#Prophetic New Year Song

[newstownusa]

2022 Most Googled word of the year revealed

[wiishopwednesday]

sorry to be autistic but ive gotta tlak about csh for a minute because it really blows me away by how meta twin fantasy is ,like will created ftf as a reflection on the relationship he was in and the emotions he was feeling during the creation of mtm..also like the names of the respective versions ,"mirror to mirror" signifying how both of the people in the relationship only really loved the reflection of themselves they saw in the other [he also references this in strangers, where he says "i sleep lying next to a mirror" which is also a metaphor for being a homosexual] and face to face being the new version, signifying that he has finally come to terms,has finally had proverbial "conversation" face to face about the past feelings he felt while writing twin fantasy and has fully acknowledged what he felt and has moved on. this is also apparent in his past-tense use of words instead of present-tense like the usage of words in mtm [ftf those boys says "they were connected/at the back of the head/they *had* a conduit/their minds *were* the same" meanwhile mtm those boys says "they were connected/at the back of the head/they *got* a conduit/their minds *are* the same". he realizes the relationship has ended and its over now. a piece of fiction, if you will.]

also in mtm will states that "he has only lyrics now," that he is in despair over the loss of the relationship and the fact that the relationship is now a work of fiction that only exists in his mind-a fantasy. however in ftf he recognizes this and comes to terms with it- it is just a song. it is just lyrics. he even changes "he has only lyrics now" to "these are only lyrics now". he has changed, he has reflected and moved on. this is just a piece of fiction to him now, anything can happen from here. i also really like the change in famous prophets to where he no longer name drops himself and cate wurtz. like he says, "the contract is up, the names have been changed". this is no longer a breakup album made about wurtz but instead a piece of fiction documenting the feelings he experienced during a part of his life

i also really like these lyrics, taken from a bible verse about the 3 wise men i believe ? but the end was edited to say "now these Two remain" to reference the two people in the relationship

its just so interesting. you break up with someone, one of you writes a breakup album in a fit of feeling, 7 years pass and youre both left to deal with the fallout. anything can happen from here. now these two remain and they must see face to face to put their past behind them.

the allusion to "the lady" by hojin stella jung at the end of ftf high to death is also incredibly powerful. the way he uses the words hojin uses to talk about their feelings while painting the portfolio of the lady to refer to his own feelings of making the original twin fantasy is so good and so compelling. the way they say "it was intense, it was an intense process, and it was how i was trying to, very hard, personify that intensity/but its hard to talk about her now, because i think she wasnt me/at least thats how i feel and im trying to figure out what to do now......but i did believe in her, 'the lady', and maybe/there is a different form now that the intensity takes" is an incredible parallel to will's feelings about writing the original twin fantasy and its a really powerful end to a song i think

[sitp-recs]

Hi hello how are you!! I feel like I’d seen a competence kink list you did some time ago, but I can’t seem to find it on your masterlists :( I’m wondering if maybe it’s lost or I’m imagining things lol?

And if not, I would be sooo grateful if you or your followers had any recs for me :) Thank you so much, love your blog!

Hi anon! I did this list with talented Harry (beyond his job) but here are some classic competence kink recs:

Competent Draco:

The Slytherin Urn by @icmezzo (E, 4k)

Nothing turns Harry on quite like redemption.

The Study of Change by p1013 (M, 4k)

Harry's going to hell. He's going to hell immediately. Even with all of the good he's done in his life, he's never going to overcome the impure thoughts racing through his head at the sight of Draco Malfoy looking like an academic wet dream in a room full of barely legal adults.

A Song, Incomplete by RurouniHime (E, 11k)

Draco’s photograph took up the entire top half of the Prophet’s front page. Below the photo: DRACO MALFOY DEFENDS SON OF FORMER LOVER. As if that were breaking news.

Countdown by dysonrules (M, 14k)

When the Wizarding world is plagued by random outbreaks of Dark Magic, the Ministry assigns Curse-Breakers to assist Auror teams on their missions. Harry shouldn't be surprised when Draco Malfoy is assigned to his team, but is Malfoy a Curse-Breaker, or a curse-bringer?

A Year in Training by Omi_Ohmy (M, 25k)

Harry is finally living his dream and training as an Auror, but nothing seems to be going right: he’s just so angry all the time. And Draco Malfoy’s presence on the programme really isn’t helping with that, either.

measures of our days and nights by @flimsi (E, 40k)

Draco returns to London to help the Ministry decipher a spell, but things aren’t quite as simple as they seem.

Heal Thyself by astolat (T, 47k)

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.” “What course?” Draco said, then, “No, don’t be ridiculous,” when he realized she meant the notice pinned up on the board he’d been staring at: Applicants To The Introductory Mediwizard Course For The Coming Term Shall Present Themselves In The Chief Mediwizard’s Office By August 24th.

The Vanishing Department by @dictacontrion (E, 47k)

The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, even if that involves a lot more form-filling, bickering, covert glancing, miscommunication, and flying furniture than we might expect.

Take the Air by dysonrules (M, 51k)

Someone or something is attacking Muggles and leaving them for dead. Auror Harry Potter is assigned to the case, but with his usual partner unavailable, he is stuck with the most annoying Auror ever to walk the halls of the Ministry.

The Darkness Before the Dawn by Ren (E, 55k)

A mysterious creature is loose in London, stalking and killing people. Auror Harry Potter requests the help of a liaison from the Beast Division and gets saddled with Draco Malfoy. Will they be able to stop the creature before it claims more lives?

Kept in Cages by @sweet-s0rr0w (E, 77k)

Deep in the heart of the Ministry lies the Beast Division: a hidden room where ancient beasts roam, and winged creatures soar, and grumpy giant ferrets eat all your biscuits unless you keep them well hidden. Draco Malfoy would know – he’s been working there for five years now, after all.

Reparations by Saras_Girl (E, 87k) - both

Harry is about to discover that the steepest learning curve comes after Healer training, and that second chances can be found in unexpected places.

Balance, Imperfect by bixgirl1 (E, 91k) - both

When Harry sustains an injury in the line of work, he no longer knows how to navigate the life he loved, and finds help and solace from the most unexpected source.

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound (E, 149k) - both

Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

Competent Harry:

Unfinished Business by cupiscent (E, 20k)

Ten years after the War ends, Harry and Draco still haven't got their act together. But maybe it's not too late.

Better To Burn Than To Fade Away by Ren (E, 23k)

Harry Potter is a legend in the world of broomstick racing. He's won almost every cup, trophy, and bowl – except for the historical London-Nome which has been on hiatus for the past several years. Now the London-Nome is starting again, and Harry will do anything to pull off one last big win.

Safe As Houses by @xanthippe74 (T, 24k)

After five years abroad, Harry’s thrilled to be home and working at the most prestigious ward-building firm in Britain. But everything gets turned upside down when he's assigned to work for Draco Malfoy—who somehow grew up to be just the sort of sexy bastard Harry goes for.

The Unplottable Time Conundrum by @writcraft (E, 45k)

When the past starts bleeding into the present at Grimmauld Place, an old academic article pulls Draco Malfoy out of his life of luxury. Haunted by the memory of a fleeting post-war kiss and thrust into the ghostly spaces inhabited by Unspeakable Harry Potter, Draco’s easy life is about to get a whole lot more complicated.

REVOLVEVLOVER by firethesound, zeitgeistic (E, 46k)

The work Harry does is justifiable. It’s justice. He works for his country, and his country is a republic—the magical side, anyway. It’s not laudable work, it’s not work he’s proud of, but it’s necessary work. Harry has always taken the necessary jobs that no one else has the stomach for.

The Boy Who Only Lived Twice by lettered (E, 54k)

Harry Potter is an Unspeakable. Draco Malfoy is the wizard who shagged him. Adventure! Intrigue! Secret identities, celebrities, spies! It's all right here, folks.

Timecode by Rasborealis (M, 73k)

Harry Potter has been dead for two years, and Draco would laugh in the face of anyone claiming differently. Well, anyone but Hermione Granger.

Among Ancient Pines by @graymatters (M, 74k)

Every day, Draco Malfoy tries. With every fiber of his being he tries. But he doesn’t much think about what he’s trying for. In his final term of Healer training, Draco is unfortunate enough to find himself on a plane, the only means of traveling to a small, magical town in rural Alaska.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid (E, 100k) - both

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost.

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

[poguestarkey]

not in the same way- t.n.

back after a quick 8 month hiatus my b

decided to write a little blurb about reader not being in love with theo since i feel like it's always the other way around.

yes i am eating up the tiktok ideas of him being italian don't start w me

warnings: just angst on angst, destruction of a friendship, theo being sad (that's a trigger in and of itself tbh), sickly sweet adorable girlhood moment btwn the GryffGirlies, like one potty word, i plucked that one scene right out of TSITP don't come for me, horrifyingly unedited cuz i just dont care

theo nott x gryffindor!reader

-----

Dread.

That's all that washes over you when you finally meet his eyes. It runs ice-cold through your veins and you can practically hear what he's going to say before it even leaves his mouth. You're sure he can see the way your head shakes slowly as you realize because he reaches for your hand and holds it tightly between his. Not out of comfort, but as a plead.

Please, please don't do what I think you're going to.

Theo... oh, sweet Theo. Theo, with his huge blue eyes and endlessly large heart. Theo, always the first to celebrate the small wins with you. Theo, who in theory, should be the perfect man for you.

But Theo, who no matter how hard you tried, never made your heart sing the way your friends giggled about.

You never thought twice about the way his hands would linger over yours as he explained Arithmancy problems or how he always pulled you close in by the shoulder while chatting with his Slytherin friends, his fingers mindlessly tracing patterns into your sweater. His sweater. You've been friends since third-year, best friends. So many years of being close to him desensitized you to the constant comments of "That's Nott's girl," and "Would you look at the lovebirds!" They never hit home and you always scoffed them off with ease.

With ease, until last weekend in your dorm after an open-mic night at the Three Broomsticks. You and Theo had performed the most atrocious duet rendition of the new Weird Sisters song, "Why Can't You See."

"Y/N, do you even see the way he looks at you?" Parvati asked. Your head shoots up this.

"What?"

"C'mon, Y/N/N. The man is absolutely smitten with you. It's almost painful to watch, really," Lavender piped in, causing Hermione and Padma to sit up and join the conversation. Eyes widening, you realize who they're talking about.

"Theo? No... No, Theo and I are just-" You're cut off.

"Just friends. We've heard. A million times," Hermione sighs. "I mean Merlin's beard Y/N, you have to have noticed by now. Nott can't keep his hands off of you."

"'Mione, that's not- no, that's different. He just likes physical touch and that's fine-" You're cut off yet again by a slurry of teenage girls throwing evidence at you.

"-ever touch Malfoy-"

"-actually lights up when you enter a room, I've never-"

"-bigger heart eyes for you if they were cartooned on him in the Prophet-"

Your hands grow shaky and your breath becomes heavy in your lungs as the weight of what this means washes over you. Hot tears prick at the corners of your eyes and you fight the burn in the back of your sinuses with everything you have.

"Wait!" Hermione nearly shouts, and the cacophony of squeals and stories comes to a halt. "Y/N? Why are you crying? Are you alright?"

Her words make the first sob break out of your chest, and your hand shoots to your mouth to try and stifle the sound. Padma, ever the lover, is immediately at your side.

"I- I- I can't... I don't lo- if he really feels that way, it will destroy us," you cry, leaning further into her touch. Quickly, and with increasing amount of concern written on their features, the rest of the girls surround you.

"What do you mean, love?" you can't see her, but you know it's Lavender's breathy voice. "Isn't this a good thing?"

"No, no, no, no-" Your breath begins to hitch again, and 'Mione rubs gentle circles on your back. "Lav, him being in love with me is the worst thing that could happen."

"I don't mean to be insensitive, but the rest of us are quite out of the loop here and, er, well- why?" You let out a chuckle at Parvati's bluntness, but still felt the squeeze of the answer in your heart. You've known, deep down. You denied it as hard as you could manage but still, it creeped up on you, terrorizing your thoughts.

"He will never forgive me. I know he'll try so hard, but it'll never be the same, because he will never forgive me for not loving him the same way. Because he's done everything right. He is kind, and patient, and loving, and all of the wonderful things I've always said that I wanted but still, I just don't love him like that. And I want to- fuck, I want to so bad. It kills me that I can't. But he can never know that I know, because he will never, ever forgive me when I can't say it back." The last few words come out nearly inaudible as gasping sobs take over your body. "And I am so afraid to lose my best friend."

A squeeze from Hermione saves you from your thoughts. No one knows what to say, and Padma pulls your pillow and quilt from underneath you before grabbing her own, forming a pile on the floor. The corners of your lips perk up as you realize what she's doing, and soon the room is filled again with the sounds of girlish giggles and gossip and your four closest girlfriends do their best to keep your chin up for you.

The rest of the week, you can hardly look Theo in the eyes. You're not trying to avoid him, but every time you're in the same room you feel so overcome with guilt that it's hard to breathe.

On Sunday, you skip breakfast and hole away in the library under a stack of potions textbooks, shooing him away with a curt "Sorry, Teddy. Too busy."

Monday, you sit at Gryffindor's table for every meal and only speak in DADA to tell him it's his turn to practice defensive spells.

It's Tuesday night when you get the owl.

Y/N/N,

please talk to me. i need to see you, i'm worried. you're not alright.

i miss you.

-T

You write him back on the same piece of parchment, your shaking hands causing ink to splatter into tiny dots across his script.

I know. I'm sorry. Friday night.

Wednesday and Thursday are a blur of forced smiles to him and the burn of his stare from across the Charms classroom.

Friday comes, and you're damn near ready to pull Mrs. Norris' tail just to get a detention.

You know the exact bench in the courtyard he'll be sat at, and you count your paces as you walk. His eyes catch you and he swings his feet off the ledge, shutting his book.

"Y/N," He breathes, the sweetest smile on his face. "What's going on, cara mia?"

Every strategy you had for keeping him away from the elephant in the room goes flying out of your head faster than a Firebolt.

"It's nothing, really. Please don't worry. I know I've been distant but it's really nothing to be concerned about so-" your voice is getting louder and faster, a tell-tale sign that you're not telling the truth.

He cuts you off with your name.

"Y/N." You're eternally thankful that it's late enough that no one is outside with you. "Tell me what's happened. Please." His eyes grow even larger with pure concern and he moves his hand to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear. You pull your lip between your teeth while thinking about how to respond.

"I just... Teddy, I can't tell you. I just can't. I promise it's alright, I just don't want to talk about it." You're lying through your teeth and you're sure he knows it too.

"Alright," he whispers, voice dropping. His hand hasn't moved from the side of your face since he fixed your hair, and his eyes move to scan the slope of your lips. You can feel the pit in your stomach start to form as you fear what's coming next. "You are the most beautiful thing on this planet, you know that?"

His thumb is tracing the plane of your cheek.

"Theodore..." He smiles at his full name, and his eyes start to close.

No.

No.

This is what you feared so much.

That you would lose everything over one moment, just like this.

He can't be more than a breath from your mouth when both of your palms find his firm chest and push him away.

"Wait- wait, Theo. No. I don't- I'm sorry, but I-" His eyes snap open, that beautiful blue full of confusion. "I'm sorry, Theo." You can already feel hot tears threatening to spill over, and your stomach is churning.

"I.... What?" He says it so quietly you aren't even sure he meant to say it aloud. His hands move from your face, now salty and wet, to run through his hair, tugging on the strands.

"That's what I've been off about. I've been scared that you're gonna..." You gesture wildly between the two of you, not sure what to call it.

"Kiss you?"

"Yes."

"Why would you be scared of me kissing you, Y/N?" He looks genuinely, honestly puzzled.

"Because... because I don't... I didn't know, and then this weekend the girls were all on about it and I had no idea what they were talking about, and they told me, and I just panicked, Theo. I had no idea." He's stood up now, and you're seconds behind him, standing still in the chilly air as he paces and presses his hands into his eyes. "If I'd known sooner, Teddy... I would've- I could've done something, I don't know, could've tried-"

He stops, now just in front of you. "If you knew?"

"If I knew that you felt that way-"

"I thought you knew!" The crack of his voice splits your chest in two, unaided by the tears beading in his eyes. You've never seen him cry. "I thought you knew! From the moment I crashed your cabin on the train, I thought you knew."

The two of you just stand there, staring at each other, as cold, biting raindrops start to fall from the sky. You fight to form words but absolutely comes to your brain and you can't do anything but stare at him as he continues.

He hasn't even opened his mouth to start the next sentence when you realize what you're going to hear. You can't tell if it's the rain or the pure dread coursing through your veins that's turning your fingers ice-cold as you shake your head "no" to something he hasn't even said yet.

"I've been in love with you since I was 13, Y/N/N." He's holding onto your hand with both of his like it's his only lifeline while he desperately spills words. "I am so in love with you. You turn my world. You are my absolute everything. It consumes me. I can't hold it anymore, Y/N," He cries. Your eyes are squeezed shut and it's a wonder you haven't broken his hand with how tightly you're holding it between you. "Please, please, please say something."

"I love you," He sucks in a breath and you open your eyes to meet his. "I love you so much, Teddy. More than anything." His hands are now on either side of your face, and your fingers are laced around his wrists. "But I'm not in love with you," You choke out, grip relaxing.

His forehead presses against yours and he does nothing to quiet to sobs racking his body as you pull him against you, wrapping your arms around his warm frame.

You whisper dozens of apologies and "I wish I dids" into his ear before he releases you and sits back on the bench, moving the thoroughly soaked book to the side so you can join him. His head is in his hands and his elbows rest on his knees, and you think that you've never seen him look so defeated.

Finally, you tear your eyes away from him and stare straight ahead at the ivy covered walls, praying that the silence swallows you whole.

It's practically deafening, actually, because the sound of his heart breaking is echoing across the stone.

Eventually, you speak up.

"I think... I think I should probably go, right?"

He picks his head up but doesn't look at you as he replies:

"Yeah, I think that's for the best."

[inkdemonapologist]

!!!!!!!!!!! New Cthulhu Season has started!! this time featuring:

The band at our fancy party started playing a song that Sammy INSTANTLY recognised as his own improv, played a year and some change ago from the balcony of a New Orleans hotel to calm his nerves, which really should not be turning up perfectly replicated here and unsettled him so much that he ended up trying to communicate this to Jack in the LEAST CLEAR WAY IMAGINABLE

we got a supernatural partycrasher at the fancy party which means wE GOT PROPHET IN A SUIT!!! FANCY PROPHET FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES!! his previously prophesied warning of what was to come included the phrase "a report that silences the tongue of ythill," which is apparently what this was, and he got SO EXCITED about the appearance of this weird man making people bleed from the eyes that he booted Sammy from the front to take it all in. THE TIME IS FINALLY AT HAND!!!

i also have a lil smattering of out-of-context quotes from session 1 if ur into that sort of thing: here under the cut!

[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (inkcryptid), Jack is played by Mochi (whatyouwantedmetosee) and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]

[Jack] Aw, there's no snow in the year before, so probably no snowball fights for Christmas, [GM] Well, we can invent our own, that's fine. [Sammy] It's the ONE difference! IDENTICAL TO OUR WORLD, except for on December 25th there was snow, don't worry about it. [GM] And tape recorders! [Sammy] There's tape recorders, and there was snow on December 25th, 1934. [Sammy] AND ALSO CTHULHU IS REAL. But other than that it's exactly the same. [GM] That's it, just those little things. [Henry] A minor detail.

[GM] Another question: Christmas is on a Tuesday, does the Studio get days off? [Joey] In the Cthulhu universe, yes… And It's All Henry's Fault.

[Jack] Anyone who failed their Sanity gain checks in '35 -- it's the anticipation. [Sammy] Yeah, it's just driving you absolutely bonkers that this prophecy still hasn't happened, can it go ahead and get it over with? I hate having this hanging over my head! [Sammy] And if you PASS your sanity check, and gained sanity, it could be that you're just INCREASINGLY IN DENIAL. Like, you know what? Maybe he forgot!

[Jack] Jack's the most likely to keep up with these poor people we keep roping into our nonsense! [Joey] Hey, HEY! [Jack] "Welcome to the group! You're only here for a little bit, but have some trauma! Trauma for you! And trauma for you! BYE"

[Sammy] We're like Absol. We're not CAUSING the trouble, but it IS in our wake, constantly. [Jack] Absol is 100% a modern teenage Joey Drew's fursona. [Joey] ….Yeah…

[Henry] Is it an easier apartment to get to, for Joey, than the one he has? [Joey] That is a really good question. [GM] It has ONE flight of stairs, but it doesn't have ten zillion flights, so I mean, it's better, probably! It DID have an evil ritual in it,

[Jack] *reading the inflation calculator* $1,000 in 1935 is… 22 thousand.. and a half… dollars????? [Joey] GREAT! *claps* STUDIO'S FUNDED! :D [Jack] Joey, no, [Sammy] You can do that with YOUR money, [Joey] I mean, that IS what's going to happen to Joey's money, Joey's just going to immediately dump it into the studio. Grant gets a LOVELY holiday present where suddenly, the numbers are not in the red anymore! [GM] This is how Grant doesn't become the final boss. [Sammy] Is that a present? IS THAT A PRESENT??? Grant looks at the numbers and they're suddenly bigger? WHAT'S HAPPENING [Jack] Sounds like a tax nightmare… he assumes his mind is broken, he's gone delusional, [Sammy] Joey's not thinking about how this affects TAXES he's just like, OH BOY! More money! Grant'll work that out. :) [Joey] Yeah! :D

[Sammy] Oh wow, mistletoe's been around for a while. [Sammy] …I say, as if mistletoe, the plant, is newly invented,

[Jack] We need to even the playing field; Henry's the highest, we need to drag him down to our level!

[GM] Let's say it's just you guys, and Peter and Susie, and Norman took off. [Sammy] Aw, don't wanna stay late? Old man, gotta get to bed? [GM] Maybe not if people are saying THAT at him,

*after finding a major ice rink was not built until 1936* [GM] Well, maybe everyone can do that when they DEFINITELY survive and come out victorious next year! :) [Sammy] ….survive?! Nothing's happened! It's a CHRISTMAS PARTY. [Jack] I HOPE we're surviving the Christmas Party, the food's not THAT bad, is it? [Henry] We solved your Christmas puzzle! [Jack] The Christmas Puzzle is how much food can we trick Joey into eating by handing it to him,

[Jack] Oh no, Spark's gone to… CATCOSA…. !

[Sammy] That's fine, Disney still hasn't caught up with us, so. [Jack] Well they're havin' this whole weird issue with like, ink and cultists, it's a bit weird… bunch of the staff started going missing…? [Sammy] *laughing* The entirety of Bendy and the Ink Machine happens, just OVER THERE. We averted it so now Disney has to do it.

[Henry] I will say, Henry's been a little uneasy all day. This doesn't affect anything, it's just for flavour. [GM] But he is in a really nice suit! [Sammy] Well THAT's why he's uneasy. They had to smooth his hair, and he's in a whole suit, [GM] In a vest that actually fits, [Henry] Unrecognisable. [Jack] Who is this stranger?

[GM] Make spot (hidden) checks! [Jack] *whispering* I hope it's Norman. [GM] Both of you spot a familiar face, before he's able to come accost you -- it's not Norman, it's Denis! [Sammy] oh gosh. [Joey] Well… I don't know if that's better or worse than my initial guess of Avedon,

[GM] He greets you all cheerful-like, "fancy meeting you here!" sort of thing-- [Sammy] Sammy still doesn't shake his hand. [GM] --he knows you as Joseph, doesn't he? [Joey] Oh no…. Joey was trying to hide his name in New Orleans… [Jack] That's fine, it's all about reinvention!

[Sammy] You know how in the Illusion of Living, Wally comes up and Joey randomly starts talking about how he's a great guy and a hard worker, and you're like, we were talking about something else ten seconds ago Joey PLEASE stay focused, [Sammy] Anyway, I'm imagining that but with Peter?

[Sammy] The Studio just had a big release last year, and I just got this really nice car! and *mumbling* those events aren't actually connected, BUT!! Through the power of leaving out the middle bit, you can assume they are!

[GM] Sammy, make a listen check! [Sammy] EXTREME SUCCESS, I rolled a THREE. [GM] Oh cool! Make a sanity check! [Sammy] oh no,,, [Joey] *Mario voice* HERE WE GO!

[Sammy] Sammy is gonna look at Joey, see that Joey is like…. in the midst of a conversational manoeuvre, and go, run try to find Jack. I don't know if he'll GET there, but, [GM] He can at least locate Jack, I would think, unless Jack is in a back room kissing boys or whatnot!

[GM] This guy is wearing a really severe, matte black suit, and has unnaturally white skin, his hair is black and very oiled in a severe widow's peak-- [Jack] It's him! Bendy Inkmachine!! [GM] I'm reading this description RIGHT from the book, I need you to know that.

[GM] The music's also definitely come to a stop, while all this was going on. And then there's a gunshot! And now there's just a big, yknow, panic, like you get! [Jack] Avedon's here! [Sammy] There'd be more French-accented yelling if Avedon were here. [Joey] I like how we're just going to end up willing Avedon into this scenario by making repeated "Avedon's here" jokes, [Jack] I mean, I've been trying to do the same with Norman, but it's either not working, or we haven't rolled Spot high enough to find him yet!

[GM] You guys get interviewed and asked what you saw, and what happened! [Sammy] …hang on, I gotta roll a check. [Sammy] *rolls* … OKAY COOL Sammy's back. [Joey] *laughing* Sammy interview, or Prophet interview? [Sammy] They were going to get a REALLY interesting interview if I rolled better on willpower!

[GM] Do you suppose Joey would've helped Susie shop for a dress that she could conceal a firearm in? [Joey] [Joey] sURE! [Joey] I mean I feel like, "would Joey help Susie shop for a dress," stop the sentence there: absolutely yes. There's other things to consider with dress? Well that just makes it a fun challenge now!

[GM] The police ask you what you saw. What do you tell them, about your experiences this evening? [Sammy] Sammy didn't see a lot. There was some commotion and a gunshot. [Joey] Yeah, I think Joey's just going to report that he just heard commotion happening up front, and quickly decided that he wasn't interested in commotion!

[Henry] Who was it who saw people with bloody eyes? [Sammy] Uh, that was Sammy, he's not mentioning that part.

[Jack] *rolls* Normal success for Jack. [Henry] *rolls* Hard success! [Sammy] *rolls* EXTREME success, I rolled a ten! [Joey] *rolls* …what's the fumble point, again?

[GM, as Denis] "There was a yellow sign at the Mardi Gras party last year! I thought it was a lucky charm, but I guess… it wasn't? I had a friend who said it wasn't, actually. You should watch out for those signs. Yes." [Joey] *so tired* Okay, that's… that's fine… [Henry] "Very helpful, thank you." [Jack] (This guy's great, can we keep him?) [Joey] (NO.)

[Henry] Henry is going to have so much anxiety. Like, just in general, but over this, too. [Sammy] "going to"??? [Henry] *laughing* No, you're right. What I'm learning is that Henry CAN slide into being mostly even-headed about crises, but he has to have a moment of "Oh God, oh fuck, oh geez" first. [GM] I think Peter does that in reverse. [Sammy] Yeah, that makes sense -- Sammy just shoots straight for "OH COOL, WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!!"

[GM] How much do you suppose these boys are up on vernacular and slang? [Henry] Henry might've picked up something from his kids, that's all I've got [Sammy] That's cute… Henry knows what yeet means... [Joey] I WAS ALSO GONNA SAY HENRY KNOWS WHAT YEET MEANS,

[Sammy] I do appreciate Jack being the one to notice that the prophecy might be a pun.

[Sammy] What do we even DO with this? What do we do next… [Joey] *muttering* That's what I've been trying to think of for the last like… half hour, Sammy…! [Joey] This isn't Joey-voice, this is just me-voice. [Jack] Yeah, Joey would never admit weakness in front of Peter Sunstram. [Joey] Yeah. Correct.

[Jack] Well if anyone else wants coffee, Jack might end up makin' some! [Jack] You know, that 11:30 coffee.

[Sammy] "Well, if he plays clarinet, let us know." [GM] Peter tips his head as if he's thinking of looking that up -- not looking it up, looking into it! [Jack] Yeah, just google it, Pete! What are you waiting for! [GM] On his cell phone, [Jack] You gotta pull out your Bendyphone! [Sammy] JDS is responsible for all anachronistic devices.

[Jack] Is It An Insanity Or Is It Just The ADHD

[Joey] Is Joey gonna make stupid decisions…? [Sammy] JOEY,,, [Sammy] Augh, I should've gone with him, [Joey] *rolls* *starts cackling maniacally* [Jack] *deadpan* Oh gee I wonder what the result is, [Joey] *audibly grinning* Joey might try to dream spell… Y? [Sammy] WHAT?! [Henry] Joey what are you doing…. [Sammy] JOEY DREW!!!

[Henry] I roll to see if Henry's "Joey's Doing Something Stupid" senses are tingling [Joey] Yeah, I think it's fair for Henry to have a "Is Joey Doing Something Stupid" sense that goes off fifty percent of the time, [Sammy] It's NOT USEFUL because it's ALWAYS HAPPENING,

[hd-wireless]

🎶 H/D Wireless Fic 🎶

📻 Mr Blue Sky 

🎵 Explicit, 69,024  ❗ Warnings/Tags: Ensemble Cast, Comedy, Humor, Pregnancy, Between Ron and Hermione not Harry and Draco, Molly Weasley Bashing (Temporary), Calendar fic, Facial Shaving, mentions of drinking, The Burrow, canon-typical ableist language, Getting high, wizarding drugs, Depression, It's a silly goofy story but yes there's depression, Runner Harry Potter, Mind/Mood Altering Substances, pregnancy, mood swings, Anger, Fist Fights, Implied Ikea Furniture, Ensemble Comedy, Existential Questions, mentions of suicidal ideation, Childbirth, Chaotic birth experiences, but not traumatic. 🎵 Song Prompt: ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by ‘Electric Light Orchestra’ 

🎵 Summary: 

"Mr Blue Sky, please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long...'" After five years, Malfoy had finally escaped house arrest, and he moved in just a few streets down from Grimmauld Place. Overnight, the Daily Prophet seemed to fall in love with him. For his charity work, and his charming smile, and—Harry was sure—his prattish fucking personality. No matter how hard Harry tried, he couldn't stop running into him.  He had bigger problems, though. His best friends in the world were having a baby together, which was fantastic, except that they weren't sure he could hold it together well enough to be Godfather.  But despite being flat broke, with a dead dad, and no one willing to risk hiring him, Malfoy appeared to be completely in control of the narrative surrounding his newfound freedom. Maybe Harry could learn a thing or two from the best of the best.  After all, he had the entire pregnancy to convince Ron and Hermione he was perfectly, entirely, 100% fine. If sometimes he had to fistfight Malfoy about it, well, that was nothing new.

Read on AO3

[loudrats]

Loud Rats Book Club 2023

This year the rats became literate!

We suggested a number of books each month and then voted on one to read (somehow Fish managed to read all 12 of them… wild!). The ones in red are the winners, but there are some other really good books in there.

Hopefully you can find your next favourite read below! :)

January

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson

The Butchering Art by Lindsay Fitzharris

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

Pirates and Prejudice by Kara Louise

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

February

Adua by Igiaba Scego

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

March

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Humans by Matt Haig

Cane by Jean Toomer

Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (#1 Broken Earth Trilogy)

Young Mungo by Douglas Stewart

April

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrel

Dubliners by James Joyce

The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

May

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Where You Come From by Saša Stanišić

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

June

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

Our Hideous Progeny by C. E. McGill

Swimming in the dark by Tomasz Jędrowski

Girls like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 17 by Jeff Kinney

Zami: A New Spelling of my Name by Audre Lorde

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

July

Kid Youtuber 9: Everything is Fine by Marcus Emerson, Noah Child

Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella

Hit Parade Of Tears by Izumi Suzuki

When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back: Carl's Book by Naja Marie Aidt

Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Mapping the Interior by Stephan Graham Jones

August

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Small Game by Blair Braverman

Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi

September

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

The Employees: A workplace novel of the 22nd century by Olga Ravn

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

October

Linghun by Ai Jiang

Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moira Fowley-Doyle

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

Catch the Rabbit by Lana Bastašić

Kindred by Octavia Butler

November

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Life For Sale by Yukio Mishima

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Liberation Day by George Saunders

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

December

Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

I visited the WGA library to read Yellowjackets scripts and wanted to share some of my findings! (Pt. 3)

Here are my notes for 1x04! Quotation marks indicate direct lines from the script, whereas everything else is me paraphrasing.

Note: You can find an early version of 1x04 on Script Slug, but this must have been a very early version because many things are different. The notes I have here are not on that version of the script, rather they are on the final version of the script that ended up being used for the episode, so there will just be some new details and deleted scenes but no major plot differences between the script here and what we saw in the episode.

1x04 “Bear Down”

A lot of this is going to be about Nat because this is kind of her episode!

•During Nat’s plane crash nightmare in the opening scene, the script says that Adult Nat briefly appears in the seat next to her father before being replaced by Teen Nat again. I thought this was interesting, I wonder what the writers are trying to say by having a flash of Adult Nat here, does it contribute to the whole “We’ve been here for years” line when Nat dies? A representation of how Nat is essentially stuck in this place even 25 years later?

But also, the dream is Teen Nat’s dream, not Adult Nat’s, so is this would mean the dream is prophetic in a sense because Nat is seeing her future self for a moment. Maybe that’s why they cut it out? Or was it just because Juliette wasn’t available for such a small scene?

•Also in the dream sequence, the rifle Nat sees on her lap is noted by the script to be the same one she eventually uses to hunt in the wilderness. Another prophetic piece to Nat’s dream.

All of that combined with Nat’s dad’s line of “It’s been waiting for us” shows that, even though Nat is the biggest skeptic in the wilderness, she is one of the first people the wilderness speaks to and gives prophetic visions to.

•Nat is said to be 14 years-old when her father dies. The script says she and Kevyn are 14 in that scene and the year is specified as 1993. I have always wondered how old she was supposed to be in that scene!

(But it’s worth noting that they might have aged her up a year in the final product because, in the script, the cassette she pops into her boom box when her and Kevyn enter her room is the album Where You Been by Dinosaur Jr., which came out in 1993. However, in the actual episode, Nat puts in the song “Feel the Pain” by Dinosaur Jr. instead, which came out in 1994. So this scene might actually be in 1994 in the final product despite what the script says.)

•Teen Kevyn Tan is absolutely hopelessly in love with Nat in the flashback scene. He’s described as “clearly nervous to be in the bedroom of his crush” and starts coloring his nails with Sharpie just to distract himself from his anxiety.

Then Nat pats the bed for him to sit next to her and Kevyn is “thrumming with hormones and anxiety.” When Nat takes Kevyn’s hand to start painting his nails, we get this description:

“For Kevyn, her gentle touch, her careful attention…he’s in heaven. And simultaneously deep inside the hell of his own desire. Should he kiss her? Would she hate that?”

Nat is described as “oblivious” to Kevyn’s feelings in this moment.

I think these descriptions help us understand how much Kevyn idealizes Natalie in his head. He has this unrealistic, romanticized view of her even 25 years later when they meet again as adults. He likes the idea of her, but when he actually sees her trauma (and sees her as an actual person) he distances himself.

•There are some…interesting descriptions of Shauna and Adam getting freaky in the script. This girl is scratching him hard enough to draw blood, choking him, putting her fingers in his mouth, etc. This shows how Shauna is using Adam to relive the adrenaline she felt in the wilderness.

•When Travis points the gun at Nat, the rest of the girls scatter and run away in fear, but Nat stays perfectly still, staring him down.

•While Taissa is talking to Diane about her political campaign and Diane asks her what “really happened out there,” Tai hears wolves howling in the distance. Poor Tai is more traumatized by Van’s wolf attack than Van is.

•When Kevyn and Nat meet for dinner as adults, they reminisce about breaking into the chem lab at school and stealing equipment to make bongs. My fun little headcanon is that Nat got caught during this incident and the principal put her on the soccer team to set her on the right path.

•Also in this scene, Kevyn notes that he last saw Nat “twenty-two years ago,” which means he and Nat were in contact for a year or two after the rescue. I’m thinking Nat probably stayed in Wiskayok for a year after they were rescued and just decided to cut all ties at some point and leave town, ghosting everyone she knew there.

There’s this line as well:

“Kevyn: You were my best friend and you just…

You fucking ghosted me.”

•There’s another deleted scene (which they did film and we actually got to briefly see it in the trailer for the episode but they took it out of the final product for some reason!) where Adult Nat is looking in the mirror after her date with Kevyn, having mixed feelings about her grief over Travis and her new feelings for Kevyn, and she sees her Teen self behind her in the mirror imitating her movements. A little trauma regression moment and I’m not sure why it was cut. I’m just salty because I love when Sophie Thatcher and Juliette Lewis are in a room together. But here’s a photo of it:

•There’s an interesting part where Shauna finds Javi’s journal and looks through it. The journal has a bunch of drawings in it (wildlife sketches, comic book characters, etc.) that are described as really good; Javi’s talent as an artist is emphasized by the script.

I think this some subtle proof that the writers initially intended for Adam to be Adult Javi, with the obvious nod to the artist talent and I feel like the scripts for these early episodes highlight the closeness between Javi and Shauna in the wilderness more. The writers did confirm that they originally wanted Javi to be Adam, so I think you can see some details that support that in the scripts.

•Before Nat pulls the trigger on her dad, she feels “years of humiliation and thwarted rage” and she automatically “stiffens” when he steps towards her. Just a reminder of how much this man traumatized her!

•When Shauna butchers the deer for the first time, she is described as feeling a “thrill she’s never felt before.” This goes back to her sexual relationship with Adam in the adult timeline, that adrenaline from her role as the butcher that she misses and is trying to recreate.

•When Shauna returns home from her antics with Adam, Jeff asks, “How was book club?” and Shauna immediately vomits all over the floor🫢

[lopez-richter-fangirl]

The Tin Can Bros have launched a kickstarter to celebrate their 10 year anniversary with SEVEN new projects, and they need our help!

Read on to find out how:

This is Brian Rosenthal, Corey Lubowich and Joey Richter

You may know them from Team Starkid, or you may know them from their own group the Tin Can Brothers (creators of projects such as Spies Are Forever and the Solve it Squad), formed in 2014. To celebrate 10 years, they’re raising a goal of $200k in order to stage seven projects

They’re currently a week into their campaign and have raised almost $50k with 675 backers. But they still have a way to go! And to help, we need to spread the word

TINLIGHTENMENT PROMO SCHEDULE:

Saturday 10th - The Great Debate

What is it?

A live comedy game show featuring Joey, Brian, Corey and special guests pitted against each other to win a debate. It gets silly!

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows in LA (and potentially other places!) throughout the year, digital tickets, and eventually some ‘episodes’ on youtube!

What can I share?

If you’ve been lucky enough to see past great debates on Patreon, talk about favourite topics and moments!

If you haven’t, share moments and clips from the first public great debate livestream happening on Thursday! (I think - if plans are changed then they’re doing a terrible job letting me help them)

Talk about guests! They talked about a Dropout crossover which I know people have been asking for with Starkid. I don’t know what that is but tell the people that do!

Tuesday 13th - Gross Prophets

What is it?

A brand new comedy musical featuring Joey, Brian and Lauren with music by Ali Gordon and Angela Parrish (shitty broadway! https://youtu.be/AZ-bOPiDqo8?si=F6guq3Pk_lOkCB5B)

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows (some workshop-y) in LA leading up to a run at the Adelaide Fringe, with digital tickets and eventual youtube release

What can I share?

We don’t know a whole lot about this project yet, but we do know it’s got a great cast and creative team - talk about those people!

That it’s going to Adelaide!! Australia is frequently in the top backing countries on kickstarters, and those people finally get a chance to see a TCB show live!

Theories on what the show might involve!

Saturday 17th - SIS at the Fringe

What is it?

An Edinburgh Fringe run of the fucked up Scooby Doo parody, with the original cast!

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows throughout the entire Edinburgh Fringe run in August, or a digital ticket!

What can I share?

This is an existing TCB property, so talk about what you love from the original! Share art, gifs, edits, anything!

That it’s going to Edinburgh! As above, UK fans have been desperate for this for ages, now’s our chance! Make sure people know about it!

Tuesday 20th - Spy Another Day LA and London

What is it?

A live concert screening (Hollywood Bowl meets Rocky Horror!) of Spies with most of the original cast for LA and TCB plus Lauren for London!

How will I be able to see it?

A live show in LA in Spring (likely April) with a digital ticket option, and a live show in London in early September following their SIS fringe run

What can I share?

Like with SIS, anything and everything you love about the original show! Angsty fics, art, memes, it’s all good

Joe Walker. To me personally he’s just A Guy, but some people are still shocked to be learning he’s doing a show again! Get those OG fans to support this!

That it’s going to London. I need Joey doing a passable to decent depending on how much he’s practiced English accent in London! And again, an opportunity for one of the highest backing cities to see them LIVE

Saturday 24th - TCBoB at 54 Below

What is it?

The songs from their musical This Could Be on Broadway in concert at 54 Below in New York City, with Joey, Brian, Lauren, Esther, Bryce and Clark, plus more performers to be announced!

How will I be able to see it?

Live in NYC in November, with a digital ticket option

What can I share?

The first workshop only got a digital ticket release but if you caught that, share favourite parts! And the soundtrack is available, so talk about how fucking good the songs are

The fact that it’s an opportunity for people to hear these songs live!

Tuesday 27th - Intelligent Life

What is it?

A reading of TCB’s queer sci-fi comedy TV pilot

How will I be able to see it?

Live in LA in early Summer, or by digital ticket

What can I share?

Like with Gross Prophets, this is a brand new (to us) project so we don’t know a lot! But we do know it’s gays in space! We love space gays

Remember, these are just ideas. Share anything you personally are excited for and think other people might be interested in! The aim is to make sure people are aware of these projects, what they entail and why they need to happen! Any other way you have of getting the word out about the projects and the campaign in general is valuable!!

Join our discord for more ways to help or to ask questions! https://discord.gg/4VNEBzpA

And if you’re hearing about all this for the first time, check out the campaign! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tincanbros/tinlightenment-world-tour

[zelinktines24]

Masterlist 2024

Hey everyone! We had so many entries this year, wow! Here's the master list which wouldn't exist without @deiliamedlini having painstakingly put it together! Thank you again, Deilia! 🫶

I got feedback that more of you want to do a multi-chapter fic next year, so l'm going to try to release the prompts a bit earlier.

Chaptered Fics covering all prompts:

Third Time's A Charm -@mistresslrigtar

Cozy Cozy: A Zelinktines Story- @eugenerapunzel A Warm Embrace- @cjracingpnf First Snow- @writingnocturne Cherished- @sparklyhyperbole Cozy-@gathoscorner

Glow Glow: A Zelinktines Story- eugenerapunzel Flickers- @taapje Past Love- writingnocturne

Reunion Reunion- @floraunderground Reunion- @pitchblackespresso Reunion: A Zelinktine's Story- eugenerapunzel A Century to Fall In Love- @zelzenik To have a choice- @zeldaelmo

Blush A Warm Embrace- cjracingpnf Blush- @louwhose Spring- @wildpeanut Birthday Seal-ebrations- sparklyhyperbole

Sun: To the Moon and Back: From the Sun- @aurathian From the Sky- writingnocturne

Moon From the Sky- writingnocturne Zelink: The Full Moon Fever- @legofanguy To The Moon and Back: To the Moon- aurathian

Stars From the Sky- writingnocturne Stars- @unicorn30067a To The Moon and Back- And even the stars- aurathian Stars- @legofanguy1999 Star- sparklyhyperbole

Bonding Cooking Lessons- pitchblackespresso Bonding with the Princess: A Zelinktines Story- eugenerapunzel Sparring- wildpeanut Bonding- @gathoscorner To have a family- dubiiousfood

A Watery Smile A Watery Smile- louwhose Nightmares- wildpeanut A Watery Smile: A Zelinktines Story- eugenerapunzel A Watery Smile- @floraunderground

Melody An Encounter in Kokiri Forest- louwhose Moving On: ALttP; Zelinktines Melody- @daemosdaen Zelink: Our Song- legofanguy1999

Heartbeat Heartbeat- unicorn30067a Zelink: By a Heartbeat- legofanguy1999 Heartbeat- @kokiriforestspirit

Dusk Dusk to Dawn: Dusk- aurathian

Dawn Dawn to Dusk: Dawn- aurathian Famous Prophets (Stars)- @korokposting

Rumors Rumors- aurathian Rumors- legofanguy1999

That's My Shirt That's My Tunic: A Zelinktines Story- eugenerapunzel Zelinktines: That is my Shirt- legofanguy Of Breakfast and Buttons- @railtracer30

Dare Zelink: A Challenge to Kiss the Captain- legofanguy The Dubious Delite- railtracer30 The Flowers Rage- @dubiiousfood

Fire Soup, Sandwiches, and Burnt Ends- railtracer30 Zelink: By the Housefire- legofanguy Permafrost: Bolero of Fire- aurathian

Ice Bumping the Shoulder- railtracer30 Ice- @unicorn30067a Zelink: Lesson in Ice Skating- legofanguy Permafrost: Serenade of Water- aurathian Ice Skating- dubiiousfood Icebreakers- @ladyhoneydee

Secret Resignation- railtracer30 The Fixed Eye- @bahbahhh A Secret of the Hero of Twilight and His Queen- legofanguy Enough- wildpeanut

Diary Diary- legofanguy1999 Excerpts from the Personal Diary of One Zelda Artemis Hyrule, Mj- railtracer30 Dear Diary- cjracingpnf

Breathless Zelink: Lost Breathing Without You- legofanguy Stabilizing Agent- railttracer30 Oh, You Fill My Lungs With Sweetness- @crazybananacakes

The Worst Pickup Line Last Sheikah Standing- railtracer30 A Broken Knife a Day Doesn't Keep the Blacksmith Away- louwhose

Sentimental Memento Mama- railtracer30 Zelink: The Hero of Time Return- legofanguy Sentimental- legofanguy1999

Candles Dining in the Dark- railtracer30

Just a Kiss Just a Kiss- legofanguy1999 Just a Kiss: A Zelinktines Story- eugenerapunzel Kiss Me, Stupid- railtracer30 Just a Kiss- @jullbnt

Dancing? Here? The Fixed Eye (part 2)- bahbahhh The Barefoot Waltz- railtracer30 The New School Teacher- louwhose

Veil Zelink: Wedding Veil- legofanguy Cherished- sparklyhyperbole

Make a Wish The Care of the Goddess- railtracer30 Of Trust and Trickery- sparklyhyperbole What Did You Wish For?- cjracingpnf Promise- writingnocturne

Here's the link to the Ao3 collection! Some fics that aren't on Tumblr in there, so make sure to check it out!

If we overlooked an entry, please let us know and we'll fix it!

[itsnevercasual]

Soldier, Poet, King

pairing: harry styles x fay!reader

summary: amidst a fay hunt in your village, you fled to a different town far away. a human town. wanting to keep your identity a secret, you allow the townspeople to name you angelina. you're doing fine in the town until a mysterious man appears for unknown reasons. harry. and you don't trust him one bit.

warnings: cursing, violence, a religion similar to christianity gets bashed (not actual christianity though), magic (duh), angst, slowburn, some triggering topics such as abuse, murder, and sa.

—

thankfully, harry didn’t have to wait long to spot angelina, or angel, again.

he was wandering around the square, looking at the different merchants, when he heard that silky smooth voice.

“in my old village, we had a story.”

“what story!” the children gathered around her cheered. she was sitting on the well, and harry almost worried that she’d fall back, into the well.

“it was a legend about three people.. and we had a little song for it, too.”

“sing the song, miss angelina!”

“sing it!”

she laughed, “if you wish.”

she stood up on the well and began dancing around.

“there will come a soldier who carries a mighty sword,” she posed as if she was holding a sword. the children giggled.

harry came closer, still lingering in the shadows.

“he will tear your city down, oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, lord. he will tear your city down. oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord.”

the townspeople who gathered began clapping and stomping to cheer her on.

“there will come a poet whose weapon is his word,” she bent down to the children’s level. “he will slay you with his tongue,” she snapped her fingers in a kids face. he jumped and she laughed a silvery laugh. “oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, lord. he will slay you with his tongue. oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord.”

“there will come a ruler whose brow is laid in thorn,” she grabbed a book from someone and set it on her head, balancing it as she walked across the cobblestone platform of the well. “smeared with oil like david’s boy. oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, lord. smeared with oil like david’s boy. oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, lord. he will tear your city down. oh lei, oh lai, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, lord. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai. oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh..”

and then everyone in the town shouted, “hey!”

everyone flooded out of the square and went back to their lives. their parents grabbed them and yanked them away, scowling.

angelina, however, smiled as she hopped off the well.

“the soldier, the poet, and the king,” someone commented behind her as she walked away.

she turned around to see who shocked her, and saw harry.

“you know it?”

not many human people do. it was a fay folktale from many years ago. it predicted exactly how their kind had grown scarce. the introduction of the new religion deemed them evil beings. people came to slaughter them, so as to cleanse the world of evil. the soldier. the poet was their supposed prophets who heard this all-powerful deity. the poet. their deity wore a crown of thorns. the king. the remaining fay villages still sang the song, because it could very well happen again. and they didn’t want to forget their ancestors.

“i do. it was very famous where i came from.”

she inhaled, before, “and where is that?”

“where is what?”

“where you’re from. you’ve got an accent.”

"so do you," he pointed out.

"mine is still of this country."

he hummed before answering, "overseas."

"overseas?" she gaped. she hadn't been aware there were lands overseas.

he nodded, "what about you?"

"a village. far, far away from here--"

"another world from yours," they said in unison. her head snapped to meet his gaze. he held a knowing smirk.

"how did you know i'd say that?"

"i've asked around about you."

she tensed, "why?"

"you confuse me. i'm curious."

"well, stop," she snapped before storming off.

—

she didn’t see much of harry for the next few weeks as the winds grew colder. winter solstice was approaching, and angelina very much wished she could go home for solstice.

until she got a letter from the postman.

nobody mailed her.

except…

“miss—“

she clocked the feeling of magic from this postman immediately.

“do not say my name here,” she quickly told him. she stared for a moment before recognizing him. alvaro. a fay from her village who would often find fays hiding in human towns to send them intel.

in this case, her.

“i apologize. but.. the people here do not know it. i figured it’d be safer this way.”

“right. of course. from.. the motherland.”

motherland.

her mother. that’s what they’d say so humans didn’t know they had family elsewhere.

“thank you.”

he nodded before leaving. she shut the door and went upstairs, to her rooms.

she grabbed a letter opener and broke the wax seal, making sure to preserve it. her mother had the most beautiful seals.

dearest —

she paused. someone could break into her house and read this. she skimmed the letter and made sure to block out her name anywhere it was said.

dearest —

i hope this letter finds you well. we have taken up residence in the olden lands. i couldn’t bear to not have my daughter home for solstice, —. so, i have made sure, and it is safe. please come home for solstice. i have figured out where you have taken residence in. a word of warning: be wary of those you do not know, and even more wary of those you do. it is the least expected who betray us. anyway, in order to find us, look inside your heart and find the river. follow it where your gut tells you. that is where we are.

please return by the second night before solstice celebrations. we are beginning festivities. please, do not bring friends unless fay. we cannot risk it.

love,

your mother.

she smiled. she could return home for solstice. and although the directions would’ve made no sense to anyone else, she knew exactly where her coven resided.

you see, solstice was a big deal for all fays. but fays were grouped in covens, who all worked and functioned differently. typically, most covens all had one general ability. her coven was different. her coven had all kinds of abilities. one thing that was the same for all fays, however, was that solstice was a celebration. decorations, festivals, presents, everything like that. and fays were their most powerful on solstice, so her coven had.. a ritual, of sorts. you weren’t allowed in on it until you were thirteen, so she’d only experienced one before she’d fled. she hadn’t celebrated with her coven since.

the ritual was one of gaining the power for the coven. the women would travel into the woods (the women went only because female fays tended to be stronger, and the ritual also required only women. men were allowed to watch, though. they simply couldn’t participate, and celebrate mother nature for getting through another season, and creating their kind.

in gratitude for their thanks, mother nature would give them power that they’d share with the coven.

fays were always powerful, but solstice was like a recharge. it wasn’t as if powers could fizzle out, but if a fay was either older or younger, their powers would need more refreshing.

solstice was in a month. and if they were living where she knew they had to be, it’d be a week journey, meaning she had three weeks to prepare. solstice was only one day, but festivities lasted a week—

suddenly, she had a gut feeling. see, fays had intuition. and with their coven, it was stronger than it was with any random stranger. she could sense if someone in her coven was in danger. and who it was that was in danger.

and she felt like alvaro was in danger.

she dropped the letter and ran down the stairs, and out the door of the flower shop.

she followed the pull of her magic, like a rope, until she was led into an alleyway. she hid and listened in.

“what is your business?”

“i was delivering mail! nothing else!”

“to whom?”

“i— i..”

“to me. unhand him, harry. now,” she demanded. she was right. harry was untrustworthy and dangerous.

and for some reason, harry did as she said. he removed the dagger at alvaro’s neck and pushed him away, towards angelina.

she grabbed him and pulled him behind her. she turned quickly to whisper, “go home. do not tell the others of this. i have it under control. now go.”

alvaro nodded and ran off. angelina composed herself and crossed her arms.

“is there a reason you were threatening him?”

“who sent you mail?” he fired back.

“my mother invited me home for the holidays,” she simply answered. it was a common enough occurrence.

“i didn’t take you as one to celebrate the forthcoming.”

that was the new religion’s holiday. a sad excuse for solstice. it wasn’t celebrated on solstice, but they celebrated similarly. trees and presents and festivities. only theirs lasted one day.

she shrugged, before there was a beat.

“walk with me,” he said. not a question, an order.

she sighed before following him as he walked. they began walking through town square in silence. it wasn’t too busy.

“you are a mystery,” he said.

“i don’t try to be.” a lie. she did.

“i want to know why you let everyone call you angelina.”

“a name is the definition of who a person is. if they think i’m angelina, then i’m angelina.”

“but that isn’t your birth name.”

he said it as if he already knew the answer, “no. it isn’t.”

“so it isn’t a true definition of who you are. your birth name is your definition.”

“i suppose you are right.”

after that, he dropped the subject. and began doing anything he could to make her laugh. and as she was laughing at him attempting to juggle some apples from a merchant booth, she heard a name behind her.

“angelina?” the voice was betrayed.

she tensed and turned around. aven was standing there, looking betrayed. of course, she did. she thought harry could be her suitor.

“what is wrong with you?” she asked before storming away.

“aven, wait!” she called, chasing after her.

aven stopped and whirled around. “you knew i liked him!”

“no! all i knew was that you said a man came into town and he was suitor age! i didn’t know! nothing is going on, we are only talking!”

“you’re such a liar, angelina. about everything! angelina isn’t even your name!”

even if it was true, that hurt. her lies weren’t hurting anyone. they were to protect herself.

“do not pull that aven, you know why i don’t tell people my name!”

aven had asked one day, and angelina answered.

“where i came from.. it got too dangerous. my family and i were trying to escape and i got lost. i didn’t want the people chasing us to find me.”

“no, i know the vague answer you gave me that answered nothing at all! talk to me when you’re ready to actually tell me your name.”

she stormed off, and angelina stood still, blinking away tears.

a hand grabbed her wrist and she jumped, ripping it off.

“it’s just me.”

harry.

as if that was any more comforting after he tried to slit alvaro’s throat.

she turned around. “i don’t want to see you again,” she said.

“what?”

“you just ruined the only friendship i had.”

this was irrational, she knew that. it wasn’t harry’s fault. it was hardly even her fault. but harry was dangerous and had too many questions. he was curious. and she knew he’d figure her secret out, and then she’d be dead.

“don’t do that, angel,” he warned.

“goodbye, harry,” she mumbled, turning and walking away. she was barely fifteen feet away, when he spoke again.

“i know you’re a fay.”

it was said like a threat. her blood ran cold, and she froze.

shit.

—

a/n: .. hey.. !!!!!

taglist: @boomitsallie1

[raven-trait]

Savannah Brown for @dreambot's Lovers Rock BC

Savannah is twenty-eight, from Del Sol Valley and she's a groupie. Already as a child she had started to have a certain interest in rock stars. She used to watch music videos on SimsTV and think that those musicians and singers were really cool with those edgy outfits, while they played and sang songs with a meaning that was still unclear for little Savannah. When she became a teenager, the lyrics of the songs began to become deep and clear, and who composed them became an idol or even a prophet to her. When her favorite band (the Rotten Hearts) finally did a concert in Del Sol Valley, Savannah didn't think twice and tried to sneak backstage (the rest is history).

Yes, she is that girl to whom the lead singer of Rotten Hearts dedicated one of the band's most famous singles. Now the Rotten Hearts have disbanded and Savannah finds herself searching for her new obsession love.

-Her unconditional admiration for her idols comes from the fact that she has never had stable parental figures given that both her parents had problems with alcohol, music has always been her only consolation.

-When she started following Rotten Hearts on tour, she was twenty years old.

-Savannah always says that "what happened with the band stays with the band" but if she likes you, she might tell you the adventures and secrets of her idols.

-There are rumors that the lead singer of Rotten Hearts asked her to marry him but she rejected him because the band had broken up

-Even though the band was quite young and famous, its members decided to separate after a few years (Savannah knows why but says she'll never reveal it).

-She loves being around people, especially famous ones.

-It's difficult to understand if she is actually in love with someone famous or if it's simply all a result of her idealization, in both cases she will never cheat, at least until that person stops being interesting

[sitp-recs]

Hello heart ! I love your rescs and was thinking of ordering something! Currently I have already finished reading your 4 voolumenes (possibly have a session for this couple) the fact is that I am looking for something specific. I adore dramatic declrations! I was wondering if you had any fanfic in mind with anything related! I love it when Darry surprises everyone! It also works if they are declarations of marriage or even declarations of change of sides in the war! Anything drarry that surprises the world!

Hello hello! Oh that’s a really interesting ask, I love that concept! I have a reclist for dramatic love confessions here, but I think you might also enjoy these fics. This reclist clearly got a bit out of hand (as per lol) so I’ve shortened the summaries to keep it clean, hope that’s ok!

I, Ferret by curiouslyfic (T, 2k)

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(Un)Calculated Risk by @l0vegl0wsinthedark (E, 7k)

He thought about the way Harry looked at him, smiled at him; about the way Draco’s head was nearly always full of him, all day every day, and about the way Draco sometimes deliberately went to bed still smelling of him, refusing to acknowledge what it meant.

Gravity Centered by carpemermaid (E, 7k)

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are two of the best flyers in the International Professional Broom Racing League.

Silence series by RurouniHime (E, 10k)

It was his battle, yet he never hurt me, and he could have.

A Song, Incomplete by RurouniHime (E, 11k)

Draco’s photograph took up the entire top half of the Prophet’s front page. Below the photo: DRACO MALFOY DEFENDS SON OF FORMER LOVER. As if that were breaking news.

I'll never be your chosen one by @andithiel (E, 15k)

Draco doesn't know what exactly he’s doing with Potter, he doesn't know how their unspoken agreement even started, and doesn't know where it will end. The only thing he knows is: he's not in love.

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Between covert Legilimency links and Polyjuice disguises and running and running and running, Draco has forgotten what it is like to have a safe harbor that isn’t a person.

Reparatio by astolat (E, 17k)

Draco snorted. “I’m not reduced to penury. I want something considerably beyond money, and I rather think you’re the only one can give it to me.”

Touch Me Fall by @lqtraintracks (E, 23k)

Malfoy was such a ponce. And he was a complete snob. And he was so fucking fit Harry wanted to jump him where he sat. It would be too easy to forget his objective tonight: to really, really, really get Malfoy out of his system.

Expecto Patronum by @writcraft (E, 35k)

As Draco Malfoy negotiates his feelings for the wizarding world's brightest star, he becomes increasingly attached to Harry and unravels the secrets he keeps hidden from the rest of the world.

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After a messy, public divorce and a disgraceful exit from the Auror Department, Harry is trying to rebuild his life as a private investigator.

Rush (For A Gap That Exists) by @sleepstxtic (E, 42k)

A story of love and loss that grew amidst the most infamous rivalry in Formula One history: the story of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

The Greatest Game by @sleepstxtic (E, 45k)

The Greatest Game is something more. The drama, the tension, the narrative that the other games lack. There is a story here. Two rivals with a history spanning years; the oldest, most illustrious prize to be won.

Knockturn Soulmates series by @xanthippe74 (M, 60k)

Fate brought them together. Now the real work begins, as Harry and Draco try to merge their starkly different lives without being torn away from everything they hold dear.

The Compact by astolat (E, 64k)

Hermione frowned. “The real question is why the magic of Britain would be failing now, in fact.”. “That is not the real question!” Ron said loudly. “The real question is, how do we fix it?”

A Thousand Beautiful Things by geoviki (M, 104k)

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend.

Far From The Tree by aideomai (E, 112k)

The arrival of Harry Potter’s children—snapped back in time, the children themselves guessed, twenty or so years—was the most interesting thing to happen at Hogwarts for years.

When Times are Dire by @aibidil (E, 130k)

Magical Britain is screwed, and it's once again up to Harry to save it. This time, by marrying Draco Malfoy.

By the Grace by lettered (T, 139k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

Things Worth Knowing by Femme and noeon (E, 164k)

After the Battle, Harry thinks he's left Hogwarts for good, but Minerva insists that all students return for an Eighth Year if they wish to sit for NEWTs in the spring, and Harry needs those NEWTs to go into the Aurors.

[writing-intheundercroft]

Tried and True - O. Gaunt

Pairing: Ominis Gaunt x M!MC

Word Count: 4,460

Rating: T

Summary: Days after the events in the Scriptorium, Ominis can tell something is up with the new fifth year.

A/N: Back from my one shot drought! @darch7995 sent me a prompt for Ominis x M!MC, listen to the audio here. Inspired by the Boygenius song True Blue. This is also my first stab at writing a male mc!

“I don’t want to learn the curse, but I can handle the pain.  Cast the cruciatus curse on me.”

Ominis shut his eyes tightly, hands balling up into fists as he listened to Sebastian and their new friend pace in front of the blasted entryway.  He felt the bile rising in his throat as he thought about their situation–stuck in a hallway, with only the worst torture known to wizardkind as the solution.  Either Ominis would have to defy everything he ever believed in, his own personal principles to cast the cruciatus curse on one of his friends, or become a pile of bones on the floor like his Aunt Noctua.

Ominis dry heaved at the thought of his sweet, loving aunt’s body nearby. He’d doubled over, gasping with his hands on his knees as he listened to the boys formulate their plan.  He wanted to scream when their new friend offered to take the cruciatus curse, to claw at Sebastian for even suggesting it.  

“I shan’t forget this,” Sebastian said, his voice a touch too relieved to not have to take the brunt of the pain.

Ominis kept his eyes shut, trying to think of happier things as he heard Sebastian cry out the curse.  It sounded like their new friend had been struck by electricity, his grunts and groans frazzled and choked. Ominis raised his wand; he could sense him on the floor, lurched forward in pain on his knees while Sebastian ran through the now clear doorway like an excitable crup puppy.

“Are you alright?” Ominis squeaked out.

“The pain was excruciating, but I’ll manage,” he gasped, voice throaty and distressed. 

“Take a wiggenweld,” Ominis urged. “Please,” he said, fumbling in his pockets for a vial. He could hear Sebastian gasping with delight a few feet ahead, like a child in a candy shop.  He was exalting all the old textbooks and artifacts in Slytherin’s secret office.

“You guys!” Sebastian yelled out. “Hurry up!”

“I’ll be fine, Ominis.” he said, a bit steadier now.

“Are you sure–”

“That’s enough.” the boy shuddered. “Come, Ominis. Let’s go.”

On shaky, unsure feet, Ominis followed.

“Do you have the answers to the astronomy homework?”  Sebastian asked absentmindedly, flicking through the Daily Prophet at the breakfast table.

Ominis could hear their friend slurping his coffee. “Did you not study?”

Sebastian snorted. “I was busy studying other more important things.”

Things had returned to normal…well, as normal as they could be.  Ominis would never forget the events that led up to their discovery of the scriptorium, and things had been quite terse with Sebastian in the dormitory.  Their new friend insisted on keeping the peace, brokering somewhat of a truce between the friends.  

“That book is not schoolwork, Sebastian.” Ominis scolded him, pouring out more tea. 

“Don’t baby him, Ominis.” Their new friend argued, reaching across to grab at something.  With the heavy, hot teapot in hand, Ominis worried he might burn him.

“Be careful,” Ominis warned, pushing his hand out of the way.

He jolted, pulling his hand from underneath Ominis’s rather quickly.  Ominis wouldn’t normally have noticed, except he’d heard the quick strangled gasp his new friend made upon their contact.  

“What’s wrong?” Ominis narrowed his unseeing eyes.

“Nothing.” the boy said hastily. “Nothing at all.”

“Say, what’s that on your arm?” Sebastian asked, his tone shifting to curiosity. “Did you get a tattoo?”

Ominis could hear their friend slapping Sebastian’s hands away. Sebastian yelped in return.

“What is that on your wrist?” Sebastian demanded once more.

“It’s nothing,” their friend insisted.  Ominis could hear him tugging on his robes. “Honestly Sebastian, you’re so annoying.”  He shoved away from the table, quick footsteps making their way out of the Great Hall.

“Dunno what his problem is,” Sebastian grumbled, moving back to his breakfast. “Say, do you have the answers to the astronomy homework?”

Ominis clenched his jaw. “Of course I don’t, Sebastian. I’m not in astronomy–it's a bit difficult to chart the stars if you can’t see them.” he fumbled with the handle of his wand. “Do you think something is wrong with him?”

“With who?”

“With him,” Ominis clarified. “Who else?”

Ominis could feel the bench move as Sebastian shuffled in his seat. “He has been rather odd lately.  Just yesterday, he was being weird in beasts class with Poppy–she nudged him with her elbow and I nearly thought he would yell at her for it.”  Sebastian took a bite of his food, ruminating further on their friend. “Oh, and I heard Everett say he asked Kogawa if he could sit out flying lessons for the week.”

“That’s not like him.” Ominis frowned. “He loves flying.”

“I know,” Sebastian said matter-of-factly.  “I thought it was weird too, but when I asked, he said he just felt like sitting in the grass for a bit, enjoying the weather while he still could.  I can’t say I blame him, it’s rather comfy out there next to the summoner’s court field…” he trailed off, going back to his chatter on astronomy lessons.

Ominis ignored him, chewing on his bottom lip. He has an idea of what might be afflicting their friend, but it seemed intrusive to ask.  He, being blind, had never seen the marks the cruciatus curse left behind, but he could remember the pain, and the way that it had lingered for days.  He felt goosebumps rising on the back of his neck as he recalled his own experience.  He’d laid in bed, frozen for days after his older sister had carelessly cast the cruciatus curse on him. 

“I’m going to check on him,” Ominis said, abruptly pushing away from the table.  He could hear Sebastian calling out for him, telling him to come back to the table, but he couldn’t.

Not if his new friend was suffering the way he once had.

Finding him was going to be a challenge, that was certain.  Forsaking his classes, Ominis meandered through the castle, wand glowing red as he tried with little success to locate the boy.  The greenhouses were empty, save for a few first years trying to steal some Chinese chomping cabbages; their favorite spot in the library was empty.  The Undercroft was silent.

There was no way he’d be in bed, Ominis thought.  He’d just been complaining the other day about the lack of privacy, lamenting over Hogwarts’s shared dormitories.  He preferred to keep himself busy, only ever falling into bed late at night.  

“Where the bloody hell is he,” Ominis muttered.  He turned the corner by the Charms classroom, eyes widening as a body crashed into him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Ominis.” Amit Thakkar gasped. 

“No worries, Amit.” Ominis grunted, adjusting his robes. “My fault entirely.”

“I do get so engrossed in my star charts,” the Ravenclaw boy said. “I was just telling…” he trailed off, saying the boy’s name.  

“You’ve seen him?” Ominis asked, ears perked.

“Yes, I have.” Amit shared. “He was just on his way up the stairs to the astronomy tower.”

Ominis took off, apologizing to Amit over his shoulder as he charged towards the staircase.  He really did think it was crass to run in the hallways; he always rolled his eyes when the younger students did so.  He couldn’t understand the urgency behind running. He much preferred a gentle, slow pace, which worked much better with his echolocation spells. 

Yet Ominis ran.  He took the stairs, two at a time sometimes, wand bobbing in his hand as he made his way up the stairs. His eyebrows furrowed; his echolocation spell seemed fuzzier and fainter.  He could only sense his own feet hitting the wooden steps, which made running into a solid body at the top of the stairs an even bigger shock.

“Ominis!” his friend shrieked.  He grabbed him at the shoulders to keep the blind boy from flailing backwards and tumbling down the spiral steps. “What on earth–”

“I was looking for you,” Ominis said breathily, gasping for air. 

“Why?”  

“I need to know if it hurts.” Ominis said sternly.  He held his wand up; now still, he could sense his friend standing in front of him.  The boy’s heart was pattering, pulse thumping under Ominis’s interrogation.

“If what hurts?” His friend asked, feigning innocence.  

“I can tell you’re lying to me,” Ominis crossed his arms. “Your heartbeat quickened just now. I want to know if it still hurts from when Sebastian cast–”

His friend shushed him; there were footsteps coming up the stairs behind them. “Come on, follow me. I’ll tell you everything, I promise, but we shouldn’t talk about this out in the open.”

“But where?” Ominis asked, tilting his head as the boy tugged on his robe sleeve. “There’s no room on this floor.”

“There is,” his friend said quietly.  He pulled Ominis to the center of the floor; he could hear the footsteps, the giggling from the stairs.  It was likely some third years, heading up to an astronomy tutoring session.

After a few seconds, Ominis heard stones shifting. He raised his wand; something was materializing on the wall in front of them.  Without a second thought, his new friend pulled him towards it–a door–and shoved him inside.  Ominis stumbled down a few steps before finding purchase against some bookshelves.  Twirling his wand by the handle, he descended into a large room.  

It couldn’t possibly be right–he’d walked the castle hundreds of times in his years at Hogwarts, and he’d never heard of a room in this part of the castle.  Especially not one this large–from what he could identify with his wand, the room stretched out to two other chambers.  Even more perturbing, he thought he could hear the neigh from a unicorn coming from nearby.

“Where the hell are we?” Ominis gasped.

His friend laughed. “A bit tough to explain. Come on,” he said, hand ghosting over Ominis’s back to push him further into the room. “This is the Room of Requirement.  Professor Weasley showed it to me so I could study uninterrupted.”

“By Sebastian,” Ominis offered.

“One might say,” his friend chuckled, his breath catching towards the end of his laugh.

“There it is again,” Ominis accused. “You’re wheezing.  You’ve been wheezing ever since we found the Scriptorium.”

“So?” he scoffed. “The castle is dusty.”

“You won’t fly,” Ominis began pacing back and forth. “And you love flying.  It’s too painful sitting on a broom right now, isn’t it?”

“What if I just wanted to skip flying class?” 

“It’s not like you,” Ominis noted. “You won’t let anyone touch you either.  I heard you snipped at Poppy in beasts class.”

His friend shuffled uncomfortably. “I am sorry about that. I owe her an apology. But why are you bringing it up now?”

Ominis stomped his foot, a bit like a petulant child. “Like I said, you’re not being yourself, and I’ve noticed.  You won’t let anyone touch you, you’ve been shivering all week, you sound like you’re in pain half the time.  Tell me the truth–does it hurt?”

He heard the boy take in a sharp breath. “The cruciatus curse, you mean?”

“Yes,” Ominis barked. “I know what it’s like. When my sister cast it on me, I crawled into my bed and stayed there for days. I know what that pain is like, and I’m certain it’s why you’re not being yourself lately.”

His new friend was silent for a moment, eventually clearing his throat. “Did you know about the marks?”

Ominis furrowed his brow. “The marks?”

“There are marks all over my body.” His friend said slowly.  Ominis could hear his robes fall to the ground, him unbuttoning his cuff to roll up his sleeves. “Like electricity–certainly feels that way whenever the wind brushes me the wrong way.” he shuddered.

Ominis took a step towards him, gingerly taking hold of his friend’s limp wrist.

“Does it hurt badly?” he asked, hand ghosting over the boy’s arm.  He couldn’t see them, but he could feel the outline of the marks trailing up his forearm. They resembled veins of lightning–likely what Sebastian had seen at the breakfast table before he’d tugged his cuffs down.

He let out a low, steady hiss of breath through his nose as Ominis’s slender fingers touched the pain points. “I’ll be fine,” he swore. “I’ve seen worse.  They were much darker right after we left the scriptorium, but now they’re getting lighter.  Bet they'll be gone by next week.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Ominis said sharply. “Does it hurt?  Still?”

He let out a loud sigh. “It does, okay?  It hurts, it’s hurt every day since we found the damn scriptorium, and I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d throttle Sebastian.  Things are hard enough as it is for him, you know he’s struggling right now to help Anne–”

Ominis let go of his friend’s wrist. “Is that why you let Sebastian cast it on you?” his voice trembled. “Because you care about him?”

“Ominis, wait,” his friend whined, now grabbing his hand in return. He could hear his friend’s sharp inhale. “It wasn’t just for Sebastian. It was for you.”

“For me?” Ominis asked incredulously.

“I know how you feel about the spell, Ominis.  You think I haven’t listened to you?  I could never learn the spell that caused you so much pain.” he said shakily. “We had no choice–either Sebastian had to cast it on me, or we’d die in there.”

Ominis pursed his lips. “You care that much?” he tilted his head, realizing just how blunt his question had been.

“I care.” he swallowed thickly, thumb running over Ominis’s knuckles. “I care a great deal, you see.” he confessed, his voice sounding watery. “I didn’t want you to worry over me, and that’s why I didn’t tell you how badly it hurts.”

“Come,” Ominis sighed, tilting his head towards the corner.  He’d sensed a large armchair by the fireplace; with a featherlight touch, Ominis pushed his friend’s lower back towards the chair. “Take a seat.”

The boy curiously sat as Ominis flitted around the room. “You keep a potion stand around here, I assume?” 

“Yes, center of the room.” his friend advised. “What are you doing?”

Ominis stood in front of the cauldron, familiarizing himself with the table and all of his friend’s supplies. “Making a brew Noctua used to make for me,” he said, unbothered, pulling an integral ingredient out of his cloak pocket. “Now, where do you keep your mallowsweet?”

“Drawer on the left,” the boy said, slumping into the chair. “I can’t believe you’re willingly making a potion.  Sharp would be floored right now,” he snorted.

Ominis felt his cheeks burn.  “There’s that sense of humor,” he deflected. “Already getting back to your normal self.”

“If I’m being honest, it’s good to talk about the pain, get it out.” He breathed. “Been hell keeping it a secret all week.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me just because you thought I’d be tough on Sebastian,” Ominis rolled his eyes, grinding the mallowsweet as the station came to life, bubbling slowly. “I’m always tough on him.”

“I know you are,” he laughed, trailing off into a cough. “But I know you love him. He’s like a brother to you, and I’ve already mucked with your friendship so much…”

“Don’t say that.” Ominis bit his lower lip, letting the now powdered leaves fall into the pot. “Your presence is greatly appreciated, I hope you know that.  It’s already hard to remember what Hogwarts was like before you.”

“I’m touched, Ominis.” his friend said; even with his back turned, wand set on the desk, Ominis knew he was smiling. “I should’ve known you could tell–you’re the most perceptive out of all of us.”

Ominis picked up his wand again, observing the brew.  “Can you tell me what color this is?” he asked.

The boy stood, padding over to Ominis.  He was slightly shorter than Ominis; he’d reached up to put a hand on Ominis’s shoulder. “Dark brown,” he observed the bubbling beverage, sniffing over the cauldron. “What is it?”

Ominis smiled, conjuring two cups. “Aunt Noctua’s renewing hot chocolate.”

The boy snorted. “You made me hot chocolate?”

“Oh, don’t laugh. It has mallowsweet in it, which will relax your muscles.” Ominis pointed out as he ladeled the concoction into a cup. “Dittany, for healing purposes. A pinch of powdered mandrake root as well to help with the pain.” He handed the cup to his friend, ladling one for himself as well. “All of that, plus an entire chocolate bar from Honeydukes.”

“Let’s go back down by the fire,” He suggested. Ominis followed him dutifully; instead of the armchair, he settled onto the plush carpet. “Sit next to me.”

Ominis awkwardly folded to the ground, his knees knocking into the boy’s. “I’m sorry,” he blushed, lifting his cup again. “Cheers.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping their hot chocolates.

“I feel better already,” his friend confessed. “Is this the only known remedy for the Cruciatus curse?”

Ominis snorted. “A remedy for all, we used to call it–I just remember Aunt Noctua making me this drink whenever my siblings cursed me.” he shut his unseeing eyes, shaking a little at the memories. “She always said a hot chocolate brewed with care and a few healing herbs could do the trick.” His smile faltered as he thought of Noctua, her bones still in the passageway.

“I am sorry, Ominis.” his friend said quietly.  

“For what?” Ominis asked, sipping his drink.

“For everything,” he confessed. “For pushing Sebastian, for Noctua, for lying to you about the pain.  I just don’t want you to worry about me.” The boy sighed, stretching out a leg.  His foot knocked into Ominis’s. “You’ve been through enough as it is, and I’m just sorry to add more for you to worry about.”

“I worry about the people I love,” Ominis reminded him. “You’ve never done me wrong before–well, besides last week, but we can blame that on Sebastian.”

“I wouldn’t blame him,” his friend mused. “He’s got a one track mind, that one.  He’ll do anything to save Anne.”

“I would too,” Ominis grunted. “But I draw the line at unforgivable curses.” he started drumming his fingers against the edge of the cup. “I’m not a violent person by any means, but hearing you in pain…Merlin, Sebastian is lucky to still have both kneecaps.”

He laughed; Ominis flushed as he laid his head against his shoulder. “I admire that about you, Ominis.  Your love is tough, tried, and true.”

“I hope I’m not too tough,” Ominis slowly tilted his head, letting it fall against the top of his companion’s head. 

“Never,” he murmured. “You care enough about me that you noticed I was hurting.  You know me. I know it hasn’t been long, Ominis, but I’ve…” he trailed off, trying to find the right words. “I’ve made friends here at Hogwarts, but none as caring and kind as you.”

Friends, Ominis cringed. He was sure his face was crimson by now, setting his half-empty cup on the floor. “I’m sure that’s not true.” he stuttered, wringing his hands together. “There are plenty of nice people–”

“No one like you,” the boy echoed. “You could have anything you want in the world if you truly wanted it, with all your family connections.  But you choose to be better than them, to rise above it all.  I admire that about you; how strong you are.”

“I’ve never been called strong before in my life,” Ominis admitted.

“Well, you are.” his friend assured him. “It takes a great deal of strength to stand up to your folks.  That, and your friends–you always do seem to set Sebastian on the right path.”

“You’ve picked up quite a bit about me,” Ominis observed, relishing the way he leaned his weight against him. “Nice to know there’s more to me than my devilish good looks.” He joked.

“You’re more than just a pretty face. Like I said, I care a great deal about you.” he murmured. 

“The way you care about Sebastian?” Ominis asked. His voice was higher than he would’ve liked, stomach twisting in knots as he contemplated the weight of his question.

After a moment of silence, Ominis heard his companion set down his cup. “No, I don’t think.” his lips were closer to Ominis’s ear now. “Different. More.”

“I was hoping so.” Ominis said breathlessly, turning to press a kiss against the top of his head.  He hadn’t realized the boy had moved his face, tilting it up towards him; he found his lips pressed against the corner of his mouth.

Drawing back slightly, his companion chuckled. “Try again?”

Ominis smiled softly, letting him lean upwards this time.  His lips pressed lightly against Ominis’s, the sweet taste of chocolate and the tang of mallowsweet still lingering on his mouth.  Ominis lamented the absence of his mouth the moment he drew back, holding back a shaky whine.  He was immediately assuaged by the feeling of him leaning against him again, this time more heavily.

There would be time, Ominis thought, when he wasn’t in pain.  Time where he could hold him, touch his hand without worrying about the aftershocks of the curse.  More time for them to be alone, to explore their feelings and the newness of his touch. To discuss what this meant for the future…

Ominis decided to not let his mind wander off too far, choosing to slouch into the boy beneath him again. This time, he did not protest the contact; his hand snaked towards Ominis’s, fingers tangling together.

“Still hurts?” Ominis whispered.

“Was better after you kissed me,” he said, voice muffled by Ominis’s shirt.

Ominis bit his lower lip. “Well, a remedy is a remedy.” he joked, shifting his body to face him. Without his wand, Ominis could only go off the stuttered, uneven breaths of his companion.  He slid his free hand up his neck, stopping when his fingers met his chin.  Leaning forward, his companion closed the distance, lips gently crushing against his. 

Ominis felt his heart fluttering.  The kiss was gentle; he could no longer tell if the boy was trembling from the lingering side effects of the cruciatus curse, or from the way Ominis’s tongue slid against his lower lip. Ominis leaned forward, cradling the back of his neck as they laid against the carpet, cups of hot chocolate spilled against the plush rug beneath them.  The pair fell onto their sides, legs tangled, slightly panting as they finally separated.  Ominis rested his forehead against his, their noses brushing.

“Sorry about the rug.” Ominis murmured. “Feeling better now?”

“Getting better by the second,” he whispered back. “I always do when I’m with you.”

Ominis let out one of his rare, toothy grins. “We should stay here until you feel fully well.”

“We could be here a while,” he mused, tugging Ominis closer.  He held the front of Ominis’s sweater in a tight fist, thumb running over the soft cashmere. “If you don’t mind.”

“Perfectly fine by me,” Ominis whispered against his lips.

They stayed there, for Merlin knows how long, cuddled in front of the fire.  Classes were skipped, dinner was missed, and Ominis was sure they’d find Sebastian stalking the entrance to the dungeons, ranting and raving either about whatever he’d learned from the spellbook that afternoon or about being left out.

It didn’t matter, Ominis thought.  He walked down the stairs of the Astronomy tower in lock step with his friend. He wasn’t really sure if he should still call him a friend–Merlin knew whatever they’d done that afternoon had breached the fine line of friendship and relationship.  But as their fingers entwined, hands swinging back and forth as they walked, Ominis knew things could never be the same as before. 

He was perfectly fine with that.

Just as Ominis had predicted, Sebastian had been pacing in front of the Slytherin common room.  He turned to the two boys, arms crossed against his chest quite sternly. 

“Where the hell have you two been?” Ominis could sense Sebastian’s scowl. “I had to sit by myself at dinner.”

“Ominis has been taking care of me,” he said, clutching Ominis’s hand a bit tighter. “No thanks to you.”

Sebastian huffed. “Well, if you would have told me, I could’ve helped–”

“I think you’ve done enough, Sebastian.” Ominis raised a brow. “You should know him well enough by now, he’s our best friend.”

Sebastian hesitated; Ominis knew he was staring at their joined hands, the way they were standing closely. 

“So, this is happening, isn’t it?” Sebastian asked.

Ominis blushed; he was sure the boy next to him was grinning. 

“Yeah,” he said, thumb brushing over the back of Ominis’s hand. “I think it is.”

It took Sebastian a second to comprehend, quickly collecting himself. “It’s about time,” Sebastian drawled. “Honestly, I’ve felt like the third wheel around you two for quite some time now.”

“Well, we’ll have to fix that then.” the boy said, squeezing Ominis. “We’ll figure out a cure for Anne. Then, it’ll be the four of us.  A proper gang.”

“Really?” Sebastian perked. “You–after all that, you still want to help?”

“Of course, Sebastian.” Ominis said gently. 

Sebastian went off on a tangent, something he’d researched that afternoon in his solitude. Ominis knew he should have been listening, but all he could focus on was the way the boy next to him shifted closer, slinging his arm around his waist. Ominis followed suit, putting his arm around his shoulder.  They slotted next to each other, fitting quite nicely.

“Let’s go to the Undercroft then?” Sebastian asked hopefully.

“To the Undercroft–but first, you have to snag us dinner from the kitchens.” The boy instructed. “It’s the least you could do.”

“Right,” Sebastian said quickly. “I’ll get some sandwiches and meet you two down there.”  His footsteps pittered off into the distance, muttering excitedly to himself about his readings.

There was a gentle squeeze at Ominis’s waist; he tilted his head down, leaning against the shorter boy. 

“Are you sure you’re feeling well enough?” Ominis murmured as they walked the empty hallways towards the DADA tower.

“Don’t baby me now,” he huffed. “But yes, I’m feeling fine.  I’ll feel even better with some dinner, and perhaps some alone time with you.”

Ominis snorted. “Is that why you sent Sebastian to the kitchens?”

Ominis could feel his companion’s heated cheeks against his shoulder. “Maybe,” he said coyly. “Worked, didn’t it?  Bought us some time.” His head jerked, likely inspecting the hallways to make sure they were alone, before rising up on the tips of his toes to kiss Ominis’s cheek.

Ominis licked his lips, biting down a smile. “Yes, I think it did.” 

[myriadeyed]

Time loops could be scarier.

They're always a day or less. They could be longer though. A time loop could be a full year. Imagine if, at the stroke of midnight on December 31st, 2024, you look at the calendar, and it says... January 1st, 2024. Nobody else seems to notice.

Everything is how it was 1 year ago, on January 1st, 2024. Events that transpired over the course of 2024 now have yet to do so. Likely you are surrounded by different people in this room, or alone when you weren't a second ago. Probably you are in a completely different room. Maybe your new favorite movie or your favorite song no longer even exists. Everything is how it was on January 1st, including the weather, your friends, your life, and even your own body. If you lost or gained weight. If you got a tattoo. If you transitioned in any way. If your health got better or worse. It's all back.

Imagine if you had a health episode in 2024 and now it hasn't happened yet but you know it's coming. You can't exactly stroll into a hospital and tell them what you need them to do several months before you need it. You're going to have to suffer again. The countdown would be agonizing. If you left your job, congrats, you've got your job back! Even if you quit. Even if you found a better one. If you moved out of a shitty situation, you're back. If you cut out shitty people, they're back. If you made great new friends, or even found love, they're gone.

If you lost someone since January 1st, they're back. What if a friend died last March? To look into their eyes again, it feels like a miracle, a blessing. What a gift you've been given, even if they don't understand why you embraced them, or why you're crying. You're crying, of course, because you realized you have to lose them all over again. And over again. And over again.

You're 90 years old. You're 150 years old.

It's not like a 24-hour time loop. There are consequences, consequences you feel for far longer than a day. People whose reactions and emotions would feel far more real and important if they were suffering for your actions for months. There's no fun Groundhog's Day montage of reckless abandon. You can't just up and take off in your car to see the world. Maybe you think you can for a fleeting moment because you've got a whole year to do whatever you want!-- but no, you can't just do whatever you want actually, you only have so much in savings and it especially won't cover 12 months if you lose your job. And you still need food and a roof, because otherwise you'll die, and if you die, the loop resets. So you have to go to work. You have to go to your job day to day. You're in a damn time loop and you're at work. Typical.

You're 200 years old. You're 1,00 years old.

You can't convince people you're in a time loop. Of course, already impossible enough to do so in a 24-hour time loop. But a 24-hour time loop teaches you every conversation and every event much faster. Can you remember every intonation of every word of every conversation you had 11 months ago? Can you sit people down and beg them to understand without looking insane? Without being institutionalized for a full year? Because you'll be feeling that one. Your family will be feeling that one.

It's not the classic time loop question of "how long until despair starts to creep in?" anymore. The answer is right away, of course. The new question is, "how long until you can't even feel that anymore?"

You're 1,000,000 years old. You're 3,000,000 years old.

Maybe eventually you do learn how to have some fun. Study the news intensely. Maybe on one loop you do a little prophet scam, predict some events, do a little Back to the Future, make some bets, now you're having fun, now you're rich. Steal, swindle and cheat your way into a few millions and now you've gamed the system, you can travel the world, you can quit your job and live it up. Now you're on a roll! Now you've got that classic Groundhog's Day montage romp going!

You don't know how old you are.

Maybe eventually you are able to convince people. Now you do know every conversation. Or your portent knowledge of the year's random and natural events is enough. Prevent your health episode. Save your friend's life. You convince your loved ones at first, but eventually you'll be able to get the whole world convinced. Governments. Scientists. Physicists. Plead for help, and they believe you. Maybe they can even try to save you with the five or six months you have left after the process of convincing them.

But at the end of the year, none of it matters.

Because on January 1st, it'll just be January 1st again.

[hd-wireless]

📻🎶 H/D WIRELESS 2024 - WEEKLY WRAP-UP #1

🎶  Just a perfect week

Read fanfiction in the park And then later When it gets dark, look at art. Just a perfect week Reading at work in the loo, And then later a podfic, too And then home.

Oh it's such a perfect fest We're glad to share it with you Oh, such a perfect fest It just keeps us reading on, It just keeps us reading on.   🎶

🎤 Welcome to the 8th round of H/D Wireless Fest!

The time has finally come to start posting all the fantastic entries we’ve received this year!

We’ve revealed 9 top hits so far, with many more to come. The mods have been working non-stop since December to make this happen, so we’re beyond excited to finally be underway 🤩

As always you can listen to the prompted songs for the works we post on a playlists:

Click here for the YouTube playlist.

And now without further ado, our Wrap-up for the first week of posting:

🎶 H/D Wireless Art 🎶

📻 Fly Away with Me Tonight? [Gen, Digital Art]

🎵 Song Prompt: Levitating by Dua Lipa  🎵Summary: A chance meeting, an invitation to dance

📻 ghost (might as well be gone) [Gen, Digital ]

🎵 Song Prompt: Might as Well Be Gone by Pixies  🎵 Summary: Draco Malfoy retired from the Auror force and left England a decade ago, but he still receives the Daily Prophet. Today’s issue provides closure on the one case he was never able to officially solve.

🎶 H/D Wireless Fic and Art 🎶

📻 Trade My Heart For Honey [M, 64.170, Digital Watercolour]

🎵 Prompt: Water Under The Bridge by Adele  🎵 Summary: A Witch who thinks she’s a Seer, a Seer who thinks she’s a Witch, a former nemesis-turned-something-turned-acquaintance who thinks they could be friends, and a Scottish village full of Muggles who think this is as much their business as the fair folk in the woods. Draco is going to prove them all wrong.

🎶 H/D Wireless Fic 🎶

📻 You're on Your Own, Kid [E, 44.274] 

🎵 Song Prompt: You're on Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift  🎵 Summary: In August of 1998, Draco leaves behind everything he’s ever known. With the help of two middle-aged lesbians, a Muggle bookshop, and a new best friend, Draco’s future is finally looking up. That is, until Harry Potter wanders back into his life a year later, undoing everything Draco has worked towards.  Or, a tale about healing, forgiveness, and living for no one but yourself.

📻 Heartbeat [E, 22,791]

🎵 Prompt: Heartbeat by Childish Gambino  🎵 Summary: Harry hates Draco, and Draco hates him in return. Only it's not hate, not even a little bit. Featuring: a cooperative independent study, golden hour on wrecked sheets, strawberries in the summer at Grimmauld Place, water from fountains of (dubious) origin, purple Mardi Gras beads, and a bird with silly legs.  Also featuring: heated arguments, infidelity, unquenchable desire, and heartbreak. Over and over again.

📻 Long for Bliss! [E, 9,400]

🎵 Song Prompt: This Must Be It by Röyksopp  🎵 Summary: Harry has a tough decision to make: take the blue pill or the red pill. He chooses a pink one instead and throws caution to the wind. What blows back comes in the form of a blond fallen angel that talks like he’s the Devil and moves like he’s fucking.  Or: Harry tries MDMA for the first time and unexpectedly encounters a mysteriously captivating Draco at KOKO London.

📻 Going Down Swinging [E, 4,661 ]

🎵 Song Prompt: Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! by Allan Sherman  🎵 Summary: “Who are you?” he asked, feeling around for a truly abominable pair of glasses he fixed firmly above his nose.  “I’m Draco,” he answered. “Draco—” He paused. It wasn’t that he couldn’t remember; it was that the memory wasn’t there.

📻 The Most He’s Ever Said [E,16,431]

🎵 Song Prompt: One of Your Girls by Troye Sivan  🎵 Summary: It takes them twenty years.

🎶 H/D Wireless Podfic 🎶

📻 [Podfic] A Different Kind of Meaning by p1013 [E, 01:42:57]

🎵 Song Prompt: 'Outnumbered' by Dermot Kennedy  🎵 Summary: The ceiling doesn't hold any answers, but there are cobwebs scattered across the corners with shadows tangled in their threads. The rug against his back is rough and scratchy, threadbare and devoid of colours other than various shades of brown. Harry takes it all in, absorbs the dingy and depressed state of his home. There's a pointed moment of decision, a note about to be played, a silence about to end, and then he rolls to his feet and sets to cleaning.  It's the first constructive thing he's done in years.