infinitelydiverse-arc - Tumblr blog

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

this blog is now an archive!

You can find me at my new blog under the same url @infinitelydiverse!

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

tatterdhearts‌  //  dad.

Newt can’t help but mimic the same expression on his son’s face. He hadn’t expected such an excited response. He knew how most people viewed the badger house, and if the choice between a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff came along it wouldn’t be the latter. Though, to know that his son would want to be in the same house that he was sorted in made him SWELL with pride. “I think you fit all the houses a little bit, but you’d make a BRILLIANT Hufflepuff.” He chuckles. “If you’d like to, I don’t see why not.” He nods his head at the thought. For such a young age Caleb was quite gifted, he could certainly see the benefits of him attending a magical school, but that was ultimately HIS choice to make.

      It’s simple logic that leads Caleb to his conclusion. His dad is the best person he knows. His dad was in Hufflepuff. Therefore Hufflepuff is the best. Obviously. And of course, Caleb wants to be in the best house. “You think so ?”  he asks, looking particularly pleased at the prospect. “I like Hufflepuff a lot. You can do anything with hard work and a bit of bravery.” Caleb’s expression turns into something thoughtful and a little uncertain. After a few moments, he says, “I dunno if I wanna go. I’d miss you and Aunt Tina and Aunt Queenie and Uncle Jacob and everyone else a lot.” After a moment’s consideration, his face scrunches up as he adds, “Plus Scotland is cold during the winter.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

seekscryptids  //  stern.

❝ It’s not as though I expected faeries to be real . ❞ Well , barring the fact that he got rescued by The Mothman , seen an eldritch being , is being stalked by a shadow person and has a hellhound as a casual pet , there were just some things that appeared to be too fantastical for him to comprehend . Next thing you know , he sees a dragon .

His brows scrunch together , staring at the feather in his hands , the downy fluff tickling his palms and seeming to speak in candy - floss and gentle safety . ❝ Ok . If I ever need help . I’ll use it . ❞ Stern parrots , already making a note to keep it tucked between the pages of his Cryptonomicon . At this rate , his well - kept book was turning into a scrapbook . 

❝ This is a one - time sort of deal , right ? ❞

      Moore refuses to be held responsible for laughing ❝ You can deal with Mothman and skinwalkers and whatever the hell else lives around here, but it’s faeries that make you turn up your nose ? ❞  He might’ve been offended if he hadn’t found it all so amusing.  ❝ To be fair, we are more common in across the pond than here. ❞

❝ Good. And you better take good care of it. That’s one of my feathers, and I will be very unhappy if I get it back damaged. ❞  He gives first the human then his feather a sharply pointed look. It says he expects agreement and compliance in this matter and will accept nothing less.

Moore gives him a droll look. It’s annoying, explaining the rules to people.  ❝ Yes. You can be very sure I’m getting my feather back as soon as possible. ❞

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

dirkgentle‌  //  dirk.

                  “ Yeah, of course! That is so much cleverer! Rer. Cleverererer? Would TOTALLY have been my second idea, actually. ” ( There’s a self-conscious curl to Dirk’s lips suggesting rather rudely that by totally he means, in fact, definitely not and I’m just lying to look brainy in front of a STUPIDLY sweet man who gave me his number like the absolute darling he is, and who makes the very most scrumptious tea on the entire planet, by the way. ) Try as he might, he can’t straighten his mouth into a normal line - you know, the less treacherously tell-tale kind! -, so he decides instead to go back to smiling. Which is REALLY not a terribly difficult task, when he’s being given not only the time of day by Jiang, but also his number! Did he mention that before?! His actual number, connected to his actual { and rather charmingly battered-looking } phone! A number Dirk could, if the mood ever struck him - and it will! -, ring up at any given point. Just like that. No prior investigation needed.

                  If there’s a bit of a commotion going on behind the counter, Dirk hardly notices it. Like any true detective, he’s focused ENTIRELY on the  i m p o r  t a n t  details - such as his fingers, currently the object of much befuddled staring. Jiang touched them. Just now. With his own fingers. Without any apparent reason beyond simply WANTING to. { His blush must be spreading from head to toe by now. }

                  “ Yes! Text! Me, texting you, that’s a thing! Or, well, it’s — it’s going to be a thing, just as soon as I —- ” The phone escapes Dirk’s fumbling hands and clatters loudly to the floor. Much louder than it’s got any right to, the silly thing! Oh, God - what if he broke it? Now of all times ?? When it FINALLY contains a number that belongs neither to a client nor one of several pizza delivery services? But no. Still intact. Thanks, universe. You can be kind, when you really make an effort.

                  ( text: Fan Jiang 🐉 ) Hi! ✨ It’s Dirk Gently, your tea-loving detective customer in the yellow jacket! You gave me your number and told me to text, as I’m sure you’ll remember. So that’s what I did! 🐈 Yours, Dirk. P.S. What a SUPER adorable dragon!! Fits you so well! Much like your shirt, I might add! 👕💛🌈😍 

      Jiang notices the self-conscious edge to Dirk’s smile and offers the most reassuring, kind expression he can manage. “Usually when people call me clever, it’s not a compliment,” he observes with no apparent offense, leaning against the cash register. Usually it’s more along the lines of too clever for his own good and he thinks he’s just so clever, doesn’t he ?  "So thank you. And for the record ?”  His grin turns light, playful. “I think you’re very clever.”

He brushes his hair from his face, trying to hide how pleased he is with this turn of events. It’s not often that he develops any sort of interest in anyone beyond the most casual and  ( usually )  physical sort. So this--- this crush, this fluttering in his stomach and this smile he can’t get rid of, is unfamiliar, but it’s... nice. Having a crush is fun, and Jiang is determined to let himself enjoy this for once, instead of retreating in a panic because he doesn’t know what to do. Especially not when it comes to dating a human. Or explaining that he is not, in fact, a human. No need to get ahead of himself though.

Jiang’s lips twitch in amusement, but he’s not laughing at Dirk. He’s really not, cross his heart and everything. It’s just nice to see he’s not the only one who’s so affected by this apparently mutual crush. He suspects the only reason he isn’t fumbling just as badly is the strict self-control he’d had drilled into him. Some lessons never quite fade, and those ones were particularly hard learned for him. Instead of trying to voice any of that, he says, “Take your time. It gives me a chance to admire the view.”

He’s more than a little head-over-heels for the unbelievably sweet, undeniably handsome man in front of him. He just wonders how long it will take for Dirk to realize it.

      ( text: Dirk Gently ☀️ )  hey dirk!  i’m happy you texted and even happier to finally have your number!  just so you know, you can text me whenever you want. i keep odd hours so don’t worry about the time, and i’m always happy to hear from you. Jiang  🐉  PS. thank you! i thought it was appropriate, given the tattoos. i love your jacket. yellow is a very good color on you.  🧥🌈😉

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

truesymphony‌  //  ray.

    Ray clung to him for a few extra moments not able to resist it.  This was the nicest he had been to her all night.  After a moment she back off to give him just the biggest possible smile.  That had made her entire night.  She would be much better now.  “We can agree there.”  She didn’t like to lose.  She handled it with grace however because she had to.  “Alright!  Name the time and place.  You are on.”  She didn’t mind losing to Sebastian in this situation though considering he was a trained sniper.  “So food then you can put me to bed.”

      Sebastian takes one look at her expression and rolls his eyes. For once in his life though, he lets something pass without comment. “In all fairness, I don’t think anyone particularly likes losing.” Some people hate it more than others, he thinks, and he’s certainly one of them. He hates even the though of it, always has. “You seem awfully eager to get your ass kicked,” Sebastian observes with one of those lazy grins of his. “And you realize paint balls leave pretty good bruises, right ?”  Not that Sebastian’s too fussed about the idea. He considers her for a moment. “Might as well finish the round.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

astralmyth‌  //  jemma.

It’s strange that being addressed so formally, it grates against her skin. She’s grown so accustomed to her title being dropped that hearing it now, and almost every time he addresses her, feels wrong. Which maybe says more about how she lets herself be treated by the team then she wants to think about now.

“Please, call me Jemma.” Earlier thoughts aside, they’ve been working together long enough and if they’re going to get dinner, there’s really no need for proper titles. “Do what you need to. Whatever makes you the most comfortable.”

      “Thank you, Jemma,” he says, even though it feels a little odd to address her that way. It feels rude, almost, and he tries to be anything but. Being polite, being respectful, doesn’t cost anything. Not even when he’s as tired as he is now. “You can call me Steve.”

He offers her a small smile and grabs duffel bag. After stepping into the restroom, Steve takes a slow, deep breath before peeling off his uniform. It feels good when he’s finally dressed in civilian clothing. It’s nice to look in the mirror and just see himself, even if he does look tired. He makes sure his uniform is folded, puts his shield is in his case, and splashes water on his face before stepping out. “Ready to go ?”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

tatterdhearts‌  //  magnus.

“Did I? Huh–I must be POPULAR.” He said with a satisfied grin. This wasn’t something new of either of them. Those who weren’t that close to them often confused them for one another. With their MISCHEVIOUS personality, they liked to play it off. “I’ll be sure to give her a call later.” He said with a thoughtful nod of his head. “How was your date last week? I almost forgot to ask you about it.”

      Niall rolls his eyes, but a small sound of amusement escapes him. “One of us has to be,” he observes, attempting and failing at wryness as he glances at Magnus over the top of his book. “Please do. She seemed quite insistent and not the type who takes well to being ignored.” He doesn’t want to be the one to deal with that if she gets them mixed up again. He offers a little shrug. “It went well. We had a good time, that restaurant down the street is really great.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

rcprobate‌  //  connor.

The childlike wonder from Warren that follows brings a fond smile to Connor’s face. It’s good to see them be able to enjoy themselves without having to worry about all the shit going on in Los Santos. They’re on the opposing side but that doesn’t matter to them now. This place was never a conventional place to begin with, however, & Connor knows full well how weird it truly is.

“Yeah, no gives backs, I’m not 10,” He says teasingly. Connor never had any siblings. Sure, he had a few friends but nothing seems to compare to having a younger sibling. In a way, he sees the AI almost like such, which is a different pace from how they were some time ago. It’s a nice change.

Maybe the city is rubbing off on him in a way he never expected.

“It’s all yours pal. I just wanna know what’s inside.” He’s curious, but not enough to figure it out on his own. Though, out of the two of them, it’ll be put to better use with Warren than Connor.

      The wariness in Warren’s frame drains immediately, and they relax their grip on their newest puzzle. “Are you sure about that ?”  they retort, just as teasing. It’s weird sometimes, being so friendly, so casual with someone they shouldn’t get along with. It’s the principle of the thing, and they’re on opposing sides of the law. It’s--- it’s nice though. Having another friend, especially one who doesn’t seem to mind their quirks. “You could fool me sometimes.”

Now that they’re sure their newest prize won’t be snatched up from them, Warren starts moving the little tiles around again. The pattern seems to be geometric, which makes it easier. Warren can see where all the lines fall in their mind’s eye, and it’s just a matter of matching the tiles up with that mental image.

It’s not incredibly difficult, but it takes enough of focus to be pleasantly diverting. It takes about twenty minutes of quiet, determined focus before Warren slides the last piece into place. “Got it !  The pattern is really cool !”  It’s an intricate pattern of black, white, and dark brown, and Warren is very pleased about figuring it out. “Ready to see what’s inside it ?”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

@iclearupyourshit sent: "you’re clever, funny, and … very, very pretty.” @Jack. Drunk Ianto?? Y e s I LOVE YOU SKINS UK  /  ACCEPTING.

      Jack glances up at Ianto over his bottle, face flushed with alcohol and amusement. Jack and Ianto don’t do this often, drinking together, and it hasn’t been going on for long. It’s just that Jack meant what he told Ianto after Brecon Beacons. He doesn’t mind drinking with Ianto if the Welshman needs someone to drink with. He’s glad he can do that little thing. “Yeah ?”  Jack asks with a grin. “I could say the same about you, y’know.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

tatterdhearts‌  //  alkaios.

He couldn’t have said it better himself. He nodded his head in response wit ha bright grin. “YEAH.” He said with a chuckle. He can’t help but feel excited about it now, the idea of coming to see her home and exploring a place he’s never been to before. “Yeah? You think so? I’d love to come, the SOONER the better.” He chuckled once more. He knew that his parents would be supportive of his adventurous endeavors as they always were. “I think they would be too, I’ll be sure to bring it up to them soon.”

      They nod, trying to decide on how much to explain. “In the past, my people have been--- less than friendly, to outsiders. My uncle and some of my more forward-thinking family, among others, wish to change that. Uncle thinks this is a good place to start, and I agree. I’m glad he let me come here. I’ve been enjoying myself.” Neran grins, tapping one heel lightly against the building. “I’ll be sure to pass along the sentiment when I ask about it too. I can’t wait !  You’ll love it. The beaches and caves are absolutely gorgeous.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

strangcrdoctor‌  //  stranger.

The first time Stephen had even realized that Kamar Taj wasn’t as out of touch as even he assumed was when he met Wong’s rolodex. He supposed he should have known when on his first night Mordo gave him the wifi password, but the rest of the “detachment from mortal comforts” schtick had rather reinforced his idea that they were more than a few steps behind the times. But as it turned out, Wong’s rolodex contained a true wealth of resource information the likes of which exceeded even everything the fledgling digital age had managed to amass.

Everything from London boot makers that hadn’t been open or on the books since the 1880s, to the best potion ingredient retailers on the market. Which was the pristinely extracted card Wong come to him with one afternoon when he’d been stocking the Kamar Taj libraries with volumes that had been requested from the New York Sanctum. Wong was doing an advanced potions lesson over the next month - for acolytes, apprentices, and masters alike - and had quite an extensive shopping list. And as the other man had smirkingly asserted, Stephen had the widest variety of favors to offer in barter.

The bastard even had the nerve to send him off without letting him stay for lunch, something which even the students and Master Hamir bemoaned, but Stephen let himself be herded back to Manhattan so he could find his way to the artifacts shop. Thanks to the magical seal Wong had placed on it, all he had to do was tap into the charms micro-consciousness to access the memory of where it was located before stepping through a portal to its front door.

He smiled to him self, breathing in the different air and wondering when it was he got to go shopping last. Let alone for things not entirely unlike eye of newt and tongue of dog. Hopefully they were a bit more humane ingredients, but Stephen already knew that Wong had requested a pint of his blood for one of the later stages of the potions, which did not bode well for how complex of an instruction process it was going to be. Wong’s lessons had always been exacting, and humane ingredients tended to be hard to come by in magic.

Pushing open the door to the small shop, he was met with the favorite and familiar smell of truly ancient dust, antique parchment, and something that danced in the corners of the room that may just have been faerie dust or something else entirely. The bell that chimed merrily upon his entrance even felt like it was in the right key for heaven’s sake. “Hello?” he called, peering around the shelves to see if he could scry someone else in the shop. “Anyone home? The sign did say ‘open’… I think.”

( @infinitelydiverse )

      “I’ll be right with you !”  Niall calls from the back of the shop, the door of which is half hidden by a set of bookshelves. He’d gotten back from a flea market about an hour ago, and he’d been adding the new items to the store’s inventor. He always finds a few items of magic at places like that --- he supposes it has something to do with the random, organic nature of markets and thrift stores. Or maybe it’s the items themselves, the magic in them, calling out to people until it finds someone who knows what to do with it. “If you happen to see a cat, don’t touch him. Mercutio gets antsy around other magic users.”

Niall gathers an armful of books and other items to shelve in the front of the shop before heading up. “Hey there !  Welcome,”  Niall greets the man cheerfully as he sets his armful down. He looks a far cry from the stereotypical witch: young with a plain button-down, dark jeans, a pair of worn sneakers, and a toothy grin. No one would guess at what he could do.

Before either of them could say anything, a short, sharp meow cuts through the air. Niall glances up at the top of a nearby shelf, momentarily distracted. “Are you coming down then, or are you just going to yell at this perfectly civil customer ?”  he asks his familiar. His answer comes in the form of the cat leaping from the shelf onto his shoulder. He staggers slightly under the abrupt weight; Mercutio is as large and muscular as any barn cat under all that fluff, and he feels it now.

“Sorry about him,” Niall says, scratching Mercutio’s soft, angular head pressed against his cheek. “’Cutio sneaked down here earlier, and this is the first I’ve seen of him all day. He’s really quite friendly, I swear. What can I help you with ?”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

angerbuilt‌  //  delanie.

           “i don’t know that much, i’m afraid. i just know it exists. i think animals have a better immune system? maybe? i’m just guessing at this point.” there was a limit to her knowledge and she’d reached it. she really had no idea why it was fine for them to eat it as animals but when they were human - it needed to go through so many different trials for it to be deemed fully edible. she shrugged hr shoulders, offering a little smile. “just know that they’re doing it so that it doesn’t hurt you, okay?”

      “oh,” haydn says with a little shrugs after taking a moment to consider delanie’s response. “i don’ know most things, ‘n you know most things, not all of them. ‘s okay.” that fact actually makes him feel a bit better, actually. she knows more things than him, but she doesn’t know everything. he begins scratching at the vinyl seat, wondering at the texture. the noise haydn makes is somewhere between a sharp exhale and a raspberry, but he nods anyways. “okay,” he grumbles. “’s weird but okay.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

tatterdhearts‌  //  newt.

His brows arch hearing his son’s words. He’s quick to turn his head and attention towards the small boy. He can’t help but grin at the question. Though brows furrowed a bit that he’d asked Tina and Queenie about Ilvermony first. “Ah–I definitely think you’d be a HUFFLEPUFF, just like your dad, don’t y’think?” He said with a PROUD grin. Thinking of his son being in the same house as he was. He would surely fit in among the other badgers. 

     Caleb’s face curls into a smile massive enough to almost split his face in two at Newt’s answer. “You really think so ?”  he asks, bouncing excitedly on his heels. “I wanna be a Hufflepuff !  Slytherin and Ravenclaw sound okay, and I want to be as brave as Gryffindor. Hufflepuff sounds the best though, ‘cause you were in it.” A thought occurs to him, and Caleb stops moving. “Will I have to go to a school ?  Like Ilvermony or Hogwarts ?”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

tatterdhearts‌  //  alkaios.

“Really? You’d wanna come and see?” Dark hues light up in EXCITEMENT. He knew he could be a bit much for some people. Too adventurous and wild that they couldn’t or didn’t care to keep up. But he loved the thrill of it all. It was something he wanted to share with people around him too. Most weren’t too keen on it though. “Yeah? Oh man, that would be so cool ! I’d love to visit, I’m sure it’ll be like NOTHING I’ve ever seen before.” That was enough to excite him.

      “Of COURSE !  Where’s the fun in going somewhere new if you don’t get to explore and see the sights ?  And there’s no better person to explore with than someone who knows the area well.” Neran beams at Alkaios with bright-eyed delight. It seems they’ve found a kindred spirit when it comes to exploring, and they can hardly contain themselves with excitement. “I’m sure you could visit soon !  I know Uncle wouldn’t mind you visiting as long as your family doesn’t mind. They seem like they’d be supportive of the idea.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

mostloquacious‌:

            “…Like what??” There is a follow-up question lingering on the tip of their tongue–can it hurt you?? That’s a few too many words for R in one sitting though. They’ll circle back to that question later.

      Cue a very deep, long-suffering sigh. Devin hates having this conversation. “At the risk of sounding insane, I see ghosts, spirits, and things that typically don’t like being seen. So not being able to see something is usually a bad sign for me.”

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

rcprobate‌:

Connor coughs in discomfort, turning his head towards the mirror. “Yeah uh… It’s no problem.”

It’s been some time since he’s seen someone eat so fast like Warren. The very few friends he had when he was younger was a crowd that didn’t fit a mold similar to how the FAKES are. He could see the Jericrew acting the same when it came to feed; it makes him nostalgic. In a way, they were family just as Warren saw this gang.

Connor knows he’d get just as upset if anyone tried to dispute that so it’s not as surprising anymore for Warren to be so defensive.

“So, technically, we’re only allowed to keep you for 24 hours.” The reality is, they’re not charging Warren for anything. They just wanted information which makes this a botched interrogation. He can imagine the higher ups laughing behind the one way mirror; so much for being a great detective. “Do you have someone who can come pick you up or do you need me to drop you off somewhere?”

      Warren huffs a soft little laugh, eyes straying to the window as well. Is that really what makes him uncomfortable ?  A sincere thank you ?

Instead of looking at the window and trying to calculate the possibility of someone watching the proceedings from the other side  ( the likelihood is uncomfortably high and creates unfortunate parallels with rats in cages ),  Warren starts picking at their nails instead. They hate seeing the dark crescents of dirt and grease under their nails.

“I know. I have a basic knowledge of law, and I was never formally booked anyways. Besides letting me keep this,” Warren taps a nail against their worn, slightly dinged laptop cover, “was a bit of a giveaway. I assumed it was just your way of trying to make me comfortable though, on account of my age. Which probably isn’t as young as you think, by the way.” They have a baby face. They know it and use it to their advantage.

They shrug at the question. “You can drop me off wherever. I can find my own way well enough.” Connor seems okay for a cop, but they’re not letting him anywhere near the crew.

[infinitelydiverse-arc]

truesymphony‌:

   “It’s not anythin’ ta be sorry for.  I think it’s better this way.  Cause I don’t want pity or sympathy.  I jus wanna be accepted.  Here I am.  So that makes me very happy.”  She offered a warm smile to them.  Deep down it did bother her but in all reality she knew this was the best thing.  “A family you are now a part of too!  We are suppose ta look out for each other n no matter what I got your back.”  She promised.  She meant every word of that. She didn’t know Warren well but she didn’t need to.  All she needed to know was that they were there and wanted to be good.   “yeah it’s so much fun.  You jus gotta be on my team!”  ray stopped at the door to what would be Warren’s room.  She quickly lounged forward to give them the biggest hug.  “Of course!  You can get settled now n when you are ready I can show ya around the nearest town.  It’s kinda small but it’s nice.  There is a mall.”

      “I know how you feel because I feel the same way. I just want to find a place where I can be weird and no one minds. Where I can be accepted and not feel so alone.” Warren sounds wistful at the idea, but their smile is tentative and hopeful. “Oh. I didn’t think it would be that easy. I like the idea of being part of a family though. I’ve never really had one of those before, but it sounds really nice.” Benji and Kit had been the only people Warren would’ve considered their family. “Sure. I don’t know how good I’ll be, but I’ll be on your team.” Their entire body freezes at the unexpected and almost entirely unprecedented contact. They relax into the hug after a long moment though, tentatively returning the gesture. “This is my room ?  I never really had my own room. I never needed one before.” They step forward, examining the space. “I don’t have much, so it shouldn’t take long to settle.”