#there's a chalk arrow pointing to it and everything

[dark-corner-cunning]

Crown of Glory: A Hair Growth Working

This is a simple working that is meant to be a fun addition to your hair care routine. I am using this as a weekly hair oil treatment. Feel free to use all of it, parts of it, or none at all. It’s your hair journey, so make it your own! Go wild and create your own working if you would like, too. I will post updates in the next few months of the results.

Hair, that crowning glory atop our heads, has long been revered as a symbol of power, vitality, and spiritual connection. It is said to be an extension of the self, a tangible manifestation of inner strength and identity. In bygone eras, hair was so cherished that its loss was often seen as a sign of misfortune or a weakening of the spirit.

This working is a form of Wortcunning, where magick and medicinal plant knowledge intertwine. This hair growth oil is infused with herbs known to help stimulate hair growth, combat hair loss & thinning hair, breakage, and nourish the scalp. It is essential to remember that while magick can be a potent tool, it is not a replacement for proper hair care and a healthy lifestyle. Nourish your body from within, and let this working be a catalyst for transformation.

As with all workings, approach this spell with reverence and intention. Harness the power of nature and your own inner strength to cultivate a Crown of Glory worthy of royalty.

Ingredients for the Crown of Glory Hair Growth Oil:

To harness the power of nature for lush, thriving hair, I have carefully selected a blend of potent herbs and oils.

Rosemary: Renowned for its hair-growth-stimulating properties, rosemary has been shown to rival the effects of commercial hair growth treatments.

Nettle Root: Rich in nutrients, nettle root helps combat hair loss by inhibiting DHT, a hormone linked to thinning hair.

Saw Palmetto Berries: Traditionally used to address hair loss, Saw Palmetto Berries offers support for overall hair health.

Garden Sage: Stimulating blood circulation to the scalp, sage encourages thicker hair growth and pairs beautifully with rosemary.

Horsetail (Herb): Packed with silica, this herb strengthens hair strands, preventing breakage and promoting growth.

Evening Primrose Oil: Nourishing both new and existing hair, evening primrose oil contributes to longer, healthier locks.

Safflower Oil: A lightweight carrier oil, safflower oil aids in absorption of the herbal properties while also stimulating hair growth at the cellular level, and nourishes the scalp. Liquid Coconut Oil can also be used.

To maximize the potency of the ingredients, the oil infusion process spanned a full 30-day moon cycle. However, a rapid infusion method can also be employed for those seeking a quicker remedy. There are plenty of resources and videos on YouTube on both of these methods.

______________________________________________________________

Ingredients Used For Working:

I painted my workspace with chalkboard paint, but don't worry if you can't! Any flat surface or even paper will work as long as your candles are safe and sound in holders while burning.

Hair Growth Oil or Your favorite hair growth oil

4 green candles ( I used chime candles)

Green chalk (white is a good sub)

Blessing oil (I use a mix of Frankincense & Myrrh with clear quartz crystal inside the bottle... all charged by a full moon)

A Bluetooth speaker

Frankincense & Myrrh Incense Cones

____________________________________________________________

Steps For My Working:

First, let's get your space ready for magick! Cleanse everything up, and give your candles and tools a little cleansing & consecrating. I love burning Frankincense & Myrrh incense for this part.

Next, you can write "Hair Growth" or whatever phrase/keywords work for you on your green candles, starting from the bottom and going up. Put them safely in their holders and drip your blessing oil on each candle.

Next, draw a spiral with green chalk, starting from the outside and working your way in. Then, draw little arrows pointing from your candles to the spiral. This is like focusing all the candle magick into one powerful spot!

Now at the spiral's heart, position the speaker and place your bottled hair growth oil on top of the speaker. I used a hair growth frequency to pulse through it, like a sonic energy spell to charge and attune the oil.

Then you will want to turn on the music and light those candles. Remember to light them going clockwise – it's like winding up the working.

Now as the music plays and the candles flicker, close your eyes and picture your Crown of Glory! While you’re visualizing your dream hair, say this:

By the power of nature's might, May my hair grow strong and bright. Roots deep, strands long and free, A crown of glory, wild and free. Grow, my locks, strong and deep, Let ancient powers your spirit keep. With every drop, a potent spell, To break the bonds where tresses dwell. Crown my head with growth anew, May hair flourish, strong and true. Let follicles awaken, deep and sound, As vital force is richly found. As this oil is blessed and shaken, May hair growth be fully awakened.

When all the candles are finished burning, you can clean up your space. You can throw away or recycle things as you normally would.

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May the Gods, Goddesses, and Moon bless your workings, and may the universe conspire in your favor. Happy Casting Seekers!

[jbuffyangel]

The Love We Deserve: Arrow 2x06 Review (Keep Your Enemies Closer)

This is the episode I knew the writers were going THERE with Olicity. I wasn’t sure about endgame. I certainly did not know how Oliver and Felicity’s story would unfold, but “Keep Your Enemies Closer” confirmed we were in this, fam. We were in this all the way.

2013 Jen's live reaction:

Let’s dig in…

Olicity

The first scene immediately sets up this juxtaposition between Felicity, Oliver and Isabel and it carries through the episode. It’s not a love triangle. Isabel doesn’t matter enough to warrant a point on a triangle, but they use her (quite effectively I might add) to show Oliver and Felicity are anything but “just friends.”

Isabel is bitching at Oliver for whatever-he-failed-to-do-this-week and Felicity is trying to get his attention for some arrow (Roy Harper) related business. Initially, she tries using “Mr. Queen” in a very boss/employee way, but ultimately is fed up with being ignored and yells “Oliver!”

Isabel barely tosses Felicity a glance, but Oliver ends the Co-CEO argument to leave with Felicity. Trust me when I say, Isabel clocks this decision.

Source: @okmcintyre

Oliver and Felicity join Diggle in his search for Lyla Michaels. She went to Russia to search for Deadshot and now she’s missing. Oliver uses a Queen Consolidated subsidiary in Moscow as their cover story and use of the company jet. Unfortunately, Isabel tags along. She believes Oliver is meeting with their overseas partners behind her back. Once she discovered Oliver didn’t have any meetings planned with their subsidiary in Moscow, her accusations shift to Felicity.

Oliver: I’m not this person you think I am.

Isabel: That depends.

Oliver: On what?

Isabel: On if I think you used the corporate jet for a weekend of fun with your assistant.

Oliver: Excuse me?

He does his very best to look incredulous at the idea of hooking up with Felicity while on a romantic weekend in Moscow. I really wouldn’t put Russia on my Top 10 list of romantic getaways. Tahiti made a lot more sense, but whatever. The point is – Oliver’s feathers are immediately ruffled. Did I see him blushing? Oliver lies all day every day both professionally and personally, but this line of questioning has him quite tongue tied.

Isabel: A blonde IT girl all of a sudden gets promoted to be assistant to the CEO? There are only two ways that happens. One is nepotism and she doesn’t look like your cousin.

Source: Paigeota

It absolutely should be happening, Oliver.

Isabel: What were her qualifications aside from an abundance of short skirts?

Source: Paigeota

This scene is incredibly important because A) it’s hilarious and B) this is the first time Arrow has addressed OUTLOUD Felicity Smoak as a love interest for Oliver Queen. Everything up until now has been gazing, fervent glances, shoulder touches, soft tones, sexual innuendo and the electric chemistry between Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards. But Isabel puts her money on the table and flat out accuses Oliver of sleeping with Felicity.

We, the audience, know Oliver and Felicity are not having sex (much to our horror and disappointment), but Isabel presents the one question we’ve been dying to ask Oliver – does he WANT to sleep with Felicity? And his answer is… glorious.

First he laughs, uncomfortably, like this is the most INSANE line of questioning to ever take place. Keep in mind this man was tortured on Lian Yu for information about bombs, planes, the location of a Chinese archer and Japanese soldiers bones from WWII. But nope, Oliver is shocked – SHOCKED I TELL YOU – that anyone would ever think he’s having sex with Felicity. Methinks he doth protest too much.

But Oliver trips up at the mention of skirts. He stutters his way through defending Felicity. It is damn near gallant of him to argue they are an appropriate length. No ma'am, the skirts are not too short. Not for Oliver Queen!

We can chalk this up to Oliver being a flesh and blood heterosexual man. The day they stop looking is the day they die. But this is the first time anyone has asked Oliver if he is sexually attracted to Felicity. He blushes, laughs, protests and stammers his way through his answer like a 13 year old boy.

Also, it’s extremely important to remember one episode prior Oliver was rejecting Laurel Lance in her apartment hallway after she tried to kiss him - his primary female love interest. Then the very next episode, the writers are crafting a scene forcing Oliver to address a romantic relationship with Felicity.

Is it a funny scene? Yes, but the real win for Olicity shippers is the question is being ASKED. The answer is even better. Yes, Oliver has noticed the skirts and the spectacular legs that go with them. You don’t say that about a character who is going to remain a platonic, comic relief Girl Wednesday.

We are so far from done. Diggle infiltrates the Russian prison where Lyla is being held while Oliver and Felicity meet up with Anatoly to purchase a Russian police car as part of their escape plan. Felicity is extremely anxious about Diggle, so Oliver offers her some witty banter and a shoulder touch as reassurance.

When the Russians try to fleece Oliver he threatens to make their children orphans in Russian.

It’s all very Bratva Oliver and menacing, but with Felicity he makes a little joke and winks! One could say his demeanor is quite light hearted – dare I say flirting?

Source: Paigeota

Oliver returns to the hotel and has a drink with Isabel. Bizarrely, he brings up Felicity again – unprompted. He couldn’t wiggle out of this line of questioning fast enough and now he can’t stop bringing it up! Pick a lane, my dude.

Oliver: Does everyone really think that Felicity and I are…

EXPLAIN THE DOT DOT DOT OLIVER! LET'S BE SPECIFIC!

Isabel: No. Just everyone who works at Queen Consolidated.

My kingdom to hang out by the water cooler in that office.

More with the loud chuckling. Nothing to see here but friendship. Look at all the friendship. Hardy har har.

Isabel: You don’t seem like the kind of man who has female friends.

That’s the understatement of the century. Putting Oliver’s sexual partners aside for the moment - Felicity is in a unique position. Oliver doesn’t have a lot of friends let alone female friends. Felicity is also the only female in his life who knows he’s the Arrow. Has he told her everything about his past? No, but relax. We’re only on Season 2. 

Oliver has shared quite a lot with Felicity in a relatively short amount of time. He trusts her (as much as he's capable of) and Oliver does not trust easily. Felicity is the only woman Oliver can be completely and authentically himself with. This makes her more than unique – it makes Felicity special. I think Oliver understands that and he approaches their friendship with reverence. He toes a very strict line with Felicity – for a very good reason which he will reveal later on in the episode.

Isabel: Underneath that swagger, I see you pretty clearly. You’re intelligent, driven and lonely.

Isabel reveals she doesn’t buy Oliver’s bad boy routine and instead believes she shares a lot in common with him. We can take this conversation one of two ways – 1) two people connecting over vodka and a shared ability to speak Russian or 2) Oliver is working Isabel to keep the real reason for this trip a secret. Bonus? He gets laid in the process.

Clearly, I’m going with option 2. He feeds her a line about loneliness in Russian and Isabel practically races Oliver back to the hotel room.

Mercifully, we don’t have to watch them have sex. Oliver is pressed for time because they need to save Diggle, but Isabel is fine with the wham bam thank you ma'am. Oliver thinks he left enough time, but as he opens the door to his hotel there stands Felicity just about to knock.

Oliver left Isabel undressed and in his bed, but the woman finds her clothes with lightning speed when she hears Felicity at the door and purposefully makes her exit then.

If Isabel bought Oliver’s “we’re just friends” speech then doing this would not be necessary. Isabel wants Felicity to know they slept together. Regardless of what people at Queen Consolidated think, Isabel knows there’s more going on between them than Oliver will admit. She wants to hurt Felicity. Isabel is marking her territory and I would encourage you to listen to Stephen Amell’s thoughts on why. #Cosigned.

However, this is NOT information Oliver wants Felicity to know. He is so embarrassed he can’t even look at Felicity as Isabel walks out the door.

Felicity is stunned. She’s actually speechless. Oliver tries to offer up some feeble explanation, but he doesn’t get very far. 

Felicity immediately makes a joke to alleviate the tension, but as she turns we can see her hurt and anger.

She cannot fathom a reason why Oliver would sleep with this woman. Whether or not Oliver heard Felicity’s remarks – he grimaces because he knows he screwed up. BIG TIME. It is so awkward and painful.

But again, the viewers must ask a fundamental question – why is this scene being written like Felicity caught Oliver cheating on her? Oliver is single. Isabel is single. Felicity is single. Nobody is dating anybody. And yet, the Arrow writers make it clear Felicity is hurt by this encounter �� like she’s been betrayed.

As for Oliver, he absolutely did NOT want Felicity to know he slept with Isabel. He knows it will hurt her. This shows Oliver is somewhat aware Felicity has feelings for him. Congratulations, Oliver you’re not a total pine tree.

What’s more telling is Oliver’s reaction. He acts like Felicity caught him doing something wrong. If he didn’t return Felicity’s feelings then her opinion wouldn’t really matter. It’s never stopped him from dating or sleeping with other women before. And this is just a one night stand. Not even – it was a quickie. But Oliver is ashamed. This makes him look bad. Generally speaking, when you have romantic feelings for someone you don’t want that person to see you hooking up with someone else. It sends a very mixed message.

THIS IS NOT HOW YOU WRITE A PLATONIC COUPLE!!!

Felicity Smoak wears her heart on her sleeve. She can’t let it go. It’s not just that Oliver slept with someone. It’s that he slept with ISABEL. The woman who is trying to steal his company. Her bitchiness is embedded in her DNA, so Felicity’s work environment probably less than fun. Felicity cannot stand Isabel and Oliver slept with her. HER. 

Felicity: Over 64 million women over the age of consent in Russia and you sleep with her.

But this time it is Oliver’s turn to make a joke to deflect. The entire vibe is couple’s fight.

Source: Paigeota

But Felicity is not joking when they get home and she’s tired of the mixed messages. So ask the question point blank. God bless her. No sexual innuendos, stammers, deflections, furtive glances or unspoken truths.

 Source: Paigeota

Oliver’s initial response is kind of flippant to be honest.

 Source: Paigeota

He gives Felicity a very generic “It just happened,” which is the exact non-explanation cheaters use. Sex doesn’t “just happen.” It’s a decision. Oliver made a choice and Felicity is trying to understand why because maybe if she understands then it will hurt less. Even worse, he says it didn’t mean anything. The problem is it meant something to Felicity. Take it away Willow Rosenberg.

Xander: We were just kissing. It doesn't mean that much.

Willow: No. It just means you'd rather be with someone you hate, than be with me. - BTVS "Innocence"

Truly one of the most devastating lines in television history delivered by an equally heart wrenching performance by Alyson Hannigan. What Felicity is truly asking Oliver is not, “Why her?” but rather, “Why not me?”

Felicity’s disappointment in Oliver’s response is palpable and feels very similar to their scene in 1x12 when she asked Oliver if she could trust him. She didn’t want a flip answer then and she doesn’t want one now.

Source: Paigeota

Oliver lowers his voice into his gentle Felicity tone and says, “Hey,” so she’ll look at him again. The real intimacy between them is revealed in a single word. He cannot wiggle out of this, so Oliver is approaching her question, and pain, with the reverence she deserves. Felicity closes her eyes for a moment before she meets Oliver’s gaze again, like she’s steeling herself against whatever explanation is coming next. This time the answer will be honest, but it will hurt more.

Source: Paigeota

Oliver speaks hypothetically of course, in an attempt to discuss what he feels for Felicity without really discussing it. It keeps their friendship in this little protective bubble as Oliver takes an infinitesimally small step over the strict line he has drawn between them. Oliver feels life as The Arrow, and his proximity to danger, prevents him being in a loving relationship. He slept with Isobel because he doesn’t care about her. Oliver won’t be with Felicity because he does care about her.

What is MONUMENTALLY IMPORTANT about this scene is Oliver acknowledges the elephant in the room for the very first time. He feels more than friendship for Felicity.  Does Oliver Queen love Felicity Smoak? Yes. Is he ready to admit that to himself - let alone to her? No. Oliver believes his love endangers Felicity. He cannot lose her, so he will not allow himself to love her. As frustrating as Oliver’s answer is it’s not difficult to understand why he feels this way - especially after losing Tommy.

Felicity gives a little nod like this was the explanation she expected, but still needed to hear. Despite the hypothetical, they both know Oliver is speaking about her. Rather than a meaningful relationship, Oliver has resigned himself to a life of loneliness. He may have hook ups and one night stands to fill his bed and relieve an urge, but he withholds access to his heart. This is not just about Oliver’s refusal to truly love someone. It’s also about his refusal to allow anyone to love him in return.

He's taken bullets that hurt less than this.

In the end, it’s Felicity’s response that truly packs the emotional punch. She believes Oliver deserves better, regardless of his way of life. He deserves more than empty affairs and lonely, dark and violent nights.

There is so much this man cannot forgive himself for and the guilt is overwhelming. Oliver believes he has no right to happiness. Loneliness is his penance.  When all you experience is pain and loss it can be difficult to imagine a life without it.

"We accept the love we think we deserve." - Perks of Being a Wallflower

Oliver hurt Felicity deeply by sleeping with Isabel.  They both know it. He continues to hurt her by drawing this line in the sand between them. Yet, in the face of that pain, Felicity dreams a life for Oliver that’s more than the one he’s resigned himself to. It is forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love in action. He does not feel worthy of Felicity Smoak, but those are the lies Oliver’s guilt tells him. She knows the truth.

Source: Paigeota

The stunned look on his face says it all - no one has ever told Oliver Queen he deserves to be loved. 

John Diggle

Contrary to the previous six pages, this is actually a John Diggle focused episode. And boy, does he drop a bomb on Oliver and Felicity.

Oliver didn’t immediately recognize Lyla’s name, which is fine because I don’t think they’ve shared a scene. Felicity reminds him Lyla is John’s ARGUS girlfriend and I had whiplash at that status update. Girlfriend? When did we get to girlfriend? I feel more comfortable with super spy sexy time friend.

Diggle lowers the boom. Lyla Michaels is his ex-wife. SAY WHAT??!

Felicity: Explain that sentence.

Honestly, how do Oliver and Felicity not know this yet? What do they talk about in the bunker? It can’t always be about crimes and arrows. Sharing is caring OTA – embrace it.

Diggle: We couldn’t figure out how to stay married without a war to fight.

Diggle and Lyla were married while on tour in Afghanistan, but divorced shortly after returning home. Lyla joined ARGUS and Diggle went back for another tour.

Diggle and Oliver hook up with Anatoly (!!!) and he informs them Lyla was trying to break into the worst prison in Russia on a tip that Deadshot was being held there. Unfortunately, she was captured. It hasn’t been a pleasant stay given how battered Lyla is looking.

The only way in Gulag is to be a prisoner, so Diggle volunteers. Oliver balks at that, but Diggle needs him on the outside make the moves necessary for an escape. Also, Lyla is Diggle’s woman and he's going to save her, damn it. SWOON. Find you a man with a hero's complex. They make divine husbands. I speak from experience.

Anatoly provides enough drugs to land Diggle in prison for 400 years. Oliver and Felicity are nervous about this plan. In one of the sweetest moments between Diggle and Felicity, she gently kisses him on the cheek and wraps his scarf around his neck. It’s a good luck kiss, but everyone is clearly worried it’s a goodbye.

Of course, once John is inside he runs right into Deadshot. He sure is easy to find for a globetrotting criminal mastermind. Deadshot knows where Lyla is being held and wants in on the escape plan in exchange for her location. After Deadshot kills Anatoly’s guard, John has no choice but to team up with him.

Lyla: You came for me.

Diggle: I always have and I always will.

This is what stellar ships are made of folks. This is the content we're here for.

Of course, Oliver and Felicity rescue Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot, but the pinnacle of the episode for John is when they dump Deadshot on the side of the road. They’ll help him get out of prison, but not out of the country. John holds a gun on him – ready to pull the trigger to avenge his brother’s death, but he can’t do it.

Deadshot: That’s the thing about honor, John. You can’t turn it on and off.

What a great line! I love that line!!! It’s so fully encapsulates John Diggle’s character. I’m sorry I know he’s a killer, but between Deadshot bringing Olicity together with the ridden computer and this moment with John– I’m really starting to like this guy.

Deadshot offers John some additional information about his brother’s death. A thank you for not killing him I guess. He asks John how he thought Andy was killed.

Diggle: You shot at a client that Andy was protecting and you missed.

Deadshot: I don’t miss. Your brother was the contract.

Diggle: Who would want to kill Andy?

Deadshot: I don’t know their names, just an alias. H.I.V.E.

The plot thickens! I’m sure all the comic fans were excited about the introduction of H.I.V.E. I was clueless, but with a quick Google you’ll discover H.I.V.E is a terrorist organization. So, this means one of two things, John’s brother was an honorable man who ticked off a terrorist organization or Andy was not as honorable as his brother and ticked off a terrorist organization. This adds a layer of complexity the Diggle vs. Deadshot storyline desperately needed. It was running a little stale.

Diggle: You know me and Carly broke up because I couldn’t love her and hate him at the same time.

Lyla: I’m honored to be the exception.

Diggle: Lyla, you were always the exception.

Ok, I’m onboard the SS Dyla. Let’s get remarried. I’m ready.  

We go from the Dyla love scene directly to Olicity’s final scene in the office. This is not a mistake. John guides Oliver on his path. This also includes his romantic life and one of the ways Diggle guides Oliver is by example. Dyla always points the way.

Stray Thoughts

This is the first episode we meet Amanda Waller. She’s loyal to Lyla Michaels and knows about Oliver and Diggle’s vigilante operation, so she’s arriving on the scene as a fully formed bad ass.  

Diggle refused Anatoly’s vodka. Based on the look Oliver gave him I’m guessing that was a very bad idea. Drink the vodka, John.

“I wouldn’t mind a drink.” I mean honestly the boys could be so sexist sometimes. Felicity likes booze too!

“I will take care of her.” Snort. Yeah, I’ll bet Oliver.

Isobel immediately jumps to the conclusion that Felicity is sleeping her way up to the top. Way to be supportive of your fellow female coworkers and fighting that glass ceiling together, Isobel. This just makes her more evil in my opinion.

Sara left town. That’s fine I need a break from the Lance drama.

Quentin lets Roy go because he's working with the Arrow too, so I'm counting Lance as part of the team.

No Laurel. Hallelujah. Did you even notice she was gone? Nope. This character lifts right out.

There’s this whole weird subplot where Moira’s lawyer wants Thea to dump Roy because he’s a felon and it makes Moira look bad. Sure, Roy Harper is the problem. Not the 500 people who died. Even Moira thinks this plot line is ridiculously stupid and gets these crazy kids back together. Can we be done with the Theroy breakups? I’m tired. Find these two an actual storyline.

Slade: I will not be the reason something happens to you.

Shado: When I care about someone there's nothing I won't do for them.

Slade is in rough freaking shape after being burned over half his body, but he gets snuggle time with Shado so it isn’t all bad.

Never trust a Russian woman. Has Oliver ever seen a movie?

Flashback Sara betrays Oliver and gives Ivo the location of Slade, Shado and the soldier bones. Let's go with Stockholm syndrome to explain this insanity. Or she's just completely terrified of Ivo. Either works. But still - dick move Sara.

Why does David Ramsey wear shirts? It’s really a crime against humanity.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 2x06!!!

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Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me!

[artificial-transmutations]

Transformation Letter: Dian

Hello. My name is Dian and I wouldn't mind transforming into anything or anyone. I'm an single 38 bisexual teacher, whom works out twice per week. My students would most likely describe me as the boring brown math teacher with the medium length black hair.

It wouldn't be right to say that today it is your favorite day of the year. To be honest, it's not even clear if you even have a favorite day of the year, at least regarding to your job.

Not anymore, at least. With your 38 years, you are teaching math for over ten years now. Ten years of reiterating the same and same again to your students. It is what people describe one of the biggest boons of teaching math: The subject never changes. While your colleagues have to integrate some new events or discoveries into their lessons every now and then, math never changes.

So, why is today one of the days you look most forward to? Because it's time for curve sketching again. This is both the subject you discovered your passion for math with and the point in the curriculum where you can see clearly which students are able to grasp the concepts of math - and which are too dumb.

Still, calling that one of your highlights sheds a sorry light on your academic career. Becoming a teacher *seemed* like a good idea, but the truth is that the endless repetitions are mind-numbingly dumb. You could have gotten a research job at university, but you decided to become a teacher. Ever since, every day is the same, every week, every year. Everything is on repeat. Teaching, driving home, working out twice a week, like a clockwork, summer holidays, winter holidays, one and the same.

You shake away the thought and sigh before entering your classroom and begin your lesson. You have the feeling you will lose half of your students today, intellectually, but you can hardly feel sorry. Math in school isn't hard. There is no reason for anyone not to get it.

So, you drone on and slowly approach one of the central milestones of the subject.

"And, as h approaches zero, we narrow in to the slope of the curve on that singular value for x. That is what we call a dancing quotient."

You look into the confused faces of your students. What did you just say? No, this is wrong. You try again.

"Sorry. The diffuse quo..." You trail off. Something is not quite right with you. You should know the word for that... thing. You look at the blackboard again. A big line with letters above and below, some arrows and a drawing of some curve. If you are honest, you don't understand fuck about all that. Weren't you supposed to teach math? Where are the numbers? What are letters doing in math.

"Is everything alright, Sir?" one of your students asks. Something else is wrong. When you look at your hand holding the chalk, it is way darker than it is supposed to look.

"Excuse me..." you mumble, surprised how deep your voice sounds. You exit the classroom and head towards the nearest bathroom, almost running.

The world seems wrong, too. It's like you’re looking at it from way too high. When you finally arrive and look at the mirror, you notice that your clothes are tight and constricting. Looking back from the mirror is another man, not the 38 year old math teacher you are used seeing every morning. The face looking back at you is younger, twenty-something. And it is Black, African American heritage, definitely. You can see your medium length black hair receding into your scalp, leaving you with the shortest buzz cut, as your nostrils become wider.

Not just your face changed! Your muscles grow and your shoulders expand, bringing your clothes that are riding high close to the breaking point. They don't break, however, but reform into a simple work uniform, covering your massive black body. At your groin, you can see the ample bulge of your dick and it makes you smile contently. You might not be the smartest, but you sure are both the strongest and best endowed man around here.

You give the mirror one last wipe and begin to clean the toilets with the janitorial equipment in your cart. Being a janitor in school is good work and doesn't require much of an education. That's why you even clean the toilets happily. However, it doesn't really pay well, either, so, recently you have gotten a second job as a bouncer in front of a gay club.

You don't mind the club visitors ogling your body or touching it from time to time, so the combination of both jobs makes for a diverse and eventful life! The strange letter you sent two weeks ago is already well forgotten.

Another one of those Transformation Letters. You, too can send one, over at my riot page!

[loaf-of-wren]

I finished reading The Fellowship of the Ring this morning. It was a good ending, all in all, and one I explained in two long paragraphs in an earlier draft of this post. But I am sure you know how it goes, and I don't quite know what my point in saying it was, besides to simply point out that the ending seemed to have taken the first chapter of The Two Towers and tacked it onto the end of Fellowship instead.

I have nothing else interesting to say about that.

I also watched the extended edition of the movie again today, and I think on the whole, despite all the film's shortcomings, I had a lot more fun watching it than I ever had before I read the book. The first half may have made my head spin a bit, with all it's cuts and shortenings, but with the second I was all but fully satisfied, and I enjoyed a very fun mental game of "Hey they really said that line, but in a different scene (or occasionally in actually this scene)!"

It was a good time.

But I have a lot to say about the differences between the two.

Today I am tired and weary, so all I wish to comment on in full are Galadriel's parting gifts, and how they differ from those in the book, because that says a lot, I think, about the film, and it won't be very hard for me to think and write about for so long.

Frodo received the bottled starlight, and Legolas a bow and arrows for war, just as they did in the book. But everything else, in one way or another, was changed somewhat. Gimli's gift was changed the least, for on paper he received the very same thing. But in execution, the tone of the giving is not at all left the same.

Gimli is met with nothing but hatred and unkindness by the elves on the Fellowship's journey through Lothlórien. But upon meeting Galadriel, he is shown kindness and good-hearted grace, for the first time from an elf since entering the wood. So of course he is smitten by her goodness. Of course he is taken by her beauty. In the movie, however, this conflict is almost entirely skipped over, so Gimli seems smitten for just about no reason at all.

This can be chalked up to the film simply lacking the time for such a thing, but these intricate details are what make the story shine so much, and while the most major plot points are done very well in the movie, I do dearly wish they had the time to slow down for even a moment or two for these smaller workings of the story.

And it is reflected, too, in Sam's gift, to a degree. Changed from a box of gardening soil from Lothlórien to a length of elven rope. On the whole, with the story being as it was, I think this was a good change, though I wish it didn't need to be so. We do not spend at all enough time in The Shire to really learn that Sam's father was Bilbo's gardener, and so too was Sam to Frodo. And Sam was not summoned to the Mirror of Galadriel, so she would not have known herself that he feared for the welfare of his father and the great green things of The Shire.

But the length of rope, then, seems entirely less personal of a gift to Sam, especially considering that The Fellowship in the book is given three (unless it was two) ropes to each boat, of which there are three boats. That's nine ropes (unless it was six) (unless it was only three, with one to each boat)! And in the movie, Sam was given one. I do recall that it will be useful later on in the next movie, but had Sam been given the time in this film to know Galadriel, then her gift would be a much better one than a rope of which there was written in the novel to have been an ample supply of.

Now, Aragorn is a very interesting case, because in the book he was given, mainly, a sheath for Andúril, everyone's favorite sword-that-was-broken. In the movie, not only have they not yet re-forged that blade, but they have also given Aragorn a love interest in Arwen, and the necklace that she has gifted Aragorn makes Galadriel think it impossible to gift the man anything more precious.

Now, I don't know whether this necklace is simply a token keepsake of Arwen's devotion, or a Something-Something-Silmarillion bit of elven lore or magic that is somehow Arwen literally giving away her immortality, but I do know that no such thing happened at all in the book, at least on the pages we get to see. I suspect these details, both the absence of Andúril and the presence of Arwen's love are both products of Arkenstone-itis, a condition I have named where Peter Jackson takes things that were not so cinematic or narratively significant for the whole of the books and makes them cinematic and narratively significant for the whole of the movies. And for these changes I can absolutely appreciate Peter's work.

So these two changes in giving of gifts can, in my mind, define both the best and worst of these movies. The care given to make that which was relevant but not poignant the star of its own narrative, and the crushing limit and lack of time to tell the tale that Tolkien told in full. But what of the others? What do the remaining gifts say of the movie, and it's recipients?

Merry and Pippin receive elven daggers. I have no idea what to make of this, besides that they're probably surely more physically useful than the silver belts they were gifted in the book, but I'm not sure why or for what these two instead need these knives in the first place. Maybe it's specifically so they can try to fight the Orcs at the very end of the film (which, because the Orc Ambush is actually in the first chapter of The Two Towers and not at the end of Fellowship, I do not know whether they actually do), or maybe it's so they have the daggers already for a later plot point, and Jackson doesn't need to give them to the hobbits by whatever lengthy way they acquire them in the book itself, but altogether I am not sure at all.

And Boromir?

*checks notes*

Boromir got nothing.

Take that, you jerk! Just what you deserve.

Except, not so much in the movie as you deserved it in the book?

My feelings are conflicted.

I am tired right now, so I am leaving the website, but I do love complaining about Boromir, so don't think you've heard the last of this.

[super-luna-fic]

Camp Justice - Chapter 5: The Old Friend

Masterlist

One Hour Later...

The teens slowly made their way back up the stone stairwell. They had just completed Green Arrows session and to say they were exhausted was an understatement. Their bones felt as though they would give way at the slightest hint of a breeze. The exercise was beyond anything they had experienced. Not even their little mission at Cadmus was as difficult as this. And they were starting to regret coming to this camp in the first place.

As they finally made their way to the top they were met with a smiling Green Arrow.

"Welcome back! You actually won your first training simulation, how do you feel?"

Cal slowly turned her head to look at him with narrowed eyes, "Don't patronize us Uncle, how do you think we feel?"

"Well, I did warn you it wasn't going to be easy. But if I'm being honest I didn't think you guys would struggle that much."

"Well, it's not like we told you more than half of us didn't know how to use a bow and arrow," Maria sarcastically responded.

"Thank you, for mentioning that Maria. You guys seemed to have forgotten the whole point of training under me. You needed to find a way to use a weapon you are unfamiliar with and almost all of you did NOT use it at any point. I mean if you..."

Green Arrows words were starting to fade as Cal was no longer paying attention. If anyone saw her at this moment they would chalk up her fowl mood to be from the strenuous exercise. However, they couldn't be further from the truth. You see, while everyone was fighting for their lives, Cal felt as though she was breezing through it. That is until one of the flesh-eating monsters appeared out of nowhere, only a few meters from taking off her head. She would've thought she was a goner had it not been for the body that slammed into her, pinning her underneath it.

Cal was speechless, which was rare. She blushed so hard out of embarrassment that she knew it was visible on her caramel skin. She secretly prayed that her rescuer could not see how flustered she was.

When she finally gathered herself together to see who it was who saved her, she was surprised. It was the mystery guy. She felt some shame realizing that she still had no idea who this guy was even though he was on her team. Now that she was under him she decided to take the opportunity to study his features as a way to partially familiarize herself with him.

The first thing that caught her eye was his jawline. It was sharp but not too sharp. Then it was his nose. It resembled that of a Greek nose, straight and somewhat pointy. Her eyes then scanned the rest of his face avoiding his eyes and noticed just how clear his slightly tanned skin was. Not a blemish in sight. She envied him but that didn't last long when she lowered her gaze to his lips. They were small but also a bit plump. However, she didn't get a chance to admire them when she noticed they were mouthing something.

'What was he saying' she thought. She squinted her eyes as if to get a better reading but her hearing caught onto to it first.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Cal blinked twice before snapping herself back to reality.

"Oh... um... yea."

And that was the end of what she remembered. Everything else from the exercise was blur and while she was thankful for that she hated the reason for it.

How dare that random (and very handsome) boy save her. She is the daughter of Batman. She doesn't need saving. She does the saving.

Cal once again realized she wasn't paying attention

"... finished the exercise it is time for your conditioning training."

"What? After all that we still have to condition?" Dick groaned.

"I feel like you guys just didn't pay attention to anything we've said. I put a lot of effort into those speeches ya know."

"Yes, yes, we know. But why in the world are you guys making us almost die then making us almost die again?"

"Because we love you."

"I'd hate to see what they'd do if they hated us", Conner mumbled.

Green Arrow glared at him, "I don't need super hearing to hear what you just said Conner but enough with the grumbling. You all signed up for this now you're gonna go through with it. So get your butts to the next activity or so help me I will bring in Batman."

"Fine", they all said in unison and dragged there feet out the door.

He shook his head in disbelief.

"These kids."

The group eventually made their way to the next facility and found the door ajar. Figuring this meant that they were welcomed in, they entered. However, they didn't make it in far before a loud voice boomed behind them.

"Well I'll be, if it ain't my favorites, Cal and Rob."

Cal and Dick immediately stiffened.

"Oh no" they mumbled.

They both turned around hoping that the voice did not belong to who they thought it was. And like most times, luck was not on their side.

When their eyes met the figure who the voice belonged, they were met with none other than, Wildcat.

"How you kids been?"

"Fine. Just fine." They said between gritted teeth.

"Good, good. You know I was surprised when your old man asked me to do this. But boy am I glad I'm here. Especially now I know you two are here."

"Mhm, yep, we share the same sentiment Wildcat."

"That's what I like to hear!" He excalimed as he slapped their backs.

"Now follow me."

The teens followed Wild Cat further into the facility and were soon met with a room full of various workout equipment and weights.

'This is it', they thought. After Green Arrows session they were expecting somwthing a little more... difficult? But all that was in the room was things they've used before. No crazy contraptions. No flesh eating monsters. Nothing.

"Judging by the looks on your faces you were probably expecting something different. Something more complicated?"

They nodded there head with hesitation.

"Don't worry, you guys are in good hands. It's gonna go by so fast you're gonna wish you can come back. And besides, I helped train Batman, so you know it's gonna be a good workout."

"That's what were worried about," Wllay said under his breath.

"What was that son?"

"I said tha-hmph!"

Dick elbowed him in the ribcage as to not agitate Wild Cat or at the very least cause trouble for thier group.

After straightening himself back up, he replied, "nothing. I said nothing."

"Good, now onto the good stuff. I want all of you to pick a station."

The group disperesed and found a place at the station they favored. Howvere, upon closer inspection they noticed something odd about the surrounding area of each station and they couldn't quite figure out what.

"Now what?" Conner asked, impatience clear in his tone.

"Now you say your prayeres because by the time your done here you are going to wish you'd never stepped foot in this camp." Wild Cat responded with a sadistic smile.

The teens looked at Wild Ctat with dread as they watched him press a red button and their suroundings suddenly boxed them in. And if that didn't freak them out enough, red lasers beams that were attached to weapons were pointing straight at them.

"Hey! What's the deal?!? I thought you said it wasn't going to be difficult." They shouted while banging on the transparent walls.

"The deal is that the League enforced me to give you kids a good workout. And that is what I plan on doing. If you kids thought this was going to be easy, hehehe, you thought wrong."

"This is wrong on so many levels and you know that old man." Wally cried out.

"I'd mind your manners young man, don't forget who currently holds the power. And although I'd like to take all the credit for this, I can't. I'm not the one who built those do-hickees nor was this my idea."

"I'm finding that hard to believe."

"Believe what you want but all I know is you will do this workout and you will complete it or I will make sure you become one of my more permamnet students. Do I make myself clear?"

Silence filled the room and with a satisfied grin Wild Cat then proceeded to start the machines.

"I wish you all the best of luck because you're gonna need it."

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters or universes. The only characters and universes I own are the ones I create.

DO NOT REPOST

A/N: Your girl is back! I am so sorry for the long gap in lack of updates. I wanted to finish the story before posting the rest. I didn't get a chance to finish it but I have like 3 chapters left and when I get back home in like 2 weeks I PINKY SWEAR to release it before the summer is over. Thank you to all who have been following me along this journey and I cannot wait to show the other stories I have lined up!

- ♡ Luna

[hydrate-or-diedrate]

I don't even know what day it is

(It's day 20)

(Specifically of reading homestuck)

Point and click with John wahoo

What are we just going to the crashed car and moving on?

Oh it just wouldn't let me click the arrow for a bit I see

Hi Roxy!

Elevatorstuck, with Meows

sup

I so very badly want to know what their options actually were 👀👀👀

So "something something loss" was the other option great to know x)

Not to be a filthy little Legend of zelda fan in the honestuck live react but this is such "fanon idea Link of link's awakening waking up from the dream and having to battle with himself over whether it was even real" vibes

Off we go, into the blank ass yonder x)

"Rumble royal with mangaka dudebro, lord of the shitwanks" gotta love roxy

John this is very much not the right place or time

WOAH PASSWORD STUFF?

I also can't believe that worked

Vriska and Meenah's friendship is very cute

Slowly rotating horse cylinder

SGDJHDGDJ TEREZI DRAWING HER OWN CHALK OUTLINE LMAOOO

Hi dead Jane!

YES MORE TROLLSONAS

Making OCs at the drop of a hat is self care you can't change my mind because I'm right

Oh fuck you Terezi, I do have to remember the numbers in the passwords >:/

"Ooh, look! Another space tragedy."

Popped into a girl's bedroom, stole a stuffed dragon, nbd

snif

"you don't need him." Well that's vague

Oho? This Jane's story is different than I remember

Oh yeah this is way different

Oh damn funeral time

That I'd such a shallow grave, Rox

The witness has been deployed

HMM THATS A VERY SUSPICIOUS SHADOW

John your extra notes are worrying me

HONK

Uh oh the girlies tripped off a cliff

They rollin

I swear if they do the cheesy "whu oh we fell on top of eachother guess we gotta kiss" thing

GODDAMIT

CUEBALL GO AWAY FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

HELL YEAH JOHN FUCK HER UP

Oh gosh Terezi stop trying to grab the scarf

Karkat is here

Everything is falling apart again aw beans

Ah how I miss when Karkat could be angry about stupid things instead of life threatening things 😌

Awww John and Roxy are holding hands

Aw fuck, bye bye everything I guess

shes8ack, whatever that means

Dang we got the monument valley music and everything

NO JADE I WANT TO KNOW THE WHO DAMMIT

Oh they're not dead?

Vriska!

Okay I guess it has been a while since Caliborn's Fuck Around and Find Out Hour

Homosuck Swan Song

I don't appreciate that Caliborn has apparently drawn pictures of Callies supposed safe space

STOP MOTION?

Shit, this is actually good stop motion! Congrats on developing your style Caliborn (but also fuck u)

"IT LOOKED LIKE I COULD USE MY RAINBOW SEIZURE FIELD TO OVERPOWER HIS MASSIVE GAY HOPE BUBBLE. ALAS."

Yogurtboner

SFJSGDKDJJDKDH CAL CONSPIRACY SEQUENCE

Vriskagram

Okay fine Vriska you're off my shitlist since you've been being a good girl

Help this is too cute

I find it funny how Vriska was so important to shit not going sideways but I still do not appreciate her self-centeredness lol

Them

Lalonde reunionnnn

I just want to mention that we have yet to see Dave bleat like a goat unless I'm stupid and missed it

Piss

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: A sapphic twist on the classic fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red, perfect for fans of Holly Black

The western wood is where Ro's father built their garden, taught her to forage, and told her tales of the faeries who live there—how to summon them, how to protect herself, and warnings of what they are capable of. Now, her father is gone, the garden has withered, and their family is struggling. Her mother and sister want to move into town, but Ro doesn't want to give up the memories of her father and his stories—or the charming village girl who shares Ro's love of the trees. The forest isn't ready to let Ro go either.

One winter night, on her way home from foraging, Ro encounters a bear attacking a fox. She fights the bear to save the fox's life, only to see the bear turn into a boy after her sister shoots him with an arrow. When the boy wakes, he has no memory of who he is—all he knows is Ro's name and that he has to kill the fox.

Ro never believed in the faeries from her father's stories, but she can't deny the magic surrounding her and that both the boy and the fox are victims of a faerie curse. She'll have to remember everything her father taught her in order to extract herself from this deadly game and keep her precious fox out of harm's way.

Review:

A sapphic twist on the classic fairytale of Snow White and Rose Red with fae, curses, and romance. Ro and her sister live together in a house that their father built in the woods. Growing up her father taught her to forage and gave her stories about faeries, from how to summon them to how to protect herself. Yet now that her father has passed and her mother has gone in search of a job, Ro and her sister live together just trying to survive the cold woods. One night Ro encounters a bear attacking a fox and she fights the bear to save the fox's life only to discover that the bear has turned into a boy after her sister shoots him with an arrow. The Bear boy has no memory ofwho he is or where he's come from, only that he knows Ro's name and that he has to kill the fox. Ro keeps finding herself drawn to the fox and to her surprise the fox turns into a girl named Colette. The closer Colette and Ro get the closer Ro begins to discover more secrets about the fae and the fact that Ro is the only person who can stop the deadly game between her precious fox and the strange bear that has come into her home. This is definitely a cozy fantasy that I think would make a great middle grade read. It's an easy read and it feels pretty young. I went into this thinking it would be a bit older and was hoping for a bit more, but it's a fairly simple story with an easy read and pace and I think younger readers would have a nice time with it. The story itself isn't bad it's just young and feels okay at best. I as hoping for a bit more magic and whimsy but overall it's just a cozy fairytale read, and the protagonist Ro might be a bit naive and kind of insufferable at points but I want to chalk it up to her being young and I feel like that's fine. Some things felt underdeveloped and aren't as fleshed out as I'd like but that's just me hoping for something more.

*Thanks Netgalley and Page Street Publishing, Page Street YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[snarky-magpie]

You can read the fic here.

(It's ongoing ATM, but already written, I'm just going through editing.) James has invaded his personal space again, standing so close they’re only separated by a sheet of air that can’t even contain any atoms, which gives Regulus the opportunity to notice the golden flecks in the brown eyes glancing down at him—probably some sort of eye disease—and the symmetrical beauty marks above both corners of James’ lips, like fucking arrows pointing in the direction of every thought Regulus shouldn’t be entertaining right now. And he isn’t. Entertaining those ideas. Images of pressing his lips to those dumb spots don’t replay on a loop in his brain. No. Abso-fucking-lutely no. 

Then James does something that Regulus can’t leave unanswered. He cocks his head, and with that annoying smug expression, he tosses a challenge his way.

“What’s the issue, Reggie? Are you scared? Scared of losing twice in one evening to a nobody like me? You, mister ‘Undefeated’?”

A flash of annoyance sears through Regulus. It burns away all doubts, all strange, ugh, longings, and reminds him that this man in front of him, this annoyingly fit bloke with his tall frame and ropy muscles, represents everything Regulus loathes. Potter, who laughs through matches and never takes anything seriously. Potter, who grins at him when he once again pays no regard to the rules, spouting shit like, ‘It’s just a game, so fucking dislodge that stick from your arse and relax, Reg.’ Potter, who appropriated the one person Regulus loved. Loves. Whatever.

He’s gonna teach him a lesson. There’s no reason to worry about the bet. No way in hell he’s letting this scourge, this stain on his life, win. His eyes stray to James’ lips again for the shortest, tiniest blip in existence. A tenth of a nanosecond. That’s not an issue, though. It’s a natural reaction to all the talk about kissing, although the talk’s been mostly in Regulus’ head. Still. Nothing but a reflex. Chalk it up to nerves.

“Of you? Not bloody likely, Potter.”

[chiclet-go-boom]

i had the good luck to be in an "advanced" program for a year (grade 9) with one of the upshots being an excellent english/program teacher.

one of the first assignments was a short story where the protagonist was a guy about our age living in a small town. at this late stage (i've been out of school a very long time) i don't remember the plot really, other than it ended with the protagonist and his best friend sitting in a diner, ordering a hamburger or something from a waitress.

we all read it, we had to write one of our first essays of the class on what we felt the central theme of the story was, and then the teacher graded them and then read a couple of the 'best' ones out loud to the class the next day.

then he helped us deconstruct the entire story. blackboards and chalk and that meme of the guy with string going everywhere, only with drawn boxes and arrows.

dudes, that protagonist was lying through his teeth the entire time. everything he told us was distorted, warped like a funhouse mirror to suit HIS narrative, HIS feelings, HIS interpretation of the events. The diner scene at the end was where all of his lies were suddenly revealed for what they were, providing a lens to review the entire story for what it wasn't.

i'd been hoodwinked. i hadn't caught ANY of the underlying subtext, that the story-as-presented on the surface had very little connection to the story-as-it-probably-was. i was, in a nutshell, kinda blown away at the technical skill of the writer to DO that, as well as my teacher for being able to walk us through it, and the entire class got to discuss all the major points both for and against the protagonist's viewpoint. it was *fun*, as english classes never are.

then we had to do another essay on the same story, this time explaining a single plot point of our choice on why the writer had chose to present it the way they had, and how it reflected through and onto the character, putting our new knowledge to use of how what hadn't actually been said was the most important part to pay attention to.

it's stuck with me my entire life. i have a hard time with most media (television in particular) because most stories as presented are puddle deep and there's not so much motivation going on as there is the need to tell a story that has no intricacies; because we've largely seem to have forgotten that nobody *really* tells the truth, *especially* not to ourselves, but tv sure would like to pretend that we do.

"but the text never explicitly stated it!!!" hey, so that's actually what they tried to teach you in those english classes you barely passed 😁

[4ngler4rt]

💘

Through the most pigmented, rose-tinted glasses, all the flags are just, red. I’ll see to myself that I’ll forget.

BECAUSE I WAS SHOT, THROUGH MY HEART, I DIDN’T DODGE. FELT THE BULLET, BUT I SAID I LOVED YOU. FELT MYSELF DROWNING IN YOUR GIFTS BEING GIVEN BUT I GUESS KEEPING THEM WON’T DO ME GOOD

I LET THE GUN FIRE, I HEARD THE SOUND- OF THE SILVER BEING LAUNCHED OUT, POW POW!! I STOOD RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT, JUST LET IT HIT.

I KNEW YOU HELD THE TRIGGER, BUT I WASN’T THE BIGGER- PERSON. I WAS BEING IGNORANT THIS WHOLE TIME. JUST SO YOU COULD CALL ME “MINE”!?

my skull is as dense as your ego, which is pretty thick. all things considered, i don’t feel very sick. I think im just used to all of the pain but then why does it still hurt when you’re saying my name.

my screams don’t get louder, my voice is straining. cracking as much as my heart is breaking i hate your touch, i hate your love. everything up to this point was just a concept. something i could never ever just understand why are things so hard for me, i know how to stand!!

REALISATION HITS HARDER THAN THE BULLETS YOU SHOT. I TOOK THEM ALL TO HEART, AND NOW THEY’RE STUCK, JUST LODGED THERE. I FEEL THE LEAD PULSATING. WHILE IM THERE WAITING. FOR YOU TO SHOW UP FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE JUST TO TELL ME THAT YOU GOT THINGS GOING ON

REJECTION’S NOT FATAL, BUT IT’S A BLOW TO THE HEART WHY DO I WANNA SAY THAT I FELT THIS WAY FROM THE START? ANOTHER CHECKPOINT, I THINK I’VE MADE MY MARK. DOESNT MATTER TO YOU ANYWAY.

your love is like an arrow through my heart. not the good kind, but resemblance is a start first i felt the head of the shot, then the adrenaline that comes being not- Okay.

Your turn. Take it away. (babe)

(EXTRA/BONUS CONTENT:

said i loved you romantically, what the hell- that never made sense! All the stuff I’ve said, I didn’t mean it in that context.. You toyed with my feelings like I was just a puppet- Used me for attention that you probably already get- From family and friends and strangers all alike. Squeezed my heart and it gave my shirt some coloured dye What we had wasn’t special, just a twisted lie- Our connection can be chalked up to my fear if you died, I lied. I guess you just have a special place inside- My heart! I wanna give up!? I tell myself im over you but really you’re at the back of my head!- But I don’t want you, dead.)

[thefatedthoughtofyou]

So all the kids are gathered at Steve's for Easter!! And they think it's just a dinner. Until Eddie excuses himself and Steve claps his hands and tells them all to head to the backyard.

They all groan, loudly, and Steve sees Eddie's legs freeze as he's heading up the stairs. He stands there for a moment and then runs the rest of the way up, his legs disappearing as Steve frowns and claps louder.

"Hey! Dipshits!" All of their eyes land on him, his hands slam down onto his hips.

"We spent a lot of time. And a lot of fucking hard work, putting this together for you guys. So get your little asses outside!" He points over their heads, scowls as they all slump toward the door.

"And be excited about it!" He calls, and to their credit they perk a little, El the only one looking genuinely excited.

Steve follows them, smiling when he hears them all gasp when they go through the door. Steve leans against the door frame and watches them take in all their work.

Mostly Eddie's, if Steve's being honest. He'd done most of it. Planned it, drawn it out, bought most of the supplies. And then he, Steve, Robin, and the rest of the older kids, had gotten together and helped with the rest. All of them following Eddie's directions as they cut, and pasted, and nailed, and laughed, as they all turned Steve's backyard into the perfect easter quest.

All the kids follow the arrows Steve had chalked on the ground, it leads to their weapon selections. They all gasp and laugh as they scrounge around the piles of cardboard and plastic weapons. There's clothes too, everything arranged in sets, really.

Steve smiles when Dustin and Erica immediately try to switch hats because, and he quotes, "this matches mine and this matches yours lets just switch 'em."

Steve moves to correct them, Eddie had given them all very specific directions, but before he can say anything, Eddie's disembodied voice floats out the window above them.

"I'll allow it!" Steve smiles when Dustin whirls around and looks at the window.

"Are you coming down?" He calls, as Erica switches their hats, snatches Dustin’s off his head and plops hers on him. He lets her, doesn't react at all, except to straighten the hat, as he stares at the window.

"Momen- ah no! Momentarily!" Eddie calls, Steve frowns when he hears a crash above him. But smiles when he hears Eddie scrambling around. Dustin looks to Steve, narrows his eyes.

"You know what he's up to." He accuses. Steve shrugs, walks towards them at all, slaps the bill of Dustin’s cap as he walks past.

"No shit Sherlock. It's my house." He grins, turns and walks backwards, and then disappears behind one of the giant cardboard cut outs scattering his yard.

"Steve? What the hell? What are we supposed to do?!" Dustin shrieks, his voice nearing glass breaking levels.

"I think we're supposed to read this." Will supplies, holding up the little notebook that had been tucked inside the wizard robes he'd pulled on. The kids all gather round him, El practically bouncing in place next to Max. She's wearing a plastic bow and arrow set. Max is dressed with a reworked Wonder Woman costume, rope of truth twirling around in her hand.

"To Will the Wise, and any who be brave enough to venture further. A golden treasure awaits. If you can find it. And if you can survive the trip.

Good luck children. Let the hunt commence!!"

They look around the backyard, arrows scattered around, marking their path. The cardboard cut outs creating small forests and bogs, and caves, and caverns, and on the left, a huge, shining door. And all the way in the back corner of the yard, the mouth of a cave that looks to be full of dragons gold.

The kids all beam, even Max. As they settle all their weapons and costumes, and set out on their quest.

It goes swimmingly, Steve's the first stop. He's dressed like a knight, he'd been lost in the woods, for years, his armor tattered and rusting. He joins them in their quest, bringing along a secret key.

Robin is next, she's dressed like a witch in the bog. Comes creeping up behind them, grabs Mike and makes him scream bloody murder. She cackles as he stumbles backwards, and smiles wickedly as Steve steps foward, he hands the key to Will.

"Take this, keep it safe." He whispers, conspiratorially, and Will smiles, nods solemnly and tucks the key into his robs.

Steve and Robin fight to the death, both of them dramatically falling into a heap together on the ground.

"No!!! Sir Harrington!!" Lucas yells as he falls. Max grabs Lucas's shoudler, falls against him dramatically.

"It's too late. We've lost him!" She cries, letting her head fall to his shoulder.

"We must go on! For Sir Harrington!" El calls, a little awkward, but with feeling. They all look to Will, he nods, solemnly, moves his staff in Steve and Robin's direction.

"We shall never forget you, Sir Harrington. We thank you for your sacrifice." He says, tosses a handful of shredded paper he pulls from his robes, and they move on.

Jonathan and Argyle are some kind of strange two headed monster in one of the caves. They have riddles for the kids, Dustin and Erica solve them with enthusiasm, their voices shouting as Argyle tells them they may pass. They step aside, and as they pass, Jonathan calls,

"But WATCH OUT!" And then he and Argyle disappear behind their cut out again.

They unattached themselves and go and join Steve and Robin to watch the rest. All of their feet dangling in the pool as they watch, smiles on their faces as the kids work their way through the maze.

Nancy is a warrioress, she's got a bow and arrow to rival Athen, and she joins their party, rescuing Chrissy from her crumbling tower near the dragons cave. She joins them as well, pretends to faint whenever they come across anything remotely frightening, Nancy catches her. Max and El giggle everytime, hands tangled together, both of them huddled behind Lucas.

Steve stands as they approach the dragons cave. Walks slowly toward it, staying off to the side. But he had to see it. Had been waiting to see what Eddie had come up with all week.

The party walks up to the cave, slowly, all of them crouching, their weapons drawn, huge smiles on off their faces and they whisper giddily together. They take a few steps closer and fog begins rolling out of the mouth of the cave. Steve smiles, leans against the nearest tree, arms crossed over his chest.

He watches Lucas push Mike forward a bit, he squawks, does a panicked little turn and then takes another step toward the cave. He glances back towards the party, brows furrowed as they all wave him forward. Eddie uses his moment of distraction to jump through the mouth of the cave with a growling yell.

Mike startles backward, falls into Dustin’s arms as they all yell and laugh as Eddie pounces forward. Steve snorts into his hand when he sees him, finally getting eyes on his entire costume.

Eddie has clearly mutilated a large bunny costume. The sleeves are gone, it's been died a deep red, and he's drawn scales all across it. It has one ear missing, having been replaced by what looks like large ribbed horn.

Eddie has used his many sets of stage makeup to draw scales all down his arms, and across his face and neck. He's got a set of fangs now as he growls at the kids, and a pair of terrible clawed gloves hang off his hands.

"Do we have to kill it!?" El yells, hiding behind Lucas again as they all continue to laugh as Eddie rages in front of the cave.

"We could ask it nicely for the treasure!" She says, and Steve sees Eddie falter a bit, a smile on his face before he growls and scowls again.

"That won't work!" Dustin yells, then immediately turns to Eddie.

"Would that work?" He asks, seriously. Eddie snorts, covers his mouth and frowns.

"No! That won't work!" He growls.

"Defeat me or die!" He yells, and then bares his teeth again.

"Can we share it!?" El yells over Lucas's shoulder.

"El we have to kill it to get the treasure! Which better be candy Edward." Max tells her, then levels her eyes with Eddie. He freezes, his hands held up by his chest like a confused dinosaur. He tilts his head.

"I think sharing is a good idea." Will says, looks at El, nods encouragingly.

Steve watches El look around the party, they all give her small smiles, Eddie's head twitches to the side as he watches them. Nancy and Chrissy both nod at El.

"Worth a shot. Maybe this dragon has a soft spot." Chrissy smiles, looks at Eddie. He scowls at her and then startles back a step when El approaches him. He growls, low in his throat, and she holds her hands up, not the way she used too, to use her powers, but like she's telling him it's okay.

Steve watches Eddie melt a bit more with each step she takes. She moves her hands to the ridiculous fake claws, gently slides them off his hands, he whines in his throat, clearly having decided to lean into this new development.

"It is okay." El says, softly, as she slides the other claw off, taking Eddie's hands in hers. He frowns down at her, shakes his head once. Steve bites his lips as he watches El take him apart.

She reaches up, pushes the horned hood back off his head.

"We can share the candy. If you would like." She pokes at Eddie's fake fangs and he spits them out sadly, licks his lips aggressively, making El laugh.

"Would you like to share the candy with us?" She asks, big eyes looking up at him. And that's what does it, Eddie slups, his shoulders drooping, as he nods.

"Aww hell. Why not." He huffs, then ducks back through the cave mouth. The party all crowd around El, shouting and wooping, and then Eddie bursts back out, black plastic cauldron held high above his head.

"Behold! My treasure!" He yells, and then dumps the cauldron over, raining down gold coins on the party as he cackles.

They all scramble for the coins, shoving them in their pockets.

"Is this it?" Mike whines, when they have the coins all sorted. Eddie crosses his scale clad arms, cocks his brow at Mike.

"What if it is? The quest not enough? You need a whole a fucking cauldron of gold all to your self Wheeler?" He asks, eyes wide. Mike slumps a little.

"Because if so. You're in luck." He says, voice still grumpy but his eyes are twinkling. The party perk up, looking for all the world like a group of prairie dogs, Eddie moves his head to the side, eyes locked on the kids. And then he breaks the moment.

"There's more treasure in the cave." He jerks his thumb over his shoulder and walks away and the kids all scramble toward the cave.

His eyes land on Steve, still leaning against the tree, still smiling as he watches him walk over. The kids all screaming and fighting over the candy in the cave.

"Should we be worried about that?" Steve asks, lifting his chin toward the cave.

"I'm sure it's fine." Eddie grins, doesn't look behind him to check. Chrissy and Nancy smile as they pass and Steve hears Chrissy say,

"El sounds like she really wants that candy." As a high pitched shriek rings through the yard. Nancy sighs beside her.

"That was Mike." She says, both of them laughing as they take their own seats near the pool.

Eddie bounces on the balls of his feet as he stands beside Steve, and Steve can feel the residual energy vibrating off him.

"Have fun?" Steve asks, bumping their shoulders. Eddie nods, enthusiastically.

"Yeah. Yeah it was great. Had a different ending in mind. But that girl..." he trails off, shakes his head fondly.

"Yeah." Steve agrees. Eddie's warmth seeping into his side.

"Her ending was better." Eddie says, glances at Steve with a smile. Steve smiles too, lets them sit in silence for a bit until he glances down and sees Eddie's feet, clad in the bunny feet of the suit he's got on.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Steve breathes, a laugh in his throat.

"Hmm?" Eddie hums, looks over at him fully now.

"This." Steve curls his finger in the front of the fabric and shakes it a few times, Eddie looking down and then back up.

"What the fuck is this?" Steve asks again, laughing for real this time. Eddie bats at Steve's hands, but keeps his hand on Steve's wrist when he doesn't let go.

"It's a... bunny.... dragon? Dragon bunny? I dunno one'uh those." He laughs, shrugging as he grins at Steve.

"Okay sure." Steve smiles, shrugs, curls his finger tighter, unable to let go, he fights the urge to tug Eddie closer. Wants to pull him close, wants to know what Eddie's lips feel like against his.

"Follow up question." He says, eyes on Eddie.

"Uh huh? What?" Eddie asks, his mouth hanging open just so, making Steve feel a little crazy.

"Why?" Is all Steve says. Eddie laughs then, a real, from the chest, laugh. His head tilted back so Steve has a perfect veiw of his throat, though it's currently done up with scales. Though, Steve thinks that's just making him want to touch it more. When Eddie stops laughing, he just looks at Steve, for a long moment, before a grin curls his lips, dimples his face.

"What?" Steve asks, uncertain now, a grinning Eddie is always a wildcard.

"You really wanna know why?" He asks, face scrunching. Steve nods, smiling now too. Eddie turns around, shows his back to Steve, and bounces his butt up and down a few times as he looks over his shoulder at Steve.

"I liked the tail." He says, completely straight faced. Like he hadn't just shaken his ass at Steve.

Steve laughs then, falls back against the tree, the bark digs into his skin but he doesn't care, because Eddie has turned around again, is facing Steve. Is looking at Steve with this dreamy look in his eyes.

It's a look he's seen before. Several times before. But normally when Steve catches him, Eddie looks away, always going a deep shade of red.

But Eddie doesn't look away this time. He swallows hard, and he does go red, but he keeps looking. His eyes wandering over Steve, his chest, his arms, down to his feet and then back up again. He sighs when his eyes land back on Steve's face.

So Steve smiles. He takes a deep breath, coming down from his laughter, and takes a step toward Eddie.

"This was really nice of you ya know? To do for them." Steve says, his hands reach out, gently move to Eddie's hips. Eddie's breath shakes.

"It wasn't just for them. It was for all of us. Ya know?" He shrugs a little, his hands shaking at his sides. Steve tilts his head, nods slowly.

"Yeah. It was still nice. Guess Chrissy was right." Steve shrugs, Eddie brow furrows.

"The dragon does have a soft spot." Steve says, moves one hand up to Eddie's chest, rests it right over his heart.

Steve watches Eddie melt again, his face doing acrobatics, flickering between a smile and a frown and then his lip trembles and Steve can't take it.

He presses forward, kisses Eddie, soflty. Smiles into the kiss when Eddie makes a little surprised noise, his hands slapping against Steve's back, moving down to his hips, his fingers curling into the loops of Steve's jeans. Steve pulls back, rests his forhead against Eddie's.

"You kissed me." Eddie breathes between them, his hands are hot on Steve's hips, and he can feel him trembling.

"Yes I did. Is...that okay?" His chest flutters with uncertainty, but Eddie's fingers squeeze into his hips like he's afraid Steve is going to disappear, and Steve knows he has nothing to worry about. But Eddie confirms it anyway.

"Yeah. I mean shit Steve, I-" he cuts off, leans back a bit, so that he can look at Steve, properly. He's got that dreamy look in his eyes again, but it's softer now, he reaches up, moves his fingertips over Steve's face, tucks a stray hair up into his hairline with a smile.

"What? What are you looking at?" Steve asks, his hands move over Eddie's arms, tugging him closer and then curling around his wrists when Eddie settles his hands against his chest. Eddie bites his lip, shakes his head, and laughs.

"Just you. And I dunno... it's funny I guess?" He shrugs, looks at Steve, eyes wide and honest. Steve sighs, he's so gone on this guy.

"What's funny?" He asks, his own head shaking. Eddie laughs again, sounding giddy.

"Just... a knight and dragon. Ya know? Who'd've thought?" He shrugs again, fingers pressing into Steve's chest. Steve tilts his head to the side, looks at Eddie for a moment, moves his hand down over Eddie's arm, his fingers dancing over the crimson scales Eddie had drawn there, his heart racing as he touched the boy in front of him, finally.

His hand cups Eddie neck, thumb moving gently over the scar on his cheek. He pulls him closer, pressing their chests together. Steve nods, licks his lips.

"I would. I've been thinking about it a lot, actually." Steve breathes, smiles when Eddie presses forward, his nose brushing Steve's as a whine escapes him.

"Really. You've been thinking about me?" Eddie asks, and he sounds so small. Steve nods, wraps his arms around Eddie's waist swiftly and turns them, presses Eddie agaisnt the tree.

"I can't stop thinking about you Eddie. You're all I think about. All day long." Steve sighs, his head resting on Eddie's again. He feels Eddie's fingers scrambling against his shirt nervously.

"Nerdy freak shit 'an all?" Eddie asks, his body trembling agaisnt Steve's. Steve nods, looks at Eddie with longing.

"Oh all that shit just makes it worse." Steve breaths a laugh, wraps his arms around Eddie tighter. He lets out a little sqeak and Steve pulls back, just a bit.

"I think about you too. All the time." Eddie says in a rush, his hands moving to Steve's shoulders, fingers curling into his soft grey sweater. Steve nods, slow, as he leans back into Eddie's space, his lips brushing Eddie's as he whispers,

"I know you do princess." Eddie whines again and surges forward, kissing Steve fiercely.

It's clumsy, and it's messy, and it might just be Eddie's first, or second, kiss. And just that thought makes Steve's entire body thrum with excitement. Eddie pulls back awkwardly, pats at Steve's shoulders, like he can't keep his hands still.

"I um-" he coughs, clears his throat.

"I'm a dragon. Not a princess." He says, but there's no heat in his words, and his eyes are sparkling like maybe he could be, maybe he could be Steve's princess.

"Do you wanna be both? For me? A knight needs both ya know? A dragon and a princess. Maybe mine just happen to be one and the same." Steve whispered these words between them, like a secret, but the light in Eddie's eyes just burns brighter. He nods again, quick, his hands moving to Steve's neck as he licks his lips.

"I think I'd like that." Eddie sighs, Steve smiles, his heart fluttering when Eddie smiles back, crooked grin dimpling his cheeks.

"I'd like it too." Steve presses his lips to Eddie's again, softer, slower, letting Eddie enjoy it, letting him learn.

And then a wolf whistle rings through the air and they break apart, the kids cheering as they throw golden chocolate coins into the air, the teens by the pool whistling and laughing as Eddie hides his face in Steve's shoulder. Steve laughs and holds him close, protecting his dragonly princess from the teasing of their friends.

[anextravagantliar]

Her words draw him forward, and slowly, he ekes. There is still rubble, and there always will be; he's chalked his life up to a bunch of broken buildings, a bunch of broken promises, and a bunch of missed chances - that's his luck, a gambler's luck after all, so he shakes the foul thoughts from his mind. Kirkwall, Haven, everything else, things he refuses to unpack and put away are tampered down, quelling the anger deep somewhere inside of him. So he laughs at her words, a slow thing that he has to draw out of himself. "Well, aren't we the paragons of children's education?" It's less forced, and he steadies himself. He rolls the words over a few times, "I think the Seeker would state my influence was corrupting you and she'd send me up the hill again."

He jokes, he jokes because the woman before him negated his conscription in less than ten words, negating the words of a Divine - offered him a boat in Redcliffe, and he had chosen to rough it in the Hinterlands - as maybe once upon a time, he would have jumped that opportunity, but instead - he's quelling his overactive mind

There are people still milling about, he can count them, the fire licks warmth against his knuckles, and Bianca is in his hands. So he continues the motions of her service, something he could do in the middle of nearly anything, so the rhythmic motions are fallen back on to soothe a mind he cannot muscle into quelling just yet. So he fixates on picking the muck out of the intricate carvings and castings that bedeck the side of his crossbow. One hand comes for a fine knife, digging something out of one of the arms. The mindless work doesn't overtake him, but it allows his brain to slow and focus on the things coming. "I think, you have more power than you realise." It's an offhanded statement; most mortals didn't realise the powers they harnessed - well, until it was too late, the folly of heroes, after all. That thought is jammed against a gear and discarded; he can't be that dour.

Not now.

One eye peers through the scope, down the nose, and he adjusts one pin as he does it, recentering the weights and fixing Bianca's aim. It is always a twofold process to keep the girl running well. At Sidri's words his gaze shifts up over the scope, past the lens and the wings. He laughs, genuine this time as Bianca tucks low. "Okay, don't make it sound that serious. People will think I'm devoted to the cause or something." He was, he'd already signed up - with her some cold morning while the sun was still daring to rise. "I just think it's shitty enough to be cold in a war, they have to be hungry too."

He knows a thing or two about hungry people. He can't hunt ram for them, but he hopes the building he's sold and the money he deeded to Bran is enough, but it's Kirkwall - so it's never enough. "Thanks, Sid; however, I don't think I could ask the Herald of Andraste to climb trees with me." It sounds absurd even to him. Well, all this shit was weird after all; he couldn't press one finger to a normal moment. That was untrue; Solas had haggled with someone at a crossroads and found something drinkable. Cassandra had found some sort of cake the other day at a market, and well, he had cheated at cards the night before - and well, Sid was an impressive locksmith.

He stretches and stands, pulling Bianca onto his back and offering her a hand up. "C'mon let's go find those scouts of yours."

Camp has begun to slow, but the rush of people is still more than apparent. He scans the crowds, looking for some scouts from early in the day; earlier in the week is a better way to describe it. Still, he keeps that tucked away like an arrow in a quiver, but pushes through the crowd, elbowing someone out of the way when they nearly dared to run into him ( well, her, but, not the point ).

"They don't send the scouts out at night, do they?" Well in Kirkwall that was a one way trip, he didn't know what that meant here.

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐖 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒, 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐒 of broad chest, he is somewhere else. sidri wonders if he is somewhere he wishes to run towards or away from, but then the answer is revealed in his eyes. they grow distant and that normal gleam, illuminated now by dancing sparks, seems dulled, dimmed. (both, she thinks distantly, perhaps a place can be a home and a haunting.) leaning forward to prod a stick half devoured by flames further into their maw with her boot, she watches as varric just as quickly returns and is once more amidst the sea of trees and canvas of stars above them. i ❝ if you help teach the children how to steal, i'll teach them how to pick locks so we ensure they have a comprehensive education. ❞

cassandra had been appalled by her hidden talent & exclaimed her distaste loudly enough to mask the delicate sigh of a pin under pressure. the herald of andraste no better than a common thief, it would seem. both she and varric had told her to shut up with decidedly different degrees of courtesy and sidri had beamed with pride as the door to that cottage tucked away amidst the hills had swung over with a careful twist of her fingers. her brother had taught her long ago, in a different life, when the wide halls of their estate had rung with his laughter and their joint footfall. surely, he would remember such a memory, but would he still laugh or had the templars taken that from him too?

varric's words have her pause. he isn't wrong. those same blades that had been trained on her during those first few days amidst the chaos in the valley now answer to her call. how frighteningly quickly distrust had been culled into obedience, fear tempered into dedication. perhaps it would feel wondrous if she wasn't at the center of it. perhaps it would feel righteous if she was not the object rendered holy, if another body had been deemed an altar. ❝ perhaps there's little we can do with the delays, but we can't just sit and do nothing. ❞ her brow knits in thought, her words firm, unwavering. ❝ if i am to have any say in how the inquisition operates and, quite frankly, i believe i have that, then i will not allow it to be something that sits and waits when it can act. i won't let it be useless and stale. ❞

her gaze lifts to find his across the fire and knowing bemusement settles into the curve of her lips. his suggestion is posed as spur of the moment but there is thought there. he's considered this, sidri realizes, and weighed the options but presented the idea as something thrown together swiftly within the clever corners of his mind, accompanied by that ever-present smirk. ❝ and who's to say an outline isn't a plan with just a bit of space left for improvisation? you ought to give yourself more credit. ❞ she counters as the firelight catches on bianca, on the gleam of his necklace. this is part of a show, she thinks, a display of a well-practiced role.

does varric think one's needed to convince her?

❝ you know full well i'll give you the scouts, varric, especially considering they're my scouts, remember? i can ask harding which scouts are local and you can take them. they'll know the hills best. ❞ she speaks with a voice that sounds distant to her own ears. there's authority in it now, certainty carved into each syllable that hadn't been there even a week prior. it sounds like the herald. it sounds like someone people would listen to. ❝ even a little will go a long way and make a difference. maker knows these people could use a bit of hope along with more food. ❞

looking across the fire, she wonders what else he's noticed, what all has pricked his heart with discontent and willed him to act. it seems a gentle heart. it seems kind behind and beyond the roguish posturing. her voice lowers, softens, and is nearly lost to the crackling embers. ❝ i wouldn't have you try alone, varric. ❞

[mayullla]

Title: The Wisp

Character(s): Venti (Genshin Impact)

Summary: Haunted Doll au; Instead of sleeping in your grandfather's arms you continued to stare at the closed room.

Note: Okay this is the last one for the week- probably-

Warnings/tags: Grandfather pov, child!reader, fem!reader, horror, platonic yandere

Haunted doll au masterlist

Your grandfather cradled you in his arms, both your mom and dad had appointments at work to attend to that day and had asked your grandfather if they could leave you with him. Your grandfather was kind enough to say yes as he did enjoy his time with his little granddaughter.

Right after your mother left you at his place, your grandfather planned on letting you take your afternoon nap slowly rocking you so that you would fall asleep.

Yet you did not.

Your grandfather frowned, he thought that having the doll Zhongli in your arms you would be able to peacefully sleep yet you continued to stare at something. Holding Zhongli tightly in your arms you continued to stare at a certain door.

When he asked you if you wanted to go there, there was a shine in your eyes that told him your answer. 

Your grandfather thought your interest was innocent seeing the last time you went there was when you got Zhongli, he took you to that room. Slowly opening the door he showed what was inside.

The space was almost like a long corridor with glass shelves on each side and each shelf had dolls in them some cracked, broken and some complete yet piled with dust and lifeless.

The curiosity on your face as you looked at each one of them and then your grandfather, your curious eyes that stared at him as if asking what they were and why they were here. It made your grandfather wonder why he understood your thoughts when he didn't even understand his son when he was your age.

Your grandfather was quick to chalk it up to experience, something that he gained after so long. Smiling at you he walked towards one of the glass panels so that it could be easier for you to see the dolls that were inside. "These dolls here are dolls that I could not sell. Dolls that broke down due to time and age because of poor materials back when I was young and dolls that did want to be sold."

You glanced at the dolls again inside the panel where dolls of all kinds but there was one in particular that caught your eyes. Your grandfather looked at the doll you had your eyes trained on too and smiled "That doll is called Venti. He was supposed to be a pair with another doll. They were supposed to be together... a small boy and his little wisp."

Your grandfather adjusted his hold on you, yet your eyes continue to look at the doll. "It was unfortunate really but while I was in the progress of finishing the boy with an arrow and bow the… hmmm how to say light? The light suddenly disappeared."

Your grandfather looked at the doll with regret, the cheerful smile the doll had yet it looked so dead. He remembered giving this particular doll to his teacher when he was young and his teacher told him that there was something odd about this doll, that even tho everything was meticulously made there was something in that doll that somehow died that your grandfather's teacher told him that he would never be able to sell this doll.

"Back then I thought that it was a shame to throw a doll like this that I placed wisp light into it." The shrieks after that time were terrifying as if it didn't want this at all and that it wanted to be free but your father was young back then, he didn't understand and was too stubborn as he forced the light into a casket it could not accept.

The crying that came after it kept the old man awake for days but at some point, the sounds of tears and pain died down to what sounded akin to sniffles even tho it sounded more like ringing to his ears.

Maybe that was why he was desperate enough to try and sell it, he wanted nothing to do with the sounds that were irrupting to that doll nor the crawling feeling it gave late at night as if something invisible was trying to choke him...

It got better, slowly but he could not look at the doll anymore placing the doll in the center stage of the shop so that there was a possibility that it would be gone in the next few days.

Yet no one gave interest in it even tho everyone could see that he worked hours and hours on it. As if something was making them avoid looking the doll eye to eye, even when he placed the doll right in front of them they would see the doll and even with its light and cheerful smile on the face, there was not even a hint of interest.

"Ah… ah…" Your grandfather was brought back to reality when he head the small sound you made as you reached out for the doll only to be blocked by glass. "Wah… Ah…"

"Do you want it?" Your grandfather asked in surprise. "Uhn!" You continued to slam your chubby hand to the glass as if you could break it so that you finally hold the doll that was behind it.

Your grandfather was hesitant but something compelled him to open the glass as if something grabbed his wrist forcing him to move yet not so and take out the doll from its stand. Moving the doll near you, with one hand still holding Zhongli you reached out with your other hand.

There was guilt in your grandfather's heart yet his curiosity was unending as he gave the doll to you.

When the doll was placed on your arm, you soon fell asleep leaving your grandfather alone in the room.

[susiron]

I’m still rlly bummed out about going to my local park right now.

For years now, mostly during late spring-early fall, I’ve been biking to the park in my neighborhood and drawing with chalk on the concrete of the picnic area. Part of the concrete sticks out away from the picnic tables so it’s a perfect spot to draw-- and it sticks out from under the roof so the rain usually washes it all away in a reasonable time frame.

I never draw or write anything derogatory. I mostly draw dragons, wolves, and other animals-- sometimes Pokemon, sometimes plants. Sometimes if there’s a holiday nearby, like Halloween, then I’ll draw something that fits the theme.

I’ve even drawn little “Happy Pride!” things before during June with gay and trans flags.

But earlier this week I went and drew with my chalk and I decided to include the gay and trans flags next to a doodle of a cat. I cannot stress enough that these were small drawings, and not at all the focus of what I’d drawn. They were just little doodles in the corner, completely eclipsed by a bunch of wolves and dragons and shit.

WELL, two days later I come back to the park, thinking I’ll just draw around what I left their earlier in the week-- only to find that someone had clinically powerwashed away everything I’d drawn.

And like, there was a brief moment where I thought “did it rain? did it rain and I forgot?” but I could see the telltale lines from a powerwasher

But it gets worse.

Cause if they’d powerwashed the entire thing, I could have just assumed that they didn’t like any chalk on the patio (despite this never happening before, over Years of drawing here), but... there were some doodles made by kids Right next to where I had drawn, and they were all left untouched. Faded doodles that had been there awhile, but they were visible enough that anyone who was cleaning this patio just for the purpose of cleaning it would have gotten rid of those two.

But no, they just got rid of my stuff-- all of it. And the only difference between this time and every other time was that my drawings had a gay and trans flag beside them outside of Pride month.

I drew a bunch that day after finding that out-- and I put back a new pride flags. Again, they weren’t the focus, but they’re there. They mean a lot to me and shouldn’t upset anyone, but like-- of course they do.

And I guess I just liked thinking that maybe there was no one in my neighborhood hateful enough to methodically wash away a little trans flag (because I can only assume that, of the two, was the tipping point). And now having proof that someone is is just... depressing.

With everything going on these days-- with all of the fucking hate directed at trans people like an arrow-- it’s just fucking upsetting that you can’t even put the colors down without someone needing to fight back and show just how much they hate you.

I’m a trans artist who has drawn in that park for years, and I’ve had nothing but positive interactions with people while doing so (excluding the First time I did it when I got harassed, but, well, that’s not important right now).

And god it just sucks that the moment you are like “this is important to me” all of that positivity gets tainted.

I haven’t been back there yet to see if the new flags got erased. Idk if they have been, and idk if I want to know if they have been. I also don’t really know if I want to make this an entire Thing, me trying to put it back every time it gets erased.

It’s funny, had they not erased it, I probably wouldn’t have drawn another one until June, but now... 

And now I’m worried that someone might approach me directly when I got there to draw, or maybe they’ll just start erasing everything I put down there as soon as I leave the park.

It just fucking sucks. I just wanna draw with some chalk and share some doodles, not feel like shit-- angry-- over it.

[morning-softness]

So I’ve been relistening to TMA Season 2 because I’m writing a fic set in that time. And I’d kind of forgotten how much stuff happens that even at the end of the season doesn’t really get explained clearly.

Like the web table. How much does it even do to bind the Not!Them? The Not!Sasha said it had Breekon and Hope bring the table around so it could still get people—like Graham and later Sasha—so does it just limit how far from the table this thing can travel without taking someone? Obviously after it’s taken someone it can travel a good distance, like going to Madame Tussaud’s on a lunch break. So at that point what was the table even doing to bind it?

And what was the Not!Them even at the Institute for in the first place? The Not!Sasha said it “was sent there to steal all its secrets,” but that means what exactly? To spy on Jon? On Elias? (I can’t imagine Jonah Magnus would have let it run around unchecked if he really thought it was a threat to him.) To find Leitner? (It was certainly looking for something in the tunnels.) To see how far along the team was in trying to stop the Unknowing? (Not far at all, they’d barely heard the term.) And was the Not!Sasha leaving chalk arrows to confuse Jon, or was it just using them to navigate the tunnels and confused Jon incidentally?

Also, I kind of get from a “collecting marks” perspective that bringing the table into the Institute could have resulted in a Stranger mark for Jon. But I don’t know that it actually did. In what way did having the Not!Sasha there mark Jon? It never physically hurt him, and he wasn’t the one who could see that Sasha had been replaced. (Did digging the dead worms out of him while he was unconscious count?) Or did he get his mark from the Stranger later, during his kidnapping in Season 3? If anything, Jon’s paranoia in Season 2 drove him into the Spiral (both figuratively, and literally in the sense that he went through Michael’s door to try to escape the Not!Sasha), but the table wasn’t really necessary for that; Michael was already hanging around, and I imagine Jon would have been marked when Micheal stabbed him in their argument after Helen’s statement.

And had Leitner been regularly coming up into the Institute to look for Gertrude’s file ever since her death? And just nobody noticed before? (I mean, I guess Jonah was chill with someone skulking around the tunnels as long as it didn’t actually interfere with his plans, but Martin was living in the Archives.) Or did he only start after Prentiss’s attack for some reason?

And why did Jonah hide a bunch of Gertrude’s important tapes with her body in the tunnels, when he knew someone who had been helping Gertrude was living down there? (At least, from the way he talks about it in episode 80 it sounds like he knew someone was down there, just not that it was Leitner.) Why not hide them anywhere else that would have been easy for him to access but not for Gertrude’s secret helper to stumble on and steal? (Did Leitner never stumble on the room with Gertrude’s body in all the time he was down there? Or did he, and was Leitner the one who hid the tapes there, and not Jonah? Or was that orchestrated by the Web somehow since the tapes are kind of their thing?)

Anyway, for all the fandom discourse I’ve seen about Jon not figuring out everything in Season 2, I’d like to say that even with my knowledge from having listened to the full series, I’m still not entirely sure what the heck was going on.

[avcnturine]

THESE DAYS, HE DOESN'T USUALLY SLEEP WELL.　♤　the doctors chalked it up to stress, urging him to take some days off, try meditation and turning off any screens an hour before bed, even therapy. the former wasn't much of an option, the second equally difficult——and along with the third, already tried. being exhausted isn't usually a problem, he'd offered with a chuckle, on nights when i really can't sleep, exercise usually helps. yes, that's a good idea too, they all said. but even that doesn't make much difference lately. like a placebo effect after one already saw through the self-delusion, or tolerance built up to medication.

at some point, there was something more than what the lifestyle remedies could handle.

so, when he finds himself wide awake and dressed, walking an endless deep blue staircase up and up. . . he's not all that surprised. another nightmare? this one was pretty benign by comparison, but it wouldn't be the first one that started that way. there were no walls to this staircase, but somehow he knew he was in a tower. a tower that went on and on without end, stretching up to and past the stars. and the stars——there were millions of them, billions, twice as many as there were seashells in the sea, like microscopic lifeforms dotting the abyssal space above and around, winking and blinking in silvery shine, seeming both close enough to touch and, when he reached his hand out to do so, too far away to ever reach in his lifetime.

and then he's at a platform, wide and circular, with a floor as depthless as its mirror image above. his steps disturb a ripple of water-like substance that doesn't soak and isn't wet——or much of anything——to the touch. still, straightening again, he shakes his hand free of droplets on instinct anyway. when he looks up again though, there's new things to see: shadows that weren't there before, abnormally dark in their outline despite the ample light from the kaleidescope of stars. rather than call out to them, he considers his options——and starts to make his way over with measured steps. soundless, ripple after concentric ripple.

turns out that was the right choice after all. the closer he gets, the more the shadows take form, and suddenly the air smells faintly but distinctly of sandswept rock, but when he looks around, nothing's changed. still inky blue ; still stars. the wall-less tower is familiar. this certainty comes to him like his own name, or past, or the faces of those who'd sooner want him dead. the wall-less tower is himself simultaneously and his reflection. whatever that means, it's true.

and the shadows turn toward him. and his steps slow, then stop.

"i'd guess. . . you're not here to show me the way out, are you." dreams, like the self and its reflection, aren't meant to be escaped. he supposes, much like most of everything else, they're to be experienced and survived. the glint of an arrow fitted into its crossbow and aimed at his heart confirms this. why not ; at least this one makes sense——echoes of a desert that wasn't his, but a closest thing his memory could find. looks like that negotiation trip with the miss scholar had struck something unexpected after all.

energy roll ,⠀3.   AVENTURINE shields all allies with CORNERSTONE DELUXE. 　　　↳⠀aventurine 1/1SP ; dan heng 1/1SP ; lyney 1/1SP ; sedene 1/1SP AVENTURINE forfeits remaining energy.

"looks like i'll have to find out myself, then."

business as usual.　/　@renascinem

high tide.

spiral abyss ∶⠀team one⠀|⠀floor one.