#[ underwater ;; main muses. ]

[mercless]

🔪 making lemon posset atm and thinking about who of my muses would also cook/bake as a hobby... the list is shorter than i would like

talon specifically doesnt really have much difference between verses, modern probably being the one with the most of the cooking skills but even then its p basic, knowing the basics to make sandwiches and dinner type stuff. would be good at baking since it requires following instructions and measurements but doesnt have the time, equipment, or interest in making it when its so much easier to just buy all their sweets....

their work pizzas are bad because they just dont care xd

high noon is probably the Worst or competing for the spot. talon will catch a kog'maw critter and just bite into it shell and all if theyre hungry. wants it warm? just stabs it with a blade and cooks it from the inside out (its always burnt)

[lovcscene]

✨ 𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐮

NOMBRE: han siu. EDAD: 26 años. ESPECIE: humano. OCUPACIÓN: ilustrador. ORIENTACIÓN SEXUAL: bisexual. GENERO/PRONOMBRES: cis masculino, él/suyo. OTROS VERSES/RPG: -.

[albedomestic-airline]

genshin hcs!

WARNING!!!: I HAVENT WRITTEN THE ACTUAL THING YET BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS WILL HUNDRED PERCENT BE OOC I JUST KNOW IT SO BARE WITH ME

notes: im just dumping some random hcs to feed my children (anons) while im stalling on cooking the ACTUAL main course. i apologize to my anons but here is a snack while you wait. and ofc to anyone else ;) I’m SO sorry that Furina’s is so shortttt. I just don’t know that much about her next time I’ll do my research I prommy.

taglist status: OPEN! just send an ask or add a comment if you want to be tagged (im opening this even though i know for a fact i have like, one person to tag and that is livia vanrouge [did i spell your name right i think not] you are a pookie and ily)

characters: thoma, furina, kazuha, freminet and amber x gn!reader (seperate)

amber!:

Amber is the type of person to take you out whenever she can

and by take you out, I don’t mean for dinner or something, no.

I mean taking you to Dadaupa Gorge and clearing Hilichurl camps with you.

taking you to Starsnatch Cliff at night to go stargazing and wish on shooting stars.

she will find a pretty spot while she’s doing her outrider duties and take you there.

she’ll go to Good Hunter and get some food to-go and eat it with you at your little hangout area.

she’ll secretly keep an eye out for any monsters while you enjoy the meal she got you.

she’s probably got your usual order memorized.

you like Teyvat Fried Egg? easy, simple, she’s got you covered. your favorite’s a nice, roasted Sweet Madame? she noted that wayyy long ago.

she’ll go on walks with you through the Whispering Woods.

she’ll go to the Anemo Statue at Windrise with you.

can’t sleep? she’ll take you to the top of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters to look at the night sky.

sick? she’ll get you medicine. sick with an uncommon illness? she’ll go all the way to Liyue and get medicine from Bubu Pharmacy.

speaking of Liyue, she’d take you to Chenyu Vale or Liyue Harbor for a special occasion. like, your birthday or your anniversary. she knows almost every place in Teyvat like the back of her hand.(excluding maybe Snezhnaya, Khaenri’ah, and Inazuma but anyways-)

she’d spar you so you could work on your fighting.

she’d let you cuddle Baron Bunny (deactivated. do not hug Baron Bunny when it is not deactivated)

her favorite cuddling position would probably be having you face each other with her arm wrapped around you.

furina!:

Furina would be a TALKER. and I mean TALKER in your relationship.

not in a bad way like a yapper (paimon frfr-) but she just talks more than you.

she would give you a lot of random gifts like a bouquet at 10 pm or smth lmao

she might be very cuddly. her favorite position is spooning, either her big spoon or you big spoon, she doesn’t mind.

despite her outside personality, if you guys argue, she’d approach the situation calmly and talk it out before misunderstandings could arise.

she’d call you “my muse/my love” and to joke or for fun “my dearest puzzle piece”

if your ever feeling down, count on her to lighten up the mood!

she’d tell you a joke

light up a candle

watch a movie with you

take you for a walk

pick flowers with you

etc etc.

freminet! (cuz there’s not enough of him @freminet-writings @ryu--19):

this man

this smol man

is shy (made it so dramatic for such an obvious fact)

he’d take you underwater

but if you can’t swim

he’d take you to Fontaine’s coastline near the waters

one of my Freminet hcs is that he can hundred percent ice-skate

if there’s an empty ice rink he’d take you

teach you basics maybe

since he’s so calm, it would make him an amazing person to have deep conversations or to just talk about your struggles.

because he’s that shy, he probably won’t even tell anyone about a single thing you said.

he’d give you small trinkets from time-to-time

he’d let you cuddle Pers

quiet moments are important to him and he holds them dearly.

so he might take you to a flower field and just sit there with you.

make you a flower crown, or put some in your hair.

Lyney would tease the living frick out of you both

when him and Lynette find out about Freminet seeing you they’d be like “you talked to someone???” “AND IT WAS A GIRL???”

and then he’s just there like “yes.”

”WHAT THE FUCK-“

Arlecchino would be proud of him. but would incinerate you if you hurt him.

so, to conclude, I simp for him. you simp for him. and if you think you don’t, you’re lying to yourself. that’s not healthy.

thoma!:

get yourself someone like him

best boy frfr

I need him to teach me how to use a spear cuz WHAT THE FUCK

HAVE YOU SEEN HIS MECHANICS???

THAT’S AGGRESSIVE

COMPLETELY OPPOSITE TO HIS DEMEANOR

will make you tea

will cuddle the living crap out of you whenever he can.

can NOT restrain himself from touching you after his shift at the Kamisato Estate is over.

will cook for you

for a date, he might take you to one of Inazuma’s coastlines (yes, another coastline.)

a bonus you get while dating him is TAROUMARU

FLUFFY DOGGY

do NOT take him to the Narukami Shrine.

why? Yae Miko. I refuse to elaborate. you should know.

YANSHANG TEA HOUSE

oooh free coupon for Naganohare (is that how you spell it?) Fireworks ! ! ! (reference to his About Yoimiya voiceline ehe I mayy or may not ship them teehee 🤭)

once the STUPID VISION HUNT DECREE IS OVER (I’m talking to you, Ei), he might take you to his amAzing homeland Mondstadt. (where we tOtally learnt about where our sibling is and dEfinitely didn’t just help out with un-brainwashing a dragon. [did we dirty it’s brain…?])

andd no, he doesn’t have a good alcohol tolerance. he says it in a voiceline so KIDS DON’T DRINK!

basically, he’s a W bf.

kazuha!:

*deep breath* I simp for him for a reason period.

he is the most CARING and THOUGHTFUL man EVER.

my favorite on this list fr

don’t get him wrong, he might reason against you joining him on board because he doesn’t want you to get hurt or anything.

being on a fucking ship at sea for so long is dangerous alright.

but if you are able to defend yourself, then woopti-doo

he will look calm on the outside,

but his heart is jumping for joy.

would sing if you can’t fall asleep

sooo prettyyyy ugh

would ask Beidou for advice in the start.

would buy you gifts

cuddle you in the mornings

play with your hair

PLEASE play with his hair too, he loves it.

probably knows how to braid hair

so if you have long hair, he’d braid it for you

hundred percent knows how to play guitar

would play for you

takes you out on dates when you guys r on land.

can cook

will cook

and will feed you

overall, amazing bf

give credits! banner by @cafekitsune

taggys wahoo:

@liviavanrouge, @ryu--19

[wormwoodandhoney]

quarter two favorites, in the order i read them! (here's quarter one)

The Parliament by Aimee Potwatka: I love a book with a weird comp title pitch, and this one is The Princess Bride meets the Birds. A young woman is teaching a group of pre-teens at the library when a parliament of murderous owls descends on the building. To keep them distracted, she reads from her favorite fantasy novel. Graphic here!

Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See is a historical fiction novel about the women divers of Jeju in 1940s Korea. This has some moments that genuinely shocked me.

Dragonfruit by Makiaa Lucier: This was a pure cover buy for me! This is a fun YA fantasy novel about an exiled young woman and the prince of her island searching for dragons. Very fun. Falls into some YA traps, but the setting makes up for it. Graphic here!

Swordheart by T Kingfisher is one of the only romantasy books I've read and liked! This is so fun. It's about a widow & an immortal paladin trapped in a sword. When she draws the sword, he is bound to magically protect her. The grumpy/sunshine fantasy book of my dreams! Graphic here with one of my personal favorite fancasts I've ever done.

Say Hello to my Little Friend by Jennine Capo Crucet: Okay I put this on my mid year book tag as biggest surprise and said I didn't know if I loved it or hated it and that remains lol but since I still think about it I have to put it on here. This is another comp title read, with Scarface meets Moby Dick. After he fails as a Pitbull impersonator, Ismael Reyes decides to follow in the steps of the main character of the film Scarface. At the same time, Lolita the orca at the local aquarium, muses on her captivity. The two of them circle each other throughout the book and it's about immigration and loss of culture and violence and language... Idk I just think about it a lot. I don't know that I recommend it. I just think about it.

Funny Story by Emily Henry: I went on a rom-com binge and read several really fun romances, but this was my favorite. When Daphne's fiance leaves her for his female best friend, Daphne needs a place to stay. She ends up moving in with the previously mentioned best friend's ex-boyfriend (and they were roommates...) and the two of them begin fake dating as a revenge scheme. But then you'll never guess what happens?! Graphic here.

My Aunt Is a Monster by Reimena Yee is a graphic novel about a young blind girl who must go live with her mysterious aunt after the death of her parents. All about adventures and disability. So good!

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis: Gav wakes up with no memories and realizes he's trapped in a goblin filled castle of a terribly villainous wizard. Unfortunately, Gav comes to realize that he is the terribly villainous wizard, that these goblins work for him, and he has no idea why he has a princess trapped in a tower. Super fun and silly, just a good time.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall Oh gosh, one of the most whimsical books I've ever read. This is an epistolary fantasy novel set in an underwater world, following two people writing letters back and forth to uncover the mystery of their disappeared siblings, who fell in love while writing letters. So lovely. First in a series, just an fyi!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

This may seem like a dumb question, but is Alice in Wonderland a favorite of yours? It seems to be your blogs main theme

HI YES 👀 I LOVE ALICE IN WONDERLAND 💕 It’s easily one of my favorite aesthetics (the underwater/mermaid aesthetic being my other favorite), but I’m also a big fan of the original book and various modern interpretations of it!

I like how whimsical and nonsensical Alice in Wonderland is, and I have a lot of fond feelings for it in general. That’s why when I decided to borrow from the classic when putting together this blog.

You’ll notice that phrases and motifs that appear in Alice in Wonderland also appear in my own posts or tags! Beyond the looking glass, curiouser and curiouser, down the rabbit hole, etc. Miss Raven, a TWST OC of mine and the blog’s muse, is also inspired by a facet of Alice in Wonderland; she’s twisted from the raven mentioned in an infamous riddle: “why is a raven like a writing desk?”

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Chapter Eight: Muggle Films and Magical Secrets

Penny had her knees drawn up under her chin, her arms wrapped around her shins, turned slightly toward Sirius as though she planned to hide behind him at any moment. Her eyes, however, were glued to the TV as the menacing sounds of a tuba played behind an underwater scene, where a bloke named Matt Hooper was inside of what he’d called an anti-shark cage. Sirius’ attention was split between the movie they were watching, and Penny, the latter being of far more interest to him if he were being honest. It wasn’t that Jaws hadn’t been engaging, but rather that he preferred to watch her reaction to a film she’d claimed she had seen a hundred times, and yet was watching as though it were the first time. It was amusing and rather charming.

He had loved The Goonies, which had been the first muggle film they’d watched. The group of four friends had reminded him so painfully of he and his friends that for a moment, he wondered if whoever wrote it had gone to Hogwarts with them. For a brief moment he had even wondered how different their lives would’ve been had they found themselves looking for ancient treasure instead of fighting a brutal war. The wonder and sense of adventure in the eyes of Mikey and his friends had left their own not long after they’d finished school.

Benjy Fenwick. That had been the death that had changed everything for him. It was the moment Sirius realized just how fragile life was, and how likely it was for any of them to lose it at any moment.

Afterwards, Penny insisted that he might likewise enjoy Jaws, a film about a giant shark terrorizing a small island off the coast of America. Apparently it was one that she’d seen as a small child.

“Oh dear God!” she exclaimed as the large shark swam up behind Hooper in the cage, crashing into it.

“I thought you said you’ve seen this over a hundred times,” he mused, the corners of his lips curled slightly.

“I have, but it gets me every time,” she answered without moving her eyes from the screen. “This was the movie that got me to stop taking baths, you know.”

His smirk grew more pronounced. “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Don’t ask me why, but I was convinced that the shark would somehow come up from the drain and eat me whole — tub and all.”

His brows shot up above his eyes. “You thought…”

“I was seven,” she argued, finally looking over at him. “I know it doesn’t make any sense.”

Sirius snorted softly. “When I was seven, I thought that the stars were fairies who flew too high and got stuck to the night sky.”

Penny smiled. “That’s kinda cute. Wait, are there really fairies?”

“Oh yes,” he answered. “They aren’t as magical as they sound. Mostly they’re used for decoration.”

Her brows furrowed. “Decoration?”

“Mhm, they’re quite vain you see. They love being put on display, spend most of their time grooming themselves.”

“Huh.” She blinked and then glanced at the screen. “Oh! This is the best part, watch.”

Just when Sirius was near certain that shark would kill everyone aboard the Orca, Chief Brody began to strike him with a large, heavy tank, throwing it into the animal's mouth. The chief began to climb out of the cabin, a long, makeshift spear in his hand.

“Does he mean to kill that shark with just a stick?” Sirius asked incredulously, preparing himself for a convoluted and thus disappointing ending.

“No, he has the rifle, see it?” she replied, pointing at the screen.

“Rifle… is that some other sort of weapon?”

“Yeah, it shoots out these little things called bullets. They’re just a bigger version of that smaller one he had earlier… sort of… I don’t know, I’m not really a gun person.”

Sirius tilted his head to one side as he watched the main character, Brody was his name, shoot at the shark, who apparently was keen to bite down on the air tank in its mouth. “What’s he doing then? He’s already tried to use a gun.”

“He’s not going for the shark this time,” she answered with a knowing grin, adding in a much quieter voice, “He’s going for the tank. Smile, you son of a bitch!”

Sirius jolted slightly as an explosion was shown on screen, water bursting into the air as Brody rejoiced. Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, he watched as the water turned a dark shade of red, the half-blown shark sinking to the bottom.

“I love that part,” Penny said just as Hooper had resurfaced.

“Oh, thank Merlin. I like him,” Sirius said as he once again leaned back in his seat.

“Me too,” she replied. “I almost became an oceanographer because of Matt Hooper.”

Looking over at her, Sirius turned slightly toward her and asked, “What did make you want to study witchcraft?”

Penny shrugged as she hit a button on the remote, and the tape slid out of the VCR. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve always been fascinated by people’s fascination with it. I find it interesting how it can influence a society for good or bad, mostly bad. At least historically. Did you know in the US in 1692 they burned women just for being suspected of being witches? No evidence, just a suspicion. Back then all it took was some Puritan’s wife to point a finger in your direction and just like that, you were burned at the stake.”

Sirius shook his head. “No, I didn’t know that. We don’t really learn about the witches and wizards in America. But it sounds horrifying.”

“I always assumed it was the Puritan’s obsession with their misogynistic views on women, mixed with citizens exerting revenge on their neighbors for one thing or another,” she mumbled, her brows slowly forming a crease between them. “Are there wizards and witches in the States?”

Sirius nodded. “Yes, of course. Our kind are everywhere, in all parts of the world.”

“You make it sound like you guys are a different species,” she replied as her lips formed a smile.

“We aren’t,” he said, smiling back. “We just have different traits, I suppose. It’s not very different from having dark hair or light hair, brown eyes or blue eyes.”

“And you just… live among us? How do you keep your magic secret?” she asked. “I mean, I can’t imagine becoming a garbage collector when you can just use magic to make trash disappear.”

“Some of us live among you, but for the most part our world is separate from yours. Most wizarding families live and work in our world. Very few work with muggles, and most only by necessity.”

She turned to sit cross-legged, facing him. “You have your own world?”

“In a sense,” he answered. “It’s still in this world, it’s just hidden.”

“Where?”

Tilting his head, Sirius narrowed his eyes as a smirk fell on his lips, which earned a small laugh from Penny.

“Well, okay then, can you at least tell me what it's like?”

Shifting his eyes to the coffee table, he thought about how he could explain the wizarding world to someone who had never seen it. There was really only one word that came to mind, “Magical.”

Her eyes still watched him as though she was waiting for him to expand on that idea, and though in any other circumstance he’d had never entertained the notion of telling a muggle about its existence, he almost relished in sharing it with her. Perhaps because of her genuine interest, or perhaps he actually did trust her to keep it secret, but as he continued, he allowed himself to become immersed in the memories that seemed so far away.

“There’s this village called Hogsmeade, it’s the only all-wizarding village in Britain. It’s one of the oldest communities in the wizarding world, not very far from Hogwarts. It’s surrounded by the most beautiful mountains and caves. We used to go there on the weekends sometimes. There are shops and cafes, and enchanted candles that hang in the trees during the holidays. And when it snows, it looks like a place that’s just fallen out of a storybook.”

“Sounds amazing,” she replied.

“It’s lovely,” he agreed. “Our favorite was to go to Zonko’s Joke Shop, where we would stock up on various items we could use to play jokes on the First and Second year students. Then we would go to Honeydukes and have a butterbeer.”

Penny’s brow arched in interest. “Butterbeer? Like butterscotch beer?”

Sirius shrugged. “I’m not sure what beer is, but yes, it’s butterscotch flavored.”

“Beer is an alcoholic drink. In London it’s called a pint.”

“Ah yes, of course. It has some alcohol, but not very much. You can’t get pissed on it.”

“That sounds good.”

“It’s delicious. Especially on a cold day, they serve it hot.” He licked his lips, trying to remember the flavor on his taste buds, but it had been far too long. He could only faintly remember what it smelled like. “What about you?” he asked, turning his eyes toward her.

“Me? I grew up in Westport, Connecticut,” she replied as though there was no comparing it to the wizarding world. “We have museums and parks, beaches… shopping, if you’re into that sort of thing. I think the biggest thing to happen there was when Paul Newman moved to our town back in the 60s. He opened up a playhouse that does pretty well.”

“Who is Paul Newman?”

“He’s an actor. Or was… I think he’s retired.”

Sirius nodded once. “Sounds lovely.”

“I guess,” she chuckled.

“What brought you to Britain?” he asked.

“School, mostly… but I was also pretty desperate to leave. My parents are great, but they can be a bit…” She paused to think of the right word, “overbearing sometimes.”

Sirius nodded. “You did mention that before.”

“I did?” she asked, her brows knitting briefly. “Oh yeah.” She laughed under her breath. “I keep forgetting you’re a dog. I mean you… you know, you turn into one.”

“Right,” he answered with a smirk.

“How do you do that anyway?”

“It’s a very complicated and dangerous spell. It took us two years to manage it.”

“It’s that complicated?” Penny asked in somewhat surprise.

Sirius nodded. “Well,” he reconsidered. “Not necessarily, but there are some things needed that are outside of your control and take a long time to find. Such as a lightning storm. That alone could take years.”

“Do you get to pick your animal?”

He smiled at her. “No.”

“So, what? Does it go off your —”

“I shouldn’t be telling you any of this,” he reminded her gently. The small smile was still on his face, but he feared telling her too much could put her in even more danger than he already had.

“Well, it’s a little late for that. Sucks for you that I’m a history major,” she teased. “Come on, this is so fascinating, and when will I ever have a chance to ask a real wizard questions ever again? Probably never, I’m pretty boring. Don’t get out much.”

Snorting to himself, Sirius ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “What animal you can become often has much to do with one’s personality.”

“Huh… interesting,” Penny mumbled. “I wonder what animal I’d turn into.”

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I don’t know you that well, but if I were to guess, likely something intelligent, kind… beautiful.”

Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink and a shy smile stretched on her lips as silence settled between them. If this were an entirely different situation where he wasn’t a wanted wizard and Harry wasn’t in danger, he might’ve followed up with another flirtatious comment. He might’ve even tried to kiss her. But that nagging voice in the back of his mind — which strangely sounded quite like James — kept telling him that even flirting with this muggle woman was dangerous, even cruel. The facts remained that he was indeed a wanted wizard, and Harry was in danger, and because of that any connection with Penny would be short-lived. Encouraging their mutual attraction would only end in heartbreak. His own he could handle, but not hers. She had been nothing but kind to him, breaking her heart would be a terrible way of repaying that kindness.

“Another tape?” she suggested. “I have three more.”

Sirius swallowed, glancing at the remaining tapes on the bottom shelf. “Alright.”

“I could make popcorn,” she said as she stood and went to the shelf. “What do you think? Indiana Jones, Casablanca or Back to the Future? Which sounds good to you?”

“I liked The Goonies. Which one of the three is similar?”

“Well, technically none, but the kid who played Data in The Goonies is in Indiana Jones. And it’s also an adventure movie,” she replied.

“Right, let’s have that one then,” he said.

Nodding once, Penny pulled the tape from the shelf and began to put it into the VCR after taking Jaws out. Sirius’ eyes casually scanned the shelves again, Magical Theory and A History of Magic catching his interest once again.

“I wondered,” he said, waiting for her to look back at him before he gestured to the shelf with his chin. “Where did you find those books?”

“Which books?” she asked, looking up at the shelf.

He stood and went over, pulling out the old, tattered copy of A History of Magic and holding it up for her to see. “This one.”

“Oh, that was a gift from my uncle.”

“Your uncle?”

“Yeah.” she replied.

For reasons he wasn’t prepared to dissect, Sirius felt a surge of excitement course through his veins. Was she magical? A squib perhaps or simply a witch who somehow or another had yet to discover her magic?! He shoved aside the fleeting thoughts of her being able to come with him to Scotland and asked, “Is he a blood uncle?”

“No, he’s married to my mom’s brother.”

Right. She was no witch. She just possibly had a wizard who had married into her family.

“I see,” he replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. “Do you know where he got them?”

Penny shrugged slowly. “No clue. He just said he thought I would find them useful for my doctorate program. Are you telling me that’s a real magic book?”

Sirius nodded, holding up the book. “This one I read while I was in first year,” he said before he reached for Magical Theory. “This one, too. You have a few others in that other room as well.”

She cut her eyes to him, her brows furrowed at him. “How do you know what books I have in there?”

“I saw them,” he answered. “When you went out after giving me a bath, I had a look around your flat.”

“You went through my stuff?”

“Not exactly. I just had a look around, that’s all.”

“Okay, but what does that mean? Did you go through my drawers, did you — Oh my God, did you see my underwear?!”

“No! Of course not!” His cheeks grew slightly warm, an unusual feeling for him. “Only what I could see without touching anything, honestly,” he answered, holding up his hands, each still holding a book.

Nodding softly after a moment, she glanced at the books in his hands, gesturing to them. “So those are textbooks.”

“Yes,” he replied. “So are the ones in your study, though they’re more advanced. Ancient Runes Translations is a sixth year book. Did you get those from your uncle as well?”

“Yeah, he gave me five books total after I finished my Masters.”

“What exactly is a Masters?”

“It’s the degree you get before your PhD,” she answered.

“Degree?”

She nodded. “That’s higher education for us muggles. Don’t you guys have something similar? Like school after you leave school?”

“No,” he replied in a chuckle, putting the books back on the shelf. “Not really, at any rate, unless you were a performer of some kind. There was a girl in my year who wanted to be an actor. She went to the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts after sixth year.”

Agatha Winterbourne, Ravenclaw. Sirius could still hear her in the Great Hall during supper, yammering away excitedly at the Ravenclaw table about how she would be leaving Hogwarts at year’s end to follow her dream. He remembered how he would glance between James, Remus and… him, an expression on his face that was some mixture of worry and doubt.

“Oh? Has she been in anything I might have seen? I watch a lot of movies,” Penny answered, smiling.

“Mostly plays… but whether she’s worked since, I haven’t any idea,” he replied. “We were at war by the time I finished school the following year, that left me with little choice but to join the fight to ensure we would have a world to go back to that was worth living in. I wasn’t entirely tuned in to what was going on outside of it.”

“That must’ve been really hard,” she said after a moment.

Sirius bobbed his shoulders, going back to sit on the sofa as he answered, “It was alright. It wasn't the worst thing that was going on at the time.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Well, if you hadn’t been at war, what would you have done?” She went to sit beside him, pulling one leg up onto the sofa.

He had never wondered that before, had never even considered what he might’ve done after leaving Hogwarts. There had been a brief time in his second year when he had entertained being an artist, mainly because he knew that such a profession would offend his mother, who had expected him to continue the family’s name in philanthropy. That all changed around his third year, when there was an anti-muggle attack that killed dozens of innocent people. He had overheard his parents boasting about the Dark Lord’s progress, and it had been from that moment in time that his interests swayed toward helping the opposing side.

“When I was 11, I thought about being an artist,” he said. “But that was mostly me rebelling against my parents. I’m not sure if I wouldn’t have become interested in something else as I got older. Perhaps a dragon keeper. Or a philosopher. Something with a lot of action or that required the use of my clever mind, but not an Auror. Definitely not an Auror. They’re a bit like your muggle police. Far too many rules for my taste.”

She smirked at him, propping her elbow onto the back of the couch and leaning her head on her hand. “So you were a trouble maker.”

He grinned playfully and wagged his brows. “You’ve no idea, love.”

She chuckled softly, and was about to ask him something else when a ring sounded from somewhere behind her. Turning to the end table beside the sofa, she picked up some sort of contraption and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

He could hear another voice, a woman.

“Mom…” Her eyes met Sirius’ as she added, “Hey.”

The woman spoke again, though he couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, but the look on Penny’s face was as though she were smelling a rubbish bin.

“Great,” Penny said, clearly attempting to sound enthusiastic, but failing miserably. “I really don’t have time to —” She rolled her eyes, sighing silently. “Okay.” She listened for a few moments before saying again, “Okay, fine. I’d be…” She grimaced. “Delighted.”

Whatever it was she was agreeing to, Sirius was positive she was far from delighted about it.

“Yep. Okay. I have to go,” Penny said. “Okay, bye.” She placed the object back onto a large cradle and looked back at him, shaking her head gently. “Don’t ask.”

Standing, she made her way into the kitchen and began to rummage through a cupboard out of sight. When she came back into view, she was opening a packet and placing it into the microwave and pressing one of the buttons.

“Do you not get along with your mother?” he asked.

She took a step to lean halfway through the door frame. “I do, I just get annoyed when she tries to set me up. She doesn’t really get me, and… I guess I don’t really get her much.”

“Mm,” Sirius replied.

“I know she loves me,” Penny said as a popping noise began to come from the microwave. “And I know she means well, but I wish she would just understand that dating is the last thing on my mind right now.”

Trying to ignore the twist in his abdomen, Sirius gently cleared his throat. “She’s sending you on a date then?”

“Unfortunately,” Penny groaned, stepping back into the kitchen. “Some friend of hers’ son. Apparently he’s just finishing up his Masters at Oxford. La-di-dah.”

Sirius tried not to let out a bark of laughter. “Maybe she thinks you’ll like him.”

“My mom doesn’t know what I like,” she answered as a longer beep sounded from the microwave. She opened it and pulled something out of another cupboard before she opened the microwave. “She doesn’t get why I chose the topic I did for my Doctorate. She thinks it’s a waste of my time.”

“What’s a Doc —”

“PhD,” she replied, coming back into the sitting room with a large, bright orange bowl and reclaiming her place on the sofa.

“Right.”

“If it were up to her, I’d get married and start popping out babies like a good little factory,” she said, taking a kernel of popcorn from the bowl and eating it. “Nevermind what I want.”

“What do you want?”

Penny sighed, swallowing what was in her mouth before she said, “To learn more. To study this other culture that up until now I didn’t think existed in any tangible way.”

“And do what with it?”

“I don’t know yet,” she answered with a listless smile. “Can’t exactly write a book on it. But something good. Whatever it is I end up doing with all this knowledge, I want it to help people somehow.”

“Perhaps one day you will,” he replied with a warm smile. He glanced down at the bowl. “Are you going to share that then?”

Following his gaze, she smiled and moved closer to him, placing the bowl between them. “So you’ve had popcorn?”

“Have I had popcorn?” he asked in a breathy chuckle. “Of course I have, love, I’m not from another planet.”

Penny snorted bashfully. “Well, it’s good to know there are some things our worlds have in common.”

They stared back at one another for a moment before Penny leaned forward and took up the remote.

“It’s getting late, so this’ll probably be the last movie,” she said. “But maybe tomorrow, I can rent a couple more. We can continue your muggle cinema education.”

He let out a bark of laughter, tossing his head back. “Sure, I’d love that.”

She reached for the lamp on the end table and turned out the light, pressing a button on the remote before she snuggled closer to him.

He shouldn’t have done it. He should have kept his distance. But despite the voice in his mind screaming for him not to move, Sirius lifted his arm and draped it behind her over the back of the sofa.

You bloody prat, groaned James’ voice in his head.

[ofthenoseclan]

merry and renko go

OUGHHHHMY GOD OKAY. OKAY YOUVBE MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE IM NOT WELL ABOUT THESE GIRLS. these are my second favourite characters in the entire touhou franchise as a unit and i have LOADS to talk about with them

renko and merry are the main characters of the "zun's music collection" concept records (not counting vol.1 which is standalone). these albums are compilations of rearranged music from the franchise, featured along with original compositions unique to the records. alongside them is a story booklet, and the tracks in the album are composed to convey its narrative through their melody. the stories themselves are written a lot like the script of a radio play, consisting primarily of dialogue between the duo.

set in a near-future setting suffering hard from the impacts of late-stage capitalism, the narrative of the concept records follows these two chuunibyou university students as they muse on daily life in their current society. the albums' stories are pretty much entirely self-contained from the rest of the franchise, making them a great entry point.

the blonde-haired girl is merry hearn (her real given name is maeriberii, which is just a keyboard-smash of katakana zun came up with to sound like an unpronounceable european name, but is ironically pretty hard to actually transliterate), a well-mannered girl who's outspoken, but often anxious and unsure of herself. she has the unique ability to see unexplainable phenomena, travel to other worlds in her dreams, and even bring objects in and out of them. a good chunk of the narrative is spent detailing how these two explore the extent of merry's talents.

to her left is her girlfriend, renko usami, a hyperactive, analytical, and curious woman interested in all things occult. she's extremely precise and accurate at measurements—enough that she can tell the time just from the way the stars are placed in the sky. she encourages merry to delve deeper into testing her abilities partly because she wants to see merry succeed, but partly because she's hopelessly fascinated with her and her powers.

the most enjoyable part to me isn't their dynamic itself though, but how it's used as a catalyst to touch on political satire and discussion of capitalism and consumerism. as i explained above, the future they live in is on the verge of collapse. the details are never explained, as most of our insight into it comes from the duo, who are both probably at least middle class if they're in college, so our information about the state of the world is tinted from the lens of people who aren't as affected as some people might be. but we do know quite a lot—climate collapse has already occurred, and many parts of land are underwater. science has progressed to the point that it's considered "solved", and anything unexplainable by science is swept under the rug by society at large because it's not beneficial for humanity to spend money to research it further. world hunger is paraded around as having been eliminated, but in reality it was likely only fixed because those unable to be fed have passed on. despite the state of the earth, the wage gap continues to increase, and society marches on like usual.

the duo is unsatisfied by the way the education system is built, with science being pitched as a cut-and-dry academic study with no further discovery to be made, so as a form of escapism they set up a two-person school club, the hifuu (sealed secrets) club, and explore paranormal happenings, which often leads to commentary on the state of the world in comparison to the wonderful occurrences they explore.

one of my favourite moments is in the fourth volume, bouyuu toukaidou ~ retrospective 53 minutes, where the pair take a train trip to meet renko's parents. the train runs underground since the ground level it used to travel was flooded, so there's a fake screen projecting what the surroundings used to look like built into the tunnel. at the end of their trip, merry notices a credits sequence displayed and remarks about how ironic it is to replicate a scene of nature that humans wiped out, then take credit for the image. there's all sorts of moments just like this throughout the series that i adore for their message.

another thing about these two is how prominent they are in yuri culture. their relationship is left very much out of the picture in canon, but the fanbase goes absolutely wild for it. it has left its mark on so many yuri authors, with a huge number of them producing doujins for the pairing before breaking out into professional work—some even continuing to release hifuu content after making a name for themselves outside the fandom as well! notable examples being nio nakatani, famous for bloom into you, and iori miyazawa, author of otherside picnic (which even started life as a fanfic starring the hifuu duo, before having their names changed to sorawo and toriko to stay legally distinct). even azuma aya, who illustrated one of the official touhou manga that zun wrote, did a very sweet oneshot featuring the pair which i recommend as a quick read :]

im gonna cut myself off now before i type about them for the rest of the night, but in conclusion: my GOD these bitches gay. good for them! good for them. they will bounce around in my mind until the end of time and they are the driving force of my favourite part of the entire franchise. i owe them my life savings

[swellbloom-kids]

Weeping Crocodiles and Riverine Muses

The main art for WHEN THE CROCODILES WEEP is inspired by the ending shot of Mutya ng Pasig (1950, dir. Richard Abelardo). The movie is a drama about the death of the village songstress Chedeng and its ripple effects years later. The ending shot is of the floating ghost of Chedeng - theorized by the locals to be various things, from a witch to a mermaid.

This haunting imagery called to mind the folk tale of Doña Jeronima, also a diwata haunting the Pasig River - her story is retold by both Jose Rizal in El Filibusterismo and Nick Joaquin in a short story of the same name. I ended up merging Chedeng's character with her to create the Doña Jeronima of the game. She is The Riverine Saint, patroness of the Obispo clan (whose names are a reference to the Archbishop in the Doña Jeronima short story, by the way!).

Back to Chedeng. In the movie, Chedeng sings the following lines:

Dati akong Paraluman sa Kaharian ng pag-ibig Ang pag-ibig nang mamatay Naglaho rin ang kaharian

[Translation: I used to be the Muse of a Kingdom of love When the love died The kingdom was destroyed as well]

This made me think: what if instead of a Golden Land, it was a Kingdom of Love? I expressed this through the game's opening text:

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of love blossoming under the waters of a river. People who lived above cried out: ”We are hungry! We are cold!” The muse of the kingdom felt pity for these poor wretches. In her mercy, she turned them all into crocodiles, making them part of her kingdom. They lived underwater, and never knew suffering again. Now, every time you see a crocodile weep, know that it is crying tears of joy.

Which brings me to the imagery of crocodiles, which were numerous in the Pasig River during the Spanish colonial period. We're familiar with the expression crocodile tears; we often represent politicians as these supposedly greedy, deceitful reptiles. The Obispos are a political clan, so I wanted to make a reference this.

However, in some pre-colonial belief systems crocodiles were also revered as the souls of ancestors. I tied this by establishing that the hoard of gold came from the Obispo patriarch's datu ancestors. The idea that a single clan has been ruling a territory as far back as 500 years ago also compels me greatly.

+

I tried to be comprehensive in covering the game's references to Philippine literature while still being coherent. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction; I acknowledge that most likely no one will pick up on the Mutya ng Pasig reference in particular, so I wanted to spell it out.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Toontown Rewritten Recap: January 2003 (Selfie Saga)

Okay so, whenever something happens in the real world, I’m gonna use the ACTUAL date. Otherwise, I’ll use the in-universe date. That's  gonna be relevant here in a second.

January 15, 2014

Sir Max’s real world counterpart/”actor”, Joey was interviewed for an article about Toontown Rewritten, and Sir Max posted a few of the questions and answers in the news blog. Click here to see them.

January 16, 2003

Sir Max snapped some photos of butterflies and mused about how interesting photography is thanks to how sights can change from day to day, especially in the tooniverse.

Especially when it comes to bugs that need to get squashed (not the butterflies).

On a related note, this update came with two bugfixes, and a new sound effect: taking screenshots now made a camera shutter sound.

January 17, 2003

Sir Max added a new camera angle (Front) and used it to take selfies. He then decided to add two more camera angles (Left and Right) to take better pictures.

He had done nothing but take selfies with these new camera angles for the past day.

He wanted people to get excited about these new snapshots, just not “angry mob” excited (unless it was related to those robots some of the players had been talking about). He even asked for feedback on how they could help toons make better photos and videos.

In terms of gameplay:

Hitting F3 would now hide the GUI for better pictures, but it was suggested that players turn the GUI back on before going back to gameplay.

Also, dog noses no longer appeared in camera from the first person POV.

January 18, 2003

Sir Max started off the blog post by listing off the three main milestones of development for Alpha. The first was the loading system (completed in 2002). Second was the Estates (done). Third and final was the battle system (still not implemented, as Toontown is a peaceful and happy place).

But yeah, the Estates have been completed. Each Toon is getting a house and some land around it, plus neighboring homes for close friends and family (read: the five other toons a player can make on their account).

However, furniture hadn’t yet been implemented, nor was the Cattlelog players could order from. In short, all of the houses are completely empty. Plus, the fishing ponds hadn’t been filled yet either. Essentially, it’s just an empty place where toons can chat with their friends.

(The fact that, much like in Toontown Online, Estates don’t have any music in Toontown Rewritten just made them kinda eerier, actually.)

In other news, a “Snapshots” page was added to the Shticker Book, allowing toons to store all the screenshots they’re taking. Sir Max has been filling his up pretty quickly! You can rename and delete your snapshots from here, and there’s even a button to open the folder in your file browser!

But yeah, the next few updates would be dedicated to the Estates.

January 19, 2003

45 minutes passed the normal news blog posting time, Muddy Paws made a post asking where in the name of Walt Sir Max had disappeared to.

In-game, portable holes could now teleport their users to their friends’ estates. Plus, when you left your own estate, your friends would be kicked out after 15 seconds instead of 5.

Aside from that, not much happened on this day.

January 20, 2003

Hawkheart revealed where Sir Max had disappeared to. He had basically been zipping all over Toontown (from the rooftops, to the mountain visible from Acorn Acres, to several underwater locales), and taking selfies. 452 selfies since the Silly Saturday Update that added the new camera angles.

They had found him half frozen in the Brrrgh.

Hawkheart then turned the news blog post into a PSA about selfie addiction.

January 21, 2003

Sir Max came back from Selfies Anonymous a changed toon, completely cured of his selfie addiction.

As soon as the others leave, Sir Max reveals the truth, he didn’t sit in on a single meeting. He broke out after 3 minutes.

How did he get away with that? Selfie Support Groups don’t have cameras of any kind on their premises, including security cameras, allowing Sir Max to have a cardboard cut out of himself sit in on the meetings while he left to do literally anything else.

He then went on to show off some of the selfies he took:

1.      Underwater at Donald’s Dock (he nearly drowned).

2.      On top of the roof of the home of Hawkheart’s friend, Spyro.

3.      At the peak of the mountain visible from Acorn Acres. He got frostbite, but didn’t pass out until he got to the Brrrgh after several hours.

And he still had 449 more selfies to show off!

He was cut off by the patchnotes. The only relevant here bit is that fishes were introduced to the Fishing Ponds at the Estates, meaning that all species could FINALLY be caught.

-

Rip because this was doubled (I edited it to have just a single so people don’t go ??? like I did lmao)

Fuckin Selfies Anonymous though!!

[ask-the-kitty-crew]

Muse list!: pt.3

Name: penny

Gender: female

Age: 1 (18 in human years.)

Bio: was a gift from one of Shelby’s adopted sisters,Ames,was later brought to life by Shelby’s magic. Penny is quite shy,she has trouble interacting with others she’s new with and actually going out and going to new places,though she’s willing to go out of her element for her family,one trsight she has all to herself is her horn,it’s a unicorn horn,meaning it is capable of doing various amounts of magic.

Name: sweetie

Gender: female

Age: 5 (19 in human years.)

Bio: sweetie once belonged to another family but they threw her out sometime after she had given birth to some puppies. For months she barely survived on the streets,she’s had many close calls with feral dogs she’s got many transparent scars under her furr from these encounters,the only one visible being a scar on the back of her neck. She was saved by shelby one rainy night and brought to her home. Sweetie dosent do too well with crowds as it can trigger a panic attack from her past experiences. However,at heart,she is a very happy doggy,she’s very social and chatty,while being protective of her new family and siblings and her new and old kids.

Name: coral

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: female

Bio: coral originated in a lab with some other unwanted cats. She was the first and only one to have been experimented on. Thus resulted in the scientists fully removing her legs,and replacing it with a fishtail,turning her into a mer-cat. Soon after her best friend helped her and the others escape before they became experiments. Coral is pretty soft spoken,not very socialable,but she is very nice and treats everyone with kindness,however,this can lead to her being somewhat of a doormat. Cause of her fishtail,she finds she can breathe and swim underwater,however this means walking is very difficult,so she uses a wheelchair to move around.

Name: shade

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: male

Bio: ever since he could remember,he was unwanted,no one wanted to adopt him from him being a black cat. When he became an adult he was moved to a scientists lab with other unwanted cats,including coral,the two instantly connecting. However,one night,he was woken up when he heard screaming,he saw the scientist experimenting on coral,turning her into the form she had today. The scientist didn’t realize shade was there cause he was napping blended in with the shadows. It was then his optimistic view had died. He then cool matters in his own paws and lead an escape where he and the cats he was with escaped the lab,they soon found a box and hid in it until shelby found it. For a while he was cold and distant with everyone aside from coral,not trusting anyone and wanting to be alone. However,after a near death experience,he realized if he keeps being cold to his family,no one would care enough to help him when he was in danger. So he began to try his best to open up. He even saved other experiments that became his newest siblings. He’s pretty no nonsense,not hesitant to call anyone out on thier BS. He’s not big on physical touch,hardly ever giving hugs and rather give out hand gestures. He is very protective of his new family and will do whatever he can to protect them.

Name: Kiara

Age: 1 (5 in human years)

Gender: female

Bio: Kiara was simply a newborn kitten when the experiment scientist found her. She was too young to remember what happened in the lab. Her earliest memory is meeting her new mom,Shelby. So far,she’s the youngest out of the crew,she’s trying to learn about the world and get along with her siblings,she can be sweet,but also stubborn when focused on something.

Name: thunder

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: male

Bio: thunder is actually pretty unique from his siblings,the main thing being that he doesn’t really experience fear. Bugs,scary video games,thunder or lightning,none of it really scares him. The only thing that scares him is the concept of death or losing his new family and being alone. He’s pretty much a straight man for his chaotic siblings though he can be pretty emotional himself under circumstances,he looks after Kiara for the most part to keep her from accidentally hurting or killing herself by doing something stupid.

Name: Oreo

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: female

Bio: she’s very emotionally intelligent,she’s able to tell what makes people tick,what drives and motivates them. Though some use this for manipulation,Oreo uses it for good,when stressed,she uses her knowledge to encourage and motivate her siblings when thier distressed. She’s calm and level headed,almost like a chess player.

Name: cloud

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: female

Bio: cloud is a very hyperactive kitty,she has more dog energy then cat energy,she gets distracted by pretty much anything,is very excitable and hyper and is SUPER friendly,getting along and being friendly with pretty much EVERYONE. She’s also incredibly fluffy like a cloud.

Name: snowball

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: male

Bio: snowball is a very emotive cat,he is the same like snow,he loves not only snow,but all the seasons. However he does have an unhealthy habit. In the surface he’s very calm and composed,however in reality,he just represses all his emotions,so he doesn’t annoy or bother anyone.

Name: flambé

Age: 5 (18 in human years)

Gender: male

Bio: flambé LOVES food. Like,really REALLY loves food. While he loves eating food,he gained a fascination with the creation of food when seeing shelby cooking one time. So he decided to try his hardest to be a great cook. He’s ver sweet and generous,though he can be a doormat. He cooks whatever he wants,sometimes cooking meals for his family when they ask,are impaired or are sick.

[daybreakrising]

W.RIOTHESLEY - MUSE DIRECTORY

tag links: headcanons | about | visage

BASICS.

name: w.riothesley alias: duke of meropide age: 30 p/ns: he / him sexuality: bisexual & biromantic height: 6'2" (6'4" in his boots) hair: black with grey streaks eyes: icy blue

full bio (tba)

VERSES.

MAIN. seriously. don't break the law.

w.riothesley is the administrator of the fortress of meropide - the vast underwater prison where exiled convicts go to serve their sentences. a former convict himself, w.riothesley rose to new heights to become the manager of the fortress and is greatly respected by those under his care.

H.ADES AU. easy is the way down to the underworld; harder is to thaw the ice within. | verse information | single-ship with ccaptain's k.aeya

w.riothesley is h.ades, god of death, lord of the underworld. his is a realm of shadow and ice, a winter wasteland in which the souls of the dead are watched over beneath a frosty gaze. he lives an eternity of solitude - until a sweet flower descends, seeking freedom. k.aeya is his p.ersephone, his heart, his husband, and w.riothesley gives his soul to their union willingly. together, they rule his frozen kingdom side by side.

LORE.

this section is primarily for quick-access to key headcanons that are important to my portrayal, or for further information on specific aspects of their background.

scars & murder of foster parents (content warning for violence, child trauma, etc)

on the tie

on the subject of mora

on identity

on the trial

important figures

WISHLIST.

INTERACTIONS. canon dynamics: l.yney; l.ynette; f.reminet; f.urina; c.hevreuse; s.igewinne; n.avia; charlotte; c.hilde; a.rlecchino; traveller non-canon dynamics: d.ehya; c.yno; jean; t.homa

SHIPPING. status: open preferences: no particular preference for any gender notes: requires acceptance of a long-distance relationship as he rarely leaves the fortress.

[wyrmfedgrave]

Pics: On "Gaudeamus."

1. Frontpiece to a collection of Anacreon's surviving works.

2. Masterful sculpture of Anacreon 'capturing' his Muse.

3. Map of ancient Thrace, birthplace of Spartacus - a man who couldn't & wouldn't remain a slave.

Even if the only freedom he could find was in death...

4. Thracian national folk costume. The women still perform old styled Greek dances.

5 & 6. Small, colorful Thracian street scenes still dot the local landscape.

7 thru 10. The ruins of Teos, Turkey - with the top of its lion gate, doorway, palace(?) & amphitheater.

1914: "Gaudeamus" Notes -

1. That short story is "Winged Death", which Lovecraft ghost wrote for Hazel Heald.

The "soul stealing" that I mentioned was described as a "change in (the narrator's) personality."

But, come on.

His whole mind was 'magically'(?) transferred into an insect! That would include his so-called soul...

2. I'm of the opinion that none of HPL's narrators can be trusted - at all!

Whatever they've discovered has rendered them insane - & suicidal!!

Every account that they happen to leave behind, were usually written - after - they became mad.

So, in every encounter, the 'alien monster' remains in a mysterious & misunderstood state...

3. The Deep Ones are underwater creatures 1st named in Howard's novella "Shadow Over Innsmouth."

Think of mermen that look like the Creature of the Black Lagoon!

But, this species were "awesomely hinted at" in Lovecraft's earlier short story "Dagon."

I wonder how these mermen are seen in their own culture. Are they sexual deviants or is it a racial conquest pattern or a holy quest or some kind of survival trait?

Also, they must be closely related to humans to be able to successfully mate with us.

But, we still don't know the specifics that allow this to happen...

4. This story is the great "Under the Pyramids." The novella was sold to readers as a 'real life' adventure that Houdini "actually lived thru."

But, other sources claim Howard had already penned the story & that Houdini was interested in being the tale's protagonist.

At that moment, 2 great minds did think alike...

5. Harry Houdini is the still fondly remembered Stage Magician, Public Escapist & Fake Spiritualist Buster!

(That last remark makes it seem like "real" spiritualists are out there some- where. Sorry, I 'see' that they're not.)

Houdini was planning for a sequel to "Under the Pyramids" - just before he died.

A Canadian fan asked Houdini if he could actually take a hit to his gut & remain unphased!

Harry said yes & the guy sucker punched him unexpectedly!

Since Houdini had not had time to prepare his muscles, the blow ruptured his appendix!!

Nine days later, Houdini died.

In typical fashion, for him, Houdini vowed to contact the living - if he found it at all possible!

Since then, on the day of his death, some family & fans have waited for him to 'escape' death itself...

6. Gaudeamus is Latin for "let us (enjoy)." This was sometimes spoken as an invitation to eat - before rich Romans gorged & vomited their usual meals.

Ugh...

7. HPL's main revisions for Zealia are: "The Curse of Yig", "The Mound" & "Medusa's Coil."

But, it's thought that Lovecraft re- wrote other works for her. Even though she specialized in romantic stories...

I don't yet know why she suddenly wanted to try the weird fiction market at this time.

To be followed up much later...

8. A tankard of warm British ale?

Tankards are drinking cups with 1 handle. They are usually made of silver, pewter - even hardened leather!

In earlier centuries, most pewter cups contained lead - which led to drinkers suffering heavy metal poisoning &/or gout!!

Strangely enough, the acids in hard cider speeded up these poisonous effects!

As for traditional British ale, it's known as top fermented cast (or real) ale.

This means that it finishes maturing in a pub's cellar & is only served with natural carbonation.

9. Though this line has to do with time's illusory 'passing', I can't help but think there's some hint of Howard's "Decline of the West" fixation in it.

10. Anacreon was an ancient Greek lyric poet best known for his drinking songs & erotica!

Lyric poets of that time, usually composed joyous religious hymns.

Ouch...

Though born in Teos, Asia Minor (in today's Turkey) he moved to Thrace, an area in northeast Greece.

Sadly, only fragments of his works have survived to this day...

11. "God split me!", translates as "God strike me down (if I am lying)!"

But, it also has an element of defiance to it...

12. Red nose (aka "rum blossom" & "whiskey nose") is actually not directly caused by alcohol!!

Rather, such facial redness is actually more related to rosacea, which affects the blood vessels in one's face.

A red nose can also be caused by sudden flushing, lupus, inflammation, allergies, etc...

13. "White as a lily" here, references a corpse's color - due to blood loss.

But, it's usually used to mean "pure, perfect, uncorrupted or blameless, innocent."

Not so of the Lily-White Movement in 1888, where Republikkkans tried to oust African-Americans from leader- ship positions in the Texas Republican Party - by inciting riots!!

So, Republikkkans have always been acting like this...

Lily White is now used sarcastically for white people as a whole. Like white bread or paleface...

14. HPL's always felt that he had been born too late. He preferred the 1700s, thinking of it as England's "Golden Age."

Perukes (wigs) have been part of the professional, high status jobs of judges & lawyers since the 1600s.

They are also worn in Parliament, as a sign of authority.

15. Chaff usually means "the cast off husks of grains seeds."

But, it's also British slang for "teasing" or "good natured banter."

There's a Biblical chaff, in Matthew 3:12, which describes "those who enjoy the sacraments, but are not solid..."

Guessing here, "Folk who go to church but, don't act in a Christian manner?"

16. Quaff, "to drink (an alcoholic drink) in a hearty manner."

Has some great synonyms: attack, lap, force down, drain, carouse, sink, kill, slug, knock back, take a drop, wet one's whistle, crack a bottle, murder, bit, sot, etc...

Most of which describe drinking too much - or, not enough!

17. A teetotaler is someone who never enjoys any alcoholic drinks.

In the 1920s, a tolerance movement of teetotalers (made up of Protestants, Progressives & women) actually made liquor illegal!

But, this led straight into the violence of the Prohibition & the quick growth of the Mob...

(Oops, the curse of unintended consequences strikes again!)

Today, overdrinking is treated as an addictive medical problem.

18. Usually "any diabolically evil & cruel devil, demon, person, etc..."

But, here it means Satan, the ultimate Christian Boogeyman!

19. Your lips & face turn blue - if your blood has little oxygen in it.

This is caused by poor circulation or, worse, if one is unable to breathe.

It warns you that someone's choking or has drowned...

Also, cold temps can narrow one's blood vessels. But, a gentle massage of the affected area, make it return to a normal blood flow.

Weird Bit: Why does it make me think about blue-skinned Indian Gods & those Thuggee highwaymen who strangled their victims to death...

(The blue color personifies the depth & vastness of sky & sea for Hindus...)

20. Summon? A chair?

Is this some drunken royal command?

Or, worse, the magical summoning up of possessed or demonic furniture?

Pleasant dreams, eh?

(Yeah, it's now sharing your bed...)

[lovcscene]

✨ 𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧

NOMBRE: hwang jongin.  EDAD: 26 años.  ESPECIE: humano.  OCUPACIÓN: restaurador de arte. ORIENTACIÓN SEXUAL: bisexual.  GENERO/PRONOMBRES: cis masculino, él/suyo.  OTROS VERSES/RPG: -.

[fairyringsandwings]

I remember you mentioning after you finish Queen of the drowned, you were thinking of writing a fic where Shuri has memory loss and ends up in Talokan. Could you elaborate on this more? It sounds super interesting!

Hello Dear Anon, sure thing ^_^

Not gonna lie though, I have put veeeery little thought into this. All of my time has been getting put into Queen of The Drowned. These are my messy, messy musings, but this how all my stories start xD

I have 2 ideas for a memory loss story.

Story 1:

Takes place after Black Panther 2. Something happens to Shuri - an accident during a mission as The Black Panther - which results in her losing her memories. Namor is the one who finds her, injured and without her memory and takes advantage of this. He spins a lie that she has always lived in Talokan and that he and her were betrothed/engaged/married (not sure which one).

Exploration Points:

Namor will try and make Shuri fall in love with him while also trying to convince her of her place among his people. This won't be easy as Shuri is different from the Talokanil and Namor. She can't breathe underwater or survive the extreme conditions without a suit, she doesn't turn blue on the surface, and doesn't know their language or culture.

Attuma may be a point of conflict as I might have a Okoye x Attuma side pairing where they are secretly in contact. As his feelings for Okoye grow and as he becomes closer friends with Shuri, he begins to be unable to bare hiding the truth from both women.

Shuri eventually does fall in love with Namor and marries him. She becomes pregnant/has a child.

There would be lots of Namor/Shuri bonding with the bairn as it grows up. I think I'd have Namor being able to turn into a giant serpent like in Queen of The Drowned and would have a scene where their child grabs onto his tail and he playfully tries to shake her off. Yeah, wean would would be a lassie for sure!

The main bulk of the story would be Shuri falling in love, all the while fighting this sense of dread that Namor is lying. Then lots of nashuri baby cuteness!

Then Nakia finds Shuri... and all hell breaks loose.

Or

Story 2

Plot: Canon Divergence. Takes place before Black Panther 1. When Shuri is a little girl she is lost at sea and found by the Talokanil. She has lost her memory and doesn't know who she is or where she came from. As Shuri now knows of the Talokanil + Talokan, Namor forbids her from going back to The Surface. It'll be either Attuma or Namora who decides to raise her. I think Talokanil age differently, so age wise it should work out.

Exploration Points:

Shuri might meet Namor as a child, but it wouldn't be until she was older - 17/18 - that she starts to develop a crush on him. I might do something similar to what I wrote in another fanfic for a different pairing (Art of War - Darklina fic), where she takes a dislike to him and pulls a variety of pranks on him. She just tries to make his life a living hell without getting caught. Funny, light-hearted stuff.

Talokan might suffer from a problem that Shuri will later solve, earning her Namor's respect and gratitude (fixing a pollution issue or brightening the sun plot from the original script). Namor will start seeking her out more from that point, wanting to spend time with her.

I think the dynamic I'll be aiming for is simp Namor and a playing hard-to-get/in denial Shuri. She'll think a relationship is impossible as there are to many roadblocks; he's a God/King/Immortal, and she's not even sure what she is as she was raised to believe she was an unusual Talokanil.

Somehow Wakanda finds out about Shuri still being alive and demands her back. Maybe Shuri sneaks off to the surface and someone from Wakanda spots her and notices her close resemblance to the royal family or she has a Wakandan necklace/bracelet/object that gives her away as the missing Princess.

Shuri does go back to prevent a war. As she tries to learn about her old life and adapt, Namor secretly visits her at night and tries to romance her. During the day light hours, he plays diplomat with the Wakandans.

Shuri then learns that her brother is going to reveal Wakanda to the world. She decides to challenge him for the throne to prevent that.

That's all I got xD

[greaseball-the-champion]

Rules and Info

My main account is @gb-diesellok and I am a fictive alter, if that bothers you... uh... get well soon.

🏅I can do SFW and NSFW. if you want nsfw/smut you must be 18+, I will do it in DM or under a 'keep reading' and the rp will then be tagged with (an appropriate tag which I haven't decided yet...)

🏅Each RP will get its own tag and Active ones will have a sidebar link (if you're on pc, doesn't work on mobile)

🏅 I accept Canon and OCs. Most of you will probably write as rolling stock however I also accept human characters for relationships.

🏅 If you want to start an rp or are interested you can, @ me with a starter or send one in a DM. I'll try not to be too selective, its best to ask in a dm first. Once you know me or if you already know me, you can jump in directly by @ me in a starter post. (if i don't respond to your @ , dm me!!)

🏅 tell me if you want me to use first person or 3rd person for roleplay. I do both.

🏅 Don't control me. I'm more than a writer with a muse. I'm putting ME in this for you.

🏅 I'm allowing anon for now, If I start getting hate you all lose your anon privileges.

TRIGGERS

🥉 Electra being "romantic" or shippy. a lot of the lyrics in ac/dc. As a fictive alter I have big negative emotions / trauma about being mind controlled and forced to do... things. You don't want to hurt my feelings do you?

🥉 Underwater, I also have trauma with this from my past life. everyone who knows me basically knows why.

[affcgato-archived]

New muses added & ready to rumble

Pepper Potts (Marvel multiverse variant, see carrd!)

Jocelyn Fairchild (Shadowhunter Chronicles)

Seraphine (Arcane/League of Legends)

Muses I'm still situating on the blog but coming soon

I am admittedly gunshy about the ST muses, but they're more on the blog than note. I am just a weenie rn.

Chrissy Cunningham (Stranger Things)

Eddie Munson (Stranger Things, low activity while I finish up the last few episodes of s4)

Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things, low activity while I fully get comfy with his voice)

Carol Danvers (Marvel Cinematic)

Jinx (Arcane/League of Legends)

The loudest of the bunch currently active

kate kane (batwoman)

pepper potts's main/variant verse (marvel cinematic)

ben solo's prince of alderaan verse (star wars)

kaz brekker's video game engineer verse (grishaverse)

norah price (underwater)

ersken pate (original necromancer)

evie piaf (original psychic)