#sorcery and circuits au

[sparkfur-the-writer]

Sorcery and Circuits AU

Guess what, I've already compiled a list of multiple powers the science Twolegs already figured out how to give the RoboCat, tested, and figured out. We've got invisibility based off of bending light around their body, we've got teleportation in multiple ways, fire, ice and wind control already covered too. There's more they never identified, so they might try to test an old solution instead of trying to make a new one.

But I have do have a list of potential ideas for what they would try to make and test too. Personal time dilation bubble, light/darkness kind of magic control, maybe the empathy thing or some kind of healing ability. But they could accidentally instead discover communication with a shrew or fox, or maybe plant growth.

He's built to really think he's a cat in this AU though, so, should I keep the standard solar powered style or grant him the ability to eat because these scientists are dedicated to making a something similar to his weird heart which they use for the mystery solutions that the Science Twolegs make.

[pippinoftheshire]

WIP Wednesday

Punctual again. What is this sorcery?!😆

From my still unnamed apocalyptic AU:

Fuck, of all the people they had to run into- it HAD to be him. Hughie really hadn’t wanted to die today. Jesus, he hadn’t even RECOGNISED him out of costume. He’d thought the supe was DEAD- killed in the initial explosion. Wiped off the map in the same maelstrom of radioactive fire that had taken down New York.

“Fuuuckn’ ‘ell,” mutters Butcher, sour. “O’ course the cunt’s still alive.”

“Of course it’s YOU,” echoes Homelander, once the mirth has subsided long enough for him to speak. He starts forward, eyes blinking red, lips curling into a vicious snarl, and Hughie backtracks until his shoulders slam into the car. Oh shit. Shitshitshit-

Which is when a small figure comes running out of the cabin to seize him by the arm, eyes wide, worried. Ryan. Christ, the kid’s okay.

“Dad, no!”

And to Hughie’s amazement, the supe stops, that small hand like a shackle on his skin. Ryan’s gaze is laced with something like a wary fear, flicking over Butcher as if looking for danger.

Homelander suddenly coughs, wet, into the crook of his arm, and Hughie’s left standing in sheer shock when the red glow of his eyes flickers like a faulty circuit-board. The supe grinds a hand into his eye socket, brow lined as if suffering from a headache.

Jesus, thinks Hughie. Is he SICK? CAN he get sick? Are both Homelander and Butcher going to die of a malady that’s the other’s making?

“Dad?” says Ryan, but more like he’s asking how bad it is this time and not what the hell’s going on.

Tagging @justabigoldnerd @suseagull5914 @the-golden-comet @cha-melodius @too-young-to-fall-in-love @falling-into-peril @area-fiftyone @huggiebird @archfeykoi @ikeepwatchinghelicopters @bighandsforabigheart @heytheredeann @darklyhandsome @willtheweaver @prettyboynapoleonsolo and anyone else who wants to join x

[dovewingz]

So, once again me. I entirely forgot Hopekit and Wishkit existed for a moment, honestly considering adding them in as adults anyway(and have to worry about them anyways because of the Magic Kittypet/Burning Falsehoods, and the Sorcery and Circuits AUs, due to Raggedstar. I don't have any particular ideas yet, but I like the thought of including them.

Also, hope you've been have a good past week and day. I'm going to give S&C's Rusty a fox friend at some point.

HELLLOOO, so sorry i didnt get back to some of your previous asks, didnt have the spoons at the time

luv the idea of wishkit and hopekit featuring :3 could give them powers based on their names somehow? or a play on the phrase “a wishing star”??

& YIPPEEEE fox friend 💘💓💝💞

nice to hear from you

[thebiasrekkers]

Shadow’s Birthright | MYG

Chapter 05: Two Way Mirror

Plot: Riding in on thunder and lightning, two princes are born. But a crown cannot be shared. It can only be worn by one and one alone. The hands of man have separated the brothers, allowing one to live in wealth and comfort inside the palace while the other grows up among commoners. But Fate cannot be destroyed by the hands of man. A shared destiny reunites the brothers; one to become a king who descends into madness and the other will rise as a dragon whose journey has only just begun in order to claim a crown he does not desire to have.

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: series | historical!au | fantasy!au | angst | romance | drama | tragedy

Pairing: Min Yoongi (Lee Yoon) x Female OC (Kalina Shuri)

Warnings: Historical setting, caste system, magic/sorcery, graphic violence, disturbing graphic images, religious tones, angst, slow burn, smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 01 02 03 04

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,784

Tag List: @luxekook, @pinkpjmin, @btsaudge, @flowerwrites06, @stillcopingxx, @taevkimchi, @aroseforyoongi, @vivpurple7, @happilystrongthroughthedark, @sw33tnight, @nikkitane, @mini-coop25, @shrimpmsg,

AN: Just a reminder that this series is going to be updated slowly. Please be patient with me. I promise you that it will be worth the wait. If you would like to be added to the tag list, feel free to drop me a line!

P.S. Please bear in mind that while the historical accuracy will be mostly correct, I am setting this in a time period in Joseon history where there was no such thing as a king who had a twin brother. Obviously that’s where the fiction/creative freedom is going to come in. Everything else will be period accurate, trust and believe.

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

“You have to look beyond the mirror to see yourself.” - Kimto Oche Emmanuel

The palace was full of so much noise. Servants were running around, preparing for the banquet that would take place later that afternoon. Yoon wasn’t overly fond of all the fuss and fanfare, but he knew it was something that his parents preferred to indulge in for his sake. He would be making a long journey soon and it would be weeks before he would be able to return home. While he had no doubt that he would be able to reside in comfort at the embassy in Ming, there was the off chance that he would be homesick.

Sighing, he lowered the philosophical text he was perusing in order to give his eyes a break. The weight that sank in the far corner of his heart was knowing that he would not be able to see Kalina as he pleased. Sure, he could send word for her and the sorceress would most likely appear like he wished. But he also knew that she was not a being that would come at every beck and call. She was no pet and he was not her master.

“Cheo-ha! Minister Jang has arrived.”

Lifting his head up, Yoon sat up properly and closed the book. “Show him in.”

The doors to his chambers slid open and he watched the Minister enter. Yoon pulled himself up to a proper standing position, waiting for the minister to bow before he lowered his own head respectfully. The Minister was a fairly tall man, largely built and with a long beard that was well-groomed. Wearing his lavender and opal silk robes, Yoon was curious as to why he was in the palace without his official robes on. It went against palace etiquette and put a hamper on security. 

Simply put: it was pompous and disgraceful.

Yoon then eased himself back down on his silk cushion, a polite smile forming on his face. “Father-in-Law, what brings you to my palace so early in the day?” Yoon peered at his attire, raising his brows in question. “You aren’t wearing your official robes today. Was the Royal Advisory meeting not held this morning?”

Minister Jang stroked his beard and chuckled. “It was, Your Highness. We adjourned early in light of your banquet this afternoon.”

“I see.” Narrowing his eyes, he continued to smile. “Are you stepping out of the palace before the festivities begin?”

“Indeed. I have to retrieve a few things from my estate.” Minister Jang grinned. “Gifts for you, Your Highness.”

Yoon smirked, leaning back until his spine was straight. “What is the occasion? Surely it cannot be because of my trip to Ming?” 

“There are other things to celebrate, Your Highness.” Clearing his throat, he placed a hand on his knee. “Things such as golden opportunities.”

The Crown Prince bit back the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he placed his hand on his desk, drumming his fingers along the surface. He wouldn’t humor his father-in-law with posturing or feigned curiosities. He was sure the Minister appreciated these things as well. Subtlety was a skill Yoon excelled in, but one Minister Jang sorely lacked.

Taking the hint, the Minister continued. “There are a few merchants in Ming that will attempt to make contact with you a few days after your arrival. They have advice that Your Highness might be eager to hear.”

Yoon’s smile fell slightly. “What makes you so sure, Father-in-law?”

“Cheo-ha,” he said through his smile, “I know how intelligent you are. Even more than everyone else in the palace. You are not ignorant of the strained relations between Ming and Japan.”

Folding his arms across his chest, Yoon expelled a bit of breath from his teeth. “Is this not something that is already in discussion with the Privy Council? Why bring me into this?” 

He already did not like where this conversation was headed. Yoon was merely a Crown Prince, the heir apparent. But he was not king. Having these talks without his father present was borderline treasonous. 

Because it was these sorts of conversations that led to bloodshed within the palace walls.

“Your Highness, don’t you see that His Majesty is testing you?” Minister Jang leaned forward, bracing his hands on both knees. “This is the first step to slowly granting more power into your hands, determining if you are prepared to rule this country.” 

Yoon frowned but said nothing.

“If you do well during this trip, then His Majesty will place foreign relations with Ming entirely at your disposal!”

Suddenly, Yoon slammed his hand on his desk, causing his father-in-law to shrink back a measure. The Minister may have been his elder and also his relative through marriage, but he wouldn’t stand for this underhanded way of speaking to him. This was blatant disrespect to the crown.

However, he didn’t let his anger come unhinged. Not yet. Taking a moment to slowly inhale, he canted his head to the side as a smile returned to his face. It must have unsettled his father-in-law greatly, seeing as how he leaned back away from Yoon. 

“Forgive my rudeness, Father-in-law,” Yoon spoke slowly, his voice dropping a full octave, “but do you intend to use me to secure financial gain in Ming?”

The Minister balked. Having never heard Yoon speak to him in such a manner, his surprise was well-warranted. “S-Seja Cheo-ha!”

Drumming his fingers along the desk, he averted his gaze to peer at the bookshelf on the other side of the room. He removed all expression from his face, save for boredom. Yoon didn’t want to believe the rumors of how sickeningly devious his father-in-law was. But he now heard it straight from the horse’s mouth. 

“You married your daughter off to the Crown Prince, the future King of this country. Doing so allocated you wealth and even your position in court was elevated at the behest of the Crown Princess and out of obligation from the King.” Yoon cut his eyes back to look at the Minister. “And if that wasn’t enough, you now want me to enable you access to Ming’s trading circuit?” A slow smile spread over his lips as he narrowed his eyes. “Tell me, Father-in-law, are you not fond of your head being attached to your neck?”

Genuine fear glossed over the Minister’s eyes as he visibly shuddered. Yoon knew that this wasn’t the normal demeanor he showcased to Minister Jang. In fact, he hardly revealed this side of himself to anyone. He wore the face of a calm, kind and understanding Crown Prince. He was sincerely objective in discussions and open to all manners of opinions to help broaden and strengthen his worldview. He wasn’t the sort to resort to violence to solve problems, preferring diplomacy above all else.

But a fool the Crown Prince was not. 

Anyone who thought otherwise would be in for a world of pain.

And like nothing happened, Yoon put on a happy smile and laughed heartily. “Do not take my words so seriously, Father-in-law! You look as though you are ready to jump off the Golden Mountains as we speak.” Again, he laughed, and the Minister gave a half-hearted chuckle to accompany the pleasant sounds. Once their laughter subsided, he looked pointedly back at the older man. “Ming may be our ally now, but that could always change. It has been proven time and again throughout this nation’s history, has it not? Do not be so quick to join hands with people who have always thought of our country as beneath them.”

The Minister lowered his head. “Forgive my loose lips, Crown Prince.”

“All is well.” Yoon rose from his seat and the Minister quickly followed suit. Gesturing toward the door, he stepped out from around his desk. “I’m sure you haven’t visited the Crown Princess yet. Why don’t we go greet her together before you return to your estate to conduct your business? I’m sure she will be elated to see you.”

“O-Of course, Your Highness.”

Exiting his chambers, they walked side-by-side as the rest of the Crown Prince’s attendants followed closely behind. It truly was a beautiful day and he could only hope for the weather to be just as pleasant for the start of his journey tomorrow. But Kalina predicted that his journey would be fine, so foul weather shouldn’t have been an issue.

“Are you looking forward to the festivities today, Your Highness?”

Yoon peered at the Minister with a curious expression. “Isn’t it just like any other banquet held within the palace? I would have figured you would be bored of them by now.”

Minister Jang chuckled as he stroked his beard. “It is a chance for the people to take a break and celebrate with you.” He placed a hand behind his back. “And there are a group of performance troupes who are going to compete for a slot to perform regularly in the palace.” 

The Crown Prince lofted a brow. “Is that so?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the Minister said while nodding, “so it will be exceptionally entertaining today.”

“Will I have a hand in this?” He hoped not.

“They will be judged on how well you like each performance, Your Highness. You needn’t do anything extra.”

Yoon smirked, folding his hands behind his back. “Good.”

Taking a deep breath, Yoongi kept his arms extended so that he could balance himself on the tightrope. The other members of the troupe seemed to be holding their breaths, anticipating what he was going to do. Clasped in one hand was a paper fan, unfurled to showcase the black calligraphy stroke for the character “Fate”. The morning sun beat down overhead and a single bead of sweat slid down the bridge of his nose, dangling from the tip and threatening to fall. 

Even though he was several feet off the ground, he could hear the whispered conversations playing out beneath him. Well, for the ones who weren’t focusing on holding their breaths anyway.

“Wow,” a voice said from below, “I can’t believe that he’s never been part of a performance troupe before.”

“He’s good at martial arts though, right? That means he’s got some acrobatic skills naturally.”

“...but how long is he going to just stand there?”

“He hasn’t moved in the last ten minutes.”

“Do you think he’s scared of heights?”

“Idiot! If he was scared, how the hell did he get up there in the first place?!”

“No one helped him?”

“Not that I know of. I think he jumped up there all on his own.”

“Honestly, I can’t hold it in anymore. I’m going to pass out if he doesn’t do something soon.”

“Ya! Min Yoongi! Are you taking us for a ride or are you going to actually do something?!”

Yoongi craned his neck so he could glare down at Seokjin jumbled amongst the troupe. Snapping the fan closed, he pointed it directly at them and everyone grew silent. “Shut your mouth, will you?” He unfurled the fan roughly again and steadied himself. “I’m trying to focus.”

“Oi! Hyung-nim!” Looking down, he saw it was Park Jimin calling up to him this time. There was a bright smile on his face as he gave him two thumbs up. “Just do whatever feels natural. Don’t worry about anything else, alright?”

Sighing, Yoongi nodded and then focused his attention back in front of him. Jimin was right. There was nothing to this. If Namjoon could do it, why couldn’t he? It didn’t matter that he’d sprained his ankle walking up the mountain. The point was that Kim Namjoon could make this tightrope obey his command.

Yoongi would be no different.

Sliding his foot along the rope, the world came to a raw tilt for only a split second. Using his back leg, he launched himself up into the air. He ignored everyone below as they all gasped at how high he sailed into the sky. Throwing his arms back, he felt the warmth of the sun’s rays on his face. Kicking his legs up, Yoongi back somersaulted twice before landing safely back on the tightrope. His entire body trembled as he attempted to stabilize himself. 

The cheers from below encouraged him to keep going. Kicking off the rope, he did a double front flip before he fell onto the rope in a crouched position. He continued to keep his arms extended, the fan perfectly held open as he wobbled back and forth on the tightrope. Rolling forward, he curled his legs under him and bounced back off the rope again, curling his body and angling it to the side until he did a perfect dismount off the rope and onto the grass. The speed of his descent was used to roll his body until he was safely brought to a halt by his right knee.

Taehyung screamed in delight as he raced over to Yoongi’s side, Hoseok and Jungkook not far behind him as they began patting his shoulders furiously in praise. He scratched at his nose, feeling a soft warmth creep around his cheeks as the rest of the troupe members all crowded around him, telling him how wonderful of a job he did.

“You’re a natural at this, Yoongi-ah,” Seokjin said as he patted his head, causing him to frown slightly, “maybe you should convince your father to let you come off the mountain and join the troupe.”

Yoongi batted his hand away as Jimin took the fan from his hand. “Quiet, you.”

“Seriously, he’s not wrong, Hyung-nim!” Taehyung was practically beaming. “You’re a natural at this!”

He didn’t know what to say in response to his words so he cleared his throat loudly instead. 

Namjoon clapped a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. “You’re a lifesaver, Hyung-nim. We would’ve been in big trouble without your help.”

His brows furrowed slightly as he eyed the bandage around Namjoon’s ankle. “Are you going to be alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” said Namjoon, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, “keep it up and they’ll replace me with you in no time.”

Hoseok laughed loudly. “We could never replace you! You’re important!”

A sigh escaped Namjoon’s lips as he shifted his eyes toward the grass. “I feel like I let you guys down.”

Jimin placed a comforting hand on the back of Namjoon’s neck, giving it a firm shake. “Stop that, Hyung-nim. These things happen.” He lifted his gaze to peer at Yoongi who blinked back at him in mild surprise. “Yoongi Hyung-nim is here to pick up the slack just for today.” He turned to face Namjoon. “But you have to make up for it as soon as you’re all better, okay?”

Namjoon said nothing. He only gave a weak smile until Taehyung came barreling through, his arms draping over Jungkook and Yoongi’s necks. They both stumbled forward, grunting at how hard he threw his own body against theirs. “Practice is done, right?” Everyone mumbled something akin to ascent and he flashed his trademark boxy smile at them. “Then let’s hit the city and get a drink!”

Seokjin rolled his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest. “You haven’t even performed yet.”

“Aw, c’mon. Nothing wrong with a little pre-performance celebration, right?” Taehyung shook Jungkook and Yoongi's shoulders again for good measure. “It’ll loosen us up.”

Hoseok pouted. “You just want an excuse to drink. You’re hopeless.”

Managing to pry himself away from Taehyung, Yoongi was about to catch his breath until something fell on top of his head. Suddenly everyone else was obscured from view, save for the few slivers of light that managed to peek through the straw. Tilting his head, he craned his neck to see Jimin was now bent over, peering up at him from under the hat.

“What’s this?” Yoongi removed the hat off his head, taking note of the wide and angled brim. 

“It's for when we’re walking around the city streets.” Jimin smiled. “You’re worried about running into your father while in the Capital, right?”

Eyeing the hat for a moment, Yoongi replaced the item back onto his head. It was wide and dipped low, which meant that it would perfectly conceal his face. Until he could securely cover his face with the mask during the performance at the palace, this would ensure that no one could recognize him while they were meandering through the crowds. Tilting the brim back, he flashed a small grin toward Jimin who merely laughed at how embarrassed he probably appeared.

“Thanks, Jimin-ah.”

Leaving their horses to graze in the fields, they all raced toward the Crown City gates - mentally preparing themselves for what excitement lay beyond.

[gryffindormischief]

carus - part 2

A/N: New 12 Days of AU update!  part 1 here - also obligatory reminder that this IS part of a series (continuation of the perpetuus & tempus universe)

FF and Ao3

_____

It’s hours later, though the moon is still wide and bright overhead, that Lily wakes abruptly.  Her dreams had been nonexistent, mind blissfully clear and body relaxed and sated. 

At first, it’s not particularly clear what’s roused her until James tenses at her side, his brow knit and his hands clenched into fists.  Gently, she lets her cool fingertips soothe his tight jaw, brush the mark she left on his neck hours earlier, until he lets out a whimper that turns to the most gut wrenching moan she’s ever heard.  

Now, it’s clear he won’t be calmed in his sleep so she grasps his jaw between her palms and says his name once, twice, then the third time much louder.

He startles and jolts onto his back, nearly kneeing her in the ribcage.

Kneeling at his side, Lily brushes his sweat dampened curls back from his forehead, her other hand resting over his pounding heart.  “Darling.”

James’ eyes are wide, almost unseeing like he’s still trapped in whatever dream tormented him, and then he’s clutching her tighter than he ever has and dragging her to his chest.

His body trembles beneath her, heaving like there should be tears but his face remains dry and his throat is hoarse when he whispers,  “ Lily.”

“James,” she murmurs back, brushing his cheek with the back of her knuckles as she settles against him more comfortably.  

The moonlight casts his vibrant golden skin in a pale blue glow, throwing the scars that litter his chest into brilliant relief.  Lily traces them absently, giving him a moment to gather himself despite the urge to pepper him with endless questions.

“Usually I wake first,” he finally says, hazel eyes wide and childlike, “That’s why - ”

“You wake like this often?”

James’ gaze darts away, which means he’s likely about to bend the truth.  “Not - most mornings I just wake from your snores.”

“Do not try to distract me with erroneous accusations,” Lily shoots back, though she is glad to see the tension leaving his face.  Still, his grip hasn’t loosened.  

With gentle hands, Lily coaxes him into releasing her and drops onto her back, dragging him so his curls brush her jaw while his fingers run circuits over her bare skin from hip to collarbone.  

The physicality of it is far from unusual, though his intent is to set her alight on normal occasions.  Tonight it feels like he’s mapping every bit of her, assuring himself she’s here, she’s real.

“It might help to talk about it,” Lily suggests softly, leaving an errant a kiss against his forehead.

He’s silent so long, Lily begins to assume he’s not ready to discuss it.  He’s certainly not asleep, his hands continuing their movements and his breaths still measured and trying desperately to calm.

Finally, he nuzzles closer and begins.  “About a year before - before the prophecy that is - we were under attack by what I later learned were Riddle’s preliminary forces.”

“You didn’t know?”

He hums.  “They mimicked the style and dress of surrounding countries, engaged in small skirmishes so we wouldn’t realize what they were doing.”

“Weakening you slowly.”

James nods against her collarbone, his breaths finally steadying against her chest.  “This was one of the worst - hundreds more than we expected, than the scouts had spotted.  It was our first notion that they were using sorcery. First as camouflage and then on the battlefield.”

“Oh James.”

He shifts them until his head is rested on his own pillow, knitting their fingers and inching closer until their faces are a breath apart.  And yet, his gaze seems a million miles away.  

“By that point, I was hardly new to battle - I had seen my fair share of horrors, earned enough scars that.  Well as horrid as it sounds to say, I wasn’t shocked as I should have been anymore.”

Lily drags her top hand free from his grasp and cards her fingers through his dark locks, thumb brushing along his temple.  He presses his lips to her knuckles and pulls the hand he still holds toward his chest.

“They just melted away - no hand to cling to, no wounds to mend, no body to bury.”

An angry tear slips down his cheek and Lily swipes it away, jaw aching with rage despite knowing Riddle’s well and truly gone, knowing they’ve won.  It still doesn’t erase James’ heartache thousands of years later.

“One minute, a man - strong and brilliant and kind is standing at your side and the next he’s melting away and seeping into the ground like so much rain.  It was terrifying to watch, to see your friends, brothers really, taken away so abruptly and be left only with the knowledge that anyone could be next. We had no idea how targets were chosen.”

“I’m so sorry, my love,” Lily finally says softly, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

James shudders in her arms and tugs her toward him again, tight and unrelenting.  His lips skitter over anything he can reach - hair, brow, shoulder, palm - but none of it is intended as a beginning.  It’s more reassurances and Lily finally realizes what he must have dreamt.

“I was there.”

He freezes and nods against her sternum as she pushes up and rearranges the pillows haphazardly so her back can rest against the headboard.

“You - you were gone.  But not really.”

“No, not really,” Lily agrees, leaving a brief kiss on his lips.  A reassurance.

“And we are here, now.  Alright.”

Lily tilts her head and nudges her nose against his.  “Well that’s a question to consider. Are you alright?”

James takes a deep breath, fiddling with her fingers, studying the back of her hand as if he’s counting the freckles that litter her skin.  “I am. And how about you - alright, Evans?”

She hums.  “Yes. And I promise to protect you.”

His brows rise.  “Protect you .”

Drawing him in for a lingering embrace, Lily presses her lips to his shoulder, draws in a deep breath.  A filling her lungs with him, here, now, safe .  “That is your job, eh?”

Fall turns to winter soon enough, until the holiday season is upon them.  And in a flash, it’s Christmas Day, complete with a fresh blanket of snow.  James took the helm in the kitchen, planning and preparing the meal with help from Sirius and Remus.  The former could only be trusted with a knife if closely watched and the latter was banned from any and all assistance with dessert after James’ souffles were deprived of their chocolate flavoring one too many times.  

Lily simply bats her eyes and disappears into the library for ‘important research’ until she’s called to set the table.  It’s been quite a lovely holiday.

She’s lost in the beautiful, dusty past held between leatherbound covers when James appears in the library doorway.  He’s tousled with crooked glasses and a swipe of flour across his cheek when he peeks in. “Brunch is ready, m’lady.”

He sketches a bow, tea towel tossed over his shoulder and eyes sparking playfully and Lily can’t believe someone exists in the universe that can successfully tempt her away from research and she’s happy to do it. 

Rising, Lily marks her page and boxes James in at the door frame.  “You’ve got a little,” she cups his jaw and brushes at the white stripe with her thumb, “Something, just there.”

Her thumb falls to the corner of his parted lips so she feels his sharp inhale as Lily presses closer.

James tilts closer, letting his nose brush along hers.  “Alright now?”

Lily nods, rising just a bit more so their lips touch as she answers, “Alright.”

With a groan, James obliterates the remaining distance and his lips find Lily’s, warm and heady as they pluck, stroke, and press.  At this moment, Lily is really considering dragging him back inside the library and acting out a particular long-held fantasy of hers involving her, James, and the surprisingly sturdy bookcase ladder.  A feature she would like to test .  For academic purposes.

Fantasies starring her strapping husband fade when mock gagging sounds from the corridor.  “We are positively famished out here and you are being quite rude..”

Lily buries her face in James’ neck where his pulse hammers and he wraps his arms tighter around her.  “You know I may be a ‘specky git’ and technically elderly but I am still fully capable of destroying you.”

“We all know you have gone quite soft, Iacomus,” Sirius teases, “Especially with your growing love for rich French pastry.”

“Don’t be a little arsehole,” Lily grumbles as she detangles from James.  Which involves him releasing her leg to the floor. When did that happen?

She doesn’t have time to consider that issue or revisit the lovely way she so nearly ravished her husband on Christmas Day because Remus begins shouting about the cream sauce separating and James darts away like a panicked little deer.

Sirius threads his arm through Lily’s and guides her toward the dining room which they ensured was fully and admittedly gaudily decorated for the holiday.  “He’s an odd little contradiction filled person, isn’t he?”

“Is that not something that could be said of us all?” Lily asks, her head leaning onto his shoulder.

He hums, thoughtful, before he answers.  “Yes but he’s existed for millenia, lived the same number of years as you and I, and yet he treats everything in our world like it’s brand new and utterly exciting.”

Lily can’t help the soft smile that teases her lips.  It’s one of the things that most endeared her to James, that childish excitement he’d get about electric lights or running water or the rainbow lollies in the confectioner’s window.  And at the same time he’d fight for her, for them and has done it on more than one occasion.  His kindness and capacity to love matched only by his fiercely protective and loyal nature.

Sirius sighs.  “Oh you’re off getting soppy again, I see.  I almost preferred the free show.”

Scoffing, Lily lands an elbow jab to his ribcage before they disconnect to claim places at the table now heavily laden with overfull tureens, bowls, and just about every serving platter they have between the four of them.  “I for one am famished.”

“No helping can work up quite an appetite,” Remus says quietly with a mischievous twist of his lips.

“As can eating the mistakes, sir .”

James returns from the kitchen, slightly harried and bearing what appears to be the largest ham in the county while the three gathered around the table gape wordlessly.

“No more arguing unless you want your food privileges revoked.”

“Oh look at you General , whipping out your archaic disciplinary tactics,” Lily teases, noting the flash in James’ eyes at her teasing title slip.

But it’s Christmas, the boys are here, and she really is quite hungry, so the other type of hungry look will have to wait for brunch and whatever post-meal haze they enter after demolishing the veritable feast James prepared.

After, Lily prepares coffee - because she’s good for something and definitely knows her caffeinated beverages - and Sirius orders Remus off to the sitting room to set up something to play on the Victrola.  Remus sets out cups and an empty tray while Lily gathers milk and sugar along with a pot of coffee.

The milk cools their steaming cups quickly enough and they lie about like lumps, spread across the furniture in various states of repose.  

Lily’s just considering dropping her head into James’ lap to enjoy a lazy kip when the music switches to a jaunty sort of waltz and her eyes drift over the rest of their fouresom and linger on Remus.  His eyes are a bit distant, wistful almost as he gazes out the window.

He must feel her eyes on him because he turns toward her and forces a smile.  Which is decidedly unacceptable.  

So Lily rises and offers him her hand.  “How about a dance?”

“Not quite in the right frame of mind.”

Her brow rises.  “See that’s exactly why you need to dance.  Imagine how James will feel if he thinks you’re melancholy after that overdone feast of a meal.”

Lily tugs Remus to his feet and sets her free hand on his shoulder while his finds her waist as their feet begin moving in a shoddy box step while Sirius jeers from his perch on the windowsill.

When Lily sends Remus out into a spin and tugs him back in for a dramatic dip, she glances up at Sirius.  “Don’t be jealous Remus is a far better danseur than you’ll ever be.”

Scoffing, Sirius stands and strides toward James where he dozes on the settee.  “Excuse me, while you’re having a kip Lily is making a play for Remus.”

James snuffles and rubs his eyes childishly while Sirius taps his foot.  “Come on.”

He finally slaps his hand into Sirius’ palm.  They join Remus and Lily on the makeshift dance floor and execute what an unbiased judge would admit was a high quality waltz which switches over to a two-step as the music dictates.

They swap partners after a few turns, until each of them has shared a dance and finally after a rousing gavotte, they collapse, sweaty and grinning.

After a moment, James adopts a cat-like demeanor and nuzzles into LIly’s lap.  She follows through on his silent request, letting her fingers brush through his curls.  “No fair, this was my plan for the afternoon.”

“Fortune favors the bold, my love.”

“Speaking of bold.”

Sirius chuckles.  “Uh oh.”

Lily kicks at him uselessly and he barely cracks one eye open and smirks like he’s somehow won because he decided to lie a few extra inches away from the settee on the carpet.  Remus slumps further in his chair as Lily says, “I uh - I checked what exactly my certificate would be eligible for.”

James nuzzles against her middle.  “Mhm?”

She clears her throat.  “Who’s up for Marseilles?”

Stiffening, James twists onto his back and holds her gaze before he murmurs, “Is that where?”

She smiles at him, soft, and strokes his hair back from his forehead. “Yeah.”

Remus stands and wanders over to the fireplace, poking at the blaze aimlessly.  He’s got that look - the ‘Remus is about to come up with a brilliant set of plans to execute Lily’s amorphous goal’ kind.  “Well we’re not far from the ferry over to the continent, and I’ve got a mate in town who could get us on the train easily enough.”

“It’ll be lovely,” Lily says with a content sigh as James knits his fingers through hers.

Sirius gags again and throws his arm over his eyes.  “ Great a romantic train through the French countryside with a couple of newlyweds .”

[lanliingwang]

I'm not going to pretend to be deep in Nasuverse magecraft and etc lore, but I do like a lot of aspects of it and whenever I think about Haikyuu boys in Nasuverse as an AU, I have magecraft-y (and et cetera) thoughts based on some of said lore, so here goes nothing. I’m gonna list them out under a read more

Particularly in the FGO AU where Sugawara Koushi is basically in Guda’s/Fujimaru Ritsuka’s position, Suga’s a kinda...hedge mage?

Like, he’s not particularly experienced in magecraft because he’s kinda sorta the one person in his family with strong enough Magic Circuits to be able to cast magecraft, but the quantity and quality of them aren’t high and he basically was unaware of it until he came to Chaldea lol.

Even then, he doesn’t...cast much spells without the support of specialized Mystic Codes as a Master. And most of it is more for supporting his Servant so basically he doesn’t use much direct magecraft.

But his Master compatibility rate is ridiculously high, and coupled with his compassion and cunning makes him pretty fit for the job as Chaldea’s last master lol

Kuroo in FGO AU specifically was an employee who was emergency promoted to head of the Leyshifting department simply because his superiors were pretty much out of commission, and he was the only one who had more than the barest inkling about the concepts behind the process

His family’s kinda not...fully Japanese? As in, he has some Norse blood, and since the Age of the Gods his family has a rather peculiar Sorcery Trait (or Sorcery Trait-like ability, the jury’s still out there in-universe and out-of-universe on that lol) that allows for them to basically reproduce Primal runes as Modern runes with about the same quality as they would be if they were the former?? Basically a whole-ass relic from the Age of the Gods feat. Norse runic magecraft

While most of it is just replication of runes to be seemingly more powerful than most modern runes and almost on the scale of those from ancient times, Kuroo’s family has directly passed down for centuries one particular rune that came straight from the gods themselves--the fire/sun rune, to be more exact.

the rune is carved down on a runestone that’s been preserved for centuries, and Kuroo tends to carry it around in his pocket since it’s not likely he’ll lose it for various reasons

Tbh, because of various reasons and how the Norse blood has distilled over generations, sometimes Magic Circuits skips generations--so Kuroo’s father has little to no magecraft talent while Kuroo’s stronger talent came from his mother (who married into the dwindling remnants of the clan in Japan)

The Magic Crest in his family isn’t passed down very consistently tbh, because of that--legit it can wind up on a deceased clan head’s family for one or two whole generations before it finally gets passed on

Kuroo’s crest is usually located on his left shoulder and can be easily covered up by most sleeved shirts

Kuroo’s elemental affinity is Fire, and his Origin is Passion

Outside of magecraft tho, Kuroo recognizes a lot of the concepts and science behind Leyshifting really well and pretty much was the one offered the emergency promotion in his department at Chaldea for a reason. He still has to stay up long nights to study documents on the theories and such behind the procedure to get a better idea, but overall he grasps it p well

He doesn’t have an especially strong affinity for being a Master, nor for actually Leyshifting himself

tho in a hypothetical “If he were to summon a Servant for the HGW”, Kuroo would probably summon Robin Hood

Tsukishima doesn’t have a large presence in the FGO AU (and Idk if I’ve decided he’s a magus in the FGO AU tbh), but in another Fate/Holy Grail War AU I know for a fact he comes from a line of magi who have been studying how to actively cancel the phenomena produced by other magecraft users for a very long time

His Mystic Code is a purple and black shield looking thing that expands from a cuff around his bicep, which basically helps with these effectively anti-magecraft spells by projecting them as a sort of barrier and amplifying their effects

was previously Akiteru’s before his death in story

His elemental affinity is metal and water, and his origin is Rejection

Amazingly enough, his Mage Crest is also on his left shoulder lol

it’s definitely bigger than Kuroo’s for various reasons (starting with it’s more consistently passed down over the decades)

Tsukishima has decent affinity for being a Master, and in his main AU does summon Arthur so

[listentotheshityousay]

consider: a bmc wreck it ralph au!!

my initial response to this ask: nah it’s not gonna happen

then: wait a sec

AHEM. jeremy is primarily known as ‘player two’ in his little 90s two player arcade game, Survive! (a zombie kill-and-escape game set in a high school), which he inhabits with ‘player one’ michael. they’re best friends and have spent decades running from zombies together. also, jeremy is a tiny bit insanely head-over-heels for his player one, but shhhhh, nobody’s supposed to know!

however, trouble starts up when rich, their game’s primary supporting character, starts getting a little….weird. he gets a red streak in his hair. his lines within-game are delivered with more aggressiveness. after arcade hours, he’s a sudden party animal with rising popularity in the central circuit hub. also, he starts giving jeremy and michael the cold shoulder, despite having been friends with them for years. it’s weird.

it gets weirder, though, because the kids at the arcade start to notice. 

“hey, isn’t this guy kinda cool?” a boy points at rich on the screen. “how come we can’t play him? we’re just stuck playing the losers.”

jeremy doesn’t take that comment very well. 

“it’s not my fault I was programmed like this,” he wails into his hands. he’d nearly broken character, and then rich had ragged on him for slacking on player-character duties, and somehow it escalated into him arguing with michael as soon as the arcade closed for the day.

brooke, who he maybe-kinda-dated back in the late 90s when her game came in, pets his back and lets him cry some more. she casually deduced his enormous emotional baggage container for michael ages ago, and has since become his confidante. she’s used to jeremy’s breakdowns. 

“well, rich was programmed but he’s different now,” she says. “maybe you can change like him, too.”

jeremy’s still stung by loser, weary from years of pining, and he wants things to change. he wants to change. he wants to become cool, using whatever coding-sorcery that rich used. so he goes and asks.

rich, surprisingly enough, is helpful. he tells jeremy to go to Rehearsal Time, which is basically a ddr arcade machine but lets you choose characters to dance as, and to go ask Director Reyes, the game’s kinda-narrator, for help. say that rich sent him. 

so jeremy treks off to dance game land, and the first person he bumps into is christine. christine is, according to everybody else in the game, a glitch, because she doesn’t belong on the roster, her name’s never included and she’s not allowed to show herself on the screen, but she insists that she was made for the stage and to perform. she can feel it in her code!

mmmm okay and I’m not sure about specifics, but from there it all goes sideways, because associating with christine gets jeremy on reyes’s bad side, and idk somehow jeremy is still stuck there when the arcade opens, and michael wants to know where his player two is. rich has started going oddly glitch-y and incoherent, so michael runs to brooke for answers, and brooke goes with him to Rehearsal Time. 

somehow on the way, they run into chloe, who’s from the new action shooter game, and brooke is immediately smitten. jenna, who’s from chloe’s game, plays communications and data analyst, and she’s noticed something weird about the arcade’s data flow across the games, so she and chloe are investigating. all signs point towards Rehearsal Time, so they join brooke and michael and invade the game. 

aaaaand idek, jake, reyes’s right hand man, has started noticing something fishy going on, so he goes to help out christine and jeremy, and then they all crash into the others, then the big reveal shows that reyes is actually the squip, a villain from an old arcade game who got tired of always being vanquished by the players, and he’s been invading all the games across the arcade via planting code into characters from those games, and he intends to take over the entire arcade. he’s already virus-controlling a large amount of the arcade characters (including rich), and it’s up to jeremy and the others to save the arcade!

(and does he finally kiss michael? who knows? brooke and chloe get married less than two weeks later, though)

[unfortunateoracle]

Fate for the headcanon meme!

send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it

Athenais is from an old as heck family, originating in Africa during the Age of the Gods, the descendants reside in the Caribbean. Their ancestor, now considered a bit of a trickster figure, ‘stole’ Clairvoyance from her master and was cursed for it. This curse, a Sorcery Trait, manifests itself in the form of a set of Mystic Eyes that allow them to 'see what shouldn’t be seen’ such as spiritual entities while simultaneously giving them luck equivalent to E– in a Servant. Due to the age of said curse and the family’s separation from their place of origin, it’s unlikely to be broken any time soon.

Due to their history, the family is looked down on by the Association as cheats, liars and thieves.

Athenais has a large mana pool but her Mystic Eyes are constantly activated, limiting how much she actually has. Her Circuits could be considered defective and if she were from a younger family, she’d have been written off as a potential heir.

Due to the mixed history of the family (Athenais herself is the scion of both the Levesques and an Indian family known for their illusionary magecraft, supposedly gained from Naga ancestors) the crest has a few spells that don’t seem like they fit. But the family itself specialises in healing magic, formalcraft and witchcraft.

As a Master, she would most likely dream of the most horrific aspects of her Servant’s past. Another manifestation of her curse/Sorcery Trait.

Could potentially be summoned as a Caster class Servant, as a counter guardian or as a wraith.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

Guess what weird combo of my AUs I ended up thinking of?

It's RoboRusty and Magic Kittypet. I have no real way to describe HOW I ended up thinking about the two together, aside from scrolling through my AUs and had a brief thought of how the Scientists would go crazy trying to get answers to questions like; "How do they grow to understand how their abilities work?", "How do they explain the origins on their end?", "What is the real cause behind this phenomenon and can it be replicated?", and they have funding anyways, why wouldn't they if magic cats existed.

And then I thought about various other things, like "Wouldn't Kittypets just label Rusty as one with insane durability?", they would, that's just how they'd label it. He's a lot more believable and it's easier for a young Kittypet to just assume he's a regular cat. And to better be able to obtain information, RoboRusty honestly thinks he's a real cat.

He just assumes the Twolegs did something that made him weird. He has a pulse(no, he doesn't have blood or organs), and I won't explain what's up with that at this moment.

Might call it something like the "Sorcery and Circuit AU" or something. I'm open to both suggestions and asks.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

My AU stuff(and a general description of how I go about writing my other Rusty's)

While this particular part doesn't apply to Sorcery and Circuits, I imagine that if/when RoboRusty realizes that A. StarClan is just a thing that actually exists and isn't some religious thing and B. that not all cats end up in ANY afterlife, he might feel both overwhelmed and questioning on what parts of all those different kitty cat religious stuff is actually true or not, AND on some deeper level terrified to figure out if he'd even be able to join those he cares about in any type of afterlife.

On a lighter note, Princess and Nutmeg are notably stronger than any of the clan cats usually would expect. This is because of having to push or pick up the heavy, difficult to move, metal kitty cat that is RoboRusty.

Onto stuff that's not specifically related to just RoboRusty. I might have Siverstream pick up some of Moss' bad habits of just ignoring the ThunderClan/RiverClan borders(we can guess why). Most likely emboldened even further by the fact that her mom is Bluestar in my AUs, and that Moss already passes that border whenever she feels like.

The Magic Kittypet AU Rusty's(Rusti?) all have their own unique opinions of certain cats compared to the rest, but generally speaking, I feel like all of my Rusty's(Would I use Rusti? Still not sure.) wouldn't be friends with Graystripe. Sorry to all of you fans of Graystripe, but seriously he could easily be a better friend to Rusty. Like, sure, mine might be more defined in my own ways as I write him, but maybe other cats deserve the opportunity more than someone who's kinda a selfish, self-centered jerk to him(and his own clan) way too easily in canon.

Maybe I'll warm up to the idea of the Rusty in each of my AUs being friends with their respective versions of Graypaw/Graystripe, but that really depends on how he shapes up as a character in each of them.

However, I already feel comfortable with Magic Kittypet Rusty and Ravenpaw being friends with Rusty while he explains things like what different groups of plants tend to talk about or details about how Kittypet Magic works, and things like that.

Burning Falsehoods Rusty has issues trying to subconsciously distancing himself and shutting himself away from others, subconsciously afraid that if someone gets too close, that they'll only get hurt or worse. Ravenpaw doesn't seem like the type of cat who can help push him past that issue.

Sorcery and Circuits Rusty is significantly different from both any variant other variant of Magic Kittypet or RoboRusty. He feels like he's not a normal cat anymore, that he's been altered irreversibly on a whim by Twolegs. He wants to give others a chance, but is afraid that he'll somehow mess up being a cat so badly that it would be unsettling.

False Prophet Rusty is afraid of letting others down, including himself. He dislikes the idea of others who are just better than others just because they were born differently. Prefers to interact with a cat who's more down to earth.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

Sorcery and Circuits AU

I'm going to have our magic RoboRusty eat the whole pinecone, at some point. There is no reasoning against this fact, I can say that he wouldn't hesitate to eat an adder or other weird but edible things too.

And while I have mentioned that he some form of random replication of Kittypet Magic, I never mentioned what he actually got. Unfortunately, it's the ability to understand and communicate with foxes. He's either going to NEVER use it, or it won't help out much in the first place, and he was so close to getting plants or ghosts. Like, what kind of cat tries to negotiate with a fox? The real question is how would I ever use it narratively? He's not even going to notice anything's up for so long.

I have to come up with dialogue for foxes if he ever hears one! Actually... it could be pretty funny for him to use terms he learned from a fox, in front of any cats. Just, him briefly talking like a fox. And then I think of Hollyleaf, and we have yet another AU where she'd try to take the fox cub home.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

Sparks and Circuits AU

That fox idea, turns out I could actually probably give him a fox friend that COULD stick around for a reasonable amount of chapters, and by chapters, I mean like several books. They could probably be friends for the entirety of RoboRusty and the Clans' time at the Forest Territories.

Of course, unrelated to that, Princess and RoboRusty have a somewhat morbid or dark sense of humor, they developed this because of the MANY failures that the science twolegs had made when it came to making something to contain the questionable substances and their research.

Sandpaw and Silverpaw definitely get used to RoboRusty's sense of humor some point AFTER they become Warriors, but they're definitely planning to add him to the gossip squad regardless. And if I do give Rusty a fox pal, he'll probably TRY to convince them to let the fox join the gossip group, he's obviously outvoted.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

Continuation of information for the Sorcery and Circuits AU

As mentioned before, RoboRusty has a pulse. There is a reason for this. The Science Twolegs had to make a container for the experimental substance they're making in their attempts of replicating Kittypet Magic with science. They just ended up making it sound and somewhat function like a heart for making it easier for RoboRusty and others to think he's a real cat(even if a lot more test models ended breaking in the earlier stages of making him).

Fun fact, these solutions aren't built for organic consumption and have side effects, but isn't lethal in most cases. Also Princess accidentally starts a cult. I won't elaborate on that, it would spoil the fun. Princess DOES however end up wanting the entire project terminated when she finally realizes there's a version of her brother that was left to rot away.

Also, debating whether or not RoboRusty in this should still be solar powered or use some kind of biofuel since the scientists gave them something that replicates a heartbeat. But he does turn on automatically in this one, and doesn't have an on/off switch.

RoboRusty is also as heat and cold proofed as he can be, shock proofed to make sure his internals don't fry, and I might make him able to self repair very, VERY slowly. That last one is very iffy.

Feel free to suggest power ideas for the robo kitty.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

And so, I finally finished the first chapter of the Sorcery and Circuits AU, yeah, so... By the way, Crookedblue. I kind just realized today that all of my AUs(and the rewrite) have it, so I just kinda accepted that fact now.

Also, Sandstorm and Silverstream should've been gossip friends as Apprentices. I'm delivering on my words of that statement.

Hope you all enjoy reading.

[sparkfur-the-writer]

I'm taking asks, comments, dumb ideas and comments involving any of my Warrior Cats AUs. Right now I've explained the Kittypet Dustpaw au, Glowstick Hollyleaf, False Prophet AU, the RoboRusty au, Sibling Clans AU, the Magic Kittypet AU, Burning Falsehoods AU, and the Scorery and Circuits AU(as of updating this post), go ahead and submit asks about anything involving the AUs. Be it some questions, dumb ideas, or anything else.

[Will be updated when need be]