#MAGGIE... I love them. my wizard

[beastwhimsy]

magus all decked out in ooo's finest (and fanciest) hiking gear! ˖ ݁₊ ⊹ ݁˖ .

[jazeswhbhaven]

Hi!! Don't know if feel you confortable with this sort of ask, but if so, could you write about how the whb king's would react to a mc that enjoys cartoons like gravity falls and the amazing world of gumball but at the same time loves more adult shows like mr.pickles and moral orel? ( which is definitely not me describing myself, lol )

Hi anon, thank you for waiting!

So this hits home for me because I am definitely an enjoyer of the shows you mentioned here and even more so, let's see if I can tap into my nostalgic memories and throw out some shows the Kings and this MC would be into.

Satan would definitely watch shows with MC that have action in it along with mindless brain rot gore. So for the day time, we're talkin' the animated batman series, superman, anything with superhero marvel or dc characters and then at night? Super Jail, Mr.Pickles, Robot Chicken 💀 HELL Celebrity Deathmatch? He's literally out here asking MC or his nobles to tape certain episodes in case he misses anything.

Mammon is fine with whatever MC wants to watch. He literally has no preference but funny enough, he likes those old school shows most like The Jetsons, The Flintstones, anything that would show up on Boomerang that has that classic 70's animation style for cartoons. Yes, Scooby Doo would be one of them. As for adult shows...anything that involves a parody on reality, Oblongs, Mission Hill, (that genre of cartoons that aired late at night on MTV)

If MC can even get Beelzebub to sit in front of a TV long enough, he MIGHT be interested in something that has short run times. So The Amazing World of Gumball that has short mini episodes, same with Brandy and Mr.Whiskers, Uncle Grandpa, Fish Hooks. And at night time, the only thing MC can get him to pay attention to are shows with bright colors and brain rot, so again Super Jail, Squidbillies for nonsense shit, Robot Chicken, 12 OZ. Mouse, The Drinky Crow Show, China, IL. But, a show that has a place in his heart? The Buzz on Maggie 🥺

Leviathan is trickyyyyy, as he finds most things regarding watching TV instead of reading unproductive and a waste of time. But if you were to ask him, he's watching more "sophisticated" media. The Addams Family (black and white), The Munsters, and surprise surprise MC got him into Daria. Adult shows? Surprisingly, he may not act like it, but he does have two shows he likes to watch with MC, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Harvey Birdman 💀 He won't tell MC why he likes those shows, but he just does and gets upset if anyone interrupts the two of them watching either one.

Lucifer? TV? Why? He very much prefers quiet time because he already has Gamigin begging him to watch old shows. But for MC, he doesn't mind anything that isn't too loud, so no sudden blasts or explosions or yelling. Out of all the shows MC has shown him, he really likes Rocko's Modern Life and Courage the Cowardly Dog where he doesn't mind him yelling because "he has a reason to so this is fine". For any adult shows, he simply can't be bothered to watch them, saying he could "just ask someone to tape what happens in Abyssos" and he'd watch that. lmaooo

Belphegor? Oh buddy let's get cookin'. Not only is he watching Sonic X, Kirby Right Back At Ya!, Sailor Moon, and Yugi-Oh/Digimon....but he's got MC taping Danny Phantom, Fairly Oddparents, Gravity Falls, any show with lore. Adult shows? Remember Toonami? Adult Swim? All kids out of the pool? He coined that phrase. He made sure most of that shit would come on late a night even if he didn't get to see it. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is brain rot he enjoyed the most. He was also into lost media like "Perfect Hair Forever" and "Super Milk Chan". The Venture Bros? MC is now dressed up as Dr.Girlfriend or The Monarch. 💀

Asmodeus had small kiddos before, so he's seen every kind of wholesome show imaginable. He watches them all with MC for those feel good memories. But instead of animated shows he prefers the live action ones, so "Wizards of Waverly Place" would be an example. But...when we get to...uh...the afterdark shows anything with raunchy innuendos and any step below "porn" without it being porn is what he's watching. (Like honestly just think of a show and insert it here lmao) In fact, he purposes to MC that they make their own show and broadcast it all over Abaddon...the TV is turned off...brace yourself MC...TV night has turned into "Home Movies with my Horny Demon King boyfriend".

[ofliterarynature]

25 books in 2025

Tagged by @bibliophilecats, thank you! Sorry it took me so long, I'm horribly indecisive lol (and @wearethekat I know this isn't exactly what you tagged me in, but here's some books I want to read in 2025!)

Continuing on with my theme from last year, this year I really want to keep my focus on my backlist and tbr, especially those pesky ones that keep slipping away from me despite my best intentions!

The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin (3/3, January)

Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee (1/3, April)

Saint of Steel series by T Kingfisher

Penric & Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold (10/14, in progress)

The Doomsday Books series by KJ Charles (2/2, June)

Feminine Pursuits series by Olivia Waite (2/3, April)

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (June)

The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison (March)

The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison (June)

(a book published by Sarah Monette)

The Bone Harp by Victoria Goddard (July)

Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert (June)

Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie

Piranesi by Susanne Clarke (May)

Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (April)

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (reread) (February)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (reread)

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn (June)

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne (partial reread)

The Island of Dr Moreau by HG Wells (March)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (reread)

The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery (March)

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath

Loveless by Alice Oseman

I loved seeing other people break their lists down, so here we have series, new releases, books I own (to be read in print), books I own on audiobook, classics, young adult.

Every time I look at my goodreads tbr list I could find another dozen to add, but it's already February and I need at least half a chance to finish them all XD

[ultraericthered]

Nostalgic Lookback: Harry Potter

Alright, I cannot put this off forever (plus it's now Pride Month, so I'd rather not put off addressing the transphobic bully in the room and the stuff made by her until any later.) I have to talk Harry Potter.

I think it was 1999 when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was selected to be read aloud from on a daily basis in one of my school classes. I didn't really get it at first but as the story went on for day after day, week after week, I got more drawn in to the wizarding world and magical school life that it presented. Despite the controversy over this series of YA novels from puritan-minded evangelical Christians at the time, my mom gave that first book a read to and ended up loving it just as much. With Harry Potter deemed excellent and appropriate reading for the family, I read the second and third book in the series with great enthusiasm, and the much lengthier fourth book that followed through on the dark turn taken in Book 3. Reading about the resurrection of Lord Voldemort and Harry being made to face him once again was such a hype moment for kid me.

Around the holiday season of 2001, the film adaptation of the first book came out in theaters, and it conveniently coincided with when my family started listening to the audio tapes of the books narrated by Jim Dale on our holiday road trips. The film series, to be expected, isn't as good as the books, but they're still quality entertainment that you can tell had a lot of care, heart, and effort put into realizing them and includes many of the finest British actors cast in various roles, most memorably the late Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore in the first two films, the late Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the late Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, the late Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonnagle, the still living Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, the still living Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, and even the still living Evana Lynch as Luna Lovegood. Stellar performances by all!

There was a two year gap between the release of Book 4 and the release of Book 5 (the books were getting THICK, so I understand), but following the tradition that got set, the new Harry Potter book releases became the Summer Blockbusters of literature, with Book 5 coming out Summer 2003, Book 6 two years after in Summer 2005, and Book 7, the finale, two years after that in Summer 2007.

And for me, the story of Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and the Wizarding World ends at the final defeat of Voldemort and that divisive time skip epilogue. (Okay, The Cursed Child is actually pretty alright as a coda, third act strangeness and all). I felt completely satisfied with the way JK Rowling ending her years long, seven book story - I was in no need for any more. And it actually sort of disappoints me that the series' fanbase was so big, so vast, and so diverse that not everyone felt the same, and thus Rowling started bullshitting with the IP, first with nonsensical after-the-fact political nonsense (What do you mean Albus Dumbledore was gay? Where did that come from? I saw no evidence in the text for that!) and then just franchising the shit out of the "The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter", whoring out more merch, video games, a whole ass theme park at Universal Studios with rides and attractions, spinoff books, trading and playing card games, online stuff, phone app games, that goddamn Fantastic Beasts film trilogy, etc. Enough just could not be enough for her and the die-hard fanbase. And ironically, it just served to dilute away the actual magic of the property. It's diffcult for me to associate all this crud with the formative book and film series that I loved so much in my youth.

Joanne Kathleen Rowling authored the Harry Potter series, and for the imagination, heart and passion, story crafting instincts, and considerable talent in putting it all to pen and text that came from her way back when, I will be forever thankful. But for everything else - and I do mean everything else - I say "fuck you and retire already."

Pride Month reminder: please do NOT pay money for anything Harry Potter related, as JKR will use those profits as funds to donate to anti-trans hate groups and further her radical, cruel, oppressive and nigh genocidal cause against trans people and their allies within the LGBTQ+ community. And if you're to engage with Harry Potter at all, do so with free fan-made content and OC-based works of writing and/or art. All fans of this IP and what it brought you, take YOUR magic back from JKR!

[fosterhomeau]

For the critters, what's your favorite movie?

Rabie: I like Mean Girls. It is a awesome movie!

Bobby: I think I like Frozen the most, I love it when everything turns back to normal and Elsa and Anna realises that sister love is the most important.

Allister: I like the Harry Potter series. Like, imagine you are a wizard and with a flick of your wrist and saying a few strange words, everything is done. I also like to binge watch the series a lot.

Crafty: I- I like...I like Tangled. Rapunzel is so cool! She paints a lot, like me. H- Her whole wall is full of drawings.

Simon: I kinda like The Maze Runner. It's really cool.

Kickin: I really like We Can Be heroes. I especially like Wild Card. He is so amazing. Just imagine having all superpowers at once.

Icky: ...yeah, but you can't control them...

Kickin: fuck controlling, it's so goddamn cool!

Bouncy (mom): *comes in* how many times have I told you kids, not to cuss?

Maggie: But Mom, we learnt from you. Remember how you cuss every time you're driving and some crazy driver almost hits something?

Poe: ...aaaaaaand when something drops?

Simon: don't forget when she sees us getting into trouble.

Bouncy: ...fair point, continue.

Hoppy: I really like the sonic series. My fav is def Sonic 2 and 3. I mean, Shadow is just so cool! And I may or may not ship sonadow.

Kickin: Ewww...

Hoppy: Shut it, chicken boy.

Kickin: Hey!

Hoppy: *sticks her tongue out at him*

Poe: I like Donnie Darko. It is really cool and just my vibe.

Touille: I don't think there's need for a explanation for mine, Ratatouille.

Baba: Who would've guessed... Mine is either Sick Girl or Begotten.

Dogday: I like Despicable me! I really like Agnus. And the minions are so funny!

Bubba: I really like Back To The Future. It is so amazing!

Catnap: I think Karate Kid is my go-to movie if I want to watch one.

Maggie: Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. I love that guy, he doesn't even care if the children are basically suffering and almost dying, he is just chillin'

Icky: ...he is probably mentally sick too...

Picky: that's my second favourite. I really like Tampopo. It's an amazing movie, I couldn't stop watching it!

Icky: I like Spider-Man, no way home. It is probably the best movie I have ever seen, it's peak!

[munchkinmarauder]

Let's talk Magneto's letter!

I'm not marking this as spoilers because we've probably all seen the panels from Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver floating around the internet at this point (but I do apologise if I do accidentally spoil it for someone - take this as your warning to scroll past and not read this post).

So after many months of speculation as to what the letter could be and if it has big reveals the contents of the letter is not a lore changing or retcon inducing reveal but .... Drum roll please.... that Magneto thinks the twins should stay apart, that they are dangerous together (particularly that Pietro is dangerous to Wanda and Wanda coddles Pietro) and that Pietro should have stayed dead after Magneto murdered him.

Wow isn't Maggie father of the year? What a girldad!

Jokes aside and let's get this out of the way because I know a lot of the Magneto is right crowd have been calling for Orlando's head over this character assassination or trying to argue Magneto is in fact right about the twins (despite the story and the twins themselves saying otherwise) - Magneto being an abusive douchbag to his kids is the norm, we only have 60 years of their relationship in the 616 verse alone to prove this. Yes there is nuance to this that makes it all very interesting, one of the most interesting dynamics in Marvel, and I personally never expected to hear Magneto saying the silent part out loud because I do think cannon shows that he loves all his kids Pietro included (but is incapable of loving them the way a parent should), but this is simply an over exaggeration and not out of character. Its no surprise he says this to his son. It's also of note that Magneto never actually intended for the twins to see the letter or Storm would have given it to Wanda when she visited in SW#2 to deliver the news of Magneto's passing, it might have been Magneto trying to work out some feelings and opinions rather than protect them as he claims (cause again he didn't actually intend for anyone to see the letter, he sealed it shut in a box). He is justified in feeling frustrated that his last words were weaponised against his children (lol Mags being like how dare my own hurtful words were used to hurt my kids - no one hurts them but me)

Magneto is one of those genderbended boymoms that is jealous of their daughter and views then as competition. Only in this case it is with his son and the competition is for Wanda's affections. The fact is, Magneto is always going to loose that fight and he knows it.

The more I think about it the more I like that this letter wasn't a big reveal (though I'm sure the recton everyone is hoping for will come some day -I'm glad it wasn't today) but something that played into the themes of this series. Their father, the Wizard and the Giver are all saying the twins should stay apart and the story and the twins say no and prove them wrong. A lot of the twins greatest feats are reactive and evolving, tying back to the red queen hypothesis mentioned in issue 4.

On a side note if the Giver really wanted to deal with the twins she should have gone to dear old daddy Mags and he would have nipped that problem in the bud in a jiffy seeing as he and the giver are of a like mind when it comes to the twins. Technically you just need to get rid of one of them seeing as the Givers worry is about the twins together but let's see what the new Scarlet Witch solo has to say about that (I hope Pietro's role in this isn't forgotten but you can never tell with Marvel)

What the letter is is a classic case of a narcissist parent setting up a golden child and scape goat dynamic. Seeking to isolate the twins from each other. It's very clear he's self projecting onto his son (and Lorenzo Tammetta deliberately emphasises the similaries the two have in appearance to drive this fact home) and blaming Pietro for moments that happened that can apply to himself and are in fact caused by his actions for example his willingness to abandon his daughter to die and murder of his son in HoM. Both the major trigger points for the creation of the HOM verse and no more mutants. I'm not saying Magneto is souly to blame here but he does have a big contribution to what happens that he never has taken accountability for (along with the X-Men who play as victims and the avengers who did own up to what they did but otherwise keep silent about the blame the twins get from the X-Men).

A lot has been said about the impact of the letter on Pietro and I don't think I can add much more other than to emphasise how crushing that has be to hear from a parent and abuser even if you hate them. The twins helped each other survive for a very long time and we're each others everything parent, twins, best friend, protector, etc. You've spent time and energy and dedicated a portion of your life to protecting someone to the degree of making it your reason for living for a long time (please note I am not saying this is a healthy mindset for Pietro- hes taken it too far sometimes) and in a hypocritical tyraid are told it's all for nothing. Pietro handles it really well and comes out this with his head held high. Reacting calmly, expressing his love for his sister and throwing Magneto's words back at him. I think as a Quicksilver fan we can be reasonably happy with this outcome (but I do understand some fans frustration to hear Quicksilver be degraded that way and told he's bad for Wanda while she gets forced to interact with men that did treat her like shit like Vision and Magneto - however the point is that Magneto is WRONG and Wanda herself reiterates this point).

Now the one person who's screwed over by the writing and out of character in that scene is WANDA. Sure she tells Magneto he is wrong but that gentle response (even if she does react with a degree of unhappiness to see Magneto back) and effort to be neutral is so odd for her given that she sent the Wizard to a hell dimension for hurting her brother a few pages prior and has been even more vocal than Pietro in calling her father out in the past. She's as protective of her brother as he is her and I can't believe she would be written as a daddies girl and standby while a man who abused them both continues to abuse her brother.

The contents of the letter is also not great for Wanda. And I would argue is a subtler abuse tactic. Like a lot of the focus is rightly on how shitty it was for Magneto to say what he did in his letter to Pietro but we're also not considering the the negative implications it has for Wanda as well. Wanda has been working to establish herself as independent and not defined by the men in her life for so long and here is her "father", infantalising her and saying he knows better than her about her own life and what keeps her safe, that is seeking to take away from her the one pillar of support she's always had and one of if not the important relationship to her, a lot of Wanda's lowest moments did happen when Pietro wasn't even around, when everyone including Magneto abandoned her, her brother was there. The twins do have a codependency and that codependency does have it's toxic elements, Magneto touches on it but doesn't go into detail. Wanda is codasended to and told she is "coddling" her brother and everything else is Pietro's fault. The letter is worse for Pietro but it's shitty for Wanda too, she is a grown woman& a mother here is a man that abused her talking down to her, saying he knows best for her and her opinions are wrong, seeking to isolate her and undermining her authority.

The twins are right for saying Magneto is wrong but wish Wanda would get more angry at this undermining. Maybe like Pietro she is just very jaded and tired of the whole thing with Magneto. These words would be upsetting if they didn't in their own way love their father too as fucked up as it all is.

Now to be fair - does Magneto's letter have any merit? That isn't to easy to answer but in the interests of equal analysis let's try!

So I think one think that Magneto touches on but doesn't go into or outright say is the twins codependancy. He is a few years late to the party but he's been dead and their not dad for a while so well give him a small amount of leeway in his old age. I don't think the twins codependency is necessary a wholly bad thing but it does have it's nagative elements and in some cases has held the twins back. If we are to adopt a charitable approach her Magneto in his own twisted and emotionally constipated way may be trying to encourage the twins to be independent, to discourage his son from defining his self worth around his ability to protect his sister. Ofc I am reaching a bit here as Magneto could have just said this (though we'll never see the full contents of the letter - both Wanda and Mags may be summerising the worst parts of it) and done so in a way that wasnt cruel.

I also do believe that Magneto in writing those words to a degree did believe or convinced himself that he was not writing those words out of Malice and that it was an attempt to protect the twins (though I will reiterate how much it was actually intended to protect them when Magneto didn't actually intend for the twins to see the letter but at least he owns up to the fact he did write those words). In his mind he was being cruel to be kind but the narrative makes it clear that even if he had "good" intentions - he is nevertheless still fundamentally misunderstanding his children and self projecting onto his son. I'm not mad about this -its in character and I feel this letter is set up for a longer plot thread and I hope it's explored but let's see!

It certainly makes me feel that Pietro's lack of mention in RoM was extremely deliberate as was his lack of appearance in last week's FoX issue despite his cameo in the previous one to save the Magneto and Pietro reunion for this comic (the Xoffice are collaborative)

Is the writing for this scene perfect? no! Is Magneto potentially a tad one note? Yes but being a dick to his kids is in character and it's unsubtle but sometimes it needs to be.

[utilitycaster]

Hi! I'm soon (finally!) starting a Netherdeep campaign with my lovely friends. This is my second time DMing, but character work is not my strong suit. Any suggestions as a fellow Netherdeep DM for preparing how to roleplay the rivals? I thought of writing out fanfic style how they (the rivals) would adventure through the module, and writing out dialogue/party banter to get a feel for them, but I'd love to hear from you as a more seasoned DM on how you approach this kind of challenge. Thanks for your time!

I hesitate to say character work is MY strong suit either but I do think about the rivals a lot! so:

Read through the full adventure if you haven't as it does cover the rivals' arcs. I will warn you that my main criticism of Netherdeep is that there's a few assumptions it makes regarding what you and what the rivals will do, especially in Bazzoxan and in choosing factions in Ank'Harel. [btw: I did not have the rivals ally with Consortium of the Vermillion Dream despite my party allying with the Cobalt Soul because frankly based on how Bazzoxan went down it made no sense, and I'm happy to talk through how I've set them up with the Allegiance of Allsight. I think if your party chooses the Allegiance of Allsight it might be trickier due to the nature of the Cobalt Soul and the arcs of the rivals; you may want to have them join the Vermillion Dream with a goal of infiltration.] So while I think you should maintain the emotional arcs, you need to be flexible regarding the exact factors involved.

I think the book does cover what interests and drives the rivals, and that's very helpful. Honestly, the most basic advice of "know overall what this character is running from and what they are running to, and also what they want and fear in the short term" is pretty much how I play NPCs. This is also way easier than writing fanfic.

With that said: if you do want to write out their side of the story I think that's great - essentially, yeah, I do at least vaguely have a sense of what's going on for them and if making it more concrete will help you, go for it. My only warning is don't go ahead because they will be shaped by how your players interact with them - I expected my players to be super into Ayo and Dermot, and instead we've had a LOT of Maggie and some important Irvan stuff (my fighter has some really interesting parallels with both of them) and some fun Galsariad drama too (because we also have a snobby wizard in the party). Also, real talk, if someone does a rivals POV fic for a full netherdeep campaign in this manner I would 100% read that.

I don't know how helpful this is. I will admit I have a bit of a Spenser Starke problem in that like...while GM-ing while I do not per se black out it's kind of just pure improv instinct and vibes for how characters react. I am also ngl a little bit lazy and drunk off the power of the module being already written so I'm like "oh i don't need to prepare as extensively? GREAT."

[shadowtriovibes]

break a sweat: prologue

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Chapter Rating: G [Fic Rating: E]

Word Count: 1.3K

Summary: Sebastian Sallow was seven years old the first time he rode a broom.

i'm officially launching my rewrite of the "break a sweat" series as a multichapter fic! please enjoy this new prologue, which sees sebastian receive his first broom.

AO3 permalink: break a sweat

November 7, 1881

Sebastian Sallow was seven years old the first time he rode a broom.

He awoke on the morning of his birthday as he did most days, tucked inside the cozy warmth of the Sallow family’s coastal cottage.

November had arrived in the Highlands, which surely meant that winter was just around the corner. But that morning, the sun shone brightly over the rocky shoreline and the powerful gusts of wind with which Sebastian had become intimately familiar seemed to be holding themselves back.

It was almost as if the wind itself knew that this day was special – that one young boy would soon be meeting one of the greatest loves of his life: flight.

—

Albert and Margeret Sallow had left London with their young children in 1877. The family settled near the Firth of Forth in Ivanbreck, a small wizarding hamlet just outside the Muggle town of Gullane and not more than thirty kilometers from Edinburgh.

Four years later, the children had grown into curious, restless young things whose minds seemed to wander past the walls of their family home and out across the hills and valleys that lined the winding road toward Hogwarts.

Still without their own magic, the twins spent most of their days at their mother’s knee reading books well beyond their years about the study of magic. Sebastian and Anne were both desperate to start school, much to their parents’ bittersweet delight.

When Sebastian blinked awake the morning of this seventh birthday, the first thing he thought to himself was Only four more birthdays until Hogwarts.

Sebastian and Anne tumbled downstairs like a pair of drunken nifflers, slipping and sliding in their thick woolen socks toward the kitchen, where the smell of rich breakfast foods called them in like a siren’s song.

“Mummy!” Anne called out happily, skidding into her mother’s open arms. “It’s our birthday!”

Sebastian nearly collided with the dining table, only to be spared when his father snagged him by the sleeve of his pajamas and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Happy birthday, son,” Albert murmured into his sleep-mussed hair.

Then his mother hugged him as well, pressing seven kisses to each of Sebastian’s cheeks while he giggled delightedly.

“You two are getting so big,” Margeret crooned. “Seven years old, I can hardly believe it!”

“Go on, Maggie, let the boy breathe,” Albert laughed.

His mother had prepared a special breakfast with all the family’s favorites: thick-sliced bacon, oat porridge, juicy sausages, toasted oat bread, and, perhaps most importantly to Sebastian, a basket full of warm tattie scones.

“Make sure you have plenty to eat,” Albert said, winking across the table at his wife. “You’ll be needing your energy this afternoon.”

Sebastian squirmed with excitement throughout the meal as he wondered what his parents had in store for him and his sister. Birthdays were sacred to the Sallow family, and he’d never had one that was anything less than spectacular. (Of course, he could only remember a handful of birthdays at such a tender age).

Would they be going into the city to see the Muggle museum? Or perhaps Diagon Alley to get some new books… Maybe, he thought, just maybe they’ll get to see Hogwarts.

But instead of instructing the twins to get dressed and put on their traveling cloaks, Albert and Margeret simply took their children’s hands and guided them to the sitting room.

Resting on the low table by the fireplace were two long, thin packages wrapped in brown parcel paper and tied up with string. Each package had a small tag hanging from the narrower end: one marked with an S and the other with an A.

Sebastian felt his fingertips start to tingle as he tiptoed toward the table. Is this magic? he wondered to himself. Is it happening now?

“Go on, sweetheart,” Margeret whispered to Anne, who clung tightly to her skirts. “That one’s for you, do you see the ‘A’ on it?”

While Anne gingerly untied the wrapping strings and rolled back the paper, Sebastian eagerly tore into his gift with no thought of preserving its wrappings.

Inside was a riding broom. Shorter than a standard model from the sporting goods shop on the high street, this broom was evidently made for children who had yet to receive their magic. It had shiny metal footrests at the bottom and handles at the top with leather grips. Etched into the top of the broom handle were the words Oakshaft ‘81 – Junior.

Sebastian’s fingers trembled as he stroked his fingers down the length of the polished handle. He could have sworn he saw a handful of sparks flicker from his hands as he lifted the broom, but as soon as he noticed them they dissipated into thin air.

“What do you think, my boy?” Albert asked him proudly.

Sebastian hardly knew what to think. Brooms like this didn’t come cheap, much less two. His parents had always seemed comfortable as young professors, studying magical theory and offering instruction to a handful of local wizarding families with homeschooled children. But a gift like this…

“Thank you,” Sebastian whispered, blinking back tears. “I love it, thank you.”

With a proud smile, Albert scooped up a teary-eyed Anne and asked, “What do you think? Should we take them out for a spin?”

The rest of the afternoon, Margeret watched from the ground with a book in her lap, watching with equal parts maternal joy and anxious fear as Albert circled the twins on his dependable Smethwyck Spinner from the 1870s. To begin, he taught Sebastian and Anne how to kick off from the ground and ascend into the air.

“That’s it!” Albert roared as Sebastian floated fifty feet into the air and spun in a wobbly circle. “Excellent work, Sebastian!”

Anne took a bit more coaching to eventually lift her feet off the ground, but by the time she was giggling nervously and taking slow laps around the cottage, Sebastian had discovered the aerodynamics of forward flight.

“Not too fast, darling!” Margeret called out from below. “Oh, please do be careful…”

Sebastian didn’t touch the ground again for hours. By the time he eventually landed, panting and windswept and deliriously happy, it was nearly time for dinner.

“I take it you like your gift, hmm?” Albert asked with a knowing grin as he helped Sebastian store his broom in the small shed behind the house.

“I love it!” Sebastian exclaimed. “I’m gonna fly every day, and I’m going to be so good – maybe I’ll even play Quidditch!”

“Maybe you will,” Albert said indulgently.

“Dad, did you play Quidditch while you were in school?” he asked curiously.

Albert shook his head. “No, I wasn’t very good back then. I suppose I’m a fair flyer now, but the rest of it – the athleticism – that wasn’t for me. Nearly always had my nose buried in a book back then.”

“You still do!” Sebastian pointed out, and Albert laughed, tossing his head back.

“Aye, I do,” he agreed. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I suppose. But if Quidditch makes you happy, you ought to go after it. There are plenty of things you can’t learn in books, after all.”

—

Sebastian and Anne were orphaned in the spring of 1882. In the end, Sebastian learned that perhaps there was a downside to having your nose buried in a book all day.

Feldcroft was a smaller hamlet than Ivanbreck. Uncle Solomon was less patient than Albert and Margeret, and he hardly had any books in his rather unadorned cottage.

…Sebastian didn’t want to be a professor anymore.

But he still had his broom.

By the time his eighth birthday arrived, Sebastian had already decided that he’d do whatever it took to be the best damn Quidditch player Hogwarts has ever seen.

[grailknightmonty]

it starts and ends in a garden.

i keep coming back to the good omens mianite AU so have a funky little illustration :] I just. I just love them a lot

Ref + what story I've thought about below the cut!

(Spoilers for Good Omens S1 and S2 ahead, be wary if you haven't watched and wanna get into it without prior knowledge)

At its core, this AU is basically good omens but with the cast of Mianite, with a few revisions to tie it a little into the mcytverse (while also not like compromising the integrity of the show version of the story) I got inspired by AdamMonter's AU and decided I wanted to give it a go myself after i watched S2 and reawakened my fixation :D

Jordan is this universes Aziraphale- the angel stationed to guard Eden and look out for humans (intended to instill in them the ways of goodness through righteous balance and justice in the name of the High Goddess) - and Tom is Crowley, or the snake in within the Garden, sent up to cause chaos and tempt humans towards evil shenanigans in the name of Dianite, or the devil in this case. They stand on two opposing sides of whats meant to be an all out war between Heaven (under Ianite) and Hell (by Dianite) on whether Ianites form of order (borrowing this from Aitheaca) or chaos will reign supreme- or basically the big ol apocalypse. I made Mianite the Metatron because idk what else to do with him mianite im sorry i didnt wanna make ianite the metatron if i swapped it even though it would make more sense for mia and dia to be fighting SOBS

Tom n Jordan grow close over their centuries on Earth together that when everythings meant to go down and destroy the world they've made their own, they fight to stop the apocalypse from happening, and by the end of it, are subsequently punished by their respective sides- only to not be affected and left alone when they seem to have absorbed the powers of the other (no one seems to realize they can swap bodies). Series 2 follows what they uncover by the end of it a plot to restart armageddon, in which they want Jordan to take over as the head of it after the former champion/supreme archangel is ousted for disagreeing- and had shown up with a non-existent memory nonexistent at Jordan's.

(im switching to list im done with prose xD)

Jordan runs an antique shop instead of a bookshop, he seems like he'd be more into little trinkets and old school machines, stuff he could tinker with. its still got that certain charm to it though

Capsize is Nina from the coffee shop (give me coffee or give me death seems like a thing Capsize would name something) and Sonja is Maggie who runs a record shop. aka the lesbians from across the street you know what I am

For something hilarious Tubbo is the Antichrist, aka the child meant to start and lead the War (leaving it as is bc its funny but not the literal antichrist) He's meant to join a government family to put him in a place of power, but due to a mix up ends up with an In the meantime, Tom and Jordan act as godfathers to the other child (who they assume is the antichrist, it would be funny to make this Crumb or something) in hopes that influencing them to good/evil respectively would neutralize them out- only to eventually realize its the wrong kid

Wag is Anathema, the descendent of a prophetic wizard who was scrutinized for their foresight and becomes the carrier of those prophecies (for my sanity ive chosen to get rid of the Newt-Anathema romance thing idk it. it just aaaa and turn into wag and his bros aka FyreUK tryin to use what they know to stop the apocalypse from their end)

Angels are Ianitees (save for Capsize), and Demons are Dianitees. Ive gone back n forth with who would be who and I still have no answer so. all I'll say is that Andor is Muriel thats all thats important /j C:

The other option was to make Satan the Darkness/World Historian and Dianite is the Lord of Hell (Beelzebub) with Mot as Gabriel but do i look like I know? idk do we need ineffable bureaucracy i could always alter that a little too... idk

tubbo as the child of the world historian who wouldve thought… edit what if like carrier of the darkness

anyway thats all enjoy this nonsense ;)

and screenshot I referenced for the drawing! I know its low qual dont worry about it i just needed to see where the trees were so i knew how many to paint LMAO

[the-bah-commune]

ok ok ok since requests are open again can i ask for more of those harry potter marauders alters. level 4 no likes or dislikes (feel free to remove anything else you don’t wanna do). i still want them to be para focused! i don’t know exactly all the paras i want so if you don’t mind some are your choice

regulus - consang

peter - your pick for para

severus - aptophilia

marlene - your pick for para

i hope this works! i loved the ones so much last time i want more!!!

hiiii! cheering and bouncing up and down. here's some more marauders for you! i may perhaps make a part 3 out of the blue for you when my inbox is less full cause i have evil ideas >:)

a new flower has blossomed! 🌹

marauders subsys, para focus ... [LVL 4 PACK]

══════════════════

name(s) ;; regulus, reggie, icarus, rosemont, darcy

pronouns ;; he/him, they/them

age ;; 18

species ;; human / wizard

gender(s) ;; transmasculine

orientation(s) ;; gay

role(s) ;; [some options...] depression holder, amnesian protector, charge

source ;; harry potter (marauders era)

sign-off(s) ;; 🌟🌊

══════════════════

appearance ;; 5'8" and thin. pale skin. short and wavy black hair. grey eyes. beauty marks on face. slightly hooked nose. dresses in romantic goth style. see below for picrew.

personality ;; clever and intuitive. he's very good at reading others. they can come across as apathetic, both towards other people and their own issues.

══════════════════

cisid(s) ;; pureblood, slytherin, death eater, cisEnglish, cisFrench, cisWhite, catholic upbringing

transid(s) ;; transdead, transdrowned, deatheaternull, transSHscars, wateramian

trisid(s) ;; trisharmed, trismanipulated

kink/fetish/para(s) ;; consang, sadomasochism

══════════════════

name(s) ;; peter, wormtail, pete, levi, carter

pronouns ;; he/him

age ;; 20

species ;; human / wizard

gender(s) ;; cisgender man

orientation(s) ;; gay, bicurious

role(s) ;; [some options...] assistant, anxiety holder, chameleon

source ;; harry potter (marauders era)

sign-off(s) ;; 🐀🗺 ; – Wormtail

══════════════════

appearance ;; 5'6" and heavyset. light peach skin with freckles. short cropped blond hair. hazel eyes. comfortable and casual style. see below for picrew.

personality ;; nervous and modest. he likes to hide in the background. he's very friendly and social, but not very good at socializing, especially with new people.

══════════════════

cisid(s) ;; gryffindor, animagus, pureblood, cisEnglish, cisWhite, social anxiety

transid(s) ;; transconfident, transharmful, transmanipulove

kink/fetish/para(s) ;; zoophilia, autozoophilia, macrophilia, automicrophilia

══════════════════

name(s) ;; severus, sev, henrik, viper, vincent

pronouns ;; they/them, ve/vem, hiss/hisses, he/him (for those close to them)

age ;; 20

species ;; human / wizard (transsnake)

gender(s) ;; serpegoldeni

orientation(s) ;; diamoric (NBLW)

role(s) ;; [some options...] obsession keeper, guilt holder, academic

source ;; harry potter (marauders era)

sign-off(s) ;; 🐍🪄 ; – HBP

══════════════════

appearance ;; 5'10" and thin. pale skin. long, greasy black hair. dark brown eyes. knobbly joints. dark alternative style. see below for picrew.

personality ;; quiet and intelligent. they have difficulty communicating their needs and emotions. ve's philosophical and somewhat existential. a lil edgy, yanno?

══════════════════

cisid(s) ;; wizard, halfblood, slytherin, cisEnglish, cisWhite, selective mutism, cisautistic, burnt out gifted kid, potion master

transid(s) ;; transspecies (snake), transgenitals (hemipenes), transinnocent, transOCD

kink/fetish/para(s) ;; aptophilia, hypnophilia

══════════════════

name(s) ;; marlene, marls, marley, maggie, georgia, dora

pronouns ;; she/her, they/them, he/him

age ;; 19

species ;; human / witch

gender(s) ;; genderfluid

orientation(s) ;; lesbian, lesboy, polyamorous

role(s) ;; [some options...] athlete, protector, coach

source ;; harry potter (marauders era)

sign-off(s) ;; 🧹💥

══════════════════

appearance ;; 5'2" and slightly stocky and muscular. light skin. bleached bob that she likes to add coloured streaks to. dark brown eyes. athletic clothing. see below for picrew.

personality ;; loud and courageous. they are incredibly loyal. she is athletic and hyperactive. he is bold and decisive, with an interest in leadership.

══════════════════

cisid(s) ;; gryffindor, cisKorean, halfblood, quidditch player, popular

transid(s) ;; acquirace, transBlack, transproathlete, transcharacter (tashi duncan - challengers), transbisexual

kink/fetish/para(s) ;; exhibitionism, agoraphilia

[lucas-deziderio]

Dezi reads Pact: Signature 8.7

Let me tell you something about Maggie Holt. This poor girl's backstory is that she is the survivor of a specially mean episode of The Twilight Zone. And then things got A Lot Worse. But, you know, it isn't all bad. She has some victories to her name. Two loving fathers, a handful of goblins on her back pocket, the friendship of an up-and-coming diabolist...

Now the Girl with the Checkered Scarf is a whole other story! If she were an RPG character I could easily show you her inventory and you would see that the only things she has for herself now are one (1) scarf, one (1) goblin, one (1) gender and a dream. OK, I'm exaggerating a bit, but my girl do is struggling as reality is trying to shake her off itself.

This chapter starts with a very interesting conversation with Johannes, the sorcerer famous for having a demesne big enough to fit your mom in it. Up until now he had come off as some kind of secondary or maybe even primary antagonist that Blake would have to face against at some point, but now I'm not so sure. His perspective does make sense and the fact that he's being so kind to the underdog that is our current protagonist does make him more endearing.

The first thing I want to discuss is the idea of demesnes; places a practitioner has claimed for themselves and now have full control over, being able to draw energy from it to power their practice. One of the big three milestones a person in this world must achieve to be considered a grown-up wizard.

To me, the process of claiming a demesne seems to equate the process of forming a nation or kingdom. Through the ritual, a practitioner takes over an area that was until then public and makes it their own. But to do that they need the approval of all Others, spirits and even practitioners in the surrounding region. Or, at least, to overpower them through the challenges that are part of the ritual. If successful, what was once free range becomes infused by the identity of its new ruler. We have seen before practitioners both bargaining for and coercing Others into lending them power, but this is different. This ritual is both way broader in scope and way narrower in what it rewards: a geographical, almost political, type of power.

The main rule of this magic system is so maintained: all power comes with a price. In this case, the practitioner scrapes off bits of the liberty of an entire group to make themselves the sovereign monarch of their own kingdom; a social contract born out of the rules of magic itself. As time goes on, Laird Behaim's metaphor about countries becomes poignant once again.

Still, the mystery of how Johannes was able to conquer such a large territory remains as he refuses to concede us any details. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll become essential later. Considering Blake's streak of luck, he'll probably need to use this secret to stablish a demesne for himself.

After a very interesting game of 20 questions, our protagonist manages to get some necessary resources basically for free and steps back into reality to put her plan into action. Except that reality is kinda fed up with her. She dodges the cracks in existence, bombs a handful of goblins and starts to jury-rig a variation of the demesne ritual to claim a new name for herself.

That makes me think that, just like political power, identity itself is something that is determined by our relationship to others. Sometimes it's something we can agree upon, and sometimes it's something we must fight to stablish against discordant voices. Luckily, the girl in the checkered scarf spent this entire arc making all other powerful practitioners of Jacob's Bell pity her. She finishes the ritual, craps in a bucket and wills a new place for herself into existence. I'm proud of Mags.

A couple other questions now remain in my head. Had she fallen down into one of those cracks in reality would she end up in the same place Blake is in right now? After all, he also had his connections to reality stripped from him. And if Padraic is still occupying her previous role as the child of a family, would that make of him a changeling? Or would that be a different type of fey?

Previous • Next

[toastiecakes]

An Introduction to Ivilia NPCs

(aka this is the master post for my silly little ocs)

I'm going to put most of this under a read more just because there will be pictures and I wouldn't wanna clog up y'all's feeds with the sheer amount of stuff.

I'll make a small list of characters I really want to get into, at least so that I can remember to talk more about them myself aha.

In this post you'll find information about:

-Magnus and Magan Deyvet

-Lockeland, Kitril, and Cedith Puckett

-Lucien Ancrum and Milo Ancrum-Buckley

-Helios the Bard

-Christopher and Loulouche Sunsinger

-Raiden the Wanderer

-Ghost

-Knox Odikonn the Mad Wizard

-The Glazastov Family

Continue reading at your own risk I suppose?

Okay so. Starting off strong with the twins.

Magnus Deyvet

Pronouns: he/him

An asshole to put it plainly. This little rat bastard will ruin your day he's such a a little shit oh my god. He used to be worse but I can apparently Not Make Sympathetic Villains so I'm just sitting here with a kind mean little bastard boy who's also immortal and can't stay dead so yeah that's fun! He's old and tired and wants to be left alone kinda sorta but he also wants to be in everyone's business. How dare you NOT let him be in your business you MUST tell him all the things. An aggressively gay little man. Absolutely can and will bite. Also he's a changeling so he can shapeshift too and that's cool I guess. Did I say who awful he is

Magan Deyvet

Pronouns: he/she/they

My silly little BLORBO. He is my little bean my precious dogboy the BEST EVER. NOTHING like their brother nope not at ALL. In reality she's actually probably just as bad, but his moral code is far more defined than Maggie's is I suppose. He's a fairly friendly person, she spends a lot of her time working on their prosthetics and stuff like that. Big robot nerd basically aha

Lockeland Puckett

Pronouns: they/them

Scribgly scrimblo!!!! My screembl. My little BASTARD!! I love them y'all I can't understated how much they rotate around in my brain with their funny little accent! Just a silly guy they're so traumatized it's so much fun dude. They're missing an eye btw!! And an ear and half their tongue ahahaha. But they have a cat and three dogs and a silly accent so it's okay :)

Kitril and Cedith Puckett

Pronouns: he/him and they/them respectively

Locke’s father and auncle respectively, they hate each other for some reason I haven't quite determined why lol. But they're both silly old fey and I like them a lot. If I had to describe each in short terms I'd say Kit is a crazy cat man and Cedith is a bog witch. Great little guys. You should definitely trust them with your name

Lucien Ancrum

Pronouns: he/they

The guy ever!! He's so soft and big and sweet and will give everyone hugs. This man loves everyone he's literally just here for the hugs. He will become ur dad he will let you lay on a fluffy highland cow. He is just the best, I have no complaints he is so pure and good. What a man

Milo Ancrum-Buckley

Pronouns: she/her

Lucien's sister! She got the "short" end of the straw in genetics because she looks way more human than her brother but that's ok. She's strong and also big and will beat up anyone that misgenders u. She also owns and runs a tavern!!! Pretty sure she's a lesbian too but I haven't given her a proper love interest so if you have suggestions please tell them at me

Helios the Bard

Pronouns: he/him

Clown ahh MF. This man is goofy as hell but he's also the organizer behind 99% of the riots and strikes in one of the primary cities so there's that I guess. He has a wife he loves VERY much dude he's so so SO dedicated to her. Literally just hanging off her every word. But he's a lot smarter than he presents, he's just gotta keep it silly or he'll be consumed by the narrative

Christopher Sunsinger

Pronouns: he/him

Literally gay as hell. Gayest man I know. He's short and gay and gay. He's also strong as hell and could throw a person. He's completely blind but he keeps making sight-based jokes and thinks he's funny for it. Also a good therapist! Probably.

Loulouche Sunsinger

Pronouns: he/him

Angry and small. Christopher's little brother. Asshole. Highly traumatized and very very temperamental he may as well be your mortal enemy if you so much as look at him the wrong way. Kinda a space cowboy tho so that's cool! He likes to fight god

Raiden the Wanderer

Pronouns: he/him

Silly bird man who makes soup and studies ancient ruins of long lost civilisations in the desert! He doesn't have a quarrel with anyone and nobody has a quarrel with him. He knows the tunnels under the desert well and knows how to avoid sandworms. He's also a guide for lost travelers trying to make their way through a hopelessly large desert.

Ghost

Pronouns: they/them

Silly Creecher, Ghost is my little blorbo bingus. They are a cryptid and a spooky little guy and they will look at som1 and think "that is friend". Just my tall Eldritch beastie that likes to hang out with people and sit in their forest

Knox Odikonn the Mad Wizard

Pronouns: it/they/he

Really fucked up little guy. Kinda more fucked up than Maggie if I'm being honest. A real piece of work, it created a nightmarish hell-dimension called Wiz-Mart for fun and watched people actually try to utilize it as a proper grocery store. They find it HIGHLY entertaining to watch

The Glazastov Family

Pronouns: see below

I'd make individual blurbs for this family but none of them are that important aside from Vitaly, but he's also a very minor character in this (I still love him a lot though). The Glazastov Family is a (you guessed it) family of morticians and funeral directors. They are a family of five, consisting of the parents (Konstantin and Olga) and their three children (Vitaly, Sasha, and Polina). Konstantin (he/him) and Olga (she/her) are happily married and getting up there in years, but they tend not to go out much. Not very social at all. Vitaly (he/him) is the most social out of all of them and that's saying a lot. He's not very keen on speaking to others outside of work, but he has a soft spot for kids and does a lot of the talking for his family. Sasha (he/him) is an asshole. He was quickly driven out of the family home for trying to kill his brother. Polina (she/her), or Polly for short, is the youngest and very very sweet. She often plays with the children outside the morgue, and her responsibilities in the family have yet to be passed down, since she's quite young still.

___

Okay- I did it, I wrote the things down. I'm sure there will be plenty more characters and NPCs to come, I definitely haven't covered all of them, but this is the basic stuff for the moment. God it's exhausting making this long of a post how do y'all do it this took me like three days

Anyways enjoy, if you have questions my asks are open or you can just. Rb or comment or whatever idm either way. I hope you all derive much joy from my little blorbos

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hello hello Mousy! Hope you've been doing well lately! I got a bit of a silly concept here, I hope you don't mind!

So-- We know Magnus gets huffy over Camilla calling him "Razzy", but what if his farmer spouse is notorious for giving him all sorts of endearing nicknames? Ranging from "sweetheart", handsome", aall the way to stuff worse than simply "Razzy", like "Maggie Raz", "Razmatazz", "Razzle Dazzle"-- with no hesitation to call him such things in front of others, maybe complete with cheek kisses to the old wizard.

- 🐇

Hey hey, bunny anon 👋 I'm a little sick with the flu right now, but feeling pretty ok, thanks for asking 😊 Hope you're doing well too ❤️

So, about your request...

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Of course, Magnus takes his position as mage and protector of the Stardew Valley very seriously, and believes he should behave appropriately. But it's hard to restrain himself after all the jokes of his colleague Camilla, who apparently ignores not only the rules of behavior of her position, but also all the rules of decorum. One could say, an almost impossible task for anyone to endure Camilla's jokes and teasing calmly.

And more often than not, the Wizard's patience runs out when the Castle Village's chief witch pulls out of her sleeve her 'main trump card' in teasing - ridiculous nicknames. Nicknames that make Magnus blush with shame, cringe or anger, and sometimes all at once. How he still considered this ill-mannered and inscrutable woman his friend was a real mystery....

And only tired Magnus thought that he would rest in the cozy embrace of his spouse in the farmhouse, as he, already dozing off with them in bed, heard from the Farmer words that made him get out of bed and think hard about his future life in marriage:

"My dear Razzmatazz....❤️"

Magnus had not expected such a betrayal, especially from the love of his life.....

Okay, maybe he's being a little dramatic, but still. Magnus doesn't mind nicknames and pet names as long as it's from his dearest spouse. Though even that he prefers to hear when the two lovers are alone.

Rasmodius is not ashamed of Farmer, not at all! If it were his will - he would not stop praising all the talents and merits of his kind and incredible lover. It's just that he considers these tender moments between him and Farmer to be something very private and intimate that should not concern anyone else. The way they call him "sweetheart" and take him in a tender embrace, the way Magnus answers them with "my love" and kisses them on the cheek, listening to them laugh with delight. The happiest moments of his life... He's just a pretty private person.

But while with PDA this kind of nickname is more or less acceptable, the ridiculous "Razzle Dazzle," Yoba's sake.... It's not tenderness, it's a memory of one blasted woman who can't live without driving him crazy and just total disrespect for him as a person. Especially in front of his coworkers - like some curse, for crying out loud!

Magnus knows that Farmer didn't mean to hurt or upset him, but simply to express their love to him. But expressing love can be done in other ways, and all these stupid nicknames.... It's just- *Sigh*

Just don't. He hopes Farmer will understand him.

[mommyashtoreth]

not aboit cro&azi but: opinion on the shallowness and frankly odd pacing of nina and maggies relationship? like one day theyre having stilted conversation, the next maggie is crying over how in love she is.

Hmm. Strokes my wizard's beard. Good question. Good Omens fans have caught on to how much I love the sound of my own voice but not on to the other facet of my deeply annoying yet hilarious and charming personality, which is that I love being contrarian. So, in that fashion, I must disagree with this assessment. As we discovered last night it's been a while since I've watched goomer (I may rewatch it soon, I may not, who knows) but I still think it's abundantly clear that Maggie has a huge crush on Nina from afar, and uh. this is gonna sound crazy but when you have huge unrequited crushes on people it can make you nervous and awkward when you talk to them. Idk I come from an Az-and-Crowley school of relationships myself, where you hang out with someone for eight kajillion years as Totally Platonic Girl Best Friends until one day you just fucking snap you NEED to fuck them so badly, but lots of people experience relationships the way Maggie does, it's a suuuuper common romance trope, and that doesn't make it bad writing! I think we're just so used to seeing this kind of trope be applied to straight relationships and the "platonic gal pals for eight kajillion years until one day you just fucking snap" thing be applied to gay relationships that people aren't ready for this "awkward stuttering and blushing because he looked at me! He let me borrow his pencil!" sort of trope being applied to a wlw relationship. I don't really think their relationship is oddly paced at all, it feels "awkward" because it IS awkward. Nina is someone who, like, barely knows Maggie exists, was in a presumably-monogamous relationship up until very recently, and got a bunch of water dumped on her and then had a trade meeting turned into a Regency ball because these two freaks who are her and Maggie's narrative foils can't just talk to each other normal. And she reacts normally to that I think! I don't think their relationship is badly written (it's probably paced better than, like, Newt and Anathema's, for instance, but I understand the difference in tone between s1 and s2 making those feel like two different cases), it's just yknow, under weird circumstances. Idk I just think it's funny how many goomenheads are completely convinced that Crowley is somehow in total unrequited gay love with Aziraphale (who literally wants him back so badly it makes me sick), and yet I'm here talking about how Maggie is kind of in semi-unrequited gay love with Nina and that's Fine. It's a good character thing. They parallel Az and Crowley in a lot of ways (a romantic obsessed with something near-obsolete who Doesn't Drink and a fast-living cynic who deals with bad shit by instantly initiating Wine Drunk With No Man To Feel Up Wednesday; they're even cast to kind of Look similar which I think is funny), but the structure and context of their relationship is not the same and thus cannot be compared. It's not a Writing Flaw or a Plot Hole or anything to me, it's just the simple difference between "crush before friends" and "friends before crush"

[karkatwaddles]

Cooking - Taz November Celebration Day 2

Yesterday I did art and today I'm doing writing! We're gonna be exploring all my artistic abilities and writing is one of them!! I'm so hyped for this, I love this silly lil prompt.

Summary: Magnus wants to learn how to cook, so who better to go to than the chef himself, his good friend Taako! He loves hanging out with him, and since they stopped going on adventures, Magnus has been dying to find an excuse to hang out with his elf friend. Taako welcomes the other with open arms into his kitchen though he knows how horrible Magnus is at cooking, so he makes sure to keep him at an arm's distance from the more dangerous parts of it. He has the other do little tasks. Though as they work, Taako can't help but feel... empty and frustrated, with himself and the circumstances he finds himself in.

Genre: Mostly fluff, a little bit of angst.

Words: 2,286

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

There was something so pleasant to the fighter about cooking with someone he knew for such a long time. Magnus Burnsides wanted to learn the art of the kitchen, and who better to ask than the cook of his friend group, Taako? He knew that if anyone would be able to teach him, it would be him, no matter how horrible Magnus was at it. He'd run his hands through his hair, more grown out since the last time he had seen his friend, his fingers getting caught on small tangles he had yet to take care of. It wasn't like he cared too much about his appearance, but after not having seen his close friend in quite some time, or what may have felt longer than it was, he wanted to at least look presentable. Though, at the same time, such an idea didn't make much sense, as the wizard had seen Magnus at literally his worst. Down on the ground, bleeding and bruised, struggling to get back up or crying and angry, Taako has seen it all from Magnus. He wasn't one to hide his emotions, to hide how he was feeling but at the same time, he refused to take the help that anyone seemed to offer him.

But now, it was different. Magnus was going out of his way for assistance, even proudly asking for help. Strength came from the people who could help him, he knew that all too well now.

With more casual clothing, a flannel colored in red and jeans he had been gifted from Barry, he found his way to Taako's home. A beautiful building designed in mainly Kravitz's eyes, painted in black with accents of stone here and there, it was a large house standing at two stories. The garden out front was beautiful with flowers of many kinds that expanded outwards and even towards the side of the home. Vines climbed up the walls of the building, giving it a mystical feel as Magnus walked towards the gate that separated the dirt road from the bricks that created a path towards the front door. Though, as he was taking steps closer to the house, he heard his name called from the other side of the front lawn.

"Maggi, over here." It was Taako's voice. His eyes darted over to see a tall, flamboyant elf kneeling on the ground and pushing himself into a standing position. Magnus smiled, looking the other over quickly before he made his way around the garden and suddenly picked up his friend into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around Taako's entire body, lifting him in the air and spinning him around with a toothy smile plastered on his lips. Taako let out a small grunt, putting his hands on the big guy's shoulders before letting out a huff,

"My god, put me down before you crush me, Magnus! What did I say about a warning before you decide to kill me with your death grip!" Taako exclaimed, mostly teasing as he was set down by his friend. "Also, maybe, uh, don't, go spinning around in my garden? I just planted some Petunias and I'd rather them live for at least a day before you go stomping around on them," Magnus looked down at the newly planted flowers as Taako ran a hand through his hair, once he took his hat off with his other hand. The more burly of the two smiled even wider, "Damn Taako! Is there anything you can't do? This garden is looking better each time I come over!" Magnus would exclaim, looking over the beautiful flowers that made up the front lawn, a rainbow of different petals and vines that erupted throughout the ground. Of course, in a tame manner, Taako made sure to keep everything organized and orderly to keep a presentable look to it. Taako dusts the dirt off himself, though he's wearing his usual gardening attire so it will be washed either way, and beckons his friend to follow him to the front of his home,

"Maybe you should come visit me more often and you'd see the garden more," Taako smirks, looking over his shoulder for a moment before opening the door to the house, "Shoes off please," He'd add, as he took off his own stylish rainboots that he had slipped on before he had gone to the garden. Watching as Taako went off to change, Magnus sat down on the ground near the door to untie his leather boots. He let out a low hum as his eyes darted around the place, noticing how not much had changed since the last time he had been there. However, it wasn't a surprise, as he found that once Taako had settled on something, he most often refused to allow it to be changed. Unless it came to his style, then he would change it in an instant to match where he was at, both literally and metaphorically. Once he got his shoes off, he tucked them in the corner, next to the door, before he moved on towards the kitchen. As he entered, he realized that the ingredients and equipment were already set up for them to cook something. Magnus could only smile wider, overjoyed at that moment that Taako was so ready to help him learn the ropes.

Walking around the island in the middle of the kitchen, dragging his hand along the marble countertop, he couldn't help but recall the wonderful meals that Julia once cooked for him. She insisted that she cooked for him, and when she was busy it was her father who took up the task. The two of them never let Magnus lay a finger on the cookware, not for a moment, making sure that he had the best meals that would ever be made for him. He never really got the opportunity to learn. He recalled watching from the other side of the room, leaning in the doorframe of the kitchen of his old home, a home he once shared with his wife after the revolution was over and the ceremony of a wedding brought them together, bound in love. He remembered watching as she moved around the kitchen with a smile on her lips, humming. Julia was a powerful woman, but she was also soft and gentle, a caretaker at heart, something that Magnus adored about her. As his eyes moved about the kitchen, these memories coming back to him, he noticed a figure standing in the doorway, crossing his arms as he leaned on the entrance to the kitchen. A smirk on his lips as Taako found himself entering his favorite room in this house, the place he spent most of his free time in. Similar to Julia, Magnus recognized this as well, even though it was hard to see, Taako was a caretaker at heart as well. He cooked for the people he loved, showing off his skills, and making sure everyone around him was well fed.

"Can't believe you already got this set up." Magnus commented, crossing his big arms over his chest with a grin on his lips. He seemingly teased the other, poking fun at the extra work that Taako had put in to do something for a friend. Rolling his eyes in response, Taako pushed himself from the frame he leaned on, moving over while grabbing his apron from a hook on the wall. "Can't be wasting any time trying to pick and choose what we make, can we? Trick question, the answer is no! So, I've already chosen what I'm going to teach you, something easy and light, as well as something you can make yourself and take to parties and whatnot. Or to whatever you do nowadays." Taako brought the apron over his neck and tied the strings behind his back. Magnus chuckled at his friend's words, as he looked amongst the items that were laid out on the island, "Okay, so what are we making?" He'd question. "Homemade quesadillas, baby! Though, you're not gonna be going near the stove, sorry, I just can't trust you with an open flame yet." Taako would say, "Also, we're making the dough by hand, so that's gonna end up being your main task." He'd add, giving Magnus a smirk as he walked behind him, giving his friend a pat on the back before moving towards the stove and getting a pan ready. This is gonna be a beef and vegetable quesadilla, and it's going to be amazing. "But isn't making the dough one of the more complex parts of cooking?" Magnus would question, his eyebrows furrowing into a deep knot, confused. Taako turned, shaking his head and letting out a laugh as he dismissively waved his hand, "Please, making dough is one of the easiest things, you just gotta get the measurements right! You'll be okay, Mags, even a baby could do it."

Turning back to the stove, he set up the pan and the ground beef that he'd be preparing for the dish, as well as a separate pan for some bell peppers, adding a little bit of greenery to this meal. He'd work quick as his eyes would glance over to the other, "Oh, I should mention, I left a recipe over there for you for the dough. Once you have it done, I'll go over there and teach you how to roll it out." Magnus nodded in response. Looking back to the ground beef that began to cook, he'd add a mixture of seasonings that had been prepared in advance before he continued to let it cook. Multitasking, working on the two main ingredients, he was quick and worked with a sort of flare that could never be compared to anything else. Though, Magnus, even though he would have loved to see it, wasn't paying attention. He was too paranoid about messing up. The measurements were right there, the steps perfectly in order, there was no possible way he could mess it up. Taako watched as these thoughts would obviously go through his head, his eyes turning to look towards his friend, watching him closely as he measured yeast and flour into a bowl and began to mix it. He couldn't help but smile as he observed... though that smile couldn't help but fade as his own thoughts seemed to come up in his mind. When Magnus came to him, asking him to teach him how to cook, he was more than willing. He loved the idea, loved that Magnus wanted to learn from him, wanted to do something new in his life, something that... something that Taako wished he could do. Taako has done so many things. He's gardening, modeling, teaching, all sorts of things, and he's amazing at it. Like Magnus had said earlier, is there anything he cannot do?

Taako has found a lot of struggle trying to find some sort of purpose, some sort of new reason for going on. Of course, his friends and family are more than enough reason to keep moving through this world, but he wanted something to do. Something that was more than himself, more than this new life he let on. He loved living with Kravitz, he loved being with friends and doing little parties and teaching people magic, every aspect of it he adored, but ... it was boring. He's traveled through space and time, realm after realm, plane after plane, he's seen destruction and life, saved and lost, he's been through more than most people could say they have on this planet. So what now? Was he destined to live the role of an elf doing menial tasks that simply are there to pass the time? Was this his new life? Where was the excitement? The danger? Sure, he didn't miss that life of working for the bureau, almost dying every other day, but at the same time, that's what made life worth living. Working with Magnus and Merle, teaching Angus the ropes of magic, and going on dates with Kravitz, he missed those things. He missed being excited about the world, about waking up the next day to see what was in store for him, for learning more about what was around him.

As these thoughts flowed through his mind, he realized that the food he was cooking was done, almost a little over. As he moved the pans off the flame, he turned off the gas and put lids over the pans, keeping the food warm and he, once again, turned to look at Magnus. He did not expect the other to be covered in flour when his gaze shifted, his eyebrows raised in surprise as the originally red flannel that this man wore was now white. He snickered which soon turned into a laugh which caused the fighter to turn to look at Taako, eyebrows furrowing at the other's amusement. In an instant, all of the thoughts that drowned Taako's spirits were gone, especially when the next thing he knew, flour was flying through the air, hitting him right in the face. Taako gasped, wiping flour from the area around his eyes as he looked to Magnus who now wore a mischievous grin. "How dare you!" Taako exclaimed dramatically as he picked up some flour from the bowl that he had prepared a while ago and shoved the powder toward Magnus' head, spreading it in his hair and tangling his fingers through his locks. After he had successfully committed such an act, he had his own look of mischief. A smirk grew on his lips, before their cooking session turned into an all-out fight with flour, creating a mess in the kitchen.

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Originally I wasn't SUPER happy with this but it ended up really cute and I enjoyed it lots. Hope you do too!!

@taznovembercelebration

[samthecookielord]

SAM OC BLIND DATE TOURNEY ROUND 1 PART 1 RESULTS

In case any of you are new here, I announce who lost instead of who won to maintain anonymity of those still competing!

This time around I'll be including little descriptions about each loser (inspired by @/pastel-player)! Feel free to ask further questions if any of them pique your interest :3 I'd be happy to talk about em!

Match 1 and 2...

Carimus and Margaret lost!

Damn you guys took out the whole family in round 1 lol (maggie was also a round 1 loser in the previous tourney)

Carimus: West of Loathing protagonist, part of the "2 bards 1 evil wizard" timeline. He's an edgy snake oiler with a rocky past who firmly believed that nothing in this world could love him (and then something in this world loved him).

Margaret: Shadows over Loathing protagonist, part of the of the "2 bards 1 evil wizard" timeline. She's a cheese wizard, one of two twin daughters of Carimus, and doomed to be evil from the start because she was my shadow taint run lol!! She eventually morphs into the evil monster girlboss Margaret but cooler (or MBC for short).

Match 3 and 4...

Beddin Spectre and Loony lost!

Beddin Spectre: I DONT THINK IVE POSTED HER BEFORE. She's a Shadows over Loathing protagonist, and a milk mage (like cheese wizard but a little to the left). She inspects every bed she can find, even ones she shouldn't be able to reach normally. How does she do it I have no clue honestly she's just built different

Loony: The main protagonist of Pocket Clockwork and an AU version of Moony. She's a lot more quiet and timid than her original counterpart. Loony lives in a small town named Minut Town, going by a nice perfect little schedule every day. Until, yknow, plot happens and such.

Match 5 and 6...

Halo and Romy lost!

Halo: I Was A Teenage Exocolonist AU version of Halkinna. His full name is Halokinesis! Instead of telling you about Halo I'm here to say IWATEX IS A COOL GAME YOU SHOULD CHECK IT OUT ON STEAM!!!!! THERE'S TIME TRAVEL. THERE'S SPACE. THERE'S PRETTY PEOPLE TO DATE AND/OR BE COOL BESTIES WITH. THERES REALLY GOOD ART. THERES CARDS (AND THE OPTION TO TURN OFF CARDS) ok thats all

Romy: Shadows over Loathing character. This particular version of him is a split off fragment of Hellstrom's soul. He didn't inherent many of Hellstrom's memories... Just capitalism. Yeah

Match 7 and 8...

Alegreya and Winterr lost!

Alegreya: West of Loathing protagonist, part of the "2 bards 1 evil wizard" timeline. She's a beanslinger who got stuck in a cave for 33 years then got saved by her brother Rufus. Yay!

Winterr: Soul reaper, originating from my thsc askblog. Most of the time, he's calm and collected. She's just a silly little guy your honour

Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed massacring my entire loathing oc population sgddsvgdsdhrdhfdfhhfs it was so funny to watch