#marta send some of these things back challenge

[leojfitz]

💌 send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome 💌

💜💜💜

[authorbarbie]

Things That Are Deadly

Summary: Your husband’s family has always been a little unconventional, but you never thought it would end in murder. 

CONTAINS KNIVES OUT SPOILERS.

“You sure you’re not coming to the funeral?”

“No,” Ransom said with a shake of his head. “I, uh, don’t think I can handle it. They won’t miss me anyway.”

“Okay,” you agreed, your hands smoothing down the black dress you wore. You were well aware of your husband’s tumultuous relationship with his grandfather; how they liked to challenge one another; both literally with games of Go and mentally with constant back-and-forth bickering, how Ransom (and by default, you) had just recently been cut from the novelist’s will, and how, despite it all, you knew that Harlan really had loved his grandson. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

After giving Ransom a kiss goodbye, you turned to leave, only stopping when he called after you.

“Text me when you’re coming home?”

Despite the request being a little unusual — while Ransom did like to know that you got to your destination safely, he was fine with you spending as much time away as you liked, what with you being a grown woman that was perfectly capable of handling herself and all — you decided to give him a break. His grandfather had just committed suicide, for god’s sake.

“You got it, babe.” With a smile thrown over your shoulder, you quickly left your home, funeral bound.

As soon as the door had closed shut behind you, Ransom’s own smile fell.

Making his way to the window, he peeled back the curtains just enough to peek through, and watched while you got into your car, paused briefly to check your hair and make-up in the mirror, and then finally drove off. An exhale left the man’s lips and he checked his watch, waiting for another minute or two (just in case you had forgotten anything and decided to come back) before he, too, grabbed his car keys and left the house.

But Ransom hadn’t had a change of heart about attending the funeral.

His mind was set on covering his tracks.

●  ●  ●

The funeral was the quintessential burial you had been expecting. There was an undeniable tension in the air (there always was with the Thrombeys), tears were shed, snide remarks were made.

As soon as you had arrived, noticeably without Ransom, your in-laws had jumped at the chance to criticise your husband for his lack of respect.

“Spoiled brat,” Walt had muttered under his breath.

“You really expected anything different?” Richard, your father-in-law replied.

“How he got her to marry him, I’ll never know,” Joni commented with a gesture towards you.

“I’m right here,” you jumped into the conversation smoothly, startling the trio. “If you have anything to say about me, at least have the balls to say it to my face.”

The conversation changed gears quickly after that, with Joni insisting she didn’t mean it like that to which you simply smiled and nodded, deciding to let it go this time, considering the whole ‘dead relative’ situation. Not only that, but Joni was probably the one you were closest to in the family (other than Ransom, of course). She may have been a little eccentric, perhaps even a little crafty, but she was also smart, innovative, and one of the few who understood the pain that could come with marrying into this particular family.

“Crazy, huh?”

You turned to find Linda, your mother-in-law, standing next to you with red-rimmed eyes and a tissue in hand.

“Hm?”

“It’s like one minute we’re celebrating his life at a birthday party and the next…” Linda paused to take a deep breath. “How did we end up here?”

You couldn’t help but agree with her. Harlan’s 85th birthday party was still fresh in your mind; the event having been only last week, and much like every other Thrombey gathering, it hadn’t all been smooth sailing.

●  ●  ●

“I know you don’t always get along with your family but it’s your grandfather, Ran,” you said as the two of you approached the large house, your hand tucked into the crook of his arm.

“Yeah, I know,” Ransom replied, not bothering to knock or ring the doorbell. Instead, he walked inside like he lived there himself, ignoring the looks of disgust from Meg and Fran. “Doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.”

“A few hours won’t kill anyone,” you said with a twitch of your lips, a feeble attempt at optimism.

Ransom chuckled as he shed his coat. “Fine. But if I look like I’m in distress, you better come save me.”

“Deal.”

The two of you then departed with a kiss on the cheek, wandering around the house to make the usual rounds of greetings and small talk. Well, you did. Ransom had chosen to go straight for the alcohol instead, and after attempting a conversation with Jacob, Walt’s internet troll of a son, you soon wished you had followed in your husband’s footsteps.

Repressing a shiver that always came after talking to the annoying teenager, you felt a flood of relief when you finally spotted a friendly face.

“Marta!”

“Hi,” Marta smiled politely as she leaned against the wall, “how are you?”

“I’m good! Well, as good as you can be at one of these things,” you joked which seemed to help ease her nerves. When Fran passed by and offered a glass of champagne, you gratefully accepted and took a long sip. “Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, just… technically still working.”

Marta, Harlan’s nurse and caregiver, was a sweet soul. Always looking out for others, always working diligently. It was no wonder Harlan was so fond of her.

“You’re too good, Marta,” you smiled, making the woman blush before your attention was drawn elsewhere.

A heated debate was occurring in the living room, seemingly Joni and Linda versus Richard. You caught certain words — “immigrants”, “cages”, “America” — so it wasn’t difficult to figure out the topic of conversation and it’s safe to say, it wasn’t a pleasant one.

“Marta! Get over here!”

You glanced nervously at Marta, resisting the strong urge that overcame you to punch Richard straight in the nose. Despite it being his father, you were fairly certain Ransom wouldn’t mind. In fact, he’d probably encourage it.

“You don’t have to—" you began.

“Richard, leave the girl alone,” Linda chided her husband.

Marta spared you a glance, swallowing hard before she began to shuffle towards the group, albeit reluctantly. What followed was more bigoted ignorance from Richard, anxiety from Marta, and solid arguments from Joni. You had just opened your mouth to put your own two cents in when a separate, somehow louder argument was heard.

“You��ve gotta be shitting me!”

You knew that voice. Oh, Ransom, what happened this time?

Just as suspected, Ransom stormed out of his grandfather’s office, snatching up his previously discarded coat and walking out the door. Harlan appeared from the office a moment later with a sigh and you suddenly felt everyone’s eyes on you.

“I’ll just… go deal with that, then.” You placed your now empty glass on a table as you walked by, the cool night air hitting your skin when you threw the front door open to find Ransom. But instead, all you saw was the taillights of his car driving off in the distance.

You gaped at the sight, willing him to turn around, but nothing came. With a huff, you re-entered the house and grabbed your phone to call him. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t answer. Now fuming, you chose to send off multiple angry text messages — “What the fuck was that?”, “You better answer me” and “You just left me here?!?” to name a few — but it seemed he wasn’t interested.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that you’d just been abandoned by your husband, and the family shared pitying looks behind your back while you stared at your phone dejectedly.

“Hey,” Joni said, placing her hands on your shoulders. “It’s okay. You can just stay in Meg and I’s room tonight.”

You hesitated, looking over at Harlan for confirmation.

“You are always welcome here,” the older man agreed. He may have had some problems with Ransom, but never with you— you had your own job, you made your own money, and you seemed to make his grandson happy. That was more than enough in his eyes.

You thanked the man profusely, and when you woke up the next morning, after sleeping in the room’s extra bed, to Meg commenting about how loud the dogs had been during the night, the first thing you did was check your phone. Thankfully, you had gotten a few texts from Ransom, apologising and saying he would pick you up soon and explain everything.

Once you found out that he’d been taken out of Harlan’s will, his overreaction suddenly made a lot more sense… But that hadn’t stopped you from letting him grovel for forgiveness.

●  ●  ●

Not long after the funeral, the detectives arrived. Despite Harlan’s death being accepted by most as a suicide, Detective Blanc disagreed, making the whole family go through extensive questioning and constantly hovering around the home like a gnat. He was there for the memorial and for the reading of the will, which had turned the entire family (except yourself and Ransom) against poor Marta, who had been left all of Harlan’s assets.

On the way out, Ransom had quickly urged Marta, who had been surrounded by angry Thrombeys, to get in the car, and the three of you helped her escape to a cosy restaurant, away from prying eyes.

It was there that you discovered Marta was the murderer. Although unintentionally, she had given Harlan an overdose of morphine the night of his birthday party, and her employer had devised what he saw as a foolproof plan to ensure she would never be caught.

By the time you and Ransom had gotten home later that day, after dropping a shaken Marta off at her apartment, your mind was reeling.

“I can’t believe this,” you said as the two of you clambered out of the car. “Poor Harlan... Poor Marta.”

“She’ll figure it out,” Ransom replied calmly. “If my grandfather wanted her to have the money then that’s the way it’s gotta be.”

“Yeah,” you nodded absently, unlocking the door and picking up the mail that had been shoved through the letterbox onto the floor. “God, it feels like our lives have turned into a huge game of Clue.”

Ransom chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”

Deft fingers flipped through the pile of mail in your hands, brows furrowing at the sight of an unmarked envelope. Intrigued, you dropped the rest of the mail on the table and pulled the envelope’s contents free. The sheet of paper in your hands was from the medical examiner’s office— a photocopy of a toxicology report that seemed to be missing vital information about the actual blood work. A quick look at the patient’s name told you this was a part of Harlan’s autopsy.

“What the…”

At the bottom of the page, written in black marker, was one simple phrase: I KNOW WHAT YOU DID. Below that was an address and a time of day; presumably to schedule some kind of meet-up.

Was this... blackmail?

“What’s up?” Ransom asked, having returned from the kitchen with a drink in hand. When you didn’t answer, instead choosing to stare at the information in front of you, he took the page from your hand and read it for himself. In an instant, his demeanour changed.

“What is this?” you asked quietly, finally looking at your husband who tried to appear more casual than he felt. His weak attempts only made him look more guilty.

“I don’t know—”

“Don’t lie to me,” you snapped with a sinking feeling in your stomach.

Ransom shifted uncomfortably, hand moving to scratch awkwardly at the back of his neck. Your throat felt like it was closing up. Tears had already begun to prick at the back of your eyes.

“Ransom... What did you do?”

[cherryredcolas]

emotions, as experienced by toni shalifoe

episode 1

It starts with annoyance.

This cowgirl barbie going youth group on the plane and trying to get an icebreaker going. You’re unmoved by the attempts. You’ve seen people trying to gEt To KnOw YoU since you entered the system at the fresh age of 6. When your mom OD’d with you in that backseat one time too many, and the state troopers found you cold and shivering and still waiting on her to wake up and go home, because she always did, right?

Regardless, you knew these tricks. They weren’t effective on you when you got into your first foster home, or your last, but you knew it was easier to go along with the soft hands on your shoulders and they pushed you to the front next to the quiet girl with obvious alpha vibes. She wasn’t impressed with your story of targeted urine projection so you just ate your cake and tried to enjoy the way that going to Hawaii felt. You’ve never been on a vacation, ever. Martha and you getting to do this together, after the mess that was Dr. Ted and Regan and all the hurt that small town produced, it was almost a dream come true. Then the plane starts to shudder. It doesn’t stop. You’ve never been on a plane before but the short time you’ve been on this one has let you know that you shouldn’t feel like you’re going down at an angle like you are, so sharply, so aggressively. You run for Martha, grab her and hold onto her, the only family you have, the friend you’re on this dream vacation with. That is when it becomes a nightmare. 

Dread shows up next.

You woke up soaking wet on a beach. You were alone. You look for Martha, your best friend, your sister, the only person you have who hasn’t ever left you behind, and she’s gone. You puke, the cake you ate way too fast making another appearance going the opposite way, splattering a little on your shoes. You have no idea what the fuck to do. So you scream her name again and again until your voice goes hoarse. There’s nothing. Your person isn’t there. You don’t even know where the fuck you are. You don’t have eyes on anyone else for a few minutes, until you see one of the girls who was sitting in front of you. She’s with one of the Californians who looks like you feel, catatonic and petrified. But you can’t stop moving. You have to find your person. 

You see someone fighting through the waves, with what looks like another body. Your mind goes to the worst as you and the girl who was on her feet run out to meet them. It’s the other Californian, and the body isn’t Martha, and you don’t know if that’s good or bad. The girl who swam in didn’t see anyone else. Again, you don’t know if that’s good. You help them in and before you can return to panicking full tilt, you happen to glance over and see two figures, one very blonde and one very Marthaesqe. You drop the unconscious girl and sprint to them, almost knocking them over with force of the hug you wrap Marty in. She mentions cowgirl barbie (Shelby?) helped her, and all you take away from that is how fucking absurd she looks in what appears to have been a wardrobe change. 

You help Marty over to where they’re trying to revive the girl in pink and watch as they manage to get her at least mildly stable. There’s nothing you can do but sit next to her while the rest of the girls try and figure out what the hell to do next, which for some godforsaken reason Shelby has co opted and is trying to preach to the group and you can’t help but let it get to you. You’ve done the Jesus Saves thing, having heard this spiel from any number of do gooders who think the answer to having a drug addicted mom is to pray it out, like the economic realities and emotional cataclysm of being abandoned by every member of your family can be fixed with a prayer and a crucifix around your neck. You snap back, instinctively. She takes it in stride. It infuriates you. It makes it worse when she tries to get you to help her on her HydroJesus hike. Marta offering her shoes confuses you, makes you jealous. You decide without thinking to go, make sure little miss Christianity doesn’t get the only brownie points. Or something. You’re not sure why. But you go regardless. 

This is where combativeness shows up.

You can’t help but needle her. She makes it easy, fronting like she’s some kind of badass because her daddy takes her hunting. Everything about this girl screams 1%. So you push a little, taunting her for being a princess and she doubles down on the attempted badassery, and then somehow gets her hands on your shoulders again, inexplicably to get you to turn around so she can pee in private. It’s like she likes you, it’s like she’s determined to shovel through the shit you’re throwing at her and keep smiling that beauty queen smile she’s got on. It’s confusing. And then its intolerable as she starts singing a religious song and the confusion is gone replaced by a strong urge to dig your fingers into your ears and turn the fuck around already. 

You’re ok until she starts praying. You throw an insult at her and she responds with more cheerful banter. This girl is making you insane. You storm ahead and see a branch sticking out in the path, and with the soundtrack of Shelby praying behind you, the devil on your shoulder takes your wheel and smacks her in the face with it. You did expect it to shut her up. You didn’t expect it to send her down the fucking side of the hill you just trekked up. You know the feeling dripping down from your mind to the pit of your stomach, the regret after breaking something, you know it well. And you know it now, and this girl who really hadn’t been doing anything to you is now another name on a list of people you’ve done damage to. And worst of all is she won’t even let you have it in return, she plays the good Christian and you walk back alone, unable to hurt anyone at the point, except yourself. You feel regret, the look in her eyes is the one so many people have given after you careen into their life. You expect her to out your actions when she gets back to the others but doesn’t. Confused at the lack of immediate finger pointing, you let it play, hoping it won’t come back to bite you. 

Uncertainty steps up.

The debate over the phone doesn’t reach you. You don’t have anyone to call. In all honesty the person you would call is standing right there with you. Then suddenly the girl in pink runs off to the side and fucking dies. Drops dead in the sand without saying a word. The shock in Leah’s voice quiets you all and you don’t move, unable to process what the next play is. Thankfully Dot directs the next steps and you help move her body. Shelby, of fucking course, is able to add a religious element and Leah follows up with a Pink song you’re embarrassed to know. The rest of the girls do too. It doesn’t feel too cringe, so you join in the makeshift eulogy song as you help push sand over her body. You’re too shocked to do anything but stare at the fire after. It’s quiet until Shelby turns this into get-to-know-you-exercise. You’re not sure what the fuck is happening but you do know enough that you want to challenge her instinctive after school special moment. She must have a fucking direct line to your thoughts because she drops the virginity bomb and you can’t help but push her buttons more about her boyfriend fooling around on her as you and most of the other girls drink. She and Marty are the only two abstaining, a point that Shelby makes sure to bond with Martha about that makes your uncertainty about what she wants with your best friend worse. It calms down when Rachel calls you out for your little pee indiscretion and the mood lightens. The uncertainty calms. You fall asleep next to Martha. You forget for a minute that you’re fucked beyond belief and literally stranded on a desert island. But you know it’ll be back in the morning. The calm you find in sleep always has a lifespan.

note: if you made it here, thanks. if you’d shoot me a message with any feedback, i’d appreciate it, been a long time since i’ve written and would love to hear thoughts outside of my own.

[lemondropsssss]

The first week back in Oxenfurt is mainly paperwork. Contract agreements with the University, submitting course-plans for review, submitting and re-submitting lesson plans, and rather unfortunately, a letter home. Claiming the title of Viscount at the gates has repercussions and likely word has already been sent to Lettenhove of his arrival. So he sends the least offensive missive he can to his father and hopes he doesn’t wake up one day to the wrong end of a sword and his father’s intense glare.

The letter he receives back isn’t what he’s expecting. 

Julian, 

I am glad to hear you’re well. I admit to worrying on occasion that you’d died along the road somewhere and I would never know. Mother and Father died of the sweating sickness five years ago now. She asked for you at the end, but we couldn’t find you to bring you home. I snuck in a bard to sing your songs, so she could hear of your adventures. She liked the one about the selkie the best.

Adina and Jessa are grown, and have both married. Their husbands are good men, I made sure of it. Adina is expecting her second child. They were both so young when you left, and Father didn’t allow us to speak of you. But when the twins cried out at night I would sneak into their nursery and tell them your stories so they’d know some part of you. 

The Viscountcy is yours to claim, though I predict some challenges in governing from Oxenfurt. I have been overseeing Lettenhove since Father’s passing, and admit that I enjoy the work. It’s nice to feel needed. And to give our people a proper liege lord, one who won’t just ignore their claims as Father did while increasing taxes to supplement his and Mother’s lifestyle. Our people are healing, and they need their lord at home with them. 

I have an arrangement that I suspect will suit both our needs. Claim the title of Viscount, and give your written word that I am your proxy here in Lettenhove. You may continue to teach, while I run the estate. You will have use of the Oxenfurt townhouse, and will receive a monthly stipend. Please consider this offer. I care deeply for our home and the people of Lettenhove, as I know you do. Please see that this is best for everyone.

I love you, Julek. 

Your sister, 

Marta

Jaskier reads the letter five times in total. His father is dead. And that’s- well he can’t say he exactly mourns for him. But his mother asked for him, and that knowledge breaks his heart. Where was he five years ago? Could he have seen her again? Held her hand as the light left her eyes? And the twins. Closing his eyes he can see them as toddlers. They were barely walking when he left, and now they’re married with children of their own. He remembers holding them both in his arms, fourteen-years-old, and feeling such love. The way they’d looked asleep in their cribs when he said goodbye. The way their baby soft hair had felt under his fingers. He can almost hear their laughter, and tears slip past his closed eyes. 

Marta. His dear Marta. Who he’d sneak sweets to under the dinner table. Who never hurt any creature, no matter how small or scaly or slimy. Marta with her big brown eyes and soft smile. Who would climb into his bed at night when she was afraid and he’d tell her stories until the monsters went away and she fell asleep in his arms. And oh, knowing that she’d done the same for the twins breaks his heart all over again. 

Jaskier sinks to the floor slowly, barely aware of his movements, letter clutched to his chest. And he cries. 

He cries for his mother, and the last breath of air she took. He cries for his little sisters, who had only stories to know him by. He cries for the birthdays he missed, and the skinned knees he couldn’t kiss better, and the way they must have looked on their wedding days. He cries for the nieces or nephews he doesn’t know, and for the one on the way. He cries for his father, and the things he never got to say to him. He cries for Marta, and the loneliness she must feel in that big old castle by herself. He cries for leaving her alone to watch their parents die. He cries for every moment he missed of his sisters' lives. Every moment he couldn’t protect them. Every moment he wasn’t there. 

And this isn’t like losing Geralt, but the pain hits him in the same spot. It drives like glass into his skin, into his center, until all he is is shattered. He is pieces of lives missed and letters unsent and things undone. 

He cries for the family he abandoned, and the man who abandoned him. 

.

The townhouse hasn’t seen much use since he was younger and his parents would take them to the city for summers. Jaskier doesn’t mind. The first thing he does is send most of the paintings and sculptures to Marta; they’re too ostentatious for him, and she can do what she likes with the remnants of their parent’s luxe style choices. He has a crew from the Giving Door come to the house and collect any furniture they want to go to their second-hand shop. Good riddance to it all.

He furnishes the house in more earthy and jewel tones. Plush sofas, soft beds, and the biggest tub he can reasonably fit in the bathroom. Jaskier makes the house everything it wasn’t before; soft, warm, inviting, happy. 

Jaskier hires a housekeeper named Beatrice who calls him hun and won’t answer to anything other than Auntie or Bea. Bea moves into the servant’s level with a very old, very small white dog Arthur who takes up residence on a pillow in the front window and hardly moves. He is absolutely smitten with them both.

When he comes back late from the University, Bea has a warm dinner waiting for him. If she’s gone to bed, she leaves out tea and a covered plate of meat cheese and bread for him. It’s being taken care of in a way Jaskier isn’t entirely used to, but not opposed to. 

In fact, he finds he quite likes the calm of routine. His students are eager to learn, and after the first two months hardly ask him about the White Wolf anymore. Jaskier’s grateful. It isn’t easy to explain to a room full of young people who admire you that the man you immortalized in song wished you gone for two decades before you noticed. Not that it’s easy to explain to anyone, really. 

And that’s how it goes for eighteen months. Jaskier teaches, he comes home, he sleeps, and he does it again. It’s nice to reconnect with his University peers, and Oxenfurt is a revolving door of old faces. Some though, are more well received than others. 

Jaskier is teaching when it happens. It’s his high poetry class, only five students. A knock at the door, and the pinched face of a University messenger pokes around the door.

“Professor Julian?” All the class is looking between them. “There was someone at the gate for you.” His stomach drops. “He wouldn’t wait, insisted I bring them to you.” Jaskier’s mouth is suddenly very dry. It takes two attempts to get his mouth moving. 

“Right, yes, thank you. Uh,” He looks back at his expectant class, “Right, you all... do something with a poem, class dismissed.” 

Jaskier knows exactly what’s waiting for him. Only one person would be so insistent to see him they’d terrify a messenger so.

Said messenger is very relieved when Jaskier appears on the other side of the door. He offers him a quick bow and bolts back down the corridor, leaving Jaskier alone with his guests.

.

@caspertheassholeghost @innocentcinnamonpun @queenofmymanyfandoms 

y’all asked to be tagged in part 2 so here ya go 

part 1 can be found here and here

[simp-for-spencer-reid]

Sugar with a Side of Coffee Ch. 8- The First Moves

Chapter 8: The First Moves Series Masterlist

Spencer’s mood had been particularly lifted the past few days at work, and it did not go unnoticed by the team. They knew that Spencer had been seeing the girl from The Empty Mug, but he wasn’t keen on giving them details about their relationship, or friendship rather, as he insisted. Not that he liked keeping secrets from the team, but it was nice to have something for his own. He was sure that he would properly introduce them someday, but for now, she was his little secret. He liked it that way.

For the past few days, Cate was staying at Marta’s above the coffee shop due to the leaking pipe thanks to her upstairs neighbors. They were doing construction and needed access to the pipe through her ceiling. She and Marta hadn’t spent this much time together since they were roommates in college. Cate didn’t want to admit that Marta was slowly getting on her nerves, despite being very grateful that Marta was letting her stay. The Miller’s apartment above The Empty Mug was small, but homey.

So small in fact, that Cate was staying in Marta’s room in the same bed. Marta was a kicker in her sleep. Cate’s lack of sleep was likely the cause of her irritability. Shrimp stayed in Marta’s room as well, but slept in his carrier because he too was not a fan of Marta’s constant moving figure throughout the night. 

Cate was getting her laundry together to go to the laundromat when she got a voice message from Spencer. 

“Hi it’s Spencer. I was wondering if you had any plans tonight? I hope you don’t mind but I read your books and I wanted to know if you maybe wanted to watch the movies with me? Not all of them, of course, that would take 19 hours, but maybe the first couple if you wanted. This is getting to be a long message. Um, bye.” Cate smiled, but looked at her basket full of laundry. She sent a message back.

“Hi Spence, I’d love to, but I have to run to the laundromat so I can catch up on some laundry. You’re more than welcome to come if you’d like?” She hit send and then quickly made another. “Also, not a problem about reading my books. How did you like them?” She put her phone down and grabbed the rest of her clothes. Her phone chimed again.

Spencer’s stomach flipped when she had called him that nickname. Sure, Emily and JJ called him that from time to time, but the sound of it coming from Cate’s lips made him want to replay the message over and over. He tried to wait a few minutes before answering, but he was eager to respond to her.

“Actually, I have laundry to do too. Can I pick you up and we can go together?” After Spencer hit send, he was reminded of the free laundry machines in the basement of his building. He had used them last night to catch up on his own laundry. He changed into a new set of clothes and put his ‘dirty’ ones in a basket along with a random pile of clean clothes he had washed last night. He ruffled his hand around to unfold them and make it less obvious. His phone chimed with a new text message from Cate:

Sure :) 

The drive to The Empty Mug was short, and Cate was outside waiting, with her basket balanced on her hip. Spencer tried not to stare as he pulled up. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, a few strands framing her face. She sported some glasses for the first time since Spencer had met her. She smiled and gave a little wave when she saw his car. 

She hopped in the passenger seat after placing her basket in the back. The drive to the laundromat was quiet, the radio playing classical music to fill the silence. It drove Spencer crazy, for once, he had nothing to say. His palms were sweating against the steering wheel, he couldn’t string words together to form a sentence he didn’t deem stupid in his mind. 

Cate, on the other hand, was content. Her cheeks hurt from smiling the whole way to the laundromat. She snuck glances at Spencer every couple of minutes, watching him drive. She played with her fingers. His car even smelled like him. Suddenly, Cate smacked a hand against her forehead.

“I forgot my quarters!” she laughed in disbelief as they pulled into the parking lot. The shock on Spencer’s face quickly subsided to a smile as he gently laughed.

“I have plenty of quarters, I can cover it.” He rested a hand on her knee, but quickly pulled it back when he remembered his sweaty palm. To cover his quick movement, he unbuckled and got out of the car to retrieve his basket. Cate followed his actions and got her basket as well. 

They both picked adjacent machines and sat next to each other in the waiting seats. Cate pulled her legs up, arms looping around them and chin resting on her knees. Spencer crossed an ankle over his knee, folding his hands together.

“Thanks,” Cate said softly. “For the quarters.” She clarified. Spencer shrugged.

“It was nothing. Just a few dollars.” He turned his attention to the swirl of his clothes in the sudsy water. He looked for something to talk about, “So, for the record, I totally did not think Professor Snape was going for the Sorcerer's Stone.” That was not a lie.

“What?” Cate whipped her head to look at him. “You’re joking, it was written to make it seem like it was Snape the whole time!” Cate spoke animatedly with her hands, throwing them out in front of her. 

“Classic red herring trope.” Spencer scoffed. “It was almost too obvious!” Cate lightly whacked his shoulder. A smile grew on her face, erupting into a laugh.

“I forgot I was talking to an insufferable literature nerd.” Cate jabbed. Spencer laughed with her. 

“In all fairness, you were what? In the fourth grade when you read them?” Spencer guessed. “I am an adult, I can pick up on things that a child’s mind can’t.” Cate shook her head.

“Actually, I was in the first grade.” Cate poked his chest. “I found my sister’s collection. She told me I was too young to read them, so I made our mom buy me my own set, and it took me a whole year just to get through the first book. Imagine trying to sound out all those spells!” Spencer looked at her with raised eyebrows. He noted to never challenge her. 

The washer stopped spinning and the pair moved to switch their clothes into a dryer. Spencer could smell her citrusy detergent as she put her clothes into the basket to bring them to a dryer. He reached into his pockets for more quarters. 

“Slight problem.” He realized. “I only have enough quarters for one dryer.” He could feel his face turning red. Cate looked at their loads.

“I mean, I think we could squeeze it in one machine if that’s alright with you? They look pretty big.” Cate suggested. 

“Uh, yeah that works for me.” Spencer tried not to seem so flustered. Cate put her clothes into the dryer and watched Spencer put his own in along with a dryer sheet. She held out an outstretched hand. Spencer emptied the quarters in his pocket into her palm. He watched as she placed them in the slot. 

The two continued chatting about Spencer’s first read through of Cate’s favorite series. The laundromat was empty, but filled with the sound of their laughter. The sky outside darkened and the lights of the city speckled their view. Cate yawned.

“Did you still, or, would you still like to come over to watch a movie?” Spencer asked. Cate stretched, trying to wake herself up. 

“Yeah, I just need to find energy or I might end up like you during the Anastasia movie.” Cate elbowed Spencer in the arm. 

“I can make coffee when we get to mine?” Spencer tried to not sound too inviting. He didn’t want to pressure her. 

“Um, that would be okay.” Cate smiled. Their attention was drawn to the dryer that had stopped spinning. They walked over to the dryer. Cate pulled all the clothes out into a metal rolling basket of the laundromat’s. She rolled it between the seats that held Spencer’s basket and her own, so they could separate their clothes. 

The pair pulled their clothes out. Spencer folded his nicely, placing it back in the basket. Cate on the other hand, put them in a duffle bag she had brought, not bothering to fold them. Spencer pulled a cardigan out, it smelled like Cate’s detergent. Cate pulled out a sweatshirt, still warm from the dryer. She swapped sweatshirts as Spencer reached into the metal basket again. Cate’s head pushed through the neck hole as Spencer held up a pair of dress pants, preparing to fold them. Cate swiped them out of his grasp. 

“What?” Spencer reached for them. “Those are mine, my initials are stitched on the tag!” He grabbed them back. Cate tried to hold on. 

“Yes, but I just need to see them for a second.” Cate’s face was turning very red. Spencer’s brows furrowed. He let them go in confusion. He watched as Cate peeled a bright pink lace thong that had been stuck with static to his tan pants. He cleared his throat and looked away.

“Oh.” was all he could manage, sifting through the metal basket for another item of his clothing. 

“Sorry.” Cate squeaked. She handed him back his pants. There was an awkward silence as they got to the bottom of their clothes. Cate and Spencer finally glanced at each other. Cate was the first to laugh to ease her nerves. Spencer joined her soon after.

With the laundry done, The two went back to Spencer’s and like promised, Spencer made them each a cup of coffee, which he deemed not nearly as good as that from The Empty Mug. They had settled on the couch next to each other. The first Harry Potter movie playing in the background. Spencer noticed how Cate didn’t take one sip from her mug. In fact, he didn’t think that he ever saw her drink coffee in front of him. 

“You don’t like coffee.” He profiled. He couldn't help it. “How can you work at a coffee shop and not like coffee?” He said. His face contorted as he realized how ridiculous it sounded. Cate just smiled and shrugged.

“I don’t know,” Cate drew out the last word. “I like the way it smells, though.” She offered. The movie was forgotten in the background as the pair laughed. Spencer bit the bullet, diving head first. Being brave like he could be out on the field, yet in Cate’s presence he felt like a pile of mush. 

“Do you want to go to the Smithsonian with me?” He rambled out fast. “They have a literature exhibit and I haven’t seen it yet and I thought maybe you’d like to go with me.” Spencer left out the one part he wanted to mention. Cate did it for him.

“It’s a date.” she smiled over her now cold cup of coffee. 

“Really?” Spencer wanted to make sure he wasn’t dreaming right now.

“Yeah. I’ve never been to the Smithsonian before.” Cate placed the mug on the coffee table in front of them and brought the knitted blanket she had used before to her shoulders. She felt her insides flutter as she imagined the huge museum, and Spencer by her side. Spencer made a mental note to get tickets tomorrow for the weekend. His attention was drawn back to the movie. He couldn’t keep his mind from thinking of her words. It’s a date. He couldn’t think of anything better than being surrounded by the literature classics and Cate. He ran a hand through his hair. As his arm rested on the back of the sofa, Cate’s head lolled onto his shoulder. 

She was asleep. Spencer carefully took her glasses off of her face and placed them on his coffee table next to her full mug. He took this time to look over her face without fear of being caught. She had light freckles that peppered over her nose. The credits played in the background. Without thought, he brushed some stray hairs off of her forehead. At the touch, Cate sleepily crinkled her nose. Spencer panicked and drew his hand back to the arm rest, frozen. 

It was growing later, and Spencer wasn’t sure if he should wake her, or let her sleep. He had work the next morning, and he still had to drive her home. Using his best judgement, he gently shook her awake. Her eyes flickered open. 

“Oh my god.” Her voice cracked. “I am so sorry!” She rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep-” Cate croaked, her voice thick from just waking up. 

“Um, want me to take you home?” Spencer’s arm fell to his side. Cate nodded, rising from the couch. She gathered her things, and grabbed her glasses off the coffee table. Spencer grabbed his keys and the two walked down to his car. The ride was again silent, save for the classical music playing from the speakers. Cate was trying really hard not to fall asleep again with the lull of the car. When they reached The Empty Mug, Cate grabbed her basket and Spencer watched from in the car as she unlocked the door. He wanted to wait until she was safely inside for him to drive away, he knew all too well of the evils of the world, thanks to his job. 

Cate awoke the next morning, no message from Spencer. She really hoped the events of last night didn’t negate their trip to the Smithsonian. She had the day off and she had organized all her things in Marta’s room, while Shrimp watched from Marta’s bed. While she was at it, she also cleaned up some of Marta’s things. 

Spencer felt more tired this day than usual at work. His late night was getting the better of him. His colleagues had already pointed out his tired eyes. He didn’t even stop for coffee at the cart this morning. He felt too nervous to call Cate or leave a voice message. He enlisted the help of Penelope to buy tickets to the Literature Exhibit of the Smithsonian for him and Cate. When Penelope questioned the other ticket, she knew it was for the coffee cart girl. She phoned Derek about the update on Spencer’s relationship as soon as Spencer left her batcave. 

The day dragged on and they had no new cases coming in. Spencer was stuck at his desk with paperwork for previous cases. He was stuck with his thoughts as he hand wrote case notes. He watched eagerly for the clock to signal the end of his shift. While scurrying out, Derek caught him. 

“Where are you off to?” He raised one of his well-groomed eyebrows. Spencer stuttered.

“Home.” he said too quickly.

“Come on, Reid.” Derek walked with him to the elevator. “You know I know about the tickets.” Spencer should have known that Penelope would share the information with Derek. “You got a hot date with the coffee girl?” he smirked.

“No, we’re just going to the museum to see the new exhibit. She might have called it a date, but I-” before Spencer could go off on a tangent, Derek cut him off.

“Good luck,” and clapped him on the shoulder. “Have a good time, regardless of if it's a date or not.” Derek smiled at Spencer. In the elevator he decided to call Cate, to see if she was available for the museum tonight. The phone line rang a few times. Spencer felt discouraged, it would go to voicemail after the next ring.

“Hi,” Cate answered. 

“Hi.” Spencer said back. He took a breath. “Are you busy tonight? I got tickets to that exhibit. If you can’t, it’s fine, don’t worry-” 

“I’m free tonight.” Cate cut him off. “Pick me up at six?” Spencer had just enough time to run home and change before picking her up at six.

“Perfect.” He smiled. He fished his keys out of his messenger bag and unlocked his car. “See you then.” Cate repeated his words and they hung up, both excited, yet jittery with nerves.

The museum was bigger than Cate imagined. Their tickets were specifically for the book exhibit, which was located in one of the libraries which was a smaller building. Cate and Spencer walked side by side through the library. Spencer looked at each display, and read off the excerpt for Cate. Cate would nod, and occasionally ask questions. The air seemed thick with tension. There was a bigger question looming in the air above them. Was this truly a date? Or was this two friends, who were both interested in books, enjoying time together? 

Spencer wasn’t sure how to transition this friendship to something more. Did they already have more? He felt confused. He felt guilty, he didn’t want the awkwardness to ruin Cate’s time at the museum. 

Cate knew something was up. Spencer was acting weird. He seemed very much in his head tonight. Cate tried to stir conversations through questions, but Spencer answered them all literally and left no room for discussion. Cate was beginning to feel as though she had been misreading their friendship the past week or so. 

They walked through the entire exhibit after a few hours. The air in the library reminded Cate of Spencer’s apartment. It was warm, and the same humidity. The perfect climate for books, Cate recalled from their conversation when he helped save her books. Cate’s face was feeling warm, she shouldn’t have worn a jacket. She took it off, holding it in front of her; it was folded over her arms. 

Spencer, too, felt his face grow warm. His cardigan was making him feel sweaty. It was either that, or the nervousness he felt when he was around Cate. He felt her brush up against his side, he wasn’t sure whether it was purposeful or an accident. He could hear their footsteps echo in the huge library. The exhibit would be closing soon, and most of the visitors were making their way out.

“What are you thinking?” Cate asked, Spencer tried to form a sentence as she brushed up against his side again. He still couldn’t tell if she did it on purpose.

“Um, just about the books. They’re mainly classics. I’ve read most of them. We could’ve just stood in front of my bookshelves and seen the same thing.” He muttered. Cate smiled. 

“Oh, you really have a first edition of The House of Mirth?” Cate teased. Spencer chuckled. 

“Okay, maybe I don’t have the exact copies, but I do have pretty old editions.” The more the two laughed and joked, the more normal it felt between them.

Spencer drove her home, and for the first time, Cate reached for the radio knob and changed the station. Soft rock filled the car. Cate hummed along quietly. Spencer parked along the street in front of The Empty Mug. He just about jumped out the car to open Cate’s door for her. He even walked her to the glass front door of the shop. The two stood facing each other. 

“So,” Cate started. “This was fun. Thanks for inviting me.” She smiled at Spencer.

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you came with me.” Spencer pursed his lips together. They both nodded at each other. Cate turned to reach for the door, but something came over Spencer and he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. He leaned forward and quickly kissed Cate square on the mouth. She barely had any time to react when he pulled away just as fast. Without waiting for her to say anything, he got in his car and waited for her to enter the building. 

Once inside, Cate touched her lips in disbelief. As she turned to look outside at Spencer’s car, he was already driving off. Cate turned around again, and rushed upstairs to tell Marta exactly what had just happened.

[reconditarmonia]

Dear Fandom 5K Author

Hi! Thank you for writing for me! I’m reconditarmonia here and on AO3. I have anon messaging off, but mods can contact me with any questions.

Dragon Age | Fullmetal Alchemist | The Locked Tomb | Motherland: Fort Salem | Where the Sky is Silver and the Earth is Brass

General likes:

– Relationships that aren’t built on romance or attraction. They can be romantic or sexual as well, but my favorite ships are all ones where it would still be interesting or compelling if the romantic component never materialized.

– Loyalty kink! Trust, affectionate or loving use of titles, gestures of loyalty, replacing one’s situational or ethical judgment with someone else’s, risking oneself (physically or otherwise) for someone else, not doing so on their orders. Can be commander-subordinate or comrades-in-arms.

– Heists, or other stories where there’s a lot of planning and then we see how the plan goes.

– Femslash, complicated or intense relationships between women, and female-centric gen. Women doing “male” stuff (possibly while crossdressing).

– Stories whose emotional climax or resolution isn’t the sex scene, if there is one.

– Uniforms/costumes/clothing.

– Stories, history, and performance. What gets told and how, what doesn’t get told or written down, behavior in a society where everyone’s consuming media and aware of its tropes, how people create their personas and script their own lines.

General DNW: rape/dubcon, torture, other creative gore; unrequested AUs, including “same setting, different rules” AUs such as soulmates/soulbonds; PWP; food sex; embarrassment; focus on pregnancy; Christmas/Christian themes; infidelity; unrequested polyamory; focus on unrequested canon or non-canon ships; unrequested trans versions of characters.

Smut Likes: clothing, uniforms, sexual tension, breasts, manual sex, cunnilingus, grinding, informal d/s elements, intensity.

—

Fandom: Dragon Age

Character(s):

Group: Cassandra Pentaghast/Female Lavellan

Female Lavellan

Group: Charter & Rector

Genre(s):

Canon-Style Plot - Freeform

Action/Adventure

Worldbuilding

Established Relationship

Mystery/Procedural

I'm playing this game for the first time and loving Cassandra and Lavellan together so much. (I'm playing with a mod where I can romance her with a female PC!) Lavellan starts off as this confused and small and non-Andrastian prisoner who disagrees with Cassandra on so many things, but Cassandra puts so much trust and faith in her and so much on the line for her - even with Lavellans who are adamant that they're not chosen, they're just doing their best and they happen to be the ones in the position to make this choice. Cassandra is so proud to know her, and backs her up even when she disagrees with Lavellan's choices! The romance scene is really cute between two characters who are adults and have a day-to-day working relationship that isn't going to change, but are still just having fun with how charming it is in a way that builds on their friendship. Not to mention their battling together, of course - the ways they can protect each other and fight for each other's goals (and give Cassandra all the elven swords and shields), how worried they sound if the other one gets hurt...whoops, I found myself another loyalty kink ship.

I also just like playing as Lavellan generally, with how much of an outsider she feels (the "Dawn Will Come" scene is so alienating! it really works!) and how much of the game is about visiting the sites of past elven trauma and/or glory days.

My Lavellan uses the (default lol) name of Ellana, is a rift mage, sports a lovely buzzcut and vallaslin, has a lot of feelings about elf history (and visiting the Plains/Graves especially), believes in elven gods and doesn't care to pretend she's Andrastian, and besides Cass is closest friends with Solas, but don't feel that you have to write my specific PC - I'm excited to read about yours too!

But! I also love all the little hints about the work that Leliana's agents are doing, and their friendship (walking in on their card game at Caer Bronach is kind of delightful), and the letter from Rector's mother asking why he uses a code name for work (why are you ashamed of your name, Wilbur??) is one of my favorite in-universe documents. Slice-of-life or slice-of-mission with Charter and Rector would also make me really happy. Here again, just the closeness and trust and faith that these people have in one another is my jam.

Fandom-Specific DNW: Canon-typical levels of Cassandra's association with the Chantry and belief in the Maker/Andraste/the Herald shouldn't be taken to contravene my DNW of Christian themes, but I wouldn't want Satinalia fic or something focused on the Andrastian faith. Please don't put F!Lavellan in a different romance, even if we didn't match on the Cassandra ship.

—

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Character(s):

Group: Olivier Mira Armstrong/Maria Ross

Genre(s):

Action/Adventure

Canon-Style Plot - Freeform

Getting Together

I'll admit: I am a shallow, shallow person who loves the heartwarming and id-satisfying Briggs loyalty-kink complex (The watch! Buccaneer handing Olivier a clean pair of gloves after she kills Raven! Constant and deeply sincere saluting! Olivier’s explanation of why she wants Miles around and her lack of patience for anyone’s shit) but would like an f/f manifestation of it for actual shipping. Post-canon or AU where Maria is assigned to Briggs, or works for Olivier in Central? Does Maria foil a plot against Olivier, or Olivier save Maria's life in battle? Does Olivier order Maria into a firefight? Hit me.

Fandom-Specific DNW: Olivier/men, even mentioned.

—

Fandom: The Locked Tomb

Character(s):

Matthias Nonius

Genre(s):

Action/Adventure

Canon-Style Plot - Freeform

Fantasy

Nonius was one of my favorite new characters in Harrow the Ninth. His whole impossible arrival via evocation-by-poetry, battle with the Sleeper, and epic departure to fight the Beast made me very, very happy on levels I have trouble explaining. It was so heartwarming?! Because it was impossible, and because poetry won, and because they went off to do the best they could...I don't know, exactly. (Iiiii also just love that he's named for the Redwall mouse.) I'd love to read more about his life - being unprepossessing and very human but also paladin-like and really fucking good at being a swordsman, representing the Ninth House in slightly less decrepit times, his mysterious past with Gideon the First (and Pyrrha, sort of), however it happened that he died far from home in an unknown place and couldn't be recovered for burial, "chickenshits don't get beer"? Or, er, his afterlife - going to fight with Marta, Ortus, and Pro, re-encountering G1deon as allies...

—

Fandom: Motherland: Fort Salem

Character(s):

Group: Abigail Bellweather/Raelle Collar

Original Historical Witch Character(s)

Group: Sarah Alder & First Bellweather Ancestor

Genre(s):

Action/Adventure

Canon-Style Plot - Freeform

Mystery/Procedural

Worldbuilding

I fell hard for this show and Abigail/Raelle is the ship I’m most excited about - they get off to a bad start for all kinds of personal history reasons and have problems with each other, but when it gets down to the wire Abigail would do anything for Raelle and is very gung-ho about having Raelle’s unconventional but extremely powerful magic under her leadership, regardless of Raelle being a loose cannon. She told her she loved her!! <3 And by the end, Raelle also clearly knows what Abigail's going through (like when she talks her down in "Citydrop"), respects her leadership, and cares deeply about her and wants to protect her in return. I love that loyalty dynamic, and their competence as fighters/witches.

Physical combat, strength in general, magical strength, ability to work magic together, knowledge of the magical canon vs. out-of-the-box techniques...what parts of their skills and their bond could be challenged in the weird dimension that the end of season 1 leaves them in? Or when they get back home and new challenges await? (In my head, the decision not to send them to War College is not revoked; the unit becomes some kind of special-forces secret strike team rather than cannon fodder.) Maybe something where Raelle goes/has gone into a fight as a berserker-type for Abigail and then comes back to her, or where Abigail protects/has protected her soldier (her girl!! I love her protectiveness of Raelle towards the other cadets, imagine it in a battle!)? Or an arranged marriage AU where it's usual for witch soldiers to marry to combine their magic power or something...If including smut in the story, I'd especially be up for something d/s-y where the loyalty-kinky dynamic of Raelle being Abigail's weapon, at her command, is echoed in sex!

OR. The alternate history that the show has created is so interesting and I'm craving expansion of that through fic! Tell me about the Bellweather ancestor who was a slave and ended up powerful and influential enough to begin a dynasty, and how she met and was recruited by Alder. Or other enslaved witches, witches in the American Revolution or the Civil War, or the founding of Fort Salem and standardization of American military magic with its various influences, or Chinese or Jewish or Mexican immigrant witches who maybe came from different magic traditions and might have had to make the choice of whether or not to reveal that they had magic (if the system knows you because of your descent in the country?), serving their country but also binding their daughters and granddaughters forever.

Fandom-Specific DNW: Abigail/Adil (at all; if he's mentioned, please make them just friends), focus on Raelle/Scylla (dwelling on Raelle still having feelings for Scylla or on her getting over Scylla for Abigail; you don't need to retcon their having been together), Scylla bashing.

—

Fandom: Where the Sky is Silver and the Earth is Brass

Character(s):

Chaye Roznatovsky

Demon

Genre(s):

Fantasy

Canon-Style Plot - Freeform

Worldbuilding

Anything expanding on this story would make me really happy. Chaye’s years with the partisans, the comrades-in-arms she had and loved then and who else’s memory she holds or makes into a weapon, her journey to America, going by the surname of “no one.” The demon’s mirror world, its loss of that world (what exactly happened on the other side?) and its need to be where Jews are, demon Judaism? Or the future of both of them now that they’ve found each other!

Fandom-Specific DNW/Opt-In: DNW Chaye/demon. The premise of the story being what it is, I'm explicitly okay with antisemitism being a prominent feature of the story if you write something that covers either or both characters' backstory, but would prefer post-war antisemitism not to be a focus.

[freudensteins-monster]

I wish you would write a fic where Loki and Sigyn try to one-up each other pranking Thor, Valkyrie and the Avengers while on Earth. (Thanks, and Happy New Year! xoxo)

Dear Anon, I know you probably don’t remember sending me this ask, considering you sent it on New Years Day - two years ago - but better later than never, right? (Set post-Ragnarok, minus Thanos)

Loki’s return to Earth had notexactly been celebrated, but the Avengers needed him on an upcoming mission so hispresence was tolerated. Eventually they reached the end of their patience andso he was sent to annoy Doctor Strange at the New York Sanctum. He had to begrudgingly admit that theircollection of magical knowledge and artifacts was impressive, though it paledin comparison to Asgard’s. And didn’t he feel that loss keenly? He’d managed tosquirrel away almost a hundred of his most treasured volumes into his personalpocket dimension during his all to brief reign as king but there were hundreds of thousandsmore that had been lost to the fires of Ragnarok.

The Sanctum also held another mysterioustreasure.

“Sigyn? Is that name supposed tomean something to me?” Loki replied with disinterest, not bothering to raisehis eyes from his latest book.

“It should,” Strange smirked.“She’s your wife reincarnated.”

At that Loki deigned to raise hiseyes, flitting from the irritating Strange to the mortified initiate besidehim. She was fair of face and hair, the latter pulled back in elaborate braidsthat fell down to her shoulder blades, and she wore thick gloves on her hands inaddition to the standard burgundy garb of any initiate of Kamar-Taj.

“Is this a reference to yourlurid mythologies?” Loki drawled. “Because in truth I have never taken a wife.Though if you wish me to take her off your hands I would require a substantialdowry, say the Axe of Angarrumus? I received Thor’s name in Stark’s wintersolstice gift giving game and such a weapon would mean I don’t have to lowermyself to visiting one of Midgard’s marketplaces.”

Rather than reply Strange huffedwith irritation and flounced out of the room (the sorcerer may have justturned, the Cape of Levitation did all the flouncing). The woman gave him acurt bow before disappearing into the rows of shelving, and Loki would haveforgotten all about her the moment she was gone from his sight if Strangehadn’t screamed his name as he stormed back into the library less than a minutelater.

Loki laughed. He couldn’t helpit. The Sorcerer Supreme was standing in the middle of the room, his dark bluerobes now emerald green and his famed cloak a blinding gold, as his face turnedan interesting shade of red. It was the best thing he’d seen since the Hulk hadthrown Thor around like a ragdoll in the arena.

“What? It wasn’t me,” Loki arguedas Strange continued to glare at him after he’d been able to stop laughing.

With one flick of his wrists thesorcerer changed his robes back to their original hue and with another he cutthe legs off Loki’s chair, causing the Asgardian to fall on his ass with athud.

Loki was dusting himself off whenthe woman, Sigyn, reappeared, a heavy tome in her arms and a small smileplaying on her lips.

“It was nice to meet you,” she saidin lightly accented English before leaving the room via a portal she’dconjured.

Loki stared at the space she hadoccupied for a long minute before smiling to himself, “Interesting.”

In the days leading up to theMidgard winter solstice celebrations Loki thought of the curious Sigyn often,and though he frequented the Sanctum he had not seen her again, and dared notask Strange as to her whereabouts and give away his interest. In the end she came to him, arriving via a portal on the balcony of Stark’stower along with Strange and two other sorcerers, a hour late for Stark’sChristmas party.

Since they had last crossed pathsSigyn had apparently completed her training, having exchanged her initiaterobes for more formal ones of grey overlayed with a dark purple sleeveless coatwith silver embroidery. She still wore gloves the same shade as her robes, andtoyed nervously with the bindings. Stark was being his obnoxious self as heintroduced the sorcerers to the rest of the superheroes, scientists, andobligatory celebrities gathered on the 68th floor, and just as Lokiwas sure that Strange was about to push Stark through a portal to the farreaches of the universe, the Man of Iron was distracted by his AI systemintroducing the newest arrivals to step off the elevator – in Latin. Their hostsufficiently distracted, the sorcerers began to mingle (Strange making for oneJane Foster, the next smartest person in the room, much to Thor’s thinly veiledannoyance), and Loki made his way over to Sigyn.

“That was a nice trick.”

“I have no idea what you’retalking about,” she replied automatically as she took a glass of somethingbubbly from a passing waiter.

“Of course you don’t,” Lokismiled. “Just as I have no idea what’s going on over there,” he said, pointingto the bar where Valkyrie was trying drink after drink, growing more frustratedas each turned to water on her tongue.

Sigyn stifled a laugh beforegazing around the room in search of her next target. The slight twitching ofher fingers was the only indication that she had made her play and it was a fewminutes before Loki understood what it was. There was a small commotion acrossthe room and the man out of time stumbled away from a group of overly affectionatedebutantes, a sprig of mistletoe followed him. If he stayed in one place forlonger than five seconds the mistletoe hovered over his head and the peopleclosest to him felt compelled to kiss him. It resulted in the good captainrunning laps of the room as he cursed Stark for inventing some sort ofmistletoe drone.

As the party guests laughed Sigynraised an eyebrow in challenge but before Loki could contemplate his next movea loud slap rang out. All eyes turned to find Doctor Strange getting chewed outby Doctor Foster before the petite brunette stormed off.

Sigyn gasped. “What did you do?”

“It wasn’t me. Itseems as though the Sorcerer Supreme is fully capable of making an ass out ofhimself without my assistance.”

They watched as Thor made tofollow Doctor Foster and the moment he caught up with her Loki sliced the airwith his arm, sending the former lovers flying into a storage closet at the endof the hall. He immediately sealed the room – no one would be able to heartheir cries for aid and for all Thor’s strength he would not be able to breakout of the room before dawn’s first light hit the tower.

“Really?” Sigyn scoffed.

“They have been tiptoeing aroundeach other for weeks. It’s been painful to watch. One way or another it endstonight.”

“Fair enough,” she mused as hersharp gazed scanned the room. With a sly smile she ran a finger around the rimof her glass and half the room fell silent before findingthemselves singing a rather passionate rendition of “Santa Claus is Comin’ ToTown”.

Loki barely had a moment to enjoythe confusion before he felt a sharp pinch between his ribs.

“That’s enough,” the widowcommanded, pressing a blade so hard against his side it pierced through hisleather vestments.

Before Loki could proclaim hisinnocence Sigyn took a sip from her glass and the chaos fizzled out intoconfused laughter and the sounds of drinks being topped up. Loki breathed asigh of relief as the blade was removed from his side.

“If you can’t behave yourself itmight be better for your health if you retired for the evening,” the widowsuggested before rejoining her friends.

“Haha,” Sigyn chortled into herdrink. “You lose.”

“How so?”

“You got caught,” Sigyn repliedas though it were obvious.

“But it wasn’t my trick.”

“It still counts.”

“It does not!”

“It does too!”

In a fit of frustration, and inan effort to best his sparring partner, Loki threw a glamour over Sigyn,ridding her of her robes and dressing her in a glittering golden gown similarto those he had seen a few models in attendance wearing. The figure-hugginggown was quite alluring on her, as was the amount of exposed flesh, until onegot to her now glove-free hands which were misshapen with leathery scars. Sigyndropped her champagne glass with an anguished scream when she realised whatLoki had done, angry tears filling her eyes when she felt the room staring ather. She turned on her heel and summoned a portal with her sling ring,disappearing in a shower of sparks.

“What did you do?” Strange sighedirritably as he appeared at Loki’s side.

“I may have taken things a steptoo far,” Loki conceded.

“You don’t say.”

“Is there any way to follow her?”

With another put upon sigh,Strange summoned a portal for him.

“If my favourite student doesn’tcome back, neither should you,” Strange warned before shoving him through.

The portal closed and Loki foundhimself face first in the snow. He righted himself and in the grey light he wasable to follow Sigyn’s footprints towards a church and the cemetery behind it.He found her seated before a headstone once again dressed in her in grey andpurple robes. Her gloves were lying on the ground beside her and her misshapenhands sat in her lap. Loki approached cautiously and when she failed to attackhim he sat down next to her, joining Sigyn in staring silently at the headstoneof one Marta Magnusson.

“Most days I can forget aboutthem,” she said without preamble, turning her scarred hands this way and that. “But thensomeone will comment on my gloves and I remember it anew. If I don’t wear them I have to put up with looks of disgust or pity. I’m notsure which is worse.”

“…How did it happen?”

“When I was but a child my fatherthrew me into the fireplace during one of his drunken rages, pushed me down bythe heel of his boot, my little hands pushing back against the burning logs asflames licked my face. It felt like hours of agony but my mother assured me itwas only seconds, either way the damage was done. Recovery was almost aspainful, and whenever I cried about it my mother would wipe away my tears andsay, “Women are defined by what they can endure, little Sigyn, so it is in allthe great stories, and you are far too strong to give up now.”

She fell silent then, content toignore her companion in favour of losing herself to long buried memories. Itstretched on long enough to make Loki fidget, a dozen empty platitude dying onhis silver tongue.

“I’m not showing you mine,” hemuttered, just loud enough to draw Sigyn’s attention.

“Hmm?”

“I’m not showing you my scars soyou’ll think us even,” he bit out petulantly. “Just know that I have them. Also,”he added with a belligerent sigh, “I’m sorry for bringing yours to light the wayI did. It was cruel.”

She accepted his apology with abrief nod but made no move to bury her past once more and leave the frozen cemetery. Loki sighed again, cursing his newfound sentimentality, and outstretcheda hand towards the headstone. Within minutes an ice sculpture formed behind itin the shape of a mother embracing her child. The child may have resembled Sigynbut, Loki realised too late, the mother was most definitely Frigga.

Sigyn’s eyes lit up inappreciation but as she turned to Loki her smiled faded. Loki followed her gazeto his outstretched hand, now azure blue. Chastened, he gave it frustratedshake as though his true heritage was something he could easily rid himself of.He crossed his arms to hide it from view until it returned to his prefershade and avoided meeting her eyes.

“Can you only manipulate ice?”she asked, surprising Loki.

“What?”

“Is it only ice you can create?”she repeated, smiling as her eyes drifted skyward to the flurries of snowflakesthat drifted past on the wind.

Loki, sensing mischief, smiledback. “What did you have in mind?”

The karaoke portion of Stark’s Christmasparty was due to begin, but as the host took the stage a blizzard developed outof thin air, pouring in from the balcony and blanketing the room with snow.Panicked and freezing guests sought to escape it but where met with icy gales thatpushed them back from the elevators and stairwells.

It disappeared as quickly as it came but left the entire floor covered in two feet of snow. Stark was thefirst to regain his senses, but before he could call for Loki’s head his ownwas struck with an icy projectile. He turned on the spot to find the SorcererSupreme smirking back at him, his cocky cloak dusting snow off whatever its equivalentto hands were.

“Oh, it’s on now, Strange.”

Loki hoisted himself up onto thebar and helped himself to an abandoned glass of champagne, laughing at thechaos before him as dozens of enhanced individuals engaged in an all-outsnowball war. Sigyn joined him moments later after quickly forming a portal withher sling ring to divert a wayward snowball down the back of Wong’s robes.

Loki beamed at his partner inmischief and pushed a drink into her gloved hand. “To what doesn’t kill us,” hetoasted.

Sigyn laughed and clinked herglass against his. “May it always make us a riot at parties.”

[the-delta-42]

The Shield

The Shield

@linkeduniverse fic, all Linked Universe characters belong to @jojo56830. All Zelda character property of Nintendo

Wild let’s slip to Riju and Buliara how Time go into Gerudo town in his Hyrule, and now has to watch the painful results.

Wild’s face twisted into a grimace as Liana collided with the sand in the Oasis. The Link’s had been resting in the Gerudo desert, while Wild and Hyrule went into Gerudo Town to gather supplies and restock on ammunition. Hyrule had been waylaid by a stand selling roasted meats, so Wild had made his way to meet with Riju and Buliara and made idle small talk with the two.

“Did the Hero of Time ever visit the Gerudo?” Wild remembered asking, making Buliara lean on her claymore.

“A few times, according to legend” Said the Chieftain’s bodyguard, “Worked with the Exalted Nabooru to defeat Ganon when it first turned up.”

Wild was quiet, making Riju and Buliara look at him.

“Why do you ask?” Riju questioned, making Wild look at her.

“I’m travelling with a group of men, other Heroes, believe it or not,” Said Wild, looking between the two, “One came with me to restock, the others are at the Oasis. One got into a Gerudo settlement by defeating all the guards. Well, I say defeated, he says humiliated, but he was given a token to prove his worth to the Gerudo from where he’s from.”

Wild didn’t notice how quiet everything had become until he had finished talking. Riju had a look of horror, making Wild turn and face Buliara, who was gripping her sword so tightly that Wild would see her knuckles slowly turning white.

“Oh really?” Said Buliara, “I’d very much like to meet this Voe.”

Wild and Hyrule slowly lead the best Gerudo warriors to the Oasis, each one decked out in their best gear, while Hyrule seared holes into Wild’s head.

“He’s going to kill us.” Whispered Hyrule, shaking his leg every two steps.

“I hope not.” Said Wild, as Riju looked between the two.

“What’s so bad about this Voe?” Riju asked, noting how tense the two became.

“Well, he’s not bad, per say,” Said Hyrule, scratching the back of his head, “It’s just that he’s really, what’s the word? Stern?”

Wild shrugged, making Hyrule continue, “He seems really difficult to please, the only one who’s come close to beating him is Twilight, and even then, he still lost to Time.”

As soon as the group entered the Oasis, someone let out a loud wolf whistle, followed by a smack. Wild and Hyrule looked over towards the water, where Warrior stood rubbing the back of his head, while the newest addition to the group stood a foot behind him, shaking her hand to get rid of the stinging sensation.

The group had stumbled across Linkle in the middle of Faron, with the girl looking down at her compass, when the girl had power walked into Time, falling back onto her butt after the collision took place. The group had set up camp while Time questioned the girl, before calling Sky over and had her attempt to draw the Master Sword. The group didn’t expect her to be able to draw the Sword.

Until she did. Wild snickered at the memory of Warrior fainting. The rest of the group had quickly brought Linkle up to speed with their quest. Wild was brought from his musings by the sound of Time’s voice breaking the silence.

“Please tell me you two haven’t been arrested.” Said Time, the war paint on his face slightly smeared and the bags under his eyes the only tell of the trick that the War god had played on the Hero of Time, giving him a realistic vision of Time killing the other members of the party. Time had kept his distance from the group, until Linkle turned up.

Buliara strode forwards, “Which one of you is the one known at ‘Time’?”

Time sighed, before he got to his feet, “Alright, what is it?”

Buliara glared at him, Time simply raised an eyebrow.

“You told your party members that you managed to get into Gerudo settlement by humiliating the guards.” Said Buliara, “I intend to see you put your rupees where your mouth is.”

Time was silent, before he slowly turned and glared at Wild and Hyrule. Hyrule simply pointed at Wild and slowly edged away.

Wild was rooted to his place as Time’s eyes boar into him. Time slowly pulled his gaze from Wild, his gaze returning to the Gerudo.

“Let me guess,” Said Time, his tone dryer than the desert, “you want me to fight some Iron Knuckles.”

Buliara’s face curled into a sneer, “I intend to subject you to the full might of the Gerudo.” Buliara slammed the point of her sword into the ground.

Time’s other eye brow rose, before he looked at the sky, “Not tonight, surely, you’ve just travelled across several yards of Sand and the sun is setting, and if I remember correctly, the desert is a terrible place after dark.” Said Time, as Wind and Twilight came up behind him, “Perhaps you should rest for the night and have the challenge tomorrow morning.”

“We have food.” Said Wind, quickly drawing level with Time and the Gerudo, “Legend is teaching us a new game, but he thinks Four is cheating.” Wind grabbed Riju’s arm and quickly dragged the girl over to the small circle, Wild quickly stepping in front of Buliara, before she could bring her claymore down on the boy’s head.

“Don’t worry,” Said Wild, hoping to placate the woman, “Wind wouldn’t hurt anyone, he just hasn’t been around anyone his own age in a while.”

Everyone was on edge, until Buliara lowered her sword and turned a fierce glare towards Time.

“Fine, we will fight tomorrow.” Said Buliara, her eyes narrowing at Time, “I trust you won’t run off in the middle of the night.”

Time’s expression went cold, “The only thing that would send me fleeing, is no longer alive.”

Wild looked at the other hero, only to flinch when he was on the receiving end of Time’s glare and Twilight’s hand cuffing him on the back of the head.

The night passed quickly, almost too quickly for Wild’s liking, and by that time a large crowd had gathered to witness The Gerudo guards fighting an old man in some form of battle armour.

The first one to be sent into the area where they were to fight Time was Barta, which lasted the grand total of five seconds, before Time had kicked Barta out of the ring with a swift kick to the chest.

“I thought you said the Voe was ninety.” Said a Gerudo standing behind Wild.

“That’s what I was told, I didn’t realise that he was younger than that.” Said another, as Kotta was knocked to the ground, after Time had grabbed the shaft of her spear and used it against her.

Leena opted for a more aggressive approach, charging at Time with that full force of a stampeding buffalo. Time simply side stepped her, before grabbing her arm and spinning around, Leena attempted to knock Time off balance, before she was punched in the face and thrown into Kotta and Barta.

Babi’s approach to the fight was vastly different to Leena’s, opting to play a game of Cucco, to see who would break first. Neither moved, until Babi thrust her spear forwards, in an attempt to skewer the Hylian onto the end. Again, Time side stepped and grabbed her arm, before throwing her onto the growing pile of beaten warriors.

Marta threw her spear at Time, before she grabbed one from the floor. For a brief moment, Time was caught off guard and was nearly knocked over. Luckily for him, he was able to knock Marta to the ground and place his foot between her shoulder blades.

“I have no idea what you were trying to accomplish.” Said Time, speaking for the first time during the battles.

Smaude tried to sneak up behind Time, only for him to grab her arm and throw her at her fellow Guards. Liana stepped forwards, unsheathing her sword and shield and charging at Time. Time and Liana exchanged blows and parried each other’s attacks, until Time knocked her sword from her hand and gave a firm kick to the chest. Wild’s face twisted into a grimace as Liana collided with the sand in the Oasis. 

Liana quietly conceded defeat, before Teake stepped forwards, following Liana’s example, with the exception that Teake was dodging most of Time’s attacks, before she was knocked onto her back, as the flat side of Time’s sword hit her.

Buliara stepped forwards, before she charged at Time. Time, who looked as if he wasn’t even breaking a sweat, charged at Buliara as well. Both blades clashed against each other, Time and Buliara somehow predicting each other’s attacks as they happened. Buliara lasted longer than the others before her, until Time knocked her legs out from underneath her.

Buliara hit the sand, everything quiet. A lot of emotions passed through Buliara’s head, shame, anger, fear. None of them pleasant. Time looked down at her, before offering her and hand up. Time looked up into the sky, noticing that it would be dark soon.

“Anyone else wish to try their luck before the day ends?” Questioned Time, as a small Gerudo, no more that five-foot-tall, marched into the ring.

Wild’s and Buliara’s eyes bugged, as Riju stood before Time, hands on her hips and a sword and shield on her back.

“I wish to try.” Said Riju, looking up at Time, trying not to feel intimidated at his imposing stature.

“I don’t fight children.” Said Time, turning away from the girl.

“Why, Because you’re scared one might actually beat you?” Snarked Riju, making Time stop in his tracks, before he spun around and marched up towards Riju.

“Fine, but the first time you hit the ground, its over.” Said Time, readying his sword, Riju doing the same.

Riju charged forwards, ducking under Time’s sword, before implanting her foot into Time’s groin. The next thing anyone knew was Time was kneeling down, with his face the painted picture of silent pain. Everyone was silent, trying to process the fact that a teenaged five-foot-tall girl had taken down an adult seven-eight-foot-tall man.

Time took a deep breath in, before looking at Riju.

“Well done, my lady.” Said Time, as he picked up his sword and looked down at the girl.

“So, is there a prize?” Riju joked, making Time look upwards, before he walked over to his pack.

“Well, I’ve been carrying this for years,” Said Time, walking towards Riju with a bundle of items wrapped in a cloth, “they once belonged to a friend of mine, I believe she wouldn’t object to you having these.”

Time handed the bundle to Riju, who placed it on the floor and unwrapped the bundle, her eyes going wide at the sight of two beautiful looking scimitars, each with the name Nabooru inscribed onto the blade. The second part of the bundle was a mirror shield with the Gerudo symbol inscribed onto the mirror part of the shield.

Riju looked up at Time, who smiled and said, “May the old pass to the new.”

Riju leapt to her feet and grabbed Time in a strong hug, before taking the swords and shield to Buliara, who still seemed to be in shock of Time beating her. Riju showed Buliara the arms, making her jaw drop open, before she slowly turned her head to look at Time.

“Got everything?” Asked Time, looking at his group. Twilight nodded and the rest of the group got to their feet.

“Where are we going? I could navigate!” Said Linkle, making everyone wince. Time only laughed.

Before Wild could depart, he heard a Gerudo say something to their friend, “Just imagine having his children.”

Warrior laughed, making them look at him, “I wouldn’t try it, he’s a married man and is very loyal to his wife.”

The Gerudo pulled a ‘fair-enough’ face, before she turned to her friend again. Wild felt a hand on his shoulder.

Wild looked up and saw Buliara, who was frowning, “You could’ve warned us that we were going to fight the Hero of Time.”

“Would you have believed me?” Asked Wild, looking up at the Gerudo.

“Fair point.” Said Buliara, before giving Wild a small shove, “Your party is leaving you behind.”

Wild spun around and quickly took off after them, shouting about how they could’ve told him they were leaving.

Riju was quiet, before Buliara looked down at her, “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”

“Ducking under a blade and kicking someone in the crotch is not a viable battle practice.” Said Buliara, “But no, you’re not in trouble. In fact, I think it’s time you learnt how to fight properly.”

Riju suddenly grinned, clutching the bundle closer to her chest.

The party of Heroes stopped for a rest at Outskirt Stable, Time having made them walk to the Stable after the Gerudo Stable, Warriors thought that Time was cradling his wounded pride.

Time took a deep breath in, looking down at the Stable from the cliff behind it, as a familiar presence appeared behind him.

“You know, kid,” Said Nabooru, the ghostly flames surrounding her, “if I knew you were that easy to take down, I would’ve tried it myself.”

Time snorted, making the Spirit grin, before she exhaled.

“It happens soon, doesn’t it?” Nabooru questioned.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Retorted Time, his hand folding together behind his back.

“You and I both know that is a lie, Link.” Said Nabooru, “You have gazed into the darkness of time and worlds, you saw your own future, your own past, all the times you could’ve died, and all the timelines created from them. You know when you’re going to die, and die properly, not get saved at the last minute by a fairy or have just enough red potion to survive the battle. You have a literal God residing within you, a massive dick, both figuratively and literally, but someone who would never cause permanent damage. You knew, that when you started this mission it would be one of your last. I can only tell because I’m a sage. Zelda knew, but given how she’s been acting as of recent, I’m not sure she would care.”

“She does,” Said Time, looking down at the stable, “She can’t show how concerned she is due to her position, her father’s death is still fresh with her and the splintering of the Gerudo, one side that wishes war, is causing peace problems and the council is trying to hinder her at every turn.”

Nabooru was silent, before saying, “It’s okay, to admit when you’re afraid, Link. No one will judge you for it.”

Time was quiet, “I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of the children I will leave behind. I’m afraid of my wife, who is hoping to see me home. I’m afraid of how Ganondorf will take the news that one of his greatest obstacles is gone.”

Nabooru pulled a strange frowning face, “Well, that went deep awfully quickly.”

Time smiled, before looking at Nabooru, “Don’t you have some guards to annoy?”

“Thanks for reminding me.” Said Nabooru, before she vanished into thin air.

Time sighed, as he looked down upon his future as they slept, before he too walked down and took a rest, as their journey, while a bit long lasting, would not end soon.

A/N: Should I add a keep reading link to this?

[ladyherenya]

Books read in October

Twenty novels (including two audiobooks), three graphic novels, one novella and two rereads: more books than are pictured above. I can’t remember the last time I read so much in a month. Maybe when I was high school?

It was a combination of factors: Rainbow Rowell’s latest books became available at the library, I realised that Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells books are murder mysteries, and I made the very exciting discovery that I could get Ellen Emerson White’s previously-out-of-print novels as ebooks.

Favourite cover: Life Without Friends.

Reread: Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher, Hold Me by Courtney Milan (and then The Road Home).

Still reading: Mapping Winter by Marta Randall and When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll.

Next up: Warrior of the Altaii by Robert Jordan.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also Dreamwidth.)

The Princess Who Flew with Dragons by Stephanie Burgis: Princess Sofia is unimpressed when her sister’s latest plans involve sending Sofia on a diplomatic mission to Villenne. Sofia wants to stay in her room and read, not remind everyone that she struggles to be a perfect princess. But in Villenne she discovers unexpected opportunities to attend lectures and make friends. And when calamity strikes, it’s up to her to save the day. A solid adventure about friendship and what it means to be a princess, a philosopher and a person all at once. It’s the sort of book I’d like to send back in time to my twelve-year-old self.

The “Uncommon Echoes” trilogy by Sharon Shinn: Set in a world where many of the nobility have “echoes” -- identical copies who follow them, more substantial than shadows but not capable of speech or independent action. Or so people believe. Begins with Echo in Onyx.

Echo in Emerald: After a story about an ordinary woman pretending to be an echo, here is a woman pretending her echoes are ordinary people. Chessie has the ability to shift her consciousness between herself and her two echoes, enough to give the impression that they are three different people with different personalities and jobs. Usually she keeps to the lower classes, but one day she’s asked to deliver a message to a noble who is investigating a recent murder.(Another inversion, another case of themes and variations, as the first book is about trying to conceal a murder.)This builds upon the first book, deepening our understanding of the political context and of echoes. Chessie’s experience of identity is fascinating.

Echo in Amethyst: A story about echo who slowly gains sentience and independence from her original is a good idea in theory, a logical progression for this trilogy. But it turned out to be a massive misstep. The echo belongs to a woman who is abusive towards her echoes and rude towards nearly everyone else. The echo spends a long time incapable of being anything other than a passive observer of unpleasant people. I skimmed bits and seriously considered abandoning this. Not recommended -- but the first two books standalone sufficiently that you could read just those without this series feeling naggingly incomplete.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks: Super cute! All through high school Josiah and Deja have worked together at the pumpkin patch every September and October. Tonight is their last shift. Deja is determined that Josiah is finally going to speak to the girl he likes. Nothing goes to plan. This is a story about changes, chances and choices. It’s also a love letter to everything Josiah and Deja love about the pumpkin patch -- which includes their relationship. I really liked the characters, and the artwork does such a wonderful job of bringing them, and this place, to life.

The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan (narrated by Jayne Entwistle): Unexpectedly entertaining, a cosy mystery full of excitement, danger and character growth, set against the backdrop of the London Blitz. Mrs Braithwaite, divorced and deposed from her position as head of the village Women’s Voluntary Service, tries to find her missing adult daughter. Mrs Braithwaite is a very forceful personality. I really liked that she is not only challenged to reevaluate her attitudes, she discovers that qualities like bossiness and tenacity can be great strengths. Large, loud and assertive middle-aged women are so often been relegated to irritating or comedic minor characters, rather than getting to be protagonists.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson: Isobel has spent years painting portraits of the fair folk. She knows to speak courteously, make bargains carefully, and avoid jeopardising her family’s safety. And then she meets the prince of the autumn court. I have mixed feelings. I really liked Isobel, with her practical streak and her passion for painting, and liked the way she describes her experiences. The people she’s closest to are quickly established as interesting, complex and individual. However, this story leans heavily into a portrayal of the fair folk which I don’t find very appealing. A matter of personal taste rather than quality.

Artistic License by Elle Pierson (aka Lucy Parker): I wasn’t sure what to expect from an early self-published novel about an art student and a security guard in New Zealand, especially as the London theatre world is a big part of why Parker’s other books appeal to me. But Queenstown is such a scenic setting and the characters immediately felt like the sort of people Parker writes about. I particularly enjoyed Sophy’s internal dialogue, and how she and Mick become very protective of each other. They’re so mutually caring! In hindsight, this book could have been stronger... but I liked the characters and their interactions. Sometimes that’s enough.

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay: A story about cross-age friendship and forgiveness, about three different women working together in a bookshop. Madeline, a lawyer, has inherited the bookshop from her aunt. Janet is angry and has an ex husband, adult children who rarely speak to her and old friends she wants to avoid. In the middle is Claire, aware of the shop’s precarious finances and trying to juggle work with motherhood. I’d nearly finished this when I realised it’s classified as “Christian fiction”. I really liked how it is about forgiveness and messy, complicated relationships. Not a perfect book, but it surprised me.

The “Heather Wells Mysteries” by Meg Cabot:

Size 12 Is Not Fat: I discovered that this series isn’t just chick lit, it’s murder mystery chick lit about a former pop singer now working as an assistant director for a college dorm. (Talk about misleading covers!) When a student is found dead, Heather is convinced that it wasn’t an accident but murder. At times Heather reminded me of Mia from The Princess Diaries, which I found fascinating and frustrating (some attitudes are more understandable coming from a teenager than from a woman approaching thirty). Anyway, Heather is kind and humorous, I liked the setting, and the mystery had enough twists to satisfy me.

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either: More of the same, except that this time when a student turns up dead, it’s obvious to everyone that she has been murdered. Instead of trying to convince everyone of the need for a murder investigation, Heather is trying -- unsuccessfully -- not to get involved in it. I like how supportive Heather’s friends and colleagues are. Her father has been absent (in jail), her mother and her manager ran off with Heather’s money, and her long term boyfriend was unfaithful, but she’s still got people in her life who care and who are there for her. And I did enjoy some of her song lyrics.

Size Doesn’t Matter (US title: Big Boned): I was relieved that this time round the murder victim is not another female student. Yes, murder is horrible regardless, but there can be something particularly unpleasant if a story keeps only killing young women. I definitely don’t want murder mysteries to be all grim and bleak, but I prefer it when murder mysteries aren’t this light-hearted. This isn’t a criticism, just a realisation about my personal taste. I kept reading to see some resolution in Heather’s love life. (I know, priorities). I’ve no idea the woman on the cover is wearing a wedding dress. Marketing is weird.

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell: Simon, Baz and Penelope set off on a roadtrip across America to see Agatha, who Penelope is convinced is in trouble. Rowell is so good making me care about her characters and their relationships. I liked how this is a journey of discovery -- exploring a new country, finding out things about the world they live in and learning more about themselves. I enjoyed reading this but wasn’t so enthusiastic about the final act (it becomes a story about vampires) or the conclusion (busy setting up for a sequel, it leaves emotional arcs unresolved). Expectations and personal preferences, I guess.

Life Without Friends by Ellen Emerson White: I was so excited when I discovered that this had been released as an ebook. A decade of wanting to read something may be an unfair amount of pressure to put on any book, especially on a teen novel from 1987, but I was not disappointed. White is so good at writing smart, acerbic teenage girls dealing with trauma and intense emotions, like guilt and grief. And Beverly’s relationship with Derek is so believably awkward and tentative and hopeful -- two people with their own flaws and fears making the effort to get to know each other. It’s, like, everything I want from teen romance.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers: A team from the 22nd century explore four habitable worlds in orbit around a red dwarf star. It’s a fascinating glimpse into what the future might be like -- what space travel and other worlds might be like -- and a thought-provoking meditation about space, science and life. When it comes to the characters, there’s something quite elliptical about it -- which is fitting, given that Ariadne is writing this account for a specific purpose. It left me feeling unsatisfied, but I think that’s because there are particular things I’m looking for and this novella intentionally -- and effectively -- focuses on something else.

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss (narrated by Kate Reading): The Athena Club return to London from one extraordinary adventure and are plunged into another. Their teenaged kitchen maid Alice has been kidnapped, Sherlock Holmes is missing and there is a plot afoot to impersonate the queen. This story has adventure, teamwork, mystery, unexpected twists, more cameos by characters from popular Victorian fiction, and commentary on late Victorian concerns (like empire and eugenics). My favourite part was the Athena Club's interactions when they interrupt the narrative to discuss their lives together, highlight what they think is important or argue about what Catherine included. They’re a team, a household, a family.

All Emergencies, Ring Super by Ellen Emerson White: A teenager asks Dana, a former actress working as a building superintendent, to investigate a building fire. This was curiously lacking in tension --- until things became intensely personal. By the end, I was seriously disappointed that there isn’t a whole series about Dana solving mysteries. I like that Dana investigates by doing research at the library, making use of her acting abilities and enlisting support from friends. Her friendships are one of the highlights -- smart, difficult people who are honest with each other is an interesting dynamic. And the way White writes about the aftermath of trauma is compelling and thoughtful.

The “Echo Company” series by Ellen Emerson White: I read all five books in two days. They’re fast-paced and some aren’t particularly long -- they were published by Scholastic in the early 90s -- but that is only part of why I read them so quickly. They are compelling and unexpectedly fascinating.

Welcome to Vietnam: Eighteen year old Michael Jennings is conscripted to fight in Vietnam -- and I really wanted to see him to find his feet, make friends and survive. I can relate to how much he cares about his dog, and his sense of humour makes him an entertaining character to spend time with, even though he’s been thrown into a terrible, terrifying situation. Even knowing what wars can be like, I was still surprised by conditions the soldiers faced. I was also surprised by how interesting I found it all. It left me thinking about a lot.

Hill 568: Michael has made some friends (and some enemies), he’s grown accustomed to some of the realities of life on the frontlines in Vietnam, and he takes on more responsibility. White’s characters are lively and, in spite of the situations they’re in, often humorous. That humour is a huge part of why this is an engaging story, like an antidote to the horrors of war, but it also serves to emphasise that all those horrible things are happening to a bunch of ordinary young men barely out of school. This book made me laugh, and made me worry about the characters.

‘Tis the Season:  Twenty-one year old Lieutenant Rebecca Phillips is a nurse working in the ER of an evacuation hospital in Vietnam. Although already dealing with grief and difficult family relationships and a nightmarish workplace, she’s a bright, upbeat person who goes out of her way to entertain others. Self-appointed “Court Jester”. During the Christmas ceasefire she goes out on a medical helicopter -- and everything goes to hell. There are more medical details than I, a squeamish person, really prefer, but once I got to know Rebecca -- and also once her circumstances became tense and terrifying -- I was very, very invested.

Stand Down: This has some tense moments, but otherwise feels a bit lighter -- a welcome change of pace after everything the characters have been through. Michael spends a lot of time moping over correspondence (or lack thereof) from a nurse he’s met once -- but in context, that’s very understandable. He so desperately needs something positive and hopeful to focus on. I like that Michael’s and Rebecca’s initial interactions aren’t easy, because that feels realistic in the circumstances, and because it’s a positive sign that they’re able to get through awkward conversations; it sets them up to be honest with each other.

The Road Home: I stayed up stupidly late reading this, on a school night too. White is so good at writing about dealing with the aftermath of trauma, and about smart, difficult people making an effort to build relationships -- friendships as well as romances. This follows Rebecca’s final six months serving as a nurse in Vietnam, and the months afterwards. It’s about the things that get her through the war (letters, friendships, alcohol) and the difficulties of adjusting to life back home. I love how this book deals realistically but hopefully with so many things. I have a lot of feelings and favourite passages.

Applied Electromagnetism by Susannah Nix: Two colleagues who travel interstate to do a job with a deadline find themselves under extra pressure due to complications of bad weather. I liked all the references to Olivia and Adam’s nerdy interests, and I thought the discussions of Olivia’s ADHD and her experiences as a woman in STEM were interesting. Otherwise nothing jumped out at me as deserving of criticism or praise, it was all just okay. Less humorous than I expected from something book described as “romantic comedy”, but that was okay. (And maybe someone else would find it funny, humour is such a your-mileage-may-vary thing.)

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill: I love the concept of tea dragons and a tea dragon society. And the dragons are really cute! But the way people’s expressions are drawn in this graphic novel didn’t quite appeal to me and I think that coloured how I felt about the book as a whole. And it’s not a very long story, so it doesn’t have so many opportunities to win over a reader who isn’t enamoured with the illustrations. I’m sorry, book, I’m sure there are other readers out there who will appreciate you!

Runaways: That Was Yesterday (volume 3) by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka with Matthew Wilson: Follows on from Find Your Way Home and Best Friends Forever and involves the reappearance of someone from the Runaways’ past, the appearance of children of old enemies and Christmas. I read three volumes of the original Runaways comics last year -- and this volume really left me feeling like maybe I’d appreciate it more if I’d read those more recently or else if I’d read more of them. Or maybe it was just that it focused a lot on a character I don’t like as much? But, I still liked it. I definitely would like to read more.

[softupshur]

The Lord Rejoices: Chapter 17

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Ao3 link if you’re into that kind of thing

~Updates every Sunday~

During Temple Gate’s founding years, Marta nears womanhood and wonders of God’s plan for her.

*This chapter goes out to my friend, @billy-hoepe! She knows exactly why.*

Chapter 17:

For the first time in weeks, Marta didn’t hear her name amidst whispers when she journeyed into town. Instead they spoke of Otis as they made their way to the chapel.

All dressed head to toe in black. Women dabbed tears from the corners of their eyes while the men shook their heads and muttered “what a shame” as they walked through the entranceway. They whispered curses towards Otis and blessings to each other.

Knoth matched their melancholy in his darkest and plainest robes. He stood beside a tiny coffin, not much larger than a newborn’s cradle. The fetus lay nestled in the cushions lining the wooden box.

On the other side, Otis sat on his knees, chained and gagged with a cloth. His head hung low to avoid the testament’s unwavering glares and muttered curses. Only occasionally he glanced up at Paige and Seth sitting in the front pew. If he stared too long, Knoth would shoot a glare that made him look back down.

Marta sat in one of the pews furthest back, near Otis’s parents. They whispered accusations at each other until Knoth asked that the congregation rise for the opening hymnal.

The people sang more quietly than usual, struggling through their tears. They muttered their amens as Knoth recited the opening rites until reaching the invocation.

“Our Loving, Eternal, Heavenly Father, as we meet this morning to grieve this fallen child, we ask You to be to us the God of all comfort, and the God of all grace. Give us perspective as we face the reality of death, to grow in our knowing of the truths of life. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

“Amen.”

“Children…” Knoth’s voice lacked its usual booming quality. “There is no greater tragedy than one taken before their time. Especially when that life is one of our own. Today, we are gathered here so that we may see this child off to Paradise everlasting, where it may enter God’s embrace.”

One of the women in the crowd cried. Knoth stepped down to meet her. Though her husband sat beside her, Knoth took her hands. “But weep not for this child. For there is no grief in guaranteed entrance to Heaven. Our tears are shed out of our own loss and self-pity, but take comfort in knowing that this child shall know no pain. Let us exalt our Lord and His awesome mercy. May we all aspire to be welcomed into His kingdom as this little child, whose faith is most perfect.” He released the woman then and returned to the pulpit.

“I now ask that the mother come forward with a eulogy she has prepared.” He stepped aside for Paige to take her place before the congregation.

She cleared her throat before speaking. “I come before you today with a heavy heart.” A sob escaped her, though a black veil hid her face. “For I have been robbed a woman’s greatest honor. I entered marriage in the hopes of bearing my husband many fine children. That is what makes this all the harder to endure.” She seemed to fight back tears. “I weep for the child I should have born and seen grow among my people. Some nights I plead with God for understanding of why I must go through this trial, but I know I must trust in Him that all is according to His grand design. Now is the time that I must hold to my faith and carry on, as we all must, no matter how hard. I only ask that you keep me and my husband in your prayers during this difficult time.”

Murmurs erupted in the crowd as Paige took her seat.

Knoth, however, smiled as he spoke above them. “Now, children, she’s right. For none is so in need of prayer as the lamb led astray.” He placed a hand on Otis’s head, gripping a handful of hair when he tried to wriggle from his hold. “For the demon of envy has planted itself inside him and blackened his heart. Such is what drove him to commit the greatest sin of all in the night. That which is punishable by the pit!” He paused as the testament muttered in agreement. “But I believe he can be saved yet! For Satan has infected his soul, but if the demon can be purged...perhaps God’s light can reach him. For God turned none away who sought him, neither whore nor murderer nor rapist, and we must strive to be like Him! So pray for this wayward soul! May we prove through him that there is no opposition that cannot be overcome in the Lord’s good graces!”

As the crowd cheered, Knoth knelt down to speak on Otis’s level. “Your redemption begins now, my child. Lead us in prayer for this life you have stolen,” he said before he removed the cloth.

Rather than speak, Otis spat in Knoth’s face. He glared, even when Knoth went red.

When Knoth raised his hand to smack him, Seth cried out. He escaped Paige’s hold to run between them. He punched and kicked at Knoth, face red with fury. “Stop it! Otis din’t do nothin’!”

Knoth snatched one of Seth’s wrists to stop an incoming punch.

“Let go! That hurts!” Seth attempted to wring free, but Knoth tightened his hold.

When he didn’t let go, Seth bit down, Knoth threw him aside with enough force to send him reeling. He crashed into the pulpit with a loud thump as Knoth observed the beads of blood on his hand.

“Seth, that’s enough!” Otis snapped. “Sit back down!”

But Seth shot back up and ran towards Knoth. He ran as fast as he could with balled fists, but before he could strike again, strong arms scooped him up.

Upon looking up, Otis saw his own father glaring him down. Seth thrashed uselessly in his hold and his cries went unanswered.

“Dad, please…” Otis’s eyes watered.

But he shook his head as he walked off with Seth in tow.

Tears streamed down Otis’s cheeks as he watched his father’s back. Seth never stopped kicking and flailing.

“Now, now, there’s no need to cry.” Knoth came down to Otis’s level and wiped his tears with the ends of his sleeves. When Otis tried to look away, Knoth roughly grabbed his chin, though he maintained his kind tone. “Salvation is nothing to fear. I’m here to help if you would just let me. For there are times when God must chastise His children in order to correct them on the path of righteousness. The road may be trying, but the rewards shall be great. I only need you to accept my guiding hand and you shall know salvation.”

“Whatever you say,” Otis barely spoke above a whisper.

“Can you speak a little louder? I couldn’t hear you.”

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Otis replied, “Yes, Papa…”

“Good. Now, I ask again that you lead us in prayer for this life you’ve slain.”

Otis bowed his head. “Our Father who art in Heaven, I ask that you welcome this life into Your Kingdom. For it is returned to You pure and without sin. I only ask that You forgive me of my own. Amen.”

“Amen.”

When the service ended, most people departed, but Marta remained.

At first Marta pretended not to notice Paige, but she eventually came too close to avoid a greeting. “Good day, Paige.”

“Good day, Marta.” She had removed her veil, showing dry eyes. “May I have a word with you?”

“Certainly,” Marta replied, though her heart skipped a beat.

They went to an empty side yard. Paige spoke first. “You know this is wrong.”

“So is lying.”

“That doesn’t give Knoth the right to treat him like that!” Paige’s hands clenched into little fists.

“Then you should come forward with the truth. Nothing is stopping you and it shall set your conscience at ease.”

“But at what cost?” Paige challenged. “You and I both know I would suffer doubly at Knoth’s hands.”

Marta sighed heavily. “Nonetheless, Otis made his choice and must face the consequences.”

“Not like this.” Paige continued after a pause, “I don’t want to ask anything that would get you in trouble too. I only go to you because I know that you can help him better than I could.”

Marta shook her head. “I’m sorry, but it is out of my hands now.”

“No, it isn’t.” Paige’s jaw clenched. “How can you say that before you’ve even tried?”

“Because this is not my sin to answer for.”

“But you’re the reason he’s in there! The moment you told, you made yourself as much a part of this as us. Whether you like it or not, you’re responsible and you should do something about it. If you could just talk to Knoth, even if only to treat Otis a little kinder…”

“You speak as if I control the prophet’s thoughts.”

“Then forget the prophet!”

Marta gasped, covering her mouth. “Paige, that…”

“Think not on the prophet, but what God would ask of you, without Knoth’s words in your mind.”

“But the prophet’s word is His word.”

Paige was quiet for a long time before speaking. “Then why are you acting the role of Joseph’s brothers who sold him to slavery and deprivation for their human pettiness?”

Marta tensed, her shoulders hunched. “You forget that it was in deprivation that Joseph’s faith was most pure.” She stormed off before Paige could respond.

[kyberled]

SEND AN FC AND I’LL MAKE A CHARACTER FOR THEM! || ACCEPTING

@cosmicnexus​ asked:​

 Faceclaim for an NPC meme: Angela Bassett?

Name: Chiia Sodi

Age: 60

Gender: Female (She/Her/Hers)

Species: Human

Orientation: Demisexual demiromantic 

Place of Birth: 13-13, Galactic City, Coruscant

Current Residence: 10-12, Galactic City, Coruscant

Occupation: Librarian, slicer/hacker-for-hire

Family: Therese Sodi (Nee Val, Mother), Koka Sodi (Father), Dala Sodi (Younger sister), Marta Sodi (Younger brother)

Romantic partner(s): Lo Derra (boyfriend); Hooper de Carne (husband, deceased)  

Likes: A good book, spiced caf, fluffy textures, animals, proper organization, watching podracing, working with tech, good slippers, a comfy chair, a private work space, blue or cyan nail polish, sour gummies, noise-cancelling headphones, challenges and things to work on, shopping or spa trips with her friends. 

Dislikes: Rain, the city air, fried food, people with poor online security, spoilers, people reading over her shoulder, high heels (they hurt her feet), people who return ‘pads late or to the wrong parts of the library, earbuds (they fall out too much for her). 

Fears: Walking alone, dianogas in the plumbing, the war coming to Coruscant, low-flying speeders, mutant rats. 

Biography: Chiia is a fairly normal person, she thinks. She’s not wealthy (she wouldn’t live in the middle levels if she was), she’s not too impoverished (again, she wouldn’t live in the middle), she doesn’t have the Force. She’s just her, and she’s happy with that. She was born in a fairly normal state of affairs. A fairly normal hospital, fairly normal med droids, and fairly normal parents. When she was two, her little sister was born in much the same normal way. When Chiia was seven, her little brother was born. It wasn’t always a perfect life - Therese’s work as a seamstress could be stressful, Koka worked late at factories, and the siblings, though they loved each other, would sometimes get in spats - it was happy. The kids were loved. The kids were safe. The kids were happy. It was enough. 

Chiia was one of those well-off enough to get an education, which she didn’t take for granted. As a mid-leveller, she wasn’t poor, but she wasn’t too far above them, either. It wasn’t hard to peer over the edge and see the ever-thickening smog. The wail of sirens from below was a near-constant. She knew how fortunate she was to live as she did. She would often meet up at friends’ houses to study, but her favourite place was the library. She’d always liked reading, and the datapads there? Free! All of them! It was amazing! She loved it. She and her friends would go there, too. The librarians were nice, and they were fine leaving the kids to their work as long as they were quiet and didn’t break anything. The kids were happy to be left alone, and didn’t want to break anything. This was one of their favourite places. Again, Chiia loved her siblings, but sometimes you need time for yourself. 

She also liked the library because it had free terminals. Anything that wasn’t on a datapad, she could search up. It really was limitless. Or, she thought it was. Then she came across something she would never enjoy: Cover-ups. Those bothered her a lot. It was a chance happening, really. She was looking into a disaster happening real-time (there are a lot of those), and then… There was nothing. Just nothing. A wall. So she went back to try and retrace her steps. She must have gone wrong somewhere, right? Mistyped a search term? Clicked the wrong link? Something must have happened. But then the page she went back to wasn’t there anymore, either. 

It wasn’t every page. That made it even more confusing for her. Why not all of them? Why only some? Somebody had to be choosing them. It wasn’t just a virus. It was intentional. Why? What were they trying to hide? And who was doing the hiding? 

It piqued her curiosity. Chiia was always a curious girl. She was also very-- Well, some people said stubborn. She said persistent. She didn’t like giving up. And - frankly - why should she? If they didn’t want her to know, they shouldn’t have been so obvious. It’s their fault. 

She studied the datapads she could find. Not on her previous topic - on slicing. It was just legitimate texts at first. Coding, better ways to navigate cyberspace, that sort of thing. She was behaving. And then she went deeper. How to break codes. How to change them. How to make them do what they wanted. How to find other peoples’ codes. How to make THOSE codes do what she wanted. It was fun. It was empowering. For someone who grew up in her area, power was rare. 

She tried not to abuse it, at first. She didn’t want to get caught. Getting caught was a good way to get in trouble, and she didn’t want any trouble. She was a kid, not stupid. But the temptation was there. And the things she could learn… That was an impossible amount of information behind countless walls. She was just going to chip them all away, one at a time. The idea that it was forbidden was even better.

She had a lot of things to practice on. Eventually, the library’s equipment didn’t suit her taste, so she started saving. Allowance, birthday money, credits she picked off of the street. Eventually, she got a job. Surprising nobody, it was at the library. It didn’t pay the best, but it paid, and let her have more access to even more information. Plus, she knew the librarian already. It was an easy interview. 

Word spread.

She doesn’t know how, but word spread. It was small, at first, as most things are. Classmates would ask her to change their grades. (She refused. … Mostly. She might have given in once or twice. She’ll deny it if you ask.) Her siblings would ask her to get them fake IDs. (That, she definitely said no to. You have to make your own, just like everyone else, and get thrown out, just like everyone else.) Some people said she’d get in trouble, and she did, eventually. It just took time. Time, and pressure.

Coruscant is cruel. It’s a massive city that will devour you whole. It doesn’t care who you are. It doesn’t care how hard you work. It doesn’t care if you have a family. It doesn’t care if you have three children who need you.

It just doesn’t care.

Neither did their landlord. 

An extortionist by trade, Tili Farnth saw his tenants as a means to an end. That end was his living on the surface levels, reclining by some expensive pool with droids puttering around to do his bidding. A great end. The best end. He was also rather impatient. He wanted credits and he wanted them now. He didn’t care what you had to do to get them to him. He just wanted them. 

So he raised the rent. And he raised it again. And again. The regulations on Coruscant were… Well, there aren't any regulations. Things just happened. And the things that happened threatened to have her family out on the streets. You can see why Chiia didn’t want that happening. So she found a few back doors, a few places to sneak in. 

She bankrupted Tili.

As you can imagine, this backfired. He found out quick. He got mad quicker. Like all slumlords, he wasn’t exactly focused on proper justice. It took a while to figure out who took his credits. The bank was working on it too. What, losing money? On their watch? Not possible. Not acceptable. They had a reputation at stake. They had clients at stake.

They had an opportunity at stake.

Maybe it was fate that intervened for her that day. Maybe it was something else. All she knew is, she probably should have died. Tili’s thugs (the ones who would still listen to him when he couldn’t pay them right away) had found her. She’d tried running, but there’s only so many places to go, and she was a teenager. Not one of the most athletic ones, either. And Tili was mad. And he wanted her gone. And then Tili and his goons got shot. 

She’d seen people get shot before.

She’d just never seen it up close. It wasn’t like the holovids or the stories. There was no slow-mo sequence. No dramatic speech. No swell of music. 

Just a shot.

A gasp.

A thud.

And Tili was dead.

It wasn’t that she was sad about it. She never liked Tili, and frankly, better him than her. It was just… He was dead. He was really, really dead. And his goons seemed primed to follow when the Banking Clan representatives showed up. And if they killed him, they’d kill her too, right?

Wrong.

She got a job offer. They wanted to know how she got into their records. They wanted to know how she navigated the accounts so well. They wanted to  know how she got all the credits out. And they wanted her to make sure nobody else could ever do what she did again. And if she did that for them and told nobody about it, they’d let her live. 

Seemed like a fair deal to her. 

It wasn’t a great paying job by any means, but she knew better than to push her luck. She got off easy. And you know what? She had fun. The Banking Clan had nigh unlimited resources, and all sorts of technology for her to play around with. Well, she couldn’t play too much - they already weren’t happy with her. But she could have a bit of fun. This is also where she met her first husband. At the time, of course, they didn’t know they were going to be married. Life is rarely that simple, especially for people like them. She was on her lunch break. Hooper was working as hired muscle for people who were looking for a loan. She was sitting on the steps to read, enjoying a nice afternoon. He’d been told to wait outside. He approached her and asked what she was reading. She was a bit irked at first, but told him; he responded by showing her the same book on his datapad. He mentioned he was on the fourteenth chapter, and promised not to spoil anything when she said she’d only just started. They spent the rest of the time they had together alternating between idle conversation and chatting, and just sitting beside each other to read. It was nice. She offered him her personal contact information, so they could discuss the book when they were both finished. He accepted, and they ended up forming a two-person book club together. Whoever finished the book first got to pick the next one, and they’d talk about what they liked and didn’t like from certain chapters or even finished books fairly regularly. They met in person with growing frequency, and the book club gradually turned into a relationship. When Chiia was finally released from service by the Banking Clan, she was sworn to secrecy on threat of death, and she agreed. (She got mixed messages, as they also implied they might hire her for jobs in the future. Whatever.) 

She got her own apartment back on Coruscant, spent time with her family and friends, and kept a relationship with Hooper. Eventually, she and Hooper moved in together. After that, they got married. They were happy. They didn’t have any kids - they didn’t want any. They had a few pets here and there over the years, and loved all of them. Chiia found her way back to the library she loved for so long, and got a job there. It was nice. It didn’t pay a lot, but she got more than enough credits from her side gig of private slicing. The library work was a labor of love.

Of course, things weren’t always great. Nothing in life is perfect. 

When Chiia was 55, Hooper died. He’d been out on a job - still muscle, even in his later years - and things went bad fast. The pilot that had been hired for the job wasn’t as good as they thought - or at least, not as good as the pilot they were up against. Their ship was destroyed in space, and Hooper and the rest of the crew went along with it. Naturally, Chiia was distraught. She loved her husband. They’d built a life together. It had been so sudden. 

It hurt. 

They weren’t young, but they weren’t old, either. They were supposed to live the rest of their years together. That didn’t happen. She took some time off from slicing, but didn’t take time off from the library. The stories were her comfort again. Filing things properly gave her an order in the chaos she felt trapped in. She eventually put herself in therapy. It kind of helped. She found a support group for widows and widowers. She made friends who understood, and put together a book club. Sometimes they’d go out and get caf together, and she introduced them to her non-support group friends. They ended up almost filling up some of the smaller caf stores when they all got together after that. It still took a while for her to heal from the loss, but at least she wasn’t alone. 

She met Lo at the support group, too. He’d lost his wife only a few months before Chiia lost Hooper. Lo was a droid mechanic, and knew a bit about coding, but would be the first to admit that Chiia could program him under the table. The two of them became friends, and after a few years, decided they were ready to try a relationship again.

It’s going well, so far. They have a museum date coming up next week, and Chiia is pretty excited for it. Wish her luck!

Quote(s): “Oh no, they’re in the mainframe! … Just kidding. Nobody actually says that.” “Can I help you find anything? Books or otherwise?” “Please change your passwords. Please.”

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 075: MEXICO]

There’s a masterlist below compiled of over 580+ Mexican faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever character or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Beatriz Aguirre (1926) Mexican - actress.

Luz María Aguilar (1935) Mexican - actress.

Jacqueline Andere (1936) Mexican - actress.

Susan Kohner (1936) Mexican [Roman Catholic, Czech Jewish] - actress.

Joan Baez (1941) Mexican / English - musician and activist.

Norma Mora (1943) Mexican [Unspecified Arab, Jewish, Irish] - actress.

Susana Alexander (1943) Mexican [German Jewish] - actress, hostess, producer, director, and dancer.

Victoria Wyndham (1945) Mexican / Unknown - actress.

Linda Ronstadt (1946) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other], German, English, Italian / English, German, Dutch - singer and actress.

Liliana Abud (1948) Mexican [Lebanese] - actress and screenwriter.

Olivia Harrison (1948) Mexican (including Spanish, Unspecified Indigenous, more distant African) - author and producer.

Belita Moreno (1949) Mexican - actress.

Rosanna DeSoto (1950) Mexican - actress.

Lynda Carter (1951) Mexican/Spanish-Mexican / English, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish - actress and musician.

Olga Breeskin (1951) Mexican - violinist, dancer and actress.

Lyn May (1952) Mexican [Chinese, Japanese, possibly other] - actress, vedette, and dancer.

Rosa Gloria Chagoyán (1953) Mexican [Armenian] - actress and singer.

Catherine Bach (1954) Mexican - actress.

Jesusa Rodríguez (1955) Mexican - actress, director, and writer.

Amparo Rubín (1955) Mexican [Jewish, possibly other] - singer.

Ana Gabriel (1955) Mexican [Chinese] - singer-songwriter.

Gina Gallego (1955) Mexican - actress.

Janet Arceo (1955) Mexican - actress, TV presenter, announcer, director and businesswoman

Sheila Escovedo / Sheila E (1957) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] / Creole [African, French, distant English] - drummer, singer-songwriter, actress, and author.

Astrid Hadad (1957) Mexican [Lebanese] - actress and performing artist.

Apollonia Kotero (1959) Mexican, possibly some German Jewish - actress, singer, model, and talent manager.

Lisa Mary Moretti / Ivory (1961) Italian, Mexican/ Swedish, German, Irish - professional wrestler.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1961) Ashkenazi Jewish, German, Mexican, English, French, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish - actress, comedian, and producer.

Michele Greene (1962) Irish / Mexican, Nicaraguan - actress, musician, and author.  

Carmen Amezcua (1962) Mexican - former actress and novelist.

Laura Harring (1964) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] / Austrian, German - actress and model.

Yareli Arizmendi (1964) Mexican - actor, writer, and director.

Laura Cerón (1964) Mexican - actress.

Rebecca de Alba (1964) Mexican - presenter and model.

Jackie Guerra (1965) Mexican - actress.

Alejandra Bogue (1965) Mexican [English, possibly other] - actress, comedian, tv host, and producer. - Trans!

Alex Meneses (1965) Mexican / Ukrainian, possibly some Polish - actress and model.

Michelle Forbes (1965) Mexican, English, possibly other - actress.

Constance Marie (1965) Mexican - actress.

Hope Sandoval (1966) Mexican - musician.

Marta Martin (1966) Mexican, possibly other / Unknown - actress.

Gabriella Hall (1966) Mexican - model and actress.

Suzette Quintanilla (1967) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish], Cherokee - actress and musician.

Mónica Dionne (1967) Mexican - actress.

Dacia Arcaráz (1967) Mexican - actress.

Lila Downs (1968) Mexican [Mixtec] / British - singer-songwriter and actress.

Vanessa Marcil (1968) Mexican / French, German, English, Italian, Portuguese - actress.

Lupita Jones (1968) Mexican, English, Basque - actress, director, and beauty queen.

Gloria Trevi (1968) Mexican [Spanish Jewish] - singer-songwriter and actress.

Susana Harp (1968) Mexican [Lebanese / Mixe] - singer.

Penélope Menchaca (1968) Mexican - television host, singer, and actress

Lucero Hogaza León / Lucero (1969) Mexican - musician.

Patricia Vonne (1969) Mexican - musician and actress.

Mayrín Villanueva (1970) Mexican - actress and model.

Julieta Venegas (1970) Mexican [French] - musician and producer.

Amairani (1970) Mexican - actress.

Ninel Conde (1970) Mexican - musician and actress.

Alix Bauer (1971) Mexican [German Jewish] - singer.

Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda / Thalía (1971) 15/16 Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish], 1/16 Italian - singer-songwriter and actress.

Paulina Rubio (1971) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish, possibly distant Italian, possibly other] - singer, actress, and model.

Bibi Gaytán (1972) Mexican - singer and actress.

Chantal Andere (1972) Mexican [Argentinian, Basque] - actress.

Úrsula Murayama (1972) Mexican [Japanese, possibly other] - actress.

Kate del Castillo (1972) Mexican - actress.

Marisol Nichols (1973) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] / Hungarian Jewish, Romanian Jewish, German Jewish - actress.

Delilah Vaniity Kotero / Vaniity (1973) Mexican [Purepecha] - porn actress and model. - Trans!

Jennifer Hanson (1973) Norwegian, German, Catalan, Mexican, Irish, possibly English - musician.

Oscar De La Hoya (1973) Mexican (including Spanish, Castilian, Unspecified Indigenous, and some African) - boxer.

María Fernanda Blázquez Gil / Fey (1973) Mexican [Argentinian] - singer.

Alpha Acosta (1973) Mexican - actress.

Anaís (1974) Mexican - actress.

Sandra Navarro Gillette / Gillette (1974) Mexican / Puerto Rican - musician.

Ara Celi (1974) Mexican - actress.

Adrienne Janic (1974) Mexican, Serbian - actress and television host.

Angélica Vale (1975) Venezuelan / Mexican, possibly other - actress, musician, and comedian.

Eva Longoria (1975) Mexican [Mayan, Unspecified African, Spanish] - actress, producer, and director.

Itatí Cantoral (1975) Mexican [Spanish, including Andalusian, possibly other], Chilean, French / Argentinian [Italian] - actress, singer, dancer, and producer.

Jaydy Michel (1975) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Unspecified African, Spanish, distant French] / English, Irish, Welsh, Norwegian, French - actress and model.

Alanna Ubach (1975) Mexican / Puerto Rican - actress and singer.

Sara Ramirez (1975) ¾ Mexican, ¼ Irish - actress and singer-songwriter.

Aracely Arámbula (1975) Mexican [French, Basque, possibly other] - actress, model, and singer.

Ruth Livier (1975) Mexican - actress.

Jaci Velasquez (1976) Mexican, Spanish, French, Scottish, Arab - actress and musician.

Vinessa Shaw (1976) Russian Jewish, Italian, German, Irish, English, Mexican, and Swedish - actress and model.

Mariana Seoane (1976) Argentinian / Cuban, Mexican - actress, model and singer.

Shar Jackson (1976) Mexican, Puerto Rican / African-American, Unspecified Native American (Unconfirmed) - actress and singer.

Natalia Livingston (1976) Mexican, Ashkenazi Jewish, Swiss, German / English, Irish, French - actress.

Jessica Mas (1976) Mexican, Puerto Rican - actress.

Iyari Limon (1976) Mexican - actress.

Alana de la Garza (1976) Mexican, Irish - actress.

Elsa Benítez (1977) Mexican - model and presenter.

Marisa Ramirez (1977) Mexican (five eighths), along with Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, German, possibly English, Irish, French, Unspecified Native American - actress.

Nancy Taira (1977) Mexican [Japanese] - actress.

Ana de la Reguera (1977) Mexican - actress.

Elizabeth Álvarez (1977) Mexican - actress.

Sophie Alexander (1978) Mexican [German Jewish, possibly other] - actress.

Vanessa Villela (1978) Mexican - actress.

Courtney Ford (1978) Mexican, English, Irish, possibly other - actress.

Kimberly McCullough (1978)  Mexican / Irish, possibly other - actress, television director, and dancer.

America Olivo (1978) Italian, Chilean, Mexican, Basque, Spanish / Belgian, Irish - actress, musician, and model.

Maya Jupiter (1978) Mexican [Mayan] / Turkish - rapper, songwriter, MC, and radio personality.

Eden Espinosa (1978) Mexican - actress.

Mandy Gonzalez (1978) Mexican / Jewish [of Polish and Romanian origin] - actress and musician.

Kandee Johnson (1978) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish], Danish, English, Irish, Swedish, remote French and Welsh, likely Scottish - youtuber.

Bibelot Mansur (1978) Mexican / Lebanese - actress.

Ana Serradilla (1978) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] - actress.

Alejandra Robles (1978) Afro Mexican - singer and dancer.

Aimee Garcia (1978) Mexican / Puerto Rican - actress.

Bárbara Mori (1978) Mexican [Japanese, Lebanese, Basque, Uruguayan] - actress, model, producer, and writer.

Elizabeth Gutiérrez (1979) Mexican - actress and model.

Melina Perez (1979) Mexican - model, actress, retired professional wrestler and valet.

Blanca Soto (1979) Mexican - actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder.

Cristela Alonzo (1979) Mexican - comedian, actress, writer and producer.

Laura Govan (1979) Mexican / African-American - television personality.

Angelique Cabral (1979) Mexican, Unspecified Native American / English, French - actress.

Jacqueline Bracamontes (1979) Mexican / Belgian/Flemish - actress and model.

Jessica Coch (1979) Mexican [Argentinian] - actress.

Nina Mercedez (1979) Mexican [Aztec, possibly other] / Italian, possibly other - model, dancer, producer, and former porn actress.

Sara Maldonado (1980) Mexican - actress.

Sachi Tamashiro (1980) Mexican / Japanese - actress.

Yoanna House (1980) Mexican / European - model and television host.

Lela Loren (1980) Mexican / European - actress.

Rosie Mercado (1980) Mexican - makeup artist, fashion designer and television personality.

Adriana Sage (1980) Afro Mexican - actress, model, and former porn actress.

Marisa Quinn (1980) Lipan Apache / Mexican - actress.

Claudia Álvarez (1981) Mexican - actress and model.

Alexis Bledel (1981) Argentinian [Danish, German] / Mexican [Scottish, English, Irish, Welsh, French] - actress and model.

Christina T / T Lopez (1981) Mexican - actress and musician.

Shawndey “Dey” Gomez (1981) Mexican, Arapaho, Yavapai Apache, Spanish - musician (Dey & Nite).

Tawnya “Nite” Gomez (1981) Mexican, Arapaho, Yavapai Apache, Spanish - musician (Dey & Nite) and actress.

Ericka Cruz (1981) Afro Mexican - beauty pageant titleholder.

Jessica Alba (1981) Mexican [Mayan, Sephardi Jewish, Spanish] / Danish, Welsh, German, English, Scottish, Irish, French - actress.

Miriam Rivera (1981) Mexican - tv personality, model, and porn actress.

Nicole Richie (1981) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish], African-American, Louisiana Creole [Unspecified African, French, English], possibly other - actress, tv personality, author, and fashion designer.

Bitsie Tulloch (1981) Mexican, English, Scottish, Spanish - actress.

Dafne Molina (1982) Mexican - designer, model and beauty pageant titleholder.

Natalia Cordova-Buckley (1982) Mexican - actress.

Anjelah Johnson (1982) Mexican / English, possibly other - her official website states she’s also Unspecified Native American - actress and comedian.

Angélica Celaya (1982) Mexican - actress.

Elena Finney (1982) Mescalero Apache, Mexican [Purepecha], Irish - actress and producer.

Giselle Itié (1982) Mexican / Brazilian - actress.

Martha Higareda (1982) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] -actress, model, writer, and producer.

Vanessa Laine Bryant (1982) Mexican - insta model.

Vic Fuentes (1983) Mexican - musician.

Fernanda Romero (1983) Mexican - actress, model, and musician.

Aundrea Fimbres (1983) Mexican - musician and dancer.

Lupita Nyong’o (1983) Mexican [Luo Kenyan] - actress.

Vannessa Vasquez (1983) Mexican - actress.

Maite Perroni (1983) Mexican [including Spanish, Italian, Basque, possibly other] - actress, model, and musician.

Ashley Dzerigian (1983) Mexican / possibly French - musician.

Sandra Hinojosa (1983) Ojibwe, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Mexican - actress.

Claudia Salinas (1983) Mexican [Russian Jewish, possibly other] - actress, model, and blogger.

Anahí Giovanna Puente de Velasco / Anahí (1983) Spanish, Mexican - actress and musician.

Brie Bella (1983) Mexican / Italian, English, Irish, Scottish - wrestler.

Nikki Bella (1983) Mexican / Italian, English, Irish, Scottish - wrestler.

Teresa Castillo (1983) Mexican, Chinese, Spanish - actress.

Tessa Thompson (1983) Afro Panamanian / Mexican, Unspecified European - actress.

Edy Ganem (1983) Mexican, Lebanese - actress.

Johanna Santos Polanco (1983) Afro Mexican / Dominican - model.

Ilean Almaguer (1984) Mexican - actress.

Naima Mora (1984) Mexican, African-American, Native American, Irish - model.

Gabrielle Ruiz (1984) Mexican - actress.

Melody Thornton (1984) Mexican / African-American - musician and dancer.

Celeste Thorson (1984) Mexican [Mescalero Apache, Spanish], Lebanese, Syrian / Korean, Scottish, Irish, English - actress, model, and screenwriter.

Sandra Echeverría (1984) Mexican, Dominican - actress and singer.

Sabrina Bryan (1984) Mexican [Spanish, likely other] / Cherokee, German - actress, singer-songwriter, dancer, and tv personality.

Natalia Lafourcade (1984) Mexican, possibly small amount of English / Chilean, French Basque - musician.

Megan Ewing (1984) Mexican, German - model.

Luz Reality (1984) Mexican - rapper.

Krysta Rodriguez (1984) Mexican / English, possibly other - actress and singer.

Arianny Celeste (1985) ¾ Mexican, ¼ Filipina - model.

Gloria Govan (1985) African-American / Mexican - television personality.

Mariee Sioux (1985) Paiute, Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] / Polish, Hungarian - singer-songwriter.

Dulce Maria (1985) Mexican, likely around 1/8th German - actress and musician.

Vanessa Huppenkothen (1985) Mexican / German - model, actress, and television presenter.

Karla Souza (1985) Mexican / Chilean [likely Portuguese, possibly other] - actress.

Eréndira Ibarra (1985) Mexican - actress.

Kavka Shishido (1985) Mexican [Japanese] - singer-songwriter, drummer, actress, radio personality, and tv personality.

Alyssa Diaz (1985) Colombian / Mexican - actress.

Sebastián Zurita (1986) Mexican [German, Italian] - actor.

Nazanin Mandi (1986) Iranian, Mexican, Unspecified Native American, Spanish - actress, singer, and model.

Charlyne Yi (1986) Korean, Yuki, Mexican, Irish, German, French / Filipina, Spanish - actress, comedian, musician, and writer.

Audrey Esparza (1986) Mexican [Catalan, Spanish, possibly other] - actress.

Camila Sodi (1986) 31/32 Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish], 1/32 Italian - singer, actress, and model.

Carla Morrison (1986) Mexican [English, possibly other] - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Cassie Ventura / Cassie (1986) Mexican, African-American, Unspecified Caribbean / Filipina - actress, model, singer, and dancer.

Noël Wells (1986) Tunisian / Mexican, other - actress and filmmaker.

Yrahid Leylanni (1986) Mexican [Lebanese] - actress.

Ana Brenda Contreras (1986) Mexican - actress and singer.

Lauren Lopez (1986) Mexican / Jewish - actress, singer, and dancer.

Mare Advertencia Lirika / Mare (1987) Mexican [Zapotec] - rapper and singer-songwriter.

Courtney McCullough (1987) Chinese / Mexican - actress.

Claudia A. Feliciano / Snow tha Product (1987) Mexican - musician.

Brooke Westbrooks (1987) Mexican, African American, Creole [Unspecified Native American, possibly other], Indian - social media star and tv personality.

Stephanie Sigman (1987) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] / German, possibly other - actress.

Rose Leslie (1987) ⅛ Mexican, ⅞ mix of Scottish, English, Irish, French Huguenot - actress.

Carla Esparza (1987) Mexican, Ecuadorian / Irish, English, Scottish - professional mixed martial artist.

Bárbara de Regil (1987) Mexican [Lebanese, possibly other] - actress.

Daniella Pineda (1987) Mexican - actress, comedian, and writer.

Summer Bishil (1988) Indian / Mexican, Cherokee, German, English, Dutch - actress.

Teresa Ruiz (1988) Mexican - actress and producer.

Ximena Navarrete (1988) Mexican - actress, television host, model, and beauty queen.

Erica Rivera (1988) Mexican - actress and musician.

Francia Raisa (1988) Mexican / Honduran - actress.

Natalie Mejia (1988) Mexican / Cuban - singer.

Alicia Sixtos (1988) Mexican / Portuguese [including Azorean] - actress.

Teneil Whiskeyjack (1988) Mexican, Plains Cree - actress.

Sara Paxton (1988) Mexican [Spanish Jewish, Dutch Jewish, German, Chilean] / Irish, Scottish, English, French - actress, singer, and model.

Emily Rios (1989) Mexican - actress and model.

Devin Star Tailes / Dev (1989) Mexican, Portuguese - musician.

Paula Deanda (1989) Mexican - musician.

Kristin Herrera (1989) Mexican, Puerto Rican - actress.

Jamillette Gaxiola (1989) Mexican [Lebanese] / Cuban [Lebanese] - beauty pageant titleholder.

Lindsey Morgan (1990) Mexican / Irish - actress.

Morgan Westbrooks (1990) Mexican, African American, Creole [Unspecified Native American, possibly other], Indian - social media star and tv personality.

Nia Sanchez (1990) Mexican, German / Spanish, German, English, other - actress, model, taekwondo coach, television host, and beauty queen.

Kristinia DeBarge (1990) Mexican / Unspecified Other.

Eiza González (1990) Mexican - actress and singer.

Giza Lagarce (1990) Mexican / French - model.

Kristinia DeBarge (1990) ⅜ Mexican [Spanish, smaller amounts Unspecified Indigenous, Unspecified African], ¼ African-American, 1/32 Danish, 1/32 Norwegian, rest mix of English, Irish, French, Welsh, German, Icelandic - singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer.

Liz Lee (1991) Mexican / Unknown - actress.

Seychelle Gabriel (1991) Mexican, French / Italian, Sicilian - actress.

Chanel Celaya (1991) Mexican / English, possibly other - actress and model.

Luz Pavon (1991) Afro Mexican - model.

Cayleigh Elise (1991) Mexican, other - youtuber.

Michelle Álvarez (1991) Mexican - actress and musician.

Kirstin Maldonado (1992) Mexican / Spanish, Italian - singer-songwriter.

Nikki Glamour (1992) Mexican - youtuber.

Shelbie Bruce (1992) Mexican / English, Scottish, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish - actress.

Okairy Giner (1992) Mexican - actress.

Raye Zaragoza (1993) Mexican, Akimel O’odham / Taiwanese, Japanese - singer-songwriter.

Daniela Bobadilla (1993) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] - actress.

Naressa Valdez (1993) African-American, Mexican, Unspecified Native American, Italian, Portuguese - model and instagrammer.

Miranda Cosgrove (1993) ⅛ Mexican, ⅞ mix of Irish, English, French, German [Alsatian] - actress and singer-songwriter.

Ally Brooke Hernandez / Ally Brooke (1993) Mexican - singer.

Nizhoni Cooley (1993) Mexican, Navajo, Irish, Czechoslovakian - model and instagrammer.

Rachel Trachtenburg (1993) Mexican [Jewish, possibly other] - singer, drummer, actress, model, and talk show host.

Crystal Westbrooks (1993) Mexican, African American, Creole [Unspecified Native American, possibly other], Indian - social media star and tv personality.

Anahi Altuzar (1993) Mexican - beauty pageant titleholder. - Trans!

Jasmine Villegas / Jasmine V (1993) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] / Filipina, German, Irish - singer.

Raini Rodriguez (1993) Mexican - actress and musician.

Bree Westbrooks (1993) Mexican, African American, Creole [Unspecified Native American, possibly other], Indian - actress, social media star, and tv personality.

Julia Michaels (1993) Mexican [Spanish, some Unspecified Indigenous] / Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, Scottish - musician.

Megan Nicole (1993) Mexican / English, German, Scottish, Unspecified Native American - singer, songwriter, actress, and model.

Lourdes Montes / Lulu Montes / Sheslulu (1993) Mexican - youtuber.

Hayley Orrantia (1994) Mexican, English, Irish, French - actress and musician.

Cristina Valenzuela (1994) Mexican, Spanish - youtuber.

Julia Goldani Telles (1995) Mexican [Spanish, probably other] / Brazilian [Italian, probably other] - actress and ballerina.

Sofia Reyes (1995) Mexican - musician.

Issa Lish (1995) Mexican / Japanese - model.

Bethany Mota (1995) Mexican, English / Portuguese - youtuber.

Jessica Sanchez (1995) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Unspecified African, Spanish, possibly other] / Filipina [Aklanon, possibly other], possibly Chinese - singer-songwriter.

Cierra Ramirez (1995) Mexican / Colombian - actress, model, and singer.

Danna Paola (1995) Mexican - actress, model, fashion designer and musician.

Vanessa Merrell (1996) Mexican, Filipina, Spanish, Irish, Portuguese, German - actress, singer, and youtuber.

Georgie Flores (1996) Mexican, remote French - actress.

Veronica Merrell (1996) Mexican, Filipina, Spanish, Irish, Portuguese, German - actress, singer, and youtuber.

India Westbrooks (1996) African American, Mexican, Creole [Unspecified Native American, possibly other, Indian - internet personality.

Lucero Rios (1996) Mexican - isnta model.

Chachi Gonzales (1996) Mexican - dancer, choreographer, and actress.

Brianna Hildebrand (1996) Mexican / German, English, Irish - actress.

Antoinette Marie Martin (1996) Mexican / African-American - model.

Victoria Moroles (1996) Mexican / French, Polish, English, Finnish - actress.

Eva Noblezada (1996) Filipina / Mexican - actress and musician.

Becky G (1997) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] - actress, singer-songwriter, model, rapper, and dancer.

Matreya Fedor (1997) Mexican - actress.

Rebecca Black (1997) Mexican / English, Polish, Italian - singer.

Emilia McCarthy (1997) Mexican / Unspecified White - actress, dancer, and writer.

Kiana Brown / Kiana Ledé (1997) Unspecified Black, Mexican (Unconfirmed), Cherokee (Unconfirmed), Swedish - actress and musician.

Justine Biticon (1998) Mexican / Filipina - model.

Karol Sevilla (1999) Mexican - actress, singer-songwriter, and youtuber.

Mia Xitlali (1999) Mexican [Aztec, possibly other] - actress.

Madison De La Garza (2001) Mexican - actress.

Jenna Ortega (2002) ¾ Mexican, ¼ Puerto Rican - actress.

Sharon Anne Henderson (?) Navajo, Mexican, Basque - actress.

Dana Jeffrey (?) ¼ Ojibwe, ¼ Thai, unspecified amounts of Mexican, Afro Guyanese, Indo Guyanese, distant English - actress.

Tania Teyacapan Garcia (?) Mexican [Pame, Huastec, Apache, Guachichil, Afro Potosina] - model.

Niña Dioz (?) Mexican - rapper.

Linda Oliver (?) Mexican / Cherokee, Irish - model.

Miranda Lombardo (?) Mexican - beauty pageant titleholder. - Trans!

Morningstar Angeline (?) Navajo, Blackfoot, Chippewa Cree / Mexican, Unspecified European - actress.

Mariana Treviño (?) Mexican [Spanish Jewish] - actress.

Miika Bryce Whiskeyjack (?) Mexican, Plains Cree, possibly other - actress.

Italia Navarrete (?) Mexican - beauty pageant titleholder. - Trans!

Thana Redhawk (?) Mexican [Mexica, Lipan Apache] / Cherokee, Lakota Sioux, Osage - musician and poet.

Brenda Contreras (?) Mexican - beauty pageant titleholder. - Trans!

Kelly Montijo Fink (?) Mexican, Apache, Spanish - singer-songwriter.

Jackeline Arroyo (?) Mexican - actress and presenter.

Giselle Valero (?) Mexican - beauty pageant titleholder. - Trans!

Estrella Hood (?) Mexican [Matlatzinca, Spanish, possibly other] - musician (World Hood).

Soni Moreno (?) Mexican [Apache, Mayan, Yaqui] - musician (Ulali).

Angela Lanza (?) Mexican - actress.

Seidy López (?) Mexican - actress.

Tanya Saracho (?) Mexican - playwright and writer.

Elena Tovar (?) Mexican - actress.

Karime Bribiesca (?) Mexican - model.

Cindy Gradilla (?) Mexican - model.

Chhoti Maa (?) Mexican [Aztec], Peruvian [Quechua] - rapper.

Mariana Zaragoza (?) Mexican - model.

Daniella Valdez (?) Mexican - model.

Jezzy P (?) Mexican - rapper.

Sabinee Camou (?) Mexican - model.

Joss Corona (?) Mexican - model.

Amara Zaragoza (?) Mexican [Purepecha] / German - actress.

Kimberly Loaiza (?) Mexican - instagram model and youtuber.

Erika Palomera Plascencia (?) Mexican - model.

Jailyne Ojeda (?) Mexican - insta model.

Jimena Sanche (?) Mexican - insta model.

Sofia Solares (?) Mexican - insta model.

Samantha Leyva (?) Mexican - insta model.

Patricia Ancira (?) Mexican - actress.

Jessica Meraz (?) Mexican / Scottish, Irish - actress.

M:

Armando Manzanero (1935) Mexican [Mayan] - singer, pianist, accordionist, actor, producer, and composer.

Héctor Bonilla (1939) Mexican - actor.

Abraham Quintanilla Jr. (1939) Mexican (Spanish, Unspecified Indigenous Mexican) - musician and producer.

Manuel Ojeda (1940) Mexican - actor.

Juan Ferrara (1943) Mexican - actor.

Danny Trejo (1944) Mexican - actor.

Cheech Marin (1946) Mexican - actor, comedian, writer, and activist.

Carlos Santana (1947) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish, distant Unspecified African] - musician.

Edward James Olmos (1947) Mexican - actor.

A Martinez (1948) Mexican, Apache / Pikuni Blackfoot, Unspecified Northern European - actor and singer.

Benny Urquidez (1952) Mexican, Blackfoot, Spanish - actor, pro boxer, and choreographer.

Salvador Pineda (1952) Mexican - actor.

Robert Beltran (1953) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] - actor.

Alejandro Camacho (1954) Mexican - actor and producer. 

David Ostrosky (1954) Mexican [Saudi Arabian, Ukrainian Jewish, Polish Jewish] - actor.

Humberto Zurita (1954) MExican - actor, director, and producer.

Griffin Dunne (1955) Irish, English, German, Mexican, Swedish / Irish - actor, producer, and director.

Manuel Landeta (1958) Mexican [Lebanese, Basque] - actor and singer.

Sergio Goyri (1958) Mexican - actor.

Alfredo Adame (1958) Mexican [German] - actor, producer, and host.

Fher Olvera (1959) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Fernando Ciangherotti (1959) Mexican [Italian] - actor.

Eduardo Yáñez (1960) Mexican - actor.

Odiseo Bichir (1960) Mexican [Lebanese, possibly other] - actor.

René Casados (1961) Mexican - actor.

Peter Michael Escovedo (1961) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] / Creole [African, French, distant English] - percussionist.

Emilio Rivera (1961) Mexican - actor and comedian.

Alfonso Mejia-Arias (1961) Mexican [Romani, Spanish] - musician and writer.

Eugenio Derbez (1961) Mexican, some French - actor, comedian, director, writer, entrepreneur, and producer.

Rafael Rojas (1961) Mexican - former model and actor.

Chuck Billy (1962) Mexican / Pomo - musician.

Arturo Peniche (1962) Mexican - actor.

Juan Calleros (1962) Mexican - musician.

Jesse Borrego (1962) Mexican [Mescalero Apache, Aztec] - actor.

Ari Telch (1962) Mexican [Jewish, possibly other] - actor.

Alberto Estrella (1962) Mexican - actor.

Omar Fierro (1963) Mexican - actor and host.

Kevin John Wasserman / Noodles (1963) ¼ Mexican, ¾ mix of German, Irish, possibly other - musician.

Rob Moran (1963) Mexican - actor.

Demián Bichir (1963) Mexican [Lebanese, possibly other] - actor.

Damian Chapa (1963) Mexican [including Spanish and Italian] / German - actor, producer, and director.

A.B. Quintanilla (1963) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish], Cherokee - musician.

Alejandro González Iñárritu (1963) Mexican - actor.

Raúl Araiza (1964) Mexican - actor and presenter.

Héctor Soberón (1964) Mexican - actor.

Guillermo del Toro (1964) Mexican - director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist.

Paul Weitz (1965) ¾ Ashkenazi Jewish, ⅛ Mexican, ⅛ Irish - actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.

Alexis Ayala (1965) Mexican - actor.

Fernando Colunga (1966) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] - actor.

Bruno Bichir (1967) Mexican [Lebanese, possibly other] - actor.

Matt Chamberlain (1967) Mexican / possibly English - musician and producer.

Carlos Mencía (1967) Honduran, Mexican - comedian, writer, and actor.

Dave Navarro (1967) Mexican [Spanish, some African, possibly other] / English, German, remote Welsh - musician and actor.

Eduardo Santamarina (1968) Mexican - actor.

Jeff Becerra (1968) Mexican [Lebanese] - musician.

Robert Rodriguez (1968) Mexican - director, writer, cinematographer, producer, editor, musician, actor, and cartoonist.

Jorge Salinas (1968) Mexican - actor.

Chris Weitz (1969) ¾ Ashkenazi Jewish, ⅛ Mexican, ⅛ Irish - actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and author.

Israel Jaitovich (1969) Mexican [Jewish, Spanish] - actor, producer, writer, and racing car driver.

Gary Paul Davis / Litefoot (1969) Mexican [Chichimeca] / Cherokee - rapper and actor.

Diego Schoening (1969) Mexican [German Jewish] - actor, singer, and tv host.

Chris Pérez (1969) Mexican - guitarist and songwriter.

Rene L. Moreno (1969) Mexican - actor.

Armando Araiza (1969) Mexican - actor.

Zack de la Rocha (1970) ¾ Mexican [Unspecified African, Sephardi Jewish, Spanish], ¼ mix of English, French, German, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Dutch, Swiss - rapper, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

Adam Goldberg (1970) Ashkenazi Jewish / German, Mexican, French, English, Irish - actor, musician, director, and producer.

Stephen Carpenter (1970) Mexican / English, possibly other - musician.

José María Yazpik (1970) Mexican [Unspecified Arab] - actor.

Eduardo Capetillo (1970) Mexican [Basque, small amount of Unspecified African] / Spanish - actor and singer.

Noel Gugliemi (1970) Mexican / Italian - actor.

Clifton Collins Jr. (1970) Mexican - actor.

Eddie Bravo (1970) Mexican - Jiu-Jitsu instructor.

Clifton Collins, Jr. (1970) Mexican / German - actor. 

Luis Miguel (1970) Mexican [Italian, Spanish] - musician.

Al Madrigal (1971) Mexican / Italian [Sicilian] - comedian and actor.

Bobby Pulido (1971) Mexican - musician and actor.  

John Wozniak (1971) ¼ Irish, ¼ Mexican, ½ mix of Polish, Ukrainian, English, Irish, Scottish - musician.

Jacob Vargas (1971) Mexican - actor.

Christian Camargo (1971) ¼ Mexican, ¾ English, possibly other - actor, producer, writer, and director.

Ricardo Antonio Chavira (1971) Mexican / German, Irish - actor.

Mark Consuelos (1971) Mexican / Italian - actor.

Michael Irby (1972) Mexican / African-American - actor.

Kurt Caceres (1972) Mexican / German, English, Irish - actor.

Víctor Noriega (1972) Mexican - actor, musician, and model.

Mauricio Islas (1973) Mexican - actor.

Alfred Nevarez (1973) Mexican - musician.

Mario Lopez (1973) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] - actor and television host.

Javier Poza (1973) Mexican - actor.

Efren Ramirez (1973) Salvadoran, Mexican - actor and DJ.

Tariano Adaryll Jackson II (1973) Mexican / African-American - musician.

Chino Moreno (1973) ⅞ Mexican [Unspecified African, Spanish, possibly Unspecified Indigenous], ⅛ Chinese - singer-songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist.

Jaime Camil (1973) Mexican [Egyptian, possibly other] / Brazilian [Portuguese, possibly other] - actor, singer, and tv personality.

Jean Duverger (1973) Mexican [Haitian, French] - actor.

David Zepeda (1973) Mexican - actor, model, and musician.

Roberto Orci (1973) Mexican [Italian, Spanish] / Cuban - screenwriter and producer.

Juan Manuel Márquez (1974) Mexican - boxer.

Fermin IV (1974) Mexican - musician.

Rey Mysterio (1974) Mexican - wrestler.

Eduardo Verástegui (1974) Mexican - actor, model, and musician.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala (1974) Mexican [German, Spanish, possibly other] - musician.

Pablo Montero (1974) Mexican - musician and actor.

Fabián Robles (1974) Mexican - actor.

Taryll Adren Jackson (1975) Mexican / African-American - musician.

Jaime Luis Gomez / Taboo (1975) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Unspecified African, Spanish], Shoshone - rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, and DJ.

Samuel Parra Cruz / Samo (1975) Afro Mexican - singer-songwriter.

Bodie Olmos (1975) Mexican / English, German, Swiss-French, Swedish - actor.

Tom DeLonge (1975) English, some Mexican - musician, businessperson, and producer.

Gabriel Soto (1975) Mexican - actor and model.

Pato Machete (1975) Mexican - musician.

Valentino Lanús (1975) Mexican - actor.

Aarón Sanchez (1975) Mexican [66.4% European, 24.6% Unspecified Native American, 3.7% Sub-Saharan African, 1.6% North African, 0.7% South Asian, 0.1% Oceanian, 2.9% unknown] - chef and television personality.

Baby Bash (1975) Mexican / English - rapper.

Mauricio Aspe (1975) Mexican - actor.

Frankie J (1975) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] - musician.

Marco Méndez (1976) Mexican - actor.

Alfonso de Nigris (1976) Mexican [Italian] - actor and television personality.

Adrian Grenier (1976) Mexican [Apache, Spanish], French / English, Irish, Scottish, German - actor, musician, producer, and director.

Carter Oosterhouse (1976) Mexican, Dutch - television personality and model.

Michael Peña (1976) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] - actor and musician.

Kevin Alejandro (1976) Mexican - actor.

James Roday (1976) Mexican / English, Irish, Scottish, distant Swiss-German and German - actor, director, and screenwriter.

José Pasillas (1976) Mexican - musician.

Toy Selectah (1976) Mexican / Colombian - musician.

Gabriel Iglesias (1976) Mexican - actor, comedian, writer, and producer.

MC Babo (1976) Mexican - rapper (Cartel de Santa).

Nicholas Gonzalez (1976) Mexican - actor.

Raul Castillo (1977) Mexican - actor and playwright.

Edward Furlong (1977) Mexican / Unknown, possibly Russian - actor and musician.

Jorge Poza (1977) Mexican - actor.

Rafael Amaya (1977) Mexican - actor.

José María Torre (1977) Mexican - actor.

Mark Tacher (1977) Mexican [Romanian Jewish] - actor, musician, and tv host.

Erasmo Catarino (1977) Mexican [Nahua] - singer.

Facundo (1978) Mexican [Argentinian] - tv host.

Tito Joe Jackson (1978) Mexican / African-American - musician.

Bocafloja (1978) Mexican - rapper and writer.

RedCloud (1978) Mexican, Huichol - rapper.

Ariel Pink (1978) Mexican [Jewish, possibly other] / Unknown - singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Kuno Becker (1978) Mexican (Yaqui, Other Unspecified Native American), German, Spanish - actor.

José Luis Reséndez (1978) Mexican - actor and model.

Carlos Galvan (1978) Mexican / Korean - musician.

Nick Wechsler (1978) Mexican, English, German, Swiss-German, possibly other - actor.

Jay Hernandez (1978) Mexican - actor.

Diego Dreyfus (1979) Mexican - actor and model.

Diego Luna (1979) Mexican / English, Scottish - actor, director, and producer.

Rowan Rabia (1979) Mexican - rapper (Cartel de Santa).

Jeremy Ray Valdez (1980) Mexican / Navajo - actor.

Beau Bokan (1981) Mexican / Unspecified Other - musician.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (1981) Mexican - actor.

Eugenio Siller (1981) Mexican / German - actor and musician.

Miguel Torres (1981) Mexican - martial artist.

Joe Arquette (1981) Mexican - actor.

John Joseph Kongos (1981) English, Mexican, Scottish / Greek - musician.

José Ron (1981) Mexican - actor.

Rodrigo Nehme (1982) Mexican [Lebanese, probably other] - actor.

Aarón Díaz (1982) Mexican / Irish - actor, singer, and model.

Cain Velasquez (1982) Mexican - martial artist.

Kalimba Marichal / Kalimba (1982) Afro Mexican / Afro Cuban - actor and singer.

Ferdinando Valencia (1982) Mexican - actor.

Luis Gerardo Mendez (1982) Mexican - actor and producer.

Jesse Garcia (1982) Mexican, Spanish - actor.

Felipe Colombo (1983) Argentinian / Mexican - actor, singer, guitarist, and composer.

Alfonso Herrera (1983) Mexican - actor, producer, and former singer.

José María de Tavira (1983) Mexican / Argentinian - actor.

Manny Montana (1983) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish, Irish] - actor.

Cub Swanson (1983) Mexican / Swedish - martial artist.

Richard Cabral (1984) Mexican - actor.

Kid Cudi (1984) ¾ African-American, ¼ Afro Mexican - rapper and actor.

Jesse Dean Kongos (1984) English, Mexican, Scottish / Greek - musician.

Carlos Condit (1984) Austrian, German, Cherokee, Spanish-Mexican, Unspecified Indigenous Mexican - martial artist.

Paul Rodriguez (1984) Mexican - skateboarder and actor.

MC Dharius (1984) Mexican - actor and rapper (Cartel de Santa).

Chris Olivero (1984) Mexican, Italian - actor.

Big Dan (1985) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous] - musician.

James Lafferty (1985) Mexican / Irish, English, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish - actor, director, and producer.

Michael Trevino (1985) Mexican - actor.

Alex Meraz (1985) Mexican [Purepecha] - actor, dancer, and martial artist.

Miguel Jontel Pimentel (1985) Mexican / African-American - musician, actor, and producer.

Millonario (1985) Mexican - rapper (Cartel de Santa).

Christopher Uckermann (1986) Swedish, German, Mexican - musician.

Joseph Julian Soria (1986) Mexican - actor.

Mark Ballas (1986) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other], Greek / English, Irish - actor, singer-songwriter, guitarist, dancer, and choreographer.

Dylan Gabriel Kongos (1986) English, Mexican, Scottish / Greek - musician.

Peter Gadiot (1986) Mexican / Dutch - actor.

Ricardo Abarca (1986) Mexican - actor.

Imanol Landeta (1987) Mexican [Lebanese, Basque] - actor and singer.

Ryan Guzman (1987) Mexican / English, Scottish, German, Swedish, French, Dutch - actor.

Carlos Athié (1987) Mexican - actor, model, and presenter.

Orson Chaplin (1987) Ashkenazi Jewish, Mexican / English, Irish, 1/16th Scottish - actor and rapper.

Victor Ortiz (1987) Mexican - boxer.

Arin Ilejay (1988) Mexican, Filipino [Aklanon] / Dutch, German, possibly other - drummer.

Alvin Alvarez (1989) Mexican - actor.

Carlito Olivero (1989) Mexican / Puerto Rican - singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer.

Logan Henderson (1989) 50% English, Scottish 25% Mexican 12.5% Moravian (Czech) 12.5% Polish  - actor and musician.

Kenta Sakurai (1989) Mexican / Japanese - model.

Lane Hughes (1989) Mexican - actor and musician.

Daniel Lee Kongos (1989) English, Mexican, Scottish / Greek - musician.

Sotelúm (1989) Mexican [Sephardi Jewish] - musician.

Cameron Quiseng (1990) Mexican, Filipino, Native Hawaiian, Unspecified European - bassist.

Levi Johnston (1990) ¼ Mexican, ¾ mix of English, German, Swedish - model and actor.

Diego Amozurrutia (1990) Mexican - actor and model.

Erick Elías (1990) Mexican - actor.

Ryan Bergara (1990) ½ Japanese, ⅜ Mexican, ⅛ Filipino - buzzfeed employee.

Miles Luna (1990) Mexican - actor and filmmaker.

Diego Boneta (1990) Mexican / Puerto Rican, Spanish, German, Swiss - actor and singer-songwriter.

Canelo Álvarez (1990) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] - boxer.

Jesús Pat Chablé / Pat Boy Rap Maya / Pat Boy (1991) Mexican [Mayan] - rapper.

José Pablo Minor (1991) Mexican - actor, television host, and model.

Erick Lopez (1991) Mexican - actor.

Mariana Bayón (1991) Mexican - model.

Erick Orrosquieta / Deorro (1991) Mexican - DJ.

Jorge Blanco (1991) Mexican - recording artist, dancer, songwriter, and actor.

Ashton Moio (1992) Mexican / Italian - actor.

Cameron Dallas (1994) Mexican, German / Scottish - internet personality, actor, and model.

Michel Duval (1994) Mexican - musician and model.

Beng Zeng (1995) Mexican [Chinese] - actor, comedian, and tv host.

Alen Rios (1995) Mexican, Guatemalan, Chinese, German - actor.

Roman Zaragoza (1996) Mexican, Akimel O’odham / Taiwanese, Japanese - actor.

Ryan Ochoa (1996) brother has said that he is of Mexican descent describing himself as a “white Mexican” - actor.

Juanpa Zurita (1996) Mexican - model and youtuber.

Jacob Emmanuel Perez (1996) Mexican, African-American - musician.

Jimmy Bennett (1996) ¼ Mexican, ¾ mix of German, English, Scottish, Cornish - actor and musician.

Austin Zajur (1996) Mexican / English, possibly other - actor.

Jamison Long / JJ Long (1997) Afro Mexican, Navajo, Chinese - actor.

Froy Gutierrez (1998) Mexican, Caxcan - actor.

Rico Rodriguez (1998) Mexican - actor.

Ricky Garcia (1999) Mexican, Puerto Rican, German - actor and singer.

Rebel Rodriguez (1999) Mexican / Unknown - actor.

Joel Pimentel (1999) Mexican - singer.

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (2000) Mexican [Nahuatl], Hopi - rapper.

Raymond Ochoa (2001) has said that he is of Mexican descent describing himself as a “white Mexican” - actor.

Prolific The Rapper (?) Lakota Sioux, Mexican, Unspecified European - rapper.

Taylor Zakhar (?) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, possibly other] / Unspecified Middle Eastern - actor.

Rene Orozco / Yaotl Mazahua (?) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish] - musician (Aztlan Underground).

Caxo (?) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, possibly other] - musician (Aztlan Underground).

Joe “Peps” (?) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, possibly other] - musician (Aztlan Underground).

Gregory Cruz (?) Mexican, Chiricahua Apache - actor.

Boogat (?) Mexican, Paraguayan - musician.

Olmeca (?) Mexican [Tepehuán, possibly other] - rapper.

Juliocesar Chavez (?) Mexican, Guatemalan - actor.

David Rose (?) Mexican / Choctaw, Cherokee, Irish - musician.

Omar LinX (?) Mexican - rapper.

Victor-E (?) Mexican [Mayan, possibly other] - musician (El Vuh).

Zero (?) Mexican [Mayan, possibly other] - musician (El Vuh).

E-Rise (?) Mexican [Mayan, possibly other] - musician (El Vuh).

Wake Self (?) Mexican [Aztec, Mescalero Apache], Cherokee - rapper.

Randy Granger (?) Mexican [Chontal, Apache, Unspecified Non-Indigenous], Comanche, Tequesta, Tłı̨chǫ, Alaskan Athabaskan - flutist.

Vic Buildsafire (?) Navajo, Pomo, Mexican [Aztec, Spanish] - rapper.

Del Zamora (?) Mexican, Mescalero Apache - actor.

Alex Soto / MC Liaison (?) Mexican [Tohono O’odham] - rapper (Shining Soul).

Franco / The Bronze Candidate (?) Mexican - rapper (Shining Soul).

Ryan Little Eagle (?) Mexican [Apache, Mayan], Taino, Lakota Sioux - musician.

DJ Augustín (?) Mexican - rapper (Cartel de Santa).

Eddie Gutierrez / Eddie Styles (?) Mexican - dancer.

Clap Pina / Clap Freckles (?) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, possibly other] - musician.

Sergio Gomez (?) Mexican - rapper (Akwid).

Francisco Gomez (?) Mexican - rapper (Akwid).

Saso Jimenez / Saso Fresh (?) Mexican - dancer.

Alek Carrera (?) Mexican - model, actor, and producer.

Fermin Sanchez (?) Mexican - musician (The Guadaloops).

Sami Mendoza (?) Mexican - drummer (The Guadaloops).

Ferdinand González (?) Mexican - musician (The Guadaloops).

Berni Pérez (?) Mexican - musician (The Guadaloops).

NB:

Karis Wilde (1982) Mexican - Genderqueer - multi-disciplinary artist.

Pidgeon Pagonis (1986) Mexican, Greek - Non-Binary Intersex - artist and writer.

Danny Noriega / Adore Delano (1989) Mexican, Unspecified Native American, German - Non-Binary - drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, and youtuber.

Lukas Avendaño (?) Mexican [Zapotec] - Muxe - performing artist.

Mike J. Marin (?) Mexican, Navajo, Laguna, Washoe - Two-Spirit - actor, rapper, and filmmaker.

Problematic:

George Lopez (1961) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish, possibly other] - actor, comedian, and tv personality - anti-black comments, anti-asian comments, and sexist comments.

Salma Hayek (1966) Mexican [Lebanese, Spanish, possibly other] - actress, producer, and former model - spoke over and attempted to rebuke Jessica Williams (a black actress)’s comment that black and trans women are constantly put in the center of conflict for the way they look with a tone deaf “what about the rest of us” and also used the condescending “baby” to refer to Jessica, called Jessica Lopez (a Puerto Rican actress and singer who, while not black, is darker than Salma) a “non-latina n***o”, and said that Ugly Betty (a show Salma is an executive producer on) tries to model Betty off black women (though they even casted a non black Latina for Betty) due to black women having “uglier facial features”.

Louis C.K. (1967) Mexican [Hungarian Jewish / Spanish, Unspecified Indigenous] / Irish, German, English - actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and editor - accused of 5 counts of sexual assault.

Stacey Dash (1967) Afro Barbadian, Mexican - actress and talk show host - transphobic comments and said that people were overreacting with #OscarsSoWhite.

Cesar Millan (1969) Mexican - dog behaviorist and television personality - controversial dog training techniques.

Reginald Arvizu (1969) Mexican / French, English - musician - cultural appropriation.

Louis Freese / B-Real (1970) Mexican, Cuban - musician - n-word.

Hilary Swank (1974) ¼ Mexican [Shoshone, Spanish], ¾ mix of English, German, Swiss, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Dutch - actress and producer - publicly supports Ramzan Kadyrov and took the role of a trans man character in Boys Don’t Cry when she is not a man (let alone a trans man).

Fergie (1975) English, Irish, Mexican, Unspecified Native American, and Scottish - cultural appropriation.

Gael García Bernal (1978) Mexican - actor, director, and producer - signed Polanski petition and supports Roman Polanski.  

Lin-Manuel Miranda (1980) Puerto Rican, as well as small amounts of Mexican, African-American, English - actor, singer-songwriter, and playwright - classist comments.

Adan Canto (1981) Mexican - actor - took the role of an Afro Brazilian character in X-Men: Days of Future Past when he is not Afro Latino.

Melissa Villaseñor (1987) Mexican - actress and comedian - anti-black tweets.

Emeraude Toubia (1989) Mexican / Lebanese - actress and model - appropriated cornrows and participated in the white-washing of her character.

Scout Taylor-Compton (1989) Mexican / English, Irish - actress - cultural appropriation.

Fo Porter (1990) Mexican / African-American - model - cultural appropriation.

Christian Serratos (1990) Mexican / Italian - actress - cultural appropriation.

Samuel Larsen (1991) Mexican, Iranian, Danish, Spanish - actor, singer, and model - cultural appropriation.

Tyler Posey (1991) Mexican / English, Scottish, Irish, German, French - actor and musician - has made coming out of the closet jokes multiple times, used the q slur, and said “I mean, people don’t know what race I am. They never know if I’m Hawaiian or Italian or Mexican or Spanish or White. I could play Jewish, I could play anything.” which implies that he would not mind taking a role of a race not his own.

Selena Gomez (1992) Mexican / Italian, possibly other - actress and singer - cultural appropriation, wore a hijab as a fashion accessory, wore a short with the g slur on it, has used the g slur on multiple occasions (and threw a “[g slur] inspired” birthday party), and supports Woody Allen.

John Elvis (1992) Mexican / Korean - actor - took the role of a Comanche character in Texas Rising when he is not Native American (let alone Comanche).

Demi Lovato (1992) Mexican [Spanish, Unspecified Indigenous, Jewish, Portuguese] / English, Scottish, Irish - singer-songwriter, actress, and author - tried to take the spotlight away from Zendaya getting a black Barbie modeled after her by complaining about the lack of a curvy Barbie and saying she’d be happy to model for it, chose Kim Kardashian to praise for the “Big Butt Movement”, transphobia in her lyrics and in response to Caitlyn Jenner’s looks, exploits bisexuality in her song Cool For The Summer, and appropriated dreadlocks.

JC Caylen (1992) Mexican [Spanish, possibly other] - youtuber - made homophobic “gay jokes”.

Camila Cabello (1997) Cuban / Mexican - singer-songwriter - has said “it’s not rape if you like it”, has used the f and n slurs, and trivialized cocaine addiction.

Ethan Cutkosky (1999) Mexican / Polish, English, Scottish, Irish - actor - cultural appropriation.

Samuel Kim Arredondo (2002) Mexican / Korean - singer - cultural appropriation.

[drippingbrainstories]

Boys Night In

 It had been a few weeks since my "talk" with Rick's parents. I had  since talked to Rick about it and he told me he really didn't know what his parents  were up to, but suspected the worst. After all, he lived with them and knew  all their desires and oddities. They were the ones who had  "swinger" parties at their house and left town to visit  "friends" for weekends. I forgave him but now I was in a situation  where I was becoming a boy toy plaything for my parents and Rick's parents.  Rick punched me in the arm and said to get over it.......most young men could  only fantasize about such a problem.    We were coming up on the 4 day Thanksgiving Holiday and Rick's parents were  visiting "friends" for the holiday. I just found out that my  parents were visiting "friends" out of town over the holiday too.  Wonder if they were the same "friends". It gave me the opportunity  to have the house to myself for 4 days. I didn't like turkey anyway. Burgers  and fries for the holiday. I told Rick about the coincidence of our parents  and he had the same thought I did. Maybe our sex crazed parents were going to  the same place to do the same things. We were just happy to be rid of them  for 4 days.    I invited Rick to come hangout with me at my house for the holiday since  Butch and Darrel were having their friends to his house. He said that would  be great and he had another batch of smut for me from his Dad. No sooner than  I had hung up from Rick and was headed to the couch to watch TV, the phone  rang again. My Mom answered it and said it was Daniel for me. She looked at  me strangely since she thought she knew most of my friends. I got off the  couch and asked if I could answer on the phone in her room. She nodded toward  her room and I ran down the hall to get the phone. I picked it up and said,  "got it Mom", waiting for her to hang up. I didn't need her  snooping on my phone calls too. I told Daniel hello and asked what was up? He  asked what I was doing over the holiday since he was home from college and  didn't really want to hangout with his parents. Without really thinking about  it, I told Daniel about my parents leaving for the holiday and asked him if  he would like to hangout at my house. He jumped at the chance and it was only  after I hung up that i realized that Rick and Daniel were both having sex  with my father. Oh Well, I've had sex with both of them.    The Wednesday evening arrived and my parents were packed and all ready to go.  I had to get the usual parental lecture about being good and being safe. I  could throw out the good part because I was being anything but good in my  house with my parents. I just listened, smiled, and told them to have a nice  visit with their "friends". They were on their way and I  immediately got on the phone to Rick to tell him that I was alone and he  could come over. He said his parent's just left and Butch and Darrel's  friends were on their way over. Rick said he would see me in a bit. I next  called Daniel and his mother answered the phone and took a message because he  wasn't home from college yet.    I decided to take full advantage of having the house to myself. I unlocked  the front door so Rick and Daniel could come in, stripped off my clothes,  went to my room and brought my smut pile to the living room so it could be  perused at leisure and kicked back on the couch to relax. I knew that Rick  would be bringing new material, but I hadn't near tired of all the ones I  had. I had my favorites of course. The rest stop and restroom sex were my  favorites, now followed closely by any magazine containing men of color  especially Latin and now Black men. I searched through the pile and came  across one I hadn't seen before, or maybe missed. It had an image on the front  of a big cocked Latin man who was semi hard and a pale yet muscular, smooth  young man with a rock hard cock. They were obviously in a motel or hotel room  because of the generic decorations and the title went diagonally across the  image in red ink, saying "LATIN DADDYS AND THEIR TWINKS". I looked  at the cover and wondered, was I a twink......was Rick a twink.......I knew  Daniel had to be a twink.    I started thumbing through the magazine, intrigued by the idea that Al was  sending messages to me by the material he was choosing to send. Was I Al's  twink? As I was looking at all the hot images of twinks and hot Latin men in  various sexual activity I came on to an image that made my cock go instantly  rock hard and twitch. It was an image of a muscular, smooth, Latin man, not  as muscular as Al but close, with a huge uncut cock semi hard, hanging down  under him as he is on all fours, and a smooth, muscular twink has his cock  buried half way into the big Latin's ass. The look on both of their faces was  sheer lust. As I was wrapped up in the image I heard a knock on the front  door, then the door knob turned and in came Rick wearing his usual blue  jeans, white T shirt, and black leather motorcycle jacket. YEAH, he was  "Fonzi" before there was a "Fonzi" and all the girls and  guys acted accordingly. Both Darrel and Butch went through their  "Fonzi" type stage and now had moved on, except Butch was a member  of a car club called "The Coachmen" and had a black leather jacket  with an image of a hot rod stage coach on the back. Butch also had one of the  fastest cars in town, worked at a speed shop and was known to never turn down  a challenge to a street race.    Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Rick saw me sitting naked on the couch,  my cock sticking straight up and twitching, and a magazine in my hand. He  laughed and said, "Couldn't wait to get started?" I told him I was  just relaxing until I found a magazine I hadn't seen before, lifted it and  showed him the cover. He just grinned and shook his head. He put his duffel  bag down, took off his leather jacket and T shirt and walked over to me with  a paper bag in his hand. He handed it to me and said, "Latest delivery  from "The Latin Snake". I frowned but understood, that he  understood that his father and I had something going on. I took the bag and  pulled out 3 magazines, 2 of them still in their brown plastic wrappers  meaning they had never been opened or looked at. The third one was another on  topic magazine called "SWEATY LATIN TRUCKERS" I wonder who that could  be.........    I was really interested in the 2 magazines that had never been opened,  meaning Al bought them just for me. Must be a message. By this time, Rick had  stripped off his jeans and boots and was planted next to me on the couch  naked searching the pile for his entertainment. I was going after the 2 new  mags and set down the one I had been looking at. Rick saw it and picked it up  and said to himself, "Hum, this looks interesting." I was tearing  at the opaque covering of the new magazines so I could see what they were. I  got the first one uncovered and looked at the cover. There was an image of a  hot bodied Latin, dark skinned, woman standing naked in a kitchen. She had  huge, firm tits with really big almost black stiff nipples sticking out. She  had a smooth cunt that looked slick and wet. Her hands had white flower  residue on them and she was holding them up palms forward and smiling. The  title was printed where it looked like she was holding up the words. It was  called, "HOT LATIN MOMMAS". Could this possibly be any more of a  direct message to me after the "talk" I had with Al and Marta.    I couldn't wait to see the next one. As I was ripping off the covering of the  second one, there was a knock at the door, the door knob turned and in walked  Daniel. Rick looked at him and then at me. I put my hand on Rick's leg and  said, "It's OK, he is one of us." "Daniel, I'd like to  introduce Rick, my best friend.....Rick this is Daniel my new friend." I  told Rick that Daniel needed the escape actually more than we did, since he  would be stuck with his parents for 4 days. Rick patted the couch next to him  and said, "Get comfortable and have a seat." Daniel quickly  stripped off his clothes, showing Rick his pale, smooth, muscular twink body  and his hanging big twink cock. The difference between Daniel and Rick was  like night and day. Rick being dark skinned Latin and Daniel a pale White  boy, it was striking to see them sitting next to each other on the couch  naked. I was thinking that this could be a good introduction, since Rick and  Daniel were the same age. I went back to what I was doing and let those 2 get  to know each other.    Finally peeling the covering off the last magazine, I was presented with a  cover showing an image of another dark skinned Latin woman cupping her huge  tits and offering her big, dark nipples out for play. The title was "BIG  JUG LATINS". Now having seen the covers of both magazines, I knew this  was Al's tease and message to me about Marta, to keep the image of her hot  Latin mothers body on my mind. Since I had told Rick about my  "talk" and what happened, when I held up the magazines and told  Rick to look, he just grinned widely and said, "Nice ones." of  course being sarcastic and knowing exactly what was the intent.    Looking at Rick and Daniel, I could see they seemed to be getting along just  fine, in fact they were looking through the same magazine, "SWEATY LATIN  TRUCKERS". I noticed that both of their cocks were sticking straight up  in the air and twitching with their heart beats as they obviously liked the  images in the magazine. I heard Daniel say that he saw some graffiti in a  restroom that said something about "The Latin Snake" with a phone  number. Rick looked up at Daniel and then at me with a questioning look. I  just nodded my head yes as I assumed he wanted to know if he should tell or I  should. Since it was all about his father, I figured Rick should tell  anything he wanted Daniel to know.    Rick started to tell the story of "The Latin Snake" by saying that  he was his father. Daniel got wide eyed at that revelation. Rick told the  whole background of Al's desires and fetishes and why he had that nickname.  He explained what his Dad looked like, and that if he ever saw him, he  wouldn't soon forget what he saw, especially if he saw him naked. Daniel had a  confused look on his face so I spoke up and said that Al had a monster cock  that was over 12 inches soft and over 2 inches thick in diameter. The  combination of his huge muscular bodybuilders body and that monster cock made  him an unforgettable site.    While we were all wrapped up in discussing Al "The Latin Snake", I  noticed that Rick and Daniel were just as hot as I was talking about Al.  Daniel had moved his hand into Rick's lap and was gently stroking Rick's  foreskin up and down over the head of his cock. Every time he bared the pink  head, more cock juice would bubble out of the slit and the sliding foreskin  would spread it over his head. Daniel's cock head was drooling a stream of  cock juice down his shaft and both of them were breathing ragged and hard. I  started stroking my hard cock and teasing my nipples while watching their  interaction and telling them about my involvement with "The Latin  Snake". I noticed that both Rick's and Daniel's puffy nipples looked  swollen and needing attention. Rick's were dark brown and Daniel's were  bright pink. As if reading my mind, Rick's hand reached out and started  flicking Daniel's nipples, one then the other. Daniel would jerk and shiver  with each nipple flick and he pushed his chest toward Rick's fingers wanting more.  Watching them was better than looking at any magazine.    As I was finishing my telling of my first suck and fuck with Al, it really  didn't matter what I was saying. Rick and Daniel were hot and ready to go.  Daniel was now openly stroking Rick's throbbing cock and Rick was milking  Daniel's swollen nipples. I watched as Daniel leaned over and licked the wet  head of Rick's cock and then slid it into his mouth. Rick humped his hips up  to push more of his cock into Daniel's mouth. I laid back, working my stiff  nipples and stroking my cock while watching Daniel assault Rick's now wet and  slick cock with his mouth. Rick let him suck for a while, just moaning and  enjoying Daniel's mouth. He finally pulled Daniel's mouth off his cock and  leaned over against my stretched out body, putting his head almost even to my  pulsing cock. He pulled Daniel on top of him and they started grinding their  cocks against each other as they locked lips in a deep long kiss.All this as  my wet, drooling cock was right next to their heads.    After their long kiss, Daniel lifted up and swiped his tongue over the head  of my cock and then took the head in his mouth, swirling his tongue around  the head. I just grabbed both of my now stiff, long nipples and pulled on  them, enjoying Daniel's wet mouth. It was obvious that Daniel knew how to  suck cock and loved doing it. Rick took advantage of Daniel's lifting his  body and latched his mouth around one of Daniel's pink, swollen nipples,  sucking it hard, causing Daniel to moan around my cock. All this grinding and  sucking was getting us really cranked up. Daniel pulled himself of my cock  and Rick off his nipple and stood up, looking down at us naked and horny on  the couch in front of him. With a totally lustful gaze, he said, "I want  you to use me." "I want you to fill me".    Daniel laid on his back in the middle of the living room floor, one hand  pulling at his swollen nipples, the other stroking his rock hard cock. He  looked up at us and said, "Fill me." We couldn't deny this hot  twink what he wanted. We got off the couch and Rick got between his legs and  I got at his head. Rick started rubbing his cock juice wet cock head on  Daniel's hole as I rubbed my drooling cock across his lips, after which he  licked his lips and moaned "More". I put my cock to his lips and  gently pushed. He opened his mouth and my cock slid in. He started working  his mouth and tongue on my cock as Rick started pushing his wet cock head  against his pucker. Hearing Daniel moan around my cock, Rick looked down and  saw his pucker twitch and then start to open like a mouth. His cock slid  easily into Daniel all the way. Rick just left it buried all the way to let  Daniel get used to it for a bit. He watched Daniel sucking away at my cock  like a mad man.    Not being able to wait any longer, Rick started long, deep strokes in and out  of Daniel, leaning over occasionally to suck hard on one of Daniel's pink,  swollen nipples. The rest of the time, Rick and I were on our knees, pumping  in and out of Daniel at both ends, reaching out and teasing each other's  nipples and seeing Daniel flicking and pulling at his nipples as we owned his  mouth and ass. All 3 of us were starting to show the heat of the situation as  both Rick and I were dripping sweat onto Daniel's sweaty slick body. The  sound in the room was loud as we all 3 were grunting and groaning. While Rick  was pumping Daniel's ass, he stroked Daniel's steel hard cock, smearing his  drooling cock juice all over the shaft. It seemed like we had been using  Daniel for the longest time when Rick started to moan and so did Daniel.  Daniel's ass muscles were twitching and gripping at Rick's cock as Daniel's  cock juice started to rise out of his balls. Next came the eruption of  Daniel's cock juice, shooting multiple squirts into the air and splashing back  on his stomach and chest. His ass muscles clenching and gripping during his  blast off, milked Rick's thrusting cock and he was next to blast squirt after  squirt into Daniel's tight hole. I couldn't handle watching all this juice  blasting and my cock erupted into Daniel's mouth and he hungrily gobbled it  all down. As we started to come down from our cock juice eruptions, Rick and  I were thinking alike as we leaned over and both licked up all of Daniel's  cock juice and swallowed it down. Share and share alike. We all gave each  other something. After that we disconnected from Daniel's sweat covered body  and we all collapsed on the floor right where we were and ended up falling  asleep in a pile, completely drained and worn out.    This was just the first few hours of our boys holiday. Could we survive the  rest? It will sure be fun trying. I think "Boy's Night In" was off  to a hot, wet start.........

[reconditarmonia]

Dear Chocolate Box 2021 Author

Hi! Thank you for writing for me! I’m reconditarmonia here and on AO3. I have anon messaging off, but mods can contact me with any questions.

Elsinore | Fullmetal Alchemist | The Locked Tomb | Motherland: Fort Salem | Simoun

General likes:

– Relationships that aren’t built on romance or attraction. They can be romantic or sexual as well, but my favorite ships are all ones where it would still be interesting or compelling if the romantic component never materialized.

– Loyalty kink! Trust, affectionate or loving use of titles, gestures of loyalty, replacing one’s situational or ethical judgment with someone else’s, risking oneself (physically or otherwise) for someone else, not doing so on their orders. Can be commander-subordinate or comrades-in-arms.

– Heists, or other stories where there’s a lot of planning and then we see how the plan goes.

– Femslash, complicated or intense relationships between women, and female-centric gen. Women doing “male” stuff (possibly while crossdressing).

– Stories whose emotional climax or resolution isn’t the sex scene, if there is one.

– Uniforms/costumes/clothing.

– Stories, history, and performance. What gets told and how, what doesn’t get told or written down, behavior in a society where everyone’s consuming media and aware of its tropes, how people create their personas and script their own lines.

General DNW: rape/dubcon, torture, other creative gore; unrequested AUs, including “same setting, different rules” AUs such as soulmates/soulbonds; PWP; food sex; embarrassment; focus on pregnancy; Christmas/Christian themes; focus on unrequested canon or non-canon ships; unrequested trans versions of characters.

Smut Likes: clothing, uniforms, sexual tension, breasts, manual sex, cunnilingus, grinding, informal d/s elements, intensity.

Requesting fic; open to art treats!

—

Fandom: Elsinore

Relationship(s): Hamlet & Ophelia; Hamlet & Horatio & Ophelia; Bernardo & Hamlet & Laertes & Ophelia

I found the friendships in this game, and the different ways that characters can reconcile or try to find a way forward together, to be really sweet and moving, and I'd love to read something that focused on those relationships of trust and support. I like how important Ophelia and Horatio's counsel and friendship is in timelines where Hamlet becomes king; I like Hamlet regretting how he behaved towards Ophelia and striving to live through his depression and find out what it is that he wants, not what everyone else wants of him; I like seeing childhood friends Bernardo and Laertes and Ophelia and Hamlet, whose growing-up has stretched them so far apart, taking time to catch up and enjoy each other's company a little.

So, futurefic in one of the timelines where everything doesn't go to shit? A timeline that we don't see? (There is something narratively interesting to me in Permanence/Passion in that the entire plot of Hamlet ends up as a distant backstory to someone's full life; I don't know how compatible that idea is with these requests, but if you want to write any of these groups fucking off to Italy or Constantinople or London and living until the Elsinore pressure-cooker is a distant memory, I'd be just as happy with that as with fic about them building some kind of future together still in Denmark, trying to make it better for its people and to hold on to who they are as individuals, and friends, beyond their roles.) If you want to write Hamlet/Ophelia, Hamlet/Horatio, or for that matter Horatio/Bernardo as shippy, I'm fine with that, but I don't want a focus on the romantic aspects of their relationship.

Fandom-Specific DNW: death of requested characters within the timeline being explored, or focus on death of requested characters. These characters die in this game a lot and I don't need you to pretend entirely that it's not a time loop game, but I would like them to be happy. If you write the Bernardo & Hamlet & Laertes & Ophelia request, I'm fine with either or both names/pronouns for Bernardo|Katherine, but I don't want to read a story focused on their gender or coming-out. Please don't include Peter Quince as a character (you do not need to retcon, you know, the existence of the time loop).

—

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Relationship(s): Maria Ross/Olivier Mira Armstrong

I'll admit: I am a shallow, shallow person who loves the heartwarming and id-satisfying Briggs loyalty-kink complex (The watch! Buccaneer handing Olivier a clean pair of gloves after she kills Raven! Constant and deeply sincere saluting! Olivier’s explanation of why she wants Miles around and her lack of patience for anyone’s shit) but would like an f/f manifestation of it for actual shipping. Post-canon or AU where Maria is assigned to Briggs, or works for Olivier in Central? Does Maria foil a plot against Olivier, or Olivier save Maria's life in battle? Does Olivier order Maria into a firefight? Hit me.

Fandom-Specific DNW: Olivier/men, even mentioned.

—

Fandom: The Locked Tomb

Relationship(s): Abigail Pent & Dulcinea Septimus; Gideon the First & Matthias Nonius

Dulcie and Nonius were two of my favorite additions to the cast in Harrow the Ninth (and Dulcie in "Doctor Sex" via letter). I loved everything we learned about Dulcie - her wit, her quick thinking in a pinch when confronted by Cytherea and her secret to Harrow. I found her "The only thing preventing me from being exactly who I wanted..." speech both genuinely moving and very funny, and I love her thirst for revenge. What else might she and Abigail Pent, "independent research? it isn't even my birthday!" daredevil spirit-talker par excellence who has just conjured up a ghost out of an epic poem, get up to after Harrow's bubble collapses? Or what were they up to when they weren't on screen in Harrow's dream, putting together this whole, well, play?

Nonius's arrival, entire scene, and departure to fight the Beast made me very, very happy on levels I have trouble explaining. It was so heartwarming?! Because it was impossible, and because poetry won, and because they went off to do the best they could...I don't know, exactly. I'd love to read either more about his mysterious past with Gideon the First, or about their second encounter as allies (throw in Marta, Ortus and Pro if you like as well!)

Fandom-Specific Exception: to my unrequested ships DNW, Dulcie/Cam & Dulcie/Pal. I love their three strand thing.

—

Fandom: Motherland: Fort Salem

Relationship(s): Abigail Bellweather/Raelle Collar

I fell hard for this show and Abigail/Raelle is the ship I’m most excited about - they get off to a bad start for all kinds of personal history reasons and have problems with each other, but when it gets down to the wire Abigail would do anything for Raelle and is very gung-ho about having Raelle’s unconventional but extremely powerful magic under her leadership, regardless of Raelle being a loose cannon. She told her she loved her!! <3 And by the end, Raelle also clearly knows what Abigail's going through (like when she talks her down in "Citydrop"), respects her leadership, and cares deeply about her and wants to protect her in return. I love that loyalty dynamic, and their competence as fighters/witches.

Physical combat, strength in general, magical strength, ability to work magic together, knowledge of the magical canon vs. out-of-the-box techniques...what parts of their skills and their bond could be challenged in the weird dimension that the end of season 1 leaves them in? Or when they get back home and new challenges await? (In my head, the decision not to send them to War College is not revoked; the unit becomes some kind of special-forces secret strike team rather than cannon fodder.) Maybe something where Raelle goes/has gone into a fight as a berserker-type for Abigail and then comes back to her, or where Abigail protects/has protected her soldier (her girl!! I love her protectiveness of Raelle towards the other cadets, imagine it in a battle!)? Or an arranged marriage AU where it's usual for witch soldiers to marry to combine their magic power or something...

I would also be up for smut for them, especially something d/s-y where the loyalty-kinky dynamic of Raelle being Abigail's weapon, at her command, is echoed in sex!

Fandom-Specific DNW: sex solely for magical purposes without an emotional connection (sex for magical purposes is fine), focus on Raylla (I don't need you to retcon it, but please don't dwell either on Raelle still having feelings for Scylla or on her getting over Scylla for Abigail), Scylla bashing, Abigail/Adil (I would prefer to imagine, if he is mentioned in the fic, that they’re just friends).

—

Fandom: Simoun

Relationship(s): Aer/Neviril; Aer/Neviril & Neviril/Paraietta; Aer/Neviril/Paraietta; Aer & Floef & Neviril & Paraietta & Rodoreamon & Vyuraf

Aer, and Aer/Neviril, really grew on me on my recent rewatch. I appreciated her more as the determined bit-of-a-loose-cannon, who grows into a respected role in the choir, than the manic pixie this time, and noted Neviril's comments about how she was drawn to Aer's determination. (I've written a lot more about what I love and am interested in about Neviril and the show in general, her journey of figuring out what it means to her exactly to lead an air force, here.) I'd love to know what happens to them post-canon - what is the "new world" and their travel in it like? It's an escape for them, sure, but what are they escaping to, not just from? Are there problems there, too?

I'd also be up for a poly situation where Neviril is involved with both Aer and Paraietta, her long-loyal second-in-command whom she's blessed and forgiven, as a V where they're friends or as a triangle where Aer and Paraietta are also involved (I don't quite know what that leg of the triangle would look like but I do like how they work together in battle even when they're shown as having personal issues.)

If Neviril and Aer make it back to the main world when war is brewing again, as at the end of the series, but their old cohort can't fly anymore, what do they see their role as being? Does Neviril see herself as a leader for peace, for war, for something else? How do they interact with their former squadmates, whether as part of a more plotty piece or not?

I could be interested in explicit fic for this canon, as an option - the series is, on some level, about the contrast between the reality and physicality of their bodies and the general perception of what they do (which even in its non-spiritual military capacity is removed from a connection to their bodies via the Simoun aircraft), about becoming an adult, and of course about gender.

Fandom-Specific DNW: I'm not really interested in Kaim and Alty and would prefer for them not to appear or for their backstory to come up. I would also not like to see pre-timeskip Dominuura/Limone.

[innumerablemuses-a]

Mobile Version: Canon Characters

(For those that can’t view the page due to being mobile or other issues!)

FOR OC’S, REFER TO HERE--> oc muses

» AXIMILI-ESGARROUTH-ISTHILL -------ANIMORPHS

Younger brother to Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Aximili had feared of always living in his older brother's shadows, despite the warmth and affection the two shared, especially as he had always looked up to Elfangor. His brother was a war hero against the Yeerks, an species that sought to bring control over every world they can for hosts (for the Yeerks are parasites by nature, and in need of hosts to live beyond the world of sludgy pools that, in essence, were their very reason for staying alive). But as any younger sibling would, Aximili would hope to one day outshine his brother.

Little did he know that he would get to in a very nasty way; he would end up becoming the sole survivor on the Andalite fleet ship GalaxyTree, crashing into the alien world's oceans where he had to wait for months before he could be rescued. And that rescue were done by those that his brother would break the ultimate code before dying... the Animorphs, a group of Earthling kids who were the only ones to fight the Yeerks while needing to wait roughly over a year before Andalites would be able to send help.

Many battles had been won, several more were lost. Aximili had served the leader of the Animorphs as well as he can, the one he would call Prince Jake. After a little while, he had begun to truly accept them, and had become a loyal member to fight the Yeerks. After the final battle, and a uneasy solution was truly found between the Yeerks and the rest of the galaxy, Aximili was able to stand in the same spotlight that his own brother had stood. While it didn't bring him the joy that he had expected long ago, he felt as though he could be content, knowing that his brother was proud for what Ax had managed to accomplish.

VERSES:: Mass Effect (tba) Dragon Ball Z/Super (tba)

» CYNDER -------LEGEND OF SPYRO

Cynder was born in the same clutch of dragon eggs that Spyro was in during the Year of the Dragon, making her and Spyro the same age. On the night the Dark Armies raided the Dragon Temple, the Ape King Gaul kidnapped Cynder's egg, choosing her to be the dragon who would free the essence of the Dark Master, Malefor, from his prison in the Convexity. She was corrupted by Malefor's dark powers shortly after hatching, which transformed her into a monstrous and horrific adult dragon brainwashed to do Malefor's bidding. But after being freed from his control and brought back by Spyro would Cynder truly begin to be her own dragon.

It took a lot of soul-searching, as she had been plagued by the guilt of everything she had done by the bidding of Malefor, one in which many creatures wouldn't let her forget. But after overcoming her past demons and rising to the challenge at Spyro's side, she was able to conquer not only her own self-doubt but to put to rest what had once been her sole purpose of living; Malefor's defeat.

While she has truly strong feelings for the purple dragon, Cynder would still struggle to find the words to form a summary of how much she loves him. Even after Malefor's final defeat and being dragged into the central gem by the ancestral dragons, confessing a simple uttered confession as she refused to leave him to mend the world that was breaking apart, she's unsure if he truly recuperated her feelings. But she intends to continue to remain at his side, whether as merely a best friend or more.

VERSES::  Wings of Fire (tba)

» GIG -------SOUL NOMAD AND THE WORLD EATERS

"The destroyer of everything!

        The commander of the World Eaters!

                            But hell, you can call me Gig."

Gig is the Master of Death, a powerful entity hailing from the world called Drazil that was sent to the world of Haephnes, under orders by the rulers of Drazil to wreck havoc and to send as many souls from that world to the other as he could. While he certainly did accomplish the goal in some regards, he did it with a kind of savage glee that had nothing to do with it being his job. However, Haephnes had a fair number of heroes that would rise to the challenge; in such, one would come to fight Gig when others had failed. And that was the original Layna (with the aid of Virtuous), who would sacrifice her very soul so that the Master of Death would lose his body and become sealed in the Onyx Blade. For the next two hundred years, he had remained sealed, and the three World Eater titans that served him were put into a sleep.

However, things would not stay peaceful, especially as the rulers of Drazil were impatient for their need for more souls to come to their world. The three sleeping World Eaters were waking and would resume their havoc without Gig commanding them. Soon, Lady Layna (the body in which would come to house Virtuous but had kept the name of the original owner) had to find someone who could not only wield the Onyx Blade, but as well as keep Gig in check who wouldn't stop at taking over the body and forming himself anew. That would come to the one called Revya. As the one who would wield him would slowly uncover throughout the journey to stop the three World Eaters though, Gig was so much more than the eye would see.

AU Verses;; Dragon Ball Z/Super

» KID -------CHRONO CROSS

Talented as a thief and a world traveler, Kid always appears to be a carefree individual who took what she'd need (unless of course the other totally deserves to lose all their coins, then she'll take a lot more). But back before her chosen lifestyle, she was found as an baby orphan and had been raised by Lucca, who'd form an orphanage where she took in other homeless children. Up until she was eleven years old, she had a good life, until tragedy struck; the orphanage was burned down by an demi-human name Lynx along with his ally called Harle. Lucca was killed in the process, and most of the other kids would drift off to find another life, leaving her to fend for herself where she sword to herself that she'll get her revenge on Lynx.

However, there's a lot more to her than a petty criminal with a scarred childhood memory; Kid is the daughter-clone of Schala, a woman who was bound to the old entity called Lavos, though upon absorbing the woman would become the Dream Devourer. Having feared for what little mind she had as she was slowly corrupted while bound to the entity, she had opted instead to send the part of herself that could be saved out as a clone, which resulted in Kid being born, given the pendant that was the family's heirloom, and sent to Lucca on purpose rather than simply found by chance.

Having saved a guy named Serge, Kid would attach herself to his company; after having overheard the Acasia Dragoons were looking for him by the orders of Lynx to apprehend the 'ghost boy', she knew that Serge would be the best chance she'd get to finding the demi-human that had destroyed her childhood, killing Lucca whom she regarded as close to a mother as one could get. From there, history was in for a lot of alternations.

VERSES:: Final Fantasy 7 (tba) Final Fantasy 9 (tba)

» TENEBRAE -------TALES OF SYMPHONIA: DAWN OF A NEW WORLD

The Centurion of Darkness, one of the eight elements, servant to Lord Ratatosk, Tenebrae is a well-mannered creature who governs over the element as well as those that used darkness as their element. Like the rest of the servants, he had been slumbering and rarely interacting with anyone outside of the small group as well as Lord Ratatosk. However, things would change when two humans would come along into the world of Ginnungagap, at first to warn Lord Ratatosk of the world's mana crisis, though things would escalate, resulting in one human in being killed, driving the other to kill the summon spirit. Lord Ratatosk was reduced to his core state, and before the remaining human could destroy it, Tenebrae had awoken, taken the core, and fled to the surface to save him.

Meeting Marta on the surface, who wanted to keep the core of Ratatosk safe from the Vanguard who also wanted the summon spirit's core, Tenebrae would team up with her, developing a kind of admiration for the girl. When they were separated in the city of Palmacosta during what would become known to history as 'the Blood Purge', Tenebrae would come to find Marta with a fake core attached to her forehead, and the real core had taken on a human guise so as to hide in plain sight. Understanding the situation, Tenebrae wouldn't reveal any of this to Marta, or, later on, to the man called Emil until nearly the end, who would turn out to be the guise of Ratatosk... in the image of the last human he killed.

Filled with information and facts, Tenebrae had proven to be both an infallible source of knowledge as well as brimming with useless facts. Oftentimes he'll inform the group of tidbits of knowledge (whether they wanted it or not), though there are times that his spiteful side would make him less than helpful.

» CAPTAIN BENJAMIN FRANKLIN “HAWKEYE” PIERCE -------M*A*S*H

Born and raised in Crabapple Cove, Maine, Hawkeye is the son of Dr. Daniel Pierce, and an only child. His nickname "Hawkeye" was given him by his father, taken from the name of a character in the novel The Last of the Mohicans, the only book Hawkeye's father ever read. He doesn't remember much about his mother, as she had died very early in his life, and it's little wonder that he is as close to his father as he is.

After his medical residency in Boston, Hawkeye is drafted into the Army and assigned to the 4077th MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) during the Korean War. Between long, intense sessions of treating wounded soldiers, he makes the best of his life in the isolated Army camp by indulging in heavy drinking, carousing, and pulling pranks on the people around him, particularly Majors Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan, which later on would include Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, when Frank leaves.

Hawkeye proved time and again to be an excellent surgeon, which was rewarded by Colonel Blake when he was reluctantly appointed Chief Surgeon, much to Frank and Margaret's disgust; a warranted visit from General Barker eventually convinces him that Blake made the right decision. He has a very strong moral code, and often questions the validity of the war and why they're all there in the first place. He loathes racism and is angered whenever someone else uses ethnic slurs.

» LEO -------JUNGLE TAITEI/THE NEW ADVENTURES OF KIMBA THE WHITE LION (1989)

Strong, passionate about freedom and justice, and never backing down from what he believes to be right, Leo is a fierce lion who tries to be friendly as well as offer advice as needed. However he wasn’t immune to flaws - he has one hell of a temper when pushed to the brink, as well as indecisive when it comes to whether following his father’s teachings or doing it his own way. Sometimes he struggles with the identity that animals associate him to (his father’s) and his own.

Leo is an rarity among all lions - like his father Panja, he was born with a white coat. With only a tuft of black at the end of his tail and the tips of his ears black, he was the spitting image of his own father. However, Leo would never meet his father and would only know his mother for a short time. Before he was born, Leo’s father had been the ruler of the jungle, always thwarting humans that would dare come to his territory to hunt his subjects as well as keeping order and harmony. But his pelt was greedily sought for by many poachers, which more often than not was the reason they would come to the jungle in the first place. This event would happen before Leo's birth.

Born on a human ocean ship that was taking his mother overseas in the hopes that the cubs she bore would have the father's white coat, Leo had only known that small world for a much shorter length of time. Eriza would tell him stories about his father, how strong and brave Panja was as he would protect the innocent and would do everything in his power to do right. This would fuel Leo’s morals as he wanted to be just like his father, and even when he did eventually make it back to the jungle, his mother's stories would still inspire him, despite much of his early memories growing hazy over time and age.

VERSES:: Kung Fu Panda (tba)

» SOREN (BOOK INTERPRETATION) -------GUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE

Soren, a male barn owl, (Tyto alba), leader of “The Band”. Soren was born in the Kingdom of Tyto, where he lived with his father, Noctus, his mother, Marella, his older brother, Kludd, his younger sister, Eglantine, and the family’s nest snake Mrs. Horace Plithiver. He was snatched by patrols from St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls after somehow falling from the nest, a terrible place filled with owlets that were similarly snatched from their families, most never having been orphaned. The purpose of this 'academy' was to moonblink owlets and making them do many various tasks as mindless slaves, from hatching snatched eggs to picking apart pellets to find what were called 'flecks'. He later escaped with his friend Gylfie and together the two met Twilight then Digger before journeying to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

It's later revealed, after rejoining with his nest maid Mrs. Horace Plithiver, or better known as Mrs. P., that Kludd had pushed him out of the nest on purpose. And it would be much later on that killing a member of one's family was part of the initiation process of joining the Pure Ones. And someday, Soren would come face to face with his brother, who had achieved much more ambition since officially joining the Pure Ones, under the alias Metal Beak after having taken over as leader of the Pure Ones, with his mate and second-in-command, Nyra.

After joining the the owls of the Ga'Hoole Tree, Soren and the band were put into groups of owls that were named 'chaws', each chaw specialized in specific talents. The Barnowl was double-chawed in weather interpretation and colliering, meaning that he was to not only learn how to fly in any weather, but to also learn to collect coals so as to stoke the fires of the Ga'Hoole Tree. This would be when he would soon be taken under wing by the ryb (teacher) of this particular chaw, Ezylryb.

VERSES:: Kung Fu Panda (tba)

» GIN -------GINGA NAGAREBOSHI GIN

Gin, second-generation leader of the Ou Army, inheriting the position from his father Riki after the battle with Akakabuto and his massive army of bears. Gin is a silver-brindled Akita dog, which are some of the most prized dogs to track and kill bears, said to be the strongest of the Akita dog breeds. The man that had raised Riki and the whole line that Riki had descended from, known as Grandfather by many, had taken Gin as a puppy to train him after losing Riki down a chasm while hunting down the massive murderous bear known as Akakabuto. Enduring many months of tough training that many wouldn’t considering putting a dog through much less a pup, Gin had grown into a strong young dog. He was just as determined to defeat Akakabuto as Takeda Gohee (Grandfather), for killing his father.

Soon following comes the event where Gin would come across a pack of wild dogs that were gathering recruits for their army, as ordered by their mysterious leader. One of the generals known as Cross would tell him to go home, but Gin was determined to join the pack, eventually able to meet the leader. It was with great surprise that it was his own father, Riki! However, the leader had suffered from loss of memories due to the fall in the chasm, only holding onto the vague memories he had of the fight with Akakabuto. After the end of the war with Akakabuto, Gin is now the leader of one of the greatest pack of Japan, having gathered some of the best fighters that had joined to bring down the strongest and dangerous bear. There was now only peace…

Gin is a natural born leader with a lot of charisma, known for being brave and strong. He has a strong sense of justice and wants to protect his friends and all those who are unable to protect themselves. He isn't afraid to die for his friends or his mission that he believes in. Mostly due to the training during young age, he became more mature than most dogs of his age and is mentally strong and unlikely to give up, which means that he isn't all that playful and tends to be quite serious. Though he can sometimes joke around with close friends like Smith, even if it's done a more shy way, given that it doesn't come as naturally to him.

» LARA CROFT -------RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER

Resilient, strong-willed, open-minded, Lara Croft has come a long way from the days where she didn't believe in the supernatural and had been a far more timid but energetic girl; several events had come to help her open her eyes to the world on a far larger scale and come to accept that the world is far more than the modern day will reveal. She is confident with her ability to adapt and respond to situations, especially in a life-and-death situation where it would have otherwise killed someone else.

It's not to say that she doesn't have issues that would come having to experience everything that she had. Lara is always fighting with her personal demons at having to kill in order to survive, though she will always rationalize it in the mere fact that if she hadn't done as she had, she wouldn't be alive today, and would do so again, especially when her friends are in trouble - after having lost her mother to an illness, and then her father through the actions of the organization called Trinity, she has come to deeply care for those that she grows close to.

She has but one main purpose for all the travels she endures; to thrawt the same organization that had killed her father and framed it as a suicide, though it's not as simple as wanting revenge. This organization is dangerous because they have goals to change the world, and they would do it with any means of an artifact that holds such powers. If she can reach the artifact first and keep it out of their hands, it would be plenty enough until she can start wiping out the cells of the organization, however she can.

» ALEX FIERRO -------MAGNUS CHASE AND THE GODS OF ASGARD (PERCY JACKSON UNIVERSE)

Alex Fierro is a gender-fluid einherji, a child of Loki, and an astonishingly powerful shapeshifter. When he first arrives in Hotel Valhalla—identifying as male at the moment—he turns into a cheetah, destroys his room, and attacks his new hall mates. Later, she (female now) transforms into a weasel and tries to escape the hotel. She finally appears in her human form: a hauntingly attractive teenager of slender build with facial features that closely resemble Loki’s, minus the scars. She wears layers of pink-and-green clothes—skinny green pants, a pink-and-green sweater-vest, rose-colored high-top sneakers, and a second sweater, also pink, tied around her waist. Her hair is green with black roots, and she has one dark brown eye and one amber-colored eye.

Alex’s parentage arouses suspicion at first, much as her half-sister Samirah al-Abbas’s did when she first came to Hotel Valhalla. In time, Alex proves herself to be a trustworthy addition to floor nineteen’s group. She’s a fearless fighter, wielding her weapon of choice—a garrote made from a wooden-handled clay-cutting wire—with terrifying efficiency. She helps Sam to see her own shapeshifting ability as an asset and to resist their father’s mind control. After years of being shunned for who she is, Alex holds most people at arm’s length. But she comes to trust Magnus, and ultimately allows him to get closer to her than anyone has for a long time.

» MERLIN JAMES MACKINTOSH QWILLERAN (QWILL) -------"THE CAT WHO..." BOOK SERIES BY (LATE) LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN FACECLAIM;;ARAKAWA (THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA)

Qwill is a resident of a place called Mooseville (400 miles north of everywhere), his past work history including being a crime reporter and writing news columns in many major cities, as well as an author to the book "City of Brotherly Crime". He had only recently become a millionaire (or billionaire) from a fluke of his family's friend leaving him as her sole heir upon her death. However, he had retained his thrifty tendencies and is reluctant to spend the money on himself.

Setting up what's called the Klingenschoen Foundation to distribute his wealth among the community, the town is ever improving and hails him as a local hero despite being previously an outsider. Now he's a column writer for the recent newspaper owned by his best friend Riker (whom in which was at the behest of Qwill) called the "Moose Country Something", posted two times a week and often always in need of a new story.

Koko, his ever extraordinary cat, is a well-known figure among the police force and Qwill's close friends. Digging into cases that stumps the police force, he had been able to solve many cases, some in which were thought to be closed years before, having Qwill follow the clues and leads Koko would reveal, all the while not showing more than catly whims. It is unclear to the poor human whether it's all just coincidences, or if the cat is smarter than he'd ever know.

» ACORNA -------"ACORNA THE UNICORN GIRL" BY (LATE) ANNE MCCAFFREY AND MARGARET BALL

An alien girl found drifting in an escape pod in space as an infant, she was raised by three human asteroid miners, Gil, Rafik and Calum, who would all regard her at first a curiosity before coming to love her as a shared daughter. They would name her Acorna, partly because of the growing golden spiral of horn on her forehead as well as the quatrant of space they’ve found her, where they named mineral-bearing asteroids with the letter ‘A’. Her deformities were unique to humans; the horn, her cloven feet, furred legs as well as her four fingers that lacked a third joint were all part of what seemed to be her unique being.

In the very short years that her foster fathers were caring for her, she had been targetted by several various people for their own reasons. Scientists wanted to study her, doctors wanted to "fix" her deformities, and even Rafik's own uncle wanted to have her as part of his collection of rarities. But she had grown up far faster than anyone could imagine, including reaching her maturity at around a mere five years. Those that sought her out, only a few of them would want to have her on their side for the good of others.

This would lead her to meeting another very successful man by the name of Delszaki Li, who wanted her to be the center of the plan to eliminate child labor on his world Kezdet - this, in which, would ultimately be her true beginnings of her legacy that went beyond her mere strange appearance. After the cruel practice had finally broken up and freed the children to be taken to a new home that would help them learn to live a true life, Acorna found that she had truly made a difference. And she'd only want to continue to do so, even when the search for her people would be on everyone's minds.

» ELIZA THORNBERRY -------THE WILD THORNBERRIES

Eliza is a young girl who has a family that travels the world, their quest to find animals for their parent's show "Nigel Thornberry's Wild Show", to share the wonders and facts about these amazing animals to the rest of the world. Elixa is the youngest sister, with her sister Debbie who's five years older. They are also accompanied by the wild child they named Donnie, and a chimpanzee that's named Darwin. This particular child had always ever known the comveee life of traveling and has extensive knowledge on animals thanks to her parents. In all definition, she's a nerd, right down to having braces and glasses.

But there is one secret that she has, one that she must keep to herself from other people if she wants to keep the power; the ability to talk to animals.

Making friends with animals had become a lot easier when one could understand them, and they in turn knows that there was one enthusiastic human that would listen to them. Sometimes, this power had brought more trouble than good; predators attempting to take advantage of her, involving the young girl in troubles that she'd be well over her head with.

There is only one other person that had come to know her secret (a struggle that had briefly rendered her without this power), and that's her big sister Debbie. The teen has always had trouble understanding her younger sister and her obsession with animals, not when she's struggling with wanting to be normal. But now? She sort of understood, especially when her sister had lost the power in order to save Debbie's life.

» LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR -------LUCIFER (NETFLIX SERIES)

The Devil, Satan, Old Scratch, Lucifer is known by many names, all feared and hated by humanity (except for the better minded individuals who don't blindly follow his father's little book). Having been forced to rule Hell for countless millennium when his take-over for Heaven had failed, resulting him to be banished, he longed to break free of this forced imprisonment. And one day, it would bring him to Los Angeles, becoming the owner of his own nightclub that he named Lux. His closest friend, personal bodyguard and longtime servant, Mazikeen, would follow him out, devoted to the fallen angel though determined to return him to Hell one day... for his own good, as well as the good of keeping Hell in check. With excessive reluctance, she would cut off his wings when ordered to.

The last few years, he had made himself a reputation, all the while not even attemptin to hide who he was from the world. Most humans assumed that either he changed his name to 'Lucifer Morningstar' so as to make his club all the more interesting, or his parents were anti-Christ supporters, which in either case amused him. However, even while he parties hard and has certainly kept his bedroom skills regularly tested, Lucifer is and always has been a punisher. The wicked needs to be punished; this was perhaps one of the reasons he was sent to Hell, not just because he tried to overthrow his father.

Circumstances worked in his favor as, when one of those that made a deal with him long ago returned to thank him for all he's done for her had been shot and killed in a drive-by, it would eventually lead him directly in the path of one Detective Decker. Instantly intruiged by her and her ability to resist his ability of persuasion that had made almost every being except angels to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets, he'd also secure himself a spot as a 'civilian consultant', working with the police, though more specifically, with Chloe.

» RICHARD B. RIDDICK (RIDDICK) -------PITCH BLACK // THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK

Riddick is a man of many skills, with a reputation that makes him a highly wanted criminal in all the universe, enough where the bounty on his head is within a million's worth. Yet he won't hide what he is, going so far as to introduce himself as 'escaped convict, murderer', just to keep people on their toes. He has no desire to get close to people; everyone he'd dare to care about often gets killed despite his best efforts, so he'll keep everyone at an arm's distance.

Born a Furian on the world Furya, his people would be massacred on whole by a Necromonger that was warned that a male Furian would be his downfall; Riddick has dim memories of the events, of being strangled with supposedly his mother's umbilical cords and left among the bodies. It's unclear who had found him and taken him off-planet to raise him, and he pushed those memories deep down where he had almost forgotten them until later on, when facing the very same Necromonger who became the leader of the Necromongers.

As soon as he was old enough, he joined the Company as a ranger, learning to pilot ships and to be a sweeper (those who worked in the tunnels to draw out hidden predators). He quickly earned his promotions to join the Strikeforce academy, learning to be an efficent soldier. But the more he worked for the Company as an enforcer, the more corruption he found, and had attempted to speak out against them with evidence to boost. Needless to say, the evidence was destroyed and he was sent off to prison called Deep Storage. This was where his criminal life began, and within the next few years, he escaped the prison and earned his first million credit bounty. He'd since then been on the run, dodging mercs and bounty hunters, oftentimes captured and sent to a prison only to escape it later. Riddick had killed enough people to earn the fear of one prison system that wouldn't want him in their system again.

At some point, he came to be hunted once again after hiding out on a world of literal ice and snow, learning that this bounty was put on his head by someone he thought he could trust. Events would follow that it was an attempt to get his attention and to recruit him into the struggle against the very people that had killed most of his own kind... one he had refused at first. That it wasn't his fight. Yet... fight he did, and while it was because of him that the Necromongers would be stopped by their very rule, "You keep what you kill", it came with a very heavy cost.

He was leader for a brief time with the Necromongers, but within the next few years, he'd disappear once again, leaving the throne for Vaako to take. No one knows why he left.

No one knows what this meant. Except, perhaps, that the hunt was on yet again for the bounty on his head that never went away. Just no one was foolish enough to attempt to take it until he was no longer surrounded by an army.

» RAVENPAW -------"WARRIORS" BY ERIN HUNTER

As a kit born in ThunderClan, Ravenpaw had great ambitions to become just as amazing as a warrior like the older cats. Almost every kit would hope to be the greatest warrior, perhaps even become leader of the clan one day. When his sixth moon had come, making him old enough to become an apprentice and have his name changed from Ravenkit to Ravenpaw, he was given perhaps the most strongest warrior of the clan as his mentor, Tigerclaw. While the great warrior would push him hard in training, Ravenpaw had been honored to have someone like Tigerclaw. He strived as hard as he could to be the best apprentice he could be for the tom, aware that praises would be few and far between.

But the honor would change to horror when, during a skirmish with RiverClan over a patrol in trying to reclaim Sunning Rocks as part of ThunderClan's territory once again, Ravenpaw witnessed a terrible crime. Even though the deputy of the clan, Redtail, had managed to kill the deputy of RiverClan Oakheart, driving the rest of the RiverClan patrol away, Tigerclaw had ordered Ravenpaw to run back to their camp to get help. Sneaking back, just to make sure that his mentor and the deputy were okay, he'd watch as Tigerclaw would suddenly attack Redtail, killing him with no remorse.

Ravenpaw would come to live in terror ever since returning back to camp, unable to tell the clan what he had witnessed, barely managing to get out that Redtail was dead before collapsing. When he would come to, Tigerclaw had returned, dragging Redtail with him, and proclaiming that during the skirmish with RiverClan that Oakheart was the one to kill the ThunderClan deputy, and that Tigerclaw had been the one to kill Oakheart. Unable to tell the truth now that his mentor had established his story, Ravenpaw could only pretend that he was still oblivious like the rest of the clan... but there was no way to be certain that he was truly safe.

» MAPLESHADE -------"WARRIORS" BY ERIN HUNTER

Mapleshade was once a loyal apprentice and a bold and skillful warrior of ThunderClan. It was believed by some that she would be leader one day. However, she made the tragic mistake of falling in love with a cat from RiverClan, named Appledusk. She kept this a secret by meeting him near the river, sneaking out at night with no cat noticing, but then one day she gave birth to his kits. The medicine cat Ravenwing eventually deduced that Appledusk was the father of Mapleshade's kits, which caused an uproar to ThunderClan and they banished Mapleshade and her kits from the Clan forever for betraying the warrior code. The former ThunderClan warrior had no choice but to cross the river along with her kits, but the swelled water swept them away. Mapleshade almost drowned trying to save them, but they were already gone even as a cat, Appledusk, had found her and dragged her to the other side. To her horror Appledusk blamed her for the accident. He wanted nothing more to do with Mapleshade, and RiverClan refused to let her stay, not even for just one night.

Alone now, from ThunderClan, RiverClan, and even Appledusk, the cat she loved most, Mapleshade had no choice but to live as a rogue. She felt a strong sense of hatred for RiverClan and ThunderClan, for the way they treated her. Her kits, too, were haunting her as spirits, crying out to her in wails without ever answering her. Deciding that this was a sign that she needed to take revenge, especially when a sympathizing apprentice who found her sick and had brought her herbs revealed some distressing news, the former warrior had sought out the three cats that had been the worst offenders - Ravenwing, the ThunderClan medicine cat that ousted her secret before its time, then afterwards Frecklewish, the ThunderClan warrior that could have helped her drowning kits but had chosen to do nothing, and finally Appledusk, for betraying her when she needed him most.

Ravenwing and Frecklewish had both been killed, catching the medicine cat at the Moonstone before killing her former friend the next day at Snackrocks with one of the adders trapped in the rocks. Capturing Appledusk’s apprentice Perchpaw to bring the RiverClan warrior to search for the young cat, she revealed herself and challenged him to a fight after accusing him for not saving their kits, which he said it was her fault, though he refused to fight initially. It was only when his pregnant RiverClan mate Reedshine came along and sent Mapleshade into a fury that he dodged into the she-cat’s claws when she attempted to kill Reedshine, killing him instead. His apprentice delivered a fatal bite to her neck, to which she would weaken and die even after fleeing the territory.

However... death was not the end for a vengeful spirit.

» FRANCIS -------FELIDAE

Francis is a very smart and cultured cat, very different from many other cats. He's involved in many adventures, because of his uncontrollable curiosity and desire to solve cases of murder that affect the cats community. Differently from many cats, Francis exhibits an exceptional intuit and intelligence that bring him to solve complicated cases to reveal the killer (or killers). One of his main features is that Francis doesn't hold back from personally facing the killer and has pointed how a true detective should ever have "sharp claws".

Francis has a pessimist mentality with great tenacity and morality, condemning the actions of many of the killers he has to face. This makes him a very complex being. He often shows witty moments of hilarity even when facing danger.  Francis also has a complex view of right and wrong. He does not condone killing but will kill to save his own life. During investigations he often approaches to understand the mentality of the murderers and despite condemning their action, Francis often pities when a being is turned into a monster by human actions or the hardness of fate.

In addiction to his deductive investigative skills, Francis often receive help from mysterious dreams that provide direct and/or indirect clues to solve cases. The reason and the origin of these dreams are never clearly explained and remains a mystery for Francis himself.

OTHER CHARACTERS I’VE BEEN CONSIDERING

Nanaki (Final Fantasy 7)

Cadence (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Gabby (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Thorax  (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) || Completely AU

[theglofiles]

How to please the spirits: Saint Edition Santa Martha

She is the wielder of the serpents, and all that is badass. Legend has said she protected a child from snakes that were sure to kill him, and made them her companions. She is the darkness, the mystery, the unflinching strength of womanhood. She is stealth and silence wrapped in green and purple, and I love her like she was my momma. Santa Marta is an incredible ally to have if you are trying to develop a backbone. She is the one who will put the heat on your tongue to make you speak up for yourself, or send a nasty wave of karma to those who dare to fuck with you. But she’s also the warmhearted friend that will remind you of your worth and check you into remembering who you are. She’s extremely gifted with witchcraft, and if ever there’s s need for protection, look no further than her altar.

Pleasing her can become one of the simplest of rituals if you allow yourself to get over the intimidating task of speaking to her. She can be very quiet, which can lead the inquiring spiritualist to feel like they’re doing wrong. But that’s just her; observing. Watching. Teaching you to do the same. She is also very honest. I can’t tell you the amount of times she’s told me ways I’m blocking myself, or that I need to clean my room, or has made something fall in my room thus make more of a mess to make me clean now. She’s funny like that (most spirits are!), but she is also not to be trifled with. When you make a promise to her, like with any spirit, make sure you understand what that entails. If you ask her for something, like abundance of wealth (which she manifests, QUICKLY), offer something back. Some material things she likes include coffee grounds, eggshells, rum, and purple flowers. Obviously these are things that are mostly very easy to come by; you can serve yourself a cup of morning bustelo & give her the grounds. If you’d like to offer something else, offer something more elevation based. Spirit guides love knowing they are helping you shirk away harmful habits, bringing you closer to your highesr self. Do something she has been suggesting to you. Meditate more. Dive into that bag of traumas you’ve been letting rot in the corner of your mind. Do more things that scare you and challenge your ego, for that is how you truly begin to blend with the universe…like she has. Be specific about the amount of time in which you will do/give whatever you offer, and allow it to manifest.

• BONDING WITH MARTHA •

The Colors Wear more purple! Its the color of royalty and divinity, and the main color of the crown chakra. Green is aligned with the heart chakra, and wearing a dark shade of it is sure to help you feel like an earthy goddess seeing growth Martha is usually depicted wearing purple and green, which are both ultra calming. Tune into your upper chakras and get groovy!

Meditating with Martha Sit in a comfortable position, preferably cross legged, and sit as still as you can. Measure your breaths evenly, and feel a column of white light fill you, flooding out of your body. Contrary to popular believe, you don’t have to play Palo music to tune into Martha (although that shit gets me hype odee). Imagine yourself in a dense forest, peaceful and cool. See yourself sitting, surrounded by trees and plants, maybe a lake full of pretty fish. When you’re comfortable in your setting, see her sitting across from you. Ask her to come forth, and animate your imagery of her. When you feel her, be polite! Say hi. If this is your first time, simply ask to learn about her; become familiar with her energy. If you’re wanting more for answers, ask for the best solution to a situation that is bothering you. Be open to whatever she shows you, and don’t be surprised if the first few things are a little unsettling. This is her way. She is unafraid, and veiless. Allow yourself to objectively pay attention, and continue on. If you’re unsure after observing, ask for clarification. Write down your visions, feelings, and any other significant moments you make have stumbled upon.

Altar Creating a space for a spirit in your home is a simple way of staying connected with them and keeping their energy by you. A nook in your bedroom or living room (or even by the house door) would be ideal–as long as it’s on the floor. Martha is basically a snake, and she’s much more comfortable on the ground. A basic altar can include a statue of her (can be bought at any botanica that caters to 21 divisions–she’s usually depicted wearing green with two snakes around her and a child in her lap), and items you’d like her to empower or offer. Try to make it a space of beauty, zest it up; mine has a purple silk sheet beneath the statue, and saint Martha incense. I leave some flowers for her as well, and most mornings I make it a habit to leave some offerings and say wassup. This is the space I go to when I light a candle for something I might want; where I go when I have some deep meditation to do, or when I’m trying to understand the aspects of myself that are strong but shrouded in fear or ego. This is where I go to crack myself open.

Offerings Giving to Martha is honestly the simplest offrenda I do. She doesn’t ask for much, and you can give her a lot in just a morning! Make enough coffee for everyone in your home (this is also a friendly gesture–if youre like me and your family leaves the strainer in the pot, you can just use that!) Serve yourself a cup, keep a teaspoon of grounds inside, and put the rest in a tin bowl specifically for her. If you wanna bless your family (or just yourself, you already made them niggas coffee) crack some eggs and clean the shells out. You can arrange them in the tin as they are, or get creative. An old friend used to glitter them up; another popular option is placing sugar in or around the shells. When you give them to her, say nice things! Talk to her. At first it feels a little odd. Most people arent used to speaking to a statue or representation of an etheric being, but as you become more sensitive to her energy you will be able to pick up on her responses.

Lesson one: Las Copas Focus on a question you’ve been pondering on as you drink a cup of coffee with a teaspoon of grounds inside; put the rest in a tin bowl specifically for her. Thank the spirit of the beans for their power. When you have almost finished the coffee, leave about ½ a reason of liquid in the cup. Open your mind up to her guidance, ask yourself to be protected, and ask whichever form of Creator you believe in to help you connect with her. If it helps, envision the picture of her above. When you start to feel her presence, simply say hello. Most people find her energy to be very sobering, protective, and strong; the way you perceive her is in alignment with the aspects of her you need. Shake the cup a little; allow the ground to move around the edges of the cup. You will intuitively know when to stop (it usually feels like a surge of energy has left my arms). Ask for help on how to read cups, and allow your inner self to do the rest. If you get frustrated or feel like you’re hearing more of your ego, remind yourself to let the thoughts pass. You can also ask for signs, and ask for help focusing. Enjoy!