#i keep telling people that words & names have power. its like no one's studied the feywild doctrines

[shapeshyft]

Can I just say, before I return to the shadows of my mind, that naming your child 'Mortimer Toynbee' is setting him up for absolute failure. That child had NO CHANCE to be anything other than a Toad. Raven saw his I.D. and knew without a doubt she could finagle him for the next four decades without issue.

[austinsastrology8991]

> SUN IN THA HOUSE < and whY yoU Be like dat

Sun is our focal point, its our brightest star > you force others to look at you and look at themselves by your star quality <

Sun in the First - Everyone knows them, and they make it a fact that if you don't see them then your the one who is blind. They have a confident swagger, but arrogance to them that begs for the attention of all around them, and everyone is locked in on how or why they have such a powerful presence. Their smiles are contagious too. Also somehow always in the perfect place to say some funny ass shit and keep their style points that they been racking up over the years "You know. You all know exactly who I am. Say my name" - W.W 'breaking bad'

Sun in the Second - Did I stutter? Im talking about what I need not what I want. These guys are possessed by themselves and everyone loves it. So focused so self contained, they don't want nothing to do with you if you can't help them achieve their goals, and that attitude is sticky and everyone wanna be glued to em because they are destined for success. So they are constantly deciding who they want to share their gifts with, because they know they got it, what you got? "Money, money, money, money, money ain't the motive, What's your name again? Nobody knows it, Don't speak to me n***a, you not important, Im focused" - Tyler, the creator 'smuckers'

Sun in the Third - The whizz kid who didn't study, but stole the test papers and told everyone the wrong answers and kept all the right ones to himself. They are smart and they dont need you to tell them this they just want some more god damn answers. And thats what frustrates everyone, because they know so much already, why they still searching? Well thats how they got so smart dummy "That's why they put my lyrics up under this microscope Searching with a fine tooth comb, it's like this rope Waiting to choke, tightening around my throat Watching me while I write this, like, "I don't like this note" - Eminem 'white america'

Sun in the Fourth - The sentimental cry baby that everyone loves to cuddle. Emotional but people find it adorable. They are the rock you can cry on if you want a rock to cry on. Nah but if you need a safe place to cry, you can cry to them, they'll protect you from the harsh waves of others emotional projections, because they get it, even when everyone else refuses to. But don't use em because that'll force them to block you out, and this decision will cause a emotional rollercoaster for the both of you and they'll blame you for it even if it was their decision "And I am done changing words, Just so my songs sound prettier, I just don't care if it hurts, 'Cause it hurts me too" - Faye Webster 'hurts me too'

Sun in the Fifth - The walking confetti explosion, always turnt up and if you trynna lower the volume then they'll oblige ya just so when the volume inevitably goes up again, they'll make it a point that its always more fun with the party up then down. Charming chameleons that are cheesin about the colours they managed to pull off. Watch em dance, watch em sing, watch em do a funny, they can do it all and laugh while doing it, the vibe is them and they are so good at inviting people in on the little big party they got going on "Man I just wanna go flex, Gold on my teeth and on my neck, And I'm stone cold with the flex, With my squad and I'm smokin' up a check" - Post Malone 'go flex'

Sun in the Sixth - Typeracer.com - nah but seriously they always working on themselves and comparing themselves just to make sure their progress is more than what they expected and way more than what others expected of them. Because they here for a reason, and they will never let a opportunity slip, because if they do, they'll stay awake over it for years, and they done wasting their good years. Basically Peggy Olsen "And when your album sales wasn't doing too good, Who's the Doctor they told you to go see? Y'all better listen up closely, All you n***s that said that I turned pop, Or The Firm flopped. Y'all are the reason that Dre ain't been getting no sleep" - Dr Dre 'forgot about dre'

Sun in the Seventh - I gotchu what you need? true homies always putting others before them, and i know this gets a bad rap these days but if you ever get one of these friends. Do yourself a favour and stop telling them to stand up for themselves, because they still standing with the weight of everyone else on they shoulders. This way they show others the power of communication. And they still sticking it to everyone who tell em otherwise, so please tell me how they not standing up for themselves? They the loyalist, you got no idea how many people rely on em and thats their pride "Every step I take, every move I make (ohh, I'll miss you), Every single day, every time I pray, I'll be missing you (yeah, yeah, yeah), Thinkin' of the day, when you went away, What a life to take, what a bond to break, I'll be missing you" - Diddy 'missing you'

Sun in the Eighth - Who went to hell and back? Well they went to a version of it. And they are done hearing whatever you done, because what they did beats your hell tenfold. They don't even wanna put you in your place because they don't wanna hear your attempts to disapprove of them because they've overcome more than some bullshit shit talking. Just put some respect on their name thats all they want. And if not it's easy pickens because think they worse than you, and if you done worse, they don't mind going badder, so be careful, they'll do it. They careful about not being careful so be careful "No I don't worry, I tell you, I'm a man who believes that I died twenty years ago, And I live like a man who is dead already, I have no fear whatsoever of anybody or anything" - Skepta 'no security'

Sun in the Ninth - I WOKE UP IN NEW BUGgATTI is how they live their lives, except miss the bugatti but keep the caps lock on. They live by a set of moral philosophies to help them get by and to find excitement/ enjoyment outta life, because they refuse to be a follower, they've seen how sad everyone else is and they just trynna make sure it don't work out that way for them. Educated idiots; making up the rules as they learn the rules to live by their own rules. They lead their own life and it rubs off on everyone on how you should live your own life > teetering the edge of danger and fortune. Also someone who'll give it to you the realest despite being the biggest clown "Black kid get shot, white man get tazed, Media spread lies, politicians get paid, Doctors wanna drug you up so you can reach an early grave, Prisons wanna lock you up so they can fill up every cage Make fifty cents an hour, they gon' work you like a slave, Government gon' play dumb but they know everythin' " - Meechy Darko 'kill us all'

Sun in the Tenth - "Who speaking about me? oh. he ain't shit" - they acting better than everyone, and its fake until it isnt. No one knows when they made it because they always acted like they did. They dont brag they let the audience speak their volumes, hum their symphonies, play their drums, tickle their balls, and they just the orchestrator of it all. Because they doin the most, and they know everyone gonna talk about it so no need to even speak on it. Classy about it too. They on the top and they don't wanna leave so they acting humble but everyone know they really feelin themselves, but hey who wouldn't "I might be too strung out on compliments, Overdosed on confidence, Started not to give a fuck and stopped fearing the consequence, Drinkin' every night because we drink to my accomplishments" - Drake 'headlights'

Sun in the Eleventh - Trend setters who leave their shit stains on every social setting they enter. They got this influence about them thats hard not to notice, because they have at least three people fawning over em, and they not doing shit. Always trying to spread their influence, so if you want someone to back you its them, because their word is worth more due to their connections. And the easiest way to connect is technology and they all up in the software and getting a hard drive about it. They say some outta pocket shit, but thats where the influenza comes from I guess. They somehow everywhere and no where at the same damn time "It's ironic you talk jail time, But you ain't never seen no central booking (yeah) It's ironic you hang with a n***a that beat women And have the nerve to call yourself "Girl Pusher" Wow! You ain't real, I'm gonna show you how I really feel - JPEGMAFIA 'baby im bleeding'

Sun in the Twelfth - Lonely introspective dreamy creative types. Is what you could say if you wanna sum them up. But there is much more to them, but they are so afraid of letting anyone in because they are so sensitive. Their empathy and ability to look at things from different perspectives is what sets them apart, and they want to be set apart, because they feel alone, and don't wanna pretend they your friend if they ain't. They are extremely creative to a fault, and a lot of people would rather make fun of their works then celebrate how special it is. Until it is widely acknowledged how gifted they are, then everyone will switch up around them. But they will never forget who said what, because they above the whats; aint got time for someone who thought they were just a what "'Cause I'm out there, Tried to tell you that I'm out here on my own, I told you I was out there, Tried to tell you that I'm out here on my own,I fell down to Earth, From a hundred miles away and somehow I still make it work, But it's overrated and somehow played out" - Oliver Tree 'alien boy'

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

Shadowhunters

Enthrallment by smilebackwards

It does look a little bad, Parmela thinks, looking at it from outside. As more specialists had been called in for consultation, they’d decamped to one of the larger conference rooms—eschewing attendance at A, B, AB, & O: The Impact of Blood Type on Non Subject Specific Blood Magic, because this was vastly more interesting and potentially important—and there are a round dozen high-level warlocks clustered around Alec, poking at him with magic.

Or: Alec attends the Magical Inventions and Advances convention in hopes of recruiting warlocks for another Downworld Cabinet. The warlocks, however, are more interested—and concerned—by the blue magical aura following Alec around.

DC

temporal fraternity by envysparkler

Damian clears his throat. “I require your assistance.”

The words come out easier with the benefit of practice and the knowledge that no one will remember them tomorrow. Today. Tomorrow-today.

The Umbrella Academy

cut me open and i still bleed red by aletterinthenameofsanity

Part 1 of the odds were never in our favor

Ben knows his fellow mentors pretty well, for how long he's spent here, behind the screens of the Games, watching as his tributes die.

Allison, from District One, has a way with the sponsors. Just a word placed here or there, stealthily dropped into conversation, and she can get her tributes the shit they need.

In his time as a Mentor, Klaus has developed a habit of drinking to get through the Games, and through the rest of his life, really- anything to avoid the truth of what's happening, the ghosts of the children he and Ben have sent to their deaths.

Very few people remember what Five’s name was before the Games. Caesar Flickerman and the Gamemakers nicknamed him that when he took out the entire Career Pack on his second day in the Arena.

Vanya’s the newest Mentor, the victor of the Seventy-Third Hunger Games.

Diego’s one of Ben’s oldest not-quite friends. A Victor from District Ten, he’d gone into the Games knowing how to kill an animal.

All the other Mentors Ben knows try never to get attached. Luther, on the other hand, doesn't forget a single name.

(A story of seven victors of the Hunger Games and the lives they live as Mentors.)

Danny Phantom

The Promised Land by redrobin1989

Danny Fenton has been running for years, from his abusive parents, from Vlad's experiments, from his freakish powers. He expected to be running his whole life until he found his way to a small town that felt like the home he'd never had.

M!ik

Study Dates Are Not Real Dates by StormySteady

A very important exam is coming up, and Asmodeus is trying his hardest to get Iruma and Clara to study for it. But his soulmates have other ideas.

Star Wars

Starlight, In All Its Forms by Soap_And_Lye

When Luke was eight, he was taken from his home on Tatooine and delivered into the hands of the emperor and his right hand.

When Luke was sixteen, he overheard the emperor's plans to steal a tiny Force sensitive child and saves him first, before being caught and dragged back to his masters' keeping.

When Luke was eighteen, he finds that same child on Gideon's cruiser, and spares both him and his family, including a silver clad Mandalorian.

And when Luke was twenty-four, he is captured by the Rebellion (captured or did he just let it happen? Really up for debate) and secretly sent as a prisoner to Mandalore, where Mand'alor Din Djarin rebuilds his planet and raises his son.

And the rest was history. Or the beginning.

Clone Wars

will you be an anarchist with me? by a_alene

Once the Kenobi floodgates are opened, they cannot be closed. Cody has apparently been keeping an itemized list of disagreements, and he is determined to tell Rex each and every one of them.

Kenobi refuses to listen to Cody’s input. Kenobi throws himself into battle with no regard for previously established battle plans. Kenobi uses the Force so recklessly and obviously that every undercover assignment is blown within the first few minutes. Kenobi is a hypocrite who berates Cody for sidestepping protocol, but flouts it himself at every opportunity.

CT-7567: bet you wish you had skywalker now

CC-2224: I wish for nothing but the cold embrace of space

Right. And he says Kenobi’s dramatic.

(Marshal Commander Cody and High General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the 212th cannot stand each other. Rex doesn't know why this is his problem.)

poetry is what you find (in the dirt in the corner) by fivecenturiesverse

(In which Cody becomes an anonymous poet after the war and his brothers find out.)

Rex launches forwards immediately and so does Bly, because he can admit to himself that he likes gifts. He likes gifts a whole lot more than Cody and Wolffe, anyway, who both act like martyrs who don’t need any material love. “Poetry, vod?” Bly asks, incredulous. “Cody’s right, you are going soft.”

“It’s by a clone,” Fox says, defensively, “it’s quite good, actually. For poetry. It made Sergeant Hound cry at the service.

[lizaluvsthis]

I now present to you... my fan child of SMG34!

Powerpuff Trio!

And now for lore! :))

MG10 - Meme (Mega) Guardian Ten

Preferably called as "Em" or "Ten'

Age: 16

Left handed

Demisexual/Abrosexual

Wants to do best like her fathers did

Overworking.

Personality- MG10 is an ambivert-introvert, they tend to do alot of helping with works on the house and is desperate enough to train her own meme powers. So that one day she can be as strong as her papas are.

MG10 is very awkward when coming to social interactions, but it does go smooth when you get to share the same interests/hobbies with them. She likes to paint rather than using a pencil to draw.

They're very nice with people when their guts tell her its fine, she gets mixed feelings or upsetting guts when with suspicious people (if tag6 or aster were here...)

She does seem friendly at all times but occassionally doesnt depending on her moodswing.

When she's upset she'd literally break a table and throw a tantrum-

She's like the older one to take care of stuff and their only priority is to keep everyone safe from the bads

They're not much into showing affections in public but prefers more in private to feel safe.

They don't sometimes understand that other people flirt to her so she sometimes pushes them away.

They do like circles and stars, polkadots are what fascinates her the most. Even ladybugs.

How was Ten born?

Biography: Mg10 is made from a usb that malfunctioned and got sent to the graveyard, after some investigations from that loud crash that brought to SMG3's concern. He and eggdog saw a small grey usb.

Due to Three's curiousity, he approached infront of the usb after it opened the front entrance. He happens to see a small unconsious child falling in a deep sleep from their nap.

SMG3 called Four and the two other guardians to check out what had just happened from the latest discovery three witnessed.

SMG1 and Two both aren't sure about their opinions but they thought that it'd be a next generation for the new guardian to rise upon.

The small child wakes up from the couch and doesn't remember anything but the number 10

SMG1 and Two looked at the child then to Three and four, telling them that they have the same resemblance with the main indigo friends.

So SMG1 gave Three and Four a word to raise her good, and that when the time comes. It would be her turn to be the next guardian.

SMG3 and Four thought all of it was ridiculous since they were only a kid, even after. The two agreed from the given mission, and decided to raise Her.

SMG2 gave her name as MG10. With a now programmed mind, ten's memories started to collect this information and now called themself. MG10.

Other infos:

Likes:

fruits- Mangoes, Strawberries, Raspberry, and oranges.

To do stuff and finish what is done.

To learn and draw/study of flowers/study of spaces

Train her meme powers, watch/edit meme contents

Cooking or Baking

Her aunt Merp :]/p

Singing to songs

Bonus for doing @merp0515 's design

[MG10's favorite aunt is Merp! Crossover universe that they were 11 years of age while Merp babysits]

[ass-deep-in-demons]

Can I please get a headcanon of Boromir having a crush on Gandalfs apprentice who looks after the hobbits like their mum? Boromir is kinda their dad/cool uncle so they both grow close together.

Also Boromir, apprentice and hobbits falling to sleep in a big cuddle puddle 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Girl (gn) thank you so much for this awesome ask! I get the feeling that you had something slightly different in mind, but I suffer from a plotter's disease and I created an entire plotline in these headcanons and also two mini-fics. There's some angst, but there is CUDDLES, as requested :D Hope you will like it :)

Boromir x Gandalf's Apprentice

headcanons and two ficlets

Found Family, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with Happy Ending, rated G, 4250 words, she/her pronouns for OC, TW: canon Moria events & aftermath

I ✦ The Pupil ✦

Gandalf has been around for thousands of years. The peoples of Middle Earth tell different stories about him, but in every corner of the known (and unknown) World one of his many names has been heard.

During his travels, nobody knows exactly when or where, Gandalf finds a young one with magical talent. He does not know what strange anomaly might have caused a child to be born with arcane affinity, normally reserved for the Ainur such as himself, but… stranger things have happened on Arda. Perhaps the Illuvatar himself willed it. If so, it would be unwise to leave the child to its own fate.

At first he visits her home from time to time and shows her his fireworks and his pipe smoke magics. Her caretakers find him strange, but he pays them no heed, comes and goes as he pleases.

His suspicions are confirmed - the child can be taught to replicate some of his simple tricks, proving she is able to tune in to the Song of the Ainur. Her power is not great, barely a wisp of magic compared to Gandalf’s own, but still, it is worth cultivating. Gandalf deems it his duty to take the fledgeling under his wing and make her his pupil.

Gandalf tells his Pupil about his travels and about the secrets of Middle Earth. In time, as she grows, she starts yearning to leave her home and go exploring with the Wizard.

When the Pupil is old enough, Gandalf takes her with him on a journey. They spend years travelling together. Keeping up with Gandalf is not easy for the Pupil, but she perseveres.

With the Grey Wizard, the Pupil visits the Western Kingdoms, the Elven Realms, and Eriador. She helps Gandalf with his quests and meets many new people.

Later, when she is more experienced, Gandalf deems her ready to spread her wings and have her own adventures. She travels doing errands and fulfilling quests that her Master assigns her.

She spends some time studying under Saruman - from him she learns the basics of arcane knowledge. However, Saruman fails to appreciate her quiet, subtle talent. He is not pleased with her progress, nor is she with his teaching methods, and they part ways on non-too-amicable terms.

Her stay in Mirkwood is much more fruitful. From the Silvan Elves, she picks up the basics of scouting and learns how to read the signs of the Forest. She is fascinated with Radagast, and dedicates time to assist him in his tasks as the Guardian of the Woods - learning about the powers that lie dormant in the ancient trees. Radagast teaches her how to care for animals and heal what is broken. Nurturing and patient by nature, the Pupil responds well to the Brown Wizard’s tutelage.

The Pupil is present in Mirkwood when Aragorn brings Gollum there for safeguarding, and later when Gandalf comes to question him. She learns of the Ring and of Sauron’s return.

Gandalf assigns her a mission to go to Erebor, to enlist the help of the Dwarves. She arrives at Rivendell with Gloin, Gimli and the rest of the Dwarven deputation.

She is not deemed important enough to join the Council of Elrond, and besides, Gandalf has other plans for her. He sends her forth to scout the gap of Rohan, in case they need to pass there on their way to Mordor.

After the Council and the period of preparations, the Fellowship sets off. The Pupil finds them on the trail further South. She is able to clear any doubts for them: the Gap of Rohan is overrun with Saruman’s spies, and so the passage is closed to them.

They decide to go through the Redhorn Gate. Gandalf orders his Pupil to return to Rivendell, but to his surprise, for the first time since he took her as his ppprentice, she defies him. She wants to travel with the Fellowship, intent on helping her Master in any way she can.

Faced with her obstinacy, Gandalf finds a task in which she can indeed be of use. He’s been growing more and more irritated with the Hobbits’ mischief. They are loud, impish, and unused to living in the wilderness. “So long as you keep the Hobbits from pestering me, you may travel with us. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, my stubborn Pupil,” he grumbles.

The Pupil, who is of a gentle and giving nature, but also stern when she needs to be, quickly forms a familial bond with not only the Hobbits, but the entire Fellowship.

She has met Aragorn during her earlier travels with Gandalf. The Ranger knows he can rely on her scouting, and is relieved to have someone beside himself and Legolas who knows their way around the woods. She helps Aragorn gather herbs and imbues his mixtures with her subtle healing spells.

Though she’s met Legolas in passing during her Mirkwood days, she only becomes better acquainted with him during the Fellowship’s trek south. Legolas is glad to know someone who is well acquainted with his home, and shares his love for the woods.

Because of her earlier mission to Erebor, and the shared journey from the Lonely Mountain to Rivendell, she is well acquainted with Gimli. The dwarf teases her for being “too elfy” and a “tree lover”, but he is very grateful for her kindness and her efforts to ease tensions within the Fellowship.

Frodo has long known her as Gandalf’s Apprentice, and the rest of the Hobbits warm up to her quickly. They are delighted to be around someone, who, like themselves, isn’t so strongly focused on the topics of warfare and survival. Istead, they bond over their shared appreciation for a good meal and a good laugh. Tasked with keeping them out of trouble, she often mother-hens them, especially Merry and Pippin, who are the youngest.

Boromir is the only one who, not knowing her prior to their meeting on the trail, has some trouble trusting her at first. He is generally suspicious of magic users, and also a little bit jealous of how quickly she builds good rapport with the Hobbits (though he will not admit it).

That being said, he might not be so immune to her caring touch as he thinks…

II ✦ Soup for the Soul ✦

I should not let them fall asleep like that. True although it was, this realisation came to Boromir rather late.

After their failed excursion through the Redhorn Pass, the Fellowship had descended to once again take shelter under the canopy of the woodlands of Eriador. They now had only one route open, through the Mines of Moria, and all save for the Dwarf did not take well to that prospect. They were travelling South, slowly and reluctantly, still recovering from the snowstorm that cut their path.

Earlier today, once they had set up camp, Boromir had organised a fencing lesson for Merry and Pippin. He had hoped that some light exercise would speed their recovery and help them regain some of their lost strength. Even Frodo had joined on this occasion, which gladdened Boromir. Their journey had not lasted long, but the first signs of wear and discouragement could be already seen on the young Baggins.

After their sword practice (sword being a generous word for the dirks that the Hobbits carried), they all sat down under a tree to sharpen their blades. Pippin had trouble with maintaining the angle, and asked Boromir to show him how it’s done. As Boromir expertly whetted the dagger, the three hobbits leaned in on him, supposedly to better observe and learn. Boromir was none the wiser, and only Meriadoc’s loud snore made him finally realise that the three Halflings had fallen asleep, using his padded shoulders and arms as pillows. Now he was stuck under them, not wanting to disturb their sleep - not when Frodo was peaceful at last, after several nights during which Boromir had heard the Hobbit toss and turn.

Tired and hungry, Boromir resigned himself to his fate. As he could not move without waking the little ones, and it was gradually getting dark, he quietly observed the Fellowship’s campfire from a distance. Gandalf was sitting on a log by the fire and smoking his pipe, clearly content to have some peace and quiet. Samwise was busy cleaning after the meal - a stew which Boromir did not have the chance to taste yet, and probably wouldn’t now, not while it was hot at least. Gimli had been assigned with securing the perimeter - it was his turn to scout the surrounding forest and make sure they were safe for the night. Aragorn and Legolas were seated together some distance away from the campfire and discussing something in hushed tones - likely their strategy for approaching the Gates of Moria. Boromir was rarely included in their talks, which sat ill with him. Not for the first time he regretted their less-than-optimal introduction during the Council in Imladris.

There remained one more member of their party - the woman who everyone except Boromir seemed to already know. They called her the Pupil, likely because of Mithrandir. My young Pupil this, my clever Pupil that, my stubborn Pupil, my silly Pupil... - the Wizard  would always say, and it stuck. Boromir could not tell her age - she looked neither old nor young. She did bear elven nor dwarven features, nor orcish for that matter… and yet he could not be sure she was wholly of the race of Men. Boromir did not know what to make of her.

Right now she was crouching next to the campfire, her back turned to Boromir, so he could not see what she was doing. He had not trusted her, at first. She hadn’t been part of their original team. She did not seem proficient in combat, nor very sturdy. He had been angry when she had declared they couldn’t travel through the Gap of Rohan, as he himself would have preferred that route to any other. And yet her intel had proved correct. She was also useful in other ways. During the snowstorm atop Caradhras, he had witnessed her magic - not flashy, like the Wizard’s fireworks, but rather slow and subtle. Mithrandir refused to light a fire for fear of drawing the wrong kind of attention, but she had used her quiet talent to keep the little ones from freezing with potions. She had imbued Boromir’s leather grieves with some sort of a warming spell, too, even though it had seemed to sap at her strength. He had to assume she was loyal to the Grey Pilgrim, and so, by extension, loyal to the Ringbearer’s mission.

He noticed that she stood up, then. Instead of addressing the Wizard, she turned around to face Boromir, and he noticed a bowl in her hands. He then guessed what her purpose by the fire had been: she was heating up the leftovers of the stew. Slowly, carefully, so as not to spill anything, she approached Boromir and the Hobbits’ resting place under the tree.

She kneeled and set the steaming stew on the forest floor beside them. Then, once their eyes met, she touched her lips with her finger signalling him to remain quiet. That he could do. She noiselessly stood up and scampered off back to the campfire, leaving Boromir once again. The smell of the stew reached his nostrils and he cursed quietly. Some help she was, leaving him to smell the meal, but without the means to taste it! Not without disturbing the Hobbits, at least.

But he was not left to pine after the stew for long. Soon she returned to him, carrying a bundle that she then unfolded to reveal a chunky warm blanket. She covered them with it, Boromir and the three sleeping hobbits, tucking the edges in gently. It did help to ward off the evening chill, Boromir admitted.

Then she plopped down to the forest floor next to Boromir, sat cross legged and picked up the bowl once again. Is she going to make me watch her eat it? Boromir thought and felt a surge of irritation at her inconsiderate behaviour. She scooped up a hearty portion of the stew with a spoon, but, to Boromir’s alarm, she did not bring it to her  mouth. Instead, she directed the spoon surely and smoothly to Boromir’s own lips.

In that moment, Boromir would sooner open his mouth from sheer shock than for the sake of any sort of cooperation. He was a Man grown! It has been… nigh to four decades since he had let anyone spoon-feed him last. He turned his head away firmly. The Pupil, however, would not give up so easily. She reached out with her free hand and gently swept Boromir’s hair away from his face.

The gesture made him flustered. It has been… quite some time since any woman has touched his face. He was thankful for the shroud of dusk. He had nowhere to run however, and he felt her nudge his lips with the spoon, urging him to open his mouth. He was forced to meet her gaze once again. 

What he found on her face was not amusement, nor condescension, but rather... gentle pleading. She really was only trying to help.

"Let me", she mouthed silently.

He shook his head and pursed his lips even tighter.

Then, as if his own body wanted to play tricks on him, they both heard his traitorous stomach give out a loud growl.

The Pupil raised her eyebrow at Boromir.

Well? Are you going to deny that you’re hungry now? her expression seemed to demand.

He rolled his eyes as a universal way of saying whatever, I care not, and finally opened his mouth.

A spoonful of warm stew finally landed on his tongue, and he felt the most delightful warmth spread through his body. He had to fight an urge to growl at the pleasant sensation.

The Pupil smiled.

There. That wasn’t so hard, Boromir read from her content face.

This was a good idea, after all, he thought after the second spoon. He had been ravenous, he realised, and the stew was doing wonders for his mood. It was surprisingly nice to have someone take care of him that way. For too long a time he had been only attending to the needs of others, not accepting any help for himself.

He met her concentrated gaze, as she continued to feed him the stew, restoring his strength with each spoonful.

“You did good,” she mouthed silently and Boromir furrowed his brows, confused. “With the little ones,” she added, and vaguely indicated the sleeping Hobbits with her head. Oh, she means the sword-practice, he thought, and felt no small satisfaction from her compliment.

He was reminded of how taking care of Faramir was always a duty that filled him with joy and pride. This was not dissimilar, he realised, and it was nicer still to have someone help him and share some of that responsibility. He felt contentment at what they’d accomplished together: Pippin breathing deeply, with his head resting on Boromir’s arm, Meriadoc snoring quietly slumped against his friend, and Frodo - looking strengthened and at ease, sleeping soundly propped against the tree on Boromir’s other side.

Is this how being a father feels like? What if I had a child of my own one day? he asked himself. But this thought of parenthood that came to him, perhaps for the first time in his life, was so strange and foreign, and so surprising, that he dared not dwell on it any longer. Instead he resigned himself to the gentle care of the strange woman, who turned out to be… not so strange, after all.

III ✦ Picking up the Pieces ✦

Boromir was sure he would never forget the moment Gandalf fell.

He remembered the unearthly heat and the fumes of sulphur that wafted from the hellish chasm. He remembered Mithrandir’s white knuckles, holding on to the collapsed bridge’s edge, and the Wizard’s desperate last message to the Fellowship: Fly, you fools!

But what he remembered the most, and what was was going to forever haunt him, was the cry of Gandalf’s devoted Pupil. Her broken, desperate wail, the kind that a mortally wounded animal might give out, as if her very heart was rent out of her chest and thrown into the fiery pit.

She wanted to jump in after her Master, and would have, but for Boromir’s interference. Unmoved by her screams of protest, he had hoisted her up over his shoulder and heeded the Wizard’s last bidding. He ran.

He ran after the others, despite the army of orcs upon their tail and despite her angry trashing in his grip. He ran to the open sky and to safety, so that they both could live to fight another day.

But right now it did not look like she had any fight left in her. They were, all of the Fellowship, cooped up on the border of Caras Galadhorn, the elven realm of Lothlorien. Aragorn and Legolas were currently negotiating their safe passage through the woodlands with the elven Marchwardens. It was a heated dispute in Sindarin, of which Boromir could catch only certain words, but he understood enough to know they were not likely to face a warm welcome.

The rest of the Fellowship had been allowed to rest. They were, all of them, in foul spirits. Gimli had been quiet ever since he had learned of the tragic fate of Balin’s Kingdom, and Boromir could only surmise that the Dwarf needed his space to fully take in the bad news. He was loath to intrude upon his friend’s quiet contemplation. Frodo and Pippin were weeping openly and Sam was trying to offer them whatever comfort he could, mostly by wiping their wet cheeks and noses time after time.

The state of Gandalf’s Pupil worried Boromir the most. Since he had carried her away from the danger, once she stopped resisting the rescue, she went completely still and quiet, her eyes unseeing. She had not spoken a word, not responded to any attempts at conversation. He could only suspect she was in some sort of shock. He’d seen it on the battlefield enough times to recognize the signs. It made sense;  as Boromir understood it, Mithrandir had been a father figure to the woman, someone she considered family. In a way, with the Wizard, her entire life had fallen down that chasm. He felt helpless; he wanted to console her, but the sheer magnitude of her loss left him overwhelmed.

He felt a tug at his gambeson and looked down. It was Meriadoc.

“Go to her,” the Hobbit whispered.

“I… I would not presume. I do not know what to say to her,” Boromir confessed, dejected.

“Then do not say anything,” Merry insisted. “Just go there and hold her,” he added. “Trust me, it will help.”

Boromir took a hesitant step in her direction. Then another. He spared a thought to his appearance… he was bone-tired, aching and covered in goblin ichor head to toe. Not exactly conducive to physical intimacy. Then again, she was in a similar state, and, really, vanity was the least of their concerns.

Tentatively, he sat next to her on the wooden platform. Up close he could see that, although she was sitting motionless and staring ahead, her eyes were damp. The tears had washed away the dust from her face, forming clean streaks down her cheeks.

He had long since stopped regarding her as merely Gandalf’s Apprentice, or just an ally in a dangerous quest. Instead, upon seeing the state she was in, his heart wept with her…

*

Gone. 

Her mind could not comprehend it. Everything she had learned about the Wizard during their life together contradicted this truth. Her Master could not die, he was simply too powerful, too wise, too… godly, for the mundane laws of life and death to apply to him. And yet, what had happened - happened. She’d seen it with her own eyes and his fall would now play out in her mind again and again, each time shattering the ground that she had built her life on.

Such kindness, such wealth of knowledge as her Master’s would never again grace Middle Earth, she was sure of it. And now that light was gone. Extinguished forever with a mere flick of a monster’s whip.

What shall I do now? Wherever shall I go? she wondered. Was she even welcome in the Fellowship anymore? Ever since she could remember, she had been Gandalf’s Pupil. And now that there was no Gandalf, who was she? A nobody. Aragorn and Frodo likely had no use for a nobody. But such thoughts were too painful to bear in her current state. So, instead she let them go and simply drifted in the darkness of her inner world, that was now forever marred by grief. She did not know where she was, or how much time had passed. A million years wouldn’t be enough to mourn her Master.

The first thing, the first sensation that managed to break through the dark shroud that surrounded her consciousness, was that of the warmth of another. Someone’s arm was on her back, rubbing gentle, soothing circles. Then that very same arm encircled her form and drew her into a hug. She had no wish to be consoled, she didn’t want any comfort. She wanted to cry, to wail and to tear at her clothing… But then she felt Boromir’s familiar presence. Him, she could let close. He had been a comfort to her during their travels many a time. She relaxed gradually and let her head fall back to find support against him.

Slowly but surely, his steadying touch made her come back to her senses and to the present moment. She was seated on the forest floor, she noted, in Lothlorien most likely, if her geographical knowledge had not failed her. Boromir was seated next to her, his back propped against one of the giant trees. He was also holding her in his arms, close to his chest and stroking her shoulder soothingly. His cheek rested atop her head. She had no strength nor care left in her to wonder what this closeness could mean for the two of them. She was just… immensely relieved and thankful for the comfort that his arms offered. She was at her lowest and most wretched, and yet he was willing to share that moment with her. For that, she would be forever thankful.

Boromir’s compassion moved her and tears spilled down her cheeks once again. Against her wishes she started sobbing. She felt the Man next to her stir. For a moment, she thought he would let go of her and leave her to her sorrow. Instead, Boromir tightened his embrace. Then he gently but surely pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“...mise me you’ll never do that again.” She realised he was whispering something to her halfway through his sentence.

“Never do what?” she asked.

“You… Back at the Bridge… at Khazad-dum,” he said quietly, “you wanted to jump after him, didn’t you?” This was no question. “I couldn’t bear it,” he said simply. “Promise me you’ll live.”

“What reason to live do I have left?” she asked. There was no bite to her words, just a simple statement of the facts, as they appeared to her.

“I could help you find a new purpose, if you would but let me,” he whispered to her ear and held her fast in his embrace. Against her better judgement, and despite their tragic circumstances, her heart did a flip. 

“Boromir, I…” she began, but her sentence was cut short when she felt a firm shove upon her side.

“Oi! Move!” a voice sounded from behind her. She turned around and saw the four Hobbits standing next to the tree. “Make some space for us! We all need a hug, and you’re hoarding all the best cuddles to yourself,” said Pippin and sniffed.

She regarded the Halflings: their red, puffy eyes and their wet cheeks. They were grieving too, no less than she was. Even so, Pippin was making an attempt at levity. For her sake, to help her bear the pain, she realised. The little ones had the gift of laughter, and it would not fail them even in their darkest hour.

Suddenly, her purpose became clear to her anew: Gandalf had bid her to take care of the Hobbits. And so she would continue to do that. Her Master might be gone, but his legacy yet lived. It lived through her, through the Fellowship, and their quest. She would not abandon them now.

“Of course, Master Peregrin,” she said, her voice creaky from all the crying. “There is cuddles enough for everyone.” And so Meriadoc weaselled his way between her and Boromir, and the rest of the Hobbits piled up atop them like hens on the roost.

*

“Do you think we ought to wake them?” asked Legolas. The Elf and Aragorn were back from their negotiations with the Marchwardens. The Lady of the Golden Forest had intervened on their behalf, and so not only the passage was now open to them, they would be provided rest and comfort in Caras Galadhorn. What the Elf and the Ranger did not expect was the sight of all their companions, even the Dwarf Gimli, passed out from grief and exhaustion atop one another in one giant group hug.

“Let them rest a while,” said Aragorn gently. “After what we've all been through, I’ve half the mind to join them myself.”

[fanfiction masterpost]

[supergigabigboybabechad]

likes: Animals (cats and dogs especially seem to like me a lot more than the average person), gaming, anime, cooking, food, rock music, goth/punk/edgy/alternative/emo subculture, makeup and skincare (I like to feel pretty lmao), school, taking pictures

dislikes: bitter food, spicy food,school

hobbies: Acting (#1 hobby!), writing, ig I’ll put studying here since i was a honour student.

physical preferences: none

personality preferences: someone willing to protect me (I’ve been stared by creepy old men for 2 days in a row) and someone not too energetic and bubbly, anyone who is not Ace or Floyd, someone who can comfort me as I’m a generally anxious and insecure person

love languages: physical touch and quality time

extras: I’m an infj, would be in Diasomnia dorm, my personality would be I tend to come off as reserved, intimidating and cold due to my trust issues from being stabbed in the back by someone I trusted at first impressions but as I warm up to someone/they gain my trust I can be warm, caring, loyal, affectionate, and protective

Soooo i couldnt pick just one :( Too many ideas! I guess youre getting four charecters 😔 im not that indecisive though they are in order from who i feel would be less compatible to the most! For a big reveal vibe

4. Azul Ashengrotto

Youre giving him the cold shoulder? He doesnt gaf..

An honors student an actor and a beauty, hes so intrigued!

His intentions are likely less than pure but anyone with one working eye can see that

“Let’s make a deal!” Hes probably offering you fame for your acting but we both know youre not falling for that.

The more you ignore him the more hell bother you it becomes some form of personal challenge for him

Hes upping the charm and throwing in all the bells and whistles this isnt about his contract anymore its about his ability as a business man!

Eventually youll tell him to knock it off and that you know you cant trust him

Hell feign hurt but beep down you just charmed him.

So strong and so smart he already knew he wanted you in his corner but now he finds himself wanting you more.

As a buisness man azul is good at reading people, it comes with the territory so he knows how you see him and hes determined to change it

Hed follow you around trying to market himself as an outgoing and upstanding person did you drop something? Hes got it, dont stress! Need notes? Come to him! Free of charge!

It doesnt work.. that is until he finds you in an insecure state or anxious state.

Maybe its before your first role in twisted wonderland where you dont know anyone.

Its so prestigious here! Anyone would be nervous.

He takes this opportunity to comfort you. Once you tell him about your insecurity and anxiety he immediately knows what to say

In that moment you dont see him as some capitalist. For the first time you see him vulnerable, you see him on a level where you can relate to him

You can feel in his voice and the way he speaks to comfort you that hes felt it too, he knows what its like

Even you know being vulnerable isnt something azul does willy nilly so it gets you thinking, maybe you can trust him.

While talking to him you might name drop or tell him about your experience with creeps

Hell protect you but hell definetly hide it from you he doesnt want you seeing his ugly side

Hell be keeping an eye on you and if anyone oversteps in anyway hell be after them

Hes a powerful man, he could send the twins after them or if theyre really hurting you he’ll bring them in for a “word”

As for comforting you, he always knows what to say but hell also have episodes

Sometimes hell wonder how he landed you, so beautiful, smart and talented what if you wake up one day and realize youre too good for him?

Youre going to have to do some comforting too, hold him and tell him you love him, its all hell need.

Azul would be scared to touch you first, hes a gentleman! He cant just grab you! No matter how badly he wants to, he doesnt know how to go about reaching for your hand

Youve gotta make the first move, walking side by side notice how his fingers twitch towards your hand, go for it! Hold his hand!

Hell be shocked, bamboozled, pushing his glasses up and trying to hide his blush but you can still see a light pink on his ears.

From now on whenever he holds your hands hell take his gloves off before intertwining your fingers

His probably still to shy to go forward but if you grab him for a hug hell be sooo happy

He doesnt have much time to spen with you but hell always welcome you to sit beside hin while hes working, hell let you on his lap too if you want but youll have to ask and go through a but of his awkward aftershock

When he does time off hell spend it with you. Hell spare no expense! Spoiling you with fancy dinners and gifts

He works so hard though hell need a break, lie together and hold him or just watching anime together will help him let off steam.

3. Malleus Draconia

Malleus is a really toned down guy who’s willing to go with the flow he wont be too much for you to handle

Upon meeting you and being faced with your colder aura, cant say he’s really phased. With silver coming off in a similar way you wont deter him.

His generally frightening and strong air might not leave you wanting to open up but he probs wont notice and come back to you anyways

Coming back to you over and over again he’ll get more and more friendly. The imposing air around him starts to clear and you start seeing him as sort of an oddball

Hes so intimidating yet so tame maybe you can trust him?

Hes lonely. He doesnt realize it but he is so hes always coming to you he wants to spend all his free time with you just to have you there so he wont be lonely. This feeling is so foreign to him but its like a weight has been lifted from his chest

Itll make him even happier if youre the one initiating quality time. It makes him feel like hes wanted

Physical touch too!

He could be lost in thought worried about you one day finding yourself afraid of him only to be met with you holding him having all his worries vanish

Showing you being vulnerable around him is the highest amount of trust he feels he could have gained

Sleeping with him hell probably hold you while hes still awake thinking about the difference between when you first met and now

You were so closed off, you’d hardly ever respond to him but now look, he always has you by his side, your so warm and kind to him, you trust him enough to be completely helpless around him leaving him to protect you in your vulnerable state.

Speaking of protecting, walking with malleus no one will dare look at you funny let alone disrespect you

God forbid anyone harass you, youll need to phone lilia to calm him down

After that though hell turn his attention back to you and make sure youre alright. Hell insist on carrying you even if you swear you’re fine “Humans are fragile we cant be too careful”

Honestly 1) he just wants to hold you and 2) he knows about your anxiety and needs to make sure you’re okay you could say hes doing it more for his peace of mind than his for yours

Having anxiety or just feeling really insecure? Hell cancel everything hell make someone else do it if he has to

Hes overly cautious of you because your human

Hell hold you on his lap and let you talk if thats what you need otherwise hell just hold you close to your chest and let you breathe, drawing circles in your back, humming and playing with your hair he wants you to focus on him, you and him are all that matter right now and your all that matter to him.

He really appreciates that you can cook, he wants you to cook for him so you can yk, save him!

“Im sorry lilia but Haru has already prepared a meal for me”

Hes scared of change. Taking pictures will eaze him. Take pictures with him and let him have a few and youll find that hes placed them on a board near his bed.

Hell but his favorite in a locket that hell keep with him all the time. He doesnt want to think about a time where hes without you but he knows it will have to come.

Taking all these pictures is so important to him. He needs these traces of you for when youre gone

Acting!! Hell come to all your shows and be so proud! “That’s my Haru, a star aren’t they lilia?”

Hed be so dazed by you hell probably miss the entire play except for the parts youre in.

2. Vil Schönheit (ig were sharing😒)

Vil gives off the same vibes as you at first

Hes cold and hardened on the outside but he cares deep down and that becomes more evident as you get to know him

Vil might not pay much attention at first, hes too busy and the could and distant air around you detrers him a bit, he doesnt see anything he can improve your already beautiful so he leaves you alone

That is until he sees you onstage one day.

As part of film club and an actor himself seeing you on stage, your acting and presence are amazing

Film acting is what vil does most and as a professional knows how different it is from the stage.

He cant help but be impressed in your performance and from then on you just seemed to sort of stand out to him

Hell start noticing things, how smart you are how caring and soft to your close friends you are. How beautiful you manage to be with so little effort

Wait- youre so kind to your friends what is it that they have that he doesn’t? Shouldnt you be charmed by him?

Well either way he comes to talk to you about your performance and how he thinks youd make an amazing addition to film club!

Vil would love to act with you! He does film acting most of the time so hell teach you about that and you can show him a thing or two about stage acting!

Hell love your writing, hell encourage you to publish or even to be a play write!

Maybe you should even start a production company together

He believes in you and wants to star with you and is willing to support you all the way

As a celebrity, vil values his privacy, dating is hard with your insecurities he understands if yoh dont want him to announce your relationship and will do his best to keep it private

On the other hand he has no issue going punlic with your relationship. He knows that people online can be cruel and hell do whatever he can to keep that from you

If youre feeling insecure, he cant have that, WAKE UP!

Youre dating THE Vil Schönheit not only is he beautiful but hes also selective! Hello??? Youre absolutely gorgeous and he wont have you feeling otherwise

Hell hold you, tell you your beautiful and if it helps you, hell give you a self care day together

Face masks painting your nails and doing hair!

Also if you wanna do more makeup all you have to do is ask! Vil will most definitely help you out

Hes well versed! Whatever style you like! (My personal fav is douyin!)

With an eye for style, if youre not too sure on what you want im sure hes already cooked up the perfect look for you

SKINCARE VIL IS SO HAPPY hell sing your praises and go off about how happy he is that someone values their skin as they should!

Hell give you personalized products too!

A photographer x model trope too? SO CUTE(me projecting my want for a photographer partner) BUT LIKE IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE THOUGH⁉️⁉️

Vil sewing makes so much sense and after hes finished with a project hell wanna model it for magicam!

Taking photos on his own is fine but we know vil, he wants spectacular!

He trusts your artistic vision and would love having you take his photo hell come out looking beautiful and he sees it as the outcome of your combined efforts

Vil is so protective he would not let anyone harass you!

In that moment he doesnt care about his name all he carrs for is your safety and well being.

Online or in person he wont hesitate to go all in on them protectively putting himself in between you and your harasser

Quality time would definitely come in your selfcare routines together and picking outfits!

Hes pulling all the stops picking your outfits finding your color-palette

So obviously his gonna spoil you with all this makeup skin care and clothing hell have you feeling absolutely gorgeous like you’re the only person he sees!

Youre so beautiful he cant help but want to accentuate that

1. Deuce Spade

Upon first meeting you his a little intimidated by how closed off you are, but he cant help but admire you!

An honors student whos so straight and narrow! Hes gonna try to befriend you right away! Youre the exact type of person he needs to surround himself more with

Deuce is a good boy so im sure youll find yourself opening yourself up to him more and more

Once you let him in on your trust issues he feels a twinge of guilt, youve been nothing but upfront and honest to him and hes been hiding a secret since youve first met! Would you still think of him the same if you knew???

He wouldnt be able to hide it very well and upon asking him whats wrong he blurts out his past and starts apologizing for not telling you sooner

He says he understands if you would like your distance and that he shouldnt have hid something so big from you

After letting him know that youre fine with it and it wasnt that big of a deal hell be so overcome with joy!

Youre so loyal! So kind! Hes so relieved he grabs your hand to enthusiastically thank you without thinking

Before he realizes what hes done he gets a look at how cute your shocked face looks and he immediately apologizes backing away and going back to sitting awkwardly

From that day he’d be noticeably more awkward around you but who could blame him? Your so sweet!

Deuce games a bit himself, he loves you so much introduce him to the games you play the most and hell pick them up just to spend time with you

His mom raised him right so hell plan dates for you and take a lot of initiative to make sure he’s treating you with all the love you deserve

He wont touch you without permission. He knows better! Hell either have to work up the courage to hold your hand or your just gonna have to go in

He gets really worked up at times and forgets though

After his win in a track meet hell celebrate and right to you and lift you up in his arms without thinking.

Hell apologize after but as time goes on hell get more comfortable, he just wants to make sure he’s doing things right

Hell do the same after a play! You did such a great job and you look so beautiful in your costume he rushes over to tell you how amazing you were and give you flowers

Hell bring his mom to see you act too shell love you, how could she not!

Deuce is very capable in protecting you and most definitely will, i dont think i need to explain that one

The first time he does though its just like he snaps, hes so mad, more mad than youve ever seen him

After whats done is done hell apologize for acting without your permission and say things like “Im sorry, you shouldnt have seen that!”

On his hands and knees bro dont leave him!

The next time something happens hell tell you to leave because he doesnt want you seeing but he cant just let them get away with creeping on you!

Deuce might not have a way with words but he tries, so when youre feeling down about yourself or anxious hell take you for a ride

It makes sense that hed only have one helmet so assuming that you dont have one hell insist you wear his along with his hacket so you do t get hurt and make you promise to hold on tight to him

Hell take you to his secret spot and sot you down and let you let it all out “Im sorry, I didnt know what to say so i just thought id help you run away for a bit” hell listen to you for sure

Hes a bit of a romantic so i see him smiling as he watches you get ready in the morning, watching you put on mascara as he makes the eyes at you

If you turn to face him hell look away though that wont change

He loves how gentle you are sometimes it makes him feel that youre delicate, like if hes too rough hell break you and you might run away

Hes so sweet if you give him pictures you take of him hell buy a book to keep them in and label each one

Hell ask for advice studying too! Youre so smart, honors isnt easy to get in any way, dont forget that

With you in his life he really feels like hes becoming better, like someone his mom can be proud of and someone worthier of you each day that passes

——————————————-

I just wrote a bunch in the notes app and ordered them in what i thought was the cutest order, lemme know which one you liked the best too! Hope you like it❤️

[legolasghosty]

For the au generator I got Scientist au and Enchanted Forest au! If you want to make it willex that’s a bonus 😊

@beencryingfor25years

Hiiii @beencryingfor25years, thanks for the ask!!! And of course I want to make it Willex, everything is Willex!

So! We have Willie, who is a really good chemist and researcher (Hey, that hyperfocus and need for answers has to be good for something, right?). He gets selected to be a part of a team to go in and study this massive forest (I have no clue where in the world) that seems to have some... odd properties.

Teams have been sent to research it before, but none have been able to get in, or they've been kinda insane when they come out, much later than they should have and never together. But it's been a few decades since someone tried, so time to sacrifice some more scientists to the scary forest in the name of research!

Willie is understandably freaked cause like... the only people who have been able to pass safely in and out of the forest are the indigenous people of the region, who tells some pretty wild stories about what lives in the wood. They range from giant monsters to pixies to robots to dinosaurs. Either way, everyone agrees that the forest is scary and to be respected at all costs.

The only reason Willie agrees to go is because his boss, Caleb (duh), says he has to in order to keep the business's assistance in paying off his student loans. Guess what, getting a doctorate isn't cheap...

So Willie, along with Julie (physics), Flynn (biology), Bobby (zoology), and Nick (geography/maps), goes off to wherever it is that the scary forest is. They are able to hire a local guide, who takes them into the forest (after telling some more terrifying stories). Unfortunately, they all get separated really fast.

Willie swears up and down that Julie only took three steps away from them and then he couldn't see her anymore. He couldn't see any of them. Nor was there any trace of the path they'd come down. It was like the forest itself had just swallowed him up.

They wander around for a bit, trying to find them, but suddenly run smack into someone else: a blond boy with twitchy hands and an odd, golden tint to his skin. Willie doesn't really understand the boy's response when he asks for a name, but the hums and clicks sound a bit like an Ah, then an Ex, so he goes with 'Alex' for simplicity's sake. Alex's sound for their name sounds more like We-Leh, but they both let the name butchering slide for the time being.

They kinda have to communicate without words for the most part, since Alex doesn't speak English and Willie doesn't speak whatever magical language Alex is using, but Alex shows Willie that the forest has a power of its own. It doesn't come from any battery or source, it just is. And it must be cared for and nurtured. That is why Alex and his people exist.

Initially, the plan of the magic folks had been to separate the mortals, show them a bit about the forest to see if they would respect it, and then probably capture them or drive them insane when they inevitably did what all mortals do: take and destroy. But Willie surprised Alex by actually showing respect for everything they were shown. Sure he didn't fully get it, but there was so much in the world that he knew he didn't get. He's a frigging chemist after all, there's so many unknowns that are just a part of his everyday life. So a magic forest maybe isn't as much of a stretch.

So Alex deems Willie safe to learn at least a bit more, and takes him back to the magic village. In my head, these folks are some mix of elves, fae, and dryads. There's also some variety, and multiple villages throughout the forest. There, Willie is startled and relieved to find Julie sitting beside a soft fire, beside another being like Alex, though this one shorter and with darker hair. The two seem to be communicating in melodies, humming bars back and forth instead of using words.

Julie is super happy to see Alex as well, and they have a lengthy discussion about what the heck is going on here. Bobby and Flynn also make it to the camp, though they are assured that Nick was deposited safely back with the local guide to go home. Apparently he didn't mean any harm, but also couldn't really wrap his head around the whole magic thing. It seemed safest for his health and the forest that he return home as soon as possible. The science gang decides that they're here to study the forest, so they might as well learn all they can. Respecting the things they study is essential to all of them, so they get along well with the Caretakers, as they've decided to call them.

Bobby has a massive shock a few days in though, because one of the Caretakers looks so much like his sister, Caroline. But that's impossible. She died when they were kids, in a car accident with their mom. But it is her. Part of the magic of the forest is that it gives new life to those who are lost, generally due to the fault of another. So Caroline, or Carrie as her name sounds in her magical voice now, is alive and well. The siblings are reunited!!!

Willie, meanwhile, spends a lot of their research time with Alex as their guide. He's good about warning them about what they can and can't take samples of, what is dangerous, and where the connections are between various life forms. He's also just a really nice person to hang out with. They start to learn each other's languages, mostly small words at first, but they learn. And as time passes, they grow closer. And Willie wonders if Alex would even know what he meant if he asked him on a date.

Apparently Caretaker courting is rather different from that of modern mortals. But they find a nice blend. It's not like Willie has anyone outside to go back to. So he mostly stays in the forest, learning and studying and being with Alex. The others come and go, they all have more family ties and stuff, but the forest takes them all in. It becomes their home.

Willie didn't know something like this was possible, and magic still doesn't make sense, but the feeling of Alex's hands in his and the way his heart races when the enter their new home for the first time can't be explained by science. It's magic, plain and simple.

Ack sorry about how long this got! Hope you enjoyed!!!

[asterhaze]

Author Ask Tag Game

Thank you @doublegoblin for the tag here! And also @gummybugg for tagging me here!

(1) What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

That we are what we make of ourselves, despite our traumas, despite our gifts, and despite our faults. That there are things that people do that are unforgivable, even if they are forced. Also, that true love is patient, kind, and understanding despite its awesome fragility.

I chose these themes because I think they're realistic, they're lessons that are easy to swallow, and that don't need to be pushed in people's faces to be understood. I don't want to spell things out but I also just want to tell a story, so if this ends up not being the real main lesson then I hope you all still like it.

(2) What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

I studied Romanian and European fashion from the 1850's to the 1870's. Then I studied American (United States) fashion from then on until I was familiar. I studied history, slang, folklore, LGBT history, etc. As far as what my world looks like, its a cross between where I grew up in a state somewhere along the Missipiipii-fuck Mississippi river and living in Florida but make it gloomy.

(3) What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Glen is trying to become himself again after visiting the horrific and disgusting Tiletsu Clan. There he is confronted with a question that someone asked him long ago: If vampires are just more powerful humans, aren't they more dangerous? And conversely, if humans are just weak vampires, are they worth keeping safe?

As a writer, I want to tell a good story where all of the characters (except the Tiletsu and friends) are morally grey, make bad decisions that they thought were good ones, and have to grow up despite having plenty of time to do so. While trauma causes many reactions, I read a lot where the reaction is to forget everything. My experience is that I can't forget anything at all and I wanted to explore that in my writing.

(4) How many chapters is your story going to have?

About thirty chapters. The outline of Masterpiece is 70 pages long, granted it is an okay-detailed outline, with 33 parts currently. So please expect 33-40 chapters.

(5) Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original Content 100%. There isn't anything wrong with fanfiction at all, but I love my original characters and the worlds I build, and I'm not a big enough or cool enough fan of anything to write fanfiction.

I plan to post the first 5 chapters of Masterpiece here on Tumblr, over at Wattpad, and Ao3. Smaller novellas and the entire story will be published with a limited print run at first and the eBook somewhere that I haven't decided yet for purchasing. Starry Skies and Like Minds will follow this same process, but Henrietta and Apocalyptic Cat Lady (Working Title) are web series!

You'll be able to find more information after my website is up and running!

(6) When and why did you start writing?

I started writing when I was 11 and did collaborative writing roleplays with other people my age. Eventually, I became a big enough fan of Star Trek (Kelvin Universe) that I did a massive fanfiction with my friend that lasted years. I made many OCs, had whole stories, had lots of adventures, and then when I went to college it died. One of those OCs will be reborn into Starry Skies and Like Minds whenever I decide to write it and share it here!

(7) Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

My blog is under a year old and I have less than 100 followers, it's just the name of the game. When I posted my first piece of writing, absolutely no one found it for a while despite ABCDEFG. What helped me the most when it comes to finding mutuals that actually interact with you is to find "Looking for Writeblr" posts and go through the replies. Check every blog. Start interacting, that's why my intro post has a "Please, I promise I'm just an idiot and really like you blog" disclaimer because I do, genuinely, like a lot of stuff on other people's blogs. That is how I found the great and powerful @doublegoblin @mthollowell-writes @pinkchaosstories and @gummybugg who tag me and make my life great.

Thank you all for tagging me in everything, you make my life a joy.

[hebimoonlightwrites]

hello there dear! i’m new to tumblr, and i never knew there were such sweet people like you writing wonderful scenarios w/ hypnosis mic characters for everyone! as i was reading through your content, i could tell through your writing that you are very passionate about writing, and you seem like a very kind individual!

i really liked the kind of request that neru-anon requested, i hope its ok if i try this as well! ill try to keep everything brief, as im not a super interesting person to begin with- Σ੧(❛□❛✿)

my name is ryusei, which contains the kanji for flow, 流 and star, 星. i go by she/they (whichever is fine!) and i’m currently 20, and studying music and psychology! im a rather quiet person, but i’ll always be willing to lend an ear if anyone wants to chat/vent! i’m very overprotective in a way thats not too conspicuous, and very loyal to anyone who calls me their friend. in contrast to that, i can hold myself well in a fight, and i’m surprisingly physically strong, but just get tired super quickly… (my stamina is… well… not good) i like smiling, but it’s difficult to express my facial emotions well, so i usually wear a mask in public. i’m an adaptable person, but i get overwhelmed easily, especially when there are too many numbers… i have asd, bpd, and ocd, and there was a point in my teenage years where that severely impacted my social life and academics, so i always like to keep my guard up, but i like to talk a lot so i end up saying too much sometimes-! i have a couple friends, but i’m not a “people person” i guess.

i enjoy listening to a wide range of music and i really love artists like Atarashii Gakko!, 周深 (his voice is so soothing!), (G)I-DLE, Ichiko Aoba, vocaloid, and Hypmic music! you can check them out if you’d like, they’re all very talented musicians/singers!

i’d rather not go into my family affairs too much, as my parents don’t have a healthy relationship with each other which affected my brother and i, so we don’t talk much now. but my younger brother (as chaotic as he may be) is important to me.

i won’t go into my panic attacks too much as i know this topic may be triggering for some people, but they’re usually hard to spot, and people other than me usually can’t tell because of my quietness.

i really like cats! i’d like to own one myself in the future, maybe when i can take care of myself better ヽ(；▽；)ノ i visit cat cafes when i visit japan sometimes, although im not as fluent as a local, its enough for me to book time slots for cat cafes at least!

when i’m in a bad mood, i lash out and break down easily at people, so i have a tendency to self isolate sometimes.

i like… a lot of foods! i don’t like fruit, insects (both in food and in general),and extravagant stuff though… i like coffee with loads of sugar… haha… i dont get drunk easily but im not too fond of alcohol… maybe cocktails but not super bitter stuff. i can withstand smoke but i don’t smoke myself.

i don’t care too much about clothing, but i want to look presentable at least. i do like cute clothes, but i usually go with super minimalistic/vintage clothes.

i like kind people! i strive to be kind myself! i want to be able to mutually help each other with our problems! i have the power to be able to help others, and honestly helping other people is easier than figuring out what to do with my own problems. unconditional love is important to me. i have problems with self confidence, and i’m also pretty hard to read, so someone who could really understand that would be nice. my love language is… physical contact i think? i like hugging and jumping around and stuff, but i dont do that much cause im paranoid about bothering people. i like affection a lot!! i didn’t have a super affectionate family, but i like people who show they care through their actions (and sometimes maybe words?) i would honestly offer everything i have for someone who would genuinely love me, but i doubt even someone in the hypmic cast would be interested… (´；Д；`)

thank you for reading all this stuff hebi! please take care! its a bit late where i am, so i’m going to head to sleep. goodnight hebi! (_ _).｡o○

(sorry for any spelling errors TT)

Writer's corner: Hey, sweetheart! Thank you for requesting for this kind of request! I honestly really like playing Cupid's role, haha!♥ Of course the following is only mu thoughts and headcanons, so don't feel forced to think just like I do, okee~? Also, I don't know who are your favourite characters or if there's any you dislike qwq In case i chose one you don't like, please, text me so I can change him to the "second" or the "third" choice at the bottom of this post, okee? Plus, sweetheart, please let me know if there's any mistake♥ Enjoy~♥

Warnings: nothing~ safe here~

⭐𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬/𝐨⭐

⭐Hey, sweetheart! I'm thankful for all the sweet words you told me.. qwq♥ I'm so glad that you do enjoy my writings, as I always try to do my best. My main mission is to bring a smile to people's faces, so I do hope this will bring a smile to yours as well!♥

⭐First of all I wanted to tell you that you seem a nice and amazing person, so there's not really need to be that unconfident, especially when it comes to physical affection! It's true that there are people who are introverted and maybe against PDA (like me, oof..), but as an introverted I can tell that people like you- who likes affection, hugging, smiling- are very appreciated. You can literally cheer people around you up and this is so powerful!♥ As I read your description, I don't hide the fact that I immediately thought about Matenrou and Fling Posse bois; On one hand things about you like studying psychology, being kind of unconfident, dreaming about getting some physical affection, getting easily overwhelmed and getting silent panic attacks really made me think about Matenrou and, in particular, about Doppo somehow..♥ On the other hand things like wearing minimalistic/vintage cute clothes, enjoying music, liking affection and jumping around, being a good listener, liking cats and being actually a trustful and loyal friend made me think about Fling Posse and their friendship, but especially to Gentaro and Ramuda, somehow♥ The fact that you do care a lot about your brother, the fact that you prefer helping others and try your best to be a good person, and especially, though, the fact that you are unconfident or maybe simply do not realize how nice you truly are.. well.. These things really bring me to think that you could kin Doppo- along with Gentaro and Ramuda-, somehow! BUT, we are here to find your other-half, and this isn't surely Doppo, since I do believe he is not that type of man pro to PDA and gets easily flustered.. (but.. who knows? He could get a crush on you~). Plus he's 29, so... ugh.. I know age isn't important in a couple and that love can be for everyone, but we need someone more...! We need someone who would be there for you, who would easily understand you- since you specifically said that you're "hard to be read"- and who's going to love you unconditionally. Someone who would show his affection towards you without any hesitation and problem! Someone who has interests similar to yours maybe.. who does enjoy music a lot, who enjoy food and who's protective of the ones he holds dear! Someone who can understad you fully and maybe even being that good of a partner who'd be able to get the moment when you're silently having a panic attack..

⭐..Okay.. I got my results~

⭐So.. (unless you don't like gambling..).. I feel like Dice would be a perfect first choice! We're literally talking about someone who seems dumb as f##, but it's canon that he has some serious and deep thinking moments, especially when he's alone. He looks dumb, but he's not at all. Just like you, Dice does enjoy music, as he tries to create some using "instruments" like grass or empty cans- even if it's said that he can play piano and violin, oof. Just like you, he does care a lot about his friends and he's even protective of the ones he holds dear. Dice loves his friends unconditionally- even if some could think that he's Gentaro's friend because he owes him money, Dice does actually care about him too. Plus, if he gamble, that means that he has a "not-toxic" relationship with numbers! (jk, Ryusei♥ *hugs*)

⭐So I'm sure that through his energetic and dumb-apparent look, he would be the best of a partner for you! You with your stable-life and him with his risky-life would be the perfect yin and yang. I can already imagine him randomly hugging you or simply poking your face as he notices that your mind is overthinking.. he would get that maybe you're starting to panic silently and would whisper: "Hey... u okay?", with a reassuring smile. After meeting your eyes he would simply open his arms to hug you, especially if he's certain that you need affection. Dice would try his best to cheer you up, especially when he feels like you're having a "no"-day. I can even imagine you both petting stray cats or him visiting you and holding one of your school books like: "Daaaaamn.. how can you even understand all of this?!.. It feels like blabbering!", playing the fool part only to make you chuckle. Even so, he would show how proud he is of you and how much he does really admire you. "How can you be so smart to understand that blabbering?!", Dice would exclaim only to hear your chuckle again. "I.. I like your chuckle, y'know? It's.. cute.."

⭐About the others Fling Posse's and Matenrou's members, well.. ⭐Jakurai: He could be a kind uncle/father to you. Since he's a doctor he could really take care of your "no"-moments, even also hugging you, why not? Plus I'm 100% sure he would be so proud of you for studying psychology! You're going to be one of his work colleague, one of the most amazing one, actually!♥ ⭐Hifumi: Except for those times his fear for women would be evident, he would show his support to you just as much as he does with Doppo! Hifumi is a kind-hearted man so he'd be energetic enough to drive you to be the same and you both would be great friends for sure! After some time, though, I think he would start to learn to "read" you, because he already did it with Doppo~♥ ⭐Doppo: I feel like you could kin him, as I said before. Doppo is the one who paradoxically would tell you stuff like "W-what?! But.. you're amazing, Ryusei! Don't you ever think otherwise. You cannot understand how great you are?!".. I mean.. bruh, you're just like her! But I feel like he would even usually vent in your presence or inviting you to get some coffee together, why not?♥ ⭐Ramuda: Oh... ohhh. Ramuda would be the best at showing his affection towards you, especially now that you're officially a posse~! He would jump around and hug you randomly, but I feel like you would also be there noticing his "no"-moments too♥ ⭐Gentaro: You would have a calm but intellectual relationship with him. Both of you would go to the café, wearing vintage clothes and I feel like Gentaro would appreciate your company, as your dressing style seems similar to his one. He's also a good listener, just like you, so I feel like you could even take a chance to talk to him. He would give you his "honest" advices... oof♥

Top three results:

⭐1- Dice

⭐2- Ramuda

⭐3-Doppo

©hebimoonlightwrites_tumblr Please, do not copy my contents nor repost it without my permission.

[azure-clockwork]

Late Night Book Reviews with Bluejay — the Night and its Moon

Time: 1:43 pm

Regret: low. I was able to put this book down and finish it during the daytime

Summary: I’m honestly not sure why people like this. I’m not sold on the prose nor on the world building nor on the characters nor on the plot. If you’re one of the people who likes this novel, I’m glad you enjoyed it, but I really don’t understand why. Perhaps it will inspire me to create some stuff of my own.

Full thoughts:

I’m really sorry; I don’t want to be critical of this book, especially since I know people like it. I hope this doesn’t come off too mean spirited.

In theory I should have loved this thing. Two orphans, Nox and Amaris, experience trauma and then get shipped off to learn about their magic powers and become badass. Also, they’re gay for each other. Fantasy, magic, queer female leads, hell yeah!

The only problem was that it lowkey sucked.

One of my biggest problems with this book is its prose. It’s overly wordy, does not flow very well, and frequently is either redundant or confusing. The book will frequently spend two paragraphs hammering in a point that could be told in a sentence and then jump to another action so abruptly I keep thinking I’ve missed a detail. I was often left wondering where hands or weapons or people were located because it just wasn’t mentioned that character X picked up Y and then the next paragraph begins “Using the Y in her right hand, X began to…”.

I was also frequently bothered by the word choice. Most of the sex scenes have lines like “his stick of serotonin and dopamine entered her” and I gotta say, please just say “dick”. Please. Stop listing neurotransmitters. This is fantasy and also the bedroom. Why do these characters know what oxytocin is and why are they bringing it up now. I’m not kidding when I say that multiple sex scenes used specific neurotransmitter names. It doesn’t sound fancy, it just sounds strange. Also, ‘guise’ doesn’t mean that at all. Please get an editor.

I think a lot of other people have talked about how Nox being written as one of the only dark skinned characters and also being a succubus who kills/puppets men around after fucking then is A Choice, and I gotta say, I liked young Nox’s POV a lot, but once the book gets to the succubus section of her life I just fell off. It feels like the book is trying to be very ‘girl power’ and ‘look at this woman weaponizing her sexuality’ and it all falls very flat for me. “She’s so hot and can manipulate any man” ok please tell me something interesting. In general, I felt like both main characters were a bit like this, with Amaris being so badass and good with a sword and having powers and clearly being somewhat of a chosen one, but tbh, I have a lot more tolerance for montages about how Amaris knows lots of demon facts cuz she studies hard than I do for poorly written seduction.

One thing I really crave from stories like this, especially if I don’t love the characters, is a cool magic system. I’m a sucker for hard magic, but I also love soft, emotional magic that erupts at a dramatic moment. And I think that would work much better here in the story. Instead, this book delivers a magic system that I really can’t tell you about because it’s not really fleshed out, and what is told doesn’t seem to gel neatly into a single Thing. I feel like the magic (and more broadly, the world building in general) is just cobbled together from the leftovers of a few different other fantasy stories. Do people hate the fae or not? Is magic taboo or not? What gifts are possible? What the hell are demons? I’m really not sure. And more broadly, the map feels very empty and like it was concocted from tropes and not much else.

I just want this thing to be good. I really do. And it’s just. Not. I was at turns bored and annoyed by it and I still don’t get what I was supposed to love. I would honestly rather reread ACoTaR.

[ash-a-twst-simp]

Start: To The Villains World, Ch 4

" You keep saying, students. I think you also said something about a college or something?"

She didn't know if this cat was telling the truth or not but the information it gave wasn't harmful, so why not listen to what it had to say?

" It's Night Raven College. Do you have to explain that too?"

The cat-like creature made it sound like it was something obvious but she had no idea about this Nightmare College.

" How would I know what this Nightmare College is?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders.

" It's not Nightmare College you idiot! It's N.R.C! Night. Raven. College!"

The girl looked at her surroundings.

" Seems like a nightmare though."

The cat-like creature became furious.

" Fugnah! Do you think I am stupid?! I know that you're making fun of me right now because you don't believe that we are in N.R.C! It's okay because when we meet the staff, we will see who's the real idiot!"

The cat-like creature angrily stomped away from the girl while grumbling. Murmuring things like," stupid human" etc.

And before the girl noticed the cat-like creature had gotten far from her, almost reaching the end of the hallway where another big wooden door was located.

" Hey! Wait!"

The girl wanted to ask what the hell this College even was but first, she needed to reach this raccoon-like cat monster!

When she reached the door and opened it for both of them.

It was another hallway with countless doors.

" Just how large is this building?"

The girl tried to open one of the doors but unfortunately, it was locked.

" I don't know. I just know there are a lot of rooms and useless classes here since a lot of students study here."

" I see."

Again with this school stuff. Let's hear more about it.

" So can you tell me more about this Night Raven College?"

The cat stopped walking, turned its head, and looked right into the girl's eyes.

" You don't know about N.R.C? You asked a lot of questions so I thought you were mocking me."

" Look, I don't know what you're thinking, but I haven't heard of Night Raven College at all and have no idea what it is."

Grimm suddenly grinned. This girl seemed to be stupid huh? Well, nothing could be done, he had to tell her who was.

" Fufufu, it can't be helped then. I will explain what Night Raven College is. Follow me. I will explain while we search for staff."

As they walked, the cat-like creature explained what this Night Raven College was. From what it said, N.R.C. was one of the world's best magic academies. The other best academy was R.S.A which wasn't as good as N.R.C but was still one of the best. N.R.C was famous for producing powerful mages and a lot of people who studied in N.R.C were already big shots. If you graduated from N.R.C., you were going to be respected.

But what the girl heard was different. This magic and mage stuff were code names for criminals or something similar. N.R.C and R.S.A too should be powerful secret organizations. Everyone that was in this organization, was powerful people who had a lot of influence…

But it was all some gibberish that suddenly came to her mind, she didn't take her thoughts or the cat-like creature's words seriously. It was similar to a TV show, it wasn't real but it wasn't false either.

"Since I'm going to become the best mage in all history, I have to study in a proper school and N.R.C was a great option. But the Magic Mirror that chooses the students never sent a Black Carriage after me. Stupid dirty stained glass."

The cat-like creature frowned while grumbling about the mirror.

So the Magic Mirror is the big shot that gives jobs and positions to everyone but he never sent the black limousine to get this cat-like creature.

Wait.

Didn't she see an actual Black Carriage tho?

" Wait, are you talking about the same Black Carriage which you said brought me here?"

" Yup."

" So this means I was chosen by that Magic Mirror you just mentioned?"

" Yeah, if the Black Carriage brought you here, then the Mirror has chosen you."

But that was a real carriage with real horses, not a black limousine… sigh, the situation was getting more confusing just like a messy dream.

***

After that, the cat-like creature and the girl passed an exterior hallway that let the girl understand they were on the second floor, then they entered a large lobby that had black and white square tiles, and had two staircases to the second floor, then they went to a place that was like a large dining hall.

" This place kinda reminds me of the Main Hall in Hogwarts."

The girl murmured.

Even though it didn't have a sky-like ceiling, a magnificent chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, making it no less than Hogwarts' Main Hall.

" Did you say something?"

The cat-like creature seemed to have heard her murmuring.

" No, nothing."

She decided to not tell anything about it the creature and stop thinking about it. If this was a dream, she didn't want to dream of Dumbledore's old hairy ass.

After getting out of the big dining hall, they passed another hallway, and when they got out of the hallway…

" We are out!"

The girl cheered happily. They were finally in the courtyard she had seen while they were in the 2nd-floor exterior hallway.

" We are still on campus, we aren't out you idiot."

The cat-like creature commented.

" Who cares? All that matters is that the air here is fresh and cold so it's different from inside the building."

" I don't care! Let's just find the staff so I can enroll in the N.R.C. instead of you!"

This was a plan that the girl had come up with, since she didn't want to enroll in this college and had also ruined the creature 'plan', then this cat-like creature could take her place. After hearing this, the cat-like creature had been fired up to find the staff.

The girl turned her head and looked at the courtyard. It was silent, but its silence seemed faked. She had a feeling that she and the cat-like creature wasn't the only ones here.

**

Not long after the girl and the cat-like creature left the hall of coffins…

" What on earth?"

Was what the man said as soon as he stepped into the Mirror Hall.

A coffin, unlike the other coffins, was laying flat on the floor and its lid was on the other side, thrown on the floor.

" Is something the matter, Professor Crewel?"

Another man, who was on the older side, also stepped into the hall.

The man who saw the coffin first, Divus Crewel, was already kneeling on the ground and was examining the coffin lid.

Divus Crewel had an appearance that could be described as stylish. His hair was parted on the side, making one side longer and the other one shorter with the longer section being white, and the shorter section being black. He wore gray studs on each ear and had narrow-shaped silver-blue eyes with black eye makeup that matched his clothes. He wore a thick, black, and white fur coat that had several tail-like appendages hanging from the bottom of it. Beneath his coat was a tuxedo that consisted of a black dress shirt, red tie, a vest that was black and white on each side and had red buttons, black dress pants, red socks, black and white spectator shoes, and a black belt with a silver buckle, studs, and spiky sections.

Overall, he was a handsome man with an extraordinary fashion sense.

" Is this even possible?"

The hinges on the coffin lid were broken which meant it was separated from the coffin by force. The thing was, that the coffins were all sealed with magic, so if someone wanted to open them by force, they needed to have inhuman strength, which was unexpected for a 16-year-old brat.

' Could it be that the student inside the coffin was a fae?'

Faes were a strong race with great physical strength, and since students from all races could attend Night Raven College, it wasn't strange to have a fae in the coffin.

' But even the Malleus Draconia himself didn't break open his coffin!'

" How was he even awake to do this?"

Normally, when students get into the coffins in the Black Carriage, they fall into a sleep-like state, not waking up until the start of the entrance ceremony.

So unless the student inside the coffin was already awake, he couldn't have broken the door open.

Crewel stood up and looked at the coffin on the ground. The other man who also entered the Mirror Hall with him, Mozus Trein, was already standing beside the coffin.

Trein was a tall elderly man who was almost in his sixties. Most of the time he was stern-looking and unapproachable, perfectly showing his stubborn personality. Trein's eyes were small and narrow and had an ever-green color to them. He had graying hair that was neatly combed back, with some white strings here and there. His clothes contained a black-gray suit and a long purple-red maroon robe that had a shade of brown. There was also a white jabot attached to his collar, which was tied off with a turquoise-colored pendant.

Unlike Professor Crewel, who was like a model on the front page of a fashion magazine, Professor Trein was more like a portrait of an old nobleman in an antique shop.

But right now, unlike his usual stern look, he seemed to be in shock and disbelief.

" What is it? Why do you look like that-"

Crewel said as he walked toward Trein but wasn't able to utter one more word when he saw the inside of the coffin.

" What the-"

The matters inside of the coffin that should have been white were covered in dark red.

It was blood.

[aureatescars]

muse

name: Alexander Kozachenko

nickname(s): Sasha, Buddy

age: verse dependent

race/nationality: Caucasian, Eastern European

place of birth: Holigrad, Eastern Slav Republic

gender: cis male

sexuality: demisexual

occupation: teacher (English, Math), former revolutionary

height: 190cm - (6 ft 3 in)

hair: dark brown

eyes: hazel

laterality: right-handed

~spoilers for Resident Evil: Damnation below.~

bio: Born and raised in Holigrad, today’s capital of the Eastern Slav Republic, Sasha always felt that he grew up as a child should: sheltered, surrounded by friends and loved ones, free to chase his dreams and ambitions under the watchful eye of a loving mother.

All things considered and even with the weight of an absent father hanging over him at times, his childhood was a happy one. Not least of all because of his two lifelong friends, JD and Irina, both of which did their part of keeping him hale and whole throughout.

It was true that they went along with most of his reckless ideas when they came to him. He had been a wild child. Easily excited, with sheer endless energy and a sense of adventure instilled in him by stories his mother read to him from as early as he can remember. More than once did their little group of friends butt heads with other kids. Sasha having been easy to anger back then, too. A weakness of his that persevered way into his adult years, only ever eased by Irina who always knew how to temper his anger when needed, and JD who lightened his mood when he lost himself to brooding after yet another squabble lost.

If asked today why he eventually chose the road that led him to teaching, he would be embarrassed to admit that in essence it had been Irina to push him towards it, telling him she was certain he would make a great teacher. And him, at the time already quite smitten with her, easily followed where she went, grateful for every hour spent studying together, for every minute spent talking about the years to come.

In the end, the story went as it always does: they fell in love, were happy, made plans for a joined future even before Sasha worked up the courage to ask Irina for her hand in marriage...

Sasha’s life was what people would call normal, maybe he’d even count as happier than some. Up until the day tragedy struck and in one fell swoop derailed his entire life and squashed any dreams of a future.

Unrest had been sown among his countrymen for years, even decades now. A civil war raged among the people, two parties grappling for power. The ruling class and the resistance. Rich against poor, an age old song that left nothing but blood and tears in its wake.

Sasha hadn’t been blind nor deaf to the state of his hometown, of his country, and yet the attack to the school during the middle of the day blindsided everyone, although he would go on to blame himself for years to come. He should have known. Should have done something --anything-- against the accusations voiced that the school housed a resistance cell, which in turn ultimately lead to the justification of an attack against civilians, against children. So many lives were lost that day, including Irina’s, leaving Sasha standing among the burned ruins of what was once his life.

Grief and anger no longer able to be held back by the soothing touch or kind words of his lover manifested themselves into the wish - no - the need for revenge, leaving him aching for what he perceived as justice, carving out a dark hollow place deep inside himself that left a grim and reckless determination to set things right.

He had never held a gun before joining the resistance under the guidance of a member of the Council of Elders, but he had always been a quick study. A natural they called him, but it was empty praise to him. Nothing mattered anymore other than ending the war with the resistance as the victor. His comrades said he fought like a man possessed, in awe of someone burning so brightly for their cause, not afraid to die in the line of duty.

Sometimes he wonders if he wasn’t simply tired of living.

He went through the motions for the longest time after joining the ranks. Killed when necessary, followed orders without question, but never without remorse. He still has nightmares about all the lives he took during that time, no matter how much he reasoned with himself that it had been for the right cause, for freedom at the time.

It was easier in the beginning, with the anger still fresh in his mind, but the longer the fight went on and the further the memory of his fiancée drifted into the past, the harder it got to justify his actions, and the more hopeless he felt. In the end, the conviction that he believed to be inherent to himself turned into a crutch, something to hide behind, to cling to, because if he wasn’t Buddy, the soldier, he was still Sasha, the man who lost everything.

Of course, fate has a weird way of pushing one onto a different path and so it happened that shortly after the resistance got their hands on the means to control what they called B.O.W.s an American government agent stumbled into his path just as the civil war came to a head in the capital.

Today, Sasha wouldn’t be able to recount all that led to him facing down enemies alongside the man who’s throat he had put a knife to upon first meeting him. The entire battle a haze of pain and rage and fear after he allowed the Plaga into his body and until this moment he can still not understand the motivations that had Leon Kennedy save his life not once, but multiple times throughout them making what he assument to be their last stand at the time.

It must have been pure adrenaline what kept him going throughout he thinks, that and the Plaga, the dominant species of a biochemically engineered parasite used to control the other B.O.W.s and it is also this which he blames for his spotty memory of the events.

But even so, he’ll never remember anything more clearly than the moment he tried to take his own life after the dust settled, fear of turning into one of those monsters running rampant in his mind, only to be stopped by Leon, the man staring him down with such conviction that even when he pointed a gun at him to rid him of the parasite that had attached itself to his spinal chord he felt overwhelming relief overshadow the gutwrenching anguish over knowing what was to come: pain, agony even and then more loss, the loss of his legs, maybe even more, he couldn’t know, but something in Leon’s eyes told him that he’d live..

That is my answer. And your answer.

[harrowing-dump]

All right, got a little plot twist where the Norse mythology isn't the only mythology in the story. Interesting to see what y'all think of it.

Chapter 8: Omens

Excerpt -

“Let me try something.” Hel touches the door again. “Kenaz.”

Her hands glow with fire. Groa watches, mouth agape. “You have practiced seidr!”

“Only to summon elements. I’ve found it easier to do since coming to Helheim. Kenaz.”

The fire glows brighter, white as ice. It licks her fingers and makes some of the ice soften. 

“Do you mean to melt your way through?” asks Groa.

“My mother explained that ‘kenaz’ doesn’t only mean torch, but knowledge, or the desire to seek knowledge. But I don’t know how to channel it.”

“Here, use my wand.” She holds up the iron distaff she’s been carrying. It’s larger than a distaff most women use for spinning. Its size suits its magical purpose in the hands of a völva. “Point it at the ice and focus on that desire more than the fire. The fire will come, but it will obey your intention. How, we’ll have to see.”

Hel accepts the wand. She studies the iron stave with its three branches that form an oval near the top. She pushes the short end of the oval into the ice and holds the longer end of the rod. She closes her eyes. She breathes, and it makes her conscious of the life within her, from her extremities to her beating heart. She grows more aware of the dead parts, too—the parts that unnaturally move by her will but feel nothing. Like what a draugr experiences, perhaps. Like something cursed. But if there’s a curse, that means there’s power in it, and she tells herself to pour that into the rod as she also pours her life’s energy into it. She urges them to pool together in her hands and into the rod. At the same time, she holds them at bay until the word is ready to launch them like a catapult. She waits for the stillness to settle into her marrow. 

Her power—her aliveness and her deadness—are listening to her. She speaks in a whisper like a northern gust.

“Kenaz.”

The word and her energy throttle forward through the rod, into the ice, into the heart of the wall. The Gate shudders. Iron rattles. Bright, yellow veins spread from the rod, easily mistaken for fractures. Even so, the wall holds together. Hel gets an idea. She’s still connected to her power in the rod, so it answers when she speaks again.

“Hagalaz.”

This time, the Gate screams. While it resists in one respect by staying shut, it surrenders in another. Fire lights up a row of runes just above the wand’s fixed spot. Groa comes closer to read them.

“It says that this Gate is the door of the home of Hel and Death. All who enter here may never leave.” 

“Is it speaking of me, or of the realm?”

“Perhaps both.” Groa turns to her with sudden puzzlement. “Were you named for Hel? Or was it named for you?”

Hel frowns at this question. It’s impertinent, yet she becomes interested in the answer, too. “Why would my mother have named me after the grave?”

“Your name means ‘covered.’ It just so happens the grave is covered in burial. It makes sense that the realm of the dead, reached through the grave, beneath Yggdrasil and all the other worlds, would also be called Hel.” 

Hel thinks back on her experiences, especially when she arrived here. She can feel the land reacting to things that no one else senses. Her authority from Odin must be the reason for it. Or might it be more than that? Either way, if the Gate has her name on it, it stands to reason the Gate is hers. This epiphany comes with a glare at the ice wall.

“It does make sense. And it’s natural that a realm and its designated ruler should become one. I am Hel, and this land is Hel. The people in Hel are mine, and this Gate is mine, even as it keeps me in.” 

[apollogivesmevisions]

theres this game i played recently -- didnt finish it yet -- called 'Umurangi Generation'. Not to spoil anything but it had a very strong message for me, simply put. amongst other things, it had this weird feeling that I couldn't quite name when I first played it. Recently though, with... many things happening in the world and a few in my personal life as well, I think I got ahold of it a bit better

It feels like there's no real reason to keep going. Why study, or grow, or work for a better life, if I'll end up under tyrannical capitalism, in a corrupt world that's slowly drowning, with death threats for me specifically, as a {insert minority}?

Umurangi Generation isn't depressive, and it has its own message and things to say, so I won't talk in its place because I probably wouldn't be able to put it into words without misunderstanding it. If you have a few hours of free time though, it's free on itch.io i think. It's maori too, and is just. beautiful. you can take pictures of your friends in it

For a while I was in that weird, drowning like feeling, where you feel the air leaving your body, but feel so alien to yourself that there's no more drive to even struggle in the waters. metaphorically

last week though, a friend that I rarely talk to invited me to this music hall thing--never had seen one before, had no idea what to expect. what i discovered was an incredibly powerful, funny, and full of life group of queer artists. i felt a bit ashamed to have even been so depressive, and even worse, pessimistic about myself and the world

there was this actor, who did a monologue. He had a shirt with "PD" written on it (that means something like faggot, in french). he said it was the first time he was turning 31. well, he thought at least. because surely, he must've been 31 before, and even more, but there had been so much people to erase anything that would've kept track of how old he was, it felt like he only started all over again. and he said yeah, it was normal there was more of him, of us, now, because we kept living, and we were going to keep living.

(to be clear--thats a queer metaphor for the numerous times in history where we've been killed, erased, etc)

it kind of stuck with me. my friend told me i was crying when he said those things. i don't remember doing so

Recently it's felt like I can't even sleep enough to rest my eyes and cry

But his words stuck with me, because, yeah. I'm still here, and we're still here, and there's so much that's been lost, but we know what we saved. It's all been burned before and we're still here.

And I don't know. i don't know where I'll be in five years or more, i know I'll still have suicidal thoughts, at least for a while, and I don't know what'll happen with the world, the people that are drowning and those that are being murdered, and the rest of the world that seems so uncaring.

But like, I know there's still people now. There's still people to tell the stories of so many that are dead, and there's still openly queer folk dancing and giving joy to other people in music halls, and there's still things to fight for, and be proud of. because it's not done, it's not finished, and there's still so much to fight for

I don't know

There was also this artist (named THÉA on music platforms, she's great) who sang some stuff which really moved me. one of her songs is named "Ennui" (Boredom) and it says "We don't have any goal, or real place, no big war, or great depression. Our big war is spiritual. Our great depression, it's our lives."

(im pretty sure thats a quote from somewhere else. unsure though)

And yeah, it feels like there's nothing more to believe in. And THÉA isn't a depressive artist to listen to, listen to the lyrics in "Juste Amis" (Just friends)

But there's this weird dread i see in people, i guess born after 2000, and in myself, that engulfs you whole and yet feels so alien. Umurangi Generation talked about it. in its end game credits is written "Dedicated to Umurangi Generation. The last generation that has to see the world die."

Often now, it feels like that. Born too late, in a dying world that can't stop nervously convulsing like a dead fish.

I don't know. If there was nothing else, I wouldn't be here. I know there's still love in this world, and it'll still keep going when I'm gone, and the clouds can make me cry because of how the sun bounces off of them, and I have friends that are lovely, and there's passionate and powerful people who are alive, now, and are doing something, and i collect poetry about lesbians and about the beauty of gendered languages and about queer people in my phone

and yet, I can't finish this on a happy or hopeful note. I don't know how to. I wish I could, but when I try to summon my passion, it's full of rage rather than love. But I want to love this world. I want to believe I can have a life in it. I want to believe I can make a change and help people

i don't know

[ear-worthy]

Five Best Psychology Podcasts Of 2022

Psychology podcasts are tailor-made for podcasting because the “talk therapy” process is inherently an audio system. Instead of a mental health provider speaking with a patient, we have a podcast host speaking with psychology professionals.

Like almost any genre in podcasting, there are as many psychology podcasts as there are theories of psychological therapy such as cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, and holistic therapy.

These five psychology podcasts all blaze a divergent path to mental awareness and psychological insights.

All In The Mind

The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) podcast All In The Mind is one of the best psychology podcasts I’ve encountered.

The show’s host is Sana Qadar, who was apparently born to host a podcast. It has to be genetic. She’s just too good to have learned the skills intrinsic to podcast hosting — a resonant voice soaked with empathy and a desire to inform, and a cadence that sounds like each spoken word is carefully curated before being uttered.

Qadar is an award-winning podcaster and journalist whose work has featured on the ABC, BBC, SBS, Al Jazeera, and NPR to name a few. Most recently she was acting Deputy Editor, Multicultural at ABC Life, and co-hosts the SBS podcast Eyes on Gilead, which won a 2019 Australian Podcast Award for Best Fancast.

Some of the notable episodes this year include ‘I’m going to cook my baby’, which looked at dolls and how they can tell us a lot about how kids see the world — especially when it comes to race. In the episode, one American researcher spent months watching pre-schoolers play with dolls, and what she observed shocked her.

The episode also answers this question. Did you know the very first study of children and their thoughts about dolls actually changed the course of American history?

Can you change your personality? looks at a wish many people make. I wish I could change my personality? Many people do, according to studies cited in the episode, and we would like to — become more extroverted, more agreeable and more conscientious.

The episode poses two critical questions. What does the evidence say about whether people do change? And can you tweak your personality deliberately?

You’ve got the music in you is the most recent episode at the time of this review. In this episode, All In The Mind explores how music affects us from the womb through the rest of our lives — and what new research tells us about its measurable impact on our mental health.

Plus, the ‘plink’ test — how our musical memories can identify a track from just a sliver of song, and the power of music to shape our emotions.

It’s safe to say that “down under” is adept at talking about things “up top.”

Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain (created and hosted by Shankar Vedantam) is billed as a podcast that “explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world.”

In almost every episode, Vedantam takes long-standing beliefs we hug like a “child’s blankie” and carefully strips away at our fortress of misconceptions.

Consider the June 6th episode, where Vedantam posits a radical concept. From the episode’s show notes: “The human drive to invent new things has led to path-breaking achievements in medicine, science and society. But our desire for innovation can keep us from seeing one of the most powerful paths to progress: subtraction. Engineer Leidy Klotz says, ‘sometimes the best way forward involves removing, streamlining and simplifying things.’”

In the episode, Vedantam transports us to a corporate brainstorming session where overzealous and eager-to-please execs eject hundreds of ideas on new projects for the company to pursue. No one considers, however, that a more productive and fiscally responsible solution could be to do less — cut unproductive projects and remove processes that increase cost and decrease flexibility.

Hidden Brain acts as a sonic mirror, coaxing us to re-consider our emotional core, and intellectual scaffolding. One of the best episodes to cool down the temperatures of polarized political debate is the March 7, 2022, episode, “Putting Our Assumptions To The Test.” I dare you to listen and not come away questioning at least some of your current political beliefs.

No Stupid Questions

No Stupid Questions, from the Freakonomics stable of podcasts, isn’t, strictly speaking, a psychology podcast. But it should be. Psychologist and Grit author Angela Duckworth and Freakonomics Radio host Stephen Dubner are a dynamic duo of intellectual and psychological truth seeking and (truth in advertising) asking all kinds of questions.

On one episode this year, the hosts discussed Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka SAD, although the interplay between the two hosts could be enough to brighten your mood.

The hosts talk through the latest research on seasonal changes affecting mood and mental health, and the effectiveness of the various tricks to combat it, from cognitive behavioral therapy to sitting in front of a light box. Plus, there’s an occasional detour into topics like “the whole school of diaper optimization.”

Episodes of note include improving your mental endurance, Duckworth’s potty mouth and the psychology of cursing, the mental scarring from grudge holding, and why are rich countries so unhappy.

Speaking Of Psychology

Speaking of Psychology is an audio podcast series highlighting some of the latest, most important, and relevant psychological research being conducted today. Produced by the American Psychological Association, these podcasts are billed as helping listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.

They can and they do.

The show is straightforward in its approach, with each episode tackling a different topic of psychology. The show’s host Kim Mills, its external communications director, isn’t the liveliest of hosts, but she asks probing questions and understands the concept of conversational flow.

Some of this year’s best episodes include one about apologies. Women apologize more often than men, but they also take offense more often than men. Apologies that include the word “but” are counterproductive, and an apology doesn’t include the phrase I’m sorry” isn’t really an apology. Finally, offering an apology doesn’t mean forgiveness is immediate.

The episode on procrastination is a must-listen for those who still haven’t taken down their Christmas lights by June. And relationship advice from a couples psychologist can save us from “conscious uncoupling.”

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

Ten Percent Happier was started by ABC News reporter Dan Harris.

Harris has assembled an impressive career at ABC. He joined ABC News in 2000. He anchored World News Sunday from 2006 to 2011 and frequently anchored World News, ABC World News Tonight weekend editions and Nightline. In August 2021, Harris announced that he would be leaving ABC News to focus on his meditation company, which is Ten Percent Happier.

After having a nationally televised panic attack, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists.

Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business, but had also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

Eventually Harris stumbled upon an effective way to rein in that voice, something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation, a tool that research suggests can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain.

Episodes of note this year include one dedicated to a serious mental dumpster fire called “overthinking,” and one with Susan Cain (Bittersweet author) where she explores the roller coaster ride we all take from inherent joy to sadness.

In a world where recent research shows that antidepressant medications may be no more effective than mindfulness and meditation, Harris’s predilection for such holistic therapies may be onto something.

*****************

There has been an explosion of happiness podcasts, which, in many ways, are psychology podcasts. There are some good ones. First and foremost is the Happier with Gretchen Rubin, whose 2009 book, The Happiness Project jump-started the focus on happiness, The Science Of Happiness podcast, and Good Life Project.

[climateangst]

The Future of Energy

Week 4: Sept. 27

It’s not exactly a secret that we are dependent on nonrenewable energy today, though the extent to which came as a surprise to me: 85% of the world’s commercial energy comes from nonrenewable energy. While the name suggests that we face an issue of running out of these energy resources soon, this isn’t actually the case. The quantity of nonrenewable energy sources available is plentiful, but to extract them is where the issues lie. Extracting these materials comes with environmental impact, economic cost, and lowered net energy.

In the case of natural gas, the actual burning of it emits less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels, but the production and delivery processes raise this CO2 level up to one comparable to that of coal. If we use this natural gas local to its fracking site, it can be a “greener” alternative to coal. While this abundant natural gas has less environmental harm than coal, it is by no means a green solution. The process of fracking required to harvest this natural gas is infamous for leaching toxins into the air and surrounding groundwater. 

Fossil fuels have prevailed thus far because they are seen as the “affordable” option. When we take a closer look we can see that their impact on human and environmental health is not reflected in their “market price” and these industries have been receiving government subsidies to help keep costs down (despite being wealthy, established businesses.) 

Through a reimagining of our energy system, we can save money in the long term. Overall healthcare costs will be mitigated from a switch to clean energy, since less pollutants are being introduced into our air and water. Thousands of jobs will also be created in the clean energy sector; in 2017, U.S. jobs in solar and wind power grew 12 times faster than the economy. Not to mention these jobs are safer environments for employees to work in than those with fossil fuels. Would you rather work in a coal mine or install solar panels?

We can also save money through improving energy efficiency. Energy efficiency measures how much useful work each unit of energy can provide. 43% of energy in the U.S. is wasted because of poor efficiency. Even an act as simple as better insulating homes in the U.S. can save massive amounts of energy.

Government funding and subsidization is the answer to making the strides we need in renewable energy. Take solar power, the United Nations Environment Programme project that with enough government assistance and funding, by 2050 50% of the world’s electricity could be solar-powered. Solar cells are lacking in energy efficiency and storage capacity but vast improvements on both these fronts are being seen today. With government funding for more research, the technology for solar energy could be greatly improved.

The benefits of renewable energy outweigh the negatives, though we should still be mindful of their adverse effects. Wind power has high net energy, but for those near the turbines they’re noisy and an eyesore. Geothermal energy has lower CO2 emissions than fossil fuels, but is also loud. Hydropower has high net energy and produces low-cost energy, but can displace the surrounding people.

Studies of environmental justice tell us that the people most likely to be impacted by the adverse effects of renewable energy are low-income, minority communities. I am by no means opposing the switch to renewable energy, rather calling for an awareness in how it is executed. It is imperative that we are purposeful in where we place these structures so as not to disturb established communities of people, especially those who don’t have the power to advocate for themselves.

Should the U.S. close its energy loop and stop exporting energy, so imports can be lowered or stopped altogether?

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