#we might try and go see howl's moving castle in september when it's out

[jedi-bird]

Tonight was a great adventure night. Partner and I went to see Spirited Away in theaters (one of my personal favorites) and then stopped in to see the end of a Magic the Gathering art exhibit. These were some of my favorites.

I wanted so badly to come home with a few of these, but I was good. Partner did talk me into getting the one we both agreed on though.

Rozzy will eventually be coming home with us. We both like the artists work (Andrew Mar) and my partner loves art from MTG and I'm not one to pass up a dragon. I wish that several of these were made into prints because I really wanted some of them.

[mego42]

Shamelessly stealing @foxmagpie​’s monthly rec thing without the ability to get my life together to do these on a monthly basis so, seasonal recs! So excited to see if I manage to do this again with anything remotely resembling consistency but i’ve been keeping the notes for approximately 43 years (or since ~september, whatever that means) so by god i’m gonna use them. 

found my thrill - s_t_c_s / @sothischickshe​

Turner POV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

guys turner is SO OBSESSED with Beth and Rio

both canonically and in this fic

it’s gr9

also features a weirdly soothing and relatable cord untangling moment as a metaphor

truly disturbingly relatable turner pov tbh

relentless boomer disdain, always a plus

led to the creation of this monstrosity, not sure what kind of a monster would do that

War In My Mind - mintletters16

Backread!!!!

post-213, gorgeous character study 

guaranteed to make you feEl stUfF

I really love the like, cyclical, fractured pattern of Beth’s internal monologue, it gives the whole thing a really affecting at times dreamy, at times haunted vibe

the end twist is *chef’s kiss*

mourning bells - Ejunkiet / @ejunkiet​

Backread!!!!

Later s2 era, Rio’s at a funeral, gets drunk and calls Beth

V short, kind of…..mmm, not sweet, but almost? Idk

It’s got a wistful sort of almost/i can be quiet with you vibe that i go extremely bonkers for

delinquents - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Lol are any of you actually not reading this yet?

g o d ch 8 where do i start

First off how ABSOLUTELY VERY DARE for the tragic angst that is delinquents!beth boland. This poor baby, this precious bean. MUST PROTEC

SHE’S TRYING HER BEST AND I LOVE HER

zero percent deserves dean’s clammy hands, no i have not forgotten, tattooed on my brain, will never forgive

I also love love love love LOVE the ruby/stan subplot happening

(and ruby’s mom!!!!!) (seriously though you write the best moms)

oh god and baby beth starting to have confusing feelings about rio?????? *chef’s kiss*

p sure i was just like, straight screaming the entire end of the chapter

the dugout is like, pure serotonin

I can’t even talk about the closet

tHe teNsiOn

thank you i will take eleventy billion

don't give it a hand, offer it a soul - medievalraven / @medievalraven

am a desperate heaux for any fic that features rio and mick friendship

you are all incredibly shocked i know

still would not be mad if this swerved into rio x mick fake dating but beth x rio is cool too i guess

Speaking of things i am a desperate heaux for: DIANE!!!!!!!!

and DATING ANNIE???????????? Blessed

honestly this fic is worth it purely for the assertion that mick watches queer eye

Why don't we go to Venus? - watermelonriddles / @bensonstablers​

another grief study! 

apparently i was working through some stuff in september, idk, that was like 4 years ago

considering it’s the premise of the fic, i don’t think it’s a spoiler to say this fic is canon divergent and working with the premise that rio killed beth in 302

he is uh, not coping well

extremely haunted you might say

lots of marcus and rhea which is a delight!

rhea is to good for him tbh

i said what i said

truly top notch dream (nightmare?) sequences

the conversation at the end is extremely uncalled for

drop the game - Ejunkiet / @ejunkiet​

Backread!!!!

Am going to die mad Beth and Rio didn’t hook up in 211 but luckily this fic scratched the itch 

(temporarily, it’s a fairly permanent itch)

Bonus rec: missing scene series i wanna do bad things to you featuring 2x02 and 2x04

Viva Voce - zetuslapetus / @querenaxx​

Whoops we woke up married Vegas shenanigans!! 

So cute!!!!! So sexy!!!!! 

What more do you want?

am desperately obsessed with how beth can’t help stalking rio

feels right, feels organic

this makes me feel a lot of stuff about how they could be without their canon garbage between them

🎶 we could’ve had it aaaaaaaaaaall 🎶

you showed me colors (i can't see them with anyone else) - gild_fire / @gild-and-fire​

really into the use of color to illustrate beth’s emotional state, i feel like there’s a word for that but idk what it is

UNIMPORTANT

really nice job capturing beth’s inner vulnerability balanced by her outer stubbornness

am DESPERATELY into Mick playing matchmaker

more please???????

Both Sides of the Law - JoeyLee / @joeyjoeylee​

LAW SCHOOL AU! I suuuuuuper love Beth and Rio here (alt pov!! a gift!!!!) I love how initially prickly they are, I love how it’s evolving into a grudging respect, I love how INCREDIBLY AND HILARIOUSLY OBSESSED WITH EACH OTHER THEY ARE and neither one of them seems to see it

listen I know we’re all already foaming at the mouth over this one but as it’s gonna go down as one of my all time favorites it bears repeating/rereccing

cannot stress enough how masterful the use of POV is here, both voices feel completely true and distinct and I love how the alternating chapters revisit, reveal and emphasize pieces of each other

i can’t talk about this fic without hyperventilating

I LOVE IT SO MUCH YOU GUYS

the slow burn is going to ACTUALLY KILL ME

rip, no regrats

Earned It - wakeupflawless / @wakeupflawless​

spanking

that’s it that’s the pitch

H O T

living for beth’s exit in the first chapter, rio and i are both incredibly into it

second chapter also features violently possessive Rio who cannot deal with anyone messing with his girl so if that’s your thing boy howdy get on it

shake, baby, shake - openhearts

backread!!!!!

according to my bookmarks this was a reread but ???????

must’ve read it in the fugue state that followed reading for a moment we were strangers which is gr9 and I believe I have recced it before. If not, horrible oversight, reccing it now

beth and Rio POV lead up to the bathroom break, beautifully done, low-key feel bad reccing it bc the end point of both chapters makes me want to throw things but it’s super worth it for the tEnsiOn. ENJOY

What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have - flashindie / @pynkhues​

I’m assuming all of y’all are already reading this

If not OH MY GOD FIX YOUR LIVES

P I R A T E  A U

I’m sorry maybe you didn’t hear me piRaTE aU

meticulously researched, brain-meltingly vibrant, already painfully sexy slow-burning PIRATE AU

god where to start okay so first off, the world-building here straight up breaks my brain, sophie’s put in the work and it SHOWS

second, the atmosphere. i’m generally a pretty like, vague mental picture sort of reader but the sensory detail here grabs you by the throat and like, forcibly hauls you in whether your brain’s wired that way or no

and hey speaking of throats if you, like me, go a little funny about the knees at the idea of beth holding a knife to rio’s throat (he’s fine, calm down), there’s a v excellent beth-in-a-barrel moment for you

oh christ and the sexy tension

it’s gonna be a race to see which slow burn takes me out first, this or law school

Stunner - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Another high school AU, this time with baby Rio absolutely head over heels for his older sister’s bff

stunner!Rio has an emotional earnestness about him that I feel like delinquents!Rio has already outgrown and it’s so SWEET I can’t get enough

Desperately cute!!!!!!

alL he waNts iS foR beTh tO bE hiS girL

also unreasonably angsty???????

ANN ARBOR IS NOT THAT FAR MEGAN

A Heart's A Heavy Burden - tooshyforthis / @bathroombreaks​

Howl’s Moving Castle AU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Howl’s!!!!!!!!!!!

perfect opp to roast Rio for being a Dramatique Heaux 

and it’s gonna be 9 chapters?????? H Y P E

author’s note boldly presumes I did not know I needed this AU when the reality is I did in fact know I needed this AU, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to deliver

so blessed

author also claims to not be team nose stud and yet it features prominently in all its magnificent glory

what is the truth dot gif

A Bit of a Stretch - septiembre / @septiembur​

SO????? CUTE?????????

would be on this list for Rio calling Beth E alone tbh

really really really really really love this Rio POV of being settled into a relationship with Beth

It manages to be sweetly domestic af while still holding the edge that makes brio brio which is a neat trick

@septiembur may be a witch

beth’s approach to getting rio to do yoga with her is hilarious and exactly right, canon-typical amounts of subtlety 

1000000/10

Post Break-Up Sex - femalegothic / @bethsuglywigs​

stg this was called Hit Shuffle

no matter

h O T

with a side of damn i’ve made some questionable choices in my life haven’t i introspection

(no regrats tho)

(esp not with this fic)

not the point of the fic by a long shot but i’m also extremely obsessed with Weed Eddie, so real

She drains my soul... she drains it not - niham87 / @niham87​

ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THIS CONCEPT

am a complete sucker for paranormal world building that satirizes bureaucracy 

Is that a trope? If so that’s my favorite

I did it. I’m picking a single favorite. You know what that is growth dot gif

ANYWAY i love the concept, i love the humor, i love beth instantly clicking with annie

I love her and mick’s sort of grudging professional courtesy

Love beth as a champion of environmental responsibility and all of the underworld being like …...okay??

cannot wait to see where this goes

Nine-Tenths - riosnecktattoo / @riosnecktattoo​

*INCOHERENT PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*

sometimes i think about rio putting beth’s hair in a ponytail and have to go lie down

science please explain why this rUinS mE

wait hold on i skipped ahead

HEY KIDS DO YOU LIKE UNBEARABLY CUTE DOMESTIC TENDERNESS

opens with rio sleepily holding beth’s hand to his heart so that’s the kind of thing you’ll be dealing with

uGH theY’RE sO CUTe

idk why precisely but rio adding hair ties to his bracelet collection is my undoing every time

Missed Call - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Rio doesn’t come home from a job when he’s supposed to. Beth (and I!!!!!!!) slowly loses her mind

Truly a masterpiece of rising tension

Will literally never forgive her for calling this light angst

I was SO STRESSED OUT

The first person to point out there was an author’s note at the beginning I obvs didn’t read is getting blocked

crush - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Listen even though this is centered around two OCs, they are OCs FROM a (n iconic) brio fic AND Beth, Ruby and Rio all make cameos (I mean, Rio’s pretty present since he lives in Mar’s mind rent free bc they are THE SWEETEST MOST ADORABLE BEST OF FRIENDS so idk if i’d call it a cameo but whatever)

and even if it didn’t feature any official GG characters I’d still rec is bc that’s mY SON AND this fic is TOO CUTE

I have so many feelings over mar and rio growing up and not knowing how to cope with girls becoming a Thing in their life and how it affects their friendship and mar feeling left behind but (SPOILERS) at the end of the story rio starts feeling that too and it’s so poignant knowing how that’s going to continue in delinquents

while mar may be my son, i also claim elena’s #1 stan status

before you’re like meg you’re only reccing it bc it’s a bday present ask yourselves do i really strike you as the kind of person that wouldn’t be equally obnoxious about this either way?

truly cannot fathom how hard i have fallen for these OCs i don’t normally do that

@foxmagpie is definitely a witch

The Ottoman - Niham87 / @niham87​

look i will be the first to admit that i don’t go near as bonkers over the ottoman line in 308 as y’all do

(don’t get me wrong, i love it!!! I love that he laughs and i love that she’s pleased it just doesn’t hit my lose my whole mind button like idk, the dubby or the 306 convo, idk why)

BUT i v v v much love the context this delightful Rio POV pwp gives it

am also absolutely feral for 209 missing scene fic

and anything that captures the complexity of Rio’s s3 feelings for Beth and how twisted they’ve become

so this scratches a bunch of itches, is what i’m trying to say

Bet On It - zetuslapetus / @querenaxx​

*INCOHERENT PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*

That’s what my brain does when I think about Beth and Rio meeting in ch 1

am DESPERATELY OBSESSED WITH the tension between the two of them in this fic

I love how it plays with the ways they have to rely on but don’t trust each other

plus FAKE DATING and BED SHARING (fair warning hasn’t happened yet but the set up is there)

originally supposed to be 2 chapters, already up to 4, prayer circle it goes on forever

do you like drugs (tonight) - s_t_c_s / @sothischickshe​

v important focus on hydration, other fic should take note

extremely about the use of cut to and then flashback to enhance the ‘we were on drugs’ vibe

speaking of, beth and rio absolutely would take ecstasy to prove they are fun bc they are the exact kind of idiots that would peer pressure themselves

so glad beth kept her purse, got a bit stressed there for a second, clutches in that kind of circumstance are A Risk

not that i would know

FLAWLESS USE OF VOICEMAIL TBH

really love the ongoing denial that they are remotely into each other while proceeding to demonstrate how they are in fact, extremely into each other, great vibe

rio dances

I know my brain broke too

mmmm bacon

Navigate A Broken Path - flashindie / @pynkhues​

*INCOHERENT PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*

I have a long standing tradition of getting unreasonably obsessed with side characters so i’m not like, entirely surprised by how obsessed i am with both Mick and Mary Pat but i never in a million years considered them as a ship

AND Y E T

they fit????? so perfectly?????? It’s amazing how she developes them individually enough that i look at them together and think ah yes this makes perfect sense for both characters

and they’re such an amazing foil to Beth and Rio? 

can ships have foils? do i know what a foil is? 

unimportant

GUYS you dON’T uNDERStAN d 

hell i don’t understand

how absolutely very dare you make me care about YET ANOTHER set of gg ‘verse children

do not read this fic if you have no interest in feelings you zero percent asked for

wHA t hAPPeNED iN aLASkA?????????

A Moment’s Silence - femalegothic / @bethsuglywigs​

*makes sign of the cross*

y’all are gonna make me rediscover religion

extremely appreciate the author’s note approach to backstory top notch prioritization

listen it’s basically 3k of beth deep throating rio idk what more you need me to say about it

it is…..good stuff

bless the kinkmeme or fest whatever we’re calling it

praise - civillove / @blainesebastian​

I mean you had me at “three times rio calls beth a good girl and one time he really means it”

ephemeral rio

I left that note for myself in here in the middle of the night and haven’t the foggiest what i was thinking but i stand by it none the less

okay okay i think i know what i meant, this fic (as do all of my fav civillove brio fics) has this sort of like, liminal, in the quiet moments feel to them that makes the moments and feelings somehow feel like i’m catching a glimpse of something secret and precious???

idk i just really like it okay

Heart and Soul - riosnecktattoo / @riosnecktattoo​

oh look more unbearably sweet domestic tenderness, this time to music

thank you ma’am for my life

rio remembers beth used to play piano and gets her one and revoltingly cute shenanigans result

also hilarity

and sexiness

this fic has it all, truly

shout out to mick who sees no reason to keep rio’s feelings to himself

good girls tumblr fic - prettylittlementirosa / @hypermania​​

cheating and reccing a whole series

It’s my list and i can do what i wanna

stop crying about it, it’s four fics and they’re all AMAZING absolutely impossible to pick a fav

truly flawless characterization, next level ability to capture evocative mood, cannot get enough

three’s a crowd: who knew ballroom dancing while dean watches and grinds his teeth could be so sexy 

(trick question everything about that premise sounds A++++ and boy howdy does it live up)

feel it on the way home: rio tries to break up with beth, it goes about as well as you’d expect

(thE angSty tenSioN)

i want to play the game: [from the floor] i’m still not ready to talk about it

(rio/turner, missing scene, 10000000% a taste of what went down in that hotel room)

june after dark: pitch perfect annie pov, really really love the take that Annie is the baby whisperer, can’t fully explain why but it feels incredibly right

(ANNIE X NANCY COULD WORK SO WELL YOU GUYS)

[hp-fanfic-archive]

an introductory rec list (that no one asked for) to some of my favorite ships: wolfstar [1/10]

First fic I read for the pairing: Where Rain And Smoke Mingle by smallestbird [1k,T] It doesn't matter if they've disowned you, they're still your family. It doesn't matter how often you walk away, it still hurts. [it’s a bit dreary, but the writing style is so nice and i’m a big sucker for hurt/comfort]

Fic that really sold me on the pairing: Of Brothers and Boyfriends by Amuly [38k,E] There’s no summary on the fic, but, essentially, Remus and Sirius’s secret relationship gets found out and things get… complicated. (warning for homophobia) [My note on my ao3 bookmark pretty much sums up how I feel about this fic: Honestly one of my favorites (and one of the stories that really got me hooked on Wolfstar tbh) and I've read it at least eight times. However, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the homophobic James Potter (even though he does come around).]

Absolute favorite fic(s) for the pairing: Text Talk by merlywhirls [141k,Not Rated] Sirius is in boarding school, Remus is in hospital, and they don't know each other until Sirius texts the wrong number. (warnings for homophobia, mentions of abuse, and homophobic language) [One of the earlier fics I read and it’s always just been one of my favorites, even though it’s been 3 years since I read it for the first time.] Harry Potter and the Live Laugh Love Sign in the Basement by loudestfandomsoftheworld [24k,T] Harry spends his summer with his fugitive godfather and his former professor who is a jobless werewolf. It's probably the best summer he's ever had. [The humor, the characterizations, their relationships, it’s all so fucking perfect!!] Go East [+Podfic] by xinasvoice [84k,E] Remus has been running for a long time. Eventually, he runs into a strange castle built by a wizard and his young apprentice. The longer he stays, the more secrets he uncovers...and the less he wants to leave. This is a novel-length adventure story that loosely follows the plot of Howl's Moving Castle. It does not require knowledge of the HMC book or movie to enjoy it. [it made me laugh, it made me cry, and it’s plot is based on one of my all time favorite movies? 11/10] Of Queries and Quarantines by MoonCat457 [51k,E] LUPIN.RJ: James, WHY? POTTER.JF: Because you’re the one currently doing the job, so it makes sense that you’d be the one to train the person hired to take your place. LUPIN.RJ: No, I mean why is Monty hiring a new editor in the middle of a fucking pandemic? POTTER.JF: An old friend of mine is in a tough spot and needs a job, so of course, dad is helping him out. - - - - OR A story set in the middle of the pandemic in which Sirius is hired at the Potter’s publishing company and Remus is responsible for training him. Lots of texting, lots of video calls, lots of mutual pining, and a lot of really bad literature quotes. [i’ve largely avoided quarantine au fics, but sometimes they’re so well-written and hilarious and also a texting fic and i accidentally fall in love with them, so here we are.]

Most recent fic I’ve read for the pairing: There Is No Man, However Wise by enigmaticblue [87k,T] It’s 1988, Sirius has Harry, and possession is nine-tenths of the law. [i adore a good raising harry au and i also adore the premise of the series this is in and i also adore the writing story and characterizations. 10/10]

Favorite AU(s) I’ve read for the pairing: High School AU: Likewise Variable by ssstrychnine [28k,T] James has plans, Peter is the nurse, Sirius keeps fake blood up his sleeves, and Remus just tries to stay alive. [i first read this fic in 2017 and it still lives rent free in my mind. it’s hilarious, a perfect characterization of the marauders (even tho it’s a muggle modern high school au) and adding shakespeare? just icing on the fucking cake. it’s excellent.] University AU: Wannabe Your Lover by Maraudererasmut & shadow_prince [15k,M] Somewhere in America, Fall of 1997 - Returning to University, James refused to room with Sirius in the wake of The Great Cheez-it Battle of '96. They must adjust to living with someone new, Mr. Potter worried they'd both get scurvy, James unsuccessfully continued trying to court one Lily Evans, Snape got what was coming to him, and Sirius was the most confused of them all. [this is the university experience we all wish we had, lowkey. aside from the hilarity that comes from having the marauders in a fic, it’s just cute and well-written and i love it (and southern remus??? it’s everything i never knew i needed.] Alternate Sorting AU (Slytherin Remus): Half Agony, Half Hope by Barry_Manilows_Wardrobe [21k,E] A tale wherein Sirius Black loses 750 House Points for Gryffindor. But it’s totally worth it. [listen, if, before i read this fic, you asked me if remus could’ve been a slytherin, my answer would have been “perhaps but probably not.” now, however, yeah. 100%. it’s hilarious, it’s novel (which i love to see), but it’s still the same remus and sirius and it’s excellent.] Haunted House AU: Another Day in the Sun by REwrites [19k,T] Is it haunted? I suppose that depends on who is telling the story. [really really excellent and a little haunting (pun entirely intended). it’s romantic and sweet and a little bittersweet but i adore it.]

WIP(s) I really love for the pairing: We Were Infinite by WolfstarPups90 [336k,E] “The Marauders aren’t something that will just go away once we graduate.” James continued, taking a more serious tone and addressing not only Remus, but the fear that they all had found recently in the back of their minds about what may become of them outside the walls of Hogwarts. “We’re a family. We’ve proven that again and again, haven’t we? We’re forever. Unstoppable. We’re infinite.” The full story of The Marauders from September 1st 1971 - October 31st 1981. (Heavily centered around Wolfstar and Jily in later chapter) [the first WIP i ever read (usually i stick to completed works, but this was being pretty regularly updated when i started reading it and also it’s fucking iconic so what can i say?)] Of Leaves and Stars by irrationalmoony & LadyAmina [273k,T] Almost a year out of Hogwarts, Lily finally manages to convince Sirius and James to get more acquainted with muggle technology and buy phones. Sirius, of course, texts the wrong number. [everyone is queer! (as they well should be). also: is it complete? no. has that stopped me from reading it twice? also no.]

Favorite Series for the pairing: TransVerse by picascribit [30k,E,2 works] Canon-divergent AU in which Remus is a transgender boy instead of being a werewolf. (warnings for underage, transphobia, internalized transphobia, bullying, self-harm) [i am a trans remus stan and this series is iconic, but also heed the tags kids.]

Longest fic I’ve read for the pairing: Once in a Blue Moon by FullMoonDreams [408k,M] In a world where Remus never received his Hogwarts invitation and Sirius wasn't accepted by the Gryffindors the two lonely boys become friends. A story beginning in their first year, and continuing right through Hogwarts and beyond. RLSB. [this fic emotionally ruined me,,, but like,,, in a good way, you know? i will probably never reread it because i cried for hours the first time, but the plot does live rent free in my mind (and i do have a playlist of songs that remind me of it).]

Fic(s) with some of my favorite tropes: Matchmaking: Pining, Parchment, Plotting, and Pranks by KayBee1762 [12k,T] “Idea parchment,” James said. He unfolded it and smoothed it out. “You want to get them together, right? That’s why you came to me?” “Yeah,” Lily huffed, which was ridiculous because he was right, that’s why she came to him. But it was supposed to be her idea, because she wanted to help her dear friend Remus, not James or Sirius. But it was so nice to be able to talk about this with someone, and James looked so pleased and excited. “Good,�� James said. “Good, because they need to get together, they would be so happy and so good together, and Sirius will stop sighing like a lovesick puppy and just snog him instead.” In which Lily considers changing Houses, James blushes a lot, Sirius is his usual dramatic self, Remus mopes, and Peter knew everything all along. [the marauders (especially james and lily) trying to play matchmaker is one of my favorite instances of the classic matchmaking trope.] Road Trips + Bed Sharing: Of Comets and Counter-Examples by Woldy [5k,T] If the past is a foreign country, can travel help to resolve a troubled history? Dumbledore assigns Remus and Sirius a mission to explore three European cities, or perhaps to find each other. [a lovely tale of travel, reunions, comfort, friendship, and self-rediscovery. plus, travel, bed sharing, and friends to lovers??? yeah] Matchmaking (again): In The Middle by Blossomwitch [3k,Not Rated] James is the natural confidant of both Remus and Sirius. When they both swear him to secrecy on the same topic, James is stuck watching his friends pine for each other without being able to say a word to bring them together. A lesser man might shrink from the challenge of finding a way to break his promise without breaking his promise, but not James Potter! [i already did a matchmaking trope fic i know but what can i say other than the trope fucking slaps and so does this fic.]

[rainandhotchocolate]

Tension - Part 11

HAPPY SEPTEMBER 1!!! TO celebrate going back to Hogwarts, and my brain being awake enough to write, I wrote ya’ll some angst/tension hehe anyways hope you’re all ok and enjoy!Part 11

Moonlight was streaming in from the windows, shining a vaguely uncomfortable light into Y/N’s eyes as she lay, semi hidden, on the Slytherin Common room couch. She was fidgeting, staring up at the clock to see if any more time had passed since she last stared at it moments ago. 9:59 pm - 10:00 pm. Y/N heaved herself off the couch, edging along the wall hoping no one still reading by the fire would notice her slip out quietly.

She flicked her wand to cast a disillusionment charm over her, praying it would work but still keeping herself hidden in the shadows and doing her best to squint through the darkness and towards the small passageway that led towards the Herbology greenhouses. The air was cool but not as sharp as it had been on the return from Christmas holidays, and the snow had almost completely melted on the grounds. 

She stretched her back, having hunched it most of the way there, and began walking towards the whomping willow. The grass crunched under her feet loudly but she didn’t bother covering it, edging as close as she could to the large moving tree before it would notice her there. 

Glancing quickly around her she whispered ‘wingardium leviosa’ and guided a large stone towards the base of the tree, letting it land hard on a root on the base. The tree froze, unmoving in the wind. Y/N ran towards the opposite side first, placing her wand with a stash of clothes and bandages they kept nearby. Then Y/N slipped forwards and slid into the hole, down into the base of the entrance to the Shrieking Shack. 

There was no noise tonight and it put Y/N on edge, transforming quickly into her animagus form so Remus would only smell her as an animal and friend, not prey. She kept to the edges of the cave entrance, creeping forwards so she could listen for any noise. Still nothing. Heart beginning to pound, she took the remaining few steps at a bound until she reached the entrance to the main rickety room of the Shrieking Shack. Remus sat very still, staring where Y/N prowled cautiously towards him. 

She growled, low and soft, submissive, and kept moving towards him, only realising too late that he wasn’t staring at her. He was staring behind her. In a heartbeat, she turned to the entrance and heard a thump as someone entered the cave-like entrance. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck. 

Y/N growled again, louder this time, trying to break Remus’s focus on the hole leading back towards the school. She could smell the person now, thick and musty against the fresh dirt and mud the shack normally smells like. Remus ignored her, crouching on his back hind legs and moving closer. 

NO! Y/N barked loudly and moved to stand in front of the entrance, backing towards it. Without thinking, she transformed back into human and sprinted back down the cave wall to a dark figure standing behind a large boulder. 

“GET OUT,” she bellowed, “NOW.”

As if backing up her scream, Remus began to howl behind her, his head almost completely at the cave entrance. The person didn’t need telling twice, turning and tripping over some roots and swearing before pulling themselves up and out where they came from. Y/N turned back to see Remus staring at her, eyes red and wild. She turned and ran, transforming into a dog and bounding out of the entrance and up to the whomping willow which was swinging wildly around her. Then something hit her, hard, in the side, flinging her to the edge of the tree’s reach and cutting deep into her stomach.

The pain was blinding, her eyes watering and beginning to shake as she felt the blood on her fur. It took her a few attempts to get up, stumbling forwards as more tree branches slammed towards her, the edges cutting into her legs. Once she was out of range, she turned to look back at the entrance to the Shrieking Shack and could have groaned or cried as she saw Remus’s claws digging out at the dirt. He would be out and onto the grounds in minutes. 

She transformed back into herself, crying out as the pain got worse, no longer protected by her animal adrenaline and attempted to run towards her stash of gear hidden near the willow. She grabbed her wand and began moving away from the willow before she heard a low growl coming from behind her. 

Y/N sucked in a breath and willed her body to contort once more, just one more time into that of a dog, pulling herself up onto all fours. Remus’s eyes were fixated on her, no longer himself but pure wolf. He edged towards her and she edged back, huffing loudly. They stared at each other for what could have been minutes or hours before he launched himself at her.

Two things happened very quickly. Remus’s body bounded for her, a swift leap in the air that would land on top of her if she didn’t push her body to run towards him instead. A flash of light blinded her peripheral vision as she moved and she ran head first into something that fell backwards as she hit it. A yelp from in front of her made her think it must be a human, alongside the lack of noise from Remus. 

Y/N fell to the side of whomever she hit, her eyesight coming back and allowing her to see James and Sirius hovering over her. Sirius was next to her, still on his knees from her slamming herself into him, James on his feet and pointing his wand out to where she presumed Remus was now lying unconscious. She felt her throat tighten painfully. She never wanted to do that to him. Treat him like a rabid animal. It was a few moments before she realised her shaking body had become human again and the cold was seeping into her bare skin.

“I . . . clothes . . .” she pointed towards the rucksack she’d pulled out from a bush to get her wand and saw James run towards it whilst Sirius had already stripped off his jumper and was pulling it awkwardly over her, looking up at her face intently instead of the curled up naked body. 

James had grabbed a large coat and wrapped it around her from behind, covering her completely. Sirius bundled her up and lifted her gently but Y/N pushed against him. 

“Remus nee-ds.” she stumbled on her words, cursing her fragile, shaking self. Remus needed help, he needed someone to make sure he was ok, that he got back into the shack and stayed there. “Shack . . . put him b-ack.”

“James is already on it.” Sirius held tight to her even as she tried to pry away from him, “And this will go a lot easier if you stopped bloody hitting me.”

Y/N abated but kept trying to glance back at James and Remus to see what he was doing, but could only see the faint edges of her vision begin to shake and the dark green of the trees as Sirius began running back up to the castle. 

There were moments where she wasn’t sure if Sirius was talking to her or to himself, swearing under his breath but she didn’t reply until she saw the direction he was moving. 

“NO, no hospital wing,” She gasped. “They can’t . . . know, I . . . was with Remus.”

Sirius huffed loudly but turned on the spot and began taking the stairs to their left two at a time. 

The next thing Y/N remembered she was on a cool, stiff mattress, light beginning to stream into the window beside her. She blinked a few times, unsure where she was, and jumped as she suddenly felt someone’s hands on her side. 

“Fuck.” Y/N groaned, the pain in her side creeping back to her as she jerked it away from the person beside her. 

“She’s awake!” Sirius called from her other side and Y/N turned to see him sitting on the edge of the bed. A red covered bed. Y/N felt her cheeks flush as she realised where she was. As if noticing her slight panic, Sirius continued. 

“You were pretty adamant about no Pomfrey last night, so I took you to the second best healer around.” He nodded to the person who had touched her and she saw Peter giving her an awkward smile. 

“Sorry for freaking you out there, I thought you were still unconscious.” 

“I was unconscious?”

“For a few hours now,” Sirius replied. 

“Where’s James and Remus? Is he ok?” 

“They are both fine, James sent a note up to the tower but he did tell me that he managed to knock Remus out and fix the giant bloody hole he dug. I think he’s staying down there until the sun comes up. I guess he should be back soonish.”

Y/N’s mind was reeling as she remembered the events of the night before, and-

“Did you see anyone else on the way down?” Y/N stared at Sirius intently, her heart beginning to race again. Someone had been down there. Someone had followed her, had known how to get into the Whomping Willow. How could she have been so careless? 

Sirius looked at her with an expression she couldn’t interpret. She met his gaze but he ducked his head, looking over at Peter. 

“Can I continue patching you up?” Peter interrupted. “You’re beginning to bleed again, I think you need to rest a bit more.”

Y/N hesitated but agreed when attempting to sit up further and feeling like her side was tearing apart all over again. Peter and Sirius muttered to each other momentarily, pulling things out of their trunks and bags whilst Y/N watched the door closely. 

“Hey Y/N?” Peter called again, looking a little awkward. “We uh-”

“Need you to change.” Sirius finished for him, giving her an apologetic smile. Y/N looked down at her the jumper and coat she was still wearing, realising she was pretty bare under the covers they had thankfully covered her in. 

“Oh, right. Do you have my clothes?” 

“Uh . . .” Sirius grimaced, holding up her rucksack. “I think Remus might have cut into it at some point.”

The bag was almost torn in two, bits of cotton and parchment hanging out of the edges. Y/N stared at it, heart pumping hard again. 

“Right.” She repeated dumbly. 

“We have some stuff you can borrow - and I can ask Lily or Alice for some uh undergarments and stuff.”

“Wouldn’t they get suspicious?” 

“We will come up with something,” Sirius waved her off, standing up from the bed. “I’ll be back in a few.” 

He moved quickly towards the door and shut it quietly, slipping downstairs. 

“Does it still hurt?” Peter crooked his head to one side, looking up at her. 

“I-” Y/N started, but sighed. “Yeah, a fuckton.”

Peter laughed, grabbing out a bottle of something bright blue and a large spoon, pouring some of the liquid into the spoon. 

“I tried to give you some of this earlier but you were having none of it.” Peter held it out to her mouth, “I promise it will help with the pain.” 

Y/N nodded, opening her mouth and taking a large gulp. It tasted sickly sweet but went down easy enough, and within minutes she could feel a wave of calm wash down her body and ease the throbbing pain in her side. In her haze she saw Sirius return with a tall redhead who told the boys to ‘fuck off please’ and lifted her out of the bed and towards the bathroom. 

“Lily,” Y/N mumbled once she had sat Y/N down on the toilet seat and helped her begin putting on some underwear and taking off the jumper that was now stuck to her skin. 

“Yes, are you ok? Do you need anything?” Lily’s deep green eyes stared straight into Y/N’s and she shook her head. 

“No, just . . . thanks.”

“Of course.”

Dressed in a pair of Lily’s pants and an oversized jumper she presumed was Sirius’s from the smokey smell, Y/N let Lily guide her back into the main room. 

“Can I dress the wound now?” Peter asked Lily, looking genuinely concerned. 

“I think you might need to clean it again, that jumper was clinging pretty tightly to it.” Lily threw the jumper and cloak back to Sirius who made a face as it hit him in the chest. 

Y/N lay back down on the bed and watched as Peter lifted the edge of her jumper up to start cleaning it again. 

“How does it look?” Y/N asked the three of them who were now staring intently at her side. 

“Not great.”

“It’s fine.” Lily said, hitting Sirius. “She doesn’t need to hear that.”

“Oh she’d rather know the truth- right Y/N?”

“He’s annoyingly correct.” Y/N mumbled, her tongue beginning to feel heavy. She blinked a few times, exhaustion hitting her like a brick as she let herself relax properly for the first time in hours. “You’ll let me know when he gets back?”

“Definitely, just rest.”

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[juniorformulamotorsport]

Wednesday, 17th September 2019 – Illkirchen, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Colmar

Wednesday morning, with even more insect bites decorating both of us, we got ready to check out and move on. I’d been for a run before breakfast and stopped off at the rather odd park near one of the tram stops. For reasons I couldn’t begin to fathom, the park contained a number of “Easter Island” heads. No. I have no idea. Apparently Place Malraux contains an Armenian Oak, which counts as a remarkable tree, but there’s no connection there that I can find. And the really weird thing was that they wouldn’t be the only Easter Island head style sculptures we would encounter, we would find more on the penultimate day of our holiday.

Anyway, they amused me. By 10:30 we’d got the car packed and were ready to go. Our landlady turned up on time, despite us not having done so on check-in and we were soon on our way to  Robert Blanck to buy the wines we’d decided on. That was easily achieved, and the lovely lady serving us insisted on slipping a few extra goodies in (a couple of “top hat” Champagne bottle stoppers), especially after we bought a creme de peche as well (made from vineyard peaches) and we wended our way onwards to Famille Hauller, but could find no one around, despite Ludovic having suggested he would be there between 11 and 12. We decided to save Domain Sylvie Spielmann for later in the afternoon and thus headed for Chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg. We’d heard more about it on our wine tour, when Olivier asked if anyone on the tour was a “Lord of the Rings” fan, because if so we needed to visit the castle. Apparently “some guy” had used it as inspiration for some of the set design. Given our proximity to Switzerland, Lynne and I put two and two together and figured he was probably talking about John Howe, the Canadian artist who lives in Switzerland and who was one of the two artists deeply involved in the look of Peter Jackson’s films. A minimal amount of research later and I’d confirmed this was indeed the case, and that there’d even been an exhibition there last year. We had to go. There was no choice, not when the information I’d found said: “Several decades later, John Howe, the famous illustrator of Heroic Fantasy publications, fell in love with the château’s mysterious atmosphere on his first visit here during the 1980s. He used it as the inspiration for the design of the Citadel of Minas Tirith after he was appointed to the post of Conceptual Designer for Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy”. Just for good measure it also appears in its real form in Jean Renoir’s 1930s masterpiece, “La Grande Illusion”, and the considerably less famous “Les aventures d’Arsène Lupin” in 1956, but to keep the masterpiece theme going, it can also been seen in the animated classic “Howl’s Moving Castle”. 3 out of 4 then!

We drove up a winding and slightly white-knuckled road and eventually found ourselves on the loop in the road that leads up to the castle and then back down again. It was very, very busy and we decided that we’d try and get a good parking space rather than having to flog up the hill on what was another hot day. As we passed the apex and started to drop back down again we found a space that was actually big enough for my car (and it’s not a big car). And then we looked up! The castle is a monster of a structure, and looks just like you think a medieval castle should, looming massively against the skyline.

Its history, however, is slightly different to what you might expect, as with so many things in this part of the world. There’s mention of the Buntsandstein rock as Stophanberch (Staufenberg) in a 774 deed issued by Charlemagne, and it crops up again in 854, by which time it belonged to the Basilica of St Denis and may have been the site of a monastery. It all goes quiet again until 1147, when there is a record of a castle built by the Duke Frederick II of Swabia, one of the Hohenstaufens and called Castrum Estuphin, something the monks were not happy about as the record is a complaint to King Louis VII of France about it. The offending builder’s younger brother Conrad was elected King of the Romans in 1138, and was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick’s son, Frederick Barbarossa in 1152 and it wasn’t long before the name of this commanding fortress changed to Koenigsburg (king’s castle) or Kinzburg.

Eventually it passed to the Dukes of Lorraine, who entrusted it to the local Rathsamhausen knightly family and the Lords of Hohenstein, but the behaviour of a gang of robber barons who used the castle as a hideout so enraged the neighbours that it was occupied by the Elector Palatine in 1454, and less than a decade later it was set ablaze by the unified forces of the cities of Colmar, Strasbourg, and Basel. The Habsburgs handed the ruins over to the Tiersteins who rebuilt and enlarged the castle, supposedly in a way that meant it would be able to withstand modern artillery fire. No one told the Swedish artillery forces who broke through and overran the castle during the Thirty Years War and it was finally burnt to the ground in 1633 and left to fall into ruin for a couple of centuries. You wouldn’t know it though.

It was classified as an historical monument in 1862, and in 1865 it was bought by the town of Sélestat. There were plans to restore the place, but there were no funds to complete the work. Alsace was in one of its phases of being part of Germany, so the ruins of the castle were offered to Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1899. Having abandoned his plan to restore Schloss Rheinfels, he must have pretty much snapped their hands off. What followed was a remarkable 8-year long building project, where money was no object, and the most modern techniques were used. The castle would be completely restored, with the emphasis on as much historical accuracy as possible. To that end, a young architect, Bodo Ebhardt was put in charge. It helped that he was also an architectural historian, a castle explorer, and the founder and longtime president of the German Castles Association (Deutsche Burgenvereinigung). He was very thorough and after he had analysed the remaining ruins and façades, he read up as much as he could in old documents and records, and looked at other castles to draw comparisons.

He even made sure that those who came after would be able to easily identify the new parts of the walls, creating a new set of ‘mason’s marks’ to be used on any replacement stones, and gave different marks to different years. You can still see the marks if you know what to look for. It’s a fabulous place with some startling detail and although much of it is not authentic, you can completely forget that as you go round.

After an 8-year build, on May 13th 1908 the château was unveiled to the public with a parade and pageant involving five hundred performers in period dress. Of course after World War I it reverted back to being French, and became a tourist attraction, though apparently the French visitors would regularly criticise the restoration work because it had been carried out by the enemy. Surviving both World Wars undamaged the building was classified as a Monument historique (listed building) in 1993 and is now owned by the Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin.

As we wandered around, the views were staggering. You could see just why anyone with an ounce of strategic sense would want to build a fortress on just this spot. No one is going to be able to sneak up on you, that’s for sure.

After a couple of hours poking into all the nooks and crannies, we reckoned we needed a refreshment stop. The Library restaurant offered all sorts of options including some and cake. We were booked for dinner at our hotel that night and really didn’t need any more than a light snack. As there weren’t any of those on offer (Alsacian cuisine really does lean towards German sized portions, or at least ravenous vineyard worker sized portions alongside French refinement) I had a slice of mirabelle cake, and a bottle of cold water.

We had a look around the medieval garden that had been set up outside, but it had somewhat gone over due to the extremely hot weather and a general lack of care. Afterwards, we sauntered back to the car and headed over to Sylvie Spielmann, where we made a massive dent in our wine buying budget. We also made a massive dent in the bottom of my car when we collected a piece of ironwork that was sticking up out of the sandy base level that a road under reconstruction had been reduced to. It got stuck, dragged along for several feet, and I was only able to get off it by reversing and then rocking forward a couple of time. I’ve yet to figure out what damage has been done precisely, but it is going to need looking at.

From there we reloaded the car again, shuffling everything round as best we could to keep the next night’s bags at the top of the luggage pile, and headed to Colmar and the our hotel for the next three nights, the Hostellerie Le Maréchal. We arrived in good time, and unloaded. I then had to drive the car to the nearby underground car park, because a hotel built in 1595 isn’t going to have built in car parking! It was a hot walk back and I annoyed myself by leaving my handbag in the car and having to walk back again almost immediately. Once in though, we were able to get ourselves organised and cleaned up and then investigate the possibility of an aperitif in the hotel bar prior to dinner in their restaurant a l’Echevin.

We had a lovely view from our window of the canal and some of the typical local barques which were the only vessels shallow enough to navigate from the market garden areas to the market hall back in the day, and which now carry tourists up and down.

Colmar looked lovely, the hotel was glorious, we had one of the suites with a “Little Venice” view, and we looked to be in for a lovely stay. As we had dinner at the hotel twice, I shall write about that elsewhere.

Travel 2019 – Alsace and Baden, Day 6, Illkirchen, Orschwiller, Colmar Wednesday, 17th September 2019 - Illkirchen, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Colmar Wednesday morning, with even more insect bites decorating both of us, we got ready to check out and move on.

[betterpathoflyfe]

Life Update (Uni Edition) - 9/7/20

Alright...alright...I’m gonna get more consistent in posting. It’s funny though, because every time I decide I’m going to write a blogpost, something else comes up that I have to do, which makes me postpone this. However, I’m really going to figure out a schedule so that I can post, because truthfully, these help me to stay grounded and allows me to take time out of my day to self-reflect. 

With that being said, I need to talk about soooo many things (not really, I’m just being dramatic, but still LOL). 

Uni Update: Soooo, this will be my first semester online completely. I requested to be released from my housing contract (yup...no more apartment smh) on Thursday (9/3), and before the university officially went online for the first two weeks, all of my courses went online. So it honestly just made sense for me to stay home. Now I do have to say that initially, back in freshman year, I kind of wanted to be an online or commuter student anyway, but certain circumstances just didn’t allow me to. Yet here I am, now a junior, getting the opportunity to be online! I have to say, the introverted part of me is living 🥂. But there’s also a different level of independence that I’ve always liked being at home (I know that contradicts itself, but I know what I’m trying to say lol). Like I’ve said in a previous blogpost, I’ve redesigned my bedroom & bathroom and I just feel like I’ve been accomplishing a lot more on a personal level that I might not have had time to on campus.

To update on the experience of it all, I finished my first week of online school, and it went well! One thing that I actually made sure to do was to change and get dressed as if I’m physically going to class (I may create a post dedicated to my “virtual class looks,” but we’ll see). Implementing habits like that, making sure that I clean my bathroom every Friday, eat 3 meals a day, etc., help me stay in a school mindset instead of a home mindset. Like typically I feel most productive at school, but by doing these things, I’ve been able to focus here, too! But I really feel like creating a new environment at home by re-doing by room and bathroom kind of makes it feel like my own mini apartment!🦋 Nevertheless, we had a long weekend due to Labor Day, so I’ve been trying to get a few things done, LIKE organizing my life.

I needed to get dates written down and assignments out the way because I could already feel them building up. One thing I’m not feeling is how our course schedules are based off of “weeks” instead of literal due dates. For instance, one of my course schedules have the date (Week 2). To me, I feel like it’s just easier to have each assignment and homework due by each date because it’s easier to follow. Going along with that is the assignment itself. A lot of my assignments don’t have specific due dates, but they’re just written in that week, meaning I have to wait till class to hear when each activity/project/homework assignment is due. It just makes me feel behind, to be honest. But nevertheless, I created a sort of Assignment Sheet that has the actual due dates that correspond with the week that it is assigned. Once I created that (like around 4:30-5:00PM today), it definitely made everything look more doable because it now gives me specifics of when everything needs to get done.

The next step that I need to do is to get organized for Psychology Club. I’ll be honest, there was a part of me that was kiiind of iffy about the role as President because I didn’t know if I had the time to take it on. 

And yet...here we are...taking it on. 

Now I do have to say that I’m already feeling grateful for my E-board because everyone participates, shares their ideas, and we’re able to come to a consensus about decisions fairly quickly. Before each meeting, I make sure that I have an agenda written down, sharing it with my Vice President to get any other suggestions, in order to make sure that everything is covered. We have a collaborative event (with ABPsi) on Friday, September 25th, and then our first club event that following week (still waiting to hear back from one of our guests to see if they are able to do it). We have another one in October, which I think will be very fun and interactive (especially since we’re most online now). But nevertheless, I’m just happy that the team is working well together. I now want to write and lay everything out for Psychology Club just so that I can see what still needs to get done/talked about and decided on.

So yeah, that’s kind of the run down of online school thus far, and it hasn’t been too bad; just need to make the necessary adjustments so that I can stay on top of things.

Was that a lot? I guess so, huh? LOL either way, this is a random side-note (and sort of a nerd moment?) but I started Naruto and let me tell youuuuuuu; that joint is entertaining! I’m on Season 1, Episode 21, and these 3 people strolled in from the Village Hidden in the Sand because they’re participating in the Chunin exams. Real quick though, the Chunin and Sharingan stuff definitely still confuses me, like...then there’s Jonin, too? I’m still trying to figure it out, but regardless, I can understand the hype. I’m trying to get into anime more (my friend and I just watched Howl’s Moving Castle on Saturday), and I figured I’d start with a classic. Now full disclosure, I have seen Dragonball Z Kai and as of now, that’s my favorite anime series. But I’m trying to expand! I have a bunch of series/recommendations that I’ve gotten from different people that���re all on my list, so we’ll see. Buuuut yeah LOL. 

Anyways, here’s some quick advice this evening:

“Spend time praying for people instead of talking about them”

~ May the Author