#10 foot wizard

[streetart-nightly]

10 Foot Wizard

A.C.A.B. All Cunts Are Beautiful - Olga Maria Maggel

James Green - Chiquitita prod. Misterrcha

EGO Chinese LEGO-based logo

stickers from all around Camden, late 2020

[faeries-fires]

⋆⋅☆ Gale's illusions ☆⋅⋆

I've been wanting for some time to make a list identifying the spells that Gale uses during his cutscenes.

There are two spells in this list that most players will be familiar with, Minor Illusion and Mirror Image, because some of the spellcasters can learn them in the game, but most of them are things that Larian didn't include and you won't know about them unless you're a D&D player or you check a list of spells.

Long post under the cut.

───── Minor Illusion ─────

- Level: cantrip - Casting time: 1 action - Range/Area: 30 ft / 5 ft cube - Components: S M (A bit of fleece) - Duration: 1 minute - School: Illusion - Available for: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard You create a sound or an image of an object within range that lasts for the duration. The illusion also ends if you dismiss it as an action or cast this spell again. If you create a sound, its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else’s voice, a lion’s roar, a beating of drums, or any other sound you choose. The sound continues unabated throughout the duration, or you can make discrete sounds at different times before the spell ends. If you create an image of an object—such as a chair, muddy footprints, or a small chest—it must be no larger than a 5-foot cube. The image can’t create sound, light, smell, or any other sensory effect. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it. If a creature uses its action to examine the sound or image, the creature can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the illusion becomes faint to the creature.

This one is easy to guess. A small image that doesn't move or make sounds, no point in wasting a spell slot when you can just achieve the same result with a cantrip.

───── Mirror Image ─────

- Level: 2nd - Casting Time: 1 action - Range/Area: Self - Components: V S - Duration: 1 minute - Available for: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Three illusory duplicates of yourself appear in your space. Until the spell ends, the duplicates move with you and mimic your actions, shifting position so it’s impossible to track which image is real. You can use your action to dismiss the illusory duplicates. Each time a creature targets you with an attack during the spell’s duration, roll a d20 to determine whether the attack instead targets one of your duplicates. If you have three duplicates, you must roll a 6 or higher to change the attack’s target to a duplicate. With two duplicates, you must roll an 8 or higher. With one duplicate, you must roll an 11 or higher. A duplicate’s AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier. If an attack hits a duplicate, the duplicate is destroyed. A duplicate can be destroyed only by an attack that hits it. It ignores all other damage and effects. The spell ends when all three duplicates are destroyed. A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can’t see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.

An illusion that looks and acts like the caster and stands close to them. The spell creates 3 copies initially, but they can be dismissed.

─── Programmed Illusion ───

- Level: 6th - Casting time: 1 action - Range/Area: 120 ft / 30 ft - Components: V S M (A bit of fleece and jade dust worth at least 25 GP) - Duration: Until dispelled - School: Illusion - Available for: Bard, Wizard You create an illusion of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon within range that activates when a specific condition occurs. The illusion is imperceptible until then. It must be no larger than a 30-foot cube, and you decide when you cast the spell how the illusion behaves and what sounds it makes. This scripted performance can last up to 5 minutes. When the condition you specify occurs, the illusion springs into existence and performs in the manner you described. Once the illusion finishes performing, it disappears and remains dormant for 10 minutes. After this time, the illusion can be activated again. The triggering condition can be as general or as detailed as you like, though it must be based on visual or audible conditions that occur within 30 feet of the area. For example, you could create an illusion of yourself to appear and warn off others who attempt to open a trapped door, or you could set the illusion to trigger only when a creature says the correct word or phrase. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it. A creature that uses its action to examine the image can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through the image, and any noise it makes sounds hollow to the creature.

The famous spectral messenger that appears the 1st time Gale dies in act 1 or in the epilogue if he sacrificed himself. A spell with a condition to trigger on his death, casted while he was still alive.

───── Project Image ─────

- Level: 7th - Casting Time: 1 action - Range/Area: 500 miles - Target: Any location within range that you have seen before - Components: V S M (A small replica of you made from materials worth at least 5 gp) - Duration: Up to 1 day - Concentration - Available for: Bard, Wizard You create an illusory copy of yourself that lasts for the duration. The copy can appear at any location within range that you have seen before, regardless of intervening obstacles. The illusion looks and sounds like you but is intangible. If the illusion takes any damage, it disappears, and the spell ends. You can use your action to move this illusion up to twice your speed, and make it gesture, speak, and behave in whatever way you choose. It mimics your mannerisms perfectly. You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were in its space. On your turn as a bonus action, you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again. While you are using its senses, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own surroundings. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it. A creature that uses its action to examine the image can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through the image, and any noise it makes sounds hollow to the creature.

The illusory Gale that guides you to his act 2 main scene. It could be another Programmed Illusion, but I've chosen Project Image instead because this one's eyes don't glow like the other's, which makes me think they were created with different spells. Also because the copies of Lorroakan and Rolan in Sorcerous Sundries are confirmed Projected Images and they look and act similar to Gale's.

I know it's labeled as "Gale's Mirror Image", but it can't be a Mirror Image because illusions made with that spell stay close to the caster and imitate them, but this one is standing there on its own and having a full conversation with the player while Gale prepares the next spell on this list.

───── Mirage Arcane ─────

- Level: 7th - Casting time: 10 minutes - Range/Area: Sight / 1 mile - Components: V S - Duration: 10 days - Available for: Bard, Druid, Wizard You make terrain in an area up to 1 mile square look, sound, smell, and even feel like some other sort of terrain. The terrain’s general shape remains the same, however. Open fields or a road could be made to resemble a swamp, hill, crevasse, or some other difficult or impassable terrain. A pond can be made to seem like a grassy meadow, a precipice like a gentle slope, or a rock-strewn gully like a wide and smooth road. Similarly, you can alter the appearance of structures, or add them where none are present. The spell doesn’t disguise, conceal, or add creatures. The illusion includes audible, visual, tactile, and olfactory elements, so it can turn clear ground into difficult terrain (or vice versa) or otherwise impede movement through the area. Any piece of the illusory terrain (such as a rock or stick) that is removed from the spell’s area disappears immediately. Creatures with truesight can see through the illusion to the terrain’s true form; however, all other elements of the illusion remain, so while the creature is aware of the illusion’s presence, the creature can still physically interact with the illusion.

In his act 2 main scene Gale veils the shadow-cursed sky with an aurora borealis.

The Waterdeep scene that follows in the astral variant of the romance path could also be part of this spell if we bend the rules a bit and let him have the Malleable Illusions feature that only Wizards from the School of Illusion get.

Malleable Illusions: starting at 6th level, when you cast an illusion spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can use your action to change the nature of that illusion (using the spell's normal parameters for the illusion), provided that you can see the illusion.

As for the Astral sex part and the boat scene, I think those are something else. The closest I've found is the next spell, from the School of Necromancy.

──── Astral Projection ? ────

- Level: 9th - Casting Time: 1 hour - Range/Area: 10 feet - Target: You and up to eight willing creatures within range - Components: V S M (For each creature you affect with this spell, you must provide one jacinth worth at least 1,000 gp and one ornately carved bar of silver worth at least 100 gp, all of which the spell consumes) - Duration: Special - Available for: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard You and up to eight willing creatures within range project your astral bodies into the Astral Plane (the spell fails and the casting is wasted if you are already on that plane). The material body you leave behind is unconscious and in a state of suspended animation; it doesn’t need food or air and doesn’t age. Your astral body resembles your mortal form in almost every way, replicating your game statistics and possessions. The principal difference is the addition of a silvery cord that extends from between your shoulder blades and trails behind you, fading to invisibility after 1 foot. This cord is your tether to your material body. As long as the tether remains intact, you can find your way home. If the cord is cut—something that can happen only when an effect specifically states that it does—your soul and body are separated, killing you instantly. Your astral form can freely travel through the Astral Plane and can pass through portals there leading to any other plane. If you enter a new plane or return to the plane you were on when casting this spell, your body and possessions are transported along the silver cord, allowing you to re-enter your body as you enter the new plane. Your astral form is a separate incarnation. Any damage or other effects that apply to it have no effect on your physical body, nor do they persist when you return to it. The spell ends for you and your companions when you use your action to dismiss it. When the spell ends, the affected creature returns to its physical body, and it awakens. The spell might also end early for you or one of your companions. A successful dispel magic spell used against an astral or physical body ends the spell for that creature. If a creature’s original body or its astral form drops to 0 hit points, the spell ends for that creature. If the spell ends and the silver cord is intact, the cord pulls the creature’s astral form back to its body, ending its state of suspended animation. If you are returned to your body prematurely, your companions remain in their astral forms and must find their own way back to their bodies, usually by dropping to 0 hit points.

I've included this one because I've seen several people refer to the sex scene with this name, and while it's the spell with the closest description, there are too many things off: the absence of the silver cord, the hight cost (2200 gp total), the 9th level (max spell level, learned at 17th+ character level), the ability to go anywhere in the Astral Plane and even use portals, the fact that it is a necromancy spell instead of illusion magic like Gale mentions both times...

Also the two scenes are different from one another despite both sharing the Astral Plane scenery:

On the Astral sex scene Gale and the PC are ethereal figures and there's no verbal component, the glyph in the book seems to be what activates it.

On the Astral sea scene only the boat is ethereal and there's a verbal component, "Astra Navigamus" (we sail the stars). We also know from Gale's words that it requires to maintain concentration, but Astral Projection doesn't.

Gale: Find me later, and I will show you something truly divine. I will show you what a crown like this could mean for both of us. PC: Can't you just tell me now? Gale: Afraid not. What I have to show you requires us to be its only witness, and our minds to share in the most exquisite concentration.

I don't think there's a real equivalent and they're simply homebrew creations.

────── Simulacrum ──────

- Casting Time: 12 hours - Range/Area: Touch - Target: One beast or humanoid that is within range for the entire casting time of the spell - Components: V S M (Snow or ice in quantities sufficient to made a life-size copy of the duplicated creature; some hair, fingernail clippings, or other piece of that creature’s body placed inside the snow or ice; and powdered ruby worth 1,500 gp, sprinkled over the duplicate and consumed by the spell) - Duration: Until dispelled - Available for: Wizard You shape an illusory duplicate of one beast or humanoid that is within range for the entire casting time of the spell. The duplicate is a creature, partially real and formed from ice or snow, and it can take actions and otherwise be affected as a normal creature. It appears to be the same as the original, but it has half the creature’s hit point maximum and is formed without any equipment. Otherwise, the illusion uses all the statistics of the creature it duplicates. The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat. The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities, nor can it regain expended spell slots. If the simulacrum is damaged, you can repair it in an alchemical laboratory, using rare herbs and minerals worth 100 gp per hit point it regains. The simulacrum lasts until it drops to 0 hit points, at which point it reverts to snow and melts instantly. If you cast this spell again, any currently active duplicates you created with this spell are instantly destroyed.

Despite popular fandom belief, none of the Gale duplicates that we see in the game is a Simulacrum, they don't fit the criteria:

They are translucent and their voice sounds hollow, as if there had been an invisible successful investigation check.

When you destroy them they disappear with a puff of magic lights instead of transforming back into ice/snow and melting.

Notice that Simulacra clones are tangible, unlike the others from before. They are basically glamoured and animated life size ice/snowmen. They're also quite expensive and elaborate, not something you'd want to cast for a short single use (unless you're super rich I suppose).

That doesn't mean that there isn't any use of this spell in the game, there's in fact one:

That's right, the Elminster we encounter isn't the real one, but a construct made with Simulacrum, charged with finding Gale and delivering Mystra's will and spell. All that complaining about a long and extenuous journey, worn boots, and hunger is an act, an imitation of the real Elminster's mannerism. Makes you wonder what happened to all that cheese and wine that he "ate"...

───────────────────

Bear in mind that the devs have taken some creative liberties and there are lore inconsistencies. More than half of these spells are a higher level than what's possible to learn at that point, most aren't even in Gale's spellbook and, by the Wizard class rules, he' s only allowed to cast the spells that are written on his book and memorized during a long rest. So unless he secretly has with him the spellbook that he used when he was an Archmage or a scroll version of them, it shouldn't be possible to use most of these.

Oh well, sometimes is necessary to change things a bit because they don't translate well to videogame mechanics and it would make things more tedious and not as enjoyable.

And that's it. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading!

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

⚔️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! Staff of the Eclipse
Staff, very rare (requires attunement by a druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard) ___ This staff has a crescent-shaped head made of pockmarked lunar stone. Floating within the crescent stone is a motionless, black orb. Regardless of how you look at the orb, it’s always encircled by a ring of fire that faces you. The fire winks out if the staff isn’t held. The fire is harmless, and it sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. While holding the staff, you have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, holding the staff increases its range by 60 feet. The staff has 10 charges. It regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dusk. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff crumbles into dust and is destroyed. 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨. While holding the staff, you can use an action to expend some of its charges to cast either the “moonbeam” (2 charges) or “wall of fire” (4 charges) spell, using your spell save DC. This version of “wall of fire” creates the same ghostly flames as “moonbeam”; it deals radiant damage instead of fire damage and doesn’t ignite flammable objects, although it doesn’t share “moonbeam’s” other effects. You can increase the spell slot level of a spell cast from the staff by one for each additional charge you expend. 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣. When you cast “moonbeam” from the staff, you can choose to cause its dim light to be red. A creature that fails the saving throw against the spell also has its hit point maximum reduced by an amount equal to the radiant damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. Once this property of the staff has been used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn. 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚. When you cast “wall of fire” from the staff, you can choose to cause it to embody the nature of an eclipse. When you do, the spell creates a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick; the area within the ring is filled with magical darkness until the spell ends. While holding the staff, you can see through this darkness as if... ...Continued in the comment below! ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[frostbytemyrik]

Danny Phantom Required* Watching

*It isn't actually required. I know there are a ton of phans who have never even seen a single episode of the show, but it's a fun watch and I would recommend at least catching some.

Sorting the episodes into colors (with the first letter in parenthesis by the title for those who might be too colorblind to tell). Note that this is all just my objective opinion, and everyone is free to leave their own thoughts on this!

Green (G) - Introduction of an important character or major plot development, such as a new power for Danny or another major shift in the status quo. If you can only watch a few of the episodes, watch these.

Pink (P) - Introduction of a side character or minor plot development.

Red (R) - Introduction of a new character worth mentioning or other general status quo change, but the episode is generally considered to be...not great by most people. (But hey, nothing wrong with liking these episodes!) They'll be summarized at the bottom of each episode description for those who can't be bothered to watch them.

Blue (B) - Nothing important happens to the overall plot, but it's a fun episode that fleshes out the characters.

Season 1

Episode 1: Mystery Meat (R) - Establishes the show and its main characters: Danny, Sam, and Tucker, as well as a lot of other important characters such as the Fenton parents and Jazz, and minor recurring characters like Dash and the Lunch Lady. The writers are still getting their footing so the main trio is unfortunately among the flattest they get here.

Episode 2: Parental Bonding (P) - Introduction of Paulina and Dora, first look at Valerie, and most importantly, Danny's power to overshadow people. Fun episode in general, Tucker makes a weird comment at the start but this is one of Sam's absolute best episodes as a character. (Tucker and Sam actually getting to be fun characters instead of just "butt-monkey comic relief" and "selfish asshole" is rarer than I'd like, so I always like pointing out the episodes where they get some love.)

Episode 3: One of a Kind (G) - Introduction of Skulker, a recurring major antagonist, and his motivations.

Episode 4: Attack of the Killer Garage Sale (P) - Introduction of Technus, Ghost Master of Technology and Destroyer of Worlds, Manipulator of Machines, Lord of all Gadgetry, Wizard of Integrated Circuitry, Master of All Things Electronic and Beeping.

Episode 6: What You Want (P) - First appearance of Danny's Ghost Ray and introduction to Desiree and the Ghost Catcher (a Fenton device with an unfortunately rather...culturally insensitive name and design), explores Tucker and his relationship to Danny. I went back and forth between making this green and pink because I'm biased in my love for this episode, but it isn't necessary to comprehend later episodes. (If you can watch it, though, it's a lot of fun as we get to see how close Danny and Tucker are and how Tucker feels about Danny's powers.)

Episode 7: Bitter Reunions (G) - Formal introduction to main series antagonist, Vlad Masters, and his relationship with the Fentons and the ghosts of the Ghost Zone. (Antisemitism tw: Vlad has hired ghost hitmen that are vultures with Yiddish accents, hooked beaks, and fezzes. They thankfully don't show up anywhere else, as far as I can remember.)

Episode 8: Prisoners of Love (P) - Introduction to the Ghost Zone itself and Walker, a side antagonist. Shows Alicia, Danny and Jazz's maternal aunt who never appears again after this episode.

Episode 9: My Brother's Keeper (G) - Gives Jazz a focus and formally makes her a major player in the plot through a certain discovery she makes. Also introduces side antagonist Dr. Penelope Spectra.

Episode 10: Shades of Gray (G) - Valerie Gray, a background character from Episode 2, gets new motivations and becomes an important part of the series going forward.

Episode 11: Fanning the Flames (P) - Ember is introduced, and she hypnotizes the entire town to fall for her with her music. To keep Danny out of her hair, she makes him fall for Sam. Whether this episode is a Pink or a Red depends on whether or not that bothers you. (Racism tw: there's a sequence towards the end of the episode that shows people around the world watching Ember, and they're all very stereotyped appearances of Japanese, Eastern European, Arabian, and Indigenous Australian people. Thanks, Hartman.)

Episode 12: Teacher of the Year (B) - A fun episode with Technus. It does have some of that early 2000s "don't underestimate me because I'm a girl" stuff, but it's still a good episode with a lot of heart.

Episode 13: Fright Night (P) - Introduces Fright Knight. A Halloween special that has its ups and downs (eating underwear?) It's just really funny that an actual ghost, who has been to the maddeningly twisted and alien world of the afterlife, still can't scare anyone to save his life.

Episode 14: 13 (P) - It's a shame this isn't actually the 13th episode. Anyway, it introduces Johnny 13 and Kitty, while Tucker and Sam get to hang out without Danny while trying to solve Tucker's new run of bad luck and the fallout for his reputation.

Episode 15: Public Enemies (G) - Walker's back and he's making a major shift in the status quo: ghosts are confirmed to exist as he stages a major invasion of the town. Things don't go well for Danny, and the repercussions will be felt for well into the series. Also introduces Wulf, a ghost who looks like a werewolf, exclusively speaks Esperanto, and has the ability to tear the fabric of reality to create portals between Earth and the Ghost Zone. He's putting this power to use for Walker, but it's clearly not by choice...

Episode 17: Maternal Instinct (B) - Maddie notices her son is growing distant from her and tries to take him to a science symposium to bond with him, but disaster strikes and leaves them in the woods, with the only shelter available being...a cabin owned and occupied by none other than Vlad. Meanwhile, Jack tries to understand Jazz, who doesn't seem to want anything to do with him or ghost hunting. Lots of great character moments for the Fentons.

Episode 18: Life Lessons (B) - Danny and Valerie, arriving late to class because they both were out ghost hunting, get paired up in home economics class to raise a flour sack baby together. We get more insight into what Valerie's life is like after Shades of Gray, and she learns to get along with both Fenton and, temporarily, Phantom, after an excursion through Skulker's part of the Ghost Zone. As a B-plot, Tucker makes money babysitting other students' flour sacks while ignoring the one he has with Sam, and Sam tries not to get attached to the sack. It's not important to the plot AT ALL but I'd put this as a must-watch if I could. Alas, I made the rules and must follow them.

Episode 19: The Million Dollar Ghost (B) - A million dollars is placed on the head of the ghost boy, Public Ghost Enemy #1: Inviso-Bill, known to us in the audience as Danny Phantom.

Episode 20: Control Freaks (G) - The circus is in town! New villain Freakshow gets introduced, and he becomes important later. Kinda. Depending on how much you like a certain blue episode that comes on down the line. The trio go to this cool new goth circus, but there's a string of ghostly robberies in town and Danny has been acting strangely lately...

Season 2

Episode 1/21: Memory Blank (R) - Danny and Sam have a fight, Sam wishes she'd never met him, Desiree makes the wish come true and now Danny has no powers and neither he nor Tucker remember her at all. Sam gets him fried by the portal again to get his powers back, but this time with a new logo she designed slapped onto his chest. Really all that happens is Danny gets his logo. This can be skipped...if you wish. ;)

Episode 2/22: Doctor's Disorders (B) - There's a bug going around - literally - getting the kids at Casper High sick. Symptoms include sneezing, chills, coughing, congestion, and various ghost powers depending on the student. The only ones immune seem to be Danny (thanks to his ghost powers) and Tucker (wearing his new homemade cologne that smells awful in a different way to everyone). A new hospital opens up to treat them, but something fishy is definitely going on. ...But Tucker is afraid of hospitals. Great Tucker episode.

Episode 3/23: Pirate Radio (P) - Introduction to Youngblood, an occasional antagonist. A new radio program pops up, and every adult in town (and Jazz, who's 16 but sees herself as an adult) is enraptured by it and the one song that it plays on loop. Then one day, every single adult in town leaves behind a note that they're going on a cruise, and it's up to Danny to rally the teens of Amity Park to discover what's so fishy about the cruise and get their parents back.

Episode 4/24-5/25: Reign Storm (G) - The creepy castle in the Ghost Zone Danny accidentally freed Fright Knight from in Fright Night holds yet another secret: the coffin of the Ghost King, known as Pariah Dark, whose goal is to rule over the Ghost Zone and the human world with an iron fist. Vlad frees him hoping to snatch the powerful artifacts on him, but it backfires and now the King is free and follows the fleeing ghosts to Amity Park, which he promptly invades. Danny, Valerie, and various enemies including Vlad need to team up to seal King Pariah back within his sarcophagus and save both Amity Park and the Ghost Zone as a whole. Major status quo shifts happen here.

Episode 6/26: Identity Crisis (B) - Not my favorite episode, but I'm including it here because it was popular with the Phandom a decade ago. Danny gets tired of trying to balance his human and ghost lives, so splits himself in two using the Ghost Catcher that was introduced in Season 1 episode 6: What You Want. That also, unfortunately, divides his personality to two extremes; the human half ("Fun Danny") is lazy while the ghost half ("Super Danny") is an absolute ham of a superhero stereotype, and Tucker and Sam struggle to put their friend back together so he can stop Technus in a way only he can (and also because both halves are honestly really annoying them).

Episode 8/28-9/29: The Ultimate Enemy (G) - This is THE episode of all time. Maybe not the best episode, but it's great in its own right and, more importantly for this list, introduces another major status quo shift. It's also basically required viewing for the comic that came out last year (at time of writing), as that comic is a direct follow-up to this episode. Clockwork, a ghost that is essentially a deity of time, has a mission to eliminate the greatest threat to Earth and the Ghost Zone that has ever been before he comes into that role: a ghost named Danny Phantom. Danny comes face-to-face with a version of himself that caused a doomed future, and needs to fight to ensure that future never comes to pass.

Episode 10/30: The Fright Before Christmas (B) - The boy Danny Fenton, a Grinch to his core, finds the holiday season to be quite a chore. Into the Ghost Zone to blow off some steam, he accidentally causes a scene: the Ghost Writer's finished manuscript in ashes, and with Danny's indifference he clashes. He traps him in a book that warps space and time, and forces all events in his life to rhyme. You're in for a treat if you like all these rhymes, but if they annoy you, then don't waste your time. (This factoid may not matter to you, but this is where we learn of the Christmas Truce!)

Episode 11/31: Secret Weapons (R) - Jazz is overbearing, Danny doesn't like it, so Jazz decides to go to Vlad. The episode's latter half isn't bad, but it's R because Jazz's constant invasions of Danny's privacy and the repetitive thermos jokes grate on me. If you plan to skip, the thing that makes it a red episode is this: Vlad learns that Jazz is in-the-know.

Episode 12/32: Flirting With Disaster (G) - A lot of the more plot-relevant episodes in season 2 (and one in season 1) have been building romantic tension between Danny and Valerie, and here's where it comes to a head: they actually start dating! However, after some jealous stalking thorough investigating, Sam finds that there's someone pulling the strings, and manipulating their real feelings for each other to pull them together and get them out of the way... Valerie especially undergoes a lot of major character moments, and we learn a lot more about her as a person. One of my personal favorite episodes (and I don't just say that because I'm a Danny/Valerie truther) (the "engraved" ring and Sam being a stalker about it aren't great, but honestly I just try to ignore those parts. Yes, I know I'm biased).

Episode 17/37: Kindred Spirits (G) - While Danny's busy being an asshole to his friends leaving Sam and Tucker to take the blame for property damages during his fights, he finds a strange girl named Danielle (or "Dani") who claims to be his cousin and shares an eerie resemblance with him. The similarities go more than skin deep, as she quickly reveals that she's ALSO half ghost. Tucker and Sam warn Danny that there's something suspicious about the whole ordeal (in between being left behind to be blamed for collateral damage more times than I'm bothered to count right now), but when Danny winds up in trouble anyway, they still skip detention (that he got them in) to save him before it's too late. Danny's a dick, but despite that, it's still a good episode and we get introduced to Dani before her next appearance.

Episode 19/39-20/40: Reality Trip (B) - Freakshow gets the Reality Gauntlet: an off-brand Infinity Gauntlet that can warp reality to anything he desires. He gets Danny's secret revealed to the world, causing the government agency the Guys In White (from Million Dollar Ghost in season 1) to relentlessly pursue him. Luckily, thanks to knowledge Sam gained from a book on the gauntlet, the main trio manages to warp the gems to different parts of the United States, severely limiting Freakshow's power. Unluckily, Freakshow retaliates by kidnapping their parents and Jazz, forcing the three to go on a cross-country road trip to get the gems back to Freakshow and save their families while evading the law. No permanent shifts of the status quo, but one of my personal favorite episodes. It's a fun ride!

Season 3

Episode 1/41: Eye for an Eye (R) - A prank war between Danny and Vlad ends in Vlad becoming mayor and passing a lot of horrible laws specifically to spite Danny. The laws are undone by the end of the episode, but Vlad stays mayor.

Episode 2/42: Infinite Realms (R) - In trying to map out the Ghost Zone, the main trio end up meeting Frostbite: leader of a realm in the Zone known as the Far Frozen, filled with spirits that take the form of peaceful, yeti-like monster folk who revere Danny as the chosen one who defeated Pariah Dark. Frostbite is also keeper of the Infi-Map: a map that can take the user anywhere in the Ghost Zone. Now for the bad news: Vlad is here, he wants world domination now for some reason, and he wants the map to help him do it. Vlad steals the map, the trio needs to get it back. It's not the worst episode, but Vlad's villain decay is...tragic. Tl;dr: Frostbite is the leader of a tribe of friendly yeti spirits and keeps the Infi-Map, which can take the user to any point in the ghost zone.

Episode 5/45: Forever Phantom (B) - One of the only actually fun filler episodes in season 3. Introduces us to Amorpho: a ghost with the power to shapeshift into anything and anyone, who uses their power to cause mayhem for attention. They bite off more than they can chew when they impersonate Danny Phantom, however, and a Fenton device gone awry locks both Amorpho and Danny into the form of Danny Phantom. Wacky hijinks abound.

Episode 6/46: Urban Jungle (G) - Haha green. Like plants. Anyway, Danny has been cold lately. No matter what he does or where he is, he's consistently freezing. It gets worse: while Danny's in this weakened state, a giant plant ghost named Undergrowth takes over Amity Park and possesses Sam. Unable to fight the constantly-regenerating Undergrowth or to keep himself from freezing, he flees into the Ghost Zone to seek Frostbite's aid.

Episode 9/49: Frightmare (B) - Danny wakes up one night to learn, to his horror, that Nocturne, the ghost of dreams, has put all of Amity Park into a deep sleep to feed on their energy. He enters the dreams of his friends to wake them and get their help taking Nocturne down. A good episode for people who ship Danny/Sam, and a GREAT episode for people like me who like to pretend that all the episodes I left off the season 3 list were just bad dreams.

Episode 10/50: Claw of the Wild (B) - The students of Casper High are ending summer with a camping trip in a foggy forest. All seems normal until, one by one, campers go missing. Danny, Tucker, and Sam go investigating and find their ally Wulf, who seems to know something about the disappearances...

Episode 11/51: D-Stabilized (G) - Regarded by most as the final good episode of Danny Phantom. Dani had been on her own in the world since we last left her, but over time, her form has been getting unstable, causing her to be slowly melting into a puddle of ectoplasm. She tries returning to Amity Park to get help, but is now being hunted down by Valerie, who Vlad commissioned so he could melt Dani down and study her remains to make a superior clone. (Valerie thinks he's just going to keep her contained for the safety of Amity Park; she isn't informed of the cloning.) Valerie turns Dani in to Vlad, but Danny manages to form a shaky alliance with Valerie to get Dani back, since Valerie knows that Dani is half human.

Episode 12/52-13:53: Phantom Planet (R) - The only reason this is here is because the comic continues from where this episode left off. If it didn't, I'd suggest ignoring it entirely. Rapid-fire summary: an asteroid is about to hit Earth, Vlad reveals himself to the world and demands unquestioning rule over Earth (and one trillion dollars or something) in exchange for turning the asteroid intangible. Vlad can't turn it intangible since it's made of Ectoranium, an anti-ghost substance we never hear of until now. Jack leaves Vlad in outer space. Danny gets every ghost he knows to help him turn Earth intangible, it works somehow, and Danny reveals his secret identity to the world. Statues of Danny are built all over the world, Sam and Danny start dating, and Tucker becomes mayor of Amity Park. A bunch of other stuff happens too but it's all stupid. Valerie gets thrown into a dumpster on live TV and that's her only appearance besides clapping for Danny at the end. I'm still mad. Don't watch Phantom Planet.

The Comics

Book 1: A Glitch in Time (G) - Danny's life is perfect: his secret identity is out, and the world accepts him not just as a part of it, but as its savior. His parents and former bullies fight on his side now, he's in a committed relationship with Sam, and Amity Park seems to be at peace. There's just one problem: his powers are getting weaker by the day. Unbeknownst to him, there's another problem in progress: Dan Phantom, the evil future Danny from The Ultimate Enemy, is released and fuses with Clockwork, causing present Danny and those near him to experience unstable glitches in time. Vlad returns to warn Danny of the threat of Dan, and they all team up to venture into the depths of the Ghost Zone to find a way to stop Dan and get Danny back to full strength. Meanwhile, Jazz and Valerie hold down the fort at Amity Park, holding Dan off for as long as they can while the trio and Vlad search for answers.

Book 2: To be continued in 2025!

Danny Phantom can be watched on Paramount Plus, but if you don't have a subscription, there may be DVDs at your local library! Other people may also have resources on how to watch the show, so feel free to ask around!

Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time can be found anywhere books are sold! Abrams Books Amazon Barnes and Noble Google Play Waterstones

[forgeofthenine]

Ohh, how about the Tieflings experiencing snow? And how do they make sure not to freeze off the tips of their ears and their tails? Also with how they are more fine with heat, I feel like Rolan is the type of bitch (affectionate) to already complain about it being freezing at 15°F

I have to admit Anon, I'm also the type of bitch that thinks 15°F is freezing. I'm used to a nice temperate climate (with awful weather) and the idea of being outside in almost -10°c horrifies me, I do hope you like the headcanons though :)

The bachelors experiencing the snow

Dammon

I feel like Dammon runs hotter than most tieflings, they all already run hot but Dammon even more so

It honestly probably helps in the forge

It also means that when he steps foot into the snow it tends to slowly melt under the thin soles of his boots

Dammon loves the snow and thinks it's beautiful, but it tends to leave him with wet socks if he doesn't wear the right footwear

You'll find it's still very easy to drag your lover out into the snow with you though for a bit of a winter romp

Just don't be surprised when this cheeky tiefling decides to try and ball up some snow as soon as your back is turned

As soon as the powdery snow breaks against your back you know all vets are off, the two of you desperately trying to one up the other

You'll need to find a space were you won't bother anyone because Dammon gets very into his snowball fights

He's a fierce opponent but eventually, when you're both feeling the chill, there will be a truce

Dammons also the type to always wear his scarf when it snows outside, but only so he can wrap it around you if yours is forgotten at home

Zevlor

This paladin loves the snow

He doesn't run particularly hot or cold so he's able to spend a fair amount of time out in the chill

He loves to bundle you both up in cold weather clothes and go for a stroll

Walking along the water, hand in hand, he likes to admire the way your breath freezes in the air as you speak to him

It's all very relaxed and domestic, perfect for a retired hellrider like Zevlor

When the two of you make it back inside he's quick to warm you both back up, wrapping you in a blanket and making hot chocolate on the stove

You spend the rest of the even cuddled up to his side on the couch, watching the snow fall as you drink steaming mugs of cocoa

Zevlor also strikes me as the type of guy to know about the pouring maple syrup into snow to make a maple lolliepop thing

He'd definitely do it to surprise you with a homemade sweet treat

Please give Zevlor a kiss, he spoils you so much

Rolan

Rolan hates the snow

He runs cold as far as tieflings are concerned and he strikes me as the type to have poor circulation that just mildly annoys him

If you want to get him out in the snow you'll have to recruit his siblings to come help

Don't worry though, Cal and Lia love to drag him out into the winter wonderland despite how much he tells them it's 'freezing'

Rolan is also very glad his ears are covered by his hair, or they might just get cold enough to fall off

It's not uncommon for you to be issued with a challenge to see who can make a better snowman, you and Rolan or Cal and Lia

And so the wizard reluctantly spends his afternoon playing in the snow with you and his siblings

As much as he loves his siblings, Rolan also wants to get his own back at them, so he uses his magic to beat them every single time

Just be glad they only dared to challenge him to a snowball fight once

[im-actually-a-certified-idiot]

Evan hated parties. 

He hated people, really. Most he knew were loud, annoying, shallow. The purebloods around him were always rambling about blood purity, and the Mudbloods were always whining about Muggle rights. It was exhausting to even be a part of wizarding society. 

Which was why he’s not even sure why he’s going to this party. 

The invitations to the party were sent out a month ago; only the Dark Lord’s closest supporters and most trusted followers were allowed. Or forced, more like. Evan was proud of his allegiance and role as a Death Eater- he took pleasure in ridding the world of Muggle scum. But the social obligations were too much. Ridiculous, really. 

Still. It wasn’t exactly like he could refuse to go. Anyone who turned down the Dark Lord was a fool. Evan may be stupid, but he wasn’t completely moronic. 

He eyed himself in the mirror in front of him. The robes he was wearing were bulky to fit his frame; any less and he would’ve had trouble breathing. It was logical, he knew, but looking at himself, he felt nothing but shame. Disgust. Loathing.

How fat he was. He’d cut himself off from dessert for a month, and this was the result? 

Disgusting. 

“Oi, Rosie,” Barty said, and Evan scowled. He hated that nickname. “Hurry up, will you? We’ll be late.”

“Give me a minute,” he snapped, trying not to take his eyes off his reflection. He knew if he did, he would have to look at Barty, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He didn’t need the reminder of how painfully good-looking that jackass was. Even more so than him.

“You know, I’ve never met someone so vain,” Barty said loudly. Evan raised his middle finger over his shoulder, and stared at himself. 

His hair was sleek, which was okay, he supposed. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle a bad hair day and feeling fat. But his stomach…he squinted closer. Oh, Merlin, it was sticking out. It looked bloated. Shit. He cursed himself for not skipping lunch. All that roasted turkey he ate was coming back to bite his ass, and he had no one to blame but himself. 

Stop that slouching, Evander, he could hear his mother saying sharply. It makes you look fat. He straightened his spine immediately, pulling in his stomach. Would that make a difference? He craned his neck, holding his breath. He wouldn’t dare to hope, but….

No. It was the same. 

He deflated, all his energy draining out of him. He was so tired. He really didn’t want to go to this stupid party. 

“Ready?” Barty asked impatiently; the brunette had started tapping his foot to the tune of some Celestina Warbeck song, one of the ones that was always blasting on the radio. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap tap tap.

Oh, that little shit. Evan refused to look at him, choosing to glare at the mirror instead. 

Stupid, stupid body.

“Evan, we’re going to be late.”

Oh, the things he would do to just lose 10 pounds.

“Merlin’s pants, Rosie, I swear. Are you fishing for compliments? Your vain ass need external validation?” Barty’s voice was sneering. “You look moderately less ugly than usual- there, does that make you feel better?”

I feel so fat.

It was 4 words, a thought that had lived in his head since he was young. It wasn’t new, it wasn’t surprising. It was something Evan told himself a million times, something he’d felt every time he looked into the mirror. He was used to it. It was a phrase engraved into his mind, a phrase his tongue knew purely from muscle memory. 

But then he caught Barty’s face in the mirror- wide eyes, slack jaw. Oh shit. Had he said that out loud?

“Fat?” Barty echoed, disbelievingly. He gave a small laugh. “Rosie, come on, you’re not fat-”

“Shut up.” Evan forced his voice to be smooth, clipped. Uncaring. But his next words came out strangled, like they were wrenched from his mouth. “You have no idea what it’s like. You’re skinny, Barty.”

Barty fell silent, his lips moving to voice words that didn’t quite come out. That, more than anything, was unnerving. Barty always spoke whatever was on his mind- he was never at a loss for words. Never. 

Evan bit his lip, turning away from the mirror at last. He fixed his gaze on the poster on the wall, displaying the Weird Sisters, a band of witches that had just begun their great debut. He felt a searing sensation behind his eyes and prayed it wasn’t tears. He could not- would not- cry in front of Barty. He hadn’t cried in front of anyone in 7 years, and he preferred not to break that streak.

“Let’s go. The Dark Lord will be displeased if we don’t arrive on time.” His voice had regained its even, calming quality from before, thank Merlin. “Stop gaping like a fish and hurry up, you fool. You’ll be the reason the Dark Lord punishes us.” He waited, his body still and silent, until he heard Barty leave, not moving an inch until the sound of footsteps had faded completely. 

He inhaled deeply, forcing his eyes to become dry. He was a Rosier, a pureblood. He had been raised to put on masks, to act calm and collected. He was one of the most loyal Death Eaters to the Dark Lord, the most brutal, the most vicious. He was a Slytherin. He was Evan fucking Rosier. He knew better than this. He was better than this. Tears were for children, not grown men. 

He pressed a palm to his eye, exhaling at the lack of wetness. Good. There was still hope for this night yet. 

“Evan?”

Barty’s voice was much quieter than before, if not timid and tentative. Evan slid his hand down his face and turned to see his friend standing in the doorway, holding a pair of robes. 

“I thought you might like these,” Barty said, almost shyly. 

The robes were long, dark satin; one glance told Evan they were of high quality. Certainly not that Madam Malkin's rubbish, which meant it had to be imported from somewhere with rich, thriving clothing industries. Most likely France, if not the United States or China.

He’d never seen Barty wear it. Ever. For one, it wasn’t his style (satin and Barty? Not a good combination) and for another, Barty owned only one pair of dress robes. So where the hell had he gotten this one?

“These were my dad’s,” Barty explained. “I nicked them from his drawer the night I left. I was feeling petty, I guess. They always looked awful on him, but on you, it would look…I mean…” His voice trailed off. “I was saving them for a birthday present, y’know, gonna repolish it and shit, make it look better. It seems better than all those other shitty dress robes you have, anyway. But, uh, I figured now would be a better time, since you said…” He seemed to struggle for words for a moment. “That.”

“That,” repeated Evan, not quite registering the last part. He was still stuck on the fact that these- these beautiful robes- were supposed to be for him. “This is…my birthday present?”

“Was. Suppose I’ll just have to get another one for you? Maybe some hair products. You’re always going off about your hair.”

Evan walked one step, two steps, three steps until he stood right in front of Barty, nose to nose. He gently pried the robes out of the latter’s hands and ran his fingers over the smooth, silky fabric. Merlin. Evan could actually see himself wearing this. “I could kiss you right now,” he murmured. 

Barty’s cheeks reddened- he spluttered for a moment, then recovered his voice..“Just hurry up and put those on. We’re already late.”

***

For the second time that night, Evan peered at his reflection, examining the way the robes hung over him. It actually hugged his figure quite well; he still looked fat (some things would never change, and to hope so would be too much) but it wasn’t as terrible as it was before. 

In fact, Evan almost kind of liked it. 

“Damn.”

He glanced over his shoulder; Barty had poked his head in, probably with the intent to yell at him to stop dawdling. Now, though, he just gaped, his mouth hanging open. Shameless. Evan felt his mouth twitch. 

“It- It brings out your eyes,” Barty said, his voice hoarse. Evan didn’t miss the way the brunette’s gaze wandered far lower than it should have, or the way he licked his lips nervously. “Yeah, it- it looks good.” He cleared his throat. “You look- good. Great. Come on. Let’s go.”

Evan cocked his head to the side. He knew he should listen to Barty- they were half an hour late, for fuck’s sake- but he couldn’t help himself. “Not moderately less ugly than usual?”

Barty’s face colored. “Shut up,” he said gruffly, and turned away to leave, calling over his shoulder, “Hurry up or I’ll leave without you, I swear!” 

Evan couldn’t stop the wide grin from crawling onto his face. With anyone else, he would’ve been disgusted with himself, but he just snatched his Death Eater mask from his bedside and hurried to catch up with Barty.

[thirdtofifth]

Mud Golem Large construct, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75) Speed 25 ft., swim 25 ft. Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made of adamantine Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 10 Languages understands the languages of its creator but can't speak Challenge 11 (7200 XP) Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The golem's weapon attacks are magical. Actions Multiattack. The golem uses Spew Mud if it is able to. It then makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Spew Mud (Recharge 6). The golem sprays mud in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect for itself on a success. Engulf. One creature the golem is grappling must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be engulfed by the golem. An engulfed creature moves into the golem's space. While engulfed, the creature can't breathe, is restrained, and takes 27 (6d8) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the golem's turns. When the golem moves, the engulfed creature moves with it. An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC 18 Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of the golem.

The mud golem is a groaning, sloshing construct often used by wizards living near waterways or in swamps. They stand around 10 feet tall, with sunken eye sockets lit by a dim red glow.

Originally from the Monster Manual III.

If you would like to download a collection of all of the monsters from this blog, you can find a Google Drive with all of them here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sj8tvOSSRnO5W0103GOcDjhwiQ-XXZmc

[bonelessghoul]

The Lion and the Snake

Summary:  “Hi! i’d like to request a Tom Riddle x Gryffindor reader please :) she’s also a pureblood but Tom and his posse loves teasing & taunting her because she’s from their rival house but nonetheless she also happens to be the only girl that doesn’t follow Tom around like a lovefool while most girls in Hogwarts do yet she it’s as if she’s immune to his good looks & charm and this annoyed the hell out of Tom, she’s also really smart and always in a competitive match to see who gets the top of the class–  Sorry ran out of wordcount, what if one day Gellert Grindelwald manages to broke into Hogwarts and he suddenly looks for her in the great hall like “Is someone with the name of y/n Peverell here?” (yes that’s the twist, she’s a Peverell descendant) and Tom is shock to find out how significant her standing actually is in the wizarding community & her 3 ancestors are rumored to be the inspiration of tale of the 3 brothers, making her the heir to deathly hallows. Thank you!”

Note: Once upon a time on a blog that was hacked but I still have access to, this little short was written. I had that blog for like 10 years so I kinda scroll through it and read through my old stuff sometimes and this was one I wanted to bring back! hope it picks up among you all as it did long ago. This was requested by @ queenofmankind so I don’t wanna blow up their @ til they reach back out to me bc idek if they remember this request :D 

Part Two

December 1943, Hogwarts 

A mahogany red scarf with evenly placed golden stripes and the hint of crimson in your long robe was enough to set you from the crowd like a lion in a room of snakes. Not only do they not belong together, but one boldly and obnoxiously stands out more than the others. Well, perhaps it depends on what one would fear the most.

That was how YN felt in her sixth year Potions class.

Sitting straight in your seat, you ignored the pesky glares of the Slytherin boys that surrounded you, murmuring about you and a few other Ravenclaws nearby.  There was one particular look you were concerned about though and it was right next you on the face of the very famous Tom Riddle.

This was not for lust but instead, a strongly embedded competition between the two of you since you stepped foot in Hogwarts. 

Both of you were among the smartest in the school, every other month replacing each other at the top when it came to who brought in the most house points with their immaculate reports. But there was nothing more to your relationship with him than mere academic rivalry. 

Riddle revolted you, unlike the rest of the girls in the school who fell at his feet. Even the boys and the professors did.

Tom was ghastly, but undeniably sat tall with a strong face that was dare you even say chiseled in the slightest. Every movement he made was so sleek like it had been rehearsed or perhaps he was an animagus as a black cat. Either way, it was suspicious. Even the way his hair curled at the top subtly falling over his forehead seemed way too perfect.

What unnerved you the most was his little following.

Upon return for your sixth year you could not help but notice the little band of misfits seeming all the more exclusive this year. They were the same loud and rambunctious boys you grew up fighting (well, it was more so being bullied and tormented by Malfoy and Rosier) but there were more whispers than laughs in the past few months.

“Today, we will review the Draught of Living Death. I like to give this as testament to what you all have learned before the winter holidays.” announced Professor Slughorn.

“Sounds a lot like you.” you whispered towards Tom, grinning smugly to yourself.

Tom inhaled through his nose. “Watch your tongue or I’ll put it in your wretched orange juice at breakfast.”

“What is your problem with orange juice?”

That was how most classes went. Occasionally, the two of you would laugh at the others wit and that’s how the other knew they had won for the moment before the next battle struck again. You would have taken it as friendly banter when you two were alone, however, Malfoy and others followed him like leeches and they were more harsh.

Professor Slughorn rambled on. 

Of course, the two of you already studied excessively for this the night before.

“I don’t have a problem with it, I just don’t understand how you don’t get sick of it every morning.” Tom muttered, rolling his eyes. “Regardless, I do hope you enjoy finishing after me.”

“That’s assuming you could even brew it in the first place considering your failure with the love potion two weeks ago.” you scoffed.

But there were times of pure frustration in the heat of a race of who could get theirs done first that made you want to hex him to death. Within not even ten minutes, the two of you had your sleeves rolled up, eyes strained on the task before you, moving like mirror images as you sped through the lesson and already far ahead of everyone else. But there was a draw. With the two of you side by side and the other Slytherin boys around your table, you all struggled with the Sopophorous bean.

Most people had either given up or nearly blew their faces off at this rate.

“Bloody hell, YN, if that comes near me one more time I’m dumping your head in this damn cauldron!” Abraxas seethed, dodging the bean that had flung from under her blade.

She winced slightly as she reached for another one.

“Aw don’t threaten her mate, she’ll cry again until we lose house points.” said Dolohov from beside him.

You glared, now suddenly positioning the bean and your knife so that when you pressed down it went directly into his direction. Tom watched idly with amusement as the boys around her erupted into laughter. 

Except, it went in the completely wrong direction and hit Tom in the face.

“Oh, shit…”you quipped, suddenly holding your breath as you tensed up to the equivalent of a stone wall, trying to stifle a laugh while his friends nearly fell from their seats.

The laughter ceased and when he abruptly turned towards you with a grimace, your entire body flinched away like it knew he were a monster ready to pounce. But you were left staring while your blood pulsed, watching as his face ran through several emotions before you calmed.

“You’ll regret that later, Peverell.” Tom snapped, throwing the stupid little bean back at her without even looking.

With ease, you caught it. Being a Quidditch player gave you some qualities you were glad to have.

You didn’t say a word after that.

It seems that class would end in a draw today.

~

Later that evening, a Hogsmeade trip was taking place.

It was the last one of the year so you and your friends gathered quickly for it.

Tom and the boys, the Knights of Walpurgis in particular you overhead one day, idly stood by at one of the corners as all the holiday hustle and bustle rampantly took over the cobblestone streets. Music played in the distance, lights were strung everywhere you looked, and occasionally a highly decorated Christmas tree larger than life filled where there was space for it.

But aside all the obstructive scenery, Tom’s eyes lingered on YN.

YN lived for the evenings out where she could dress in a nice skirt and sweater, running around with her friends to grab all the sweet holiday treats. They were looking for dresses in particular this evening for the Winter Ball the Headmaster allowed despite this war ravaging times. It was taking its toll on everyone, but it was a nice celebration considering most people were staying at the school.

Adis and Margot, your two best friend stood by you as you tried on several different dresses. Adis was in Ravenclaw and Margot was in your own house. 

But house differences aside, all of you were clearly growing frustrated with the stress of shopping and you believed nothing feeling right on you. To make it worse, the moment you found one you were pulled away from the allure of it when several boys knocked on the shop window and began shouting insults your way.

Of course, it was them.

As much as your blood boiled, your heart seemed to tighten as well at how personal this attack felt.

They really knew how to poke and prod the right places.

“Don’t listen to them, YN.” Margot said, giving them the finger as she shut the curtains.

Tears stung your eyes as you looked at your reflection. You had no idea what made you so stressed lately. Normally, you were always so composed when it came to them. But after going through a dozen dresses on an empty stomach, you were bound for frustration.

“Yeah, they’re just jealous you’re prettier than the other pigs of Slytherin.”

Snickering, you then sniffled and rubbed your eyes, rubbing away some sleepiness as well.

“Tom was probably behind it. They follow everything he does.”

The girls glanced at each other and back at you as you finally regained yourself from that stressful moment, taking a seat upon the velvet cushions by the dressing rooms.

“No way. Tom adores you more than any of the girls that fall to their knees for him.” Margot chuckled.

Leaning back, you nearly laughed with disgust. The mere thought of it made you wriggle in your own skin like you had touched something slimy. 

“I’m sure if he did it was merely a tactic of his to distract me or use me in some way. I’m his only competition here. There is nothing but twisted motives behind whatever he does. Plus, I hardly noticed anyway.”

“Suit yourself.” The girls said at the same time, shrugging as you shook your head at them.

When the time came to pick a dress that you gratefully found, there was only enough time to grab some food before returning back to Hogwarts. Knowing your father loved some of the treats from the candy shop, you told the others you would catch up with them while you ran in.

New rules had been put in place with Grindelwald reigning terror on your world. It was a miracle this place was even open. After picking up a bag of sweets from, you walked out to catch up with the girls.

But to no avail, you managed to walk straight into the back of someone else while your eyes searched for the girls.

“Oh, I’m sorry—oh, it’s just you.” You frowned, watching as Tom Riddle turned around to meet your eyes.

That brief moment you two met each other’s eyes, there was a split second of adoration that nearly pulled you in. They were strikingly green. Everything about his face struck you deep in your chest where knots were forming as you spoke. You were especially flustered when you remembered the conversation with Adis and Margot earlier. 

But taking a deep breath, you hurried around him.

“Wait!” he said urgently, catching your elbow.

Grinning without an ounce of humor, you spun back and threateningly looked up at the boy.

“Let go of my elbow or I’ll scream.”

Tom’s face mirrored yours and his eyes didn’t leave you as he released his hand, that touch alone leaving a cold space.

“What do you want? Still mad about earlier?” you scowled, walking ahead of him when you noticed the crowd of students were far ahead of you two. “It is quite a concern of mine that we’re about to take the trail back through the forest while all the students are out of earshot.”

The forest was filled with a strong chill enough to silence the air around you, only able to hear the sound of Tom’s footsteps catching up with yours. You knew it would snow soon, piling another layer upon the blanket of white that covered the ground around you. With the sun setting, mere remnants of pinks and orange guided your way, lighting the shimmering snow as the night was coming on the other side and here you were, walking in the middle of it with Tom Riddle.

“Why did you flinch earlier?” he asked.

Your face scrunched up. “I don’t know? Perhaps because we used to fight in our first year and I was half expecting you to hit my head with a book? I wouldn’t have put it against you not to.”

When you looked over at him, his eyes were straight ahead. He never failed to keep his chin up and you rolled your eyes, wondering how he could hold himself to such a standard even when it was just the two of you. It’s not that you felt comfortable with him but there was a weird common ground that was shared with your rival.

“You were scared?” he asked again, more pressing this time.

“As if.” you scoffed.

“I was just a bit surprised, thinking you had done it on purpose.”

Raising your brows, you looked at him. “Why would I want to bother you on purpose? Well, I do that every day. But not to that extent.”

Tom grinned. “Well like any other girl at this awful place, they think taunting me is the best way to get my attention and I merely assumed you were following their tactics.”

Even you had to laugh out loud when those words came from his mouth.

 “Please, spare me! I never thought you could make me laugh but you are absolutely a joke. You think I’d ever think of you that way? The person I literally hate the most?”

Tom shrugged, seeming all too confident for someone who just completely shattered the expectations he had for your response. Inside, he was writhing. Your laughter had once been a mere nuisance, one you could tolerate and sometimes even be relieved to hear but now, it had made his blood boil. You two continued in silence for a moment.

But he couldn’t believe you were being a hundred percent honest. Tom had no idea where the question came from, but his mind worked too fast for him to catch up on, and now he regretted it, knowing it was a foolish question anyway.

“I refuse to ever adore you, let alone the ground you walk on like everyone else here does, Riddle. I had my moments where I thought we could be friends. It amazes me how I can see right through this little façade you put up. You are the loneliest person I know for someone who has the whole school chasing after you.”

“Lonely?” he chuckled darkly, narrowing his eyes at her. “You think you know me because you’re not blinded by some infatuation?”

Shrugging, your mind wandered to your earlier years when you had almost been caught up like everyone else. But you knew your drive to be better than him would always win.

“That’s exactly what I think.”

The school was nearing up ahead. It pained you to think you would miss this conversation. This only happened once or twice a semester with you two outside the classroom banter.

“Then why bother fighting me, YN? If not for a silly crush, then for what?”

Tom was angry and he didn’t know why. He should have never opened his mouth and pretended like he could care less of your presence. But the way you flinched at him today left him reeling, wanting to know more about why your mind worked the way it did. How could you have been so briefly terrified by him and not even know what he has done in the past year? What made her so pesky and defensive all the time if she had no clue what he has been building for himself?

“Believe it or not, Tom, I don’t have to have feelings for you to enjoy the never ending competition we have.”

Ah, so you were as clueless as he presumed.

A pureblood with no interest him or his horcruxes or pursuit of the dark arts. Just a pawn. Barely even that.

“Why did you even have to ask that tonight? I thought you’d send your boys to laugh at me as I picked a dress in the shop and be done?”

Tom’s head whipped towards her. “They what?”

You chuckled grimly, shaking your head at him. “Never mind.”

To your relief, the school’s warmth was already touching the tip of your nose. You were feeling suffocated by his questions. Conflicted at your own stirring chest, you quickened your pace.

“Let’s pretend we never had this conversation, Tom. If you were trying to drive me away and dim down whatever friendship we had to some stupid crush so you could painfully reject me, you failed miserably.”

Once you were inside, Tom was left standing there, lips slightly parted open as he stared in your direction. Even after you walked away, the coldness consumed him, numbing whatever thoughts he had tonight and wishing to forget them. He was hoping it could be something pathetic so he could discard you, getting you off his mind for good. But Tom realized that was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

YN was never going to be ridded of his thoughts.

~

One Week Later

The Gryffindor common room could be heard from your chambers where you remain alone in the strong candlelight, staring at yourself in the mirror.

For the Winter Ball, most girls would wear dresses the represented their houses colors. It was tradition. But when your eyes fell on this dress in Hogsmeade last week, you knew you would escape your stiff mind with the message it would send for it was no color at all. The white, sleeveless gown fell to your feet, sticking close to your body while a lighter piece of fabric of the same design bellowed out behind you from your shoulders. It was hardly white, more ash, with little intricate designs of vines and branches all tangled in one with shimmering little details in between.

The very idea of sticking out with your attire at such a highly anticipated night made you sick to your stomach and you hadn’t stopped fidgeting all day, ready to start dry heaving over the sinks. 

“YN, are you almost—!” Margot shouted, rushing into the room with another friend of yours, Ada.

Your eyes met theirs through the reflection, and the girls jaws nearly hit the floor.

“That is beautiful.” Adis gasped.

Once more, you began poking at your hair which was tucked back in a bun with stray pieces falling in front of your face and they rushed over to swat at your hands. The makeup on your face suddenly felt heavy. 

“I don’t think I want to go anymore.” You groaned, turning to face them now.

The two girls wore dresses of the same deep crimson color, nearly matching in style as well. It was often the three of you that would attempt at matching but it was clear this night was not the case and it made you feel uncomfortable in your own skin.

“Why? Afraid the school is going to see you shine in something other than a school or Quidditch uniform?” Ada chuckled, still ogling at you in the mirror.

Smiling, you shook your head, looking down at the sheer fabric that covered your arms and the silver décor it sported. At first, you truly had never felt more beautiful. But the more you thought of it the more your mind wandered to all the possibilities of what could go wrong. Every nerve in your body tensed at the idea of walking down the steps towards the Great Hall alone.

“I promise you, YN, you will turn heads for all the good reasons.” Margot said, taking your arm, followed by Ada who linked yours with hers.

“And we won’t let you fall!”

Laughing your stomach knots away, you allowed your friends to drag you through the common room. Already you were receiving appraisal from the people in your house and when you had your larger group of friends walking with you, it made you ease up instantly. The humor and charisma of the Gryffindor house was unmatched and you were extremely relieved to have it.

You had a great support of friends in this house, especially because of how involved you were, and to say the least, everyone was astonished at your gown. 

But a wall came crashing down when you reached the grand staircase leading down to the open floor just before the Great Hall’s entrance. Every voice became clear and every mingling face did too as they glanced up at the Gryffindor crowd as they descended the stairs.

In a sea of red, your cheeks were beginning to match it as you strolled down behind the group of friends in your ashy white gown. Falling behind was a mistake, and now, you just kept your eyes on the next step in front of you.

“Just breathe, YN.” You heard one of your friends say through the ringing of your ears.

Instead of doing that, your hand slid down the stone railing while the other lifted the front of your dress a few inches. Breathing became impossible when you made eye contact with the shadow in the corner of the room that was Tom Riddle.

You cursed under your breath, hating that he was the first one your eyes fell upon.

The boy had ben standing there among his loyal followers and their dates, knowing this night was a small celebration for themselves as well as the entire school. 

Having made a horcrux already and on the quest for another, Tom was willing to allow himself to pause one night. The endless nights reading and searching for more could be at ease. That didn’t mean his thoughts weren’t racing constantly with all that came with his aspirations.

He thought it would be impossible to let them cease until the group before him started murmuring and turning their heads towards the stairs.

Tom, his face void of any interest, had followed their gazes and immediately spotted YN.

The moment he hesitated, the very moment his chest tightened he realized he was unwell, and just as he caught his lips turning upward, Tom had reeled himself back into a painful reality, quickly turning his head away. It nearly took the breath out of him and he was heated to allow it to happen in the first place.

When you saw his head immediately turn away, your heart sunk, The day you felt disappointed from Tom Riddle not looking your way, you were sure hell would freeze over. But here you were, forced to walk into the Great Hall like nothing had even happened.

At least the sight of it was enough to take your mind off of your troubled emotions. It was a winter wonderland in its purest form with snowflakes trickling down from the cloudy ceiling. Three Christmas trees that were as tall as the gaping windows stood at the front of the room, frosted and covered in ornaments the size of your head. All of the floor and walls were covered in an icy white color, making it feel like you weren’t even in Hogwarts anymore.

The feast arrived and once you had something in your stomach, you could ignore the fleeting glances you and Tom had shared since you walked in.

They were keeping your cheeks flushed at least.

Headmaster Dippet made his short and sweet introduction before all the students and professors mingled on the dance floor. Live music played and your friends dragged you to dance even if your dress had taken up too much space. But the more you did so, the more lighthearted you became in your movements and quite literally undid the stiff person you felt you were.

Of course, the Quidditch captain Daniel and other boys from the team snuck in flasks of firewhisky so it surely helped ease your nerves.

Other students from different houses and even some of your teachers complimented you to your surprise.

But when the music slowed, you watched all of your friends pair up to your dismay, immediately sinking your shoulders. Adis, Margot, and Ana were nowhere to be found as your head turned like a swivel.

“Hurry, join in!” Margot chuckled, waving you to step in with her and her date from the Quidditch team.

You opened your mouth to protest, ready to rest your feet and take a seat at the table, but a finger had tapped your bare shoulder, causing you to spin back around, facing the last person you would think to see in this moment.

“Need a partner?” Tom Riddle asked.

The words were caught in your throat, foolishly standing there with your lips slightly parted as you tried to comprehend his offer.

“Unless you would like to sit down?”

“N-no. I would love to dance.” You stammered, watching his lips curve.

Your heart began hammering against your chest when you stepped closer to the boy, a knight clad in his black and shining armor that enamored you once you were too close to it. There was no stepping back when his hand grabbed yours and the other rested on the small of your back. The ability to breathe slipped through your mind as you stared up at him, looking down at you like he had won.

“Of all the girls in this room that probably want to murder me now, you choose to dance with me?”

Tom shrugged slightly, seemingly guiding you with ease while you nearly stumbled.

“Afraid to dance with me, YN?”

While your nerves were shot, you couldn’t help but mirror the subtle grin on his lips.

“I’m not afraid of anything, Tom Riddle. Part of me believes you’re dancing with me so that, in fact, these girls could murder me.”

Something turned his grin wider and you rolled your eyes.

“Maybe the only person to ever to be my academic match just may be the only suitable dance partner as well.”

With the last conversation you two had, you didn’t expect this to go so easy with him now. You didn’t dare bring it up and ruin this brief moment of common ground you two stood on. When you looked up at him there was only him and not even the stares burning into the back of your head mattered.

“And shortly when we return from the holidays, we will be back to the competition just like that.” You mused.

“Just like that.”

A million questions wandered through your mind. If only you could know what was going on in his.

For the first time it seemed, you wore a genuine smile on your face when you looked up at him. Even Tom, who had too been alone, wondered what it was about tonight that made him act so out of character. He would have gladly hung in the corner of the room, but the moment he saw her alone, something rash had unleashed inside him.

It seemed his thoughts were visible to you, because while you tried to look anywhere else as his gentle touch paralyzed you, you couldn’t help but notice his quizzical face.

“I hope you’re not having second thoughts, Riddle.” you chuckled, one misstep away from his toes and one away from letting the firewhisky talk.

“I was thinking about when I trip you and make a run for it.” he mused, his eyes drifting up to the ceiling.

“That’s nicer than what I imagined.”

The numbing comfort it brought was fading, and your skin begin to feel every inch of fabric to an annoying degree. You constantly chastised yourself for your sheer awkwardness and you knew that this dance was only making it worse despite how much you secretly enjoyed it.

“So, are you staying here for the winter holidays? I know Professor Dumbledore made an announcement the other day saying students were welcome to stay. I considered it.” you rambled on.

Something in his demeanor changed at the mention of the holidays though.

“Yes, I will be staying here.” he had said briskly, the sudden change making you sink internally.

“I’m sure it’ll be a thrill to stay here without the worry of studying for a couple weeks. I know I’m relieved.” you tried to tease. 

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You’re not going home?” 

You shrugged, pondering the decision still with a few days left to make it. 

“My family probably won’t be home to be quite honest. I still have a few days to make up my mind. I would simply like to get through tonight first.”

“Oh, something bothering you, Peverell?” Tom asking mockingly.

Suddenly, he had leaned back to twirl you under his arm and the breath had simply left your lungs as he pulled you back in, an unwavering and almost goofy smile on your lips. You laughed at him, knowing very well he knew the right buttons to poke.

But the second you opened your mouth to speak, the sound of glass shattering from all angles had filled the room and there was a split moment of silence before the sound of startled screams filled in for the music that abruptly stopped. Instantly, you ducked ever so slightly, watching as the room dimmed and glass flew with the cold air that rushed in. 

As if you weren’t frazzled enough, something kicked in when you looked at Tom.

“What is going on?” you asked to yourself, scanning the room for your friends.

But everyone was whizzing by and you backed into Tom as your head began spinning. With the chandeliers extinguished of their light, you had squeezed his hand as the moving crowd had pulled you two into the same direction.

One of the professors had called out a spell, lighting the chandeliers once more and someone was trying to order everyone to an exit.

Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall opened faster than you’ve ever seen them move in years and not a single soul moved. Standing on your heels, you tried to peak your head over the crowd of students that started backing away and worriedly looked up at Tom whose eyes were slightly widened now. Glancing back, you finally caught sight of a white haired man and your blood immediately ran cold.

Gellert Grindelwald entered the room and as did two aids of his all dressed darkly, wands pointed at the crowd of students even as the Professors all came to their defense at the front.

You wanted to be with your friends. You wanted to hold them knowing very well this might be the last time you see them and yet, that fear could not be felt now as you had gone entirely numb. The only thing you had was Tom’s hand still gripped in yours.

“How lovely!” Grindelwald boasted. “A welcoming party just for me?”

“You are not welcomed here, Grindelwald.” You heard a voice boom back.

Was that Professor Dumbledore?

The professor stepped forward, just yards away from Grindelwald. 

People around you whispered the horrific things about him. His rise to power was almost insurmountable with his pure blood motivated agendas.

“I was only visiting. I don’t wish to harm the little brainwashed minions you have called your students. Hogwarts has done that enough, brainwashing them to believe they are safe from the world around them.” He chuckled darkly, immediately straightening his face only a second after.

Tilting your head, you couldn’t help but be curious to see the most dangerous man in the world standing before you with his quirky character. He seemed more like a jester than a monster. It didn’t seem real.

“What business do you have here?” the Headmaster demanded.

“Is there someone of the name YN Peverell here?”

Nothing could have prepared you for the moment Gellert Grindelwald called out your name. Your knees nearly buckled beneath you when heads started turning towards you. The room had gone so silent that in the midst of it all, your heart was like a drum. The few people who met your eyes you wanted to burn, not wanting to be seen or heard, shaking your head as tears swelled in your eyes.

But it was your fault the moment you shuffled back, colliding with Tom Riddle who was frozen like a wall.

“Oh, that wasn’t so difficult.” said Grindelwald.

Before you knew it, your body was not your own and you yelped as you were pulled forward by an invisible force. The students you had surrounded yourself with were no longer around you, leaving you cold and exposed as your unmoving body was now just a few feet away from the Gellert Grindelwald.

“Leave her be, Gellert!” shouted Dumbledore. 

The tears you had no control over streamed down your cheek. You were terrified, staring into the piercing blue eyes of a monster who was looking at you like prey.

“Are those your friends?” he asked, tilting his head, then looking at them. “I hardly think they are given how quick they were to give your identity away.”

Shutting your eyes was the only thing you could do. Before you knew it though, a force had pried them open and you let out a soft whimper.

“You see, I do not wish to harm her for she is more valuable than even you know, Albus.” Gellert said, walking around you now. “I have been quite interested in her family for some time, but they weren’t the easiest people to find so I figured their youngest daughter would be a place to start.”

No matter how much you tried to move, you didn’t budge. More tears streamed down your face and the only thing you could control was your breathing. If your lessons had taught you one thing, it was to keep a clear mind and steady breath. If all else had failed, listen to yourself.

But how could you? What did he want with your family, let alone you?

“Gellert, you let her go. Now.” Dumbledore said, his voice unwaveringly terrifying.

“The name Peverell has been a name I thought did not exist anymore, but here we are.” He announced, throwing his hands in the air. “She is the sole connection to the Deathly Hallows, therefore, I cannot simply just let her go. Surely you understand?”

Your brows furrowed.

That stupid children’s book? Your mind raced back and forth, wondering how that was even possible. With how old that story was, it would be impossible to even figure out how your last name somehow matched the that of the three brothers.

But your memories betrayed you when you thought of all the times your parents read it to you as a child.

There was something there, something that you knew was important but couldn’t quite remember just yet. It was hard to think past your body being paralyzed and your heart in a frenzy.

“She’s just a child, she has nothing to do with such a thing!” one of the female professors pleaded.

“On the contrary, she does.”

“Well I’m afraid there is no time to figure it out.” Dumbledore threatened, withdrawing his wand.

Grindewald glanced back for a brief moment, and with the wave of his hand, your body was free to move but you were tossed aside in the air, holding your breath and squeezing your eyes shut as you tumbled to the glass covered ground. As you rolled, your body was scratched but your blood rushed so quickly you couldn’t be bothered by the stinging. You tried to gather yourself, watching as a powerful rush of lights passed between the Professors and Grindelwald’s gang.

With the tables just behind you, you glanced at your friends who were all being ushered away in your direction yet they were not close enough to you. Looking at the fight that ensued before your eyes, filling in for the lights that had previously disappeared, you started inching back towards the tables for cover.

“Ah ah ah!” Grindelwald cynically laughed, waving his finger at you. “You’re not going anywhere, Peverell.”

For some reason, you thought you could escape and the second you jumped to your feet to make a run for it, you heard the words, “Crucio!”

A synchronous gasp came from everyone around him when Grindelwald shouted those words though and Tom nearly sprung forward towards you. But like everyone else, he stood there in shock.

It didn’t register. There was no time to even think as your entire body was consumed by a white hot pain that ripped through every little vein in your body. You dropped as quickly as you stood, so submerged in pain you could not breathe let alone scream as you began trembling, writhing away as if you could escape the unsurmountable burning that tore through you. But when you finally released your breath, a scream so bone chilling escaped your lips and you didn’t even hear it as your ears rung from the feeling itself.

Tom Riddle had never been so caught off guard in his life. He had never felt so moved by anything until he heard your scream. He had tried to push forward, but the professors were pushing back, getting everyone to safety.

A synchronous gasp came from everyone around him when Grindelwald shouted those words though and Tom nearly sprung forward towards you. But like everyone else, he stood there in shock.

“Cease your fire and I will let the girl go. But be warned, she will not be safe from me.” The white haired devil announced.

Every professor ceased their movement and Grindelwald released his hold on you.

Even when he did though, just that short minute of time your body experienced such trauma, you were sobbing as you still felt it streaming in your blood. Your vision went blurry as you rolled over, feeling your stomach churn as you stared at Grindelwald in the moonlight. As your ability to think returned, you wondered when you would be dead already.

Instead, he disappeared and you could finally breathe again but instead, you quickly fell to the exhaustion.

Grindelwald left, apparating through the windows into the night, leaving an eerie silence in the Great Hall.

Everyone rushed over to you but Tom Riddle stood by still reeling from the scene that unfolded before him. Abraxas remained at his side, looking quite horrified actually.

“YN bloody Peverell.” Malfoy said in awe. “I thought that whole lineage stuff was a myth.”

Tom’s eyes could not be broken from your sight. He was compelled to follow, but he stood his ground, knowing his impulses were getting the best of him too much already tonight. Another student picked your body up and he narrowed his eyes, watching as you were carried away.

“It seems we are among probably the most important Pureblood in the world now.” Tom observed. “And Grindelwald won’t stop til he has her.” 

In a moment where possibilities should be surging through his mind now though, all Riddle could think of was finding you because there was something about you no longer being in his sight anymore that made his chest tighten. That alone made him want to destroy the entire room.

[spinejackel]

walking biohazard and weird artsy bitch my hedorah gijinka for a modern au my lovely boyfriend and i have together that we call the monster island au. some other important notes on them under the cut

ᵗᵘᵐᵇˡʳ ʰᵃˢ ⁿᵒ ᵃˡᵍᵒʳᶦᵗʰᵐ. ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ʳᵉᵐᵉᵐᵇᵉʳ ᵗᵒ ʳᵉᵇˡᵒᵍ ᶦᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵐʸ ᵃʳᵗ

Art snob about the weird styles they're into.

Has been dabbling in creating music as of recently.

Makes his own instruments out of the junk on her properly.

Voice sounds like Shreeka from the old TMNT cartoon.

- > (see the NO! MY POWER RING! IT'S MELTING!!! video for reference.)

- > Has a slightly wizard cadence to his speech as well.

Is a genetic chimera.

Has a terrible circulatory system and wears 6-7 layers of clothes.

- > The fewer layers he wears, the more they will shake like a small dog in the winter.

- > Living in a warmer climate has not helped, and now she is constantly too hot and cold at the same time.

Hasn’t showered in years because their shower-head broke and they’ve been too lazy to fix it.

Has the worst case of athletes foot you've ever seen.

Due to the oils her body naturally produces being weirdly acidic, he wears gloves when handling the few things she cares about.

Carries everything but the kitchen sink in unknown amount of pockets.

- > Always has a laser pointer on them at all times and will shine it into people's eyes when sufficiently provoked.

The only person on Monster Island who can drive/has a car.

- > Drives a 1984 ford bronco that has fallen apart and been put back together so many times that it’s become overly complicated to start.

- > The 1984 Ford Bronco gets 10 mpg for those unfamiliar with cars. A gas guzzler.

Battra thinks they’re the coolest because they hate people and nature too, but Mothra thinks they are a bad influence.

- > He tolerates Battra’s presence because he also Sees The Vision when it comes to the destruction of the world.

- > Will never admit it to anyone, not even himself, but she does actually enjoy the company and having another person on the island to talk to about their interests.

- > They are however, genuinely slightly scared of Battra for being more violence inclined when it comes to the destruction of the world.

Hates Goji because he threw him into a body of water and ruined all the cultures on them. She ugly cried about it.

- > Goji was not expecting that reaction and actually did feet bad for doing that.

Knews NFTs were a scam, but was into them when they were big because she wanted to scam people.

Is on the front lines of hating and fighting against the use of AI in the creative industry. There’s no artistry to it.

[thecreaturecodex]

Ipupiara

Image © Wizards of the Coast

[Sponsored by @some-trash-pigeon. The merrow is the Irish version of the mermaid, and like many folkloric mermaids, typically the men appear grotesque and the women gorgeous. The name has been in D&D since the 1e AD&D Monster Manual, and a similar version appears in Pathfinder. The AD&D/PF merrow is an aquatic ogre, which didn't get a unique stat block until Pathfinder. D&D 5e decided to revamp the merrow, and I gotta say, it's near the top of the list for "biggest art glow-up". And, since the folkloric merrow is a merman rather than a big aquatic guy, it's more accurate to boot.

So why the name "ipupiara"? Well, for one thing, "merrow" is taken in Pathfinder. For another, the ipupiara is a Brazilian mer-thing that is actually oversized, and even has whiskers! That name was suggested to me by monster researcher (and my girlfriend) @abominationimperatrix.]

Ipupiara CR 5 CE Monstrous Humanoid This creature has a humanoid torso and the head and tail of a monstrous fish. It has barbels hanging from its underslung jaw, and fins grow along its head, shoulders and arms. It is sinuous from the waist down, and wears shell jewelry and other trophies and trinkets.

The ipupiara are mutant merfolk, the descendants of merfolk who ventured into the Abyss and adapted to its hostile waters. They can be found on any Abyssal layer with aqueous environments, and their scaly hides are capable of withstanding extremes of heat and cold. Although they have no ability to traverse the planes on their own, they are often found on the Material Plane, where they are a menace to sailors and fishermen. The first ipupiara were worshippers of Dagon, and the majority of them still serve the Shadow in the Sea.

Ipupiara are bullies above all else and tend to target the smallest, weakest victims when they have a chance. They carry barbed harpoons, which they use to latch onto prey, before squeezing them to death in their muscular coils. Ipupiara string up the mutilated corpses of their victims as territorial warnings, typically missing their eyes, noses, fingers and toes. Ipupiara can survive in any temperature of water, but prefer to lair in three-dimensional substrates such as kelp forests, shipwrecks and sea caves.

An ipupiara is about fifteen feet long, half of which is tail.

Ipupiara      CR 5 XP 1,600 CE Large monstrous humanoid (aquatic, extraplanar) Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +7

Defense AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (-1 size, +8 Dex) hp 45 (6d10+12) Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +7 DR 5/piercing; Resist cold 10, fire 10

Offense Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. Melee 2 claws +9 (1d4+4), bite +9 (1d8+4) or harpoon +9/+4 (2d6+6/x3 plus grab), bite +4 (1d8+2) Ranged harpoon +5 (1d8+6/x3 plus grab) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks constrict (2d4+6), gripping harpoon

Statistics Str 18, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13 Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 21 (cannot be tripped) Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (harpoon) (B), Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will Skills Intimidate +14, Perception +7, Survival +7, Swim +19 Languages Abyssal, Aquan SQ amphibious

Ecology Environment any aquatic (Abyss) Organization solitary, pair, gang (3-8) or mob (9-24) Treasure standard (2 harpoons, other treasure)

Special Abilities Gripping Harpoon (Ex) An ipupiara is skilled at using harpoons to grip prey. It can grapple with a harpoon on any successful hit, not just a critical hit.

[utilitycaster]

Fighter Breakdown Tracker, episode 3x78

Welcome to what was originally an opportunity to talk about the myriad wizards (not Myriad wizards, a separate concept) of Campaign 2 that occasionally gets co-opted into other things when the thought arises. Anyway, obviously the main event was the Barbarian Breakdown and, relatedly, the Party Breakdown, due to their Communication Breakdown, giving Allura Vysoren specifically her 19th Nervous Breakdown, but I've already talked a lot about Ashton. How are the fighters doing?

As a reminder: characters are included on the basis of 1. are they a fighter, 2. are they remotely relevant to this campaign, and 3. do I have something funny to say about them. I cannot stress enough how important item 3 is in the decision process; do not make requests, my muse speaks to me and that is how the characters (and, to be honest, classes) are chosen.

Cassandra de Rolo: Yes! According to the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting (not reborn) she's multiclassed into fighter! Anyway that plan to go to the ziggurat went well, huh? totally normal and great. I like to think that due to her rogue levels she saw Fearne march down the ziggurat steps and just peaced out and has been chilling in Pike's little cabin ever since. 4/10: normal "is the world ending" concerns but otherwise she's having maybe the best day anyone on the Whitestone War Council can.

Jarett Howarth: he's specifically avoiding Bells Hells because motherfuckers keep teleporting from Marquet and not bringing any fusaka. This, plus normal "putting the Pale Guard on a war footing and also there's a really mad goat lady in the garden" bumps him up to a 6/10.

Orym: my serious thoughts about the space made for Chetney, FCG, and Imogen to step up aside I honestly think the semi-joking narrative of Orym going off in a huff and working out his feelings quite literally via the power of elaborate bodyweight calisthenics of the sort that grant you 20 Dex and 10 Str would be good for him. Allow yourself a little pettiness, Orym; it's good for the soul. 5/10 because I don't fucking know; we'll see next game.

Ariks Eshteross: I hope he's at peace and buried next to his love as requested; I still haven't gotten around to making those cookies actually and frankly I've had much more of an eye on the gunpowder tea shortbread. 0/10; I like to think he has found true rest.

Bertrand Bell: These motherfuckers have not visited the grave of their namesake at ALL. Traipsing around the Raven Queen's temple - literally everyone but Laudna and FCG has wandered over to that corner of the city - and NO ONE has taken a moment to pause and reflect. He died as he lived: everyone kind of setting him aside for more important matters except for followers of the Raven Queen. 8/10 because hopefully he was entertained by the raven show that got put on but also, come on man you couldn't stop by at all?

FRIDA: I have to imagine things in Vasselheim are wild and it's going to be missing FCG hours, but at least they're in great company! 5/10; they're a pretty even-keeled robot all things considered but the situation is pretty tense.

Otohan Thull: My sole regret about how great this episode is and the fact that we're dropping into the Fey Realm for a bit to have some much-needed time to regroup is that we are likely delaying their richly deserved demise. Anyway everyone's beloathed Palpatine knockoff is unfortunately super unflappable; another reason why they are boring as shit and why I very much want Bells Hells to make the bridge a little bit bloodier on the way up. 3/10.

Percival Friedrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III: Here's the thing. All things considered, his personal position is stressful, but not terrible. The ziggurat did not blow up; Gwen appears to either have not told him about her Delilah incident or did so in such a way that he didn't realize what was going on; he doesn't seem to have noticed the break-in into his parents' bedroom yet; Allura was reassuring re: Whitestone likely being safe (although...it's on a ley nexus so watch out!); and he got to deliver the line "ever since I met you, I knew you were destined for stupidity" which is actually how he specifically blows off steam. On the other hand, every single window in the castle has been destroyed, Allura had to leave, and I just checked and confirmed that Pike does not have the mending cantrip. Maybe one of the local clerics does? Maybe one of his kids does? Maybe Vilya or Ebenold does? Maybe Grog's in town and can be convinced that the role of the Grand Poobah etc etc is fixing windows? 6/10.

[ladyduellist]

Epistles of Saints & Sinners

Chapter Summary:

Astarion makes an offer to Tav, later succumbing to his hunger.

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Story Summary:

When Astarion meets the humble bard, Tav, he soon finds out he's the only one between them that knows they are bound as soulmates through their marks. Deciding it's more trouble than its worth, he refuses to tell her along the course of their journey across Faerûn.

But, unbeknownst to him and their companions, Tav is harboring a gruesome secret that she only thought was nothing more than a traumatized period in her life.

As they both come to face to face with their pasts and presents, will they choose to move forward or let it consume them?

Healing isn’t linear—after all.

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Chapter 3: Thirst

Ao3

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Main Page & Chapter List

Word Count: 7k

Pairing: Astarion x female bard Tav

CW: Sexually Explicit Language, Blood, Act 1 Spoilers

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He loved her right away. Her smile. Her creativity. Her heart most of all. He told her he used to have dreams about a woman before he met her, one fitting her description. It seemed like fate when they finally met. They both shared the same affinity for music. When he wrote her a love letters in the first few months of their courtship, he knew she would be his. She thought someone finally understood her. 10 years of a life together. 10 years of the dual natured beast that would wound. 10 years of love and honey of the cycle in between. Until she was numb.

— Evenlit (mother of Tavelle), diary entry 523

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“Ah, my favorite traveling companion, do you have a moment to, well, chat?” Astarion’s voice was less theatrical—more thoughtful—than usual as he saddled up next to the bard.

The crew had been traveling on foot again since early morning, deciding not to veer from their previous path. Searching for any signs that could point them in the direction of a healer that could excavate the worms inside their brains, hadn't yielded any results so far.

Tav nodded to Gale and Shadowheart, gesturing them to travel ahead, sensing Astarion needed privacy. The wizard shot her a prudent look under the guise of respecting her quarry to speak with the pallid elf alone.

Astarion didn’t strike her as the kind of man that would revisit a situation once he was rejected. No, he didn’t even seem wounded. Presumably, he would continue to carry on, his pretty lips sheen with dialogue prepped for the next casualty. Sure, it seemed suspicious enough, but if he had already moved on from their ordeal in the temple, there was no reason she should continue to dwell on their—misunderstanding.

Still, there was an awkwardness Tav buried behind her faint smile and neutral eyes. The want to restrict the memory of a foretoken graze of his willowy hands.

As Tav finally regarded him, her thoughts still flickering back to their time in the ruins, she met the garnet of his vision with a cautious gasp stuck in her throat as he stepped closer. The sun’s beams creating a halo around the feathery wisps of his curls, presented Tav with the imagery of an angel that had flown down from the heavens to gather her into his arms. Back arched, pecking along the top of her bosom—a holy sacrament that could convert her to him.

Thy will be done.

Her mouth felt dry. “Of course.”

Their boots slowed, equally matching each other’s footsteps in the dusty loam of the earth. Astarion stared ahead of them, his vision fixed on their two companions, likely watching their distance.

“To be quite frank, I read our little predicament wrong yesterday and took advantage of it without due respect to you. I’m sure that seems a bit odd coming from the likes of someone like me—considerate as I am—but I think we got off on the wrong foot." He absentmindedly scratched his neck. "I suppose even a charlatan like myself can get it wrong sometimes."

Tav was skeptical of his accountability that seemed less than straight-laced. But, it did dawn on her that she may have misjudged a few circuits that intersected within his heart. That, yes, while he seemed to live submerged in coquettish self interest, in this moment of letting her walls down just enough to scramble through some of the thickets of his inner mechanisms, he may be showing an ounce of authenticity.

Yet, there is an element to the contrition of her heart that she dare not speak. To utter it with a covetous breath would mean to give it truth. That while she seduced her thoughts of being filled in ways she had never known within the margins of a romantic relationship, that she was terrified to completely expose herself to another.

Astarion was indubitably beautiful, charming, and humorous. But, beyond those surfaces, she sought connection—maybe just enough to avoid more conflicting emotions to sow. In the minutes, hours, weeks she could stand, she knew love could be cutthroat and messy. Its afflictions: hail and brushfire, a constant bickering. She was unsure if she could ever love or be physically intimate in the way of it crossing the universe again.

The risk was so very grave. No matter the man present in her life, her interests must remain just that—interests.

For she, too, spits the saliva of the devil’s lies to guard the silly thing that is her heart.

“It isn’t as if I told you to halt as soon as it happened. I think we were both caught up in the moment and lust can be a powerful drug.” Her tone was so sickeningly gentle and candid with him.

“Is that a confession?” the man teased.

The songstress jokingly rolled her eyes. “Pfft. Hardly! Astarion, I am 91 years old. You are scarcely the first to try and seduce me.” She looked at him earnestly. “I’m sorry I let it go as far as it did; I have no desire to lead you on. I am attracted to you—gods, how couldn’t I be—but I...”

A silent awareness of their near intimate rush within the dank crypt walls hung thick in the air. Of the primal urge that can arise during traumatic events. The need to rake nails down another’s back. Foreheads slick with sweat. The smell of salt and sex in the air. To live inside one another’s flesh.

The impact of surviving: release.

He crossed his arms. “Enlighten me then. What is it that you’re seeking?”

Tav stayed silent. The truth crippled her heart. She didn’t even know if she believed such a concept existed anymore, belonging solely to romantic folklores of lovers supping droughts of poisons in order to meet one another again in the afterlife.

Astarion searched her face. “Something you think I’m incapable of?”

“I think it is something you’re not accustomed to,” she answered flatly.

“Then, it wouldn’t hurt to aid me with a hint. At the very least to prove you correct.”

Silver tongues belonged to silver serpents. And this, may be a game for him. But, self preservation could be the royal quandary of boundaries and she had already revealed enough. The vulnerability was there, ripe for the winnow of another’s cup, but she couldn’t bear it. Not yet.

A quietness slipped between her lips, the storm of her optics solemn. “…we do not know each other adequately yet.”

Astarion held his chin between his fingers, deep in thought. He reminded her of a scholar that endlessly agonized over scripts with his rumpled skin set amidst two silvery brows.

“Hmm. Tav, you’re really overthinking this. What I am offering—and desire, mind you—is a distraction. A short term fling to take us away from all this madness we’ve found ourselves in. But, if you prefer a less invasive course: what about friendship?”

“Annnnd, if you find yourself wanting that distraction, the offer will always be available,” he added swiftly with a quick wink.

The bard couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “You’ll be the first gentleman I’ll call upon in that case then! But, as for a friendship with you…I’d like that. A lot, in fact.”

Astarion narrowed his eyes, mouth perfectly molded into that of the trickster. “This whole conversation has been enlightening. In the spirit of ‘friendship’ and since we have gotten those unpleasant decrees out of the way, I believe this requires a bit of a reintroduction." He ceased his steps, placing a hand on his hip, while the other crossed over his chest. "My name is Astarion. I was a magistrate back in Baldur’s Gate. I enjoy a needle and thread, gilded chalices, and whatever other indulgences I can sink my teeth into. And you?”

And there was that darling blush creeping up the tenderness of her neck anew.

With all that hubris, Tav was amazed his head didn’t inflate thrice its size. Still, she played along, not discounting the potential for this being a gateway for better camaraderie.

A huff accompanied a subtle smile. “My name is Tavelle, but Tav is generally preferred by most. I was a traveling bard. I lived in Baldur’s Gate for the past year before the mind flayers came. I enjoy reading, a fine glass of bourbon, and the art of sword-fighting.”

“A bard? My, my. I’m sure the patriars just adored you, darling! To live in the Gate for that amount of time without winding up on the streets with folded hands begging for coin or between the sheets of some foolish braggart that doesn’t deserve your affections, warrants much more credit than I afforded you earlier,” he appraised her wryly.

Tav giggled coyly. She observed the high elf momentarily permitting himself to study the lifting of her own crinkling vision, down to the demure smile she flashed him.

“It seems you’ve misjudged me sir magistrate. A lady never reveals how she’s managed to work the entire city fawning over her! Though, I will say, it surely isn’t because of anything I’ve worked towards. I shudder to think I have any actual real prowess worth speaking about,” Tav bantered back sarcastically.

Bantering was not her typical forte. She had a quirky sense of humor about her, albeit a bit dark at times—she certainly wouldn’t consider herself to be an expert in the art of wit—but Astarion was bringing this side of her to light out of the blue. It was fun. Playful. An escape of sugary and sour amusements reserved for them alone. She couldn’t get enough.

“And where, my dear, has all this surprisingly sharp humor clawed its way out of? You’re typically so quiet of nature. Who knew our songbird had so much to say!” The way his mirth emerged itself when he bared his teeth to her in a dashing simper, caused her heart to skip a beat.

He tilted his head and grinned more broadly, as if there were an inside joke he had immediately recalled. Like he had heard the hiccup of her bloody organ.

“I may be introverted, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy talking to others. Especially if it’s someone as charming as youuuu.” Another melody of a titter, her eyes so exceptionally spirited.

They both laughed.

Stepping closer to him, her fingers twiddled with the thrown plait of dark ash brown over her shoulder. She casted her steely blue gaze downward before raising them to his face, the lower portion of her lip bitten in thought.

“Thank you for speaking with me and trying to understand. Truly.”

Bong! The bell’s toll striked and the hunt began. With teeth real sharp and a charming grin.

Tav noticed his pupils track her teeth wedged into the soft plush of her lip as he swallowed gradually. ”Hmm? Yes, of course. Now as much as I’d enjoy teasing you relentlessly for the rest of the day, we should probably get moving.”

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As eventide washed over the land, the party decided on a night of respite before their visit to the Grove. Now aided by the addition of Lae’zel, the githyanki warrior, their dreadful circumstance had become notably strenuous. Two wary tiefling guards from a place called Druid's Grove, had captured her in a cage, frightened of the havoc she may cause. Her claim to have access to an apparatus that could rectify their tadpoles was a chance they could not all agree would be worth investigating, but Tav insisted they listen to the information she volunteered, offering her space within their elusive band.

However, she did not mince words once they were around the comforting light of their nightly fire. The flames casted a glow of saffron and tangelo reflecting onto the group’s complexions, bathing them in balmy heat. Shadowheart and the gith were standing near with arms crossed and irritated voices. Round green eyes narrowed on darker buttery skin. Razor teeth gritted and ready to spit.

“My people possess a cure for this infection. We will interrogate this Zorru at the Grove about where he saw my kin—unless you wish to sacrifice yourself to ghaik?” She was irrefutable in her credence, hellbent on reaching the githyanki crèche she deduced was nearby.

“Tav, she sees your kindness as a weakness. She will exploit it,” Shadowheart warned, pointing a finger at the bard.

Astarion slid past them, finding Tav sitting atop a massive piece of driftwood log by the fire. Her doublet was unbuckled, revealing a thin cream linen shirt underneath, tied lazily near her neckline. Relaxed and humming a whimsical tune, she had been pulling the last of her plait out while she seemed to be ignoring the two women's altercation.

She did not greet Astarion, instead resigning to a serene smile with a faint sprinkling of pink upon her skin as he watched her focus on running her fingers through her tangles. Even when his lissome form sat down beside her, fingers unknotting a snag, she still held the same expression.

Until out of nowhere, her voice caught him off guard, puncturing through the air between them. “Good evening, magistrate.”

Oh, did he ever bask in hearing the use of his former job title as if he still held a position of power. A fantasy of Tav pecking the coolness of his knuckles in reverence. “You’re not a monster, Astarion,” she’d whisper. The sly minx. He twitched in his pants.

The vampire bent down, his breath brisk against the point of her ear, inhaling the scent of natural oils from her hair. He was automatically taken back to their short affair inside the temple as he watched her skin prickle. Part of a plan failed, but not lost.

“Lae’zel is delightful. In a very ‘look at me twice and I’ll dismember you’ kind of way—of course,” he whispered.

Tav dramatically scoffed. Her hand drifted next to his bicep, placing it reservedly on him. She was climbing, climbing, climbing up, spreading her warmth over the sleeve of his jacket. It was seeping through—she was seeping through.

Her lips were a mellow heat and soft hush near his lobe. “Sounds like a challenge, Astarion. You have my support. Don’t let her get away!”

He modestly turned his head at the precise moment she descended from his ear to see her bottom lip swiftly bitten in a carefree simper. The same as she had done during their earlier conversation.

But, if he lifted the frail veil over her face, would he find her lips murmuring in prayer for him? For his cuspids to glide across her soft flesh. Mouth open and wet. On your knees, sweetheart. I will save you.

Then, there was a hunger present. A vivid thought of his teeth, latching onto that same part of her lip. Licking. Sucking. Kneading. His cock half erect. Until he bites into it and…

He cleared his throat, forcing the impure fantasy to subside, begging whatever divine beings that would consent to listen to not let their mind worms connect at that precise moment. If he didn’t gain momentum on the aching thirst he felt, everything would be lost.

Astarion leaned in closer, one of his longer curls unfurling, brushing against the side of her forehead like a feather landing in a dusting of snow. He delivered another punchline within distance of her temple. “You wretch. How could I ever say no?!”

Then, his voice was a purr. A final insert, one that neither the gods nor he can help himself but to taste on his tongue. “Though, quite recently, I’ve found my attention has been fixated on the enjoyment of wordplay with a friend.”

He could feel Tav shift nervously at his side, removing her hand calmly from him, folding it with the other in her lap. She turned her head halfway, peering over towards where Gale had been cooking their evening meals. There was a plume of flush resonating from her neck to her cheeks, contrasting against the ivory tone of her skin that sent a devil’s smirk on his lips.

All was not lost, after all, he thought.

“Gale appears overwhelmed. I should probably offer my help,” she muttered considerably, without acknowledging Astarion further.

Tav stood, placing the length of her wavy locks to hang like a waterfall down her back. She drifted towards the other side of the flames. Astarion watched her stroll towards the wizard, hips swaying like branches in the night’s breeze. Those same hips that were only inches away from him a few moments ago—inviting and wide.

Astarion leisurely rose, walking back to his tent to procure a bottle of a long forgotten red and a dingy goblet. He could overhear Tav and Gale discussing plans to prepare a suitable meal for their entourage with items from the packs they had picked through.

Gale appeared quite accustomed to cooking, skilled in frying meats to that perfect amount of crisp—or at least he had boasted. He passed along an enticing grin with a wiggle of his eyebrows towards Tav when he flipped a piece of sliced sausage midair and it landed right back in its starting position.

Tav beamed, "I see you are a man of many talents. Please never ask me to cook food so acrobatically for you. I promise it will not end well.”

“I fear, after this, I may have unofficially put myself in the position of ‘Camp Cook’ for our group. Food tricks and all. Though, let us resign from asking Lae’zel to help with food prep. I fear she’d insist on using that massive sword of hers on a poor tomato.”

“Not to worry, Gale. We’ll be sure to find you an apron and embroider your new title upon it so that everyone knows what you’re truly here for.” Tav appeared at his side, teasingly patting his arm.

Astarion cocked his brow, casting a sneer towards the two chefs before taking a large sip from an matured cup of wine. He disappeared behind the flap of red linen to change into a set of clothes that were more casual.

Folded neatly on his bedroll was an old ruffled shirt. Beloved and cared for over a long period of time. Multiple tears were visible, but each was stitched up with such precision, one would have thought they were graced with the surgical deftness of a doctor. Removing his intricately detailed coat, he carefully put the shirt over his torso and rolled the length of his sleeves up to his elbows—a particular piece of flair he added over an age.

This shirt was one of the few things that belonged to him in some fashion. When it was handed over to him as a “gift,” Astarion was aware that he would receive no other unless his behavior was considered favorable. For he would never be glorified for his contributions to his “family.” No, his tears were the sapid dessert that he demanded.

"Ungrateful boy. Your sobs will serve as my music tonight. Now bend over and cast your eyes to the hells for want of a contract with a hellion that will never save you from the flay."

Astarion crossed his arms over his chest, holding himself. A chilled sweat trickled down his forehead. Four walls baked in musk and blood: the kennels. His usual practiced breaths became gasping and erratic. He felt light-headed, needing to escape. His head started to scream louder than a harpy’s screech.

Yet, her mellifluous voice was sneaking into his ears, smoking out the curse that haunted him. It swirled around his body, protecting him, tugging him towards the source.

“Astarion. Astarion? Are you okay?!” Tav called out to him in concern.

He ran his fingers through his curls. Steady. Slow. The fabric walls of his tent come back into view.

Then, the roguish rake scratched its way back up his throat. “Ah, my sweet songbird! To think you left your handsome wizard to come sauntering all the way over here to look for me. You must be looking for refinement after all!”

He opened the flap to his tent dramatically like a ringmaster inviting patrons into a circus. Only, when he stepped out to face the bard whose voice granted him redemption, her appearance was perturbed.

Tav appeared sickly, like the blood had been drained from her upper body. A visible worry inscribed into the fine lines by her nose. She stood still and lifted her arm. Then, opened and closed her hand several times as if she wanted to reach out to touch him before deciding to rescind it entirely.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I thought you were hurt. Your breathing…I thought I heard you in pain.” A tiny bit of breath left her mouth as if she were relieved. “Dinner is ready. I’ll give you time to collect yourself and head back.”

The elf bowed his head in her direction. “I assure you, I am fine. Run along; I’ll be right behind you.”

And then her smile was suddenly the first day of Spring. “You better or I will drag you over there!”

Precious angelic lark. Do not despair. Your wings will serve as the gateway for those that capture you.

Astarion wondered if he had chosen wrong.

No. He was rarely—if ever—wrong about his targets. Tav just presented more of a challenge. Had he not succumbed to the numbness he enacted to conserve what was left of his mental state long ago, guilt may have plagued the bits of humanity he plummeted away from Cazador.

She did possess a certain loveliness to her. Not in the way of grand belles he’d bedded in the past, but one that’s described in poesy passages of endearing semi-guileless women, whose beauty shines through beyond being skin deep. Anyone would be a damned fool to think otherwise. But, an intangible hole existed inside her beating elvish heart that had not yet fully healed. Only, the path to her is strewn with meteors and fragile stars. An unanticipated detail overlooked, one he did not predict as he tried to lure her in the ruins with the aphrodisiacs' of his actions.

He sighed. Had this been one of his usual haunts on the streets of Baldur’s Gate, with less time to devote to his victim, he could easily capture another with memorized lines and rehearsed “fuck me eyes.” All he knew were the instincts of a man that seduced centuries worth of people, using his body to be the prostitute his master commanded.

Where Tav was involved, simply uttering honeyed speeches or licking an oath of exiled pleasures she had never experienced in a stripe along her slit, would not be enough.

But, what of trust?

Ah. Now trust carried power. However, the caveat to such an assured reliance was the privilege of obtaining it. Trust gleaned through lust was manageable. But, trust through measures of safekeeping another’s hope and beliefs came with greater transactions.

If this songbird meant to be Astarion’s silver lining, then he would make her sing.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Their lifeblood waits for you.

“Astarion, I don’t believe I’ve seen you eat a single morsel since you’ve been with us. You must be hungry? Here, there’s plenty to go around.” Gale brought the skillet over, sliding a portion of the food onto the remaining plates as the high elf approached.

You’re hungry.

He peeked over at the food sardonically. “As scrumptious as I’m sure—whatever all that—probably is, I will have to...decline. I have other sources of food stowed away. Regardless, you have my thanks.”

Starving.

Gathered around the campfire, they finished their meals while listening to Lae’zel speak about her crèche, K’liir, in the Tears of Selûne. Astarion couldn’t be less interested. He had no real family to speak of anymore—not that he remembered them—probably perishing many moons ago as it were. And the only place he called home, was the necrotic palace encased in stone towering over the lower city of Baldur’s Gate where dreams of a life go to wither.

”Your path is paved in blood. Your body does not belong to you. It was created to tempt. It is food created for anyone that craves it. Fuck your prick into anything that wants it. Your lips to press to whatever rotted or young flesh that desires it. You will never be anything more.”

Astarion refocused, nursing a goblet of wine as he leaned back against the log he had previously sat on with Tav. He caught the jovial expression on her face as she focused on each of them as they spoke—primarily that obtuse magician. The fucking gall of that wizard. I bet he gloated about his ‘mage hand’ all evening, he seethed.

Blood. You need to feed.

He needed to distract her. To cull her affections and isolate them on this farce of a relationship, ill-conceived by his want to survive.

Her. Your fangs want to be inside her, tearing at her throat. To taste the aurora of her voice as her blood warms you.

“Tav, dearest, why don’t you sing us a song from that arsenal of ballads you keep in that pretty little head of yours?”

The bard perked up, turning towards Astarion, her blue-gray depths wide as a doe. She was one of the moving pieces on the chessboard he satiated himself with.

Take her.

Though his request seemed innocent enough, the slithering leer of his gape seemed to make her feel abashed by the way she regarded him with her stare. This was all part of his cunning gambit of word wrestling they had begun to establish. And she knew what he was doing—of course she had to know. Astarion had the gumption to detect that she was conscious, but still uncertain, if he had only meant to tease her, to see her nonplussed in the moment, or if there laid an alternative motive to the glint of his impish smirk.

Her rosy lips parted slightly, a paltry excuse upon her tongue. “My lute perished in the crash.”

“Come now, it is not your lute that beguiles your audience with its voice. Do not keep us waiting, friend,” he winked, ushering her forward with a flamboyant wave of his hand.

Hunt her.

Tav did not argue. Perhaps to avoid further complications of the night or maybe because she recognized her talents had the ability to bring about a halcyon wave to their troubled comrades.

Though, as the first few notes she gifted to them uncurl like clear bells on silver tinsel decorating the reticence of the camp, her audience was now hers to command.

Taste her.

Tav's voice was ethereal, knitting together a story through the eyes of a traveler discovering fealty to happiness itself. She sang as if she were a holy entity within a chapel alone. The poetry of her words, the flames that would light the candles to the gods.

The winds spun around them, carrying her tune in ripples. Confidently, her eyes passed over to Astarion with a radiant warmth and he was motionless. As she reached a fluttering note, the bluish vein of her white satiny neck—a visible interference—caused an unexpected delirium.

Yes. Her blood will be the sweetest.

She had managed to do the impossible and hypnotize him entirely.

He had to have her. Just a taste.“Magistrate, please bite me.”

She’s yours. She’s yours. She’s yours.

The thrumming of his soul mate mark was a tittering of butterfly wings behind his ear. Astarion touched the sensitive area, crimson view darkened. Tonight. Tonight he would damn himself and be set free.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

”I love you, birdie,” he breathed into the nape of Tav’s neck.

The sunlight had just broken through with the dawn, casting illuminating golden beams onto their naked bodies. They were entangled with one another. Limbs thrown over limbs. Algos, her lover, spooning against her back. Pale and ruddy against his farmer’s tan.

He moved her cool brown locks away from her neck, placing a tender kiss near her hairline.

“Mmm. You spoil me,” she sighed lovingly.

“Not nearly enough.” He grabbed her chin, pulling it towards him.

Tav turned onto her side. She trailed her fingers daintily up his arm, then to the soft skin around orbs of near obsidian that were his eyes. If only she could freeze this moment. Collect it in a bottle and bury it within herself so the details, this exact moment, would never shift.

She scooted closer to him, the weight of her breasts hanging off to the side squishing them together. Her lips so soft, pliant, pressing to his own. They were slightly chapped, but doughy. The dreamiest of exhales left her nostrils.

He leaned in to kiss her back. One peck after the other, along her jaw, her chin. An amorous embrace accompanied by the heat of his breath kindling her neck again.

“Taste me, Algos.”

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Astarion hovered over Tav as she awoke with his mouth wide open, crisp air caressing her neck. His lips receded past their gums with teeth a pearly sheen in the light of the candle she had lit inside her tent.

“...shit.” He cursed.

Her eyes opened wide in confusion, watching Astarion swiftly backing away from her. She was furious. “What the FUCK are you doing?! Explain. NOW.”

Tav grabbed the rapier she kept at her side while she tranced and brought her wobbly self up to nearly her full height without hitting the tent's ceiling. Her body’s temperature was still cool from resting, leaving her partially disoriented. She was dressed in nothing, except her smalls and a gauzy linen shirt that barely reached past her bottom.

“No, it’s not what it looks like! I swear. I’ve never killed anyone—at least for food. I wasn’t going to hurt you!” He was crouching, his hands up in surrender.

There was a disbelieving jeer she hissed out. “No?! Do not play these games with me, Astarion! I am not an idiot. It looked like you were either going to bite me or assault me. I will run this rapier right through your ribs if you don’t leave immediately!” She pointed it towards him aggressively.

His voice was an octave above a shaking whisper, rounded eyes staring at her shamefully. “Wait, please! I just needed—blood. For food. I’m far weaker than I’d like to acknowledge. It’s pathetic.”

Then, when he altered his weight onto his other hip, the fine lines around his mouth having grown from their stressful interaction, she finally noticed. Astarion's lustrous teeth had sharp fangs, one on each side in place of a human’s usual canines. His pallid color looked even more unnatural than she paid attention to previously. The bluish hue bags of his eyes, a bit darker—presumably from lack of food.

A slave to his sanguine hunger.

Her voice was suddenly breathy. And then, as quietly as she could manage, she fanned out an unsettling laugh. “A vampire. Of all the things…why didn’t you tell me?!”

Astarion opened his mind and bid Tav to connect with his tadpole. She saw it unfolding. He held back some of the pieces that fit into the jigsaw that was him, but then there was something hungry and on edge removing parts of himself he’d never get back. His mind opened further revealing quaking, ruptured memories of tyrannical eyes commanding him to eat the only creature he was allowed: rats. 

Then, the connection dissipated.

“You were forced to eat them or else you would have to starve? By the gods, Astarion,” she heedfully replied, lowering the rapier and propping it against one of the tent walls.

Tav registered she’d wept a few tears when a salty one dipped into the cupid’s bow of her lips. The raw mental images he shared with her were intense. This was not what she had expected from him, regardless of him being a vampire or a mortal. Her heart ached for him and if she knew he would have allowed it, she would have pulled him into a hug, muttering that he was safe into the crown of his hair.

“I—yes. Whatever disgusting vermin my master picked. I hope this explains why I was slow to trust you,” he hesitated awkwardly, adjusting his stance to try and relax his arms at his side. “But, right now, I do trust you. And you can trust me too. I may be out of line in asking you to trust me further, but if I only had just a little blood, I could fight better and my mind would be clear. Please.”

Tav considered his proposal, the desperation in his presently softer accent. If she consented to him feeding from her, she ran the risk of him killing her—either on purpose or by accident if he could not control his hunger. However, she cannot deny this may be one of the first times since they’ve interacted that he was being ethically truthful with her. That he was aware of the risks if he did take her life. There would no longer be the presumption of his security nor the help of removing their worms.

The decision to be made was dangerous; she would not have much time to decide for the sake of herself, Astarion, and their sordid companions.

“You wish to feed from me, correct? But, not my neck. Not yet, anyways. Not until I know you’ll abide by your words in the future. Because you know as well as I do, that you certainly have a way with them,” she unexpectedly jested. “Will my wrist suffice for now?”

Astarion nodded quizzically. “I would only need a taste and not a drop more. If I wind up with a stake in my heart, well, I probably had it coming,” he chuckled. “That being said, your wrist is more than fine. Shall we make ourselves comfortable?”

Tav shook her head to reaffirm her consent and proceeded to sit on top of her bedroll in a cross legged pose, her shirt resting high above her pale thighs. The rosy buds of her nipples had pebbled, poking through the shirt’s fabric. Her areolas, a delightful crepe pink, faintly visible in the light.

Slowly, she rolled up the left sleeve of her shirt, revealing tattoo work inked intricately up the length of her arm. On her forearm, half of a falcon’s bust sat—mastery in keen observation—with iridescent blue and brown feathers. Up further, a white fox glared, clever, yet ready to strike. Each adorned in ornamental elven helmets surrounded by nature’s leaves and flowers only adding to the woman’s earthly beauty.

Astarion bent down to rest on his knees in front of her, the smooth leather of his pants tantalizingly grazing against her shins. She could see him studying her figure, switching to view ink on her arm. Then, he lingered on the shape of her breasts through her shirt, and back up to the flush that was spreading over her cheeks. He held out his arm towards her, his hand facing up.

“Whenever you’re ready.” His voice was soothing, humble even, gently inviting her to sacrifice herself to him.

May your blood be consecrated, the sacrament fulfilled. Waste not, want more. For you give yourself willingly for his power and nourishment. The gods be with you.

She extended her arm, first dropping her index finger into his palm, then tip-toeing the rest of her digits until her hand fully rested on his own. The glacial temperature of his skin flowed through her body entirely like titillating electricity. Tav bit back a moan when his other hand covered hers and moved up to the inside of her wrist, caressing the silky skin.

It had been years since she was touched so intimately by a man. The sensations with each movement of his fingertips rubbing circles into her skin, caused her to swallow down a gasp. Every instinctual nerve inside of her was at war, either to push him away to the far reaches of Faerûn or to offer her blood to the man that somehow made her feel virginal by the swipe of his lithe fingers across her palm.

“You’re trembling.”

“I’m nervous and you're cold,” Tav uttered with a shudder.

“Hmm.” Astarion continued massaging, occasionally feeling the throb of her pulse. “Where are you from originally? Your birth place.”

“Wha—the Dalelands,” she managed to answer.

“And which of your parents is a high elf?” he continued.

“My father. My mother is a wood elf. How did you know?

He smiled tenderly. “I could tell by your fair features.”

She tilted her head towards him. Was he trying to distract her? The efforts were working.

He lifted her wrist to his faded pink lips, placing them airily on the stretch of her visible veins. A chilled breath exhaled through his elegant nose. “Why did you move to Baldur’s Gate?

Arrhythmia started overtaking the organ in her chest. She fisted the edge of her shirt in her free hand, sighing heavily. “I needed a change of scenery—to start anew.”

Astarion pecked her wrist. A shallow gravel of his throat vibrated against her skin when he lightly started to suckle on the outline of her vein.

She cried out sweetly. Her chest swelled in tandem with the swift movements of her breathing, but not from the nervousness she thought would plague her stomach with knots. No, it was from the longing ache of skin to skin contact he had unknowingly granted her.

"Shhh. Shh. We wouldn't want to wake anyone now would we?" He lightly bit her finger in warning and then slid his tongue back up to her wrist.

Tav was wet. Considerably so. She felt the petals of her cunt drench in want the longer he prolonged his desires for her blood. It occurred to her that he may be waiting for her to give him the final confirmation for him to bite her, but oh hells, when she noticed his bulge straining in his pants, she conjured up a reverie of her climbing into his lap and grinding herself up and down his length begging for him to take her.

Astarion moaned into her wrist. He had trailed his left hand up to hold her elbow, while the right still held onto her hand, waiting patiently. Her clit was throbbing; she would have given anything to move even the slightest bit to feel pressure placed upon it. Any sort of relief to wash over her to abate the shivers of her flesh, to shake the image of him biting and sucking on her breasts.

Eyes half-lidded, she willed herself to speak. “Astarion?”

Rubbing the point of his fangs in contact with her flesh, his tone was huskier. “Yes, Tavelle?”

Dear Oghma grant mercy on this woman!

It had been the first time he had mentioned the full length of her name and it was as clear as a magical forest revealing a trail to honeyed fruits that she should not partake in. What kind of man could be capable of appearing as both a divine creature and one that could lure her into the shadows?

Burning, burning, burning.

“Bite me.”

The sting of his fangs entering her wrist was like two icy shards stabbing her. Her blood filled his mouth in short spurts and he had trouble containing it all. At the corners of his mouth, two streams of her red essence dribbled down towards his chin.

Astarion gripped onto her arm tighter, involuntarily pulling her closer to him. Greedily, he gulped her down, sometimes stopping to lick at the puncture wounds before wrapping his maw around her wrist once more to swallow her down. He hummed in pleasure the longer he drank, possessed by the taste.

Tav felt lethargic. “ ‘Starion.”

He didn’t hear her. The scarlet of his eyes had grown foggy with a glaze of something voracious and abysmal. Guttural sounds accompanied slurps of her blood as his fangs dug in deeper.

Tav’s head fell forward meekly. She grasped onto his silvery curls with the strength that was slowly being depleted and tugged. “Astarion you must—NO MORE!”

All at once, he released her, falling backwards onto his elbows. He licked his fingers with a pleasing noise, as if he’d just treated himself to an extravagant feast.

“You were—you tasted amazing!” Breathing in quick shudders he added, "I feel…happy. Strong. My mind isn’t clouded.”

Still slumped over, she attempted to placate the vertigo that was causing her head to swim by regulating her breathing. She sounded raspy. “Could you please help me to lay down?”

“Ah! Yes, but of course. It’s the least I could do after that invigorating experience.”

Astarion crawled over to her. Cradling her against his torso, he considerately brought her down to rest on her bedroll. It was flattened, probably uncomfortable, but to Tav and her ailing situation—it felt perfect.

“Are you alright?” he asked, leaning over her, wiping her sweaty bangs from her face.

His scent rolled over her, lulling her to enter a trance. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, perhaps from her adrenaline spiking, but it was pure heaven. Bergamot, rosemary, and smokier warm notes.

“Mmhmm. A bit weak is all.”

She reached up and wiped the drying blood from his chin and lips with her sleeve, providing him with a tired smile. “Astarion? Thank you for trusting me tonight.”

He tensed as she touched him. Jaw tight. A furrowed brow. His eyes moved back and forth, searching hers. Something uncharacteristic briefly showed behind his inspection of her, then fleetingly faded away.

Strange.

Standing upright, Astarion turned to leave her tent. He looked over his shoulder, his voice a serious temper. “Rest well. I still need to hunt to fill myself completely, but this was a gift you know. I won’t forget it. ”

Snuggling into her blankets, she recalled the events of the night. The bizarre appeal of his icy breath. The arousal she felt when he stroked her. The pain mixed with carnal desire as he bit her. The weight of truths they shared. His unforeseen concern for her comfort. A veracity of his soul, bared to her before he left.

And as her lashes laid in long weaves along the edges of her closed eyelids, her last thoughts as she drifted off to enter the dream realm, were about the closeness Astarion unintentionally gave her that she hadn’t felt in years.

[only-angel-28]

mastermind, part five

hey guys😀🔫

first of all im so sorry ik its been literally ten years since the last update but we're backk😋🙌🙌

anyways this used to be called redbone but im changing it to mastermind (the taylor song) bc i feel like it just fits more w the story but heres part five!!

its a short one for now but dw part six and seven are in the making and theyll probably be out later tonight or early tomorrow morning idk

anyways i hope you like this one please lmk and leave me some requests😋🤞

mastermind, masterlist

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“Good morning,” Harry says, smiling brightly as Hermione and I sit at the table.

“Morning,” we both reply in unison, Hermioen going to say something but is cut off when our attention darts to the old owl that all but crashes into our food on the table, sending bowls of cereal and plates of toast flying into the air.

“Ron! Get your owl in check!” I yell as Hermione magics away the spilt milk on my robes, leaving them brand new.

“Sorry, sorry. God this bird’s going to be the death of me.” Ron replies as he detaches the box in the owl's claws before shooing it away.

“What’s that?” Harry asks, pointing at the box curiously as Ron goes to open it and pulls out a long black robe with white ruffles at the collar.

“Mum’s sent me a dress!” Ron says in horror as he stares down at the old thing.

“Well, it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet? Aha!” I shout through my laughter, pulling out a white collar with a black bow and holding it up at Ron’s neck.

“Oh shut up Y/N. You’re not funny.” Ron says dismissively as he walks over to Ginny and continues,

“Ginny here, these must be for you.”

“I’m not wearing that, it’s ghastly.” she says looking up at the dress in disgust.

Hermione lets out a fit of giggles as Harry and I smack each other, laughing at Ron, unable to control ourselves.

“What are you on about?” Ron asks confused.

“They’re not for Ginny, you idiot, they’re for you!” I shout as the Gryffindors around us join in on the laughter.

“They’re dress robes,” Hermione adds, calming down slightly.

“Dress robes, for what?” Ron responds with frustration in his voice.

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“The Yule Ball has been a Hogwarts tradition since its inception,” McGonagall’s voice booms in the large room filled with girls on one side and boys on the other. Hermione and I softly giggle as we make small quips about how uncomfortable Harry and Ron look, having to sit next to Theo and Draco.

“On Christmas Eve night, we gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity,” she says as she glides around the room, eyeing Harry and Draco as they make faces at each other, causing them to stop almost immediately.

“I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally as the Yule Ball is, as you know, first and foremost, a dance,” she says, sending the girls into excited conversations and the boys into a sea of annoying groans.

“Silence!” she shouts over the noise, clapping her hands together over her head, “Our school has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for over 10 centuries. And I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons.” she finishes, sending everyone into quiet laughter. I look up from my fixed gaze at McGonagall at Theo who snickers softly and looks at me before mouthing, “Try saying that five times fast.”

I smirk as I try whispering it as he does the same, before McGonagall walks over in front of us, breaking our gazes at each other. “Now, to dance,” she says, waving her arms around gracefully, turning to the girl's side, saying, “is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers…longing to burst forth and take flight.”

She turns to the boys, cutting off whatever snide remark Ron was making, “Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr Weasley.”

She walks over to Ron swiftly as he cowers slightly, looking immensely uncomfortable as she asks him to join her.

“...Yes?”

Harry looks over at Hermione and me and we smirk at Ron as McGonagall lectures him how to put his hands on her waist.

They dance for a minute before McGonagall calls everyone over and tells us to partner up, and Theo comes up to me with a hand behind his back. “Join me for this dance?” he says jokingly as he bows forward slightly and puts one hand out making me smile and reach out for his hand before I swiftly grab Harry’s from behind him and say, “Sorry maybe next time!” over my shoulder, sending him into laughter, shaking his head as Harry looks up at me quizzingly.

“Leaving him wanting more?” he smiles at me, “Yep, I learned from the best.” I joke, referencing the endless amounts of times Harry and Ginny have gotten close but have never made anything official.

He rolls his eyes and says, “Shut up.”

“Have you even asked her yet?” I ask as we sway to the music, “Not yet, I think I’ll do it tonight…if Ron doesn’t interrupt us again that is.”

“Don’t worry,” I say nodding my head over to the other side of the room where Ron and Hermione are trying to dance, “I think he’s got other things to worry about.”

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“We really need to get a move on, otherwise we’ll be the only ones without dates,” Ron whispers to Harry as we try and recreate the potion Slughorn’s just shown us.

Harry doesn’t say anything as he smiles to himself and focuses back on his potion, making me smile softly in return knowing he’s probably asked Ginny by now and she's said yes.

“What are you smiling about?” Theo asks, interrupting me from my thoughts as he adds fluxweed into our potion and looks at me confusingly. “No reason.” I smile up at him, noticing the ring I gave him on his finger.

“So,” I say, taking my seat as we wait for our potion to boil.

“So?” he replies, taking his seat next to me and resting the bottom side of his jaw in his hand with his elbow on the table, staring at me with his blue eyes.

“Yule Ball’s in a few days, have you found a date yet?”

“Mm no not yet. Why do you ask?” he smirks.

“Oh no, no reason.” I stutter, feeling embarrassed, as I try to distract myself with the brew in front of us.

“So your bruises have healed,” I say, reaching out and holding his face to the side to examine the area they used to be on top of his sharp cheekbone. “Mhm. All better now.” He smiles.

I sigh and say, “You shouldn’t have done that you know.” “Why not? I’d do it for Blaise or Pansy or even Draco, I’d do it for any of my friends, so why not you? Especially you.” he mutters the last bit silently but my ears catch it before it disappears, making blood rush to my ears and cheeks.

“A friendship between a Gryffindor and Slytherin is unheard of. Especially considering your family and my best friends, what makes you so confident in ours?”

“I don’t know. You’re…different,” he says, standing up, “You’re not like those other Gryffindors. They’re too proud.”

I laugh after him, gathering my own things as he goes to give Slughorn our finished potion, “You Slytherin lot aren’t all that humble anyways.”

“No Star, we just know our worth.” he winks back at me as he leaves and I notice something on his side of the desk. A little envelope with my name on it.

I open it to find,

“Meet me in the Astronomy Tower after curfew. Bring a jacket.”

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“You took your time,” Theo says as I walk up the stairs, holding two cups of hot chocolate for him and me.

“Shut up, I was bribing one of the elves to give me whipped cream in these this time.” I hold one of the drinks up to him to take it before he grabs both out my hands and puts them down on the floor,

“You shouldn’t have, we won’t need them.” He smiles mischievously before taking my hand and running down the large, empty corridors.

“Theo stop! Where are we going?!” I whisper yell out of surprise, grabbing his hand tighter as I run to keep up with him. “You’ll see!” He says over his shoulder, leading us out the castle and giving a few galleons to the prefect keeping watch at the door.

“Come on,” he says softly now, both of us panting from the run.

The cold wind hits me in the face and immediately sends a shiver up my spine, making me pull my jacket up slightly to cover my exposed neck.

Theo lets go of my hand and pulls his black, green and silver Slytherin scarf off and wraps the cloth around my neck, 

“Theo, will you stop being a prick and at least tell me where we’re going?”

He grabs my arm and links it in with his before saying, “We’re almost there.”

I look up at him as we walk in comfortable silence, the soft moonlight reflecting on his sharp features, his rosy cheeks and the cold vapour coming from his pink nose as he breathes and he turns to me giving me a big smile as he stops walking, turns me around and covers my eyes.

“Theo what now? You drag me out of the warm castle and make me freeze out here in the stupid snow and you didn’t even let me drink my hot chocolate and you won’t even tell me where we’re going and I’m probably going to get hypothermia at this point because of you.” I finish my rant as he turns me around, slowly removing his cold fingers from my eyes.

“Shut up and open your eyes, you drama queen.”

I can hear the smile in his voice as I open my eyes and see a big tree with a covering on top, looking like a den adorned in fairy lights and snowflake decorations. A red checkered picnic blanket resting on the ground along with my favourite pastries, hot chocolates and movies all set up on a projector facing the castle. Snowflakes all form one sentence above the movie projector screen playing Tangled, making my breath stop and a huge grin form on my lips.

Will you get tangled with me at the ball?

I turn around to find a flustered-looking Theodore with his hands in his pocket, nervously looking down at me waiting for my reaction. “You did this?” I ask with a quizzical smile on my face, still in disbelief that he went through all this effort for me.

“Yeah. Well I mean Blaise, Mattheo and Pansy helped me. Draco tried but he wasn’t any good so I got Pansy to instead. And I asked Hermione for all your favourite movies and I’ve seen you with all these pastries and hot chocolates a lot this time of year so I thought you’d like them. But I mean if you don’t that’s perfectly fine, I can scrap it all and we can pretend like this never happened and-”

“Yes.” I interrupt his rant with a smile on my face, admiring his stress over whether I’d like the gesture or not.

“And I- Sorry?” He asks breaking his rant confusingly with his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes, I love it and I’d love to go to the ball with you Theodore.”

“Oh, I- Okay well. Okay. That’s great, that’s…Wow.” He stutters out, surprised at my response.

Theodore Nott stuttering? Nervous? When did that happen? I think to myself as he composes himself again and asks, “Shall we?” pointing to the blanket and movie playing on the projector.

I nod, smiling brightly up at him as I give him a side hug. He tenses for a moment before wrapping his arms around me and hugging back tightly.

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part five done!!

lmk what you think and send me requests<33

taglist:

@harrysnovia @timmytime17 @cherry-hoe @jetblackpayne @ash-tarte @coolestgirlhere @lilianelena39

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

💎 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! Circlet of Resonant Spheres
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a bard or wizard) ___ This metal circlet is surrounded by ten circular openings. Each opening holds a floating metal sphere, which rings softly like a bell when held to your ear. While wearing the crown, the spheres hover just outside of their respective openings. Once you attune to the circlet, you can interpret the spheres’ soft chimes as a sort of musical language. This language expresses the flow of magic around you, and by understanding it, allows you to change the nature of any spell you cast. 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖. When you attune to the circlet for the first time, you can choose three Metamagic options of your choice from the sorcerer class. While wearing the circlet, you can use one of these options whenever you cast a spell. The circlet has 10 charges and regains all expended charges daily at dawn. Whenever you use a Metamagic option from the circlet, you must expend a number of its charges equal to the amount of Sorcery Points normally required by the option. While wearing the circlet, you can use an action to expend 10 charges from the circlet to replace one of its Metamagic options with a different one. 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚. Alternatively, while wearing the circlet, you can expend 5 of its charges to cast the “commune with nature” spell from it over the course of 1 minute. This version of the spell allows you to commune with the very magic around you in a 300-foot radius, even in dungeons or towns, instead of the surrounding area’s land and flora. As a result, you can ask it up to three questions that can be answered with a yes or no and that relate to the magic found within that area. The magic isn’t necessarily omniscient, so you might receive “unclear” as an answer if a question pertains to information that lies beyond its understanding. In a case where a one-word answer could be misleading, the GM might offer a short phrase as an answer instead. You must ask your questions within 1 minute of casting the spell. ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[dungeonmalcontent]

As a level 13 wizard, prepare for a fight in the following way. Step 1) Have a portable hole. Step 2) learn the glyph of warding spell. Step 3) cast glyph of warding onto the walls of the portable hole with spell storing. Store the following spells (requires multiple days): Tenser's Transformation, Tasha's Otherworldly Guise, Mirror Image, Blur, Haste, Mage Armor, Enlarge/Reduce. The glyph trigger is a special command word or phrase that you choose, such as "it clobbering time."

Glyph of warding allows spells with concentration to linger for their full duration without conflicting with other concentration spells. These spells are active until they end and the concentration cannot be broken.

Portable holes do not end glyphs of warding because the extradimensional space within a portable hole specifically has continuity (used as an inventory and can contain creatures while closed) and does not move when the opening to the hole moves after being folded up. It's a 6 foot wide by 10 foot deep cylinder that exists on a different plane that can be accessed from anywhere you put the door to it. For flavor, even if it's orientation changes relative to where you put it down (wall, floor, ceiling) the space itself hasn't moved though the shift in gravity might cause some objects within it to move when you open it. Even if you specify that the cylinder itself can't have a glyph inscribed on it, be ause it doesn't exactly have walls so much as spatial dimensions, objects within the hole can have glyphs and would be hard pressed to move beyond the glyph's 10 foot spell end limit in a space that is only 10 feet long.

Stacking Tenser's Transformation, Tasha's Otherworldly Guise, and Haste allows you to Make two attack actions on your turn, and each attack actions makes four strikes--each one with advantage when done with a simple or martial weapon, also dealing an additional 2d12 force damage. Also you make them using your spellcasting modifier. Transformation and Otherworldly Guise stack because the additional strikes per attack are are "benefits" not features or abilities; having written and edited homebrew for years now, there 100% is a difference and it does matter in the way you phrase things.

Combine this with all the ac buffs, blur and mirror image, plus damage resistances and temporary hit points; you virtually cannot be killed and you make 8 attacks per turn plus bonus actions and any reaction you make. This is also assuming you aren't wearing any magical items such as enchanted weapons and armor.

All you have to do is, before you fight, complete step 4) put down the portable hole and activate all of your glyphs at once.

The only balance to this is that setting up a portable hole this way requires multiple days with many hours of spellcasting, including using a 6th and 7th level spell slot every time you prep Transformation and Otherworldly Guise.

To be clear, this is not something I would ever do (perhaps not more than once) and not something I would let a player spring on me. And even if I did let a player get away with this, I would cripple them with exhaustion after the spells ended. This is a rules based thought experiment.

Edit: I hereby dub this strategy "the magical girl transformation chamber"

[nightghoul381]

Ellis Twilight Main Route Walkthrough ~ Chapter Choices

Since it's taking me a while to get the translations done and posted, I figured I could at least give you all the walkthrough choices! (If you happen to know the values of any of the questions I may have missed please let me know so I can get those added!)

Chapter 1:

as always, all answers are +4 +4

Chapter 2:

Are you a wizard?

Did you use tools?

Amazing! +4 +4

Chapter 3:

I was thinking about you, Ellis.

How did you know? +4 +4

It's not a hit.

Chapter 4:

That's what it is! +2 +4

I'm glad. +4 +4

That's not it… +4 +2

Chapter 5:

Today is a litte… +2 +4

…to go. +4 +4

Let me think a little. +4 +2

Chapter 6:

…Thank you +4 +2

I have to protect myself +2 +4

Please be careful too, Ellis +4 +4

Chapter 7:

We're just going out together +2 +4

After all, is this a date? +4 +2

It's not a date. +4 +4

Chapter 8:

What do you mean? +4 +2

Thank you… +2 +4

Work with me? +4 +4

Chapter 9:

Nothing +4 +4

I'm looking forward to the meal +2 +4

I'm so excited +4 +2

Chapter 10:

Isn't there another way?

Ellis… +4 +4

I have to see it through as fairy tale master

Chapter 11:

Won't Jude get mad at you? +2 +4

Really? +4 +2

Aren't I bothering you? +4 +4

Chapter 12:

I feel like I can't +4 +4

Isn't it a little… early? +2 +4

This would be my first time going to your room, right? +4 +2

Chapter 13:

Thank you +4 +4

I don't want to be a hinderance

Will you protect me?

Chapter 14:

Ellis, are you hurt?

Let's stay like this for a while

I'm alright. +4 +4

Chapter 15:

Whatever makes me happy? +4 +4

More than that? +2 +4

Everything? +4 +2

Chapter 16.

I should have tried to find out sooner +4 +4

Did it look like that?

I don't know him the most

Chapter 17:

I got the clue

I got a little closer +4 +4

It's still to come.

Chapter 18:

Yeah…

I wanted to talk about it now. +4 +4

Actually, it wasn't work.

Chapter 19:

Step back +4 +4

I can't move +4 +2

Hug +2 +4

Chapter 20:

Because you came to help me +4 +4

Because I couldn't do anything +2 +4

Because I love you +4 +2

Blind Love Ending

Chapter 21:

You can do whatever you like, Ellis +4 +2

You're too sweet.

Go see Roger.

Chapter 22:

I'm sorry I'm late

Excellent

Thank you for waiting +4 +4

Chapter 23:

I need to get better soon +4 +4

I want to now.

I'll do it once the wound has healed

Chapter 24:

I'm gonna get killed

What should we do Ellis?

Aahh--!!! +4 +4

Chapter 25:

It's not a dream +4 +2

How happy is that?

Are you going to be happier?

Mad Love Ending

Chapter 21:

I could have touched your heart, Ellis +4 +4

We could have been lovers

I was ready to be killed

Chapter 22:

Feign ignorance

Stare at Ellis +4 +4

Get red

Chapter 23:

Don't lie

You're kind, aren't you?

Are you at a loss for an answer now? +4 +4

Chapter 24:

It's okay because this is the second time I've injured my foot

Will you stay by my side? + 4 +4

Can I be nice to you again?

Chapter 25:

You're so kind after all.

Am I the only one who felt lonely? +2 +4

…You're right.