#walpurgis is so good man...

[flovverworks]

pointing. akiras not-kitty-cat

[coridallasmultipass]

Walpurgis Night room colour theme change with the tentacle additions to my lampshades! ((Inspo from the Borderlands 3 Guns Love and Tentacles DLC Dustbound Archives map!))

[see-arcane]

The trains go only so quick

The weather’s only so calm

For the people are all out

For celebration’s a balm

Our good friend sighs in shelter

Barred from revelry and fear

A storied local greets him

As a thunderhead draws near

Preface: For maximum effect, give, “Dracula’s Guest,” a read before proceeding.

The PDF version of the preview is here.

2

Walpurgisnacht

Munich held onto him longer than he would have liked. Had he been marooned in the place as a mere visitor he would never have opted to haunt the station rather than milling around through the celebrating streets. There was as much reveling as reverence at work due to the holiday. The far end of it, anyway. Jonathan had tucked a note on it in his schedule. Celebration meant delays even in the most sedate locales and there was every chance that this one’s might postpone his conveyance. He smiled tiredly at the shorthand, if only so he did not torture himself with looking at his watch for the third time in as many minutes.

‘Walpurgisnacht. Walpurgis Night. A holy day held in respect to Saint Walpurga, the 8th century abbess who warred with illness, pestilence, witchcraft and grim spirits. A time of grave superstition by dark and relieved gaiety by sunup with the witches and the dead all banished. The date has a predecessor in the form of the May Day festivals of old, making the time one of bonfires and fear, beauty and feasting.’ And apparently keeping the trains held up so that any wandering spirits cannot flee too far from the cemeteries.

Jonathan tucked the note away with the rest and battled with himself over whether he dared to stray from the platform or not. His train was meant to arrive at seven o’ clock, which meant that for safety’s sake he ought to be ready and waiting by six, even if the train was more likely to appear closer to eight. But the hour was now half-past five and he had taken his lunch early that day. He was down to rationing mints from their tin lest he give in to hunger and try to elbow his way through the crowded streets to find a restaurant. One that he would not even have time to truly enjoy, needing to eat speedily and flee back to the tracks. His stomach pinched him in protest. He held a fist against it to muffle a growl.

“You can wait.” He could. If there was no dining on the train, he would still make time for breakfast in Vienna. Or if not breakfast, lunch in Klausenburgh. Or… “Or I could just break and get a room for the night.” The words were a sigh. He had spied a hotel sitting in a picturesque spot near a spread of wild greenery that bled into woodlands. What was the name? “Quatre Saisons, I think,” he said under his breath. This, like the rest of his murmured commentary, was meant for no ears but his own. The festivities had left the station remarkably barren. Everyone who had traveled to or from the area wouldn’t be packing up until at least the next morning. So it came as a surprise when he heard a voice behind his head:

“You are an Englishman?”

Jonathan turned to see a man almost as young as himself peering down at him. A cluster of wild roses at his breast was the only flourish to his apparel. His expression was unreadable apart from an angle of suspicion to the brows.

“I am,” Jonathan allowed, grateful that he didn’t need to strain his tongue or the man’s ears with his fragmented German.

“You have come from the Quatre Saisons?” The suspecting angle deepened.

“No, but I was thinking I may have to book a room if the train comes too late.”

The man’s face softened at this, his posture relaxing an increment as he insisted, “The train will come late. Not too late, but still late. You must not bother with the Quatre Saisons either way.”

“Is it full?”

“Most rooms always fill in advance of these days. Inns and hotels shall all be swarmed from now until the seventh of May. But Herr Delbrück’s Quatre Saisons must not be tried. The place is not well this time of year.”

“I do not quite follow,” Jonathan said, his nose just catching the whiff of past toasts to the date on his companion’s breath. “How is it not well?”

“The land it sits with. It is bad to be near it, even after Walpurgisnacht has been and gone. There are…” the man seemed to catch himself on a word before pressing on, “…wild dogs that roam the forest and its valley. Strange souls who would take after the devils of last night, even as we light the fires against them. No, you must not stay there until at least the thick of summer. Better to try in the city’s heart if you must have a room.”

The rooms that were full of visitors already, according to the young man himself. Either way it still relied on Jonathan potentially spoiling the entirety of the client’s route as laid out and paid for from his own account. The idea of taking a room and gambling on a morning train was only a daydream. Jonathan almost said as much.

Instead, “I do not need a room, really. I can hardly risk missing the evening’s train by a minute. But I thank you for the advice, sir.” The young man frowned at Jonathan then, his eyes roaming the length of him in a searching way. “Are you waiting on the train as well?”

“I just purchased my ticket for the morning. It is better to travel by day. And to eat by it too.” He nodded at Jonathan. “You have not been in the city itself? You have partaken of nothing?”

“Sadly no. If I were here on my own account I should have liked to see more, but—,”

“The train will not come any earlier if you sit and starve.”

“Likely not. But I cannot risk wandering too far.” He regarded his luggage drearily. No, he dared not even risk a restaurant. Even the next stop would allow him only a glimpse of the city as he rushed from one point to the next. Perhaps he could find some time to wander when he reached the hotel, but not before. He clenched his belly against another snarl and popped another mint in his mouth. Only three left, but, “Would you care for one?”

The young man whispered something in his homeland’s tongue—it sounded to Jonathan like, “Better to have the leaves,”—but in English said, “I would. Thank you.” He laid it on his tongue as if it were a medicine pill. “But it is still not a supper. Take yourself away for a meal at least, Herr Englishman.”

So saying, the young man departed, perhaps for his own plate or hotel. Jonathan swallowed a sigh and put the tin away. Looking around he saw he really was the last one on the platform apart from one dozing woman playing chaperone to her family’s luggage. Her husband had taken the two sulking children back out into the streets to burn off some energy. With the surly toddlers and the brief conversationalist departed, the space felt oddly like an island. Even the clamor that leaked in from the mouth of the tracks was muted. Jonathan tried to bury himself in a book, but gave up as the text swam before his eyes.

What rest he had gotten was as thin as his last meal was distant. If he could only lay down and sleep through the hunger he might be satisfied, but that risked drowsing through the train whistle itself. He tucked the book away and took himself to the closest opening which showed the beginnings of twilight oozing over the tracks. His hand went again to the neglected journal at his heart and thought another apology at its pages. So far he’d only managed to jot his name within the cover.

“I am sorry,” he told the air. “My head is in no state for you yet.”

A sudden cold gust blew his words back. There was a rise of distraught voices from outside as the breeze whipped through. In the next moment there was a shift in the palette of the sky as a weighty cloud rolled over the last of the sun, plunging the outdoors into early dusk. After that came the pattering of hail. The last festive sounds turned to a disgruntled din before their noise was drowned entirely by the hammering on the station’s roof. Jonathan pulled his coat tight around him and wished luck out to the revelers.

Between one blink and the next, one of the latter manifested at the threshold below. She wore what would have been an immaculate costume of a bygone age if not for the burns that had assailed the fine old dress. Though perhaps that was merely a desired effect. She was likely going around as some witch or spirit who had escaped the bonfires’ efforts during the night. Between the platform’s glow and the outdoors’ new gloom she certainly possessed the half-lit look of a ghost.

The sort of ghost meant for a stage, he added to himself. She has an actress’ face.

Yes, an actress powdered and dressed to be a dead beauty. Her mouth was a full and somber curl of red against a carcass’ pallor. She carved it into a smile as she stared up at him, seemingly oblivious to the cold and hail at her back.

“Are you alright?” he asked in his stilted German. The woman only kept her faded eyes upon him. They had a pull to them that Jonathan couldn’t place. He found himself approaching the tracks’ edge before he realized his feet were moving. “Do you need help?” he added, wondering if the trouble was just a matter of shelter. The tracks were set deep and it would be a hassle to hoist oneself up to the platform’s edge.

“He tries again,” said the woman on the tracks. Possibly. Her German was almost as fractured as his own, albeit with a different inflection. “Another sent for. Another to travel with. Fast, fast, fast.” The sky growled at her words. A stage’s effects could do no better. With the thought in mind, he wondered:

Is this a performance?

Before he could ask, his stomach spoke for him. It was mortifyingly loud and the thunder’s next peal did not do enough to cover it. The woman’s expression cracked on a wider smile. She recited:

“Help, Heaven, help! who knows the Father

Knows surely that he loves his child:

The bread and wine from the hand divine

Shall make thy tempered grief less wild.”

Jonathan smiled back, glad to recall the verse. He and Mina had gone over it in the original text and the English for practice and preference’s sake. Lenore’s lines fell from him:

“Oh! mother dear mother! the wine and the bread

Will not soften the anguish that bows down my head;

For bread and for wine it will yet be as late

That his cold corpse creeps from the grim grave’s gate.”  

The woman’s grin now bared teeth. They were brilliantly white against the crimson of her lips.

“Are you meant to be Lenore?” Jonathan asked.

“Lenore sought her lover. I sought only death.” Her hand rose toward him. “Will you help me find it?”

Thunder boomed as a new wind rolled through the station like a howl. The woman’s ruined dress and hanging hair danced wildly on her, though she seemed not to notice. Jonathan went toward her, deciding whatever act she adhered to would be better performed out of the elements’ reach. His hand reached down to hers. There was a moment when their fingers brushed and Jonathan felt sick at how frozen she felt even through his glove.

In the same instant he saw the dancing of lightning without. The bolts seemed almost like a great weaving animal, snapping in closer and closer bolts along the blackened sky. Intuition tightened in his chest. Suspicion leapt to certainty. There was no time to speak—

Get off get off the tracks it’s going to—

—only to grab for her hand.

But not fast enough. Another gale of wind rushed through, this time angled in such a way that it seized and flung him back against the floor. Lightning struck in the same instant. Noise blasted his ears. It was a nigh deafening din made from the crackle of electricity dancing on the tracks and the rattling roar of a thunderclap. Under it, he swore he heard the woman scream.

God oh God oh God hospital what is the word for hospital I need the dictionary I need—

He scrambled to his feet and back to the platform’s edge. His breath stayed trapped in his chest until he looked down.

And saw nothing.

There was no woman, alive or dead. He gawped for almost a minute at the bare tracks. The hail thinned away as he stared and the thunder softened to a grumble.

How..?

“You are hurt?”

Jonathan looked up and found the dozing mother had left her heap of baggage to check on him.

“No, no, not hurt. But there was someone…” He gestured at the tracks and limped through a few lines of German before she shooed his words away with her hand, switching briskly to English. He explained the scene in full and the mother nodded with something between grave intensity and a sprightly eagerness.

“Yes, there would still be some who wander late. Walpurgisnacht is night and day. Probably she is drifting back to her tomb, sulking that she did not get company for her bier. If you had your gloves off and showed your ring she may have not bothered. Lovers who die before the wedding day, they are the greediest souls on these nights.”

This she said with great authority and Jonathan had no desire to mention that he wore no ring as yet. No more than he had any urge to voice his suspicion that the woman had been very much alive and somehow made it away from the station’s threshold before the lightning could do any damage.

The other explanation is that the woman was, in fact, a roaming ghost come to collect a new member for the graveyard. It is the time of year for such things.  

A call from the other end of the station turned the mother’s head. Father and children had come in from the storm, as had a smattering of other travelers. The train whistle bayed not long after. Jonathan looked to the tracks again as if the woman might suddenly rematerialize in the locomotive’s path. The only body that he could see was the outline of some animal at the edge of the platform’s glow. It looked like a large dog posed beside the tracks, tail still and eyes lambent. Jonathan held its stare for a moment. Then it was gone, loping off into the night.  

This. This is worth writing about.

And it was. At least once his seat had him in it and a wonderfully dense meal sat in him. He brought out his stationery pages for the cause, jotting the entirety of his time in the station up to the arrival of the train. These loose sheets were reserved specifically for storytelling and recipe preservation, the better to possibly be scrapbooked away at home. The journal still drowsed in his pocket.

Hold out for the hotel room. Almost there.

Jonathan cupped a hand to his eyes to keep out the glare as he watched the world go by in the window. The storm was left behind now and the sky was all stars above rooftops and treetops alike. A brilliant wedge of a moon shined out at him. He was still admiring the view when the steward came along to tap his shoulder. There was a smile on his face but a glimmer of anxiety in his eye.

“Herr Harker, yes?”

“Yes,” Jonathan managed before the steward produced a telegram.

“For you. Will you have another drink?”

“No, thank you.” But the glass was already stolen away and refilled before he could finish the sentence. The steward vanished in nearly the same instant, looking as if he meant to finish the bottle himself. Jonathan puzzled over this a moment before turning his attention to the telegram.

BISTRITZ.

My friend, I send all apologies to you on account of the trains and the time. We arranged our meeting during the heart of much fervor, and such will always meddle with travel. I send this in anticipation of your own frustrations with the hindered hours and my gratitude for your steadfastness. I hope it shall please you to know that the Hotel Royale has its finest suite reserved and waiting for you, and so too for the Golden Krone of Bistritz after them. May their hospitality be a balm against the troubles of a passenger at the mercy of fickle clocks. —Dracula

Jonathan marveled at the message. It was a rarity in itself to have a client who made no fuss when it came to snags that the firm had no control over. To have one who foresaw said snags and went out of his way to apologize to the solicitor himself was unheard of. And from a noble?

He added the telegram to his memoranda with a smile. 

[fictionfixations]

I FINALLY FINISHED CANTO 8 OHHH MY GOD

IM CAUGHT UP

ohhhhhhhh my god

ALSO NO MAINTENANCE LETS GOOOOOOOOO i dont know what i wouldve done after doing this fight and then it being during maintenance because not in a million years do i want to redo that fight again

technically its not that hard i know what to do i actually read shit but oh man

also i know on like previous posts i was like im gonna wait for walpurgis night and get dawn office sinclair

ha

i kept getting knocked down to my backup units so i actually needed sinclair to.. not be level 12 (hes the last backup but oh my god does it make a difference)

so i got cinq sinclair and used like the immediately uptie to 4 thing and immediately level to 50 thing, i also threadspinned his ego from the battlepass which was GOOD because oh my god

i swear the egos from the battlepass carried me

like fluid sac carried me too (i cant believe faust survived the entire fight for once holy shit, also i cant believe the remaining units had the attacks to be able to keep fueling fluid sac??? I thought id have to wait a day so i could use sapling of light abilities again but NOPE)

but oh my god did it do big damage

it was in the hundreds man goddamn

also used the fact that hong lu cant die unless all other allies are dead even though him dying loses the battle (after you get like the happiness thing) to my advantage by using his battlepass ego because oh man big damage and oh whats this a free heal instead of immediately dying after? lets goooo

not to understate sinclair's ego either because it was GREAT hell yeah

also that all my units are decently leveled (except meursault ive been using a support id, sorry man but pursuance ego and chain of others are also really helping and i dont have his pursuance ego, so its not worth it to level him right now when im not even using the id i have)

lowest is 44 but the rest are around 50-55 so that was good

also actually uptied outis, feel like i underestimated her all this time because she did good, i just didnt have a need to before because she was always in backup and was more used as additional targets so my stronger units could get damage in

her skill three animation was pretty (warp outis)

also dont remember what it was but both heishou pack si ids have this one attack where they like i think sheathe their weapon and then have an eye glint and i keep thinking theyre gonna attack again but they dont 💀

also??? i think don quixote (t corp) did something with time/clock?? there was like a status effect id never seen before (or maybe i just never noticed idk its very easy for me not to notice things right in front of me) where so the enemy wouldnt take damage because all that damage would get stored and then by like the end of the turn or something like that it would all hit at once

THIS

ive just. never noticed.

anyway thoughts on canto 8 (may get very personal ngl)

loved it

hong lu was already up there in my favorites along with yi sang but man did this make me love him more

just.. the thought that like well yeah shit can seem meaningless and futile when its all gonna end someday, but as long as youre still with us stuffs gonna keep happening. yeah we might part ways one day, but the end is also the beginning. where eventually youll move on but youll also experience new things.

for as long as you walk this world, the world will continue spinning, it will continue moving regardless of whether you feel like theres a meaning, and like well

yeah you could isolate yourself and it could feel ilke nothings happening at all, that everything pointless, but the people around you will still do things, things will still keep happening, and

okay i feel like im butchering this but you know what i mean okay

ive had very nihilistic views before, especially because at one point i just... didnt like living, it was just full of suffering and i hated it and i was so so tired and things that shouldve been important just lost meaning to me because yknow, whats the point? if we're all gonna die today, why do we live? if i intend to not live this long, then whats the point of doing stuff for the benefit of my future self?

but life kept moving on around me, and i eventually tired of putting myself into this cycle of self-hatred because it was just so draining

so i kept moving on. kept living day by day. and well i cant really say theres a meaning to life, a meaning to my life that i want to strive for, to live for, not really

but i got interested in things, as fleeting as they would be, and despite how they would eventually end. i got myself attached to stories and games, as tragic as those stories may be and as sad as i may be when it finally reaches its end, i live the next day to continue experiencing these stories, and to get enjoyment out of it

i used to feel so miserable all the time, but now i find myself laughing so much more, smiling so much more

god i got so sidetracked but i relate to hong lu a lot. man am i glad i started playing this game man..

when i first started i immediately latched onto yi sang as a favorite (maybe because he was one of my first 3 stars haha) and i loved his canto, i loved the meaning, that yeah the mirror can show multiple possibilities, but the mirror is also a reflection of yourself, so these possibilities? theyre yours. these wings you wish you had so badly? if theyre on me, then theyre on you too. its like 3 am forgive me for butchering trying to explain this but god did i love it. i like re-listening to the limbus company mili songs and ill sing along and fly my wings.. 'please die little dreams' i just start sobbing it keeps making me emotional man

hong lu? i can attribute it to partially because when i started reindeer hong lu was on the banner and he looked cool, i liked his personality, and it grew from there as i progressed through the story but he'd never been as high up there as yi sang. until now.

also his announcer brings up a lot of stuff that makes me kinda sad, he does bring up emotions like ah so this is what wrath feels like, like he'll bring up the same emotions he brought up in the last fight (happiness, joy, wrath, sorrow..), and also other things in relation to the sinners that hit me in the feels man

maybe not in the same way as don quixote's 'i was blessed with a family of twelve' because oh man if i wasnt sobbing already during that part i wouldve burst into tears, but it still made me very emotional

also the the dante being like 'you know how i know this? because im talking about myself here' GREAT LINE oh my god

also actually WE LOVE JIA QIU IN THIS HOUSEHOLD, im sure im not the only one who was like shut up jia huan during that moment but very very appreciated, the 'not forming opinions on him based on what others say' i cant remember the exact quote, continuing to push hong lu to not be appeasing, to not just say what others want to hear, and not to say something that could work but does not count as something he believes in and is again just another way to appease of okay you want an actual answer but then is kind of a nothing burger

i love that jia qiu continued pushing until he got what hong lu really believed in, what he really thought, even if it mightve been something he wouldnt have necessarily agreed with, or something that others would consider childish and naive, got hong lu to say something hes held so close to his heart, accepted it but which had also given him the confidence to more speak his mind, to speak more confidently and elaborate on what he meant, and so his answer of 'kindness' wasnt something kind of like well. short. i dont know how to describe it.

yes hoping for others to be kind is probably a tough ask, especially considering where they live, but the sinners are proof that people can be kind to each other and help lift each other up when moments are tough.

one person cant do all that heavy lifting, but as long as there are people reaching out a hand and well embracing each other even if its just one person, then thats still something, thats still a bond that'll make the world lighter, thatll give them the ability to move forward and the strength to tackle on more heavier problems

i mean im clearly biased since its hong lus answer but MAN

and so jia qiu also telling him that like he cant keep drifting like a cloud, that to achieve this he cant keep watching things silently without doing anything, he cant keep acting the way he has that was forced onto him to deal with the trauma he faced, and does have to be there, does have to act, just like how his younger self used to be

its

its validating that his younger self wasnt wrong for wanting to help people, for wanting to act even if he couldnt save everyone, even if everyone around him kept telling him that he should just 'sit still and look pretty'

god man

theres so much stuff i could say

also holy shit this post is getting long oh my god

im gonna end this here man

but fuck man canto 8...

to be perfectly honest i dont remember a lot from canto 1 and 2 but i remember liking it and thats why i kept playing (gonna have to reread them cause man i do try to pay attention when first starting a game but its also like i dont know what is going on which really impacts my ability to remember this stuff)

canto 3 i loved, it made me like sinclair more even if the ending felt sort of incomplete because it wasnt sinclair who in the end killed kromer

the chicken intervallo was hella funny and made me like more of the other sinners outside of just the ones whod already gotten a focus and the ones who were my favorites

canto 4 was beautiful (and also forced me to actually understand a little better wtf im doing in fights)

canto 5 made me feel a lot of things, it made me think a lot? unsure if im saying that right but trying not to repeat myself on what ive said for other cantos so there. like... it was getting manipulated, knowing youre getting manipulated but still kind of falling for it anyway because okay what can you do, but then getting out of it by doing something that person didnt expect. it was hatred obsession a desire for revenge that twisted from instead of being a tale of someone taking revenge that'll likely only leave them hollow in the end, to no longer let ahab control her basically. it was a big middle finger

canto 6 was... tragic. all these thoughts of how its gonna go and all of them were wrong. mostly. im sure its meant to be like in the same headspace as heathcliff. like oh yeah we're gonna get him all dressed up and meet cathy and then shes dead. shes already gone. before i started i listened to a bunch of the limbus company mili songs and would cautiously look at the comment section to tell which sinner and which canto it was probably for so i knew this was about heathcliff and a cathy. and i thought that oh he and cathy are fighting and shes like 'you have to let me go heathcliff' but it wasnt really that? it was.. just so sad that maybe they couldve had something, maybe, if they'd spoken more, if they'd been more honest- its all what ifs. and then all the cathys were deleted. makes me wonder if that one where heathcliff and cathy were happy together, if that heathcliff's catherine also got lost, or if 'every cathy' applied to every cathy with a bad ending + our heathcliff's catherine. i wonder. and i wonder too how heathcliff could even get catherine back, if in the end its all futile because shes dead she cant come back, but i would also like to hope that somehow, he'll find her. with a better understanding of her than ever, that their hearts are united and not letting any dark thoughts cloud his mind and make him unable to see whats in front of him. i hope.

canto 7. god i love canto 7. this is getting way too long so i dont want to elaborate too much now but sancho being like didnt you always tell me to stop dreaming (i forgot the quote, my minds stuck on 'the dream ending'), and like well yeah, waves hand at power of friendship which i feel doesnt fully encapsulate what really happened there but im summarizing. and like just. it was beautiful, and sad. her repeating his introduction while he mightve already died but shes saying it anyway and telling him and and that she was blessed with a family of twelve and and... and i dont have the words to describe it man im gonna cry thinking about it again

canto 8 though. might just be my favorite. theyve all made me feel things, but canto 8 is one i can find myself really relating with and thus find the message ever more powerful and ever more beautiful.

haha i said i was gonna end it and then i kept yapping so um whoops

but man do i love this game.

also forgor to look at this but the singular ex i missed 💀 (i already converted my enkephalin into modules already so whoops)

also oh my god i took so long writing this the announcement for the latter half of the roadmap livestream happened LMAO (LETS GO walpurgis hopefully 🙏 i may not need dawn office sinclair anymore but man i wanna see what i get)

[back-issue]

Marvel Pets & Critters

•Agatha Harkness:

Ebony (Black) 🐱

•Aunt May:

Ms. Lion, Amazing Friend 🐶

°Beta Ray Bill 👽🐴

•Black Cat:

Irene (White) 🐱

Lupin (Grey) 🐱

Raffles (Grey) 🐱

Simon (Grey) 🐱

•Black Widow:

Liho (Black) 🐱

•Blind Al (Earth-1048):

F1D0 🤖🐶

•Bloodline:

Walpurgis (Purple) 🐱

•Captain America:

Redwing 🦅

•Captain Marvel:

Chewie (Orange) 👽🐱🦑

•Ch'od:

Cr'reee 👽

°Cosmo, the Space Dog 🐶

°D-Dog 🐶

•Deadpool:

Catpool (Earth-???) 🐱

Dogpool (Earth-103173) 🐶

MCU Dogpool (Earth-199999) 🐶

Mousepool (Earth-???) 🐭

Princess, the Symbiote 👽🐶

•Doctor Doom:

Doombots (x3) 🤖🐱

•Doctor Strange:

Aleister 😈🐍

Anton 😈🐍

Bats, the Ghost Hound 🐶👻

•Emily Blight of Strange Academy:

Ogeode, the Catbeast 😈🐱

•Freyja:

Trjegul (Black) 🐱

•Gambit & Rogue:

Figaro (White) 🐱

Lucifer (Grey) 🐱

Oliver (Orange) 🐱

•Ghost Rider:

Coal (Grey) 🐱😈

•Gwenpool:

Pig-Gwen 🐷

•Hawkeye:

Lucky, the Pizza Dog 🐶🍕

°Hit-Monkey 🐵

•Howard the Duck° 👽🦆:

Biggs (Brown Tabby) 🐱🤖

•Hunter (Earth-TRN994):

Charlie, the Hellhound 😈🐶

•Iron Man:

Dr. Shapiro (White) 🐱🤖

°Jeff the Landshark 🦈

•Ka-Zar:

Zabu, the Sabretooth Tiger 🐯

•Kitty Pryde:

Lockheed 👽🐲

°Linda the Duck 👽🦆

°Lockjaw, the Inhuman 🐶👽

•Loki° (occasional 🐱):

Alligator Loki (Earth-TRN1417) 🐊

•Magik:

Beastie 😈

•Mister Sinister:

Cy-Cat (Hairless) 🐱🤖

Professor Plod 🐢🤖

•Moon-Girl:

Devil Dinosaur 🦖

•Nancy Whitehead:

Mewner (White) 🐱

•Quicksilver:

Mister Dibbles 🐢

°Rocket Raccoon 👽🦝

•Rachel Grey:

Amazing Baby, the Warwolf 😈🐶

•The Runaways:

Old Lace 🦖

Rufus (Black) 🐱

°Shocket Raccoon 👽🦝

°Sleeper 👽 (occasional 🐱)

•Speedball:

Niels aka Hairball (Orange Tabby) 🐱

Spider-Ham° 🕷️🐷

•Spider-Man (Earth-1048):

Spider-Man (Orange Tabby) 🐱

•Squirrel Girl 🏋🏻‍♀️🐿️:

Monkey Joe 💀🐿️

Tippy-Toe 🐿️

•The Thing & Alicia Masters:

Adrian (White) 🐱

Rocky (White) 🐱

•Thor:

Hugin 🐦‍⬛

Munin 🐦‍⬛

Toothgnasher 🐐

Toothgrinder 🐐

Thori, the Hel-Hound 😈🐶

°Throg, Frog of Thunder 🐸

°Twigly, the Living Hill 👽⛰️

•Valkyrie:

Aragorn 🐎🦅

•Viv Vision:

Sparky, the Synthezoid Good Boy 🤖🐶

°Weapon II 🐿️🤖

•Wolverine:

Jonathon, the Unstoppable 🐺

Legend:

General:

Unless otherwise stated, characters are assumed Earth-616

• - humanoid owner of/ companion to

° - anthropomorphic/ no human companion

😈 1st means demonic/magical being similar to or in the form of 2nd emoji

👽 1st means alien similar to 2nd emoji

🤖 1st means robot in form of 2nd emoji

🤖 2nd means 1st emoji w/ cybernetic enhancement

Not all of the Pets & Critters on this list appear in the Marvel Meow, Pizza Dog, Infinity Paws, Deadpool Pool Party or Alligator Loki comics, or even in the images I've provided this was just a personal quest to list as many of the adorable inhabitants of the Marvel Universe as I could think of.

Specific:

Coal 🐱😈 a cat w/ demonic power

Lucky 🐶🍕 dog who loves pizza

Lockjaw 🐶👽 a dog w/ alien power

Squirrel Girl 🏋🏻‍♀️🐿️ girl w/ powers of squirrel

Monkey Joe 💀🐿️ deceased squirrel

Aragorn 🐎🦅 pegasus

There's no wolverine emoji so Jonathon gets 🐺

I listed the colours of all the cats for my own sake figuring out who was who in crowd scenes

If you have a favorite that I missed reblog with some photos of your own!

[thesagesjournal]

[Voicelines] Walpurgis 2025

Oz: For Walpurgisnacht, we elected one representative from each country to recount their legends to the rest of us. …However, whoever represents West has let loose a lesser magical beast in the manor.

Arthur: Where did that rabbit-like beast go? …Ah, there it is. Whoever brings it to Shylock’s bar first gets a special drink made especially for Walpurgisnacht! I’ll show it to you once I catch the creature, so please look forward to it!

Cain: Did that… rabbit monster just take a bite out of the fountain!? Hey, c’mere! A—nd… gotcha! Didja get lost, little buddy? Man, I should ask the twins to double-check our barrier spell. Oh? Shylock and Murr. …Did you two set it loose?

Riquet: Murr’s throwing a music festival tonight with Mitile as the conductor. Since we've both been assigned the tambourine, let’s practice until the big reveal! One, two, shake-shake-shake!

Snow: Apparently, naming everything "Walpurgisnacht" is the new trend. In days past, it referred only to the wizard's feast, but now you can find jewels and ceremonies named after it. Perhaps we ought to contribute with a "Walpurgisnacht" of our own, like a new flavor of churros!

White: Apparently, naming everything "Walpurgisnacht" is the new trend. In days past, it referred only to the wizard's feast, but now there are all kinds of things named after it. I'm curious to see what the next one will be. Perhaps Bradley would like to make a bet about that!

Mithra: There usually aren't many people I can talk with this late into the night, but today is special. I can easily find someone else to keep me company if you end up falling asleep before me.

Owen: ♪~ "Let us meet beneath the moon of Walpurgisnacht"... I know you're there, Master Sage. Most would consider being spied upon creepy, you know. This is a song I heard a long, long time ago. Don't worry, you'll never hear me sing it again.

Bradley: The feast up at the Magic Mountain is a yearly observance jus' for us wizards. If it really is as rad as they make it out to be, I'll pull a fast one on them geezers and take ya there with me... Heh, not even the moon will be able to stop us then.

Faust: I can't even leave my room in peace tonight without being whisked away by those Western folk. When I told them I didn't feel like dancing, they easily replaced me with the wardrobe out of all things... Tonight will prove to be rather lively and strange, it seems.

Shino: Where there's a party, there's drinking and dancing. And when there's drinking and dancing, things tend to get out of hand. Everyone wants to celebrate tonight with you, so let me know when you're all partied out. I'll get you to your room without anyone noticing.

Heathcliff: I have everyone at the manor to thank for showing me Walpurgisnacht isn't all dread and fright. It's also an opportunity to spend the night singing, dancing and indulging in sweets. If I'm being honest, I've even come to look forward to it.

Nero: Good ol' Walpurgis. Wizard's feast, they call it. It's bold an' brash, an' if yer in the centre of it all, yer gonna get the life drained outta ya. Feel free to drop by my room if it gets too much to handle. I'll be waitin' with a cup of coffee or milk, whichever ya want.

Shylock: Tonight is Walpurgisnacht, and all the wizards have gathered. With everyone singing and dancing, it seems we’ll have a lively time ahead. My bar will be open until late, so please feel free to stop by. Of course, you're more than welcome to spend the entire night here.

Murr: It’s Walpurgisnacht! They say it’s a wizard’s feast, which means anything goes tonight! So, for example, we could have Mitile conduct an orchestra with Oz as a performer, Owen on the vocals, and Heath and me as back-up dancers! You get the tambourine, so shake-shake-shake!

Chloe: Take a look, Master Sage! We bought all kinds of sweets from the West for tonight’s festivities! These muffins know how to sing, and these cookies will give you a kiss if they take a liking to you. There’s tons of other stuff too, so look forward to it!

Rustica: Walpurgisnacht has been going wonderfully thus far. However, I happen to enjoy the calm after the feast most. It’s akin to that satisfying silence right as the conductor lowers his baton… May we keep enjoying tonight's revelries both before and after the curtain falls.

Figaro: How would you like to spend Walpurgisnacht with me? I'll make it an exciting night you'll never forget. C’mon, hop onto my broom and let Lord Figaro whisk you away.

Rutile: Let’s dance, Master Sage! Even though Walpurgisnacht is known as the “Wizard’s Feast,” in my hometown, it’s a party where everyone’s invited! Both humans like you and wizards like us can celebrate, so let’s get moving to the dance floor!

Lennox: The manor is rather boisterous tonight, isn’t it? There’s brilliant fireworks overhead, jubilant music in the air, and singing and dancing all around us. It almost feels like we’re actually at the Magic Mountain… Ahaha, you think so, too?

Mitile: How are you feeling, Master Sage? Walpurgisnacht can get pretty intense, so it’s okay if you’re starting to wear out. If you’d like, we could step outside to take a break together. As a wizard, I’ll be more than happy to take you on a joyride through the sky!

[flowery-mess]

Noah dating slavic girl

I am writing this as a slavic girl myself, I know this is specific and probably not all of you can relate. If I could write about all nationalities and cultures, I would, but I don't feel educated enough to do that, also it doesn't feel right to write about something I'm not part of. I hope I don't offend anyone. I hope you understand and I hope you will still enjoy reading this!💗 you can talk to me through inbox or submit a post about what it would be like dating you, if you're from non slavic country, I'm interested in cultural differences!✨

First and foremost, your beauty

There is something about the 'slavic girl aesthetic' that makes men fall to their knees

Your pale skin that makes your eyes pop out

However you and Noah met, the first thing he noticed about you was your thick accent

Because I feel like no matter how hard we try, we all have the same accent

But he didn't ask where are you from straight away, because he assumed that it is something everyone asks

It was when you started talking about 'back home' or 'in my home country' that he asked where are you from

He's a smart man who travels through Europe, so he knew where that country is

Still you couldn't help some jokes about americans not knowing a thing about Europe

He acted like he was interested in your name because of where are you from, but in reality he just wanted to know your name

That being sad, there was lot of attempts to pronounce it correctly

Which was cute

But he couldn't get it right

He said he's going to practice and surprise you next time he sees you

Which made a great opportunity for him to ask you out

And who could say no to this man

I bet this man would google facts about your country to charm you

And translate how to tell you that you're really beautiful in your native language

You usually get annoyed if people make that your whole personality, but Noah would be so cute and genuely interested in what you have to say about your home country, that you wouldn't be mad at him

I can imagine dates where you cook your national meals for him

Him saying that you need to cook them for all of the boys, because it's really good

He would become like a fan of your country, telling everyone little facts he learns from you

He would show off new words he learned every time he meets the boys

And they would get annoyed

He would also be amazed every time you talk to someone from back home, because I think slavic languages sound really agressive and he would listen even though he can't understand

Then he would ask what did you talk about and would be surprised if you said about that it was about makeup or work

When you make things official you plan a trip to your country to meet your family, friends and to get to know your culture more

I'm going to skip the family part, because I don't fit in this part of slavic strong family bond lol

But can you imagine what would slavic grandmothers say to his tattoos?

But he would be surprised how welcoming your friends are and that everyone can talk in english with him so it's easy to get to know them

Your friends enjoying teaching him cuss words

He would love eating out in local pubs, because you cook those meals perfectly, but the quality of american ingredients is worse than in Europe

Beer. That's it, do I need to say more?

He would be amazed by the nature in your country

You would plan another trip to Europe in winter so he could enjoy this very cold weather with full experience

Maybe another trip to celebrate Christmas, Easter, 1st of May or Walpurgis night

I'm sure he would be interested in that

In all those traditions, clothes, food, songs and activites that are done on those holidays

Songs and music in general, we can't forget that

Slavic music is beautiful

You would show him some clasic old music and new young musicians that make modern folk music

Maybe that could be inspiration for BO new music hehe

Talking about music, watching Eurovision with you is a must!

I feel like Noah is very open person to new things, so he would love living with a slavic partner and finding new things about you or your country everyday

Even if it was with how you do things at home

Collecting plastic bags, saving boxes from a food and then using it as a box for something different or some weird snacks

Alcohol? You can easily out drink every american in your friend group

Hear me out... wedding

You don't have to be much traditional, but there are things that are done at weddings out of habit I'd say

Like breaking a plate and seeing how you two can clean the mess together to see how you will work in the future

Or dancing with 'crowns' made out of things typical for your country

Or the guests tinkling on plates at wedding reception so you two share a kiss every time they do it

Or chopping wood which can be done only by Noah to prove that he is worthy to be married to you or you two can do it together to show your love and commitment to overcome obstacles together

I'm sure it would be cultural shock for the American side

I feel like if you would plan to have kids together, he would take learning your language more serious

Because you would want to teach your kid both languages

So he wants to learn more so he can understand when the baby is talking in your language

Maybe you could move to Europe later in life for some time

Explore and travel through countries

Buy a house in the woods and have a place to come back that would be fully yours

I'm a bit sceptical about relationships with person from a different country, but I'm sure Noah would give 110% to make it work

[riverxsong-ao3]

The Knights of Walpurgis: Chapter 18

It’s hell here without you and Tom, Harry. Ginny and I have been sneaking off to the room – you know, that one – just to be alone, but Greg and Vince are starting to act weird. They’re upset I’m not spending enough time with them, want to know why I’m staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. I’ve told them there’s no point in going home since there’s no ball this year – which is true, Mother and Father are too busy – but it’s going to be so boring being the only one left in the Slytherin dorms. At least Blaise and Theo seem to understand, even if they don’t talk to me outside of Knights’ meetings anymore.

*

Draco, Why don’t you come to – come to – Sorry, I can’t even write it down. Tell Ginny you want to come with her and the Weasleys to my place for Christmas. There’s definitely enough room for you here. Your family will think you’re at Hogwarts, and everyone at school will think you’ve gone home.

*

Yeah? You sure your godfather won’t kick me out on the street?

Harry suppressed a laugh. If Sirius could accept Tom into his home, knowing who he was and what he’d done, he’d have no problem letting Draco stay for a few days.

I’m certain of it. Sirius is a good man, he’ll let you stay – and if he doesn’t, I’ll smuggle you in, but I don’t think it’ll come to that. Just take your name off the list of students staying at Hogwarts right before you go, Disillusion yourself before you get on the train, and stick with the Weasleys until you get off the platform. They’ll get you here.

*

But what if they don’t? What if they won’t take me?

*

Then you get right back on the train and go back to Hogwarts. But they will, I promise.

*

Alright. Is Tom there? I want to talk to him too.

Harry looked up from the thin notebook that allowed him to talk to Draco directly and glanced in Tom’s direction. He was still out cold, the sheets and blankets that had been conjured to keep him warm as he recovered from absorbing a particularly vicious piece of his soul tucked up around him. It had been a full day since Sirius had found the two of them, lying on the floor of their bedroom, both of them nearly dying, and had dragged them down to the sitting room, conjuring two new beds. Harry had woken hours before, feeling fresh and recovered and with enough strength to slip up to their room and retrieve the two-way notebook, but Tom still shivered and quaked in his long, unending sleep.

He’s here. He had an unfortunate accident, but I’m sure he’s going to be alright. He’ll be happy to see you.

There was a long pause before Draco wrote back.

Alright. I’ll do it. I’ll see you soon.

[spencer-is-someone]

next up in our list of fanfic playlists we have Macabre Themes and Variations by @piracytheorist. You may be like “oh of course Spencer’s gonna choose her friend,” and to that I say…you’re right. I love my friends.

for those unaware, this is a really, really good time loop fic. Twilight is trapped in a cycle dying over and over again until he can save the day. This fic had me GENUINELY screaming into my pillow after chapter five (if you know you know)

playlist here, and description under the cut

First song is over and over by Rio Romeo! This song is, imo, the quintessential time loop song. Rio Romeo is such a talented artist, and their songs are just so goddamn sad, their voice control is insane tho

second is Absence, Aldo by Rio Romeo. This song is about someone who knows they’ll disappear, and is telling their lover to prepare in their mind. Yeah…it’s Loid coded to me lol. Idk how to describe the song atm but it’s a good song.

next up is she’s a witch from the Madoka magica movie soundtrack. I won’t be too liberal with spoilers (for an anime that came out 14 years ago…) but this song and the next one took place at the same time in the anime and movie version. This one took the place of the original in the revamped movies edition. The reason I chose so much Madoka magica soundtrack songs is because Piracytheorist herself works as a music teacher, and named chapter titles after music…thingies. Idk man it’s 4 AM what do you expect. But yeah, I feel like Yuki Kajiura’s masterpiece of a soundtrack was fitting. Also, for those who do know the truth in Madoka magica’s narrative, it’s more fitting than it appears (cough cough catholic lesbian cough cough)

fourth is decretum, Aldo from madomagi, though this one was from the anime version. It’s genuinely so heartbreaking, and even moreso when you know the context haha ….hahahahahaha.

fifth is remember my name by mitski! Very good song, fits Twilight’s vives so much.

sixth is My time (omori ver). I haven’t played omori but I love this song (fun fact: my favorite vocaloid artist covered this version of this song like two years back) this song is complete and utter madness, but it’s really good, though there is like 1 minute of instrumental at th end lol

Seventh is Nux Walpurgis from…Madoka magica soundtrack (LISTEN IT FITS OKAY?) this song is literally the final battle theme against a giant ass thing called walpurgisnacht, and I feel like it would fit the final battle in this fic.

eighth is Summer of ‘42 by Hagood Hardy. I’ll be Frank…i have no idea about the context of this one. It might be a film score, because the artist was (is? Probably was) a film scorer (?) idk it’s in my favorite instrumental songs playlist for writing angst (which decretum is also in lol) so uhhh yeah…

I hope you like this playlist, Nette. Everyone say thank you Yuki Kajiura for making the masterpiece that is the madomagi soundtrack

[dreamerwitches]

Iiiittt's Magia Record witch doppels!

I was in a 'I don't want to do digital art mood' so they're on good ol' paper. I find I draw best on paper honestly. Anyway let's go!

It was kinda obvious to me that Zenobia would be a bit open skirt one (I've used this before on like, Walpurgis and Gertrud). She's simplified down to fit but I think it looks good still! I was unsure whether to add her saturn-ring-hoop thing lest it get too clustered

Candy was a little hard cause I didn't know where to put the magi. She ended up kinda inside and you can see her head in the split in Candy's head. The items around her are her buttons(?) from her dress

Stacey was the opposite of Candy where I knew exactly what I wanted, sitting in the cameo is cuuute! Though then I wasn't sure what to do with the rest... I think the birds enlarging their wings is fun and cute!

I really wanted a bed for Rebecca, I hope it's not too far from her witch design... but I think it looks good! Her magi is having a nice sleep and Rebecca is WIDE AWAKE to make sure no one disturbs her

Teresa is inspired by the hanged man tarot card of course to link in with how her face (?) is hanging upside down. It was a bit hard to figure out what to do with the rest of her but eh I think it works

I'm not sure if Lucy is successful. I think the idea of the magi inside the backpack part is cute but I'm not sure if the rest of her is utilised well enough. Might need a redo

With Matasaburo, I wanted Kuro to be completely covered. I think it works well with her forgettable nature.

The magi is inside Shin's mouth. Like Lucy, I was worried not enough of Shin is used...

Durbar was kinda easy, just put magi on chair but yadda yadda, not enough used... her familiars are added with their sea creature theme to Durbar but I dunno if I'm happy with it

Onto the anime witches! Boxwood's eye is the magi head and its just the rest of her body kinda merged with her. Added her familiars around her to make her more interesting. Since Boxwood is pretty simple to begin with, this was a little tricky

Oshiti is another simple one so I used her familiar and some artistic liberties. With her super dark theme, we just had to have some violence lol

I don't know if I'm happy with Raspberry. What can you do with a hand?? I think it's fine for now...

I had a fun idea of Made in 168 being an alternate doppel for Iroha. How would it work? Beats me...

The last two were pretty easy but you can probably tell I was running out of steam aha...

[evorathesylvurr]

i cant believe no one else in the limbus fandom is also into neopets.

"evora what does this mean" it means i know too much god damn neopets lore.

spoilers that go up to violet dawn walpurgis! you have been warned.

yi sang seems like the type who would have a kacheek or two

kacheeks are known for their friendly disposition. theyre also one of my favorites but thats unrelated. he'd also probably have a eyrie.

he'd be the type who has done all the plots. even the ones before he joined. (how? don't ask.)

faust is a crazy aisha lady. look. look. as an aisha enjoyer, i get to claim this one as one of us. aishas whole thing is being really smart.

faust strikes me as the type who would enjoy the battledome honestly. theres so much strategy that she probably cant have the faust hivemind tell her what to do.

don quixote spends neocash to have extra slots so she can dress up all her little guys. she chooses team altador every single time and also her favorite is a gelert.

don probably has event exclusive items but she probably got them off of her friends. also she has every limited time pet.

ryoshu would probably have a WONDERFUL time on neopets so long as she doesnt get her account frozen lmao. girl do not post your art. girl the neoboards arent ready for it. girl your spyders.

yeah all of her neopets are spooky themed or red/phantom/halloween depending on what they can be painted. you will never get her to admit it but her favorite neo is her jetsam.

meursault would play if only because he is autistic and so am i. maybe a shoryu (takes a second for info to load)

meursault knows the ins and outs of the neoconomy. like, jellyneo is in his head.

hong lu has a uni. i was going to give a uni to yi sang for the whole wings thing but unis fit hong lu so much better. this man spends so much money on neocash i do not care if hes actually been cut off from his rich family funds. he is using his salary for his silly little digital unicorns.

he shares don's enthusiasm for the game because i said so :) no i think this small little thing might be really healing for him if his family is shit. neopets makes me cry every now and then like for real because its so warm.

heathcliff picked neopets up because of ▢▢▢▢▢. his favorite is the lupe but he also quite likes acaras.

he takes SUCH good care of his neopets. he doesnt even put them in the lodge. he does his daily games to get his neopoints, goes to buy them food, feeds them, grooms them, plays with them, etc. they have perfect stats but theyve never seen a day in the battledome.

ishmael has a flotsam and thats it. no but she actually mostly has maraquan neos which means shes limited to customizing them :( her favorite is her maraquan vandagyre.

ishmael customizes her neos as best she can. they have the best enrichment tanks. ishmael is also insane at destruct-o-match. do not competitive 1v1 her in destruct-o-match you WILL lose.

rodya has a kyrii and a ruki. she has extensive lore for her neos and you should NOT ask her about it.

rodya is active as hell in the neoboards and she helps everyone with their fairie quests so much. rodya shop wizard extrodinaire. we love you.

sinclair is a pound adopter. his lore is his bruce came from the pound and now they go around adopting pound neopets. every single neo aside form his bruce was a pound adopt.

sinclair does those pound rescue touchups you see every now and then where they take a pet in the pound, give it a new paint job and/or lab zap, and return them to the pound so they have a better chance at getting a forever home.

outis plays neopets too because i said so. average scorchio and grarrl enjoyer though.

enjoys a good chia flouring. she uses her fucking paycheck to chia flour small kid's neopets (she doesnt do it to the other sinners she might be mean but she knows for a FACT she will not hear the end of it for MONTHS)

gregor's main neo is a blumaroo actually :3 i could have given him a buzz or a ruki but that is a cheap blow and i actually think it's cuter to give him the little bouncy guy :3

he enjoys playing the minigames and he leaves his pets in the lodge :( but its ok theyre having fun at the lodge.

[hel-phoenyx]

New Year's Eve (?), part 12

An ongoing story with @corneille-but-not-the-author and @soupedepates

Sigh.

In the end, we couldn't plan anything before the end of February. Because Tyr had to finish his thesis. Vacation is over for him.

heh. Since the deadline is in June, his doctorate is soon to be over, so he has less work. I guess working at Kriss' also helps him dial down the perfectionnism.

Yeah, because he still hasn't come back to his flat. Brynja visits him sometimes, brings him the mail. An angel of a woman, that one. It enrages me even more to see what she's enduring.

I can't take the file over because of personal relationship. But I know Amandine is taking care of it, and even though I don't like her much (honestly, there's no colleagues I like.) I trust her to know what Brynja's living.

There's that new one muted recently, also. A complete wet rag, but at least he doesn't stay much in my way. Everyone has started to kinda bully him, I didn't join in because I had other things to take care of, so I guess now he stays more near me.

His name is fucking unprononceable, even if I'm used to those of my family. So many generations living under my roof one has to have a very typical Syrian name.

Anyway. I just got out of a patrol with Sigismund. Fucker is on leave after that. Guess he was needed. He can"t function well anymore, and the fact he doesn't know it is worrying. Walpurgis almost forced him to take those days off. I'm jealous, because last time I got injured badly I had to come back the morning after, but I don't think mister kidnapped with mental health in shambles is the right target to aim for, right now.

He doesn't deny anymore Domhildr is his girlfriend.

I can't say that to Tyr. I promised to stop meddling in. But I feel very angry on his behalf. Ironic, after so much time trying to separate both. But hey. I guess if I didn't succeed in almost ten years, it's not an unresolved crush that will separate those two.

I'll wait and see, and try to uphold my end of the bargain. I promised.

You don't betray promises made to family members.

So we're finally having our seven squad meeting, and I have to keep silent on any news on that bitch.

Oh, yeah, still haven't forgiven the outing. The rumor hasn't died down. It won't ever. But now some of the yonger cops come see me and ask if I can be their... I don't know. Gay mentor ? In the police ?

I can't tell them I joined in because I am in the perfect position to be a mole for my anarchocommunist groups. They still believe in the fascist militia's values. It's enraging.

Sun is low, we are in February after that. Hector and Aarni are talking about something I don't care about, and Thorfinn is next to me looking at me with their unreadable eyes. We're just waiting on Tyr, Gustav and Brynja, that shouldn't take long.

Speaking of the devil, there they are. Tyr is holding Brynja's gloved hand. A new necklace shines on her neck. Right. Valentines' was a few days ago. I suppose they made it official.

Good for them.

"Tyyyyyyr ! Shouts Aarni when they come at ears' range. Finally out of your cave, my man ?"

"Not quite, he smiles, a bit weakly. Gustav and Kriss want to supervise me while I finish my thesis for good. They're also helping me look in teaching positions."

"Right, with a doctorate, you can do a lot of things, smiles Hector. Soon enough I will call you doctor Tyr. Sexy, not gonna lie."

Brynja pouts.

"Hey, com'on, don't steal my boyfriend..."

So they did make it official.

I am the only one seeing Hector's jaw drop a few quarters of inches. He's still smiling, tho.

"Far from me that idea !"

"I think Tyr is big enough to be shared anyway, laughs Gustav. Plus there's still... Well, the four you-know-who's."

He throws me a stern look saying that, and I just shrug. Don't want to hear about that, but I promised. I promised.

That's also the moment Tyr spots me.

His eyes get colder.

"'evening, Fenrir."

"Hello to you too. Glad to see you're doing better."

His eyes squint.

"Not because of you."

....

I probably deserve that, but still.

"Alright, alright, no tension today, interjects Thorfinn the voice of reason. Let's go to the bar and get wasted, I already called that good old Galmar. He told me he doesn't want to see a catfight. Honestly, me neither."

"You place so little trust in me, Tyr sighs. But you're right. Let's go."

He places himself at the other side of the group, Brynja still at his arm, talking softly with him. This the first time I see him in person since New Year, last time we talked it was on Kriss' phone, I didn't expect better.

It still hurts.

I don't try anything that would end in failure. I just listen to the conversations. Everyone in the group somehow avoids me, anyway.

"I got an invite for Qamar's marriage, says Hector to Aarni with a smile. Was surprised, since we only know each other through mom, but it's a good occasion to get out; You got one too, Tyr ?"

Said Tyr shrughs.

"Kriss got one, so I guess I did. Haven't checked my mail in a while, tho."

"You did, actually. Also, Qamar said you could bring a plus one, since you guys are very close...."

"Oh, lucky, groans Hector. I wanted to drag in Aarni."

"Ew weddings."

"Just to annoy her."

"Ew Hector."

I don't listen. Marriage in Muslim traditions is very big and more often than not a lot of people are invited while knowing the bride from afar. Also, the Lulea are rich af, so they can drop money in those kind of festivities. My parents may be in, I don't know. I won't.

"I'll have to find a costume, continues Hector shrugging. You're in for suit shopping, Tyr ?"

"I'll see about that. But I'd better go with someone my size, no offense..."

"Bitch ?!?"

Yeah, yeah, just say to our face you'd rather go with that guy, I get it. I promised, once again, but it doesn't make me happy. Thinking about him helping you dress and choosing the color of your suit is making me want to puke. But hey, I wouldn't be here anyway, so there's absolutely no reason to subject myself to that kind of torture-

"Tyr ?! I haven't see you in two months !!!"

.... Tell me the world is fucking kidding me.

There's two people in front of us. One, small, with braces around they knees. Brown-skinned, with a lot more grey hair than last time I saw them. Happier, too.

The second one...

The second one....

Tyr steps forward with an astonished face.

"Kaizarz ? I.... Didn't expect to see you like this...."

Instantly everyone turns towards me with warning-filled eyes.

I don't move.

I am statufied.

The last time I saw you, you were next to my friend in an hospital bed. Holding what was left of his hand, eyes full of tears, yet I couldn't believe you were there before me.

The first time I saw you it was back in elementary. I was held by a detention, and when I got out I saw Tyr that promised me to wait for me playing football with you in a corner of the school I couldn't go in.

I couldn't believe you were there before me.

All there years I have hated you for always being the first.

Today I am the first one. I had priority. An he stills leaves us to come near him, Brynja on his arm.

He still

He still hasn't noticed me.

"Shit, says Oli with wide eyes, where were you, man ? Do you know the number of calls I left on your phone ?"

"Uh, yeah, I noticed... Sorry. Kriss told me I needed to disconnect. She took care of the news."

"Yeah, thanks for her, she took care of that diligently. Well, uh, I don't think Domhildr took her calls..."

He frowns.

"..... Expected."

That guy extends a hand. He's trying to put it on his shoulder, I'm sure of it.

Get

Get

Get

"Get the fuck away from there, asshole."

Couldn't restrain myself.

The giant asshole finally notices me. His face scrunches up on something that looks like both embarassment and discontent. The others are staring at me, and I see Hector extending a hand to stop me. Stop me from what ? Hitting him ? I won't.

Even if I'm dying to land a fist on his damn cleft lip.

The only one who hasn't moved is Tyr.

He slowly turns around.

His eyes

His eyes are the coldest I ever seen.

His voice is even colder.

"Do me a favor, Fenrir. Be a good boy and mind your own damn business."

He makes a sign of the finger, with his prosthetic hand. The classic one for "turn around".

I can't do anything else than shut up and retract myself.

I am a tall man. Yet, in front of those cold eyes

I feel so tiny.

The conversation carries on. They're talking about Domhildr now. Her new boyfriend. The fact she still hasn't tried to recontact Tyr. That he didn't, either. That they were happy to see him again, and, should we tell her that he's now at his sister's ? No, apparently. If she wants news, she can ask them from Kriss, not sure if she wants to see him, anyway. That she looks happier.

Qamar's wedding. Him asking Tyr if they want to go suit shopping together, Hector grimacing but giving them his blessing, how can he be so calm. Brynja doing her little lighthearted joking about their relationships and the fact she will soon not be the only lady in his heart. Oli asking how many plus ones they're bringing now.

That sort of thing.

Gustav is looking at me in disapproval. The other chime in the conversation. They look happy, together.

When they're all ignoring me.

[corneille-but-not-the-author]

New Year's Eve part 5

This is the sequel of a story made with @hel-phoenyx and @soupedepates

She's asleep.

I made sure of that. Stayed with her all evening. Didn't even get back to my own appartment, didn't even change, I'm back to work.

It's 3 AM. Still, the lights are up. I know for a fact the commissar won't be here, that's a good thing.

I'm in so much trouble.

I stole her some cigarettes. I light one. Put it into my mouth. It smells good. It smells great. Fuck, it's been about three years since i've taken one.

Bad habits never die.

Let's sum it up. Fenrir, this man I knew was up to no good, used me to hurt Domhildr and her friend. As a token of petty vengeance, she has decided to out him to the entire function.

Fenrir will know. Sooner or later. What is pretty good is that nobody will ever talk shit in his face, or else they would have to fight Amandine, and this girl is stronger than half the police united.

What is bad is that he'll know anyway.

He'll blame me.

It will get to the commissar.

Maybe they'll even ask for an investigation. On Domhildr. Maybe they'll blame her instead of me.

Let's try to think calmly, as i get out of the car, and let out a sigh.

The badge work.

I get in.

Get to my desk.

There are a few notes. One of the commissar. "Tell your girl she's banned from this building unless she wants trouble". Didn't have to tell me boss.

I'll miss her her pastries.

No time to cry. I brush off the tears. Calm. Composed. Remember the training. Remember who you are.

There must be a way.

4 AM.

5 AM.

6 AM.

They start to come in droves. Still not slept. Got some messages. How can I change everything ? How can I save at the same time the girl I like and the man who hurt her ?

My eyelids are getting heavy.

Whenever I blink, another hour has passed.

8 AM. Amandine comes to my desk.

"Have you been here all night ?"

She does not joke. Amandine never jokes. She's as stern as a woman can be.

"I want to stop...destroying...everything..."

"Hold there, Sigismund, I am not your psychologist, nor your psychiatrist. Have you seen him lately ?"

Oh. Yeah. I was supposed to have a psychiatrist. Never got one. Lied to my colleagues, so that they did not worry.

I'm tired of lying.

"No."

I do sound like a child caught red handed. It's ridiculous.

"I'll talk to Fenrir. So that he knows he can come to me if he needs something."

"That's my problem, Amandine"

"Not since your friend decided otherwise, Sigismund."

Her eyes.

Cold as ice.

Just. Like. Father.

Calm down. Calm down.

Another cigarette.

"You smoke ?" she asks.

"It's been three years."

"You should stop."

"I know."

But the smoke is too good, it feels too great. It's a poison, but a poison i'll take.

"I don't want you to talk to Fenrir, i'll do it." i say with as much determination as I can.

"Why ?"

"Because it's my fault. I'll make amends. I'll...do anything he wants, take his files, his anger, I don't know why he doesn't like me, I don't care. I'll do what he wants."

"Are you talking about a colleague or a criminal ?"

There it is.

Burried in the panic, I finally feel it.

The anger.

I'm angry.

At Fenrir for provoking me.

At Domhildr for taking the bait.

At Amandine for staring at me with those cold ice eyes.

But what can I do ? Anger doesn't change the world. Justice does. And justice is punishment for the guilty. I am guilty. Of everything.

I don't want Domhildr to suffer.

I take my phone. Send a message.

Don't come back to the commissariat. Ever. Walpurgis is angry. I'll try to arrange things. Please, for once, be the only oen who believes in me.

I look at Amandine.

She has disppeared.

In her place, the grim smile of another man.

A man named Fenrir.

Well. Here we go, I guess.

[srovtl]

Offering A Prayer to the Wandering God Chapter 1

One afternoon.

Me, Figaro, and Arthur who had just finished his official duties, were walking through the bustling central market.

Arthur: Master Sage, Lord Figaro, thank you so much for coming to pick me up at the castle.

Arthur: I was planning to return to the magic manor this afternoon, but I'm glad I got to meet you two early!

Figaro: I'm so glad you're happy. We were just stopping by the wizard's house.

Figaro: Since we've come all the way to the capital, me and the Master Sage talked about coming to pick you up.

Akira: Yes! Arthur, thank you for your hard work. It's been a few days since we last met.

Akira: I invited you to the market to change your mood but... Will it be okay to walk around without disguising yourself?

Arthur: No problem. Lord Figaro cast a spell on me.

Arthur: The people walking down the street should be seeing me differently.

Akira: Great! Then you can stroll around with your head high. Are you hungry?

Arthur: A little... Come to think of it, I left without having lunch.

Figaro: We only had tea and snacks. Shall we have lunch first?

Figaro: We can eat as we walk, or we can decide after looking around.

Akira, Arthur: Yes!

Figaro, with his friendly smile, looked just like a doting relative with his younger cousins.

His tall stature and white coat fluttering in the wind made him stand out in the crowd.

As I followed behind him, Arthur and I looked around.

Saku-chan, who was in my arms like a stuffed animal, was twitching her nose slightly.

Street stall owners: These are high-quality violet sugar sweets! They melt in your mouth and have an exquisite taste!

Street stall owners: How about some fresh fruit candy wrapped in starch syrup? They're fresh and delicious!

Akira: Sugar sweets, sounds nice...

Arthur: Candy is good too... The fruits are big and look like they'll be filling.

Figaro: want to buy some? It feels more like a dessert than a meal though.

Akira: Oh, that's right. With so many, it's hard to choose...

Street stall owners: Hey misters! How about some crispy fried chicken?

Street stall owners: Ours is famous for its extra-large size. Look!

Arthur: True! It's so big that it covers your face.

Akira: It's quite impressive, isn't it? Ah, but the spices smell good...

Figaro: Even so, isn't it a bit too big? How many people can eat one of these...?

Street stall owner: Nah, Young people can eat it all easily. I'm sure you can do it too, mister!

Street stall owner: It's well pounded and spread out, so it's soft, juicy, and delicious.

Arthur: Gulp… This is the bold food that you don't usually get to eat...

Akira: It'll be so nice to bite into a freshly fried one...

Figaro: Youth's so nice. Well, let Doctor Figaro treat you this time.

Arthur: Yay!

Akira: Thank you!

Figaro: Owner, I want the spice one and.... oh there's also cheese powder flavor. Can I have one of each?

Street stall owners: Thank you!

Arthur: Is it okay, Lord Figaro?

Figaro: I think a whole one would be hard on my stomach. Just one would be enough...

???: Lord Figaro.

A voice crept up on us. And Saku-chan's tail puffed up softly.

I turned around to see a person with a hood pulled down over his eyes, one step behind us, looking down.

Sacrificium: …….!

Figaro: And you are...

Man wearing a hood: Ah... It's been a long time since I last saw you. Since the Walpurgis Night banquet.

Man wearing a hood: It's an honor to meet you. You're still as noble as ever...

As he bows respectfully, the warmth in Figaro's eyes fades away.

Akira: (Could it be...?)

Now, Figaro is a gentle and kind-hearted wizard who works as a doctor in a southern country.

However, he was originally from the northern country. He had a long and renowned life, and was a disciples of the twins alongside Oz.

If one doesn't know his circumstances, they wouldn't have behaved this way.

Figaro: ...Master Sage, Arthur. I'll be off for a bit.

Figaro: Here's some allowance. Use this and buy whatever you like.

Figaro smiles gently again and places some coins in Arthur's hand.

Arthur is also someone who knows his situation. He looks up at Figaro with intelligent eyes and nods obediently.

Arthur: I understand. If you call me, I'll be back right away, so please take your time to talk.

Arthur: Let's go, Master Sage.

Akira: Y-Yes. See you later, Figaro… I'll save the fried chicken for you!

Figaro: Yeah, thank you.

Figaro shakes his shoulders, waves his hand, and lightly taps the man wearing a hood on the shoulder.

Then he disappears into the crowd.

Figaro: Well, around here is okay...

Man wearing a hood: Lord Figaro… My apologies, was I being rude?

Figaro: Let's see. Well, It's rude of you to come out and talk to me in the middle of the city.

Man wearing a hood: I-I'm so sorry! Please forgive me...

Figaro: Oh, you don't have to kneel. I'm glad it was those kids who were with me.

Figaro: So, is there something you need? I've got people waiting, so keep it brief.

Man wearing a hood: Yes, yes... Do you remember Elijah?

Man wearing a hood: An eccentric, stubborn, troublesome guy… A wizard who devoutly worshipped the god of his hometown.

Figaro: Ahh, It's been a while since I heard that name.

Figaro: He's a devout man, so I remember him. He came to visit me on Walpurgis Night a few times in the past.

Figaro: I haven't seen him in about two hundred years... What happened to him?

Man wearing a hood: There are strange rumors going around near his mansion, deep in the eastern forest.

Man wearing a hood: Ever since the Great Calamity struck, eerie shadows and sounds have been lurking at night.

Figaro: The Great Calamity...

Man wearing a hood: Yes. I have heard that Lord Figaro has been chosen to be a sages wizard.

Man wearing a hood: Rumor has it that you are all working together to solve strange happenings in the world...? If so, I think you should keep that in your ears.

Figaro: Indeed, we are currently receiving requests from all over the world to investigate strange phenomenons caused by the moon.

Figaro: Is there a monster or something lurking around... If he isn't chasing it away, does that mean something might have happened to him?

Man wearing a hood: I'm not sure, but Elijah's actions have been getting out of hand for a while now.

Man wearing a hood: he's been going into not just human lands but other wizards' territories without permission, demanding money and valuables, and proposing strange deals...

Man wearing a hood: When asked why he keeps causing so much trouble, he says this.

Man wearing a hood: "Right now, I'm creating a god."

Man wearing a hood: "I need the materials and the technology to do that.”

Figaro: ………

Man wearing a hood: I don't know what Elijah is thinking.

Man wearing a hood: But I think he needs your guidance before he does something strange.

Man wearing a hood: The way you have always guided us at the Walpurgis Night...

Figaro: ...I see, I understand.

Figaro: I haven't seen him in a while, so if I get the chance, I'll visit him. You can go now.

Man wearing a hood: Yes...! I look forward to meeting you again.

Figaro: There are people like that sometimes, people who are so good at groveling.

Figaro: I wonder if we'll hear more reports like this from now on. If they were actually in trouble, they'd send word.

Figaro: It's not easy to live a long life.  it's so annoying I started to understand why Oz wanted to conquer the world.

Stall owner: That's amazing! Congratulations!

Townspeople: He's truly a sages wizard! He's got luck on his side!

Figaro: That's...

Akira: Great job, Bradley!

Arthur: You drew that card immediately,  it was cool!

Sacrificium: ……..

Nero: You did a great job, Bradley-kun.

Bradley: Damn it, You guys are just screwing with me.

Figaro: Hey, everyone. Bradley and Nero, What a coincidence.

Bradley and Nero: Ugh.

Akira: Ah, Figaro! Welcome back.

Arthur:  I saw them shopping by chance, so I watched the game.

Arthur: Apparently, it is a grocery store that gives out free gifts depending on whether you won or lost a card game. Nero said it was his favorite place.

Nero: Well, one of.

Nero: Bradley encouraged the store owner and won a series of games, so we got a lot of good vegetables.

Bradley: Tch... Nero, you tricked me.

Bradley: You said there's a place I'd like where you can get super fresh and tasty stuff at a reasonable price if you win the game.

Bradley: You'd think that was a butcher, wouldn't you? I wasted my time offering to be your baggage carrier.

Nero: You're the one who agreed right away. You said you were killing time and would come with me to do the shopping, so I went along with you.

Nero: Tonight's dinner is a full course meal with lots of vegetables. Make sure you eat well.

Bradley: I don't want it…

Figaro: You're not too bad too, Nero. Playing Bradley like a fiddle isn't something anybody can do.

Nero: No, it's not like that...

Bradley: Exactly. for a mere eastern cook you got some balls.

Bradley: Besides, even you could easily cheat away with a card like that.

Nero: idiot, what're you talking about.

Arthur: Haha. you two get along well.

Bradley, Nero: No we're not.

Figaro: They're in sync.

There's a certain tension, but strangely, the interaction between them is lively.

Akira: (Come to think of it, these four... They all lived in the north.)

Akira: (I don't see them together much, but somehow they seem to be on the same wavelength…)

Bradley: More importantly, Sage. You've got something tasty.

Bradley: It's so big, you can't eat it all by yourself. I will help you, You too, Prince.

Arthur: You mean this fried chicken? This is for Lord Figaro...

Bradley: Oh, the Sage's is spicy. *bite*.

Akira:  Ahh! I was saving the part with lots of spice..…

Figaro: Sure, if you're hungry I'll share. It's Bradley's favorite food after all.

Nero: Still, don't steal it.

Nero: By the way, what are you guys doing? Arthur is disguised with magic, so are you taking a sneaky stroll?

Arthur: Yeah. I haven't had lunch yet, so I wanted to fill my stomach and looked around the area.

Nero: Then the hot sandwiches over there are tasty too.

Nero: It's stuffed full and the bread is thin and crispy. My favorite is the one with scrambled eggs, mustard, and cheese.

Akira, Arthur: Sounds so delicious...

Figaro: You can't go wrong with a chef's recommendation. If you like, can you show us around?

Nero: Sure. I'll buy some eggs nearby too.

Arthur: Yay, thanks!

Arthur: But it'll be hard for just the two of you to go shopping. As a thank you for the hot sandwich, I'll help you out.

Akira: I'll carry the bags too!

Bradley: That'll be a big help. I'll let you carry this big bag of cabbage.

Akira: Wah So heavy...?!

Bradley: Haha! Don't fall down on us.

Figaro: careful, are you okay?

Nero: Hey, don't bully the sage.

Arthur: Master Sage, would you hand it over to me a little... It's really heavy!

Figaro: I wonder if it will be too bulky if I just lighten it with magic. I'll squeeze it tightly to make it smaller.

Figaro snaps his fingers, and the cabbages that were there once were small enough to roll around in the palm of his hand.

While relieved, my cheeks loosen a little at the light-hearted exchange taking place above my head.

Akira: (they're really on the same wavelength.)

Akira: (Even though They're all wizards in different countries now. It's strange how the environment you grow up in affects you.)

directory - next chapter

[fictionfixations]

tips?

contemplating redoing the entire thing to get more coins and artifacts ive heard are very very good to help make it easier im just having a hard time at phase 2

ive heard that thats the hardest and then after you make it past that it should be easier to get through the rest (hopefully)

very nice of them to have rentals of hong lus you can use and also maxing out the level of my actual hong lu along with threadspinning his egos though ive been using a support id for meursault who otherwise is at a very low lvl 12 LMAO because the one im using has the pursuance ego cause faust kinda tends to die duirng bosses

should i just be like ignoring zilu and focus all on jia qiu and any other attacks idk defend (or if they can clash and win then against zilu for more sanity?) cause shes so fast i cant clash with her attacks (feel like the zilu-ricardo fight was meant to prepare me for this but man..)

i already used a sapling of light so i cant lower speed either and see if that does anything for now

if its possible i would like to not have to redo the whole thing because man there were some fights that were kicking my ass and im not the biggest fan of resetting to make sure i get the best outcome but if i keep struggling i think im just gonna have to do it to make it easier and pray it makes a difference

my excuse for sinclair being very low is because im waiting for walpurgis night cause i hear his id there is pretty good

also actually wonder if you can put hong lu in backup or something. probably not right?

i could probably definitely spend more time getting their levels all up to max and see if that extra five levels does something, if nothing else itll at least help a teeny bit

i predict that ill probably unfortunately spend a long time on this but on the other hand it means ill have stronger units for future battles (kinda intimidated by how ive heard of fights being nerfed this canto)

i imagine my team is kinda not ideal considering its a bit all over the place

my excuse? listen i started this game three weeks ago im using the three stars i first got (i also dont have any others with the exception for gregor who i have heishou him and g corp him so if its recommended i switch him in then alright)

anyway theres also a chance the order matters like how i beat dulcinea by setting it as one strong unit one weak unit and repeat that so by the time she used really strong attacks the weak units wouldve died with the strong ones remaining so i dont know, ill have to experiment

i dont like doing multiple attempts where im not really making any progress as it doesnt feel like id be able to make it and it saps at my motivation cause like yknow what am i doing here? if i wasnt doing anything in previous attempts why would it change now?

so i tend to hold off on doing more attempts until my teams stronger like when id been fighting against aancho where i accepted that okay im not making any progress after getting to this one part in the battle i keep dying here, so then i focused a lot more time on getting my ids' level up and then redid it

additionally sometimes what feels like makes a big difference is just... clearing my mind. taking a break from doing it (usually meaning waiting a day before trying again) and then coming back with a clear mind not clouded by failures after multiple attempts and i do it

it would be really funny if i made this whole post about struggling with this and then the next day i beat it

partially why im always a little bit anxious about making posts like these cause oh man asking for help and then oh turns out i did it not long after and i dont want it to turn into like a oh im always asking for help but im not actually that stuck on it for that long that people dont really wanna give advice, yknow?

on the other hand maybe its like a mental thing where i complain and panic, and then with that out of the way and out there i can just focus more on wtf im doing? idk man

i might be making less and less sense

im. so tired. its 5 am, i have not slept

im going to right after this

[dino-cattivo]

A fanfic idea I don't have the time nor Potter knowledge to write

There had always only been two sides: the light and the dark. Good and evil. Dumbledore and Voldemort—locked in an intense battle for dominance.

And then there was Severus Snape.

He had never wanted to be the alternative, but here he was—the third faction no one knew about, except for his followers. Something he had neither planned nor wanted, but that had still happened. And all because he hadn’t been able to leave his childhood friend behind, no matter what. So when his housemates discriminated against her and forbade him from speaking with her, instead of just accepting it, he investigated why. Why did purebloods hate Muggleborns so much? Why did Hogwarts celebrate Christmas and Halloween instead of the traditional holidays, and when did that change? Where were the classes that integrated people into the magical community and taught them things like etiquette, politics, and the old ways?

And why did it always come down to Albus Dumbledore?

To say he wasn’t impressed to find that the entire conflict between purists and Muggleborns was manmade—manufactured by teaching ignorance—was an understatement. Severus discovered that, instead of addressing the issues, house points had been introduced, alienating people even further.

Baffled by such mishandling, he went to Lucius—the only person he knew who was involved in politics and could answer why no one had done anything to stop this. Only, the man himself was just as shocked. Looking deeper into it, they found the issues went far beyond Hogwarts and Dumbledore. Lucius was at a loss as to what to do now.

The Dark Lord wanted to purge all Muggles from their world, and Dumbledore wanted to make their world Muggle. Neither option sounded pleasing upon the new revelations—that it wasn’t the Muggleborns’ fault, but their own politics that had caused the issue, eroding their culture. That was when Severus made the mistake of asking why, instead of joining one of the two factions, Lucius couldn’t do his own thing—integrating Muggleborns into their society and culture, teaching them their ways. Lucius agreed to try, even with his limited power while his father was still the active Lord of the House of Malfoy.

This should have been the extent of Severus’ involvement, as he left everything else to the older boy and steered clear of trouble while spending time with Lily. Only, Lucius seemed to think that since Severus had brought the issue up and done all the research, he should be the leader of this new faction.

Which was idiotic on so many levels.

First, he was a half-blood—no one would listen to him. Then there was also his looks, or lack thereof, and his missing charm. With him as a leader, the whole ordeal was set to fail from the beginning. It didn’t stop Lucius from introducing new people to him, all willing to follow the new cause as they were desperate for an alternative between the two extremes. They didn’t have a name—a fancy moniker like the Knights of Walpurgis (which had turned into the Death Eaters) or the Order of the Phoenix. They just were. There was no need for a name; if you were part of it, you knew, and if you weren’t, it was better that you didn’t find out.

While the other factions fought, they focused on gaining political allies and changing the system from within while conducting research. At Hogwarts, they left books and parchments lying around for Muggleborns to find, informing them of the world they were now part of. It was slow, less spectacular than the other factions—but also less bloody.

Then Severus made a discovery that escalated things.

There had been no Squibs a century ago. So where had they come from? Had Lady Magic abandoned them because of the Muggles, as many purists claimed? Unlikely. It took months of research—comparing birth records between countries, newspapers, and all other available information—made harder by the fact that most nobles disposed of their Squibs quietly. But he came to a shocking revelation.

Squibs were a product of inbreeding. Their blood had become so tainted from generations of marrying their own cousins that magic was vanishing from their bloodlines. That was also the reason why most noble houses only had one child and so many stillbirths—the blood simply couldn’t handle being born into a world of magic anymore.

If they continued like this, there wouldn’t be any noble houses left—all would die out. Half-bloods were better off, but even they were affected by convoluted bloodlines, and it would take generations of fresh blood to undo the damage. Especially since there were no true Muggleborns—just decades of Squib lines marrying Muggles until a spark ignited magic in a child again.

Presenting his findings, their faction knew they had to act—and fast—if they wanted to save their culture and children. It also swayed many more people to their side. Not only nobles, but even Muggleborns joined—some wanting to discover which family they were distantly descended from, others wanting to be part of a culture they had just learned about. It was a silent change, happening behind closed doors, no one knowing who was involved—but made powerful by the sheer number of people, ready to do whatever they had to in order to save Wizarding Britain from ruin.

All under Severus’ direction.

He had really, really tried to pawn the job off on someone—anyone—else, but to no avail. The main people involved came to him, asking for his opinion, wanting to know if they should push a motion forward.

All Severus wanted was to go to school, pass his NEWTs, and become a Potions Master. Instead, he was busy leading a societal revolution—stripping both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore of their power.

He needed a nap.

Instead, he was dragged to balls and meetings, where people would fall over themselves just for a chance to speak to him.

He hated people. He didn’t want to talk to people.

Why had he thought it was a good idea to look into things?