#specialize so much that my academic nemesis

[theworldiswhispering]

Love academia for being one specific freak holding up an entire subtopic of research

[jq37]

FH Junior Year Post-Season Thoughts

With another season of Fantasy High in the books and my recaps all finished, I wanted to do an overview of my thoughts on the season as a whole. Even though I feel generally positive about my experience with the season, there are a few things I think maybe could have been done differently narratively or mechanically. This isn't to criticize the way the season went down or to backseat DM/Play. More my combined ten years of college for textual analysis and storytelling bleeding through, haha. 

I first want to start with the things I thought worked really well.

Fantasy High has "High" right in its title but, in past seasons (and especially Sophomore Year), not as much time as you'd think was spent actually at school and even if it was spent at school, there wasn't much time spent in class or engaging with the realities of being a student. This season really dug into the academic consequences of skipping your classes all the time and the realities of needing to do a ton of extra stuff to try for a scholarship and I think that was a refreshing thing to highlight for a change. Being more scared at flunking out than the dragon that's trying to eat you feels very emotionally resonant. Real "High School Is Killing Me" vibes for anyone who's a fan of NPMD. 

Even though Fantasy High is a show that has some deep emotional beats and strong character arcs, it's first and foremost a comedy show. From the jump, everyone was generating bit after bit that had me cracking up as usual. "Little girly dog collar" is one of the funniest combinations of words I can think of. I think it was Siobhan who said that this was the goofy season and, having seen it, I'd have to agree with her. It never failed to make me laugh and it was always a highlight of my week.  The cast just has great table chemistry that I love to watch no matter what they're doing. 

Watching some of these high level combat encounters is as close as I'll get to understanding people watching sports. Even though combat is generally my least fave part of D&D, I think the cast really killed it this season with how cleverly they played and Brennan came up with some really great combat encounters. Special shout outs to Baron's Game and The Last Stand for their unique mechanics.  

This is going to be one that's on the other list as well because my feelings are mixed, but I genuinely do like the downtime mechanic and how it forces hard choices. I think it's an interesting way to connect a mechanic to the story and cultivate stressful atmosphere for the season.

I have problems with the execution but I love the Rat Grinders in concept. I think as early as season 1 I was hoping that we'd meet a party that was like the Bizarro Bad Kids and the idea of a party that's farming XP instead of going on crazy adventures is a strong concept. Likewise, I think a character that's jealous because of your "cool" (read: tragic) backstory is also a fun trait for an unhinged antagonist in this kind of setting.

This is me absolutely showing my bias but I adored the Abernant Sisters content this season. I dunno if Siobhan specifically asked Brennan to not put her on a bus with the other beloved NPCs or what but I'm so glad she stuck around and we got the development we did. It was almost entirely ancillary to the plot but there was this clear pattern of Aelwyn getting softer and sweeter towards Adaine over the course of the season, from the guarded, "Enjoy the nemesis ward," to, full I love you's and, "I'd take them to get you." It was way more focus than I expected considering that Aelwyn completed the bulk of her arc last season and a lot of the time, a redemption arc basically ends after the big gesture (in this case, Aelwyn taking a magic blast for Adaine in Sophomore Year). So the fact that we got to see all of these sweet moments of them reestablishing their relationship outside of do or die moments was such a pleasant surprise. Again, I fully admit I am extremely biased, but this was my top wishlist item and the season overdelivered so there's a baseline happy I'm always gonna be with Junior Year. 

OK, so moving on to things I things I think could have been tweaked.

Even though I liked the downtime system and the pressures it created, it also squeezed out the chance for more casual PC to NPC interactions that would usually be more common because they were semi-locked behind the relationship track and there wasn't an obvious benefit to roll for Relationships (as opposed to something like Academics which was crucial for not flunking out). Making the mechanical benefit more clear would have helped that (even if it meant Brennan didn't get his reveal--which he ended up just telling them anyway so might as well do it early). The other thing is that the consequence of a rage token was so bad that of course they spent all season avoiding getting one. Things might have gone differently if the consequences had been a bit more obscured, like in Neverafter. And it could have been a nice parallel to the Rat Grinders to take this unknown resource that makes things easier for you but is also having this negative effect. Then it could be like dang we did the same thing they did unknowingly. 

I mentioned this in my recap but I'll talk about it again. It is a little confusing to me that we did the Ankarna subplot right after we did the very similar Cassandra subplot. It took up so much time this season which I don't think is an issue in and of itself, it's just that we literally just went through some extremely similar beats last season. Why double up on this same storyline when there's so much new ground to cover? Or if we're going to raise a god, why not make it a different kind of god? One theory I had early on was that the Rat Grinders were trying to raise their own god to one-up the Bad Kids but instead of raising a chill, misunderstood Cass type, they accidentally raised a god who was erased for a good reason and got in over their heads. 

It's fun for there to be connections between seasons but sometimes it's like, OK that's a *lot* of coincidences. Like the god who your rivals is trying to raise *happens* to be the wife of your cleric's god and also *happens* to be the god of the fiend trapped in your friend's mom's chest and that fiend *happens* to be the relative on your bard's dad's side which is *also* the reason she is randomly cursed? That's a LOT of red string connecting plot points. As unhinged as Kipperlilly is about coveting Riz's backstory if I saw that go down I'd be like you have *got* to be kidding me.  

The mystery elements didn't feel like they clicked as well as they did in other seasons. I think that's partially because Porter's plan was so convoluted (seriously, I made another post about how haphazard his plan was) and had all these moving parts and we didn't get clear answers for a lot of mechanical things like how the rage crystals actually work and when they were implanted and stuff. You had stuff like Devil's Honey which I think is super cool as a thing that exists in the world but ended up being an element that just led the players down the wrong path and had a relatively small payoff (that Porter was using it to lie to Ankarna). I think it's plausible that a forgotten god would be willing to listen to anyone saying the right things without introducing this element. (As opposed to, for instance, Ambrosia which has a very clear connection to what's going on and is a solid clue that someone is flirting with aspirations of godhood.) 

The Porter reveal came so late in the season that even though it was a fun/challenging fight, there wasn't a lot of emotional weight behind killing him. It was basically just dunking on a teacher Fig has always hated who was also mean to Gorgug so screw him. Which, valid of course. But the Bad Kids were never going to react as strongly to Porter as they were to the Rat Grinders so putting Porter in the prime villain spot isn't necessarily what I would have done if I wanted the fight to be more than just a brawl--especially since we've done "School admin with student minions" already in S1. I don't mind the full circle callback but it would have been nice to pick something else for the sake of variety. We haven't had a child mastermind yet and I think Kipperlilly could have been a great candidate for that. My friend suggested that it would have been fun if Kipperlilly was trying to become a god instead of just being Porter's underling and I agree. "I'm not anyone's chosen one so I'll choose myself," is still within her established jealousy and Type A tendencies. If we want to keep Porter involved since that was Brennan's gift to Emily, maybe have it be that instead of Kipperlilly working for him, he's working for her. Like Artemis Fowl vibes! And the Rat Grinders can be varying levels of on board--from true believe to redeemable. I don't think Brennan planned for the Bad Kids to ever redeem her so might as well go full megalomaniacal mastermind with her and make her The Villain if she's not gonna be nuanced anyway. If My Little Pony can do it and send a literal child to Tartarus for pony treason (or whatever Cozy Glow did), Fantasy High can too. 

Continuing from the above, if we have the Porter fight in place of the Grix fight (a la Daybreak) and don't use Ankarna, that gives way more time for the Bad Kids to investigate the Rat Grinders throughout the season and it would mean that they would have their personalities developed a lot more. With the limited downtime, they Bad Kids didn't have a lot of time to spend on these kids who were just hating on them for no good reason (valid). But if you cleared their plate of the god hunt stuff, they'd have more time for this. And if they weren't all rage zombies to varying degrees, it would be easier to see them as characters. Besides Kipperlilly (and, funnily enough, Mary Ann) we don't really have a good read on what these kids are actually like. The little time we spent with them all season was kind of a wash if them breaking out of rage means their personalities got laundered too. Anyway, regardless of how their loyalties ended up shaking out, it would have been fun for them to be more than the minions that they were in canon. As funny as it is for them to just kinda be XP farming losers, they did have the potential to be more interesting in their own right if they weren't just Porter's minions. And again, we've done adults forcing or coercing children into being minions in Freshman and Sophomore Year already. Lemme see some self-created child maniacs! (Or, peer pressured child maniacs. That's cool too. The Lucy/Kipperlilly dynamic is way more interesting to me if it's like girl, I would take a bullet for you but I CANNOT walk this path with you any further in response to *I* will be a god and you can be *MY* champion.)

Anyway, those are my thoughts! Like I said, I have my points that I think could have been tightened, but overall an enjoyable season and I will be glued to my screen if they decide to close out with Senior Year! 

[into-september]

"Maledictator", thoughts

Flipping through the channels at later at night than the target group should be up gave me the tail end of "Frozer" (Luka had a different voice, the ice power-ups are weird) and then "Maledictator".

Did this happen before or after Chloé revealed herself to be a dancing prodigy in LB cosplay that had a wig

Sure sure S5 might go on and on about how she's too lazy for school, but you don't get those dancing skills at one of the toughest ballet schools in the world without dicipline and dedication. If we're supposed to treat anything that happens on this show seriously after all, "Frighteninggale" suggests that Chloé's illiteracy stems from some learning disability left undiagnosed thanks to a system too afraid to be frank about her academic performance to her parents

No helping the complete lack of reality on display as the episode starts, though

Marinette's explanation for choosing Chloé for the fight is something like "doesn't get intimidated by power" (would've been so cool if this was ever followed up on), but it's pretty clear that it's really because she keeps blaming herself for getting Chloé upset. I can't remember if she did that before Adrien refused to join the party because he was upset, but the one most ruthless at tearing Chloé's superhero delusions apart at the start of the episode wasn't Marinette, no matter how much both Marinette and Chloé keeps saying that it was. It was Alya.

Not sure what to make of Chloé's repeated accusations that Marinette made the class "gang up on her" when Chloé demonstratively doesn't care what the class thinks of her

And yet she later grieves that "nobody likes her" and she "has no friends"

And she goes to the party, unaware that it is to celebrate Queen Bee, because Marinette asked her to

The most interesting part of the episode is how she at the end refuses the Butler's help to clean up, insisting to do it herself

"BUt she neVEr wAnted to Be betTER" #surejan

Speaking of things it would've been so cool if they followed up on: Adrien's statement that he "can't" celebrate Chloé's departure. This empathy-to-the-point-of-the-absurd (and it is empathy, not just loyalty) is such a contrast to Gabriel who uses the same skill set to terrorise Paris on the daily - and also to Marinette, whose judgemental ways are usually justified, but who also demonstrates a distinct lack in the empathy department on some very notable occasions (Kagami on purpose, Cat Noir are a side effect of weird writing). Adrien's insistence on sympathising with the other's pain, no matter how misplaced said pain is, would've been such an interesting angle for the show to pursue to cast light on the two others in our central conflict triangle

Chloé's VA aced this one and oh my god whoever wrote these scripts deserves a little medal. Gabriel Agreste is absolutely the kind of man to use the word "hustru"

The most important takeaway is that this episode probably only exists because someone wanted to animate Cat Noir taking the catboy existence to the ultimate level

The simultaneous clever and absolutely careless nature of the writing and directing of this show keeps giving me brainworms and today's is the fact that Queen Bee's weapon is the visually closest to Ladybug's in look and non-special function, and how this episode had one very conspicuous shot of Ladybug and Queen Bee moving in fully synchronised movements. Why would you do that if you're not either going to establish Chloé as a special ally, or as Ladybug's ultimate nemesis?

See also: with S5 explicitly taking on the political system of France, how dare not having a Maledictator repeat there. did we really need an episode about how even an AI can de-akumatise itself these days, or two about Lila getting Kagami akumatised over the same bloody problem that you were too chicken to make for real anyway

[annasghosts]

Here's some other Jily fics I love!! Part 1 here

Love Is Complicated by @theesteemedladydebourgh : Three years. Longing. Academic shenanigans in Egypt. Almost-kisses. A snowed-in office on Christmas Eve. Or, the one time James Potter’s (who is not Indiana Jones, no matter what he thinks) spur of the moment passion quest isn’t for an ancient artifact.

This was the first muggle AU I've ever read so it has a special place in my heart! James is both hot and dorky and Lily's pining is *chef's kiss*

Everything but the Kitchen Sink by @ghostofbambifanfiction :consequences ensue when James Potter drunkenly promises to bring his arch-nemesis to his friend's wedding as his date. Oops?

James is horny AND terrified by Lily (as he should be!!)

(Didn't I?) (Didn't I?) Didn't I See You Crying? by @wearingaberetinparis : James Potter has fancied Mary Macdonald for as long as he can remember. Everything about her is practically perfect, except for – if he were being honest and he always liked to be – her choice in friends. For Mary’s best friend, Lily Evans, is a right shrew and, much to his dismay, the Head Girl to his Head Boy. Lily Evans had disliked James Potter with a passion after their first interaction on the Hogwarts Express. A dislike that turned into hate – never mind that she also has an infatuation going, but no one needs to know about that – as soon as he decided to make her life a living hell. Unfortunately for her, he also decided (a few years earlier) that her very best friend in the world was the worthy object of his affections. (Which was fine, really. She wasn't about to cry over it, for Godric's sake. She was a strong and independent young woman, thank you very much. And yes, perhaps she was a little in love, but it was all for nothing, so she had to keep calm and carry on.) Certainly, their complicated past would result in major disaster if common ground was not soon established. For the love of Merlin, though, why did either of them think it would be a good idea for Lily to help James woo Mary Macdonald?

This is peak idiots in love! Lily, my love, why would you play cupid for your best friend and the boy you have a crush on?? 🥺

And all the pieces fall by @downn-in-flames : When Puddlemere United picks up the infamous James Potter’s contract, the entire program is thrilled… with the exception of one assistant coach by the name of Lily Evans, who had really hoped she'd never see him again.

HOT, HOT, HOT!! A great enemies to lovers with a very intriguing plot. BAMF Lily alert!

On a Scale of One to Ten by @petalstofish : Lily starts falling for an insecure, yet charming auror named James who is recovering from injury in her ward. No one else on staff will sit and talk to him, mostly due to septic skin covering most of his upper torso. Lily, however, finds him charming and funny. Naturally, when James' injuries start healing, he grows more and more handsome. The other healers suddenly take interest in James, romantically, and Lily grows jealous.

So wholesome!! Such a sweet take on Jily falling in love ❤️

[void-kissed]

questions 5, 7, and 9 for any of ur inserts for the self insert development asks!

Hello, Hope!! Thank you very much for sending these - and I'm really sorry about how long it took me to be able to answer them!!

(question source: "Self-insert Development Meme" by blushpanda)

I think I will be answering these for Citri, if that's alright! For context, she's one of my Xenoblade Chronicles self-inserts, specifically for the first game in that series. I use her to romantically selfship with Vanea.

5. Does your self-insert have any magical talents or otherwise special abilities? Are they passive, like the ability to befriend animals, or dangerous powers that the villains want? Or if she's evil - any powers the heroes want to stop? - I touched upon this somewhat when answering the same question before, but Citri's not technially one for much magic. However, her main special ability (or, at least, characteristic) is that she contains the soul of Lady Meyneth within her! This was probably supposed to have overwritten her own soul, but she was able to persist as herself and co-exist with the goddess instead, which was advantageous for not only meaning she could continue to exist but also meaning she could begin to interact with Lady Meyneth (as well as Vanea, who was responsible for the soul transfer). As a very quick summary of the dynamic between the two (i.e. Citri and Meyneth), please see this silly message I wrote in Discord once:

Hopefully that helps =P

Incidentally, most of Citri's other special abilities stem from the fact that she is half-Machina by virtue of being a Face Unit pilot, giving her the type of durability, resilience, and fast reaction times that may be expected from having a body that is entirely robotic (except for her head and her hands). She's not evil, but the antagonist is very much opposed to the goddess residing within her.

..okay this ask answer is getting long already, let's put the rest under a readmore if that's alright

7. What kind of clothing style does she like? What would she never be caught dead wearing? What’s likely in her wardrobe right now? - Citri.. can't really wear clothes anymore, in all honesty, due to having that aforementioned robotic body as part of being made into a Face Unit pilot! However, when she still lived with Shulk and the others back in Colony 9, she favoured cute outfits that were nevertheless not too over-the-top, as well as any clothes that she found comfortable and not restrictive. Even now, I imagine that she would be happy to wear accessories like different bows for her hair. She hates wearing anything that's too tight or made of an unfavourable texture - for example, she couldn't wear a waterproof coat unless she had long sleeves on underneath it. Here are her two appearances and therefore outfits so far - the first one is her initial appearance as a Homs (i.e. human), while the second one is her current appearance as the pilot of Face Nemesis!

9. Her favourite foods? Colours? Activities? What does she enjoy in life? How does she express her joy for things she likes? - Citri's favourite colour is green, while her favourite food is.. if going by in-game collectables (although this one is technically only found in Future Connected), then Morrow Cob, as it's basically the Bionis' equivalent to sweetcorn! However, she doesn't actually need to eat after becoming a Face Unit, only requiring water and some amount of ether for survival. When it comes to favourite activities, Citri very much enjoys learning, whether in the traditional academic sense or just simply getting to hear others' knowledge and expertise. After being captured and taken to the Mechonis, she is fond of travelling around the titan where possible in order to experience more of what it and its people are like. Other than that, she also enjoys reading and working with computers! She's quite expressive in her joy despite not being overly overzealous naturally, as it doesn't take that much for her to get excited about things she likes, and she also doesn't shy away from giving compliments frequently about the things that she likes or thinks are neat.

I hope that all of these answers are alright!! Thank you very much again for sending in the questions~

[kats-comfort-corner]

✨, 👔 and 🐶?

Yessss. Thank you for asking, anon! <3

👔 - How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style could probably be described as comfortable and inconsistent, lol. I am very particular about tactile sensations and physical contact, so not a fan of tight jeans or itchy clothes...or tags. >> My nemesis.

I’ve also started wearing crop tops since I got top surgery and fhousdahfoasd it’s so nice!! 10/10 highly recommend

🐶 - Do you own any pets? If not, do you have a dream pet?

I have two little animal companions in my family! Nutmeg, my two year old ball python, I have had since 2020. She was so teeny tiny and fit in the palm of my hand. When I initially met her, I was worried we’d both be scared, but she was super curious and I was very excited and we were immediately best friends.

Banana, my nine month old gray tabby, we found outside in the pouring rain under a banana tree (hence her name) two days after my top surgery. I got my surgical binder a little wet while we were trying to lure her out from under the tree and out of the rain, but she eventually came over to us and we took care of her. We tried to see if she was anyone’s kitten, but at the time, she was around six weeks old (and her mom was no where around, though we kept checking for her) so our options were to keep her or take her to the animal shelter.

So now we have two little fur and scale babies that we get to help take care of and teach new things to. <3

✨ - What are your top 3 current special interests?

Oooooo. Very good question, I like this one.

1. Naruto Shippuden

Pretty sure this is a permanent hyperfixation that’s always brrrring in the background of my brain. >>; Has been since 2006, so. Gonna assume that’s just how it is now.

2. Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

This is something I got interested in some time last year and it’s been an on and off interest depending on how much brain space I have available to learn new things. Taking time on it has helped a lot, so I’m just letting myself learn at whatever pace feels comfortable. It’s very cool and interesting once you get through the density of academic papers and overlapping/contradictory approaches to training methods.

3. Energetic Ecology & Trauma Healing

I’ve applied for an Energetic Ecology apprenticeship program twice and this year I was accepted! My therapist recommended practicing Reiki to me some time last year to work on healing the physical manifestations of my childhood and more recent traumas, but when I started doing research into it, I learned that Western Reiki is pretty far removed from the original Japanese practice and belief system it is implied to be based on.

I don’t feel comfortable learning practices from culturally appropriated belief structures and spiritual systems. I mean. That should probably be a general standard, but I digress. I found the School for Energetic Ecology, facilitated by a teacher of Indigenous Ainu, Japanese, and mixed European lineages with an emphasis on acknowledging the harm of cultural appropriation and learning about these practices with respect and reverence for the culture that bore them, and continues to use them.

Highly recommend doing this kind of research whenever you’re learning about something new, especially when it is a spiritual or cultural concept that has been Westernized or generally talked about by people that aren’t actually descendents of that culture.

[allzelemonz]

Mr. Mayor: Vlad Masters X NSG Reader

Decided to make it gender neutral despite the request because I love Vlad and I know other boys and enbys do too. Also made the reader Jack Fenton’s sibling because I think there’s a slap in the face situation part 2 later on.

Visiting your brother’s family was always great. Jack rambled on about something ghost related while Jazz caught you up on her academic successes and Maddie told you about the big new events you’d missed since visiting last. Your favorite part of the visit was taking Danny to hang out. Your nephew was your favorite, not that you’d ever say it out loud.

So taking Danny to the Nasty Burger to meet with his friends was right in your wheelhouse. Sam and Tucker seemed like really nice kids. You admired Sam’s taste in the weird things and Tucker’s understandable love for technology. In talking to the kids you remembered what Maddie had told you.

“So, the new mayor, not your favorite person?” You looked around at the high schooler's faces.

“He tried to make us wear school uniforms, started a curfew at four o’clock, and we almost lost the Nasty Burger.” Danny explained.

“Does he have some sort of vendetta against you or something?” You asked as you went to take a bite of a fry.

The teens looked at you skeptically. As if you knew something you weren’t supposed to.

“What?” You looked around. “Am I missing something?”

“He’s just a bad guy, that’s all.” Sam clarified.

“He’s the guy that’s been chasing after Danny’s mom since they were in college, other than that he never seemed that bad.” You set down the fry you were never going to get the chance to eat. “He and Jack always spent summers between semester doing stupid ghost expermments in th attic.”

“So you knew him before…” Danny stopped himself from finishing.

“Before?”

“Before college?” Tucker filled questioningly.

“Yeah, yeah, you knew him from when my dad went to college?”

“Not really.” You answered. “Just caught glimpses of him. I was in high school so I didn’t really pay attention to what Jack did.” You shrugged. “He seemed nice, but he stopped coming over so often for some reason.”

Once again the teens looked at each other as if they knew something special.

“All right, who wants to tell me?” You broke their little staring contest.

“Tell you what?” Tucker spoke in more of a series of squeaks rather than words.

“Yeah, there’s nothing to tell.” Sam covered.

You turned to Danny. “Nephew.”

He gulped and let out a nervous laugh. “It’s like Sam said, he’s just a really bad guy now.”

“Explain.”

The look of a disappointed (Aunt/Uncle/Auncle-This is the most common gender neutral term I’ve found) was something that could move mountains. Danny shifted in his seat clearly trying to come up with a convincing lie.

“Daniel, tell me.” You narrowed your brows and the kid looked white as a ghost.

Hold on, no. His hand was gone. The one that was resting on the table. Gone.

“Is this a ghost thing?” You asked.

Danny looked down at his hand and tried to play it off as if it was just a weird angle. It didn’t work. With all the nervous muttering and poorly formed excuses it was obvious they were lying.

“You’re half ghost?” It was hard to believe, but it was the only thing that the kids didn’t sound like they were lying about.

“Yes, just keep your voice down.” Danny warned. “Vlad is half ghost too, that’s how he became mayor and got all of his money.”

“So he’s bad because he played to his strengths?” You muttered to yourself.

You gathered up the trash around the table.

“Why don’t you introduce me to him, Danny. I’m sure he’s not that bad of a guy.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Sam chimed in.

“I may be related to Jack Fenton, but that doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.” You looked at Danny who seemed to forget that he could do ghostly things and was trying to hide in his shirt. “Come on, Danny.”

Reluctantly Danny left his friends to introduce you to his arch nemesis. A fourteen year old with an arch nemesis and it had to be your nephew. Town hall was busy, but that’s what town halls are like. Danny helped you walk through a few walls until you were outside of Vlad’s office. The fact that your nephew could just walk through walls was going to take some getting used to. Danny opened the door to see a rather handsome man sitting at a large desk with a fluffy white cat in his lap. He looked up at the sound of the door clicking open.

“Why Daniel, to what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice had a calming effect.

“My (Aunt/Uncle/Auncle) wanted to meet you.” Danny seemed tense in the way he spoke. “I’ll be at home.’ He muttered to you before leaving the room.

You closed the door as he left.

“Good to meet you Mr. Masters, I’m (Y/n), Jack’s (Brother/Sister/Sibling).”

“Oh, yes, I remember seeing you around.” Vlad recalled. “Please sit.”

You did so, taking the seat across from him.

“I wanted to meet you because I’d always been a fan of your work.”

“Oh, thank you, it's always nice to meet a fan.”

“And because I never got the chance to really meet you when you and Jack were friends.”

“I must say, I do regret not meeting you sooner.” Vlad leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands. The cat scurried away to a small tower by the window.

“Why did you and Jack stop talking?” You asked.

“Oh, college passed and we went separate ways.” He waved off the issues.

“That’s it?”

“Well, I used to have a bit of jealousy toward he and Maddie, but I feel it passing more and more with each word.”

“Each what?”

“Each day.” Vlad corrected himself.

“Right…” Your eyes wandered to the framed Packers jersey on his wall. “You’re a Packers fan?”

“Why yes.” Vlad smiled fondly at the jersey. “I’ve tried to buy the team itself, but no luck.”

“I’ve always been a bit of a fan, and I love the jersey.” You complemented.

“Say, would you like to accompany me to a game this season?”

You blushed red. A very attractive man just asked you to go to your favorite team's game.

“I, uh, I’d love to.”

“I have my own box, bottle service and all of the perks.” He bragged. “Afterall someone with your looks deserves nothing less.”

You let out a nervous half laugh. “Thank you, Mr. Masters.”

“Oh, please, Vlad.” He insisted.

“Right, Vlad.”

The name rolled off your tongue in such a pleasant way. Jack might kill you for this, but come on.

“If you’d like we go for dinner tonight as well.” Vlad offered.

“Sure.” You answered right away.

After having to interrogate Danny and his friends you realized you never really got to eat.

“Shall we then?” Vlad waited by you with his arm out to take.

You walked with him to a limo reserved just for the mayor. He sat next to you and gave great conversation. You discussed the Packers, politics of Amity Park, and personal preferences. Dinner was much of the same, but with more food. Vlad wasn’t like Danny had said. He was a gentleman. He may have acquired his money by not-so-legal means, but he was a nice guy.

The ride home was more conversation. Vlad bought the ticket to the game he’d promised and inquired about why you were in Amity Park.

“It was just time to visit, catch up with Jazz and Danny.” You explained. “I try to tune out Jack, he calls every week or so anyway.”

“And how long will you be staying in our fair city?”

“Around a week.”

“And I couldn’t persuade you to stay any longer?” Vlad offered.

“I, uh, I don’t know.” You thought. “Maybe.”

“There is a position open at city hall if it interests you.” He met your eyes. “I’d be happy to pull some string to keep you around.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” You nodded along.

You hadn’t noticed how close the two of you were. Until Vlad’s hand was already cupping your cheek. He gave you a moment to react before he leaned in and pressed your lips together. It was a sweet kiss, timid. As if he hadn’t done it in a long time.

You scooted closer to him on the seat and wrapped your arms around him, one of your hands finding his pony tail to play with. Vlad rested his other hand on your side and pulled you a bit closer. You pressed further and intensified the kiss. Vlad obliged and kept the pace, kissing you with as much passion.

The car came to a stop and made you both separate. Time was cut short.

“I suppose I’ll see you soon?”

“Of course.”

“Lunch tomorrow?”

“I’d love to.”

Vlad opened the door for you to step out and gave you one last smile before the car drove away. You were definitely going to see him again.

[metvmorqhoses]

i have a headcannon that voldemort never really “punishes” bella when she does something wrong, but his punishments to other death eaters are way way worse & so she’s obligated to act as if vold has given her a worse punishment than he actually has. not that she does a lot of things wrong as his “most faithful” though. i’m talking about the occasional slip up like the department of mysteries thing. had that been someone else, he probably would’ve harmed them more, let alone wouldn’t save then from some witch statue holding them down.

this is very true, anon. so true, in fact, i actually consider this much more a canon fact than mere speculation.

sorry if this is very long, but for every thousand of anti-bellamort idiots there must be a very precise bellamort’s defense attorney lol

correct me if i am wrong, but to my knowledge not once in the books a physical punishment coming from voldemort is ever mentioned in relation to bellatrix - and even if, let's be real, after his "rebirth" she became involved in literally the majority of the most crucial errors, the worst happenings ever, that ultimately brought to no less than his very downfall.

and yet, still, she came out of it all not only unscathed, but treated very specially.

even to a lazy reader, this should at least come across as peculiar.

let’s take the primary example of what i am saying, the battle of the department of mysteries.

just freed from azkaban and after being showered in honors and recognition, the first pivotal mission bellatrix was entrusted with was a damning fiasco.

true, it was not entirely her fault, lucius was in fact “in charge” of it, but let’s be real, do you really think voldemort sent his literal general with that malfoy dandy, his pupil, his most trusted and powerful lieutenant, just for company? just as a henchman? as i have always interpreted it, bellatrix was there to keep an eye on lucius, whose silver tongue was famously more apt to political plotting than to field missions.

voldemort wasn’t trusting lucius with the prophecy that had literally already meant almost death to him once, it would have been madness to. you can say anything about voldemort, but certainly not that he was an idiot.

i actually don’t think he ever trusted lucius at all. lucius had renounced him after his fall and didn’t manage to paint the fact as pragmatically as snape did, the cowardly aftertaste of his betrayal blatant and thoroughly disgusting on voldemort’s tongue. lucius’ status, family name, relations and wealth were just very useful for the movement and likely the only things that kept him in the high ranks of the regime (or alive at all) even before the fiasco, along with his marriage to bellatrix’s sister.

i am positive voldemort was in fact trusting bella to see the prophecy retrieved.

he probably didn’t officially put her in charge because she was still recovering from azkaban and therefore not completely stable or/and already with child (even if i tend to exclude the latter option, since she would have been still entirely too weak for a pregnancy to even take).

still, she was the one with the highest military rank there, not to mention the highest degree of closeness to voldemort, so you can bet she was the one that bore also the highest degree of moral obligation in that delicate situation. and she failed.

knowing voldemort, you would have expected to see killing curses flying left and right. had bellatrix been literally anyone else, she could have easily returned home to a murdered family and a pending death penalty.

instead, you see a voldemort that walks into the ministry of magic. you see a voldemort that, even already knowing the prophecy lost forever, renounces his every advantage and reveals himself once again to the wizarding world, moreover having to fight at the same time his very nemesis (nemesis that the mission should have helped him understand better and therefore defeat), dumbledore (the greatest wizard alive besides him) and soon the entirety of the aurors of britain.

what was exactly the reason that compelled him to enter such a nest of vipers, when he had been unwilling to do so in secrecy and surely in a highest degree of safety before and to retrieve the prophecy himself? to kill harry potter?

the very reason of the mission tells us he wasn’t sure about what to do with his potter dilemma and had therefore decided to have a more cautious, academical approach regarding the matter. he wanted to know the whole prophecy before trying again. he was frustrated and puzzled about harry’s absurd invincibility and insolent luck. do you really think he had decided to go for the hardest battle of his life unprepared and with dumbledore present of all people (whom he didn’t even directly kill afterwards) and possibly hundreds more on the way?

had voldemort suddenly turned from cold strategist to hotheaded kamikaze?

the only plausible answer is that voldemort had purposefully entered the ministry, risking capture and possibly his very life (or at least his newly created body, since at this point the horcruxes are still intact and a secret) and not knowing what exactly was there waiting for him, as a rather valiant rescue attempt and quite an unexpected one too.

bellatrix herself just moments before had laughed at the absurdity of the possibility of voldemort ever entering the place in response to harry’s questioning:

“Get it himself?” shrieked Bellatrix on a cackle of mad laughter. “The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?”

bellatrix herself believed it an impossible and ludicrous thought and yet, less than half an hour later and her life in jeopardy, there voldemort surely appeared.

you could speculate he wanted to save his most valuable, just freed death eaters and then couldn’t, but there’s no evidence of it in the chapter whatsoever. the only evidence points out to the fact he was focused only on saving bellatrix.

this is in fact what lucius tells his hunting party while harry and co are trying to escape the ambush:

Harry put his ear close to the door to listen and heard Lucius Malfoy roar: “Leave Nott, leave him, I say, the Dark Lord will not care for Nott’s injuries as much as losing that prophecy — Jugson, come back here, we need to organize! We’ll split into pairs and search, and don’t forget, be gentle with Potter until we’ve got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary — Bellatrix, Rodolphus, you take the left, Crabbe, Rabastan, go right — Jugson, Dolohov, the door straight ahead — Macnair and Avery, through here — Rookwood, over there — Mulciber, come with me!”

so, la crème de la crème of his high ranks is there and everyone is positive the only thing that voldemort would care about is the prophecy, even above captures and fatalities.

rabastan and rodolphus are also there and yet he doesn’t go for them.

he appeared when harry told bellatrix the prophecy was gone, specifically when bellatrix began to have a manic fit because of it, alone in the ministry’s atrium with harry.

“Potter, I am going to give you one chance!” shouted Bellatrix. “Give me the prophecy — roll it out toward me now — and I may spare your life!”

“Well, you’re going to have to kill me, because it’s gone!” Harry roared — and as he shouted it, pain seared across his forehead. His scar was on fire again, and he felt a surge of fury that was quite unconnected with his own rage.

“And he knows!” said Harry with a mad laugh to match Bellatrix’s own. “Your dear old mate Voldemort knows it’s gone! He’s not going to be happy with you, is he?”

“What? What do you mean?” she cried, and for the first time there was fear in her voice.

“The prophecy smashed when I was trying to get Neville up the steps! What do you think Voldemort’ll say about that, then?”

His scar seared and burned. . . . The pain of it was making his eyes stream. . . .

“LIAR!” she shrieked, but he could hear the terror behind the anger now. “YOU’VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME — Accio Prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY !”

Harry laughed again because he knew it would incense her, the pain building in his head so badly he thought his skull might burst. He waved his empty hand from behind the one-eared goblin and withdrew it quickly as she sent another jet of green light flying at him. “Nothing there!” he shouted. “Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that —”

“No!” she screamed. “It isn’t true, you’re lying — MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED — DO NOT PUNISH ME —”

“Don’t waste your breath!” yelled Harry, his eyes screwed up against the pain in his scar, now more terrible than ever.

“He can’t hear you from here!”

“Can’t I, Potter?” said a high, cold voice.

specifically, he appears behind bella when she starts to maniacally invoke him, almost as if they had a special mean of communication with each other even from considerable distance.

(here bella is afraid voldemort would punish her and i find the manner of it very interesting, we will come back to it later on)

voldemort was obviously furious the prophecy was lost, but again why risking his own life on top of it? was he perhaps concerned of bella’s mental state now that she knew she had failed and therefore her ability to flee/fight his very nemesis, dumbledore and the aurors?

normally, we would have expected voldemort to stay away and deal with the surviving death eaters later, leaving them to their deserved destiny (as he did with literally everyone else who was there).

instead we have:

“So you smashed my prophecy?” said Voldemort softly, staring at Harry with those pitiless red eyes. “No, Bella, he is not lying. . . . I see the truth looking at me from within his worthless mind. . . . Months of preparation, months of effort . . . and my Death Eaters have let Harry Potter thwart me again. . . .”

“Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!” sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort’s feet as he paced slowly nearer.

“Master, you should know —”

“Be quiet, Bella,” said Voldemort dangerously. “I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?”

“But Master — he is here — he is below —”

Voldemort paid no attention.

“I have nothing more to say to you, Potter,” he said quietly. “You have irked me too often, for too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!”

even when she literally has just lost his one mean to achieve his every goal of a lifetime, she is “bella”. even when we would expect him to tear her to pieces then and there, he had come to stand between her and harry.

the only reprimand she receives is a scowling “be quiet bella, i shall deal with you in a moment”, as you would speak in public with someone who is very close to you and you are very mad at, who shouldn’t let that closeness slip in public, especially now that she’s making you risk a lot to save her sorry ass.

i find this scene very comic, on top of everything else. voldemort is clearly so done and yet there he is, come to save his sobbing mess nevertheless.

the scene proceeds with dumbledore’s arrival, the duel and bellatrix trapped under the statue. during the duel and just after having trapped bella, we see a really curious exchange:

“You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore?” called Voldemort, his scarlet eyes narrowed over the top of the shield. “Above such brutality, are you?”

“We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom,”

Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to walk toward Voldemort as though he had not a fear in the world, as though nothing had happened to interrupt his stroll up the hall. “Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit —”

“There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!” snarled Voldemort.

“You are quite wrong,” said Dumbledore, still closing in upon Voldemort and speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks.

(...)

"Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness —”

what is this fate “worse than death”, these “other ways to destroy a man” that dumbledore wants for voldemort? we know how it all ended - with voldemort’s literal death, his very disintegration (after bellatrix’s very own). what was this all about then? this one i’ll let you decide for yourself. it’s certainly peculiar, considered the context.

voldemort doesn’t respond to this, he in fact seems very provoked and sends a killing curse at him.

at the end of the duel he disappears and everyone thinks he fled, bellatrix included, who cries out his name sobbing from under the statue.

he in fact, at that, goes straight to possess harry.

And then Harry’s scar burst open. He knew he was dead: it was pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance —

He was gone from the hall, he was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that Harry did not know where his body ended and the creature’s began. They were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape — And when the creature spoke, it used Harry’s mouth, so that in his agony he felt his jaw move. . . .

“Kill me now, Dumbledore. . . .” Blinded and dying, every part of him screaming for release, Harry felt the creature use him again. . . .

“If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy. . . .”

Let the pain stop, thought Harry.

Let him kill us. . . . End it, Dumbledore. . . . Death is nothing compared to this. . . .

And as Harry’s heart filled with emotion, the creature’s coils loosened, the pain was gone, Harry was lying facedown on the floor, his glasses gone, shivering as though he lay upon ice, not wood. . . .

And there were voices echoing through the hall, more voices than there should have been (...)

“...where’s Voldemort, where — who are all these — what’s —”

The Atrium was full of people. The floor was reflecting emerald- green flames that had burst into life in all the fireplaces along one wall, and a stream of witches and wizards was emerging from them. As Dumbledore pulled him back to his feet, Harry saw the tiny gold statues of the house-elf and the goblin leading a stunned-looking Cornelius Fudge forward.

“He was there!” shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at a pile of golden rubble on the other side of the hall, where Bellatrix had lain trapped moments before. “I saw him, Mr. Fudge, I swear, it was You-Know-Who, he grabbed a woman and Disapparated!”

“I know, Williamson, I know, I saw him too!”

this passage is ever so interesting to me, because dumbledore’s words appear to have somehow made voldemort “emotional”. they provoked him somehow. he didn’t laugh at them. he linked them to the worst pain imaginable and almost killed harry with it, posing a philosophical dilemma - if such pain is worse than death, if my life is worse than death, why don’t you put this boy out of his misery?

there’s no doubt in my mind “that pain” is voldemort’s pain. a pain intrinsically love-related. voldemort’s problems to accept/understand/feel love are the crux of the saga, his every villainy and pain. it’s so interesting that in this whole scene the train of events and thought have ultimately reached this topic (even in the movie love is mentioned here, harry literally fights the possession telling him he shall never have it).

voldemort was furious with bellatrix, feared for his plans and life and went to save her anyway. he is enraged beyond belief but puts himself between her and harry and dumbledore. while they duel, dumbledore traps bellatrix and lectures him about “other ways to destroy a man” and “worse things than death”. he absolutely hits a nerve. voldemort completely feels what he’s meaning, so much he wants to retaliate and mercilessly - he never wants to be forced to face such things, such emotions. i don’t think he’s trying to kill harry there, he’s trying to prove a point, to make them both understand how it feels to be him, how the whole concept of love feels to him. and the matter is addressed in a scene entirely built around bellatrix. in fact, finally he then grabs her, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves, and flees. he effectively saves her and her only.

to me this whole passage is directly linked to the famous scream at bellatrix’s death, and to the way the events leading to voldemort’s own death unfolded. that scream might very well be that “fate worse than death”. jkr loves parallels and to me this one is perhaps the most beautiful of the series.

this really proves, in my opinion, at what depth their relationship stands, absurdly perhaps much more abysmal on voldemort’s part than on bella’s.

anyways, i took the time to analyze this particular episode because it’s emblematic of their relationship and his way to deal with her disasters.

lucius would carry on his face the signs of this fiasco literally for the rest of the entire series. the malfoys would fall from grace because of it, probably alive only because of bella’s intercession. half of the death eaters who were present at the ministry would end up back in azkaban.

voldemort would end up defeated, furious and destined to die.

bellatrix would come out of it not only physically unscathed, but with voldemort’s child.

even when she again loses the trio at malfoy’s manor (along with the sword), everyone ends up physically tortured but her. she says she fears for her life if voldemort was to know she lost the sword, but it seems more a metaphor than an actual possibility. when the cup is stolen from her vault, he makes her leave the room before murdering everyone in it. she’s not present at dumbledore’s assasination, and that’s because she wasn’t disposable.

i don’t think physical punishments are involved in their relationship, or if they are they are very rare, and i don’t think voldemort’s reactions to her transgressions/wrongdoings are in tune with the way he reacts to everyone else’s.

bella can more than anyone with him and never really loses this status of utter closeness, no matter what she does.

this obviously doesn’t mean that voldemort is a saint with her or that he doesn’t occasionally punish her. this doesn’t mean she isn’t rightfully afraid of him.

yet, the main way i see him actually hurting bella is psychological torture and silent treatment.

and here we come back at what bella was sobbing at the ministry, her desperate “MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED — DO NOT PUNISH ME —”.

i don’t think a warrior, a general, a woman who remarkably survived 14 years at azkaban, would ever react this way to the mere fear of physical punishment, no matter how cruciatus curses hurt. i think she would have taken it as stoically as possible. thought she deserved it, even.

no, voldemort’s punishments must be unbearable to her, impossible to even fathom, because they involve falling from his graces, from the closeness she lives for. voldemort can serve bellatrix the cold, silent, disappointed treatment of a mentor and a lover, and have bellatrix literally rotting away because of it.

this is truly the worst thing he can do to her and the thing that had her sobbing and having a fit before harry at the mere idea of it.

this is also somehow confirmed when hermione, transformed in bellatrix, meets a death eater (i don’t remember who he was) before entering the gringott. he wasn’t surprised to see bella, well, alive and physically well, he was surprised to see her out of malfoy manor, where she was supposed to be confined.

so yes, definitely the way voldemort deals with bellatrix regarding punishments is special. everything regarding his way of treating bellatrix is, to be honest.

their relationship is written in such a subtle, beautifully twisted way. i adore it. the only problem is that because of it virtually no one ever connects the dots.

[vampiresuns]

The Radošević-Cassano | Lore & Palazzo Inspiration

Some lore for the untitled geese family of Vesuvian High Society. As per usual, the family tree is here. With a quick run down on mostly everyone.

✴︎ General Headcanons

I call them the Radošević-Cassano because I keep Anatole in the centre of the family tree, and much of the Arcana lore I have revolves around him. This isn’t because everything is about him, but because he is the original OC, and hence the place all of this lore comes from.

In reality the Cassano of Vesuvia (how they’re actually known as) are an old Vesuvian family.

They hold no nobility titles, they’re just old, ingrained with the City, and simply have money. The surname Cassano isn’t that old, they’ve probably been the Cassano for less than what they’ve held the Consulship for, only having been known in this way since the last 300 to 250 years, give or take.

They’ve had a hold of the Consulship for a little longer than that. No one actually knows how they ended up with the Consul’s office.

Not even the Cassano themselves. There’s many rumours and the story itself is kind of a local legend at this point. No one remembers because sometimes stories are just oral tradition. Sometimes they just get lost. That’s how it is.

The Cassano surname comes from... a first name actually. Consul Cassano ruled Vesuvia in lieu of the Count they were Consul for, while said Count’s children grew up, becoming old enough to rule themselves.

They are a multicultural, multiethnic family. Different branches have different cultural backgrounds.

Yet their unity steams from 1. being the Addams Family of Vesuvia 2. The Consulship. A way for them to protect themselves versus other Courtiers down for their own power-grabs, or nobility which do not like that these respected and well known family have no titles made them create a network (inside and outside of the family) that allows them to protect themselves and their political position.

For a Cassano, it is not social standing which matters. It is political standing.

They’ve been friends with the Radošević family (less remarkable and less old) for around six or seven generations. The Radošević are the Addams Family of Balkovia. Fish, Water.

Both families favour cultivating a career, craft or academic pursuit. It doesn’t matter what at least you pursue it honestly.

Speaking of honest pursuits, one of their secrets for enduring is rejecting arranged marriages. Convenience marriages are one thing, if mutually consented by the future spouses, arranged marriages however are a recipe for owing other families favours. It helps get rid of families who simply want to marry with them solely because they’re interested in the political position.

Important things for both these families are: authenticity, professionalism (they do not conceive not working, hoarding land, property and wealth aren’t actual jobs), ambition, creativity, survival, fraternity and resourcefulness. Both of the families are very communal between each other, acting as extensions of each other way before they married between them.

They follow three principles: 1. Whatever happened to you, whatever life shot at you, you survived. A Cassano-Radošević is nothing if not enduring 2. Sometimes conventional problems needed to be solved through unconventional means. They are nothing if not resourceful. 3. What happens to one of us, happens to all of us. They are nothing if not community driven.

This sometimes made them out of touch with other parts of Vesuvian High-Society, especially certain kind of Noble families. I hc that the Consul is the link between the Count and the City, and is meant to represent the City in front of the Count. The Cassano have a very tightly knit relationship with the City, and while their position of privilege is undeniable they are more aware of the social condition and estate of the City than others of their same social circles.

Their tendency to work for the City in a usually self-less manner (which is encouraged), using their position to help others instead of stepping over them, coined the underlying belief that the Cassano are protectors of Vesuvia. They are the last line between something which wishes to harm the City and the people of Vesuvia. This is something which Anatole specially takes very seriously.

Other sayings or beliefs around them are: “Good Counts make their Consuls their friends, while Good Consuls have a Happy Marriage in their beds.” Given how long they’ve hold the Consul’s office, it is better for Vesuvian Counts (regardless of their origin) to befriend them rather than go against them. The second part stems from the Cassano tendency to marry for love, not out of arranged marriages.

“Nothing mortal can kill a Cassano” this began as a joke, simply because they’re a really sturdy family. While they were very close to disappearing in more than one occasion, they simply keep on living. They’re very petty about their vitality. This belief gets reaffirmed during any of the apprentice timelines, but also because of Valerian Cassano’s (Anatole’s great grandfather) longevity.

Few of them believe in the Arcana as a belief system, though a bunch of them are familiar with tarot. There’s a tendency to generate Death and Hierophant beneficiaries the most. The Radošević while not following the Arcana at all, and most of them being unfamiliar with them, have a tendency to generate beneficiaries of The Lovers, Strength and Magicians.

“When Death marries a Star nothing will bring that marriage down” comes from the most notorious Cassano marriages being between Death and Star beneficiaries, with the Star beneficiaries usually being foreign. Examples of this are Amparo Mediavilla (Star) and Vitale Cassano, former Consul (Death), Stelarius Cassano (former Consul, Death) and spouse (Star), and recently Amparo Cassano (Death) and Portia Devorakova (Star).

Magic in the family, manifesting in given individuals is rare, but not unseen. The Cassano seem to be coated by a halo of magical energy but not display magical abilities themselves for the most part. Some exceptions are Amparo Mediavilla, Lucenzo Cassano, Valerian Cassano, one of Florentino’s (Anatole’s grandfather) brothers – Nemesi Cassano, Amparo Cassano, Vlad Radošević (son of a Cassano, and Anatole’s father), Aelius Anatole Radošević, and Artemisia Cassano, sibling of Amparo.

People with magical abilities in the family tend to keep it reserved from the general public. The reasons vary. 

While the Cassano Personality is strong and produces an inter-generational imprint, the Cassano genes are not that strong. No one is entirely sure what a ‘Cassano face’ looks like because of their multicultural background, but apparently they all have expressive eyebrows.

However, most of the Cassano stand in the same way (the way Valerius stands). Valerius, Anatole, his father, Florentino, Amparo, Artemisia, Cassiopeia, and others all stand in the same way.

✴︎ The Radošević

They’re not that different from the Cassano. Can be described as a “A family of survivors, eccentrics, patrons of the arts, inventors and scientists. A family of academics full of anxieties about the world surrounding them, whose sorrows were scars they rarely showed. Private yet with an extensive, and international, circle of acquaintances who deemed them all charmingly strange on their best days; prideful, analytic, often with a drink in hand.”

The Cassano can be described in a similar way, they’re different manifestations of the same core after all. Other than them being the Addams family of the fantasy Balkans, there’s no much to add to them besides what I’ve already said.

While the most distinctive Cassano trait is probably spite, the most notorious Radošević trait is rage. Rage is easier than grief and they’ve all had complicated relationships with life. They are not violent or toxic as a family, however. While they are not perfect, it seems of little use to them to mistreat those who are in the same boat as you, going through the same hardships.

Probably the some of the most interesting people in this family are Elysian Radošević, Anatole’s great grandmother, a partisan, Neuma Radošević a famous painter, and well, Valeriy “Valerius” Radošević. This is my personal HC in the julesverse, but Valerius has more of a Radošević personality than a Cassano personality.

Anatole would be a nice mix of both of them, which is catalysed by his mother, Louisa De Silva.

As an aside, Anatole has his father’s and uncle’s brows, his father’s eyes, and while his face bone structure is a toss up, he has his mother’s lips and nose. He also has his mother’s hips and legs.

The Radošević have a vineyard in fantasy Istria. No, it’s not Valerius’ vineyard.

One of the reasons why Anatole would refuse all kind of title (and so would his uncle, actually, despite the way he acts) is because having a nobility title is one of the few reasons for your Balkovian citizenship to be revoked. Nobility has been abolished in Balkovia for decades, and it’s not making a comeback.

✴︎ The Palazzo

The Palazzo Cassano is where the star mark is. It is 12 minutes away from the Palace, and 18 minutes way from Goldgrave. It is one of the few properties the family has, and probably the most important.

For years, it has been open to the Vesuvian Public who, with previous appointment, might need its resources, such as the music room or the Cassano Library. Like I said before, the Cassano do not think owning things is a job, and like I said before they encourage finding an actual occupation, whatever it might be. Other properties tied to the Cassano, including the Radošević-Cassano, are: Mircea’s and Florentino’s house in Balkovia (Anatole’s grandfather’s), the Radošević Vineyard, Valerius’ vineyard, Blasio’s house (Milenko’s grandfather), Milenko’s apartment, Vlad’s and Louisa’s townhouse in Balkovia, where Anatole grew up, and Paris’ shop + apartment, as she leaves it to Amparo, Milenko and Anatole. 

The Palazzo holds a series of invaluable collections, from books, artefacts, painting, sculptures, swords and others. They are long standing patron of the arts, who sustain themselves on social connectivity, so it is not unheard of them sustaining balls for these purposes every now and then. The Palazzo is meant to be able to house the majority of the family in somewhat comfortable terms. It’s most famous room, is it’s winter garden, which is open to the Public on certain days.

The Palazzo does not have permanent staff. It’s an oddity. The only permanent positions are the one of personal secretary of the Consul — not a valet, not a servant — and the Chef. Most of the staff is divided in shifts.

The Palazzo doesn’t have a housekeeper, only a housekeeper assistant. The Palazzo housekeepers are Batiste Cassano (sister of Florentino, Anatole’s grandfather), Iris Ravella (Amparo’s parent), and post-game Valerius.

Some of the OC families they’re related to are the Ventura, the family of two high-priests in one of Vesuvia’s temples, the Valperga (Valerian’s family), a number of Venterrean family’s, the Radošević (obviously), and the Ravella, among others. All these families are part of the julesverse.

Canon families they are related to include the Devoraks, the Satrinava (Milenko, while not a Cassano by blood is a Cassano by upbringing, and the Cassano include all the Radošević as their own), and the Alnazar. 

As an addition, when @apprenticealec​ and I merge worlds, they are also related to the Parsa D’Orias, as they are to the El-Saieh, but they belong to @ilyamatic​.

The story of how they ended up with the Palazzo stirs as much rumours as how they ended up with the Consulship, but the truth is way less exciting. It came with the position, and they deliberately altered the papers so from Grant of the Count, became their own. It was finders keepers. The Palazzo is inspired by different buildings in different parts of the world, but primarily, it’s outside is inspired by the Palazzo Papadopoli, in Venice, Italy, the Palazzo Ca d’Oro, and Ca Dario

Here are some pictures of different things it takes inspiration from:

The Palazzo has a back door, which leads to a minor street — the lovers and close friends door — inspired by the Palazzo Bembo- Boldù. The only way to open this door is from the inside. To ring it, you have to turn the knob three times to the right.

Thank you for reading these untitled geese family lore ❤️

[aurorawest]

3, 13, 45 for the ask thing if you’re willing?

3. name three favorite writers

This is like, 3 writers I like, haha. I can never narrow down favorites. But—China Mieville, NK Jemisin, and Patricia C Wrede.

13. hardest character to write

answered here!

45. share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

Professor Loki Odinson, medievalist, is turning his life around. He’s moving to New York, leaving Chicago and all his baggage behind. Well, most of his baggage. He’s taking a job at NYU, where it just so happens that his nemesis, Stephen Strange, is employed. The two of them study the same medieval manuscript and have been at each other’s throats, via academic article, for years. Loki can’t wait to take him down and finally prove himself superior. They’ve never met face to face. Loki has no idea what Strange looks like.

During the drive to New York, he gets what he’s sure is a sign that things are looking up. He stops for gas in the middle of nowhere and strikes up a conversation with a handsome stranger. There’s an immediate connection, and Loki really seriously doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but there’s something special about the man. There’s no point in getting his name or number, though. They’re ships passing in the night, and Loki takes it for what it is: a sign that he’s still got it, and a portent of good things to come in New York.

Then he meets Stephen Strange at NYU.

Stephen Strange is the handsome man from the gas station that Loki was half in love with by the time he pulled back onto I-80.

Shit.

The two of them do their best to stay away from the other, but soon, circumstances throw them together. Before they know it, they’re embroiled in a mystery about the very object the two of them study. Even though it feels life or death to Loki, it’s really not...until it is.

(this is my Froststrange Academia AU. as a pitch in a query letter it would be way too long lol)

Thank you so much for asking!!

asks for fanfic writers

[galwaygremlin]

Special Edition of SoC Autistic Headcanons: Kuwei Yul-Bo

because @ellayulbo is a total sweetheart and because I wanted to.

so we already know Kuwei is not the best at communication due to a big ol language barrier between himself and the Ketterdam crew

but his struggles to express himself in a way the others can understand are very common to autistic experiences

he’s also easily (and frequently) underestimated

he’s deeply passionate about his father’s work (which becomes his work) and he couldn’t give a rat’s fart about anything else

socially awkward enough to think the only way to get his crush to kiss him is by pretending to be his crush’s crush (buddy there are simpler ways to get an adhd gremlin like Jesper Fahey to notice you)

academics 100 street smarts -2000

doesn’t like to talk much according to Jesper

a lot of parallels to Wylan who I strongly hc as autistic

Bo Yul-Bayur designed parem as a way to keep Kuwei safe. that’s as powerful as it is flawed to me- a parent who wanted to protect his kid at all costs because that kid was different and would be attacked for being different. as ick as it is to make parallels from hiding Grisha powers to relatives of autistic people forcing us to hide who we are, the intent is similar- protection. 

on to the actual hcs, we are departing from canon land and entering the unknown wastes of my mind, please fasten your seatbelts and keep all limbs tentacles and other accessories inside the car at all times

Kuwei sticks to certain people. you know the comfort person/anchor you have when you go out (yeah I know this is not a universal experience, bear with me)? he does that

despite the repression that must have happened while living in the Shu Han, I bet he’s fascinated with fire and loves whipping out his Inferni skillz at every opportunity (both for Science Purposes and because fire pretty)

Anxious Boi

emotions knock him out for days. does the whole volcano routine- let everything build and pile up until one thing sends you into a meltdown

OH autistic burnout. get it. because he’s an Inferni. it’s a mETAPHOR- no but jokes aside I do think he’d be prone to this based on the way he handles stress and the number of projects/amount of stress he takes on

terrible sense of humor (relatable content right here y’all)

when not in The Zone, could distract this boy with anything. when in The Zone, could not shake his focus if you hit him with a large rock

I probably put this for Wylan too, but Kuwei is the type to forget to eat/sleep/hygiene like me

as for sensory input, I don’t think he’d have a lot of texture issues, but sound is a big one. likes visual stimuli but can get overwhelmed if there’s too much to look at.

executive dysfunction is his nemesis

[crusherthedoctor]

In the Hall of the Would Be King

“Hmm...”

“No, that won't work...”

“Too similar...”

“Not using another brainless monster, not without a catch...”

“If I can find another Conch... Nah...”

“I could just steal the Master Emerald again...”

"Maybe I can use Metal's copied data samples for something...”

"Refine the Slow-Down Shoes perhaps...?”

In his newest lab, surrounded by faint darkness, the aspiring conquerer was hard at work on a new plan to ensure his domination... or at least, he would be hard at work, if he didn't have schemer's block. Though the doctor had many ideas circling around in his head, he dismissed each of them for one reason or another, having taken their chances of working out - or lack thereof - into account. Needless to say, he was not in the cheeriest of mindsets as a result.

“Maybe a virus would do the trick, I haven't tried that sort of method before...” Eggman mused to himself, tapping his pencil idly against the desk where his currently empty sheets of paper were positioned. Normally his papers would be used up with elaborate thoughts and schematics, but this was not the case today. Not a single bullet point or diagram could be found on any of them. He frowned as he stroked his chin in thought. “But such a thing would take ages to prepare, and it could easily escape my control if I'm not careful... bah...”

He lightly tossed his pencil aside, and he slumped on his chair, his wide moustache drooping just a little. He hated it when his imagination came to a road block. Not just because it meant he couldn't be productive with his time and brainwaves, but also because it would pave the way instead for more time to reflect on... him.

He tiredly rubbed his hairless cranium at the mere thought of that meddlesome hedgehog, the one who had thwarted his expertly devised plans, and his immaculately constructed machines, every single time, for what felt like generations. Everything about that hedgehog bothered him to no end. His ridiculous face, his endless taunting, his undeserved luck... How he loathed him so... And how he loathed those irritating theories spread about how he secretly liked him and would regret defeating him for good.

Absolute nonsense, he thought, with a loud bristle of his 'stache. Far as he's concerned, any respect towards the hedgehog is purely on an academic level, directed towards his power and the admittedly entertaining challenge he brings. On a personal level, he wants nothing less than to see his cocky mug six feet under at the bottom of the ocean, and that will never change one iota. He may like his fun, but he's always been serious about obtaining his empire. Why would he go out of his way to postpone his own victory?

“Confound that Sonic,” Eggman quietly muttered, a sneer visibly planting itself on his face. “No matter what I whip up, the conclusion remains the same. How does he always win? What is it I'm missing...? What miscalculation...”

True, he had underestimated his nemesis a couple of times in the past, and the same applied to the hedgehog's increasing number of colorful aquaintances. But he's gotten wiser over time, on top of his already established scientific brilliance, so why did Sonic remain the eternal victor even now?

The doctor scoffed, as he crossed his arms in a muted huff. Surely it couldn't be because of all those friends the hedgehog had. Not when half of his victories were on his own. Not when Eggman himself had far more resources than all of them combined. Not when half the time, Knuckles was on his side, although to be fair, that trick stopped working quite a while ago. And yet... Sonic does always go on about how friendship is everything to him... That's why he's always spouting drivel about teamwork, right?

Maybe the argument of strength in comrades had some degree of logic to it, even if only a little. Sonic's closest sidekick does share a similarly impressive IQ, though still considerably below the doctor's own, in his generous and humble opinion. Since he entered the scene, Tails had always been making planes, ships, and all other sorts of technological doodads, and though they would rarely rival the sheer scale of Eggman's own contraptions, the fox boy's expertise in his own right could not be denied. Though he despised the fox just as much as he did the fox's idol, Eggman could admit that with Tails, he would always be guaranteed an intellectual back and forth. More than can be said for Sonic, who preferred to speak in outdated catchphrases that he could never comprehend the utter inanity of.

Eggman's sneer loosened, as he contemplated further, though it didn't disappear entirely. His biggest dream had always been to be recognised as the best and most beloved genius there ever was. Yet for all his efforts, everyone feared and hated him, because what, he fires a missile at the occasional city? He corrupts the occasional alien species into violent monsters? He pays the occasional media to publicly slander the hedgehog and his friends? Meanwhile, that loathesome piñata of spines was always the one who gained everyone's love and respect with minimum effort... the love and respect that belonged to him.

Why couldn't anyone on this entire globe see that he should be the one everyone should idolize. That he should be the one everyone should parade around like a reclaimed treasure. That he should be the one everyone wants to be friends with-

“How's the plan coming along, doc?”

“BUZZ OFF.”

“Alright then, see ya,” Cubot casually mumbled with a salute, as he left the room as quickly as he entered it.

He turned his head back to his empty papers, very much agitated. His mood was always at its worst when Sonic was on the brain, to the surprise of few. So what if Sonic was the world's fastest thing alive? Eggman was the world's greatest scientist alive. Making new innovations and paving the way for a better future (from a certain point of view) was far more worthy of high esteem than simply running around with your arms outstretched like an airplane. Stupid animal, wrecking apart his glorious monuments of technology like they're nothing.

Still, what monuments of technology they were...

He thought back to when he created the Egg Dragoon, and how he and Sonic - in an alternate and frankly bizarre form - duked it out towards the heart of the world. Despite the outcome being the same as most of their battles, he looked back fondly on the memory, if only because he remained proud of that particular creation in spite of its untimely demise. Why wouldn't he? It had more weapons than you could shake a ring at, its design was awe-inspiring without compromising its practical purposes, AND it could withstand the extreme temperatures of the planet's core with no issue whatsoever. It was one of his biggest breakthroughs, and this was a man who considered everything he ever made a breakthrough.

Well, almost everything. The Egg Dealer was made on an off day.

His lips curled into a smile, and he rested his legs on his desk, crossing them after the fact. As he clasped his hands by his rotund chest, he lifted his mood back up as his thoughts shifted from his enemy to his achievements. He was so delighted to finally bring Eggmanland to life that same day. He never quite decided on what exactly he wanted it to be as the years went by - one day it would be a city, the next day it would be a theme park - but when it finally went under construction, he was more than happy with the results by jamming all his ideas for it together. Sonic may have ultimately conquered it, but at least he got to see his much longed paradise in the metallic flesh for a brief moment... and it certainly wasn't an easy endeavor for the accursed pincushion regardless. He made sure of that much.

The Death Egg was another one he always had a soft spot for, no matter how many times Sonic sent it plummeting. It was the doctor's first project of such a scale, and its design remained emblematic of everything the mad scientist stood for... himself, and nothing else. Simplicity can do just fine sometimes. He laughed merrily as he recalled all his additional Death Eggs, and all his additional spacecraft that might as well have been the Death Egg, like the Cosmic Angel, and the Egg Utopia. He always did like the view from space... mainly because he got to look over what he considered his kingdom.

Sonic always questioned how he constantly had the money to make all his material, particularly his intimidating doomsday devices, and his consistently oversized fortresses. Alas, that would remain his secret. But who said he was shortsighted enough to only have a single means of obtaining his investments...? For all his childish habits, he was remarkably shrewd when it came to maintaining his finances. He would certainly hope so, that's for sure. What sight would be more embarrassing than a revolutionary without a penny?

And of course, there was Metal Sonic. Still one of his finest inventions to date, and track record of defeats aside, time and advancements have only reaffirmed that in a way. He remembered how unashamedly excited he was when he first witnessed his prized subject in action, particularly after witnessing its raw speed, having realised he had successfully created something that would give even its flesh and blood copy a run for his money in the very field he prided himself on. There was a reason that whereas other models and units came and went, Metal always remained by his side. He was undoubtedly a special robot to Eggman, and questionable though it may be, he eventually grew to see Metal as something of a son... Ironic, given who he was based on.

In fact, in retrospect, Eggman couldn't even bring himself to reflect that angrily on the Egg Fleet takeover, for as utterly humiliating as the experience was for him at the time, it at least validated the genius of Metal's programming, and how it brought the copycat's power to new heights.

Not sure what his appearance was going for at the time, though. That was a bit too tacky even for him to stomach. And you know, a betrayal's a betrayal, so he still had to be taught a lesson. He was only slightly more forgiving when it turned out that Metal had simply overloaded with all that power, as opposed to him actively calculating to upstage his master. He made sure that wouldn't happen again if the robot underwent any future upgrades... both the overloading and the poor fashion sense.

Even so, Metal was a testament to artificial intelligence, and a pinnacle of robotics. The doctor leaned back on his chair once more, cackling some more, followed by a sigh of satisfaction. He's made so many great things over the years, hasn't he? Of course he has. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be Ivo Robotnik, would he?

Suddenly, he paused, as his own surname flashed through his mind.

And with that soon came the memory of a different Robotnik altogether. That being, of course, his long departed grandfather.

His face quickly changed once again, this time neither happy nor angry.

Instead... there was conflict.

Once upon a time, he had nothing but praise for the memory of Gerald Robotnik, citing him as the inspiration to try his own hand at the world of science in the first place. Bloodline aside, perhaps it was no coincidence that they looked so strikingly alike. As a kid, he never actually saw Gerald in person, as the latter's occupation meant he was constantly hard at work on the latest concept that would revolutionize the world. Even so, he knew how amazing he was, and he admired all the intellectual prowess that he showed in his lifetime, even if he didn't particularly care for the whole "benefit of mankind" side of it.

But after that incident aboard the A.R.K... his thoughts weren't quite the same since then. He hated having to team up with that wretched hedgehog in order to ensure he had a world to conquer, as the one thing a genius like him hates more than even Sonic is having no control over anything. But his resentment over the incident went deeper than that. He still admired Gerald's intelligence, and still pointed to it as what led to the man that he is today, but the idea that his own grandfather may not have given a second thought about his own extremely gifted grandson's demise in the fallout of the A.R.K's collision course... was not an easy reality for him to consider. Even if they never met each other per say, did he really mean that little to Gerald?

And all because of his despair over Maria, the other grandchild...

The lesser one, Eggman thought bitterly, as he clenched his fist on the desk in a deceptively tranquil fit of stress. While Gerald was always too busy for young Ivo (and come to think of it, so were his parents, though that didn't matter as much), he had all the time in the world for Maria. Supposedly because of some illness or other that he dedicated his life to finding a cure for... but still, why did he hold her up high on a pedestal so much? Granted, Eggman never knew his cousin that well either, but what did she do to deserve it? SHE wasn't the one who made advanced automations during their school years, and anyway, if it hadn't been for her, Gerald wouldn't have gone insane and came close to wiping HIM from existence.

The doctor had no physical memorabilia of his grandfather, and it was always a secret desire to have at least one photo, no matter how old. But he also realised that even if he had one, it would have a likely chance of including the golden-haired child right beside him. For the sake of not having to witness the apparent bias at work, that was not designed in his own favor, perhaps it was for the best.

As he slumped further on his egg-shaped chair, he recalled to his own misfortune that it wasn't simply Maria on her own. By all accounts, Gerald seemed to favor another child over him as well... his pet project, to be exact. The Ultimate Lifeform.

The doctor's feelings on Shadow were every bit as messy, complicated, and a touch regretful. On one hand, he hated Shadow just like the rest. For making a fool out of him and causing the A.R.K. fallout to begin with, and for subsequently going on to join G.U.N. and oppose him alongside all those other anthropomorphic piles of sassy misery... along with that worthless traitor, E-123 Omega. His entire routine with the Shadow Androids was in part an act of petty revenge, to make the black hedgehog feel like a fool himself. An eye for an eye, as they say.

But at the same time... it didn't have to be this way. Eggman was perfectly aware that Shadow wasn't entirely on a different wavelength from him. Despite their dissimilar attitudes, their views were often in-tune with each other, and if there's one thing Eggman likes, it's when someone agrees with him wholeheartedly. They were both smart, and they could both see the grander picture. Not to mention their somewhat familial relation, even if they weren't literally related by blood. They agreed that the world had its issues, and the situation with Gerald was something that caused problems for both of them. It was also no secret that Shadow wasn't necessarily on buddy ol' pal terms with Sonic, especially when compared to the likes of the pink hedgehog, whose endless fawning never ceased to evade the doctor's approval and understanding. By all means, Shadow would understand Eggman's need for control, right...? Would he not take up the offer to help spread that control, and purge the world and beyond of all that could stand in the way of progression...?

No, it would seem not. Shadow considered Eggman's ideas a step too far into the realm of moral depravity (and perhaps absurdity), and never hesitated to inform him of that in blunt terminology. In Shadow's eyes, Eggman may be Professor Gerald's successor, but deep down, he was more comparable to Black Doom. Nothing more than scum in its purest form. At least, that was the impression that the doctor was given ever since the Ultimate Lifeform switched sides.

Is it possible... If he were still alive, and had he not gone off the deep end...

Would Gerald have felt the same way as his creation...?

Would he have disapproved of his grandson's actions...?

Would he have cast doubt on the path he's chosen in life...?

...Hmph. Who cares. What does it matter, when he ended up hardly a perfect bastion of selflessness either...

Eggman sighed to himself, born out of simultaneous acceptance and resignation. After all the time that had passed since the incident, it was still as clear as yesterday to him. He was forced to learn that day that for all his strengths, Gerald Robotnik was flawed like any other being... and those flaws came at Eggman's own expense, which was the important thing. He rested his elbows on his desk with his uniquely shaped head in his hands, almost prepared to sleep the night away to escape the depressing reality surrounding his childhood hero's shortcomings. No one was perfect, except himself.

Besides, he reasoned. Even Gerald apparently failed to unlock the mystery of the Ethereal Zone...

………...

………...

………...

Wait.

Wait.

Eggman slowly raised his head, as if a light bulb inside had just been set to maximum. His body tensed up. There was no obvious emotion on his face, and yet the glint in his glasses seemed to shine that little bit more as he processed his fresh revelation. After a brief period of uneasy silence, sitting as still as a statue...

He catapulted from his chair without warning, and almost broke the door open to the right of his lab with his surprising strength, revealing a flight of stairs that descended into the unknown. He rushed down the stairs like a madman, his feet gliding faster than all those times he escaped the blue hedgehog on foot, yet he did not stumble for a second, for despite his sudden frantic behaviour, he was very much focused. He went further and further down, the shadows below inviting him to continue the path that suggested great promise... or damnation.

Though he would have taken the time to admire the gargantuan portraits of himself on the walls in any other instance, each of them in their own over-enthusiastic poses, he neglected to take a moment to do even that, such was the speed of his feet as well as his brain. When he finally got to the bottom, he slammed a second door wide open, which revealed what appeared to be a personal library of sorts, filled to the brim with notes and publications about a wide variety of subjects that, with a few exceptions, nonetheless pertained mostly to science and history. Even in this personal library, a magnificent golden statue of his own self stood tall in the middle of the room, its muscular arms holding up the roof as if it were the mighty Atlas, complete with a flattering six pack that was, let's say, visually ambiguous on the real doctor's own person.

Eggman scanned the rows of books to no end, his concealed eyes darting left and right at a speed worthy of his nemesis. He sprinted towards the row furthest on the left, starting from A and working from there. Most of his books were made by a certain author that he was very familiar with, right down to inhabiting his body, but he possessed some of the late Gerald's documents as well here and there. The more he thought about it, there was that one that he never got around to reading. He had obtained it way back in the day... must have been around the time of the Flicky Island siege... but if he remembered the cover correctly, he was absolutely certain it related to what just clicked in his head. It wasn't about the Ultimate Lifeform, or his Prototype, or the Chaos units, or the Black Arms, or the Gizoid, or even the A.R.K. itself… it was something else entirely, of which he only knew the name of. And though Gerald's pursuits were often connected to each other, this one might have been before all that...?

“Is there something you need, doctor?” asked the timely arrival of Orbot, as he made his own way down the stairs in a mild hurry. “I heard a spot of noise a moment ago, and...”

He already concluded that the doctor wasn't listening, as he was much too focused on finding that one book. He paced along the aisles like a hungry tiger, yet his eyes were glancing up and down repeatedly, faster and faster. It wasn't in the A aisle, wasn't in the B aisle, nor in the C aisle, or the D... Wisp books... Little Planet books... cooking books... where was it, he thought to himself in a jumbled combination of giddiness and frustration that frequently clashed with each other by the second. He gritted his teeth slightly. Where was that one blasted book. He swore to himself that if Cubot lost it, or if he placed it out of alphabetical order in the wrong aisle - even by the second letter - then he would gladly rearrange his scrapped remains into a Dreamcast so functional that he could play Skies of Spagonia on-

...No. That won't be necessary. Not today. For it finally came into view, in the G aisle, thankfully the correct placement in this case. Fitted tightly between the sleeper hit of “The Games of Dr. Eggman”, and the somewhat rarer “The Glory of Man: An Ivo Robotnik Story”, sat one lone book... a hefty one from the looks of it, even compared to those by its immediate left and right. Using the uncanny length of his right arm, he effortlessly picked it out, its weight resulting in no visible strain on his part. Not even a second into looking at the cover, he could already tell for sure that this was the very one, as it was marked with a rather beautiful array of different colours, almost every colour of the rainbow at that. It was capped off with sharp white outlines that appeared to resemble translucent crystals, each complex outline forming a circle all together, like the shining rays of the sun. The title, in thick white bold, was upfront about its subject:

The Gems of Heaven, by Professor Gerald Robotnik A study of Viridonia and its phenomena

Without a word, he scrambled through the pages, not giving the slightest concern towards the proud history of this region, nor its sights, nor its cultures... only one thing was on his mind, which was already beginning to make a sinister calculation even at this primordial moment. Flashes of colour were passing through the pages, with photos so awe inspiring that anyone else would have taken a moment to savor… Until at last, his speedy page turning came to a very abrupt halt. It was as if time itself grieved. He found the part he was looking for... to the unknown regret of the rest of the population...

“Is something wrong?” Orbot asked, more timidly this time. He was facing the back of his creator, and he had no idea what mood he was in, though given what he overheard earlier at Cubot's expense, he could have made an easy guess. The master still didn't respond, what with his intense fixation on what he was reading. Despite the plentiful amount of pages dedicated to the chapter in question, his mental process was breezing through it. His eyes finally slowed down, and he took the time to read it through a second time, though still rather quickly compared to that of the average person.

All of a sudden, he closed the book shut. It made a notable echo in the room, enough to make his servant flinch. His shoulders rose a single time, then relaxed back down, as if a weight had been lifted off of them.

“Doctor...?”

“We have work to do,” Eggman finally answered. His voice was calm... uncharacteristically so. “A lot of work. Perhaps I shall rebuild some old friends to help us out... In the meantime, set a course for Viridonia, immediately.”

“Viridonia? Never heard of that one... whatever, got it,” Orbot complied without argument. “Let's just hope Sonic doesn't obtain another new pesky friend to his collection when he inevitably catches on to us, hmm?” He was about to head back upstairs, but he hesitated for a moment, and raised a finger as he turned back to the doctor. “You are okay though, right doctor?”

Eggman stood still for a few seconds, though Orbot could see his head raising ever so slightly. He slowly turned to the robot's direction, counter clockwise... and with it, a perfect grin on his face. Orbot had seen that maniacal grin so many times before, so surely he would be used to it... Yet in his heart of circuits - maybe it was due to how it glistened in the shadows - he could immediately sense that something was off with this one... more than usual anyway... He didn't like it.

This was it, the scientist thought.

With uncontested proof, everyone would at last be left with no argument, as they finally witness the day.

The day he officially surpasses his grandfather to the world.

Even if the world has to suffer for it.

“Never felt better.”

[go-diane-winchester]

New question:  Why do I dislike Misha and his fans?

@super-who-loser asked the following question:

Hey, I’m not trying to come across as rude or anything I’m just wondering why you dislike Misha so much? I know Jared and Jensen have been there since the beginning and yes, there have been times where his character has been pretty useless but I don’t hate him and you’re being really mean to some Destiel shippers and like I know that it’s obviously never going to happen and Cockles is a big no no for me but I am confused about why you really don’t like him? I’m honestly just curious

Thank you for the question.  Let me point out before hand, that my irritation towards Misha has nothing to do with a ship.  I used to read destiel slash.  I used to like Cockles AU.  I don't ship wincest.  I ship AUs.  Its my favorite slash subgenre.  So no, this is not a ship argument.  Ship whatever you want, but mind your manners.  There are many things that I don't like about Misha.  However I am choosing to answer only from a SPN perspective because that is the primary way that we know him. 

MISHA AND SLASH FICTION

You may not realize this but Supernatural has been on the air for so long that it, plus its fan base, has experienced and initiated a few changes and trends.  In the space of fourteen years, filming became digitalized.  Social media, which was a fledgling thing back then, is the norm now [I have a disdain towards social media].  To put it into perspective, the child actors that played Asher, the Antichrist kid [I forget his name] and Little Lillith from the early seasons are likely in their 20s now.  Trends in entertainment changed.  Hollywood seems poised to implode upon itself, geographically, with major entertainers moving house to outlets like Netflix.  Netflix, not bound by geography, is likely to become the next Hollywood.  Slash, too, has undergone change.  And as far as SPN is concerned, that change has not been organic.  It has been by design and at the hands on Misha Collins. 

When Castiel came on board, there were already two prevalent pairings in Supernatural:  Wincest and Bobby/John.  There were other pairings.  But these were the most prevalent.   So Supernatural had slash fans already.  These fans were already aware of what slash fiction was, and they were a self-monitoring group.  They realized that the actors were aware of slash and didn't want it to be the focal point of their con appearances, because they didn't want the fans to think they were hinting at anything.  The fans understood and ever since, they have respected the actor's wishes.  When some fans liked Dean's interaction with Cas, they started shipping destiel. 

Destiel's old fans were just like all the other shippers.  They were treating destiel the way it should be treated.  Like a fantasy.  They did artwork and literature about it and kept it to themselves, as they should.  Misha never knew what slash fiction was, until he looked on Tumblr and found Destiel.  In his words, he used destiel to ''keep this gig for longer''.  He kept talking about destiel even though he was instructed not to, and pulling the LGBT into it, to make it look like destiel was about gay rights and queer art, when it isn't.  There are various kinds of destiel written by different people, from different perspectives, for different reasons.  That is true for all pairings everywhere.  By making destiel about the LGBT and waving the ''no shipping question'' rule in convention panels, he did two things. 

He turned destiel into a vehicle for LGBT activism.  Instead of being a pastime, now destiel is used to fight for LGBT representation, even though, many of the LGBT people within my own circle despise him for it.  Most of the people fighting for LGBT representation are actually quite homophobic and insulting in their thinking and logic.  And they are not even LGBT.  They are just a bunch of straight girls for whom, their fantasy has become a drug, and they wont stop until destiel becomes canon. 

He turned Jensen into the bad guy.  Misha spoke openly about slash.  Jensen chose not to.  He didn't want any part of it, and this is true about all the pairings he is a part of, not just destiel.  Because of his choice, Misha fans make negative comparisons between him and Misha, even saying that Jensen is a homophobe/biphobe because he doesn't want to talk about destiel or make it canon.  They ranted about it on social media and mass media picked up on it.  The University Of Sydney has an academic paper, under Celebrity Studies, dedicated to Jensen's supposed homophobia.  The destiel shippers are literally Jensen's reputation. 

Misha should have left slash alone.  Any fan of his will know that he overindulges the slash fans.  And the one thing that I noticed about slash fans, is that you don't give them excessive attention, or they will go completely crazy.  It doesn't matter what they slash.

Harry Styles and Liam Tomlinson learned that the hard way, because the Larry fans destroyed their friendships when they over-emphasized the fan servicing.  They did the fan servicing because Modest Management told them to, they  ended up hating their fans for what the fans became.  They have since severed ties with Modest.  Even on a day when one of them was mourning the loss of a parent, the fans who pushing the other guy so they could have a ship moment.  These two boys were very young when they entered the band.  Harry was 15 years old.  They had youthful ignorance to blame for making the decision to blindly follow the manager's instruction.  Misha cannot make any of those excuses. 

Misha got into the show at age 35.  He was already a grown man.  He was not a pivotal part of the show and therefore the only notes he was getting, was for his acting.  He wasn't being coached by anyone as to how he should engage his fans.  He was too small a fry for that.  In fact, no one was sure how long he would last on the show.  So these notes were only acting, including one telling him not to adlib his lines.  Whatever transpired between him and the destiel fans, happened because he orchestrated it. 

MISHA AND SUPERNATURAL

When Cas came on board, he was fun new character.  By the end of season 5, he had run his course on the show.  The show didn't need his character because [and as a writer I understand this] the presence of Castiel hampered the progress of the story.  Sera Gamble dealt with that frustration during her tenure as showrunner.  Cas was an angel.  If he was an ally to the boys, the boys should have a more powerful nemesis.  After all, they have an angel buddy to help them.  Unfortunately, they couldn't keep coming up with more and more powerful bad guys and negative elements, especially on a show where the biggest bad guy, the devil itself, and the worst case scenario [the apocalypse] has already been dealt with.  

During 6 and 7, they had Soulless Sam, Sam's wall, the leviathans, Metatron, the demons, Crowley, Dick Roman and even the Alphas, if I am not mistaken.  So many bad guys and bad situations, because the good guys had a powerful angel.  They could make him lose his power, so he wont be such a powerful ally.  And they did exactly that.  But Misha has very few skills to show off.  Imagine if Osric was Cas.  Even without power, he would still be able to taekwondo the stuffing out of bad guys.  He wouldn't be useless.  Cas, without his grace, didn't help the story along.  He didn't bring something extra to the story.  He was pointless.  So they made him a bad guy and for the first time in a long time, Cas was pivotal to the story.    

Eventually, she got fed up of shoehorning him into the script and just did away with the character.  But, rumor has it that Singer brought him back.  And he was welcome by the worst Q score measurement ever.  That would tell you that he was not appreciated as an actor by everyone, just his shipping and cult fans.  Since then, Cas has done nothing important in the script until recently where he made a deal for Jack.  Other than that, he has been an add on, and that is Misha's fault.  Every time Jensen and Misha did a scene, Misha would overemphasize the destiel aspect, either via social media or during his panels.  And eventually Jensen got fed up and cut the scenes short.  Basically, Misha shot himself in the foot.  The DeanCas fan service made for annoying television for people who didn't want to deal with shippy nonsense while they were watching their favorite show. 

If they didn't add anything shipping related, the hellers screamed.  If they did, the hellers screamed canon and queer baiting.  Misha's interference did that.  All he had to do was stop talking, and he couldn't do that, because his fan base will lose interest in him.  In order to keep that one group of militants, Misha isolated all other fans and potential fans. 

MISHA AND THE DESTIEL FANS

Misha's fan have sent Jensen various death threats, the receipts of which are on my blog.  A few days back, a heller was setting Jensen's picture on fire because Misha tweeted a lie that there will be a turning point for Dean and Cas in the upcoming episode.  So even though Misha was the guilty party, this psycho is punishing Jensen.  These fans have also discussed kidnapping Jared's children.  When they bully Jensen and Jared, they tag Misha in many of the tweets.  Misha randomly does Q and A sessions based on his tweets, but he has never seen a single threat and bullying remark??.....in ten years??.....really??  Nah, I am not buying that.  Frankly, I think the man just doesn't care.  Acknowledging them will mean he will have to stop them which means he will eventually have to stop peddling destiel which means he will not have an audience which means SPN will kick him right out.  The funny thing is, I think he is wrong.  He might actually have more fans if he didn't alienate them with his special brand of shippy vulgarity.  I could fill a page with all the receipts of the death threats.  And Jensen doesn't deserve that. 

I also call out destiel shippers on Tumblr so that everyone else can block the problematic ones.  Have you noticed how many names there are for the destiel pairing?  DeanCas, CasDean, DeanxCastiel and recently I discovered Dastiel.  Have you ever wondered why?  It is because they don't want you to block them.  If you filter destiel, they will use another name.  Why is that?  That is not a ship.  That's a cult.  They want to indoctrinate.  They tag destiel in other fandom names.  They are trying to create more fans for a ship.  That is why I call out specific people.  Especially the ones that tag AKF in their destiel garbage.  I have no issues with the good shippers.  I have done posts about them.  The bad ones might do something criminal one day, which is why they bother me. 

This answer, only just scratches the surface.  I am not telling you everything.  I am not telling you about Jared, Robert Berens, Kim, Briana, Travis, Sera Gamble, Ben Edlund, Ty Olsson etc.  I am just telling you the brief basics.  I hope this answers your question.  Have a nice day.  Apologies for the inevitable typos.

[frustratedpoetwrites]

Heart Shaped Box

Also on AO3

This is a story I originally started for @petalsandfishes birthday, and it still is, but it has grown into something a little bit bigger than the one shot I had originally planned for.

Please drop me a message, tell me what you think.

Chapter One

For Lily Evans, Monday’s were like preparing for combat. Her perfectly applied makeup was her war paint, her carefully selected clothes a suit of armour. Her lesson planner, battle strategies. Her pens, her chosen weapons.

But it wasn’t her students who had her wound up tighter than a clockwork toy, it was her infuriating colleague, her rival, her nemesis.

James Potter had always been a distraction, a mild annoyance throughout high school, a loud and constant presence at college.

At every academic turn, he had been there, challenging her, driving her to do better, sometimes even beating her. Although more often than not she would be the one victorious.

When she graduated top of her class, he was only a few points behind. She loved beating him.

And now, not only did  they work in the same school, they worked in the same blasted department. She had the slightest feeling he only chose to teach sciences just to annoy her.

He was very good at annoying her.

The most difficult thing for her to swallow about the whole thing was he made it look effortless. He delighted in avoiding responsibility, he was popular with all his students, he acted so often like one of them you could forget sometimes he was the one teaching the class. He would stroll up into the staff room with scruffy trainers, his hair disheveled, his clothes effortless perfection, he could be a runway model the way clothes hung on him, even the tweed jacket with those elbow patches. How did he always manage to look so hot? She hated that.

She hated the way he gave her a wink and a smile every morning, so unprofessional. The rest of the faculty would just roll their eyes and pretend to ignore the usual drama between them, because there was always drama between them.

“You’re looking lovely this morning Evans” he said as he joined her in the staff room lounge. He always said her name that way. Not Lily, not Professor Evans, not even Ms. Just plain Evans. He put the extra mug of coffee down on the table, turning the handle to her. “You ready for the science fair?” He was oozing confidence this morning, even more than normal.

“Of course I’m ready.”

“So you won’t be trying to blow us up this year?” he stretched lazily swiping his glasses from his face as he did so yawning loudly. She resisted rolling her eyes at him.

“Why do you always say chemistry is about explosions? And what about you? Any worm farms, or mouldy bread?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see, won't you? My students are full of amazing ideas.” She yawned herself, catching his yawn from before.

“Late night?” he asked with an odd half smile.

“Nothing I want to talk about in polite company,” she replied primly, feeling the heat rise up her neck. He sighed as if he was expecting a different answer then got up to leave.

“Are you coming? Or is it beneath you to be seen with the lowly biology professor?”

“I’ll come.” she responded rising. “Don’t want anyone to think I don’t like you.”

“Oh we could never have that now could we?” His tone was long suffering sarcasm, “I think that ship has sailed Evans.”

∞

One week later they were both sitting in headmaster Dumbledore’s office, wondering what precisely they had done wrong. Well, Lily knew she hadn’t done anything, but as for her colleague, she had no idea what he got up to in his own classroom.

But he didn’t look at all worried. He just kept throwing her sideways glances as he lounged in his chair.

A short sleeved shirt today, his tanned forearms on display, the sun shining through the office window casting his skin in a warm glow, making the soft hairs of his arms look more blonde. She followed the path of his left hand as he slid his uncontrollable hair out of his eyes.

She ignored his knowing smirk when he caught her staring at him, feeling her pulse quicken a little, but she turned her gaze away as Professor Dumbledore walked in.

He smiled at both of them kindly and settled into his chair, adjusting his reading glasses, and then shuffling through the papers on his desk, apparently looking for something.

“As you are both already aware,” he began, “Professor Slughorn retired at the end of the last school year. Unfortunately I have been unable to find a suitable replacement outside the school, which has left a space available at the head of the department.” Lily sat up a little straighter, James was already leaning forward in his chair clearly interested. “And you two are the best, most qualified people I have for the position.” Dumbledore sighed wearily. “It is unfortunate I can only promote one of you. Due to your own personal history, giving the two of you a chance to compete against each other is not ideal, but competition does seem to bring out the best in people, and I want you two to work this out and find a way to work together professionally.”

Lily opened her mouth in protest, “Sir, do we really need to have a discussion about this? Clearly I am the most qualified, with the best record…”

“What?” Came James’ startled interruption. “I think you are missing a few pointers here. One, we have the same level of qualification…”

“But you’re just a biology teacher.” She saw his eyes widen and his nostrils flare slightly at her dismissive comment.

“I’m not just anything, Evans!” He folded his arms angrily, “you know what? I wasn’t that bothered about this position. I was prepared to hand this to you. You like doing extra work, admin, and things like this really matter to you, but because you have decided to insult me, and my chosen field, I will work as hard as I have ever worked for anything, to beat you to this. You think we were rivals before? You ain’t seen nothing yet sweetheart.” And with that he stood up and stormed out the room.

She looked to the headmaster expecting him to say or do something but all he did was return her gaze with a small smile.

“Good luck.”

∞

Lily didn’t think too much of James’ challenge as she went about her normal day. Her students were as hard working and focused as always, never causing her too much trouble, and  she in turn tried her best to have time for them both in and out of lessons. James had made comments before about how popular she was with boys at a certain age, but she ignored this.

He could hardly talk. There were always single moms, and not so single moms, coming to talk to him about their child’s progress in class, and if there were anything extra, they could do to help their child outside class.

He always seemed so oblivious to the flirting, the subtle way these women would stroke his arm and toss their hair about. He would smile and laugh politely at the parents evenings, run his hands through his hair, and talk about the syllabus. Either he didn’t notice their behaviour, or his focus was so driven towards the children that he forced the conversation to remain about only them.

James’ focus had always been impressive.

James’ words came back to haunt her when she went to submit the required forms for the science fair.

That was the moment she realised the need to take James’ threat more seriously.

She had made sure she had all the right paperwork for her students to perform their Chemistry experiments, took special care to request the best locations in the hall to set up, depending on the particular experiment. Also not too close to the refreshments, so people would actually pay attention and not get distracted by a swirl of buttercream, or the smell of coffee.  

She had a grin of smug satisfaction when she handed all the painstakingly filled out forms into reception. Tina, the schools administrator looked through it all briefly then paused at the page of  table reservations.

“I’m sorry, but Professor Potter has already taken those spaces.”

“What? Not all of them? Surely he only needs one or two, perhaps you can change the allocation?” Without uttering one word, Tina gave her a look that said, do I tell you how to do your fucking job? Lily understood that look perfectly. Tina continued in a very long suffering voice.

“If you want to discuss this, I suggest you take the matter up with him and leave me out of,” she paused, gesturing with her hand, “whatever this is.” Lily suppressed her growl of frustration and smiled sweetly instead. It would not do to upset the other members of staff. Especially when James had charmed the hell out of the entire faculty.

He was in the middle of a lesson when she found him. She stopped in front of his door, suppressing the urge to just march right in, but he must have seen her at the door as he waved for her to enter.

“Class, I’m sure you all know Professor Evans. Please carry on with your allotted tasks as I speak to my colleague who doesn’t appear to be too happy with me.” He said it like it was some kind of highly amusing joke, and she heard a soft rumble of laughter from the assembled class that cut off as if they had been muted when she turned her gaze to them.

“Can I have a word, Professor?” She was very proud of they way she could make Professor sound like an insult. She watched as he took her in. Watching his eyes as they drifted over the set of her jaw, her crossed arms, and perhaps following the curve of her pencil skirt downward, lingering at the hemline for a moment too long, but she was too mad to properly care. He nodded with a shrug and followed her into the corridor.

“What can I help you with?” He asked once they were out the room. She eyed the door to his classroom. He had pulled it to, but just barely so that there was enough of a gap showing and she knew every child in that class would be listening intently to their conversation. Wondering what he was playing at, but not giving him the satisfaction of mentioning it, she answered him.

“You know damn well what you can help me with?” she hissed quietly, “what do you think you were doing, taking all the tables for the science show?” He folded his arms and smiled.

“I didn’t take all of them, and I am sure we can come to some sort of understanding.” Lily really didn’t like the tone he used when he suggested that. She told him so with the dark look she sent him.

“What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Work two detentions for me and you can have the two best tables.”

“I need three tables?”

“Cover one of my on duty lunches as well then.” He leaned back against the wall of his room and crossed his legs at the ankle.

“What?”

“That’s the deal, Evans. Take it or lose your tables.” She scowled at him which only made his smile widen. “Next time get in earlier.” Feeling like she didn’t have much of a choice she huffed.

“FINE!” She snapped and stalked off back towards her classroom, if she had a tail it would be bristling and lashing right now.

“Nice talking to you Evans,” he called out to her retreating back, still leaning against the wall  and looking very pleased with himself. She stopped dead in her tracks, took a deep settling breath, and turned to walk back to him. Standing way too close, she poked a finger in his chest.

“This will not end well for you Potter!” She scolded, “You think you are the only one who can play by your childish rules? There are  many ,many ways I can make your life difficult. Do you really want to push me?” His confident smile wavered slightly, but he was never the type to back down. He pushed himself off the wall, and when he looked down at her, with those chocolate brown eyes she realized exactly how close she was to him and took a step back.

“Oh come on now, Evans, this is only the beginning. This could be fun, like high school again.”

“James,” she said slowly as though she were speaking to a child, “this is high school.”

“Your powers of observation are unsurpassed, but unfortunately, for me, it seems you are nothing like you were at our high school.” She didn’t bother to reply to his sulky tone, merely stalking back to her own room, and ignoring his laugh as she went.

∞

The incident with the science table allocation was nothing. Simply a warning shot fired across the bow. Wednesday’s staff meeting had been the first real skirmish. Something she had been determined to win.

She had been prepared, of course, for she was always prepared for these meetings, but for the first time she could remember, James had been equally so. She knew his attitude had changed, and it rattled her composure.

Lily knew her comment about him only being a biology teacher had probably been a step too far, but the fact that there was any question, any at all, of her higher suitability for the position had infuriated her.

She was tired of being undermined. Dumbledore knew she was better, so why on earth did he feel the need to make her prove it?

Competition could be good in many circumstances, but she and James always took it to another level. It probably wasn’t healthy. James had the same academic qualifications as she did, but he was not as equally qualified as her because he had done nothing more to further himself, or the department. He was lax with his paperwork, blasé about discipline, and he was too relaxed with his students.

She couldn’t deny he was a good teacher though. The exam results proved that if nothing else. He managed the balance of looking like he didn’t care while giving his students the encouragement and the occasional push they needed.

Lily liked to think she did the same with hers even though she knew she had a reputation for being a bit uptight, but the school was no place to show anyone her true self. It was bad enough when anyone did discover her wilder side while outside the school.

She didn’t know who had been more shocked when on a girls night out with Marlene, Mary, and Alice to celebrate the end of the school year, she had spotted one of her just graduated A-level students staring at her wide eyed, as she’d danced on a table with Alice. Her alcohol infused state had found it funny and she had winked in their direction, it was only the next morning she had regretted it, and had from that point on insisted on drinking well away from anywhere that was likely to happen again, or just not bother going out to drink.

Her boundaries were clear. Work life, home life, and they didn’t mix.

It helped that none of her friends were teachers. Well Remus was, but he taught graduate level and didn’t count, because on the rare occasions that they did go out drinking together, every rule changed.

She had been prepared for the staff meeting, but not prepared for the backlash. It was something that would be talked about in hushed whispers for days after. Lily had prayed for something else to happen quickly.

“Did you see? Where you there?”

Lily heard the voice and shoes of Bev, one of the geography teachers, as she hid in the staff room toilet, her ridiculous high heels clacking on the tile floor as she walked in. Her essex accent was instantly recognisable despite the fact she was trying to speak softly, for once. She wondered who she was speaking with until there was a squeak of a rubber sole and Lana, one of the history teachers, voice could be clearly recognised.

“Unfortunately, yes, I was. So uncomfortable to witness.” Lily had a horrible sinking feeling she knew exactly what they were about to discuss, and it was why she was hiding in the toilet avoiding everyone. The part of her that wasn’t a nosey cow wanted to flush the loo, make herself known before these two started discuss something she was feeling very ashamed about. But the rest of her was a nosey cow, and was dying to know what people were saying about her. As quietly as she could she stepped herself up on the toilet seat and sat on the cistern listening intently.

“So what happened?”

“Well everyone knows how those two get on you know?” There was a pause where Bev presumably nodded a response. “You could practicality feel the tension in the room.” Lana was not known to be a gossip but she seemed to be relishing the chance to share an eyewitness account. “Well, it seems Potter and Evans are both up for Sluggy’s old job, and both want it, badly. James Potter had this massive list of ideas for events and for some reason Lily…”

She realised as she sat there she didn’t want to hear someone else's version of what happened, or re live it herself. She had been in a foul mood and determined to make him look bad. She had tried to squash every idea,counter every point he made in that meeting, regardless of whether or not the ideas were any good. It had been her sole focus. She had forgotten her carefully thought out notes as soon as James Potter had opened his gorgeous mouth and began to speak. Give ideas so like the ones she had on her own page it had made her see red.

She had accused him of stealing her ideas, of not giving a damn before that day so why should they take him seriously. Her tirade had been so completely unreasonable she’d had to go see Mcgonagall and explain herself. And having to explain herself to the deputy head had made her see just how idiotic she was being.

The rest of the faculty in attendance had been stunned into silence at her tirade. The usually calm and collected Lily Evans, all full of anger and righteous indignation, because how dare he try to show her up. How dare he have good ideas.

Until James Potter had fired back. Fired back in the most effective way, one that only he could get away with. He had stood, straightened his jacket, and spoke to her in a voice so bereft of any emotion she knew he was barely holding on.

“It seems that Professor Evans, does not like the idea of being challenged. That she would rather accuse me of cheating than think I was capable of coming up with an original idea.” He had spoken to the room but his eyes had never left her flushed red face. “If there is nothing left to cover, and nothing left for her to say to me, I'll go and prepare for my next lesson.” As soon as the door clicked behind him all eyes had turned to her, and she knew she had fucked up.

“I'm telling you love,” Bev’s voice rang out strongly, resonating with the guilt inside herself. “James is so lovely, and so fit. Everyone loves him. I certainly wouldn’t kick him out of bed on cold night if you know what I mean?” Her dirty little chuckle made Lily’s hackles rise. “If he looked at me that way, with those melting eyes he has, I don’t think I could…”

The voices trailed off as they left the bathroom, leaving her alone with her swirling thoughts, wondering vaguely what it was Bev wouldn’t be able to stop herself from doing. She came out from the stall and checked her makeup. It was silly to feel bad, James had been deliberately goading her all week, and she had needed to assert herself with him. Put him firmly back in his place, underneath her.

She splashed some cool water on the back of her neck and strode purposefully out of the bathroom.

It wasn’t that bad. She had just decided to belittle a colleague in front of their peers instead of using reasoned arguments and showing off her own skills. It had been petty and childish, and she wasn’t going to do it again. She would still beat him, but she would just go about being a better teacher than him. She went to her classroom, and tried to put the whole staff room drama behind her.

∞

The science fair went off without a hitch. Dumbledore had been very impressed with all the entries. She had to admit they were all fantastic and no mouldy bread in sight, but there was a particularly fine exhibit of Algae, and another that showed the capillary action of plants. Lily was secretly very impressed. James was grinning like a Cheshire cat as he wandered around the room, asking questions, and looking every bit the way a future head of department should. Lily had been no slouch herself, taking great interest in every offering, and giving support to everyone.

As it happened, it was one of her Chemistry students who got the top prize with their homemade polymer. Lily was pleased for her student, but took no real joy in coming out being the more successful teacher.

Lily was still embarrassed about her outburst. She had been planning on avoiding James for the duration, but it seemed James had other ideas. She knew he had been angry and insulted, could tell by the way he no longer tried to banter with her in the staff room every morning. She was surprised how much she missed that.

She really couldn’t win.

James strode over to where she was standing cradling a teacup in both hands.

“Alright, Evans?” He asked cheerfully taking a spot at her side. “Successful day I would say.” It was the first words he had spoken to her all day and she was mildly surprised by how polite he was being. She looked around to see if he was trying to impress anyone. She spotted McGonagall staring at them from the other side of the room, and smiled sweetly back at James. If this was a new game he was playing she refused to be sucked into making a scene.

“Yes it has been,” she agreed. “I was very impressed with all the experiments.” Her tone was so overly polite it would sound to anyone else like she was talking to a complete stranger. Her guilt was bubbling up again, and before she could regret it she started to speak. “James I’m really sorry about the other day, it was uncalled for. It was never my intention to insult you I just got…”

“Don’t worry about it, Evans,” he interrupted, “It’s not the first time I’ve been at the receiving end of your sharp tongue.”

“I was out of line, unprofessional.” She continued, “I would understand completely if you want to place a complaint against me.” His soft chuckle surprised her.

“That wouldn’t do either of us any good now would it. McGonagall told me to build bridges, I told her I wasn’t an engineer, but I’m trying. Perhaps if you weren’t so damn stubborn you would see.”

“See what?” She asked but he shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter, forget I said anything.”

[inhumansforever]

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #35 Review

spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers

It’s the conclusion of the Save Our School arc as Lunella and Devil D has to fight off The Kingpin, his rotten egg daughter, Princess, and the raucous Wrecking Crew if she is to have any hope of  saving Public School #20 from being shuttered.  From The creative team of Brendan Montclare, Natacha Bustos and Tamra Bonvillain.  Quick recap and review following the jump.

So here’s the situation: The Kingpin has eyes on the Lower East Side real estate where PS20 resides and all that stands between him and a hefty finical windfall is the academic performance of the school’s students.  He’s superseded his authority as mayor to make it so the students must take a standardized achievement test.  If their averaged score falls beneath a particular threshold he will be able to shut down the school, transfer the students elsewhere and arrange for the property to be sold to his investors.  It’s a clever albeit sinister and utterly unscrupulous scheme, yet there is one variable he hadn’t accounted for.  He’s discovered that one of the students, Lunella Lafayette, is like the smartest person in the world and her performance on the test is certain to hugely augment the overall average, quashing his efforts to have the school shuttered.  

The Kingpin has used his adoptive daughter, Princess, as a plant to suss out the school and go through its records; indeed she was the one who informed her dad of the threat to his plans posed by Lunella.  Fortunately for the Kingpin, Lunella has actually be rather lousy at maintaining her secret identity as Moon Girl.  He’s aware of her dual life as a costumed adventurer and has arranged to have the Wrecking Crew attack the school at the exact time that the test is administered.  He knows that Moon Girl will spring into action to defend the school, thus ensuring that Lunella not complete the test and not raise the overall average.  

Lunella feels rather confident that she can ace this test and in so doing save her school.  Her only concern is making sure that Devil Dinosaur doesn’t somehow get in the way.  Throughout the arc Lunella has endeavored on a side-quest to figure out some way to prevent her and Devil D from switching consciousnesses at the most inopportune of times.  Her ability to mind-transplant with Devil Dinosaur is Lunella’s Inhuman power, but she sees it as much more of a curse than a gift and she has attempted to use her intellect to devise a means to stop these transfers.  

Her initial experiment went awry, resulting in Devil D being transformed into a nine year old boy.  He has since switched back to his original form, but Lunella is no closer to curing her curse than she was when she started.  Something to deal with another day… for today Lunella just needs to make sure Devil D stays out of trouble long enough for her to complete the DOE exam.  As such she has chained him up and left MoonBot 7 and DoomHead to watch over him.  

Oh, and DoomHead has been attached to a quarter-operated play airplane… it’s a running gag that the disembodied DoomBot head be attached to a new, bizarre contraption with every appearance… this one might be my favorite to date!  

Meanwhile, The Kingpin has concocted a special version of the test to be completed by his adopted daughter, Princess.  He’s already arranged for her to be transferred to a much better school and this version of the test is especially easy, hence ensuring her acceptance to this prestigious school.  He strong-arms the classroom teacher, Ms. Dominguez, to make sure that Princess gets the special version of the test.  

Natacha Bustos employs an animated style in her illustration, giving the characters a fun, clean and cartoony look.  The way she draws The Kingpin is similar.  He’s mean looking, but not overly frightening.  And yet I had watched much of Daredevil Season Three this past weekend and cannot help but read Fisk here in the same fashion as he is portrayed in the show.  Vincent D'Onofrio plays Fisk in Daredevil and does a wonderful job of offering him up as this terrifyingly unhinged and menacing villain.   Hearing D’Onofrio’s voice, with its creepy staccato cadence, threatening Ms. Dominguez was quite unsettling; I was legit afraid for her!

Anyways, the class is seated for their exam and Lunella is feeling very confident.  Taking tests has always been easy for her and she’s come to enjoy it.  And this particular exam has no upper limit, meaning that she can achieve an astronomically high score and easily lift the overall average to well above passing.  The exams are passed out, Lunella cracks her knuckles and gets ready to dig in.   And just then, at the worst possible moment, Lunella’s Inhuman powers kick in and her consciousness is transferred to Devil Dinosaur’s body… and his to hers.  Meaning that the fate of the school now rests on a tyrannosaurus, with a brain the size of a walnut, completing a standardized test! 

It had previously appeared as though Lunella’s mind transference with Devil D had something to do with the lunar cycle… that a full moon somehow triggered the activation of her powers.  Of late, however, this does not seem to be the case.  Indeed the reoccurrence of the transference always happening at such inopportune times seems to suggest that it all may be linked to another causative factor.  It might be triggered by way of heightened stress, or some other psychological variable.  

Whatever the case, Lunella has found herself trapped in a dinosaur’s body, chained in her lab and desperate to escape. Fortunately, MoonBot7 has been going through something of an existential struggle of late.  Lunella had built MoonBot 7 to double for her at home and at school when Moon Girl is off on an adventure.  Yet the android has cultivated her own sentience and has come to feel trapped with not enough to do and wish to go out and discover her own sense of purpose.  What all this will ultimate result in is a tale to be told another time.  For now, however, the android can sense Devil D’s seeming distress and decides to release him from the chain.  

Occupying Devil Dinosaur’s body, Lunella lumbers off racing as fast as she can to get to the school (although it’s not exactly clear what she hopes to achieve once she gets there).  At that same moment, The Kingpin unleashes the Wrecking Crew on PS20, figuring that it’ll draw out Moon Girl and prevent her from competing the test.  The dinosaur arrives just as the villains are about to get a’wrecking and a thunderous battle ensues.  

Meanwhile, Princess completes her special version of the test.  This version of the test is super easy and she finishes it off perfectly, although she doesn’t realize it.  She’s just too occupied with her jealous feelings toward Lunella.  Lunella seems to possess everything that Princess wants: she’s smart, has friends, respect and most of all she gets lots of attention.  She doesn’t know it, but currently Lunella’s body is occupied by Devil D’s mind and Princess misconstrues Devil D’s fidgeting about as showing off.  

Just then, the commotion out on the playground garners everyone’s attention.  In the distraction, Princess swipes the test Lunella had appeared to have completed and changes their names.  This way, Princess believes she will receive the credit for Lunella’s work and Lunella for hers (unaware that the test was actually completed by a ding-dong dinosaur :p).  

All her kvetching over the matter notwithstanding, Lunella has actually grown rather apt at functioning in Devil Dinosaur’s body.  She’s used to being all intellect and having this much raw brute force to work with is kind of refreshing.  She’s grown more accustomed to operating the body, using his swinging tail, stomping feet and snapping jaws.  Her brains coupled with his brawn creates one heck of a combatant and the Wrecking Crew have no chance.  They’re chased right off without a bit of damage done to the school.  

Not to be completely left out, Devil Dinosaur runs out in Lunella’s body and sneaks in a chomp on The Wrecker’s thigh…

The day is saved.  Thanks to Princess’ tinkering, Lunella received a perfect score on the test, hugely lifting the school’s overall average hence preventing it from being shut down.

Unfortunately, Princess received credit for Devil D’s scribbling and failed the test, meaning she won’t be able to go to prestigious academy Kingpin had wanted her to.   Princess is saddened to have let her adopted father down, but not entirely disappointed.  She doesn’t like it in Manhattan and wants to go back to where she had been living before.   Fisk relents to her wishes.  Where exactly she had come from, who her birth parents are or were all remains unrevealed.  Suffice to say, this is likely not to be the last we see of Princess and it seems quite evident that Moon Girl has earned herself an arch nemesis for some time in the future. 

Lunella’s victory was brought about more by luck than her guise, but a win is a win and PS20 will stay open.  On top of that, Lunella has learned that her power may not be as much of a curse as she has believed it to be.  Operating Devil D’s body is basically a test, an intellectual puzzle that she must solve… and she’s great at those.  The key has been getting over her frustration and stubbornness and approaching the matter with a cooler head.  Doing so, seeing it as merely a test, enabled her to use Devil D’s body with skill and precision.  

More so, there is now evidence that the mind transference may be caused by an internal trigger.  It could be something she can learn to control… another test, another puzzle.  And solving this puzzle could very well leave Moon Gil one of the most powerful heroes on the planet.  The world’s smartest mind with the ability to transport into the body of nature’s greatest predator at will.  Of course ultimately solving this puzzle may prove quite difficult.  The trigger seems to be tied to Lunella’s emotions.  When it comes to intellect, Lunella is razor sharp… when it comes to emotion, however, she is still very much a nine-year-old.  Whatever the case, I’ll be very interested to see where the story goes in this regard.  

Once more, Bustos’s illustration and Bonvillain’s colors work hand-in-glove with Montcalre’s script.  Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur is one of only a handful of books at Marvel where the creative team has been able to work as a unit throughout nearly it’s entire run.  And it very much pays off, offering up a synergy where art and story work in conjunction and offer a final result that is greater than the sum of its parts.  Comics at it’s best.  

Save Our School is a pretty fun arc.  Although the previous arc (Fantastic Three) was one of my favorite Moon Girl tales ever… as such this story doesn’t come across as good (although only to the extent of the two in comparison to one another).  There were lots of fun details and character-building  bits (my favorite being getting the chance to meet Lunella’s grandparents and Devil D’s short time as Devin Dinosaur).  Princess is a very intriguing foil and I hope she comes back soon.  I also hope we get further development on MoonBot 7.  

All in all, a highly recommended read.  Four out five Lockjaws for the issue and for the arc as a whole.  

[rozunderpressure]

A few seem to like this, so I am keeping it up. ;D 

Chapter 4 of The Witches of Apartment 1307 - Absolutely Not Jealousy

This one even has musical accompaniment

Once again thank you my beloved team of bear and kitten ( @warmageragnar and @wraith17 ) for being my betas both for my AWFUL misuse of the English Language and My horrible sense of timing...

You can start from the beginning here if you wish to give this a chance

Read it on AO3, FF.Net or right under the cut:

Chapter 4 - Absolutely Not Jealousy

The quickest way to describe Geraldine Fern would be to say “That drawing from the Duran Duran album covers” or at least, that was who Julie said she looked like when Mildred showed her a picture of the two together during a quick visit on a holiday, which made Millie look up what that was.

“I don’t quite see the resemblance that much, Mum.” Millie admitted, taking a sip of her tea, sitting opposite of her mother at the kitchen table, looking at the picture on her phone.

“She is quite beautiful, love, that’s basically what I mean; That kind of beauty.” Julie pointed at the picture that her daughter pulled on the phone. She took a sip of her tea and asked carefully; “I assume this means you’re over that little moment you had with Ethel.”

“Oh yeah!” Mildred smiled. “That was just a moment we--I had. I am still enjoying, you know, being friends.” She chuckled; “That was unexpected.”

“I won’t lie, I was a little surprised… After all the stunts that girl pulled.” Julie was trying to be careful with her wording, finding it a little hard to see Ethel being anything but the seemingly spoiled, petty child she had imagined from the girl’s actions.

“It’s in the past, Mum.” Millie waved it off, breathing deeply and smiled; “Things have changed so much since I started college. Suddenly I have a better room, a girlfriend, I am friends with my school nemesis, working at the bakery is pretty great, everybody there is really nice as well, specially Charlie and his uncle.”

“You’re growing up.” Julie said, looking at her with a smile.

“I know! Surprising how it is turning out better than I expected.” Mildred gave her a cheeky grin, making her mother laugh, but also giving Julie a wave of nostalgia. Mildred was almost twenty now, but when her mother looked at her, she sometimes still saw her little girl; the same smile, same twinkle in her eyes, same enthusiasm.

“I am not surprised at all.” Julie said, finishing her tea.

Millie chuckled “Not even a little?”

Julie paused and pouted, pretending to be thoughtful for a second; “Alright, maybe a little...” and they both giggled.

“I am really looking forward to having Maud and Enid over. The three of us haven’t been together in the same place in almost a year.” Mildred crossed her arms on top of the table; “Shame Ethel will be visiting her nan while they are here, maybe all four of us can go out, do something together. Well, five actually, I would invite Gerry as well.” She smiled.

“I thought you said that Ethel and Gerry don’t seem to like each other much.” Julie asked, pouring herself more tea.

“They don’t, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to get them together, especially with more people around, maybe then Gerry will lay off a little.” Mildred sighed.

“Lay off?” Julie arched her eyebrows.

“Gerry is pretty harsh on Ethel… Mostly because of how she was towards me in school.”

“You told her about that?”

“Not much, but apparently those things spread around. She also used to be friends with a girl that used to hang out with Ethel before she was transferred to Pentangles at the end of the first year. So she knew some things already, like how Ethel turned me into a frog once, and stole my project that other time time.”

Julie raised an eyebrow: “Wasn’t that in the second year?” She pointed out. Maybe, after several years of academic work with magic, Mildred had forgotten how much she racked her brain to put that project out, but Julie still remembered it vividly.

In fact, Einstein still lived with her, albeith without his ability to talk anymore.

Mildred thought for a moment; “Oh yeah… I must have told her about that.” She dismissed it with a shrug. “Still, she is just being protective.”

“Alright, that’s why Gerry doesn’t like Ethel.” Julie sighed and added quietly; “Can’t say I blame her if those are the reasons, but why doesn’t Ethel like Gerry?”

“They have different opinions on things. Last time I tried to have them hold a conversation it ended with the two of them in a half-hour heated argument about the debate to remove the code rule of section 25-B.”

“The one relating to regulations about familiars and giving them potions that last more than 24 hours?” Julie said, still somewhat remembering having read the whole code some years ago as well.

“That one.” Mildred sighed; “Ethel is absolutely against making it legal, even with the consent of the familiar in question, because it would create a gray area that would make some witches able to give their familiars powers they shouldn’t have, give too much power to some witches, and could be traumatic to the familiar themselves,”

“That’s sound.”

“But Gerry argued that that since familiars are supposed to serve the witches, that shouldn’t be a problem and if people like, well Ethel, when she graduates, did their job right they should be competent enough to see through it.”

“I see...” Julie said.

“At one point, they started throwing insults at each other, and only stopped when I said I would leave if they didn’t!” Mildred huffed.

“And who did YOU agree with?” Julie asked, sipping her tea.

“... Ethel.” Mildred admitted it. “She has a point, some familiars would do anything for their witches, even if it could be harmful to them and it’s not hard for a less scrupulous witch to use it to her favor. Making it legal, would only make breaking the other rules in the code easier.”

Julie nodded in agreement; “You seem quite bothered that they don’t like each other.”

“A little… I do live with Ethel after all, and it’s still her apartment, but I love living there and I don’t want to leave for Gerry. Not yet anyway.”

“Not that serious yet, huh?”

Mildred shook her head; “No… It’s not like we’re in love, I am having a lot of fun, but I don’t know. I am taking it slow.”

“Very smart.” Julie saying, being able to see right through her, but not willing to push her daughter. She would leave it as it was, at least, until she could meet this new grown up Ethel that her daughter seemed to actually to like so much.

After all, Mildred had talked about her more than she did her girlfriend that whole time.

~0~

Ethel was putting her plan in motion, by first laying down what she already knew about Geraldine; Pentangles student, friends with Drusilla when she transferred, student in the “Magical Anomalies” course, with a minor in “Ancient Runes”. She couldn’t find much on the Fern family, they were about as unremarkable in the witch community as the flower itself was among roses, so that was a dead end, but the rest was good enough at least for a start.

From the way Geraldine referred to Drusilla she guessed they didn’t part on good terms, but then again, neither did Drusilla and Ethel, so she left that avenue for later. However, the Pentangle connection was something that Ethel knew exactly who to ask for information.

In fact, it was probably the best person to ask info about pretty much anything else too.

She picked up her maglet and drafted a short message addressed to the Resident Junior Reporter of Witch Daily; Felicia Foxgrove, and sent it.

While all of this was going on, make no mistake, Esmeralda’s words had an effect. Even as Ethel kept trying to dismiss them out of hand and not to think about them, they still repeated themselves so much in her head she ended up making several excuses for herself. The two best ones being; defending both her own pride, since Geraldine seemed to ADORE pointing out things that happened long ago that neither she nor Mildred seemed to care about anymore, and just looking after Mildred…

She tried to come up with a third one, but that fell flat. Still, the other two were very good reasons!

The idea she was in love was CLEARLY preposterous, but she did like the girl, she was her friend. The first one that Ethel had had in a long time, who wasn’t also related to her. That was something that she did treasure and she admitted so, at least to herself.

She heard the sound of someone transfering into the living room and raised an eyebrow, asking curiously;

“Millie? Back already?” Ethel stood up, leaving her room to see Geraldine, standing in the middle of the living room, smiling at her.

“Calling her Millie now? My, how intimate and sweet.” She teased which would have sounded good natured to most people too, but Ethel really didn’t see it, mostly because they literally didn’t have that relationship.

“Yeah, Mildred is not here. She’ll be back around seven, so… Bye, Geraldine.”

“You’re the only person who calls me that, blondie.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t come here to see her, I am here to see you, actually.”

“Oh, are you?” Ethel asked, leaning against the wall to the corridor between the two rooms, crossing her arms and legs, looking uncompromising… Or trying to. “What for?”

Geraldine sighed; “Look, I don’t like you and you don’t like me…” She shrugged. “Maaaybe, with good reason from both sides?”

“Really?” Ethel asked, raised eyebrow, keeping her cool.

“Well, I don’t like that you get to be friends with Millie after all you’ve done,” Fern looked at her with pity before adding “and you are clearly interested in her.”

Ethel didn’t even flinch at that, secretly thanking Esmeralda for having made that same accusation before; that had inoculated her to that kind of comment and she was able to keep stone faced, rolling her eyes; “Oh, give me a break.”

“You’re determined to hate me.” Geraldine said, with honesty in her voice and eyes.

“And so are you towards me.” Ethel pointed out, frowning.

“Yes, but you’ll tell me I have no reason?” Fern waved. “She is obviously still hurt by the things you did to her, even if she did forgive you and getting her to open up about it was hard, and I care about her.”

Ethel shifted uncomfortably. She honestly thought they both had left that in the past, that it was childish and stupid of her, of course, but she was also under the impression Mildred wasn’t bugged by it anymore.

Apparently she was.

Yet, Ethel was able to keep stone faced despite her body; “Get to the point.”

“The point is that she still sees you as her friend now, despite everything, and you live together so… Why don’t we be witches about it and declare a truce? For Millie? We stop being mean to each other or about each other to her. Also you start calling me Gerry like everybody else.” She grinned; “I’ll even stop calling you blondie.”

“I don’t see why that would make a difference.”

Geraldine groaned and crossed her arms; “It will make a difference for Millie! Do it for her, if you really care about her as your friend.”

Ethel hesitated at that. She was right, Millie was the important one here. Not herself, not Gerry, but Millie.

Finally Ethel extended her hand and Geraldine shook it, making the black haired woman smile widely. “There you go, it wasn’t that hard! Now help me with this!” And out of nowhere she transferred in a box of things. “I got it for Millie! It’s a videogame she had when she was a kid. I think she’ll be happy to have it here since you guys never seem to use the TV anyway.” She said walking towards the TV and putting the box down.

“Actually, I have some assignments that need my attention now and I know nothing of electronics,” Ethel said, “but good luck.” She then walked into her room, closing her door behind her, needing to be alone for a little while…

~0~

“MILLIE!!!” Maud and Enid screamed at the same time before jumping on and hugging their friend, accidentally making her lose her balance and fall to the floor. All three laughing and trying to stand up, only to laugh harder and fall all over again, all the while Ethel observed them, drinking her morning coffee, trying not to let out how much she was judging them for acting like children.

And frankly, kind of envying them, just a tiny bit.

“Hello.” She said, between sips.

“Hey, Ethel…” Maud said, slightly embarrassed, managing to get herself up and helping her friends do so as well.

“Enid, Maud. It’s been a long time. Are you two doing well?” Ethel asked in a civil tone, with a smile.

That was a new, wild, and unexpected experience for the other two.

“We’re fine! I hope Mildred didn’t have to pay you much to smile at us.” Enid joked with a crooked eyebrow and grin.

Ethel rolled her eyes and responded deadpanned: “My rates are more than fair.” She looked at her watch. “I must go now. Esmie and Sybil are probably already waiting for me.” She picked up her purse. “Goodbye and don’t break anything too expensive.” It was a joke, but it had an edge to it.

Millie chuckled; “Bye Ethel!” she said with a smile, and with that the blonde disappeared with a snap of her fingers.

“Well, she is… Different.” Maud said with a smile.

“Better than I expected!” Enid admitted; “Not that I expected much.” She further admitted.

“I told you!” Millie said standing up. “We’re grown ups now, we don’t look back on that stuff.”

“Saying ‘we’re grown ups’, doesn’t help your case, specially when every single one of us knows we’re winging it, but yeah, I guess. Ethel might actually have the ability to keep it cool, after all!” Enid grinned; “What a shock!”

“By the way!” Maud said and then grinned; “You’ll have to tell us about ALL of this!”

“Yeah, have you wanted to kiss her again?” Enid asked, holding both of her hands under her chin.

Mildred blushed deeply; “I have a girlfriend now!”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Millie.” Enid pointed out.

“Oh, shut up you! Let her be!” Maud said, pulling Millie to the sofa; “Tell us all about Gerry! How did you two meet?  How are things coming along?”

Enid popped in with a grin and raising eyebrows; “Have you two banged yet?”

Millie covered her face with both hands, blushing to the top of her ears.

“Enid!” Maud facepalmed.

“I am not answering that.” Millie said from between her hands; “We’ve just been together officially for a month or so.”

“I had to ask!” Enid came to sit on her other side; “Are we at least gonna meet her?”

“She is coming over later.” Millie took her hands away, her face almost in the right color again; “I hope you guys like her. She is pretty amazing.”

~0~

“I heard you’re living with Mildred now.” Sybil said in a rather uncompromising way.

The Hallow sisters and their grandmother were sitting in a quiet little cafe in a cozy little corner of Paris, a place they were visiting at their grandmother’s request.

Ethel narrowed her eyes and whispered quietly as Esmie and their grandma talked animatedly on the other side of the table; “Don’t you get started too! I heard about the things you’ve been saying about me.”

“What?” Sybil said, nervously.

“Esmeralda told me about you saying I had a crush on Millie!” She said between clenched teeth, not wanting neither Esmie nor their grandma to hear it..

“Well… Yes, but only because I thought you did back then.” Sybil responded, just as quietly. “I mean, it was a little obvious!”

“What are you talking about?”

Sybil held up one hand and started counting her fingers; “You blushed and stuttered super hard when she lifted you after your team won the witch ball tournament, you got furious when you did something nice and she didn’t immediately react by becoming your best friend, you kept looking at her from across the table, you kept talking about her, giving her compliments and then retracting them by being extra nasty right after, you were so bad at hiding it that mum actually asked me if--”

“What?” Ethel suddenly said loudly, making Esmie and their grandmother stop and stare at her, causing her to blush deeply.

“She did! She didn’t seem happy with it!” Sybil continued, still in a low voice. “She hated the idea that her own daughter could love a, you know, Hubble.”

“Oh, I get it, this is that talk about Ethel’s girlfriend again right?” Her grandma said, with a smile. “Don’t listen to your mother dear, she is still sour over… Well, having consequences to her mistakes.” She said sarcastically; “It’s not your girlfriend’s fault.”

“Nan, she is not my girlfriend.” Ethel explained patiently.

“Ethel just has a little crush on her.” Esmeralda said diplomatically.

“Esmie!” Ethel groaned; “No, I don’t! I never had!”

“You did in your last years of school.” Esmeralda said, keeping the same calm tone.

“You don’t know that! You’re just listening to Sybil!” Ethel retorted. Their nan gave Sybil a questioning look that said ‘Did she have a crush?’ to which Sybil replied by scrunching her face up and nodding, to which their grandma nodded back.

“Yes,” Esmeralda agreed, “but I was there when you called me at 4 AM because you honestly thought that your obvious crush on her meant you were turning into a homophobe, instead of just realizing that you had it bad for her and was envying her girlfriend.” Esmie huffed a little frustrated, getting Ethel to admit her feelings in any open or honest way was like pulling teeth; “God, Ethel, you are about to investigate the girl’s whole life just to try and prove that!”

“No, I’m not!” Ethel said, triumphantly and crossed her arms; “I only had problems with her because she was always bringing up things from the past that happened between Mildred and I.”

“Yeah, there is a lot of that,” Sybil commented absent-minded “and usually you’re the awful one in those, Ethel.” and Ethel spared her a side eye before continuing;

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore; her girlfriend and I made a truce and I dropped that idea!” ‘Also Felicity never got back to me aside from an “I’ll see what I can do” about a week ago, so that’s a dead end.’ she thought to herself.

“Really?” Esmie said surprised, and smiled proudly; “That’s great Ethel!”

“Was… The truce your idea or hers?” Grandma Hallow asked, already knowing;

“Hers, grandma.” Ethel responded as expected.

Of course, Ethel was just like her mother after all, asking was a formality; “So she sees you as a threat, that’s good for you love.” Grandma Hallow said rubbing her chin thoughtfully; “Mildred must value your opinion enough that this girl would feel threatened, no matter how much you two had problems in the past.”

“I am not interested in Mildred!” Ethel insisted, despite the weirdly happy feeling swelling in her chest at her grandma’s words.

“Well, I am just saying that if you did, you could probably have Mildred’s heart if you were willing to pursue her.”

Esmeralda looked at her grandma shocked; “Nan, Mildred is already dating someone else.”

“All is fair in love and war, my dear.” She said with a smile, tapping on Esmeralda’s hand, then she looked at Ethel. “Darling, you don’t have to reveal your feelings right now. You owe no one an explanation that you might not even know yourself.” She thought for a moment; “How does it go; ‘The heart has reasons that reason does not know...’ Something like that? Don’t worry about it. Just know that if you love her, you can pursue her and maybe even have success.” She said with a devilish smile at her granddaughters, getting mixed results. Esmie looked horrified, Sybil rather into it and Ethel had a blank look, a lot going through her mind, until a waiter saved her by bringing their drinks.

~0~

Enid looked at the familiars assembled besides the couch, taking her eyes from her videogame; “This Batman guy is full of anguish…” She shook her head, throwing her rainbow dreads behind her back; “Yeah, your parents died, but you’re rich and in your 30s, that hot catwoman is totally into you, mate… Go be happy! Have a beautiful litter of cute little bat-kittens or something!” She took a sip from her drink.

Ethel transferred in right there, causing Enid to look up at her;

“Honey, you’re home!” She turned back to the TV; “Come on, take a seat, relax, feel free to feel like you’re home! Maud and Millie will be coming back with pizza soon.”

Ethel raised an eyebrow and got a drink from the fridge before sitting besides Enid in the sofa; “Why did they go to buy it instead of just asking for delivery or transfering?”

“Something to do with them having too many deliveries and Millie saying it was a better idea to just go buy it there and bring it back. I stayed because Batman is amusing me by being a big, burly version of Miss Hardbroom and because you can’t fit three people in a motorcycle.” She offered Ethel a bowl of popcorn and the blonde took a handful.

“So just the three of you? I was half expecting Gerry would be here too.” Ethel said, far more relaxed than she would the day before. She was starting to get used to the other woman and ready to let her be.

Enid chuckled; “Oh, she was earlier! She is a lot of fun! Completely untrustworthy, obviously an utter snake in the cauldron, but loads of fun!” She said flippantly while still playing the game.

Ethel starred at her slack jawed, before slowly saying; “W-why do you say that? How do you know?”

“I am a Nightshade, I just know.” Enid said and shrugged with a confident expression, and even without looking up, she noticed the way that Ethel was looking at her; “Aaand she lied about a bunch of stuff… Just small stuff though, or big stuff that she thinks no one in the room would know. She knows how to lie without being caught.”

Ethel looked unimpressed: “How do you know that?”

“Oh, trust me.” She looked at Ethel with confident eyes. “I know.”

Ethel knew that look. Some, if not all, witch family had their secrets and apparently, Miss Fern had something that stumbled upon the Nightshade’s. “Will you tell Millie?” She asked, with an edge of hope in her voice. Mildred might not listen to her if she tried to say anything, but a Nightshade or Spellbody, yes they might get through.

Enid nodded; “Yes, but I doubt it will have any effect.” She admitted; “She’ll probably think I am being neurotic and exaggerating and it’s not like I can tell her why I think like that.”

“I… I didn’t like her much either from the beginning.” Ethel said, carefully; “We have kind of a truce going on now.”

“Ethel Hallow is going along with a truce?” Enid said, still trying to sound sarcastic, but clearly also surprised; “Since when are you like that?” She started tying her hair up.

“We did it for Millie.” The blonde explained.

Enid stopped mid tying her dreads; “That makes even less sense!” Enid’s surprise was no longer hidden.

“She is my friend, I care about her.” Ethel said annoyed.

“Ethel, you don’t have any friends--” Enid pointed out.

Ethel looked annoyed at that; “I do now! And I care about her a lot!”

Enid looked at her with one raised eyebrow, rather surprised at how much she had changed. This was even more than she had expected or seen, but everybody has those--

“Are you going to help me deal with this girl or not?” Ethel cut her thoughts off.

“Ok, ok! What are you suggesting?” Enid asked.

Ethel opened her mouth, but; “I got nothing… Yet.”

“Ugh, Hallow!” Enid rolled her eyes; “I thought you were better at this! Can’t you just make something up? You know, keep the family tradition and all that.”

“Oh shut up!” ‘Plus, if I tried to lie like my mother I would be immediately caught, Millie would sniff me out in a second.’ “I looked up stuff about her. All I discovered is that there is nothing too remarkable about her, nor about her family! She lied about Drusilla’s personality, so I am guessing they are not in good terms, but neither am I.”

“Drusilla goes to the same school as Maud and I, and we are on good enough terms, I can talk to her! What else?”

“I also spoke to Felicity, but she hasn’t gotten back to me--”

“Felicity?” Enid looked up.

“Yeah, she is working at Witch Daily now--”

“No, no I know! I am saying it because she sent you message earlier! You forgot your maglet at home and Millie saw it when you got it, she put it in your room!” Enid said, jumping from the couch and racing to Ethel’s room.

“Hey, it’s my maglet!” Ethel said coming right after her and managed to get the maglet before her, smiling as she saw Felicity’s message;

‘So, here is what I could find;’

 (tbc)