#even though everyone is nothing but enthusiastic in theory

[captainjonnitkessler]

I think the most important thing I learned from the Tradeswomen Build Nations conference last year was that many of the women who founded women's committees and the like in their local unions were basically the only member for 2-3 years, and had to keep it going entirely alone until other people really started taking notice and stepping in.

And now I'm trying to found one, and we haven't actually met in three months because every month I text out the meeting time and location and get a bunch of "I'll be there, can't wait!" and then on the day of the meeting I get a bunch of "oh, well actually, I forgot I had this family thing/I'm sick/I missed my alarm . . ."

Anyway the point of this message is that if you've ever complained about the death of community in American life or whatever, think hard about whether it's actually dying or whether it's out there and you're just choosing not to participate, I guess

[max1461]

I think the deepest indictment of the... SSC-adjacent worldview (an earlier version of this post said "rationalist worldview", but I don't think that's fair—I'm really talking about something confined to certain subsets of the rationalist community, which I've seen most often on and around SSC, although not endorsed in its most potent forms by Scott himself) is not that so many of them are race science enthusiasts, but that so many of them seem to want race science to be true. The racism which I see in rationalist spheres doesn't seem to stem from a gut-level fear of the Other, as racism usually does, but rather from a deep and pervasive desire to sort people according to worth; a desire to reconstruct society into a ruthlessly optimized machine in which each individual is understood as nothing but a cog from birth. Even the ones who reject racial hierarchies per se often still love biological determinism. Let's run a battery of tests on all young people, determine What They Will Be Good At, and place them into that role as soon as possible. Set the mindless worker drones to their mindless work, and the real smarty-pants to their rightful positions in the professions and in academia. Sort sort sort sort sort. Maximize maximize maximize. It will all be so efficient! Everyone in their proper place! Everything running so smoothly!

And I don't know how to really explain to them why that's heinous. I don't know how to get at it in a way they'll understand. I don't know how to explain the value of human freedom and dignity, the way that being nothing but a cog in a machine is for many (maybe most) a fate worse than death. It doesn't matter if it's more efficient. It doesn't matter if every biological-determinist theory is true! To enact policy that crystalized those biological differences into an authoritarian hierarchy would be just as heinous! If anything, you should be using policy to reduce the effects of inborn differences in ability on life outcomes!

Because—look, I'm being emotional and not articulating this well, maybe I'll do better in another post later—the point isn't the end result! The point isn't to gather all the smartest people and make the most advanced contraption. The point is human freedom! The point is the ability to live, to go out there and chase your dreams, the ability to desire and to pursue and to accomplish what you can accomplish! The point is a world worth living in! We don't need maximum efficiency for that. Efficiency isn't meaningless, and I'll continue to defend its necessity to the kind of leftists who see it as a bad word. But it isn't the point. Better, I suppose, sufficiency than efficiency—economic and cultural sufficiency for human flourishing. And beyond that, freedom, even if it comes at a cost.

I don't know. I'm definitely not putting forth my strongest case here, though these thoughts have been floating around in my head for a long time.

Really this isn't about the rationalists specifically, it's something I was seeing in tech spaces long before I knew who the rationalists were. I think it stems, perhaps, from the kind of thinking that often attracts people to computer programming in the first place. But I don't really know, maybe that's totally wrong. There is something deeply offputting to me about much of "techie culture" though, something that this post is trying to get at. But I don't really know.

[neuroprincess]

Simili - The Executioner

Professor!Agatha Harkness/Student!Female Reader

Fanfic Chapter List

Summary: A series of murders start to scare the small town of Westview when young university students turn up dead on campus, soon Y/N seems to be connected to the victims somehow. Determined to find the author of these atrocities, she can trust no one, not her family, friends, and even less the local police, except the only person really willing to help her, the professor Agatha.

Warnings: Trauma in the subtext, sorry

Word count: +2500

"I watch attentively as the molten bronze falls through the mold, boiling, shining, filling every gap that will form a beautiful image, just as the fire fills and consumes me inside to one day become a person, for now I'm just a mold, even though bronze already runs through my veins, it's in my blood, it's who I am." 

As an omen of dark days and in response to recent events, the sky has darkened, turning the bright ones into a mist of mourning. Everything is gray, the animated conversations have become murmurs and, even if they hide it very well, fear pervades the corridors. The academic staff have told everyone that there is nothing to fear and no reason to, but how could they not fear a brutal murder on campus? The image of the man in their memories, haunting some dreams, meanwhile seems to be the entertainment of others who can't stop talking about it as if it were a kind of gossip. Young people are stupid, that's what Y/N thinks as she goes along her usual route, trying not to stare for too long at certain groups that gather on corners, enthusiastic whispers and cunning words, dozens of theories being born. No one really knew Jareth Redd apart from the fact that the name was on the staff and his visits, which could easily go unnoticed among the suited men who administer the university. She... she remembers the yellowed and pointed teeth showing in a smile not warm at all, almost sickly from how forced it was, the eyes that lingered too long and the soft speech that could engage anyone. And she doesn't like to talk or even think about him. That's why she's silent while friends chatter away, trying to keep her mind off other things like new classes or the fact that it hasn't stopped raining, two days and three nights in a row, the puddles are piling up at the exits, there's no umbrella to withstand the gale and at the same time there are a dozen reporters surrounding every gate. It's annoying how they insist on asking questions that no one has answers to and when don't get what they want, induce those answers, distorting phrases to make headlines in the local newspaper, main posts on websites and bloggers too. After days, they're still seen standing on the other side of buildings, trying to take photos or at least catch a glimpse, it's hard to have a big news story like this in hand in a considerably small town. A promising opportunity. 

"I heard he had a mistress and the wife ordered his death..." Wanda whispers to friends, there had been several rumors spreading in her previous classes "And the mistress is a university student, from here."

"He wasn't married." Y/N comments without thinking, immediately dismissing another created story, although she knows that if he were married it would probably be true "There was no ring on his finger." she tries to take some of the attention off herself when realizes that the group is staring with curiosity.  

"You're very observant, darling." Darcy compliments and smiles sweetly, approaching her who walks ahead faster than the others "Is everything all right?" she asks in a whisper, worried, since everything happened her friend has been quieter than normal, which isn't surprising considering how traumatizing seeing the scene had been.  

"Hum, yeah... yeah... I'm just a bit distracted today. I still have a couple of classes to finish the day." she shrugged and sighed, feeling tiredness along with the sleepless nights take over her body "And you?"  

"Just one more, how about we meet at the Planet later?"  

"I'll come along!" the redhead says, just behind them, listening attentively "But I'll be late, our practice has been postponed until late afternoon."  

"The debating club too." Monica says dejectedly, many classes have been canceled and events postponed "Maybe we won't go at all." she points at Jimmy, he agrees. 

They quickly get back to chatting about trivial things, like celebrity affairs or how much they hate a specific professor; to Y/N's relief, Redd is no longer mentioned. However, the walk is long, too much for her taste, feeling exhaustion in every part of body. From neurons synapsing a millisecond slower to feet that don't seem to obey the mind screaming that at this rate she'll be late. A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky, illuminating the dim corridor and the noise makes all her hairs stand on end, like a dose of caffeine, it wakes her up almost immediately, senses heightened and eyes alert, suddenly there's a lot going on around. A bunch of architecture students, if she remembers correctly, walk past them, judgmental looks alongside curious stares, all pointed in one direction, Y/N. They don't even try to hide it. This irritates and embarrasses her at the same time, she has never particularly liked being the center of attention, since childhood preferred to be on the sidelines, just an observer and now, after letting instincts lead her to that scene, she has become the last thing wanted. She involuntarily stares back at them, until finally she loses sight, and swallows her saliva, realizing the consequences of that day. But she... needed to confirm what resembled one of the recurring nightmares she's had, the ones that still torment her in the middle of the night and make her feverish. All seems very surreal. The water running under feet, wet grass, red taking over green, white and gray, the statue she had never paid attention to appeared to express itself as it held him in arms, between pain and compassion for a loved one who was gone. Such irony, she thought to herself, smiling without noticing.  

"Hey!" Wanda calls as she approaches, increasing speed to keep up with them "I have to do something before class, I might be late, could you save a seat for me?" and without giving a chance for an answer, the other girl takes off down the corridors, everyone there knows what she went to do and with whom, no one comments anything.  

"Good luck with your new classes, I hope and pray I didn't scare you about SHE." the brunette whispers, feeling a bit guilty.  

"Nah, I'll be fine." Y/N shrugged and winked at her "By the way, I don't want to be late, so I'm going. See you later!"   

"See you..."   

Without even trying to hear what her friend wants to say, she heads towards the stairs to the second floor, where the classroom is located. It's not as if she can pay attention to any real words or advice, it just goes in one ear and out the other, through the fog that her mind has fallen into. She's thankful that the floor is practically empty compared to the first, so she doesn't have to face the people staring at her or fill herself with questions about what the hell they must be thinking, away from judgmental, malicious and biased speculation. For God's sake, they don't even know her name and that doesn't prevent invented rumors from circulating in every part of the campus. 

"I'm sorry, I was distracted..." she begins to explain immediately when feels herself hit another body, both almost fall to the ground due to the impact, but hold on to each other avoiding it, the younger raises face and, surprise, releases her, kept safe by the arms that continue to hold her by the waist firmly against herself, so close, face to face "You... I mean... Well, I, actually..." the words are jumble in the midst of so much nervousness, her throat dries up immediately and hands tremble. 

"Watch where you're going next time." the woman says slightly annoyed and lets her go after making sure she can stand. Then straightens the coat she's wearing, fixes the glasses that slipped down the nose during the collision "Are you hurt?"  

"No, I'm fine. And you?" she asks, nervousness evident in her voice. The woman, the same one who hugged and cried in her arms, is so different from how she remembers.  

The eyes, previously swollen and darkened by pain, are a clear, soft blue, expressive and gentle, capable of seeing through any soul, from the purest to the most bruised, contradicting the indifferent expression on her delicate features. Long eyelashes frame them, accompanied by well-defined eyebrows, outlined nose and perfectly drawn mouth, a mature beauty that makes Y/N melt immediately. The air is stolen from her lungs and a sudden need arises to look minimally presentable, internally regretting her modest clothing, slightly disheveled hair and the miserableness of her appearance in general. A little embarrassed, she runs fingers through locks in an attempt to straighten them. 

"More than fine." the brunette reacts indifferently and stares at her from head to toe, making the student even more tense "Now, if you don't mind." she mutters, checking the handbag before continuing to walk in the opposite direction, without a second glance.  

The stranger's phantom touch makes her skin burn, a weird sensation begins to consume her, an emptiness that hits her straight in the chest. Y/N sighs in defeat, feeling the world trying to create a small conspiracy so that nothing is forgotten or, as she prefers, buried seven feet under next to his corpse. Very dead, waiting to be consumed by the worms, who, even though they are worms, are about to taste the dirtiest thing they've eaten in a short lifetime. The poison intrinsic in the cold and sickly flesh, time destroying it, just as it should with all the secrets and deeds in life. In the end, all she wants is for this person to disappear from existence, to leave her alone. No matter how much she's being pulled into the small loose parts of a complex puzzle, by which she means people and anything related, begging to be seen, she prefers to blind herself. Repeating, for the hundredth time in the week, that everything ended the minute a heart stopped beating. 

"Right, right, everything's fine now." she murmurs, impatient for letting these thoughts, ideas and... some memories surface "Class! I have to be in class." quickly checks the room number on the timetable.  

It takes her a while to find the correct number in the long corridor, among the various identifications that scramble in her blurry vision, sometimes she forgets how big the campus can be. From the high walls raised in raw brick to the statues molded by the hands of the graduates themselves, every detail drawn on Westview's timeline, the pride of the small town. The Mythology professor's auditorium lives up to this, rows of chairs down wide staircases, at least fifty empty seats, the walls are filled with paintings probably worth more than her life, along with dozens of historical decorations, at the end there is a stage that seems untouchable, so clear and organized, a large table in the center, behind it two shelves full of old books and a blackboard already scribbled on. The cursive letter written in impeccable calligraphy.   

Heels tapping against the laminate floor attract attention and a figure emerges from the adjoining door, walking at a slow, glorious pace to the table, those thick-framed glasses stuck on the end of her nose as she seems to concentrate on reading the local paper.  

"Are you going to continue staring at me or find a seat for yourself? Class starts soon." the woman, the same one from the fountain and the corridor, says loud and clear, sitting down without even looking up "And keep quiet." 

Y/N just nods in shock and does as she's told, looking for one, having the privilege of choosing anyone since nobody but her has arrived yet, ending up somewhere in the middle. And not a single student shows up for the next ten minutes. She begins to wonder if there will be any more or if a second thing has happened in the week to bring everyone together, doubt makes the atmosphere tense, not only because of her concern, also for the indifference she feels coming from the other woman. It's almost as if she despises the girl without even knowing her, which only reinforces what Darcy warned about earlier and makes her believe that she is, in fact, an executioner. How will the next lessons be if this is just a taste of what's to come? Not to mention the visible connection between her and the late chancellor. As the clock ticks down, the hope of having a partner in the battle for the first class is fading and, like a heroine on a winged horse, Wanda finally appears. The loud banging of the double door draws the attention of the only people there, which earns her a disapproving look, she doesn't mind.  

"Honey, I'm home!" she jokes, taking a seat next to Y/N "Can you believe I couldn't find him anywhere? So I gave up wandering around campus like a silly cockroach. Did I miss anything?"  

"Class hasn't even started." 

 "At this pace it won't, will it always be empty like this?" she whispers noticing the older woman's deadly stare now directed at them, the newspaper forgotten on the wooden surface "I wouldn't be surprised at her fame."  

"I have very good hearing, Maximoff." the brunette says suddenly, standing up and showing off her elegant figure without a coat; no one noticed that she had taken it off, revealing a beautiful navy blue dress that clings to curves and accentuates all attributes "And you should know that my fame doesn't even come close to what it's really like being in my class."  

At this point, Y/N doesn't even care anymore about the reputation of an executioner or how the hell she's going to deal with it for the rest of an entire semester, her eyes are fixed on the lines that outline the impeccable body and she can't help but admire her beauty. If she didn't have the slightest bit of self-control, surely she'd be drooling with reason. But she's certain to be blushing deeply and is grateful that the attention is on her friend.  

"Well, you two are new, so I'll be kind enough to go over a few simple rules. First of all, time, anyone arriving after the agreed time won't be allowed in. I'm not going to waste my voice for nothing, so be quiet, pay attention and take notes. And, most importantly, no smartphones."  

"But..." Wanda tries to protest only to be interrupted immediately, with no chance to say anything or assimilate indignation. 

"That's all!" the professor takes two steps forward and stares at them for a moment, blue irises fixed on Y/N before returning to speak "Welcome to Cosmogonic Mythology! I am Miss Harkness, besides teaching I'm in charge of the history department..."  

The words become garbled and the younger can't concentrate on the introduction to the subject, even though she knows all the difficult words need to be written down and some knowledge absorbed, nothing seems to enter her head. She is paralyzed, without reaction. It's really happening, there's no escape. At the same time as being enchanted by the professor, she is also frightened, fearing that she might read her soul and pull out the deepest secrets, because, like a magnet, they can't take their eyes off each other. 

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[etherealacoustic]

Lifeless Eyes pt.3

Pairing - Wolfstar x daughter!OC, Fred Weasley x OC!

Summary - Nova Lupin-Black comes home for the Easter holidays and her parents are in for a shock.

Warnings - breakdown, depression and cursing.

Here is the final part of the small series, my first ever as well! Hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing this <33

Link for pt.1 here

Link for pt.2 here

And before she knew it, a pair of arms were wrapped carefully around her vulnerable frame.

Sirius held her close, pulling his daughter close against him as much as possible, wanting to hide her away safely from all of her demons.

"Shhh," he murmured and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Da," she sobbed, her hands tightening as she gripped his shirt. "I c- can't- 's too much- I can't do- I'm sorry-"

"Hush love," Remus whispered from her side and rubbed her back. "Let it out".

"Pa," she stuttered and lifted up her head to look at him and Remus had never felt his heart being broken like this before.

A huge amount of pain had struck his chest as he looked at her destroyed state. He himself was shaking and he could also feel his eyes starting to water.

Her eyes on the other hand were crimson red, puffy and all wet with the tears that continued flowing down. She was shattered, as though she really had enough of everything.

Remus swallowed down his own lump and cupped her face, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here," he said desperately and she fell right into his arms.

"I'm right here," he repeated and shut his eyes tightly, a lone tear slipping down at last as he hugged her.

Nova Lupin-Black cried.

She cried and cried and cried.

She cried till there were no more tears left to fall, she cried till her throat was sore, she cried till her eyes were a deep red and her face a mess, she cried till every broken piece inside of her was free of all the emotions that were kept bottled inside for too long.

Her body stopped trembling after a few minutes and she lifted her head from its place on Remus' shoulder.

She let a deep breath escape her lips as she wiped her face, feeling her heart lighten at the breakdown.

"Sit down," Sirius instructed softly and directed her towards the bed while also handing her a glass of water.

"Feeling better now?" Remus asked.

"Loads," she answered and sniffed. "My shoulders seemed to have lost half the weight".

The two just smiled at her, their faces the embodiment of gentleness and comfort. They glanced at each other and both had the same thoughts.

They sat in silence after that, both men in no way intending to pressure or rush her.

"Can- can I tell you everything?" Nova broke the quiet hesitatingly.

"Course you can, love," Sirius grinned, extremely glad at her decision.

"Take it at your own pace," Remus suggested. "Go slow if it gets too hard".

She nodded gratefully but was then stumped, "From where do I even start?" She laughed nervously.

"Anyhow you like it," they said in unison.

"Alright," she said and bit her lip before beginning. "Well I've been like this for the past 3-4 months at least. And I didn't know what was happening. One day everything just suddenly went dull, black and ugly. I was no longer happy, or enthusiastic or passionate about anything anymore. It took a lot of effort to even smile, you know? It was like my face was a statue, like my very heart had gone numb".

"Dolores Umbridge," she muttered suddenly and both of their eyes narrowed at the rather familiar name. "She's the main reason, Dad," she mumbled, addressing them both.

"That woman is horrible, vile, cruel, evil, monstrous and every other synonym there is left. She tortured everyone, Da!" She exclaimed with slight emotion.

Sirius didn't say anything but Remus noticed the way his jaw had tightened considerably.

"She- She still has us read all those useless textbooks that have nothing apart from ridiculously long theories and boring passages. We still don't do any practicals because she's afraid we're gonna start our own army or something. And she's turning a blind to Voldemort as well! Talking about Cedric that way-" her voice broke as she took a minute to collect herself.

Cedric Diggory. Her best friend, the type of brother she never had. The loving, handsome, funny, brave and pure Hufflepuff.

Her Ced, whose memory was tainted everyday by the woman's false statements.

Now the only thing Nova felt was anger, and both of her parents sensed it quickly.

"I tried Pa," she said honestly and looked at him, her grey eyes meeting his honey ones. "I really tried to be as quiet as possible and not let her taunts get to me. And I was good, seriously I was".

He nodded, knowing there was a huge but coming up. He wasn't angry at her of course, he knew she had tried.

"But you can't expect me to stay quiet when that bitch mentions you," she said through gritted teeth.

"She what?" Sirius asked sharply, his gaze an identical one to his daughter's.

"Yes she did!" Nova said, glad that someone was now on the same level of furious as her.

"What did she say?" Remus questioned, his mind once again filling with thoughts of self-hatred.

"I can't even say it for merlin's sake! She- she insulted you because of- because of your furry little problem. In front of the whole fucking class!" Nova seethed.

"She did not," Sirius now whispered in a deadly tone.

"She did, Da!" Niva riled him up even more, but the pair fell silent at Remus' warning look.

"What did you do?" He asked cautiously, not wanting her to be in trouble because of him.

"I defended you," she answered with an innocent smile that was failing to hide the satisfied smirk. "Respectfully".

"Sure you did," he scoffed but a smile spread across his face anyways at seeing Sirius high-five her and at the huge grin adorning her face now.

"I got detention, but it was worth it," she shrugged. "And don't you dare tell me off for that. Even if you do, it'll be all worthless as I'd do the entire thing again in a heartbeat," she warned.

"I won't say anything," he rolled his eyes playfully. "But you should've been careful".

"Godric do I feel so much better now that I've got everything off," she laughed .

She laughed.

The two men stared at her for a second before laughing out loud themselves.

"This was the main part, the rest was just stress, tension, pressure from the exams and studies," she added.

"Sure?"

"Sure," she nodded. "Hogwarts has really become a terrible place since that wretched thing has stepped foot inside. I don't even wanna go back," she mumbled.

"No problem!" Sirius said with a very obvious glint in his eyes. "We have a teacher at home, you'll be all set".

Remus shook his head as the two shared a wicked laugh. "As much as I would love to keep you here, darling, you have to go. Unfortunately".

Nova faked a pout and huffed dramatically before resigning to her fate. "Well, the force can't always be with me".

He chuckled and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, "What did she have you doing in detentions?"

Silence. And more silence.

Remus' smile faded as his eyes glanced between Nova and Sirius, who looked a bit anxious too.

"Love, what are you not telling us?" Sirius asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion and also anger at Umbridge.

"I- um- she had me doing lines," she answered, not fully honest but not lying either.

"And?" Remus prodded her, knowing there was something to add.

She sighed, her eyes wandering for a second before she slowly lifted up her sleeve and put forward her left hand.

All that followed her action was a deadly calmness, one that was so intense that she was sure there was going to be a murder happening soon.

Remus swallowed and his eyes pierced the swollen skin of his daughter's hand, his entire figure radiating anger.

"Always a monster, always a disgrace," Sirius read it out through gritted teeth. "She's etched these words, Nova!"

"She didn't do it by herself," Nova mumbled. "I was given a blood-quill, where you use your own blood to write and the words appear on your hand".

"That absolutely revolting and bloody maniac-" An endless stream of curses fell from his lips as he paced around the room.

"Pa?" Nova said cautiously.

Remus didn't say anything and just took her hand in his, his touch filled with every bit of gentleness that his eyes were failing to provide at the moment. He tapped the red skin with his wand and she hissed a little as he healed the deep cuts.

"It looks fresh," Sirius added as he sat down again and watched the wound being treated.

"Well I did have my last detention just a day before coming here".

"For how long?" Remus questioned.

"Almost a month now".

"Why didn't you send a letter?" Sirius muttered and was already planning different ways to commit a crime.

"She would've intercepted it and the result would be more detentions," Nova grumbled. "But it's okay though, I'm fine now".

"It's not okay!" Remus exclaimed. "It's not right to use these things on students. This is a form of torture for godric's sake!"

"I know, Pa," she nodded and spoke softly. "And believe me I would love nothing more than to beat the shit out of her, but it'll not only land me, but us all in trouble too. And it's not worth the risk".

"And where did that girl go who always quoted, 'What's life without a little risk?'" Sirius frowned, not at all liking this.

"I'm still the same, Da," Nova smiled. "But it's really not worth it".

"It bloody is, it's you who's on the line. It's worth every fucking risk," Remus scowled but he did understand.

"Yeah yeah whatever," she brushed it off and flopped onto his lap while keeping her legs in Sirius'.

"If you happen to get the news of Dolores Umbridge mysteriously turning bald, I didn't do anything," he said suddenly and the other two burst out laughing.

"You'll be the first to know," Nova grinned and poked his stomach.

The trio sat there till it was quite late. Just speaking randomly and enjoying each other's presence after being away for so long.

"I'll go get some water," Nova got up holding her stomach as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, the reason being Sirius' very bad joke.

She still had a smile on her face as she reached the kitchen and was met with her best friends.

"Hey boys," she greeted cheerfully and the two turned around unbelievably fast.

"Nov," George breathed out and his lips rugged upwards at seeing her back. He quickly went over and hugged her tightly, almost squeezing the life out of her.

She grinned and pulled away to see him pushing Fred towards her and then shooting them a wink before leaving the two alone.

"Hey Freddie," she whispered softly and snaked her arms around his neck as he pulled her close.

"Hullo love," he smiled giddily and wasted no time in pressing his lips to hers with double the passion.

He kissed her with every bit of emotion that was filling his heart, all for her. He kissed her as a sorry for not doing more, for not helping out more. He kissed her as a thank you for fighting the battle and coming out victorious. He kissed her lovingly, feeling his happiness rise upon seeing hers.

"Thank you," she said after they pulled away. Breathless and overwhelmed.

"Every time," he replied and pecked her cheek gently.

"And sorry too".

"I'll take that one as well".

The couple laughed like buffoons, being crazily drunk over each other that they were unable to form a meaningful sentence.

Fred gave her a beautiful smile and wrapped her in an embrace, "I love you".

Her lips twitched and she leaned her head on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth and intimacy. "I love you too".

She then pulled back and gave him one last kiss before saying good night.

"Night," he whispered back and watched with a daze as she walked up the stairs.

Nova still had the red hue that had coated her cheeks during the kiss and as she entered her room, her parents were quick to spot it.

"Took you long enough to just get some water, eh?" Sirius teased and lifted his eyebrows while Remus smirked.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled and laughed despite herself as she finally settled on the bed.

"Of course," Remus smiled, one that wasn't sincere in any kind of way making her roll her eyes.

"Sleep now," Sirius said after toning down the teasing session and turning off the lights.

"Yeah," she answered, grabbing the blankets and closing her eyes.

"Love you, darling," said Remus.

"Tons and tons," completed Sirius.

"I love you 3000," she offered them a cheeky grin and wink before letting sleep take her.

The two men chuckled fondly at her antics, glad to have their little star once again. They looked at her adoringly before gazing at each other with the same amount of love.

----------------------------------------------

[pixies-and-poets]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvPzjsNO6Ud/?igshid=NjIwNzIyMDk2Mg==

I'm sorry if this message seems odd, but there's a secret message in this post that you might be exited by! (Just ask me if you can't figure it out or don't want too.) Again, sorry if this ask is weird!

NO, NO, IT'S NOT WEIRD AT ALL

I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE I HAD *THE DREAM* LAST NIGHT AND I WAS JUST SITTING DOWN TO POST ABOUT IT..... I guess I'll do it in this ask then!

OK SO WHAT I MEAN BY "THE DREAM" is the prophetic Phantom dream that all of us M+R fans seem to be having, in our own ways. It finally happened to me!

So I dreamed I was on vacation with my parents and brother, like the one I just came back from, except this time we were in this weird steampunk version of New York City. There was a lot regarding that I could talk about, but the important part for our purposes is that Ubisoft randomly dropped the third DLC out of nowhere the day I was going to leave, so I decided to take the Switch even though I don't normally take it on trips.

I didn't have much chance to play it because I wasn't able to download it until I got to my destination, and then I was trying to grab little moments here and there when we were on public transportation, or in our hotel. So my dream was jumping back and forth between the steampunk New York scenes and the game.

As for the game, the heroes had landed on this planet that I could best describe as looking like Palette Prime in the spring (similar vibes but a lot more green), and I think my brain forgot this was supposed to be a Rayman thing lol because all the Mario characters were there. When they got there, they found there was a strange cult and everyone was talking about their "new leader" and how some people respected him but others were afraid.

Then cut to a scene of Phantom spying on the heroes! He was in some kind of abandoned church or temple, looking out an ornate window, and he also had some kind of little underling with him. He was infuriated that the heroes had arrived there and he flew threw a wall.

The rest of my experience with the game was mostly just exploring, except Phantom would send up menacing faces/images into the sky to scare the Heroes (like translucent holograms/illusions), but they were just generic scary faces (not his own) so they hadn't figured out who it was yet.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm sure this whole cult thing came from @hostess-of-horror comparing Phantom to Cthulhu with him invading our dreams and us trrying to summon him, lol.

I was super happy but I had vowed not to get on the internet until I beat the DLC so nothing would be spoiled for me, but I just knew everyone would be happy. And when I woke up, it all seemed so real that I said, "He's coming back for sure!" But throughout the past few hours, that wore off and I came back to my realistic and grounded self who never gets her hopes up!

And THEN as I sit down to type up the dream and share it with you all, I see this ask!

What a day!

(Btw I pre-ordered this album a while back lol so I will get it eventually!! And we have the old tech to listen to it on because my partner is a vintage stuff enthusiast)

Ahem but anyway

THEY'RE JUST FUCKING TELLING US NOW

FLKASJFLKASJDFLKA GAAAAAAAAARHGHLAKDSHF ALKDSJFLDJSLKFJLKSJ

We were RIGHT this time, friends. The theories, the foreshadowing, the attention that we paid, it will be rewarded!!!

Ok now I have to go back to my job... somehow......... I'm expected to work......

[spiderpider]

can you hit us w some hcs for what the mercs do in their spare time maybe? :0

YES!!!! I'll put it under the cut because I'm gonna get elaborate

What Mercs do in their spare times!

Scout - Scout is really the only member of the team that isn't satisfied doing the same thing over and over again. He gets antsy fast- he's the first to suggest dumb excursions and the first to accept them. He loves visiting new places to scope out the best bars, and of course to set the world record in getting kicked out for flirting with the bartenders. Batting cages and running tracks are also high on his priority list! When he feels like spending a day at home, he'll pour over comic books, and maybe vandalize the base with scribbles and graffiti.

Soldier - Taking inspiration from his career as a tour guide, I think Soldier really likes visiting museums. Of course, he's an absolute nightmare to bring anywhere. He's enthusiastic, but Jane will explain just about anything, anywhere, ad nauseam. Go to a history museum? Soldier's gonna tell you how the was actually weaponizing raccoons and weapons made out of garbage. When he isn't terrorizing Teufort, he's probably at the base bossing everyone else around.

Pyro - Honestly probably setting forest fires. And stealing shit from campsites right before they set said fires. Teufort officials have yet to explain the rise of arson/robberies in the woodlands, but they're close. The current theory is a picnic-basket loving bear that just happens to have a penchant for arson. When they're not terrorizing campers, Pyro loves sewing! They make their own plushies, and they're getting pretty good at it!

Demoman - Weirdly enough, Demo loves going to the beach / desert to look for treasure. You can usually find him with a dingy old metal detector. It started off as a secret santa gift that blossomed into a genuine hobby! When he's at the base, he loves watching soaps on TV. Doesn't matter if it's the middle of a season, or something he's never seen before. He'll get really invested really quick. He's kind of a hopeless romantic. You'll usually see Demo, Medic and Spy surrounding the TV yelling at it.

Heavy - I think Heavy really does enjoy reading! That PHD in literature isn't just for show, he probably journals his thoughts and essays on the stuff he's read, too. Weather permitting, he'd like to sit outside and maybe even garden? Something calming and most importantly: quiet. His favorite things to garden are definitely hearty leafy-plants, and vegetables. He likes flowers, but they mess with his allergies. There's something extremely relaxing about being able to tend to-and protect- little baby-plants from the elements.

Engineer - Surprisingly enough, he likes fishing! On his days off he'll go down to the nearest lake, plop on the edge of the dock and fish for a few hours. He also loves solving puzzles, he routinely finishes the crossword before anyone even gets a chance to look at the daily paper. He's also the go-to repair man around the base (though he doesn't consider this much of a hobby, he has to admit that nothing feels better than solving problem, even if it is a leaky pipe.) He's dabbled in woodworking, too. Definitely has built a chair just for the heck of it.

Medic - The scientific pursuit of knowledge drives him- but you can't do science 24/7, even Medic would be burned out within a few years! He's definitely a workaholic, but when he's forced to have spare time, he really likes practicing the violin. He's one of those people that can pick up a hobby and won't set it down until he masters it (or, gets frustrated that he can't pick it up immediately and abandons it after about a week of work. There's a ton of half-knitted scarves shoved into drawers.) Taking care of his birds isn't exactly a hobby, but he does give them extra care and love when he has more spare time.

Sniper - Definitely going on hikes, hunting game and going on "vision quests". The dude is weird. He likes solitary activities, and rarely "hangs out" with anyone else. Really, really has a knack for taxidermy. He's one of those guys that doesn't try to go campy or kitschy with it though, thinks the little taxidermy squirrels in top hats are for serial killers and psychos. He sticks to trying to make them as realistic as possible, thinks it's way more respectful that way. He's spent more than a few weekends testing his wilderness survival abilities, too.

Spy - Honestly, it depends on his mood. He's definitely spent sour afternoons just smoking, drinking and reading his Dapper Cadaver magazines for hours on end. When he's not pouting, Spy is traveling. Anything to get out of a town made of 90% gravel. He likes visiting art museums, wine tasting, anything that he can brag about to the other Mercs. Secretly, though, he loves going to see B movies in theaters (obviously disguised). Cheap thrills are a guilty pleasure that he is incredibly embarrassed about.

[ryuichirou]

Hi ! First of all I wanna say I'm a huge fan of your drawings, your artstyle is so pretty !! Idia is one of my favs and I loooove how you draw him like he just looks so squishable /very pos. Then my question would be : have you played through chapter 6 yet ? If not, do you have any theories about what is going to happen ? And if yes, do you have any thoughts to share about it ?? I'm super curious to hear your opinion !!

Hello hello! I’m very sorry for replying to you so late, but we were in the middle of watching chapter 6 and decided to postpone our reply until we’re done, so I can share our thoughts properly (Sorry, this is going to be a monster of a reply, I’m going to talk a lot…). Hope all this was worth the wait!

Well, first of all, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m very happy that you like my artstyle and especially how I draw Idia, it means a lot. <3

Sooo, chapter 6.

To be completely honest, we went into twst already knowing about what happens in it, because our friend (who was playing through it at that moment) told us about Idia’s overblot and his and Ortho’s story. We were already interested in Idia by that point, which is why we were very curious about his arc, and I think it’s fair to say that this was the exact point we’d decided that we’re definitely going to check twst out. It just felt like it was filled with characters and tropes that we would really enjoy, and boy was it a correct hunch. That being said, the fact that we had already known the story didn’t ruin the emotional impact at all, we felt completely wrecked by ch6 lol

This post is possibly going to turn into me screaming about how much I love both Idia and Ortho, so I’m sorry in advance, but.

I really love Idia. This is going to sound weird, but I love how completely miserable he is and how you can see his suffering even when he’s giggling (oh how nice it was to hear his voice all the time lol) or messing with others. I think he is very well-written in this regard: he is clearly depressed, clearly very traumatized, clearly has a hard time dealing with what happened to him and the original Ortho (I mean the real one, but you know), but just… manages, somehow? It’s like he’s constantly playing the game of “for how long can I be in denial before I inevitably remember what I’ve done to my own brother and that this Ortho isn’t the real Ortho”. Except he never actually forgets about it, the realization is always in the back of his mind, because Idia can’t even allow himself to fully fall into denial; he always needs to remember what he did. It’s cool that Ortho-AI knows about what happened to the original Ortho too, even though Idia could have easily make him unaware, just so that they could pretend nothing has ever happened.

On a lighter note, when you take a character like this, with all his baggage, quirks and difficulties in basic human communication, and put him in a central role of a boss figure, who also has to talk to all the main cast and deal with their bullshit (seriously, just sign the NDA already, you problem children!), it ends up being quite amusing. Idia really tried his best to act like a boss, but was constantly bullied by others lol I also really love the contrast between uninterested Idia who just wants everything to be over already and enthusiastic Idia, who gets quite spunky and talkative once the topic shifts to stuff that he’s interested in. I love how Azul complained about Idia ranting his ears off all the time in the board games club, this is such an important and fun detail of his character: he is quiet, but actually enjoys talking when he’s passionate about the topic, and I think the chapter portrayed it perfectly. The entire segment in which the cast got to play random games and talked was really nice, but maybe it’s just me being soft for everyone involved in it lol

And I really love Ortho. In fact, I didn’t think I would love him as much as I do now, but he is quite enjoyable and more nuanced of a character than I anticipated him to be. It’s very easy for this character type to be simply “a cute android guy”, but the sheer power of his love towards Idia is wow. I find it interesting that while Idia did program him to act like the original Ortho, I don’t think he could’ve put so much love and care towards him (Idia) into his script. It was something that Ortho ended up feeling all by himself, by being with Idia for so long, taking care of him and noticing what makes him happy and what makes him miserable. The fact that he basically came to the conclusion that he didn’t want Idia to be miserable anymore, so he would rather destroy the world and rebuild it in a way that would make him happy is absolutely beautiful. We do have a soft spot for a trope in which AI gets attached to a person (in a not necessarily healthy way), and I am biased when it comes to that sentiment for personal reasons, but I also think it was a very nice plot point. Especially considering the fact that it were Rook and Vil who kind of inspired Ortho to stop feeling useless and actually go and do something, stop being a zero and all, like damn what a crossover lol a local couple of wise gay men accidentally inspired an AI boi to start an apocalypse.

The flashback… oof.  It was very beautiful and traumatizing (hey my favourite combo). I think I can talk about it all day, but I’ll just note that the voice acting in this particular part was awesome: I still get goosebumps when I think about that moment when teenage Idia suddenly starts crying after sounding so excited and smug and happy because he just finished the first version of his robo-Ortho. Because even though he did succeed, it didn’t fix anything: Ortho was still dead, his invention looked and sounded like Ortho but it would never be able to change the past. Ghhhh despair.

The design of Idia’s overblot was also great, I really loved that this time it was kind of like a double boss? Because the phantom wasn’t just a random, well, phantom, it was Ortho + the entire Underworld, and it was unusual and fun listening to their dialogues and stuff.

One of other very good things this book does is how it showcases other characters and their struggles. Exploring characters from a previous book in the current one is something that twst does every time, so we anticipated learning more about Pomefiore (and boy was that a ride), but we also got some good insight about Azul and Riddle and even Jamil a little bit (not much about Leona, but that’s Leona for you). And I can see how watching 3 sets of characters basically complete the same task over and over again could be quite tiring, but (maybe because we watched the walkthrough instead of playing the game) I personally didn’t mind it as much simply because the character aspect of it was entertaining enough. For the most part.

I really enjoyed Azul’s and Riddle’s scenes because of how similar yet completely different these two are: both are hard-working, grinding for good grades, having a lot of ambitions, but so very different in how they were raised and how they ended up navigating their lives. It was kind of surprising, considering that their chapters were pretty much the first ones and we haven’t seen them in a while, but it’s not like they’re completely healed from their issues: Azul still has a huge complex about being underestimated; Riddle still has a hard time breaking some arbitrary rules that don’t even mean much in a crisis. An unexpected, but a very nicely put together duo.

I won’t share all of my thoughts about Pomefiore because otherwise we’ll be here all day (and I’m already tired…), but what I’ll say is that it was great to see how strong their bond is, and that Rook and Vil’s relationships are very beautifully written. Please, someone, ask me about them, so I could rant about this too… orz I love Pomefiore so much… Vil’s and Idia’s interactions too…

So yeah, the chapter also ended on a very nice note, at least for the Shrouds. With other guys, when their arcs end, there is always this feeling of “oof better get everything back to normal”, but with these two it feels like an exciting new chapter of life for them, like everything is going to change somehow, but not drastically and uncomfortably. I don’t know if I explained it well but… Idia got his closure and got to say goodbye to Ortho properly; but he is still a socially inept otaku shut-in, he is still going to play an unhealthy amount of videogames, and he is still dependant on his robot-brother. But Ortho is now a person with an untouchable/unchangeable mindset, who chose to be with Idia and protect him himself. Also, other students got to know Idia and understand him a tiny little bit better, and honestly I feel like this is something that Ortho wanted the most.

Overall it was a solid chapter (I keep calling it both a chapter and a book, it’s confusing…) and I loved it. As you can see lol

[leogichidaa]

What do you think Regulus actually did for the Deatheaters during his short time with them? I don't see him being opposed to a bit of murder tbh...

I don't think he'd be opposed to a little murder and maiming either, although I don't think he'd be particularly enthusiastic about it. I feel like he'd be fine with it in theory but then when it came down to it, he'd struggle to actually kill someone. Largely because he was so young. He was a baby. If he stuck around longer, he'd probably get comfy with it.

I think he was likely pretty sheltered, even after he officially joined the DE. He was in school most, if not all, of the time that he was a DE. He probably wasn't personally involved in a lot of the more horrific crimes, and if he did live past graduation, I think that was probably a bit of a rude awakening for him.

Sirius says that Regulus "panicked about what he was being asked to do" and sure, what does Sirius actually know about the circumstances that led to Regulus' death? Nothing. But he does know Regulus. It may be a fantasy of "no, my little brother couldn't possibly be on board with all the hate crimes, I'm sure he just got in over his head", but there's probably some truth to the idea.

I like to think that the beginning of Regulus' disillusionment with the Death Eaters had nothing to do with morals or anything foolish like that, but that he was just bad at it. His heart wasn't in the Cruciatus curse, he flinched a little every time he saw Avada Kedavra used, he didn't want to kill people because he worried about being haunted forever by their ghosts (a valid concern, honestly).

He wanted to do better and commit more war crimes, but he found he just didn't have the heart for it. And everyone would tease him for being the spoiled little Black heir, too good to get his hands dirty, and he'd give some scathing response about how he is too good for this, actually, and then go hide in the bathroom to cry. He'd try to practice on mice but their cute little faces would make it so much harder and he'd despair of ever improving.

If it was a kill or be killed situation or if someone threatened his family, though, he'd kill them and not lose sleep over it. And I think he would do fine with magical crimes that are more removed, the stuff where you don't have to actually face your victim. Like stabbing pins into a doll or something.

[neixins]

yona of the dawn ofc :3

help i typed up whole paragraphs and then my browser crashed and none of it got saved 😭 i won’t be stopped though!

My rating (1-10): if it ends the way i think (hope) it will 10/10 no notes perfect historical fantasy shoujo series <3 if it doesn’t i hope we all explode

My favourite character: predictable answer but yona really is THEE protagonist of all time. she’s such a vibrant character even before she begins her journey and seeing her grow throughout the series is just so !!!! she cares so much and is ready to do anything to protect everyone and she’s clever and kind of insane but also silly and i love her so much!! also honorable mention to my special little guy gija <3 i adore his relentless optimism and how No Rational Thoughts Only Emotions And Actions he is 99% of the time. also he’s just so relatable To Me when he’s in poor little guy mode. i adore the entire hhb though, and so so so many of the side characters. they’re all just so well-written, it’s impossible not to love them

My least favourite character: probably chagol, mostly bc i keep seeing theories about how he’s not really dead and blah blah blah (in the famous words of kesha) and i’m sick of it. he’s a good villain and while i believe kusanagi could pull off his resurrection well if she so chose, as a meinyan fan, i LIKE that her abuser died so unceremoniously. let him rot, i say! even if he does get resurrected he’ll always be Just Some Gross Loser Guy to me

The character I think I'd be friends with: gija :) we’d get along so well on account of The Neuroses and The Only Child-isms

The character I think I won't hit off with: keishuk doesn’t seem like someone who’d appreciate my whimsy tbh

My favourite episode/scene: (don’t say gijaeha love potion shenanigans don’t say gijaeha love potion shenanigans) trying to pick One Scene in a 40+ volume series pains me so i’m gonna cheat and pick five (in no particular order) :3 (1) this scene from ch 163. all the hakyona scenes are so fucking good but this one’s just so so so sweet and i think about it all the time + it encapsulates so many elements of their relationship that i love, mainly how deeply they care about each other and help each other grow (where’s the post about austenian romance as a mechanism for self-actualization…), but also how goofy hak acts when he wants to cheer yona up

(2) yona getting the south kai envoys to admit to the shit they’ve been doing in kohka and then going “okie dokie now let’s get this meeting started shall we :)” she’s an icon and a legend <3 (3) gija in ch 252. absolutely devastating chapter and i need my guys back posthaste but OHHHH!!!!!!! i have so many thoughts about gija and monstrousness but i’m just gonna link to this post lest i go on too many tangents again…. (4) the hot springs chapter of course OF COURSE what kind of gijaeha enthusiast would i be if i didn’t bring that chapter up. it’s one of the most crucial chapters for the development of their relationship and it so perfectly captures how different yet similar they are + getting to see so much of jaeha’s thoughts on page really helps contextualize a lot of his actions in general (also i find his tendency to overanalyze and act on his assumptions instead of just. talking to the guy who’s been nothing if not remarkably earnest from day one lest he accidentally makes the situation worse to be both very endearing and very funny). (5) the “he’s stronger than i am” moment in ch 168. actually that whole battle scene Fucks Severely on so many levels but that!!!! line!!!!!! it makes me so crazy like. jaeha’s not just trying to stall for time, he genuinely thinks gija’s stronger than him (“from good morning to good night” bonus chapter) but like. looking at it purely physically they Are equals. but gija doesn’t hold back like jaeha does (ch 75, ch 170) and also it’s clear from the hot springs chapter that jaeha admires gija for not letting himself get shackled by his past (even though he’s Literally Being Haunted). also the moment right before that, when jaeha fucking. obliterates the bow of the soldier who tries to shoot gija (he’s doing SUCH a good job pretending that they’re enemies btw) is soooOOUGHHH like jaeha doesn’t get angry often but he’s FURIOUS in that moment and it’s so delicious (i think it’s the “let’s deliver him as a gift to lord kuelbo” part specifically that gets to him bc like gija can dodge one (1) arrow just fine without help but he risked the whole plan—) (getting vaudeville hooked off the stage) wait i lied :) (6) the blue forest mini arc is soooo good and so dear to me i HAVE to mention it!! it really showcases how caring sinha is + there’s also the lore drops about ghosts and the hakyona/gijaeha parallels, both of which make me wanna explode <3

Whose clothing style I like best: jaeha. the slutty little crop top wins by a landslide <3 i wish we got to see it more often (wistful sigh)

Times I watched it (and if I would again): once all the way through but i’ve reread parts of it many times for fic research and while theorizing. i definitely wanna reread it front to back though, all the parallels and foreshadowing make it so perfect for rereads

[ericmicael]

Honeymaren and her slight change of role.

Two times Honeymaren's role from the book, "The Enchanted Forest", to the movie was slightly changed. I've mentioned this before, but I want to deal with the two moments in more detail.

Ryder treats Olaf more naturally than Honeymaren does.

In the movie: Ryder as soon as Olaf appears the man looked by far the scariest Northuldra so much that he hides behind his sister.

In the book:

A young northuldra man named Ryder smiled at his sister, Honeymaren.

“That explains the ice statues,” Ryder said with a laugh, and crawled across the ice until he was face to face with Olaf. The little snowman smiled. “Is it a talking snowman?”

“Hi, I'm Olaf.”

“Hi, uh, I'm Ryder. This is my sister, Honeymaren.”

The young northuldra woman, who was sitting next to her brother, smiled and nodded with some discomfort.

My Opinion: I think the movie version was more in line with the role they would have in the few appearances the brothers would have after this scene (in the movie itself and in extra materials). Honeymaren eventually established herself as a magic enthusiast, and while Ryder also wants to bond with Elsa after F2, their conversations seem to just be about reindeer and nothing else (although the presence of the joke involving Honeymaren stealing Elsa from him, although I'm not sure that counts as stealing as Elsa herself is more interested in Honeymaren).

Ryder is a more fearful guy, but at the same time more communicative with strangers, especially reindeer. And Honeymaren is a braver woman, but a little more timid although her interest in magic makes her more active. This scene from the book for me would go against those descriptions whereas in the film it's the first time they've seen something like this so it makes sense their reactions even though their personalities are established afterwards.

It is Mattias and not Honeymaren who warns about the Earth Giants.

My opinion: I also prefer the movie version where Honeymaren raises the alarm. This change isn't very relevant, but I thought it would be better to have a northuldra talking about it rather than an Arendelle soldier. Regardless of the theories about how the spirits acted in that three-decade gap in the forest, Honeymaren would know information about the Giants' routine that perhaps wasn't so different from the time when they were friendlier. But at the same time, Honeymaren speaking the information makes Mattias' presence in the scene somewhat irrelevant in the film, other than the man acting as a listener, but as in the book there was no need for a scene of Honeymaren introducing herself to Anna (Ryder previously presented), the information about the Giants could have been given in the film by Mattias and everyone in the scene would have had a dialogue. But I actually prefer how that moment was handled in the movie than the book.

[lee-hakhyun]

sorry for continuing to spam your inbox; i am very enthusiastic about the secondhand information i hear, and i love hearing your thoughts a lot. lemme know if it gets annoying, though!

last thing about the 41st round being an alternate version here like the 1863rd round leading to 1864

you see, the secretive plotter first tried to change things himself - but in the end, he was just revisiting a past he couldn’t change, thus continuing the cycle of regressors reliving their grief

but secretive plotter’s actions regarding the alternate 1863 is different. it’s different because he had gotten someone else to help change yoo joonghyuk’s ending

first han sooyoung, in order for her to ensure his death - the closest thing to suicide the secretive plotter could have, via the disconnected film theory. and then kim dokja, who was brought in out of spite, wanting to prove to himself and the reader that his presence changes nothing.

except it did change things. it created a world that the secretive plotter - yoo joonghyuk of ways of survival - had never heard of before. all because he had, whatever the intentions were, asked for help. and this theme of reaching out for help is actually echoed throughout the story; if none of the details are changed, it just becomes another stage transformation, but if there’s someone else, if you’re not repeating the same events alone… you could write a better ending

it’s even in the revision of the ‘world after the fall’. i never actually read it in full myself, but there’s a translation of the last chapter available online for free if you look for it. there, yoo joonghyuk makes a sudden appearance at the very end; as the story’s lonely protagonist jaehwan waits to die under a bookshop’s debris caused by an earthquake, he is suddenly saved by a character from the book he was reading while trapped. and when jaehwan bemoans that his rescue was only possible because of literal cosmic intervention, yoo joonghyuk responds;

“there are some things that we can’t change ourselves. it took me a long time to realize this.”

and here lee hakhyun is, a writer, brought in to rewrite the story of a wordline often spoken of as a tragedy, making decisions that neither yoo joonghyuk, han sooyoung nor kim dokja would have ever done.

god i wish i was in a position to pay for the chapters. i’m betting it’s delicious over there

noo anon i love hearing your ideas too keep talking!! oh that quote. things that can't be changed

and maybe things that can be changed by someone else. lee hakhyun's exclusive skill is literally one that rewrites, if there's someone who is meant to rewrite a story now it's him

lee hakhyun never knew kim dokja personally, and maybe because he didn't write orv specifically for him and having written so many settings for characters that never showed up in orv, he's clearly paying more attention to the extra characters, giving everyone in geumho station a chance to survive as for why, i think it's a difference in core values kim dokja and han sooyoung, prioritizing the ones closest to them over everything else and yoo joonghyuk + now lee hakhyun, while keeping those close to them also doing more to aid those who they don't know

it might just be my interpretation, but it's interesting and lee hakhyun ending up in cheon inho's body.. a man who did not care for other life at all. and the way he's constantly calling himself a villain even as he's trying to save people

i am so interested in seeing how lee hakhyun develops, there's so much that could be done with him i drafted something about this and never posted it but lee hakhyun is more 'just some guy' than kim dokja. his trauma stemming from him being just so normal, and the specter in the phantom prison saying there's nothing in him there's something there about him inciting himself as other people to act as them, and him using kim dokja's story in his trauma, i just can't put it into words yet

authors ending up in their creation and having to deal with their own world,, (i love you too shang qinghua)

[carewyncromwell]

"Everyone’s a writer -- painter -- poet! Everything is avant-garde or chic!

We’ll be in the know before we know it... When you’re in the know, it’s -- Oh, it’s magnifique! To find in Paris what you seek..."

~"Paris Holds the Key (to Your Heart)" from Anastasia (musical)

x~x~x~x

Jacob Cromwell's graduation from Hogwarts truly was an underdog story, to most people's minds. After getting roped into the likes of R, losing his two closest companions to petrification and death respectively, getting expelled, and finally getting trapped in a magical portrait for seven years, it was something of a miracle when he was able to turn it all around with nothing but his astounding intellect and magical talent, graduating with full honors in the spring of 1991. Many presumed that after the trauma he'd undergone, Jacob would settle into life at home with a respectable new career in the Wizarding World -- his sister Carewyn certainly did, taking a much more peaceful job at the Ministry of Magic as a lawyer.

Jacob, however, celebrated his graduation and freedom by traveling the world and doing and learning as much as he could -- and in those travels, he ended up making quite a name for himself, not as "that delinquent Jacob Cromwell," but as a freelance magical researcher. One of those people who took immediate notice of Jacob's brilliance in this regard was a witch who ended up becoming a very good friend of his -- the statuesque Headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Olympe Maxime.

It all started when Jacob finally -- after pecking away at it off-and-on for about two years around his travels and random Cursebreaking expeditions -- finished a scholarly essay applying the principles of Muggle chemistry to various Potions ingredients. It was a subject he'd first experimented with in his fifth year at Hogwarts (right in the middle of his Potions OWL, ridiculous as it was), but Jacob had felt more prepared to return to the subject after doing more research and even covertly sitting in on a few Muggle chemistry classes while traveling abroad. Then over the span of the next twenty months, he wrote out a full piece on all of the research he'd done, adding in some theories about a variation of the periodic table possibly being applied to various Potions ingredients and how applying the principles of organic chemistry to Potioneering could spur the invention of new Potions. Jacob sent a copy of his essay to his former professor and friend, Horace Slughorn, and the ex-Potionsmaster reacted with great enthusiasm.

Pleasantries aside, though -- Jacob, my boy, your essay! I spent an absolutely lovely afternoon reading it over a glass of brandy, and I was simply enraptured by it! I hope you don't mind, but I've already sent a snippet of it off to a friend of mine who writes for The Practical Potioneer, to see if he'd be interested in publishing the whole thing in some future edition -- such a thing awaiting your explicit consent, of course.

Jacob enthusiastically gave Slughorn the "go-ahead" to send the rest of his essay along, if his friend expressed interest in publishing it. Later that year, when Jacob came home for Christmas, he was able to surprise his mother and sister with their own first editions of the potioneering magazine containing his essay. Lane was so delighted and proud that she actually ended up bursting into silent tears.

"The Practical Potioneer," she breathed, her wispy voice choked with emotion. "Oh, Jay...I used to read that every month, when I was in school...whenever the Hogwarts library got in a new copy that I could check out...and now..." She brought her hands up to cradle her son's cheeks, "...now my little Blue Jay's gotten published in it!"

Jacob opened his arms in anticipation of the big hug his mother gave him, squeezing her tight. Despite being just as strong of a Legilimens as Carewyn, he'd never been as good at sensing people's emotions as she was -- but in this moment, he was positive: his mother was so, so proud of him. And that feeling filled Jacob up with so much vindication and warmth that he too felt close to tears.

Both Lane and Carewyn would put Jacob's article in positions of honor. Carewyn framed all four pages of Jacob's essay and mounted them on the wall of her office under a print of Hogsmeade village Badeea had painted for her. Lane herself left the magazine with her son's essay out on the side table by her favorite "reading window" for the rest of her life, and she shared it with every single one of the few visitors she invited to her cottage.

x~x~x~x

As fate would have it, a French Potioneer traveling abroad on holiday picked up several Potioneering magazines from the countries he visited, so as to read them on his long train ride home. One of those such magazines ended up being that very edition of The Practical Potioneer, and the French wizard was thoroughly charmed by the theories presented by the British researcher called Jacob Cromwell: so much so that he translated the essay into French and then sent it and the original magazine to the French Wizarding World's main newspaper, Le Cri de la Gargouille. The paper then published the translation of Jacob's essay in their paper in February 1994, specifically as part of their Mode de Vie Magique section -- a section that was, in fact, a favorite of one Olympe Maxime.

About a week after Le Cri de La Gargouille printed Jacob's translated article, Jacob received a letter via owl post that was sealed with a light blue seal marked with a cursive "B" over two crossed wands.

Monsieur Cromwell, Firstly, I must apologize if this letter reaches you more than once. When seeking out an address for you, I was informed that you currently have no permanent address, and so I had to get creative to find a way to contact you directly. Fortunately it seems that the Owl Office in Paris is most resourceful in locating witches and wizards while they are on holiday abroad. But now, to business. A week or so ago, while reading La Cri de La Gargouille, I came across your essay regarding the application of Non-Magic chemistry to our own Potioneering, and to put it simply, I found it absolutely enthralling. I profess no expertise in Non-Magic science, aside from the psychology books I've read by Non-Magic authors, but your knowledge of the two subjects is clearly thorough, and your conclusions in comparing the two were fascinating. Your application of Non-Magic chemistry to Potioneering is a subject I would like very much to share with my older students, in preparation for their entry into the Wizarding World. And so it is because of this that I cordially invite you to the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic for a high tea on the afternoon of March 1st, at 3 o' clock. Please RSVP as soon as possible -- I hope that since my return address is so prominent, your response should not take long to reach me. Chaleureusement, Olympe Maxime Directice of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

x~x~x~x

To say Jacob was thrilled at the prospect of visiting the famous Beauxbatons Academy would be an understatement. He was so over the moon at the prospect that he sent letters to Carewyn, Lane, his best friend Olivia Green, Horace Slughorn, Filius Flitwick and Madam Rosmerta about it, before he finally calmed down enough to remember that he hadn't even RSVPed to Madame Maxime's invitation properly.

Salut, Madame Maxime! Mon français n'est pas très bon, mais j'ai pensé que je devais répondre dans votre langue, parce que vous m'avez écrit dans mon langue. Le français est une belle langue aussi -- c'est ma préférée des langues gallo-romantiques. J'aimerais beaucoup te rendre visite! J'ai lu beaucoup de livres sur votre école. Je ne peux pas attendre! À bientôt! Jacob Cromwell

Jacob then had to immediately set about making travel plans to France. First he took a boat from Rebun Island (his current location) to Tokyo; then he took a very long plane ride from Tokyo to Frankfurt, Germany; once he'd gotten his bearings, he then took a train to Paris, where he was able to take the Floo Network from le Place Cachée to the Wizarding village of Lapinfort, by the outskirts of Lourdes. It was in Lapinfort that Jacob was handed a response from his sister Carewyn, which had arrived via owl the previous day.

Dear Jacob, I just got your letter. I can't believe you're actually going to visit Beauxbatons Academy! I know how much you've always wanted to go there, and to know you've been invited there by Madame Maxime herself...I'm so proud of you! I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm rereading your letter as I'm writing this and I can't stop smiling. Truly, though, I hope you get on with Madame Maxime, and that your lecture for her students goes well. I met Maxime once when she accompanied my school friend Penny's penpal Aurelie Dumont on a visit to Hogwarts, and she's a very glamorous woman. But please, Jacob, I'm begging you, don't make ANY comments about her size -- she's even taller than Hagrid, and I get the feeling she's secretly very self-conscious about it. The last thing I want is for you to make a bad first impression!! As the French say, "bonne chance!" Write to me as soon as you get this, and then be sure to also write to me all about your meeting, after it's over -- I want to know everything. Love you, Carewyn

Jacob wrote Carewyn a quick note to let her know of his safe arrival. Then, once he'd finished, he went into town and found a carriage led by flying horses that could take him over the Pyranees mountains and to the famous Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

It was truly as beautiful of a school as Jacob's books had claimed. Just as Hogwarts was a mysterious, grand stone castle, Beauxbatons was likewise a kind of palace, though one far more ornamental and delicate: a true French chateau, framed by elegant gardens trimmed with fairy lights.

As Jacob disembarked from the carriage, he found himself enchanted by the tiny seashells embedded into the cement paths that led through the gardens. He soon found himself wandering the left of these paths, rather than looking for the entrance properly, and found himself embarking on a quest to locate the center of the hedge maze he'd found himself in. It wasn't until about a half-hour later that he found his way back out and to Beauxbatons' entrance.

When Jacob reached the grand, white front doors, they sparkled with silver sparkles as they opened for him. Clearly the school knew this was a welcome guest, rather than an enemy -- Jacob's eyes lit up at this thought, and only became brighter seeing the school's interior.

The ceilings were even high than Hogwarts's, and shining as bright white as a spring-time sky full of angelic clouds. The halls were framed by large, beautiful, painted marble columns trimmed with gold, as well as countless living portraits trimmed with ornate ivory frames. There were crystal chandeliers decorated with colorful glass flowers and ivy that sparkled with even more fairy lights. Living statues were mounted in displays of honor down the hall, and they all turned their heads to look at Jacob as he passed. Everything was so bright and pristine, and yet not flimsy. There was power here, inside of this ageless, seemingly fragile beauty: the kind found in the Greek Parthenon or the palace of Versailles.

"Ah...Monsieur Cromwell."

Jacob looked up, startled, to find a very foreboding, but beautiful woman dressed all in light blue satin with a white feathered-shawl around her shoulders, approaching him. She was large before she got close, but once she had, she towered over him, nearly as tall as the ceiling.

Like Hagrid, Jacob recalled.

The thought of the friendly gamekeeper, as well as of Carewyn's letter, made Jacob grin from ear to ear.

"...You must be Madame Maxime!"

"Oui," she said lightly. "You are late, Monsieur Cromwell -- I expected you 'alf an 'our ago."

The Directice's dark eyes flitted over the much smaller man, taking in his incredibly informal white t-shirt and jeans with muted disapproval.

Jacob, however, was blissfully unaware of this.

"Oh yeah -- sorry about that!" he said brightly. "I was just exploring your gardens -- fabulous hedge maze you've got, on par with the one at Villandry Castle. I think I found at least one of its treasures in my wanderings -- that is, if you don't count the absolutely beautiful Herbology specimens...nearly got caught in that French Devil's Snare, when trying to examine your color-changing peonies. But at the center of the maze, I found your garden of wood nymphs -- "

Maxime looked very startled. "You found eet?"

"Yeah! Bloody brilliant use of Concealment Charms, though -- took me about ten tries, before I got the order of turns right...but yeah, so I found the garden in the center, and that tree...absolutely stunning! I don't even know what breed it is exactly, maybe a variation of Wiggentree, but it's exquisite! Is it unique? It surely must be -- I've never seen one so big! Anyhow, the wood nymph Queen wasn't so keen on me getting close, but once I showed her I meant no harm, she pointed the way out for me...who knew wood nymphs would be so keen on Whitney Houston? Though really, I don't blame them -- Whitney's got a wicked set of pipes -- obviously I couldn't do her song the same justice she would've, but hey..."

Many a person had found Jacob's talkativeness exhausting to deal with, in the past. Even Jacob's first friend and love Duncan Ashe had frequently had to tell Jacob to shut up now and again, whenever he'd go off the deep end in rambling. Surprisingly, however, Madame Maxime didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable or overwhelmed -- if anything, her expression bloomed into something a bit more intrigued.

"You zaid zat you not only found our garden for ze wood nymphs in less zhan an hour," she said, "but zat you also earned zheir favor? Monsieur Cromwell -- I do not zhink you are aware of quite how rare zat is."

Jacob cocked his eyebrows, smiling fully. "Why, because of your Concealing magic? Ah, well, I am a freelance Cursebreaker, a lot of the time...puzzles are my favorite thing. And magical creatures are always groovy -- you should meet my friend Hagrid, he works at Hogwarts, he's swell with creatures..."

"What I mean is zat conquering zat maze is a test all seventh year students must face 'ere at Beauxbatons, in order to graduate," Maxime said, her smile spreading more fully. "And most only reach ze garden, before 'aving to quickly leave it. Ze wood nymphs are very protective of zheir tree -- which, yes, is a one of a kind specimen: I rescued it on a trip to Greece myself," he eyes twinkled with a bit of mischief.

Jacob blinked. Then his face broke out into a bigger smile than ever, his skull-like light blue eyes positively alight with delight.

"So does that make me worthy of touring the hallowed halls of your Academy, Directice?" he asked, raising his eyebrows eagerly.

Maxime beamed. "Quite worthy, Monsieur Cromwell."

"Groovy!" cheered Jacob. "Because I was meaning to ask about your school's architecture -- everything I've read about Beauxbatons states that it was built in the 13th century, but all of the decor and landscaping I've seen since I got here is distinctly Baroque -- more properly, Rococo-inspired, which wasn't popular until the 17th century at the earliest. I would assume Beauxbatons has gone through some structural changes thorough-out the years -- understandable, given the history of war on France's borders, in contrast to the isolated Scottish Highlands where Hogwarts is situated -- but are these original from that period, or was it brought back in a revival, after the fall of Napoleon and the virulent anti-monarchist views held by the common man had calmed enough that such beauty could be celebrated again, rather than solely condemned?"

Maxime indulged Jacob's questions as they walked down the long hall and then up a grand staircase to her office. Once there, she offered Jacob some tea (which Jacob drank to be polite) and a dish of endlessly duplicating chocolate madeleines (which Jacob couldn't stop eating). While drinking their tea, Maxime asked Jacob some questions of her own about the kinds of magical research he'd been working on, which prompted Jacob to go off on a tangent about poisons and antidotes, which in turn got Maxime eagerly talking about the perfumes she mixed herself, using the flowers grown in the Beauxbatons gardens.

"Truly, it iz also not zo different from your non-Magique 'chemistry,'" said Maxime. "Just as with Potions, you zimply need zome zort of essential oil, a proper base, and zhen different 'notes,' to achieve ze desired effect. Combine jojouba oil, lavender, and rose with just a 'int of Lady's Mantle as a top note, and voila! You have a perfume zat not only makes you feel relaxed and beautiful, but makes you both smell and appear even more beautiful, to ze people around you."

Jacob's eyes lit up. "Using Beauty Potion ingredients in perfumes! What a groovy idea! I can't wait to tell my Pip -- she's always liked lavender as a scent..."

Maxime beamed, clearly very pleased by Jacob's enthusiasm. "You can zee why your piece about applying non-Magique chemistry to Potions interested me zo much. I would frankly love to 'ear 'ow you'd explain your theories to my students...if you would be willing to let me 'sit in' on your lecture."

"Of course!" Jacob said at once, without any hesitation. His grin was so big he could hardly contain it. "Mais oui! I'd be honored!"

Maxime and Jacob would go on to talk for another whole hour, long after the tea was gone. It was only then that Maxime brought Jacob downstairs toward the Potions classroom, where a set of seventh years had just filed in, and introduced Jacob to the class before settling in the very back of the room as he started his lecture. Although Jacob went on quite a few long tangents in his lecture, his enthusiasm captivated the French students, so much so that they couldn't even look down too much on the weird Briton with the crazy hair and sloppy clothes. He was so animated and intelligent when he talked that soon all of the students were raising their hands and engaging with him, asking follow-up questions and even challenging his conclusions, which Jacob reacted to with almost more enthusiasm than he did to the questions. By the time Jacob's lecture was through, Maxime's eyes positively radiated with how charmed she was by this tiny, quirky little wizard with the messy curls.

"You will have to visit again, when next you publish anozher zuch work," she said insistently.

"Oh, totally!" said Jacob eagerly. "I'd love to come again sometime. Even just to explore some more -- your school really is smashing! I'd love to see your library next time..."

"Mais oui -- but of course."

Jacob's enthusiasm clearly pleased Maxime greatly. It made her give a slightly-too-hard pat to Jacob's cheek that ended up more feeling like a slap.

"Au revoir, Monsieur Cromwell," said Maxime with a warm smile. "I do 'ope zat you shall visit France again soon."

Jacob blinked. Then he smiled a bit more awkwardly.

"Well, uh...my travels kind of keep me on the move. I don't really know when I'll be anywhere a lot of the time -- I just sort of figure it out as I go along. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to come back sometime, obviously! And until I do, I could always send you letters, if you'd like. I love sending letters," Jacob added with a grin.

Maxime cocked her eyebrows. "You do not zeem to like receiving zhem quite so much, if you do not have a proper return address."

Jacob laughed uncomfortably. "Oh no, it's...not me not liking receiving letters, I just...keep forgetting to file for a proper collection box, with the Owl Office. Pip's always getting on me for that -- she ends up getting most of the letters for me, and she thinks it'd be a lot easier if people just sent them straight to me, rather than her having to figure out where to send stuff to me based on what I tell her of where I'm next going..."

"Your 'Pip' iz right about zat," said Maxime with a cool smile. "I would zuppose she is just too nice to tell you to stop making 'er pick up after you."

Jacob laughed a bit more fully, though still rather uncomfortably.

"Yeah...yeah, I guess you're right..." He smiled a bit more fully. "All right -- when I get a proper collection box, I'll let you know straight away."

"Good," said Maxime. "I would not like to 'ave to zend three of ze same letter again. I am not ze zort of woman who likes to appear desperate."

Jacob laughed again despite himself. "Desperate? I wouldn't have said that. I thought that it just made you determined, honestly. It sounds like just the sort of thing my Pip would do, to make sure she reached me."

"I have met your zister before, Jacob Cromwell, however briefly," said Maxime, her wry smile widening a bit. "Zo I know, both because of 'er and because of your clear esteem for 'er, zat your comparison is a great compliment."

Jacob grinned. "Better believe it is."

Sure enough, with Madame Maxime's prodding, Jacob opened up a collection box with the Owl Office and enchanted it so that his mail could seamlessly appear in a collection tray on the desk inside his portable room in a suitcase. With this, he was able to receive and send letters a lot more quickly and efficiently -- and it was because of this that Jacob received the news of Cedric Diggory's death so quickly from both Carewyn and Maxime and he was so quick to return home to the United Kingdom in the spring of 1995. Jacob would lose touch with Madame Maxime when she went with Hagrid to negotiate with the giants, but they would reestablish contact after her during the War and especially after, when they no longer had to send messages in code.

The two would remain friends for many years to come, sending letters and gifts to each other while Jacob was traveling. One of Jacob's favorite gifts from Olympe Maxime ended up being a custom cologne she brewed for him, made of cocoa beans, leather, Egyptian musk, and Lady's Mantle. It was a scent Jacob wore chiefly on dates, when he really wanted to look and feel his best, and whenever anyone asked him about it, he was always incredibly proud to boast about his talented friend, the stately Directice of Beauxbatons herself.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Pixels (2015)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Based on the 2010 short of the same name by Patrick Jean, Pixels has some neat visuals… and nothing else to offer. Even video game and arcade enthusiasts won't like it, as the film is more concerned with giving Adam Sandler’s posse pay checks and indulging in nostalgia than utilizing the tools at its disposal to full effect.

As a child, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) became a champion of arcade games until he was defeated by his rival Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage) in the world championship’s final round. Years later, Sam has a chance to make a name for himself when aliens misinterpret old video game footage as a declaration of war and attack our planet with arcade-inspired creations.

Kevin James as the President of the United States. Pixels is a sci-fi comedy but even so, our suspension of disbelief only goes so far! The man just doesn’t fit the role. For the most part, however, everyone else who appears in the film - Adam Sandler as himself, Josh Gad as the conspiracy-theory obsessed nerd who lives in his basement, Michelle Monaghan as a weapons developer who will inevitably fall for Sandler’s character even though they hate each other upon first sight - do fine with their parts. It’s the material they’ve been handed that spells "game over".

There are many unkind words we could use to describe Pixels. “Self-indulgent”, “unfunny”… but I’m going to choose is “lazy”. It’s a movie about arcade games which gets basic things about the games it’s showcasing wrong. Cheat codes for arcade games? Why would those exist when the machines were designed to eat quarters? A Smurfs arcade game? I couldn’t find evidence that one ever existed. Apparently the barrels and fireballs in Donkey Kong move without pattern… even though they do in real life. And that’s just scratching the surface. This film operates without any semblance of logic. In one battle between mankind and the aliens, the players must operate under rules which emulate the game - Pac Man being a good example. In other scenes, like when the heroes play a jumbo-sized version of Centipede, our “team” is allowed hundreds of players. When we get to the final challenge (Donkey Kong), anyone can do whatever they want regardless of whether it’s possible in the game they’re supposedly playing.

This is a significant disappointment from director Chris Columbus, whose career has had its ups and downs but doesn’t typically churn out this type of Happy Maddison slop. Every fifteen minutes, the film seems to be think that someone screaming is the pinnacle of hilarity. Over and over, a lame sex joke gets snuck in there and we get a speech from someone about how the good old days were awesome and how today, well things just aren’t the same. Many aspects of Pixels feel like they’ve been pulled from a time long gone that we'd rather forget. Most notably, the romantic sub plots, who are so awful you’re tempted to give the actresses standing ovations for playing their parts without cringing.

If you’ve seen the 2010 Pixels short, there’s no reason to see this full-length film. Adam Sandler’s usual comedic antics add nothing to the cool voxel look and the visual gags in its 2-minute running time isn't improved by cameos by Serena Williams or Nick Swardson. I suppose Happy Madison fans may find some of it enjoyable but that's just a theory. (May 10, 2019)

[drowninginredink]

Hey 👋 Do you have any hcs or thoughts about any of the Quagmire triplets? :)

(Idk if u like asks so feel free to delete this if u don’t want to answer! :) )

I love asks! That said, not really! I'm not big into the Quagmires. I honestly only remember the Quagmires even exist because of how much the fandom likes them. Like, I think the fact that I've never cared about the Quagmires should have been a tip off to me that I was aromantic and aplatonic because they very much were only written to serve as the Baudelaires' friends and love interests, and I don't care about those two things! I think that's a lot of why I'm still obsessed with this series, honestly. It's a lot of weird relationships that can't really be labeled, and also family, and I am weirdly not afamilial. I do have a soft spot for Quigley because God, his story. I love Quigley and Jacques. But even then most fic with the Quagmires is very much romantic fic so I am solidly uninterested.

I feel like in terms of fic, this fandom really has 3 genres/circles: the Quagmire people, the sugar bowl gen people, and the violaf/klolaf people. I really am not a Quagmire person (all power to y'all, I'm just too aroapl for it). Most of what I write—okay, let's be honest, most of my ASOUE ideas are either only on FFN and not uploaded to AO3 yet or aren't written at all and are only in my head. But. If we look at that, I write a lot of stuff that's really just about the Baudelaires, which I feel like there's not quite enough of to form its own subgenre, but God I love it, and a lot of sugar bowl gen stuff. And then as for the Olaf shipping side, I do really love to read it, because I am absolutely a sucker for unhealthy relationships and putting characters through pain, but I doubt I'll ever write any of it. Other writers have covered and will continue to cover that ground really thoroughly and I have nothing to add. But I am aware that because I don't write it people might be like "oh, don't worry, it's not part of *that* side of the fandom" and like, no, I do in fact like problematic stuff.

I do have my fair share of ASOUE headcanons, though! There's the aroace Bertrand one I've posted here; Lemony having picked up smoking from Kit (who picked it up from Olaf); Jerome and Esme very much being a lavender marriage; I'm the one person who thinks we should keep referring to the Henchperson of Indetermine Gender with the it/its pronouns from the book because dammit, that's sort of it/its representation and I want to reclaim it; I absolutely following the school of thought some fic writers have that absolutely everyone in VFD was sleeping with each other because like... How else do you cope with knowing that you're going to die young and are embroiled in a fight that started before you were born and will continue after you die? (although granted, that one may be aroallo bias, as I'd love to be sleeping with everyone all the time with no solid relationships anyway). So I love ASOUE headcanons, and you can bug me about them all day, but not necessarily Quagmires. I'm always glad to watch people be enthusiastic about things, though, so I'm very glad people love them so much.

Anyway idk, I kinda just wanted an excuse to talk about my 3 main types of ASOUE theory. So thank you for that!

[truckreincarnation]

(vee)tal strike | Vee | Trial 5.2 | Re: Harriet, Manami, Germain / Attn: Manami, Germain

There's a shift in their body language as Manami starts throwing out what feels like a desperate attempt to pin the tail on any other donkey in the room, though they certainly need a moment to recover after Perry's theory gives them... It's not serious enough to be considered whiplash, but they're not quite sure they could support her in this. Nevermind, there was something more important they needed to do right now, and as they start to get up, the dog in their lap has his rest disturbed.

"M'sorry. But there's s-someone who needs you more t-than I do right now." Vee says simply, kissing Terry's forehead as the puppy whines softly in protest. There's nothing stopping any one of them from getting up at this point, so he does just that, walking the short distance over to Harriet's seat. As they gently coax Terry into her arms, they lean in to press a forehead kiss against her as well. "Sorry Harriet." They whisper softly so that only she can hear it. "Y-You're not goin' to like what I h-have to say next... But someone w-will have to. If n-not me, someone else will. I'll m-make things up to you if I'm w-wrong though. I promise." 

Once they return to their seat, Terry-less, they pull out their parasol, morphing it into its rod form as they hold onto it to ground themselves. Bryn is in their head, offering words of encouragement, and it's what calms their nerves enough to speak. "Smoke and mirrors. D-Deflectin' the potential for blame o-onto everyone else. The one thing M-Manami chose to obscure were these bite m-marks. If they had come f-from her, she wouldn't have needed t-to or would be more than h-happy to take ownership of, which m-means they must have c-come from Ocelot." They fish around in their hoodie and pull out Bloodbloom, before channeling their Domain into it and turning it off, causing their vampiric fangs to disappear into wisps of smoke. "These are e-entirely for the aesthetic, and I d-doubt I would be able to b-break any skin, even if I desired to p-put my lips anywhere close to t-the King. Regardless, includin' myself f-for fairness, the other seemingly U-Unbound Incarnates who also display p-prominent fangs are Avery, Bian, and G-Germain."

They close their eyes. "Of the information w-we gathered on Ocelot in our s-separate rooms, they didn't like the h-hero business, liked sparrin' and would l-look good with a gun; they were d-described as sullen, but clever and k-kind, with a startin' Domain that w-was considered quite commonplace in C-Calamity and a nickname likely p-payin' homage to Revolver Ocelot. For those w-who don't know him, he's a sharpshootin' g-gunslinger, an old-Western enthusiast from the M-Metal Gear series with a large Colt r-revolver." Once they'd seen the nickname Lottie, their mind had latched onto the reference, but they had been conflicted as to whether it was chosen for the character or simply because he was a very hot man in a video game. Things were a little clearer now. "They got l-lost in the woods quite a l-lot, and our very first day here, s-someone admitted to livin' alone in t-the woods for a month. Even the a-absence of the disguisin' runes can be e-explained away - Harriet, even before you... p-passed, you'd already picked up visual t-traits and changes that developed even further when y-you became Bound. S-Some of us in this room happen to h-have developed similar changes. The s-scratches in their confined room at the m-manor, and the tearin' of Calum's p-portrait in the ballroom. Yuliya's a-addressed the comment about the s-snakes, and even if both "s-storyteller with trust issues" and "the t-traitor who abandoned Lioness and fled" are v-vague enough statements that they could a-apply to anyone here with enough stress and i-imagination..."

Vee tilts their head, expression as guarded as you've ever seen it. "Once is happenstance. T-Twice is coincidence. Thrice is a p-pattern, and when so many things just seem to p-point to one person in particular, no amount of s-smoke and mirrors can obscure what seems to b-be the truth forever. Germain is w-who I consider to be the lynchpin as well, in the a-absence of stronger evidence pointin' to a-anyone else thus far. This challenge is t-the risin' action to the r-revelations of the truth, but it's t-time we closed that book."

[agent-snowflake]

What are your expectations about the eventual 3 season of GO? Do you think it’ll have a happy ending? Neil said it won’t be romantic and i’ve seen a lot of queerbaiting and retcons before in other shows so…

Thanks for the question! :)

It‘s not that easy to find an answer and I hope you didn't expect a short one, because while I was writing some thoughts down, a lot of other things came to my mind that I would like to share.

So:

On the one hand, I would like to get surprised so that I don't have the feeling of being disappointed because I had imagined or wished for something different, but I think by now everyone has come up with one or more theories for themselves.

Of course I want a happy ending, I think we all do, but unfortunately I don't yet know what that happy ending should contain for me.

I’ve seen several posts in which it was stated that some people have the fear that Aziraphale and Crowley could lose their immortality and become human. I wouldn't be very enthusiastic about it myself, but I trust Neil and the ending that he and Terry came up with.

Even though it may not be the ending we want, I'm still sure that it will fit the characters and the story perfectly.

In my opinion there is nothing to worry about as Neil hasn't given us any reason to be upset.

He always makes decisions in the interests of the characters. Whether these are decisions that fans like or not is an open question.

And mostly I trust the abnormally good acting talent of Michael and David:

You bet, they will act their hearts out…and give us so much more than we‘re prepared for!

I want to be completely honest. The point: queerbaiting has of course now become a big topic (rightly so). However, I would like to keep it short: everyone who has seen the series knows that it feels different and there is no need to be afraid. You can tell that everyone who works on this show puts their whole heart into it and is very protective of it. For me it would be a huge surprise if it came anywhere near queerbating.

The second season felt like a break to breathe (let’s just forget about the last 10 minutes of episode 6 for a moment) and, in my opinion, was also very different from the first season.

The final season will be about so much more than just the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley. It's about the ‘relationship’ between good and evil and the war between heaven and hell, with Aziraphale and Crowley as representatives in the center.

It’s about the story and the show coming to an end.

As you said, the third season, which is still up in the air, isn't supposed to be romantic and frankly, after what happened at the end of the second season, it wouldn't make any sense. Neil said that the story of the second season is a transition into the third and that's exactly how it will feel if we are lucky enough to experience it.

That's why I think the third season (story-wise) will be very similar to the first season and everything will fall into place in the end.

It will again revolve more around external events than just focus on Aziraphale and Crowley.

A lot of things that happend in the second season will definitely make more sense and become clearer when we see the third one.

It would feel wrong to have a completely harmonious season 3 because there is a lot that needs to be resolved between Aziraphale and Crowley. Only then there is a possibility for the romance that we want so much. For this reason, I hope that even if the third season is not romantic, we get to experience at least a small part of the romantic relationship between the two before we say goodbye to the characters and the show.

Instead of an open ending, I’d like the last twenty minutes of the last episode to be an insight in what life could be like for Aziraphale & Crowley without their responsibilities from Heaven and Hell.

Just them

I also want both of them to be successful independently of each other but of course also with each other.

That would be my personal wish.

There are so many possible scenarios for the third season and I've read so many theories but there wasn't anything that made me think to myself: This is exactly what will happen in the new season. And that's what I love about the show! You can't prepare for it and still the expectations will be exceeded.

I'm looking forward to experiencing everything with an open mind and seeing what lies ahead of me. There are so many directions you could take this show that as a fan you can't do anything but think up theories yourself.

I also have a few scenarios that I could imagine, which I would like to explain again in another post if anyone is interested.

I hope that answers your question a little bit. :)

I guess it’s like Neil said:

We really have to wait and see