#also the quality of the merlin extras is so bad

[repmet]

MERLIN WEEK 2022 | day five: free - favourite outtakes

[witchthewriter]

hello friend! hope you're having a good day today. it's been a while since i've asked for a matchup or anything so i thought i'd send over a refresher along w my ask, hope it helps.

ASK . level 6 ship for Merlin please (any maybe purely a platonic match for Stranger Things since you already gave me a romantic one??? if I can do that, no worries if not)

BASIC FAQ . he/they. panromantic. 18 still. pisces sun, aquarius moon, taurus rising. if you really want to know me, my saturn is in cancer, my uranus in pisces and my pluto in sagittarius.

PERSONALITY . by now, i think you know i don't actually shut up as soon as you get me talking, and for that i am at least kind of sorry. at least i'm academically smart? a menace by all means tho. may come off as a bit weird or cagey to strangers. escapist. middle child syndrome. stubborn. kinda clumsy. rlly empathetic. diplomatic and persuasive, but i know i have a temper at times. i am completely goofy, need to joke around and enjoy things. very curious.

HOBBIES + LIKES . really into cryptidcore. baking and cooking. writing. music. languages. cultures. trivia. history. mythology. fire. art. collecting objects, value or no value. games. animals. shiny things.

EXTRA . good news is that my knee injury was not permanent. bad news is that the mental illness was. my love language is mostly quality time but i also enjoy acts of service and physical touch. i love reading myths and legends and actually memorized quite a few. i totally didn't mention but i have a dog and a bunny! (both very cute)

i hope that's an adequate amount, i'm p sure at least half of it is new information. do with all that what you will.

Want one? Here be the rules 🦋🌈 

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇! He’s such a sweet guy. He cares for everyone, and has such passion for justice. He would always be on your side and never make you feel like you’re on your own. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・Is suspicious that you may be a druid or sorcerer as well. Because you just have that aura about you, where you seem so mysterious and otherwordly

・Merlin loves your style, and is a bit intimidated by it at first. But that mysterious aspect of your personality is what attracts him

・Gives you protection amulets, even though Gaius is against it. It’s too risky, he would say. But Merlin feels so deeply about you, that he wants you to be safe at all times

・Guinevere would definitely see Merlin’s love first. She would push Merlin to ask you out, to get to know you. Because she would definitely see the potentional. 

・Calls you ‘honey’ and ‘sweetheart’ for pet names

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

O Children by the Midnite String Quartet

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Opposites Attract

・Falls In Love Easily (Merlin) x Wary Of Love (You)

・Black Cat (You) x Golden Retriever (Merlin)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Secret Admirer

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Loves how quirky/weird you are. You aren’t like anyone he had ever met before. He loves how your mind works, how you perceive things and what your opinions are. He wants to listen to you tlak for hours. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Gwaine and Percival! They would be like your brothers. Where Gwaine makes you laugh, Percival is a shoulder for you to cry on or tell your problems to. They’re both very loyal and you would be known as a trio. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

Guinevere, Lancelot and Morgana. I think you have the qualities of all three. Not one person is exactly like a character, so I think the mixture of all three can mirror your traits, or at least, some of them. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 (𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜)

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒚! You guys are on the same wavelength, the same page. You would start talking and like a puzzle piece, realise that this is your person. You would get along because your minds are open, they’re unique and imaginative. You don’t have a small-town mind. Neither does she. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・Likes painting your nails. She doesn’t do a great job though, however you don’t really care

・You guys are allllwwwaayyysssss laughing!!! At Robin falling over, if you accidentally snort, if she farts or you knock something over. Like you’ve both been given laughing gas

・Secret sleepovers. Her parents don’t know she’s a lesbian and you guys are definitely not attracted to each other, but you’ll sneak into her bedroom or maybe even her parents let you sleep downstairs in the den, and she sneaks down to sleep near you

・Movie marathons! You guys spend hours watching movies together; popcorn, everything has to be dark, absolutely no light at all. 

・Steve loves hanging out with you two, but often feels like a third wheel. I think over time he would find his flow and purpose with you two

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Chiquitita by ABBA

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Chaotic Dumbass Duo

・Similar Personalities

・”If Robin Jumped Off A Cliff, Would You Jump Off A Cliff?” x “Yes”

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Just Because I’m Different Doesn’t Mean I’m Bad

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your open mind, the fact that you like being different and weird. She thought there was something wrong with her for so long, but there was nothing wrong. Tradition wasn’t for her. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

Robin mixed with Max and Jonathan Byers. You have a sensitivity and inner working that not many others have. It’s distinct, and you leave a mark on whoever you interact with. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

I think you would have such a great bond with a cat. You both like to be independent and don’t like people up in your face. So I think a kitty would work so well for you! 

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒓! I think he has the sensitivity to understand you and why you feel certain emotions. I don’t think you would be able to withstand someone who didn’t understand you. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・Will defend you against anyone who speaks ill of you. No matter their standing, if they are talking sh*t, he’s going to break their jaw

・Teaches you how to defend yourself, because even though he would lay down his life for you, he wouldn’t want you to be unprotected

・His pet names for you are ‘my darling,’ and ‘my world.’ 

・Likes to telling you about his day, and you love hearing him talk. It’s so soothing. 

・Loves slow dancing with you, your head on his chest and him humming lightly

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

The Less I Know The Better by the Midnite String Quartet

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Mutual Yearning

・You Confessed Your Love Thinking He Was Unconscious 

・They Probably Hate Me (You) x Deeply, Passionately In Love ... Is Terrible At Showing It (Faramir)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Fantasy Soulmates

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

How diplomatic and well spoken/well thought you are. You don’t say things without thinking first. You’re like the opposite of someone who stirs the pot. You have a good heart, and that’s what he loves the most. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Legolas and Gimli! God you three would be such a whirwind of sh*ttalking. Imagine having a beer with them, in a tavern, laughing and jesting about life and what you’ve endured together. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

A mixture of Aragorn, Merry and Samwise. I think you have this grungey darkness, I actually thought you would have Scorpio in your Big 3. You have this mysteriousness about you, like there’s something that you know about the world and everyone will find out with time. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

You made friends with a crow. He kept coming back to you, and you would give him food and water. You were gentle with him and would talk to him. He grew very fond of you. And somehow ... became somewhat domesticated. Although you would never take away his freedom

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒕! As an introverted person, I see Newt as the perfect Hufflepuff. He’s loyal, and caring, loves plants and would be a perfect match for you. Yin to your Yang. He would bring a lot of light and happiness to your life. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・Boops your nose when you’re particularly upset. At first you were like “Newt wtf” but now you like them. It’s almost like a kiss on the cheek, or some intimate moment that shows he cares

・I kinda feel like one of the other characters would have a crush on you and the boys would tease them for it, but you handle it with gentleness. Newt is a tiny bit jealous, but knows that you’re a very likeable person

・Always make sure that Newt’s leg is okay. Some days it plays up, and it hurts really bad. It means a lot to him when you help him out, and get things to help with the pain

・You guys have a lot of inside jokes. But one thing that’s so true to your relationship is this ... look  ... you give each other. It’s a knowing look that says ‘be safe, I love you.’ 

・Newt would love to be domesticated. He would make the perfect House Husband. LITERALLY. I reckon he’d be pretty good at baking too

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Hope For The Future by Joseph Trapanese

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Sun x Moon

・Forever In Their Honeymoon Stage

・Shy ‘n’ Awkward (You) x LOOK HOW CUTE MY PARTNER IS (Newt)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Love During The End Of The World

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your honesty. You’re truthful and that’s not actually as common as you’d think. People can be awful, and lie until they’re blue in the face if that meant their reputation was upheld. But I think you would rather the truth over any falsehood. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Minho. You two would have so many little arguments, that aren’t really arguments. Just pretend fights, and a lot of banter. There’s never a dull moment with you two. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

A mix of Minho, Teresa and Newt. Sassy, fierce and caring. You have a big heart but don’t show it to just anyone. You’re kind but can stand up for what you believe in. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

There would most definitely be stray animals in the world during this time. Some have survived and have no owners. I can see you two adopting as many as you can, taking in strays and making sure they have enough food and water. But one particularly stole your heart, with her light brown fur and big nose. 

[valewright67]

Melizabeth Week, Day Two: Heaven/Hell - Heaven

Fair warning, this is an old one I wrote but never published. I wasn't sure what else to do for it. Also, I apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes.

A bit of OOC with Ludociel

_-_-_-_-_

 "So where should we go first? Now that we're free from the curse. We agreed we'd travel, right? Sooo.... Any ideas?" Meliodas asked, leaning back against Elizabeth. His eyes were closed in bliss as he lay cradled in her arms, back to chest. She was leaning against the headboard on their bed. "Hm… Well, we could return to the celestial village? I've got my memories back now, and… well, that's the closest place to the goddess realm I can get. I'd like to visit. Fly around a land above the clouds once more."

He hummed and turned his head, nuzzling into her collarbone gently. "Sounds good to me. Should we invite any of the others?" Her eyes lit up. "That's a splendid idea! I'm sure Mael would like to visit a place like that too! Zeldris and Gelda as well!" She giggled. "We can invite the rest of the sins, but to be honest? I think they're pretty occupied."

True to her prediction, the sins all declined this time round, citing… alone time. (For Merlin and Gowther, that was literal. They just wanted to be left alone for awhile.) Mael was eager to come, for the same reasons Elizabeth had listed. Zeldris was reluctant, but Gelda convinced him, saying it'd be good for him and Meliodas to spend some quality time together, and she wished to discuss more with Elizabeth.  

By the time the group of five had arrived, the sun was almost rising. "Oh, the spring is refilled! Good, that's convenient! We could have flown, but it would’ve been irritating." Meliodas said. He leaned down by the water and tapped it gently, channeling his energy into opening the portal. An extra burst of goddess magic from Elizabeth by his side, and the familiar glow lit up the pool. He grinned and stood, looking to the other couple. "Zeldris, Gelda. After you."

The black haired demon sighed. "Why do I feel like this is a bad idea?" The blonde smirked. "Because it probably is. Have fun!" 

"...why do I ever trust you?" He grumbled, but dove into the pool anyways, quickly followed by Gelda. Elizabeth smiled at Mael. "You next." He nodded and went without complaint. Elizabeth after him, and Meliodas last, closing the portal behind him.

_-_-_-_-_

Zeldris blinked, adjusting the sudden darkness of the cave as Gelda broke the surface besides him. He swam out and pulled her with him. "Might as well take a look around. They'll be a minute." She nodded and the two walked out of the cave, into the sunlight. 

He almost gasped. The view was incredible. It was stifled though, when he felt a presence of light flying towards him. He was immediately on the defensive and enabled his hellfire with a snarl, whirling around to face the potential threat. 

Goddesses!

Wait… no. These didn't feel like Goddesses. Similar, but off. That's right, they're celestials. Apparently, descended from the heavenly beings who'd once been his mortal enemies. It was hard to remember that now, sometimes. That the war was over, and he had FRIENDS from the other side.

He held his hands up. "Wait, please, I mean you no harm, I swear it!" The bearded man holding a familiar feathered sword scowled. "Like we would believe you, demon! There's only one demon we've ever trusted, and that's not you!" 

Zeldris tried to speak, to explain that he was pretty sure he knew exactly who they were talking about, and that they had nothing to fear from him. “You mean Meliodas, right? I’m-” Before he could complete his sentence, however, the man held the sword up near his throat threateningly. "No lies will spill from your throat before blood, demon scum." Gelda snarled. "How DARE you threaten my husband, you IMPUDENT prick-"

"I am only defending my home from the likes of creatures like you!"

"Remove the sword from my husband's neck!"

"Absolutely not! Either of you make a move, and I slit his throat!"

"MELIODAS IS MY BROTHER!!!"

The man froze and stared at him, before scowling suddenly. "You lying scum-"

"Hey, hey, hey! How about we all calm down, now!" Mael said, emerging from the cave entrance, arms raised placatingly. "There's no need for figh…ting… is that my sword??" He gaped at it. "I haven't seen that thing in 3000 years! This is where it's been the whole time??" 

The Celestials didn't say a word, too stunned at the sudden appearance of a GODDESS, when they were supposed to be wiped out. And not only a goddess, but apparently the first wielder of their most sacred sword. He shook his head. "Um, well anyways. My names Mael, I'm one of the four archangels. That's Zeldris and Gelda. They're not gonna hurt you, the five of us just came for for visit."

"Five? Where's the other two?" By now a small crowd had gathered. The trio blinked as a small blonde man, looking eerily like Meliodas, were it not for the wings on his back, walked forwards. A woman looking near identical to Elizabeth by his side. Mael blinked and smiled. "I'd think they were right in front of me, if I didn't know any better, but they should be here in just a moment. They came through the portal last."

The two exchanged looks. Did he mean…? "Yo, Solaad!" Sure enough, the blonde demon who'd saved them during the time of ruin came up through the cave. "Why are you all terrorizing Zelly?" (A scowl at the nickname was directed at him, but he just smirked at the younger.) "He won't hurt anyone, I promise."

"Hello, Elatte. And everyone else too! It has been quite a long while, hasn't it?" Elizabeth spoke, walking up behind Meliodas with her wings folded neatly against her back.

…wait.

Wings??

"Meliodas? E-Elizabeth? Since when did you get WINGS??" Solaad asked. Elatte glanced at the older man. "Sir Zoria, please drop the sword, Meliodas himself said that this man means no harm."

Elizabeth gave a soft smile. "It's complicated. I've always had them, in a way, as I was born a goddess in my first life. But I was cursed by the demon king to reincarnate as a human for the rest of time, and if I should ever get my memories back, I would die in three days." She fluttered her wings gently. "We managed to break the curse, after 3000 years and 107 lifetimes."

"...who's 'we?' And why did the demon king curse you, what did you DO??" Zoria asked. She laughed. "Well. His firstborn son and I fell in love." She gestured to Meliodas, who had drifted over to Zeldris and thrown an arm over his shoulder, apparently teasing him in demon tongue, much to the younger's displeasure. Zeldris was almost visibly bristling, and his face was red.

“Meliodas is the son the demon king??” Solaad almost yelled, gaining the two demons' attention. “I mean, yes?” Meliodas said, arm still around Zeldris’s shoulders. “Though the previous demon king is dead now, we killed pops. I’m not exactly the current demon king's son.”

Mistress Vaness hobbled forwards. “Who could possibly have the power necessary to take the place of a god?” Meliodas and Zeldris blinked, looked at each other and back at her. “We share the burden.” They said together. She gaped. “You mean…?” They smirked. “Yep! Zeldris is my younger brother. We have the same blood, which makes it easier to share the role of demon king.” 

“Meli is, technically, the stronger by default. But we split the demon king's power and influence 50/50. He just had a more powerful base. Not by much though.” Zeldris added on. 

Meliodas ruffled his hair fondly, and Zeldris swatted him off, retreating to Gelda’s side.  The blonde laughed and drifted back over towards Elizabeth. Mael was just. There. He was still looking at the sword. “Where did you all even get that?” He asked, baffled. The Celestials all exchanged looks and Elatte smiled at him. Solaad took the sword. “Come, we will show you.” They took off and flew down towards a temple. The group followed them.

Elatte gestured up at the magnificent murals. "The legend says that 3,000 years ago, a dark haired goddess in flowing robes accompanied the great Oshiro when Sealing away the demons on our island. He gave us the sword right before his body was spent."

She pointed to a section along the side. “All he said was: ‘I cannot bear to look at this blade any longer. Perhaps it will protect you all better than it did my brother.’ And then he was gone, simple as that. We have passed it down, generation to generation. It is because of Solaad figuring out that it could be used to seal away demons that we are all still alive.”

Mael flew up towards the mural, gazing at the depiction of the goddess. “His name was Ludociel. He was my older brother. There was a forbidden spell cast that changed the memories of everyone in the world, including that of the gods. It made it seem as though I had been killed by Estarossa, one of three demon princes. In reality, Estarossa never existed. I was transformed into him, and false memories were implanted in everyone’s head, including mine. I had no idea that I was actually Mael.” He gave a small smile. “The memories are all still there, though. It is strange. I am both Mael of Sunshine, one of the four archangels, younger brother to Ludociel of Flash. And also, I’m Estarossa, second of the three demon princes, Commandment of Love. It is… strange. I don’t fit in anywhere anymore. Not really.”

Meliodas and Zeldris exchanged glances and flew up next to him. “Mael.” Zeldris started, quietly. “For a moment in time, even without the false memories, you were still our brother.” Meliodas grinned. “Yeah! You may not be Estarossa, but, like you said, he never existed in the first place. He was made up. But you are Mael, and we may as well count you as our brother. Even if you did kill me.” He smirked and the goddess gave a strained chuckle. “Thank you.” He murmured, drifting back down to the ground. Meliodas slapped his shoulder, and Zeldris nudged his side in an unspoken display of commadry. 

He turned and looked to Solaad. “The sword belongs to your people now, I accept that. But… Would you permit me to wield it once more?” The blonde nodded and held the sword out to him. He took it gratefully, feeling the familiar weight of it. He twisted it around, reacquainting himself with it.

He walked outside into the clearing and took a deep breath, centering himself. He thrust the sword up towards the sun, channeling its energy, and he spoke. “Huius bring animam suam. Iterum ego volo loqui cum eo.” The sword lit up, and a beam of light shot out of it. He grunted. “Permitte mihi vedere!” He removed a hand and pointed it forward. The beam of light connecting him to the sun moved through him and flowed out of his hand. A silhouette started to form, flickering. He pushed his hand a little bit farther forward, and more light and magic poured out of him. “Emerge.”

The silhouette solidified. A goddess stood there, blinking and looking confusedly at his hands and then around him. His eyes landed on Mael, and then the stream of light that flowed to him and formed his body. A glimmer of understanding crossed his face, and he looked back up, meeting his brother's gaze.

“Mael… Hello, little brother. What are you doing?” He smiled kindly. Mael gave him a slightly strained grin. “Hi Ludociel. I missed you, I wanted to see you again.” The dark haired goddess softened a little and walked forward, caressing the side of his face. “I have missed you too, all these years. You cannot keep this up for long, however. Manifesting a soul takes up a lot of magic, and you’re going to burn yourself out.” Mael leaned into his palm. “I know, but… my sword… I can channel more magic through it, and I just. I needed to talk to you again. I needed to tell you how sorry I was, Luce...” 

He shushed him. “None of that, Mael. There is nothing to forgive. You’re my little brother, and I love you. I understand.” He glanced around again. “So you made your way to the Celestial’s island. I remember giving them your sword. I couldn’t stand seeing it without you there everyday. I just wanted to get rid of it. I’m a little impressed they’ve kept it in such good shape all these years. Heaven knows most of the rest of our weapons were damaged or destroyed over the centuries.”

Mael wobbled a little, and Ludociels image faded. His hand was clasped on his older brother's shoulder, channeling the magic directly into him. He grunted and forced himself to straighten, Ludociel’s body solidifying again. He gave him a sad smile. “You have to let me go, Mael. Before you hurt yourself.” “No! I’m not, I’m not done talking to you yet, there’s so much I need to say!” He grunted again, the magic taxing on him. Ludociel was about to force him to stop, when two beams of pure magical energy hit his back, reinvigorating him. He turned to look, and Zeldris and Meliodas were lending their power to him. 

“He’s our brother too, in a way.” Meliodas said. Zeldris finished the thought. “He deserves to get to talk to you, after everything.” With the extra influx of magic, Ludociels form started to glow. He could almost feel his body again. Elizabeth walked forwards. “Ludociel… I can do this for you, at least.” He blinked, almost surprised to see her here. She pressed one hand over his forehead, and another over his chest. She inhaled deeply, eyes closed. On the exhale, she spoke. “Revertere ad vita.” His eyes widened. Return to life. 

Her hands glowed with a brilliant light, and he could feel a true body forming around him. She groaned, drawing on her reserves. Gelda scowled and whirled around to the celestials. “You all have light magic! Give her some of yours!”

They were frozen, but Elatte stepped forwards and lifted her hands, pointing at Elizabeth’s back. “All of our power into one! Heal!” A beam of green light shot out of her hands and into Elizabeth. The other celestials were quick to follow her example.

She gathered the influx of energy and pushed it into him. A blinding light filled the clearing, and when it faded, Ludociel was actually there, kneeling on the ground, naked as the day he was born. Though, Elizabeth supposed that made sense, considering he had just been reborn, in a way. Mael dropped the sword and stumbled forward, clinging to him tightly. Ludociel hugged him back. 

“...May I please have something to cover up with?” He asked. Mael laughed and took off the topcoat of his robe, wrapping it around him. Ludociel buttoned it up, silently thanking that it was long, and reached to his ankles.

Mael stood, and helped him to his feet, the two leaning on each other for support. Meliodas had already gathered Elizabeth up, and was holding her while she regained her energy. The two murmured gently back and forth. Gelda and Zeldris were doing the same not too far away.

"Mael…" He started. "Thank you, little brother." The light haired goddess grinned and leaned in to hug him once more. "I missed you, big brother." Ludociel smiled and stroked his hair. "We can talk later. For now, let's just enjoy the moment."

"Elizabeth… How did you do that? Even with all of our energy, we cannot bring someone back to life. So how is that with you performing the spell, it was successful?" Solaad asked, picking up the sword. She smiled a little. "I honestly had no idea that would work. I hoped, of course, but I had no way of knowing for sure."

Ludociel barked out a tired laugh. "You are far too modest, Lady Elizabeth." He turned to the gathered celestials. "She is more powerful than even I or Mael are at our strongest, when she wishes to be. Her healing powers far surpass even the best of our other healers. She is able to remove the darkness from even Indura’s, and has done so before, purifying two Indura demons at the same time. Her formal title is Elizabeth Lightbringer." He gave a small smirk as he added on one more tidbit of information. "Daughter of the Supreme Deity."

Gasps echoed through the crowd, and Elizabeth sighed. "Please, it's really not that big of a deal-" "But it is, Elizabeth." Mael said, with a brilliant smile. "Of the goddesses, you are second in power and ability only to your mother. In the rest of the world. Well. You married your equal." He nodded his head at Meliodas, who returned it with a smirk. 

The two brothers walked off, shooting the crowd and, specifically, the demons and Elizabeth, grateful smiles. Meliodas clapped and rubbed his hands, wings taking shape on his back. "I'm hungry. I'll catch a sky fish, and you'll teach me how to cook one. Deal? Deal!" He flung off the ground and Elizabeth bristled, bolting after him. "YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO COOK, YOU'LL POISON US!!" He just cackled. 

[dollopheadsandclotpoles]

Things Merlin Calls Arthur: Rated

Your Majesty: Merlin has called Arthur this exactly once iirc, and that was when he was literally pulling down Arthur’s pants. For that reason alone - 9/10 (maybe he called him this a few more times after he became king, but whatever. Who cares about any other time) 

My Lord: Love it. Merlin uses it both when he’s being sweet and when he’s being a sassmaster. Such versatility. Harks back to their second meeting when Merlin sassed Arthur so bad he almost threw Merlin in jail and probably cried after. Only downside is that almost everyone else also calls Arthur this - 8/10

Sire: Hate it. Everyone calls him this, it’s not special and it doesn’t even sound extra cute when Merlin says it - 2/10 

Clotpole: I think it was used in a Shakespeare play once. Otherwise pretty much associated exclusively with Merlin and Arthur. Arthur once calls Merlin a clotpole and Merlin says ‘that’s my word.’ Adorable. It’s cute af and Merlin first calls Arthur that when he’s jealous so plus points for that - 9/10 

Prat: A classic. It’s common but it’s cute when Merlin calls Arthur that, especially when he calls him a ‘royal’ prat. Again harks back to their second meeting, and was also a part of the sickest burn in history sooo - 7/10 

Dollophead: An original! Made especially for Arthur by Merlin. Perfection! No complaints. Don’t know what it means, but who cares really, it’s so cute - 10/10

Cabbage-Head: Was not used enough for my liking, but has a certain comedic quality to it. Not as cute as the other insults though - 5/10 

Turnip-Head: “You look like a total turniphead” was adorable but it was directed at simpleton Arthur, so does it really count? Poor simpleton didn’t deserve it - 5/10 

Ass: Common, but again used in their second meeting, so... bonus points for that - 4/10

Royal Ass: Less common. Comedic gold. Acknowledges Arthur’s royalty AND his dumbassness. Very accurate and hilarious - 7/10 

[littlemessyjessi]

“Chasing Jessi”:  A Sirius Black Story: Plus Size OC: Chapter 7: Tinkerbell & The Lost Boy

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Sirius Black Imagine Turned Story

Re-Written and Edit of an old story of mine I had on Mibba that deserved some more love and attention, lol.

Sirius Black x Jess Scamander (OC, OFC, PLUS SIZE OC, PLUS SIZE OFC)

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-------------------------------

Sirius Black was lounging comfortably in his bunk. He hadn't even bothered to change out of the KISS shirt and black flannel pajama bottoms at this point. He was reading through a book that he'd borrowed from Jess. Contrary to popular belief... Sirius actually loved to read. 

He’d rather die than admit that but he’d learned from an early age that it could easily provide an escape from his horrible daily life. 

Again though, he’d rather die than admit and let someone see him doing it. 

He was up rather early on a Sunday morning- something that used to be obscenely out of character before he played Quidditch. Now, it seemed that his biological clock was against him. However, it proved rather useful when wanting the shower to yourself or getting to breakfast while everyone was still in bed.  He'd been to breakfast already and was currently just relaxing for he had been informed by a tired looking Lily Evans that Jess was not coming down for breakfast this morning. He had been slightly disappointed but guessed that it was because the two girls had been up late talking. He figured that girls did that just as much as boys did. Although, for Jess's sake he hoped not because James had nearly driven him mad last night by both talking about every detail of his and Lily's date and all but demanding the same from Sirius. Honestly, boys were just as bad as girls when it came to gossip. 

If not worse.  However, he supposed he could just try and read this ridiculous book of hers until she awoke. He had really just settled in and was beginning to immerse himself into this fantasy world when.... "Sirius!!!" His brows furrowed and he glanced over at Remus who was studying on the floor in front of his bunk but he only shrugged.

"Sirius! Ooof! Sorry! Sirius!" "What in the name of Merlin?" he pondered as he sat the book down and went to the door to see none other than his hyperactive girlfriend balancing a package on her hip and apologizing to a fourth year boy who went white as a ghost at the sight of her. "You're ...you're not supposed to be up here." the boy said. "Oh, I'm sorry." she said to him. "I'm just looking for Sirius. See, I have something I have to-" The boy was too shaken to speak. To be fair, she was still wearing her pajamas and he was a fourteen year old boy, most likely with a crush on her. And she was only wearing a big floppy yellow smiley face shirt and some rather short multi colored shorts. "Over here, love." Sirius smirk. She turned to face him with a relieved smile looking so odd with her floral cat ear headband and her big blue monster house shoes. "Thanks, anyway." she told the boy and gave him a one armed hug. Sirius almost snorted when the boy looked as if he may pass out. The poor boy probably didn't know whether he found her attractive, terrifying or strange....or all three. "What are you doing up here?" he asked her as she came to a stop in front of him, "And in your pajamas no less?" "I have something for you." she said simply but he smirked and she smacked him in the stomach, "Not that!" "Aw, and it's almost my birthday too." he moaned playfully and he opened the door and let her him. "Hello, Remus." she greeted the studious green eyed boy. "Oh, uh, hi Jess." he said a little surprised to see her there, especially in her pjs.  "Remus, she beats me." Sirius wailed dramatically. "She wounds me." "If it's to your pride..." he said. "I suggest she do it some more. Your head is far too big as it is." Jess grinned in victory. Sirius gasped, "Moony, old boy, I can't believe it! Everyone's mistreating me and it's almost my birthday!" "Sirius, if you don't come sit down, then I'm going to open your present." she informed him smartly. "Present?" he asked. "What present?" "This one." she said tapping the lid of the green box. "You got me a present?" he asked curiously taking a seat on the bunk as the box lay between them.  "No." she said. "Well, yes. I did. But this isn't it. This is from my mum and dad." "What?" he asked in disbelief. "From mum and dad." she repeated. "She sent a blasted howler as well. Damn near threatened my life if I opened it. So I'm guessing it's rather good and most likely involving food. Best open it sooner than later." Sirius' hands shook just a little as he pulled the box open and cringed as a howler floated out. It was that same familiar shape that he recognized as the ones Jess usually got. From previous experiences, he was expecting yelling but relaxed when he saw the letter transform and the dark wax sealed lips give him a smile. It began to speak in a soothing tone, "Hello, Dear. Happy Birthday! I do hope you have a good one this year and that you get this package in time. Jess mentioned that you had a particular liking for toffee and fudge so I do hope you like what's inside. She also mentioned that you loved music and so there is something extra special inside from my husband. He said that he wanted it to go someone who could appreciate her as he much as he did. I wasn't allowed to see so I'm trusting that it's appropriate and if it's it not, you'd best tell me so I can tan his hide! Everything is under the shrinking charm so all you need to do is use the Engorgio charm. If you have trouble with it, I would advise you to ask Lily rather than Jess. She means well but she tends to get terribly excited and...blow things up. We are so excited to see Jess making such lovely friends! She speaks very highly of you and bless your soul, you must be patient to deal with her antics! I do hope she isn't being too rough. Some of those pictures... Merlin, I feared she'd nearly kill you with that one on the broom. I've told her about that! Nevertheless, any friend of hers is a friend to us. Welcome to the family, sweet boy. Have a wonderful birthday, dear! May you have many more! P.S. Do not let my child con you out of your presents with her innocent face. I know that she 'seems' sweet but if you give in...you'll regret it. Trust me. Her father has been wrapped around her finger since she was six seconds old. " When the letter was finished it ripped itself up and turned to ash. Sirius was a little disappointed. It had been so nice...he had kind of wanted to keep it. He glanced up to find Remus looking at him curiously and Jess looking mildly offended. "She makes me sound like some kind of animal." she scoffed. "Well..." Remus smirked. "I'd say more reptilian. You do have a certain, what was it you called it Padfoot? Dragon lady...quality about you." "Remus Lupin!" she scolded him. "You are a booger head and I am not talking to you anymore!" "I have chocolate." he said lifting his brows at her and holding up a piece. "All is forgiven." she said racing over to join him. "So what did she get you?" she piped up from her spot with Remus on the floor. Sirius reached into the box to pull out a container and he smiled. "Toffee." he smiled. "Oooh!" she gushed and jumped on his bed. "That's mum homemade toffee! It's really good! She won a blue ribbons for it at the local Muggle fair!" He pulled another out and observed the white chunks with rainbow sprinkles. "Birthday cake fudge." he smiled as he read the label aloud. "It's really good." Jess nodded. "It tastes like white chocolate and cake batter. Mum makes it for Dad every year on his birthday. I bet she had to make two batches!" He pulled out a jar of something and for just a moment it made him think of firewhiskey but he smiled when he read the label. 'Sirius, dear, this is a new recipe I'm trying out. It's called Toffee Syrup. We like to put it in porridge, tea, pumpkin juice, coffee...come to think of it, anything really. I've added just a bit something special to this one. I'd love to hear what you think.' "Mum'll kill me for telling you this but it's really good you mix it with firewhiskey and put it over ice cream." Jess piped up and he lifted his brows at her. "And here I thought you were sweet and innocent." he commented. She laughed, "Sirius, we both know I'm far from either of those." He pulled out a black knitted hat. "Oh, Mum, doesn't want you to catch cold!" she wailed dramatically. "Don't cry on it." he teased. "But she stitched it with love, Sirius!" she wailed again. He resisted the urge to shove her off the bed when something caught his eye. A small black case and upon further inspection he realized that it was a guitar case. 'Engorgio.' he murmured and enlarged it before pulling the zipper open to reveal a beautiful black acoustic guitar. "Ophelia!" Jess squeaked. "What?" Sirius asked her. "It's Ophelia." she said. "It's Dad's guitar. He let me name her when I was a little girl." Sirius frowned, "Oh, maybe you should have it then." "Nah." she shook her head. "I'm rubbish at guitar. I'm a drums kind of girl...much to mum's dismay." She grinned wickedly and pretended to play the drums. 

She never failed to make him laugh.  He pulled it out and ran his hand over it before glancing into the case and seeing the matching strap and an envelope. He opened the envelope to reveal a small note and a silver chain with a matching guitar pick on the end. "Hello, Sirius. I hope you have a very Happy Birthday. Jess tells me that you love music along with many other things. She seems quite fond of you and speaks of you quite a lot. Which is considerably out of character for her. You have to understand that for the longest time when she wrote home...it was usually to tell us that Lily's eyebrows had grown back or that she'd was very close to finding redcap colony. Naturally, as her father, I was a little defensive about you at first. However, you seem like an alright lad and she seems to take a liking to you. Any man that will willingly let her braid rainbow colored yarn into their hair....well you're alright with me, kid. I hope you have a great birthday and you enjoy old Ophelia. P.S. If you press the guitar pick, you can record yourself. Comes in handy when you're working on songs. ' Sirius carefully sealed the letter back up and placed everything delicately back in the box. "Sirius?" Jess whispered. "You have really, really good parents." he said quietly. Remus quietly left the room, deciding it was best to give the two of them some time. "I know." she said softly. Sirius just nodded, still just slightly shaking until she placed her hand on his. "Maybe you can meet them sometime. You know, to properly welcome you to the family and all." she said. There was more to that statement than either of them were willing to talk about at that moment. Grey eyes caught green and they just stared for a moment. She decided to break the tension with some comedy. "Mum may be swayed by your charms but I will not being giving you your present from me until it's your actual birthday." she said. "You got me a present?" he questioned. "Yes, and I'm not telling so don't even try!" she scolded as she stuck her finger in his face. He smirked at her challenge as he carefully placed the box underneath his bed and grabbed her ankle. "Not even if I do...." he trailed off as he hovered above her neck. "This." She bit her lip when his lips caressed her skin. "No!" she cried out. "Don't use your tricks!" "How about here?" he asked kissing her nose. "Never." she whispered. "Alright." he said. "But I think I'll try one more." "I'll never surrender, Captain Hook!" she called out, grinning wickedly as she saw her book on his bed side table. "Now, now Tinkerbell. Let's not be rash." he teased. "Now give me some of that pixie dust." She erupted into a fit of giggles, "Sirius Black, Lord of the Cheeseballs!" He tickled her relentlessly, "Surrender!" "Never!" she said rolling out from underneath him and racing into the halls, "Lost Boys, unite! We have to defend ourselves against the terrible Captain Hook!" The muggleborns got it, thought it was weird, but go it. Everyone...just kind of wrote it off as Jess being Jess. And James Potter stood at the foot of stairs looking at his friend with an odd expression on his face. "What?" Sirius asked. James shook his head. "Nothing. It's just...you two are clearly into some weird things." he said. Sirius laughed and shoved his friend along into his room. The thing was...he didn't mind her little games. He loved them almost as much as he did her.

Chapter Six

Chapter Eight

Hello, loves! How do we feel about Sirius’ early bday present from Jess’ parents?  How are we liking their relationship so far?  

I’d love to what you think! Please feel free to hit up the ask box, blast the comment section or reblog with your thoughts and feelings! Next chappie coming soon!

All my love darlings!

Kenny

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@frankie2902

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Love, Kenny

[annqbthchse]

SGE Headcanons

✨ OTK SPOILERS ✨

You know that thorn scene from book 1 and how Agatha and Tedros got scratched up a bit, well some of those scars never healed and they still have some - Agatha has a couple gnarly ones on her leg - Tedros loves them

During their reign at Camelot Agatha and Tedros sometimes take a few days off when things get a bit fought and stay at the house in Avalon for a few days maybe a week for some cute quality time together. This way they still the chance to be all domestic and stuff without the pressure of an entire kingdom - They never sleep in the master bedroom tho - they’ll mainly sleep either by the fire or cuddle on the couch  (let’s just pretend that if they leave sophie in charge she wouldn’t cause total chaos and destruction when they’re away)

When anyone uses a really powerful spell or something their veins and eyes start to glow up with their finger glow colour

Hort has a pirate ring he got from his father that he keeps a secret from everyone but Sophie - he eventually gifts it to her

Yara is a music prodigy

Kei constantly wears those big oversized ugly sweaters, Rhian swears he hates it cos it’s not 𝑎𝑒𝑠𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 but he secretly loves how cuddly they are

Tedros is actually really educated (I mean he is a prince and had Merlin as his tutor) but he’s just a dumbass by nature like he can immediately tell you the DETAILED history of any kingdom in the woods but if you ask him what the main ingredient in pasta is he’ll short circuit - it’s the himbo in him

When Agatha returns to Gavaldon in AWWP she had trouble sleeping for several months so Callis was very worried. So, when Callis saw Agatha and Tedros sleeping so soundly together once she was just like” hmmm maybe he’s not that bad” and it’s then that she realises that although she may not like him 100%, he’ll always be there to protect her little girl 🥺

After the events of OTK however it’s Tedros who has trouble sleeping (he did get BEHEADED fuck) and its Agathas turn to be the comfort cuddler

Somehow the red pendant that Agatha wore to the circus of talents was given to her by Tedros. She still has it and took it with her when she left in QFG  (I don't know how exactly this works but its cute sefbjsdg)

At Camelot Agatha cannot be fucked wearing royal dresses all the time so when nothing “official” is going on she just dresses super casual in like pants and t shirts with her hair in ponytails or what not (Tedros doesn’t care all that much because Agatha in pants is hot)

Sophie constantly tries to sit in Nicola’s lap because she’s so smol and while she loves her to death she has to literally pick her up and yeet her off if she’s ever gonna get anything done

Nicola is a great chef and her and Sophie have these cute little dinner dates where Nicola makes all the food and Sophie buys all the wine

One of the first things Tedros does after OTK is commission a statue of Chaddick to honour him - it’s of him shooting an arrow into the distance

When August and Evelyn were growing up she definitely pushed him down a well once and he probably used to make up things about her future just to purposely piss her off

Tedros doesn’t actually know how to play rugby he just grabs ball and run

Chaddick tried to explain it to him once but it turns out he doesn’t actually know either

Yaras the only one who does but finds the whole thing entertaining so she refuses to say anything

Kei is very into astronomy, Rhian not so much but he still listens very attentively to everything Kei says because he just looks so darn cute when he rambles and is like “hmmm yes pls go on bb ♡ᴗ♡”

They also used to sneak out to go stargazing and watch the sunrise

On Tedros’s first birthday after OTK Agatha really wants to make it special considering the past year so she gets him a baby golden lab

This Labrador becomes his best friend - sometimes when being king gets overwhelming and Agathas not there it’s his best golden friend that calms him down and makes him feel better

Millicent’s a vegan

Sophie and Tedros still have their little late night rooftop convos

Ravan secretly loves rocking chairs and will literally just sit in one the entire day just rocking back and forth - he just finds them soothing

Dots a really a bad gift giver but no one has the heart to tell her or the courage to face Hester and Anadil

In QFG before Chaddick went off on his quest and while Tedros was ignoring Agatha they hung out a bit and had some great times. He also showed her some basic fighting tactics and how to use a butterfly knife after watching her attempt to hold her own against a punching bag. He immediately wondered how in the fuck she was still alive

When they were at graves hill tedros thought Agatha's baby portraits were adorable and constantly teased her about it - Agatha does the same

Rhian has a sweet tooth- Kei would always sneak extra sweets for him

[official-weasley]

The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley: Pt. 2, Ch. 2

PART 2: THE YEAR OF MISCHIEF AND SNEAKING AROUND Chapter 2 - A New Year

Nova

In the last week of August, the Weasleys and I met my mum in Diagon Alley just like my mum and Molly planned. We bought our books and got Pip his favorite treats. Charlie and I were drooling and pressing our hands on the window display of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

We then stopped at the café Tulip's mum owned just to find out that Tulip wasn't there but her mum told us that she would tell her to meet us on the Platform 9 ¾ on the 1st September. Molly also took Bill to get new robes as he grew quite a lot over the Summer and Charlie got Bill's old robes. His freckled cheeks turned pink as his mum told that in front of me and my mum but I didn't care.

—

On several occasions, Charlie got embarrassed as he talked about his home or his things, most belonging to Bill before him. I have never seen it as a bad thing that they didn't have as much money as some of the other Pure Blood families. My parents had quite a stock of gold in our Gringotts vault as a Curse Breaker and an Auror but what good did that do me if I didn't see them most of the year.

I would've done anything to have my mum or my dad at home as Molly stayed at home with Charlie and his siblings. Their house was also something that wasn't embarrassing at all. I liked the smell of wood and honeysuckle and I liked the fact that it was a bit cramped. You feel more like a family rather than in a big house.

—

When we got all of our things, my mum said goodbye to me as she had to hurry back to work. She gave me a big hug as tears gathered in her eyes. I knew she felt bad that she wouldn't be able to accompany me to the Station in a week's time and I knew she wanted more than anything to spend my last week out of Hogwarts with me but she couldn't get time off work.

That's why I returned to the Burrow with the Weasleys, something I really didn't mind. I couldn't deny that I missed my mum but being surrounded by such a loving family made me forget just how much I miss spending time with my parents.

On 1st September Molly took me, Bill, and Charlie to the Platform 9 ¾, accompanied by Percy, Fred, and George while Arthur stayed at home with Ron and Ginny as it was a Sunday.

She hugged her sons and wished them a great year at Hogwarts and then she looked at me.

“Oh, Nova dear, it was so nice to have you in our home.” She cupped my cheeks.

“Thank you for having me Molly, I had a great time.” I smiled.

“Have a good year, study hard, and take notes.” She stopped for a second. “Your mum told me to say that to you.” She winked at me. “And take care of my boys, will you? My heart is lighter knowing that they have you, especially Charlie.” She pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Mum!” Charlie frowned, embarrassed.

“Bill, you look after these two. Make sure they stay in line.” She hugged both, Bill and Charlie, again and gave them a soft kiss on the cheek.

We wanted to enter the train when I heard someone calling my name. It was Tulip who was looking all over for us in the crowd. Together we got on the train and found that Tonks and Penny already reserved a compartment for us.

We all hugged and I couldn't help but feel happy as we were all together again. Jae, the Gryffindor Charlie spent time with and spent more time with Tulip and Tonks than any of us by the end of our First Year, joined us for a second but couldn't stay as our compartment already had 6 seats taken.

Tulip started to explain what a mundane Summer she had as she was mostly helping her mum in her coffee shop but she didn't mind as she made quite a lot of money and was saving it for Zonko's Joke Shop next year when we are going to be allowed to go to Hogsmeade for the first time.

Tonks showed us all the scars Merlin gave her over the Summer and we were puzzled as to why her parents didn't use a charm to heal her hands. She admitted that she liked spending the time with the cat after all and that she kicked him off the bed one night as she didn't know he was there and felt sorry for him as he came back to cuddle.

She also told us that 2 out of 4 pranks she planned for her parents succeeded and that to her astonishment her parents still loved her.

Penny gave us a rather short version of her beach vacation as all of us sent her a confused letter when she sent us greetings from Brighton. She instead told us that mum taught her how to brew 3 new potions, 2 of which we won't learn in class for another year. She also told us how annoying her little sister was as she kept bombarding her with questions about Hogwarts and wanted to know when she could meet all of her friends.

It was fun to see the Sorting Ceremony from the House Tables instead of being sorted. Ravenclaw gained 4 new witches and 2 new wizards. Tulip and I couldn't help but reminisce about our Sorting Day and admitted that we don't miss it at all.

After the feast, we went to our dormitories, and much to Tulip and mine's surprise we knew exactly how to get to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Our room was still looking good and still had the best view of the entire castle.

A little before we went to bed, Professor Flitwick gathered us all in the Common Room, giving us our class schedules as tomorrow was Monday and the classes were ready to begin.

Our schedules this year were packed way more than the previous year where we only had 2, max 3 classes per day. Now we had at least 4 classes per day except 3 on Friday.

The schedule read:

Monday – Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology

Tuesday - Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Double Charms, Astronomy at Midnight

Wednesday – Double Herbology, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic

Thursday – Transfiguration, Double Potions, History of Magic, Herbology, Astronomy at Midnight

Friday – Potions, Charms, Transfiguration

We had classes with the same Houses as last year and even though we knew that we had History of Magic, Tulip and I kind of hoped that the teachers would forget about it and we wouldn't have to go. That, of course, was not the case.

—

I decided that I wouldn't try out for the House Quidditch Team this year just yet. I still felt that I could use a bit of practice and I teased Charlie that I would let him have the Quidditch Cup this year as we would win every year after that with me on the team.

Charlie tried out for the Gryffindor Team but wasn't picked as the Quidditch Captain picked his little brother as Team's Seeker. He was pretty bummed out about it and we had to go to Hagrid's every day after school for almost a week so Hagrid could cheer him up by telling us stories about different creatures he encountered or owned at any point in his life.

Penny, of course, loved the fact that we had so much more school work and Potions 3 times per week made her heart pump faster.

Tonks however made me and Charlie question our prediction that she would wait until the end of the year to have a breakdown as she already refused to do her homework. She and Penny got into constant fights because Penny couldn't understand how she doesn't care about homework one bit and Tonks didn't understand why she cared so much about it.

I did pretty well and kept up with most of my schoolwork. Penny only had to help me with one of my Potions essays and Tulip and I always did Astronomy homework immediately after class. It did mean that we stayed up almost all night since Astronomy classes were at Midnight but we enjoyed each other's company and the little chats we had together as we didn't have the opportunity to spend that much time alone outside of class.

She was sneaking around the Castle with Tonks and Jae most of the days as I spent my time with either Penny or Charlie by the Lake, at Hagrid's, in the Owlery with Pip, or in the Courtyard, which was still my favorite place to draw.

It seemed that Charlie rarely left Hagrid's and I am sure he wouldn't even do that if it wasn't for me and he wanted to spend time with me. As Second Years, we were allowed to bring our own brooms to school and when the weather was nice Charlie liked to practice his flying by the Lake, me throwing a ball for him to catch.

—

One Tuesday it so happened that we had a free period when we were supposed to have Herbology. Apparently, one of the Forth Years accidentally angered a plant and it trapped them in the Herbology classroom resulting in our class being rescheduled for next week. As Tulip and I wandered around the Castle, we decided to see what was so bad about the girl's bathroom on the Second Floor.

See, the day before, we heard a couple of Slytherin girls from the year above us say that they are never going in there again and that they wouldn't wish it upon their worst enemy to get locked in there and that said a lot about Slytherins.

My school bag was unusually heavy that day but I didn't pay attention to it as I was sure that I misread the schedule and put an extra book in there.

When we got to the bathroom it looked quite normal to us. We knocked and nothing happened. We peeked inside and it didn't smell bad or seem in any way out of the ordinary.

We took a deep breath and went in, eyes closed as we were expecting something bad to happen. We thought we came upon a completely normal-looking bathroom and almost left but then we heard something in one of the bathroom stalls. We stopped, turned around and listened carefully.

It sounded like a girl was crying and for a second we were really mad at Slytherins for making fun out of a crying girl.

All of a sudden a ghost of a girl came through the door of one of the cubicles. She looked at us startled as much as we looked at her in shock. At first, she looked quite happy to see us. She told us that her name is Myrtle and that she lives in the bathroom. We didn't see anything wrong with that until Tulip made a very big mistake. She asked her what happened to her.

Myrtle burst into tears and started to cry rather loudly. After the crying stopped she started screaming and became angry and just as we were about to leave, the belt on my bag ripped and I heard something broke inside it.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Tulip whispered as she was quite taken aback by Myrtle.

“I have no idea.” I replied as I watched Myrtle getting closer to my bag.

I took a deep breath and ran towards it. I had my drawing notebook in there and I didn't know much about ghosts so I didn't know if Myrtle could ruin it or not. I grabbed my bag and out fell something that looked a lot like a...

“Dungbomb! Nova run!” Yelled Tulip and opened the bathroom door.

We got out just in time and as the doors were closing, we saw how the bomb exploded straight into Myrtle's face as she was too slow to realize what we were running away from.

We ran down the corridor and all the way to the Great Hall and when we finally caught our breath did we manage to understand what happened. We knew we were supposed to feel bad but just by exchanging looks, we burst out laughing.

We laughed so hard that I was beginning to feel cramps in my stomach and Tulip was clapping in a way that reminded me of a clapping seal.

Our friends ran to us, asking what was going on and upon telling them how we sneaked in and detonated a Dungbomb on a crying ghost, Tonks finally spoke.

“No! I was saving that for tomorrow!” She got sad.

“Wait, the bomb was yours?” My face puzzled. “What was it doing in my bag?” I frowned at her.

“Well, you take care of your bag the most as your drawing notebook is inside and I needed a safe place for it until tomorrow to execute my plan.” Tonks' face was as pink as her hair. “See, I wanted to hide the bomb from myself as I knew I wouldn't be able to resist using it today rather than tomorrow.” She explained.

“And you put it in my bag? The bag that has my most prized notebook inside?” I was trying to keep my voice as normal as possible. “What if I didn't grab the bag and the bomb went off with my notebook still inside?” My eyes narrowed.

“Blimey Nova, I'm sorry. I did package the bomb carefully but I didn't think about that.” She scratched her nose.

I couldn't be angry at her, not after what Tulip and I just witnessed, especially because my notebook was alright.

We had to tell the story again as our whole lot laughed, including Penny who wanted to feel sorry for Myrtle but the whole incident was just too funny. Tonks, however, promised that she would never put anything that would either rip or ruin any contents inside my bag ever again as I sewed it back together with a spell.

I spent most of my weekends after lunch with Charlie by the Lake. We got a few new books from Hagrid as he reckoned we were ready for them. While reading them out loud to each other, we usually daydreamed about playing Quidditch and we couldn't wait until the end of the school year when the Second Year students had to pick Elective Subjects as we already knew one of them was going to be Care of Magical Creatures.

Bill sometimes joined us, however, Charlie and I both thought that he was daydreaming about a girl rather than creatures and that he joined us as an excuse to keep an eye on us. Pip also accompanied us to the Lake often and was quite surprised when I started drawing other creatures, inspired by my Self-Doodler rather than him. Serves him right for not wanting to pose for me over the Summer.

[nerdgatehobbit]

5/23/21

I still need to finish Blood Ties & Do No Harm. I haven’t been especially motivated to do so though. Hopefully it’s just spring allergies. I have watched “48 Hours”, which really is an awesome episode. This means “Abyss” is up next for June 27th, in a far more wistful rewatch than I thought it’d be when I made the ten episode list.

I’m done with TCW, having watched all that my currently extra low stress tolerance can deal with. Since I know things just continue worsening after “The Lawless”. Even with all the future tragedy, I did enjoy what I watched of the show, so thanks to @magic-owl for encouraging me to watch it last year. I also rewatched Droid Tales, which was mostly fun outside of a few digs at the prequels (and not in an affectionate parody way).

The fifth season of BBC Merlin continues to be exasperating. The writers’ railroading of the characters is overt, it’s more obvious than ever that women are either evil or damsels in distress, and I have a bad feeling there won’t be enough buildup or fallout regarding Camlann.

“The Power of Pink” was a great send off for Kendrix, particularly given the circumstances. I’m interested to see how the end of PRLG plays out. Still can’t believe I’ve almost watched all 700 episodes of the four boxed sets. I’m still waiting for a fifth one for the New Saban era since I don’t think one has been released yet.

Sun & Moon Ultra Adventures continues to be a bright spot, even as an actual plot begins. Wormholes! I really do love this show.

“Giselle” was a somewhat gloomy episode but I am really seeing why Princess Tutu is so highly regarded.

I’ve had two ‘sessions’ of watching the extended FOTR, and I think the next one will be the last. I know Middle-Earth has its flaws, but I still deeply love the franchise. And I’ve been enjoying the new-to-me snippets.

At this point, I’ve opted to make the ST:TOS, XWP, OUAT, & DS9 posts on a biweekly schedule to ensure a timely schedule. Honestly, stretching out the time frame is more of a benefit than a flaw. ST: TOS will start in early September for its 55th anniversary, XWP at the month’s end for the 2nd season’s 25th anniversary, OUAT in late October for its 10th anniversary, and DS9 won’t begin until its 29th anniversary at the start of 2022.

I know I need to get started soon. And I want to, but three of them are new to me and the last one having uneven quality, so the fact is I haven’t had the mental bandwidth for doing so. Hopefully that’ll change once I’ve finished with BBC Merlin.

[flamingodingo]

Merlin- S1:E1- The Dragon’s Call

Hey so I decided to rewatch Merlin because I never quite finished it and don’t remember what happened enough to pick up where I left off, and I thought I’d blog my thoughts about it! All I really remember, besides the obvious, is how remarkably shippable Arthur and Merlin were despite that clearly not being the writers intention. I have a feeling I’ll come to the same conclusion with this rewatch, especially since I’m starting out with my gay goggles on, but who knows?? Let’s gooooooooooooooooo

**obv this will not be spoiler free but A. The show has been over for a long time and B. all spoilers will be under the cut**

Hey so now that I’ve done this, I’d decided I don’t want to continue because I simply don’t care that much about this show. So, sorry if you enjoyed this, don’t expect any more.

Colin Morgan is honestly the most adorable little nugget of a man <3

Ok this CGI effect for the reveal of the kingdom is .... not good actually .... 

The score, however, is gorgeous. I mean we all know the main theme is a bop but just listen to the music as he looks around here, it’s so grand and fantastic.

All of this video quality is actually just not great, when the heck is this from again? *googles* It aired in 2008. I feel like 2008 TV looked better than this but I was also only 10 so what do I know.

I love Uther’s style of crown. It’s very simple and dignified.

I truly can’t imagine why people would choose to attend an execution. Like, what compels someone to go witness something like that? I know the past was boring, what with the lack of television and the illiteracy of the general population, but how do you get so bored you go watch someone get beheaded for a bogus crime like “conspiracy to use magic”?

LMAO these effects are corny as hell actually- re: sorceress disappearing in the wind.

What a weird welcome to Camelot for Merlin.

I like how Gaius just interrogates this stranger in his house about his magical ability with no idea whatsoever who he is.

Gaius is like a million years old and he still has a better hairline than me, honestly how rude.

Loving Morgana’s willingness to tell off Uther.

Uther says Morgana wasn’t around 20 years ago, how old is she supposed to be?

Traveling in the past must have been fucking terrifying. Even with guards, I can’t imagine just pitching a tent in the middle of the woods on my way to wherever and sleeping peacefully. If you’re out there traveling, who knows who else might be?

It’s so incredible how far we’ve come with special affects. That sorceress melting into the singer lady must’ve been relatively impressive when this aired and now I just chuckled at it.

Arthur is such a dick and I hate it but fuck he’s so handsome.

Merlin is such a good boy to stand up to Arthur. I mean, even not knowing he’s the prince, that’s still a pretty bold thing to do to someone who is obviously still wealthier and more powerful than you, particularly when he has a whole gaggle of idiots to support him and he’s just proven he knows his way around a weapon.

“Do you know how to walk on your knees?”  “No.”  “Would you like me to help you?”  “I wouldn’t if I were you.”  “Why? What are you going to do to me?”  “You have no idea.” Who wrote these lines and then let them say them so remarkably homosexually? Like really, truly, who watched them act this scene and went “Ah yes, this tension is exactly perfect and does not feel at all sexual”?

Do you think Uther knows his son is a gigantic asshole? Like, do you think if he found out Arthur had Merlin thrown in jail just for calling him an ass, he would have had him freed because “well he’s right, you know”? Probably not.

Gwen is so incredibly beautiful <3 And she’s kind, too. What a lady, I love her.

Interesting, the actors are saying Guinevere, but the subtitles are saying Gwenhwyfer.

I can see how throwing food at people in the stocks would be fun, actually, especially if it’s like someone who pickpocketed you.

Choosing to keep one dragon “as an example” is basically asking for someone to come free that dragon. It is immensely hubristic to assume that nothing would go wrong with that.

Ok I know that doll in “Lady Helen’s” room is kind of sketchy but especially as someone who doesn’t know anything about the materials required for magic, I have no idea what prompts Merlin to start going through her stuff.

“Lady Helen’s” purple dress really does something for me. That’s a great cut and color, thought tbh the material looks kinda cheap.

I love Merlin’s little neck scarf thing. Maybe I should get one of them. It’d look exceptionally queer on me.

Alright so that bit earlier with the blind man was questionable but this whole “deaf as well as dumb” comment really isn’t necessary. I know Arthur is an asshole and also it’s 2008 so I don’t really expect better, it’s just still gross. We’ve taken some big steps in the US re: LGBTQ+ folks and recently there has been a surge in the push for racial justice, I hope the next movement that gets some extra traction is disability rights. So much ableism is embedded in our language, culture, and comedy and it’s really not ok. We have a lot of work to do.

“I could take you apart with one blow.” “I could take you apart with less than that.” THIS IS VERY GAY IM SORRY IT IS JUST INCREDIBLY GAY

I have no idea where Merlin got all his audacity but I really enjoy it. Like, “How long have you been training to be a prat, my lord?”? That’s gold.

“There’s something about you, Merlin. I can’t quite put my finger on it.” THIS IS ALSO QUITE GAY

Merlin is SO dramatic, how old is he supposed to be?

I mean his dramatics are a bit, uh, dramatic, but he really is just sweet and lost and scared. I can’t imagine having all that power, totally effortlessly, and not having any idea why but knowing I can’t use it.

Merlin sleeps in a room, but Gaius sleeps in the middle of his workshop. so, did Gaius give up his room to Merlin could have one? That’d be incredibly sweet.

There is a candle burning on Gaius’ nightstand while he sleeps. That’s a fire hazard? 

Why the fuck was the gate to get down to the dragon open?????? 

I’m so distracted by the quality of these special effects. They’re not like truly horrible but they’re not quite good yet either and I think it’s the inbetween state here that’s getting me.

Merlin has this habit of entering rooms really quietly and it really seems to be how he gets himself into trouble quite often.

While I am on the Arthur/Merlin train 100%, I see and respect Gwen/Merlin shippers. They’re both horrendously awkward, it’s very funny.

Morgana’s dress is so hot.

“Lady Helen’s” dress is fugly

I wonder what language this song is in.

This lip synching is really bad omg

Imagine being so out of touch that you think making someone your son’s servant is a reward. Like I get that working in the royal household is an honor or whatever but he’s still literally a servant

Ok but how is calling Arthur Merlin’s destiny NOT gay? I mean come on. 

[forasecondtherewedwon]

What Can a Ravenclaw Learn from a Spider-Man? Pairing: Peter Parker x Michelle Jones (Spideychelle) Rating: T (a lil’ swearing) Word count: 5343

Spideychelle Week Day 3: Hogwarts/Harry Potter AU

Summary: Michelle doesn't exactly know what a "Spider-Man" is, but from the wild footage she's seen of him on her grandmother's television, she does know he's not your average Muggle. Keen to learn more, she extends an invitation for Spider-Man to be the first speaker in Hogwarts' new guest lecturer series (a program of her own invention).

Her questions will be snappy. Her attitude, professional. Her crush when Spider-Man shows up without the mask? Instantaneous.

Michelle wondered if Hermione Granger would’ve done it. Hermione was an idol of hers, even though she’d been a Gryffindor while at Hogwarts. Well, no one was perfect. Michelle admired Hermione when she made purposeful shortcuts that took her through the trophy room (an excuse to ritualistically pick out each of the academic plaques that bore Hermione’s name as she crossed the floor), when she saw her picture in the Prophet for another career achievement, and, of course, when she read one of Hermione’s fastidiously researched books.

Yes, the woman Michelle strove to one day call a peer was an impressive, maybe unparalleled, intellectual, but as far as she knew, the idea of guest lecturers at Hogwarts had never occurred to Hermione.

Everyone knew Ravenclaws asked a lot of questions―Michelle also made a lot of suggestions. This one had landed, after her Head of House presented it to the Headmaster and the Headmaster said something like, “Can’t see why not!” (The leadership style had reverted to a Dumbledore-esque whimsy, from the biographical sketches Michelle had read of the man, after the sterner yet decidedly more upfront governance of Headmaster McGonagall.)

Indeed, they’d liked the idea, but there was still a certain air of ‘upon your head be it’ about the whole thing, which meant that Michelle was doing extra work to take on primary organization of the project, and a good share of the responsibility for its success or failure. Perhaps it would’ve been more logical to make her first selection of guest lecturers from within the wizarding community… Maybe there was a little of Hermione Granger’s Gryffindor-ishness in Michelle after all.

She wouldn’t say the word out loud beforehand and, when he arrived, she wouldn’t say it to his face, but Michelle thought of her invitee as ‘The Risk.’ His behaviour would be unpredictable, from the very nature of his biology. It wasn’t because he was a Muggle (being half-blood herself, Michelle had spent a significant amount of her childhood in the Muggle world)―although, actually, she wasn’t quite sure that he was a Muggle. The Wizarding world was full of labels, distinctions, and classifications, including those that were out of date and even disgustingly prejudiced, but Muggles were less precise. There was a name for what he was, a sort of childishly worshipful term for this risky guest and others like him, and that name was ‘superhero.’

Michelle was keen to observe any ‘super’ qualities, in the interest of improved quantification and qualification of extraordinary and exceptional traits both evolved and endowed, to be catalogued and studied hereafter. Oh, she didn’t mean to treat The Risk as a test subject, but questions had to be asked. The pursuit of knowledge demanded it. While on summer holiday, she’d passed a week with her Muggle grandmother and had seen footage of him in action.

Not usually one to vegetate in front of a television, Michelle’s fixation on the screen had, of course, been quickly misunderstood by her grandmother, who’d implied in all sorts of embarrassing language that the real object of fascination for her sixteen-year-old granddaughter must be the man’s physique. Ridiculous. She was a scholar, for Merlin’s sake! It was the death-defying leap from a high building, followed by a mid-air catch using some kind of rope (he seemed to create it himself, almost from nowhere―she was very interested in the properties of that as well) that had her heart pounding like a galloping Hippogriff.

Of course, it hadn’t aided her argument when her grandmother had caught her watching another clip the following evening. For the record, Michelle had not sighed when ‘Spider-Man’ was shown from behind, she’d yawned. It was bloody summer and the days were longer and she’d been out in the sun and she was tired.

And it was nonsense to suppose that she’d devised the guest lecturer series solely for the purpose of meeting Spider-Man. Nonsense.

Michelle hadn’t been the one to get in contact, not directly. It turned out that the Headmaster and Spider-Man had a mutual wizard friend, so it was all much easier than she’d thought it would be to arrange things with this superhuman New Yorker with the spectacular arse, ahem, arsenal of abilities. Magical and Muggle cooperation did wonders to make the world smaller in the most useful and unexpected ways.

Apparently, this other wizard, Dr. Stephen Strange, had arranged a portal (portal? Was this in any way similar to either Apparition or Portkey?) to transport Spider-Man from New York to Hogsmeade. Security measures being as they always had been―if not a little tighter since the infamous Battle of Hogwarts, 21 years back―Michelle’s guest lecturer could not be deposited directly onto school grounds. Actually, this was only an assumption, and she hated those. Perhaps when the man was making his return journey, she might have an opportunity to speak to Dr. Strange and initiate an understanding of the workings of portals and how their magic interacted with such spells as guarded the school, specifically whether or not they were able to permeate the wards, if this disruption was temporary, if it would leave any lasting trace or adverse effects… She’d start a list.

The opportunity to interrogate (Michelle had been told she didn’t question, she interrogated, and she was perfectly fine with the upgrade) the wizard on Spider-Man’s coming had passed, as the guest had arrived that morning while she was grinding her teeth in Arithmancy, wishing she could’ve been down in the village instead. Filch had been sent to escort him (the Headmaster having adjusted the protective spells to allow Spider-Man’s passage onto the grounds), really a dreadful alternative―if it wasn’t too self-important of her to note. Now Michelle just had to collect him.

She flew down empty corridors and hiked up the hem of her robe to take stairs three at a time with her long legs. Students weren’t often seen running inside Hogwarts unless it was to reach a bad-tempered professor’s class on time, and this general rule could stand, given that Michelle wasn’t seen. She only slowed as she cut across the trophy room, paying her voiceless respects to the accomplishments of Hermione Granger. The version of her idol that Michelle carried around in her head was full of encouragement.

Composing herself, Michelle straightened her tie before she made the final turn towards the Headmaster’s office, where she was to find her lecturer. She would be professional, she coached herself. She would pace her questions so as not to confuse or overwhelm him. There would be time to find out everything she wanted to know (plenty of time, if they developed a rapport―as she hoped―and entered into an ongoing communication that extended beyond this visit), so it was essential that Michelle contain her giddiness. With a fortifying exhale, she rounded the corner.

There was someone waiting for her in front of the gargoyle that concealed the office’s entrance. It wasn’t Spider-Man. It wasn’t any kind of man.

“Hey,” said a boy about her age. He waved the hand not clutching the strap of a battered rucksack.

Michelle approached him with all the composure of a seventh-year and a Ravenclaw (she was both). It was murder not to immediately ask questions.

“I’m Peter Parker,” he offered, along with his hand to shake, when she halted in front of him.

He had round eyes the colour of the new peat they used during transplantings in the greenhouse. Herbology was one of Michelle’s favourite classes―filling her notebook with plant sketches, hearing the soft tunneling of her classmates’ gloved hands in the dirt, observing change and growth each time she entered the greenhouse. Maybe that was the reason for the comfortable feeling that settled into her as she stared back at him, into those earthy eyes.

“Michelle Jones. MJ,” she said. She couldn’t say where the nickname had come from; she’d never asked anyone to call her that before.

They shook hands and it was unlike any handshake―any touch, for that matter―Michelle had ever experienced. Peter didn’t do the regular reflexive squeeze, no, it was more like he learned her hand and then adapted for optimal contact. Their palms moulded together like the structural soundness of their fit was establishing a critical foundation. His fingers wrapped around her hand with an easy security that assured Michelle they would neither hurt her nor struggle to hang on and pull her to safety should the entire castle collapse around them at that very moment. The motion of his thumb interlocking with hers nearly raised goosebumps; its slide across her skin was that tender yet assertive. This hand was a sophisticated instrument and she knew the other identity of the boy it belonged to before he confirmed it for her.

“Or, uh, Spider-Man,” he added sheepishly. “You can call me that too.”

Michelle was still coming to terms with the handshake.

“You’re not what I was expecting,” she explained after a delay in releasing his hand. That hold. She could feel it still, along with the hundred new questions it had seemed to imprint directly into her skin.

“Yeah, I was gonna wear the suit ‘cause, you know, back home nobody knows that I’m him and he’s me. Everywhere, really,” the boy rambled. “Even some people in space know Spider-Man now. But Dr. Strange said this place―sorry, Hogwarts―is, like, crazy secure―Mr. Stark is gonna freak when I tell him, he loves that stuff―so it shouldn’t really be a problem to come as, well, myself.”

Michelle was smiling broadly by the time Peter paused to take a breath. He was incapable of shutting up. He was perfect. Perfect to question, obviously. She wouldn’t have to pace herself too much after all.

“It’s not a problem, right?” he checked, expression suddenly nervous. Peter’s face was like his hands, performing an emotion or action completely. Except Michelle wasn’t about to reach out and hold his face just to feel the little dents above his eyebrows when they lifted.

“It’s not a problem,” she assured him, though that was really the Headmaster’s role.

“Ok, great, I was just kinda worried because you guys seem really into uniforms here. Makes me feel underdressed, but maybe that’s just my aunt May talking.”

As Peter shrugged, Michelle glanced rapidly down the length of his body, assessing his outfit. A t-shirt under a button-up shirt, jeans, and trainers.

“You look good to me,” she said.

Their eyes met and Peter’s mouth opened, but that was as far as he got in terms of a response for several long seconds.

“Uh, what’s the blue for?” he asked, pointing at the stripes of her tie.

“Ravenclaw. It’s my House.”

Peter squinted and Michelle sensed that he was trying to recall a piece of information. The expression was intimately familiar to her.

“I got some of the basics,” he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the Headmaster’s office. “Ravenclaw’s the one for really smart people, right? More or less?”

Michelle smiled at him again. She didn’t need the wisdom of her House’s founder to know that she and Peter Parker were going to get along.

\\\

Having Spider-Man in her charge―and he was Spider-Man now, appearing in uniform as they moved about the school and grounds―wasn’t supposed to mean getting an entire day off from classes, but that was how things had turned out.

After an endearingly self-deprecating introduction to Michelle’s Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Spider-Man had demonstrated battle tactics, adaptability, how to work with surroundings, and other skills that were useful whether or not one carried a wand. There had been a positive epidemic of hand-cramping amongst her fellow Ravenclaws, everyone struggling to record Spider-Man’s nonchalantly delivered details of violent encounters of varying success. The Gryffindors composing the other half of the attendance had effectively lost their minds with excitement as they watched Spider-Man shoot webbing from his wrists and climb the walls; a few Lions reluctantly left for the hospital wing after failing to execute one of the flips their guest did with such ease.

As Michelle exited the classroom with Peter at the end of the period, they were met with a small swarm of first-year emissaries, dispatched by professors to whom tales of Spider-Man’s abilities had already spread. Everyone wanted a visit from the guest lecturer. Normally, Michelle would’ve mentally hexed those bloody loud-mouthed Gryffindors for making her miss class to continue escorting Peter, but she was enjoying his company. She was even beginning to admit to herself that the boy’s carefree smile contributed as much to her enjoyment as his thorough answers to each of her questions.

Spider-Man was given the floor in a fifth-year Potions class, where the eyes of young Slytherins practically gleamed as they attempted to replicate Peter’s proprietary web fluid using the offerings of the ingredients cupboard. He won over a crowd of second-year Hufflepuffs in Care of Magical Creatures as he explained how his powers had originated from the bite of a radioactive spider; the little Badgers were very sweet, very sympathetic.

In fact, there hadn’t been a single negative reaction to Michelle’s lecturer, apart from a few envious looks that she’d observed, studying each audience as Peter addressed them. His reputation as an enthusiastic and engaging speaker meant more invitations to lecture than they were able to commit to that day. It would have to continue tomorrow. Apparently, a discussion on Muggle-superhero relations would fit well into the fourth-year Muggle Studies curriculum, so that class was going to be their first engagement the following day.

Michelle was quizzed throughout dinner, Ravenclaws skidding up to her along the benches at their House’s table in the Great Hall like Muggle baseball players sliding to home plate. Most nights, she knew herself to be a worthy conversational companion―the kind of thinker who could only stew in her own thoughts and theories for so long before needing someone to bandy ideas about with. Tonight, she hardly noticed the curious crowd around her. What she did notice was Peter (sans costume) sitting next to Professor Longbottom. Her Housemates might’ve perceived her distraction (as well as its focus) if they weren’t largely the sort to pay more attention to what was going on in their heads than in front of their eyes.

Peter and Professor Longbottom broke into giddy laughter and Michelle heard herself sigh (audibly!), which roused her from her mealtime fixation. With a long drink of water, she swiveled in her seat to face a little blond Scamander.

“Sorry,” she offered, spying the swing of the child’s bare feet beneath the table, “what did you ask?”

After dinner, Michelle felt as flighty as the symbol of her House, practically bobbing her head like a bird as she contended with the departing hoard of students in an effort to spot her Peter. Her lecturer. Peter. Suffering Helena, if the Herbology professor had gotten started on an impromptu plant discourse, Michelle might not see Peter again for the rest of his stay! (She adored Professor Longbottom, truly, but she felt the strain of separation from her guest as the minutes passed. It must simply have been a kind of withdrawal from newly introduced stimuli; she wasn’t going to concentrate on the reasoning at the moment.)

“Oh man,” said a voice from behind her. “I’ve done the big group dinner thing before, but this was insane. Have you ever had shawarma?”

Michelle spun around and nearly sagged in relief.

“No,” she told him with a smile and listened as he described it to her.

Peter barely looked up from the hands he was gesturing with, but he negotiated their way out of the Hall more smoothly than she’d ever been able to through so many people, even on her brightest, most bushytailed mornings.

“Whoa, wait a sec,” Peter requested as the staircase they’d mounted lurched into motion. “I’m lost.”

“I thought you were from New York, one of the busiest cities in the world,” Michelle teased, refraining from citing statistics about population, area, and traffic congestion. “Can’t tell your way around one building?”

“Hey, where I’m from, the streets don’t change! East 54th doesn’t suddenly come out on Orchard Street.” He glanced at her with playfully narrowed eyes. “And I doubt you had this place all figured out your first day here.”

She only smiled, unwilling to verbally own up to her eleven-year-old self’s directional failings. Peter leaned back against the bannister and shook his head at her.

“I know that look’s supposed to come off clever and mysterious, but if you think I’m gonna buy it… you’re right.”

He laughed at himself and Michelle joined in as their staircase jerked to a stop.

“Someone told you where you’ll be sleeping for the duration of your visit?” she checked, not moving yet.

Steps echoed faintly, several floors above, as other students made their way to common rooms or began Prefect patrol.

“Yeah, they said I’d be in the Ravenclaw dorms with you. N-not with you,” Peter fumbled, cheeks turning slightly pink. “Near you. Since you’re my… guide?”

“Yes.”

“Friend?”

She smiled. They had effectively spent the entire day together. It was an impressive thing that she could say she’d spent a day with Spider-Man, though what secretly thrilled her was that she’d spent a day with Peter Parker.

“Sure. And that’s right. A room’s been made up for you.”

“When you say ‘made up,’ you mean…”

“Created. Formed by magic. An extension of the existing dormitory.”

“Ohmygodthat’ssocool,” he breathed all at once.

Michelle stared too long at the wonder on his face, then startled herself out of it, passing him on the steps to reach the landing first.

“Let’s go,” she suggested, not looking at Peter. “I’ll show you how to get to Ravenclaw Tower from here.”

“That’s… that’s really nice of you,” he said, bounding up the steps and touching her arm before she could keep walking. “But if we go there right now, there’s probably going to be a bunch of people waiting up to ask me questions, right?”

“That’s a given. You fascinate… us.” That last word had been difficult to force out, wanting to manifest as something a bit more personal.

Peter huffed a laugh to himself, glancing at his shoes.

“I’m still kind of waiting for everybody to realize I’m not really that interesting.”

“What are you talking about?” Michelle tipped her head in confusion. “You’re incredible! What you can do―”

“―Isn’t anything that anybody here couldn’t do if they tried,” he said with a sad smile that encouraged her to agree (she wouldn’t). “Somebody made me a room out of thin air!”

“No. You’re here because―”

“I get it. I know people know about the Avengers, Spider-Man… I’m not ungrateful! The opposite! Being here is one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to me, I’m just not sure, now that they picked me, that I live up to the, uh, hype.”

Michelle marched ahead, frustrated and mixed-up and searching her mind for solutions. She rounded on Peter abruptly, not ten paces later.

“I picked you,” she said, meeting his wide eyes.

“What?”

“I picked you. I saw you on television. I watched everything I could find. I developed and implemented the guest lecturer program so that I could get you here, so that I could…” Her mouth had completely run away with her, which never happened unless what she had to say was broken up by frequent question marks while her arm grew weary from being held aloft in class. “So that we could hear you speak and have the opportunity to learn. Now, you don’t know me well, but you should bloody well know I wouldn’t waste my time when it comes to acquiring knowledge.”

She was breathing hard, a fool.

“I care a lot about school too,” he said quietly. Her eyes darted to his. “Except what you’ve done makes me look so lazy. I would never have thought of anything like this.”

“Yes, well, I’ve been watching you all day and I think you’d probably have been sorted Gryffindor.”

“Will that be held against me?” Peter smiled.

“I’m certainly trying my best not to.”

They laughed. Michelle felt deeply thankful that he’d chosen to attribute the passion of her speech to her enthusiasm for knowledge. It had been atypically brash of her to lay things (feelings) on the line like that.

“I can show you something, if you’d like. Use up a little time in the hopes of fewer of my Housemates in the common room when we get there.”

“That sounds great,” he said with an easy smile, already following Michelle as she chose a route that didn’t lead to the dormitory. “Are we allowed to be wandering around though?”

“Wandering,” she scoffed, tossing Peter a wry look over her shoulder. “Please. I don’t wander, and I don’t get caught.”

Michelle led him higher and higher, sometimes glancing back because his footsteps were so silent that she thought she may have left him behind. He was always there, giving her a questioning look, not expecting her to doubt that he was right on her heels, moving like they were one person, one unit, in the darkness.

The Astronomy Tower―her goal―was mythic, even in a place as storied as Hogwarts. It had borne witness to the Dark Mark and the death of Albus Dumbledore, but as Astronomy class continued to be held there (it was still the highest tower and therefore offered the best vantage for telescopes), the spot’s solemnity had mellowed with time. Most rumours swapped about the Tower these days involved strange and fantastic things past students had glimpsed in the night sky. Michelle’s favourite modern legend was about Harry Potter himself, and how he’d smuggled an illegal dragon to freedom.

Not one of those tales had been her inspiration for bringing Peter here.

He was smiling, slipping out of Michelle’s shadow to stride to the railing at her side and peer into the night beyond. She was watching him more than it as she wove her hair into a quick braid; it was windy here, a little exposed.

“Whoa,” Peter breathed as he scanned the view.

Michelle grinned in satisfaction. It gave her great pleasure to teach someone something new, but the opportunity to show someone something new was exceedingly rare. Every nook she found, every passage, every thrilling belvedere had been discovered first by a Gryffindor. That was inevitable, with their questing natures. She didn’t enjoy those places any less, but she’d never felt ownership (even temporary) of them as a result. Standing here with Peter, in contrast, was an act of ushering him into her world and offering to share it, all at once.

“I know you saw some of the grounds when you came up to the castle, and when we dropped in on the Care of Magical Creatures class, but…”

“Not like this.”

“Not like this,” Michelle agreed.

She gave him another minute to just look, remembering what he’d told her classmates today about his enhanced senses and wondering how far Peter could see as the sky darkened from the hazy blue-grey of evening.

“I thought it might… remind you of New York. In a way,” she offered awkwardly.

Peter leaned far over the edge, making her extremely anxious.

“I see what you mean. We’re really high up.”

“Terrific. Why don’t you step back a little?” Michelle replied, tense. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but she wasn’t about to put herself in danger unnecessarily either.

He turned with a chuckle that threw his shoulders forward; again, Peter’s whole body participated in enacting an emotion. It caught her off guard, how his delight riled giddiness in her.

“Even if I fell, I’d catch myself,” he assured her, though he did move in her direction towards the middle of the Tower. “You know that, you’ve seen me on TV!”

“I saw Spider-Man on TV,” she corrected with a grin.

“And this is why I can leave knowing I didn’t blow my cover!” Peter joked. “Everybody’s already forgotten me and him are the same guy!”

Michelle rolled her eyes and tentatively crossed to the railing, propping her elbows there. He joined her. He was close enough that her heart sent up an alarm, doing a secret knock on her ribcage.

“I’m not so sure,” she said. “You did come to dinner as yourself in front of the entire population of Hogwarts.”

“Maybe,” Peter shrugged, “but you were the only one watching.”

They glanced sideways at each other at the same moment and Michelle felt her cheeks go red. She spent half a second trying to internally convince herself it was the wind’s nip. No good.

“Uh, have you ever been? To New York?”

Peter blurted it all out, ruffling his hair with a nervous hand. Why was he nervous? Was it her making him nervous? He’d already made it clear that it couldn’t be their distance from the ground.

“I haven’t,” she looked at him quickly, throwing out a fleeting closed-lipped smile.

“You should go sometime. If you’re not busy doing something amazing here.”

“It would definitely be a change of scenery.” Michelle swept her hand at the landscape before them, the sky riddled with stars.

“For sure. I mean, you gotta see the Empire State Building. Central Park, Radio City―”

“The Avengers?”

He laughed.

“Come on,” she insisted. “I’m sure superheroes are a tourist attraction. Your city should be offering each of you a royalty.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t laugh,” Peter said, suddenly and unusually (for what she’d seen of him) serious. His body twisted towards her, though he kept staring at the far off treeline. “You could definitely come over and meet the Avengers. I think you and Dr. Strange would have a lot to discuss. And Mr. Stark? Boy, he loves getting to talk about his work―sometimes it’s more like bragging―so I bet you could ask as many questions as you wanted.”

“I was actually thinking about you.”

Now he looked at her, surprised.

“Going to see you,” Michelle went on, amazed at herself. “Just you.”

“But you haven’t even met…” Peter was obviously baffled. “When you see what they can―”

“You really think I didn’t see the others on television?” she asked, sarcasm softened from its regular strength. “I’m sorry to inform you, but there isn’t an all-Spider-Man channel. At least, not that I know of.”

“You saw Thor? And Falcon, with the wings? Wan― I mean, the Scarlet Witch? Iron Man?”

“I don’t know what else to tell you, Peter.” It felt good, saying his name. “You’re my favourite Avenger.”

“Then you’re my favourite Ravenclaw,” he responded firmly, gripping the rail. She couldn’t laugh―he was too earnest. “My favourite witch,” Peter professed. “Including Wanda. Shit, forget I said her name.”

Michelle had to laugh that time, but he frowned in return.

“You don’t know enough witches to say that,” she said, straightening up. “I haven’t even told you about Hermione Granger.”

“Well, you don’t know enough Avengers,” he cut in, bungling her chance to educate him.

“I don’t need to,” Michelle shot back, taking a step towards him whilst properly shocked to hear herself arguing against acquiring knowledge.

“Neither do I!”

Peter kissed her before she could point out the weakness of his regressing argument. The wind whipped up and snatched at her braid, but Peter grasped it and trapped it between his palm and her neck, his thumb resting lightly on her throat.

She hadn’t felt like this since her wand had chosen her at Ollivander’s. There was a satisfaction to scoring high on exams or refining a transfiguration, but those were a certain type of accomplishment. In fact, almost all of her accomplishments were that same type. Michelle reflected, as she kissed him back, that she might’ve been due for a broadening of horizons.

There was nothing precise about kissing Peter and letting him fold her body into his arms (she half-wished he could fold and fold and fold her, then stow her in his pocket so she could travel to New York against the thump of his heart), but it had as fair a claim to the title of ‘perfection’ as any other action she had performed.

He helped considerably, of course. Just another thing Peter did with a care and adeptness that truly made Michelle marvel. It felt as though he were holding her exactly right―one hand between her shoulder blades, the other still pinning her braid. And his lips were equally thorough. The heat of her face, when she stepped away with a smile, held off the increasing coolness of the air.

Peter exhaled with humorous over-exaggeration.

“Be nice if all my fights ended like that,” he said, starry-eyed even without the reflection on the sky shining in his brown irises when he looked at her.

“Do they not? I assumed that was how you managed to apprehend so many criminals, drawing them out with that Siren call.”

They laughed, but it faded as they both realized Peter was playing with the end of her braid. Cautiously, Michelle shifted closer until they could rest the sides of their heads together, looking out. His arm was secure around her back.

“We weren’t really fighting,” she felt the need to clarify after a long, still moment.

“Debating?”

“Not quite. You’d have known if we were debating. I never would’ve let you cut me off.”

Peter chuckled.

“That’s one more thing I need to see while I’m here then.”

“Well, we can try to find room for it tomorrow,” Michelle offered, “in between your showing off.”

“I haven’t been showing off!”

She turned her head and gave him a dubious stare when Peter drew back.

“Ok, maybe a little,” he conceded, “but that’s why you asked me to come!”

Michelle saw fit to practice her technique of not responding when he was correct.

“If I’m going to be accused of showing off, then I’m going to have to actually do it so you can see the difference. For your records.”

This boy was full of shit. She grinned at him.

“And what is it you’ll be doing, Spider-Man?”

Peter glanced down the side of the Tower again, then slowly looked over at her. His face was all mischief.

“You’re not climbing the Astronomy Tower.”

“I’ll wait ‘til tomorrow if it makes you feel better. Do it in daylight.”

“There are plenty of towers at Hogwarts, why not begin with a shorter one?”

“MJ, I can handle it. We’ll start at the bottom,” Peter pointed, hand sliding to her waist, “and go up. Easier to set you down if you freak out.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Michelle hedged. “This is not a ‘we’ activity.”

“Sure it is. Don’t worry, I’ll get a good grip on you.”

She laughed anxiously.

“Absolutely not. You will be the main attraction and I will stand safely in the background, as we’ve done since you arrived.”

“Aw, you’re more of a risk-taker than that, I know you are!”

“You won’t goad me into this,” Michelle warned him, though it wasn’t lost on her that she’d been thinking of him as the risk she’d taken all along, “I’m a Ravenclaw.”

“And I’m an Avenger,” Peter declared. “In the words of a guy I know back home, I can do this all day.”

“It’s night.”

“That’s a cheap out, MJ.”

She found him charming and rolled her eyes, leaning into his side as he welcomed her with a friendly expression.

“Just an observation.”

“Are we debating yet?” Peter wondered.

“Don’t change the subject.”

They stood there until they began to yawn, at which point they sat instead (Michelle pulled her wand from her pocket and cast a warming charm). She guided Peter’s gaze through the visible constellations while he enacted his flawless hand-holding magic. The night was so good that she never thought to speculate on whether Hermione Granger had ever had a night like this. Michelle didn’t guess and she didn’t compare. She’d brought Spider-Man to Hogwarts, and she’d snogged him.

She was her own idol.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT Rewatch 4x12 - Darkness on the Edge of Town

I hope my knowlEDGE on this episode will make for an engaging review! XD

...Yeah, this was a hard one to make a pun for. I miss the ice puns already.

Anyway, as I said, just below the cut, there’s an honestly fairly short review by my regular standards. If you feel like checking it out, go below the cut!

So, if you’re at all familiar with my reviews, by now you know that I usually post my main takeaways here, but this time, I don’t really have them and what I do have to say is small enough to not need a ton of elaboration. So instead, we’re gonna skip it this time and just go right to the Stream of Consciousness! With that being said...

Stream of Consciousness

-”Tried to impregnate.” Not even one minute in and we get a hentai joke!!! XD I love this series!

-You know, the music that play in the Storybrooke owner sounds like a somewhat harsher version of what is later the happy endings montage in Season 6, as if to say a lot is right, but not everything.

-I would honestly love more Snow and Bird interactions! XD

-Wait, so is Granny’s just closed, or is she babysitting WHILE running a popular diner! This woman is a freakin’ superhero! Also, where’s David?

-I love how Belle actually thinks to reach out to people outside the fairy tale world.

-”How could I have been so weak?” MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY.  

-”You -- you should’ve been stronger, but you weren’t, and well...neither was I.” No. I love Killian, Belle, but there was a difference between Killian being sort of manipulated (sort of -- the present segment of “The Apprentice” just sucks) and being straight up lied to.

-”I just hope he’s found whatever it is he’s looking for.” Umm, considering when you last saw him, he was looking to kill people and take over the world, you probably shouldn’t hope that! XD

-I repeat what I asked in the last episode: WHY are all of these fairytale creatures living in New York! I love my home state, but it is EXPENSIVE!

-You know, I just feel really bad for Ursula. We don’t see enough of what she did as a villain to hate her in any way and in this world, apparently all she can afford to eat is RAMEN! That is so fucking sad! This woman does not deserve this!

-”What you do is complain.” And what you do is mooch, Rumple! Don’t bitch at the person who is hosting you, especially when she’s pissed! See, the one thing about being a coward (And I am a big fucking coward) is that we’re not confrontative when we don’t have the power! XD

-I love the implication that Cruella just went around our land AND landed a rich husband with the name “Cruella.” XD

-You know, CAN Cruella kill in a land without magic? Because no one else’s magic works, so maybe she’s been free all along! ...But then again, she probably would’ve killed her husband, so I guess it’s more of a reverse Weaver situation. Actually, to serve my point, at the end of the scene, Cruella drives down and like by all means, should’ve killed this guy but instead gets flung back into a bush! The universe is conspiring against her!

-”Aren’t you tired of feeling ordinary?” Please, even in this world, Cruella’s far from ordinary! Besides, for the wham line that this is, Cruella’s problem wasn’t that she was ordinary -- it’s that she couldn’t kill!

-Okay, so apparently Regina has a weakness for root beer! I hate the stuff, but good to know!

-I love how Killian smiles at Belle as she tells them that she did it! He’s so proud!

-Cruella’s power is so fucking cool! She can not only control animals, BUT she can have her commands spread from one animal to another. Like, how did this woman not at the very least take over a whole town with an army of rhinos?

-How come Mal’s staff absorbed the fire instead of just...Mal? She’s a fire breathing dragon! Give her some extra fire!

-Or...CAN Cruella kill? Because Rumple knows she can’t kill, but is still afraid?

-I know that Blue and Regina are far from friends, but it’s weird how much focus is put on their dynamic in this episode. There’s a lot of hesitation whenever they interact and given how little they interact on a regular basis, it’s odd.

-Why wouldn’t Blue not know or even not think about the possibility of the Author working for The Sorcerer, or vice versa?

-When did Isaac have the time to leave these “hidden clues?” And how come neither Merlin nor The Apprentice had anything to say about them if they were rumors?

-”This isn’t our first monster bash.” I honestly love how freakin’ well oiled this town is at times!

-I’m honestly curious what a 4B where the Queens of Darkness do decide to leave Rumple behind would look like. Because Cruella would’ve at least considered it, let’s be honest. I’m not saying I’d have preferred that, but I would totally read a fic of that universe.

-You know, I like the subtle costume details of just how destitute Rumple’s life has become. Everything from his phone to his cane are of poorer quality and his coat looks like he got it out of Goodwill. It a really good instance of costuming telling a story.

-”The sea bitch.” To my knowledge, you and Ursula have never met! Why are you calling her a bitch?

-”Swallows the heart with the darkest potential.” I’m trying to think about this in regards to Emma, the character we’re supposed to believe fulfills that role. I mean, sort of. I can see her intelligence, ability to detect lies, and connection to her family and friends to have potential to be abused to the detriment of others. It’s an interesting concept. And given how life in Storybrooke, while rewarding in a lot of senses, has made her life complicated as all hell, I can see her having a lot of baggage about it.

-David, welcome to the fucking episode! Seriously, was Josh just sick this week or something?

-”What made you choose yellow?” I love how Regina asks this as a means of not freaking the fuck out that a Chernabog is chasing her! It’s a very Regina thing to comment on and it’s hysterical because of it!

-I like how Emma points out the hypocrisy at play with her parents not trusting these two lower tier villains.

-”Not as horrible as I once was. And if I deserve a second chance, so do they. How can I sit here looking for my happiness and deny two others a chance at theirs?” This is a FANTASTIC Regina speech. It really shows how Regina’s grown to be more self aware and better equipped to help redeem other villains.

-I kind of wish Rumple had more of a scared reaction to the possibility of not being let into Storybrooke. Like, the rest of his life depends on this.

-”Make friends, build relationships.” And NONE of this ever happens! XD

Favorite Dynamic

The Queens of Darkness and Rumple - These guys are the main dynamic and they really do provide the most entertainment value. First, I want to point out how cool it is that Rumple is the one with power (both actual and figurative) in the past segment while the queens are in the present. That’s just interesting storytelling. Second, what I love about them in the present is that they get just as exasperated as we do about how frustratingly vague Rumple often is and that they use their power in the situation to get him to fucking stop to some degree. Their frustration slowly but noticeably builds up in the episode as Rumple continues not really saying anything and finally explodes and that is honestly really cathartic to watch. For as much as I love Rumple for how cryptic he can be, its a quality of his character that can easily be overdone and in a meta-sense, this was pointed out in-universe and almost prevents him from losing his own plan of revenge.

Writer

Adam and Eddy start up our half season with a solid start. Again, there’s not a lot to say here because while these two episodes have stories, they’re not so much rooted in something like theme which can be analyzed. The characters are all in solid form, and Regina’s in particularly great form. I will say though, there is a clunkiness to a lot of the lines. Sometimes, it’s a matter of people giving weird exposition or explaining things in a way that characters shouldn’t be able to understand (Ex. The entire middle of Killian and Belle’s discussion, Rumple telling Ursula and Cruella about being the Oxford professor).

Rating

10/10. I feel like there’s a singular word to describe this episode: Utilitarian. It’s all setup and a bit of tying loose ends up with a really basic ‘working together is good’ storyline in the past and sort of present. That’s not to say that it’s bad -- far from it. It just means that there’s not a lot of story to comment on. But this is a good version of setting up a story and biting off a loose end of two. There’s a lot of fun and interesting dynamics, it’s great to see all of our main heroes working together, and the queens get to show off the bulk of their charisma and intrigue.

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - I love the bits of domesticity we get with Emma and Killian here. You can see that they’re really gotten the most out of these six weeks and have integrated themselves into each others lives. Like, the sequence at the beginning of the episode implies that this is a normal morning for the people of Storybrooke and Emma and Killian are literally part of each others routines! That shit is just too fucking cute!!! I’mma also plug my fic “Hero,” which is based around this episode. It’s one of my better work in my humble opinion and deals directly with Killian’s doubts in his own heroism that he displays in the hallway scene. Speaking of which, I do like the hallway scene. While I don’t like Emma giving Killian a total free pass, I do think that with the fairies, it’s warranted and deserved given how he very clearly didn’t want to go through with it.

-----

Thank you all for reading this pretty relaxed review. Sorry for all the delays lately, but I’m hoping I can pick up the pace from here.

Also, shoutout to @watchingfairytales and @daensarah. See you all next time!

Season 4 Total (105/230)

Writer Scores: Adam and Eddy: (34/60) Jane Espenson: (20/40) David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz: (30/50) Andrew Chambliss: (14/50) Dana Horgan: (6/30) Kalinda Vazquez: (14/40) Scott Nimerfro: (14/30) Tze Chun (8/20)

Operation Rewatch Archives

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[sinfully-romione]

Shooting Star

Sin(s): Envy, Pride Rated: T+ (language only)

Summary: Ginny and Hermione are finally home from Hogwarts, having matriculated. Ron and Hermione, along with George are awaiting Ginny to arrive before starting dinner with the parents. She has some news that inadvertently lockets Ron in unpleasant ways.

Ron stared at the back door for the 12th time in the last hour, willing Ginny to arrive. Bill and Fleur were unavailable to join the family for dinner, along with Percy, who was working, and Harry off on a mission. Unfortunately, waiting on the last guest was irritating Ron to no avail, having worked entirely too long today on entirely too little sleep.

Not even Hermione’s gentle rubbing on his back soothed his hangry attitude.

“If she’s not here in five minutes, sod her. I’m eating.”

“You will not,” Molly barked from the oven.

“I’ve not had a thing to eat since dinner last night. I’m starving.”

“You’ll wait on your sister.” Molly turned back to the oven, putting a tray of biscuits in to cook.

Ginny barged into the Burrow’s kitchen holding a butcher’s paper wrapped parcel under her arm. “Sorry I’m late,” she put it down behind the door along with taking off her emblazoned Green Jacket and tossed off her Green and red cloak. After she doffed her gear she went to give her dad a peck on the cheek, her Mum a hug and her other brother a punch in his arm.

“Where the bloody hell have you been? You were supposed to be here an hour ago,” Ron grumped. “Mum wouldn’t let us start without you.” He looked over the table at all of the dinner preparations – roasted chicken, parsnips and peas, bread and sliced tomatoes.

“For your information, brother of mine,” Ron pulled a face, “I was off at Holyhead to get fitted for these,” Ginny pulled on the snug jumper, in dark green, she was wearing along with her very tall Quidditch boots. “Who knew signing a contract could be so stressful.”

“You’re telling me,” Ron finally tucked into dinner. “It’s bad enough working for George on my off-hours from the Ministry but it’s bleeding ridiculous that I have to be available on my off hours at a moment’s notice. But that was what was in my contract,” Ron lifted his fork at his sister across the table, watching her scarf her meal down too. “And since those contracts are magical and binding, there’s no choice.”

“Look, you agreed to help, ya git. You’re the one asking for shifts at the store, for some reason or another. He’s probably saving for a huge ring for you, Hermione.”

“Hush, you,” She blushed and Ron tucked into his chicken, ignoring George but turning beet red. “Anyway, I do hope it’s not as detrimental as the one Ron signed for the Ministry,” Hermione piped up. She picked at her plate like she always did; ignoring half of it that Ron would gladly finish after a strenuous day of training. “I read the entire length of mine, three times over, before signing it. That was probably how I was able to get the extra time off I wanted when Ron comes home from missions.”

“I’m glad you did,” Ron leaned over for a small kiss on the cheek. “Merlin knows how glad I am to have a bit of – “

“Ron, not at the table,” Arthur piped up. His grin and twinkle in his eyes betrayed his mirth.

“Sorry Dad,” he turned red but saw Hermione smiling into her glass of juice. He switched plates with Hermione and worked to finish off what she didn’t eat.

“So I signed the contract Monday” Ginny got up from her seat and picked up her parcel, taking off the cover, “and by Friday I had the galleons to buy this beauty,” Ginny passed the brand new racing broom – the Firebolt 3 – around to her Dad at the head of the table. Ron turned a bright red at seeing such a masterpiece of craftsmanship in their home. “I’ve not had a chance to try it out since I only picked it up from Quality Quidditch Supplies before coming here. The makers said it’s balanced for my weight but I dunno about that. They couldn’t give me off the rack since I’m not what you call a standard sized Chaser.”

“How much did it set you back?” Ron asked over the remainder of his chocolate cake sitting before him, forgotten since Ginny brought the broom out from behind the door in the kitchen. “Since that model hasn’t been released yet to the public, it had to cost a stack of galleons.”

Arthur handed the broom to Molly who glanced at it before handing it to George for admiration. He whistled long and low at the magnificent broom in his hands. “I know I didn’t loan you the galleons to afford this work of art.”

Ginny gave George a dirty hand sign. “Shove off, ya git. I actually negotiated a deal for it. Since this is the prototype of what is coming out next year for the International Leagues, I get it for a discount if I can give them feedback but also agree to some marketing for it later this year.”

She helped hand it over to Ron.

“Still set you back some serious gold there, sis,” Ron hoisted it up and whistled. “The balance on it is incredible,” He inspected the twigs and frowned. “So it only cost you, what, a thousand galleons and not 5000.”

“Something like that,” Ginny muttered and Ron turned bright red again. “One thousand, actually, off the top from my contract, and a thousand comes out from my vault over the course of the year. They’ll probably sell somewhere between five and ten thousand.”

“That’s how much they are going to charge for them once they are released? Christafuck!”

“Ron Weasley, we don’t use that language at this dinner table,” Molly huffed.

“Sorry, Mum, but that is so much money for a broom.”

“The team told me they’d sign me only on the condition that I had to get a better broom than the Nimbus I borrowed from Harry for the tryouts.”

“Better than a Nimbus? What the hell?

“Ron, language,” Hermione chided.

“It is an International standard broom, Ron. It’s supposed to be expensive. Do you think that anyone would want to watch professional Quidditch riding Shooting Stars and riding Cleansweeps?”

“Damn it, though. Why do they have to be so bloody expensive? Only poncy gits can afford it without going into the poorhouse.”

“So you’re saying I’m a ponce now, ‘cause I have an International Standard broom for Quidditch?”

“I never mentioned you, Ginny. Besides, it’s brilliant to get that enormous discount.”

“Guys, enough about the bloody broom,” George and Hermione said in unison. The siblings looked from one another to the others and scowled.

“Ginny put your broom away ‘til after dessert.”

“But I was going to take it out back and let this git of a brother take it for a ride.”

“It can wait until we’re finished.”

“Fine.” Ginny did as her Mum asked and she returned to her seat. Ron was staring at his sister, ignoring Hermione as she was running her hand up and down his thigh.

“You’re going to let me ride it?”

“Yeah, if there’s still light out after dessert. I can’t stay long, though. I have to be at Holyhead early.”

“Wicked.”

“Look, you were there pushing me to do this, about getting a great broom. I owe you one ride on it, at least.”

“I only mentioned it because I overheard you grousing to Harry about how much better everyone else was flying at the tryouts.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. They were looking for three people to test them out in the league and somehow I got one of them.”

“Harry probably pulled some strings,” Ron said under his breath.

“I didn’t ask, Ron. But if he did, I’m glad he did.”

“So tell us about what you have tomorrow, dear. We’ve not seen you in two weeks.”

Ginny started talking about the grueling practices, the intense conditioning she had to perform to even make the first cut, and many other things. Ron kept looking at his plate, frowning.

“Something’s bothering you,” Hermione whispered in his ear, squeezing his knee. It wasn’t like Ron to leave his dessert plate filled with chocolate cake.

“Yeah, it is, but it’s stupid.”

“Fancy a walk for a few? They might be finished when we get back?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Hermione got up first and then Ron. “We’ll be back in a moment,” she said quietly. George and Ginny, along with Molly, looked confused. Arthur, though, nodded in mutual understanding. When Hermione turned, she had to rush out the door to catch up with Ron, with his extra-long legs and fast stride.

“Ron,” Hermione yelled while trying to chase after him in the evening twilight. He crossed the backyard and onward towards the small treehouse, out next to where Fred was buried. “Ron, wait up.”

He finally stopped under the Oak tree out on the edge of the woods, huffing and panting.

Hermione skidded to a stop and saw him fighting back emotions. “Tell me. I might not get it but let me try and help. Please, don’t hold it in.”

“It’s not about Quidditch, Hermione.”

“Oh.” She reached for his hand and held it a moment before he pulled it back from her, running it through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s pointless and stupid,” he muttered.

“So? Tell me, please.”

Ron stared up towards the house, his eyes blazing in the dwindling afternoon sun.

“I’m sick of it,” he grumped, working his lips raw with his teeth. “Everything I wanted, I had to make do, or have less, or using a passed down wand when she got a new one,” he muttered. “Fuck, sometimes what I needed, I had to do without, so she could have, too.”

“Ron,” Hermione tried to interject and he cut across her.

“I’m working two bloody jobs to make ends meet, and help George, saving Harry’s arse, and running myself ragged. She’s able to drop serious galleons on a broom. A bloody broom. Fuck, I can’t even afford to take you out for a nice dinner, much less save up for five years to afford a broom half that good.” He turned, burning a hole in Hermione. “Fuck, I can’t even afford an international portkey to take you on a holiday. That right there would cost two hundred galleons, just to get to France. The rates are atrocious. Greedy bastards.  But my dear sister is buying an International Standard broom, fresh out of Hogwarts, and I’m scraping two Knuts together to afford beans and toast.”

“You have one, Ron, for work, too. You train on it weekly with Harry and Hemera and the others. And you are eating better than beans and toast most days. Harry mentioned it in letters, sometimes.”

“It’s a bloody Keeper’s broom, designed to move at the barest touch, but it’s slow as fuck!” He turned and sniffed. “And the only way I will be able to afford to take you out every so often is working more shifts with George. Shit, I could use that broom in my job but there’s no bloody way I could afford one, not on what I bring home.”

“Ron, what is it? Why are you so unhappy at her good fortune?”

“Merlin, I’m happy for her, I really am, but I’m so – She always gets everything she wanted and I have to bloody well work my arse off for hand-me-downs and second-hand and ‘can you make do one more what-the-fuck-ever!’”

“This isn’t about the broom, is it?” He shook his head violently, fighting what he desperately wanted to explode about.

“Ron, please,” Hermione said.

“Even now, they dote on her and I have to practically beg!” He roared before sitting down hard on the ground. “Hell, even waiting to have dinner until she got there, even if she was an hour late.” He huffed again. “Damn fucking locket,” he said under his breath.

“Locket, love? Is this about what happened with the Locket?” Hermione waited patiently for Ron to talk about it. Harry was mum and told Hermione not to push him, that he’d tell her when he was ready.

His face and neck turned red. “Didn’t have to tell me,” He said. “I was already thinking it.”

Hermione sat down across from him, waiting patiently. It was a bit of a struggle but she’d learned a little this past year to let him work through what he was thinking and speak on his own terms. She worried her hands in the grass attempting to wait patiently.

“If anything happened ‘tween us, they always fussed at me, not her. She got away with everything,” he grumped. “She got new clothes, which I get that, but everything else was new, at least for her.”

Hermione scooted closer, knocking her knee up against his. Ron leaned over and plucked some long strands of grass and started shredding them in his bare hands.

“She never got in trouble, I did. She got jumpers in the color she wanted; green, while I had to make do with maroon. I despise maroon. She got new clothes and I got Bill and Percy’s hand-me-downs. She got pretty robes and a new wand and I got nothing.”

Hermione put her hand on his knee, fighting hard to not speak up and over him.

“Look, I know it was hard. I get it. I do. And it’s not like we ever went hungry. We might not have had enough of what we needed,” He recalled the revolting tinned corned beef his mum would send with him often, “or what we wanted, but it was enough. Or so I thought.”

Hermione nudged closer, close enough to take his enormous hand in her smaller ones.

“Shit, Mum was always chasing after the twins, trying to keep them from burning the house down, or setting my hair on fire, or hundreds of other things they were conniving. Sometimes she’d join them, gang up on me, and I’d be the one in trouble if she complained at all.

“And now, she’s dating Harry, signed a professional Quidditch contract, off to see everything, make galleons hand over fist, and bugger all the rest of us who have to scrape the fuck by.” He turned his head, facing towards the granite stone on his right. “Probably won’t lift a finger to help either, not like I do,” his voice trailed off.

“Ron?”

Ron looked up and saw his girlfriend – better yet, his best friend – sitting there, holding his hands.

“How much are you giving your parents?”

His jaw dropped and he stuttered a moment. “How’d you -  “ Her look pierced him. “200 galleons a month. Bill deducts it before I even get to touch it.” He rubbed the back of his neck while his face turned bright red in the fast-growing darkness.

“Ron! That’s almost half your month’s wages.”

“Look, I know, all right! It’s my parents, ya know? Why do you think I pull so many extra shifts, with the Aurors and George? Food’s not cheap, even if we get a break paying Harry rent and paying Kreacher’s wages. And having to wear nice clothes for work isn’t cheap either, not when they get grotty so fast while training or out on a mission.”

“Why, Ron? Ginny’s the last one at home and probably not much longer. They can do better, now.”

Ron sniffed before yanking his hand across his face. He turned towards the pond on his left, intentionally not looking at Hermione. “Bill told me that Charlie and Percy couldn’t afford to help, not on their incomes, and the twins sunk every dime of profit back into the shop their first year. They couldn’t afford to help either. And then all the shit went down, and Bill spent almost everything he saved in his vault, saved up to keep everyone afloat and fed, all ‘cept the Prat. He let it slip that Mum and Dad were scraping by on beans and toast for months, especially after Dad couldn’t go to work.”

“And you – “

He turned to face her, his eyes burning like the coldest part of the North Sea. “It’s one thing if I have to scrape two Knuts together to get a slice of toast but I’ll be arsed if my parents have to again. Fuck that. They sacrificed enough.”

“So you think it’s your responsibility to, what, pay for what they did for you? You think you owe them?”

“Well, yeah. No one else ‘cept Bill is. Ginny’s gonna need – ”

“You’re so full of shit, you arse!” Ginny stepped from behind the tree. Ron stood up immediately, towering over his sister. “I can’t believe you’re like this. After all the shit we’ve been through. You think I’m not going to help? You think I take them for granted like that?”

“You have to pay for that bloody broom for work, Ginny. And it’s not like they signed you for all the galleons in Gringott’s. Merlin, you just finished at Hogwarts last bloody week.”

Ginny put her hands on her hips with the wind blowing through her long ginger locks. “Actually, you sod, you stormed out before I could mention that. When I signed the contract this week, it was for a considerable amount annually. Why do you think I was willing to even pay that much for a broom for Quidditch, huh? Because I would be able to easily pay that back in short order. And for your information, you idiot,”

Ron crossed his arms, trying to keep from fidgeting yet pulling a face.

“I already spoke with Bill last weekend. Harry was with me and can back me up.  Bill and Harry, they paid for Dad’s last pay raise, courtesy of Bill, and Harry has been helping out, too. You’re not the only one, you twat. I insisted that 10 percent of my contract immediately went into our parent’s vault. It’s not like they won’t ever know but fuck that, you think that you’re the only one helping?”

Ron snorted.

“Look, you might have missed the last two matches, and missed tryouts because of work, but face it, brother of mine, I am that damn good. I signed for a contract 25% better than the league minimum. You know what the league minimum for this year is?”

“Oh and yeah.” He turned almost aubergine.

“Gwenog mentioned I’ll probably start as third chaser since their last two signed away elsewhere and they are short in the position. I’m that good.

“But you’re so damn hung up on me getting new things that you missed the biggest thing of all, you ass. You got to have your friends over every bleeding summer. Every single summer, Harry was here and so was Hermione: every single summer; every single Christmas break; every single bloody Holiday. Did you see Percy have that, huh? What about the twins? Fuck, did you ever see me having anyone over? No, you git. You’re the one who got to have your friends staying all bleeding summer. You’re the one who got to have fun with them, even if you had to do chores and other stuff. After my first year and all the shit that went down with Tom and the school, no one would dare want to be my friend, all ‘cept Luna and then I’d have to go over and visit with her for a few hours then come home. Her father wouldn’t let her come here at all, not after what happened.”

“Oh.”

Ginny huffed. “Look, you wish you had everything I had, and I wish I’d had everything you had. Face it, we’re both a bunch of envious sods jealous of what the other had. All right? Does that make you feel better?”

Ron looked at Hermione and saw her nodding along with Ginny.

“Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t realize it.”

“So now you can either keep giving Mum and Dad all your galleons or you can cut back, take this witch out on more dates and save yourself, like a ring you were harping on last week, and let me help Mum and Dad too. Sorted?

“Yeah, sorted.” Ron rubbed the toe of his boots into the dirt under the trees.

The two of them stood toe to toe, refusing to apologize.

“You want a ride on the broom or not?”

“You mean it, after everything?”

Ginny nodded. “Look, I have to be on the pitch, at practice, at six am. I have to be at Holyhead at 5am at the latest. A minute late and I’m running the stands for an hour. So yes, I mean it. Come on, you.” Ginny held her arm out and while it was comical, seeing Ron towering over his sister, even in her flying boots and attire, Hermione could only remark now painfully similar the last two Weasley siblings actually were.

Ron rubbed his knuckles on his sister’s head, earning her ire and a hearty chuckle from him.

“Ya know, for a git, you’re probably my favorite brother.”

“Bah. You tell all of us that.”

“Not true. I don’t tell Percy the Prat that, even if I did thank him for helping on the contract.”

Hermione came up on his other side, hugging him close to his magenta robes. “Well this one is my favorite, for sure.”

[sugar-petals]

Wow! Your analyses are amazing and so well thought out - each post I read is so full of passion and care! Unfortunately, when I hit the ‘keep reading’ bar for your hogwarts sorting post, I couldn’t find the rest of it. Do you think you could share what their houses are again? I’d love to know what you think about their sorting!

Someone finally says something about the sorting I—

Jimin - Slytherin | ♦ Charming

“What will you be like in 10 years?” - “I’ll be on the world news, what else… I’ll be a man that the whole world wants.” That’s Slytherin aspiring to greatness. Like he wanted to be the #1 swordsman after watching One Piece as a kid and picked up fencing. That easily excludes cautious Hufflepuff who wants to be loved but only in their frugal sphere without bold ambitions. And Ravenclaw who’d be in analysis paralysis before they even thought of going global. Jimin lacks most aquiline traits in particular. Like he made fun of RM’s convoluted existential philosophy in AHL. Doesn’t mean he has intellectual disdain, consider how much of an ace in math/chemistry he was. But it wasn’t for curiosity. More like Jimin’s trademark goal-orientation, concealed behind this planet’s most charming smile. He hides a lot of fraternity bias, too, with a mask of Hufflepuff’s altruism. But inside, he is motivated by praise for personal gains. He goes about it in a perfectionistic way and won’t bother with Gryffindor’s cowardice issues… which points to Slytherin. Career comes first at all cost. He wants power over the audience, the applause. Not much adventure or savior complex going on. While daredevils Tae and Hobi always say after practice/filming how fun it was despite the challenge (Gryffindor heroism focus), pragmatic Jimin - just like JK and Suga - sees the shortcomings to work on (Slytherin competency focus). He wants to avoid public humiliation, see weight and voice struggles. Gryffindor would boldly say: suck it up, haters. But Jimin is different, too dark and vulnerable below the surface. He can’t handle malicious critique or being overshadowed. I was born in Busan first! Greed to dance center! Look at me only, or else I get angry. Slytherin claiming the top spot there, not afraid to threaten. He will change his manners, looks, or complete objective to achieve. No other house is that adaptable. And with his level of smooth like a snake flirting, without a doubt he has plenty of sexy cunning.

Taehyung - Gryffindor | ♦ Daring

Power or wisdom he does not crave. It’s a decision between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and I argue for the former. His goal when he was young and couldn’t afford things was to have a “fabulous” life, to provide for himself and everything his relatives lacked. HP translation: chivalry and fighting for the underdog. He said he admired the heroism of his dad, or the sacrifice of the protagonist in one of his favorite movies, “A Wolf’s Temptation”. V wanted to become a singer because of the positive feedback from his peers when he was on stage. Disclosing his core values, he states wanting to be confident and not giving up. That’s Gryffindor’s will, social adventure spirit, and valor. Consider the wild things he does on live television in general. He eats things he shouldn’t eat, endlessly teased his pet dog by blowing on it, nae nae’d for KBS and the entire world, danced in stilettos, and once left in the middle of broadcast to go to the toilet walking through the entire venue. For me as a Slytherin: unfathomable, and Yoongi thinks the same since Tae’s Cypher performance. You probably spotted a Gryffindor when the Slytherins are not having it. It’s boldness mixed with a lax attitude that rubs snakes the wrong way: ”Grades are not that important”. I don’t see a hard-working, decency-loving Hufflepuff. It’s the impulse of Gryffindor that will not micro-manage or conform. There are some other few moments that made me think Gryff. In Run BTS Ep.32 he did not play fair at all, first protected Jungkook, then bluffed to betray him for the fun of it. Too much hilarity for consistent and just Hufflepuff. “Rescuer house” Gryffindor is a lot less focused on loyalty even in jest. Last but not least: Last time I checked, the “V” sign stands for victory so we really have a lion here.

Yoongi - Slytherin | ♦ Goal-oriented

No doubts about this old soul. The day Agust D finished everyone, the minute Min Yoonji entered the room, the moment Suga broke down receiving the 2016 daesang, his house was set. Need more evidence? “You need people like me to point your fuxxin’ fingers and say ‘that’s the bad guy’”. Verbatim from the mixtape cover. No Ravenclaw nor Hufflepuff would EVER promote that. Gryffindor is eliminated, too. He rather cares about the power behind the throne, the respect, the skills and resources that he will keep secret if he has to. He’d even want being feared which practically no other house desires or has use for. Yoongi operates in the shadows, literally at night. Slytherin loves the dark, the common room would be so perfect for him. 200+ songs a year? That’s what I call ambition. He knew what his purpose was ever since, too. No surprise he loves trophies, it was all in his past vision. His sharp tongue, “I’m a genius” antics, and stance of observation signify Slytherin’s cunning braggadocio style. All mixed with shrewdness, as does his fixation on the past. If you go through the house traits, yeah. He does have them all. He gets along with actual living snakes just fine as well, just like Jimin. I mean, Suga is so Slytherin he could straight up hang out with Merlin himself to talk about what it means to be at the top. If he wasn’t busy producing - read: goal-orientedness and self-preservation -  he’d be a leader candidate. Suga has a lot of boss qualities and can guide things to success without disclosing everything. Confer his Festa hosting, he keeps the members on track. Most clear-cut Slytherin in Bangtan.  

Jin - Hufflepuff | ♦ Caring

Loyal, hardworking, practical, cheerful, family-oriented, traditional, anti-competition, friendly, slept on. Jin meets each criterium to a T. He always seems like he just came to chill with his favorite people. Hufflepuff is often compared to the homely Hobbit culture, I find it absolutely dead-on and reminiscent of Jin’s mentality. He once stated that he envied his father’s “well-regulated life” and complained about such an ordinary lifestyle being difficult as he grew up. If that doesn’t ring a bell. Hufflepuff does not fit into the KPop industry at all, but they are the ones who really keep it running. Huff takes out the competition from Gryffindor/Slytherin social structures. Look at EatJin (Helga Hufflepuff also introduced food enthusiasm to Hogwarts). “252,031 people are watching me eat. Great. It can’t get any more uncomfortable than this.” Not much risk-taking or fame-seeking involved there. Worldwide handsome you say, he’s really digging it and shows all that confidence? I say that’s Jin getting with the program of what others say about him and projecting it outward to get their support - Hufflepuff first and foremost wants love. Yet it’s in a tug-of-war, it wants to be heard but also politely restrains itself so when they get a chance to self-advocate, of course, they take it! It’s to feel secure and to adapt, not because he’s arrogant or not modest. And Namjoon put him in Gryffindor. The rule-breakers and fighters. You had one job. But I bet it was to be in the same house with him or to give him some credit. If someone does not get the lines they deserve it’s Hufflepuff, because unlike Slytherin or Gryffindor, they don’t push their talents forward because they value a cozy and less eventful life much more.

J-Hope - Gryffindor | ♦ Passionate  

Q: “How does it feel to be having this global success?” - JH: “Woo! It’s nice!” Gryffindor loves fame. Our Hobi did not hesitate to answer one bit there. He has a whole lot of nerve and boldness, fits perfectly into America’s very Gryffindor culture, did you notice? Don’t let the flinch game or horror clip reaction fool you. What he values is daring. The rest is just exercising what he is good at - expressing emotions, and you can be sure he amps it up for the entertainment. If there is one house who likes an uproar, it’s the lions. They’re just not into snakes, that’s all. Also, Gryff heroism - “I was so afraid, but I survived!” style. At the beginning, he was confident since he wanted to test himself. And then it backfired. Like on Corden he exclaimed “Wow!” and danced toward the glass when it was his turn, then got caught by surprise. Classic: Gryff’s volition overriding all planning or foresight. It lacks Slytherin’s or Ravenclaw’s consideration and cautious Hufflepuff’s comfort mentality. He always goes straight ahead to combat boredom for everybody while the other members would be too embarrassed or slow. His room apparently is the noisiest. Is it a Gryffindor trait that they are very loud? I do think so. Partly because it ties to their traits of being people-oriented, temperamental, and talkative, which definitely applies to Hobi. It’s a good point to attach similar Hufflepuff values to him. But he still has that one edge of chivalry and glee in winning that makes him a lion, while he is neither very grounded nor unafraid of toil. In fact, he’s not into the sturdy badgers’ extra hard work, Slytherin’s ruthless pursuit, or Ravenclaw’s intellectual experiments and projects. Guess why Suga (S) and Joon ® have their mixtapes out while he doesn’t. J-Hope excels more using a whim and scattered energy to charge into the situation at hand.

Namjoon - Ravenclaw | ♦ Intelligent

So he sorted himself into Gryffindor. Technically, you can’t say anything against that. You go where you want to go since it shows what traits you like the most. But in his case, come on. He has no Gryffindor qualities nor do his choices in life effectively show Gryffindor values. There is a reason why he always envies Suga’s trivia knowledge. Why he’s the only one in BTS who likes to spend time in the bookstore. Why he had his “Problematic Men” show. Why Namjoon raises the LGBT+ flag so high. Why his rap and puns show great wit and second thought. Why he goes on a galaxy-level tangent any time a deep topic comes up. Why ignorance is vitriol to him. He values Ravenclaw traits. Not that his high IQ would place him there, but rather how he expresses it. All for knowledge’s sake. He prefers to be in his intellectual sphere like a scholar which clearly distinguishes him from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. He’s formal, well-conceived, caught off guard when confronted with his fame. What’s quite interesting is that he represents the humanitarian slant of his house, Ravenclaw isn’t all books and no heart, “callous” as its main flaw is described. It’s about acceptance and conscientiousness for Namjoon. He’s an iconoclastic, wise romantic who loves to learn, and sophisticated as this house suggests. It shows whenever he writes letters for SNS. Yeah I’m all for going into the house you want to be the most - RM wants to be a Gryffindor - but if he has not one reckless bone in him and effectively does not choose courage by all means, it’s Ravenclaw which reflects him perfectly.

Jungkook - Slytherin | ♦ Self-Preserving

Typical Slytherin introvert. Shy, but determined. That sets him apart from Gryffindor in particular. If he had to choose between asking IU for her number or impressing her with his skills indirectly, he chooses the latter. Gryffindor wouldn’t even think about that and dive in head first even if the odds of rejection are high. Slytherin estimates their chances instead, looks for the best way to use their resources successfully. He’s tactical, economical, but doesn’t want to accumulate knowledge like Ravenclaws who can be equally calculating. Look at his shrugged-off responses to math questions on air. The only book he’ll ever pick up is a comic or manga. Given how much self-preservation he demonstrated so far, how much he emphasizes ambition, Slytherin is a no-brainer. Social house Hufflepuff would reach out to bond, meanwhile, Jungkook: showered alone in the early days, stays in his room, goes to Hongdae by himself, few tweets, mutes the group chat… On the other hand: Piano Tiles, wrestling, bowling, working out: JK comes out of his shell and gives it his all when he knows his efforts will be valued. He’s hypercompetitive even with small things, was not above shoving J-Hope aside mid-air to claim his title as #TheBunny in Run BTS Ep.33. If he’s forcibly pigeonholed as the baby maknae, then he’ll make it a freaking success. Delegate Slytherin an assignment that they are sure of tackling and they get active. Without a goal, what’s the use? Finally, there’s a pretty salient reason behind why he loves G-Dragon and was inspired by him to become a star in the first place. GD is the King of serpents. Slytherin family allegiance and aristocracy much? It also ties to how he treats his parents, this guy is on another level.

“♦” indicates a core quality for that specific house. 

I wrote this ages ago oh my 😂Updated the link. 

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·         Sneaker Rebuilds

·         Work & Tramping Boot Repairs

·         Recolor or Change Color of Shoes Professionally

Shoe Repairs, Boot Repairs:

Our shoes are frequently on the run; rambling through the tar, concrete, mud, dirt, and anything else you can think of that flood the ground that we walk on. Customers are penetrating for a mode to keep their desired shoes around for a while longer. With this shoe repair guide, your shoes can switch with you over thick and thin!

Stilettos, Heels:

Our Damaged heels look ruthless; may put a strain on your ankles, legs, and back; and, if they’ve depreciated far enough, result in nail tips evolving to irritate your feet. Most replacement heels are made of rubber, but leather heels also are available, as are combination leather and rubber heels. The foremost reason to get leather or combination heels is for the sake of appearance; some high-quality new shoes have these types of heels. But rubber is softer and quieter to walk on.

 Long or Ankle Boots, Dress Shoes:

Dress boots are short leather boots naturally worn by men. Built like dress shoes, but with uppers covering the ankle, versions of the boots are used as an alternate to these in bad weather or rough outdoor situations, and as a traditional option for day time formalwear.

 Half Soles, Full Resoles, Protective Half Soles:

During the life of a dress shoe you'll replace the heel tops, the soles and maybe have them re-crafted as needed. Assuming that the shoe is in overall good shape and that the soles are replaced before being worn through to the cork, would you consider going with the half-resole to be detrimental to the quality and usefulness of the shoe with consideration to the amount of money saved?

Also, assume that after the shoe is in need of a resole again that it would be replaced with a full sewn sole or recrafted. Resoling in this method should not affect the future eligibility for recrafting as the welt and cork fillings are not disturbed.

 Insoles of Leather or Foam:

There are many different reasons to buy shoe insoles. You might be experiencing foot pain and seeking relief; you might be looking for an insole for sports activities, such as running, tennis, or basketball; you may be looking to replace a worn-out pair of insoles that came with your shoes when you bought them. Because there are so many different products available and so many reasons to be shopping, we realize that choosing the right insole for your needs can be a daunting task, especially for first-time shoppers. We want you to know that we're here to help you find what's best for you. This guide has been designed to help point you towards the right products for your needs.

 Reline Heels:

You could skip the sewing if you think the glue will hold it, or if you just need a temporary fix until you can buy a new pair. The result doesn't look too shabby, and when you're wearing them, no one will even be able to see it. You can cut out the extra steps by using a self-adhesive material called Moleskin. It's made to put on your feet, but you can also line your shoes with it instead for a more permanent fix.

 Stretching:

Creasing the skin of your new shoes, either this is a normal byproduct of the stretching process something that would happen nonetheless of when you start to break in your new shoes. If the lining is synthetic, the shoe stretcher can stick and leave a mark. Leather-lined shoes will give a more supple finish.

 Bag Repairs, Handle Replacements:

If a telescoping handle sticks a bit, add a bit of lubricant and open and close it a few times. If it’s bent in a visible way that makes it difficult (but still possible) to telescope up and down, you could gently hammer it back into alignment with a hard object. This may or may not go well, but it’s worth a try.

If it’s totally broken, and you’re handy and determined, you can replace the handle entirely. This will include taking the suitcase apart (there are usually small screws on the outside or underneath the inner lining of the bag), removing the old handle, and then buying and installing the new handle. If you’re neither, but love the bag, it’s probably time to enlist the help of a suitcase repair professional.

  Zip Replacements, Elastic & Velcro Replacement:

Elastic replacement is a common repair with ladies sling-back pumps. The elastic tends to wear out over time from the constant pressure on the back strap. Lace-Up conversions are a common type of orthopedic type of modification because it improves the vamp /instep fit. The adjustability makes shoes much easier to get on and off.

 Shoe Care Accessories:

Shoe Care & Accessories, Shoe Laces, Insoles, Colours & Dyes, Shoe Treatments & Polishes, Shoe Horns, Overshoes, Shoe Trees, Shoe Brushes. Shoe creams are oil-based polishes that impart a matte shine to the shoe while also restoring moisture and adding a bit of color to the leather great for shoes that are looking a bit dry and rough on the surface. This is the most common type of polish, the easiest to work with, and our recommendation for beginners.

 Key Cuts & Garage/Car Remotes:

 We provide expert key cutting services. We specialise in all house keys, post box, mortice, car In fact we have to add that we do all new transponder keys and especially “Cut to Code” option. So in case of lost keys if code is available or for worn out keys, we can provide the original factory cut option. We have the common types in colours too for easy identification. We have accessories of ABUS padlocks, number locks, TSA approved baggage locks, key tags, rings and much more. Worn out keys cause excessive wear & tare inside the lock which is more expensive and locksmith charges to spend later. A tiny expense and precaution is better than the expensive cure. We sell original car & garage door remotes:

Mazda, Mitsubishi, Merlin, Garador, Chamerlain, Guardian, etc are some of the 100 varieties we can order for you. We also make handy man call out services We cover standard internal, external main door locks and latches. Great savings as our call out and charge is almost half of what locksmiths charge so getting a quote now.

Batteries:

Batteries for Watches, Remotes & Car Keys. Quick Fix sell a wide battery range for all electronic gadgets. We have Batteries for Watches, Car Remote, Car Key, Garage opener, Gate remote & Hearing Aids. ” We undertake watch repairs done by our specialist technician with guarantee provided .“

Brands Available:

·         Varta, Sony, Panasonic, Maxell, Camelion, GP, Seiko, Sanyo, Energiser & many more…

·         We sell accessories such as straps for most watches.

·       �� All batteries come with their warranty and guarantee.

·         When replaced by us, we check if your remote or watch is working.

·         And if the watch or remote is faulty, we take the battery back at no cost to you.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #118 - Kingsman: The Secret Service

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes!

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #343.

Format: Blu-ray

1) I love this movie. It’s so much fun, it has a great blend of style and character, and it’s just a treat all around! Honestly it’s probably the best Roger Moore James Bond movie without Roger Moore in it.

2) Hey, it’s Mark Hamill!

3) The bad guys are so polite in this movie.

Thug; “I’m under very strict instructions not to hurt you.”

4) Hey, it’s Jack Davenport!

Too bad he, like Mark Hamill, dies very early on in the movie.

5) The score in this film composed by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson is one of the things that infuses this film with the energy it has. It has JUST enough of that classic 007 feel to know that’s what they’re going for, but not too much to distract the audience. The rest is a fun, action packed score which adds an extra dose of adrenaline to the film. I love it!

6) Sofia Boutella as Gazelle!

Boutella’s scar is quickly on the rise, having memorable rules in this, as Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond, and as the titular monster in Universal’s upcoming The Mummy reboot. And this films tells you why. It is a smaller role, especially when compared to Eggsy or the main villain Valentine, but every scene Boutella is in defines the character. She’s fierce but also incredibly loyal to Valentine, but that doesn’t mean she’s not human. You see bits of kindness, curiosity, wonder, and humor. Boutella merges all these qualities wonderfully in the villainous Gazelle and her scenes with Sam Jackson are a delight!

7) Samuel L. Jackson as Richmond Valentine.

Sam Jackson is great in this role. I honestly don’t think I’ve seen the legend give a bad performance. Has he been in bad movies? Sure. But he always commits 100% and gives it his all, and here’s no different.

Valentine is an interesting character in that he’s the best example of a villain believing he’s the good guy. He doesn’t want to kill people, he doesn’t want to hurt people, he wants to save the world, so he’ll get others to kill and hurt people for him. Samuel L. Jackson is a lot of fun in the role, adding a nice lisp which (according to IMDb):

Samuel L. Jackson's character of Richmond Valentine was originally intended not to have a lisp. However, Jackson completed his first take with a lisp. Matthew Vaughn yelled "cut!", and talked to Jackson, who revealed to Vaughn that, prior to having an acting career, he actually had a lisp, which he eventually overcame. It was also jokingly remarked that this lisp is Valentine's reason for being villainous.

It’s a great part of the film.

8) Harry Hart/Gallahad’s need for the Kingsman to progress past snobs already establishes him as an interesting character among the spy organization. It shows he truly understands what it is to be noble. That it’s not about the circumstances of one’s birth but how you treat your fellow man. But more on that later.

9) Taron Egerton as Eggsy.

Although the film was largely marketed on the star power of Firth, Jackson, and even Michael Caine, it is Eggsy who’s the real hero of the film and he is awesome! Eggsy is an intriguing character with a lot of nice layers/surprises which pop up in the film in fun ways. To start we learn that - even as a “punk” - he lives by a strict moral code of not ratting on his friends and taking care of his own, but he’s not below petty pranks of revenge (as in stealing a jackass’ car and then driving it backwards). He can keep a secret and largely fends for himself, only calling upon the favor Harry Hart offered him 17 years later when he REALLY needs it.

Egerton is fantastic in the role! He embraces every layer of Eggsy. The kindness, the loyalty, the rough edges, the temper, the brashness, all the contradictions and surprises, and he blends them together in a believably way. He’s funny, charismatic, and an absolute star on screen.

10) I never understand why Eggsy’s mom decided to marry such a shit after his dad died. Maybe because he can support them? I don’t know, but Eggsy’s stepdad is a prick.

11) I love this

Harry: Your father was a brave man. A good man. And having read your files, I'd think he'd be bitterly disappointed in the choices you've made.

Eggsy: You can't talk to me like that.

Harry: Huge I.Q., great performance in primary school. And it all went tits up. Drugs, petty crime, never had a job.

Eggsy: Do you think there's a lot of jobs going around here, yeah?

Harry: Doesn't explain why you gave up your hobbies. First prize, regional under tens' gymnastics, two years in a row. Your coach had you pegged as Olympic team material.

Eggsy: Yeah, well, when you grow up around someone like my stepdad, you pick up new hobbies pretty quick.

Hart: Now of course. Always someone else's fault. Who's to blame you for quitting the Marines? You were halfway through training, doing brilliantly, but you gave up.

Eggsy: Because my mum went mental, banging on about losing me as well as my dad. Then we wouldn't be cannon fodder for snobs like you, judging people like me from your ivory towers with no thought about why we do what we do. We ain't got much choice, you get me? And if we was born with the same silver spoon up our arses, we'd do just as well as you, if not better.

I think this is great for a few reasons. It tells us a lot about Eggsy (gymnast, marine corp, huge IQ) but it SHOWS us a lot too. It shows up that he respects himself and that he’ll stand by the decisions he’s made in the past. It shows us that Eggsy takes shit from no one, no matter how in the right society may say they are.

12) I love the fight scene in the bar, otherwise known as “Manners Maketh Man”.

It is our first real showcase of the film’s stellar action sequences, which hold up for the rest of our two hour ride. I think the action is most marked by a fun, fast pace, but also incredible fight choreography. It’s an excellent case of action/reaction or action/consequences. Everything leads into everything else and it all flows so beautifully.

13) Remember how I said Eggsy had some nice layers?

Harry [trying to describe training Eggsy to be a spy]: Did you see the film Trading Places?

Eggsy: No.

Harry: How about Nikita? Pretty Woman? Now, my point is that the lack of a silver spoon has set you on a certain path that you needn't stay on. If you're prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform.

Eggsy: Oh, like in My Fair Lady.

Hart: You're full of surprises.

Eggsy is not some moron tough guy who’s masculinity is too fragile to watch and appreciate My Fair Lady. Harry obviously has this image in his mind of what Eggsy is (a guy who likes raunchy comedies and action movies).

14) Is it me or is the idea of a spy organization run totally on its own above any sort of law or government shady as fuck? And they use fear tactics to train their recruits and want them to willingly shoot a poor dog in a cold blood (more on that bullshit later).

15) I love Roxy.

She doesn’t get nearly enough screen time but is given some nice development in the time she does.

Is able to be civil in a competitive field without it getting in the way of her goals.

Has an incredible fear of heights and/or falling, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what needs to be done towards the end of the film (which is a great arc in and of itself).

Is willing what needs to be done to accomplish her goals (like shooting a dog to be in Kingsman).

We see her and Eggsy develop a nice friendship. Not a romance, not a will they won’t they, a mutual respect among peers and also platonic support. If the sequel can improve on the original in one way (and listen carefully Matthew Vaughn) it would be to include more Roxy!

16) Can we be honest? If there was a US president who would participate in the planning of mass genocide from this current decade, it wouldn’t be Obama.

17) The water tank!

Not only an example of the film’s great action, but also imaginative set pieces and classic spy thrills. Also - and I say this as a hetero guy - but Eggsy’s abs have even me going DAMN.

18) Me too Sam Jackson. Me too.

Valentine [after he has to blow up Professor Arnold’s head or risk exposure]: “He made me kill Professor Arnold. I goddamn loved Professor Arnold.”

19) This line really sticks with me.

Valentine [after Gazelle says she reached out to various secret services]: “Beijing. So freaky how there's no recognizable name for the Chinese Secret Service. Now that's what you call a secret, right?”

20) I’m a dog person, okay? I love this.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

21) Remember how I said that Kingsman is a shady spy organization? Well it should really follow the Captain America rule of ethics and not include any bullies in its services. The only two candidates who aren’t pricks are Eggsy and Roxy!

22) The skydiving scene - akin to the water tank scene - is a great example of the film’s wonderful set pieces and fun writing. It also gives us Roxy’s fear of heights and/or falling and Eggsy supporting his friend (and later fellow teammates) even though if he left her there it would mean he’d advance through the program. It’s so great! Even Merlin (Mark Strong) is getting tense watching!

23) I get hungry for McDonald’s every time I see this film.

24) The scene where Harry visits Valentine at his home for a gala which turns into a dinner date (basically) is a very Bond scene. They each have a sense for who the other is but play nice, act civil, make vague threats. I call it “Into The Lion’s Den.” Very 007.

25) This. Fucking. Quote.

Harry (quoting Ernest Hemingway): “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

I live by this fucking quote.

26) This film has some pretty great humor.

Harry (showing Eggsy how a knife hidden in a boot works): “Now do your very best impersonation of a German aristocrat's formal greeting.”

Harry: “No, Eggsy.”

[Harry clicks his heels and a blade pops out of his right shoe]

27) THIS STUPID BULLSHIT WITH THE DOG!!!!

Arthur [the head of Kingsman, handing Eggsy a gun]: “Shoot the dog.”

So the final test to be a Kingsman agent is to shoot a dog who’ve you spent the last few months training and growing attached to and if you shoot the dog you get in.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

And later it turns out the gun was only filled with blanks and Harry says Kingsman only condone the taking of a life when it’s necessary.

(GIF originally posted by @karenmpage)

We only condone the taking of a life when it’s considerate and thought out, but we want to make sure all our agents are mindless coldblooded killers who follow orders without questions because that always works so damn well. You know, because we’re the good guys.

(GIF originally posted by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer)

 28) The fucking church scene. 

So Harry goes to a hate-group church in America which Valentine has shown an interest in to inspect it, and we hear a little bit of their extremely hateful rhetoric before Harry gets up to leave...

Harry: Would you excuse me?

Female Patron: Where are you going?

Female Patron: Hey! What's your problem?

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

And then Harry gets up to leave and Valentine (who’s in a nearby building) starts a mysterious machine he tests out on the church. What follows is one of the greatest action sequences to grace the screens of cinema:

Content Warning: The below video features hyper-violent, bloody, stylized violence. Watch at your own discretion.

Everything about this scene is perfect. The choice of music feeds directly into the high speed sense of pacing, and the choice to speed up the film just a bit not only supports that same aspect of pacing but also gives the scene the quality of a runaway train. Because that’s what Harry is right now: he’s out of control! He has no ability to make decisions he just lets loose with every hateful whim that pops in his head. But probably the thing that makes this scene work as well as it does is the decision to make it a continuous shot. You cut back to Eggsy, Merlin, and Valentine/Gazelle as they witness this event, but the fight inside of the church itself is a continuous shot (or edited to appear as such). This goes back to my earlier point of how the action of the film plays very much into cause/effect or actions/consequences. You witness every little thing that happens. Harry runs out of bullets? He starts to beat someone with his gun. Someone just tried to stab him? He takes the knife for himself. It is continuous. It flows. And it is just an adrenaline filled scene to watch.

Note: I saw this twice in theaters, the second time with my parents. My mom loves Colin Firth and did not take too kindly to the fact that he murdered a bunch of people. She thought the scene was great, but she didn’t like that they made Colin Firth do that. My mom is very cute sometimes (like when she asked me in Rouge One when Chewbacca was going to show up, knowing full well he didn’t).

29) After the church scene, Valentine shoots Harry point blank in the head and hates how it feels. Gazelle points out that he just killed everyone in that church.

Valentine: “No, no, no, they killed each other.”

That is so fucking important for Valentine’s character. He doesn’t tack responsibility for any of his actions. He doesn’t see himself as the villain. He sees himself as a savior who hasn’t even killed anyone!

30) Note: The scene I’m about to discuss is best experienced without knowing that it’s going to happen. If you want to be surprised by it, skip on to note #31.

So skipping ahead a bit to when Eggsy has infiltrated the enemy base (since all the notes I made during the preceding scenes I’d made already), the way everyone’s head blows up in a scene I call “Pomp & Circumstance” is hysterical.

In contrast to the hyper violent and sometimes too realistic fight in the church, the filmmakers opt to make a more cartoony and artistic violent scene. And if you don’t know it’s coming you laugh so hard when it happens (hence the note above).

31) The song choice of “Give It Up” as Valentine operates his hate machine gives it a similar sense of pacing as “Freebird” did in the church scene. This film really understands that music is it’s friend.

32) This scene seems weirdly empowering towards women.

Swedish Princess (who is captive in Valentine’s base, after Eggsy says he has to save the world before he rescues her): “If you save the world, we can do it in the asshole.”

And in any other movie this would be written off as, “Oh, a guy wrote that line.” But this script was written by a man and a woman, meaning she had to okay it. So...weirdly empowering, right?

I think I should move on.

33) The fight scene between Gazelle and Eggsy may not be the sheer perfection which is the church scene, but it’s a fun watch nonetheless and it uses Gazelle’s blade legs to their advantage.

34) Remember how I said this film’s score incorporates JUST enough 007 in it? Well the little bit of horn we get just before Gazelle dies represents that perfectly. That’s a very James Bond moment.

35)

Valentine [after Eggsy has fatally wounded him]: “Is this the part where you say some really bad pun?”

Eggsy: “It's like you said to Harry: this ain't that kind of movie, bruv.”

It kinda is.

36) And we come full circle.

Kingsman is spectacular. It’s possibly my favorite spy movie of 2015 (which had Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Spy, The Man from UNCLE (sorry @theforceisstronginthegirl), Bridge of Spies, and SPECTRE), definitely one of my favorite action movies ever, and hell it’s one of my favorite films of all time. It is just a fun ride with great style, characters, and acting. A true delight through and through. Go watch it now if you can!

[nyodrite]

#Uncle Skull

Writer:

The Boggart... That's horrifying. So imagine the staff meetings they have. Especially in the beginning first year. (Dumbledore is impressed by the creatures he manages to conjure and wants to give him a medal for making the years at Hogwarts with him in it the most memorable and enjoyable he's ever had.)

Meeting 1. Dumbledore: "How is the newest Black?" Defense teacher: "Well, he's handsome, as all Blacks are. He"s also a little... louder and more outspoken than the rest of his family. But a good kid, I like him."

Meeting 2. Arithmancy teacher: "Is the Black showing genes yet?" Flitwick: "No. Still an absolute sweetheart in class, though I still can't get him to shut up. Though..." Slughorn: "What is it?" Flitwick: "Somehow he seems a little dangerous, but only in brief flashes. I'm sure I was imagining it. It's so short and who wouldn't have a survival mechanism after growing up with that family?" Dumbledore: "Wise words, Filius, as always. He seems like a perfectly good student, however. I'm very glad there's no need to owl anyone." A whispered comment in the back: "Maybe we've finally found a nonlethal Black?" (Aha, that's a funny joke.) Another whispered comment: "I have a bad feeling about this."

Meeting 3. Dumbledore: "What were the first-year flying lessons like, Madam Hooch?" Hooch: "Horrible." Dumbledore: "Oh, my dear girl, you look thoroughly traumatized. What happened? Lemon drop?" Hooch: "The Black. No." Flitwick: "What on earth happened? Did he break a bone?" Pomphery: "No, he didn't show up at the hospital wing." Hooch: "No, he wouldn't have. That's just it, Filius-he didn't break a bone. In all my days, I've never seen-dear Merlin, as soon as I've given them permission to hover, he shoots off like a rocket straight into the Forbidden Forest. Fifteen minutes later, he bursts out, flying up to the clouds, then dives back down and weaves through all three Keeper hoops on the Quidditch pitch, does three loop-De-loops, and halts a hairs' breadth from my head, like he didn't just give us all a panic attack the fifteen whole minutes he was gone. I even sent two students in for the defense professor, but he came back before they arrived and I sent him away when he did arrive." Defense professor: "Or, you tried to. She was having a breakdown so I dismissed class and helped her to my quarters to rest." Hooch: "Merlin, what did I do to deserve it? He even laughed and said, 'That was fun! I know why people like doing this so much now. So, do I pass?' I am never going to teach a class with him present again, and you cannot make me." Slughorn: "No one is going to make you. It was just a nasty surprise, that's all-I'm sure you'll be over it in no time. For now, just breath. It wouldn't do to have a panic attack right now." Whispered comment from the back: "I guess not." Another whispered comment: "I knew it. I told you so."

Meeting 4. Dumbledore: "So, the Black?" Slughorn, McGonagall,, Flitwick, and others: "The Black." Hagrid: "That hybrid was so beautiful! What spell did he use again?" All others (except Dumbledore): *turn slowly to Look at Hagrid, who continues to wax poetic, oblivious* McGonagall: "Silencio." Dumbledore: "Oh, don't be like that. It was fascinating! Surprisingly hard to dispose of! I think the Department of Mysteries confiscated the corpse, in fact." Defense teacher, eye twitching: "Says the one who stood to the side for half an hour and watched it rampage before even trying to do anything about it, while the other hardworking members of the staff who cared about the students' well-being tried to stop it." Sprout: "The first thing you did when it approached you was to offer it a lemon drop. And then you led it on a merry chase." Dumbledore: "It was very resourceful and quick on its feet. Or wings, whichever you prefer. It had a very enduring quality to it which I admired. And of course, it is my policy that, before being dealt with, all potential problems should be offered a lemon drop as a metaphor for a second chance. Also because they taste good, and anything about to be flattened by me deserves to have a happy moment before I maul it ruthlessly." *smiles brightly, eyes twinkling* All others: "..." "..." Whispered comment from the back: "So this is why Grindlewald fell to him."

Meeting 5. McGonagall: "Albus, is there any particular reason why /Black/ walked up to me and asked if lemon drops were a sign of favoritism?" Dumbledore: "I offered one to him as congratulations for discovering such a magnificent side effect of a levitation spell." Sprout: *facepalm* McGonagall: "It would be very much appreciated if you did not encourage these children. They might actually stop, then." Dumbledore: "I am afraid, my dear girl, that I cannot do that. It's my only entertainment in my old age." All: "..." Defense teacher (I think I'll call him Alfonzo, I like this guy): "We are never talking about that boy again." Whispered comment in the back: "And to think I thought the suicidal flying was the end of it." Another whispered comment: "No, he's just plain suicidal."

Meeting 15. Flitwick: "I think we need to reconsider the situation with the Black boy." Alfonzo: "Why, what on earth made you think that was a good idea? The appearance of another bat-demon-hybrid, the animate lamps that won't stop singing, or the destruction of two portraits and five suits of armor mysteriously in the fifth-floor right-hand corridor where he was seen five minutes earlier?" Sprout: "I thought the portraits were spelled unbreakable." McGonagall: "Oh, they are. But it's not enough to stop the explosion and fire of an Aholomora by Black, apparently." Dumbledore: "I think Black is very interesting to have around. We should give him a medal." Alfonzo: "For the sake of my continued mental health, I'm going to ignore anything our esteemed Headmaster says for the rest of this meeting. I didn't hear that. Did you?" Ancient Runes teacher: "No." Flitwick: "So we agree something needs to be done. Well, we can't deny him an education. Precautionary measures?" Ancient Runes teacher: "That sounds like a good idea. I'm in." McGonagall: "Head Boy and Girl, five extra members of the staff in addition to Filch and Pomphery and a ten-foot circle of space around him every time he learns a new spell." Hooch: "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME." Dumbledore: "Now, my dear girl, I know that the bat almost ate you, but you mustn't assign the caster all the blame for his creation. They're just side-effects you know, however animate and amusing they may be. I for one believe this is quite educational and character-buildi-" Slughorn: *talks over Albus* "No one is going to make you." Whispered comment from the back: "Looks like I'm going to be disillusioned every possible second I can spare now."

Meeting 20. Dumbledore: "Are you sure that we need these measures for Izar? Nothing has happened since the supervision started and I know it's very taxing on your schedules." Flitwick: "He's kind of got a point." McGonagall: "Well. Maybe it was a one-time thing. He is a very bright boy." Alfonzo: "It happened twice. Two. Times." Everybody else: *ignores Alfonzo, desperately clinging to the fantasy that it will never happen again* Sprout: "Alright then, I'm glad that's settled." Comment from the back: "I don't think this is a god idea." Another comment: "On the bright side, I don't have to walk around disillusioned anymore all the time outside of classes and meals. It was tiring. And I'm so glad my plan worked."

Meeting 21, or Emergency Meeting 1. Alfonzo: "I told you, but did you listen? No! Izar's so innocent! Izar is a prodigy on a broom, despite the fact that he gives us heart attacks he must be good through and through! Let's ignore all the cackling when he reads his mail! Let's ignore all the times he's cackled at nothing at all, just staring off into space! Let's ignore the hybrid flesh-eating rose-petunia-manhole cover-ashwinder thing that happened two weeks ago and only call an emergency meeting after another bat-hybrid happens! This time it had FLAMING WINGS! TWO HEADS! AND IT NOT ONLY SHOT FIREBALLS BUT ALSO BREATHED FIRE! And was SOMEHOW AS RESISTANT TO MAGIC AS A TROLL! I QUIT AFTER THIS YEAR! I TOLD YOU!" *stands up and storms out of conference room* "..." Dumbledore: "My, what a passionate speech. Such a shame he's chosen to leave us. But I believe that Mr. Black has our interests at heart, he's obviously just struggling with a lot of issues right now, magically and psychologically-" Flitwick: "Precautionary measures will be instated again." Hooch: "You will keep that devil child away from me or so help me I will incendio him myself." Slughorn: "I'm sure it won't come to that, Madam. Would you care to have a glass of wine?" Whispered comment from the back: "Dang it, and I just lost the last side-effect of being under constant disillusionment." Another comment: "I agree with Alfonzo. I knew it! I didn't even hear about the Ashwinder hybrid, though, that scares me a little-I'll have to keep a lookout. Do you think they would stop coming after me if I gave it sacrifices? What does it eat? Fire? Centaurs? That sounds good to me." Yet another comment: "Is anybody worried about how Dumbledore is taking all this?"

... Then we find out later that Dumbledore's Rain and Mist Flames have turned on him and are forcefully making him calm. ... And a religion pops up, centered around worshipping Izar in an effort that when he summons The Bat-Demon Hybrid it will ignore them. (James and Peter join it.) An offshoot of the religion worships the creatures themselves. (Sirius founded it through the mail ssomehow, with help from Hagrid.) Some in an attempt to pacify it and make it not kill them, others in an effort to be closer to the beasts and befriend, study, or just stare at them. (Hagrid and Dumbledore belong to the latter group.) And of course, burning part of the meal at mealtimes as a sacrifice was a requirement for members of both religions.

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