#duh its ancient greece

[birdie123au]

hubris

hubris - excessive pride tending to lead to defiance toward the gods

Being a young servant girl of a disgraced priest meant that you were often ridiculed; forsaken by the gods. By a chance encounter with the crowned prince of Salamis, Ajax, you find yourself infatuated despite the concerns of your dearest disgraced father.

part one of five

// next

The scent of sea salt came with the breeze as it blew through the palace halls. The sound of leather sandals against the granite floor flooded your ears as you walked down the hallway side by side with your dearest friend, Rosaria. The two of you were tasked with carrying large buckets of chum to bring down the cliffside towards the beach. The older Rosaria held two buckets with you only held one. Instead, you opted to extend your left arm outwards to run across the textured pillars that adorned the halls. The sun shone bright, high in the sky. The hot weather in combination with the cool sea breeze of the palace made for a perfect summer day. The perfect day for you to complete all of your chores in a comfortable, timely manner before the king would call you and your fellow servants in for meal time. 

You had been born into servitude, similar to most of the other girls in your age range, such as Rosaria. What had made you so different, however, was the fact that your father was once a high priest of the goddess Hebe, daughter of Zeus. He was a well respected man throughout the land of Salamis, a philanthropist, an honest man, and a defender of the people. Many thought that he would someday become the head priest of the entire church, though those thoughts were shattered the moment he had you.

The very night you were born, you were told your mother had died. Your father packed all of his belongings into one single bag, and made the expedition to the king's palace to swear his life to servitude. Once word had gotten out about your fathers actions, many people of Salamis were appalled. As a priest of Hebe, your father was never supposed to marry, let alone had a child. Rumors had spread that this was the doing of the gods, that your mother had been cursed to die in childbirth and that your father was forced to become a servant. Some say you were cursed as well, whispering appalling things behind your back and calling you names such as ‘bastard’ or ‘the cursed child’. Those who were especially religious would oftentimes avoid you all together, afraid that they too would anger the gods if they stood too close.

Despite the fact that many palace members, mainly the upperranked servants or warriors, would purposely bully and degrade you, there would still be lower ranked, dirt poor servants such as yourself willing to befriend you. One of these people was Rosaria, a girl about three years older than you who was the bastard daughter of a weaver, the result of her mothers affair. She had been sent to live at the palace when she was five years old, and the two of you had been inseparable ever since. Servants like Rosaria grew to appreciate your father and his naturally moral manner. He always gave wondrous advice on how to deal with difficult situations, and although he was no longer permitted to lead sermons in the palace church, he found ways around this rule. Every other Friday night when the warriors and high ranking officials and servants would be out enjoying a game, you and the lowly servants would meet behind the large, jagged rock on the eastern side of the cliff to listen to your father preach and tell stories of great heroes and their adventures. 

Tonight was another even friday, which meant you and your fellow lowly servants were in especially high spirits about the nightfall, and with the perfect weather conditions the two of you could hardly believe your luck.

“Rosaria, did you hear that the prince, son of Telamon, will be one of the players in the ball game tonight?” You asked as the two of you approached the rocky stairs that would eventually lead you down the side of the cliff. Rosaria simply scoffed at your question, clearly not in the mood to engage with you in conversation. It was also no secret that she detested much of the royal family, despite the fact that King Telamon was a respected and honorable warrior. 

Your father had always been on good terms with the king, who was willing to look past his scandals and welcome into the servitude ranks, knowing the effect on morale he held with the poorest of workers. You had only ever seen the king in passing, when you and Rosaria were tasked with transporting items around the palace. He was a strong, muscular man, whose most prominent features you noted to be his long auburn beard that matched the color of hair on his head. The way he spoke and fought with a  stone cold expression surely would bring even the strongest of enemies to their knees , you thought. 

“Did the head mistress tell you where we should put these buckets?” Rosaria huffed, clearly growing tired from carrying around not one, but two buckets packed to the brim with chum. 

“Oh yes, she told me to carry the buckets past the rocks and playing field out towards the stables.” you replied earnestly. 

“Couldn’t they have gotten some of the boys to do this work? Why are they making their female servants do all the heavy labor!” she angrily replied.

“Well that's because all of the boys are setting up the formal playing field at the otherside of the mansion at this hour.” you said, earning you another exaggerated groan from Rosaria. 

Of the many servants of the palace, a majority of the time it was the boys who did the heavy labor and long trips across the manor. Though because of the fact that they needed to set up the field for the copious amounts of wealthy guests that would surely be arriving today, they were needed elsewhere. The head mistress couldn’t have spared even a single boy to help the two of you young girls out, afterall, the young female servants of the house were forbidden to interact with the male servants until they were at least fourteen. This rule was put in place for your own protection , the head mistress would always say, you wouldn’t want your future husband to know you used to hang around and do your daily chores with a bunch of boys, would you? She was most certainly right. 

The sweat on the back of your neck made your hair stick to it making for a quite uncomfortable sensation as the two of you approached the end of the step pathway. The moment your feet hit the sand you exhaled a breath of relief; the hardest part of your journey was over. You and Rosaria took a moment to place down your buckets and catch your breath. Under most circumstances your taking of a break would result in punishment, though Rosaria reassured you it would be alright since your superiors were nowhere in sight. You enjoyed the way your hair felt as it blew along with the cool wind, helping to take some of the heat off your body. 

The creak of the bucket handles was Rosaria’s sign to you to follow her head and pick up your buckets once more; “So, do you know what legend your father plans on telling tonight?”

Your ears perked up at the word ‘father’; “Oh no, father would never tell me in advance. He refuses to spoil the surprise!”

Rosaria simply laughed in return as the two of you continued walking forward to your destination.

–––––––––

The everpresent seasalt wind viciously blows through your hair as you walk on the warm sand beneath your feet. You, of course, thoroughly enjoyed any amount of time you were permitted to walk along the palace beach, however, the way your hair vigorously blew into your face served as a great annoyance when you were trying to get your work done.

Rosaria seems to be having a similar issue. Though, unlike yourself, she did not have a free hand to brush away all of her hair that used to be in a ponytail away from her face. She instead opted to try to blow the hair away, but by the way she was huffing angrily you could tell her efforts were futile. You took this as your cue to inch closer towards her, tucking the loose strands behind her ears to the best of your abilities. The two of you walked in comfortable silence as you began to take note of the change in scenery all around you.

Before the only thing present from beside the long staircase on the rocky hill was simply the ocean. However, as the two of you walked towards where the front of the castle is at the top of the hill, you noticed an increase in greenery, playing fields, and marble statues of various gods attached to fountains. Despite the fact you were on the beach, the feeling of being in a lucious, green backyard never seemed to disappear when you were at the nicer parts of the palace. The parts of the balance where the nobles lived, worked, and played in. 

“Ugh, I can’t do this anymore!” Rosaria angrily said, dropping the two buckets. As you turned your head to meet hers, you noticed she was staring at her hands. Two large blisters had begun to form where she was holding the wooden handles, no doubt she had splinters as well. 

You began to panic as you realized you were now in a part of the palace in which head maids and servants lurked about. If any of them were in an especially bad mood and came across the two of you slacking off, you were sure you would be meeting the end of a stick that night. 

“I shall carry them for you, Rosaria!” you said, childlike determination in your voice.

“Really?” she gave an annoyed reply, “You’re gonna carry all three buckets?”

She could tell she was teasing, though your face lit up lightly. How embarrassing. Rather than respond to her obvious gest of a question, you instead picked up one of her buckets and continued your walk forward.

“Well isn’t someone determined?” she smirked before grabbing the remaining bucket to follow after you.

“Oh look!” you suddenly said, “It’s the practicing field!”

You tried your best to point with one of the buckets, though you found it difficult to lift even a foot higher off the ground.

Amongst the columns decorated with green, there lay a large field full of sand with vertical hoops attached to the centermost columns. This place, known as the lesser field, served as a practice arena for all the young boys in the house, those who were training to be warriors. Currently, there were about twenty or so boys playing ball, some looked to be about your age, others either looked much older or younger. 

“I wonder if Theo is playing right now!” you said.

Theo was a servant boy such as yourself. However, due to his innate talent at playing ball, and his natural large frame for a fourteen year old, he had been invited to practice with the rest of the wealthier boys. You wished you could ask him what his experience was like yourself, your father instead had to explain the various stories Theo would tell the other serving boys and their fathers. The stories you were forced to miss out on as you and the ladies learned how to weave properly in your spare time.

Although not all that interested, Rosaria stopped alongside you as the two of you attempted to view more of what was happening. You once more began to walk, only this time more towards the field. It was unfortunate timing, truly, or maybe an act of fate when a ball suddenly came hurling towards you. As you were in the process of walking, unable to stop yourself with such little notice, once the ball came in contact with your unbalanced legs it sent you flying forward.

Face in the sand with two painfully giant buckets of spilt chum all on your back, you heard the cries and laughs of boys coming from in front of you. Rosaria was at you side in an instant, despite the fact you swore you heard her chuckle the moment your face hit the sand. It didn;t take too much longer until the two of you were completely surrounded by the group of boys, who were all whispering and laughing amongst themselves. You had doubt they had ever been in this close of contact with servant girls such as yourselves. 

“Woah man, you really hit her good!”

“Ew, what was she carrying?!”

“That’s so disgusting!”

The sounds of their mocks and questions overwhelmed you as Rosaria helped you up off your face. Although you were not that keen on crying in front of others, you felt that this moment would be a very justified time. Just as your eyelashes began to grow damp with tears, out of your peripheral vision you saw one of the guys, the one holding the ball that had just hit you, step forwards to meet where you sat.

“Are you alright?” he said, his voice an awkward combination of a laugh and a cringe. His shoulders were being held by two guys behind him, Rosaria’s hands grew tense. You recognized this boy immediately.

Telamon had four children, three sons and one daughter. The boy standing right in front of you was his oldest child, Ajax.

Ajax looked to be about your age, twelve or so. He was tall, but lanky, not quite yet old enough to develop any sort of noticeable muscles. His face was adorned with light orange freckles, most likely formed during the amount of time he had spent outside in the sun. His most striking feature of all, however, was his light ginger hair that illuminated under the light. 

One of his arms rested rigid on the back of his neck, despite the smug grin he wore on his face, his inability to maintain eye contact with you was a sure sign that he was nervous. So this was who kicked the ball at your legs.

“Erm,” he made a noise at your lack of speech, “I’m sorry for…for hitting your legs.”

You only wished to cry more. What would father say? You panicked, unsure of how he would react to the entire situation you had gotten yourself into. You closed your eyes, simply wishing that you were elsewhere, somewhere where you weren't falling on your face and embarrassing yourself in front of a group of boys. 

“Here, let me help you up.” Rosaria gasped as Ajax made his way towards you, handing the ball to one of the very amused boys observing his antics. You almost flew forward once more at the sheer force he used to pull at your arm.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t know you would be that easy to pull up!” he smiled widely, his friends all laughing in response. You weren't sure if you wanted to burst out crying or slap him in the face. Maybe both.

“Oh, I know!” He said, “The ocean is right nearby! Allow me to take you there.”

“No! I mean uh, she can come with me…” Rosaria attempted to interject, getting shot back with laughs from the rest of the group. Making fun of her for daring to disobey the prince’s suggestion. Though you knew they had to know why she would suggest that in the first place.

Before she could open her mouth to reply, Ajax had once more taken your arm. He tugged less harshly this time, yet you had to admit it was difficult to keep up with him as the two of you ran off. Running along the sand was harder than you imagined, his and your feets picking up large amounts of sand whenever you tried to take a step. You tried to tell him to slow down, though you found it especially difficult considering you were yet to say a word to him. 

–––––––––

“Ugh, this stuff smells real gross!” Ajax laughed, dunking you under the water once more. You were terrified, truly. Despite the fact the boy was only a few inches taller than you, he managed to have the strength to repeatedly pick you up and toss you into the water. You couldn’t even imagine how strange it must have looked from afar: the young prince trying to waterboard a young servant girl. 

After ripping you out of the water once more, Ajax placed you harshly in the upright position. Your hair was soaking wet and you felt you had at least choked on a gallon of saltwater. As you took the moment to catch your breath, Ajax continued his berate of teasing; “I had no idea it was possible to look this much like a fish out of water! Don’t tell me you’ve never been swimming before.” He meant it as a jest, you assumed, but you couldn’t resist the urge to retaliate. To protect the little pride your father’s name had left. You lifted up your right leg before swinging it into the water in the direction of Ajax.

“Gah!” the prince cried, rubbing the salt water from his face. His expression quickly changed from that of pure shock to instead a mischievous glare. “Two can play at that game!” 

Ajax took a swing at the water towards your direction, laughing as he did so. Perhaps challenging a boy who you had just witnessed playing ball was not the best of ideas, as the amount of water he flung at you sent you stumbling backwards, just in time for a large wave to knock you off your feet. Your body trashed under the water, you found it difficult to emerge back to the surface considering the wave sent you doing flips. It wasn’t until the ocean’s wrath settled down that you could finally stand upwards, falling back slightly as you felt a pair of hands secure your shoulders.

“I’m so sorry! No idea that wave was even coming, I promise!” the prince laughed, clearly not taking this situation as seriously as you desired. 

“Gods…” you mumbled, spitting out the salt water that remained in your mouth. You were then hit by a horrible realization; “Oh no! My clothes…what will my father say?”

You had managed to destroy one of your only outfits. If you told your father, he would need to contact the head maids, and they would need to fetch you a new outfit to work in. This wouldn’t go unpunished either, you were very aware that no one would dare blame the prince for knocking you over. I’m gonna be on cleaning duty for the rest of my life! You lamented, angry at yourself for even trying to view the game in the first place. You knew you should have just done what you were told, afterall, look where misbehaving had left you…

“Oh, don’t worry!” Ajax replied, letting go of his grip on your shoulders, “I’m sure the sun will dry your clothes in time for supper!”

You gave a slight smile to him, though his words did little to sooth your worries; “Speaking of fathers. My name is Ajax, son of Telamon! Though I’m sure you already knew that. And you are?”

The boy flashed you his best prideful smile, putting his hands on his hips and shutting his eyes from dramatic effect. You resisted the urge to kick water at him once again. You finally introduce yourself formally, hand shake and all. Ajax seemed to take a special interest once you had revealed the name of your father. 

“Wait, as in the old priest?” you nodded your head at his question, “Huh. I didn’t know his daughter was my age.”

The boy scratched his eyebrow as he processed all you had told him; “Father would sometimes mention him. I think the two of us were even formally introduced when I was little… That’s so awesome!”

The boy's attitude once again turned joyous. You were slightly put off by the level of enthusiasm he had when speaking with you.

“I think that’s super awesome that we met!” he said, “Where have you and your terrible balance been my whole life!”

You winced slightly as he playfully punched your arm. His jovial, carefree nature began rubbing off on you, as you soon found yourself laughing along with him; “What do you mean? I’ve obviously been dropping chum buckets the whole time. Can’t believe you didn’t notice sooner.” 

The boy laughed even louder at your words, covering his freckle painted face with both of his hands as he attempted to calm himself down. He seemed to have a sudden realization as his laughter ceased with no warning.

“You’re coming to my game tonight, right?” he asked, eyes wide, “You are, surely?”

Your laughter halted at his question. You knew it would be rude to deny the prince, but you would surely be punished if one of the head maids had found you at such an event, surrounded by people well above your social standing. 

“I’m sorry your highness, but I don’t think I’m allowed to go.” the boy opened his mouth to protest your words, you cut him off before he even began, “My father wouldn’t permit such a thing.”

Ajax knew better than to argue against the words of a father, so he reluctantly nodded his head as another wave crashed into the side of the two of your legs. The way his expression fell sort of made him look like a sad puppy. Though he swifty got over what was bothering him, shaking his head as his grin returned. He reached his hand out to grab your arm, guiding the two of you towards the shore. 

“I get that! You probably have lots of important stuff to do.” he stopped as the two of them met the shore, turning his body to face you once again, “But promise me that you will come see one of my games soon. I’ll have one of my personal men talk to your dad myself!”

He held out his pinkie finger towards you; “You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I’ll leave you for the flies. The heat will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the sand will burn your tongue so you never lie again.”

You bursted out laughing at the riddle he told you. Rosaria had taught it to you years prior, and the two of you had since declared it ridiculous. Ajax laughed along with you as your pinkies linked together. 

Not long later, the young boy began his journey back to the ball field, giving you a small wave as he ran off to his friends. As you yourself made your way back to where you saw Rosaria in the distance, you found it hard to wipe the smile off your now warmed face. 

–––––––––

“Y/n? My child, is that you?”

You heard the familiar voice of your father ring from the corner of the small shed-like home the two of you shared. Made of wood yet sturdy as stone, you lay your hand against one of the walls by the entrance to take off your sandals. Rosaria stands next to you in the doorway, arms crossed as she continues to process the events that had just occurred. 

“Yes father, Rosaria and I have come home.” you replied.

Hearing your fathers signature rumbly laugh, the two of you turn the corner to see him sitting under the light of the window. His hair tied back into a low ponytail, despite his young age numerous gray hairs painted his hair. For a man of 32 years, he was more akin to that of a 70 year old man. He was reading another one of his scribes. The servants of the palace had always admired your fathers ability to read, a talent that you yourself barely possessed, while the majority of the servants were completely literate. You shudder slightly as you are met with flashbacks to when you were younger, sitting on the chair underneath that same window being scolded by your father for mispronouncing the alphabet. You were proud of how far your reading had come, especially considering the fact you were a girl. 

“Welcome home, my girls.” he begins, “I do hope you finished your tasks in a timely manner today.”

Rosaria takes the seat opposite to your father, sighing in relief after being able to sit down for the first time in hours. You walked over to your fathers side, quickly trying to glance to see if you could recognize which story he was reading. Unfortunately for you, due to your fathers position, his arm was covering the majority of the text. Planting a kiss on his cheek, you notice your father’s body language change completely.

“Is that salt water I smell?” he asks calmly, “Oh my child, don’t tell me you evaded your work to go swim in the ocean.”

“Oh no!” you shifty retort, eager to clarify the meaning of this, though you found yourself stumbling over your own words “I had a little accident. One of the boys…he well– um hit my leg an-and I spilt the chum and then we–”

“The boys?” your father accused, “What could have possessed you to hang around those–”

“No father! We were quite far away, it was a ball that hit my legs!”

Your father’s gaze softened ever so slightly; “Whose ball? Must I tell the headmistress about this?”

“Please don’t father. It was the prince’s kick that hit me.”

You realized quickly the mistake you had made judging by the way your fathers eyes opened wide, his mouth falling open in shock.

“The prince?” he asked angrily, “You fool! Don’t you know what kind of reputation you will have seeing as you have made a mess of yourself in front of the heir to the throne? Is he the one who helped you swim?!”

As he continued his lecture, his voice grew angrier. Your father had only ever wanted to protect you, as he was very aware of the foul reputation you already had due to his own wrongdoings. He couldn’t bear to watch you in pain anymore, even if his methods of expressing his disapproval were often harsh.

Before you could respond to his accusations, he cut you off; “Rosaria? Did you know about this?”

You looked over to your equally surprised friend. She clearly did not anticipate this foul reaction from the man who treated her like his own; a man who would do anything for his daughters. 

“No–well, yes sir. But it wasn’t Y/n’s fault! The prince knocked her over, mocked us, and then nearly drowned her in the water!”

“Drowned!” your father yelled.

He looked towards you for confirmation. You reluctantly nodded your head, gazing to the floor rather than trying to meet his eyes. “Y/n, my child. Promise me. Promise me you will not become too attached to this boy.”

You looked at him, confused as to why he would think such a thing. His expression grew quite painful, it was obvious he knew something more about the implications of your interaction with Prince Ajax, though you weren't quite sure how or what he knew. 

“Father…” you replied, “I don’t understand.”

“Then tonight, I will make sure you will.”

Your father’s bold declaration was accompanied by his swifty standing up and reaching for his cane left on the side of his chair. You and Rosaria both were quick by his side, offering to help him go wherever he needed to. He motioned the two of you away, claiming he needed to go on a walk of his own, as he needed to rethink his entire lecture for the night.

Munching on the stale bread your father must have grabbed more from the kitchen after the conclusion of his work day, you and Rosaria sat in silence as you nervously imagined what he could have possibly meant by his words. Perhaps you would try to ask him once he returned, perhaps he would be unwilling to communicate with you entirely. Regardless, you knew it must be a very serious matter.

–––––––––

The small bonfire lit by one of the older serving men lit up the dark knight sky. The stars seemed to be hiding behind the clouds, something unusual for the island you all lived on. You and dozens of poor servants sat gathered around the fire, while your father had taken a stand in front of everyone. Propped up against his cane as well as one of the youngest boys, years younger than you, your father prepared his sermon for the night. 

“Daedalus was a genius man.” your father began.

“Born with the hands of a sculptor, he created pieces of ceramic so fine that even the most perceptive of men could not distinguish them from real humans. The inventor of our beloved bath houses, dance floors, and wooden dolls. Daedalus could create it all.”

A few excited murmurs from the crowd arose as your father began his story; “Daedalus was so wonderful, that many said he stretched human limitations created by the divine.”

Limitations created by the divine. In Greece, mortals were mortals, and the gods were gods, there was no circumstance in which those lines were to be crossed. “Much like all good things, an equal yet opposite reaction occurred. Daedalus was an egotistical, stubborn, hubris ridden man.”

“Driven by madness to be the greatest creator, he soaked his hands in the blood of his own uncle. He was forsaken from Athens, city of scholars, and forced into the Kingdom ruled by King Minos.”

A few gasps could be heard from the crowd, you and Rosaria's hands gripped tighter in anticipation; “King Minos’s foolish wife was cursed by the God of Sea and Earthquakes, our own Posiedon.”

“The shameless woman fell in love with a bull. With the help of the cocky Daedalus, she was able to conceive a child, the Minotar, with the bull through the use of a prosthetic cow costume.”

Disgusted whispers filled the audience, condemning both Daedalus and the foolish wife. “King Minos did not stand for this. After demanding Daedalus to construct an inescapable Labrinth, he was locked away along with his only son, Icarus.”

“However, this did little to stop Daedalus.” your father’s gaze darkened, “Using wax from a candle and the loose feathers of a bird, Daedalus constructed wings for both him and his son. Together, the two flew into the sky.”

“Unfortunately, Icarus too was a fool to the power of hubris. Ignoring his fathers commands to be weary of flying too close to the ocean or two close to the son, Icarus was overwhelmed by the power he felt when being able to fly.”

Your father took a pause, “The wax on the wings melted, and Daedalus could only watch in terror as his sun was struck down from the sky.” 

“Afterall, the only creatures who could fly besides birds…” your father looked directly into your eyes, “are gods.”

At the conclusion of his story, the crowd erupted into cheers and riveted discussion of your fathers magnificent story telling. As you and Rosaria discussed what you had heard, you felt the warning gaze of your fathers eyes on the back of your head.

–––––––––

As you lay in the bed you and your father were both forced to share due to the size of your home, you found yourself struggling to sleep after all that had happened in just twelve hours. 

The moral of the story that your father expressed through his sermon was clear to you, though you failed to stay focused as thoughts of the red-haired prince clouded your mind. You found yourself infatuated by your interactions, replaying each individual word the two of you exchanged. 

Eventually, you began drifting off to sleep, hoping only that the prince had too been thinking of you…

[castlesconundrum]

what will the first demo have?/other stuff -[Pizza Tower Clone]

(SORRY FOR BEING GONE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, MOTIVATION IS A BIG STRUGGLE FOR ME SO POSTS WILL BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.) -Drew

ight so, before i get into the topic of this post, id just like too say:

I GAVE MIKE A GUN !!

as of now mike/the player can: double jump, dash, run, walk (duh) and shoot. (also another machinic but I'm not going to reveal it here mwaahahahahahaha)

anyway, the first demo will have a tutorial, and 1-2 levels.

One of the 2 levels being called "medieval mania" being a castle/medieval themed level, the other level is not exactly in my mind, i was thinking of something called "ancient grease" a pun of "ancient Greece" it would be like ancient Greece but food themed(?) but that also seems too close to pizza tower, my game is inspired not a copycat, although the idea is kind of funny. Also, the first world of the game (or floor, as you climb a castle.) is time themed, so that could fit as well.

Anyway, i also made some enemies:

the ball with legs is called a "goober" its just the generic "Goomba/Cheese slime" enemy of the game, the next one is a spear guy, may call em spearies, they damage you if they run into you. Lastly is the knight, they drop swords from above (most likely going to redesign them as the sprites kind of lazy.) They also cannot be killed.

Anyway, before i go, heres a video of me in a test room messing around:

(Sorry for no sound idk my pc doesn't like recording Gdevelop 5 preview's sounds i guess?)

[orsialos]

Hello, I just saw you're post about working with Ares, and I'm curious. Especially about what you said with him being a comfort to you as you work through your trauma since I've been working through mine. I've been thinking about working with him for a while, and I'd be happy to hear anything you have to share about him.

I think its a shame that he's so pigeon holed. I've seen a lot of people who worship and work with him say he's a paternal and comforting figure. Someone who encourages you to keep going through the worst of it. That'd someone I could really use right now.

Dia duit! My apologies for the delay, i constantly forget to check my asks inbox 🤦‍♀️

You are very correct that the modern interpretation of Ares is very limited and pigeon holes him as an angry, terrifying, almost evil presence. While some of this can be attributed to Athenian bias against Sparta, part of it is also due to the lack of knowledge about his various cults outside of Sparta.

Before I go too far I'mma drop this recently answered ask here about researching Ares, as it has good info about a few things I'll mention below. Ok, so getting into it. Let's talk about a bit of historical background because duh, I love history, and then my personal experiences.

Ares as a Protector - Historical Context

Here, we journey east into the rising Sun to the ancient lands of Anatolia, now modern-day Turkey. Many of the Greek gods worshipped here were syncretized with pre-existing deities as the Greek world expanded. Many of these deity names have been lost to time, but we do have evidence of a pastoral protective male deity that was likely syncretized with Ares. From what I have read, we have the most evidence for this new/syncretized cult of Ares from the Lycian and Pamphylian regions of southwestern Anatolia.

The ask I linked above contains an excellent free paper on an oracular cult of Ares in this region. We have documented inscriptions that this oracle called for a protective "binding" of a figure of Ares for the citizens to protect their shores from raiding pirates. Figures of Ares or figures symbolic of Ares were often found in areas around the city, another demonstration of his dual nature as both pastoral protector and invader.

Coinage is a very useful tool in archaeology for learning more about the important cultural figures in a given society. Time and time again we find detailed coins with an image of Ares, usually with a helmet. While we cannot use this to determine how Ares was worshipped, we can surmise Ares was a large part of daily life in western Anatolia.

This is in stark contrast to mainland Greece, where images of Ares outside of pottery and sculptures are quite rare; Ares was often seen as the literal personification of war itself, the din and fury and bloodlust that comes out during war is all because of Ares. Here, Ares was almost feared out of respect for his chaotic nature and ability to turn the tide in war rather than admired and worshipped for his protective nature.

Ares as a Protector - Personal Experience

Well this is the fun, UPG part! Everything you've heard about Ares - his protective nature, his warmth & tenderness, his encouragement in the face of darkness are all so true it nearly makes me cry! My experience with Ares has been about 70% him being fatherly and tender when i was in therapy to finally talk about my SA trauma and 30% helping me learn to deal with my anger towards life in general (for this I look to wisdom from the mythologies surrounding Ares, especially the death of Adonis).

I'd say currently Ares is more of a "hey, I'm here if you need me" presence in my life, always at the edges and sometimes coming to say hello unprompted, just as a loving father would do. While my worship of Ares has only gotten stronger and more involved over the year-ish I've had him in my life, his daily presence is much more subdued. And i think a lot of that is because I don't need him in my life as much, which is honestly a good thing!

Ares came to me at a time in my life where I was caught up in unresolved trauma from an incident years prior and experienced something that broke the floodgates holding everything back. He was there nearly every second of every day - a warmth at my shoulder, an echo in my mind. At night when i was lying awake trying not to let my mind spiral, i quite honestly felt a warmth by my side as if someone was sitting next to me tracing their fingers along my back to calm me down. What I find a bit unnerving as far as UPG goes is that is what a lot of other people have said their experiences are like with Ares.

It seems to me, from my experiences and what I've heard from others, is that Ares is wonderful at providing solid ground and a strong arm to hold on to when it feels like you are in free fall. He is not pushy or demanding and delights with any time we spend with him. Of course this is not to say his war-like aspect and place on the battlefield does not exist! But rather, as literally any other Greek god I can think of, he is a god of duality and while war and protection may seem at odds, they are truly two sides of the same coin.

Can you tell I love Ares just a little bit?

[natsudragneelgf]

⚠️ family TMI? it's my fucking post on my fucking blog actually why do I always ask

Okay so like. Here's the thing real quick while I have you here. My dad, being the way he is (HORRIBLE) I've always thought well he still loves me! He does it in a horrible terrible incorrect no good way, but he does. He doesn't LIKE me (Nataly the person) but I've always said well the Daughter he has he loves her. And that's me sorta kinda. And that doesn't make him forgivable or redeemable but I can't really lie and say it isn't comforting in its own way right. Right. So um that's always been the thing like he exists in that manner that we don't have time to unpack but ultimately in his head, he loves me. Well uh. So last summer (OVER a year ago) after all these years why did it take a Single stupid fucking fight (of many) and me raising my voice about something that wasn't even a personal matter (it had to do with ancient Greece but I'll spare you cause you'll gag like me every time I remember) and so I get up to go pee and as soon as I'm at the fuckass bathroom he gets up, tells my mom he's never coming "back here" (me + my mom's apartment) and BAILS. Like in the time it took me to come back he had fled. And we haven't been in any contact since then. Haven't texted called talked see each other at all while he has been in contact with my mom (legal shit but still). And yes I haven't reached out either OBVIOUSLY I hate him but like. I'm the daughter. Am I crazy? I'm not a child DUH I haven't been for like 6 years but I'm still 23 to his 53 and well HE is the parent he CHOSE to do that (have children). I'm rambling um do you guys think my fuckass horrid dad doesn't love me anymore? DON'T answer that actually I'm sorry.

[iamblue15]

Calamity Kids VS Sonic Frontiers Titans

Dipper & Mabel VS Giganto

(Gravity Falls, OR, USA)

Dipper: Never imagined in my life I’d be fighting a giant robot from a long lost advanced extraterrestrial civilization with the power of a demi-god by using a purple diamond.

Mabel: Well, isn’t that how our lives have been? This kind of stuff seems to follow us everywhere, even outside of Gravity Falls. It’s like were weirdness magnets!

Dipper: I blame hereditary. But if this anime weirdness can save our world, than I’m all for it.

Mabel: Ditto, Bro Bro! Legion of cutie pies!

Dipper: Battalion of beasts!

(The gigantic automaton gives its attention to the twins)

Dipper/Mabel: CHARGE!

Norman & Neil VS Wyvern

(Athens, Greece)

Neil: Aw yeah! Two ultra powered bros versus an evil flying robot dragon...snake thing! This is our moment! Duh-duh-duh-duhhhh!

Norman: Just can’t believe a bunch of kids like us are destined to save the world because of some weird but dangerous gems. I don’t know what these things see in us.

Neil: They must of chose us because we’re all special in our own way and we know how to do the right thing. I mean whoever or whatever made these wouldn’t choose an idiot to be a hero, right?

Norman: I guess.

Neil: The point is they’ve got faith that we can do this, so we should start believing in ourselves too.

Norman: (A brighter mood shines upon his face upon hearing Neil’s words) Alright. Let’s do this, together! (Sparking up)

Neil: After you, bud! (Bashes fists together)

Wyvern: ROOOOOOOOAR!

Coraline & Wybie VS Knight

(English Countryside, United Kingdom)

Coraline: A giant robot with a sword and shield that skates... not something you see everyday.

Wybie: Coupled with fact were apparently the destined saviors of the planet against a robot apocalypse. 

Coraline: Because some “jewels of ultimate power” transforms us into anime main characters. Outstanding.

Wybie: I gotta admit, I'm terrified.

Coraline: Me too. but we have to try, cause if we don’t stop this, nothing else will. Even if we’re scared, we have to push through,

Wybie: Because it’s the right thing to do.

Coraline: (Smirks with confidence)

(Knight materializes a sword and shield as it prepares for battle) 

Coraline: Ready for rumble? (Summons laser blade and dragonfly wings)

Wybie: Cause there’s gonna be trouble. (Dons his goggles and summons huge mechanical arms) 

Raz & Lili VS Supreme

(Tokyo, Japan)

Raz: From psychic death tanks to an alien mecha with a rifle, in Japan no less. It’s sad. they weren’t designed to destroy the world, but to protect it.

Lili: It doesn’t matter if they were made for a good purpose, Raz. They’re endangering everyone in the world thanks to a greater evil.

Raz: A greater evil that destroyed the Ancients world and now it wants to erase ours.

Lili: And if it thinks were gonna let that happen again, WE will make them think again, Because were the Psychonauts!

Raz: And Mystery Kids! Or in this case, the Calamity Kids.

Lili: I love the sound of that!

Raz: I know you do. (Kisses her cheek)

(Supreme pulls out and activates it’s rifle, aiming straight for Raz and Lili.)

Raz: Okay! Time to kick some giant evil robot ass! (Powering Up)

Lili: Prepare to die! (Heating up)

[paintsplash1712]

Xehanort is Loki

So I'm a huge mythology nerd and even though I'm more into Ancient Greece or Eypt I do like to look up things about the Norse and their legends.

Now, I know to anyone who knows a thing about Norse myths will think "Duh, you idiot. I figured this all out the second Dark Road was revealed.' Well, I didn't.

My mind is blown and I need to share.

So if you know anything about Xehanort you know of his mission to basically destroy the world to remake in his own image. A new world of peace, of light and darkness living equally.

An apocalypse where he's the centre of it all.

Now with all the norse parallels Dark Road made, I now think of the Keyblade Wars as KH's Ragnarok.

Where the world is built anew. It happened after UX with the world scattered and it nearly happened again.

And seeing as the MoM knew of him this must mean it was destined to happen. He was prophesied by the Book of Prophecies that he'd try destroy the world.

Like another character with connections to Norse mythology.

The Asguardians tried to stop Ragnarok by making Loki hate them more and more, making the prophecy happen anyway just like how Eraqus tried to stop the X-Blade being forged by killing Ven which made the event of BBS happen exactly like Xehanort wanted!

Both Xehanort and Loki don't really care about who they hurt to reach their goal even close friends or children!

Loki stopping the building of the great wall around Asguard by turning into a mare, or him biting and distracting the dwarfs to stop them from building Thor's hammer.

Xehanort by effecting the Laws of Time just to have a war, by spliting Ven's heart into two, by manipulating Sora into sinking into darkness.

Both by killing Baldr!

Baldr in norse myth is basically the personification of Light, Goodness and all that good stuff. He is destined to come back to life after Ragnarok along with other young gods and Baldr is to be the King of the new Gods.

Like a twisted passing of the torch from the old to the new, leaving them to deal with the aftermath of the battle.

Now, I am NOT saying Baldr is coming back. I honestly don't want him to, he was perfect as what he was and needed to be. The end.

But...

Who else do we know who has a high connection to light, is the goodest boy around, has A LOT of imagery connected to Kings and who happened to have just died?

SORA!

Sora is Baldr waking up in a new world unlike the one he's used to having to deal with the aftermath of Xehanort's mistakes!

Now could Sora actually be Baldr? Sure. KH has shown us reincarnation is a thing, maybe Baldr didn't want to go so chose to try again in a second life like UX Player did?

They both have high levels of empathy to the point where its literally hurting them and effecting them mentally.

But I think this is meant to reference the 'Child of Destiny' thing UX Player brought up to Baby-Nort.

The 'Child of Destiny' is meant to be the Baldr figure. The pure heart who's able to touch and heal other's hearts. Baldr had that ability, so did Xehanort.

So does Sora!

Sora is the unexpected chosen one, always has been since KH1. Why couldn't he be the accidental 'Child of Destiny?'

[gemsofgreece]

As someone with entirely more personal knowledge of Greek language and culture, I was hoping you might answer a name question I have. If not, that's fine too.

Is there anything fundamentally nonsensical or disrespectful about the name Φοίβιξ as a portmanteau of Φοίβος and Φοίνιξ? Would a different spelling be better if I intend to use Bic as a nickname?

Hi! It is not fundamentally disrespectful since it's just a way to call somebody after all but it admittedly doesn't make a lot of sense from a Greek perspective. You didn't tell me the reason you want that name (i.e naming a fictional Greek character or naming an actual person). It matters because the concept of a portmanteau wasn't a thing among Ancient Greeks at all. Even lengthy names have a specific meaning on their own and aren't a composition of two or more names. There are often two words (nouns) in a Greek name but not two pre-existing names creating a new one. Portmanteaus have started appearing very recently in Greece and they are still rare. Their reception varies. Therefore Phoebix isn’t going to be accurate in an Ancient Greek setting. This one in particular wouldn’t be accurate in a Modern setting either.

A nickname like Bic can't be produced from Phoebix. It can either be Bix or Vix (modern pronunciation), which is the Greek word for “cough” by the way. Any Greek word, whether a (nick)name or a regular word, cannot end in sounds like c and k. The only consonants that can be in the end are ν (n), σ (s) and in archaic cases ρ (r), ξ (x) and ψ (ps).

All these matter if you are making an accurate Greek fictional character obviously. If you want to name a real-life person or a pet, of course you can do anything you want (duh), it’s just that this nickname won’t be considered Greek and shouldn’t be described as such.

However, I am not sure I understand the last question. Do you mean that you are determined on using Bic, regardless of its Greeklessness, and whether there is another more legit Greek name that could support it as its nickname better, supposedly if Bic could actually be a legit Greek nickname?

If that’s what you mean, the only one I can think of in this case is Ίβυκος, latinised as Ibycus (pronounced Íbukos or Íbicos or Ívicos). Differences between b and v refer to different pronunciation eras but these are small letters at this point. Turning v into b for a nickname is not unheard of in Greek anyway. Also υ has got the sound of i (ee) for about 2000 years now so no worries. Bic can technically come from Ίβυκος, again a) if you don’t plan to use it in an accurate and purely Greek setting and b) if you acknowledge and openly describe it as an exclusively foreign-inspired nickname coming from an original Greek name. (An example of this scenario could be a person of Greek descent living in another country and trying to blend in the norm of nickname giving trends in that country.)

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Biology Of The Boiling Isles Bile Sac - My Thoughts

Like many fans of the show, I was attracted to the premise and setting of Disney’s The Owl House from the first episode. And while in retrospect the early episodes can seem a bit rough, that’s natural for the early part of any show. The first five episodes did, however, establish several key concepts of the series that laid the foundation of the setting. But the one that grabbed me by the throat is the biology of a witch first broached in episode four, “The Intruder,” the very source of a magic for a denizen of the Boiling Isles:

The bile sac.

For this post, I will be examining the presented lore of “biological magic,” examining it through the lens of science and historical references. In a later post, I will offer a few theories on its function and processes. 

So let’s dive in!

In “The Intruder,” Eda asks during Luz’s first lesson on magic where she believes magic comes from. Luz’s fantasy fiction-fueled answer is “from the heart,” to which Eda brightly claims she is correct. Though she further explains that more accurately, it comes from “a sac of magic bile attached to a witch’s heart.”

Note: Eda also uses this delightful quote: “Humans think magic comes from thin air, but that’s stupid. Everything comes from something.” That could be taken as a reference to the law of conservation of energy … but that’s for another time. 

Now first off, I feel the need to examine the terminology used here: the words “bile” and “sac.”

In modern medicine, “bile” is a darkish-green digestive juice/enzyme produced by the liver and then stored and concentrated in the gallbladder that aids in the digestion of lipids, or fats. “Gall” is another term for bile, often used interchangeably. <> Now, from this definition alone, we know that bile is a fluid produced in the body - as such, so would  magic bile be. 

However, there is another facet to the word that is important here: the classical definition. The “Humorist” theory of medicine developed by the physicians and philosophers of Ancient Greece, and then adopted by the Romans and Medieval Europeans. It postulated that the body is filled with four “humors” or major fluids: blood, phlegm, “black” bile, and “yellow” bile. 

The balance or imbalance of these humors within the body was thought to cause various ailments before the development of germ theory in the 1850s. Each was also tied to one of the classic four temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. <> more to the point, this demonstrates the idea of the term “bile” being used for general body fluids. 

Now for the term “sac.” No, I am not missing the “k” at the end of the word, as the spelling here is very important. A “sack” is a man-made bag of cloth used to transport items. In biology, the term “sac” denotes “a cavity enclosed by a membrane within a living organism, containing air, liquid, or solid structures.” A real-life example is a squid or octopus’s “ink” sac that discharges to give them cover to escape predators. 

Given this information, we can determine that a witch’s (or demon’s, but that comes later) bile sac is a pouch containing a magical body fluid. 

Everyone: Uh, duh! We already figured that out! 

Good! Let’s move on. 

The next major reference to the bile sac isn’t until the Season 2 episode “Escaping Expulsion” that provides this intriguing quote, also by Eda: “Bile sacs have different spell phlegms sloshing around and together …” She uses this when experimenting with glyphs to try and combine them, implying that mixing spell phlegms produces different magical effects. King also humorously (HA!) calls them “gross magical liquids.”

As noted above, “phlegm” was a term for one of the four humors. These days, it's used to refer to mucus, the gross gel stuff made in the chest and nasal cavities. Otherwise known as “snot.” This further illustrates that magic among Boiling Isles natives is as much a biological process as a supernatural one. 

Finally, the next reveal about bile sacs is six episodes later in “Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door.” During Hooty’s lecture on demon types to King in trying to determine more about him, Hooty summarizes “Biped” demons like so: “They walk on two legs and even have bile sacs just like witches!”

This is interesting as it implies a biological relationship between witches and demons, to which Hooty earlier claimed “ our [demon kind’s] ancestors arose from the muck of a decomposing Titan.” *This might also imply that the Boiling Isles has an evolutionary process, but that’s for another time …

Brief comments in the show can draw a few more inferences on contrasts between human and witch biology. Principal Bump comments in “The First Day”: “You humans are made of liquids, right?” - The Season 2 premiere “Separate Tides” furthers the idea that humans and witches are biologically different with Eda noting that “there’s not a lot [Luz, and therefore humans] can digest [on the Boiling Isles/in the demon realm] so I try to keep her favorites around.” - Amity is worried in “Eclipse Lake” about how an apparent fungal infection known as the common mold will affect Luz, as Eda claims it’s “harmless” but Amity argues that “[Luz is] a human! We have no idea how it’ll affect her!” Finally, Eda and Skara independently comment that humans are “fragile” in “Enchanting Grom Fright” and “Once Upon A Swap,” respectively, which might imply witches are physically denser than humans. Or simply just tougher. 

A final interesting note is Philip’s comment in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen”: “I may not have a bile sac, but I do have dignity …!” This shows that society of the Boiling Isles has been aware of the bile sac’s importance for at least four centuries. Makes sense, but still worth noting. 

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[the-observant-frisbeetarian]

George deValier (2015 profile)

since: 05-02-10, id: 2348750, Profile Updated: 06-02-13

country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Author has written 17 stories for Hetalia - Axis Powers.

If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you. – Henry Rollins

Hi! I’m George. One day, I will be a professor of history, who wears tweed suits and lives in a library. Right now, I am a graduate student, who wears jeans and t-shirts and… um… lives in a library.

Reviews and PMs.

I don’t demand or even expect reviews. They do, however, make me happy. So if you are kind enough to leave one after reading, please know that even though I may not reply, I read every single one, and I am incredibly grateful - your few words of praise have brightened a moment of my day. :-)

If you send me a Private Message and don’t receive a response immediately, please know that I am not deliberately ignoring you. I find it a little difficult to keep up with replying to PMs; if I haven’t responded to your message in at least three months, it’s usually because I’ve, er, lost it. Feel free to send me another one calling me a giant prat and demanding a response.

Fanart and Translations.

I am perfectly okay (quite ecstatically happy, actually) with people doing whatever they like with my fics – whether that be translations, fanart, cosplay, AMVs, whatever. You do not need to ask permission - I will always say yes. All I ask is three things. One: please credit me as the author (and a link to the original story would be fantastic). Two: please let me know so that I can check it out and thank you profusely! And three: something I hate to have to mention, but please never do anything to make money out of these works. Obviously, Hetalia does not belong to me – it belongs to the amazing Hidekaz Himaruya, who is incredibly awesome for giving us such fantastic characters to play with. :-D

MY STORIES

THE VERAVERSE

The Veraverse is a Hetalia World War Two AU, of fics involving different characters and pairings, all living within the same time period and all interconnected in some way. As each story in the series is named after and loosely based on the lyrics of a wartime song sung by Vera Lynn, I flippantly dubbed it the ‘Veraverse.’ The name has sort of stuck, however. I have posted a list of character's birth dates here: http://george-de-valier.deviantart.com/art/Hetalia-Veraverse-Birth-Dates-340315828

This series is, at its core, about the power of love over war. It's about the real reasons people fight, and the real reasons they survive. It's about finding something beautiful in the midst of something ugly and evil. But overall, although I hope there is more to these stories than just romance, they are essentially about love.

Don’t expect every fic to be updated quickly. These stories intertwine, and will be published simultaneously, and it may be a while between chapters for each specific story. Most can be read separately, however a few will require that you read at least one other story in the series to make sense of it (e.g. ‘My Echo’ does not make much sense unless you also read ‘Lily of the Lamplight.’) Rest assured, they will all be completed.

We'll Meet Again Alfred Jones/Arthur Kirkland (America/England)

Complete - Thirteen Chapters

‘We’ll Meet Again’ is about love arriving when you least expect it, and how it can transform loneliness.

Keep Smiling Through Alfred Jones/Arthur Kirkland (America/England)

Complete – One Shot

Just a little mini-sequel to ‘We’ll Meet Again’ about a brief moment in Alfred and Arthur’s lives.

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart Ludwig Beilschmidt/Feliciano Vargas (Germany/Italy)

Complete - Eighteen chapters

‘Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart’ is about love being blind, proving stronger than hate, and lasting longer than war.

Bésame Mucho Antonio Fernandez Carriedo/Lovino Vargas (Spain/Romano)

In Progress – Fourteen chapters

‘Bésame Mucho’ is essentially about love overcoming fear.

Lily of the Lamplight Gilbert Beilschmidt/Roderich Edelstein (Prussia/Austria)

In Progress – Eighteen Chapters

‘Lily of the Lamplight’ is about selflessness, survival, and how love can change you for the better.

My Echo Unrequited Vash Zwingli/Roderich Edelstein (Switzerland/Austria)

In Progress – Six Chapters

‘My Echo’ is about how true love is selfless – even if it is unreturned.

Jealousy Ivan Braginski/Yao Wang (Russia/China)

In Progress – Six Chapters

‘Jealousy’ is a little different to the other stories in this series. It is about control, madness, and how love has the power to destroy as well as to save.

Something to Remember You By Sadik Adnan/Gupta Muhammad Hassan (Turkey/Egypt)

In Progress – Three Chapters

‘Something to Remember You By’ is about losing love, and yourself with it.

UPCOMING VERAVERSE FICS

Somewhere in France With You Francis Bonnefoy/Matthew Williams (France/Canada)

Darling, where better to meet again than the most beautiful city in the world?

It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow

Toris Laurinaitis/Feliks Łukasiewicz (Lithuania/Poland)

Art. Music. Passion. Destruction. Young, wild love, in the streets of Berlin, on the eve of war.

When I Grow Too Old to Dream Berwald Oxenstierna/Tino Väinämöinen (Sweden/Finland)

“What would you do if I just… took this tree? Claimed it for Finland?”

“I’d let ye take it.”

“This lake?”

“Ye can have it.”

“This entire forest?”

“’t’s yours.”

“Would you let me take your whole country, Berwald?”

“Yes. And you? What’f I just… took this rock?”

“You can’t have that rock. That’s a Finnish rock.”

You’ll Never Know

Elizaveta Héderváry/ Lili Zwingli (Hungary/Liechtenstein)

“But who knows? Maybe you'll meet a charming little Swiss girl with plaits and a basket who likes to yodel on mountaintops."

Elizaveta always hated it when Gilbert was right.

When the Lights go on Again

Eduard Von Bock/Raivis Galante (Estonia/Latvia)

"I will stay with him through this darkness. I will give my soul to keep it from him. And I swear, whatever I must do, that Raivis Galante will live to see the lights go on again.”

Room Five-Hundred-and-Four

Herakles Karpusi/Kiku Honda (Greece/Japan)

“Life's most important conversations take place in bars. Perhaps in places not too dissimilar from this - perhaps between people not so different from ourselves. Bars, after all, are where people meet, and where they rejoice; where they forget, and where they say goodbye. They are the crossroads of life."

"You sound like a philosopher. Though your name suggests a hero."

Faraway Places

Bad Friends Trio (France, Prussia, and Spain)

“Ah, those were the days, huh, Gil? Remember the time you tried to take on the entire Parisian police force?”

“Or the time you knocked yourself out running from that bull in Pamplona?”

“Or that time Francis tried to seduce your grandfather?!”

“Francis what?”

“Oh, look at that, I’ve finished my drink.”

Autumn Leaves

Augustus Roma Vargas (Ancient Rome)

But I miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall.

OTHER FICS

THE MAPLEVERSE

This is a currently small modern AU, set in modern day Canada.

La Patisserie de la Rose Francis Bonnefoy/Matthew Williams (France/Canada)

Complete – Six Chapters

A birthday present for Claudia, aka ThisCouldTheoreticallyBeSparta

An essentially fluffy Franada with lots of cameos and cake and general silliness. I like to think this story is about friendship as much as it is about love. It's also about seeing something in someone that no one else can - not even themselves.

Libelle Hall Gilbert Beilschmidt/Roderich Edelstein (Prussia/Austria)

In Progress – Three Chapters

A Gift for Kay, aka Kay the Beta

‘Libelle Hall’ is about change, and about love growing from self-realisation. It’s also an examination of Gilbert and Roderich’s characters, and how they aren’t that different from each other, after all. And it’s a gift for my beta Kay, because she loves PruAus, and she’s awesome.

Of Ponies and Edelweiss Gilbert Beilschmidt/Roderich Edelstein (Prussia/Austria)

Complete – One Shot

A Valentines’ Day present for Claudia

Just a fluffy, romantic little fic for Valentines’ Day. Well, as romantic as Gilbert gets, anyway.

ONGOING MULTI-CHAPTERS

Catch Perfect Berwald Oxenstierna/Tino Väinämöinen (Sweden/Finland)

In Progress – Twelve Chapters

‘Catch Perfect’ is basically proof that I can’t even write crack without some semblance of plot and angst. I am still writing this, just ever so slowly.

The Tiger and the Dragon Ivan Braginski/Yao Wang (Russia/China)

In Progress – Seventeen Chapters

I first posted this story almost three years ago. Last year I started re-publishing it, mainly to fix up the writing quality and some plot points. Yes, it’s melodramatic; yes, it’s a bit cliché. Basically, if this were a published novel, it would be the type to have GAY EROTIC ROMANCE in tacky writing across the cover. But really, what the hell, it’s fun. :-D

COMPLETED ONE SHOTS

Stay With You Germany/Italy

A rare story with the characters as nations, and my very first posted fanfiction. I had just discovered Hetalia when I wrote this, and loved the random humour of it, but also wondered what it could be like if it was a more serious take on the Second World War. Also, it has always been blatantly obvious to me that Germany and Italy are in love with each other. Like, duh.

Gallipoli Australia and New Zealand

Another nation story from me, about a conflict embedded in the consciousness of every Australian. We haven’t been given much to go on with Australia’s characterisation, so I went with my gut instinct – he’s anti-authority, he’s an easily broken optimist, and he cares deeply about his men. Gallipoli shattered the romantic idea of war for this country. I think it would have shattered Australia, too.

Sleep, Little Bird Berwald Oxenstierna/Tino Väinämöinen (Sweden/Finland) and Peter (Sealand)

There is not much I can really say about this one, except sorry. Oh, and that it’s not in the same universe as ‘Catch Perfect.’ I wouldn’t do that. ;-)

LINKS!

http://george-de-valier.deviantart.com (deactivated account) - Where I fave and comment on the wonderful artwork that people have drawn for my stories. I adore fan art, so please tell me if you have drawn any! If I happen to come across art for my stories that I haven’t been told about, be warned, I WILL proceed to fave and comment on it anyway. :-)

www.youtube.com/user/ykwyh26 - My lovely and talented beta Kay’s YouTube site, where you can hear all the songs from my Veraverse stories.

VIDEOS

I am incredibly flattered that the amazingly talented Alyss Lane has written a gorgeous song based on ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart.’ It is called ‘Auf Wiedersehen,’ performed by Willow, and you can hear this beautiful song here – www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N8T4oIppS0

The following are awesome AMVs for my fics, made by some very talented artists.

The Veraverse

Sanctuary, by Insomniac3Ltd

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfvTV5b9Zwk (unavailable)

We'll Meet Again

We’ll Meet Again, by Shokora15

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4COUwq9yzA

Wild Horses, by SirenShadow95

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaiMnawL3hM

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart

Stereo Love, by snobo52

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH8-zY-3qiI

If I Die Young, by NightmareCCL

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkoVnwzwLlU

Stay, by PastaWithWurst

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i61AAOfNm4 (unavailable)

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart, by Sydney Amber

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM9anzT81tM

Home, by Sanity4Fire

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjPTML1vjXA (unavailable)

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart, by ShiroBaraLuv123

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qltINwf-ZkU (unavailable)

Bésame Mucho

Fear, by ykwyh26

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5Ak4O9P88

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, by Kayleigh Turgeon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDaLTw5wIs (unavailable)

The Only Exception, by InuLoverNr1Hitomi

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pt_sHtZfIw

Don’t Tell Me You Love Me If You Don’t Mean It, by AnnoyingGirl1234

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkcTKOAN8Y8 (unavailable)

Lily of the Lamplight

Lili Marlene, by xxEmoxxChibixx

www.youtube.com/watch?v=otYq31Qnct8

Sleep, Little Bird

Sleep, by Hetaliagirl96

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tOCsWjpNsk (unavailable)

La Patisserie de la Rose

Take Me Home, by Ahogemako

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwsX1rJ2CDo

Something to Remember You By

Lullabies, by Lanie P

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnRXhe2cdZw

STORIES WRITTEN FOR ME

These are all fantastic. Please check them out, you won’t be disappointed!

Mi Piachi perché Mi Piaci, by ThisCouldTheoreticallyBeSparta

(GerIta, Spamano, PruAus, BelgHun and teeny mentions of Franada, Netherlands/Australia, UsUk)

A wonderful birthday present of fluffy GerIta goodness from my wonderful friend Claudia.

www.fanfiction.net/s/7601790/1/Mi_Piaci_perche_Mi_Piaci

Maple Street, by fubibliophile

(Canada and America)

A really cool, atmospheric one shot from the very sweet fubibliophile.

www.fanfiction.net/s/7796628/1/Maple_Street

Chapter Four of Hetalia Fairy Tales, by Kitty-Kat Allie

(GiriPan)

An incredibly sweet GiriPan fairy tale from a wonderful author and a lovely person.

www.fanfiction.net/s/7730679/4/Hetalia_Fairy_Tales

1. Something To Remember You By » reviews

VV AU. 1914. Constantinople, Turkey. On the eve of war, street dweller Sadik Adnan's way of life and existence is called into question by the strange, beautiful Egyptian imam, Gupta Muhammad Hassan.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,732 - Reviews: 73 - Published: 5-30-13 - Turkey & Egypt

2. Lily of the Lamplight » reviews

WW2 AU. Austrian musician Roderich and German soldier Gilbert are forced into an army prison unit and a fight for survival on the Russian Front. But in the midst of blood and death and hell on earth, how long can they fight their desire for each other?

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 4 - Words: 27,329 - Reviews: 557 - Updated: 5-21-13 - Published: 11-20-11 - Prussia & Austria

3. Libelle Hall » reviews

Modern AU. When Roderich Edelstein – student, musician, and reluctant activist – attempts to save a local music hall from destruction, he is not prepared for the conflicting emotions evoked in him by arrogant demolition worker Gilbert Beilschmidt. Gift fic for Kay the Beta.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Chapters: 2 - Words: 8,900 - Reviews: 174 - Updated: 5-6-13 - Published: 2-20-13 - Prussia & Austria

4. Jealousy »  reviews

WW2 AU. Insane Russian Commander Ivan Braginski is the terror of his battalion and his enemies alike. He controls the lives of thousands - but it is the memory of one that controls his own. Tie-in to 'Lily of the Lamplight.'

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 3,077 - Reviews: 80 - Published: 11-29-12 - Russia & China

5. The Tiger and the Dragon » reviews

Human AU. Awkward, average chef Yao Wang is sick of being thought of as boring and predictable. When he meets the enigmatic and slightly unnerving Ivan Braginski, Yao is immediately captivated. As he falls deeper it becomes apparent just how dangerous Ivan really is… but Ivan is just as smitten, and Yao may be too in love to care about the consequences…

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 4 - Words: 12,967 - Reviews: 155 - Updated: 11-15-12 - Published: 8-25-12 - Russia & China

6. My Echo » reviews

WW2 AU. Captain Vash Zwingli is a soldier in someone else's war; a man mad enough to lead where others will not. He treads a fine line between life and death, between sanity and madness, in a constant battle to forget. But when Vash's past confronts him in the worst place on earth, will it finally tip him over the edge – or give him a chance for redemption? Unrequited SwissAus.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Angst/Drama - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,378 - Reviews: 73 - Published: 11-15-12 - Switzerland

7. La Patisserie de la Rose » reviews

AU. Accountant Matthew Williams is used to being unnoticed, ignored, and forgotten. That is until pastry chef Francis Bonnefoy appears like a burst of colour in his dull, grey life. Gift fic for TCTBS.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance - Chapters: 6 - Words: 35,111 - Reviews: 573 - Updated: 10-10-12 - Published: 12-9-11 - France & Canada - Complete

8. Catch Perfect » reviews

AU. When Berwald loses everything he is forced to move into a share house with an insane Dane, a sociopathic Norwegian, an unfathomable Icelander and a perfect Finn who makes it all worth putting up with.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Chapters: 8 - Words: 36,538 - Reviews: 582 - Updated: 9-22-12 - Published: 10-10-10 - Sweden & Finland

9. Blue, White, Red » reviews

Human AU. 1777; The American Revolutionary War. Three times, American rebel Alfred Jones meets British soldier Arthur Kirkland. One blue; one white; one red.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 3 - Words: 5,981 - Reviews: 369 - Updated: 9-20-12 - Published: 8-26-12 - America & England/Britain - Complete

10. Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart » reviews

WW2 AU. Feliciano Vargas is a passionate, if slightly scared, Italian resistance member. Falling in love with a German fighter pilot was the last thing he expected... and it will test his national loyalty, and his heart, to their limits.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 18 - Words: 104,322 - Reviews: 3246 - Updated: 8-11-12 - Published: 12-18-10 - Germany & N. Italy - Complete

11. Keep Smiling Through » reviews

'We'll Meet Again' mini-sequel. Keep smiling through, just like you always do; 'til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away! USUK

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: K - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,376 - Reviews: 172 - Published: 6-28-12 - America & England/Britain - Complete

12. Bésame Mucho » reviews

WW2 AU. Lovino Vargas only ever wanted something exciting to happen in his boring, everyday Italian village existence. He never expected war, Resistance, love, passion, treason, or a cheerful, confusing, irritatingly attractive Spanish freedom fighter.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 5 - Words: 39,037 - Reviews: 817 - Updated: 5-30-12 - Published: 8-1-11 - Spain & S. Italy/Romano

13. Of Ponies and Edelweiss » reviews

Gilbert Beilschmidt is not, generally speaking, a romantic man. Which makes his behaviour this particular Valentine's Day a little odd for Roderich to understand… Gift fic for TCTBS; spin-off of 'La Patisserie de la Rose.'

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,143 - Reviews: 130 - Published: 2-14-12 - Prussia & Austria - Complete

14. Sleep, Little Bird » reviews

Human AU. Tino, Berwald and Peter are the perfect family. Things like this don't happen to people like them. But when they do, how are they supposed to accept it?

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Family/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,169 - Reviews: 294 - Published: 9-26-11 - Finland & Sweden - Complete

15. Gallipoli » reviews

Gallipoli, April 25, 1915. Australia is a young nation with plenty to prove. And war is where nations prove themselves.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Drama/Angst - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,966 - Reviews: 48 - Published: 4-28-11 - Australia - Complete

16. We'll Meet Again » reviews

WW2 AU. London pub owner Arthur Kirkland is driven to distraction by loud, brash American fighter pilot Alfred Jones. Unable to stop it, Arthur finds himself falling for Alfred's charms... just as the pilot is preparing to leave for war.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 13 - Words: 43,415 - Reviews: 1376 - Updated: 1-20-11 - Published: 7-18-10 - America & England/Britain - Complete

17. Stay With You » reviews

Germany lies defeated and alone in the aftermath of the Battle of Berlin... but not everyone has abandoned him.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,325 - Reviews: 66 - Published: 5-4-10 - Germany & N. Italy - Complete

.

THANK YOU MARVINHERE FOR FINDING THIS!

[dlkardenal]

Of witches and magicians - The types and history of magic users

Hey there, traveler!

Our journey through time and space continues exploring the various elements of magic, moving on to the experts, the humble craftsmen of the mystic art: the magicians. Or wizards. Or enchanters. Too many names? Don’t be afraid, I was just as confused as you are. But today we will look at all the types, the real-life inspiration, and some literary representation. So strap on, put on your “Hide Helmet of Resist Magic” because the show is on.

First, let’s lay down some basic. As we discussed in last week’s Dissecting Literature, the English word “magic” and consequently “magician” comes from ancient Greek and Persian languages. The original mages, or “magi” were most likely Persian noblemen with supposed magical power, but the meaning of the word dissipated over the many centuries. 

As far as I could research, there’s no solid consensus among roleplayers and fantasy geeks about what word used to describe a magic-user actually means and each piece of fiction takes its own twist on it, but here are the most common labels.

A mage is an experienced magic-user. You could call them the groundwork for every other type, they are specialized, trained people who wield magic as a profession. The word “mage” is the anglicized version of the Greek “magi”, so this is the purest surviving meaning of the old concept. A magician, however, is wildly believed to be a botch, a barely skilled caster who uses magic for tricks and entertainment. They are the street performers getting people’s attention with really flashy illusions but in most fiction, they don’t really wield serious powers. Wizards differ from mages mostly in reputation. A wizard in most literature is held as a wise leader and a powerful mage, giving you either good advice or a magical ass-whooping, depending on their allegiance. The oldest example is possibly Merlin, the great wizard aiding King Arthur in his endeavors, but you can think of Dumbledore or Gandalf for a more familiar representation. Witches were originally the female counterparts of wizards, however because of characters like the Baba Yaga, Morgan le Fay, and the general rejection of magic by Christianity, the witch transformed into a malicious spellcaster hell-bent on screwing with people, casting curses and creating poisons. Enchanters and enchantresses are mages primarily focusing their effort on enchanting (duh), seducing pure of heart heroes, and deterring them from their quest. An enchantress is nearly always a beautiful woman living in a far-off location trying to get the hero to stay with them. One great example of this trope is from the Greek epic Odyssey, namely the goddess Circe. 

Other then these, there are more specialized magic-users, like warlocks, necromancers, druids, and such, but we would be sitting here all day talking about the various versions. I’d recommend hitting up a few DnD resources or fantasy games and you can get a fairly good idea of how many colors the magician spectrum has. Now that we went over what we exactly mean as a magician, where did this come from? Let’s talk history. Don’t worry, I’ll be brief.

During mankind’s social evolution, there was always a representation of Raistlin and Karamon’s duo of wizard-barbarian. Our cave-dwelling ancestors realized that although clobbering a sabertooth tiger over the head was a great feat of strength, even the mightiest warrior couldn’t survive infection or a lightning strike, and as such, there was a market gap for a wiser role in society – that was the shaman.

At first, shaman were both spiritual leaders, magic-users, and medicine-men. They knew about the beneficial herbs, the weather and such, but they were also a connection to the invisible forces like spirits and gods. They used rituals to communicate with the magic world, which they believed was as real as the ground they were walking on. At this point in time, religion and magic intertwined and were inseparable. For many millennia, priests were believed to wield magical power gifted by the gods, and people attributed many inexplicable feats to this power. That’s how Imhotep, the chief architect and main healer of the Egyptian Pharaoh Djoser ended up from a craftsman to a magician and in the end, a god.

This supportive role stayed for many of our history, although it faded and magic sometimes fell out of the equation. In ancient Greece, philosophy was born and science started flourishing, so scientists took the role of wise men from the priesthoods. There was even a competition in medical schools, some following the rational ways of Hippocrates, others sticking to the more divine and magical ways of Asclepios, god of healing and son of Apollon. This slow but steady shift from magic to science almost eradicated the magicians from society. So why does it have such a huge fandom nowadays? Why are there books like Harry Potter, Dragonlance and the rest? 

In my theory, it is a power fantasy. In teenage society, physical prowess means popularity – excelling in sports, looking dashing and dousing three liters of vodka without pushing your liver to suicide. The physically less fit boys and girls find it hard to win over their stronger, more attractive, or more outgoing classmates, so at least in fantasy, they need something that can lift them above the crowd. And here comes magic, a powerful force only usable with sharp mind and creativity that can shred a thousand jocks to pieces and save the world. No matter how strong someone is, magic doesn’t care for physique. Sometimes this parallel is more obvious, like in Harry Potter where the setting is literally a high school, sometimes a bit more hidden like in sword & sorcery fantasy stories with a magic-user lead character. I think that’s it for now. Sorry if it was a bit digressive and confusing, my exam period is taking a toll on me. Next week we’ll move onto some of my favorite magic systems, including books, TV shows and games, and I might even pitch an original idea for it, so stay tuned! In the meantime, why don’t you tell me what is your favorite mage subtype? Is it a warlock making pacts with evil entities? Is it a seductive witch? Is it a cynical necromancer, raising a family?  

Take care, traveler!

Cheers, Dar

[thefuriousstarlightstudent]

So, I got the next chapter of Literally Billy Batson out. Hopefully y’all enjoy it!

Ao3 Link: Chapter Three: The First Impression 

Fawcett City, U.S.A.

October 4th, 2010

Billy is one of many students who pour out of Fawcett City Elementary School and into the chilly autumn air. He likes it, being a nameless person in the crowd. It makes him feel more normal, more like if he sticks with the crowd he may hear his mom calling him or see her looking for him. He won't, but it gives him a moment to imagine she might be there.

The moment is gone as soon as the crowd starts to disperse. Half of the students are picked up by parents and the other half walks home. Billy sticks with the half walking home as long as he can before splitting off and heading towards the east side of Fawcett City (know for its slums and abandoned/condemned buildings). No one else goes that way.

Billy walks with his head down and the hood of his aptly named hoody pulled low over his eyes. He's pretty confident in east side Fawcett City, but always better to be safe than sorry. People can be nasty.

He's so distracted that he doesn't even notice the figure standing in front of him. He accidentally bumps into the older boy, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

"Hey, watch it, Billy," the boy complains.

Billy looks up at the boy and grins, jumping to his feet and holding his hand out. "Sorry, Freddy," Billy says sheepishly. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Freddy shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. "I figured I'd come to say hi to you before my trip. I mean, how will you survive without me to keep you company for a whole week?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Billy says drily.

"I don't know," Freddy says. "You may die without me."

"Haha," Billy deadpans. "But seriously, have fun camping with your grandpa. Take lots of pictures for me!"

"I will," Freddy promises, shoving Billy with his shoulder a little. Billy shoves right back.

"Wanna come to my place?" Billy asks. "Will your grandpa mind?"

"Nah, I told him I was going to your place. He said that was fine. I think us not going to the same school and seeing each other less makes him more willing to let me hang out with you."

"It's not my fault you're in middle school," Billy says. "You're just too old."

"I'm like a year and a half older than you."

"Your point is…"

"It's not that big a difference. Next year we'll be in the same school anyway," Freddy dismisses. "I'll be in sixth grade and you'll be in fifth. That's pretty awesome."

"Yeah, it is," Billy agrees. "Middle school, dude! I'll be an official middle schooler."

"It's really not as exciting as it seems," Freddy says dubiously.

Billy shrugs Freddy's attitude off. They both know it's only because Freddy doesn't like school. He likes sports and superheroes. Billy know this because they're best friends, have been since Billy first started school again and they were in the same building, albeit not in the same grade even then. Freddy was the only person to not call Billy annoying back when Billy first got back to school after almost a year of missing it. He was also the only person who talked to Billy.

In turn, Billy knows one of the reasons Freddy calls Billy his best friend is because Billy was one - is one - of the only people to not be drawn in by Freddy's popularity and the fact that he's an amazing baseball player. At least that's why Freddy tells him that he chose Billy as his best friend.

"Hey, you need any help with homework?" Freddy asks.

"Nope. I just have to finish a paper due next week. I think I'll be good today. Why? Do you have any homework?" Billy asks innocently, knowing full well Freddy probably does.

"Yeah," Freddy sighs despondently and runs a hand through his brown hair. "I have a ton of science stuff to do. Grandpa says the only way I could hang out with you today was if I did some of it with you. So, wanna help?"

"I guess I can," Billy sighs.

"Don't act like you're sad about that," Freddy snaps good-naturedly. "We both know you live for science stuff."

"And history," Billy agrees. "I love history."

"Especially all those weird myths from Rome, Egypt, Greece, and stuff," Freddy says. "What's up with that, by the way?"

Billy shrugs. "My parents were archeologists," he says. "You know? So they found all sorts of stuff about ancient gods and stuff. I probably know, like, all the stories. It just makes me thinks of them, so I like to read about them."

Freddy makes a sympathetic noise. "I know what you mean. My dad used to play ball with me all the time before he and mom went to jail, and I know he's not a good guy, but I like baseball because it reminds me of when things were okay."

Freddy always knows just what to say to make Billy feel better, or at least take his mind off of things. Freddy is the only person who knows Billy is homeless. He's the only person Billy trusts not to tell. Freddy was going to when Billy first told him, but Bill had explained… not everything, but enough to convince his friend he'd be fine alone.

Freddy still worries though, which is why he comes over so often. Billy thinks it's nice, having someone care about him so much. It's also kind of funny to him, that Freddy thinks he needs taking care of. Billy is Captain Marvel, for goodness' sake! Not that Freddy knows that, of course.

"Hey, we're here!" Freddy exclaims. "Come on!"

"Wait up," Billy squawks as Freddy run into the run-down dirty yellow apartment building ahead of him. "It's my apartment!"

"I'm not waiting for you!" Freddy yells without turning. "You're so slow!"

"Am not!" Billy shouts back, running to catch up to Freddy, who is already heading up the rickety stairs.

"Are too!"

Billy slows down after a moment. He knows he won't catch up to Freddy. He also knows Freddy has an extra key, so he won't need to wait to go into Billy's apartment.

Freddy has only asked how Billy manages to stay hidden from building inspectors and keep the heat, electricity, and water running. Billy explains it by saying he hides and he must just be lucky, respectively. It's a good answer, but it's not true. It's all magic. Magic keeps it warm and keeps the building inspectors from even going to his floor. They just skip it like it's not even there.

Billy sometimes wonders if part of why the Wizard chose him is because he already has a natural affinity for magic, just needed training. Billy knows all his magic (in his mortal form) is enhanced by Captain Marvel, but it's still his, not Captain Marvel's magic. He just has the proper tools and books to use it now.

"You coming?" Freddy shouts from a few flights of stairs up.

"Coming!" Billy shouts back, starting to walk again. He'd stopped without even noticing, too caught up in his own head to notice. "I'm coming, Freddy!"

Fawcett City, U.S.A.

October 5th, 2010

It's cold, even colder than it had been yesterday. It's the type of cold that settles in your bones and makes you wish for summer. Normally Billy loves autumn. The color of the leaves. The cheeriness that seems almost contagious. But today he just wishes that it could be warm. He doesn't like it to be this cold. It almost feels like the weather is warning him. About what, he doesn't know.

He doesn't dwell on vaguely unsettled the feeling that's been hitting him since he woke up. It's probably nothing but paranoia. Or maybe there's a storm coming. Billy always gets kinda uneasy before a storm hits Fawcett City, even when he doesn't know a storm is going to hit.

He leaves the schoolyard and heads west, towards the middle school nearby. With luck, Freddy won't mind if Billy comes over to his house.

"Hey, do you know where Freddy is?" Billy asks a grimy teenager smoking something that's definitely not a cigarette. The teenager definitely goes to the high school nearby, but almost everyone in this area of the city knows who Freddy is. Freddy is just that type of charismatic person.

The teen leers at Billy like he's trying to scare him. Billy doesn't react, despite the teen gross yellow teeth being bared at him in a feral grin.

The teen moves back and nods to himself as if Billy's passed a test.

"Tall kid? Baseball cap?"

Billy nods eagerly.

"He got in this old guys car after school got out."

"Duh," Billy says to himself slapping his forehead. Freddy started his camping trip today after school. Billy should have remembered that. Man, this cold must really be messing with him. "Thanks, dude."

"No problem, kid," the teen says. "Have a good one."

He goes back to smoking. Billy turns around. Now what will he do all day? Yeah, his apartment is warm, but that doesn't mean he wants to spend the whole day alone in it. Maybe he should go shopping. But he doesn't really have anything other than a few dollars left from his last shopping trip. He'll need to find a way to earn some more cash. Mowing lawns won't exactly work this time of year.

Maybe he can rake leaves?

Ugh. That means he has to do that today, make enough to last for a least a month's worth of groceries, and extra for new winter gear. Then again, if he works quickly enough, he may even get some extra spending money to afford food other than ramen noodles, cereal, mac n cheese, and a few fruits and veggies. Eating healthier food is always nice. Maybe he can even get some frozen pizza.

Plans made, Billy takes off for the nearest residential neighborhood he knows is full of adults who find it cute when kids come and ask to do jobs like rake leaves, mow lawns, weed gardens, and shovel snow.

Billy's pretty sure he has half of that neighborhood he's a kid that lives there. It's one of his favorite places to live. Some of the people even give him snacks and lemonade when he works.

Afterword, he can patrol as Captain Marvel, then he'll go shopping. Or he'll go shopping tomorrow if anything big happens while he's Captain Marvel. He doesn't think there'll be anything more than a few shoplifters today though. Even the criminal element in Fawcett City know when it's too cold to commit a crime. Cold as it is, autumn and winter are the slowest seasons to fight crime.

Billy is so glad he lives in Fawcett City where the criminals are reasonable and know when it's too cold to be committing a crime. He can't imagine how annoying it must be for Batman to fight crime in Gotham City in the middle of winter since crime never slows down in Gotham.

"Hey," a voice says, and Billy feels a hand land on his shoulder. Billy jumps about a hundred feet in the air and lets out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp. "Sorry, sorry!" the voice says quickly.

"It's fine," Billy says, catching his breath and looking over the owner of the voice. A kid with messy black hair - possibly a young teen - wearing sunglasses and relaxed clothing (Billy's leaning towards him being a kid. Probably twelve. Too short to be a teenager). "You just surprised me."

"Yeah, I tend to have that effect on people," the boys says ruefully, running one of his hands through his hair in a gesture that reminds Billy of Freddy. "Sorry again. I was just wondering if you could help me."

"Main Street is that way," Billy says immediately, pointing north. "Go there and you can pretty much find wherever you're looking for without too much trouble."

"No, I just needed help finding someone who goes to the elementary school," the boy says. "William Thomas Batson? Maybe you know him?"

Bily looks over the boy more closely. It doesn't seem like he's looking for trouble. You can never be too careful though.

"Why do you need him?" Billy asks. "Do you know him?"

"Nah," the kid dismisses. "My guardian had an old letter from the kid's mom, Marilyn Batson. He figured William may want to see it."

And Billy's tempted to ask how they even know where he is; it's not like he's an official student - not that any of his teachers or the other students know that. But at the mention of his mom, that thought is erased from his mind.

"I'm William. I prefer Billy though." Billy holds out his hand.

"Well, that was serendipitous," the boys says, grabbing Billy's hand firmly. "I'm Dick."

Billy doesn't manage to stop himself from snorting.

"I'm sorry," he says right away. Not for thinking it's funny, necessarily, but for being rude and laughing about it.

"It's fine," the boy says. "I've heard pretty much everything, believe me. Anywho, Dick Grayson, as I said."

Billy does a double-take. "Wha- Dick Grayson!" he whispers furiously, looking around. "Like, Dick Grayson?!"

The boy- Dick Grayson, looks amused. Something about the expression combined with the sunglasses is familiar, but for the life of him, Billy can't quite put his finger on why. It bugs him, and he's sure he'll think about it later, but for now, he's too focused on the immediate issues. Like that fact that Dick-freaking-Grayson is looking for him.

"Yes," Dick says, amused. He even takes his sunglasses off briefly, and sure enough, it's the teenager. Billy may not have a TV or watch the news, but he knows what Dick Grayson looks like. Mainly because Bruce Wayne funds the Justice League publicly and that means he's pretty familiar with both of their images.

"My mom sent a letter to Bruce Wayne?" is his next question.

"They met abroad before your parents were married," Dick explains. Anyway, I'm gonna call Bruce and have him meet me here." At Billy's confused look, Dick looks away from the phone he pulled out a moment ago. "He was looking for you closer to the elementary school."

"Ah," Billy says.

Dick speaks briefly into the cell phone before pulling it away from his ear and hanging up.

"He'll be here in a minute," Dick informs Billy. "You don't mind waiting here?"

"No," Billy says.

"Good."

A few moments later a tall, broad man in a suit appears. He's wearing sunglasses like Dick. Unlike Dick, he seems uncomfortable. It isn't hard for Billy to tell this is really Bruce Wayne, which automatically makes him more relaxed. Bruce Wayne funds the League, Batman even approves of him doing so, so that means Bruce Wayne isn't a bad person. Batman would never associate with someone if they had something even vaguely shady in their past.

"Hello," Bruce Wayne says. "You must be William?"

His voice is surprisingly gentle, considering his size. Billy still can't get over the fact that Bruce Wayne came to Fawcett City just to find Billy and let him look at an old letter from his mom, even though the letter certainly isn't anything Billy needs to see.

"Yes," Billy says. "I prefer Billy though, if that's okay, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce Wayne seems surprised by how eager Billy is. Or Maybe he's just surprised Billy's so trusting. Anyone who has ever seen Billy as a street kid is surprised by that. It's not that Billy's that trusting; he's not. Billy's just good at reading people. Also, he's not nervous around Bruce Wayne because Justice League funding. Not that Bruce Wayne knows that. Even though it's public, it's not exactly common knowledge outside of League members who their main funder is.

"I have the letter your mother sent me, Billy, if you want to see it?"

"Yes, I'd really love that, Mr. Wayne," Billy says.

"She sent it to me right after you were born," Mr. Wayne says. "It ended up getting lost in my desk, which is why I didn't find it until recently."

"Were you and her friends?" Billy asks. "How did you meet?"

"I'd like to think so," Mr. Wayne says, a surprisingly fond look on his face. "We met in Peru before she or your father were going to be married."

"That's interesting," Billy says honestly. "What was the letter she sent you about?"

Mr. Wayne sighs deeply. Something in Billy's gut twists uncomfortably.

"It was about you. I mentioned she sent it right after you were born. I have it here if you'd like to see it now?"

"Yes, please, Mr. Wayne," Billy says.

Mr. Wayne pulls a piece of paper out of his suit pocket and holds it out to Billy. Billy grabs it gently with shaking hands.

It still smells like her perfume. It's a reminder that she had been real, once. It's nice because even though Billy logically knows she'd been real before she died, having a reminder is nice. He misses her so much. Her and his dad.

He unfolds the paper with a gentleness that surprises even him. Her handwriting is just like he remembers it being from the notes she'd leave for him on his lunch box and hidden inside his books or even just shopping lists on the fridge. He spends what's probably more time than necessary just looking at it without reading.

When he finally does begin to read the letter, he almost drops it a moment later. He fumbles for a moment before regaining his grip and reading even faster.

No. No no no no no no no no. This can't… this can't be true. (But it has to be, a voice whispers in his mind. This is her handwriting. She wouldn't lie about it.)

Oh, god. His mom had written to Bruce Wayne. His mom had told Bruce Wayne Billy was his son. But it just can't be - Billy refuses to believe it's true. His parents would have told him if it was true. They wouldn't have kept it a secret. Why would his dad even love him and let Billy call him that if he wasn't Billy's real dad?

This has to be a lie, a trick. It can't be true. It just can't.

Billy's dad is C.C. Batson, not some rich guy his mom probably only knew for a few months in another country.

"This isn't true," Billy says, ashamed by how much his voice is shaking. "You can't be my dad. My dad is C.C. Batson. You're lying. I know it."

His voice breaks on the last word. Billy hopes neither of them notices it. He ignores how hurt Mr. Wayne looks and how shocked Dick Grayson looks.

(Billy knows this isn't a lie. Somehow, someway, he knows this isn't a lie. He just doesn't want to believe it.)

"I'm sorry," Mr. Wayne says honestly. "I really am. But your mother was one of the most honest people I ever knew. I don't think she's lying."

Billy refuses to even think about this. (He ignores how similar he looks to Bruce Wayne. How he's even more similar to Bruce Wayne that C.C. Batson. Really, if he was with both of them, people would assume he's Bruce Wayne's son, not his dads.)

Billy shakes his head desperately. "No. No! You have to be lying. I don't believe you."

"Listen, Billy," Dick begins. "How about this. You know what a paternity test is, right?"

"Yes," Billy says shortly. "I'm not dumb."

"Then take one," Dick says. "If it matches then that means you're Bruce's son, biologically. Your dad is still your dad. Biology doesn't change that."

Mr. Wayne adjusts his jacket, seeming spectacularly uncomfortable. "I'd been planning one of those already. I don't think she's lying, but maybe she was wrong. I figured you'd like to know the truth."

And Billy does want to know the truth, even if it's a truth he doesn't like.

"I'll take the test," Billy says, the anger from earlier evaporating as suddenly as it had appeared. Now he just feels kind of tired. He's glad this street is empty. That no one can have possibly seen this.

"I brought my friend, Dr. Leslie Thompkins with me. She has all the equipment to do the test in my hotel room. We can go back there if that's okay with you," Mr. Wayne says. It doesn't really sound like a question, but Billy can tell it is a question.

"Okay. Okay. Are we walking?"

"I have a car?" Mr. Wayne suggests.

And the first rule of being a street kid is you don't get in a strangers car. Billy knows this. It's one of the first lessons you learn, either from getting in a strangers car or hearing the horror stories of what happens when you get in a strangers car. Billy may not like Bruce Wayne right now, but he knows he won't try anything. He knows Bruce Wayne is a good person. And even if he wasn't a good person and Billy was dumb enough to get in the car, Billy can protect himself, both with Captain Marvel and the magic he always has at his disposal.

"We can take that," Billy says. "I mean if that's what you want to do?"

Mr. Wayne smiles slightly and Dick Grayson beams at him.

[dmalfoy]

i was tagged by @lothlorieh thank you thank you ty <3

RULES: ANSWER all questions, ADD one question of your own and then TAG as many people as there are questions

coke or pepsi? uhhh I don’t like carbonated drinks, but if I had to choose I would choose coke. only bc fuck that Pepsi commercial disney or dreamworks? tbh dreamworks but I like both

coffee or tea? coffee heck fucking yeah books or movies? books, books are always better, says I  windows or Mac? lolol Mac, but I will say Im a pc gamer so then id go w windows tbh dc or marvel? def marvel xbox or playstation? idc I've played on both, but I don't have either night owl or early riser? night owl hahaha cards or chess? cards lol. I don't have the patience for chess chocolate or vanilla? chocolate!!!! vans or converse? converse star wars or star trek? Star Wars oops one episode per week or marathoning? marathoning lololol gandalf or obi-wan? obi-wan Kenobi  heroes or villains? generally hero, but if its a well-written villain then villain john williams or hans zimmer? tbh John Williams BUT HOLY SHIT I SAW HANS ZIMMER AT COACHELLA. fuckin died. he’s my boy. disneyland/disney world or six flags? probs Disneyland lolol forest or sea? why is it a sea not an ocean? but anyway sea I guess flying or reading minds? flying tbh, but it would be cool to be invisible harry potter or lord of the rings? Hogwarts is my home mofo cake or pie? cake... but tbh neither... I'm not a bakery person... you are banished to a desert island, which benedict cumberbatch character would you choose to take with you? uh Sherlock because he could probably save me lol  train or cruise ship? train brian cox or neil degrasse-tyson? neil degrasse-tyson is the shit m8 wizard of oz or alice in wonderland? I like Alice in wonderland fanfiction or fanart? I can't hear you over the excess links to ffdotnet the hunger games - books or movies? books duh be able to see the future or travel into the past? uh future, I live with #noragrats han solo or luke skywalker? neither, i choose leia (lol I'm keeping this answer) spring or autumn? *kicks down doors, breaks windows* AUTUMN!!! campfire or fireplace? fireplace bc idk how social u think I am, but I am not french fries or onion rings? I hate onion rings truth or dare? truth winter or summer? id rather be cold than sweltering, so winter vampires or werewolves? vampire tbh bc id rather be a vamp eyes or lips? eyes (are the window to the soul) burgers or sandwiches? burgers lol altho I'm a vegetarian now friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers trope? ugh fuck me up both, but if I had to choose... enemies to lovers probably #angst pizza or pasta? fuck you. both I don't have to pick. I'm from nyc they are both amazing.  ancient rome or ancient greece? i’m always a slut for ancient greece (tbh pretty damn accurate) foxes or wolves? foxes: they smart and cute and aggressive little buggers mermaids or dragons? FUCK YEAH DRAGONS!! kate bush or madonna? uhh I guess madonna? the office or parks and recreation? I've only really seen parks and rec lol sci-fi or period drama? tbh i’m such a slut for pride and prejudice, but I love me some sci-fi, why would u do this to me. who wrote this qs. omg. fairytales or mysteries? fairytales... I like super powers lol explore the oceans or space? lmao fuck u. omg. but space if I had to pick.  iphone or android? iPhone do I look like I'm fucking around thieves or assassins? assassins bc they sneaky mofo but also dangerous cooking or baking? I burn water. greek mythology or norse mythology? greek mythology ugh fuck me up with that shit yes awesome console gaming or pc gaming? pc gaming all the way old books or new books? fuck this is a hard qs. why did I do this??

i tag @siriusisntdead @pygmyspuff  @declanlynch @gryffindvor @nocctem @queen-daenerys 

[ruinsrebuilt]

european countries according to me, an uneducated american

requested by @monkeyisapainswedish (I hope you’re happy) 

I would just like to apologize in advance to all the countries I offend 

Albania: what?  Andorra: this reminds me of Andorrian shingles from star trek? I'm so sorry Armenia: I....thought this was in Asia Austria: the Von Trapp family singers, MOUNTAINS  Azerbaijan: near Russia? ish? Belarus: I associate a symbol of the sun with this, idek Belgium: the battle of the bulge, Belgian draft horses (prettyyy) Bosnia and Herzegovina: I have absolutely nothing I am so sorry  Bulgaria: I once read Bulgarians shake their head for yes and nod for no, and this confuses me  Croatia: eastern european. islands. Cyprus: near Egypt?  Czech Republic: all I can think is Czechoslovakia. I know nothing. Denmark: red and white  Estonia: ??? Finland: this is the one I get this confused with those other two longish ones - sweden and norway  France: Eiffel tower, baguettes, Normandy landings  Georgia: not the state Germany: lederhosen, hitler, technology  Greece: white buildings, rocky beaches, ancient history  Hungary: Boo-duh-pesht Iceland: not particularly icy  Ireland: pubs, the uprising, the republic Italy: mini coopers, vineyards, the vatican, ancient history  Kazakhstan: horses as food, yurts  Kosovo: sorry, fresh out of knowledge  Latvia: winston from new girl played basketball here  Liechtenstein: sounds very german but its not germany  Lithuania: i think this is near poland Luxembourg: this is where several paratroopers I adore are buried  Macedonia (FYROM): near greece I think  Malta: IDK Moldova: ??? Monaco: *shrugs apologetically*  Montenegro: heard the name, know nothing more Netherlands: holland, WOODEN SHOES, bridges, amsterdam  Norway: the other one I get confused with finland and sweden  Poland: jews, nazi invasion, hockey??  Portugal: I think this is near spain Romania: eastern european.... reminds me of Russia  Russia: large, communism, lgbt persecution  San Marino: i d k  Serbia: I always want to say this is in the middle east but its NOT Slovakia: eastern european Slovenia: eastern european  Spain: the three amigos, bullfighting, vineyards  Sweden: coffee?? blue and yellow  Switzerland: neutrality, bank accounts, the alps  Turkey: crescent moon and star, not the bird  Ukraine: next to russia, not russia, does not like russia  United Kingdom --  England: tea, monarchy, red payphones. Scotland: highlands, bagpipes, rebellion. Wales: super small but proud of heritage, attached to isle of Britain. Northern Ireland: loyalist, protestant, titanic. 

[darkestsight]

Random Scene #10

(The return of Axel, the time traveling rat)

Rip climbed the steps into to his study only to be greeted by the sight of Mick’s fairly large backside. It protruded in the air as the man knelt on the floor peering under one of the leather armchairs.

Eyes wide, Rip stared in shock.

It wasn’t Mick’s odd actions though that shocked Rip. He came across the team doing odd things all the time. Just the other day, he’d encountered Martin in the corridor trying and failing to surreptitiously smuggle a large box of Twizzlers into his quarters. The day before that he’d caught Jax talking to the malfunctioning waste recycler. The day before that he’d found Sara and Amaya in the galley using a box of Fruit Loops and a rare urn he’d picked up in ancient Greece to practice their hand-eye coordination, and the day before that he’d entered the library only to find Ray and Nate standing on desks, flapping their arms about, and making various bird noises.

Acting oddly on the Waverider was the norm.

What shocked Rip was the current state of his study. The place looked like it had been ransacked. Almost nothing was where it should have been. The furniture had been shifted into various new positions, the books and papers had been scattered about, and his collected keepsakes, which before had been neatly displayed, were now haphazardly dumped in random places around the room. It was a complete and utter mess.

“What the hell are you doing?” Rip demanded.

Mick, not showing the slightest sign of being startled by Rip’s sudden arrival or even bothering to shift from his position on the floor, replied, “None of your business, Hunter.” He then stuck his arm under the chair as far it would go and proceeded to make strange kissing noises.

Rip gave him an exasperated look, something which was completely wasted on Mick as he was still concentrating on the space beneath the armchair. “Considering this is my study and these are my things, I’d say it very much is my business.”

Mick gave an unimpressed grunt in reply. Giving up on the chair, he went over to the wooden chest at the back of the study. After checking behind it, he opened it up and began taking things out tossing them onto the floor.

Rip grit his teeth. “Do you mind?”

“Nope,” Mick replied as he continued to rummage through the chest.

Rip rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and took a deep breath, only just managing to keep a rein on his temper. “I take it you’re looking for something?”

“No duh,” said Mick. Clearly not finding whatever it was in the chest, he got up and went over to the tall cabinet in the corner of the room.

Rip quickly positioned himself between Mick and the cabinet. “This thing you’re looking for wouldn’t happen to be a certain flea-bitten rodent, would it? One which I quite clearly told you should not be allowed to roam freely around the ship under any circumstances.”

Mick glared at him. “Axel doesn’t have fleas.” He placed a large hand against Rip’s shoulder and shoved him aside. Opening the cabinet door, he proceeded to do the same thing he’d done to the chest tossing it’s entire contents onto the floor one item at a time.

The forceful shove had caused Rip to stumble a few steps but he managed to keep his balance. Letting out an indignant huff, he crossed his arms over his chest. “You know you won’t find him in there.”

Mick didn’t reply, just kept dumping stuff adding to the already large mess on the floor.

“That rat of yours has probably got into the Waverider’s inner workings by now,” Rip continued as he watched. “In fact,” he added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s tried to chew through some of the wires and managed to get himself electrocuted.”

Mick swung towards him, a look of fury on his face. “Axel’s not dead. He’s not. He’s...” He stopped and swallowed.

Rip’s forehead creased into a frown. There was more than just fury on Mick’s face. There was also fear. The man seemed genuinely upset. “My apologies,” he said. “I hadn’t realized you were so fond of him.”

Mick scowled and looked away, obviously not liking the fact he’d been caught actually caring about something. “Yeah, well, it’s just a stupid rat but you know Haircut gave it to me and he’d be upset if I lost it, and it’s not like I’ve ever had a pet before.”

Rip found himself softening and a sad smile appeared on his face. Despite his efforts to deny it, Mick clearly loved that rat with all his well-hidden heart. “Well, Mr. Rory,” he said. “Thankfully, your worries are about to end.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Mick, frowning.

Rip reached into his long coat and into an inner pocket where something small and furry had been contentedly dozing in the warm, dark confines. He pulled it out.

Axel blinked sleepily at Mick as Rip held the rat out to him.

“Axel!” Mick exclaimed, his eyes widening. He reached out and took the rat cradling him close to his chest.

“I found him in my quarters trying to make a nest in one of my cushions,” Rip explained.

Mick gazed in happy amazement at the rat in his hands and gently stroked his back. In response, Axel sniffed Mick’s fingers, and then after a little squirming about, clambered up to his favourite spot on Mick’s shoulder.

“Just please be more careful with him,” said Rip, “for Axel’s sake as well as the ship’s. In fact, I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if you got Dr. Palmer to fit him with a microchip so Gideon can track him properly. I’m sure it’ll save us all a lot of trouble,” he added because he was sure that despite his pleas, this would undoubtedly happen again.

Finally looking away from Axel, Mick grinned at Rip, not one of his usual smirks but a genuine grin. “Thanks, English,” he said grabbing him by the shoulder.

Rip had only a short moment to worry about this gesture before, to his utter amazement, Mick pulled him into a brief but firm hug. He was still in shock as Mick let go, gave him a, admittedly somewhat painful, slap on the back, and headed out of the room happily making little kissing noises at Axel as he did so.

Who would have believed it, thought Rip as he watched him go. Shaking himself from his stupor, he turned back to his study and suddenly became aware once again of the complete mess it was in. All warm feelings he’d had for Mick vanished.  

“Mr. Rory!” he yelled after the retreating man. “Get back here and clean this up!”

Mick, predictably, did not return.

Giving a tired sigh, Rip surrendered to the inevitable and began the long process of restoring his study to its previous state.

[horany]

I was tagged by @ourheroictommo, thank you! (I now reminded I got it on a different blog and i was almost done (lots of q.) and it was hella late so i drafted and forgot)

under the read more

RULES : ANSWER all questions, ADD one question of your own and then TAG as many people as there are questions

live session or studio session? live if the artist can sing

coke or pepsi? i don’t drink neither

disney or dreamworks? pixar disney

coffee or tea? tea

books or movies? books

windows or mac? windows

dc or marvel? i only seen like 2 superhero movies my entire life

xbox or playstation? ps

night owl or early riser? night owl

cards or chess? cards...

chocolate or vanilla? chocolate

vans or converse? converse VANS AREN’T COMFTRABLE

star wars or star trek? never watched any of that

one episode per week or marathoning? marathoning!!

gandalf or obi-wan? again, haven’t wached

heroes or villains? complicated hereos af (jessica jones its ya)

john williams or hans zimmer? who are those?

Disneyland/disney world or six flags? never been so i dunno the difference

forest or sea? can’t decide, both

flying or reading minds? flying, reading mind could be a burden

twin peaks or northern exposure? ????

harry potter or lord of the rings? only read hp

cake or pie? cake!!!!!!!

you are banished to a desert island, which benedict cumberbatch character would you choose to take with you? i only know sherlock, so

train or cruise ship? dunno, flight is faster than both

brian cox or neil degrasse-tyson? who is cox??

wizard of oz or alice in wonderland? umm, tough

fanfiction or fanart? fanart, i don’t really read fanfiction

the hunger games - books or movies? BOOKS, books are alwys better than the film adaptions

be able to see the future or travel into the past? future! causee you can always change it

han solo or luke skywalker? again haven’t seen

lilacs or sunflowers? sunflowers

spring or autumn? spring

campfire or fireplace? fireplace

french fries or onion rings? fries duh

truth or dare? truth, i’m too old for the stupid assiment, you jump on one leg

winter or summer? @me in the winter: summer @me at summer: winter

vampires or werewolves? vampires

red or blue? red

eyes or lips? eyes

burgers or sandwiches? sandwiches

friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers trope? enemies to lovers

pizza or pasta? both

ancient rome or ancient greece? idk not into both

foxes or wolves? wolves

mermaids or dragons? toughie, dragons

sci-fi or fantasy? boTH

watch a film in theaters or at home? theaters

fireproof or no more sad songs? dunno

bands or individual singers? both, mostly a bands fan

sweet or salty? sweet

monotype corsiva or comic sans? who tf would choose comic sans??

turtles or frogs? turtles

blur or oasis? oasis i guess

baseball or football? football as american football or soccer? think football since baseball is also american thing, baseball then

showers or baths? bath, a concept: bubble bath 100\10

my q.: Comedy or Drama?

 i’,m too lazy to tag tho so no real reason to add, do it if you want

[caddies]

tagged by @wormwoodandhoney tagging: whoever bc im too lazy for that shit

RULES : ANSWER all questions, ADD one question of your own and then TAG as many people as there are questions

coke or pepsi? Coke disney or dreamworks? disney coffee or tea? NEITHER both are gross af books or movies? both windows or mac? windows but i like the design of macs  dc or marvel? dc fo sho, have you seen marvel lately smh xbox or playstation? Nintendo!!! night owl or early riser? night owl yo cards or chess? cards chocolate or vanilla? chocolate vans or converse? both!! star wars or star trek? star wars one episode per week or marathoning? one per week unless its super long gandalf or obi-wan? gandalf  heroes or villains? villains are my faves yo john williams or hans zimmer? HANS ZIMMER DUH disneyland/disney world or six flags? disneyland duh forest or sea? forest flying or reading minds? neither twin peaks or northern exposure? twin peaks harry potter or lord of the rings? harry potter but i still love lotr cake or pie? cake you are banished to a desert island, which benedict cumberbatch character would you choose to take with you? is neither an option? train or cruise ship? train!!! brian cox or neil degrasse-tyson? neil degrasse tyson fo sho wizard of oz or alice in wonderland? the wizard of oz fanfiction or fanart? fanfiction the hunger games - books or movies? neither be able to see the future or travel into the past? see the future han solo or luke skywalker? luke skywalker of course lilacs or sunflowers? lilacs spring or autumn? autumn campfire or fireplace? fireplace french fries or onion rings? french fries truth or dare? truth winter or summer? summer vampires or werewolves? werewolves red or blue? blue eyes or lips? eyes burgers or sandwiches? burgers friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers trope? enemies to lovers is my weakness and i wish there was more of it :’( pizza or pasta? pizza ancient rome or ancient greece? ancient greece foxes or wolves? foxes mermaids or dragons? DRAGONS kate bush or madonna? idk the office or parks and recreation? Parks and Recreation!! my question: sky or sea?