#basically they are harnesses to keep kids from running away from their parents and causing chaos/getting lost

[girl-named-matty]

MC: Is that... necessary? Sebastian: *trying to run away but he can't because he's on a kid-leash* Ominis: Yes.

[valleyfthdolls]

Tell me about your mlp au mischevious grin emote

@minxtheeenby!!

Ok I’m gonna go in order character by character and then just fill in extra lore.

Twilight Sparkle: Twilight is pretty similar to canon, but also not entirely. She’s always struggled with making friends, and instead dedicated herself to magic. She started training under Celestia when she was a little girl, but she only managed to earn that spot because of Rainbow Dash, and as such, she abandoned all other fields of her life over time, dedicating herself to becoming the best sorceress she could be in hopes of earning her place under Celestia. However, depriving herself socially was completely hindering her abilities. The magic system is a little more fancy cuz I don’t totally remember the rules of MLP magic so basically as a powerful sorceress Twilight couldn’t actually harness all her power on her own, and attempting to would have driven her insane. (See: Nightmare Moon, Discord.) Though this isn’t like, a death sentence, Celestia didn’t want Twilight’s pure intentions twisted. Twilight is literally the physical incarnation of the spirit of magic, so this would’ve been super bad. Anyways, with her network of friends, Twilight studies as a sorceress under the queen (sorry but my worst enemy in kids media is when they make the sole monarch of a kingdom a princess, she’s a queen). Her style consists mostly of long skirts and dress. I’m still figuring out what kinds of bells and whistles to add to her design (maybe talismans, magical charms, that kinda thing??)

Applejack: AJ has a strong sense of morality and modesty. Her headstrong nature makes her essentially the head of the Apple family despite her young age, and she keeps their business up and running without a hitch. She is also in charge of teaching Apple Bloom, who has been homeschooled most of her life, right from wrong since the loss of their parents, and as such Apple Bloom has been taught very strictly. Though not like. Really conservative?, the Apple family lives a traditional and… “conservative”???? lifestyle. Applejack is loving and gentle, but will never hesitate to correct a wrong when she sees one. Her style is mostly typical farm girl stuff you’d expect. All her clothes are worn out to hell, but she makes them work ‘cause she’s not gonna spend her family’s hard earned cash on fancy clothes she doesn’t need. She’s generally the same as canon, just a bit rougher around the edges, sweeter at her core, and more straight laced about morality since that’s a better interpretation of honesty I think.

Rarity: Rarity always wants to give the absolute best she can to those around her. This generosity has led her to also develop a will of absolute steel, because of how often it’s been taken advantage of and used to cheat her. She pushes herself to extremes to put out the best for others, often neglecting everything but what she can provide, including what she and those around her need, and while she insists it’s an annoyance to be distracted from her work, she needs her loved ones to help keep her balanced. Having grown up just in the outskirts of a major city, Rarity dreams of that luxury and the life that fame would give her. She tends to look down on others who won’t allow her to help them, but her generosity always comes from a good heart- never is it backhanded or meant to make others feel pitied. This is a misinterpretation Applejack comes away with on many occasions. (There are only so many pairs of sleek, beautiful jeans you can get in the mail before you start to feel like you and your baggy overalls are being slighted.) Rarity’s style is posh, sleek and feminine. Her magic mostly utilizes and surrounds use of gemstones.

Pinkie Pie: Pinkie takes some inspiration that I’m not very proud of. You’ll. You’ll see. She’s a former orphan who was adopted following the destruction of her small hometown which itself has some Lore bc that wasn’t just a random occurrence. She was adopted by the Pie family because she was an earth pony, who are generally known for their physical power, and they needed more hooves on their farm. It was less a family and more a business arrangement- Pinkie and the other kids got her hooves dirty helping with their business, and in return, they gave them food, company, and a roof over their head. She was a very depressed child, but she learned to use humor and joy to find a good side to everything, partially on behalf of her siblings. Eventually, she left the farm to pursue her own life as a party planner and host. She’s also known among Ponyville as a reliable and fun (if perhaps not the most conventional) babysitter for elementary age foals. Similarly to with the Pies, Pinkie works for the Cakes in exchange for a place to live, but she really wants to have a family. As such, she latches onto the idea of being a relative to the Apple family, who accept her even when it turns out she’s not a blood relative. She can often be found at the farm when she has free time, playing games with Apple Bloom and keeping AJ company since she’s no good at harvesting apples. She’s a case Twilight cannot figure out for the life of her- an earth pony who either has weirdly uncanny intuition or is somehow in tune with a type of magic only unicorns can harness. Her style is decora kei.

Fluttershy: Fluttershy’s parents were absolutely massive hippies. While most pegasi reside in the sky for obvious reasons, they lived in the prairie, which was where Fluttershy grew up. She was what the cool kids call “improperly socialized as a child”, and as such, she was socially alienated when she began school, and unable to socialize. Her only friend was Rainbow Dash, who was willing to tone down her antics around her and would die to defend Fluttershy’s honor. (They were weird kids.) Despite being bullied heavily as a kid, she believes there was a silver lining as it taught her that she could communicate with animals and helped her discover her talent, though at the same time, she does know that really, she owes that to Rainbow Dash’s kindness to her. She’s autistic and selectively mute due to her anxiety, and known to shut down in stressful situations because of her fear of conflict, but she does have a… “bad side” if you will. She can be fucking SCARY if you mistreat innocents- especially Rainbow. Her style, similar to Twilight, consists mostly of long dresses and skirts, but with goth elements as she’s known to wear gothic clothing in light colors, and dark makeup.

Rainbow Dash: Rainbow is much more actually loyal to those around her. She’s pretty much the same otherwise, just more, again, actually loyal. She especially is loyal to Fluttershy, who she will always step in for, since they’re childhood friends, but really she’ll do that for any of her friends. She fittingly got her cutie mark defending her friend from bullies, as it’s the same story as canon, but Rainbow- unlike Pinkie- had absolutely zero above average amount of magic, and most normal ponies aren’t meant to be breaking the sound barrier at nine, so this actually fucked her up a bit. Just like all the others, this event connected her directly to the spirit of her element, which has made her more magical, but at the time, it burned the hell out of her and left her with permanent scars and wing damage that meant it took a ton of time and willpower before she could fly again. Her style is… I mean I wanna say scene but I know in my heart she’s a lame ass jock. Lame ass scene jock perhaps. Whatever that may entail

Like I said, Twilight is the only one who is the literal incarnation of her element, where the others are just tied to its magic. Twilight’s full power of magic is only manageable when she’s in tandem with the other five.

Queen Celestia and Princess Luna: Celestia and Luna are the incarnations of the sun and moon respectively, but Luna’s isolation inherent to the nighttime caused her powers to drive her a bit crazy, causing her to become jealous of Celestia, which isolated her further, and eventually the insanity overcame her and she became Nightmare Moon. Celestia sealed her away and took on her powers, but all of this added magic is starting to drive Celestia a bit crazy, which is why she called on the elements of harmony, creating Twilight as the incarnation of magic. Basically she needed someone else to shoulder some of the burden to keep her sane, but this weakened her and caused her to lose control of Nightmare Moon. (Stupid name btw. Maybe I’ll give her a different name.) Nightmare Moon is well aware of what Twilight is, and she’s dead set on defeating her so she can harness her power for herself.

Speaking of which, Nightmare Moon is a longer lasting villain, and because Luna isn’t entirely lucid as her, this makes turning her back a bit of a harder task. Fittingly to the themes of friendship, Nightmare Moon’s energy is dispersed among Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Cadence, the other five, and those who Nightmare Moon controlled, becoming a smaller burden they all have to shoulder together so Luna doesn’t have to succumb alone, because magic can’t be destroyed, but it can be redirected. Most of the supernatural villains are evil entities summoned by Nightmare Moon to work under her, who still have a piece of her curse after she’s rescued, which makes them more powerful, and Luna is unable to redirect her control over them because that magic is now subject to their intentions and direction.

Discord: Discord was the original ruler of Equestria, before the horrible imbalance his chaos caused led to the incarnations of the moon and sun (the balance of day and night) being created, overthrowing him and sealing him away to restore balance. However, looking at the pattern here, there was balance before Discord, imbalance through his rule, balance after Discord, imbalance when the moon overtook the sun, etc. This is a cycle- balance cannot exist without imbalance, and as such, that chaos returns once everything is peaceful. Discord is literally chaos incarnate in this AU, and given the rules about incarnation here, he simply arises when the time is right. I briefly considered that maybe once he was sealed away, his magic was what caused Luna’s to corrupt her, but that would make his return impossible. Instead, Discord had nothing to do with that, but when he returns in the wake of the peace, he preys on the corruption that exists in everyone to play along with his version of the world.

Oh also Discord was originally a normal being, but the overwhelming power of his chaos magic drove him completely insane.

The magic system: Magic in this AU has a few rules.

Magic is an ever present sort of energy.

Like energy, it cannot be created or destroyed. It is everywhere, and instead is channeled into the world, directed and redirected by the user’s intentions.

Everyone has a certain connection to magic, but only sorcerers and sorceresses can harness it. Not all sorcerers are unicorns, but the unicorns have the most direct manifestation of magic. There are different types of sorcery that play into the powers and strengths of all types of ponies, but only the most skilled can harness all three.

Different cultures have different uses of magic. The unicorn centric sorcery of channeling magic directly into you used most is primarily of central Equestria. Other areas practice different types based in the magic that exists in the earth such as potion use and production, faith based magic, hypnosis, etc.

All of these are equally magic, yes.

Cutie marks are magic. This is about the most magic within an average pony.

Magical “spirits” such as the sun and moon, the elements of harmony, chaos and order, etc. exist and those who are closet connected with those “spirits” are more powerful. You can create these connections if you teach yourself to embody them. Sometimes you’re both with them but that’s so rare that not even the main 6 had that happen.

Sometimes these spirits just incarnate into living beings and I guess no one questions this.

[missturtleduck]

The Girls of Ba Sing Se - (Sokka x f!Reader) Pt.1

Part Two│Part Three

Toph Beifong is her parents’ greatest secret, so they require the upmost discretion. That’s where Y/N comes in; as Toph’s etiquette teacher, she lives within the Beifong estate, training the sole heir in being a suitable lady of society. However, when the Avatar comes knocking, Y/N respects her duty to Toph. In leaving the estate, she’ll become a great asset in the war, and a greater asset to her friends around her.

Knelt in her white robes, Toph Beifong tapped the floor in front of her with two fingers, gracious but silent for the tea that she had been poured.

“Good, Toph,” Y/N smiled, pouring her own green tea. “I’m glad you’re keeping up your basic etiquette. Your father will be very pleased.”

The blind girl snorted into her cup, sipping at it as gracefully as she could manage. It was a loud enough sound that it woke Kuai from his slumber; yawning, the wrinkled dog shuffled along the floor to come to Toph’s side. A grin overtook the apathy on her face as she fussed the dog’s head. As much as Y/N knew Toph had little need for a guide dog, it was comforting to know that she had Kuai if she ever felt alone in that big estate.

Placing down her empty teacup, Toph placed her hands innocently in her lap. 

“May I be excused for today’s lessons?”

“Of course, Toph.”

The noble stood, not very tall above the kneeling Y/N, and bowed low. She left, Kuai nipping at her heels as she went. Once she had left the room, Y/N’s pleasant smile fell from her face; she knew where Toph had been going for the past few weeks. Everyone who anything about Earth Rumble knew it was as coarse as river shingle, often dangerous for its competitors. The Gecko, the Hippo, and the Boulder? They were all bad news, and yet Toph had handed their egos back to them in swift and brutal fashion.

Y/N cleared away the dishes from tea. What if Toph got hurt? Or, perhaps even worse, what if her father found out? These thoughts had plagued her mind for a while now, leaving her torn between going to Lao, or dealing with it herself.

With the tea room clean, Y/N stepped into her quarters to prepare for a pleasant evening stroll. Loosening her hair from its rigid bun, it fell in relaxed tresses past her shoulders, easing the tension headache creeping in. On the inside of her jade cuffs, she slipped a small blade on the off-chance things turned messy on the streets of Gaoling. Throwing a thin cardigan over herself, Y/N set out to leave the house. Before she reached the door, a whine caught her attention.

Kuai was lying under a great circular window, the gentle sunlight not cheering up the gentle dog, nor the affection he was now receiving from Y/N. Perhaps it was sad look in those big brown eyes, or how his jowls seemed to emulate a crying face, but she convinced herself that bringing Kuai was a necessary thing to do. He could track her with his nose, she had argued. Clicking her tongue in command, the lump of a dog bounded to her feet and sat patiently, tail thumping a din against the floor.

Opening the door out into the gardens, Y/N stifled a laugh as Kuai practically fell through the open doors and onto the grass. He became caught up in the euphoria of rubbing himself into the peonies that he almost forgot she was there. Y/N chided him, struggling to keep the grin from her face. Now, they were ready to leave.

“Y/N, a lady shouldn’t be venturing out by herself,” A guard, one Y/N was friendly with, tutted.

“Lu, I am no lady,” She laughed, brushing off any status imposed onto her. “I am just a fifteen year old girl excited to spend my time drinking good tea in the city. And I have Kuai!”

Lu allowed the estate gate to be opened, albeit with some reluctance, Y/N leaving almost sated of the worry that tormented her mind. The streets of Gaoling were safer in the daytime, as with most places in the Earth Kingdom, but she had understood Lu’s objection. At any moment, the Fire Nation could launch an attack; the entire city buzzed with a quiet anxiety. Shops were closing earlier, people keeping their doors and window locked. What the city, nor the Beifongs, didn’t know was that if they truly launched an attack, Y/N could keep Toph safe. How, she couldn’t reveal to them.

It seemed that beyond being cute, Kuai had purpose. He hurtled far in front of her, darting back and forth at ungodly speed; he had found Toph. Following the dog – and cursing him for running so fast – she came across a tunnel burrowed deep into the side of a mountain. Its artificial shape, nothing like the natural caves in the area, told Y/N everything she needed to know. Here, she would find her earthbenders.

The dog bristled, whining lowly as he pawed at her leg. She hushed him, scratching behind his ears before venturing into the dark. Brushing her fingertips against the carved-out rock, Y/N guided herself through the dark until she could barely see a glimpse of orange light – flame.

As with most places in the Earth Kingdoms, the entire arena was formed entirely of rock. It was grand, if you ignored the complete absence of colour or natural light, big enough to make the largest warrior feel quite small. The bottom rows were completely devoid of people, bar three kids her age, maybe younger. They weren’t earthbenders. Y/N frowned, deciding to go with the earthbenders’ flow, clambering up with Kuai to one of the top rows.

She was right to do so.

A scream alerted the dog and girl duo, the boy with the wolf tail leapt back away from a large rock that had smashed into the seats a hairs breadth away from him. Perhaps she would have snorted in amusement if it weren’t for the shock.

“Welcome to Earth Rumble V!” A voice called above the commotion – though it seemed to only cause more, that being of the rowdy, excited type. “I am your host, Xin Fu!”

The sinewy man seemed as excitable as the crowd as he commentated on the matches. Each fighting man seemed to grow larger and more muscular as the night proceeded on with more matches; they fought dirty, and most were as immovable as the element they could harness. Well, all except the Fire Nation Man. He was a pitiful excuse for a warrior, Y/N decided.

As Kuai began to growl under her feet, Y/N perked up her head up.

They called her the Blind Bandit. Toph, her student and friend, stood proud in what short stature she had, a championship belt held high above her head. Not in her white robes, she wore proud green, a stark emerald. Her hair fell into her face, uncouth from an etiquette standpoint. Spirits, she was a little girl, tough but still so little. She may have had the best earthbending teacher that money could buy – money not being an object for the Beifong family – but it didn’t stop Y/N whispering a silent prayer, pulling Kuai onto her lap.

“The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl.”

‘Yeah,’ Y/N thought, a sudden surge of rage filling her, ‘So you should.’

Toph, the meek socialite she was, curled up into herself, a quiver crossing her lips. “Sounds to me like you’re scared, Boulder!”

“Spirits, give me strength,” Y/N sighed, rubbing a hand across her face.

The ensuing fight was something spectacular. Every movement Toph made seemed entirely instinctual. It was over so quickly that Y/N almost thought she’d missed the fight. In a quick flurry of movements, Toph had humiliated, beaten, and confined the Boulder between three stalactites. Knuckles tightening as she grabbed the ends of her sleeves, Y/N didn’t know whether to be impressed or terrified. The terror, though, was not the kind etched on the Boulder’s face, but the kind that stirred in her stomach, boiling up nausea as she thought of what may happen if the Beifongs found out that their sweet daughter was an underground earthbending master.

Xin Fu entered the ring, provoking the crowd into roaring cheers as he held up Toph’s hand in victory. In his other was a hefty bag of what was likely gold; the crowd fell deadly silent the moment it was offered for a victory against the Blind Bandit.

“What?” He sneered, his confidence grating Y/N the wrong way. “No one dares to face her?”

Before Y/N could stand to volunteer, the youngest of the group nearly struck by a rock at the beginning of the tournament stood. “I will!”

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Xin Fu’s expression shifted to something sinister, only for a second before plastering on a smile. By Kuai’s growl, she assumed she was right. As the two fighters circled each other, they spoke, though not loudly enough for Y/N to hear way up away from the arena. The fight lasted longer than that with the Boulder, worrying Y/N and pleasing the audience. It was the final blow, however, that left Y/N speechless.

The boy, shorter and brighter looking than Y/N, pushed Toph off of the ring with the air.

He was an airbender – the Avatar.

Eyes widening, Y/N beckoned Kuai to follow as she hurtled down the seats as gently as possible. Calling after her, she worried that the Avatar’s shouts may have drowned hers out, but Toph merely stood in the mouth of the tunnel, seemingly ignoring the airbender.

“Bandit,” Y/N cut in, putting on her most menacing face. “We have a lot to talk about.”

As Toph closed the tunnel, cutting the two girls and their dog off from the tournament, Y/N could hear the indignant whining of the other boy, accusatory towards the girl who ‘cut off the Avatar’. She snorted, walking alongside the earthbender at ease now the fighting was done.

“So…” Y/N cleared her throat, a small smile playing at her lips. “Underground earthbending fights? Not very ladylike.”

Toph scoffed, fighting a laugh. “It beats staying home and reciting tea ceremonies.”

“I love a good tea ceremony!”

“That,” the girl said, “Is sad.”

There was an air of silence between them for a moment.

“Y/N, you won’t tell my dad, will you?”

At that, Y/N grasped Toph’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “No, but I will be coming with you if you decide to fight again. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.”

Toph laughed, clearly invincible, undamaged from her bruised ego. They snuck back onto the grounds easy enough, retiring to their separate bedrooms. Etiquette lessons seemed somewhat useless knowing that Toph was possibly the greatest earthbender Y/N had ever seen. On top of seeing the Avatar alive and in the flesh, the day had taken such strange turns.

Y/N had no idea of what was to come.

[quinn-firethief]

Quinn Firethief

Hello everyone! It’s currently four am but I’ll do my best here. Quinn Firethief is one of my oldest wizards. I made him two years ago after I downloaded the game for the first time in like, years, to play with some friends. The graphics update had me shook, y’all. My friends and I loved roleplaying as our characters (both in-game via voice chat and in our texting apps cause we’re weebs) so Quinn is pretty fleshed out. The problem is is that I’m poor so I’m currently stuck right before Marleybone. Hopefully, I’ll be able to change that once I graduate. But for right now, I’ll give you guys the rundown of his character up until this point. Quinn Firethief is a Prince. His parents are the King and Queen of Dragonspyre. Yeah, big surprise, amirite? When I made his backstory, I made it without knowing the whole story of the world. Bad on my part, I know, but I’m really attached to the idea now. So, how that works is that while most of Dragonspyre is unhabitable, there is still a very small part that is. That's where the royal family and a lot of inhabitants that were too loyal to leave ran to. It’s a very small place, they have a very small military, it’s very much a former shell of the great glory it once was. Because of this though, Quinn is well known among their people because there’s probably, at least, a hundred or two left there. He cares very much about them, he’s a great public speaker, very charismatic, and he just really cares about people and really loves helping them in general. It's such a small place that it's really not that big of a deal that Quinn is a prince, a few people might be like “wow what's it like???” but a lot of questions don’t really apply to him because he did live a comfortable life, just not a lavished one thanks to their current situation. But his family does have very good background to their name. Firethieves were the royal family after all. There’s a big legend that they got their last name-Firethief of course-by stealing fire from the Dragons themselves so that they could harness the power and learn how to control it. Depending on whether or not you believe that, you could say a lot of people have Quinn’s ancestors from many many generations ago to thank for fire magic. Others might say that the downfall of the world is probably the family’s karma catching back up on them if that is true.

Before I go into the next part. I no longer talk to the friend that played the next character that I’m going to be talking about. We didn’t end on good terms. But their character is very vital to Quinn’s story. I can’t just write them out. So I’ve decided to just not put their name. Maybe I will later, maybe I’ll completely change it; we’ll just have to see.

Quinn had a best friend who was basically like a brother to him. He was always at the castle, and people even called him a Prince too. When they were of age to go to Ravenwood and start practicing magic (which, in my opinion, is probably eighteen, maybe as young as sixteen if you’re super good) they went together. Like I said, Quinn’s family has a long history in fire magic, being the royal family of Dragonspyre after all, so Quinn immediately dabbled in fire magic. His best friend went into myth. When they started questing, they ended up meeting a life wizard named Sarai (her last name escapes me rn I’ll get back to y’all on that) who was in the same year as them. (She was played by my girlfriend, if she ever makes a Tumblr for her I’ll definitely link it here) They needed a healer, she needed some harder hitters, so they all started questing together. They became the best of friends. They were well on their way to being able to take down Malistaire. The journey didn’t come without difficulties of course. Sarai got sick with the Krok Plague during one of the dungeons, and the boys had to rush through the last few to get the cure for her. Quinn’s best friend ended up dropping Myth because he was doing so horrible. He did, however, become very interested in Balance thanks to Kroktopia and found he did very well in that. While Sarai was sick Quinn realized that he had definitely fallen in love with the sweet and gentle Life wizard, and while he came very close to confessing his feelings, he didn’t.

Krok ended well. They were able to get the cure to Sarai in time and they finished it all out together, with Sarai cured of the plague and coherent. They all crashed in Sarai’s house afterward and chatted about how far they had come, and how they heard that Marleybone was needing help next.

Now, this is when my friends and I stopped playing. Summer of 2018 had drawn to a close and I was going into my Junior year. We all got very busy, my family ran into some bad financial problems so I obviously couldn’t unlock the Marleybone zones, and then by the end of my Junior year, I was no longer talking to the friend that played Quinn’s best friend. I’m in my Senior year and I’m feeling nostalgic, and like most Wizard101 players I’m getting sucked back into this game(help me). But this is where I take some liberty with the story. The three of them do end up going to Marleybone, but after a good few weeks, they end up running into Morganthe who, at this point, is just starting to plan on getting a little public about her villainess. Obviously, at this point, I’m messing with canon a little bit, but not that bad. She ended up casting a spell that took ahold of Quinn’s best friend's mind and completely turned him against Quinn and Sarai. They tried to free him from the spell but it became very clear very fast that it wasn’t possible. They ended up having to kill him. Quinn dealt the final blow with his bow and arrow (I got it from a pack, such a good drop sorry now isn’t the best time-) and the place they were fighting in exploded. Sarai and Quinn were knocked out and then dragged to safety by some other wizards that heard the explosion. While the friend’s body was never found, it was plainly obvious that he was dead. Quinn and his best friend, who was basically his brother, had known each other since they were kids. Like, I’m talking six years old. they had known Sarai for at least two years at this point since Krok and Wizard City had definitely (in my mind) taken some time to get through and fix. They were a very close, tightknit group. They were well known around Ravenwood and it was rare when you saw one of them walking around alone. So, as you can imagine, having to kill their own friend was very, very hard on them. Especially Quinn. He and Sarai can’t even be around each other anymore because it hurts too much, the wound is too raw. Quinn ends up telling Sarai that he needs some time alone, some time to think. So they stop talking, they stop hanging out, and they both just stop questing in general. It’s not the same without their friend’s lute playing to cheer them on.

Quinn gets very depressed and turns to alcohol. At this point, he’s twenty-one, so it is legal. A favorite of his is Fireball. If he’s not sleeping or studying or practicing, he’s drinking. He has nightmares (and rarely dreams, those tend to hurt more) of his friend constantly. He has to move out of the dorm because they always hung out there and it just hurts too much, there are too many memories. He can’t even visit Dragonspyre because of all of the memories they have there, he’d probably drop dead the moment he walked in because of how hard it’d hit him. So he moves into the Fire House (the classic burning tower with all that lava) and to try and cope, he makes a grave for his best friend even though they never found a body. Yep, you’re right, that’s exactly what my header is. Depressing, right? I had a leftover present from some winter event, so I decided to put that there to make it even sadder. This is currently where I’m picking up with Quinn, where he’s at his lowest and he’s pushing everyone away and he feels completely alone. It really resonates with me because of how I’ve been feeling lately (for like NO reason might I add). I’m super excited to write about it, it’s definitely going to be fun. I hope you guys enjoyed that! I’m sorry this was such a long read lmao this took me like twenty minutes to type up. Mainly because I had to keep fact-checking and I’m so tired. It’s now five am and I need to sleep. If you guys have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask. If you wanna be friends, shoot me a text! I need more Wizard101 buddies so badly right now. I might open one-shot requests if enough people show interest in Quinn and my writings enough, but we’ll just have to see :)

Have a good day everyone!

[andrewthoughtsbombdiggity]

‘Supah Hero

Super Hero Character 

Name: Andra (ANNE-Dra) 

 Alias: None 

Character Intro: 

Andra is a human man featured as a main character in Where the Heart Lies and as a main character/secondary character throughout the series. He is 5’8, well built with the exception of a small gut, tan and brown haired (with a pretty prominent flip in the front). He has a power born within him known as the Light, an ambiguously originated power hypothesized by other to be from God (as it seems to work really well against witches, demons, etc.). The Light can be used in many ways and is powered by Andra’s soul. 

 Setting: 

The setting of Andra’s world is on an earth very similar to ours and takes place from 2017ish – 2032. Earth is much like our own except much like the Fallout games its technologically oriented in the 1970’s-90’s. America is America minus the fact that there aren’t “states” as much as there are regions that the country is broken into. Some regions are small (such as The Island (Long Island)) and act without direct control of the country, other regions are large and under direct control of the government (The Mountains (later referred to as Upper Appalachia and Andra’s current home). It is also more forested and aesthetically the cities look more as they would in the 1800’s rather than industrial and modern architecture. 

 Biography:

Early Childhood: 

Little is known of Andra’s early childhood, he has parents named Jen-Jen and Lawro and a brother named Joe (not to be confused with the prominent character Jojo). He mentions that “My mom and dad gave us [me and Joe] the best life possible… but I haven’t seen them since I came home from the war… and I’d rather not”. He had his powers since the day he was born and his mother said that he contained the “divine spark” and stated she had a vision of the universe opening in front of her when he was born. Whether or not this was the power of Light being imbued within him by some vague force has not yet been revealed. It has been written that Andra once mended an injured frog when he was 7… and this was when he became aware of his powers, although he didn’t really know what they were. By age 14 he had a grasp of his basic abilities though unaware where it came from or how it was powered Adolescence: At age 15 he and his friend Jojo were drafted from The Island to battle China in the “Grand War” a devastating 1 year war that left China in ruins… but so many Americans died in the conflict no one was really happy with the result. The Grand Army was disbanded and all previous draftees were given the option to leave or join The New Army, Jojo joined the new while Andra left… thoroughly traumatized. This started the darkening of his heart and his soul was tainted… restraining his powers greatly. He moved to the mountains and lived by himself in peace until… 

Events of Where the Heart Lies: 

Away from his friends and family at 17 as well as suffering from his trauma from the war Andra had a very hard time until he met his friend Noah, a studying friar whose powers of “The Word” soothed him. However he also fell in love with a woman named Carmilla Rose who seemed to help Andra get over his pain and put him on the road to freedom. However, Carmilla was actually a witch who knew of Andra’s powers (Through the demon Naradonna who whispered her will into Carmilla to destroy him) and wished to corrupt and harness them {see: ‘Powers’ below} for her benefit which would ultimately have killed Andra. She stole his heart and ran further into the wilderness to complete her dark magic whilst leaving Andra to wither and die. Noah not knowing what to do sent for Jojo and together all three journeyed to figure out the curse, cure Andra, and confront Carmilla and defeat her. 

Events of Global Seed and Politzania Mania 

Andra in Global Seed and Politzania Mania is a bit older at 22 and 24 respectfully. Having honed his powers better in these two stories his personality remains the same save for the fact that he adopts a baby that he names Lucy (she was born of a strange ritual in aboriginal Australia) and fathers twins with an unnamed woman called Arthur and Sally who appear to have inherited the Light. After completing the respective journeys and adventures he seeks a quiet life with his children far off in the countryside away from it all, determining that the world is at peace once and for all. Fatherhood calms his more excitable tendencies as most of his energy is drawn to them and this makes Andra become more even-keel, wiser. 

 Events of Super Flower Platinum 

Andra is a main character yet again, now 32 and with a little “huskiness” to him, Andra built “the Village” as a refuge for all his friends and their families after the events of Politzania Mania. Living in the quiet village, they all believe their work as heroes is done as they wish to live in tranquil remote retirement. Unbeknownst to them one final threat looms its’ ugly head in the form of the demon Polestar. Having fused with Gak (a character in the previous stories) and gifting him dark powers, Gak submits Yarri (another character) to his will and corrupts the planet. After killing an ally, Andra and co. find out the assailant and chase after him. Andra loses his left arm in the initial brawl and Polestar and company escape. Andra has changed in this, having the world so corrupted constantly brings up memories of the Grand War, and this leads a change in him to be erratic and anxious as the journey continues. His kids die as well towards the end (except 1, and he fathered 4 more children in the years leading up to Super Flower Platinum) and this breaks him into a calm madness, far from the joyful and happy-go-lucky character of before… no this is WAR Andra. 

 Powers: 

The Light: The Light is a mysterious power gifted by God to Andra at birth and only fully realized after the defeat of Carmilla Rose in the events of Where the Heart Lies. It allows Andra to manipulate light and energy. While enhancing one’s physical stamina and strength to slightly above average means, it is mainly powered through the soul and the heart of Andra (the heart in the main belief of humans of this world is that the heart is the bridge between spiritual and physical, hence why Carmilla stole the heart as she would have control not just over Andra, but over his soul). Noble intentions are not required although it tends to weaken the overall ability of whatever Andra is doing. Another downside to the Light is that it can damage Andra physically or spiritually if he over exerts although it still will hit his target. The Light doesn’t grant immortality or anything… Andra still ages normally and functions as a normal human. 

Abilities: 

Detonate- detonate is an ability Andra has that light travels through the spacing of his fingers and blows up anything under or being held by his hand without damage to people (unless he wants it to). This comes in handy if he needs to open a lock or door forcefully or to momentarily distract an enemy (Painfully). 

Stun- Stun can stun an enemy by focusing a touch to the heart or to other pressure points although it is more effective when the heart is touched. Blinder- Blinder blinds an enemy with a flash of light that can also double as an attack because it can also burn demons and witches. 

Sun King- This ability is the most powerful in Andra’s arsenal and has only been used once, it appears at first as a pulsating ball of yellow/white light that contracts and expands then appears as many smaller balls of pulsating light that cover a large range, they then explode. The catch is that it can kill Andra and he does not control where the little light balls go. 

Bam-Bam- any physical/melee attack enhanced by light Pulse- Pulse allows for Andra to place his hand onto an opponent, at which he will pulse light through them, this causes the enemy to glow and burn from the inside out, really effective against witches. 

Dawn and Dusk- A last resort; Andra can attach himself to an opponent and explode. It can kill him. 

Personality: 

Andra’s personality shifts drastically throughout the entire series. Very withdrawn, quiet, and skittish in Where the Heart Lies, he is described by Jojo as being a scared and timid shell of his former shelf, although this is due to the curse. Following the lifting of the curse, he is much more stern and serious but this eventually gives way to his very goofy, jovial, and gregarious true self in later stories, and even further when he becomes an older adult with a child, he’s more mature and experienced and this shows prominently in the third story Politzania Mania where he acts as a counsel to Adrino (another character) when confronted with identity issues. He is still haunted by the Grand War and he sometimes drinks himself to sleep on occasion, much to the chagrin of everyone. He can also be quick to judgment and he finds this out the hard way when his powers weaken and seemingly the most inopportune times.

Goals: 

After the events of the first story, Andra simply wishes to live a life of peace and quiet. However he and his friends keep finding themselves embroiled in these mysterious fights of good and evil. After many supernatural run-ins (i.e. the events of The Global Seed), he deduces that he shall find a way to clear the world of supernatural and spiritual evils… thus ridding fear (conscious or unconscious) of primary evil. He’s an unknowing hero, just on a mission to make the world a little brighter. It is unknown if the Light pushes him to cleanse the darkness or if he feels he can accomplish this because of the Light. 

Death and Legacy: 

The death of Andra takes place a little before the end of the events in Super Flower Platinum. Polestar having recognized the one power that can vanquish him and Gak as well as his offspring (born in the beginning of Super Flower Platinum, named GolStar and SilStar), he kills all but 2 of Andra’s children in a gambit to rid a legacy of the Light and to break Andra mentally to make him easier to defeat. The two surviving children are Saraphina and Lucy, Andra’s adopted child. Andra in a mad outburst goes all out against Polestar, killing SilStar and critically wounding GolStar, however in a moment of distraction Polestar launches a powerful wave of demonic energy at Andra’s left side. Not covered or prepared to defend Andra watches in horror as Lucy uses her ability to sacrifice herself and give Andra one last fighting chance (She turns into a giant tree resistant to anti-nature energies and encases Andra in it, the sap from said tree heals him and her spirit snaps him back into reason and reality). The ensuing fight is brutal with Polestar and Gak seeming to become the victors. With hope fading in the eyes of his comrades, Andra is moved to tears, he then realizes what he must do. Inferring Polestar is the final supernatural threat to worldly peace he charges towards him, incurring many fatal shots to the body before wrapping himself around Polestar/Gak and essentially converting himself and his soul into a Light bomb, destroying Gak/Polestar and GolStar and SilStar and restoring Yarri’s sanity. All saddened at the loss of their friend, the remaining heroes erect a statue in his honor with the inscription “Let the Light Take You Higher” as his ultimate message that people are good, and that good is Light, and the Light will lift you up when all seems lost and hopeless, as demonstrated by his sacrifice. And if there was anything he left behind besides his daughter Saraphina, the only wielder of the Light ability now, it was not only the proof of truly good people, but also that world will no longer encounter true evil ever again.

[ms-katonic-of-tamriel]

Dream Daddy #1 - The Dadsonas

I finally did all the arcs.  Go me, eh?

So anyway, I had run-throughs involving various characters, including Madanach, Cicero, Alistair, Dorian, Eliot Spencer and Argis.  And I shoulda done a Varric one, bugger.  Oh well.  Still time.  This is Madanach and Cicero, because Cicero’s got long.

Madanach was first and it took three attempts to get him a happy ending.  Fucked up Damien’s final date and got dumped at Amanda’s graduation party.  Reloaded, went for Joseph... and it turns out he won’t leave Mary.  Mads is not OK with being the bit on the side.  Reload.  I will get you a boyfriend if it kills me, Madanach.  Went with Hugo, and it turns out the bookish nerd is SUPER INTO watching muscly guys grappling with each other, and Madanach is also FINE with this.  A bit too fine.  You do not need to shout that loudly at them to get in there and kill the enemy.  Calm down.  But it went well, Madanach loyally gave the finger to the kiss cam to protect Hugo’s privacy, and Hugo has a new burst of confidence, not to mention someone who will be Far More Authoritarian Dad than Hugo ever can be.  (The first time Ernest tries to join the Forsworn gang from the other side of town will be hilarious. The second time, not so much.  Ernest claiming he’s a member anyway and shouting at Madanach in an argument that he’ll get the Forsworn to kill him nearly gives Madanach a hernia from laughing.  Then he stops and seriously tells Ernest not to take the gang’s name in vain, he knows damn well Ernest isn’t a member, falsely claiming you’re a member is a dangerous move.  Two nights later, the Forsworn pick him up, and drag him blindfolded to a darkened warehouse and terrify the living blazes out of him (he’s not actually harmed but a lesson is needed).  When he’s finally sobbing and pleading for mercy, they relent and dump him on the edge of town... where Madanach’s waiting, in civvies.  He thanks the Forsworn for bringing him and they salute before leaving.  Then he picks Ernest and rather gently tells him not to romanticise criminals, they aren’t worth it and he can do better with his life than this.  He’s a bright kid with a bright future.  He doesn’t need to fall into a life of crime.  He can have a better life than Madanach did.  Ernest looks at his stepfather with new eyes, quietly goes home with him and gives neither Hugo nor Madanach any trouble again.)  The Dad character was weirdly in character for Madanach!  The right mix of social awkwardness, heart in the right place, cares dearly for his kids, capable of laying down the law when needed, a bit too competitive but there for his friends.  I think he’d have worked out well with all the Dads, weirdly!  Apart from Joseph.  He’d have spent weeks seething and wanting to have Mary killed but not be able to bring himself to do it because he likes her, dammit, and then he realises perhaps it’s not Mary who needs killing.  The gangland shooting of the popular youth minister is a crying shame and a tragedy, but Mary, although initially heartbroken, rallies and survives and a year later is a completely different person who no longer visits bars and is wrangling four kids who are sad but also surviving.  Madanach considers chatting her up himself... but then Robert, the former one night stand who’s been ignoring him goes ‘I know what you did... *silence*  *intense stare*  *moar silence*  *comfort is a distant memory* thanks.  She’s a better person these days... want a drink?’  Madanach says yes to the drink, no to the sex, somehow a queerplatonic thing develops.  Mary, Robert and Madanach end up buddies and effectively co-parenting the kids after Mary and Madanach stage an intervention for their Hot Mess Not-Boyfriend involving all the other dads.  The repeated refrain of ‘ROBERT NO, STOP ENCOURAGING THE TWINS’ is a constant echo in the Christiansen-Smalls-Dareche household.

It obviously didn’t end like that, but it would have been great if it had. ;)

Cicero!  Cicero was a delight.  He was spoilt for choice, but managed to miss out on Robert due to being Unable to Say No (probably for the best, amirite?).  Originally went for Brian, but the forced competitiveness jarred, because Cicero doesn’t do alpha-maling.  He’d be losing on purpose and acting helpless and accidentally-on-purpose causing minor domestic disasters that Brian would have to come and help fix, meaning Cicero gets to watch a big strong man at work and then invite him for dinner as a reward.  The fall in the lake on the fishing trip would be on purpose so Brian would have to rescue him.  And then on the ferris wheel, Cicero glances over as Brian’s telling him not to panic, it’ll be all right, he’ll look after him (because he’s so used by this point to Cicero gazing adoringly up at him or pathetically up at him because he needs help).  And then Cicero reaches for his knapsack and pulls out this harness and rope and carabiners and stuff that would put professional rock-climbers to shame, tells Brian to sit tight and make sure the rope stays clamped in place, and casually abseils off the fucking ferris wheel.  He reaches the ground like he’s done this before (he’s done this before, he’s a retired professional hitman, continually riding on a ferris wheel is a great way to survey a carnival when your target works there).  Brian’s phone rings and it’s Cicero wanting to know if Brian can talk the staff through repairing an engine - wait never mind, the problem is a live raccoon still in the engine, Cicero has this one -click.  Minutes later, the wheel starts moving, staff advising everyone the problem is solved and do not look closely at the engine or the unmoving lump under the tarpaulin nearby.  Cicero is looking very pleased with himself, and goes to cuddle Brian as he gets off the ride, only for Brian to stare at him and demand to know could he have sorted out all those incidents himself the whole time.  Was he in fact losing at all those carnival games on purpose???  Cicero goes a bit pale and nervous, giggles and then ends up up admitting yes, Cicero won just enough toys to keep Amanda happy and lost the rest of the games because he was trying to fluff up Brian’s ego.  Brian can’t believe this and tells Cicero he didn’t need to do that, Brian’s not the type to get angry if someone is better than him at something and he’d rather win honestly.  Then he sees Cicero’s sad face, pats him on the back and tells him next time the carnival is in town, he wants Cicero to stop holding back, and promises he won’t mind losing, in fact he likes the idea of Cicero being a fiercely skilled individual, it’s attractive.  Also it was kinda sweet being rescued for a change.  Cicero beams and hugs him and they go off holding hands, Cicero promising Brian he will win him lots of prizes next time, that dart game is very easy once you know the trick, it’s all to do with the way the darts are weighted.  Then Amanda and Daisy arrive in tears, because they lost the pet fish Brian won for Cicero.  Cue Daring Rescue operation and Cicero deftly rescues Brian the Fish with one flick of the pole and then squeals all the way down the log flume and swears this was the best night of his life.  Followed by watching the fireworks, cuddling Brian, and Brian saying he rather likes Daring and Brave Cicero and wouldn’t mind seeing more of him.  There is kissing.  It’s cute.

That’s the Cicero/Brian arc I WANTED but it’s not the Brian arc I got.  Sigh.  So I reloaded and went for Craig instead.  (Missed out on Robert, Joseph not an option, Hugo and Damien too intellectual, and Mat’s niche indie musical tastes are a bit of an embarrassment for Cicero, who’s music collection is basically the G.A.Y. playlist and showtunes - identical to Joseph’s had he known it.)  And Cicero/Craig REALLY WORKED as a pairing!  Cicero’s in shape enough from all that running away from police and private guards and scaling walls and fences and wrestling targets into submission, and as said above, can abseil off a carnival ride without fear, so can keep up with him physically and show an interest in things athletic even if he’s not obsessed.  And Craig has become so wrapped up in parenting he’s lost sight of who he is.  He needs someone who will nag him into taking care of himself and lead him astray a bit, and his old buddy Cicero (who wasn’t very good at university in all honesty, he only went because it was expected, did Media Studies and Journalism because it meant an excuse to walk round campus with a camera and ask people impertinent questions then write a scurrilous anon gossip column in the student newspaper which he got material for by eavesdropping, breaking and entering and basically being a conniving little shit) is VERY good at tempting people down a path of irresponsibility.  Also the third Craig date is perfect for Cicero - basically making Craig sit down and enjoy himself, being just mildly threatening if Craig tries to do anything like work, cackling at a tree that looks like a bottom, flinging himself off a waterfall and loving every minute of it, posing as he strips off for the swan-diving, cooing as Craig sorts the fire out then accidentally-on-purpose forgetting the other sleeping bag so they have to share one.  Perfect!

The twins love him, although it pains him they will not be trained to do the creepy thing that Joseph’s two have got going, and River will never know a life without him tending to her.  He’s very loving and protective of all three of them.  Gods help the future boyfriends. XD

[dcnativegal]

Fire

Originally, I wrote about fire in July. It’s now September, and fire season in Oregon got so much worse. The fire called Eagle Creek was started by giggling 15 year  throwing firecrackers into a dry patch in the Columbia River Gorge: it became Oregon’s second largest fire, second only to the Chetco Fire on the southern western coast. Since the Eagle Creek Fire is close to Portland, and Multnomah Falls, it became national news, and maybe also because it was started by giggling teenagers.

I’m used to smog and fog on the east coast, but not smoke all summer and everywhere. Breathing smoke, smelling wood fire, has become a normal thing. I wondered if this is unusual and natives of Eastern Oregon tell me that it surely is. Apparently all the rain and snow over the winter encouraged a great growth of grass, referred to as fuel in fire lingo.

 Today is Sunday, September 9, 2017, and it feels as though the planet is having convulsions, tossing about its human parasitic invaders. Hurricane Irma is the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever, and it’s about to slam into Florida, after flattening Caribbean Islands. The biggest evacuation of that state, ever. Irma was preceded by Harvey, which basically drowned most of Houston, the USA’s 4th largest city. There was an earthquake, over 8 on the scale, that Clara felt in Guatemala, off the coast of Mexico, that hasn’t killed the huge number in the thousands that the earthquake caused 20 years ago there. But it’s bad. First rescue, then salvage.

And then there’s fire. Everywhere in the west, from Canada south to Utah. A flame.

From July:

On Saturday, July 8, a group of visitors from the wet part west of the Cascades was shooting some explosive, for fun, and set off a wildfire. This in the town of Summer Lake, just north of Paisley and south of Christmas Valley and Silver Lake. I’d just driven past that area 2 hours before the fire on my way west. First it was 600 acres, then 3,000, and finally, 6,000. As of July 14, it was 90% contained. Unlike hurricanes, there isn’t a list of names that one runs through to name it. It’s based on location. This was the Ana Fire, named after a reservoir.

Fire is not something I’ve grown up with as a persistent danger. A nuclear bomb landing on the Nation’s Capital was an abstraction and pretty scary to contemplate, but a decimated DC was only an idea, until 9/11 when a plane hit the Pentagon and another plane was unaccounted for before the passengers made it crash in Pennsylvania, killing themselves and the hijackers, while saving however many DC residents and tourists. Fire is an annual fear. A daily thing to prevent in the summer months. We, the fine people of Lake County, know what to do and what not to do. Don’t idle your engine over tall grass. Don’t burn trash until it’s officially okay to do that. Don’t pitch a cigarette anywhere. Campfire? Ha!

But then there are two kinds of knuckleheads. The kind that shoot explosives for sport, in the Oregon Outback, when they think they’re still somehow in the soggy Western part of the state. The other kind is the arsonist. Last summer’s fire that nearly consumed Paisley was set intentionally. That fire is called the Withers Fire, named after the family who owns the land it was set on, one of the long-resident, stalwart families of ranchers in Lake County. That knucklehead has been identified, but apparently there was some inter-agency foolishness, and someone went on vacation after securing some evidence, and now there’s no way to indict the dude. The Western Oregon knuckleheads are known, and although they did not intentionally cause the Ana Fire, they are liable. Financially, they are screwed.

I watched a 90-minute video of a community meeting that the firefighting agencies put together. I was fascinated, and will continue to be slightly obsessed with the whole matter of fire, now that I am in the line of it, so to speak. A woman from some agency ran the meeting, introduced all the people, mostly men, from many agencies. I will get familiar with them all over time. The designation of how serious a fire it was, who fought what when, the airplanes and helicopters, the hotshot firefighters, the cause and the legal repercussions, the backburning, all of it was gone over. A woman who sounded like a reporter asked questions to get it all down correctly on paper. There was scattered applause for the fine work that was done, with no loss of human life; only a shack and a hunting cabin burned. Now instead of watching Russian car crashes on youtube, or pimples being popped in a sterile environment, I can watch videos of fire, firefighting, and community meetings. (My actual youtube obsession is knitting and crochet techniques. Truly. I must be a menopausal chubby woman. Indeed, I am. They are riveting. Back to fire.)

It is a sad sight to drive by and see perky houses intact, in a sea of blackened, denuded land.

I am also learning to associate something that was very pleasant and a great relief in DC--the summer thunderstorm—with fire. In Paisley, a thunderstorm means lightning strikes, and thus, lots of little fires that can turn into big ones. There are several fires in Lake and Klamath counties right now, including one near enough to Tank Springs that Valerie drove up there to keep an eye out for her beloved family plot up there, and watch the firefighters. All is apparently safe, for now. I have to associate thunder and lightning with fire and possible devastation. This is a world class bummer, I can tell you. I wonder if I’ll get used to that.

Having lived in Washington DC for 56 years, I shared with all the residents the same kind of primal fear, of getting nuked by the Soviet Union. Until the Soviet Union was no more. And then it was ‘terrorism’. And the scary possibility of attack came true on September 11, 2001. I was at work, staring at the Washington Post web site, procrastinating, when I saw the very odd picture of a plane pointing toward the World Trade Center and about to hit it. Within minutes, the entire staff was watching television. Shortly after both planes hit New York, the one plane hit at the Pentagon. I got through to my then husband, who went to get the children from their elementary school that was exactly 12 blocks from the Capitol building. He scooped up some other kids from our neighborhood after reaching their parents, and held a kind of camp. I told him not to let them watch TV. In downtown DC there were a lot of sirens, and rumors about truck bombs at the State Department 12 blocks from us. The White House and Congress was evacuating to an undisclosed location.  My job’s office location was 6 blocks from the White House. We heard about the fourth plane and knew it was headed for either the Capitol building or the White House. We were all relieved to hear it had crashed in Pennsylvania because it was indeed pointed toward D.C.: I am eternally grateful to those passengers, who would have died wherever they crashed, but saved a big swath of the nation’s capital by going down in a rural area instead, not killing anyone but themselves. And the Saudi Arabian hijackers.

Eventually, I took the subway home, although I could have walked the 4 miles. The Metro was deserted by 3pm. It had been a devastating day: all sense of security and predictability blown away by the planes.

Fire season is all summer long, every summer. I now know how to keep track of fires on which web sites. I know what that yellowish haze means: smoke. I know that the most up to date information for Paisley can be found on our virtual community bulletin board called “For Sale in Paisley.”  You can buy a horse, a truck, cowboy boots, and second-hand clothes. You’ll also find information about stray dogs, weird weather, home games at the school gym, which internet companies are having trouble, and which fires are burning nearby.  

I will get used to this.

And I know what I’ll try to rescue: Val will take care of her stuff.

·     I’ll get my cat and cat food and litter.

·     My journals, kept continuously since college, which fill a trunk. They are kind of heavy. So only if I can.

·     My wallet. Phone, computer, chargers, c-pap machine. All my medicines. There are a lot of them.

·     A backpack full of jars of apple sauce and protein bars. A big water bottle.

·     My kids’ dad got all the photo albums, and that’s really fine, they are for our children. I have a couple with pictures of my ancestors. I can fit them all into a suitcase.

·     And my latest knitting projects. My needles and hooks.

·     Lots of size 11 underwear. I’m a big girl, and I need my big girl panties. Two pants, tee shirts, a sweatshirt. Since it is summer I’d need to high tail it, don’t need much. One pair of sneakers, 6 pairs of socks.

·     Would I have the luxury to be this selective? Beats me.

 My safety is tied up in my fellow Paisley residents, and I trust them. We will survive whatever befalls.

"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."                          

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine Valentine Challenge Drabble - “Coping” (NC17)

Kurt is away. Blaine is alone. And Blaine is having one of the worst days of his life. But a few words from his Dom and a little self-confidence go a long way towards turning things around in the end. (1560 words)

This takes place fairly early in their relationship, so we see Blaine working as a teacher, and we see his anxiety as a bit more extreme than it's been in later installments. But we're focusing on how Blaine handles being a submissive with his Dominant away - how he copes, how he serves Kurt, how Kurt's schedule and structure help him, the way they keep their D/s relationship going even though Kurt is away, etc. Written for the Klaine Valentines Challenge prompt Day 8 "The Way You Look Tonight" but originally inspired by the Klaine Advent Drabble prompt "universe" xD

Dom Kurt, sub Blaine. Warning for anxiety, and mention of bondage and cock cages.

Chapter 3 of Blaine Alone, a sub ficlet of Taking a Journey Together, written for the amazing @itallstartedwithharry <3

Read on AO3.

Blaine is having a fucking awful day.

It’s not just that the weather is lousy; his luck kind of sucks. His bus broke down, meaning he had to run the last two blocks to school in the pouring rain. He’s absolutely overloaded with work. Back to back parent-teacher meetings monopolize his entire afternoon before the sure-to-be-crowded Open House tonight, and oh, did he spill mustard down the front of his shirt - the only shirt he has with him?

Yes. Yes, he did.

Normally he carries a spot treating pen, and brings extra clothes along for hectic days like this just in case, but he’s been so overwhelmed, it slipped his mind. He manages to swipe a forgotten bottle of flat soda water from the fridge in the teacher’s lounge and gets the mustard mostly out, but it still leaves a faint yellow-brown shadow that makes him self-conscious about how he looks. Someone’s bound to notice tonight. They’ll notice and make a comment, then the principal will find out and he’ll make a comment …

This isn’t like Blaine, and Blaine will say that, except that today, it is, and he can’t fix it. There’s nowhere he can go to buy a replacement shirt, and even if there was, he has zero time.

Blaine feels useless. Pathetic and useless.

Useless because there’s no Kurt around to be of use to.

Blaine woke up this morning to an empty loft. He did his chores per usual, as if Kurt were there, but Kurt wasn’t there. Kurt is on a business trip … in France. Kurt is away on business and Blaine is alone. And he feels that alone-ness in every inch of his skin, every muscle, every bone. He goes about his daily schedule the way he’s supposed to, continues to serve because service to his Dom is service to his Dom whether Kurt’s there or not. But there’s a part of him that feels ridiculous kneeling beside an empty chair or sleeping on the floor beside an empty bed.

He didn’t really sleep at all last night, which adds to the misery of his day.

Kurt not being there doesn’t mean that Kurt doesn’t keep in contact with him. Blaine still does his check-ins at pre-determined times every day, telling Kurt when he eats and what he eats, when he exercises, every time he goes to the bathroom – basically everything he does from sun up to sun down. There are the pictures he needs to send and the tasks he has to complete. They Skype in the morning and the evening, and it’s almost enough.

But it’s not the same as Kurt physically being there, watching him, touching him, commanding him.

Holding him.

This feeling of loss weighs Blaine down, makes it hard for him to function. It’s as if the universe realized his Dom was gone and declared open season on him in the form of anxiety.

Blaine has to get past this. That’s actually one of Kurt’s tasks for him – to be more comfortable alone. Kurt would rather take Blaine with him on all of his business trips, but between Blaine’s job as a teacher and his Kinky Boots rehearsals, Blaine just couldn’t get away. Blaine has coping mechanisms in place – his Master’s monogrammed plug up his ass, his Master’s cock in a cage (new, and slightly annoying, but still a comfort since it comes from Kurt), and the harness he’s managed to tie by himself around his chest, perfectly hidden by his dress shirt and sports coat. But they’re not helping the way that they should because, without Kurt to come home to, they’re just things.

Objects.

Blaine tries to escape by becoming an object, too, but his mind constantly drifts away, wondering where Kurt is, what he’s doing, how he’s handling being without his submissive.

Does Kurt miss Blaine as much as Blaine misses him? Is he handling things better than Blaine? Of course, he is. Kurt’s completely independent. He’s an expert at creating structure for himself as well as others, better at keeping calm under pressure, at improvising when he has to. He probably would have made himself a new shirt in five seconds using the old curtains in storage. Kurt doesn’t need Blaine the way Blaine needs Kurt.

Assuring himself of that, Blaine ends up in the bathroom in tears.

It’s a long eleven hours from the time he gets to school till parents start showing up for Open House, flooding the halls in search of their children’s homerooms, examining their art on the walls or the assignments teachers have left on their desks for parents to see. Being a part time A.P. teacher, Blaine shares his room with another teacher, but they haven’t made an appearance yet. So Blaine’s alone with a room full of parents he’s only interacted with one at a time before. But now they’re all together, like a gaggle of ex’s, whispering to one another and, in his mind, judging him. He’s probably overreacting, but he knows that one or two of them are. He overhears one mother comment to the mother sitting next to her: “He’s so young … and attractive … but he dresses like my Uncle Rupert. I mean, a bowtie and a cardigan? At least it’s not a vest. But look at those pants! They’re atrocious!”

Blaine doesn’t know what to do. If this was happening during the school day between students, he would tell his kids to ignore comments like that, then he would remind the class that rude remarks have no place in his classroom. But these women are adults. He can’t call them out for hurting his feelings. Aside from being adolescent, that would kill his reputation at this school.

Kurt would tell him that those women are immature, beneath him, not to pay them any mind, but Blaine feels like he’s back in high school – at the public school he attended before his parents put him in Dalton. The anxiety that’s been tickling the back of his mind starts to grow, overshadowing things around him, turning conversation into noise, making the lights too bright, transforming the dull pounding in the front of his skull into a full-blown headache.

He’s about to excuse himself to the bathroom so he can splash cold water on his face, catch his breath, when he feels a buzzing in his pocket, perilously close to his cock cage. He fishes his phone out before it can cause any discomfort. He didn’t expect a message from Kurt just yet. Kurt had said during this morning’s Skype call that he would be busy all day today. Blaine has made all of his check-ins so far (the only thing he’s managed to pull off perfectly today), so there’s no reason for Kurt to demand an explanation for a missed one. Even though he should be getting the ball rolling, Blaine decides to take a peek. He wants to know why his Dom is thinking about him.

After the day Blaine’s had, he deserves it.

He opens the message, reading with a poker face so as not to elicit anymore unnecessary commentary.

From: Kurt

You are gorgeous today. Positively stunning, pet.

Blaine rolls his eyes. He feels guilty immediately after, but it had been a reflex.

From: Blaine

I beg your pardon, but you haven’t seen me since this morning, Sir. Trust me when I tell you, I’m not holding up that well.

 From: Kurt

Don’t argue with me, pet. I don’t have to see you. I know you, inside and out. Even if you sprouted a face full of acne and gained thirty pounds, you would still be gorgeous to me. You are an amazing human being, Blaine Anderson. And I don’t need to see the way you look tonight to know that.

Blaine bites his lips together. It suddenly doesn’t matter that people are watching him or what they think. He realizes it never did. The only person who matters just called him amazing.

He also scolded Blaine, which makes Blaine’s skin prickle all over in the best possible way.

From: Blaine

Thank you, Sir. You’ve just made my day.

 From: Kurt

You’re very welcome, pet. When you get home, we’ll Skype, and you can make my day.

 From: Blaine

Yes, Sir. But just so you know, I might be later than usual.

 From: Kurt

Do you think I care about the hour, pet? The time doesn’t matter. You do. Have to go. Talk with you later. Love you.

 From: Blaine

Love you, Sir.

 “Hey! Mr. A!” One of Blaine’s students calling from the doorway, walking in with his folks in tow, reminds Blaine that he’s in a room full of people – students and parents waiting for him to speak. “Lookin’ sharp.”

“Thank you, Tyrell,” Blaine says, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

“Op! But you’ve got mustard on your shirt, man.”

“Yeah, well, I needed to take attention away from my atrocious pants.”

Tyrell laughs, but from the front row, Blaine hears a dual gasp.

It’s a petty dig, but it feels excellent. Blaine only glances at the women in the front who had been discussing his pants moments before. One woman blanches, the other turns bright red. Blaine’s sure Kurt would be proud, and after that, Blaine knows he can handle the rest of the evening.

[stay-neurotic]

found one of those old survey things in my journal i used to kill time with, redoing it with my new answers <3

When's the last time you ran? - ran back to the car with juan after renfest, cause we were fucking freezing and ready to go home lmao. Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them? - my work pants have holes from my bigass thighs rubbin against each other, but that’s about it. What are you dreading right now? - hmm. surprisingly nothing? i dunno. i guess confrontation. over the past few days i’ve come *this* close to running into certain people i don’t wanna talk to. Do you celebrate 420? - lmao hell yeah my dude Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night? - usually manage to get between 6 to 7 and a half. i don’t even get a full night’s sleep on the days i sleep in cause my body clock’s been fucked up and also my cat is noisy. If anyone came to your house on your "lazy days" what would ya'll do? - i’ve become a pretty flexible person, if someone wants to come and chill w/ me they’re more than welcome to. so long as i don’t have to entertain them i don’t mind the company. Who last grabbed your ass? - @thefacelessghoul​. too easy. next question Have you ever been on your school's track team? - fuck no Do you own a pair of Converse? - still have the black knee-high converse i mentioned the first time i answered this question. i keep em’ for cosplay purposes Did you copy and paste this survey? - yes? Do you eat raw cookie dough? - doesn’t everyone Have you ever kicked a vending machine? - vending machines have thankfully never done me wrong in the past Don't you hate it when the radio ruins good songs by playing them over and over? - doesn’t everyone Do you watch Trading Spaces? - nope, don’t watch a lot of TV in general. is this show even on the air anymore? How do you eat oreos? - whole, dunked in milk, the way god intended Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone? - oooooohhhhhhhhhhh yes. my high school days were spent staring at a computer screen, this happened often Are you cocky? - af Could you live without a computer? - lol holy fuck no Do you wear your shoes in the house? - no? people do this? Who or what sleeps with you? - a juan, a max, and a million pillows At what age did you find out that Santa wasn't real? - don’t remember what age I was but it was on Christmas morning lol. i had suspected for a while but my suspicions were confirmed when santa’s gift to me still had the tag from target How many phones, house phones and cell phones are in your house? - i have one cell, juan has two. his second cell came from the lost-and-found of winn dixie, it’s out of service but can connect to wifi so it’s basically a social media/music device What do you do when you're sad? - hmm. umm. sleep a lot. starve myself. lose the ability to say ‘no.’ Who would you call first if you won the lottery? - my significant other followed shortly by my aunt Last time you saw your best friend? - well i haven’t seen her, really, we’re tumblr buddies. but the last time i talked to her was yesterday Are you in high school? - graduated in 2012 What jewelry are you wearing? - promise ring <3 nothing else because i’m in my fucking pajamas Is anyone on your bad side now? - my roommates for being the opposite of understanding/supportive with our (mine & juan’s) living situation and fixating on the money aspect. they’re still my friends but, just, could have used a little more empathy from them. also, the friend group who proved how ugly they all were when the drama started happening. (someone ask me about this if ur curious, i’d love to rant) What's the first thing you do when you get online? - check tumblr. Do you watch Grey's Anatomy? - again with the tv thing.  How do most people spell your name? - usually just rachel. sometimes they try really hard but end up with racheal. Would you wear a boy/girlfriends clothes? - i wear juan’s things to sleep a lot lol. he’s also given me a few of his shirts/jackets. Where do you work? - tgi motherfucking fridays. come get ur endless apps bitch, we literally will be fired on the spot for complaining about ur nontipping ass What are you doing tomorrow? - helping juan move his stuff from storage back into the apartment <3 Is Justin Timberlake becoming the next Michael Jackson? - nobody is becoming the next michael jackson Favorite name for a girl? - i love all names that start with vowels for girls Favorite name for a boy? - papa emeritus iii Will you keep your last name when you get married? - potentially. we talked about juan taking my last name. but i’m not really that attached to it at the end of the day. When was the last time you left your house? - yesterday morning, to go to work Do you return your cart? - fucking always. literally if u dont ur an asshole Do you have a dishwasher? - yup. there wasn’t one in our first apartment, and after washing dishes by hand for a year we agreed that anywhere we move had to have one or it was off the table lmao What noise do you hear? - the fan of my computer, my cat licking his paws, roommate’s music muffled on the other side of the wall. Would you survive in prison? - the only thing i’d fear is maybe pissing off the wrong person by accident. but i feel like i’d be protected by all the allies i’ve made in my cell block Who is the youngest in your family? - technically me. i have a younger sister but she was adopted as a baby and now i know nothing about her. If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would most likey overpack? - fucking juan Do you know anyone with the same name as you? - uhh. yesterday one of my customers was overjoyed because i was the first rachael she’d met in her life who spelled my name the same way she did. does that count What's the last thing you purchased? - a sweet-ass leather & chain harness from the medieval faire. and also a lace choker. Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you? - @cvnt-ish​ if she bought me a ticket to see her in portland then i could answer yes to this question <3 What brand are your pants right now? - not wearin’ any! Ever been to Georgia (the state)? - visited thomasville one day during a vacation with eden’s fam. it was super quaint! What irritates you most on the internet? - hmm. nazies. niceguys. trump supporters. no, you know what, just...people with shitty opinions/beliefs who are provided a forum where other people will validate their shitty views. the internet can be an echo chamber a lot of times and it’s terrifying What brand is your digital camera? - this survey was composed back when digital cameras were still a thing Do you watch movies with your parents? - can’t say I do much of anything with my parents. :/ What song best describes your life right now? - Do You Feel It? - Chaos Chaos Do you own expensive perfume/cologne? - nope. though i would like to make a trip some day soon to bath & body works and get some nice-smelling lotion. Are you taking college classes right now? - none at the moment. if my financial situation resolves itself before march then i will start with my architecture degree this fall, though. Do you like sushi? - do you breathe air? Do you get your hair cut every month? - i cut my own hair, mostly. right now though i’m just letting it grow. Do you go online everyday? - yall dont need me to answer this. you know. Will you pass this survey on? - yeah sure. whoever wants to reblog this and do it i guess. lmao. Boyfriend/Girlfriend Survey What is their name? - juan c: What pet name do you like to call them? - baby. babe. my sun & stars. How long have you been together? - just over three years. How did you meet? - through a mutual friend. she introduced me to the group and it was the beginning of the end, lol. What do you like the most about them? - how creative he is, how driven he can be when he finds a cause worthy of his effort, how introspective and intelligent and talented he is. how forgetful he can be and how dorky he always is. <3 What do you like the least about them? - his tendency to let his emotions get out of hand - though that’s something he’s making really great strides on recently. What is the best thing they have ever done for you? - kiss me, those three years ago on that chilly morning before work. starting us out on this journey together. Have they met your parents yet? - both my parents are out of the picture, but he’s met my aunt and uncle and grandma, which is what counts. and they love him to pieces of course. What would you kids look like if you had kids? - oh! i actually did one of those picture merger things one time to find this out...i lost the screenshot unfortunately though. they would be white/puerto rican mixed with really big noses and beautiful eyes. What is the worst argument you have had? - ooh. this one’s bad. we had two, during the breakup, that were extreme in a way none of our other arguments had ever been. during the first, he lashed out at me because i told him “you have a week to get out.” by the end of it we were screaming in each others’ faces and name-calling. it was ugly. the second one was when he told me he was gonna date the other girl. i was so livid i was seeing red and twice i tried to go up and hit him but he backed away from me and then got in his truck and drove off. i’m still ashamed of that. Do you still kiss a lot? - god. i lose track of how much we kiss every day... Who asked who out? - we went from being best friends to flirting pretty hardcore for a couple days, until he closed the gap suddenly and kissed me. so i guess you could say it was him. lol. Do you think you will get married? - the future is an uncertain thing, so i try not to look too far ahead anymore. still, i would like to, one day... Can you see yourself growing old with them? - again...taking it day by day. What is the one thing you would like to change about them? - absolutely fucking nothing. ...no, you know what, i’d like him to be able to remember that hot beverages go in mugs, not glasses <3 What do you think they would like to change about you? - hmm. my insecurities. they pop up fairly often now after all that’s happened. it takes a lot to reassure me. What is the first gift they ever bought you? - roses, i think. he made a lot of art for me as gifts rather than buying things. Do you have a favorite song together? - ohh, plenty. the first one that pops into mind is definitely Evidence - Marilyn Manson Which famous person do you think they look like the most? - OH OH I KNOW THIS ONE Would you say the two of you are a good match? - only in every conceivable way.