#assured??? thats how u spell it?

[jrueships]

if u think i don't think about every rarepair ive come up with at all times like the plague... U ! R! RONG

[limpfisted]

what you're describing about a gross pirate Town is basically Luskan.

i assure u it is also what baldur’s gste is described as in descent to avernus and murder im baldurs gate—tho i will say there is still stuff abt like how nobles want the upper city to be so clean no butchere are even allowed outside of the outer city and u cant be in the wide with weird smells or loud noises (its a nuanced thing)! theres also like. whole seedy taverns inside of pirate ships rin by criminals, stuff of that nature!

tho i do recognize what ur saying, and i really need to play neverwinter nights, not only for luskan—but for menzoberrezan (spelling idk her i have approximate knowledge of many things), and in my personally opinion of what ive seen, superior writing and narrative framing around stuff like the gods.

like this is unreasonably raw. not just that u get to talk to mykrul. that u walk up his pelvis, up his spine. thats fool as shit. u simply dont get moments like that in bg3, theres very little scene framing that really hits for me like this

but also, anon…. you must understand

i have not read hundreds of pages of lore books for neverwinter, nor luskan. i read those pages for wyll and baldur’s gate. so i kind of would like to see baldur’s gate look like that instead of a generic renessiance festival

no hate! its just a let down. the coolest parts of bg are simply not here. and its like. ok why am i here then LMAO

[theravencawsatmidnight]

Can u do a draco " we r in public!!!" Pls <3

YES I CAN TYSM BB

Nsfw

You never liked reunions or get-togethers that much , the annual reunion at Hogwarts was today and for some reason Draco wanted to go, probably to let all his former classmates know how well off he has been and how blessed he was to have you . it was more the second option..

“Dray…”

“Sshh...shh sh sh no ones looking”

You felt your loves hand dip further down your skirt past your panties sending chills all up your spine and legs . you hoped to the gods your face was not giving away what was going on right now. Draco insisted you join him at the table with Harry and Ron while he talked about his achievements. At first you had no problem with it , everything was going fine and you enjoyed seeing your former wizard mates. But then Draco placed his palm just at the end of your skirt and slowly dipped his fingers under the hem. You could not say anything when you felt his fingers trace along your panties , just grab his arm in a vice grip only for him to give you a snickering grin.

At first it was light teasing, Draco would rub his index finger right around your clit in little circles when he spoke and when someone else was talking he would stop. It sent you over the edge because he kept egging the two on so they would interrupt him to say something, every time you felt that swirling in your stomach start to grow it would subside making you whine as quietly as you could.

He knew this and Draco was more than happy to keep this going till you fell apart in front of him begging him to take you somewhere private so he could stuff you full of his cock. So he played with you, for a long long time.

“Draco.. We are in public..!!!!…” you pleaded with him, you could feel the wetness forming against your panties now and Dracos finger just spread it around more.

“y/n? Are you alright?” Ron asked you. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“Is headless nick around?” Harry asked, looking around the room for the ghost.

“Im.. heh fine. Promise”

“Yeah” Draco pressed his thumb against your clit smiling when he felt your thighs shake. “Shes great”

Harry and Ron were a little skeptical but you assured them everything was okay and they moved on the conversation. By now Draco had removed his hand from under your skirt to rest it on your thigh giving you a moment's peace. He leaned on you, placing a gentle cheeky kiss on your forehead . “my lovely y/n, top of her class ya know. Ravenclaws star student.” gloated the man.

“Oh yeah thats right huh?” Harry asked you , “what was it you specialized in again?”

“Uh.. Charms and …-” Draco dipped his hand under your skirt and past your panties but stopping right when you cut yourself off.

“..!!!”

“Hm? Whats wrong love?” he dipped his head at you grinning.

“N-nothing, uhm.. Spells . charms and spells.”

“Could you tell us about it? I was never the brightest at charms” Ron asked you , Harry agreed too.

“Well as long as you-” Dracos hand dipped further past your clit right to your pussy , he slipped his middle and index finger in curling them. “You-you… read the .. notes and practice.” he moved his slick fingers in and out faster and faster matching how fast you were trying to get the words out. Another finger slipped in once you got more in depth on your explanations and the swirling sensation was back now. Draco placed another kiss on your forehead pulling you closer to him so he had his free hand on your thigh , parting it some to open you up more just for him to pull his fingers out , your orgasm escaping you, again.

“I never knew that y/n” Harry said.

“Me neither, maybe i should have looked at my notes more.” Ron added

“Too busy with Hermine you were” Harry teased.

“Oh yeah? And what of my sister huh?”

The two went back and forth and you gave Draco a pleading look,” Dray..”

“Ssh shh.. They're Not even paying attention..” he moved his hand back into your skirt and panties with a smile. “What do you want to do Pet?”

“C...u..”

“Hmm??” he pinched your clit with his thumb and index finger getting a jump out of you, he retracted his hand so he could pull you up.

“Dr!!-”

“We will be right back, I have a urge to see the castle” Draco said, dragging you off into the nearest empty room. He slammed the door and kicked a chair away. “Bend over Pet. ive waited so long to fuck you like the slut you are in this castle and i know you cant wait any longer.”

With no hesitation you bent over the nearest desk grinding your hips along the edge of the desk while Draco yanked your skirt and soaked panties down, a trail of slick connecting from your pussy to the damp fabric. “So fucking slutty. “ his warm tongue ran over your needy clit sending you over the edge. “Lets hope no one comes in ya?”

[killthe-illusionarydreams]

Ashes To Ashes

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Request: ‘Please could you write a Fred Weasley imagine where you’re inside the burrow when Bellatrix sets it on fire and Fred runs in to get you out?? Thank you, I’m really loving you writing!’ For anonymous

Ps- i havent read the books or seen the movies in a while so I kinda went w the time it was fleur & bills wedding & intergrated it w that, sorry if its not what u wanted but I did write Bellatrix’s attack in x

————

Today was the big day. For today was the the day where Fleur & Bill were finally to be wed. For their celebration to erase war from anyones thoughts, today they were just two kids in love, not undercover Order Workers. Today they were simply girl & boy.

“Oi Y/N hurry up, Fleur’s asking for you” Ginny shouts practically breathless as she runs past your room, trying to find Hermione for the bride.

You pick up the gorgeous bouqet that earlier today you picked up from the florist for the woman and made your way downstairs into the living room. As you take a closer look, you notice something is off. Fleur was standing rigidly still, looking in the mirror unblinking.

“Fleur, darling, are you alright?”

The woman remained silent, Y/N had no idea what to do, she’d never seen her friend so paniced, so immobile. Ever since Y/N’s sixth year (after the Triwizard Tournament) the two kept in contact, maintaining a solid friendship with the other, who wouldve known that years later Fleur would join the family that you had already been apart of.

“Its okay to be nervous.” You sit beside the Frenchwoman “Just talk through it” grabbing her hand you pull her down to sit beside you.

“It’z all so scary Y/N. I love Bill, I really do, but what if he realises he doesnt feel the same about me and leaves me there?” She faces you, eyes glossed over

That caused you to frowm slightly “Bill loves you more than he loves life itself Fleaur, everybody knows that he’d do anything for you just to see you happy- not many can say that they have a person like that.” You smile lightly, thinking about your person. “You constantly say how much you love him, so if you stil feel that for him, theres no need to be scared of getting married-These are the normal pre wedding doubts, none of them are true. Besides, I’m sure if Bill tried to run away from such a gorgeous and talented person as you, Molly would raise havoc and go to the ends of the earth to get him back.”

Fleur looks up at you, smiling, but with stray tears going down her face “Thank you Y/N” she throws herself forward and hugs you “It’s just a big step & I’ve been so emotional lately because of-“ she hesitates

A look of realisation dawns on you and you beam, hugging her once more but tighter “You’re joking? Congratulations!” You give her a peck on the cheek “Does Bill know?” You queried as she shook her head

“Non, I only confirmed it a week ago. Please dont tell anyone Y/N.” She looks at you with pleading eyes and you vigorously nod

“Of course. I wont say a thing, this is your secret. But how about we start getting ready for your wedding hmm.”

As Y/N started to do Fleurs makeup, Hermione rushed in with the wedding dress that her and Molly had been making final adjustments to, Ginny was running around frantically trying to get all the guests in the right places and seats. Once commisioning your help to shout at a group of loiterers to leave the premises because they wouldnt listen to the red head girl. All in all, after many hours, Fleaur was ready.

“You look gorgeous.” Gabrielle beamed at her sister

“Stunning.”

“Ethereal.”

“I might just steal you from Bill” you wink and cause her to laugh and blow you a kiss “I’ll go get everyone ready, you still have plenty of time to relax.” Handing Gabrielle the bouqet, you rush out of the room, which proved to be quite difficult in heels. But bearing through the pain, you get outside and see rows and rows of the fragile golden chairs set on either side of the long purple carpet. The supporting poles to the gazeebo top were entwined with gorgeous white and gold flowers. As you look to where there was supposed to be an enormous bunch of balloons, you frown to see it bare.

“George!” You shout getting his attention “Wheres Fred? You were supposed to the balloons up ages-“ you feel strong arms pick you up and spin you around, making you let out a shriek of surprise, thankfully not loud enough to get the attention of the others

“I’m here my love, disposable at your command.” He purrs into your ear, sending chills down your spine

“Put me down asshole” you laugh and turn to face him, before you could manage to say anything you were taken aback at how he looked. “You got a haircut.” You stated plainly and ran a hand through his hair as he put his arms around your waist.

“Correction, George cut my hair when I wasnt paying attention so ‘people would be able to tell the difference between us’” he wrinkled his nose

You stare at him, dumbstruck “As if the hole on the side of his head wasnt enough.” Fred laughs and says thats what he said “I like it, it suits you.”

Fred grins and kisses you, “Lets face it Y/N you like anything when its to do with me.”

You roll your eyes and hum in agreement “Thats because I love you Fred. But I will seriously consider breaking up with you if you dont get the balloons up as you promised.”

Fred gives you a small peck & jumps back from you “I’m on it!” and runs over towards his brother to finally do what he had to. You smile at him, reminiscing at how you managed to fall in love with such an idiotic man, yet you could never wish for more. Fred Weasley was truly perfect.

Shaking your head you turn back to the guests that were not where they were supposed to be before shouting “Get to your seats and away from the food please! Thats for after the ceremony!” You swat their hands before adding “If you dont know where youre supposed to be, go to Hermione and Molly, they will tell you.” You motion to the pair before walking around to make last minute adjustments.

The wedding ceremony went beautifully, Fleur was walked down with her bridesmaids: Gabrielle & Ginny. When in sight, she rendered everyone breathless, she was ethereal, the most gorgeous a person could possibly look. Molly teared up from the get go at the sight of her eldest marrying, many more joined in when they said their vows. You could not believe that the day of your friends wedding had finally arrived. Throughout the entire sitting down portion of the ceremony, Fred was holding your hand and rubbing circles on it, an assurance that through everything you went through- you were still together- still alive.

*

The loud music was ringing through the field, dancing bodies surrounded you, but you paid them no mind, your main focus on Fred.

“Did I tell you how gorgeous you look Y/N?”

You laugh lightly as you sway to the beat “No, I must’ve missed it the other ten times you said it”

“Well you do, absolutely bewitching, are you sure you didnt use a love poition on me? I never knew feeling this was possible.” He jokes as he spins you

“Must be my natural charm and charisma that got you so captured Fred.”

“Must be.” He mutters softly looking into your eyes. Fred was completely besotted by you, more than anyone had ever seen him be, he just knew that Y/N was perfect. The way that she’d light up any room she walked in, the way that she’d never back down from a challenge, and just simply how she made him feel. Dear Merlin he loved the girl. “After this do you fancy going away for a bit?”

You look at him sceptically “Planning out your murderous fantasies are we?”

He laughs and shakes his head “You’re impossible. No, since the shops closed I thought we could go away somewhere before everything with the war kicks off, I want as much time with you as I can get.”

“Oh” you forgot that the wizarding world was on the brink of war “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. But if you sneak George along i swear to Merlin I will live through my murderous fantasy & kill the pair of you.”

Fred chuckles again, before nodding “Promise, no George. I think he got an eyefull when he barged into our room without knocking.”

“Serves him right.” You mumble “I told him on multiple occasions to knock.”

The rest of the song died down and you stayed in Freds arms for a moment, before he was being wisked away to dance with Aunt Muriel, he held an awfully sour look as you giggled when she hounded on him to straighten his back, then saying that he was too tall.

“I’m a bit cold, I’ll go get a jacket then I’ll be right back” Y/N kissed his cheek & left to get back inside the burrow. Thinking nothing of it, she poured herself another drink, smiling to herself at how Fred would have to have another dance with Muriel. What an awful woman.

Unbeknown to the girl, a silver patronus intruded on the celebration to announce grave news. “The Ministary has fallen. The Minister of magic is dead. They are coming. They are coming.” Everyone scrabled to find their loved ones, to make sure that they were safe, but before Fred even had the chance to look for Y/N, everything burst into havoc. The gazeebo was now engulfed in flames, Death Eaters showing up everywhere to curse them.

“Y/N!” Fred shouted, frantically looking around for the girl “Y/N!”

He turned around and was greeted by a paniced Mr Weasley “Theres not much time Fred, I dont know where she is, you need to get to safety and leave. Now!”

Fred ignored his fathers protests and ran, dodging various spells being shot from either side. He had to find you, he had to know you were safe.

An abrupt crash jolts you back into reality, you get up to run and go outside but with a sudden ‘whoosh’ and black smoke- two Death Eaters appear infront of you.

“Shit.” You mumble & grab your wand, quickly dodging their spells you manage to knock one out & try to deal with the other. “You’re quite persistant-“ blue sparks shoot from your wand, the figure ran upstairs & you follow.

“And you’re associated with mud-blood scum!” A flash of green emerged from their wand that narrowly missed you, you grin

“You missed.” You kick a chair at the figure, momentarily distracting them to cast a spell “Stupefy! Petrificus totalus!” As the figure was knocked out & bound together, you walk over and spit out “Get a life, prick” snapping their wand in two.

In the middle of your fight, you had not noticed that the commotion outside had turned to an arsonists playground. looking through the window you call for Fred, hearing no response your heart stops, you leave the room & try to get down the stairs but now they were already engulfed by flames.

“Oh shit” you panic and shoot spells at it to stop the fire from spreading, but to no avail, it only got worse. Smoke was now clouding your vision, realising that if you were not to jump down you’d perish in this fire. Letting out a short breath, you hype yourself up for the leap of your life “You can do it Y/N. Come on” violetly coughing, you jump. Unfortunately landing a fair few stairs too high. Unbearable pain shoots up through your leg & you cry out in pain.

Sinking to the floor you couldnt even move, the pain in your arm and leg restricting you. This was it, this would be how you die. All alone, with no one to help you, no one to save you. In a burning house. Yet the only thought racing through your mind was ‘Is Fred safe’. Thankfully most of the fire was behind you, the staircase had completely gone up in flames however, the roof was begining to crumble down. A plank toppled down, narrowly missing you, but making the room next to you catch on fire.

As you were losing conciousness you hear a strained yell “Y/N!” You try to respond, but all that came out was a series of violent coughs “Y/N im coming, hang on!” You couldn’t see what was happening, i dont know if it was the thick cloud of smoke or the fact that you were breathing most of it in, but your vision blurred.

A faint figure emerged, breathless, trying to get through the flames & to you fast enough “Hey Y/N ive got you, im here.” You felt yourself being picked up & your body fell like a ragdoll. “Oh merlin dont die on me Y/N.” Was the last thing you heard before passing out.

*

The abrupt light and noise woke you up, yet you were unable to open your eyes, they were far too heavy for the little energy you had. Were you dead? Is this what death felt like?

“Stop pacing Fred, she’ll be fine.” You heard a voice say, however, unable to distinguish who it belonged to “shes a strong girl, the nurses said so.”

“Yeah they also said she’d wake up yesterday, so my apologies if I dont believe what they have to say.” He snapped

Fred. Oh yes, Fred. He came into the building to save you didnt he? So that answered your question of being dead. You were very much alive, but dear Merlin you were in unbearable pain.

“She’ll be up and about soon though? Her body was exhausted thats why shes sleeping so long right?” He continued, sounding unsure. Well if this is how they reacted to you passing out you wouldn’t want to know how theyd react if you died.

“And id appreciate it if I could sleep some more.” You croak out as you let your eyes open. Coming to face the whole clan of distressed red heads, Harry, Hermione & Fleur.

Fred snaps to face you and a look of relief washes over his features “Y/N” he whispers and rushes to your side hugging you “You’re okay. You’re alive. Thank Merlin.”

You try to chuckle, which abruptly turns into a wheze “I’m okay yeah, in a lot of pain but I’m fine.” Fred retreats from you, an apologetic look on his face.

“Come on kids lets give them some space.” Molly ushers everyone out of the room “I’m glad you’re okay Y/N” she sends you a smile and leaves the room for you and Fred to be alone.

Moments pass with Fred just looking at you with glassy eyes before he abruptly let out “You bloody scared me half to death!”

You motion for him to help you sit up “Oh I do apologise that me nearly burning in a fire scared you. I wasnt very happy about it either.”

Fred looks at you speachless, confused at how you can joke about it so soon. He remains quiet before letting out a big sigh and hanging his head into his lap “I thought I lost you.” He mumbles, barely loud enough for you to hear

“Hey, look at me.” You say and put his face into your left hand with the little energy you have “I’m okay, I’m alive. And so are you” he smiles faintly before you continue “Obviously as gorgeous as ever, so nothing irreversible happened.”

He laughs “Obviously.”

While in the room Fred filled you in on what happened, that after the Death Eaters showed up & they fought them off- Bellatrix Lestrange set fire to the burrow & he ran in to get you out. He told you that you passed out & that you had to be taken to St Mungos to treat your broken leg and the burn on your arm.

“The nurses said you were lucky to get out alive Y/N” he said lowly, not being able to bear the thought of your death.

“Im alive because of you Fred. Thank you.” You offer a weak smile “There were two Death Eaters in the house when it burned up-“

“Thats not on your concious to bear, Its on Bellatrix Lestrange.”

You nod, in all honesty you didnt feel bad that they perished in the fire- their downfall was their own undoing. But what was on your mind was the fire burn “When I’m better do you recon I’ll l have a cool badass scar?”

Fred shakes his head as he holds your hand, of course thats what Y/N is thinking about “‘course you will, It’ll become part of badass backstory.”

“Good” you mumble and close your eyes. After a long silence you relax back into your pillow, the sleeping draft & skelly-grow hitting you like a brick. You begin to mumble incoherent sentences

“Hey Freddie?”

He looks at your peaceful face, all calm against the pillow and responds “Yes my love?”

After a little pause of small mumbles, you ask “When I’m better, can we leave for our trip?”

“Whatever you want Y/N.” He smiles lightly & watches you drift off to sleep, hoping that ‘better’ would come along faster.

—————

Ahh okay hi! Omg this took so long to write, again sorry its not the actual bellatrix fire story, i jus forgot how it happened & when I remembered I wrote too much of it. <33

[carnalpleasure]

this one turned out way longer than i expected and it’s too long to post under a cut??? idk how tumblr works ok. but you finally get a lil taste of warlock!richard🔥😏 or would it be hawthorne!richard ?

anyways i think this ones pretty cute and im even more excited to go write the next part <3 thank u to everyone thats read this far 🥺 ILY

Light My Fire

The Warlock Council had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of their newest student. They’d planned to meet Richard bright and early that morning, but Michael insisted on letting him sleep in and rest up. So Ariel reluctantly postponed the meeting until all the classes were done for the day. And yet, they still were late to arrive. The master warlocks were quickly losing patience as they sat in their usual conference hall, once again debating on whether or not Richard even belonged there.

“Baldwin, you’re being naive,” John Henry said, his frustration evident in his voice. “The boy doesn’t possess any powers, he is being possessed,” he urged.

“How can you be so sure, John Henry?” Ariel interjected. “You said the same thing about Michael and look at what an asset he’s turned out to be.”

“I’m still not convinced on that one yet either,” John Henry muttered.

They had been debating this ever since Ariel received the tape from a frightened nurse at the clinic. She didn’t want anything to do with Richard anymore after seeing that footage, but she didn’t have the heart to turn him into the authorities since they couldn’t prove he was responsible either. Ariel and Baldwin only wanted to believe that the young boy was a powerful, promising warlock. While John Henry and Behold were less optimistic, believing it to be just a typical case of demonic possession.

Just as John Henry was taking out his pocket watch again to check the time, the tall arched door creaked open, echoing through the halls of the hallow room. Michael walked in first while Richard stood hesitantly in the doorway, his messy bangs partially hiding his face. Michael turned back to him, nodding for him to follow. “Come on,” he said softly, coaxing him in. The quiet brunette rushed to his side, like a shy little kid clinging to his mom’s leg in the grocery store.

“Richard! We’re so glad you made it! How was the trip?” Ariel perked up as soon as he saw the boys, quickly forgetting all about the argument. He walked right up to Richard, putting his hands on the boys shoulders and giving him the biggest, fakest smile the pissed off boy had ever seen. He quickly took a step back, pulling away from Ariel’s grip and giving him a look of pure hate and disgust. He hated this guy already. He was so arrogant, the way he talked, treating him like an old friend when he’d never met this man. But putting his hands on him? That irritated him more than anything.

Ariel was either oblivious to his anger, or he was ignoring it. But he moved right on without skipping a beat. “Well then, gentlemen. Shall we proceed with the first test?” He looked back at the other three warlocks, as if waiting for applause. His voice was rich with excitement as he returned to his seat at the table. He seemed overeager and it made Richard uncomfortable. He scooted closer to Michael, shooting him a nervous look. The anxiety was nearly radiating off him at this point.

Michael put his hands behind his back, like how he always stood when he was observing something of importance. But he had a different reason for it this time. He snapped his fingers to discreetly get Richard’s attention, signaling him to take his hand. The brunette reached for his hand right away and the boys locked fingers behind Michael’s back without the other warlocks ever noticing. It helped a bit, Richard’s heart rate started to slow and some of the tension melted away.

The four master warlocks were sat at the table like a panel of judges. They all remained straight faced and silent as Ariel took over, proceeding with the test. “Now Richard, since it is your first time using magic, we’ll start small. Today’s test will be a simple one. Any level one warlock can eventually master this.” As if on cue, Baldwin produced a single candle and set it on the center of the table. Michael let go of his hand then. He moved his hand to the small of Richard’s back and lightly nudged him forward.

“Pyrokinesis,” Ariel announced, “The ability to-“

“I know what it means,” Richard interrupted.

Ariel paused, his enthusiastic smile turning cold. This boy was testing his patience, although he’d never show it. Ariel was a master of masking his emotions. “Such a smart boy,” he said dryly. “Well then, let’s see if you can figure out how it’s done. Light the candle.”

Richard froze. That’s it? No directions? No magic spell? How the hell do you start a fire with nothing? He wanted to find out how just so he could burn this ridiculous place down.

Michael’s hand returned to Richard’s lower back, the small touch assuring him he was still right by his side. “Concentrate,” Michael’s tone was soft and soothing. “Think of the wick as someone that’s hurting you, think about how you would focus your rage towards that person, then direct it there.” Richard tried to listen to his words but he couldn’t focus on the candle, or on Michael. All he could feel was the pressure building. These four powerful men had all eyes on him, waiting for him to practically perform a miracle. His heart started to pound again, his hands shaking, feeling like his skin was crawling.

Without thinking, he turned around and ran for the door, stumbling into the hallway and trying to remember which direction they came from. Michael immediately went after him, “Hey, wait. Come here,” he pleaded, reaching out to grab him gently by the arm. Richard tried to shake him off and pull away but Michael grabbed him with both hands and pulled him into his chest where the brunette collapsed in his arms instantly. He buried his face in Michael’s chest trying to hide his shame. His burning red cheeks and watery eyes gave it away. Richard never cried unless it was tears of rage.

“I’m not like you, I can’t..” he grumbled into Michael’s chest. The blonde had his arms wrapped around him, running a hand through his soft brown hair soothing him almost instantly. “You’re just nervous,” Michael replied, his tone soft and forgiving. “Let me help you,” he whispered pleading, his lips brushing against Richard’s ear lightly as he spoke. Richard’s whole body started trembling at the sensation. Feeling the boy’s sudden reaction gave Michael an idea.

He ran his hand carefully up Richard’s chest to his neck, slowly letting his fingers wrap around the boy’s throat. Richard’s eyes went wide, completely taken by surprise as he felt Michael’s grip tighten, forcing him to look up at the blonde. The look on Michael’s face was seductive yet sinister as he leaned in, painfully slow, pressing their lips together and kissing Richard for the first time. Ever. Richard had never been kissed before by anyone and the brand new sensation sent sparks flying. Literally.

Every candle in the entire corridor burst into flames and the whole room was suddenly illuminated in a bright orange glow. The chandeliers started to swing violently and the hallway was filled with warmth. They pulled away from the kiss just in time to see that last of the light show. The candles flickered wildly and the last sounds of crackling fire echoed through the halls.

“Did you do that?” Richard asked, looking up at Michael in shock. He started to get angry, feeling like he’d just fallen for a trick. But the blonde shook his head, beaming with pride as he looked back at the boy. “No, baby. That was all you.”

A look of confusion crossed the brunettes face, his brows furrowing together as he took a moment to process what just happened. After a minute his eyes shot up to meet Michael’s gaze again. “How did you know it would work?” he asked.

Michael smiled, “Magic is a feeling. I just needed to make you feel something.”

Richard thought about that answer for a moment before reaching up to steal another kiss, surprising Michael yet again. Then he grabbed the boy by the hand and dragged him back into the meeting room where the Wizard Council had begun packing up their things for the day.

“You came back,” John Henry said dryly. “We were beginning to think you checked back into the clinic.” Michael wanted to burn the guy’s face off for even saying such a thing. He shot John Henry a look that was just short of demonic, it was a warning more than an intimidation.

“I can do it now,” Richard professed. His body was still buzzing from the kiss and he felt more sure of himself than ever. The only thing that could possibly feel as good as this, would be wiping the smug looks of their faces now.

“You’re late, we don’t have time-“ Baldwin started to shut him down but Ariel waved a hand, signaling him to be silent. “Let’s be fair now, Baldwin. Give the boy another shot. Why not.” Ariel sounded sarcastic and uninterested, as if he didn’t believe Richard.

“Really, Ariel? What’s the point?” John Henry asked, taking out the pack of cigarettes he always carried in his breast pocket. He put one to his lips, but before he could even reach for his lighter, the tip of the cigarette sparked, lighting up and glowing cherry red. It took John Henry by surprise and he inhaled too quickly, sucking in a harsh cloud of smoke and coughing.

The other warlocks all turned immediately to look at Richard, looks of shock and disbelief on their faces. It wasn’t as big as the display Michael had just witnessed in the hall, that’s for sure. But it definitely got the point across and got their attention. Ariel’s face lit up and a smile formed from ear to ear.

“That was excellent, Richard! You passed your first test!” he said with a laugh, his ego skyrocketing as his suspicions about the boy were affirmed. It was a small display of power, yes. But it was a sure indicator that the power was there. And that was all Ariel needed to know to officially induct him into the prestigious school.

“It’s settled then! Tomorrow morning. You’ll start attending classes with Michael right away. The two of you have a lot of studying to do.” He put a hand on each of the boy’s shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze and looking at both of them like a proud dad would stare into the eyes of his sons. It made Richard feel unsettled, and Michael feel adored.

He dismissed the meeting then, sending the boys back to their room to get plenty of rest for tomorrow’s next test. As soon as they were out in the hall, Michael snaked his arms around Richard’s waist, pulling the brunette in close for another kiss. Richard put his hands on the blonde’s face, running them up into his hair and grabbing a fistful of his blonde curls roughly. “Come on,” he mumbled between kisses, “let’s go make some magic.”

💕taglist: @sexwon131 @jimmason @whatcodysaid @theneverendinghunger @angelicmichael @langdons-butterfly @thewarriorprincessxo

[laiqart]

The Untamed vs MDZS Anime: Which is better?

Going to japan now. Currently in the plane. The in flight tv is broken. So... ive been watching mdzs on youtube!

Hot damn the animation is beautiful. Every frame is a work of art. How the hell. Its so beautiful. I mean they use 3D a lot for the backgrounds and boats but its still gorgeous and not too jarring. The lighting is so realistic, scenery too. All the fighting choreography is beautiful. The way the swords swing in the air looks so fluid, and when swords clash its in flashes of light the color of their sword. Such a tasteful yet stylistic choice. Everyone's, esp wwx, hair is so flowy, so detailed every strand sways in the wind. The waves reflect light and move smoothly. How the hell did they do that. How. I was thinking of doing those screencap redraw thingy with the scene when wwx whacks lwj's boat. (they also emphasised how far lwj's boat was sinking into the water, which makes it more convincing how wwx can deduce that theres something underneath vs the live action where lwj's boat looked normal..) it was damn beautiful. The thing is, the point of these redraws is that the animation looks simple, so the redraw would enhance the scene. But for mdzs, everything is already in peak quality, redrawing it will only look worse. Its like writing fanfiction of books. The original writing is so damn beautiful, fan fiction ends up being such a stark difference that the reader cant help but compare the 2.

Drama, as everyone says, shows better facial expressions due to the live actors, so emotions hit harder. But anime def LOOKs way better in all action scenes. Angles that follow the characters are used to emphasise scale between enemy and chracters, and all the movements feel so dynamic, and i love how when they use talisman spell thingies they got a circle of light in an intricate pattern thats super beautiful. In the drama, its just a piece of paper.

However, i prefer drama's lwj. Maybe cos wyb looks so young, its more believable when he freaks out over the adult book that wwx gives him in the library scene. In the anime, he looks 20+-30+. Its a bit hard to believe that he'd be worried over that. Idk theres a kind of innocence and naivety that leads to the stubborn refusal to express emotion that young lwj is plagued with that we have in the untamed (was this intentional on wyb's part or is it because the teenage lwj wig made his eyes look floaty, so he seems more like a teenager and naive, less experienced as a cultivator vs lwj 13 years later? Dk but it works!). In the anime, he looks like an adult thats calm and level headed already from the get-go. Idk maybe i just havent watched enough (only seen up til the water demons in caiyi town). In both anime and drama, everyone and i mean EVERYONE besides the fricking babies looks the same 13/16 years later. It doesn't feel like time has passed at all. I wish they would have maybe a change in costume, or hairstyle in the anime. The drama at least changes their costumes a little and neatens the hairstyle of jiang cheng and lwj to indicate maturity.

Btw i love that in the anime for the water demons section they had wwx and jc casually chatting (though its a blatant cornetto ad which is fricking weird. How can there be frozen treats back in those days), then wwx beautifully catapulting himself onto a boat and rowing away showing the unique and romantic af mode of transport in caiyi town, then smoothly transitioning to the lan bros on the bridge right above them with lwj asking why lxc decided to bring them along. Its just tying together so many scenes, quickening the plot along and yet doing it so naturally and seamlessly compared with the novel and drama.

Though i like that the drama involved wn and wq and have wwx save wn, and makes way more sense why wn would want to risk his life to help wwx recover his parents fricking corpse illegally right under the nose of wen chao and wen zhuliu.

The anime removed the entire mystery plot of a yan and the fairy goddess statue and thats honestly the best best best choice to make. In the drama, it was one of the worse sections ever cos i didnt understand who all these random ass characters were (it was one of the first mysteries in the drama) and yet it didnt go into detail like they did in the novel, so not only did i not know what was going on, i also didnt give a single shit about the characters. When i saw that they completely did away with the random passer bys who screwed around with the fairy statue, i was thoroughly impressed.

I liked that the drama let nhs have his own trouble making moments tho, like having him sneak a live bird into class. It makes it more convincing that wwx would be friends with him because they both have a mischievous side that they can both appreciate in each other. In the anime, nhs just looks like a loser nerd thats weak in swordplay and does wwx's homework for him, without a will of his own. It doesnt make sense why wwx would keep him around. Then again, maybe itll make the reveal that nhs is a conniving mastermind more impactful for the anime, oh well only time will tell.

I liked that lxc and lwj look similar in the anime. Its more convincing when people call them the twin jades of the lan clan. In the drama, they hardly looked like brothers. Lxc looks more like lwj's mentor or teacher rather than an older brother. In the anime, they look more siblingy.

I miss drama wen ning. I rmb when he looked so fierce and terrifying in his first appearance. I was legit intimidated. Oh how hes changed! Hes so fluffy now. In the anime hes equally menacing. His fight scene with the statue goddess was so beautiful. Doesnt it take a long time to animate the chains moving so fluidly yet dynamically yet somehow looks like it can disintegrate rock in an instant? The lighting on it too, how it reflected the fire of the forest around them. Have i mentioned how beautiful having that fight scene at night was? It was dark and ominous looking, yet the fire cast an epic looking light over the scene with warm orange glows. And the animators had that fiery light reflected in anything they could find: eyes, chains, swords.

Ooh but jiang cheng's whip looked prettier in the drama than in the anime, which is kind of weird given they were both cgi-ed. Somehow the lighting of the whip in the drama was brighter, looked more like real lightning vs the whip in the anime looking a little dull, like they colored it then added a gray filter. This is kinda bizarre given the laughably bad effects of the effects for everything else in the drama. Visuals for non human things is not the drama's strong suit, so it makes u wonder what happened for the anime whip. Maybe in the dark, the lightning would have to look hella bright and reflect on the surroundings (tedious to color) more so than in the day, hence why it looked worse in anime vs drama. Oh well.

As for lan sizhui, its weird that his voice is so deep in the anime (and audio drama!). Ive always seen him as a kiddo thanks to the live action, so hearing him sound mature is kinda off-putting. He sounds like a leader, and gives off lwj vibes vs in the live action where he gives a goody two shoes studious nerd vibe, whos just trying his best. Maybe this is better, he feels way more like a lwj-raised child(serious and business-like) which makes more sense. Live action lsz feels like a wwx(optimistic and intelligent) AND lwj(well-behaved and sensible)-raised child. Anime lsz looks like hes got his shit together. Jinling is fairly similar in both, maybe less prideful in the anime (in live action theres the scene where im pretty sure he indirectly kills one of his men by wishing for the fairy goddess statue to come to life. That was a hella asshole move. This was omitted in the anime.) Jingyi in the anime somehow looks snarkier. Maybe cos he straight up duels with jinling and kicks him down a dark cave. Ive been wondering why all the tumblr posts depict ljy as this sassy ass short tempered kid when he was quite tame (though sassy by lan standards) in the live action. Now i know.

The costumes for the drama is better, more detailed though thats expected i guess. I just love that they have little white gusu lan clan uniforms that wwx jc and friendos are required to wear. Its so cute and such a cool detail. In anime, theyre all in their usual garb, and they just look like random people who decided to turn up at lan qirens class. In the drama, it looks more like a school that they have to attend for half a year and it feels characteristic that gusu lan clan would require their students to have a uniform, given their incredibly strict regime type. It also serves to separate the happy carefree school days from all the other tragic af events in wwx's life. His costume starts out white showing innocence and purity of his naiive teenage years who had yet to experience hardship and still feels invincible as a youth. After school, he wears dark blue, as he goes on an adventure with lanzhan and experience how important the yin iron is (gives up the joking light hearted nature as a teenager by realizing the gravity of situation if the wen clan gets their hands on it) and maybe that hes not truly part of the jiang clan who wears purple. Then his costume eventually becomes black as he experiences his first life and death situation that he isnt sure he can handle. That child like assurance that "oh the seniors will let me off" or "im sure jiang fengmian will come to my rescue" gets demolished when he undergoes cruel indoctrination at the wen clans. This visual development may be a bit on the nose, but personally i love subtle representations.

Overall, the anime does do a better of job of explaining the world's mechanics, which is quite important. The drama is quite faithful to the book, at times even more so than the anime, so it irks me that this is the one thing they decide to skim on. The god damn premise, the first thing the audience needs: why the hell is wwx alive again and what is mo xuanyu doing?? I guess the drama thought that it explains itself but it doesnt really. It was really confusing. The anime, though somehow faster than the drama, still has the time to properly explain mxy. A technique ive noticed is that they do exposition during the fight scenes, which is so ingenius. Its visually appealing, as always, so its not boring, the viewers gets to understand whats going on AND it gives the sense that the characters are so skilled that they carry causal conversations while fighting supposedly weak enemies like zombies and water ghosts, which is accurate seeing how wwx and lwj and friends are supposed to be one of the most powerful cultivators.

TL;DR both are good lol

[slut-4-beetlejuice]

The Demon and the Board (beetlejuice fanfiction

Otherwise known as "Beeja-Board 2 electric boogaloo" also known as "I actually put a lot of effort into this, but I'm going to pretend like I didnt and make jokes about it to protect my pride lol"

Couple of PSAs: 1. So, this is kind of a sequel to my beetlejuice ouija board headcannons, check that out to see how we got here, and 2. So, I'm not all that experienced in writing BJ, so constructive criticism is always welcome! Hopefully I'll figure him out as we go along.

Ok, here we go!

"So babes, you wanna know what a bio exorcist is?" The green haired demon asked through a smirk. You stared at him blankly, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. One moment you were playing with an ouija board, then shit got wild and now theres a demon standing in your bedroom. And to make matters worse, his suit was giving you a headache. "Wh...what the hell?!" You asked, confused. "Who are you, wha-..." you started putting the pieces together. "You're beetlejuice, arent you?" "Sh sh shhh!!" The specter scolded you. "Careful with the b word babes. And yea, thats me," he flashed you a wicked grin "the ghost with the most."

You laughed a bit. Well, more forcefully breathed out. "Holy shit I summoned a demon." "Yes, yes you did!" He laughed, "now, do you wanna know what a bio exorcist is or not?" You rolled your eyes at the admittedly cute man in front of you. "Sure," you shrug, "what is a bio exorcist?" Beetlejuice grinned and whipped out a white board. "Ok, so, when you die in your house, you have to stay there for a certain amount of time" he said, drawing a house with little dead stick figures in it. "But, as you a breather know, when people are no longer alive, and therefore can no longer pay rent, new, living people are brought in to pay for the house!" He explained, erasing the dead stick figures and putting in living ones. "Now, normally, this ain't a problem. If you dont like the new roommates, scare em out" he started drawing ghosts. "But what if you're bad at scaring? See, that's where I come in."

Beetlejuice threw the whiteboard behind his back and smiled, standing straighter and straightening out his suit. He stuck his hand out for you to shake. You did. He was...cold yes, but somehow warmer than you expected. "Hi!" He grinned, "I'm B-E-E-T-L-E-J-U-I-C-E, The bio exorcist! I come in and scare out all the breathers so you can breath easy, and ya know, rest in peace and all that jazz!"

You laughed. You found it odd that he spelled out his name despite no longer being in the ouija board, but still found his whole display very entertaining. And oh man, he looked pleased as punch to get a laugh out of you. He had to admit, he found this breather to be better looking than most. They seemed so sweet too...

"So what's your name beautiful" he grinned, showing off his slightly yellow teeth. "Y/N" you said, grinning back. "And, I appreciated the lesson in bio exorcism. Is that a common profession for the afterlife?" Beetlejuice shook his head. "Nope! I'm the one and only! Pretty damn good at it too, if I do say so myself." He seemed so cocky and sure of himself. What you wouldn't give for that kind of confidence...

"So, wait," you asked, "if you're a bio exorcist, what we're you doing in an ouija board?" Suddenly, the spectors demeanor changed. It looked almost like his vibrate green hair started to turn blue at the ends and he scratched the back of his head, looking down. "Well, eh... being dead is kind of lonely. I dont talk to anyone really. Well, I mean, there's my best friend, but shes got like, school and stuff, and friends that are still alive like here and we dont talk as much as we used to. Theres this dead couple that live- well...exist in the house too, but I'm pretty sure I'm just annoying to them. I'm annoying to everyone. I though ouija board duty would be a good way to make new friends." Something he said bothered you. "You dont annoy me" you assured the demon. "Yet" he mumbled back. You smiled softly at him.

"I dont think you can annoy me. I dont believe it." "Oh you should." He said bluntly, "I'm a demon for a reason." You shook you head, "nope, done believe it. You'll have to prove it." Beetlejuice looked up at you, a smile tugging at his lips as he caught on. "Oh yea? Is that a challenge?" He purred, the green returning to his hair. Did...did it change color with his moods?

"Yes sir, yes it is!" You said smugly. "I bet I could summon you every day and still not get annoyed." "Oh you're on!" Beetlejuice laughed, loving a good challenge. Then, he felt it. The farmilar tug in the back if his head of a summons. Lydia. Shit, how long had he been gone? She must be worried about him.

"Uh, hey babes, I gotta go. Urgent bio exorcist business." He said, dispite not wanting to leave. "But, I'm holding you to this challenge! If you dont summon me tomorrow, I'm gonna say I won. You know how to summon me, no excuses!!" You laughed and smiled reassuringly. "Dont worry, I'll summon you." You promised. Beetlejuice smiled as he started to become smokey and vanish. "You better" was the last thing you heard him say.

Definitely not what you expected when you decided to play with an ouija board. Though, you're definitely not upset at the outcome either.

(A/N: so like, I did my best. It's not great but, I also dont hate it. As always constructive criticism is welcome and if you want this to be a series just let me know!! I had a lot of fun writing it!

Edit: someone said they liked it better when I color coded it, and then I realized I forgot to color code it before posting last night!!! So here it is, now coded with colors lol)

[thiefcat-niao]

Ending the Session (Chapter 1)

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!   Characters/Ships: Gemshipping (Thief King Bakura/Ryou Bakura); Ryou Bakura, Thief King Bakura, Atem, Yugi Mutuo, Zorc Necrophades  Rating: T Length: Chapter 1 / 3; 2300 words

Summary:

Into Ryou's lonely apartment comes a spirit, an ancient power that speaks and manifests through the Ouija board kept beneath the bed. It calls itself Tou, and claims to be human. Ryou believes.

Read on AO3 

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Chapter One: Tou 

Ryou Bakura arrived home; his small apartment greeted him with silence, and with the faint scent of his supper simmering in the slow-cooker. He flicked on the light and put down his grocery bags, then set to putting his groceries away. At some point, he reached up to tug the tie out of his hair, letting the white locks tumble down around his shoulders. He didn't bother to work the tangles out with his fingers.

The only sounds were the squeak of the refrigerator door, the rustling of plastic bags, and Ryou's occasional, thoughtful mutters as he tried to find space for milk and whipping cream among plates of thawing puff pastry.

Once the groceries were put away, Ryou checked the personal-sized roast in his slow-cooker, steam bathing his face as he opened the lid. He added in chopped vegetables for the last half-hour of cooking, then went to shower. When he emerged, dressed in a plush house-robe and with damp hair clinging to his neck, he collected his supper and took it to his secondhand dining table.

The meat was tender and delicious, and Ryou hummed softly into the silence as he ate. Still, he thought, perhaps he could add a bit more onion in, next time he fixed the recipe. He answered a couple of texts from friends, phone sitting beside his plate—a question about a shared college class from Jounochi Katsuya; a invite to coffee from Yugi Mutuo; an amusing internet post that Honda Hiroto had forwarded him. He smiled, thinking of his friends.

Ryou finished his dinner; started the dishwasher; sliced himself a generous piece of the creme cake he had made the night before; retreated to his bedroom.

In the hush of his apartment, Ryou sat on his bedroom floor; turned off his lamp. He set his cake down and pulled out a box from beneath his bed. From within the box, he pulled out two pillar candles and lit their already-blackened wicks, then set them up in front of himself. He pulled a woody amulet out from beneath his shirt and let it hang prominently against his chest, then set a notebook and pen beside his cake, within easy reach on his right. Last, he unfolded a worn-out board bearing the alphabet, a set of numeric symbols, a "yes" in the upper left corner, a "no" in the upper right corner, and "goodbye" spelled out at the bottom.

With one hand, he cut himself off a forkful of cake; with the other, he moved the planchette onto the board's "G."

"Hello," he said, into the silence of his apartment. He kept his left hand light on the planchette. "Is anyone here?"

Nothing disturbed the hush; Ryou took a bite of his cake. Any apprehension he had once had about using the Ouija board had faded with time. It was as normal to him, now, as fixing his dinner or taking a shower. He'd lost count of the candle-stubs that had gathered in the bottom of the Ouija board's worn box. Though he knew—and believed, to a greater or lesser extent—that using a Ouija board alone was a bad practice, in general, it was the only way he had ever played with one.

"Hello?" he called again. Some nights, there was no answer. Some nights, the apartment remained silent.

That night was not such a night.

"h-e-l-l-o-t-h-e-r-e"

Ryou felt a smile break onto his face, honestly delighted when the planchette moved slowly across the board. He could feel the presence—long practice had given him some physical sense of it, whenever a spirit answered the board's call. This particular spirit had a somewhat more powerful presence, though the planchette seemed almost cautious, and Ryou shivered.

"Hello!" he said, making an effort to sound friendly. "I'm Ryou—Ryou Bakura! What's your name?"

"im called... tou..." the pointer spelled out.

Ryou felt a thrill travel through him, from his pounding heart and into the fingertips of his left hand. He scribbled down t-o-u in his notebook, with his right hand. "Tou? Nice to meet you!"

"nice... to meet you... ryou..." was the reply, and Ryou's smile grew.

"What are you, Tou? If you don't mind me asking."

The planchette hesitated; Ryou could feel that the spirit hadn't left, but it didn't answer immediately. When it did, it spelled out, "h-u-m-a-n"

While aware that spirits weren't always the most truthful of beings, Ryou was inclined to believe this one. There was something oddly fervent about the answer, and Ryou heard the word as if it had been spoken aloud: human.

"That's nice. So am I."

"h-a-h-a... i would assume so..."

"Have you spoken to the living like this, before?"

"yes... once or twice..."

"Oh? Do you like it?"

"i appreciate the company..."

There was a wryness about the reply, and Ryou laughed aloud. "That's why I do it, too. I like the company. Thank you for answering!"

The planchette was still, for a moment, and then spelled out, "youre odd... different from others ive talked to..."

"Really? How so?"

"n-e-d-j-e-m"

Ryou blinked. He was confident in his ability to read the board, but the word seemed like nonsense. He jotted it down, to be sure, and still couldn't identify it visually: nedjem.

"you live alone..." the spirit spelled out, and it occurred to Ryou suddenly that there was no question mark on the board. He didn't know whether to interpret it as observation or question, but decided to answer it anyway.

"Yes. I moved out of my family's home when I started college."

"no roommate..."

"No."

"friends..."

"Yes!" Ryou was surprised, but genuinely pleased. He'd never had a spirit engage him about his own life, in such a way. There wasn't much to tell, but he was glad to share what there was. "I have some very good friends."

"thats good..."

"Do you have any friends? Wherever you are?" Ryou asked.

"haha... no... no friends for me..."

Ryou felt a stab of sadness. "I'll be your friend, if you'd like."

The planchette moved suddenly, erratically, almost slipping from beneath his hand. Ryou squeaked in surprise, but watched closely; assured himself that the movement was apparently random, not calculated figure-eights or a numerical pattern. The candles flickered.

"youre crazy..." the spirit spelled out, when it had calmed. "what do you think youre doing... making an offer like that..."

"I think I'm making a friend," Ryou said, a bit indignant. "Just because you're a spirit doesn't mean we couldn't be friends."

"and i suppose youve made friends with spirits before..."

"Well, no," Ryou admitted. "I've made contact with spirits before, lots of times, but..."

"but what..."

"But they don't usually come back."

There was a pause. Then, the spirit said, "i cant imagine why..."

Ryou felt heat rise to his face, and tried to convince himself that he wasn't being charmed by a wandering spirit that had appeared at his Ouija board. "I'm not a very interesting person..."

"youre kind though..."

"I-I'm not anything special."

"i beg to differ..."

"You've known me for five minutes!" Ryou objected.

"thats true..." the spirit calling itself Tou replied. "but id like to know you for much longer..."

Ryou pulled up short; realized what he'd just read. "Oh... I mean, of course! Does that mean we'll be friends?"

"sure... if youd like to call us that..."

And again Ryou smiled. "Of course! Glad to be your friend, Tou!"

"glad to be your friend... ryou... well talk again..."

"Do you want me to end the session, then?"

"for now..."

Though slightly saddened, Ryou nodded. "Alright. Is it strenuous, to make contact like this?"

"a bit... im a tired old spirit ryou..."

"How old are you, Tou? If you don't mind me asking."

"three thousand long years"

... ... ...

Ryou lay awake, deep into the night, thinking about the three-thousand year old spirit that called itself Tou. He stared up at his blank ceiling, wondering why the apartment didn't feel as empty as it usually did.

The spirit might not come back... he reflected, no matter what it said...

He hoped Tou would come back. Perhaps, he thought, Tou hadn't even left, after the session had ended.

When morning came, Ryou resisted the urge to pull out the Ouija board; went about his morning routine, instead, in the silence of the apartment. He left for his morning classes, and then worked an uneventful shift at his local bookstore. But when he returned home, he could scarcely be bothered to fix himself a sandwich out of leftovers for supper.

He could feel the spirit's presence, and felt certain that Tou would be there when he pulled out the Ouija board.

He wasn't disappointed.

"hello again ryou..."

"Good evening, Tou! Thank you for answering!"

"its not as if i have much else to do..."

"So, have you been a spirit for three thousand years?"

"ha... well i wasnt alive for three thousand years..."

Ryou huffed. "I guess I meant, well... have you been a wandering spirit for that long?"

"i never made it to the afterlife... if thats what you mean..."

Ryou's eyes widened. "So there is one, in proper? An afterlife?" He hoped such a question didn't apply as inquiring about his own death—a thing to be absolutely avoided when using a Ouija board.

"there is..." was Tou's reply. "anubis guards its gates well... even i have no chance at sneaking in..."

Ryou couldn't tell if the spirit was being tongue-in-cheek; it didn't seem like a serious response, although the board didn't allow for clues like tone or facial expression. "It's not painful, though, is it? Being wherever you are?"

"are you asking if im in hell..."

"No!" Ryou replied. "I mean... I suppose, but that's not why I'm asking. I'm concerned!"

"concerned... about a spirit you just met yesterday..." The planchette moved slowly, and Ryou wondered if it was due to bemusement or derision. But he was certain he could feel Tou's pretense, in the apartment, and it didn't feel spiteful.

"I am. It would bother me, if you were in pain." When the spirit didn't respond, Ryou forged on ahead. "You don't seem like a spirit reaching out from hell, though, or whatever version of the concept of hell actually exists. I imagine a spirit like that would be more... volatile. Even if they weren't abjectly hostile, or bad, existing under those conditions would wear at someone."

"wandering around for three thousand years can wear on someone too..."

"I'm sure it does."

The planchette moved back and forth, just slightly; pensively. Ryou waited patiently for the spirit to speak again, content to feel the gentle rock of the pointer beneath his hands. When the next message finally came through, it was, "i would give anything to be alive again..."

"I'm sure. I'm sorry."

"for what... not you... dont apologize..."

Ryou paused; chose his next words carefully. "I'm sorry you had to die. And I'm sorry this is how we have to meet."

The spirit, too, took a moment to reply. "youre still young... too young to think of death as reality..."

"How old were you when you died, if you don't mind me asking?"

"2-0"

Ryou felt a stab of sadness. "That's how old I am..."

"well... ive still got three thousand years on you..."

Ryou smiled. "That's true, I suppose."

"it wasnt so terribly young... by the standards of when i lived..." The spirit seemed to be musing aloud, and Ryou appreciated being privy to its thoughts. "most only lived to forty... maybe fifty with luck..."

"Where did you live, Tou?"

"somewhere far from here..."

The answer surprised Ryou. The spirit hadn't shied from answering any questions so far—although again, Ryou had to remind himself, the truthfulness of such answers couldn't be taken for granted—so the dodge was unexpected. Ryou decided quickly not to press the matter.

"Do you know why you're wandering? Why you can't find peace? I could try to help, if you wanted..."

"have you done that with other spirits... played medium..."

Ryou shook his head. "No... but I figured I'd offer. If you don't want that, that's fine, too."

Tou was silent for a long moment; Ryou could feel a light pressure on his hands, above the planchette. "no... no i dont want that... i know whats keeping me here and its not a thing you can help me deal with..."

"I can be a sympathetic ear, at least. Do you want to talk about it? The thing that's keeping you here?"

"no"

The answer was abrupt and decisive, and Ryou nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry if I upset you."

"h-a-h-a-h-a-h-a..." The laughter made Ryou blink, surprised. "upset me... no... no... its nothing you did..."

"But you are upset?"

"a little... i told you ryou... im a tired tired old spirit... and talking about things like this... im damn tired..."

"If you want to talk about something else—"

"i cant take much more of this ryou..."

Ryou paused; waited to see if the spirit would elaborate, and then asked, "Much more of what?"

"of being dead... i want to live again... id give anything..."

Ryou's skin prickled with alarm. It was a dangerous thing for a spirit to say. And yet he still felt no malice or aggression from the spirit—only bitterness and exhaustion.

"I'm so sorry, Tou."

"dont... apologize..."

"I'm so sorry..."

The planchette moved aimlessly for a moment, like a restless pacing. Then Tou said, "dont apologize... you are... helping..."

"Thank you, Tou. I appreciate your company, too!"

The planchette was still, although again Ryou could feel the presence lingering in his room. Then, "end the session... for now... im sorry i just... have to rest... a while..."

"Of course." Ryou smiled; tried to infuse his voice with all the affection that might be conveyed by a parting embrace. "Rest well, Tou. I'll talk to you again."

"talk to you... soon..."

"Goodbye."

"goodbye"

[s0ftkwan]

it’s complicated | park jihoon

as requested by a lovely anon here’s a flangst-ish (is that a thing now?) park jihoon scenario. enjoy! send all requests here

“i love you“

it was only your second period and safe to say this is not how you expected your monday to go

confessions of love and admiration weren’t anything new to you

in fact, you could even be considered one of the most popular students in your school

you were beautiful, smart, super friendly, and such a social butterfly

not to mention you were also volleyball team captain, homecoming queen/king, and student council vice president (second in command to a senior named hwang minhyun, also quite popular)

in short, you were pretty popular, so confessions should phase you at all, right??

wrong

they still shook you

no matter how often you receive love letters and pretty flowers, you could never wrap around your head why. this. kept. happening.

and the current confession was no different

however, unlike most of the declarations you’ve received which were mostly in the form of writing or gifts, this one was plain and simple

which is exactly how you would describe the boy delivering it--park jihoon

you’ve never actually talked to the boy but you know of him

he wasnt popular but he wasnt exactly a nobody either

you knew him mostly because of his giant group of friends you remember them being 11?? that minhyun was coincidentally a part of

you’ve asked him multiple times how he managed to pick up such a big number of friends but he always just shakes his head and smiles saying that “it’s a looooooong story” that he’s never actually gotten around to telling you

ANyWays

sure you and jihoon have some classes that you share and sure you’ve probably exchanged a couple polite smiles and awkward glances but that was the limit of your interactions

and here he suddenly is confessing his long time crush on you

“o-oh,,,,,,,, h-how,,,,, nice of you jihoon,,,, uh,,,,listen,,, jihoon––“

"you don’t like me back, do you?”

you felt your body go stiff like ‘oh shit how does he know and how can i break it to him gently‘

but turns out!! you dont have to!!

because before you know it, jihoon is laughing a small bittersweet laugh while shaking his head

“well,, kind of expected it, not gonna lie, but it’s fine“ he stops laughing and offers you a small friendly smile that you wouldnt mind seeing again

“i hope we can be friends instead?“

at his statement, you tilted your head a bit out of shock, but a few moments later, a full blown grin erupts from your face

“o-of course!!!! i always love new friends!“

his face scrunches at the L word and you realize your choice of wording a bit too late but you’re like !!!! when you do

“oh my God, right, im so sorry, fresh subject, sorry“

but jihoon assures you that it’s fine and that he was already late for class and that he would see you later

and that’s that

  kidding did you actually think that was it

it’s not christine unless she gets super carried away in a scenario !

the next day, your teacher surprises your class with a sudden seat shuffle after receiving complaints about a certain park woojin and lee daehwi being a little too noisy together

and what a coinky dink (still dont know how to spell that) guess who ends up next to you! park jihoon himself!

you shifted in your seat when jihoon sat next to you and you braced for the awkward atmosphere

but it was totally the opposite

turns out jihoon was either really good at faking it or he really just wanted to be your friend

you decided on the latter

he was super friendly and funny and nice and tried so hard to not make anything awkward after yesterday

it was as if he never even confessed to you in the first place

you two eventually ended up passing notes with funny jokes or stories written on them all throughout class and trying so hard not to burst out laughing

it was your first time ever doing that and you were kinda glad it was with jihoon

it wouldnt be your only first with jihoon though if u catch my drift ;)

you two ended up becoming super close friends, if not bffs, throughout the whole school year

you two were basically attached at the hip

you knew each other like the back of your hand

you told each other everything

so it came as quite a shock to you when you caught jihoon and some random girl sucking face in his room

i mean you were partially to blame

you stormed into his house like it was your own with the intent of being comforted by and ranting to your best friend

this was literally the last thing you expected

“y/n! w-what are you d-doing here?“ the girl removed herself from jihoon’s lap

“the question is what are You Doing Over Here.....who is that?“

“u-uh,,, y/n this is––“

“i’m his girlfriend.“

and that was that

you felt your heart break even though you had no idea why

“o-oh,,,, well then,,, i-i have to go“

you ran out of his room and even if you heard jihoon calling for your name over and over again, you couldnt find it in yourself to turn around and go back

the next day and the following days after that, you tried your best to avoid jihoon at all costs, even if it meant skipping that class where he sits next to you just to hang out at the nurse’s office

you had to sort out everything you were thinking about in your head and what you felt in your heart

why did you feel your heart break? why did you feel so heavy thinking about it? why are you so affected by this?

the rational part of your brain was telling you that you felt betrayed at the fact that jihoon didnt even bother telling you that he was in a relationship

but your heart was screaming out another side

you were in love with your best friend

how could you not be? he was so kind and friendly and considerate and funny and Fuck you were in love with your best friend

you got to thinking about all those months ago when jihoon confessed his feelings for you

who knew it would end up like this?

“finally found you.“

jihoon’s voice was all too familiar as he approached your form on the clinic bed

“y/n have you been ignoring me all day?“

you turned to you side, so you avoided facing him

“depends on what you define as ignoring. if you think me going to the extra length of camping out in the nurse’s office to avoid sitting next to you in class or hiding in the nasty janitor’s closet just so i dont pass by you in the hall is ignoring then yes, you would me correct“

he chuckled and a part of you begged to hear more

it got quiet again

“y/n, she’s not my girlfriend“

your ears suddenly perk up and you turn ever so slightly to see his face

"s-she’s not?”

“nope. she was a crazy neighbor who’s been in love with me ever since she moved here. she used the excuse that she needed to be tutored to get in my room and to kiss me. i swear i would have pushed her off a second after you came in the room. y/n please believe me, you’re the only girl i love––“

at that, you immediately shot up as jihoon shut up

“what did you say?“

“s-she’s not my girlfriend,,“

“no after that“

“she’s crazy?“

“gdi park jihoon you know what i mean“

“,,,,fine,,,,,y-you’re the only one i,,,,love,, i-if you still dont feel the same t-thats totally ok! we can go back to how i––“

poor boy couldnt even finish because you pressed your lips to his instantly

[xurkitips]

On Conveying Personality Through Chatroom-style Dialogue

A friend of mine shared screenshots of a roleplay he was having via a Discord server, wherein the style was chatroom/texting based. Each character would have a different style of typing completely unique to their person. Though unfamiliar with all of them, I could see what their personalities were like

Like real human beings, a character very much so has a “voice”. I mean that both in the literal sense, through their manner of speaking and what they say, but also through their self expression, interests, and actions. This carries over into the digital realm in ways we may not even notice. Text messages may not be verbal, no, but there are ways to show inflection.

There are many, many ways to show meaning through text. Here are some that I’ve picked up and utilized with my own characters:

Sentence structure

all lowercase sentences VS Grammatically correct

Lowercase gives off the feeling of someone familiar with others or willing to become familiar. It lacks the tension of formal writing, complete with its capitalization and proper periods ending sentences, and feels very casual and approachable. It may also be a sign of someone who doesn’t care much about perfection, a lazy person, or an easy going individual. Seems like a lot of internet regulars prefer this kind of typing style.

“im dying

‘deafening horrorcore rap’ ok i listen to literal noise and idk what this even is”

Using a properly capitalized and punctuated style is very formal, like one would see in a book, an official email, etc. It’s more serious and stern than lowercase is and may imply an older, more mature person typing...or maybe just someone trapped on their phone at the mercy of autocorrect. 

"I am always happy to see you, even if you are not feeling your best.“

“It's nice here.

Quiet.”

There’s a certain respectful steadiness to it as well. It can be calming to read at times.

Punctuation VS Lack of punctuation

End-stopped lines come with both a pause and a bit of a pointed and direct feeling. It strengthens both lowercase and grammatically correct styles, but in different ways. In conjunction with “proper” writing, it’s less noticeable, merely giving the reader a moment’s pause. In conjunction with lowercase, especially if the one typing isn’t keen on using periods, it can come off as stern, serious, passive-aggressive, or angry.

“whatever.

it's less excruciating than it would be without it.”

Removal of punctuation is a different story. Typically just shown with lowercase, it leaves it with that casual feeling intact, or like one’s sentences are more like quick thoughts or questions. Removing them from grammatically correct sentences does ease off some of the tension, implying someone with a more neutral-positive tone while still being more mature. 

“I’m not terribly good with conversation”

And then there’s the run-on sentences from those who type small novels per response. Usually complete with multiple and’s. It’s a sign of nervousness, enthusiasm, or oftentimes a younger character...

“actually i don't know much about it i just happened to see something online and it's apparently only manufactured overseas exclusively for this one particular shop and they made the original design and initial product i guess”

Oof.

Proper spelling (or lack thereof)

The better the spelling, the more the likelihood of the person being older, calmer, or neutral. There’s also a sense of being well educated or careful about one’s typing. Perhaps a confident air may exude from what they say, too.

“Can you come help me for a moment?”

Those who make a lot of mistakes will simply confuse words for other words, forget apostrophes, or type too fast to notice things missing or in the wrong location. Some just don’t really care enough or are too tired to deal with it. Too much focus and people know what they mean anyway. Probably.

“i laug hso hard hes come runin

he thougt i aws dyin”

It can also happen in very emotional situations, in bouts of laughter, crying, rage, or when one is drowsy, medicated, or sick. It tends to stand out when one’s style is suddenly very, very different and tips others off to something being wrong.

Younger characters, especially kids, also make spelling mistakes all the time depending on their age, whether due to sounding out words or just in a hurry to reply.

Short sentence fragments, single words, and lengthy paragraphs

Sometimes people with rapid-fire thoughts, who are excited, busy, stressed, or angry, will take to quick and short responses (sometimes of many fragments in a row). These show a similar feeling as do lines of poetry. Stacking small fragments on top of one another adds emphasis. The reader has to read them one by one rather than as a straight sentence. On its own, the word or fragment stands out and becomes more important.

"well

yeah thats

what i was tryina do

but i mean”

I’ve seen it used used for storytelling from one person to another in larger chunks of things, quick responses, for poetic value, and in irritation or passive-aggressiveness.

In full sentence conversations sent in short bursts, it’s also allowing the reader pause to read each comment without it feeling like a novella. Though it can also feel like someone is obnoxious, rambling on and on as the notifications keep coming, or has a lot to talk about and keeps thinking of more.

Then there are those who type rather large responses all at once instead of hitting the enter key with every sentence:

"Whoever did it was quite thorough; either the power in that area of the lab was cut while we were distracted or they tampered with the security cameras, because that footage is missing. But, we have some theories now. It had to have been someone with direct access to the laboratory. I hesitate to place blame on any of my coworkers...they're all my trusted companions and friends! And yet...”

It’s concise and a solid, complete story in one spot. Could be someone who loves to talk, could be someone who didn’t want a response before they were done talking. It’s also commonly seen by middle-aged texters who want to say everything they can all at once.

Exclamation points and Question marks

Simple one here. Question mark for a question or confusion, exclamation point for emphasis or an exclamation. But when a person adds multiple to a sentence it can convey more of the person’s feelings; 

“are you okay??”

Here is someone who is very concerned. Multiple question marks can imply things such as worry, stress, disbelief, and shock. There’s a sense of hurry and tension. Perhaps the person on the other end is frightened, easily afraid, or tends to have an overwhelming reaction to things.

“oh!!! it’s nice to see you!!!”

"! 

!!! 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Meanwhile, multiple exclamation points convey much more friendlier, happier tones. Often such things as surprise, excitement, happiness, friendliness. Users typing !! as a punctuation (like I tend to do) may do it as an assurance or to show how thrilled they are to talk. Occasionally !!!! is tacked onto an angry statement to be more of a shout, but I see it less and less.

Chatspeak and Internet habits

Shortenings of words have been a regular thing for ages. It’s easy, convenient, and gets the point across quickly. But the internet has taken it to a new extreme, where sentences can be almost entirely compromised of them.

“wtf r u talkin abt?? gdi man idk wuts even happening rn”

A character wanting to be quick to respond, always on the ball, always involved, may be more likely to utilize and understand chatspeak. They’re the social butterfly of the group. It’s also a sign of a long-time internet lurker who’s aware of what the lingo is, and how to use it. A complete lack thereof points toward either an older user or someone who’s unused to social media.

The more memes, the harder someone is trying to fit in. Or maybe they’re easily amused or just absorbed things from their friends without thinking about it. The comedian of the group is going to know the best ways to use them.

Smilies and Emojis

:D D: :DDD // :3 3: >:3 :3c // :o :O O:<

These kinds of smilies have always struck me as the most friendly. Whether used in devious ways or with genuinely heartwarming intentions, the playful, lightheartedness of the user really shines through these. 

"not a bad way to spend a lazy day :D”

“it's also my birthday :3″

It’s got just the right vibe to punctuate a sentence that’ll leave the reader feeling that the person likely means no harm or wants to be friendly, positive, or encouraging. I’ve met a lot of people that use these and turn out to be very kind or considerate people.

:), ;), ((((: and related

A long time positive, friendly smiley. 

"You said you've known them a long time? I think they would understand. :)”

And yet these days I tend to associate it with passive aggressive statements, plotting, slyness, devious behavior, or anger. Older users may be inclined to use :) as a means to show their emotional state, but newer users seem more inclined to do the opposite. The more parentheses there are, the more upset the person, it seems.

“man don’t u love it when the power’s out in the middle of the night it’s just (((: really great thanks (((((:”

Then the ;) smiley comes off more specifically flirty and a bit playful. Doesn’t seem to change much there.

“if i find a good chance 2 hook u up ill do my best ;)”

XD

The bane of my teenage existence. It’s a more old school sign of laughter, rarely seen in today’s world due to falling out of favor and becoming associated with, “LOL Rawr XD Tacos I’m So Randoom,” culture. But time to time you do see it. Mostly with sarcasm but sometimes with genuine intentions.

“xDddddDDD

It was a good joke. XD”

A character using it genuinely comes off more playful, and to me, personally, as an older person who’s genuinely unaware of the associations with the smiley itself trying to show how they laughed without using LOL. 

Letter/Character smilies

Y’know, things like .w. and ._. or owo, where the letters or symbols make a face. These are fairly popular, it seems. I don’t like using them myself, but know a few who do use them.

"I'm sorry that they can be mean qmq”

It’s a different feel from the others. There’s something soft to it, almost a gentleness. When these or Japanese characters are used, there’s more whimsy. It’s cute and almost a bit feminine. It may convey an open person or give the impression that said person is easier to talk to.

Though honestly I can’t see uwu and owo as anything but heavily sarcastic. I’ll be honest with you.

Emojis

The first rule of Xurkitips club is that we don’t talk about Emoji Movie. Just putting that out there riiight now.

Used sparingly by most for fun and for emphasis. Characters may use them to be lighthearted, aesthetically, joke, or to make a conversation more flavorful. The use of emojis may determine a character’s personality; I find that characters who use hand emojis like 👌 are rather laid back, those who use 🙃 do it passive aggressively, and we all know what kind of person uses 🍆.

Then there’s what in common terms known as, “The DudeBro”:

[MFKNSTARBOI]: the thing i never undstood about hair is why people buy shampoo like regular soap not good enough for you LMAO 😂😂😂

[gostones]: .

[BIGDICKTOYOTA69]: what the fuck man

[ahogekun]: do... you not use shampoo

[MFKNSTARBOI]: aaaah you guys got sucked into big shampoo as well 😔

[MFKNSTARBOI]: When it comes to horses 🐎  the stars in the sky ✨ or just man to man no bullshit advice 👬 IM youre guy 😤😂

I think this one speaks for itself.

[pybownies]

SnA Ep. 5 Thoughts

-Welp, mappa did it again...they whopping changed the plot again.....I expect this will be the same for the rest of the 24 episodes so theres no use complaining. I will simply have to live with it.......(๑╹ω╹๑ ) -Strangely tho, today's ep seems to have that heart-stopping effect on me (either bcuz its too bloody fast like 3x the speed or its getting good) Well, I think it did improved somehow. We are finally getting somewhere important (just like how u wanted Mappa! We're getting to the civil war sooner than we wanted bcuz u took out all the character developments scenes! (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾) *ahem* uhhh...where was I? 

-So its not spelled as Kyros or Cyrus... but“KIROS”?!! Mwahahaha!!! So we we’re wrong all this time then?!  Well, they didn't ruin his character yet so I guess its no big deal. But srsly his voice is sexy and O.M.G dat handsome smug face!!! 

- Everyone is calling Kiros as Jack Sparrow now lmao xD Can you see the resemblance? 

-Anyone noticed Kyros/Cyrus’ friend when Mahmut first entered the city?

- It was hilarious when Kyros was explaining how Phoenicia is on to Mahmut already in a serious tone and turns around immediately and be like, “Hey, you know, I haven’t had lunch yet!  Would you like to join me?” Haha classic. 

- The kid just arrived and they invite him to join the conference already? Thats not how you treat a guest! (Unlike in the manga, they invite him to eat first tsk)

- Another term change: 

Tharros = Saros 

Phoinike = Phoenicia

- I like Mahmut’s genuine horrified face. The emotion is so raw in here 

░ ⊚ ◯ ⊚ ░  Its amazing how Mahmut was this naive little kid in the beginning of the series but omg as you go along the story he becomes this badass pasha who controls the war instead  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  how? well you better read the manga then~ No time you say? I assure you its worth your time  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  lmao 

- Uhhhh how should I explain this? These 2 pictures down here sort of give off that serious reaction/face that manga!Mahmut usually has in the beginning chapters. ( ITS ABOUT TIME MAPPA. I was totally  pissed off cuz at the start of the anime they portrayed Mahmut as this really good natured kid which he is but he doesn't show that externally. The manga portrayed him as more distant and critical at the start). You know what I mean, right? No? Ok then.....lol 

- So if the next episode focuses on the empire invading Phoinike then the episode after it will be the introduction to Venedik!!!!! OMG ABIRIGA!!!! THE TRIO WILL BE COMPLETE SOON!!! HURRY MAPPA!!! HURRYY MORE!!! lmao xD