we could go together to Mumbai some day. I could show you some things.”

Hermione smiles. “Maybe we could,” she says slowly, biting her lip nervously.

Padma can't take any more hesitation. She bends closer and kisses her. It's sweet, though awkward and uncertain.

“That okay?” she asks, pulling away slightly to look at Hermione's reaction.

“Yeah, it's okay,” Hermione nods. “Very okay.”

“Should we do it again?”

Hermione doesn't answer and just pulls her closer.