#though if you know what version of Merlin I'm using you probably have a good idea of who one of them is

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Do you have any recommendations on good ways to find mythic/folkloric references? My untrained low-knowledge self currently only really uses what I find through search engines. That rarely lets me stumble upon niche sites that collate myths/folklore unless I already know the exact phrasing or name of the story the thing is from. If it helps, currently I'm trying to research banishment/containment devices for evil spirits, demons, etc. The demon sealing jar I've repeatedly come across in media especially intrigues me, though its origin seems to not exist???

I do have a post with my go-to websites for research, but I must admit those are better for finding folktales than specific mythological concepts.

For your specific research question I would advise you to pick a culture and if possible a time period to look into. It will be easier to find niche information if you are searching for something specific, rather than something general.

As for demons being sealed in jars, the concept of an malevolent spirit (as in supernatural entity, not ghost) being trapped in a bottle, jar or other container, is a tolerably widespread motif in folklore. In fact "The Spirit in the Bottle" has it's own tale type: ATU 331. It shows up in Europe from the Middle Ages onward, but while Stith Thompson (the T in ATU) was still uncertain whether it was originally European or Middle Eastern, Hans-Jörg Uther (the U in ATU) considers it to be of Jewish and Arabic origin.

Today the most well-known versions are probably these two:

The Fisherman and the Jinni, one of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights that was already present in its earliest known Arabic versions, from the 14th century. In it a fisherman catches a copper jar, sealed with lead that has the Seal of Solomon/Suleiman pressed into it. He opens it and an ifrit (powerful, malevolent jinn) emerges, who was imprisoned by Solomon. The jinn threatens to kill him, is tricked into going back into the jar, then released in return for pledging to help the fisherman.

The Spirit in the Glass Bottle, collected by the Grimms in Bökendorf, Germany, published in 1815. Here a malevolent spirit called Mercurius is trapped in a glass bottle stuck between the roots of a tree. He is freed by the kind protagonist, tricked into going back into the bottle after threatening to kill him, then freed again in return for a magical gift. How the bottle is able to contain the powerful spirit is not explained. (I grew up with a version of this story where the spirit is not released a second time.)

There are variants on the bottle/jar however, for example:

Virgilius the Sorcerer, a legend-like tale published in The Violet Fairy Book (1901) by Andrew Lang. Presumably written by him (or his wife), inspired by Medieval legends. Here the evil spirit is trapped in a small hole in the floor of a cave closed off with a bolt.

The legend of Paracelsus, a German tale published in English in 1892 in Folk-lore and Legends Germany. Its editor seems to be Charles John Tibbits, but no translators or sources are named. In this story the spirit has been trapped in a fir tree by a magician, which has a small stopper pushed into its trunk, sealed with three crosses.

(These might remind you of the Arthurian Merlin, sorcerer with demonic heritage, being imprisoned in a tree, cave, or stone by Niviane/Nimue/Viviane, first named in the Lancelot-Grail Cycle from the 13th century.)

Now, I prefer to stay in the realm of folktales rather than religious texts, but I will try to briefly explain the Jewish and Islamic foundations for this tale type - the link between King Solomon and controlling demons/jinn - under the cut:

The Tanakh describes King Solomon as the last to rule both Israel and Judah, son and successor to King David. He is considered a Jewish prophet, granted divine wisdom (I Kings 3:12). In the Talmud Solomon is described to have tricked Ashmedai/Asmodeus, the prince of the demons, into helping him to build the first temple. The text mentions a chain and a ring engraved with a sacred name of God, which are used to bind and then control the demon (Gittin 68a-b). (There is a Greek text of uncertain date and origin called The Testament of Solomon that says the ring has the seal of God on it.)

Solomon is considered an important prophet as well as ruler of the Israelites in the Quran, who is told to have had control over the wind and over many jinn (Quran 34:12, 38:36-37). A prevalent interpretation of the text states that this power is linked to Solomon possessing a ring that was given to him by Allah, and temporarily taken away as punishment (38.34 Jalal - Al-Jalalayn).

If you want a more historical, scholarly take on the folklore motif of imprisoning and controlling demons, take a look at this: Allegra Iafrate, ““Il demone nell’ampolla”: Solomon, Virgil, Aeolus, and the Long Metamorphosis of Rain Rituals and Wind-Taming Practices”, Revue de l’histoire des religions, 3 | 2017, 387-425.

I haven't read it in full, but it looks like it might give you some inspiration!

[valewright67]

Ooh, sounds fun!

What's the origin of your blog title?

Well, it's a pun, honestly. "Vale" is actually my name, my chosen one at least, which I first started playing with around 2019? I liked it, because it was "a gender neutral, masculine leaning name" and it's a word for a type of long and narrow valley, used commonly in older poems. It made me happy. It wasn't until later that I discovered the podcast "Welcome to Nightvale" and decided I was very amused at the notion of naming myself after a cryptid podcast, so settled on it as a final decision. "WRIGHT" is the part that's a pun. Vale Wright. Because. I write a lot. (I think I'm clever, it made me giggle.) And then 67 is just my favorite number, haha. Idk why, I just like it. Close to 66, close to 69, and its got a 7 in it.

OTP(s) + Shipname(s)

I've got quite a few, I'll list them in order of how hyper fixated I am on them right now:

Jayvik (Jayce/Viktor) (Arcane)

Vikjayce (Jayce/Viktor) (But SPECIFICALLY the league versions. They amuse me.)

Timebomb (Ekko/Jinx) (Arcane)

Trephacard (Trevor/Sypha/Alucard) (Castlevania)

Bagginshield (Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield) (The Hobbit)

Merthur (Merlin/Arthur) (BBC Merlin)

Geraskier (Geralt/Jaskier) (The Witcher)

Milambert (Milena/Lambert) (The Witcher Fanfics from author Inexplicifics on ao3)

Stucky (Steve/Bucky) (MCU)

Favorite Color

Blue, but specifically like you'll see the sky at twilight! Yknow that kind of glowing blue you'll see where the last traces of light are on the horizon? THAT blue.

Song stuck in your head

Oh, I basically always have background music playing in my head. Right now, I'd probably say "Essie & Paul" by Bastille?

Weirdest Habit/Trait

Umm weirdest habit is that I only like to eat in even numbers? Or at the very least, like... good numbers? Like if I only have one of something, I'll split it into two. 3 and 5 are OK, even though they're not even. 7 is tolerable. 9 and any thing above is wrong. Gotta have 10 pizza rolls, not 11. Gotta have 8 bites of rice, not 9. Does that make sense? It's weird, lol, but I think it's left over from when I had braces? Chewing the same amount of food on either side of my mouth meant pain stayed more even, and faded quicker after adjustment.

Weirdest TRAIT is that I have synesthesia. Chromestesia, specifically. Every sound I hear I also SEE. Music is a visual experience as much as it is auditory to me. It's fun, but can get overstimulating.

Hobbies:

Music! My mom is a music director, and I'm a pit percussion tech - that's mallets and auxiliary - and the synesthesia makes the experience extra fun. Been playing for 9 years now.

Mythology! I've always had a head for mythology, and was utterly obsessed with it as a kid, Greek especially, though I've branched out into some others, mostly Norse.

Astronomy! I volunteer at the local observatory, and I'm being trained as a telescope technician. When we're hosting events, the core group of volunteers all have different niches, I suppose you could say. My head for mythology comes in handy here, because I'm The Storyteller. I'm really good at memorizing the mythologies behind the constellations and planets, so I'll show people where they are, and introduce them. It feels a bit like introducing my old friends, I've been enraptured by the night sky as long as I can remember. It'll never be my career, I'm afraid, but sometimes I'll see the same spark I know had in a little kids eyes, and I'll let them use my laser or help me align my telescope, just like was done for me when I was a kid. I want to encourage that in them. Sometimes the stars were what got me through life.

Reading! I don't read as many physical books as I used to (I would DEVOUR libraries, I got an award in middle school for Reading 60+ books over my 8th grade year, more than any other student) but I still read a LOT of fanfiction, haha.

Writing! (shoves WIP's back into the bulging closet) I love writing! Wanted to be a professional author when I was little. First fanfic I wrote was a Warrior Cats self insert fanfiction, in which I was a Riverclan medicine cat apprentice named LeopardPaw, who did not like fish. I was 7 years old, I did not even know what fanfiction was at that point. It had three chapters, and I have no idea what happened to it, I think the notebook got thrown away at some point?

I Do The Arting! SOMETIMES! I'm not the best, but I've got a few drawings drifting around out there, some paintings. It's fun.

Baking! I am the designated baker for my family, lol. When fruit is about to go bad, it's my job to make something with it so it doesn't go to waste. Syrup, jam, bread, cake, etc.

Crafting! I'm not the craftiest bitch on the block, but I can weild a needle and thread pretty well when I put my mind to it. I've made a ball gown, a cosplay, and some other little things over the years. Tie blankets, plushies, etc.

If you work, what's your profession?

So I work for the school district, and my official job title is "Classified Substitute." This is because I actually do a lot of different jobs. I'm currently listed as a Substitute for: secretary, lunch aid, recess supervisor, custodian, and paraprofessional. (If you don't know, a parapro is the person who works directly with the special education and disabled students.) So if any of them are out, I'm called, and if I'm available, I'll cover their position for the day.

You all remember Substitute teachers? There are also Substitutes for basically everything else in a school. I'm like... the temp agency of the school district. I'm not currently qualified to Substitute for Admin (Principal and their crew), counselors, mainetance, librarians (because my district doesn't DO sub librarians, the neighboring one does, and I would be qualified there) or teachers, BUT I'm currently working on getting my Substitute teaching license! It's just a lot of bureaucracy and waiting on the state education department to get back to me, haha.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

Oh, that's a tricky one. I've had a lot of dreams over the years. To be a writer, to be an astronomer, to be a musician, to be a teacher. For the most part, I've made space for my dreams within my hobbies, and I'm content where I am, at least for now. A lot of "what I'd be if I could be anything" are dependent on living in an ideal world, something we don't have, and never will, and that's ok.

There will never be a perfect solution in an imperfect world, and there shouldn't be. Such a thing would be incompatible with reality, and thus made imperfect in its obsolescence.

That's alright though. "There is beauty in imperfection" and all that. I guess no matter what, I'd want to teach? I love teaching, it's part of who I am, whether that be music or astronomy or whatever student I'm working with as a parapro. I don't even know WHAT I'd teach, just as long as I was helping someone learn.

Something You're Good At

I mean, I like to think I've got a good collection of miscellaneous skills, haha. I'm not sure if there's One Thing I'm like, really really good at. To be an amateur is to do things for the love of it, after all.

Something You're Bad At

Finishing things, I'm afraid. XD Be it a crafting project, a writing WIP, my college homework, whatever. I'm really bad at FINISHING things. Great at starting, not so much completing, lmao.

Something you love

Dragons, I fucking love dragons, they're so cool.

Something you could talk for hours about off the cuff

Really any one of my given hobbies, but. Dragons. Oh, I made an entire chart about their evolution, based off the concept of "Dragon Lords" from BBC Merlin. Ask me questions about it. I'm begging.

Something you hate

*gestures aggressively at the US government*

Something you collect

Dragon stuff. I have. A lot of dragon stuff. Books, shirts, plushies, statues, blankets, artwork, props, keychains, just... dragons.

Something you forget

More than I should, that's for damn sure. I'm kinda time blind, so I guess I forget just how LONG things take, and it has a tendency to make me late. 😅

What's your love langauge

Acts of service and quality time, probably. I just wanna take care of my loved ones and spend time with them.

What's your favorite movie/TV show

How to Train Your Dragon franchise. If I had to pick my top favorite, then I'd probably go with the second movie. (Valka has my heart.)

Favorite food

Great question, I don't remember! Lmao, I'm really bad at this question, because I always just default to "Crepes" - which ARE delicious, don't get me wrong. I just can't ever remember what I'm actually currently obsesses with eating in the moment.

Favorite animal

Seals, I love them, all of them. The sea puppies make me very happy.

What were you like as a child?

Curious and overly excitable and bad at social cues? Lol

Favorite subject at school

Music classes, haha. It's probably the only thing that got me through high school. I did marching band, concert band, drumline, colorguard, concert choir, advanced acapella choir, and one year, I was the directors TA.

If I have to say a core subject, then science. Astronomy is my heart, but science in general makes me happy.

Least favorite subject at school

Idk, probably math? I certainly hated it at the time, and I struggled with it a LOT. But as I've been like... an Adult Person, I realized I'm not actually that bad at it? Maybe it was the way it was being taught at my high school, but like. I was really awful at it through public school, struggled with all of it. But then I get to college, and I'm finally taking astronomy, and I'm doing COMPLICATED shit, and it comes so EASY? And when I'm working with my students, I'll grab an extra worksheet, because I actually find it fun now, and I like to do it with them.

What's your best character trait?

Not sure, the nuture aspect maybe? I do NOT want kids, no no no no no. I love them, I love working with them, I do NOT, N O T, want kids of my own.

So instead I mother the people around me, lol. My partner, friends, students, doesn't matter. If you're in my circle, you're being taken of, haha.

What's your worst character trait?

Procrastination. 😅

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

My PAY, Jesus Christ. Tis the reality of working in public schools, I suppose, but I make shit pay for what I do. I don't want that much more, but at least a LIVEABLE wage would be nice. I still live with my parents.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

Ah, that's a hard one. I don't have any particular attachment to someone from the past? Maybe Steve Irwin, I think that'd be pretty fucking awesome.

Tagging: @yonyx-8

I SEE you when you interact with my reposts on tiktok, don't be afraid, come talk to meeeeee (if you wanna, lol)

Get to know your mutuals!

Thanks for tagging me @joyful-soul-collector !

What's the origin of your blog title? Well that’s simply because I got a tiny bit hyperfixated on the Neuvichili ship (Neuvillette x Childe x Zhongli from Genshin Impact) during the Fontaine patch, and that out of the 100 fics that exist for it, I wrote like, 65 of them? 😅 And since I posted them on anon at first, the neuvichili author name stuck.

OTP(s) + Shipname:  Neuvichili (obviously)

Aventio (Aventurine x Dr. Ratio from Honkai Star Rail)

Jayvik (Jayce x Viktor from Arcane)

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite game: I’d say Honkai Star Rail, because I love the characters in this game so much!

Song stuck in your head: Broken Mast Bay – Sail North. Nothing like listening to a selkie song while working on a selkie wip.

Weirdest habit/trait? Not sure if that counts as weird but I love all sorts of animals people usually find disgusting/scary like snakes, lizards, bugs or spiders and I really enjoy taking pictures of them.

Oh also I’ve got a pencil case full of small pieces of paper with the names of characters I’ve gotten attached to throughout the years written on it, and every morning I pick up one to have something positive to think about when I start the day.

Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Crafting, Playing Video Games, Watching Movies/Series, Baking (often the same recipes, but I guess it still counts?), Swimming.

If you work, what's your profession? Technically writer, though tbh I haven’t published anything other than fanfiction in years now.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? Oh, I would love a job that has to do with the study of animals (living and/or extinct)!

Something you're good at: Coming up with story ideas! I’d be happy if I managed to write down half of what I imagine.😅 Working on a fic sometimes even feels like a race before a new idea (or even worse, hyperfixation ah ah) arrives

Something you're bad at: Social interactions. I feel much more comfortable writing than talking and I have to plan ahead/brace myself for the smallest things, like checking out at the grocery store/asking a retail worker for advice, otherwise I get overwhelmed quickly.

Something you love: Fanfiction and fanart! (again, obviously)

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: Greek Mythology! I got really involved in it as a kid and my interest in it never really left. Also whatever show/book/movie/game/etc I’m hyperfixated on at the moment. And anything related to my OCs.

Something you hate: When people shout/raise their voices.

Something you collect: T-shirts related to the pieces of media I enjoy (my greatest finding so far has been an official Arcane t-shirt that has both Viktor AND Jayce on it, among other characters, which I was overjoyed about because of how little official Jayce merch there is)

Something you forget: To eat, mostly when I’m focused on something I’m really invested in. Often it’s when I’m writing/ working on some craft.

What's your love language? Quality time and words of affirmation

Favorite movie/show: Yu-Gi-Oh!, it will always have a special place in my heart since that’s basically the show that got me into storytelling and writing

Favorite food: Most pasta-based dishes I’d say.

Favorite animal: Oh that’s a tough one, right now I’d say sharks (they’re awesome!) but I love so many animals that I might give you a different answer of you ask me tomorrow

What were you like as a child? The textbook definition of a gifted kid and dealing with medical issues. 0/10, do not recommend. I was/still am very curious/passionate about a lot of things which is nice though.

Favorite subject at school? History.

Least favorite subject: Maths.

What's your best character trait? Creativity, definitely. I love writing stories/making things and sharing them with others.

What's your worst character trait? I’m way too anxious and my mind will come up with the most impossible, worst-case scenarios over the tiniest of things (In a way, I guess that’s the downside of being good at inventing stories)

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? No more chronic pain please.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? Oh if I could travel in time, I would definitely skip the people part and go a few million years back so I could see all kinds of extinct creatures (and probably get eaten by one, because Jurassic Parks hasn’t taught me anything)

Tagging: any of my mutuals who'd like to do this ❤️

[the-flowerwolf]

Hogwarts legacy headcanons

While normal people go and socialize I wake up and think about ✨them✨

So there's some headcanons about my favourite Legacy Team (as I call them) for ya folks while I'm writing a really big fic about them. Careful, some of them are sad. And don't mind my poor grammar thanks.

Btw, collages are mine, feel free to use them💙

🐍Sebastian Sallow🐍

First off all, if you turn him in, I don't trust you

Literally a typical Slytherin

A nerd. Just a nerd.

Quidditch? Babe, the only sport for him is dueling

Felt absolutely helpless when his parents died. And that's why he's so protective. He just can't let anyone else die on his watch

Really is a small version of his father and proud of it

Believes that the end justifies the means

Hopeless flirt BUT a gentleman. Wouldn't do anything you don't like

And also most probably believes in true love

A proud bisexual

Everyone think that "he fucks everything that moves" but he's a virgin who "saves himself for the one and only"

As some fan said, he was probably born on 18th September. And it's a canon now.

A great friend but a terrible secret keeper, so for Merlin's sake, don't tell him ANYTHING

Knows how to braid hair into the most complex ways

Pro feminist! Treats women right and knows all important stuff thanks to his sis

🔥Natty Onai🔥

I'm sorry but she's so underrated and for what??

I believe she really respect traditions she were tought as a child

Her favourite holiday must be her birthday. All because it was the only day of the year when her parents forgot about all the dangers and sorrows and they just got together, spending the best time

Most probably will return to the homeland after Hogwarts

Is the only member of the team who play quidditch

(as a keeper ofc)

She's a lesbian idk dudes

A very honest girl who were raised to be a good person

So she just expects the same from others

A very competitive. But not like Imelda. Natty respects fair competition and knows how to honorably recognize a match

Although this does not mean that she will not destroy you to win

Is always cold poor thing

Religious bc I feel like it

Has mommy issues and don't tell me I'm wrong

Will definitely become the best auror one day

🌼Poppy Sweeting🌼

Her favourite holiday is Christmas lemme tell you that

Trust issues

She's trying her best to be gentle with every living being because she saw too much violence already

And that's why she thinks animals are better than people (agree)

She's definitely an INFP and I won't change my mind

Looks like a cinnamon roll but will kill you

A cliché but I feel like she's an excellent cook

Although she would LOVE to find someone to understand her (like us) she's totally okay with being on her own

Is into mind games like chess

But will go to see a quidditch game just to support Natty (and mc if they play)

Is always up to an adventure

Bullies? Girl grew up among killers, you really think she would care about some bullies?

I feel like she has the strongest personality in here. Doesn't matter what happens she will always stand straight while helping others

Is a cat person

Can't cry bc she was not allowed as a child

💚Ominis Gaunt💚

Just an innocent little boy let's be honest

He may look like he can kill you but he's just a cinnamon roll

Jokes about his blindness as a defence mechanism

Had a crush on both Sallow siblings at some point and I can't blame him

Saw a theory on tiktok that his patronus would be albino snake. CANON

Just wants to have a simple quiet life without any drama

Protective of his friends BUT is more protective of his boundaries

Don't mind his blindness he knows EXACTLY how to be a fashion icon

Another cliché: Omi can play piano

And it's the only thing his parents tought him that he loves. Playing helps him to calm down

Is very private, but as soon as he starts to trust you, he will immediately blurt out his life story, dreams, fears etc

Though he can't see an actual game, Omi likes to go on a quidditch game, because of the happy energy around him

Is sick most of the time for some reason. Cold, stomach ache or anything really

Also a nerd. But unlike Sebastian he's a fiction lover. Helps him to escape reality, especially in his family's house

Clingy with everyone he loves bc they make him feel safe

[rogue-durin-16]

THINGS NEVER GO AS PLANNED (Part VI/VII)

"the downfall"

Summary: After Fred's death, George and Y/n lean on each other to carry on. This wasn't the most brilliant idea, though; George was pretty much in love with the girl, and Y/n— well, she had been dating Fred prior to the Battle of Hogwarts.

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Genre: angst mostly

Tags:

Suggested by: @crispykittywitch

Things never go as planned: @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @beautyschoo1dropout @s1ut4georgeweasley @sunshineandshadows @missmulti @accioweaslcy @andreaareynoso @georgeweasley16 @dianarte @skarlettmikaelson

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa @just-here-to-escape-from-reality

Warnings: language, allusions to sex

A/N: my apologies for keeping y'all waiting for this one darlings, but here comes the next part YAYY! Enjoy <3

Prologue: the aftermath

Part I: sleepless nights

Part II: candy floss

Part III: shock therapy

Part IV: wrong name

Part V: the perfect excuse

Part VII: apart

Epilogue: I still love you

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

He had left me in the room that morning, alone, with regret and guilt straining my chest, with embarrassment and panic heaving over me, my only company being a terrible headache and a sore body.

I was still waiting for him to come back. Of course, he still lived in the apartment, but the day after, he slept at Shell Cottage because Bill needed help with the chores, and the next night at the Burrow because Molly had asked to keep an eye on 'the kids' —the kids being Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione— while she and Arthur were off to visit Andromeda, and at Lee's because Angelina was away and they were going to have a boys' weekend; in summary, he managed to avoid stepping into the flat while I was in there for an entire week.

I would be lying if I said the idea of moving out hadn't crossed my mind, but I knew I was being dramatic— we were being dramatic; we were adults, even if we forgot about it more often than not, and adults talk things out, so I decided to confront him at the only place I would manage to corner him; the shop.

When I descended from the office on the second floor, I spotted the ginger turning the 'CLOSED' to face the glass door. "Oi!" His head snapped to me as I climbed downstairs and he instantly walked to the shelves on the opposite side. "Can I have a word?" I requested, following him, only for George to move on to another shelf.

"Right now I'm quite busy." He replied, seemingly absent-minded as he pretended to check the products in front of him.

"This is important." I insisted, moving to stand besides him.

Not fast enough, though, because he was off to yet another part of the shop as soon as I got close. "I'm sure it can wait."

"You know it can't," I assured intently, stalking after him, only for him to speed up his own pace, moving from product to product without stopping too long in front of him. "George I'm- Oi, stop! We need to talk about this!"

"Well maybe I don't wanna talk about this!" He exclaimed, taking big steps under one of the stairs in order to shamelessly dodge the hand with which I had reached out to stop him.

"George Weasley don't run away from me!"

"I'm not running away from you!"

"You're literally RUNNING AWAY!"

He stopped circling the counter and stood across from me, slamming his palms over the till. "ALRIGHT, LOVE!" for the first time, I didn't like the way the name dripped off his tongue. "Let's talk about how we accidentally FUCKED! That's what you want so badly, isn't it?!" Flush crept up his neck and ears, and I couldn't tell if it was from anger or from timidness. "Go on, darling, lead the bloody way!"

I felt my own cheeks going red, partly because of his straightforward statement but also because I genuinely had never heard George raise his voice like he had just done.

"Cat's got your tongue now?!" My stuttering seemed to fuel his anger more. "C'mon, Y/n, talk! You wanted to talk!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, GEORGE!" He clenched his jaw as his freckles drowned in a sea of pinkish red. "Yeah I want to talk! 'Cause that's what grown-ups do! We don't know how to act around each other so we just don't spend time together anymore— Fuck, I've barely seen you! AND WE. LIVE. TOGETHER!" I emphasised each word with stomps. "We can either pretend it didn't happen or talk it out to make sure we're on the same page, you choose but for Merlin's sake, don't avoid me!"

"OKAY!" His eyes widened, surprised at his own tone, and then he repeated in a softer, self-conscious one, "Okay." He breathed deeply and then added. "We're on the same page, right?" His eyebrows raised as he looked into my eyes. "It was... A mistake."

I should have noticed the uncertainty and hope in his voice, but I panicked and was too quick to respond, "Yeah! A massive mistake." My words stung my heart and, to my dismay, his own just as much. "Can we go back to being friends? Because I'm going crazy without you." I blamed our watery eyes to the argument we had had, and not to the fact that it had been a mistake.

He circled the counter and walked to me, hesitating before pulling me into a hug. "Can I...?" I tugged him closer, wrapping my arms around his middle. It took a moment for him to ease into my embrace, and I could tell we had fucked up our friendship for good. "It's alright, we'll make it right again." His words made me squeeze him tighter, as if he was about to vanish from my side.

And from then, we tried to make it right, we tried so hard, because it seemed so easy to make it wrong again.

Everytime we stood too close, everytime he leaned on to whisper something, everytime I helped him with his tie, our eyes would fall on each other's lips; I would sometimes drift off the conversation, staring too much at his mouth and hands, wandering if they would feel just as amazing as they had done while we were drunk.

"Y/n are you listening?"

"Uh yeah- I mean, no- sorry, what?"

I was so focused on trying to hide it that I didn't notice George was in the exact same situation, meaning that neither of us could give in, because we would go down together. In all honesty, it was doomed to happen at some point, we were just delaying the inevitable.

The moment came the last night of January, when George showed up in my room due to a really rough nightmare, and I, as always, invited him in so we could lay down together.

"Isn't this... Weird?" He murmured as we scooted closer. We had kept physical contact at bay for obvious reasons, and cuddling had been off the table since New Year.

"It doesn't have to be." I replied, my voice as quiet as his. "We've done this a thousand times."

"Right." He cleared his throat, averting his eyes from mines as we shifted in our places ever so slightly, trying to find a position where the situation turned less awkward.

And it happened, my mind got lost on the way his neck tensed, on the damp locks hanging over his forehead, sweaty due to the nightmare; on his plump lips, which he had just wetted with his tongue in the most subtle way. It was a nervous habit of him, something he would usually do, but that didn't make it any less hot.

"George..." I called his name without noticing, my heart hammering violently against my chest when his gaze landed on my eyes, quickly falling on my lips.

The next thing I knew was that he was holding my thigh over his hip, his other hand on the back of my neck while we shared a hungry kiss that, as soon as my hips involuntarily rocked against his, turned into something more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

GEORGE'S P. O. V.

The next morning we swore to each other that it was just another accident, that it would happen again.

And the next one too.

And the following.

The fifth time that happened, we agreed to call the situation a 'friends with benefits' kind of thing, well aware that it was an euphemism for the downfall of our friendship.

I had longed to be hers for so long, and it that moment, as I lay by her side in her bed, that wish seemed so close yet so far; I could reach out and my fingertips would touch her skin, yet I had never felt that distant towards her.

The moment my eyes were averted from her form, her gaze was laid on me. "You don't have to go."

"I know." I replied in a mumble, already sitting up and reaching for my pants. "But soon we'll have to get up, so I might as well do that and let you sleep." I didn't want to turn around, I didn't want to see her beautiful irises pleading for me to stay by her side, because I knew I would.

I saw on my peripheral vision her fingers attempting to carefully wrap around my wrist, and I was quick to stand up and walk to the door; sadly, I did not miss Y/n burying her face into the pillow, her hands fisting on the fabric ever so subtly.

She tried to hide her tears like that, and I agressively wiped mines as soon as I reached the corridor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Morning, lady!" I light-heartedly greeted Y/n without turning my back to the making of our breakfast when I heard the steps approaching the kitchen.

In the morning it was easier to pretend everything was back to normal; usually, the refreshing sunlight and the drowsiness provided by a night of sleep were enough to wash away the sad truth of our relationship.

"Good morning, sir." She responded with a yawn, rubbing her eyes as she walked to stand besides me, leaning against the counter with her arms folded. "Smells good." She commented, leaning on to take a peek at the scrambled eggs.

I was about to make a cocky, playful comment when it dawned on me what she was wearing; it was my jumper, one of the old ones that I exclusively used for pyjamas.

I knew she didn't do it intently; I had left it on the floor the previous night, and it was probably the first thing she grabbed, but it struck a nerve.

I had seen a similar scene way too many times before; a sleepy, dishevelled Y/n entering the kitchen with an ugly Weasley jumper as only clothing, ready to start the bickering with an almost identical version of me who would be making breakfast.

My head then travelled to the thought that lately crossed my mind more often than not and my heart clenched; In Y/n's eyes, I was, most likely, just a poor replacement for Fred.

"You alright?" That worried furrow appeared between her brows too often lately. We were both walking on eggshells, and it got me on my nerves.

"You don't have to ask if I'm alright every time I'm quiet." I hadn't meant it to come out harsh or curt, but it definitely did.

"You're not quiet, you're overthinking." She responded with a tinge of hostility.

"What's to overthink?" I fought the need to raise my voice.

"Dunno, you tell me." She squinted her eyes with a scrutinising gaze directed to me.

"Can we not do this?" I almost pleaded; heated arguments had become a usual thing between us —yet another sign of the unfixable problem we refused to address.

Y/n was about to reply something that would lead us into a fight when the doorbell rung. "Mister Weasley?" I took that as a cue to go open the door to Verity, already dressed on her uniform. "The Valentine's Day products arrived, should I unpack them or..." Her eyes flickered behind me and her cheeks heated up. "Y/n—" When I looked over my shoulder, I felt my own face flushing out of embarrassment. Y/n was still my employee and Fred's ex, so Verity catching a glimpse of her dressed in my jumper wasn't the best thing for any of us. "I— am I— sorry, am I interrupting?"

"You're not interrupting." I assured her with a reassuring smile. "Leave the boxes on the puking pastries section, we'll be down in ten."

"Alright, sir." Her curious gaze travelled to Y/n one last time, and with that, she was rushing back down to the shop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

READER'S P. O. V.

The ache that had appeared on my chest the day after New Year would end up killing me, or at least it felt like that.

I had a dreadful gut feeling of knowing what caused that pain, but my mind refused to believe it was that, and kept pushing the sensation back into my heart day by day.

George had gone to relocate the puking pastries in the upper level of the shop so I could prepare the section with the Valentine's Day products.

My eyes dawned on the small packages of Amortentia. I knew it was a terrible idea but I needed to know.

I took a look around, making sure Verity wasn't near and George was up still, and brought one of the Amortentias under my nose. It didn't take long for the scents to besot me, and I had to put all my will on not to fall under the potion's spell.

The first smell to reach my nostrils was gunpowder; my heart skipped a bit when the next scent was vanilla.

Then strawberry and chocolate; candy floss cupcakes and George's cologne.

The tiny, heart-shaped bottle fell from my hands, scattering all over the shop's floor. "Shit!" I rapidly kneeled to pick the shattered glass when I realized it had echoed in the empty establishment.

"Oi! What was that?" George descended from the second floor, using the ladder. "Oh shit—" his hands took a hold on my bicep and pulled me away from the pool of pinkish pearl liquid that seemed to be attracting me. "Don't!" He warned Verity, who had attempted to jog in the potion's direction too. "Verity, can you bring me my wand?" The girl complied running up to the office.

In Verity's absence, George took the chance and cupped my cheeks, tilting my head up to check my eyes. "You alright?" I managed to give him a slow nod, my mind buzzing with the newly acquired information. "Getting the Amortentias was a bad idea, wasn't it?" I nodded again, producing a frown between his eyebrows. "No 'told you so'? Are you sure you're alright?" He chuckled nervously, his hands falling to his sides right in time for Verity to rush back to us.

"Here, Mister Weasley!"

"Thank you, darling." He politely replied, taking the wand and restoring the potion bottle in a swift movement. His eyes peeked at me again; I could see the worry growing on him. "Y/n-"

"I'm gonna go wash my face." The words hastily left my mouth before I dashed off to the restroom.

I closed the door behind me and took a look at the mirror; my pupils were blown and my cheeks pink. I ran the tab and splashed the water on my face a few times until the potion's mild effect was gone and my mind clear.

It was in that moment that it dawned on me that I was in love with George Weasley.

[snarktheater]

Hey, d'you have any French book recs? I'm trying to work on my French, and rn I have downloaded one of my favourite book series' French translations, but I figured maybe books already written in French might work better? Also have you read the Ranger's Apprentice series? 1/2

RA's def flawed - the books' narration does like to point bright arrows at the protagonists' intelligence, and the last few books def have the tone of 'old white man trying to write feminism', although at least he's trying? - and it's aimed more to the younger side of YA, but it is still a very fun series, and I can ignore the flaws fairly easily, at least partly due to nostalgia? This rather long lol but I'm wordy.

I'll start with the second question: no, although every time the series is brought up I have to check the French title and go "oh, right, I've seen these books in stores". But I've never purchased or read them. It sounds like something I probably would have enjoyed as a teen but I just missed the mark, and these days I'm trying to drown myself in queer books, so that probably isn't happening.

As for your first question, geez, I haven’t read a French book in years, so this is gonna skew middle grade/YA, though that may not be so bad if the point is to learn the language. I will also say that as a result, these may read a little outdated.

I'll put it under a cut, even if Tumblr has become really bad with correctly displaying read mores. Sorry, mobile crowd.

It's also likely that old readers of the blog will have seen me talk about most of these. I don't feel like going through old posts.

One last thing: while I was curating this list I took the time to make a Goodreads shelf to keep track of those.

The Ewilan books by Pierre Bottero

(It's a testament to how long ago I read these books that these are not the covers of the edition I own, and I can't even find those on Google. I'm settling for a more recent cover anyway since it'll make it easier to find them, presumably)

There are at least three trilogies (that I know of) set in the same world.

The first trilogy is essentially an isekai (so, French girl lands in parallel fantasy world by accident) with elements of chosen one trope, though I find the execution makes it worth the while anyway.

The second trilogy is a direct sequel, so same protagonist but new threat, and the world gets expanded.

The third one is centered around a supporting characters from the previous books, and the first couple of books in it are more her backstory than a continuation, though the third one concludes both that trilogy and advances the story of the other books as well.

Notably these books have a really fun magic system where the characters "draw" things into existence. It's just stuck with me for some reason.

A bunch of stuff by Erik L'Homme

I have read a lot of this man's books, starting with Le Livre des Etoiles.

They also skew towards the young end of YA, arguably middle grade, I never bothered to figure out where to draw the line. They're coincidentally also using the premise of a parallel world to our own (and yes, connected to France again, the French are just as susceptible of writing about their homeland), but interestingly are set from the point of view of characters native to the parallel world.

It also has a very unique magic system, this one based on a mix of a runic alphabet and sort-of poetry. I'll also say specifically for these books that the characters stuck with me way more than others on this list, which is worth mentioning.

This trilogy is my favorite by Erik L'Homme, but I'll also mention Les Maîtres des brisants, which is a fantasy space opera with a pirate steampunk(?) vibe. I think it's steampunk. I could be mistaken. But it's in that vein. It's also middle grade, in my opinion not as good, but it could just be that it came out when I was older.

Another one is Phaenomen, which was a deliberate attempt at skewing older (though still YA). This one is set in our (then-)modern world and centers a group of teens who happen to have supernatural powers. I guess the best way to describe it is a superhero thriller? If you take "superhero" in the sense of "people with individualized powers", since they don't really do a lot of heroing.

...I really need to brush up on genre terminology, don't I.

The Ji series by Pierre Grimbert

This one is actually adult fantasy, though it definitely falls under "probably outdated". It is very straight, for starters, and I'd have to give it another read to give a more critical reading of how it handles race (it attempts to do it, and is well meaning, but I'm not sure it survives the test of time & scrutiny, basically).

If I haven't lost you already, the premise is this: a few generations ago, a weird man named Nol gathered emissaries from each nation of the world and took them to a trip to the titular Ji island. Nobody knows what went down here, but now in the present day, someone is trying to kill off all descendants from those emissaries, who are as a result forced to team up and figure out what's going on.

I'm not going to spoil past that, though I will say it has (surprise) a really unique magic system! I guess you can start to piece together what my younger self was interested in. Which, admittedly, I still am.

Once again, this one also has a strong cast of characters, helped by rich world building and the premise forcing the characters to come from many different cultures (though, again, I can't vouch for the handling of race because it's been too long).

The first series is complete by itself, though it has two sequel series as well, each focusing on the next generation in these families. Because yes, of course they all pair up and have kids. Like I said: very straight.

A whole lot of books by Jean-Louis Fetjaine

OFetjaine is a historian, and I guess he's really interested in Arthurian mythos especially, because he loves it so much he's written two separate high fantasy retellings of them! I'm not criticizing, mind you, we all need a hobby.

The former, the Elves trilogy (pictures above) is very traditional high fantasy. Elves, dwarves, orcs, a world which is definitely fictionalized with a pan-Celtic vibe to it. The holy grail and excalibur are around, but they're relics possessed by the elves and dwarves with very different powers than usual. Et cetera.

Fetjaine also really loves his elves (as the titles might imply), and while they're not exactly Tolkien elves, there's a similar vibe to them. If you like Tolkien and his elf boner, you'll probably like this too. And conversely, if that turns you off, these books probably also won't work for you.

This series also has a prequel trilogy, centered around the backstory of one of the main characters. I...honestly don't remember too much about it, but I liked it, so, there you go, I guess.

I said Fetjaine did it twice. The other series is the Merlin duology, which, as the title implies, is a retelling of Merlin's story. Note that Merlin is also in the other trilogy, but it's a different Merlin; like I said, completely different continuities and stories.

This one is historical fantasy, so it's set in actual Great Britain, and Fetjaine attempts to connect Arthur to a "real" historical figure...but, you know, Merlin is also half-elf and elves totally exist in Brocéliande, so, you know. History.

Okay, that's probably enough fantasy, let me give some classics too.

L'Arbre des possibles et autres histoires - Bernard Werber

Bernard Werber is a pretty seminal author of French sci-fi and I should probably be embarrassed that the only book of his that I read was for school, but, it is a really good one, so I'll include it anyway.

It's a novella collection, and when I say "sci-fi" I want to make it clear that it's very old school science fiction. It's more Frankenstein or Black Mirror than Star Trek, what we in French call the anticipation genre of science fiction: you take one piece of technology or cultural norm and project it into the future.

It has a pretty wide range of topics and tones, so it's bound to have some better than others. My personal faves were Du pain et des jeux, where football (non-American) has evolved into basically a wargame, and Tel maître, tel lion, where any animal is considered acceptable as a pet, no matter how absurd it is to keep as a pet. They're both on a comedic end, but there's more heartfelt stuff too.

L'Ecume des Jours - Boris Vian

(no cover because I can't find the one I have, and the ones I find are ugly)

This book is surrealist. Like, literally a part of the surrealist movement. It features things such as a lilypad growing inside a woman's lungs (and, as you well know, lilypads double in size every day, wink wink), the protagonist's apartment becoming larger and smaller to go with his mood and current financial situation, and more that I can't even recall at the moment because remembering this book is like trying to remember having an aneurysm.

It is also really, really fun and touching. Oh, and it has a pretty solid movie adaptation, starring Audrey Tautou, who I think an international audience would probably recognize from Amelie or the Da Vinci Code movie.

I don't really know what else to say. It's a really cool read!

Le Roi se meurt - Eugène Ionesco

Ionesco is somewhat famous worldwide so I wasn't even sure to include him here. He's a playwright who wrote in the "Theater of the Absurd" movement, and this play is part of that.

The premise of this play is that the King (of an unnamed land) is dying, and the land is dying with him. I don't really know what else to say. It's theater of the absurd. It kind of has to be experienced (the published version works fine, btw, no need to track down an actual performance, in my humble opinion).

The Plague - Albert Camus

You've probably heard of this one, and if you haven't, let me tell you about a guy called Carlos Maza

I'm honestly more including this book out of a sense of duty. The other three are books I genuinely liked and happen to be classics. This book was an awful read. But, um. It's kind of relevant now in a way it wasn't (or didn't feel, anyway) back in 2008 or 2009, when I read it. And I don't just mean because of our own plague, since Camus's plague is pretty famously an allegory for fascism, which my teenage self sneered at, and my adult self really regrets every feeling that way.

Okay, finally, some more lighthearted stuff, we gotta talk about the Belgian and French art of bande dessinée. How is it different from comic books or manga? Functionally, it isn't. It really comes down more to what gets published in the Belgian-French industry compared to the American comics industry, which is dominated by superheroes, or the Japanese manga industry, which, while I'm less familiar with it, I know has some big genre trends as well that are completely separate.

The Lanfeust series - Arleston and Tarquin

This is a YA mega-series, and I can't recommend all of it because I've lost track of the franchise's growth. Also note that I say "YA", but in this case it means something very different from an American understanding of YA. These books are pretty full of sex.

No, when I say YA I mean it has that level of maturity, for better or worse. The original series (Lanfeust de Troy) is high fantasy in a world where everyone has an individual magical ability but two characters find out they're gifted with an absolute power to make anything happen, and while it gets dark at times, it's still very lighthearted throughout, and the humor is...well, I think it's best described as teen boy humor. And it has a tendency to objectify its female characters, as you'll quickly parse out from the one cover I used here or if you browse more covers.

But still, it holds a special place in my heart, I guess. And on my shelves.

The sequel series, Lanfeust des Etoiles, turns it into a space opera, and goes a little overboard with the pop culture reference at times, though overall still maintains that balance of serious/at times dark story and lighthearted comedy.

After that the franchise is utter chaos to me, and I've lost track. I know there was another sequel series, which I dropped partway through, and a spinoff that retold part of the original series from the PoV of the main love interest (in the period of time she spent away from the main group). There was a comedy spin-off about the troll species unique to this world, a prequel series, probably more I don't even know exist.

Les Démons d'Alexia

Something I can probably be a little less ashamed of including here.

Some backstory here. The Editions Dupuis are a giant of the Belgian bande dessinée industry, and for many, many years I was subscribed to their weekly magazine. That magazine was (mostly) made up of excerpts from the various books that the éditions were publishing at the time; those that were made of comic strips would usually get a couple pages of individual scripts, while the ongoing narratives got cut into episodes that were a few pages long (out of a typical 48 page count for a single BD album). Among those were this series.

For the first few volumes, I wasn't super into this series, probably because I was a little too young and smack dab in the middle of my "trying to be one of the boys" phase. But around book 3 I got really invested, to the point where I own the second half of the series because I had canceled by subscription by then but still wanted to know more.

Alexia is an exorcist with unusual talents, but little control, who's introduced to a group that specializes in researching paranormal phenomena, solving cases that involve the paranormal, that kinda stuff.

As a result of the premise, the series has a pretty slow start since it has to build up mystery around the source of Alexia's powers, but once it gets going and we get to what is essentially the series' main conflict, it gets really interesting.

Plus, witches. I'm a simple gay who likes strong protagonists and witches.

Murena

There was a point where my mtyhology nerdery led me to look for more stuff about the historical cultures that created them, and so I'd be super into stuff set in ancient Rome (I'd say "or Greece or Egypt" but let's face it, it was almost always Rome).

Murena is a series set just before the start of Emperor Nero's rule. You know, the one who was emperor when Rome burned, and according to urban legend either caused the fire or played the fiddle while it did (note: "fiddle" is a very English saying, it's usually the lyre in other languages). He probably didn't, it probably was propaganda, but he was a) a Roman Emperor, none of whom were particularly stellar guys and b) mean to Christians, who eventually got to rewrite history. So he's got a bad rep.

The series goes for a very historical take on events, albeit fictionalized (the protagonist and main PoV, the titular Lucius Murena, is himself fictional) and attempts to humanize the people involved in those events. Each book also includes some of the sources used to justify how events and characters are depicted, which is a nice touch.

It's also divided in subseries called "cycles" (books 1-4, 5-8 and the ongoing one starts at 9). I stopped after 9, though I think it's mostly a case of not going to bookstores often anymore. Plus it took four years between 9 and 10, and again between 10 and 11. But the first eight books made for a pretty solid story that honestly felt somewhat concluded as is, so it's a good place to start.

[captainfairygodmother]

Thanks for the tag! You are a very... interesting... person, in the most complimenting way possible.

BLOG TITLE ORIGIN STORY:

The BBC Ghosts 2022 Christmas Special: 'He's Behind You!' I applied for Ao3 Membership (after 6 months of reading as a guest, which was also after switching from Wattpad, as is the typical progression of fandom) on the 26th and needed a name... Obviously because I was in my BBC Ghosts phase at the time and was obsessed with The Captain... So yeah! CaptainFairyGodmother arrived and just sort of stuck!

OTP SHIPNAME:

Oh this is difficult because it's the book that I'm writing, so I don't want to give away names before it's published... Although they do have multiple shipnames, so:

NecromanSEA

FAVOURITE COLOUR:

Violet in the way that 'moody purple bedroom' designs are, or red in the way that blood dries

FAVOURITE GAME:

Minecraft. Always.

SONG STUCK IN YOUR HEAD:

Not by Big Thief, but specifically the Live at the Bunker Studio Version

WEIRDEST HABIT/TRAIT:

Every time I walk into either my bedroom or the bathroom, I check the ceilings for spiders.

I am very scared of spiders.

HOBBIES:

Writing. Reading. Pretending that I'm writing. Making edits. Crochet. Procrastinating on writing by making fictional edits in my head to my book instead of writing. Violin. Rugby. Doomscrolling Tumblr and TikTok for inspiration for my characters or fics...

DREAM JOB:

I would love love love to be a developmental editor, but the pay isn't great... But the career I want to pursue in the future is a Professor of English, which I still love the idea of! And also an author, obviously

SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT:

Crying over TV Shows and books

SOMETHING YOU'RE BAD AT:

Having a good sleep schedule

SOMETHING YOU LOVE:

Torchwood!

SOMETHING YOU COULD TALK ABOUT FOR HOURS:

...Torchwood

(Or Good Omens, or BBC Merlin, or my book, or--)

SOMETHING YOU HATE:

The fat on meat. And steamed vegetables. Eugh

SOMETHING YOU COLLECT:

Seashells. Keyrings. Probably also medical problems at this point

SOMETHING YOU FORGET:

What I've told someone and what I've not (I'm constantly retelling stories/having to check)

YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE:

Cornish, because 90% of the words I can say in Cornish are terms of endearment/phrases. E.g. 'meurgerys', 'ow melder', 'my a'th kar' (thanks to NecromanSEA)

FAVOURITE MOVIE/SHOW:

Movie: Bill (2015)

TV Show: Torchwood, Good Omens, BBC Ghosts, BBC Merlin, Dead Boy Detectives...

FAVOURITE FOOD:

I have a very limited range of foods that I enjoy, but generally, any type of chicken curry, or enchiladas (but no vegetables inside except for very very finely chopped onions) (I'm bad with textures can you tell yet?)

FAVOURITE ANIMAL:

Otters

WHAT YOU WERE LIKE AS A CHILD:

Incredibly weird and way too mature for my age (I wrote a short story for a competition about a kid who was blown up trying to find his sister's toy during the Blitz at the age of 10, and also when I was 9/10 I had a morbid fascination with knowing everything about the Holocaust and spent weeks watching videos about Holocaust survivors, but like in a respectful way, I was horrified as much as I was fascinated... This isn't counting everything else from my childhood by the way)

FAVOURITE SUBJECT:

English, obviously. Maybe History and Spanish, too

LEAST FAVOURITE SUBJECT:

Maths. 9×6=36 (genuine calculation I have done multiple times)

BEST CHARACTER TRAIT:

I am very, very loyal to my friends, even if they aren't entirely sure of it all of the time. I would genuinely go to Hell and back for them if it meant they were safe

WORST CHARACTER TRAIT:

Either my inconsistent personality depending on who I'm talking to, or my constant paranoia that something is about to go wrong

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE:

I'd write something (I won't be writing anything)

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL IN TIME, WHO WOULD YOU MEET:

Emily Brontë. I feel like our mutual creativity and social incapability would make us friends, though I could never write half as good as her (I love Wuthering Heights)

OH, OR SHAKESPEARE. HELL YEAH CAN I MEET BOTH EMILY BRONTË AND WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE? I'D COMBUST

NO PRESSURE TAGS:

@capvers-my-love @professeurm @l0w-w4s-h3r3 @fully-embracing-my-autopsy and anyone else who wants to join!

Get to know your mutuals!!!

cheers @stevie-marigold for tagging me!

What's the origin of your blog title?

doccy who! plus me mum always used to say i have telescopic arms. personally i think they're a normal length

OTP(s) Shipname:

johnlock, i will forever be a johnlocker no matter which version of those freaks we're talking about

Favourite colour:

orange <3

Favourite game:

factorio! i greatly enjoy the spagetti of it

Song stuck in your head:

antmusic by adam and the ants

Weirdest habit/trait?

darling everything i do is deeply weird, couldn't do something normal if i tried

Hobbies:

writing, reading, nuisance making, music enjoying, getting in the way, and various wool-related crafts

If you work, what's your profession?

im the imp who sits in your camera and paints the pictures for you (im out of blue btw)

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

id invent hexopostcards, which are hexagonal postcards and only have pictures of six sided things on. if a thing has more than six sides than you've got to have the seventh+ side(s) off the edge of the postcard. if it has less than six you have to draw where the rest of the sides could feasibly be. then id retire

Something you're good at:

answering questions truthfully

Something you're bad at:

eating dog food

Something you love:

doing jigsaws

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff:

doccy who. i just do that anyway

Something you hate:

jigsaws that have too much sky so its all just blue (doesn't include my starry night puzzle)

Something you collect:

vinyls, posters, things ill use someday, names, ideas of things to write

Something you forget:

my best friends birthday. i have it written down and i still forget consistently

What's your love language?

circular gallifreyan

Favourite movie/show:

oh theres so many. doccy who and torchwood, sherlock, merlin (im really from a specific time going by those answers) loads of films too but, to say an obscure one to make me sound cool, mcfarland usa

Favourite food:

the souls of the damned. failing that pasta

Favourite animal:

@zelda-wheelz

What were you like as a child?

weird nervous about everything and a nerd

Favourite subject at school?

maths! don't ask me to remember a single thing from my alevels though

Least favourite subject:

drama. hated acting in front of all those eyes

What's your best character trait?

i like to think im quite nice

What's your worst character trait?

asking @zelda-wheelz the answers for half these questions

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

id move

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

george michael, so long as i can bring my mum

tagging: @captainfairygodmother @b1uetrees @by-gray

[imaginejamesandsirius]

Hi! I'm new to this and I don't know if I'm doing this right... Could you write a story about ghost James (not really come back as a ghost in wizard way but more like a ghost in muggle stories, the kind that no one can see and can't really do anything) watching (and maybe staying with) Sirius through the years and finally reunite with him behind the veil? And they live happily ever after in the other side?Thank you!

James hated it when Sirius was sad. It was his number one least favourite thing in the world. It was horrible to see. James was pretty sure that it started to rain specifically because Sirius was in a bad mood, sometimes. His proof of that was that it had never been sunny when Sirius was sad, and that was good enough for him. When Sirius was sad, it's like the whole planet sagged to join him in grief. He'd said that to Remus once, and Remus had replied that James couldn't possibly be more in love if he tried; James was pretty sure that his response to that had been that everyone could stand to be more in love with Sirius. 

Point is, Sirius was sad, and it was James's fault. He couldn't make it better, and that was almost worse. There had been times, during first their friendship then their romantic relationship, that he'd made Sirius sad. Some stupid fight or other, and he would make Sirius cry because Sirius hated when they fought. He'd made Sirius sad before, but he'd never been incapable of comforting him afterwards. 

He was dead. Sirius couldn't hear him or feel him. It didn't matter what James did, because as far as Sirius was concerned, nothing at all was happening. James could scream in his ear, and Sirius would hear nothing but waves and the distant echoes of the other prisoners. He knew this for a fact; he'd tried. Just in case. No one knew about the kind of ghost that he was, and he wasn't going to let Sirius be miserable just because he hadn't thought to try. 

It had taken him a minute to understand what had happened when he appeared by Sirius's side. The details around his death were a bit fuzzy. He couldn't really remember what had happened, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. From the absolutely haunted expression on Sirius's face, it didn't seem like something he'd appreciate remembering. 

It took James less than two days to figure out that nothing he did would get through to Sirius. Instead of constantly pestering him, he decided to do things that would make Sirius feel better. He talked. Shared stories even though they were all stories he'd heard before or had been there for. 

After a couple weeks, James figured out how to make himself basically solid. It didn't help Sirius it all, but it made James feel better. He could lean his head against Sirius's shoulder without falling straight through him. 

On the one hand, it was nice to be able to see Sirius even though he was dead. Spend time with him. On the other hand, he was pretty sure this was a version of hell. What had he done to get placed next to the person he loved most, but completely unable to communicate with him? He didn't know how he really felt about it. Twelve years of thinking about it, and he still didn't know. 

*

James talked to hear his own voice. It's not like Sirius could hear him and feel better to know that he wasn't entirely alone. 

Sometimes he felt like Sirius could hear him. Not as he was-- standing beside him-- but like a whisper to his conscience. An errant thought in his head that took purchase. It was wishful thinking, James knew that, but it made his existence feel important. Sirius didn't lay flat to stretch his legs because James said he should; he did it because he'd been curled up in a ball for so long that he was uncomfortable. 

It still made James feel better. 

*

"Er, Sirius? Is it just me, or does that look like Peter?" James asked, tilting his head to get a better look at the photo in the Prophet. Fudge wasn't holding it at the best angle for Sirius, but Sirius was smart; he saw it. He asked for the paper, and Fudge handed it right over. 

James grinned at Sirius. "That's my Padfoot. Let's get out of this hellhole. It was putting you in a worse mood than normal." Not that there was any good measure for that. It had been so long since Sirius had been in a normal place that James only had memories for what it was like to see him smile. When the minister visited, the Dementors had to stay back a certain amount; it's why Sirius made conversation instead of telling him to bugger off, but it didn't exactly make him happy. He was just... less miserable. 

*

If anyone could see James right now, they'd probably say that since he wasn't happy with what he was doing, he should stop. That was a load of bullocks. He was dead, what did it matter if he wasn't completely happy? His happiness was a non-issue. He had an entire afterlife that he could enjoy when Sirius was around to enjoy it with him. For now, it was more important to him that he keep an eye on Sirius. Even if he couldn't effect the world around him at all, he liked knowing what was going on. 

There was a paralyzing fear in the back of his mind that if he left now, he'd never be able to find Sirius again.

*

"No no no," James said frantically, staring at where Peter transformed and ran away. He tried tugging on Sirius's arm, but obviously he couldn't feel it. "Sirius, he's getting away!" 

But Sirius was more focused on making sure that Moony was okay and that the kids weren't going to get hurt-- or killed-- to worry about the way his own future was going. 

It had run away. Peter was slippery. It was a miracle that they'd found him the first time, and James was certain that they wouldn't be able to find him a second time. In another life, James would be able to feel something like sympathy for him. In this life-- his afterlife, Sirius's first still-- he couldn't manage it. James had been beside Sirius for nearly every second of Azkaban, and there was no forgiving someone who put you in there. 

Peter vanished, less than a speck in a dark night on a black ground, and James wanted to scream. So he did. 

*

"This cave is depressing. I feel like you could find a better hiding spot." 

Sirius glanced towards where the castle was, and James nodded. 

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't be this close to Harry anywhere else. I still think it's pretty damn risky. You should be on the beach. Soaking up the sun after so many years in Azkaban. I swear, that place is better classified as a dungeon. You could lay on the sand. Get some shades. Listen to your bloody muggle music and just breathe for once." 

Sirius wrung his hands in the way that meant he was thinking about Harry. Worrying about him. Even if he went to the beach, he wouldn't be able to relax. He'd be there, wondering how Harry was doing. Wishing he could take him away but unable to do so. Sirius could make his way on his own in large part because he could turn into Padfoot, but Harry couldn't do that. A boy with a dog drew more attention than just a dog, not to mention that no one would just let Harry go missing. 

*

Lily showed up once. James just about jumped out of his skin when she appeared on Sirius's other side at the long dining table in Grimmauld Place. "So this is where Sirius grew up," she mused, looking around at the décor. "Sort of explains why he was such a pretentious git when we were kids." 

James stared at her for a long moment. "How are you here?" 

"I don't really know," she said, frowning. "I thought about you, wondering where you were and." She held up her hands in a ta-da sort of way. "I should've guessed it was with Sirius." 

"Are you going to stay?" he asked. 

"I don't think I can. I'm here to visit. I visited Harry for a while, but I got... kicked away after a couple days. It's the longest I can stay before I have to take a break. I have no idea how you've managed to do this for the entire time." 

"I haven't done anything," James argued. "I just woke up next to Sirius and never left." 

"You woke up next to him?" Lily asked, eyebrows raised. 

"Appeared next to him, whatever." 

"No, that's not what I- Merlin, James. I always knew that you and Sirius were strangely close; I just didn't realise... well. Never mind. How's it been?" she asked, turning her attention to the man sat between them that couldn't hear a single word that was being said. 

"Rough. He was in Azkaban for a murder he didn't commit, and now he's a fugitive because he broke out." 

"He broke out? Of Azkaban? How the bloody hell did he do that?" 

"That's a Marauder trade secret, Lils. Can't tell." 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're so full of shite." 

"Yep." 

She glanced at Sirius again, and her expression softened to something sympathetic. "It's been that bad?" 

"Yeah." James sighed, patting Sirius on the shoulder even though he couldn't feel it. "Yeah, it's been... not good." 

*

Sirius got hit with a spell, and he was falling, and James knew that it wouldn't do any good but still tried to catch him. 

Only it worked. Sirius landed in his arms, a heavy, warm weight. Sirius was as surprised by it as James. He tilted his head up and broke into a gut-wrenching smile. Equal parts sad and hopeful. "James?" 

James mirrored the expression. He'd wanted Sirius. Not like this, though. Sirius was supposed to get his name cleared and live with Harry. He was supposed to have another seventy years alive so that he could remember what it was like to not be caged up. He wasn't supposed to meet James this soon. James even knew how he wanted for it to happen. Sirius was supposed to be free and happy, and then James would move on; Sirius wouldn't need him watching anymore because he'd be fine, and he could catch up with Lily-- see if she knew anything about this whole being-dead thing. "Hullo love." 

*

It took Sirius a long time to stop marveling at the fact that he could now touch James and talk to him. In his own way, James was doing the same thing. He'd gotten so used to Sirius not being able to hear anything he said that he was pretty sure he hadn't shut up for the last twenty minutes, just so he could hear Sirius hum or say 'yeah' as he talked. 

"How do you know all of that?" Sirius interrupted at some point. James had sort of been ranting at him for staying in Azkaban for so long, and then going to Grimmauld Place afterwards. Historically, those were the worst two places in Britain. 

"I was with you." 

"You mean, like, watching me?" Sirius asked, tilting his head slightly as he tried to wrap his head around it. 

"No, I mean that I was with you. Since your first week in Azkaban." 

"You... the whole time?" Sirius asked, voice breaking. 

"Yeah," James said, giving him a small smile. "I couldn't leave you alone, Sirius. You were sad. I can't leave my Padfoot alone when he's sad." 

Sirius pulled him in for another hug even though they'd never really let go of each other, clenching so tightly that James wouldn't have been able to get away even if he wanted to-- and he didn't. He could stay this way forever. 

[merlin-emrys-wyllt]

Gwaine grins at Percival, "well you're welcome to train with us anytime! Merlin still has all of our old armour and stuff back at his house by the lake". Lancelot smiles at Percival, glad to have his brother back to himself, "it'll be good to train together again, just like old times". Gwaine gives Percival a mischievous smile, "I'll definitely kick your ass though!"

Merlin frowns a little, he had wanted to help both of them today, he still was tempted to help Leon, but he's sure no one would allow that. He gives a resigned sigh and nods, "yeah, I'll have to wait a bit before helping him".

Arthur grins aswell, "yeah! I'm starving". He grabbed cutlery for everyone, and a small spoon to add the sugar to the teas with. While doing so he nods and grumbles, "yeah, definitely don't let him, he'll probably still offer to do it for you the idiot". He was starting to get a few more semblances of memories from his past, all of them resolving around the sorcerer.

Once the kettle boils he goes about making Merlin's tea by muscle memory, not really thinking about what he's doing. Adding three sugars, and some of his almond milk, he makes Gwen a cup aswell and then carries them into the room, handing the cups to the two of them. Merlin takes the cup with a smile and inspects it, "did you put-?" He gets cut off by Arthur, "three sugars and some of my almond milk, yeah". Arthur heads back towards the kitchen, as Merlin smiles fondly at him. Gwaine chuckles and leans over to Merlin, "you know I think I like this version of him better". Merlin takes a sip of his tea and chuckles aswell, "well he is less of a prat this time around".

Gwaine was happily grinning and watching the movie, while Lancelot chuckled, "yeah me too it's quite a good one". He knew Gwaine had a crush on atleast three of the characters from the movie. He turns to the man with a mischievous smirk, "so if you had to chose one person out of Jack, Elizabeth or Will, who would you chose?"

Gwaine gives him a mock offended look, "you can't make me chose one of them they're all so beautiful!" Lancelot chuckles and shakes his head, "you have to chose one". Gwaine sighs and leans his head back against the sofa, "okay Will I guess". Lancelot raises an eyebrow at that, "why Will?" Gwaine gives him a slight glare. "Well Jack is hot and cool and all but he's a bit of an idiot, Elizabeth is amazing but I'm more into men than women so I chose Will. He's also loyal and brave".

Arthur watches them with a curious look on his face and a smile, he wasn't exactly out to anyone, Uther had deterred him him from such a thing. He was blatantly homophobic, and it scared Arthur to death about being open. His closest friends probably suspected he wasn't straight, but he neither confirmed nor denied those suspicions. It was nice to see them both being so open.

Gwaine gives Lancelot a curious look, "what about you? Who would you chose, out of Will or Jack?" He knew that Lancelot wouldn't chose Elizabeth, due to him being gay in this lifetime. Lancelot pretends to mull the thought over and then replies, "probably Jack. He's an idiot, but he's hot, and I don't know I fond his stupidity apealing". He chuckles, both of them unaware that they had chosen characters that match each other. Arthur nods in agreement with Gwen, "yeah I'm quite hungry but I'd rather wait for the other two". Gwen shuffles over slightly to make room for Morgana to sit beside her.

Merlin had to search some more to find anything else that he would want to bring forward. He'd already brought quite a few things forward, he didn't want to bring too much and end up overwhelming him.

@indigoinformant