#and also that shot of Finch I assume

[mystycalypso]

TINYBUILD I'M IN SCHOOL YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME. TINYBUILD PLS I CAN'T GO NV AGAIN IN SCHOOL

And for those of you saying "oh just wait until you leave school" HOW CAN I WITH A THUMBNAIL LIKE THAT?!

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL ABOUT THIS?!

AAAAAAAAAAAAA

[merlin-wolfgang-trades-hale]

I’m very eager yet very anxious to find out what the fuck is actually going on! Can’t believe we’re at the finale already!

[buckybarnesss]

on fire: a teen wolf novel chapters 1-3

on fire was published on july 17, 2012. the day after raving had aired during the show's second season.

it was written by nancy holder who has written many, many tie-in books for multiple franchises but most notably she wrote novels for the buffyverse.

by tapping nancy holder to write the novel confirms to me that mtv was trying to do what teen wolf's spiritual predecessors did and create tie-in novels with the show and on fire was testing the waters for that.

it did not succeed because teen wolf doesn't have the kind of space for that. the timeline is too tight. teen wolf was part of the new netflix binge era. it had a seasons of 12 episodes that were wall-to-wall plot. there weren't silly filler episodes and they didn't do monster of the week plots.

on fire assumes that you have seen episodes 1-5 of the show but it is also an AU of season 1 post-the tell.

i get the vibe that the author was given notes, some information or like an outline that she used to build a plot so it's interesting to see what tid-bits holder uses and refers to that still gel with canon or is consistent with what we know.

this isn't a novelization of season 1 that's for sure but, hey, i took notes.

i'm going to break the novel up into 3 chapter chunks.

so without further ado let's get into it. on fire: a teen wolf novel or as i've been thinkin of it as.

the novel starts right at the very end of the tell after the parent teacher conferences. 

the way it's described when argent shoots the mountain lion brings to mind the scene in to kill a mockingbird when atticus shoots the rabid dog. chris argent is no atticus finch but he sure does learn to walk a mile in someone else's shoes doesn't he?

i somehow always manage to forget that the tell is the episode where allison turns 17. she doesn’t live to see her 18th birthday. shot through the heart man. 

oh my fucking god scott. the way this is written i imagine holder is trying to invoke derek and kate as if there’s some wild age gap between him and allison when they're like 9 months apart in age. allison is not kate jesus chris. look at this shit:

“scott hadn’t known allison was seventeen, a year older than the other kids in their class -- older than him -- and didn’t want anyone to know.”

Fuck Rafael McCall. Meet me outside and catch these hands.

“he knew his dad wasn’t keeping up with child support payments. not that his mom had ever mentioned it.”

this is where the transition into heart monitor would be. it is a pretty terrifying dream scott has. peter’s such a dramatic bitch. scott’s dreaming of being in the woods with everything on fire and then he’s being compelled by peter to come kill with him. which just reinforces my whole thing about peter and scott being psychically connected. we don’t see this with any other alpha-beta connection to this degree. derek senses victoria killing scott in raving but we really do not get this in the show very much as it seems to be a Dark Sided power. but we do see peter use it again in season 6a with the whole “you were my beta first” scene. 

scott mentions stiles’s having ADHD so to me that means that nancy holder was definitely working with the idea that stiles does have it. stiles having ADHD seems like a plot thread that got dropped really quickly by the show but remained in dylan’s acting choices and in fandom’s mind.

scott is the only beta we see experience sleepwalking episodes. it seems tied to the compulsion and mental link he shares with feral alpha peter.

the entire paragraph is something. firstly, it wasn't until night school, the episode after this one, that peter tried to push scott into killing his “pack”. but lol melissa called stiles scott’s “litter mate” and stiles wearing his target shirt that he wore in wolf moon and the one that subtextually could reference the nemeton and eventually scott's pack symbol. i don't believe we ever actually saw that shirt again. the tragedy.

“stiles had on his bullseye t-shirt, and it kind of freaked scott out when he wore it. as if it meant that stiles were a target. They both knew the Alpha wanted Scott to kill him to cement Scott’s acceptance that he was a member of the Alpha’s pack. Who better to take down than the guy Scott’s mom had once referred to as his “litter mate”?”

this is where it's starting to get kind of weird because the plot of this book takes place during season 1 but it’s not strictly following the plot. it feels like an alternate season 1.

jackson has gone missing. when is he not missing is the more appropriate question? 

so chapter 2 starts with scott and stiles joining lydia and allison at The Popular Kids Table to discuss jackson being missing. this wouldn’t have happened in season 1. this dynamic didn’t exist until at minimum season 3. lydia didn’t even acknowledge stiles’s existence until the winter formal at the end of the season. 

jackson’s parents apparently went to paris right after the parent-teacher conference, leaving their high school age child alone for an extended period of time in the middle of the school year? what? no wonder jackson’s fucked up. why didn’t they just go around christmas and instead they waited another three weeks or some shit. that is weird.

jackson’s been left a note from a supposed private investigator about his birth parents while his parents are out of town, which is totally not sus at all. 🙄🙄 lydia's concerned about him looking stupid so she won’t go to the sheriff and she doesn’t even approach jackson’s best friend danny. like, danny would know a lot more about jackson than scott or stiles would. lydia, i know allison is the one who involved scott but for fuck’s sake. 

look even a page later lydia says “he and jackson barely know each other.” then why are you involving scott in what you seem to believe is a personal matter? 

do people just generally know jackson was adopted? i can see lydia knowing but scott and stiles? allison just fucking moved there so she doesn’t know anything about anyone. this is quite the personal piece of information i doubt he’d want others to know lydia. 

this is such an AU because after the parent-teacher conference stiles was giving scott the cold shoulder due to his dad being hurt. 

also stiles is supposedly sitting at this table the entire time lydia, allison and scott are talking and has not given his opinion on the matter yet. very unlike him. if there's one thing stiles has it's opinions on jackson and his father's job. stiles would be all over this.

this fucking line is brutal man -- “stiles was the only person on the planet who knew he had become a werewolf. well, derek knew, too, but derek hardly counted as a person.” that said, i do think it’s accurate to scott’s headspace at this point regarding derek. avoiding seeing derek as a person is a way of detaching himself from the situation he’s found himself in. 

alright so we’ve got a POV change to allison --a nd it’s all about how cute acott is. allison I love you but chill please. 

okay so this is interesting. “her mom had been angry, too. allison could tell that if had been left up to her, she wouldn’t have been so harsh about having to stay all weekend. her mom liked scott.” are we sure we’re talking about the same victoria argent? granted this is pre-werewolf reveal so as far as victoria knows allison is just mooning over a nice normal human boy but i have a hard time imagining this being the same victoria who gave us the crazy eyes and the sharpening your dick metaphor.

this still haunts me.

"except i won’t get to spend time with scott except at school until i’m, oh, 112.” oh right in the feels

this book really assumes you’ve seen episodes 1-5 of the first season. allison’s mentioning aunt kate and the necklace in a way that makes the assumption the reader knows who and what they are. 

jackson’s password for his tracking app is “captain”. that is worse than the password being lydia or like scott famously having allison as his password. y’all suck and have shitty computer security.

these kids are sophomores in high school and lydia and allison are really having a discussion about jackson going to a pay by the hour motel as if that’s a thing 15-16 year olds do in the california subburbs on a regular basis. as if jackson would lower himself in such a way to begin with. he’s snobby as fuck. it’s such a weird conversation.

i am page 20 and i feel like so far this author hasn’t been very nice to stiles. not having him say a word in the lunch conversation about jackson despite not only being very opinionated about jackson whittermore’s general existence he’d also have thoughts on a missing person. like, he didn’t even speak when his dad was brought up as a possible avenue of help which is odd. then about a page later there’s this sort of tone used around stiles that feels condescending about him being hyperactive.

this paragraph is, uh, something that could’ve only been written in 2012 because it feels gross:

“lydia shrugged. then she turned to allison. “tell you what. if the boys are willing to the motel for us ---” “to a motel. to look for a guy,” stiles said. ”maybe you should ask danny?” danny, their lacrosse team goalie, was gay, out and proud. “he could act, you know, more casual about it.”

that said, it does track with stiles being overly occupied with the perception of his sexuality and that danny does shit he’s way too young to be doing which is written around his sexuality. remember the whole older boyfriend and going to the jungle thing is season 2? 

it has been like 23 pages and allison’s got this subplot where she wants to have sex with scott. like girlie you’ve known scott for 2 days, keep your pants on. (it keeps coming up with scott too and it's annoying, okay).

it took stiles barely a paragraph to mention derek hale when the point of view switched to him. sir. 

i’m laughing at how derek’s point of view is paired with stiles in the way that scott and allison’s are. even in the non-canon book the Sterek Agenda is there. 

“a prankster with a wicked sense of humor.” is what derek refers to peter as before the fire. is that what we are calling it derek because i would disagree.

“i dreamed of other alphas coming after me. why? it’s not a crime to kill an alpha. i’m a werewolf. the way we progress in status is through challenge.” now this is an interesting perspective. werewolves progress via challenges. that's still sort of in-line with what we see in canon.

allison and scott are driving into the seedier side of town. AKA what seems to be where the poors live. scott describes seeing boarded up buildings, pawn shops and “some kind of clinic where you could sell your blood.” which I assume is a plasma center where people donate and get paid in return and this little classist shit says “remind me to never get a blood transfusion.” god he’s such a 16 year old..

i saw kate's name on the next page where chapter 4 is

[coraniaid]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks to @isagrimorie for the tag!

1 How many works do you have on Ao3?

14

2 What's your total Ao3 word count?

452,732

3 What fandoms do you write for?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and technically Angel, I suppose, but not really), Mass Effect (but not recently)

I've also tried writing some Avatar: The Last Airbender and Farscape and Person of Interest works over the years, but nothing that I've finished yet.

4 What are your top five fics by kudos?

Coexist: Season 3 Buffy AU in which it was Giles, and not Jenny, who was murdered by Angelus in Season 2 [27 chapters; 277,084 words; various POVs but mostly alternating Buffy/Faith]

Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard: Season 4 Buffy AU in which Faith wakes up from her coma having forgotten about killing Allan Finch and everyting that happened afterwards [one shot; 16,904 words; Buffy POV]

Together: Season 3 Buffy AU in which the Homecoming Dance goes a bit differently [one shot; 2,711 words; Faith POV]

Done: post-canon Buffy fic set a few years after the end of Season 7, with Buffy having mostly stepped back from being an active Slayer [one shot; 4,312 words; Buffy POV]

Mixed Signals: post-canon Buffy fic looking at Faith's changing relationship with Buffy since first meeting her [one shot; 4,919 words; Faith POV]

5 Do you respond to comments?

Not often or promptly enough. I try though: I really do appreciate the comments I get a lot.

6 What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Think this is a toss-up between two different canon-compliant Faith POV one-shots: One Girl In All The World and Calling.

7 What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Together is the happiest and fluffiest thing I can imagine ever writing.

8 Do you get hate on fics?

I don't think so? None that I can remember anyway. (I do use the block and mute features on Ao3 though, so maybe I'm just blissfully ignorant.)

9 Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No. Just don't have the talent for it.

10 Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I don't have any published crossovers but I do have very vague ideas for a Buffy/Farscape crossover that I sometimes play around with in my mind. (Largely inspired by the joke of taking the couple of times Crichton makes references to 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' which his crewmates don't get, and pretending that they're right to assume he's talking about a person he knows rather than a TV show he used to watch.)

11 Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge (and honestly I'm not sure I'd want to know if I had?).

12 Have you ever had a fic translated?

If I have I don't know about it (and I would love to know if I did!).

13 Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I think it might be fun, but I'd probably have to change the way I write a lot.

14 What's your all time favorite ship?

Moya!

I mean, look at her!

(Oh, okay, it's Buffy/Faith, if that wasn't obvious.)

15 What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'd love to finish either of my uncompleted Mass Effect fics (the first and longest, Residuum, is actually fully planned out and has been for years: I just got stuck on writing a particular chapter and never managed to come back to it; I had a fairly detailed plan for Night Winds in Nos Astra when I posted the first chapter but then I decided I hated it and never figured out how to fix it.)

16 What are your writing strengths?

Dream sequences. Internal monologues. Foreshadowing. Planning. Quoting bits of canon back at the reader in hopefully interesting ways. Hopefully getting the characters' voices sounding reasonably accurate.

17 What are your writing weaknesses?

Deadlines. Brevity. Physical descriptions. Titles.

18 Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I haven't really thought about it much before, honestly.

19 First fandom you wrote for?

Mass Effect is the first fandom I submitted anything for anywhere online. I wrote some Avatar: The Last Airbender fic before that though (a long Azula POV AU that I would kind of like to come back to one day, though I'd probably have to rewrite it from scratch).

20 Favorite fic you've written

Realistically, I think popular consensus must be correct that Coexist is the best thing I've ever written (though I sometimes wish I'd spent more than a minute thinking up a title). It's definitely the work I'm proudest of, and I think it contains some of my best writing (and ... well, most of my writing, based on the numbers I just posted). But I have a bit of a soft spot for some of my earlier Mass Effect fics, which aren't incredibly polished but I learned a lot from working on, and for Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard as well.

Tagging: @juanabaloo @beatriceeverytuesday @explosionshark @bodytoflame-ao3 and anyone else who wants to do this.

[illegally-blind-and-deaf]

MORE TINTIN HEADCANNONS CAUSE IM BORED (if you don't like then just simply scroll by and let me enjoy my bliss please and thank you)

Tintin has two distinct smiles. Both of them are genuine (because he's an optimistic little lad who sees sunshine when it's raining) but one is more so than the other. One is the one everyone sees: the broad grin that so many cameras have flashed at and is on the cover on every edition of Le Vingtiéme Siécle. The one with round apple cheeks and twinkling eyes so full of innocence it makes one wonder if he's truly seen the wrong end of a gun. It's the one he wears often, the signature Tintin grin. The other is more selective, coming out in moments of pure, uncontrolled happiness. Very few people see it and you have to be extremely close. It's different: more lopsided and crooked, leaving a dimple in one of his cheeks. It makes his eyes crinkle into tiny blue rivulets and anyone who catches sight of it can't help but grin back at him too. When Captain Haddock first saw it, it made him realise that Tintin was in fact still a kid (in my headcannon, unless slexidiied, he's 16-18 because that's canon according to the books.)

Tintin is a massive polygot, but not only can he master how to read and write the language, he also can pronounce it clearly that people often forget that his mother tongue is French. The Captain, who lives in England, has a Scottish accent in the movies and speaks what I assume is English, forgets this every time until he catches the reporter muttering something or other in French. Thebkther thing that catches the captain off-guard is that Tintin refuses to call him "Captain" but instead calls him "Capitaine" because French. It's very entertaining; he goes from a perfectly pronounced English accent to the most innocent Belgian voice ever for ONE SOLE WORD then switches back. It drives people up the wall and Tintin finds it absolutely hilarious.

Random one not so much about Tintin, but more about Mrs Finch. When she first had the little teenager move in to her spare flat at 14 (probablybrather common in those days because you stopped going to school after 12 unless you went onto university or higher education and in my head Tintin didn't have the money for that because ✨Depression✨ (as in the Great depression, not the mental illness)) with a couple of suitcases and a trench coat far too big for him and a white puppy playing excitedly at his feet, she swore from that day on that she would look after him with every fibre of her being. She pops up the first night to see if he's settled and has supper and when she finds out that he hasn't had the chance to get groceries, she bistles down the stairs and comes back up with a massive pot of soup, fresh bread and tea. They sat at the little table for ages, talking and getting to know each other. She discovered that this child had a deep passion for books and adventure and made a mental note to get him as many books as she could. (He went from ten books to 30 in the span of two months because of her help. He was very happy with that.) She told him how she had been a nurse in the Great War and that if he was ever feeling ill to pop down to her and she would get him on the mend. What she didn't expect several months later was to hear the door open and close quietly well after midnight. She opened the door to face the intruder and discovered Tintin trying to sneak back into his flat, absolutely drenched from the rain and almost hiding his arm. He said a brief hello and hurried inside, so she grabbed a teapot and hurried up after him. She definitely did not expect to see him sitting at the same small table, his shirt half off as he dabbed at his arm, nor did she expect to see a gun shot wound slicing through his arm. She shrieked, scolded him severely, then ran back and grabbed her first aid kit, came back, asked him what in the bloody hell happened, was he okay, were there any other injuries that needed attending to and very adamantly told him to stay out of trouble. His response? "But Mrs Finch, it's my job. I have to get these stories and that means I get into trouble." She huffed, gave him a look, studied those innocent round doe eyes and sighed. She made him promise that if he ever needed medical help to never be afraid to ask her or else he will get scolded again. There were many late nights of patching him up then chatting over a cup of tea.

K that's all for now byeeeee

[twdmusicboxmystery]

FTWD 8x06 Mysterious Coda Discussion Continued

@galadrieljones

I just watched the episode!! AH. There’s some stuff I wanna look up. I am extremely intrigued by the “coda” and idk how clear it is to you all what we’re seeing but it’s pretty clear to me. Also for now, I’ll just leave you with my most salient take-away, which is the music at the end of the episode, in the scene with Morgan and Mo. Listen to it, then go back to the Coda coda. It’s the same exact music!

@wdway

Yeah, I noticed the music too. I can't wait for lethal to watch so we can really dive into the whole episode but especially the "tease." Did you have the same impression that it was a tease for TD?

@galadrieljones

I think it has implications for TD. Like I said I need to look some stuff up to be certain of my prediction!!

@wdway

It definitely gave me similar feelings as I had with the red machete. I'm not saying that this will be what we might hope it is, but I think it is a taste definitely.

@twdmusicboxmystery:

Morning, Gals! I finally watched both episodes.

I think it's super cool that Morgan is now looking for Rick. Clearly, he'll be part of the CRM storyline. Though, based on his role in S8, I could have told you that. Anyway, I guess I didn't realize he would leave half way through the season and not be in the rest of it.

I'm honestly not as excited about the rest of the season if he's not in it. I mean, I guess what it really is is that I'm more interested in Morgan's return to Alexandria and search for Rick. The last time Morgan saw Judith, she was a baby, so a reunion between them would be fun. I can see Judith and Mo becoming pals.

I assumed the tease at the end was about Alicia. We saw her put her severed, desiccated arm into the bag. But it definitely would be cool, given all the Alicia/Beth and Alicia/Madison stuff, if the two of them reunited, and we got more concrete information about Alicia's state of health.

I mean, I was surprised they killed off Finch. As I said at the beginning, I really thought they would find some way to cure him. But they also definitely planted the seed that if they could find the right ratio of radiation--enough to kill the walker virus but not him--they might have saved him. And of course Alicia's--and even Charlie's--exposure was much different than Finch's. So maybe we aren't done with that storyline yet.

I didn't like the Dwight/Sherry thing. I thought it was kind of dumb. I get that he's clearly going to be part of the CRM storyline, heading back to Georgia and everything, and either they just don't have a role for Sherry or the actress has opted to leave the show in lieu of other projects. But still. After he travelled cross country to find her, it's Dwight that says they should call it quits? I kinda had to roll my eyes at that. Anyway, I do have some errands and such to run today, but I'm all for it. Let's discuss! ;D

@wdway

I'm so happy for us to talk about the scene. @twdmusicboxmystery, unless Alicia had a arm transplant than this is not her. Her arm was cut off from the elbow, it can't be Alicia. Supposedly the voice on the radio is Madison, so not Madison. We see all the fingers on both hands so it can't be June. This person is blonde. Yes, BLONDE!!!

Look at her hands and up to the very top they have a little bit of blonde hair showing. Did I hear gasp! I did not immediately see the hair but once I did oh my gosh. This is what I meant by the tease. They're making they're making sure we can see both hands both all fingers there is a water bottle right next to her and of course the radio I'm going to call that flashlight color (blonde) the map, the bag and of course Alicia's replacement arm.

The second one was the original shot and I enlarged it so we can see that this person is caring a large knife (?).

I'm not sure what that object is in the center could that be a compass?

I am not saying that this is Beth. I'm just saying that this is a tease. It is placed after Morgan's final scene in Fear which has the music that we heard from his coda in Coda. You guys know how I believe that in his first episode in Fear they teased him coming upon a car with an injured person laying on a pink blanket, I've always thought that was a hint towards Beth and so now we get a scene in his last episode of Fear where we immediately see a blonde, I'm assuming this is a woman, I just think that this was meant for TD.

I've been trying to rack my brain as to who this could be. I mentioned the other day that it reminded me of the Red Machete, because we never was able to see who took the Red Machete, they did not show the face. Here again we're seeing this person and yet not the face.

I was trying to mark off all of the blonde actresses that we have seen in Fear and I am so open to any that you guys can think of that I'm missing.

How did this person get Alicia's (I'm going to call it) mechanical arm? And here's the other thing, Alicia we know the last time we saw her, she had gone through the fever and she was okay, really more than okay. We believe that Beth survived a bite and was given treatment so these are the only two people that we know of that survived a bite. And here we have a blonde female who is holding Alicia's mechanical arm. ????

@galadrieljones:

I love your observations. There are parts of this coda that really bug me. Not in a bad way, but in a “wtf” sort of way. I will explain. I think that, regardless of whether it’s Beth, they are being sneaky. They want us to think it could be. The lock of blond hair throws me off.

Also, I am struggling with whether these are female hands. In the beginning, they look mostly female, as the bones are fine. But then as the scene progresses, I’m not sure. They look borderline masculine to me, when they pick up the map, the sunglasses, and the arm. There is an androgenous effect here, as far as I’m concerned. The blond lock of hair looks not super long, but it’s really apparent. That throws me off the most.

The actor is moving their hands so deliberately, almost lizard-like. I think they’re trying to achieve an effect of “this could be a man or woman."

@wdway

I understand you're back and forth about the hands. I've had the same thoughts but in the end I think they look more feminine than male hands. Even if this is supposedly Beth it's not necessarily Emily. I also think that the reason they are being very artsy with the hand movement is that people will go back and just as I did start looking at the hands in terms of all the fingers are there so that eliminates June there's two hands, arms, that eliminates it being Alicia. Madison is supposedly on the radio broadcasting, it's not Madison. I think they are feminine hands. These look like a younger woman's hands, not someone Carol or Madison's age because your hands age quite differently as a woman gets older.

@wdway

If the tease is about Beth than I just want to think about that for a moment. One of the other reasons they would be showing the hands like they are with this person writing would be that in s4e1, Daryl comes upon Beth in her cell and she's writing in her journal, the last time we see Beth with Daryl she is also writing a thank you note, there is a definite connection they want us to make with Beth and writing, imo.

To Be Continued...

[dreamswapafterdark]

Okay, some of that stuff is great for febwhump and that sounds traumatizing, but also perfect for writing fucked up situations. You can give me any ideas you have, as I'm struggling to figure out what to do for the prompts. I'll send the list and you can just give some ideas, doesn't even need character names, could just be like a and b and then whatever situation. I've currently only got an idea for day 18.

DAY 1: touch starved

DAY 2: flinching

DAY 3: muzzled

DAY 4: knife to the throat

DAY 5: “that’s gonna scar”

DAY 6: secrets revealed

DAY 7: made to watch

DAY 8: panic

DAY 9: voice loss

DAY 10: difficulty breathing

DAY 11: fever

DAY 12: “can you hear me?”

DAY 13: forced to hurt a loved one

DAY 14: captivity

DAY 15: self-sacrifice

DAY 16: semi-conscious

DAY 17: silent tears

DAY 19: “you deserve this”

DAY 20: knife wound

DAY 21: shackled

DAY 22: can’t scream

DAY 23: “you’ll have to go through me”

DAY 24: bloody clothes

DAY 25: assumed dead

DAY 26: forced to choose

DAY 27: survivor’s guilt

DAY 28: “you’re safe now”

ALT 1: rope burns

ALT 2: caged

ALT 3: soft words

ALT 4: experimentation

ALT 5: time loop

ALT 6: limp

ALT 7: immortality

ALT 8: found footage

ALT 9: natural disaster

ALT 10: inferno

*rubs hands together* assume this is all dreamswap cast unless stated otherwise

Also likely have a TUSOUD flavor to them but you can remove it if you like

Day 1: touch starved - Error is in the meme squad house and still a little icky on touch with the other two. Cross is a new addition to the place and doesn't quite know about the touch stuff. (Alt 1: rope burns - Angel getting his hands on Nightmare, having his fun with him all the while throwing insults at him and his body)

Day 2: flinching - Finch having an extra bad reaction to Nightmare's tendrils (Alt 2: caged - Nightmare getting stuck in a cell before he meets his friends and realizes.. crap, he is stuck. Freak out ensue :3)

Day 3: muzzled - Chris feeling unable to reach out to others and thus doesn't tell anyone about his struggles. Could end in many ways~ (Alt 3: Soft words - probably this but like. someone helps him.)

Day 4: knife to the throat - Blue's done a bad to Error and Error is finally done with his shit. (Alt 4: Experimentation - you know the thing with Night being in constant pain if someone attempted to radiantise him? Yeaaaaaah...)

Day 5: "that's gonna scar" - Error hurting himself and Blue taking care of his wounds, but continuing to terribly try and manipulate Error during it.

Day 6: secrets revealed - so imagine Nightmare never stopped self harming. Now imagine Angel hurting Nightmare more and trying to rape him on the battle field, thankfully being stopped by the others, but not before Nightmare's thighs are basically shown for all to see. Yeaaaaaahhh...

Day 7: made to watch - either Dream or Angel raping Nightmare and unfortunately, Error and Cross is in the same room but cannot do a thing. (Alt 7: immortality - Nightmare is immortal, which means that his friends will die before he ever will.)

Day 8: panic - I mean idfk maybe use the situation of my panic attack when mxrtified blocked me to do this. maybe edward gets blocked by barry for whatever reason and shit starts to spiral. a good song to listen to is "panic attack" by insane clown posse

Day 9 - 11: voice loss; difficulty breathing; fever - allergic reaction?

Day 12: “can you hear me?” - Nightmare got really badly hurt during a fight (perhaps hitting the ground in that fight at the tree and Cross is forced to take him away to the omega timeline)

Day 13: forced to hurt a loved one - Reverie and Neil end up finding Terror in the red rock AU (fun fact that AU they found themselves in before they were found by the meme squad + night and glitch is actually based on a real place, aka Sedona Arizona). While Reverie is trying to use his bow to hit Terror, Neil gets shot thanks to the goop bitchass.

Day 14: captivity - Broken Family!JMV Jade is in the rehab alongside Obsidian. He's trying to keep Obsidian in check because there is little chance his family (zircon, jasper, silver and koroit; oh yeah uh they're obsidian and jade's kids in broken family au) will stand a chance against the entirety of Justice Reigns. Inside, a random doctor (it could be an oc of mines, or an oc of yours!) notices over the course of a few days how Jade reacts, and kindly says to him "oh sweetie, you don't belong here in this rehab."

Day 15: self-sacrifice - Night taking a fatal blow for Reverie.

Day 16: semi-conscious & day 17: silent tears - tbh i dunno

Day 19: “you deserve this” - Dream finding out about Nightmare's self harm much sooner and telling this to him.

Day 20: knife wound - Nightmare wants to die, but he's tired of letting Dream ruin his life. Now he wants to ruin Dream's, in a more permanent way. (Specifically without Error and Cross being Dream's friends)

Day 21: shackled - Nightmare hurting himself after an extended stint in jail where he can't escape.

Day 22: can’t scream - Blue raping Error.

Day 23: “you’ll have to go through me” - Cross defending Nightmare from Dream.

Day 24: bloody clothes - Dream comes back from a rough fight from Terror. Maybe some Ink x Dream?

Day 25: assumed dead - Kevin dies, but with this, Nightmare is now thought to be dead due to Kevin's negative aura disappearing.

Day 26: forced to choose - Terror capturing both Night and Neil and Reverie is forced to choose whether Neil or Night dies.

Day 27: survivor’s guilt - Nightmare and Error die, and Cross has to deal with the fact he lost his loved ones once again.

Day 28: “you’re safe now” - Error encountering Blue for the first time and being brought to his house.

Hope you like all of these <3

[deadmunds-ghostbee]

Rambling thoughts/analyses on each of the stills bc I’m procrastinating:

1. This is episode 4, so we might already be at Aubrey hall at this point (or maybe not I don’t think Violet would decorate with pinks???) He looks kind of angry and very horny so maybe this dance is right before or after a first kiss? Definitely not the first time they’ve danced though, just from body language. Also she doesnt have a dance card again! What does it all meannnn?  Anyway I’m obsessed with the hands. Obsessed with his thumbs and her hair and how close his chest is to her back. The other hand looks like its hooking into her dress almost. Literally don’t know how just a picture can have that much tension. This picture is getting tattooed on my heart along with being pasted up on all my apartment walls.

2. Great possibilities with this one, especially since its episode 2. I assume theyre probably talking about Anthony’s courtship but I love the idea of this being connected to the Deadmund flashbacks. Maybe he taught each of them to fence? Maybe they’ll teach gregory and get emo that Deadmund couldn’t teach him? This shot really captures fun and nostalgia but maybe its just anthony huffing about miss sharma and taking it out on colin. 

3. This one is...interesting? Like the wigs and outfits but I am interested in the location. Is this Eloise’s room? Pen has a reticule and she wouldnt have that in her own home right? It gives bluestocking or professor-y vibes, and it looks like they’re talking about something important. I know there’s a LW plotline, but maybe this is about Eloise’s subplot! In the books she refuses marriage three times her first season so they could be discussing that, or maybe it’s about Eloise’s involvement in a social movement. From what we have seen about extras and new characters it seems like a possibility. There are literally so many things it could be I’ll just stop rambling.

4. From the first episode! My guess is they are discussing “rakes” at the beginning of the episode, have guests, or are talking with Mary. Maybe discussing attending the Danbury ball. Kate seems casual but Edwina is very attentive and upright. Also NEWTON IS JUST FUCKING HUGE JESUS CHRIST. No doubts he could knock someone into a body of water with all that weight on him. Other thoughts: Kate’s wig looks weird but fucking whatever I don’t care. Charitha looks gorgeous and so Edwina. Kate has a lot of that dark teal color in her wardrobe and is giving much older vibes. 

5. From episode three! CVD said something on twitter that made it seem like this was the Aubrey Hall study. Interested by their facial expressions. Daphne’s concerned and he looks weirdly chipper. Probably talking about matchmaking or Kate. Maybe she’s upset he doesn’t want a love match and is telling everyone, or saying  that Edwina and him won’t suit. Hopefully Daphne won’t find out about the premarital kiss. regardless she must be most heavily involved in the courtship, more than colin or benedict or even violet.

6. Episode...er I forget. This will be vague but I wonder what they’ll do with the queen this season? Obviously she’s still concerned with LW and maybe even the activism subplot that will be prevalent. Hopefully more with her and the king, bc she wont be invested in the romance like she was with Daphne and Simon. Whatever it is they’ll have to keep her on screen bc they have a whole show to promote about her soon!

7. Episode 1! I would think they’re lookin bejeweled for the debut in front of the queen? If not then for a ball, but that would mean they got their hands on some money. Either from the Featherington heir or maybe Pen used some whistledown $$$ like she did in the books. Anyway they lookin fly makes me wonder why Pen is still in her old yellow clothes in the still with Eloise. In other news if Mr finch and Phillipa dont get more screen time I’ll commit some netflix HQ arson. 

8. Final pic is from ep 4! (Same as the dancing one hmm). They’d probably be at Aubrey Hall for shooting at least, and it’s interesting that Jack is there but not Colin! Love that we’ll get Kate/Ben content and Kate’s jaunty Danbury-like cap is immaculate. She’s wearing that teal-ish color again, going along with Anthony’s dark blues. It seems like the show is going hard on them being competitive what with Pall Mall, horse racing/riding, and now shooting. We know Anthony is kinda bad at shooting and I’m sure this will just be anther silly opportunity for Kate to show him up but I’m not like, that mad at it. I don’t think she’d actually be comfortable killing a real animal though. Maybe they’ll be clay. Anyway, I love the Kate is a jock content bc we know she doesnt like to read lol. It kind of makes more sense than Eloise being randomly great with guns.

All in all I’m so excited looking at these stills! I think at least some of my predictions will end up being right, and whether some of the topics, subplots, romances, whatever are tackled well or poorly remains to be seen until it’s in front of our faces. In the meantime it feels good to be excited and be overly analytical as I often like to be!

[dear-alex-chill]

May we discuss Ducktales and Body Language, especially in 'Astro B.O.Y.D'?

I want to talk about Gyro throughout this episode and how he acts, specifically because I noticed something really interesting. His character development for both his own growth, and what we learn.

Let's start with the earliest example, a small detail. When 2BO first returned to evil, courtesy of Akita, Gyro immediately began hyperventilating. While it may not have been as severe as that of Donald in 'The Town Where Everyone Was Nice' it's still something to note to show how much of an impact this has on him. Just in Season 1 he dangled dangerously over the gold in Scrooges bin while Bulb went mad with power and had a lot of strength and sharp things he could use yet Gyro didn't shake or look this scared. He looked nervous yes, but not terrified.

Second one, the 'I have to do this for me'

We've all had that Atticus Finch/Kirby Finn/ most protagonists moment where you did something, not only to help a person in need, but because you had to do it to prove something to yourself. The same thing goes for Gyro here. You can watch as he says 'You save Gizmoduck, I've got to destroy 2BO' he takes a deep breath and does the hand movement thing where it's like you're convincing yourself of something. He's got to face his problems and last, he can't let people keep fixing it for him. He can't brush this off or ignore it, he's got to be the one to do it. Gyro in this scene must prove to himself that he's capable of this. Furthermore when his plans get changed by Huey, he needs a minute to realize he's not destroying 2BO (or in his mind, his greatest failure) he's stopping him. Which brings us to this,

The Blame for His Guilt.

All these years and it's shown that when 2BO destroyed the city, it appeared to be Gyros fault. Heck, there's a newspaper in Akita's hiding place that shows exactly that. When Gyros blame is changed from; 'I did this. This was all my fault and I've got to change it' (which is the mentality he's had for years) to 'I was the scapegoat. It wasn't my fault, I couldn't have controlled it.' That is something you really don't want to realize, it's much harder when the blame that's been set for years changes, and it's even worse when he realizes he couldn't have stopped it. That command was to be executed no matter what, Gyro couldn't change that. So he lashes out now. He angrily shouts and charges as it becomes clear that he's been burdened with guilt, stress, anxiety, and pressumably some PTSD (which we will discuss in a second) from this. The way he moves in this shot especially you can see the pain on his face and the anger in his body as he goes at Akita. He's believed for years that he caused the Tolkyolk Disaster. That he failed. That his inventions were evil which is why he later in life tries so hard to justify his inventions being good. Gyro realizes he's been carrying a burden with him for so long he never needed.

The Intern Habit Returns.

This is a tiny note but one I love seeing. Cinematic parallels. The moment Akita arrives Gyros acts the exact same way he did when he was an intern. Scared, gripping a rectangular thing that holds information, and cowering. All at the sight of Akita.

((I think it's safe to assume Akita was abusive))

Scared. This one was when Gyro saw Fenton on the ground, temporarily incapacitated. He's scared for him. It's really sweet to see him actually care and be scared for Fenton or anyone besides Bulb. It's growth.

This time when BOYD is hurtling dead at him and he's begging, pleading, for him. This is the first time, in twenty years, he's told BOYD he's real. Was he denying BOYD being real because he didn't want to accept that everything horrible had indeed happened? Or was he saying that by BOYD being 'definetly real' his inventions were good, His ideas were valid and he himself wasn't a bad person? Both of these ideas really work for Gyros character. It's known he struggles with self-doubt and it's also known he doesn't like what happened in Tolkyolk, so much so he only vaguely describes it at the start of the episode. It takes a flashback for us to fully find out what happened, that's how little he discusses it. When he throws himself infront of the same invention that destroyed an entire city, trying to reason with him. That's character development. That's Gyro stepping up and taking initiative and proving to everyone that he can fix his messes, he can do good, he is more than his reputation. And to anyone, that would be terrifying. It's scary to think of stepping up and putting yourself in danger just to protect those closest to him. Yet he does it anyway.

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

That's all for my analysis, please rb if you have more you want to add on or if there's other pictures/scenes you want analyzed!

[fabricated-misslieness]

Daniel Le Domas x gender neutral reader

Yo I hate Alex that motherfucker but also I think it’d be easier if Daniel killed Tony in the forest and then ran away with Grace, but I guess it’d be safe to bet that others left for the forest when the car got flipped.

Also for some reason my gifs aren’t workin

Requested: No

Word Count: 2847

Warnings: suggested use of drugs because Emilie exists, mentions of hypothetical violence, some angst i think, mentions of a gun in a world war themed board game

Normal AU where Le Domas are a ‘normal’ rich family, still weird, but no deal with the devil.

Servants, lavish parties, gourmet food, expensive alcohol, this was the life you might be inheriting. You say ‘might’ because you’re not married, nor are you getting married. 

Your partner, Daniel Le Domas, was born to a rich family, so he was entitled to all these privileges, not that he seemed quite fond of them. Deep down you knew he was, but he for sure didn’t make it clear.

“Don’t worry,” Speak of the devil. He reassures you, squeezing your hand as you walk down the halls to the music room. A music room, for god’s sake! Not speakers, not a radio, but their butler playing the piano. At least they didn’t have a ballroom, that would just be way extra. “We’re a normal family, I promise.”

“Normal?” You raise an eyebrow, gesturing to a nearby seemingly ancient, though you exaggerated that, portrait of a newlywed couple. “All the portraits I’ve seen so far are newlywed couples.” 

“That’s normal for rich families.”

“Haha.” You say sarcastically. “But seriously, you can’t even paint them in normal clothes? Not even family pictures of one of your many vacations?”

“First of all, who said we even had vacations?” You assumed they did, seeing as they were wealthy. Doesn’t the average rich person go on vacation twice a year? Whatever, who were you to assume? Though the thought of it is still a little peculiar, so you decide to question it.

“You don’t? No little tour over Europe? No visiting the seven wonders in the span of a week?” You go on and on, suggesting outlandish places.

Daniel nudges your side playfully to get you to stop. “No, haven’t even toured the US.”

You laugh, nudging him back. “You’re no fun, for a board game family.” You pluck a nearby board game from it’s shelf, Yankee Bayonet. Initially, you’d been attracted because of the gun on the box. It's world war one or two themed. “Well, can’t blame you. Don’t know how this would seem fun. What’s it even about?” You put the box back on display before Daniel can scold you for touching it.

“Honestly, I don’t know. There’s so many games, and I’ve barely played a quarter of them. That one, however,” he points at a box further down the hallway, “that one I play-tested as a kid. It’s somewhat fun.”

“Somewhat.”

As you near the end of the hallway, your eyes land on a portrait of Charity. You stop, which makes Daniel stop too. For a second, he’s confused, until he looks up at the portrait. Immediately, he turns to survey you. Among every emotion dancing in your eyes, he catches disturbance, nervousness, and most importantly, a splash of disgust. “Charity.” You say a little bitterly.

“Charity.” He repeats. “That’s where our painting used to be.” He cups your cheek and pulls you to look at him, putting his other hand on your shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

You shake your head, putting one hand on his hip and the other on the hand resting on your cheek. “It’s nothing. If I’m going to be with you, I’m going to have to face your family.” Daniel smiles, giving you a quick peck on the nose. He’s glad you’re so willing to get to know them, especially with how much he’s down-talked them, to put it lightly. “The only thing that confuses me is why this is still here. She’s your ex-wife.”

“They took a liking to her.” The both of you grimace. “She was just as crazy as them. Honestly, I don’t see what they see in her. But,” He takes your hand and presses a kiss on it. “I won’t let her bother you. If you want, I’ll even flaunt our relationship more than I would’ve.”

You shake your head, turning towards the next corridor. “No need. I’ll be fine.”

Famous last words, “I’ll be fine.”

You were not fine, in fact, you were a fish out of water. Standing next to the family, you felt severely underdressed, even when you’d gone out your way to wear something fancy. Though that wasn’t the biggest problem. They were all very distinct, but they fit into the family. Of course, they were family, but it made you feel like an outcast.

“(y/n),” Becky greets you with a smile. You offer her a hand, but she gives you a hug instead. You barely manage to reciprocate it. “I’m delighted that you came for a visit."

You give her the best smile you can, hoping she doesn’t notice it’s fake. “I’m glad I’m here with you.” You’d really thought that meeting the family would go smooth, honestly though, how could you? These were rich people, your lifestyle, mannerisms, nothing was even remotely similar to theirs.

“Oh, thank you.” She hands you a glass of champagne which you gingerly take, just to be polite. “I hope you can bring my son back to his old self. He’s never been the same since the divorce!” Before she can take you off towards a couch somewhere, Daniel stops her. He’d excused himself for some whiskey when you made it to the entrance and promised he’d make it quick.

“Mom.” He scolds lightly. He takes the drink from your hands and leaves it on a servant’s tray, knowing you’re not one for fancy champagne.

“Daniel.” Her face lights up. She gives him a quick hug, which you notice Daniel is a bit uncomfortable in. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” She teases.

Daniel nods rather stiffly, moving to your side and taking your hand almost immediately. “Been busy.” The whole family knows that ‘busy’ meant being with you, yet he covers up for it anyway.

“I know, I know. They’re a nice catch, by the way.” Becky pats you on the shoulder, a gesture both you and Daniel seem to dislike. “Well, I better not keep you for any longer. I’m sure the rest of the family is eager to meet you.” For some reason, you highly doubt that. 

Becky leaves you for another glass of champagne. Daniel turns to you once she’s gone. “You okay?” He holds your hands in his in the hopes it’ll comfort you.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He can tell you’re lying, you’re not hiding it very well. He gives you a knowing look, pushing you to tell the truth. “Alright, I’m not okay. Charity and your aunt have been eyeing me up since we arrived, your dad looks way older than your mom, Emily and Finch seem too happy to be real, your nephews are creepy, and Alex and Grace both look like they want to leave. That’s not reassuring, now is it?” Your ever rising tone makes Daniel squeeze your hands to stop you.

“Honey, they’re harmless.” He knows that’s an awful way of reassuring someone, but he knows that no matter what he says, you’ll still be doubtful.

You frown, letting out a sigh through your nose. “I know they’re harmless, but..” You bite your lip, trying to find a way to sugar coat your words. “Charity looks like she wants to kill me and your aunt looks like she could skin me alive without even blinking.”

“Look,” He brings his hands to cup your cheeks. “there’s nothing to worry about. From now on, I won’t leave your side. And if I need a refill, I’ll bring you with me. I love you.”

You sigh again, closing your eyes. In the end, you nod, opening them back up to look at him. “I love you too.”

“Good,” He brings you in for a chaste kiss. “Let’s go fuck them, like mom says.”

"She really says that?"

Daniel was right, they were harmless. Well, you hadn’t talked to Charity, but at least you’d talked to the second person giving you a serial killer look, aunt Helene.

Turns out the stink eye was her resting face and that her husband had died tragically. It was the main reason she looked so miserable. She was most likely merely reminiscing about her husband while looking at you two, the newest couple in love. If anything, it made you feel bad for her.

"I'm pretty sure I saw her take a pill like a shot in the hallway." You side glance Emilie as Daniel pulls you off to the side. You were just done talking to her, and somehow, even with all that parental stress, her smile was genuine. She was happy and extremely friendly. Well, so was her husband, but even he had a bit of awkwardness in him. "She's not suffering from anything, is she?"

Daniel shrugs, "Not that I know of."

He sits the both of you down on a loveseat out of earshot from the rest. "Now, we only have to wait until dinner." You nod. "But I have something to tell you. When somebody marries into the family, they have to play a game. It's just tradition. Play the game and you're part of the family, but win it, and you'll gain respect. Might as well get some practice in, right?"

"Did you just propose to me?" You mean it as a joke, but Daniel shrugs and reaches into his pocket. It's a wonder how people aren't looking over right now, well, apart from Charity.

"This is a claddagh ring. It's been sitting in my pocket for ages." He says as he pulls it out of the box. The majority of the ring is normal, but in the middle is a heart with a crown on it. "But, it's up to you how you want to wear it."

"So is this a proposal or..?"

He gives you a quick rundown on the meanings. On the right hand crown pointing towards the fingerprints is single and looking, towards the wrist is taken, on the left ring finger crown pointing towards the fingertips is engaged, and pointing to the wrist is married. Obviously, you're not married or single, so that leaves taken or engaged; and he's giving you that decision.

"You want me to choose?"

Daniel looks like he's regretting his spontaneous and presumably drunken decision. But with a swig of his drink, he smiles again. "Yes. I mean, we've talked about marriage and all but I wasn't sure if you'd be ready. I'm still not sure, but now that you know about it, you might as well wear it."

You admire the ring as you weigh your options. Daniel takes your free hand, absentmindedly playing with your fingers, especially your ring finger.

Engagement is the brightest thing in your heart and mind, despite that, it still finds doubts. Your in-laws, they were weird. But they didn't have anything to hide, they were harmless. On the plus side, you loved Daniel.

That was the final push. You grab Daniel's left hand, sliding the ring down his ring finger with the crown pointing to the fingertips.

Daniel's left hand curls around your right, the metal feels cold against your skin, despite all your fiddling. You look up at him, seeing his brows furrowed with confusion. You speak up before he can, "I might as well be proposing to you, if you're giving me the decision."

Daniel laughs, giving you a kiss followed by an eskimo kiss. He isn't usually one for eskimo kisses, but you figure it's happiness. "Okay, but I'll buy you one."

"Deal." You give him a final kiss before pulling him off the seat. "What should we play?"

"Well, first we have to go to the game room."

"The game room?"

You were hoping the game room was the room with the double doors painted with the name 'Le Domas', seeing as they were a board game family, but apparently not. "It's reserved for family, so technically you're not allowed in. But, we have a game room for parties." Daniel explains on the way. Rich people and their special rooms…

Once inside, Becky plucks a family board game from the shelf, no doubt a Le Baile product. Before you can join them at the couch, however, Charity pulls you off to the side.

Daniel follows, putting his arm around your shoulder protectively. Charity glares at him for a second before turning back to you, it was clear she wanted you alone. "Care for a game of chess?"

"Usually, we play more traditional games, stuff that would be here during my great-great-grandfather's time. He founded the company but the family tradition comes from before most of the games they've created." He whispers quickly into your ear. Due to the quickness, you almost fail to comprehend his words, but luckily you understand them.

"Alright." You agree to the game. Charity leads you over to the chess table, where conveniently, the chess board is already set out.

Daniel pulls a chair from seemingly out of nowhere, setting it down to your side, much to Charity's distaste.

"I got chess when I married in." Somehow she manages to avoid bitterness in her tone. "You should go first."

God, you barely knew the basics.

"So tell me about yourself." Charity speaks up.

You give her a quick rundown, which hopefully doesn't reveal any information that she could use to her advantage. "Interesting." She takes your bishop. "From what I've heard Daniel say, I expected the worst." 

Daniel narrows his eyes at her as a warning, though Charity doesn't see. Her eyes are glued to the board.

"I don't know why he'd leave me for you."

"Charity." Daniel warns her.

Charity holds her hands up in mock surrender. "I'm only speaking my mind. But I'll stop now."

She does stop for the remainder of the game, nevertheless there's no doubt in your mind that she has a lot more to say. She beats you quite easily, though she seemed disappointed when the reward was not getting to remarry your new fiancé. It's either that or you'd read her wrong.

"You have much to practice." Becky remarks, taking a sip of her champagne before continuing. "But, you'll get there." She smiles.

You smile back, standing up from your chair. Daniel does so too, almost protectively. He stares ahead towards Charity. The two seem to be having a glaring contest. You decide to ignore them, "I don't know about that."

"Oh, sure you will." Her eyes trail towards your hands when you intertwine them.

"I didn't see that there before. Claddagh ring, left ring finger pointing up." She continues to stare, a little disrespectfully. She notices this before it becomes moderately disrespectful. "You're engaged." Her smile widens.

Her words catch everyone's attention. Almost immediately, Emilie runs over with the brightest smile you'd ever seen.

"Congrats!" She exclaims, reaching out to hold your hand but stopping when she sees it connected to Daniel's. "I can't wait to have you in the family!"

"Thanks."

"They're not normal." You remark as you sit next to Daniel on the bed. The family had insisted that you stay the night, and while that was quite sweet of them, you really wanted to get out of there. They were no longer creepy or ominous, but you want a break. You weren't feeling as social as you did when you came in.

"Can't judge what normal is when they're the only family I've met." Daniel brings the blanket over your legs. "Sorry, anyway."

You shrug, planting a kiss on his forehead. "It's alright. Though that proposal was a little spontaneous."

At the mention of the proposal, Daniel shifts his ring around on his finger. "I was drunk, still am. At least I got it out of my chest. Who knows how long I'd keep it in my pocket otherwise."

"Knowing you, it'd be months, maybe a year."

"Hey!" Daniel whines, nonetheless, it's followed up by a laugh.

You can't help but give him a kiss again, this time on his temple. Daniel moves closer afterwards, pulling you into a proper kiss on the lips.

"Did you like them?" He asks when you pull apart.

You shake your head side to side in a more or less motion. "Mostly. Charity is Charity, you know. Your dad seemed to only focus on the engagement, I think I saw Emilie snort something, I don't know what to feel. Well, your mom is nice, maybe a little too nice. She hopes that I make you behave like you, but I wouldn't know how that is."

"So that's what she was talking to you about." He bites his lip for a second. "Well, don't worry. I believe I behave the way 'I used to' around anybody that isn't them, apart from Alex and Grace."

"Reassuring." You say sarcastically, laying down.

"Seriously? Can't tell the difference?" He lays down, cupping your cheek and allowing you to wrap your arms around him.

"Honestly, yeah. It's a little concerning." You nuzzle into his hand.

"Well, don't be. We'll be back home in no time. After breakfast, though, they're going to insist on that." You groan at the thought. Daniel simply laughs in reply, turning off the lamp.

"Goodnight, sweet dreams. Love ya."

"Love you too."

[mallowstep]

For the love of god, please consider renaming some cats, I've seen names like

"One-Eye, Halftail, Oddfoot, FLIPCLAW (what kind of prefix is 'Flip'?) Twigbranch, Clawface etc. Don't get me started on those atrocious SkyClan names with KITTYPET PREFIXES

Harrybrook, Snookthorn, Rileypool

Like tf?

so i'm going to start with saying! as a general rule, i love these names. i will address them each in turn, but i don't have a problem with warriors having "bad names," i have a problem with names that don't make sense given their context.

it does not make sense for blackfoot to be named blackkit, when he's mostly white. (and, as a colorpoint cat, i assume, would be born entirely white.) etc.

but i have no problem with bellaleaf, because well, yeah! makes sense to me.

after all, leaf was named leafdapple, why shouldn't bella be named bellaleaf.

i'm going to discuss each name you brought up in turn, and then, under the cut, i'm going to ramble about naming philosphies.

one-eye: i'm fine with this. i don't mind cats being named after their disabilities, not when it's an established part of warriors culture. (even if it doesn't happen anymore because people would be pissed about it.) i don't know if i think it's right, or if i think cats would have a problem with it, but i think it's good. i'd like to think most cats wouldn't have a problem with it, though. that said, for one-eye in particular, her name was already white-eye, so it feels redundant. food for thought, i suppose.

halftail: i'm not okay with this, because he lost...half his tail? trust me, as someone who had a cat with half a tail, you don't notice it. doesn't make sense. he can keep sparrowpelt, altho tbh i almost always forget about him.

oddfoot: oops i forget him initially! i actually assumed he was named odd because of numbers or something, but apparently it’s a deadfoot situation. we don’t know his kit name, so i’ll assume he was named as either an apprentice or a warrior to fit. it wouldn’t make sense for him to just have the prefix odd, and i’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he didn’t. if he did, however, i would have a problem with it because that makes his name a compound name, not because his leader renamed him.

flipclaw: i don't have a problem with it. what kind of name is flipkit? the kind of name a mother would give who looks a lot like the cat who traumatized her, i think. more importantly, i think it's cute! doesn't bother me. would i name an oc flipkit? probably not, but that's just me.

twigbranch: oh no i love her name. i love it! it's so cute. it means something, too! it has meaning. nope. no one is taking twigbranch away from me. i love it.

clawface: mixed. i don't really have a problem with a cat being named clawkit, but it feels...violent. shrug. i don't like it, but like, i also don't like sandynose.

and i won't directly address skyclan because uh i already stated my thoughts on them.

skyclan in particular, tho, it actually makes a lot of sense for their names to be like that. there is no reason to apply any clan norms to skyclan names.

i really hope they keep their names, too. tradition and legacy of names is important to them (pebbleshine and violetshine for the most direct example, but it's everywhere), and i want that to stay. i love that leafstar named her kit harrykit. never change skyclan.

as always, i want to say that i do not have a problem with anyone's methodology of naming cats. i do not care. i support every single name in existence (barring certain combinations of color and "-face," and anything in that vein), and i do not want to come across as telling you what you should do.

that includes you, anon! i do not think you should listen to me when i say i like these names. i think you should rename them whatever you want. (i strongly suggest reconsidering skyclan renames, tho. there's established reasons in canon for them to have those names, and i think it's a cool cultural thing worth exploring. i keep meaning to write a funny lil one-shot about it.)

but you know! if you want to rename them, go for it! i support you!

that said, here is what i think (and i am not an authority on this in any way, shape, or form) about names:

i've written extensively about naming traditions in the clans. if you want to read that, "names. leaders. meaning" and "names part two" are where i recommend you look. (note: first link is to my main, before i migrated warriors content here.)

i'm not going to go over any of that in detail, because well, i'd rather talk about something new?

anyway, i don't think there's a reason to rename the vast majority of cats. i have very, very, few rules. heck, in ashes, i even had squilf come out and say that there's not even a problem with cats sharing a prefix.

the two cats i have renamed are yellowstorm and runningcloud, both for very specific reasons: -fang is a suffix that only makes sense if you're a warrior, and yellowfang names runningpaw runningnose, but in this au, sagewhisker names him, and she doesn't seem like the type to give that kind of name.

in yellowfang's secret, which i do generally treat as canon, yellowfang explains runningnose's name. i don't have a problem with her giving that name to him in the slightest. i just don't think sagewhisker would, and that overrode my general conservative approach to cat names.

but i do think, to an extent, cats are named for the world around them. i explored this in "without warning," where cats can be named after all sorts of strange things (elevator is my favourite), because well, they don't know what strange names are and are not.

so, for example, if there was a kit named, say, chaffinchkit, i would probably rename them, because i've set my warriors in the pnw, and there are no chaffinches in america.

i would just name the kit finchkit, because really, a chaffinch just a specific type of finch anyway.

i also refuse to name a kit maggotkit. there are probably other canonical prefixes in this nature that i refuse, but maggot is the big one that comes to mind.

but i don't care that ferns are green and cats aren't green. maybe it's a name passed down through the generations, one they don't even remember the origin of, but now, it is a thunderclan name.

or maybe, it is given to a riverclan cat simply because their mother thinks ferns are nice and soft.

none of that matters to me, because i personally find limiting name to appearance is incredibly boring, and gives up a really nice chance to worldbuild.

in "fair is the night," ivypool and tigerheart have a brief conversation exploring this.

"ThunderClan is different," he says. "You don't use names in the same way. You don't know the Ivy before you. But ShadowClan isn't like that. Dawnpelt knows Dawncloud and Flametail knows Flamefur, but...I have Tigerstar." "That seems ineffective," Ivypool says. "You can get more mileage out of your names. Here, Ivy is for grey kits, right? But wiry ones. We need strong roots. And Dove is for grey kits, or white ones, but its for the ones who are born soft."

they go on, but i would never pass up an opportunity to explore that type of thing. (and yes i see the typo)

similarly, i like the renaming system. i am like, this close to saying i love it.

the only reason i don't make brightheart lostface in everything i write is because it'd be too much of a headache to remind people, and i also don't want to needlessly invite arguments about it.

she keeps her name in "saccharine tithes of love and glory" because it's the kind of au where i can throw small things like that, without worrying, because it fits, tonally.

i wish it didn't set a fic in a very specific tone, but it does, and so, i usually use brightheart.

(also, it's clear that she prefers brightheart in the books, and i respect that. i don't think, in my culture, that makes sense for her, but i've talked about my works as being on a spectrum between canon and me, and most stuff is far enough away from me that i call her brightheart.)

anyway.

part of it is, renaming cats is imposing my rules over canon. i feel that saying "flipclaw should be named something else" asserts that my world is correct, and canon is wrong.

like, tallstar as a name does not make sense in my windclan. a kit can't be tall, and i've established that windclan names are very literal. but i've let it go, because i chose to make that a rule, and now i live with it.

i hope i didn't come off as prescriptivist, here, because i honestly believe if you want to rename cats, you should. i'd even be happy to discuss alternatives.

for clawface, might i suggest scorchface? (the suffix is malleable, frankly, but i don't feel like thinking much about it.) scorch deliberately has negative connotations in shadowclan, so you keep the same effect as clawface. especially since it just kind of sounds ominous.

but as for what i will do, it is not rename cats. i like their names (especially skyclan's), in all their idiosyncratic glory.

[kreag]

Hidden cigarettes

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32784718 - posted on Ao3 also.

When Finch gets shoved up against the hotel room wall, the smell of cigarette smoke invades his lungs. John had him pinned, and he was just praying that his research had been correct, that his newest charge would have mercy on him.

 “What the hell do you know about it?” John was extremely intimidating, but with good reason. Finch had tied him up and played a recording to rile him up. He’d be more concerned if Reese hadn’t reacted.

 While working with Mr. Dillinger, he had seen John work, and had watched as he let Daniel Casey go without harm, except for the missing molars. In that moment, he knew that he wanted John to work for him instead.

 What he hadn’t expected was to be immediately attracted to the man, and his prayers to be released had turned, far too quickly, into a prayer to not get aroused.

 “It's the truth. You left the government because they lied to you… I never will. I think all you ever wanted to do was protect people.” Finch kept his composure, acutely aware of John’s body pressed against his own.

 John released him, and he let out a sigh of relief, adjusting his glasses. The scent of cigarette smoke had been ingrained into John’s clothes from his time on the streets, and Finch found it rather enticing, even if he believed the habit of smoking was abhorrent.

 His ruse had worked, and they started their tentative partnership.

  Being thought to be dead by the world at large had its benefits. They didn’t have to play by the world’s unwritten rules. They didn’t need jobs, or friends or anything else that made them human.

 In any case, it only made it easier for the men to fall into something more, something more primal.

 It started off just being physical, after a few close calls with adrenaline running high. They’d bedded with each other, helping release any tension that had been building.

 Being closer in that way had made it easier for them to work. There were no feelings, none that they were willing to admit anyway, and it prevented them from dragging strangers into their more dangerous affairs.

 A label wasn’t necessary for what they did in the dark, and it was a secret well kept from the world.

  Someone had shot at Finch, and if he didn’t reach over and grab onto John’s suit, he was certain that John would have exploded in rage. They had retreated quite quickly into the safety of the library, where Finch assumed his usual position at his computer while John took Bear outside for a breath of fresh air.

 No one had been hurt, and Finch was safe, but he just couldn’t shake the rush of adrenaline which had flooded his body. The walk did nothing to help him, so he stopped by the shop on the way home.

 The first drag of the cigarette had released the built-up tension, harsh smoke filling his lungs before he exhaled. Finch was going to kill him. He takes another drag, leaning against the brick wall while Bear sat patiently. It had been years since he’d stopped the habit. Incidentally, it had been Finch’s fault he stopped, and now it was his fault that he had picked it up again.

 He doesn’t linger after he’s finished, and makes his way back to the library, knowing there would be no hiding what he had done from Finch. It wasn’t worth trying anyway, not when Finch would merely scold him.

 Finch was always a lot more fun when he was irate with John anyway.

  The smell permeates his nostrils before he’s aware John had come back. In an instant, his mind throws itself back to the day they had met, when John had shoved him into the wall. This time, his body reacts, and he had no chance of stopping it.

 “Mr. Reese- “ He tries his best to look accusing, but the dilation in his pupils gave him away, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

 “Yes, Harold?” John plays along, intrigued by the reaction. He’d never considered that Finch might actually like this. He comes closer, looming over the chair naturally to glance at the computer screen.

 Finch is left speechless as the smell only gets stronger, the tent in his pants growing embarrassingly noticeable. With the no-sex-in-the-library rule forgotten, Finch makes a choice.

 “John… That day we met. I need that again.” He whispers, praying that John understands his word’s intentions.

 Even though he had asked for it, the feeling of being dragged from his chair and shoved to the bookcase was remarkably overwhelming, and the whimper that left his lips was unintentional. John had an understanding of Finch’s injuries, and although he took care not to hurt him, he was definitely pushing the limits of what Finch could handle. Finch let himself go, completely at John’s disposal.

 He wasn’t proud of it, but that was the fastest John had ever made him come.

[lexa-kom-skaikru]

Hey! When you get to watch the new Legacies episode, would you mind sharing your thoughts with us? I would love to read what you have to say

I just finished the episode today because I have been avoiding it.

I have known what was gonna happen since the episode aired because @harlivies keeps me updated and that’s the reason why I have been avoiding this episode.

I do have to say that from everything I had heard, from Inês and also on twitter, I expected to have felt more from this episode. To me, this episode was just very underwhelming. I couldn’t even get pissed because every emotional queue was a hit and miss for me. The editing and music in this episode definitely didn’t help me get more involved either. I really expected to leave this episode feeling some kind of way, when in reality it had zero positive or negative effect on me which is even worse than negative effect.

I don’t have many thoughts on this episode mostly because of that (sorry) but just from a critical standpoint, I’d say:

Hope has some serious redemption ahead of her if she is to be forgiven by other characters and fans alike;

Jonch is still a no from me... I literally cringe every time they are on screen;

Lizzie has been the highlight of the season;

That’s not Landon and this episode basically confirmed that Hope had sex with Malivore (please don’t ask me about this because I really don’t feel like going into how disgusting and terrible this is if it ends up true);

Why oh why didn’t Lizzie and Hope pick up the damn note instead of bending over backwards to read it???

Why oh why is every dream a fucking message from the beyond? If that were to be the case I am just gonna assume I am gonna marry Jisoo from BLACKPINK (please and thank you);

The whole MG being neglected by everyone came out of nowhere and it was hypocritical of everyone to turn their backs on him when so many characters have done much worse with way less good reasons to do so, most of all Hope;

MG and Lizzie remain the superior ship;

This season has yet to do anything that shows any sense of direction. This is a one shot after one shot after one shot. There’s zero sense of this season’s arc and we’re already 8 episodes in;

My clowning side is telling me to hold onto the fact that Hope is Josie’s blind spot, as it was evidenced in this episode, and that they plan on pursuing that and make Finch jealous of Josie’s relationship with Hope but my ‘I know better than that’ side says that this whole thing will be forgotten and we won’t get any more Hosie scenes for the next 5 episodes.

[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - “The Lost Cargo of Kit Cloudkicker!”

Story by: Francisco Angones, Madison Bateman, Colleen Evanson, Christian Magalhaes, Ben Siemon, Bob Snow, Tanner Johnson

Written by: Colleen Evanson & Tanner Johnson

Storyboard by: Vince Aparo, Kristen Gish, Victoria Harris, Ben Holm

Directed by: Tanner Johnson

Spin it!

Before doing research when Don Karnage first came to the series, my knowledge of TaleSpin began and ended with me having that awful Genesis game as a kid. I do know that the show took place long before the modern day, which is when DuckTales 2017 takes place, and it appears that the events of TaleSpin in this universe still goes with that. Why do I know this? Because this episode does not start with Baloo piloting the Sea Duck...

...but a grown-up version of his surrogate son, Kit Cloudkicker, who is now running Higher for Hire by himself. However, while things have definitely changed for Higher for Hire since Baloo's apparent retirement, mostly for the worse, some things remained the same. Namely, he is still being tormented by the nefarious Sky Pirate of the Skies, the corsair of the air, Don Karnage. Or Dan, as he calls him much to Karnage's annoyance. The good news is that Kit is now an ace pilot who can easily fight off sky pirates like he did back in the glory days. The bad news is that he can still do what he did as a kid with a giant cargo plane. He even says it, and with most of his dialogue in this cold opening suggests this is going to make him look foolish.

Even worse news for the business is that the fragile box addressed to F.O.W.L. is just sitting in the center of the cargo bay with no security whatsoever aside from a caged chicken and a goat. After rocking back and forth due to Kit fending off against Don Karnage, the box breaks to reveal a rock with a blue lion carved into it, and when that aforementioned chicken and goat touch it, they both turn into some sort of chicken-goat hybrid that Kit has to fight. How is able to fight this goat-chicken while piloting the plane? Simple: he puts a crowbar in the steering wheel, just like Baloo did in the original. Here, the idea is played as silly as it would be to someone who had never heard of TaleSpin. It is doubly sad when one considers Kit treats this crowbar like his only crewmate, because it is.

I do like that this first scene introduces this show's version of Kit very well. He's obviously an incompetent pilot, and not one that is lovably incompetent like Launchpad, and this incompetence is pretty well known among his customers judging by this line:

Kit Cloudkicker: Who's the terrible pilot now, everyone?

He's surprisingly cheerful about that, which, again, makes him look foolish. Despite all of this foolishness, he does appear to still be competent at coming up with plans to defeat his enemies, whether they be sky pirates or mutated goat-chickens, even if those plans end up putting the cargo he was supposed to deliver into the water. This includes that lion stone. He looks onto this and says "my bad" in a way that shows that his business is definitely going to be in the red in a few years.

A few years later, we see that Della is taking Huey, Dewey, and nobody else to Cape Suzette, and she's even allowing Dewey to fly the plane along with her. It is easy to see why Huey is extra prepared even if Dewey is doing surprisingly well, as Huey is not only using extra seatbelts, but having a Safety Boy helmet as well. Huey's also prepared with the knowledge of that Lion Stone we saw go into the ocean in the previous scene, which, you guessed it, is a Missing Mystery of Isabella Finch. Specifically, it's the Stone Of What Was, which was described with the mysterious phrase "what was once two becomes a-new." Huey does not seem to figure that one out. The good news is that it was found, but the bad news was that it was found by F.O.W.L, but the better news is that they lost it, but the worse news was that the stone was made of potassium benzoate. Okay, that last one was made up. There's a few throwaway lines to fill in how Huey even knows F.O.W.L. had the stone in other scenes, and those plot holes are really not that important.

After nearing their destination, which we learn was based on a clue from an intercepted F.O.W.L. transmission from a throwaway line from Huey slightly later in the episode, Della has the bright idea to let Dewey land the plane. Letting a little kid fly a plane? Not a good idea. Letting a little kid land a plane? Also not a good idea. Telling that little kid that there's nothing wrong with a basic landing? May be a good idea in the off chance it could even come up, but definitely not a good idea when it comes to Dewey. To Della's credit, at least it was Huey that did that last one.

After the crash landing, and not a Launchpad-type one, they arrive at Higher for Hire, which shows an advertisement showing its legacy playing on a television screen with plenty of TaleSpin references. This includes one shot of Baloo and another shot of a younger Kit and Molly Cunningham riding on an airfoil done in the style of the original show. This is great for people who were not aware of TaleSpin, which the target audience for this show may not have seen unless they have Disney Plus. Kit, still shown to be the sole employee years later, assumes anyone knocking at his door is the bank demanding payments, but he's delighted to see one of his former classmates at pilot school. He constantly has to tell Della that he is an ace pilot now. Most likely, he's telling that to himself too, as we'll see in the next scene. He at least has reason to believe he's a better pilot than his former classmate, as it doesn't look like her plane is in good shape. Della could have explained that this state was because she let one of her less competent sons fly the plane...and that would have probably made her case about a thousand times worse.

That television commercial also inspires a sort of B-plot that also ties into Kit's character arc, as seeing young Kit cloudkicking makes him want to do it, too. Despite his failure at even mimicking it, Kit is happy to see a fellow cloudkicker and would be glad to teach him the ropes. Della is not too excited by this prospect, but ends up allowing it, because she doesn't want to be the mother that does not support her kid. They aboard the plane, which ends up being a very bumpy ride, and Della goes to investigate, only to find that Kit was in the bathroom, letting his only other employee, the crowbar, be his substitute.

Kit tries to stop what he calls "mutiny" by saying that he's the only one who knows where the cargo could be, only for the crowbar to slip and reveal that he's been keeping a map in the glove compartment. The map actually has some Xs and a circle on it, which suggests that Kit may have been trying to correct his previous mistake, but either never getting the motivation to go through with it, or, more likely, he isn't competent enough to deal with whatever is on that island he circled. Maybe I am thinking about this too hard, but I would say it would be fitting.

Kit decides to distract everyone from him getting kicked out of the pilot's chair by giving Dewey his airfoil and the cloudkicking rope for him to hold onto, and a shot of Dewey's excitement instantly cuts to Dewey screaming for his life, holding on for dear life as he can't seem to. The parallel between a former cloudkicking guy who isn't really a good pilot, and a kid who can actually fly a plane who isn't really a good cloudkicker is easy to notice, and the episode plays around with this. For starters, similar to Kit and his not-so-ace piloting skills, Dewey also tries his hardest to hide how terrified he is at the cool new thing he wanted to do. Of course, it is very possible that Kit is acting the way he does because he's in a certain someone's shadow. Dewey just does it because that's how he is.

Despite that difference, this parallel is enhanced even more when they get attacked by the Sky Pirates, and Kit has to intervene and show that he, at the very least, can get Dewey out of the danger that Kit himself has caused. And yes, Don Karnage's Sky Pirates are now working for the very organization that they indirectly harmed years before by attacking that cargo plane and making them lose that precious stone. That does not come up at all, not even as a throwaway line. What does come up is that Don Karnage is delighted that one of the people after the Stone of What Was is his new arch-nemesis, Dewey. It's a long story that started all the way back in Don's debut in Season 1. It's neat to see these old references. After they all make a landing on the circled island, some more safe than others, they get to meet the wildlife of the island. Let's say there's a good reason why this island was circled, and why Kit could not handle it by himself.

It's a rhino and a gorilla crossed together, either a rhinosorilla or a gorillanoceros depending on whether one likes Dewey's word for it or Kit's. Clearly, this is the result of the Stone of What Was...what was...Wuz...Wuzzles! Admittedly, the Wuzzle was also not a show I grew up with, though that could be because it lasted only a season. In fact, I just now notice the lion carved into the Stone of What Was happens to have bumblebee wings. These animals are a little more realistic here, as they don't talk, and they're not cute or fuzzy like the original Wuzzles were. In fact, the character this gorillanoceros was based on was actually a monkey-rhino. There is a difference, even if they are very similar species genetically!

They eventually get to the stone, only to see that Don Karnage and his crewmates have found the stone first. Hiding, they see Don Karnage command Hardtack Hattie, his strongest crewmember, to lift it up. Unfortunately, she happened to lift it as a bunch of ants were crawling on it, turning her into an ant centaur to her and Don's horror. Despite that horror, and fitting for someone who just wants to finish his mission, he tries to get some of the other crew members to lift it...

...leading to these freaks of nature, which is what Don Karnage actually calls them. DuckTales 2017 isn't too afraid to show the horrifying nature of some of these fusions, continuing with the theme of how they portray the Wuzzles as these monstrous beasts. I would not call it nightmare fuel, but I would not be surprised if it already has an entry on TV Tropes. What makes these even worse is that there is no way for these guys to revert back to their normal forms. There's no "if the stone feels like it, it'll separate you" clause here, that snail-dog is permanently a snail-dog, and that pirate will have to live with a hand for his head for the rest of his days. These guys just end up getting forgotten.

Della tries to sneak by climbing around this horrific scene, only to be caught on some sort of sticky rock. Dewey decides to try to save her with his airfoil-riding skills, much to Huey's disagreement. Dewey's got to Dewey it! Oh yeah, I forgot, Dewey ends up doing "Dewey" puns for most of the episode. It's not funny, but I have a feeling it wasn't meant to be funny, and it's certainly not funny when he ends up falling down near the pirates. Face to face with someone who considers him his arch-nemesis, he tries to save face when he notices Kit stole Don Karnage's plane...which he immediately crashes into a rock.

As for the rock that Della was stuck on, it turns out it wasn't a rock. Nor was it a rock lobster, either!

It hatches into another classic Wuzzle character: the Butterbear, or the Bear-terfly as Don Karnage calls it. They never quite match the original Wuzzle names, and it is not like they would know them. There is one part of this where Kit and the Bear-terfly cross paths, and it almost seems like they're going to bond because they happen to be a similar race. Then, it instantly cuts to Kit running away from a rampaging Bear-terfly. How are they going to continue from this? Have the Bear-terfly get caught in some rope, and have it run in a way that ties up the stone, and have it fly away with Della still on its back. It is a bit convoluted, but it works in the end as it is a way for the stone to travel without it mutating even more people. Whether any of these fusions can use the stone to combine into other fusions is left unanswered, which is for the best.

One may notice I didn't talk a whole lot about what Huey did, and that's because he really didn't do much for most of the episode. He delivered the exposition, he tries to stop Dewey from "Deweying it", and that's about it. However, he does have a major part in the episode: he gets to take part in the scene where the two bumbling fools realize what they have been doing was foolish. Namely, they needed to realize that they should do what they were good at: Kit should cloudkick and Dewey should fly the plane. It is a good lesson that had some good buildup. Sure, they were pretty much failing throughout the episode, but there were scenes where they were surprisingly competent, like the scene where Kit rescued Dewey with his Cloudkicking skills, and Dewey managing to fly the plane in the beginning before he decided to "Dewey it" and crash it. It does not come out of nowhere. Speaking of which...

Dewey: Okay, let's do it.

What would be an unremarkable line actually works really well here, mainly because he decided not to make a pun on his own name, which he did way too much. It does show development, as if this fun-loving showboater is actually learning his lesson throughout the episode. I expect this from DuckTales 2017, and there are certainly cartoons where I don't.

Fittingly for a TaleSpin episode, this all ends with a flight chase scene. No, not the usual DuckTales 2017 fight scene, though there are some fights here and there, especially with Kit and Don Karnage, armed with that crow bar and sword, respectively. The scene actually manages to make Dewey keeping the plane steady an action packed scene, as he has to save his Mom while trying not to let the stone fall into the ocean and make an octopus-fish-squid hybrid that would rival the Eldritch horrors. Again, whether any of these fusions can use the stone to combine into other fusions is left unanswered, which is for the best.

It's not really a spoiler to say the good guys win, but I will say the TaleSpin part of the plot is very much all tied up in the end. If Kit only makes a minor appearance in the finale, and I'd actually be surprised if he didn't appear considering how packed the clips were, it would be completely understandable. Also, there's a cliffhanger and we finally get to hear Don Karnage sing another song, if a very short one. It seemed like he just couldn't do it in his other appearances.

How does it stack up?

With the genius way of using not just one Disney show's legacy, but another Disney show as well, there's a lot to love about this episode, though I wouldn't say it's among the absolute best. Four Scrooges.

Next, Scrooge gets indicted.

← Beaks In The Shell! 🦆 The Life and Crimes of Scrooge McDuck! →

[whumpcollector]

Lucas pt.4: Runaways

Here’s another part ya’lls enjoyment. Hope you like it.

Content Warnings: magical whump, escape attempt, self-sacrifice, magical exhaustion, general violence, violent whumper, noncon touch (nonsexual), unnamed character death, killing, fighting, dehumanization, beating, brief/vague alcohol mention, shackles/restraints, brief knife mention, food mention, forced to perform, blood, vague etemo reference, implied future torture

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

Lucas stared at Finch, a mixture of confusion and disbelief on his face. What? Get away from them? What did he mean? Those questions bounced around in his head until he heard Finch call out to him.

“Lucas? You still with me buddy?” Finch asked, his voice laced with concern.

“Oh, yeah. I...I just…” Lucas trailed off, unsure of what he was trying to say. “What...what do you mean get away from them?”

“I mean run away. Be free.”

Lucas continued to stare. Be free? Lucas had always been owned by someone, even before Harold and Devran came along. His earliest memories were of a cold dark room in the cellar of a rich baron he had long since forgotten the name of. 

“I’ve been with my current master for almost six years now. Old bastard has gotten complacent. I’ve figured out where he keeps the key to this thing,” Finch gestured to the collar on his neck before continuing. “I also know this city like the back of my hand. I was planning to escape tonight but the pit fight got scheduled and I’ve been stuck here.” He paused, looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “If you want I can come get you and we can escape together.”

Lucas looked at Finch before speaking softly. “Why...why are you offering to help me? We barely know each other.”

Finch leaned forward before placing a hand on top of Lucas’. “Because I know what you’re going through, what those bastards have done to you. And I know that you don’t deserve it.” 

The two of them looked at each other, understanding and weariness in their eyes. Lucas didn’t know what to say. Thoughts raced through his head before a sudden pain shot up his arms. He looked down and saw the magical pathways in his arms flaring up. Finch noticed too and offered a sympathetic smile, rubbing Lucas’ arms gently to try and ease the pain. 

The younger mage stared down at his hands, at the manacles that almost constantly adorned his wrists and the chafed skin that came with them. He saw the angry red lines that marked the ways magic flowed through his body, nearly burned into his skin from constant overuse and disruption. He remembered the pain and exhaustion he felt when Harold “trained” him after he was purchased. He remembered staring hungrily at full tables while he was left to starve for days. He remembered cold nights in the rain and snow, the magic in his body just keeping him from freezing to death. He remembered lashings and beatings from Harold and Devran, and others he couldn’t recall the faces of. He remembered the pain and humiliation he endured on a daily basis and the many times he wondered simply keeling over and letting oblivion take him was better than continuing to “live” his miserable existence. 

Those memories swirled in his mind like a storm. Every torture, every indiginty, every touch of malice rushed to the front of his mind as if bursting from a dam. For his entire life Lucas had known nothing but suffering, and now this man in front of him, Finch, was offering a way out. Lucas remembered, and he made up his mind.

“What do you need me to do?”

Finch smiled, and for the first time in what may have been his entire life, so did Lucas. 

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

    The two mages had been released from the holding cell back to their masters the next morning, and all of them were sitting in a large room in a nearby tavern. Finch’s master, a portly man named William Cantrov, had rented it out so they could celebrate in privacy. Harold, Devran, and William sat around a large table laughing and playing cards while Lucas and Finch sat on the floor next to them. William was a wealthy man and the payout from the fight was great, and everyone enjoyed a constant stream of food and drink. 

That included Lucas and Finch. Harold had decided Lucas earned some proper food and the young mage happily accepted. A small tower of bowls and plates sat next to the boy, licked completely clean of anything resembling food. Lucas was in the process of scarfing down a bowl of beef stew, the warm broth and tender meat tasting like heaven in his mouth. It had been weeks since he had been allowed proper food, and he wasn’t going to squander the opportunity he had now. 

Finch looked at him amused, currently attending to his own plate of roast pork. He could in no way match Lucas’ speed or enthusiasm when it came to eating and was halfway impressed by how much the small boy had managed to consume. 

“Your mage there has quite the appetite. What's that, his third course?” William said with a chuckle.

Harold returned one and nodded. “He sure does. I tend to keep proper food as a reward, incentivize him to perform better ya know? Whenever he does earn it he always makes good use of it.”

William smiled. “Well he is free to eat as much as he is allowed.”

“Long as you’re paying I don’t care. Kid earned it.” Harold reached down and ruffled Lucas’ hair. The boy winced a little, fighting a grimace and trying to focus on his stew.

“He sure did. The fight was quite spectacular wasn’t it?”

“Aye, sure was”

“Indeed. Well let me get to the point. I’m throwing  a little soiree tomorrow, the other nobles of the city want to get a look at Finch and I’m sure they would be delighted if you were to bring along...what’s his name?”

“Lucas”

“Lucas! I’m sure they would love it if you brought young Lucas with you.”

Harold mulled it over for a moment before nodding. “Sure, why not. Never hurts to mingle with nobility, and I assume there will be good drink involved?”

“My friend, wine will flow like water. I promise you that.”

Harold and Devran shot each other an amused look before Harold answered. “How could we say no?”

Devran dealt another hand as the three men continued to talk. None of them noticed the conspiratory smiles Lucas and Finch shared with each other.

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

William’s manor sat on the eastern side of the city, close to the city square and market. It was a large building, five stories tall with several wings. Lucas stared up at it in awe. He was rarely allowed into taverns or inns he and his masters would stop at on the road, much less the home of a nobleman. 

He was pulled out of his stupor by Harold who dragged him forward by a chain secured to his shackles. They entered the manor’s front doors with Devran following behind them. As Lucas walked through the doorway one of the guards that flanked the entrance stuck out the shaft of his halberd, tripping the mage and causing him to fall to the floor. Harold tugged pulled Lucas upwards with the chain, choking him slightly before he managed to stand back up. They continued on to the ballroom, Lucas taking in the majesty of the large manor as they walked.

The party was already underway. Nobles mingled freely among themselves while numerous servants attended to their needs. To the side was a large table covered in various foods and drinks. The smell wafted over to the trio and Lucas’ mouth began to water. 

“Mister Harold, Mister Devran, glad to see that you have finally arrived!”

William walked towards them, Finch following a respectful distance behind. The men shook hands while Lucas and Finch waved at each other in greeting. 

“Come, come, I have some people who have been waiting to meet you.”

William led the group towards the middle of the ballroom where a small group of noble lords and ladies had gathered. They talked amongst themselves, laughing and drinking until they noticed the group approaching them.

“Lord William, are these the guests of honor we have been waiting for?” asked one of the nobles. 

“Yes, yes indeed they are. Ladies and gentlemen allow me to introduce you to Harold, Devran, and their mage Lucas.”

Pleasantries were exchanged, with Lucas staying silent and bowing his head. One of the noble ladies cooed, cupping his cheeks and making him look up.

“Oh he is just so adorable, and so well behaved.” The woman squished Lucas’ face like one would a small dog’s. “Look at this little face!”

Lucas himself didn’t know how to react and simply stood there limply while the woman fawned over him. It wasn’t unpleasant, her hands were soft and delicate and it was nice to be touched in a way that didn’t lead to pain. 

“Now Dora, please control yourself,” one of the noblemen said as he removed her hands from Lucas’ face. “We are in polite company after all.”

“Uptight as always I see Arthur, besides I’m sure he didn’t mind.”

Lucas still wasn’t sure how he was expected to act, but decided to speak out quietly. “I didn’t mind at all, really it was fine.”

The woman, Dora, cooed again. “Oh he’s just so polite as well, an absolute doll.” She reached out and grabbed Lucas’ face again, causing Arthur to roll his eyes and put up his hands in mock exasperation. “So you’re a mage isn’t that right sweetie?”

It took Lucas a moment before he realized she was talking to him directly. “Oh um yes, yes I’m a mage.”

“Indeed, just like Finch. I heard you two made quite the stir in the arena yesterday.” Dora gave a dramatic sigh. “Alas I was unable to attend and couldn’t see your skills for myself. I don’t suppose it would be possible for you to give me a little demonstration? Please?”

Lucas was taken aback, pulling himself away from Dora and looking at Harold. The man stepped forward, “I don’t think that's a great idea, while I do have him under control magic is still dangerous and…”

“Oh I don’t think that will be a problem.”

A new voice interrupted Harold and everyone turned to see another small group of three men approaching them. Lucas recognized two of them and his blood ran cold. They were the witch hunters that oversaw the fight yesterday. The boy took a step back, folding into himself slightly and warily eyeing the third man. 

He was obviously another witch hunter, the silver eyepiece and long trench coat giving that away clearly. The man was imposing, standing half a head taller than Harold and clearly well built. A large knife hung at his waist and try as he might, Lucas couldn’t help but stare at it. 

Harold looked towards that man and asked, “You are?”

The man smiled and offered a bow. “Lord Captain Edwin Brauchs. I lead the branch of witch hunters in this city.” He extended his hand towards Harold. “Pleasure to make the acquaintance, Harold if I am correct?”

Harold shook Edwin’ hand nodding, suspicion clear in his eyes.

“Please excuse me for my interruption but I couldn’t help but overhear. I also happened to miss yesterday’s fight, paperwork will be the death of me I swear, and was also curious to see if I could bear witness to your mage’s abilities.”

Edwin stepped forward, grabbing Lucas’ chin and tilting the boy’s head up. Lucas stared up at the man nervously. Every part of his being was telling him to run, but the man’s presence seemed to root him to the floor unable to move a muscle. The witch hunter gazed down at Lucas impassively, no emotion showing in his uncovered eye. They stood like that for a moment, before the man let go and turned to harold.

“I assure you that if he was to get out of control somehow me and my companions would be more than capable of containing him.” 

Harold pondered for a moment before looking at the group of nobles. All of them either wanted to see Lucas’ magic or didn’t care either way, and after another moment he acquiesced. “Well if you insist.”

Harold walked over to Lucas, pulling the key from his belt and undoing the shackles around Lucas’ wrists. There was a very clear unspoken threat in Harold’s eyes. Mess this up, and you’ll regret ever being born.

Lucas flexed his hands, letting the magic flow freely before trying to channel it. He was nervous, but putting on shows was what he was good at. All he needed to do was move some fire around and he’d be fine. The mage took a deep breath and began to channel the magic into his fingers. The familiar burning sensation spread across his hand and soon enough a small flame manifested bove his palm.

The nobles surrounding him let out small noises of surprise and admiration. Dora let out a loud “ooooooo” and stepped forward to look at it closer. Lucas ignored them, focusing on the fire in his hands. He swirled it around slowly, creating small trails of flame in the air.  The small crowd was impressed, and Lucas began to let the magic fade away. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain, and for a moment his magic flared up. 

Lucas heard a scream before being slammed to the ground, hard. He looked back, dazed, only to freeze. The witch hunter captain was kneeling on top of his back, pinning his arms behind him and pointing a silver tipped knife at his face. The other hunters flanked his sides, pointing hand crossbows they had pulled from somewhere in his direction, waiting for a single sudden movement. 

The screaming Lucas heard continued and he looked up to see Dora clutching her face, crouched low to the ground and wailing like a banshee. She must have gotten too close to the fire when it flared up and gotten burned, badly if her reaction was anything to go by. Lucas felt his blood run cold. If the witch hunters didn’t kill him on the spot he could only imagine what Harold would do to him.

“The shackles, hand them over.” The sharp voice of Edwin cut through Lucas’ throughts and he looked back to see Edwin reaching out a hand to Harold. His master was absolutely furious, an ice cold rage that Lucas had never seen before in the man’s eyes. He handed the shackled over to Edwin silently, his gaze never leaving the mage’s own terrified visage.

Edwin took the shackles and secured them to Lucas’ wrists, binding the mage’s hands behind his back. One he was certain they were secure he stood up, pulling Lucas up with him. The witch hunter captain studied Lucas intently. The mage tried to shrink into himself, terrified at what the captain might do.

“Seems like it was a sudden magical flare,” Edwin stated matter-of-factly. He turned to face Harold, “I assumed your mage had better control over himself.”

Harold spoke through gritted teeth, “So did I.”

Edwin nodded and handed Lucas over to his master before turning to the wounded noblewoman. “Lady Dora please let me take a look at it, I might be able to alleviate the damage.”

Harold grabbed onto Lucas’ arm like a vice and dragged him to one of the doorways leading out of the ballroom. Everyone in the room was staring at them and the mage searched desperately for anyone who might offer salvation. His eyes landed on Finch, who could only look at him with a mixture of sorrow and frustration. Lucas just managed to see him mouth the words ‘I’m sorry’ before he was pulled into a hallway and the doors closed. 

“M-mas-”

“SHUT UP YOU FUCKING RAT!”

The man roared angrily as he slammed his fist into Lucas’ face, breaking the boy’s still tender nose and sending blood spraying down his face. Lucas stumbled backwards, bumping to the wall and sliding down into a sitting position.

“Please it was a-”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Harold sent a hard kick towards Lucas’ head. With his arms bound he couldn’t try to defend himself and was sent sprawling to the floor, his right cheekbone shattered. Harold continued his assault, slamming his heel into the mage's stomach and causing him to spit up blood and bile. Lucas tried to curl in on himself, tucking his head into his chest as best he could as Harold sent another kick towards his abdomen. Lucas’ ribs shattered and more blood spilled from his mouth, forming a pool next to his head.

“I have been too fucking nice to you, you worthless piece of shit!” He slammed his foot onto Lucas’ left knee, breaking the cap and causing the mage to cry out. “Every single time you fuck up I give you another chance and every single time you FUCK UP AGAIN!”

Harold turned Lucas over onto his stomach and straddled him. He grabbed the mage’s right ring finger and pulled it backwards, breaking it with a sickening crack. Lucas let out a scream that devolved into a hoarse sob, tears falling freely from his eyes. 

“I have been fair, no, MORE than fair with you,” he broke another finger. “I’ve always rewarded you when you’ve earned it, always forgiven you when you’ve failed.”

Harold broke a third finger.

“And EVERY!”

Then a fourth.

“SINGLE!”

A fifth.

“TIME!”

A sixth

“You’ve never learned! You always find a way to embarrass me, always find a way to ruin things!”

Harold stood up, looming over Lucas' quivering form. The mage could only sob and shudder, waiting for what was to come next. He could already feel his magic trying to mend his wounds, agonizingly snapping bones back together and preventing him from falling to unconsciousness. He wanted to beg, to cry and plead for mercy. He knew it wouldn’t do anything but anger his master further. 

“I always told myself things would change, that you’d eventually learn your fucking place. I guess that makes me the idiot huh?”

Another hard stomp, this time aimed at Lucas’ right leg. Another loud crack, another hoarse scream.

“Erm...excuse me.”

Lucas and Harold both turned to the new voice. William was approaching them cautiously, Finch and two armed guards following behind him. 

“Lord William, what can I help you with?” asked Harold as he attempted to regain his composure. 

William fidgeted with his hands nervously, looking off to the side before turning back to the seething man. “Well...you see...your um...actions...have been audible to the entire ballroom and some of the guests are getting a little…uncomfortable.”

Harold blanched at that, anger and embarrassment fighting for dominance on his face. “My, my apologies.”

William offered him a tight smile. “Listen mister Harold, why don’t you leave this...business…for later and come back to enjoying the party? There is still plenty of food and drink left.”

Harold took a deep breath and nodded, before casting another glance at the bloodied mage on the floor. “Where should I put him.”

“Oh, there is a wine cellar you could leave him in. The doors lock from the outside so he won’t be going anywhere. One of my guards can take you there.”

Harold nodded again and walked over to Lucas, pulling him up roughly and dragging him forward. “Lead the way.”

William smiled and gestured for Harold to follow one of the guards behind him. The guard turned towards another hallway and Harold followed behind. The man dragged Lucas with him, bumping past Finch who managed to briefly brush Lucas’ fingers with his own. The young mage looked back, and saw Finch looking back with pain, fury, and sympathy clear in his eyes. The comfort was small, but it was enough to lift Lucas’ spirits by the smallest of increments. 

The trio continued down the hallway. Lucas was forced to hobble on his broken legs as Harold and the guard kept a swift and unrelenting pace. Small cries and gasps of pain escaped Lucas' lips, despite the mage’s best efforts. Thankfully Harold seemed to have cooled down slightly, and didn’t reprimand the boy for the sounds he made. After an excruciating five minutes the guard stopped at a doorway.

“Right down there sir, I’ll lock the door when you come out.”

Harold huffed and opened the door, pulling Lucas into a dark stairway and throwing him roughly to the floor.

“We’re not done yet.”

With that the man turned around, closing the door and leaving Lucas in near pitch darkness. The mage lay on the floor, breathing shallowly as he heard the door lock and two pairs of footsteps fade away slowly. Everything hurt, his face was sticky with blood and every breath was a painful effort. As if on cue the mgic in his body kicked in, slowly and agonizingly beginning to undo the damage Lucas had suffered. 

Minutes passed and Lucas began to shiver. The cellar was unbearably cold, and the frigid air added yet another layer of discomfort to his already haggard condition. Finally, after what felt like forever, the boy felt himself begin to fade away. With one last shuddering breath he let himself slip into merciful unconsciousness.

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

Lucas felt himself being shaken lightly, a dense fog of grogginess lingering over him as he was pulled back into the living world.

“...ucas...Lucas can you hear me?”

The young mage shook his head slightly to clear his mind, and turned to see a concerned Finch crouching over him. The older mage was lightly shaking Lucas’s shoulder trying to rouse him back into full awareness.

“Lucas, come on buddy are you with me?”

With one last shake of his head Lucas managed to bring himself to focus. “F-Finch? What are you doing here?”

“Getting us out of here. Managed to snag the key to your shackles when that bastard bumped into me. You’re not spending another fucking minute with that monster if I have any say in it. Can you walk?”

Finch undid Lucas’ shackles and helped him to his feet. The younger mage took a moment to steady himself. “I-I think so.”

“Good, now come on we have to go.”

Lucas took a few tentative steps. His legs were sore but he could definitely walk and run as needed. He nodded towards Finch and the older mage nodded back before taking Lucas’ hand and pulling him forwards. The duo made their way up the stairs and out of the cellar. The hallway was empty and Finch guided Lucas through the manor, moving from one corridor to the next without stopping. 

The pair didn’t run into a single guard. Whatever Finch’s plan was it was clearly well thought out. In what seemed like no time they had made their way out of the manor into what looked like a pleasure garden. Tall hedges lined the perimeter of the property and Lucas had no clue where they were. Finch, on the other hand, knew exactly where they needed to go and continued to guide Lucas through the garden and off of the property. 

Soon enough they were back in the city proper. The older mage led them down an array of alleyways and side streets almost instinctively. Lucas couldn’t help but wonder how long Finch had planned this escape, it almost seemed too easy. 

Just as Lucas finished the thought the two turned a corner and found themselves face to face with a pair of city watchmen. The two groups stared at each other before one of the watchmen’s face lit up with recognition

“Hey! Aren’t you Lord Wil-”

His question was cut off as three razor sharp shards of ice pierced his throat, reducing his words to pained gurgles. He fell to the floor, a look of surprise frozen on his face as he bled out. The other guard stood there stunned, before snapping out of his stupor and reaching for the sword on his belt. 

Finch acted faster, rushing forward and forming a blade of ice over his right hand. The watchman had barely drawn his sword when the ice mage was upon him, swinging the blade directly towards the guard’s neck. The man barely dodged out of the way, leaping to the side and swinging his sword in an overhead arc towards Finch. The ice mage caught the man’s arm, and a film of ice began to creep up from the guard’s wrist. The guard’s arm was quickly encased in ice, and with a grunt Finch slammed the arm into a wall. The guard’s arm shattered and his scream of agony was quickly cut short when Finch made a quick slash across his throat, blood spraying from the wound as the guard slid slowly to the floor. 

Lucas stared at Finch with a mix of awe of fear. The whole encounter lasted less than thirty seconds, and Finch had killed two armed guards like it was nothing. He thought back to their fight in the pit and the slow clumsy attacks Finch and sent his way. It was true, if Finch had wanted Lucas dead he wouldn’t have stood a chance. 

The second guard had barely finished sliding down the wall when the two mages heard commotion coming from the direction of the manor and a loud bell ringing. 

“Fuck, they must have noticed we’re gone. We need to move. Now!”

With that Finch stood and began to run down another alleyway, Lucas following not too far behind. More shouts could be heard from all around them, and more than once Finch had to quickly pull Lucas behind a stack of crates or into an abandoned building to doge patrolling watchmen. Their grace period was long over and the window they had to escape was rapidly closing shut. After a few more minutes Finch stopped and gestured for Lucas to follow him into a side alley. 

“Ok, we’re coming up on the hard part now. We need to cross the main city street. We’re far away from the central square and market, so we shouldn’t be exposed for too long, but you still need to be careful. Once we’re across, keep following me, I'll get us through the city walls and into the surrounding forest. Once we’re out of here you run like Malfegor himself is chasing you and you don’t stop. Once we’re deep enough into the forest we should be able to lose them and we’re home free. You ready?”

Lucas nodded, determination building in his chest. They were going to do this. 

“Okay, follow my lead.”

The duo crept out of the alleyway and towards the main street. They looked around, ducking back quickly as a guard patrol made its way past them. Thankfully they went unnoticed, and after a minute of waiting Finch nodded and the two broke out into a sprint. The street was only fifty feet across and the two mages covered the distance quickly. As they were about to duck into another side street a loud whistle pierced the air. Finch barely had time to duck before a crossbow bolt embedded itself in the wall right where his head had been. Lucas looked back, and his blood ran cold. A dozen silver masks glowed in the moonlight, all of the wearers armed with crossbows and shortswords. The witch hunters were active, and they had found them.

Lucas was pulled out of his shock when Finch grabbed his wrist. He looked back and saw Finch, for the first time, look truly afraid.

“Run. RUN!”

More bolts whistled through the air and Finch quickly threw up a wall of ice to block them before turning and sprinting away. Lucas followed, fear and adrenaline fueling their mad dash through the city. Any pretense of stealth had been lost, and soon enough guards were closing in on them like flies on a corpse. Finch wielded his magic with reckless abandon, flinging ice magic in all directions in order to keep the encroaching guards away.  

Angry shouts and the barking of warhounds filled the air, spurring Lucas to push past his mounting fatigue. Every step was getting harder and his lungs were screaming for air. Still, the prospect of getting caught kept him moving. The city walls finally came into sight, and Lucas began to believe that they really just might do this.

Finch didn’t slow down as they neared the walls. Instead he simply extended his arm forwards and shot out a beam of near pure arcane energy from his palm. The wall in front of them became encased in ice and as the pair of mages reached the well Finch drew his arm back and sent a haymaker punch flying into the wall. The wall exploded outwards, chunks of stone and shards of ice shooting in all directions. The two mages could see the forest in front of them, and one last burst of energy pushed them forwards faster than ever before.

Lucas and Finch crossed the fields directly outside the wall and broke through the tree line. The shouts from the city grew distant and Lucas almost felt himself laugh. They had done it, the-

“AAGHHHHHHH”

With a piercing cry Lucas fell to the forest floor, red hot pain searing up his right leg. Finch stopped and looked back towards Lucas, and both their eyes found the source. A large, rusted, bear trap had clamped itself onto Lucas’ right ankle. 

“No! Shit!”

Finch rushed towards Lucas, grabbing the jaws of the trap and trying to pull them apart. 

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Lucas, help me get this off of you.”

Lucas himself wasn’t focused on the trap, and instead was staring back at the city. The shouts and barks that had seemed so distant all but a few moments ago were closing in fast. Their window had closed, and there was only one thing they could do.

“Finch…”

“Once we get this off I can freeze the wound over.”

“Finch…”

“It’ll hurt but we’re close, we won’t need to make i-”

“FINCH!”

The older mage looked up, his eyes meeting Lucas’. The younger mage saw that Finch knew what was happening, but he also wasn’t willing to accept it. Not yet.

“You need to leave me.” Those words hurt Lucas more than any beating ever had, but they needed to be said.

Finch shook his head. “No. NO! I am NOT leaving you!”

“We’re out of time,” Lucas reathed past the mourning pain and anguish building in his heart. “It won’t be long until they catch us. You need to go, now.”

“We can still run, we ca-”

“Finch! I can barely walk as I am. I’ll only slow you down. If you take me we’ll both get caught. You know that.”

Finch looked around them as if searching in vain for a better solution to manifest itself. “We...we can fight them off. We’re mages we…”

“Finch, look at yourself.” The older mage’s hands were shaking, and his arms were covered in bright blue lines. Clear signs of magical exhaustion. “If you try and cast any more magic you’ll collapse and I’m still dry from my body healing me earlier.”

Finch looked back at Lucas, tears and desperation spilling from his eyes as it became clear there were no other options.

“Go, be free. I’ll be okay.”

It was the boldest face lie Lucas had ever told, and they both knew it. Finch took a shuddering breath and lunged forwards, pulling Lucas into a tight hug. Their embrace was cut all too short as another round of shouts pierced the air, and the older mage stood up. Finch looked down at Lucas, a new kind of determination lining his face.

“I’ll come back for you. When everything’s blown over I'll find you and I'll get you out. If it means I have to kill everyone on this fucking continent I’ll get you out. I swear.”

Lucas gave a small smile. “Go.”

Finch let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry Lucas.”

The man began to walk away but Lucas called out to him, there was one last thing he needed to say.

“Finch, wait!”

The ice mage turned back, and their eyes met one last time.

“Thank you Finch, for everything.”

The man stared back at him, a million different replies shooting through his mind. In the end he only closed his eyes and said one last, “I'm sorry.”

With that he turned and ran, and Lucas watched the one person he had ever called a friend disappear into the forest. All alone Lucas could only wait and hiss in pain as his focus was turned back to the trap around his leg. It didn’t take long for the men that had been hunting them to catch up, and soon enough Lucas found himself facing a dozen witch hunters and their crossbows. 

Edwin pushed his way past the crowd and loomed over Lucas. His face was impassive but an aura of hatred emanated from his body.

“Where is the other?”

Lucas said nothing and stared the witch hunter captain in the face. He was terrified to his core, but nothing they could do would make him betray Finch. The captain seemed to understand this, and turned back to the search party with a snarl.

“Spread out and find the other one, now!”

The witch hunters departed without gestation, their warhounds barking and snarling as they looked for a scent to follow. Edwin turned back to Lucas, and the boy felt what little bravery he had been able to muster wither into nothingness under the man’s gaze.

“We may not find your friend, but we have you. And when we are done with you, you’ll wish that trap had closed around your neck.”

Without another word the captain slammed his boot into Lucas’ head, and the mage fell to the ground unconscious.

Taglist: @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @haro-whumps @rippedjeansandfadeddreams

[gloves94]

To Be So Lonely [Draco Malfoy] 11

Rating: PG-13  Pairings: Draco Malfoy/OC

Chapter warnings: Fluff! Angst! Bullying! Anger! Date!

Raised as an orphan, Nel Saintday, endured years of torture from the Slytherin House. The Dark Lord only allowed her existence for her to serve a very specific vile purpose for him. Her birthright dictates for her to choose a side in the Wizarding War… But what would happen if she dares defy the Dark Lord and his wishes? And what happens when she falls for her tormentor? Will Nel fulfill her life’s purpose? And what side will her tormentor, Draco Malfoy, choose? The light that calls to him or the darkness…

CHAPTER MASTERLIST MY MASTERLIST

1 9 9 3, October 31st

"You're late."

Draco said tapping his foot with one of his arms crossed over his chest. The other one was resting on that ridiculous arm sling.

"And you're still wearing that ridiculous thing," she stated walking up to him. He was totally faking his hippogriff injury and she knew it. Madame Pomfrey could heal bones in minutes, everybody knew that. He was just doing this to get Hagrid's hippogriff executed and make the man miserable.

It wasn't fair. Nel wasn't wrong when she had assumed that Malfoy being the pompous peacock that he was, was going to be extremely well dressed for their trip to Hogsmeade. He wore a black turtleneck sweater; matching dress pants and his brand leather shoes. He also accessorized with a ring on each hand. Not wanting to be underdressed she wore that black sweater she had received for Christmas last year over an old white turtleneck sweater and a brown glen check skirt that reached above her knee.

"Fifteen minutes," he said without looking down at his watch.

"Excuse me," she drawled out sarcastically. "I was busy dragging my feet here."

She'd never let him know she was busy throwing the little clothes she had over her shoulders being unsure of what to wear. She wouldn’t put it past him to judge her choice in fashion. He took in her appearance yet to her surprise said nothing.

"We'll have to wait for the next carriage," he said shoving his hands into his pockets. She eyed him carefully from the side of her peripheral vision as she reached his side. She swatted his injured arm and instinctively he flinched and grabbed onto her lower arm stopping the attack.

"I knew it," She said triumphantly. "You're such a phony," she pulled her arm back to her person. "You're not even hurt!"

"It was a reflex," he argued back. "You try getting hurt by that beast and live to tell the tale. I almost saw my life flash before my eyes," he said dramatically. She couldn't help but laugh at his theatrics. "You're so dramatic. Have you ever considered doing theater?" He had an irritated look on his face. "No, I'm serious. I'd love to see your rendition of Hamlet," She teased poking his arm. He shrugged off her touch not bothering to ask just what Hamlet was.

"Where are Crabbe and Goyle anyway?" She asked casually, fidgeting slightly looking over her shoulder seeing if they were coming up any moment now.

"It's just us two," she heard him say.

Nel didn't want to look at him. There was something awkward about the whole situation. She said nothing in response and stood next to him. She noted there were no other students around, probably because they had already left to Hogsmeade.

The carriage pulled up and she froze in the spot. It was being pulled by therstals. Those filthy creatures that terrified her. He seemed oblivious to this considering he probably couldn't see them.

"Come on," He said walking forward.

It took him a moment to realize she wasn't following. He stopped and looked back realizing her eyes were fixed on the blank spot in front of the carriage. Malfoy shot her an irritated look before grabbing her by the wrist and leading her to the black carriage. He opened the door for her and help her up. She couldn’t help but feel disconcerted by his uncharacteristic polite manners. He looked at her shaken expression and how her eyes continued to be fixed on that blank spot in front of the carriage.

“Is this really so terrible for you?” He asked making her snap out of her trance. She shot him a look and elbowed his ‘injured’ arm again. She turned away from the horses of death instead turning her attention to him. Between the two evils maybe Draco wasn’t the worse one. “Believe it or not there are worse things than you Malfoy.”

He rolled his eyes as the two rode the Road to Hogsmeade. The road lead through the Forbidden Forest and numerous mountain fields surrounding the castle. It was rather beautiful.

He rolled his eyes at her comment.

“How’s your ingenious plan to keep Parkinson away going? Half of the school already knows about our outing. I’m surprised she hasn’t come for my throat yet.”

“Well,” He said with a smug smirk. “I am rather popular,” he declared arrogantly. “Don’t confused fame with infamy,” she retorted without missing a beat.

“Parkinson should be at Hogsmeade ready to hunt me down. So be ready if you spot her.”

Of course, she’d be ready, wands up and everything. Parkinson wouldn’t hesitate in sending a hex in Nel’s direction for the pettiest things. She didn’t want to imagine what she’d do when she found out she was at Hogsmeade with her ‘Drakey,’ Nel mentally gagged.

“Also – I am not doing your homework or carrying your books.” She wore a no-nonsense type of look on her face which meant these were nonnegotiable terms for her. “If anything, you should carry mine.”

“What do I look like? Your servant?” He scoffed at her terms. “Besides, I am injured, in case you haven’t noticed,” he said lightly waving his ‘injured’ hand. She hit him again, not hard, and he let out the most dramatic painful moan she had ever heard.

“Such a diva,” she grumbled as they arrived to Hogsmeade. “I can’t wait for this to be over with…”

Nel had a feeling that this week was going to go by at a painfully slow. I’d be hell having to be with stuck up Malfoy enduring Parkinson’s hateful looks. However, the thought of having one clue, that one thread that could lead to her family kept her going.

Soon they arrived and Hogsmeade proved to be just as magical and maybe even more beautiful than Diagon Alley. Ochre and autumn colored trees decorated the mountain side background of the village as students wearing sweaters of red, green, yellow and blue and other witches and wizards walked around the streets.

Again, Nel was in awe. It reminded her of her introduction to this magical world. She was sure she was never going to stop marveling at the wonders of this world. Draco instead walked around eyeing everything curiously. He wasn’t taken aback in awe, but he was intrigued by the quaint wizarding village.

Nel didn’t even bother waiting for Malfoy and ran towards the first store to the right. It was a raggedy building with a sign that read Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. She peered through the glass window with a smile looking at the many quills and other writing utensils. Some of the quills were exuberant made with large ostrich feathers, others made with phoenix, and even Galapagos finch. Quill tips made out of gold, black and silver and many different ink colors. Getting one was tempting. There was some readable ink that could be read under any type of lighting, amethyst colored ink, and mood changing ink.

“Are you getting one?”

She had almost forgotten that Malfoy was with her.

“It’s tempting,” she admitted not taking her eyes off a small black feathered one. She had saved enough to treat herself to something nice. However, it wouldn’t be savvy to spend it on a pen. Specially if an emergency were to arise.

“Why don’t you just get it?” He repeated. He knew that she could afford it. Afterall she had been doing the majority of Crabbe and Goyle’s schoolwork for the past three years. Surely, she had to have amassed enough to afford a quill.

“Because I don’t need it,” she explained. “My quill works just fine,” she sighed. Maybe she’d treat herself for it for her birthday tomorrow or maybe even for Christmas.

“But you want it,” he insisted. He looked at her oddly. He really didn’t understand this simple problem. If she wanted it and she could get it? Why didn’t she simply do it? Why limit oneself to the simple pleasures of life like this? She looked at him somewhat irritated. Of course, he wouldn’t understand. Malfoy was the type of brat that had probably never been denied anything in his life. “There’s a difference between wanting and needing. I’ll come back for it when I need it.” Growing bored with the conversation not wanting to stick around and buy the quill she turned to look down at the other magic stores down the street: Gladarag’s Wizard Wear, Sprintwithces Sporting Needs and of course Honeyduke’s.

“Come on, let’s go!” She made way to Honeyduke’s Malfoy walking behind her. Honeyduke’s had a sickeningly sweet, nutty, nougat flavor when you walked in. The store was warm and over packed with students. Specially since it was Halloween and they were giving away pumpkin pastry samples. Neither said much to the other as they ogled the many candies on the shelf displays and pointed at giant lollipops that other students were eating. When they reached the counter Nel pointed at some lemon bars that were in the back of the display and the large man behind the counter obliged packing some up for her.

She was about to pay when a hand reached over her shoulder and placed the money on the counter. She turned to look at the Slytherin boy with surprise.

“I don’t need you to,” she said in a hostile tone. She wasn’t about to be Malfoy’s charity case.

“It’s only proper,” he responded in a civil tone. She realized he didn’t get anything and the two exited the shop.

“Thank you, by the way,”  She said when they were outside, regretting having been so rude at his polite gesture. “Don’t mention it,” he said hands in pocket turning away from her.

“Look!” She pointed out at a building further down the street. “Zonko’s!” She practically bounced in her step more than excited to go. “I’ll meet you there,” he said ominously before walking away. Nel didn’t even wait to see what Malfoy she instead jogged up to the store and peered inside of the window. If the line to get to Honeyduke’s was long the line to get into Zonko’s almost went around the store. A small crowd of kids and teens were also pressed up against the window glass looking at some of the prank items and toys on display. Obediently Nel went back to the line to wait for her turn. She had made up her mind to patiently stand and wait to enter the shop when something caught her attention. 

Across the street she saw Draco walking around suspiciously. He looked over his shoulder and more hunched in a matter that was unnatural for his attention seeking nature making him look almost suspicious as he walked into the shop across the street.

What was he hiding? 

She stood in the unmovable line alone for a couple of minutes before she decided to go after him. 

She didn’t if she had decided to follow him due to the curiosity or the boredom of waiting in line for an hour. She approached the old building and read the painted name on a board Maestro’s Music Shop. 

Why on Earth would Malfoy want to go to a music shop? She didn’t know what she had been expecting, maybe a store filled with dark sorcery and dangerous artifacts – but this?

The bell rang as she walked in. Instruments of all kinds even some that she had never even seen lined up the many shelves and rows of the dusty store which reminded her of Ollivanders. A piano by the entrance had been bewitched to play itself in accordance of whatever tune it had last heard. There were a handful of other witches and wizards hanging around the store reading sheet music and comparing instruments and other accessories. There was a lovely song in the air a melancholic tune that welcomed any guest in. She began curiously wandering around the store with both of her arms held behind her back. For a moment she even forgot why she was in the store, completely distracted by the odd trinkets. It wasn’t until she turned around a bookshelf that she came to a surprised halt.

That lovely mellow music that had been playing.

It was Malfoy.

He stood in the darkness at the end of the store almost hidden behind a bookshelf with a violin in his hands playing a tune that was unfamiliar to her (Gymnopedie No. 1). His eyes were closed as he was deeply focused on his performance, the music and the moment. His fingers moving expertly with the violin’s chords. His ‘injured’ arm out of its sling using the bow. Elowen hadn’t realized she had been gawking at him without shame until he opened his eyes.  Startled played a scratchy chord almost dropping the musical instrument from the shock.

How could such a horrible person like Malfoy make such beautiful music?

“Nel,” He sputtered her name and lowered the instrument. She didn’t even bother in correcting him. “You tell anybody about this, and it’ll be the end of you. I swear it by Merlin’s beard!” He threatened angrily raising a finger and pointing in her direction.

“You play the violin?” She asked in surprise ignoring his sudden embarrassment. Malfoy was so odd, why would he be embarrassed about having such a skill? Why would he be embarrassed of having the power to create beautiful music? It was ironic really, for a person that was constantly seeking attention for him not to want a musical spotlight? She simply found it to be really odd.

“Some,” he admitted with rare modesty. She was looking at him with what he interpreted to be fascination. “Why did you stop? It was nice,” she complimented. “It was very nice, actually,” she said lightly swaying as she stood. Her hands still behind her back holding her bag of sweets.

“You like Satie?” He asked. She didn’t know what that pretentiously pronounced word meant or was. “What?”

“Never mind,” he murmured still holding the instrument.

“Why have I never heard you play before?” She asked leaning against the wall, genuinely curious. Surely, she would’ve heard him at this point. Specially after three years of living in the Slytherin dormitories.

“I don’t bring it with me. Do you know what would happen if any of the brutes that live with me laid a hand on my precious?”

His precious- oh damn. Nel assumed he was referring to his violin. She was pleasantly surprised and bit back a small laugh. So, Draco did actually care about something that wasn’t himself.

“You’re laughing,” he said self-consciously his tone rougher than he intended. Already feeling mortified that he had been caught in such a vulnerable state and specially by her. Out of all people.

“I’m not,” she said but couldn’t help but laugh lightly. “Play something,” she asked him kindly.

She didn’t even realize that she was now standing next to him. Feeling hyper conscious about the closeness he inched away giving a step back and once again picked up the instrument. He was thoughtful for a moment before selecting his piece, L’estro Armonico Op. 3, No. 6.  

He began playing with a couple of bold strokes. She looked at him enthralled, almost in awe. She had never heard such powerful music like this, and much less in person. He couldn’t help but smile slightly at her childish expression of wonder. He played terribly well, like the greedy songbird he was only coming to an abrupt stop when the doorbell chime interrupted him.

“Let’s get out of here. Before someone we know walks in,” he said swiftly putting the instrument back in its place.

“I don’t get why you’re so embarrassed,” she said as they walked out. “Best I can do is whistle. You’re a musical prodigy and you hide it?” She poked nosily.

“It’s personal,” he shot her a glare which meant she should stop asking questions. However, she wasn’t going to back down so easily. Exiting the shop, she saw two mops of red hair across the street.

Fred and George looked appalled by the company Nel was keeping shooting both of them a nasty look. Draco gladly returned it and walked past them to greet his posse of Slytherins outside of Zonko’s.

“We heard the rumors but we didn’t want to believe it,” Fred began. “Malfoy? Really?” George added wrinkling his nose in digust.

“He’s a complete git.” “An outstanding arsehole.”

“A real bastard.” “There’s no worse company to keep around.” “I know,” She let out an irritated sigh. “Trust me, I’m not here willingly.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Fred crossed his arms over his chest. Not that she cared whatever his emotions were. Her relationship with the twins did not extend further than managing mischief and a business partnership.

“He’s holding something over my head,” she confessed to both of them.

“Godric, that flabbergasted leech,” George began to pull his wand out of his sleeve ready to hex the third year.  

“It’s only for a week. I’ll be free after that.”

Hearing laughter she looked over her shoulder and saw Malfoy and the other Slytherin jokes looking at the three of them and sniggering at what looked to be an inside joke. She frowned at this. There was an ill feeling about it that made her feel self-conscious as if they were laughing at her.

“He’s up to something,” Fred said in a serious tone. “I know it,” He pulled his wand out.

“Don’t worry,” Nel tried to appease them both. “If he crosses the line, I’ll make him regret it,” she promised. And boy would she be true to her word.

“Show me what you got at Zonko’s!” She asked her associates excitedly peering inside of the bags they were holding.

Nel heard crunching in the ground and she turned to see Draco standing a couple of feet away from the three of them. The twins exchanged an unfriendly look with him before the Slytherins left. At this point Nel had already opened her box of lemon bars and had shared some with the Gryffindors. She waved the twins goodbye and left.  

“Lemon bar?” She offered with uncharacteristically generosity as they returned to the carriages. He said nothing simply shaking his head. He looked a little different now. He walked with his head lowered and he didn’t seem at ease or even intrigued by the village as they walked back. Nel turned to look at a large clock that hung by the entrance of the village. No wonder she was hungry. It was almost lunch time, she’d have to be back at the school soon to meet up with Lupin before the Halloween Dinner Feast.

The two walked into the Three Broomsticks and Draco insisted on walking straight up to the bar. He leaned over over-confident, “Red currant rum,” she said cooly. “On the rocks,” He pretended as if he’d forgotten that Nel was with him. “Oh, and a butter beer,” he looked over his shoulder looking down at her as if she were lame for having a non-alcoholic beer.

Madame Rosemerta, a no-nonsense type of woman looked at him with an arched eyebrow. “I’m old enough to be your mother,” she spoke in that same cool voice before placing two large butterbeer mugs on the table. Elowen couldn’t help but laugh at his lame attempt to get alcohol. Who even liked drinking that stuff? Gross.

The two sat on a small booth in front of a window across from each other.

Most of the people inside of the Three Broomsticks were familiar to the Slytherin girl.

Draco’s roomates were sitting on a nearby table obnoxiously making whooping noises, behaving less civil than the monkeys at the London Zoo. On another table was Pansy, seething with anger sitting with Millicent and Daphne. This didn’t please nor displease Nel, Draco didn’t even seem to notice. Even Ron and Hermione where in here with some other Gryffindors.

“What’s up with them?” Nel asked shooting a death glare at the Slytherin boys. “Why do they keep starring at us?” It was almost as if they were waiting for something to happen.

Draco was uncharacteristically silent. Shrugging off his silence she took a sip from the butterbeer. It was warm, delicious and tasted like spiced butterscotch. It was definitely worth all the fuzzing about.

“This is really good!” She said happily. Again, Draco ignored her comment and avoided her eyes as he took a drink from his own mug.

“So,” she began. He was dreading her asking about the Slytherin lads again, or even worse, about his secret musical abilities. “Are you going to tell me what you know?”

“If I tell you, you’d be out of here in a split second,” he kept a challenging gaze on her.

“I won’t,” She promised.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He couldn’t tell if she was lying or not.

“I promise,” She repeated. However, he had made up his mind. He didn’t believe her. He leaned back on the booth and crossed his arms over his chest in a pose that demanded an explanation.

“Hogsmeade is beautiful. I got my lemon bars. This butterbeer is great,” she said raising up her mug in a toasting gesture. “And you haven’t been a complete arse and a half. I’d be tempted to stay. Today hadn’t been half bad,” she half smiled at him sincerely. It had been a pleasant outing.

“Then maybe you should run out of here,” His tone was dark, eyes lowering to the table. Her expression morphed into a confused one. “What?” She asked perplexed by the sudden shift in his mood.

“Leave,” He said warningly.

She was about to ask what the hell he was talking about when a third person joined their party. Blaise Zabini plopped himself next to Malfoy and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“I see it and I don’t believe it,” he began his eyes were fixed on the girl’s face but in his tone,  she could tell he was speaking to his friend. “You actually managed to get Saintday to act like a human for once.”

She narrowed her eyes at the dark boy, fighting the urge to utter a dull and confused ��Huh?’

Draco’s silver eyes bounced from her perplexed expression to Zabini’s haughty one.

He really hadn’t meant for this to happen.

Xxxxx

Earlier in the week Crabbe and Goyle had been asking Malfoy about their plans to go to Hogsmeade this weekend. The three wanted to go and try one of each of Honeyduke’s products. Draco told them to do whatever they wanted to do since he’d be visiting the village with Nel Saintday.

“With Saintday?” Zabini who suddenly walked into the dormitory asked as if he had just said the name of a disease. “Why are you going with Saintday?” He asked again wrinkling his nose in distaste.

Nel wasn’t an easy person to like. She was hostile to most. She also wasn’t the prettiest girl in their class, but she wasn’t the most rotten looking of them all. Of course, with cheap clothes, choppy bangs and dull hair that reached her shoulders you bet someone like Zabini wouldn’t have spared her a second glance. Not to mention she had no surname or a single galleon to her name.

Draco felt judged under his friend’s gaze. Crabbe and Goyle were also looking at him oddly. So, he did what he knew how to do best. He lied.

“Just a bet I have going on with Flint,” he lied with ease bouncing a stress ball on his ‘uninjured’ hand. “We want to see if Saintday is actually half Hagraven or not,” he laughed cruelly lowering his eyes as he alluded to the horrid bird like monster. Would it have been easier to tell them another lie? That he was forcing her to go to Hogsmeade with him? Or maybe the truth? The fact that he often enjoyed her company. Was that so terribly wrong? “Yeah?” Zabini laughed loudly at the comparison. “How much?” He said plopping himself at the foot of Malfoy’s emerald green bed.

Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a confused look. As far as their dim heads knew, there was no bet. “Nothing, really,” Malfoy shrugged. “This I’m doing for fun.”

Zabini let out a low whistle. “You and Saintday, Hogsmeade,” he shook his head in disbelief. “This I gotta see.”

Which was when Theodore Nott walked in and exited the room just as quickly shook by what he had just heard.

Xxxxx

“So are you?” Zabini jabbed. “Half a Hagraven?” He laughed before taking a sip from his own butterbeer he had been carrying.

Draco didn’t want to look at Elowen’s hurt expression. He had tried to warn her. To get her to leave as conspicuously as possible. Meanwhile Blaise was eyeing her attire up and down. He noticed the contrasting sweater and arched an eyebrow. Somehow it looked familiar to him. Blaise was known for being the quiet Slytherin but when he spoke it stung.

“Oh,” He said after a long sip.

Besides it was no surprise he was being so terribly rude. Blaise was friends with Pansy. He’d do everything in his power to help her at any time. No matter the circumstances. “You actually…” He looked between the blonde and the brunette sitting in the booth with him. “Ohhh,” he clicked his tongue. “You actually thought the two of you were…?” He began laughing before finishing that statement.

Friends? Nel filled the spot he had left blank in his speech. The nearby boys at the Slytherin table who were eavesdropping were beginning to laugh a little louder. “You really thought this was a date, didn’t you? Even brought out your nicest sweater and all.”

No. That was definitely not what this was.

She was hurt. She looked at Blaise with a callous expression. How could someone be so cruel? Turning her eyes to Draco she looked at him with an incredulous expression. He wasn’t going to say anything? He wasn’t going to correct Blaise? Tell him the truth? Come out clean and defend her? From the looks on his face, he wasn’t.

Her nails had been gripping the skin of her upper legs so tightly that half-moon marks were beginning to form on them. A familiar anger from the humiliation began boiling in her temples brining in a terrible migraine. Her eyes now turned into black angry slits fixed on the blonde before her who looked paler than usual. This was his last chance. Either he told Zabini and the rest of the lot the truth or she’d make him pay for this – gravely. She’d make them all pay for this.

Again, he didn’t.

xxxxx

A wizard and his owl were perched outside of the Three Broomsticks calmly sipping on a cup of tea. It really was such a lovely afternoon. A storm seemed a distance away. Until he noticed something odd. His porcelain cup lightly rattled and upon closer inspection he noticed a halo forming in the golden liquid. He lifted it up analyzing it and it was then that he felt it. The sudden vibrations on the ground.

He barely managed to move out of the way before the explosion. The Three Broomsticks blew up. The window and entire side wall was blown to a mess debris of brick and wood. Inside the remains of the curtains and booth had been set ablaze. Blaise removed his coat which had caught fire. Malfoy was aggressively trying to pat down the flames that burned the sleeves of his sweater. Students ran array away from the incendio, there was screaming, broken mugs and other broken windows from the explosion. Other brave wizards stepped forward to put the fire out.

Nel didn’t stop to take responsibility for her explosive temper. She quickly walked back to the carriages and got in the first one alone. She didn’t even bother with her uneasiness around Therstals. Hot tears were beginning to threaten to spill from her eyes. She wiped them off before they could break the barrier of her eyes.

Arriving at Hogwarts feeling no remorse and already late for lessons with Lupin she stormed into the professor’s office where Harry and him were already waiting for her.

Both took in her appearance her disheveled hair, the torn sweater, the skin stained with soothe and small glass cuts on her face.

Lupin and Harry exchanged a look. Both shock and concern in their eyes. Harry didn’t think he had ever seen anybody bearing so much anger. Not even his Aunt Petunia when he accidentally destroyed her garden that one-time Uncle Vernon fell out the window and broke an arm because of him. Nel was livid. Harry had a feeling that whatever it was what had happened they’d find out soon.

“Nel,” Lupin began carefully hoping the nickname would ease her flaming temper. After all anger was a sudden and impulsive reaction. “Perhaps we should try this another time? You see the spell requires you to be in a calm state of mind-“

“I am calm!” She snapped. She not calm.

Lupin pondered for a moment. She’d attempt a Patronus and she would probably fail. What could be the worst that could happen? She’d try and fail again and again until she got tired. Maybe it would even be good thing since it would allow her to blow off some steam.

She whipped out her wand and braced herself. Ready to think of her strongest memory she could. Ready to cast the incantation. The words already memorized in her head. Harry stepped in front of the Boggart which turned into a Dementor.

With a deep scowl on her face, an aching soul and a heavy heart she pointed at the dark creature before her. “Expecto Patronum!” She shouted. As the anger pulsed through her being instead of joy.

It all happened so fast.

She was taken aback when instead of a pure white light an obsidian one with tints of burgundy was casted. She was so shocked she dropped her wand almost as if it had burned her skin.

Whatever spell she had casted; this dark orb instead attacked Harry. Leeching the energy out of him almost like a dementor.

“Expecto Patronum!” Lupin was quick to act, and a silver wolf erupted from the tip of his wand. The spirit chased off and vanished whatever vile thing had come out from her cursed wand.

Harry fainted.

Rushing Lupin turned to face the Boggart ready to cast riddikulus at it. However, he stopped. He heart faint painful sobs and witnessed a truly horrifying sight.

The Boggart has shifted.

Lupin saw two girls in his office.

Nel Saintday had a twin.

One of the girls was smiling with malice, savoring the horrible moment. Enjoying the pain and destruction it had created. The other was emotionally wounded and crumbled into a sobbing mess.

He couldn’t tell which one was the real one...