#but also casting locate object to find it

[justalittlebluetiefling]

I feel like this is teaching me that FCG can be petty.

[thatfandomslut]

Hands Off

Regina George x Reader

Trigger Warnings: insecurity, underage drinking, jealousy, threatening language

Word Count: 1.8k

Request:

I saw the movie a day after it came out and I have been desperate for jealous Regina x reader. Like Cady tried at the party and BOOM Regina like smothers reader with kisses. Btw thoughts on the movie?

My thoughts on Mean Girls: Initially, going into it, I was nervous due to being such a big fan of the musical and move. I loved the movie, and I think the cast is amazing. I have seen it two times in theaters, and I will be going for two more times, at least.

(Y/n) adjusted herself in the mirror, determining whether she felt confident enough for the outfit she had chosen. However, Regina's words rang through her mind: "Honestly, babe, this costume would look so hot on you." Regina didn't know that she had chosen to go as a devil, decked in red with a horn placed on her head. She went all out, even adding a touch of red, glittery eye shadow. The outfit hugged her curves in ways that she wasn't sure about yet. (Y/n) sighed before checking the time. She couldn't back out of it now. It was officially too late, and after looking at Regina's current location, she saw that the girl was three minutes from her house.

Grabbing the purse and pitchfork she bought to accompany her outfit, she made her way downstairs in order to meet Regina at the door. It also gave her an extra minute to adjust herself in a different lighting. Hearing a honk from outside, she walked outside, spotting Regina's orange jeep, the chill in the air making her wish that Regina chose a vehicle with doors. She shot a quick 'goodbye' to her parents as she made her way over to Regina's Jeep.

"Hey, baby," Regina greeted, pulling her into the passenger seat with a smirk. (Y/n) grinned as Regina kissed her deeply, and (Y/n) got so drunk on the kiss that she almost forgot about Karen and Gretchen in the back. "You took my advice on the costume. You look hot, (Y/n)."

Due to the way that Regina's eyes raked over her body as she got situated beside her girlfriend, (Y/n) began to feel hot, too. Pushing her hair behind her shoulders as the wind whipped it around, she smirked. "Thank you, angel. You look very hot yourself. I'm glad I took your advice. It seems to match your costume very well, huh?" (Y/n) traced her eyes over Regina's angel costume. There was no question when determining how amazing Regina looked. She was the hottest girl in school, and (Y/n) often wondered what she saw in her. To others, Regina might come off as abrasive or angry, but she was never that way with (Y/n). She was soft and flirty, and she was whipped. (Y/n) was, too, though. Not only was she whipped, but she was absolutely in love with Regina.

As they got to the party, the bass could already be heard from the outside, and a girl in a corn outfit had just puked off the side of the porch. The action made (Y/n) curl her nose before following Regina in, hands latched together. They tended to stick together at events like these. Not just because they were in a relationship, but because of the boys around them. "I'm going to go find Jason," Gretchen called out, separating as Karen followed her as she often did. (Y/n) didn't mind them going off together, leaving her and Regina alone as they made their way to the kitchen.

Regina began pouring drinks for her and (Y/n), passing the red solo cup to her girlfriend. "You really do look hot, baby. You should wear red more often." Regina complimented as she set her drink beside them, keeping an eye on it. Her hands fell onto (Y/n)'s hips and she leaned in to kiss her. (Y/n) wasn't one to object to a kiss from her girlfriend, allowing Regina's lips to dance on hers with ease. The base kept them at a pace as they kissed, not caring about the people around them. They were almost secluded in the little kitchen area they were in. The two would've continued to make out if it wasn't for the screams that caused them to jump apart, some of (Y/n)'s drink splashing onto the floor.

(Y/n) quickly went to clean it as Regina narrowed her eyes to see what everyone was screaming at. "Oh my God, Cady looks horrendous," Regina commented, her eyes widening as (Y/n) stood up to see what was going on. She was someone who often defended Cady due to being so new to everything in America. After all, it was evident that she was very sheltered growing up. Regina texted Gretchen, who said Aaron had invited her to the party. "Interesting… Did you know that Cady likes Aaron?" Regina personally felt that Cady was out of her league, but it was whatever Cady wanted, not her obviously.

"Really." (Y/n) said, drinking the contents in her cup before getting a refill. "I wouldn't really have expected it. I think Cady might be too pretty for Aaron of all people. I kind of thought she might like Janis since I've seen them talking a bit. Or, maybe she and Gretchen?"

Regina and (Y/n) tended to try to pair people up with each other for fun. Cady wasn't the exception to that. "Speaking of Gretchen, she's going to be upset if she sees Jason making out with that girl over there. I'm going to go break it up, but I'll be right back," Regina kissed (Y/n) before going to tell off Jason before Gretchen noticed. (Y/n) smiled at her as she walked off, grabbing her drink to keep it safe as she approached Gretchen and Cady.

"Hey, ladies," she greeted with a soft smile. Gretchen was about to respond until she watched Karen from a distance do something she wasn't supposed to. Quickly excusing herself, she ran over to the other girl leaving just Cady and (Y/n). "So, Cady, how are you enjoying North Shore so far? Find anyone you might be interested in yet?" (Y/n) just knew that there was no way that Cady had a crush on Aaron. He wasn't unattractive, Cady just was more attractive. Leaning in slightly, (Y/n) smiled widely. "You can tell me, I promise not to tell anyone. I am like a vault, you know?"

Cady blushed at her question, thankful for the abundance of makeup her mother helped her apply. However, even if (Y/n) couldn't see the blush, she saw the shy fidget. "Yes, actually, but Gretchen and Karen told me not to do anything about it. But… She is pretty cool." Cady answered, taking a small step forward. (Y/n) almost jumped up excitedly at the fact that Cady just confirmed her crush wasn't on Aaron. Now, she was thinking she was right. Cady had to like Janis if not Aaron or Gretchen. She only took Gretchen out of the equation because Cady confirmed she had told her who it was. Cady might be a brainiac when it came to math, but (Y/n) was the best matchmaker on campus.

Too bad she didn't realize that Cady was insinuating her. Sipping the alcohol in her cup, she leaned back a bit to examine Cady, trying to figure out who it was. "Oh, come on, Cady. You can't always listen to Gretchen and Karen, no matter how amazing they are. I say if you like them, you should go for it. Is this person here at the party? Do I know them?" (Y/n) glanced around, seeing Regina return from pairing Jason back up with Gretchen. This was a task she hated doing, but she knew Gretchen was head over heels for Jason for some reason.

"Yeah, she is actually, and you know her very well," Cady answered, placing a hand on (Y/n)'s wrist since her hand was full. (Y/n) was now suddenly very aware of who she was hinting at. Unfortunately for Cady, Regina was now right next to (Y/n) and kissing her deeply before sending a death glare to the girl in a black wig. (Y/n) shook off Cady's hand gently, taking a step closer to Regina who wrapped a hand around (Y/n)'s waist. Cady looked shocked, dejected, and embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I should go."

Regina provided a sickly sweet smile at this. "Yeah, Cady, there's no hard feeling or whatever, either. Just next time, hands off my girlfriend. I hope your night gets better." Regina said, taking one of the drinks from (Y/n), waiting for Cady to make her way away from them or out of the house. As Cady practically rushed out the door, Regina felt herself crushing the red solo cup before releasing it and replacing it.

(Y/n) didn't feel bad in the sense of Cady's feelings towards her, but seeing Cady sad made her feel bad. But it was awkward now that she had practically admitted that she had feelings for her without saying it. "Regina, I'm sorry. I didn't realize until she took my wrist that she was coming on to me." (Y/n) apologized, hoping Regina wasn't mad at her. She had never made Regina mad before, and she didn't want to.

"It's not your fault that Cady can't keep her hands to herself. What were you two talking about anyways?" Regina questioned, drinking a sip of the alcohol in her hands. She knew her mother would come to pick them up and have someone grab her vehicle in the morning, so she wasn't worried about drinking. Plus, now she needed the drink having witnessed the girl she was trying to help fit in touch with her girlfriend. She was jealous, and she didn't want anyone touching (Y/n) that way ever. "It must've been pretty good seeing as Cady felt the need to grab your wrist. It looked like she was about to kiss you."

(Y/n) finished her second drink as she ran a hand through her hair. "We were talking about how she had a crush on someone, and I was trying to get it out of her. I didn't know it was me so I said go for it, and then when she grabbed my wrist, I was like 'oh, shit.'" (Y/n) explained, hoping Regina believed her. She was telling the truth after all, and Regina was really good at reading the truth about people. Especially (Y/n), not that (Y/n) really ever lied. It was more so little white lies like 'Oh yeah, I totally didn't just take a three-hour nap, I lost my phone.'

"Okay, baby, I believe you. But if Cady ever tries that again, she won't get another chance to be a part of our group, and she will be a social outcast. I will not let her think that she can touch my girlfriend and get away with it." Regina glared at the exit as if Cady might re-enter. Regina then took (Y/n)'s hand. "But let's forget about that and her. Let's just go to my house. We can watch Halloween movies and make out if you want?"

(Y/n) smirked at the offer, nodding slightly. "You know what, you got a deal, angel. Let's do it."

[celluloidbroomcloset]

I've been thinking about this exchange between Izzy and Ed in "Discomfort in a Married State":

"For years I've followed your every whim, I've managed your increasingly erratic moods, I've massaged this crew when they were worried about your judgment—"

"Mm, sounds stressful, Izzy."

"It is."

Izzy has assigned himself the role of "managing" Blackbeard, but it's quite obvious, both in Ed's response and in the way he says it, that Ed has never wanted or expected him to. And he continues to try to manage Ed, even when Ed clearly tells him not to.

Both Ed and Stede have that word "whim" thrown at them by people who don't really understand them - Izzy and Mary - and both at first resist the word (Stede even says "I object to the word whim"), then internalize it. It seems what are being called whims by outsiders are actually expressions of deep desires that neither Ed nor Stede have the verbal or emotional language to describe.

It's not a whim that has Stede running off to a be a pirate - it's all the frustration and loneliness and repression - and it's not a whim to go back to Mary - it's a result of guilt and self-loathing. It's not a whim that has Ed following the Revenge to meet Stede - it's wanting to find someone who might be a kindred spirit. But neither of them can openly articulate those feelings, either to the people who are calling them whims or fully to themselves. Stede goes further than Ed does because so many of his desires are located in his repressed homosexuality, and once he's able to articulate that - with Mary's help - he understands his feelings. He still believes that he's "whim-prone" in other ways, but not when it comes to Ed.

Ed is especially leery about his own desires, which have been managed by other people for so long, and about Stede's. His idea to "run off to China" is a whim in a certain sense, but it's expressing a desire to leave behind their old identities and form something new together. His desire to "take it slow" is about his own healing independent of Stede, but it's also built on a fear that Stede is going to disappear again. After they have sex, Ed again falls into the fear that it was a whim, but it's not his whim - it's Stede's. He's scared that what meant so much to him doesn't mean as much to Stede, or not enough for Stede to be able to let go of piracy and fame. He's worried that piracy wasn't a whim, but he was.

Both of them have been managed most of their lives, in different ways and by people and structures that they never wanted to manage them in the first place. It was all about keeping them in settled, socially acceptable places where they can't escape, and casting doubt on the legitimacy of their desires. (I don't think Izzy, and certainly not Mary, consciously think of it in these terms, and Mary especially has had to subsume her own needs as much as Stede has.)

In the scene with Izzy, Ed's evidently pushing back at the management, and he probably has been for a while. But this is likely the first time where his desires are getting more articulated, after his conversation with Stede, and are the same moment when Izzy starts trying to exert even more control over him.

His finding the letter is a mirror to Stede's conversation with Mary - the realization of who he is and who the man he loves is, and that the feelings he's experienced not just for but from Stede are not whims but bone-deep love.

[eldritch-spouse]

I slam the door with frustration, spooking the angel patiently waiting by the door. I haphazardly throw my coat on the floor before grabbing the celestial’s hand and stomping into the living room. Forcing him to sit on the couch, I turn on the tv for noise and hastily unbutton his suit. “I need you now. Had a bad day and you will help me relieve stress.”

In different years, Belo would find this way of life to be slightly insulting.

He's a warrior after all, a power. His kind belongs outside, patrolling, securing the well-being of lessers, fighting for the honor of their Highers and holding the safety of Eden on their shoulders.

Ah, but those days are gone. Long gone. His vision glazes sometimes, wet and torpid eyes lamenting the fate of many of his brethren. They, unlike him, didn't have the fortitude to handle their own abandonment, the newfound fruitlessness of their very existence.

It's one thing to never know what the meaning of your existence is. It's another thing to have that meaning embedded in your very core and never be able to fulfill it again. Sometimes Belo envies that freedom, that ambivalence of simply existing because you can, because you were made.

Also unlike him, his kin did not have the miraculous luck to find someone like his Lady. His Lady-Worship, his beam of light in a universe ready to swallow him in its poisonous darkness. The guiding hand in a world so new and so different, so degenerate. So horrid! As amazing and radiant as you are, Belo shudders when he thinks about how you made it this far intact without a celestial by your side.

With new meaning come new duties, understandably.

As Belo still needs to learn quite a lot to understand the symbolism of this new age, he worries himself with protecting your sanctum, making it the best version of itself, and keeping it painfully, effectively warded against all threats- Especially that fiendish "neighbor" you have, what disgusting absolutely abhorrent lifeform it is! Noxious creature!

But alas, your benevolence knows no bounds. Not only have you welcomed him into your life, you refuse to let that wretched pest meet its end. Truly, you are too good for this lost planet.

Now.

Back to his current task.

The sanctum is spotless, but alas, Belo was never taught how to prepare meals for lessers. It was not the type of discipline delivered to his cast. A guardian would know this, even a principality! But not him, not a power. Unfortunate and unacceptable- He must show adaptation and flexibility unlike ever before!

Which is why that uhm... Digital movie playing contraption you have comes in so very handy.

He never thought he'd be learning to cook from lessers, but here Belo is, hoping against all odds that he doesn't ruin the eggs this time. It's not that he can't handle objects in a gentle manner, it's that he's never had to taste things. Therefore, he doesn't know how to create the correct flavor.

And Lords forbid he ever present his Lady with something foul-tasting!

The power is sure he's got it down correctly this time however. Belo has just finished putting the eggs on the plate he intends to present you with, when he stills.

An acute sense of alertness and hearing means a lifeform like him is always aware of the movement around your apartment complex. He knows when your neighbors leave and arrive, which parts of their homes they're in... This also means that he knows when you're nearby, having memorized the noise of your vehicle -Such a shame that he can't accompany you to some locations- And the jingle of your mildly irritating keychain.

The angel scrambles to put everything together, wanting to be at the door with his offering in full display, so eager to see you-

The door rips open.

Only a nick of time allows Belo to secure his painfully crafted work of mediocre culinary, lest it be swatted to the ground. Sharpened eyes spare you great concern.

His Lady exudes frustration. Although his rank is not the most emotionally attuned, Belo senses a cloud of negativity choking you, your glorious features drained and tense. He's overcome with emotion.

" My- My Lady! Whatever happened today? Did you get hurt? Who d- "

The force with which you grip his hand is surprising for a human, dragging the angel only because he always allows you to. The food lies forgotten on the nearest surface. It's by his ever subservient attitude that you can toss Belo to the couch too, his silent confusion following when you activate the bigger display box.

" I need you now. " You begin, patience depleted. " Had a long day and you will help me relieve stress. "

He squawks the same way he does whenever his Worship starts these encounters without proper warning, wings fluttering and fur fluffing in a mixture of shock and anticipation. He fears that a part of him may enjoy getting pleasurably surprised more than any self-respecting angel should.

" But... " He knows it's not a good idea to challenge you, trembling as the last of his covering is undone. " You should eat b-before I service you, my Lady, many hours have passed- "

" I'll eat when I can't feel my legs. " The snarl you give Belo sends shudders down his spine, and he bashfully, albeit inwardly happily, readjusts to spread his legs for you.

" Excuse me but that hardly sounds healthy... "

His cock pokes out a furred slit, beading and twitching to interest. Although Belo becomes uncomfortably erect the moment you recklessly undress before him. It was not, as a filthy demon would put it, a slutty display. It was raw need, irritation and and pure dominance. It was a side of his Worship he had yet to witness.

Belo refuses to ever admit it aloud, he cannot, he will not! But... But oh, the sins of the flesh. No, when provided by the superiors, they are not sins, they are gifts. They cannot be wrong. It's not wrong for Belo to enjoy your physical rewards for his work, but it is perhaps sinful of him to lust for more, to so eagerly hope that you'll allow him such pleasures when he performs certain tasks.

He does not touch his aching length because he's not allowed to. His pleasure is for you to decide upon, of course.

The angel prepares to slide down on his knees when you shove him back on the cushions by the shoulder.

Three eyes blink at you. " Am... Am I not to service you, my Goddess? "

You usually enjoy the touch of his fingers upon your most intimate zones, for training him is easy, and Belo adored the sounds of your approval. You did also curiously enjoy grinding over his face, a sensation that often left him pointlessly thrusting against nothing.

None of that today, it seems.

" Shut up. "

He was about to reply with a reflexive 'Yes, my Lady' before catching himself.

When you straddle him, the celestial only tilts his head, figure heated, but never expecting you to simply line him up with your entrance and slam yourself down.

Had he not been in the midst of breathlessly throwing his head back, Belo would have died from worry. As holy as you are, you share the stature of humanity, and Belo knows -F-From common sense, of course!- That his organ is not the same size of a human's at all.

He tries to articulate his concern, but the squeeze of your core around him is hypnotic and sickeningly euphoric. Belo can only hold onto full hips and cry his delight while you mercilessly hammer down on his cock, milking all the pleasure you can from him.

His melodious whines and resounding moans -Something he ought to control- rise in intensity as Belo loses himself and begins rutting senselessly, the tip of his dick nuzzling spots that make the two of you go stupid.

" Don't you dare cum yet! "

He wails, physically wails, body trembling so hard it almost spasms in his effort to reign his movements. " N- Never, never my Lady! I'm good, I'll relieve you- I'm good! "

And as if to confirm it, your serious complexion finally morphs into a self-satisfied grin, all lidded eyes and gentle, mocking affection.

He's the one that's not getting any relief soon.

[geminiwritten]

hold on ; billy butcher

fandom: the boys

pairing: billy x reader

summary: you’re the youngest member of the boys and you hate that butcher insists on calling you ‘kid’ so you show him in more ways than one that you are not a child

notes: this is very weak, but it was kind of good writing practice because i definitely don’t write a lot of action (i’m so sorry if it sucks)! as always, please let me know what you think!

warnings: a lot of swearing, google translated french, age gap (not specified, but inferred) guns, violence, a dagger, explosion, descriptions of wounding (please don’t read if any of this is triggering for you!)

word count: 4310

Butcher is an asshole. You knew that from the moment you met him. He is rude, and brash, and impulsive to the point that made you believe he didn’t have an angel on one of his shoulders, only two antagonistic little devils. You often found yourself itching to dig your fist into his face, especially when he called you by the stupid nickname he coined the moment he met you. Kid, or The Kid, if you weren’t in the room. It vexed you beyond belief, and you knew exactly why.

Butcher is an asshole, but he’s also fucking gorgeous. He’s tall and broad, and his voice is so delicious, it often finds its way into your filthiest dreams. To say you were obsessed with the man wouldn’t be an overstatement, and it was no secret, everyone but Butcher himself knows it. You’ve wanted him from the moment you met him, but then he went ahead and called you ‘kid’ and you quickly realised that he didn’t see you as anything more than one of the boys. The youngest one of the boys.

“Are you okay, mon amour?” Frenchie asks, nudging you with his shoulder.

You look at the man sitting beside you, dressed head to toe in black with a bandolier slung across his body. The van rattles as it hits a bump, and across from you, MM casts an angry glare toward the driver’s seat.

“I’m good,” you reply, flexing your fingers around the gun laying across your lap.

You were no stranger to the weapon, having spent years training in the special forces before flunking out the minute you found out about the movement for Supes to be contracted into the military. You were furious and scared, and then you ran into an old neighbour whose mother used to be book club buddies with yours – Hughie – and the rest is history.

“Butcher’s on location,” MM says, tucking his phone back into the pocket on his vest.

“Make sure he waits,” Hughie calls from the front of the van. “It’ll take me five minutes to get eyes on the whole building, but he can’t go in blind.”

MM looks at Frenchie, “Are you sure about this?”

“Positive,” Frenchie replies, “They will not be prepared for a raid, and they will have the information we need.”

“And how many are going to be willing to give it to us?” you ask.

He grimaces, “Not many, but I do not doubt your persuasion skills, mon cherie.”

“Persuasion,” you scoff, looking down at the weapon in your lap.

Don’t get it wrong, you weren’t some kind of super CIA motherfucker who should be feared by all, but you were pretty swift when you needed to be. You weren’t overly worried about the mission, not with Frenchie, MM, and Butcher at your back, but you hadn’t properly exercised your training in months. You know you’re going to be rusty, and you don’t exactly know what you’re walking into, but Frenchie does, and he’s confident in your ability.

The objective was simple. Frenchie had some old friends who were keeping tabs on his and Butcher’s movements and feeding them back to someone who was then getting them to Vought somehow. All you had to do was shut them down and find out who their contact was, and probably murder more than half of them in the process. Simple, right? Except for the fact that not even Frenchie knew exactly how many men you were running in on, or what kind of weapons they had.

“We’re here,” Hughie announces, just before the three of you in the back lurch forward with the sudden stop of the van.

You button up the fastenings on your fingerless gloves and check that your bandolier is packed with extra magazines before standing up. MM opens the doors for Hughie, and he jumps up into the back of the van with his laptop under his arm. Frenchie pulls a small stool from the storage cage and plants it in front of the flip down desk as Hughie begins unpacking his equipment. No more than five minutes pass before video images start popping up in black and white squares across the screens.

“Butcher,” Hughie says, tucking his earpiece in, “can you hear me?”

You fix your own piece into your ear before routinely checking the clips and fastenings across your tact suit.

“I can ‘ear you,” Butcher’s voice rumbles in your ear, and you can feel your cheeks flush pink.

“Alright,” Hughie scans the screens in front of him, “they’ve got pretty high tech surveillance, but their security isn’t great. I’m getting twenty-two heat signatures, most in the basement, a couple on the ground floor, and three on the fourth. According to Frenchie’s intel, there are other tenants in the building, so my guess is that three up top aren’t apart of this.”

“The two at ground level are most likely security,” Frenchie says. “There are always one or two of them watching the building’s main entrance.”

“But there’s another way in?” MM asks.

Hughie nods, “Looks like you can access the basement from the back, but that’s probably their main point of access, so you’ll want to find another way in.”

“You tellin’ me there’s one fuckin’ door to this place?” Butcher’s voice comes through the earpiece again, and you have to flex your fingers around your gun to remind yourself to focus.

“The backdoor and the building’s main stairwell,” Frenchie replies.

“Two fuckin’ doors?” Butcher says. “Fuckin’ hell, Frenchie, how the hell are we s’pposed to get out if things go wrong?”

“Nothing will go wrong,” Frenchie states, giving you an incredibly confident grin.

Your stomach twists nervously, but you don’t let it show, returning his grin with a nod and a small smile.

“There are windows,” Hughie says, “but only Y/N will fit, maybe Frenchie.”

“Then we go first,” you look at Frenchie, “through the windows and make sure Butcher and MM can get in the back.”

“No fuckin’ way,” Butcher snaps. “We don’t know what kind of weapons these cunts got, and if you two get overpowered, we won’t be able to get in ‘n’ help. We all go in the backdoor, force our way in.”

Frenchie chuckles, “You are a fan of forcing yourself into the backdoor, Monsieur Charcutier?”

MM snorts while you and Hughie snicker, but there isn’t a sound from Butcher.

“Look,” you say, “I appreciate your concern, Butcher, but we have the best chance of surprising them by slipping in where they won’t expect.”

Frenchie giggles again at your unintentional innuendo.

“Listen, Kid,” Butcher says, sending wave of irritation through your body, “I appreciate your concern, but I ain’t lettin’ you ‘n’ Frenchie get killed for somethin’ as trivial as a bit of intel.”

“I’m not a fucking kid, Butcher,” you bite back, at which everyone in the van startles. “Frenchie and I will meet you at the backdoor.”

You pull your black kerchief up over your nose and crack the van’s doors open, peaking out cautiously before stepping down and into the dark night. Frenchie and MM follow your silent footsteps toward the brick building, skirting around the side until you find the low and narrow basement windows. You point at MM and then toward the back of the building, and he nods before hurrying off.

“There’s a guard waiting outside the backdoor,” Hughie’s voice comes through your earpiece.

You hear a couple of grunts before MM says, “Not anymore.”

“Do you have Butcher?” Hughie asks.

“We’re in position,” MM affirms.

You nod at Frenchie and he gestures for you to go first, so you turn to the closest window. You take a deep breath before crouching beside the window and gripping a lip in the brickwork to help swing your body through. Using your chunky black boots, you kick the window in and follow the momentum with your feet first. You hit the concrete floor with a thud, quickly darting to the side before Frenchie drops down in the same fashion.

“What the fuck?!” one of the men shouts, scrambling to get up from the old and torn sofa on which he sat.

Your hands are on your gun before you can remember thinking about it, and a gunshot bursts in your left ear as a thug across the room fires at you, missing completely. You take aim and shoot his shoulder, making him drop his gun and crumple to the floor in pain. Two more bullets hit the brick wall behind you, and two more of the gangsters fall with wounds in their shoulders. Frenchie is already rushing to the backdoor, and you cover him easily by dropping three more men with pistols and hitting one in the leg who was scrambling toward the stairs. A cluster of lankier looking men cower in what looks like a makeshift drug lab, all wearing rubber aprons and protective goggles over their eyes. You turn away from them and take down another heading for the stairs, watching him fall on top of his comrade before whipping around and firing at a thug who was pointing his gun at Frenchie. The bullet cracks as it hits him in the side of the head, but you don’t have time to regret your aim before someone tackles you from behind. You duck forward, gripping his thick arms before he can strangle you, and use his momentum to throw him onto his back on the floor in front of you with a loud thump.

Your gun is back in your hands as you scan the room over its barrel, a familiar sense a satisfaction quelling your fight mode when you find every assailant either downed or cowering with their hands up. The backdoor creaks open, and MM and Butcher march in with guns up before stopping abruptly at the sight of the pacified room.

“What did I tell you, eh?” Frenchie says, and you hear it more in your earpiece than from across the room. “She is fucking incroyable.”

“Holy shit,” MM mutters, lowering his gun.

Butcher’s eyes are wild above his face covering, filled with an emotion you can’t discern as he stares at you across the dark room.

“Alright,” Frenchie shouts, pulling his kerchief down, “where the fuck is Lafeyette?”

The room stays quiet, but the four of you slowly cast heavy glares across the fallen thugs until one of the timid lab assistants points a shaking finger toward the two men collapsed by the stairs.

“Time to talk you filthy sac de merde,” Frenchie spits, as he and Butcher stalk toward the men.

MM nods at you as he readjusts his gun and widens his stance, guarding the door in case anyone thinks of trying to escape. Your fighter instincts settle at the slight sense of security, and you sling your gun over your shoulder as you approach the small drug lab.

“What are your names?” you ask the men.

Three of them glance at the shortest of the four, and with trembling hands he moves his goggles onto his head, revealing two clean circles of skin around his bright blue eyes.

“I am Gabriel,” he says, his accent thicker than Frenchie’s, “this is Théo, Lucas, and Éliott. They do not speak English.”

“Can they understand it?”

He nods, “Mostly.”

“Good,” you nod and hold your hands up, “I’m not going to hurt you, unless you give me a reason to.”

They all shake their heads vigorously.

“Are you here because you want to be?” you ask them.

“No,” Gabriel replies, and the other three shake their heads again.

“How did you get here?”

“Théo and I came together,” Gabriel says, “without papers, and Monsieur Toussaint said he would get us citizenship. Lucas and Éliott were here already, and they have kept us from leaving.”

You gesture to the bench full of laboratory equipment, “You make drugs for them?”

“Oui,” he nods, “Lucas is a- uh, how do you say un scientifique?”

“A scientist,” MM calls out from behind you.

“Oui,” Gabriel nods again, “he teaches us to cook.”

You frown, “Do you have any family here?”

“Théo has family in America,” he replies.

“Does he know where they are? Can you contact them if we help you leave?”

His bright blue eyes sparkle with hope, “Oui!”

You nod, “Good, we’re going to try and help you, okay?”

You barely finish your sentence before MM screams your name, and you feel the weight of a large hand on your left shoulder, dragging you back and blocking your ability to grab your gun. You crouch under the pressure and reach your thigh holster with your right hand, gripping the hilt of your dagger. You unsheathe it as you turn in a full one-eighty, escaping the assailant’s grasp and sweeping underneath his arm with your dagger outstretched. The blade slashes horizontally right beneath his kneecap, causing him to buckle as you rise to your full height and lacerate his throat. You leap back to avoid the spray of blood and falling body, watching the man slump face first into the concrete floor at your feet.

When you look up, you find every pair of – conscious – eyes on you, a mixture of terror and disbelief written across the room of faces.

“Are you okay?” Frenchie asks, though there is more pride than concern in his expression.

“I’m good,” you reply, crouching down to clean each side of your dagger on the dead man’s shirt before tucking it back into your holster.

Butcher drops the collar of who you assume is Lafayette, and you still can’t read his face behind his kerchief as he stares at you.

“Uh, guys,” Hughie’s voice speaks into your ear, “someone heard the gunshots, you’ve got emergency response on site in less than five minutes.”

Frenchie swings his foot into Lafayette’s stomach before nodding at MM, “Let’s go.”

You turn to the four lab assistants and gesture toward the backdoor. They scramble to remove their protective gear before hurrying toward MM who guides them out. Frenchie jogs past you, but Butcher stops and holds his hand out.

He pulls his kerchief down, “I’ll do it, you get out of ‘ere, Kid.”

“Fat chance,” you scoff, “now go.”

You’ve already got the gas canister in hand, and he knows you’ll pop it before he can argue, so he turns and mutters something inaudible as he stalks toward the door.

With your kerchief securely up over your nose, you release the pin and throw the gas into the room before turning to the lab table. You work quickly, pouring the two vials that Frenchie gave you into an empty beaker and setting it atop a lit burner. In five long leaps, you’re out the door and slamming it shut before sprinting away.

Butcher is waiting for you just around the side of the building, his hand outstretched. You barely have time to grab it before a huge explosion blows through the low basement windows and shakes the entire building. Butcher pulls your body against his, pivoting so that his back is to the blast as it knocks both of you off your feet. You hit the ground and your ears ring, but you don’t feel a single bit of debris hit you thanks to the body lying on top of yours.

“Fuck,” Butcher curses, though his voice sounds distant in your ringing ears.

You look up at him, his face inches from yours and smattered with dust and dirt. The adrenaline coursing through your veins has your whole body on high alert, overly aware of every part of him that is pressed against you.

He looks down at you, his pupils blown wide as his gaze darts to your lips. He licks his own, his chest heaving against yours and your head spins with a thousand filthy thoughts. For a split second, you think he might kiss you, and your breath catches in your throat in anticipation, but then he pushes himself up and offers his hand. You sigh and take it, letting him haul you off the ground.

“You alrigh’, Kid?” he asks.

“I’m not a fucking kid,” you spit, snatching your hand from his.

You run toward the van and leap into the open doors, Butcher at your heels. Hughie slams on the accelerator before Frenchie has even closed the doors, and you instinctually grab onto the nearest thing to steady yourself. It just so happens to be Butcher, and you know not from the scratch of his beard against your temple as you cling to him, but his scent. Warm and woody, with hint of apple-scented soap and whiskey.

You retract quickly and fall into the seat on the opposite side of the van, resting your head back against the blocked-out window.

“What the fuck, Frenchie?” MM exclaims. “You said that would be a small explosion, that it would look like an accident.”

Frenchie grimaces, “I did not account for the other reactants in the lab.”

Butcher sits quietly across from you, his eyes trained on you as you do everything you can to avoid looking in his direction. You focus on your gun, unlocking the empty clip and clicking the safety on. MM and Frenchie speak with the four timid men huddled at the back of the van, asking them a series of questions before deciding where would be best to take them.

After a painfully long drive, Hughie stops the van and Frenchie helps the four men out of the back doors. He tells you all to go back to the safe house and he will be there soon. The rest of the ride home is tense and silent, MM not daring to speak once he sees the irritated frown on your face as you fiddle with your equipment, packing it into cases and locking it in the van’s storage cage.

Once safe inside the decrepit apartment you currently call home, Hughie grins at you, “Holy shit, Y/N, you are fucking bad ass.”

“Thanks,” you mutter, starting on the clips of your tact suit.

“I wish I saw all of it,” MM says, “you’re deadly.”

A small smile quirks the corner of your lip, and you let out a small sigh as you release the last buckle on your Kevlar vest. You drop the heavy thing on the dining table along with your bandolier.

“I’m still pissed that you didn’t listen to me,” Butcher states, at which you roll your eyes, “but you did good, Kid.”

Your head snaps in his direction, your eyes narrowing at him. “Do I look like a fucking child, Butcher?”

Hughie’s grin vanishes and MM freezes on his way to the couch.

“Do I?” you press, holding your arms out as if to emphasise your attire. “Because a fucking kid couldn’t do what I just did, yet you insist on calling me by that fucking name!”

He doesn’t flinch the way Hughie does, nor are his eyes as wary as MM’s. He remains his usual cool self, though his frown is more curious than irate.

“Didn’t realise it bugged ya so much,” he says.

“You don’t fucking realise much, do you, Butcher?” you snap, before turning on your heel and marching toward the room that was designated yours.

You march inside and slam the door, but a pair of heavy boots are hot on your heels, and you curse the landlord for not installing any locks as the door swings open again.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Butcher demands, slamming the door once again behind him.

You unzip your outer jacket and throw it on the bed, “Didn’t I make it clear?”

“Uh, no, actually,” he steps toward you, “I’m not fuckin’ pissed about the raid, I’m pretty fuckin’ impressed, but you’re still throwin’ a tantrum like a fuckin’-”

“Like a child?”

His eyes narrow, and he crosses his arms over his chest, “I was gon’a say kid.”

You clench your fists in an attempt to refocus your frustration, digging your fingernails into your palms until it stings.

“Look,” he says, “I know you’re capable, and fuckin’ talented with a gun, but I wasn’t tryin’ to be a dick, I was tryin’ to keep you safe.”

“Because I’m so young and stupid?” you ask, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because I can’t fucking handle myself even though I just prevented all of you from getting your fucking asses kicked?”

He sighs, “I never said you’re fuckin’ stupid.”

“But I am young,” you mutter, your voice revealing more emotion than you intended.

His brows shift into a dubious frown, “What’s this fuckin’ obsession with your age?”

“What’s your obsession with my age?” you snap, “Calling me ‘kid’ all the time and acting like you’re my fucking babysitter.”

“Oh, so fuck me for caring ‘bout your safety, is that it?”

“No, Billy, that’s not it,” you sigh, tearing your gaze from his to focus on unclipping your thigh holster.

“Then what is it? ‘Cause I don’t know what I’ve fuckin’ done!”

Your holster comes loose and you grip the hilt of the dagger with white knuckles, standing straight again.

“You haven’t done anything!”

“Then what haven’t I fucking done?!” he exclaims, unfolding his arms and throwing his hands up.

The little voice in your head splits into a thousand, screaming a thousand different commands at you. Cry, yell at him, throw something at him, scream, hit your head against the fucking wall, punch him in the throat… kiss him.

Your ears, still numb from the explosion, fill with the sound of your thumping heartbeat as you take three quick steps toward him. His height is intimidating, but you don’t have time to regret your decision as your fingers curl into the material of his shirt and pull him toward you. You have to stretch onto your toes, your other hand finding his chest for stability as you crush your lips against his.

For a second, you think you’ve seriously fucked up, but then his mouth begins to move against yours and your knees buckle. His arms catch you, wrapping around your waist and holding your body against his as his tongue slides across your bottom lip. You part your lips with a sigh, and he takes all control, claiming your mouth and wiping your mind of any thought that isn’t him.

In two easy steps, he backs you against the bed, sitting you down without his lips ever leaving yours. He crawls on top of you, straddling your thighs and catching your hands as they find the buckle on his belt.

“Love,” he sighs against your lips, “hold on.”

You blink up at him, slowly coming down from your high, “To what?”

He chuckles, “I meant slow down a sec.”

“Oh,” your cheeks burn, and you snatch your hands out of his grasp. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ever fuckin’ apologise for that,” he says, a dopey smile on his lips, “but I don’t know-”

“I do,” you interrupt him, holding yourself up on your elbows.

He raises his brows, “What do you know?”

“I know that I want you,” you reply, “and I know that you want me. I don’t know if this is a good idea, but it fucking feels like it, so please, Butcher… please.”

“Fuck,” he groans, his eyes lingering on your lips before trailing down your body to where he sat. “I know I want you, but why the fuck do you want me?”

You snort, “You’re kidding, right?”

He only frowns.

“Butcher, I have wanted you from the moment I fucking met you,” you fall back against the bed with a sigh, “I don’t know how you haven’t fucking noticed.”

He leans over you, holding himself up with a hand either side of your head. “Why?”

His voice is so deep and his eyes so dark, you struggle to breathe as your clothes suddenly feel like they’re strangling you.

“Because you’re-”

“An asshole?”

You giggle, “Yes, and rude, and brash, but you’re also fucking beautiful.”

His heavy breathing suddenly stops and his eyes widen as they search yours, as if looking for some sense of deception or sarcasm. You open your mouth to reassure him but he swallows your words with a kiss, his lips crashing into yours with bruising force. His mouth moves across your jaw and down your neck, and you whine when pulls away before quickly realising that your high-neck undershirt is in the way. His fingers find the hem and yank it up over your breasts, not bothering to remove it completely before his lips assault your chest, biting and soothing your skin in five separate spots as you writhe beneath him.

He moves down, placing a kiss on your sternum and your stomach, before pausing at the waistband of your pants and looking up with hungry eyes. “You sure ‘bout this?”

His hot breath fans your skin and goosebumps rise in response.

You nod, “Yes, please, Butcher. Yes.”

The buckle and button are loosened in a second, and he groans at the sight of your lacy black panties. He places a hot, wet kiss just above the hem before sitting back and unbuttoning his own shirt. He doesn’t manage to shrug it off though, because you take the opportunity to grip either side of it and pull him back down on top of you. The feeling of his skin against yours makes your whole body clench, and you know you’re kissing him sloppily but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Your fingers find his belt again, struggling to remember how the damn thing works when he pulls away with a gasp, “Hold on.”

You frown, “What now?”

He chuckles, “No, sweethear’, not like that.”

His hands take yours guiding them up over your head until you feel the wood of the headboard at your fingertips.

“I said, hold on.”

END.

[maplebellsmods]

The Actor Overhaul Mod adds some new features to acting in Get Famous. I was super excited about the fact that there was going to be an acting career in the sims, but the career felt a little shallow after replaying it more than once. There wasn't much depth to it and I wanted to add some features that could make it more fun.

What is this mod?

Here are the new additions I have added with the mod.

Actor Dashboard

I have created a dashboard, for actors and aspiring actors. This dashboard will only be available if you have the acting skill. The first option you can choose is Browse Acting Roles. It didn't make sense to me that you could only be an actor, or have gigs if you chose the career. So with this new menu, you can browse through different roles and sometimes make money. Some jobs can also increase your fame and reputation. Other jobs will decrease them.

So with this new menu, you can browse through different roles and sometimes make money. Some jobs can also increase your fame and reputation. Other jobs will decrease them.

The next option is to sign up for the Ward School of Arts Acting Department. This will be in a separate section. Down below.

You can also take Local Acting Classes. This option was made for sims who may already have jobs and do not have a lot of time to focus on acting, but they still do what to increase their acting skill. The local acting classes are evening classes and you need to pay the $100 fee to attend each time.

Preparing Headshot, Acting Resume, and Demo Reel will increase your reputation and give you a boosting career-wise.

One is more expensive than the other. So naturally the result you get from the more expensive one will be better. Once you gather all of those materials you will be able to submit to auditions and casting calls. This will give you more exposure.

Finally, you can now hire an agent. The agent is useful for a lot of things. (If you want to join the EA acting career you will still have to select an agency. I was unable to separate the two.) When you click on the "Find an Agent" option and submit your info, an agent will contact you maybe 24 hours later or more. If you aren't interested in them, simply do not pickup. But if you are press "Ok" on the call. And you will have the option to "Schedule Meeting With Agent" in the 'MB Menu' category.

The agent will come where your sim is located (doesn't have to be at home). These are the interactions you can have with them.

If you want to hire an agent. You can press hire on agent and they will now represent your sim. Keep in mind if you aren't satisfied with their work you can always fire them. There are a few things your agent can do for your sim.

Now circling back to the Acting Student Career:

Your Sim can now join an Acting Student Career. I'd say it's a semi-active career. They do go to the rabbit hole for class, but there are interactions outside of that which make it more interactive.

First of all the first thing you have to do is to go to the 'Actor Dashboard', press on the 'Sign up Option'.

You can press on get info, this will give your sim more information about how to join the school. Once you are ready you can click on 'Audition'. A Ward Student Recruiter will show up. Once they show you MUST choose the 'Start Auditions' option. Don't press on anything else.

This will start an event and there are goals your sim will have to go through. One of the goals, 'Sword Fight'. will require a this object.

You can find it in BB. If you cannot find it, just look it up in the search bar. Finally, after you complete all of the goals you can cancel the event or wait it out. Once the event is over you will know whether or not your sim is accepted.

If your sim is admitted with a scholarship you can find the job, in the 'Find Job' section. If you are not then try again. But if you have just been admitted you will need to pay the fee first and then you can join.

Once you join the career, each level has a different objective you need to do in order to move on to the next one. In total there are eight levels.

Here are the objectives for each level

- Level 2: Perform in School Production

- Level 3: Submit Paper on the History of theater

- Level 4: Plan and Produce a Production

- Level 5: Volunteer to perform for a charity

- Level 6: Book an acting gig

- Level 7: Get your demo reel, headshot and resume.

- Level 8: Find an Agent.

- All Levels: Pass Term Exam: This is a requirement for all levels. I recommend you do this last for each one of the levels. ESPECIALLY the last one.

The first activity your sim will have to do is to perform in a school production. The way this happens is your sim will audition for a role first, and depending on how skilled they are they will be assigned a role. When your sim gets a role assigned to them they should go to practice for a while before performing in the production. If they don't practice or don't practice enough they will most likely not do well in production.

The next step which is "Submit Paper on the History of Theater" will use the computer. In the 'Write' pie menu or your computer will be available. The options that are available for your sim will increase the score they may receive, but it isn't a requirement. You can also interview a celebrity and/or actor for this assignment. It isn't a requirement. Completing this step will give you more points, but it can be hard to complete because if you don't know celebrities it's hard to do this. So doing this will truly impress the professors! Once you are ready submit the paper and then you will be able to view your score once they are released.

Plan and Produce a Production is an objective for Level 4 sims. There are a few things your sim must do to complete this objective. First of all, they have to choose a theme for their production. Then once are ready you can Start the Audition Process.

If you are familiar with my other events mod you may be familiar with the 'Hire this Role'. So for this you will need to invite people or "hire" them to cast roles for the production. Once the event starts your sim will have a few options.

This is an activity and not a timed event so you can take your time to interview sims, and hire them. For the 'Auditioners' you will be able to see them Audition. All you have to do is press on the 'Audition' interaction and then they will start acting. (If you press on the interaction and it doesn't work, click again and it should work)

When you have completed all the required activities you can cancel the event. The game will tell you the event was unsuccessful you can ignore this.

Volunteering to perform for a charity is pretty simple. There is a list of charities your sim will be able to go to. They are each available at different times and days, just select one, go to your performance and the goal will be complete.

The next objectives are objectives we have already gone over. But for Book and Acting there are gigs exclusive to Ward Acting Students.

On the last level, once you Find an Agent, you should then go to your term exam. Passing the exam will make remove your sim from the institution. Being a graduate of this school will increase your rep and fame.

Other Fixes

Aside from the new features I have also made some changes to some already existing features that I found annoying in the game. This file is optional and you will be able to delete it if you do not want it. I have changed the gig payout in the acting career. This way your sim will receive more money when they are higher up in the career. Fame will also decay at a slower rate. This way your sim doesn't constantly have to perform fame activities.

Other Fixes

Aside from the new features I have also made some changes to some already existing features that I found annoying in the game. This file is optional and you will be able to delete it if you do not want it. I have changed the gig payout in the acting career. This way your sim will receive more money when they are higher up in the career. Fame will also decay at a slower rate. This way your sim doesn't constantly have to perform fame activities.

This really took a long time to make but I hope you enjoy it!

What else do I need for the mod?

Lumpinou's Mood Pack: Here

Maplebell Pie Menu: Download Below

Does this mod require any DLC?

Get Famous

Questions and concerns you might have?

Some of this is so inaccurate and doesn't reflect real life.

I tried to do as much research as possible about acting and info about how to get started with it. Some stuff may not mirror real life and that may or may not be intentional.

Will you add more to this?

Yes

I'm experiencing some weird bugs!

Let me know, please.

Report it here: Mod Bug Report

I have different questions about the mod.

If you have questions about something, let me know.

How to install the mod?

Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods <--- Unzip the file and make sure it's placed in this path.

Delete the "maplebell_actingoverhaulfixes(optional).package" if you don't want it.

Public March 26: Download Here

[riverianepondsims]

**The Sims 4 to The Sims 3 - Little Library **

The first of many to come functional object conversions! More info below the cut.

Download: SFS

So I have been working on tidying up a world that I've been wanting to play in for a while, and I spent a while in CAW fixing roads and adding streetlights and other things like that. I kept looking for new items to add to my CAW object list that would just make sense. I found this really cute free library for The Sims 4 by simsnowtato that you can find here. They're absolutely adorable and I thought they'd be great as a CAW item, since they're usually found in neighborhoods on a sidewalk for people to leave or take a book. Getting this into TS3 and working was kind of frustrating, as the original technically had three different textures. I removed the glass on this version as the door is not functional, so I thought it just made more sense, but I did add geostates to the book count inside, so as more books are added or removed, you'll see some disappear or reappear!

The majority of these are not recolorable at all. However, the last three presets if you scroll through them in-game have fully CAStable insides, as that part was much easier to create a mask for. If you would like a different color to be recolorable inside, I may do an update to it in the future. I also added a non-recolorable plaid preset (fourth to last) because I thought the plaid pattern was just too cute.

These are enabled for in-game, located in bookshelves (because it's a fully functional bookcase). They are also enabled for CAW and the in-game world editor. They also function off-lots, so even if you place it in CAW or Edit Town, sims can still take books from it, however they can't really add any. CAW and Edit Town only let you use the first preset, but if you place it and then go into build-buy mode on a nearby lot in-game and place the item on the lot, you can enter CASt and drag the preset you want onto the off-lot item. You can do this with all neigborhood deco items that are CAStable.

Little Library

Price: §275 | Location: Bookshelves, CAW, World Editor

Download: SFS | Mirror: MEGA

📚🌳🌞

[irafuwas]

twst book 7 chapter 5 notes

You guys know da drill, massive spoilers and babbling and probably lots of typos ahead!!

Attack on the fortress

Lilia wants them all to teleport back to the castle. However, baul explains that long distance teleportation magic is very hard on people with injuries/illnesses, as it involves basically dematerializing someone’s body and consciousness and then rematerializing it elsewhere. For that reason, the troops split up, with some teleporting right back to the castle to support the princess, and others staying behind with lilia and baul, who will return to the castle on foot

Sebek, silver, yuu, and grim decide to find a way they can help lilia and baul break through the fleet of iron ones surrounding the fortress. They locate some brooms in the fortress and plan to use them to fly over the iron ones and draw their attention. Also, while in the fortress, they find some owls and birds locked up in cages (people used them back then to send messages, per sebek). After freeing them all, silver asks the birds to gather their woodland friends and help them escape. The birds go to the surrounding forest and call on a bunch of animals who come attack the iron ones, with birds dropping rocks on them and squirrels chewing up their catapults.

Lilia musters enough strength to join the boys, and he’s like “umm we’re supposed to be the followers of the night here, you guys” and he calls forth his bats to help the other animals. He quickly tires out from his injuries and rides on sebby’s broom with him

They successfully break through the surrounding troops and escape into the forest. (Lilia is very pleased and pats silver and sebby’s heads)

From here on, they travel by foot as fast as they can back to the castle

Siege of Briar Castle

(I was hoping they’d reveal the localization of 野ばら城, but unfortunately, the map titles all just call it “Castle”. So I will keep calling it Briar Castle for now)

There’s tons and tons of iron ones surrounding the castle as far as the eye can see. They have their excavator machines and catapults with them. Henrick and the knight of dawn are leading the charge, and they also have some mages amongst them and soldiers from neighboring lands

Henrick challenges Meleanor to come fight the Knight of Dawn one on one. If she wins, they will leave. If she loses, Henrick will take the magic stone in her staff (they call the stone “Princess Glow” ?) , briar castle, and her egg, and he will keep the baby dragon to use as like a mount in battle

Lilia

His UM allows him to see the “memories” imbued in objects. He uses it to see how baby silver ended up alone in the castle. It’s called “Far Cry Cradle [To that cradle, far, far away]”, incantation is “Life is but a fleeting day, distance but an illusion.”

He almost kills baby silver, but stays his hand, knowing he couldn’t face malleus again if he did something like that

he decides to raise the baby because he wants to find out if he is truly capable of loving a human. And because he hopes the baby will help malleus get to know humans better

The reason he didn’t tell silver they weren’t related was ‘cause he was too scared to. He didn’t want to see silver get hurt from learning the truth

Meleanor

美人！！！！

Very very very hotheaded. She was trying to strike people with lightning left and right.

She absolutely HATES humans

when she noticed silver and sebek, she told them to kneel before her, and it looked like she cast magic? on them and they fell to their knees

she decides to take the Knight’s challenge, and tells Lilia and the others to escape with the egg using the old underground waterways underneath the castle

lilia begs her not to go, as the egg won’t hatch without its parent’s love. but she tells lilia he can hatch it in her stead. Lilia says he’s never known a parent’s love and he’s never even loved someone before, but meleanor says that’s not true, because he loves her, and he loved levan. And so of course he would love the child borne between them (apparently lilia proposed marriage to melenaor when they were kids kdfjgh)

she changes into her true form (i.e. dragon form) and goes to battle

Levan

he is the one who held onto Lilia’s NRC acceptance letter for him

he is the General of the Left

he always said the fae need to understand humans better, and humans need to understand fae better

he is the one who taught the fae human languages (I thought i remembered lilia saying that but can’t find the part in the video where he says it for the life of me)

Sebek

His UM is “Living Bolt [Clap of Thunder]”, incantation is “I call upon thee, Lightning – Pierce through the clouds above!” I didn’t quite understand what was going on since they are limited with the live 2d models, but it looked like he struck himself with a bolt of lighting?? And then he turned into a lightbulb dfkgjhdkfg

Baul says seb’s older bro and sis never showed any interest in martial arts. But when sebek was around 7, he was saying he wanted to join the imperial guard one day, so baul went and asked lilia to take sebby on as a student

Seb’s older brother is an NRC graduate

Silver

His birth parents are the Knight of Dawn and Princess Leia (Henrick’s sister)

What happened is, after the silver owl defeated (?) Meleanor, henrick took over briar castle. But quickly after that, war erupted again over control of the natural resources and ownership of the land/castle. During the fighting, three fae (one red, one green, and one blue) cast a protective spell on the knight and princess leia’s infant son. The spell would cast the baby into a deep, deep sleep, and would preserve him just as he was. He would sleep and be protected for 10 years, a 100 years, however long it took for the danger to pass. And he would one day be awakened by someone who truly loved him. (lilia surmises the fairy’s spell must’ve weakened over time, and that’s why the baby woke up when lilia was there)

Three or four hundred years after the aforementioned fighting, lilia stops by briar castle. It’s overgrown with thorns and deserted. He says it’s taken all this time for the surrounding nations to agree to peace accords and for the Verdant Glen to become visitable again

He was born with blonde hair. It turned silver when Lilia gave him a blessing. Lilia comments that the Knight must’ve gotten his blonde hair from being blessed by Diurnal fae, and due to Lilia’s blessing (i.e. a blessing from a follower of the night) it changed his hair from the color of the sun to the color of the moon.

Lilia didn’t find Silver’s name written on his cradle or anything, and the day Lilia found him he set as Silver’s new birthday. He choose the name for the color of silver’s hair – silver, like the moon’s light that shines down upon the dark night

Silver within the Darkness

The discovery of the identity of his birth parents shocks silver to his core, and it causes the Darkness to appear and drag down silver into its depths. Yuu, sebek, and grim go in after him, while baul and lilia flee with the egg into the forest. They agree to regroup later.

As Silver is pulled into the Darkness, he sees some of Lilia’s memories. He sees when Lilia first found Silver as a baby, and some memories from his early childhood that he had forgotten. (baby Silver called Lilia ととwhich is like dada/papa/daddy)

It turns out Silver was the one who made the acorn bracelet for lilia. the squirrels helped him gather the acorns, and the woodpeckers helped him thread it together. He made it because some fae living in the oak tree told him that if you wear a charm made from acorns, you will live a long and healthy life. He gives it to lilia and asks him to always stay well and to always be with him. Lilia gets emotional and hugs silver, and says he feels like he could live another 1000 years thanks to the charm. Silver says, “I love you, daddy” and lilia says, “I love you too, Silver” <- (my cause of death)

No matter how many good memories silver sees, he refuses to believe that lilia and malleus love him – the child of their enemy. He begs the darkness to envelop him and pull him into a sleep he will never awaken from

He hears lilia’s voice calling out to him, urging him to get up and keep going. Silver fights off the Darkness and gets back up, but it’s not until Sebek and co. arrive and knock some sense into him that they’re able to escape

Silver refuses to believe lilia and malleus don’t hate him, and since nothing they say is getting through to him, sebek tells silver to take up his weapon and fight him. They spar for a while, and silver defeats sebek. He finally calms down enough for sebek to talk some sense into him, and sebek explains that if lilia really did hate him, then why did he take the time and effort to raise him and teach him? Isn’t the fact silver grew up to be such a strong young man proof of lilia’s love for him? And isn’t Silver’s strength lilia’s love itself? silver realizes that sebek is right, and the Darkness dissipates. They end up in Silver’s dream corridor and see a vision of the Knight of Dawn for a moment, who smiles at them, and then they return back to Lilia’s dream.

Knight of Dawn

He doesn’t agree with what Henrick is doing, and he tries to talk Henrick out of the siege

His ring was given to him by his fairy guardian(s) when he was little. He said there’s only one like it in the world

He and Princess Leia are said to have died during all the fighting that took place after Henrick took over briar castle

Henrick’s father took him in when he was an orphan and raised him. Although the Knight refers to that man as his father, he doesn’t refer to Henrick or Leia as his siblings.

Silver’s sleepiness returns all of a sudden when the knight gets near him. Or maybe it’s the knight’s ring doing it, its unclear

For some reason, he saves lilia’s life when the ceiling in the underground waterway was about to give way and hit lilia and the egg. And instead of attacking them after that, the knight asks them to flee

Its literally just silver’s live 2d model with long blonde hair and he’s voiced by nobbu (silver’s va)😭

Henrick

Bald!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He says that the peoples in the surrounding nations live in fear of dragons attacking them. That’s how he was able to gain support from other countries for the siege

He says that if they can get their hands on the “Princess Glow” magical stone, they might be able to cure their (his, leia’s, knight’s) father of his uncurable illness

He says that Leia has been praying day and night for their father to get better

Lullaby

It’s the tune that mal hums earlier in the book.

At one point, silver sees a memory of malleus looking after silver when silver was a baby, and malleus hummed the song to him. But mal didn’t know the words, and he couldn’t remember where he even heard the song. mal wondered if one of his wet nurses sang it for him when he was little

Silver says lilia would sing it for him often when he was little

Very, very rough TL of the lyrics:

“As you lay there in your warm, warm cradle

The starlight rejoices overhead

And I gaze upon you, right by your side

Shh, you’ll always be okay – both awake and in your dreams

Now sleep, sleep, my beloved child

I pray you’ll walk towards that light

That light that will guide you in your dreams”

[bestiarium]

The Tangi [Scottish, Shetland folklore]

There are lots of folktales about supernatural horses that live underwater and entice people into mounting them. Once the victim does so, they find themselves unable to dismount and the horse takes its prey underwater to drown them. The most famous of these creatures are the Scottish Kelpie and the Welsh Ceffyl Dŵr, though there are lots of similar aquatic horse monsters from British, Germanic and Scandinavian folktales. They are related and come from the same root story.

In the Shetland Islands, however, there are two such creatures, and while they are undeniably similar, surprisingly they are said to be two distinct kinds of beings that exist in different habitats. The Njuggel (or ‘Shoopiltee’ in Northern Shetland, among other names) resides in lakes and other fresh bodies of water, whereas the Tangi (also Tangie) is a marine monster. Keep in mind however that this distinction is not set in stone (folklore is hardly an exact science, of course) and in some places the Njuggel and the Tangi are considered to be synonyms.

In the Orkney islands of northern Scotland, the Tangie would appear either as an old human covered in seaweed (true to its name, as the name ‘Tangie’ is likely derived from ‘tang’ which is a local term for seaweed) or as an aquatic horse. This Tangie would jump out at unwary travelers, and it took a particular liking to young women, kidnapping them from the banks of the Scottish lakes and dragging them into the depths to be devoured.

In places where the two are said to be separate monsters, the following distinction is usually made: a Njuggel appears as a white or grey horse with a wheel for a tail that drowns its victims in lakes. A Tangi, on the other hand, is black or dark grey and has no wheel. Tangis are shapeshifting creatures and sometimes appear as cows, other animals, or as humans. When taking the form of a human, a Tangi usually chooses to appear as a handsome young man and seeks out girls to seduce and have sex with. Sometimes they go the extra mile and abduct a girl to marry her. Being associated with the sea, they commonly haunt shores but these creatures make their homes in seaside caverns.

Like its cousin the Njuggel, a Tangi is engulfed in a blue flame when galloping at high speed. Sailors sometimes claimed to have seen one of these creatures as a distant blue flash that raced across the shore.

One old account of these creatures also claimed that they have wings and the uncanny ability to locate any object that fell or was thrown into the ocean, regardless of depth. These claims are not backed by any other sources. However, they do have an important trait that sets them apart from Kelpies, Njuggels, Nixen and the like.

Whereas most Kelpie-like monsters are said to make people mount them and then drown their victims, the Tangi does not need to be mounted. It can cast a spell on its victims by galloping in circles around them. When under the influence of the Tangi’s magic, the victim becomes hypnotized and immediately tries to drown themselves, usually by jumping off a cliff into the ocean. Those who survive find themselves in a dazed state which lasts for a few days at most.

They are not invincible however and share the same weaknesses as the Njuggels: they are afraid of fire, can be injured with iron and lose their power if you utter their name. For example, one story tells of a man who encountered a Tangi. The black horse started running in circles around him but he managed to stab it with an iron knife. The creature ran away and disappeared. 

Sources: Teit, J. A., 1918, Water-beings in Shetlandic Folk-Lore, as Remembered by Shetlanders in British Columbia, The Journal of American Folklore, 31(120), p.180-201. Lecouteux, C., 2016, Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic. Monaghan, P., 2004, The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore, Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology, 512 pp. Pérez-Lloréns et al., 2020, Seaweeds in mythology, folklore, poetry and life, Journal of Applied Phycology, 32, 3157-3182. (image source 1: orig03 on Deviantart. The image actually depicts a black Kelpie, but I figured it’s fine since the Tangi is related and similar) (image source 2: unknown, sorry)

[ninelivesastrology]

Hi, everyone! It's Nine. I want to thank you for following, it really does mean a lot to me. I'll be offering my Horary services. Unfortunately, this is limited to the United States for now. I've been studying astrology for 14 years, studying horary for well over a year! It's one of my favorite and most used forms of astrology.

Q&A:

What is Horary?

A horary is a question asked by a querent to an astrologer that casts and interprets the querent's question. Horary is divination like tarot and is always accurate.

What questions can I ask?

I will not be answering questions about health, legal matters or lost objects, but you are more than welcome to ask questions such as:

Will we be in a relationship?

Will we break up?

How does [a person] feel towards me?

Will I have a [boyfriend, girlfriend, lover] in the next [time frame?]

Should I take this job?

Will I get the job?

Should I go into [your career of choice]?

Should I move to [location]?

Will I move to [location]?

Questions I ask you to stay away from are questions too general and unspecific like, "Will I ever find love?"

Okay, so how do we do this?

I'll be offering my services for $20 per question.

Please DM me if you're going to ask me a question.

I will accept payment, then I will service you. I'm a little busy because I have a baby, but the turn around rate should be 24-72 hours.

The moment I get your question, I will cast.

You will also provide your preferred name and screenshot of payment to me. I will interpret your question for you in the DMs, provide your horary chart and go over it with you. I may have some questions for you in return because it is a mini consultation.

If you need help with a question or want to know if it's okay to ask, just ask me!

I only accept CashApp only for right now and I'll provide you the link to pay me. You are more than welcome to tip me for my services as well, I appreciate it.

This is first come, first serve.

Love you guys!

[gx-gameon]

How would the (DM crew) react if jaden actually got like kidnapped or badly hurt by someone or something of that nature

The world would burn.

It also depends on when in the story this is.

If it’s baby Jaden.

Yugi is panicked. That’s his baby. If Jaden is missing/taken/hurt he’s absolutely going to lose it on the person who took him. But Yugi’s first objective is Jaden’s safety. He’s going to be focused on getting Jaden away from them. Make sure his son is safe above all else.

Atem is the one that’s going to call the fury of the gods down. As soon and Yugi has Jaden and they are clear he’s whipping this scum from the earth. Atem is protective of all of his friends but Yugi and Jaden are on a different level. They are on the ‘no touch’ list and if anything happened to them Atem is going to kill everyone here and then himself.

Joey and Tristian are fight club. They will physically beat someone over this. (Im thinking about having someone try and grab baby Jaden (a paparazzi trying to get a picture of the duel prince) and Joey or Tristian just laying the guy flat.

Téa is also on the get Jaden out of here crew. Making sure Jaden is safe and to reassure the crying child he’s safe now.

Seto…. It depends when and why this happened.

If it is before him and Yugi are dating then the attack was probably aimed at Yugi’s throwing the king off his game by attacking his son. Seto is still going to help them find Jaden and be ruthless with the perpetrator, but not as much as the other options

If it is after Yugi and Seto are dating/ married than this is most likely an attack on Seto/Kaiba Corp. someone trying to get something out of Seto by hurting his loved ones, just like they used to do with Mokuba. He is Merciless here. Once Jaden is safe he has security close in in Jaden and Yugi. He knows Yugi wants a piece of this person to but he also knows Yugi will always put Jaden first. He’s going to use that to his advantage to secure both of them. He’s not letting his enemy get another chance to hurt either of them. Honestly Mokuba’s probably with them to. The three surrounded by security and being moved to a safe location.

Depending on how many people there are he takes Atem with him (this is not a negotiation Atem is coming whether it’s one enemy or 15 he’s not being left behind when it come to beating the person who hurt Jaden) and Joey. Again this depends on when this happens, but Seto knows one thing about Joey, he’s a guard dog. No one hurts his friends. Joey also has very little morals when it comes to protecting those he cares for.

The three of them handle the situation.

If this is older Jaden like post series.

It’s almost worst.

If this is most season 3 than they just survived the Dark World.

They know Jaden can protect himself. That doesn’t mean they’re all not going to go feral if someone hurts him.

I think if anyone ever got the jump on Jaden and the DM crew found out (they were there/were sent a video) and Jaden looked up and just called for his “Dad” in the weakest voice. Yugi is going to lose it. Gandora is summoned immediately. He just wild everyone out and gets his boy.

Honestly no one should touch Jaden for a few years. If he ever gets hurt and has to call the DM cast for help. It’s not ending well.

[verysociallyakward]

Vat7k plot holes and how to fill them part 4

How did Varian not find Ulla's journal earlier? At the end of season one his house was destroyed and he had gone through his father's things multiple times, the royal guard also went through Qurin's things but the journal was never found.

1, Varian knew about his mother's journal and where it was located, he even read/translated it but he didn't feel the need to go on the journey until the beginning of the Vat7k story. The guards couldn't read it so they didn't take it.

2, Qurin hid the journal behind a false wall so Varian and the guards couldn't find it during the search of the house.

3, the guards found it before Varian did and took it, when Qurin was freed they returned it with awkward explanations. Qurin hid it again before Varian was ever aware of it until Varian found it during the start of Vat7k.

How does Andrew find Varian when Team Radical is on the road? This is also made more complicated since Nuru takes them on a lot of shortcuts so their path is more unpredictable. Andrew and the separatists are also more likely to stay near Corona since they want to overthrow it.

1, Donella offered to help the separatists take over Corona as long as they delivered Hugo to her with the bonus of being allowed to do anything they wanted to Varian. No one really cares about Nuru and Yong.

2, Clementine casts a tracking spell on Varian. They want to attack outside of Corona so none of his powerful friends can help him and so they are less likely to get arrested (again.)

3, Varian made multiple lists of where he would be and when and gave them to Rapunzel and Company. One of them left it out in the open and when the Saporians escaped they found it and decided to wait for Varian at one of the locations.

Why would Varian spend so much time at his cousin's place? Also, Nuru would not let him without good reason.

1, someone in the group was injured so they had to stay longer until they were healed.

2, an object had to be built to access the trial and the parts were hard to get so it took longer.

3, the trial only opens during certain times of the year so they had to wait.

Where do they get the money from? Varian is left with money for one person while Nuru has the money for four. They don't know how long the journey is or what supplies they will need to buy. They are going to run out of money.

1, They sell inventions or other things that they don't need. Hugo is also a master scammer and overcharges everything insisting that the buyer needs it.

2, they do odd jobs that the towns need to be done, for money.

3, both Varian's cousins and the brotherhood give them money before allowing them to leave, leaving Team Radical enough money for their experiments and even some luxuries.

How does Donella enter the eternal library undetected? Especially since Rapunzel and company have been warned about Donella's arrival and intentions wouldn't they have been watching the entrance?

1, she knocked them out with knockout gas.

2, there is more than one entrance.

3, she had someone from inside Corona sneak her in.

[spicylove4ever]

Post GBA's Magic of the Heart headcanons.

When Zed told Mirrin the whole thing, that was for Mirrin a green light for teasing for letting the oportunity on a silver plate to kiss the Guardian go. He laughted so much about his own jokes without a care of the pain on his battle injuries.

The Guardian kept the Archangel plushie for the memento of the date with Zed.

Among the baggage the evil couple took with them to their new land of residence, there are all the sharp objects they used and will still use in case any weird visit shows up.

Makkaro and Giene made an honorary grave for Frank on their new backyard.

The Piscis family found a way to use the news of Makkaro's downfall for their political gain. Those statements on the newspaper were received with lots of cursing words in 3 different locations (Mirrin at his place: the f"/$ did you even do you good-for-nothing snobs! Zed somewhere: what is this? that's not how it happened! How could you even use the Guardian's name here in vain you.... you.... uhm... freaks! Gienne: YOU F+#&ING LYING BASTARDS!!! F+·& YOUR FACES! F+#& YOUR STUPID DYNASTY!! Makkaro: (just stares at Gienne with a mix of awe and shock as the swearing goes on for long minutes)).

Zed has now mixed feelings whenever he finds himself close of any graveyard because it reminds him of Makkaro's undead and their master as well. So he is reminded of plenty of traumatic skeleton attacks but also a necromancer he chewed up and then set loose an angry god to.

Gienne has no kill count, but that could change now that she's one of the main deffenses of the house.

Zed takes breaks from traveling either for family visiting or because Mirrin has invited him to watch wingball matches. Mirrin has a break of his duties this way and now he has a friend to go with.

Gienne has threatened her husband with slip a sleeping drug on his food if he ever overworks again, which he secretly is grateful for since those make you sleep with no dreams and the memories start to catch up and now he can't vent those with violence...

Frank would haunt the couple anytime they have a fight. Mak would be trying to sleep in the couch and then he hears echoes of "I told you", "that's rough, buddy" or even laugh is it was something he considers funny. Also would haunt them randomly XD.

Zed accidentally found the Aethewards having a date on a restaurant and since none could pretend they didn't see each other they had to kidnapp Zed since Gienne knows he's awful lying to his memories about their location. It took time because Makkaro had to teach Gienne how to cast the spell, to the point Zed had an akward "visit" at their house for days and they had lots of catch up. (Zed: you know, it's weird, but it's still good to see you again, Kindra. Gienne: thank you, Zed, that is so nice, but we're still erasing your memories. Zed: ow.)

[matchingbatbites]

wip wednesday

So, final results from yesterday's poll?

🦇 familiar!Eddie 🦇

I want to say I'm surprised, but I'm really not, lol. We love us some bats in the Steddie fandom. I'm not sure if you 34% were hoping for vampires, but I hope you're pleasantly surprised regardless.

I had a lot of fun with the poll idea, and I hope you all did too! As you can tell, I didn't actually vote myself because I wanted to be surprised by the results, so I've spent the last 24 hours bouncing off the walls lol. Thanks to everyone who voted!! I might do this again next week, we'll see :)

I promised a synopsis and a snippet, so here you are! Snippet is under the cut!

Synopsis:

Supernatural Creature AU. Dustin is a witch whose familiar, a bat named Eddie, is not as cooperative as other familiars he’s met. The little creature has a big personality and isn’t afraid of doing whatever he wants, and Dustin is more than used to dealing with how sassy the bat can be. It would also be good if Eddie didn’t go off on his own every chance he got, although he seems to have a built in homing-beacon for locating one Steve Harrington, a Merman adopted into Dustin’s little friend group that the witch not-so-secretly adores.

When Dustin tries to cast a spell that lets him communicate with Eddie, it backfires and turns his familiar into a human. He knows that Eddie can’t stay at his house - he’s not even supposed to be using magic on his familiar, not until he gets older, so his mom will flip if she finds out. The witch begs Steve to keep an eye on the new human while he figures out how to reverse it and Steve agrees, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s going to fall head over heels for the man in the two weeks they spend together. 

And then Dustin's mom finds out. 

She’s upset, of course, but she knows how kids can be. She says she can fix it, she knows what Dustin did wrong and is able to reverse it. But because Eddie is human now, he has human rights, so he gets a choice: does he choose to return to being a bat, to being what he’s always known? Or does he choose to stay human, to exist as something other in the world?

(We all know he chooses Steve, in the end.)

Snippet:

Steve is lounging by the pool, basking in the sun warming his skin and scales alike, the fin of his tail floating lazily in the salt water. He's on the verge of falling asleep - he put on enough sunscreen that it wouldn't be any worry, and it's so tempting with how quiet it is right now. No kids bugging him, nowhere to be any time soon. For once in a while, he's free to just chill.

The relaxing atmosphere is ruined when something crashes into his chest, and - yeah, he screams, but it caught him off guard, okay? He grabs at the object, intending to throw it away from him, but immediately releases it when he hears an annoyed squeak. Startled, he looks down to find- 

"Eddie! That’s the third time this week, you little monster!"

The bat looks up at him from its position with its wings splayed across Steve's chest and makes another, much happier noise. Steve can't help but smile even as he whips his tail out of the pool, flicking water onto the creature who lets out an affronted squeak and quickly crawls up to bury itself in the crook of Steve's neck.

The Mer chuckles softly and brings one hand up to gently scratch at Eddie’s head, and reaches over with the other to dig his walkie free from where he'd wrapped it in a towel to keep it dry.

"Dustin, this is Steve. Come in, over."

A brief pause, then a soft crackle. "This is Dustin, what's up? Over."

"Your familiar got out again, over."

"Shit. He must have got out when I left for Mike's. Is there any way you can bring him to me? Over."

Steve frowns at the idea of having to get up and get dressed when he had planned to do absolutely nothing but lounge around all day. Eddie gives a soft grumble and Steve starts up his idle scratching again, and he feels the bat practically melt into a puddle at the gentle affection.

“I can, but do you mind if I bring him later? This is the first chance I’ve had to sun my scales in like, two weeks, over.”

Dustin gives a long suffering sigh that makes Steve roll his eyes, before giving a disgruntled “I guess. Just be glad I don’t actually need him today.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault that your familiar likes me so much. I’m not even a witch but he latches on to me any time he sees me.”

“He’s a familiar, Steve! He’s attracted to magical energies or something, I dunno!”

“I mean, you can just admit that I’m Eddie’s favorite-”

Eddie gives a soft chirp at the sound of his name, but for Steve it almost feels like an agreement. He coos softly at the creature as the walkie crackles to life again.

“Just- Get him back before dinner, okay? I don’t want my mom to worry about where he is.”

"Roger that. Over and out Dust Bunny."

"That's not my-"

Steve clicks the walkie off, something he knows he'll get an earful for later, but right now he sets the device to the side as he shuts his eyes again, enjoying the heat of the sun and the soft noises from the bat cuddled in the crook of his neck.

[our-lord-satanas]

COMMON WITCHY TERMS / TOOLS

ATHAME: a ritualistic knife, typically black handled with a double-edged blade. You use it to cast a circle around the altar before commencing a spell and to direct energy. 

ALTAR: a place where you do rituals or spells. It is often a special table or shelf where your ritual tools are kept.

AMULET: an object that is carried or worn on a person or placed in a location in order to draw specific energy or luck toward that person or location.

BOLINE: the witch's working knife, a white-handled ritual knife that has several magical tools. Such as being used to carve candles and cut herbs. 

BROOM: used to purify and sweep away negative energy. 

BOOK OF SHADOWS: a Book of Shadows is a Witch's journal. It contains notes on experiments, information they picked up along the way, spells, recipes, correspondences, chants, traditions and more.

COVEN: a coven is a community of witches who gather regularly for religious and/or social occasion.

CAULDRON: a cauldron is used to build a ritual fire or concoct magic brews. 

CHALICE: a chalice is used for drinking ritual brews and magic potions. 

CANDLES AND INCENSE: essential ingredients in many spells, can also be used to cleanse objects and your space.  

CRYSTALS: typically used as batteries of energy in spellwork. 

DIVINATION: the metaphysical work of finding the truth of an issue by using symbols and objects to interpret messages from the collective unconscious or from communication with spirit beings.

EVOKE: to call or summon a spirit, entity and/or deity.

FAMILIAR: afamiliar is a magic-user's spiritual helper manifest in animal form.

GRIMOIRE: a magical manual or a magician's instruction book. It is much more formal than a Book of Shadows.

HEX: referring to an unfriendly spell meant to bring about mischief.

INVOKE: to summon or draw a spirit being into your own body. This is usually done to encourage communication between the spirit world and the material world.

JARS AND BOXES: used to store ingredients and can be used for spells. 

MORTAR AND PESTLE: a mortar and pestle used to grind herbal mixtures for spellwork. 

PENTACLE: used to symbol the five elements and for protection. 

SACHET: a small bag of herbs, crystals, or other objects that is meant to bring about a desired effect; essentially acts as a charm.

WARD: a protective barrier may be maintained by a spell, a talisman, a symbol or some other physical or energy object.

[morrak]

Untitled Wednesday Library Series, Part 122

Last week was a doozy, but thanks to the magic of Antibiotics™ we’re nearly back up to speed. I can therefore and finally bring you four subheadings worth of musings about that book I keep mentioning.

Foundations of Mechanical Accuracy, written by Wayne R. Moore and published in-house by the Moore Special Tool Company (named Moore after his father and its founder, respectively, who were, of course, the same person) in 1970. MIT press did a version in ‘71, which connection presumably came from George R. Harrison — then MIT School of Science Dean Emeritus — who had a strong research connection with Moore Tool and wrote the original edition’s introduction.

The How

From [sounds of drumroll] the library. Not mine, you understand, but rather a real one.

If you’re interested in following along, most library systems probably have hookups for similar copies; the company practically handed these things out. You could also just find a free scan online (like this one).

The Text

By the late 19th century, precision in industrial metalworking meant tolerances on the order of thousandths of inches. By the middle of the 20th, tenths of thousandths were common, but special applications (e.g., manufacturing diffraction gratings for lab instruments; standards work in national bureaus) fell in the regime of tens of millionths. In the U.S., Moore Tool was the top of the heap in machine building and a big name in metrology.

Their cash cows were jig borers and jig grinders — you can still find several models of each floating around eBay most days of the week — plus some of the best rotary tables ever made, all of which allowed a ton of custom tooling work that culminated in a design for what they called a Universal Measuring Machine. This book is (approximately) about the construction of those starting from absolute base principles, which Moore says are (1) creating flat surfaces, (2) defining lengths, (3) dividing circles, and (4) measuring roundness.

This is 85% textbook, 10% showing off, and 5% company history. It is very successful at each. This is perhaps unsurprising: Moore Tool was stuffed to bursting with money, connections, and expertise, including at the top. That it could produce a yet-uncontested classic in machining, machine building, and engineering practically without lifting the pen seems obvious in retrospect.

The book is also, and for exactly the same reasons, an intensely political read for exactly 100% of its runtime. The bleeding edge of 1960s American industry was bleeding for (let's say) several reasons, all of which are on some kind of display in these words and photographs. Such a company does not exist except at the confluence of a certain set of circumstances. I think that's important.

The Object

Neither an expense spared nor an opportunity missed. This volume is 53 years old and still shockingly pretty. From the endpapers to the typesetting to the overall size and shape, this is a thoughtful thing.

F. R. Gruger, Jr.'s engineering drawings are a masterclass, and together with William Vandivert's photographs lend the book even more flair and character than it already has. Genuinely some of the most effective illustration I've ever encountered.

The Why, Though?

Like I said, a classic. Everyone I know who knows anything about machine tools says they either started learning here or might as well have. I get that completely, and I'm passing the recommendation on to you, dear reader.

Do you want a whole lobe of your brain rewritten? Do you want to dream of the subtle crunch of cast iron under a carbide hand scraper? Do you find yourself wondering how to best design a room to minimize temperature stratification to within a tenth of a degree from floor to ceiling so as to more accurately grind a spindle taper? If you said yes to all these questions — and I know you did — then boy, have I got the book for you.

Also see Moore's Precision Hole Location (which, ha) and Stefan Gotteswinter's Shop Talk #28, in which he leafs through a German ~counterpart text from Deckel.