#i still maintain that y'all are so great and talented

[grapejuicegay]

This post exists

Supposed rivals do not look at each other's lips or do they have massive head-imploding realizations that one has been in love with the other. But that's exactly what's happening to Pat as he watches Pran in the music shop and now, he has a choice. Pretend he saw nothing and leave to deal with his head-imploding realizations or grab Pran by the hand and figure this shit out. Which is insane. Well... no one ever said Pat was sane. ...or an au re-imagining of what could have happened after the music store

And now so does this. @7nessasaryevils and I did a thing...

[multimystica]

Card of the Day

The image of the 3 cards is the same as the last post but the results are different, I guarantee.

Here we go, take a deep breath, exhale relaxing, think of your situation of choice to get info/advice on and pick a card.

Now we go for the long vertical line of dots so y'all can't see the results before actually choosing a card... Edited to remove the line and add keep reading button.

Card 1 - The Magician

Willpower and manifestation! This card pretty much means you can do whatever the fuck you want right now. If you have a goal, go for it, you have everything you need to succeed, just do it right now. Whatever goal you have in mind right now just picture Shia LaBeauf's JUST DO IT!!! Take a look at this card:

Believe it or not, you're ready. Take control of your life, all it takes is maintaining your willpower. The advice for today is to align your intentions with your actions right now. Stay focused on your goals, have a vision of what you want, have the intent and take action. This is the right time to apply your power. Amazing or even miraculous things may happen for you today, the stars are aligned for you. Willpower, stepping into your power, being ambitious and determined, and showcasing your talents are main themes for today. It may also be quite useful to take a look at what resources you currently have available to you in this moment and make use of them. Again, step into your power.

Card 2 - IV of Pentacles

Caution. Okay, well, this card brings many different meanings with it (some of which may oppose each other), and it may be hard to tell which one applies to you right now. Both are about caution, security and control. I'll do my best to explain both meanings in a way you can figure out which is meant to you, but it may still be a tough one. Take a look at the card beforehand:

If you've been controlling and holding tight what you currently have - This card may be a warning to loosen up a bit. While security and control may be great at bringing a sense of peace, it may also make you loose a lot of opportunities.

If you're in a relationship in which you're afraid of the person leaving - Beware, excess of control and holding too tightly onto this person might be what cause them to feel suffocated and drift apart, which would then be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just chill a bit and know when to give them space, do not be controlling over their friend groups, outings, etc or you might just cause the thing you fear is going to happen.

If you been just letting everything go or taking every risk you can lately - This might actually be the time to stop and hold on to some things, work on financial security, or just stay where you are and do not take a risk for today.

If your home has been cluttered - Today is the best day to declutter your home and make giveaways or yard-sales!

IN ANY CASE - Financial security is relevant at this moment, this can also be true in terms of emotional security, whatever your case may be, build a solid foundation, think twice when taking any risks today, this may also apply to communication as well. Proper balance of holding on and letting go, be it in any area of life, is very important right now. Being cautious is also relevant (if you're always TOO cautious, be less cautious. If you're not being cautious lately, THIS IS THE TIME TO BE).

Card 3 - V of Cups

Loss. The usual meaning of this card is quite short and simple, you lost (or are be about to loose) something important to you today (no shit sherlock!). This card speaks of emotional suffering and of how much attention is paid to that loss. Take a look at the card:

The depiction of the card, in this case, speaks for itself. The loss is painful no matter what you lost (be it a thing or a person it was dear to you), and your attention is drawn to it. It is a tough time to look at the brighter side of things, I get how hard it can be, but the advice this card brings is to look around to what you still have. Find comfort and peace on that which you still have, value what's still there. It's okay to suffer that loss and process those feelings in your own time, but don't forget what you still have. Suffer at first, then pick yourself up and carry on valuing what you still have in a optimistic way. In case this was the death of a person: I'm sorry for your loss, it's okay to grief, and the advice here might be to look around for people you can rely on at this tough time, you don't have to go through this alone.

[cherrycheridarling]

"that was painfully sexist" | t.h.

marvel cast x actress!reader

warnings: sexism and swearing

summary: at a panel for the new avenger's film, the questions differ drastically between the female and male actors on stage.

wc: 1.4k

"Okay, a microphone is coming your way, sir."

"Hi! I'm Leonard with Pop Times Blog. My question is for Y/N." your eyes found the bearded man who stood amongst the crowd of reporters.

You nodded, signalling for him to continue, "Playing Silk or Cindy Moon must've came with a lot of challenges. One of them being the costume you are in for most of the film. Can you speak about that and how it fit?" he paused at your skeptical expression, "Like, we all know the suit is skin tight, so did you eat anything special or workout a lot and are you able to wear anything underneath it? Or do you wear a thong and no bra?"

You let out an unenthusiastic chuckle at his question. Beside you, you could hear your cast mates scoffing under their breath. It was common for the women of the MCU to get asked such questions and it saddened you that people normalized such a thing.

Leaning forward, you clasped your hands together and smiled before Robert reached behind Tom Holland and tapped your shoulder, "Would you like me to say something?"

You shook your head, but gave him a grateful grin before returning to the 'man' that asked you such a question, while maintaining eye contact you spoke, "Well, I think the most difficult part about wearing the Silk costume is taking it off after a long day because of how sweaty I get after shooting," you began to fan yourself dramatically, "It all just clings to my body like a second skin and since I am completely nude underneath, it just adds to the problem." sarcasm dripped from your lips as your cast mates snickered at your words.

You quietly laughed to yourself, "I'm only kidding. That question seemed like such a joke that I presumed you expected a joking answer." you cleared your throat, "In all seriousness, it's an honour wearing the suit and I did visit the gym and do some physical fitness regularly to prepare for the role, as did all my cast mates. As for what I wore underneath," you grinned cheekily, having too much fun messing with the reporter, "A Spider-Man onesie was my go-to."

The whole room let out laughs at your words as Tom grabbed your hand and gave you a small squeeze, feeling sorry that you had to answer such absurd questions.

"I hope everyone doesn't sexualize Cindy Moon. She's only a teenager in the film, so keep it in your pants people. That shit is illegal." Anthony pointed an accusing finger at the crowd.

"Thank you for your thoughtful question, Leonard!" Scarlett spoke up, "I hope you got the answer you were looking for."

"Okay, next person."

You sat back in your seat and fiddled with Tom's fingers as the questions were asked towards your cast mates.

"You handled that impressively well, love." Tom whispered in your ear.

You gave him a smile and a shrug before your name got called again, "My question is for Y/N and Tom Holland." a lady with curly blonde hair stood up, "Since Silk and Spider-Man's abilities are very similar, did you two bond over that during shooting or did it cause some rivalry between your characters due to the similarities?"

You felt a wave of relief at the question, thankful that it wasn't another sexist one. Tom looked at you before answering.

"Yeah, yeah. We bonded a lot over that fact and I don't think it caused any rivalry between us. I hope not." he chuckled before you leaned towards the mic.

"No, no. No rivalry. Just a lot of banter about whose character is stronger and who swings around better. It's a lot of fun having someone on set whose stunts are basically the same as yours. And Tom and I have both agreed that Silk is faster and better than Spider-Man." you said that last part quickly drawing laughs and a gasp from Tom.

He looked at you incredulously, "Not true! Spider-Man's suit is so much cooler than Silk's." he huffed like a child.

You smirked, "Who makes their webbing in a high school chemistry class and who has organic silk coming out of her fingertips that she also used to create her own suit?"

Your friends laughed at the banter beside you before Sebastian started to speak, "I have to agree with Y/N on this one. Silk also has that cool ass eidetic memory."

Chris Evans agreed, "And her Silk Sense is a thousand times stronger than Spider-Man's Spidey Sense."

"Isn't she able to know who an attacker is before she even sees them?" Hemsworth asked to which everyone nodded.

"Sorry, Spidey. Silk's just a top tier hero." Robert patted his shoulder as Tom sulked.

The questions began again as the laughter died down. You leaned over to Tom's ear, "Still love the actor who plays Spider-Man even if his character is inferior to mine." he shook his head with a smile at your words.

Questions ranged from the generic ones of the funniest moments on set to who's most likely to become a villain. Your nerves died down as no incompetent person asked another sexist question. Until one did.

"I have a question for Y/N." she was short with jet black hair, "Being around all these attractive men must be a challenge for you as a young female adult. It couldn't have been easy to control yourself around them. Have you had any sexual relationships with any of them or thought about engaging in any?"

Your jaw hung open at her words and before you could muster up a retort, Tom let his anger get the best of him. Was it his anger, his jealousy or his protectiveness? A mix of all three.

"That was painfully sexist." he spoke into the microphone. "I don't see how any of that is relevant to the film. Y/N is an outstanding actress and it's outrageous that you decide to focus on who she fucks rather than her talent."

"What in the actual fuck did she just ask?" Sebastian added, making you laugh.

Chris Evans spoke up next, "Indeed. I thought this was a promotion for the movie not a real life dating app."

Benedict chuckled, "I fail to see how Y/N's private life holds any relevancy to this panel or the film itself."

"It's twenty-nineteen, people! Leave your sexist ass shit at home!" Anthony exclaimed drawing claps from the cast.

Elizabeth shook her head, "I've had my fair share of inappropriate questions, but nothing as horrid as that."

"First y'all ask about her underwear, now you ask about her sex life? Jesus Christ." Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Seriously, she's like a daughter to me. That was incredibly disrespectful." Robert added with a disappointed head shake.

Similar comments were added by the rest of the cast as you felt an overwhelming amount of love wash over you. You were so unimaginably grateful for the people next to you.

"You don't have to answer that." Paul Bettany reminded you.

You shook your head and cleared your throat, "Thank you, guys." you looked to your cast mates, "But I'll answer. No, I have not. This cast is my second family and I've grown greatly as a person with them. I'm immensely thankful for the opportunity to call them my friends. And I agree, these men sitting up here with me are undoubtedly attractive, but they are also a great pain in the ass at times," everyone laughed at your choice of words, "And have I thought about having sex with any of them? Nope. Just Scar, Zoe and Liz." you finished with a wink as the room clapped for you.

You couldn't help but to feel a slight bit of sympathy for the woman. Her question was, without a doubt, uncalled for and unbelievably sexist, but the comments from the cast must've made this her most embarassing moment.

"I'm sure you meant no harm with your question. But a little heads up for next time; most actors prefer to talk about their career and their films rather than who they are laying in bed with. But thank you for coming out. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." you gave her a genuine smile as she cowered back into her seat.

Robert once again reached over and gave your shoulder a squeeze, proud of how you handled the situation.

Tom interlaced your fingers with his and rubbed small circles on your knuckles.

You really were at home with these people and you couldn't have asked for a better family.

[findingmyselfatm]

More astro notes because I feel like talking about taurus and Leo rising supremacy, among others

Usual disclaimer: I am no professional take what resonates

First off, taurus placements. I spoke about them before, but I need to talk about them again. Taurus suns are just- so awsome- they're kind and helpful but not the most upfront about it. They're stubborn and yeah, perhaps a little lazy, but when something interests them they will get it. Taurus moons, y'all are so kind and down to earth, one of my fave moon placements.

And now leo risings. Hnggggg pretty, amazing, talented, glamorous and probably very original. Also, I feel like you guys have amazing hair (along with Leo moons), since Leo also rules over that. Fire risings simply exude off strong and independent energy. When you're feeling yourselves you're literally unstoppable and inspire others as well :)

I noticed that people with grand trines in their chart (3 planets trining each other) tend to overlook their blessings and complain about having no talent. Now, the grand trine is cool and all, energy flows very easily, but so easily in fact it goes undetected. "I'm so untalented!" typa thing. I'm not saying this to throw shade, but just to point out that people with grand trines are very lucky and have immense potential. The only thing they have to do is harness it, apply conscious effort into development. Now, I have a grand trine in my chart as well, but its part of a kite formation (a grand trine, and another planet opposing another and sextiling the other 2). The planet in opposition becomes a central focus, pushing the native to improve, but also creates some chaos.

If Aquarius placements so "detatched" and "cold" then why so caring¿ Hear me out. Aquarius is an universal sign, they feel connected to the collective, the bigger picture so to speak. They're not really the type to care about things on a small scale, which can go both ways (and of course depends on other placements in the chart). But in the end, Aquarius values truth and ideals, they do care, just in an unconventional way.

That moment when you want to he secretive and mysterious like the scorpio stereotype but you also have libra and 9th house placements. It's a struggle 😔✊ ok no jk. But I really believe that's what those placements do! They open up the person, in a way, to express and communicate their ideas. Don't get me wrong, you can still be stereotypically introverted as hell, but if you have these placements you probably have moments when you cannot shut up, in my opinion. This isn't at all bad, you're more likely to talk about things that interest you :>

I noticed pisces placements have a thing with blame. If undeveloped, they can really blame everyone else and retreat into their dream world :p but when evolved they're very good at mediating conflict! They can see that in most cases it's nobody's fault and work towards harmony, or just mutual understanding.

I have a lot of leo saturn friends. They all struggle with self-worth, but I observed they can act over confident to make up for it. They're truly inspiring people tho, I saw that they really have a "everyone's so great except me" complex.

Ok so we are all aware of venus-ascendant's "pretty privilege" but I think this is valid for venus-midheaven aspects as well. These people are just seen as attractive, whether they're aware of it or not.

I have heard people say fixed risings have a staring problem, they stare too much. Well, I think that's true haha, but I also noticed mutable risings not being able to maintain eye contact for long.

Okkk, where is my daydreaming almost 24/7 neptune aspecting personal planets squad?

Also, I noticed people with neptune aspecting the ascendant, or in houses that represent the physcial body (1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th house, maybe even 8th) tend feel disconnected from their bodies.

I believe both mars in the 5th and mars in the 6th have a thing for working out, or generally sports or exercise. Mars in the 5th puts their energy into their hobbies, very creative and engaged people, so I think they are likely to practice sport for pleasure (dancing, for example). Meanwhile, mars in the 6th does it to be healthy and out of a feeling of duty.

And done! Thanks for reading

[iwaizumilovesme]

U. Wakatoshi x Wife! Reader

You can also find me on Wattpad @iwaizumilovesme

Fluff and Slight Angst Parenting One-Shot 

~ "2:15", you read the clock out loud and quickly put the laundry basket that was in your hands down. I guess folding laundry has to wait for now, you thought. As you were trying to find your phone, you turned around only to be met with your husband. You would usually greet him, but this time you side-stepped your way around him and continued to try to find your phone. Wakatoshi stood there and chuckled, knowing what you were looking for. "I have it, right here," he waved the phone in his hands and looked at you with a soft expression. Your eyes glistened and you gasped, "Hey! Where did you get that? I thought I put it on the kitchen table?" you mumbled the last part to yourself as you made your way towards your husband. You were about to grab your phone, but Wakatoshi wanted to play around a bit. He held his arm high enough were you couldn't reach him.

You didn't whine as you reached up at him with your tippy-toes, but instead of reaching for the phone, you kissed his lips. You let your feet relax, and but you still craned your neck up towards Wakatoshi, "So can I have my phone now, please?" He chuckled a bit and lowered his hands, "Well, I thought maybe I could pick Hana up from school today." You blinked. He stared at you and waited for your answer, "But why do you have my phone?" It was his turn to blink. "Oh, yeah. Mine is still in the shop being fixed. Sorry." He kissed your forehead, "So I'll go now, okay? Be back in a bit." ~ You and Wakatoshi have been married for twelve years now, but you've known each other for quite a while now. He proposed to you right after your college graduation, and you two were officially married a year later. You two settled down at a young age, and even through the difficult times, you two stuck together like glue.

You gave birth to your amazing daughter, Hana, at twenty-five. At the time, Toshi had been playing in the professional volleyball league for eight years already, and you had a stable job as a teacher at a middle school close to where you lived. You decided to resign to take care of Hana, while Toshi took a year off for you. But after that was when things became a bit difficult.

Although Toshi was around when he wasn't training, it was still difficult to handle baby Hana during the times he was at training. He made a really huge amount of money for the family because he was so talented. You couldn't thank him enough for that, but then you felt he couldn't enjoy time with Hana as much as you'd liked. It was incredibly hard sometimes, but you two always seemed to find a way.

Four years later, he decided that he would retire from being a professional volleyball player. He decided to become a full-time house dad. Don't misunderstand, though. He still maintained a healthy body even if he didn't play for the national team, anymore. Since Wakatoshi had made so much money, you settled on working part-time at a bakery instead of going back to teaching. His talent playing volleyball led him to play for the national team. Meaning he received many sponsorships, as well as attention from the public eye. He modeled for various athletic clothing brands. He was just so successful, however, he decided it was time for family.

Luckily, Hana wasn't old enough quite yet to know that she was "missing" her father for the first few years of her life. In fact, his retirement was perfect timing as she was finally starting to grow a personality of her own. And only a mother and father could help her shape it into something beautiful.

Back to the present, now. You and Toshi are currently thirty five, and your daughter is ten. She's in the fourth grade, and she looks exactly like her father. She has his eyes, along with his stoic resting face and his hair. However, her personality matched yours. She was gentle, and actually very open to talking to people. Unlike Wakatoshi, she loved talking. She also happened to hate being alone because she-

"Hey, mom". Your thoughts were interrupted by Hana, and her back- hug. You almost spilled the whole salt shaker into the soup you were making. "Hey, girlie. How was school?" You turned around and saw her drop her backpack under her seat by the kitchen table, "It was fine..." She avoided your gaze as she answered. Wakatoshi was standing by the entrance of the kitchen  and you communicated with him through your eyes. What's wrong? You said silently. He only shrugged an, I don't know, in response. This was weird because normally Hana would be so excited after knowing her dad picked her up from school. You turned the stove off and sat down in front of Hana. "What's wrong?" Your husband took a seat beside you and held your hand, "We're here for you, Hana." You squeezed his hand as Hana sighed.

"Spring time is coming up soon and it means that school sports day is coming up. The school said there are gonna be basketball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and soccer teams for boys and girls. We have to choose one sport, and then there will be a mini-tournament."

You piped up at the fact there's volleyball, "That's great, honey! There's volleyball? You love playing volleyball, don't you?" She sighed again, "Yeah...but none of our teachers want to coach us. They said they're just supervising...And everyone else but the girls volleyball team and soccer team have coaches, meaning we're forced to choose another sport..."

You whipped your head toward Wakatoshi and gave him a look. He sighed, "Hana, it'll be okay. Try not to worry too much, okay? Why don't you go start your homework while mom finishes making dinner. We can talk more about it through dinner." She nodded, grabbing her backpack, and making her way upstairs toward her bedroom.

You and Wakatoshi silently waited until you heard her door click, signalling she was inside. You cocked your head to the side and furrowed your brows trying to process the situation, "What was that? Toshi, why didn't you offer to be the coach? Isn't that what you do? You played volleyball, so you can coach, can't you?" He shook his head, "Well, she didn't ask me. And yes, I played volleyball. I don't do that anymore, (Y/N)." You ran your fingers through your hair, "Toshi, they're children...! Just a bunch of kids who want to play for fun! Did you see the look on her face? She just wants to play and have a good time. I'm sure the other kids want to experience that, too." He stood up and began to heat up rice for dinner, "And that's exactly it, (Y/N). They're just kids," he turned to you, and although his face remained stoic, you saw there was a softness in his expression that made your heart melt. "I'd love to coach for them, but what if I'm too hard on the kids? I don't want to hurt Hana. I love her to death, (Y/N), and you should be the first to know that. What if I get back into that serious volleyball mode like in high school and college and in the national league? I can't allow that to happen, (Y/N)."

You stood and wrapped your arms around his neck, "Toshi," you whispered into his ear, "it'll be okay. I know you won't do that. We can do this together." You stared up at him, "I'll be there with you. I may not know how coach, but I can assist with whatever you need. Think about it, Toshi. You can coach and I'll help collect balls, help with drills, and I'll even make some snacks for the girls. And when you get a little out of hand, I'll be there to calm you down." You smiled at him sweetly and he chuckled, "You mean like in high school?" You nodded, "Yes. Like in high school." You laughed as you recalled memories of you being the manager of Shiratorizawa through out all your high school years. After a moment of silence, he stared at you. "I love you, (Y/N)." And he leaned in and kissed you passionately. "I love you too, Toshi."

"Okay, I'll do it." ~ When you ended up telling Hana, she squealed like she had just received a long-awaited birthday present. She was so excited, and when the time came to begin training the girls to play volleyball, they too, became excited. It was no surprise that Hana's team ended up winning against other girls teams and boys teams. Hana's group received cute little volleyball medals, and after Hana received hers, she ran up to Wakatoshi and hugged him. "Thank you, dad," she then hugged you, "Thank you, mom,". Toshi let out a genuine laugh, "No need to thank us, Hana. If it makes you happy, we'll do anything for you," he grabbed your hand and squeezed it, "together."

~ Hey, y'all. I hope you enjoyed this one. I know it's a bit cheesy. Also the ending sounded way better in my head. Anyway, please let me know if you have any ideas, requests or anything. Love you lots~!

[ohfuckohfucknoplease]

Mammon gets turned into a child. (2,7k words)

Author's note: I wrote this like way back when I used to b into obey me, I'm still proud of it n rarely post in general, so might as well post it. it was supposed to b bout every brother lookin after mammon, but I won't continue it, so just enjoy soft lucifer bein not an ass to mammon content.

no beta, we die like mc in lesson 16.

Takes place before the current events with MC in Devildom.

Mammon gained a certain reputation, a reputation that one doesn't even have to maintain as it is not one one shall even desire in the first place. He was a known "gambler", a known "bet addict", even "scum" to some. The guy was skilled at winning, able to sweet talk his way into the VIP table of any casino in Human World, a persona non grata in some for winning insane amounts of money overnight, not even having any supposed ties to the personnel of the said establishment, which led others to believe that he may be cheating somehow, yet failing to prove anything, banning his presence altogether as a result. But, alas, where there is gain, there will always be loss, and his skill of winning goes through life hand in hand with losing, and thus, the adrenaline of a lucky hand or 3 good games of blackjack do get to his head, rendering any sort of logic useless as he bets until he is not only empty, but is drowning in debt. Sadly for him, that's not something that he can help himself with, nor something that he wanted help with. He didn't see it as wrong, in which he wasn't wrong at. If you can count well enough to win millions in a couple of exclusive games on blackjack or bluff so convincingly that the whole table choose to pass when your hand only allows a pair, then, it would be a true sin not to get any usage out of such a rare set of talents. After all, money likes risk, right?

Tonight, however, after being banished from yet another table for some ridiculous supposed cheats, the demon, loudly cursing everyone who had taken any part in the said decision, Mammon walked out of the door, not finding the whole affair worth his time anymore, and, as he scavenged for a pack of slim cigarettes that he used to sooth his nerves in a night like this one, suddenly saw a group of girls loudly talking not so far away. It didn't take him long to distinguish them as a coven of witches, after all, he spent quite some time with their kind, picking up on the signs they gave to each other and other witches, not to give away their true nature to the preying eyes of those who might have a problem with that. Subtle, shaky and unique way of talking to each other, surely he can't be mistaken. He knew it all too well. And, from their ciphered conversation, Mammon understood that they are trying to figure out where to find another place to gamble their money at as they seemed to go through the same treatment he did. It was fate, for sure.

"Now, ladies," he said, shoving an unlit cigarette back into the pack as he approached them. "Y'all seem to bump into some problems, just like I did. Maybe we can work it out together?"

A couple of whispers went through their group, clearly surprised bg such an encounter, after all, he *is* one of the Demon Lords themselves, yet their faces showed no distaste for his company. As they seemed to giggled, he smiled wider, showing off his slightly pointy canines. The curtain for this show is about to swing open and he was anticipating the scene itself, like a great art lover he is.

For once in his life, Lucifer got a well deserved break. Well, it was rather dramatic on his part to approach the situation from such a side, but he felt absolutely drained and, even if there was a nagging feeling that such an idle state of their household won't stay as is for long, he melted into his armchair, gracefully putting his forehead into his hand, sighing in content as he finally opened a book he wanted to finish in eons, but never got the time to. It felt right, it felt good, and, when an *annoying* vibrating sound interrupted his train of thoughts, he tried his best to ignore it, turning the sound on his D.D.D. off completely. He just wanted to ignore it, immediately assuming that it can't be an emergency of any kind, feeling both relieved due to such a way of perceiving the situation and stress that took him over more and more with each second, anxious feeling startling him as he felt a sudden wave of heat go through his body as he straightened up and looked at his phone again, praying for the better.

Yet the screen read "Mammon" and it didn't put him at ease at all. It never did.

"Yes?" the older one answered, furrowing his eyebrows as his book was tucked away, far from him, on the table, an action for which he had to stand up, waiting for an answer from the other end of the line.

But the answer confused him, instead of explaining, well, anything, really. Those weren't even words to begin with, just... A child crying?

"Mammon?" Lucifer asked once again, only for the crying to get quiet for just a second, before erupting even louder, forcing the demon to cringe as he quickly straightened his arm, the ringing high-pitched scream still echoing in his mind as the phone was still cackling from the sheer volume. Is this some sort of prank? Because if so, he was in no mood for such bemusing behaviors from his brother.

"Mammon, if you're thinking that—" he began one final time, only to shut up as the shouts died down and he heard a strange voice in the background that seemed to say his brother's name and the crying began once again, this time fading into the background as more voices joined into a strange conversation that he couldn't make out anymore, before the phone went silent altogether.

And here he thought he had himself a little time off, but to be frank, this situation seems too urgent for him to pretend it never happened.

"So... How long is he going to stay like this?" Beelzebub asked, worry written all over his facial features as he grabbed one of his wrists with his another hand, redirecting his gaze from Lucifer, who was now done talking, to a small dark-skinned sleeping figure in his arms, slumped against his chest, drooling onto his elegant silky vest, coming in and out of this sleepy state of his, blinking slowly with one eye ever so often as his brother's heartbeat soothed and pulled him back into incredible plane of dreams and fantasies.

"It seems like the power put into the spell itself wasn't too great, but the curse is a powerful one nonetheless. They told me a week or two at best and a couple of months at worst," the oldest one sighed, arching his brows inward in a pitiful expression. An added weight to his worries, what could be worse?

"He is so cute, though!" Asmodeus squealed, bending over to level with a chubby-cheeked boy that slowly opened one of his eyes, blinking as he processed the face in front of him, his brother smiling at him as he hummed, but, instead of being happy to see a familiar figure, the kid started crying, clinging onto Lucifer's clothes (the poor boy was just kidnapped basically 2 times: first by witches and the second time by his brother himself, no wonder he seemed to be wary even of familiar faces), making the rest of the guys in the room cringe and bringing the fifth-born to a much more dumped mood, clearly hurt by such a reaction.

"Please, don't scream near him so abruptly," first-born man spoke in a silky deep voice, — he clearly did not understand where the distress for the kid came from, — sighing as he cradled the little body closer to his chest, putting a hand behind his head to support it and one behind his knees to let him sit up as he started walking away, shooting the brothers one last warning gaze to make sure they get the message, finally disappearing through the door, leaving the rest to process what just has happened.

"Wow, Lucifer is such a mommy," Belphie murmured from his lazy position on the sofa, earning a worried glance from his twin, jot really sure if he was worried over him or the newfound child. "Who knew that."

"He did raise us. I mean, he still does that, to an extent, lol," Levi butted in after he immediately wiped out his phone to live-tweet the whole experience to his following, not getting distracted by anything as his fingers rapidly danced over the screen in a complicated pattern. "At least Mammon is out of the picture for now, rofl."

"I doubt that greatly," Satan exhaled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think it will work exactly the other way around."

The silence fell onto the room, only Leviathan's nails hitting the glass of his D.D.D. faintly echoing through the air as everyone stayed quiet, thinking about their own perspective on the situation. None of them were really happy nor positive about the occurrence.

"I hope Mammon will be alright. It will be too empty in the house without his antics," Beel mumbled to no one in particular.

They made a schedule. Well, actually, *Lucifer* made it, since his brothers would feel so much better by just shoving this whole affair onto the busy one and waiting it out, but the first-born couldn't just spend the whole time with the new "addition" of their family, even if he wanted. Honestly, it would've put him in an ease if he had an opportunity to just keep an eye on the kid all the time, but, alas, he had to manage a bunch of rowdy children already, Diavolo sometimes included. Most of the times. Almost all the time.

So, on the first day it was his duty to tend after a small kid. Which, mind you, is terrible.

Of course, Lucifer had some experience, but... It wasn't *that* kind of experience. Angels and demons aren't *born*, they are made, transformed, anything but physically born. And brothers were already teens when they were "born". He wasn't sure about the Prince of Devildom, it wasn't actually clear... But the only exception they knew for sure was Satan, but even then, it wasn't birth either, it was... A much more complex situation, with its own nuisances and minor details that affected it. And so, never really had a kid to look after.

And it seemed like probably one of the worst ages, too. Although they had no way of knowing how old Mammon was at the moment, he was around 4 or 5 years old, old enough to talk and run around the house, but yet to really understand consequences of his own actions or hold his attention on something for longer than a minute. Leviathan even made a bitter remark that it didn't change much, but Lucifer begged to differ. Despite everything they usually say about their brother, it was just frustration. He was actually quite capable, even if they all took it for granted most of the time. He was a troublemaker, no doubts about that, but it was appreciated in a household where most of them just scattered around their rooms and locked themselves up till next dinner. Even if they don't say that at all. Maybe they should at some point.

"No, Mammon," the older one sighed, lifting up the kid who immediately started tearing up after his rapid dash through the room was interrupted by a pair of arms under his tiny ones.

"B-But—"

"No buts. You know—" *you can't do that?* He's a child, of course he will forget immediately or just shrug it off. Kids think they are immortal. *Your brother is busy?* So what? It means nothing to him. He has to think like a child if he wants to get through to the little one. "You know that you will make me upset if you run like that."

"Why?" kid immediately returned, tilting his head, swinging his legs lightly in the air and watching the elder with curious naïve blue eyes as they shined with golden hues under the chandeliers.

"Because you will get hurt—"

"I won't!" he pouted, interrupting the older male and folding his arms over his chest, mimicking a gesture he noticed his brother doing a lot.

And there they were, on square one. No matter how hard he tried, no matter the amount of understanding he tried to have, Lucifer just couldn't reason with a child. True, his brothers were immature, but they weren't *kids*.

As the demon continued to ponder on the matter of this situation, Mammon unconsciously cut in with the words of his own:

"Big bwro is always so buwsy..." he mumbled, sluring his words and looking away as his pout wavered and his voice faded with the statement. He looked ready to cry, sending Lucifer into panic, a special kind of anxiety rushing through him as he just stared at his little brother, dumbfounded, too scared to even move a finger. "That Diavolo is always stealin' big bwro away!"

And, with that sentence, which ended with on a high-pitched whiny note, kid started loudly sobbing.

Oh, Pride was absolute *shit* with kids when their needs extended out of the purely physical ones, like eating and sleeping. There he was, emotionally hurt, and his technical parent just couldn't comprehend why.

And, as he squatted, setting the kid steadily back onto the ground while he bawled his eyes out, uselessly wiping his bitter tears away with his small boney fists — even as a kid he didn't change this lanky complexion of his that seemed to follow him into adolescence, — Lucifer pressed his brother's head into his shoulder gently, trying his best to bring comfort to the small figure that he held with his other arm, wrapping it tenderly around his back. Boy didn't seem to even think about stopping and it made the older demon... Not even frustrated, but rather sorrowful. He was ready to do anything for his family, yet he couldn't even help his favorite brother, what kind of failure is he? Gulping down all of these depressing thought as his eyes felt a little sting which he ignored along with the slight trembling of his arms that held Mammon, only hugging him tighter as the kid abruptly swallowed his sob, suddenly going silent as his whole body shivered from the unpleasant sensation of his snot colliding with silk of Lucifer's shirt, the powerful demon started whispering. It was a song they both knew. A song Mammon first heard in the Celestial Realm from the Michael, who picked it up in the Human World one day.

"Θελω λεγειν ατρειδασ, (I want to sing about heroes, too)" he softly started, his raspy untrained voice picking up volume a little bit as he felt the child in his arms clutch his tiny fists around the fabric of his clothing, suddenly freezing, as if unable to believe that it was real. "Θελω δε καδμον αιδειν, (about the Atreides and Kadmus,) ο βαρβιτοσ δε χορδαις ερωτα μουνον ηχει (but my lyre's strings seem to be able to sing only about love)."

"Y-Ya wremembewr!" Mammon exclaimed as he pushed his arms, looking at his brother with his deep ocean eyes that widened by seconds as fat tears started to disappear, less of them rolling down his puffy cheeks.

"And you do, too," Lucifer said with a small smile, patting his little brother's hair as the latter excitedly giggled, small stars appearing in his eyes as he grabbed the older demon by the palm that laid atop of his head, holding it tightly with his small little fingers that laced themselves around his much longer ones.

"Sing again! Sing the wrest!"

"Alright... Here it goes—"

The paperwork can wait for a day. There might just be a much more important matter to attend.

[ryujin-zanba]

i realise given the notes that some of y'all are actually interested in reading what the newspaper articles say in this post so here they all are under the cut (please keep in mind that a lot of them contain personal headcanons and some hints at certain pairings which i will tag. it's okay if you disagree with/dislike the thoughts i have ab some characters' futures but if you find that's the case just keep it to yourself and dni please) ʕ•ᴥ•ʔง

[Poster which says: Vote for Froppy 🐸]

(Not so subtle Napoleon Dynamite reference from me)

 Hero Red Riot Saves the Day an Hour Before His Wedding!    As expected of our favourite man in red, but what did the groom have to say about this? (The groom is Bakugou and he was proud of Kiri ❤)

 Pro Weekly Deku takes title of Japan’s number one hero third year running! Following in the shadow of the longest reigning number one hero, newcomer Deku has a lot to live up to, but he is already breaking records and impressing critics with his heroism, and fans just can’t get enough of him.  In only his third year as a licensed pro, Deku has managed some incredible feats and is shaping up to give the former number one quite a run for his legacy. The retired pro recently shared in an interview that he could not be more proud of his junior and that he is cheering for our new number one the whole way.

 A New Ingenium Takes the Mantle But what can we expect of our dashing (pun intended) new pro? The youngest son of the Iida family is following in his brother’s footsteps as he officially takes on the name and the legacy of beloved hero Ingenium.

 Lemillion Saves One Million Golden hero Lemillion reclaims his position among the top five pros in only his first week back. After participating in the saving of a suspected one million lives involved in an international hostage crisis, Lemillion saw a 100% popularity increase in the polls and has been recognised by several world leaders for his incredible display of heroism. Lemillion has recently returned to hero work after taking a year off for paternity leave last Summer. A brief interview with the pro revealed that husband and baby are both doing well and their little one is already starting to show signs of developing a strong quirk.

(Mirio’s husband is Tamaki ❤)

 Former U.A Students Pay Tribute to Late Mentor Yagi Toshinori How the world is mourning a great hero and the people closest to him are upholding his legacy.

[Accompanying image of Toshi in his pinstripe suit, tired but smiling]

 Not All Heroes Wear Capes U.A high graduate goes on to make major advances in the field of restorative medical science.  Eri, formerly of U.A high school, is currently completing her doctorate at Tokyo University and is expecting to graduate this year with her first PHD. Her influence in the field, however, has already sparked plans for the implementation of several quirk-specialised branches in every major hospital across the country, a system speculated to be fully functioning as soon as next Spring. Having already successfully treated several prominent heroes throughout her blossoming career, we can expect many great things from Eri in the future and wish her all the best with her final exams.

 [Crude cat drawing next to the text 1-A]

(Reference to Aizawa’s cat drawing that he put on a banner for his class during the sports festival in Smash, which he then hid from them)

 [Magazine cover of Yaoyorozu with the top text ‘Women in Business’ and the bottom text ‘Creati’]

 Shouto-Out Former pro hero Shouto retires at age twenty five in order to pursue a career in nursing. After the new data that came to light last month showed an incline in children born to forced quirk marriages, the ex-pro expressed his interest in becoming involved with caring for and counselling the startling number of those taken into care every year as a result. His partner had this to say, “Shouto has had a lot of difficulty finding a path in life that he believes he truly chose for himself, but I think this is his way of being the hero he wants to be and he has my full support.”

(If you guessed Midoriya as Todoroki’s partner being quoted in this, you guessed right!)

 Hero affectionately dubbed ‘Pikachu’ by residents of local children’s hospital

(Kaminari, of course ⚡)

 Present Jack Pro hero and musical talent Earphone Jack has officially joined the Put Your Hands Up Radio team. Rumours that she is set to succeed Japan’s favourite radio personality have already started circulating, but we’re pretty sure the nation’s sweetheart, Present Mic, has got many years yet before we’ll see him retire.

 [Magazine cover featuring Midoriya with the top text ‘Deku’]

 Uravity Saves US Space Shuttle First person in history to be awarded a knighthood by NASA and her achievements haven’t stopped there. The hero known as Uravity is a staunch advocate for the proposed universal income scheme and her support for the bill has garnered such enthusiasm from fans that it is likely to pass in court this February.

(In the image I accidentally called her Uraravity instead of Uravity, sorry girl!)

 He’s Still Got It! Present Mic wins lifetime achievement award for Put Your Hands Up Radio, the show he has been proudly presenting since his debut as a hero. Maintaining a huge following and unwavering popularity, his nighttime slot every Friday from 1am to 5am has also earned him a place in the hall of fame for highest number of consecutive awards in radio hosting history, congrats man!

(Mic might not be one of Aizawa’s students, but he is just as proud of his husband’s achievements ❤)

 Tsukuyomi Gets His Wings Tsukuyomi and his quirk, Dark Shadow, have officially taken over at Hawks’ agency after the young hero retired from the field to pour everything into his successor. As it stands, Hawks will continue on to support Tsukuyomi and we wish them both the best with any future plans from here on.

(Possible spoiler for latest manga chapters... but I think the bird man might be taking a leaf from All Might’s book and finding someone to carry on his legacy 😅)

 Kacchan’s Kitchen Newly opened in the most up and coming area of the city, the restaurant will join several others on the renewed marina-front, though its owner and head chef are what really set the place apart. Already it has received great reviews from critics. 

(Personal HC alert! Bakugou decides the hero life isn’t what he wants anymore and invests in his culinary skills instead, making Kiri a very well-fed man lol)

 Dance ‘Til You’re Pink! Pro hero Pinky opens a second dance studio that offers new prospects for passionate kids who are unable to attend paid classes. Children from low-income families are invited to choose from a variety of options when it comes to which discipline they wish to pursue and all equipment, performance outfits and other costs are covered by the studio.

 The Modern Batman Or should we say Catman? Illusive hero known only by his mind-control ability is spotted petting a local cat during his evening patrol.

[Accompanying image of Shinsou petting a black cat and looking almost identical to Aizawa in his attire]

[missfiggy]

I've been having so much fun with #thediscourse and thinking about how James Potter is absolutely from Devon that I may have been inspired to sit down and write my HC for Potter manor (which has another name in my HC) instead of doing actual work and stuff.

@clare-with-no-i and @thequibblah y'all are inspiring, brilliant, talented writers and it's. so. dang. distracting!

Click below for LONG hc ramble.

A residence at Hartscombe was first mentioned in the Domesday book as belonging to the feudal barony of the Lynleighs of Devon. Following the Norman Conquest, the lands were seized and the heiress of the Lynleigh barony was married to Nicolas de Ferrers who came over to England with William the Conqueror. The house stayed with the de Ferrers, eventually shortened to Ferrers for generations. They developed a reputation for being a great family and very important to the growth of the villages surrounding their estate. They were generous to their tenants and always condescended to join the town fair at Hartscombe celebrating the berry harvest every summer.

Unfortunately, at the end of the Elizabethan era, the Ferrers encountered a problem most dreaded among England’s most illustrious families: they lacked a male heir. Morgana Ferrers, beloved wife to Charlus, died in childbirth, leaving being the heiress of the great Ferrers’s estate and land holdings. Further complicating matters, Mariah was no normal child. On her eleventh birthday, a wizened old man knocked on the door of Hartscombe Hall. After a lengthy conversation with Charlus, the old man whisked Mariah off to a mysterious school in Scotland. While it was most shocking for a girl to be educated, let alone educated at a public school, the townsfolk were used to Charlus’s indulgence of Mariah’s whims. While at school, she met a young man named Ralston Potter, with whom she quickly became besotted. They were wed after graduation and possession of Hartscombe Hall passed into the Potter line.

The townspeople of Hartscombe noted a marked change in the relationship between themselves and the new landowner. Ralston and Mariah were perfectly amiable and certainly kept rents at a fair rate. The family withdrew from the general social intercourse of the town. They no longer presided over the berry festival, and even let go several of the domestic staffers who’d overseen the house for ages.

With every generation, the distance between the Potters and the people of Hartscombe grew, as did the rumors about the Potter family. The townsfolk became accustomed to hearing odd whizzes and bangs coming from Hartscombe Hall at all hours of the day. There was a rumor during the Georgian era, that a local boy wandered into the family’s vegetable patch and received a nip from the dog. The boy maintained he was bitten by a cabbage not a dog, but no one with any sense gave that story credence. Still, people started avoiding the grounds of Hartscombe Hall. Those that did wander in tended to end up on the other side of Exmoor with no memory of how they got there. During the celebrations of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, a local sot named Wilbur swore he saw great plumes of purple smoke coming from Hartscombe Hall as he left The Stagshead Arms, the town pub. Naturally, people attributed this to too much liquid celebration of Wilbur’s part.

At the end of Victoria’s reign though, the Potters had all but decamped from Hartscombe Hall. There were rumor’s that Henry received a political appointment though no one could figure out exactly what position, since he certainly wasn’t an MP. Like most great families, the attractions of London proved too tempting, and the Potters only returned for very brief stays during the holidays. When it was rumored that the last Potter heir, Fleamont and his wife Euphemia were in their fifties with no heir, the town expected that the great house would be sold to the national trust or be turned into a private hotel. These things were happening all across Devon, and it would be only natural that such a change might come to Hartscombe too.

Only it did not.

In the late 1950s, Fleamont and Euphemia took up permanent residence at Hartscombe Hall. They hired all manner of local tradespeople to upgrade the house with “every modern accommodation”. Plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, stonecutters, carpenters, and builders were brought in from the town and several neighboring villages. This marked the first time most of the townsfolk had ever seen the building up close. They thought it every bit as impressive as its storied reputation supposed it to be.

The long, curved drive that leads to the estate runs up from a stream at the base of the valley and serpentines up a large hill. Finally, the dense oakwoods surrounding the drive give way to a grassy clearing where the house stands. Constructed of roughhewn, grey stone, the sprawling manor claimed three floors and ten fireplaces whose chimneys rose over thirteen gabled roofs. The grounds are simply and tastefully landscaped. Flower and vegetable gardens are tucked around the sides of the estate, out of sight of the house’s facade. The front of the house opens onto a rectangular gravel drive that was outlined by grey stone bricks. These are rumored to be the footprint of the medieval great hall that gave the estate its name.

The house looks out onto open parkland extending beyond the formal gardens. The manicured lawn gave way to wild grasses that beamed golden in the sunset. Green alder trees sprung up from this yellow sea, bounded into large plots by verdant hedges. In the distance, where the two slopes of a neighboring valley met was covered by a stubby woodland. Following the east side of the valley up, exposed rocks jutted out from the hillside. To the west of the house, the land fell steeply off into a ravine cut by two converging rivers. The tradesmen never liked to explore these areas. If they wandered too far from the house or the main drive, they found themselves very easily confused in the dense woods.

Some townsfolk found it odd that the house had yet to be wired with electricity. Others found great amusement recounting the story of Fleamont being utterly dumbfounded when a builder wheeled a refrigerator into the refurbished kitchen (“You’da thought ‘ee’d never seen one in ‘is life!”). Though the more generous in town attributed these oddities to the nature of the aristocracy. Really fine people after all could afford chefs and never actually step foot in a kitchen.

Hartscombe flourished under the influx of money from the refurbishments. Though the townsfolk did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth, several people wondered aloud whether the Potters were really back for good. Such talk stopped in the fall of 1959 when Euphemia rolled out her grand designs for a new nursery. The Potter’s were expecting a baby.

Fleamont remembrance of Hartscombe from his own childhood, as he relayed to the workers building the nursery, were of traipsing through wild moors and ancient forests. He clambered up great oak trees and watched the massive red deer graze. The unrestrained beauty of the long, golden grasses flowing over the rolling hills, meeting up with dark forests and tumbling waterfalls were the perfect situation in which to raise a child, encourage an active imagination, and build a healthy constitution. Though raised in the city, Fleamont was at heart a son of the country, and he could not wait to raise his son there.

[jxeyhudson]

hi! hope you're having a good day! i'm kind of new in the fandom and was wondering if you could recommend me some of your favorite dinah and helena fics? also who are the burps? ive seen them mentioned in tags and the like two fics ive read and it appears you are one so i thought id ask :D

Hi, welcome to the fandom I guess. The Burps are... a tumblr group chat turned discord turned mini family of some super cool ladies and theydies who all want Dinah and Helena to fuck. Not to sound horny on main, but I love them and am soft for all of them.

As for fic recs, here you go (I’m going to stick an asterisk by the fics written by my fellow Burps):

(love is) a hand-me-down brew by ace_verity When Dinah Lance takes Renee's offer of a job at her new cafe, she's only looking for a fresh start.She certainly doesn't expect to fall in love.---Helena Bertinelli is on a quest for vengeance, and she's determined not to let anything distract her from that quest.Except, it seems, the barista at the best cafe in the East End.

This is the coffee shop AU I did not know I need and I get so excited every time I see it has updated.

classic in the right way by @kate-siegel*or, the one in which Dinah is Gotham's favourite florist and Helena is in charge of getting some plants for her father's company. 

I just don’t have the words for this fic, and it’s only 3 chapters in so far. I usually don’t care much for the florist x whoever AUs, but this one is making me rethink that. This writer is so good that I’m reading works of hers for fandoms I do not give a shit about just because she is that talented.

knew your love (before i kissed you) by @zxyjxy* Surviving the massacre of your entire family at the age of eight is a pretty impressive feat. Training for fifteen years in Sicily until you can kill a man with one hand and a hairpin is also a pretty impressive feat. Returning to the city where your family was cut down and killing every single person involved in their deaths is maybe the most impressive feat. Somehow, it's never been enough for Helena.

Listen. I firmly believe that every fandom has The Fic. Meaning the one that everyone in the fandom knows about and has read, probably several times. This is The Fic for Helena and Dinah. It’s well-crafted, well-written, and the first one I thought of when I read this ask.

for the first time i had something to lose by @sinand-misery* "You're trembling." // Most nights go according to plan. Tonight, however, is not one of those nights.

I’m pretty sure I’m obligated to include this one since I’m the one who submitted the dialogue prompt it is based off, but even if I weren’t, I would still include it. The writers in this fandom love hurting Helena and then making Dinah take care of her, and this writer does a great job of it.

try a little tenderness (all you gotta do is try) (also) by @kate-siegel*“I feel disgusting,” Dinah says, glancing down at herself and there’s a lilt to her voice that already puts Helena on edge, even before Dinah turns those dark eyes onto her. “I need to shower.” “Okay,” is all she says, because she’s not sure what else to say in response to that, casting an awkward glance around the living room to figure out what she’s supposed to do in this situation. Should she stay and wait, or was that Canary’s subtle way of asking her to leave? “You should join me.” 

This fic makes me long to feel things I am not sure I feel capable of. It’s just, like, 3600 words of vulnerability and love. Very grateful for writers who can bring things like this to the table.

Get Used To It by @helenas-crossbow* “I’m...sorry.” Helena says, in her signature somewhat awkward cadence, still looking at the floor. “I just...I guess I’m not used to having to worry about people worrying about me, you know?”

The tenderness? The way Helena’s character comes through so cleanly and perfectly? My heart, dude. I reread this one regularly.

I’ll only hurt you (if you let me) by ThanksForListening"Tears had their purpose, initially, but overall they were counterproductive, and she had a job to do. Crying in the face of pain would do nothing, so she vowed to never do it again, no matter how much she wanted to. And she didn’t.But damn if this didn’t hurt like a bitch."

Another really good fic about Helena getting shot and being taken care of. There are so many good things about this one that it would take me way too long to list them.

sleepover by @cleanquean* It's not like Dinah doesn't realise she's got it bad for Helena; she knows that all too well, thank you very much. The problem is, what the hell do you do about it when it's right there in your face, at work, at home, in your kitchen and in your bed? And how do you keep Harley Quinn from unintentionally ruining all of it?

Some things? Are too good for us to deserve. Sleepover is it. We do not deserve it. I read it when I am feeling soft. No matter what direction this writer takes this fic it will be good and I will scream the whole time I read it, and then I will read it again.

after the afterparty by novoaa1The Canary had let loose a delighted snort at that, as if she found the whole thing somehow laughable.(Which it wasn’t, to be clear—laughable, that is.)“Are y'all seeing this shit?” she’d turned to ask the rest of them, earning a giddy squeal from Harley and a bemused scoff from Montoya even whilst Helena remained stock still in place, dutifully blinding herself with one hand. “Absolutely adorable.”“Shut up,” Helena had hissed back more out of instinct than anything else, though her tone was markedly devoid of any real anger.(And if Helena had felt her cheeks flush ever so slightly beneath her palm at the Canary’s glib assertion, she certainly didn’t let on.)Or: Sionis falls. The rest of them remain.

This was the first Birds of Prey fic I read, and I maintain that it is one of the best. This dialogue is just spot on, and the story itself is absolutely adorable.

With You I’m Briefly Gorgeous by well, me*It’s a soulmate AU and I don’t feel like attaching the description. I honestly do not usually rec my own fics, but given that I am responsible for the only soulmate AU so far I think I am legally required to link it. So there ya go.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #236

“so i asked you once, and i ask you again: where do your roots start, and where do your roots end?”

Do you wear a ring on your finger? Yeah, a Supernatural reference best friend one. Do you listen to your friends’ advice when they give it to you? I mean, it depends on the kind of advice and the seriousness of the issue. I'd say in most cases, yes. What’re you listening to right now? "Angel Eyes" by New Years Day ft. Chris Motionless. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? It has been, twice. I don't think I'll do it again because my glasses are just in the way and they come out and get lost too easily. Is your last ex still someone you care about and do you still have romantic feelings for your ex? Yes to both. My feelings towards her haven't changed at all, we just made a heavily-discussed, hard, but wise decision for the time being. Are you someone’s best friend? Sara. What’s the biggest annoyance in your life right now? Annoyance, ummm... oh, easy. Being poor as dirt. That's only slightly under my skin, y'know? Have you spoken to your mother today? Yeah, I live with her. When was the last time you cried and why? PTSD. It's started to become relevant again, jOY to THe WOrlD!!!!!1!!!1!!!!! Is there someone who makes you instantly smile when you receive a message from them? I mean I don't always smile, but I consistently do get excited. If someone loved you right now, would you want them to tell you? *confused screaming* Do you like to cuddle? If I'm seriously romantically into you, yes. Is any part of you sad at all? I think that's always going to be a thing for me, somewhere down in there. Do you like seafood? Only shrimp, and even that I don't like in some forms. Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Yeah. Does more than one person like you? Idk. Do you ever worry that people might be talking about you behind your back? Always. Fuck, I think Sara's the only person I can count on to never. Do you call your partner ‘baby’? I hated it and never used it 'til Sara. I eventually did, and somehow, it felt okay and not disrespectful??? Idk if I'll use it again. What's the most boring guy’s name out there? Like, "Bob" or something. Do you know how to play Mahjong? Nope. Ever had a promise ring? No. What’s the biggest turn off in the opposite sex? Send me a dick pic and I will actually KICK you in the dick. Fun fact, even though I'm still bi, visually, penises gross me the fuck out and so I'd rather see someone's as little as possible, m'kay? Doing that is like a surefire way for me to decide "oh no bye boy." How often do you catch yourself daydreaming? A whole lot. This time last year, were you single? No. Who is someone you’ll always hate? The doctor that put me on a medication that put around 100 pounds on me and blamed it aaaaaall on me. :^) Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Yeah, just spelled differently. Who knows your biggest secret(s)? Sara. Do you ever read the threads on r/AskReddit? No. Are you currently stressed out about anything? You have no fucking idea. What’s your Instagram @? brittanymphotography or eldritch_obscura, depending on what kind of photography you're into. Don't have a personal one. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? No. Are you in love with anyone at the moment? It's so complicated. I think, but I also question the "in" love part. That and just "loving" are different to me. I want her, I want Jason, and here I am strictly monogamous. I barely understand what I feel romantically rn. If a friend called you to help hide a body, would you help or turn them in? UM fuck that I'm calling the cops. Have you ever had a crush on someone that, now as you look back, is completely embarrassing? Not really. How would you react if a friend started dating your ex? When "ex" is used singularly, I always assume you want The Ex. So, regardless of friend, that'd feel weird, but with certain people/levels of friendship, less so than others. If you were in an emergency, which friend would you call first? So not family? Uhhh, I don't know. It depends on the kind of emergency. Ever kissed someone who wasn’t single? No. Other than that "someone who wasn't single" being my partner. Are you single? if no who are you dating and for how long? Not right now, no. What kind of music do you listen to? Tons of different forms of metal, rock, indie, and I'm even into some electro stuff now. Do you have any YouTube videos of yourself? Thank the merciful lord, not anymore. What’s your fave YouTube video? BIIIIIIIIIHHHHHHHHHH the one featuring Dark in A Heist With Markiplier. I am not exaggerating my love of White Suit Dark. Use three words that best describe your best friend: Passionate, loyal, and resilient as a motherfucker. Now use three that best describe you: Also passionate, empathetic, and caring. List three things that describe your crush/love: Look I love someone but am also preoccupied with the idea of Jason coming back to me. It's not a "crush," it's being in love with a memory. I don't have a clue how to answer this rn. Is there someone in the family that no one really talks to? As far as extended family goes, yeah. Have you ever been romantically interested in a coworker? N/A What is the game you’re currently playing most often on your phone? None; I have no games on it because my phone has incredibly small memory. Same. Are you close to someone who is mentally unwell? Well, define "unwell." I have a load of friends and family with mental disorders, but calling them "mentally unwell" seems too severe. Do you have an opinion on adopting/purchasing a pet? Adopt, dude. There are so, SO many cats and dogs and I'm sure more that need a home, but you'd rather pay hundreds for a dog with likely some sort of health problem from extreme breeding than adopt an animal for a far cheaper price that ALREADY needs a family? Come on, now. Have you ever read any of your idols’ books/autobiographies? I read Ozzy's autobiography. Do you know anyone who is freaked out by cats? ???????????? no????????????? What name would you pick for yourself? Probably "Zoey." Do you enjoy going to live shows? Do concerts count? 'Cuz yeah. Who do you spend the most time with? My mom, I guess? She's the only one I live with, but she's like, never home because she works more than she breathes. What color do you wish your hair was? Natural hair, blonde. So much easier to dye, jc. Does any of the jewelry you wear have sentimental significance? The ring mentioned earlier, as well as the bracelet Sara also gave me. Who is your favorite drummer? Eh, no op Do you find musicians attractive? This is a dumb question... It depends on the musician??? If you could get any piercing, what would it be? I want a microdermal below/near the outer corner of my eye NOW. But I have glasses so it would totally ruin the purpose, ugh. Do you scream, yell, jump around and dance at shows or do you stand still? Just cheer, really. I wouldn't call it "screaming." I guess I can yell, too? Have you ever lost your voice from screaming so much? "No. I’ve had a sore throat." <<<< This. What’s your favorite color on the person you have feelings for? Both Sara and Jason, as well as like anyone, I love wearing black. Actually, Sara is super cute in light colors, like baby pink. Ugh talking about them at the same time feels fuckin weird. Who’s your favorite horror monster/killer? Alright, let's just say like, the "traditional" guys. I suppose Jason? His silence, totally casual pursuit, and mask creep me out, man. What kind of music do you prefer to listen to when driving? When I myself am driving, I don't want music on. I can't concentrate. Are you willing to board airplanes? I've gone up to see Sara like... three times within two years, I think? They don't scare me too much. I don't like takeoff, though. Too rocky and dizzying. Do looks really matter to you when it comes to friendship? ??????????? what?????????? the fuck??????????????? Do you accept friend requests from people you don’t know? Nope. I have to not only know you, but care more about you than like the average acquaintance of whatever. What is one of your best talents? Writing, I guess? Are/were you a rebellious youth or angsty teen? ha ha oh BOY Do you put your change in a jar for savings? No. How do you feel about transvestites? BITCH y'all great. I love you. Fuckin ROCK YA SHIT. Do you know anyone with a land line at their house? Yes, actually. Do you have any guilty pleasures? Certain kinds of daydreams. Have you been in a fist fight with someone you didn’t want to fight? I've never had a physical fight. Has anyone ever convinced you to do something you didn’t want to? Sure. Usually for my own benefit/growth, though. Are you a sensitive person? Yeah, quite a bit. Do you enjoy writing? Yep. Are you a germ-o-phobe? YEAH. Would you ever own a hairless rat, cat or dog? I would TOTALLY have a sphynx. There's this one breed of dog too and is furless on most places but does have some furry areas and are so ugly they're cute, and I once almost did adopt a hairless rat. So there's your answer. Do you prefer big, fluffy towels or normal sized/smaller towels? BIG FLUFF What is the image on your beach towel? Don't have one of those. Are you good with making eye contact? NO. I never know how long to maintain it and overthink it HEAVILY. I avoid it most of the time. What is your favorite book that was turned into a movie? Probably The Outsiders. I thought it did the book great justice. Do you like the movie or the book better? I don't remember either well enough. Do you watch porn? No. I don't want to watch some strangers bang each other. It's in no way arousing to me. What’s your favorite flavor of applesauce, if any? I guess just normal? Do you go to a firework show every 4th of July? Nah. Are you diabetic? No. Are you allergic to gluten? No. I don't think I'd survive. Are you lactose intolerant? No. Do you live with your parents? Just my mom. Parents are divorced and Mom had full custody, and my two sisters are proper adults that can survive without their mommy. :^) How much experience do you have written down on your resume, approximately? NOT A LOT!!!!!!!! I only count like, one damn job that was valid/lasted a couple months, but only because I very rarely worked. I also only include my previous online college, and should I create a resume now, obviously the one I currently attend. What’s your favorite song to dance to? I do not dance, my friend. What do you think of your parents? Both of them are great. Mom is the reason I'm (in the big picture) healthy, even alive. I WOULD be dead, died a long time ago, if it was not for that woman. Saved my life again and again and again, been there for me through both the same old shit and new madness. I'mma stop here before I actually cry just thinking about how thankful I am for her. Dad, too, I love, and I aspire to be as positive as he seems nowadays. His loyalty to my sisters and me, especially after the shit I've said, is incredible. He doesn't take a lot too seriously, and that's nice, especially when you're having a hard time. He's an optimistic guy now that always makes an effort to cheer you up. He's a total goof, too. He's just fun to be around. What do you think makes you attractive to other people? HA, fuck if I know. I guess my vertical lip labret stands out? Everyone I've dated since having it has at some point pointed out that that's like, my trademark that makes me recognizable right off the bat and that it looks good on me. One of the few things I even like on myself. Would more money make you happier? Look me right in the fucking eye and answer "no" to this. What is one of your favorite memories as a child? Watching my older sister play demo discs' video games after waking up. It's something so simple, but idk, I love remembering that. What’s your favorite kind of cake? Probably red velvet, like gd that shit good. Who is your favorite sports team? Idc. Like I have a natural fondness towards the Carolina Hurricanes 'cuz they're Dad's favorite and we've gone to some games together, but I really don't care. Who would you like to get to know better? I have this high school acquaintance named Courtlynn on my Facebook that seems so cool and relatable. She seems to like me too (not romantically, but she's really supportive, hearts like everything, comments the sweetest stuff sometimes, all that), I just think both of us are shy to reach out. What is the strangest food you ever ate? "I don’t eat anything I consider strange. I’m so picky and basic." <<<< Big 'ole fat same. What’s your favorite thing to order at a Chinese food restaurant? I exclusively only eat pork fried rice and/or egg rolls. Are you an organ donor? YES!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE BE ONE!!!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T NEED THEM ONCE UR DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!! THE LIVING DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SAVE SOME LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What’s your favorite candle scent? FRESH BAKED BREAD MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM What would you do if you found an abandoned animal? Check for identification and call if a number is given, offer it food and water, put a notification up on Facebook about a lost pet... all that stuff. We'd try to avoid a shelter, probably, because yeah. Euthanization is a thing. Have you ever kissed someone who had a tongue piercing? I am the one with the tongue piercing lmao. No. Is it easy for someone to make you cry? OH YES, QUITE. How many children can you see yourself having? IF I had kids, IF, I could not possibly imagine myself with more than two. What is your favorite PlayStation 1 game? SILENT HILL FUCK MAN I LOVE THAT SHIT. Are you competitive? Not really. Depends. Black and white or colored photos? It very much depends. Composition, lighting, content, all that contributes to what I find more aesthetically pleasing. Do you prefer to date younger, older, or the same age as you? Preferably around my age. What’s something from the past that you don’t miss at all? Being a depressed mess every waking moment of my life. Do you like ice cream cake? Not really. Do you wash your hair every day? No, every day is bad for your hair. Do you have trouble sticking to promises? Definitely not. I'm good at that. Have you ever made out with someone of the same sex? Very briefly. She thought she was ready, but not quite. What kind of headphones do you have? Right now they're literally just flimsy hot pink earplugs from a dollar store lmao. How often do you go to parties? Never. Do you sleep in awkward positions? I don't think so. Do you experiment a lot with new looks on yourself? Not really. Where is your favorite place to be kissed? Don't touch my tits with, like, anything. Do you ever quote your favorite movie in normal conversations? No? Do people ever tell you that you look stoned when you’re not? No. Do you suffer from anxiety or depression? *shrugs* why not both? Do hospitals freak you out? To a degree. Been there enough times to both get semi-used to it, but it also agitates old wounds and makes me antsy to get out. What about cemeteries at night? I've never experienced this, so I can't say. But the idea doesn't really creep me out, no. What is your favorite Nintendo 64 game? I never had one. Were you mean as a little kid? Nah, I was a good kid actually.

[valtheimm]

How about Thal: 3,7, 26, and Eris: 2, 9, and 15? O:

Thank you so much for asking ❤❤❤ This is long too, but now i have a complete set with the previous ask 😊

Eris:

2. How educated is your oc? Did their parents teach them, did they have a tutor or were they apprenticed to a master, or did they attend a university? What university? What are they educated in? How long did their education take? (Learned skills like blacksmithing count here too!)

I wanted to post an elaborate answer, explaining her time as a servant girl in Telvanni house, but it got out of hand and became too long. I won’t subject y'all to it here, but you’re always welcome to ask me separately about that. In fact, i’ll probably die of appreciation. You can read an intro here, it’s question 6.

So anyway. Eris managed to learn basic math, reading and writing in the said house. When the tutors came to the dunmer children she took care of she was allowed to stay sometimes, so some knowledge of nature, geography and history sunk in too. At age 15 she copied spell scrolls and research notes for the master of the house with almost impeccable handwriting, being an apt pupil and having a desire to be useful. When she showed she had magic in her, she was even allowed to learn some things about it.

When life took her away from the Telvanni house Eris continued to absorb knowledge like a sponge, developing a passion for reading books.

When she finally got to Skyrim the place she went straight after Whiterun was Winterhold College. Now there she turned all her street-smarts and pieces of knowledge into a complete system. The ammount of money she spent on extra magic lessons is ridiculously high, so high, the way she put herself through the College deserves a separate post. It correlates with her jewelry being banned in Cyrodiil, mentioned here, q11.

She learned blacksmithing around Skyrim, but mostly from Alvor in Riverwood and Adrianne Avenicci in Whiterun. And she read books. And she experimented a lot.

9.What unplayable faction would/did your oc join, if any? Why?I am assuming ‘unplayable factions’ are Mages and Fighters Guilds. Literally no one in any game joined them, so why would Eris do such a thing.

15. Does your oc have a horse/other mount? A pet? How did they get this animal? If they were given the animal, do they have the money to maintain it? How careful/careless are they with their animal? What do they do with their pets while adventuring, especially on dangerous quests?

Eris would join DB again in this playthrough if only for Shadowmere. She adored that horse.She would join the Volkihar clan if only for Cu'Sith. I still never got to this part. Also i may consider just getting a Dogs of Skyrim mod to get her a death hound, so she wouldn’t have to join the vampires. She has problems with them and Moldy Balls. She would look absolutely sick with a death hound beside her tho.

What she does have is not-really-a pet small-breed dragon, whom she healed up. I talked about him here.Eris loves him, even when he’s annoying. He doesn’t need much care, he’s self-sufficient enough. Goes whereever he pleases too, but always comes back.

Thalion:

3.Does your oc have any kind of crafting skills that either aren’t in-game or don’t have as much importance in-game as they would in real life? (For example, can your oc sew or weave, etc? Are they skilled in any kind of art? Can they make jewelry or work glass? Are they musicians? etc)

Great that i have to answer this question!

Thalion paints! She hangs out at Rythe Lythandas’s house a lot after she rescues him. They are literally neighbours because she mainly lives in Cheydinhall and she’s always welcome in his house. So he teaches her a few things when he sees she has a talent for drawing. She still prefers sketching to painting, and usually draws things in her journal.

7. What social class was your oc born into? Did they change classes at all? How?

Middle-class, i think. They lived in Cheydinhall in a very nice house, both her parents made a nice living, but weren’t rich. Mediocrity with a whiff of Altmerish snobism.

Thalion loves money and made enough to buy a house in every city and much-much more, and she visits the courts, but does this make her a member of upper class? She’s a rich merchant. What even makes a person belong to a social class? I am an ignorant slut.

26. How helpful is your oc, and why? Are they helpful or kind even during difficult situations? Are they pragmatic, or do they have a hero syndrome?

Ooh, a good one. Tally is definitely pragmatic. She’ll help you, but she gotta have something out of it. Money, connections, take your pick. The entire Oblivion Crisis she bitched about no one paying her for closing the gates, even though she regularly sold a ton of loot from Oblivion, the usual haul making up to 5000 septims per gate. She still bitched. At least she did enjoy the fame.

Contrary to all above, the entire Crisis she just wanted to be left alone and didn’t understand why exactly she had to fuss over Martin. She got him out of Kvatch, her part was supposed to end there.

[cryptidvoidz]

Keep Them Safe: Chapter Six

Based on @whatwashernameagain‘s fic: Keep Him Safe

Warnings: Cussing, of course, maybe some feels if y'all are allergic, homophobic comments, more insults, more feels. If there's anything you feel the need to be tagged, lemme know!

Chapter One

Tag List: @himrachel @whatwashernameagain

Summary: It's been a few days, but Redmond has already memorized his job by heart, and the regulars (which is partly thanks to Patton), so he's surprised to see a regular break from his routine, and the state he's in.

Oliver? Well he's just been dealing with feels and the persistent calling of the Megabitch.

It's already been three- no, four- days since Redmond started working at the Pat-isserie, and he had already come to memorize the schedule of regulars, the way things were done, and noted things that he should bring up to Patton about working on, or adding. His first day introduced him to some of the most frequent regulars to populate the cafe; the whole precinct. Specifically, he had been introduced to Detective Sanders and Detective Prince, who both eyed him with caution. Redmond couldn't say he blamed the two of them. He had, after all, been hired on the spot, and he had heard about the break in caused by a local gang.

His phone lit up with a text from his brother, Rhys. They were twins, but they looked nothing alike. Swiping his phone, he saw that his family was planning a get together, and grimaced. His parents were pretty strict when he was a kid, and expected great things from all of them. If they were to find out he had completed medical school, and hadn't pursued a career... No, he thought, shaking his head, I opened up my own business and maintained it for four years. They have to be proud of that.

Redmond was a middle child in a family of seven. Going in order of oldest to youngest, it went Robin, Regina, himself, Rhys, and little Rosie. Him and Rhys were the only boys, and so naturally, he knew things such as sewing and cooking. Helpful talents, he admitted, especially when you went to college and couldn't afford much. Another text made his phone nearly buzz off of the counter, causing him to snatch it up.

Gina: HEEEEEY LITTLE BRO~ YOU COMING TO THE FAMILY GATHERING? Red: Perhaps. What's in it for me? Gina: FREE FOOD AND YOU GET TO BE BLESSED BY MY PRESENCE OF COURSE~ Red: Oh? Then I think I'll pass. Gina: OH SHUT UP. BESIDES, MA AND PA WANT TO MEET THIS MYSTERY MAN YOU'VE BEEN SEEING. YOU REFUSED TO BRING HIM LAST TIME.

Oh no... They didn't know about his breakup. And why did she keep using all caps? It's unbearable.

Red: Oh, uh... About that. Gina: GREAT, WE'LL SEE YOU TWO THERE! :D Red: ... Gina... Gina: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO CAPTURED MY BROTHER'S HEART

The man threw his phone back down on the counter in frustration and redid his ponytail. Regina was an overly optimistic woman, but was also very... blind to things. It's better to give up now, and just show up, alone, like he had done last year. For a moment, he wondered if Danny would want to come, and then remembered who Danny's father was, which only soured his mood even more.

Part of him just wanted to forgive the damn redhead, but he was too stubborn. He knew twelve years was way too long to hold a grudge. Perhaps he should, at the very least, attempt to get along with his former friend, even if it's just for Danny. Just Danny, not for any other reason, he thought quickly.

His thinking was cut off by the jingle of the door opening, and lo and behold, speak of the devil. The detective didn't even glance at him as he flopped on the couch, scrubbing at his face aggressively. Too aggressively, Redmond observed, pursing his lips. While he still held a grudge, he knew those signs all to well. If he had to assume, his new customer had just gotten off of the phone with his mother.

Hurriedly, the barista made a cup of chamomile tea, gagging ever so slightly at the amount of sugar, and grabbed a blueberry muffin. His favorite. Setting both the tea and muffin on the table next to the punk, he shoved the others feet off of the couch and sat down stiffly next to him. Redmond sighed, speaking before he could consider just ignoring the crying mess next to him.

"What did she want?" His voice wavered a little and sounded rough, but knew he had Oliver's attention when he had looked up in shock and confusion. Redmond tried again. "Your mother, you just got off the phone with her, right? What did the Megabitch want this time?" A nickname that Redmond had coined after watching the movie Drop Dead Fred, sure, but it fit her all the same.

A slight huff left Oliver, the corners of his mouth twitching up as he made one of his hands into a flattened "O" shape and smacked it against his other palm twice. Redmond's eyebrows knitted together as his eyes narrowed. Money. Of course she wanted money. Oliver added, "How did you know it was her?"

The ginger glanced over at the smaller man next to him. "We were best friends for sixteen years, Oliver, I know the signs," he stated nonchalantly. "What else did she want? I know you, and I know that woman who likes to call herself a mother."

Oliver looked down and spelled out a few letters, instantly causing Redmond to growl. "No. Absolutely not. If you EVER let that bitch near your kid, I swear to all the gods that I'll never forgive you." His outburst caused the detective to recoil noticeably, and he took a deep breath to calm himself, shifting so he was facing Oliver. "Look, you may have done some terrible shit in the past, stuff that I'm still working past-" the detective hung his head "-but Danny? I love that energetic little shit, okay? He's an adorable, smart, gifted kid, and I don't want him to be tainted by Satan herself. Danny is the reason I'm even willing to work things out with you. God, why do you even keep in contact with your mom? You know she's toxic!"

"Satan wishes he could be that evil..." the gestures said, and Redmond's look hardened.

"Stop avoiding the question, Oliver Frey."

Oliver fidgeted. His fingers picked at the cuff of his worn out jeans, and finally, Redmond had had enough. Snatching the other's phone away, he swiftly unlocked the phone and scrolled through the message history. His dark blue eyes widened in horror at the things she had said, most of which blamed Oliver for losing "the only one who would ever care for" him, going on about he was going to hell for liking men, and going on about how much his wife had been a slut. It made his blood boil. He knew Anna Watson. He knew about the arranged marriage between her and his best friend. How dare this woman paint that sweet angel in such a horrible like that? He continued reading, before finally turning off the screen.

One glimpse at Oliver showed that the detective had curled in on himself, and Redmond looked at him. Like, really looked at him. The man's hair was even more disheveled than usual, his clothes looked rumpled, and even his eyes seemed duller. And then Redmond's eyes were drawn to the bandaged hand, his only thought wondering if that was his fault.

Making a split decision, he scooted closer and wraps his arms around the other's shoulders, the physical contact feeling foreign to him. He felt Oliver stiffen next to him, and he briefly wondered if he had gone too far, but then Oliver melted into his touch, fresh tears spilling over his cheeks as Redmond held him close, his thumb rubbing slow circles on his arm, and running a hesitant hand through the wild red hair.

Redmond had no idea how long they sat like that, but he had only noticed Oliver had fallen asleep when Patton walked in, followed by the loud noise that was Roman Prince, and a softer voice that sounded like scolding. The small detective just shifted closer, burying his face into the crook of Redmond's neck, sighing softly. He didn't even wake up when Roman and Patton simultaneously squealed. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Detective Sanders, Logan was his name, right?, pulling out his phone and snapping a photo.

It was then that Redmond realized Oliver hadn't said those things out of hate, he had said them to protect him, and the guilt weighed heavily. He could only imagine how Oliver felt after he had been treated with such coldness from the barista, and Redmond vowed to fix things. Not just for Danny anymore, but for himself as well.

The long haired man yawned, pulling the detective closer in the process. They were basically cuddling at this point, but Redmond didn't mind. Soon, Dexter was shaking him awake. When had he fallen asleep? His mind could barely make an coherent thoughts, but he knew in the back of his mind he had been moved. His side suddenly felt cold, and he made a disgruntled noise, eyes still heavy from sleep. How long had he been asleep?

A chuckle made him blink. Oliver sat in front of him, hair sticking out in places, holding a hand out to the sleepy barista. He didn't need to sign anything for Redmond to get the message. They were going to get him home. Red and blue blurred in his vision, and took Oliver's hand, standing and almost immediately slumping over onto the pink and gray clad detective. "Home with you..." he mumbled. He hadn't noticed how touch-starved he was.

Oliver tensed at his words, before smiling a little and nodding. Dexter said something, but he was too tired to understand what he was saying. He could only pay attention to how the ground suddenly disappeared, and the arms around him. They weren't the same as the arms from earlier, and he pouted. Dexter's chest rumbled with a deep laughter as he carried the tired barista out of the door.

He felt soft sheets around him. Had he fallen back asleep? Mm, that warmth was back again, making Redmond feel fuzzy and content. He wrapped his arms around the warmth happily, making a noise of relaxation as he drifted back to sleep.

Oliver felt his former friend's body curl around his as he fell back asleep, leaving Oliver to think about the events that had transpired. It was clear that Redmond loved Danny, and was willing to work through things with the detective because of that. It had utterly shocked both him and Dexter when the barista insisted on going home with him, and how quick he was to keep in physical contact with him. The train of thought brought him back to the faint bruises he had noticed on his wrists when Oliver first saw him after twelve years. Exactly how bad was his last relationship? Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the man who was cuddled up to him.

Reaching around, Oliver gently tugged the hair tye out of Redmond's hair, smiling as the warm orange hair fell, framing his face. His breathing had evened out, and in that moment, Oliver realized he'd never seen the other like this and became entranced. He soaked in every detail, even the little scar beneath his left eye, Oliver vaguely wondering where he had gotten that, and lightly ran his hands through the pumpkin colored locks, and when Redmond sighed happily and snuggled even closer, the detective realized once again how much he actually loved the man next to him and finally let a small smile grace his lips.

Tugging the blanket over them, he removed his glasses and curled into the taller male's arms, finally content.

[airadam]

Episode 140 : ...in his land, a ruler.

"Either unmarked or engraved - hey, who's to say?"

- MF DOOM

Wow, January has been a long year (!)

On the very last day of 2020, the Hip-Hop world was stunned to hear of the passing of Daniel Dumile, later known as Zev Love X, and eventually as the legendary MF DOOM. It had actually happened some time before but his family wanted to maintain some privacy, which is absolutely to be respected. In his memory, we play some tracks from the DOOM catalogue, plus some throwback favourites and a few recent releases. The bulk of the show is pretty uptempo, so one for the runners out there!

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

MF DOOM ft. Pebbles : Doomsday

We start things off with the smoothness, the first full track on DOOM's debut LP "Operation : Doomsday" - which is still my favourite. A chunk of the album sounds like he just went right to the 80s soul crate and loaded the whole thing into the sampler, and this sets it off right. It certainly hits you differently now hearing him speak about his grave, and reuniting with his brother, the much missed DJ Subroc. This track gives you a window into some of the path DOOM walked on the way back to the industry after a traumatic set of personal circumstances, and is packed with references if you understand what you're hearing.

Dela : Dizzy

Quality production from "The Robert Glasper Beat Tape", doing great work with a piano sample and really changing the vibe. Check how he reinforces it with that fuzzy bass that plays along with parts of the main riff.

Tall Black Guy & Ozay Moore ft. Ohmega Watts : Har Hanz

A celebration of Hip-Hop here, with Ozay Moore and Ohmega Watts taking the mic atop the production skills of Tall Black Guy that is still getting regular headphone time from me three months after release. The sample at the start is discussing the late Latin jazz percussionist "Hard Hands" Ray Barretto, and is taken from the essential Hip-Hop documentary "Style Wars". Essential.

Edgar Allen Floe : State Of The Art

Taking it back to the early days of 9th Wonder and the Justus League crew, we have a track from the "WJLR Radio, Volume 2" mixtape, which you'll be lucky to find these days. EAF is a very skilled MC and, very characteristically of the time this was recorded, the topic here is the state of Hip-Hop and respect for artistry. 

Busta Rhymes ft. Q-Tip : Don't Go

Bringing it back to a recent release, the new "Extinction Level Event 2 : The Wrath Of God"  from the tail end of 2020 - unlike the first "ELE" release in 1998, the title seems to fit the age this time around... Anyway, this is a highlight, with the classic pairing of Busta and Q-Tip over a great Focus beat. The bar layout is a bit unusual, so it made the mixes on either side a little weird, but worth it to share this track.

Doc Ish ft. Joe Budden, Talib Kweli, Sean Price, and Angelica C : Is It A Dream

Dallas stand up! Texas producer Doc Ish brings in a trailerload of vocal talent to grace this beat, one that bumps along and still envelops you. I can't find any info on Angelica C, who does the business on the hook and outro, but she comes correct, and while all the MCs put in solid verses, Sean P is - as almost always - the star. Get this one on the 2010 "The First Treatment" album.

Grap Luva : Rocking With Elegance (One For Damu)

Hitting the SP-1200 here with a nice beat from Mount Vernon's Grap Luva from the "Neva Done" release. Drums and piano on a nice head-nod vibe with some little accents to make the beat complete - it's a great demonstration of not overdoing things when you have a groove that works!

Whodini : Five Minutes Of Funk

Not the whole track, so roughly three minutes and fourteen seconds of this specific funk. I wasn't able to get any Whodini onto the last episode, so it's this month that we pay tribute to the late John "Ecstasy" Fletcher. This track is taken from their sophomore album "Escape", and Ecstasy and Jalil kick their vintage-styled rhymes over the familiar instrumental courtesy of Larry Smith. You may recognise the beat as the theme for Ralph McDaniels' "Video Music Box", or any number of break/turntablist tapes! RIP Ecstasy.

KMD ft. Brand Nubian : Nitty Gritty

When I realised I could work this transition, it had to be done! This was the first KMD track I ever heard, and possibly the first Brand Nubian as well, after it was played on Pete Tong's Rap Selection show on Radio 1 back in the day. The lead MC of KMD was Daniel Dumile, then going by Zev Love X, and later becoming MF DOOM. All the MCs are dropping references from their respective religious organisations on this one, and this self-produced track from the debut KMD album "Mr Hood" is an absolute winner thirty years after its release! 

Eric B & Rakim : Pass The Hand Grenade

This is one of my favourite cuts from the excellent 1992 "Don't Sweat The Technique" album, the final release from Eric B & Rakim as a duo. As per usual, it's a microphone clinic from Rakim, with the density of the lyrics smoothed out by his vocal control and easily keeping up with the break-driven production.

Ice-T : New Jack Hustler

Never mind all the swing on the soundtrack for "New Jack City", this was the highlight, which also stood up strongly next to anything else on Ice-T's crowning "OG : Original Gangster" LP, on which this also appears. An encapsulation of the speed, violence, and chaos of the streets as they were then, and as always with Ice, an acknowledgement that it all comes to a sticky end. The hectic production from Ice and legendary LA turntablist DJ Aladdin creates the perfect dense high-octane menace to go along with the iconic lyrics.

[DJ Premier] Gang Starr : Bless The Mic (Instrumental)

At the tail end of last year we got an instrumental release of the "One Of The Best Yet", which itself was the surprise release of 2019. I didn't realise how much I missed the combination of Guru and Preemo, but the beats even stand as good listens by themselves!

Jeep Beat Collective : The Bomb Drops

A gem here from mid-nineties Manchester, and the brainchild of scene veteran Dave the Ruf, who you might know from JBC, Mindbomb, or if you're local, the Scratch Jam sessions he and DJ Rasp put together! This is uptempo, sample-packed, and topped with very serious cuts, which made it a worth inclusion on Bomb Records' original "Return Of The DJ" album.

Donald D : Rage Of The Rap Renegade

Staying with the 90s vibe, we wind it back to 1991 and the second album ("Let The Horns Blow") from Donald D out of the Rhyme Syndicate crew. No frills, just skills, with the Syndicate Sniper busting off lyrical shots over Bilal Bashir's heavy drums and sampling of a well-known bassline. 

Motion Man : Come On Y'all

This track from "Clearing The Field" is an excellent tribute to/take on "My Part Of Town" by Philadelphia's Tuff Crew. KutMasta Kurt on production creates a 2002 version of the beat for Motion to get busy on. Definitely check the video - it's definitely one of the more original ones I've ever seen!

Mega Ran & Storyville : React

Teacher, MC, and now published author Mega Ran is definitely a man to check in at least one of his chosen disciplines! While he may be in Phoenix now, he's a Philadelphia native who combines here with his hometown compadre Storyville - both of them were former members of the RAHM Nation crew. The "Soul Veggies" album from 2015 is just solid, nourishing quality (part of the reason for the title), and so I thought we'd come back to it - I last dropped a track from this four years ago! Uptempo double bass action drives this one, the mic work is on point as always, and the cuts in the hook season it up lovely.

DJ Spinna : Rock

There have been many versions of this track, but this is the original from the Brooklyn don Spinna! You can find this one on 12" with "Watch Dees" (not the DJ!) on the flip.

MF Doom : I Hear Voices

The last full track on "Operation : Doomsday" is the last track for this month's show as well, and it's one of my personal favourites from the album. It's just flavour, pure MC talent and writing skills, no hook, and a beat that isn't weird, but is somehow pretty unique. I could maybe have heard Ghostface doing something with a track like this, but DOOM stamps this one indelibly.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

  Check out this episode!

[maiddegree71-blog]

Our Favorite Videos of 2018

We put out a lot of videos this year, but the ones we've chosen to highlight below were are our personal favorites, the ones we cooked from and watched the most. These videos made us hungry, made us laugh, and helped us become better cooks. We learned how to roll out flaky and crisp paratha, cook dosa batter, emulsify a perfect pasta alla gricia, and more.

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

This is a great video. Maybe it's because Stella uses the term "Flufftown, USA;" maybe it's because of the really sexy chocolate-dipping shot to kind of Batman-ish soundtrack; or maybe it's because "Boop Boop Boop" has made it into Serious Eats vernacular. Aside from that, I truly appreciate the effort Stella made to develop the recipe. These Klondike bars are absolutely perfect, and the video made me feel like perhaps I could be successful at making them myself. —Ariel Kanter, director of commerce strategy and editorial

What Wouldn’t You Do for a Homemade Klondike Bar? »

[Video: Serious Eats Video.]

I don't think Stella will mind me telling you that she really, really doesn't like being on camera. I, however, love watching Stella on camera. Not because I'm sadistic and like seeing someone in discomfort; it's because she so successfully takes that "I don't want to be here" feeling and converts it into a perfectly snarky, yet still very likable, persona. This video is just one good example of Stella doing the thing she hates doing so well. —Daniel Gritzer, managing culinary director

Texas Sheet Cake Forever »

[Video: Natalie Holt]

Every time I eat dim sum (read: every single weekend), I marvel at the enormous towers of bamboo steamers coming from the kitchen. Providing a behind-the-scenes look at how these restaurants function is a fascinating idea, but doing so from the vantage point of a dim sum cart is both hilarious and revealing. Plus, the video illustrates just how talented—not to mention hard-working—the chefs and waiters at our favorite dim sum establishments are. —Elazar Sontag, editorial assistant

A Day in the Life of a Dim Sum Cart »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

I really love this short and fun video. It’s a great combination of Sohla’s delightful energy and fun camera angles, and Vicky and Daniel’s hilarious cameo certainly help. Not to mention how fantastic the elote risotto pancake looks! —Grace Chen, office manager

Elotes Meet Risotto al Salto in an All-Star Mashup »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

This starts out as an elegant but straightforward recipe video for a pressure cooker corn risotto, playing out to what looks like an orderly conclusion, only to carry on into an anarchic “next day” epilogue. It's a celebration of the impulsive spirit of making new dishes from leftovers. —John Mattia, video producer

Pressure Cooker Corn Risotto Cooks in Four Minutes, Tastes Like Summer »

[Video: Serious Eats Video]

Before I start, I need to give y'all a preface: I'm allergic to shellfish, and therefore did not eat this crab. But I did get to participate in the filming of it, where we hauled a big vat of crabs out into the courtyard of our office complex and had ourselves a little afternoon respite. I have happy memories of sitting and drinking beer in the sunshine, watching my coworkers savagely tear open crabs with their bare hands while following Daniel's instructions. The final product was one of our most-viewed videos of the year, which incited a lively debate in the comments on the semantics of "crab feast" versus "crab boil," which I moderated with great joy. — Kristina Bornholtz, social media editor

Zen and the Art of the Maryland Crab Feast »

[Video: Vicky Wasik]

I never jumped on the slime video bandwagon, and I think this is as close as I'm ever going to get. Equal parts strangely satisfying, suspenseful, and trypophobia-triggering, it’s got all the components of those videos you watch on the internet but you’re not really sure why. Plus, I learned how to griddle a dosa. —Maggie Lee, designer

Dosa (Indian Rice-and-Lentil Crepes) Recipe »

[Video: Natalie Holt]

In my personal life, I strive to maintain a nonjudgmental attitude, but my professional self knows that strong, sometimes unpopular, and well-founded convictions make good food writing, and, as it turns out, good food videos. (The "well-founded" aspect is an element I find to be missing from a lot of clickbait-y food opinion pieces out there.) Plus, food waste is a pet peeve of mine, so I had to love Wing Hysteric Daniel Gritzer's office exposé/mini tirade against those half-hearted eaters who lose interest in their chicken wings once they catch even a glimpse of bone. C'mon, people! Even your dog knows better than that! I especially like the theatrically sneaky jog into the kitchen around 1:05. —Miranda Kaplan, senior editor

The Right Way to Eat Chicken Wings Is All the Way »

[Video: Serious Eats Video]

I'll be honest: I really thought this video had a chance of going viral. Then I showed it to my sister-in-law, who looked confused and asked me what an Instant Pot is. Having to explain a joke isn't an encouraging sign about its quality; it also isn't really the kind of thing you want to do for a second time when you show it to your mom. And a third when you show it to your best friend. But, BUT! I'll do it for you anyway, because really, I promise, once you get it, you'll think it's just about the most hilarious thing you've ever seen. Premise: Instant Pots are all the rage! And they're great. They're also just...electric pressure cookers. When we decided to do this video, we thought we'd poke some inside-jokey-fun at the fact that Pinterest/Instagram/Facebook/The Whole Internet had become obsessed with a specific brand of a product that's been around for a long time. So...how about now? Is it funny now? DO YOU GET IT? I hope so. It's pretty great. —Niki Achitoff-Gray, executive managing editor

How to Get the Most Out of Your Instant Pot »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

Toum really is the garlicky eggless mayo that goes with everything—watch the video—and it really is easy to make, and you really should make some yourself. But I picked this video as a reminder and warning for my past and future colleagues and friends: If you visit the Serious Eats office, you, too, might get tricked into singing Toumbop (to the tune of Mmmbop) on camera. —Paul Cline, VP of product

Traditional Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce) Recipe »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

There's a lot to love about this video: parathas are one of my favorite foods; the double-coil technique; the weird, kind of creepy jazz. But the main reason I love this video is because of the "ooh" Sohla lets out when she puts her back into flattening the dough. — Sho Spaeth, features editor

Paratha (Flaky South Asian Flatbread) Recipe »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

I could watch pasta videos for hours. Let's be honest, I have definitely done that. —Sasha Marx, culinary editor

Gricia Is the Silky, Porky Roman Pasta Everyone Should Know »

[Video: Natalie Holt]

As much as I love copycat recipes AND Lao Gan Ma brand chili crisp, it never occurred to me this was something I could make from scratch. But Sohla's excitement for breaking down the complexities of the recipe and straightforward technique won me over, and I wound up making a life-changing batch for myself. The video made it look like a lot of fun to try at home, and it was! —Stella Parks, pastry wizard

Chili Crisp: Spicy, Salty, Crunchy, Tingly, and Good on Everything »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

I love this video because it took Stella and Sohla out of their comfort zones, and let their natural instincts shine through. This was one of the more chaotic/labor intensive/challenging shoots to date, but getting them out into the world at the farmer's market and then back in the kitchen was worth it for all the fun moments. I also think it gave the audience a closer look into how the Serious Eats test kitchens work. —Vicky Wasik, visual director

Mystery Box Cooking Challenge: Sohla Versus Stella »

[Video: Natalie Holt]

I'm a sucker for a Sohla video, and this one doesn't disappoint. Not only is it doubly informative, teaching you how to make a pan sauce and fix a broken one, but there's also a bit of comic relief towards the end. Two dogs, a Brad, and Sohla's crack-up laugh really round out a cooking video. —Tim Aikens, front-end developer

How to Make a Pan Sauce, and How to Fix a Broken One »

[Video: Serious Eats Video]

This video has changed my life. Okay, maybe a bit extreme, but it's true—I'll never pronounce "pestle" wrong again. The main reason I love this video so much is that it shows the level of research and obsession Daniel and the rest of the Serious Eats crew have for food, and all the ways you can prepare and cook it. Seeing Daniel test out and speak his mind about what applications each M&P succeeds and struggles with, I finished the video feeling like an expert. —Joel Russo, video producer

How to Pick the Best Mortar and Pestle »

[Video: Serious Eats Team]

How can you not love Stella's videos when she says stuff like, "Scraping a bowl is a way of showing a dough you care." It doesn't matter to me that this video is all about holiday gingerbread cookies, which I don't even like. I love this video for the same reason I love all of Stella's videos for Serious Eats. I think the way she interacts with the camera ends up putting the viewer at ease, and makes her incredibly delicious work seem all the more approachable. —Ed Levine, founder

Quick Gingerbread Cookies for Busy Holiday Bakers »

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/roundups/our-favorite-videos-2018

[fireandgloryrpg]

Congratulations Kcat and welcome! We’re so happy to accept your application to play Adriana Caninii with the faceclaim of Phoebe Tonkin in Fire & Glory RPG! We can’t wait to begin roleplaying with you so please remember to look over our checklist! 

OOC INFO:

Name: Kcat Age: 21 – April 04 Timezone: EST

Activity: I am both a senior year undergraduate student and an officer for my university’s ambassadors, so as I’m sure you’ll understand, I’m very busy. However, roleplay is my go-to stress reliever. I can typically manage to get on two to four nights a week and drill through replies. If things get extra crazy in real life, I’ll be sure to let you lovely admins know and request a hiatus if need be. Anything Else?: I HAVE MISSED ALL YOU LOVELY FUCKERS WHAT’S UP GUYS!!! MAN IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK ;D

OC APPLICATION:

Name: Adriana Caninii Age and Birthday: 24 years, 31 March 1993 Faceclaim: Phoebe Tonkin, Tay Jardine Heritage: Daughter of Mars, Legacy of Invidia Affiliation: Centurion of the Fourth Cohort, Cult of Romulus

Abilities: (omg pls erase my ramblings if/when you post because I just wanted to be super clear with each of these so that nothing came of as godmoddy because I would NEVER make that the intention :3 just throw your questions and stuff at me. y'all know i’m a real chill pill)

From Mars

telumkinesis: natural mastery of all weapons; ability to curse the weapons of opponents

odikinesis: can enhance or induce rage, hate, fear, and intimidation; can dispel “battle jitters” from others

From Invidia

Invidia is said to be the Roman name for Nemesis. In the PJO canon, Nemesis claims that she is known by the same name by both the Greeks and the Romans because revenge and justice is universal – which isn’t wrong. However, in much of Roman mythology, while Invidia is still associated with Nemesis, she is also seen as an independent goddess, one who differs than the Greek version of Nemesis in that she is primarily the goddess of envy and vengeance, along with the standard Nemesis’ qualities of revenge and justice. Invidia itself was a power that the Romans feared. Literally their term for envy, after winning a great battle, Roman soldiers would use talismans to protect themselves from Invidia, and for good reason. Envy was a sickness that could lead soldiers to craving more battles, more victories, and in their desirable wake, cause great harm in their pursuit of excessive glory. It could also turn the best of men into animals, friends turned enemies in conflict over a lover, a treasure, recognition. Invidia is also a goddess associated with the evil eye – like Nemesis’ ability to speak of one’s fate, only Invidia typically embodies the darker side of fate, bringing about her justice through curses, indirect manipulation, and supposedly even a little bit of “black magic.” (but far less on the magic bit, obviously)

Adriana’s mother is a daughter of Invidia, and as such, some of her powers have transferred down to Adriana, albeit at a lesser strength, variety, and level than in the case of her parent.

fascinare: ability to bewitch a person into an envious state with the express purpose of inducing conflict between that individual and others (this ability would take a bit of a toll on Adriana. Historically, it’s an actual power that the Romans feared, like invidia. It’s the sort of curse that plants a little seed of envy in someone’s heart. The caster, again, has no say over what results from this. They’re just drawing out what envious emotions a person might have deep down in the hopes that coaxing those emotions out will allow them to fester into a full-blown conflict by the affected’s hands. It’s not a quick process, but a slow one, and the results vary widely depending on the person. If they’re truly good at heart and generous, for example, this ability really wouldn’t affect them. It’s just stirring up what’s already there and what happens depends entirely on the individual and their pre-existing personal issues)  

poison tongue: venom can cast fascinare or cause mild nausea and dizziness (rarely unconsciousness) via a kiss (okay literally this amused me so much and I was dying to test it out as an ability. In a lot of lore, Invidia is said to have a tongue that’s actually poisonous – likely due to the fact that her symbolic animal is a snake – but obviously, that’s a little extreme for demigods and especially for legacies so I’ve watered it down to this – for one, Adriana would obviously have to engage in mouth to mouth contact to make this work (how awkward and uncomfortable for her lmao), and thus she realllly isn’t too fond of it. She’d have to use this in order cast any sort of fascinare power, but additionally, it could be used to disorient someone – as if a sudden unexpected kiss from a daughter of Mars isn’t disorienting enough – it’s not likely to cause someone to pass out unless Adri has to commit for some reason because it’s absolutely necessary. We’re basically talking a delirious effect, not so different from the dizziness and disorientation of being significantly drunk, and it doesn’t last very long. Maybe five minutes, ten if she’s lucky. If she can get along without having to use this ability, she will. It’s more of a dire need for escape sort of trick)

The Influence of Luna

Both Adriana and her cousin, Fergus Fitzgerald, share the same traces of blood from the goddess Luna via their great-grandfather, Aulus Caninii, a son of Luna. Of the two of them, it’s Fergus that is most affected if only due to his heritage as a son of Oceanus, as the sea and moon have always been closely aligned in the ebb and flow of the tides. For Adriana, this heritage brings little more than a slight influence of mood and preference for time of day. She is, by nature, more of a night person than a day person. Early mornings are especially miserable, but years in the Legion and the formation of a daily 5AM running habit have helped her to combat this fact. She feels her best and strongest at the apex of the full moon and her crummiest and most fatigued at the apex of the new moon. Unless someone was meticulously attentive to Adriana’s day-to-day patterns or had been told of this heritage by Adriana herself, it is highly unlikely they would recognize this behavior as anything of note. As such, Adriana does not claim outright to be a legacy of Luna because her effect on the daughter of Mars’ blood is so minimal.

Headcanons:

Ancient lineage and political powers aside, the Caninii are well-known for their talent of dog training. In the age of the Roman Empire, dogs were common companions beside men in battle. Adriana’s family has continued this tradition with pride. The Legion’s ‘war dogs’ are held at a training kennel near the stables in Camp Jupiter. Renzo, Adriana’s half-brother, is currently responsible for their training and upkeep, but Adriana often steps in to assist. She has only fully trained one dog thus far, and that is Septimus, her German Shepherd and inseparable partner.

Adriana’s most prized possession is her longsword, an heirloom that has been in her family for generations. At its original forging, the sword was named Servatrix, but Adriana has developed her own conventions and opinions that oppose a number of the Caninii’s long-held beliefs, and has subsequently changed its name to Grayclaw. The blade is forged of an imperial gold and silver alloy. The fusion of metals takes away from their overall effects, but provides the advantage of having both lethal elements on hand.

Biography:

Born to Livia of the family Caninii, Adriana has wealth, respect, and an ancient bloodline that has inevitably determined her future. She was raised in New Rome by her grandfather, who filled her head with tales of the great achievements of her forefathers as soon as she was old enough to understand them. He is a charismatic and brilliant man, but this family patriarch holds his kin to strict expectations.

Gaius made it clear to Adriana that she would be responsible for upholding their family’s glory and reputation. From an early age, the young Roman knew who she was and what she could do. She trained for hours each day in combat, weaponry, war strategy, Roman history – whatever was necessary to educate her as a proper soldier. But while these lessons came naturally to her, Adriana was wary of how her grandfather was crafting her to his ideals. Gaius is a Roman Senator, not a family man. He has political desires and an indomitable ambition. While he holds his advantages close, he is not inclined to treasure them. Adriana, like her family namesake, is a dog. Albeit a well-bred one. Gaius showed her off and trained her to be obedient, to come when called and to strike at his order. But Adriana was, and remains, resilient. Years of observing her grandfather’s tactics led her to develop some skills on her own. His little warrior learned how to play false appearances. Whenever Gaius was confident that his guidance was building toward his desired end, Adriana fed his belief, keeping her conflicting feelings and opinions to herself.

By the time she arrived at Camp Jupiter, Adriana was a hardened fighter. With high commendations from Gaius and several other elite members of New Rome’s society, she was assigned to the First Cohort. The rigorous training of the First not only developed the skills that she already possessed, but also nourished her true personality – something her grandfather had sought to suppress in order to maintain his control. Adriana is loyal yet independent, studious yet audacious, valiant, and though ruthless, fair. She’s not the type of person to judge at first glance and believes strongly in second chances.

But, when the Argo II attacked New Rome, the resulting damage shook the daughter of Mars into believing that her grandfather had been right all along – you can’t trust a graecus. The Battle at Half-Blood Hill had robbed Adriana of friends and allies, leaving her with a deepening malice toward their East Coast counterparts. She viewed the unification as a betrayal to those that she had lost and refused to stand for it.

Adriana’s change in attitude did not go unnoticed. Gaius picked up on the shift in his granddaughter and sought to seize the opportunity it presented. One night, he drew her away from camp and introduced her to the secret society lurking beneath the streets of New Rome. When she emerged early the next morning, Adriana was not only the dedicated soldier she had always been, but also the Cult of Romulus’ newest inductee.

Shortly after her induction, Adriana was appointed Centurion of the Fourth Cohort. The office suited her well. It gave her a chance to improve the skills of some of the Legion’s less popular legionnaires and, with the cohort’s sizable inclusion of Greeks, to keep an eye on the activities of the foreigners. However, as months of leadership turned to years, Adriana came to realize that despite the few upsets between the camps, the transfers from Camp Half-Blood weren’t actually all that different from the demigods of the Legion. They showed no signs of plotting against New Rome and Adriana had even begun to grow fond of them – Imagine that! A member of the Cult getting friendly with the enemy? She was lucky that her Cult companions passed it off as keeping their enemies close. Even so, the Cult tightened their grip on the daughter of Mars. She could hardly take a breath without them taking note. That leash has loosened since then, but Adriana is still walking a perilously thin line.

Adriana was seduced into the Cult of Romulus by their power and promises of reformation at a time when it seemed impossible to hold anything but malice toward the Greeks – a malice that she no longer possesses, a power that she doesn’t need, and a reformation that isn’t necessary. The true battle is not against one another but against the monsters and deific powers that threaten their livelihood. How could the city’s darker powers not see that the Roman demigods and their Greek counterparts are a far more formidable force together than divided? To the war strategist ingrained in in Adriana’s bones, this is common sense.

Adriana’s knowledge of the Cult’s existence coupled with her opposing opinions is a loaded gun. If she could drop out of the Cult she would do so in a heartbeat, but you can’t just leave a cult. Especially not one so prominent and powerful as the Cult of Romulus. They have ways of keeping their wayward members in line, as she already knows, and speaking against them publicly – or worse, revealing them – would be suicide. Adriana is doing her best to remain a neutral party in quiet defiance, but not all the Cult’s demands are so easy to ignore…

Yet while she keeps to the shadows in her disagreement with the Cult, the daughter of Mars has not been as subtle in regards to her kin. The Caninii clan’s esoteric convictions and unjust manipulation for personal gain have built them an empire within New Rome, but the power they wield is abusive and Adriana won’t have it. Wielding her status as the single direct descendant in her family line and the next head as she would a weapon, Adriana is determined to reshape the conventions of her house. If put toward good rather than gain, the wealth and influence of her family could be an avenue for positive change, but Adriana is a warrior, not a politician; and without allies and support, she can’t expect to enforce any alterations to her kin’s ancient dynasty anytime soon.          

For now, Adriana is treading lightly. Balance isn’t easily maintained – anyone with Invidia or Nemesis’ blood in their veins knows that all too well. However, with the right pressures, sharpest moves, and great patience, fate can sometimes be swayed in one’s favor. Adriana does her best to be an honorable leader and a fierce soldier, appearing ever the pure, loyal Roman until she has her chance to tear away from the destiny that has been fashioned for her all her life. And when she finally gets it, she’ll do what she does best. Fight.

Para Sample (idek what this is lmao I tried):  

Adriana’s senses went to the wayside as she stood in the midst of the crowd. The heavy beat of the music that projected from the stage pulsed across the field, stoking the spectators’ energy in the late night hour. At the high volume of the rock band’s set and the surrounding exclamations of enjoyment, hearing anything else beyond the event was nigh impossible. Adriana had gotten swept up in the tide of it all. With a beer in her hand and a friend at her side, she couldn’t imagine a better evening; and she didn’t want to, because as soon as she wished it, her fun was likely to end. The Fates were relentless pranksters in that way.

The concert had been Dani’s idea. The Second Cohort legionnaire had snatched the centurion to the side between training sessions and to lay out their plan for a brief escape. Adriana, always willing to step outside the boundaries of her lifelong home, had eagerly accepted. She could always rely on the legacy of Hades to come up with the most entertaining – and sneakiest – schemes. It didn’t even matter to Adriana that she wasn’t familiar with the band. Between the political stuffiness of New Rome and the responsibilities of Legion leadership, the supposed demigod sanctuary could become a suffocating environment. Adriana would take any opportunity to step aside, let loose, be herself, and just breathe.

So there she was, jumping up and down among a mob of strangers and releasing her pent up stress through a non-violent outlet. As the music tapered down for the band’s transition into the next song, the daughter of Mars took a moment to rest, chuckling through panting breaths at the dark-haired person beside her. “You’re right,” she grinned. “They’re not bad.”

“Not bad?” The legacy of Hades scoffed in mock hurt. “For all the trouble it took to bring you out here, you would claim that these beautiful, Muse-embodied humans are not bad?” Dani clicked their tongue disapprovingly. “Remind me never to invite you to join me on my ventures again.”

Adriana shook her head at the short legionnaire. Despite being the sage, Dani was a good six inches smaller than her, at the least. Not that their height made them any less ferocious. Dani was a wild soul and Adriana admired her temperament greatly. “Hey, don’t look at me,” she shrugged with an indifferent look down at the other. “You’re the one who took me out to see a band I’ve never heard of in my life. It’s not my fault I don’t have a reference to judge their music.”

Dani groaned through an exasperated sigh. “Fiiiiine. You’re excused.” Around them, the fresh beat of a new song began to shake the ground. “You’re lucky I like you, Romaíos.”

Adriana had taken that line as the close to their conversation, ready to sink back into the sounds and the madness, but just as she was teetering on the height of that edge, a pulse beneath her feet caught her off guard. No one else appeared to have felt it even though it was off beat to the rest of the tune, and there was a telltale prickling sensation that ran down the centurion’s spine. She stopped moving, eyes attentive, feeling focused, and again felt the thump resonate across the ground. In an instant, entertainment had turned to vigilance.

“Dani, stop.” Adriana reached out and placed a firm hand on the Greek’s shoulder.

Dani hesitated a brief moment before they complied. They pouted up at the Roman and opened their mouth to object, but then they felt it too, right down to their bones. The lightheartedness faded from their expression and a hand ventured toward the holster strapped to their thigh in preparation. “Where is it? Do you see anything?” they asked as their honey-colored eyes swept around them – which achieved nothing considering their height.

Adriana fiddled with the ring brace that lived on her right middle finger, sharp eyes piercing through and over the people around them. “I don’t know… it’s pretty hard to see around– wait.” Out of the corner of her eye, Adriana caught a flash of movement. Nothing concrete, but when spotting shadows, it was usually best to assume it was something rather than leave it be and get stabbed in the back for it. “Come on,” she stepped in front of Dani, starting to lead them out of the crowd.

Not seconds prior to the two of them stepping onto open ground, a guttural screech cut through the air. Both demigods snapped their heads to the left and were greeted by the misfortunate sight of a scorpion with a van-sized body. “Every fucking time…” Adriana growled under her breath and swept her thumb over the side of her ring, cueing the accessory to spin around her finger and break off. It extended into a hilt and a blade which she twirled in her hand with practiced ease. In a similar fashion, Dani equipped themself with a pair of curved knives. Adriana looked over to them and the pair shared a silent transfer of information. They knew each other well enough by now to coordinate their attacks without the distraction of words.

I take front, you take back?

Yeah, let’s go.

At Dani’s finalizing nod, Adriana turned to the monster and grabbed its attention with a high-pitched whistle. “Hey ugly!” The beast hissed, shuffling around on its spindly legs to lock eyes with the young warrior. “This what you’re looking for?” She stepped forward once with arms spread to taunt it, and sure enough, it lurched forward with another screech.

Adriana reinforced her stance, standing her ground until the scorpion only had a few seconds of distance left to close. At her side, the legacy of Hades slipped into the nearest shadow and a grin split across the centurion’s lips.

Time to go to work.

[peggydugginsmuso-blog]

10 Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums of 2019

While all types of music share the beautiful ability to bridge the gaps between people, let's not fool ourselves and act like the music industry works the same across the board.

For instance, while most of the bands and pop stars who made waves in 2018 will now venture out on exhaustive tours, go on hiatus, or do anything for two or three years except consider putting out another album, many of the same names in hip-hop and R&B who commanded headlines, turned heads, and dropped dope records, collabs, and singles last year will be back in 2019. And as long as everyone is on their meds (seriously, take care of yourselves), we're 100% down with that.

In 2019, greats will get a chance to re-establish their greatness, underground talents will attempt to conquer the mainstream, and unique artists will continue to push hip-hop in new and thrilling places. Call it a repeat. Call it a rerun if you want, but it's the best show on in 2019, and we ain't flippin' the channel.

–Matt Melis Editorial Director

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Cardi B – TBD

Cardi B in “Money” music video

Why We're Excited: If Kendrick Lamar quietly proved in 2018 that he's still the king, Cardi B struck a royal balance by ascending to her queenly throne with as much pomp and fanfare as possible. Cardi took over Coachella, stole the show on SNL with her classy baby bump reveal, sent an album's worth of singles straight up the charts, and finally answered Austin Powers' longstanding question: “Really, who throws a shoe?” Let's face it: since “Bodak Yellow” hit the charts in mid-2017, Cardi B has run the rap game like cardio. Now, fresh off the presses (or day-old at worst), Cardi B has announced that her Invasion of Privacy follow-up will creep into fans' hands in 2019. While most new mothers and reigning hip-hop royalty might consider stepping out of the spotlight for a time, Cardi has proven she's got the swagger, flow, and “okuuuuuurts” to not wear out her welcome anytime soon. –Matt Melis

Sample:

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Childish Gambino – TBD

Childish Gambino, photo by Ben Kaye

Why We're Excited: Now that he's no longer making the Kessel Run alongside Han Solo, or nursing a broken foot, Donald Glover should have little to no distractions when it comes to music for 2019. Of course, we say that as if he didn't deliver one of the best songs last year in “This is America”, even while juggling the aforementioned projects, so can you imagine what he'll do with even more time? Something substantial, no doubt, and the stars are beginning to align. Already, Glover's booked to headline Coachella, which has become the de facto billboard to promote a new album, and he even has appropriate material for the time of year with “Feels Like Summer” and “Summertime Magic”. Couple all of this with his forthcoming appearance in Jon Favreau's The Lion King and we're looking at a Summer of Gambino. Hopefully, it's not his last. –Michael Roffman

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EarthGang – Mirrorland

EarthGang

Why We're Excited: “Don't believe the hype” might be one of hip-hop's Ten Commandments, but sometimes we just can't help ourselves. Everything about EARTHGANG - the oddball hip-hop duo from Atlanta featuring Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot - suggests that they've got plenty to back up any buzz they're getting. Hell, it's why we made them our Artist of the Month last February. In 2018, not only did the pair brilliantly cap off their Rags, Robots, and Royalty EP trilogy, but they also dropped the first single from the upcoming Mirrorland, a freaky slow jam called “Stuck” that teases how these wonderful weirdos might just manage to squeeze into our solar system in 2019. –Matt Melis

Sample:

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Run the Jewels – RTJ4

Run the Jewels, photo by Philip Cosores

Why We're Excited: One of the only positives of last year's Venom - other than seeing Tom Hardy trump a garbage movie - was hearing new music by Run the Jewels. After all, it's been two years since the surprise Christmas release of RTJ3, and so much has changed in the interim, which makes their forthcoming sequel all the more exciting. “I've been collecting beats and we're just going to kind of try and make the grimiest, rawest record we possibly can,” El-P told Beats 1 in October. Though, as Killer Mike countered, “We always really were just about making nasty rap records, man,” contending, “We never were the type of people who were looking to make records that were addressing specific political situations. If it happens, it happens, and it does on occasion, but we're not Public Enemy. What we're trying to do is be two guys in a friendship from different places having the time of their lives and making something that everybody can make the scrunchy face to when they hear.” Hey, that works, too. –Michael Roffman

Sample:

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ScHoolboy Q – TBD

Schoolboy Q // Photo by Philip Cosores

Why We're Excited: Everyone needs time to grieve, even Schoolboy Q. If you recall, the Compton rapper had intended to release the follow-up to 2016's Blank Face LP by the end of 2018. However, those plans changed when he announced to his fans at Chicago's House of Vans back in September that he would delay the album following the tragic death of his friend and collaborator, Mac Miller. “I'ma go back, and I'ma figure out when I'ma put this fucking album out, because y'all are going to get this album,” he insisted. “I promise that. I'm just not ready to walk into the radio station and the first thing they ask me is 'So Mac Miller…' I'm not ready to deal with those questions. I'm not ready to put nothing out right now. I'm sorry.” Considering the album was reportedly “90%-95%” completed back in August, it really comes down to when he's ready to let it go. –Michael Roffman

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SABA, Noname, and Smino – TBD

SABA, Noname, and Smino, photo by SABA

Why We're Excited: The only intelligent response is, why wouldn't we be excited? For our money, Chicago emcees SABA and Noname dropped two of the best hip-hop albums of 2018, Care for Me and Room 25, respectively, and Smino wasn't far behind them with eclectic singles “L.M.F.” and “KLINK” off his accomplished second full-length. Now, mix SABA's storytelling with Noname's jazzy flow and Smino's wildcard flavor, and you have a trio that have the chance to change what the future of hip-hop sounds like. If that doesn't excite you, nothing will. –Matt Melis

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Solange – TBD

Solange, photo by Philip Cosores

Why We're Excited: Sibling rivalries don't make much sense as you get older, especially when you count Queen Bey herself as Big Sis. But if there is one kid sister out there who could hold her own in the type of world where music critics just can't help comparing siblings, it would be Solange. Her 2016 album, A Seat at the Table, earned her just that, especially the utterly gorgeous and relatable single “Cranes in the Sky”. Solange made her believers wait eight years for that full-length. And, quite frankly, after a record as unique and promising as A Seat at the Table, we couldn't wait that long again. Luckily, we don't have to. –Matt Melis

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SZA – TBD

SZA, photo by Natalie Somekh

Why We're Excited: By the time Spring hits, SZA may have both a Golden Globe and an Oscar sitting on her shelf, that is if either the Hollywood Foreign Press or the Academy deem “All the Stars” worthy for Best Original Song. (They have competition.) Still, that shouldn't stop her from maintaining her day job afloat, and while there's been no official announcement, the singer has been teasing her highly anticipated followup to 2017's CTRL. In September, she responded to one disbelieving fan by tweeting, “…A's already done,” casually confirming a possible title. In October, she spoke at length to New York's 105.1's Powerhouse, saying: “I want it to be 100 percent honest to whoever I am in this moment because that is the only way it will work. But I just personally think now it's just about getting to the root of who I am. But faster, clearer, more concisely. Like just learning the understanding of self.” And, just last month, she teased clips in a since-deleted Instagram post. Simply put, something's coming. –Michael Roffman

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The Weeknd – Chapter 6

The Weeknd, photo by Natalie Somekh

Why We're Excited: Last year was a slow season for Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd. After popping up on Black Panther: The Album in February and dropping his My Dear Melancholy EP in March - both of which warranted him two Platinum-certified, Billboard-charting singles in “Pray for Me” with Kendrick Lamar; and “Call Out My Name” - the award-winning crooner kept things relatively low key with minimal buzz. In November, however, Tesfaye told his fans at a Toronto gig, “I haven't been this inspired in years and I want you guys to be the first to know I'm working on my new album right now.” So far, we know very little with regards to features and its sound, but we do know that it's titled Chapter 6 and that it won't be another EP. As he later teased on Twitter, “some chapters are smaller than others. not this next one though…” Ooh, cryptic! –Michael Roffman

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Kanye West – Yandhi

Kanye West, photo by Joshua Mellin

Why We're Excited: It's hard to believe that in a year when Kanye West produced five albums - two of which he starred on and all but one he appeared on - in just under a month that our focus would be on everything but his music. But Kanye tweeting at odd hours and wandering, sadly and quite literally, in front of television cameras speaking incoherently like a person off his meds stole the show. He's since done some public relations tidying up, and we can only hope that the artist capable of helming an album like DAYTONA and delivering a song like “Ghost Town” will leave the little, red hat and superhero cape at home and go back to being an undeniable “genius” in the recording studio. –Matt Melis