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jodilin65 · 31 years ago

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1993 I am at my new job now where there’s way more money, yet plenty of time to write. I now work at Favors a half-hour away from where I live, but it’s a million times better than a bar. I have so much updating to do and you’d never believe all that’s happened. It’s amazing. Counting me, 8 girls work here. My name here is Shauna. There is also Sarah, Alyssa, Amber, Monique (I haven’t met Kayla yet), and another girl who was hired. Lea and her husband Ron are the owners. Lea dances here and there and Ron’s the photographer.

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1993 I have quite a bit to discuss and some of it isn’t cool.

The Candy Store hired me on the 12th. Up front, they promised me I could work nights. Friday night I made $141! Then these idiots had the nerve to tell me I couldn’t come back but was welcomed to their club in Bullhead City. That’s 4 hours away! They offered to drive me and pay for my food and hotel, but I’d be gone for weeks at a time. Away from all my stuff. No thanks. This is legit, though, as other dancers said they’ve done it before, too. Bullhead City is deader than dead. Finally, they told me I could stay with them if I’d work days. Fuck that!

Last night I called Centerfolds, only to not be told what I should’ve been told over the phone. Instead, Andy came all the way over here, I got all decked out only to go there and be told they had too many night shift girls. I told them over the phone I’d only work nights. There were a lot of girls in there, too. Of all different types. Some were bigger, some were smaller. They also own Band-Aids and they told me I’d be hired there, but it’s too far away.

Then, Andy checked the New Times. Everything was so far away, but I called a place called Favors that does private room dancing. The girl there said they usually make $500 - $900 a week, but it’s 25 minutes away. I called the cab company and asked how much the fare would be and I was told $15. You have to work 5 days a week, so both ways would be $150 a week in cab fare! This is crazy.

I also called an ad for a model, but the guy said it’d be only once a week for two hours and only $10 an hour.

My last choice and only choice is to return to the Mile High. However, with the way everyone’s been going back on their word with me, I’m afraid they’ll do that too, even though I’ve been told I could return if I wanted or needed to. While I was talking to Tammy, I was talking to Mark and he said to call him tomorrow. This tells me something scary. Where the fuck do I go if he contradicts me too? I’ll just have to call tomorrow and hope for the best. I’ll pray to God, but don’t know if I believe in that or if it’ll work.

I just called the Mile High and now fucking Mark’s going back on his word, too! That motherfucker!

I just paged Steve and he’s checking into the name of a possible nearby escort service, but he doesn’t know if it’s still open. He also may know in a week if he’s gonna be running some other escort service. If I were to try Favors, he said he’ll cut 1/3 of the fare and have his day driver take me in and he’d take me home. The last possibility is Highlighters. I called them and they’re accepting applications. So, it’ll be either Favors, an escort service Steve will run, Highlighters, or this other one that’s closer if it’s open.

I’m really fucking pissed at the Candy Store and the Mile High. Every time I get something set up that’s good for me as far as money and schedules, someone just has to come and fuck it all up. I would’ve done really well working nights at the candy store, but it’s their loss, too. They’re losing someone good.

There are other possibilities, but they’re way in the future if they ever happen. It has to do with Tom and his computers and maybe my music and or edits. He’s been working these 12-hour killer shifts and he wants to change jobs. Computers are his thing. He mentioned something about how he designs the instructions for Nintendo games and would need to use my ear for certain pitches. We’ll see, but in the meantime, he has a computer hooked up to a keyboard, so what music you play is printed out so you don’t have to write it. He’s also checking into my getting my songs sold once and for all. If he can figure out how to get that started, I’ll take it from there.

Andy asked why in the world I want to sell my songs and get so little while someone else could make millions. Well, I’m never gonna be rich and famous and singing my own songs, so why not let someone else do it? Little money’s better than no money.

I just went to call Andy, but he’s either on the phone or has it off the hook as it only rang once.

Tom took me to see my new doctor last Monday. She was nice, but some time before I go back I must have blood work done. Fun, huh?

I also have to make an appointment at Montgomery/Ward to have my picture taken, but these things aren’t my top priority now.

I haven’t edited Stacey’s message yet to put on the machine over there, but on the 16th, Judy left a message. She only said that if this were still my number, please call her back. She never left a reason. It’s probably over the rent they say I owe that I don’t owe. It could also be to question me about Bob’s letter, but how could they tie that to me? All they can do is suspect me.

Speaking of the VV, well, there were two guys shot over there a few days ago. They arrested a guy I don’t know. In fact, Andy called up Judy to ask about it. She said the people who were shot don’t even live there, and no residents were involved.

I edited Tom the other day and he sure got a kick out of it. He and I get along so great (for now). He does seem understanding of how hard it is for me to trust people and why, but right now, at this moment, we have a great friendship. He’s very sensitive and even though we’re complete opposites, we don’t try to change one another. Opposites almost never get along. So far he’s kept his word on things and he says he’s treating me to a trip to Vegas in about 4 weeks, but I still have to see it to believe it as much as I think he’s telling the truth. He said, “Ok, I understand. I like to prove myself anyway.”

DES sent a letter for an appointment for food stamps. Then, they turned around and sent a change report form and I said could do it by mail. I’ll try, but it’ll be hit or miss.

I still have to see Andy and Tom’s new place. Andy says he likes it where he is, but the guy above him stomps 24 hours a day. Well, I can’t say I pity him as whoever lives below him is hearing the same thing from him.

Andy’s gonna rent a camcorder one of these days soon, so we can film our apartments and surroundings for our families. We’ll split the cost.

A few days ago Andy was here, and guess who he ran into as he was driving out? Driving in front of him was none other than Conman himself. They ended up talking for an hour and a half. Andy began to follow him and so they pulled over to talk right by my old apartment.

He swears up and down that he’s gonna give Andy his stuff back this Saturday, but we know he’s full of shit. He’s a head player. He likes to promise shit he’s never gonna do and he obviously loves to go to court. The head player swears he never had any intentions of conning me, but I know that’s BS too. He said he has canceled plane tickets as proof. He bitched that I was supposed to have trusted him to take me on the 7th, and cuz I called Steve twice, he canceled it. Yeah, right. Great excuse. He mentioned me calling his father, but I didn’t do that till after the 7th. He said I called Pepsi but that’s BS cuz I don’t even know who to call. I know they’re not listed as Pepsi. Probably some kind of machine repair service, but there are so many. Andy said that we both know he never intended to take me to L.A. And that he doesn’t know Bill. Naturally, he denied it as well as the letter I got in the mail two days ago.

It was addressed to “Slut” O and it said: Dear Jodi: You sick, ugly, dancing whore. We all know where you live. Your Caller ID won’t save you. The police will be by to escort you back to Mass. where you belong, love???

Very few people know I have Caller ID and what happened in MA. Of everyone I know, this is Scott’s style and perfect timing. It could’ve been Steve too, as they’re tight together. They’re an “item.” It could’ve been someone at the VV, but I highly doubt it and I’ll get into why I doubt it in a moment. The thing of it is, though, they addressed it to the other apartment. I’ll bet Scott couldn’t remember the new apartment number off the top of his head, so he wrote the old one knowing it’d be forwarded here. He was probably too terrified to chance running into me if he came by here. I doubt Scott wrote it as it’s too neat for a male to have written. I’ll bet he had Crystal write it.

I doubt Stacey had anything to do with it, but there’s a slim possibility. She could’ve gotten my forwarding address, suspected me on Bob’s letter and done it. She never liked me, especially in the beginning, and she’s very serious, old-fashioned and very narrow-minded. She would be the type to hate dancers, she knows I have Caller ID and she knows about MA.

The only other possibilities are Donna and Andi over there, but they don’t have the info about MA or caller ID.

It’s definitely Scott and Steve, but the difference between Stacey and Keri over here is the difference between black and white. Scott and Steve are great for each other and they can have a happy life together, but it’s only a matter of time before they both fuck each other over.

Scott said he could’ve sent the tape to MA and gotten me in big trouble.

Bull. He wouldn’t even know who to contact and where. I also spoke to a cop for info as far as the tapes go and he says they’re not admissible in court. Who the fuck knows, but I am far from worried. It’d kill his ego to go to the cops anyway. Scott’s got 3 major problems. 1. He lies. 2. He never does what he says he’s gonna do. 3. He contradicts himself and or denies things that he or others said or did.

Andy said several times he wanted to come fuck me up, but Crystal stopped him. Yeah, right. A girl who hates me and is totally on his side is gonna stop him? The truth is, he’s fucking terrified of me and we all know it.

He said, why should he help me? What’s he get in return? Andy told him the truth and that’s that he would’ve had a grateful friend and I would’ve helped him in any way possible.

I can sense, and have been told by Scott himself, how fucked up Crystal is. Well, they can both fuck each other over. They deserve each other.

Now here’s the best of the Scott news as far as the tape’s concerned. He is fucking terrified, according to Andy! Great. I don’t feel one bit guilty after all he’s done to me. Andy could see how the tape had him all stressed out and scared shitless. Scott also says he’s terrified I’m gonna fuck up his cars. He also says he’s still having problems with Eric and the office here as far as his apartment goes. Good. He deserves it. He can feel many of the things he’s made me feel. He’s always gonna have enemies till he learns how to treat people.

In other news, I just called the Candy Store and asked for Russ. He’s the owner and Omar’s cousin. I told him again I can’t work days, but does he have anything open for nights yet? He told me to call him Monday but I can’t buy anything anyone says till I see it work out. I really do want to return if nothing else comes up. The money’s great there and the girls were nice.

There’s this gorgeous girl there who says she’s bi. I know she’ll never call me, but I gave her my number anyway. There are a few girls working there that I know. Sativa (who goes by Chanelle), Rena, and none other than the gorgeous Marcella herself.

At the pool today I met this very pretty and nice girl named Susan who’s visiting from Flagstaff. She’s had gay friends but I think she’s straight.

Two days ago I met a really nice couple and their 10-year-old son at the pool.

As far as Alicia, well, I met her a couple of weeks ago and there’s no way I want to be her friend. She’s more of a wacko than Ellie was. She didn’t do anything to me, but I have a feeling she may if I don’t avoid her. I’m surprised that she hasn’t called. Anyway, we met at the pool where she lives and she reminds me so much of K.D. Lang. K.D. Lang’s ugly, butchy and she’s very plain. Very tall and skinny and she’s bi. She’s addicted to a million different medications due to anxiety, stress, depression, anger, you name it. She talks frantically non-stop and I can’t get a word in edgewise. She flips from one very emotional subject to another, and no, I was never that bad myself.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1993 I just got through talking to Andy who was very depressed. He hates his job and most of his coworkers.

Before talking to Andy, I spoke with Tom. He says he’s trying to think of something marketable for my edits with a possibility of money being made, too. Sometime I gotta go check his new house out and all his different computers.

Next Monday at 1:45 I have to see Dr. Wilcox. Tom’s taking me.

I’m gonna edit Tom soon as well as Stacey. In 10 minutes the office closes at the VV. I’ll record her outgoing message, edit it, then put it on the office machine.

Andy called her Monday cuz they ripped off part of his deposit money, which figures. I listened silently as typical Stacey had her mind made up and wouldn’t budge. Then I called and said she was a bitch. She giggled and said, “Jodi, I’ve already turned your name over to collections.”

I said fine and laughed, then she hung up. No mention of Bob’s letter I sent her. Sarah’s to be getting Bob’s next letter. Sarah’s given Andy and I her VM code, so we call here and there and pick up her messages.

US West really pissed me off last week. I mean, this fucking phone company is so fucked up. I never ordered the removal of my Caller ID blocks (it blocks my name and number from others with caller ID). They did anyway, cuz I got a call from a Steven P. I called the number back and there were 3 or 4 kids. A girl named Robin was trying to call her friend Meagan and her number is one digit off mine. So I crossed them a few times, then I heard the boy say (the girl’s brother), “I have her name and number.” So naturally, I’m thinking, the hell you do. But then he said my name and I was like, fuck you, US West! I bitched the damn company out and now I’m re-blocked.

Still no word or call from asshole Scott, but I left the tape by his door. Hope he enjoys it.

I’m working the next 3 nights and I can’t wait to see how the money is. A girl named Alicia I met who lives here says she’ll drive me in. I’ll write more about her later.

I need to give Tom $20 and the office $97.35.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1993 Lots to update… Last Sunday I worked at the Candy Store from noon-5 PM and made $39, even though it was dead due to the basketball finals. There were things I liked and disliked. The Mile High is definitely the nicest-looking club. It’s nice and roomy and so was the dressing room and bathroom. The dressing room at the Candy Store’s too damn small. Even smaller than Sha Na Na’s.

Last Saturday I called Mark at the Mile High and told him what happened with Scott and L.A. He was very understanding about it. He told me John and some of his friends were in looking for me. Wait till I tell John, who’s gonna want to kill Scott as much as I do. His pager’s been disconnected so I can’t contact him. I told Steve and Mark and Pete to tell him to call me if they see him.

I told Meagan to give Tiffany my number. She’s having a costume altered for me.

Steve’s gonna pick me up from work, and Alicia, a neighbor, may bring me in. I’ll get to her later, but Pete was encouraging me to come back and was bashing the Candy Store. He said anytime I wanted to return, I could. That’s cool to know.

I want to give the Candy Store a chance and see how money is there. I really do think it’ll be better. I’ll be working every other Sunday. Then from 6 PM - 1 AM and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 PM - 1 AM.

The Candy Store does look nice, though. It’s all mirrors and lights and so far the girls seem ok. There are two stages. You do two sets per stage and that sucks, but oh well. If I make more money there, it’ll be worth it.

Tom took me to both places, but he said he’d stay in the car since he’s straight and attracted to me.

He and I tried to fix my typewriter and we couldn’t. It’s getting worse too, and I believe very soon I’ll need to go to another pawnshop.

There are several things I need and want.

Tammy told the 3 different credit card companies for who she owes thousands that she moved here. She gave them my name, number and address, and I keep telling them she’s sending money soon when they call. She got a job as a security guard and says she’ll send them money soon.

Andy moved and he loves his apartment but says his neighbors can be noisy. I had a bad feeling about that.

He came over yesterday and brought over the straightening iron from Velma. I like it and it’s even easier to use than the crimping iron. It’s quicker, I mean.

I gave him a new spare key.

Sometime soon I have to make another appointment with Montgomery/Ward. Andy says it’ll be no problem taking me there cuz he lives right near there.

I also have a new female doctor (Dr. Wilcox) and I have to see her. I must get my teeth cleaned, too.

I must start saving money for various things. A bedroom set and a fan on a stand. Maybe an entertainment center someday. New swimsuits, new sneakers, new blank videos, CDs and I’m sure there’s some other stuff I’m forgetting.

I spoke with both my parents a while ago and it was ok, but I know soon enough they’ll be back to their same old shit. My mother did shock me, though, by admitting she did fuck up as a mother.

I never sent Ma a birthday card, but I sent Dad a Father’s Day card.

A few weeks ago I was listening to this radio station with two male DJs and one female named Jamie. The guys were picking on her saying she had PMS, so they set up a hotline. Naturally, the guy callers took the guy’s side and the women sided with Jamie. Jamie asked one female caller if she had a husband or a boyfriend and she said, “No, but I have a wife and a girlfriend.”

I turned around and called and asked Jamie if she had a husband or boyfriend. She said yes. I said she oughta consider dating a woman cuz they’re more sensitive.

Can you believe 20 minutes later they put that on the air, too?

SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 1993 Tom will be here any minute. I don’t have time to write about everything right now. But I can say this - I was hired at the Candy Store yesterday with no audition! Neat, huh? I’m on my way over there till 6:00, then I’ll be working Thursday - Saturday.

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1993 Continuing with Scott - well - he’s gonna get a tape, but not till Andy gets his stuff back (his VCR & tape recorder). Keri left a note on his door to bring his stuff to the office and he hasn’t. Andy’s gonna take legal action since Scott’s continuing to play his favorite game of never doing anything he says he’s gonna do.

My friendship is his loss. As I said, he knew exactly what he was doing. With all the things he told me about his life and himself, who knows what was really true and what was bullshit. He and Steve (the guard who turned out to be a complaining, whining asshole) would make great lovers if they were gay. They’re both so unstable and insecure and Steve goes from sweet and kind one minute to flipping out the next. They’re great for each other. They can’t impress people with the truth, they’ve got to lie to feel as if they’ve impressed you.

I know this wasn’t an issue of sex for Scott as he’s happy with Chris, so he says. Andy called her to tell her to tell him to leave his stuff in the office and she blew a fuse. She denied any relationship with Scott, but I think she was just covering him.

The tape speaks my mind as well as lets him know that I’m a firm believer in what goes around comes around. That I’d love for him to come face me. If he’s so tough and not a wimp, why won’t he face me? The guy’s never home and the few times I knocked when there were lights on and I knew he was home, he was too chicken to open the door.

I left a message with his father which was, “All in due time.”

I just left Andy a message that I know my VCR’s a piece of shit, but he could have it if he wants it.

Now, there are certain things I don’t think are Scott’s style, but I also didn’t think it was his style to be a con artist, so I changed my locks. Maintenance did it for $25. I’m 99% sure he’d never enter while I was here and 98% sure he wouldn’t while I was gone, but why take any chances? He could come in to take back the TV, but for what he’s put me through, he owes me this much. Along with the couch. Believe me, though, I wish he would come in with me here. He’s too chicken to even call, let alone face me in person.

I also was sure to put lots of lies on the tape; exactly what I got from him.

So far Tom’s been a great friend. It looks as if he’s gonna stay that way, but who knows? Who knows what the future holds? This is what Tammy said too, who is just as pissed at Scott as I am. No, I never thought I’d live here and find a job I liked, but my dream is 100% hopeless. Why waste my money on a demo like Andy says? The same con games will happen.

Later…

I haven’t been to work in a week cuz Scott fucked my schedule up with his games. Also, I’ve been wanting to get out of the Mile High cuz it’s so dead. Tom’s gonna take me to audition at the Candy Store. At 3:00, when the Mile High opens, I’ve got to go clean out my locker. My latex, heels and several costumes are there. The guy at the Candy Store said I could come in any time and easily cut $100 a night. Let’s hope so. Many have said it’s good money there and it’s the same distance away. They have the same long killer shifts Sha Na Na’s did from 11 AM-6 PM & 6 PM-1 AM. You don’t have to work a minimum of 4 days or nights, though, which is cool. I’d like to hopefully get Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 PM-1AM. I do have a good vibe about money there.

The name Mystery has got to go. I wanted a unique name, but it’s too far out. I’m sick of, “What’s your name?” “History?” “Misery?” “Are you a mystery?”

I think I may go by Shaunee.

I only owe $97.35 for this month on rent. All my other bills are paid.

Jamie (Gail) called while I was at the pool. She wanted to know where I’ve been.

I’ll write more later.

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993 As of yesterday, I’ve been here for a year. I feel as if I’ve accomplished so much as well as nothing at the same time.

Well, L.A. was all one big fucking con. Just one big fucking joke. I’m right back where I’ve always been with my singing - nowhere. I’m both shocked and not shocked. I’m not shocked cuz I really believe God doesn’t want me to have my dream or anything else that really matters to me. I’m shocked cuz Scott’s the last person I ever thought would be a con artist.

Well, I hope Scott’s real fucking happy. I rearranged my whole fucking schedule and got all psyched up over nothing. He knew exactly what he was doing and intended this from day one. The anger, frustration, anxiety and depression over this are gonna last quite a while. I’m not gonna ever let myself lose this bitterness for the sake of protecting myself. I hope he knows he’s made just as much an ass of himself as he has of me. You don’t know how it’s been one hell of an ordeal to restrain myself from going over there and bashing his head. He obviously knows this as he’s not called or come over. He’s chicken shit and no doubt very embarrassed.

He’ll get his, though, and I’ll write more about it later.

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thatlittledandere · 5 months ago

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Oops forgot to update this. Anyway some people in the notes said that Ron Swanson being the only fictional character on the list is sus, and I agree, in hindsight. It is not the correct answer, however. I don't have screenshots at hand but I can describe the wheres, whens and hows about the rest:

The same toy bunny is named after Terry Kiser and Liv Tyler by two different kids.

Will Smith is a bit of an edge case because technically we saw a movie poster on Karkat's wall with TROLL Will Smith but come on it totally counts. It's Will Smith photoshopped gray with horns. It counts

Owen Wilson was a revolutionary film maker on the alpha timeline and Dirk's hero. Killed for political activism rip king. Sbahj the movovie will never not be famous.

A low opacity photo of Snoop Dogg can be seen on the floor of Rose's room when John is snooping.

John's Dad keeps a framed photo of Big Crosby up on the wall. Old Bingie also gave his likeness to Crosbytop, a laptop of innovative design in the shape of his bust portrait.

Jane is a fan of mustached sitcom men and kisses her Ron Swanson poster.

Charles Dutton. Is. There. Multiple times in the earlier acts at least. Not physically as a character, but as a photo, a name, a figure. A symbol.

No Judy Garland though. Unless she is and someone points it out to me, leading me into a just death.

I wasn't sure which celebrity cameos ARE common knowledge and which ones place me as a new recruit to the xkcd expert comic. I omitted at least Obama, Nick Cage, Guy Fiery and the ICP. And Betty Crocker. Doesn't everyone know these? Does everyone know these.

If you HAVEN'T read Homestuck:

#venlapost #homestuck #polls

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ask-kinders-teenau · 4 years ago

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My personal favorite Ron design is him being the fluffiest thing on earth if you wanna try that.

((Fluffy is kinda vague lolol but I kinda know what you mean! I’ve tried something else, so here’s an updated Ron!))

((I’ll keep working on it))

#hope that didnt come off as mean #i just dont know how youd call a person fluffy other than describing hair #or an animal #lolol #i also try to keep in mind that theyre older teens and theyre supposed to look a bit awkward and gangly or scruffy #except for Felix cuz he pays to look good ig #my art #kindergarten fanart #kindergarten 2 ron #updated design #i kinda like this one more tho so maybe ill exercise that #:D

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reanimatedcourier · 4 years ago

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How to Write Indigenous Characters Without Looking like a Jackass:

Update as of December 26th, 2020: I have added a couple new sections about naming and legal terms, as well as a bit of reading on the Cherokee Princess phenomenon.

Boozhoo (hello) Fallout fandom! I'm a card-carrying Anishinaabe delivering this rough guide about writing Indigenous characters because wow, do I see a lot of shit.

Let's get something out of the way first: Fallout's portrayal of Indigenous people is racist. From a vague definition of "tribal" to the claims of them being "savage" and "uncivilized" mirror real-world stereotypes used to dehumanize us. Fallout New Vegas' narrated intro has Ron Perlman saying Mr. House "rehabilitated" tribals to create New Vegas' Three Families. You know. Rehabilitate. As if we are animals. Top it off with an erasure of Indigenous people in the American Southwest and no real tribe names, and you've got some pretty shitty representation. The absence of Native American as a race option in the GECK isn't too great, given that two Native characters are marked "Caucasian" despite being brown. Butch Deloria is a pretty well-known example of this effect. (Addendum: Indigenous people can have any mix of dominant and recessive traits, as well as present different phenotypes. What bothers me is it doesn't accommodate us or mixed people, which is another post entirely.)

As a precautionary warning: this post and the sources linked will discuss racism and genocide. There will also be discussion of multiple kinds of abuse.

Now, your best approach will be to pick a nation or tribe and research them. However, what follows will be general references.

Terms that may come up in your research include Aboriginal/Native Canadian, American Indian/Native American, Inuit, Métis, and Mestizo. The latter two refer to cultural groups created after the discovery of the so-called New World. (Addendum made September 5th, 2020: Mestizo has negative connotations and originally meant "half breed" so stick with referring to your mixed Latine and Indigenous characters as mixed Indigenous or simply by the name of their people [Maya, Nahua].)

As a note, not every mixed person is Métis or Mestizo. If you are, say, Serbian and Anishinaabe, you would be mixed, but not Métis (the big M is important here, as it refers to a specific culture). Even the most liberal definition caps off at French and British ancestry alongside Indigenous (some say Scottish and English). Mestizo works the same, since it refers to descendants of Spanish conquistadors/settlers and Indigenous people.

Trouble figuring out whose land is where? No problem, check out this map.

Drawing

Don't draw us with red skin. It's offensive and stereotypical.

Tutorial for Native Skintones

Tutorial for Mixed Native Skintones

Why Many Natives Have Long Hair (this would technically fit better under another category, but give your Native men long hair!)

If You're Including Traditional Wear, Research! It's Out There

Languages

Remember, there are a variety of languages spoken by Indigenous people today. No two tribes will speak the same language, though there are some that are close and may have loan words from each other (Cree and Anishinaabemowin come to mind). Make sure your Diné (you may know them as Navajo) character doesn't start dropping Cree words.

Here's a Site With a Map and Voice Clips

Here's an Extensive List of Amerindian Languages

Keep in mind there are some sounds that have no direct English equivalents. But while we're at it, remember a lot of us speak English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. The languages of the countries that colonized us.

Words in Amerindian languages tend to be longer than English ones and are in the format of prefix + verb + suffix to get concepts across. Gaawiin miskwaasinoon is a complete sentence in Anishinaabemowin, for example (it is not red).

Names

Surprisingly, we don't have names like Passing Dawn or Two-Bears-High-Fiving in real life. A lot of us have, for lack of better phrasing, white people names. We may have family traditions of passing a name down from generation to generation (I am the fourth person in my maternal line to have my middle name), but not everyone is going to do that. If you do opt for a name from a specific tribe, make sure you haven't chosen a last name from another tribe.

Baby name sites aren't reliable, because most of the names on there will be made up by people who aren't Indigenous. That site does list some notable exceptions and debunks misconceptions.

Here's a list of last names from the American census.

Indian Names

You may also hear "spirit names" because that's what they are for. You know the sort of mystical nature-related name getting slapped on an Indigenous character? Let's dive into that for a moment.

The concept of a spirit name seems to have gotten mistranslated at some point in time. It is the name Creator calls you throughout all your time both here and in the spirit world. These names are given (note the word usage) to you in a ceremony performed by an elder. This is not done lightly.

A lot of imitations of this end up sounding strange because they don't follow traditional guidelines. (I realize this has spread out of the original circle, but Fallout fans may recall other characters in Honest Hearts and mods that do this. They have really weird and racist results.)

If you're not Indigenous: don't try this. You will be wrong.

Legal Terms

Now, sometimes the legal term (or terms) for a tribe may not be what they refer to themselves as. A really great example of this would be the Oceti Sakowin and "Sioux". How did that happen, you might be wondering. Smoky Mountain News has an article about this word and others, including the history of these terms.

For the most accurate information, you are best off having your character refer to themselves by the name their nation uses outside of legislation. A band name would be pretty good for this (Oglala Lakota, for example). I personally refer to myself by my band.

Cowboys

And something the Fallout New Vegas fans might be interested in, cowboys! Here's a link to a post with several books about Black and Indigenous cowboys in the Wild West.

Representation: Stereotypes and Critical Thought

Now, you'll need to think critically about why you want to write your Indigenous character a certain way. Here is a comprehensive post about stereotypes versus nuance.

Familiarize yourself with tropes. The Magical Indian is a pretty prominent one, with lots of shaman-type characters in movies and television shows. This post touches on its sister tropes (The Magical Asian and The Magical Negro), but is primarily about the latter.

Say you want to write an Indigenous woman. Awesome! Characters I love to see. Just make sure you're aware of the stereotypes surrounding her and other Women of Color.

Word to the wise: do not make your Indigenous character an alcoholic. "What, so they can't even drink?" You might be asking. That is not what I'm saying. There is a pervasive stereotype about Drunk Indians, painting a reaction to trauma as an inherent genetic failing, as stated in this piece about Indigenous social worker Jessica Elm's research. The same goes for drugs. Ellen Deloria is an example of this stereotype.

Familiarize yourself with and avoid the Noble Savage trope. This was used to dehumanize us and paint us as "childlike" for the sake of a plot device. It unfortunately persists today.

Casinos are one of the few ways for tribes to make money so they can build homes and maintain roads. However, some are planning on diversifying into other business ventures.

There's a stereotype where we all live off government handouts. Buddy, some of these long-term boil water advisories have been in place for over twenty years. The funding allocated to us as a percentage is 0.39%: less than half a percent to fight the coronavirus. They don't give us money.

"But what about people claiming to be descended from a Cherokee princess?" Cherokee don't and never had anything resembling princesses. White southerners made that up prior to the Civil War. As the article mentions, they fancied themselves "defending their lands as the Indians did".

Also, don't make your Indigenous character a cannibal. Cannibalism is a serious taboo in a lot of our cultures, particularly northern ones.

Our lands are not cursed. We don't have a litany of curses to cast on white people in found footage films. Seriously. We have better things to be doing. Why on earth would our ancestors be haunting you when they could be with their families? Very egotistical assumption.

Indigenous Ties and Blood Quantum

Blood quantum is a colonial system that was initially designed to "breed out the Indian" in people. To dilute our bloodlines until we assimilated properly into white society. NPR has an article on it here.

However, this isn't how a vast majority of us define our identities. What makes us Indigenous is our connections (or reconnection) to our families, tribes, bands, clans, and communities.

Blood quantum has also historically been used to exclude Black Natives from tribal enrollment, given that it was first based on appearance. So, if you looked Black and not the image of "Indian" the white census taker had in his brain, you were excluded and so were your descendants.

Here are two tumblrs that talk about Black Indigenous issues and their perspectives. They also talk about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia.

However, if you aren't Indigenous, don't bring up blood quantum. Don't. This is an issue you should not be speaking about.

Cherokee Princess Myth

"Princess" was not a real position in any tribe. The European idea of monarchy did not suddenly manifest somewhere else. The closest probable approximation may have been the daughter of a chief or other politically prominent person. But princess? No.

Here is an article talking about possible origins of this myth. Several things are of note here: women from other tribes may have bee shoved under this label and the idea of a "Cherokee Princess" had been brought up to explain the sudden appearance of a brown-skinned (read: half Black) family member.

For a somewhat more in depth discussion of why, specifically, this myth gets touted around so often, Timeline has this piece.

Religion

Our religions are closed. We are not going to tell you how we worship. Mostly because every little bit we choose to share gets appropriated. Smudging is the most recent example. If you aren't Indigenous, that's smoke cleansing. Smudging is done in a specific way with ceremonies and prayers.

Now, a lot of us were forcibly converted. Every residential school was run by Christians. So plenty of us are Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, etc. Catholicism in Latin America also has influence from the Indigenous religions in that region.

Having your Indigenous character pray or carry rosaries wouldn't be a bad thing, if that religion was important to them. Even if they are atheist, if they lived outside of a reserve or other Indigenous communities, they might have Christian influences due to its domination of the Western world.

Settler Colonialism and the White Savior Trope

Now we've come to our most painful section yet. Fallout unintentionally has an excellent agent of settler-colonialism, in particular the Western Christian European variety, in Caesar's Legion and Joshua Graham.

(Addendum: Honest Hearts is extremely offensive in its portrayal of Indigenous people, and egregiously shows a white man needing to "civilize" tribals and having to teach them basic skills. These skills include cooking, finding safe water, and defending themselves from other tribes.)

Before we dive in, here is a post explaining the concept of cultural Christianity, if you are unfamiliar with it.

We also need to familiarize ourselves with The White Man's Burden. While the poem was written regarding the American-Philippine war, it still captures the attitudes toward Indigenous folks all over the world at the time.

As this article in Teen Vogue points out, white people like to believe they need to save People of Color. You don't need to. People of Color can save themselves.

Now, cultural Christianity isn't alone on this side of the pond. Writer Teju Cole authored a piece on the White Savior Industrial Complex to describe mission trips undertaken by white missionaries to Africa to feed their egos.

Colonialism has always been about the acquisition of wealth. To share a quote from this paper about the ongoing genocide of Indigenous peoples: "Negatively, [settler colonialism] strives for the dissolution of native societies. Positively, it erects a new colonial society on the expropriated land base—as I put it, settler colonizers come to stay: invasion is a structure not an event. In its positive aspect, elimination is an organizing principal of settler-colonial society rather than a one-off (and superseded) occurrence. The positive outcomes of the logic of elimination can include officially encouraged miscegenation, the breaking-down of native title into alienable individual freeholds, native citizenship, child abduction, religious conversion, resocialization in total institutions such as missions or boarding schools, and a whole range of cognate biocultural assimilations. All these strategies, including frontier homicide, are characteristic of settler colonialism. Some of them are more controversial in genocide studies than others." (Positive, here, is referring to "benefits" for the colonizers. Indigenous people don't consider colonization beneficial.)

An example of a non-benefit, the Church Rock disaster had Diné children playing in radioactive water so the company involved could avoid bad publicity.

Moving on, don't sterilize your Indigenous people. Sterilization, particularly when it is done without consent, has long been used as a tool by the white system to prevent "undesirables" (read, People of Color and disabled people) from having children. Somehow, as of 2018, it wasn't officially considered a crime.

The goal of colonization was to eliminate us entirely. Millions died because of exposure to European diseases. Settlers used to and still do separate our children from us for reasons so small as having a dirty dish in the sink. You read that right, a single dirty dish in your kitchen sink was enough to get your children taken and adopted out to white families. This information was told to me by an Indigenous social work student whose name I will keep anonymous.

It wasn't until recently they made amendments to the Indian Act that wouldn't automatically render Indigenous women non-status if they married someone not Indigenous. It also took much too long for Indigenous families to take priority in child placement over white ones. Canada used to adopt Indigenous out to white American families. The source for that statement is further down, but adoption has been used as a tool to destroy cultures.

I am also begging you to cast aside whatever colonialist systems have told you about us. We are alive. People with a past, not people of the past, which was wonderfully said here by Frank Waln.

Topics to Avoid if You Aren't Indigenous

Child Separation. Just don't. We deserve to remain with our families and our communities. Let us stay together and be happy that way.

Assimilation schools. Do not bring up a tool for cultural genocide that has left lasting trauma in our communities.

W/ndigos. I don't care that they're in Fallout 76. They shouldn't be. Besides, you never get them right anyway.

Sk/nwalkers. Absolutely do not. Diné stories are not your playthings either.

I've already talked about drugs and alcohol. Do your research with compassion and empathy in mind. Indigenous people have a lot of pain and generational trauma. You will need to be extremely careful having your Indigenous characters use drugs and alcohol. If your character can be reduced to their (possible) substance abuse issues, you need to step back and rework it. As mentioned in Jessica Elm's research, remember that it isn't inherent to us.

For our final note: remember that we're complex, autonomous human beings. Don't use our deaths to further the stories of your white characters. Don't reduce us to some childlike thing that needs to be raised and civilized by white characters. We interact with society a little differently than you do, but we interact nonetheless.

Meegwetch (thank you) for reading! Remember to do your research and portray us well, but also back off when you are told by an Indigenous person.

This may be updated in the future, it depends on what information I come across or, if other Indigenous people are so inclined, what is added to this post.

#fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout 76 #fallout new vegas #fallout 1 #fallout 2 #fallout: new vegas #ozhibii'ige

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mikunology · 3 years ago

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Vocal Android AU Masterlist

OK, I’m doing this.

So that people who are on mobile can access stuff easier and I can keep track of things, I’m gonna make a masterlist of important AU stuff that I’ve made so far. This list will mostly refer to stuff that is pretty integral to the lore or characters, so you’ll have to check the big tag for anything else not included here. I’ll try my best to keep this updated. ^^

Overall Tag: Vocal Android Verse

Aesthetic Tag: Aesthetic, Inspiration

Sapporo Inspiration Tag (aka what the setting looks like): Worldbuilding

Associated/In-Universe Blogs: @ask-akaripiko, @ask-vocalandroid-miku, @askdefaultandpeaches, @ask-amaga-eru

Music

Tags: AU Theme Songs, AU Soundtrack

Official Playlists:

AU Main Playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Hatsune Miku character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Kagamine Rin character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Kagamine Len character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Kagamine Rin & Len relationship playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Megurine Luka character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

MEIKO/Dr. Sakine character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

KAITO/Dr. Shion character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Gumi character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Otomachi Una character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Fukase character playlist (VocaDB Listing)

Relevant Posts:

OP/ED Themes?

Basic Lore/Worldbuilding

Most Recent Premise Explanation/Main Characters

Character Profiles, Vol. 1 - CVs

Character Profiles, Vol. 2 - Meiko and Kaito

Media in Sapporo

Do the CV androids have weaknesses? (dubiously canon as of summer 2024)

Locations in Sapporo

How long does it take for a CV android’s personality to set in?

Characters/Headcanons

About Lapis

About Merli (2)

About Neru/Dialtone

Dex and Daina’s backstories

Unity-chan

Akikoloid

About Fukase (2)

Citizens of Sapporo, Pt.1 (Kiyoteru, Sonika, Nana, Al, Piko) (contains art but is also a lot of lore)

About Eleanor Forte + Potential idea

About VYs + ZOLA

About CYBERs

More About Kokone

Project Sekai Groups

UTAU group

What UTAUs will be featured in this AU?

Cryptons’ feelings towards being heroes...

Tsukasa and Mafuyu

Luka’s relationship with her family

The Kenmochi Academy Investigation Club (contains art)

Headcanon Tuning?

Mikudayo and Hachune?

A little bit about Adachi Rei

What were Rin and Len like before their personalities really developed?

Some chara development goals for the Cryptons

A bit about Matsudappoiyo and Keine Ron

Lil Miku and Len analysis...

Rin and Len’s relationship

Art Posts

Gumi’s Design

Eru and Nao

Cryptons Vs. Canines

Kaito’s Design

Macne Nana

Bad Guys

Otomachi Sisters

Class 3-C

Otomachi Una

Dex and Daina

Maika

Neru Supervillain Design (Dialtone)

Gumi and Len (old post but it’s still basically canon lol)

Meiko’s Design

Komachi and the Happiness and Peace of Mind Committee

Catwalk Envy + News 39 Episode Cards

Hibikase Episode Card

Ichika

Minori + episode scene???

Nostalogic Episode Card

More Miku & Neru bullshit

Miku and her names for Meiko

Futaba Minato

More Neru doodles

Fake Comic Cover

Lily

Angry powered-up Len

White Letter Episode Card

Flight Home

“Thank god I’m the only normal person here.”

The Professors

VY1 & VY2 designs (2024)

Why doesn’t Kaito like to sing anymore? (contains lore)

#au masterlist #vocal android verse #vocaloid au

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bellamioneotp · 4 years ago

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Bellamione Fics Master List #2

Another long list of good fics to enjoy!! I’m not categorizing this one, because I’m lazy as fuck.

Looks can be Deceiving The Golden Trio take down Voldemort but his icky ideologies still remain. Hermione takes them on head on, causing lots of bickering with Bellatrix that leads to eventual romance and lots of adventure. Gives off Kigo vibes in a way. Kigo/10

Curfew Hermione standing up against shitty governments, which is so on time right now. 7/10 for time to take the big man down.

Embracing the Darkness A Dark AU in which Hermione’s relationship with Ron is what triggers her spiral into a dark descent. The story hasn’t gone far into the premise yet. 6/10 for patience is needed to let the story unravel.

Hermione Noctis A soulmate au. It only has two chapters out but hopefully more will be updated? 6/10 for get ready for some soulmate shenanigans.

The Bitter Wake This starts off after Dumbledore’s death and features Bellamione helping each other out, and trying to navigate a changed world. 7/10 for this interesting plot.

Carpe Noctem Honestly, such a good read. It is a slow burn like no slow burn before I have read. Hermione’s in love with another woman but it begins to morph into a love for Bellatrix. The story leaves off on such a cliff hanger and I hope at some point it will be continued. It’s worth the read for the amazingly well thought and planned out plot, the amount of detail in the story, and the rich environment. 10/10 it’s time to seize some reading glasses because this story is thick boi.

Destined A time travel fic! Picks up after the battle at the Department of Mysteries. A good read and the Bellamione is well written. 7/10 for pack your bags it’s time we time travel.

Oblivate This one has been ongoing since 2013 so don’t expect any fast updates. Additionally, the writing style is a bit rough at the beginning but the plot’s interesting and it builds up quite nicely. 6/10 for the long update times that will oblivate your memory of the plot and make you have to re-read the chapters.

The Asset It’s pretty much an assassin fic. Hermione is Bellatrix’s handler and they go on missions. You can imagine how well that goes. Features a Russian!Bellatrix which I didn’t know I needed but I need about ten thousand more fics of her like this, yes please. 8/10 for this international thriller that gives off Killing Eve vibes.

The Black Sister’s Act Basically a sister act spin off. Lots of fun to read but hard to tell if the author will continue this story. 3/10 for that’s how many sisters there are.

The Romanov Prophecy features the rise of the house of Romanov. Slightly Anastasia vibes and featuring battles and prophecies. And of course, Bellamione that is predestined by the stars. 6/10 for make it Anastasia but gay.

Hell of a Witch I can’t find this fic anymore, but if you can manage to find it, read it. It’s pretty good; you’ll have to take my word for it. 6/10 for where the hell did this go?!

Arsonist’s Lullaby Fire and Bellamione. What more could you want? Also features my good friend angst in copious amounts and a reformed Bellatrix (sorta). 7/10 for this lullaby will not put you to sleep.

Toujours Pur A fic in which the main characters don’t try to change each other. Also told from first person pov that switches around. Only a few chapters out but hopefully more will be on their way. 8/10 for this story is pure Bellamione.

Rosier’s Prophecy This fic is currently under construction but it features time travel and prophecies with the three sisters Black traveling to the future to meet the Golden Trio in an effort to be saved by their mother. 7/10 interesting concept that I hope we get to see more of.

Love’s Odyssey in Death’s Design AHHHHHHHH please update. Basically a reformed Bellatrix in which she is given a chance to be a better person but it comes at the hands of a helping Hermione. And boy oh boy, they are not buddies. Love/love for love.

Strange and Beautiful, This one can be found on Deviantart unlike the other fics which were found on fanfiction. 5/10 for reading on Deviantart is weird?

The Black Mouse and the Lost Girl A short but complete fanfic, where Hermione and Bellatrix both see different sides of each other than what they expected. This changes their whole perspective on each other and leads to a changed relationship. The romance moves fast in this one. Mouse and cat/10 for this mouse named fic.

Signiferis mortis et Aeterna lux In which the bad guys have won and the good guys have to hide. Along the way, Bellatrix and Hermione fall in love. This fic has stopped updating but it’s still worth a look if you’re running dry on Bellamione fics. 7/10 for just bookmark this fic because it takes too long to type up the name in the search bar.

Alternative Black A fic with a hefty 50 chapters, and it’s finished! Involves some canon with an alternative ending to it. This fic isn’t too dark and is evenly paced. And it provides an entertaining other version of Bellatrix and Hermione’s relationship. 7/10 for a good alternative to alternatives.

Altera Aretla A parallel universe fic, in which a lot of stuff is unexpected. Good premise and fun to read. The chapters are short and there’s not a lot out yet but it’s worth a look. 7/10 for these chapters need to be longer.

The Woman in the Attic is a Victorian Gothic-esque story. It updates monthly so far and the chapters are thick. Bellatrix is a bit crazy in this one but there seems to be more to it than meets the eye. Of course Hermione is there to make things better. This AU type seems promising. 7/10 for I can’t wait to see how their relationship evolves.

Breaking the Window In which it’s kinda a time travel fic but not really? Featuring a pool and war, and Bellatrix and Hermione try to figure out a way to save the world while decades apart. 7/10 for let’s get wet.

Through Sand and Sea This fic has 86 chapters out (at the time of writing this) so if you need a long juicy Bellamione story to read, look no further! it is a slow burn so there will be a lot of sand before you reach the sea, if you get what I mean. 8/10 for don’t be salty when your eyes hurt after reading over 300k words.

In the Darkest of Shadows is the prequel to that one teacher fic on ao3 that we all know about (right?). Reading it adds more to that extended Teacher-verse. 7/10 for Miss Bellatrix, can you grade me more harshly?

There Will be Love (Not Half as Much as Privilege) Which is a massive fic that basically looks at war in the HP universe. It has other additional fics relating to it as well, so if you really need an immersive Bellamione fic with lots of material to get through for that long weekend at the house of that aunt you hate, this would work. 6/10 for that’s about as much as I got through.

Child of the Dark Which I am going to label as a Dark AU just because. It features lies, deceit, and Hermione trying to get to the bottom of it all, during her fifth year at Hogwarts. I wanna go home/10 because it deals with Hermione being kidnapped and other dark themes.

I Need your Lavender Kiss A cafe AU. served piping hot! Only two chapters out but hopefully there will be more. 7/10 because Starbucks who?

A Trip to Space Is a bit of a crackfic but is a nice palette cleanser from the more serious fics. Bellamione do drugs. It’s a one shot. Infinity/10 because they’re just gone to space, man.

There’s an Old Myth Is a two chapter fic about werewolves. It gets pretty hairy. Full moon/10 because they look pretty under moonlight.

Give me Control Which is about- you guessed it!- giving control. A smutty one shot/10 for those smutty yet tender feels.

Sore Loser Which is a smutty Halloween fic. Trick or treat/10 for give me some sugah, honey.

These fics need no introduction:

Those Gilded Chains we Wear

Our Mercurial Selves

All these stories can be found either on Ffnet or ao3.

#harry potter #harry potter fic recommendations #bellamione #bellamione fic recommendations #bellatrix lestrange #hemrione granger #witch fics #dark au #werewolves #magic #fics #fanfiction #ao3 #come get y'all juice #bellamione fic list #smutty fics #one shots #long fics

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daily-ron-fnf · 4 days ago

Note

we need pony ron to come back right NEOWW!!! /j

Day 280

#daily ron fnf #bob mod #bobs onslaught #fnf ron #ron fnf #you asked for this..#also i updated the design a teensy bit

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minettestan · 4 years ago

Note

Do you have a tag for games you recommend? I'm always looking for new games and my experience with point and click or 90s computer games is sorely lacking.

💕My favorite question💕 I took one of my old posts and updated it, so here!

💕 Personal Favorite

💀 Scary Content

👧 Female Protagonist

✨ Important to the genre’s history

📚 Tricky for new players, look up controls or a walkthrough to get started

❕ Difficult

👿 Potential insensitive content

The Colonel’s Bequest (1989) $5.99 💕✨👧💀❕📚

“It is the year 1925, and the roaring '20s are well underway. As Laura Bow, young college student, you've been invited to visit the Colonel's isolated estate. Watch as the Colonel announces his intention to bequeath his millions to all present!”

The classic Sierra murder mystery game, developed by the mother of the genre Roberta Williams. Laura Bow is a sorely overlooked female protagonist. The game works by navigating Laura and typing in commands, kinda of tricky at first. Tons of game overs are a hallmark of a Sierra adventure game so save often! If you play the GOG.com version you get the benefit of autosaves. This game runs a timer, the events of the night will unfold with or without you so stay on your toes and keep moving! The game can be found for free here, but imo the $5.99 is worth it for the easy of access.

The Dagger of Amon-Ra (1992) $5.99 👧✨❕📚👿💀

“Laura Bow, intrepid heroine of The Colonel's Bequest, is back! This time she's trapped in a huge, imposing museum in the dead of night, surrounded by socialites, miscreants, thieves...and a cold, relentless murderer.“

Roberta Williams is back! Iconic game, iconic heroine. It’s still a Sierra game so like TCB there are tons of (iconic) game overs, so save often. Solving puzzles in this one gives me a great serotonin rush. Unfortunately, this game has some racism issues, particularly with the characters Lo Fat and Ramses. While an important game in the genre take it with a huge grain of salt and maybe turn of the (kind of awful) voice acting and enable text-only mode and you’ll avoid some awful accents.

Sam & Max: Hit the Road (1993) $5.99 💕✨

“Sam (a canine shamus) and Max (a hyperkinetic rabbity thing) are hot on the trail of a runaway carnival bigfoot across America’s quirky underbelly in this deranged animated adventure!“

Sam & Max are truly my favorite characters in all of fiction. I have the box art to this game as my phone case. I have Sam & Max action figures, a plush Max on my bed, a print edition of Sam & Max Freeland Police Special #1 framed on my wall. From comics, to games, to cartoons I love these guys. Sam & Max: Hit the Road is a classic of the Lucasarts adventure games. That being said, it’s the least user-friendly of the Sam & Max adventure games and the slowest. I still love it to bits and it’s important to the genre’s history imo.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (1993) $5.99 💕💀👿

“The adventure of Gabriel Knight starts with gathering materials for his new book, and ends up becoming a fight for his very soul. He must now face countless dangers in New Orleans, Africa and Germany, each bringing him ever closer to unraveling the mystery behind suspicious voodoo murders. Haunted by nightmares, he won't give up until he reveals the truth. “

Another Sierra game directed by a woman, Jane Jenson. Gabriel Knight, voiced by Tim Curry, is one of my favorite adventure game protagonists of all time. This game is scary and gory so enter at your own risk! I love the gameplay in this one, I love the narrator, I love the puzzles. But it seems Sierra games have some problems with the representation of minorities. The game is set in New Orleans and focuses on a voodoo cult. Which means consequently the game's major antagonists are all black. Unlike the Dagger of Amon Ra, Sins of the Fathers actually employed black actors to play black characters. There’s a lot to be said about the ways in which white media demonizes voodoo and those who practice it. If you play this one, remain critical. And for the love of god, don’t play the 20th anniversary version.

Day of the Tentacle: Remastered (1993/2016) $14.99 ✨👧❕

“Originally released by LucasArts in 1993 as a sequel to Ron Gilbert’s ground breaking Maniac Mansion, Day of the Tentacle is a mind-bending, time travel, cartoon puzzle adventure game in which three unlikely friends work together to prevent an evil mutated purple tentacle from taking over the world!“

Another classic LucasArts game! This was the first game co-headed by Tim Schaffer who would go on to make the outstanding Grim Fandango! This one is exceedingly wacky and the remastered version has made it more user-friendly than ever.

Toonstruck (1996) $9.99 💕

“Drew Blanc is a cartoon animator and the original creator of the Fluffy Fluffy Bun Bun Show.. Drew's boss, Sam Schmaltz, sets him the task of designing more bunnies to co-star in the Fluffy Fluffy Bun Bun Show by the next morning. However, the depressed animator soon nods off, suffering from acute artist's block. He wakes early the next morning to inexplicably find his television switched on, announcing the Fluffy Fluffy Bun Bun Show. Suddenly, Drew is mysteriously drawn into the television screen and transported to an idyllic two-dimensional cartoon world populated by his own creations, among many other cartoon characters.“

If you’re a fan of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? you’ll love this. Christopher Lloyd is Drew Blanc (ha) trying to save a cartoon world through inventory item puzzles. Truly wacky, zany, and ani-mainy. I played Toontown as a kid so I’m predisposed to like this one. This is also the only game with Full Motion Video I’m putting on the list because FMV games can be an acquired taste.

Grim Fandango (1996/2015) $14.99 💕✨

“Something's rotten in the land of the dead, and you're being played for a sucker. Meet Manny Calavera, travel agent at the Department of Death. He sells luxury packages to souls on their four-year journey to eternal rest. But there's trouble in paradise. Help Manny untangle himself from a conspiracy that threatens his very salvation.“

Yesssssssss! I LOVE Grim Fandango! The iconic game directed by Tim Schaffer has received the best remaster I’ve seen a point n’ click receive. I cannot recommend Grim Fandango enough! Stick with it through the forest section, trust me.

The Last Express (1997) $5.99 ❕ 📚

“Paris, 1914. The world is on the brink of war and this train could push it over the edge. You are Robert Cath, a young American urgently summoned by your old friend Tyler Whitney to join him aboard the Paris-Constantinople express, departing from the Gare de l'Est on July 24th. Arriving late, you discover something has gone terribly wrong. Now you must untangle a complex web of political intrigue, suspense, romance, and betrayal. Every move you make could bring you closer to the truth or your own demise. Bon voyage! “

Ooooh I love a murder on a train! This game features rotoscope animation, which I love. Like The Colonel’s Bequest this game runs in real time, meaning the events of the game will unfold with or without you, depending on where you are at what time you’ll receive different information or see/miss different events. Very replayable with several different outcomes.

Sam & Max Save the World (Remastered) $19.99 💕

“ Sam is a six-foot canine detective with a love of justice. Max is a hyperkinetic rabbity-thing with a taste for mayhem. Together, they're the Freelance Police. And they're about to save the world.”

Sam & Max Save the World, originally released in episodes from 2006-2008 has been remastered and looks AMAZING! After LucasArts was shut down their game devs formed Tell Tale Games and produced three seasons of Sam & Max sequel games, all of which are great. But TellTale was shut down (and screwed over their employees) in 2018. Since then some of their devs have formed Skunkape Games and are currently remastering all of Tell Tale’s Sam & Max series (I’m thrilled). They’ve also adjusted some aspects of the game to make the game more inclusive and less **offensive. So imo it’s worth it to wait for the release of the other seasons to experience Sam & Max in pristine condition. Save the World is the only season out now, but you can get the non-remastered versions of Beyond Time and Space, and In The Devil’s Playhouse, here and here.

**I should note the “offensive” material in the original is not as egregious as say, The Dagger of Amon-Ra, but it’s just a nice change to see especially in a game I hold dear.

Emerald City Confidential (2009) $9.99 👧

“Explore the underbelly of Oz as Emerald City's most cunning detective! As Petra, you'll be lured deep into mysteries involving new foes and familiar faces; Scarecrow, Lion, and Toto included! This is Oz as you've never seen it before! Solve the mystery and unravel a conspiracy of magic and intrigue! Follow a case through five chapters full of puzzles, witnesses, suspects, and allies in this twist on a timeless classic! “

We’re moving out of the 1990s now. Emerald City Confidential is the Wizard of Oz meets film noir. I played this as 13 year old and have revisited it as an adult and I still eat it up. Wadjet Eye makes consistently good adventure games so check this one out!

The Blackwell Series (2006) $14.99 💕👧

“Meet Rosangela Blackwell, an embittered writer who just found out that she is a medium and that it’s her mission, whether she likes it or not, to assist tormented spirits and investigate other supernatural goings-on. She is assisted by the sardonic Joey Mallone, a ghost from the 1930s.”

Another Wadjet Eye game! I’ve seen these games recommended amoungst the Clue Crew before and I’ll just throw my own endorsement on the pile. Yeah I’m in love with Joey Mallone. What about it?

The Charnel House Trilogy (2015) $5.99 👧💀

“Witness The Charnel House Trilogy, the chronicle of one fateful night aboard a train bound for Augur Peak. Three thrilling, horrifying adventure games in one, from the depths of the Sepulchre.”

Plays like Blackwell, has a Blackwell reference at the beginning, okay you got me. This is a good, if kinda short, game. It’s very creepy, involves murder and has some gore/violence so watch out! I’m still waiting on the sequel Owl Cave!

Thimbleweed Park (2017) $19.99 👧

“A haunted hotel, an abandoned circus, a burnt-out pillow factory, a dead body pixelating under the bridge, toilets that run on vacuum tubes... you’ve never visited a place like this before.“

Made by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick the creators of the classic games Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island Thimbleweed Park is a love letter to the classics of the point and click adventure genre. Features 5 different playable characters, ala Maniac Mansion, who and how many you play is up to you! This one also has stand alone DLCs!

Unavowed (2018) $14.99 👧

“ A demon possessed you one year ago. Since that day, you unwillingly tore a trail of bloodshed through New York City. Your salvation comes in the form of the Unavowed – an ancient society dedicated to stopping evil.”

Okay I haven’t actually played this one, but I want to. Its a Wadjet Eye so you know it’s good. From the reviews I’ve seen this is the Blackwell Series meets Dragon Age. A point and click that incorporates RPG elements, I love that.

I also have a love of the more, strange, and unusual adventure games that I can't necessarily recommend with good conscience. So if you want bizarre 90s and early 2000s games of dubious quality hit me up.

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violet-of-the-stars · 3 years ago

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Welp today I have been brainrotting about the whole going back in time thing- so here’s some ideas/headcanons I have about the upcoming characters for that!

Beta

Like Bob, he uses he/they pronouns, cuz I just think he gives those vibes- he doesn’t really care though. As long as you don’t use she/her they don’t mind anything. He’s also autistic! I’m gonna need to do some research on autism at some point tho- their special interest was originally dinosaurs. But I don’t know why I did that. His interest is singing now. Also. Their antenna glows purple. I’m thinkin he was like, kinda ostracized because he’s seen as too nice and annoying by the rest of their species cause they’re kind of assholes. He’s the kind of guy to consider everyone he meets his friend immediately. They’re usually very cheery and confident, but I might change his personality a bit when I add him. He’s still gonna be a sweetheart tho

Mean BF

He used to be the drummer for Pico’s band, but now he’s got a solo career as a punk rock singer guy. Out of the three boyfriends, he’s the one with the smallest following. He’s kind of popular, but doesn’t have nearly the amount of fans Beta and Blue do. He’s real tired of living in their shadows. On to less sad stuff- he’s a shapeshifter! He isn’t the best at it, though. He’s usually just like. A pile of goop. But he holds a human-like form to fit in with his friends. But mostly because he likes wearing clothes. He’s kind of just. Sad and somewhat mad all the time, and pretty blunt. Thus the name Mean Boyfriend. But. He does seem kinda happy when he’s hanging out with Beta.

Ron

friend shaped. He’s really friendly and outgoing and a very good listener. He loves learning about other people, but that’s probably because that’s what he’s programmed to do- The more he hangs with other people, the more he can form his own personality. Sometimes he like. Copies other people. Like let’s say you’re drawing or something. He might take out a paper and draw what you’re drawing too. He was shut down for like three years, so he’s kind of slow sometimes, or he’ll like lose his train of thought at random times. He’s also more forgetful now.

Oswald

I haven’t designed him yet but I have IDEAS. He’s like. A kangaroo instead of a rabbit. And you know how the normal one is like insecure about being kinda old? Minus Oswald is literally fuckin like. 13. And he’s also got terrible luck. Always. He tries to be a good kid. It’s just he hangs out with the wrong crowd. And he wants to be a boxer when he grows up! I just liked that idea. He and Roy used to be close back in the day, until Roy got taken to the lab and experimented on. They’re still close! Or they would be. Unfortunately our lil unlucky bean got turned into a feral glitchy monster and Rob had to kill him :(

I don’t really have any ideas for Gold yet- but when inspiration strikes I will update

#just some bored kid/ ooc #tales of another world/ lore dump

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fanfictionaries · 4 years ago

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Oh So Many Years: Ch. 14 - In The Morning

Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fred Weasley

Summary:

Hermione arrives at Grimmauld Place

Warnings: Swearing, Death, Smut/18+ NSFW

Author’s Note:

I update every week before midnight on Sundays (US MST) (except that one time)!

Please feel free to like, comment, and reblog! xoxo

Masterlist

<<Chapter 13

I can't stop myself from calling calling out your name I can't stop myself from falling falling back again

July 17th came around sooner than Fred was truly ready for and before he knew it, his father and Ron were leaving Grimmauld Place to meet Hermione and her parents in Diagon Alley. They had extended the invitation to George and himself as well, but the two of them opted to stay behind to help Ginny get things ready for her arrival. Or at least that’s what George told their mum and dad. Instead, they planned to use that time to work on welcoming Hermione back the only way they knew how.

“Okay, we’ve got – fake wand, spitting teapot, nose-biting tea cup, Ton-Tongue Toffee, Canary Creams, those Nosebleed Nougats we’ve been working on, aaaaand then of course we can always just turn her scarf into a snake or something,” listed George, looking down critically at the products in his trunk.

“You’re overthinking it, mate,” said Fred, chewing on the side of his thumb as he shuffled through his work notes on the desk.

“Well then, please enlighten me Freddie,” George huffed, placing his hands on his hips and turning to his twin.

“We can just apparate downstairs as soon as she gets here and scare her. She’ll never see it coming.” It was true. While Fred and George had passed their apparition tests first try the previous spring, Hermione had not been around enough to see them practice.

“What? A jump scare? That seems a bit cheap, don’t you think?”

“Since when have you cared how we pull pranks?” laughed Fred. “You’ve never been particularly choosy before.” With satisfaction, Fred finally found the piece of parchment he’d been searching for and pulled it to the top of his pile of notes. It was his ingredient list for Fever Fudge. He and George had spent the entirety of their free time so far that summer developing a themed line for their business and Fred felt like they finally had it. Now they just needed to make the products. And they needed Hermione’s help. Hermione. The familiar twisting and churning in his stomach returned every time he thought of her. What was it about the little witch that made him so bloody nervous? His palms sweat, his neck got hot, and his stomach ached whenever her soon to be visit was brought to the forefront of his mind that week. It was ridiculous. It was only Hermione after all. Even if he did fancy her at one point, that was off the table now. He was with Angelina and she still fancied his brother. The only thing to do was to get back to normal, go back to the way things were before he found himself lusting after his baby brother’s friend, go back to when they were simply just friends.

“I suppose we could do it when she’s standing next to Walburga. That’ll certainly give her a fright,” mused George, closing his trunk with a heavy thump of the lid.

“Now you’re getting it, Georgie boy!” Fred stacked the parchment and moved around quills and ink bottles, doing his best to tidy up the small workspace. Hermione was sure to make a comment on their messiness the minute she saw it. She always did.

“You seem in better spirits—” George leaned casually against the wall near the open window and looked at Fred with an annoyingly knowing smirk “—Hermione’s visit wouldn’t have anything to do with that. Would it?”

Fred scoffed. “It has everything to do with her visit, Georgie. We need a pair of fresh eyes to go over these product designs and it’ll be someone else to talk to in this depressing place besides you.”

George opened his mouth, clearly ready to refute Fred’s statement when a large tawny owl soared through the open window and landed on the bottom left-hand corner of the desk. The owl had a stately, professional manner, akin to the owls used at Hogwarts. Taking the letter from its claws, Fred gave the owl a small treat and watched as it spread its wings and soared back out through the open window. He turned the envelope over in his hands and saw that it was addressed to him. The words were in a neat scrawl he recognized immediately, and so he tore into the envelope with enthusiasm.

Dear Fred,

I’m so sorry I haven’t written to you. Quidditch camp has kept me really busy. They have us running so many drills, I barely have the energy to eat at the end of the day. But, as I’m the new Gryffindor quidditch team captain (remember don’t tell anyone, it’s still a secret), it’s important that I know everything there is to know. I hope your summer is going well, though!

I will try to write more later, but I wanted to send you a quick note to let you know I’ve gotten your letters.

Yours,

Angelina

P.S. – You won’t believe who’s an instructor here. Oliver Wood! Can you believe it?

Fred threw the letter down onto the desk with a sigh. She clearly hadn’t read his letters. If she had, then she would have known that his summer was not going well. Feeling close enough with Angelina and taking the fact that she was his girlfriend into consideration, he’d shared with her his lamentings of his overbearing mother and the general stodginess of the home they were currently staying in. He hoped to get a tad bit of sympathy or maybe even acknowledgement. But instead, he got a few short lines and news on Oliver Wood. He smirked at the last bit. At least he could be certain that Oliver Wood was there to torture her with his insane quidditch practices and long-winded speeches on hard work and diligence.

“Who’s it from?” asked George.

“Angelina,” answered Fred, bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of his head as he stared at the discarded letter on the desk in front of him.

“What’s it say?”

The sound of the front door opening downstairs caught the pair’s attention and Fred stood, grabbing the letter, and tucking it into his pocket. “Don’t worry about it. Hermione’s here. Let’s go,” he said pointing to the door with a tilt of his head.

Sneaking down the hallway, they leaned over the banister and spied the top of Hermione’s frizzy head. They watched as she walked slowly down the entry hall, looking side to side as she took in the ominous visage of the ancient Black home. She was almost to the end of the hallway where it split into three separate directions when Fred looked to his brother and with a nod, and apparated. Fred felt the familiar pull at his navel and the thrilling sensation of the air being sucked from the space around him before he landed effortlessly beside Hermione. Half of a second later George appeared at her other side.

“Wotcher Granger!” they exclaimed in unison, immediately dissolving into laughter when Hermione jumped with fright. The poor little witch let out a startled yelp, falling back into the covered portrait of Sirius Black’s mother Walburga.

Upon being woken up the nasty woman began to spit her usual vitriol, “Filth! Mudbloods! Blood traitors! In my home! The disgrace! Out! Out!”

“Fred! George! How many times have I told you to leave that portrait be?!” screamed their mother, appearing in the kitchen doorway to their right.

“Wasn’t us mum!” yelled Fred in their defense, still trying to stifle his laughter.

“Yeah mum, Hermione’s the one that screamed and pulled the sheet down!” agreed George, slinging an arm over the shoulders of Hermione who currently looked incredibly displeased.

“Right, well I wonder why that was—” their mother scowled “—get! All of you, out of here while I fix this. Ron, help me, will you dear?”

Ron, who’d been leading Hermione down the hallway stepped forward and grabbed the sheet with their mum. Meanwhile, Fred and George followed their mother’s instructions and led Hermione into the kitchen.

“You two are biggest prats!” scolded Hermione, setting her bag down on the kitchen table.

“Maybe, but you still love us,” said George cheekily before pulling her into a tight hug. Hermione smiled, her irritation visibly melting away as she hugged George back. Once his twin brother had released her, Hermione turned to Fred, both of them fully intending to hug as well. But then they stopped, both jerking forward awkwardly before settling on a very stiff and uncomfortable handshake.

“Frederick,” she greeted him politely.

Fred cleared his throat before answer, “Granger.” They continued to shake hands, their arms sticking out in front of them for much too long as they stared at each other, unsure of what to say. “You’ve gotten taller,” Fred finally remarked, noticing the way she no longer came to his shoulder, but instead reached just past his chin. He released her hand lamely and brought it up to scratch the back of his head.

“Yes, well, it appears I’ve been through a bit of a growth spurt the last month or so,” she answered, before reaching for the clasp at her neck and divesting herself of her light travel robes. Growth spurt was right, thought Fred as he stared unabashedly at Hermione. Not only had she gotten taller, but her once lanky body had given way to a very womanly form. He exchanged a quick look with George, whose flabbergasted expression clearly stated that he too was witnessing the same phenomenon. Hermione Granger had gotten hot. Very hot. Swallowing thickly, Fred wanted nothing more than to burst into flames literally and figuratively. Being dead, he reasoned, would be better than dealing with the hot fresh hell of Hermione Granger surely coming into her own body the moment he had decided his attraction to her was off the table. Almost mockingly, the corner of the envelope that held Angelina’s letter poked into his thigh.

“Is that a new sweater, ‘Mione?” asked George. Fred shot a glare in George’s direction. While his question appeared to be innocent, Fred knew it was an obvious jab at the fact that not only was Hermione not wearing something three times her size, but the sweater in question outlined her new curves so perfectly that Fred had to consciously keep his eyes trained on her face.

“Oh—” Hermione looked down at her outfit “—yes. My mum insisted we go shopping before I left. Got me a whole new wardrobe and everything. Something about putting me in better spirits or something.”

“Why would you need to be in better—”

“My, my, my, well if it isn’t Hermione Granger,” the voice of Sirius Black cut Fred’s question off. He watched as Hermione turned excitedly and spotted the older wizard leaning against the doorframe that led into the dining room. The witch crossed the room enthusiastically, allowing Sirius to envelope her in a tight hug.

“Sirius! It’s so good to see you!” exclaimed Hermione, letting out a small squeak when Sirius lifted her into the air.

“Same to you,” he said with an exaggerated groan before setting her back on her feet and holding her at arm’s length. “Look at you! Is this really the same mousy little girl that saved my life two years ago?” asked Sirius teasingly before leading her to the kitchen table.

“Hold on a minute. We haven’t heard that story,” said George. The comment caught Fred’s attention as well. While the two had been informed by both Ron after his third year and their mum and dad that summer that Sirius Black was not the man they thought him to be, they had never heard exactly how he officially escaped his capture.

“Really? She only traveled back in time and road on the back of a hippogriff to break me out of my cell,” said Sirius, looking down proudly at a flushing Hermione. “Would you like some tea dear?” he asked Hermione.

“We’ll get it,” said George, pulling a stunned Fred around and towards the counter. “Well that’s interesting.”

“Which part?” asked Fred, reeling from the combination of Hermione’s figure, and finding out that she traveled through time?

George chuckled at his comment and the pair began to make a nice afternoon tea. Merlin, being able to use magic whenever he wanted was so convenient, thought Fred as with just a few flicks of their wands, the tea was prepared, and a nice plate of biscuits was ready. Levitating the cups, teapot, sugar, milk, and biscuits to the table, they took their seats at the table as well.

“Now, tell us all the sordid details of this breakout and don’t hold anything back,” said George firmly, reaching across the table and grabbing a biscuit.

Fred listened intently as Sirius began his story, grabbing a cup and preparing Hermione’s tea. She seemed surprised when he set the cup in front of her and even more surprised when she took a sip. The younger witch shot him a curious glance before taking another sip and grabbing a biscuit as well. What? Did she not think he remembered how she took her tea? wondered Fred before making his own.

By the end of his story, Sirius was smiling widely, Hermione was blushing furiously, and Fred and George were staring blankly. Ron, who had joined them halfway through, looked bored having already heard the story before from Harry and Hermione.

“Blimey,” said Fred, unsure of what else even to say. “Do you ever stop getting cooler, Hermione?” Fred’s ears grew hot in embarrassment, but the small smile Hermione gave him cooled the heat slightly.

“I’ve always been cool, Fred. Maybe you’ve just been too thick to notice.”

Fred gave a small chuckle, joined by the rest of the table. Just like that, the heavy weight of tension that had been present between him and Hermione since the moment she arrived lifted slightly.

“So, is anyone going to explain to me where I am exactly and what’s going on, or am I supposed to guess it at some point?” asked Hermione, looking around her with an exasperated look.

“I’m sorry kitten, I thought Arthur told you,” said Sirius.

Fred prickled. He didn’t quite like the way Sirius called her ‘kitten’.

“This—” Sirius motioned to the space around them “—is my childhood home. Left to me as the last living heir to the Black fortune. I volunteered it to Dumbledore for the Order.”

“The Order?” Hermione scrunched her brow in confusion.

“The Order of the Phoenix,” Ron chimed in, as if the name alone would be explanation enough.

“We’re like Death Eaters, but for the good side,” added George with a grin.

“Not yet you aren’t!” exclaimed their mum, striding into the kitchen with a scowl on her face.

Fred huffed in annoyance. He and George had been keen to join the Order ever since they learned about it, but their mum was adamantly against it. “Come on mum, we’re seventeen! It’s not your choice anymore.”

“Like hell it isn’t. You watch your tone with me Frederick Weasley. As long as you live under my roof, you do as I say. Is that clear?”

Fred and George rolled their eyes, turning back towards the table.

“There’s an Order meeting tonight Hermione,” said George.

“You can learn all about it after. Most of the members usually stay for dinner,” added Fred.

“In the meantime, don’t you want to check out your room?” George stressed the question, widening his eyes and tilting his head towards the door leading to the entry hall.

“Do I?—” Hermione gave them a confused look before her eyebrows lifted in realization “—I mean, yes, of course.” She stood from the table, moving to follow Fred and George out of the kitchen before stopping at the door and turning back to the table. “It was so lovely to see you again Sirius. Shall we catch up more later?”

“Absolutely kitten. Have fun…checking out your room.”

Fred grabbed Hermione around the upper arm, pulling her from the kitchen and back into the now silent entry hall. The portrait of Walburga Black was once again covered by the old sheet, but he watched as Hermione still gave it a wide birth. “Hold tight,” he said to the witch in his grasp before apparating them both up to his and George’s bedroom.

Hermione landed next to him, gripping the front of Fred’s shirt tightly in her fist as she doubled over, breathing heavily.

“Alright ‘Mione?” asked Fred, trying not to focus on the way she held onto him.

“You absolute BERK!” She released his shirt, reeling back to slap him across the chest. It stung a bit, but Fred laughed all the same, figuring he deserved it. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to apparate someone without telling them first?! It’s incredibly—oh god, I think I may be sick.”

“Come now, Hermione. That doesn’t sound like someone who time traveled and helped a convicted felon escape from authorities,” said George, walking past the two of them to open their trunks and begin pulling out products.

“Where did you even get a time-turner in the first place? Aren’t they regulated by the ministry?” asked Fred, walking over to gather his notes for Hermione.

“Professor McGonagall got it for me. She had to write a lot of letters to the ministry about how I was an exemplary student and wouldn’t use it irresponsibly. I signed up for every class, you see, and so the only way to take all of them was to use the time-turner.” Hermione had now straightened up. She looked a little less green as she walked towards them and peered down at products spread out across the bed.

Fred laughed. “If that isn’t the swottiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Watch it,” Hermione warned casually as she picked up a pair of extendable ears with equal fascination and revulsion. To be fair, the accurate imitation of flesh was a bit much, but that’s what Fred and George loved most about them.

“Speaking of swottiness—” George gave Fred an impish smirk before leaping forward and grabbing the large stack of parchment from Fred “—Fred made you this. It’s all our product designs, some of them old, some of them new, some of them not yet tested.”

“No notebook?” Hermione asked, exchanging for Extendable Ears for the stack of parchment, and looking at Fred with a teasing smile.

“Now, why would I give you my notebook? No, these are your copies,” admitted Fred, looking intently at Hermione’s face as she sorted through the pile.

“You made me copies. I’ve never known you to be so…fastidious Fred. Wow, you two really have been busy,” said Hermione in amazement as she continued to sift through the large pile of parchment.

“Yes, well, that’s about seven months of missed inventing time, Miss Granger. A lot happens when you’re not going about snogging professional quidditch players,” stated George.

“I was not going about snogging Viktor!” cried Hermione in indignation, turning the color of a ripe tomato.

“You weren’t?” Fred found himself asking, before he could stop himself.

Hermione looked back to him shyly, running her hands over her hair to flatten it down. Fred kept his eyes trained on the girl’s face, fighting very hard to not let them drift down to view the magnificent way her sweater stretched when she lifted her arms. “I mean…” Hermione drifted off, earning a wolf whistle from George who she promptly sent a scathing glare at.

Fred felt the all too familiar sinking feeling in his stomach return, but this time mixed with the overwhelming urge to take Hermione in his arms and kiss her till all thoughts of Viktor Krum were gone from her memory. He looked away from her, distracting himself with the products on the bed as he tried to process his reaction. It wasn’t his place to be jealous. Hermione was a free and single girl – she was more than welcome to snog whoever she wanted – and he had a girlfriend. He shouldn’t be jealous. He really shouldn’t be jealous. But he was.

A knock on their door pulled the three’s attention. The door opened to reveal Ron looking mildly annoyed.

“This isn’t your room ‘Mione. Yours is down the hall,” he said, crossing his arms and looking suspiciously at Fred and George.

“Hermione—” Ginny’s voice sounded from behind Ron “—come on! We’re sharing a room. I’ve got your bed all made up and everything.”

“Oh right. Fred and George were just showing me their summer homework,” Hermione replied, holding up the stack of notes in her hands.

Ron gave an obnoxious snort. “Sure. Come on, then. Before Ginny has a conniption.”

“Coming—” Hermione turned back to Fred and George “—I’ll have a look at these tonight.”

She turned, following Ron out of the room, and shutting the door behind her. It was silent in their room for a few moments as Fred stood staring at the place Hermione had just been.

“Merlin, did you see the baps on her!” George cried, sounding relieved to finally be alone just the two of them.

Fred couldn’t help but laugh against his better judgement, body shaking with chuckles as he turned to his twin who stared back at him with wide eyes.

“Come on now mate. It’s Hermione. Have some respect,” said Fred, flopping onto his bed and propping himself up against the headboard.

“Believe me, I have nothing but respect for them—” George followed his lead, lying down on his bed as well “—and in case you’ve forgotten, I’m a single bloke. I’m allowed to look. Couldn’t help but notice you paying your respects earlier. What’s your excuse?”

“I suppose I was rather surprised is all. She was fit before—”

“Was she?” George questioned, giving Fred a cheeky grin.

“I mean—” Fred stuttered over his words “—yeah, a bit.”

“But now she’s more your type?”

“I’m not answering that.” Fred rolled over on his side, facing away from his twin.

“Oh, come on Freddie. I’m a simple question.”

“No, it isn’t. Not when you’re leading me on – trying to weasel a specific answer out of me,” accused Fred. The whole conversation was like watching two trains headed towards each other on the same track. He could see the inevitable ending from a mile away but could still do nothing to stop it.

“Me? Weasel? Never. I’m just curious as to whether Hermione’s new shapely form has you wishing you’d asked her to the ball, instead of Angelina. That’s—”

“George, stop it.”

“—all. I’m sure now that she’s all filled out, she’d make a more than suitable girlfriend. The tits and ass would surely make up for her annoying bookish—”

“Oi! You’re my brother but say shit like that again and I’ll give the thrashing you deserve. You hear me?—” Fred turned over, glaring daggers at his brother in the bed beside him “—‘Mione’s got more to offer than just her body and in case you haven’t noticed, you benefit quite a lot from her annoying bookish personality. So just shut it.” He marked his words with a final sneer before turning back over and facing the door.

“Hmm, you’re right brother. My apologies.”

Fred didn’t need to see the smug expression on George’s face to know that he’d played right into his twin’s hands. He shouldn’t have let George’s goading get to him. He should have known that George was only saying those things to get him to slip up and admit something. George liked to play on Fred’s short temper. Always did. Staring hard at the dull dark wood grain of the bedroom door and the ornate trim that surrounded it, he wished more than anything he was in the comfort of their brightly colored bedroom back at the Burrow. At least there he could storm out, take his broom, and fly until he cooled down. But here, in the dingy, dark, confines of Grimmauld Place, he was trapped with his annoyingly perceptive twin one side of the door, and Hermione Granger on the other.

Hermione took in the sight of her shared bedroom in Grimmauld Place with perplexed curiosity. The ancestral Black home was unlike any other wizarding home she’d ever seen. Albeit she’d only ever been in one wizarding home before – the Burrow – and that, she was told, wasn’t necessarily “normal” as far as wizarding homes went. But still, the rich, dark atmosphere of Grimmauld Place and the things that inhabited it spoke depths on the history, ideals, and opulence of the Black family. She ran her fingers along the intricate carvings on the sleigh that was now temporarily hers.

“So, this is yours and my room! I made sure to get a bedspread you’d like and did my best to clean up. You wouldn’t believe the amount we spend cleaning these days, and the place still looks dirty all the time!” Ginny threw her hands up into the air in exasperation, walking over to her side of the room and kicking a dirty jumper into the corner.

“How long have you been here?” asked Hermione, sitting down on her trunk, which had already been placed at the foot of her bed.

“Pretty much since the day summer started. It’s been a real drag. I hoped to do a bit of flying this summer, you know, play a bit of quidditch. But this place only has a small garden and because we’re in the middle of muggle England, we can’t go too far in case we’re seen. I’m so glad you’re here now though, it’s nice to have another girl around besides mum, and Tonks on the occasion,” said Ginny, collapsing onto her bed and pulling a licorice wand out of her pocket. She took a large bite off the end of it and chewed it aggressively.

“Who’s Tonks?”

Ginny gasped dramatically, sitting up and turning over to face Hermione on her stomach. “She’s an Order member – auror for the ministry. She’s so cool. She’s a metamorphmagus so she can change her appearance to whatever she wants and she’s young so she’s always turning her hair purple or blue. Plus, she listens to the coolest music and wears the coolest clothes.”

“Sounds…cool,” said Hermione, flatly, brain still hazy from her interactions with Fred earlier. She certainly never expected to spend so much time with him from the moment she walked through the front door. Seeing and speaking with Sirius had been a nice distraction, but there was still how Fred made her tea perfectly and the way he quite literally pulled her from the room. To top it all off, he presented her with an itemized list of his invention notes. Was he purposefully trying to drive her crazy? He must be, she thought in exasperation, considering he looked even more handsome now than the last time she’d seen him. While his long hair was gone, she found the new professional cut to be even more handsome, despite her preferences. Then of course, there was the ridiculously sexy way in which his t-shirt hung on his biceps. Merlin help her, maybe she should have just gone to France with her parents.

“Hermione!” Ginny’s voice brought Hermione out of her mental fog. Looking up, she found Ginny giving her a curious look.

“What’s got you all lost in thought?” Ginny asked mischievously. “Is it a boy?”

“Why would you possibly think it’s a boy, Ginevra?” scoffed Hermione in indignation.

“Because you had this big dopey look on your face like you were fantasizing about Professor Lockhart in second year.”

“I did not!” Hermione picked up a pillow and threw it at Ginny who artfully dodged it.

“Yes, you did! Now, who could it be…not Viktor surely, since you dumped him royally at the end of the year.” She tapped the end of her chin in thought.

“I did not dump him. We parted ways amicably.”

“Okay, okay, whatever you say. Do I know the person?”

Hermione nodded weakly, unsure as to why she was playing along.

“Neville?”

Hermione shook her head no.

“Harry? It’s alright if you do, seeing as I’m going with Corner now.”

Hermione shook her head again, this time more aggressively.

Ginny gasped, “It’s not one of my brothers, is it?”

Hermione hesitated for a second too long, resulting in a gleeful exclamation from Ginny.

“Well let’s see. It’s not Bill or Charlie since you’ve only met them once, it can’t be Percy because you do have some taste, Fred’s currently halfway up Angelina’s arse, so that just leaves George and Ron!” Ginny smiled widely, clearly pleased with herself.

“I—” Hermione began but was cut off swiftly by Ginny.

“It’s Ron, isn’t it? I knew it! You know, I’m pretty sure he’s keen on you as well. Wouldn’t shut up about how you should be here while we were clearing the pixies out of the parlor.”

“He wouldn’t?” asked Hermione, caught off guard by Ginny’s offhand comment.

“Oh yeah. I think that’s why mum finally sent you the letter – to shut him up,” said Ginny, taking another bite from her licorice wand.

Hermione bit the inside of her lips and tried to come to terms with the fact that Ron might actually like her now. When had that happened and why hadn’t it been before she’d developed the biggest crush on one of his older brothers instead?

“I could help get you guys together, if you want.”

“Excuse me?” Hermione looked up at Ginny is surprise.

“You and Ron, while you’re here I could be like your wingman or something,” Ginny explained further.

“No, I understood what you said. Absolutely not Ginevra. You will not be doing that.”

Ginny held her hands up in surrender. “Alright, suit yourself. No need to pop your top,” said Ginny, tossing the last of the licorice wand in her mouth and standing from her bed. “I’m going to see if there are any leftover biscuits from tea. I’m assuming you’ll want some too?”

Hermione smiled widely at the ginger haired girl, answering enthusiastically, “Yes please. You’re super cool.”

Ginny exited the room, holding up a middle finger at Hermione’s teasing.

Hermione chuckled lightly to herself, standing and opening her trunk. She began to unpack, realizing it was best to get a clear and organized environment if she were to be there for the remainder of the summer. She started with her clothes – taking each piece out carefully and placing them either in the free drawers of the room’s dresser or in the wardrobe next to Ginny’s few blouses and dresses. Her new clothes, while very pretty, were definitely out of her comfort zone. Her usual clothes were so large and relaxed that she practically swam in them and she liked it that way. They were comfortable. But her mother insisted that she was becoming an adult now and so she needed clothes that actually fit her. She was able to save a few of the pieces from her old wardrobe, like her favorite sweatpants, favorite striped sweater, and of course, Fred’s cardigan. But the rest had been sacrificed and replaced by the fitted, tailored pieces her mother picked out for her.

Picking up Fred’s cardigan from the bottom of her neatly packed clothes, she brought it to her face and marveled in the fact that it had somehow kept his scent. It shouldn’t still, after all those months, but it did. Feeling a chill run down her spine, Hermione glanced out the window and noticed the sky had turned a dark grey and the trees on the street leaned heavily in the wind. Great – a summer cold front followed by a storm. England sure did have fantastic weather, thought Hermione sarcastically. Without even thinking, she slipped her arms into the cardigan and wrapped it tightly around herself before returning to her unpacking. Ginny reappeared a short while later, bringing a plate piled high with an assortment of biscuits, and what looked to be two pumpkin pasties. Hermione grabbed a pasty, nibbling on it as she organized her books on the spare table in the corner. She finished her unpacking and was chatting idly with Ginny about Michael Corner when Ron knocked and entered.

“Well, it must be serious, Gin, if Dumbledore is getting the Order back together,” said Ron, shoving a biscuit into his mouth.

“Of course, it’s serious, Ron, You-Know-Who is back. Harry said so himself and he’d have no reason to lie about it,” said Ginny.

“I wish the rest of the ministry agreed with you on that. Have you seen the vile things they’ve been saying about Harry and Dumbledore in the Prophet, Hermione?” asked Ron.

Hermione sighed heavily. “Unfortunately, yes. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say You-Know-Who already had his fingers buried deep in the ministry and the prophet, but I don’t know how true that is,” she said, crumbling a biscuit in her hand.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Ginny curiously.

“Well, it’s quite clever what they’re doing. Isn’t it? Instead of coming right out and saying that Harry and Dumbledore are lying, they’re giving the readers subtle reasons as to why they should believe them to not be credible. A small jab here, a snide remark there. Throw in a few jokes and next thing you know, everyone’s laughing at dramatic, fame-seeking Harry Potter and his crazy aging mental mentor Albus Dumbledore.” The cookie was officially powder in her hands as she finished her theory. It had been circulating in her brain since the first time she’d seen signs of turning in the Prophet. It was another reason she felt so on edge these days.

“Dad says it’s Fudge. Says he doesn’t want to accept that You-Know-Who is back,” sneered Ron. He rolled his eyes and rubbed at the freckles on the side of his nose. Hermione stared at the spattering of brown for a moment, trying to find the same thrill in them as she did Fred’s, but only came back with disappointment.

“Fudge is an idiot. Everyone knows that,” spat Ginny, rolling her eyes as well.

“Who’s an idiot?” a voice popped in, the door opening slightly. George’s head came into view, peaking into the room from the neck up.

“Surely not us,” said Fred, his head popping up now too, just below George’s.

“Don’t rule yourself out so quickly,” said Hermione, sharing an impish smile with Ginny.

“Can you believe the cheek on this one?” asked George, striding fully into the room, followed closely by Fred.

“We just came to say order members started arriving five minutes ago,” said Fred, eyes flick back and forth from the hallway through the door and Hermione’s torso. Glancing down, Hermione saw his cardigan and wondered if he might finally want it back now. Was it inappropriate to wear another girl’s boyfriend’s cardigan?

“What?!” Ginny leapt to her feet, nearly knocking the plate of biscuits onto the ground. Luckily, Ron caught them before they could slip off the bed.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Ron, standing as well, and placing the plate of biscuits onto the table before darting out of the room behind Ginny.

“I feel like I’m missing something here,” said Hermione, looking between Fred and George.

“We’re not allowed to attend the meetings, you see—” explained Fred.

“—so, we have to take what we can get from watching members arrive and listening to their conversations as they walk into the kitchen,” continued George.

“We usually watch from the top of the stairs and sometimes mum forgets to cast a silencing spell and we can use the Extendable Ears to listen in on what they’re saying.” Fred pulled a bundle of fleshy string connected to two life-like ears from his pocket and waved it in her face.

Hermione scrunched her nose, remembering the disgusting items from earlier that afternoon. Exiting her bedroom, she took a seat on the ground near the railing at the end of the hall. The spot looked perfectly over the stairs and the entry hall that she had walked through earlier. Silently they watched as a string of wizards and witches entered Grimmauld Place – some Hermione recognized and some she did not.

“Blimey, it’s Dumbledore,” said Ron.

Hermione turned her attention away from a vibrantly pink-haired woman, who she assumed was Tonks, to the door where, sure enough, Dumbledore stood. “Why is that a surprise? Isn’t he the founder of the Order?” she asked.

“Well he doesn’t show up to a lot of these meetings. He’s a busy man, Dumbledore. Only pops in when he has something really important to share,” said George, looking down at the silver-haired headmaster in contemplation.

“Albus, we weren’t expected you—” Mrs. Weasley greeted the elder wizard in surprise “—will you be staying for dinner?”

“Not tonight, I’m afraid Molly. No, I heard you’ve invited Miss Granger here for the rest of the summer. Is that correct?”

Ron, Ginny, and the twins turned their heads to stare at Hermione curiously. Hermione shrugged, just as surprised as they were to hear their headmaster speak of her.

“Yes, yes. She arrived this afternoon. I hope that was alright. I know Ron really wanted a friend here with him and Harry might—”

“It’s okay Molly. You’ve done nothing wrong. I was actually just hoping to speak with her and Ronald before the meeting began. If that’s alright?”

Hermione and Ron looked at each other for a moment. She wasn’t sure if Ron had come to same conclusion as her, but Hermione was almost one hundred percent positive that if Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak to them both, then it was probably about Harry.

“Yes, of course,” Mrs. Weasley answered sweetly, before titled her head up and calling out to Ron and Hermione.

“What do they want with you two?” asked Fred, frowning slightly.

“Can’t be too certain, but it’s most likely about Harry,” said Ron with a shrug of his shoulders.

“It always is,” replied Fred and George in unison.

Ron and Hermione made their way down the stairs slowly, until finally they were standing in front of their headmaster. No matter how many times she spoke with the man, Hermione always found him incredibly intimidating. It never lessened.

“Ah! Miss Granger. Mr. Weasley,” Professor Dumbledore greeted them politely.

“Professor,” Hermione greeted him with a small nod.

“I was hoping I could have a quick word with the two of you. Perhaps, in the parlor?” Professor Dumbledore turned to Mrs. Weasley with questioning eyes.

“Yes, yes. It’s all cleared out now,” said Mrs. Weasley, ushering them to the parlor on the second floor before leaving them alone with their ever-intimidating headmaster.

They watched as the man circled the small space, inspecting the tapestries and portraits on the walls as his vibrantly purple robes dragged on the stained, emerald carpet. Hermione was beginning to feel as though she were responsible for starting the conversation, when Professor Dumbledore finally seated himself on a settee, so moth-eaten and threadbare, the springs were starting to peak through. He motioned for the two of them to take seats as well in the two parlor chairs opposite him.

“Now, I’m sure both of you are wondering why I wanted to meet with you.”

They nodded.

“Yes, well, as both of you are here now and will no doubt soon know most of the Order’s business, I thought it important to have a chat with you,” explained Professor Dumbledore with a small smile. He always smiled liked that, thought Hermione, like he was laughing at some small joke only he knew.

“We won’t tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about. I mean, besides Harry, we’re the only people we talk to during the summer,” promised Ron.

“Ah – well that’s exactly who you cannot speak to about this,” said Professor Dumbledore, adjusting his half-moon spectacles.

“I’m not sure I quite understand, Professor,” said Hermione, pursing her lips.

“I’d be impressed if you did, Miss Granger. Even with your intellect, it is hard to understand something that has not been explained fully. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the ministry and the Prophet are not acknowledging Voldemort’s return—” Ron flinched at their headmaster’s use of You-Know-Who’s name, but Professor Dumbledore continued unfazed “—Fudge is growing increasingly paranoid as the days go by, I’m afraid. I would like to ask that neither of you tell Harry about where you are, and what you’re doing this summer until you can speak to him in person. It’s exceedingly important that you do not write to him about any of this. Harry has been through a lot in the last few months; best to give him less to think about for a while.”

“You’re not worried about the ministry intercepting our letters, are you Professor?” asked Hermione, realizing the severity of the situation if it were true.

“Ah, you see Miss Granger, that is exactly what I’m worried about. So, for now I ask that you keep your correspondence with Harry brief and to a minimum. Can you do that for me?”

“Absolutely Professor,” said Hermione.

“Yeah, of course Professor,” agreed Ron.

Professor Dumbledore released them after that, disappearing into the kitchen to the dining room where she was told the meetings were held. The rest of the evening was a blur, Hermione’s mind a clouded, foggy mess as she processed what Dumbledore had told them. For as little as he said, the implications behind his words spoke volumes. Fudge wasn’t just denying You-Know-Who’s return, he was growing paranoid. A paranoid, denial-ridden minister in a time such as this was a dangerous thing, thought Hermione.

“You look knackered ‘Mione. Perhaps you should go to bed?” a voice whispered lightly from beside her as she sat in the nearly empty dining room, staring into the roaring fire. Hermione looked up, vision slightly blurred and dotted with floating white orbs from staring too long into the flames. She blinked a few times, seeing Fred’s vision come into view. A small yawn escaped her lips and she nodded, looking around her to see what remained of the Order. Ginny and Ron laughed heartily as Tonks morphed her appearance into all kinds of silly things – she’d been doing it all night and yet the novelty of it had not worn off. Professor Lupin and Sirius were telling some story from their younger years to an entranced George, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the kitchen cleaning up.

“Come on, I’ll walk you,” said Fred, standing and offering his hand to Hermione. Hermione hesitated for a second, looking at the lines of Fred’s long fingers, before nodding and taking his hand. She supposed she was tired. More tired than she’d been in a while. Perhaps she might be able to get some actual sleep. The nightmares had been getting worse. Unsurprisingly, they’d picked back up the moment she’d started spending less time with the twins and more time worrying about Harry’s ability to survive during the tournament. Then, after the final task, after seeing Cedric’s lifeless body sprawled out on the grass as his father cried, they’d only gotten worse. The time spent at home only amplified it as well. It had been almost a month since she’d gotten a good night’s sleep. But, with the amount of time spent with the twins that day, she was almost positive that sleep would come easily and peacefully once again.

Hermione and Fred walked up the stairs to the third floor where their rooms resided. She was grateful that he did not apparate them straight up like last time and almost voiced as much. But instead, she opted to stay silent, allowing the soft, comfortable silence between them to last a little longer. This was nice. It almost felt like old times – when things weren’t so complicated and her and Fred were simply friends. When they reached her bedroom door, Hermione faltered, unsure as to why her feet kept her in place. She turned, looking up at Fred in the dimly, candle-lit hallway. The warm light of the candles turned his red hair to flames itself, igniting it in fiery reds and yellows. Harsh shadows streaked across his face, as the flicker of the flames passed his hazel eyes periodically. The goodnight she’d meant to give him, stuck in her throat and instead all she could do was stare up at him and marvel in how handsome he was.

“Thank you, Fred,” she finally managed to force the words from her drying throat.

Fred smiled down at her, reaching up and tucking one of her curls behind her ear. His touch lingered, the rough pads of his fingertips grazing the side of her cheek and sending shivers down Hermione’s body. She swallowed thickly.

“You know—” Fred began, pausing as if he was reconsidering his words “—you never told me how you can always tell me and George apart. Mum and dad almost never get it right and even our friends can’t do it. Merlin, even Angelina sometime—” He stopped, a pained expression on his face that gave Hermione’s heart a little jolt. How horrible it must be for everyone to always be confusing you for someone else. She wondered, for a moment, if he felt much like Ron did – forgotten, living in a shadow. Reaching up without thinking, she placed a hand to his cheek. Fred stiffened at her touch momentarily, but then relaxed into it, leaning his face ever so slightly into the palm of her hand.

“Well, it’s quite obvious really. Your eyes sit straight across, while George’s left one tilts down ever so slightly—” her fingers traced under his eyes lightly “—then of course there’s the line of your nose. Yours is straighter and you have a freckle, here, on the tip that George does not. And one here as well, above your top lip that George doesn’t have either.” Her fingers brushed across each of the freckles, her breath hitching when she got close to his mouth. Fred caught her wrist in his hand, holding it as he stared down at her with an inscrutable expression. Memories of his kiss all those months ago, flashed into the forefront of her mind and how she’d used that kiss to measure every kiss with Viktor. Nothing compared. Often times she’d lie awake at night and wonder if she’d be comparing every kiss for the rest of her life to the one she shared with Fred.

“You noticed all of that?”

“Of course,” breathed Hermione, pulse quickening.

“Why?”

This was all too much. She was getting too worked up over something she couldn’t have. She needed to get ahold of herself. Pulling from Fred’s grasp, she cleared her throat and looked down at Fred’s cardigan she still wore.

“I suppose, I really should give this back to you,” she said, hoping to break the spell between them.

And it did. Fred took a step back, creating space and looking down at the cardigan as well. He shook his head with a small smile before answering, “You’ve had it long enough now. I’d say it’s as good as yours.”

“Are you sure?” asked Hermione.

“Of course. I have loads. Looks better on your anyways—” Fred smirked, taking another step back “—Goodnight Hermione.”

“Goodnight,” Hermione mumbled, watching as Fred disappeared down the hallways and into his own room.

Hermione slipped into her bedroom and quickly changed into her pajamas, before sliding into the soft sheets of her bed. While they held a slightly musty smell from disuse, she could tell they were expensive. Sleep took her quickly. Visions of snow, lights, smart dress robes, and elegant dresses floating through her head as she dreamed. Good dreams.

But it was only a mere few hours later, in the early moments of the morning, before the sun even rose, that she sat up straight – heart beating wildly and brow sweat-slicked. With labored movements, she quietly slid out of bed, careful not to wake Ginny. She grabbed Fred’s cardigan and the pile of notes he’d made her before tiptoeing out of the room in search for a place to work. Surely in a house this size, they were bound to have a library.

Chapter 15>>>

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#fremione #fred weasley #fred x hermione #hermione granger #fanfic #fanfiction #slow burn #romance #mutual pining

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