#sherlock holmes teach me how to forget stuff

[mackintosh-buccaneer]

if y'all ever find out how to not give in to despair let me know. thanks

[octaviasdread]

any girls! dark academia movie recs? i really struggle to find anything not about a group of boys (as much as I love them)

SO MANY!!! This is probably a far more detailed answer than you were expecting but this is a popular question and I want to keep a list for myself and others.

Feel free to add to it/give opinions. I've tried to give a tw for anything I can remember

Girls! Dark Academia Movies/TV Shows

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

1950s Women’s college

Art professor! Julia Roberts

She’s legit the female Mr Keating of the art & college world

Feminism vs. Tradition

Maggie Gyllenhall x Ginnifer Goodwin; their characters were more than friends. Fight me.

Does not end how you expect

Strike!/All I Wanna Do/The Hairy Bird (1998)

MY FAVOURITE!!!

Free on YouTube under one of its various names

Comedy

1960s all girls boarding school

Young Kirsten Dunst

Group of girls plot to sabotage a merger with a boys school less prestigious than their own

Secret attic clubhouse meetings of the D.A.R aka Daughters of the American Ravioli (eaten cold, ew)

girls get political & advocate for their rights using ANY elaborate and chaotic scheme

TW: eating disorder, vomiting & creepy male teacher but the girls plot against him too

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

based on a short book I read for uni by Muriel Spark

1930s girls school in Edinburgh

Scottish teacher! Maggie Smith, controversial with a focus on romantic ideals

Spoiler alert, the liberal teacher is actually a fascist

Her group of fave students has cult- vibes and it’s fascinating

Picnic at Hanging Rock

1970s movie or 2018 mini series

Never watched either but I plan to

Wild Child (2008)

00s romcom every UK teen girl loves

Emma Roberts as the spoiled rich American teenager sent to a strict English boarding school

Plots to get herself expelled but oh no she’s making friends with the girls who help her

And the headmistress has a hot son, and he’s nice??? Double oh no

ICONIC SCENES

Everything! Goes! Wrong!

omg she burns the school down

Feel good, comfort, nostalgia

St Trinians (2007)

English girls boarding school

The kids are all criminals, no joke

So are the teachers

CHAOTIC

gay awakening for british girls

Art heist pulled off by school girls

Government tries to shut them down but oh no, the education minister & the headmistress are ex-lovers

Colin Firth x Rupert Everett in drag

Superior cast: Jodie Whittaker, Gemma Arterton, Juno Temple, Stephen Fry, Colin Firth, etc...

embodies the phrase 'problematic fave'

St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (2009)

Mystery, pirate ancestors, hidden treasure

omg Shakespeare was a woman

girls disguised as boys to infiltrate and rob the posh boys school

Villain! David Tennant in that ICONIC boat scene

Teen girls vs. ancient misogynist brotherhood

like the first film but MORE chaotic and BETTER!???

The Falling (2014)

1960s all girls school

best friends! but its unrequited love

Agoraphobic + distant mother aka mommy issues

Sudden death and the school suppresses/ignores the students grief, sparking mass hysteria & a fainting epidemic in the girls

Cast: Maisie Williams (GoT) & Florence Pugh (Little Women) & Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders)

TW: teen pregnancy, death, vomiting, underage s*x, sibling inc*st, past s*xual assault

READ THE PLOT SUMMARY FIRST

The Book Thief (2013)

Based on an amazing book by Markus Zusak

set in 1940s Nazi Germany

Daughter of a communist whose family were taken by the Nazis/died is fostered by an older couple who teach her to read & she paints a dictionary on the basement walls

Coming of age story about a compulsive book thief. No joke, this kid steals books from banned book burnings and breaks into the mayor's library through the window

Family hides the Jewish son of an old friend in their basement and he helps her to start writing about her experiences in the war

TW: death, bombings, WW2 anti-semitism

Mary Shelley (2017)

Overall good & roughly biographical

Pretty costumes and aesthetic

Modern feminist take on Mary Shelly in her own time period

So many INACCURACIES for the drama so don’t take it as truth

Percy Shelley slander and not all of it is justified

Cast: Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, and Maisie Williams

The Secret Garden (1993)

Based on a fave childhood book

1901 colonial India & Yorkshire, England

Orphaned, spoilt & neglected girl sent to live with her reclusive Uncle in the English countryside

Gothic elements, mysteries, secret doors/passages/locked gardens

local boy with a flock of animals, magic, kids chanting around a fire and all around immaculate vibes

Happy ending!!!

Hidden Figures (2016)

African-American women as mathematicians for NASA

1960s space project

Women balancing a career and family obligations

Deals with racial & gender discrimination

Loosely based on the lives of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan who worked for NASA as engineers & mathematicians

Anne of Green Gables (1985) & sequel (1987)

Adaptation L.M. Montgomery’s ‘Anne of Green Gables’ books

Canada (late 1890s/early 1900s)

Highly imaginative & bookworm orphan is adopted by a reclusive elderly brother and sister duo

Small town & school years comedic drama

Unrequited Enemies -> Friends -> lovers

Inspiring new woman teacher

Girls re-enact Tennyson’s poem and nearly drown for the aesthetic™

Dramatic poetry reading with INTENSE 👀eye contact👀

Writer! Anne & English teacher! Anne dealing with unruly girls school antics

Collette (2018)

biographical drama on french writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Collette

Victorian & Edwardian era France

More talented than her husband so she ghostwrites for him

Fight for creative ownership of her wildly successful novels

Affairs with a woman called Georgie and also with Missy, born female but masculine presenting

Cast: Keira Knightly, Dominic West, Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark)

Enola Holmes (2020)

Netflix book adaptation

Younger sister of Sherlock Holmes

Victorian era! feminism/suffragettes

Mother-daughter focus

Mystery, adventure, secret codes, teens running away & escaping from (and eventually fighting) assassins

Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Fiona Shaw, Millie Bobby Brown

Ginger & Rosa (2012)

1960s England

best friends since literal birth navigating troubled teen years

poet & anti-nuclear activist! Ginger

off the rails but also catholic! Rosa

Shout out to Mark & Mark the gay godfathers we all want

family troubles 

TW: older man has an affair with a 17 yr old

Testament of Youth (2014)

based on WW1 memoir by Vera Brittain

young woman (writer & poetry lover) escapes traditional family & goes to study at Oxford University

abandons to become a war nurse

romance, tragedy and war trauma

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Kit Harrington (GoT), Taron Edgerton (Rocketman), Colin Morgan (Merlin)

Little Women (2019)

Writer! Jo & Artist! Amy

Mother/daughter focus and sister dynamics

the March sisters’ theatre club is *chefs kiss*

champagne problems edits of Jo x Laurie are a mood

Ambivalent ending perfectly captures Louisa May Alcott’s dilemma with the book the movie is based on

set in 1860s America

ALL STAR CAST and a Greta Gerwig masterpeice

Lady Bird (2017)

coming of age in early 2002/2003 Sacramento, California

all girls catholic school

writer! Christine aka Lady Bird wants to get outta town and start her life again at college 'in a city with culture'

Mother/daughter dynamics - so realistic!

I live for that Jesus car stunt & the nun's reaction

school theatre program

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein

Another Greta Gerwig gem

Beguiled (2017)

Virginia, civil war era

Girls school with only five students and two teachers left

Find an injured Union army soldier & bring him inside

Women & teenagers want his attention (v. problematic) before uniting against him

(tbh you'll either love it, hate it, or watch once & forget it)

Sofia Coppola film so its very feminine gaze

TW: violence, death, underage

Legally Blonde (2001)

No questions will be taken

Elle Woods was the blue print

TV series:

House of Anubis (2011-2013)

I know it’s a kids/young teen show but I still unironically love it

ANCIENT EGYPT!!!!

Modern day with Victorian era links to treasure hunters & Egyptian research expeditions (stealing from tombs)

Chosen one plot lines, curses, kidnapping, mysteries, secret tunnels under the school, elixir of life

Teens have investigate & protect themselves cus oh no the TEACHERS are involved in some shady stuff

new American kid at British boarding school is the actual premise not just a fanfic au

Nostalgic, light-hearted, funny, and kinda cheesy but I will accept no criticism

The Alienist (2018 -now)

Mid 1890s, New York

Woman’s private detective agency (Season 2)

Serial killer mystery

Woman secretary turns detective and teams up with a criminal psychiatrist and a newspaper editor to solve crime

TW: violence, child pr*stit*tion

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, Daniel Bruhl

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

Woman chess prodigy

1950s & 1960s

TW: drug & alcohol abuse

Gentleman Jack (2019 - now)

Based on the diaries of Anne Lister

Victorian Yorkshire, England

Upper-class lesbians

Confident, suit wearing! Anne Lister x shy! Ann Walker

Business woman! Anne running the family mines

Cast: Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster) & Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders)

TW: violence

Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

bubbly/ambitious single mom + intelligent daughter

bookworm! Rory Gilmore gets into a prestigious private school and then an Ivy League college

Small town drama is comedic gold

Fast dialogue packed with pop culture and literary references

Comforting & nostalgic

TEAM JESS

Anne with an E (2017-2019)

Loose adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s ‘Anne of Green Gables’ books

they completely change the plot lines but it’s still very good content!

Orphan girl with trauma and a love of books/poetry is adopted by an elderly brother & sister duo, bringing light and fresh ideas to a rural community

Feminism, girls writing club, lgbtq safe spaces, girls eduction, black/indigenous representation

Miss Stacy as THAT inspiring teacher

Aunt Josephine’s lavish gay parties have my heart

TW: creepy male teacher tries to marry a student, racial discrimination, indigenous assimilation school

Victoria (2016-2019)

Adaption of Queen Victoria’s life

Victoria navigating her political, royal, and personal life

Albert’s involvement with The Great Exhibition, 1851 (on cultural + industrial innovations)

Alfred Paget x Edward Drummond is exquisite

Gorgeous costumes and aesthetics

TW: bury your gays trope

Derry Girls (2018-now)

1990s Northern Ireland during the troubles

Comedy, episodes 20-25 mins long

English boy sent to an all girls Catholic school with his cousin

✨Dead Poets Society parody episode ✨with a free-spirited female teacher

Sister Michael, the sarcastic nun who hates her job & reads the exorcist for giggles

Wee anxious lesbian! Clare Devlin (plus her friends wearing rainbow pins)

Badass with bad ideas! Michelle Mallon

Main Character! Erin Quinn

Lovable weirdo who would fight a polar bear! Orla McCool

Wee English fella & honorary Derry girl! James Maguire

Dickinson (2019-now)

Loose adaption of the poet Emily Dickinson’s life

Set in 19th century Massachusetts, US

Historical drama with modern dialogue & music that works SEAMLESSLY

gives a great understanding of Emily Dickinson’s poems

💕Vintage gays! Emily x Sue💕

Theatre club, writing, poetry, dressing as men to sneak into lectures, love letters, teen drama, feminism, and an underground abolitionist journal as a brief side plot in season 2

Wiz Khalifa plays death in a horse drawn carriage

TW: opium use

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Based on great childhood books

Bookworm! brother, Inventor! sister, and baby sister with sharp teeth

Mystery, secret organisations, orphaned siblings figuring things out & fending for themselves against the villain after their fortune

Adults either cartoon evil, comedically incompetent, or SPIES

Boarding school, library owner, scientific researcher, and theatre episodes

Ambiguous time period which is really fun to try and pin point

Killing Eve (2018-now)

Classic detective who has homoerotic tension with the assassin she is tracking down

British Detective! Eve Polastri figures out the notorious assassin MI5 are investigating is a woman, is fired & then put on a secret MI6 case with a small team

Assassin! Villanelle, a psychopath with a tragic past and a mastery of both accents & fashion

Woman MI6 boss! Carolyn Martens, head of Russian section

Travel Europe following Villanelle’s killings and escaping the assassins sent by Villanelle’s organisation

‘You’re supposed to be my enemy and moral opposite but omg you’re the only one smart enough to get me and why am I obsessed with you????'

🚨 GO IN FOR A KISS AND THEN STAB YOUR ENEMY 🚨

Cable Girls/Las chicas del cable (2017-2020)

Spanish drama set in 1920s Madrid

Four young women at a telecommunications company form a group of friends and help navigate the difficult situations they are all in

Secret identities, dangerous pasts, murder, crime, lgbtq couple & throuple, trans man character, feminism/suffragists

girls commit crimes for humanitarian reasons and cover! it! up!

UNDERRATED SHOW!!!!

Gorgeous costumes and set

Haven’t finished it yet and I’m catching up

TW: abuse, violence, death

Outlander (2014 - now)

haven’t watched yet but plan to

Woman time travels to Scotland, 1743

Rebel highlanders, pirates, British colonies, American revolutionary war

Time jumps between 18th & 20th century

[twistedtummies2]

Count-Down: Number 31

Welcome to Count-Down! Hello everyone! Welcome to Count-Down! All throughout the month of October, I’ll be counting down my Top 31 favorite portrayals and reimaginings of the King of the Vampires, Count Dracula! Our Count-Down now begins in earnest, and fittingly, our first version may not TECHNICALLY be Dracula, but he certainly knows what counts. Number 31 is…The Count, from Sesame Street.

This is the only Dracula Pastiche character who will make it onto the actual list and not just as an Honorable Mention. By which I mean, he’s obviously a parody of Dracula, but he doesn’t have Dracula’s name or lore or anything like that: he’s really his own unique character, just with a sort of Dracula motif. I struggled for a long time with whether or not I would include him in the main countdown: I didn’t include the Muppet version of Sherlock Holmes, for instance, on my Sherlock Holmes list. I ultimately just decided that I loved the character too much for me to leave him out completely…but, for fairness’ sake to the ACTUAL Draculas who will dominate this list from here on out, he is ONLY taking the bottom spot. Having said that, alongside Count Chocula (and maybe Scooby-Doo and related cartoons), I think it’s fair to say most kids come to learn about the concept of Dracula, vampires, and spooky stuff in general thanks to this fellow. Count Von Count – more often simply referred to as “The Count” – is Sesame Street’s resident friendly neighborhood vampire. And yes, for the record, it has been stated directly by the Count HIMSELF that he IS a vampire, but in his own words: “a ‘wampire’ with an unquenchable thirst for numbers!” It’s not entirely clear how long he’s been on Sesame Street, or how he got his old Transylvania Castle there, or why he moved there to begin with…but children around the world are just glad he’s hanging about. The Count was created to help teach basic arithmetic; the title was born out of a simple pun. Count Von Count, you see, suffers from arithmomania: he is obsessed – clinically, dementedly OBSESSED – with counting. Counting what, you may ask? EVERYTHING. If he’s on an elevator, he’ll count the floors passing by. If he’s out grocery shopping, he’ll count the potatoes in the basket. If he gets a phone call, he’ll be so busy counting the rings he’ll forget to answer the telephone. If he finds himself locked out of his own castle, he’ll be so busy knocking for fun he’ll forget about the rain pouring down and soaking his perm. In his own words, “when he’s alone, he’ll count himself.” The more he counts, the more excited he gets.

Fun Fact: arithmomania was actually a thing for REAL vampires. No joke! Just like with fairies and some other supernatural beings, it was said in folklore, in some places in the world, that if you were being pursued by a vampire, you should throw a handful of rice or beads at his feet: he would not be able to keep chasing you till he had counted every last solitary kernel. While it's highly unlikely this idea was in mind with the creation of The Count, it's still kind of fascinating that this element of vampire lore has a place in pop culture, accidental or not. No one on Sesame Street seems to fear the Count; they just accept his spooky side as part of who he is, and while a few specials and episodes have played on the ideas of fear his CASTLE can put in people, the Count, himself, has always been a figure of fun. In the early days, he was a little more villainous: an almost bullying Muppet who was so wrapped up in his counting he was nothing but a nuisance to the others. However, the character very quickly softened up to become a sort of fun-loving uncle to many of the other Muppet characters: a local eccentric who everyone thinks fondly of, but whose obsessions are, at times, maddening. However, it’s NEVER the Count’s fangs or strange powers that make others feel bothered by him: simply the fact the guy doesn’t know when to quit when it comes to counting! If he could learn better self-control, there would never be a problem at all…but then, of course, things wouldn’t be nearly as much fun as they are. The Count was always my favorite character on Sesame Street as a kid, and that hasn’t changed as an adult. I think he’s one of the few Sesame Street characters where his skits and songs remain just as strong today for me as they were when I was younger; I like them for different reasons nowadays, but it’s still just a lot of fun to see him at work. The character was played for many, MANY years by the late, great Jerry Nelson; since his passing, Matt Vogel has tackled the character, and he’s done a magnificent job at stepping into Nelson’s shiny Muppet shoes. The Count may not be the most serious Dracula interpretation of all time – again, he’s not even TECHNICALLY an interpretation of Dracula AT ALL – but he’s a character very close to my heart and the hearts of many others. So he’s more than worthy of starting us off on this Count-Down. Tomorrow, we continue with my 30th Favorite Dracula, who, yes, will be an ACTUAL Dracula. Hint: He’s from a real Monster Mash.

[khadij-al-kubra]

Worst Impressions are the First (ch 7)

Main Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil (Human AU)

Pairings: Romantic LAMP

Word Count: 5036

AO3

<=PREV

NEXT=>

Author’s (longer than usual but it’s for good reason) Note: *The Apocalypse—2020. Zoom in on a plague rat turned writer. She has survived thesis projects, getting a Master’s degree, burnout, writing and illustrating a children’s book, being a slave for the U.S. census bureau, months of overthinking anxiety spirals, and one or two incidents involving an asshole skunk. But now, battle weary yet unwavering in her love of art and love for her loyal readers, this onesie-clad tea slurping book dragon....has finally arisen from the ashes*

I LIVE BITCHES!!!!!!! And I am SO SORRY for taking so long!!! I’ve been hard at work, been editing like a mad woman, and I even have a beta now! The gorgeous and talented @humbletortoise So I  am OFFICIALLY off hiatus!!! *cue confetti canon* 

Also, one of the biggest reasons I’ve taken so long to update is because I’ve spent the past month or so essentially retconning the fuck outta this fic. I realized looking back at earlier chapters in this story that, although I was proud of them at the time and greatly appreciate the positive reactions, they were...not my best work. (shitty first drafts if I’m being honest) That’s because, at the time, I was trying to split my attention between writing this fic and working on grad school stuff, which resulted in my writing for this not being as best of quality as it could have been upon first posting. This story deserves my best, and so do all of you. So now I hope to give you that. 

I encourage you to go back and re-read the previous chapters up till now (trust me, they’re near unrecognizable to the first drafts, but in the best way). Or if you don’t feel like doing that, you can just continue on from here. totally cool. For the sake of convenience and my own sanity, I’ll attach the AO3 Link to this fic from the start. I may also start just posting chapter updates on tumblr but only have the link to the chapter and add my reader tags. Again, for the sake of my sanity because Tumblr is a bastard when it comes to posting fics. (Also PLEASE let me know if there are any tagging issues if anyone’s on my tags list; yet another reason i’m considering just linking my fics in the future)

Anywho, without further ado, at LOOOOOONG last, here is the next chapter!

Chapter 7 - (POV Roman)

When Roman had offered to walk with Logan to class, it was only partly out of an innate sense of chivalry; a side of himself that he rarely got to show on account of being a socially awkward gay disaster. Though mainly, he saw it as a chance to get to know his second soulmate better.

He certainly hadn’t expected two long minutes of civil but silent walking. Well, as silent as a stroll through their school could be with its usual racket buzzing around them. With a vocabulary as big as the continents of Africa and Eurasia combined, you’d think Logan would be more of a conversationalist. Alas. He merely walked in step with Roman. They glanced over at each other every so often, but Logan stayed tight lipped and seemingly impassive; fiddling with his bumblebee hair pin every now and again. Damn. Looked like he was going to have to make the first move.

Roman was bad at this. How did people usually…Oh yeah, common interest. That’s a thing. He wracked his brain for some sort of ice breaker. One that’d make him look cool and calm or, something, in front of Logan. He was a fairly decent student though not quite mathletes level. He could compliment his outfit maybe? Was that too forward? Too shallow? Maybe he could find common ground? That was as good a place to start as any.

“So! So uhh…What kind of music do you like?” Roman asked. Yeah, that’s good. Everybody likes music.

Logan glanced at him. “Can you be more specific?”

Roman’s brow furrowed. “I mean, like, your favorite genre of music to listen to?”

“Classical,” said Logan in a clipped tone.

“That’s cool. I don’t really listen to classical myself.”

Logan only hummed, his face neutral. Roman was really hoping for more than that. A few awkward seconds passed, then Logan spoke up.

“Are you perhaps a fan of the classic Sherlock Holmes novels?” He inquired.

“Um, I haven’t gotten around to the books yet, actually,” Roman said, scratching his earlobe. “I mean, I’ve heard great things about them. And I’m a big fan of the Robert Downey Jr. movies.”

“Ah. I see.” Logan said, giving him the judgiest side eye.

Come on, Roman thought. Give me something to work with. “Oh! What about theater?”

“What a frustratingly vague inquiry.”

“Well, excuse me for trying to get to know my soulmate a little better.” Ay come jode, work with me here, man!

Logan sighed. “While I understand and appreciate your intention, I believe ‘getting to know someone’ as you put it, requires a certain level of specificity. Anything less indicates a somewhat shallow level of sincere interest, and I greatly despise shallow conversation. That said, if you’re inquiring as to whether or not I enjoy theater, no. I don’t understand the concept of professional make believe, though I appreciate it as an art form. I assume you’re a fan?”

Is he seriously implying I’m shallow? Roman groused, pushing his red frames up the bridge of his nose. Ugh, forget it Roman. He’s throwing you a bone here. Take it.

“Obviously,” said Roman, gesturing dramatically. “I mean I’m no actor—Eesh. No. Yikes—but everything about the artform enthralls me. And I like all kinds of genres and eras of plays, from Shakespear to Ruhl, but musicals are by far my favorite, because like, there’s so much you can do with them design wise. I mean just look at how groundbreaking Hamilton was.”

For a second, Logan’s face actually softened, his eyes lighting up. But just as Roman thought they were finally about to make some progress, his stony companion was back to wearing that platinum puss.

“Ah. How… original.”

Roman blinked. “Are you saying my tastes are basic?”

“Well, yes.”

Augh! Okay. Yep. I don’t like him. Patton was going to be so disappointed, and Roman was too. He’d wanted so badly to get along with all his soulmates, but Logan was a snob! Way less intimidating than Virgil and his ilk, but still a jerk. I wonder if soulmarks can make typos or something? Thank the stars they’d already arrived.

Roman and Logan filed in with the rest of the class for seventh period. Somebody had the liberty of opening a window– the AC was still busted in this classroom– so for once there was actually a decent breeze cutting through the usual mucky Florida humidity. Still smelled like it would probably rain later. Good thing Roman had packed an umbrella just in case, Mom’s orders. His hair looked too good today to be wrecked by frizz.

Roman took a seat at his desk, running distracted fingers over the carved letters in the wood while he mulled over his predicament. Just look at him over there, thought Roman as he glared at Logan, not two rows away from him. Sitting with his hands clasped on the desk all smug—of course he’d be near the front—and with such disturbingly good posture. What is he, a robot? Who is he to call my interests basic, the NERVE! And okay, sure, like Hamilton, sometimes I get over excited and shoot off at the mouth. But great Zeus, does that guy show passion for ANYTHING besides academics? Roman blew a raspberry, plopping his head in his hands.

He always thought soulmates were supposed to get along, even as just friends for life. Balancing each other out, bringing out the best in you and forming a deep connection—that was the whole point. He sighed to himself. Cymbals clashed less than he and Logan did.

He was stirred from his brooding by the bell. Apparently Mr. ‘Call-me-Terrence’ Williams had materialized without him noticing. Okay fine, he should probably pay more attention, but he was having a crisis here.

“Afternoon everyone,” Terrence greeted in that measured, upbeat tone of his.  

He draped his navy blue blazer over the back of his desk chair and rolled his shirt sleeves to the elbows. Roman pitied the poor guy;  he had to teach sauna of a classroom all day. He could see the glisten of sweat on his teacher's smooth forehead as he wrote things on the board. Yet he still kept a pleasant attitude towards his students.

“Alright class!” Terrence started, “Today we’re covering the next section on the American Revolution. Specifically, the Battle of Yorktown...”

Roman mentally punched the air. My time has come. He opened his textbook to the right page but didn’t bother looking at it. He already knew most everything about Yorktown. Not just because he’d listened to the Hamilton soundtrack fifteen and a half million times, but also because he’d done actual research on the event and time period that the musical took place; There was always the off chance he’d get to stage crew or, heck, even dramaturg the show. He liked to be prepared.

“So the battle of Yorktown took place in 1781, but a great deal of its success was thanks to the French Allies. Many especially aided in fighting the British Troops surrounding New York. Now who can tell me where the French Soldiers first landed?”

Roman half raised his hand. He was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“Logan.” Terrence called.

Roman turned to Logan desk, where his hand was held high and mighty.

“The French Ally ships first landed in Rhode Island, then made their way to Chesapeake Bay,” said Logan, adjusting his glasses. Not even a hint of second guessing in his voice.

“That’s right!”

He almost missed the quick smirk on Logan’s frustratingly pretty face. Look at that smug—thinks he’s so smart...Okay yes, he is smart, but he doesn’t have to be a show off about it. Terrence continued through the passages, calling on a student every now and again to review. Of course, Logan got called on most and he got every answer right. Roman didn’t feel like raising his hand anymore.

“Of course there were many turning points in the revolution, but Hamilton’s return to the field for Yorktown was a key point.” Terrence continued on. “And keep in mind- this was a man who up till now had never been in a position of command before. Not to mention the mental strains he must’ve been under, especially having had to miss the birth of his son Philip, the first of three children he had.”

Wait a sec. “Well, that’s not right.”

Even though he’d muttered, apparently Mr. Terrence still heard him. “Come again, Roman?”

Shoot. “Um, I said,” Stop sounding timid, you know you’re right. “I said that was, um, wrong.”

The whole class turned to him. Oh great, history class has its eyes on me. Roman cleared his throat and tried to look taller.

“What I mean is: Hamilton had eight kids, not three. And on top of that, Phillip was born a few months after they won the Revolution, not during, so Hamilton didn’t miss the birth of his son. I mean sure, it’s a small thing, but the devil’s in the details as they say. Heh.”

Terrence gave the most insultingly bemused look. And Roman definitely heard a few kids snickering behind him. He glanced quickly at the culprits and felt his ears go hot. This is what he got for putting himself in the spotlight.

“Roman, I applaud you for participating in the class discussion,” Their teacher started gently, “but I’m afraid you’re wrong on this one. If you read your textbook close you’d see in the fifth paragraph where it mentions from one of his later letters—“

“Actually Mr. Williams, if I may, Roman is correct.”

Roman saw Logan at his desk, one hand raised while the other adjusted his neck scarf. Was the teacher’s pet actually… backing him up?

“It is a common misconception that Alexander Hamilton only had two children, even more so modernly, what with the musical having only named two of them. However Roman has clearly done his research on the plays historical accuracies, which is more than I can say for some.”

Logan shot a cool but scathing look at their recently snickering classmates and they withered. Roman fought the urge to point and laugh aloud. He did however stick his tongue out real quick. What? He could be shy and petty at the same time.

“My guess,” Logan continued, “is that this textbook edition is also either misprinted or outdated, judging by the publication date in the copyright section.”

Brows furrowed, Terrence looked at the textbook laid open on his desk. He flipped back to the front, before pulling out his cellphone—“I’m the teacher, I’m allowed to do this. You guys aren’t.”—and after what Roman guessed was a quick Google search, their teacher looked up. His eyebrows drawn in a ‘hm, well damn’ expression.

“Looks like you’re right, Roman. And thank you Logan for bringing to my attention about the textbooks. I’ll have to talk to the principal about hopefully getting some updated materials. But we’ll see how that goes,” Terrence, muttered the last part, though Roman was close enough to catch it. Terrence cleared his throat and moved back to the board. “Maybe if we call on assistance from the inside. Much like how the Sons of Liberty sent in Hercules Mulligan to spy on the British...”

“Perhaps if we knew of an immigrant who was unafraid to step in,” Logan said just under his breath.

No one else seemed to notice the reference, but when Roman did, he felt like a mini volcano about to burst rainbow lava. Apparently there was a lot more to his soulmate than first meets the eye; and now that he knew, Roman was determined to see more of it. The rest of class passed quickly and everyone filed out to the halls as the first bell for the last class period of the day rang. Roman made sure to catch up to Logan on the way out and staccato tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, Logan?” He said.

When Logan turned, he swore time slowed down for a moment. The brilliant boy’s skirt flared around his waist, and somehow his skin glowed even under the dull, inconsistent school lights. His posture was erect yet natural, he could have been raised among nobility. Amidst the stench and clamor of loud sweaty students, Logan was as poised and striking as the goddess Athena. Oh...

“Yes, Roman?” Logan asked.

Roman gulped. “I uh, just wanted to thank you for backing me up in there.”

“Thanks are unnecessary,” Logan said. “I detest when someone is shamed by other students for speaking up in class, regardless of whether or not they have the correct information.”

“Well regardless, thanks for coming to my aid in the face of academic danger.”

“Dramatic, but my pleas—oof!”

A hurried passerby bumped into Logan from behind, rushing off with a half-assed ‘sorry’. Logan, caught off guard, stumbled right into Roman’s arms. The two looked at each other, cheeks filling with heat. Roman caught a whiff of something faintly floral on Logan, something natural– a lavender and honeysuckle perfume, perhaps. It was heavenly. They were still in the middle of foot traffic though, so he maneuvered them to the side. Which was tricky since Logan was still so close to him and also a good two inches taller with the heels.

“Well,” Roman flashed his pearly whites. “Seems you’ve fallen for me.”

Logan pulled away, but his lips quirked upwards in a teasing smirk. “Oh please, I merely stumbled into you.”

“Ah, but stumbling is the first step towards being swept off your feet.”

“Bold words from an abashedly charming homunculus in such an… eye catching ensemble.”

Did he call me charming!? He composed himself, “Hey, don’t let the sweater vest fool you. I may be short but I’ve got guns.”

“Aaah. But mind over muscle, as they say. Do you find yourself up to the task?”

“Only if it’s you, my brainy blossom.”

Roman’s class was in the other direction, but Logan didn’t need to know that. They walked through the halls, conversing. class was still in the next ten or so minutes, but Roman was having fun. Banter with Logan felt surprisingly easy. Natural like they’d been at it all their lives.

“By the way, was that a ‘Guns n’ Ships’ reference I overheard, pastel poindexter?” Roman asked.

Logan cleared his throat. “It… may have been, yes. I found myself unable to resist toppling the figurative dominos.”

“In other words, you seized the opportunity you saw,” Roman said, matching his own reference to the source’s cadence, which got a chuckle out of Logan.

“Precisely. Under more casual circumstances, I may have even recited Lafayette’s part.”

“You can rap? You can rap Guns n’ Ships? Like, the whole thing, no tongue twists?”

Logan stopped for a moment, turned to Roman. The taller boy cleared his throat, and after a moment wherein he seemed to mentally restrain himself, he simply adjusted his glasses.  “I have an appreciation for poetry.”

Roman blinked rapidly. Holy shit, he’s an even bigger nerd than I am. He definitely needed to see that at some point.

They turned a corner, stopping just outside of the science room. Some students were going in to take their seats, and the teacher was already making notes on the board. Logan pulled an AP Physics book from his backpack, but made no move to leave, much to Roman’s delight.

“So then,” Roman leaned against the eggshell wall, “How come you acted so indifferent earlier and called my tastes basic? Oh, and I think I remember you also implied I was shallow?”

Okay, yeah, he was still kind of salty about that. But then he saw the shamed look on the nerd’s face, and Roman wished he could have taken it back. Logan looked at his shoes then back at him.

“To be candid I was… hesitant to show the full extent of my enthusiasm. In case you thought I’d be—I believe ‘being the most’ is the term— it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve caused someone to lose interest in conversing with me due to informational overload. I nearly bored my Aunt Patricia to sleep once talking about a fascinating article on jellyfish. And considering how I blundered our initial meeting—“

“Pfft, ya think?” He mentally slapped himself again when Logan went tight-lipped and turned to go. “No, no, wait. I—I’m sorry. Truly. ...Truth is, I was no gentleman either. I’m not always great at thinking before I speak. It’s why I’m so awkward around people. Takes a while for my true charming nature to shine through.”

“Clearly. Still, you show a level of interpersonal aptitude that I, well, lack.” Logan fiddled with his hair pin again and a stray hair came loose. “Reading people and expressing emotions has never really been—It’s something I struggle with.”

Much as Logan tried to maintain his cool composed posturing, Roman could tell that this was something that really bothered him. He tried so hard to seem put together and confident and serious, but really he was just as awkward and insecure as anyone. Roman smiled softly and stepped closer to Logan, reaching up to tuck the loose ebony strand behind his ear.

“Hey, everyone’s got things about themselves they can work on. Including me,” Roman smiled. “And believe me when I say that I will never judge you for being passionate about something you like. So if you ever want someone to ramble about jellyfish or Sweeney Todd to or—I dunno, calculators or something?—I’m all ears.”

Logan’s cheeks went pink and he gave a hesitant yet sincere smile. “That’s...very kind of you, Roman. And coincidentally, I also greatly enjoy Sweeney Todd. The use of iambic pentameter and alliteration to give a succinct synopsis to the story in just the first sentence alone is pure brilliance.”

“Right!? I mean the man’s a mad genius. I’m dying to design sets for one of his musicals someday. Like last year? I came up with the concept of having the Sweeney Todd sets done in a way that highlights the class differences with the characters.” Roman went into a small three minute ramble regarding the specifics before he cut himself off abruptly. Logan was blinking rapidly, a look of mild shock crossing his feature. Roman nearly started sweating; Had he messed this up again?

“That… that’s ingenious”

Roman’s ears were burning. Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!

“Hey, Logan!” They both startled and turned to an impatient cheerleader with a ginger undercut and they/them pronoun pin shaped like a coffin. “What’re you doing just standing out in the hall, ya dork? Oh, hey Roman.”

“Uh. Hey, October,” Roman said, waving awkwardly to them.

“I told ya, Red, you only get to call me that when we’re working on a show.”

“Wait, October? Red? You two know each other?” Logan asked, brow arching.

“Kind of. They sometimes help out with costumes for the drama club,” said Roman. And they have terrible timing. I mean seriously Tobes, we were having a moment.

“Come on Lo, class is about to start, and you promised to go over my homework with me real quick beforehand. See ya ‘round, Ro.” Toby grabbed Logan’s hand and pulled him into the classroom. “You can fill me in on what you were doing with Red later.”

Logan followed his—apparently—friend into their classroom, but he shot Roman an apologetic look over his shoulder. Roman bounced a bit on the balls of his feet before following halfway into the room. Logan was in his seat with Toby showing him an open notebook. A teacher in a tight grey hair bun was writing on the board. Students at their seats were chatting, and some looked up at the short dork in red who burst in. For once Roman ignored them, his mind set on one last attempt at wooing his green skirted genius while he still had the nerve.

“Hey, Logan,” he said. “I’ve also got some great layout designs for an Into the Woods set. If you’re interested, maybe we can meet up after school and I can show them to you? Maybe we talk a bit more over iced lattes or something?”

“Excuse me, Mr. Prince, seventh period starts in five minutes,” said the teacher. “Unless you’ve suddenly transferred to my class, I suggest you stop distracting my favorite student and get going.”

“I’ll be gone in just a second,” he said. “Well?”

Logan smoothed the silky fabric of his pink scarf and said, “That sounds optimal, Roman. I’ll meet with you. By the first floor water fountain perhaps?”

Roman grinned. “I shall be counting the minutes.”

“Mr. Prince,” said the teacher with a warning glare.

Roman blew a kiss at Logan and then ducked out of the doorway. Was he embarrassed of himself? Oh definitely. Did he regret it? Absolutely not. He felt ten inches tall.

Now to complete the quest of making it to class in time. He slid off a shoulder strap to unzip his classic Mickey backpack, getting out the notebook and the relevant homework. He found them amidst the mess of spiral notebooks, granola bar wrappers, two textbooks and rainbow sticky notes. But something was missing from his folder.

“Where are those– it should be here.” He could’ve sworn he had his stapled the blocking notes in his folder. No, wait, the last place he saw them was— “Ah shoot! I left them in the tech closet again.”

Under normal circumstances, Roman would’ve grabbed them after school, but the auditorium was locked on weekends. He’d have to wait till Monday to get them and that just wouldn't do! he wanted to show Logan his notes today! I’ll bet David Korins never has these kinds of problems. Okay, okay. Still got four minutes. He could rush to the auditorium, grab the notes, and then head straight to class. I should have enough time, right? Right. Besides it was only Spanish Class, he was already pretty fluent after all those summers visiting his grandparent in Nicaragua. He spent most of class time dreaming up blocking notes anyway.

Despite not being totally convinced by his own argument, Roman immediately turned on his heel and started running in the opposite direction. After a teacher told him no running in the halls, Roman power walked through the halls with a skip in his step and a song in his heart, feeling absolutely gay in both senses of the word. Logan had actually called his idea ingenious! And the way those sharp eyes softened just for him- he would squeal if not for the fact that it would draw too many eyes to him. The halls were still filled with a few stragglers rushing to the last class of the day, and he was already trying not to get caught being late for class.

Now he knew how Maria felt in West Side Story. Y’know, before Act 2. Oh sure, they’d gotten off to a shaky start, but as the Bard’s adage on the course of true love said; and Roman felt it in his gut that this was certainly the start of true love. Not just with brilliant Logan but also with soulful Patton as well. He didn’t know how an awkward geek like him ever got so lucky in the soulmate department…Then again, there was still the matter of Virgil. So maybe not so lucky.

Roman touched his arm, remembered flustered yet flattering purple words. I know they both said Virgil is secretly sweet and I can sympathize with the terrors of closet town, but COME ON! Virgil? Really? That gloomy gladiator? There had to be a mistake in that. After all, Patton liked to see the good in everyone. Logan was much more of a skeptic, but he does seem to have a blind spot with sarcasm. Maybe Virgil was messing with them somehow. Even if he’s not a jerk jock, the guy’s still kind of a creepazoid; with his dark eyes and cheeta-esq gait and those probably huge muscles hidden under that bulky jacket and big hands...

His gay disaster train of thought came to a merciful halt as he reached the auditorium. Roman pushed open the doors, took a pause to breathe in the quiet comfort of this chapel of the arts. Okay yeah, chapel was maybe a little kind for the school’s auditorium which doubled as the drama Club’s rehearsal space/prop closet backstage/Mx Joan’s unofficial office because the school didn’t fund the arts programs enough. Even so this space was Roman’s sanctuary. The place where he could help create magic from the shadows, bring stories of those gone and living to life. Here, Roman found something of a community with his fellow backstagers, glee club losers, and budding thespians (the nice ones). So he loved every squeaky stage plank, every duck taped seat cushion and every speck of dust that floated in the spot lit air like fairies.

Mx. Joan wasn’t around for once, thankfully. Probably in the teacher’s lounge or rendezvousing with the school nurse or something. They were pretty chill and Roman knew he was their favorite student, but the choir director/drama club moderator/music teacher (this school really needs to fix its funding habits) wouldn’t have been too keen on Roman being deliberately late for class.

Roman walked down the aisle and to the side room by the stage. It was originally a janitor’s closet, but their club moderator transformed it into a ‘Crew Only’ Storage Unit… Okay it was still a closet, but with less bleach and more coils. This was where they kept important equipment for semester shows, like the lighting and sound boards, along with other supplies. Roman made a quick mental note to get more gaffer tape later, seeing their supply was low.

He looked through the small pile of scribbled and highlighted sheets with the lighting cues for the spring show. I’ve really gotta get a binder for these…Ah-Ha! Here you are! Roman pulled out the stapled sheets titled ‘Into the Woods Dream Set’ and carefully shoved them into his bag. Perfect timing too. He might just be able to make it to class after—

RIIIIIIIIIIING

“GAH!”

What the heck? He could’ve sworn he was alone in there, but that yelp just now said otherwise. Up close, Roman saw that the curtains were rustling, accompanied by sounds of heavy breathing and moaning, yet not a footstep to be seen or heard.

Holy SHIT, this place IS haunted! I KNEW that backdrop fiasco last semester wasn’t caused by cheap slit plywood. My supplies are the best quality allowance money can buy. Great Macbeth’s bloody knife, I TOLD Kai we should've sprung for a ghost light! Remus always teased him for being superstitious but look who’s laughing now.

He dashed back into the crew closet and grabbed the heavy push broom leaning in the corner. Roman Prince was NOT about to be caught unawares and possessed by the ghost of a disgruntled student without a fight. He would defend his domain of imagination!

Roman slowly climbed the stage steps, wielding his broom like a bow staff, turned the curtain corner where the noises were coming from and was about to release a war cry on the—

“Virgil?”

Roman nearly dropped his weapon at the sight of Virgil Alighieri—star athlete, object of his fears and supposed soulmate—curled in on himself trembling and crying.

His jacket was pulled over his head like a hood, yet Roman could see the tear stained face peeking out from underneath. Virgil’s eyes were squeezed tight, making the dark circles he’d never noticed before more prominent. There was no denying the athlete had muscle but he was more lithe—thin enough for Roman to wonder if the guy ate enough. Virgil’s trembling could rival a chihuahua, shaky hands clutching his knees, and he was clearly in the midst of a bad panic attack.

Roman had built Virgil up in his mind as being like some odd combination of Hades and Ares. The strong silent wolf within his pack of jocks, a surging thunderstorm just waiting for the right nerd to come along and piss him off enough to strike down like the bolt of Zeus.

Someone to be afraid of.

But now? Seeing him in this state, all alone and whimpering like a wounded animal...it broke Roman’s heart.

He set the broom down gently and carefully crouched down in front of Virgil. “Virgil,” he said softly. “Virgil, can you hear me?”

Virgil let out a breathy sob but otherwise didn’t seem to register him. Just how long had he been sitting here like this?

Roman was at a loss for what to do. Sure he knew plenty of people with anxiety but never saw someone having an actual panic attack before. He did know that if he didn’t help the other calm down soon, Virgil was liable to pass out. He’d never wanted to hug someone so badly in his life. Roman tentatively reached out a hand but stopped. What if touching him makes it worse? What if I startle him so badly he actually has a heart attack!? Maybe I should get the nurse. But I can’t just leave him like this.

He caught sight of the colorful soulmarks written on Virgil’s arm. Saw his own harsh thoughts: ’Dios mio, he’s staring right at me—like he wants to punch my face!’ 

Roman took his shame and forged it into steel. I won’t abandon you...my soulmate.

Virgirl’s let out a hiccuped cry, and this gave Roman an idea. Something from back when he was a child. It was probably stupid and a long stretch, but it was all he could think of. He readjusted himself so that he was now sitting right next to Virgil, making sure not to startle him. Roman cleared his throat, then as softly as he could, he began to sing.

“Come stop your crying, it’ll be alright.

Just take my hand, hold it tight.”

Roman one and carefully gentled his hand over Virgil’s. After a moment, he felt a light squeeze, and that encouraged him to keep going.

“I will protect you from all around you.

I will be here, don’t you cry…”

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[bluebellhairpin]

Dating BatBoys Headcanons

A/N: I had too much fun with this. - Nemo

Masterlist

Bruce Wayne

Makes a point of being in bed with you when you wake up in the morning, even if it’s only for an hour, and especially if you didn’t fall asleep with him. 

It’s no secret he shows you off at galas and in public, even if he decides to be ‘subtle’ about it. Everyone knows anyway. Even Arthur can sense when he’s showing you off, and Arthur’s powers aren’t even close to doing that. 

Please teach this man how to use a microwave. He can do literally anything else, and master it without a problem, but microwaves are just not for him. 

Spoils you rotten as if that’ll make up for the fact he’s gone with work and with Batman stuff. You take none of it, and just make him spend time with you. Which he thanks you for because he really misses you when he’s working. 

Alfred and the kid's all love you even if some of them warm up slower than others *coughDamiancough* and it just proves to him how lucky he is to have gotten you. 

Dick Grayson

Teaches you self-defense because he’s a detective and a past Robin so you could be a ‘target’. Plus you could get in trouble and need to defend yourself if he’s not around. And he like having an excuse to have you close via training. 

Can’t cook for his l i f e. Like, don’t let him near the kitchen at all. Before you, he survived on 2-Minute Noodles, whatever was in the fridges at work, and things Alfred would bring him on occasion. He relies on you to feed him so please do it. You don’t even have to be the best cook either.

Gives the biggest, softest hugs e v e r. They’re all huge bear-hugs, full of gentle words and absolute warmth. Even before you were dating he’d give good hugs. Like, wow. Now I need one of his hugs. 

Tells such good jokes, he always knows how to make you laugh, and exactly what kind of humor you need. 

PDA is definitely a thing, and at the very least he has his fingers locked with yours. He’s just a little clingy, that’s all. And show-ey off-ey. Spent too much time around Bruce. 

Jason Todd

Everything in his house is his, and therefore is yours too. That includes food, books, and the bed, even his toothbrush, but God help you if you eat the leftover Chinese Take-Out without giving him the chance to get a mouthful in. Not even Alfred want’s to deal with that. 

Teaches you how to ride a motorbike on your own, and as much as he loves seeing you ride on your own, he prefers it when you ride with him and hold onto him nice and tight. He lives for those moments tbh. 

Is a heater. His body warmth is unparalleled in any dimension. Not too hot “But aren’t I always too hot?” and definitely not too cold. It’s the best for cold nights in Gotham.

Helpless Romantic. Gets you flowers, chocolates, takes you out for dinner because with Bruce’s money he can afford it, even dresses regularly in suits because he knows how much you love him in a suit. 

Loves dancing with you, and for you. His best jam was along to Fall Out Boy’s cover of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. He should’ve been a theater kid. It’s a waste, but you’re willing to soak it all in in behalf of everyone else. “Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby!“

Tim Drake

Makes extra coffee for you in the mornings. If you drink it. And memorizes your favorite. Decaf? Got it. Soy milk? No problem. Black? He has it like that too. Three sugars? So sweet, but okay. 

Has an infinite amount of movies for movie nights. You know he hacks into places to get them. But you don’t care. Free movies. And a chance to get him to not work for a couple hours. (He falls asleep in the first twenty minutes.) 

Pulls the best one-liners, especially when he’s over-tired. He could have a snark-off with Sherlock Holmes or Tony Stark and win with the things he sports out, and you’re lucky enough to be around whenever he does. 

Has an amazing memory, so every single date worth memorizing he has it covered. You need to worry more about you forgetting anniversaries rather than him.

Cried when he heard Avicii died. He didn’t get over it for weeks. The only reason he’s gotten back to listening to his songs is that he’s now connected them with you. Play ‘Addicted to You’ and he’ll look at you with the most lovey-dovey heart-eyes ever. 

Damian Wayne

Actually an almost human when he’s around you, which makes his family want you around more, which makes him happy weird, huh?  

Hates PDA, but makes a point to hold your hand whenever he feels you’d like it because “Boyfriends do that. They do things they might not like to make their partner happy.” 

Gets all flustered whenever you give him a n y sort of kisses. Hand kisses? Full-face blush. Cheek? Won't stop smiling. Mouth? Can’t speak for the next ten minutes. It’s fantastic. 

High-key will scare people away if they look at you in a way he doesn’t like. He doesn’t like the idea of someone taking you away, and being Robin and the son of a billionaire doesn’t help. All must R  E S P E C T his love. 

Gives you all sorts of pet names, but only calls you them in private because “No one will believe you.” The little twat. 

[myhearts-sherlocked]

The sign of three was basically a declaration of Sherlock's Love for John

Okay so, the title says it all.

This is my first blog post I'm writing I'm really excited, I hope not to get lost in my train of thought.

Okay so... Let's start easy.

The morning of the wedding Sherlock's up early, mrs. H brings him tea, and she starts talking about the Marriage ( calling it: THE BIG DAY) and how it changes people. Sherlock doesn't understand why this is a Big deal, and starts to avoid talking about it.

When the photographer is taking pictures after the ceremony; Sherlock doesn't budge at first when the photographer said "just the bride and groom, please" which I found really cute and sad at the same time. As at that point Sherlock helped both of them organize a lot of things, so they've been a team in the whole process, and when it was time for the actual thing, he had to step aside.

When Sholto arrives at the reception, John obv greets him, while Sherlock and Mary talk about him, and Sherlock shows obvious signs of jealousy knowing that John "never shuts up about Sholto and not him".

Also, it turns out that apparently he's not "the most unsociable man that John has ever met" anymore, which was one of the many things that made him different from everyone else around them, and now there's suddenly someone else taking that place from him?

*MARY: "neither of us were the first, you know? "

At this point Sherlock is done, and tells Mary to stop smiling, luckily Mary doesn't take it to heart as she 'knows' Sherlock and just shakes it off.

But Sherlock never told John to stop smiling cuz he basically did everything so that John's presumably "Most important day of his life" would go smoothly, and he knows how much John has hurt for the past years (he takes responsibility for it, and is trying to redeem himself by helping him find 'happiness') and probably understands that for John , the wedding day is actually a big deal, he might not understand why, as  he tells Mrs. H earlier:

* SHERLOCK: Two people who currently live together are about to attend church, have a party, go on a short holiday and then carry on living together. What's big about that?

One thing I really liked about Sherlock's Best man's speech is that even though he's the Cleverest person in the room , (and he knows it) and the whole mind palace thing ;

He prepares flashcards to remember, just in case something goes wrong and forgets, which would be unlikely, cuz yeah, hes Sherlock Holmes but he's still a human, and he does it so that he doesn't ruin the most important day in his Best Friend's life. Although he doesn't understand why, Sherlock does it anyways, for John. That's why he gets a bit agitated when he sees everyone crying, and wonders if he did something wrong.

Plus, Sherlock doesn't show-off as much during his speech, he made sure that the spotlight for his speech would always fall on John Watson.

Let's quote some of the nice things Sherlock said about John, during his speech:

*SHERLOCK: today you sit between the woman you have made your wife and the man you have saved - in short,  the two people who love you most in all this world. And I know I speak for Mary as well when I say we will never let you down, and we have a lifetime ahead to prove that.

* SHERLOCK: I never expected to be anybody's best friend. Certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.

* SHERLOCK: The best and bravest man I know and on top of that he actually knows how to do stuff.

[Flashback to John asking Sherlock to be his best man]

*John: I want to be up there with the two people i love and care about most in the world

So, we already know that John's talking about his wife to-be and Sherlock. Now if you'll excuse me let's just go back a bit, when John hasn't met Mary yet. I think the statement would still stand; but with only one subject/individual (In this case Sherlock). Idk where I'm going with this. But basically what I'm saying is that before John met Mary, Sherlock was the only person he loved and cared about the most in the world. Let that sink in.

Now. Let's talk about the flashbacks of the stag night.

Before actually going to the Pubs, Sherlock asks Molly to help him 'calculate' their ideal alcohol intake.

And he says :

* SHERLOCK: Don't want to get ill. That would ruin it - spoil the mood.

Let's remember what John told Sherlock when he  was appointed as Best man:

*JOHN: Look, Sherlock, this is the biggest and most important day of my life.

And we see that Sherlock's a bit skeptical about it at first but we've seen that already.

[back to the stag night]

Sherlock really wants it to go well for John, but it doesn't really go as planned and they go home early. NOW, my favorite part of the stag night: The Rizla game.

When Sherlock's trying to guess who he's supposed to be... These are the answers that John has already given him:

He is human; not as tall as people think; nice-ish; clever, important to some people, ppl don't like him and he tends to rub them up the wrong way.

SO! With these informations on hand, Sherlock's first guess is: KING OF ENGLAND, ofc John tells him that they don't have a king, So Sherlock had to guess again. His second guess was 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁. JAWN. Yep, so I found this interesting somehow, basically what I came up with is : for Sherlock, Jawn has the same qualities a king would have. Think about it. I'll let you work it out by yourself, cuz I'm tired sksk. Just comment below any thoughts about this.

Ok so at this point Hudders interrupts the game, bringing in a client. Nothing in this part particularly interests this blog.

But a few honorable mentions :

> John touching Sherlock's knee

> Sherlock's arm around John while sitting on the couch

> Sherlock's butt up while "clueing for looks"

After this, there's the whole case-solving part. We'll skip it, and go to the last bit.

Sherlock's playing his newly composed waltz for the Watsons and then they talk about Mary being pregnant, everyone's happy, and there's the really long, awkward eye contact between the two men, while the bride is the one supposed to have all the attention, out of the 3 of them... Okay afterwards, the newlyweds dance together, and then Sherlock leaves early. As he sees that everything's going smoothly again, ( Sherlock saw, being the best man, a responsibility) at that point he probably thought that his job was done, and his presence was not needed anymore. That's heartbreaking.

So basically Sherlock also composed a Waltz for them (as I already mentioned earlier), and taught John how to dance along with it. So practically Sherlock did hell of a LOT for the Watsons, and John specifically. Cuz yeah it's the topic of this Blog post. But I enjoyed Sherlock and Mary's friendship during this.

But here's the thing, everything Sherlock has done throughout the whole episode; he did it exclusively for John's happiness. Because that's true love. Now count me as cheesy, but even if you don't ship Johnlock, and only see them as friends, you have to admit that what Sherlock did, showed his love for John. Because even if he knows that after this wedding John wouldn't spend as much time with him as he did in the past. He prefers to see John happy than being Petty about it. ( for me, that's love, as long as the other half is happy, I'm good)

Now let's remember what Sherlock did for the Watson's during this episode:

> greatest best man speech

> compose a Waltz

> teach John how to dance

> organize an intricate stag night with a personal touch

> prevent a murder at his Best friend's wedding

> got in good terms with Archie

> scared off Mary's ex, so he'd stay put.

> Made sure they still had beautiful wedding pics before arresting the photographer

Helps organizing :

> the sitting setting at the reception

> the time Schedule

> the tissues

* = quoted from https://arianedevere.livejournal.com/66078.html

That was all I had for you guys~ ✨I really hope you liked it, I enjoyed writing this, comment your thoughts, I'd appreciate feedback :')

[drsilverfish]

Nine Minutes to Midnight

5x21 Two Minutes to Midnight

Nine episodes to beat God, and fifteen years since Kripke pitched his original On The Road fan-fiction meets folk horror. 

I’ve had a lot of fun in this little corner of Tumblr SPN fandom, over the eight years I’ve been here. I arrived as a newbie in 2012, and people already here were kind to me. I’ve seen people come and go, get disillusioned with SPN and move onto new fandoms, or arrive latterly into this one, brimming with excitement. 

This is a weird social media platform, and I doubt it will be around forever, as one of its joys is how singularly bad it has been at integrating advertising.   

Some of my favourite things here have been;

Comments in the tags, often funny, thinky, joyful - love this element of Tumblr.

Coda fic - this short-form story-style, which leaps into the fan-fiction gaps, loud silences and lacunae of the text - what a joy.

All the different roles people take on in fandom, as labours of love - gif makers, fic and meta writers, artists, vidders, archivists, signal-boosters, enthusiastic readers and beta-readers, art-lovers, networkers, collaborators, question-askers and answerers, and participants of all kinds (introvert and extrovert).

Completely unrelated to SPN, posts which are full of puns and hilarity, from “lik the bred” to Brits vs Americans on the subject of drinking tea. I still love Tumblr’s collective sense of humour; it’s witty and charming. 

The language of gifs; those delightful comtemporary hieroglyphics of emotive expression.

The diversity - English is the shared language, but gradually it’s apparent that despite US dominance of the site, there are people from all over the world here, whose native tongues range from Russian to Italian to Brazilian Portuguese.

The collective meta experience - sharing “live” textual analysis has been huge fun. Viewing a text in a hive mind this way always shows you something you’d have missed on your own. It’s like holding up a crystal to a thousand lights and watching all the different refractions happening at once.

Again, not SPN specific, but experts in various subjects, from Egyptology to Medieval History suddenly emerging from the depths to provide a passionate and erudite exposition on their topic. Often prefaced with, “My time has come...”   

Fandom has a dark side. It can be a coping mechansim, for many, in a healthy or less healthy way. There are unfortunately, always the formation of various “in-groups” and “out-groups”, ship wars, harrassment (of other fans, cast and crew), entitlement, and wild unpleasantness. And, that scourge of the internet in general; performative outrage (otherwise known as the outrage economy) which turns up the dial on provocative statements and negative emotion because that acts as catnip for engagement. A lot of people act out their shadow-selves online, projecting their own internal stuff onto others, from behind the screen.    

Almost no media texts get to run as long as SPN (fifteen years) but my first fandom was (and is) Doctor Who and that has been going for over 50. It has some absolutely horrendously toxic spaces and places online, and many of pure joy. My advice is - find the joy.  

Stories, by inviting us into the shoes of others, teach us at their (and our) best, the invaluable gift of empathy.

Take care of yourselves. Endings are hard, no doubt.

Special shout-out to fellow LGBTQ+ fans - hold onto your hearts. 

It can be complicated loving a story telling its queer (romantic/ erotic) love story implicitly (i.e. in subtext). 

Don’t forget (as I always say in my tags) subtext is part of narrative - meaning, the totality of a text contains its explicit and implicit elements; its text and its subtext, just like Metatron (aka Robbie T) told us in 9x18 Metafiction. 

I wasn’t in the fandom myself, here on Tumblr, but I saw some of the fall-out from BBC Sherlock S4, and it was particularly distressing to see so many young LGBTQ+ fans feeling deeply hurt and even suicidal, because they’d read all the (extensively crafted) queer subtext in that show as a promise which would, inevitably, lead to an unequivocal queer “coming out” for John and Sherlock.

Those queer fans weren’t “self-queerbaiting” - they were just reading the totality of the text. And after all, why not read the subtext that way, as a promise? Being of a generation who’d already gotten to see many explicitly out queer characters on-screen; why not dare to imagine the subtext was a slow-burn romance with an inevitable “out” climax? Especially because Mark Gatiss (one of the writers) is out and queer himself, young queer fans were even more certain that his Sherlock would be the first “out” queer Sherlock on-screen (The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, 1970, which Gatiss is on record as being a fan of, had previously queer-coded Holmes, as indeed does Downey’s version, in Sherlock, 2009, and Sherlock 2: A Game of Shadows, 2011.)

Of course, the corporate and production politics were no doubt complex behind the scenes at the BBC, and Gatiss himself (apparently) saw things differently saying (in an interview in Oct 2010):

“No, I don’t think I’d make a kind of gay programme. It’s much more interesting when it’s not about a single issue. And equally, I find flirting with the homoeroticism in Sherlock much more interesting.” (Buzz Magazine Oct 2010: p10).

All of which, is why I’ve been adding a disclaimer to my readings of SPN’s queer subtext for a while now - namely, that reading the subtext doesn’t promise a rainbow of obviousness at the end. 

As I said, take care of your hearts, lovelies.   

Perhaps we shouldn’t need the narrative closet any longer. 

But, we are walking between worlds, an old one and a new, both of them currently existing simultaneously, especially in a globalised world. 

Queer audience fractions are, generally, more attuned to queer subtext, because it often uses codes derived from queer culture (although reading cinematic/ television subtext of all kinds is a learned skill, and no one is born with text-reading gaydar). So, whilst queer subtext may appear “loud” to some audience fractions, it remains invisible to others. That is, historically, by design, because, whilst “out” queer characters have gradually emerged on-screen since the 1950s [and the end of the Hays Code in Hollywood] queerness was, and still is (depending on where one is in the world) subject to legal penalty, state censorship or corporate production censorship.

A contemporary kind of state censorship is e.g. in China, where overt LGBTQ+ themes and characters cannot be depicted on-screen (hence, the queer subtext in The Untamed). A contemporary commodity kind of censorship might be e.g. notes from the Network, or TPTB at Marvel Studios with an eye on box-office. Queer subtext has the ability to slip past the censors, or be tolerated by them; because, now you see it/ now you don’t. A character with a straight “surface” reading and a queer subtextual one may (depending on the film/ TV product and its market etc,) be seen to pose less risk as a commercial product, whilst being able to appeal to different audience fractions simultaneously. For example, Captain Marvel  (2019) and, as above, BBC Sherlock (2010-2017).

And yes, it’s complicated, because in the midst of that still extant censorship, which queer writers and other creatives on set may indeed be trying to work around by using queer subtext, we can see another world is possible. More out queer stories are being told. And, although we may love to see implicit queerness rather than no queerness at all, and indeed although implicit queerness may (arguably) have the freedom (still) to tell less boundaried or stereotyped stories than explicit queerness (with powerful effects on the audience fractions, both queer and straight, who do “see” it) we can’t deny that it does suit corporate entities, in some cases, to be able to appeal to a dual audience without the perceived “risk” of “outness”.  A form of “queer-sploitation” which leads to the charge of “queer-baiting”.

The issue is, perhaps, particularly one surrounding male hero characters in Hollywood (and here in the UK) a) because “queer stories” are (still) often, not seen as likely to have universal appeal for broader audiences, whereas “straight stories” are not framed as “straight stories” but as universal ones, and b) because of the persistence of the prejudiced belief in particular that “queerness” undermines masculinity, especially “heroic” masculinity (here we have diverged markedly from the ancient Greeks). It’s somewhat different for female characters, but that’s another post. Fantasy, in the on-screen medium (if less so in fiction or comics) appears to be a more regressive genre than, say, comedy, in terms of the depiction of “out” queer central (rather than side) characters, with the exception of the Wachowskis’ Sense8 (2015-18) in which pretty much everyone is queer. I know there’s Ruby’ Rose’s Batwoman (2019- ) which I haven’t had a chance to check out yet, and we’ve got some queer Marvel (side) heroes upcoming, apparently; Valkyrie in Thor: Love and Thunder and Phastos in The Eternals - let’s see how that goes.

Moreover, queer subtext doesn’t have an exact analogy i.e. a “straight subtext” equivalent. Yes, many films and TV shows imply romantic/ sexual tension and interest between M/ F (pre)couples before it is “confirmed” they’re into each other in the text. However, because straight is the default assumption, audiences may muse and disagree about the potential for a M/ F romance at the implicit stage (as they have done in SPN fandom re Sam/ Rowena) but they don’t ask - “Does this mean they might be straight ????” It is assumed. Queerness, on the other hand, in order to be widely recognised (rather than solely by the subtext-reading audience fraction) must “come out” in some manner, explicitly, in the text (I don’t mean graphically, but “beyond reasonable doubt”).  In other words, as painful as it is, we are not starting on a level playing field. It’s not fair, but it is the deal. 

That doesn’t mean we can’t love contemporary queer subtextual stories, just that it’s important to acknowledge it can be painful, for some, to do so, and just as it’s important to acknowlege it’s OK to find them too painful to love, also (historical texts obviously operated under different circumstances). 

Queer audiences are not homogenous. We can, and do, see things differently from one another, perhaps particularly across generations. 

It is the case however, I think, that the structuring of a story by the narrative closet, as SPN has been structured by the narrative closet (up to this point, mid S15) (by which I mean its queerness is transparent to some, invisible to others, by design) cannot help but remind many queer audience members of our own struggles with the real world closet. Indeed that may make the story attractive, or unattractive, to different folk. 

Incidentally, which is why I avoid it, I think the “it’s canon”/ “it’s subtext” debate is a false dichotomy and a bit confusing, as there are two, perfectly legitimate (within their own terms) definitions of “canon”. In the fandom sense, where “canon” means a romantic/ erotic pairing explicitly confirmed in the text, Destiel (meaning romantic/ erotic orientation between Dean and Cas) is not “canon” (as at 15x11). It is implied. Of course, it is explicit text that they care deeply for one another - “You’re my family. I love you, I love all of you” (12x12 Stuck in the Middle with You), “You’re my best friend” (15x09 The Trap). The exact nature of that relationship remains, however, deliberately, ambiguous. 

In the literary sense, in which “canon” means “the official body of work”, SPN’s official body of work contains a metric tonne of implicit romantic/ erotic Dean/ Cas, so, it is part of the SPN “canon” in that sense - “subtextual canon” if you like. Although, of course, because implied, therefore open to interpretation.... deliberately transparent to some and invisible to others.

Despite all this complexity, and, indeed despite other elements of the SPN narrative which I have struggled with personally (the early seasons’ misogyny is off the charts sometimes, the brutally insensitive manner of Charlie’s death) I have loved this story, Supernatural, truly, madly, deeply, in large part because of its (implicit) queerness. And for may other reasons additionally, from its folkloric beginnings and dark initial cinematographic palette, to its melodrama, to its, eventual, Ourboros structure, and its Jungian alchemical journey marrying the cosmic to the earthly. 

Reading the show without the queer subtext remains possible, but oh boy is that analogous to only considering the above sea-level portion of an iceberg.  

I would prefer a rainbow of obviousness at The EndTM, but I don’t expect one. What I expect is continued, deliberate, ambiguity. Something I am sure we will be debating the ethics of, long after. 

I could be wrong :-). But I am taking my own advice, and taking care of my heart.      

For now, it’s nine minutes to midnight; let’s see how the story ends.

And afterwards, however the chips may fall, the characters will (as this most meta-narrative of seasons has been busy telling us) be set free of “Chuck’s” control. They will belong to us, in a thousand thousand fan-works, for as long as we care to keep on loving them.             

[roonil-wazlib-at-221b]

Slytherin Sherlock x Hufflepuff Reader

-You’re a first year when Sherlock is a third year

-And you’re naturally curious, and well, Muggleborn, so not all of this stuff was explained to you

-You see the third years heading off to Hogsmeade

-You follow them (bc you were never told not to) and for some reason you’re not caught

-Well, not until an hour in when some Gryffindor fifth year sees you in Honeydukes

-’Oi, firstie, the hell you doing?’

-The jar of Jelly Slugs you’d been holding crashes to the ground out of your limp grasp

-And you’re frozen because you hadn’t thought of what you would do if you were caught

-’Oh, bugger off, Watson’ you hear behind you

-You whirl around, cheeks flaming, ready to thank your savior

-Sherlock peers down his nose at you and sniffs

-He waves his wand at the mess on the floor and it’s fixed

-’Thank you’

-He just flaps his hand at you ‘Run back to the school, little firstie. nobody here wants firsties crashing our party. especially not muggleborn firsties’

-So that was your first encounter with Sherlock Holmes

-You avoid him for the rest of your first year and most of your second until you happen upon him in the library

-His eyes are bloodshot, curls askew, and you’re pretty sure, judging by his skinny wrists, that he hasn’t been eating right

-(not that you’ve seen him at mealtimes, which you haven’t, because you haven’t been looking for him specifically to avoid him, of course)

-And, well, you may still be smarting a little over the muggleborn comment

-(although it seems to be a common prejudice held by these backwards, medieval wizards)

-But you’re not an asshole he is, though and you ask the house-elf you’d met last year, Poppy, bring some food

-He never sees you, just the elf, but for the rest of the year you can’t shake the feeling that his eyes are on yours during mealtimes and that he knows

-His fifth year is worse

-Not even the elves leaving food by his shoulder as he studies late into the night will encourage him to eat

-And you’re a bit annoyed, really, that his big brother hasn’t been paying enough attention to know that his little brother is starving himself to death

-And that the headmaster hasn’t noticed the potential endangerment of his students

-So a bit before Christmastime you approach the studying Holmes, slam your books down on the table (it rattles the cups full of cold tea he’d pushed aside earlier)

-’If I’m gonna go through the trouble to get the elves to feed you, then eat the damn food, asshole’

-He just blinks at you, one curl in front of his left eye, and for a moment you realize why the girls in your dorm coo over the asshole; he’s cute

-But you would never admit it, and you still don’t understand why they think him being an asshole is attractive

-’I thought you would just give up’

-’Um, hello, Hufflepuff here? We’re the determined workers of the school. now eat your damn food’

-And maybe he’s too tired to think straight or a little confused as to why you’re not either scared of him or cooing over him, so he takes a sip of cold tea and grimaces

-You snort and hand him a roast beef sandwich

-’Are the O.W.L.s hard?’

-It’s the first time you’ve ever seen him not be an asshole to anyone

-And so you come back the next day, when he’s just as tired and hungry, and that’s when you’ll talk to him

-He gets through the O.W.L.s and Mycroft will insist he only made it because of you because he really was paying attention, but not just to Sherlock

-So just like that you’re a part of their friend group

-The asshole Sherlock (Slytherin), the brash John Watson (Gryffindor), the cold Mycroft (Slytherin), the mysterious Rosamund (Ravenclaw), and sweet Molly (Hufflepuff)

-The oddest assortment of people you’ve ever seen that have called themselves friends

-But friends nonetheless

-At least, until Mycroft was gone first, and then John, then Mary and Molly, and finally you and Sherlock are the only ones left

-Being part of a tight-knit group of friends

-(the group everyone wanted to be included in)

-(the elite)

-isn’t as fun when there’s only two left

-Your O.W.L.s are easy

-Sherlock helped you when he wasn’t studying for his N.E.W.T.s, obviously

-And when the two of you weren’t pranking the incompetent DADA teacher and the crude sixth-year Gryffindor boys

-And you had to slap him on the hands a few times to stop him from reaching for more books after the designated ‘stop studying’ time

-but all too soon the year is over

-And Sherlock is graduating

-And you’re all alone now

-You’ve got your dormmates, obviously

-Whom you’re friends with, but in a vague way, since you’d left them in third year and barely spoken with them except for polite passings-by after that year

-and you feel a bit lost now, as the last member of the group, with two more years left without any of them there

-so you almost cry tears of joy when, upon entering your first DADA lesson of sixth year, you see the incompetent teacher replaced with a dark, curly-haired boy lounging on his desk

-And you finally see why everyone had crushes on him

-so you can barely speak when Sherlock smirks in your direction

-’You can call me Professor Holmes’ holy SHIT that’s hot

-DADA is suddenly your best subject, you decide

-And after class you spend a long time packing up your books as every single girl in the class flocks up to his desk and coos over how great of a professor he’ll be, how glad they are that the old one was sacked, etc

-By the end of it your teeth are grinding

-Sherlock coldly dismisses them all and you decide to leave but he calls you back

-First thing you say is ‘You know I’m never going to take you seriously, right?’

-Sherlock smiles faintly ‘This is a two-year position, that’s it. I needed experience and the headmaster of Hogwarts is a good reference. after this i plan on exploring the world. think of me as your tutor’

-’Won’t be much difference, then. do i have to call you professor?’

-He smirks ‘it wouldn’t do to play favorites. might create you some enemies, Y/N’

-’there’s no way’ you declare. ‘it would be like that weird thing you had with Adler. Remember?’

-you’d hated Irene Adler, but you weren’t jealous. she was just rude and dismissive of everyone and thankfully it had only been a few times for them and sherlock hadn’t gotten attached

-thank god

-’she was into the roleplay—’

-he flushes bright red, which is unusual and you’re unreasonably proud that you made pRoFeSsOr HoLmEs flushed ‘yeah, yeah, i remember. how could i forget?’

-Your mouth twists

-’the best night of your life’ she’d promised, and sherlock claims she’d delivered

-and you know he’ll be traveling with his fancy pureblood inheritance paying for it all, and unfortunately you’re a broke muggleborn without even a plan for what you’ll be doing after hogwarts

-but you smile anyways for him and say that sounds fun

-’after all,’ sherlock says, ‘i could hardly leave the last member of our little gang alone for two years in a magical castle, could i?’

-and that makes you feel a little better and you tease ‘aw, sherlock, who knew you could be so sweet’

-and he just tells you to shut up

-during sixth and seventh year all the girls are struggling so much with defence against the dark arts that they need special tutoring

-you’re proud to say that you don’t stoop that low to get sherlock’s attention

-mycroft will say later that you hadn’t even needed to try for his attention, you’d already always had it, and sherlock will tell him to shut up, and your romantic little heart will swell a little bit

-you don’t try to get his attention and yet somehow you always have it

-you’re convinced he only calls on you in class to pick on you but still, that means his eyes are on you

-and you eat lunch in his classroom as long as he’s not ‘tutoring’ another girl (you know he would never in his life do what the girls want him to do to them, but still, it’s weird to watch them try)

-and the library is where you two meet and talk during the evenings

-so it’s basically your fifth year all over again, except he’s teaching you in a classroom instead of the library (and he’s still teaching you there too)

-when Sprout interviews you about what you’d like to do when you grow up, you answer that you’d maybe like to work with magical creatures or potions

-you wish you were like rosamund, molly, and john, who are all Aurors now, or mycroft, who works in the Ministry, so you’d be able to see them more often

-but you’re not

-and then you’re walking past the DADA classroom the next day when something grabs your elbow and covers your shrieking mouth

-you’re pretty used to Peeves but this is beyond the pale

-when he lets go you whirl around and channel your inner Muggle and lash out at your attacker with your fists, even though they won’t do much good against a poltergeist

-but your knuckles meet a solid target

-’Bloody hell!’

-’Sherlock, what the actual bloody hell?’

-He glares at you, pinching his bleeding nose shut ‘you told sprout you were going to work with animals?’

-you shrug ‘i like animals’

-’but what about traveling?’

-you blink and tilt your head ‘what?’

-’what’s confusing about that, you bloody bint?’

-’i know you’re traveling’ you say, ‘but that’s with your fancy pureblood inheritance. im a muggleborn and i wasn’t even invited on your travels—’

-’it was implied, you... you...’ sherlock gestures at you, apparently at a loss for words.

-oh

-Oh

-OH

-Your eyes widen ‘With you?’

-’obviously’ he snorts

-And you throw your arms around him, but you’ve gotten taller or something, because when you used to hug him you used to bury your face in his chest, but somehow your forehead bangs against his nose and his lips are pressed against your eye and burning into your skin

-sherlock carefully takes your hands off of him and your face burns because you hadn’t wanted to be just like the other girls even if you secretly wanted to do what they were doing but this rejection hurts

-’i’m still your professor’ sherlock shrugs ‘it’s highly improper’

-you want to ask is that your only problem with it? because really, he’s only two years older than you and you know you’re not the best looking person ever but you’re not bad

-but the words get caught up in your throat and you just run away from him and skip the last of your DADA classes because after N.E.W.T.s seventh-years really don’t do much

-you graduate and all your friends are there but you’re in the student section and sherlock should be in the professor section but he’s??? not???

-and the moment graduation is over you turn around and sherlock’s there, hands in his pockets and curls in his eyes as he looks at you shyly

-’i resigned yesterday. not your professor anymore’

-and you just sorta look at him, a little crestfallen, because you know he can be a bit of an ass, but you’d expected at least a congratulations, because even Mycroft had managed that much

-’okay?’

-and then he rolls his eyes and sweeps you up into his arms and then he’s kissing you??

-and your brain has shorted out??

-’congratulations’ he finally whispers, and you can’t manage any words in response

~~~~~~~

so i know i said requests are closed, but i felt kinda bad that it took so long for this to come out (i lowkey forgot lmao)

also, i can’t find the horizontal line button anymore??? can someone help me plz??? im so lost???

anyway!!! my spn fic is almost done (its a long one, boyzzzz) so plz hang in there. i’ll post it on ao3 but let everyone know on here when each update will be. i hope y’all like it!

~~~~~~~

Forever Taglist:

@lemirabitur @annymcervantes @queenmissfit @quiet-because-it-is-a-secret @iksey

[bored-darling]

Tagged!

So, I've been tagged by the lovely @nostalgiaes ! Thank you very much my darling, I feel honoured!

What is your first memory?

My first memory? Most of my childhood memory is non-existant but I do in fact remember some things very cleary.

I can still remember in detail how my dad tried to teach me how to ride the bike or how I used to play WinxClub on my Nintendo or when I always snuk over the fence behind our house into the woods.

What do you love the most about being you?

Probaly being able to create such beautiful things? Since I was little I was very creative; writing poetry and stories, drawing and painting.

And if I may say my intellect?? Since I am able to get As without studying and I have been compared to Sherlock Holmes, OK, I'm proud of that??? I'm sorry, I —

What is the first thing you look for in new friends?

The things I look for in people is loyalty, humor and wit. I surround myself with people who stimulate my mind and I think that's one of the keys to a good relationship. It is very important for you to be on the same level and vibe.

I'm naturally drawn to people alike. As simple as it is.

What is a good thing you've learned in life so far?

Humanity is the real madman. In order to not be blinded by nature, to see the universe as it is, the rough truth without any sugar-coating which humans created themselves and believe to be true, you need to understand. Truly understand. Think for yourself, forget everything you know, everything you have been told to believe, you have been socialised to think and look at the universe. Break the 4th wall, darling. Do not be afraid to face reality. Maybe it is rough and reckless and it surely doesn't care about your existence or emotions, but it's the truth.

If you could do anything for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I'd love to be an ethereal being that is able to explore the universe and not bound to any particular things or beings who force her to do stuff — this is getting too specific and personal

Anyway, this was fun! I'm tagging @deadpoet02 , @ghosts-who-haunt-me ,@losingbraincellseveryday ,@kinkymjolnir

Have a nice day!

SH

[commanderquill]

Don’t Be Chicken!

Because my readers are the most patient, lovely people on earth, here’s a little treat: Remember that side story to One Step Closer I mentioned, where Tim and Jay spend a day chasing chickens around Gotham? Well, it’s slowly but surely being made a reality, and here’s a sneak peek!

Hope you guys enjoy! It’s the most fun I’ve had writing something in a while.

So, it starts like this:

...Actually, scratch that, Jason has no idea how it starts because he has no idea how anything starts with Tim. One moment he’s just minding his own business, the next his best friend is knocking at his window and telling him they’re going to the haunted clock tower.

It isn’t that Jason thinks ghosts are real or anything. It’s just that Tim has the tendency to trip over his own shoelaces, and it would be a shame if he fell off the clock tower and died.

Tim has his camera with him, but it’s the nice one this time, and he eventually explains that he wants to take photos for his school’s photography contest. Jason suggests that submitting a photo of Robin might give him a better chance at winning, but Tim clarifies that the theme is ‘Haunted’ and shuts the idea down.

Personally he thinks ‘Haunted’ is a shitty theme, but he supposes it’s a fitting one for the abnormally unfortunate city they call home.

There’s a bus stop a block away from the clock tower, so they don’t have to do too much walking when they finally get there. A good thing, too. He’ll deny it except on pain of death, but this part of town gives him the heebie jeebies.

The cobblestone that gives Old Gotham its distinguishing mid-19th century look wobbles beneath them as they make their way down the main street, gas lamps flickering in the late morning light. There’s a low fog over them and the walls of the buildings glisten with dampness, although it hasn’t rained for at least a few days. It’s just like that.

“What’re they working on?” Tim asks as they pass an alley that offers a clear line of sight to the harbor. There’s a construction zone marked off on the way there, blocking off the sidewalk and the half finished building beside it. Wood panels criss cross each other where there should be steel beams. No workers are anywhere to be found.

“I don’t know,” Jason answers honestly. “They’ve been working on it for as long as I can remember.” The last time he was here was three years ago, and it doesn’t look any different. It’s as if Old Gotham is constantly suspended in a state of purgatory.

Tim shivers as a cold gust of wind sweeps past them from the harbor, but makes no additional comment. They walk a little faster.

The clock tower is old. Not old enough to be made out of wood, or for the stone’s harsh edges and spiky points to have smoothed out, but it’s jarringly out of place compared to the relatively modern Catholic Church beside it. The structure doesn’t extend into the sky easily. It makes its way there in steps and levels, each with a platform that seems like it might have been a porch, if there were any visible doors. In the place of doors, tall arched windows allow the slightest glimpse of the pitch black interior, guarded by gargoyles with gaping mouths. Spires extend at every interval, getting thinner and shorter with the exception of the long, thin lightning rod on top.

The clock face itself is written in Roman numerals, large and impossible to miss but, for Jason at least, just as impossible to read. However, he can still tell the hands are at six o’clock. It’s ten.

“We can’t get in,” Jason says.

“Why not?”

“It’s locked.”

“You haven’t even tried.”

Neither of them move.

“Maybe--” Tim begins, but Jason doesn’t get to hear the end of his suggestion, interrupted as he is by distressed shouting splitting the air.

It doesn’t sound like a cry for help, more like a vehement argument, but it’s strange mostly for the fact that Jason was subconsciously convinced no one’s lived here for at least a few thousand years. A quick glance beside him makes him reasonably sure Tim’s thinking the same thing, and when he moves towards the sound, Jason gratefully follows. He isn’t procrastinating going into the clock tower. Really. That would be stupid.

The shouting comes from about a block away, and even without the noise it would draw the eye. Nestled between two apartment complexes is a stout little house surrounded on all sides by a white picket fence and lush green grass. The five foot long walkway branching off from the sidewalk is paved in white pebbles and the sky opens directly above it, the first break in the clouds they’ve seen all morning. The sunlight streaming through is being enjoyed by a particularly fat tabby cat.

They stare, bemused. The house is painted pink with white trim, and a large white sign above the front door names this surreal establishment the Little Gotham Daycare.

As they watch, the front door opens so fast it nearly slams into the wall, and a white-haired older woman in a floral red skirt swishing past her distinguished hips stomps onto the porch and sits with a huff on the top step.  Jason takes that as a sign to go. Tim takes that as a sign to speak. “Are you okay?” he calls, and Jason resists the urge to groan aloud.

The woman raises her head, but it takes a moment for her to find the two of them. When she does, she squints, then slumps with what Jason considers to be a very melodramatic sigh. “No, no, no, oh dear, everything is going wrong today! First the chickens eat their own eggs again, because of course Donald didn’t remember to take them out this afternoon, and then he forgets to lock their cage and they disappear without so much as a goodbye!”

“I don’t think chickens are supposed to talk,” whispers Jason loudly to Tim, who ignores him.

“How many chickens?”

“Four,” she says, dejected, and then hides her face in the crook of her arms. The boys stand together awkwardly. Finally, she looks back up at them and pats her thighs with a deep breath. “But nevermind all that, you boys must be hungry. Where are your parents? Oh, it doesn’t matter. No one around here has parents anymore anyway,” she mutters, standing up and beckoning them over.

“Tim…,” Jason pleads as Tim, predictably, takes a step forward. The woman has already disappeared into the odd little house, presumably expecting them to follow. “I don’t trust any old lady who says stuff like that and owns a daycare. There’s something really, really wrong with that.”

“She lost her chickens, Jay,” Tim chides. “She’s lonely.”

“She’s weird,” he grumbles, which does nothing to move Tim from his already decided course. With great reluctance, he follows his best friend into the quaint daycare.

It’s to his relief that the inside does, actually, look like a daycare. They step past scattered toys and half-broken crayons crushed permanently into the carpet, and Jason yelps when he steps on a lego, instantly regretting taking his shoes off. Tim, the jerk, doesn’t even look back at his cry of pain, too intent on cataloguing everything about their surroundings.

As much as it sucks to be ignored, he can admit to being proud of that particular quirk. After all, it’s a habit his best friend only picked up when they became friends. Although, he isn’t entirely certain if Tim does exactly what he tried to teach him and actually spends the time making note of all the exits and escapes, or if he’s just looking for clues like a bona fide Sherlock Holmes.

Jason supposes the keeping-track-of-stuff-that-actually-matters job, as usual, falls to him.

“Oh, the children will just be so devastated when I tell them what happened…,” the lady despairs, entering the kitchen to look into the fridge. She pulls out the basic sandwich fixings and two cold bottles of water.

“Will you have anyone look for them?” Tim asks innocently, but no. It isn’t innocent, because Jason knows exactly what that tone of voice means, and his answer is no.

Unfortunately, Tim rarely takes his opinion into account, so he doesn’t bother voicing his objection. But maybe...

“They’ll tell me just to adopt new ones, but Nessie’s been with me for a while, you know? And Lara, and Tommy -- she’s a lady, my grandson named her -- and Jane.”

“That’s all of them,” Jason points out.

It only makes her sigh sadly at her tomatoes.

“Maybe we could--” Tim starts, but Jason jumps in:

“You should put out a reward for them.”

Tim glares, but the woman suddenly seems contemplative. She looks distantly out the window while spreading mayo on the second bread slice. “Perhaps that could work…”

“Oh, it definitely does. People do it for their cats and dogs and… chickens all the time. Trust me.” When she continues to mull over her decision, he adds: “When we lost our goat, we put out a $200 reward and someone found it the next day.”

Tim gawks. It’s Jason’s turn to ignore him.

There’s a long silence, and Jason holds his breath as the odd woman places their finished sandwiches on separate paper plates for them to take, then proceeds to scrutinize them very carefully. Jason makes sure to wear his biggest and brightest smile. Tim makes sure to step on his toes. He fights back a wince.

Suddenly, she claps her hands together and smiles at them. “Well, that just sounds like a splendid idea!”

Tim pales. “Oh, Mrs… um.”

“Duvall.”

“Mrs. Duvall, you don’t need to--”

“--worry at all,” Jason assures her, bulldozing right over the rest of Tim’s sentence. “Someone will find them safe and sound! In fact--”

“Do you suppose $100 is enough? I don’t have much--”

“Well…,” Jason begins.

“Yeah,” snaps Tim.

“Great! Could you boys help me print out posters?” she asks hopefully.

Tim has the audacity to hold a palm up to Jason’s face before he can answer. “Actually, I was going to say that we can look for your chickens.”

“The reward would help a lot. You know, buses are getting pretty pricey these days…,” interjects Jason.

Mrs. Duvall positively glows at the suggestion. “Oh, of course! I would be so delighted if you could help. Really, truly, you boys are just the sweetest… Let me just make you some proper packed lunches to take with you.”

When she swivels back around to the fridge, Tim hisses: “Seriously?”

“What?” Jason replies, voice high and innocent. “You were gonna do it anyway, who says I can’t get something out of it too?”

“You don’t have to come with me,” Tim mutters petulantly, but it’s half-hearted. They go everywhere together.

They stand awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen while Mrs. Duvall stuffs two paper bags with everything in her cupboards. When she’s done, she holds them both out, but doesn’t let go when they grab at them. “Before I forget, I should let you know that my chickens have trackers. I can’t remember what the neighbor’s girl said about using my phone, though…”

Jason sighs in relief.

To be continued...

[screaminginternallyalleternity]

jane headcanons (+ others, because this girls relationship to other people is important to me)

ben can turn into a beast. like an actual beast. but he has full control over it, and he never ever does it unless he thinks he's in a life-or-death situation. jane knows about it and doesn't tell anyone cuz its none of their business but it does lead to weird looks when jane gives him something humans can't eat/drink and everyones like wait a sec

because ben can change and by definition he is Not Human but everyone forgets that (they also forget janes fae a lot too)

jane and ben are actually really good friends because Introverts™ need to stick together.

bens really protective of her but he'll never admit it unless someone asks (brother/sister but no one else has context for it so they come across as two random people that know weird amounts about each other). Do Not Hurt Jane Where Ben Can See It.

janes kinda like sherlock holmes, running experiments and doing stuff that looks really bizarre without context (and she rarely gives it because people don't ask and having a reputation as a weirdo lets her get away with doing stuff other people would DEFINITELY get in trouble for) (ben lonnie doug and sometimes chad know what the context is. they let her do it, because the bafflement on peoples faces is always funny)

she and her mother have a relationship kinda like gina and holt on brooklyn nine-nine: ones more of an authority figure, but have a rock-solid friendship (this does cause trouble when jane needs her to be a parent) because parental authority doesn't quite stick after the fortieth year of a humans life and that authority doesn't stick around anywhere near as long for fae.

you're equals in physical power and there isn't a full chance one will outlive the other why deal with that?? fae run on a different morality than humans okay, parental authority isn't gonna be a thing that transgresses species. (also FG has been more on the neglectful side when it comes to raising jane (not fully her fault she's a busy lady) and as jane ages she's lost the desire to have FGs attention. they are friends tho

like "mom i need your permission to do this thing" 

"you've never asked my permission to do this thing before?? why now??"

"because if i screw it up i don't wanna be the only one blamed for it"

(jane and ben have had this conversation too btw)

if jane and FG are gina and holt then jane and chad are gina and jake: they've influenced each other since childhood (jane on chad more than the other way around) but most people don't know they known each other that long so when the two do something weirdly in sync everyone not in the know is just???

but they love each other but jane thinks chad a douche now and is going to be forever Not Impressed™ until he cuts it out

she knows where all the clubs and bars for fae are and she drinks there once or twice a month. she keeps getting into arguments with other magic peoples, mostly over magic theory. it never really escalates except in volume because turns out janes really easy to rile up when she's drunk?? jordan has to drag her away

everything jane knows about magic is almost entirely self taught. FG won't teach her but she can cajole info out of other faeries when she plays her cards right & jane totally knows where EVERY store in the city that sells magic shit is. every. single. one. she's a regular at all of them

really hates that when audrey left she was put in charge of cotillion planning?? she's an introvert whats she doing this for. its her own personal hell.

Queen of Odd Friendships. well not really Odd Friendships, its just that she gives off the air of someone without many (any) friends, so when it turns out she's low-key friends with half the fae community in Auradon City (and some in Cinderella's kingdom) its jarring. the girl ignored in Auradon Prep is on first name basis' with a five hundred year old gargoyle and a vampire? when did this happen everyone asks. fours years ago, jane answers with a straight face. janes telling the truth

top student (doesn't need to sleep). refuses to compete or even let people know that she's a high-achieving student because she knows her classmates will go nuts trying to figure how she's so good (she hasn't slept in months. she does homework to fill in the hours to dawn. you cant beat her)

doug knows this, doesn't even try to top her in class. its not "be the best in class" its "be the next person after jane to be best in class". he's dealing w it. other people aren't.

when she's grateful to people she kisses her fingertips and then presses them against the persons forehead. its super cute and always (ALWAYS) leaves the other person blushing to their ears because who expects that from her??

loves scary movies. watched silence of the lambs when she was like. nine. whenever she's rewatching it she laughs at the most inappropriate moments. laughed when the dinosaurs ate people in jurassic park

she speaks a bunch of languages with varying fluency including the native fae language (which she and her mother use solely whenever they're alone. keep that heritage up ladies). can read about a dozen more languages (magic books are old a lot of the time and you need to be able to read them properly otherwise you mess up)

is a good bit stronger than anyone knows. like. she could flick a person across a room if she's angry enough. can totally cave someones skull in if she's got enough adrenaline in her. doesn't like that about herself and tries to hide it. because faery

(but she and jay spar all the time when jaynelos are in the flirting stage/awkward trying to figure out emotions stage and have no-holds-barred fist fights. janes SUPER brutal when she fights even when she's holding back. one time she kicks jay in the head and he's all Heart Eyes™)

anyone who knows takes bets whenever/if-ever she gets attacked on just how trashed the other person is gonna be. anyone who doesn't is freaking out because jane looks like Jane. she's tiny. why are you so calm about someone trying to kill her. (get to her and the attacker is moaning in pain on the floor. not-knowers are ????)

brenna d'amico is a really good singer and so jane is too. one of the tie-in books says janes in the acapella group and is an alto. she can play guitar and piano. also did ballet when she was younger and hated it - was forced basically at knifepoint. you Don't want her to kick you.

she does pole-dancing now. less for the 'sexiness', more for the cardio. pole dancing is exhausting.

she and her mother have a deal: jane wears the light blue shit during school hours/days and at formal events. on weekends, jane gets to wear whatever she wants. leads to weird looks when people need to talk to her and she's dressed like someone else. she refuses to explain herself.

blushes whenever someone complements her because people don't complement her much. is even cuter when she does it. complementer is blushing too. she's cute. its a loop of blushes. (she deserves all the complements. come on guys. be nice to her)

sweaters and knitwear everywhere. all winter she can wear a sweater every day and never repeat and outfit (she makes them)

has tattoos. will never tell, and they're really little and she can hide them under her clothes, but she has them. she's got freckles on her back that have been joined into constellations and a couple runes on her skin for protection (she was visiting her dad in starlight valley and he held her hand when she got them done) she loves them.

also has blue freckles and pointed ears. if mal gets to have magic green eyes and purple hair then jane gets to have magic identifiers too. (she covers the freckles up w makeup tho, it weirds people out)

[earlgreytea68]

Tagged by @onceuponatmi!

nickname - online it’s EGT, a shortening of my very long name which I am unreasonably fond of. In real life, my family and friends will sometimes call me the first syllable of my first name (my family especially, we tend to shorten all of our names in this fashion). I get very upset if people do this to me who I don’t consider to have earned the privilege, lol. Once a partner in the law firm I worked in did it and I was shocked. 

star sign - gemini

height - 5 foot 2 and 3/4

time right now - 2:45pm

last thing googled - “cristoforo colombo park worcester” for HGTV verse research (I do it sometimes!)

fav music artists - I don’t really have favorites so much as people I like. I’m on Spotify as earlgreytea68 and apparently that means people can follow me but Idk maybe my settings are wrong because I don’t seem to come up when I run searches ::shrug::

song stuck in your head - “Rush Rush” by Paula Abdul. No idea why. 

last movie watched - Oh, dear. Hmm. Oh! “Dial M for Murder.” 

last tv show watched - "The Originals.” I am catching up on everything on my DVR from after I left in May. 

what are you wearing rn - jean shorts, brown tank top (it’s hot and humid)

when did you create your blog - GOOD QUESTION. According to my archive, I created my Tumblr in March 2012. 

what kind of stuff do you post - things that make me laugh, mostly, or that make me go, “Ha, that’s so me,” or are my current faves, or are about fic and fandom being awesome

do you have any other blogs - I have one that sometimes I record random observations in so I don’t forget them. I have one for my 1937 book motor tours that I do that realllly needs to be updated. And I run a blog for Arthur and Eames from the HGTV verse. 

do you get asks regularly - Often enough!

why did you choose your url - When I joined TWoP, I wanted a name that wasn’t fandom-specific because I didn’t want to grow out of it. It seemed pretty certain I’d continue to like tea, so I went with a type of tea. Little did I know I chose a Star Trek tea, oops. Literally had no idea. Anyway, I was just EarlGreyTea over there, but when I got an LJ, EarlGreyTea was taken, so I added the 68 for my birthday and it’s been that way ever since.  

gender - female

Sexual Orientation: straight

hogwarts house - Ravenclaw

pokemon team - I have no idea, I have never played.

fav color - any shade of blue

Favorite Animal: I love dogs. 

Cat or Dog Person: Oh, wait, ahaha, already answered this. But I love cats who want to sit and purr on me. 

average hours of sleep - 8

lucky number- don’t have one

fav character(s) - Arthur and Eames from Inception, Sherlock Holmes, Rose Tyler from Doctor Who, my own Brem Tyler and his sisters from my Chaosverse, hmm, probably many more that I am leaving out

how many blankets do you sleep with - A blanket and then a comforter. I have an extra blanket at the foot of the bed for winter (I prefer to sleep with my house on the cool side for better breathing purposes). 

dream job - I have many of these but if I won the lottery I would move home and probably just write whatever caught my fancy all day in between giving tours of Boston and teaching a class on the side.  

Dream Trip: I want to jetset my way through Europe.  

following -  4,726

Current Number of Followers: 6,826

When did your blog reach its peak: It’s unclear. I think I have more followers now than ever before, but I think it was probably a more active blog when I was really active in Sherlock (and Sherlock was just really active in general)

What made you decide to get tumblr: Everybody left LJ to come here. 

I tag whoever would like to do this!

[heteroflexiblecastiel]

got tagged by @mojavewinchester B)

Nickname: cos, steve

Zodiac: scorpio!

Height: 5′ 5"

Last thing I googled: cashew plant

Favorite Music Artist/s: sufjan stevens, carly rae jepsen, tiny tim, one direction, my chemical romance

Song Stuck in my head right now: all to myself by sufjan stevens (i'm on a kick rn)

What am I wear rn?: a star trek t shirt and black underwear

Last Movie I saw: willy wonka and the chocolate factory and it was just as great as i remember

Why I chose my URL?: arcade "ball is life" gannon is his canonical name

Do you have other blogs?: yeah i have a few.... @smthingweird is my paranormal blog kinda...... i guess u could call it that. @alyanovna is pretty stuff, @demonbuddies is my supernatural blog, @gayh2o is for pictures of opaque bars of soap and sometimes chapstick or face cream. theres more but some of them i dont wanna post cuz theyre for me. and some im forgetting

What did your last relationship teach you?: not to be so fucking closed off and terrified and assume what other ppl think of me

Favorite Color: purble 

Average number of sleep: no idea tbh.... it rly depends

Favorite Characters: castiel, sherlock holmes, geordi laforge, kira nerys, fox mulder, dana scully, martha jones

How many blankets do you sleep with: just 1 rn, it's warm

Dream Job: STARFLEET (specifically medical)

tagging.... @aromanticpicard @irlpinkiepie @bearvillage @sharksfood uhhhhhhh if u wanna do it just say i tagged u

[humms-cnf-blog]

Into the rabbit's hole By halcyon "Actually, the best gift you could've given her was a lifetime of adventures," Lewis Carol once wrote in his book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When I turned fifteen, instead of the usual excitement I get on birthdays, the only thing I received was a pang of disappointment echoed by my heart. Fifteen and not even an adventure has happened even once. Fifteen, and away from my favorite people, away from my friends in another realm. It's a pain to fall in love with people you'll never meet. That I was sure of. Yet every time I opened a book or watch an anime, I can't help but go against my logic and get attached to the characters. How can I not fall in love with Naruto's recklessness and stupidity that makes me laugh every time? Or Tris Prior's impulsive but strong-willed personality? Let's not forget Hazel Lancaster whose bittersweet love story makes me want to hug her. I am in love with fiction. I am so drawn to the idea of jumping into my rabbit's hole where I can meet such interesting people and ride into a rollercoaster of adventures and get swept by hurricanes of emotions. If I was Alice, I would never ever leave my wonderland. Why trade a place filled with magic for a dull world? Deep and charming characters for two dimensional and shallow people? A brimming and bursting adventure for a boring life? People would say that I'm just a random crazy nobody and would just laugh at my unpopular opinion. I would too, if I was living a fabulous life like theirs. Some would say that I'm just ignorant of the great things in life and the caring people around me, that I'm just narrow minded and should just face that reality isn't always a fantasy. But I'd like to think that the great things in life are the ones ignoring me and not the other way around. As I grew older, I felt like I’ve been kicked out of my wonderland. Every day, I wake up, go to school, learn a few things inside a boxed room, laugh a little from the class' jokers, get entangled with school drama, go home, greet my mom, go to sleep and then wake up, go to school and yadda yadda, I think you got the gist of it. It's simply a suffocating routine. And I only break the chains of this maddening torture whenever I pick up a book and flip the pages. I felt as if I was the character or at least beside the character walking in the same path, breathing the same air and sharing the same emotion with this such unspeakable connection. I can have the same forbidden, star crossed love of Eleanor and Park. Dance in a duel of death alongside Thomas and his team in Maze Runner. Solve mysteries and deal with mind boggling questions with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I've enjoyed their companies so much that I feel like I've amputated a part of me whenever I close the book. I don't mean to speak badly of the people around me. My friends are pretty awesome and I know a lot of people who are nice with a pleasing personality. But it kind of hurts me to admit that no one is giving me that magic that I'm looking for. No one can give the same comfort these characters can give me. No one can tell me better that forevers do exist even if death comes along than Hazel Lancaster did. No one can teach me better to not let society define my purpose and identity like Tris Prior did. No one ever told me to delve head first into great unknowns and trade your boring life for grander maybes like Pudge did in ‘Looking for Alaska’. No one can ever console me like Aizel did in ‘My Heart and Other Black Holes’ when she taught me to not be scared of feeling everything, even the bad ones, because it’s what makes us alive. I can never enumerate all of the stuffs that they have done for me. They gave me an escape, an adventure to carry even as I face reality. Even if they are present with me in mind and in soul, it is simply not enough. I would travel through portals just to meet them and I don’t give care to those people that would say that it is impossible. Because if they have taught me one important lesson, it’s this: In order for a fantasy to come true, all you need is to believe. Even if I have to keep on searching various rabbit holes just for our fates to intersect. And believe I will. For my friends.

[ultramaxgreen-blog]

Jack the Ripper & sherlock Holmes Media Project

Reflective Log

 17th of September-

 Today we were given are first media project information and task, our project is going to be based of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes and serial killer Jack the Ripper.

 We were tasked to go into groups of three with six in each and we gather our group and to arsine research on our skills and what we can bring to the table in the project, after we went as a group to do sprat research on different topics on the murders of our selectin victim, we were given Annie Chapman who was the oldest and one of the fist victims of the killings.

 18th of September-

 Today we did some practical prop work with the arts department to pint out modes of books to use in the makings of the bookshelf’s that would eventually be placed in our set’s office. We sanded planks of small wood to use as the shapes of the spines of the books and then watched as the art decision put hot plastic over the wood to mould the shapes and repeated the prosses in our hour in class.

 19th of September-

 Today I continued my research on my set topic with the location and seen of the murder of our victim Annie Chapman, wean researching I found her home address, location of murder (in her back garden) and the name of the last person to see Annie alive. after this I did research on the newspaper of the time (1888) and looked into how they looked and the current news of the time of the events following the murders, the events that was happening around the time.

 March 9 – Frederick III becomes German Emperor and King of Prussia.

 March 11 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400.

 March 13 – De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. is founded in Kimberley.

 23rd of September-

 Today me my team had a 15-minute meeting to go over all of the roles and jobs that we have been task to-do today, I started off the scrip of the murder of our selected person and continued going over and looking at research on the murders and location on how it happened. Our teacher mads a map of London for us to add the location of each of the lady’s murder locations and pinpoint them to see how far the deaths were together.

 24th of September-

 Today we finish off our scripts and read them and came to a vote to use Shannon as the main scrip we will all add impute and ad some aspects of mine into hers so it’s all a team effort and no work is wasted in the final product, after we are getting the final details of the newspaper and hopefully it’s all printed off and we have a physical copy by the time we leave.

 25th of September-

 Today we were taken into the studio to go over the lights and what fetchers have and went through a step by step prosses over all the stages and also saw a demo on how to use them. I recorded the session to have as a reminder if I forget or don’t understand any of the parts that was shown in the lesion t come back on and research in future.

 26th of September-

 In our lesion we all did our selected roles in the project and went over together to see if we are all on the same page and after had a little meeting at the same of the lesion with our teacher to see if we are all on the right track and what can we do different but apart from that we just counted our jobs in the project.

  30th of September-

 Today we started off our lesson with a meeting to discuss our current state and whose done what in their roles and see if we continue from last week and switch roles or do their tasks, we only have fore of our member in collage today so the member wear low but we gave out roles to do and work on them threw out the day, I researched on outfits for the tal3ents to wear and I looked into the style of clothing for the time and I’m happy with my research and mad a mood board for all for characters and after picked a set for the character and I do thing that they all look good and believable for the date of the show begin 1888 England.

 1st of October-

 In today’s first lesion we had a group meeting to discuss what roles we are working on threw out the day, I started off crating the first prop in our group what is the books that will be sitting in the bookshelf inside Sherlock’s drawing room, I had to masher out the folds and bends to make the card fit nicely into the plastic and to wrap around the edges, I am hoping that I get this done by tomorrow.

   2nd of October-

 In today’s short lesson we have a group meeting to discuss what we are working on and what need to be completed by the end of the week, I finished off creating the feast step of the books by sticking the card to the plastic and now I have started sticking paper to the books and layer them so it cover they card and makes the books take shape and be goo looking to be fitted into the drawing room, I am going to let the books dry and fine the sticking for tomorrow and do research and draw out the cover of the books so  have an idea on what to create in photoshop next week.

 3rd of October-

 In today’s lesions I competed the second stage of creating the book props by stockinged card onto the plastic bands now I am pasting paper onto the books to give a smoother feel and repeat this proses until satisfies on the creating. When adding the paper to the book and gluing them down it was a lengthier press but I believe that after that the whole prop is created it will look quite nice and will fit into the setting of sherlocks study.

  7th of October-

 Today we spent most of the lesion talking and discussing the levels of target audience and we looked into different types of fragrances and talked on what would be the demographer of them with their being three styles of fragrant and who would buy them. This helped me because last year we have t look into Demographist and are ranges for our projects and from doing this before it helps me remember the skills I picked up and made it easy for me to understand what the teacher was asking us to do.

 9th of October-

 In today’s lesion we took shots in the studio for out posters and had a variety of options to use and edit when created in photoshop, I believe that I am ok at editing but over time will improve and get better hopefully in the later weeks.

 10th of October-

 Today we research into key concepts and advertising, I looked into how products use images and logos of films/games to promote the drink company and the product advertised on the can or bottles, I also looked into age ranges for perfumes called smelly stuff, this was a task given to us by our teacher and we all had a talk as a class to see if there any opinions or differences in the class on what the items mean to you as a young adult. After we continued creating our poster for the festival of shadows and I am getting research and a moldboard.

  14th of October-

 Today I started off my first essay on my brief that was to wright about teenage attitudes toward advertising, this essay wasn’t as hard as impacted because I had primary research on the matter and had a good understanding on what to wright, after I cached up with my reflective logs and added evidence of what we did and the things done in the day, after I continued on my poster and completed the second one by the end of the lesion.  Doing the poster wasn’t hard to create because I have a creative mind and I know what I wanted to do and got imprecation from real posters to get ideas and elements from.

 15thof October-

 Today we went onto a media trip into London to find suitable location for or setting and to get inspiration on what to use in our projects, I enjoyed the trip as I haven’t been to that part of London before and was a really interesting and exceptional trip and wouldn’t mind going on the trip again to get more information. We also came upon my victim’s death sight that we are studding for out project and had photos of what Annie Chapman’s house looked in 1888 but the building wasn’t there anymore but still having the roads and alleyways to her house or where it used to be.

 17th of October

Today I completed my 1000-word essay for out festival of shadows project, I had to wright about research and what I did to be leading up to our filming stage which will most likely be the week after half term, I am now finishing off some research and uploading all of my evident to class notebook to show my work and to create a reaserch portfolio that my teach will look over.

[adamsetser]

Documenting 2016 in Mental Pictures

Following my Documenting 2015 in Mental Pictures, here are the highlights from my life in 2016. These are just some of the biggest lessons learned in a (pretty) random series of mental pictures. Here we go.

Motivation will never last, but discipline will.

Why do I have such high standards for myself? Is it pride? Insecurity? I honestly don’t think so. I think we humans in 21st c. America have missed the boat. I judge myself historically and I fall dramatically short of that standard. The culture I was born into values entertainment and pleasure over discipline and greatness. We have lost definitions, and with them lost meaning and the ability to answer with convictional definitiveness the basic questions of life. I am blessed: in my illness I was given the gift of education (albeit a meager dosage), and now I am simply living the life I think is only proper. But I feel odd: I’m not the American ideal. I have been given convictions by someone other than what my eyes and ears see around me, and that can make me appear arrogant. But it’s not about that; it’s about what I see, about a vision I can’t forget.

Seeing is only ever described these days as physical—something that happens with the eyes and the brain—but the word originated with an intellectual seeing: an understanding.1 To see, the mind must be opened, trained to observe what is already there but what it is overlooking. We all are born blind, and just like Sherlock Holmes, we must learn to acquire vision of things: what is there and what is not; the value of things. This is education—and experience. When someone asks me why I read so much or love history and art, it tells me they’ve fundamentally missed the boat on what it is we were created to do. They don’t see what is gripping me. They don’t see that it isn’t me pursuing that stuff; it won’t let me go. If they saw, they would know.

We weren’t created for ourselves, but for Him: we’re made to behold Him. And beholding isn’t passive; it’s active. It’s a shaping of the mind and the senses to be able to perceive Him as He is, to see glory and see it as glorious. To see the final kick of the soccer ball to win the world cup as what it really is, not as a random man kicking a white ball into a smallish net. We are arrogant materialists, assuming we see all there is to see, and if not, that it doesn’t matter and wouldn’t change our lives in any way: thus, we explain away our need for God, and our ability to enjoy Him. Thus, we miss the boat…and the joy ride.

Joy isn’t in indulgence, it’s in restraint. You can’t enjoy a sunset if you have a cell phone dinging in your pocket, a loud neighbor playing music, and a dog pulling at your pants leg. You find joy in focus, and focus is precious—the result of limitation. You pay for it with attention: you pay attention, and you reap experience. Joy is deep…so deep it’s often compared to pain. For greater joy, you must limit—you must discipline. You must say no.

You can’t be an expert in everything, and chances are when you try to be you’ll fail at being even decent at one thing; therefore, you must limit. You have to make the hard choice to intentionally shield yourself from things and information. You can live by whim and serendipity, but you’ll never go far. If you want to GO somewhere and BECOME someone because of your journey, you have to limit yourself to one trip and discipline yourself to stick to the path. Discipline is freedom.

The most valuable thing in the universe is the Truth, and the most valuable thing you and I can possess is character (or, integrity to that Truth). And character is only forged in slow, laborious applications of Truth to your life in creative, imaginative ways that sneak around your defenses and teach you who you really are.

Character is who you are when nobody is watching: when you go against your conscience, you go against God (Jam 4:17).2 Your relationship with God isn’t “off” when you’re alone and “on” when you’re around others. It’s 80% in your heart where only you live. Which is why true character and spirituality is fought for where no one will ever see. They will see the fruits, absolutely, but never the roots.

Learning is often explained in the metaphor of a journey, and as with all journeys, you can’t arrive without starting, without getting lost and finding your way back. And none of this even happens if you exit and stop at an entertainment shop and plug your brain into the entertainment vortex all day after work. You can’t develop deep trains of thought that burrow into the great unknown and find vision without reading and thinking in long, plodding spurts. The internet trains us to think in soundbites, to access information instead of understand it, to use it instead of see with it. We need to sit still and read, think, meditate, ponder, and eventually, see.

We become what we worship and we worship what we spend the most time on. Most Americans worship themselves and pay their attention to their own pleasure in entertainment. But if we are lifted from this self-focused gaze to behold an infinitely higher and more glorious Being and reality, we are changed to be like Him, to be satisfied by Him, and experience His joy.

I’m exhausted from emotionally engaging the news. So I gave it up as a focus and now just dip in when I have the time and reason to. Finding a reason to is what then allows me to connect what I’m reading in the news to what I’m learning in eternal truth, and that doesn’t exhaust me. It feeds me. It’s hunting with a rifle instead of a shotgun.

News is information that is just-in-time, but I crave information that is just-always-the-case. Not to say news is bad; it’s just a small piece of the puzzle.

Television is destroying our culture. Or, better put, Satan is destroying our culture through manipulating the inherent evil in fallen human nature, and television is playing a huge part:

Neil Postman provided some clues about this in his illuminating 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. The media scholar at New York University saw then how television transformed public discourse into an exchange of volatile emotions that are usually mistaken by pollsters as opinion. One of the scariest outcomes of this transition, Postman wrote, is that television essentially turns all news into disinformation. "Disinformation does not mean false information. It means misleading information—misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented or superficial information—information that creates the illusion of knowing something but which in fact leads one away from knowing ... The problem is not that television presents us with entertaining subject matter but that all subject matter is presented as entertaining.”3

Television does the seeing for us, and it tricks our minds into thinking it knows when really is doesn’t. Seeing isn’t believing. Seeing with the mind is believing, and the imagination is all but dead when the TV screen comes on.

I’m not against TV, but I hold it at arms-length because I know the damage it can do: namely, to train me to simply see the surface of things and form judgments based on emotion instead of fact.

Discernment is the art of judging well, it’s a mental process. It is obvious that if you abuse your mind by never reading or building it up or making it stronger or more capable, you will have bad discernment, and that will affect every area of your life. It is very important to renew your mind.

Being a Christian is about striving. It’s about never letting go of ideals in the face of failure and inevitable hypocrisy. We all will fail, and yet we are called to wake up every day and make it our goal to be like God (Matt 5:48). That tension gives way to cynicism before long, because it never happens for us. We are fighting the long defeat. But the antidote to hypocrisy is confession. When we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleans us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Thus, we are no hypocrite, just sheep being led by our shepherd. We all stumble in many ways (Jam 3:2; cf. Rom 7).

Don’t believe the lie. Ever. But specifically, don’t believe the lie that darkness is good, that a little dark side is a good addition to the Christian life. Let it go. Your past is evil and part of the past. Instead of dwelling on it, dwell on Christ and whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, or of good reputation (Phil 4:8). There are no medals in heaven for angsty Christians who are “in touch” with the darkness.

Don’t get carried away with cynicism: don’t let the darkness invade your worldview. Never truly respect J. D. Salinger, David Foster Wallace, or other angsty, secular authors. They speak the truth as they see it, but they are in rebellion against their Creator, and you should do everything you can to NOT want to be like them. Never stop seeing life as a comedy instead of a tragedy. The precursor to faith is laughter, not angst.

A friend of mine posted on Facebook:

Just saw Rogue One for the second time, and I was reminded of this old Latin phrase which was Caravagio's personal motto: NEC SPE, NEC METU. It means “without hope or fear." It's the idea of going into a battle with no hope of winning and thus no fear because you know you're fighting for something bigger than yourself, and there is hope for something larger than your own failure or success. I think that's what the movie was about. I am with the Force and the Force is with me.4

THAT is the proper balance between hope and cynicism.

But overall, In the day-to-day, moment-by-moment Christian battle, cynicism and humor aren’t all that great. The Christian life is a war (Eph 6:12) and there is no place for that in the trenches. I don’t want a man guarding my back who reads (and worships) Catch 22. I’d rather him read Homer’s Iliad and, in his hubris, think himself the mighty Ulysses for heaven’s sake. Give me hubris over cynicism any day. Give me courage, honor, and bravery (even a little naivety!) from a heart that believes his mission over a witty writer-type who thinks he is better for harboring mistrust at the world. Humor is great, don’t get me wrong. But when it is used to undermine, it’s evil.

Strength is required, because life is a war. And strength requires humility because you can’t leave room for failure. It’s the hipster mantra to undersell, downplay, and side-step, but when the bullets are flying I want a level-headed, accurate assessment of the situation, and fearless strength to carry out the mission.

You have to learn to be optimistic. that’s not innate. You have to indoctrinate yourself that things will turn out for good, that God is a God of love, that His plan for you is perfect and without fault. When you begin to lose hope, anchor your soul to Him (Heb 6:19) like a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1). Grope for those ideals and hang onto them, even when your whole heart is saying something different. Thankfulness and positivity is a spiritual discipline, not an emotion.

Okay, so thankfulness is an emotion, but it is a by-product of thanksgiving, which is a verb. So, go give thanks for things, and eventually you will begin to feel thankful. And that gratitude will lead you to Joy.

Never underestimate the power of small sins. Your heart is a sin-factory and it is very sensitive. Evil gets into you and when you let it grow it will devastate your worldview and then the motivation for your morality. Then all the chains of cause-and-effect you have set up in your Christian life will fall away and you’ll be left virtue-less. Example: you will stop giving thanks for God’s good gifts, and then you will lose your gratitude and lose your joy, and at the end of the day you will stand there waving your fist at God and praying “restore unto me the joy of my salvation”, which is a decent thing to pray, but if you never go and fix the root of the problem, you’ll never heal.

When you are a regular joe working a secular job, why do you really need godliness? This question is one of my favorites because I have so thoroughly explored it—because I was a doubter and wanted a way out of that high calling of Matt 5:48. But since I am God’s child, I have that calling still. Here is why.

We all have two callings:

Primarily, we have a vertical, spiritual calling. We are called to love God with our whole beings (Deut 6:5; Mark 12:30), to be like God (Matt 5:48).

Secondarily, we have a horizontal, worldly calling. We are called to love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31), to subdue the earth and reign over it in discerning right from wrong (Gen 1:28) and to serve the world with the work we do, doing it to the glory of God, not to men (1 Cor 10:31).

How those two work themselves out is different for everyone, but we all need Him, desperately, and we all also need hard work, desperately, daily.

For the love of all that is holy, read more books. Begin by reading this: the best article I’ve ever read on reading.

“In fact, for the first two hundred years of its existence, the word “vision” referred exclusively to sight with the mind’s eye, whether in the form of a prophetic or mystical revelation, or simply the contemplation of a thing not actually present. Only later, in the late 1400s, did it come to mean bodily sight” (Source). ↩︎

Which is why you should follow your conscience but also educate it with God’s Word to know what truly is good and what truly is evil. That is called discernment. ↩︎

Source. ↩︎

Citation: Taylor Reynolds. ↩︎