#This is inspired by that scene from Lord of the Rings by the way
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#byler#byler fanart#will byers#mike wheeler#stranger things#stranger things fanart#I did this instead of doing my homework 😀#This is inspired by that scene from Lord of the Rings by the way#I've been thinking about drawing them like this for a while now
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Simple, Easy, Effortless
prompt: ( requested ) from across the dance floor, Felix locks eyes with you and is instantly smitten. is it love at first sight? lust? he's determined to know.
pairing: Felix Catton x female!reader
fandom masterlist: Saltburn
word count: 5.1k+
note: this man is a SLUT but i'm sluttier in theory
warnings: the ducklips in the gif, obviously cursing, sexual tension, "love at first sight", author def uses her own university roommate experiences for inspiration, Lord's name in vain, mention of illicit drug use.
REMEMBER: don't run from cops unless with Felix - or absolutely necessary - or you KNOW you can get away.
song featured in the movie and request: Murder on the Dance Floor
Humid. Sweaty. Pulsing. Overpopulated.
All good adjectives to describe your first university party with your roommate, Polly Schwartz. She had already been to loads of parties already, probably more than her actual classes, but being as you were a "scholarship kid", you took your education much more seriously than she did. Perhaps being why you spent your weekends studying, and she spent hers getting drunk, sleeping with randoms constantly, and partying nearly every weekend. You didn't think there was anything wrong with her habts, in fact, you encouraged her to go out most of the time; but after midterms, you were burnt the fuck out and Polly recommended you have a night out with her.
When she needed it, you helped Polly study, and now, it was time for her to return the favor in her own area of expertise. Tonight's party was hosted in an off-campus flat, making you worry about the authorities being phoned, but Polly assured you that nearly the entire complex was composed of Oxford students and there was barely a threat of this party being busted.
The moment you stepped into the humid, sweaty, pulsing, overpopulated flat, a drink was shoved into your hand by a barely-standing boy with a nose ring. He was decently attractive, but the belch he let out made you grimace and follow after Polly. He might've yelled something after your retreating form, but who could tell with the noise level?
"You need to loosen up, bitch! Jesus Christ, you're as stiff as a board, and trust me! No guy is gonna wanna approach you!" She laughed, missing your protest that you didn't care for male attention. "Wait," she gasped, "where'd you get that?"
"Uh, that lad over there," you pointed, blinking in mild shock when she snatched the drink from your hand and poured it out in a dying houseplant.
"I thought you were the brains of us," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Never accept a drink you didn't see being made! That's how you get drugged!"
"I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, Polly, for fuck's sake," you whined, hugging your arms as you gazed around nervously. "Maybe I should just go back to the dorms, this isn't really my scene - "
"Nope, you're staying," she shook her head, leading you by the hand to the kitchen. "Here - hang on, I'll get us something. Farleigh, my love!"
The handsome lad with a head full of fluffed coils turned with a small glare, but softened when he noted Polly's appearance. "There you are! I was wondering when you'd get here, darling!"
She giggled obnoxiously and you understood, this must've been the lad she was seeing on-and-off for the whole semester. "Well, I finally got this one out of the library, so we're a little late for a reason," she laughed, pointing her thumb back at you and making the boy eye you with judgement.
You gave a small wave, and he instantly offered his hand, introducing himself as, "Farleigh." After giving him your name, Polly was insisting you both needed a drink and Farleigh was nodding in agreement. "Here, drinks are this way - but it's self serve."
"Nobody made juice?" Polly pouted, the three of you approaching a decent-sized table that was full of bottles of liquor and mixers.
"Not this time," Farleigh laughed, and you let Polly make your drink because you were busy trying not to get run over by the other party goers.
"Christ Almighty, surely the floors will cave in with this many people?" You frowned when another drunk bumped into you and sloppily apologized.
"Only if we're lucky," Farleigh laughed. He directed at Polly, "Oh, remember Stephen's party? Donovan put a hole through the wall!"
Polly laughed as she handed you a fresh drink and all but ignored you in favor of this boy that was tapping a bit of suspicious powder onto his hand. Your eyes rolled and you turned away from them, slowly stalking around the room and taking in the scene - hating the way your ears felt as if they were bleeding from the terrible music selection.
But after you skulled your drink, you ran into a few classmates from your anthropology class. "Here, you can have this," Chelsea took the drink from Cara, "she's had way too much already."
You figured this exchange was safe enough after seeing Cara taking several gulps; not even noticing her hands were empty because she was dancing to the floor-shaking music in a daze.
"Who're you here with?" Pablo asked, bobbing his head to the beat. "We all came as a group, don't tell me you're alone!?"
"No, no, love, I came with Polly," you shrugged, feeling looser than when you first got there.
"Ew," Pablo rolled his eyes, the other girl snickering.
"Wait, what? What am I missing?" You asked with a small whine.
"Polly Harrington?" He asked, watching you nod. "Yeah, no, your li'l friend's the one who sucked off Professor Lorde."
"What?" You gaped.
"Why do you think she's here?" He gossiped. "Surely, not for her grades."
You just shook your head, "Maybe we shouldn't throw stones, it's rude to speak about others behind their backs."
"Doll face, it's not like it's a secret," Pablo laughed, nodding at your drink. "C'mon, bottoms up, buttercup, we've gotta get you dancing. You look way too cute to be a wallflower all night, c'mon, let's go! Chug! Chug!"
You gingerly took a gulp, but Pablo and Chelsea were encouraging you to just finish it off. When you did, they cheered with pride, laughing when you began giggling, "That's the worst taste! God!"
"Oh, sweetie, we don't drink for the taste, we drink to make us better dancers!" Chelsea beamed. "Want mine?"
"No, no - "
"Down it!"
You shrugged, inhibitions already significantly lowered, and with ease, finished your third drink. "I should get us more!" Pablo laughed.
"You do that, we're gonna dance!" Your friend waved him off, snatching your hand, and leading you to the dance floor. It was hard to distinguish where it was since there was wall-to-wall college kids stuffing the place, but you weaseled your way between people and let the alcohol take control. "Hey! By the way!" Chelsea spoke in your ear, "You look really hot! I adore this skirt!"
"Me? Babe, look at you! Can I borrow this dress?"
"Only if I can borrow those shoes!" She squealed.
You giggled and took her hand, spinning her around before joining together again. When Pablo rejoined, he handed you both a drink before jumping in front of you, throwing his reasonably fat arse back into your crotch - which forced you back onto your girlfriend in a dancing train. You three cheered through your laughter, smacking the lad's bottom playfully as he put his heart and soul into his dance; hands on his knees and hips bouncing.
However, Pablo only pulled away when Farleigh reappeared and stole him away to a darkening corner; only briefly making you wonder where he had left your roommate. You looked at Chelsea, who giggled in your ear, "They've been fucking recently. Pablo's whipped."
"I don't blame him," you mused. Cara had stumbled closer to you two, throwing her skinny arms around your neck and starting on a drunken ramble about how much she loved you - despite only sharing the one class together and knowing each other from a distance. Still, you appreciated the sentiment and let yourself feel loved; taking a sip from the plastic solo cup in hand and swinging your hips to the pulsing beat. In that moment, you just happened to look up, gasping, "There's a stripper pole!?"
"Go get on it!" Cara laughed. "Oh, wait, Felix is on it - oh, shit, Felix!"
"Who?" You asked.
"Felix, you know!? Felix Catton? Felix fucking Catton!" Cara blinked, then offered you an incredulous look and turned to Chelsea. "She doesn't know Felix?"
She waved Cara off, instead explaining to you, "He's that tall lad, in the white button up."
When you looked, Felix happened to glance over and your eyes connected. You were absolutely done for.
"Oh, yeah, she knows Felix now!" Cara giggled loudly. "Go! Go talk to him!" She encouraged, making your eyes bug widely.
"What?" You looked at the two girls, shaking your head, "No, no, I don't even know him!"
"Babes, 75% of the people you see paired up right now didn't know each other before this party!" Cara rolled her pretty eyes. "But hey, if you don't, India definitely will. Girl basically lives on his cock, it's decently pathetic - but just look at him! God took his time with Felix!"
"Oh, are they dating?" You asked innocently, looking back over to the tall boy in a white, linen button up. He grinned at you from the short distance.
"No," Chelsea laughed, seeing the way you two just stared and smiled softly. "Here, finish your drink and let the liquid courage do its job!"
"It's literally my first party," you laughed, "I'm not interested - "
"Oh, fuck off! Everyone's interested in Felix," Cara interrupted. "And I do mean, literally everyone."
"I can understand why," you mused, taking a long pull from your cup. "Cara, that lad, there, has been staring at you," you distracted, her swinging around instantly and thanking you before dancing over to the boy leaning on the wall.
He smirked when she reached him.
"She's a social butterfly," her roommate, Chelsea, giggled. "Do you need a refill?"
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm okay!"
"Okay, don't go too far - I'll be right back!" She grinned, knowing something you didn't, and disappearing into the thick crowd.
You swallowed another drink before you felt a hand on your waist, making you jump in surprise and turn. Before you towered the object of seemingly everyone's desires: Felix Catton.
"Haven't seen you around before," he spoke in your ear over the music.
"Oh, first timer," you nodded back.
"Doin' all right? Yeah? Havin' fun?"
You agreed, "Yeah, 'course. This your party?"
"No, no, uh," he glanced around the heads of students, "honestly, I'm not really sure who's flat this is."
"Oh, well, I guess as long as it's not damaged, it doesn't matter much, right?"
"Exactly," he smirked, offering his cup to yours. You clinked them together, both taking the obligatory sip, and swaying unconsciously to the music. "Who're you here with?"
"Polly - "
"Oh, Christ, yeah! Yeah, you're, uh, you're her roommate?"
You nodded, "You know her?"
"Who doesn't?"
"Oh," you frowned in discomfort, brows pinched.
"No, no, I just meant, she's popular, innit she? Not that - that she's sucked me off or anything like that!"
You laughed, "Wasn't thinking that, but good to know."
His cheeks flared a bright red, "That was a bit brash of me, wasn't it? Sorry, love, I should know better than to use such vocabulary with a pretty lady."
Your eyes rolled, "This 'pretty lady' has both heard and used much worse vernacular."
Felix slowly grinned, "You want a smoke?"
"Dying for one actually, yeah."
"This way, c'mon," he offered his free hand, and without thinking, you accepted and let the tall, slender lad lead you through the crowd. All of a sudden, you felt as if every eye was on you - watching, stalking, clocking you like predator does prey. You were directed to a balcony, a few lingering smokers standing around.
The moment the glass door slid shut, the music was semi-silenced and you breathed in slight relief. "Christ, 's always this loud?" You asked, leaning on the railing beside your companion while rubbing an ear to relieve the ringing sensation.
"Usually, yeah," he smirked, handing you a cigarette before placing one between his lips.
"You looked real natural on that pole," you teased, leaning in when he flicked a lighter to life.
"Oh, God," he laughed, watching you inhale. "Saw that, did you?"
You hummed, holding the smoke in your lungs, "Kinda hard t'miss. You were really into it."
He shrugged, lighting the end of his own nicotine filled stick. Upon exhale, he eased, "Was a really good song, wasn't it? Easy t'dance to, you know?"
"Hm," you nodded, "actually, I wouldn't know - I don't know half these songs."
"You livin' under a rock, love?"
"No, just with my nose in a book."
"Smart girl, are yah?"
"I would hope so, considering my scholarship."
"Even more impressive," he grinned. "You know Oliver, then? Oliver Quick? He's on scholarship, too."
"No, not quite, us scholarship kids don't all know one another," you shot back with a smirk.
"Fair enough," he agreed, eyeing you up and down. "So, why tonight?"
"Hmm?"
"Why come tonight?"
"Polly thought I could use a little stress relief," you answered, taking a long puff. "Not exactly the way I saw my night going, though."
"How's that?"
"Look at you!" You laughed. "Of all the ladies here, you danced your way over to me? Now you're having a conversation instead of working that pole?"
"I like to think that I just had to introduce myself to the prettiest lass in the whole joint," he flirted.
"And yet," you inhaled, "you've haven't made introductions."
"No? I haven't?" He smirked, watching your head shake. "Apologies, love. I'm Felix, uh, Felix Catton," he offered his hand, and when you shook it, you told him your own full name. "Now that that's outta the way," he took his own inhale, "how's about we go dance?"
"Oh, I might need to finish this drink before all that," you lifted your cup to your lips.
"Nah, I saw you earlier," he chuckled, stomping his cigarette out under his boot. "C'mon, love, not letting you get outta here without at least one dance."
"Surely, India would be a better option?"
He scoffed, "Oh? And how would you know that?"
"Chelsea and Cara might've made mention earlier. I wouldn't want to steal someone's man - girl code, and that shit."
For whatever reason, this made Felix snicker, "No, no, you've got it wrong, India and I are just friends."
"That's what guys say when they're sleeping with their 'friend'."
"Either way, she's not my girl," he smirked. "C'mon, love, one dance. If you're not convinced after that, I'll let yah go - no fuss."
"Oh, well, that doesn't sound remotely creepy," you laughed, dropping your own cigarette and stomping it out. "All right, yeah, one dance."
"Just one."
"A single dance."
"No more, but no less," he smirked, lacing your fingers together when you laid your hand in his. "Deal?"
You nodded, feeling absolutely giddy by his attention. When you reentered the party, it was almost as if it had grown in population, and suddenly, you wanted to be back on the balcony just to breathe. But Felix had a secure hold on you, and after downing the last of your drink, you set the cup on a random end table you passed before taking position on the "dance floor".
What you absolutely did not anticipate was that Felix wasn't the best dancer, but holy shit, did he not care; letting go and having fun. You let the alcohol in your system propel you, and soon, one dance turned into two, and two turned to three. It was like nobody else was there, it was just you and Felix; dancing like fools, letting your hair down, and you actually found yourself enjoying the music that vibrated the entire flat.
The song that played wasn't one you recognized, but the lyrics felt strangely appropriate for your current situation. Though there was no groove to be killed, no moves to steal, and no murdering on this dance floor, there was a whole lotta tension that fueled your movements together.
"Oh, oh, here we go, c'mon!" He laughed, tugging your hand after him to approach the stripper pole the flat's owner had installed. "Go on, love, show me how it's done!"
"Oh, fuck no!" You barked in laughter. "You're the master, let me take notes."
"I'll warn you, once you see my moves up close," he planted a hand on the pole and swung around it once, "you won't be able to resist!"
You waved him on, eyes widening when he danced around the pole as if nobody was watching, but in reality, he had an entire audience. Not that you noticed, you were solely focused on the boy putting on a show for you; both wearing goofy grins. When he got REALLY into it, you had to admit your stomach knotted in attraction when his lips pushed into a slutty pout. Never had you wanted to kiss someone so bad in your life before, but it increased ten fold when he swung around and grabbed onto your waist; effortlessly pushing you onto the pole as he released it.
"C'mon, then!" He beamed, watching you stand for a single awkward moment before figuring, why the hell not?
So, you swung yourself around before shocking Felix to his bloody core by holding the pole and grinding down it - giving a teasing peek at your panties when your legs spread slightly to accommodate your dance moves. His jaw slackened, eyes raked up and down your form, lips pulling in a smirk the longer he watched you go. Your hair flung around, hips gyrated in movements that made his pants tighten, and when he couldn't stand it any longer, he caught you in another swing.
Hips against yours, arms around one another, he danced you back onto the crowded floor; a hand raising to caress the side of your face as if he was mesmerized by all you were, all you are.
It was so simple to lose yourself in his dancing, in his scent, in his aurora. It was so easy to move against him. It was so simple to exist with Felix fucking Catton.
He was intoxicating, making you feel more drunk on him than the alcohol you had ingested. And while the moment felt serious, once you were surrounded by peers again, you melted into a sense of silliness. Any care you had, any worry - it all melted away, it evaporated, got swept under the rug because Felix commandeered your entire attention.
From the side of the room, Cara and Chelsea squealed in excitement for you, high-fiving when they noted India's jealous glare. Farleigh and Pablo even snickered, wondering how long it would take for Felix's charm to get you into bed; a bet being placed between the two lads before taking another bump of cocaine that distracted them for the rest of the time.
On the dance floor, your laughter was genuine and a little loud when he swung you around before dying in your throat when he pulled you in close. Again, the party melted away and it was just you and Felix; his hands on your hips, head bowed to corral you close, his warm brown eyes intense as they flitted between your eyes and lips.
You knew what he wanted, but didn't want to give into temptation yet. Keeping an air of mystery, you smiled coyly and pushed back slightly - but he was yanking you right back in.
When a friend of his came around with a tray full of shots, his arm coiled around your waist tightly to keep you anchored as he accepted the Jell-O concoction. You still buzzed from your earlier drinks and nicotine, bobbing and humming to the song playing, Felix instantly moving with you.
And just like you worried earlier, from deep in the party, someone shouted, "IT'S THE FUZZ! GO! SCATTER!"
"Oh, shit! Oh, my God!" You gasped in worry, the music cutting and students rushing for the exit.
"C'mere, c'mere, 's all right," Felix rushed, pulling you back into a wall to let the stampede rush around you as he planted you in front of him. Your hands held his waist, watching those around you run away, and when you looked up, Felix was already staring at you.
The moment your eyes met, you both snickered in amusement before bursting into full-on laughter. "Oh, Jesus Christ!" You mused, leaning your forehead to his pectoral. "I knew it - of course my first party is busted, hey?"
"Just makes it all the more memorable, yeah?"
"You were doing a pretty good job on your own with that," you met his gaze again - feeling coy and playful.
"Yeah?" He grinned. "Well, I try."
"I think you succeed."
He opened his mouth to respond, caressing your cheek, but someone else shouted, "GO, GO, GO! Felix, c'mon, mate! The fuck you doin'! We gotta go! I can't get another citation!"
"Let's go," he told you instead, lacing your hands together again and joining the last of the stream filtering out of the flat.
"Where're we - "
"This way, trust me," he dodged down a separate hallway, a few others following his lead. Down a flight of stairs, turning down another hall, and you two were bursting into the chilly night air.
The lights of the copper's cars flashed from around the building and you realized you were at the back. Others were rushing from the door, scattering into the night, but Felix just leaned on the brownstone and waited, checking your surroundings.
"What now?" You worried, panting lightly from the rush of adrenaline.
"We go that way," he nodded, "walk slow and calm, we don't know shit about a party. We're just walking back to campus, yeah?"
"Oh, like that'll work," you snickered, but again, laced your hands together. "On your lead, my lord," you joked.
"That make you my lady?"
"Hm, nah," you refused with a smirk, "I don't do well with sharing and you seem to be well liked, aren't yah?"
He hummed, letting go of your hand to toss his arm around your neck, still subtly checking around you for any police officers. Your arm latched around his waist, reaching up to hold the hand dangling from your shoulders. "I might be well liked, but for you, I'd drop everyone," he flirted easily - as if second nature, as if he didn't even have to think about the words that oozed out of that slick mouth.
"Oh, how flattering."
"I would hope so," he breathed, leading you out of the back garden. "Swear, love, never been so caught-up before. Just saw you and had t'come talk - had t'know who you are. I mean, just look at'cha, sweetheart, can you really blame me?"
"That line usually works, does it?"
"More often than not," he laughed, you joining in as you slipped from the back gate.
"HEY! YOU TWO! STOP RIGHT THERE! STOP!"
"Oh, shit," Felix gasped, snatching your hand in an instant as two officers started to clumsily rush towards you two.
"What do we - "
"Run!" He laughed, yanking you after him.
"Felix!"
"HEY! STOP! STOP! COME BACK HERE!"
You couldn't stop laughing as you both sprinted down the street and around an alley, taking three more turns before coming to a panting halt; pausing to listen.
"Hear 'em?" He whispered, keeping you on the inside so he could peer down the alley you had escaped down.
"No...?"
"I don't either," he nodded, glancing down at you and chuckling. "You're fast, you on the track team?"
"Oh, please, you should be fast when running from the law, shouldn't you?"
"Knew I liked you," he barked in humor. "C'mon, love, 's a nice night, innit it?"
"Nice night for what? Breaking laws?"
"Well, yeah, but I meant for a walk," he mused, walking backwards, snagging both your hands in his to pull you off the wall you were hiding behind. "It's a bit of a hike back to campus, might as well make the most of it," he smiled, turning to keep pace beside you with his arm around your waist. "Not every night I get t'walk in the moonlight with a beautiful lass."
You pulled his arm up to your shoulders again, holding his waist comfortably, and being as you weren't familiar with the area, trusting him to lead you back. After a beat, you admitted in a sigh, "You know, tonight wasn't what I expected and yet, it's exactly what I thought."
"Was it better or worse than you could've planned?"
You laughed, "Well, running from the cops wasn't on my bingo card."
"How's it feel? 'T be such a bad girl?"
"You tell me."
Felix laughed, "Ah, love, not my first time, but it's just as exhilarating."
"Jesus," you rolled your eyes in humor. "Not exactly what I wanted to hear, you having other run-ins with officers."
"Oh, you like it!"
"I might," you agreed, stepping onto the sidewalk of a main street. "Oh, shit, oh, my God!" You halted, looking nervous and frantic. "I left Polly! Fuck!"
"Nah, nah, nah, don't worry, love, I saw her leave earlier while we were dancing."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, she left with Johnny."
"Who the fuck is Johnny?"
He grinned, "Yeah, that's it, you're hanging with me from now on. We'll get you aquatinted with your classmates, yeah?"
"Maybe I have no want nor need to know people," you spoke softly. "I'm here for an education, not t’socialize."
"Doesn't hurt though, does it?"
"After tonight? I don't know if you can make that case."
"You seriously telling me you didn't have fun? Oh, sweetheart, that hurts. I'm hurt, honestly," he pouted dramatically, free hand to his heart; glittering gold ring winking at you under the street lamps.
"What's that?" You asked, alcohol making you easily distracted. He glanced at his hand and held it out for you, showing his ring. "What's the design? It's real pretty - didn't think I'd see it on a guy."
He chuckled, "Ah, it's a signet - my family's signet, actually."
"Jesus, I knew it," you groaned. "No way you were just a regular somebody! A bloody signet? What? Related t'the Queen, are yah?"
"No, not exactly," he snorted. "But my father is knighted..."
"Holy shit," you blinked. "What's that like?"
He looked down at you, brows slowly furrowing, "You really wanna know? Most people just, I don't know, kinda assume I'm rich and that's all there is to my life."
You felt a single pang of empathy, smiling up at him, "I really wanna know, Felix. C'mon, what's your family do? Both parents still alive? They still married? Where's home?"
For the entire walk back to campus, you and Felix talked as if old friends. Sure, you were getting to know each other, but it felt as if you'd known one another for ages by how easy it was to talk to him. And he seemed enthralled by your questions; wondering about his life, not just the pretty face he bore. Not just the money to his name. You seemed genuinely curious as to who "Felix Catton" was... Something he hadn't known his entire time at Oxford.
When you got back to your dorm, you felt sad by the idea of parting ways, something that genuinely shocked you. Yet the obscene sounds from behind the thin, wooden door alerted you to Polly and her guest, making you pause and sigh. "Well, that's awkward," you mused, leaning on the opposite wall. "Uh, thanks for walking me back, but I'm just gonna crash in the common room."
"Oh, bollocks to that, love," he shook his head, offering his hand again. "C'mon, you can crash with me."
"Hm, sounds sketchy."
"Oh? How's that?" He laughed.
"We just met!"
"C'mon, sweetheart, it's just a bed t'sleep in. Promise, nothing's gonna happen - even if you beg."
"Oh, what a gentleman," you laughed, much to his amusement. "All right, yeah... If I can borrow something to sleep in? Not entirely comfortable sleepin' in this..."
"I've gotcha," he nodded, leading you from your dorm and to his. Which, to your surprise, was the housing beside your own.
"Oh, Felix, NO!" You gaped when you entered his room. "Oh, darling, no, no, no, what's this?"
"It's not that bad - "
"No, I'm talking that!" You laughed, not phased by the mess, pointing to the Manchester football flag. "Don't tell me - "
"Nah, hey, don't do that, 's my father's team," he chuckled. "It reminds me to watch, gives us something t'talk about..."
You cooed, "Well, that's actually sweet of you. I guess I can let it slide."
"Oh, you're a saint."
He tossed you clean boxers and a tee shirt, letting you change in the adjoining restroom as he quickly changed in the bedroom. When you joined him again, you both got comfortable on the bed, but sleep evaded you... Leading into a long night of chatter, jokes, and establishing friendship that would eventually turn romantic.
But for that night, it was simple. It was easy. It was effortless.
You both crashed around 4 am, and when you woke the following afternoon, your head was on his chest, his arm tight around your waist, and there wasn't a single concern in your heart or head.
"Jesus, fuck," Felix groaned when he woke, tightening his arm to constrict you against his warm body on the teeny, tiny dorm bed. "Ah, Christ, remind me not t'drink again, yeah, love?"
"You and me, both," you grumbled, nestling closer.
He sighed, "Yah hungry?"
"A bit."
"Wanna go t'yours, change, get something t'eat?" He offered, rubbing your waist. "C'mon, my treat."
You lifted your head to check his bedside clock, grunting as you laid back down, "It's past noon."
"So? Stomachs don't open or close."
You let your chin prop on his chest, smiling, "Food sounds nice."
He nodded, eyes once more dancing between yours. "Know, you look real good in my clothes. Might have t'let you keep it."
"Much appreciated, pretty boy. C'mon, food helps with the hangover, doesn't it?"
"Very much," he nodded, reaching for his cigarettes. "Hmm?" He offered.
"Mhm," you accepted, both settling on your backs, but he pulled you in close to light your stick. "You always like this?" You whispered, smoking swirling in the air above you.
"What's that?"
"Charismatic?"
"Ah, if I could turn it off... Well, bein' honest, I wouldn't."
"Oh, shove off," you both laughed lightly at your words, looking up at him. He seemed ethereal in the morning light, and then - it happened. He set his cigarette to an ashtray to free his hand, caressing your cheek and making you go still.
"Would you think less of me if I kiss you?"
"I'd think less if you didn't, I think..."
He smirked and curled over, lips finding yours in a searing, breathtaking kiss that tasted like the previous night's alcohol. Yet he still tasted so pleasantly spicy and unique, making you inhale sharply and hold onto the back of his neck to keep him close. He hummed lightly, tongues swirling like the smoke that still hung in the air, and when he pulled back, again, you both just laughed lightly before he was swooping in for another kiss.
It was like I said... Simple, easy, effortless.
requesting rules and masterlist
Saltburn masterlist
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Our Flag Means Death season 2 shot a crucial scene in the Avatar 2 tank
A behind-the-scenes look at how Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby shot their big merman moment
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Our Flag Means Death, Season 2, Episodes 3]
Season 2 of David Jenkins’ pirate comedy-romance-drama Our Flag Means Death has finally premiered on Max, with an opening three-episode arc that’s guaranteed to get the series’ fandom buzzing. The third episode in particular ends with a sequence that feels like it was intentionally crafted to inspire the crowds of fan artists who have turned the series into an obsession. Polygon talked to the series’ VFX supervisor, David Van Dyke, about what went into shooting that sequence — and how James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water helped out.
At the end of episode 3, Ed “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi) is in limbo after being assaulted and nearly killed by his crew. There, he meets his former captain Benjamin Hornigold (another of the series’ historical pirate characters, played by Mark Mitchinson), who tries to help him through his emotional crisis over being abandoned by Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). Except Hornigold mostly helps by pointing out Blackbeard’s failings, then tying a stone to his waist and throwing him off a cliff into the sea — where he sees a vision of Stede as a fish-tailed merman, coming to save him.
“Just so you know, Rhys and Taika did very well underwater,” Van Dyke told Polygon about shooting the scene. “Rhys is not an Olympic synchronized swimmer, but he’s a strong swimmer. They were both very comfortable underwater. They both did a really good job of being mermen.”
Van Dyke says he was originally asked whether he could do the scene with CG versions of the two men, for safety reasons. He explained that it was possible, “but that’ll cost millions and millions of dollars, and we don’t really have that.”
Instead, he ended up shooting the scene practically. Season 1 of Our Flag Means Death was shot on a soundstage in Los Angeles, but for season 2, production moved to New Zealand. That gave Van Dyke a lot of advantages in terms of shooting natural backdrops to use on the production’s giant virtual environment screen, and in using experienced crews from past special-effects-heavy productions, from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies to James Cameron’s Avatar movies.
“There were definitely a few pieces that were serendipitously to our advantage,” Van Dyke says. “New Zealand was where they shot a lot of Avatar stuff, and there just so happens to be an enormous tank on the lot. There are a bunch of Avatar crew who are SCUBA certified, because they’ve been shooting in that tank forever. This was not something we had to figure out — we didn’t have to send a bunch of grips and lighting technicians off to SCUBA school. So they were there, they had really amazing underwater photography teams, and obviously a really good stunt team that was able to train up Taika and Rhys to make sure the scene was working.”
Van Dyke points to New Zealand’s thriving mermaid freediving community as a boon when it came to designing Darby’s merman outfit. “There are a lot of incredible mer-tails out there,” he said. “We were able to take those, and [costume designer Gypsy Taylor] and her team brought them together to make these beautiful physical pieces, so Rhys was able to actually sell it and do the performance underwater.”
For Van Dyke, the sequence really started with the cliff-jump sequence, which actually used considerably more CG than the underwater shots. “That cliff sequence was a great culmination of effects, merging physical photography and our LED wall, because you can’t really put those two guys on a thousand-foot cliff,” he said. “The insurance alone would be out of control. Also, we’re not really in the business of having people fall to their deaths.”
The cliff sequence began with sequences shot off New Zealand’s Bethells Beach, using drones to capture images looking inward from the ocean and photogrammetry of a specific ledge for production designer Ra Vincent and the art department to reproduce in the studio.
“The wide shots use production plates of those cliffs, and the tighter shots use photography we shot specifically to build out the stitching of the cliff sequence,” Van Dyke said. “Hornigold and Blackbeard are standing on a cliff set. We tied in drone plates of the actual cliffs so we can see the ocean and really set up how terrifying [the drop would be]. Then he falls into the ocean, falls into our tank.”
Once Waititi was in the tank, the next step was the shot where the stone tied to a rope around his waist pulls him deep underwater. That part of the scene required more conventional, practical production trickery than the rest of the sequence.
“The tank is massive, but it’s not 300 feet deep. It’s pretty darn big, but it’s never big enough, as they say,” Van Dyke says. “So when Taika is being tugged by the rock, we actually shot that sideways. By turning the camera sideways, you get more length to the shot. The problem is the bubbles — they should be streaming off him and then rising to the surface, but if you’re going sideways, they’re going to come off him and then go up, perpendicular to him. So we took over with CG to make sure our bubbles were traveling toward where the surface was supposed to be.”
The CG in the underwater sequence was mostly used to hide the lighting and rigging necessary to shoot it, Van Dyke says. “Anytime you’re shooting anything underwater, there’s gonna be a lot of gear. There’s no way you can get around that. So we’re making sure we have [convincing deep-sea] lighting and the bubbles. And then there’s his performance — that’s a real performance.”
For Van Dyke, the real complication was the costuming and makeup for both Darby and Waititi. “Taika’s wig — I was amazed that thing stayed on so long. It’s a long shoot. He was shooting all day, all weekend. But things stayed on. It’s a heavy weight. And Rhys is really working underwater, so his tail has to be working, so it all feels seamless.”
The shot in the underwater sequence that seems most likely to be a CG creation has both men just floating deep in the sea, facing each other above a seemingly endless abyss. Again, Van Dyke says, he used very little CG for that shot, and it was mostly to hide the tank walls.
“In that case, we were not shooting sideways,” he said. “It’s essentially a locked shot. It was about getting them at the right depth underwater, and making sure the shafts of light above them were working properly. We don’t have to track as much, we don’t have all these moving elements, we don’t have to worry about where the bubbles are going. That one was really just about cleaning up the tank, doctoring out the sides of the shot, where we can see the water receding into blackness, then giving the base of the tank true depth, so it really feels like they’re suspended a hundred feet below the surface.
“Obviously, a fair amount of CGI and visual effects had to go into it. But at the same time, it was a moment where we really needed to let the story take over, and have the visual effects just get out of the way, man.”
The first three episodes of Our Flag Means Death season 2 are now streaming on Max.
Source: Polygon
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Since Wizards of the Coast is torpedoing all the good-will they have with DnD to wring more money out of it, I want to make a guide for people who recognize they should jump ship, but don’t know alternatives.
If you’re deeply invested in DnD and want something as similar as possible, Pathfinder 2 is what you want. It’s the next biggest game in the tabletop scene (in the US), you can find physical copies in stores easily, and Paizo allows free resources online to exist without constant threat of being taken down like WotC does. It will remain free to play on any VTT while DnD will require you to subscribe to their proprietary one.
Most importantly, though, it improves on almost every aspect of DnD. Combat and class balance is extremely well thought out and makes all combats engaging and difficult in a fun way, requiring teamwork and clever thinking. Roleplay is integrated into character creation and play better, and you no longer have to choose between being good in combat or exploration or roleplay, you get to play and feel useful during all aspects of the game. It’s hard to emphasize how much better it is without just playing, if you still want something like DnD, play Pathfinder 2.
If you like high fantasy adventuring but are willing to get more out there, Fellowship and Dungeon World are good options. Fellowship is a more free-form adventure game focused on creating a cinematic experience over getting bogged-down in rules-heavy play. If you want to play a Lord of the Rings style campaign and have it feel like the movies, Fellowship is the way to go.
Dungeon World is called “Powered by the Apocalypse” which means it was inspired by Apocalypse World, an amazing ttrpg that revolutionized the scene and became the gold standard for interweaving roleplay and gameplay. Dungeon World is meant to be a bridge between DnD and indie rpgs, and it’s good for that, though there are better PbtA games. It’s a good introduction to principles like failing forward and playing to find out what happens (and hell, a good introduction to games having principles lol). There’s also an Avatar the Last Airbender licensed PbtA game that’s very good, if that’s your thing!
Speaking of licensed games, Free League Publishing sets the benchmark for rpgs built for existing intellectual properties, and while I haven’t played all of their games, I’m a big fan of what I have played. They also have independent settings, like Twilight 2000, a really good apocalypse survival game set in a collapsing warfront between an alternate-history NATO and Soviet Union as the two dying empires bring all of society down in their death spiral. I’m using it as the base for my Halo rpg, it’s very good.
Blades in the Dark is another big name in the indie scene, and for good reason. It’s a heist game that has been adapted to lots of other settings (games that say they’re “Forged in the Dark” take inspiration here) and it’s clear to see why so many have used it as a foundation once you’ve played, it’s an exciting crime procedural where you play a group of scoundrels punching above your weight and facing the consequences
There’s a million other amazing rpgs I could mention here, and I’m sure people will talk about plenty of lovely ones I’ve missed in the notes, but I think the most important thing I want to convey with this is that there’s a whole world of diverse and interesting rpgs at all levels of production, from big corporate teams to one girl with a laptop who barely knows how to make a pdf, and there’s no better time to start exploring them.
A common refrain is that DnD can be modified to do anything, but once you’ve played other rpgs you’ll see why that’s not true, and why those creative efforts would be better spent in other systems. Hacking rpgs is as old a tradition as rpgs themselves, but if the only tools you know are DnD, you’re being limited with what you can create more than you could possibly know. There’s no better time to leave this Plato’s Cave and see the beauty and wonder of the whole ttrpg scene
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Tolkien Webcomic Recommendations!
I know people here follow me for my webcomic adaptation of the Hobbit. So I thought I’d share recommendations for my favorite similar Tolkien comic projects, in case people are looking for other Tolkien webcomics to read! :D
My recs will be mainly Tolkien comics that adapt portions of the original books, just with their own unique spin on them.
1. Sam and Frodo Comics, by Molly Knox Ostertag
Ostertag is probably the most well known artist on this list! She is a professional graphic novel artist who does gorgeous adaptations of scenes from Lord of the Rings, read through a queer lens, in order to tell the story of Frodo and Sam’s love for each other. This is mixed in with comics based on her own Tolkien-inspired writing. I’m focusing on comics in this rec list, but I’ll add that Ostertag has also written a lot of engaging prose fanfic with illustrations.
“Sam and Frodo Comics”
“In All the Ways There Were” (illustrated prose fanfic adaptation)
2.Lord of the Rings Book Canon Comics, by @yambits
Yambits does beautiful adaptations of scenes from the original lord of the rings books that do not appear in the New Line Cinema films, hewing very close to the original prose, and focusing on the love between Frodo and Sam. I especially love the way they depict the magical temptation of the Ring.
“Ithilien,” an adaptation of Frodo & Sam’s encounter with Faramir
“In the Lair,” an adaptation of Sam & Frodo journeying together into Shelob’s lair
“The Tower,” an adaptation of Sam journeying to the tower of Cirith Ungol to rescue Frodo
“Escape from the Tower,” an adaptation of Sam and Frodo leaving Cirith Ungol to journey into Mordor
The Ringbearers, a comic about the One Ring reflecting on the resilience of hobbits
3. Sansukh the Webcomic, by @fishfingersandscarves and @determamfidd
Sansukh is a well-loved Bagginshield fanfiction that is now getting a webcomic adaptation co-created by the original author. The premise is that after his death, Thorin Oakenshield is not able to speak to his surviving loved ones, but can influence them in subtle ways; he uses this power to help inspire Gimli to join the Fellowship of the Ring and protect Bilbo’s nephew. From there the fic becomes an “adaptation” of Lord of the Rings, retelling the trilogy through its new lens until the very end.
This is a bit of an outlier on this list because it’s an adaptation of a fanfic that’s an adaptation of the books, rather than an adaptation of the book. However, if you’re into the Hobbit fandom/Bagginshield, I recommend checking it out! It’s also one of the few comics on this list that is currently updating. :)
@sansukhcomic (tumblr blog)
Chapter one
Original fanfic the comic is based on
4. The Ainulindalae from the Silmarillion, by Evan Palmer Comics
People who know me, know that I’m *usually* not a big Silmarillion person. However!
Comic artist Evan Palmer did a gorgeous adaptation of the Ainulindale. This section of the Silmarillion describes the elven myth of creation, the ancient years where the world was created through a divine magical song. Palmer’s Fantasia-inspired expressive watercolor art really helps bring this section of the story to life!
Full comic
5.The 1989 Hobbit Comic adaptation, by Chuck Dixon and David T Wenzel
This is another outlier because it’s a physical comic book, rather than a webcomic- and unlike all the other recs this is an “official” adaptation produced by an actual publishing company rather than a zero-budget work made by an indie creator working alone/with a partner. I’m unsure if it can be found online.
It’s an adaptation of the Hobbit that hews extremely close to the original book, making practically no changes at all. It has very gorgeous watercolor illustrations! ( It’s been a big inspiration for me on my own little comic adaptation of the hobbit shsjd.) This is also the only comic on the list I’ll offer critique of, because it’s the only one made by an actual company with a budget— so I’ll say that because of page limits imposed on the comic many of the pages can feel overcrowded with prose, and emotional beats/comedy beats sometimes aren’t given the time to properly land. At times it feels less like a comic adaptation and more like reading the original prose of the Hobbit accompanied by some very beautiful illustrations. But if that’s what you’re into it’s great!
It’s a fun well-illustrated read that I recommend. I’m not sure where people can find copies; I stumbled across it in my library, so they’re definitely still around.
If anyone has additional tolkien comic recommendations,especially ones that can be found easily online, feel free to add them to this list! : D
#the hobbit#lord of the rings#lotr#the Silmarillion#Tolkien#sansukh#the hobbit comic#retelling the hobbit#webcomics#middle earth#webcomic recs#not chapters#misc#let me know if I’ve written anything incorrectly in this post and all correct it!#(if the comic authors see this)
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Buddy Request: are you a Loki obsessed high fantasy lover?
I would really like to connect with fellow Loki fans who want to rant about/analyze Loki and Thor's psychology, family dynamics, Asgardian society, Jotunheim, magic/seiðr, and the Nine Realms. Ideas/thoughts that aren't canon-compliant with the MCU are more than welcome!
Here are some fics with these types of themes that I have thoroughly enjoyed and been inspired by:
Ásgarðrian Galdr by Valerie_Vancollie
Bargaining by proantagonist ( @proantagonista ) [thank you SO MUCH for the rec @alwida10!]
Frostbite by Maiden_of_Asgard
Once More With Empathy by Kairyn ( @bfaymiller )
A Fairytale Beginning by the_lady_amphitrite ( @the-lady-amphitrite )
Let me set the scene:
For the past year and a half, I've been working on developing a longfic featuring a Thor 2011 Loki and an OC Sigyn. Honestly, I don't think that I'll get around to posting it anytime soon (there's still so much work to be done on it), but it's constantly on my mind. It's sort of a hybrid concept of the MCU, Norse Mythology, my own ideas, OCs, and magic systems. It has an epic scope with multiple arcs and characters from most of the Nine Realms. Do you like characters with wings? I got you covered. An imminent threat to the Nine Realms? Check. An in-depth analysis of Ásgarðr and Jǫtunheimr's history uncovered during Loki's identity crisis? A Jǫtunn OC? A Laufey that never wanted to lose their child? Check, check, and check.
I've found it hard to talk to people about all this because it involves a LOT of worldbuilding. Epic fantasy definitely isn't for everyone and this will not be a "light" read. Some non-fanfic stories that have inspired me along the way include the Roots of Chaos series by Samantha Shannon (The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night) and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. So if you like those types of stories, you might like the ideas I come up with.
If you relate to anything I've said, I also want to mention that I would love to hear about your ideas as well! If you feel trapped inside your own head and feel hesitant to "info-dump" on people, I am the person for you. And hey, maybe we can inspire each other :) Fanfiction is not about gatekeeping, and I have been unabashedly inspired by so many different takes on Loki that I've read along the way.
Sending this out into the Tumblr void, hoping it finds the right people!
#loki fanfiction#loki longfic#loki 2011#thor 2011#worldbuilding#fanfiction worldbuilding#fantasy epic#my ocs#fanfic worldbuilding#asgard au#asgard#jotunheim#vanaheim#fantasy writing#loki#thor#loki meta#thor meta#odin#frigga#odin's a+ parenting#laufey#the norns#sigyn#logyn#loki x sigyn#alfheim#nidavellir#midgard#brodinsons
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Dimension 20's Failed Genre Experiments
(This is the "Has Dimension 20 lost its touch?" post I’ve alluded to; please enjoy some genuine criticism masquerading as a riff on those sorts of articles for other shows.)
Dimension 20's debut and flagship burst onto the scene with a simple and elegant premise. What if a John Hughes movie were set at a high school for D&D adventurers? Its next full length pre-recorded season was the similarly strong urban fantasy The Unsleeping City, which in turn was followed up by the channel’s most ambitious outing yet: the Game of Thrones in Candyland mash-up, A Crown of Candy.
Widely considered to be a watershed moment for the show, A Crown of Candy explored darker themes on a famously comedic platform, was the first on the channel to have permanent player character deaths, added new mechanics and limited what the players could choose to fit the world to support this more serious tone, and on a structural level, was a welcome departure from the prior rigid alternation between episodes of combat and episodes without. It was filmed prior to the pandemic but went to air in early April 2020, when many livestreamed actual play shows were on pause and even some podcasts were scrambling to figure out remote recording. D20 introduced their talkback show as a way for the cast to hang out remotely and chat about each episode, and Adventuring Party has remained a companion to the main show. The channel had hit its stride.
Its House of the Dragon sidequest, The Ravening War, aired three years later. Despite a complicated reaction to its announcement, it was a well-received outing, but one on what had by that time become a noticeably bumpy road.
Sidequests like The Ravening War are what D20 calls its shorter, 4-10 episode seasons that do not feature the main “Intrepid Heroes” cast in full nor necessarily feature Brennan Lee Mulligan as DM. We've seen everything from the perspective of the villains in both a Lord of the Rings clone (Escape from the Bloodkeep) and a Dracula homage (Coffin Run); to a Regency romance in the Feywild (A Court of Fey and Flowers). In addition to Mercer, Jasmine Bhullar and Gabe Hicks have each run a sidequest, and Aabria Iyengar has run three. And while the Intrepid Heroes' only venture outside D&D so far is the D&D-inspired Star Wars 5e, sidequests have been run in various Kids on Bikes hacks and Hicks' own Mythic system, as their shorter format makes it even easier to experiment with the parodies, pastiches, and mash-ups the channel is known for.
There have however been two notable failed experiments, and their close proximity (both released within the past year) could be a hiccup, or could be a sign that D20’s ambition, while admirable, could use some serious reining in. They are Neverafter and Burrow's End.
Marketed as the horror season, crossed over with fairy tales, Neverafter started out strong. Only three episodes in, there was an unprecedented (for D20) total party kill. The subsequent episode is the zenith of the season, in which each character is brought back, most of them changed and twisted by the experience, playing out an analysis of their role as an archetype within these stories: Sleeping Beauty and the classic roles of The Princess (introducing such NPCs as Cinderella and Snow White), for example; or Puss in Boots as The Trickster.
Unfortunately, the quality dropped soon after. It was revealed that the darkness spreading across the fairytale multiverse was due to the influence of The Authors, and the story began to be one about the concept of stories...while still trying to incorporate not only the plotlines of the fairy tales the main PCs were from, but also an intertwined conflict between the fairies and the princess NPCs. With this, the horror, with a few exceptions, melted away: violence and monsters are standard D&D fare, and when heroes race to save the world and victory seems not only possible but likely, any distinction between horror and a typical D&D heroic fantasy is lost.
It’s not the first overstuffed campaign, but it certainly is the first one that fails to land on several levels. Starstruck Odyssey is similarly chaotic and rushed at times, but it consistently sticks to a broad message of personal autonomy and freedom within late-stage capitalism. Mulligan is famous for his capacity to spin endless dense lore off the cuff, and if it at times overcomplicates the plot of the packed and colorful comedic space adventure, at least it contributes to the baked-in excess of the setting. But Neverafter's postmodern flourishes against a horror backdrop desperately needed an injection of sparseness and silence it never received.
This is enhanced by the nature of actual play: with a few exceptions, even when filmed and even with the elaborate production values of Dimension 20, it is first and foremost primarily an auditory medium. We only know what is narrated to us. Neverafter did not permit its audience the time and space to fear the unknown. The existential horror of the metanarrative, of being a character doomed to a specific ending, while touched on by some of the cast (particularly Siobhan Thompson’s Sleeping Beauty), took a backseat to models of giant spiders and tales of undead dwarves. The story lacked the room to build real tension, but also failed to adequately create the claustrophobia of being truly trapped within its narrative. It feels more stuffy than unsettling.
Burrow's End is far less airless, but profoundly disjointed. Neverafter thought it knew what it was, but Burrow's End went through multiple identity crises by the halfway mark, and the marketing for the series reflects this.
The initial trailer makes it seem like a cute if dramatic story about a family of stoats - think Redwall, think Wind in the Willows. The first episode was excellent, however, and sold many who had been unimpressed by the trailers on the series, with its well-played setup of the clear Watership Down/Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH parallels with a unique twist in the form of The Blue.
The promotion took a strange turn, however, with the second episode and its infamous bear carcass battle map. It was hyped as uniquely horrifying, with a teaser video posted of the cast shrieking as the map, unseen by the audience, was wheeled past them. This seemed rather cavalier of the channel once the episode was posted, accompanied by a gore content warning covering a period of well over an hour...which was then further undercut by an exquisitely crafted, but ultimately rather tame display of a bear's innards. It was left out on the table during Adventuring Party as well, further reducing the idea of any meaningful shock factor (or any attempt to accommodate those in the audience who were triggered). The combat this map was for was a creative one, and the episode itself high quality, but it furthered the sense that Dimension 20 itself was unsure of what they were trying to get people to watch.
The series continued on with two more excellent episodes as it reached Last Bast, a clearly man-made structure full of thousands of stoats, with a strong dash of the police state. The actors immediately clocking the flaws of this society, but their stoat characters having no similar sense, led to a fascinating tension. However, the Blue (called the Light in Last Blast), previously described as some animating force and driver of magical power, and mysteriously concentrated in the brain of the dead-but-animated bear, was then revealed to be ionizing radiation.
At this point, the details of my own life become relevant. My career is in the field of health physics. I hold a master’s degree in this specialty and have served as a radiation safety officer, though not at a reactor. I don’t think that this background is a requirement to understand the structural issues of this season; but it certainly made me particularly attuned to the flaws.
Before you claim that this is just a show and who cares: In addition to my love of actual play, I am also a fan of comics and all sorts of speculative fiction. I am well aware that Spider-Man’s “radioactive blood” would not realistically grant him spider powers; I know that going into a high radiation field would not create Doctor Manhattan; I know that Superman does not actually have ‘x-ray vision’, and I know that radiation creates neither kaiju nor rad roaches. This is fine. In comics, radiation is a shorthand for “mad science” or “mysterious powers” with a sense of the lethal and the eldritch and the hubristic. The story is not so much about the source of these powers, but rather the great responsibilities they require. Godzilla, meanwhile, is clearly a metaphor for the very real nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Fallout is an anti-proliferation and anti-war message with nuclear annihilation as the set up for its post-apocalyptic setting. These works understand that radiation is a limited-use plot device, and, wisely, they keep it simple.
Burrow’s End, by placing radiation front and center, has lost the message. The themes of the story are irretrievably muddled: what seems like a tale of family displaced by human intervention now positions a man-made hazardous material as both sinister corruption and divine boon, and engages neither with a fitting narrative of both the pros and cons of technology, nor of human and animal symbiosis. The finale establishes the latter in a rushed cut scene reliant on a single persuasion roll, and the two episodes prior to that meanwhile establish that while the humans first introduced radiation to the ecosystem, the first five stoats were the ones who sought it out and disseminated it and built the police state, and their true nemesis was Phoebe, one of their own. This culminates with Phoebe, the previously unseen fifth of the first five stoats (who have by now already been killed by the heroes), piloting the body of a 20-years-dead human, threatening to somehow cause global radiation contamination as her grand Evil Scheme. Unnecessarily, from a narrative perspective, I might add; this occurs after the final combat has already begun and she is magically controlling two of the party members. They’re already going to kill her. It’s a hat on a hat on a hat, and the humans are incidental.
When I was a child, I was enamored with the sort of stories in which children are sent to another time or place and then return with seemingly no time passing, and at one point excitedly told my mother I had an idea for a story, of what happens back while you’re time traveling. My mother, a fan of speculative fiction herself, and never one to coddle, told me “nothing, honey, that’s the point.” I wonder if something similar happened here; an attempted deconstruction of those radiation-granted superpower tropes, focused so hard on being clever it overshot into something anything but. Other elements of the story - particularly the weak pun of “copper” to hammer home the already obvious theme of population support being the arm of the police - make me think this was indeed an attempt at cleverness that missed the mark.
I am happy to elaborate on the flaws of the science elsewhere but I think the most succinct way to put it is that while the biology and habits of stoats sans radiation has been considered with what seems to be at least a modicum of love and care (their use of pre-existing burrows, Viola’s pregnancy), the radiation science/understanding of recent nuclear history can only be described as abysmally neglectful, in and out of game. They let a Loss of Coolant Accident go on for three days with a remarkably casual attitude? This disaster was sufficient to result in what appears to be an exclusion zone (of which there have been three, ever, in human history; two of which are the immediately recognizable Chernobyl and Fukushima) and yet it isn’t being monitored closely enough for someone to notice that there’s been penned animals next to the building for years (let alone that the building itself is teeming with stoats)? For that matter, they’re opening the site only twenty years later? After the “radiation dust”, apparently present on the fully maintained roads by the reactor, but neither within nor in front of the reactor, just now made 14 people bleed out (not how Acute Radiation Syndrome works; also 14 deaths from ARS in 1982, when the series is set would in fact be an unprecedented disaster. In our world, Chernobyl - which had not yet happened in 1982 - is the only nuclear accident that exceeds that ARS death toll.)
Radiation becomes an all-purpose plot engine with no internal consistent logic: it kills humans swiftly and brutally (though based on statements by Dr. Tara Steel and the fact that she seems fine in only a hazmat suit - which shields from contamination but will stop neither gamma nor neutron radiation - only via inhalation). But it infects chipmunks and bears with corruptive and bizarre neurological effects, turns wolves into horrifying but loyal hybridized monstrosities, and conveys to stoats not just human intelligence, but mastery of human language, magic spells, and the ability to come back as a revenant through force of will…though it also can immediately kill them, but also extend their lifespans, but also cause them to slowly mutate into wolves (but not through DNA splicing transfer, that would be silly). It kills 14 humans nearly instantly with off-site dust, but another survives a fiery attempted core meltdown with no apparent ill effects.
There is an excellent and thoughtful story about family, generational trauma, and political structures somewhere under here, and the incredible cast does its damndest to sell it, but it is all but lost beneath a sci-fi whodunnit that would make Ed Wood cock a skeptical eyebrow.
Neverafter and Burrow’s End’s respective collapses under the weight of ambition coincide, perhaps unintentionally, with some of the more dubious film editing choices on Dimension 20. Filmed actual play can be visually unexciting, and Dimension 20 has used simple shot/reverse shots, as well as some sound effects (notably for critical hits and fails) throughout its run to break it up. Neverafter, however, is marked by deliberate hisses and glitches, fractured split screens, echoey vocal effects, and nails-on-chalkboard screeches. This did not add to the atmosphere as intended; at best they were irritating and for many made it actively harder to hear key dialogue. Burrow’s End’s editing has been simpler, mostly relying on some, to be fair, well-placed cuts to black and voice distortion to indicate taped or radioed segments; but a key moment - Jaysohn’s potentially fatal rush into radioactive waters - is undercut with a frankly cheesy montage. Others I spoke to compared it to Indian soap operas, 1960s Doctor Who, The Oscars In Memoriam video, and reality show farewell reels. It takes what could be a tense potential character death - something D20 already handles wonderfully with their iconic Box of Doom - and makes it cheap and tacky, particularly jarring given the beautiful and haunting shadow puppet animation the season had previously delivered to convey the stoat creation myths. (And then, when Ava falls into the waters herself saving him, she merely comes back as a revenant with no ill effects. The stakes were never there to begin with in this smoke and mirrors season.)
Praise for Dimension 20 often hinges on its original innovative structure; most actual play shows skew towards more longform storytelling. However, the short format comes with a price. The fixed length of D20 seasons and the elaborate, custom made maps require a deft GM that can guide players to the exact right place without it seeming forced. Threading the needle is harder than it looks; even the otherwise iconic Fantasy High debut season stumbled towards the end when the players were too good at uncovering the mystery, and Mulligan had to place their characters in an inescapable prison in order to pad out a pre-scheduled episode before the finale. Perhaps the strain of this constant need to live up to a reputation as high-concept innovators, rather than simply create something good and cohesive, is beginning to show. The higher production values in Neverafter and Burrow’s End cannot hide their messy plots and confused messages, and indeed only highlight them. One interview said that for Burrow’s End, Iyengar wants the audience to trust her; after Burrow's End, I can’t say I do.
The next Dimension 20 season after Burrow’s End is a long-awaited return home to the flagship: Fantasy High Junior Year. Let’s hope this reminds the channel where they came from, and what magic they are capable of making when they keep it simple.
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Me & The Devil P.2 🌘| Harry Potter Imagine
takes place during HBP & DH1
Part 1 here | HP Masterlist
Characters & Pairings: Black!Sister reader x HP characters (platonic), Severus Snape x reader (platonic/semi-romantic)
Content Warnings: death, violence, profanity, angst, slight cannon divergence, mentions of torture and blood, set during the book timeline of the 1990s | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 6k
Requested yes/no
Premise: A dark storm is brewing over Hogwarts. The return of Voldemort and his Death Eaters spark unease in the Golden Trio. For a certain member of the Noble House of Black, she takes on a new role of double agent with the partnership between her and a certain Hogwarts professor. Will she survive the ordeal and get her freedom when it's all over? The odds are slim when acting as a loyal servant and hunted by aurors.
Note: Snape is 37 in this like the books and reader is 31. Part 3 will be the final chapter to this miniseries but I have no idea when it will be posted. Hope y’all like this one! Also near the end the final scenes are inspired by Wanda in MOM so yeah that belongs to Marvel
——————-
Months went by. Waiting. Scheming. Y/n felt her mind deteriorate by the day. Between Bellatrix’s constant complaints of Draco’s failures and Narcissa’s moping, Y/n spent most of her time in the attic of Malfoy Manor. Hidden away to perfect her spells and create new ones. She even managed to successfully become an animagus.
A black crow.
How fitting.
At times Y/n found herself sitting in front of the window. Especially when it rained. The lightning in the distance, the crisp air filling the attic walls. Lost in her thoughts, Y/n would caress the silver jewelry laid on her left ring finger.
Once a month she’d receive a letter from Severus, unbeknownst to the others, detailing Draco’s attempts and all the times Snape’s had to cover for him. As part of their deal to keep quiet of the others' disloyalty and motives behind actions, Snape agreed to update her on Draco and keep the Order off Y/n’s trail. For Y/n’s side of the bargain, she agreed to deflect suspicion on him from their fellow Death Eaters. Specifically her sisters.
And what better way to do that then in holy matrimony.
“You want to get married?” she scoffed, placing her wine glass on the coaster. Having left with her sisters following the unbreakable vow, Y/n returned later that night after Severus sent an owl. Sitting in the same leather chair from before, “You humor me.”
“I can assure you I am everything but comical, Y/n,” he drawled, standing by the fireplace. The sound of wood crackling filled the room. “This is not an arrangement I suggest lightly.”
Seeing how serious he was, Y/n’s demeanor changed. “Wow,” her tone lowered, finger raising to tap her lips. Unable to read her mind since she was a gifted Occulmens like himself, Snape was left to wonder what Y/n was thinking. Truth be told the woman was more impressed than shocked by his proposal. “I think that’s the first time I’ve been rendered speechless, Severus.” Standing, Y/n grabbed her glass and approached the man. “You truly believe this would work? Proposing a marriage between us….” she trailed, glancing at the fire briefly, “is intriguing. Tell me more.”
Snape’s expression remained the same, “It is simply a matter of convenience.” No need to sugar coat it, “We want to keep our secrets hidden. So long as you can assure your sisters stay off my back…..I’ll make sure the Order stays off yours. We play the part of a happy married couple when operating business with the Dark Lord, and I will do everything in my power to get your freedom when this all ends.”
Y/n liked what she was hearing. The more she thought about it, the more engrossed she became. Marrying Snape wasn’t ideal--as the concept itself she did not care for--but Y/n could not deny the idea made her curious. Plus Severus was handsome, a talented wizard, and obviously, he knew her motives for following Voldemort. What her end goal was. She needed to keep him close.
“I think I’ll find playing the part of a smitten wife will be rather easy,” she rasped, stepping closer to Snape so their chests were nearly touching. Walking her fingertips up the length of his arm, Y/n leaned closer to Snape which ignited a sharp breath from the man. She smelled of expensive perfume. Their closeness allowed him to see how her eyes turned from their usual coldness to something more lustful. Almost sinister. His reaction made her smirk, “Confident you can manage the same….husband?”
Now, almost a year later, the two managed to successfully keep their union hidden from the Order. All while any suspicion the Death Eaters had of Snape seemed to disappear. Bellatrix, initially furious and doubtful of their ‘relationship’, soon began to trust him. Still, the witch grimaced each time the pair greeted the other with an affectionate kiss. Or when Y/n took claim to Snape’s lap during meetings. An action which surprised the man himself in the beginning.
Each letter Severus sent was met with one in return, however Y/n was careful to only send her owl in the late hours of the night. When her family was sound asleep. Signing the parchment with only her initials, but instead of B as the ending initial it was S. She’d never admit it aloud, but Y/n felt a sense of comfort with Severus. There was an overwhelming amount of hate in her heart, but the pinch of sanity left in her soul connected to him. Which is not a surprise. He is, of course, the only person who can relate to her.
Neither would call it love. Y/n possessed no love. And Snape lost his when Lily died. They had mutual respect and care for each other as their partnership grew. Finding the other’s presence calm despite the world around them going to shit.
The news of Draco’s success in connecting the two cabinets came from Bellatrix’s glee, the woman bursting into the attic with a loud, “It’s time, sister.” Reluctantly, Y/n trailed Bellatrix to Knockturn Alley, where they met several of their associates.
Dark clouds painted the sky. Thunder rumbling. It set the tone of the evening.
Y/n stayed stoic the entire journey. Hating every minute, yet doing nothing to escape. Where could she even go? The mark on her arm prevented her from doing so. Until Voldemort was defeated, the only way for her to stay alive was to continue the act of a loyal servant.
Draco was gone when the group breached the cabinet in a cloud of black smoke. The boy rushed to find Dumbledore and complete his task. He found the man on the observation deck of the Astronomy Tower. Unaware his longtime rival, Harry Potter, was below him, watching the scene play out.
The others arrived to witness Draco complete the task, however, in the end Snape was the one to administer the curse. And so the greatest wizard in history fell from the sky.
Y/n kept her eyes on Severus the entire time. Watching his reaction. When he went through with the unthinkable, Y/n wasted no time in rushing to his side. Cupping his face, she noticed the dissociative expression Snape wore. Mind processing what he had done. “Severus,” he didn’t respond, making her shake his shoulders, “look at me.” Finally he meets her eye and the woman matches his anxious demeanor. “We have to go. Now.”
Clutching his robe, the two push Draco in the direction of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix’s maniacal laughter rings as she shoots a spell into the sky to bring forth the Dark Lord’s symbol in the clouds. Not long after the tower was surrounded by members of the Order, ensuing a battle between the groups. Y/n tried to avoid dueling as much as possible. Not wanting to harm anyone, especially the kids in the school.
Cutting the corner after dodging a spell from her niece Nymphadora, Y/n spotted the wretched Fenrir Greyback attacking a man she didn’t recognize. Judging by the wild red hair he possessed, she assumed it was a Weasley. Greyback’s back was toward her, unaware she stood behind him. From the looks of it, the redhead was losing the fight.
Not sure what came over her at that moment, Y/n raised her wand and shouted, “Stupefy!” The werewolf was flung into the wall behind him, falling unconscious.
“Bill!” a voice screamed, Y/n turning to see a young woman running to where the Weasley laid. Bloodied and knocked out. Fluer dropped beside him, sobbing at the state of her fiance. She glanced up to see Y/n, immediately becoming frozen with fear while pleading with her to help. “Y-you--H-he’s been--.”
Cursing to herself, Y/n approached the two. “He wasn’t bit,” adjusting her dress skirt, she grabbed the cuffs of Bill’s jacket and gestured for Fluer to help. Together they moved him to a concealed area away from the battle. “He’s been scratched.” Having studied werewolves while in school, the woman was well educated on the subject. Muttering a healing spell, Y/n attempted to at least stop the bleeding, however, she knew the extent of his injuries were serious. “Nevertheless, the wounds are cursed. They’ll scar.”
Fluer watched her carefully, “W-why are you helping us?” Y/n gave no answer, instead casting a final healing spell before standing up to leave. In her peripheral vision, she noticed movement from Greyback, and sent a second stun his way to keep him unconscious. She always hated him, so it gave her great pleasure to pu thim down.
Truth be told Y/n didn’t know why she helped the injured Weasley. It would have best suited her to get the hell out of there and let whatever outcome happen. Whether that be Greyback killing the man or Bill successfully overpowering the werewolf. But instead, she cursed her associate. Saving the life of ‘the enemy’.
Several agonizing minutes passed before Y/n managed to escape the tower. At Snape’s order, she ran deep into the forest until she was far enough to apparate. Back at the manor she was immediately questioned by her sister.
“Is Draco okay,” Narcissa grabbed Y/n’s wrist to stop her from escaping to the attic. Eyes glossy with tears, “Did he--.”
“Your son is fine, Narcissa,” she roughly pulled away. “You have my husband to thank for that--he finished the job.” There was immediate relief from Narcissa, exhaling the breath she had been holding. Y/n went straight to the liquor cabinent, taking a glass and pouring a generous amount before downing it. She then refilled the glass, offering it to her sister without a word. Once Narcissa took it Y/n kept the bottle for herself, saying nothing more as she made her way to the attic.
It wasn’t long before the others arrived. Y/n heard Narcissa’s cry of relief upon seeing Draco. Bellatrix was busy scolding Greyback--something that brought a smile to her face. Other murmurs were made out, but hard to identify with all the noise. Moments later she heard the fast approaching sound of footsteps nearing her door. Jolting from her bed with her wand raised at whoever was about to breach it. Only when it was revealed to be Severus did Y/n lower her guard, rolling her eyes, “What have I told you about--.”
Snape slammed the door shut, muttering a silencing charm which caused Y/n to raise her brow. “We need to talk.” Her guarded expression returned, but Snape beat her before she could question him. “I know you stunned the werewolf to save Weasley.” All movement from the woment seized, frozen in shock.
“How do you know--.”
“I saw you with Miss. Delacour, Y/n,” Snape peers down at her with visible frustration. “Why would you risk such a thing? If you had been caught--.”
“But I wasn’t, Severus,” she interrupts, eyes flicking to the door in fear someone was listening, but then she remembered the spell he cast. “I was careful. You should know better than to underestimate me. And to answer your question….” she turned away from him, hands on her hips as she turned her focus to the woods beyond her window. “I don’t know what possessed me to do what I did--It just happened. Maybe it’s the fact the Weasley’s are distant family. Or because I fucking hate Greyback.” She throws her hands up in defeat, “Or I want the Order to have all its members to better their chances at winning this damn war. Maybe…” her hands fall back to her sides, “deep down there’s some humanity left in me.” The words were so low it was barely a whisper. Y/n shook her head, the speck of softness replaced with disinterest.
“Whatever it was,” turning back to him, Y/n narrows her eyes in warning. “It’s no longer our concern. Dumbledore is dead, you killed him.” footsteps echo against the wood as she approaches Snape, noticing his expression change at the mention of the headmaster. “He will be plotting his next move. We need to remain focused--I expect his attention will be on us more now given the circumstances.”
Snape knows she’s right. Killing Albus only shined a spotlight on him, and in turn on Y/n. He was now labeled public enemy #1 in the eyes of the Order. Voldemort himself will likely turn to Snape. They will have to up their game, continuing the act of a happy couple. Well happy as one can be in the middle of a war.
That summer was endless torture following the Headmaster’s death. Y/n not only had to deal with Voldemort growing stronger, but also the return of Lucius from Azkaban. It did bring the witch great joy to see the dark circles beneath his eyes and matted hair. One year in prison did a number on him.
Lucky for Lucius it was only one year. Had it been 15 like Y/n, he’d surely gone mad. Thankfully the two rarely saw each other. Not long after his release following Dumbledore’s death Y/n moved into Severus' home. Only returning to the mansion when necessary.
At every Death Eater meeting Y/n had to fight yawning with how bored she was, keeping her expression blank even when addressed by Voldermort from time to time. The man wasn’t blind. Well aware the youngest Black was not as forthcoming with her praises to him like Bellatrix. Never voicing her opinions, while also keeping any objections to herself like a smart person would do. He never fully trusted her. Even though she was married to one of his most trusted advisors, something in the back of his mind told Voldemort she’d be the first to turn on him. Without proof, Voldemort kept a close eye.
The meeting tonight was just like any other. Seated at the massive dining table in Malfoy Manor, Voldemort at the head while the Black’s and Malfoy’s flanked to the right. Y/n seated beside Draco, far from her sisters. Very telling of her attitude towards them.
Severus was the last to arrive, dark cloak tailing behind him. His entrance caught everyone’s attention, while his was on his colleague hanging in the air. Muggle studies professor Charity Burbage. The wounds on her body indicated she had been subjected to torture.
“Severus,” Voldemort greeted, “I was beginning to worry you had lost your way. Come. We’ve saved you a seat.” The headmaster took claim to the only free chair at the table, bidding a look to his wife, to which she slightly shook her head. Silently saying, “I had no part in this.”
Voldemort then said, “Do you bring news, I trust?”
“It will happen Saturday next, at nightfall.”
“I’ve heard differently, my Lord,” Yaxley interrupted at the other end of the table, then proceeds to say he believes Harry will be moved at the end of the month. The 30th of July. The day before his 17th birthday.
“This is a false trail,” Snape insists. “The auror office no longer plays any part in the protection of Harry Potter. “Those closest to him believe we have infiltrated the ministry.”
The Death Eater seated beside Y/n laughed, “Well, they got that right aren’t they.” Several at the table joined in the laughter. The youngest Black’s expression was tight, plastered with annoyance.
“What’s say you, Pius?” Voldemort addresses the man seated at the opposite head of the table.
Nagini curled herself next to the chair as he answered, “One hears many things, my Lord. Whether the truth is among them is not clear.” Voldemort chuckles.
“Spoken like a true politician. You will, I think, prove most useful, Pius.” The Death Eater appears pleased by the compliment. Voldemort turns back to Snape, “Where will he be taken, the boy?”
“To a safe house. Most likely the home of someone in the Order. I’m told it’s been given every manner of protection possible, once there it will be impractical to attack him.”
Suddenly the conversation is interrupted by Bellatrix. “My Lord, I’d like to volunteer myself for this task.” She leans against the table, voice dropping, “I want to kill the boy.”
“Of course you would,” Y/n thinks to herself, holding back the urge to roll her eyes. Frankly she found her sister to be stupid to ask such a thing. Considering Voldemort mentions his desire to kill Harry Potter everyday. And with the prophecy, there’s no way he’d allow anyone else the opportunity to do the deed.
In the back, Charity let out a haunting groan, causing Voldermort to shout, “Wormtail! Have I not spoken to you about keeping our guest’s quiet?”
“Yes, my Lord,” the man spoke with urgency. “Right away, my Lord.” As he scurried off, Voldemort returned his attention to Bellatrix.
“As inspiring as I find your bloodlust, Bellatrix,” the hope was clear in her eyes, disappearing with his next words. “I must be the one to kill Harry Potter.” With that she curled back into her seat, Y/n’s lips raising in a satisfied smirk.
“But,” he rises from his chair, “I face an unfortunate complication.” As much as Y/n wanted to tune out this conversation, the nature of it was hard to dismiss. Especiall when the man walked behind the chairs on her side of the table. Brushing past her sisters before ending beside Lucius. There was satisfaction seeing him visibly afraid of Voldemort. A smirk on her lips when he was to give up his wand, a wizard’s most prized possession.
Her expression shifted when Charity’s brought to the center of the table. Death Eaters laughing at her despair and cringing with disgust at her profession. Y/n moves her gaze to Severus, who’s emotionless to Charity’s pleas. Then when the woman’s killed and her body drops to the table, Y/n lifts her hand to grasp Draco’s wrist. Squeezing it in warning for him to control himself when she sees his distraught state in the corner of her eyes.
The action surprises the boy. Draco sucking in a breath and forcing himself to relax. Once he does, Y/n removes her touch and waits to be dismissed by Voldemort. As soon as the order is given she’s quick to leave the table, taking Snape’s outstretched hand where he apparates them back home.
“How do you plan--?” he doesn’t let her finish the question.
“I have it covered.” Moving to his study, he hears her footsteps behind him, Y/n slamming the door shut once they’ve entered. He looked annoyed, “This doesn’t concern you.”
“The hell it does!” she shouted, making him clench his jaw. Ever since the incident at the Astronomy tower the two had been on edge with each other. For one, the Order discovered their marriage causing Y/n to lose her shit. Now she was public enemy #2 in their eyes. Or 3 if you count Voldermort at the top. Her odds of the Order leaving her the fuck alone decreased immensly.
Second, Snape told her of his and Dumbledore’s arrangement. That the headmaster asked Snape to kill him. A secret Y/n had trouble wrapping her head around and prayed to a higher power no one, especially Bellatrix, found out about.
Crossing over to him where he stood at his desk, Y/n caught his wrist to make him look at her. “In case you have forgotten, dear husband, we are playing both sides right now. You say you want to protect Harry Potter…just how do you plan to do that during an ambush you helped orchestrate? What the hell are we supposed to do if Harry Potter dies at his hands Saturday next?” Y/n squeezed his wrist tighter, “I’m putting all my trust into Severus Snape. You promised me my freedom when this was all over.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Y/n,” he removes himself from her grip, “You say you trust me. Do so, and you won’t be let down.”
Y/n didn’t know where it all went wrong. One moment she was flying in the sky, the next she’s being rammed into by Bill Weasley’s Thestral. Pain erupted in her chest, likely from a broken rib and caught herself on the creature's satchel. Her hand is then grabbed by the imposter Harry seated behind Bill, keeping Y/n steady to prevent falling to her death. Using her talent of legitimins, Y/n identifies the imposter as Bill’s fiance Fluer.
“You’re not Harry Potter,” she whispers, causing Harry (Fluer) to widen her eyes. The accusation was confirmed when Fluer’s voice responded, “How did you know?” Before Y/n could answer, however, the world around her became black. Having been stunned by Bill who realized what was happening behind him.
Acting fast, Fluer reached with her other hand to further grasp Y/n’s now limp body onto the Thestral.
“What are you doing?” Bill shouted over the chaos, “She’s one of them!”
“And she saved your life in the Astronomy tower, William!” Fluer screamed back. Using all her might, she hauled Y/n over the bottom half of the creature. Gripping the material of her robes and dress while ducking at the incoming curses around them.
When they finally made it to the Burrow, the shaky landing caused Fluer to lose her hold. Y/n fell to the ground, still unconscious. Bruises were sure to form on her body. Bill leaped off the Thestral, helped Fluer off and rushed to Y/n. After confirming she was alive by pressing his fingers to her pulse, the oldest Weasley took the death eater into his arms and followed Fluer into the house. But not before telling Fluer to take her wand which had been discarded into a ditch.
“Wait here,” he said, placing Y/n in the care of Fluer by setting her on a bench outside the door, Bill entered to find the others gathered around an injured George. After the shock wore off of his brother’s state, Bill announced the death of Mad-eye and departure of Mundungus. Deepening the already intense mood.
“There’s something else,” he hesitated, eyes flickering to find everyone staring at him with unease. They watched Bill exit the house, only to return a second later dragging the last person they ever expected. Gasps rang out, wands drawn in Y/n’s direction. The witch barely conscious but fighting against Bill’s hold. Eventually succumbing to sleep once again due to the pounding in her head.
With the help of Remus, the two propped Y/n in a chair, casting a spell to bind her hands and legs. “Where’s her wand?” Remus urgently looked around, relieved to see the object in Fluer’s possession. He turned to Bill, “What the hell happened?”
As the oldest Weasley explained, Molly approached the woman, assessing her carefully. Y/n had dirt and grime in her hair. A small cut to her temple. Likely from a rock when she fell from the Threstral. Her breathing was shaky, pained groans escaping her mouth which Molly assumed was from trauma to her chest. Although the others were against it, Molly began performing healing spells on Y/n, “Had it not been for her my son would be dead! I do not care what side she is on--I shall offer the same courtesy.”
The group was alerted to Y/n’s consciousness twenty minutes later when she groaned. Shifting in the chair, her eyelids fluttered briefly before opening to bright lights. Moaning, Y/n straightened up aware of the audience in front of her, however she did not appear concerned. Even with several wands pointing at her. “Hmmmph,” she blinks a few times, settling her gaze on Remus, “what an unpleasant situation we have here. I hoped to be dead before experiencing this.”
It pained Remus to hear her words. Thinking back to that little girl he’d met on the corner of Diagon Alley with James, perched on Sirius’ hip. That little girl was gone. In her place was a woman with the Devil on her shoulder. “We don’t want to hurt you, Y/n.”
Tilting her head as though she found his statement funny, she replies “Is that supposed to make me feel at ease?” rolling her eyes she adds, “Surely you could’ve come up with something better.”
Remus sighed, realizing it was about to be a long night. “We’re willing to negotiate terms if you provide us with information. A lesser sentence if you will,” he chose his next words carefully, seeing her demenor shift, “so long as you are upfront and answer all of our questions with honesty.” Y/n’s face tightened, no longer humored. Remus felt his stomach lurch, not breaking the intense eye contact she set with him.
“You threaten me--.”
“It’s not a threat--,” he insists but Y/n continues.
“With a cell in Azkaban and expect me to comply? By being a snitch?” she shakes her head, eyes full of fury. “Go to hell, Remus Lupin.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Oh?” She grumbles with a glare, “and how else do you suggest it be? I’m not stupid--a tad mad if we want to get technical, but you all have yourselves to blame for that.” Y/n was referring to the Order not taking her in during the First Wizarding War. Sirius warned them of his family and the Death Eaters recruiting her at a young age. Yet no attempt to protect Y/n was initiated.
The werewolf’s face fell, “Had we known--.”
“Known what?!” She jumped forward in her chair as the dam of pent up resentment and anger broke, making several flinch at the sudden movement. A few wands pointed up but she paid them no mind. “That I’d become a Death Eater against my will? That I’d be forced to use the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottoms or face my sister’s wrath?” She spat with ferocity. Pupils nearly pitch black it made her appear demonic. “You knew what my family was like! Sirius knew--It’s why he left! And you did nothing to save me.” Leaning back in the chair, Y/n finished with, “Go ahead and kill me. I’m not telling you shit.”
Remus runs a hand through his hair, his patience running thin and stress levels rising. “Y/n, I’m trying to help you here. We’re giving you the opportunity to avoid a lifetime in jail if you help us--help us end this war.” When his efforts are exhausted Remus gestures to the man behind him, “Kingsley has Veritaserum and we will use it if necessary.” Now this has her smirking, chin raising in challenge.
“Go ahead,” her voice lowers an octave, sending chills along his arms, “I welcome you to.” Weary of her acceptance, the adult members of the Order all exchange looks before Kingsley approaches. Y/n tilts her head back, watching Kingsley unscrew the vial and pour the tiny amount of liquid onto her tongue. Once it’s entered her stream, the woman cracks her neck and returns her attention to Remus.
He clasped his hands in his lap, leaning in his chair. “How’d you know about tonight?”
Y/n pretends to think, “I think I saw an advertisement in the Daily Prophet. Yeah,” she nods her head, acting serious. “That was it.”
Remus’s own head falls to his chest, the others visibly confused. The potion was to make her tell the truth. Pretty much against her will. Thinking it may have not settled in yet, Remus asks another question. “Who told him we were moving Harry?”
Deciding to play along, Y/n shrugs her shoulders, “Yaxley.” Lie. She held back a chuckle at his confused reaction.
“How did he know?”
“Overheard it.” Lie.
“Where?”
“Diagon Alley I assume.” Lie.
“From who?”
“I don’t know.” Lie.
“But he’s the one who told Voldemort.” Y/n rolled her eyes at that, gesturing to her binded hands.
“Obviously since we’re sitting in this predicament.” She sees the frustration on Remus, as well as the others. Yet, the witch couldn’t help but feel entertained. “Anything else?”
“What’s your relationship to Severus Snape?”
“He’s my husband,” She didn’t miss the way the Order reacted to the news. Upset but not surprised. No point in lying. They already knew about their marriage from what Snape told her. The truth of why, however, was still a secret.
“Why did he kill Dumbledore?” Harry stepped forward, drawing her attention to him. Anger was written all over his face. Filled with absolute hatred. Something Y/n had expected when her husband murdered the man he looked up to.
“You were there, right?” she asked, head tilting with curiosity. “Snape mentioned you’d been below the observatory deck.” Tsking, Y/n surveyed him. She was getting under his skin. “Why do you think he did it?”
“I think he did it to save himself. He was a coward,” Harry saw the way her face tightened. Taking offense to his words. A mere speck of what someone could label as affection or respect to her spouse.
“Severus Snape is many things,” she sounded sinister, anger seeping off every word. “But a coward is not one of them.”
“Fat lot of good coming from you.” Harry antagonized her. “You hightailed it out of the ministry when Sirius died. He was your own cousin.”
“My cousin who left me a sitting duck for the wolves,” Y/n reminded the boy, temper rising. An indicator with how her voice was strained. “Let’s not forget you all thought he was responsible for betraying your parents. Didn’t even hesitate to believe he was guilty.” That cut them all deep. “And I adored Sirius at one point in life. Much like you, Harry Potter,” she let out a deep sigh, attempting to calm herself, “look at where it got me.” Exhaustion was beginning to take over the witch. Her body ached and there was a pounding in her head. Molly’s healing spells worked to patch any internal injuries Y/n had, but she still was drained from the whole ordeal.
They were getting off track. Having had enough of the tension, Remus butted in, “Answer the question, Y/n. Why did Snape kill Dumbledore?”
“I don’t know,” she simply stated. Lie. “He didn’t say. Although…I can only assume it was to spare my poor nephew.” Another shrug, “And survive the unbreakable vow. Which you already know of.”
Harry shook his head, “I don’t believe you.” His gut was telling him there was more to the story.
“Harry, she took the Veritaserum,” Hermoine pointed out gently, missing the flicker of amusement from Y/n. “She’s telling the truth.”
“Hermoine’s right, Harry,” Ron agreed, moving beside his friend. “There’s no way she could be lying.”
“How much did you give her, Kingsley?” Arthur questioned, also suspicious of Y/n’s answers. Kingsley held up the vial. More than half was consumed.
“Enough.”
“Something’s off,” he murmured, rubbing his chin. A bickering match ensued between members of the Order. Harry, Arthur, and even Y/n’s niece, Tonks, had difficulty believing Y/n told the truth. The majority, however, voiced opposition.
“Veritaserum is a very potent and strong potion, Harry,” Remus stood from his chair, but before he could say anything else, Y/n’s voice took over.
“Which you just wasted.”
Silence consumes the room. Processing what she said. That’s not possible.
Heads turning to the witch, Y/n starts to chuckle in delight. A sight unnerving to the Order as it becomes more deranged. Harry looked to his friends for an answer, but they were just as perplexed as him. Y/n’s voice turns taunting, “Oh my, you lot really are daft at times. Have you forgotten? Or did you believe it to be a rumor?” Her grin is wicked, finding the scene entertaining much to their dismay. “I’m a skilled Occulmens.”
It was as though the dementors arrived with how cold the air became. Everyone falters, stilling at the revelation. It could only mean one thing:
Everything Y/n said potentially was a lie.
The Death Eater tsked, “What do you think I did with all that time I had rotting in the middle of the ocean?” she laughs again, more menacingly. “Your little potion is useless! My mind is more protected than Azkaban. For all you know I fabricated everything I just told you.” Her taunting laugh continues, shredding the last ounce of patience the Order had for her.
Remus kneeled in front of her chair and smacked the table, causing everyone besides Y/n to flinch. “Enough of these games! I have tried to give you the benefit of the doubt knowing you’d been forced into this life, but you have proven to be not so different from your associates.” Now that was a nail to the coffin. Any and all of Remus’s hope for Y/n having some level of good in her gone. “This is your final warning--or we will throw you in Azkaban for the rest of your life for good!”
Never straying her stare, the Death Eater murmered cooly, “You have no idea how reasonable I’ve been.” This time it was Remus’s turn to scoff.
“Holding children hostage at the Ministry, attacking Hogwarts, marrying Snape, and sending assassins after the officials who locked you up,” He lists off, surprising the Order with the last detail. They had heard rumors of Azkaban guards and Ministry officials killed in the last few months, but assumed it was Bellatrix. “I don’t see how that’s being reasonable.”
Y/n gave a sound that was a mix of a chuckle and scoff, leaning forward in her chair. “Sending those assassins after them instead of myself was mercy.” A chill rose, Harry’s intuition telling him something was about to happen. “And despite your hypocrises and insults I have warned you time and time again to simply get out of my way.” Remus saw her hands fidget, tightening his grip on his wand.
“You’ve exhausted my patience,” Her voice lowered once more, almost to a whisper as her bottom lip quivered. “But I do hope you understand…that even now--with what’s about to happen…..” lips curled into a deathly smirk. “This is me being…reasonable.”
Faster than the speed of light, Y/n casts a non-verble, wandless spell that mimics a gust a powerful wind, ripping the binds off her hands and ankles. Remus flies onto his back, the lights flicker and burst. The windows and glass shatter. Papers fly. Hermoine screams, echoing amongst the shouts as Ron pulls her into his arms. Molly leaning over an injured George to protect him from shards.
Fluer gasps at the feeling of Y/n’s wand in her hand ripped from her. The death eater had snapped her fingers in the chaos with a non-verbal Accio.
With her wand now in her possession, Y/n unleashes another bout of wind, crippling the Order from attacking her. Once satisfied she makes her escape. Black smoke fills the room before flying out the window and into the night sky. The storm inside the burrow seizing.
“What the bloody hell was that?” Ron coughs, catching his breath.
“That,” Kingsley stands up straight, sore from colliding with the wall which knocked him down. “Was the closest thing to experiencing the Devil on Earth.”
Tags: @unloved-and-outspoken
#Spotify#harry potter imagine#severus snape imagine#severus snape x reader#severus snape#harry potter x reader#harry potter angst#severus snape angst#harry potter fanfiction#harry potter x y/n#death eater!reader#remus lupin x reader#remus lupin angst#death eaters#draco malfoy angst#half blood prince#deathly hallows#severus snape x y/n#severus snape x female reader#bellatrix lestrange#narcissa malfoy#slytherin!reader#tom riddle
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Ninjago: Into The Deep (Master Post, Summary, and Q and A!)
Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by! If you've been on my blog, you probably know about this upcoming project. But for those of you who don't, what is Ninjago: Into The Deep? I'll tell you! Ninjago: Into The Deep is a fully fleshed out Ninjago fan season inspired by legendary fantasy works such as Narnia, Lord of The Rings, and even classic Disney films and more modern adventure stories like Avatar: The Last Air Bender. Here's the summary!
Things are looking up for the Ninja since their battle with the Crystal King! Jay and Nya have gotten married, Lloyd is now training to become a sensei, and Ninjago City hasn't had a major disaster in over a month! (A new record!) Everything seems to be going well, until the team receives a mysterious letter from Queen Vania, requesting their presence.
Once they arrive, they discover an evil plot, orchestrated by former king Vangelis, to overthrow Vania and take the throne again! And having a taste of conquest while on the Crystal Council, the disgraced monarch has his sights set on the rest of Ninjago as well! Powered by a new energy source, Vangelis is now far too powerful for the Ninja to defeat with their current abilities. They must find a new way to defeat him!
This takes the Ninja on a quest to a new world! The magical and beautiful subterranean kingdom of The Deep Lands! There, they must find the Elemental Beasts. Seven creatures created by the FSM and imbued with elemental powers, to teach the first Elemental Masters how to use their abilities. And who control the very balance of nature itself! From these magical beings, the Ninja will learn new powers and skills that are beyond their wildest dreams, and take down Vangelis once and for all! So join us, as we meet new friends, experience new powers, and journey Into The Deep.🍃🌊🔥🪨❄️🐲⚡
So that's it! I also have some cool concept art that should be finished soon!
Now here's some Q and A to answer all your questions! Some are from one of followers, and others I added in just to give general information. 😁 If you don't see a question being answered that you would like to see answered, please feel free to send it in!
(Under the cut because this is LOOOOOONG.)
First some general info.
Q: How will the episodes be released?
A: Each episode is three chapters long. Therefore, split into three parts. (Kinda like how you would have two commercial breaks in a real episode of Ninjago!) One episode will be released every week! Via a released chapter every Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
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Q: How many episodes will there be?
A: 16-20. About as many a regular season of Ninjago would have!
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Q: What is this series rating?
A: G - PG! I don't do adult humor or gore. So it will be about as kid friendly as a usual Ninjago Season!
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Q: Will there be exclusive characters?
A: Yes! Several! Some including the Elemental Beasts, and even Cole's Grandfather Rocky! More will be released as the series goes on.
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Q: Will the season ever be animated?
A: If I aquire the time, resources, and skills, absolutely!
Now, let's answer some questions from one of my followers and awesome friend @dexter-the-dog!
A: Probably the only thing that makes it an Alternate Universe is that Dragons Rising isn't canon to this story. Other than that, it should fit nicely with the canon.
A: YES! The Elemental Beasts! They are so cool! I can't even put it into words! Currently, there are six Elemental Beasts. One for Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, Lightning, and Air. The Air Beast will have a very important role to play in this story! I'm also partial to Cole's Grandfather Rocky, who will also be making an appearance! He's a very interesting guy. And super powerful too! After all, he fought the Serpentine and the Time Twins! So he has quite a few tricks up his sleeve!
A: As Doc would say, #NoSpoilers! Lol! But there is a really cool scene were Nya uses her powers in a new way! It should be EPIC. So cool in fact, I just might animate it!
A: Ah! I can answer both of these! Since Into The Deep is a fan season, it will try to fit into the canon as closely as possible. That being said, the characters are exactly as you would see them in the canon show. No backgrounds or roles changed. But whether they will gain new abilities or new roles? Well that I can't say without spoiling things.
A: It's definitely the Cole x Vania story I have planned. Lol. Yeah, I ship them. I think they're cute. And they'll have plenty of cute moments in this story!
A: Into The Deep happens about a month or two after Crystalized. :)
A: I've been waiting to answer this one! The Elemental Beasts take on a mentor role for each of their appointed ninja. They will help them learn new abilities and fight their inner demons to truly become their most powerful selves. They're also are basically Nature Spirits. Each one controls a certain element in nature from their base kingdoms in the Deep Lands. Because of this, they can never leave to go up to the surface, or the balance would be offset. This factor is important, so make sure you remember it while reading.
And that's all the questions I got! That was fun!
Before I end this post, I'm gonna tag a few people I remember being interested in this thing! (@rinkunokoisuru @shatteredhope123 @miraculous-stud @nocturnal-nexu @dexter-the-dog) Hope you guys enjoy all this info! And thank you for all your love and support. It's really kept me going.😁🫶
Well, that's all for now! Keep an eye out for updates! And I'll see you around! Bye! - ✒️🐉
#ninjago#lego ninjago#ninjago lego#Ninjago: Into The Deep#ink dragon#My art#cole x vania#vania x cole#ninjago oc#ocs#jay x nya#nya x jay#jaya#cole brookestone#cole ninjago#cole brookstone#ninjago cole#vania ninjago#ninjago vania#vangelis ninjago#ninjago vangelis#princess vania#king vangelis#jay ninjago#ninjago jay#jay walker#nya ninjago#ninjago nya#nya smith#vanillacakeshipping
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MXTX Interview with Risa Wataya for Subaru Magazine P.7
Which creative works influence you:
Risa: Please tell us which creative works influence you.
Moxiang: Professor Jin Yong's wuxia novels (*)! Professor Jin Yong is my number one teacher in the craft of writing. His skill in crafting wuxia stories, his artistic palate, the sheer intellectual depth and philosophical complexity of his stories and characters. Professor Jin Yong's wuxia novels have a profound and immeasurable influence on all modern Asian creative professionals.
(*: the legendary late professor Jin Yong. He's not as well-known in English-speaking spheres due to the complexity of his works being very difficult to translate to languages outside of the Sino-Tibetan language family. But in Asia, he's a literature titan. He's comparable to Tolkien in that he laid the foundation and codified the tropes of wuxia as a modern genre (alongside Gu Long and Liang Yusheng) and brought about the first and subsequent wuxia waves, and that there's also university courses and entire research field on Jin-Yong-ology. However, he's a much more prolific writer, having produced 15 wuxia series, among which 14 are of comparable length or longer than the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit combined.
It would be no lie to say there's not a single creative professional in Asia that is not influenced by Jin Yong in some way, shape, or form.
One of Jin Yong's trademarks is the overwhelming, often obsessive, sometimes destructive love that his characters exhibit. There's not one work of his that is not threaded through with larger-than-life romance, not just among the protagonists, but also among the villain characters. The trend of modern Chinese literature, especially wuxia and xianxia, to portray larger-than-life romance can be traced directly to Jin Yong's influence.
Interestingly, he's also credited as having accidentally created the proto icon of danmei as a genre.
I'm sorry. I'm so excited I want to cry. Professor Jin Yong is also my first teacher in the craft of writing. It turns out we all step in the footsteps of the giant, huh, Moxiang?)
I also watch a lot of 90s Hongkong movies. Do you know "Shaolin Soccer'?
Risa: I do know!
Moxiang: Stephen Chow's comedy movies, Tsui Hark's wuxia, and fantasy horror movies. Lam Ching-ying's walking corpse movies. I love all of these.
Risa: That's closer to jiangshi (*) than modern zombies.
(*: a type of Chinese walking corpse. The name literally translates to stiff corpse. Jiangshi is typically translated into Chinese hopping vampire in English due to their similarity to Western vampires. They are the dead that comes back to life. They suck yang energy from living people. They fear the smell of garlic. Etc... Jiangshi has real-life basis in an extinct profession in China: the corpse walker, i.e., people who made a living out of 'walking' corpses back to their home provinces in times of war and chaos. Corpse walkers are mentioned in Liao Yiwu's historical book 'The Corpse Walker')
Moxiang: That's right. That's right. A hopping jiangshi. I watch a lot of such movies. Some movies are from before I was born, such as 'A Chinese Ghost Story' and 'Sword Man' (*). I have watched them more than ten times! If I meet someone who has never watched those movies before, I will enthusiastically drag them along while saying, "Let's watch them together!" My novel bears obvious and immense influence from these movies... For example, the funny scenes in my story are very close to the atmosphere of comedy scenes from Hongkong cinema. Or the walking corpses in my story. My inspiration came from these undead corpses. In the novel, I mentioned using glutinous rice as a cure for corpse powder. This knowledge came from the movie "Professor Jiangshi" (named 'Mr. Vampire' in English in the Wikipedia).
(*: Both of these movies are Tsui Hark's movies and are counted among the top 100 best movies of Asian cinema. They are known for their fantasy elements, eroticism, and homoeroticism. These movies came from a time where Asian cinema was pushing boundaries left, right, and center. Swordsman and its spin-off were adapted from Professor Jin Yong's The Smiling Proud Wander. The very same work in which he accidentally created the proto-icon of danmei. I wrote an essay about this as part of danmei history last year. I will make a separate post after this.)
Risa: To be honest, when I reached the part where glutinous rice was used to cure corpse powder in 'Mo Dao Zu Shi,' I was moved.
Moxiang: Ah? A Japanese author saw the glutinous rice scene in my novel and linked it to jiangshi movies... That is so surprising!
Risa: When I was young, I watched a lot of jiangshi movies. I love them!
Moxiang: I feel increasingly close to Ms. Risa now. As for other foreign literature, Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' greatly influences me. When I read it during elementary school, I was shaking from excitement. Perhaps because of the influence of Wuthering Heights, that whenever I see complex, intertwining love-hate situations, I feel such joy and nostalgia in my heart.
There's also my favorite childhood mangaka Rumiko Takahashi! This kind of light-hearted, rowdy atmosphere where characters argue and rib each other is so cute! I especially like 'Ranma 1/2'. I think it's the best comedy manga. Other than that, 'Inuyasha' can only be described by the word romantic. Romantic! To this day, Kikyo is still a goddess in my heart.
Risa: Although 'Ranma 1/2' is a work that features China in it, what do Chinese people think about it?
Moxiang: The first thought that comes to my head is 'charming!' After that is probably fond familiarity. This work (Ranma 1/2) features many Chinese elements. I feel that the distance between our hearts is lessened.
To be Continued (The next part will be the last)
Translator: Sythe / NPD Khanh
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i was inspired by @allysunny 's fic where miguel watches snow white and i loved it so much its literally so wholesome. GO READ IT.
and after that i watched a lotr fanart reel with the evenstar theme and i began to wonder how mig would like Lord of the Rings. cuz he has to if the relationship is going to work im sorry-
So here's the product of my labour lmfao im doing the first movie only because this would be way too long if it was all three
MIGUEL WATCHES LOTR(extended edition ofc)
-I feel like he'd come across you either looking at fanart or edits of the characters and be intrigued.
-"what's that, tesoro?" nosy mf he'd smush onto your shoulder from behind, your hair ticking his nose lightly.
"it's lord of the rings, babe. how have you-"
and you realise mans is from 2099 how tf is he going to know what lord of the rings is.
and thats how you end up sitting in front of the tv at 8am in the morning with tea and breakfast and the shire theme playing from the tv.
-"They're dwarves?" Miguel asks when he sees Frodo next to Gandalf
"No, they're Hobbits."
"But Hobbits are basically dwarves?"
"Nope, different race, honey." you kiss his cheek as his eyes squint in confusion.
=Merry and Pip remind him of ahem certain spider people
-He gasps when Bilbo disappears and is like wtf when he sees him reappear and have a meltdown over the ring.
-He gasps AGAIN when you tell him that gandalf actually left frodo in the shire for 17 years and not like a few hours or days
-gets annoyed at merry and pippin AGAIN
-fucking loves samwise but thinks he needs a bit more spine(give him a chance wait till the end of the series)
-he will raise an eyebrow at you trying to stop your squeal when looking at the first glimpse of this strider and his pipe.
-i feel like the nazgul would freak him out(just a little but its the horses)
-THE HORSES i feel like he wont give af honestly about them because he can co exist with widow on the team but since he has the phobia he wouldnt fawn over them(not me pssh i love the pretty horsies)
-absolutely thinks frodo is going to die when hes stabbed by the nazgul
-his eyes widen when arwen our queen rides in and you squeal again
-he admires arwen and her abilities, that scene with the river and the nazgul makes his jawdrop.
-"tesoro i like this movie." "slut" "im YOUR slut" *mwah*
-he loves the rivendell and the set design is honestly breathtaking he gets so into it
-arwen and aragorn are adorable and he holds you tighter when the flashback scene between them is shown
-you clap when you see legolas ride in and he sideeyes you yet AGAIN
-sees the appeal tbh
-he loves that you're so passionate about something and want to share it with him and he sees it as an honour that you're willing to do this, spend an entire day watching a movie series with him its baffling to him
-you on the other hand get worried that he finds it boring but then when he gets into it youre ecstatic that he likes it too and you both can enjoy something thats so close to your heart.
-it can be hard to relate to someone who's so different from you, like mans is spiderman, a geneticist, leads an elite strike dedicated to the multiverse-
-but you both gel in a lot of ways (which is why dude loves you and would die for you and kill for you either way what bliss)despite leading such different lives and now there's one more thing you can bond over and it fills you with happiness and you have to snuggle into him and he holds you tighter in response, smooching the top of your head
-absolutely despises boromir at first(it changes)
-thinks elrond is bossy asf(look whos talking babe)
-he gets worked up when boromir starts coveting the ring and is like he should die
-sniffs when the man actually dies in such a heroic way
-i think he has to cover his mouth when aragorn finds boromir and kisses his forehead because its such an emotional scene and this man has gone through such loss and probably similar things in his own battlefield except he wishes he could have given his teammates better goodbyes.
-when the movie ends yk the way it does he immediately puts on the next one.
-"babe wait i have to pee!" "pee fast then and come back!" *pats your ass as you walk past him and you try to swat him because that doesnt help after holding in your pee for like 3 damn hours
-he really likes it and he loved experiencing it with you, listening to your commentary sometimes, rolling his eyes lovingly when you grin at aragorn or legolas or sam or arwen, but he loved it even more because it was a piece of you that was bared to him and he accepted it and loved it too because it was YOU
-and because its a legendary piece of art.
#miguel o'hara#miguel o'hara x reader#miguel o’hara x reader#atsv#spiderman 2099#miguel o'hara fluff#echo actually writes
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The Dream That Got Away
Chapter 1
Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x You (no Y/N!)
This is a multi-chapter fic — updates will be erratic, but I’ve outlined almost everything in this fic, so you have my word I’ll complete this
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Link to the Masterlist
Overall Warnings!! Take heed:
Morpheus is DARK – in canon, he changes for the better (or at least, tries to – but we don’t do canon lol, so he goes even more batshit crazy) cue obsession, manipulation, possessiveness, powerplay
18+ ONLY – explicit scenes will be present, some explicit language
DUB-CON and NON-CON scenes
Character death (sort of)
Creator vs Creation drama
And other dark stuff that may be added in the future
This chapter’s warnings:
mild voyeurism
intense stares lol
reader hearing voices
You have been warned!! Proceed with caution!!!
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Chapter 1: The Firsts of Many
Link to the Next Chapter
It's your creator’s eyes that you first see when you open yours – eyes that seemingly contain the entire universe in them, so blue, so warm, so tender. They look at you with so much adoration, you couldn’t help but smile and lean to the warmth of his palm caressing your cheek. He returns your smile with equal fervor. The first time you hear his voice, so deep and velvety and hypnotic, he gives you a name, ‘Mera.’
“My little dream, you’re beautiful. You’re perfect.” You watch his lips move as he utters his praise to his own creation.
You bask is his touch, noting how you had no right to be called ‘perfect,’ when he stands, regal in his own beauty, breathtaking and ethereal. He gives you a function which you take by heart – you are to inspire mortals to put passion in what they do and help them find what they’re truly looking for in their lives while they sleep and roam in his realm, your home, which he calls the Dreaming.
“For I am Dream of the Endless, the King of Dreams and Ruler of the Nightmare Realm.”
Your first words are of utter reverence and gratitude. “My Lord and my King, I owe you my life. Do as you will with it.”
You watch as Dream’s eyes light up with an emotion you have yet to learn the meaning of. Unbothered, you place your hand on the one still cupping your face gently, as you quietly declare your devotion to the purpose he gave you for his realm and his dreamers. You decide to pointedly ignore that faint ringing in your ears, that voice at the back of your mind, quietly telling you that something was amiss and cautioning you to tread lightly in his presence.
***
You grow accustomed to your tasks in the Dreaming in no time. Like you’ve been doing it for millennia, Merv snidely remarks. You’ve gotten to know him, Lucienne, the royal librarian, and the other residents of the realm. When you weren’t attending to the humans in their dreams, you spent most of your time in the Royal Library, ardently absorbing every book you could get your hands on. Who wouldn’t, when every book that humanity has ever written and continue to write is there, waiting to be plucked from the tall, expansive shelves and perused by eager, hungry eyes? You have grown to love the humans, so in your wish to serve them better and inspire them even more in their dreams, you bury your nose in their creations, imagining yourself present in their victories and defeats, their lives, and their deaths.
This is how your master finds you one night in his library: lounging comfortably on one of the high-backed leather sofas, your back resting on one of the armrests and your legs dangling over the other, so engrossed in the novel you were reading you don’t register his presence. His eyes linger a little longer on the way your dress had hiked up to your thighs while you were so cosily reading – he hesitates, not wanting to disturb you from your book. He diverts his gaze away from your exposed flesh to your face, scrunched up in concentration. He notices the way your eyelashes flutter as you blink slowly, the way you lick your lips and rub your eyes, to him a subtle sign that you were trying to stave off sleep in favour of the tome. He needs to remedy this; he does not want you overworking yourself.
“You should be resting, my little dream.”
Startled, the book slips from your hand as you sit upright and adjust your dress – damn if he sees you in such a state, you can’t have a member of the Dreaming staff behave so uncouthly, and right in front of the Creator, no less!
“My lord! My apologies, I didn’t notice you enter.”
Picking up the book you dropped, you belatedly realize that you hadn’t even bookmarked the book! You couldn’t help the huff of annoyance that escapes your lips as you set the book down on the coffee table right in front of the sofa. You look to Dream’s face, expecting a reprimanding scowl to greet you, only to see mild amusement glinting in his eyes.
“You need not apologise. I did not mean to take you by surprise and tear you away from your reading.”
He takes a few steps closer to the other couch across where you’re perched, the ghost of a smile lingering on the corners of his mouth. “May I?” he asks, gesturing to the sofa.
You flash your own tired smile at him. “Of course. It’s your couch, My Lord.”
You watch him as he sits on the leather couch and lean back comfortably with the grace of a true monarch. He picks up one of the books piled high on the coffee table, ones you’ve already finished, observing the cover before setting it back down.
“It gives me great pleasure to see you’re living up to your name, my Mera.”
You shoot him a questioning look, but his eyes just twinkle with fondness and pride before he gently amends, “Lucienne has told me how you have been ardently immersing yourself in the dreams and works of the dreamers in your desire to improve your craft. I expect no less from my own creation.”
At this praise you beam shyly, fidgeting at one of the sofa’s armrests.
“However, I should also like my little dream to take sufficient rest and look after her well-being.”
You are touched at his tender reprimand – despite his often-intimidating nature, you know that deep-down, he genuinely cares for his subjects. You, however, can’t find it in you to give in to his request just yet – you had only a few more pages left of the chapter you were reading! So you muster up the courage to ask, “Please, my Lord, can I finish the last pages of the chapter, at least?”
“Just a few more pages?” He replies with a tiny smirk, raising an eyebrow.
You give him a tiny nod, your own smile growing, already knowing that he’d relent at your small behest.
Morpheus knows all too well that he will never be able to resist granting you whatever you wished for. How could he when you’ve been so gracious to his precious little dreamers? When you were pleading him in this demure way he finds so endearing? A few more pages were nothing compared the burden he has given you and will be giving you in the near future.
“Very well. Just a few more pages.”
He sees the way your eyes light up in pure joy as he gave you the permission to continue with your book. He would give anything within his power if it meant that light would grace him for eternity.
“Thank you, Lord Morpheus. And thank you for your concern for my well-being, I shall try not to overwork myself too often.”
The last part of your sentence barely registers to the Endless, as he relishes the feeling of his name on your lips, fighting the sudden urge to kiss them until they were numb and raw. He thanks the Fates you were once again lost in your book, for he’s sure the look on his face would have surely betrayed the whirlwind of emotions he’s feeling at that very moment. Feigning interest on the book he picked up earlier, he props it open on his lap, lifting the pages every now and then, pretending to read – all the while observing you, listening to your breathing, taking you in, revelling in the comforting silence that now permeated the library.
It isn’t long after he notices that your breathing has gone deeper and more relaxed. He rises to his feet and walks over to your form hunched on the sofa, removing the book now covering your face. He smiles to himself when he sees you, fast asleep, noting how exhaustion finally took over your determination to finish whatever was left of the chapter you were on. He remembers to mark the page with the bookmark attached to the book’s spine, then sets it on the coffee table. He stares at your sleeping form for what seems like ages, debating whether or not it’d be acceptable at this stage to pick you up and transport you to his chambers where you’d rest under the warmth of his own bedcovers. Deciding it was far too early and far too bold a move, he conjures a soft, woolen blanket out of thin air and drapes it over you, making sure it warmed your entire form. Longingly, he traces your lips ever-so-gently with his fingers, then your cheeks, before placing a soft, chaste kiss on your forehead.
“Sleep well, little dream of mine.”
With that soft farewell, he leaves the library quietly so as to not rouse you from your dreamless slumber. One day soon, he pledges to himself, you will fall asleep in his arms under the endless expanse of stars that littered the universe.
***
Your day was just as eventful as any day in the Dreaming. You had finished attending to your duties, conjuring inspiring thoughts in the dreamers you graced your presence with. You take a walk in one of the many gardens within your King’s palace, finally deciding to pause and take a breather by sitting on one of the benches overlooking the breathtaking sunset now gracing the entire realm.
Out of the many gardens within the palace grounds, this is your absolute favorite. Not many residents of the Dreaming frequent this garden, with the exception of Merv occasionally tending to the flower beds; it offers one of the best views of that orange-purple sunset under which you love basking in the glow – it makes for the perfect place where you can reflect on the dreams you have helped the humans form in their sleeping hours. You allow your thoughts to drift from the beauty of the garden to the memory of the first dream, the first human you helped inspire.
The Dream Lord had just created you then. After showing you around his realm, he walked with you to the ocean of dreams, where all his little dreamers dreamed their little dreams. Your breathing quickened at the sight of the vast waters, not wanting to find out what would happen if you got lost in them. Lord Morpheus, sensing your apprehension, took your hand in his.
“Fear not the waters, my little dream. I am the master of this realm, and you, my beloved creation. No harm shall befall you in my own kingdom.”
You remember looking to your lord’s face, soft and reassuring. You didn’t want to disappoint him on your first day, so you steeled your resolve. You gave him a firm and determined nod, and with that, hands still interlocked, you dove headfirst.
The moment you were fully submerged in the cold, dark sea, you were hit with a violent wave of emotions and vivid visions – the dreams, you reminded yourself. You were in the dreams of hundreds of millions of sleeping beings of all sorts. You could hear them, feel what they were all feeling, see what they were seeing in their sleep – flashes of love and hate, of rage and joy, bitterness and jealousy; glimpses of their pasts, present, and imagined future. In a daze you saw thousands upon thousands of unfamiliar faces of the people in their lives: enemies, friends, lovers, family – all passing you by at a speed you could barely comprehend. You felt as if your body was being intensely pulled in all directions. You found the entire universe’s collective unconscious suffocating you, swallowing you whole, so you close your eyes and let it take you.
Until you felt a pair of strong arms gather you close their body and their lips whisper in your ear.
“Careful not to let them consume you, my little dream, and concentrate. Now, let your intuition guide you and draw you to your first dreamer.”
Clinging unto him like a lifeline, you took a deep breath and looked to the seemingly unending streak of ideas, sounds, events, sensations, faces - of everything humanity has to offer – and hone in on the quiet bubbling of a pot over a crackling fire. The moment you willed yourself to the sound, you felt a tug in your belly button, and you fall, fast. The fall was dizzying, endless – but so was the hand holding yours, you reminded yourself. Just when there seemed to be no end to the fall, your felt your feet touch solid ground. You would’ve fallen unceremoniously to it, too, had your creator not anchored you on the waist with his hands and held you still. Mind still fuzzy at your journey which seemed to last for mere seconds and eons at the same time, you looked up to him, marvelling at how he seemed unmoving, unfazed, unbothered with all that you’ve just witnessed.
Is this how he feels all the time, cradling the entire Dreaming in his wake? It was then that it dawned on you the burden he bears, which he bears alone, until the universe passes and is no more. It was then that you understood how his responsibility was infinitely greater than the mere purpose he has given you.
“You did well, my Mera.” His eyes bore into yours, twinkling with great pride.
Not knowing what to say – you’ve just peeked into all of humanity’s dreams for the first time in your existence, no big deal – you manage a small “thank you,” still feeling hazy from…whatever that was you just experienced.
Mentally shaking your head to clear your thoughts, you looked around the place, the dream, you just brought yourselves to. You were in the corner of a large kitchen, facing a long table that was filled with an assortment of fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat, waiting to be cooked. A huge chopping block with neatly cut beetroots laid at the far corner of the table, a sign that someone was just there cutting away and had left momentarily. Your eyes found the pot that drew you to this dream, hanging from a metal beam in the large cooking hearth to your side, its contents happily bubbling away. The kitchen was bright, homely and inviting. It also seemed like it should have been teeming with life, full of people bustling about, trying to get their own cooking done and getting errands out the way. Oddly enough, it was empty, save for a little girl quietly ogling at the sizable collection of dried spices and herbs in tiny glass jars arranged tidily in a cabinet twice her size.
“I see you’ve brought us to the dreams of Lavinia Baxter.”
Dream of the Endless let go of his hold on you, keen to see you perform for the first time. With his hand, he motioned to the little girl, about 10 years of age, who seemed oblivious to your presence.
You walk leisurely around the kitchen, taking in every detail of the little girl’s vivid imagination. Without making a sound, you both watch Lavinia as she opened the spice cabinet. She took one little spice jar out at a time, opening them and taking in each of the smells, seemingly trying to take her pick. She finally decided with two of them, clutching them in her small hands and walking to the pot of stew on the hearth. With practiced dexterity, she placed some of the herbs in her palms, rubbing them together before they fell in the pot. She then stirred the pot with a wooden ladle and, looking around her like she was making sure no one else was there, put the ladle to her lips to taste the stew. The door to the kitchen suddenly bursts open, and out came a short, plump woman in her late 40s, who, upon laying her eyes on the little girl who looked guilty at getting caught, burst into a jovial laughter, and strode over to where little Lavinia was.
“Well, well, caught red-handed! How does it taste, my sweet?” the woman asked her, hands on her hips.
Lavinia let out an adorable giggle and handed the ladle to her, urging her to have a taste. She accepted the ladle and tasted the sauce still coating it, while the little girl watched with anticipation. The woman’s expression changed quickly from curiosity to one of delight.
“Why, I see you have made some adjustments to this! It tastes absolutely fantastic,” she exclaimed, which made Lavinia smile so broadly it seemed to brighten up the kitchen even more.
“I added some of these,” she quips, showing the woman jars she took out from the spice cabinet.
The woman nods in approval, praising her, “You have a fine sense of smell, my lady. I think we oughtta add that to the recipe book, don’t ya? Where’s a quill when you need one…ah, right over there!” She pointed to the quill and the bottle of ink on a small desk by the window.
From her apron, she fished out a black, leather-bound book the size of her palm, while Lavinia retrieved the quill and handed it to her. She proceeded to tell the woman how much she added to the stew while the other wrote it down on the book.
This is a memory, you realize. Lavinia’s memory, unfolding right before you, moved you so deeply you almost forgot you were there to work. She seemed to have so much passion for cooking at a very early age, for you felt within your bones the sheer elation that never left her eyes as she interacted with the woman with the black book.
“Little Lavinia has fond childhood memories of Millie, her household’s head cook.” Dream mentioned, breaking his silence, and striding over to where you were. “She spent more time with her, more than she did her own mother.”
The woman called Millie leapt to her feet all of a sudden. “My dear God, look at the time. You better hurry, my sweet, your husband might be waiting for you.”
Lavinia, nodding with a put-out expression, took dainty steps toward a door on her right that wasn’t there before. You and your master followed her as she led you to the next room, where, as you gleaned, the next part of her dream was to take place.
“Husband?” You turned to Dream with a puzzled face, walking together to the room Lavinia just entered. As the door closes itself behind you, he gestures around the room.
“Observe.”
And you did. The room you were in now was rather dark, with the thick brocade curtains drawn over the windows to block the sunlight. It was a study, it seemed, filled wall-to-wall with books, not unlike the ones you can find in the Royal Library. The study itself was rather small and bare, with a desk in the middle and a singular lamp illuminating the entire place. The desk was almost empty, except for a single, framed photograph. Behind the desk sat Lavinia, staring blankly to the wall – except she was no longer the 10-year-old girl from the other room, but a young woman, face forlorn and tear-stained, far too weary-looking for someone of her age.
“In the waking world, Lavinia, barely twenty-three, lost her husband to a shipwreck not a mere three weeks ago. Misfortune has seemed to follow her since then, for not a week after, she finds out her husband’s estate has left her barely nothing to live by. She has not only found herself to be a widow, but one doomed to poverty.” Dream’s words echoed in the study hauntingly, adding to the melancholic atmosphere.
You glanced at the photograph of a finely dressed young man with kind, smiling eyes. Your heart hurt for Lavinia. You moved to reach for her hand to comfort her, but Dream shakes his head.
“You are meant to inspire, my dream, not provide solace to the mourning.” Dream gently reminded you.
“Where can I begin, then, My Lord?” your whisper. You wanted with all your heart to help Lavinia, but you to be honest, you were quite lost.
With a knowing sparkle in his eyes, he waved his once more around the study. “Begin here, where she has brought you. You need only trust yourself.”
You stifled the huff you were sorely tempted to let out. Your master obviously wasn’t willing to provide you anymore hints than the rather vague one he just gave you, so you wracked your brains for something, anything, that might help the grieving young woman before you.
Come on, Mera, think. What does Lavinia love so much, one that might prove enough to at least bring back happiness to her life and help her get her shit together?
You knew the answer even before you finish the question in your head. With a steely look on your face, you strode over to the walls lined with books, caressing their spines, eyes scanning the shelves until you found just what you were looking for: Millie’s little black book. The leather was peeling off in small patches at the corners, the pages were browned, and it needed some dusting, but it looked like it was rummaged through many times and handled with so much love and care.
With deliberate force, you threw the book across the room, hitting her squarely in the face. You hadn’t meant for it to land there, but before you could say something to apologize (forgetting you hadn’t appeared to her yet), Lavinia, cursing with surprising ease, takes one look at the book and lets out a light chuckle which comes out hoarse, a sign that she hadn’t let one out since the news of her husband's passing.
Before you could celebrate your success at making her laugh, your expression turned to mild horror as she broke down into tears, hugging the book close to her heart.
“L-looks like you caught me red-handed again, M-Mi..Millie,” she choked between her sobs.
You looked to your Lord, who was taking in the scene before him with mild mirth. “I made it worse!”
“You think?” vaguely he gestured once more to the weeping widow. “Look at her again.”
This time, you paid closer attention to her face. She was crying, that’s true, but now a wide smile graced the corners of her mouth, and in your relief, there was a tiny hint of that twinkle in her eyes you saw light up the kitchen in Millie’s presence. It was a small spark, but you knew with every fiber of your being that that was the spark she needed to get her life back together.
You looked at your master directly in the eyes, wanting validation. Dream, his smile now as wide as yours, stares back with pride at your first successful dream, and with the same intense emotion he looked at you with when you first declared your life was his. He drew closer (how is he this fast) to you, never breaking eye contact. Face mere inches away from yours, he spoke with all the authority only an Endless can possess.
“You did well today, my Mera. You make a fine addition to my Realm.” His fingers ghosting over your cheek, he asks you, “Can I count on you to continue fulfilling the purpose I gave you for the Dreaming, and for me?”
Savouring your master’s praise of your first handiwork, you responded without hesitation: “Yes, my King.”
Dream of the Endless seemed to relish your words. His gaze grew more intense and you felt engulfed in it. Without warning, that voice at the back of your head let out a resounding screech, so loud in your brain you flinched, breaking your eye contact with your Lord.
Morpheus seemed to recognize this momentary slip. In a split-second, he waves his hand and declares, “This dream is over.”
With no time to ruminate on your subconscious’ reaction, you felt that all-too-familiar tug in your bellybutton, signaling your return from the ocean of dreams.
***
“Hey, kid! Are you gonna be there for longer? I got work to do there!”
Merv’s voice is enough to shake you from your musings. Finding the sunset’s glow a little too bright to look to see his form, you turn to your left you where his voice came from, squinting.
“Are those new flowers, Merv?” You call to him.
“Yeah, boss said this garden needed new ones.”
You get up to leave Merv with his gardening, but not before something black moving out of the corner of your eye catches your attention.
It’s him, that voice in your head whispers. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you get this strange feeling that you’re being watched.
Heart pounding, you inspect the area where the flash of black should’ve been, but you find nothing there. The voice is making you unnecessarily paranoid. You really shouldn’t be entertaining this.
Wanting to soothe yourself from that mentally induced little fright, you walk back into the palace, your feet automatically going for the Royal Library.
The library is quiet today, as any day. You wave ‘hello’ to Lucienne, who greets you with a grin and a nod in your general direction. You originally wanted to make a conversation with her about anything just to get your mind off your frazzled nerves, but she seemed too busy with sorting what seemed like new books that appeared in the Realm. You decide to spare her from listening to your pointless ramblings, and instead go to the L section. You pull up Lavinia Baxter’s books from the shelf and make a beeline for your favourite reading spot. Curling into a ball on the leather couch and setting the other book down, you flip through the pages of the one you’ve read probably a dozen times.
You may be biased, but your favorite dreams of Lavinia’s were the ones after your unconventional visit. Since then, she has renewed her passion for making sumptuous dishes, spending her almost all of her waking hours experimenting with new ingredients and coming up with recipes of her own. Her dreams have since reflected this wonderful turnabout, prompting you to visit her again multiple times to help her with desserts, something you noticed she struggled with. It wasn’t long before the other book you grabbed from the shelf materialized in the realm, with bold letters on the cover that read “Lavinia Baxter’s 19th Century Guide to Household Cookery.” Your heart sang with delight at its appearance, knowing you inspired her well enough to publish her own cookbook, without even showing her your true form.
Setting aside Lavinia’s book of dreams, you pick up the cookbook and flip it to the dedication page.
To my dearest Millie,
Thank you for visiting me in my dreams and smacking me in the face with your little recipe book. You have no idea how that saved me.
You trace the words on the page lovingly. Suddenly –
Watch out. The voice is back.
Shut up! You hiss back at it.
Great. There it is again, that sensation of being watched. Cursing mentally, you close Lavinia’s recipe book and hold it close, hugging it like it could help that uneasy feeling disappear. Closing your eyes, you will yourself to succumb to your fatigue and fall into a blissful, dreamless slumber.
Yet those normally blue eyes, almost silver now with the barely restrained need to take, never leave your sleeping figure.
*******************************************************************************************
Link to the Next Chapter
Author’s note:
I know this chapter was exceedingly long and I can’t guarantee that the next ones will be as long as this, but I can assure you I will do my very best to make it as engaging as I can. As a first-time fic writer, now I know how other fic writers feel when a fic consumes their entire soul and refuses to leave your thoughts until it gets written lmaooo
This chapter is just trying to establish how Mera’s life is like after being created by Dream. More Dark!Morpheus to come as he shows his true intentions to you!
Please comment, reblog and engage!! I’d love to hear your feedback, predictions, violent reactions lol
Special shoutout to @queenshelby @endlessdreamqueen2 encouraging me to finally pen this, as well as to other Dark!Morpheus fic writers whose fics I’ve had the pleasure of reading (and rereading!)
Thank you!
Post date:10/23/22
Edited: 10/23/22
#the sandman#the sandman fanfic#dream x reader#no y/n#dream of the endless x reader#the sandman netflix#the sandman x reader#dark!morpheus#dark!morpheus x reader#morpheus goes batshit crazy#lord morpheus#lord morpheus x reader#morpheus x reader#oneiros#dream of the endless#king of dreams#ruler of the nightmare realm#18+ONLY#tom sturridge as dream#tom sturridge character#sandman#the dream that got away#the sandman fanfiction
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I just finished the first season of The Chosen, here are my thoughts...
For context, I have a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard, and I am a United Church of Christ preacher and member-in-discernment.
Overall I am really enjoying the show, I've cried a few times, and it has made my faith feel deeper and made me feel more connected to Jesus. I can't wait to pick up season two from the library on Monday and keep watching.
Here's a list, in no particular order, of things on my mind as I finish season one:
I love the show's portrayal of Jesus. He is welcoming, friendly, funny, and sensitive. At the same time he can be strange and uncanny. Jonathan Roumie absolutely crushes it in this role, and it was easy to think "this is Jesus" instead of thinking it is an actor playing Jesus. I do sort of wish Jesus was a little bit scarier, a little more challenging, but I get the feeling that will come later.
Nicodemus as a POV character is an inspired choice. Much like many modern Christians, Nicodemus struggles to believe what he is seeing, yet he longs to believe anyways. It's easy for me to see myself in him, especially as a highly-educated theologian. Additionally, seeing things from Nicodemus' perspective adds nuance and depth to how we see the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, instead of succumbing to the unambiguous (and grossly antisemitic) villain treatment so many Christians still gleefully participate in on Palm Sunday. And the astute viewer will remember that Nicodemus has a very important role to play at the end of the story, when we eventually get there.
On the other hand, the Romans are cartoonish villains for most of the first season. I started rolling my eyes whenever Quintus appears on screen, eyebrow cocked, wicked sneer on his lips. It sure drives home the point about the Romans being violent colonizers and oppressors, but in a story that presents everyone as redeemable--even tax collectors--the fact that Quintus doesn't seem redeemable stands out. Gaius seems to be quite a bit more nuanced, so I can't help but wonder if we'll continue to see development for him.
I liked the portrayal of Matthew as autistic-coded. To me he doesn't feel like a caricature, I can see myself in him, and I empathize with him. The scene when Jesus asks him to follow really hit me.
Much has been said about this show's portrayal of emotionally-vulnerable masculinity and I strongly agree with it. The men in this show are tender, they're affectionate, they're supportive. They laugh and cry and hug freely. It's probably the best portrayal of masculinity in media that I've seen since Lord of the Rings.
The theology of the show was more progressive than I was expecting, though I didn't agree with everything the writing posits. The show's framing of Jesus' healing miracles as him forgiving the sins of the sick/disabled person grates on me. At the same time, I love how the opening of most episodes present a scene from the Hebrew Bible. It grounds the show's theology and Jesus' ministry in the Jewish scriptures, a thing that I think Christians too often avoid. It also does so in a way that feels connected to the Hebrew Bible instead of being supersessionist.
"Get used to different." What a great line. I wanna use that in a sermon. That's what following Jesus is all about, isn't it? Amen.
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My note bait post didn't accrue more notes than words on my WIP, which is surprising to me, given how much posts can blow up, but then again it was either going to be this or it would blow up so much i'd have to write something the length of the entire lord of the rings
I did, however, hit the first spark of what feels like genuine inspiration in a long time. Suddenly things were flowing and I wasn't struggling uphill.
My "mad scientist" POV character absorbed all of the writing today. I had a little flashback scene pop into my head of her in an abandoned warehouse illicitly dissecting a corpse, her hands shaking because she knows it's a disgusting act of sacrilege...it was just so vivid and compelling and really captured that sense of her obsession dragging her to places that frighten and revolt her and the secret allure of it.
Out of my 3 POV characters she is definitely the...worst? like morally? and has the least amount of insight into herself. She's pretty fucking twisted. And it's the good shit because she comes off as very vulnerable and sympathetic, she's a young prodigy and she grew up poor and she's really kind of naive.
She's just...complicated. She has a grandparent that belongs to a colonized culture that was subject to genocide, but she is trying hard to repress that side of her cultural heritage, and that plays into her relationship with biotechnology, because the religious and ethical framework of her upbringing is something she's kinda rejecting.
And like, she is locked into this rivalry with a colleague she went to school alongside, who was noble-blooded and very wealthy, and she has this deep hatred and resentment toward this other girl who honestly doesn't return the depth and strength of her feelings at all. She sees the fights and competition as petty schoolgirl stuff, whereas for my my POV character it was something way more intense and codependent.
POV character so far describes herself as "not interested in boys...her work [is] too important" but. Her codependent obsessive rivalry-friendship with the other scientist is definitely coming from a place of uh lesbianism and she has no idea.
And it's really cool/fucked up to observe how she blames her colleague for her own corruption, because now they're both locked into careers experimenting non-consensually on humans to make military bioweapons, and POV character is like "wow why would she do this and drag me into it with her, I thought we were supposed to use biotech to make the world better" and her colleague is like "Um what do you mean, 'we'?"
#the inherent homoeroticism of being a mad scientist with a bitter rivalry with your colleague#my writing#my wip#my characters#writing
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Rules: post 10 of your favorite comfort movies and then tag 10 people
tagged by: @lairn (thank you :D)
I am so glad quality isn't necessary when it comes to comfort because this and my favourites list is kind of different.
Spirited Away
This movie is just so beautiful to look at. When I think of comfort I think about the train scene or when Chihiro is at Zeniba's home. There are so many calm scenes in this movie and even the conflict is solved with no action. It's just people talking and trying to understand each other and themselves and I love it so very much.
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
When I think of comfort I also think of the Shire. Oh how I wish I lived there. This movie is just so wholesome. I love when a group of people has to work together towards a common goal and I love the bonding moments. It is my favourite movie of the trilogy and one of my favourite movies in general, even though the lack of Smeagol is upsetting since he is my favourite character.
3. Pride
This movie just fills my heart with such tender feelings. I laugh, I cry and I always end with a little hope.
4. The Princess Bride
This has got to be the most quoteable movie of all time. Full of tropes, it's just a fun adventure that makes me laugh and feel relaxed.
5. Now You See Me
Remember when I said I liked when a group of people comes together for a common goal? Yeah. Plus, this is a movie full of tricksters! Honestly, they were just waving a delicious toy in front of me and saying pssss psss psss with this one. I still remember having watched this in the cinema and wanting the sequel to be named Now You Don't. I was really upset when that wasn't the name. I own this in DVD and now I want to go rewatch it so I hope this answers all the questions.
6. Hot Fuzz
Everytime I rewatch this movie I notice something new. This is another movie that never fails to make me laugh and it's also a great friendship story.
7. The Road to El Dorado
Me and a former friend from my teens used to quote this movie all the time (in portuguese). This is one of the movies I know all the lines and it annoys my other friends to no end when they attempt to watch it with me. Very fond memories connected with this one.
8. Pride and Prejudice
Just looking at Mr. Bingley's face makes me smile. Yeah, yeah, I am not on the Mr. Darcy camp. I like my men cute, kind hearted and a little dumb. Enough said. (This movie also looks beautiful)
9. Song of the Sea
This seemingly simple story about conflicting family relationships resonated so much with me. Besides that, like Spirited Away, it is gorgeous to look at. This is probably my favourite movie in terms of visuals. I love the shapes, I love the colors, I love the sountrack!
10. 10 Things I Hate About You
I possibly related to Kat way too much in my teens. This teen movie improved the Shakespeare play that inspired it.
Tagging: @whatevsbla @monpetitrenard @alloysius-g @random-jot @xserpx @vydumaj @electropeach @beeblackburn @garnetrena @logarithmicpanda (only if you want to do it, of course)
#tag game#comfort movies#spirited away#lotr#the fellowship of the ring#the princess bride#pride 2014#now you see me#song of the sea#the road to el dorado#pride and prejudice#10 things I hate about you#hot fuzz#movies
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hmmm one thing I really like in SR, is how most of the body types we see are fairly stumpy/strong or just overall, don't feel fragile (since they're based on animals moreso than humans, I suppose that must be the influence there)
The only characters who we could even call "skinny", are Usagi himself, and then the Shogun, lord Kogane (who is short under that outfit of his). Both their body-shapes are still different (Yuichi's triangle shapes VS Kogane's bell-shape) but are also more-or-less closer to that stick-figure shape we don't see in the other characters
usagi and kogane
vs the other cast
since it's primarily a more "action anthro" or "funny animals" show, but also 3D, it's sorta nice to see this change of pace compared to other modern cartoons where the girl or women characters are always skinnier or less bulky, even if they do action, or often even male characters will be the same height/similar body type and there's not as much variety in the cast. But here they're all different animals so it's a nice excuse to add more variety according to character and inspirations heh. Now, with Chizu and and Kitsune, they might not be very bulky, but they are at least the bare minimum of "very ordinary-looking body types) and also different heights from each other. With Gen and Toshiko on the other hand, even if it's a cost-saving method to keep the budget for the heavier/costlier and more necessary scenes, I like that Toshiko is allowed to basically, be just a person but in a way that's realistic for this world, so she's still the same build as Gen and the rest of her family, with the only difference being that she wears ear-rings as a show of character.
also, like I'd said b4 in an older post, I appreciate they didn't do the "boobs on animals" design choice either (all the female cast, but especially characters like Chizu or Toshiko) cuz well, it's not a game or something hyper-realistic, but also, seems like the visdev crew was really smart and aware abt this sorta stuff. So with the exception of Lady Fuwa, the rest of the female cast do not really have detailing or design aspects that would make them seem close to cartoons or 3D games that do add more visible chests to their anthro characters (like, for whatever reason, it could be anything). just a nice change of pace.
tho I guess like, it *is* aimed at kids, so the designers were aware of some of this stuff probably and steered the designs into something easy-to-draw (I'm thinking of visdev and storyboards) as well as model and animate.
#usagi chronicles#yuichi usagi#srtuc#just thinkin'#samurai rabbit the usagi chronicles#srtuc lord kogane#lord kogane#aghht srtuc post#srtuc kitsune#srtuc shiba inu doctors#shiba inu doctors#srtuc chizu#srtuc gen#srtuc 204 game dogs#srtuc 104 run rabbit run#cast heights
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