#Rue always has and always will be my favourite. Fight me

[freckleslikestars]

"I'm very hard to catch," she says in a tremulous voice. "And if they can't catch me, they can't kill me. So don't count me out." "I wouldn't in a million years..."

Amandla Stenberg as Rue | The Hunger Games (2012)

[acradaunt]

Acra's EO Guild Card Megapost

Guild Cards are a neat thing in the most of the Etrian Odyssey games. Sometimes, they're pretty pointless, but in some, they actually do some neat stuff. I… have a tendency to do multiple playthroughs, to try different team compositions (as seeing how different a game can feel based on your builds is one of my favourite things ever, and I also like abandon them before the big fights, on the hypothetical urge I want to re-fight a boss at an appropriate level an infinite number of times), so I've amassed a fair few of my own.

Why am I uploading these now? Apparently the Nexus database got borked a couple days ago, so this is the perfect time for me to get a few feet in the door. I also swear this is the last time I'll ever post about these, seriously.

EO Nexus -A total of 100 Guild Cards are needed to unlock the Vampire pseudo-class. Obviously, 100 is a lot, so they obviously expected the community, paltry it may be, to come together to make a database. And they did. And then they locked it the second they got 108. And then it died. So now I finally get a second chance to contribute.

Galeforce

-My first (main) playthrough. I actually uploaded a card weekly to help out, but I think only the first one made it on in time. It's not Heroic because it's like a NG+++++ file. This is the final card, but for the weekly set of them, um, here:

Week 0 || Week 1 || Week 2 || Week 3 || Week 4 || Week 5 || Week 6 || Week 7

Stardust

-Filled with all my C-listers that couldn't fit into Galeforce. I ran them as two separate teams; the Boss Killers (shown here), who fought the FOEs/Bosses, and Team Midriff, who did all the exploration.

Sunstorm

-A Guild consisting of classes I mostly avoid using, and portraits I hadn't (as of its conception) used before. As always, there's like another three members that get used that aren't here, including a Survivalist, Nightseeker, and an Arcanist.

Maelstrom

-An attempt at a Nuzlocke-esque run, and also an 'evil' party. Characters stopped being used if they died, but only until the end of the stratum, to not make it overbearing. Being an evil party lacking in support and healing, this was an absolute slog that I considered a total failure by the Jungle.

Brilliant

-An idea for a mage-guild that kinda went askew. Starting as a Sovereign, three Zodiacs, and a Farmer, I ultimately turned this into three single-element teams; Each consisting of a unique Sovereign, a unique Zodiac, two other characters that get earlygame elemental skills (Survivalist's Flame Arrow, Landsknecht, etc.), but the same Farmer (Hazel) across all three. Didn't take it all that far, but worked kinda well!

EOV -Definitely where Guild Cards are seen the most. About 2-4 times every floor, there'll be an event that'll use you GC database to have another guild interact with you in the labyrinth. If you have none, you'll be introduced to memelord Conrad of the Freeblade Guild about 110 times in your course of a playthrough. In stark contrast, Nexus only has GC events maybe a dozen times across the whole game.

Starlight

-Main guild. Not a lot to say. It's a Chain-oriented party, because I love Fencers/Landsknechts.

Bundt

-Cake pun. See, bundt is a type of cake, and the guild is filled with Brouni. As in Brownies, the fairy/pixie/sprite, but I'm punning off the--- ANYWAY. Horrific offense, but don't die easily. Kinda miserable against a few specific enemies like the coffin jerks on 15F, but otherwise worked astonishingly better than you'd expect. Which is; not GOOD, but totally serviceable.

Necrocosm

-My original 'evil' guild, featuring two Necromancers, and edge as far as the eye can see. Two Necros work pretty well together; typically Velvet summoned them and Rue made them explode. The fact Necros heal and have evil vibes let them succeed where Maelstrom would totally fail. I also didn't bench anyone for dying, so that probably helped too.

Firebird

-This playthrough is only saved at Amalgolem and took like a single weekend to get there, so I didn't remember squat about it. Amalgolem is like my single fave boss in the whole series, so I just had to leave a file there. It's heavily skewed towards non-humans, and the bottom deck of the guild is just full of nigh-on unusable cross-classed horrors, like a Celestrian Pugilist and Therian Warlock.

EO2U -Probably where Guild Cards are the most functionally useful. Lets you get the Grimoire Stones the attached character has on hand as many times as you can afford. Pretty nifty, as Grimoires are semi-random in spawning.

Skyquake

-So I didn't actually buy EO2U when it came out for a variety of factors, not least being unaware how different it was from the original EOII, my first EO game. So I've only started this and Untold I fairly recently.

Ironroot

-Holy Gift gives you extra experience, but each level costs twice as much to trade as the previous. That is, you need two level 3 Grimoires to get a level 4. Or 128 level 3s for a single level 10. So having a Guild Card with lowish level Holy Gift is actually pretty dang useful to have.

Untold

-Story Guild. Haven't… uh, haven't exactly been Motivated to do Story mode in Untold 2. On paper, I really dislike the team composition. In practice, hasn't been so bad, but still not enough to make me play them more than necessary.

Fellbloom

-Now legally required Evil Guild. Probably won't ever get past Chimaera.

EOU -Unlike the sequel, Guild Cards don't let you choose what to get from the friend's Guild Card. You just get given a random Grimoire Stone once per playthrough per Guild Card. Kinda lame.

Untold -Unlike later games, only one save file here, and the game nigh-on requires you to play through the Story Mode before doing Classic in NG+, so, that's where we sit.

EOIV -First game to use QR codes. III had Guild Cards, but I don't know how you'd trade them. They do serve a purpose here; each Card gets given a random treasure, and having a Card lets you find that treasure in the overworld. Most are crap, but some are circumstantially useful, and some are permanent stat-boosts, IIRC. I don't think mine was very good…?

Zephyr

-Uh, EOIV had a glitch where your Ventured Days would go up dramatically every time you paused. I think it comes into affect if you ever do NG+. So I haven't actually played for 48 in-game years. Truth be told, now knowing of a way to back up save files, I am admittedly tempted to make a new EOIV playthrough, since it's been like a decade, but for my own sanity, I really probably shouldn't.

[f1]

Mexico City pole-sitter Verstappen expects good fight for victory as home hero Perez rues costly qualifying issue

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is readying himself for a scrap with Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton during the Mexico City Grand Prix, after beating them to pole position in qualifying. Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers were closely matched after the first Q3 runs at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but the reigning world champion pulled three-tenths clear with an impressive final lap of 1m 17.775s. Admitting that he found it difficult to get into a rhythm ahead of his pole-setting effort, Verstappen reflected: “I think every session it got a little bit better and, in Q3, we finally could push a little bit more with the car and [deliver] two decent laps. READ MORE: Verstappen fends off Mercedes pair for maiden Mexico City pole “I’m very happy, as around here, for me at least, it’s very hard to nail a lap – it’s always very low grip. There are a few kerbs you have to perfectly hit to actually gain time, so it’s definitely not the easiest of qualifying [sessions] – it’s the same with the tyre warm-up. But it seems like in Q3 we had it under control.” 2022 Mexico City GP Qualifying: Max Verstappen seals pole position ahead of Mercedes pair Verstappen will be looking to make it four wins from five races in Mexico on Sunday, having claimed victory there in 2017, 2018 and 2021 – the 2020 event cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Assessing his chances of keeping Russell and Hamilton at bay, Verstappen said: “I’ve started everywhere except pole here, and we won the races! It’s always important to have a good start here. I think our top speed is not too bad to defend at least with people who are in the draft, so we just need to focus on that. READ MORE: ‘It was our pole to have’ says Russell as he and Hamilton rue Q3 mistakes in Mexico City “I think if we have good race pace, it will be a good fight [for the victory]. Of course, we’ll try to stay ahead [of Russell and Hamilton] into Turn 1.” While Verstappen stormed to pole position, Perez had to make do with P4 in front of his home fans Verstappen’s team mate, home favourite Sergio Perez, was unable to join in the fight for pole position after encountering technical problems in the grid-deciding session, with the Mexican having to settle for P4, and left to ponder what might have been. “It was a big shame. We had an electrical issue throughout quali, and with DRS we were struggling and so on. It was important to make sure we got everything right, but I was pretty much blind through quali – I had no reference lap time, I had no information on my brake balance or times, so it was just a mess,” he explained. FACTS AND STATS: Verstappen starting P1, but no pole-sitter has finished on the podium here since 2016 “When I look back at my quali, I nearly got knocked out in Q1, and in Q2, so to be P4 is not the end of the world, but I really believe we could have fought for pole position.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[brunchable]

Into The Looking Glass - Part One || Doctor Strange x Reader.

Word count: 3.6K Brief Summary: Ever since a new relic has been brought into the Sanctum, Stephen get haunted by the same dreams everynight, until he found himself talking to the reflection in the mirror. Warning: First half is in Stephen's POV. Strictly do not: claim, repost, copy, translate my stories anywhere else.A/N: Inspired by JT's Mirror, I Hear a Symphony by Cody Fry and Short K-Film on youtube (I forgot the name but I remembered watching it). This is a Two Part mini series. Also I haven't forgotten about Can't love you in the Dark... I'm still working on it.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

"I used to hear a simple song, that was until you came along. Now in it's place is something new, I hear it when I look at you…"

I arose from my waking dream with beads of sweat clinging to my body. In an effort to regain my breath, I let out a forceful exhalation. It is always that song, accompanied by that sweet voice that seems to entice me to wake up in the middle of the night. I already have the lyrics seared into my memory, since it's always that same line, over and over. I tried searching for the song on Google countless times, but the search engine didn't turn up any results. 

After I had collected myself, I swung his legs over the side of the bed. I had no intention of returning to sleep while the adrenaline was still pumping through my veins.

As I stood up and moved to my dresser to retrieve a shirt, the creaking sound of the wooden floor followed my footsteps. It would serve me better to have just one glass of whisky to dull my senses and put me right back to sleep.

I plop down on my favourite armchair in front of the massive anomaly rue window on the third floor, a spell book in hand to read while I allow time to pass me by. Sirens wail past the street, flashing red and blue against my complexion. It was a cold night and yet the sky was shy of giving snow. In the winter, my grief over the death of my sister resurfaces, making the season almost unbearable to go through.

The whiskey seemed to have done its job, despite fighting it, I felt myself nodding off to sleep. 

"Stephen…" A tender voice, like a harmony of angels called my name,  "Stephen Strange…"

Being half awake, I looked around the room with bloodshot eyes, dubious whether I was dreaming again or not. I pinched myself hard, "Ow!" Okay, I wasn't dreaming.

"Over here, Stephen." The sweet voice beckoned me again and decided to eagerly continue to follow the female voice even though I was uncertain of where it was coming from, "Over here.." 

I stumbled around the dark and stubbed my two, once or twice. But I kept following the voice, the more I got closer, the more it sounded like it was speaking right next to me, it spoke my name for the last time in a whisper, "Stephen~" And I found myself in front of the large mirror almost as tall as I am, hanging on the wall with ebony black frames. 

All became so quiet that I could hear my own breathing synchronising with the ticking of the clock, I could hear the ominous creaking of the wooden frames as they adjusted to the changes in temperature. I felt a pinch in his heart the moment I realised that my reflection in the mirror was missing.

 "What the hell– Oh I'm definitely dreaming right now." I shut and opened his eyes multiple times expecting my reflection to be there, "Wake up Stephen, Come on, wake up!" I smacked my cheeks repeatedly. 

"You can't wake up when you're already awake, silly." A feminine voice giggles, causing me to turn around to find no one there, "In the mirror– always looking into the wrong places." 

I followed the instructions of the voice and found a female in the mirror instead of my own reflection, "Who– What are you?" I furrowed my brows cautiously coming closer and as I did, so did she, and I stepped back.

"I'm your future daughter, obviously from the future." She answered my question openly, her voice sounded clear yet muffled by glass, she probably noticed that pulled a face of doubt, she sighed, "Of course you don't believe me,"

"I'm talking to a reflection inside an ancient artefact that was brought in a few weeks ago, what do you expect?" I paused, posing a secured stance, in case she attacks, "For all I know you could be evil."

She laughed at me, "Where has your attention to detail gone? Look closely, Dad. I am doing exactly what you're doing, I am nothing but a reflection. I can't hurt anyone, I'm not going to jump out of here and strangle you." 

"That is oddly specific but I'll ignore it." I said and then waved my hand to test whether she was telling the truth and then made a couple of stupid moves.

"Stop that, we look like a dumbass." She said in a dead-pan voice.

I stopped, "Alright, fine. But the daughter thing, I find that very hard to believe." I crossed my arms, and so did she, "Tell me something only the people close to me would know."

"You have a third eye."

"What's my pet peeve?"

"People misinterpreting our last name for the actual word– it's my pet peeve too." 

I tapped my chin, she was getting all the answers correct but I wasn’t satisfied yets, "Tell me my favourite magic spell."

"You create magical clones of your body to fight for you when things get a bit rough." She sighed, "What more evidence do you need?"

I frowned when she got that question right once again, "If you really are from the future, tell me something that will happen with the exact date and exact time." 

"Later today, December 22, 2025, at about 8:20pm the first snow will finally fall and I also know that you find that barista at Stan's Coffee, cute. Do you need help getting a date with her?" She asked and I immediately felt embarrassed that she spoke of the truth, so I tried to play it cool.

"I don't have time for dates–" 

"Oh Dad, get your head out of the gutter. You can't fool me." The girl rolled her eyes at me, "Plus, I think you should ask her out on a date when the first snow falls, it'll be romantic!"

"Is she going to be your Mom?" I squinted my eyes, I could already smell what she was up to.

"I'm not telling you." She pressed her lips tightly together, "So do you want to get her number or not? I'll tell you how." 

I hummed as I thought about it, "Fine, how?"

"Yes!" She cheered and I imagined her pumping her fists in the air in my head, "You're a regular there so I'm assuming you guys have had small talk every now and then, correct?"

"Correct."

"Alright, next time you buy coffee, ask her what her preferences are… say 'So, Coffee, Tea, or maybe a date with me?' and just be yourself!" She advised me and I couldn’t help but snort out into a laugh at how cringey that sounded.

"I am not going to say that to her." I shook my head. 

"I already know what's going to happen and if you go about your traditional ways, you're going to blow it." Her voice became monotone and her facial expressions dead-pan, "Just trust me. It's going to work." 

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ 

America carried the paper bag filled with groceries close to her body whilst walking beside me. She practically begged me to walk home instead of using a portal. None of us spoke with one another because I was too occupied thinking about what the reflection told me and I could guess that America was busy thinking about the delicious roast pork that I said I was going to cook when we got home. 

As we were passing by Stan's Coffee by the corner and then I saw her, the barista whom I was taking interest in, "Want to grab some coffee?" I asked America out of the blue and she didn't even think twice to nod yes.

"But won't we be late for dinner?" She followed my direction and entered through the automatic doors. 

"Nah."

My senses were immediately overwhelmed by the enticing scent of the roasted coffee. The atmosphere was filled with a smell that was intense while still being warm and welcoming, and it caused my taste buds to ache for the dark and smooth coffee that I craved. I approached the counter and with my luck, she was the first to approach and serve me.

"Good Afternoon guys, what can I get for you?" She asked in a bubbly tone, she was always so welcoming and kind towards the customers. I thought she was a ball of sunshine and that's why I found her cute.

"Can I please get an americano and a butterscotch latté?" I ordered while gazing up at the menu overhead.

"I'm going to find a seat." America mumbled at me and carried the groceries with her towards the nearest table.

"Is that all for today?" She smiled and looked up at me. In the back of my mind, the words of the reflection who claims to be my daughter in the future echoed in my mind.

"Actually, I have a question.." I trailed off and the woman's brows quirked up.

"Yeah sure, I'll try my best to answer it." 

"I want to know whether you prefer Tea, Coffee… or possibly a date with me?" I eased in with the last choice since I wasn't sure if she was going to take it well.

She dropped her head as she exhaled a small chuckle, "Wow, I wasn't expecting that at all." She hid her smile behind her hand.

I laughed along with her, feeling pretty anxious internally, "So what’s your preference?" 

She nodded slowly, unable to hold back a giggle as she grabbed a post-it note from her pocket and wrote her number before handing it over to me, "I finish at seven, let’s have dinner. Stephen right? I’ll bring the beverages to you when it’s ready." 

My smile grew wider into a toothy grin as I took the piece of paper from her, "Awesome, I'll see you then." 

America saw and felt the shift in my aura as I sat down in front of her, "I smell something fishy going on… Why are you smiling from ear to ear?" She squinted her eyes at me because not too long ago I looked too deep into my seasonal depression.

“Nothing.” I shook my head and discreetly shoved the piece of paper in my pocket, “Can’t I be happy for having coffee?”

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” She leaned in from across the table, “You, Doctor Strange? Smiling like a Cheshire cat over coffee? Judgement day must be coming soon.” 

The smile disappeared from my face as she was starting to make fun of me, “There, the smile is off. Judgement day postponed.”

America snorted into a short laugh and shook her head, “Lighten up, Stephen. I’m just teasing!” 

“Butterscotch latte?” She approached our table with beverages in hand, America’s face lit up at the sight of her favourite drink and raised her hand, “and the americano.” She placed my mug in front of me.

“Thank you.” I looked up at her, making sure to put a smile on my face and she returned it with her own pretty smile.

“I’ll see you later.” She said and walked away to get back to work shyly.

America’s mouth hung agape and slowly turned her head and surprised gaze towards me, “Coffee huh?” She referred back to my lame excuse after finding out the actual reason behind my smile.

“Shut it, just drink your cavity drink.”

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ 

“So… I’m assuming by that big smile on your face that you went on a date with her?” My daughter wiggled her brows, seemingly excited to hear all about what happened tonight.

Late at night, at approximately the same time every night, I find myself talking to the image of my daughter that is reflected in this mirror. I went on a date and got home pretty late because it went really well, better than I expected, only I didn’t kiss her goodbye when I took her home, I felt like it was too early for that.

“Yeah I did, but America wasn’t too pleased since she couldn’t have the roast pork I promised I would cook for her and had pizza for dinner instead.” 

She softly laughed, “She’ll get over it. So, tell me all about her, Dad.” She anticipated from the otherside as I tried to formulate words to start with.

“Well. She was shy at first but she eventually came out of her shell. We had a whole debate about whether being short is better than being tall—she was great company, I really had fun. She has this habit of pushing her glasses from the side of the frame, which was very random for me to notice.” I chuckled to myself, I might’ve counted the times she pushed her glasses back since they kept slipping from her small nose.

She didn’t interrupt me once while I was blabbering about my date, instead she kept this soft genuine smile that made me feel like my heart was melting. I stared at her unmoving figure since I wasn’t moving and broke the short silence that fell between us, “How did you know it was going to snow?” 

We walked side by side, our shoulders touching every now and then when I moved to make way for other people on the sidewalk, then suddenly, she stopped walking, “Oh my goodness, look.” She pointed to the dark sky as different sized fluff of snow fell from it, “I’ve been waiting for some snow to come, it’s pretty late this year.”

“Huh.” I said to myself and pulled my coat sleeve up slightly to find that the time was 8.20pm, “So she wasn’t lying…” 

“Who wasn’t lying?” She gave me a funny look, I wasn’t aware I was speaking my mind.

“Oh one of my friends told me it was going to snow tonight—I didn’t believe her, but it turned out she guessed correctly.” I chuckled and told her a white lie.

“Who do you think? So do you believe me now?” She asked, and by the tone of her voice, she would’ve crossed her arms by now.

I sighed lightly and nodded, “Yeah, I believe you.”

“You should go and see her again soon! I want to know more, please tell me you planned another date together.” She insisted and asked. She’s really keen on me going out to go on dates, making me believe that this woman is really her future mother.

“Slow down, now that I think about it. You haven’t even told me what we named you.” 

“Oh– silly me. My name’s Donna.” She told me her name, my smile fading into a frown at the mention of my sister’s name.

“Donna… I named you that?” I asked, looking down. 

“Yes.” She answered softly in a low voice, she probably knew about her aunt and knew how sensitive of a topic it is for me

I shook my head, trying not to let my sadness ruin the great night I had, “Anyways. To answer your question, yes, but not straight away, because we have work to do.”

“Really? Where are you planning to take her next?” 

“There’s a musical event on the twenty-forth called In The Twilights at the time square, we’re going to watch some new artists together.” I told her the plan and if I wasn’t hallucinating, her facial expressions slightly became flat.

“Don’t go there. Do something else.” She demanded and I scoffed, her sassiness slightly irritated me.

“Why not? She said she’d love to go, so I’m taking her there.” I argued and firmly refused her order.

She sighed frustratedly, “Just promise me you’ll leave the area before 10.30pm, please.” She pleaded and was very adamant about it.

I raised my brows, “Why?”

“Just promise me. If you want to go, go but please. Leave before 6.30pm. Promise me that.” She clenched her jaw as she pleaded, her eyes solidly staring into mine. Her voice felt tense and I nodded and heard her sigh in relief.

“Okay… I promise, but can’t you tell me why? You’re freaking me out a bit.” I admitted, because I was. Was she going to be in danger? Is something bad going to happen? I need to know so I can prepare for it.

“I can’t tell you. L-look, Dad. I gotta go.” 

“Wait!” I yelled and before I could say anything else, she faded into nothing. I sighed heavily as I finally saw my own reflection in the mirror.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ 

I found her from across the street through the crowd, waving at me with her same bubbly energy. She wore a sage scarf in contrast to my red one, I guess we're really bringing in the spirit of Christmas along with us. As soon as the walking man turned green, she walked towards me, until she found herself directly in front of me.

She wore make-up tonight, it wasn't significant but she looked pretty nevertheless. 

"Hi. You're looking pretty handsome tonight." She greeted me with a compliment, swaying gently with her hands in her warm pockets.

"Thanks, and you look dazzling." I returned the compliment, getting a giggle out of her.

"Dazzling? I've never been called that before. I like it." Her smile stretched into a toothy grin, "So shall we?" Her eyes pointed at the barricades where they were accepting tickets.

"We shall." I offered her my arm, in which she clung onto and we made our way to fall in line. It took around five minutes to get in and another five to find our allocated seats. Unfortunately because we got these tickets at the last minute, we sat a bit closer towards the back. 

We shifted in our seats until we were comfortable and waited for the show to start.

“I can’t believe I’m having a date with the Doctor Strange.” She squealed out of her own excitement and for some reason, I didn’t like the sound of that. I faked a laugh and for the rest of the night, that was the only thing that was weighing on my mind. Was I just turned off by that? 

The show had some great musical artists that were just starting out, I’m surprised that not everyone was singing a Christmas song and for that, I am actually thankful or else I would just nod off to sleep.

I looked at my clock, it was almost 10.30pm and I had promised Donna I would leave, but I was thoroughly enjoying my date that I had forgotten until now, "Do you mind if we leave now?" I leaned in and asked.

"Oh, do you have other plans with your friends?" Her smile dropped and I nodded. I could tell that she put on a fake smile when she got up and left the row with me. We were making our leave from the event until I heard her, the voice singing in my dreams.

"I used to hear a simple song, that was until you came along. Now in its place is something new, I hear it when I look at you…"

I stopped my tracks, carefully listening and pinched the back of my hands to check if this was another dream. I slowly turned around, and in the big screens, I saw her, Donna, who was claiming herself to be my daughter, was now up the stage singing the song that's been stuck in my head for I don't know how long anymore.

"W-What?" I asked and found myself stuck to the ground. I can't leave. I needed to hear the rest of this song. Her song.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ 

Your soft angelic voice sang the lyrics that you wrote to the people of New York, your well experienced hands played the piano smoothly, closing your eyes from time to time as you lost yourself into your own melody.

"I know this isn't really a christmas song but, wouldn't it be magical to find yourself or your love in this fine night?" You spoke to the crowd who cheered in agreement before you sang the next lyrics.

"With simple songs I wanted more. Perfection is so quick to bore. You are more beautiful by far. Our flaws are who we really are."

You allowed your voice to have more impact compared to when you started and the way you were now playing the piano matched that energy. As the orchestra slowly eased into the climax of the melody. You took in a giant breath, your voice coming out powerful and perfect. 

"I used to hear a simple song. That was until you came along. You took my broken melody. And now I hear a symphony~ Ohhh~"

You drawled your voice three pitches higher, giving everyone in the audience chills and goosebumps. You have captivated everyone with the rawness, fullness and smoothness of your voice. 

The completion of the song was like the missing piece Stephen’s been looking for and he found his eyes watering at the godly sight of you. Your voice sounded immaculate but somehow he now felt a bit bitter and annoyed because you lied to him. 

"And now I hear a symphony…"

The crowd erupted into a clap as you finished your performance. You stood up and walked towards the middle of the stage, in your white fitted evening dress that shimmered softly against the light, bowing and thanking the crowd for the warm applause. Though you found Stephen staring at you into the crowd, you didn't think too much of him for you haven't met him yet.

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[weepinglevi]

whos your favorite fic writer/moots and why? Got any recommendations?

first off: pls know that if you're not listed here it doesn't mean i don't like you or your work, it simply means that i have a pea sized brain. love all of u. keep on writing. i really don't want anyone to feel bad (ask nia, i've been crying to her about it).

secondly: i'm not referring to them as my "favourite" cos i can't pick favourites, never really could. maybe that's why i'm simping for so many aot men at once ahaha.

and last but not least: this is going to be a long post so i'mma do all of us the favour and put it under the cut. i feel very soft today and have been listening to the titanic soundtrack for the better half of my day. bear with me, i'mma shower you with love. go check them out!

CHECK THE DNI TAGS ON THESE BLOGS BEFORE READING OR FOLLOWING, PLEASE!

this is in no particular order.

@kojinnie: my queen of angst. the other half of the princess-duo (i came to the conclusion that we're both princesses, we deserve to hang around in pretty dresses and have the time of our lives). especially dream me home still haunts my dreams. i love how you captured the pain and fear both of them feel. and i kind of view it as the start of our friendship, what with both of us writing about the mission to retake wall maria and you jumping into my dms after the fact. love you, kojin, and i only wish you the best.

@starrynightlys: shield-maiden claire. beautiful, talented, funny claire. i love you and i am so happy to have found you here, i really am. i know i've told you this multiple times but whenever i see you on my dash - either fighting off the floch anon or you posting memes, there's a big fat grin on my face. apart from your absolutely mesmerising presence, there's also one work in particular i always come back to: the beginning of forever. you are my source of happy levi content. when the world turns dark and i want him to be happy, i turn to this fic and to your blog in general. love you and i am dreaming of us listening to some good music in a park sometime soon!

@snkslush: luv! my first tumblr wife! this alone has gotten you a very special place in my heart ahah. i love the energy you have - whenever i see you on my dash i feel happy and it's because of how you interact with others. it's like i've known you since forever because of how easily i can talk to you. and reading your filthy thoughts about connie has set off my connie brainrot more than once ahaha.

your headcanons on how the aot boys react when their s/o tells them they want to be railed and also the follow-up still has me drooling. fucking love them. so accurate as well and i'm a slut for everyone ahha

@aotwrites: my lil sunflower. lil sis, you have no idea how happy you truly make me. i love the lil talks we have and i still remember the message you sent me when you were half-asleep, i always giggle when reading it ahah. just know that if you ever want, you can come up to me and ask me weird stuff lil sisters normally ask their bigger sisters. not that i have any good advice to give, but i have a lot of reaction pics to send!

it's very hard for me to pick out one of your fics to recommend - like i said, i have a problem with choosing favourites. but if i absolutely had to, it'd be all of the stars. cried my way through it. will cry again when i reread it. i cry a lot in general.

@arumiee: mars, i know we haven't talked much but our conversation about nurse!armin yesterday is still running around in my head. i can't wait to read about either armin or eren in scrubs, istg. you're so kind and happy-go-lucky, i usually feel nervous when tagging someone on a post but with you yesterday? no problem at all. you give me a sense of safety ahaha (pls don't think i'm weird, i'm actually not. or, yes, i am but in a good way). your purify me had me wanting to take a bath in holy water after reading it. preferably a bath with eren. i guess we're both headed to hell ahaha

@odmlevis: rizrizrizrizriz. i'm laughing right now because all i think of is our last conversation and it's hard to gather my thoughts whenever my mind goes to eren and reiner. or eren and jean - or jean and connie ahaha. i'll have all of them with me in the middle, pretty please.

but back to topic: your the most hurtful things they'd say to you still has my heart breaking. absolutely broken into pieces. because somehow you managed to put all of my worst fears into it. i don't know why i reread it on the regular (i do know, i'm a sucker for pain). other than that, i'm always so happy when i read your messages and when i see you out and about, making others happy with your lil "someone told me to tell you something"-thing you do so often. you're so precious, lemme smooch you.

@onyxoverride: onyx istg your blog is the place i go to if i am down bad. down bad bad. i know we rarely talk and me saying your blog is the place i take my horniness to might come off as weird but it's the truth. i even have problems with picking a favourite because goddamn they're all so good?? what is your secret? if there's a reason for me to go to hell (other than mars' purify me) it's gonna be because of ocean spit. do i have to elaborate further? eren's titan form is fucking hot and thank you for this delicious meal ahha. i am getting all flustered rn just by looking at the lil pic on top of your fic. i will see myself out now. love u onyx you are cool as hell (and i'm nervous as fuck - you're sitting at the cool kids' table in my head ahah - that's why i am so silent around u)

@1252291: and now to you. connie 2 my sasha. erwin smiths ball whore. twIN FLAME, LIGHT OF MY LIFE. buckle up cos we're in for a wild ride. i was debating whether or not to post every of your fics here, because i love all of them so much. i came up with a better idea tho: here's your masterlist. i will talk about two of your works in particular later on, but first you're gonna have to endure me violently showering you with kisses and love.

i haven't told you this before (shocking, i know) but ever since we started talking, i feel like i have a real-life friend again. i haven't had friends in a while and i am so fucking thankful to have you. i really am. i even told my therapist about you because he asked why i am so happy all of a sudden? newsflash: it's because of you.

usually, it was insomnia keeping me up at night but now it's because i am talking to you. and you have no idea how fucking great it feels to wake up in the morning and feel tired; not because some shitty thoughts kept me awake but because i was talking to a friend. i will forever love you for this. you've been there when i was at one of the darkest and loneliest stages of my life and lit up the fucking room with your personality and humour. thank you for being my light. for giving me the same feeling i have when rewatching lord of the rings. for being you. i will stop now but you know i will keep on loving you on main until i take my last breath.

now to your works. falling in love and stay forever. i think you already knew that these are the ones i hold dearest. i still think about felix and rue. i love felix and rue and my heart hurts when thinking of them. your way with words has characters coming to life and touching your heart in a way i've never experienced before. like i said, it felt like those are my friend who died. my fingers running through levi's hair, trying to make his endless pain go away. i am crying again. thank you for creating this. if you ever find the books you've written (or write a new one) i will buy a copy. or ten. have to have some to give away so i can promote your work.

i love u connie 2 my sasha. i really do.

[blxetsi]

modern sasha braus dating headcanons

lowercase intended !

college!sasha braus x gn!reader

had to write something for my queen 😌✨

- she shares her food with you. I Dont Care She Does

- also since this is a modern au i dont think she would have such an obsession with food as she does in the canonverse (if we can even call it an obsession) i still think she would have a big appetite (and she'd be proud of it tf 😏🙏) but i just dont see her always being hungry as the fandom makes her out to be

- really likes to hold hands with you

- i think itd be really cute if she was studying to become a baker ?? maybe taking a culinary course at the university you two attend ?? maybe you somehow met there or through a friend

- i think she'd still be insecure about her accent (ig if this is au is set in america she'd be from the south 😐🤚) and would speak kind of like a robot to people she didn't know that well

- connie and jean ALWAYS bring out her accent tho,, like with them she can really be herself

- i think when you were starting to get to know her she would be speaking very formally, and youd take it like shes being kinda stand offish or like,, just doesnt wanna talk so youre thinking "okay maybe she doesnt wanna be friends 😁👍" and would back off

- now sasha's upset because you are so cool and unique and she just wants to know so much about you but youve been very distant lately ?? like did she do something wrong ??

- she tells connie, jean, marco, and niccolo one night and connie and jean are on the side of "find y/n and demand to know why their behavior has changed" while marco and niccolo are on the side of "respectfully dm y/n and ask why they havent been wanting to see sasha recently"

- sasha goes with the latter of the two and dms you after passing you in the dining hall, you two literally keep glancing at each other, texting while you sit with your respective friend groups

- after everything gets cleared up sasha is immediately inviting you to hang out with her crew, and even getting some of her other friends like eren, mikasa, and ymir and historia to come join too

- if she has all the people shes comfortable with there, itll be less scary talking with her accent !

- You Love It. You Think Its Adorable.

- you guys would definitely have a friends to lovers type relationship

- like friendly hugs turn into slightly longer hugs, and now sasha will constantly ask to sit next to you during movie nights

- loves to rest her head on your lap while she spreads across the couch

- i think you two would have your first kiss in niccolos apartment

- you two were sitting in his kitchen, with sasha munching on the leftover food he made that night for your get together

- his mom had called him so he decided to leave to go to his bedroom to answer it

- and slowly you guys just kind of,,,, leaned in 🙈✨

- it was slow and really romantic, kinda rough with the crumbs that were around sasha's lips but you didn't mind

- niccolo barged in and ruined the moment 😐🤚 good going pal 😁👍

- you two were so shocked that you two tried to leave

- ended up just walking down the road in silence like wtf i thought yall were trying to get away from each other 😭😭😭😭

- sasha ended up staying the night 🤩‼️

- NOT in a sexual way

- but in like a,,,, rue and jules kinda way where jules comes in through the window (but only sasha didnt come in through the window she came in the front door with you) and you two held each other and gave each other smooches for the rest of the night

- sasha woke up late and missed her morning classes 😐🤚 didnt even care and went back to sleep with you

- i think for the most part you get along well with her friend group

- youre definitely closer to connie, jean, niccolo, marco, and historia

- ymir teases you guys a lot and you cant tell if what she says is just jokes (it always is) or if shes completely serious

- eren, mikasa, armin, annie, along with reiner and bertholdt are more of aquantances to you, just because you dont see them as often as you do the others

- she has such a weird relationship with her english professor

- will literally complain how much work he gives his class and then the next day will gush about how great he his bc he gave her a granola bar for her effort in her assignment

- girl pick a script and stick to it 😐🤚

- has a collection of stuffies on her bed. i dont make the rules.

- anytime theres a carnival in town she drags EVERYONE there.

- you all agree to split up into groups so you can all check out what you want, but you always agree to meet up and eat funnel cake together 🥺

- sasha tries to get you to win her new stuffies

- if you cant do it, or just want some for yourself, shes calling connie and niccolo up PLEADING with them to come find you guys,

- then she claims theres been an ACCIDENT and that you two need help

- niccolo is zooming bc he cares abt his besties 😌✨

- connie texts jean and marco to come find you guys too 😭😭😭

- who gets a kick and a lecture for lying courtesy of niccolo ? sasha. but who also gets a bunch of stuffies won for her courtesy of niccolo ? sasha.

- for your anniversary i think she'd want to do something really fun with you

- she'd set up a pillow fort and have a bunch ot string lights and stuff, have all of her favourite stuffies (which are the ones she thinks of you when she sees) in there too.

- she has chips, she baked little pastries and cookies, and she ordered your favourite takeout

- you guys just watch whatever you want on netflix or whatever and its such a nice night

- it becomes a tradition for you guys, but you two always take turns with setup

- one year sasha did all of the planning, baking and whatnot ? okay now its your turn 😁👍

- you guys even started doing themes now 🤩

- if you guys play board games with your friends youre on sasha's side whether you want to be or not.

- shes also the kind of person that says "i can win fair and square !" but then when bertholdt starts kicking her ass in monopoly her script changes real quick 🙄

- now its "y/n,,, give me some of ur money" and "y/n, buy this property for me" like girl,,,, what happened to playing fair 😍⁉️

- will try and do all of those s/o pranks you see on tiktok

- its hard to get a genuine reaction out of you bc you can TELL SHES RECORDING but she tries anyways

- we love a perservering queen 😌✨

- will call you at random times of the day asking if you guys can see each other

- "y/n ??? are you there ??" "sasha its 2am wtf do you want 😐" "do you wanna ride your bike with me down to the park 🥺"

- also is very observant, knows when youre overworking yourself

- will try and pull you away from what youre working on like "lets go get you something to drink, or maybe we can watch an episode of that show you like before you continue working !"

- if youre persistent that you just HAVE to finish it tonight and cant stop and take a break she'll respect that, until you stay at your laptop for over an hour 😐

- just softly pulls you away like "no lovebug, lets get some sleep okay ?"

- is also very protective of you

- overheard someone making fun of you ?? talking shit ??? her besties better hold her back before she gets suspended 😤‼️

- and since connie and jean absolutely ADORE you, you better believe theyre helping their girl sasha out

- those three are the LEADERS of the "protect y/n club"

- it just becomes niccolo and marco trying to dissolve the situation before it gets physical, and then reiner and armin joining when they walk directly into the chaos

- armin tells you what happened and as much as youre thankful that sasha cares about you so much that she'd defend you like that, you lecture her, jean and connie on not making scenes like that again

- sasha's love language is kind of like,, a mixture of quality time and physical touch

- she just really loves spending time with you, but also very much enjoys being in your arms

- she doesnt shy away from it, and is usually the one to initiate those things

- will hold your hand PROUDLY down hallways or on streets

- always hypes you up too, shes very much so your personal hypeman

- "oh lovebug you look SO GOOD rn oh my god" "sasha pls im in my pyjamas" "and you look like a model baby !"

- sasha is very stubborn however, and if you guys ever fight she is NEVER the one to apologize first, or seek you out to talk about it

- even if shes in the wrong she cant bring herself to admit it, she dug herself into such a deep hole with the stance she took that she doesnt want to take the walk of shame in admitting that she wasnt right

- this can cause a lot of problems in your relationship, but after you explain how much it affects you, shes trying to change

- will always work on her stubborn-ness and pride

- and it actually makes her feel a lot better being able to admit defeat, or being wrong

- she really likes being communicative and honest, especially with you

- i think overall your relationship with sasha is very very fun, filled with good memories, good food, good friends, and most importantly, love.

no bc i really do love her 😐🤚 lemme marry miss braus rq 😏✨

hope u guys enjoyed !! remember requests are open so if you have anything youd like me to write DONT BE SHY ❤️‼️

[beth-march]

for the fanfic game -- F! (absolutely obsessed w your fics btw <3)

I have already answered this, but I'm going to do it again because I really appreciate you asking and for being so sweet <3

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

I'm going to share some dialogue from 'it escapes from my hands into moonlight', where Lexi has refused to offer Rue clean urine to pass a drug test, ensuing a terrible fight, that Fez helps Lexi to work through.

“I helped her deceive her mom… Her poor mom. I know Leslie, I’ve known her since I was a kid, and she’s always been so good to me. She must have been beside herself, trying to take care of Rue, trying to get her clean. The least I could do is give her a heads up that her daughter is using again, let alone helping Rue to pass her drug tests!”

“You can’t go down this road,” Fez says sternly. “There ain’t no end to it. Just lots’a bends, different ways to feel god awful about it, ’cause it’s a god awful thing. And it just ain’t for you to worry about, because none of it’s your fault.”

“I shouldn’t have ever given her my pee,” Lexi says, almost whining. If she weren’t so sincerely regretful, Fez worries that he might have laughed at her.

“You told her no tonight, didn’t you?”

Lexi sighs, but she nods. “Yeah.”

“So, she’s gonna fail her drug test. And her mom’s gonna know, and do whatever she can to help her. So that’s you being a good friend. Even if it’s not in the way she wants.”

“But all those other times - ”

“Fuck those other times,” Fez says simply. “You were doin’ what you thought was right, and now you’ve changed your mind, and that’s good. You’re good, Lex. You did your part, you don’t gotta worry no more.”

I’m happy with this dialogue because I like what it addresses. I do think that Lexi would harbour a lot of mixed feelings around Rue’s addiction and the ways she’s assisted and even enabled it, and even back when I first watched Season 1 I wondered about her thoughts on the matter. I wanted to give her space to air out her concerns to someone who understands, because Fez clearly has a good understanding of addicts, he’s been surrounded by them all of his life and he obviously works with them a lot.

Being close to addicts is very arduous so I wanted to give Lexi some support and I wanted to convey just how insightful and intelligent Fez is. I think this comes across here - he understands the nuance, he stresses its importance to her, he forgives her for her mistakes and encourages her to embrace the nuance as well, for her own sake of mind.

The “You can’t go down this road,” is the line I’m happiest with.

Thanks again for your ask!

[kyloren]

i was never really into the jonsa ship, but that post of yours has got me really interested... do you have any fave fics of them??

welp, we’re going old-school, lads. prepare for some of my favourite fandom throwbacks well, I failed at that, I put some of the newer things on the list, too

CANON-VERSE:

Now You See Me: Kissed by fire, Ygritte thought to herself, just like me. 

Goodbye Means Going Away (And Going Away Means Forgetting): Memory is unreliable. No one understands this better than Rickon Stark.

Take My Crown Away (Don’t Smile So Sweetly, My Love): A world where everything is easier. Except for those who love, and love too much.

Build a Ladder to the Stars: Jon abandons the Night’s Watch to join Robb’s cause. After rescuing Sansa from King’s Landing, he and Sansa find themselves in a relationship they never saw coming.

A Winter’s Tale: The War of Three Dragons comes to the Vale, bringing Jon Snow and Sansa Stark together once more.

The Winter of Our Discontent: In the end it is Jon and his men of the Night’s Watch who come to take her back to Winterfell.

tell me true (who are you): Ned Stark brought a dark-haired, grey-eyed bastard babe home and called him son. Years later, Jon Targaryen does the same.

Lift Me Like an Olive Branch and Be My Homeward Dove: She never dreams of Jon Snow but in the end he is the one that comes for her under a Targaryen banner, the might of Winterfell and the North behind him with their father’s sword on his back.

The Whispering Ghosts (Left You Out In The Cold): Winter came and brought Jon home. [this is the first Jonsa fic I ever read, boy, did it fuck me up]

A Bronze Crown: In the end there are no knights. In the end Sansa must rescue herself. Based on the prompt: he doesn’t ride to her rescue; she comes north with her granduncle and the armies of the Vale to wage war on the Boltons, save his life and teach his assassins and the Boltons a sharp lesson.

how ruthless are the gentle*: “Yes, I do.” The easiest lie he’s ever told, by far. It came so naturally, he hardly thought of it as false. “She’s easy to love.”

Tell the Ones That Need to Know (We Are Headed North)*: After years of confinement in the Red Keep with Ned prisoner in the black cells, the Dragon Queen comes. With the knowledge that Jon Snow is actually a Targaryen, she agrees to let the Starks return to Winterfell only if Jon marries one of the Stark daughters. Sansa volunteers so they can all go home. Soon she figures out being married to Jon isn’t bad, but it is complicated.

Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things*: We know no King, but the King in the North whose name is Stark. 

Dragons of Red, Dragons of White*: An AU where the Battle of the Trident took place, but just between Rhaegar Targaryen and Robert Baratheon. Their duel and its outcome have ramifications that none could foresee. In the world built afterwards, dragons once again rule and roam Westeros, among them the son of a northern beauty and the king. Prince Jon and his kin, Stark and Targaryen alike, face new challenges from both without and within. Whatever the future holds, the Seven Kingdoms will learn that, whether in a coat of red or a coat of white, a dragon still has claws.

A Knight’s Watch: Jon Snow is forbidden to take the black by his father. Instead he sent to squire for a famous knight, beginning a long arduous journey that causes him to cross paths with characters he never would have. Along the way he learns truths long hidden and discovers love in the most unlikely of places.

The Conquest*: Three hundred years after Aegon the Conqueror built a new empire on the ashes of the Valyrian Freehold the known world is a place of war. The Targaryen Empire is pressed by enemies, the Seven Kingdoms war amongst themselves and forces contrive to pull them all apart.

Live Without Shame: When Catelyn’s treatment of Winterfell’s Bastard unexpectedly softens, Sansa reconsiders her relationship with Jon. But despite the revelations that ensue, Jon must and will always remain Winterfell’s Bastard and suffer its consequences.

The Tempered Kingdoms*:  After years of wars, death, destruction, politics, and White Walkers, a tentative calm has returned to Westeros partially due to the rulership of King Jon and Queen Daenerys. But politics rues its head again as Stannis Baratheon demands his right to rule, while the former Queen Cersei languishes in a cell, plotting her revenge against all who live above her. Sansa Stark is forced to return to King’s Landing after being found by the rumored lovers Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth.

winterbloom: “You’ve traveled a long way for a rumor.” Sansa lives at the Wall under the protection of her brother Jon Snow, but when Sandor Clegane comes looking for her, she and Jon begin to realize that she is not as safe as they once hoped.

As History Changes: Jon agrees to accompany Stannis south to the Vale and he meets a person he did not expect to meet.

hold onto your heart (you’ll keep it safe): When Sansa turns eleven her wrist burns. She excitedly unwraps the cloth guarding her skin, waiting eagerly for the name to finish forming. The dark letters stop after only three and when Sansa leans in closer she realises that she knows that name and she knows that handwriting already.

carve your heart into mine: Sansa spent many evenings sewing her wedding dress by the fire, dreaming of her husband. The gown spilled out of her hands like a silver river, burning brighter from the light of the flames. She had embroidered it with a noble husband in mind, but she wed her lowborn love in the godswood, with snowflakes falling on her veil. 

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE:

Into the Darkness of the Grave: The tragic death of Eddard Stark’s cousin Lyanna brings her estranged son back to Winterfell House, the family’s old plantation home, for her funeral.

The Other Shoe: If anyone had told Sansa Stark that she would be married to Jon Snow, expecting a child with him at the age of nineteen she would have laughed at them. Not because Jon was a bad person, for he had slowly come out of his shell in the past seven years; not because she was young, her parents were married right out of Hogwarts; simply because Sansa Stark seemed to be the anthesis of a happy ending.

several sunlit days: Everyone knows you don’t date Robb Stark’s sisters unless you want to spend your days avoiding hexes and angry bludgers shot at your head. Too bad Jon’s traitorous feelings could care less.

the unexpected champion: Jon must swim to The Black Lake and retrieve something *cough* Sansa *cough* stolen from him. This task makes him realize who he should invite to the Yule Ball.

Where Did You Sleep Last Night: Sansa needs a new guitarist, Jon needs a new band, and the two of them definitely don’t need each other.

and labor till the work is done: Stark Industries is a family legacy she was hoping to avoid: Robb is a project manager, grooming to eventually be a partner, Arya is a summer intern with Bran sure to follow next year and Rickon in another three, and even Jon Snow, who is technically not family but who has been around for as long as Sansa can remember, works as an estimator. But Sansa is not who she was at sixteen or eighteen or even twenty and she’s still in the process of learning what’s truly important, like who she is, who she wants to be, and what kind of people she wants in her life.

One Of The Few Things: Jaime and Sansa spend a lot of time pining over Brienne and Jon together. Sometimes, they actually even do their jobs.

flower shaped heart*: Alayne Stone has lived her whole life in her hidden tower, forbidden by Mother to leave. But she yearns for an adventure like the ones in the songs, so when a man named Jon Snow crashes into her tower and into her life, she seizes the chance. They travel to King’s Landing where the floating lanterns shine each year on her nameday. The new world is exciting and frightening, but Jon Snow is there to guide her every step. He is not nearly as terrible as Mother said men are, though the rest of the world might be. Danger, betrayals, and lies form the steps of their journey as Alayne uncovers terrible secrets.

Crawl up to my Room: Jon left her side after a few moments of silence and she watched him leave with a quiet thought playing in her mind. He was her stepbrother for only a few hours, and she already found herself utterly fascinated and irritated with Jon Stark. 

in the summer, as the lilacs bloom: “You did tech in high school,” Sansa points out. (Yeah, I did tech because you were playing the lead and I was in love with you.) Jon doesn’t tell her that, though. Of course not. Instead he agrees to spend his summer stage managing this passion project of hers, and some trace of his seventeen-year-old self has dried out his throat at the thought of three months’ constant contact with Sansa.

Down from the Mountain: Sansa flies home from college after her older brother Robb, one of the country’s hottest young pitchers, is hurt in a car accident. Robb’s best friend Jon is there to help the Stark family in any way he can.

Little Bed in the Big Woods: “I stared at him for a solid five minutes because he looked like what I imagine god would look like if god was a lumberjack.”

A Game of Stars*: When the Mad Emperor hears that the Starks are Force-sensitive, he discovers the hidden rebel base on Hoth. He sends Jon there with one order: Burn them all. But bring the Stark children to Coruscant. It’s time for the two most powerful Force bloodlines in the galaxy to merge.

I’ll Pack My Goods for the Arkansas Woods*: When Sansa’s brother goes missing, it falls to her to defend the house and the woods against the greed of the Boltons and Freys. All of this would be much easier if she could fight fire with fire, and there’s a saying in the valley: that all the Starks are a little wild, and all the Targaryens are a little mad. Her cousin Jon just happens to be both.

In the Face of Death: On a long list of things Jon never expected, Sansa came top.

United States of Irreversible Oblivion: With the government losing its fight at the northern border, Sansa’s only hope is that one of its soldiers, Office Jon Snow, will return for her and save her from the horrors of a collapsing society.

remember me love when i’m reborn: ‘Longest Night’ has biggest night in hollywood history. “Joffrey wanted someone to make him famous, and as soon as Sansa wrote a movie for him that did just that, he left her in the dirt.”

Hear the Wolf*: The Starks are in Hogwarts. Sansa has to learn to stand up to her ex-boyfriend and Jon has to learn to face his past. They’re determined to do it alone. Will they ever admit they’re stronger together?

Somewhere in the Winter Woods*: Lost on her way to her grandmother’s cabin in the winter woods after running away from home, beautiful young Sansa thinks she’s run into trouble when she crosses a white wolf in the forest. Instead of harming her, the animal guides her to his master, a handsome warrior named Jon who lives in solitude and clothes himself in black.

* marks the ongoing stories. 

[urbanseeress]

𝙷𝙴𝙻: 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝙶𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑.

WHO IS HEL?

Hel (or Hela) is the daughter of Loki, the trickster god and the Jötunn Angrboda and sister to the monstrous wolf Fenrir and the Midgard serpent, Jormunganr. Appearance-wise, she is “half living”; where half her body is described as being heart-achingly beautiful, and “half dead”, where the other half of her body is described as the pale flesh of death and the rotting flesh that comes after.

Odin, the All-Father and ruler of Asgard, sent Hel to the realm of Helheim where she was to rule over the souls of those who had died a “dishonourable death” - this refers to the death of those who did not die in battle but have died of natural causes, sickness, old age etc. This gives her titles such as Goddess of Death, Goddess of the Underworld etc. (NOTE: Those who die in battle do not directly go to Óðinn. Freyja gets the first pick of warriors and those she chooses go to Fólkvangr, only then does Óðinn get to choose his warriors for the Valho̧ll from those who remain). 

ASSOCIATIONS:

SOLAR SYSTEM: Pluto

ZODIAC: Scorpio

MOON PHASE: Dark Moon, New Moon

CELEBRATIONS: Samhain, Yule

COLOUR: Black

NUMBER: 9

RUNE: Hagalaz

HERB: Mugwort, Wormwood, Cedar, Rue, Mullein and Plantain

INCENSE: Myrrh, Storax, Jasmine, Sage

TREES: Ash, Beech, Elder, Elm, Holly, Juniper, Willow and Yew

CRYSTALS: Black Tourmaline, Black Obsidian, Black Onyx, Apache Tear, Black Moonstone

ANIMAL: Wolf

ISSUES, INTENTIONS AND POWERS: The Afterlife, Battle/War, Darkness, Death, The Otherworld/Underworld, Shadow Work, Necromancy

HONOURING HEL:

The various ways I honour Hel:

I built Hel an altar that consisted of a statue of Hel, black candles, black crystals (See above in “Associations”) and a black altar cloth.

Make offerings to Hel – she tends to like coffee and dark chocolate, but I also burn incense on the altar for her. I also light a plain black candle dedicated to Hel.

Hel’s Incense – See above in “Associations”.

I meditate on the Hagalaz rune.

I say prayers in her name to my loved ones that have passed away.

I leave offerings for my loved ones who have passed away, this is mostly a candle, incense, a small dish of their favourite food.

Clearing up the graves of the dead whenever I walk pass and see rubbish left around it or fix any flowers or wreathes that might have fallen over.

Doing anything creative for her is something that she loves. I made a gemstone bracelet to represent her so that I can wear it everywhere I go and connect with her even more. The bracelet is made of Black Onyx beads, Skull beads and the Halagaz rune bead; all these things are associated with Hel.

CONNECTING TO HEL:

How I connect to Hel is by taking a walk through a cemetery where I can really contemplate on Death and connect with the energies of the dead around me. I also do meditations in the cemetery to tap into the death current. Whatever I hear, feel, smell and think of during my walk (or during my cemetery meditations) I always write down in my journal.

Sometimes I call upon her with a simple invocation before asking her directly for guidance. I use Tarot Cards to communicate with her following an invocation or sometimes I just meditate on the spot and wait for any images or sounds to appear in my mind’s eye that could potentially be a message from her.

I play dark, tragic and brooding instrumental music out loud, which helps me relax and contemplate on a lot of things. I also listen to a lot of Viking-inspired music to help me connect to her. I also read a lot of gothic literature, which inspires feelings of grief and longing as a healthy way to let all those feelings out, Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry is one of my personal favourites to read out loud for Hel and I to enjoy together.

MY MEDITATION – ENCOUNTERING HEL:

The first time Hel appeared to me was when I was simply daydreaming, I heard faint whispers of “Hela… Hela… Hela…” in my mind. Before this happened, my mind was completely blank and this was at nighttime as I laid in bed. I thought that this was very random, but nevertheless, I understood these words and felt inclined to close my eyes and meditate in case there was a message for me.

Hel was very unfamiliar to me and to be fair, I am still getting to know her to this day. Deities are very complex with their many different layers, personas, and energies. In general, if I ever feel like a deity is reaching out to me, I focus on the energies I feel from them and meditate on it. Doing so helps me get a “feel” of them, their energies, their intentions, their story. I tend not to look them up because I always want to feel their raw, unfamiliar energies personally and not let their mythology affect the way I sense or view them. I then take note of it in a journal and then proceed to read about them afterwards to see if my interpretation of the deity matches that written in the literature. I always believed in trusting my intuition.

In this meditation, I found myself being transported into what looked like the inside of a cave, however, part of me felt like this was no ordinary cave because it was not completely dark and obscure like caves would usually be without a torch to light the way. This cave in my vision had a pale light blue light seeping through from somewhere. I also noted there were white/pale blue crystals around me among the rocks that made up the cave’s walls.

In the cave, a child approached me. She had long silvery-white hair and pale white skin and icy blue eyes. I also noticed she was wearing a grey torn-up viking dress that was up to her ankles and that was also covered in dirt (perhaps she had been in this cave for a while trying to find her way out of it). She did not seem like she was afraid or lost, in fact, she was quite the opposite. She saw me, playfully touched my hand, smiled and giggled and happily ran away.

Not long after, a woman appeared in the direction the little girl ran off to. She had long raven black hair and was wearing a long, black dress. Her appearance reminded me of a crow.

She just stood there and stared at me, studying me. We stared at each other without saying a word to one another for a while. Later, the little girl I saw later reappeared and joined the woman. Were they mother and child? I had no idea, but they most certainly knew one another and seemed very close. They held hands and suddenly, a flash of light appeared above them and then they disappeared…

Standing in the spot they were standing was another woman with her back turned towards me and partly covered in the shadow of the cave although part of her was also under the pale blue light of it. She slowly turned around to face me. As she turned, I saw from the light that she was indeed very beautiful. Youthful, glowing and with an air of mystery around her but I could not help but feel a sense of brooding and grief in the air too. I could not tell if she was smiling or not for she also looked as if she was pained and in sincere regret. When she finally turned to face me completely, that was when I realised half of her face was disfigured.

It was not just her face, the other half of her body that now revealed itself from the shadows as she stepped forward, half of her body was either rotten or in the process of rotting away. I admit that this image frightened me, and I felt my heart beating and I also felt myself going into fight or flight mode. However, I could not move and stayed rooted on the spot, just staring at her. I could not scream but I know my jaw hit the floor at this point, to be in shock is a complete understatement.

This was Her, this was Hel and I was in Helheim. I probably should not have come here.

I stood there as she limped over to me, she was limping because she was trying to drag her “dead half” with her. The dead half of her was completely limp. I noticed the half of her that is “alive” is also had toned arms and legs and has somewhat of a four-pack, possibly from dragging that “dead weight” for so long. She took my hands in hers; one of her hands was pale but felt very warm, I even felt a pulse from it, a sign of life. The other hand, rotten, decayed, skeletal but still covered in strips of tissue felt cold and dry, and majority was bone, it made me flinch. I also noted the smell of rotting flesh and perfume (I assume is what her live half was wearing at the time) as she stood in front of me.

I finally had the courage to look up at her, into her eyes. One eye was a beautiful sapphire blue, while the other eye was blind, white and lifeless and barely hanging on in its socket as there was no eye lid to support it. I tried to ignore all that and she smiled at me. Her lip curled into a small smile, whereas the skeletal half of her face already looked like she was smiling since all I could see were her exposed teeth. The image of Hel then faded, and I slowly came to, back to the mundane world.

I am still in the process of interpreting this message but I believe the main thing that Hel tried to convey to me was DUALITY. Half beautiful, half rotten and decay. Half alive, half dead. Woman and child. Black and White. Shadow and Light.

HEL IN MY LIFE:

Whenever I think of, work with and connect to Hel, I have always felt a sense of brooding and grief, darkness and mystery, there are also times when I feel fear. She is most certainly a compassionate deity when she wants to be, but most of the time, she is detached, cold, stoic and does not really take sides. She also does not mind what you do in your craft or in your life. She basically gives off the impression of, “You do YOU as long as you do not impede on others.”

She prefers to not interfere with anything and would rather watch you. I always feel like she has her eyes on me, watching every move and decision I make, wondering what will happen next. She sometimes expresses curiosity and fascination with me; I interpret this as even though she is a Death goddess, she still likes to be involved in the lives of her children where she can watch them live in the way they want until they pass away from this world and she welcomes them into her realm with open arms.

I never really got over the fear I feel sometimes when I connect with her, but then again, I believe that was her intention. The whole point is to feel uncomfortable and never get used to this feeling. I remember sincerely apologising to Hel later for reacting so negatively towards her, but she told me that she took no offense and that it is a good thing that I reacted in the way that I did towards her.

She wants to constantly remind me of how I feel whenever I encounter a shadow of mine. This fear is a projection onto her. It is almost as if she is a mirror image of all the “bad” and “evil” things of myself that scare me, make me uncomfortable and make me want to run away from. Since she constantly pulls out the shadows from within me to make me feel extremely uncomfortable and makes me face them, I ended up doing Shadow Work with her as my guide. She always asks me, “Are you truly afraid of me or of the things I remind you of when you look at me?”

She is aware that half of her body is Death itself, but it never bothers her. Even though she literally must drag the other half of her body along with her wherever she goes (literally the dead weight of herself), she acts like she had gotten used to it over time and does not let it stop her from doing what needs to be done. The fact that physically, she gained muscle from dragging her dead half around for so long indicates that she gained strength from her ordeal.

I see Hel and see that this dead side of herself is like her very own personal shadow, except that, she is at peace with it and living in harmony with this side of her. She is an example of someone who had integrated their shadow into their life and has reached the point where she no longer needs “Shadow Work”. Only a deity is capable of this because to me, Shadow Work lasts a lifetime. As you grow older, the more Shadows form.

I admire her so much and this is why she is my role model. I strive to become like Hel and so I have dedicated my entire life to Shadow Work with her. I believe that I too can live in harmony and be at peace with the parts of me that I tried to cast away. I want to unapologetically bare my real self and feel nothing but pride. I want to uncensor my own ugliness.

Hel also eased my fear of death and completely changed my perspective on it. I view death as an end to something and the beginning of something new. I view death as a transition. Death also leads to rebirth. It is very hard and painful to let go of things sometimes, but it is necessary in order for you to move forward with your life. You come out of that situation stronger.

I used to be so afraid of the idea of dying and leaving behind all my loved ones. I also struggled with the death of loved ones, losing my Father was the one that hurt me the most. When he left, I felt a part of me die with him. I remember it took a very long time to heal and move on with my life. I was trapped in never-ending grief and was consumed with so many negative emotions like guilt, pain, rage.

What I felt is indescribable, but I remember telling my therapist that “Losing Dad felt like there was a hole in me that can never be filled by anything or anyone and I had to learn how to live with a part of me gone, but at the same time I somehow still felt severely depressed. It is not normal, it did not feel normal, nor did it feel right. I felt so numb and so empty yet despite that a part of me had died along with him, I was still able to feel negative emotions that reminded me that I was still alive.” Thinking back to that moment, it feels like Hel was with me all along, but I never realised until much later, she was there especially during those times where I felt, “half dead and half alive”.

Nowadays, I have accepted and even embraced death. Hel made sure that I was ready for when that time comes. To live your best life, you must also embrace death. As for the death of my Father, I had finally come to terms with it and vowed to live the best life that I can. I also realised that he is not truly gone because as long as I remember the memories of him, he will live on inside of me.

[castielsbeeslippers]

Part I

Summary: Dean regrets it instantly. The way he snapped , the words that tumbled from his mouth. The small argument between him and his little brother had escalated into a full blown screaming match , and now Sam was gone. Dean takes off to clear his head and ends up in an erie cemetery where he believes he is alone.

On ao3

Thank you to @wantstoflyafraidtofall for being beta 🖤you’ve helped me immensely! 🥺

The rumble of the classic car’s engine shook the stillness of the cemetery grounds rustling the leaves and still the air hung heavy.

With a soft screech of it’s black tires the car came to a stop. Dean must have driven over thirty odd miles to get away from that old motel that his younger brother had already abandoned. Dean just had to get away to anywhere but there.

He closed his tired eyes , feeling them sting.

He killed the engine and let himself go.

His guilt escaped from his gut-wrenching sobs. He was truly alone.

(The dead would never tell.)

Dean ran his callused hands over his soft eyes and sighed into them. He drug himself out of his classic car and did his best to pull himself together with each step.

He looked over his shoulder... nothing but the empty road.

He didn’t want to face the world or the reality of it all....His brother was god knows where because of him and that absurd fight. Dean had really crossed the line this time. A knot formed in his stomach as he recalled his harsh words.

The emotions bubbling inside him didn’t have a name. Frustration and fear didn’t seem to even scratch the surface.

His boots crushed the moist earth beneath them with unforgiving force.

A distant snap jolted Dean from his thoughts.

Dean without hesitation ripped his gun from his pocket aiming directly ahead into the stillness.

“Show yourself.” He spit into the air.

Whatever ghoul or spector was about to rue the fucking day. Dean was ready to whiplash himself from numbness to rage.

The wind only whistled in reply. It was probably just some wild animal. He let the mind drift for a moment keeping his defensive stance , still unwavering not letting himself be convinced.

Something far off rustled like a scared flock of birds, a whooshing sound rushing all at once into Dean’s ears.

Dean spun himself around only to see again the empty road that was now laden with a thick white fog... that Dean knew had to have just crept in.

It sent a chill down his spine.

‘Haunted cemetery, no shit’

He tensed his shoulders, mentally cursing himself. He already felt like roadkill and this was just adding to the fun.

Dean whipped his head back leering into the cemetery, his eyes catching on a shadowed figure.

Dean held his breath and crept forward his gun leading the charge.

The figure moved from darkness laying steady steps.

“Stay right there.” Dean warned through his clenched jaw.

The figure did not. His looming shadow turned to a man in a soft dirt colored trench coat, his hair a black tussled mess.. and his eyes pure electric.

Dean’s breath hitched , his eyes searching the man frantically.

His gun, unamused and unmoving.

“Hello.” The man spoke with a gentle monotone.

“Stop.”

“You can lower your weapon , I bear no ill intent towards you or any other human.” The man's voice boomed again.

Not human. Dean figured as much. He tore his eyes away from the man's eyes and steadied himself again.

“What the hell are you?” Dean growled. The figure's calm demeanor only pushed his buttons more.

“I’m Castiel, Angel of the Lord , Thursday’s Angel if you prefer a shorter title.” The self-proclaimed Angel said with a shrug.

“Yeah okay , and I’m Queen Elizabeth.” He chuckled darkly.

The Angel’s blue eyes gleamed as he tilted his head at the man's comment.

“You’re looking much younger.” He told the hunter flatly.

“Tryin’ to mess with me?” Dean snapped back.

“He’s not dead, Dean.”

“Excuse me?” Dean’s stomach lurched.

“I’m not supposed to be here, Dean.” The angel shook his head softly with a frown.

“I’m not even sure where “here” is.” He admitted.

Or when. He didn’t add.

Dean grit his teeth , the way he said his name with a familiarity on his tongue made Dean’s whole body tense up.

“Start talking , you’re acting like you know me.” Dean demanded no question in his tone.

Castiel smiled. A wide smile.

“I’ll tell you everything Dean, assuming you can do the same ”

Dean’s jaw clenched.

Castiel tilted his head to the right , careful to keep his lips in a line leaving his eyes wide, unblinking.

This Dean stood before him, turmoil swirling beneath his skin. Castiel felt Dean’s mind rapid fire, laden with guilt, which was so familiar, lost and searching.

How desperately the angel wanted to part the dark clouds and bring comfort to the man before him.

‘Gently , slowly. ’ He thought to himself , he didn’t want to approach this the wrong way.

“Would you sit with me?” Castiel asked cautiously.

His trench coat flowing softly after him as he turned on the ball is his dress-shoes.

Dean's eyes ever glued to the angel before him.

Dean held right to his pearl gripped pistol, still heavy in his right hand, he nodded and swallowed his protest.

“Sure.” Was the only thing he could muster.

They sat in silence for a while before Cas broke it with a soft boom of his voice.

“Dean,”

Dean's body thrummed again. The way his name was said made something deep inside flutter.

Dean only looked at Cas in wait for a reply.

The prominent sensation was still buzzing , the tickle of electricity on Dean’s skin that grew stronger with each step he took towards the angel-shaped man.

The metal bench was cold and damp beneath them. Castiel gave no reaction to this and Dean chose to ignore the damp spots forming on his jeans.

Dean carefully tucked his gun back away against his better judgement in an attempt to be polite, but something deep in his mind felt this “Castiel” could be trusted. He felt like he was losing it.

“I haven’t met you yet. This you….in the time I’ve come from we’re, and I quote “best friends… if you can believe it.” Cas started off slow with caution in his low tone.

Dean so far wasn’t buying it.

And Cas knew it just by the look in his eyes.

“I’m afraid I don’t know how much more I can say ,without upsetting the cosmic balance Dean...but I hope you can at least trust I care for you a great deal.”

A beat.

“You and your brother.”

That woke Dean up.

“Sam,” Dean grit out.“You mentioned him before, what do you know about my brother you holy tax account stalker.”

“I know he’s safe, I’m afraid I-“

Before Castiel got the rest of his sentence out Dean had jumped from the bench and was now standing in front of his eyes.

“Tell me.” he demanded.

“Dean please, you need not worry let me continue.”

“Please” he huffed softly.

And with that Dean did. He sat back down, still tense as he had been.

“He’s simply ‘blowing off some steam as you would put it.” Cas said softly.

“Yeah real awesome intel. Where ?”

“Not far, but please Dean give him some space lets-“

“Space?” Dean snapped.

“I can personally assure his safety… after we converse we can even go to him.” Cas said calmly.

“You want to just talk?” He raised his brow.

“I do.” Cas replied.

Dean swore he could see the gears turning in the dark haired angel’s (man’s?) head.

Reluctantly Dean gave in he really wasn’t sure what was coming over him. No matter how sincere those baby blue eyes were, he shouldn’t trust him. Not this quickly.

“Alright then start talkin’” Dean gave a huge sigh, his shoulders still stiff and unflinching.

“Please allow me a moment of just being… we’ve been through much...” the familiar words he’d spoken, and yet to speak forming on the tip of his tongue.

“Yeah… sure” Dean’s tone softened without permission.

He felt those damn eyes again all over him.

Castiel drank in this younger Dean. Still tough as nails, still loved his brother more than his own hide, but still, while familiar, Castiel couldn’t get enough. Not that he kept his eyes to himself at any point but this was something else. A Dean before perdition, before he’d rebuild his soul… his every fiber and cell.

“Listen .” A hard swallow. “I don’t know what we’ve been through in the future, but I’m not really getting this whole “Angel of the Lord shtick.”

Cas laughed lightly. Not at Dean, it was too gentle.

“You never really had faith in them.” Cas found himself putting emphasis on them…

It was them not him… Dean has faith in him. He was sure of that, even if he hasn’t always been.

“But you’re... Different?” It came out innocent.

A nod. “It’s the cracked chassis.” He said plainly.

Dean didn’t fully understand but he got a pretty good idea.

“You called them dicks with wings.”

“The other angels.” Cas added after a moment of silence.

Dean huffed. That did sound like him.

There was a lull in the conversation, the fog still thick around them.

“So... you really don’t know how you got here?” Dean finally settled on what to say.

“I have a working theory.”

“Which is?”

“I’m simply supposed to be.”

“That’s not what you said earlier.” Dean reminded him , not the slightest convinced.

Cas let himself smile again, his crows feet visible and crinkled.

“Changed my mind.”

“Alright.” Dean said standing up from the bench.

“Let's get a change of scenery, this place isn’t exactly what I’d call a hang out spot.”

Cas’ chest got tighter with a small rush of nerves.

“We can head towards wherever my dick brother is hiding out.”

“Alright, Dean.” Cas conceded , he really wasn’t in any position to argue with him.

This is part one ✨I might be posting this on ao3 but I’ll be and part two to tumblr soon ~ this should only be two or three parts in total ✨🖤

Tag list : @my-favourite-hellatus , @nguyenxtrang , @i-dont-even-wanna-know , @withclawsandsympathy , @sideofangels , @hazel-eyed-bi @lilac-void ,

🖤Feel free to ask to be added or removed ✨

[reyesstrand]

not sure if I’m allowed to send another but, what about 85 for tarlos?

sorry for the wait for this, but this idea got in my head and it kind of got out of control — a good ending to this series, i guess!! i hope you enjoy! 

prompt taken from this list. also available on ao3!!

Three weeks to the day after the solar flare, Carlos receives a cryptic text from his mom: come for lunch today?

He mulls it over; he loves his mother, and it’s no secret to anybody that knows him that he’s a total mama’s boy, but there’s got to be a reason behind her impromptu meal, and an evil part of his mind tells him it has to be bad news. She doesn’t mention anything about his sisters joining them, and Carlos doesn’t know if that should stress him out more or less. If it’s something bad, he’d assume that he and his sisters would find out at the same time — but that only leaves him more confused.

She’s a strong woman, and is a complete health-nut — ever since his abuela started having mobility issues, his mother’s been a champion for organic eating and natural sleep aids and doing yoga every morning. Carlos can’t put bad news from the doctor completely off the table, but he starts to drift towards the other countless possibilities — and so he can’t say no to her. Even if it’s his only day off that lines up with TK’s schedule, he spares a glance at his softly snoring boyfriend before figuring the man’s close enough with his own father that he’ll have to understand a shift in plans. And so Carlos finds himself more alert than he’d been when he’d rubbed sleep from his eyes and initially checked his phone five minutes ago, thumbs hovering over the screen before he sends her a simple of course, mami, and sets about getting ready for the day after pressing a quick kiss to TK’s hairline.

He’s showered and had his coffee and is trying to quietly get dressed when Carlos hears TK groan and grumble, clearly fighting between catching a little more sleep and getting out of bed. Carlos watches with a small smile as TK slowly sits up when he realizes he’s alone in bed, before their gazes catch, and his heart soars as TK’s eyes visibly light up at seeing him.

“Everything okay?” TK asks, voice still deep and groggy, and Carlos nods as he starts on buttoning up his shirt.

“We might have to change our plans today,” Carlos says apologetically. “I really—fuck, I really wanted to spend he day with you, but my mom wants me to come over and she usually doesn’t spring stuff like that on me unless there’s something wrong, and—”

“Hey,” TK cuts him off, and Carlos raises his brows at him. “It’s okay, seriously. Marjan’s been bugging me to take Buttercup to get some pampering, anyway.”

“You’re the best,” Carlos says, and TK grins at him.

“Damn straight.”

TK tilts his head up, clearly looking for a kiss. Carlos huffs out a laugh and comes in close, so their mouths are nearly touching, before he whispers, “You have no shame, do you.”

“Nope,” TK grins, eyes crinkling in the corners, popping the p before he closes the space between them and gets the kiss he wanted. “I’ll see you later, though?”

His eyes shine with hopefulness, and Carlos nods earnestly. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way home.”

There’s another brief kiss, before Carlos sighs as he presses their foreheads together.

“I hate just leaving on you,” Carlos admits, even though the thoughts surrounding what his mom’s intentions are with lunch are swirling around his mind.

“I’ll be fine,” TK says, ducking forward to press another kiss to the corner of Carlos’ mouth. “Say hi to your mom for me.”

It’s only half a joke — TK’s been talking, metaphorically, about meeting Carlos’ family for a week or so. He mentions it whenever Carlos talks about childhood memories or a story from one of his sisters, noting that Carlos has known his dad technically even before he knew TK. But it never evolves from a few jokes, and even though Carlos wants nothing more than to continue to make their relationship solidified through introducing each other properly to the people that mean the most to them, he doesn’t know how to seriously approach that subject.

Instead of trying now, Carlos leaves with a promised, “I’ll see you later,” before he grabs his keys and phone and makes his way out of his home.

The half-hour drive goes by mostly in a blur, because he’s too caught up in what might unfold at the lunch. They usually try to have big family dinners bi-weekly, due to everyone’s work schedules and his sister’s kids’ schedules, but he can’t remember the last time a meal like this was just dropped on him the day-of. He does have the right state of mind to stop and grab his mom a bouquet of lilies, her favourite, before he pulls up to the humble farmhouse he’d lived in his whole childhood.

“Is everything okay?”

The words are out of his mouth within seconds of stepping into the house, half-startling his mother as she pours out two glasses of sweet tea.

“Can’t I ask my favourite son to have lunch with me when I know it’s his day off?”

Carlos flushes a bit, handing the flowers to his mom as she pulls him in for a hug. “I’m your only son.”

“Still my favourite,” she grins, smacking a kiss on his cheek before she gestures toward the back deck. He follows her, taking a deep breath as he goes.

* * *

“I know something is up, baby.”

He'd been expecting something regarding her own well-being or health, or his abuela's, so when the conversation turns to him he's sort of confused. And Carlos has grown up hearing from people that he has his mother’s eyes, and as he looks into them now, he thinks he sees the similarities as she looks at him with a particular warmth laced with concern he’s been accustomed to since he was born.

“You know, I saw an interesting photo of you the other day,” she says it off-handedly, but Carlos still manages to choke on his drink. She doesn’t hesitate, going on to describe the picture he knows intimately because he posted it to his Instagram only forty-eight hours ago: him and TK, smiling as they stand close, too close to just be friendly to any onlooker, taken by Paul in the late hours of the night as they strolled around downtown after their shifts. He hadn’t even considered his family seeing the photo, and he silently rues the day his sisters made their mother various social media accounts so she could keep up with their lives. Her voice turns soft, as she squeezes his arm and asks, “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Uh, I have to pee.”

He says it quickly enough that he can run off to inside the house, where the remnants of their lunch sits scattered over the counter. Carlos beelines for the bathroom and leans against the sink as he pulls out his phone.

how do you feel about my mom knowing about you?

seriously.

Carlos sends the messages to TK and taps his phone against the heel of his palm as he waits for a response. He thinks back to his mother’s implications — that she knows about them, is okay with them — and figures that he could always lie. It’ll look suspicious as hell, of course, after he just fucked off like that, but he’s never really brought any boyfriends around before. Mainly because he’s never been in a serious enough relationship to warrant that. But he thinks — he knows that there’s something real between him and TK, and he wouldn’t hate his mom and eventually his sisters knowing about him and meeting him and welcoming him into the fold of their family dynamic. But he needs to make sure this is still something TK’s okay with, that it’s going at his pace.

TK texts him back quickly, like always. i was serious about wanting to meet her someday. maybe even soon. so if you want to talk about me i support you.

you’re sure? Carlos texts back, as he feels his nerves starting to both tamper off and confusingly grow at the same time as he walks toward the backyard again, preparing to let his mother into this part of his life.

100%. tell her only the good things, i wanna impress her, TK replies, along with a string of heart emojis. Carlos huffs a little, quickly typing out, she’ll love you no matter what, before pocketing his phone and sliding back into his seat across from his mother.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, meeting her eyes, and as he opens his mouth to continue, she quickly interjects.

“Don’t lie to me, Carlos,” she warns, though there’s warmth behind her words, a desperate plea to tell him that she wants to be included in this part of his life, no matter how new it might be. "You know you can talk to me."

So Carlos takes another deep breath, not really looking at his mother as he whispers: “I met someone, mami.”

He stares down at the ground; after a few seconds, he shifts his gaze to stare at the blooming gardens that live in clusters around the yard, various vegetables and flowers alike growing with vengeance as the summer welcomes them back into the world. When she makes a noise and he finally meets her gaze again, she’s looking at him with nothing but fondness.

“Oh, baby,” his mom is smiling, now, and she brings his face close to press a kiss to his forehead.

“It’s only been official for a few weeks but, um, I really like him,” Carlos admits, as his mother lovingly squeezes his hand. With a laugh, he adds: “I like him a lot. And I’d love for you to meet him.”

His mother leans forward and curls her arms around him, like she did when he was a kid and he felt too small to conquer the world, and he immediately feels calm wash over him. “I would love to, mijo.”

(Carlos has a flash of a memory, then, coming out when he was fifteen years old and terrified but desperate for his truth to be known. He first told his older sister Camila, and then his mother a couple of days later, and he remembers so vividly how they hugged his then-tiny frame, all knobbly bones and a height he was getting used to, both of them supportive and loving and adamant that nothing would change how much they love him. He towers over both of them now, but he feels protected in his mother’s arms, like he always has).

As they pull out of the hug, his mother elbows him good-naturedly. “Alright, tell me about this boy then.”

His mama’s grinning at him teasingly as she says it, and Carlos sits back and huffs out a laugh of his own, rubbing the back of his neck.

“His name’s TK. He’s a firefighter,” Carlos says, barely holding back a bigger smile when his mother makes an approving face at that tidbit of information. “He’s—he’s funny and beautiful and has the warmest heart.”

“I’m so happy for you,” his mother says, eyes bright with love, as if just listening to him talk about TK has made her realize how truly happy he is. And maybe it's allowed himself to look at inside retrospectively and figure out that yeah, he is happier than he's ever been. “I’m sure I’ll love him. You’ll have to bring him around.”

“I will,” Carlos promises, feeling like he’s floating on air. “Oh, and he’s from New York City.”

He says it pointedly, knowing his mother’s always wanted to travel to the Big Apple.

“Well,” his mother says, “I guess we’ll have to show your city boy how we do family dinners, then.”

She brings him in for another hug as she smiles, before she goes off to refill their glasses. Carlos sits back, considering the idea of TK being a part of his family, for good — and he finds that he wants nothing else in the world.

[eienloveslesmis]

my favourite quote from every Les Mis song

Look Down/Work Song

“Look down, look down, they’ve all forgotten you.”

The Bishop

”Come in, Sir, for you are weary, and the night is cold out there.”

Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven

”Would you leave the best behind?”

What Have I Done

”I feel my shame inside me like a knife”

At the End of the Day

“And the righteous hurry past, they don’t hear the little ones crying.”

Lovely Ladies

“Don’t it make a change to have a girl who can’t refuse?”

I Dreamed a Dream

“The world was a song, and the song was exciting.”

Fantine's Arrest

“I’ll kill you, you bastard, try any of that. Even a whore who has gone to the bad won’t be had by a rat.”

The Runaway Cart

“He’s a convict from the chain gang, he’s been ten years on the run.”

Who Am I?

“And must my name until I die be no more than an alibi?”

Fantine's Death

“How fast the minutes fly away and every minute colder.”

The Confrontation

“I am warning you, Javert, there is nothing I won't dare. If I have to kill you here, I’ll do what must be done.”

Castle on a Cloud

“She says, “Cosette, I love you very much.”.”

Master of the House

“God knows how I’ve lasted, living with this bastard in the house.”

The Bargain

“Yes, Cosette. Yes, it’s true. There’s a castle just waiting for you.”

Stars

“You know your place in the sky, you hold your course and your aim, and each in your season returns and returns, and is always the same.”

Look Down

“Even his daughter does her share. That’s Éponine, she knows her way about, only a kid, but hard to scare.”

The Robbery

“Hey, what d’you do with all these books? I could’ve been a student too. Don’t judge a girl on how she looks, I know a lot of things, I do.”

Éponine's Errand

“God knows what you see in her. Ain’t you all delighted now? No- I don’t want your money, Sir.”

The ABC Café

“It is time for us all to decide who we are. Do we fight for the right to a night at the opera now?”

Do You Hear the People Sing?

“Will you join in our crusade?”

In My Life

“Every word that he says is a dagger in me.”

A Heart Full of Love

“These are words he’ll never say, not to me.”

The Attack on Rue Plumet

“I know this house, I tell you, there’s nothing here for you.”

One Day More

“What a life I might have known, but he never saw me there.”

Upon These Stones

“Let’s give ‘em a screwing they’ll never forget!”

On My Own 

“And I know it’s only in my mind, that I’m talking to myself and not to him.”

Javert's Arrival

“Bravo, little Gavroche, you’re the top of the class.”

Little People

“So careful how you go, ‘cause little people grow.”

A Little Fall of Rain

“I’ll sleep in your embrace at last.”

Night of Anguish

“Her name was Éponine. Her life was cold and dark, yet she was unafraid.”

The First Attack Drink with Me

“Will the world remember you when you fall? Can it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie?”

Bring Him Home

“If I die, let me die. Let him live, bring him home.”

Dawn of Anguish

“At the shrine of friendship, raise your glass high. Let the wine of friendship never run dry. If I die, I die with you.”

Death of Gavroche

“We’ll fight like twenty armies and we won’t give up!”

The Final Battle

“Let others rise to take our place, until the Earth is free.”

Dog Eats Dog

“And God, in his Heaven, he don’t interfere. ‘Cause he’s dead as the stiffs at me feet.”

Javert's Suicide

“There is nothing on Earth that we share. It is either Valjean or Javert.”

Turning

“Did you see them lying side by side?”

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

“Here they talked of revolution. Here it was they lit the flame.”

Every Day

“Don’t think about it, Marius, with all the years ahead of us.”

Valjean's Confession 

“How could he tell Cosette and break her heart?”

Beggars at the Feast

“And when we’re rich as Croesus, Jesus, won’t we see you all in hell?!”

Epilogue: Valjean's Death

“Take my love, for love is everlasting.”

Finale: Do You Hear the People Sing (Reprise)

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

[geckolady]

Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – It's a girl!

Stephanie has just turned twelve years old

For her twelfth birthday, Stephanie wanted to see her friends and she was refused. So, she asked her friends, through Gordon, to see her. Gordon refused, and they had had an argument. It seemed so petty now, to have had such a silly argument when she now knew that he just wanted to make sure she had every chance to do everything and anything in the world, but it had hurt that she couldn’t at least see them over lunch or go on walks with them.

At Gordon’s funeral, she had wept her eyes out, the only one crying. She had overheard the rest of her family in the parlour of their home, Gordon and Stephanie’s home, chatting ideally about who got the fortune, who got the house, who got the kid. She had screamed at them and then had to sit in the car with them looking ashamed of themselves going to the burial site. They tried to comfort her, but the damage was done. Honestly, she was more upset about the argument they’d had weeks ago and apologised for, and of her relatives, than she was that she was at the funeral of the last person that cared solely for her being her.

The rest of her was numb. It had happened again. It was hard to not look at things with irony and with cynicism when this was the thirdparents figure that had died.

She had seen her six friends in the corner, all in black suits and looks of genuine upset on their faces but hadn’t dared go up to them. Gordon hadn’t wanted that. She fiddled with the priceless emerald necklace Wolf, who was really Dexter, had sent her after she had won a dance competition a few months ago.

The wake was a little easier as the coffin was out of sight and it felt a little more final. She had been told by her Grandma, who had picked her up from the police station after Stephanie had called them to report Gordon being dead in his study and thus taken her in temporarily since she was a minor, that the funeral was being taken care of by Gordon’s friends. The ‘Reading of the Will’ was partway through the wake, though only a few of them were leaving.

Stephanie was led by her Grandma out of the wake after a wonderful meal at a fancy restaurant, Gordon’s favourite – she’d ordered his favourite, no one else had that she had seen – and into a small back room where a short man with massive pores all over his face stood with a hunch back and awkward smile. She looked at her Grandma over her shoulder and the woman shrank away a little.

She’s been very harsh and vocal about Gordon earlier. Stephanie, Ireland had found, was a much louder shouter than her. She didn’t want to see her again after today.

She sat it one of the chairs, purposefully not looking at the others in the room. The door was closed. She took a deep final breath. This was it. Then it was over, and she could go back to her life. She was a fighter. She could do this.

She looked at the man squarely, who avoided her steely gaze, and went for the least harmful participant, Beryl.

Times were rough for this little man.

“Can we start now?” Beryl quipped. “I want to get back home soon.”

“Yeah, we have things to do today,” Fergus frowned at him.

Stephanie glared at them and bit her tongue.

“Erm, yes, that is everyone after all. Firstly, allow me to offer my deepest condolences to you, his friends and family. I understand this is a–”

“Can we please skip this part?” Fergus asked. “I want to know who gets the boat? The house?”

“The royalties,” Beryl joined.

“The fortune.”

“Of – of course,” he said, adjusting his glasses and looking at his paper. “To my dear brother Fergus and your beautiful wife Beryl, though we have not always agreed or, indeed, enjoyed each other’s company, I have always respected your steadfast ability to ignore great details. I wish I could have seen the world through your eyes sometimes. To thank you for your company as children and through the years since, I leave you this. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.”

The man brought out a small box. They stared at it before slapping each other’s hands and Beryl snatched it up. She opened it and went deadly white.

“What is it? A pin number? A key? A bar of gold? Wife, show me!” Fergus worried.

“A broach,” she said faintly. “He gave us a broach.”

Fergus looked sick. “What else do we get? Come on man, there has to be more!”

The little man wet his lips and Stephanie glared more at her least loved uncle. “I’ll have to read on. ‘To my long standing friends, Ghastly Bespoke, Anton Shudder, Erskine Ravel, Saracen Rue and Dexter Vex, I have only advice. Remember that though you may all wish for different things, reality is a lot simpler than you first think. I found that in my, albeit short, life that all I thought I wanted to possess and worked hard to make happen was not what I truly needed, nor what gave me joy. I hope you achieve what took me so long to find and can find the brotherhood I feel you have begun to forget.”

Stephanie looked at them slowly, her eyes softening. She knew they had once been soldiers. War was not kind, or so she’d been told, and she had learned a lot about PTSD and other soldier things when she was at school once. She hoped they found what they needed too. They hung their heads in to mull over their late friend’s advice.

“And to my perfect niece, Stephanie Edgley. When I saw you in the hospital for the first time, I fell in love. I loved you and always have since the moment I saw your little feet in the air and you chewing your teeny tiny fingers. I am so, so sorry that you have had to lose both your parents and now myself. I never wanted this to happen. You wanted me to be there so badly, and I know I have made mistakes and I worry that I made a massive one it not allowing you to see our friends. I only wanted to do what I thought was best for you. I hope that I make up for it here. I know this is what you need in your soul. I think this is the path for you, and I am certain you will see it too. So I leave you, firstly, something to think about: Even some butterflies are poisonous. The world is so much darker than you think, but holds beauty you cannot even begin to imagine. So I hope you take to heart my warning to be tough, but never rough. To be quick but never dismissive. To be upfront but never horrid. To be blunt but never enjoy the pain. To fight harder, tougher, longer, stronger, smarter and with wit, more than anyone else in the universe, but never forget your heart and those you shelter in it. You are my daughter in soul. You have made me so proud already. And, with every expectation you will be the bluntest, sharpest, prettiest woman to rule the world, I leave you my fortune, my home, my villa, my boat, my car and every asset and net worth to my name, including all the royalties from my work to receive upon your eighteenth birthday. Don’t spent it all at once.”

Stephanie tried to memorise his words. She wanted to make him so proud. She nodded at the man to continue before her relative could make an argument.

“And finally, to my dearest friend Skulduggery Pleasant, some more advice, though I know there isn’t much more to give. Use your eyes. I know what you need and want, and it is all in front of you. Grasp it and never let go. Take it down kicking and screaming. And remember, my niece is a lot more hard-headed than you think. I leave you sole custody of her to raise as your own and to take on as many adventures as you can. She will be the Dead Men’s prodigy. The greatest force this world has seen. She’ll need her brothers-in-arms to make it through this world. She loves you all so much.”

The man lowered the paper and Stephanie stared at the man in shock. All of them were staring at her. The minutes dragged on. Fergus and Beryl launched out their seats and slammed the door behind them at some point. The will-reader left too and Stephanie could only stare at the wall.

“Well, that happened,” she said quietly, looking slowly at Crow who was standing in the corner. Crow. Skulduggery Pleasant. “Hi.”

Panda stood up slowly and stood behind Crow. He placed his scared hand on his shoulder. “Congratulations. It’s a girl.”

Wolf jumped her and pulled her into a hug. “I have a sister! I always wanted one. How did Gordon know?”

“Gordon’s pretty great like that,” she murmured. “I should probably – I don’t – I’m sorry.”

She felt the first tear fall down her cheek and had almost made it to the door when thin arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a wide, cold chest. She tried not to sob.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” he whispered to her.

She hugged him back and finally, after a week of numbness, the sobbing came.

He carried her to the car and set her in bed after she had passed out, exhausted.

[nooowestayandgetcaught]

1-36 ALL OF EM. ALL OF EM.

THIS IS WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR, BRO. ALL FANDOMS.

1. First ship you remember

Peter Pan/Wendy Darling (Disney’s Peter Pan) is my best guess as far back as I can remember. That’s the original OTP next to Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle (DCU) and Ariel/Prince Eric (Disney’s The Little Mermaid).

2. Your newest ship

Hmmm,,, I haven’t really watched anything new,,,,,,, but I mean I did get into Geralt/Jaskier (Netflix’s The Witcher) recently. I really like them.

3. Favourite ship ever

STARES LONGINGLY AT PETER/WENDY

I go between them and Mulan/Li Shang (Disney’s Mulan) and Korra/Asami Sato (Avatar: Legend of Korra) and  Yuuri Katsuki/Viktor Nikiforov (Yuuri On Ice) and Arya Stark/Gendry Waters (GOT/ASOIAF)  for my favorite ships of all time 

4. Favourite m/f ship

I grew up on the His Dark Materials books and I always was a Lyra Belaqua/Will Parry shipper and that has never ever changed. They’re so sweet. I WOULD LIKE PHILIP PULLMAN TO BRING THEM IN THE NEXT BOOK THAT IS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT. DO NOT FUCK AROUND.

5. Favourite m/m ship

you really can’t wrong with Ash Lynx/Eiji Okumura (Banana Fish) except you can and I don’t care,,,, everyone’s alive and fine and not depressed,,,,,,,

6. Favourite f/f ship

do you know how much my heart broke when they refused to do Emma Swan/Regina Mills (Once Upon A Time) EVEN THOUGH everything in canon said they were True Love????? now I’m just pissed,,,,, I can’t let go of them

7.Most innocent ship

OH GOD,,, KATARA/AANG (AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER). THE FLUFFIEST. THE HAPPIEST. THE SWEETEST BABIES.

8.Most fluffy ship

WHAT DID I LITERALLY JUST SAY???

9.Most angsty ship

good god it’s Clarke Griffin/Lexa (The 100) but I still love them and I know I wasn’t THERE for Lexa dying but I’m STILL livid about what they did and how they treated the LGBT+ community and I’m gonna throw hands,,,, ever since it happened and Clexa is mentioned in the show,,, it’s always so painful,,,,, Clarke is not letting Lexa go and tbh she shouldn’t and I’m gonna get mad again

10. Most smutty ship

Smut is optional, not a requirement for my ships.

11. Ship that you would never have wanted in canon but like in fanworks

I don’t fucking trust MCU so they can have none of my ships!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12. Character that you can only imagine in one ship

BOOOOOOOOOOOOORING.

13. Most shippable character

Merlin (BBC Merlin) and Harry Potter.

14. Character that you can’t imagine in any ship

Any character I don’t like.

15. Favourite poly ship

I love love love love Rey/Finn/Poe Dameron. Finnreypoe. Jedistormpilot. I fell in love with Rey/Finn and Finn/Poe through “The Force Awakens” and then saw in the novelization that there was hints of Rey/Poe Dameron and LATCHED onto it. Don’t even fight me with “The Rise Of Skywalker” because it was COMPLETELY a Jedistormpilot movie and that’s all I was there for. Those three characters.

16. Characters that you kinda ship but prefer as brotp FRIENDSHIP

since I think Katniss might be aroace,,, I wanna say Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark and don’t get wrong,,,, I do ship but more platonic ship

17. Characters that you ship and can’t imagine to be friends

Spike himself said that Buffy Summers/Angel (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) dynamic could never be friends and only friends and he’s right

18. Guilty pleasure ship

GUILT IS CRINGE!! CRINGE CULTURE IS DEAD!!! YOU SHIP THINGS TO YOUR HEART’S DELIGHT!!!!! HAVE FUN!!!

19. Ship that you never expected to ship.

I was straightbaited by Black Sails while watching as it aired and never saw Captain James Flint/Thomas Hamilton coming,,,, or them unburying the gays,,,,, I thought the whole time Thomas and James were sharing Miranda,,,

20. Ship that you liked but don’t anymore

at one point I liked Callum/Soren (The Dragon Prince) but I’m over them and I’m over that show and I don’t support Aaron fucking Ehasz

21. Ship that one day you were thinking of and thought “wait,when I started shipping it?”

I DO THAT LITERALLY WITH EVERY SHIP I HAVE

22. Ship that you immediately fall in love with after one scene despite not considering it before.

aahhhh I saw Toni Topez interact with Cheryl Blossom from Riverdale after their confrontation which was like,,,, the first time they ever spoke to each other,,,, but then the diner scene happened, and now I ship them. And they’re canon.

23. Poly ship that you ship despite not shipping some of the characters in it outside of poly ship.

I only ship Ryn/Maddie Bishop/Ben Powell with each other. That’s it. IT’S A CANON INTERRACIAL LGBT+ SHIP. IT’S REAL. I’M SO HAPPY.

24. Biggest notp

Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon (DCU),,,,, oooh don’t get me fucking started

25. Favourite foe yay ship

L/Light (Death Note). That’s a classic. I know Light made sure his ass was murdered but c’mon,,, c’mon,,,, THE CREDITS TO THE LAST EPISODE THO??? DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT???? THAT WAS GAY AS HELL.

26. Characters that you like in every dynamic (lovers,friends,enemies)

we gotta go with Doctor/Master (Doctor Who),,, they’ve been all three,,,,, nobody can tell me otherwise and that’s the beauty of these two! My favorite versions are 1) Thirteen/Dhawan!Master, 2) Ten/Simms!Master, and 3) Twelve/Missy and if you add Simms!Master with the last one then it’s GOLDEN

27. Ship that you expected to ship before reading/watching franchise and you do

I saw gifs and things of Anne Lister/Ann Walker (Gentleman Jack) before I started watching and I already knew I was gonna fall in love AND I DID

28. Ship that you expected to ship before reading/watching franchise and you don’t

this might be a weird one but I really thought I was gonna ship Victor Van Dort/Victoria Everglot or Victor Van Dort/Emily (Corpse Bride) and I just didn’t for either of them. I DO HOWEVER SHIP EMILY/VICTORIA EVERGLOT.

29. Favourite crossover ship

OHHHHH we gotta go with Kate Kane/Kara Danvers (Arrowverse) like look at them look at the gay it’s like SuperBat but the female millennial version

30. Favourite canon ship

Princess Bubblegum/Marceline (Adventure Time)! I’m overjoyed they are canon! I’m not done watching all of this show but still,,,,, and that means we can get Prince Gumball/Marshall Lee to be confirmed canon too?? Yes?? 

31. Favourite non-canon ship

I know we can’t like CONFIRM in canon but Frodo Baggins/Samewise Gamgee are in love and there’s no denying this. They’re canon enough to me.

32. Favourite ship for hurt-comfort

All of my ships are good for hurt/comfort and whump. I don’t discriminate.

33. Ship that you ship in one installment of franchise but not in other (for example in movie,but not in the book this movie is based on)

I ship Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling in the movies for Hannibal related things, even though Will Graham exists in them, but I ship Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham for NBC’s Hannibal 100% and won’t ship them with anyone else

34. Ship that you never expected to ship when you were younger but here you are

I never expected to ship Harry Potter/Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger all together years down the road,,,,, since as a kid I flip-flopped between Ron/Hermione & Harry/Me,,,, er,,,,,,,,, I mean Harry/My OC That Was Definitely Not Me At All and Harry/Hermione but here we are

35. Ship that you have kinda love/hate relationship with

right now it’s Rue Bennett/Jules Vaughn (HBO’s Euphoria) because they’re so cute,,, they really are,,, but they can be so bad together and I hate that! I just want it to work out but Jules doesn’t understand her own feelings,,, and is kinda fucking around with Rue’s feelings,,,,,, and Rue needs to deal with her drug addiction problems first,,,, but let’s see what happens for Season 2

36. Characters that you can’t decide if you prefer as ship or brotp

okay FIRST OFF we don’t “brotp” anything no more because the term was created with homophobic connotations so replace it with “friendship” and honestly I can’t decide if I like Lucifer/Chloe Decker (Netflix’s Lucifer) as a romantic or platonic ship or somewhere between. I haven’t decided.

[watching-pictures-move]

Bela Lugosi’s Dead | Notes on the Work of a (Possible) Blood-drinking Aristocrat

It’s a sad fact that Hollywood has never been very good in terms of diversity in front of or behind the camera (and still has a long way to go), and over the years has often limited opportunities or slotted actors in roles that play to their “otherness”. This weighed heavily on my mind as I watched White Zombie, as I don’t know if any actor has taken control of that otherness and used it to such unsettling effect as Bela Lugosi does so here. Lugosi’s presence is so distinct and his delivery so mannered that he seems not to be playing a villain so much as embodying evil itself and piercing through the artifice of the film around him. Lugosi’s performance also ties into the film’s racial politics, which are queasy as can be expected for a horror film about Haitian voodoo, but complex. A character decries local practices as “sins that even the devil would be ashamed of”, yet the plot centres on a foreign, colonial presence exploiting those practices, and it isn’t a stretch to read his act of turning his enemies into zombies as a metaphor for slavery.

The film exists in an eerie dream state between silent and sound film, and any imperfections only enhance that feeling. Dialogue and sound intrude jarringly into silence or music (particularly the shriek of a vulture, which never stops being unnerving), and any stilted acting brings to mind the zombies enslaved by the villain. The atmosphere is evocative and foreboding, with images that sear themselves into our mind. Victor Halperin would go on to direct a sequel, Revolt of the Zombies, which does not star Lugosi but recycles the same shot of his eyes. Lugosi’s absence is sorely felt, as is any semblance of the atmosphere or visual style present in this film, and its handling of race lacks the complexity offered by this earlier effort. The movie briefly perks up when the revolt in the title finally happens, producing a handful of interesting images, but for a movie that runs about an hour, it easily feels thrice as long.

I would be remiss to delve into Lugosi’s work without revisiting his iconic work in Tod Browning’s Dracula. I don’t know if I actually think the movie is any better this time around, but I did find myself more endeared by it. It’s hard to find interesting things to say about his work here, but while what we know of Lugosi’s life suggests that he probably wasn’t really a centuries old blood-drinking aristocrat, the lived-in quality of his performance might have you fooled. George Melford’s Spanish language version is a much more dynamic film on the whole (and is on the shortlist of my favourite vampire movies), yet there’s no denying Lugosi’s absence isn’t felt. (The wonders of modern technology have allowed the the transplant of Jim Carrey into The Shining and many of our beloved celebrities into hardcore pornography; I would argue that deepfaking Lugosi into the Melford Dracula is just as worthwhile an experiment.) It’s safe to say that he’s much better than the movie he’s in, the stage origins of which are apparent (characters are frequently shot staidly, centre frame; much of the action takes place in the same room with characters entering and exiting in lieu of actual incident), yet that stylistic stiffness yields great dividends when the action moves to Dracula’s castle, with those scenes having an aura of entombment.

Perhaps this approach was an extension of Browning’s view of the genre. Many vampire movies emphasize the sensual, striving to demonstrate the erotic allure of the condition; Browning’s film argues that the living dead lead a pretty dismal existence. “There are far worse things awaiting man than death.” An arguably dismissive attitude towards vampirism could be read into Mark of the Vampire, which reunites Lugosi and Browning. The movie is at times quite atmospheric, particularly when Lugosi is onscreen, yet in a way that feels fairly divorced from the energy of the film as a whole. (He also unfortunately has no dialogue until the end, although he makes the most of it.) If Dracula suffers in comparison to the stylishness of James Whale’s Frankenstein movies, then Mark of the Vampire could have used some of the tongue-in-cheek energy Whale brought to The Old Dark House.

The Devil Bat finds Lugosi working with a much smaller production by Producers Releasing Corporation, a Poverty Row studio. It’s not an especially dynamic work, featuring a not terribly convincing bat puppet and a scene where his character awkwardly confesses to his crimes and schemes up a murder on the fly to cover his tracks, yet his professionalism can’t be denied and he’s quite good in the role. Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla, which has a technically accurate but misleading title, finds his career in more obvious decline. Your enjoyment may depend heavily on your tolerance for Jerry Lewis style shrillness, yet once again Lugosi treats his role as serious as a heart attack. This movie is also of interest to fans of Duke Mitchell, showing him well before he developed the vulgar charisma of his wannabe Godfather characters in Massacre Mafia Style and Gone with the Pope. Towards the end of his life Lugosi came into the orbit of Ed Wood, considered by many to be the worst director of all time. The extent of Lugosi’s role in Plan 9 From Outer Space is well known, but his last speaking part came in Bride of the Monster. Neither film did much for me (Wood’s distinct brand of badness has little effect on me for whatever reason, and Bride didn’t seem all that worse than some of the other films I’ve seen this month, to be honest) but Lugosi makes the film just a bit more engaging whenever he’s onscreen.

Going back to his prime years, Murders in the Rue Morgue finds Lugosi on  stage at a carnival sideshow, pleads with an unappreciative audience, and by extension, the viewer (“Heresy? Do they still burn men for heresy? Then burn me monsieur, light the fire! Do you think your little candle will outshine the flame of truth?”). There’s a sense of resentment here, of doing great yet unappreciated work in squalid conditions, that I suspect might have resonated with him over the course of his career. The out of place aristocracy he brings to the role makes him all the more magnetic and, at the same time, undeniably creepy, which makes the relatively explicit (by 1932 standards) content resonate. (A gruesome knife fight and a sexually charged torture scene are among the highlights spicing up the first act.) The movie definitely loses a little whenever Lugosi isn’t onscreen, yet Robert Florey’s visual direction, heavily influenced by German expressionism, is dynamic enough to always keep things engaging. This is the movie Lugosi made after walking away from Frankenstein, and while there are similarities in visual style, Lugosi’s performance here couldn’t be more different from Boris Karloff’s in the other film.

It’s hard to discuss Lugosi without mentioning Karloff, that other titan of early sound horror films. Karloff’s career ended with more dignity (his last film, Targets, offers a reflection on his career, the horror genre and violence in ‘60s America), yet going head to head in The Black Cat, Lugosi wins. Karloff is great, giving an eerily mannered, subtly monstrous performance, yet Lugosi is able to create a character that not only is implied to have the same capacity for monstrous behaviour, but get us to empathize with him. There’s an early line delivery that might be one of the best I’ve ever heard with its mixture of menace and deep psychological wounds. (I will quote it, but hearing it delivered by the man himself will send chills down your spine. ”Have you ever heard of Kurgaal? It is a prison below Omsk. Many men have gone there. Few have returned. I have returned. After fifteen years... I have returned.”) He grounds the twisted headspace that the movie inhabits, which Edgar G. Ulmer evokes with a bold visual style and uncanny art direction. The cumulative result is the best horror film I’ve seen in quite some time.

[fangirlingnonstop]

My Ships (Part 2)

21. An aesthetic ship (Elizabeth and Philip - The Crown)

Royalties. Costumes. Incredible performances.

22. An overrated ship (Rio and Tokyo - Casa de Papel)

Yeah... Nope. I’ll pass.

23.An underrated ship (Mike and Max - The Following)

If more people knew about this show, more people would be shipping these two hard.

24.A ship that got the endgame they didn’t deserve (Angela and Brian - My So-Called Life)

The show was cancelled and they were just getting started! Such a shame!

25. A ship that didn’t get the endgame they deserved (Carrie and Quinn - Homeland)

Peter Quinn. Peter Quinn. PETER QUINN. I’ve shed a couple tears for you.

26.A ship that is broken up atm, but I still hope they reconcile (Behlül and Nihal -  Aşk-ı Memnu)

The ending was so sad and not a single character was happy. I like to think that perhaps after some time, they could heal their wounds and be together.

27. A ship that’s together atm, but I hope they’ll break up (Barry and Iris - The Flash)

I know they are supposed to be endgame but I can’t say I am a fan.

28. A ship that was better off as friends (Brandon and Andrea - Beverly Hills 90210)

There’s still a what if but in the end I believe they are better off as friends.

29. A ship I love because of a friend (Will and Tessa - The Infernal Devices)

Wessa this, Wessa that. My friend had been talking nonstop about the one and only Will Herondale and the greatness of his love for Tessa Gray for years. Well, that was enough for me to get lost in the books. Thank you, Klaro! @iart1992​

30. A ship I secretely ship (Rue and Fez - Euphoria)

This is definitely not canon, totally platonic and I don’t know if others have caught the potential between the two of them. But I ship them. There, I said it.

31. A ship I’d never thought I ship (Peter and Olivia - Fringe)

Honestly, when you start a show like Fringe, you don’t have much expectations in the romance department. And this is good in a way. Because when it happens, it blows your mind!

32. A ship I thought I’d love, but I didn’t (Rachel and Finn - Glee)

They were the main couple in the Glee Club but I was never crazy about them.

33. A ship I shipped from the moment I saw them (Lizzie and Sebastian - Legacies)

Legacies is such a mess when it comes to ships. And then they graced us with Sebastian and Lizzie. They had me hooked from the very beginning because there was this familiar TVD nostalgia about them.

34.A ship I will never ship (Damon and Bonnie - The Vampire Diaries)

I was always worried they would happen because Bamon sort of happens in the books and as their friendship blossomed in the last seasons, that got me more worried. Thank God, they didn’t go there. I would never ship them. It doesn’t make sense for me because...

35. A ship with great development (Damon and Elena - The Vampire Diaries)

DAMON IS THE ONE FOR ELENA. ELENA IS THE ONE FOR DAMON. They’re DEstiny. They had a slow build up, their relationship graciously evolved each season, they had me screaming at my screen. The writers knew how to leave us wanting for more. 

36.A ship with horrible development (Kate and Sawyer - LOST)

There was chemistry. They had epic scenes. Then Sawyer jumbed off a hellicopter and all the development was long gone. The writers had to fight more for them!

37. An old married couple ship (Piper and Leo - Charmed)

Soulmates.

38. A high school romance ship (Kou and Futaba - Ao Haru Ride)

I have tons of other ships but Kou and Futaba are so pure! They are melting my heart, I am so weak for them!

39. A constant on and off ship (Emma & Hook - Once Upon A Time)

Basically, this has to do with the show. It could be so dragging and boring at times. So it had the same effect on them. 

40. All time favourite ship (Pacey and Joey - Dawson’s Creek)

My babies. They are my fav. I could go on and on about the reasons why but it would take a hundred posts. They are simply epic.

Part 1