#conch if recs

[lesbeana]

chat how much does stretching your own piercing hurt, specifically from 18g to 16g and specifically ur nostril

[profoundbondfanfic]

Hi there, not sure if this is allowed, but I'm looking for a fic that's basically about how Castiel rebuilt Dean when saving him from hell.

It had very poetic descriptive language and it details how Cas used natural elements to rebuild Dean. Iirc, he used seashells for his fingernails or a conch for his ears, etc.

Sorry if this is not allowed, would also love more general recs about Dean being saved from hell, thank you!

Hey! Sadly we couldn't find that exact fic but here are a few that feature Dean being saved from hell.

4:08 to Tombstone by zuzeca (Explicit, 20k words)

When minor outlaw Dean Winchester's beloved brother ended up on the wrong side of a robber baron with yellow eyes and a sadistic streak, Dean never expected to wind up in the Arizona Territory’s most notorious prison: The Pit. Nor did he expect, after years on the rack, to be sprung by former Federal Marshal and man of the cloth, Reverend Castiel Milton. Now, on the run from corrupt lawman Warden Alastair, the two men must learn to trust each other, or hang. When Castiel, lesser seraph of the Lord, descended into Hell to help rescue the Righteous Man, he never expected to be unwillingly cast in Dean Winchester’s repressed bisexual cowboy fantasy.

Celestial Bodies by ImYourHoneyBee (Teen, 4k words)

Cas steps in close, one hand settling on Dean’s hip while he brushes his lips over a spot on the round of his shoulder, then slightly below, to the side, over his shoulder blade, the nape of his neck, up over to his other shoulder where he stops to draw a circle with his nose. Looking for a distraction and really not wanting to talk about Sam’s big fun magical vacation, Dean says, half joking, “You got a thing for my shoulders, Cas?” Those big blue eyes flicker up to meet his own in the mirror once again, and Cas’s face is a study in careful neutrality, but he knows him well enough to catch the glimmer of guilt in the tightness near his eyes. “Wait, seriously?” “I have a thing for all of you,” Cas mumbles stiffly, and hey, isn’t that sudden shyness an interesting development?

Grey by Valinde (Valyria) (Explicit, 65k words)

In a world where people don’t see in color until they find their true mate, the first thing Dean sees when he pulls himself out of his grave is the blue sky. When Castiel raised him from the Pit, he inadvertently claimed Dean as his mate.

Oxytocin by spirithorse (Mature, 29k words)

This was what Dean did, spouted off statements that made absolutely no sense except to his own mind. And then he would grin and wait for Castiel to respond. He had initially thought that this was a demonic tick developed over forty years in hell. But it hadn't disappeared with the rest of the demonic attributes. Dean continued to be incomprehensible. OR the 5 times Dean said he needed Cas and the 1 time Cas realized what that meant.

Teaching Poetry to Fish by aeli_kindara (Mature, 52k words)

In which Castiel teaches poetry to fish. Also, himself. Also, eventually, Dean. (A series-long story, diverging slightly from canon after S14.)

With This Stab I Thee Wed by TheSilverQueen (Teen, 8k words)

“Soul and mind and blood,” the creature says, which makes absolutely no sense to Dean at all. It raises its chin and looks straight at Dean, and its blue eyes are so unreasonably blue, bluer than the sky or the ocean, as piercing as a sunbeam. “You have touched my blood, and I yours. Now by the law of Heaven, we are wed.” Dean says, “What.” Or: How Dean accidentally married Castiel (and saved the world) when he stabbed him in the barn.

We also had our 4.01 celebration that should give you a decent sampling about Dean being saved.

[yoongihan]

Jhope fic recs from the blessed world of AO3

Make Me A Match (dystopian kinda) (M)

The Birds and the Bees (Ornithologist Hoseok & Sex Pollen) (M)

Flourish (College International Student Hoseok) (T)

Arranged (Arranged Marriage) (M)

Just Practice (Uni Frat Boy Hoseok) (M)

Conch-Blocked (I don't even know how to explain this one) (M)

Transference (Massage Therapist Hoseok) (M)

Evergreen (HobixTaehyungxReader & Xmas) (T)

[starstwinkleplanetsshine]

Daughter of the Sea

Chapter Thirty-One: We Say Goodbye to Camp (Read on AO3)

Everything was normal until that afternoon. 

We had just finished lunch and I was making my way to the sword-fighting arena when the sound of the conch made my blood run cold. Three short, loud sounds. That only meant one thing—war council. 

I raced as fast as I could to the Big House, thankful I already had my battle armor on, not stopping until I had crashed into the rec room. Judging by the red faces and heavy breathing of the other counselors, they had done the same. Chiron stood at the head of the ping-pong table, his face steely. Next to him stood Annabeth, who looked like a mess. I could tell she was trying to put on a brave face, but she was wringing her Yankees cap like she did when she was anxious and her cell phone was open on the table in front of her. I had learned quickly that demigods weren’t supposed to use technology, but sometimes it was necessary. Annabeth was one of the only kids at camp with a phone, and I had a sinking feeling I knew who had called her. 

“Thank you for coming so quickly.” Chiron began, his tail swishing. “There has been a…development.” He turned to Annabeth, a sight I had seen many times this summer, and the blonde girl knew what to do. I don’t know when it had happened, but I realized in that moment how much of a leader she had become for us. The other campers may have looked to Percy, but the counselors looked to Annabeth. 

“Percy left me a message.” She said simply, and all the air left the room. “It was…vague, but one thing was clear—it’s time.” 

For a few seconds, no one spoke. And then everyone started talking at once.

”What did he say?” Travis demanded. 

“Time? Like, for real?” Jake Mason yelped. 

I shared an uneasy look with Cady, whose face was hard and would’ve been impossible to read for anyone else. I looked around the room—every counselor was present, even Silena, except for Clarisse. I got a sinking feeling. 

“Heroes!” Chiron shouted, stomping his hooves. The room went silent. “We must act quickly. Annabeth,” he turned to the daughter of Athena. “Please continue.” 

“Percy said to meet him at the base of the Empire State Building as soon as we can…” she took a shaky breath and shot a nervous glance to Chiron. He nodded. “All of us.” 

“The whole camp?” Micheal questioned. 

“And leave us defenseless?” Connor countered.

”We’re gathering at Olympus?” Katie spoke over them. 

“I know it seems unwise!” Annabeth shouted, quieting the chaos. “I don’t fully understand, either. But…I trust Percy. We trust Percy, don’t we?” She looked to me, which I didn’t really notice until every other head turned towards me, too. I swallowed the lump in my throat. 

“Of course.” My voice sounded more confident than I felt. “If Percy has a plan, it’s one I’ll follow.” I took a shaky breath. “To the end.” 

The counselors straightened up and gripped their weapons. Their eyes shone with new determination. I could only stand their gaze for a few moments before turning back to Annabeth. “Lead the way, Wise Girl.” 

Annabeth cracked a smile, but her eyes were sad. “Mobilize your cabins. Prepare for anything. Everyone, and I mean everyone over ten, is leaving in thirty minutes, max.” There was a moment of tense silence while she made eye contact with each of us. “Understood?” 

There were nods and murmurs of agreement. 

“Good.” 

She turned to Chiron. 

“Now is the time to summon your courage.” He spoke. “For your parents. For Olympus. For Camp Half Blood. You are ready, heroes.” He gave us a sad smile. “May the fates go with you.” He spoke a blessing over us in Ancient Greek. “Now go!” 

His sudden shift in tone jolted me out of my fear and spurred me into action. The counselors began scrambling out of the room, talking excitedly as they went. I caught Cady’s arm as she tried to rush by. 

“If I don’t see you before—“

”Stop talking.” She cut me off before pulling me into a hug. “I’ll be with the archers, with Michael.” She pulled away as the words tumbled out of her mouth. “Will is taking the medics.” I tried to ignore the tears brimming in her eyes. I tried to ignore how badly she was trying to force them away. 

I found myself nodding as I tried to quickly process everything she had said. 

She was going with the archers—not the medics. She was incredibly talented with a bow, one of the best in the Apollo cabin. I knew that. But she was a better medic. She had been given unique gifts by her father, and the fact that Chiron had chosen to put her with the fighters made my stomach drop. The reasoning was clear—we needed all the help we could get. We needed fighters—not healers. 

“That’s good.” I said firmly. I saw something in Cady’s eyes set. 

“It’ll be okay.” I didn’t need to ask how she knew I was so worried. “We’ll win this.” 

I attempted a smile. “We have to.” 

We held each other’s gaze for a moment that stretched beyond time before I pulled her into another hug, quick and intense. Who knew what was about to happen? Who knew what we would face, how long we would be fighting? 

Who knew if we would ever see each other again? 

“Cady, whatever happens, I just wanna say…” the words caught in my throat, but I forced them out. “Thank you for being my friend.” 

I heard as she stifled a sob against my chest. She took a breath like she wanted to say something, but then stopped herself. She didn’t speak again until she pulled away, and when she did, her face was determined. Her cheeks were wet, but her eyes were dry. 

“I’ll see you on the other side.” 

“Either in this life or the next.” 

I knew we shouldn’t, with everyone hurrying around us and the conch sounding outside and everything so tense, but we laughed. Just for a moment, but it was enough. 

“Gotta reach Elysium somehow.” Cady said with a shrug. I laughed again, so I wouldn’t cry. 

“Cadence!” Micheal Yew’s voice carried over the chaos of the room. I barely caught as she rolled her eyes at the sound. 

“Hold fast, Angie.” Cady said with finality. “You’re ready for this. Step out of the shadow.” 

I didn’t have to ask her what she meant. 

“We’re gonna be okay.” My voice was desperate, more like a question than a statement. She smiled at me. 

“Yeah, we are.” 

And with one last squeeze of my hand, she disappeared out of the rec room doors. 

We were all assembled on Half Blood Hill in thirty minutes exactly, loading up into the three white vans that would take us into the city. Annabeth and some of her siblings were directing campers, shouting seat assignments and making sure everyone had everything they would need. I was watching a fight break out between a child of Athena and a child of Apollo who was adamant she needed two extra bows with her, when a voice behind me made me jump. Spinning around, I saw the young, expectant face of a little girl with curly, strawberry hair and freckles dotted along her cheeks. I smiled at her, and the tense, terrified expression she wore softened. 

“Hey, Marigold. What’s up?” I bent down so that I was at eye-level with her. I knew she was eleven, but she felt younger. Or maybe I felt older. 

“I can’t find Andrew. Or Emily. Or Katie.” I recognized the names of her siblings. “Can you help me?” 

I tried to keep my face steady, being careful to not show her how much she was breaking my heart. 

“Of course.” I took her by the hand, the one that wasn’t clutching a small dagger with vines swirling around the hilt, and walked over to the son of Athena who was still yelling at the Apollo kid. He hardly batted an eye when I took the clipboard out of his hand to check the seating assignments. 

“Here, bus three, with the rest of the Demeter kids.” I smiled down at her and ruffled her hair a bit. “Do you want me to take you there?” 

She nodded, barely meeting my eyes. 

“Mari! There you are!” Katie shouted as we neared the van, scooping the small kid up in her arms. I made it a point to ignore the tears in her eyes. “Haven’t even left camp yet and you’re already scaring me half to death.” 

“It’s okay, Katie.” Marigold said in a soothing voice. 

“Were you scared?” Katie asked as she cupped the small girl's face in her hands. 

“A little, but then I found Angie. And I knew I’d be okay.” 

I felt my stomach drop as Katie smiled up at me. Percy was so good in these situations, so good at being a leader. I was counting down the minutes until we were all reunited and he could take up that position again. 

A single choice shall end his days…

Who would they all look to when Percy was gone? Me? I felt my hands start to shake, and was thankful when I heard Annabeth’s voice call out across the hill. 

“All demigods to your vans! This is your final call! To the vans!” 

The daughter of Athena spoke with authority, finality, the gravitas of a military commander. And yet, no one moved. Her voice rang out over the silence, as if the words magically froze everyone in place. The younger campers squirmed and held onto their siblings. The older campers looked over the fields, the woods, the circle of cabins, the lake, the big house, with a somber longing. A nostalgia for something they hadn’t yet lost, but knew they were about to. Some held hands. Some leaned their heads onto their friends, siblings, significant other’s shoulders. Silent tears fell down hardened faces. 

And then a small voice began to sing. 

It was Lyric, Cady’s little brother. He was young, but not too young to come fight with us. Just barely twelve, if I remembered correctly. He had been at Camp Half Blood since he was five, and this life was the only one he had ever known. 

He was clutching Cady’s leg as if he never wanted to let go. The melody floated over the hill like a golden thread, filling all of our minds and hearts with a sense of peace and purpose. The words were old, the melody ancient, and yet I understood every word—the heritage from my father translating the Ancient Greek as it wove its way through the grass, danced with the flowers. One by one, the other children of Apollo began to sing along, and even some older campers who knew the song from years around the campfire. It was a song of bravery, of heroes and valor and fighting for one’s home. It was a song of courage, a blessing. It was a prayer for safety. A prayer to return home. 

The song ended, and the only sound was the breeze blowing through Thalia’s branches. 

“It is time.” Chiron’s steady voice broke our trance. We all loaded into the vans in silence, double-checking our armor and weapons as we went. I played with the shells of the necklace my father gave me, fiddled with the solitary camp bead on its thick cord. I was riding in the van with Annabeth and her siblings, and we all watched out the windows as we crossed the threshold of camp. I saw the trees and houses and berry patches blur by, my head jumbled with everything we were about to do, everything we had done. I stole a glance at Annabeth, but she was so focused I didn’t dare interrupt her thoughts. Especially not now. 

I found myself, surprisingly, praying. To Hestia and Apollo, two gods I felt always looked out for me, but mostly to my father. I knew he was busy fighting his own war below the surface, but something about having a connection to him made me feel stronger, more at peace. Even if that connection was only one-sided. 

We were almost to the Queens-Midtown tunnel when Annabeth’s phone rang. There was a collective gasp, and she flipped it open faster than I’d ever seen anyone answer a call. I knew who it was before she spoke—there was only one person who would be calling Annabeth at a time like this. 

"Percy, where have you been? Your message said almost nothing! We've been worried sick!" My heart clenched at my brother’s name. He really did it, just like my dreams told me—he survived the Styx. 

I heard his muffled voice on the other end, crackling with the reception and his puberty, but I couldn’t make out the words. 

"We're on our way like you asked, almost to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. But, Percy, what are you planning? We've left the camp virtually undefended, and there's no way the gods—"

More muffled words, quick and sure, and then the line went quiet. Annabeth stared at the phone in her hands. 

“He hung up on me.” Her voice was a mix of shock and anger. 

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. For a terrifying second, I thought she was going to lunge at me. And then her face broke into a wide grin and she doubled over. Her siblings followed, and soon the whole van dissolved into giggles. 

“I only know one person who would be stupid enough to hang up on Annabeth Chase.” Malcolm finally got out between fits of laughter. 

“And that’s Percy Jackson.” I finished for him. 

[awakeningperfume]

Indie Perfume Recs ✦ I Spy Treasure Hunt

This list features five fragrances for the I Spy Treasure Hunt book and CD-ROM.

Fragrance notes are taken from their respective websites.

Sand Dollar (CocoaPink) — White sand dollars and large conch shells line the shoreline, glistening in the brilliant orange light as the sun begins its majestic journey into the morning sky. Tropical vanilla kissed with gentle oceanic air accented with fresh green notes.

Solanum (Andromeda's Curse) — Wild mint, Fuzzy Tomato Leaves, Blackberries, and Sun-Baked Wilderness

Pacific Pearl (Birch & Besom) — Pink jasmine blooms, ocean mist carried a mile inland, line-dried laundry still warm from the morning sun

Vanilla Ice Cream (Sugar Milk Co.) — Heavy cream, milk and pure vanilla extract blend with sugar for this delicious scent!

The Kingdom by the Sea (Wylde Ivy) — Notes of sea salt sprayed stone, sun bleached cedarwood, black amber resin, flowering wood sage, and sweet dune grass.

[godiswoman]

anyone have a hoop in their conch piercing?

currently have a stud, want a plain gold hoop for aesthetic purposes, but I don’t want it to irritate (It’s over 100 % healed but I can be sensitive)

does the hoop snag on things? Is it too tight or loose on ear? What is the mm diameter of the hoop? I’ll take brand recs too 🫣

[flaming-cactus]

Short kings 👑🤝👑

I’ll definitely try to remember to watch them although that kind of depends on 1. Whether they’re on streaming services i have access to, 2. Whether my memory betrays me which it very might and 3. Whether i have the time which is weirdly difficult for me to find even when it seems like i have lots of free time. Also yippee a person to ask for movie recs if needed :)

oo okay i’ll listen to some of his stuff then and i will definitely watch the video at some point when it’s not 3 in the morning

i really wish i remembered meeting him, i gor a picture with him when i met him at a comic con (?) but i was probably like 6 and I can’t remember shit to save my life if it came from way back then

ohhhhhh okay yeah that makes a lot of sense

yeah it kind of is comforting, im not sure how to describe why but it definitely is. Can’t say I’ve used it as a study tool before but i probably will when i get into higher grades and college.

oo nice, i really wish i had the anatomy for a standard industrial piercing :( i’ll probably get a vertical one of some kind at some point in my life though. Double helixes look cool :D

i currently have 8 piercings (7 ears (four lobe, two daith, one right conch) and 1 septum) but i plan on getting more, i was thinking about helixes and different kinds of industrials and i really want shark bites but im gonna start with snake cuz the swelling for 4 piercings in the same lip at once would be insane and i have enough trouble eating with the near constant fatigue as is so best not to make it worse than it has to be

For the Uncomfortable ask game: 1, 16, 21, 31, 52, 68. If any of those don't sit well with you, feel free to skip :)

1, my middle name is Levi. Not legally yet but it will be eventually.

16, probably when harry met sally or love, simon

21, i go to the hospital for annual check ups which now that im saying feels like this was meant to be like have i been to the ER which yes, i went sometime last year when i was worried i broke my hand (i didnt, it was just a bad bruise cuz i broke a board wrong) and i’ve gone a few other times when i was younger which led to scars on my forehead

31, usually i fall asleep curled up on my right side but i tend to move a lot in my sleep so

52, my favorite food is probably garlic bread or cheese or several kinds of pasta

68, science and/or math, they just make more sense to me than ELA or social studies

And for you, 3, 9, 16, 23, 37, 60, 80, 85, and 100. feel free to pick and choose :]

[curiousconch]

Catching up with writers and their new posts be like:

[callmearcturus]

hiii just wanted to say that through the many many fic related spotify playlists you have made, you have had by far the most profound impact on my music tastes than anything else I can think of. Portugal the Man, Watsky, Spoon, The National, Cold War Kids, all of the KTOWL character playlists. You also streamlined my listening of Woodkid from "light interest" to "full blown obsession". And frankly I cannot thank you enough for it, so I'll instead just ask, do you have any more recommendations?

i have been wanting forever for an ask like this

i'm gonna put these in some vague categories so you can decide what you're in the mood for

Weird haunting folksy vibes

Fleet Foxes' Crack-Up (melancholic, deep water, forgotten legends)

Andrew Bird's Are You Serious (tho Armchair Apocrypha is my all time fave)

Bruce Peninsula's A Mountain Is A Mouth (their only good album sadly but fuck me its SO GODDAMN GOOD)

The Builders and the Butchers' Salvation is a Deep Dark Well (cannot believe how tight and cohesive this is)

Laura Marling's I Speak Because I Can (she's done other good stuff but this has "Devil's Spoke" so)

A little less alternative with more danceability

Franz Ferdinand's first three albums (the anthem to my own queer awakening when i was younger, my fave is probably still "The Fallen" which had a hand in inspiring the revenant AU)

James Blake's Assume Form but specifically "Where's the Catch?" which has the most incredible verse for Andre 3000 I've ever heard

if you want Karkat-vibes, check out Stars, no specific album bc a lot of their stuff is good, but try our "Fluorescent Light," "Romantic Comedy," "Hold On When You Get Love," "We Don't Want Your Body," and my favorite "Personal"

Gin Wigmore's Gravel & Wine

MGMT's Oracular Spectacular (my god that block of the last three songs is amazing)

Los Campesinos' No Blues (they have a LOT of good albums, this is the easiest to start with imo)

Arc's Weird Faves That Add Up To 90% Of Their Personality

Janelle Monae's Metropolis Suite, especially The Chase and The ArchAndroid. (PLEASE look up the video for "Many Moons" because its my favorite piece of science fiction. I CANNOT overstate how exemplary and unmatched Janelle is. I am just thinking about it and feeling goosebumps.)

Miracle Musical's Hawaii: Part II (there is not a part one really, it's a very strange, magical concept album)

The Mechanisms' The Bifrost Incident (i'm not gonna say anything except this is the only music album i know with a Plot Twist and if you can go into it not knowing the twist, do it)

and finally the most About Me Album that I feel weird even reccing because it's so specific, so interwoven into EVERYTHING I do:

The Klaxon's Myths of the Near Future. I cannot sell you on this album, only that I think if you somehow got a hold of my skull and held it to your ear like a conch shell, you'd hear this.

and i'm gonna stop there bc yeah that's. that's enough for now.

[danceylancey]

Lance likes Jewellery. He has for a long time, so long he can’t remember when it started or why. He would always spend his pocket money on rings and necklaces, making bracelets and anklets with his sisters and brother. They didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so it was always cheap and plastic, but if it shined or glittered, it was enough for him. His aunt taught him to make necklaces out of rope and seashells or sea glass. When he got the chance, he would steal a pretty ring from a market store, though he only ever felt okay doing it if the owner was rude or mean. His family didn’t have the money or time to give him piercings and even if they could, those kinds of things were not allowed for pilots. He’d have to be a big shot before he could get away with that. It’s when he’s in space and they go to mall that he finds a little shop doing free piercings due them closing down for safety reasons. He feels a little bad taking advantage of that, but they are offering with warm, triangle like smiles. So he gets his first lobes done with pretty blue rocks on the studs. After that, there’s no stopping him. Shiro and Allura don’t seem to have a problem with it so he gets his seconds done a month later. Then Coran tells him of how he was once friends with someone who did Body Modifications and taught him how to give basic modes. That night Coran gives his left ear a Bar and his right ear a Conch. Hunk tells him he looks pretty, seemingly knowing what Lance was aiming for while Pidge tells him he looks like a twink. As much as he loves Hunk, Pidges comment wins a place in his heart. Allura offers some of her jewellery to him after that and the two bond over it, Lance halting his flirting as his passion for jewellery takes over. Shiro and Keith don’t say much, Shiro telling him to keep it professional with a smile that says he doesn’t really care too much, but then him and Keith are talking in the corner and Lance tries to ignore the looks the latter sends his way. After a while he gets bored of changing his earrings everyday and wants something new, which gives Coran the amazing idea of a tongue or nose piercings. Lance gets both, choosing a septum and basic tongue piercing. Pidge mocks him for how he talks when it swells for a few hours the next day. After that he catches Keith watching him more, especially when he toys with the bar in his tongue, but he chalks it up to the other just being bored. It’s when he struts into the Rec room, lifts his shirt up to show Hunk and Pidge his newly pierced nipples (they both respond with whistles and mock clapping), that he realises why Keith is staring so much. It might be because Shiro laughs at Keith in a fond way or that Keith seems to have lost his jaw on the floor, but either way it clicks in Lances head. Suddenly flustered, he quickly pulls his shirt down and changes the subject. The next day he changes all his piercings, not including his nipples as they’d till need to hear, so that they are all a bright red colour. Keith’s nose actually starts to bleed.

[curiousconch]

If you haven't checked this one yet, you're truly missing out.

A Mage Reborn: Book One is out on all platforms!

Walk the path of a legendary mage, and uncover the dark secrets of your heritage! Will you seek revenge, or pursue a path to reconciliation? “A Mage Reborn: Book One” is a thrilling 154,000-word interactive fantasy novel written by Adam Alamsyah. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. You’ve spent many years on the run from your turbulent past, outmaneuvering your darkest demons for as long as you can remember. After a short stint of hard-earned peace in a village where no one knows your secrets, you are once again thrown headfirst into danger and excitement. An expansive web of royal politics and magical intrigue threatens to swallow the continent whole, and you find yourself right in the thick of the action. The world churns with danger and arcane secrets at every turn, and the task of navigating it has fallen to you. Will your fearsome powers see you safely to the other side? What kind of legacy will you leave behind? • Play as a man, woman, or non-binary. • Walk the path of a legendary mage, combining four different schools of magic to devastating effects. • Find love with a warrior king or an aspiring saintess, weaving the start of a romance that transcends lifetimes. • Sift through the memories of your past, and decide how they will determine your future. • Uncover the secrets of your dark heritage, and harness the tremendous powers that course through your bloodline. • Strike a bargain with arcane deities beyond your ken, and invoke their powers on the field of battle—at a steep price. • Rise to lofty heights as the right hand of royalty, and navigate a fall from grace that results in your execution. • Prime yourself for revenge or reconciliation, while the truths of the world slowly unfold around you.

LINKS

Google Play

Steam

CoG Webpage

Hosted Games App - Google Play | App Store

(Will update with the iOS link as soon as I find it!)

***

Thank you for supporting AMR, and I hope you enjoy the game!

[myriadxofxmuses]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN !!

Tagged by: @heartxshaped-bruises (😁😁)

Tagging: @savagecuhnt , @thanaredreamtof , @lostxones , @thesoulofasurvivor , @autumnwritcs

★  ⸻   WHAT'S YOUR PHONE WALLPAPER?

★  ⸻   LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? Manic

★  ⸻   CURRENTLY READING? Surprisingly nothing. Lol. I'm getting ready for a trip and haven't decided what I want to read while on the road.

★  ⸻   LAST MOVIE? Hot Fuzz. One of the best movies ever. I fucking love Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. 🥰🥰

★  ⸻   LAST SHOW? MTV's Catfish

★  ⸻   WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? Harry Potter shirt, black leggings, A.D.I.D.A.S slides. I'm packing and cleaning so slob clothes. 😅

★  ⸻   HOW TALL ARE YOU? 62 inches

★  ⸻   PIERCINGS / TATTOOS? Both. I have my ears gauged. A conch and tragus on one side and two tragus on the other. And I have fifteen tattoos all over. My most recent was a bat face for Friday the 13th and my next is going to be bagpipes with the bag as a jack o latern. I'm getting that one while overseas and am super excited about it.

★  ⸻   GLASSES / CONTACTS?: Glasses, contacts occasionally

★  ⸻   LAST THING YOU ATE? Fried bologna, toast, fried egg

★  ⸻   FAVORITE COLOR(S)? Black, Neon Green, Royal Neon Purple

★  ⸻   CURRENT OBSESSION? Getting into shape.

★  ⸻   DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH RIGHT NOW? Always. I'm married.

★  ⸻   FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER? This was a tough one tbh. I absolutely adore Dwight from The Office (and similarly Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec), but I also love Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice. I even named my daughter after her. Tank Girl is also a big one for me and is proudly tattooed on my shin.

★  ⸻   LAST PLACE YOU VISITED? Branson, MO.

[mccall-me-maurice]

*holds the conch, kinda excited*

Hey! I'm the Anon who asked about Rogermon that other time. I love all your HCs for them but there is one that make me smile and want to know more about:

"Simon will routinely give Roger flowers and tell him the meanings, and while Roger doesn’t get it, he keeps the flowers and presses them to preserve them."

I love the image of Roger pressing the flowers in a book to preserve them. Do you have more of this HC? A fic rec maybe? Or if you don't mind, of course, I would love to hear more 👀

*return the conch*

gently takes the conch 😌😌

I DONT HAVE ANY FIC RECS BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE AN AU THAT KINDA INCORPORATES THIS AND I ONLY HAVE ONE CHAPTER UPLOADED BUT ITS CALLED A BOUQUET OF ROSES FOR YOUR THOUGHTS (link) AND I WILL TOTALLY UPDATE IT SOON IF YOUD LIKE. I CAN ALSO DRAW THIS IF YOU WANT BECAUSE IM OPENING UP MY DRAWING REQUESTS ANYWAYS 💛💛💛

gently hands the conch back to you :)

[curiousconch]

Even though I've seen this heartbreaking ending as something inevitable in the horizon a dozen times before, I couldn't prevent myself from being this affected still.

I feel for Charlie so much 💔

And oh, @alwaysmychoices, I don't hate you. How beautifully written this was justified that earth shattering ending.

Fingers crossed for the next one!

Waiting for You

Synopsis: After weeks of fighting, tensions between Charlie and Ethan rise to the surface.

Chapter 35 of the “with and without” series

Previous Series: “a weekend with dr. ramsey”

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x MC (Charlotte “Charlie” Greene)

Words: 3.9k

Rating: Teen (language)

Also available on AO3 & Wattpad (link in Masterlist)

No one said anything as Charlie Greene stood at the nurse’s station and stared off at Ethan Ramsey. Even if someone had something to say – and of course, many of them did – they wouldn’t dare say it to her.

Not when she looked at him like that.

Hunched over her charts, fury, disappointment, and frustration flashed in her green eyes with the intensity of a hurricane.

She hadn’t slept, leaving dark circles under her eyes and exhaustion on her face. But how could she sleep? She’d spent her night screaming at Ethan to understand and then cursing him when he didn’t. But only a few hours later, she could hardly remember what had driven them to such rage. It was just one of many disagreements that had plagued the last five weeks.

The fights were always meaningful and potent in the moment. Whatever sparked it couldn’t go untouched, and the possibility of letting it go was too repulsive to entertain. Nothing but a swift solution would do.

Resolve wavered. Rules were broken. Wars were waged.

The entire world was ending, and they needed to express it in some way, even if it meant screaming until their voices were raw.

Because screaming was better than silence.

When the dust settled, the disagreements were hazy. The lines were redrawn, if just a bit fainter now. Remorse plagued them, and they were desperate to smooth over the wounds.

In the morning, Charlie could never remember why they fought, but she knew she could never live without him.

Last night, they’d planned a lovely dinner, but instead of sipping red wine and praising Ethan’s cuisine, they exchanged bitterness and old grudges. It was about everything – yet somehow, it was nothing in retrospect.

He was protecting her. Why couldn’t she understand that?

She was tired of hiding. Why couldn’t he understand that?

Well past midnight, Charlie slammed Ethan’s front door, and she stormed home, swearing that she hated him. She spent the rest of her night awake, staring at the ceiling because she begrudgingly realized that she had forgotten how to sleep without him next to her.

This morning, after floating through her apartment like a ghost haunting it, she came to work intending to patch things up. She didn’t want to fight, and having to hide was better than living without him.

Every time she woke up without him or spent a cold morning in his apartment under the weight of their fight, she remembered just how terrible it was to not be in love with Ethan Ramsey. She remembered the darkest days of her life had been spent mourning the loss of him while he ran away to another continent. She remembered that she’d accepted his initial offer for a secret relationship because having any piece of him was better than having none.

She didn’t know why this epiphany only came after the fight and why it eluded her during the turmoil.

Maybe, if she looked closer, she would find something lurking beneath her fear of loss, an unsaid ultimatum that lingered on the periphery of every conversation she’d had with Ethan since Bloom gained control of Edenbrook.

But she didn’t care to give it a closer look.

She just wanted to talk to Ethan, exchange apologies, and fall asleep in his king-size bed with him snoring next to her. No fight mattered as much as the exhaustion in her body and soul. She ached to say she loved him, even if it had to be said in a secret whisper.

That was why she watched him now.

She hoped that Ethan would see her and be so relieved that he abandoned his work and offered his apology right there.

Of course, he didn’t do that.

When Ethan saw Charlie, his body visibly relaxed. The anxiety plaguing him from the moment she stormed out of his apartment lessened, if just a bit. It wasn’t a resolution, but it was enough to put him at ease. He kept looking back at her like he wanted to assure himself that she was still there. She felt the intention radiating off him, and she heard his urgent apology before he said a word.

But he didn’t approach.

All feelings and emotions were from afar.

Just silent messages only she could decode.

Still, she stayed.

Maybe still hoping that he would surprise her. Maybe thinking that it was better to see him, even if she couldn’t talk to him. Or maybe to watch her.

Ava Silva.

Star intern. Ardent admirer of Ethan Ramsey, and coincidentally, his assigned intern for the day.

It usually wasn’t difficult to watch them. Dr. Silva inadvertently confessed her crush on Ethan Ramsey months ago, but she wasn’t the first to harbor a passion for Charlie’s boyfriend. If anything, Charlie respected Ava’s honesty. And Charlie understood why Ethan worked with her so often. Ava was brilliant, and she would make a fine doctor. Ethan always liked students he knew would flourish under his attention, and he gave it to Ava when he could. Ethan didn’t seem to recognize Ava’s crush, but if he did, he gave it no real thought.

There was never a threat that Ethan Ramsey would stray and certainly not a threat that he would go to Ava if he did.

Charlie didn’t revile them for the possibility of a secret love affair.

She ached with unvoiced jealousy that Ava got to be with him. That Ava heard his unrestrained praises. That Ava could receive special attention from her mentor without whispers finding their way to Bloom’s office. That Ava could have everything Charlie wanted.

This will find its way into our next fight, Charlie thought passively.

The notion revolted Charlie.

The next fight.

It felt so inevitable. Even when all Charlie wanted to do was patch up their current argument, she couldn’t deny that there would be another.

Because no matter what they screamed about or what apologies they offered in the morning, they’d never resolve their current problem. Bloom was still a threat, and their relationship was still a secret. Until one of those conditions changed, they would be at odds. Neither could understand or appreciate the sacrifice of the other, and neither could fathom living the other’s ideal life. Resolution was always out of reach – either by timing or their own unwillingness to change.

Charlie grimaced as she imagined spending the next year the same way she’d spent the last few months, yet she could think of no alternative.

Except maybe talking to him, she thought.

“Charlie,” a voice startled her out of her quiet musings.

Charlie jumped, and when she turned to face the stranger, part of her expected it to be Ethan finally coming to set things right. But of course, it wasn’t.

Instead, Sienna faced her friend with kindness and quiet worry. She held a cup of coffee in each hand, one suspiciously tailored to Charlie’s taste and silently outstretched as a goodwill offering.

“Oh, hey,” Charlie swallowed her disappointment, hurriedly attempting to collect herself after being lost in her inner thoughts.

“I heard you come in late, and I thought you’d need some caffeine,” Sienna explained cheerfully, but even through Charlie’s bleary eyes, Sienna looked concerned. To ease her friend, Charlie thanked her and accepted the coffee.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Charlie added after taking a sip.

Of course, she had. Even though Charlie tried to quietly enter the apartment, Sienna was startled by the sudden noise. When she realized it was Charlie returning from an early morning fight with her boyfriend, Sienna almost wished it had been a burglar.

But Sienna politely lied and assured her that she’d already been awake, and Charlie politely pretended to believe her.

Sienna also pretended not to notice that Charlie’s eyes kept flitting back to Ethan.

“You doing okay?” Sienna asked.

“Uh…” Charlie hesitated, “Yeah. Just tired.”

Sienna nodded, failing to fully mask her disappointment at Charlie’s dishonesty.

“Well, I’m going to get a late breakfast in the cafeteria if you want to join,” Sienna suggested.

Charlie instinctively looked at Ethan – like he would somehow stop her or give her a reason to stay.

Sienna tried not to pity Charlie, or at least she tried to hide it.

Watching Charlie fall in love with Ethan had been difficult – due to Sienna’s concern for her friend and her own grief – but it had also been miraculous. Sienna felt privileged to see it unfold, and she was relieved that Ethan had been able to pick up Charlie’s pieces when Sienna was too distressed to do it herself.

However, watching Ethan slip out of Charlie’s fingers was agonizing.

Every night, Sienna watched Charlie sink further, and every day, Sienna watched as she tried to rise again. Love, hate, and disappointment flashed in Charlie’s expression until it was difficult to discern one from the other.

Charlie accepted Sienna’s breakfast invitation, and with tremendous effort, she pulled herself away from Ethan.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan watched her go. He lost track of what Ava said to him, too self-involved with his own internal pleas for Charlie to return. Even if he hadn’t yet dropped to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, he felt at peace near her. And he’d thought that, maybe if she waited just a minute longer, he would go to her.

Away from Ethan, Charlie was no longer fueled by her anger and disappointment, and inside the cafeteria, she succumbed to her own exhaustion and frustration. She wasn’t much of a conversationalist, though it didn’t matter with Sienna picking up the slack. Sienna didn’t seem to mind as she shared her recent struggles with her intern while they ordered their food, nor did Sienna mind when Charlie half-heartedly picked at her bagel. After a restless night, Charlie was too nauseous to eat, but she didn’t want to be alone.

“Thank you for taking Mitch’s patient, by the way,” Sienna said mid-bite, “He was being such an asshole, and I didn’t have room in my schedule to clean up his mess.”

Charlie waved off her friend, “No thanks necessary.”

“I still can’t believe he yelled at a patient for throwing up,” Sienna lowered her voice to a whisper like the sentence was too shameful to be said in the cafeteria.

“I still can’t believe he hasn’t been fired yet,” Charlie grumbled.

“He has an appointment with HR today,” Sienna said casually. Clearly, she’d also given up on the hospital doing anything to stop her intern’s behavior. They’d done nothing when he’d mistreated her all year.

Charlie scoffed.

“Well, did you at least find out what’s happening with the patient?” Sienna inquired.

“No, not yet,” Charlie shrugged, stirring an extra creamer into her coffee, “Still testing. I have a feeling it’s hyperemesis gravidarum, though.”

“She’s pregnant?”

“Not sure since Mitch didn’t run a pregnancy test, even though she hasn’t had a period in seven weeks and shows multiple symptoms of early pregnancy,” Charlie lamented. In a way, Charlie was happy she’d taken over Mitch’s case because it gave her someone to hate other than Ethan.

“Seven weeks?” Sienna repeated with reverent horror, “I panic even when I’m not late. And I’m on birth control. And not having sex.”

Charlie chucked as she remembered all her late-night shopping trips to buy pregnancy tests over the years, even when there was no chance it would come back positive. She hadn’t experienced that panic since moving to Boston, which was a surprise given how much the stress of residency impacted her cycle.

Stress had ravaged her – brain to body.

Even now, she couldn’t remember when her last menstrual cycle was.

Weeks, probably.

Maybe even a month.

… maybe two.

Charlie frowned, trying to pinpoint the day.

She couldn’t remember having her period. Not since before the grand opening party of Edenbrook, which was over a month prior.

Charlie poured over every memory she had of that time, desperate to find something about her menstrual cycle. But all she could remember was fighting and then making up in Ethan’s bedroom. Weeks of exhaustion, frustration, and irresponsibly unprotected sex.

No, she thought.

She had to be wrong.

She couldn’t possibly be … pregnant.

Suddenly, Charlie could hear nothing but her internal panic, ignoring Sienna as she shared a funny story about a pregnancy scare back in college.

Quietly – unbearably quietly – Charlie spiraled.

A baby in residency? With a man who couldn’t even acknowledge her as a girlfriend? What kind of secrecy could be maintained if Charlie was having his child? What should she do? What did she want to do? What would Ethan want to do?

It was impossible to tell how long Charlie brewed in her anxiety – though it was just long enough for Sienna to finish telling her story and start talking about an exciting new recipe. When Charlie could take it no longer, she quickly excused herself, thanking Sienna for the invitation and promising to do this again soon.

She’d hardly made it a step out of the room when she got out her phone to text Ethan.

Charlie: I need to see you.

A moment passed.

Ethan: I need to finish rounds and then we can meet in my office.

Charlie: no, I need to see you now.

Ethan: I can’t leave rounds. I have a dozen interns waiting on me.

Charlie: I think I’m pregnant.

The world stopped moving.

Or maybe it kept moving and Ethan was the one stuck in place.

Ethan: You’re kidding.

Charlie: why would I joke about that?

Ethan:  When was your last period?

Charlie: at least a month ago.

Another pause. Charlie wondered what he was doing – if he felt the same panic she felt. She hated that she had to guess at all. He should be here.

Ethan: Okay, we’ll take a pregnancy test today. After I finish my rounds, I’ll collect the sample and take it for testing.

Charlie: after your rounds???

Charlie: I need to see you now. I’m not doing this by myself.

Ethan: Wait until I’ve finished, and I’ll be there.

Charlie: I’m taking a pregnancy test now. I need you here. Pause your fucking rounds and tell your interns you’ll be back in ten minutes.

Ethan: I can’t drop work right now.

Charlie: You’re Ethan Ramsey. Of course, you can.

Charlie: I’m taking the pregnancy test. I’ll be in the supply closet by the lab, and you’re going to meet me. I can’t do this alone.

To this text, Ethan didn’t answer.

Charlie didn’t know how to interpret his silence, but she decided that it meant he would tell his interns to wait and come find her. He’d be annoyed, of course, but she knew he would never let her go through this alone, especially when she’d told him she needed his support. Ethan was an asshole, but he loved her too much to abandon her now.

As Charlie collected her sample and dropped it off at the lab for urgent testing, she kept looking at her phone – expecting a text back from Ethan at any moment. She tried not to panic at his silence.

Which was relatively easy when she could panic about the test instead.

Charlie settled into the agreed-upon supply closet, keeping her hospital portal open for any impending notifications. Any moment, the lab would tell her the life-changing news, and all she could do was wait.

Seconds dragged into minutes, and Ethan still hadn’t arrived.

The anxiety in her stomach morphed into dread and disappointment. Where was he?

Chewing on her lower lip, Charlie drafted another text.

Charlie: Ethan, I’m serious. I really need you.

Again, silence.

With each passing moment, Charlie needed Ethan more. She needed Ethan to steady her. Alone, she grappled with the significance of the moment and all that could happen. She was buried in her fear and anxiety until she felt nothing but the ticking of time and the lurking danger.

He’ll come, Charlie assured herself.

Any moment now.

He wouldn’t do this to me.

Charlie gave a silent, impassioned plea for him not to disappoint her.

Today of all days, please don’t let him disappoint her.

Ding.

Charlie looked down at her phone, expecting a text notification, but instead, test results stared back at her.

Test results she received without Ethan.

It only took one look at the screen for Charlie to crumble.

Every defense shattered, releasing months of anger and resentment. Every lie she told herself became an unbearable truth. Every disappointment was an unforgivable act of treason.

Her body shook with her silent sobs, but all she wanted to do was scream.

The door to the supply closet opened, but Charlie knew it wouldn’t be him.

He hadn’t come.

When she realized it was Sienna who had stumbled upon her, Charlie felt nothing. Charlie was too busy feeling everything else that she’d kept dormant for months to recognize that, once again, Ethan had let her down.

“Charlie, oh my God, are you okay?” Sienna rushed to Charlie’s side, fear bleeding into her voice, “What happened? I just saw you in the cafeteria! Everything was fine, and we were talking about … oh my God, are you pregnant?”

Charlie choked on her tears, weakly reaching for her cell phone.

“Holy shit, you took a test,” Sienna’s voice raised to an impossibly high pitch as she tried to calm herself, “Listen, Charlie, it’ll be okay. I’m here for you. We’re all here for you. We love you, and if you decide you want to be a mom, we’ll all be here for you and your baby. Nothing has to stop you from achieving your dreams. I promise, I’ll be there every step of the way, and –”

Finally, Charlie got the test result up and showed Sienna the screen.

Sienna’s face fell, and she read the result over and over again.

“But… it’s negative,” Sienna frowned, “If you’re not pregnant, why are you…?” Sienna trailed off, generally motioning to Charlie’s despair.

Saying it out loud was soul-crushing.

Charlie was sure she would shatter just from thinking it.

But, between tears, Charlie answered, “He didn’t come.”

He didn’t come.

In the moment she needed him, he didn’t show.

He put his career first.

She would never be more important than his work and reputation, and she would never be more than a secret to him.

When she was sobbing in a supply closet, it was Sienna who came to patch her up, not the man who promised to love and fight for her for the rest of his life.

For weeks, Charlie had covered up her wounds. She’d forgiven him, even when neither of them deserved forgiveness because she loved him more than she cared about the fight. But now, the pain was too great to hide.

This betrayal was more important than her need to keep Ethan in her life.

He didn’t have to hold her hand in the street. He didn’t have to kiss her in the open. He didn’t even have to smile in her direction.

But he did need to be with her when she really needed him.

He needed to be someone that she could depend on.

She deserved someone who loved her more than he loved peace in the workplace and the prestige of his unblemished reputation. She deserved to be more than a secret in someone’s bedroom.

She respected herself too much.

And in a way, she loved him too much.

Sienna fell to the floor with Charlie, and together, they cried. They shared their despair, and Charlie clung to the comfort.

But even beneath the warmth of her friend’s love, Charlie knew that something had changed. Something irrevocable occurred. She remembered how he’d promised not to hurt her again and how she’d accepted him, even when she knew he would disappoint her one day.

She’d been naïve to believe that he could change – that she could mean more to him than his beloved Edenbrook.

When enough time passed and they were both out of tears, Sienna picked up Charlie’s pieces, and she cleaned them up. Charlie couldn’t wipe the devastation off her face, but Sienna could at least smooth her hair and wipe away the tears.

Together, they left the supply closet, and Charlie felt another piece of her soul die.

If she’d just stayed a little longer.

If she’d been willing to give him more time.

If she’d waited for him.

Then she would have seen Ethan rush through the halls, suddenly aware of his grave mistake. Without expressly acknowledging it in himself, he understood that this was more than a delayed pregnancy test. This was the culmination of all the days and nights Charlie had waited for him to change his mind and be the man he promised to be.

He understood that, by not being there, he’d done more than miss a lab result.

He’d recognized the significance of why he was late – that he’d disappointed her in favor of preventing a scene at work. He knew what it meant to pick his role as attending over his role of boyfriend.

And he knew he’d hurt her in a way he may never recover from.

So, he told himself he hadn’t missed it.

After finding the supply closet empty, he looked for Charlie – going to the lab, nearby patient rooms, the nurse’s station, and even the on-call room and doctor’s lounge. In a moment of desperation, he checked his office – like she’d be willing to wait for him there after he’d refused to acknowledge her impassioned plea for support.

But Charlie was gone.

Exiting his office, Ethan meant to continue his search.

But looming in the corner, Bloom watched.

The second Ethan spotted him, he knew that Bloom had seen Ethan rush through the hospital in search of Charlie. He knew that Bloom would continue to watch if Ethan continued to search. He would use whatever he’d seen here today against them both.

Panic prickled at Ethan’s skin, and he instinctively took a step back.

They couldn’t be discovered.

Ethan had hurt Charlie enough. He couldn’t be responsible for the demolition of her career – not when she was so promising and so dedicated. He loved her too much to be her downfall.

“Dr. Ramsey?”

It took Ethan a moment to realize that the greeting came from Ava Silva, one of his interns who had just rounded the corner with a stack of charts.

Ethan knew that he should have ignored them both. He should have found Charlie, explained his mistake, and begged for her forgiveness. He would give her anything she needed – anything she wanted. He would make up for his failure again and again, even when she’d forgotten.

He would drop everything and raise a baby.

He would run out the front door and leave Boston if it meant keeping her.

But would he really?

Would he actually go?

All she’d asked of him was to take a moment and support her, and he hadn’t even been able to do that.

Ethan told himself that he was protecting them. He was making a difficult decision not to chase after Charlie, but she would understand. One day, she would thank him for this. She would know that he had done what was best.

But he was only conceding to his cowardice.

Ethan regretted this decision for the rest of his life.

He would regret it now, if he would only listen to himself.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he politely greeted Dr. Silva and spoke about a patient instead of chasing the woman he loved.

And he would pay for it.

Author's Note: please don't hate me.

[cleansingreflections]

dandelions and glaze lilies for the ask game !! <3

dandelions: what is/are your favorite in-game book(s) you’ve read so far?

i have not read as many books as i would've liked to, but my personal favorites are Along with Divinity, Ballads of the Squire, and Breeze Amidst the Forest (now i have to read the others to make this list longer !!!! i would love recs)

glaze lilies: what is/are your favorite ost(s)?

oh boy let me tell you! when Rhythms from the Conch starts playing i literally start decomposing!!!!!!! its my all time fave track from the entire ost

other wonderful tracks are: - Wrath of Monoceros Caeli - Sojourner's Sweet Dream - Winding River - Lovers' Oath - Letter from Ajax - Rex Incognito - Rage Beneath the Mountains - L'Arrivo della Signora

[gameofdrarry]

Drarropoly 2020 Team Activity 2: Helga’s Thimble

Drarropoly is now in full swing, and our players are writing their hearts out as they make their ways around our Drarry-themed monopoly board. Each space has a prompt with different levels, each with different requirements, and players can earn points in a variety of ways. They can write or create art for these prompts, commenting and reccing gets points, and new this year, podficcers are welcome in Drarropoly!

Players are sorted and assigned at random to four different teams. All team activities and discussions are completely optional but can yield extra points to help win the game! These creative team activities are where players can imagine new, fun headcanons in the Harry Potter universe and perhaps a few stories of their own!

Team Activity 2: Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me The Discovering of the Discoveries

The leaders of the Hogwarts Unified Mavens of Protection (also known by their acronym, H.U.M.P.) are pleased to announce that our research teams have released their information as to how they obtained their newly discovered artifacts. Each team was kind enough to provide images depicting the locations of each relic as well, along with a short description of the when where and how of discovering it came about!

For those that would also like to join one of our Relic Investigation and Observation Teams (or R.I.O.T.s,) please check the links below before any irritable owls decide to eat this part of the report.

Signups are from Nov 1 - Jan 22, follow this link to sign up! Still have questions? Follow this link to read our full rules and FAQ!

Team Activity 1

CODENAME: Helga’s Thimble

An Investigatory Report

R.I.O.T Aurors involved in this mission:

Ladderofyears

glittering_git

andithiel

KristinaBird

EvAEleanor

mooshisooshi

GinevraHolmes

Ari

chxrlieweaslxy

Background: The Legend of Helga’s Thimble:

As written by Auror KristinaBird.

When Hogwarts was being founded and the castle was being prepared for students, Helga Hufflepuff was working to make the castle not just a place of learning, but a home for all the students that would inhabit it.

Most people know that she built the greenhouses, and landscaped the grounds, but many don’t know that she worked her fingers to the bone creating bed linens, and curtains in the colours each of her fellow founders wanted for their students' common rooms. But her favourite after hours project was to create tapestries of everything from woodland scenes to famous witches and wizards. Castle walls can be cold and she wanted more than anything for the halls of her school to feel warm and inviting.

One day Salazar noticed at a meeting of the founders as they reported their various duties and accomplishments for their school opening that Helga’s fingers were often raw and pricked from all her tireless work. So he set himself to a task, and made her a thimble. One that would not only protect her as she created, but once worn would cure and heal all wounds. At least that’s what he told her it did.

He didn’t tell her that he also gave it another enchantment. One that he worked on for months to perfect. He wove a spell into the thimble that would make her embroidery once finished, come to life.

It took quite a long time to perfect and he wasn’t able to give it to her until she was working on the final tapestry for the school. She meant it to be a surprise for her fellow founders, an image of all of them together that she had worked tirelessly to perfect. The surprise was on her, after she completed it using Salazar’s thimble, the images came to life and moved about on the woven surface. The original tapestry is lost to history. But the thimble was kept by Helga till she died.

Even after division between the founders, it reminded her that there is kindness and love in the world.

Once Slytherin left the castle and as each house became divided the thimble became even more precious to her. At some point a group of radical wizards tried to round up everything Salazar Slytherin had ever invented so they could preserve the legacy of Slytherin and keep it safe from people with Muggle blood, the thimble being among them.

Helga could not bear to see this beautiful gift, given as a gesture of love between friends taken to become an icon of hatred of those that are different. So she devised a plan and hid it until a time came when the world was ready.

She wove clues into four tapestries each positioned very near a house common room and bordered in the colours of each house.

One was oak leaves, which represent honour. Only when honour was restored to the wizarding world would the thimble be safe.

Another was the moon, which represents enlightenment. Only when the wizarding world possessed the wisdom to see beyond the differences in others, would they be able to see the power in such a simple object.

A third was the apple tree, which represents love. Only once the ancient power of love was recognized for the strength it possessed, could the wizarding world protect itself from those that wish it evil.

And the final tapestry bore the seashell, which represents, resurrection.

Once each was discovered and put together the thimble could be restored to its rightful home. On the back of each tapestry she wove in a map coordinate that led to the small cottage that was her family home. She entrusted the secret with only one person, an apprentice of hers, a kind rising star in the field of Herbology, who also helped tend to her in her old age. She told him to pass the secret down and keep it safe, until the day came that someone worthy came to find her most precious treasure.

It is well known that the story of Helga’s Thimble passed into legend and many of the wizards, witches of Hogwarts weren’t truly sure about the verity of the tale. Many Hogwarts teachers throughout the decades expressed the belief that Helga’s Thimble was only a fable, told over and over like the story of the Three Brothers had been.

Of course, subsequent events have shown the wix of England that the Legend of Three Brothers was no fiction. Harry Potter’s usage of the three Deathly Hallows to defeat Voldemort showed us all that legends can often be the truth. As a result, public interest in Helga’s Thimble grew exponentially.

This was spearheaded by Antiquities Expert Draco Malfoy. His specific interest in this object lay in the role that Salazar Slytherin had in the story. It gave this well known grey figure of history redemption and in doing so offered some degree of redemption for Slytherin House as a whole. The symbolism of Hegla’s thimble is very profound in our post-War world. It stands for unity between the Hogwarts Houses and offers a potent symbol of hope for the future.

Mr. Malfoy was kind enough to share his findings with the Auror department. It was his belief that the location of the Thimble was hinted at in the symbolism sewn into the enchanted tapestries that Helga made. Some of these hints included:

a. A conch shell. This led the Auror team to believe the Thimble was beside the sea.

b. Oak leaves. This led the Auror team to consider that it might be in a wooded area.

c.  An apple tree.

d. A picture of a lake under a full moon.

All of these symbols led the investigating offices to the home of wizard Nicolas Culpepper. (His name was familiar to the Auror team: he was descended from the eighteenth century Herbologist of the same name. His famous book, The English Physician is still used at St Mungos) He was a very distant relation of Helga and his family had been keeping the Thimble under their protection since the days of the Hogwarts founders over a thousand years before. When Culpepper showed the Auror team the precious object it glowed with powerful innate magic. Green sparkles filled the room and the Auror team were awed with the power of Helga’s Thimble.

After a thousand years its time had come once again to reunite the Houses of Hogwarts.

Conclusions:

We must always remember that old legends can carry the truth if we are only willing to listen to them.